Kujou Sara stood in the front yard of Granny Oni's home, training with her bow. The previous day, Akira, Genta, Mamoru, and Ushi had set up poorly painted targets on the fence after they learned Sara was training every morning with a bow. None of them used a bow, so they only had training dummies for Itto's claymore and Shinobu's sword. Sara had thanked them. They all devolved into embarrassment and stuttering. Ushi was the only one who didn't lose his cool. He looked extremely pleased with himself when Sara gave him a sunsettia as a way of showing her gratitude. She had given the whole group the sunsettias she had collected while on her way back from completing a commission. Like earlier, Ushi was the only one who didn't devolve into barely intelligible words. Not like Ushi could speak, but his mooing remained consistent in pitch and tone.

The others were still asleep right now. It was far too early in the morning for most people. Even some of Sara's former soldiers would be asleep at this hour. Ushi had woken up with her, but he continued to nap on the porch as Sara went through the motion of striking each target. Although they probably didn't intend it, the gang's target placements were hard to hit at normal angles. Sara didn't mind the difficulty. She liked using her body like this, moving without thinking. She really didn't want to think as her thoughts would always spiral away from her.

Sara released her bowstring, watching as the arrow flew into the air. It arced up before falling back down, sailing straight into the bullseye Akira had painted on a wooden crate. Sara twirled around with another arrow forming in her bow. She waited long enough for Electro to build around the arrowhead. She released the arrow while taking two steps to the side. The arrow crashed into a hanging wool sack Mamoru tied on a tree branch. The arrow went straight through the sack, hitting the trunk of the tree. Sara pulled back another arrow, whirling around to the gate where a hooded figure stood watching.

The figure stared at Sara with an uncompromising expression. They pulled back their hood as they stepped into Granny Oni's yard, closing the door behind him. Sara didn't lower her bow even though she recognized the general of Watatsumi Island. How could she not? She and Gorou had met on the battlefield several times in both of their careers. Sara respected him more than she respected anyone else from Watatsumi Island, even more than the genius strategist Sangonomiya Kokomi. Gorou, like her, was driven by a fierce loyalty to their masters. Sara wondered what Gorou would have done if he was in her position. If he learned that Kokomi was a cruel person who went against the will of Orobashi, would Gourou perform seppuku for Kokomi's life and Watatsumi Island's prosperity?

"To what do I owe the pleasure, General Gorou? I must admit that I am surprised to meet you somewhere that isn't a battlefield... although, this might turn into a fight should you decide to bring me back to the Kujou Clan to face punishment," Sara told him, slightly lowering her bow. Gorou had not drawn his bow, after all. He simply wore a cloak to hide his colorful outfit and dog ears that were recognizable even in Inazuma City. He was obviously trying to hide the fact that he was here, but Sara couldn't exactly figure out why. She didn't know why he would come here specifically, either. Did he have some sort of relationship with Arataki Itto and was equally surprised to see Sara there?

"I would never do anything for the Kujou clan. Especially something like this," Gorou said with a slight scowl pulling back his lips to reveal sharp canines. Sara raised an eyebrow at him, and his expression went away with a heavy sigh. Gorou walked closer to Sara without any fear on his face even though she still had her weapon drawn and an arrow nocked. Gujou instead lifted up a paper, his grip so tight on it that the paper crinkled. "What the Archons is this, Kujou Sara?"

Sara didn't know what it was. She let her bow disappear into a flurry of blue dust in order to take the paper from Gujou. Despite his grip on it, he easily let Sara take it. He looked away as Sara opened the paper to read the contents inside.

Dear Ms. Hina,
What's up? It's me, your favorite Oni, Arataki numero uno Itto! I have a question for you, and it's really important so don't ignore me this time!
I have a friend over at my Granny's house. Her name's Kujou Sara but I call her Tengu cause that's what she is. She's gonna stay at my Granny's house for a little while. She was in something called a sepuko. I don't know what that is. No one will tell me. Shinobu and Tengu know but they won't tell me. That's why I'm asking you. What's a sepuko? Is it a really bad thing? If it is, why was Tengu part of it? Tengu's the most law-following yokai I know! She's even better than humans!
Tengu seems a little down, too. Maybe it has to do with the sepuko. I want to cheer her up, but I don't know what to do. It's strange. I've never seen Tengu sad before. Never seen her happy, either. She doesn't show emotions. She's kind of like Shinobu. I guess that's why they're friends.
Anyway, that's all from me. I hope you'll answer this time because this is REALLY important. Like, winning the Onikabuto championship levels of important.
This letter was from, Arataki Itto

Sara felt her heart clench as she trailed her fingers along the dried ink. She didn't think Itto would be this concerned about her and the situation he found her in. She vaguely knew about Ms. Hina from visiting Yae Miko, seeing a few posters near the publishing house, and hearing Itto talk about her during their fights. She was someone that people could go to for good advice. Sara had never personally written a letter, but she heard that some of her subordinates were able to achieve their wishes by listening to this mysterious Ms. Hina. Itto must have been grappling with what to do when he sent this letter. Sara felt a half-smile rise to her face. Just like when she discovered the gang had set up targets for her or when Granny Oni would make her meals, Sara was filled with a strange warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I suspect that Itto misspelled 'seppuku', right? I'm going to need to know a little more about this situation," Gorou said, hesitantly taking the letter back. Sara looked at him. From what she had heard, Gorou was the cousin or some relative to Ms. Hina. Seeing his expression, though, Sara was starting to wonder if Yae Miko was ready to play pranks on anyone. Sara almost rolled her eyes at the absurdity of it, but she couldn't do anything beneath Gorou's tough stare.

"The head of the Kujou Clan, Kujou Takayuki, and his retainers are responsible for the manipulation of the Raiden Shogun. They colluded with the Fatui in order to spread delusions, perpetuate the war, keep the borders closed, and reinforce their power over the other branches of the Tri-commission. Takayuki has not been caught as of now, so no one has been punished for this crime against the Electro Archon and the whole of Inazuma. The Takatsukasa family, a branch of the clan, has demanded that someone must face the consequences. Takatsukasa Susumu proposed that a seppuku would appease all of the crimes in the Shogun's eyes. I'm sure he only said this because he assumed we would refuse and he would find a way to power. I cannot allow that to happen. I offered to be the one to perform the ritual. Although my brothers argued, Susumu agreed with me. That is what happened," Sara told Gorou the story. There wasn't any reason to tell him, but she didn't have a reason not to, either. He had no sway in the politics of Inazuma City. "I have not told Arataki Itto what a seppuku is because... he's a kind person. Despite his brash exterior, he possesses a gentle soul. I want to preserve his innocent happiness. He's one of the few people in this whole nation to still have it."

"Yeah, I get that part. I wasn't going to tell him, either," Gorou said, shaking his head. The hand holding the letter was shaking slightly as Gorou looked into Sara's eyes. "But let's go back to the part before that. You willingly accepted a seppuku ritual? Don't tell me you were planning on actually killing yourself."

Sara felt her hand go up to her waist. She pressed down on the fabric, unable to feel the scar but fully aware that it was there. She let her hand drop as she answered Gorou. "The situation is far more complex than you give it credit for. My brothers, Kamaji and Masahito, deserve to live. Kamaji is intelligent and compassionate. He has recently gotten married. He has a newly wed wife to be concerned about. Masahito is a strong warrior with a heart of gold. When I was younger, when I had just been found by Takayuki, they taught me all about humans and love. It was because of them that I wasn't Takayuki's lifeless puppet. Unfortunately, Takayuki was still able to trick me. Every sin I've committed was because I believed I was serving her Excellency."

Sara took a deep breath, looking down at her hands. She told her army not to engage in unnecessary violence, but she knew that her orders were not followed. She could still feel the blood from those innocent Vision-bearers dripping onto her hands. She should have been strong enough to stop her army. She wasn't able to. Instead, she senselessly listened to Takayuki even when she began to doubt the words coming from his mouth. Sara was so blinded by loyalty that she didn't realize she was betraying her faith. "My death would have allowed the Kujou Clan to continue thriving. Kamaji would become the head. He will do so much good for Inazuma. Masahito will finally be able to return home... Did you know that it was my fault he was sent away? I'm sure he would tell you otherwise, but I was the stupid one. Even now, I'm the one that followed Takayuki's orders. Kamaji and Masahito didn't do anything. They should be given a chance to be free. They should not pay for my sins."

"Quit saying it like that. You are not paying for your sins. You're paying for Takayuki's sins. He was the one that damned everyone in Inazuma because he was power hungry and idiotic," Gorou told her with a harshness in his eyes. Sara couldn't help but smile. Gorou had always been a passionate person. He despised the Raiden Shogun for her actions, and it seemed he found yet another person to hate because of the decrees. Sara briefly wondered why he didn't hate her. She was part of his nightmare. "Why are you here now? I was under the impression that you didn't like Arataki Itto."

"I do not hate him. He undermines my authority and embarrasses me, but I do not despise him," Sara shook her head. "The reason I am here is because Kuki Shinobu discovered the seppuku ritual. She convinced the Arataki Gang to assist her in kidnapping me. Once I had woken up, I already had plans to return to the Kujou Clan household. I wanted to give Itto closure, however, so I participated in a duel. Before a victor could be determined, we were interrupted by Shikanoin Heizou. He took me to a bar where we discussed the situation. We came to a deal. I would stay here until one of three things could happen: the Raiden Shogun personally pardoned the Kujou Clan, Takayuki could be found and placed on trial, or I received news that someone else would be forced to take my place. I have been completely commissions and training while biding my time here. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"Thank Orobashi for Shinobu, then," Gorou said. Sara gave him a strange look. Gorou responded with a displeased look of his own. "We were on opposite sides of the war. We believe in two different gods. This does not mean that I want you dead. Out of everyone in the Shogun's army, you look out for what is best for Inazuma. You are not swayed by greed or power. The fact that you are willing to sacrifice your life for the future of your clan proves to me that you are everything I thought you were. You are an opponent that I hold in high respect."

"I also hold you in high esteem, General Gorou. I am glad to have an admirable opponent. Whether we are fighting against each other or assisting each other in a conflict, I will continue to respect you," Sara told him with a slight bow.

She heard Gorou huff, but he also leaned down in front of her. When they rose back up, Gorou gave her a cheeky smile. "Stay safe, okay? If things get rough over here, you can come hide at Watatsumi Island. I'll look into finding Takayuki. He has to pay for hurting the people of Inazuma. Make sure to tell Itto that... Ms. Hina," Gorou snarled at the name, "will answer his letter."

He pulled the hood back over his head. He opened the wooden gate, disappearing into the street outside. Sara smiled slightly. She heard a door slide open behind her, and Itto called, "Tengu! Come here! Granny Oni made breakfast!"