Masakazu of the Kirigumo clan pulled his childhood friend—whom he hadn't seen in decades—upstairs to the reception hall on the second floor of the hot spring inn. The two elders, their combined age nearing one hundred and thirty, reminisced about the days of their youth with such excitement that they completely lost track of time.
Until Mei Terumī knocked on the door.
Standing outside, she called,
"Grandfather, it's time for dinner!"
That finally broke the spell of nostalgia.
"It's already this late? Time really does fly," Masakazu sighed, glancing at the darkening sky outside the window.
"Come on, Masakazu, let's go eat. We can continue our talk afterward… there's no need to rush, after all—we'll have plenty of time later." Dazen smiled broadly, clearly in good spirits.
"That's not certain. At our age, half a step from the grave already, who knows how much time we really have left?" Masakazu chuckled.
But before Dazen could respond—
"Grandfather, don't say things like that!"
The girl outside grew displeased the moment she heard him. She pushed the door open, hands on her hips, glaring at her grandfather in indignation.
"Haha! She's right, Masakazu," Dazen laughed. "We may be old, but we've still got a good ten years or more of fight left in us. Of course, if you'd rather retire and enjoy a peaceful old age, that's not a bad choice either."
"Retire, huh… If only there were someone in the clan who could shoulder that burden."
Masakazu sighed again.
At that, Dazen stayed quiet. The inner matters of the Kirigumo clan weren't his place to comment on—especially when he didn't know the details.
"All right, Mei, don't rush us. We're coming."
Masakazu stood, walking out alongside Koeda Dazen. Seeing his granddaughter waiting at the door, he casually asked, "By the way, Mei, are our allies all settled?"
"Don't worry, Grandfather. Bi arranged everything." Mei Terumī answered.
"Masakazu, this time you've really gone to great trouble!"
Dazen's tone grew serious, his smile fading.
"Don't say that." Masakazu waved dismissively. "There may still be some formalities to go through once we return to the village, but those are just for show. From the moment you arrived in the Land of Rivers, you were already part of Kirigakure. This is nothing more than what we ought to do."
Then, before Dazen could say more, Masakazu quickly shifted the subject:
"Enough of that! Two old men in their sixties shouldn't be babbling like shy youngsters. Come now, Dazen, show me your clan's rising star!"
"At our age, what's there to be shy about?" Dazen chuckled, but he followed the change in topic. "You mean Kyoichi, right?"
"Who else? Don't tell me your clan has more than one genius strong enough to kill Hanzō of the Salamander. If that were true, I'd…" Masakazu paused, then continued with a grin, "…I'd be so jealous I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
"As if that were possible."
Dazen shook his head with a bitter smile. "Do you take us for the Senju or the Uchiha? Where would we find so many prodigies? Honestly, having Kyoichi alone is already a blessing from our ancestors. To ask for more would be greed—blessings that great, we couldn't even withstand."
"Even one is enough!"
Masakazu's gaze burned as he fixed on Dazen. "In any case, Dazen, you must bring him here and let me see this rising talent of the Koeda clan."
"That's no problem."
Dazen agreed readily, without hesitation.
"Since we're going to eat now, why not invite the boy to join us?" Masakazu pressed.
"In such a hurry?"
"Just say yes or no!"
"Of course, yes. I'll have someone fetch him."
Dazen's eyes swept the hall until he spotted one of his clansmen. "Iwa-no, come here."
Koeda Iwano, who had been walking nearby, looked up at the call of his clan head. He immediately hurried over. "Clan Head, what are your orders?"
"Do you know where Kyoichi is? Never mind, doesn't matter. Go find him, and tell him to come to me at once!"
"Yes, Clan Head!"
Iwano shouted in reply before darting off. His figure vanished around the corner of the corridor in an instant.
"Let's go, Masakazu. Where are we eating?"
"Just ahead—two steps away."
Masakazu gestured forward.
Of course, a large hot spring inn had more than one dining hall. In addition to the main hall that could seat many guests at once, there were several smaller private rooms.
Just as Masakazu had said, after only a short walk they arrived at a tastefully decorated chamber.
The two elders seated themselves on opposite sides of the table.
"Mei, come sit as well," Masakazu said, patting the empty seat beside him.
At that, Dazen looked toward the girl who was clearly so cherished and asked with a smile, "Masakazu, is this your granddaughter?"
"Good evening, Koeda-grandfather. My name is Mei Terumī."
The girl sat down gracefully, introducing herself with confidence.
"Terumī?"
Dazen raised a brow, surprise flashing in his eyes.
The Terumī clan—one of Kirigakure's most prominent families, not inferior to the Kirigumo, inheritors of the Kekkei Genkai known as Lava Release. Even back in the Warring States period, they had been a powerful clan. So this girl had inherited both Terumī and Kirigumo bloodlines?
But since she bore the Terumī name, that meant her awakened Kekkei Genkai was Lava Release?
"Dazen, my granddaughter is quite formidable, you know. In my eyes… she's not much weaker than your prodigy." Masakazu smiled slyly.
"…That smile of yours tells me you're hiding something."
Dazen chuckled, but then his tone sharpened: "Still, Masakazu, don't underestimate Kyoichi. I'm not boasting here, but his abilities aren't something just anyone can compare to. You may not have seen Hanzō with your own eyes, but I did. That man was powerful enough to contend for the title of Kage in any Great Village!"
"Koeda-grandfather, comparisons aren't decided with words alone."
Before Masakazu could reply, Mei cut in, her face full of defiance.
"Haha! Well said, little one. So… you'd like to test yourself against Kyoichi, is that it?" Dazen laughed.
Just then—
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock came at the door.
"Clan Head, were you looking for me?"
Kyoichi's voice sounded from outside.