The first-person narrator explains that he plans to tell the story of his life simply so that anyone can understand it. He lived in a violent time in Japan when warlords fought for control. The son of a knight, his name was Murakami, and he was spoiled by the women of his village. While the narrator’s father was a samurai, he was not wealthy, and he helped farm his land. His father died in battle against the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen, and the rest of the narrator’s family was killed by the victorious army. The narrator explains that after he was orphaned, he was given the name Taro, which was common for servants and showed his lack of importance. Harutomo doesn’t mention his age, but the narration implies that he is telling the story as an old man looking back on his life.

After his father dies in battle, the narrator’s mother knows that her family is likely to be killed to prevent reprisals. She sends her son, who is not quite five years old, to hide with a servant girl, Yone. When a soldier finds them, he takes them back to the house, where the boy sees his mother and two brothers lying dead.