Momiji

Momiji is a very gentle and caring young woman who is seen by the Hayabusa Village children as an older sister figure, whom they look up to.

Like her mentor, Ryu Hayabusa, Momiji has a strong will and refuses to accept any vulnerabilities and trains extensively to become one of the deadliest warriors in the Hayabusa Village.

She is very polite, even to her opponents, saying to them before a match that it is an honor to meet and combat them. After a match she will thank her opponent or even wish them better luck next time, rather than gloating like many other fighters. However, a slightly mischievous side of her is revealed in her taunts, which have her yawning cutely or sarcastically gasping and complimenting her foe's performance.

Along with her older sister Kureha, Momiji was raised to be a Dragon Shrine Maiden. She was tasked with keeping the ancient relics passed down to the Hayabusa village from the ancient Dragon lineage and carrying out the shrine maiden's rites and rituals to purify the world of malicious evil forces. Among the relics that the Dragon Shrine Maidens are tasked with guarding is the Eye of the Dragon, a jewel said to contain the souls of the ancient Dragons.

Unlike Kureha, Momiji was spared the fate of her older sister during the Dark Dragon Blade Incident. At the time, Momiji was away from the village on an errand only to come back to a ruined village. She was devastated by the loss of the many lives, especially her elder sister. Momiji began training under Ryu as a precaution and ended up becoming a skilled kunoichi along with her shrine maiden abilities for the sake of the Hayabusa village. She supports and follows her master whenever he comes around. Before she finally appears in DOA tournament.

Appearance: Momiji is a beautiful and slender young woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail and hazel eyes. She originally wore a white standard Hayabusa ninja garb, but later adopts an outfit with a sleeveless white top with red ribboned edges, red kunoichi styled pants, and black and gold high-heeled boots.

In Ninja Gaiden 3, she carries the Eye of the Dragon as a necklace, and uses it to amplify her spiritual powers, such as using it to heal Ryu when he is found unconscious near the Hayabusa village.

Powers and Abilities:

❀ Agility: Momiji is quick and agile, able to briefly move at hypersonic speeds leaving after images of herself.

❀ Strength: Her strength level is that of a female human of her age and fitness level who engages in intense training in order to protect her clan.

❀ Acrobatics: Like most ninja, Momiji is able to easily move between platforms, jump off of and briefly run on walls.

❀ Durability: Momiji has almost superhuman durability. She can take hits that would be lethal to the average human, like bullets, daggers and magic fireballs.

❀ Hand to Hand Combat: Momiji has proficient training in Hayabusa style ninjutsu.

❀ Ninja Sense: A Ninja ability that allows her to sense her path, and evil spirits in her proximity.

❀ Exorcisms: As a shrine maiden, Momiji is proficient at channeling her ki to purify haunted locations and evil forces.

❀ Spiritual Regeneration: Momiji's ability to heal fatal wounds with her spiritual life-force, until it is depleted.

Ninpo:

❀ Art of the Crimson Lotus: A divine ninpo that transforms dancing leaves into flames that incinerate evil in a vortex of purifying fire. The sacred flames will only burn the wicked, leaving the innocent unscathed.

❀ Autumn Flame: A technique where Momiji uses a small amount of ki to unleash a fireball.

Weapons & Equipment:

❀ Katana: A basic katana sword used by the ninjas of the Hayabusa clan. Momiji mastered the use of this weapon under Ryu Hayabusa's tutelage.

❀ Heavenly Dragon Naginata: A "Shizuka" type naginata weapon kept by the Dragon Shrine Maidens, it is said to be carved from the tailbone of a dragon. This is Momiji's main weapon.

❀ Heavensong Bow: A bow used by the Dragon Shrine Maidens in rituals, where Shrine Maidens would pluck the bowstring like an instrument to drive away evil spirits.

❀ Kunai: Ninja throwing knives. Momiji uses these as they have the same functionality as Shurikens.