To show his prestige to the Imperial Court the third Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, journeys to Kyoto along the Tokaido, a road fraught with danger. Iemitsu, using the name Tokuyama Takenoshin, travels in secret with a small group consisting of his bodyguard Yagyu Jubei, Okubo Hikozaemon, Isshin Taro, and Otsuta. Meanwhile an actor pretends to be the Shogun in the procession. This action-packed adventure is filled with exciting sword and ninja battles that will determine the future of the Tokugawa Shogunate and set the course for Japan's golden era.