Death from cutting the abdomen alone requires a long duration of time, during which the seppukunin would have to endure terrible agony, so it was usual practice that the kaishakunin would carry out his duty as soon as seppuku had been committed.
腹部を切り裂いただけでは死亡までに時間がかかり、死ぬ者に非常な苦痛を強いるため、通常は介錯人が切腹直後に介錯を実行する。