I'm sorry to have kept you waiting .
I t's such a beautiful day.
The firewood will dry out well .
I apologize.
I have no Daikon radish to season the food .
I don't mind .
Without it, the food tastes flat.
We should plant some crops.
I don't know about Daikon radishes, but we could grow something .
I helped my father farm when I was a boy. I should be able to do it myself.
Is that so?
Hey! You're pretty good at that!
What is it?
I think the two of you can really pass for an actual married couple.
I'm going to finish planting the remaining seedlings.
Did I say something offensive?
No. Do you have news?
Yes.
Our situation is looking bleak.
Because of the disaster in Kyoto,
our compatriots are being purged from the capital in Hagi .
Purged?
Conservatives in the Choshu Clan are trying to save face with the Tokugawa .
They're forcing the radicals to perform seppuku as a sign of good faith .
Ritual suicide is a daily occurrence in the new capital .
I t's horrible.
But we have prevented the Shogunate from declaring all out war on the Clan .
Both sides have suffered great losses,
and the battle is far from over.
Anyway, we are currently trying to get Takasugi out of prison .
Hopefully, he will be able to revive the Kihei-tai .
If so, we will be able to turn Hagi into a battlefield .
How is Katsura?
We don't know where he is.
I'm sorry to say that we believe he has turned coward, and run away.
That's impossible.
The world is a sad and surprising place.
All we can do for now is wait.
I have some money for you from Katagai .
That package is for you, also.
I t's full of medicines to sell .
Sell medicines?
You need a visible source of income so you won't arouse suspicion .
But there's no one around here for miles.
You may find it necessary to travel some day.
This will provide you with a good cover to do so.
You are still only one day's walk from Kyoto,
but don't even think about going there yet.
The conservatives and the Shinsen Gumi are on the lookout for our men .
They have killed more men than even you were able to dispatch .
I'll check back to make sure you're all right and take you back when it is time.
Farewell, Tomoe.
I hope you enjoy being a druggist's wife.
I forgot how beautiful the harvest moon is.
I saw red dragonflies this evening .
I can't help wondering what will happen to us?
How long will we be able to stay here?
For a while. That's all I can say.
We need to get back here by sunset. Are you ready, yet?
Yes, I'm coming .
The villagers seemed to believe that we are husband and wife.
Yes, and we sold more medicine than I expected . I'm relieved .
You didn't bring your knife today.
That's right.
Because the wife of a druggist doesn't need to be armed .
I t's getting cold . Let's hurry up.
I t tastes good .
Really?
I haven't tasted Sake this good in a long time.
I suppose.
What's wrong?
I t's nothing .
Here.
I understand .
Well, take care.
I hope you're not getting bored living the life of a peddler.
Not at all . I didn't kill people for amusement.
Besides, I don't get restless living here.
I've discovered many things here that make me happy and content.
Very good .
But I hope your skills don't whither out here. Farewell .
Good luck, boy.
I'm sorry, but I'm not good at dealing with that man .
Forgive me for not seeing him off.
Oh, no.
We worked so hard .
There's been too much rain lately.
I t'll be fine. At least half of these will survive.
I t's part of the risk of farming .
But. . .
You never ask me about my past.
About anything personal .
I should apologize to your father, because we are living like this
even though I know it's only a ruse to hide our true identities.
I could ask you about your life, but it would serve no purpose. So I don't.
You are. . .
Never mind .
Take this, Tomoe. His parents want you to have it as a keepsake.
Thank you . Thank you so much .
You know the only reason he went to Kyoto
was because Tomoe wanted to marry an eminent man .
He wanted to help the Shogunate,
but the only reason he became a body guard
was because she's so arrogant and insolent. She caused this tragedy.
Don't talk like that!
This calamity has wounded Tomoe more than anyone else !
Sister?
What's wrong with you?
Talk to me !
Sister!
What's wrong with you?
Sister. . .
When you aren't killing people,
you are so noble.
Katsura escaped, but the boy is still within our grasp.
The time will come, and he will be defenseless.
I should have guessed .
His energy has waned over the last few months.
More importantly, something in his eyes has changed dramatically.
He will be no match for your terrifying preparation .
Katagai .
I t was only a matter of time, but we better get this job done quickly.
Hey, Enishi !
I'm sorry to keep you waiting .
The rain will soon cease, and it will then be your turn,
Enishi Yukishiro.
Sister!
Enishi?
I've finally found you !
This is my little brother. His name is Enishi .
Little brother?
Yes, I sent him some letters from Kyoto. He tracked me down somehow.
I see. You probably have many things to talk about.
I'll go check on the crops.
I'm so surprised to see you . How is Father?
He's fine, I guess.
When did you leave Edo?
Right after you left six months ago.
Who has been taking care of you,
and how did you know I was here?
I t was easy.
I'm an envoy for the Shoguns.
His fate is sealed .
You should be happy, Sister!
Finally! Finally, the time has come to punish that awful assassin !
That's what you wanted, isn't it?
That's why you set out from Edo all by yourself, right?
That's why you are in this lonely place,
living with that man .
Go back to Edo right now.
What are you talking about?
You are the eldest male child of the Yukishiro family, Enishi .
You shouldn't have left home to seek revenge.
I don't care about my family name !
I want to help you, Sister! That's why. . .
You must go back, Enishi .
Do you understand me?
What's wrong with you?
Why do you want to protect that terrible man? !
He deserves whatever he gets. Don't you think so, Sister?
He destroyed your happiness ! He's your mortal enemy, isn't he?
Give this to Father, please. Tell him to keep it as a remembrance of me.
Please? Do you understand?
Sister. . .
Do you?
I've told you where we will be waiting for you .
I wish ! I wish you'd come to your senses !
We'll bring in a great harvest.
Yes, we will .
I thought this was an impetuous idea with no chance of success,
but I guess my farming instincts are still with me.
You seem so happy right now.
Do I?
If your life had taken another route,
you could have been happy living like this.
Working your field .
Eating the food you raised with your own hands.
I've been thinking since we arrived here.
I was trained in the teachings of Mitsurugi swordsmanship.
I was taught to live in balance with the world around me.
I wanted to create a new world for those who do not have power.
I wanted to insure the safety of the common man .
But now I realize this was a misguided idea .
The best thing I can do is live here,
and create life instead of destroying it.
I've never known peace until now.
I t is only recently that I have understood what that word means.
Living here, and walking to the village and coming home with you .
I t made me realize how horrible my life as an assassin really was.
There's one reason I've learned this essential lesson .
I t's you . You are the one who showed me this new way to live.
May I tell you something?
Please.
My father is an employee of the Shogunate in Edo.
He is neither a skilled swordsman nor a statesman, but he is a kind man .
My mother died while she was giving birth to Enishi .
For him I am both his sister and his mother.
I love him dearly.
We were never wealthy, but we always lived happily.
I was engaged to be married late last year.
I'd known my fiancé since we were children,
and he was now an envoy for the Shogunate.
My brother was very jealous,
but other than his childish behavior everything was fine.
Shortly before the wedding day,
my fiancé was killed in the streets of Kyoto.
When I heard the news, I couldn't stay in Edo any longer.
Tragedy often causes people to think the wrong thing .
So, I came to Kyoto. Trying to escape the pain of what my life had become.
That's when I met you .
That is the kind of woman I am.
I am sorry.
I am so sorry. I've been deceiving you .
Enishi, tomorrow you will return to Edo with your sister.
I will . If the assassin is dead, she will want to come home.
Won't she?
Certainly. Everything will be complete.
The mission will be over for you and for me.
Oh, heavens. I'm risking my life on this gamble.
But I can't lose !
We're almost home.
Yes.
Winter is coming on strong .
We won't be able to return to the village until after the snow melts,
but we should have enough food to sustain us until then .
We should hurry. I t's too cold to tarry.
I . . .
Will . . .
I will . . .
protect you .
I will protect you .
He died in an unfamiliar place, and my happiness vanished with him.
I was not smart enough to keep him close to me for my happiness.
I t was my fault.
I t was my fault, because I never told him how much I loved him as he was.
When he died, I almost went insane with hatred .
I had to hate someone.
So I plotted with others to bring about your destruction .
I am that kind of woman .
And yet,
you say. . .
You say you will protect me.
He was the son of a Shogunate employee I had known since childhood .
He was very much like my father.
Neither a skilled swordsman, nor a clever statesman .
But he was such a kind man, and he tried so hard at everything he did .
I loved that quality in him.
He asked me to marry him, and I was so happy my heart nearly burst.
But in my bliss, I could not speak the words that would keep him near me.
I couldn't let him know how happy I was. Maybe it was my fate.
Maybe I am unworthy to be happy.
''You cause the bloody rain to fall .''
You said that to me on the night we met.
Yes.
You also told me that I could never be happy living an assassin's life.
Yes, I did .
You were right.
However, I can't stop killing, yet.
The new world will come soon .
Once it has arrived,
I will seek ways to protect people that will not involve taking lives.
I will also look for a way to atone for the terrible things I have done.
If you are with me, I will be able to become a new man .
Tomoe?
Yes.
I will protect you, and make sure that you are happy.
Yes.
This man destroyed my happiness.
Then, he gave me a new happiness.
Farewell .
Farewell to you, my second love.
Tomoe !
I izuka? !
I found the spy.
I t's Tomoe.
She's meeting with her conspirators in a cottage on the mountain . Go there.
Kill her!
She can't be.
I have evidence.
Her journal .
Her journal?
Remember the man who cut you?
She knew him. He was her fiancé.
Shortly before the wedding day,
my fiancé was killed in the streets of Kyoto.
Next Rurouni Kenshin : ''Act 4: The Cross-shaped Wound''
Please look forward to it.
I found the spy.
I t's Tomoe.
She's meeting with her conspirators in a cottage on the mountain . Go there.
Kill her!
Sister!
I better not waste any time.
I'll get out of here, and find the next ship out of Japan .
Goodbye, Himura .
How long will we be able to stay here?
Why did you involve Enishi in this matter?
The boy was doggedly asking about his sister in Kyoto,
and an elder from the Shogunate sent him to me.
I t was very much the same as when you were recruited .
Where are the others?
They're hiding along the road, waiting for him to arrive.
Why didn't you wait to hear from me?
What could you tell us? About his weaknesses?
We know those already.
Did you even need me?
Of course.
Even the cruelest murderer is easy prey for unexpected emotions.
That's why we needed you .
You are his weakest point now. He is coming here.
He has found out that the woman he loves has betrayed him,
and his mind is in disarray.
This will prevent him from using his full abilities.
That was our goal, you know?
You planned this all along .
You tricked me.
So, what will you do about it?
You've fallen in love with him, right? Woman is such a pathetic creature.
I understand what has happened, of course.
Human emotion is an unreliable, and shifting foundation .
The separation between love and hate is no thicker than a whisper.
The nature of a woman is even more unreliable.
A malignant assassin can appear as innocent as a newborn baby
in the eyes of the woman who loves him.
I didn't realize you thought so little of me.
Don't be a fool .
I t requires strength and clearness of thought to bite through your tongue.
Besides, nothing will change if you commit suicide at this point.
Kill yourself, if you wish .
Perhaps you want to escape the memory of how you became involved .
Does Kiyosato haunt you?
What was Kiyosato to you?
Wasn't he the dearest being in the world to you?
I know that you were the one he loved most of all in this world .
If that were not true, he would never have gone to Kyoto.
He wanted to be a hero for you,
even though he was ill equipped as a swordsman .
He should have stayed with me.
If only he had stayed with me, I would have been happy.
I t is man's nature to strive to please
his lover, his community, and the all-powerful Shogunate.
Until he is certain of this achievement, he can never know true peace.
That is why we must eliminate any threat to the Shogunate,
regardless of the severity of that menace.
I t is this attention to detail that has kept the peace for three hundred years.
We are the keepers of this society,
and we are in harmony with our human nature.
We put our lives at risk to protect the happiness of the system.
Can you understand that?
Every man is full of sin .
We live and die in sin .
I t is our fate.
We will kill him to preserve the Tokugawa Shogunate
and the society as a whole.
Your feelings for him are sinful .
However, everybody is prone to make mistakes,
but you must remember Kiyosato.
Remember your first love.
Tomoe. . .
He's still strong even after all this time, I see.
As I expected, I will have to be the one who finishes him off.
That is the way I will atone
for allowing so many of my followers to die at his hand .
I will avenge Kiyosato for you .
Feel free to watch his death .
I t would be the least you could do for your Kiyosato,
who died as he tried to make you happy.
Kiyosato. . .
Prepare a room for her, please.
Choshu soldiers are so restless.
You kill all night, and now you've found yourself a woman .
Nothing . I don't care about her.
No one else thinks that.
You rescued her once, so why not do so tonight?
Master Katsura, you're safe !
I wish I were dead .
I've lost everything .
Should we go to Otsu?
Otsu . . .
Should we go to Otsu? !
Look at yourself.
You've used up your remaining strength
just to arrive at this place of execution .
Now you know that when a man has to fight without anything to protect,
the battle is harder.
Yet, from the beginning, you had nothing to preserve, unlike us.
By the order of the Shogunate, and as the chief of its field operations,
I will see you dead .
I will do so, because I could not protect my men from your sword !
I killed many men in order to safeguard the well being of the common man .
But my idealism caused you to lose your love.
I stole an important life from you .
I did not know I had done it.
I fell in love with you .
I made promises, but I am not fit to protect you .
Even though I . . .
I . . .
Yes, and we sold more medicine than I expected .
You seem so happy right now.
Without it, the food tastes flat.
I saw red dragonflies this evening .
Tomoe,
I will protect you .
I don't understand what a woman is.
Tomoe !
Tomoe. . .
I am so sorry, my darling .
Sister. . .
Tomoe, I've lost you .
Now I understand how much you suffered .
You were living with a pain like this.
I t was so hard for you . You should have hated me.
But you protected me.
You allowed me to live.
But now you are free from your pain .
You will not suffer anymore.
I will continue to live with my broken heart.
I t will serve as my atonement for what I did to you .
I must make reparations for the lives I have destroyed .
I t will be difficult, but I will do it.
I have lived a hard life,
but I can still remember the warmer parts of life.
You taught me that.
Hopefully. . .
Hopefully, I will be all right.
I know I must say goodbye to you .
But now. . .
But now let me stay for a while.
We are together.
For now.
Tomoe.
Prepare to set sail !
I better get going before anyone finds me. Prepare to set sail !
I better get going before anyone finds me.
Prepare to set sail !
What a way to start the new year. I've always had rotten luck.
I suppose they want to clean my dead body from the street.
Well, life is a gamble, so I'm willing to make one final bet.
Himura,
I heard about what happened here.
I'm sorry.
Katsura?
I found the real spy,
and have trained a new assassin .
Damn, I guess I used up all of my good luck last year.
This new boy will handle assassinations from now on .
Even so, we still require your skills.
The Shinsen Gumi and the Bakufu hunt patriots with renewed determination .
If we cannot fight them off with greater ferocity,
our cause will be lost, and we will be executed .
I understand .
Himura?
Yes.
I worried that your life as an assassin would destroy your inherent humanity.
I asked Tomoe to be a sheath for your ungovernable rage.
A sheath?
Yes, I believe that she can still serve that purpose for you .
I want you to believe that.
Katsura?
I will lend my sword to your cause.
Tomoe saved my life.
I think she knew I would have to fight once more. I believe that.
I see.
However, once the battle has been won . . .
You will withdraw from our clan?
I'm not saying that.
But I will never kill again .
Ever.
Shinsaku, the world has turned out just as you said it would .
I was wrong to doubt you .
Hiten Swordsmanship should only be used to protect the new world .
I t should never be used to destroy the old regime.
I'm so sorry, Himura .
Tomoe, I must leave you now.
I found them ! Over here !
Get the rebels !
Don't let them escape !
We're gaining on them !
Get them !
Leave them alone.
What was that?
You !
If you leave now,
you will live.
He has red hair.
And a cross-shaped scar.
I t is the assassin .
Sir?
Okita, stand back!
But Master Saitou . . .
I am very sensitive to the smell of blood, boy.
You cannot defeat him in your current condition .
Let's go.
What's your name, boy?
Shinta .
Much too delicate a name for a swordsman .
From now on your name will be Kenshin .