The player is armed with a kodachi shortsword and an unlimited amount of shuriken. Grabbing a crystal ball causes the player's clothes to change to the next level in colour and thereby attain certain powers (bigger shuriken or faster speed); if Kage is hit while in green or orange clothes, he does not die but reverts to his normal red clothes. Grabbing a scroll causes Kage to stand still and meditate for several seconds while approaching enemies drop to the ground dead (although the scrolls appear in the arcade version, the crystal balls do not). The player takes role of the young Iga ninja named Kage ("Shadow") on the mission to rescue Princess Kiri (Kirihime) from the villains Yoshi (Yoshiro Yukikusa) and Yuki (Yukinosuke Kiri). Kage must fight his way through the forest, along the secret passageway, up the fortress wall and through the castle, rescuing her two times (three in the FC/NES version) in order to win the game. Each time the princess is rescued, the seasons change in the game.