In 1177, Saiko's son gets into a skirmish with Buddhist monks at a temple on Mt. Hakusan, and the incident escalates into a brawl, involving Buddhist monks of Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei. The cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa orders Shigemori to take up arms against the warrior monks, however, Shigemori's retainer accidentally hits the mikoshi (portable shrine) carried by the monks with an arrow, which triggers a new problem. To quell the disturbance, Kiyomori again leads his troops into Kyoto.
鹿ケ谷の陰謀編前編！法皇近臣の西光（加藤虎ノ介）の息子を巡り、比叡山が強訴に踏み切った事件をきっかけに、清盛（松山ケンイチ）と後白河法皇（松田翔太）の対立は決定的なものになる。一方、伊豆の頼朝（岡田将生）は、政子（杏）の前向きな人間性に閉じていた心を開き始める。平家打倒ののろしが、そこかしこから始まり、ついに動乱の時を迎える！
