Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Eleven--Overture to Destruction
Part 92--The Rooster and the Broom
Sanosuke: Well, it was kind of a gamble whether you'd come to Kyoto or not. When I thought about it, I didn't know if you'd set Kenshin on him yourself or what. Hey, you could look a little more pleased to see me. I did some training on the treacherous Nakasen Way.
Saitou: ?
Sanosuke: Thanks to my getting lost, this guy pushed me a lot farther than I really needed to go. (turning to the audience) When I checked with Kenshin, I found out he went by the easy Toukai Way, so think about that before you start finding fault. That's why, Saitou! I'm gonna show you the fruits of my training!
Chief: Do you know this person?
Saitou: No, not at all.
(They turn away.)
Sanosuke: Hey, wait!!
Saitou: It's easy to mistake one person for another when you're angry. He's just in the way, so leave him down here for a while.
Sanosuke: Running away, eh? Open this door or I'll open it myself! All right!
(The wooden bars shatter.)
Sanosuke: Surprised, huh? Try making fun of me again and I'll do the same to you.
Chief: Why you--
Saitou: Chief. I'll settle this myself. Wait for me upstairs.
Sanosuke: I've got a lot of things I want to ask you, but first we'll settle the fight we started in Tokyo and--hey!!
(Saitou, totally ignoring him, examines the broken edges of the wooden bars.)
Saitou: . . . I see. The technique's basis is similar to the sukashi of karate, but with so much more force that they can hardly be compared . . . So what happened to the basics of defense I told you to learn?
(Sanosuke looks blank, then shrugs. Saitou grabs the front of his shirt.)
Sanosuke: Since when do I have to listen to what you say! Defense just isn't my thing! I'll fight you my way!
(Saitou tosses down the piece of wood and turns away again.)
Saitou: I don't have any men to spare, but even so--you're useless to me.
Sanosuke: Running away again!
Saitou: I'm very busy. I don't have time to play with you.
Sanosuke: Well, guess it's my win by default then.
Saitou: If that's what you want to think.
Sanosuke: Ah, I knew you wouldn't go for it! C'mon, fight me! Fight me!
(He stops as Saitou unlocks the far door.)
Sanosuke: Aren't those cells even worse than these ones?
Saitou: Correct. Inside is the first important prisoner of this case. He was captured soon after Battousai arrived in Kyoto. He's from the elite corps directly under Shishio, one of the Ten Swords. He goes by the name Sword-Hunter Chou.
(Chou sits in the cell with a leg-iron and hands confined by a board with two holes in it.)
Chou: God, you guys are loud. I was trying to get a little sleep, can't you keep it down?
Saitou: You have time to spare. I have some questions for you now.
Chou: Well, whatever you say.
Saitou: Something happened yesterday in Kobe. The troops to put down Shishio were finally assembled. There were about fifty swordsmen, picked by me from the army and the police. Yet one man, working completely alone, killed them all in a single night. Thanks to him, I've lost almost all of our fighting power. Is there someone among Shishio's followers who could have done this? Answer me.
Chou: That's easy--of course there is. He's right under your nose. Chou of the Ten Swords. And before breakfast, too.
Saitou: You don't want to answer me seriously?
Chou: Oh, and here I was being serious, too.
Saitou: Then I won't be using my influence to make any bargains for your release, in exchange for answering my questions?
Chou: Suit yourself. I've got no regrets about the outside world
Sanosuke: So you're scared of Shishio? Even if you were released, once he heard you screwed up and got captured by the enemy, you wouldn't live much longer. You're probably safer in here.
Chou: You're really starting to annoy me, rooster-head.
Sanosuke: You're the one who's annoying. Even though you're a coward, you've always got to have the last word, don't you, broom-head.
(Saitou pictures a farmer chasing a rooster with a broom.)
Chou: I'm not scared of Lord Shishio and I'm not scared to die. I'd just hate to be told what to do by a boring guy like you.
Sanosuke: Your luck just ran out. Now that I'm in Kyoto I'm in a really bad mood. Whether I'm boring or not, let's have this out in a good clean fight, broom-head!
Chou: I was hoping you'd say that, rooster-head!
(Saitou smokes, ignoring the tumult.)
Chou: Rooster!
Sanosuke: Broom!
Chou: Rooster!
Sanosuke: Broom!
Chou: All right! If you beat me I'll answer your questions! But when you lose you won't know what the hell happened to you! Hey, bamboo-screen face! Quit standing there like an idiot and give us a signal.
Saitou: Even if you know no fear, don't go too far.
(He tosses away his cigarette; as it hits the floor Sanosuke and Chou charge.)
Sanosuke (thinking): The leg-iron--
Chou (swinging his right leg forward): Like I said, once you lose, you won't know what the hell--
(The ball strikes Sanosuke in the face--with no effect.)
Chou (thinking): What--
(Sanosuke punches--connecting with the wooden handcuffs.)
Sanosuke: If you can't use your hands it's not a fair fight. Let's try this again.
Chou: You . . . you were going for the handcuffs all along . . .
Sanosuke: If you're complaining, I'll take the leg-iron off too.
Chou: Damn . . . (turning away) Boring!
Sanosuke: What!
Chou: Guys like you are the ones I really hate. I'll talk. Ask your questions and get the hell out of here.
Saitou: All right, let's begin.
Sanosuke & Chou (thinking): Damn. In the end he's the one that won.
Saitou: Second question. The first was the the incident I just mentioned. The other is, does Shishio have any other plans for the destruction of Kyoto?