"They've already arrived? That fast…"
Masakazu of the Kirigumo clan furrowed his brow, his expression heavy with concern.
He had just finished reading through an urgent missive, its contents throwing his thoughts into disarray. He was still turning over in his mind what impact this intelligence would have on their operation—whether they should still go ahead with the original plan of accepting the Koeda Clan into Kirigakure…
Unfortunately, there was no time left for careful consideration.
The Koeda Clan had already arrived, and had even made preliminary contact with his people.
At this point, there was no choice but to grit his teeth and follow through with the plan.
Still, while the Koeda Clan possessed unexpectedly formidable strength, on second thought… this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Send word—call Bi and Jūzō here at once."
Masakazu gave the order in a deep voice.
Although this entire operation had been spearheaded by the Kirigumo clan, there was no way the village leadership would simply wash their hands of it and let them control everything. Both Genji and the Fourth Mizukage had assigned trusted subordinates to serve as Masakazu's deputies, assisting him in overseeing the Koeda Clan's defection.
And so, before any action could unfold, these two deputies had to be informed.
It didn't take long.
Soon enough, the two of them arrived before Masakazu.
"Masakazu-sama, is it true the Koeda Clan has already come?"
Bi was a young man with short gray hair and unremarkable features. Only seventeen this year, his face still carried traces of youth, but anyone who mistook that for weakness would be gravely mistaken.
He was Genji's personally trained confidant.
At the age of seven, he had already taken to the battlefield. By fourteen, he had risen to the rank of jōnin. Since then, he had partnered with his senior—another of Genji's protégés, the jōnin Ao. Together they were known as the "Ao-Bi Duo," making a name for themselves and standing out among Kirigakure's most promising up-and-coming shinobi.
And when war with Konoha first broke out, Bi had assisted Ao in ambushing and killing a member of the Hyūga clan's main family, helping Ao seize a Byakugan. The feat had earned them immense military merit.
"That's right."
Masakazu said, "The Koeda Clan has already made contact with our people. If nothing goes amiss, they should be on their way here right now. I summoned you both to discuss whether we should go out and receive them personally—to show how much Kirigakure values their allegiance."
"Is that really necessary?"
The one who spoke was Biwa Jūzō.
He was a loyal retainer of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
At this moment, the massive, door-plank-sized Kubikiribōchō was strapped to his back. Only thanks to his towering, muscular frame—well over 180 centimeters tall—could he even carry such a weapon upright behind him.
"They're just a bunch of traitors at the end of the day. Do we really need to give them that much face?"
It was clear that Jūzō had little enthusiasm for accepting the Koeda Clan.
His loyalty to Kirigakure ran deep, and he took immense pride in that loyalty. To him, defectors who had once betrayed their own village were contemptible. If not for the Mizukage's direct orders, he wouldn't have touched this troublesome mission at all—he would much rather be out on the battlefield, swinging his great blade and cutting down Konoha shinobi to his heart's content.
"This is about showing respect to strength."
Masakazu cast a sidelong glance at the fierce-faced Jūzō, replying in a low voice. "And Jūzō, mind your tongue. Accepting the Koeda Clan into Kirigakure is a decision recognized by both Genji and the Mizukage himself. That means the Koeda Clan is about to become our comrades. Yet here you are, calling them 'traitors' over and over… Are you suggesting you disagree with the will of Genji and the Mizukage?"
"Tch! Clan Head Masakazu, don't pin that kind of label on me. Fine—I'll keep my mouth shut about calling them traitors when they're around, all right?"
Jūzō grumbled irritably, then added: "But seriously—what do you mean by 'respect to strength'? Weren't we told the Koeda Clan only had a handful of jōnin left? Don't tell me the intel they gave us was fake?"
That last line carried an unmistakably accusatory edge.
If the Koeda Clan had truly fed them false information… that would be no small matter.
"Koeda Kyoichi—one of the last four jōnin of the Koeda Clan—was the one who slew Hanzō of the Salamander not long ago."
Masakazu didn't waste words sparring over phrasing. He simply revealed the intelligence he had received. As the head of the Kirigumo clan, he was an established power within Kirigakure—he had no need to trade barbs with Jūzō like some petty debater.
"What?!"
Bi cried out in shock.
"Hanzō of the Salamander? You've got to be kidding me!" Jūzō barked, his face twisted in disbelief.
"You think I'd lie to you? This was an urgent report delivered directly from the village. If it's reached us, it's already been verified. And besides, the Koeda Clan will be here any moment. True or false, we'll know soon enough. I don't believe something like this could be fabricated."
Masakazu spoke with calm assurance.
If at first he'd been unsettled by such staggering news, with time he had steadied himself. The more he considered it, the less he could find any drawback. On the contrary, he could only see benefits.
The stronger the Koeda Clan was, the more easily they could establish themselves in a village like Kirigakure, where only power commanded respect. For the Kirigumo clan, that meant they would gain reliable allies without having to expend excessive effort or resources to prop them up. Less strain on his clan, more stability for their position.
In short—
The Koeda Clan's strength was nothing but an advantage.
This thought left Masakazu ever more composed and confident.
"…If it's true, then I'd very much like to meet this Koeda Kyoichi sooner rather than later," Jūzō said, a fierce battle-hunger burning in his eyes. He flexed his hands, itching for a fight as though he could barely wait to test himself against the boy.
"Koeda Kyoichi… If I remember correctly, didn't the dossier the Koeda Clan sent us say he was only fifteen?"
Bi's memory was sharper than Jūzō's.
Or rather—he had taken this mission more seriously, carefully studying the documents the Koeda Clan had sent as proof of sincerity. That record listed the basic information of every member of the clan, including their patriarch Koeda Dazan. Naturally, Koeda Kyoichi's name had not been overlooked.