生きて帰れないと言われる佐渡から逃げ、12年前の許婚を探し旅を続ける長次郎。探していた女に出会った長次郎だったが、12年もの佐渡の労役は人相をも変えるのか女は気づかない。女は商家に嫁ぎ、その夫が無実の罪で佐渡送りにされるところだから助け出して欲しいという。女の一味に不審を抱きつつも、彼女の幸せのために夫を逃がしてやる長次郎だったが、一味が盗賊だったことを知って…。長次郎は初めて心のうちを明かすが、12年の歳月は女の心をも変えてしまったのか。
Chōjirō escapes from Sado Island, a place known as inescapable, and continues his journey to find the fiancée he parted with 12 years ago. When he finally finds her, she doesn’t recognize him—perhaps the 12 years of hard labor on Sado have changed his appearance. Now married to a merchant, she pleads with Chōjirō to help free her husband, who is about to be sent to Sado on false charges. Suspicious of her motives, Chōjirō nonetheless agrees, only to discover that she is part of a band of thieves. Despite this, he helps her husband escape, but when Chōjirō reveals his feelings to her, he realizes the 12 years have changed her heart as well.
