Preview: Shuriken to Pleats [Chapter 4]

A young ojousama laments over their pitiful ninjas who totally acted as some idiotic peacemakers. The three ninjas are in their futons groaning and apologizing. The ojousama tells her personal ninja/bodyguard that on behalf of her father, she will give then another chance so quickly get up. Her bodyguard thanks her and calls her, Masako [guesswork from 真子] Masako says okay, Ichinosuke [guesswork from 一之助] and don’t mind it. In a room filled with cabinets and covered jars, Masako says that their family, together with the ninjas, continuously collected botanical seeds since the Muromachi bakufu era [under the Ashikaga shouguns].  Until today, they have been attracting all sorts of spies who come to steal and she never thought that it also brought to them that girl ninja whom Rod has taken under his wing. In the end, as expected, her brother and that girl teamed up. Since it is like that, it would be good to have given him poison that will cause instant death. They planned to make him change his mind then give him the antidote which she and her father consider to be a benevolent thing to do.

Masako tells Ichinosuke that her father said that if her brother won’t give up what he’s doing then it is also inevitable to kill him. Ichinosuke says that he also said that before he lost consciousness [/fell into a coma = father I presume]. Ichinosuke talks about medicine..food, plants and water are all related to life, so Masako’s first ancestor had the foresight to make it into a business. But, there’s a ‘poison’ in gathering and researching plants for it brings about a dangerous struggle which made no only the ninjas but also the successive generations lost their lives. Mahito wants to condense blood and hard work into a crystal and easily put it in the hands of people so he must absolutely not have his way. [<- I think the crystal thing is said figuratively] Masako says that she knows so ultimately, her brother is an adopted son from a collateral relative [descended from a common ancestor but through different lines] With the status of being an adopted son, he lusted after the treasure that has been handed down by their ancestors. She says that he doesn’t know propriety and if he won’t listen and obey them, he’ll be killed slowly using their mother’s poison.

At the rundown apartment, Mahito says that he doesn’t care and despite it, he brought out what seems to be a useful ‘seed’ and in the end, he ended up in a situation wherein his life can be taken at an opportune time. Sitting close to him, Mikage says that he is saying that he bravely got out of that kind of danger. While complaining that Mikage is too close to him, Mahito says that he thinks that it makes more sense for him to make Rod come and take care of it but he didn’t think that she is the ninja beside Rod. He tells her that last year he was influenced by Rod while being an exchange college student. These two years, he also had contacts with Rod because of work and he wants to become Rod’s strength. Rod would smile and say that resolving the food problem is for himself yet he would earnestly assume an attitude wherein he’ll bury himself in work. Mikage sparkles about this that Mahito backs away and asks what it is. Mikage says that this meeting is definitely her master guiding fate. Touched Mikage says that her master definitely wishes to help the man whom he had collaborated with before. She is so happy about this.

This made Mahito somewhat guilty/sad that he says obviously, Rod is just an entrepreneur and there are too many dangers. They [Mikage and others] still don’t clearly know whether it is his own men [/Rod’s family or associates] or rivals who is aiming at Rod. And she already lost her master. Mikage looks surprised and says no, she wasn’t able to protect her master well. That night, Mikage couldn’t sleep. She looks at the picture of Rod and his family, along with some little food stuff erasers on top of her luggage which serves as a make-shift table. She takes the tomato looking eraser and recalls that it is a gift from Rod, an eraser the same with Kashi’s [guesswork name from 菓子]. He had told her that there are many cute things in Japan and next time, together with her-- Mikage gloomy says that she wasn’t able to protect him well. She wonders if someone like her can help Mahito. Knock-knock. Her floor opens and Mahito says that it is already time for school. He is surprised that she is already awake. Mikage is living in the attic. Mikage says okay.

Then, Mahito notices the things on her luggage and asks if that is an altar [for the dead]. While folding her blanket, she tells him that it is the erasers and picture that her master gave her. Mahito says that they are a lot. She tells him that the second batch [/back-up] was burned and these are the first batch that she brought with her. Mahito says that it is great that not all are burned. Mikage lamely agrees. Later on, Mikage is getting ready to go out. Mahito asks if she is okay. Mikage says that there’s no need to worry and he should be worried for himself. She tells him that the she had rendered majority of the ninjas before immobile. Mahito tells him that he isn’t talking about his safety. Mikage goes out the door to see a young Japanese girl in kimono. Mikage thinks that it is a furisode [kimono with long sleeves], how cute. Masako asks if she is Rod’s ninja. Mikage realizes that their secret home has been found out. Mahito tells Mikage to wait, this girl is his younger sister and the mastermind who poisoned him.

Holding a small pendant of her necklace, Masako says that this is the last mercy, sincerely bring back the seed that he took from the house then she’ll give him this antidote. The ninja group that went to South America will quickly come back. Until that time, the ninjas that they have knocked down would be able to move. That would be the last deadline. It would be great if he is still alive until then, so she’ll be waiting for the good news. Mikage chases after her to get the antidote but Ichinosuke jumps down in between them. Carrying Masako, he tells her that they are going. Ichinosuke jumps down from the second floor. Mikage chases after them with hopes that this time, she definitely.. but once again, she failed since the car had already sped away. Later on, Mahito looks up the roof and calls out to Mikage, who is moping on top of the roof, if she isn’t going to school. He manages to climb up the roof in his state and sits beside her. Mikage apologizes for failing. He tells her that it is inevitable for she didn’t sleep last night. He asks her if she never cried. She asks why cry, ninjas cannot[/doesn’t] cry. Mahito tells her that she already lost an important person to her and when people are sad, they’ll want to cry in order to move towards the ‘future’.

He says that obviously, before she is a ninja, she is only a person called Kiriu Mikage yet when she is sad, she doesn’t know what she should do. Mikage mutters if she is a person. Mahito says if it is her, that girl, whom Rod told him, that he wants to become happy. Starting to cry, Mikage says that even if she cried, so what, she never knew.. because it is the first time that she is this sad. She wishes to see her master once again. Mahito wants to pat her head but she uses her arm to stop him. Mahito grabs her arm away and still pats her head. He tells her not to be a ninja anymore, don’t bother with his issue, he’ll just find a way, by himself, regarding the antidote. He cannot ask someone who had recently lost an important person, a grieving girl... He says that as a daughter, she really likes Rod. Mikage looks at him and says that thanks to him, she felt a lot comfortable after crying. Mahito says that it is nothing and he thinks that is inevitable. While kneeling with one knee, she says no..it is as he said. “Mahito, I want to ask you to become my last master. I’ll help you, Mahito and then, I’ll become a true [/genuine] beautiful shadow [Mikage].”

Comment: So, from what I understand, Mahito wants to make it easy for people to grow plants for food or whatever just like how Rod wants to solve the food storage by stealing a very useful seed. But then, his family is into the business of selling and hoarding seeds and probably rare, almost extinct seeds/food. They would rather get profit from it rather than just giving it away. That is understandable too since they have sacrificed a lot including their lives for that collection of plants, seeds, etc. I guess they would rather use this tactic of poisoning him with a high possibility of death so that it will be easier if he’ll just give up and give them back the seed rather for them to find it after he is already dead. I guess they must be a powerful family or else, why didn’t Mahito pass the seed to someone else while he is still alive as a guarantee that at least, the seed would be useful for the people even if he dies. Of course, I guess, he doesn’t know to whom to pass it to for the one he knows is already dead. 

And after everything, Mikage now has a guilt trip which was kind of costly since the one with the antidote is already in front of her yet she failed to steal it. I wonder though if Mahito already thinks that she isn’t fit to be a ninja that he would think that he, being poisoned and everything, has a better chance of getting the antidote rather than an emotional grieving girl ninja. ^^; Whether intentional or not, that reverse psychology thing works ^^ So, Mikage now has her last master and hopefully this time around, she’ll do a better job. I find the baidu comments on this chapter amusing though since most are praising how good looking Ichinosuke is. ^^;; As for Mahito, he really somewhat reminds me of VK’s Hanabusa especially when he is climbing up the roof. He is somewhat goofy in his own way. From shoujo/anime, I know that poisoned people shouldn’t move too much for it would cause a lot of blood circulation and spread the poison. Mikage is making him move too much. ^^; Somehow, my gut feel tells me that later on, they will have some other enemy so that Masako and Ichinosuke would team up with them. Anyway, I’m also hoping for less emo Mikage ^^ Though if this series is like VK, that seems unlikely ^^; Scans by all★wink汉化组

Quote of the day:

What’s done is done. What’s gone is gone. One of life’s lessons is always moving on. It’s okay to look back and think of fond memories but keep moving forward. ~ Author Unknown