Comics Which Contain This Story

No comics so far

Characters

The following characters are mentioned in the story:

• Kashira Chizu
• Ikeda
• Komori Ninja
• Miyamoto Usagi
• Neko Ninja
• Sanshobo

Story Synopsis

Usagi, Gen and Sanshobo are surrounded by ninja of the Neko and komori clans. The two ninja factions seem more intent on killing each other than paying any deal of attention to the other three. It is a different matter however, when they attempt to flee.

Komori and Neko Ninja alike give chase. A Neko Ninja flings a shuriken into the head of a Komori Ninja about to cut Usagi down from behind. Usagi's thanks are cut short as the Neko Ninja punches him in the face and makes off with grasscutter. Another Komori Ninja cuts down the fleeing Neko Ninja, taking grasscutter for himself. Usagi grabs hold of the ninja's foot as he tries to fly away. His efforts are in vain as the Komori Ninja slams him into a tree branch. Chizu flings several shuriken at the receding Komori Ninja, scratching him, but not injuring him enough to prevent his escape.

There seem to be no other survivors as silence once again settles throughout the forest. Gen blames Chizu for the loss of the sword and knocks her to the ground with a mighty back-hand slap. Her friendship with Usagi prevents retaliation, and she explains that the shuriken that she wounded the Komori Ninja with was laced with a deadly poison. They need only find the body to retrieve grasscutter. Gen is less than pleased that Chizu has joined their party and the pair exchange some choice words before setting off to look for the body. Behind them, unnoticed, another watches.

As they search, Usagi talks to Chizu about her motivations. She intends to retrieve grasscutter and throw it into the sea before the Komori Ninja or others in her clan can use it to their advantage. Her clan does not suspect, but she feels the blade to be far too potent a weapon to be left idle at Atsuta shrine.

They discover the body, but grasscutter is not with it. Another has beaten them to it and so they follow his trail to the east. As does another.

The trail leads them to a peasant's hut. They enter the hut, disturbing the occupants. Sanshobo lets out a gasp of surprise. The head of the peasant family living in this hut is none other than Lord Ikeda. He escaped death in the revolt and has been living as a peasant farmer ever since. Ikeda recalls his old retainer and greets him warmly, but is curious about his travelling companions; two samurai and a Neko Ninja.

Gen spies grasscutter on the floor of the hut and retrieves it as Sanshobo explains. Ikeda invites them to tell more of their story over food. Chizu draws something from a hidden compartment at the tip of her saya. She drops it unnoticed into the fire pit as she takes her food, then leaves on the pretense of scouting the area as the item she dropped into the coals begins to burn.