Shiba

**Shiba** (柴, *Shiba*) is one of the supporting characters in the manga series Kagurabachi. He is an old friend of Kunishige Rokuhira, dropping by to visit him and his son, Chihiro Rokuhira. After the death of Kunishige, Shiba spends his time helping Chihiro in his mission to retrieve the stolen enchanted blades and hunt down the Hishaku.

## Appearance

Shiba is a tall and well-built man with long, light-colored hair that's neatly styled with a right-sided parting and a loose strand of bangs that he incorporates into his look. He also has thin eyebrows and relatively large eyes.

During his visits to the Rokuhira residence where Chihiro was still young, Shiba typically sports a semi-formal short-sleeved polo shirt with a chest pocket, paired with black pants.

Fast forward to three years, and Shiba is now on a quest with Chihiro to find the Hishaku. During this mission, he wears a white, long-sleeved polo shirt that he rolls up to his elbows, along with suspenders attached to his black pants. These suspenders are made of woven cloth and create a Y-shaped pattern at the back.

## Personality

Shiba is an easygoing and laid-back individual who often visits his old friend, Kunishige. He engages in casual banter and even enjoys playful height comparisons with Kunishige's son, Chihiro. Shiba is a storyteller, sharing tales of Kunishige's past heroism during the Seitei War, which sometimes leads to comparisons between Chihiro and his famous father.

Despite his nonchalant demeanor, Shiba cares about Chihiro's well-being and offers advice on dealing with personal grudges. He demonstrates a practical approach to challenges, such as assessing the Yakuza's reasonableness before engaging with them.

Shiba is also resourceful, providing valuable information about the Yakuza and their connections, ultimately aiding Chihiro in their mission. His presence in a dangerous situation doesn't faze him, and he plays a pivotal role in assisting Chihiro in confronting the Yakuza and uncovering information about the Hishaku, the group of sorcerers supporting the Yakuza.

## Plot

### Background

Shiba is one of a long-time friend to Kunishige, the renowned swordsmith. He often visits the swordsmith's home and engages in casual banter with Kunishige and his son, Chihiro. Shiba's presence brings familiarity and a sense of camaraderie to their gatherings.

Shiba's connection to Kunishige extends back to the Seitei War, where Kunishige's craftsmanship played a vital role. Shiba shares stories of Kunishige's heroism during the war, making Chihiro well-acquainted with these tales and the constant comparisons between father and son.

Three years ago, Shiba received an alert from a magic barrier he had set up to detect any disturbances around the Rokuhira family's location. Responding to the alert, he quickly arrived at their home, only to discover a heartbreaking scene. Chihiro, amidst a burning and destroyed house, was cradling his deceased father, Kunishige. Chihiro explained that three sorcerers had suddenly appeared, leading to his unconsciousness due to injuries sustained during the confrontation.

When Chihiro regained consciousness, he realized that all of Kunishige's hidden katanas, including six specially crafted enchanted blades from the war, had been stolen from the workshop cellar. The Rokuhira residence was left in ruins, and Kunishige had tragically passed away. Despite this devastating loss, Shiba found solace in Chihiro's survival, despite his injuries.

## Relationships

### Non-familial

**Kunishige Rokuhira:** Shiba is introduced as an old friend of Kunishige, the renowned swordsmith. Shiba frequently visits Kunishige and his son, Chihiro. During one of Shiba's visits, he engages in casual banter with Kunishige and discusses town-related issues. Shiba also playfully compares his height to Chihiro's.

Shiba mentions Kunishige's fame during the Seitei War 15 years ago, where Kunishige's sword played a crucial role in ending the war. He speaks about this story and the constant comparisons between Chihiro and his father.

**Chihiro Rokuhira:** Shiba is an old friend of Kunishige, Chihiro's father. He often visits their home and engages in casual banter with Chihiro. Shiba playfully compares his height to Chihiro's. During one visit, Shiba talks about Kunishige's fame as a swordsmith and discusses Chihiro's dream of becoming a swordsmith. Shiba accompanies Chihiro on a mission to confront the Korogumi Yakuza group, showing his support for Chihiro's goals. He assists Chihiro with information and actively participates in their mission, taking action against the Yakuza.

Throughout the mission, Shiba works closely with Chihiro, taking care of some of the Yakuza members outside the Yakuza base. He provides guidance and assistance to Chihiro during their quest to uncover information about the Hishaku.

Shiba plays a significant role in assisting Chihiro during their confrontation with the Yakuza boss and his men. He explains the unique properties of Chihiro's katana, which was the very last katana crafted by Kunishige.

## Abilities

### Sorcery

**Teleportation:** Shiba possesses a teleportation technique which allows him to instantly teleport those he is touching to another location. He has used this sorcery to quickly remove people from danger, such as teleporting Char Kyonagi into a car and one of the Korogumi's victims out of their base. He is also able to teleport parts of a targets body into the ground, which he uses when interrogating.

**Strength Enhancement:** The specifics of this ability is unknown. Shiba used this ability while interrogating a sorcerer, stomping on his feet with enough force to shatter the floor and later completely pulverized both feet.

### Combat Prowess

* **Blade Expertise:** While he usually lets Chihiro do all the fighting, Shiba has displayed a relatively impressive level of proficiency in wielding a short-sword, which he used to kill a Korogumi guard by throwing it at his neck.

## Etymology

* The name **"柴" (Shiba)** serves as both a Japanese surname and a given name, although it is more frequently employed as a given name. In Japanese, "柴" typically conveys the meaning of "firewood" or "brushwood," symbolizing plant material commonly utilized for purposes such as fuel or practical applications.

## References

*Kagurabachi* Manga: Chapter 7 (Page 10). — He mentioned about quitting working under the Kamunabi.
*Kagurabachi* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 12-21).
*Kagurabachi* Manga: Chapter 4 (Pages 2-4).
*Kagurabachi* Manga: Chapter 2 (Pages 6-8).
*Kagurabachi* Manga: Chapter 1 (Pages 37).