*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
After his defeat, Musashi is training to face Inshun for a rematch. We learn how Inshun came to be who he is and Natahachi runs into the granny who is still enraged with Musashi.
I do appreciate the spots of levity after how dark Inshun’s backstory turned out to be. After that, it’s a LOT of talking and we check in on Otsu and Musashi, trying to talk his way into challenging the Yagyu Sekishusai in order to increase his skills. In all the blood and guts, those little breaks are pivotal to me in enjoying the story as a whole. I do wonder if those asides to Otsu will come to impact Musashi’s story overall because it’s clear he’s left everything behind to pursue this single-minded obsession with being the best swordsman. 4 out of 5.
