Sawagejou, Chou

沢下条張

Also known as 'The Sword Hunter', Chou owns a fairly extensive collection of rare and unusual swords, including a long, flexible blade he conceals around his waist, and a double-edged sword called a renbatou. He is merely a mediocre opponent when not wielding these exotic weapons (despite employing a master sheathing technique). He maintains a very calm and cool exterior, normally keeping one eye closed while speaking, and only opening both eyes when excited in the heat of battle. He speaks with a Kansai-ben accent.
His fighting style depends on the sword he uses, but he primarily employs the Garyuorochi style. The first form is Orochi (Eight-Headed Hydra), where Chou bounces his sword, Hakujin no Tachi (The thin blade), on the ground in waves. He uses Sakasa Kuchu Noutou (Mid-air Sheathing) on Seiku's son Iori to locate the final sword of Shakku, which had been placed in a temple as a godsword. It was at that time that Kenshin defeated him with that sword. Ultimately, he proved to be far from a match for a well-armed Kenshin, although he told his opponents that all Juppongatana members are stronger than him. After Shishio's death, Chou visits Kenshin and his friends to inform them of what happened to the Juppongatana members following Shishio's demise, then he goes on to work under Saitou as a spy/informant.
Chou later appears in the anime when he tries to attack Amakusa Shougo but is soundly defeated. In the manga, he later appears in the Jinchuu Arc to help uncover information about Enishi.