Fifth Nin - One Shinobi Strike!!

Fifth Nin - One Shinobi Strike!! is the fifth episode of Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. This episode gives a glimpse of the concept of Tuners.

Plot
After meeting with the organizers for their upcoming event, Isamichi retreats to his own office in the Konjo Group, where he is suddenly visited by Kamen Rider Shinobi. The rider asks for his help, saying that someone may be pulling the strings behind the Nin-Ju, but Isamichi quickly refuses to help. Shinobi cancels his transformation to reveal himself as Rentaro, but oddly enough, Isamichi doesn’t react surprised at all. He then shows a CCTV footage from his phone of Rentaro canceling his transformation, before punching a building wall; a wall that the Konjo Group owns. Isamichi jokingly says that Rentaro owes him for the wall’s repairs, before straight-faced telling him that he lied to him all those years ago. Rentaro tries to explain but Ayame sneak-attacks him, forcing Rentaro on the defensive. At that time, Isamichi also pulls out his Ninjato and nearly misses Rentaro, threatening that he’ll tell Iroha his secret before he also admits being the one limiting the media attention on the Nin-Ju activities. This shocks Rentaro, saying that he doesn’t believe Icchy would do that, but Isamichi simply says that controlling a narrative is also protecting the people he cares for, including Iroha, though he notes that letting Shinobi’s identity slip to the public may also work. Dejected, Rentaro escapes the building, while Icchy drops his sword, trying to control his shaking hand.

The next day at the Tokyo MPD Main Building, Rekka hands her Scarlet Hyoutan back to Chief Takajo, reporting that she had secured Yabe and is back in custody, though Shinobi did manage to escape. Takajo asks how her first time as a Rider was, with Rekka confidently saying that she’ll match Shinobi in no time. Their meeting is suddenly cut as Hayase reports about the ninja journalist and how their briefing was already leaked to the public. Suddenly a commotion starts brewing in front of the precinct, as non-ninja activists suddenly form to voice their displeasure.

At the Nin-Nin Delivery Service, a group of anti-ninja people ransacks the place, thinking that the place had ninjas in them. As Akane tries to stop them, a man knocks her back, saying that the ninja is all to blame with the monster attacks and that ninjas must die before they do. The same demonstrations also form outside the Konjo Group, with security trying to hold them back. A non-ninja named Oguri shouts on his megaphone about the ninja being threats and that they’ll turn into monsters to attack them all. Back at the delivery place, Rentaro comes back to see their place still getting destroyed and he tries to stop them, only for the group to gang up on him, forcing him to engage the thugs and beat them down. Rentaro, however, continues to chase them to the Konjo Park and he lets out his frustrations on them, only for Iroha to arrive and hold him back. She tries to restrain Rentaro, saying that if he gives in, he will turn into a Nin-Ju. Rentaro snaps back to reality, before running away.

That afternoon, Rentaro trains in a secluded forest, letting out all his anger and frustrations from the past few days when Rekka suddenly joins and attacks her. As Rentaro and Rekka spar, Rekka tells him to go all out, with Rentaro eventually gaining an upper hand and forcing his friend back. As he pins her down and beats her, Rekka smiles, noting that he really was holding back that time. As Rentaro helps her back up, Rekka explains that Iroha sent her to try and cheer him up. Despite that, she says that she doesn’t agree with Iroha’s claims. That, however, won’t stop her from protecting Iroha as a cop. Rentaro asks how difficult it is to protect the people who don’t care or understand them? Rekka simply replies that he should give people more credit than that, explaining that not all people get what they do at first glance, especially when they fail. But at the end of the day, when you do the right thing, it will resonate with people eventually, especially when you do not hold back. “Protecting people from the shadows, not because people need or want it, but because you know it is the right thing to do.” Rekka leaves Rentaro alone, having said her piece.

That night, Rentaro stares at the dark sky, the clouds covering the moon. Master Gamano approaches him in his human form and hands him his Silver Hyoutan. Gamano explains that the Sanzu Waters only unlock potential in people; not give it to them, though it won’t stop them from becoming Nin-Ju. As Rentaro holds the Hyoutan, it glows, as the clouds begin to part and reveal the red moon.

Back at the demonstrations in front of the Konjo Group, the rallies continue to get heated with more angry protestors. However, as the red moon becomes fully visible, some of the demonstrators suddenly expel waters from their bodies, transforming into different colored Nin-Ju, before attacking the rest of the demonstrators. A confused Oguri suddenly pleads why the non-ninjas suddenly turned into beasts before getting attacked by one. The Tokyo MPD-Nin arrives with Rekka leading them, creating a barricade to help the surviving demonstrators before she transforms into Kamen Rider Kurenai and holds them off. Isamichi also goes outside the building, transforming into Kamen Rider Hattari to fight the Nin-Ju, but their numbers become too much to handle. Kurenai and Hattari manage to seal some off, but the Nin-Ju continue to grow in number. The police also hold some beasts off by firing their guns, but they start holding back when the Nin-Ju’s waters start flowing, allowing others to attack them.

Suddenly, all of the waters start getting collected, as a myriad of Kamen Rider Shinobi clones drops in to seal the Sanzu waters, fighting the rest of the Nin-Ju. When Kurenai tries to arrest Shinobi, he uses Kachikoki Ninpo to freeze her feet in place, surprising Hattari. Shinobi then does a variation of the Sharp Ninpo to pulverize the rest of the Nin-Ju with ground spikes, while the Oogama carries the rest of the civilians with its tongue. With the Nin-Ju numbers dwindling, he now asks his fellow Riders to help seal their waters, before performing Clone Finish Ninpo Rider Ricks to all the Nin-Ju before sealing all of the waters in their respective Hyoutans. Freed, Kurenai tries to attack Shinobi but he suddenly pins her to the ground cracking the floor in the process. He then looks at Hattari, tosses a kunai at him, then uses the distraction to escape.

The next morning, as Iroha goes to the office, she wonders why the area suddenly looks so peaceful, despite the protests that happened last night. She also passes by the group of protesters who ravaged their store, only for them to not recognize her. As she enters the office, Mina and Tsunayoshi greet her, saying that Isamichi wants to see her. When she enters Icchy’s office, she gets surprised when Rentaro and Akane are also there.

Back in the police station, Rekka nurses her injured arm with a cast while watching the recorded video footage from her phone before finally deleting it."'According to our estimates, between 1950s and 2011, roughly 95% of Japan’s population were in some way affected with the Sanzu Waters. So, should we arrest all of them? Lock all of them up before they turn into monsters this year?! Remember, we are the police force. Out duty is to protect people, not just catch bad guys. If we suddenly delude ourselves that we should catch people before they commit something, then we’re no different from these Nin-Ju; attacking people without any rhyme or reason.'"- Rekka Ayano's report on the Nin-Ju, during the briefing.""