In the late Sengoku period, Kuroda Kanbei, a brilliant and ambitious strategist from Harima Province, aims to become the greatest military strategist in Japan. The story follows his turbulent life from the time Hashiba Hideyoshi becomes lord of Nagahama Castle. Kanbei serves first under the Kodera clan, then under Oda Nobunaga through Hideyoshi. After persuading his lord to ally with the Oda, Kanbei is imprisoned for over a year by the rebellious Araki Murashige, an ordeal that leaves him with a permanent leg injury and near blindness in one eye. During his captivity, Hideyoshi, fearing Kanbei had defected, orders his son Shojumaru executed, but the boy is secretly saved by Takenaka Hanbei. Rescued and reunited with his family, Kanbei formally becomes Hideyoshi’s chief strategist, working alongside the ailing Takenaka Hanbei.

The narrative arcs cover key historical events: the siege of Takamatsu, the Honnoji incident where Nobunaga is assassinated, the lightning “China Return” march, and the Battle of Yamazaki where Kanbei’s cunning helps Hideyoshi avenge Nobunaga. Following victories at Shizugatake and Komaki-Nagakute, Hideyoshi’s rise accelerates. Kanbei participates in the conquest of Shikoku and the Kyushu Campaign, after which he is granted six districts in Buzen Province. There, he struggles to pacify local uprisings and manage harsh orders from Hideyoshi. The story also depicts his relationship with his son Kuroda Nagamasa, who later serves Tokugawa Ieyasu. Throughout, the tone remains comedic, with Kanbei portrayed as a capable but approachable figure, supported by a cast including the ambitious Hideyoshi, the wise Takenaka Hanbei, and other historical figures like Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The manga balances historical events with lighthearted character interactions, covering Kanbei’s journey from a minor retainer to a key architect of Hideyoshi’s unification of Japan.