Kinue Nimora survived World War II, only to be murdered in Tokyo. Her severed limbs are all that is left behind, gone is her torso which bore one of the most beautiful full-body tattoos ever created by her late father, a controversial artist. Kenzo Matsushita, a young doctor who was first to discover the crime scene, feels compelled to assist his detective brother, who is in charge of the case. But Kenzo has a secret: he was Kinue’s lover, and soon his involvement in the investigation becomes as twisted and complex as the writhing snakes that once adorned Kinue’s torso.