Sekibei is the jolly keeper of the barrier, but he is actually a villain in disguise.
He tries to cut down the tree in a magical ceremony to seize power, but passes out. The spirit of the cherry appears inside the tree in the form of a beautiful courtesan.
Sekibei reveals his true identity as the ambitious court aristocrat Otomo no Kuronushi.
Finally, Kuronushi is defeated by the magical powers of the spirit of the cherry.