Ellie walked with Kuro in the old village of Keno. Kuro barked at a man holding a sign that said Emperor Hidà coming to take over Japan! Buy your gifts now! She pulled Kuro away from the man. She never liked the idea of getting some random person, even an emperor, a gift just for being there.

She came back to her hut and gave Kuro a slab of bacon from that morning and made rice for herself. All of a sudden lightning struck. Kuro barked and Ellie jumped. It was not the season for lightning so what was it? She looked outside to see a man hitting the doors of houses saying "The emperor needs gifts!" She suddenly grabbed her best china set and gave it to the man outside.

Her neighbors were shot and killed if they didn't give gifts... not a single one of them wanted to give up anything. Why were they so foolish? She thought. She decided that, even though it was illegal, she would get her things and find a way out of Japan.