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Masataka Oniwa, atop his great steed Onikage, was once the ringleader of an infamous bandit group whose name was known throughout Ashina. Masataka would eventually encounter the warrior Isshin, by whom he was defeated. Yet Isshin, captivated by Masataka’s strength, took him and his band under his command out of admiration. They would prove invaluable in the ensuing reclamation of Ashina from the oppressive rule of General Shuzen Tamura. Thus, Masataka became Isshin’s loyal retainer.

Masataka fought with his distinctive horn-spear during the Ashina Rebellion — a weapon whose barbed blade could draw foes in, pulling them close while violently stripping them of their armor. This brutal technique would later be remembered as “Gyobu’s armor stripping.” Amidst the conflict, however, his spear was broken. The shattered weapon was later enshrined and revered by the Ashina samurai, with Isshin himself praising the very nature of its breakage. After the rebellion’s conclusion — when Isshin slew General Tamura and seized control of the land — Masataka was honorably bestowed with Tamura’s own cross-spear by Isshin’s own hand. Even while drunk on sake, Masataka would keep this spear close.

For his service in the conquest of Ashina, Isshin, having established the Ashina clan and secured the land as an autonomous domain free from both rival clans and imperial authority, appointed Masataka as Minister of Justice (Gyobu). He also entrusted him with the role of guardian and martial instructor to his adopted grandson, Genichiro. In the decades that followed, Gyobu would serve faithfully as Genichiro’s retainer, while Isshin gradually withdrew into retirement.

The warriors of Ashina regarded Gyobu as their mightiest champion. They believed that so long as he and his steed Onikage stood, none would ever breach their beloved homeland. In history, he would be remembered by the moniker Gyobu the Demon — for the mountains of corpses he left upon the battlefield.

A relative of Gyobu, Masaji Oniwa, also accompanied Isshin during the rebellion. Isshin had bestowed spears upon the samurai in whom he placed the greatest faith and trust. These spear-wielding warriors proved pivotal in Isshin’s campaign and would be remembered as the Seven Spears of Ashina.

Masaji was one such Spear, and like Gyobu, he was granted the court honorific “Shume” — a title traditionally designating the Master of Horses and Carriages. However, due to the unconventional nature of these bestowals, such titles may not have reflected their holders’ actual civil duties, serving instead as marks of distinction and honor.

“Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven“ Official Wallpapers