Traditions

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Traditions was a virtual representation of one of Fujibayashi Naoe's genetic memories, relived through the Animus EGO.

Description

Naoe attends her first league assembly since joining the Iga ikki.

Dialogue

Naoe reached Aekuni Shrine Town to attend her first league assembly.

• Naoe: Finally, I get to go to the sokoku ikki. This is what's going to rally us. Igans uniting around one cause.

She approached Momochi Sandayu who was waiting for her.

• Sandayu: Walk with me for a moment, Naoe.

Naoe walked with him.

• Sandayu: How is training progressing with your father?
• Naoe: My father says I've come a long way, but I feel I have much to learn.
• Sandayu: Nagato has taken great pains to prepare you, despite his... paternal instincts.
• Naoe: He is a great father.
• Sandayu: Of course. But it is difficult for one to discern whether they want the best for someone or their idea of what is best. It is hard to see oneself from an outside perspective. Or the ones they love. You have thoughts?
• Naoe: I think that... life is confusing.
• Sandayu: (laughs) Then you know more than I did at your age. But I do have one word of advice for you, Naoe. If there is a moment today during the ceremony where you have something to say... say it. You must believe in your voice. It is time for young Igans to step into their destiny.
• Naoe: Thank you, Sir Sandayu. I will go find my father.

Naoe left to find her father at the Aekuni Shrine. Up the stairs, she found him playing his tsuchibue.

• Naoe: What are you doing up here?
• Nagato: Yes, I needed to clear my thoughts.
• Naoe: You always play your tsuchibue when you don't know what to say.
• Nagato: Hm. Have you been practicing your playing?
• Naoe: I haven't. I've been focusing on my other skills.
• Nagato: There are always things to improve. Do you know why I play this song?
• Naoe: You've never told me why. There are many things you've not told me.
• Nagato: I know.
• Naoe: Tell me why.
• Nagato: I swore an oath to protect you at all cost. As your father it was my duty. But it placed great limits on you.
• Naoe: You have more than fulfilled your oath.
• Nagato: You do not just look like your mother, you have her courage. Her strong will. When I lost Tsuyu, it wounded me in a way that never healed.

Nagato showed the tsuchibue in his hands.

• Nagato: Every day, I play her melody to soothe her spirit. And mine.
• Naoe: And mine.

Nagato kept his instrument.

• Nagato: I have robbed you of your mother's memory by staying silent. Soon, we will speak of her.

Naoe nodded her head.

• Nagato: But you must know she would be proud of you. Come, my plum. It is time to take our oath.

As night came, Naoe and Nagato attended the assembly with other Igan shinobi in the shrine. Murakami Norimasa opened the discussion.

• Norimasa: Igano mono, we gather to reaffirm our oath to our ikki. Our traditions and our bonds cannot be abandoned. In uncertain times, we call upon you. The strongest among us.

Just then, an individual entered the shrine and interrupted their assembly. Nagato and Sandayu stood up, recognizing the individual as Hattori Hanzō.

• Hanzo: Forgive my interruption, Norimasa.
• Norimasa: You are welcome, Hattori Hanzo.
• Hanzo: Momochi Sandayu... Fujibayashi Nagato. The years steal behind us quickly, do they not?
• Nagato: Summer turns to autumn in the blink of an eye. But you did not come to reminisce, do you Hanzo?
• Hanzo: Perceptive as ever, Nagato. Lord Nobunaga will be here by nightfall with more soldiers than Iga has ever known. He brings his full might. Koga's as well. If you doubt me, go to Hijiyama Castle. You will find Kogan spies there awaiting Lord Nobunaga's signal. I offer Iga the protection of my Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. The odds are too great for Iga to survive. Surely, you realize this.

Furuta Tanji objected to Hanzō's statements.

• Tanji: You left Iga to seek out fortune, not honor. Forgive me if I question your loyalty or your motives for returning.
• Hanzo: Be careful, kowappa (boy)... if you don't know how to speak to your superior, you will learn the hard way.
• Sandayu: You have not been away from Iga that long, Hanzo. You know very well we do not surrender.
• Hanzo: (grunts)

Fujita Juro stood up.

• Juro: Hattori Hanzo is right! We chirp like stupid birds who await the hawk. We must surrender at once or else we will all die!
• Sandayu: Remember who you are, Fujita Juro! You are Igan and a part of our ikki.
• Juro: You think I forget this? is it the fate of Igans to merely die at the hands of cruel daimyō (lords) and ruthless samurai?
• Naoe: No. It's not.
• Hanzo: You have something to add? It is a tradition of the ikki that every voice must be heard. Speak!

Naoe kept quiet.

• Hanzo: You did not teach your daughter to stand in her conviction, Nagato. Surely Tsuyu would have spoken.
• Nagato: Enough, Hanzo.
• Juro: Young Fujibayashi is not a warrior in our ikki.
• Nagato: I asked Naoe to take the oath of the ikki because her heart is Igan. She fights with our courage.
• Juro: Did my son not have courage? Courage was not enough to thwart Oda Nobukatsu's archers. Courage alone does not make a warrior.
• Sandayu: If you doubt Naoe's a warrior, then let her prove it, Juro.

The other Igans nodded and agreed.

• Juro: If we must duel to decide, then so be it.
• Sandayu: Do you accept this duel, Fujibayashi Naoe?
• Naoe: I accept.

The Igans gathered at the courtyard outside the shrine, making a circle with Naoe and Juro inside, while Hanzo stood watched from afar.

• Sandayu: Our respected member Fujita Juro... doubts Fujibayashi Naoe's worthiness as a warrior.

Naoe and Juro were each given a bokken.

• Sandayu: The duel was proposed... and the duel was accepted.

As the fight prepared to begin, Naoe and Juro first bowed to one another as respect. As Juro got into a combat position, Naoe took a deep breath.

• Naoe: Mushin. (No-mind.)

She then got into position.

• Sandayu: Begin!

The fight began.

• Juro: If we resist Oda Nobunaga, Iga is doomed!

Juro landed a few blows on Naoe.

• Nagato: Concentrate, Naoe. Defend!
• Sandayu: Let her do it, Nagato. On her own.

Naoe managed to hit back at Juro.

• Naoe: Oda Nobunaga will not spare us!

After some time, Naoe was able to defeat Juro.

• Juro: Well fought, warrior. You belong in this ikki. Please forgive my doubting you.

The two bowed to one another in acknowledgement.

• Sandayu: We must return to the shrine and take the oath of the ikki. Let Oda Nobunaga face us as one.
• Hanzo: You have chosen a road tonight, Iga. May it lead you to victory.

Hanzo took his leave as the Iga ikki returned to the shrine to take the oath.

• Norimasa: Each of you has signed this document and taken the oath. One copy will be kept hidden... Another will be made sacred...

Norimasa burned one of the documents, with its ashes scatter into a bowl of water.

• Norimasa: ...as the ashes of our oath mix with water, blessed in the name of Oohiko-no-Mikoto.

Sandayu, Nagato, Naoe, and then Juro drank from the bowl.

• Norimasa: As each of us drink this water, the ikki is made whole once more inside us all. We drink to steel ourselves against those who would divide us. We are fortified with a common purpose. A unified strength.

He waited until everyone had taken a sip.

• Norimasa: It is done.

As the Igans slowly leave to prepare one by one, Nagato spoke to Sandayu.

• Nagato: We must find out if we truly have no allies left among the Kogans, Sandayu.
• Sandayu: I will send scouts immediately.

After some time, Nagato and Naoe met with Sandayu in the town.

• Sandayu: Kogan spies with weapons. Just outside our borders.
• Nagato: Hanzo told the truth. Just as I suspected.
• Sandayu: I will stay in Iga to ready our defense. Nagato, you ride to Hijiyama.
• Nagato: Naoe and I will both go. To lessen their numbers and uncover Nobunaga's plans. Meet us at our horses, Naoe.

Naoe bowed to Sandayu as they split up. The Fujibayashi rode to the outskirts of Hijiyama and dismounted from their horses.

• Nagato: We need to find a way inside.

Naoe climbed up the cliff.

• Naoe: There's a small opening up this path.

Naoe headed up mountain and reached the outskirts of the fort.

• Naoe: I should join Father.

As she prepared to enter the opening, she witnessed her father killing the Kogan shinobi.

• Naoe: (gasps) Father killed the traitor.

After entering the opening, Naoe regrouped with her father.

• Nagato: All the Igans here are dead. The Kogans betrayed us.
• Naoe: I'm not afraid of them.
• Nagato: Good. But you do need to be careful. I will secure the castle and look for their plans. Stay low and stay safe, Naoe.

Nagato and Naoe split up. Naoe headed deeper into the fort, using the darkness as cover. She also knocked out laterns with her kunai to kill the lights when needed.

• Naoe: Stay in the shadows.

As she climbed up the scaffolding, she noticed a number of enemy shinobi.

• Naoe: Those guards will alert their whole army if they see me.
  Hurry Naoe.

Naoe got up to a roof and eavesdropped on two shinobi near the stairs.

• Castle Commander: He's on his way to Iga!
• Castle Guard: Who?
• Castle Commander: Oda Nobunaga! And not just him. Thousands. The invasion's in motion. Did you not see the plans? In the courtyard.

Having heard of the plan's location, Naoe sneaked up to the courtyard. She then found a map plan in the hut and took a look. As she tries to decipher the map, a Kogan shinobi attempted to sneak up on her but was soon took down by a masked Hanzo, who decapitated him. Naoe drew her sword as precaution.

• Hanzo: You can put that away, Fujibayashi Naoe.

Naoe remained on guard. Hanzo then took off his mask.

• Hanzo: I am no oni for you to fear.

Naoe, however, remained warry and kept her guard.

• Hanzo: You've made it far. You have your mother's skill.
• Naoe: My father trained me. I did not know her.
• Hanzo: Fine. So your father's skill, but your mother's voice. Nagato is a strong warrior. But so loyal to one tiny valley.
• Naoe: A valley you betrayed.
• Hanzo: If a mistreated horse kicks off a rider who will not spare the whip, is that truly betrayal? You may face a similar choice, young Igan. What good is a homeland if it dooms you?
• Naoe: I am Igan and all I know is Iga. I must fight for it.
• Hanzo: And what makes you think Iga can be saved?
• Naoe: I don't now what you want from me.
• Hanzo: They've told you stories about Oni Hanzo. But have they told you the story of my childhood? The best shinobi warrior, long before I reached your age. The pride of my family. A prodigy one day, and a demon the next. Both paths taught me the same lesson. Nothing lasts forever. Some things die slowly, like trees. And some die quickly, like samurai. Let Iga die, or it will take you with it before your time. Only Lord Ieyasu can protect you.
• Nagato: Naoe?

Just then, Nagato arrived. Naoe then withdrew her katana.

• Naoe: He killed a Kogan and saved my life.
• Nagato: I thought they fought for your master?
• Hanzo: A man serves many oaths. You know this just as well.

Hanzo took out a scroll with blood stains.

• Hanzo: I found that on a courier on my way out of Iga.

He handed the scroll to Nagato, who opened it up to read.

• Nagato: How is this possible?
• Hanzo: All I know is my desire to show it to you. My final duty to an old friend.
• Nagato: It... it is not here. It was lost.

Just then, they heard a loud explosion.

• Naoe: Father! Mibuno!

Naoe headed outside.

• Nagato: Iga is under attack. Quickly! We must go to Sandayu.

Nagato followed suit as well.

• Hanzo: You run to your doom, Nagato. It is too late to be ready.

Outside the fought, Naoe and Nagato watched from afar as Oda Nobunaga's army invaded Iga.

• Nagato: He comes. Oda Nobunaga.
• Naoe: We need a plan. Father, what do we do?
• Nagato: We ride to Aekuni Shrine. Now.

Outcome

Naoe proved her worth by defeating fellow shinobi Fujita Juro in a duel. She then joined her father to uncover invasion plans from Nobunaga's army, only for the attack to begin the moment they found it.