Mariko

**Mariko** is a childhood friend of Usagi and his first great love. As an adult, she became the wife of Kenichi and the mother of Jotaro.

## History

Like Usagi and Kenichi, Mariko is of the samurai class and grew up with the two boys as playmates. Though the two of them competed fiercely for Mariko's affection, it was clear that she loved Usagi. This became the source of rivalry between both Usagi and Kenichi and has remained a source of contention well into their adult years.

When Usagi and Kenichi both left to train as samurai, Mariko didn't see them again until years later when bandits attacked their village. Usagi and Kenichi had heard about the imminent attack and returned to protect their home and save Mariko. After the village was saved, Mariko was disappointed that Usagi would soon be leaving to enter Lord Mifune's service but was glad that Kenichi would be staying.

Before he left to assume his duties as a samurai, Usagi and Mariko shared a picnic together and both exchanged a keepsake to one another. Usagi gave Mariko a chipped tanto, and she gave him a lock of her hair, which Usagi placed in the head band that knots his ears. This exchange of affections led to an impulsive tryst together, which led to the conception of their son, Jotaro. By the time Mariko realized she was pregnant, Usagi was already a hatamoto in his master's service, and Mariko couldn't bring herself to make Usagi abandon his post after he had finally achieved his life's ambition and chose not to tell him the truth. To save her from the shame of having a child out of wedlock, Kenichi married Mariko with full knowledge of her illegitimate pregnancy. Though he knows Jotaro isn't his son by blood, he loves him just the same and has been a good and faithful husband to Mariko. Even though she loved Usagi first, she's had a happy life with Kenichi and her son.

On the eve of the Battle of Adachi plains, Mariko was present when Lord Hikiji arrived with his samurai to demand their supplies and watched in horror as the Lord of the Black Sun murdered Usagi's father for defying him. Because of Hikiji taking their supplies and the harsh winter that followed, many people in the village starved to death. When they heard that Lord Mifune had been defeated, the entire village assumed Usagi died with his lord.

The Age of War ended with years passing by, and Mariko and the rest of the village were shocked when Usagi returned home to pay respects at his father's grave. At the time, the village was being attacked by Mogura Ninja trying to steal their winter stores, and they had kidnapped Jotaro. Usagi happened upon the kidnapping and rescued the boy. While Kenichi made it very clear that he did not want Usagi back in the village, Mariko was kind and welcoming to him. Later, Usagi and Kenichi managed to set aside their differences and drive off the Mogura ninja who were plaguing them. Mariko joined Usagi in paying respects at his father's gravestone. Before he left to continue on his journeys, Usagi asked if Mariko was happy, which she answered that she was. Though life had taken them in completely different paths, it was clear that the two of them still had lingering feelings for one another, and still cherished the tokens of affection they had exchanged all those years ago.

Their next reunion, however, was much more bitter. Usagi had returned to the village with the intention of giving up his life as a wanderer and staying home for good. Once again, their village was being plagued by bandits, and this time, they were being led by a vicious warrior wielding a black spear like a demon called Jei. Not long after Usagi came back, Jotaro was kidnapped by Jei while out in the woods gathering mushrooms. In a private moment between the two of them, Mariko and Usagi acknowledged that they still had feelings for each other. However, despite how she still felt for Usagi, they were both still samurai, and as the wife of a samurai, she could not act on her feelings, despite how it clearly hurt her.

In the end, Usagi was integral to not only riding the village of the bandits, but also saving Jotaro from Jei. Usagi was finally ready to give up the life of a wanderer and stay home for good, until two weeks later when he received a secret message from Mariko asking him to meet her in a secluded grove. There, she sorrowfully begged Usagi to leave the village. Confused, Usagi asked for an explanation, and after much insistence, Mariko finally told him the truth that Jotaro was in fact his son, not Kenichi's. She explained to Usagi that Jotaro was born from their love affair shortly before he left to serve Lord Mifune. Knowing what was expected of them both as members of the samurai class, Mariko couldn't bring herself to make Usagi abandon his post for her during a time of war, and her place was in the village. Kenichi married her to save her from dishonor. When Lord Mifune died at the Battle of Adachi Plains, she assumed Usagi died with him, and so she never told the truth to her son. For all of Jotaro's life, he knew Kenichi was the father he knew, and Mariko didn't want Usagi's presence to destroy their relationship. And though she still harbors feelings for Usagi, her place is with Kenichi. For the sake of her family, Mariko bitterly asked Usagi to leave. Usagi asked Mariko if she was happy, and she answered that she was. Though it brought him no joy, Usagi obliged Mariko and once again left him home but not before saying a final farewell to his son.

Sometime after Usagi had left, Jotaro would begin his training as a samurai. However, even though Kenichi wanted to send Jotaro to the Dogora School of Swordsmanship, where he trained, Mariko instead sent him to train under the mountain hermit, Katsuichi, Usagi's sensei. Before he left to train with Katsuichi, Mariko revealed the secret that Jotaro was in fact Usagi's son but didn't mention that Usagi already knew this secret as well, leaving Jotaro the impression that Usagi didn't know.

Mariko wasn't seen again until "The Return" when Usagi returned to his home province to visit Lord Mifune's secret grave, and after receiving a terrible blow to the head in an earlier fight, drifted back to his village in a fisherman's boat. He was found by Mariko who took him back to her home to help him recover. Once again, Kenichi went out of his way to make Usagi feel unwelcome, and Mariko had to scold them both for still acting like boys. At that time, a group of 87 rogue samurai came to the village, led by a man named Kato, and took it hostage. Though they wore the Black Sun Kamon (heraldry) of Lord Hikiji, they were all Mifune loyalists.

Kato had met Usagi earlier and was surprised to see him here and Usagi told him that this was his home village. Kato and his men were here on a mission to politically destroy Lord Hikiji by assassinating a Shogunate emissary who would be passing through this village, but in order for this plot to succeed, everyone in the village would need to die so that there would be no witnesses. Kato then asked Usagi to join them, as his knowledge of the area and his skill would be a great asset to them. Usagi agreed.

Usagi helped the other loyalists round up the villagers, including Mariko and Kenichi, and locked them in a storage barn. He even smacked a woman he'd known since he was a child, Yayoi, when she protested. Mariko was horrified at Usagi's actions. Later that night, Usagi returned to the barn and killed the men guarding it freeing Mariko's family and then begged Mariko and Yayoi's forgiveness. He had merely pretended to side with the other Mifune loyalists to gain their trust and determine their strength. He had no intention of destroying his home village or killing his friends. Mariko then asked Usagi's forgiveness for ever thinking he could betray them.

The Shogun's emissary needed to be warned, but if he didn't show up, the rogue samurai would turn their anger on the villagers. Usagi and Kenichi would stay in the village to fight off the loyalists while Mariko and Yayoi went to go warn the emissary. Arming themselves with wakizashi (short swords), the two women snuck out of the village while trying to sneak past the patrols. Mariko then came up with a plan: Yayoi would take the back trails through the mountains to the main road to warn the emissary while Mariko would go get help.

While Mariko was moving through the woods, she happened upon a patrol of two of the Mifune Loyalists. Despite being outnumbered, Mariko was able to use her speed to quickly dispatch her attackers before continuing up the mountain in her search for help. Mariko did indeed find help, from Katsuichi and her son, Jotaro. The three of them made it back to the village just in time as Kenichi and Usagi were being overwhelmed by the rogue samurai. Thanks to Katsuichi's superior skill, and Jotaro providing cover fire with his bow and arrows, they were able to help Usagi and Kenichi. Mariko managed to free the other villagers and they all fought to slay their attackers until only Kato was left. Usagi killed him in a brief duel.

The Shogun's emissary finally arrived and at the sight of his armed procession, the remaining Mifune loyalists fled, and Usagi had to hide as well. Upon learning what just happened, the Shogun's emissary congratulated Kenichi and stated that the remaining Mifune loyalists would be hunted and executed. Though the danger had passed, Usagi once again had to leave his childhood home because Lord Hikiji would no doubt put a bounty on anyone bearing the Mifune kamon, and Jotaro had to return to the mountains to resume his training with Katsuichi. Though they all shared a fond farewell together, Mariko was clearly sad to see both Usagi and her son leave the village once again.

## Personality

Mariko is a very kind woman who is very loving towards those she cares about and has a great sense of courage with no fear of running into danger if it means protecting her home and family. Growing up, she was much more mature than either Usagi or Kenichi who would often do juvenile things to get the better of each other. As an adult, Mariko is a devoted wife and mother who puts her son before everything else, was greatly worried for Jotaro's safety during the battle with the Mifune loyalists, much to his embarrassment.

Beneath Mariko's gentle and caring nature, she also possesses a strength of spirit that is far beyond the common woman. Though she is a humble villager, Mariko is still of the samurai class, and adheres to the strict expectations of their class as well as any man, which puts honor, duty and loyalty above personal feelings and desires. It was this devotion to bushido that kept her from telling Usagi that she was pregnant with their son because Usagi's duty was to their lord first. And because of her own devotion to the expectations of bushido, Mariko knows that her place is with her husband, regardless of her feelings for Usagi.

## Relationships

### Miyamoto Usagi

Mariko's relationship with Usagi is a complicated one. Mariko and Usagi were in love ever since they were young, and this love is what bore their son. She's admitted that she laments the path life had taken them both and wishes that Usagi had stayed with her. However, despite the feelings she still has for Usagi, Mariko knows that her first devotion is to her husband and son, which was why she begged Usagi to leave the village in order to preserve Kenichi and Jotaro's relationship, despite how it clearly hurt them both.

### Kenichi

Mariko is devoted to Kenichi as his wife and knows him to be a dutiful husband and loving father. Kenichi's love for her meant more to him than his rivalry to Usagi, which is why he married her and raised her son, despite knowing Jotaro's true parentage. Though Mariko still harbors feelings for Usagi, she knows her place is with Kenichi, truly loving and having a happy life with him.

### Jotaro

The safety and happiness of her son is the most important thing in Mariko's life. It was this love for her son that forced her to ask Usagi to leave the village so that his relationship with Kenichi wouldn't be harmed. However, it was also this love for him that probably drove Mariko to tell Jotaro the truth about his parentage, because he deserved to know. Mariko was also the one who insisted that Jotaro learn from Katsuichi, so that he might follow in his father's footsteps.

## Fighting Style

As the daughter and wife of a samurai, Mariko has been trained to handle a blade. She prefers to use the lighter wakizashi (shortsword) over the heavier katana. When she has to fight, Mariko uses speed over strength to attack and outmaneuver her enemies before they have a chance to swing their swords at her.