Wang Kang, the one-armed swordsman, gets himself in hot water when he rescues a young boy from execution, forcing him into the life of a hunted outlaw.
Zatoichi soon meets the same boy along with his dying father and agrees to take care of him for the time being. However, when he meets Wang Kang, the language barrier between them causes a misunderstanding that leads to a confrontation that only one will emerge from safely.