| Kinoshita Nobuyoshi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical information | |
| Born |
1608 |
| Died | |
| Political information | |
| Affiliations |
Toyotomi clan (birth - 1615) |
| Real-world information | |
| Appears in | |
Kinoshita Nobuyoshi (木下信義, 1608 -1647) was a samurai, and Grand Master of the Japanese Rite of the Templar Order from 1646 to 1647. Born as Toyotomi Kunimatsu, he became the last surviving member of the Toyotomi clan following its destruction at the end of the Siege of Osaka.
During the mid-17th century, Nobuyoshi and his fellow Templars came into conflict with the Preservers of Humanity and the last Assassin of the Japanese Brotherhood Takao Hayato. In 1647, he became Grand Master and led the search for the final piece of the Armor of Ares.
Biography[]
Early life[]
The son of Toyotomi Hideyori and his concubine Icha, Kunimatsu was born into Japan's ruling clan before the start of the Edo period. Before his birth however, his clan lost power to the Tokugawa shogunate in 1600. At the age of 6, his clan was besieged by the Tokugawa and on 3 June 1615 Kunimatsu's home was assaulted by his clan's rivals. In the ensuing chaos both his father and grandmother committed seppuku and the clan was promptly dissolved.
However, Kunimatsu escaped certain death with the aid of the Assassin Lonan Kavanagh and escaped to safety through hidden tunnels within Osaka Castle. Kunimatsu was separated from his mother, and one of his protectors died getting Kunimatsu to passage to Kyoto.
By January 1616, Kunimatsu became a street urchin and fought to survive. One day, he met Lonan once again when he was rescued from being beaten by a bunch of criminals. During this time, Lonan had abandoned the Assassin Brotherhood and deliberated joining the Templar Order. In that moment, he decided it was best and also brought Kunimatsu with him, believing a life under the Templars is better than a life on the streets.
Kunimatsu was taken to Bungo Province and Lonan requested sanctuary for Kunimatsu. The Grand Master Shimazu Tadatsune takes the steps to protect Kunimatsu, changing his name to Kinoshita Nobuyoshi; the name of his father's birth clan. As well as this, Tadatsune sent Nobuyoshi to live with the Takao clan at their estate - a Templar family.
Nobuyoshi would meet the members of the Takao clan - Haruto and his daughter Mariko. Haruto was a harsh man, both cold and indifferent to Nobuyoshi's presence which made him feel unwelcome when he first lived there. However, Mariko developed a close relationship with Nobuyoshi and always looked out for him, becoming a surrogate older sister of sorts.
During this time Lonan, now a Templar, would regularly visit the Takao estate to check on how Nobuyoshi was doing. Nobuyoshi and Lonan would also form a close relationship with Nobuyoshi viewing Lonan akin to an older brother. As well as this, during his visits Lonan would teach Nobuyoshi sword skills.
In 1619, Mariko fell pregnant as a result from a hidden affair between her and Lonan. Haruto eventually learned of this and in a public fashion, he condemned his daughter and promptly kicked her from the estate. Nobuyoshi begged and pleaded to let her stay but it fell on deaf ears, Nobuyoshi was devastated as he was forced to watch Mariko leave. From that day forth, Nobuyoshi grew to hate Haruto with a fierce passion.
Despite his hatred for Haruto and Haruto's initial indifference to Nobuyoshi, Haruto's demeanour toward Nobuyoshi changed. Now that his daughter was gone Haruto saw the boy as his only heir and took a more active role in being Nobuyoshi's guardian. Haruto began training Nobuyoshi, with the aim of eventually inducting him into the Templar Order in 1628.
Search for Mariko[]
Following Nobuyoshi's induction into the Templar Order, he began a mission of his own - to locate Mariko and her child. In secret and against Haruto's wishes, Nobuyoshi led a lone search which lasted several months. Nobuyoshi had managed to track down a woman who lived alone with her child, matching Mariko's description, in Edo. Travelling there, he located her and her child's old dwelling in a poorer area of Edo. However, he found their home abandoned.
Nobuyoshi would then seek information, asking the locals if anyone was aware of what happened to Mariko. After some time, he finally got the answers he needed but didn't want to hear. He was told that Mariko had become a mercenary to provide for her and her son, Hayato, but she developed a deadly illness a year prior. Nobuyoshi would then discover that Mariko and her son mysteriously disappeared and it was assumed that she had died and her son went missing.
The young Templar was subsequently shocked and heartbroken to learn of the fate of the woman he had considered a sister. Heartbreak would eventually turn to rage, knowing that Mariko would likely have not developed an illness if she had lived in better conditions, that none of this would have happened if Haruto hadn't disowned her and kicked her out from his his estate. Fuelled by anger and hatred, Nobuyoshi would promptly return to Osaka and confront Haruto and angrily chastise him for how he handled Mariko's pregnancy, then revealing to him that she had died and her son likely so as well.
Haruto showed no emotion to hearing this, holding firm that he no longer saw her as his daughter since he had kicked her out and was unbothered at her death. As well as this, he was even more pleased to hear of the potential death of his grandson, not wanting a bastard "half-breed" as his heir. After hearing this, Nobuyoshi flew into a frenzy and killed his legal guardian.
Upon realising what he'd done, Nobuyoshi quickly worked to make Haruto's death look like a suicide and spun a story to explain why he would have done so - linking it to Mariko's death. No one knew the true story behind Haruto's death until Nobuyoshi confided in Lonan some years later.
Lonan's return[]
In 1635, Lonan would return to Japan with news on his quest to recover the Chestplate of Ares. Alongside the other Templars, he reunited with Lonan who informed them that he was intercepted by a group of Preservers whom seized the Chestplate from him which would set the Templars' goals of New World Order back. During their meeting, unbeknownst to them at this time they were being tailed by Lonan's son, Takao Hayato, an Assassin in training who overheard their conversation and the subsequent plans to reacquire the Chestplate.
A few days later, Lonan would express his desire to reunite with Mariko. However, he would learn from a guilt-ridden Nobuyoshi that he killed Haruto. Shocked upon learning this information, he asks why Nobuyoshi resorted to this. The young Templar then reveals to him that Mariko fell pregnant shortly before he left Japan, and when Haruto found out he threw her out. Lonan would also learn that Mariko died from an illness in Edo, and the whereabouts of his son were unknown. After Nobuyoshi tearfully confesses this, Lonan comforts his surrogate younger brother while holding back his own emotions.
Nobuyoshi would aid Lonan in searching for the Chestplate for the next 2 years, meanwhile the Templars orchestrated an uprising in Shimabara and Amakusa with the aim to depose the Tokugawa shogunate. However, this plan failed with the sudden deaths of Itakura Shigemasa and Mori Sōiken. During this time, Tadatsune would pass away and Lonan assumed the mantle of Grand Master. At some point, through his Templar connections, Nobuyoshi becomes a daimyo.
Encountering the last Assassin[]
Three years later, Nobuyoshi and his fellow Templars began to grow increasingly suspicious of the Assassins' resurgence following the recent deaths of a multitude of Templars during this time. On 26 April, Nobuyoshi would meet with Hosokawa Tadoshi and Mukai Tadakatsu as the latter had news on the Chestplate's location. During this meeting Nobuyoshi learns that an important shipment is set to be sent to China from Dejima within a week's time. Having retrieved the shipment records, he learned that it is to be acquired by Sun Chuanting upon its arrival. Nobuyoshi questions how certain Mukai is that this is the Chestplate and he confesses that he doesn't and that it is a hunch.
During this meeting, he noticed Hayato had been tailing them and finally announces his awareness of the Assassin's presence. Forced out of hiding, Hayato shows himself and Nobuyoshi expresses his surprise that there were any Assassins left, impressed at their persistence. Hayato remains silent and Nobuyoshi orders Mokou and Hosokawa to flee and prepares to deal with Hayato. However, Hayato decides to assassinate Mokou and Hosokawa first - leaving Nobuyoshi for another time. The Assassin detonates a smoke grenade and scales his way to the top of a rooftop - avoiding combat with Nobuyoshi and heading after Mokou and Hosokawa.
A week later, Nobuyoshi travels to Dejima in order to acquire the shipment. Nobuyoshi uses his authority to force a Preserver to hand over the Chestplate, however, both are aware of the other's true nature. The negotiations draw out and Hayato, who had been watching from afar, seizes the opportunity to sneak his way onto the ship and attempt to steal the Chestplate back. However, when Nobuyoshi forces his way on to the ship he discovers Hayato. The Assassin, Templar and Preserver then proceed to enter a stand-off with Nobuyoshi demanding he hand it over. Following Hayato's refusal, Nobuyoshi attacks Hayato and the two engage in a duel. Hayato easily dispatches Nobuyosh's guards but the Templar is too skilled to be easily defeated.
Their duel results in Hayato and Nobuyoshi getting knocked overboard and falling onto the docks below. In the chaos, the Preserver takes advantage of the situation and immediately orders the ship to depart to Shanxi. Hayato and Nobuyoshi are too distracted and when its too late, realise the ship has departed. During their duel, Nobuyoshi looks into Hayato's eyes and finds a sense of familiarity in them. However, their duel is promptly stopped by the authorities who arrive in defence of Nobuyoshi.
Hayato flees but is eventually captured and taken to Kodenma-chō at Nobuyoshi's orders, who grows curious about the Assassin, wishing to question him. Returning to Lonan, he informs him of what transpired and Lonan orders this Assassin's death but Nobuyoshi requests to hold off on that alluding to a hunch he has. Trusting his second-in-command, he allows Nobuyoshi to conduct whatever he wishes.
Interrogating Takao Hayato[]
Nobuyoshi arrives to in Kodenma-chō to speak with the Assassin. Nobuyoshi surmises that Hayato is probably confused on why he's alive after having committed such a serious offence. He proceeds to explain to him that he has used his status as daimyo to delay his execution.
Hayato inquires why and Nobuyoshi confesses that he was curious, telling him he looked familiar. Now more so that his face has been revealed, he asks Hayato his name. When he reveals his name, Nobuyoshi is visibly surprised leading him to ask who his mother is. Apprehensive, Hayato asks why he wishes to know and Nobuyoshi, answers revealing that he knew Mariko in his youth. Nobuyoshi explains that he lived with her and her father but was thrown out when it was discovered she was pregnant with a European's child. Hayato realises that Nobuyoshi did indeed know his mother but decides to keep it to himself for now.
Nobuyoshi then tells Hayato that he searched for her over a decade prior, only to find out that she had died and her son, Hayato, had gone missing. He again asks if Hayato is this child but the Assassin remains coy. Despite this, he silence is telling and Nobuyoshi deduces that Hayato is indeed Mariko and Lonan's son, his demeanour changes from hostile to joy. Hayato is surprised at this as he watched Nobuyoshi quietly celebrate that Mariko's child survived and that a piece of her lives on through him. However, he then realises that they are both on opposite sides of the conflict which leads Nobuyoshi to ask where he received his Assassin training.
Hayato refuses to answer, merely stating that he will escape and continue to foil the Templars' plans. Saddened to hear this, Nobuyoshi expresses his belief that the Assassins' "faulty Creed" has already corrupted him, but believes that he can "still be saved". With that, Nobuyoshi leaves, telling Hayato that he will be back at some point.
The next day, Nobuyoshi returns to Hayato and immediately, the Assassin asks what happened to the Chestplate and Nobuyoshi irritatedly blames him for its loss - confessing that Lonan has travelled to China in order to seek it. Moving on, Nobuyoshi once again tries to convince Hayato to abandon his goal of joining the Assassins, expressing that it pained him to be at odds with Mariko's child. This leads to Hayato asking what his relationship was to his mother, Nobuyoshi then reveals that Lonan saved him when he was a child and he was then placed in the care of Mariko and Hayato's grandfather. He explains that she looked out for him and that he came to care for her, seeing her as a sister.
Nobuyoshi also reveals that the reason why Hayato was forced to grow up in poverty was due to Hayato's grandfather banishing her from their estate. The Templar takes the opportunity to push his ideals on to Hayato through his past and the death of his mother, stating that in a world controlled by the Templar Order there would be no poverty, no suffering, and that all would be equal. Despite this, Hayato deems the cost too great - disagreeing with robbing humanity of what makes them unique, as well as recalling the deaths of various innocents in the rebellion due to the Templars' influence. Annoyed at this, Nobuyoshi's demeanour shifts and he states that he has a chance to leave if he sides with them.
However, Hayato expresses he'd rather die for a cause he believed in. Angered, Nobuyoshi tells him that it can be arranged before once again leaving. Nobuyoshi spends the next month attempting to convince Hayato to join the Templars, but when he sees that the Assassin remains convicted in his beliefs. He begrudgingly decides that he cannot save Hayato and calls for his execution. Despite this, Hayato manages to escape.
Overseeing the Templars[]
In Lonan's absence, he was assigned to to oversee the Templars' operations in Japan. This would last for three years, and during this time Nobuyoshi ordered an attack on the Hashimoto estate in May 1644 - still bitter at Hayato's conversion to the Assassin Brotherhood. Leading this attack, he ordered the destruction of the estate and personally duelled Hashimoto Kenshin, killing him.
When Lonan returned a few days later without the Chestplate and learned of Nobuyoshi's actions, an enraged Lonan reprimands him. He tells his apprentice that any chance of Hayato being talked out of his Assassin goals has now been ruined with the death of his mentor. As well as this, he is saddened to hear of the death of his old friend. Nobuyoshi apologises for this, frustrated at himself for ruining any chance of converting Hayato.
The last Templar[]
By 1645, Nobuyoshi's crucial mistake had caught up to them and Hayato embarked on a killing spree across Japan, assassinating high-ranking Templars. In June of that year, Hayato assassinated Miyamoto Musashi and recovered incriminating documents which implicated Nobuyoshi in treason. Aware that their numbers were dwindling and their influence was weakening across Japan, Lonan placed his hope and ambitions in Nobuyoshi and sent him off into hiding with the Sword and Shield of Ares, to rebuild the Templar Order in secret.
Lonan elected to remain within the fort on the outskirts of Heian-kyō which they had used as a base of operations since 1638, in the hopes of being able to talk his son out of his crusade when he eventually came for him. If not, he would have at least wasted enough time for Nobuyoshi to successfully go into hiding.
Heeding his leader's orders Nobuyoshi goes into hiding, eventually learning that his mentor had been killed by his son and the duties of Grand Master had fallen to him. Nobuyoshi would spend a year covering his tracks while also searching for Isu shrines across Japan after having learned that to truly harnass the combined power of the Armor of Ares he would need assistance from one of the many Isu shrines located across the world.
Death[]
After locating a shrine in Bungo Province, Nobuyoshi intentionally makes his presence known to draw Hayato to him so he could seize the Chestplate from him. Eventually, Hayato locates him within the Isu structue beneath the Yasuhara shrine and he reveals to him that he had intentionally led Hayato to the Precursor structure. Attacking him with Ares' Sword, Hayato manages to barely defend himself against the blast through blocking it with the Chestplate, but the force of the blast knocks him back and causes him to drop it.
Nobuyoshi then races Hayato to grab the Chestplate and he successfully beats him to it by attacking Hayato with the combined strength of the Sword and Shield. Hayato is knocked into a pillar, but also sees that the Armor is taking its toll on Nobuyoshi.
The Assassin quickly devises a plan to weaken Nobuyoshi through forcing him to extenstively use the powers of the Armor. Nobuyoshi declares that he will create a world ruled by the Templars once he has dealt with Hayato. Utilising his stealth, Hayato forces Nobuyoshi to senselessly attack him. After repeatedly evading his attacks and hiding throughout the crypt, Hayato successfully manages to wear out Nobuyoshi. The Assassin subsequently seizes the opportunity to finish off Nobuyoshi,
Before dying, Nobuyoshi remorsefully wishes that he could have honored Lonan and Mariko, taking their son under his wing and ushering in a New World together. He expresses his desire to have become Hayato's brother. Despite this, Hayato argues that Lonan had been more of a father to Nobuyoshi than he was to him, and that his mother would have never agreed with the Templar ideals if she knew about them. Choking on his blood, defeatedly, Nobuyoshi states that they will never know.
Trivia[]
- Nobuyosh is based on the real historical figure Toyotomi Kunimatsu, who was killed in 1615 by the Tokugawa shogunate. However, it was rumored and theorised that he survived and took on the name Kinoshita Nobuyoshi, founding a new branch of his father's birth clan.