Shogun’s Shadow

Takechiyo, the eldest son of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, is targeted by assassins amid a brutal succession struggle. Iemitsu is dying of a disease and has gone insane, creating a dangerous power vacuum. Abe Shigetsugu, the shogun's prime minister, engineers the plan to replace Takechiyo with his younger brother Tokumatsu, driving the need for a protective force.

Seven rōnin are hired by the Sakura clan lord Hotta Masamori to guard Takechiyo. Their leader is Igō Gyōbu, a former husband of Abe's sister Oman who fell out after Iemitsu pursued her. Igō's departure is tied to Abe's manipulation and Iemitsu's crush, which adds tension to their mission.

Abe and his guard chief Iba Shōzaemon visit Hotta's estate to inform him that Takechiyo is expected at Edo Castle within five days, or the Sakura clan will face punishment. The warning sets a strict deadline and raises the stakes for all involved.

On the road, Iba's party massacres Hotta's retinue, signaling the start of the deadly chase. Igō's team, meanwhile, had departed with Takechiyo earlier, along with Masatoshi and Yajima, ensuring the boy's capture remains a secret as they head toward safety. The brutal ambush intensifies the pursuit across the wild landscape.

During the pursuit, Takechiyo and Igō gradually form a bond as Igō protects the boy and leads the group through dangerous terrain. The relationship helps keep the boy calm and focused amid the relentless danger.

As ambush after ambush unfolds, the rōnin fall one by one to safeguard Takechiyo. Igō is the last man standing and dies after killing Iba in a final confrontation, completing his vow.

Takechiyo arrives in Edo, but the journey's end brings new peril as Iemitsu orders Oman to poison the boy. The command reveals Iemitsu's desperation to kill his own heir.

Oman recognizes a dagger Igō had given to Lady Yajima to protect Takechiyo, and this evidence causes her to desist from the poisoning plan. The dagger stands as a symbol of Igō's protection and the bond between Takechiyo and his protectors.

Takechiyo is called before his father and openly renounces him, rejecting the authority of the declining Iemitsu. This formal break signals a new path for the heir and the shogunate's fragile rule.

When Iemitsu attempts to kill the boy, Yajima sacrifices herself by taking the fatal blow and then uses Igō's dagger to kill Iemitsu. The cruel ruler dies as the boy survives the attempt, thanks to the protector's last gesture.

Following the death, Abe Shigetsugu, disillusioned with his master's cruelty toward his own son, commits seppuku. His act signals the collapse of the corrupt power structure and marks a turning point in the succession crisis.

At Iemitsu's funeral, Takechiyo casts ash on his father's name tablet and mourns Igō, who had become more like a father to him. The scene encapsulates the personal cost of politics and the bond between a boy and his protector.