In the anime Rurouni Kenshin, the secondary character Kamiya Kaoru is a 17-year-old orphan who runs a kendo dojo after the death of her father in the Seinan War.
Kaoru is kind and cheerful, but also quick tempered. She gets very angry if anyone criticizes her swordsmanship or cooking.
In the early months of 1878, a gigantic swordsman shows up on Tokyo and starts murdering people in the streets, claiming to be a master of Kaoru's sword style, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. The swordsman goes by the name Hitokiri Battousai. One by one, Kaoru's students leave the dojo, not wanting to be linked with the name Battousai. By February, she has no students left.
One night, while patrolling the streets for Battousai, Kaoru accosts a small man, carrying a sword at his side. The small man doesn't put up much of a fight, but perhaps he is a link to Battousai?
Stay tuned!