A group of five samurai are set upon by Aoe and his men, but one manages to reach the chief's house. He gives Ichi a package for the head page Morishita, of lord of Kanuma fiefdom in Shimotsuke which is a joint covenant between Edo and Kanuma. Ichi decides to go alone to deliver the package and he is ambushed by Aoe and his men, but manages to escape. However, he is ambushed again along the highway, and this time Ichi is forced to draw his sword, killing many of the swordsmen, but Aoe escapes...