Finally back in Hanamaru, Tsukinoko had woken up at dawn having slept like a log, comfortable in her bed, but a movement had awakened the pain.

  She gets up grumbling and quietly eats breakfast after changing her bandages, in her pyjamas. The sun rose timidly and she decided to ask Haruo's permission to come and help out at the residence at least a few days a week, and that she would look after herself on the other days. Tenry? refused to take care of her after her act, which he judged to be unconscious.

  She hurried off to get ready and chose a long, easy-to-put-on wool dress in taupe, leaving her hair loose as she was too tired to tie it up. She arrives quietly at the Residence and knocks on Haruo's desk. He invites her in, but frowns when he sees it's her. She sighs and implores him with her eyes, but he doesn't give in

  As she sulkily greeted him, he was discreetly amused. His little goddaughter had become a beautiful young woman who had been turning the heads of his soldiers for several years. He puts down his parchment with a sigh, thinking how quickly time flies, and thinks back to his first meeting with her as if it were yesterday.

  She'd made a mess of the library and looked like a little wild girl with her tousled hair, stolen clothes and black feet. And today, she was one of his best agents, in every way, looking like a princess when she wore her long dresses. He never thought she'd get there so fast. He thought back to Sh?d? and found they had a lot in common, both hot-tempered and formidable.

  Lost in thought, he says to himself that he should think about choosing a successor, but snaps out of his reverie and plunges back into his work

  After this setback, Tsukinoko returned home but had no intention of staying cooped up, so she grabbed a canvas, some warm blankets and her paint case and headed for the old tree. If she's going to rest, she might as well do it in the fresh air.

  She settled herself on one of the branches, wedging herself against the trunk, and let her imagination run wild on the blank canvas amid the snowy foliage. She began to cogitate, in incomprehension after Kakashi's sudden departure for the hospital, which she had still not seen. She tried to calm herself and understand what had happened, when he had broken her heart.

  Without waiting, she rushed to his house, knocking on his door for long minutes but getting no answer. Yet she could feel that he was inside. She turned back.

  When she arrived home, she broke the canvas she'd just painted in half and threw it in the garbage can. She was pacing back and forth in her living room. After what they'd shared over the last few weeks, she was ready to confess her true identity to him, to tell him her true feelings, trusting him completely. At the end of the night, she went to bed on an empty stomach, desperate

  The next morning, there was a knock on the living room window and she rushed to open it, only to come face to face with Hina. Her heart breaks having hoped it would be him, she's terribly disappointed and feels she's been cheated.

  Hina rushes to her, worried after the accident, and explains the whole situation. They spend the day together to clear their heads. They go out together, but Hina abandons her to go shopping.

  After an hour, Tsukinoko finally came across Kakashi coming out of the Residence. She hurried towards him, but as she reached him, he passed her by without even looking at her. She immediately tries again, walking beside him, anxious that he should blatantly ignore her.

  - Kakashi, what's wrong?

  He said nothing and continued on his way, but as he tried to slip away, she caught him by the arm and pulled him sharply towards her.

  - Stay there!" she snaps. What's the matter?! Why are you ignoring me?

  - Don't bother, I'm working.

  - Yeah, but why are you so... Cold? Did I do something wrong?

  He says nothing and exclaims one last time before leaving, impassive.

  - You're off duty, we've got nothing to do together. The Chief will summon you when you can return to work, until then, don't bother me.

  She stares at him, unsure of what to say in response, as he leaps across the rooftops and walks away. She stands there at trembling with grief at this exchange, which has shaken her to the core.

  What word, what gesture could she have come out wrong, for him to act this way, apart from their faults for which they had been reprimanded. Why was he ignoring her now, when they'd become so close.

  Tsukinoko stayed at home, depressed and counting the hours. Every evening, she sat on her terrace, hoping to see him pass by on his way home. He came by once but blatantly ignored her, and she never saw him again.

  Hina returned one day and asked about Kakashi, but no one had seen him since. Forced to stay at home during her convalescence, she became withdrawn and depressed, spending most of her time sleeping or crying under the comforter, experiencing her first heartbreak.

  Her smile gradually faded, every time she did something and felt like telling him about it and sharing it with him. She was alone, terrified and feeling terribly vulnerable. Useless.

  A few weeks later, Haruo came to see her and found her wrapped in plaid on his terrace. He escorted her inside and told her that Midareta was about to enter the Academy, and that she would no longer be able to see him.

  She felt sorry for herself when she realized that she hadn't seen him for weeks or said goodbye to him, so she begged Haruo to allow her to see him one last time.

  He agreed, as long as it wouldn't harm Midareta or the village.

  Tradition dictated that on the first day of school, every parent accompanied their child to the welcoming ceremony. Now eight years old, Midareta wasn't expecting anyone to accompany him, or at worst an animator from the orphanage.

  But Tsukinoko was there, and she smiled at him from afar. At the end of the ceremony, he runs to her, happy to see her again, and she congratulates him on his entrance to the Academy. She gritted her teeth and flashed him a pretty smile.

  - Are you happy to be going to the Academy, Maki? I'm counting on you to become a great soldier. Besides, you'll make lots of friends here," she smiles.

  Midareta smiled at him, motivated by his words but perplexed.

  - You say anything, everyone avoids me," he retorts.

  - You're going to make some new friends and I'm sure you'll feel at home here," she smiles. But you've got to promise to behave yourself and stop messing about," she says, pinching his nose. Because that's not the way to become a chef!

  - Of course I'm going to make it, I'm going to be a chef! he shouts. And you'll be there to help me, promise?

  She was about to answer, but a pain laden with unavowable truth in her chest cut her off. She quickly anticipates his questions.

  - Midareta, listen... I've got to go on a mission, and it's going to be a long one, so I probably won't be back by the time you finish the Academy.

  - Why does the mission take so long? he wonders.

  She crouches down in front of him, takes his little hands in hers.

  - Right now, I've got to go, so concentrate on the Academy. Good luck little maki.

  She ruffles his hair affectionately as she stands up and steps forward to leave, her heart heavy. She scarcely takes two steps when someone pulls at her top, and her heart breaks as she turns around.

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  - Big sister... You're going on another dangerous mission, what if... If you don't come back this time, will I be left all alone?

  - You won't be alone, Maki, you'll become a big boy and won't need me anymore.

  - I'll always need you!

  Drowned in tears, Midareta's look of terror begged her to stay with him. She knelt down and took him in her arms to console him. Midareta held her so tightly that tears welled up silently in her eyes.

  She opened her eyes behind her blond hair, which shone with a dark emptiness bathed in tears. She straightens up, takes him by the shoulders to look him straight in the eye, then smiles wholeheartedly.

  - I'm proud of you, but you really have to stop this bullshit if you want to become a Chef. I'll be back to be there with you when you're Chief, I promise," she smiles tenderly, fighting back tears. Even if you don't remember me by then, I'll be here.

  Her voice broke as Midareta's face lost all expression. Tsukinoko stood up, then turned on her heels without saying a word, leaving the little boy standing there.

  - Midareta Udon!" suddenly calls one of the teachers waiting outside the classroom.

  He immediately regained his composure and ran into the classroom, his heart lighter. Without looking back, without remembering the name or face of the girl who was leaving the field behind him, with her long black hair and amethysts drowned in a sea of sorrow.

  It will be more than eight weeks of full convalescence and Tsukinoko is mechanically getting ready to go back to work. After assuring Haruo that all was well, even if she felt bad about lying to him, he entrusted her with her first mission, which was to Sagi

  She was surprised by his serious tone, but nodded in agreement. As soon as she arrives at her quarters, her colleagues greet her and are delighted to see her back on her feet. They accompany her to the changing rooms, chatting away.

  - So you're back at last? It's been way too quiet since you left," K? laughs.

  - Oh, I didn't know you missed me... I'm touched but-

  - Imbecile!" he annoys himself. We were fine without you complaining in our ears all day long!

  - That's right," she laughs.

  - What did you do with your time off?" asks Kimaru. You seem to have lost weight. Weren't you supposed to be resting?

  She tenses and crosses her arms, zipping up her jacket.

  - I took the opportunity to do a little training," she lies with a smile. Besides, I'm not coming back with you, Haruo told me to go and see Sagi.

  - Ah? they are both astonished.

  They exchange a surprised, then slightly worried glance, and Kimaru suddenly looks away.

  - Somebody's going to be pissed off again... K? sighs to Kimaru.

  - Who?

  - The boss has been sulking ever since Haruo gave him a dressing-down," he explains. I mean, he's even colder than before. We couldn't wait for you to come back and loosen him up a bit," he laughs. Speaking of the wolf," says K?.

  Kakashi emerges from the changing room, his porcelain mask on his face, and walks past them without looking, while Tsukinoko holds her breath.

  - See what I mean? K? sighs as he disappears down the corridor.

  - It's not my problem, he kicked me out of the squad. Well, I'm off," she says as she enters the locker room.

  She changed clothes, then paced the corridors to find Sagi, and gritted her teeth as she tried not to start crying again, dejected that Kakashi was still ignoring her.

  Sagi receives her in his office da and she gets down on one knee, her mask over her face. He opens his eye for a moment and looks her up and down, then finally explains what she was going to do.

  - You look weak, so you'd better get back into shape as soon as possible. I don't need a broken-down agent by my side. The Karumin clan has been acting strangely lately , and there have been rumors of a coup d'état.

  She is surprised and hides her stress as he continues.

  - Nezumi Karumin assists his father as head of the Clan, and helps us get information on them. We can't just leave them flailing around. You're going to monitor the clan from the outside, and report every detail to me.

  - But why me?" she says, annoyed by this disturbing mission.

  - Enough of your impertinence, if you're questioning decisions you don't belong here. From now on, it's just you and Nezumi.

  He pauses, then resumes.

  - You'll report every detail to me, and me alone. Then I'll discuss it with the board, and we'll try to calm things down.

  She was about to answer, but felt someone behind her and suddenly turned around. Nezumi steps up beside her.

  - Nezumi will explain the situation to you, he'll be your superior, and you'll start your observations tomorrow.

  - And Haruo?" she asked, puzzled.

  - He put me in charge of arranging the deal.

  She understands that she didn't need to go back to him and that she was now his responsibility, even if she senses that the situation is serious and ambiguous. They both leave the office and Tsukinoko finally lets out her astonishment.

  - What the hell?! she whispers, making big eyes.

  Nezumi pulls her by the arm and leads her over the Chiefs' Monument. As he gazes at Hanamaru, leaning against the esplanade fence, she stares at him, her heart beating rapidly.

  - Nezumi... What's going on?

  - You're going to help me keep an eye on my father and prevent a coup d'état," he says suddenly. You need to gather as much information as possible so that the Chief can negotiate a deal. Sagi is determined to get it over with, but we've managed to convince him to wait and rely on you. They don't know everything, but I'm sure you'll be able to make the right choices," he says, turning back to her.

  He pauses, looking at her with a slight smile.

  - They don't know everything... Know what? What good choices?" she asks at a loss.

  - Even though I'm part of the clan, I can no longer support their follies. He and his advisors are becoming increasingly bitter towards the Chief, and it's vital to maintain peace between the clans.

  Her blood runs cold as she tries to keep a straight face in front of him. Nezumi raises his head and looks her straight in the eye, sporting his Negin. She stares at him in horror and freezes in place.

  - The situation deteriorated a few weeks ago. Only you and I can stop this rebellion. I know that you are capable of controlling yourself and eliminating this resentment from your soul. For all these years, you've been hiding the burden of the Karumin heritage because you've let your goodness prevail. Haruo Sato trusts you.

  Her whole body starts shaking. She can't even think or understand how he could know, and convinces herself he's talking about something else.

  - I know the truth, you're the Tsukinoko heiress," he continues.

  She could no longer speak and leaned against the barricade as her legs weakened, refusing to understand what he meant.

  - I know," he continues.

  Tsukinoko turned pale and Nezumi caught her before she collapsed, to sit her against the fence. She could no longer move, paralyzed, and drew on her strength, wondering why she was losing so much, unable to calm down. Suddenly, she leapt to her feet under the adrenaline and stood guard in front of him.

  - You need have no fear, your identity is safe with me. However, I thought you'd understand why I'm asking for your help," he says, rising to his feet.

  - Understand? she trembles.

  - I understand why you're hiding.

  She frowned. She'd imagined a million times dealing with someone who would discover her secret, but now that the moment had arrived, she didn't know what to do, especially in front of him, a Karumin too.

  - I... Understand what?" she repeats.

  - That this clan has fallen, and is sinking because of its hereditary hatred.

  She straightens up and is astonished by his words.

  - What the...? What the fuck are you talking about? And what do you want from me?

  She doesn't hesitate for a second and activates her Negin to block his hypnosis attempt. He is astonished, then frowns, redoubling his efforts, but she disappears before his very eyes. Barely realizing it, she appears behind him with her sabers around his neck. He stands still, feeling the sharp blades press against his throat.

  - How did you know?" she asks gravely. Who knows? Sagi?! What do you want...

  - Your help Majesty, he implores. No one knows but me.

  She pressed her blades together and slowly immobilized his hands and legs with her chakra, which he hadn't even felt.

  - I mean you no harm. I'm asking for your help to-

  - Stop lying. You hypnotized me, you expect me to believe you?

  - I wanted to show you everything," he says calmly.

  - Show what?! she snaps.

  - The situation with the clan, so that you'll understand and help me stop them, in spite of everything-

  - How do you know?" she repeats aggressively.

  - I've seen it.

  The blades cut into his neck but he doesn't move.

  - Why don't you try running away?

  - Because you're our last hope," he murmurs. You're the rightful leader of the clan, and it's up to you to protect it.

  Puzzled, she slowly released his grip. No apprehension or tension came from him.

  - Close your eyes and sit down. You'll take your next breath with your throat slit if you open them again," she said dryly.

  Without removing her sabers from his neck, she accompanies his movement and keeps them pointed at his jugulars, standing in front of him.

  - Go ahead.

  - When you were held prisoner in Somitto two years ago. I was supposed to scan your mind, but you blocked me. So when I succeeded in scanning your mind, I looked further in as a precaution, then further still because I was seeing things that were... astonishing. Like when the men in front of you killed themselves on your orders. And I saw that dark gleam in their eyes, before realizing it was the reflection of your own eyes. So I searched further, until finally I traced it back to your childhood.

  - Impossible...

  - I also saw that you didn't have an ounce of hatred in you, which is surprising for someone from the clan. What's more, you've suffered so many times.

  - Why didn't you ever say anything?

  - Because I need your help to protect Hanamaru from the Clan. And I'll never say a word if you help me.

  - You don't have to blackmail me," she cries. Not about this kind of thing.

  He smiled as if he suspected her answer, reassured, then continued to tell her the details of this serious affair.

  Although a pacifist by nature, Nezumi gradually rebelled against the members of his clan. Not sharing the vision of his peers and believing that this uprising would inevitably lead to war, he revealed his clan's plans to Haruo. Following his revelations, he took on the role of double agent, informing Hanamaru's Council of the Karumin's progress.

  Tsukinoko is speechless, confused and bewildered. She relaxes and Nezumi explains what's going to happen next, the two of them sitting on the edge of the cliff. But no sooner had he finished than she was pestering him with questions about what he'd seen, and surprised that he didn't look shocked or accuse her of treason.

  But he admits that when he had finished scrutinizing her mind, he was so overwhelmed but reassured by her will that he didn't dare say anything, even though he couldn't hold back a few tears before leaving.

  They talked until the middle of the night, then he took her home.