In feudal Japan, a child Princess (
Marissa Christina Richards), traveling through a forest with her Guardian swordsman (
Yoshio Be), encounters a trio of Bandits (
François Chau,
Darrell Kunitomi, and
Craig Watanabe). One of them shoots the Guardian with a flintlock pistol. All hope seems lost, but to the rescue comes little samurai Benji (
Benjamin Wey). He disarms the Bandits, who turn and run. The Princess offers a reward of gold coins to Benji, but he humbly refuses. As token, she places an ivory-carved turtle around his neck.
Benji is rudely awakened from his dream, by a loud TV commercial. It is present day, and 9 year-old Benji lies on a sofa, at home. His mother (
Cathi Perez) urges him to go out and play. Benji is reminded of his dream by a Japanese doll in a glass case: a young warrior wielding a sword. Then, from outside he hears a woman calling for help. Benji runs outside and sees a Purse Snatcher (
Jonathan Wong) wrestling a hand bag from an Old Woman (
Mitsu Yashima). Before he can escape, Benji trips him up with a broomstick. The thief runs but Benji recovers the purse. The Old Woman offer's him a reward: an ivory-carved turtle that he has seen before.