Laughing Under the Clouds

In the 11th year of the Meiji Era, Japan bears the scars of the fallen samurai shogunate and the ban on swords. Many former samurai, resentful of these changes, conspire against the new government, stirring unrest and violence. To suppress this uprising, the authorities build a massive prison on Lake Biwa. Tenka Kumou works unofficially with the police to apprehend criminals while also ferrying prisoners to the Lake Biwa prison, aided by his younger siblings-the driven Soramaru and the spirited Chuutarou. Alongside Shirasu Kinjou, a former Fuma ninja, the Kumou brothers lead a simple but content life, focused on study and training. Yet beneath this quiet existence, the curse of "Orochi" begins to loom over Oumi. Legend says Orochi reawakens in human form every three hundred years, signaling impending disaster. As factions fight to find Orochi's vessel, some seek to contain the curse, while others pursue far more sinister ends.