Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation
Volume One--Kenshin * Himura Battousai
Part 4--The Revival of the Kasshin School
(In the Kamiya dojo.)
Kaoru: No! Your grip is still wrong!
A week after Yahiko’s wounds have healed. The dojo has been reopened and training has
begun--
Yahiko: Oh, shut up! Like this, hag?
but--
Kaoru: I told you not to call me that! Knock it off!
Kenshin: Oro . . .
Yahiko: Make me, if you think you can!
Kenshin: It’s because you’re both so stout-hearted.
Kaoru: Kenshin, you tell him! This kid’s mouth is just too foul!!
Yahiko: I’m here because I want to be strong. No one said anything about fighting with a
little girl!
Kaoru: Little--!
Yahiko: Kenshin, you told me I could be strong. You teach me to fight!
Kenshin: I have no desire to pass the Hiten Mitsurugi school on the future generations.
I’m only a judge. You’re of the Kamiya Kasshin school . . . you’ll become strong as a
practitioner of the sword that protects life. But you’re not listening.
Kaoru: KNOCK THAT OFF!!
Yahiko: MAKE ME!!
(Two young men are running through the streets, chased by two others swinging what appear to
be pickaxes.)
Man with Pickaxe: Hey! Wait!!
(In the front yard of the Kamiya dojo)
Kaoru: Yahiko-- Yahiko-- YAHIKO!!
(Yahiko is actually sitting on the roof behind her.)
Kaoru: Jeez. It’s just the second day and already he’s slacking off. He’s got a bad mouth and a
warped personality. What on earth did Kenshin see in him . . . ?
(A thrown shinai hits her from behind.)
Yahiko: I heard that! I just decided that I could learn more training by myself than from a
hag-faced girl! (he jumps down.) Are you even strong enough to teach?
Kaoru: I’m only an adjutant master and still in training. But. (She hooked his shirt with
her shinai.) At least I’m stronger than you. (She flips him around and carries him off
like a fish on a pole.) Come on.
Yahiko: Hey! Put me down!
(The two being chased open the front gate.)
Hira: Miss--Miss Kaoru!
Kaoru: Hira?
Hira: Please help us!
Kaoru: Sato too! What’s wrong? You’re hurt! What happened!
Man w/ Pickaxe: You can’t run anymore. We’ll kill you here!
Kaoru: Who are you? and what do you want with students of my school?
Man: Shut up. Stay out of this!
(They charge. Kaoru leaps between them, knocking them both out with a single-blow. Yahiko
stares, impressed.)
Kaoru: Who are those guys? Aren’t you going to explain?
Sato: They . . . they were drunk and causing trouble in town . . . they were bothering people
and we tried to quiet them down. They chased us to get back at us.
Other voices: Where are they? This way! Here they are!
(A large group of fighters appear; like the first two, they are all wearing matching jackets
and hakama.)
Sato: That’s--the whole group of them--
Kaoru (thinking): There’s too many! (aloud) Everyone back to the dojo!
(they rush in)
Yahiko (thinking): These guys . . .
(The doors slam shut.)
Fighter: Hachisuka!
Hachisuka (who is the leader): Terrific. We’ll show them what we do with those who mock
the Hishimanji Gurentai!
(Inside)
Kaoru: I remember now. They’re the Hishimanji Gurentai.
Yahiko: Hishimanji Gurentai?
Kaoru: They’re like a militia of criminals. I don’t know much about them, but they’re harder
to shake off than the yakuza. We would get into trouble just when Kenshin’s gone.
Yahiko: What? Where is he?
Kaoru: I asked him to do some shopping. Rice, salt, miso, soy sauce . . .
Yahiko: Idiot. (Do you really have to buy all that stuff together?)
Sato: What . . . what do we do, Miss Kaoru?
Yahiko: Whadduya mean, what do we do. You’re the ones that started all this.
Kaoru: It’s not their fault.
Yahiko: Then you’re the real fool. If you seriously believe their story. (everyone looks
at him.) I noticed it when you were running. Your breath reeks of sake. The ones causing
trouble weren’t the Hishimanji. It was probably you. You started a fight with one of their
followers.
Kaoru: This . . . is this true?
Hira: I’m sorry.
(A cannonball smashes through the wall of the dojo.)
Hachisuka: You can’t hold out against the Hishimanji! Come out! We’ll destroy your
old dojo!
Kaoru: A mokuhou!!
Yahiko: Where’d they get something like that!
Mokuhou--a simple gun in use during the first part of the Bakumatsu. Although the
barrel is of oak and the balls of clay, it carries as much force as a normal gun.
Hachisuka: Surprised? This is the power of the Hishimanji! You think you’re so good with
your swords? We’ll pay you back for breaking the arm of one of our own!
Kaoru: So you were drunk and pulled your swords in a fight. And someone was hurt?
(No reply--Hira and Sato are cowering on the dojo floor.)
Yahiko: They’re worse than the jerks outside. When the false Battousai thing was going on they ran off with their tails between their legs.
And now they run back here when they’re in trouble.
(A second shot shatters the wall.)
Hachisuka: You can’t hide forever! Come out!
Yahiko: Go ahead and take them. They’re no concern of ours.
Hachisuka: Idiot! You too. You and the girl are accomplices for sheltering them.
Kaoru: I’ll surrender for your revenge. These three stay here.
Yahiko: Wait! What is this!!
Kaoru: They were taught kenjutsu by my father and I. They left, but their foolishness is
still my responsibility. I intended to teach those who would learn the sword that protected
life-- (she drops her shinai)--but it looks like it was nothing more than an intention. (she takes a few steps towards
Hachisuka) Yahiko, you’ve got a bad mouth, but the line of your sword is good. Try hard.
Hachisuka: So you hold yourself accountable for their sins . . . (licking his lips) A
woman warrior isn’t half bad.
Yahiko (hitting him in the face with a flying kick): Don’t make me laugh!! Myoujin Yahiko
is nothng like those two losers!! I’m not just sitting here while you get hurt!!
Hachisuka: That brat! I won’t stand anymore. Kill them!
Kenshin (from behind): "Kill them" are not nice words.
Everyone: Kenshin!!
Kenshin: Those two may have done something wrong, but nothing justifies the cannon. You should
stop this lynching here before you get carried away.
Hachisuka: Shut up! Who is he?
Fighter: Hachisuka, you can’t, it’s him. It’s the vagabond that destroyed the Sword-bearing
Police all by himself a while back. It's gotta be him.
Hachisuka: You fool! You’re scared of one vagabond! We have this--use the mokuhou!! FIRE!!
(Kenshin stares down the barrel of the cannon. With a backhanded stroke, he cuts the ball
in half. The two halves fly to either side and explode.)
Kenshin: The opposite edge of the reverse blade . . . it can cut down anything, besides
people, without mercy. Ill say it again. Stop this foolish lynching.
(A little later. The Hishimanji have left.)
Kenshin: I see. This all happened when I was out?
Hira: Um . . .
Kenshin: It’s all right. You can go. From now on, forget you were students here. Don’t
pick up a sword again.
(Hira and Sato begin to walk away.)
Kaoru (with her back turned): Hira.
(They look back.)
Kaoru (without turning around): That shoulder . . . go show it to a doctor.
(They leave. Kenshin puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.)
Kenshin: Cheer up, Miss Kaoru. You can do your best to teach people the right way, but they
won’t always understand.
Yahiko: Stop whimpering. It's not like you. I’d never do something like that.
(She glances at him.)
Yahiko: I’m your student. It’s pointless to try and suddenly be like Kenshin. First, I’ll
have to be patient and settle for you for now.
(He runs off towards the practice ground.)
Kenshin: But there are some who learn magnificently what you have to teach
---The Kamiya Kasshin School---
Master-None
Adjutant Master-Kamiya Kaoru
Students-Myoujin Yahiko
and a vagabond, Himura Kenshin
Yahiko: We don’t have time to waste crying. Come on, Kaoru! I want to get strong fast!!
Kaoru: So now instead of insulting me, you’re suddenly on a first-name basis?br>
In the early spring of the year 1878 in the Meiji era,
while small,the first steps are taken.