Who Are the Fuma's Rappa Band (Four Companies) (Fuma clan)?
Fuma's 200 followers, split into four companies
The Rappa of Fuma
Fuma's Rappa Band was the group of 200 men who, according to the Hojo Godaiki, were retained by the Hojo clan and worked under Fuma. Rappa is a word for ninja, said to have been used mainly in the Kanto region of eastern Japan. Divided into four companies of mountain bandits, pirates, robbers, and thieves, they are described as outlaws who excelled in cunning and strategy.
They appear in episodes 3 and 4 of this manga. Gathering under their chief, Fuma, they carry out the night raids at the Kise River, crossing the water night after night to loose horses and set fires in the Takeda camp. By throwing a great army into chaos from within, they become the hidden stars of the story.
The original text does not name any of the rappa individually. The ninja of Iga and Koga are presented in a book that teaches the "ninja's heart," while Fuma's rappa put a thief's skills directly to use in war, showing a different face of the ninja.
Episodes featuring this character2
NEWEpisode 3
Summon the Seven-Foot Ninja With FangsFuma Kotaro
With the vast Takeda army camped across the river and a decision due by dawn, young commander Hojo Ujinao summons the Fuma, men his retainers sneer at as common thieves. Out of the dark steps a man over seven feet tall, with four fangs and a voice said to carry for miles.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 4
No Swords Drawn. An Army Fell.The Fuma Night Raids at Kisegawa
Night after rainy night, Fuma Kotaro's ninja cross the river, set horses loose, light fires, and raise war cries. They never draw a single sword, yet the great Takeda army crumbles. On the final night, a young soldier driven mad by fear turns his blade on the man who looked out for him. Then, bare-handed, he steps between comrades about to cut each other down.
20 pages