Scene of the Shinsen Gumi band investigating a body of their mate, nighttime, Okita and Saitoh are there.
“Even his bones have been broken,” says Okita.
“Do you think the Jigen Ryu (one of the best kenjutsu) did it?” asks the other.
“No.  This is different,” replies Saitoh.
Scene changing back when Kenshin was in front of the dead body being investigated, while some men were approaching him.
“We are the protectors of Kyoto, Shinsen Gumi.”

Then they’re attacking Kenshin.
Scene back to the Shinsen Gumi investigating.
“Most likely whoever did this quickly dispatched of the guys standing here,” says Saitoh, and they’re looking at other Shinsen Gumi men who got killed at the stairs.
Scene changing back again to when Kenshin slashed those Shinsen Gumi men without any difficulties, then he left the place in a hurry followed by Iizuka.
“Are you alright?  Hey!” he calls Kenshin and aftering him.
Scene back to the Shinsen Gumi investigating, they’re looking at the broken sword.

“If you take on the best of Jigen Ryu you might get your sword broken, but..” says Saitoh.
“This is a total difference in skill level,” says Okita.
“Completely.  Our info was bad... I should’ve been hare myself.  Who did this?  Someone quite amazing and skillful,” says Saitoh as he’s looking at the neatly broken sword. 
Scene back again to when Kenshin and Iizuka were running after the attack.
“Another ambush.  The Shinsen Gumi... I’ll run and inform Katsura... No doubt we have a traitor,” says Iizuka.

The next day, Choushuu Ishin Shishi held a meeting.
“And what did Katsura say?” asks some man.
“We’re to stay here until he says otherwise,” replies Iizuka.
“Again he’s telling us to do nothing!”
“Why?”
“In our han (Domain) many of our supporters are being killed by those Shinsen Gumi.  We should get together and go kill these guys!”
“Kill them!  Kill them all!” the crowd is beginning to lose control.
“Wait!” says Iizuka, “There’s no doubt that there’s a traitor in out group.  Go ahead and try something foolish.  They’ll be able to do whatever they want to us.  Right now, all we can do is wait.”

Kenshin is there but he’s saying nothing, and the wound on his cheek bleeds.
Scene changing, Tomoe coming into the kitchen carrying flowers.
“It’s raining again,” says the Landlady to her.
“Yes.”
“It sure rains a lot.”
“Thank you,” says a girl there when she’s taking the flowers from Tomoe.
“This was the flower’s shop last bouquet,” says Tomoe.
“The rainy season makes it hard for flowers to bloom.  At least there are Irises,” says the Landlady again.
“What else can I do?” asks Tomoe.
“Those potatoes... peel them,” replies the girl.
“Over there right?”
“They smell like you...” says the Landlady.

“Eh..” Tomoe is a little bit surprised with what the Landlady said.
“Irises smell strongest in the rain, not in the sun.”
Scene changing at Tomoe’s room, she’s writing on her journal.  Then at Kenshin’s room, he has fallen asleep while sitting by the open window, holding his sword.  Tomoe is walking by the room and looking at him, and then she brings him her blue shawl.  When she walks into his room, her feet run into Kenshin’s top toy, and she’s looking at his sleeping face she could only see a teenage boy sitting before her.
“A child...” she says.
Tomoe puts the shawl to Kenshin’s shoulder.
“Even a child can kill people...” thinks Tomoe, “... but...”

“I’m sorry,” says Kenshin,  his breathing becomes heavy and he breaks out into a cold sweat as he tries to regain his composure from the act he had almost committed.
he’s out of breath.  He’s taking the sheath and put the sword into it.  Then he sees the shawl on his arm.
“It’s getting cold... You were near the window,” explains Tomoe.
“I’m sorry,” says Kenshin again.
“Have you read all these?” asks Tomoe with a book in her hand.
“No, not one.  They’re perfect for falling asleep.  A killer doesn’t need to study.”
“Are you going to continue killing people forever?  The person who hasn’t found a safe place is you... You’re the one who can’t sleep without your sword ready,” says Tomoe.
“I’ve been doing this since I was little.  I even saw people killed in front of me,” says Kenshin as he’s picking up the books from the floor and finds his top toy.
“You’re going to continue killing...”
“That’s my role, it won’t last long.  I don’t need you worrying about me.”
Kenshin stands up and put his toy into his shirt.
“But...” says Tomoe.
“I’m a killer who makes it rain blood.  I don’t wish for you to know the smell of blood,” says Kenshin and he’s giving back Tomoe’s shawl to her, she’s taking it.

“I’m sorry to have interfered in your affairs.  Obviously I could never understand.  Excuse me.”
Tomoe’s walking out of the room.
“Tomoe,” Kenshin calls Tomoe, she stops, “Thank you,” says Kenshin.
Scene changing, nighttime, Tomoe’s looking at her dagger.  Somebody’s coming to her, so she hides the dagger.
“Sorry to bother you at night,” Katsura says.
“Katsura.”
“You don’t have to wake anyone.  I came to speak to you.”
“Kyotaru Seigi (Mad Justice)?” asks Tomoe.
“The teaching’s of my late teacher Yoshida Shoin.  I’ve given Himura leadership of Kyotaru Seigi” explains Katsura.
“Letting a child yield a weapon?”
Silence for seconds...
“In my homeland, there’s a man named Takasugi.  He’s a good man but sometimes he has a tendency to enjoy behaving wildly.  But he has a good woman who controls his behavior like a sheath holds a sword.  Her name is Uno.”
“A sheath?” asks Tomoe.
“Will you become a sheath?  The sheath to hold the blade, Himura.”
“Why?”
“I think I’ve made Himura crazy.  And crazy blade only causes tragedy.  He needs a good sheath to hold him back.”

Scene changing, daytime when Katsura, Miyabe, and Furutaka are supposed to held a meeting.  Furutaka got caught by Shinsen Gumi some days before and he got tortured by one of Shinsen Gumi’s gang named Hijikata until he had no other choice but telling them about the secret meeting place, and some of Ishin Shishi’s secret.  At Shinsen Gumi’s base.
“Yoshida of Choushuu and Miyabe of Higo are in Kyoto.  From what Furutaka said, we can expect a lot of men from Choushuu in here now,” says Hijikata.
“The weapons from Matsuya aren’t enough to deal with the situation.  They must be getting more weapons elsewhere.  They must have another store acting as a base of operations.  Send someone to keep an eye on them,” says Saitoh.
“We have to hurry.  According to what he (Furutaka) says, the meeting is tonight.”
“Something smells fishy.”
“Choushuu’s up to something big.  Really big,” says Hijikata.
“Is Katsura Kogoro heading the meeting?” asks Okita.
“Probably,” answers Saitoh.
“I’ll go talk with Kondo,” says Hijikata again and he’s walking away.

Scene at a restaurant, Tomoe and Kenshin are there.  Kenshin’s drinking sake and he fells something unusual, he’s looking at his cup.
“Something wrong?” asks Tomoe when she’s looking at Kenshin’s reaction.
“It’s been awhile since sake has tasted good.”
“Because it’s festival time,” says Tomoe and she’s pouring down some more sake to Kenshin’s cup.
“I guess so.”

Scene at Shinsen Gumi’s base, they’re preparing to attack the Ishin Shishi’s meeting place.
“Togo Heisuke as far as Okita.  You ten are in the presidents group, the rest of you are with me, says Hijikata, “Kondo!” he’s reporting to Kondo.  Kondo stands up.
“Following our reports we’re going to storm the meeting place.  This is just like chess.  If we let them go, the next move is theirs.  So we better kill them all.  Gentlemen, let’s go.”
Scene back at the restaurant.  Tomoe’s drinking her sake.
“I’m opposite from you,” she says, “I don’t drink as much as I used to.”
“Has alcohol lost its taste?” asks Kenshin.
“No, unlike before I’ve just lost the strength to put up with alcohol.”
“Put up with?” says Kenshin and he’s pouring down sake to Tomoe’s cup.
“Has the wound on your cheek stopped bleeding?”
“I’d forgotten about it.”
“So your wound has heated,” says Tomoe.
“It’s only stopped bleeding.”

“Every time I see the cut, I wonder what the person who injured you saw.  You say you kill people to make them happy.”
“What?” says Kenshin.
“I don’t know how happiness can be attained by killing,” says Tomoe.
“Everyday people die for many different reasons.  I don’t randomly kill people without reason.”
“So you value the souls of people you killed, but you ignore their value of lives?  You just do as you’re told.”
“If I know a lot about the other person, I’ll have doubts.  I do it to change the world.  That’s all the justification I need.”
Iizuka coming in a hurry, he screams.
“Get out of there now!”
“What’s wrong?” asks Kenshin.
“Katsura’s in danger.”
Then three of them walking in a hurry in the crowd, Kenshin takes Tomoe’s hand and pull it as they walk.
“Late tonight Miyabe plans on setting Kyoto on fire,” says Iizuka.
“What?!”

“He wants to overthrow the emperor.  He’s broken off all ties with Katsura.  What’s worse is this has probably leaked to the Shinsen Gumi.  I’ll get help.  You go to the meeting.”
“Where is it?” asks Kenshin.
“Kawaramachi Sanjo.  The Ikeda House.”
Scene at the Ikeda House, Shinsen Gumi has already surrounded the place.
“Charge, upstairs!” says one Shinsen Gumi man.
“Who are you?” says Ishin Shishi’s man who’s guarding the place.  But Okita slay him right away.
“It’s not him!” he says as he’s expecting to meet the Hitokiri Battousai.
“What’s that?  Kill the light!” says a man from the meeting inside the house after hearing sound of the dead guy fell.
“We’re the Shinsen Gumi!” says voice of Shinsen Gumi’s man as they’re coming in.  The fighting takes place in the dark.  Kenshin is approaching the house and Shinsen Gumi men see him.
“I see him.  That’s got to be him!”

“Run the way we came,” says Kenshin to Tomoe.
Tomoe holds Kenshin’s hand and saying, “Don’t you know.  A sword needs a sheath.”
“What are you saying?”
“How much longer will you continue killing people?  I want to see with my own eyes... My very own eyes...”

At someplace near.
“Have you seen Katsura?” asks Saitoh to Okita.
“I don’t know where he is.  The supposed killer is not there either,” replies Okita.
Scene back to Kenshin who’s seen by the Shinsen Gumi.
“Stupid fools.  You’re in my way.  Move!” Kenshin screams and ready to attack.
“Charge north!  My name is Heibo Shinosuke.”
“Your name means nothing to me!!” Kenshin is running and attacking the Shinsen Gumi men.  His sword slashes all easily.  Tomoe is watching from the distance.
Scene changing at Katsura’s place.  Katanai enters the room where Katsura and Ikomatsu are there playing ‘go’.
“Katsura.”
“What?  I already told Miyabe I’m not responsible for what happen,” says Katsura.
“The Ikeda house has been attacked by the Shinsen Gumi,” says Katanai.
Katsura stands up, he’s taking his sword.
“Ikomatsu, you’d better hide for awhile,” he says to Ikomatsu.
Scene changing back to Ikeda House.  Saitoh is investigating one of Choushuu’s bodies. 

 Kenshin is ready to attack but Tomoe holds him back.
“Katsura is not here, Miyabe and Okuno committed suicide (harakiri)” says one of the Shinsen Gumi’s men.
“I see,” says Saitoh.
Not far from there, Tomoe’s pulling Kenshin’s hand, taking him away from that place.  Saitoh is looking at the spot where Kenshin and Tomoe were there before.
“What’s wrong?” asks one of his men.
“I smelled plum blossoms.”
“It’s summer,” replies one man.
“Yes, maybe I’m going crazy,” says Saitoh.
Scene at Ohanagi House.
“Is Katsura here?” ask Kenshin to the Landlady.
“No.  We heard about the Ikeda House.  This place is dangerous too.  Hurry up and go through the back,” replies the Landlady, and she continues saying to Tomoe, “Tomoe remember the Irises.  They smell strongest in the rain.  Even when it’s raining blood.”
Tomoe nods and the two are walking in a hurry through the back.  Then somebody’s calling.
“Himura.”

“Katsura.  You’re all right?  I thought you might be dead,” says Kenshin.
“They’ve gotten into our headquarters.  I’ve lost everything.  We better just thin about staying alive for now.  I’ve prepared a house for you in Otsu. 
Pretend to be newly weds and stay there.  If you’re married you’ll be less suspicious.   I’ll have Iizuka get in touch with you.  Wait for my word,” Katsura is walking away, “I’m counting on you, Tomoe,” says Katsura to Tomoe when he’s near her.
The two are watching Katsura leaving, still in surprised.
“So we go to Otsu... as newly weds...” says Kenshin.
One month later, 18 July.
There is an outbreak at Kinmon.  Bakufu (Shogun) forces and Choushuu forces fight in Kyoto.  The town is burned to the ground.  In Choushuu, Choushuu forces win a surprise victory.  The conservatives are on the rise.
“I want to eat Uno’s cooking,” says Takasugi still in a bad condition, he’s coughing.  He’s being incarcerated now.