Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a theoretical guide to military strategy still used today. But the path to enlightenment in feudal era Japan was fraught with peril. At seventeen years of age, Musashi--still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takez --was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.
In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takez finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takez 's vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takez 's life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.
