Episode 35:
Kenshin decides to cut through a forest, hoping to shake Misao off his trail. Misao stubbonrly follows him, and shows him that it means everything to her to find out where Aoshi is.
While going through the forest, Kenshin and Misao stumble upon a young man who is dying from countless sword wounds he had received. Clutching a small, unconcious boy in his bleeding arms, he begs Kenshin to take care of the boy.
When the boy regains conciousness, he discovers his brother, the young man, dead. Mishima Eiji, the small boy, tells Kenshin and Kaoru about his village called Shingetsumura which has been over run by a cruel killer who serves under Shishio. His brother had rescued Eiji from the village, but his parents had failed to escape, prompting Eiji to go back to the village.
Kenshin decides to go to Shingetsumura, and stop Shishio's henchman and help Eiji's parents if he can. Arriving at the village, Kenshin discovers Eiji's parents bodies hanging from a pole, murdered by Senkaku, one of Shishio's men.
Kenshin meets up with Saitou at the village, finding out that Eiji's brother had been an undercover policeman working for Saitou. Seeing the pitiful state that the village people were in, Kenshin and Saitou decide to pay a visit to Senkaku and Shishio who happened to be in the area. Misao, who had been told to watch Eiji and keep him safe, decides to help Eiji get revenge for the murder of his parents and brother.
Episode 36:
Kenshin and Saitou head out for the hot springs hotel that Shishio is staying in. They are greeted by Soujirou at the front gates and led inside to meet Shishio. Kenshin challenges Shishio, but Shishio instead calls for Senkaku to fight for him.
Knowing that Shishio is watching every move he is making, Kenshin decides to let Senkaku "defeat" himself. Thinking that his speed is equal to Kenshin's, Senkaku puts too much of a strain on his legs, causing one of them to twist and break. Shishio, disappointed in Senkaku for not getting Kenshin to reveal a "special" move, tells Senkaku that he is going to kill him. Kenshin, feeling pity even for a evil monster like Senkaku, defeats Senkaku with his Ryushousen (a kind of uppercut with the blade of his sword).
Sneaking into the hotel, Misao and Eiji watch as Kenshin defeats Senkaku. Saitou discovers them sneaking around and tells them to watch in the open if they are going to watch.
Episode 37:
"Shougeki! Oreta Sakabatou . Tenken no Soujirou tai Kenshin"
(Shock! The Broken Sakabatou . the Tenken Soujirou vs Kenshin)
After defeating Senkaku, Kenshin challenges Shishio, but Shishio refuses to fight and tells Soujirou to have a little fun with Kenshin instead. Shishio leaves Soujirou and Kenshin, galloping away on a horse with Yumi his girlfriend Komagata Yumi.
Kenshin squares off against Soujirou; a battle of Battoujutsu (when a fighter has his sword in his sheath, increasing the speed of the sword stroke when the sword is drawn). Soujirou and Kenshin clash swords, and Kenshin's sakabatou is broken in two by Soujirou. Soujirou, grinning at Kenshin, says he is the winner, but Saitou points to Soujirou's sword which is cracked everywhere and says the duel was a draw. Soujirou accepts this with another grin and asks Kenshin for a rematch when they next meet.
Soujirou leaves the hotel, leaving Kenshin, Misao, Eiji and Saitou alone with the unconcious Senkaku. Eiji, seeing that Senkaku wasn't dead, tries to kill him, but Kenshin stops him, gently reminding him that his family would not want blood on the hands of their only living son.
Senkaku is taken away by the police, and Eiji and Saitou prepare to go to Saitou's home where his wife will take care of Eiji for a while. After recovering from their shock from the news that Saitou was married, Kenshin and Misao once again head toward Kyoto.
Soujirou, meeting up with Shishio, tells him that Kenshin broke Shishio's sword, which Shisho had lent to Soujirou. Seeing that the sword, which was made by a master smith, had been damaged beyond repair, Shishio realizes that Kenshin was stronger than he first thought. Shishio decides to call together is special force, the Juppongatana (the Ten Swordsmen), and kill Kenshin.
Episode 38:
Sano, wandering through a forest trying to get to Kyoto, stumbles upon a Hakaisou (a monk that broke certain vows, like no killing or no drinking). The former monk, Yuukyuzan Anji, is training himself with the use of Futaenokiwami, a move where a person hits an object twice, the first hit removing the resistance of the object, so that the second hit will hit the object full force instead of getting weakened by the objects resistance.
Sano asks Anji to teach him Futaenokiwami, and Anji after a bit of coaxing agrees, but lays down a condition that if Sano cannot learn Futaenokiwami in less than a month, Anji will kill him. Sano agrees, and changes the deadline to a week, saying that is all the time he needs to learn the technique.
Sano, after a visitation by the ghost of Sagara Souzou, finally learns how to use Futaenokiwami the night before the deadline. Anji and Sano shake hands, and Sano, getting directions from Anji, heads off to Kyoto.
As Anji prepares to go back to his training, Soujirou appears and calls for the Juppongatana "Myouou" Anji to answer the summons of Shishio....
Episode 39:
Meanwhile, Kenshin and Misao arrive in Kyoto. They head to Misao's home Aoiya which turns out to be a Japanese restaurant. Kenshin finds out that everyone at Aoiya was part of the Oniwabanshuu, including the master of Aoiya, Kashiwazaki Nenji, or Okina, his Oniwabanshuu name. Kenshin tells Okina about Aoshi and the deaths of the four Oniwanbanshuu that Kenshin fought at Kanryu's mansion. Okina, saddened by the news, nontheless tells Kenshin that he will try to help Kenshin in anyway possible. Kenshin asks Okina to find two people, Arai Shakkuu and Hiko Seijuurou.
The day after Kenshin's arrival, news of one of the people Kenshin wanted to find arrives. It turns out that the master smith Arai Shakkuu, the man who made Kenshin's sword, had died 8 years ago, but has a son Seikuu who is supposed to be just as good as his father. Kenshin, Okina and Misao go to Seikuu and ask him to forge a new sakabatou for Kenshin, but Seikuu declines. Kenshin, accepting his wishes, leaves with Okina and Misao.
Watching Kenshin leave, Seikuu's wife asks Seikuu why he didn't give Kenshin the last remaining sword that Shakkuu had left behind. Seikuu, lifting his son Iori, smiles and says that swords are no longer needed in the peaceful Meiji era.
A couple of Shishio's henchmen, who had been spying on Kenshin, find out where Kenshin is staying and about Shakkuu's last remaining sword. The Juppongatana "Katanagari" Chou gets the information about Shakkuu's sword, and decides to obtain the sword.
After obtaining the location of Shakkuu's sword by threatening Seiku, he kidnaps Iori. Misao, who had gone back to talk to Seikuu, finds out about the kidnapping and sends a message to Kenshin and Okina. Kenshin dashes out to the rescue and heads to a temple where Shakkuu's last sword is being displayed. At the temple, he confronts Chou with his broken sakabatou....
Episode 40:
"Osorou beki Mujou no Kenkaku! Juppongatana . Chou to no Shitou"
(The Frightening Swordsman with No Feelings! The Death Match against the Juppongatana . Chou)
Kenshin, trying to fight Chou with his broken sakabatou, is in major trouble. Seikuu, at first thinking that Kenshin was fighting Chou for pleasure, realizes that Kenshin is fighting to rescue Iori. Seikuu runs into the temple containing his fathers last sword and throws it to Kenshin.
Kenshin, frozen in place, does not draw the sword because if he draws it, his promise to never kill anyone will be broken. Chou, seeing that Kenshin is not going to fight back, pretends to kill Iori which enrages Kenshin and makes him attack Chou. Thinking that he had lured Kenshin into a mistake, Chou realizes too late why Kenshin has the name Hitokiri Battousai. Kenshin nails Chou in the side with Shakkuu's sword, sending Chou flying.
Kenshin, filled with horror for killing someone, does not realize that the sword he is holding is a sakabatou, a reverse bladed sword. Seikuu, seeing that the sword is a sakabatou, tells Kenshin that he had not killed Chou. Kenshin, relief showing in his eyes, looks over at Chou who is groaning in pain.
Seikuu gives the new sword Sakabatou-shinuchi to Kenshin as a gift. Kenshin accepts the sword, thanking Seikuu and his family. Okina tells him that the other person he was looking for, Hiko Seijuurou has been found. Kenshin decides to leave Aoiya.
Misao chases after Kenshin, only to run into Kaoru and Yahiko who were in turn running after Shinomori Aoshi who had also appeared in Kyoto.
Episode 41:
Kaoru learns that Kenshin had left Aoiya already, and that she had just missed him. Okina, seeing that Kaoru loves Kenshin and that she really wants to see him, decides to tell Kaoru where Kenshin had gone. Misao guides Kaoru and Yahiko to Hiko Seijuurou's home in the mountains, Kenshin's masters home.
Yahiko, Misao and Kaoru barge in on Kenshin and Hiko when Hiko calls Kenshin an idiot and tells him to leave. Hiko, seeing that Kaoru and Yahiko are Kenshin's friends, asks them what Kenshin has been doing for the last few years. Kaoru and Yahiko recount what Kenshin has been doing for the last few years, which convinces Hiko to teach Kenshin the Hitenmitsurugiryu ougi (in corny words: ultra-special move).
Meanwhile, Shinomori Aoshi sets up a meeting with Okina. Okina and Aoshi meet, and Aoshi tells Okina that he intends to hunt down Kenshin and kill him. Okina, after failing to convince Aoshi that he is following a dark path, tells him that he will kill Aoshi if he causes any more harm to anyone.
Episode 42:
"Doumei Seiretsu . Aoshi to Shishio ga Te wo Kunda Hi!"
(An Alliance Formed . The Day Aoshi and Shishio Joined Hands)
After meeting with Okina, Aoshi meets Seta Soujirou who invites Aoshi to Shishio's fortress, where Shishio aks Aoshi to join forces with him. Aoshi declines the offer, but he agrees to stay at Shishio's fortress, to fight Kenshin "on his own terms".
A group of onmitsu (ninja) trained for night fighting are sent by Shishio into Aoiya to find the location of Kenshin. However, Okina and the other Oniwabanshu easily defeat the intruders, and learn that Aoshi has joined forces with Shishio. Okina sends a challenge to Aoshi, telling him to meet at "the place" where they can settle things without harm to others.
Aoshi accepts the challenge, and goes to "the place", a retreat in the mountains overlooking the city of Kyoto. He finds Okina waiting for him there. They engage each other in combat, and Okina soon realizes that the Aoshi before him is not the same Aoshi he trained as a child.
Meanwhile, Misao arrives back at Aoiya from Hiko Seijuurou's home to discover that Okina and Aoshi are fighting each other at "the place". Misao runs with all her might to the mountain retreat, but arrives too late. Before her eyes, she sees Okina slowly collapse, bleeding from multiple wounds received from Aoshi.
When Misao asks "Why?", Aoshi tells her to never talk to him again, and walks away leaving Misao in tears.
Episode 43:
Kenshin's past with Hiko Seijuurou is revealed. After much soul-searching and a close encounter with death, Kenshin learns the Hitenmitsurugiryu ougi: Amakakeruryunohirameki. But the cost may have been too high, for in order to learn the ougi, Kenshin struck Hiko Seijuurou with what may have been a mortal blow.
Saitou Hajime finally arrives in Kyoto, only to find Sagara Sanosuke waiting for him in a prison, on the wrong side of of the bars.
Episode 44:
"Dotou no Kessen . Saikyou Shuudan Juppongatana Shuuketsu!"
(Raging Battle . The Ultimate Group Juppongatana Assemble!)
All the members of the Juppongatana finally arrive at Shishio's fortress. Shishio addresses each member of the Juppongatana, and tells them that the conquest of Japan will begin soon.
Saitou and Sanosuke meet once again in a jail in Kyoto. Saitou and Sanosuke question the captured Chou about Shishio's plans and learn about Shishio's plan to set fire to Kyoto and kill all the high ranking officials in the city.
Hiko Seijuurou recovers from Kenshin's hit because of his toughness and the fact that the blade on Kenshin's sword had come loose, weakening Kenshin's sword stroke. Hiko kicks Kenshin out of his home, telling him to go back to Aoiya and his friends. Kenshin asks Hiko Seijuurou if Hiko will look after his friends while he goes to fight Shishio. Hiko replies with a thumbs-down, but tells Kenshin to concentrate on defeating Shishio, and not to worry about other things.
Episode 45:
Kenshin meets up with Saitou and Sanosuke. Kenshin realizes that the burning of Kyoto is just a ruse, and that Shishio's real plan is to go to Tokyo so he can wreak havoc on the city.
The three go to Osaka harbor to stop Shishio. When they arrive, they find Shishio on his war-ship "Rengoku".
Misao and the Oniwabanshuu at Aoiya organize the citizens of Kyoto to stop the burning of Kyoto while Kenshin and the others try to stop Shishio.
Episode 46:
"Rengoku Enjou! Shishio Makoto no Unmei"
(The Rengoku Burning! Shishio Makoto's Destiny)
Kenshin, Saitou and Sanosuke arrive at Osaka harbour to find Shishio ready to depart for Tokyo.
While Kenshin and Saitou keep Shishio busy, Sanosuke uses small explosives given to him by Tsukioka Katsuhiro (an old friend of Sanosuke's who also used to be part of the Sekihoutai) to blast a whole into Shishio's ship. When the ship begins to sink, Shishio vows to kill Kenshin, Saitou, and Sanosuke.
Episode 47:
"Gekitotsu! Futaenokiwami . Unaru Sanosuke no Kobushi"
(Clash! Double Weight of Regret . Sanosuke's Roaring Fist)
The battle between Kenshin, Saitou and Sanosuke and the Juppongatana finally begins. They arrive at Shishio's fortress, Hieizan Rokutsurane no Torii no Hokora, and meet Komagata Yumi who guides them through the fortress and to the Juppongatana [Myouou] Yuukyuzan Anji.
Sanosuke decides to fight Anji, for Anji was the one who taught Sano how to use Futaenokiwami, the Double Weight of Regret (see summary for episode 38).
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