甲賀忍者・伊賀忍者の一族は、ともに服部半蔵に率いられる忍者群同士でありながら、源平の昔より数百年、互いに憎悪を抱く不倶戴天の敵同士でもあった。服部の統制下、両門争闘の禁制によりかろうじて和平を保っていた。そのような中、甲賀組の首領甲賀弾正の孫弦之介と伊賀組の頭目お幻の孫娘朧は恋仲にあり、両家の縁組がすめば長きに亘った甲賀と伊賀の確執も解けるかと思われた。
そんな事情を知ってか知らずか、慶長19年4月末、両首領を駿府城に呼び出した徳川家康と半蔵（2代目）が甲賀・伊賀の忍びに与えた使命は実に戦慄すべきものであった。徳川第3代将軍となる後継者選びに悩んでいた家康は、天海の提言を受け入れ、その選定を甲賀対伊賀の忍法争いによって決めることにしたのだ。
The Koga Ninja and Iga Ninja clan are both ninja groups led by Hattori Hanzo, but they have also been hateful enemies for hundreds of years since the days of Genpei. Under Hattori’s control, peace was barely maintained due to the prohibition of the struggle between the two gates. Under such circumstances, Koga-gumi’s chief Kouga Danjo’s son Gennosuke and Iga-gumi’s head phantom granddaughter Oboro are in love, and it seemed that the long-standing feud between Koga and Iga could be resolved if the relationship between the two families was completed. ..
Whether or not he knew such a situation, the mission given to Koga and Iga’s ninja by Ieyasu Tokugawa and Hanzo (2nd generation) who called the two chiefs to Sunpu Castle at the end of April 19th was truly horrifying. Ieyasu, who was worried about choosing his successor to become the third shogun of Tokugawa, accepted Tenkai’s proposal and decided to decide on the choice based on the ninpo battle between Koga and Iga.
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