Book 4

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 4

by Yusei Matsui

Published 2 February 2023
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Kiyohara, the malicious and decadent governor of Shinano, is determined to crush any dissent within the province. When Hoshina Yasaburo, a member of the Suwa sect, rises up in rebellion, Suwa Yorishige dispatches Tokiyuki and the Elusive Warriors on a clandestine mission to aid the rebel leader. But how can Tokiyuki help the Suwa sect when its soldiers are more determined to die in battle than to achieve victory?

Book 5

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 5

by Yusei Matsui

Published 13 April 2023
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

In order to seize the Suwa domain, the conniving governor of Shinano, Ogasawara Sadamune, seeks to prove that Tokiyuki, in his guise as Chojumaru, is a Hojo clan survivor. Tokiyuki must face the all-seeing gaze of his adversary, as well as Sadamune’s equally perceptive henchman. And even if Tokiyuki can escape Sadamune’s machinations, his trials are far from over. When Suwa’s hard-pressed allies come under attack from superior enemy forces, Tokiyuki and the Elusive Warriors must ride to their aid. Can they snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?

Book 6

In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Suwa allies Shinomiya and Hoshina have lost ground in their battle with the Kokushi’s forces. But the outcome could have been worse if not for Tokiyuki’s quick thinking. And even in defeat, Tokiyuki has learned valuable lessons about strategy from his nemesis, the wily Shokan. Now new battlefields await, and with spies everywhere in Suwa, Tokiyuki must head for Kyo, the capital city of his enemy Takauji! Though the capital is the center of arts and culture in Japan, danger still lurks at every turn…

Book 7

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 7

by Yusei Matsui

Published 3 August 2023
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

With Shinano under intense surveillance by enemy spies, Yorishige has sent Tokiyuki to Kyo, the capital city of Japan, to stay until things cool down. Accompanied by his uncle, Hojo Yasuie, Tokiyuki must learn all he can about his enemy’s intentions. Entranced by the sights and sounds of the city—and the flashy hostess of a gambling den—Tokiyuki discovers even more about his own ability to get people on his side. Surrounded by Ashikaga Takauji’s intrigues in Kyo, he’ll need all the allies he can get!

Book 8

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 9

by Yusei Matsui

Published 21 December 2023
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

At last, Tokiyuki has revealed himself to Yorishige’s allies and supporters as the Hojo heir. The time has come for Suwa province to march against Ashikaga Takauji and the Mikado. Alongside Yorishige, Tokiyuki now rides at the head of the army in a move to retake Kamakura and restore the shogunate. But there is still much hard fighting ahead, and the next obstacle is the Kanto Hisashiban, a group of dazzling—and unusual—young warriors who serve Takauji!

Book 8

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 8

by Yusei Matsui

Published 28 September 2023
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

The time has come for Tokiyuki and Yorishige’s allies in Shinano to make their move against their enemies, the devious governor Ogasawara and the evil kokushi, Kiyohara. But in order to get the campaign going, Tokiyuki must earn the respect of Yorishige’s warriors, and to do that, he’ll need to engage his old nemesis, the wily Shokan. Shokan is no fool, however, and Tokiyuki will have to come up with an unexpected and dangerous tactic to achieve success.

Book 10

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 10

by Yusei Matsui

Published 14 March 2024
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Tokiyuki and his loyal retainers, the Elusive Warriors, take on the members of the Kanto Hisashiban, Takauji Ashikaga’s stewards in charge of the defense of Kamakura. The members of the Hisashiban possess almost superhuman skills and abilities, as well as…unique personalities. Kojiro faces off against Shibukawa, the most formidable of the Hisashiban warriors, in a duel he must win—for if he loses, Tokiyuki’s head will be forfeit! Tokiyuki himself must face the mad warrior Imagawa in a desperate contest of horsemanship to raise the morale of his entire army!

Book 11

In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

The battle for control of Kamakura has been joined! The Hojo and Ashikaga forces clash as Tokiyuki and his Elusive Warriors take on the members of the infamous Kanto Hisashiban, and Kojiro has engaged Kagetada, a warrior twisted by Uesugi’s chemical experiments. Meanwhile, Genba skirts the edges of the battle trying to track down another Ashikaga ninja. After Tokiyuki’s inspiring race around the battlefield, his opponent, the horse-mad samurai Imagawa, moves in for the kill. Even Tokiyuki’s famed elusiveness may not save him this time…

Book 12

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 12

by Yusei Matsui

Published 12 September 2024
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

After years of training and deadly battles, the combined Hojo and Suwa army, with Tokiyuki at its head, has defeated Ashikaga Takauji’s forces and retaken the city of Kamakura! Tokiyuki and his retainers celebrate their return, then they seek the services of the legendary swordsmith Masamune, asking him to forge personalized weapons. Meanwhile, Emperor Go-Daigo, shocked and confused by the defeat, orders Takauji himself to ride forth at the head of his army to attack and destroy Tokiyuki once and for all!

Book 13

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 13

by Yusei Matsui

Published 19 December 2024
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

The Hojo return to Kamakura was glorious but short-lived. Calamity has fallen upon Tokiyuki and his allies once again after losing the Battle of Sagami River. Yorishige realizes his time has come, and moves to cover Tokiyuki’s withdrawal, but the young lord isn’t giving up yet. Hoping to rescue Yorishige, he heads straight for his enemy, Ashikaga Takauji, to issue his challenge—“Kill me and you win! But if I escape, you lose everything!”

Book 14

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 14

by Yusei Matsui

Published 27 March 2025
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Against Emperor Go-Daigo’s wishes, Ashikaga Takauji has seized Kamakura for himself. After Emperor Go-Daigo declares Takauji a rebel, a series of battles and political machinations result in the unusual situation of there being two emperors, Emperor Komyo in the north and Go-Daigo in the south. Tokiyuki, now in hiding, searches for allies who will help him gain vengeance on Takauji. When the impressive noble Kitabatake Akiie arrives, he demands that Tokiyuki swear fealty to Emperor Go-Daigo. The heir to the Hojo Shogunate finds himself once again forced to make a fateful choice…

Book 15

In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Tokiyuki has emerged from hiding and joined forces with Kitabatake Akiie. He has also sworn allegiance to Go-Daigo’s southern court in order to seek revenge upon Ashikaga Takauji. With Akiie’s rowdy troops in the vanguard, Tokiyuki is chosen to lead the attack and attempt to seize Kamakura once again. But the pass is guarded by a former member of the Kanto Hisashiban, and breaking through will force Tokiyuki to risk his life in a one-on-one duel to the death!

Book 16

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 16

by Yusei Matsui

Published 11 September 2025
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Kitabatake Akiie’s army, including Tokiyuki’s powerful Hojo clan contingent, begins their westward march on Kyo from Oshu. It will be a long journey and will not go unopposed as forces loyal to Ashikaga Takauji are mobilizing to stop them. Not only will Akiie and Tokiyuki need to contend with ambushes and supply problems along the way, but the army of the renowned warrior Toki Yorito also moves to confront the Oshu army at a place that will one day become famed in Japanese history—Sekigahara.

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 1

by Yusei Matsui

Published 4 August 2022
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

After the massacre of his family by the traitor Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki flees with the help of a handful of loyal retainers who have also survived the purge. One of them is Suwa Yorishige, an ally of the Hojo clan and lord of Suwa province. The slightly odd Yorishige also claims to be clairvoyant and foretells that Tokiyuki will one day become the ruler of Japan. But for the moment, escaping from enemy territory is the priority!

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 2

by Yusei Matsui

Published 13 October 2022
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

Now in hiding in Suwa under the protection of Yorishige, Tokiyuki takes on a cover identity—Chojumaru, an apprentice of Suwa Grand Shrine. When Ogasawara Sadamune, the governor of Shinano and vassal of Takauji the usurper, shows up to attend a sporting event at the shrine, he’s not just looking to win—if Sadamune finds any Hojo refugees, he’ll have free rein to take over Suwa completely! Thinking the best way to hide Tokiyuki is in plain sight, Yorishige sends him onto the field to take on Sadamune…

The Elusive Samurai, Vol. 3

by Yusei Matsui

Published 8 December 2022
In war-torn medieval Japan, a young samurai lord struggles to retake his throne, but not by fighting. Hojo Tokiyuki will reclaim his birthright by running away!

In medieval Japan, eight-year-old Hojo Tokiyuki is the heir to the Kamakura shogunate. But the Hojo clan is in decline, and Tokiyuki’s peaceful days of playing hide-and-seek with his teachers come to an abrupt end when his clan is betrayed from within. The lone survivor of his family, Tokiyuki is the rightful heir to the throne, but to take it back, he’ll have to do what he does best—run away!

As the new year of 1334 begins, Yorishige is concerned about enemies closing in on Suwa territory. He needs information about their moves and motives and decides to send Tokiyuki and his growing band of retainers, the Elusive Warriors, to scout things out. Then, in an isolated village on the northern edge of the province, Tokiyuki encounters a dangerous stranger…