Captured thief Kumehachi of the Nozuchi gang (played by Soko Wada) claims that his former leader, the thief Tanbei Chigashira (played by Arata Furuta), who is notorious for his brutal crimes, is an imposter. The Tanbei Chigashira Kumehachi knows was a principled thief who followed three strict rules: "Do not kill, do not violate women, and do not steal from the poor." Kumehachi pleads with Heizo (played by Koshiro Matsumoto) to let him go to Shimada-juku as a spy, believing that Tanbei's gang is hiding there. As the investigation in Shimada-juku continues, a new theft occurs in Edo, seemingly the work of Tanbei Chigashira.