Yatori wasn't always called that. Originally known as "furball," he spent years working under Akura-ou—the man who'd killed his first master during a siege. Life under Akura-ou was brutal; he was constantly mocked for his appearance and smell until he finally snapped when paired with Kirakaburi.
Things escalated when Tomoe's sword left Kirakaburi mortally wounded. Yatori consumed him, and the act transformed him dramatically—his size and strength ballooned. Around the same time, he discovered a human named Suke watching him. For the first time, Yatori got to experience what he'd been denied for so long: being feared and powerful. He made Suke beg for his life and loved every second of it.
Desperate to earn Akura-ou's approval, Yatori took up eating human intruders to protect him. But rejection came again—his appearance still wasn't good enough. In a last-ditch effort, he forced Suke to consume him, seized control of Suke's body, and took the name Yatori as his fresh start.
Under his new form, Yatori orchestrated a scheme to take control of Kurama Mountain. He posed as a servant to Jirou while secretly manipulating him, keeping Third Chief Soujoubou's soul locked inside the Raijiuyuu to grant Jirou the power needed to rule. It didn't work out. The plan collapsed and he ended up back with Kirihito.
When Akura-ou ventured into Yomi-no-Kuni a second time, they found Akura-ou's own body trapped atop a mountain of flames. Realizing they couldn't reach it, Yatori talked a reluctant Akura-ou into retreating to regroup and try again later.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
