With few other options, Masa stays at Ichi's friend Ume's inn and learns that Ichi lives at the Katsuraya brothel in the red-light district, ostensibly as its bodyguard. Masa tries his hand at manual labor but is hopeless and Otake tries to convince him to join their band, the Five Leaves. Ume presses Masa to help him with the "shopping", but Masa later finds out that shopping involves the return of a hostage for ransom through their agent, Souji. Masa begins to grow more comfortable within the world of the Five Leaves, and slowly becomes integrated into the gang.