Despite the death of one of the greatest samurais and a dear friend to all, everyone kept on with their work. Roji and Kiku had buried Gorobei on a hill which overlooked the whole village. Everyone in the village had visited the grave respectfully, and whatever they said was kept between themselves and Gorobei' spirit. The samurais had personally gone up their to bid their friend goodbye with their own personal message. Now it was Kiyoshi's turn.
She silently trudged up the hill to the mound of dirt with Gorobei's sword sticking out of it. "Hey, Gorobei... This is goodbye, isn't it. I... I don't really know what to say, I'm sorry... But thank you. Thank you for being the first to accept me, for being the most benevolent man I had ever known. I really looked up to you... I hoped to be as magnificent as you once were. You never failed to impress me. You were awesome, to say the least... But I promise you," Kiyoshi paused to kneel and place a hand on the dirt and rock mound. "We will win this battle. We will win it for you, and the friends who have fallen, as well as the ones who may fall... Goodbye."
With that, she slowly rose to her feet, but tucked a white rose into a tiny cap between rocks. Her rosy aroma was due to the fact that she liked to carry roses wherever she went, especially black and purple ones. They were the signatures of her work during the war. With a turn of the heel she left, a mute tear slipping down her cheek. But a sudden cry of battle went up. Kiyoshi started running with incredible speed and dashed through the village. A Nobuseri could be seen making its way down from the sky. Her pace somehow increased from incredible speed to unbelievable velocity. She ran up the side of a village hut and soared into the air, unsheathing her sword as she did so. The Nobuseri didn't have enough time to react before its face and body was sliced through and through. Kiyoshi ended up landing in a rice field. The rain began to fall once more as she looked into the grey heavens above.
Katsu stood dumbfounded and his jaw was close to meeting the floor. "TURN AROUND AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELF!" Kiyoshi's shriek startled the green-haired samurai even more, but he listened and resumed the fight behind him. Kiyoshi collapsed for a moment for her body was moving far to fast for her heart. Her breath eased itself after a few moments. She rose to her feet and sped back to the village, slaughtering the robots that threw themselves at her. The mud that had developed under her feet threatened to make her slip, but Kiyoshi had mastered her footwork to cooperate with any sort of ground she would be given. That was the benefit of travel.
Minutes seemed to multiply their time as muscles began to grow lax. As if it were a miracle, the Bandit forces receeded. Kiyoshi dug her sword into the ground and leaned on it support, but it grew weak under her weight and slipped. Kiyoshi almost seemed oblivious to her loss of footing until she realized that Kyuzo had caught her. "The battle's not over yet. Not until I know you're safe in my arms." He murmured softly as he helped her up. She sighed lightly and wiped her sword clean of the filth it had gained. The samurai met up with one another, as well as Kirara and Komachi. "We did great, guys! Awesome job!" Kiku celebrated. He really wasn't expecting his head to be sawed off by his ally. "Get me some rope." Kambei said sternly. The villagers didn't have the heart to disobey. The samurai knew exactly what was going on. Infiltration was the only way to stop the Bandit attacks on the village. Three would go on and attempt to destroy the ship. Next would be the Capital to go after the Emperor.
But no one knew of Kambei's private plan.