Gabimaru the Hollow, an Iwagakure Village ninja known for his cold and emotionless demeanor, was betrayed by his fellow ninja and is now on death row. Weary of killing and betrayal, he wishes to die. Yet, no execution method succeeds because, despite his seemingly apathetic refusal to admit it, he has a reason to live. He wants to return to his wife, who caused him to soften and fail as an effective assassin. Consequently, he refuses to die. Asaemon the Decapitator, a renowned executioner, observes this and proposes a deal to the ninja. She wants Gabimaru to join an expedition to an island south of Japan to search for the elixir of life, in exchange for a full pardon from the Shogunate. However, this island is not ordinary: it is believed to be Paradise. Nevertheless, the island is rife with mysteries, and the exploration team—composed of those marked for death—may not be fully prepared to handle them.