Hayabusa

Leader of the Shadow Sect of the Scarlet Shadow, in the Riverlands of Cadia. As the second heir of the Crimson Shadow Sect, Hayabusa had always looked up to his brother, a figure he viewed as the moon itself. To preserve the delicate balance of power between the Shadow and Scarlet Sects, Hayabusa willingly took his brother's place to be a political pawn and hostage, to be raised within the rival Scarlet Sect. Every day spent in the Scarlet Sect, Hayabusa lived by his brother's principles. He mastered his unique Shadow Shuriken technique and forged an unbreakable bond with Hanabi, a kunoichi of the Scarlet Sect. But when Hanzo's betrayal and his brother's disappearance shattered their hopes for peace, Hayabusa realized that the moonlight that had always guided him was gone. Yet he held his blade tightly, determined to advance through the shadows, following his brother's nindo. ===Shadow and Moon=== When the clouds obscure the moon,

Where will the shadows find their place?

As descendants of the Shadow Sect, Hayabusa and his brother underwent rigorous training from childhood. Even as a young boy, Hayabusa knew that his brother's skills far exceeded his own. But what really seemed beyond his reach was his brother's vision of nindo, ninja-style: integrating ninja tools with ninjutsu to end hostility between ninja clans.

In Hayabusa's eyes, his brother shone as bright as the moon, illuminating not only himself but the entire Scarlet Shadow. Hayabusa only wished to be his shadow.

However, his brother wasn't the only genius in the Shadow Sect: there was another one named Hanzo. Soon, the Scarlet Sect, the other half of Scarlet Shadow, sent a warning to the Shadow Sect: the balance of power in Scarlet Shadow must not be questioned. Hayabusa learned that the two sects would use their own bloodlines as pawns to control each other, and that he or his brother would have to become that pawn.

On the roof, Hayabusa found his brother. Although no words were spoken, the moonlight filled their hearts.

For Hayabusa, the world could survive without shadows, but without moonlight, night would reign forever...

Sitting next to his brother, Hayabusa took off his mask. A childish smile broke out on his stern face.

During his early years in the Scarlet Sect, Hayabusa, as a pawn, was met with contempt. He found companionship only in his own shadow. During training, he constantly worked to integrate ninja tools into his ninjutsu, creating his unique Shadow Shuriken technique. Little by little, more and more people came to challenge him. Hayabusa calmly accepted each challenge and left silently after each victory. For him, winning or losing was less important than fulfilling his brother's will: ending the hostility between the two sects.

Until the day he met a girl whose beliefs rivaled his own: Hanabi. As the successor to "Scarlet", Hanabi has always held her head high. She considered her victories as victories for the Scarlet Sect, and her fierce competitive spirit drove her to challenge Hayabusa again and again.

Hidden valleys, bamboo forests, rooftops... Every corner of the Scarlet Shadow bore witness to their battles. Every time Hayabusa won, Hanabi would ask, "Why did I lose...", but he would only shrug in return.

Hayabusa had long admitted that he possessed no extraordinary talents. Pursuing his brother's nindo, he trained alone, until he finally understood that the relationship between ninja tools and ninjutsu was like that of scarlet and shadow, two sides of the same coin. They were inseparable. The Scarlet Sect and the Shadow Sect surely knew this too, but they chose to remain determined to defeat each other.

But the illusions will eventually be shattered.

Ninja genius Hanzo broke into the Forbidden Lands, stole the sealed weapon Ame no Habakiri and fled. Hayabusa's brother, who accompanied him, disappeared without a trace. Overnight, Hanzo became the Scarlet Shadow's greatest threat, and peace teetered on the blade's edge.

To capture Hanzo and retrieve the cursed weapon, both sects did their best, and Hayabusa and Hanabi were among them.

Before leaving, Hayabusa received a secret order from his father: "Recover the Soul no Habakiri for the Shadow Sect and kill Hanzo and anyone who gets in your way." Strangely, the order made no mention of his brother. Filled with doubt, Hayabusa followed Hanzo's trail: he had to find him.

During his pursuit, Hayabusa discovered Hanabi lying on the ground, surrounded by ninjas from both sects writhing in agony. As Hayabusa tried to wake Hanabi, a malevolent aura hit him. He gripped his blade tightly. Then, he saw a familiar but strange figure: it was his brother, radiating murderous intent.

He saw blood staining his brother's hands... He saw that the light had disappeared from his eyes...

No matter how Hayabusa called, he was only met with increasingly violent attacks, each aimed at killing.

Hayabusa never imagined that the moon could turn so blood red.

Darkness engulfed Hayabusa's heart. He lowered his blade as his brother rushed towards him.

"Hayabusa, don't you dare lose to anyone other than me!"

Hanabi's voice echoed in his memory, like a flame igniting in his heart.

Deep inside, Hayabusa saw the moonlight, and beneath it, Hanabi.

Hanabi's eyes burned as she looked at Hayabusa while gently twirling her Higanbana, "I'm going to surpass you."

At this moment, Hayabusa regained consciousness. With one hand, he formed a seal, activating Quad Shadow to send four shadows that restrained his opponent with lightning speed. He grabbed his blade and struck without a moment's hesitation.

Hayabusa watched as the murderous aura gradually dissipated along with the image of his brother, revealing Ame no Habakiri's true form, glaring at him in rage and laughing maniacally.

The cunning Ame no Habakiri had tried to use illusions to exploit the weakness of the human heart, only to be met with such resilience. Freeing himself from the illusion, Hayabusa was no longer bound by darkness. Even though he knew Ame no Habakiri was powerful, behind him stood Hanabi, Kagura, and his brother's unknown fate. He had no choice but to get up.

Even without the guidance of the moon, a shadow must carve its own path.

“Wherever I go, I do so without fear.”