Rough outline of plot
Because of the Japanese civil war, Hattori Hanzo a first class ninja from Iga working for Tokugawa died during his mission. After his death his daughter Ayame was forced to take her father's name and continue with the mission. Ayame was forced to kill her budding love for Tokugawa Nobuyasu, Tokugawa Ieasu's eldest son while working on the Tokugawa's side as Hatori Hanzo. During the course of the story Nobuyasu was suspected of allying himself with Takeda, the Tokugawa's family sworn enemy. Though this was never proven, Nobuyasu was forced to perform seppuku in order to save his family's honor. His untimely death shocked Ayame, and strengthened her resolve to kill Nobunaga and avenge her father and lover.

This sounds very confusing, especially with so many names chucked into it. You might want to do a little reading beforehand, to find out which side is which. As a side note Tokugawa Ieasu is the head of the Tokugawa clan. BTW if anyone is reading this and know why the name Hattori Hanzo crop up so often not just in manga, please tell me.

Verdict
It's a very compact story, and also quite beautiful. Miura sensei went straight to the crux of the story, not wasting time with useless subplots. What fascinates me is the emotional aspect of the manga, Nobuyasu's struggle as he tried to decide whether to commit seppuku or not. The almost electric relationship between Ayame and Nobunaga in itself is fascinating. Its' difficult to tell if they do hate or love each other. Another aspect of the manga is the unique female role in the manga, thrust into a situation, which she did not want, but was forced to accept.

Characters

Tokugawa Nobuyasu, Tokugawa Ieasu's eldest son, I'm certain he's a fictional character made up for this manga. He fell in love with Ayame when he saw her bathing during his journey to Iga. He had been betrothed and married to Oda Nobunaga's daughter since the age of 9. A truly noble character, who would do anything if it means it's for the good of all, even if it means costing his own life.