In Sanctuary, Shizuuchi is the most feared sumo wrestler and is seen as a force to be reckoned with. Behind his scarred face and quiet demeanor is a dark story that has made him what he is today.
Despite being a formidable sumo wrestler, Shizuuchi is surrounded by rumors that may hurt his momentum.
Shizuuchi first learns about these rumors coming to light from a journalist named Yasui. Someone sends an email to Yasui, asking him to blackmail Shizuuchi.
Yasui goes to Rausu, Hokkaido, the hometown of Shizuuchi, where he comes across Shizuuchi’s old house, which has “thief” and “pay your debts” written all over it.
Yasui had received articles on an incident that took place in Rausu years ago. A boy killed his own mother and baby brother. That boy is none other than Shizuuchi.
As per the job, Yasui blackmails Shizuuchi with the news and tells him to lose the match against Enno if he doesn’t want the world to know what he had done.
Unfortunately, Shizuuchi doesn’t pay heed to these threats; he doesn’t care if the world finds out about his past. Shizuuchi not only defeats Enno but, in the process, completely destroys him.
Did Shizuuchi really kill his mother and brother?
After defeating Enno, Shizuuchi goes back home to Rausu, Hokkaido, where he stays at his old house. Flashback scenes reveal that as caring and supportive as his mother was, she was abusive too.
As a single mother, she had to take care of both Shizuuchi and his baby brother. Shizuuchi competed in sumo wrestling competitions as a kid, and she always supported and cheered for him during his bouts.
She celebrated his victories and claimed that she is happiest when she sees him do sumo in his own style. At the end of the day, the pending debts haunted them, as their house always had new notices written on it.
Ultimately, tired of this life, Shizuuchi’s mother most likely killed her own son, as little Shizuuchi discovers her, blood-soaked with a knife in her hand, near his brother’s body later on. She proceeds to kill herself in front of Shizuuchi.
Shizuuchi’s mother used to tell him that he would witness sad moments in his life and that he must smile through them. Shizuuchi did the same when he saw his mother die. When people found him near their dead bodies, they all assumed that Shizuuchi had killed his mother and baby brother.