Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translation
Volume Five--Patterns of Meiji Swordsmanship
from the front flap--
Watsuki: I’m done with the ten weeks, but . . .
Kaoru: Don’t whine about it, just hurry up and do your job!!
I WOKE UP AND THE YEAR WAS OVER.
The serialization of Ruroken began, and I finally made it through the one-week year of the
magazine. As you can see in the picture above, I’m really surprised to be in a situation I
never could have imagined. To have a dream come true is difficult, but I have felt keenly
how difficult it is to preserve this dream come true this past year. In my haze of chronic
exhaustion and lack of talent, it’s all I can do to just say "hi" or nod to people, but
I’ll try hard to keep up.
Part 31--Extra Story--Yahiko’s Fight (Beginning)
Kaoru (shaking the dojo with her voice): Yahiko! Yahiko!! Yahiko--!!! He’s gone again!
It’s time for practice, where the hell could he-- (she notices spiky hair sticking
out above the bushes) Got you!
(seizing a handful of hair) Thought you could hide from me!!
(The hair belongs to Sanosuke, who is innocently grilling fish. They are instantly at each
other’s throats.)
Kaoru: You and your misleading hairstyle!!
Sanosuke: Are you making fun of my hair?
Kenshin (with a basket of laundry): What’s all the fuss about? (seated around the well)
Yahiko’s gone?
Sanosuke: Probably out with some girl. He’s old for his age.
Kaoru: I bet he’s out blowing his money on snacks. The kid's a pig.
Kenshin: I think he’s out training on his own. The sword should be beginning to make sense
to him by now.
Kaoru & Sanosuke: NO WAY! in our opinion.
Kenshin (weakly): You think so . . .
Sanosuke: A girl. It’s definitely a girl.
Kaoru: It’s food. No mistake.
Kenshin: I really think he’s train--
Kaoru & Sanosuke: No way.
Yahiko (strolling in behind them): Food . . . girls . . . what kinda stupid stories of
desire are these? Disgraceful.
Kaoru & Sanosuke (sending him into orbit with a combined punch) You punk!!!
(They march off self-righteously.)
Kaoru: God!
Sanosuke: Kids these days.
Yahiko: Where did that come from!!
Kenshin (all smiles): So where were you, Yahiko?
Yahiko: Just for a walk.
Kenshin: If you’re missing practice, it isn’t "just" a walk.
Yahiko (going inside): If you hit four out of six days of practice a week, that’s enough.
It’s not something to worry about.
Kenshin: Oro . . . (as the door closes) Hmm.
And then, a few days later--
(Yahiko peers around the door. No one is outside.)
Yahiko: All right, no one on my tail. (thinking) I thought Kenshin was getting suspicious,
but no one noticed a thing.
(Kenshin, Kaoru and Sanosuke regard him cooly from their vantage point on the roof.)
Kaoru: It IS suspicious.
Kenshin: He’s hiding something.
Sanosuke: Well, I’ve got some time to kill.
(They sneak after him, Kenshin hiding behind the well cover.)
Sanosuke: It’s a girl, I’m telling you.
Kaoru: It’s got to be food.
Kenshin: I still think he’s training.
(They follow him to . . . .)
Kenshin: The Akabeko . . .
Sanosuke: My favorite restaurant? (Great place to eat and run.)
Kaoru: So it WAS food!!
Kenshin: Oro.
Sanosuke: Feh.
Kaoru: So he’s been sneaking in here . . .
(The restaurant is nearly empty, with no sign of Yahiko.)
Kaoru: That’s strange. I’m sure he went in here.
Tae (catching sight of them): Oh, Kaoru, I haven’t seen you in so long!
Kaoru: Tae!
(in the back of the restaurant)
Chef: Hey, kid! We’re outta charcoal. Bring another bag!
Yahiko: Right!
Chef: Tell Tsubame to bring one too. It’s getting crowded, so after that come help the
customers.
Tsubame: O . . . okay.
(Tsubame is a girl around Yahiko’s age, with short hair and a nervous face.)
(The four peek around the gate.)
Kenshin: I see. He’s doing odd jobs here?
Tae: Yes. he told us not to say anything, but . . . He came in one day and asked us all to
keep it a secret.
Kaoru: But why would he do something like this . . .
(Tsubame trips and falls, dropping the heavy bag.)
Sanosuke: Maybe THAT’S what we're after.
Tae: Tsubame? That can't be it, she started after Yahiko did.
Yahiko (to Tsubame): What are you doing. Hurry up.
Tsubame: I’m sorry, Yahiko-chan.
Yahiko: I told you not to call me that!!
Tsubame: Sorry!
(A pause. Then Yahiko picks up her bag and walks on.)
Yahiko: Quit being so nervous and jumpy. I hate that.
Tsubame (still on her knees): Yahiko-cha--Yahiko . . .
Yahiko: The discipline of your movements is one side of training in swordsmanship. You’re
fine, hurry up and serve the customers.
(The conspirators are seated around a pot of sukiyaki.)
Kaoru: Food, training and a girl. I guess we all tied.
Kenshin: But there’s no motive.
Tae: He isn’t just working for pocket money?
Kaoru: But why keep it a secret?
Tae: He couldn’t be helping out with household expenses for the dojo?
Sanosuke: Yeah right! He's no saintt.
Kaoru: You should talk! (You just come over to mooch food!)
Customer: Hey!!! What's taking so long!
Tsubame (hurrying up): Here I am, here I am. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, sir--
Customer: Hey there.
(She freezes at the sight of him.)
Customer: Now what’s that miserable face for. You’re not making faces at your MASTER, are
you?
(Outside, Yahiko slumps against a stack of boxes.)
Yahiko: Phew. This is harder than Kaoru’s training. But it’s all to get it. No complaints.
But I wonder how much it’ll cost?
(Behind him, Tsubame and the group of men are walking to the yard behind the restaurant.
Yahiko glances over his shoulder and catches sight of her.)
(The men have Tsubame loosely surrounded, facing her "master," Mikio.)
Mikio: So how about it?
(She is silent.)
Mikio: I asked you a question.
Tsubame: The Akabeko doesn’t keep much money. The owner takes the day’s earnings to his own
home.
Mikio: Huh. Like I thought. All right, come on. We’ll see if you’re right. You’ve got the
molds for keys to the owner’s cashbox!
Tsubame: You--you can’t, Mr. Mikio! Stealing would injure the family name of Nagaoka!!
Mikio: You little . . . (he hits her across the face, knocking her down.) Since when did I
become so great!!? For three hundred years you were poor samurai serving my family! Your
own father served mine! Then when he became a soldier for the new government, he suddenly
couldn't remember who my family was. The Meiji is a world I hate! There’s no loyalty left! By
preaching equality of the four classes, they trample over three hundred years of obligation
and debt.
Tsubame: But . . . you’d be a thief then . . .
Mikio (lifting her face by her hair): Oh, I get it. You’re not taking orders anymore from
total strangers. But you can do whatever you want. If I don’t have a key, I’ll have to kill
everyone in the house. Or the victims would be left to hurt the IMPORTANT family name of
Nagaoka. That includes the owner’s daughter Tae. I’d have to kill everyone.
(Tsubame, helplessly, reaches inside her kimono for the key.)
Mikio: That’s right.
Yahiko (unseen): You fool. It’s been ten years since the Meiji era began, and you still can't get over
the fact that you're not a "master" anymore.
Mikio: Who’s there!
Yahiko (from the roof above): I mean you, you sideburned bastard! As the descendant of
samurai, I cannot watch this in silence!
Tsubame: Yahiko-chan!
Yahiko: Don’t call me that!!
Mikio (drawing his sword): You . . . you brat!!
(Kenshin watches silently around a corner.)