Early one New Year's morning, rounin samurai Senou Souichirou sets foot in Edo's Katagi tenements.Though he appears to be a cheerful and well-mannered man, the inhabitants of the tenements initially regard him with fear and suspicion. Kankichi, a carpenter's son, thinks that he is not human; the neighbourhood cats converse about how "that man reeks of blood".Ignoring the hostile reception, Souichirou pawns his sword, inserts a bamboo replica into the sheathe at his waist, and settles down to a seemingly normal life in the village. He befriends Kankichi and earns the trust of both children and adults alike; soon becoming the new school-teacher.Months pass, and all appears to be well. But Souichirou knows that wherever he may go, trouble and disaster will invariably follow...
