ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B

NORIZUKI Gennojō is a komusō, a meidicant Zen priest of the Fuke sect though he is a son of hatamoto, direct vassal of shogun in reality. In Edo, he meets a man called Araki, vassal of MATSYDATIRA Sakyōnosuke、Kyoto Shoshidai who governs Kyoto under Tokugawa shogunate. He orders him to search Yoami in Awa (current Tokushima) and receives money. But Mikaeri O-Tsuna, a cut-purse sees it and plans to steal it. That night she waits for him near a bridge but Gennojo fights SEKIYA Magobei, a street-murder with swords. Then O-Tsuna throws a stone into a river and the noise makes him away. She steals Gennojo's money but he is aware of it  and says, "I pretend I didn't see it".


Gennojō is a fiance of Chie, daughter of Kōga Yoami, a Kōga-ryu ninja who is the head of the Koga family. Years ago, he decided to travel to perfect his skill in swordsmanship with his instructor TOGASAKI Sekiun and was given an amulet by Chie. And in Kyoto, an aristocrat attempted to overthrow shogunate and it was found out and he was arrested by Kyoto Shoshidai (Hōreki no hen). The aristocrat hid himself in Awa and Sakyonosuke ordered Yoami to search a petition with blood sealed of overthrowing shogunate called "Naruto Hichō". Yoami departed for Awa but visited a O-Tsuna and her mother O-Sai on his way. He gave O-Tsuna some money but Toragorō, father of O-tsuna who was a rude man took away it.


Gennojō learned Sekiun's swordsmanship perfectly. Then Sekiun told him to surpass himself, to kill him in short. He then cut down him and Sekiun fell down on the ground. He says,
 "the swordsmanship is a means of killing people and if you investigate the swordsmanship thoroughly, he will be a brute."
And then he died. After that Gennojō becomes got disheartened but was told by a prostitute with him that a brute could have human mind by chanting the name of Buddha.


O-Tsuna is chased by Mankichi, hired thief-cather who knows about Gennojō well and his follower Gingorō but makes her getaway. Then she sees Magobei and gets falsely accused by him. She tells him to visit a house in Hongō Tsumagoi, an area of Edo. Gennojō is persuaded to meet his father who takes ill and Chie by Mankichi and Gingorō at an eating house managed by Mankichi's wife. They grieve that Gennnojo degraded himself. And in the residence of Yoami, Chie is sick of waiting for her father and Gennnojō but is admonished by TABIKAWA Shūma, leading disciple of Yoami. He has a secret design in reality.


O-Tsuna's family is very poor and her younger sister and brother do street performance to earn their keep. She knows that Toragorō will sell her to Yoshiwara, a red light district for money and that's why she keeps a distance from her family. She gives them the money she stole from Gennojō and tells them that she is a maid of a big residence. And she remembers that in her childhood, she stole a merchant's purse at an exhibition of medicines by HIRAGA Gennai. Then a boy of a samurai family appeared and said to her "I pretend I didn't see it" to protect her. She thinks that the boy was possibly Gennojō himself. Then she goes to Hongō and is squeezed by Magobei who waits for her. But she holds a pistol and sends him away.
    

Gennnojō visits Chie with Gingoro but is refused to see her by Shuma who says she has depression. Then Gennojō asks him to hand her the amulet. Chie feels that somebody visits the residence but Shūma tells such a lie that it was Gennpjō but he said that he didn't want to see her anymore. Shūma attempts to marry her and manage the Kōga family. He orders his follower Taichi to keep a lookout for him. Gennojō and Gingorō who leave the residence are attacked by the ninjas of Kōga-ryū. Though they cut their way, the life of Gennojo is threatened by the samurais of Awa also and O-Tsuna suports him with her pistol.


In Awa, Yoami is put in a jail. The Koga family goes into decline.

The images are from the video of "Naruto Hichō".

• Naruto_hicho