Midnight Fight! Sanosuke versus Kenshin Again!

Is this really good-bye, Sano? At the Kamiya Dojo, Sano announces that he will be throwing a party. Everyone is suspicious of why he wants to throw one and where he'll get the money for food. However, when the actual party takes place, everyone's worries all disappear. Sake is a popular beverage at the party. Well into it, nearly everyone except Ayame, Suzume, and Sanosuke get drunk. Hours later, the party ends. Everyone is asleep, and near midnight, Sano wakes up and exits the dojo to meet up with Katsu waiting for him. The real reason for the party was it was Sano's farewell to his friends. Not even he knows what'll happen to himself when trying to take on the Meiji Government with Katsu, so Sano says his good-byes to all of his sleeping friends and departs quietly.

An Unexpected Guest Near midnight, Sano and Katsu reach the state department building under the night's full moon. Katsu leaves some bombs behind, which explode, catching the attention of the police, dragging them away from the building. Sano and Katsu work together to make their way over the state department's walls, but on the other side, they meet up with Kenshin. Both are surprised, mainly Sano, who tells Katsuhiro that Kenshin is the man known as the Hitokiri Battousai. Words are exchanged, and Sano begins fighting Kenshin, shouting out that he'll stick with his decision on going back to his former life. With ease, Kenshin is able to knock Sano down with a Ryu Tsui Sen.

Kenshin vs. Sanosuke under the full moon. Looking at Katsu, Kenshin asks that he not try to destroy the state department building with his bombs, it would kill innocent people. Katsuhiro is outraged that Kenshin, a former Ishin Shishi, is talking about dirty tactics, when the current government is the one that used such skills to wipe out the Sekihou Tai. Kenshin begins speaking that he dealt with a stupid group known as the Sekihou Tai, but that's when Sano gets up and continues fighting with the rurouni. Because of the intensity Sano is fighting at, Kenshin has no other choice but to draw his Sakabatou and slash Sano across his stomach, knocking him out. Sanosuke falls into Kenshin's arms, only to hear Kenshin apologize to him.

Tsukioka Tsunan's Final Masterpiece: Sagara Souzou Sano is left with Katsu, who threatens Kenshin that he'll resume trying to bring down the government when Sano is healed. All Kenshin does is turn back and smile at Katsuhiro as he walks away. Katsu looks confused and is left baffled when he hears Sano thank Kenshin. The following day, Sano wakes up in his room and runs outside to find Katsu. Sanosuke does find his Sekihou Tai friend, not at home, but in a field burying his bombs. Afterwards, Sano meets up with Kenshin at the Kamiya Dojo, and the two go wandering the streets together. Passing by the painting stand, the man there calls Sano and Kenshin over, recognizing them from the other day. He gives Sano a painting that Tsunan asked to deliver. Tsunan, or better known as Katsuhiro, had quit painting and is publishing an antigovernment newsletter. The final painting of the artist was the one given to Sano, a portrait of the Sekihou Tai Leader, Sagara Souzou.