The five loyal Hatamotos, once the proud bannermen of the late Shogun, now stood amidst the ruins of their former lives. The vowing ceremony they had just performed bound them to a single purpose… vengeance.
Their honor and loyalty to their fallen lord demanded nothing less.
Only five of the original thirteen bannermen remained. The others had either been slain in the treacherous uprising or had bent their knees to the Daimyos who now ruled with stolen power.
Their once-great clans had been extinguished, their troops scattered to the winds.
Despite this devastation, the survivors resolved to vanish into obscurity, each assuming a new life to ensure the fruition of their plan.
"I, Tadayori Shuhei, will take Ryuken-sama under my wing," declared the old samurai, his grizzled face resolute.
"I will mold him into a fierce warrior until the time he reaches fifteen, someone who can fight for himself… and for the sake of others." he proclaimed.
