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== Background ==
 
== Background ==
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Matsuyama Chie was the daughter of Lord Matsuyama, a daimyo and frequent employer of the Black Tigers, and as such, would normally have been expected to live a life of comfort as a noble lady. However, when she was only five, Matsuyama’s brother, and ninja under his employ, staged a coup and framed the Black Tigers for the assassination. Tomoe witnessed the death of her father and older brother and sister, and would surely have been killed as well had not one of the Black Tiger kunoichi spirited her to safety. That kunoichi, Hanae, raised the girl as her daughter, and, with her talent for Earth-based techniques soon becoming apparent, renamed her Tomoe. Tomoe vowed revenge on her uncle, and has dedicated herself to training her shinobi skills to that end. In village life and when travelling, she usually poses as a miko.
 
  
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Once upon a time, there was a cherry tree, with out-of-season pink leaves. The leaves, it is said, were pink because the tree was drinking the blood of the servants of the Kikuchi family buried in its roots. Perhaps this was true.
  
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Her uncle, meanwhile, has offered a great reward for anyone who can return Chie to him, ostensibly due to duty to his “beloved” brother’s remaining family, but really to dispose of her. With strong suspicions that the girl had been spirited away by the ninja loyal to her father’s clan, he sent his own daughter, Shizuka, to train in the shinobi arts, with the mission of finding and eliminating Chie/Tomoe, a mission Shizuka embraces with an enthusiasm some find disturbing – people would whisper that she enjoys hurting and killing people, if they did not fear what would happen to them.
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However, regardless of the truth, the tree grew in the garden of the Kikuchi family manor, a garden much beloved by Kikuchi Mariko, the youngest daughter of the family. She spent a great deal of time in the garden, among the flowers and trees. And the cherry tree grew to love her dearly, watching her sleep below its branches.
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This idyllic situation was not to last, however-- the Kikuchis were neighbors of the mighty Mochizuki family, and Ichiro, the Mochizuki heir, was in love with Mariko-- a love she did not return. The Mochizukis were wealthy, however, and strong. The Kikuchis had no choice but to accept Ichiro's proposal of marriage, and Mariko knew it. She hated Ichiro, and could not bear to marry him, but her loyalty to her family was too strong. She could not run away, for that would bring shame on her family, and anger the Mochizukis. She might have committed suicide, but she could not bring herself to do so, and, after all, that might have angered them as well... but death would still be preferable to marriage to Ichiro.
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Finally, the night came when Ichiro came for her. Mariko took one last walk alone in the garden, tears running down her face. She looked up at the pink-blossomed cherry tree, embraced it, and said:
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"If you truly love me, kill me. I would rather that my blood turn your blossoms pink than that my body should be given to Mochizuki Ichiro."
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The tree heard, and branch and root moved around her, embracing her...
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Mochizuki Ichiro came into the garden to see what was so delaying his bride-to-be, and saw a horrifying sight: A tree's branches wrapped around Mariko, draining her life. He was unable to move as her lifeless, drained corpse fell to the ground, a sweet smile on the unliving lips... and the tree changed, becoming a woman who resembled Mariko far too much.
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Ichiro cried out with rage, and charged, trying to cut down the tree-monster that had stolen his bride, but the creature laughed and vanished. Since then, Ichiro has pursued the cherry-tree demon, vowing to see it destroyed in revenge.
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The monster, now calling herself Ketsuekima Sakura (The Cherry-blossom Blood Demon), has wandered since then, unable to revert for long to its original form after absorbing Mariko's soul. She wandered for a while, and made a contract with the Black Tigers, agreeing to serve them in exchange for protection and blood-- if the blood of enemies cannot be had, then she will still have blood. Even that of allies...
  
 
== Statistics ==
 
== Statistics ==

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