As the second heir to the Shadow Sect of the...
As the second heir to the Shadow Sect of the Scarlet Shadow, Hayabusa had always looked up to his brother, a figure who he saw as the moon itself. To preserve the delicate balance of power between the Shadow and Scarlet Sects, Hayabusa willingly took his brother's place to be a political pawn and hostage, to be raised within the rival Scarlet Sect. Every day spent in the Scarlet Sect, Hayabusa lived by his brother's principles. He mastered his unique Shadow Shuriken technique and forged an unbreakable bond with Hanabi, a kunoichi of the Scarlet Sect. But when Hanzo's betrayal and his brother's disappearance shattered their hopes for peace, Hayabusa realized that the moonlight that had always guided him was gone. Yet, he gripped his blade firmly, determined to forge ahead through the shadows, following his brother's nindo.
Shadow and Moon
When clouds obscure the moon,
Where shall shadows find their place?
As descendants of the Shadow Sect, Hayabusa and his brother underwent rigorous training from childhood. Even as a young boy, Hayabusa knew his brother's skills far surpassed his own. But what truly seemed beyond his reach was his brother's vision of nindo, the ninja way: integrating ninja tools with ninjutsu to end the hostility between ninja clans.
In Hayabusa's eyes, his brother shone as bright as the moon, illuminating not only himself but all of the Scarlet Shadow. Hayabusa only wished to be his shadow.
However, his brother wasn't the only genius in the Shadow Sect—there was another named Hanzo. Soon, the Scarlet Sect, the other half of the Scarlet Shadow, sent a warning to the Shadow Sect: the balance of power in the Scarlet Shadow must not be challenged. Hayabusa learned that the two sects would use their own bloodlines as pawns to keep each other in check, and either he or his brother would have to become that pawn.
On the rooftop, Hayabusa found his brother. Though no words were spoken, the moonlight bridged their hearts.
To Hayabusa, the world could survive without shadows, but without moonlight, the night would reign eternal...
Sitting beside his brother, Hayabusa removed his mask. A childlike smile broke through his stern countenance.
In his first years at the Scarlet Sect, Hayabusa, as a pawn, was met with contempt. He found companionship only in his own shadow. During training, he constantly worked to integrate ninja tools with his ninjutsu, creating his unique Shadow Shuriken technique. Gradually, more and more people came to challenge him. Hayabusa calmly accepted each challenge and silently departed after each victory. For him, winning or losing mattered less than fulfilling his brother's will—ending the hostility between the two sects.
Until one day, he met a girl whose convictions rivaled his own—Hanabi. As the successor of "Scarlet," Hanabi always held her head high. She saw her victories as victories for the Scarlet Sect, and her fierce competitive spirit drove her to challenge Hayabusa again and again.
Hayabusa and Hanabi Lore Artwork
Hidden valleys, bamboo forests, rooftops... Every corner of the Scarlet Shadow bore witness to their battles. Every time Hayabusa won, Hanabi would ask,"Why did I lose...", but he would only shrug in return.
Hayabusa had long accepted that he possessed no extraordinary talent. In pursuit of his brother's nindo, he trained alone, until he finally understood that the relationship between ninja tools and ninjutsu was like that of scarlet and shadow—two sides of the same coin. They were inseparable. The Scarlet Sect and Shadow Sect surely knew this too, yet they chose to remain fixated on winning over each other.
But illusions will eventually shatter.
The genius ninja Hanzo broke into the forbidden grounds, stole the sealed weapon Ame no Habakiri, and fled. Hayabusa's brother, who had gone with him, vanished without a trace. Overnight, Hanzo became the Scarlet Shadow's greatest threat, and peace teetered on a blade's edge.
To capture Hanzo and retrieve the cursed weapon, both sects dispatched their best, and both Hayabusa and Hanabi were among them.
Before departing, Hayabusa received a secret order from his father: "Reclaim the Ame no Habakiri for the Shadow Sect, and kill Hanzo and anyone else who stands in your way." Strangely, the order made no mention of his brother. Filled with doubt, Hayabusa tracked Hanzo's trail—he had to find him.
During his pursuit, Hayabusa discovered Hanabi lying on the ground, surrounded by ninjas from both sects writhing in agony. As Hayabusa tried to wake Hanabi, a malevolent aura struck at him. He gripped his blade tightly. Then, he saw a familiar yet strange figure—it was his brother, radiating with murderous intent.
He saw blood staining his brother's hands... He saw the light had vanished from his eyes...
No matter how Hayabusa called out, he was met only with increasingly violent attacks, each aimed to kill.
Never had Hayabusa imagined the moon could become so blood-red.
Darkness engulfed Hayabusa's heart. He lowered his blade as his brother rushed toward him.
"Hayabusa, don't you dare lose to anyone but me!"
Hanabi's voice echoed in his memory, like a flame igniting in his heart.
Deep within, Hayabusa saw the moonlight, and beneath it, Hanabi.
Hanabi's eyes burned as she looked at Hayabusa while gently twirling her Higanbana, "I'm going to surpass you."
In that instant, Hayabusa regained consciousness. With one hand, he formed a seal, activating Quad Shadow to send forth four shadows that restrained his opponent with lightning speed. He gripped his blade and struck without a moment of hesitation.
Hayabusa watched as the murderous aura gradually dissipated along with his brother's image, revealing Ame no Habakiri's true form, glaring with rage and laughing maniacally.
The cunning Ame no Habakiri had tried to use illusions to exploit the weakness in human hearts, only to encounter such resilience within. Breaking free from the illusion, Hayabusa was no longer bound by the darkness. Though he knew Ame no Habakiri was powerful, behind him stood Hanabi, Kagura, and the unknown fate of his brother. He had no choice but to stand up.
Even without the moon's guidance, a shadow must forge its own path.
"Wherever I shall go, I do so without fear."
