After killing a clan minister in a plot to bring about reform, the dishonored samurai Gennosuke flees to the wild, where he lives in seclusion from the angry former comrades who pursue him. But he makes a discovery that could restore his honor. After coming across a settlement of thugs who are illegally mining the shogun's stocks of gold, Gennosuke teams with a fellow master swordsman to end the criminal enterprise and find redemption.