The year is 1333, Kamakura.
Tokiyuki Hojo, the rightful heir to the regent who rules the Kamakura shogunate,
is a kind boy with a heart of gold who dislikes conflict – even though he’s the son of a warrior.
In an age where honor of a warrior is battles and death, Tokiyuki disliked training to fight and was rumored to be a coward as he was better at running away and hiding.
One day, as Tokiyuki runs away from another training session, he comes across a suspicious Shinto priest named Yorishige Suwa.
With the ability to see the future, Yorishige proclaims that Tokiyuki will become “a hero who shakes heaven.”
As this young boy is thrown around and about by this storm-like destiny, a game of tag which the fate of Japan hangs on begins now!

Takauji Ashikaga, once considered the guardian of the Kamakura shogunate, stages a rebellion that led to its quick destruction.
Tokiyuki’s older brother, Kunitoki, successfully evades the eyes of the warriors loyal to Takauji, and he is placed under the care of their uncle, Muneshige Godaiin.
Meanwhile, Tokiyuki hides in an abandoned house outside Kamakura while traveling to Suwa, Shinano, Yorishige’s territory. However, surveilling eyes cast their gaze upon Tokiyuki’s whereabouts.
The once familiar emblem on the flag changes – who’s an enemy and an ally?
As Tokiyuki is confronted with one betrayal after another, further troubles await him.

Tokiyuki risks his life and wins a game of tag, defeating the enemy who betrayed his brother, their uncle, Muneshige.
As soon as he arrives in Suwa, Yorishige urges him to begin his lessons and training to take back Kamakura, having no time to heal the wounds in his heart from the betrayal.
Unable to shake off his suspicions about Yorishige, Tokiyuki cannot find the true meaning behind the lessons and what he is urged to learn.
Tokiyuki is unable to visualize himself as a hero, but Yorishige shows him something that could change that. Yorishige informs Tokiyuki that he must increase his allies or “retainers” to recapture Kamakura.
Having lost everything, this young boy now quietly trains in Suwa under the protection of a god….

Tokiyuki spends his days undergoing strenuous training to perfect his sword techniques – something he’s told to do to take back Kamakura for himself.
However, everyone was surprised by how weak his swordsmanship was. It turns out that Tokiyuki was much better with another weapon: the bow.
As Yorishige worries about whether battle tactics consisting of running away and a bow would work, he suddenly receives news of a visitor coming to the shrine.
The visitor to Suwa Grand Shrine turns out to be military commander Sadamune Ogasawara, now the newly appointed governor of Shinano.
Yorishige comes up with an ingenious idea as he sees Sadamune’s substitute for a proper gift and a display of unparalleled skill with the bow.
With the downfall of the Kamakura shogunate, power structures in various regions of the country began to move and change. Suwa’s fate lies in the hands of Tokiyuki himself….

Tokiyuki spends his days undergoing strenuous training to perfect his sword techniques – something he’s told to do to take back Kamakura for himself.
However, everyone was surprised by how weak his swordsmanship was. It turns out that Tokiyuki was much better with another weapon: the bow.
As Yorishige worries about whether battle tactics consisting of running away and a bow would work, he suddenly receives news of a visitor coming to the shrine.
The visitor to Suwa Grand Shrine turns out to be military commander Sadamune Ogasawara, now the newly appointed governor of Shinano.
Yorishige comes up with an ingenious idea as he sees Sadamune’s substitute for a proper gift and a display of unparalleled skill with the bow.
With the downfall of the Kamakura shogunate, power structures in various regions of the country began to move and change. Suwa’s fate lies in the hands of Tokiyuki himself….

Genba Kazama is a thief who can freely shape-shift and change his appearance. He often makes light of his enemies using various skills and techniques.
Tokiyuki and Genba sneak into the Ogasawara's residence and successfully infiltrate the warehouse where the Emperor’s Imperial Command is kept. However, Sadamune’s subordinate, Sukefusa Ichikawa, catches on and hears what these two are doing….
Even though Genba is quite skilled at what he does, he still has difficulty with Sukefusa’s infernal hearing ability.
They’re now in a clear pinch, now stuck in a situation where they even breathe loudly enough, their lives would be in danger.
The true nature of people can be seen when they’re on the brink of danger. Will Tokiyuki and Genba get out of this pinch and beat this game of hide-and-seek in the darkness?

Tokiyuki reigns in the new year for the first time in Suwa.
As the chaos from the downfall lulls throughout the country, skirmishes still break out here and there, and another crisis knocks on Suwa’s doors.
Near the border in the northern extremities of Suwa, Yorishige and the rest get wind of disturbing developments by Ogasawara.
With all the highly skilled scouts currently out and about, Tokiyuki suggests his Elusive Warriors take care of this.
His retainers are happy with this heartening offer to help, but Yorishige, for some reason, is the only one who’s strongly against it….
With the grown-ups worried for their safety and hopeful for their success, the Elusive Warriors make their way and charge through Suwa!

The Elusive Warriors make their way to Nakayama Manor in the northern extremities of Suwa.
There, Tokiyuki meets a young boy named Fubuki.
In a village where Ogasawara and his forces killed all the grown-ups, Fubuki took charge and continually looked after all the children who were left in the aftermath.
The warriors join forces with Fubuki, who’s familiar with military strategies, and go on a mission to meet the enemy.
It is then that Fubuki teaches Tokiyuki a particular sword skill….
Shokan, Sadamune's subordinate and a man feared as a villain, spearheads forces of bloodthirsty demons to attack the village.
With this new, young, bright boy at his side, will Tokiyuki survive this dilemma?

The Elusive Warriors engage in a fierce battle with the Seigi Party, a group spearheaded by Shokan himself.
Stuck in a small chamber and faced with opponents wearing armor, Tokiyuki uses the “escape” technique he learned from Fubuki to face off against General Shokan.
Meanwhile, Kojiro and Ayako struggle to battle with Shiro, a core member of the Seigi Party.
Fubuki lures out another core party member, Furan, but what exactly is Fubuki up to?
These young boys and girls have taken on the colossal challenge of reclaiming the country, and they fight against much more experienced grown-ups in battle.
Can the stroke of a sword from a merciful being save the demons wandering in the darkness of hell?

Running away, hiding, and surviving. It’s a game of tag to reclaim the country.
So many things have happened since the downfall of the Kamakura shogunate until the present day.
Let’s take this opportunity to take a break with yours truly, Yorishige Suwa, and look back at the adventures our Young Lord, Tokiyuki Hojo, has gone through.

Yorishige tells Tokiyuki there are times when he cannot see the future.
As some people have come to rely on Yorishige’s reputation and power as a god, he cannot reveal this shortcoming to anyone. He asks for Tokiyuki’s help, and together, they try every idea, one by one, for Yorishige to regain his holy power.
Tokiyuki bustles about Suwa Grand Shrine and gathers the things Yorishige wishes for.
However, no matter how hard they try, they don’t see any signs of Yorishige’s holy power returning – and Tokiyuki experiences an unexpected impact as a result.
This is the last period of time in which God and humans coexist.
Tokiyuki experiences a fleeting wonder….

The imperial court assigns a new provincial official for Shinano: Shinanonokami Kiyohara.
Kiyohara did not hesitate to wield his power over people. He was considered a corrupt provincial official who made the people living in his territory suffer.
Unable to stand his oppressive government, Yasaburo Hoshina, a member of the Suwa Sect, raises an army to defeat Kiyohara.
However, Suwa wants to avoid confrontations with the imperial court and can’t send rescue if anything were to go wrong.
Upon Yorishige’s request, Tokiyuki and the Elusive Warriors set out to Kawanakajima in Northern Shinano to convince Hoshina to stop his planned rebellion.
Will Tokiyuki’s motto of running away to live conspire with these warriors, who are ready to die for their pride?

Hoshina and his army decide to retreat from Kawanakajima after hearing what Tokiyuki and Saemontaro Shinomiya, a Suwa Sect warrior, had to say.
But Kiyohara is evil and crafty – he won’t let this slide without a fight.
A battle ensues on the plains of the land to protect the region’s people, but Kiyohara’s army outnumbers both Hoshina’s army and the Elusive Warriors.
Using his great skill at running away, will Tokiyuki become a general for his warriors?
What will happen in this battle of retreat where running way means victory?

It is the first year of the Kenmu era (1334), in Suwa, Shinano province.
Tokiyuki, now fully accustomed to life in Suwa, is reminded of meals from his days in Kamakura during a casual conversation.
He recalls how much he loved eating freshly caught sea bream from Yuigahama, seasoned with wasabi and soy sauce from Izu.
As he grows wistful for his distant homeland, the Elusive Warriors notice their lord’s sentimental mood. Fired up with determination, they set off on horseback toward the sea.
Meanwhile, in Kamakura, a new regime under Ashikaga has begun.
Ashikaga and his followers have gained overwhelming support from the common people, and they'll one day stand in the way of Tokiyuki and his companions as they fight to retake Kamakura...

The Ashikaga forces keep a vigilant watch across the country, searching for remnants of the Hojo clan scattered throughout Japan.
Sadamune, the governor of Shinano, has grown suspicious of “Chojumaru,” a young warrior who has repeatedly distinguished himself in battle—first during the dog-shooting competition, and later on the battlefield.
Is the boy's real identity that of a member of the Hojo clan? Or perhaps he's the son of a powerful retainer?
Determined to uncover Tokiyuki’s true identity, Sadamune requests that Tokiyuki be sent as an envoy alone to deliver return offerings to Suwa Grand Shrine.
In the midst of enemy territory, Sadamune awaits him—calm, composed, and possessing an extraordinary sharpness of perception.
One wrong answer could cost Tokiyuki his life. Thus begins a battle of words with no escape…

Provincial official Kiyohara returns to Shinano after fleeing back to Kyo following the previous battle.
Having grown even more ruthless, Kiyohara launches a large-scale invasion against pro-Hojo factions in northern Shinano.
To oppose the combined forces of Kiyohara and Sadamune, the three great generals of the Suwa faith—Nezu, Mochizuki, and Unno, retainers directly serving Yorishige—join the war as secret reinforcements.
The main Suwa-aligned forces consist of Muneie Tokoiwa in northern Shinano, Hoshina and Shinomiya in the central region, and Tomomitsu Inukai in the south.
The Elusive Warriors, including Tokiyuki, take on the role of messengers who must not be captured under any circumstances as they race across every battlefield.
Before the uprising to retake Kamakura, the greatest and final prelude to war now begins—!

Tokiyuki and his companions race across the battlefield, sparing even the slightest moments of rest in order to relay information to their allies.
However, when they arrive at the northern front where Mochizuki and Tokoiwa are fighting, what they witness is a fortress engulfed in flames, falliing into ruin...
Ayako collapses in grief as she thinks of her father, Shigenobu Mochizuki.
Struck by the sight, Tokiyuki is left speechless.
With the northern fortress lost, defeating the provincial official on the central battlefield now becomes the highest priority.
A new war council is held to reconsider their strategy, but no clear solution emerges.
In the midst of this, Shizuku offers a proposal based on intelligence gathered by the other Elusive Warriors' work as messengers.
Can her plan break through this deadlock?

The central battlefield descends into total chaos.
Just as victory seems within reach for the Hoshina–Shinomiya forces, a new obstacle suddenly appears before them: Kiyohara’s newly devised battle mikoshi.
Originally intended as a palanquin for issuing commands from the rear, it is now reinforced with heavy armor. Sheltered behind its plating while raining arrows upon the enemy, this unprecedented tactic—devised by a court noble with no experience in war—turns everything the samurai know about battle on its head.
As Kiyohara himself charges into the fighting with a fearsome, almost demonic intensity, the question remains whether anyone can stop his relentless assault.
Meanwhile, Tokiyuki, observing the situation as a messenger and scout, senses an ominous presence.
The defensive battle, where intelligence and military strategy intertwine, reaches its final stage!