General Info

First Issue: USAGI YOJIMBO Volume 1, Issue 21

Comics Which Contain This Story

This story can be found in the following comics:

USAGI YOJIMBO Volume 1, Issue 21

Characters

The following characters are mentioned in the story:

• Kashira Chizu
• Lord Hikiji
• Komori Ninja
• Miyamoto Usagi
• Neko Ninja
• Kashira Shingen

Story Synopsis

In the 1st part of this 2 part story, Usagi is walking alone in the night when he heard someone yelling. He finds a dying villager who has been fatally wounded by mysterious attakers. He then hears some flying sounds, and remembers the villager's last words: "chi no tsubasa" (wings of blood).

When he enters a nearby village, he is received as a hero, much to Usagi's confusion. The village headman, Ando, explains that they tought he was sent to help them against the mysterious flying Ninjas of the Komori Clan, of whom they live in fear, and who are after Lord Hirone's gold mine.

Usagi decides that he has to leave to prevent the mine of a probable attack by the Ninjas, who are after the gold shipments. That night, we find out during a secret meeting that the operation is directed by Lord Hebi (supporter of Lord Hikiji) as an effort to ambush Lord Hirone's gold shipment.

The success of this operation would also show that the Komori Ninja Clan could prove to be more worthy to Lord Hikiji than the Neko Ninja Clan, who were seriously depleted in number during the Dragon Bellow Conspiracy. Unbeknownst to Hebi and the representative of the Komori Ninja, however, Shingen's sister Chizu, spying from the outside, learns of this and reports it to her clan. Usagi leaves town with the headman's son to thwart the attack on the mine but they are soon ambushed by the Komori Ninja. Ando's son tries to run to the mine but is killed, and Usagi is captured by the Ninjas for interrogation.