Perhaps that was enough.
In pre-modern Japan, the transition from a prestigious samurai to a desperate ochimusha was often instantaneous following a military defeat. This status triggered a brutal practice known as (fallen warrior hunting). ochimusha
The boy nodded slowly. Then he crawled closer and fell asleep with his head against Kenshin’s leg. Perhaps that was enough
For the first time in fifteen years, the ghost in his chest stirred—not with shame, but with something smaller. Something that might, if he were very careful and very brave, grow into a reason to live. The boy nodded slowly
Kenshin’s hand went to his sword hilt. The weeping came from behind the altar—a child’s cry, raw and desperate. He crept forward, firelight dancing on his gaunt face. There, curled against the rotting wood, was a boy of perhaps eight winters. His kimono was torn. His left cheek bore a fresh bruise the color of plums.
The concept appears frequently in modern media to emphasize themes of humiliation or a fall from grace:
“And you?” the boy asked.