#also a little skeptical about the tooth cap explanation tbh

[sage-reads-things]

Hanawa has established that he's a man who's interested in other people. In his first fight with Taiyo, I said that he seemed to be testing Taiyo, trying to see if he was as capable as the Yozakura name implied. This entire fight feels like another test. Specifically, I think Hanawa is testing Taiyo's emotional endurance.

It’s not enough to be a good spy physically and mentally. You also have to be a good spy emotionally—you have to focus on your target, ignoring all distractions and personal biases, and disregard all morality except your own (or that of your client’s). So in this fight, Hanawa (1) taunts Taiyo, (2) messes with his sense of right and wrong, and (3) manipulates his conscience. He's specifically aiming for the part of Taiyo that wants to save people, the part that Hanawa thinks motivated Taiyo to save that little girl.

But what does Taiyo do? He looks Hanawa in the eye and says "I don't care." He makes it clear that he's not interested in the "right" or "wrong" of the situation, even going so far as to admit that he never thought he was in the right. He's simply decided to protect what's important to him.

And to be clear, Taiyo isn't saying that he doesn't care about other people's wellbeing or that he wouldn't save them if it were possible. He's simply focusing his line of vision, streamlining his priorities so that Hanawa's jabs don't get to him. Mutsumi needs saving. Taiyo will save her. And if he needs to make a choice between Mutsumi or the greater good, he'll choose Mutsumi, consequences be damned.