Reverse-Blade Sword vs. Zanbatou

A day has passed since Episode #4, and Kenshin is 'preparing' to face Sanosuke. Actually, he's hanging up laundry. Kaoru and Yahiko tell Kenshin to be careful about him, but Kenshin smiles as if it's nothing. Gensai's grandchildren come, and Kenshin runs off to play with them.

Meanwhile, Sanosuke is in his room meditating. A flashback is shown of Sanosuke as a kid, with an older man he calls "captain". The man's last name is Sagara, and young Sanosuke wants to take it as his last name. They are part of the Sekihou Tai, and a man on horseback comes giving the captain orders to come see him.

Sanosuke is interrupted by Gohei, and he angrily asks what he wants. Gohei makes up some lame excuse, and Sanosuke tells him to make sure to stay out of the way when he and Kenshin battle.

Kaoru and Yahiko are talking with Gensai, who tells them that one of his patients knew of Sanosuke. He used to be part of the Sekihou Tai, a false army that used to wander around and lie about taxes being lowered. Kaoru and Yahiko realize Kenshin is gone, and they go to the village to try and find where he's fighting Sanosuke. Eventually they see him a bit of the way down from a river. They get there just in time, and Sanosuke once again attacks Kenshin with the massive Zanbatou. Kenshin dodges easily, and slams Sanosuke in the back. He's knocked down, and thinks more of his past. The Sekihou Tai army is crowded around a man, who seems to be a higher-ranking official. He tells them that they will be punished for lying to the people about taxes being lowered, but the captain tells the man that they were just taking orders from the imperial army. The man ignores this, and reveals a large army hidden in the brush, ready to execute the Sekihou Tai. It's a massacre, and young Sanosuke runs off with the captain on his shoulders. The man tells Sanosuke to leave him, that the imperial army is greedy and lying, and pushes him off a small cliff into the water, as the Sekihou Tai is destroyed forever.

Sanosuke jumps back up, declaring that he will never lose to an imperialist 'scum'. Kenshin is starting to piece together bits and pieces of this. They fight some more, and Sanosuke is once again knocked down. At this time, however, Gohei, who is hiding in a bush, pulls a gun on Kenshin. He shoots, and Kenshin blocks it with his sword, cracking the hilt. Gohei quickly runs and grabs Kaoru and Yahiko, threatening Kenshin. Suddenly, Sanosuke moves, swinging his Zanbatou and smashing Gohei in the ankles, knocking him over. Kaoru and Yahiko run, and Gohei tries one last attempt to shoot Kenshin. Kenshin quickly slams the ground with his sword, sending a shockwave along and knocking Gohei presumably unconscious.

Sanosuke is not ready to quit the fight yet, although he is thoroughly battered and bruised. He rushes Kenshin, and suddenly, Kenshin flips the Reverse-Blade Sword around. In one swift movement, he slices the Zanbatou in half, and elbows Sanosuke in the back in one final crushing blow. Sanosuke refuses to go down, still vowing to beat the strongest of the Imperialists. At this point, Kaoru yells out that Sanosuke is the bad one, who was part of a lying army. Yahiko concurs with her. Sanosuke gets angrier, but Kenshin jumps in. He tells Kaoru and Yahiko that people are not what they seem, and explains that the Imperials originally had planned to have a tax reduction plan when the new regime was in session. However, due to the revolution, they were in deep debt, and cut the tax reduction. Kenshin explains that the Sekihou Tai were used as a scapegoat as to not tarnish the people's view of the Meiji. Kenshin goes on to explain that the revolution is not over, that the government is still not complete, and people are still stuck in their old ways. That is why he decided to become a wanderer as well, because his only way to atone for his sins during the Revolution is to protect people with his sword. Sanosuke watches Kenshin, realizing he sounds just like his old Captain Sagara. He realizes what Kenshin truly means, and falls down, defeated.

About a week later, Kaoru tells Kenshin that Gensai treated Sanosuke's wounds and sent him to a hospital, where he was supposed to stay for three weeks. They see him, however, pushing some drunks out of the Akabeko. He turns to Kenshin, smiling, and after some friendly chat, he says he'd like to tag along with Kenshin, because he too has given up his revolutionary ways, and wants to learn from him. Kenshin happily complies, and the Kamiya Dojo acquires their third new tenant.