General Info

First Issue: CRITTERS Volume 1, Issue 10

Comics Which Contain This Story

This story can be found in the following comics:

	CRITTERS Volume 1, Issue 10
	USAGI YOJIMBO Book 1

Characters

The following characters are mentioned in the story:

• Lord Hikiji
• Jotaro
• Kenichi
• Mariko
• Lord Mifune
• Miyamoto Usagi
• Mogura Ninja

Story Synopsis

As Usagi wanders homeward in the snow, he is confronted by a group of Mogura Ninja with a child hostage. His claim of being a traveller is refuted and they attack him. Usagi kills one of them and the child runs to his side as a group of villagers appear, and the ninja disappear in a swirl of blinding smoke and a vow that the Mogura Ninja will take what they want.

Amongst the villagers Usagi recognises his childhood sweetheart Mariko. She too recognises him, and he is thrown into recollection of their last meeting, years ago; before he left to serve Lord Mifune. His reverie is shattered when the boy runs to his mother - Mariko. It seems Mariko married Kenichi, Usagi's childhood rival, now the village headman.

Back at the village, in Kenichi's home, Mariko tells Usagi of his father's death at the hands of Lord Hikiji. The old man refused to give supplies to Hikiji and was beheaded. Hikiji ordered Kenichi be the town's new headman. Taking all the town's supplies, many died that winter. This seems still to be a sore point with Kenichi, who orders that Usagi leave after visiting the grave of his father.

After Kenichi storms away, Mariko goes on to tell Usagi of the Mogura Ninja. They came several days before Usagi did, demanding food. Kenichi refused them and they retaliated, burrowing into the storehouse and stealing supplies and kidnapping Jotaro, Mariko and Kenichi's son. Mariko's diatribe is interrupted by a scream from Jotaro's room.

Arriving there, Usagi confronts a Mogura Ninja holding the boy hostage and threatening to kill him.