Ruroni Kenshin Chapter #180 "The Night Wears On..." Author: Nobuhiro Watsuki Publisher: Shueisha Pg 1. - Timeline of Historical Events - Genji - 1864 * Ikeda Inn Incident * Kinmon Incident * Bakan War - England, France, America and Holland all joined fleets to attack Japan by cannons. Keio - 1865 * 1st Choshu war break out * 2nd Choshu war break out * Edo Osaka -1866- * Ryoma Sakamoto, Takamori Saigo and Toshimichi Okubo formed the Satsuma Choshu alliance. -1867- * Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa agreed to the compromise made by the Tosa clan to restore political rule back to the Emperor. Meiji - 1868 * Imperial rule is restored * Boshin Civil War breaks out * Emperor Meiji presents five Imperial provisions. -1869- * Boshin Civil War ends Narrator: Times pass- Sideline: Throughout history, the tears that were shed were countless... Pg 2. - Keio 1st year, 1st Choshu war break out - Pushing his ill body to extremes into commanding the Choshu troops, Shinsaku Takasugi was considered as a vigorous war hero. Having not been successful in the great task of leading the Ishin to victory, he led a dissappointing life. His last words in the form of a death poem were, "Make the boring era interesting." Just like his life, that poem had neither a beginning nor an end -... - Keio 4th year (Meiji 1st year) Boshin Civil War - After being seperated from his squad in the third war, the Aizu War, Hajime Saito fought desperately over and over till the bitter end. After the Restoration, he was reported to Aizu for the Seinan War. Being in the squad for the central police headquarters who carried swords at the time, he joined the government troops. From then forth, he lived as the assistant police inspector, Goro Fujita. The Shinsengumi, otherwise, kept on fighting further north. They fought the war out up till the 5th war, the Hakodate War, without flinching back in dishonor and then vanished-... Soldier: The shogunate army is retreating-!! Narrator: That was the climax of the first battle at Toba Fushimi- Pg 3. Soldiers: (cheers) We did it. We won-!! A new era dawns!! Battosai: (thinks) ... it's over... it's finally over... Captain: Come on Himura!! Shinsengumi squad four is still fighting like crazy in Fushimi!! Battosai: Okay... (something catches his eyes and he turns around) Pg 4. (With white hair, Enishi gives Battosai a cold glare and dissappears into a moving crowd) Battosai: (calls out) Enishi!! Captain: What's wrong? Battosai: (thinks sadly to himself) .... Enishi.... you have pure white hair now... is that the form of your "pain"? (looks off into the horizon) ... it's not over... it doesn't look like it'll be over yet.... Pg 5. - Meiji 10th year, Takamori Saigo comes into play in the Seinan War - With many fallen under severe illnesses up till the height of the Seinan War during the Meiji era, Kogoro Katsura died of brain disease that year. His last words were, "Is it all hopeless, Saigo?" right before death as he still continues to worry about Japan's future. - Meiji 11th year, the fight with Makoto Shishio - Surely this fight left no mark on history-... - now two months after that fight - Pg 6. - Kamiya dojo - (Kenshin finishes his story. Everyone is speechless ) Pg 7. Narrator: Silence... not a single person said a word. Only a moment later would there be chattering. (Kaoru, Tsubame and Megumi lay in their blankets together in a room. Tsubame sighs and sits up ) Kaoru: You're unable to sleep, Tsubame? Pg 8. Kaoru: Wouldn't blame you... it's scary. I'm sorry you got involved in such a dangerous situation. Tsubame: Oh, no... first of all, there's that also but that's not it this time. (tears start to well up in her eyes) Just when I think of poor Kenshin san and poor Tomoe san, I... Megumi: I wonder if she is poor... She died to protect the person she loved... "A life self sacrificed for love" ... those words aren't exactly a bad thing. Pg 9. Megumi: I'd do the exact same thing if I was in Tomoe san's position. Tsubame: (thinks) Megumi san... Kaoru: That's right... but her "fate" was unhappiness... In the case of having killed and being killed by two men... to whom she both loved, by fate they are absolutely inseperable just like the front and back side of a coin.. Pg 10. Kaoru: If Kiyosato hadn't of met Kenshin and gotten killed by him, I think Tomoe would be very much in her right mind... that's why she couldn't choose and compare between Kiyosato san and Kenshin... Megumi: So you're taking Tomoe's side right? Kaoru: No, I don't mean it that way... Pg 11. Megumi: Then perhaps no matter what the hardships, the dead person submits to defeat? Kaoru: You've got it all wrong! Megumi: For the most part, winning or not winning isn't a problem right? Kaoru: Oh yeah? Megumi: Fine, then if you were in the same position Tomoe was in, would you die like her? Kaoru: I won't die! Megumi: There you go. Kaoru: You have no idea! If I die, that'd only make Kenshin suffer so... so I'm never going to die no matter what happens! Pg 12. Megumi: (surprised) You- Anyway, you forgot Kiyosato san was there from the start. You have no idea of what she's been through. Kaoru: (a sweatdrop rolls down the back of her head) [oh yeah...] Yes... Megumi: Well... fine. I don't want to see Ken san in anymore pain either. Besides, you're no replacement for Tomoe san... Well, let's get to sleep. We'll upset Tsubame chan if we continue on with this difficult chit-chat. (Freaked out, Tsubame grips her blankets tightly) Kaoru: Tsu... Tsubame chan! (Tsubame mumbles weakly) Megumi: Good night. Kaoru: Wait Megumi san! Pg 13. - outside the dojo - Yahiko: Hey! It's my turn to be on watchout, Sanosuke! Sano: Hu-h? Don't be stupid. Take a shit and go to sleep kid. Yahiko: (pissed) WHAT-!! Sano: I don't really want to be on guard. Being on watchout is pointless now even if the enemies, who did notify when they'll attack, attack us unexpectedly. Yahiko: (flexes his arms with his shinai) I see! Sano: It'll be an all out fight in ten days nonetheless. Pg 14. Sano: Yahiko, in ten days maybe you'll get to fight too. Yahiko: (breaks his shinai pissed) I intended that from the beginning!! Sano: Listen up. If you get to fight, never help Kenshin out during his fight with Enishi. This time the fight is totally different from the fight with Shishio which put Japan's future into jeopardy because it's a "personal fight" Interferring with the outcome of the two would only make the fight completely meaningless. If you have pride in yourself as a person then don't help out even if it means Kenshin's death- Pg 15. Yahiko: Okay... but there's not even one in ten thousand chances of that happening. Sano: But in your case, it's more likely nine thousand nine hundred and ninty nine in ten thousand. Yahiko: What did you say! (Yahiko and Sano get in a fight. Next thing, Yahiko lays on the ground beat up and knocked out) Sano: I have to say that for your own good, all the others plan to take full responsibility. You're ten years too young. At any rate, you should keep an eye out for that group who plots revenge. Yahiko: (gets up) Alright-! Then I'll train for the secret technique at once! Sano: Oh, aren't you full of energy. (Yahiko starts pumping his arms up and down) Pg 16. Sano: (mimics Yahiko) A new way to play? Yahiko: (pissed) [HECK NO!!] I told you it's training!! Sano: So you're crossing your hands before your forehead? Yahiko: I don't know but Kaoru said she'll teach me the form for the secret technique if I do this ten thousand times. So I'll do ten thousand of these by the end of these ten days and learn the secret technique!! Sano: ... go for it. You really want to be that strong eh? Yahiko: ... yes. When I heard Kenshin's past today, I finally understood. Pg 17. Yahiko: I always wanted Kenshin's strength... His strength is not just from Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It's also from having lived through heartache that hurts more than dying. I don't want to be a burden and I can't stand being the only one weak. I have to become strong no matter how much I go through. (he looks up at the stars in the night sky) I want to be strong, seriously. Pg 18. Yahiko: And follow in Kenshin's footsteps by looking forward to protecting the weak and those in grief. (rubs his head and smiles) and so on. Anyway, I'm still far away from reaching that goal. Sano: Stop smiling will ya. Yahiko: (pissed) WHAT-!! Sano: If you smile while talking about your dreams, I'll throw my head back and laugh harder. (thinks) Too bad... it might not come true for this kid. Well then... If I don't laugh, no one will believe. Yahiko: GRRRR-!! Pg 19. Sano: (thinks) Wonder what I'll do... (The clock ticks away as Kenshin sits in his room silently) Narrator: Time does not repeat itself, it only goes forward into the future. -End of Ruroni Kenshin Chapter #180- translation by Jenny H