Nineteenth century Japan is torn by warfare and rebellion where small bands of soldiers seek to overthrow the tyrannical Tokugawa Shogunate. Kenshin, a young orphan whose fighting skills were honed by the great swordsman Hiko, has hopes for a new world peace. When a woman named Tomoe arrives, her kindness and attention show him a kind of life he didn't know existed. After a series of disastrous events in Kyoto, Kenshin and Tomoe escape to a farm in rural Japan. Meanwhile, a traitor is working to bring down the rebellion and destroy Kenshin. Tomoe is torn by her familial allegiances and the ghosts of her past.