Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Seven--May 14, 1878
Part 50--Despicable Acts
Sanosuke’s life was saved. "The wound was deep, but he’s lucky there was no
injury to the internal organs," said Megumi. But it’s been three days, and he still hasn’t
regained consciousness . . .
Kaoru: Megumi, the bath’s free. I’ll watch Sanosuke, so take your time. You look tired.
Megumi: Thanks, I’ll do that.
Kaoru: How is he?
Megumi: Same as ever. Still sleeping. He’s strong as a cockroach, so he’ll be fine, but if he
doesn’t wake up soon, (smacking him irritably) I’m just going to stick him in a coffin and bury
him anyway.
Kaoru (thinking): You’d never think she was a doctor . . .
Megumi: Is Ken-san in the dojo again?
Kaoru: Yes. Same as ever. He’s thinking about something with a scary look on his face.
(Kenshin is sitting in the dojo in the light of a single candle.)
Kenshin (thinking): No matter how I think of it, it has to be his work. The medicine box
with that sign was used by Shinsengumi spies for disguises. The point of the blade stabbed
horizontally is a sign of the Shinsengumi unique technique called Hiratsuki. And this
destructive force . . . it has to be his specialized left-handed Hiratsuki Gatotsu . . . The
captain of the Shinsengumi third unit, Saitou Hajime. Come to settle what we never finished .
. . or does he have some other intention.
(He suddenly slashes at the dojo wall with all his might, barely cracking it.)
Kenshin (thinking): Saitou Hajime’s skill with the sword hasn’t waned at all from the
time when he was called the Miburo . . . with the reverse blade . . . without killing . . .
could I defeat him . . . (realizing what he’s done) Oh no! (Miss Kaoru’s going to scold
me for this.)
(the next day, at another restaurant)
Waitress: There you are. Please take your time.
Saitou: Thank you.
Akamatsu (appearing suddenly before him): Huh. Just a plain bowl of soba? Not much of a meal. Is
it, Mister Saitou.
(Akamatsu is a large man with his hair in a samurai topknot and stitches running across cuts on
his cheeks and forehead.)
Saitou: I like plain soba. And I’m Fujita now. Mr. . . Akamatsu, wasn't it? Do you want
something?
Akamatsu: I don’t want anything, but you annoy me. This job should have been mine, but when he
heard about the Shinsengumi guy, Master Shibumi gave it to a newcomer. That’s why I don’t like
you. All right. If you fight, fight right away. And you’d better kill him quickly. You
never know when someone will be there to stab you in the back.
(Saitou chuckles as he slurps his noodles.)
Akamatsu: What’s so funny!
Saitou: Nothing, I’m sorry. I understand, you’re telling me that you’re annoyed. So why don’t
we work on this together?
Akamatsu: Wha . . . what?
Saitou: The other day, when I left him his present, I was giving him some signs. By now
Battousai should know I’m here. But from that alone he won’t guess my intentions. If a letter
arrived from me, whether it had anything to do with fighting or not, he would be certain to
fall for it.
Akamatsu: So you’ll ask him.
Saitou: And you’ll bring him down.
Akamatsu: Not bad . . . but I still don’t like it. Battousai’s supposed to be an old enemy of
yours. Why would you give him up so easily?
Saitou: Before Mr. Shibumi I called him my old enemy, but the truth is by now it doesn’t matter
much to me. As I said, I only wish to spend the remainder of my life doing something
interesting. Rather than danger and riches, I’ll aim for certainty and a small wage. That’s
the kind of man Fujita Gorou is.
Akamatsu: I like what I hear. (leaving) But remember one thing. The top man in this assassination
group is me!
(Saitou finishes his noodles.)
Saitou: It’s unfortunate, but I have no interest in being the best of the "frogs in the well,"
who know nothing of the great ocean.
(Later. Kenshin stands outside, reading a letter.)
Yahiko (waving a pot): Hey, Kenshin, Kaoru says to run into town and buy some tofu!
Kenshin (hiding the letter): I’m sorry, Yahiko, but I have some business to take care of.
I may be late, so be sure to lock the doors.
(Yahiko looks puzzles, and then realizes:)
Yahiko: Does this mean I have to go?
(Kenshin stands in an field surrounded by boulders.)
Kenshin: Saitou. I’m here as your letter said. Don’t be modest, show yourself--
(A noise. He blocks a thrown chain with the sheathed sword.)
Akamatsu: Feh. You fended off my chain with no difficulty. As I might have expected from the
Battousai I’ve heard so much about.
Kenshin: Who are you?
Akamatsu: Akamatsu Arundo. The man who will take your life.
(back at the dojo)
Kaoru: Business? Kenshin does?
Yahiko: Uh-huh. He said he might be late. (Here’s your tofu.)
Kaoru: Really. (Thanks.) But that’s strange. Where would Kenshin have business besides here?
There’s only the Akabeko and the Maekawa dojo . . .
Yahiko: I’ve got it! It’s a woman! He’s been here for three months and there’s one or two--
Kaoru (whacking him with the pot, sending tofu flying everywhere): How can you only have such
terrible ideas??
Yahiko: Ow! You don’t have to hit me!
Saitou: Excuse me. (they look up guiltily) But I was told that this was the dojo where
Himura Battousai lived. My name is Fujita; I’ve just been assigned to this town. The chief
told me about Himura.
Kaoru (thinking, relieved): Oh, he works for the chief . . . (aloud) Unfortunately
Kenshin isn’t here now, but . . .
Saitou: Oh, is that so. The truth is, while it’s still not confirmed, we received word that
Himura was being targeted by a gang of ruffians. Would it be all right if I waited here for
him?
Kaoru: Um . . . certainly. I’m afraid he might be late, but if you don’t mind . . .
Saitou: Of course not.
Kaoru (thinking): Kenshin!
(Saitou smiles.)
The Making of the Characters--Akamatsu Arundo
He is, of course, just a dog.
I only needed this character to develop the Saitou Hajime story, so almost without thinking about
character design it was natural to draw one of my favorite egotisical fighters. One of the
things I didn’t want to get rid of were the weights hidden in his sleeves, but drawing all
those chains took a lot of time and got really annoying.
As for the design, people who know will have already realized it. It’s a fighter from the American
comic that I love so dearly. The name "Akamatsu Arundo" is a parody. I thought, that’s enough,
I’ll stop this playing around, but when I’m drawing manga all day long and I can’t do
anything fun at all, I end up going for stuff like this . . . In the half year that Ruroken
has been published, I’ve been tempted to do this kind of thing, but if I did, I’d think
"Watsuki, you jerk, you’re just busy and tired," so if I do, please laugh and forgive me. Oh,
by the way, about the collection of toys I mentioned in the Jin’eh section (the palm-sized
figures), I’m up to 80, and if I get four more I’ll have the complete set!! . . . What am I
doing. I turned 25 this year, too . . .
translations by maigo-chan
last updated 1 jan 2001