Team Sacred Treasures


 * This article is about the team formed by Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami and Chizuru Kagura (and his variant which includes Shingo Yabuki). For the sacred artifacts, check Three Sacred Treasures.



Team Sacred Treasures (, lit. "Three Sacred Treasures Team") is a reoccurring Special Team in The King of Fighters series.

Description
As the name implies, this team is composed by the three clans who, in the past, sealed the evil entity known as Orochi, 660 years ago: the Kusanagi Clan, the Yasakani Clan and the Yata Clan. The team, for most of the series, is not a normal team, but rather a Special Team consisting of members from other established Teams. However, unlike most Special Teams, this Special Team has events that are canon to the KOF series.

In The King of Fighters '96, Kyo, Iori and Chizuru teamed up together to defeat Goenitz. After his defeat, Chizuru asks both Kyo and Iori to team up in order to defeat Orochi's threat, but both men refused, as they heavily disliked the idea of working together. Despite this, they were forced to team up again during The King of Fighters '97, when Yashiro, Shermie and Chris kidnapped Yuki as a sacrifice to resurrect Orochi. After defeating the 3 remaining Heavenly Kings, as well as Orochi, Kyo mysteriously disappeared shortly after the battle. It was later discovered that the Kusanagi clan heir was kidnapped and had his DNA used for the criminal intentions of a secret cartel.

In The King of Fighters 2003, Chizuru discovered that the seal to Orochi was breaking, and asked Kyo and Iori to investigate. However, once again, both men refused to assist each other, and ignored her request. Despite this, the three assisted Team K'  to take down Mukai during the tournament's climax. Shortly afterwards, Ash Crimson stole her Yata Mirror, rendering her unable to use her powers.

In The King of Fighters XIII, Kyo went to reform his original Japan Team with his former teammates Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon, Iori can still fight without his flame, but desperately wants it back to kill Kyo, with an indirect assistant from Mature and Vice, and indirectly forming his old  '96 Team. With Ash's true intentions are revealed, but ultimately sacrifice his life to cease his ancestor Saiki out of existence alongside him, Chizuru and Iori’s powers return to them, leaving Kyo as the only surviving Sacred Treasure fighter who never had been stolen by Ash in his entire life.

For the first time in the series, Kyo, Iori and Chizuru forms the Sacred Treasures Team in The King of Fighters XV as an official Team. Their reasoning is to investigate how Orochi was resurrected after Verse's defeat in the previous tournament, as well as dealing with the newly revived Team Orochi.

List of Members

 * Kyo Kusanagi - Leader of Team Sacred Treasures; he helds the Kusanagi Sword (の, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi).
 * Iori Yagami - Member of Team Sacred Treasures; he helds the Yasakani Jewel (, Yasakani no Magatama).
 * Chizuru Kagura - Member of Team Sacred Treasures; she helds the Yata Mirror (, Yata no Kagami).

Team Kyo & Iori (A.K.A. Kusanagi-Yagami Team)
Team Kyo & Iori, also called Team Kusanagi-Yagami in some places, is another iteration of the Sacred Treasures Team. This new formation appears only in The King of Fighters XI. Shingo Yabuki is entrusted by Chizuru to take her place in this game, where the Team Sacred Treasures is temporarily renamed as "Team Kyo & Iori" to watch over Kyo and Iori from falling apart. When Iori's Orochi blood gone haywire during a final fight against Magaki, Kyo is knocked out, Shingo is critically injured, and Ash stole Iori's power before the Rivals Team arrive and eventually discover his presumable evil scheme.

List of Members

 * Kyo Kusanagi - Leader of Team Kyo & Iori (A.K.A. Team Kusanagi-Yagami). Left in XIII.
 * Iori Yagami - Member of Team Kyo & Iori (A.K.A. Team Kusanagi-Yagami). Left in XIII.
 * Shingo Yabuki - Member of Team Kyo & Iori (A.K.A. Team Kusanagi-Yagami). Left in XIII.

Trivia

 * This team is pointed as one of the winners of The King of Fighters '97, due to his final battle against Orochi and his three Heavenly Kings in the climax of the tournament. However, this could be considered an alternative ending for the game.


 * Because Chizuru did not join any of the tournaments from KOF  '99 through 2001, this team was never formed during the NESTS Chronicles Saga.
 * However, Chizuru appears as a striker character in KOF '99 Evolution (Special Striker) and KOF 2000 (Mai Shiranui's Normal Striker.)


 * This team appears as a Story Alternative Team in The King of Fighters '96, The King of Fighters '97 and The King of Fighters 2003. However, he is not officially part of the game's roster.
 * In KOF 2003, the team is also present, but their members makes a single entry in this game.


 * This team and Team Kyo serve as alternative variants to Team Japan. However, Iori and Chizuru can't be considered part of the last team mentioned, due to his intentions in the tournament.


 * This team, Team Fatal Fury, Team Yagami, Team Outlaw, Team Art of Fighting, Team Hero, Team South America, Team Rivals, Team Japan, Team Kyo, Team Ikari Warriors, Team K', Team Benimaru, Team Asian Triple Alliance, Team Agents, Team Ash, Team Elisabeth, Team Shun'ei, Team Mexico, Team G.A.W. and Team East Asia are the only teams of the series which one or more members win a KOF tournament.


 * This team, Team Women Fighters, Team Kyo and Team Wrestling are the only which one of the members is a sub-boss in past games.