Kagura

Although the Scarlet Shadow gave her a name and Hayabusa taught her peace, the young Kagura remained unsure of her true path. When she opened her umbrella in contemplation, she saw not gentle rain but visions of calamity, eons of regret, and a past seen through her umbrella. Kagura finally understood: although born of persistent attachments, her path led to freedom. She would carry both the regrets and hopes of those who had died to experience the beauty of the mortal realm that they had never been able to enjoy, and embrace the future that had been stolen from them but graciously granted to her. ===Spring stirs as dreams fade===

Kagura's origin story was sketchy at best. The old man who had brought her to the Scarlet Shadow was well beyond his years, and whenever he was asked, he simply repeated the same memory: on a rainy spring day over ten years ago, he found an abandoned baby under an umbrella and named it Kagura. Nothing more could be gained from it. The Shadow Sect sensed a mysterious power within her and, after much deliberation, decided to raise the child. Yet Kagura was destined to stay away from them – the power within her rejected their ninjutsu, and she could not understand why these warriors lived and died by their nindo. Only the umbrella, whose origins were equally mysterious, kept him company, in joy and in sadness.

Over time, Kagura learned to find her own peace within the Scarlet Shadow. She observed the manners of the ninjas and took care of those exhausted from training. A young member of the Shadow Sect named Hayabusa told her that they fought tirelessly for honor, and although Kagura nodded in response, she could not understand the meaning of those words.

On spring days, when the cherry blossoms fell like rain, Kagura would sit in the trees, watching the people rushing by below. Everyone had a destination and their steps were hurried but determined. But not knowing where she came from, she never knew where her destination was. She could only brush the fallen petals and fall asleep.

Kagura had always sensed another world beneath her umbrella, but despite countless attempts, she could never unravel its mysteries. Until one late spring day, when she fell asleep as usual among the flowers of a tree. As the spring breeze curled around her fingers and soft petals rested in her hair, her umbrella suddenly seemed different.

It was a dream like no other. Kagura could only watch as things unfolded around her; before his eyes was a young spiritualist who exuded a familiar feeling. He called for his sister, with both sadness and joy so real that it was as if she were there. However, Kagura couldn't answer him. His gaze passed through her and landed on a figure in the distance.

Kagura watched the young man work on his spiritual tools and soon learned his name: Seimei, the legendary spiritual artisan. The young man expressed his sorrows while working hard at his profession: when the imbalance of Yin and Yang caused widespread calamity in the riverlands of Cadia, Seimei went in search of the Great Dragon to quell the unrest. But when he returned with the Great Dragon, he was greeted by the lifeless body of his sister. But he refused to accept this cruel fate. He would do anything to see his sister again, so he created a special spirit tool made of spirit insects: the Seimei Umbrella.

When Seimei opened the umbrella, he could see his sister, smiling and calling to him. But how could a simple illusion born from his desire, a puppet constructed from his memory, be enough?

A tear of blood fell on Kagura as darkness consumed Seimei's once bright eyes. A fragment of the Twilight Orb had unconsciously resonated with his obsession, driving him to madness. Kagura could only watch helplessly as the balance of Yin and Yang collapsed, and countless souls erupted from the Lanterns of Infinite Lights, causing catastrophe once again. The Great Dragon had no choice but to overpower Seimei. In the end, Seimei spat out his last breath of blood as his eyes glowed with defiance. Kagura's vision blurred from tears before fading into darkness.

When she opened her eyes, Kagura found herself near the Lantern of Infinite Lights. As the souls continued to rage, Seimei's apprentice, Akazawa, exhausted himself creating small spirit lanterns to contain them all, but their unrest could not be calmed.

Legend has it that it was the Seimei Umbrella that appeared in the sky at that critical moment, but now it was Kagura instead. She finally understood: it wasn't a dream, but the memories of the umbrella, and she was the spirit of the Seimei umbrella.

Souls gathered around her, whispering. As she listened, these victims of the calamities explained to her why they lingered in the mortal realm. It was not because of worldly desires or bloody revenge, but because of regrets and unfulfilled wishes. They simply wanted to see more of the beauty of the Riverlands of Cadia, witness the spring flowers bloom. They hoped that the umbrella that had accepted all their regrets would see these spectacles for them.

And so, through the accumulation of these lingering thoughts, the umbrella spirit took the form of a young girl, carrying the regrets of all those who still had attachments, born amidst the spring rain of falling cherry blossoms.

Now open your eyes, Kagura.

The dream ended here. Familiarity returned as the flailing of Scarlet Shadow's limbs and falling cherry blossoms filled his vision. But the lingering warmth in her palm and the tears on her face told Kagura that this wasn't just a dream. She looked at the umbrella in her hands, turning it gently. Even though the voices no longer resonated, the spring breeze chose this moment to brush past her, the petals gently wiping away the tears, as if to deliver their unspoken message:

Those born of desire need not be bound by the past; It is only through the young girl's blossoming growth that these lingering regrets can find their answer. Dwelling on past sorrows would only lead to finding yourself trapped in despair like Seimei. These past regrets can never truly be repaired, but now that you know where you came from, use those eyes to witness the beauty in this world that they couldn't.

As the dream faded and spring returned, Kagura understood where his path would take him. She would see, hear and feel all the beauty this world had to offer. She would blossom with her own brilliance – only then could she truly honor their kindness.

Under the tree, voices were calling out his name. Kagura looked down to see Hayabusa and Hanabi ready to catch her.

The mortal realm was rich in splendor, and there was always someone waiting for her to return. Perhaps that was what made life so precious: these simple moments of happiness.