Chapter 232 - "The Back of the Man Part 5 - The Character for Evil" (at the Higashidani's, Kamishimoemon pours sake down his throat. He's completely drunk.) Kamishimoemon: DON'T TALK NONSENSE!!! IF I FIGHT WITH ALL MY MIGHT, FUDOUSAWA IS NOTHING BUT CRAP!!! Sakura-ya's owner (also drunk): Yo, number one of Japan! (Kamishimoemon gets enraged and crushes the sake bottle on the owner's head) Kamishimoemon: NUMBER ONE OF THE WORLD! Owner: OUCH!! (Both of them start laughing maniacally, the owner bleeding heavily.) Uki (thinking): They're mad, they're mad... -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 232 - "The Back of the Man Part 5 - The Character for Evil" -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kamishimoemon (handing an empty sake box to Uki): Uki, more sake! Owner (suddenly missing Kamishimoemon): Hey? Uki (angry, hiding the bottle of sake): ENOUGH! Kamishimoemon (crying and grabbing Uki's sleeve in a childlike, pleading way): Heeeeey, don't say that, pleeeease... don't be a she-devil to me... Uki (enraged) : I'M NOT A SHE-DEVIL! It's too late if you get sick because of your drinking! You're old, dad, so think about your health! Don't think you'll be forever young! And lately you're getting fatter, I know that! I can see even if you try to hide it! (Kamishimoemon and Uki exchange fierce glances. The villagers are amused.) Villager 1: Don't talk like that to a heavy drinker like him. Villager 2: Uki-chan is such a worrier... Kamishimoemon (displeased) : Feh, okay, I understand. So, come, Outa, go and drink on my behalf. (pouring sake to Outa) Uki (surprised and angry) : WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH?!?! (in a moment, Kamishimoemon gets plenty of lumps on his head.) Uki (panting heavily, protecting Outa from his father): (this drunkard!) (the villagers are really amused.) Villager 1: A little of sake isn't bad to anybody. Villager 2: Really a worrier... Uki (pouting): Bah! I know that I'm a overprotective worrier, don't need to tell me that. Kamishimoemon (still with plenty of lumps, crying): Ukiiii, don't you worry about meeee?? Uki (annoyed): I was worried, damnit! (you drunken bastard!) Of course I am worried about you too! We are a family of three, how can I not be worried? (Sano watches with concern all those scenes. He smiles faintly and he stands up. Then he is no more at the Higashidani's place. Instead, he goes to their farm, now completely destroyed by the Fudousawa men.) Sano (thinking): It's obvious all right, but that house is not my place, as I thought. But dad is doing quite well, that short-fused bastard is fighting in the limit, doing the best he can in order to avoid exploding in rage while protecting Uki, Outa and the whole post town. He had fought and protected, protected and fought, but nevertheless he couldn't protect the person he cherished most... (he remembers Kenshin) -- Enough... I'm tired.. -- Sano (thinking): Those words hurt most in the person who spat them... (at the Higashidani's, party is over. Everybody has left the place, leaving the house in a complete mess. Kamishimoemon is sitting down, leaning on the wall, completely drunk, as Uki and Outa are cleaning up the mess.) Uki: Oh, good! Kamishimoemon: Hic! Uki: Dad, get some blankets or else you'll get a cold! They come here, eat as much as they want, and they leave this in a mess... See, Outa? You can't become a druken man like dad, understand? (Kamishimoemon grins, but when he puts his hands before his eyes, he gets really serious again.) Kamishimoemon (thinking): Well... (Uki hears the door opening. She and Outa turn to see, and the door is open. Kamishimoemon is gone.) Uki: ....... dad? (only the wind blows.) Sano (punching his right hand): So, let's do what we've gotta, and leave this place. (suddenly he hears hurried steps and panting. It's Uki, carrying Outa along with her.) Sano: Hey, what happened, pointy forehead? Uki (panting heavily): DAD!! HAVEN'T YOU SEEN DAD!!!??? (Sano is surprised) Uki (grabbing Sano's shirt): Dad is not at home!! Sano: Hey, calm down. Isn't he at the restroom or something like that? Uki (dropping tears of worry): No, he can't be! He always tells me where he goes! He tells me so that I won't be worried... that I won't cry like I cried when my elder brother left us!! Sano: ... hey, where's the house of Mr. M? Uki: Eh... go right here and turn right in the avenue... Sano: Damn... (remembering his dad's words) -- now I can see an end for all this -- Uki: No... he can't be... (she starts crying) Sano: DON'T CRY!!! DON'T WORRY, I'LL BRING YOUR DAD BACK!! Uki (surprised): -----.......... Sano: Uki, you stay at home! Outa, you stay together with your sister! Understand?! (Sano starts running, as Outa watches Sano's back disappear. He notices the character for evil -- "Aku" -- on Sano's back) (At length, finally Sano reaches Kamishimoemon, his father) Sano (panting heavily): WAIT!! (Kamishimoemon doesn't even look back to Sano) Sano: What do you think you're doing?! Kamishimoemon: What do YOU think? I'm going to fight Fudousawa and his men. The key of this fight is who will make the first move. The one who loses patience and makes the first move will be the loser. And that's why I and Fudousawa were just staring at each other, testing the endurance of each other. But now that you've appeared, the balance has been tipped. Now they must be on their way to the post town. And probably in a large number of people. Even though they have that Ishin Shishi giving support, if they begin the fight the circumstances will be troublesome to them. And that's all I want. I have to stand just enough before... Sano: Too naive. Kamishimoemon: What? Sano: You ignore too well the political power of the Ishin Shishi. Even though it's white, it becomes black if they say it's black. Even though it's the truth, it becomes a lie if they say it's a lie. (the background shows the beheaded Captain of the 1st Unit of the Sekihoutai, Sagara Souzou) EVEN THOUGH IT'S RIGHT, IT BECOMES EVIL IF THEY SAY IT'S EVIL. (a moment of silence falls) Kamishimoemon (resuming the walk):..... oh, yeah? But it's a fact that they're coming here with a large number of men. I prefer to wreak havoc than to sit down and wait. Sano: ... what about Uki and Outa? Winning or losing, either way you'll be arrested. Kamishimoemon: Don't worry, the villagers will look after them. I realized that tonight. (he smiles) And a trustworthy elder son has come back home at last, so... (Sano spits the fishbones) Sano: Idiot. That house is not my place. It is yours! A man who has a place where he can go back can't fight like he had none! If you're going to protect, so protect till the end! Fight-and-protect-until-you-break-down. And then you can leave it to me. Get out of my way! And go back to your home. (clenching his fist) Step aside! Or else we will resume yesterday's fight right now! Kamishimoemon: Feh, you really talk big. BUT THIS IS MY FIGHT! EVEN IF YOU'RE MY SON, I CAN'T HAND THIS TO --- (Sano drives a wild punch on Kamishimoemon's stomach.) Kamishimoemon: GAH!!! (What---?) You... you didn't fight with all your strength last time we met... did you... (he passes out.) Sano: I'm not bastard enough to engage into a serious fight with my father after being away for so long a time... Dad, I'm buying this fight! The "power of the Ishin Shishi" isn't your foe. But it's been my foe since ten years ago... MY FOE, I WHO BEAR THE CHARACTER FOR EVIL ON MY BACK!!! (end of chapter 232) Any comments, please e-mail me. Serizawa Kamo serizawa@excite.com