Summary

The next chapter is titled “Sute-Ishi,” and it is told from Hideki's perspective. Hideki enters the haka and quickly sees a streak of blood leading directly to his father, Oto. Hideki wants to go find a doctor, but Oto urges Hideki to clean the haka, a task that Hideki usually dislikes but that he now believes to be responsible for his father's injury. Oto says that Hideki's mother and little brother were killed on their way to Japan. Hideki does not want to believe it, but he comes to accept it as truth. Oto then tries to make Hideki understand the truth about their situation. He says the Okinawan people are nothing more that “sute-ishi,” pawns to be sacrificed in an effort to slow down the American army. He is certain that Japan cannot win this war, and believes...