Shotaro Yukimura

Shotaro Yukimura (雪村翔太郎, Yukimura Shōtarō) is the older brother of Gentaro Yukimura. After the death of their mother they were sold to the Byakushin Cult as sacrifices, but managed to survive and join them. Now following the mission they are given, they are part of The White Lotus, Byakushin's assassin who work to overthrow the shogunate.

1858
When Shotaro's and Gentaro's mother got sick, they were told to find a priest from a specific temple. They managed to make him to help, although the priest knew it was too late for their mother. In their mother's final moments, she told them to be strong, since the weak die. For short they stayed with the priest, but after he died too, they left on their own journey trying to survive.

While travelling they found a tied woman who wanted help, but then the man who tied her came. As they hid and wondered what to do, the man started raping the woman. As Shotaro overcame his fear, he decided to help her and using his father's katana, he sneaked behind the man and stabbed him in the back. As the woman thanked them, she was killed by Asakusa, who with other men was send to get her head back. Seeing the strength of Asakusa, Shotaro wanted to become his students in order to become strong. Asakusa eventually decided to take them to a place where they will be fed and trained and slew the other men, in order to take their cut too and asked Shotaro and Gentaro to say they killed them.

Shotaro and Gentaro where brought to Byakushin village, where they were sold as sacrifices by Asakusa and kept as prisoners. On the next day, the boys were separated and Shotaro was taken by men, stripped and cleansed in hot water for his sins. As Shotaro was held prisoner, he was fed by a boy with a sword, so Shotaro expressed his desire to become a samurai too, but the boy Asaji, looked down on him and told him that in 6 days he will be executed at their annual ceremony.

On the following days, Asakusa visited Shotaro and explained him his situation and offered him a wooden sword to train and be given a chance to survive. He tough him some basic moves and then left him train on his own. Shotaro practised non-stop until the day for his execution came. On his way to the arena, where he would face Asaji, he saw Gentaro yelling his name. Shotaro promised Gentaro that he will survive. Shotaro then faced Asaji in the arena, but the difference in skill was obvious and Asaji was toying with him. Yet Shotaro managed to make a surprising move, stricking Asaji's right leg, but it turned that Shotaro's sword was dull, so he couldn't cut him.