Ascendance

Ascendance is an episode of Power Rangers Rebirth: Origin. This episode deals with Yumi coping with the loss of the Ninja Storm rangers, including her beloved friend and sensei Tori. The title of this episode is how she ascends from grief and desire of vengeance to a true ninja master who must never feel hate, nor revenge as it leads to a darker path. This episode also marks Yumi becomes the new Grandmaster of the Wind/Thunder Ninja Academy.

Plot Synopsis
In the fourth day of the war, Yumi battles a horde of Malastarians as she tries to help trainees, teenagers and children escape from harm. Yumi uses techniques of air, earth and water against her enemies and then after helping the rest of the surviving students and masters escape, Yumi quickly rushes to aid the Ninja Storm team despite protests of masters to not go. Yumi is seeing how Tori, Shane, Dustin, Hunter, Blake and Cam are fighting furiously against these aliens until confronted by Deathowl.

Although they put up a great fight as a team, Deathowl proves to be more than a match against them and brutally slaughters them as Yumi looks in shock. Yumi attempts to attack Deathowl, but disappears before she could land a blow, Yumi checks on the others and they are dead, however, a dying Tori urges her to flee as she succumbs to her wounds. Yumi then mourns her fallen senseis and declares her everlasting hatred against Deathowl and swears vengeance.

Two years after the war, Yumi feels guilt upon the death of her masters. Some of the senseis believe that Yumi is fit to lead them as she was the best student, but she is focused on vengeance and clouded by hatred. Realizing this, Blake's former fellow student and friend, Leanne Omino arrives to talk to Yumi about not being clouded by hatred and revenge. By using both against her enemies, she could be led to a darker path. Yumi replies that blood for blood must be paid, but Leanne reasons with her that Tori would not want her to take that path.

Leanne Omino takes Yumi to the cave where the gem of souls once dwelled. There, Leanne tells Yumi to look on the spring and what she sees is all the Ninja Storm rangers and hears Tori's voice. Tori's spirit tells her that she must train her inner ninja and not fill it with desires for vengeance. Deathowl may not be forgiven, but hatred and revenge must not blend together and retribution may come someday, but for the meantime, she must train herself in order to be more at peace without hate and revenge.

Yumi bursts into tears feeling that she cannot do this, but before fading away, Tori encourages her that she can rid herself of it like she learned of what true ninjas must be. Yumi and Leanne begin to train not only in combat but also to strengthen their inner ninja and not let anger, hate and vengeance cloud them. Leanne teaches Yumi the way of Aikido and how to find inner peace.

One day during work, her father comes to visit her and tells how proud he is of Yumi. He later tells her, that he once felt that way when his father was murdered by a racist gang, and how the Sensei Kanoi taught him retribution without hatred. He fought the gang that murdered his father, however, instead of killing them he decided to turn them in and one of them confessed to everything. But in Deathowl's case, he must pay if he ever comes back, but urges her to not fight with hate, He tells her: Hatred is a poison, it can take you over completely before you know it and turn you into something darker than a starry night.

Yumi is left speechless after this and continues to train her mind, body and soul. After her training with Leanne is complete two years later, she decides to use her skills to compete in the Olympics. Later, she is chosen to become the youngest grandmaster of the Wind/Thunder Ninja Academy as she ascends to Master Ninja. She vows to honor her fallen friends and fellow ninjas.