Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Five--Patterns of Meiji Swordsmanship
Part 38--Yutarou’s Skill
(Raijuuta and Kenshin stare each other down on the bridge, Raijuuta with his sword drawn)
Sanosuke: They’re not moving . . .
Kaoru: It looks as though they’re watching each other.
Sanosuke: A careless move means you won’t be a victor. Either Kenshin or this Raijuuta guy.
(Raijuuta strikes. In an instant, Kenshin has drawn his own blade and turns Raijuuta’s stroke
aside. They separate.)
Tsukayama (coming up with a tray): Oh, a match between master swordsmen! You can really see the
skill, can't you! Well, don’t mind me, please continue. I’ll just leave the tea here.
(He leaves.)
Raijuuta: People will interfere. We’ll leave our match for now, but don't forget. Join me,
or be killed by me. You have two choices.
Kenshin: I’ll have to refuse both.
Raijuuta: Feh . . .
(They part.)
Sanosuke: Well, I guess we’re done here.
Kaoru: But I feel like we’re forgetting something . . .
Yahiko: Yeah, something . . .
(The lightbulb goes on, and Yutarou bursts upon them.)
Yutarou: You bastards! I won’t stand for this!!
Sanosuke (patting him on the head): Oh, right, right. That angry kid. (Arrow: Not sorry at
all.)
Yutarou: Don’t you pat me! I’ll get you I swear---
Kenshin: You tied him to a tree?
Kaoru: Sanosuke did it.
Yahiko: Shut up!
Yutarou: What!
Yahiko: If you’re strong enough to scream that loud, then come to the dojo alone! We’ll have
a fight where you can’t hide or run away! (as they leave) But with shinais!!
Yutarou (thinking): That . . . that bastard!
Early next morning
(Yutarou stands in front of the dojo at the crack of dawn.)
Yutarou: All right, I’m here, you shrimp!!
(Everyone comes out in their pajamas.)
Yahiko (squinting): You know what time it is?
Yutarou: You never said what time! So let’s fight!
(facing off in the dojo)
Yutarou: We’re going to settle this. Get ready!
Yahiko: Hey, Kaoru, judge for us.
Kaoru (clearly not a morning person): Nnn . . . first point . . .
Yahiko (smacking her with the shinai): You call that a yell! What kind of a fight is this--
Kaoru (smacking back): What do you think you're doing!!
Yahiko: Wake up you hag!!
Yutarou: Hey, fight me!!
Kaoru: First point! (And I’ll deal with you later!)
Yutarou: Let’s go!
Yahiko: !
Kaoru: Huh?
Kenshin: Oro?
Yahiko: You’re holding the shinai wrong.
Kaoru: Usually you grip it with the two hands separated, with the left at the bottom and the
right just below the hilt.
Yutarou: I . . . I only trained with real swords! So I don’t know any shinai grips--
Kenshin: Actually, your grip on a real sword should be the same as on a shinai . . .
(A dark pause.)
Yahiko: So that was all talk. You don't really know how to fight? Don’t tell me you tried to
get up so early that you’d win before we figured it out.
Kenshin: Raijuuta hasn’t been training you?
Yutarou: It's not his fault. Sensei’s busy now spreading the Shinko school. He said it’s
really important for the sake of Japanese kenjutsu. And that it would be selfish of me to
interfere.
Kaoru: Well, all right. You’re already here, so I might as well give you a lesson. Okay?
Yutarou: Really?
Kaoru (adjusting his hold): First the grip. The little finger of the left hand goes here,
catching halfway--
Yahiko: What’re you blushing for, you little perv.
Yutarou: Shut up!!
Kaoru: Yahiko, leave him alone.
(Later. Yutarou practices the face stroke.)
Kaoru: That’s it! Very good, Yutarou.
Yutarou: Really?
Kaoru: You really have talent.
Yutarou: Wow.
Kenshin: Time for a break--we haven’t eaten all morning, so I made us some rice balls. Here,
Yahiko.
Yahiko (munching sullenly): Kaoru's such an idiot. Whose side does she think she's on?!
Kenshin: Miss Kaoru?
Kaoru: Thanks.
Kenshin (whispering): I think Yahiko’s sulking.
Kaoru (storming after him): He’s such a kid. Yahiko!
Yahiko: What, hag?
Kaoru: What was that!
Kenshin: Here, Yutarou.
Yutarou: No thanks. You're the enemy of my sensei. I wouldn't accept anything from you.
Kenshin: Don’t be so harsh. Even the great general Uesugi Kenshin sent a gift of salt to his
enemy.
(Words in background: Kenshin tells of Kenshin.)
Kenshin: And these taste much better than if Miss Kaoru made them. Oof! (sitting down with
several lumps on his head.)
Yutarou: Hey, don’t just sit down next to me!
Kenshin (ignoring him cheerfully): So, is shinai kenjutsu fun?
Yutarou: It’s just playing. Of course it’s fun. But I’m not doing it any more. Playing won’t
make me any stronger.
Kenshin: Oro?
Yutarou: I’m going to be a matchless swordsman like sensei and show my father.
Kenshin: Show your father?
Yutarou: He threw away our family honor to become a merchant. He’s always smiling and bowing
to people. He sells the swords of warrior’s spirits to foreign countries. He sold his own
soul.
Kenshin: Is that so . . . (thinking) His nature is like Yahiko’s in that he wants to be
strong, but they've taken it in completely different directions . . .
Kaoru: But if you don’t practice, you’ll never be strong. Yutarou, would you like to be a
student here?
Yahiko: What!!
Kaoru: You can forget about wanting to show anyone or beat anyone and just think "I want to
learn kenjutsu." You should try training. You can compete with Yahiko. You could be really
good.
(Outside the dojo, four figures with large straw hats like Raijuuta’s are waiting.)
Figure: Kamiya Kasshin Dojo. This is the place. Our opponent is a swordsman as good as the
sensei. We must not let down our guard!!