Kaoru Kamiya is the shihan dai, or adjutant master, of her father's family dojo and fighting style, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Orphaned about a year before the beginning of the story when her father died in the Seinan War, and her dojo framed for a series of murders afterwards, she begins a nightly patrol to search for the killer who claims to be the legendary Hitokiri Battousai. In doing so, she runs into a wandering vagabond by the name of Kenshin Himura, who helps her bring the culprit to justice and restore the name of her school. But that's just the beginning of it all...

Kaoru is an energetic, intelligent girl with a short temper. She is in many ways a tomboy, but at the same time, her femininity cannot be denied. She bears resemblance to another popular adolescent tomboyish raven-haired martial-artist anime girl who wields a wooden weapon of a different sort (mallet). However, unlike said other character, she cannot deny her affection to the love of her life, even if he is almost twice as old as she is. Her dedication to her friends, as well as to all those who help her, makes her all the more likeable. Her skill with the sword is more than enough to protect any charge, if she doesn't ever get the chance to fully demonstrate her potential.