As dusk settled, the acting lord of Kikyo Castle, Date Toyosaka, arrived at the brightly lit encampment of the Firefly Organization.
Hane Genma had yet to inform the others about the organization's renaming, but to Date Toyosaka, such details were irrelevant. As far as he was concerned, he could simply regard Genma and his group as members of the Fuma Clan.
Demonstrating trust and sincerity, Date Toyosaka had chosen to come alone.
After overcoming a brief wave of fear and panic, his sharp intellect regained control. He assessed his situation clearly and concluded that his life was not in immediate danger.
Kikyo Castle's military strength had waned, and Date Toyosaka's life was seemingly in the hands of his hosts, vulnerable at any moment. Yet, paradoxically, this very vulnerability ensured he wouldn't be easily killed.
"Lord Acting Daimyo, welcome," Genma greeted.
Struggling to rise from his sickbed, Genma dragged his weakened body to meet the visitor, outwardly showing respect for Kikyo Castle's (acting) highest authority.
His habit of maintaining civility and propriety was, in some ways, reminiscent of Orochimaru in later years: addressing someone as "sir" when appropriate, "teacher" when due, "lord" when required—and killing when necessary.
Date Toyosaka disliked the title of acting daimyo, but he was acutely aware of his precarious position. He dared not show any dissatisfaction with Genma's courteous demeanor.
"Lord Genma, thank you for your timely assistance. Order has been restored in Kikyo Castle," Date Toyosaka said, bowing slightly, his words laced with polite formalities. It was clear to him who led this ninja group, as the Fuma Clan leader stood dutifully by Genma's side.
"No need for formalities. It's what we were supposed to do," Genma replied. "Has the news of the daimyo's unfortunate death been spread?"
Date Toyosaka nodded decisively. He had been far more proactive in this matter than Genma, for no one was more eager to obscure the truth than the culprit—or accomplice.
In the tragic incident of the previous daimyo's demise, was Date Toyosaka the mastermind or merely an accomplice? Did it matter? The former daimyo, driven by ambition, had met an untimely end before achieving his goals—a tragedy that demanded to be widely known.
"I've come to discuss matters regarding the future governance of Kikyo Castle," Date Toyosaka ventured cautiously, yet his question was direct. After all, whether he advanced or retreated, the outcome felt like a blade hanging over his head.
"Not governance—security," Genma corrected. "Rest assured, the Fuma Clan has no intention of interfering with your political authority or meddling in Kikyo Castle's rule. We'll simply replace the previous ninja contingent, and everything else will remain as it was."
Genma's words made it sound as though he sought only a "defense contract," but with the current balance of military and political power in Kikyo Castle so starkly evident, what harm was there in phrasing things diplomatically?
Given the limited trust between them, Genma spoke more plainly: "To put it simply, politics are yours, warfare is mine."
"In other words, there's no need for you to worry. At worst, the Fuma Clan might leech off Kikyo Castle's resources. As long as the foundation of our cooperation holds, why would we interfere with your rule?"
The unspoken rule of their partnership was clear: Genma would rarely speak, but when he did, Date Toyosaka would listen.
For Date Toyosaka, these terms were quite favorable. Hearing Genma's words, he visibly relaxed.
Fundamentally, Genma had no interest in politics. He saw no need to pursue direct control over civilians. Manipulating rulers from behind the scenes was the wiser course.
On one hand, ninja were not supposed to overtly supersede daimyo—an unspoken rule in the shinobi world. On the other, Genma understood priorities clearly. A person's energy was finite, and rather than diving into politics, he would devote most of his efforts to honing his ninjutsu.
Ruling civilians offered no benefit to Genma's strength. Conversely, as his power grew, his covert influence over Kikyo Castle would solidify. The cause-and-effect was unmistakable.
"However, there's one condition," Genma continued. "In addition to serving as Kikyo Castle's official ninja, the Fuma Clan will also operate as 'freelance ninja.' We'll take on civilian missions without interfering with tasks assigned by your leadership."
Date Toyosaka didn't grasp Genma's full intent but saw no conspiracy in the proposal. He nodded in agreement.
Limited by his perspective, he couldn't foresee the deeper implications: contact breeds integration, and integration fosters contact.
Thus, the two sides reached a preliminary agreement.
For the next ten days, Genma focused on recovering from his injuries while the organization gradually established roots in Kikyo Castle.
Their primary task was protecting Date Toyosaka and his newly appointed officials. Truth be told, while the organization's ninja were not exceptionally skilled, such duties posed little challenge in the absence of external threats.
If an enemy invasion occurred, however, it would come down to who could flee faster—the ninja escorts or the noble officials. As long as the ninja outran the civilians, the task remained manageable.
The role of an escort was often about appearances in peaceful times and proving useless in critical moments—a fact many "open-minded" and "broad-hearted" figures had long demonstrated.
Ten days would normally suffice for Genma to fully recover, but his injuries this time were severe. Even after such time, he had only regained basic mobility.
That evening, after completing a set of light exercises, Genma tested his body. Feeling his condition improving, his mood lightened further.
He had initially doubted whether the regenerative abilities of his White Zetsu body could heal such grave wounds. The results proved White Zetsu reliable—provided sufficient chakra supported it.
With that reassurance, he drifted into a restful sleep.
Yet, in the dead of night, Genma, lying flat, snapped his eyes open.
To heal his injuries without pause, he had maintained his White Zetsu transformation constantly. This heightened his senses, allowing him to detect, in an instant, the presence of "kin" nearby.
One, two, three, four.
Not one, but four White Zetsu had appeared near Kikyo Castle.
Genma's guard went up. Before the theft of the Gedo Statue back into the shinobi world, White Zetsu were increasingly rare. There was no reason for them to gather near an unremarkable small city like this.
Could it be an unexpected visitor?
At the same moment, in the encampment, Uchiha Nanami slipped away silently under the cover of night.
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