Brooding was unfortunately in his nature, just like the fiery orange and red that ran down his back and marked him as Hattori's son. His green pheasant pecked idly at the ground nearby, occasionally opening its wings to soak in the warmth of the crackling fire. When his father approached, Midori scuttled into the surrounding bamboo with an awkward, quick gait. Katsu raised his head, watching the bird retreat into the bamboo before turning to address his Kaicho. All of his failures from the past few months had tallied up in his head and created a millstone so heavy around his neck that he was surprised he could lift his chin from the psychic weight of it all.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell his father about his cowardice in the face of danger when that fetid worm erupted from the ice, so he chose the more obvious of his shortcomings. "I was unprepared for the raid. I brought shame upon myself and upon Tojo-kai," he said quietly, staring as the embers spit and floated up in the tepid summer air.
