“Perhaps you are right.” A small nod of acknowledgement. To die protecting someone important. Kuroro considered this despite his muzzy thoughts and recalled Pakunoda’s death. She had died protecting him despite his and the Spider’s rule to prioritize the welfare of the group before the leader. She had always been more sentimental than the rest of them; that was why she had joined him, after all. Still, the fact remained that her death had been unnecessary, could have been prevented if she and the others had known to follow his rules. Kuroro could have survived Kurapika’s attack without any of them, after all, and there was the rub.

Kuroro did regret her death, in the small ways that criminal like him could feel regret. She had been a significant and irreplaceable member of the Ryodan, and she had been his right hand, had been there from the beginning.

The Spider did not have to be crippled for his sake.

No doubt Pakunoda had been happy that her death had been for the preservation of the group in the end. Still unnecessary, but if she had been satisfied with it, then perhaps it should stop bothering him, too. It didn’t suit him, he thought wryly.

He nodded at Nataku’s question, restless now that the memories of three years ago had been brought up. Kuroro always did tend to mull and brood on conundrums. “I would like to, but if you want to talk further, I don’t mind.”