Susano'o no Mikoto is a young deity, grief-stricken by the loss of his mother Izanami to the heavenly realm. This profound sorrow drives him to embark on a journey across mystical lands, defying his father Izanagi's warnings of its impossibility. His refusal to accept her absence reveals deep emotional vulnerability beneath an impulsive nature. He travels with companions like Akahana, a talking rabbit, and encounters the benevolent giant Titanbō from the Land of Fire. Their voyage faces trials, including a confrontation with a colossal red sea monster that showcases Susano'o's innate combat prowess and protective instincts. Seeking guidance, his quest leads first to the Land of Night and his elder brother, the Crystal Prince. This encounter results in conflict, Susano'o's imprisonment in ice, and his eventual escape. Rejection deepens when he petitions his sister, the Sun Goddess, in the Land of Light. Arriving in Izumo Province, Susano'o meets Princess Kushinada and her family. They reveal that seven daughters were sacrificed to the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi, with Kushinada destined as the next offering. Struck by her resemblance to his mother and moved by her plight, Susano'o shifts his mission from personal longing to protective heroism. He vows to slay Orochi to save her, marking pivotal maturation. To defeat Orochi, Susano'o devises a plan involving eight vats of specially brewed sake placed behind a gated enclosure. He transforms Kushinada into a comb for safekeeping in his hair. When the intoxicated serpent collapses after consuming the sake, Susano'o decapitates all eight heads and dismembers its tails. During the battle, his sword strikes a hidden object within Orochi's fourth tail – the divine Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Heavenly Cloud Sword) – which he retrieves. Through these trials, Susano'o evolves from a grief-stricken youth into a figure of compassion and resolve. His bond with Kushinada, forged through shared peril, signifies acceptance of duty and connection to the mortal world. Retrieving the Kusanagi sword symbolizes not only a physical triumph but also his transition into a protector deity, channeling turbulent emotions into purposeful action.