House of Five Leaves

The ronin, Akitsu Masanosuke, was working as a bodyguard in Edo, but due to his shy personality, he was let go from his current job. Unable to find new work, he wanders around town and meets a man, the playboy who calls himself Yaichi.

Even though he did it unknowingly, Masanosuke becomes depressed after finding out that he had become an accomplice in crime to the 'Five Leaves.' Yaichi keeps trying to recruit Masanosuke, who is still suffering from his internal strife.

Through Yaichi's referral, Masanosuke starts working for the rice wholesaler, Ohmi-ya. Masanosuke works very diligently, as it seems to be a job that he can hold onto.

Masanosuke is fired from his post as a bodyguard, as he was unable to prevent a kidnapping. Though he didn't know at the time, the fact remains that he assisted in that kidnapping, causing him to feel an endless amount of guilt.

Not long after Masanosuke begins working as a bodyguard at Katsura-ya, he is struck with an affliction called 'Edo disease,' which is the colloquial term for beriberi.

Seeing how Yaichi is worried about Masanosuke, Umezo draws a map to the Elder's home. Though still reluctant, Yaichi accepts it. At the same time, a man by the name of Tokujiro, an old friend of the Elder, pays him a visit.

Now that Masanosuke has recovered, he returns to Edo with Yaichi. It has been a while since he walked around town, but he bumps into someone, causing trouble again. The people he bumped into are other ronins that he caused a commotion with earlier.

There are two people Matsukichi is indebted to for life. One of them is the owner of 'Kiku-ya.' That owner was struggling with a particular problem.

A man by the name of Yagi Heizaemon, one of the Shogun's direct retainers and the Chief Commander of the Kitamachi Police, begins to make an appearance in the city of Edo.

Masanosuke is walking around Edo with his sister, Sachi, when Yagi Heizaemon invites him to his residence. While Yagi is looking at the maple tree in his yard, he starts reminiscing about the two people who were his neighbors in the past.

The 'Five Leaves' do not have a reason to continue their kidnappings. However, Yaichi insists on keeping the gang together. The rest of the 'Five Leaves' become troubled, as they have no way of knowing what Yaichi's true intentions are.

One snowy night, Yaichi is standing on a bridge, thinking about what Yagi said. He stares blankly into the sky. Yaichi's memories and Yagi's stories are strewn together to construct Yaichi's true past.