Battle 575

==Summary==
Kajima recovers from being slammed against the wall and comments that the ultimate sei technique Kenichi used felt like his ki was being controlled.  Kenichi states that he used his ki to read Kajima's flow and matched his attack against it: the third level of Ryūsui Seikūken.  Kajima smiles as he is further intrigued to fight against Kenichi and Shigure asks if Kajima is worried about his two masters fighting.  Kajima dismisses Shigure's concern and expresses his delight in that his masters' battle will result in further development of martial arts.  However, Kenichi says that Kajima is lying and that he could feel confusion and sadness from his fists and that he cannot be happy that his masters are fighting to kill each other.  Kajima tells Kenichi that he is wrong and he charges up his ki for Shinogadachi.
While fighting with Saiga, Senzui comments that Kenichi is quite skilled to fight on par with their disciple while Saiga questions why he killed Shizuha.  Senzui ignores the question and states that despite Kajima taking on Saiga's naivete, he has tenacity and slight madness rooted in his heart that will push him to victory.  Saiga asks about Shizuha's death once more as the two masters clash with their kicks as Miu watches her father's battle.
A flashback shows Saiga and Shizuha near the Kuremisago village, Shizuha exclaiming that no outsider has reached this deep into the mountains before.  Two men call out to Shizuha and explain that they have been looking for her.  The warriors ask about Saiga and while Shizuha introduces him as her guest, Saiga sees them tense up their fists.  Saiga judges from their wariness and hostility that they are from the 'famous Kuremisago village' which draws the men to take their stances and fight Saiga.  Despite Shizuha's attempt to stop them the male warriors seek to interrogate and kill Saiga for knowing about their village.
A voice tells the warriors to stop as they do not stand a chance against Saiga and the men see Senzui watching them from a faraway tree.  Senzui suddenly appears behind Saiga, who senses the attack and takes up his stance.  He prepares to guard against Senzui's incoming attack but notices something and instead dodges the blow.  Senzui's attack destroys a large part of the mountain wall and commends Saiga's skills; in an instant he had realized that Senzui's attack could not be blocked and sought to avoid it.  Saiga says he does not want to cause trouble and charges in, Shizuha tells the two fighters to stop as an immense boulder from the destroyed mountain is about to fall on her.  Saiga and Senzui stop their battle and come to Shizuha's aid, stopping the boulder from falling with their fingers. 
Shizuha scolds Senzui for attacking her guest and assures Saiga that she can manage herself as she kicks the boulder into rubble.  Saiga and Senzui share a smile and Shizuha shows her embarrassment as her kick exposed herself.  Senzui consoles Shizuha by saying they have known each other for a long time but an embarrassed Shizuha gives him a playful yet forceful punch.  Later that night, Saiga hears from Shizuha that Senzui is her fiance, their coupling decided for the sake of creating better fighters for the village.  Shizuha adds that the village hates outsiders such as Saiga which causes him to worry. However Shizuha smiles at him and the two embrace and Senzui is seen watching the two from afar.
Sometime later, Senzui and Saiga are sparring on the mountains and Senzui reinforces the fact that their teachings forbids expressing their emotions.  Saiga manages to corner Senzui and asks if he really agrees with that idea, to which Senzui responds that his training has helped him close off his opinions if they interfere with the fight.  This prompts Saiga to flick Senzui on the forehead and tell him to use his brain more often.  Saiga comments that a village that respects emotionless killing is not a safe place for Shizuha and expresses his suprise that Senzui has not done anything to change things despite being smarter than him.  Senzui closes their talk by saying that emotions get in the way of martial arts.
Saiga meets with Shizuha and is met by a group of Kuremisago warriors, who say that they wish to master martial arts with more freedom.  They encourage Saiga to help them as even Senzui has joined their cause, to Saiga's surprise.  Senzui beckons to Saiga and the two men talk, and Senzui tells him that Saiga can now be with Shizuha as she should be free to choose her own happiness.  Saiga protests that Senzui can also give her happiness but Senzui declines: as the leader of those who want to change the Kuremisago he cannot follow the tradition that bound him to Shizuha.
Battles between the two factions occur throughout the world and Saiga, Shizuha, and Senzui are fighting against warriors inside a building.  Senzui kills an opponent who was aiming for Saiga who is revealed to be his father.  As he was dying, Senzui's father commends him for not hesitating and that skilled fighters need to lose their emotions.  His father's last words ask Senzui if he truly believed he could live a normal life, as killing and battle has been ingrained in Senzui.
Saiga, Shizuha, and Senzui are seen looking on a field filled with trees, marking the graves of their fallen comrades.  Senzui states that they have lost too many comrades and that the battle still goes on.  He looks at Saiga and apologizes to him for involving him in this fight.  Senzui gets up to leave and Saiga sense something is amiss, as Senzui walks away and asks for Saiga's forgiveness for what he is about to do.
==Characters That Appeared==
*Shizuha Fūrinji
*Kenichi Shirahama
*Satomi Kajima
*Haruo Niijima
*Shigure Kōsaka
*Saiga Fūrinji
*Senzui
*Miu Fūrinji
==Navigation==
Category:Chapters