No Need For Bushido - Plot Details

Plot Details

Chapter 1: The Epic Beginning

Ina discovers that her father, Masuhiro Senshin, has formed a peace treaty with the war-like Wataro clan. To avoid the arranged marriage, Ina runs away in middle of the night.

Chapter 2: Off to Adventure

Ina soon runs into a small group of bandits who threaten to kidnap her. These bandits are stopped when Yorikiro Wataro, the idealistic elder son of Hirotomo Wataro who has left his clan to live as a wandering samurai, appears to save Ina. Yorikiro manages, through luck, to kill two of the four bandits, but his katana is broken in the process. With no means to defend himself, Yori picks up Ina and attempts to escape. The two are forced to jump off a cliff and into a river below. After gaining consciousness from the fall, Ina grudgingly accepts Yorikiro's offer to follow her as a body guard. During introductions, both characters, for different reasons, avoid mentioning their clan names.

Chapter 3: Ninja Death Inn

The two find a small village inn and stay for the night. Ina and Yorikiro switch rooms when Ina finds a rat in her own. Later that night, two ninjas, upon locating Yori's original room on the Inn's register, break into Ina's room by mistake. Yori, alerted by Ina's scream, breaks into her room. Without a working sword, Yorikiro is forced to use his sheath to knock out the first ninja. The second, however, is able to counter his attack and kicks him through a wall into the next room. Yorikiro lands upon Cho Teko, a blind Taoist priest, who offers his assistance. Cho, a martial arts expert, quickly dispatches the second ninja. Yori and Ina leave the inn to avoid further trouble. Cho, lacking any particular goal, decides to join them. Here it is revealed that he is part of a prophecy that states a Christian, Hindu, and blind Taoist priest walk into a Japanese bar, and the world ends. Unfortunately, Cho had managed to accidentally go to Japan. As a devout follower of fate, however, Cho resigns himself to his role in the end of the world.

Chapter 4: Daimyo Switcharoo

Masuhiro Senshin, Ina's father, decides that the best way to avoid war with the Wataro clan is to journey to meet Hirotomo Wataro, personally explain about Ina running away and attempt to continue negotiating peace between the two clans. He appoints his brother in law Yukizane, a skilled strategist and diplomat, to lead the clan in his absence and takes a small group of bodyguards and retainers with him, hoping to make better time that way.

Chapter 5: New Friend or Foe

Yori, Ina, and Cho enter a new town where they plan to stop for the night. Upon entering the town they stop by a tea stand with a long line. Here they meet Ken, a disgruntled Ronin with a large Zanbatō sword. After entering the town, Yori runs off to buy a new blade for his broken sword at a "one yen" store. While the shop keeper attaches the blade, Yorikiro discovers a wakizashi with a retractable blade. He absent-mindedly pockets this item and leaves the store with his new sword. By the time Yorikiro meets up with Ina and Cho, it has been decided that there is only enough money for one room. Yori is left outside to find shelter for himself.

Chapter 6: It's All in the Past

Two bandits (unrelated to those found earlier in the comic) find Ken laying motionless in middle of a small wood outside town. Believing him to be dead, they attempt to steal from him, but soon find that he is quite alive and eager to fight despite their attempts to leave peacefully. The noise alerts Yori who comes to the aid of the clearly outmatched bandits. Yorikiro accidentally reveals his clan name, Wataro. Ken explains that his own clan had been wiped out by Yorikiro's and he intends to get revenge. The bandits are able to run away in the confusion, leaving Yori to face Ken alone. (The resulting fight is one of the first obvious parodies of Rurouni Kenshin). As the fight continues, Yorikiro's sword is broken a second time. He is then slammed against a tree and loses consciousness. When Yori recovers, he mentions that his former trainer Genchu would not wish to see him lose here. Ken is shocked to hear that Yori had known Genchu, a man who had saved him from the destruction that met the rest of his clan. In the process, Genchu had fought General Nataku, the man leading the invasion, and had cut of his pinky finger. Yori explains that he hopes to redeem his clan. Ken decides to join Yorikiro in hopes of obtaining his revenge specifically on General Nataku.

Chapter 7: Ninja Ambush

On his travels, Masuhiro is ambushed in a narrow mountain pass by a group of ninja who slay all his retainers. Masuhiro fights back skillfully, but eventually at the hands of the ninja band's female leader Suzuka, who cuts him with a drug laced weapon. Just before falling into unconsciousness, she reveals that she has been hired by the Wataro clan.

Chapter 8: Politics Suck

Eijiro Wataro visits the Senshin clan to meet his bride to be. Yukizane and Kagome (Masuhiro's wife) manage to excuse Ina's disappearance under the pretenses of illness. Furthermore, Yukizane is surprised to find that Eijiro did not meet Masuhiro while travelling. Eijiro leaves with a warning to the Senshin clan, and reports to his father that, as suspected, the bride has disappeared. He also informs Hirotomo that Masuhiro has gone missing as well, and that Eijiro has located Yorikiro's location. Upon hearing this, Hirotomo summons his four most trusted warriors, the Demons of the Sorrow, and sends them after his Yorikiro.

Chapter 9: Send in the Ninjas

As Ina, Yori, Cho, and Ken travel through a rock quarry, they are accosted by the somewhat incompetent ninja Bunzo, who specializes in rock jutsu. However, his skills seem to primarily involve throwing any available rocks at his opponents, and seem to be no match for Cho, and even less trouble for Ken. After Bunzo runs out of rocks to throw, he decides to make his retreat, but not before revealing that he is a member of the Izuma ninja clan, as well as his threat to throw Mount Fuji itself on his opponents. Bunzo walks away, muttering to himself, and the others find a sign giving them the way to Kyoto.

Meanwhile, Masuhiro is found in a prison, alongside the two surviving bandits from the first chapter. After a brief discussion, Masuhiro manages to free the three of them from the ninja cave. He sends the bandits to find Yorikiro Wataro and warn him about the ninja's intentions, and goes himself to find Suzuka for more information. He finds her bathing, and she manages to get the upper hand on him again, drugging him with another needle, sending him right back into the prison.

Chapter 10: Kyoto Kaos

Chapter 11: Yori's Dead!

Chapter 12: Think Like a Ninja

Chapter 13: Demons vs. Ninjas

Chapter 14: Kabuki Katastrophy

Chapter 15: Brothers in Arms

Chapter 16: Bridge

Chapter 17: Deals in the Dark

While Suzuka confides with the bound Masuhiro that her employer may not be completely trustworthy after all, Masuhiro manages to escape again and be recaptured by Suzuka. The ninja clan, with hostage in tow, meet up with their employer, who turns out to be Eijiro himself. He reveals that he has hired the ninja without his father's knowledge, and that with Masuhiro's death, war will break out between the two clans, and the Wataro clan will take what it deserves without the need for a peace treaty. After the deal is made, Suzuka instructs Ayane to send Masuhiro back to the Senshin clan for a price.

Upon returning to his camp, Eijiro is sent to Nataku, who informs Eijiro that he has been aware of Eijiro dealing behind his father's back. However, Nataku sides with Eijiro, saying that his actions are in the best interest of the Wataro clan.

Chapter 18: Choices

In this flashback chapter, Nataku tells Eijiro of the story of Genchu's return to the Wataro castle. Genchu fights his way past the guards, and eventually makes his way to Hirotomo himself, and the two of them face off. Genchu tells Hirotomo that he intends to kill him, and make Yori the new daimyo.

Meanwhile, Yori and Tadashii, having returned from a study session for a few weeks, find that their soldiers in ruin. The fight between Genchu and Hirotomo continue on, with Genchu the winner. However, Yori and Tadashii happen in on the fight, which distracts Genchu long enough for Hirotomo to turn the fight around.

Hirotomo now has Genchu at his mercy, until Yori pleads with his father to spare Genchu's life. Hirotomo agrees, but only on the condition that Genchu is to be completely forgotten and never brought up again, except in mentioning that he is a traitor.