Initially, Tomoe wanted to avenge the death of Akira Kiyosato, Tomoe’s fiancé, who was killed by Kenshin. To share his pain, Kaoru convinces Kenshin to infect her with the disease through sexual intercourse. Kenshin eventually becomes ravaged by an unknown disease that is much like leprosy (the writers have admitted there is no medical explanation for Kenshin’s condition). Despite being twenty-eight-years old, he is deceptively younger looking, appearing to be in his mid-teen years. Kenshin is a fair-skinned man of below-average height, slim built, with an androgynous face.