Momochi Sandayū commands the Iga ninja hierarchy as a clan chief, enforcing rigid adherence to tradition through calculated oversight of operative training and missions. His leadership merges strategic precision with merciless pragmatism, valuing mission success above all interpersonal bonds. He personally assesses recruits like Oyu during initiation rites, scrutinizing their nude forms to evaluate physical readiness—a practice cementing the clan’s doctrine of discipline and the reduction of members to strategic assets. This ritual shapes operatives into instruments of espionage, priming them for roles such as Oyu’s infiltration of a daimyo’s household as a concubine-spy. When Oyu and Shishimaru desert their posts, Momochi intercepts them, demanding compliance with clan codes. He offers Shishimaru a duel for freedom, then deploys a substitution technique to redirect the killing blow onto Oyu—a deliberate gambit showcasing his psychological warfare expertise and readiness to sacrifice subordinates to cement loyalty. The act exemplifies his creed: ninja must excise personal attachments to serve clan objectives. He rebukes Shishimaru’s emotional fragility as a fatal flaw, framing ninja as tools of combat devoid of individual agency. Lives, in his calculus, hold merit solely through utility to the Iga’s survival. Though his methods seem antagonistic, they stem from unwavering dedication to preserving the clan’s autonomy amid external threats. His decisions blend strategic foresight with unflinching brutality, embodying the Iga’s austere hierarchy and the unforgiving ethos required to sustain it.