=============================================================== Episode Summaries by Lynne (tougei@hotmail.com) Note from Key 2 Anime: I got these summaries from the RK Archive (http://rka.crosspaths.net/index.html). All these summaries are done by Lynne. If you have any questions of would just like to thank her for her wonderful efforts please email her at tougei@hotmail.com Episodes #28-31 =============================================================== Episode #28 Prelude To a New Threat. The Shadow of the Wolf is Drawing Near. Kyoto Chapter Begins. Kenshin is having flashbacks about the end of the Edo dynasty and his battles in Kyoto with the Shinsengumi, specifically, one Third Troop Captain, Saitou Hajime. These flashbacks are affecting Kenshin's concentration and his attention span. The rest of the Kenshin-gumi is noticing that Kenshin is not acting normal. Dr. Genzai arrives at the Kamiya dojo and offers to take everyone to lunch. Sano arrives after they have left and sits on the porch to figure out what to do next. While he is sitting, a man arrives who says that he represents Ishida Chemical and is selling medicines. Sano doesn't believe him. The man (who is really Saitou Hajime) has "evil" eyes and sword calluses on his hand. Sano punches Saitou but the punch does not faze Saitou. Saitou draws his sword and drives it through Sanosuke's shoulder, driving Sanosuke through the wall of the Kamiya dojo in the process. Kenshin and company return from lunch and see the hole in the wall of the dojo. Kenshin smells blood. They rush in and see Sano on the floor of the dojo, surrounded by his own blood........... Meanwhile, Saitou is reporting the afternoon's incident to an ex-Ishin Shishi member, Shibumi-san. (Shibumi-san also hired Jin-eh.) Shibumi-san has apparently hired Saitou to kill Kenshin. Megumi is operating, trying to save Sano's life. Kenshin attacks the wall of the dojo in anger. He knows it was Saitou who wounded Sano, but he does not yet know why......... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #29 The Ultimate Fatal Rival! The Waylay ofthe Desperate Fangs. May 7th, Meiji 11. Sagara Sanosuke will live. Saitou, alias Fujita Goro, is at a restaurant eating when Akamatsu approaches him. Akamatsu also works for Shibumi-san, and is angry because Saitou was given the assignment to kill Himura Kenshin. Saitou tells Akamatsu that he does not care if Akamatsu kills Kenshin. Saitou will set a trap to lure Kenshin to Akamatsu, then Akamatsu can have the excitement and glory of the kill, and Saitou will split the assassination fee with Akamatsu. Akamatsu accepts the deal. Kenshin gets a letter from Saitou and goes to meet him in a field outside of town, but Saitou is not there. Meanwhile, Saitou, in a policeman's uniform, arrives at the Kamiya dojo and tells Kaoru and Yahiko that he would like to talk to Himura Kenshin. He tells them that his name is Fujita Goro and he was sent by the police chief to warn Kenshin that someone is after him. Kaoru and Yahiko let him enter the dojo to wait for Kenshin's return. Akamatsu attacks Kenshin in the field outside of town. Kenshin tries unsuccessfully to get information from Akamatsu, i.e. who ordered the kill, etc. Akamatsu will not tell him and it looks like Kenshin is getting beat up. Kenshin is faking to get information. Once he gets the information he wants, Kenshin wipes the field with Akamatsu. Kenshin returns to the Kamiya dojo and finds Saitou waiting for him. Kaoru and Yahiko are horrified to find out they let the ex-Shinsengumi Third Troop Captain into the dojo. Saitou tells Kenshin that the non-killing rurouni has become weak. There is a great deal of animosity, almost hatred, between these two men. Saitou has been watching Kenshin for a long time. He was aware of Kenshin's fight with Jin-eh, and the kidnapping of Kaoru. He knew about the fight with Raijuta. Then Saitou admits to attacking Sanosuke. Kenshin realizes that he cannot escape this fight with Saitou. The fight begins. They do not appear to be evenly matched and Kenshin is stabbed through the shoulder and pinned to the ceiling with Saitou's Anti-Air Gatotsu.................!!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #30 Evil Monster of Revenge... Shishio Makoto's Plot! (This episode gets my vote as the all time best, and my personal favorite....Lynne K.) The battle between Kenshin and Saitou gets more and more intense and deadly. Kenshin is hurt, but his wound seems to give him strength, rather than drain his strength. The odds appear to be in Saitou's favor until the Hitokiri Battousai emerges. The blood starts to drip from the corner of Kenshin's mouth, his hair comes loose, his eyes turn yellow, his walk takes on a rhythm and the "ore's" begin. Kenshin and Saitou try to kill each other. Kaoru is terrified. Kenshin will either be killed by Saitou, or Kenshin will kill Saitou--either way she looses Kenshin. She screams for someone to stop the fight. Sano tumbles in leaning heavily on Megumi's arm. He tells Kaoru that Kenshin and Saitou are fighting the fight they never finished at the end of Tokugawa era in Kyoto. Only a person who experienced that time period would be able to stop the fight. The fight becomes more intense. Kenshin cuts the top off Saitou's sword and tell Saitou he is going to do the same thing with Saitou's head. (*goosebumps*). Saitou knocks the sakabatou from Kenshin's hand with his belt. Both men are weaponless, it has come down to fisticuffs, when suddenly a man enters the dojo screaming "STOP IT!" The man addresses Saitou and tells him that his (Saitou's) mission was to gauge Himura's fighting ability, not kill him. The man is Kawaji, Secretary of Defense. Saitou has no intention of stopping the fight for this man, but right on the heels of Kawaji comes Ookubo Toshimichi. Ookubo, an ex-Ishin Shishi, was one of the three revolutionaries who brought about the re-organization of the Meiji government. (The other two are dead.) Ookubo is now the most powerful man in the Meiji government. Saitou and Kenshin halt their conflict. Ookubo asks Kenshin if he may speak with him. Outside the window of the dojo, Akamatsu has been listening to every word and can not wait to get back and report to Shibumi-san. Saitou hears Akamatsu's mutterings outside the window, and leaves the dojo to follow him. Kenshin's wounds are taken care of and the Kenshin-gumi sit down to listen to what Ookubo has to say. Ookubo tells Kenshin that Kenshin's successor, Shishio Makoto, is active and disrupting the government. Ookubo asks Kenshin to assassinate Shishio. The rest of the Kenshin-gumi did not know that Kenshin had a successor and do not care that Shishio is disrupting the government. Kenshin is no longer the Hitokiri Battousai, and they say they will not let him go to Kyoto. Ookubo wisely pays little attention to what the others say. Looking only at Kenshin, he says that the country desperately needs his help, and will Kenshin please consider the matter and give him a firm answer in one week? Meanwhile, Akamatsu is reporting to Shibumi-san. Saitou walks in and kills both of them. Aku! Soku! Zan! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Episode #31 Never Reaching Feelings... Kenshin's Departure. May 14th. Meiji 11. Life at the Kamiya dojo seems too normal. Kenshin, Kaoru, Dr. Genzai, Suzume-chan and Ayame-chan are walking by the river. The kids are telling Kenshin about the fireflies they saw last night. Kaoru tries to get Kenshin to promise to come to the river with her that evening to see the fireflies. Before Kenshin can answer, Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi arrive on the scene. Kenshin tells everyone that he is going to go and visit Ookubo instead of waiting for Ookubo to come to him. He remembers that Ookubo will be at Kiyoi-saka and plans to meet him there. Ookubo's carriage at Kiyoi-saka is intercepted by Seta Soujiro, assistant to Shishio Makoto. Soujiro kills Ookubo. Kenshin comes upon a crowd of people gathered around Ookubo's body. A voice from the crowd tells Kenshin that if he does not want to end up like Ookubo, he should not challenge Shishio. Later, Kenshin is at the police station with Saitou. Saitou tells Kenshin that he (Saitou) will be going to Kyoto to try to stop Shishio. Kenshin listens to the people in town talk about Ookubo's death. He remembers the words of Ookubo, then thinks about Jin-eh and what Jin-eh told him about "once a Hitokiri, always a Hitokiri" (oops!....did I forget to mention that earlier? ^_^ gomen!). Kenshin knows he must decide what to do! Kaoru is down by the river watching the fireflies. Kenshin appears. He tells Kaoru that Shishio killed Ookubo, and he cannot let Shishio do as he pleases. He is going to Kyoto to stop him. Kaoru wonders aloud if he will become the Kenshin of 10 years ago. Kenshin does not know, but he knows he must find some way to control or rid himself of the Hitokiri Battousai inside of him. He also realizes that his presence at the Kamiya dojo is putting Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sano in danger. He hugs Kaoru and tells her that he appreciates the taste of normal life, but he is a rurouni, and it is time for him to continue his journey................