As an infant, Enishi lost his mother and was raised by his older sister, Tomoe. She took on both roles of sister and mother to him and he grew to love her deeply. When Tomoe got engaged to Kiyosato Akira, Enishi reluctantly accepted the marriage because it made Tomoe happy. Later, Kiyosato joined a group called Mimawarigumi with the belief that Tomoe would be happier if he became a hero. However, this plan backfired when Battōsai (Himura Kenshin) killed him for the new era. Left alone, Enishi was consumed by his loneliness and yearned to bring Tomoe back to Edo so they could be reunited.