When Megumi, a teenage runaway-turned-prostitute, is found murdered in the dark alleys of Tokyo's raunchiest red-light district, no one seems to care except The Snake, a grizzled, whiskey-swilling yakuza. It's an affront to his authority: No one gets away with murder on his turf.

Tokyo teeters on the brink of chaos as The Snake juggles his investigation against an impending gang war and a campaign to get the corrupt Governor of Tokyo elected Prime Minister. What he uncovers threatens the highest levels of power. Ancient yakuza codes of honor give way to betrayal as The Snake is torn between lifetime loyalties and justice.