Because he had learned: a boy becomes an adult not when he wins a battle, but when he realizes some battles were never meant to be fought at all.
Kaito never picked up the wooden sword again. He became the village elder. He planted trees. He listened more than he spoke. shounen ga otona leer
Kaito looked at his empty hands. They were no longer clenched into fists. They were open. Because he had learned: a boy becomes an
“What does the forest need?” he asked quietly. shounen ga otona leer