Chokkaku is the eldest son of Ishigaki Kotayū, a low-ranking samurai of the Chōshū domain. His father gave him his name with a charge: to live straight, with nothing to be ashamed of as a samurai — turning even a corner at a right angle.…
Gō Shintarō, beaten by Chokkaku in a sparring match, vows to redeem himself as a samurai and openly challenges him at the school's martial arts tournament. Yet their homeroom teacher, Hosokari-sensei, does not pick Chokkaku as the…
After the tournament, Chokkaku and Gō become fast friends. But word of their daily brawls reaches Chokkaku's father. Angry and grieved, Kotayū declares that if Chokkaku ever draws his wooden sword in a fight again, he will be made to…
Keeping his promise, Chokkaku endures a savage beating alongside Gō. Disappointed that he will not fight back, his friends drift away. Tsukigata grows ever more arrogant, ordering every student in the Kiku class to strike Chokkaku and…
Hearing of the brawl with Tsukigata, Kotayū prepares to commit seppuku — but the castle steward, Tachibana Kaoru, stops him. Tachibana thinks highly of Chokkaku's cheerful, upright spirit. The ban on wooden swords is lifted, and Chokkaku…
Hitomi Rintarō, the toast of the academy, asks Chokkaku to train him in swordsmanship. Hitomi's form is clumsy — yet Chokkaku senses one flash of sharp killing intent and beats him down, earning the resentment of his classmates. Then one…
Chokkaku skips the duel with Tsukigata and spends the night turning Tachibana's words over. All he works out is that some force appears to be at work, shaking Hagi Meirinkan to its foundations. Meanwhile, Tsukigata's gang resumes its…
"I want you to make Hagi Meirinkan an academy of both letters and martial arts," Tachibana tells Chokkaku. Taking the words to heart, Chokkaku sets up a training ground on campus and puts out a call for members — but only Gō and two…
The tournament finally begins — but it was arranged by Daimon Academy to drag Hagi Meirinkan's name through the mud. In the tense air, Hagi Meirinkan struggles; even Gō, superb with a sword, can barely get past three opponents. With…
Chokkaku's performance at the Daimon Academy tournament becomes the talk of Hagi Meirinkan. Welcomed back with cheers, he founds a kendo club to root the ideal of letters and martial arts in the school. Recruitment is hard going at first…
With help from Tsukigata and Gō, the Hagi Meirinkan kendo club is steadily gaining members. Chokkaku's training is a little over the top, but his friends are visibly improving, and he begins to feel that turning the academy into one of…
Word of Chokkaku's exploits at the Daimon Academy tournament spreads beyond the school. Hearing of it, the all-female Shigetsu Kendo Club sends him a written challenge. Tsukigata and the others sneer and refuse to take it seriously — yet…
Jun's sharp swordsmanship drives Chokkaku back to the edge of a sheer cliff. Just when all seems lost, he seizes a single instant and turns the fight around. Jun is impressed — and she has also noticed that, throughout the exchange,…
When Kotayū learns that Chokkaku injured Terumasa in their duel, he works himself into a frenzy over how to apologize. No reprimand comes, however, and the relieved Ishigaki father and son enjoy a bath in the garden. It is then that Jun…
Encouraged by Jun, Chokkaku installs at Hagi Meirinkan the same contraptions his father used to toughen him up in the garden at home. His friends are bewildered at first, but Gō and Tsukigata soon learn to dodge the traps' attacks. The…
Everyone agrees to the dōjō. Jun will pay half the cost, and the kendo club members will make up the rest between them. Then Chokkaku realizes something: unlike the other students at Hagi Meirinkan, the Ishigaki family are low-ranking…
Heartened by Katsuragawa-sensei's words, Chokkaku catches wind of a sumo tournament — with a prize of five ryō! To raise money for the dōjō he enters with his father, and his nimble footwork carries him past four opponents. Then the fifth…
With the dōjō funds finally in sight, Chokkaku can breathe easy — until the castle steward Tachibana comes calling. Holding Terumasa's guitar, Tachibana bows his head and asks Chokkaku to become the boy's friend. Chokkaku accepts readily,…
He was meant to become Terumasa's friend, yet he left him feeling lonely. Chastened, Chokkaku invites Terumasa to his home. The whole family is delighted, heating the bath and preparing a meal, spared no effort in welcoming him. Terumasa…
On Hōjō Terumori's orders, Terumasa's study companions are to be chosen from Hagi Meirinkan. Named are the well-born Yukisa Takuma, the academically brilliant Gō, and Chokkaku. Chokkaku moves into the Hōjō mansion, where for some reason…
Yukisa is harsh for reasons of his own, but Chokkaku spends his days as Terumasa's study companion alongside his good friend Gō. What Chokkaku wants is to become a true, close friend to the boy. It is an uphill struggle, yet he feels they…
The day comes for a long-awaited return to Hagi Meirinkan. Chokkaku and Terumasa, absent for some time, are greeted with cheers by their classmates. Yukisa, abandoned by his fellows, lets his hatred of Chokkaku explode. Threatening him…
The abduction is never made public. Yukisa withdraws as study companion, leaving Gō and Chokkaku. As the year draws to a close, the two are given permission to spend New Year at home. Chokkaku is overjoyed at the thought of seeing his…
Hosokari-sensei, homeroom teacher of Chokkaku's Kiku class, has worn a gloomy face since the New Year began. Takizawa, castle steward of the Tachikawa domain, is coming to observe his class. Hosokari is a devoted teacher, but on the day…
Nearly a year has passed since Chokkaku entered Hagi Meirinkan. He is delighted that promotion will bring him juniors — until he and Terumasa are summoned by Hosokari, who declares that unless both do well on the promotion exams in a few…
The day of the promotion exams arrives — but unable to refuse a junior's plea, Chokkaku and Terumasa skip the exams and go off to settle a fight. Their opponent, Shōtarō, is strong, and with no sleep behind them Chokkaku loses. Having…
"He loves learning that much, and he can't enter Hagi Meirinkan just because he's poor!" Furious, Chokkaku storms the castle despite his suspension and appeals directly to Tachibana. Tachibana seems to be turning something over in his…
Under a domain reform that puts ability first, Chokkaku's father Kotayū is promoted from stable duty to head of the petty stewards. Meritocracy reaches Hagi Meirinkan too, and Hosokari rises from homeroom teacher to vice-principal. Then…
Terumasa accidentally overhears his grandfather Terumori saying to Tachibana, "Terumasa is a fool, isn't he…" and begins to agonize over whether he really is stupid. Thinking Chokkaku will tell him the truth, he goes to the Ishigaki…
Several days after Terumasa becomes castle steward, Tachibana, the steward before him, visits the Ishigaki house. He tells Chokkaku to go up to the castle and assist young Lord Terumasa. As Chokkaku brims with eagerness at the chance to…
Unable to forget his grandfather's "Terumasa is a fool…," Terumasa decides that every adult in the castle believes it, and does nothing but outrageous things. Chokkaku grieves at the sight — then learns from Tachibana that Terumori is…
Learning why Terumasa is running wild, Chokkaku goes to Terumori to hear the truth. Terumori welcomes him warmly and tells him of Terumasa's sorrowful childhood. Chokkaku weeps to hear how the boy, raised in a lonely household, never lost…
Since that day, Terumasa has slipped out of the castle every night to visit the orphans. To help him, Chokkaku keeps knocking the gatekeepers unconscious with his wooden sword. Then one day Chokkaku is surrounded by the castle's…
Chokkaku's idea is to build a house for the orphans on vacant land in the castle town. But he is dragged before the court of judgment and sentenced to a hundred lashes for failing to correct Terumasa's conduct. Under the blows, Chokkaku…
Having shielded Chokkaku before the court, Terumasa mends his ways and begins, step by step, to walk the path of a worthy castle steward. But he is still a child, and what occupies his mind above all is the delicious manjū all Hagi is…
For his part in helping Terumasa grow into a worthy castle steward, Chokkaku is rewarded by Tachibana with a hot-spring trip for the whole family. Chokkaku is delighted at the chance to be a dutiful son — but Terumasa, knowing nothing of…
