The newly-united nation of Ashina was, in theory, a safe place. The Ashina Shogunate was concerned with the safety of all its citizens, from the cosmopolitan cities to the most rural of villages. Feral yokai, bandits and other such ne'er-do-wells were cracked down upon heavily, at least around the cities. However, the enforcement of Ashina's laws was not perfect. Many places, especially in the south of the country, were under-policed, and the guards that did roam these places were vulgar, uncouth bullies.

The Yurei, one of the survivors of the Winter Isle massacre and one of the two warriors to kill Kinugawa, had long since become a demon herself, a vengeful ghost. During her travels after the war, she noticed many razed villages, struggling to get back onto their feet. The government was stretched thin, and unable to help these people rebuild.

The Yurei took in the young men of these villages, the soldiers who had been swept up from their lives and thrown away at the first opportunity. With this manpower, she formed the Ninkyou Dantai (仁侠団体, 'Chivalrous Organisation'), an army of peasants who tattooed their skin with elaborate designs, busted the heads of those who threatened the peasantry, and generally caused trouble for the government and other bandit groups.

Over time, some offshoots of the Ninkyou Dantai veered from their mission, and became violent thugs no better than the bandits they were formed to fight. Yurei's clan, however, opposed those who'd lost their way, bringing them back into the fold wherever possible. While demons and bandits were a less common sight, Ninkyou Dantai gang wars were the leading cause of death within Kansai for a long time.