After the sparring match ended, everyone returned to their rooms to eat. The mess left behind, of course, was someone else's problem. Among this squad, the Kiri ninja named Bi had taken on the role of something like a head steward. All the troublesome chores were handled by him alone.
"…What a disaster this turned into."
Standing at the edge of the hot spring, Bi's eye twitched as he looked down at the now murky pool of water.
So quickly—she lost.
He had rushed here as fast as he could, but by the time he arrived, Mei and Koeda Kyoichi's spar was already over. And as expected, the victor was Kyoichi. Bi had no complaints about that outcome.
After all, this was the man who had slain Hanzō of the Salamander!
If that thirteen-year-old girl Mei had been able to defeat him so easily… now that would have been unacceptable.
But even so—
Wasn't it far too quick?
He had at least expected Mei to last a few rounds, even if she couldn't win. Instead, the entire match had ended in the blink of an eye.
"Koeda Kyoichi… truly formidable."
Bi couldn't help but speak with heartfelt admiration.
His thoughts drifted.
Kyoichi was only fifteen, still in his growth phase. Even if he made no further progress from here on, simply maintaining the power he showed today would make him one of Kirigakure's great assets.
And the chance of him not improving any further? Almost zero.
A talent like his… would only continue to grow.
Of course, having such promising new blood join the village was a good thing. The Fourth Mizukage was still in his prime and would likely rule for at least another twenty years. So there was no fear of some boy genius flipping the village upside down.
Just as Bi's thoughts were racing—
"I heard the little girl lost?"
From behind him, a voice rumbled. Biwa Jūzō, carrying the great Executioner's Blade across his back, came over and stopped beside him, eyeing the filthy hot spring.
"Don't ask me how Mei lost. I was only told to clean up."
Bi cut him off before he could even ask, removing himself from the storm. "If you want to know what tricks Koeda Kyoichi has up his sleeve… go ask Mei directly. Or Masakazu-sama."
"Tch! As if I'd bother with something so dull. Besides, I just want to spar with the guy, not fight him to the death."
Jūzō scowled irritably.
If it were an enemy, of course he'd gather every scrap of intel he could to prepare for battle.
But Kyoichi wasn't an enemy. The Koeda Clan might not have formally joined Kirigakure yet, but the moment they arrived here—bringing with them every elder, woman, and child without reservation—they had already proven themselves companions.
At least, that was how Jūzō saw it.
And if it was a companion, then sparring with tricks and schemes was just boring.
The only problem was that Mei had beaten him to it today. Jūzō couldn't very well show up now and demand a match. Even if Kyoichi hadn't spent much energy fighting Mei, to challenge him immediately afterward would feel like shamelessly taking advantage.
"Suit yourself. Just don't bother me."
Bi didn't care much either way. As "the steward," nearly every matter in the squad weighed on his shoulders—he had no energy to waste dealing with Jūzō.
"…Fine, keep yourself busy then. I'm leaving."
Jūzō didn't press the matter. After giving the hot spring a final glance and deciding there was nothing more worth seeing, he turned and strode off, leaving Bi behind to do the honest work of directing several Kiri-nin in repairing the hot spring to its former state.
---
That night.
The moon hung pale among scattered stars, the breeze cool and clear.
In a second-floor room of the inn, the Koeda Clan's jōnin gathered for a small meeting.
"Earlier, I asked around," Seinosuke said, frowning. "That girl, Terumī Mei, carries the blood of both the Terumī Clan and the Kirigumo Clan. Her status in Kirigakure is very high. Today, Kyoichi defeated her—and did so far too quickly. If the match had lasted longer, that would've been one thing, but as it is… will this cause trouble?"
As he spoke, his eyes slid toward Kyoichi, wordlessly questioning why he hadn't gone easier on the girl.
Kyoichi only shrugged, saying nothing.
"It was I who told Kyoichi to show his full strength," Dazen interjected.
"Clan Head?"
Seinosuke immediately pulled his gaze away from Kyoichi and turned to Dazen, eyes full of confusion.
The saying went: The tree that stands above the forest will be the first to feel the wind.
Their Koeda Clan were newcomers soon to join Kirigakure. Keeping a low profile, biding their time—that was the wise path.
"This is an opportunity," Dazen said slowly.
"What opportunity?"
Seinosuke's eyes widened.
Beside him, Yūsuke—quiet as a stone—also turned to listen with curiosity.
But instead of answering, Dazen looked straight at Kyoichi.
"Kyoichi, you're fifteen now. Soon to be sixteen. At this age… you're no longer a child. Have you thought about your future?"
"My… future?"
Kyoichi blinked.
He rubbed his chin for a few seconds before answering: "Before I awakened, my only dream was to live a safe and steady life. After I awakened, all I thought about was how to get everyone safely out of Iwagakure.
"But now that we've met the Kiri-nin, and joining Kirigakure seems almost certain… there's no need to worry about everyone's survival anymore. As for the future… I haven't thought too deeply. Just that, since my head finally cleared, I shouldn't waste it—"
"Hahaha! Kyoichi, you fool! The clan head isn't asking about your dreams."
Before Kyoichi could finish, Seinosuke burst out laughing.
"…Huh?"
Kyoichi frowned, baffled. He couldn't understand what was so funny, nor what Seinosuke's words meant.
"You idiot—he's asking if you've thought about your life's great matters."
Seinosuke said it plainly, seeing that Kyoichi hadn't caught on.
"…Ah?!"
At that, realization hit Kyoichi like a hammer.