"What do you mean, you can't find her?" Hideyoshi barks into the radio. "It's been eight hours already!"

"We've combed the entire dojo twice, sensei," the soldier replies. "There's no trace of Sensei Moto anywhere."

"Keep looking," Hideyoshi commands. "She won't leave until both me and Sensei Ueno are dead. I want her found and neutralised before that happens."

"How did she escape?" Chika asks, fear causing her voice to shake slightly despite the reassuring arms of Xander Lykos wrapped around her.

"Agent Akairo," Hideyoshi explains. "She was the one who infiltrated the dungeon and broke Tsubaki out."

"Is she still in the dojo too?" Chika asks.

"No," Hideyoshi assures. "She was spotted fleeing about ten minutes after the gaolbreak. However, Kaede Himura is also in the dojo. Luckily, she doesn't seem interested in coming for us, so I'm not putting any resources on tracking her down."

"Except we have her notebook," Chika reminds.

"That is correct," Hideyoshi acknowledges. "However, she's under the impression Hanna and Rob have it."

"We're losing control of the situation," Chika realises.

"We haven't lost control yet," Hideyoshi assures. "With us down in this bunker, Tsubaki will get to my sanctum to find it empty. She'll then get desperate and make a mistake, at which point we recapture her. Then we can secure Kaede, and bring an end to this ridiculous war."

"What about Hanna and Rob?" Xander asks. "Rob's a skilled fighter, but without Hanna's help, he may not be able to hold off Kaede."

"I get the feeling he'll manage," Hideyoshi assures.

In her private room in the infirmary, a disconsolate Hanna Skarlett is sat up in bed, picking at her breakfast, her ears flat against her head.

"You have to eat something," Rob encourages.

"Don't feel like it," Hanna mumbles.

"At least have your drink," Rob tries. "It'll get cold otherwise."

Hanna glances at the hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. "Don't want it."

"Look, I know you're finding it hard to adjust," Rob replies, "and I know it's not going to be a quick process. I know it's going to take weeks if not months, for both of us. But you can't just ignore basic needs like nourishment."

"Not hungry," Hanna dismisses.

"Well, you leave me no choice," Rob decides. "I'll have to inform the medics, who will strap you down and force‑feed you."

"…maybe I'll have the toast," Hanna decides, picking up a slice. As she takes the first bite, her ears suddenly flick to attention.

"Feeling better, I see," Rob mistakenly concludes.

"Someone's outside," Hanna corrects.

"I'll see who it is," Rob volunteers. "And when I come back, I expect a clean plate."

"I'm nineteen, not fucking five," Hanna retorts.

Hiding a cheeky little smirk, Rob heads out the room, where he comes face to face with Kaede Himura.

"Where's my notebook‽" the pika demands.

"You have a lot of nerve, showing up here!" Rob barks. "After all the shit you put us through, and what you did to our friends, you expect me to just hand over your notebook?"

"I know you have it," Kaede replies, drawing her tekko‑kagi. "Now hand it over!"

"We don't have it," Rob corrects, drawing his sai and advancing on the pika. "And even if we did, do you really think I'd give it back? You started a war!"

"Do you think I really wanted any of this?" Kaede retorts. "I just wanted to get some payback for the way I was sold out at the hearing! I didn't want a war!"

"Pull the other one," Rob dismisses.

Kaede stands down, returning her tekko‑kagi to her belt. "I'm serious," she continues in a calmer tone. "I really didn't want it to go this far. But Tsubaki, she's… she's fucking mental! She's the one who wanted to take out the dojo and kill Chika! And now she wants to kill Hideyoshi too, and nothing's going to stop her!"

"I know how you tricked both Danny and Maria into drinking the Shade Virus," Rob reveals. "Your pathetic sob story's not gonna work on me!"

"This isn't a sob story!" Kaede protests. "This is the truth!"

"And I don't believe you," Rob dismisses. "Fight or flee: your choice."

"Do you really not have my notebook?" Kaede asks.

"No, we do not," Rob confirms.

"Kitsune dammit!" Kaede exclaims as she turns tail and sprints away.

Rob holsters his sai, a little confused. Better alert Hideyoshi. Rob unclips the radio from his belt. "Hideyoshi, this is Rob."

"Go ahead Rob," Hideyoshi replies.

"You'll never guess who I just met," Rob begins.

"Kaede Himura?" Hideyoshi guesses.

"In one," Rob confirms. "She wants her notebook."

"Did she give you any trouble?" Hideyoshi asks.

"That's the weird thing: we didn't fight," Rob informs. "She did however try to trick me with some garbage about not wanting a war."

"If she didn't want a war, she shouldn't have allied with Tsubaki," Hideyoshi replies. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Stay safe." Rob terminates the connection, and returns to Hanna's room.

"You didn't kill her then," Hanna greets, her breakfast close to completion.

"You sound disappointed," Rob replies.

"I am."

"At least you're eating."

"I have to if I want to get better and kill her myself, since everyone else is too scared to do so."

"I… At least you're eating."

Just down the corridor from Hideyoshi's sanctum, Ryoichi Nakano waits for the patrol to clear the area. After a few minutes, the patrol disappears around the next corner, giving the sable an opportunity. Ryoichi takes that opportunity, sprinting up to the door. Pausing momentarily to adopt a casual air, the sable opens the door and strides in with no attempt to be stealthy.

He finds the sanctum is empty.

"Ah." Ryoichi considers his options. That patrol will be back in about five minutes, so I'll just wait here.

Five minutes later, the patrol returns to find Ryoichi sat in the middle of the sanctum floor, his twin tambo on the floor in front of him.

"Evening gentlemen," Ryoichi greets. "I'm looking for Sensei Hideyoshi Takenaka. Do you know where he is?"

The two patrolling guards lower their naginata, pointing the tips directly at Ryoichi. "You're under arrest!" the senior guard declares.

"If I must," Ryoichi accepts, standing and turning around, his hands behind his back.

The guards hesitate a moment in confusion, then handcuff Ryoichi and confiscate his tambo.

Ten minutes later, Ryoichi is escorted into the underground bunker where Hideyoshi is running the battle from.

"Ryoichi Nakano," Hideyoshi greets. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Where are Tsubaki and Kaede?" Chika demands. "Did you lead them here?"

Ryoichi shrugs. "I came in alone."

"Then I must ask, why are you here?" Hideyoshi asks.

"I want Kaede's notebook," Ryoichi explains.

"I'm afraid I cannot let that out of my possession," Hideyoshi informs.

"I'll return it once I've read it," Ryoichi assures.

Hideyoshi and Chika exchange confused looks. "You only want to read it?" Hideyoshi asks.

"Correct," Ryoichi confirms.

"Why?" Chika asks.

"I'm only involved in this war because my dojo was attacked twice, and because Senator Nakahara demanded it," Ryoichi informs. "I was led to believe it was your fault," he continues to Chika, "but then Kaede told me about this notebook she wanted to get back from you. Normally, I wouldn't bother with something so trivial, but the way she was about it, I got the feeling there was something else going on. And I think that notebook has some answers."

"That it does," Hideyoshi confirms. "But why allow yourself to be captured so easily?"

"No matter how this war ends, my role is done already," Ryoichi explains. "I only have a handful of fire‑teams here, and I've already given command to the invaders. I could of course go home, but I want to read the notebook first."

Hideyoshi pauses a moment to consider Ryoichi's proposal. "OK, I will let you read the notebook, but only under armed guard. After, you will be secured in the dungeon until the war ends, however that happens."

"I accept your conditions," Ryoichi replies.