Teenager Recca Hanabishi is always up for a good-natured tussle with his friends. That's because he's famous at school and around town for being a super ninja geek.Armed with the power to control flame, Recca suddenly finds himself in an awkward situation. On the day he pledges his undying ninja allegiance to a pretty classmate named Yanagi Sakoshita, a mysterious older woman pops into his life. Is she good? Is she evil? What exactly does she want?And what's the deal with tomboy, Fuko Kirisawa? She's got the power of wind at her command. Does she want to smash our hero to smithereens, or does she simply want to kiss him?
But now, Recca comes face to face with his most troublesome foe yet. Introducing Mikagami, the water swordsman. Will water douse the flame of Recca? Or will the young ninja hotshot burn brighter than ever before?
One man's mad quest to live forever inspires a deadly plot to kidnap young Yanagi Sakoshita. The key to life everlasting lies with the schoolgirls's extraordinary ability to heal the wounded. If Yanagi can cure the sick perhaps she can also stay inevitable death.Now it's up to teenage ninja Recca Hanabishi to protect his vulnerable charge.It's a matter of life and death for Recca and his two faithful sidekicks, Domon and Fuko. Is eternal life a possibility? And if so, why must someone sacrifice his (or her) life to achieve it?
With each new day, Recca Hanabishi discovers a little bit more about his family and himself. And the more he learns, the more confused he gets.For example: What's the deal with the Hokage Ningun? And why does Recca's destiny seem to be linked to this ancient Japanese ninja clan? Every family has its secrets and Recca is about to discover his.But first he must defeat his arch-nemesis Kurei and the evil horde he commands. Recca has the power of fire within him, but he's never met someone like the Living Flame. Talk about bad luck, Recca quickly finds out that he's no match for a fire that burns supernova!
Even though he possesses the ability to bend fire to his will, Recca Hanabishi continues to covet the Flame of the Eight Dragons. With their combined voltage at his disposal, Recca willbe an indestructible fiery dynamo. But power like that doesn't come neatly wrapped in a gift box. The hotheaded teenager must first prove that he is mature enough to handle such awesome responsibility.In the meantime, Recca and his crew are forced to wage war during the deadly Urabutosatsujin festival. Their opponent in the first round is Team Ku, the most feared assassins in all of Japan. If Recca's crew can't squash this foe, they must forfeit the life of poor Yanagi Sakoshita!
After an exhaustive and hard fought battle, Recca Hanabishi and Team Hokage have earned the right to advance to the second round of a deadly win-or-die combat tournament.But before they can enjoy the spoils of warfare, they must jump into the fray one more time. In the next round, they square off against a group of assassins answering to Recca's older half-brother, Kurei.For 400 years, Kurei's been jealous of his brother's privileged status in the ancient and secret Hokage Ninja Clan. With genetically altered bodies containing the DNA of wild animals, Kurei is hoping his assembly of assassins will do what he's never been able to do: kill Recca!
Once a year, the world's most ruthless assassins band together under the Death Dome for a deadly martial arts tournament. It's kill or be killed in this annual clash of the team titans.Forced to participate in this bloody headbangers ball, Recca and his crew have thus far defeated every opponent they've met. But, really, what choice do they have? At stake is the life of young Yanagi Sakoshita, the girl who Recca has vowed to protect forever.Recca's gift is his power to manipulate fire. But the teenage ninja also hosts the power of the Eight-Headed Dragon inside him. When Team Hokage's latest foe discovers a way to release one of these dragons, even Recca must bow to the serpent's cruel and temperamental anger.
Watch out! There's trouble brewing within the ranks of Team Hokage. When Recca catches sweet Yanagi on a midnight stroll with Tokiya, he erupts in a flame of jealousy. The fiery ninja and the cool water swordsman have never been the best of friends and now they're clawing at each other's throats at the worst possible time.The pair's tenuous alliance is coming apart at the seams just as they are about to face their next foe in the on-going Urabutosatsujin tournament. Everyone knows fire and water don't mix. Now the question remains: Will Recca and Tokiya be able to put their differences aside in order to save themselves from certain death?
Things are getting more and more complicated for Recca and his coterie. Advancing to the semifinal round of the bloody Urabutosatsujin tournament, Team Hokage now faces a group of super assassins harboring their own secret agenda.Stepping into the arena, Recca confronts an opponent wielding the exact same powers of flame that he himself possesses. The stage is set for the ultimate showdown. One way or another, Recca has to figure out a way to defeat the flame of Recca!!
As a 400-year-old teenage ninja, Recca Hanabishi has recently vowed to protect the life of a pretty classmate named Yanagi Sakoshita. With the power of flame at his command, the hotshot shinobi is not shy about roasting a punk (or two) over a roaring fire.But now, a battle-weary Recca finds himself grappling with someone known as "The Invincible One." As he looks down the barrel of the Demon Cannon, our hero begins to wonder: how do you defeat an indestructible enemy with an arsenal of human souls at his command?!!
Gifted with the power to command fire, Recca Hanabishi is a teenage ninja whose vow to protect his pretty classmate Yanagi Sakoshita has dragged him and his loyal friends into a bloody tournament of the world's most dangerous assassins!Having reached the semifinals, Recca's Team Hokage must find a way to defeat "The Invincible One," a wily opponent who has trapped Fuko in another dimension and conjured up an illusion to battle the unsuspecting Domon! Meanwhile, the stakes grow higher with the return of an arch-nemesis and a supreme sacrifice made by a trusted friend!
Becoming a ninja is just a childhood dream for 16-year-old Recca, until a fateful encounter reveals he has inherited ninja powers, including the ability to wield fire! As Recca learns to master the ancient ways of his ancestors, he struggles to protect a mysterious girl named Yanagi from forces bent on possessing her extraordinary healing powers...The final round of the assassins' tournament has begun! With opponents like a warrior impervious to pain and a hooded swordsman with a fearsome slice, Recca's Team Hokage has its hands full--especially Recca, who is forced to fight his own dragons!
Recca's teammate Tokiya learns the horrible truth about his sister's murder while facing a nemesis whose choice of weapon is beyond anything he imagined. In the ensuing battle, the usually cool-headed Tokiya finds himself fighting by the skin of his teeth!
Soon into their battle, Recca's friend Fuko smashes her opponent, Uruha-Kurenai's Mikoto, and discovers that she has been fighting a machine. The girl controlling it swipes Fuko with her poisonous metal claw, and out of carelessness, Fuko takes a scratch that leaves her with only five minutes left to live!
The assassins' brutal tournament is finally drawing to a close. Recca's teammate Kaoru unleashes the legendary Sixth Mode of his blade, the Kôgon Ankin, against the slippery Joker. And Recca faces down his psychotic stepbrother Kurei. Their fight isn't just about who gets to take home Yanagi--it's a battle that will decide who the rightful leader of the Hokage clan really is!
Recca and Kurei now face each other in a decisive showdown. Both armed with the incredible power to control flames, they are locked in the final battle of the deadly assassins' brutal tournament. Worn down from the fight, they both unleash one fantastic final blow that destroys the massive coliseum they battle in. From the rubble the winner will appear...but who will it be?
The assassins' tournament is over and the victorious Hokage team are taking a well-deserved rest. Unfortunately, their lounging about is cut short by a sudden attack from a group of trained killers. Recca and crew give it everything they've got but still get their butts kicked! How in the world will Recca ever get out of this one? Plus, Recca's psychotic brother has survived their fight and is now totally ticked off!
Recca and crew are deep in a spooky cave seeking out a dangerous weapon known as Tendo Jigoku, which in the wrong hands will spell disaster for the world. But it's a race against time as their nemesis--the bloodthirsty madman Mori--is seeking it as well. After getting lost in the cave, the group decides to split up. Things take a turn for the worse when Domon and Fuko find themselves in a fight to the death with two warriors who easily defeated them both once before. Can they muster up enough tough stuff to out-rough these ruffians?
Split up in an underground cave, Recca and crew square off against deadly opponents! Kaoru battles a warrior with mechanical arms that can bend, extend and twist in a number of deadly ways. The cool-headed Tokiya fights menacing Mokuren, who's part wood, part man and totally diabolical. And Recca must face a foe that forces him to choose who among his closest allies will live! Plus Fuko fights a creepy creep that has a fetish for dolls--Fuko dolls that is!
Deep within the dangerous underground network of caves, Recca and crew are reunited in front of the gate that leads to the terrifying weapon known as the Tendo Jigoku. There they are confronted by a foe who has the power to read minds! How can you fight someone who can predict all your moves? Luckily, the practically mindless Domon is there to take up the challenge! Meanwhile Fuko squares off against a strange opponent armed with a deadly pot--a soul-sucking pot, to be exact! Will she be able to overcome the pot or will she end up in it?
The Hokage overcome deadly obstacles in an underground maze of death and pass through the final gates to claim their prize--the Tendo Jigoku. But Recca's nemesis, the power-hungry Kôran Mori, and his two deadly bodyguards have beaten them to it! Mori merges with the Tendo Jigoku and becomes virtually unstoppable. Now Recca must decide: Does the survival of the Hokage depend on an unlikely alliance with one of their worst enemies?
After destroying the Tendo-Jigoku, Recca and his friends return to their normal lives. But school doesn't stay boring for long! When Yanagi disappears, Recca sets out to save her before her soul is sucked dry by power-hungry Koran Mori. But this time, he may not have what it takes to battle his way back to safety. A new opponent is lurking in the shadows, and just about nobody thinks Recca is ready for a rumble with Resshin!
As Recca prepares for battle with Resshin, the rest of his team goes solo: Kaoru is back to school, and Domon takes a real job at the family flower shop. A surprise gift moves Fuko even closer to her final challenge, and Neon embarks on a quest for Jissho's lost sword. But behind the calm, danger looms. Koran is making alliances with more of Recca's enemies, and when Recca finally faces Resshin, a secret identity will be revealed that will change everything forever!
Finally, Recca gets to meet the eighth Karyu...his dad! Now, a mission that ended in tragedy more than 400 years ago puts some serious family-honor pressure on Recca to keep Yanagi safe from Koran Mori. Meanwhile, Yanagi's memory is almost wiped clean. And even a full-on assault from Recca and his pals might not be enough to crush Koran's army of monsters, all created from his own devious DNA!
The final battle has begun, pitting ultimate good against ultimate evil! On one side: the power-mad Koran Mori, now transformed into an insatiable monster determined to destroy Yanagi's life-giving power. On the other side: Team Hokage and an army of friends and allies. To save Yanagi, Recca and his friends must penetrate Koran Mori's fortress, a secret mountain laboratory crammed with genetically engineered monsters and a supernatural army of darkness. Faced with everything from bandage-tossing mummies to giant robot maids, can the forces of light prevail?