Introduction
The inhabitants of Gohda Castle are uneasy. A power struggle between Lord Gohda Matsunoshin and his uncle, Motohide, threatens the very fabric of an otherwise peaceful society. In a final act of betrayal Motohide has conspired with a vicious rival warlord called Toda Yoshisada, a dangerous liaison that will later cost him his life.Tenchu 2 is set in feudal Japan at a time which predates the original Tenchu: Stealth Assassins game. At times of unrest Godha looks to the Azuma Ninja for assistance, however this year the Master of the Azuma Ninja, Shiunsai, has retired. Restoring peace to the province will fall on the shoulders of Shiunsai’s three young disciples, Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru. Tatsumaru, the eldest of the three, is entrusted with the Azuma sacred weapon, Izayoi.

Just as Gohda has ninja he can rely on, the Nyogetsu ninja clan stands in service of Toda. They are led by a kunoichi , Lady Kagami . However unknown to Toda, Kagami has a dream, a dream of where the ninja rule the world, and she will stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

The Red Lotus
And so the story unfolds. The treacherous Motohide launches an attack on Gohda castle killing Gohda’s wife, Kei, and kidnapping his daughter, Princess Kiku. Toda has no intention of honouring his partnership with Motohide and kills him. It seems that betrayal does come at a price. Kagami sensing a chance for her dream to be realised decides to remove the shackles of her master and takes his head. She unites the ninja willing to follow her under an organization called “The Burning Dawn”. The Azuma ninja help defend the castle and rescue the princess but things are about to get worse. In a battle with Kagami, Tatsumaru falls into the sea and is presumed dead.

Shifting Sands
In the months that pass Lord Gohda repairs his castle. Unknown to him and the Azuma ninja Kagami’s group, The Burning Dawn, are on the offensive. But to become a great power needs many things, one of which being a workforce. Tatsumaru did in fact survive the fall but in doing so lost his memory. He assumes the position of one of the four Lords of the Burning Dawn. It is his job to kidnap villagers to work on Kagami’s ultimate weapon to defeat Gohda, The Fire Demon, a powerful battle ship.Eventually the news of the disappearance of some villagers reaches Gohda. He asks Rikimaru and Ayame to investigate. They uncover a Mountain and Island Fort where villagers are being held and set them free. As an act of defiance Kagami unleashes attacks on a Quarantine village and the Azuma village resulting in the death of Azuma Master Shiunsai by Tatsumaru’s hand. It is rather ironic that Izayoi takes the life of the master who used to wield it. Rikimaru and Ayame pursue Tatsumaru to reclaim the ancestral sword and to avenge their master’s death.

Solitude
With the Fire Demon built, Kagami leads an assault on Gohda castle. It is up to Rikimaru and Ayame to stop her and Tatsumaru. By this stage Tatsumaru’s memory has returned but he has fallen in love with Lady Kagami and decides to stay with her. Ayame and Rikimaru infiltrate the Fire Demon . Ayame has an encounter with Tatsumaru and fights him.She wins the fight but before she can kill him, Tatsumaru takes his own life, to pay for his sins.Ayame retrieves Izayoi from the dead Tatsumaru and passes it over to Rikimaru for his final fight against Kagami ! Rikimaru defeats Kagami and the Fire Demon is destroyed, set on fire by Gohda’s archers . Is Kagami’s dream gone too ? The Burning Dawn are defeated, but one of the four Lords, Suzaku, survives. After being killed by Rikimaru he resurrects from the dead in the fires of Kagami’s burning dream . He has his own goals and motivations though, to be revealed 7 years later in Tenchu – Stealth Assassins ! Watch out for Onikage!