Before Koshiro's sigh had faded into the air, Kuina bit her lip and lowered her head.
The bamboo sword that had accompanied her through countless days and nights fell onto the grass.
Zoro froze in place, his hands still in their sword-gripping posture, sweat sliding down his cheeks and dripping into the soil.
Looking at Kuina's trembling shoulders and reddened eyes, he shouted.
"Kuina, why are you crying when you won? I've lost so many times, and I haven't cried!"
"That was the 2,001st time, and you won again! You should be happy!"
Zoro's voice was full of confusion and agitation. He haphazardly wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and took two steps forward.
Kuina ignored Zoro.
She stared at the bamboo sword on the ground, and her tears finally broke free, streaming down her cheeks and splashing onto the green blades of grass.
"Zoro, you idiot. You don't understand anything..."
Kuina's voice was hoarse, choked with suppressed sobs.
She abruptly raised her head, looking past Zoro toward Koshiro, who stood beneath the veranda.
Her once-clear eyes were now filled with confusion, despair, and defiance.
"Father! Were those things you told me before true?"
Kuina demanded loudly, her voice echoing through the spacious courtyard.
Koshiro's hand paused slightly around his teacup, fine ripples spreading across the tea.
The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by heaviness and helplessness.
The dojo's other apprentices stopped training one after another and turned toward the father and daughter.
For a moment, the courtyard fell quiet, leaving only the rustling of wind through the treetops.
"Why is our senior sister crying?" a young apprentice asked quietly.
"I don't know. Did the master say something to her before?" another apprentice shook his head in confusion.
Zoro looked at Kuina, then at