Hello, welcome to chapter 9 of Senran Kagura: Shinobi Chronicles.
Now, onto the story.
Enjoy
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
*Sounds*
[Shinobi Driver]
Special Attacks
*Slash!* *Clank!* *Slash!* *Clank!*
"Ha!" Ikaruga cries as she raises her Hien, attempting to slash Kamen Rider Shinobi - Wind with her sword.
However, much to her dismay, the masked ninja was easily blocking or dodging all of her attempts to strike him down.
'He's much faster in this green form of his than in comparison to his purple one!' The Third Year student realizes as she keeps facing the lone warrior.
"Too predictable." The Rider bluntly tells her as the two of them get in a sword lock. He began to apply more force into his Shinobi Saber, forcing Ikaruga to grit her teeth.
"What!?" The long black-haired girl asks, widening her eyes, as she seems to be slowly being overwhelmed by the Rider's now ever-growing pressure.
"Your swordsmanship is good, but too predictable. " Shinobi tells his female opponent. "In your current state, you will definitely get your ass kicked by Yomi again. "
"Yomi!?" Ikaruga wonders as the image of a certain blonde evil kunoichi comes into her mind.
'You must have quite the luxurious lifestyle, right? That's why I hate spoiled princesses like you!'
Yomi's taunting voice came back to haunt Ikaruga's mind, distracting her for a brief second.
This was more than enough for a certain Shinobi…
'You're full of openings!' The Kamen Rider thinks as he forcefully kicks his opponent's left leg, causing Ikaruga to yelp surprisingly in pain.
Next, the masked ninja deals a hard blow on the long black-haired student's hands and makes her lose grip of her precious nodachi.
'The Hien!' Ikaruga thinks before receiving a powerful energy-infused palm strike into the stomach from Kamen Rider Shinobi.
"Argh!" The 3rd Year kunoichi cries in pain as she coughs some spit as she is forcefully sent to crash against one of the gym's walls.
*Crash!*
"Ikaruga-san!" Asuka and Hibari exclaim as they watch their senpai try to regain her footing while their armored opponent is calmly picking up her Hien before brandishing it around.
"You should take better care of your things, Ikaruga." The Kamen Rider warns the older girl. "It's not the first time I took your weapon from you after all."
"Give it back… Give the Hien back to me!" Ikaruga demands from Shinobi.
"Make me." He challenges her in response. "Here's another problem you have: You rely too much on your nodachi. What will you do if someone else manages to disarm you in the same way I just did?"
"..." The 3rd Year had no rebuttal for this observation, deciding to simply glare fiercely at the Kamen Rider.
Kiriya frowned at the way Yukio seemed to be tormenting his student, but chose to not say anything since the young man had indeed raised a valid point. Ikaruga relied a lot on her Hien. And without it, she was practically useless as a swordswoman and as a shinobi.
'Yukio-kun...' Asuka looks conflicted between her senpai and the boy that saved her. It was just like the same with Homura-chan when she learned that the tanned girl was an evil ninja. Why can't everyone just try to get along? Why do things have to be so hard like this?
"Alright. I will give you a chance to fight back, Ikaruga. Here." Shinobi says dryly as he tosses the Hien back to Ikaruga as it lands next to her feet.
The black-haired girl looks furious at the way he is carelessly treating her family heirloom, now wishing badly to make him pay for his taunting actions.
'He's making fun of all of us… I have never been so humiliated before in my life…' Ikaruga thinks before drawing her Hien and tossing its sheath aside.
Now she won't fall for the same trick again and-
[Finish NinPow: Wind!]
Huh?
Kamen Rider Shinobi - Wind spins the Kaze Ride Shuriken around his Driver.
"Fuuton: Rankyaku(Storm Leg)!" The armored warrior chants before unleashing his technique.
The Rankyaku is a powerful energy projectile technique, in which the users start by kicking at very high speeds and strength, sending out a sharp compressed air blade or "Sickle Wind" that can slice objects and greatly damage a human body.
Ikaruga barely had any time to process before she realizes that Shinobi used a Hiden Ninpo on her, injuring the black-haired girl again.
"Ikaruga-san!" Asuka and Hibari cry again. However, they are still too stunned by what's happening to even consider joining the fray.
"Argh..." The long black-haired kunoichi in white uniform moans in pain as her opponent seemed to be looking at her with a blank expression underneath his helmet. Ikaruga manages to realize that he was just waiting for her to catch and draw her Hien when he decided to give her a 'chance to fight back'.
"What? You honestly expect me to just wait for you to attack first?" Shinobi points out dryly. "If it was somebody else, they would not even bother giving your nodachi back to you. If it was an evil ninja or someone from the Serpent Society, you would have been good as dead by now." The Kamen Rider speaks harshly.
"But attacking Ikaruga-san like this is not fair!" Hibari cries in protest, believing what Shinobi did was wrong.
But…
"Hibari." Kiriya calls his student. "The bad guys will do that too, though. Even if Kamui Yukio is fighting dirt, he is still winning. And that is what mostly matters in the Shinobi World. If this was a real fight, Yagyu, Katsuragi, Ikaruga, Asuka and you would've already died." The sensei said bluntly in a serious tone.
The girls flinched at the harsh truth, but they wished he wasn't so blunt about it. They next look at the Kamen Rider as they come to understand that he was not fighting to destroy the Hanzo Squad, but just to knock them out.
This also meant that the ninja Kamen Rider was probably holding back against them as well, despite getting some damage from the girls as a result of this decision.
"No..." Hibari was on the verge of crying.
"Yukio-kun..." Asuka looks grimly at the young man in question.
Injured, but still determined to keep fighting, Ikaruga charges fiercely towards the armored ninja.
"Shinobi!" The 3rd Year student cries as she gathers blue spiritual energy around her blade before actually managing to stab the green ninja Kamen Rider, earning looks of shock from both Asuka and Hibari.
"Yukio-kun!" Asuka cries in horror, actually coming to believe that the young man has been fatally wounded by her senpai.
However…
'No… Ikaruga didn't manage to pierce Yukio at all...' Kiriya's trained eyes manage to perceive what actually happened.
*Poof!*
A puff of smoke suddenly envelops the body of the green Kamen Rider. When the smoke dissipates, the three still awake Hanzo Squad girls become astounded to find out that what now stood in the place of Shinobi's body was a wood dummy of sorts.
"NinPow: Kawarimi no Jutsu(Body Replacement Technique)." The voice of the masked Rider could be heard across the gym as all eyes turned towards a particular direction, soon finding out where Shinobi was.
The instant before they are to be struck by an attack, the user replaces themselves with a block of wood or something similar. Because the attack does hit something, opponents may briefly believe that they've successfully struck the user. But this is merely an optical illusion and opponents will quickly notice what's happened. If users are fast enough, they can use this brief lapse in the opponent's attention to stage a counterattack.
The Kawarimi no Jutsu(Body Replacement Technique) can evidently only be used in response to what would be harmful attacks.
The young armored ninja was seen leaning against a wall, looking seemingly unfazed at the girl that tried to stab him.
"Too bad, you missed. Better luck next time, Ikaruga." The Kamen Rider tells the black-haired girl in question.
"Kamui..." Ikaruga growled, feeling even angrier than before after being fooled by the young man once again.
[Shuriken On!] The Kamen Rider inserts the Kaze Ride Shuriken into his Shinobi Saber's slot.
"Gekkoumaru: Tsubame Gaeshi (Moonlight Circle・Turning Swallow)!" Kamen Rider Shinobi chants before unleashing a special finisher on Ikaruga.
The ninja Rider crouches with their back towards the now appearing glowing moon. As a harvest-like area surrounds the user, feathers fall down from the moonlight which is aligned with the actual moon. Next, the area goes pitch black and all you can see is one slash across the area from Shinobi's blade.
When it lightens up again, the armored ninja strikes once again this time by making an energy slash with the shape of a swallow, sending it flying towards the opponent's direction, glowing in a yellow moon-like aura.
[Kaze Charge!]
"Argh!" The energy attack ends hitting Ikaruga as she cries in pain. Her body finally becomes unable to keep handling the damage she keeps receiving from the Kamen Rider.
And then, she drops unconsciously on the floor, finally passing out for the time being.
"Ikaruga-san!" Asuka cried in horror after seeing another one of her friends being beaten by Yukio's hands.
The armored ninja finally takes note of her and decides to walk next to the red scarf brunette girl.
But there was one more thing the young man and Asuka had to take into account: Hibari was in their way, standing between the hazel-eyed kunoichi and Kamen Rider Shinobi.
"Awawawa..." The pinkette looked at her male opponent with a terrified expression.
Her legs were shaking and tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.
Finally, Hibari somehow manages to muster up some bravery as she decides to charge towards the masked ninja with a clumsy fighting posture.
"No!" The 1st Year student cries.
"Hibari-chan! Stop!" Asuka tries to warn her kouhai, but her words fell deaf into the pinkette's ears.
As for Kamen Rider Shinobi…
"Out of my way!" He speaks bluntly before delivering a chop on Hibari's neck, knocking her out as well.
And so, the next body to fall on the ground was from the second 1st Year student...
Now Asuka and Kiriya looked over what just happened in pure disbelief. They knew that Hibari was the most inexperienced of the Hanzo Shinobi Squad, but for the younger girl to be defeated that easily…
'Yukio is an efficient ninja...' Asuka and Kiriya came to the conclusion in regards to the young man both were currently trying to deal with.
Now Asuka was the only one left from her team as Kamen Rider Shinobi stops before her, deciding to return to his default purple form.
"And now, you're the only one left, Asuka. Do you plan to fight me head-on as well?" Shinobi calmly asks the brunette.
Way too calm…
Way too cold…
And way too apathetic…
"Yukio-kun..." Asuka raises her blades at him with a grim expression. Is that the same person she befriended a while ago?
"It's strange, you know? Deep inside, I always got this weird feeling that we would clash someday. Just like you and Homura." The red scarf girl tensed at the Rider's words. "However, unlike her, I'm not really your enemy, Asuka."
"Then why do we have to fight like this, Yukio-kun!?" The hazel-eyed girl questions him with a pained expression.
"But that doesn't mean I'm your ally either, Asuka. Besides, you're trying to get in my way right now. You're trying to take my Twilight Scroll from me." The Kamen Rider reminds, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "I can't allow others to simply push me around as they please."
"But Yukio! If what I heard about the Twilight Scroll having the power capable of destroying the world is true, then that means I still can't let you carry something dangerous around like that!
If this goes on, you will always keep being constantly targeted by the likes of the Serpent Society and the Evil Shinobi Faction. They will always keep coming after you! And I don't want that! I just want to help you! To protect you!" Asuka cries in protest, trying to reason with him.
The Rider curiously notices how she is not addressing him with '-kun'.
"To help me? ...To protect me? ...Really? So what? And who are you to decide what's best for me? Is it because you're a 'good ninja'? Is it because you believe you have some higher moral ground, Asuka?" He questions back defiantly.
"W-What?" The brunette girl seems to be taken aback by the retort, unable to come up with anything plausible to say in return.
"*Sigh* As I thought… You're soft, Asuka… Not that I ever came to dislike that in you… But you're too soft!" Shinobi exclaimed, startling Asuka. "This naivety of yours may get you killed someday, Asuka!"
"Yukio..." Asuka looks distraught at him. It seemed to be just like her fight with Homura, her words did not seem to reach the Kamen Rider either.
Is she really that much naive?
How bad is that for a shinobi?
"And then… Why aren't you getting mad at me? After all, look around us, I defeated all of your friends. Don't you want to make me pay?" The masked Rider reminds the brunette.
'Yagyu-chan… Katsu-nee… Ikaruga-san… Hibari-chan...' Asuka's eyes widen in realization as she looks back at her fallen comrades, remembering Yukio taking care of each of them…
One by one…
And all while she stood there at the sidelines helplessly watching things transpire before her, unable to move and act like how a proper kunoichi is supposed to do…
All because she didn't want to fight Yukio…
So she hesitated…
"You reap what you sow. Do you want the same thing happening to you as well, Asuka?"
Well, Asuka didn't truly wish to fight and injure Yukio, but he harmed her precious friends. Also, the brunette wanted to show him that he was wrong.
Something she was unable to do with Homura-chan...
"That's right… You harmed my friends… In that case, I must defeat you, Yukio!" Asuka cries, now looking fiercely at the young armored man.
Shinobi had to at least commend the girl before him for managing to muster some courage now.
But…
"And can you do it? Will you really defeat me here?"
"Huh? What do you mean? Yes, of course! I will defeat you here and now, Yukio." Asuka exclaims, making the Rider hum in thought.
"Hmm… I see… In that case, allow me to ask you this: How many people have you already killed?"
Huh?
Both Asuka and Kiriya now look confused at this question. What's the Kamen Rider trying to do now?
"Do you understand what it means to truly defeat me, Asuka?" Shinobi keeps pressing.
And the ninja instructor quickly catches on…
"*Gasp!* Kamui, don't tell me that..." Kiriya's eyes widen in realization.
"Kiriya-sensei, what's wrong?" Asuka questions her teacher.
"Ah, it seems your sensei here finally understands what I mean at least, Asuka." Shinobi resumes speaking, getting the brunette's attention once again.
"Yukio..." The red scarf girl doesn't like where this is going…
"You see, Asuka… In order to acquire the Twilight Ninja Art Scroll in my possession, I must be defeated. With that said, it's not enough to simply knock me out to earn the scroll."
At last, Asuka finally manages to understand the real meaning behind Yukio's words…
"Yukio, y-you don't mean..." The brunette girl begins to sweat nervously as she tries to find the proper words to say.
"It is as you imagine, Asuka. In order to acquire the Twilight Scroll under my possession, I must be defeated. In other words, you have to kill me here and now. That's the only way the seal connecting the scroll to my soul can be undone." The Kamen Rider speaks calmly as if not bothered at all at the prospect that many would definitely attempt to take his life later in the near future…
'Asuka...' Kiriya looks at his student in concern, feeling bad about the burden placed on her shoulders. He understands how heavy things will be for the hazel-eyed girl if she wishes to complete her current 'mission'.
Taking another person's life is not something the instructor taught the Hanzo Squad's girls after all...
After all, it is the heaviest burden/gravest sin a human being could ever commit.
But Asuka would eventually have to do 'dirty works', such as in the form of murder, despite being a 'good shinobi'.
Good Shinobi: The general term for Shinobi who work under the government to further national interests. They do not use their powers for personal gain, and will always help other good shinobi. Good Shinobi are trained in a specially designated academy. Graduates are then sent on missions by the national government.
Most missions involve protection, espionage, and other various tasks of national interest. They're sometimes also asked to do dirty work like assassinating enemies of the state, so the label isn't as 'clear-cut' as it seems.
"So… Do you still wish to keep going on with this? Are you ready to bear the sin of taking another person's life?" Kamen Rider Shinobi questions Asuka.
"I… I..." Asuka's hands began to tremble, her resolve slowly faltering away…
Murder…
She never thought yet about having to kill someone as part of her duty as a shinobi…
Can she do it?
Part of her still didn't want to see Yukio die after all…
Especially not by her own hands...
"Let me tell you one thing, Asuka." Shinobi speaks, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. "If you're worried that I'll die, you don't need to. Because I definitely refuse to die. Nothing will stop me until I uncover the whole truth with my own hands and bring down the Serpent Society once and for all..." The Rider declares firmly.
"Yukio..." Asuka looks at him with wide eyes, turning speechless with his declaration.
These were not arrogant words used to mock or look down at her. Those were the words of a confident person. Of someone that would never give up, no matter how bad the odds were stacked against him.
'That's right… This is who Yukio truly is...' Asuka realizes, finally coming to have a better understanding of the mystery that was the young man before her.
'My Driver contains my feelings of these past ten years. I will find the truth with my own hands! No matter what!' Kamen Rider Shinobi thinks, briefly touching and feeling the spiritual energy around his Shinobi Driver.
"Kamui, you will keep being hunted as long as you possess the Twilight Scroll. Is that the destiny you wish for the rest of your life?" Kiriya suddenly asks, getting Asuka and the masked ninja's attention.
"Stop your self-righteous crusade of revenge. Let the Good Faction handle this, and return to your normal life. That's what's best for you now. Go to school. Talk about the future with your friends.
The days of youth are irreplaceable. Spend it carefully with those important to you. You'll surely cherish these memories in the future. By being obsessed with the past, time is passing you by. Don't let happiness slip away right in front of your eyes. Just like some people did…" The shinobi teacher laments and closes his eyes, briefly reminiscing about his late student Rin.
"Kiriya-sensei!" Asuka suddenly calls her teacher, startling the black-clothed man and making him look back at her.
"Asuka?" The shinobi instructor looks surprised at her while Kamen Rider Shinobi observes the two of them in silence.
"Before I decide whether I should keep fighting Yukio or not, I want to hear the whole story." Asuka tells her sensei. "What exactly happened ten years ago?"
'She's quite a curious one now, huh?' The Kamen Rider briefly ponders as the brunette turns to face him.
"Yukio, the Shinobi World has changed drastically ever since you showed up. And now, I don't know what I fight for anymore." Asuka tells the Rider with a dejected expression. "But if I learn what's going on... If I know what you're fighting for… I feel like I can move forward as well."
"Asuka..." This time, it was Shinobi who became speechless upon hearing Asuka's thoughts.
It seems that she really wished to try to better understand him.
"Sensei, please!" Asuka looks at her master, wishing him to tell her all the information she seeks before looking again at Kamen Rider Shinobi with a conflicted look on her face.
With Junpei - Inside of Café Hana's food truck
"Yukio..." Junpei looked at the fight happening through Hanzo Academy's gym from the camera he just hacked into.
He was deeply worried about how his friend would feel upon having someone like Asuka listen to his background.
'So Kiriya knows, huh? Yukio, your secret will be revealed eventually. Hang in there. I'm counting on you.'
Back with Asuka and Kamen Rider Shinobi…
"Very well, Asuka. I'll tell you what happened." Kiriya says as Asuka notices how the purple ninja Kamen Rider became eerily quiet.
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 9: Ten years ago...
"A certain 'incident' occurred ten years ago. It's called the 'Serpent Tragedy'." Kiriya begins to tell a certain story from the past.
'Serpent?' Asuka wonders, what does a snake has to do with this?
Wait a moment, could it be…
"All across Japan, several children went missing one-by-one. All because a certain organization kidnapped them." Kiriya resumes speaking
"Kidnapped?" Asuka repeats, blinking her eyes as the realization hits her. "'Serpent Tragedy'... A certain organization… *Gasp!* Don't tell me that it was..."
"Yes, the Serpent Society was behind this incident." Kirya confirms. "And one of the kidnapped children is..."
The teacher trailed off as Asuka looks at Kamen Rider Shinobi in shock.
"No way! Was it you, Yukio!?" She asks the Rider, feeling stunned.
With Junpei…
"Yeah. That's right. Yukio was one of the victims… Alongside my brother..." The hacker laments, burying his face into his hands. "If only I could have done more to help you, Touma..."
Back with Asuka and Shinobi…
"Enough, Kiriya. I don't need others to tell my past. Not like this." The purple Kamen Rider warns the shinobi instructor, making a bead of sweat fall from the teacher's head due to the glare the Rider was giving him.
"Yukio..." Asuka looks at him in worry, noticing the young man clench his fists in anger.
"After we were kidnapped, they took us to Yami Shibai." Shinobi reveals, earning surprised looks from the others.
'So that's why Yukio is familiar to Yami Shibai...' Asuka realizes.
"We were placed in cells. The children were all treated like guinea pigs, tools and offerings for whatever sick and twisted agenda the Serpent Society had in mind. It was a nightmare..."
Ten years ago…
Six years old Yukio and several other kids around his age look around in confusion and fear as they find themselves surrounded by Dustards.
Yukio then sees one of the black ninjas forcefully grabbing a girl next to him by the wrist and taking her away.
"No! No! Let me go!" The girl cried as Yukio and the other children became scared of what was awaiting them…
Young Yukio would never see that girl again...
{Yukio: Under the Serpent Society's control, we would be forced to train and make use of shinobi. They wanted to brainwash some children to become their minions and assassins…
Others would become part of 'experiments' or offerings for 'rituals'…
The children that were deemed failures by them would be simply 'disposed of' like unnecessary garbage.}
Yukio is shown being beaten and electrocuted by a pair of Dustards. His body was full of swollen bruises and scars while the only thing he could do was to keep crying.
"Argh!" The ravenette boy cried as they kept beating him up. "Please… No more... Somebody... Help..." The boy cried, hoping that someone would rescue him and the other kids.
But nobody ever came…
Nobody could…
The children were alone on their own…
Inside a cell, Yukio and the other children were eating desperately what little food they received from the Dustards guarding their cells. He noticed that some kids were receiving less food than the others due to their 'poor performance'.
{Yukio: We could only eat, sleep and do as they wanted… Just like animals trapped inside of a cage…
This repeated every day…
Every single day…
Everything was based on our 'results'...
If we didn't meet the Serpent Society's satisfaction, we didn't get to eat.
We didn't get to live…}
"When could we leave? How long could we live? We just kept obeying, worried because we knew nothing." Kamen Rider Shinobi speaks grimly.
"How horrible… To think the Serpent Society would do this even to children..." Asuka says, horrified.
"No one told us where we were or how long we've been held captive." The armored purple ninja adds.
"But half a year later, the incident suddenly ended." Kiriya adds solemnly.
Day after day, the children gathered would be subjected to inhuman training and experiments. As they were continued to be experimented on, most of the children were killed or disposed of due to being considered unfit.
However, after continuous experimentation, whatever project the Serpent Society had in store for the kids was ruled a failure as all the subjects were ordered to be disposed of.
One day, the 'test subjects' were gathered at a location and the 'researchers', who wore protective clothing, started gassing the children. They put poisonous gas on them while the other boys and girls were put under poisonous gas.
Somehow, in the middle of the gassing, Yukio and five other children were given a chance to escape by their comrades, the rest of their fellow kidnapped children, who pushed away the kids in the least critical state(Yukio and the five others) from the minions of the dark ninja organization.
Yukio's comrades shouted at him to leave while he and the five others had the chance. The six managed to escape from a fortress they remained captive at and the pursuing researchers, but the poisonous gas had already infected him and the five others.
Apart from these six certain children, the rest of the 'test subjects', who had lower abilities than average, were all disposed of because they weren't needed by the Serpent Society.
A weakened young Yukio and the five other children accompanying him suddenly collapse in the middle of a forest within the domains of Yami Shibai. They were too tired to keep moving as exhaustion finally caught up with them.
"You can go home now. You gave it your all, didn't you?" A soft voice suddenly speaks to Yukio as he tries looking for the source behind it. For some reason, hearing the voice managed to soothe the pain he was feeling, managing to comfort him.
Suddenly, a bright light engulfs the six children, teleporting them away from Yami Shibai.
Yukio and the others closed their eyes upon the bright intensity.
The next thing the ravenette boy knew, he and the other five children found themselves back into the Human World, within a forest.
Following that, the surviving children were quickly found and rescued by paramedics, who seemed to have been 'tipped off' about their location.
"And you were rescued." Kiriya resumes. "But out of all one hundred kidnapped children, only six have survived. The rest, unfortunately, lost their lives."
Asuka looks devastated at this while Kamen Rider Shinobi scowls underneath his helmet.
"The incident was covered up, so the media didn't raise a fuss. Back then, no one knew about the identity of Yukio and the other five survivors since the country's S Rank Protection Program has concealed the victims' information.
Even if it was a shinobi-related matter, people like myself and Hanzo-sama were prohibited from investigating any further about Kamui Yukio and the others." Kiriya explains.
"I see… So Jii-chan couldn't find things about Yukio either back then..." Asuka mutters, looking at the Kamen Rider in pity.
"Kiriya, do you really think we were saved?" The Rider asks the ninja instructor with a cold voice, earning a confused look from him.
"Huh?" Asuka looks at the boy that saved her in curiosity.
"We weren't saved at all!" Shinobi cries, startling the others.
"What?" The brunette asks.
But why would Yukio say that!?
"I have the right to know what the incident's purpose was." The ninja Rider says as he raises three fingers, one by one.
"#1! That incident tore apart my life. I'll learn the truth and reconnect my life that was torn apart!
#2! That incident deeply hurt not only us, the children, but all the victims' families as well. Some of the survivors still haven't recovered from the shock. I'll learn the truth for them and their families as well!"
Yukio and Junpei think about the latter's brother, Hanamura Touma, who was another survivor of the tragedy. The younger brunette was currently in a coma as a result of the Serpent Society's experimenting and was bedridden within a hospital room.
"#3! During those hellish days, when my heart was about to break..."
(Flashback)
Within a cell, young Yukio collapsed on the ground. His eyes were empty, devoid of life and hope.
But suddenly…
"You… Hey, you. Be strong." A gentle voice calls him. Yukio doesn't know who it belongs to.
'That voice again...' The little boy thinks, very tired.
"Three. Don't forget to think of three things. Three things to live for. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live."
"Who are you? Where are you?" Yukio calls the mysterious voice, looking around frantically.
"I'm beside you."
"You're locked away too?" A panicked Yukio asks.
"You can go home. You can go home soon." The voice speaks, ignoring the black-haired boy's question.
"I… I can leave?" Yukio asks, now hopeful and surprised.
"So don't lose hope. Never give up until the end. Always remember to think of three things..." The voice speaks encouragingly before fading away.
{Yukio: Whoever kept encouraging me wasn't amongst the rescuees.}
(Flashback ends)
"If that person's still a prisoner of the Serpent Society, then I have to rescue them! No matter what! Or I will never manage to keep living on with this feeling of powerlessness inside of me." Shinobi says, placing a fist on his chest. "The incident of ten years ago hasn't ended for me!"
"Yukio... " Asuka can't help but become even more depressed after hearing about the ninja Kamen Rider's backstory.
The Rider looks down before he resumes speaking again:
"Kiriya, I don't have what you talked about. Since my life was cut short, I have no future to talk about with my friends or irreplaceable moments."
'What about me? Does that mean I'm not your friend, Yukio?' Asuka thinks, heartbroken.
{Yukio: After the incident… To heal the wounds in my heart, I received treatment for years.}
A young Yukio is shown receiving some psychological treatment in order to deal with the PTSD he developed under the captive of the Serpent Society.
He is later shown struggling, inwardly, to reintegrate into society and open himself to other normal kids around his age. The young Kamui couldn't even smile or laugh just like how he used to do so before the tragedy that devastated him.
{Yukio: I also tried hard to forget that incident. But no matter how much time passed… I couldn't forget...}
Fifteen years old Yukio is shown now, having just woken up on his bed, in the middle of the night, after experiencing a dreadful nightmare related to the past tragedy. His heart was beating fast, non-stop, and his whole body was drenched in sweat as some adrenaline coursed through him. His expression was one of pure terror as he panted heavily.
{Yukio: Those horrible memories were burned into my eyes, feasting on my heart. It became my flesh and blood that I couldn't dig out.}
Yukio's nightmare shows him being slowly consumed by a giant serpent made of darkness, destroying his mind and spirit before his body is cast away into an endless dark purple void.
{Yukio: When I realized that, I decided to face my own destiny.}
16 years old Yukio is shown grabbing his Shinobi Driver and equipping it onto his waist. The young man's eyes were filled with anger towards the Serpent Society.
"If you good shinobis think that revenge is worthless, that's fine. But there are things I am destined to do in order to move forward." Kamen Rider Shinobi tells Asuka and Kiriya.
'In order to move forward...' Asuka repeats these words within her mind, pondering about what she herself should do in order to keep on going as well…
"So, what do you plan to do now, Asuka? Will you also get in my way? Do you plan to kill me in order to acquire the Twilight Scroll?" Kamen Rider Shinobi asks the brunette, pointing a finger at the red scarf girl.
"..." Asuka takes time to quickly ponder about everything she learned until now.
(Flashback)
In a dark small room…
Asuka sits in front of her grandfather Hanzo. A fire is lit between the two of them.
"You possess nothing but raw power." Hanzo begins, sporting a serious look on his face. "Yet, power must be both sword and shield."
"Both sword and shield?" Asuka repeats, confused. What's that supposed to mean?
"Never grow conceited because of your strength. Do you understand?" The elder shinobi questions.
"Yeah." Asuka nods firmly to him, earning a smile of approval from Hanzo.
"Then go!" The grandfather orders.
"All right!" Asuka rose to her feet. "I promise to live up to your expectations and become a first-class shinobi, Jii-chan!"
"Splendid." Hanzo replies in acknowledgment.
(Flashback ends)
When Asuka was growing up, she had a reputation for getting into fights and beating up boys and girls alike, to which Hanzō told her she was an independent sword, without a compatible shield.
At some point, Asuka enlisted in Hanzō National Academy to follow Hanzō's footsteps and to understand the concept of being a sword and a shield.
And then, she finally reaches her answer.
She is upset at him for having harmed her precious friends. But she still can't find it in her heart to truly hate Yukio now that she learned what he went through. He wasn't truly someone that wanted to hurt her. She could understand that deep inside now.
'A sword and shield… Everything in this world comes in pairs. Front and back. Light and dark. Justice and evil. And… Hatred and love. I think I finally understand now, Jii-chan. Hatred and forgiveness are also a pair.' Asuka thinks before facing her opponent. "Yukio, if you ever feel hatred threatening to take over, I will be there for you. I will show you the right way!"
And then…
"I see. So you're fully committed to killing me." The Rider says, unfazed and as if already expecting that from Asuka, as he saw the pair of blades the brunette girl was now pointing at him.
However...
"No. That's not it, Yukio. I will fight to defeat you here and now. Not to take your life." Asuka declares firmly, having steeled her resolve.
What?
The Rider is taken aback by her words. The same goes for Kiriya.
'Asuka...' The shinobi instructor actually feels interested in what his student said. What's Asuka planning to do then?
"You… Do you have any idea of what you're saying, Asuka?" Shinobi questions the hazel-eyed kunoichi, readying his Shinobi Saber. "What are you up to? Asuka!"
Asuka shook her head at this, somehow managing to smile peacefully.
"Nothing at all, Yukio… I decided. I don't want you to sacrifice your future." She replies earnestly. "That's my answer. That's my justice!"
"You… Asuka… Things are not always that simple. Is this really your answer?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll show you that I can still take any of your attacks. Until I can help you find a new future. Forever and on!"
"Is that really the answer you found in this fight?" The purple armored Kamen Rider presses again.
"Yes! Sure it is! Without regrets! For me being is, when I don't abandon any of my friends! That is my Path of the Shinobi!" Asuka answers firmly, her eyes filled with determination.
*Ba-Dump!*
"So you really see me as a friend? Really? Why?" Shinobi asks as he actually smiles underneath his helmet. He doesn't know exactly why he became happy after hearing those words from Asuka. He barely knew her, but the girl seemed to have come to care about him. 'As usual, you're too soft for your own good, Asuka.' The Rider thinks fondly.
"Asuka… Tell me, are you trying to understand my suffering… My sadness? You can't possibly understand something you didn't experience, can you?" The Kamen Rider rebutted.
"Yeah, you're right. I can't." Her honest answer surprised Shinobi since it wasn't like the ones used by hypocrites and self-conceited people that thought they were better and more 'righteous' than him. "I have no idea about the pain you're carrying, Yukio. But I got to meet you. I saw you fight and got to know you as time went on.
Meeting new people allowed me to make new friends and forge new bonds. Facing people like you and Homura-chan lets me change myself and bring it to a whole new level. I, Asuka, for justice's sake, will not abide by your words, Yukio!"
The hazel-eyed brunette declares with a strong resolve as a powerful green spiritual energy aura suddenly manifests around her. "I will show you a dance cloaked in shadows!"
'What!?' Both Kiriya and Shinobi look astounded at this.
It seemed that the resolution within Asuka's heart had awakened a hidden power within the depths of her soul.
"I know I still have a long way ahead of me before I can become a great shinobi. I get it that I'm definitely soft and naive. But even so, I will keep on fighting for what I believe to be the right thing! For my justice!"
"Then go ahead and try, Asuka! But I'm not going to lose if this is a fight for justice!" Kamen Rider Shinobi declares back in defiance.
"What!?" Asuka and Kiriya were confused upon hearing the Rider's statement.
"I will win because I believe in my own justice!" Shinobi exclaims.
A purple spiritual energy aura coats his body in contrast to Asuka's green one.
"Some battles don't happen just to decide winners and losers. Can you show me what you're truly capable of, Asuka!?" The Kamen Rider challenges.
"I will, Yukio!" Asuka exclaims back in response, feeling fully prepared now.
With Junpei...
"One follows her conscience, the other one is consumed by revenge. Their goals of facing and stopping the evil Serpent Society are the same, but their beliefs are not. They knew from the start that they'd soon oppose each other. This fight is for justice and cannot be avoided." Junpei thinks about Yukio and Asuka as he observes them, the duo is about to face each other.
*Slash!* *Slash!* *Slash!*
Asuka and Kamen Rider Shinobi finally clash, locking blades with one another.
The ninja Rider tries to strike his opponent down with a powerful blow, only to be blocked by a pair of blades!
Asuka let out a grunt and shoved back against the armored warrior. She stepped back and swung a leg at his torso in the opening she created. But the male ninja easily dodged it and thrust swung his blade around to block another strike.
With a cry, Asuka began to wildly strike at him, taking turns with her blades to drive him back. Shinobi blocked the strike and switched his Shinobi Saber to his left hand. He brought his right arm up to meet Asuka's left wrist. This created an opening that allowed him to slam a foot into her stomach.
Asuka stumbled back, she fell back into a corner, taking a knee. She lowered her weapons and she gasped for air.
The red scarf kunoichi looked up to see Kamen Rider Shinobi before her. He held himself as though he was an avenging warrior.
The masked ninja leaped towards the brunette girl, bringing his weapon down, but she turned just in time to block his strike with another one. The Rider lashed out again to strike.
Asuka twisted her body out of the way and to the side. She slowly and slightly rocked side to side like a predator waiting to strike. But her eyes widened as he attacked.
Asuka spun out of the way as Shinobi swept the blade low to the ground, and leaped up onto the decorative, carved edges of a wall. She braced one foot on the edge and the other against the window frame. She brought her katanas up at one time to block his strikes before twisting up and hopping up to another part of the wall where she could have the high ground.
Kamen Rider Shinobi went to strike and, using some spiritual energy, Asuka leaped across the corridor to another wall. Crouched like a wild animal, she sent a green energy slash towards him, knocking him back into a wall.
With a wild cry, the hazel-eyed brunette leaped from the wall towards Shinobi, bringing her blades down just hard enough that his own Shinobi Saber escaped the Rider's hand.
The Kamen Rider drew his knees back in that same moment, then thrust them out with all his strength into her stomach. Asuka yelped as she went back, skidding along the floor as the katanas in her hands fell off before she quickly caught them back.
Slowly, she rose to see that Kamen Rider Shinobi was waiting. His Shinobi Saber in his right hand. Asuka only glared at him, ignoring the sweat already dripping down her face.
"Asuka!" The Kamen Rider shouted as the red scarf brunette ran towards a window. She slashed it with her weapons, breaking the glass, and jumping through it to the roof below. Shinobi didn't stop to think and followed.
*Crash!*
He had barely landed when she attacked. The Rider twisted under, using his Shinobi Saber to force one of her blades into the ground, where it released some sparks. Asuka reached one up to strike down, but he was quick to block.
Shinobi had to give credit where it is due after testing Asuka's skills. Her training in the art of combat with two blades was beyond average, she could become stronger if she kept polishing herself at this rate.
But her strikes were being blocked by a far more experienced shinobi who, while using only a single blade, had still studied the art of dual-wielding as a way to always be prepared. Asuka was forced to hammer her blades at him, first one then the other which the Rider blocked easily.
In her frustration, the hazel-eyed girl's strikes grew harder and Shinobi was forced to push back with his own strength.
"Argh!" Briefly distracted by his thoughts, the purple ninja Kamen Rider didn't see the kick until it was too late.
Asuka's foot caught him in his chest and stumbled back, falling off the roof.
*Thud!*
He hit the ground with a thud, grunting before rolling onto the more forgiving sand of a part of Hanzo Academy's garden.
And Shinobi had never been more grateful for sand…
Thankfully, the Shinobi Barrier Kiriya cast earlier around the gym managed to even extend up to their current spot. So Asuka and Shinobi did not have to worry about normal people stumbling upon them.
The purple Kamen Rider looked in the direction above him. Asuka had jumped high in the air and was now hurtling towards him!
Shinobi raised his Saber up, blocking the red scarf girl's strike just in time. The kunoichi was forced to flip over him. She landed and, without stopping, spun around as Shinobi rose to his knee and blocked another strike. She was getting frustrated, her moves growing more wild and sloppy as he rolled to one side and lashed out with his foot.
Asuka stumbled back just enough from his kick that the purple armored ninja was able to get to his feet.
Shinobi slashed at Asuka with his Shinobi Saber. He could exploit her now. He forced her back, away from the garden. They spun around each other, blocking strikes with weight or slashing at any opening. He got the feeling that Asuka had never really done much with unorthodox combat.
So, the Rider stepped forward and grabbed her right wrist even as he blocked the katana in her left with his own. Shinobi squeezed down as hard as he could without really hurting her. Asuka shouted angrily in pain as her wrist slowly turned and she was forced to let go of the weapon in her right hand. She twisted free and went to strike, but the Kamen Rider blocked her and forced her to the ground.
Sweat dripped down the brunette's face from all of her spent energy. Her back started to yelp in pain.
No! No, it could not end like this!
Asuka shoved her opponent back with all her might, breaking the block. But Kamen Rider Shinobi was not done. He wanted to push the girl beyond her limits.
He slashed at her, hard and fast. He would slip his blade under hers, forcing it up and to the side before drawing back to slash at her again.
The hazel-eyed girl found herself struggling to keep up under the unrelenting attack. She found herself being brought almost to her knees as he brought his Shinobi Saber down on her again and again with so much power and strength.
With a yell, Asuka rose up and pushed back, using every bit of strength and power she had. A part of her was shocked when the purple ninja Rider actually stumbled back. It was enough that she had space and breathing room for a brief moment.
Asuka could suddenly hear Kamen Rider Shinobi actually chuckling underneath his helmet.
"I must say, you're actually putting up more of a fight than I thought you would be capable of, Asuka. You never cease to surprise me." He tells her with a slight hint of respect.
"Yukio..." She actually smiled back at his praise.
"How about we bring an end to this then?" The Rider asks. "I can see that you're nearing your limit."
Asuka didn't want to admit it, but she was on the verge of exhaustion. She used a lot of energy just to keep up with the Rider after all.
"Alright. Then let's end this, Yukio." The brunette replies firmly to Shinobi.
"Good." Shinobi says back.
The pair of ninjas get in front of each other, creating some distance between the two of them. They readied themselves and their respective weapons, starting to build up spiritual energy inside of them in order to unleash one final Hiden Ninpo.
Asuka's green spiritual energy aura took the shape of a transparent green frog while Kamen Rider Shinobi's purple one took the form of Kurogane Oogama.
[Shuriken On!]
The purple ninja Kamen Rider inserts the Shuriken Starter into the Shinobi Saber's slot.
Asuka and Shinobi's spiritual energy began to clash with one another...
"Hiden Ninpo: Nito Ryozan!" Asuka chants before unleashing a powerful x-shaped green energy slash towards the Kamen Rider.
"NinPow: Ittoryu Iai!" Shinobi yells back as he presses his Shinobi Saber's trigger before unleashing his own purple energy slash at Asuka.
[Shuriken Charge!]
As the two opposing attacks collide, Asuka's green energy frog and Kurogane Oogama also clash against each other.
As a result of the opposing forces trying to overcome one another, a powerful explosion happens, engulfing Asuka and Kamen Rider Shinobi.
*Boom!*
"Argh!" The two teenagers cried.
And then, everything went blank…
"Asuka! Asuka! Are you okay!?"
Asuka groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, someone was checking on her. The first thing she sees upon awakening is Kiriya looking at her, in concern, as she sat on the floor.
What happened? Her latest memories were a bit hazy, but the last thing she remembered was facing Kamen Rider Shinobi.
Asuka looks around to see that she returned to the gym, where she fought against Yukio earlier. The brunette noticed that her friends were still out before finally landing her eyes upon Kamen Rider Shinobi, who was looking back at her in anticipation.
'Wait does that mean he carried me all the way back to the gym? Asuka thinks, slightly blushing at the idea.
"You're up. Good." The masked ninja calmly tells her.
At this, another realization finally hits Asuka.
"I lost, didn't I?" The brunette asks, feeling a bit frustrated about losing to the young man.
She ends up receiving a nod of confirmation from her teacher and Shinobi.
'Impressive, Kamui Yukio - Kamen Rider Shinobi. No one might be able to erase his fire for revenge anymore.' Kiriya thinks nervously while carefully eyeing the Kamen Rider.
"Asuka, stay away from the Serpent Society and from me. Only bad stuff awaits you if you try to get yourself involved with me." The Kamen Rider tells her as his transformation is called off.
"Yukio… Is that what you really think?" Asuka questions him.
"I just don't want you to get hurt because of me. That's all." The Rider explains, surprising Asuka with his reasoning. "Since you said I'm your friend… I think I'm starting to feel the same for you as well. I suppose it's because I began to care, to some extent, about you. My revenge shouldn't drag you into the darkness of destruction. You should walk your own path towards tomorrow."
"My own path… Towards tomorrow?" The red scarf girl ponders about the ravenette's words.
'Good grief… You really are one of a kind, Asuka… But… Not that I dislike that in you...' The Rider thinks deeply with a smile on his face.
"Asuka, your words left a mark on me..." Yukio tells her with a sad smile.
"Yukio, don't tell me that you..." The red scarf brunette girl trailed off.
"Don't be foolish. I am completely serious about what I always do. I have no regrets about my decisions either." He replies firmly to Asuka before his expressions soften a little. "Asuka… When people grow up, they often throw away what's most important to them. But you should never sacrifice that. Not like I did."
"Yukio… What are the most important things to you?" Asuka asks, feeling touched by his words.
"Threes things:
#1 - The strength to believe in others…
#2 - A heart that never gives up…
#3 - And the connections you have with your friends.
I can't have all those three things. But you can. Make sure to never forget about them. Never sacrifice them. And don't lose sight of your path, okay?"
And with his peace of mind given, Kamui Yukio prepares to leave the gym...
"By the way, here." Yukio then tosses something at Asuka.
"What's this?" Asuka asks him as she examines the item he gave her.
"A special ointment. For you and your friends." Yukio explains. "Rub it around your injuries. It will help your wounds heal faster." He advises, surprising Asuka again.
Despite his apathetic exterior, the brunette girl couldn't help but smile at the ravenette's unique way of showing his kindness.
"Thanks, Yukio." She tells the Kamen Rider with a grateful look.
"Later." He tells the brunette kunoichi with a light wave of his hand as he disappears from her view.
"In the end, I couldn't do anything." Kiriya comments, sounding disappointed with himself.
"That's not true, Kiriya-sensei." Asuka tells him with a small smile. "At the very least, I suppose I understand how you feel as well. And no matter who tries to stop Yukio, he'll keep walking his own path to tomorrow as well. That's what I think."
'Asuka...' Kiriya looks at his student in astonishment. He got the feeling that this battle also made her mature a little in the end, regardless of the fact that she ended up losing to the ninja Kamen Rider as well.
Later…
At Café Hana's food truck
Yukio is shown entering the food truck.
Junpei already seemed to have been waiting for him, sitting next to a counter.
"I'm glad you're back, safe and sound, Yukio." The older man starts. "Though I'm actually surprised you didn't immediately defeat the Hanzo girls on the spot. Not that I personally think this was a bad thing."
"Right. Yeah, I know." The teenager agrees solemnly. "But sometimes, winning a battle isn't everything. The means we achieve our goals matter as well."
"Well, I'm also a bit happy you managed to open yourself a little to someone new today. Even if it was someone that wanted to kick your ass earlier." The food truck owner chuckles, sounding amused at this.
Yukio huffed at Junpei before he smiled a little as well.
"That Asuka… She really is one of a kind..." The ravenette simply spoke fondly.
At this, Junpei suddenly adopts a serious expression, something that Yukio didn't miss.
"Asuka, huh? She seems to be someone that will become quite a formidable kunoichi in the future..." The hacker starts.
"Hanamura-san..." The ninja Kamen Rider wonders what his partner is thinking now.
"There will come a time when we won't be enough to fight the Serpent Society, Yukio." The brunette starts. "So maybe if she can fight on our side as well..."
At this, Yukio suddenly prepares to leave the food truck after grabbing some of his belongings that were there. He next turns his back to Junpei.
"The battle against the Serpent Society is life-or-death. I don't want to involve Asuka in this kind of thing." The black-haired boy spares one last glance at his friend before leaving as Junpei adopts a troubled expression, wondering what they should do next.
An observant individual, Junpei is very good at reading people and perceptive about circumstances. He acts like a loyal friend and a big brother figure to Yukio. He shows sympathy towards the Rider and hopes he can one day enjoy life again. They both trust, respect, and care for each other.
The brunette man knows Yukio was a kind and cheerful child who loved and enjoyed his peaceful life. However, his innocence was shattered after being kidnapped and subjected to months of intense torture during the Serpent Tragedy ten years ago.
The incident caused the young man to develop severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and he continued to suffer nightmares from the torture he went through, even after receiving years of therapy.
As a result, Yukio holds hatred against the Serpent Society and swears vengeance against them for ruining his life and of the others who were victimized by the incident.
As a teenager, the ravenette is shown to be calm, collected and intelligent, but also colder, more serious and aloof, believing his life to be cut short and devoid of friends or a future. This caused him to distance himself from people even when they try to befriend him, such as Asuka at the start.
But despite his traumas and somewhat cynical views towards himself, Yukio's kind nature remained, showing sympathy and care towards others' situations.
He also makes it clear that he doesn't accept anyone's friendship because he doesn't want anyone to look after him and get involved in his missions. He doesn't want anyone's life in harm's way because of his actions. This proves he is still heroic and selfless to some extent.
As Kamen Rider Shinobi, Yukio's demeanor is relatively the same with a degree of nobility, such as rescuing Asuka and Homura from Yami Shibai. He also has a strong sense of justice, helping those hurt by the Serpent Society and refusing to harm or sacrifice others to achieve his goal.
Junpei noted this to be a strength, but also one of his biggest weaknesses. The boy doesn't allow others to get close to him and join his fight against the dark ninja organization out of concern for their safety...
"Yukio... What can someone do to make you feel better?" The brunette wonders, folding his arms.
Meanwhile...
Somewhere else at Asakusa...
At Hanzo's sushi restaurant
Asuka's shinobi heritage comes from her Grandfather Hanzō on her mother's side. Although her mother was a shinobi, her father was not.
Originally, her father dreamed and was on the verge of becoming a successful lawyer. However, he was charmed by Asuka's mother.
But Hanzō did not approve of their relationship, and the two constantly fought about it.
Asuka's father loved her so much that he was willing to give up his dream of becoming a lawyer, as long as he could be with her.
According to him, he didn't need dreams or money if he could spend his life with her. Hanzō was so moved by his resolve and dedication that he could not bear to refuse his proposal, allowing them to get married and decided to open up a sushi shop with Asuka's father.
Currently, Hanzo was preparing some futamaki rolls next to the counter when he heard the shop's door open and a person step in.
"Welcome!" The elder shinobi greets the newcomer, suddenly stopping, as his eyes widened in shock upon finally identifying who his apparent customer is.
"It's been a while, Hanzo." Mr. Chan greets him back. "Can we talk?"
The final scene of the chapter shows Kamen Rider Shinobi's Shuriken Starter and the Kaze Ride Shuriken side by side while the Twilight Scroll and the Shinobi Saber glow strongly behind these two items.
- Shinobi Chronicles -
NinPow 9: Ten years ago...
- End -
Author Notes:
Thank you for reading chapter 9 of Senran Kagura: Shinobi Chronicles!
I'm well aware of how I'm basically using a lot of elements from Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains. You guys don't need to tell me again about this in the reviews.
This chapter was mostly done in order to develop the relationship between Yukio and Asuka since this story will eventually have them as a couple. Asuka will be the one to help Yukio heal his broken heart and find more meaning in his life other than being an avenger that intends to destroy the Serpent Society.
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 DCDGojira: Oh my God, there are so many reviews under your name...
Anyway, I will try to answer whatever I can in the review corner, regardless of whose question(you or this imposter) I'm answering...
First of all, I will try to take most of your suggestions into consideration. I won't answer some things in order to avoid giving possible spoilers.
Thank you for all the ideas you offered to me. I will try to make the best of them.
I will always try to update the next chapter of this story as soon as possible.
Felipe1402XZA: No, it isn't. I really took some inspiration from Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains.
yogaratw607: Yeah, it is mostly as you said. It will later mainly fall upon Asuka to help Yukio soften up, open himself to the other shinobi girls and finally encourage him to try making friends.
Not gonna give spoilers about Hattari.
nahariyanash: #1st review: Thanks!
I have been reading what you wrote, it's okay to express your frustration.
Yeah... Being a writer/author can be tough sometimes.
It can be very hard to write chapters of the stories you want to make a fanfic of. I understand and can relate to that.
I can't comment on your stories because I haven't seen them yet. I will try to do so when I have some free time.
As a piece of advice, take your time to write what you want, not what the others tell you to do. Those are two different things. If you aren't happy with what you do, then there's no point for you to keep writing a story.
As sad as this may sound, you will never be able to truly please everyone. There simply are people that like to find 'faults' in your works and point them out because they don't have better things to do. Heck, they don't even have an account(they post a review as guests and are afraid of being tracked back) and are not even writers like the two of us.
As for the suggestions you offered for my Kamen Rider Shinobi story, I will try to take most of them into consideration. I don't want to give any possible spoilers for now.
Yes, I have watched Ultraman Z and Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy. I liked both series. I was upset that Ultraman Saga didn't appear in the latter. I hope he reappears in another Ultra series in the near future.
I will try to take your suggestion about these Ultraman-related ideas for my GeeDxD fanfic.
I don't like nor hate Hololive VTubers because I honestly don't know much about them. I will try to check up on this stuff later whenever I can.
Right, please take care about yourself in regards to COVID-19 as well.
#2nd review - You replied to Guest DCDGojira.
#3rd review - Ok, I will try to take your suggestions into consideration. I won't answer some things in order to avoid giving possible spoilers.
Lastly, good luck with your fanfics as well.
BlazeBlade: That's not a bad idea. Maybe I will think about using something related to your suggestion later.
Dcraus: Yes, Yukio will later understand what it truly means to be a Kamen Rider.
#2nd review: Guest DCDGojira replied to your review.
MagatsuIza: Thanks! Yeah, Yukio is pretty edgy given what happened to him in the past. It will later mainly fall upon Asuka to help him soften up, open himself to the other shinobi girls and finally encourage him to try making friends.
Chronos0305: Thank you!
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, favorited the story and gave reviews.
See You Next Time