Shingo Yabuki/Story

Past


After watching the televised 1996 tournament, Shingo became a huge fan of Kyo Kusanagi. When he realized that they studied at the same school, Shingo began to pester Kyo to teach him his techniques, as he was fascinated with Kyo's flame. However, Shingo doesn't know that the flame is actually an inherited gift of the Kusanagi bloodline. Kyo, wanting a gofer and taking pity on him, decided to "teach" Shingo in exchange for food. Shingo saw each of Kyo's moves once, wrote down every move, and practiced them every day.

The King of Fighters '97
Shingo participated in the tournament for the singles entry and passed. Although he excelled in his year of training, he apparently lost somewhere in the King of Fighters tournament. As a reward for his progress, Kyo gives him a pair of his gloves, and Shingo has worn them since then.

The King of Fighters '99
Shingo became one of the many people who were worried about Kyo's disappearance. Benimaru Nikaido asked Shingo to join him, K', and Maxima in that year's KOF. Their goal for this year and the next was to find Kyo's whereabouts. During the tournament finals, he learns about NESTS, a syndicate that is responsible for Kyo's disappearance. Thankfully, after NESTS executed their agent, Krizalid, for his failure, Shingo and his team are instead found by the real Kyo. Despite their relief to see Kyo alive and well, their reunion is cut short when Krizalid’s base begins to collapse. Shingo and Benimaru split up from both K', Maxima, and Kyo and manage to find the exits safely.

The King of Fighters 2000
Prior to the 2000 tournament, Benimaru and Shingo meet up with two individuals; an agent named Seth and an assassin named Lin. Shingo was nearly killed by Lin when he almost touched his band, but was saved at the last second by Benimaru. During the ending, he and many other fighters were caught in the Zero Cannon's second shot. He survived and was encountered face-to-face with Ron.

The King of Fighters 2001
In 2001, Team Japan was reunited, but they needed a fourth team member and Shingo was called. He was extremely excited to fight with on the same team as Kyo. After NESTS’ terror is over, Shingo wants to throw a party with his team, but disappointed that the way Team Japan celebrate is instead parting away to their normal lives rather than having a party. Saisyu Kusanagi, Kyo's father, who was observing the tournament, is touched by Shingo's courage, offering an apprenticeship to Shingo, which he accepts. During his training with Saisyu, Shingo learns the truth about the flame's origin.

The King of Fighters 2003
In 2003, Shingo teamed up with Benimaru and Goro Daimon. When they were eliminated, Benimaru and Daimon complimented him, but he got cocky and started yelling that he is no longer Kyo's fan, but rather is his rival. That's when Kyo appeared behind him and started beating him up.

The King of Fighters XI
When Ash Crimson stole Chizuru Kagura's Yata Mirror in the previous tournament, Shingo visits her in the hospital and promises to unite Kyo and Iori in order to investigate Ash and the weakened Orochi seal. In his team's ending, Iori suddenly enters into the Riot of the Blood. Shingo tries to stop him several times, but is beaten back with each attempt. Although saved in a sense by Ash, Shingo's wounds are pretty severe as he is covered in a cast and bandages, making him unable to participate in the next KOF tournament.

Unbeknownst to Shingo, he is being left with a fragment effect of Orochi's curse from a permanent scarred shoulder he received by an out of control Iori, resulting it to be easily sensed by most spiritual fighters.

The King of Fighters XIII
Despite his wounds, he cheerfully greets Benimaru when the latter returns to Japan, who gives him a "get-well-soon" present from Chizuru. While he doesn't remember much about how Ash got there to save him, Benimaru fills him on his side of the story during his visit. Shingo watches the tournament with Chizuru, wishing the team good luck and is seen cheering happily after they won.

After Ash erased himself and Saiki from history, all memories of him were erased from all who knew him, including Shingo.

The King of Fighters XIV
Although he successfully recovered and improved himself with his training, he could not join the Japanese team in the upcoming tournament. However, he still personally visited them as a way to support them.

The King of Fighters Gaiden: Origin of Flame, Shingo Time Slip!
Shingo trains hard, as Saisyu and Chizuru watch on. Shingo continues training all the way to sundown to the point of exhaustion. As he awakens, he is surprised to realize that he has slipped back into time. Here, he encounters Kyo and Iori's ancestors, and learns of why Kyo and Iori are always at odds with one another, as well as learning how insidious the Hakkesshus were in attempting to revive Orochi, going as far as to orchestrate a rift between the Kusanagi and the then-Yasakani clan.

The Yasakani clan ended up being tainted, as fate would have it, but both clans are worried for the future as it would mean the harmony of the clans would end up being destroyed due to the taint of Orochi's blood. Shingo records all of the events in his notebook, and is eventually returned to the present time, now with a whole new understanding of the clans.

His actions in his time travel inadvertently changed the way Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi conducts themselves with one another, permanently neutering the murderous hostility each man had for one another into a harmonious rivalry.

The King of Fighters XV
Shingo returns from time-traveling off-screen and is sporting a training uniform. He receives a KOF invitation for a single entry, following the end of the fifteenth tournament, while he is still with Saisyu, Shingo worries on when Kyo will come back, despite being told by Saisyu not to interfere the young Kusanagi's issues with Iori. Although Kyo did come back to Yuki, Iori's fate remains uncertain.

After the tournament's end, Kyo returns back to Shingo and Saisyu, and treats him much better this time around, though he still toys with him occasionally.