Akeginu

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Akeginu (japanese: 朱絹, hiragana: あけぎぬ, rōmaji: Akeginu) a character featured in the Japanese anime Basilisk Kouga Ninpou Chou (known in English as Kouga Ninja Scrolls). Akeginu was chosen to be one of ten ninja to represent the Iga Tsubagakure clan against the chosen ten of the rival Kouga Manjidani clan.

As the bodyguard and confidant of Oboro, Akeginu seems more forgiving of Oboro's lack of ninja skills than the rest of their clan. Regardless, her first loyalty is to the whole of Iga. So when word of the Hattori truce's cancellation reaches her, she has no reservations about deceiving Oboro while aiding her comrades in their attempt to assassinate the Koga ten - including Oboro's lover Gennosuke.

A highly attractive woman, Akeginu (like Kagerou, her counterpart in the Koga ten) is representative of the traditional concept of the Kunoichi in her ability to use her sex appeal to her advantage against members of the opposite sex. In battle, her technique grants her control over her blood; secreting it out of her pores and allowing her to squirt it into an opponent's eyes to cause blindness or create a fine mist to grant her the cover to move and attack in near complete stealth. Additionally, her technique can be used to "tag" any opponent who specializes in covert movement (as evidenced by her aide in Yakushiji Tenzen's fight with Kasumi Gyoubu). She's also in love with Tenzen's student Chikuma Koshirou, whom she had wished to marry in the future.

[edit] Battles

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Akeginu VS Jousuke: This was a battle that took place in a forest behind the guest house where Gennosuke and was staying during his and Udono Jousuke's visit at the Iga's village. Attempting to catch Jousuke off guard, Akeginu snuck into his room only to find him gone. As she went outside to look for him, Akeginu found herself seized by her intended victim who promptly began to grope her. After a brief struggle, Akeginu was able to wiggle free of Jousuke's grip (though it cost her kimono to do so) and challenged him to a fight, promptly surrounding him with a mist of blood to obscure his vision. Akeginu used her cover to sneak up and slice Jousuke in the head with her sword, but since Jousuke's obesity gave his body the consistency of rubber, the blade merely bounched off without inflicting any harm. Shortly afterward, Oboro arrived to see what was causing so much commotion and Akeginu broke off her attack to keep Oboro from learning of the renewed conflict between Koga and Iga.

Akeginu VS Kagerou: This battle began when Kagerou and Saemon, in the form of Tenzen, lure Akeginu away from the Iga village. After Akeginu sees Kagerou, whom had killed Koshirou, she gets extremely upset and fights her intensely. This leads to the enraged Akeginu unleashing her technique to the fullest capability, in which she strips herself topless and prepares to create her blood mist. However, Saemon grabs her around the neck, allowing Kagerou to deliver the final attack by stabbing Akaginu through her stomach.