Hajime Saitou... where to begin? Other than being one of the coolest and most badass characters in the Kenshin series Saitou is also one of its most stoic and mysterious.
Saitou's encounters with Kenshin began 10 years before the series started during the Bakumatsu. Saitou was the Captain of the third division of the Shinsen Gumi, a ruthless but necessary police force who maintained order in Kyoto during this blood stained period in Japanese history.
In all of the flashbacks Saitou is seen with the captain of the first division of the Shinsen Gumi who was suffering of tuberculosis (Saitou and the Shinsen Gumi also make appearanes in the Kenshin oav).
Through all of their battles neither Kenshin nor Saitou wee able to emerge victorious as something always seemed to stop the conclusion of the battle. Between Kenshin's lethal and precise attacks and Saitou's "Aku Soku Zan" (the Shinsen Gumi motto) style of attack it was never a pretty battle when they fought. It always ended up being Kenshin's Hitten Mitsurugi Ryu versus Saitou's extremely powerful Gatotsu left handed horizon attack.
After the Bakumatsu war Saitou changed his name to Fujita Goro. One day from out of nowhere Fujita Goro pays a visit to the Kamiya Dojo but the only person there is Sanosuke. Under the guise of selling medicine he tries to show Sano some that he may be interested in but he is immediately recognized as an evil person (he has very evil eyes and the hands of a killer).
A short fight ensues in which Sano is left bleeding and near death. Kenshin eventually returns and one of the most amazing battles of the Kenshin series follows.
Both Kenshin and Saitou forget all about current time and relive their hatred from the Bakumatsu. Much to her horror Kaoru begins to see even more of the Hitokiri than she had ever seen before. The battle is both ruthless and bloody, and both fighters sustain some heavy damage. Saitou uses a modified horizon attack which kenshin manages to fend off but as he attempts Ryusuisen (aerial attack) Saitou drives his sword right through him. Saitou intends to kill Kenshin and Kenshin intends to kill Saitou.
The Captain of the Tokyo police shows up and in a strange twist of fate it turns out that Saitou was now employed by the government and was sent to gauge Kenshin's current fighting condition! There is trouble in Kyoto and Kenshin will be needed. His only reply is that the Hitokiri may have had a chance but the current Kenshin will die.
After some time follows Kenshin and Saitou realize that they share the same goal, the defeat of Shishio Makoto and they must become allies to overcome the horrors that await them once they arrive in Kyoto.
On a side note Saitou scores a hit that should have ended the Kyoto crisis...
aku soku zan
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