Sixteen years before...

     "Please..." the bleeding man croaked. "Let me live... just a bit longer, I must warn..."

     Kneeling beside him, Takeda shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hamato-san. When your time is up, it's up."

     "But... if he's capable of this, Saki..." The man choked on his own blood as he turned his eyes to the broken cage lying on the floor. "And my..."

     "Don't worry," said Takeda's partner, who was often too fragile to handle turning people down. Takeda looked over to find Tsuzuki smiling softly, holding a distraught rodent cupped in his palms. "Your rat will be fine."