An adjutant of Shinko-ryū under the command of Isurugi Raijūta, Sakuramaru is one of the four swordsmen dispatched to attack Himura Kenshin at the Kamiya dojo with an ultimatum: join their band or die. While his comrades Tsukio and Tsuruzaemon were immediately defeated, Sakuramaru's superior skills allowed him to pose a challenge to Himura's legendary ability. However, Sakuramaru, too, was struck down, declaring with his last conscious breath that he finally understood why the master wanted Himura dead if he refused to join.