The air was heavy with the scent of cedar and anticipation as dusk settled over Shinra no Sato. In a shadowed chamber of the Taisho residence, flickering torchlight danced across the walls, illuminating scrolls and a low table where Mizuki Shirogane sat, her winter-sky hair catching the glow like frost under moonlight. Across from her stood Shisui Kamei, his fox mask dangling at his belt, brown hair tousled as if he'd just stepped out of a storm.
"Kazuki's Ryu is a wildfire," Mizuki said, her amethyst eyes narrowing. "Untamed, chaotic—dangerous. It could burn us all to ash or light a path we've never dared to tread." She leaned forward, voice low and deliberate. "Benimaru's discipline could temper him. Form Nightshade with these five, Shisui. You're the only one I trust to forge them into what they must become."
Shisui tilted his head, a sly grin curling his lips. "A wildfire, huh? Sounds like my kind of mess." His fingers brushed the mask—clink—as he nodded. "Nightshade it is. I'll sharpen 'em—or break 'em trying."
Mizuki's gaze softened, but her tone remained steel. "When the Black Moon rises, they'll be our shield—or our ruin. Don't fail me."
Whoosh. The memory dissolved into mist, fading to the present.
Nightshade Mansion
The morning sun filtered through cracked shutters, casting jagged beams across the dusty floor of the Nightshade mansion. Kazuki Kurotsuki sprawled on a worn mat, golden eyes blinking awake to the creak of the old wood. Around him stood Benimaru Hanzo, Ishikawa Shimazu, Shizu Shirogane, and Amaya Mori—Nightshade's chosen five.
"Oi, this place looks like it's one sneeze from collapsing," Ishikawa grumbled, kicking at a loose floorboard—thunk. His brown ponytail swished as he scanned the room.
"Adds character," Benimaru replied coolly, arms crossed, his sharp gaze flicking to the cobwebbed rafters. "Better than some stuffy dojo."
Shizu stepped forward, her red eyes gleaming with quiet resolve. "It's not the walls that matter—it's what we build here."
Amaya Mori lingered near the shadows, her jet-black ponytail swaying as she tilted her head. "Or what we survive," she murmured, voice low and edged, like a blade half-drawn.
Kazuki sprang up, fastening his Kenshi belt with a grin. "Doesn't matter if it's a shack or a palace—I'm here to surpass every Taisho! Nightshade's just the start!"
Boom! The door slammed open, and Shisui Kamei strode in, his white-and-black cloak billowing—swish—fox mask now affixed to his face, glinting ominously. "Big words, kid," he drawled, voice dripping with amusement. "But let's see if your Ryu matches your mouth."
Ishikawa smirked. "Here we go—Fox-Face is gonna roast us."
"Nightshade's not alone in this game," Shisui said, tossing a scroll onto the floor—thud. It unrolled, revealing the ten samurai cells of Shinra no Sato, each led by a Hatamoto:
Kusunoki Tsukino – Jade Serpent: Swift-footed Hana, Matsuri, Syr, Allen, and Yuji weave wind Ryu like a storm, cutting through the air with relentless grace.
Sanada Shimazu – Iron Lotus: Disciplined Yota, Satoru, Kaido, Cheng, and Kenichi wield earth Ryu that stands unshaken, a wall of unyielding resolve.
Yasuke Yamabushi – Crimson Fang: Fierce Kenta, Denji, Akame, Sakura, and Anil unleash fire Ryu that burns like a beast's roar, wild and untamed.
Takeda Satake – Silent Storm: Stealthy Yumi, Masaki, Danjo, Hima, and Ashuma strike with lightning Ryu, swift and silent as a thunderclap's echo.
Toyotomi Ōtomo – Golden Crane: Elegant Sora, Yamato, Aiko, Nori, and Kiyoshi flow with water Ryu, smooth and precise as silk rippling in the breeze.
Niijima Akuma – Blood Raven: Ruthless Riku, Kuro, Saito, Rei, and Tsubasa cloak themselves in shadow Ryu, their moves unseen until it's too late.
Hangaku Hanzo – Echo Blade: Resonant Taro, Kaito, Rina, Haru, and Yuki master sound Ryu, their strikes ringing like a chorus of steel.
Ken Mori – Frost Phoenix: Icy Aiko, Hikari, Fumiko, Momochi, and Kira wield frost Ryu, chilling the air with crystalline precision.
Hiroshi Iwaki – Dawn Spear: Bold Jiro, Ren, Toshi, Akira, and Haruto pierce with light Ryu, their brilliance cutting through any darkness.
Shisui Kamei – Nightshade: Wildcards Kazuki, Benimaru, Ishikawa, Shizu, and Amaya—each a spark waiting to ignite or shatter under the crucible's heat.
"Ten squads, ten Hatamoto," Shisui said, pacing like a predator. "But Nightshade? You're mine. Taisho Mizuki handpicked you lot for a reason—and it ain't for tea parties."
Benimaru raised an eyebrow. "Handpicked? What's the catch?"
"The catch," Shisui replied, his grin widening beneath the mask, "is you're not just samurai—you're a blade I'm gonna hone 'til it cuts the sky itself. Starting now."
Crack! He clapped his hands, and the room shuddered—rumble—as wooden pillars twisted upward, sprouting jagged spikes. "First lesson: survive me."
"Wha—?!" Kazuki yelped as the floor split—snap—and a wave of shadow Ryu surged from Shisui, slamming into them like a tidal wave—whoosh, thud.
Benimaru dodged, his bokken igniting with fire-and-wind—fwoom—slashing the shadows apart. "Tch, showoff!"
Ishikawa ducked a spike—crunch—gritting his teeth. "This guy's insane!"
Shizu's black flames flared—hiss—pushing back the darkness. "Focus! We fight as one!"
Amaya moved silently, her Ryu unfurling—shimmer—a web of inky tendrils snapping at Shisui's shadows like a trap. "He's testing us," she said, voice steady.
Kazuki stumbled, his Ryu sparking wildly—zzzt, boom—ice and fire clashing chaotically. "Oi, Fox-Face! You wanna dance? Let's dance!" He charged, bokken swinging—slash—only for Shisui to vanish in a shhh, reappearing atop a pillar.
"Pathetic," Shisui taunted, hurling a barrage of shadow needles—swish, swish, swish. "You're Nightshade, not a rabble of kids! Act like it!"
Grunt, crash, howl—the team scrambled, dodging and countering, sweat and Ryu mingling in the air. Kazuki's golden eyes blazed as he rallied them. "C'mon, Nightshade! We've got this!"
Hours bled into exhaustion, the mansion trembling under Shisui's relentless assault. Finally, as the team stood panting, bruised but unbroken, Shisui leapt down, landing with a thump. He peeled off his mask, revealing sharp brown eyes and a crooked grin.
"Day one's done, and you're still breathing," he said, voice low and edged. "But when the Black Moon rises, only Nightshade will stand between light and ruin. Let's see if you survive the night."
Kazuki wiped sweat from his brow, his chest heaving as he glared up at Shisui. "Survive the night? Bring it on, Fox-Face! I've got Ryu to burn and a Taisho throne to claim!"
Shisui chuckled, a low, guttural sound that echoed through the battered mansion—rumble. "Bold words, kid. Let's see if your spine matches your tongue." He snapped his fingers—click—and the air thickened, shadows coiling like serpents around the room.
Whoosh! A wall of darkness surged upward, splitting the floor into jagged platforms—crack, thud—each floating like islands in a void. "Lesson two: adapt or fall," Shisui barked, leaping to a perch above them, his cloak fluttering—swish. "Nightshade's no ordinary squad—you'll face what others can't even dream of."
Benimaru steadied himself on a tilting slab, his bokken glowing with fire-and-wind—fwoom. "This guy's not messing around," he muttered, slicing a tendril of shadow that lunged at him—slash. "Kazuki, don't charge in blind—think!"
"Think? I'm all instinct!" Kazuki shot back, leaping to another platform—thump—his Ryu sparking wildly. Ice flared from his bokken—crackle—only to melt into a sizzling burst of blue fire—hiss. "Gah! C'mon, stay put!"
Ishikawa vaulted over a gap, landing with a grunt. "You're a walking disaster, Kazuki! Try not blowing us up!" A shadow whip lashed at him—snap—and he ducked, swinging his bokken to parry—clang. "This is nuts!"
Shizu's black flames roared to life—whoosh—forming a shield around her as she balanced on a swaying plank. "He's pushing our limits—together, we're stronger!" Her voice cut through the chaos, steady and fierce.
Amaya darted between platforms, her shadow Ryu weaving a net—shimmer, snap—catching a barrage of Shisui's dark spikes mid-air. "Limits break or bind us," she said, her sharp eyes locked on Shisui. "Which will it be?"
"Pretty poetry," Shisui sneered, hurling a spinning disk of shadow—vwoom—that split into a dozen shards mid-flight—swish, swish, swish. "But words won't save you!"
Crash! The shards rained down, forcing Nightshade to scatter. Kazuki dove, rolling to his feet—thud—as a shard grazed his shoulder—slice. "Ow! That stings, you sneaky—!" He gritted his teeth, Ryu flaring brighter, a chaotic swirl of water and lightning—zzzt, splash. "Fine, let's play dirty!"
He thrust his bokken forward, unleashing a jagged bolt—crackle—that arced toward Shisui. The Hatamoto sidestepped with a shhh, the bolt shattering a pillar instead—boom. "Not bad, wildfire," Shisui called, "but sloppy!"
Benimaru seized the opening, his fire-wind Ryu spiraling into a blazing vortex—roar—aimed at Shisui's perch. "Sloppy or not, we're not here to lose!" The flames collided with a shadow barrier—fwoosh, thud—forcing Shisui to leap again.
Ishikawa roared, charging with a brutish swing—smash—his earth Ryu grounding the platform beneath him. "Eat this, Fox-Face!" The strike missed, but the shockwave—rumble—disrupted Shisui's footing.
Shizu flanked from the left, her Yamihonō blazing—hiss—a crescent of black fire slicing through the air. "Nightshade stands united!" she shouted, her attack syncing with Amaya's shadow tendrils—snap, whip—pinning Shisui's cloak for a split second.
"United, huh?" Shisui laughed, tearing free with a rip, his shadow Ryu erupting in a dome—whoosh—knocking them all back. Kazuki skidded across a platform—scrape—catching himself at the edge.
"Enough warm-up!" Shisui bellowed, landing in the center with a thump. The shadows retracted—shhh—revealing a circle of scorched wood around him. "You've got grit, I'll give you that. But grit's just the start."
Kazuki panted, golden eyes blazing. "What's next, huh? You gonna drown us in shadows or what?"
Shisui peeled off his mask, revealing a scarred, sharp-eyed face framed by wild brown hair. "Next?" His grin was feral. "Next, I break you down and build you back—stronger, sharper, deadlier. Nightshade's not here to play samurai—you're here to face the Black Moon."
"The Black Moon?" Shizu echoed, her voice tight. "What does that mean?"
Shisui's eyes glinted, dark and knowing. "A shadow bigger than this village, bigger than this world. When it rises, you'll either stop it—or it'll swallow everything. Starting with you."
Ishikawa wiped blood from a scraped knuckle, smirking. "Big talk. Hope you've got more than shadows to throw at us."
"Oh, I've got plenty," Shisui replied, twirling his bokken—swish. "Rest up, Nightshade. Tomorrow, you'll beg for today's mercy." He turned, cloak billowing—swish—and vanished into the darkness beyond the mansion's walls.
Benimaru sheathed his bokken, exhaling sharply. "He's nuts, but he's got a point. We're not ready."
"Not yet," Amaya said, her shadow Ryu coiling back into her silhouette—shimmer. "But we will be."
Kazuki flopped onto his back—thud—staring at the cracked ceiling. "Black Moon, huh? Sounds like a party I'm crashing." He grinned, despite the bruises. "Let's show 'em, Nightshade!"
Shizu knelt beside him, offering a faint smile. "We will. Together."
Outside, the wind howled—whistle—as night fell over the mansion, a silent promise of the hell yet to come.