"After my Uncle Kaiza argued so hard, the boss of Gato Shipping finally said he'd consider opening the sea route. We won! We finally won!"
Inari ran to share the "good news," eyes shining with excitement.
"That's awesome."Hanabi clapped her hands lightly.
She didn't mean it.But Inari couldn't tell. Her half-hearted applause only made him more excited.
He became like a little missionary, passionately repeating how brave, wise, and amazing his Uncle Kaiza was—how he used sheer conviction to force the big boss Gato to compromise and agree to everyone's demands.
Hanabi's smile thinned. She grew increasingly impatient.
"It's just considering." she said flatly. "It doesn't mean he'll actually open the channel."
Inari froze.
Everyone had returned smiling that night. Their joy had infected him too. In his mind, "considering" clearly meant that as long as they tried a bit harder tomorrow, Gato would give in for sure.
Hanabi's cold words felt like she was pouring ice water all over their hard-won hope—filth over Kaiza's accomplishment.
So Inari puffed up angrily.
"That'll happen sooner or later! Uncle Kaiza is amazing—Gato will definitely agree!!"
There were three pieces of freshly baked bread on the table—one for Neiki, one for Hanabi, one for Pochi.
Hanabi suddenly snapped.
"Your brother is talking nonsense!"
The outburst didn't feel real to her. She felt like she was stuck inside a dream, unable to wake up.
She wanted to go downstairs and talk to Neiki, but the basement door was always locked. She didn't know what Neiki was doing inside, only that she must never disturb him.
Pochi licked her fingertips reassuringly.Hanabi ignored him, hugged her knees, and sat on the floor, still burning with anger and grievance.
Inari watched all of this blankly.
He tried to calm himself, to explain away her harshness, and slept clutching the doll Kaiza had given him for his birthday.
The next morning:
"What did you say to me?!"
Hanabi's eyes went round with fury. She leapt at Inari, kicked him straight to the ground, and sat on top of him, punching twice for emphasis.
"If you dare insult my brother again, I'll beat you!"
Inari, terrified, didn't even dare stand back up. But he still shouted weakly:
"W-Why can you call him 'brother,' but I can't call Uncle Kaiza 'uncle'?!"
Hanabi glared down at him.
"How powerful?" she asked sharply. "Can he use ninjutsu?"
Inari flushed.Hanabi sighed.
"My brother said: begging for mercy never brings peace. Strength is the foundation of everything."
Inari opened his mouth to argue—but before he could, Hanabi hit him with another blow of reality:
"You don't have the strength to fight Gato. Why would he care what you think?"
Her words stabbed deeper than she knew.
Inari's face turned scarlet with shame, but he still refuted loudly:
"That doesn't matter! Uncle Kaiza is a hero! He'll convince Gato! That's more powerful than any ninja!"
Hanabi raised a brow.
"Ordinary people can't beat ninjas, Inari. Are you stupid?"
By noon, Inari was uneasy.
Kaiza still hadn't returned home.
He rarely stayed out late.If he did, he always left word so the family wouldn't worry.
But today?
Nothing.
Tazuna tried to comfort Inari:
"Maybe it's because of the heavy rain. Or he stayed at a friend's house to prepare for tomorrow's negotiation with Gato…"
All unlikely excuses.But they eased Inari's fear—just a little.
Before bed, Hanabi's cold words echoed again in his head.
He shook them off, refusing to accept them.
He woke up alone.
The house was a mess.Milk and bread untouched on the table.The door wide open.Wind pushing rain inside.
"Where is everyone…?"
He searched the house.
Nothing.
Something inside him cracked.
People were gathering at the pier.
A silent mass.Faces pale.Eyes wet.
Inari pushed through the crowd.
"Everyone—"
He wanted to say, Where is Uncle Kaiza?But his voice was trapped in his throat.
He saw it.
He froze.
Hanging from a wooden pole in the pouring rain—
Kaiza.
The hero of the Land of Waves.
Whipped.Bloodied.Barely breathing.Every lash another snap that echoed across the silent pier.
Snap!The whip cracked again.
Inari's vision blurred. His limbs went cold. His breath trembled.
People stood helplessly.Afraid.Broken.
Kaiza groaned softly with every lash.Still alive.Still enduring.
Gato's voice echoed above the storm:
"This is what happens when you block my Gato Shipping Company!This is what happens when you launch a terrorist uprising!"
Snap!Another lash.
Hanabi's voice echoed in Inari's memory:
"Begging for mercy will not bring peace. Strength is the foundation of everything."
…
Something inside Inari shattered completely.
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