What's Rurouni Kenshin? Well, it all began with...
Himura and other former samurai were left directionless, with no master to serve and no means of employment. These men were known as vegabond or ronins. Well, he left and wanders the landscape for 10 years. During these ten years he carried a special inverted sword, known as a "sakabatou". This sword imcapabale of killing its opponent, only knocking them out. He carries this sword because he wants to atone for killing so many. It then begins with this.
When wandering to nowhere he ran into a girl named Kaoru. She was lady who taught a special type of sword ship at her dojo, given to her by her father. At that time two villains were planning to take on the dojo at the most critical moment, but as always, Kenshin appeared to save her. As he was about to leave and wander again, Kaoru asked him to stay and help her restore her father dojo. Kenshin agreed and stayed behind to help her. During Kenshin stay, he made friends with a young man called Sanosuke and a 10-year-old boy, Yahik. The four of them developed a close relationship like a family.
But of course the past of Kenshin still came back to haunt him. Before the Meiji era, Kenshin was a political assassin. Hitokiri Battosai, whose name was a nightmare to all Bakufu (a military dictatorship also known as the Shougunate) politicians. Kenshin was a Hitokiri killing those corrupt high ranking officals in the government until the year the reformist gained absolute advantage over the Bakufu, and disappeared suddenly. As other comrades became rich and powerful, Kenshin became a vagabond, rurouni and vowed not to kill anymore.
But even through ten years have passed, people he meet in the past still show up in Kenshin's life. Political assassins, martial art masters, enemies from the Bakufu, Onmitsu (ninjas) and army officers from the Meiji government approached Kenshin for different reasons. Some wanted to kill him, some wanted to invite him back to the government. But it was not until one of the three leaders of the revolution was assassinated then Kenshin decided to leave Tokyo for Kyoto. The safety of the nation was at risk and Kenshin could not escape from what he thought was his responsibility. Leaving the people he loved, he started his cold journey to Kyoto...
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