A look at the life of renegade yakuza Rikio Ishikawa, particularly the years1946–1950, during which his violent antics land him in hot water with his own clan, Kawada, and subsequently with the clan of his guardian, Kozaburo Imai. He can rely on Chieko, a young Tokyo courtesan who provides him with refuge during these years. He is exiled to Osaka, where he develops a drug addiction. Throughout, he keeps his friends and adversaries on their toes with his unexpected conduct-and he appears indestructible.