Inuzuka Shino, son of a country samurai of Otsuka in the province of Musashi, held the jewel of filial piety. Following his father's last wishes, he set out for Koga in the province of Shimousa to present the famous sword Murasamemaru, an heirloom of the Ashikaga house, to Ashikaga Shigeuji, the Koga shogun.
Murasamemaru was a wondrous sword: drawn, its blade gave off mist; swung, it scattered dew. But on Shino's journey the villain Aboshi Samojiro had swapped it for a fake. Unaware, Shino went to the Koga palace and drew the sword before Shigeuji. It was nothing but a dull blade.
"You pretended to bring me the heirloom to get close to me; you're an assassin come for my life," Shigeuji raged, and ordered Shino seized. Cutting down the soldiers who came after him, Shino fled through the palace, until at last he was driven onto the roof of the three-story Horyukaku tower.
Shigeuji summoned Inukai Genpachi, a master at taking criminals, who was being held in prison, and ordered, "Capture Shino and your crime will be pardoned." Genpachi was a dog warrior holding the jewel of faith, but neither man knew the other was one.
On the roof of the Horyukaku, with the Tone River flowing below, Shino and Genpachi fought fiercely, their feet clattering on the tiles. Shino's sword and Genpachi's jitte truncheon struck sparks as they clashed from one end of the roof to the other, faster than the eye could follow. Below, Shigeuji's retainers watched with bated breath.
The two were evenly matched, and the fight would not end. At last, locked together, they lost their footing and fell headlong into a small boat moored on the bank of the Tone. Its rope broken, the boat carried them off on the current of the Tone, far downstream.
The duel on the Horyukaku is the most famous scene in Hakkenden, depicted again and again in kabuki and woodblock prints.