Kotarou Fuuma-dono gazes levelly at Yoite: I believe you've overstayed your welcome, he says. A whole
troop of Fuuma ninja have materialized behind him, all watching Yoite narrowly; the assassin reaches out, and
everyone tenses to move. But he just picks up his hat, settles it in place, and looks past the Fuuma to Miharu--who's still standing where he was, watching Yoite, blood from his injured eye striping his cheek. Sayonara, says Yoite, and he's gone.
The apparent second-in-command, a statuesque brunette (her name's Saraba) looks around and snaps, Attend to the wounded! Quickly!
We see the kids getting patched up. A little ninja medic (her name's Juji, and her green hair matches her eyes) tells Miharu his wound shouldn't scar, though they won't know about his vision until it can be checked. Another ninja assures them they don't have to worry about their
teacher, though he has a skull fracture and a concussion, and a deep laceration as well. Thanks to Miharu's yell, she says, they arrived in time to save his life. --Kotarou arrives to ask for progress reports and Juji tells him that thanks to their recovery rate and shinobi herbal medicine, they're all fine...
though Raimei is taking their defeat very hard.
Kotarou sympathetically says that things have been tough for Miharu lately. Miharu bluntly asks if he's OK with the loss of the forbidden scroll, but he shrugs and says "couldn't be helped, don't worry". (my, he's casual about that...) Saraba grumbles that they completely miscalculated; they'd had no idea that the Kairoushuu had a member
capable of using the Kira technique. Kira?--asks Miharu, who of course didn't have the benefit of hearing sensei's internal monologue last episode. Kira users, explains Fuuma-dono, have the power to fire their ki into their opponent's body and destroy it from the inside. Quite a fearsome technique, but the user pays with his life.
Mihari blanches. --Scary, isn't it? the Fuuma master agrees; that's why it's a forbidden technique. We're lucky he decided to run--he might have beaten even me. (You're our leader, speak with more dignity, mutters Saraba.) Kotarou turns back to Miharu and says he knows he's here for counseling, but he'd like to save that for a little later;
Miharu needs to rest, and he, as village leader, needs to think of surface-world causes of death for all those they lost today. [--Yeah, I guess "destroyed by Kira user from enemy ninja clan" wouldn't look so good in the Muggle newspapers.--In the manga, he adds an interesting thought at this point: looking at Miharu, he thinks, "You're becoming more and more the image of her." Did he know Miharu's mom?
Miharu looks out somberly over the lawn, where ninja medics are still tending to the wounded and carrying away the dead, or just holding them in their arms. Saraba says gently that he mustn't think being a ninja means you can't mourn the loss of a friend. --Across the lawn, Raimei lets out a fierce yowl, and says she'll definitely beat "that black-wearing bastard" next time.
They're shown to their rooms, but Raimei sets off at once to resume her training, hauling hapless Kouichi (despite his having his arm in a cast and sling!).
Miharu sits in an unmoving huddle on the floor. So many Fuuma ninja were hurt and killed, he thinks. Just what was that guy in black--Yoite? Do the Kairoushuu really want the shinrabanshou that badly? He remembers his howl of "yamero!" that brought the Fuuma to their rescue; the first time I've ever screamed like that, he thinks. My throat hurts...
That evening, the entire Fuuma village (and its guests) sits gathered in the main dining hall. [There's a funny bit in the manga here: Raimei asks Saraba why there are so many more women than men here, and she grumbles "because our leader's a pervert." He retorts that when he screens for new members he chooses skill and ability first, and that just seems to result in more women...
besides, he says, he just doesn't like men... Pervert, mutters Raimei in agreement with Saraba.=)]
Kotarou addresses them, saying that as they've heard, their forbidden scroll of mutation (Tenpenka Kinjutsu-sho--shapeshifting is the Fuuma kinjutsu) has been stolen, and many lives lost.
The enemy uses the Kira Kinjutsu of Iga village, giving him extremely great power, he says somberly. You are the ones who will carry on the Fuuma spirit, and with others in the world of Nabari,
bring an end to the Kairoushuu's reckless actions--that is our mission!
He introduces Miharu to the clan and asks if he'd like to speak:
Miharu says that this technique was created in the distant past,
and that while it's important for people in the present to do their best, it's not necessary for them to die.
The Fuuma take this as a gesture of bravery [thinking, I guess, that he means "you needn't risk your lives to protect me"]
and think well of him, but he says to himself "it's not that way at all".
But he's completely serious when he turns back to Miharu and touches his head. Humans can only understand knowledge that's within their comprehension, Fuuma-dono says; no matter how they struggle, they can't gain knowledge that's beyond their ability to understand it. But you, Miharu-kun, hold wisdom that is beyond human grasp, wisdom like that of the gods. And everyone desires something.--He smiles broadly. Of course I'll help you any way I can, he says, but I trust you understand now: you're a major target in the world of Nabari, and it's in your best interests to become stronger. Even I may come to fear you one day...
Miharu's expression does not change a trace during this entire performance, and it's impossible to tell what he thinks of it.
That night, as he stands gazing out the window, Kouichi and Raimei tell him not to let what Kotarou said bother him. But he looks at them with an unfathomable expression. Kouichi, he says, if I learned how to use the technique, what would you do? what would you want? --We came here to learn how to seal the technique for good, the boy reminds him. There's nothing I want that I would use you for. But Miharu stares right through him. When the shinrabanshou activated, did you truly stab me to save me? he asks. Kouichi is speechless, and Miharu turns away. You'd be better off not getting involved with me, he says.
We see Yukimi in a higher story of an anonymous city building, handing the Fuuma kinjtsu scroll (neatly boxed) to a guy in
what must be a "surface world" disguise (striped polo shirt and baseball cap). This is certainly the Fuuma forbidden
scroll, well done, he says; how'd you find their village? Ask the guy who found it, says Yukimi, indicating Yoite, who
sits in a folded huddle on the floor of the next room. Huh, says the delivery bloke; I wondered what such a strong guy
would be like, but he's just a boy with a cute face. --Yoite's eyes snap open, and in an instant the man has dropped the
box and is choking and gasping for air. --Yoite, cut it out! Yoite!
--barks Yukimi, and after a moment the pointing finger lowers and the eyes lose their wide glare, and Yoite pitches
face-first to the floor. Sheesh, mutters Yukimi, this mission will have been a waste of time if you kill all the delivery
guys. He drops onto what seems to be the only piece of furniture, a chair by the computer desk, both of which are
minimal brushed chrome (we can also see a painting, clocks, and an endless supply of notes taped to the walls.--he also turns out to have one sofa, one beanbag chair, some shelves and a cabinet. Decor is not Yukimi-san's major concern.). I don't know why you get riled up so easily, he says, but for the time being I'm the leader of this group, so your orders come from me. --Yoite, still on the floor, tries soundlessly to say something, and Yukimi says "hey, don't die yet", adding that he's not OK with the chance of Yoite dying while using his powers on such trivia.
He logs into the computer as Yoite, pulling himself into a sitting position, manages to say "there's something wrong with me." It's OK, says Yukimi, I won't get on your case about anything except missions.--the Kairoushuu website mainpage comes up; it has a cool wolf logo and a background of various shuriken, and a "Welcome to Iga Village--currently 853 people are logged in" banner. He grins, saying there are probably far more. It's all about the Internet today, he says; Fuuma's methods of gathering in the mountains and muddling around are so old-fashioned.--Ah, our leader's speech is about to begin. Hattori Tojuro appears...
Thobari regains consciousness and finds Miharu sitting on the floor at his bedside, reading. He asks if it was Fuuma-dono who rescued him (yes), and how long he's been out (Only one day; it's Sunday). Thobari feels he failed to protect them, and scolds himself, but Miharu cuts him off, saying angrily that he himself is the one who didn't do anything.
We see them having their talk with Kotarou: just Miharu, Raimei, Fuuma-dono, Saraba, and Thobari. Miharu gets right to the point: I don't need this secret technique, he says. If there's a way to remove it, please tell me. --There is a way, says the Fuuma master, but it doesn't have the best results. Thobari-sensei (speaking up from the floor; he's not strong enough to sit up yet) tells them that the shinrabanshou fuses completely with the human it's entered. If they try to force it out, Miharu will die. Kotarou concurs; unless they kill Miharu they won't be able to get the shinrabanshou out of him, and even if they did that, it would just be reborn in someone else.
Juji steps in to hand Miharu a book, telling him he can learn about the history of the technique here.
Fuuma-dono says there have been three previous holders of the hijutsu, so Miharu is the 4th. It was created during the Warring States era, and was so powerful it threatened to shake the World of
Nabari. The five great powers--the villages of Fuuma, Kouga, Togakoushi, Banten, and Iga--attempted to deal with it by
sealing the technique in its keeper and killing that person, but the technique revived. Two more keepers were killed,
with no better result. Iga has always wanted the power for themselves; Fuuma has always opposed them; and Banten, an offshoot of Iga, nearly faded from existence. --The methods of the past don't work, he tells Miharu: we must find a technique that will allow you to stay alive. We must create a new ninjutsu. --He frowns thoughtfully. Though they don't have the same goal or intentions as we, he says, the Kairoushuu are thinking the same thing. That's why they took our scroll, concurs Saraba.
They're doing research with the intent of removing the technique from Miharu.
[Note: From here till the end there's some ingenious cutting between the two leaders' simultaneous speeches and their listeners' reactions.]
We see Yukimi and Yoite eating take-out food while listening to Hattori's broadcast.
--If all the powers granted by the forbidden scrolls are used, he says, a way to separate the wisdom from the user's body may appear.
...go on to next episode.
--He looks up at Fuuma-dono.
I've heard you write a lot about ninjutsu, he says. He's pleased to hear that Miharu knows this.
If it were possible to extract the shinrabanshou from me, asks Miharu, do you think you'd want it for yourself?
--There's a moment of awkward silence, and Kotarou looks down at him. Don't you trust me, Miharu-kun? he asks.
Isn't it obvious...that I'd definitely want something like that?!!
--He goes on a manic tangent, saying that surely this work of great knowledge, produced with such effort in the shadows of the world of Nabari--it would be OK to use it just a little, right? And what would he do if he got it? Why, he'd kick the hell out of the Kairoushuu! They entered his village with their shoes on! and then he'd make all the women of the world fall in love with him,
and initiate the Fuuma Village Dream Paradise Plan! [So, we see Saraba's earlier point...=)]--he rattles on, with much enthusiastic acting out, while the guests sit with their jaws dropped open and his villagers sigh patiently.
He does this all the time, and I swear you can't turn him off, Saraba tells stunned Kouichi; don't worry about it. =)
Kotarou tells the Banten group that each of the five villages possesses one scroll, but they can't be sure how many may
have already been stolen.
Hattori confirms that the Kairoushuu have the Fuuma scroll, and of course their own; so only three remain to be acquired,
Kouga, Izuna and Banten. [The Tougakushi scroll is called Izunashingan--"Izuna's Mind's Eye" after their fox deity. Read more about Izuna-kami here.]
Kotarou says that as soon as the scrolls are acquired, he'd like them brought directly to him.
Hattori asks all the villages to support Iga in its cause.
Kotarou says that if the villages refuse to give their scrolls to the Banten team, they'll have to steal them.--But isn't that exactly what the Kairoushuu are doing?!--they protest. Yes, that's right, says Fuuma-dono, and there's not the least bit of goofiness in him now. When have I ever said that we represent justice?--They're silent.
--Then it's time for us all to act like shinobi, he says. That's our mission. For the sake of safely removing the shinrabanshou--
--this is my mission to every one of you, says Hattori, find the shinrabanshou and achieve our goal--
--both at once: "--find every single shinobi village!"
..go back to Episode Guide mainpage.