Heita, renamed as Kiyomori, spends days fighting against pirates in the Seto Inland Sea and restoring stolen food to fisherfolk. Kiyomori, however, is mistaken as a pirate and sent to Kyoto where he is reunited with Tadamori. Although Tadamori tries to place Kiyomori to guard the Imperial Palace, Kiyomori refuses it saying he wants to live his own life. One day, Kiyomori is called to stop by a man named Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the son of Tadamori's longtime foe Tameyoshi, who later becomes Kiyomori's lifelong rival. Yoshitomo challenges Kiyomori on deciding which of the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan is superior to the other by comparing their horseback riding skills.
清盛（松山ケンイチ）は、瀬戸内海で船の警護役と称し海賊と戦い、取り返した食物を漁民に返すという無頼の日々を送っていた。しかし、賊と間違われた清盛は捕らえられ、京に連れ戻されてしまう。再会した忠盛（中井貴一）は、清盛に「北面の武士」という院の警護役を命じるが、清盛はそれを拒否。あくまで“自分ひとりの面白き人生を歩む”といきまく。そんなある日、清盛の前に源義朝（玉木宏）と名乗る青年が現れる。
