[D8EE] A report (Closed)

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"We're living through uneventful times.

Competitors in this year's championship are without a doubt gifted samurai promised to a bright future. None however has shown the spark, the something else that would make them deviate from the road they were set at birth to become something far greater or far worst. There have been success, there have been failures, on and outside of tournament grounds, but no true awe.

Is it because none here possess that potential? Or is it that there weren't any true opportunity for people to reveal themselves? Things have flown with the minutia that is expected of the Crane, a delicate routine of all form no substance academic trials. While some might have been more original or enlightening than others, there were still but exercises, nonrepresentative on how people would act in real life situations.

As discussed in my previous letter, the Topaz delegation was also probably weaponized in a conflict with the current governor of Tsuma. Who, singular or plural, pushed for this is unknown, but it is likely no coincidence we stumbled so easily on some of the unpleasant sides of Tsuma nor that these issues were taken care of so swiftly after our involvement. I wouldn't be surprised if Kakita Josuke was to be replaced by the head of a rival Crane faction in the following months.

At our level, these incidents provided extra opportunities to observe the contestants in a less formal setting, but far from enough pressure to help determine who was coal and who was diamond. Most competitors actually treated them like if they were a game, a reasonable take as the Crane would have intervened if we were ever in any danger to do or endure harm.

All in all, it would appear we will remain children pretending to be adults until the moment we receive our blades."