17th Nin - Unveil the Second Shinobi Scroll...

17th Nin - Unveil the Second Shinobi Scroll... is the seventeenth episode of Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. It features the return of the Clay Hyoutan, as well as the reveal of the Niji no Hebi's benefactors.

Plot
A large crowd of people gathers at the Konjo Group’s park one evening. As the crowd starts drumming up and chanting, colorful lights shine up and NJN22 starts performing IZANAGI on stage, in front of their avid fans. Backstage, Iroha and Kyoya closely and positively monitor their performance and the audience's reaction. However, Kyoya suddenly amps up the performance and suddenly projects a giant hologram of the idol group’s stage, pretty much covering the sky with their performance and allowing almost every person in the area to see NJN22 sing and dance. These include Rekka from the police station, Johnny from his hospital room, and both Rentaro and Akane from an unknown location.

The next day, Iroha apologizes in front of the Konjo Group’s Board, due to the comeback stage earning less revenue than intended. One of the board members also chastises the decision to project the entire performance on a hologram, basically wasting other earning potentials, inferring that NJN22 almost performed in the city for free that night. As Iroha continues to bow her head, the other executives eventually shift to their other potential ventures and projects, before eventually bringing up Isamichi’s “erratic behavior” and extended absence these past few days. Their discussion suddenly gets cut by Nobushige reaffirming them that NJN22 could at least still earn through their merits, before dismissing Iroha for the day. Iroha leaves the room sighing, before immediately running into Luna and Amily, who eavesdropped on that portion of the meeting.

At the concert grounds, Iroha talks to the girls about overhearing the board’s reaction to their performance, but they were surprisingly cool with essentially the group’s underperformance. Luna confesses that despite their teamwork, the group has never been more divided ever since the changes of the Ninja Act and the addition of their new members. Amily also states that aside from Satomi, Yukari has also been distancing herself from the group as well. With the two idols dejected, Iroha suddenly laughs and says she never thought of getting into idol drama this close. She then encourages the two to make their time worthwhile… by assisting the stagehands in disassembling the stage! Immediately, however, Iroha asks where the others went.

At the hospital room, Johnny and Satomi start packing up the former’s belongings, with Johnny telling Satomi to be careful and rest up. Satomi tells him not to worry, but as she boxes some paperwork, the weight suddenly gives out and papers start falling through the ripped cardboard. While Satomi hurriedly cleans up the mess, Johnny picks up the article about his parent’s deaths and recalls talking to Rentaro days ago:

In a flashback, Rentaro hands the brown Sanzu Starter to Johnny, saying that in the end, Bakugo was his power. Johnny laughs and says he should have killed him when he was still a Nin-Ju, saying that he knew from Rekka about how he saved him and how that feat was unprecedented in the ninja’s history. He forces to stand up and says that all he did with that power was harm people and nearly kill people, all for a stupid revenge trip that wasn’t even warranted. He pushes Rentaro’s hand back, saying that he is the protector, and should use that power for him, just as a strong breeze suddenly hits them.

Back at the hospital, Johnny crumples the old article and throws it in the bin, before helping Satomi pick up the papers and pack up the rest of his belongings. That evening, as he and Satomi go down to the hospital grounds, he tells her that he’s leaving the country for a while, surprising Satomi as they get into a taxi. While riding the streets, Johnny sees an explosion nearby, as a police officer gets thrown to their taxi’s windshield. Immediately, Johnny and Satomi exit the car and see a Yami Nin-Ju rampaging on the street. Johnny then sees Rekka transform to Kamen Rider Kurenai and hold down the beast, just as the rest of the police arrive and shoot at the Nin-Ju. Still, the Yami Nin-Ju becomes more vicious and uses ninjutsu to outpace the police force and even go toe-to-toe with Kurenai’s speed. As more civilians’ panic in traffic and leave their cars, Johnny sees a young kid trapped inside an SUV near the battle. He then notices Satomi missing by his side and immediately sees her wade through the crowd and go near the trapped kid. As the Yami Nin-Ju and Kurenai continue to fight, the beast singles out Satomi helping the young child and as soon as she frees the kid, the Yami Nin-Ju leaps to attack her. Immediately, Johnny goes in and tries to reach Satomi, but the panicked crowd prevents him from doing so. Fearing the worst, he calls out to Satomi as she nearly gets attacked, only for Haruka to arrive and jump Satomi and the kid out of harm's way. Confused, the Nin-Ju suddenly gets snagged by a kusarigama and gets dragged back to the wider field. There, Kyoya arrives and transforms to Kamen Rider Saizo and battles thee Yami Nin-Ju, using the Kusari-Gasher in its scythe form. Kurenai also jumps in and the two Riders double-team the beast to submission, defeating it through Saizo’s Kiba Ninpo.

As the Yami Nin-Ju’s belt starts blinking, Saizo cancels his transformation and hands Johnny the repaired Clay Hyoutan, telling him that it’s his chance to gain his power back. Johnny hesitates to take the Hyoutan back and instead, Kurenai uses the Sanzu Secret Arts technique to seal it on her own. Suddenly, the Yaminin drops and attacks Kurenai, cutting off the technique’s stream, before picking up the unstable Yami Nin-Ju and immediately disappearing, surprising everyone. Kyoya confronts Johnny about not sealing the Nin-Ju in time, asking him what’s his problem. Rekka de-transforms and says that his problem is that he doesn’t have any reason to use the Hyoutan anymore… at least he didn’t before, as the three of them look at Satomi and Haruka handing the kid back to his family and helping thee police in the aftermath.

The next day, Johnny packs up and goes to the airport, where Iroha and NJN22 without Yukari bid him farewell. As he boards the airport, he pulls out the empty Clay Hyoutan and says its time to find his future, before noting that he never saw Rentaro until that afternoon.

In the Tokyo MPD-Nin office, Chief Takajo, Rekka, and Kyoya analyze the Black Sanzu Starters, checking out its properties and pondered how Gamano managed to create these. As Kyoya unrolls the second part of the Shinobi scroll, he asks about Rentaro and Rekka simply says to leave him with his request for now, as they read through the second part of the scroll.

Meanwhile, at the MPD’s jail cell, Rentaro is seen watching a replay of the NJN22’s performance before looking up and seeing a plane in the sky from his cell."The beasts of the Crimson Moon carry the waters of life and death. Likewise, the vessels carry these waters, tuned to empower the living and calm the dead. With these powers made one, a new miracle can be accomplished. A new power that can rival the malice brought forth by the red moon’s dark spirit.""- Scroll’s text, as read by Kyoya Hibino."In the post-credits scene, the Yaminin drains the rest of the Yami Nin-Ju’s waters sealing its black liquid in a vial and reverting it into a person. Putting it with several other vials of the black liquid, the Yaminin hands in a case of them to two people in white. As they check the vials, one of them hands the Yaminin with a switch, before leaving. As he presses the switch, more Dustards get summoned, with the Yaminin laughing at this accomplishment.

Fan Casting

 * Rentaro Kagura: Hideya Tawada
 * Johnny Yoo: Chansung
 * Rekka Ayano: Kazusa Okuyama
 * Kyoya Hibino: Hokuto Matsumura
 * Iroha Kagura: Asuka Hanamura
 * Nobushige Konjo: Kenichi Endo
 * Haruka Ashikage: Mizuki Yamauchi
 * Satomi Hiiragi: Anna Ishii
 * Luna Ohata: Asuka Saito
 * Amily Komiyama: Aika Hirota
 * Yukari Kageyama: Mikoto Hibi
 * Chief Takajo: Masahiro Takashima
 * Akane Egusa: Fujiko Kojima
 * Yaminin: Masashi Ebara

Guest Cast

 * Konjo Group Board of Directors: Mayuko, Ryoji Nakamura, Sho Aoyagi


 * People in White: Yuya Nawata, Shogo Teramoto

Suit Actors

 * Kamen Rider Kurenai: Ryoko Gomi
 * Kamen Rider Saizo: Jun Watanabe
 * Yami Nin-Ju: Hajime Kanzaki