Her praise lifted Sano’s spirits. “I suppose I have to believe you, because you’re always right,” he said.
It felt good to be out of disgrace and officially back at the helm of the regime. Sano decided to stop dwelling on what he might have done under different circumstances. Instead, he would renew his commitment to Bushido and do his loyal best to serve the shogun. He would turn his attention to the future.
The war between him and Yanagisawa wasn’t over. Yanagisawa blamed him for Yoritomo’s death. It was the one offense that Yanagisawa would never forgive. When Yanagisawa emerged from mourning, there would be hell for Sano to pay.