Hello, welcome to the third chapter of Senran Kagura: Shinobi Chronicles.
I finally got the drive to write another chapter for this story.
Now, onto the story.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
*Sounds*
[Shinobi Driver]
Special Attacks
At a local plaza in Asakusa...
Afternoon...
"Interesting. So this is a new Ride Shuriken, huh?" Junpei asked aloud as he inspected Yukio's newly acquired blue shuriken.
"Yeah. I made a pact with Gekkouga and he offered me his blessings in return." Yukio replied as the brunette returned his item back to him.
It has been a day since the fight at the Hanzo Academy's garden. Nothing related to the Serpent Society came to the duo's attention for now.
"So what's the plan now? Are you going after another Seirei, Yukio?" Junpei asked as he began to work inside his food truck, starting to prepare some takoyaki to sell this time.
"Yeah. That's right. But I'm not going after an elemental spirit this time, Hanamura-san."
"Oh? Is that so? Then what kind of Seirei will you be looking for this time?"
"A spirit that represents blades. One that resides within a nodachi." Yukio answered as he began to remember the talk he had with Gamano last night.
(Flashback)
Last Night- after the fight at the garden
Inside of Yukio's Room
"Well done in acquiring the Water Ride Shuriken, Yukio." The toad drawing on the scroll congratulated the Rider.
"Umu. Thank you, Gamano. But if it wasn't for you, I still wouldn't have been able to acquire this new power in the first place." Yukio spoke back, sitting on his bed to relax a little as he showed his Water Ride Shuriken to his new mentor.
"Yes. But I only pointed out the direction you need to follow. The rest is something you did on your own merits. It's fine to feel satisfied and proud of your own work from time to time." The toad replied.
"I see. Even so, thank you. So... Do you have any idea about what sort of Seirei I should be looking out for now?" An eager Yukio asked Gamano.
"*Sigh* Yukio... If I simply told you everything right away, there would be no meaning in helping you. For now, I only showed you the rope first in order for you to be able to gradually improve yourself. Do you get it?"
"I... I see... Yeah... You're right, Gamano. Even if I managed to defeat Inoshishi, that doesn't mean I can face all the Serpent Society, right?"
"Exactly. It's normal and okay if you wish to be stronger, but being impatient as you try to acquire more power is a grave mistake. Not only will you end up hindering your own progress, but you may end up becoming someone thirsty for power as well. Someone like the Serpent Society." Gamano spoke while looking serious at Yukio.
At this, Yukio looked down, reflecting as he let Gamano's words sink in.
"I... It's just that I want to stop the Serpent Society as soon as possible. So that nobody else suffers from their hands. Do not let more victims like me come to exist because of them." The young ninja explained with a sorrowful expression.
"I know, Yukio. And that's why... You must not forget about what is truly important. You will be fine as long as you always remember that. You can do anything if you try hard enough." Gamano said as he smiled at the teen.
"Okay... Thanks. So what should I do now? Other than to train and stay in shape?"
"I will help you find new Seireis to make a pact with. Until then, just be on the watch for more shinobis other than the Serpent Society. The other factions may end up coming after you sooner or later. They will want the Twilight Ninja Scroll from you as well." The toad advised his user.
(Flashback ends)
"And after that, Gamano was able to sense a Seirei that resides within certain swords," Yukio explained to Junpei.
"I see. But if that's the case, does that mean you have to go after a special sword, right? Are you going to invade Asakusa's museum tonight? I heard that there are several unique katanas on exposition there." Junpei spoke as he almost finished cooking the takoyaki to sell.
"No. I'm not going to the museum. My target is this weapon." The Rider replied as he grabbed his smartphone and showed the image of a certain person to the brunette.
"Eh? This is..." Junpei's eyes widened as he recognized the person in the photo.
It was a picture of Ikaruga wielding her personal nodachi, Hien.
"Hien, a blade that represents the family heirloom of the Phoenix Conglomerate in their ninja activities," Yukio said.
Ikaruga's personal weapon, Hien, is a very modest-looking nodachi, with a shining blade, black hilt, and sheath.
The Phoenix Conglomerate is a large financial chain of corporations that houses and hides the interests of a clan of good shinobi. They are one of Hanzō Academy's primary investors.
Hien is the family heirloom of the Phoenix Conglomerate. Although it was originally to be passed on to the family's son, Murasame, he did not possess sufficient talent as a shinobi to carry on the family ninja legacy.
Ikaruga, a distant relative who showed great promise, was then adopted into the family and given Hien instead. Because of this, Murasame showed great resentment towards Ikaruga, saying that he cannot accept an outsider claiming the family weapon and has attempted to steal it several times. Regardless, Ikaruga refuses to let anyone take it, as she was told to do so by her adoptive father.
"Gamano taught me how to better use my Shinobi Energy to sense Seireis in specific areas or objects. As a result, I was able to feel the strong aura of a spirit within Ikaruga's weapon." Yukio explained to his partner.
"I see... Well, talk about fate. It seems you are once again crossing paths with the Hanzo Academy's ninjas, huh?" The owner of the food truck chuckled lightly at this while the ravenette only sighed.
"I really wish that wasn't the case. And now I have to appear before the girl that is most hellbent in uncovering my real identity. *Sigh* Well, since it can't be helped, I might as well go along with this instead of complaining. I will be going then, Hanamura-san." Yukio spoke as he grabbed his motorcycle helmet, which was resting on a nearby table.
"Oh, before you go, Yukio! I have heard that Ikaruga's 'brother', Murasame, recently went missing. I don't know if this might end up having any relevance to you, but considering their complex relationship..." Junpei proceeded to warn the young Shinobi.
"Oh yeah, it's from the intel you got from Asuka and the other girls, right?" Yukio asked the cook, receiving a nod from the brunette.
Ikaruga comes from a lesser, distant branch of a rich and noble shinobi clan whose outward appearance is that of a large zaibatsu known as the Phoenix Conglomerate. Because their only son, Murasame lacked sufficient talent as a ninja, they were in a very desperate situation. After being alerted of a distant relative who showed great promise as a ninja, Ikaruga was adopted by them and inherited the family treasure Hien, which earned her the resentment of her new older brother.
Murasame is Ikaruga's 'older brother', although they are not blood-related since she was adopted into the family. Murasame has a grudge against Ikaruga, since she "stole" his rightful position as the heir to their family's riches, making him become a banker. This came to be after Murasame failed to become a shinobi by failing the Hanzo Academy's entrance exam. The reason is that he lacks the aptitude for being shinobi.
"Right... I really hope this doesn't end up becoming another problem for us... Later, Hanamura-san!" Yukio said goodbye to his companion as he got on the Shinobi Chaser, placed the helmet and proceeded to turn on the ignition of his bike.
"Alright. See you later, Yukio!" Junpei spoke as he watched the teen drive away on his bike.
Narrator: Shinobi were once servants of the feudal lords that ruled Japan in the past, specializing in espionage, subversion, and assassination.
With the influx of western culture after the Meiji Restoration, the feudal system began to collapse, causing them to fade from public consciousness.
However, even in modern times the need for shinobi still exists. Their employers are primarily politicians and corporations. Most employ them merely as tools to satisfy their own greed.
As a result, shinobi are responsible for crimes throughout Japan, and the government moved to confront them. This spawned the creation of Good Shinobi schools to combat Evil Shinobi who break the law.
[In some sort of battlefield, we can see the Hanzo Ninja Academy students and the Hebijo Academy elite group preparing to fight each other, with Asuka and Homura leading their respective teams.]
Narrator: However, they are nothing compared to the forces of a greater danger on the loose in the form of the Serpent Society: an organization of dark ninjas that aim to take over the world with their ninjutsu.
[A battalion of Dustards appears from out of nowhere as it begins to attack both ninja teams, with Karasu leading them while Orochi is observing the fight from the distance, resting on a throne.
The dark forces quickly corner the shinobi girls, who now look injured and full of bruises.]
*Several shurikens being thrown*
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*
[When things were about to get worse, a new figure appears and uses many shurikens to destroy all the Dustards, leaving only Karasu, who avoids the attack at the last second.
Now everybody looks at the newcomer, who is standing on the top of a Japanese castle, with the light of the full moon illuminating him. It is revealed to be Kamen Rider Shinobi as he has his arms crossed and stares back at them.]
Insert Opening Theme: IZANAGI by Sakuramen and Hideya Tawada - Opening theme of Rider Time: Kamen Rider Shinobi
(Instrumental)
Narrator: The only one who can fight the Serpent Society on equal grounds is the legendary ninja… Kamen Rider Shinobi!
Higashi no sora wo
Akaku so mete
Kodo o hajimeta
Yumeutsutsu
(My heart began throbbing as the eastern sky grew red)
We see Yukio looking at the sky, clenching a fist as he adopts a serious expression.
Hikari ga shimesu
Shinjitsu e to
Haruka ayumitashite
(Walking on the path stretching out to the truth,
Revealed by the light shining between dream and reality)
The Rider walks through the busy streets of the city, passing through the Hanzo Ninja Academy students and the Hebijo Academy elite group. Asuka and Homura both stop to look back worriedly at him as he disappears.
ikuseiso wo o hete kawaranu
tayutau negai ni mi o kogashi
ima o motome tsudzukete
(Suffering as my wandering ideals persisted endlessly,
I desperately sought after the present.)
An injured six years old Yukio walks through an endless darkness, crying while also refusing to give up. He has the Twilight Ninja Scroll firmly in his hands.
The scene changes to show Junpei thinking sadly about his little brother, Touma, who seems to be in a hospital room while looking to be in a critical condition with several medical machines attached to him.
tokini kizutsuki tsukare hatete
utsumuita to shite mo hitomi ni wa
moyuru chishio ga tagiru
(Though at times I may fall with wounds or falter in my goals,
The boiling blood in my eyes will always rise up again.)
An army of Dustards is awaiting Yukio, all looking ready to kill him. Orochi and Karasu can be seen in the background, commanding them to attack the Rider.
At this, the two female ninja groups suddenly arrive to help him, with Asuka smiling at him while Homura sports a grin towards Yukio.
Hazeru!
(Blossom out!)
hitohira no omoi kakete
mugen ni saita chigiri wa kagayaku
(Even just the petals of your dreams
Can bring your dreams to fruition)
The wind blows strong for a moment as the petals of a cherry blossom fall around Yukio.
He then summons the Shinobi Driver on his waist and becomes Kamen Rider Shinobi!
He uses several combinations of fire, water, earth and wind techniques together with the shinobi girls as they easily keep destroying all the Dustards around them.
Asenu!
(Blossom out!)
chikai wa oozora o mai
yuukyuu no toki koete
(Those vows will soar across the sky for all eternity)
Karasu charges at them, creating a powerful energy slash against the group. This makes Shinobi, Asuka, and Homura combine their attacks to counter the attack of the dark shinobi.
Shinobi no michi e izanau~
(Calling for the way of the shinobi!)
The final scene shows Shinobi and Kasaru crossing blades with each other with a burning Japanese castle on the back while the rest of the scene is divided into two:
All ninja girls are on the left rooting for the Kamen Rider.
On the right, Orochi is imposing a dark aura while being accompanied by several Dustards.
An explosion of energy happens and the full title of the fanfic appears, with Kamen Rider Shinobi's Shuriken Starter behind the title:
[Senran Kagura: Shinobi Chronicles]
NinPoW 3: The way of the blade
In the Hebijo Academy...
On a traditional Japanese tatami-room...
The five Hebijo elite students were giving reports to their superior. Their teacher. They were all now planning their next move against the Hanzo Academy students.
Homura, Haruka, Hikage, Yomi and Mirai were kneeling in front of someone wearing a samurai kabuto helmet with a mask. Said individual was also wearing matching armor, with a cloak on her shoulders, and possessed red eyes.
"You've made contact. How good were they?" A woman's voice came from the armored figure.
"Hai. The girl named Asuka, who's a descendant of the legendary Shinobi... I checked her out with my own eyes, but she wasn't anything special." Homura declared.
"Same with the other girls. Dealing with my cute little dolls was already hard enough for them." Haruka stated next.
"I take it they won't be a problem?" The armored woman asked.
"Not a bit," Haruka answered.
"Don't take them lightly after making contact just once. Letting your guard down invites death. That's one of our core tenents." The girls' master reminded them.
"Understood." The five 'high school girls' complied.
"It's inevitable that the Hanzo Academy girls will become obstacles on our path someday. However, we must not be hasty. We'll be throughout in their elimination, as is becoming of dignified shinobi. Yomi, it's your turn today." The older woman commanded the blonde girl.
"Understood." Yomi obeyed as she now sported a malicious smirk. A specific target was already in her mind.
"There's one more thing we need to report, Suzune sensei," Homura said to their teacher, now identified as Suzune.
"Yes? What is it?"
"It's about Kamen Rider Shinobi."
Homura then proceeded to tell everything that she and the others saw back then when the Kamen Rider was fighting against the Kamakiri Majin. They also happened to witness Shinobi's fight with Inoshishi and how Shinobi obtained the power to control water on a whole new level. The five girls also told the older woman about how the Majins, so far, kept mentioning the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll being in the purple Rider's possession.
"What!? Are you absolutely sure that the Majins are after Shinobi because he possesses the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll!?" The armored woman demanded as the Hebijo elite students looked surprised at her outburst.
"Y-yes, it's true, sensei. Do you know what this Twilight Scroll Shinobi has under his possession is exactly?" Homura asked, now curious.
But...
"That's none of your business, Homura. I first need to confirm if Shinobi really has the scroll in his possession. For now, focus on the Students of the Hanzo Academy and only observe Shinobi. Do not engage him yet. Dismissed!" Suzune declared.
The girls immediately left the room, leaving their master alone, allowing her to organize her thoughts on the matter.
'To think that the Twilight Scroll actually exists...' She wondered as she eventually left the room as well, now proceeding to give her report to the Hebijo Academy's principal.
At the Hanzo Academy's old building - Shinobi's Classroom...
"I see... So this is what happened back in the garden..." Kiriya muttered after hearing everything that Asuka and the others recently went through.
"Kiriya-sensei, there's also something that's been bugging me." Asuka suddenly talks to the man.
"Huh? What is it, Asuka?" The gray-haired man looks at her, curious.
"It's about Kamen Rider Shinobi. The Majin wanted to grab a platinum-colored scroll in his possession. I have heard the monster calling the item by its name." The brunette pointed out.
"Oh? Is that so? And what did the Majin say?" Kiriya asked, already sounding curious. But he also had a hunch already about what his student was going to answer.
"The Majin called it the Twilight Scroll," Asuka answered.
At this, the teacher adopted a grim expression.
"So it's true after all. Shinobi really has the scroll under his possession..." Kiriya muttered.
Noticing how distressed her master became with the revelation, Ikaruga decides to question:
"Kiriya-sensei, what exactly is this scroll that the Serpent Society wants so desperately from Kamen Rider Shinobi?"
Like the ravenette, Asuka, Katsuragi, Yagyu, and Hibari also seemed to now be curious to know about the importance of the said item.
Seeing their serious expressions, the gray-haired man finally decides to reveal everything:
"The Twilight Ninja Art Scroll... It's one of the most, if not, the most powerful relic in the Shinobi World. On the wrong hands, it is said to be capable of even destroying the world."
"Eh!?" The girls looked astounded by this.
...
"It is able..." Ikaruga began.
"To destroy the world?" Asuka finished.
"But how... How is this possible!?" Katsuragi demanded.
"Well, there is a certain tale about a legendary shinobi that I will now tell you five. It is about why the Twilight Scroll is so powerful..." Kiriya proceeds to say.
The teacher then began to tell a tale about ancient Japan...
XXXXXXX
Long-time ago...
Things were more violent and bloody between the shinobis and death was a common occurrence. These conflicts would later generate a large amount of negative energy that would lead to the appearance of Yomas and dark Seireis that wished to destroy mankind.
Yōma is a type of parasitic demon born from bloodshed between shinobi. If the blood within a shinobi barrier flows freely enough, it can break through and emerge into the human world. It is the duty of Kagura to face off against yōma on the front lines.
In the past, some evil Seireis and Yomas almost managed to destroy the country. To fight them, good and evil ninjas even let their differences aside for a moment to face the new common threat.
But despite their combined efforts, the united Shinobi Community was still not enough to defeat those cursed monsters.
When all hope seemed to be forever lost...
A lone and unknown ninja still rose to stand up against those mighty demons...
But he wasn't truly alone...
Standing next to him were several Seireis that the mysterious shinobi befriended during his whole life and now possessed some deep connections with. He was a man that was chosen to be the 'bridge' between humans and spirits.
Sharing the ninja's ideals of hope and prosperity for the future, these Seireis also decided to protect the world and humanity from the dark fiends that threatened to destroy everything alongside him. In order to help their chosen one, the Seireis combined their energies to create a unique and powerful Ninja Scroll that granted great powers to whoever used it, soon entrusting it to the lone shinobi.
This scroll would later be known as the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll...
The shinobi warrior was granted the power to defeat the dark creatures and he certainly succeeded. It was even said that he was granted powers said to be equivalent to that of Gods...
In the end, this victory would later make the Shinobi be known as the strongest Legendary Ninja of his time. Being above both the good and evil ninja factions in terms of powers.
However, even with the crisis gone, the legendary ninja felt that there would come a time when the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll's powers would once again be necessary to perhaps protect the world from another dark moment.
But the ninja couldn't simply entrust the Scroll to anyone, neither the good or evil factions. Because of this, he had another idea soon form in his mind...
In order to find a worthy successor for the scroll, the legendary shinobi hid the Twilight Scroll in a mortal temple, hidden somewhere in Japan. Many shinobis tried to get their hands on the mystical item, but they all failed and instead ended up paying the ultimate price by losing their lives to the several mortal traps within the temple.
As time passed, the shinobis finally stopped venturing into the temple due to its dangers and this caused the place's location to be eventually lost to most of the Shinobi Community. And the mystic scroll would be merely known as a fairytale-like object...
As tempting as the Twilight Scroll's powers were, nobody else now dared to find the temple and try to take its 'treasure' in fear of dying...
XXXXXXX
"And this is what happened... That is until Kamen Rider Shinobi somehow rediscovered the hidden temple's location and actually managed to obtain the Twilight Ninja Scroll. That's a feat even Hanzo-sama was unable to accomplish." Kiriya finished explaining as the girls adopted expressions of shock.
'Something even Jii-chan was unable to do!?' Asuka wondered as she began to think about the purple Rider.
The girls were now impressed with the tale and began to wonder how truly powerful the Twilight Ninja Scroll was.
"It is theorized that the Twilight Scroll is considered a powerful artifact because its user could freely harness the power of an unlimited amount of Seireis and use it at his disposal." The master shinobi added, shocking his students furthermore.
"To think there is a powerful relic like this in the world..." Ikaruga commented.
"Kiriya-sensei, why do they call it the 'Twilight Ninja Art Scroll?'" Hibari suddenly asks.
"It is because its user could use techniques from both the Ying and Yang Nature as one, Hibari. Something that should be technically impossible for any shinobi, good or evil. Besides that, the legendary ninja apparently did not belong to any faction back then. He preferred to represent himself and his own interests, which sometimes ended coinciding with the good or the evil factions." Kiriya replied to the pinkette.
"Ying and Yang..." Yagyu muttered, sounding serious.
Yin Yang is perhaps the most known and documented concept used within Taoism.
Two halves that together complete wholeness. Yin and yang are also the starting point for change. When something is whole, by definition, it's unchanging and complete. So when you split something into two halves – Yin/Yang, it upsets the equilibrium of wholeness. Both halves are chasing after each other as they seek a new balance with each other.
The word Yin comes out to mean "shady side" and Yang "sunny side".
Yin Yang is the concept of duality forming a whole. We encounter examples of Yin and Yang every day. For example: night (Yin) and day (Yang), female (Yin) and male (Yang). Over thousands of years, quite a bit has been sorted and grouped under various Yin Yang classification systems.
The symbol for Yin Yang is called the Taijitu. Most people just call it the yin yang symbol in the west. The taijitu symbol has been found in more than one culture and over the years has come to represent Taoism.
To emphasize this, the Shinobi World has a Good Faction(Yang) and the Evil Faction(Yin), with both sides only being able to use techniques that represent their respective sides of this dual nature.
"And twilight means an intermediate state that is not clearly defined. In other words, neutrality... Wait... This also represents Kamen Rider Shinobi's allegiance in all of this as well!" Ikaruga finally realizes.
"Yes. And that means that if Shinobi is also able to somehow truly use both Yin and Yang nature... And add that he doesn't belong to any side... Then this means he is the true embodiment of the two sides in one." Kiriya said next.
And so, for some time, the six shinobis began to wonder what was the Kamen Rider's goal and who exactly he was under that purple armor of his...
Later...
"What will be our lessons for today?" Ikaruga asked.
"Well, the lessons will be cut short today," Kiriya told them.
"I know that this is sudden, but I now have another mission for you all."
"Really what is it?!" Katsuragi asked excitedly about it.
Kiriya brought out a tablet, turned it on and showed it to them. Which surprised Asuka that it was some videos of Kamen Rider Shinobi fighting against the Majins Kamakiri, Inoshishi and the army of Dustards he had defeated so far.
"It's to investigate this certain individual, that's been in our eyes for a while now." Kiriya handed the tablet to Ikaruga.
"Asakusa's very own, Kamen Rider, defending the streets of our city, from these monsters." Ikaruga read some files of Shinobi as she and her classmates saw all the info collected about him so far. Which not surprisingly, was very scarce.
"And since this Rider is in the city close to us, we need to determine if he's a threat or not," Kiriya told them, which made Asuka worried.
"But sensei!" Asuka exclaimed which made everyone look at her, before fake coughing a few times over her hand.
"What if this Rider guy isn't all bad and just wants to be left alone?" The brunette pointed out as she began to remember the words the Rider previously told her...
(Flashback)
"This has nothing to do with your group, Asuka. Stay away from the Serpent Society. Those guys are bad news. Trust me, this is for your own good. I don't want to see you in harm as well. Please, Asuka." Kamen Rider Shinobi spoke softly to her.
(Flashback ends)
"Asuka, what are you saying?" Kiriya asked.
"Well um…" Asuka tried to think of something.
"Listen, I know you mean well. But this Kamen Rider in the city might be connected to something that is a danger to Japan and maybe even to the whole world. This is why we have to ensure that this individual, and others like him, is an ally or an enemy. Unlike the Serpent Society, he is still an unknown element. And we don't know for sure what he might be planning to do with the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll in his possession." Kiriya told his student.
Asuka sweat drops a little, before nodding.
"Alright after lessons today, you five will be investigating this Kamen Rider in our city. Am I clear?" Kiriya asked.
They nodded, Asuka also nodded but is now worried about Shinobi since she and her class are going to be investigating him. And who knows what would happen if he's caught.
Later...
At Asakusa's Shopping District - Late Afternoon
Yukio, now wearing a black hoodie and other darker pieces of clothing and accessories, was now watching Asuka and Ikaruga from a corner, fully disguised as he planned how to approach the latter and use her blade to summon a Seirei.
He heard that the girls were apparently at the local market to buy some groceries for a welcome party for Hanzo.
The purple ninja felt somehow relieved to see Ikaruga trying to cheer Asuka, noticing how upset the brunette was looking. He deduced that she must have been feeling some internal sort of anxiety, self-pressure, and expectations from herself for being the granddaughter of Hanzo, a legendary shinobi.
The young Rider was about to get a bit closer to the duo when he notices Yomi suddenly approaching the two of them.
The blonde begins to ramble something about bean sprouts to the Hanzo students and starts to provoke them, especially Ikaruga. She soon fires an arrow from a crossbow on her wrist that barely misses Ikaruga's head.
Even after this, Ikaruga still refuses to talk with Yomi and tries to leave with Asuka, only for the Hebijo student to conjure a Shinobi Barrier around the three of them.
'So now the two Shinobi Academies might also start fighting between themselves, huh?' The disguised Rider thought as he observed the barrier from outside, thinking about the eventual conflict that would happen between the good and evil shinobi factions.
Having no real affiliation with either faction, there wasn't really a reason for him to intervene in their fight. Especially considering that these girls might later come after him to try to get his Twilight Scroll.
Moments later, Yukio saw the barrier being dismissed as a beaten Ikaruga and panicking Asuka came from it. Yomi was nowhere to be seen, probably having left the area already with her job done.
The Rider decides to stay at his hidden spot until the two Hanzo Academy shinobis finally leave the shopping district.
And when he was about to do the same and return to his dorm room...
"Yukio, wait a second!" A familiar voice calls him.
Noticing this, the boy grabs his Mizu Ride Shuriken and senses that Gekkouga wishes to speak with him.
"Gekkouga? What's wrong? It's some Majin nearby?"The ravenette asked, concerned as he looked around for anything suspicious.
"No... No... It's actually about that scarf girl. Asuka, was it? I want you to talk to her." The Seirei's voice came from the device.
"Eh? Are you serious? If I talk with her, I might end up having my identity uncovered." The Rider said with a frown.
"Yes, but deep down you also want to give her some advice, don't you? I was able to sense how you feel some pity towards that girl. Let me guess... Her current state makes you remember about your past self, correct? When you used to have some self-confidence issues, a self-loathe mindset with yourself and perhaps even some depression?" The spirit asked him and Yukio now looked at the Seirei with a scowl for a brief moment before looking away.
"..." The young Shinobi remained quiet, trying to avoid the issue.
"Look... I was able to see through your memories once we made the pact... went through in the past... 10 years ago... I won't press any further, but are you really sure you don't want to speak with Asuka?"
After this, Gekkouga remained quiet and Yukio stored the Ride Shuriken back.
"..."
The Rider then leans against the wall of an alley and looks to the sky, now pondering on what he should do next...
Later at night...
Hanzo Academy Shinobis' dormitory
"Infiltration successful." Yukio, already transformed into Kamen Rider Shinobi, thought as he quietly landed on the roof of the Hanzo girls dormitory and stealthily made it to the inside of the place through an open window.
After getting the information that Ikaruga and the other girls would be busy with the party for Hanzo, Shinobi found the perfect opportunity to sneak into their place.
He carefully reached Ikaruga's room and opened the door, now ready to 'borrow' her Hien to summon a blade Seirei. Of course, the purple Rider would later return the weapon back to its owner.
But as soon as he entered the room and gently closed the door behind him...
"Who the heck are you!?" An unfamiliar voice demands from Shinobi.
The masked ninja turns around to be greeted with the sight of an unfamiliar man around his early twenties.
An individual with short black hair, which covers most of his forehead due to his long bangs, and even going further, as to cover some of his eyes, and going down to his nose. It also goes well down to his ears, nearly covering them up as well. He seems to wear no shirt underneath his long white coat, which is blue collared and is also constantly unzipped. He also wears white pants.
'What the...?' Shinobi looked surprised at seeing someone else in Ikagura's room.
He then noticed that the man was now holding Hien in his hands.
"I asked you a question! Who are you!?" The man demands once again from Shinobi, only to be ignored again.
"You have what I'm looking for. Hand over the Hien!" The purple Rider ordered instead, extending his hand to the unknown individual.
"Never! This is my family's heirloom! I won't let you or her ever possess it! If only... If only she never existed!" The man exclaimed while looking steadfastly at the nodachi in his hands.
'Wait a second... Family heirloom... 'Her'... Masaka... He is...' Shinobi's eyes widen under the helmet as he finally realizes the man's identity.
It was Ikagura's adoptive older brother: Murasame!
And as if on cue...
Ikaruga suddenly opens the room's door while clad in her sleeping clothes. She soon looks shocked at the two males inside of her personal space.
"Onii-sama!? Shinobi!?" She calls each of them.
Thinking quickly, Shinobi immediately grabs Hien from Murasame's hands and escapes from the room by jumping through one of its windows.
*Glass shattering!*
The pieces of glass did nothing against the Rider as he landed on the ground and began to make a run for it, trying to get away from the dormitory as soon as possible.
"Stop!" He heard a female voice yell at him and soon notices Ikaruga pursuing him, already clad in her Shinobi Outfit.
And behind the two of them was Masamune, also running after the two shinobis.
The three of them were now passing through several streets of Asakusa.
Sometime later...
The three of them eventually ended up in a local park. Seeing that he couldn't get Ikaruga out of his trail, Shinobi decides to finally confront her.
"So you finally decided to stop running? I must say, even I didn't expect you would step so low as to become some petty thief, Shinobi." The dark-haired girl spoke, glaring fiercely at the other ninja Rider.
"Look, I'm really sorry for doing this, Ikaruga. I truly am. But I really need to 'borrow' your Hien for a small task of mine. Once I'm done, I promise to return it later to you." The purple shinobi tried to negotiate.
"And you honestly expect me to believe in you!? The words of an unaffiliated shinobi!? I'm taking my Hien back!"
"Your Hien!? That blade was originally supposed to be mine!? But you stole it from me!" Murasame finally spoke, glaring at the girl.
"Onii-sama..." Ikaruga tried to calm him.
"Shut up! Don't you ever dare call me that! I don't have a sister! I never considered you part of the family!" The older brother rebukes back.
'This will get us nowhere...' Shinobi thought as he tried to come up with a way to escape from the scene.
But suddenly...
"Attack!" An ominous voice declared.
At this, several Dustards appeared from all corners of the park and quickly surrounded Kamen Rider Shinobi, Ikaruga and Murasame.
"The Serpent Society!?" Ikaruga exclaimed.
"Who the heck are these guys!?" Masamune asked aloud, now panicking a little.
"Oh no..." Shinobi muttered.
"I finally found you, Kamen Rider Shinobi! Tonight will be your end! Prepare yourself!" The Majin that was leading the Dustards finally revealed himself.
It was an oni with red skin, a pair of curved horns and long white hair. He was also wearing pants made of animal fur and sporting a long demonic-looking sword.
This was the Majin known as Sakuna Oni.
"The Twilight Scroll will be mine! Gyhahaha!" The demon boasted as his words caught the attention of Shinobi and Ikaruga.
'Shinobi is also in possession of a dangerous Ninja Scroll. I should also use this moment to try to get it from him as well.' The third-year student thought as she tried to come up with a way to fight without her blade.
Unexpectedly, to her surprise:
"Here, catch!" Shinobi tossed Hien back to her.
"Huh? Why would you do this?" She asked the Rider.
"My priority now is to defeat these guys. Your help will also be really appreciated. I'm not leaving you defenseless against the Serpent Society." The purple ninja explained.
"Shinobi..." Ikaruga looked surprised at him.
"Besides... You better also watch over your brother there." The Kamen Rider said as he gestured to Murasame, who now looked terrified of the Dustards pointing their weapons at him.
'No way... Being a shinobi means facing these sorts of maniacs? I... I... What have I gotten myself into?' The older man wondered.
One Dustard was to strike down Murasame with a katana, but Ikaruga managed to stop the attack at the last instant with her Hien.
"Onii-sama! Stay behind me! I won't let them lay a single finger on you!" Ikaruga declared as she began to slash the nearby dark minions with her nodachi.
"You... You would still try to protect me even after the way I treated you...?" Murasame muttered as he looked speechless at Ikaruga, who was fighting back fiercely against the Dustards.
"All of you! Attack!" Sakuna Oni commanded.
The rest of the minions complied and now tried to take Kamen Rider Shinobi down. But the purple ninja managed to skillfully defend against them as he began to fight back.
"Ha!" The Rider delivered a powerful flying kick into one of the Dustards' face, sending the goon to crash against a nearby tree.
"Time to get serious!" Shinobi declared as he pulled out the Mizu Ride Shuriken. He then places it in the open slot of the Shinobi Driver.
[Mizu! NinPow: Water!]
Water generated above the Kamen Rider as it soon took the shape of Gekkouga, now floating over him.
"What the!?" Murasame looked astounded at this.
"A Seirei..." Ikaruga said next as her eyes landed upon the blue frog spirit.
"Come, Gekkouga!" Shinobi shouted as he spun the Mizu Ride Shuriken.
"Ikuzo!" Gekkouga exclaimed next as he became water and enveloped Shinobi's body, transforming the purple Rider's armor to its dark blue mode.
Once the process was done, sacred splashes from the Rider's body all over the nearby Dustards, destroying them in the process.
[Mizu no Ninja! Aqua Shinobi!]
Kamen Rider Aqua Shinobi was now ready to fight.
'Is that how he is able to harness the powers of the spirits to his use?' Ikaruga wondered.
"NinPow! Tsunami no Justsu!" Shinobi yelled as he made a small tsunami and used it to wash over the area.
"Onii-sama, watch out!"
"Argh!"
The attack was efficient as it caught every single remaining Dustard around while the only ones that managed to escape it were Sakuna Oni, Ikaruga, and Murasame. All three have to jump into some tall trees nearby.
Sakuna had no trouble doing this while Ikaruga struggled a little because she had to carry her brother as well.
When the attack was done, the three returned to the ground.
Gently placing Murasame on the ground, Ikaruga charges towards the sole Majin.
"Hiden Ninpo: Hien Hōsen • Ichi-Shiki!" The female shinobi declares.
Ikaruga takes a stance as she readies for her attack. She then slashes rapidly with her sword, Hien, moving so quickly that it leaves behind afterimages of where the sword had struck. She then proceeds to sheathe her sword as the last bit of damage from the sword strikes takes effect.
But when the technique was done...
"Nani!?" The Hanzo shinobi looked shocked at seeing that her enemy was fine.
"Hmph! Pathetic. Do you call this swordplay?" An unscathed Sakuna Oni taunts Ikaruga as he gives several slashes and gravely injures her. He then grabbed her by the throat and next threw the shinobi at Murasame.
"Argh!" The siblings crashed against each other.
"Ikaruga!" Shinobi calls out for the dark-haired girl.
Drawing his ninjato, the Rider tries to cut the demon next.
But...
*Slash!*
Sakuna's sword easily broke Shinobi's weapon into pieces.
"Your blade is a piece of trash. Fool, take this!" The Majin yelled as he fired a powerful energy slash at the Kamen Rider, making the young warrior retreat a little.
*Boom!*
"Argh!" Shinobi grunted in pain as he took a few more steps back.
The energy slash was also powerful enough to make the Rider revert back to his default purple form.
"I don't know how the others failed to defeat you, Shinobi. But this time, you're out of luck! I will present your head and the Twilight Scroll to Orochi-sama!" Sakuna boasted.
"Kuso(Damm)..." The masked ninja knew he was in quite a pinch now and with no options to fight back.
Noticing this, Ikaruga suddenly felt that she needed to help the purple Kamen Rider. If she had to choose between helping the masked fighter or dying at the hands of a dreadful demon, then the answer was obvious.
"Shinobi, catch!" She yelled, throwing her Hien to the purple Kamen Rider.
Noticing this, the male shinobi was able to grab the weapon in time as Sakuna Oni made another energy slash towards him.
"Die!" The Majin shouted.
Quickly channeling some spiritual power into Ikaruga's weapon, Shinobi was able to use it to counter the Majin's attack, cutting the energy slash in two.
*Boom!*
Two distant trees exploded behind the masked ninja.
"Nani!?" Sakuna Oni looked angry that his target managed to survive his attack.
The purple Rider was about to start to fight back when he suddenly noticed that Hien began to glow strongly and was now releasing a powerful aura.
'This feeling... Could it be...!?' Shinobi wasted no time and immediately opened his Twilight Scroll, which now began to resonate with the blade.
The Scroll released a gray beam at Hien and next closed itself on its own, eventually returning to the Kamen Rider's belt.
Back to Hien, the blade was now glowing even stronger after receiving the energy from the Twilight Scroll.
'Good. I managed to channel enough spiritual energy inside Hien... All I need to do now is to...' Shinobi thought as he prepared for the next step of his plan.
"Seirei that resides within the finest of the blades... I call upon you! Please, heed my call!" The Rider chanted as he made several hand signs.
"No!" Sakuna tried to stop this, but he failed.
And a figure soon emerged from Ikaruga's Hien, materializing himself through the gathering of multiple energy particles.
It was a man in red samurai armor. He was using a white Hannya mask that was divided in two, revealing a skull at where his face was supposed to be. He was carrying a sashimono on his back, depicting a tree in flames under the full moon. And lastly, the new Seirei was wielding a katana in his right-hand prosthetic arm, made of wood.
"So you are the one that called me?" The figure inquires as he looks at Kamen Rider Shinobi.
"Seirei that represents blades, I humbly ask for your aid in the fight against the dark forces that threaten the balance of the world." The purple fighter says, making a curtsy bow towards the figure.
The skull-faced Seirei analyzes the young warrior for a brief instant, trying to see if there are any lies in his words.
"I see... You seem to be quite an interesting human, young one. While you told me the truth, I can clearly feel some wish for vengeance and a strong sense of justice conflicting inside your soul as well. *Chuckle* Very well, I will lend my force to you. I'm curious to see what path awaits you." The armored spirit spoke.
Feeling relieved, Shinobi showed a blank Ride Shuriken to the Seirei. The spirit then turned into multiple particles of light that began to get absorbed into the small item.
And other than that...
"I will also leave another gift for you, young Shinobi. Your ninjato will be repaired and enhanced, becoming stronger than before." The samurai Seirei said as he used his powers to reconstruct the broken blade.
The spirit then began to make the weapon pass through a morphing process, eventually turning it into a new saber with a black handle, a gun trigger, and a special slot to place any Ride Shuriken on it. Lastly, the weapon was enveloped in a silver-colored sheath. (A/N: It pretty much looks like Kamen Rider Gaim's Musou Saber.)
[Shinobi Saber!]
"My weapon..." The purple Rider spoke as the new saber came to his free hand.
With the process done, the rest of the Seirei's essence was finally absorbed into the blank Ride Shuriken.
"My name is Yoshimitsu. I will be walking alongside you from now on, Kamen Rider Shinobi." The Seirei, now known as Yoshimitsu, spoke one last time.
The new Ride Shuriken in Shinobi's possession was now a gray one with a picture of Yoshimitsu in its center. A kanji for blade(刃 - Yaiba) could also be seen on it as well.
"The Seirei was absorbed by the shuriken?" Ikaruga wondered about what she just witnessed.
"Grrr... It doesn't matter if you got some new toys, Shinobi! I will still crush you!" Sakuna Oni declared as he gathered energy to perform a final attack, powerful enough to kill his target.
"Then I should also prepare to finish things here as well!" Kamen Rider Shinobi said back as he grabbed his newly upgraded Shinobi Saber and placed the Yaiba Ride Shuriken on its slot.
[Shuriken On!] The weapon announced.
"Die!" Sakuna Oni released a powerful dark energy slash at the Rider. One that was several times stronger in comparison to the previous attacks done by the Majin.
"NinPow! Ittoryu(One sword style) no Jutsu!" Shinobi yelled in response as he pulled the trigger on the sword while also firing a powerful gray energy slash from his new Saber.
[Yaiba Charge!]
*Crash!*
The two energy attacks clashed. They seemed to be equal in terms of power as neither attack was managing to overcome the other one.
Or that was the case until Shinobi's energy slash eventually surpassed Sakuna Oni's attack and destroyed it, now heading towards the astounded Majin.
"Nani!? Bakana!" Were the demon's last words as the Kamen Rider's slash attack vertically cut him in half. The demon's body soon exploded after that.
*Boom!*
[Victory Ninjutsu!]
After the fight...
"Here. I promised that I would give the nodachi back to you after I was done with my business." Shinobi simply said as he gave Hien back to Ikaruga.
"And thank you. I was only able to win because of your help, Ikaruga." The Rider next told her.
"I see..." The girl nodded and closed her eyes.
But then, she quickly opened them again and immediately adopted a fighting stance, now pointing her Hien at the masked ninja's face.
"But you must know that I still won't let you go away so easily. I have heard about the Twilight Scroll and the Seireis. You will come with me." Ikaruga spoke as she glared sternly at him.
'And right back to where we started...' The purple ninja thought.
"You sure that you really want to deal with me now? I don't think your brother seems so fine." Shinobi replied as he looked in Murasame's direction.
Following his gaze, Ikaruga also decides to turn around to look at her brother. But she notices that other than being mentally exhausted by tonight's events, there was nothing else wrong with Murasame.
Confused, the third-year shinobi turns her gaze back to the Kamen Rider. Only to find out that he just used this moment to actually distract her and get some distance between the two of them.
"NinPow: Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Shinobi said as he summoned his Shinobi Chaser.
*Poof!*
The ninja Rider quickly gets on his bike, starting the ignition. Now ready to leave the park.
*Vroom!*
"Stop!" Ikaruga orders as she starts to run towards him.
*Vroooooooooom!*
But it was too late for her. Shinobi quickly left the park in his vehicle. This made the girl internally curse the masked fighter once again.
"That's enough, Ikaruga. It's useless to try following after Shinobi now." An elderly voice spoke, grabbing her and Murasame's attention.
It was Hanzo.
"Hanzo-sama!" Ikaruga looked surprised at seeing him there.
"I have been observing the fight from the start. Forgive me for not being able to intervene. It appears that there was some mystic barrier made by the Serpent Society, forbidding me from joining the fight." The Legendary Ninja explained.
"No, it's alright, Hanzo-sama. If anything... If only I was stronger... This fight and the encounter with that dark ninja proved that I still have much to train." Ikaruga said with a downcast expression while staring at Hien. She soon began to remember her defeat at Yomi's hands.
Hanzo noticed that perhaps Ikaruga still needs one final push in order to help her recover herself from the recent series of events. He decides to later have a word with the young shinobi in training just in case.
But first...
He approaches Murasame, who greets him with a scowl.
"What do you want!?" The man asked the elder.
"I actually kept track of your movement from the moment you stepped into the academy." Hanzo began to say as Murasame flinched at these words.
"I'd recommend that you go back and continue working in your father's business." The ninja continued as Ikaruga also focused now to hear the two as well.
Shocked, Murasame replied:
"How do you know about that!? Don't tell me what to do! I-!"
Only for him to be interrupted by Hanzo throwing a sharp stick that barely misses his head. This managed to frighten the ravenette even more.
"If you go back, I'll pretend nothing happened here. And do you know what your father told me? 'My son may be a failure as shinobi, but he's a shrewd businessman.'" Hanzo stated, shocking Murasame and Ikaruga, who was also unaware of that.
"My father really said that!?" Murasame asked, surprised.
"You don't have to be a shinobi in order to succeed. Everyone walks their own path through life." Saying this, Hanzo begins to walk away from the young man and goes back to Ikaruga.
"W-Wait! W-Who're you?" Murasame asks again, still perplexed.
"You're better off not knowing. Feel free to think of me as a random old man who happened to pass by. Hahaha." The senior ninja simply replied.
"Let's go back." The elder tells Ikaruga as the two of shinobis eventually left the park as well, leaving Murasame alone to reflect about what happened tonight and what he should really do from now on...
'I don't really need to become a shinobi?' Murasame thought.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The final scene of the chapter shows Kamen Rider Shinobi's newly acquired Yaiba Ride Shuriken and the Mizu Ride Shuriken side by side while the Twilight Scroll and the Shinobi Saber glows strongly behind the two items.
Shinobi Chronicles
NinPow 3: The way of the blade
- End -
Author notes:
And this concludes chapter three of Senran Kagura: Shinobi Chronicles
Thank you for reading!
It's pretty much essential by now for a Kamen Rider to possess a personal weapon that allows him to place his transformation devices in it.
For this story, the weapon that best suited Kamen Rider Shinobi's arsenal and fighting style, in my opinion, would be something like the Musou Saber from Kamen Rider Gaim's series. It seemed perfect to fit any of the purple Rider's shurikens on the sword's slot, including his Shuriken Starter.
And this is how the Shinobi Saber came to be(Yeah I know the name is not very good, but whatever). Shinobi's ninjato is now gone and forever replaced with a stronger weapon.
As for the Seirei representing the Yaiba Ride Shuriken, I stumbled upon the video game character Yoshimitsu from the Tekken and Soul Calibur franchises. Despite his scary-looking appearance, the guy is apparently not an evil character. And more like an anti-hero/spirit of vengeance? Not really sure about that to be honest. Could someone clarify it for me?
Yoshimitsu's appearance is of the red samurai armor he is using in the Soul Calibur V game.
Also, Majin Sakuna Oni's appearance is exactly like the Kaiju one from Ultraman Tiga.
And like Yoshimitsu and Gekkouga(Greninja's Japanese name), I will still keep bringing more characters from several other franchises to act as either supporting Seireis, villains or extra shinobis later for this story.
As for Ikaruga and Murasame, it is stated that she and her brother are now on better terms with each other. I personally think that the anime didn't handle this part very well and therefore I will try to work on that later in this story if possible.
As always, I will do my best to answer whatever comment, question, and suggestion you guys present.
Now I will take a break from this story and work on my other ones. The update of the next chapter will take some time.
If you guys have any ideas or suggestions that I could use for this story, you're free/welcome to share!
Now onto the Reviews:
Guest: Yes!
Shunya Toshiki: Thanks! Glad to hear that from you! You were one of my sources of inspiration for this story.
Guest: Thanks!
Dracus6: Not sure about romance because I still haven't decided anything yet for this part. Not sure when the other Riders are going to debut with the exception of Kamen Rider Hattari. He will debut after the first 'season' of this story. At the moment, I really don't plan to make a Kamen Rider Quiz fanfic. Sorry.
Guest DCDGojira: Hattari will appear only after the first 'season' of this story. No idea how many forms Kamen Rider Shinobi is going to have. Yes, Orochi will have a Kaijin form.
Messiah of authors: Yes, one of the Seireis will be a dragon one. Actually, when I came up with the Shinobi Chaser, the only thing I based on Kamen Rider Chaser's Ride Chaser was the name, the purple flames, and the black scheme. Truth be told, I'm honestly not very good at detailing bikes.
Phoenix Emperor: Hmmm... Not sure how to work with these two, to be honest.
yogap34712: I will try my best to make the chapter whenever I can. There's still so much I have to plan before giving Shinobi his Super, Ultimate and Final forms. Good to see that Izanagi finally has a full version? I'm not even sure if I plan to do a single pairing or a harem yet.
robinsonc387: Interesting. Maybe there are some things I can use in your suggestions. Thanks. I will try to post the rest of the chapters whenever I can.
Kamen Rider Chrome: Hmmm... Yeah, maybe I could make Shinobi be able to manipulate darkness with a special Seirei.
Dragon Rider 66: Really? I don't think it was rushed. Yes, I have a form that I plan to use with a 'Dragon Seirei'.
Yeah, when I meant the left side of the Shinobi Driver, I was referring to when Sougo and Geiz put their Zi-O and Geiz Ridewatches in the rider time slot.
ZxZ: Ok.
JGResidentEvil: Cool, that sounds interesting. Maybe I could make a spirit that represents sounds and make Shinboi or another Kamen Rider use its powers.
D3ADPOOLK1d: You will have to wait and see what I have in store for this story.
HackerEX: Thanks. But I really don't plan to make a Kamen Rider Quiz fanfic at the moment.
Guest/nahariyanash: Not sure about your Kamen Zero-One idea because the series is still in the first part. I generally write fanfictions about series that have already ended to avoid getting into some problems that may happen later due to not seeing the new series until the end.
I never watched Symphogear, I only read the Kamen Rider crossover fanfictions that these series possess. If I ever end up making a crossover of Kamen Rider and Symphogear, I would have to watch all the episodes first. I'm actually thinking of doing something involving both franchises, but not sure about when. Still, I appreciate your advice.
P.S.: In Ultraman GeeDxD, What do you mean about antagonizing Yuta? I know I made him act like a jerk to the Kuoh Devils and other Supernatural beings many times, but he acts like that because he cares, in a way, about everybody's safety. He is the stern-but-kind type of guy. He acts like he mainly does because he wants everybody to properly prepare themselves in case they stumble upon a Kaiju or a Knight of Chaos and manage to protect themselves on their own in case he isn't nearby to help.
He is doing what he does to make everyone also accept the fact that humans can end up turning into deadly opponents for the Supernatural Community. It may not look, but he actually does care about Supernatural beings' safety as much as the safety of humans because he believes in a possible coexistence between all the species.
He said bad things about the Pure Blooded Devils because the majority of them do look down upon humans. But he is aware of how different Rias and Sona's peerages are and respects them for that. He only jokes to try to lift the mood. And I believe that he certainly does have his serious moments when the situation calls for it. I don't think he is acting arrogant and more like a person that is confident in his own skills. Yuta is also aware that he is not invincible and can't do everything on his own.
As always, I will do my best to make more epic stories, chapters and likable characters.
Infinite Stratos is an interesting anime, but I'm not wanting to write anything related to it for now. What about you?
Good luck with your fanfics as well!
So, what do you guys think? Please give me some reviews if possible.
If you are interested, please go check my other stories.
Also, thanks to everybody that followed and favorited the story and gave reviews.
See You Next Time