9 Chapter 9

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"You must see for yourself now that you are face to face with reality, that it is impossible. It's quite unthinkable that you can wander for the next month all alone in the desert with those damned natives and barbaric Sunas (half of Hana's caravan are handpicked natives by the authorities of Earth Country and the other are Sunas, who are from the Sand Country where Hana has planned to explore due to its notorious extreme weather and harsh environment which she's been dreaming to conquer). Though my legal guardianship over you terminated last September I still have some moral obligations towards you. Though it has been convenient to me to bring you up as a boy and to regard you in the light of a younger brother instead of a sister, we cannot get away from the fact that you are a woman, and a very young woman. There are certain things a young woman cannot do. If you had been the boy I always wished you were it would have been a different matter, but you are not a boy, and the whole thing is impossible—utterly impossible." There was a restless impatience in his voice.

Hana raised an eyebrow, and swung round on her chair with a hard laugh. "If I had not lived with you all my life, Kiba, I should really be impressed with your brotherly concern; I should think you really meant it. But knowing you as I do, I know that it is not anxiety on my behalf that is prompting you, but the very reason that you have to travel alone without me. You have come to depend on me to save you certain annoyances and inconveniences that always occur in travelling. You were more honest in Iwagakure when you only objected to my trip without giving reasons. Why have you waited until tonight to give me those reasons?"

"Because I thought that here, at least, you would have sense enough to see them. In Iwagakure it was impossible to argue with you. You made your own arrangements against my wishes. I left it, feeling convinced that the impossibility of it would be brought home to you here, and that you would see for yourself that it was out of the question. Hana, give up this insane trip."

"I will not."@@