Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty--Remembrances
Part 172--Remembrances 7--In the Country
About 5 months after the Kinmon no Hen. Winter, December. The year 1864 would be over in a few days.
(Iizuka, who is traveling around the country disguised as a medicine-peddler, sits talking with Kenshin amidst fields.)
Iizuka: August was the cavalry battle of four provinces. In October the purge of the popular movements began. We had barely evaded the first Bakufu suppression of Choushuu when rumors of the second reached us. Then on the 15th of this month, Takasugi got fed up and led the Kiheitai to take back the provincial government. Choushuu's in a state of utter chaos right now . . .
Kenshin: . . . Is there any news from Katsura?
Iizuka: Not this time. Which is to say, we've never gotten any. No one know where he's gone. Since he's the only one that made it out of the Ikedaya Affair, people are calling him Run-Away Kogorou. Maybe it's true . . . Maybe it's over for Choushuu, now, too . . .
Kenshin: That's not true. Takasugi will win. Katsura will come back. What about the capital?
Iizuka: Hm? Oh, it's terrible. It's completely under the Shinsengumi's control. Patriots are being hunted down every day by the packs of wolves in light blue coats. The Kyoto Mimawarigumi and other Bakufu groups are doing their best to outdo them. It's completely different from before--the city is running with blood. You should be careful, too.
Kenshin: Their first mission is to establish order in the city. Until they do that, they won't look out here. (thinking of the man with chain-swords) Now, the enemy most to be feared is one who exists in the shadows of the Bakufu. Someone who would never be recorded in history unless they were betrayed, someone like me, who might do anything . . .
Iizuka (getting up and shouldering his pack): All this bad news. It even gets me down. What about you? Why aren't you depressed?
Kenshin: It's thanks to you.
Iizuka: I didn't expect to find you so cheerful. You'd think you'd be bored, out here in the sticks, after being a Hitokiri . . .
Kenshin: . . . It's not like that. I love kenjutsu, but I don't love killing. These five months have opened my eyes to any number of boring things.
(Iizuka walks off, past a group of peasants.)
Peasants: Oh, it's the medicine-seller. Laying in stock again?
Must be tough coming all this way.
Yeah, but they say in the capital that the ointment Kenshin makes works wonders on sword wounds.
(Kenshin walks home along the country lanes.)
Farmer: Ah, Kenshin, good to see you. My stomach's been upset since last night, so--
Kenshin: All right. I'll have to make up the medicine, so come by tomorrow to get it.
Woodcutter: Going to gather herbs again today? You work hard.
Kenshin: You too. Be careful out there in the mountains.
(At Kenshin's house, a group of kids are playing. Tomoe is rather listlessly playing ball with a girl.)
Kenshin: I'm home--
Kids (mobbing him): You're back!
Where'd you go!
Kenshin: I just went out to gather some herbs. Did you play with Aunt Tomoe?
Kids: Uh-huh! But--
Girl: She's no fun at all.
(Another girl is standing back from the others.)
Kenshin (to the girl): What's wrong?
Girl: My dad said that there's something strange about you, so I shouldn't play with you. But my mom says you look out for everyone, so you're a good person.
Kenshin: I see. (patting her on the head) Well, I'll be inside all day tomorrow, so you can play with everyone. It's getting late. You should all be heading home.
Kids: Okay! See you later!
(They run off home.)
Tomoe: I'm sorry. I don't smile well. I like children, but . . .
Kenshin: It's okay.
Tomoe: Especially in front of that unguarded smile . . .
(Kenshin gives her a surprised glance.)
Tomoe: You smile a lot these days.
Kenshin: Yes . . . I guess that's true. I've been though a lot of bad times. I was born in the middle of a famine; I lost my parents and brothers. Since the age of ten, I've trained relentlessly under the Hiten Mitsurugi school. Now I'm Choushuu's shadow assassin. Up till now, in my dealings with people, I haven't had a lot to smile about. I learned the principles of the Hiten Mitsurugi school, wielded a sword, killed . . . all for an age in which the powerless could find happiness, but to tell the truth, up till now, I didn't know what happiness was. What I've come to fight for, and what I'll fight for from now on . . . Living these five months in the country, with you, has taught me that. I know that someday the fighting will begin again, but at least until New Year's, I want it to stay like this . . .
(In Kyoto. Katakai warms his hands over a fire on the side of the street.)
Katakai (thinking): How long can we keep up this undercover life . . . Just be patient until Katsura comes back--hm?
(He catches sight of Iizuka walking past on the street)
Katakai (thinking): That's Iizuka. What's he doing in the city? He said he was staying with Himura tonight. Something's up.
(He follows Iizuka out of the city, to an old shack out in the woods.)
Katakai (thinking): Something is definitely wrong. There are a lot of Choushuu hideouts, but I've never heard of this one.
(He peeks through a crack in the wall. Iizuka is sitting before three fighters, Nakajou, Sumita and Tatsumi.)
Iizuka: Choushuu's finished. Katsura escaped, but Battousai is still under our control. He's changed a lot, these past five months. Now is the perfect time to strike.
Katakai (thinking): Iizuka! He's the traitor! We can't win back Kyoto without Himura! I have to warn him--
(A hand reaches down from above and grips his face.)
Nakajou: Who's there!
Mumyoui: You should stand a better guard.
Sumita: Mumyoui!
Nakajou: Dammit! I'll bring him down! Die!
(He fires a tiny crossbow bolt from his wrist. The bolt hits Katakai in the throat and he falls.)
Sumita: That's a neat little toy.
Nakajou: Yeah, they call it a chuusen. My friend's obsessed with assassin's tools. He gave me this.
Iizuka (bent over the body): This is Katsura's advisor. When he goes missing someone's going to notice.
Tatsumi: It was unavoidable. We must keep this up until Battousai's slaughter! We must pay great attention to what prevented Murakami's chain sword from bringing him down.
Nakajou: Meaning?
Tatsumi: We've prepared this for a year. We'll use it now. Enishi!
(Enishi, a sullen boy with spiky black hair, appears at the door.)
Tatsumi: It's your turn. Go!
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 6 june 2000