Akitsu Masanosuke, a masterless samurai, is a skilled and loyal swordsman, yet his naïve and diffident nature has repeatedly caused him to be dismissed by the lords who employ him. Hungry and desperate, he accepts a position as a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a group that calls itself “Five Leaves.” While disturbed by the gang’s sinister activities, Masanosuke grows suspicious that Yaichi’s motives are not what they seem. Despite his misgivings, the deeper he becomes entangled in the Five Leaves’ world, the more he is drawn to these devious, mysterious outlaws.