Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Tales of Iga Chapter 1
The first chapter of the manga Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Iga no Monogatari was written and illustrated by Legge.
Summary
Iga, 1560
The Spanish Assassin Alvaro Catarribera and his apprentice Tsuyu stand atop the hills overlooking Iga. He reminds her of their mission entrusted to them by the since deceased Emperor Go-Nara and commented on Iga and well renowned Momochi Sandayu and Hattori Hanzō who hailed from the region, he tried to make a joke about Tsuyu befriending Hattori Hanzō who was around her age. Though she remained ever-stoic and performed a Leap of Faith down the mountain.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Chiyo, is playing around with her farmer grandfather when their cart-pulling bull got spooked and ran towards Chiyo. Fujibayashi Masayasu suddenly appeared and stopped the charging bull with his own hands, surprising Chiyo's grandfather with his strength. Shortly after, Masayasu was tending to the fields when the village was attacked by a couple of samurai who had beheaded Buchiro, the son of one of the villagers and paraded his head. Masayasu fought one off, though the other proved difficult only for Hanzō to leapt down and killed him.
Masayasu, awed by Hanzō’s reputation and shinobi skill, pleaded to be trained after feeling powerless during the attack on Iga. However, Hanzō harshly refused, dismissing him as an unfit farmer and suggesting he’d be better off serving a local daimyō if he truly wanted to honor his ancestors.
Momochi Sandayu interrupts, willing to oblige Masayasu's request. Masayasu does not know Sandayu, even after he introduces himself. Something that did not surprise Sandayu, as not many people outside of Iga ikki knew of his existence. Sandayu chastised Hanzō about his lack of care towards status needed to become a shinobi. To prove his worth, Sandayu had Masayasu spar Hanzō. During their spar, Catarribera watched from atop a tree, commenting to Sandayu. Although Hanzō had the upper hand, when he attacked Chiyo who had come to spectate, Masayasu used underhanded tactics to claim victory.
Masayasu later said goodbyes to the villagers, redressed himself and set off to train under Sandayu, and meets Tsuyu at the village's border.
Characters in order of appearances
- Alvaro Catarribera
- Tsuyu
- Chiyo
- Chiyo's grandfather
- Fujibayashi Masayasu
- Buchiro (appears as a corpse only)
- Buchiro's mother
- Hattori Hanzō
- Momochi Sandayu