A Very Thorough Fox

"So let me make sure I've got this straight. To avenge Ayame and myself, you snuck into the palace of a rival sect. You knocked out the disciple with the highest influence and used his status to go around freely under the guise of making sure that all disciples were asleep within their bunks. But in actuality you were just using that opportunity to memorize over 100 different faces so that I could hopefully point out the ones responsible to you in some sort of twisted line-up. Am I missing anything?"

Taira continued to draw without looking up. "I didn't do it for Ayame. Only you."

Aja's gaze softened considerably. 

"My dear friend... You must forgive her. She was only frightened by the possibility of-"

"I've never given either of you any reason to be frightened of me. If she's so interested in holding onto her suspicions then she is free to keep them until she is old and grey. But she will not do so around me." Taira said firmly.