Rurouni Kenshin Wiki
Advertisement

One Side of the Soul is the tenth chapter of the Rurouni Kenshin manga.

Synopsis[]

In Tani Jūsanrō's residence, Kurogasa (a.k.a. Udō Jin-e) kills a few bodyguards and tries to kill his contract's target, Tani. However, he is stopped by Kenshin and Sagara Sanosuke, who are the only ones able to resist his Shin no Ippo's power of paralysis.

Saying that he hasn't had this much fun since the Bakumatsu, Jin-e decides that he will fight Kenshin and kill him. Then, as he makes his exit by the same window he came through, he tells his new target to get a real katana and wait for him. What will happen now that Jin-e is directly targeting Kenshin? Is he going to be able to protect those around him from Jin-e's threat?

Summary[]

The Kurogasa has entered Tani's residence. As he stands before everyone, Tani announces that the hired bodyguard who kills the Kurogasa will receive five times the pay promised, plus an officer's position in the military. With that said, many of the bodyguards charge foolishly for the Kurogasa. In a few swipes, they are killed. After witnessing the death of their comrades, a bunch of bodyguards for Tani begin to flee. The Kurogasa, however, won't let them escape. He uses the Shin no Ippo technique to paralyze everyone in the room - everyone, except Kenshin.

Kenshin leaps from behind Sanosuke and towards the Kurogasa. Both draw their swords and pass by one another. Kenshin has taken a cut to his left arm. Kenshin and the Kurogasa look at one another. Just by description and the usage of their sword, both seem to know who one another really is. The Kurogasa is a killer for hire with no loyalty whose real name is Udō Jin-e and Kenshin is, of course, the Hitokiri Battōsai. Jin-e would like to fight Kenshin, as fighting the legendary hitokiri is quite a dream, but first, he rushes over to kill his original target, Tani.

Sanosuke, standing next to Tani, breaks out of the Shin no Ippo and grabs a statue which he hurls at the quickly approaching Kurogasa. Sanosuke does manage to break Jin'e's sword with the statue, but the broken blade is driven into his wrist. Jin-e laughs as blood gushes out of Sanosuke's wrist, prompting Kenshin to charge. Both Kenshin and Jin-e clash with their swords for a brief moment until Jin-e leaps on the windowsill. The Kurogasa has changed his target. It is now the former Hitokiri Battōsai, Himura Kenshin. And so, Udō Jin-e the Kurogasa departs.

Now that everyone can move, a doctor is quickly called for. Sanosuke is fine, but Uramura is concerned about Kenshin being the target. All along, Kenshin knew that the outcome would come out like so. However, Kenshin wanted to settle things on that night, rather than having a lost hitokiri running around freely in the Meiji Era.

Characters[]

Chapter Notes[]

This chapter has several differences with other portrayals of the events of the story in different iterations of the franchise:

Differences with the 1996 anime[]

  • In the manga when Kenshin first attacks Kurogasa and they clash swords, Kenshin cuts Kurogasa's hat, but receives a small cut in his left hand. In the anime Kenshin does not receive the cut.

Differences with Rurouni Kenshin: Origins[]

  • None of the events of this manga chapter take place in the live action movie, since Udō Jin-e's background is totally different.

Differences with Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration[]

To be added

Differences with the 2023 anime[]

  • There are basically no differences between the events of this manga chapter and the anime episode that covers them.

Trivia[]

To be added

Gallery[]

To be added

Advertisement