Chapter 168: Remembrances 6--Turmoil: 1864

June 5, 1864. The Gion Festival--

(In Kenshin's room. Tomoe is sewing; Kenshin is leaning against the wall, fast asleep. Iizuka bursts into the room.)

Iizuka: Hey, Himura! C'mon, it's the festival, let's get going! After this we're gonna hit the red-light district--

Tomoe: Shh. Himura is finally asleep.

(Iizuka gives her a puzzled look, and backs out of the room.)

Iizuka (thinking): Himura, fast asleep? In front of someone else? Could it be ... maybe the joke is no longer a joke... (aloud) Well, why shouldn't they get along. No skin off my nose, I guess...

(Katakai pulls open the front gate, out of breath.)

Iizuka: Hey, Katakai, great. You going to the festival?

Katakai: This is no time for festivals! Something terrible has happened!

(In his room, Kenshin wakes up.)

Tomoe: What is it? Iizuka was just--

(Katakai and Iizuka rush in.)

Katakai: Himura!

Kenshin: Katakai, what is it? You're supposed to be guarding Katsura at the meeting--

Katakai: The secret meeting place, the Ikedaya--it was raided by the Shinsengumi!

Iizuka: So information is getting out!

Kenshin: What about Katsura!

Katakai: It was too soon for him to reach the Ikedaya, so the head of Tsushima was acting in his place--and then because he was taking a nap, he narrowly avoided the disaster--but Yoshida and Miyabe and the others--

(Kenshin starts to rush out; Iizuka holds him back.)

Iizuka: Wait, Himura! It's too late! Even if you go charging out now you'll never get there in time. There are 3000 Bakufu soldiers out there! Fighting now will only make things worse for Choushuu.

June 5, 1864. The sudden shock of the Ikedaya incident. The triumphant return of the Shinsengumi!

(The Shinsengumi, their clothes bloodstained, parade through streets lined with nervous citizens. Hidden in the crowd and wearing a concealing hat is Kenshin.)

Kenshin (thinking): So that's the Shinsengumi ... These men are the greatest obstacle in the way of the Ishin Shishi...

(One of the Shinsengumi pauses and glances behind him; his eyes meet Kenshin's.)

Okita: What's wrong, Saitou?

Saitou: It's nothing, Okita.

Kenshin (thinking): That man ... I feel like we're destined to meet again.

And so--on the brink of that night the age took a violent reversal. When exaggeration and misinformation about the Ikedaya tragedy reached Choushuu, the province exploded. In the grip of madness that knew no end, a troop of about 3000 began marching to the capital. To meet them were Bakufu forces totaling about 20,000. They could see defeat before fighting even began. July 18, 1864. Though Kenshin and the patriots fought well, they could not hope to turn the tide. In a battle that lasted barely a day, the Choushuu losses climbed to 400, while the Bakufu casualties were less than 60. The war fires spread to 28,000 homes and many perished in the city streets. (People search through the burnt wreckage of their homes for whatever they can salvage. Kenshin and Tomoe are standing on a bridge; underneath it, Katsura huddles beneath a straw raincoat.)