Mugen's companions escape captivity, but a guilt-ridden and dishonored Mugen commits seppuku to atone for his failure, though not before Aiko tells him that she is bearing his child.Īfter learning that Mugen's companions have survived, Noboru convinces the Shogun that they killed his son to clear their names, the group abducts Masaru from a bathhouse in Kyoto and sneak their way past the Shogun's men to deliver him personally to their superior. Holding Mugen's companions hostage, Noboru forces the samurai to lead him to the secret refuge of Ryunosuke, the Shogun's heir, and has his equally traitorous son Masaru stab him dead.
He intends to seize power and plunge Japan back into endless war. Noboru reveals that he opposes his brother's peaceful rule, fearing that it will make warriors like him obsolete. The group goes to apprehend Kage-sama, but quickly learn that their target is a decoy and the "encampment" is a trap: the true Kage-sama is none other than Lord Noboru, the Shogun's younger brother and right-hand man. Defeated, the general commits seppuku with Mugen's help after providing the group with a map that leads to a secret encampment in the marshlands where Kage-sama is hiding. The Shogun reprimands Mugen for acting rashly, but allows him nonetheless to deal with Okkoto. The group investigates the corrupt daimyo Lord Yabu, suspecting him of being Kage-sama due to his involvement in the production and smuggling of illegal weapons, but when Mugen decides to have him assassinated without the Shogun's blessing, it triggers a rebellion of soldiers loyal to the Shogun's former ally, General Okkoto. Mugen subsequently recruits four other allies to assist him: Hayato, a grim, cynical ninja from the former Iga Province who fought alongside Mugen during the siege of Osaka Yuki, a clever, inquisitive young outcast and experienced thief Aiko, a female ninja from the Shinano Province and Mugen's paramour and Takuma, a one-legged sharpshooter, weapon smith, and alchemist. The Shogun turns to Oshiro Mugen, a samurai in his service, and assigns him to uncover Kage-sama's true identity and bring him to justice. However, a mysterious warlord known only as "Kage-sama" has emerged, jeopardizing the country's stability. An unnamed shogun has unified Japan after years of war. The game is set at the beginning of Japan's Edo period.