Kaoru and Yahiko are off to Kyoto! Kaoru and Yahiko depart to Kyoto on a small boat, waving good-bye to Tae, Tsubame, Megumi, Genzai, Ayame, and Suzume, who all wish the two good luck on their journey to bring back Kenshin. As for Sano, he's lost in a forest, spending most of his energy punching down trees, while Kenshin makes his way to Kyoto on foot by the Tokai route, but ends up getting chased by a police officer who spots his sword. Megumi heads back to the Kamiya Dojo afterwards and mysteriously finds the doors open. She's the only one with the keys. Thinking that Kenshin has already returned, Megumi runs into the dojo and finds Aoshi standing alone. The Oniwa Banshu leader turns around and asks Megumi where the Battousai is.

Aoshi's Returned Megumi plays dumb, pretending she has no clue. Aoshi can tell she's lying, so he demands to know where Kenshin is, or Megumi dies. That's when Saitou arrives. He introduces himself as the police officer Fujita Goro, but Aoshi already knows who Saitou really is. Saitou gives up his act and decides to tell Aoshi, who he knows much about, the whole story. Once that is completed, Aoshi departs. Saitou thinks that he can use Aoshi to his advantage, but he has no clue that another person has his eye on the Oniwa Banshu leader as well.

Showoff! Aoshi stops by the deceased Oniwa Banshu members' graves in the forest, but to his surprise, he finds four big men loitering around them. The men were obviously waiting for Aoshi's arrival and introduce themselves as the Abukuma Yon Nyudo, faithful servants of Shishio. One of the four men tells Aoshi to come with them at Shishio's request. Aoshi refuses to, wanting rather to meet Shishio in person instead and asks that the men stop desecrating the graves. One of the men boldly spits upon the stones, angering Aoshi. A fight begins, but it's over before it even starts. The Abukuma Yon Nyudo leap into the air. Aoshi draws his new weapons, two kodachis, and tears apart the four, killing them. The applaud of someone nearby is heard. Aoshi turns around and stares at Okubo's assassin commending his performance. The boy first introduces himself as Seta Soujirou, then asks Aoshi if he would like to have a talk. Again, Aoshi refuses, not wanting to get involved with someone so heartless that he sacrifices his own men. Soujirou thinks differently, but reminds him that the Oniwa Banshu let the Meiji Ishin pass away without a fight in the Bakumatsu. That had caused a big impact to the current day. If that would happen in the present time, that would damage greatly the reputation of the Oniwa Banshu. With that said, Soujirou bows before Shikijo, Hyottko, Beshimi, and Hannya's graves and departs shortly after. Figuring that going to Kyoto will be the only way to give his men peace at last, Aoshi begins his journey.

To believe, she took out four sex-craving men. At last, Kenshin has managed to outrun the police officer chasing him, but finds himself in a peaceful village where innkeepers offer him rooms. Kenshin declines all of their offers, giving the innkeepers the idea that Kenshin's a cheap bum. With so little money, Kenshin is forced to sleep in the forest like he has done in the past. As he cooks his dinner over a fire, two fish, Kenshin hears voices nearby. Not too far away from Kenshin's camping spot, a woman wearing a mantle is cornered by four men who are looking for some fun. Money is the only thing that'll by this mysterious female, so when the men show how much they stolen cash they have, the woman removes her mantle, revealing a young ninja girl. The four men walk away, very disappointed that they picked up a "kid", but the ninja girl attacks them, shouting out that she's sixteen. With ease, the girl beats up the men and takes their money. Kenshin had seen everything and steps into the scene, very surprised that it was the victim who turned out to be the mugger in this case. The ninja girl examines Kenshin. Just by his clothing, she can tell that he's some kind of cheap bum. Kenshin feels a bit offended from that comment, but doesn't take it very seriously when the girl threatens to rob Kenshin of all his valuables.