Furuta Sasuke, 34 year old vassal of Oda Nobunaga, is sent on a diplomatic mission to Shigisan Castle to negotiate with Matsunaga Hisahide, a general who betrayed Nobunaga and allied with the Mori Clan and Ikko-ikki. Nobunaga instructs Sasuke to offer Hisahide forgiveness for the betrayal in exchange for the Hiragumo teakettle, a highly-prized and artistic piece.
織田家の家臣で数奇をこよなく愛する古田左介は、主君信長から謀反をおこした松永久秀との交渉を命ぜられる。久秀が所有する大名物「平グモの茶釜」を渡せばすべてを許すというのが条件だ。
