Sanosuke has agreed to help his friend Katsu (Tsunai Tsukoka) to attack the Ministry of the Interior in the name of the Sekhihotai, the ill-fated military unit they served during the Bakumatsu. The government, trying to cover up its inability to keep its promises, branded the Sekihotai a "false revolutionary army" and wiped them out to a man - with the exception of the two young boys who are now grown men. Kenshin senses this coming, and moves to thwart their attack because he can't allow them to commit a crime. Sano says "well, we're enemies then," and attacks.

After Kenshin's inevitable victory over Sanosuke, he asks Katsu to care for Sano's wounds and turns to go. "You're as much a hypocrite as they are!" shrieks Katsu - and Kenshin turns to him with a sad smile, then walks away. This is a stunning and heartwrenching bit of storytelling as it gets to one of Kenshin's deepest conflicts: the government he helped into power as an assassin is no more and no less corrupt than the ones that preceded it.