Kenshin decides to pay our friend Shishio a little visit in Shingetsu village. He heads down, unaware that he is being followed by Misao and Eiji. Eiji is determined to get his parents out of the village. However, they discover that it is too late. The man in control of the village, Senkaku, has already killed Eiji's parents, and their bodies were strung up in the street. Many black-clad-useless-underlings of Shishio's come to dispatch Kenshin et al, but are summarily disposed of. One, however, goes after a still shocked Eiji and Misao, but it stabbed through the head by Saitoh.
*Does a little "Yay Saitoh!" dance*
Saitoh: glares* I am married.
*Cough* I know... Sorry, I got carried away ^.^
ANWYAY, Saitoh looks at Misao, and says, "Who's this...*thinks of Megumi=megitsune(fox), Kaoru=tanooki (racoon...sort of)*...itachi-musume (weasel girl)?"
Misao probably wants to kecho giri his head, but doesn't get the opportunity. Saitoh reveals that he had an agent in the village--Eiji's dead brother. Now that he's there, he and Kenshin should go pay a visit to Shishio. Eiji wants to bury his parents, against the wishes of the villagers, who are worried that they will get punished for taking down the bodies without permission. Grumpy group of people. As Saitoh says, few have the courage to stand up for the dignity that people deserve. So Saitoh and Kenshin head for the hot springs where Shishio is. Eiji, bent on taking vengeance against Senkaku with his own two hands, follows them with Misao.
Saitoh and Kenshin are met at the gate by the young man in a blue gi and hakama, the one who assassinated Okubo-- Seta Sojiro-kun. He introduces himself, and says that he is their guide. They head in to see Shishio, who is lounging around with his paramour Komagata Yumi. You know, seeing Sojiro and Kenshin on either side of Saitoh makes Saitoh look like some huge freak of nature, because he's so tall and they're so short. Anyway, after a brief parlay between Kenshin and Shishio, Shishio taps the floor and up pops Senkaku, ready to kill Kenshin.
The much-bandaged Shishio Makoto.
Outside, Misao and Eiji are sneaking up on the mansion. Misao is her usual irrepressible self, managing to get them noticed by yelping at a spider. When the soldiers call her out, she goes out to fight them.
Misao: I, Makimachi Misao, have no name to give to the likes of you!
Soldiers: But...she just told us her name...
Misao: Ahh! Now I look foolish! Kecho giri!
You get the idea. They corner one guy and make him lead them in, although Eiji apparently wants to kill him...
Inside, Senkaku isn't too hard for Kenshin to defeat. He throws out a knee chasing Kenshin around, and Kenshin, when Shishio threatens to kill Senkaku if he doesn't get Battousai to show any moves, uses Ryu Shou Sen and knocks Senkaku out. Shishio is rather disappointed, so he decides he and Yumi are going to leave. He tosses his sword to Sojiro, and tells him to fight Kenshin and to show him the Tenken. Tenken is Sojiro's nickname, meaning that he got his swordsmanship as a gift from heaven. Yeah, he's that good. So Kenshin and Sojiro must face each other.
Eiji and Misao show up while Kenshin's staring at Sojiro, trying to figure out what to do. The Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryuu relies on being able to predict the movements of one's enemy, but Sojiro is a very unsual case. Because he had a traumatic childhood, he has basically no emotions but the sanguine. Therefore he has no joy and desire to fight, and cannot be read. So Kenshin must rely on his best attack. It ends up being a drawing contest, with both of them in battoujutsu stance.
As they draw, however, the force of the impact of both blades snaps the end off of Kenshin's sakabatou. D'oh! Now he's weaponless! Unlike some of the other characters in this show (i.e., Sano, Aoshi) without his sword Kenshin's really kind of helpless. That's not to say he's not good without it, but he's not a hand-to-hand fighter. So, with Kenshin's sakabatou broken, it's very clear who has the upper hand. Saitoh, however, steps in and saves Kenshin's life by stating that it's a draw. Sojiro looks at his own sword, the blade of which has been highly cracked by the force. Thus he agrees that it was a draw, although he could have totally killed Kenshin on the spot. Wouldn't have minded, either, since he has no emotions.
So Sojiro leaves to catch up with Shishio and Yumi. He apologizes for the broken sword and offers to help Shishio, as long as it doesn't require paying for the blade. Shishio sends him to gather the Juppongatana from the eastern half of Japan and get them to Kyoto.
Meanwhile, with Shingetsu being freed from Shishio's grasp, Kenshin and Misao are going to continue their trek to Kyoto. Saitoh says that he will take Eiji to Tokio's, because she will rear him well.
Kenshin: To...kio?
Saitoh: ...My wife. -_-
*Kenshin and Misao explode*
Misao: W-w-w-wife? O_O
Saitoh: ...Yes. -_-'
Misao: She must be incredible, to stand being married to him.
Kenshin: Yes, she must be like Buddha.
Saitoh: *Ahem.*
I love that part. The picture of Saitoh reclining in the lap of Buddha like some bad poster girl just cracks me up every time. As he leaves, Saitoh tells Kenshin to hurry up and return to being Battousai, or he will never be able to defeat Shishio.
You know, we left Sano a while ago. He's lost int he forest! Shock and surprise. His sense of direction is rather lacking, it seems. While in the forest, he runs across a man training to use the Touate. The man ruined Sano's dinner, so Sano demands reparation. They sit down to a meal of warm frogs and Sano learns that the man is a fallen Buddhist monk. Sano wants to be stronger, so he asks if Anji can teach him the technique, since it's not religious. Anji agrees, but asks a peculiar question: What does Sano think of the Meiji government? Sano answers honestly that he hates it, and Anji agrees to teach him the pulverizing technique Futae no Kiwami . Sano places a time limit on himself of one week: if he doesn't learn it, Anji will kill him.
On the sixth night Sano still hasn't mastered Futae no Kiwami. And his hand is a big mess. He goes in search of good rocks, having smashed all the ones close to him, and either because of exhaustion or lack of food he has a hallucination. Or a vision. Or sees a ghost, I'm not sure which to call it, honestly. He sees Sagara-taicho before him. Sagara tells him not to try any more, that Anji surely will not kill him. Sano, on his hands and knees, begins to speak.
Sano tells Sagara that there was someone who put life into him when he was rotten, and that person might be in danger now if Sano can't help him. Furthermore, when Sagara was killed, although Sano was mad at the government the person he hated most was himself for being so helpless to prevent the brutal execution of the man he most admired. It's so sad. Sano's crying, exhausted, as he passed Sagara saying that he didn't care fi it was only a hallucination, that he was glad to see Sagara-taicho one more time.
In the morning, Anji goes to find Sano stretched out on a rock in the sun, a stone clasped in one hand. Anji believes that Sano expired, and begins to pray for him, but Sano tells him it's too late to chant prayers, and he was only sleeping. To show Anji what he learned, he tosses the rock up in the air, then crushes part of the boulder beneath him with one hand. Anji, impressed, gives Sano directions, revealing that they're in Shimosuwa--the area where the Sekihou Tai met its demise. This irony makes Sano laugh. He leaves, and Anji's attention is called by a voice. It's Sojiro, telling him that the Juppongatana are gathering in Kyoto.
So, Kenshin and Misao finally arrive in Kyoto. Misao takes Kenshin to the restaurant run by the Oniwabanshuu, the Aoiya. Okina is sweeping the step outside when she calls to him. She calls him "Jiya," which is usually translated as "gramps," although I supposed it could also mean just "old man." The other Oniwabanshuu members come out to greet her now that she's back, and Okina asks Kenshin to come inside for proper thanks. He calls Kenshin Himura Battousai, even though Kenshin has put a bandage over the scar on his cheek. Okina's no fool, although he acts like a goofy old pervert most of the time. He's aware of Shishio's threat to the city.
Inside, Kenshin tells Okina the story of the Tokyo Oniwabanshuu, and the obsession of Shinomori Aoshi. It's not exactly an easy story to tell, I would imagine. He also asks a favor from Okina, which is to find two people for him. One of those people, Arai Shakku, is the master swordsmith who made Kenshin's sakabatou. We discover, however, that Shakku-san is already dead. However, he has a son who learned the family business.
So Okina, Misao, and Kenshin go to visit Arai Seikku, first meeting Seikku's adorable son Iori, and his wife Azusa. After hearing Kenshin, Iori keeps saying "Gozaru!" It's so kawaii! In short, Kenshin asks Seikku to make a sword for him. Seikku asks if he can decline, because he doesn't make swords anymore in this Meiji Era. There is nothing Kenshin can do, so the trio leaves.
Meanwhile, Shishio and Yumi have arrived at their hideout in Kyoto. Waiting for them is Sadojima Houji, Shishio's no. 1 fan, excepting Yumi and Kamatari. Honestly, sometimes Houji frightens me...anywho, also there is Sawagejou Cho, also known as Katanagari (sword lovin') Cho and Broomhead. Yes, he has broom hair. He looks like Vash the stampede on a bad day. He wouldn't be so goofy looking if he cut it, but that's beside the point. Cho is from Osaka, I believe, and has a Kansai accent. He's a talker, that's for sure.
Cho hears about the last sword made by Arai Shakku, and decides to go ask Seikku for it. Seikku feigns ignorance, until Cho picks up Iori on his sheath and begins to threaten the baby. Azusa tells him that her father-in-law's sword is at a local shrine, and Cho goes to check it out, taking Iori with him, nominally as insurance. Seikku, however, knows that Cho is not only the kind of person who likes swords, but the kind of person who likes to use swords, and Iori's the only person handy...
Luckily for them, Misao was coming to try to persuade Seikku to make the sword, and hears about the problem. She sends a message to the Aoiya, and Kenshin goes running even though he is basically weaponless. Kenshin arrives at the shrine ahead of Cho. Cho doesn't seem to mind fighting for the last sword that Shakku made. He also taunts Kenshin that he's keeping Iori around to try the blade out on once he has it in his possession.
They begin to fight, with Iori hung up on a tree going "Gozaru!" 
Cho starts with the Renbatou, a sword Shakku made that has two blades close to each other to make a very difficult wound to treat. Kenshin breaks it. He also breaks the swords on Cho's back. By this time, Misao, Okina, Azusa, and Seikku have arrived and are spectating.
Then Cho gets serious. He loses his shirt to reveal the sword around his waist, one of Shakku's more peculiar swords, Hakujin-no-tachi. As Seikku explains, the metal was forged thin enough so that the blade is flexible, and extremely long. Think a sword in whip form. Cho even has the limp wrist thing going on at one point. Anyway, I have to say I actually like Cho. He's loud-mouthed, cocky, arrogant, somewhat crazy, and nominally a badguy, but he's funny and actually pretty cool. Besides, the Hakujin-no-tachi is really kickass. I like swords. ^_^
Katanagari Cho and Hakujin-no-tachi.
Well, despite his use of the Hakujin-no-tachi, Seikku tosses his father's sword to Kenshin. This greatly displeases Cho, who wants the sword for his collection. Kenshin, however, seems unable to draw--because he can't use a sword that is not a reverse-blade. Cho threatens to kill Iori, but it's a feint to draw Kenshin out. Kenshin attacks and Cho tries to get him, without success. Cho's hit and goes down, and Kenshin is all upset.
However! The sword is not a real sword! It is a reverse-blade sword! (Duh. Who didn't see THAT coming a mile away?) So Kenshin has not broken his oath not to kill, and Cho is still alive. Yay Katanagari Cho! So now Kenshin has a sword again, and this one is the principle forge of his original sakabatou, which means that it's stronger. Otherwise, there isn't much point in getting it, right? Right. So Cho goes off to jail, Iori is returned to his parents.
By this time, Kaoru and Yahiko have arrived in Kyoto and are sitting on the steps waiting for a glimpse of Kenshin. However, who should pass before their eyes but Shinomori Aoshi? Lookin' good, I might add. They, of course, get up to follow him, as he might be the only clue they have to Kenshin's whereabouts.
In the Aoiya, Kenshin has received the information on the other person he was seeking--Hiko Seijuuro the 13th, Master of the Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryuu and Kenshin's shisho. Kenshin thanks Okina for all his help, and proceeds to leave. As he does so he runs into Misao, who asks where he's going. She realizes he's leaving the Aoiya and says that she doesn't care taht he's Hitokiri Battousai. Ironically, that is one of the first things Kaoru ever said to Kenshin as well.
Misao, despite Okina telling her to leave Kenshin alone, follows him into the streets of Kyoto. This part makes me want to tear my hair out in frustration. While Misao's chasing Kenshin, and Kaoru and Yahiko are chasing Aoshi, they pass right by each other. Yahiko bumps into Misao, knocking them both to the ground. By this time Kenshin has disappeared in the crowd. Misao, venting her frustration, says "Himura no baka!" which makes Kaoru grab her and demand to know how she knows Kenshin and all. So Misao takes them back to the Aoiya.
Kenshin has gone up a mountain near Kyoto and is approaching a clearing where a man in a huge white cape sits in front of a kiln. Kenshin draws his sword, but the man avoids the slash, landing behind Kenshin. "You sure are rude to cut at a simple potter," the man says. Kenshin turns to face the man, who looks surprised. Kenshin says that he is no ordinary potter, and we discover it's Hiko Seijuuro, Kenshin's master. Kenshin asks to be taught the final secrets of the Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryuu, but Hiko refuses, and rightfully so--Kenshin left of his own volition fifteen years ago, and thereby forwent all rights he had to being taught. Besides, Kenshin is partially responsible for the emergence of Shishio during the Bakumatsu anyway.
Back in Kyoto, Okina receives a message from a little girl. It's a note from Aoshi. He goes to meet the former okashira outside. Aoshi is after only one thing: he wants to know where Battousai is. Okina refuses to tell him, obviously, because he's just cool like that. He also tells Aoshi that if Aoshi has fallen into darkness and become just a common murderer, it would be Okina's fault for recommending him to be okashira ten years ago, and Okina would have to do all in his power to stop Aoshi. I don't think Aoshi's particularly threatened, though.
Aoshi leaves Okina and walks down the street. He's passed by Anji and Henya, then comes face to face with Sojiro, standing in front of Iwanbo. Sojiro pretends to be surprised at this "chance meeting," but Aoshi states, "I have felt someone's eyes on me since this morning." Sojiro sweat drops and admits he's no match for Aoshi. Aoshi continues on. Sojiro catches up to him to apologize, bobbing his head and saying, "Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! Sumimasen!" It's very cute. He convinces Aoshi to come to Shishio's hideout, because he says that their group is very good at getting information. Finally, Aoshi agrees.
Back at Hiko's, Kenshin is reduced to begging to be taught the ohgi. Hiko says that it was Kenshin's misplaced justice that created the manslayer who eats away at his heart, and the creature with scars on his face and heart that would not heal. There really isn't much Kenshin can say to refute that, after all. Luckily for him there is a distracion approaching in the form of Misao, Kaoru, and Yahiko. They reach Hiko's home in time to hear him telling his baka deshi to leave, and that he never should have taught Kenshin anything.
Misao and Yahiko break down the door. Hiko takes it surprisingly well, but then, he's just that cool. Of course the problem is he knows he's that cool. I swear, the man has an ego the size of Japan...anyway, Kenshin says that they are his friends, and goes slightly googly eyed when he sees Kaoru. Well, he doesn't go googly eyed, but you get the idea. You can tell he's looking at her differently than the others. Hiko sends Kenshin to fetch water. Misao and Yahiko say they have some questions, before Hiko can ask them about Kenshin.
Misao: Just how old are you?
Hiko: What does that have to do with anything? I'm 43.
Misao: 43? With that face? O_o
Yahiko: Yeah, just like Kenshin, who's 28!
Misao: 28?!?!!?!?
Yahiko: Yeah, 28!! (with Misao) That Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu....how does it work???
Anyway, Hiko asks them to tell him about what Kenshin's been up to since they parted ways so long ago. Kenshin left Hiko because he wanted to help people. Hiko tried to explain that it was a bad idea, because the strength of the HMR was kind of like the black fleet, but Kenshin didn't listen. However, when Kenshin comes back with the water Hiko says that he'll teach him the ohgi. So Kenshin and Hiko go off into the forest to train, just like they did when Kenshin was little. That's so cute...well, I saw a great fanart of Hiko shielding a chibi Kenshin from the rain. I about died. Yeah, I love Hiko too. Good thing none of these guys are real, I'd have a damn hard time making up my mind.
Kaoru, Misao, and Yahiko leave the hut to head back to the Aoiya when Yahiko remembers he was going to tell Kenshin about Aoshi being in Kyoto. Of course, mentioning this in front of Misao produces a reaction. Yahiko immediately assumes that Misao is their enemy, but Kaoru steps in between them and tells Misao the story of Hannya-tachi and Aoshi. Not happy. Poor Misao! I mean, Hannya pretty much raised her, and she was pretty darn attached to him. And the other guys too. And then there's Aoshi...
Who is currently in Shishio's hideout. Shishio knows how to push Aoshi's buttons, so he, Houji, and Sojiro mention that Okina would know where Kenshin is. After the Fukuro (Owls), a group of soldiers, fail to enter the Aoiya, Okina sends a challenge to Aoshi to meet at Place A. Aoshi goes with the intention of fining Battousai's whereabouts, or killing Okina. And we know Okina better than to think he'd give out information about Kenshin. And, of course, he doesn't. He uses a pair of steel tonfas to fight Aoshi, telling him that they were the reason Okina could fight the previous okashira evenly. However, Aoshi uses his kodachi nitou ryuu Onmyou Kousa to cut one tonfa, then uses Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren (Heaven's Gate Sword Dance), which is like Kaiten Kenbu only twice as powerful.
Okina goes down, just as Misao arrives to try to stop the fight. Next Back
