Tenth Nin - Shinobi Confrontations...

Tenth Nin - Shinobi Confrontations... is the tenth episode of Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. This episode properly shows the tuning process of the Shinobi Hyoutans.

Plot
Johnny Yoo chases a group of ninjas on multiple rooftops one morning, parkouring to a warehouse, where he sees the ninjas hold a young woman hostage. He engages the group and stylishly beats all of them before finally defeating the last ninja and saving the girl, who hugs him. Suddenly, a director yells CUT! showing that the entire thing was a staged production. The director gets angry that Satomi, who was portraying the young girl, hugged the stuntman rather than the billed actor. Satomi apologizes profusely, but Johnny simply pats her on the head, as he also apologizes to the rest of the production crew. After the shooting, Satomi approaches Johnny and expresses how much of a fan she is, before being interrupted Ayame, who came to pick up the idol for her oversees schedules. As the two ladies start to leave, Johnny calls out to Ayame, saying that he’ll visit the Konjo Group Offices later, but the secretary simply smiles, saying that Isamichi expects him to drop by in the afternoon, annoying the actor as he pulls out the invitation to the company’s previous event.

At the local hospital, the police officer Oba wakes up and gets surprised to see Rekka and Chief Takajo standing at the side of his bed. The two question Oba about what happened at the dummy event a few nights ago as Oba recalls patrolling the area when he sees red mist forming on the floor. Suddenly a few Dustards ambush him and inject red liquid on his neck, after which waters started to pour out of his body and he transforms into a Brown Nin-Ju. Oba asks if he hurt anyone that night and Rekka reassure him optimistically. Rekka and Chief Takajo go out of Oba’s room, affirming their claims about the Niji no Hebi’s involvement in Nin-Ju experimentations. Takajo also hands Rekka the case information about the Clan, saying that the MPD-Nin team is given authority to this case from Division 1, and she asks her to lead the investigation since her prior case in L.A. and this event were unexpectedly connected after all. He also gives her permission to visit Athena, the young girl from her prior case who was also saved in Mount Osore, saying that she’s also being treated at the same hospital.

As Rekka runs off to Athena’s room, she passes by Rentaro and Iroha and she joins them as they visit Akane for a while. While Iroha replaces the flowers in Akane’s room, Rentaro thanks Rekka for stopping Kamen Rider Bakugo’s assault that could’ve almost killed their friend. Rentaro also questions how a headstrong person like him got a hold of a Hyoutan, especially since he wasn’t as refined as the other ninja. Iroha, however, notes that both Bakugo and Shinobi were outrageously aggressive that night, even flatly saying that their rage-filled actions were no different from the Nin-Ju. Before Rentaro could react, Rekka cuts him off and agrees that the two are dangerous individuals that could transform into Nin-Ju if not kept in check. However, Rekka reassures her that’s the reason why she and Icchy are also Riders as well; to keep the peace and protect people the “right way”, before joking that at least they know who one of the two is, before looking at Johnny’s profile in her case folder.

At the Konjo Group building, Isamichi meets with Johnny and remarks about him not figuring out how the invitations from the event that night worked, as he burned the invitation to reveal the location and time of the true event, before expressing his surprise back then about him being a Rider. Johnny, however, becomes more confused about all the ninja culture in general and demands explanation about the current happenings around them, as well as reveal Shinobi’s secret identity. Isamichi chimes that he has known about Rentaro’s secret way back but was confused about Johnny’s other claims of a Silver Shinobi Rider and a Nin-Ju attack in 2000, since that year wasn’t a Crimson Year. He also notes that all off them, Rentaro included, would’ve been toddlers back then, therefore making it impossible to know who the Rider was 25 years ago. Having accepted his answer, Johnny simply says that he’ll cooperate with them for the time being, but when Isamichi asks to check on the Clay Hyoutan, he simply outmaneuvers and dodges him, saying that the bottle is his, before leaving the building.

Later that afternoon, Rentaro contemplates on their earlier exchange on the rooftop, saying that he’s been losing his cool at people lately and wonders if his anger and stress might turn him into a Nin-Ju later. Master Gamano rings him from his phone and says that won’t happen due to the Silver Shinobi Hyoutan and his tuning. Gamano reiterates that he just needs to continue defeating the Nin-Ju until the end of this year so that everything goes back to normal, but Rentaro reminds him about the Yaminin’s experimentations, noting that they could potentially manufacture their own Nin-Ju if their plans succeed. Rentaro shakes Gamano in his phone, asking if he’s got a hint about the Niji no Hebi, but his Master says that the clue might be inside the Sanzu waters that turned Akane.

Rentaro suddenly feels a disturbance as a group of Dustards raid the hospital, attacking the doctors and patients in the building. Similarly, the Konjo Group is attacked by Dustards, with Ayame and Isamichi fighting them off. Ayame clears out some of the grunts but one tries to steal the Gold Hyoutan from her, only to be stopped by Isamichi. She tosses the gourd to him and he transforms into Hattari to destroy the rest, only to find three Dustards outnumber Ayame and take a vial from her, before escaping successfully. Isamichi cancels his transformation and asks what they took, only for Ayame to say “evidence”.

Back at the hospital, a group of ninja police gets overwhelmed by Dustards, only for Rekka and Rentaro to arrive and defeat the horde. When one of the police asks what the Niji no Hebi may want, Rentaro gets a realization and goes to check on Akane. Likewise, Rekka also runs off to check Athena’s quarters. Rentaro gets near Akane’s room and sees Iroha fighting off and defeating Dustards. The two enter her room, finding it undisturbed, with Rentaro asking his sister to guard Akane as he runs off to the other hospital wing. Meanwhile, Rekka transforms to Kamen Rider Kurenai to clear out the rest of the grunts but he finds the Yaminin burst out of Athena’s room, taking her with him. Kurenai and the Yaminin jump out of the hospital to the nearby forest as the Rider tries to chase down the clan leader. Rentaro also follows them secretly, transforming to Shinobi from a distance. As the ninjas traverse through the forest, Kurenai and the Yaminin clash on several trees with the Yaminin forcing the Rider back, only for Bakugo to appear and surprise attack him mid-flight, before using his Band Wraps to safely catch the young girl back down. Kurenai catches up to him and Bakugo assures him that he’s on her side this time, as the two confront the Yaminin. However, evening falls and the forest becomes filled with a red aura. The unconscious Athena suddenly screams in agony as red waters pour out of her body and cuts through Bakugo’s Band Wraps. Seeing this and dubbing the experiment as another success, the Yaminin tries to gloat, only for Shinobi to rush in and hit him with a Hard Ninpo punch, before running in and performing the Sanzu Sealing Arts Technique to Athena, sealing the waters even before she transforms into a Nin-Ju. With the waters collected, Shinobi jumps up to escape, bewildering the other two Riders as they cancel their transformations.

That night, Rekka and Johnny return to the hospital with an unconscious Athena, only to find Chief Takajo waiting. As Johnny lays her on a stretcher to be carried to her room, Rekka reports that the Yaminin has escaped, but Athena is now safe from harm and turning into a Nin-Ju. Chief Takajo praises her efforts, as he introduces two people in white who are supposedly Athena’s guardians.

Inside the Kagura household, Rentaro watches Gamano, in human form, tune the Silver Hyoutan, purifying the red waters and turning them violet. Suddenly, Gamano sees black impurities found on the Sanzu Waters. Revising the Jutsu, he separates these from the main liquid and puts it on a different vial, before returning the purified waters into the Hyoutan, which glows. Rentaro looks at the vial, saying that they finally have a lead, before holding it in the air."“The beasts of the crimson moon; filled with malice yet are of spirit and life. Though feral and dark, they are still of flesh and blood, worthy of love and protection. Only through the royal gifts they are given new breath. Seven bearers of the vessels bring balance to the world. For they alone are chosen to save humanity. ”""- The scroll's text, as read by Rentaro Kagura"

Fan Casting

 * Rentaro Kagura: Hideya Tawada
 * Isamichi Konjo: Takuma Zaiki
 * Rekka Ayano: Kazusa Okuyama
 * Johnny Yoo: Chansung
 * Iroha Kagura: Asuka Hanamura
 * Ayame Suzumiya: Kana Oya
 * Master Gamano: Nobuo Kyō
 * Chief Takajo: Masahiro Takashima
 * Akane Egusa: Mana Konno
 * Yaminin: Masashi Ebara (voice)

Guest Cast

 * Athena: Aya Marsh (cameo)
 * People in White: Yuya Nawata, Ryoko Gomi

Suit Actors

 * Kamen Rider Shinobi: Yuji Nakata
 * Kamen Rider Hattari: Shogo Teramoto
 * Kamen Rider Kurenai: Ryoko Gomi
 * Kamen Rider Bakugo: Yuya Nawata
 * Yaminin: Yasuhiko Imai