Path of the Assassin, Volume 2: Sand and Flower — Kazuo Koike

It's not easy being Hattori Hanzo. If he's not teaching the young and upcoming shogun how to love, then he's either behind the scenes teaching Ieyasu how not to die in case of a momentary lapse of protection. Or he might be in the shadows making sure Ieyasu's leadership is effective by any means necessary. If you thought you had a tough job, try taking a pudgy, protected youngster, and making him into the leader who would unite Japan under his singular rule. In this quasi-historical tale from the masters of Japanese samurai culture, Path of the Assassin shows a side of feudal japan that entertains with action as well as political drama.