The rain had just ceased, and Inazuma City still smelled of damp earth and ink.
Ji Bai stepped out from a shadowed alley when a figure blocked his path.
The young man wore the uniform of the Tenryou Commission — sharp-eyed, stern-faced. His name was Hayakawa Masatoki, an apprentice samurai listed under the Raiden Shogun's watch.
"You must be… Ji Bai?"
Ji Bai said nothing, only gave a slight nod, his gaze calm and unreadable as a blank canvas.
Masatoki glanced at the painting scroll concealed within Ji Bai's sleeve and spoke with quiet authority:
"Come with me. The Tenshukaku wishes to see you."
It was no request — it was a command.
**
Ji Bai was escorted through the winding streets to the Tenshukaku, the Raiden Shogun's imposing palace. The grandeur of the place sharply contrasted with the worn alleys he usually wandered.
Inside, the air was thick with silent authority.
Seated on a throne bathed in purple light was the Raiden Shogun herself. Her violet eyes pierced through the dimness.
"You paint the divine," she said calmly, "but do you understand the power you wield?"
Ji Bai remained silent, clutching his scroll tightly.
After a long moment, the Raiden Shogun spoke again:
"I grant you leave to go to the shrine on Mt. Kagekage. Yae Miko will watch over you there."
A flicker of confusion passed over Ji Bai's face, but he nodded silently.
"Go, painter Ji Bai."
**
The first rays of morning sunlight pierced the clouds, illuminating the ancient shrine atop Mt. Kagekage.
The shrine was quiet and mysterious. Beneath a blooming sakura tree, Yae Miko's sharp eyes watched Ji Bai intently.
A sly smile curved her lips.
"The Raiden Shogun's 'pawn' — quite intriguing."