Tenchu: Fatal Shadows

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows (published in Japan as "Tenchu Kurenai") is an action adventure stealth video game developed by K2 LLC and published by FromSoftware in Japan and Sega in North America and Europe for the PlayStation 2 in 2004. The PlayStation Portable version of the game, Tenchu Kurenai Portable, was released in Japan in 2010.

Much like Wrath of Heaven, the previous entry in the series, Fatal Shadows uses the same engine. The ability to drag the victims' dead bodies after a kill returns, a mechanic only previously seen in Tenchu 2 Birth of the Stealth Assassins and Tenchu Return From Darkness, the Xbox port of Wrath of Heaven. Instead of increasing Kanji points after a stealth kill, scrolls are gathered, and the number of required scrolls increases as the player progresses through the story. Double stealth kills are possible when two enemies are together, and each stealth kill has a name listed below as the animation plays out.

In a time of feudal wars, Rikimaru and Ayame, two ninjas of the Azuma Ninja Clan, served Lord Gohda by returning his precious daughter, Princess Kiku, from the hands of Lord Mei Oh. Unfortunately, Rikimaru was caught in a disastrous rockfall during his escape in an attempt to save Ayame and Princess Kiku and is still missing at this point in the story. After losing her clan member, Rikimaru, peace was maintained in Lord Gohda's lands. Several months after Rikimaru's disappearance, Ayame is tasked with patrolling Gohda's territory. One day in her travels, Ayame came across a decimated ninja village. She hoped to find survivors but arrived too late. An old shinobi she finds dies in her arms, whispering "Kuroya" with their final breaths. As she was about to leave, a young female ninja arrived and stood in her way. Her name was Rin, and she was devastated to see the village in ruins. Rin and Ayame briefly engage in combat, with Ayame emerging victorious. Ayame spares her and disappears. Since then, their fates become inextricably intertwined as the story progresses.

Rin is a playable character, and she replaces Rikimaru as the story's protagonist. The last of the Hagakure, her village was burned, and the Kuroya killed her family. Rin is a young girl trained in assassination and unarmed combat since childhood. She was born and raised in a small ninja village on the border of "Hagakure." After her village was destroyed, Rin sought to avenge the deaths of her loved ones, working as a hired assassin for "Lady Razor" Ogin. Upon encountering Ayame, the two briefly battle, although Rin soon realizes that the other kunoichi is not responsible for the destruction of her village. The pair then ally so that they may better achieve their agendas. Rin wields a sword called Natsume but prefers to fight in unarmed combat, much like Tesshu Fujioka and Tatsumaru. She seeks to avenge her slain kin.

The second playable character and a longtime member of the Azuma Ninja Clan dedicated to Lord Gohda Matsunoshin and his family. She is particularly close to Lord Gohda's daughter, Princess Kiku.

The PlayStation Portable version of the game, Tenchu Kurenai Portable, was released in Japan in 2010. The game has been optimized for the PSP's screen size, and featured tweaked graphics and a new character costumes.

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.