Matsu

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"But when destiny comes to your door, you must answer. Blade first, at times."

―Matsu to Fujibayashi Naoe, 1579.

Matsu (まつ) was an elderly Japanese woman from Iga who lived during the 16th century, at the time of Oda Nobunaga's domination of the Kinai. She hailed from a family of shinobi and was a member of the Iga ikki, serving as one of the group's scouts. Since retiring, Matsu worked as a vegetable farmer in her older years.

Matsu was also a family friend to the Fujibayashi clan, and was especially close to Nagato's daughter Naoe, who affectionately referred to her as "Auntie Matsu."

Biography

Early life

Originally a shinobi of the Iga ikki, Matsu retired as she grew older and became aware of her age's limitations on her body. She subsequently became a farmer, growing vegetables which she used for her renowned misoshiru, and hid her katana in a shrine, hoping that Iga would know peace for good and that she would never need to make use of the weapon again.

By the time of the Tenshō Iga War, Matsu lived in a house on a hill overlooking Mibuno Vale, where she spent her days tending to her garden. She was friendly and affectionate towards all of her Igan neighbors, who looked up to her as their "auntie", but grew especially close to Fujibayashi Naoe, becoming the only mother figure in the young girl's life after Tsuyu's disappearance.

Despite having retired from active shinobi service, Matsu never lost her warrior spirit and was willing to defend Iga from outside threats as she had in her youth. While her age prevented her from running across rooftops like she once had, her skill with the blade never faded, as seen when chopping vegetables for her stew.

Conquest of Iga

On 6 October 1579, while tending to her garden, Matsu received a visit from Naoe, who had been sent by her father Nagato to assist her. Though Naoe was somewhat displeased, as the last time she had helped Matsu ended with her being stung while removing a wasp nest, the elderly woman offered to reward Naoe with a bowl of her famous misoshiru. While preparing it, Matsu explained that her crops had gone missing overnight and asked Naoe to look into the matter until the stew was ready.

After completing her investigation, Naoe returned to Matsu's house and informed her that two ashigaru from outside Iga were responsible for stealing the crops and that she had dealt with them. Grateful, Matsu prepared a bowl of misoshiru for Naoe as promised, though before she could enjoy it, Nagato arrived to warn Naoe and Matsu that Oda Nobunaga's army, led by his son Nobukatsu, was marching on Iga. Naoe wished to help, but Nagato instructed her to stay with Matsu and protect her until his return.

Several hours later, Naoe had grown restless and expressed her desire to assist in the defense of her homeland and live up to the Fujibayashi name. Matsu, seeing Naoe's courage and determination, agreed that the time had come for her to stop hiding, and led her to the small shrine near her house, where she revealed her hidden katana. Giving the blade to Naoe, Matsu told her that she now had the means to fulfill her destiny, just as Momochi Sandayu arrived. After recognizing Naoe as Nagato and Tsuyu's daughter, Sandayu asked her if she was able to fight and instructed her to head to Nagano Pass to partake in a planned ambush against the Oda clan forces. Naoe did so, bidding farewell and safety to Matsu.

After Naoe proved herself in the fight against the Oda clan, she began to be trained as a shinobi by her father and Sandayu. During her training, Naoe was sent by Nagato to speak with Matsu and see what wisdom she had to impart, given her past as a kunoichi. Matsu told Naoe about a family heirloom scroll full of shinobi techniques, which she had sent to the Kasuga Shrine for safekeeping since her floorboards were already "full of other secrets". Following Matsu's directions, Naoe found and retrieved the scroll, in the process being forced to defeat several outlaws attempting to loot the shrine.

On 30 September 1581, Oda Nobunaga's army returned to Iga and proved successful in conquering the province. Matsu's house was caught in the conflict and severely damaged as a result, leaving her homeless. The elderly woman subsequently began sleeping on a futon inside the similarly burnt Fujibayashi residence, where she anxiously awaited Naoe and Nagato's return. After months passed, however, Matsu lost hope and, believing they had both died, left the house, journeying south to the Nabari Wilds, where she hoped to spend her final days in peace.

Reunion with Naoe

In June 1582, Matsu trekked to the Hinotani Shrine, where she prayed for strength and guidance. To her surprise, she was soon approached by Naoe, who had returned to Iga and found a note left by Matsu in her home detailing her destination. Following an emotional reunion, Naoe offered to help Matsu find a new home, to which the latter mentioned a cabin where she had spent many summers in her youth. However, Matsu was fearful of the outlaws said to roam the nearby woods, so Naoe left to deal with them.

Upon her return, Naoe revealed that she had saved two travelers—Yoshiharu and his granddaughter Murasaki—who had been attacked by a yamabushi imposter at the cabin, but Murasaki had been supposedly injured. Immediately, Matsu set off to help the wounded girl while instructing Naoe to gather maggots to treat her injuries. However, as Matsu soon discovered, Murasaki had only pretended to be hurt because she had grown tired of traveling with Yoshiharu after losing their home and family and wanted to settle down.

After Naoe spoke with Yoshiharu, she convinced him to join her, Matsu, and Murasaki for a meal, and went to retrieve several lanterns from his former residence. Upon Naoe's return with the lanterns, the group sat down for the meal prepared by Matsu, but while eating, Murasaki suddenly expressed her desire to stay at the cabin and help Matsu plant a new garden. She then pleaded with her grandfather, mentioning that this was the first time in months that she had seen him smile.

With further encouragement from Matsu and Naoe, Yoshiharu ultimately relented and agreed to stay for a season, as he and Matsu had come to enjoy each other's company. Matsu then promised to train Murasaki as a shinobi while she and Yoshiharu helped Matsu out at her new cabin. After Yoshiharu thanked Naoe for helping him and his granddaughter find a new home and family, Matsu also thanked her for coming to her aid during her darkest moment and giving her a new purpose. In response, Naoe echoed one of the first lessons Matsu had taught her: that family always takes care of each other.

Behind the scenes

Matsu is a supporting character in the 2025 video game Assassin's Creed: Shadows, where she is voiced by American actress Emily Kuroda.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows