Rurouni Kenshin Chapter 228: 

A Man's Back Part 1 - The Fighting Business Reopens

This detailed summary was taken from  Hiko Seijjuro's Place and of course, this summary is all copyrighted!!!

I'm not sure if this was translated from the Japanese or Chinese manga but I have a feeling its the latter - does it matter? At least I got hold of a translation!!!

Sanosuke is standing in the front door of a bar. A man is lying on the ground, with blood flowing from his mouth.

Man#1: What are you doing, bastard?!

Sanosuke: It's not of your business, countryside yakuza! So are you going to do it or not?! I'm really very irritated and I can't settle down. Anything will do, I just feel like being violent to take away my anger.

Man#1 (charges at Sanosuke): This bastard!

Man#2: Wait. You don't seem to be from this place, since you are defying me. This is a good timing. I hired a bodyguard a few days ago. I want to see how good the two of you are. Hey come out there, it's your turn.

Hiruma Gohei and Kihei come out of the bar.

Kihei: What, it's too early for our turn. With that, the name of the professional killer Fudosawa will cry.

What? I'm just saying that it is not worth our turn yet. Don't say anymore complaints and show them your abilities.

Spectators: Ooooh. He's quite big!

Gohei: Where is he? Does he want to become rust on my sword, that stupid...

Gohei's eyes pop out when he sees Sanosuke. An image of a skull is flashing in front of him. Gohei's and Kihei's mouths grow wide open and tears are coming out of their eyes, because of fear.

Sanosuke: Who are you?

Gohei: Hey wait a minute here! You couldn't forget me!

Kihei: Look, we joined forces to kill Battosai...

(Please look at Vols 1 and 2)

Sanosuke: Oh, I remember. It was about 4 and a half years ago.

Kihei and Gohei: 6 months!

Sanosuke: You were chased out of Tokyo and now you work as a bodyguard of a yakuza. Isn't if fine? It seems like you are settled where you can settle.

Gohei: What shall we do?

Kihei: Be calm and don't get nervous. Look at him carefully.

Gohei: Yeah I see. He doesn't have a zanbatou with him.

Here I come Zanza!! I'll make you pay for the wound on my nose!

The little girl covers her ears and closes her eyes. She has so many things in her mine:

Girl: Another fight concerning me (misconception). But no matter how cute I am (self-conceit)... But more importantly, what shall I prepare for supper tonight. We are poor so management is very difficult!! (an escape from confusion and reality).

The little girl is surprised to see Kihei and Gohei lying on the ground with swollen faces.

Girl: This is terrible.

Gohei: The moment we were beaten up is not shown here...

Sanosuke: This is boring. It wasn't that much trouble!

Fudosawa (hands on his chin): With your slim body, you're doing pretty well.

Sanosuke: Who is slim? This M hage!

(Fudosawa's forehead is shaped like the letter M. Hage means bald).

Fudosawa: I like you, young boy. Let's meet again at a different place.

Man#1: Fudosawa san?

All the spectators surround Sanosuke. Their faces express happiness and admiration. Among them is the girl who suddenly jumps in to Sanosuke.

Girl: You're gggreat!! You're great, great great great great great! Strong,strong,strong!! Hey you're really very strong! Who are you? When did you arrive? Where are you from? Why are you here? Do you have a girlfriend?

Then a small voice calls the girl from behind.

Boy: Nechan (elder sister).

A very scared boy is hiding in an alley.

Girl: Ota! So that's where you're hiding. It's really good that you're safe. You can come out now.

(to Sanosuke) Oh, sorry. We haven't introduced ourselves yet. This is my little brother Ota and I'm U...

Sanosuke kick the boy, who went rolling to the ground.

Girl: What are you doing!!?

Sanosuke: Why were you playing hide and seek when your sister was in danger?

Girl: Isn't it obvious!? Ota is still a small child. I told him to hide when we're in danger!

Sanosuke: If you're a man, it's natural for you to raise your fist. If you just hide behind shadows, then it is better to turn your back and escape from the enemy. That's the same as exposing yourself to the enemy.

The boy looks down, unable to face Sanosuke.

Girl: You saved us and now you are hitting us. On whose side are you with?

Sanosuke: If I can divert my mind from anguish, then that's fine with me.

Sanosuke heads for the door.

Sanosuke: Goodbye. There are limits to misconception Handeko.

(handeko refers to the girls front hair)

Spectator#1: It seems another danger has appeared.

Spectator#2: Handeko?

Spectator#3: It is really a handeko...

Spectator#4: Fudosawa and then Master Higashitani and then...

Spectator#5: With this another storm is coming.

Spectator#6: Handeko...

Girl: Shut up!! Don't compare my father with that man! And stop calling me Handeko! Let's go home Ota!

The spectators run away from the girl.

**********

Waiter: Sir, we are about to close.

It is already late at night. Sanosuke is lying on a mat, chewing a fishbone.

Waiter: Can you hear me? Please pay your bills now.

Yahiko: It's not yet over! No. I absolutely won't let this be over!! I don't know where you are going but come back and watch!

Sanosuke: Come back and watch... No I don't think so.

Waiter: Sir, your bills!

A few men enter the bar.

Fudosawa: I'll shoulder his bills.

The waiter immediately left when he saw Fudosawa.

Fudosawa: Yo! I was looking for you boy. I didn't know that you came up to here to drink. What a drunkard!

Sanosuke sits up.

Sanosuke: What do you want M hage? If you want to continue this afternoon's fight, you're welcome to do so.

Fudosawa:: No, no. I think I told you that I like you, Sanosuke san. I heard from Hiruma that you have a name in Tokyo as a fighter, that you possess extraordinary strength. Are you here because of the hot spring or picnic?

Sanosuke: Not really. I just walked to where my feet led me and I came across the place I used to live in a long time ago. But I don't care about it. If you don't want revenge then what do you want?

Fudosawa: Really, you're from here? Do you know the best way to make money here?

Sanosuke: Silk thread right? Even a baby from here knows that.

Fudosawa: Exactly. The best sericulture industry and the best silk threads are found here. On top of that, since the Meiji Era, silk has become the main export of this country, making it more profitable than before.

Man#1: As a professional gambler, who made this place his territory, he is not that stupid to let this place go.

Fudosawa: This town is the place where all the silk thread are gathered. I've decided to control this town.

Sanosuke: Can you control this town?

Fudosawa: I can do it. It's impossible for one professional gambler but I have a powerful backup.

Sanosuke: So do whatever you like.

Fudosawa: But if I started to work, hindrance will surely appear. The father of that girl this afternoon... That man is stubborn and atrocious. We can't face him...

**********

Girl: Handeko! That kind of insult is the first time for me!

Father: He's got something from you...

Girl: That's not what I meant father!

Fudosawa:: Well, if I placed it in my own hands, it would be simple. Unfortunately I don't want to be lost thing yet.

(pointing to Gohei and Kihei) I planned to leave it up to this 2 here but from what I've seen this afternoon, I couldn't rely on them.

Sanosuke: What, you're still here?

Fudosawa: So how about this, why don't you try and take this fight?

Sanosuke: If he's the same as the guys this afternoon, then no thanks. Is that old man really good?

Fudosawa: He already knocked down about 50 of my boys.

Sanosuke (smiling): This is a good past time. The reopening of my fighting business.

**********

Father: He seems quite interesting, that boy.

Uki: What?

A man sitting and smoking cigars is shown here. He is quite slim and has a bandage around his stomach. Plenty of hats surround him.

Father: If luck permits, I would want to meet him.

A man with a seeming luck...It seems that he is not just an ordinary braided hat maker.

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