Assassin's Creed Shadows: Complete Guide to Naoe's Personal Quests (Kuji-kiri Walkthrough)

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players controlling Naoe can immerse themselves in a unique activity called Kuji-kiri — meditation in peaceful corners of the world. This activity plays a key role in Naoe's personal quest line. In this guide, we will detail where to find all the spots for Kuji-kiri and provide a detailed walkthrough of each quest associated with this activity.

In the picturesque region of Izumi-Settsu, you will find four unique locations for performing Kuji-kiri. Each of these places offers an exciting quest that reveals the story of the Iga settlement and Naoe's crucial role in its defense.

To start any of these adventures, you need to find a specific point and interact with it. After that, follow the on-screen instructions, pressing the appropriate keys on your keyboard or gamepad until the mission begins. However, be careful: after some time, the key prompts will disappear, as will the markers — you will need to rely on your memory. If you press the wrong button, or press it too early or too late, you will have to repeat the last few stages.

Kuji-kiri quests follow a strict sequence, regardless of the order in which you activate them. For example, whether it's the Eboshigata Hachiman Shrine or the Tomiko Estate, the first quest will always be the same, as will all subsequent ones. Nonetheless, we decided to describe the walkthrough of each mission in the order we discovered them ourselves. Refer to the quest names for guidance.

You will find the first meditation spot at the shrine, which you will pass right after leaving the temple following Naoe's recovery. Follow Matsu and take the woman's gift from a small altar.

The path leads through a single trail occupied by invaders. The game suggests stealth for this segment, but even on high difficulty, you can simply run past the enemies — they won't have time to harm you. After the cutscene, continue following the road, ignoring the warriors.

Upon reaching the designated spot, watch the in-engine cutscene, after which a battle with a large warrior will begin. This enemy uses a combo of four consecutive attacks that you can parry. If he gets angry, he will attempt an unblockable attack: his sword will glow red. At this moment, it's recommended to dodge, otherwise, you will take a lot of damage.

Deliver light strikes between his standard attacks and heavy strikes immediately after the unblockable attack.

When the battle concludes, watch another cutscene, after which the quest will be considered completed.

At the beginning of the quest, you will need to meditate again, this time not as long as when activating any Kuji-kiri. After a brief cutscene, the task will change.

The woman is near her hut. Follow through the small fields to the west and talk to her. Matsu will ask you to bring a family scroll hidden in a nearby temple.

Head to the shrine and prepare to encounter several bandits. There will be three on the lower level and the same number of enemies on the upper level of the temple.

Here you can also observe three structures — the scroll is in the right one.

Return to the father and tell him what happened. The task will be completed.

Another Kuji-kiri spot is located east of Osaka Castle. You can observe a question mark in this area if you haven't passed by or ridden past on horseback before.

Talk to the village elder to receive a new assignment. Follow the only road behind the marker until you find yourself at the back of the fortress. Bypass it on the right or left side to find a fallen tree. Climb onto it and use the hook — this way you'll end up on the watchtower.

There's no need to disturb the enemies. Jump down and hide in the bushes, and when the patrol on the bridge moves away, run to the gates and climb higher. Use the same principle to cross the inner courtyard until you find yourself near the tower.

If you did raise the alarm, kill the enemies, climb onto any roof, and lie down. Soon the enemies will lose your trail, and you can eavesdrop on the conversation of two warriors.

After doing this, the task will update. Now you should climb to the top of the tower in front of you and inspect the body of the killed commander. But first, you need to deal with the single guard at the entrance.

Return to the village elder the same way and tell him what you saw in the fortress. A lengthy cutscene will start, after which the quest will be completed.

The last Kuji-kiri location in this region can be found near Amagasaki Castle, close to the "Log Depot" location by the shore.

Follow Sandai along the path while listening to the dialogue between the two characters. He will advise not to remain silent during the ceremony and to speak your mind — and that's what we'll do. When the ceremony begins, you will have a choice: say "We must fight for Iga." Then Fujita Juro will challenge you to a duel.

The opponent uses the following tactic: first, he strikes with an unblockable attack, then uses regular attacks three times, and at the end of the combo, his weapon turns red again.

We recommend not exposing yourself and using only light strikes, as the opponent has no armor. Soon he will be defeated, and the task will change.

After the cutscene, you will appear at the walls of the castle, captured by enemies. Climb up the crates and use the breach in the wall to crawl onto the territory.

Climb onto the roof of the building, then onto the watchtower, and from there onto another roof. To the left in the distance, you can see a broken part of the fence: this area is guarded by a single soldier. Grab him from behind and knock him out.

Up the stairs, you will see two more enemies, but it's not necessary to get rid of them. Instead, approach the locked gates and climb onto the roof. Here you can eavesdrop on the dialogue of two opponents.

Go around the territory on the right side to the next gates and climb up again.

Jump into the haystack, then use the cover and bushes on the left side to avoid detection. Go around the only building here and climb inside through the window. Watch a lengthy cutscene that concludes the quest.