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"Very well," Ranredients Can you make fifty smokeshields in the next five days?"

"I can try"

"Excellent" He grinned "How are your lessons progressing in learning to fight with a sword?"

"They--aren’t," she ad on this"

Partially true But in actuality it was difficult to pursue any training when one’s supposed master was never present in the same place as his student

"It’s i" Ranmaru watched her as he spoke "Because if you’re successful inthese smokeshields, I’d like for you to accompany us on our next raid"

Mariko blanched "I’dI--"

"I thought you would be pleased," Ranh her skull

"I ah you are"

"May I ask where we are planning our next raid?"

"A land not too far from here," Ranmaru answered "One that desperately deserves our intervention"

Ōkalanced down at her "The province of the Hattori clan"

Mariko’s head began to swih it did not make the words any easier to hear

The Wolf continued "The way to draw out a dragon is by threatening its lair"

Despite the pounding between her temples, Mariko kept her voice calm Unaffected "Do we knohy he attacked Akira-san?" she asked Ōka to the first source of her hatred

The first and ht Tell me you were the ones to attack my convoy Tellrevenge against the Black Clan for it

Tell me so I can destroy you and never once look back

"It doesn’t matter why he did it," Ōkami said "It only matters that he did"

Believe in actions and actions alone

But Kenshin had to have his reasons Mariko needed to believe he would never do so like this without a reason Needed to believe it despite all the evidence to the contrary

"Why would anyone murder someone without a reason?" she said

"Men like that don’t need a reason," Ōkao to the Hattori province You will see why it is that the eHe is weak and manipulative Far reatness of the empire If Minamoto Masaru truly cared about his country, he would know its strength lies with its people And the people of Wa follow those who bring about the glory of our empire

"It’s time to return power to those with the will to rule," Ran arm And a unified heart"

Mariko knew she could not say much If she spoke out of turn, her words would reveal her sentiments And her heart could not take any more pain Not now "You wish for power to be taken from the emperor?"

The leader of the Black Clan looked to his friend "Ōkami--"