High in the mountains of Kaga, Ibane of the Shingyoto School has been training his students for war. That sits just fine with Anotsu Kagehisa, who has dedicated his life to putting the killing back into Japan's formalized sword schools. But there has to be more at stake than philosophy for Ibane to be willing to disband the Shingyoto founded by his forebearers and turn it over lock, stock, and barrel to Anotsu's Itto-ryu school. Is Anotsu willing to meet his conditions?