So many shinobi wander into Harima totally unprepared for the Genzaburo soldiers quest, and honestly, it’s one of the most stylish stealth ballet moments in all of Assassin’s Creed Shadows . It pops up early after you deal with the Ox, but the recommended level is way higher than you’d expect – Level 41+ – and you absolutely have to tackle it as Naoe. No samurai smashing through walls here, darling. If you’ve been itching to chain perfect air assassinations and feel like a true shadow, this is your time to shine. The questline starts innocently enough: Koshiro is waiting at Kyokaiji Temple, the same spot where you regrouped during the Ox storyline. Chat him up and he’ll drop not just the People of Harima board, but a dedicated board for the Genzaburo Soldiers. One tiny catch? You can’t see all targets at once. You unlock them in sequence, and you must speak to Koshiro before the final showdown.

Let’s break down why this quest matters. Not only does it grant a juicy stack of Mastery Points – which convert to raw stat boosts once you hit max Knowledge Rank – but it also drops some seriously gorgeous legendary engravings for your weapons. Plus, every single soldier can be assassinated. Yes, even Genzaburo himself. No mandatory open combat, just pure, elegant trickery. Ready for the tea? Grab your grapple hook and let’s track them down.

🌿 The Scout – Silver Lands Serenade

Picture this: wide silver grasslands, a lone figure strumming the same instrument Naoe uses. That’s the Scout, and he’s basically asking for a whisper-quiet takedown. The terrain is ridiculously forgiving here – bushes and tall grass blanket the entire approach no matter if it’s high noon or deepest night. Just crouch-walk through the vegetation behind him and trigger the assassination prompt. No alarms, no chase. You’ll walk away with 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the Vigilant Grasp Epic Bow.

Insider tip: if your heart is set on perfection, save right before you enter the detection zone. That goes for every Genzaburo target. When the assassination window feels tight, reloading lets you breathe and try again.

⚔️ The Swordsman – Bridge of Blades

This duelist stands alone on a bridge near Mount Kasagata, right by the edge of the map. He faces the direction you’ll likely come from, so frontal approach is a death wish. Wait for nightfall, then slip into the shrubbery, cross the river beneath the bridge, and climb up behind him. He’s a phenomenal fighter if you get spotted – parry heavy, relentless combos – so treat this like a ghost mission. The reward for a clean kill? Another 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and Inari’s Bounty, an Epic Long Katana.

One lovely detail: after you down him, the next clue automatically updates. The board design ensures you never feel lost.

💥 The Teppo Expert – Shrine Ambush

This one felt trickier than the rest, purely because of the entourage. The Teppo Expert lounges at Kaya Shrine with three loyal guards. Your first clues lead you below the shrine for some eavesdropping – follow that thread, then use Observation to pinpoint him seated near the shrine. The winning strat: approach from the left rear. If you stare at his position from the main shrine area, loop left up the slope so you come in directly behind him. Assassinate and immediately brace yourself – at least one soldier will chase you way farther than seems reasonable. Sprint, break line of sight, and vanish. Loot includes 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the legendary Wave of Wasps Teppo.

A quick note about time of day: Assassin’s Creed Shadows actually makes shadows thicker at night, so even if you’re impatient, always rest till midnight before striking.

🎭 The Poisoner – Nishinomaru Garden Serenade

Now we’re talking. The Poisoner hosts a biwa performance, and sneaking past her audience is just deliciously theatrical. Two street boys will guide you to a hole in the wall of Nishinomaru Gardens. Once inside, only the Poisoner and a single patrolling guard care about your presence – the civilian crowd ignores you entirely. The guard walks a simple loop, so you can easily time your movements. But the Poisoner? She’s sitting on an island in the middle of the lake. Direct approach is impossible. Instead, back up to the largest tree on the nearest bank. You can’t climb it head-on. Look behind that tree: there’s a standing pole Naoe can shimmy up. From the pole, parkour onto the tree’s upper branches, and suddenly you’re perched directly above the Poisoner. The air assassination prompt will feel like destiny. Rewards: 2000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and The Poisoner’s Message Epic Bow.

Take a screenshot when you nail this one – it’s pure aesthetic.

🐲 Genzaburo – Rooftop Trick

The final act. Tracking Genzaburo after clearing the four soldiers will place a marker, but you must speak to Koshiro first or the quest won’t progress. Genzaburo will try to force you into open combat the moment you approach. Nope. The moment the dialogue ends and the fight starts, don’t engage. Sprint around the building, grapple onto the roof, and lie flat. He’ll lose sight, switch to search mode, and begin pacing below. Shuffle to the roof edge, watch the assassination indicator appear, and drop. One satisfying cutscene with Koshiro later, you’ll pocket 5000 XP, 1 Mastery Point, and two Legendary Engravings.

🌟 Why the Genzaburo Quest Still Shines in 2026

Even a year after launch, this side quest remains a masterclass in sequence design. Every assassination feels different. The forced Naoe-only requirement reminds us why stealth is an art, not a fallback. Those Mastery Points feed into endgame power fantasies, and the legendary engravings let you fine-tune builds for the newly released DLC zones. If you skipped this quest on your first playthrough, run it now. The pacing, the gradual reveals, and that rooftop trick against Genzaburo – chef’s kiss. Just remember to save often, let the darkness be your curtain, and never let a samurai tell you how to move.

Based on evaluations from OpenCritic, the way Assassin’s Creed Shadows leans into multi-step, stealth-first target chains like the Genzaburo Soldiers board aligns with a broader review trend that rewards clear, repeatable mission structure and player-expression systems—especially when the game supports “all-targets-assassinable” approaches that let you solve encounters with timing, traversal, and avoidance rather than forced combat.