Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Twenty-Six--A Man's Back
Part 231--A Man's Back 4--Touch & Go
Fudozawa: What the hell you think you're doing, street fighter?
Sanosuke: Nothing. I just don't need you interfering in a fight you gave to me.
Fudozawa: Don't get too far above yourself, kid . . .
Tani (stepping forward): So this is the street fighter you mentioned the other night.
You've got guts, but I've afraid we won't be needing your services any longer.
We'll take it from here. Let's just settle up now. Don't worry, I'll pay your asking price.
How much do we owe you, hm?
Sanosuke: Haven't I seen you around somewhere before?
Tani (taken aback): Ridiculous. Where would I meet someone like you?
Sanosuke: No, I know I've met you before. I couldn't forget a weird smile like that.
That's it! You're the pork-bun from the time with Jin'eh!
(See Volume Two.)
Tani: Pork . . .
(He recalls Sanosuke beating him up.)
Sanosuke: So you didn't learn your lesson, just ran out to the country to play king
of the mountain with a bunch of yakuza. If you want to be king of the mountain, you
should at least evolve from a pig to a monkey.
Uki (stifling a giggle and thinking): I hate to admit it, but he's good at this . . .
Tani: Let's go, Fudozawa!
Fudozawa: Uncle?
Tani: We're going home!
(He stalks off.)
Fudozawa (to Sanosuke): You keep this up, you're not gonna live to an old age, kid.
Sanosuke: You're just an M-baldy. Don't talk to me like you're a cop.
Fudozawa: Let's go, men! We're done here for today!
Crowd: Wow, he chased off Fudozawa!
Serves him right too!
(Uki breathes a sigh of relief.)
Sanosuke: Good.
(Higashidani pops him one.)
Higashidani: Not good! You idiot! Here I am putting up with this bullshit
and you march in and start a fight!
Sanosuke: You jealous, you has-been?
Higashidani: Who's a has-been?
Uki: That's enough you two!
(Elsewhere)
Fudozawa: Why, uncle? You let one street fighter make you back down.
Don't tell me you thought I couldn't handle him.
Tani: That's not it! Him I could crush! The problem is a man he has connections to.
(thinking of Kenshin) If he becomes our enemy, even with an army we wouldn't have a chance.
If we slip up here, all of the Choushuu faction, starting with Yamagata Aritomo,
could turn against me . . . My political career would be ruined. If he gets involved, this
will be much bigger than a little country waystation. Fudozawa! No more delay! Settle this
tonight. Finish this before he realizes what's going on and comes out to Shinshuu. I don't
care how you do it! Crush them until there's no proof left! Make them disappear!
Fudozawa: You got it. I've been waiting to hear those words. This roundabout approach
just isn't my style.
(That night, at the Higashidani house. Uki glumly piles rice into a bowl.)
Uki: We didn't get any money for the hats. Dad got in another fight. Nothing
good happened today at all.
Sanosuke: Damn straight.
Uki: And you're the worst part of all! Look at you, sitting in our house like you belong here!
Sanosuke: Tell that to the guy who let me in.
Higashidani: He's so stupid I can't stand to look at him. I'm going to teach him a thing
or two if it takes me all night.
(They punch each other.)
Uki: If you're going to kick up dust do it after dinner!
(She hands Outa the bowl of rice.)
Uki: Really . . . Here, Outa, take this over.
(Outa carries the bowl of rice and sets it before a mortuary tablet, where incense is burning.)
Higashidani (seeing Sanosuke's surprise): My wife. She was never very strong after Outa
was born. She died two years ago, from a neglected cold.
Sanosuke: I thought she'd run out on you again.
Higashidani: Idiot. She was always crazy about me.
(Sanosuke gets up, taps the bell and joins Uki and Outa for a moment in prayer. Uki looks surprised)
Sanosuke: All right, that's over with. Let's eat.
Uki (thinking furiously): He just wanted to eat sooner!
(They hear the sound of footsteps approaching the house. Higashidani and
Sanosuke move towards the door.)
Sanosuke: They're not waiting.
Higashidani: Don't get impatient on me now.
(A knock at the door, and a voice): Mr. Higashidani?
Higashidani: It's the owner of the Sakuraya. What is it?
(A number of people from town are with him, placing a pile of food and firewood at the door.)
Higashidani: What is this?
Shopkeeper: In return for the hats. Fudozawa told me not to pay you for them, but he didn't
say anything about fair exchange.
People: It's the least we could do.
You always look out for us.
Shopkeeper: We've made up our minds. We're going to fight. You've done it all on your
own so far. We can't let you bear the brunt of it.
Man: Right! We'll stand together, we'll suffer together, and we'll win together!
Uki: Everyone . . .
Sanosuke: Wait. These are seasoned yakuza fighters. You can't win just because you're
gathered together.
Uki (menacing him with the rice paddle): All right, you . . .
Higashidani: The fool's right. You can't change the fact that you're not fighters.
Even though we won today, we can't celebrate yet. You all need to keep going.
You don't need to add your strength to mine. With your strength behind me I've got
the strength of a thousand! You don't need to worry. It'll all be settled soon.
Uki, get out the plates! Whatever you say, you can't reason with the yakuza.
We're going to have to eat all this up! No one could complain about us having a party.
Come on in, everyone.
Sanosuke (aside): Hey, what are you planning? No one said you should fight alone.
If that's what you're doing you better forget about it. Even if you win the pork
bun will destroy you.
Higashidani: Quit preaching. You're the one that provoked him . . . But maybe thanks
to you I can see a way out.
Sanosuke: What?
Higashidani: Nothing. Nothing you'd understand, anyway. We've had two fights,
but protecting the waystation will be the real victory.
(Outside, Fudozawa's men gather, carrying torches and weapons of all kinds.)
Fudozawa: The raid is the real glory in fighting. This is what we yakuza really are.
And once the waystation is ours you won't have to worry about prison time.
It's going to be up to you to clean up after us, uncle.
Tani: I know. I'll take care of everything. We still have a chance to keep Battousai
out of this! With your strength and my power we can settle this now!
Fudozawa (to his men): All right, you bastards, let's do this! Two hundred men of
the Fudozawa family! Crush all who stand in our way!
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 28 july 2001