Daisen-ryō Kofun

The Old Kofun was a kofun east of Sakai in Izumi Settsu, Japan. In the late 16th century, the Kakushiba ikki built it as a safehouse for the Imperial Regalia, entrusted to them by Emperor Go-Nara.

History

By the late 16th century, the Kakushiba ikki led by Tsuyu had built a secret base within the kofun to house the Imperial Regalia. However, Kakushiba ikki member and mercenary Hattori Hanzō unknowingly revealed the location to a buyer, who belonged to the Shinbakufu led by deposed Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. As a result, the Shinbakufu attacked the kofun, which led to the near decimation of the league and two of the Imperial Regalia being taken. With Tsuyu, Hanzō, and Momochi Sandayu being the only survivors, Tsuyu entrusted the last box to Nagato, while she left to find the other boxes. However, Sandayu stated that she died in her pursuit, leading Nagato to raise Naoe himself and keep the box hidden.^[1]

In 1582, the newly-reformed Kakushiba ikki member and shinobi Naoe ventured to the tomb^[2] after Hattori Hanzō advised her to investigate it to see where her path would lead.^[3] Venturing through the tomb, she found a line of skeletons of former Kakushiba ikki members that led to a locked entrance. Unlocking it with her hidden blade, she found an old safehouse where she noticed three pedestals that held the boxes. Searching the tomb, she found and recovered a journal and an Assassin's outfit.^[2]

While there, Naoe also acquired the trinket Amaterasu's Blessing after finding and looting the tomb's chest.^[4] Exiting out of the tomb, she found her fellow Kakushiba ikki member Yasuke waiting for her. Relieved, Naoe showed Yasuke the journal, where he was able to ascertain that it belonged to the Master Assassin Alvaro Catarribera, who tasked Naoe's mother Tsuyu to safeguard the boxes and how there were multiple outposts in Ōmi, Yamato, and Kii. Thus, Naoe left to investigate these leads.^[2]