Keiji is a formidable samurai in Japan’s age of warring states, known as much for refusing to conform as for his skill in battle. As powerful lords compete for territory, his household prepares for conflict with the Hojo clan and Keiji is sent on missions where personal judgment matters as much as orders. When scouts encounter an extraordinary wild animal meant for the army, Keiji chooses to tame rather than kill it, an instinct that repeatedly places his own code against the ruthless politics of the era.