Book 3 opens with a soliloquy by Fudo about the mask of the bandit. He tells us that the bandit was not well known for his beautiful face, but he did possess a single virtue: he was in love with princess kime. When she saw his face, she fell in love immediately with him, and he never removed his mask. The tengu agreed to help him free the forest from the bandit, but his love for her was cruel torture. Fudo also tells us about the past, when he and the emperor fought against the shinobi. The shinobi poisoned the river that flowed through the village, and the stench of the poisoned water made Fudo believe that the emperor had poisoned the village. He then tells us the story of how he and his mother fought the emperor together, and how he hoped to find mikiko, but the flame of the torch was extinguished. He also says that he is still haunted by the memory of that time, when they fought together. The smell of the poison makes him believe the emperor has poisoned the water, and that the men who poisoned it are conspiring against him. He says that the poison will kill him, but that gumo of shinobi will rip his flesh to shreds. He adds that he wants to see what he has got, and tells us he knows why he treats his mother this way: he knows where she is, but if he told you, it would be all over. But shinnosuke wanted to find out the secret of where s/he found . He may have been a leader of the dojo, but it was his mother who was the one who pulled the strings. He asks for a sign that will reveal the truth to him, so he will visit the emperor in person.