*****                                                                     *****
***                       Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen                       ***
***                        FAQ Version: 0.1 (Ichijo)                        ***
*****                                                                     *****

Preamble                                                    	         (Sh00)

Hi, my name is Wigifer and I hope this FAQ is useful to you. This is easily one
of my favourite games and certainly an excellent successor to the original

Before you embark on reading this there's probably a lot of stuff I need to do.
This walkthrough is currently an eary Work in Progress, so the main plot hasn't
been fully covered yet. The information which is here... A lot of it will
likely need to be much better. This is my first FAQ, so please do contact me if
there are any glaring errors. Accept my apologies if this for some reason
offends you, I know some people are awfully... Passionate... About FAQ's.

Actually if you can help in general, I would be happy to accept pointers. So
far I've only covered enough in order to safely carry someone through to
obtaining the second mirror whilst covering the basic techniques they'll need
on the fly.

Don't forget, check the Table of Contents to find what you want, and Ctrl+F in
most browsers the code on the right hand side to go to that section.

Table of Contents                                                        (Sh01)

Preamble				        (Sh00)
Contents				        (Sh01)
Introduction				        (Sh02)
Basic Controls  			        (Sh03)
Tips & Tricks				        (Sh04)

The Main Plot				        (Sh05)
- Training Mission 1 (Optional)                 (Sh05.1)
- Training Mission 2 (Optional) 	        (Sh05.2)
- Training Mission 3 (Optional) 	        (Sh05.3)
- Training Mission 4 (Optional)		        (Sh05.4)
- Plot Progression Point 1		        (Sh05.5)
- Training Mission 5 (Optional)		        (Sh05.6)
- Plot Progression Point 2		        (Sh05.7)
- Mission: Steal the Mirror		        (Sh05.8)
- Plot Progression Point 3		        (Sh05.9)
- Mission: Steal the Tenma Mirror               (Sh05.10)
- Training Mission 6 (Optional)                 (Sh05.11)
- Plot Progression Point 4                      (Sh05.12)
- Mission: Pursue the Mosu Ninja!               (Sh05.13)
- Plot Progression Point 5                      (Sh05.14)
- Mission: Pursue the Kenobi Ninja!             (Sh05.15)
- Plot Choice 1                                 (Sh05.16)
  - Mission: Find the Roadsturn Mushroom!       (Sh05.16.i)
  - Mission: Pursue Nagi the Anemone!           (Sh05.16.ii)
- Plot Progression Point 6                      (Sh05.17)
- Training Mission 7 (Optional)                 (Sh05.18)
- Plot Progression Point 7                      (Sh05.19)
- Plot Progression Point 8                      (Sh05.20)
- Plot Progression Point 9 (Daimyo's Mirror)    (Sh05.21)

Side Quests and Missions		        (Sh06)
- Mission: A Chat with [Merchant]               (Sh06.1)
- Mission: Save the Kidnapped Girls (Mokuma)    (Sh06.2)
- Mission: Save the Kidnapped Girls (Kongo)     (Sh06.3)
- Quest: The Heart of a Maiden                  (Sh06.4)
  - Mission: See What is Happening with Amurita (Sh06.4.i)
  - Mission: So Hungry...                       (Sh06.4.ii)
  - Mission: Goodbye, My Beloved Beauty Spot    (Sh06.4.iii)

Missions				        (Sh07)

Areas					        (Sh08)

Dealing with the Daimyo			        (Sh09)

Alchemy					        (Sh10)

Items					        (Sh11)

Enemies					        (Sh12)

Document Facts and Miscellany                   (Sh13)
- Changelog                                     (Sh13.1)
- "Legal Notifications"                         (Sh13.2)
- Credits                                       (Sh13.3)
- Contact                                       (Sh13.4)

Introduction                                                   		 (Sh02)

So this is Shinobido 2. One of the greatest ninja games of recent memory and
thank goodness a game where only one "touch" control is mandatory - Accessing
the map. All back touch pad control can be turned off, hurrah!

In order to expedite the walkthrough as well as increase its accuracy, Version
0.1 is actually based on two simultaneous "first playthroughs" - The first
playthrough is my proper run to just play and feel through the plot as I go.
This allows for time to be spent, lots of experimentation and saving for
purchases with which to do said experimentation, siding with a single army and
stumbling upon little things which would otherwise go missed in a stats
playthrough. Bosses are dealt with in the most creative ways possible, with
many items and traps being tested to work out their effectiveness.  My second
and concurrent one is for finding the shortest route and noting down enemy
statistics, whilst using no items bar a single +30 recovery whilst fighting a
boss just to prove it can be done. Furthermore, all boss battles are hand to
hand only. Reloads are done to check statistics and the like - Often it will be
[Defeat Boss] > [Reload] > [Defeat Boss] > [Reload] > [Defeat Boss] to confirm
things like health and patterns, leaving a smaller (although admittedly still
significant) margin for error.

The game hasn't got a set structure to progression per-se, at times you have to
meet certain conditions and so on but you don't have to progress immediately -
You always have the option of earning some more cash first. As a result, the
"main walkthrough" is split into "plot progression points" - These will tell
you if the next part in the plot is a set mission you wait for, or if
conditions must be met. You will notice that generic missions have their own
section, as do areas.

Bear in mind the following when reading this guide:

- Where a button press is shown, it will be between [], e.g. Press [Triangle]
- As there's always confusion, directions on an analog stick will be between
  (), e.g. Hold (Down) on the left stick and (Left) on the right stick
- I count the directional pad as a button, e.g. [Down] is down on the
  directional pad - It IS a digital button pad...
- All the key points you really need to pay attention to are bullet pointed.
  Like this. So if you just need a quick overview of what to do and not how,
  skip to these.
- If you want a walkthrough of detailed controls, read through my guides for
  the training missions as I dispense a few in depth analyses in them.
- "~" indicates this is an approximate value based on calculations...
- All calculations are worked out by multiplying the number of hits scored by
  the attack rating of Zen through the runthrough. As a result, this is not an
  exact science.
- I've clarified both at least how many completed missions you have to do to
  get to the next plot point, as well as what "days" you should be covering if
  you are attempting a speed run. There are probably ways to get through the
  open-ended parts faster,  but I'm sure you'll work out where that is
  possible... Then e-mail me and let me know. So I can add that and credit you.

Basic Controls                                                 		 (Sh03)

Left Stick			- 	Movement
Right Stick			- 	Camera movement
[X] 				-	Jump
[Square]			-	Attack
[Triangle]			-	Stealth Kill\Open door\Pick up object
[Triangle] (Held)		-	Zankoku
[Circle]			-	Sheath\Unsheath weapon
Left Stick + [Circle]		-	Dash
[Circle] (In air)		-	Fukurou (Must be unlocked first)
[R]				-	Crouch
[R] + [Triangle]		- 	Throw
[L]				-	Lock on
[L] + Left Stick + [Triangle] 	-	Mikiri (Must be unlocked first)

Tips and Tricks                                                		 (Sh04)

Okay, so pay attention there trainee. Here are some tips to keep you alive...

- Unless you master the sprinting mechanics, sneak around the map and crouch
  towards your enemies.

- Put time into mastering the sprinting mechanics, both for quicker kills and
  also so you can sprint from danger through sheer reflex.

- Ignore Fukurou 70% of the time - In a valley or a pass you may have use for
  the skill, but nowhere else.

- It may be cheap, but don't neglect Zankoku if you're a new player. This skill
  will pretty much do the hard work for you... If you have the energy anyhow.

- Save your cash where you can. Things can get expensive and it's much cheaper
  to harvest random herbs mid-mission. Only buy things you are short of when
  you need them or when you want to calculate a specific recipe.

- There are a handful of glitches which make the game easier - Learn and use.

- When picking missions, your priorities in order should be: You want to do it,
  the mission outcome is useful, you want to increase reputation with a daimyo,
  the financial rewards. Financial rewards are useful and you do need them...
  ...but if you don't spend anything for 30 days, you can usually afford
  whatever you might need after that point.

- There are three ways to approach a stealth kill:
  - Sprinting-Stealth: Sprint towards an enemy and mash [Triangle]...
  - Standard-Stealth: Approach at normal speed, jump\fall\sidestepping...
  - Stealthy-Stealth: Crouch with [R], take it slow, finish hard.

- Merchants can hear you sprinting or even walking from behind.

- True Daimyos will hear the faintest sounds and have amazing perception.

- Harvest. Everything. The money you save on items and resources is amazing.

- Never take on gangs of more than three opponents when at a low level...
  - ...Unless you're at Dandala Peak, in which case throw them off the edge.

- Play the game in short bursts rather than massive sittings - Reach the next
  plot point, save, take a breather. Try and do too much in one go and you
  may burn out... Especially if you're getting frustrated.

- New mission types and maps become available the further you progress. There
  isn't a massive variety available, but certainly enough to stay fresh if you
  always try something new or a bit difficult.

- Side missions will always be at the bottom of a days missions.
  - Don't just follow this guide to find out when these are - They do pop up a
    little randomly from time to time when you fulfil a criteria...

- Do the training missions for easy, early items.

- If you don't know a map and you're paranoid, use a remote karakuri. You can
  earn one from a training mission off the bat.

- Stronger enemies require anything up to 9 bars of Zankoku to kill them on
  normal mode...
  - ...and in robbery missions, whilst the grunt is carrying the box you'll
  need at least 8. Catch him out by making him drop the box to investigate
  something. The further he moves from the box, the closer he'll drop to his
  base Zankoku (So for example, one of Kikans basic grunts will drop from
  requiring a whole 8 bars down to 1 single bar. Plus then the box won't move.)

The Main Plot                                                  		 (Sh05)

The moment you begin the game you'll learn the reasons why the daimyo have gone
to war, as well as why Zen wishes for revenge. Try not to cringe too much at
the voice acting.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: Take note of Kihan's purpose - Revenge for the
supposed assassination of Lady Sadame at the hands of Ichijo... Keep that in
mind as you play the game...]

Small tip here: Move your analog stick during the cutscenes. If you don't, for
some reason your Vita will go into standby mode whilst you're watching this
lengthy introduction. Early firmware especially tends to crash when on standby.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: Note also here how Akame's fate is left unclear,
whilst you get some lovely hints about the current fate of the Asuka Clan.
Also... Soft kitty, warm kitty...]

Suffice to say, you'll begin with a basic training mission as all games do
these days - Not quite the "here's your first mission, we're throwing you in at
the deep end" of Shinobido.

Training Mission 1                                             	       (Sh05.1)

- Reward: Recovery Elixir +150

The first training mission will have you carry out basic movement. To begin
with, your basic controls are covered by the objectives:

- Use the left stick to move
- [X] to jump
- [R] to crouch
- [O] to run
- Follow the arrow in the top-left to reach your target

The idea is to use *all* of these on the way to a target point... But you don't
actually have to. Still, I would certainly reccommend sprinting into a jump and
sprinting into a crouch to get used to the mechanics.

The next part of the mission covers your basic assassination skills. The game
calls it the "Chimatsuri Sappo", but this essentially means the stealth kill.
Usually (But not always, especially for air kills) you will hear a ching and
see a flashing star to indicate you are now within range. The criteria to pass
is simple:

- Walk up to enemy, use a stealth kill.

Finally, the last part is what you'd expect. Kill three enemies. Tip: You don't
have to stealth kill to succeed, but I would advise that you do. You do not
have a great deal of health nor access to items or a certain useful skill yet.
In other words you can fail. Also be careful of the well - The game hasn't
thought to explain this yet, but it is bottomless and you will die if you fall
in it. Anyhow, your objective as stated is:

- Kill three enemies, do not die yourself.

At this point you have the option of completing the other training missions. If
you are a new player or love your trophies, you will want to do this.
Completion of all training missions during the game will get you a bronze
trophy, whilst each individual training mission will reward you with an item -
Some of these can be exceptionally useful! Actually pretty much everyone should
complete them.

Training Mission 2 (Optional)                                  	       (Sh05.2)

- Reward: Remote Control Karakuri (Chick)

Okay, this is another basic manuveurs mission but don't dismiss it - The reward
for this is an exceptionally useful distraction item! Here you'll learn how to
actually be stealthy, so this is quite important. First of all, you need to
learn how to cling to walls and meet the following objectives:

- Cling to a wall by walking into it and *holding* [R]
- Shimmy along the wall with the left stick to the edge and peek around

This will be familiar if you have played any kind of stealth game before. A
little tip: You can hold R and crouch towards the wall, at which point you will
auto-cling. Also, unlike most stealth games, this game is always left & right
on the stick to shimmy.

Anyhow, once you've done this it'll be on to your next objectives, which aim to
teach you the art of ledging... Of the non-financial kind:

- Jump on to a ledge using [X]
- Climb up the ledge by pressing [X]
- Drop down from a ledge by holding (Down) on the left stick and pressing [X]

**Warning** The game does not tell you here that the wall in front of you
requires a springboard jump - When you jump into the wall, you will notice that
you cannot jump high enough to the ledge but instead hold yourself on the wall
for a brief moment. Press [X] at this point and you will do a second jump which
will carry you on to the ledge.

Bear in mind that to drop down, you need to be hanging from the ledge itself
and not standing on it. Try to do it whilst standing and you'll merely do a
backflip. As a result it's easier to do this in the following order:

Cling > Drop > Cling > Climb

Once you've done this, it's on to learning how to carry items and walk with
them. Yep. Pretty basic.

- Pick up the package with [Triangle].
- Walk to the checkpoint.

If you want, try throwing the package with [Triangle]. But not down the well.
You will lose it forever. Also note you cannot crouch or run. Still, once
you've done this, you can get on with your next training mission.

Training Mission 3 (Optional)                                  	       (Sh05.3)

- Reward: Strength Elixir +60

This one is all about your killing ability when you've been spotted. The
objectives are pretty simple...

- Attack the enemy using [Square]
- Throw the enemy by holding [R] and pressing [Triangle]

I will offer a quick tip here. It may help to lock-on by holding [L] if you are
having trouble aiming your throw - It can be a bit finicky for those
uncomfortable with camera control.

After this we learn how to defend:

- Face the enemy and hold [L] to defend

Yes, lock on also defends. Also I cheated there by telling you to face the
enemy - For some reason the game doesn't point out this pretty major point.
Lock-on locks your camera, not your character. You may need to shift the analog
stick to focus on your enemy.

Once done, we learn about the joy of the eyeball and how we use it to hunt and

- Kill all the enemies

On the right hand side of the touch screen, you'll notice the eyeballs. Each
eyeball indicates one enemy. If you press the eyeball on the touch screen, it
will focus your camera on your enemy. This is particularly useful when they are
behind walls and you want to know the direction in which they are walking... Or
if on a very high roof and the lip of the building is just obscuring your
sight. Remember...

*Cream: Unnoticed*
*Purple: Slightly suspicious*
*Orange: They know you are there but cannot see you*
*Red: They can see you and are going to kill you*

Now this mission is a bit different. Remember before the enemies had their
backs to you? Well, through the first gate is an enemy who is looking in your
direction. You can attack him up front, sure... Or do it the ninja way and
climb on to the roof to your right before anything else. A good ninja uses
height to their advantage. From this point on, touch that eyeball to get a good
fix on him and stealth kill with impunity. The next enemy is between the two
buildings, again facing in your original direction. Simply run around the back
of the right-most building, sneak up... or run up... from behind and stab him
in the back. The last enemy is at the back, facing towards the gate. Again,
continue running behind the other houses, sneak up and stabbity-stab-stab.
Mission complete.

Training Mission 4 (Optional)                                  	       (Sh05.3)

- Reward: Unseen Uzumibi Type 2

This last mission is all about using your tools. The key thing here is to pay

- Use your grapple hook by pressing [Down]
- Use any item by pressing [Left], [Right] or [Up]

Now a key thing to note here which people I've noticed pay no attention to...
You do NOT have to use the rear touchpad for aiming. Hold [R] and press [O] to
enter the aim-mode. At this point, use the left stick to aim. Use this
technique to aim at a ledge and then press [Down] to fire away.

Rear touch pad controls are different - Merely stick your finger in the centre
of the touch pad and then drag to where you want to aim. If you can use the
rear touch pad, then great. I find the touch pad a lot quicker to manipulate in
a fix if I need to just fire my grapple hook\throw an item in a general
direction without precision, but I know a lot of purists and anti-gimmick types
hate it. Also, I have learned, it is not reccommended for those with arthritic

Note: The grapple hook does not need to be aimed and can be free-fired... But
you run the risk in more sensitive missions of flying above the ledge rather
than just clinging on to it. Always aim at a ledge to jump over, just a little
below it to cling.

The next part is pretty simple:

- Walk to the destination

The game tells you all about pressing [Select] to bring up the ninja tools
menu. This has nothing to do with your objective, ironically, but it is useful
to know. In missions you can switch in and out items in your inventory to your
hot keys which is pretty useful. Here, however, there is nothing to switch out
so all you need to do is aim your grapple rope high and reach that checkpoint!

Plot Progression Point 1                                  	       (Sh05.5)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Two
- Speed run: Days 1-2

At this point, progression is elementary:

- Complete on Day One a mission for either Ichijo or Kihan
- Tip: Keep an eye out in each mission for herbs, 'shrooms and items.
- Available missions on Day One are "Assassination" and "Obliteration"

Both missions are pretty simple. Ichijo will offer an assassination mission,
taking out a merchant. Kihan on the other hand wants you to wipe out an entire
force. Which one you take is up to you, but do remember to be as stealthy as
possible so you can squeeze out every last penny you can. If you completed the
training missions, then that remote chick will turn out to be a great boon for
distraction (And sometimes scouting where you can't quite see exactly which way
someone is facing). Also, don't forget to keep an eye out for herbs, mushrooms
and generic items - Herbs and Shrooms when bought are very expensive. You can
also sometimes find flowers which offer anything up from +10. By the time you
reach Day Five, you'll be glad to have heeded my words.

- Check your letters on Day Two - Zaji will send a Recovery Elixir +30
- You will now have the option to work for Kazama
- From this day on, you can be offered "Reconnaissance", "Collection" and
  "Transport" missions.

Again, do another mission - If you wish to work for Kazama because he looks
like a character out of a Habuki Theatre piece, go right ahead. Make sure to
grab that recovery elixir though by reading that letter.

Of course you also get the option to undertake some new types of mission. These
are all pretty straight up, so no worries so far.

Reconaissance: You have no set objective - You can leave whenever you wish.
Collection: You must harvest a certain item so many times, then leave.
Transport: You must transport an item either to a person or across a map.

- On Day Three, you are given a new skill... Zankoku!

Training Mission 5 (Optional)                                  	       (Sh05.6)

- Reward: Energizer

If nothing else, this mission is worth doing just to get used to Zankoku and
grab a free energizer. They aren't that cheap to buy or produce. It's
incredibly cheap for 80% of the missions, but even I find myself using it from
time to time when I'm either in a rush for a high rank or because the long
route really is long...

- Execute a Zankoku by holding [Triangle] then selecting your target with [X]
- Mid-execution, move the left stick in the direction shown then hit [Triangle]

It's pretty simple really. Whilst you *can* tap the touch screen icon, in most
cases it's just plain awkward. Hold [Triangle] to check your target. Pay
careful attention to the number of bars over the enemy - That is how many
Zankoku bars you need in order to use that skill. Grunts usually need one-two
bars on normal, professional ninja's around two-four.

That's all you have to do. That's it. One kill.

Plot Progression Point 2                                   	       (Sh05.7)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Three
- Speed run: Days 2-5
- Once you complete three missions, save. We're entering Game Over territory.
- If you haven't toyed with alchemy yet and you picked up some nice herbs on
missions, make a couple of recovery potions and maybe a fainting sphere.
- Optional: Wipe out the bandits for civilians to earn a little more cash.

Again, we're continuing on doing missions until a certain someone decides to
actually give us some proper information...

Don't be surprised if you get a few merchant assassinations, especially not
ones where the names are almost exactly the same. If you've been sticking with
just one lord, or alternatively doing a bit for everyone but never getting
caught out, you might begin getting just enough reputation to earn bonus
rewards. These are often handy as spares in tight situations, or if like me
you're a completionist then you'll be wanting complete sets.

So you've got a choice here: Get on with the plot or faff about and earn some
cash... If you don't feel very comfortable with Shinobido 2 yet, then we'll
look at earning some cash quickly, get it out of the way. The cash you'll earn
is pretty petty, but with an S rank rating, it's a couple of hundred a throw,
plus you should find some decent resources. Add that to what I would hope is at
least an account of 2,000 by now and you should be able to buy enough +3
recovery herbs for a nice recovery brew. Might be useful if you have no way of
healing at this point or if you've acquired a major recovery potion and want to
save it for later.

If on the other hand you feel comfortable with Shinobido and feel you can get
through the next mission with 0-2 recovery items (For veterans, there should be
no challenge doing it without a recovery at all) then carry on soldier.

Regardless, once ready you will want to accept the first actual storyline

Mission: Steal the Rasetsu Mirror From the Bandits                     (Sh05.8)

Location: Rikudo Valley
Objective: Retrieve the Rasetsu Mirror
Failure: Die
Enemy: Bandits
Boss: Ak... Bandit Leader, then Nagi as a second battle.
Reward: None

- Reach the top of Rikudo Valley's peak
- Fight the bandit leader for the Rasetsu Mirror

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: You may have noticed a letter which stated that the
bandits in this game are the former Akame Clan's samurai. Bear that in mind as
you read through the mission profile and look at the target...]

Allow me to offer you a walkthrough finally... You start at the base of the
Valley, by the river. You will notice if you go straight ahead you will reach a
junction where you can either opt to turn left or turn back on yourself and
begin your ascent by climbing the peak directly. Look at the river and you will
notice there is a rock with a random form of salmon on it, which is a common
spawn here.

[Side-track: If you wish, you can cross the river here to the small enclave to
claim another random item or two, then return to the junction.]

[Side-track: For completionism or total execution, you may wish to use a hybrid
of the two routes shown - Follow route 1 but instead do not climb the hut and
skip the section]

Route 1: Go direct, up the peak

Rating: Easy
Time: Quick
Items: 3
Enemies: 2

- Run up the peak
- Jump on top of the hut you come to past the statues, then jump up to the
upper section
- Run and face the bandit leader

Climbing the peak is the quickest option if you are aiming for sheer speed - On
the first right turn you will notice there is a bandit. His path takes him from
the top to the bottom of this hill and back again. It's an easy kill if you are

[Side-track: Notice the statues to the right? There is an item in front of
these you can grab... But only do so once you kill that bandit!]

Once dead, at the top of this hill you will see a hut. There is a random item
outside the hut and another on top of it (Don't ask how a flower grows on wood
and rock...).

[Side-track: If you want to kill everyone rather than rush, continue around
this path carefully - Another patrol is just around the bend, two across the
bridge after which you will backtrack over the bridge again. Check "Route 2"
for more information on the remainder of this route]

Now you are on the roof, jump up and hang on the ledge above to cut out a lot
of the route, but do NOT climb straight away - There is another bandit here. Be
patient and take him out. You've cut enough out here that the bandit leader is
only about 4 seconds worth of running away.

Route 2: Go long, follow the river

Rating: Annoying
Time: Slow
Items: 3
Enemies: 5

- Turn left, following the river, up to the end.
- Cross the river and climb the hill.
- Cross the bridge and climb the peak.

Whilst not the most direct route, this is probably the route for those who want
the kill counts. Turn right and follow the river to the end of this path. You
will notice across the river that there is a hill you can climb. Cross the
river and climb away but be cautious - There is a bandit up the top that walks
back and forth alongside the top of this hill. Bide your time, run up the top
and kill him.

Next, run along to the right and follow the path. You will see another enemy,
but fortunately he isn't very observant. I would advise saving it but if you
want you could play safe with a Zankoku... But quite frankly you can literally
run up to him and stealth kill him from the side. No need to be patient, he
doesn't look around provided you're just a fraction behind him and not in

[Side-track: There will be a random item in front of the statues to your left
here, as well as a resource on top of the hut]

Do not just run across the bridge - On the other side is another patrol that
will wander back and forth. At this point, a Zankoku is exceptionally useful -
Feel free to use it. You won't need it the rest of the way. Failing that, he
has a back-and-forth pattern which does go a fair distance, so you should have
enough time to sneak. Once across, up the hill to the left is another bandit.
It's an easy stealth kill as he only ever looks out into the distance.

Continue your ascent until you notice two planks on the right hand side, then
stop and crouch. Just around this corner is another patrolling bandit. It's a
simple back-and-forth patrol from the far side of the hut to a corner long
past, so crouch to the side of the hut and climb on top. At this point you can
easily judge your stealth kill.

[Side-track: If you've followed this route thus far without being spotted and
achieving stealth kills, I've noticed this bandit has a higher chance than
normal of dropping two resources instead of one - No doubt he has picked up one
himself already, but his random drop will actually be more likely]

Once done, merely run up the peak. After the very, very brief clip the first of
two boss battles ensues... During this clip, you may wish to hold [L] to spare
yourself some life.

#    Boss Battle 1:   #
# "The Bandit Leader" #

Health: ~190HP (Normal - 38 hits uninterrupted @ 5 strength)
Weapon: Gun
Attitude: Aggressive
Perception: Mediocre

- Keep close
- Keep holding [L] to lock-on and block
- Don't stop attacking when

Welcome to your first boss battle - Hold that [L] so his first shot doesn't
cause damage (Anyone whom had played Shinobido 1 would have instinctively done
this already, knowing the character). Remember you can hold [L] and move
outside of attacks, so just keep holding it and keep walking forward before he
can shoot you too much.

Basically once you're in close, keep wailing on the guy with [Square] until he
drops. He'll knock you back a few times but you can usually dash in. If you
want to be really cheap, feel free to make him go to the right, then trap him
where the fence and the hut meet. He won't, for some magical reason, be able to
defend here.

Failing that, feel free to lay some Uzumibi's (Those land mines) and let him
run in to them - His perception is mediocre and his aggression is such that you
will find he just doesn't seem to care about getting hurt. Fainting grenades
work well if you need a breather or wish to set up more traps. If you opt to
use an explosive grenade, obviously keep your distance but not too much - Just
because he's big and an easy target, it does not make him slow.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: I desperately tried to find a loophole to not kill the
poor guy as I felt pity for him, but alas there is no such option presented...
If anyone has found one, then I would be intrigued to hear it. I doubt it
however, especially as in this game he is portrayed as truly heartless.]

Claim your prize and watch the cutscene, but don't get comfortable as boss
fight two will begin immediately...

#    Boss Battle 2:   #
#         Nagi        #

Health: ~45HP (Normal - 9 hits uninterrupted @ 5 strength)
Weapon: Short blade & shuriken
Attitude: Aggressive
Perception: Exceptional

If you want to listen to the plot a little and you're not too scared about
taking too much damage or losing, don't rush in with attacks here - I actually
managed to defeat her exceptionally quick on my first run through because she
literally only requires 9-10 good hits.

Nagi is significantly better at blocking than the bandit leader, plus she's a
lot faster and has a lot more ninja tricks. Of course by now you know you
never, ever need to let go of [L] so time your attacks carefully. Although she
does have a guard-break move, at this stage in the game she won't follow up
with anything particularly dangerous.

Don't bother with traps, she's very quick and very perceptive. If you're lucky
you might hit a sphere, but try and ensure she's preoccupied and not free to
just run at you. Bear in mind she will run away from even the slightest threat
if she can.

After 9-10 good strikes with a weapon or one very large explosion with a +100
sphere, another cutscene ensues.

Congratulations - That's this mission over. It probably took you longer to read
this section than it did to complete the mission.

Plot Progression Point 3                                  	       (Sh05.9)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Four
- Speed run: Days 6-10
- The first day begins with some wonderful letters but no items.
- You can now undertake "Robbery", "Thievery", "Kidnapping" and "Rescue"
- After one-two successful missions, you receive the Raven Jar by letter.
- Your choices for your fourth mission will normally include a side mission.

You'd think you'd get some sort of nice item after all that, but no. Still, new
mission styles are available for you...

Robbery: Steal an item carried by a group of guards, then escape.
Thievery Type A: Sneak in and steal a single, unique item, then escape.
Thievery Type B: Sneak in and steal an item, more for a bonus, then escape.
Kidnapping: Sneak in and kidnap a person by pressing [Triangle], then escape.
Rescue Type A: Free someone from a prison and lead them to the escape.
Rescue Type B: You are already with the escapee. Lead them to the escape.

As you can see, these all involve escaping the map yourself. Robbery is
relatively straight-forward if you approach the group from behind. Thievery
really requires you to plan your escape route and clear it before you actually
obtain the item. For kidnapping, the same rule applies as your victim can (and
will) scream and shout if you didn't somehow stealthily grab them. Rescue
missions are a little harder if you have the escapee - Bear in mind you can
pick them up with [Triangle] and chuck them to one side to be safe. Just don't
throw them down a well.

Here on in, it's about getting through a few more missions for the lords. Use
this time to earn more cash and maintain your reputation levels. Where
possible, try not to waste too many items - The trick to this game is being
willing to use what is needed rather than hoarding, but only when it is needed.

This period is actually quite important because you get the Raven Jar for your
alchemy. Assuming you haven't somehow already earned ~20,000 cash, this jar will
be handy as your first "two component" job. It doesn't produce a lot, but
certainly for early dual-effect items and alchemy recipes it does the job. Also
note the appropriateness of this - 7 is involved in a lot of the basic

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: On this day we get a letter from an old friend we
never met in the last game either. Granted, then we only heard from our mailman
friend towards the latter half of the game, but now he's not even admitting
that he makes mistakes from time to time. At least Zaji's blunt about it...]

The day before our main plot mission sees our first "Not from a Daimyo"
mission. These are always handy - Some will be nice to do "just because it's
not from a daimyo". Others are useful because they lead to mini story arcs
which fill in plot holes or let those whom remember previous titles find out
what has happened to other characters. All of these will usually give you some
sort of small item bonus at the end as well. See the side missions section of
this guide for more information!

Reach the fourth and we hit our next story mission - Steal the Tenma Mirror
from the Evil Merchant! Keep an eye out for it - One of the daimyo who favours
you most will likely offer you this mission.

Mission: Steal the Tenma Mirror from the Evil Merchant!               (Sh05.10)

Location: Honcho Shimoyashiki
Objective: Retrieve the Tenma Mirror
Failure: Die
Enemy: Bandits
Boss: None
Reward: Fukurou

This mission you cannot go wrong with. At all.

- Head to the target, the largest building on the map in the centre.

You always start in the top-left corner of the map, making this rather straight
forward. Go through the gate ahead and down the stairs.

[Side-track: Head to your left here - Inside the building is a single item,
then outside towards the well are anywhere between three-five resources]

Do not go the obvious route of the left-hand stairs if possible - It's
needlessly more complex because they can easily fluke out and spot you if you
try to be cheeky and grapple between the two bandits up top. Instead you should
hop on the roof of that little building directly ahead of you. From here, you
can crouch and observe the pattern of the right-most bandit. From this rooftop,
you can easily jump over the high-rise fence and stealth kill the first bandit
with impunity... Or if you want, avoid him completely. Either way, run and jump
over that tiny little wall between you and the main building and enter. Go to
the right and enter through the screen doors there. To your immediate left is
another set of screen doors - Enter these for a cutscene.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: It's nice to have plot missions which don't quite go
to plan again, isn't it?]

Training Mission 6 (Optional)                       	              (Sh05.11)

- Reward: Exchanger Gecko

Now you have the Fukurou you can do another training mission to learn how to
use it. For the purposes of learning the mechanics and seeing just how often
you won't actually be using it, it's worth doing. Plus there's the trophy.

- Jump in the air and then immediately hold [O] at the peak of your jump
- Float over to the other side and then run to the destination point.

...the silly bit is that you begin on a small, raised area you wouldn't
normally access or be able to reach unless you climbed to the top of this
particular area. Even then, you would need to be damn good to land accurately
here... So you can see they literally added this hunk of rock to this map for
this training mission. Which is easy.

Jump forward. Hold [O]. Fly forward. Land. Possibly have to climb up the ledge
if you fell short. Run to the destination point. Job done.

Plot Progression Point 4                                  	      (Sh05.12)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Three
- Speed Run: Days 11-14
- If you're running a quick run, Day 11 will see your first time based
  alchemy letter, Alchemic Secrets 1.
- If you want to save hassle later on, begin working on reducing the forces of
  one specific daimyo.

I will offer a word of advice to players new and experienced: You may wish to
ensure by this point you have some decent recovery potions and the odd fainting
sphere or two. It will help. A lot. Alchemy or pre-purchase is, of course, down
to you.

Barring this, pick a couple of missions to further balance the war the way you
want to. If you're trying to garner someones favour inparticular, by this point
you'll begin to notice your rewards are more significant with them. Bear in
mind that no matter what you do however, Kihan is always really rich and Kazama
is always really poor. That's just the way it goes.

Do bear in mind... You should probably begin focusing on weakening one force
inparticular. This will make certain later parts of the game easier.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: It's nice to see Onba is still sending out recipes to
the Asuka Ninja. He must really be thankful to them. It's also interesting to
note that you get the Raven Jar on Day 7 and the first Alchemic Secrets letter
on Day 11 - Both 7 and 11 are key components to many Alchemy recipes...]

By the end of your third successful mission you'll get a tip-off regarding the
location of the Mara Mirror. Time to go recover it.

Mission: Pursue the Mosu Ninja!                              	      (Sh05.13)

Location: Rikudo Valley
Objective: Pursue the Mosu Ninja! (Duh)
Failure: Die
Enemy: Mosu Ninja (Duh)
Boss: Usuba
Reward: None

Here we go, another Rikudo Valley-based mission. The two possible main routes
are the same, although the patrols are rather different and this time the most
direct route is not necessarily the quickest...

Also note that Mosu Ninja here require two bars of Zankoku to succeed. If
you've literally been saving your points and plugged them in to your Zankoku
stat, this won't be an issue.

Either way, straight ahead of you at the start is a Mosu Ninja further up the
road. Approach her from behind and stealth kill - She doesn't wander, she just
looks across the river. Just as before, at the junction ahead there's a rock
with a random type of Salmon on it... Then it's decision time.

[Side-track: Once again, you can cross the river here to the small enclave to

Route 1: Go direct, up the peak

Rating: Moderate
Time: Moderate
Items: 3
Enemies: 0-3

- Run up the peak
upper section
- Run and face Usuba

This run can be ridiculously easy. Go up the peak direct as last time, but now
there will be no-one patrolling that incline around the corner. Instead, slow
down just before the hut up the top and approach crouched or well behind that
hut so you can't be seen.

[Side-track: Again, don't forget the item in front of the statues]

Just ahead of the hut is a Mosu Ninja on patrol. It's simple back-and-forth,
but she has some keen sight so stay out of sight until she's turned. At this
point you can risk grabbing whatever herb is in front of the hut and
assassinating her first, or you can play it safe and just jump up and grab the
ledge *but do not climb up under any circumstances*. Be warned, do not be over
eager with your pressing of [X].

We are not going to climb that ledge. On the right is a Mosu Ninja who stands
looking in your direction. On the left is a patrolling Mosu Ninja whom again
has a simple back-and-forth patrol pattern... So instead of climbing up the
ledge, we are going to shimmy to the left and use that to our advantage.
Observe exactly how far her patrol is and shimmy past this point. Once she
herself reaches that point and turns away, you can now climb up and assassinate
her. If you wish, take care of the other one you avoided earlier too.
Alternatively, keep on shimmying all the way to the top - Yes you can do this.
You cannot be spotted and you only need climb up at the very top.

Route 2: Go long, follow the river

Rating: Easy
Time: Quick
Items: 3
Enemies: 3

- Cross the river and climb the hill.
- Cross the bridge and climb the peak.

Again, not direct but this time there's a smaller margin of error. Turn right
and follow the river to the end of this path. Cross the river, climb up the
hill and laugh at how unguarded it is this time around.

Here, it's the bridge to watch. This time, there is a Mosu Ninja whose patrol
takes her back and forth across the bridge. Bide your time, wait for her to
turn away, run and stealth kill. Play it safe, throw her off the bridge too.
It's also fun!

[Side-track: This time, two random items in front of the statues to your left

Run around until you notice a hut - In front of this is a Mosu Ninja whom will
perpetually look outward. Easy to sneak and stealth kill. Don't run ahead just
yet however, grab that body and throw it further back on that path. Just ahead
is a Mosu Ninja who will notice that body eventually. Best course of action?
Wait for her to turn her back, run up and stealth kill her.

Once done, merely run up the peak. A cutscene will ensue and as per usual, hold
that [L] button in preparation for that fight...

#     Boss Battle:    #
#        Usuba        #

Health: ~120HP (Normal - 24 hits uninterrupted @ 5 strength)
Weapon: Kunai. Lots of kunai. In hand and thrown.
Attitude: Balanced
Perception: Excellent

- Keep close
- If she manages to create a clone, take it out. Clones die in one hit and can
  be insta-killed with [Triangle].
- Beware as even when you hit her, she can jump and throw kunai.
- She has a confusion gas attack. Be warned.
- She will easily avoid most traps and spheres.

Quite frankly, "The Bandit Leader" is harder than this fight but the key
difference here is that when given just a slight opportunity and enough space,
Usuba can overwhelm you in ways you can't imagine.

Best case scenario: You manage to stick close. Hit Usuba for a combo. If you
have to pause to block, do so. Try not to, just in case the attack she has
lined up is confusion gas. If she runs away, perfect window to strike again.
Rinse and repeat. You won't even need to heal.

Worst case scenario: You let her get a lucky hit in or she manages to confuse
you. At this point, you're going to run all around the shop and she's going to
start duplicating. Her and her duplicates will turn you into a kunai pin
cushion. Best approach here is quite simply to work out the clones, ignore the
real Usuba, insta-kill the clones first. Also have heals ready.

Either way, this isn't a major problem most likely. If you're still only just
getting the hang of this and still find this a little taxing, no worries - No
need to be ashamed, just pack a few extra recovery potions!

Plot Progression Point 5                                  	      (Sh05.14)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Five
- Speed Run: Days 15-21
- If you're running a quick run, Day 15 is an advice day for diluting and
  boiling, from which you will receive a free component.
- Another thing for quick runners, Day 20 is the day you receive Alchemic
  Secrets 2 from Onba.
- Enemy ninja will now interfere in your missions. Keep an eye out for them as
  they will be listed as the second enemy on the first page of a mission.
- For your third mission, you again have the option of a side mission.

Again, another straight forward "complete enough missions to continue"
requirement. This time you're looking at five missions, so by the end of this
you should have earned yourself somewhere around the 13,000 mark. Possibly
quite a bit more if you're focusing on Kikan (I personally have been on 21,000
despite having sold nothing by day 21).

Don't forget that you should probably be working on bringing down one daimyo's
military force.

[Shinobido 1 Reflection: Another Alchemic Secrets letter, this time talking
about the old multiples of 7 job. At least his letters this time round are

After you've finished five missions successfully, it's on to our next storyline

Mission: Pursue the Kenobi Ninja!                              	      (Sh05.15)

Location: Zengen
Objective: Pursue the Kenobi Ninja! (Duh)
Failure: Die
Enemy: Kenobi Ninja (Duh)
Boss: Uzumushi
Reward: None

You start off in the bottom right-hand corner of the map. Your plan of attack,
if you stay attentive, is rather simple...

- Jump on to the nearest buildings roof.
- Roof-hop your way to the buildings by the river, staying to the right
- Kill the Kenobi Ninja on the first bridge
- Kill the Kenobi Ninja on the roof
- Kill the Kenobi Ninja on the second bridge
- Go around the shrine, not into it, and enter it from the rear by jumping over
  the fence.

So yeah. Jump on to the nearest building in front of you and keep jumping
along. Always stick to the right-most buildings for safety and to set up for
the next section. Once you reach the buildings by the river, you will notice
there is a pesky Kenobi Ninja. These guys like to run. A lot. This usually
means small windows of opportunity, however by sticking to this side we're
going to get "lucky" - The Kenobi Ninja in front of us has a running patrol
that starts on the side of the bridge closest to us, then runs all the way over
the bridge and even further along! The trick here is to wait for the Kenobi to
get as close as possible, then as he turns slam (up) on the left stick and [O]
in order to catch up to him. As you run, mash [Triangle] so the second you are
in range, you instantly stealth kill. Timed correctly, he won't even make it
across the bridge. Once dead, dump that body in the river.

Do not jump over the fence on the left. If you do, you will trigger the
Uzumushi fight, which will call to attention every ninja around and make it a
significantly harder fight.

[Side-point: You can theoretically fight Uzumushi now and not worry about
surrounding ninjas on Easy or Normal mode, if you don't mind exploiting a
glitch. I take no responsibility for your soul...]

You'll notice a ninja on a roof up ahead, running back and forth along it...
This one is harder, but managable. Crouch-roll to the side of his building and
then hang from its roof - Do not climb yet. Wait for the ninja to run as close
to you as possible, then begin to run away again. Same tactic as before except
this time we're climbing and not dropping, performing a sprinting stealth-kill.

One more ninja can be noticed just around the corner to the left. His sprinting
pattern is as the first ninja we dealt with, so again we wait until he's close,
turns around and runs away. Drop, sprinting stealth kill once more. Now we've
dealt with the chaff, time to deal with the big dude.

Run all the way back around to the other side to that first bridge. Jump over
the fence from this side, get a one-line cutscene and prepare to defend...
You'll notice entering from the right caused a bit of a trick too...

#     Boss Battle:    #
#      Uzumushi       #

Health: ~130HP (Normal - 26 hits uninterrupted @ 5 strength)
Weapon: Hammer
Attitude: Chaotic
Perception: Moderate

- Be prepared to heal if you get hit.
- *Exploitable glitch* If you are on Easy or Normal and did not take out all
  the surrounding ninja first, when you face Uzumushi you would ordinarily have
  these other ninja join in. However, if you trigger this fight and then select
  "Restart mission" you will restart at this boss fight and no ninja will be
  around - This is because the game seemingly thinks resetting for the boss
  conditions equates to removing all surrounding ninja, in case they were
  already killed by the player... No active memory. For shame.
- *Exploitable glitch* You can make Uzumushi permanently float - His jumping
  crush, if it lands perfectly on you, doesn't knock you back and so he never
  lands. Instead, he will float through the air as gracious as anything,
  offering you a free hit. Unless you can execute this perfectly however, do
  not risk it - This crushing move deals heavy damage.
- Uzumushi has a lot of block-breakers. Stand back when he begins his combos if
- Uzumushi has no long range attacks. Exploit this.

This boss fight isn't amazingly hard, especially if you jumped over the fence
from the rear rather than walked up the steps at the front. You will get plenty
of space between you and Uzumushi, so if you want to run a long range battle
you can do so with ease. Otherwise, this will be your first opening in hand-to-
hand combat so make it count while it lasts.

If you do a long range battle, this is elementary. Step back, throw shuriken or
grenades, rinse and repeat. This will, however, cost money or brews...

A short range battle is a little bit more tricky - Surprisingly, Uzumushi is
very block-happy. There are of course ways to throw him off mind. Throw down a
couple of hasty combos straight away - He won't block these. When he begins his
blocking, retreat. When he starts giving chase, start attacking again as he
won't defend quickly enough. Rinse and repeat.

The battle itself is simple enough if treated with care. The only problems
begin when you let Uzumushi actually attack. He can potentially demolish a
character whom has had no HP or defense increases (neither of which I do
personally by this point in the game), so bear in mind that if he blocks that
you should back off and be patient - Don't leave yourself open to a large combo
that results in a retry.

Suffice to say, long cut scene follows and then we reach our first moral

Plot Choice 1                                             	      (Sh05.16)

- Speed Run: Day 22
- Option 1: "Find the Roadsturn Mushroom!" (The "Noble Deed" path)
- Option 2: "Pursue Nagi the Anemone!" (The "I Want Blood" path)

Ah, for the first time in a Shinobido game you get to make a true moral
decision. What exactly it's based on, I won't say... But I'm sure you've gotten
some clues from the mission names.

Before selecting an option, just as when you reached "Steal the Rasetsu Mirror
From the Bandits" you will find that you can wipe out bandits for the
civilians. By all means do so if you need cash or resources... But do bear in
mind that even for this early stage of the game, the pay out is very low.

Anyhow, Option 1 involves "Finding the Roadsturn Mushroom" which is our "Noble"
route. This of course helps lead to one possible outcome.

Option 2 involves "Pursuing Nagi the Anemone" and leads to another possible
outcome. Keep picking "I Want Blood" paths and you will find that the games
resolution may be different to what you expected...

~Mission: Find the Roadsturn Mushroom!                             (Sh05.16.i)~

- Find 3 Roadsturn Mushrooms

This mission is pretty straight-forward... Were it not for the fact that the
mission description isn't all that great. It said find and leave with a
Roadsturn, but you actually need to find 3.

Route 1: Go direct...

Difficulty: Medium
Speed: Moderate
Enemies: 2
Items: Varies

There are two are always by the long fallen long towards the centre of the map
and another, one either side. Another one exists on the high ledge to the left.
Be careful however, as this is bear country.

There are two bears on this map, one is on the ground by the fallen log and the
other is on the ledge above. You will probably want to stealth kill both. The
best tactic is to crouch around and hide behind things rather than going
straight for the mushrooms, then using the camera to observe their movements.
Alternatively, bears love salmon. Just throw some salmon away from yourself and
the bear, so he will chase after the fish without noticing you. However you
choose to do it, sneak up behind and stealth kill away.

Route 2: Go around...

Difficulty: Easy
Speed: Quick
Enemies: 0
Items: Varies

Don't even turn to that log. Run straight, there's a mushroom growing out of
the tree towards the end. Once you've got this, follow the edge of the map
around so you avoid the bears. You'll notice as you reach the bottom-center of
the map, there's a log which you can climb... With another mushroom on it. Grab
it, climb that log. Not that you will need both of them, but there are another
two at the top here. As there's no bonus for collecting more, merely wall-run
off of the ledge here, so as to stay as far from the bear as possible. Run
straight and you will reach the exit. Job done.

Whichever route you chose, a nice and pleasant cutscene will follow. You will
learn less, but have acted more like an Asuka...

~Mission: Pursue Nagi the Anemone!                                (Sh05.16.ii)~

- Run towards the target point

No enemies, no fights. All you need to do is run to the target point, nothing
more. Watch the slightly bitter and emotionally charged cutscenes that follow.
You will learn more, but have acted less like an Asuka...

Plot Progression Point 6                                  	      (Sh05.17)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Three
- Speed Run: Days 23-27
- You can now select Kaede. Pick a mission then select a character with [L]/[R]
- After one successful mission, you can choose another side mission.
- Quick runners, Day 25 is free Gecko day! Check your advice...
- After three successful missions, you will learn your last skill: Mikiri.

First of all, you can now use Kaede. Bear in mind that her stats are separate
to Zen's. In other words: Zen may be at level 13, but Kaede will start at level
1. You are going to have to level up Kaede seperately if you wish to use her.

By now, if you haven't spread your wings and taken every high-flying mission
under the sun or specialised a great deal... You've probably earned 16,000 in
total. 17,000 tops. Kihan players... Maybe 24,000-25,000 tops. Consider using
it on the goods in store - Save up a little extra for that pot you want or buy
those herbs you need to complete your recipe.

Here on in, work for money and keep knocking the daimyo down weaker and weaker.
Pick the side mission if you so choose - The extra experience will either help
Kaede skip a few levels or will squeeze yet another level out of Zen himself.

Arguably obtaining Mikiri isn't a major plot point... But it is a game changer
and leads to the last training mission of the game.

Training Mission 7 (Optional)                             	      (Sh05.18)

- Reward: Speed Elixir +60
- If you have done all previous training missions, this will earn you a trophy.

First of all, learn how to use Mikiri. Up until this point, you may have
scrappy quick-killed by throwing into the abyss when spotted. This usually
risks your life, as you yourself could be pushed in or misjudge distance.

- Hold [L] to focus on your enemy.
- Hold the left stick so you are moving away from your opponent
- As the enemy is about to strike you, press [Triangle]

This will instant kill all basic enemies and most basic ninja on normal
difficulty. Yojimbo and boss characters will unfortunately prove much more...
Resistant. It's still reasonably easy to execute when in one-on-one situations,
merely time carefully and remember you're holding [L] and holding back on the
left analog stick away from your opponent. Just before that move is going to
hit you (not when it does), you need to hit [Triangle]. Do this to the one
enemy who will attack you immediately without respite and the tutorial is over.

Plot Progression Point 7                                  	      (Sh05.19)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Five
- Speed Run: Days 27-31
- Quick runners, Day 30 is the day you receive Alchemic Secrets 3 from Onba.
- At the end of your fifth mission you *should* get a cutscene unless...
- Warning: My "main run" rejected Kaede and went the "I want blood" route... I
  also went a bit crazy with the whole "Praise Amurita" and deliberately nixed
  my reputation with the other daimyo by never working for them as well as
  accidentally being caught. For some reason I never saw any cutscene after the
  fifth day, instead skipping to being told I needed to weaken a daimyo for a
  mirror... Then having it turn out the only way to acquire said mirror was to
  murder the entire clan and destroy them once and for all by murdering their
  leader... Then have nothing happen after I acquired the mirror. Oh dear.
  - There may be a useful glitch to investigate here for an unclean Speed Run.

Not much to say here really apart from make sure you're working on that daimyo
you wanted to weaken. This is getting towards crunch time if your aim is to zip
through... Just earn some cash, brew some goods if you really need to, job

Plot Progression Point 8                                  	      (Sh05.20)

- Successful missions before next plot point: Eight
- Speed Run: Days 32-39
- "Duel", "Assault", "Guard" and "Escort" missions are now available.
- For ease, if you haven't done so already, severely weaken the military
strength of one of the daimyo... But if you don't want to risk the end of that
daimyo later, don't let their military strength drop below 20.
- After two successful missions, you will get another side-mission opportunity.

So basically here we're working up to the point Zaji decides to be useful and
tells us one of the Daimyo has the mirror. To take advantage of this the minute
he lets us know, we need to ensure that one of the daimyo have a military
strength of 20 at most. Less makes it likely you'll get a mission into their
home base.

For now, you may wish to avoid Assault and Guard missions - These are probably
the most irritating of the new mission types. Duel (Rare) and Escort are, on
the other hand, usually very straight forward. None of these pay amazingly per-
se mind... With reward it's more about the star rating, less the objective.

Now if you've been degrading the military might of one Daimyo significantly,
the next section can be done in the same day. If not...

Plot Progression Point 9 (The Daimyo's Mirror)            	      (Sh05.21)

- Objective: Complete a mission in a daimyo's home base.
- Speed Run: Day 40
- For this one, you will find the easiest way to do this is to kill the daimyo.
- If you don't do this straight away, after two completed missions another side
  mission will become available.

If you've been paying attention until now, you'll have already specifically
targetted one daimyo to suffer your skills. Their force will be weak and you
will likely have a mission requesting you to attack their base.

The other alternative is to already have armies starving by this point... But
that might be a bit out of reach for most players. Either way, you're looking
at causing a bit of a ruckus here.

Whichever daimyo you go for, kill them. Kill them good. Then complete your
mission. This is easier if the mission itself is "kill the daimyo".

                          <...To be continued...>

Side Missions and Quests                                       		 (Sh06)

Unlike the first Shinobido, this time around you will get numerous requests
from a "?" benefactor. Whilst most of these missions are completely optional,
the fact that many of these only have a negative impact on a set daimyo with no
positives can make them useful. How you ask? Some days you will get nothing but
missions where you increase one daimyos power while decreasing anothers. These
help by ensuring you can reduce forces without unfavourably balancing another.
Also it's good to feel like an actual ninja who takes on jobs from all kinds of
other people... It might well contribute to unlocking a side quest too...

...their most useful feature however comes from the ridiculous experience
points you can earn. At early levels, you will clearly increase anywhere
between 1-2 levels, depending on difficulty and your skill. If you need those
stats (And you do just to get that extra Zankoku bar!), these are the missions
you take the time out to do.

One other factor I have yet to confirm: The game is weighted towards offering
the Kidnapped Girls (Mokuami Fortress) most of the time if you follow the path
of all that is good, rather than the others. Assistance with this is always

Mission: A Chat with [Merchant] 				       (Sh06.1)

Location: Honcho Shimoyashiki
Objective: Kidnap the Merchant
Failure: Either you or the merchant dies
Enemy: Any Daimyo
Boss: None
Reward: Random basic item, large experience gain.

Even though this is a set mission, there are still a few potential locations
for the Merchant and for your starting location. Treat this as a standard
randomised kidnap mission and follow this structure as per usual...

- Ascertain your targets location
- Identify your nearest escape route
- Clear your escape route of any and all hostiles
- Attempt to stealthily capture your target for sheer ease and high ratings
- Escape as quickly as possible

"A Chat with Shinanoya" is a common name for this mission.

Mission: Save the Kidnapped Girls (Mokumai Fortress Version)           (Sh06.2)

Location: Mokuami Fortress
Objective: Save one Town Girl
Failure: The Town Girl dies.
Enemy: Any Daimyo (Usually Kihan)
Boss: None
Reward: Random basic item, large experience gain.

The Mokumai Fortress version is almost a set-piece mission. This mission is
a little unique in that there is a 90% chance your starting location is
actually in a guard tower in the middle of the map (You have this chance for
all variants of this mission). The girls location is relatively fixed based on
the locations of the prison on this map - The bottom left corner is the only
place she has ever been so far when the starting location is the guard tower,
in multiple plays of this mission at different stages of the main plot. However
there is another prison on the right side, so I will not discount the
possibility that I have merely been lucky in her being located in the same
place every time. Furthermore, if you're unlucky and start outside the Fortress
outer walls then you will have to actually go in to the fortresses internal
prison on the right hand side. Either way, standard practice dictates...

- Ascertain your targets location
- Identify your nearest escape route
- Clear your escape route of any and all hostiles
- Release the Town Girl and pick her up
- Escape as quickly as possible

When clearing hostiles, bear in mind that they are randomly located with random
patrols. Your best bet is to pay keen attention... However you should keep your
eye primarily high. Many hostiles spawn on rooftops or the upper floor of the
Fortress. Take these out first and foremost. After you have done this, reign
death on everyone else.

As per usual, when you reach the prison the door opens by pressing [Triangle].
Bear in mind that on release, she will make noise and follow you. Pick her up
to keep her quiet and make things easy. You should get a nice little experience
bonus upon completing this mission.

Mission: Save the Kidnapped Girls (Kongo Pass Version)                 (Sh06.3)

Location: Kongo Pass
Objective: Save one Town Girl
Failure: The Town Girl dies.
Enemy: Any Daimyo (Usually Kazama)
Boss: None
Reward: Random basic item, large experience gain.

The Mokumai Fortress version is a set mission with set points. This mission is
a little unique in that your starting location is actually in a guard tower on
the left hand side of the map (You have a chance to start in a guard tower for
all variants of this mission, but for this one I have yet to come across any
alternate starting locations). The girls location is fixed to a small prison on
the right hand side, the ground floor just inside main fortress itself. Usual
precautions apply...

- Ascertain your targets location
- Identify your nearest escape route
- Clear your escape route of any and all hostiles
- Release the Town Girl and pick her up
- Escape as quickly as possible

patrols. For this variant, there is a high chance your target will have 1-2
guards very close by, so clearing them out is fundamental. Your best bet is to
pay keen attention and in this mission, look low. There is always someone
underneath you. Somehow.

Particularly cheeky about this mission is the fact that the nearest exit is the
backdoor out of the fortress, literally 8 seconds walk away from the cell. This
really is an easy mission if done properly. Bear in mind that there is usually
another guard patrolling this exit.

bonus upon completing this mission.

Quest: The Heart of a Maiden                                           (Sh06.4)

- Assumed criteria required: Get your reputation with Kihan to 80

Now this is an interesting little set of side missions, and I would say that
anyone with a background in the original Shinobido games will be desperate to
come across these... Just to fill in some more blanks.

Touches like this do make Shinobido a lot more interesting - I got lucky and
received this quest series on my main run supporting Kihan solely, starting on
Day 25 (I wasted a day doing a "Save us from Bandits" mission).

~Mission: See What is Happening with Amurita                        (Sh06.4.i)~

Location: Amurita Shrine
Objective: Reconaissance - Leave whenever.
Failure: Die.
Enemy: Kihan
Boss: None
Reward: Almost no cash, quest progression.

- Do whatever you want and then leave

So your first mission for your first day is to check out what's happened to the
Amurita Faith on behalf of your client...

...this does have one excellent purpose. If you need to... Shall we say...
"Extract" Kihan or at least a body double... She is here in this mission.

Once you're doing doing... Whatever it is you want to do... Or if you just want
to do nothing, feel free to leave. The next mission will appear on the next day
regardless of what you do in this mission, as long as you complete it rather
than just quit it.

~Mission: So hungry...                                             (Sh06.4.ii)~

Location: Fuki Forest
Objective: Kill the bear.
Failure: Die.
Enemy: Nature
Boss: Bear
Reward: Almost no cash, quest progression.

- Find bear.
- Kill bear.

So there's the legit way of doing this, which is to fight the bear with

...or just throw it over the cliff. Equally effective, quicker and will cost
you less. Job done. Succeed in this to progress to the final stage.

~Mission: Goodbye, My Beloved Beauty Spot                         (Sh06.4.iii)~

Location: Fortress
Objective: Reconaissance - Leave whenever.
Failure: Die.
Enemy: Kihan
Boss: None
Reward: Almost no cash, Sadame's Tears +66.

- Do whatever you want and then leave.

The final mission is a recon mission, meaning you don't even have to go to the
beauty spot... Of course if you're a Shinobido Imashime veteran like me with a
strong emotional attachment to her classic voice acting, feel free to visit the
waterfall. It's just past the gate where you spawn. I even took a screenshot
which included a nearby wandering cat.

Either way, completionists will appreciate the Sadame's Tears. Those who liked
following the letter-based plot and the serious hints given off here will
likewise appreciate the inference from the item description.

                         <PLACEHOLDERS WOULD BE HERE>

Document Facts and Miscellany                                 		 (Sh13)

If it doesn't go anywhere else, it goes here.

Changelog                                                      	       (Sh13.1)

  +Version 0.1+

1st March 2012

- Added the following children to The Main Plot
  - Plot Progression Point 8
  - Plot Progression Point 9 (Daimyo's Mirror)

- Added the following children to Side Missions and Quests
  - Quest: The Heart of a Maiden
    - Mission: See What is Happening with Amurita
    - Mission: So Hungry...
    - Mission: Goodbye, My Beloved Beauty Spot

29th February 2012

- Added Table of Contents

- Added Preamble

- Added Introduction

- Added The Main Plot and the following children:
  - Training Mission 1 (Optional)
  - Training Mission 2 (Optional)
  - Training Mission 3 (Optional)
  - Training Mission 4 (Optional)
  - Plot Progression Point 1
  - Training Mission 5 (Optional)
  - Plot Progression Point 2
  - Mission: Steal the Mirror
  - Plot Progression Point 3
  - Mission: Steal the Tenma Mirror
  - Training Mission 6 (Optional)
  - Plot Progression Point 4
  - Mission: Pursue the Mosu Ninja!
  - Plot Progression Point 5
  - Mission: Pursue the Kenobi Ninja!
  - Plot Choice 1
    - Mission: Find the Roadsturn Mushroom!
    - Mission: Pursue Nagi the Anemone!
  - Plot Progression Point 6
  - Training Mission 7 (Optional)
  - Plot Progression Point 7

- Added Side Quests and Missions and the following children
  - Mission: A Chat with Shinanoya
  - Mission: Save the Kidnapped Girls

- Added Document Facts and Miscellany and the following children
  - Changelog
  - "Legal Notifications"
  - Credits
  - Contact

"Legal Notifications"                                          	       (Sh13.2)

Yeah I don't like how I've put it either, but it seems to be the standard...
This guide may be freely distributed provided the following issues are met:

- This document may not be altered without the express permission of Wigifer.
- Credit must be given to Wigifer in your link description, should you wish to
  link to it.
- If this is being uploaded to any website, express permission must be gained
  from Wigifer first.
  - This rule does not apply to GameFAQ's, whom may share with their partners
    as they see fit.
- Furthermore, minor credit must always be given in descriptions and the like
  to contributors.

Credits                                                        	       (Sh13.3)

...so far, just me! Wigifer! Contribute and you could be here too!

Contact                                                        	       (Sh13.4)

Simple. @Wigifer on Twitter, as well as wigifer on GameFAQs. Also use that
nickname in conjunction with at-hotmail-dot-com in order to e-mail me.

Unanswered Questions                                           	       (Sh13.5)

So here are some things I'm curious about. Some of it FAQ related, some of it
plot-based, some for my sanity...

- Does having the side mission day on a multiple of 5 force a new quest line?
  - Alternatively, did having a reputation of 80 with Kihan by then trigger it?

- Why did my main game cut the cutscene at the end of "Plot Progression 7"?
  - Did I really have to kill that Daimyo for the mirror?
  - Can it be replicated on a fresh playthrough by anyone? It cuts days...

- In Shinobido, what you had to do next was made clear... What on earth were
  the game script writers thinking by making certain areas a little vague?

- Why on earth are the Asuka remaining in their village when, after the events
  of the previous games, everyone knows their exact location and number?
  - Someone needs to point out to Zaji that the Daimyo are very much aware
    still that it's a bit of a ghost town, I think...

- [SPOILER FOR SHINOBIDO 1 & 2 HERE] How come Zaji thinks Zen is more suited to
  the mystic arts for Zenkoku when we know full well Gamuran loved Goh as an
  apprentice due to the fact that he actually had potential himself?

- [SPOILER FOR SHINOBIDO 1 & 2 HERE] Why in heaven is Zaji not just lending Zan
  Goh's alchemy pots? 5 ingredients, 255-999 contents. (Yes I know it's to do
  with new game mechanics and the like, but you get the idea...)

- [SPOILER FOR SHINOBIDO 1, HOMURA & 2 HERE] What exactly DID happen to Sadame
  to make her want to walk away? Which event triggered her to secretly slink
  off and give up her own faith?