Episode 4

**Crafters and Users** (作り手と使い手, *Tsukurite to Tsukaite*) is the 4th episode of Shinobi no Ittoki anime series.

## Synopsis

With a ninja tools exam approaching, Ittoki is desperate to find a way to pass. Meanwhile, in an effort to fish for intel on Koga, Tokisada pays a visit to Saiga village.

## Summary

Hayato gives a report of Kishinmaru's murder case. They basically have no evidence, but by the lacerations they know the murder weapon was Iga's ninja sword. Because of that they will be investigation Tokisada Kaga.

Shione Kozuki is assigned to the case, but its late. Hayato explains that apologizing is a waste of time and assigns her to tail Tokisada. He wonders if she knows something about him and Shione reveals she knows only his name and rumours. Hayato then shows her a video of Tokisada defeating Koga ninja, where the camera could only capture his after images as he is too fast. He tells Shione to assume all the rumours she heard about him being true. Meanwhile, Tokisada visits Gantetsu Suzunone.

Kominami tells the students that in two day they will have a written test on how ninja tools work. As that's a hard subject for Ittoki, he goes to Ryoko and asks her to help him study. Kosetsu and Kirei show up and Kirei explains that a ninja tool exam is about using ninja tools to steal the test answers. A day before the exam, the teacher hide the answers, and they need to get them, but if the teacher catches them, they fail. Ittoki relaxes that he doesn't need to study and they all agree to work together to obtain a copy of the answers.

Ryoko helps Ittoki maintenance his ninja gear. He wonders if she wants to be a ninja tool craftsman. She confirms, but states things aren't that easy. Her father is the leader of Saiga village, but he has always told her he won't let her succeed his position, and wants her to live her life like a girl. She barely made him agree that she attends the academy, but after that he wants her to cut ties with the ninja world.

Tokisada and Gantetsu are drinking together. Gantetsu shows him a ninja toy, wanting Tokisada to buy it, but Tokisada explains that Iga doesn't have money and he should try selling it to Koga, since they also buy their tools. Gantetsu then reveals that Koga recently decided to shift their ninja tool orders to factories overseas. But if Saiga lowers their prices to match the overseas ones, they may continue purchasing from them. Enbi Takamine also showed Gantetsu blueprints of something they want Saiga to make, which surprised Gantatsu, but he can't reveal what it was. Gantetsu states that if they take the job, the whole village will be busy, but they will essentially become Koga slaves, but if they don't, then they are finished.

Two other students also decide to join Ittoki's group and in the evening they go trying to take the answers from Kominami. Ryoko gives a shuriken-like drone to Ittoki, who locates the safe and its key, but as he withdraws the drone, he hits the door frame and Kominami hears them. They quickly hide, and Kirei decides to act as a decoy and draws away Kominami, while the rest try and get the answers. Meanwhile, Tokisada also decides to infiltrate the Koga and find what was the blueprints for. He sees the cameras also see in thermal and uses shuriken drones to block the cameras for a moment as he passes, so they don't notice him. Ittoki and the rest search for the key, but realize that Kominami had taken it with her. Kirei runs with the two other students, but decide to split, however as they do Himura and two other Koga find him and knock him out. Kosetsu decides to go look for Himura, while Ryoko states she will use her lock-opening tool. Ryoko unlocks the safe and they get the answers. Kosetsu faces Himura, but the Koga decide to leave. Tokisada looks for the blueprints but is unable to find them. He is aware that Shione is tailing him and as she managed to sneak in the air duct, he uses the ninja toy to reveal her and the guards starts chasing her, and makes an easy escape himself.

Shione reports to Hayato that she failed to track Tokisada, but wishes to continue and Hayato agrees. Shione explains that the security was too tight to be just a food factory, but she has no evidence to support that.

Kominami starts the test. Ittoki and Kirei look at it and realize its totally different than what they got. Himura is laughing as he knew they won't figure out that he switched the answers before they got them. Ryoko still manages to solve the exam problems as she is a tool craftsman.

Enbi is angry at his secretary as not only a ninja sneaked in last night, but she also did something he didn't instruct her. She explains that an instruction memo was on her computer, where Enbi usually puts his instructions. She gives the memo to Enbi and he reads that she needs to order ninja toys from Saiga, 10000 units and pay immediately. Enbi calls Gantetsu about the mistaken order, but Gantetsu explains they have already started production. Tokisada visits Gantetsu and asks him to improve his lock-opening tool as its an old model. Gantetsu states that old men tend to talk to themselves and then shares that Kido visited him several years ago and wanted a Ninja Core that could hold far more energy than the best known Ninja Core. Gantetsu send him away as he told him even they can't make it.

Tokisada returns to Yumika and tells her from the intel he got from Gantetsu, he believes that Koga's aim is the secret Ninja Core passed down in Iga. Reiha is surprised and wonders if the secret Iga Ninja Core do really exist. According to the stories, it was made during the war, but afterwards sealed away by the Iga chief, as its too powerful and dangerous in human hands. Yumika confirms its existence, but states its location is passed only to the Iga chief. Kozo wonders why they need it and Yumika believes that Koga are trying to start a war.

Ittoki's group are cleaning as a penalty for failing the test. Kosetsu approaches Ittoki and tells him that there is a traitor among them as it was likely Koga that switched the answers and someone must had told Koga which safe they are going after.

Genji tells Hayato that they can't prosecute Kido for the attempted assassination of Iga's successor as the culprit committed suicide. Hayato then receives Satomi's autopsy results. Hayato reads that a chip was found in her brain, but its purpose is unknown.

## Characters

* Hayato Goshogawara
* Shione Kozuki
* Tokisada Kaga
* Gantetsu Suzunone
* Kominami Mitsuhashi
* Kosetsu
* Ryoko Suzunone
* Ittoki Sakuraba
* Kirei Kisegawa
* Himura Takamine
* Suzaku Ban
* Enbi Takamine
* Yumika Sakuraba
* Kozo Moriyama
* Reiha Tsuge
* Genji Karajishi