Episode 14: Yahiko's Battle
Yahiko has been leaving the dojo lately, and the others want to know what he's up to. Each has their guesses; A girl, food, extra training. Curious...they decide to follow him without him knowing.
After following, they find that Yahiko has been working at the Akabeko. They watch as he helps the clumsy Tsubame, a young girl working at Akabeko as well.
Later, we find that Tsubame is in trouble when several men are blackmailing her to rob the restaurant or get them the key to the owner's home, where he brings the daily earnings to. Yahiko overhears these thugs and intervenes. Nearby, Kenshin, Kaoru, and Sano are watching unseen.
Yahiko does well at first, but then is overpowered. Kenshin tells the others not to interfere. Yahiko needs to learn responsibility and to know how to fight his own battles. Tsubame says she will hand over the key if they stop beating Yahiko. The leader tells them to stop, and they leave. Yahiko is bloody and scratched, but he assures Tsubane that he will be ok. He walks away thinking that he can't go to the police, because Tsubame would be arrested, and he can't worry Kaoru or Kenshin about the problem. This is his fight.
At the dojo, Yahiko hypothetically asks Kenshin for advice. Kenshin explains a strategy to use when fighting multiple people. It was used by Imperialists during the revolution. First, you must run away from your opponents. They will come running after you, but no two men are exactly alike. They all have different physical capabilities and run at different speeds. When the fastest man catches up to you, you fight him on a one on one battle. After dealing with him, you keep running until the next man catches up to you, and so on.
That evening, in front of the owner of the Akabeko's house, the thieves are about to break in, when Yahiko runs up and snatches the key. He runs as fast as he can into a thin alleyway. The criminals run after him. Thanks to Kenshin, Yahiko's plan is working perfectly. Two of the bullies get stuck in the alley, and Yahiko pounds them both on the head with his shinai.
The leader of the gang notices Yahiko's plan, and signals his gang members to withdraw their sheaths. As the sheaths are removed, we see that the men actually have real swords. Yahiko cannot possibly win five one on one fights in a row if he only has his wooden shinai. Just as things begin to look bad for Yahiko, the thieves notice two men on the rooftop behind the boy. At the sight of the man with the cross-shaped scar and Zanza, the men run for their lives.
Yahiko looks over his shoulder at the roof, but Kenshin and Sano have ducked. Turning again, he sees that only the leader stayed behind. Now it is truly a one on one fight. The leader takes his real sword out from its wooden sheath and swings it at Yahiko. Tsubame, who had run into Kaoru, cries out to Yahiko to win! The leader takes a swing at Yahiko's ankles. More determined than ever, Yahiko jumps. Landing on the leader's sword, he cries, "I'm gonna win!!" Yahiko lands the finishing blow on the man's head. The boy has won.
Kaoru is ecstatic, and runs over to her apprentice. She is so happy that her teachings have paid off. Yahiko is not so happy though. Kaoru wasn't supposed to know about his fight! He is mad that Kaoru was spying on him, but before he can argue with her, he turns around and sees Kenshin and Sano on the roof of the building. As fast as they can, Kenshin and Sano try to avoid Yahiko's sight by making cicada sounds. Yahiko sees past this hoax and yells, "There are no cicadas in the spring!"
Kaoru, Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano, and Tsubame all leave the alleyway together under the light of the full moon.