Until Kyoichi and his group finally boarded the ship, not a single unexpected event occurred. According to Hōzuki Mangetsu, Orochimaru was standing motionless on the beach, like a statue carved from stone—completely giving up on chasing them. No, to be precise, it wasn't "as if" he'd given up. He had.
From the very moment Kyoichi retreated into the sea, Orochimaru had stopped pursuing.
"...I really think Orochimaru was at his limit. If we'd attacked him then, we might've had a real chance to finish him off," Mangetsu sighed regretfully in the ship's command room.
No one replied.
Kyoichi was still receiving medical treatment from Suiren, the medical-nin. After clashing with Orochimaru for so long, he'd been beaten to the brink of collapse—his body was covered in wounds, hardly a patch of uninjured skin left. Beside him stood his cousin, Yūsuke, silently watching over him with a heavy expression.
Mei Terumī paced restlessly across the room, glancing at the scarred Kyoichi before turning her gaze toward the bookshelf, staring vacantly at the rows of spines—though her unfocused eyes made it obvious she wasn't paying attention to "the ladder of human progress."
Jūzō Biwa sat calmly on the sofa, eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.
Finally, it was Kirigumo Ryūsei who broke the silence.
"Mangetsu, don't underestimate Orochimaru. That man's a true monster. Even if he really was spent, he could still take one or two of you with him without much effort. There's no need to take that risk anymore. Even if we did manage to kill him, it wouldn't change the fact that we lost this battle—and it might even provoke Konoha into retaliating against us."
His words sounded a bit alarmist, but they weren't without merit.
If they were sure they could have killed Orochimaru, retaliation or not, it wouldn't matter. But aside from Mangetsu, no one truly believed they could have pulled it off.
So Ryūsei said what he did—not out of fear, but to keep his friend from dwelling on regret.
"I just… think it's a waste," Mangetsu muttered.
"Shut up, Mangetsu!"
Mei stopped pacing, her emerald eyes glaring fiercely at him. "What's there to feel sorry about? Regret that you're not strong enough? Because that's exactly it! If you were as strong as Kyoichi, maybe the two of you together could've taken Orochimaru down. Or if you were as powerful as the Second Mizukage himself, you could've killed him alone!"
Her words, sharp as kunai, pierced straight into Mangetsu's chest.
He went silent, feeling as though someone had just stabbed him through the heart—he could barely breathe from the sting.
If anyone else had said it, he wouldn't have let it go. But since it was Mei—the genius girl who had inherited both the Terumī and Kirigumo bloodlines, bearing two Kekkei Genkai—and since she was only thirteen years old, he could only swallow his pride. If he picked a fight with her now, he'd be the one in trouble once they got back to the village.
"All right, quiet down. We've still got a long way before we reach the village," Jūzō Biwa said, his voice calm but firm. "You'll have plenty of time to argue or fight later—just don't kill each other. But for now… silence."
As commander of the two ships, his word carried weight.
No one spoke again.
After a few minutes of tense silence, Mangetsu and Ryūsei left the command room, claiming they were going to train. Once Suiren finished treating Kyoichi, she too took her leave. In the end, only Kyoichi, Yūsuke, Mei, and Jūzō remained.
"Kyoichi, you've worked hard," Jūzō said, looking at him as he put his clothes back on.
Most of Kyoichi's wounds were on his upper body, so he'd had to remove his shirt for treatment—and his old clothes were in tatters, completely unsalvageable. The vest he wore now was one Yūsuke had fetched from his cabin.
"Jūzō-senpai, there's no need to say that," Kyoichi replied with a faint smile, fastening the dark purple vest and adjusting the forehead protector on his brow. "Don't forget, I'm a shinobi of the Kiri now. I was only doing my duty."
"We're comrades. That much is certain." Jūzō's expression was serious. "But that doesn't mean what you did shouldn't be recognized. Just because we're from the same village doesn't mean achievements should be ignored. That's wrong. Merit must be rewarded, guilt must be punished—that's the only proper way."
Kyoichi raised a brow slightly. Jūzō Biwa truly was a man worth befriending.
"So you're saying… I'll be rewarded when we get back?" he asked lightly.
"Of course." Jūzō nodded firmly. "If it weren't for you turning the tide, most of us wouldn't have made it out alive. Once we're back in the village, I'll personally report to the Mizukage and recommend you for commendation. I can't say what the reward will be, but… the Mizukage doesn't neglect those who serve with distinction."
"I'll tell Elder Genji as well," Mei added. "He loves nurturing promising young shinobi. With your talent, Kyoichi, I'm sure he'll take notice of you."
"Elder Genji, huh… then I'll count on you to put in a good word for me, Mei," Kyoichi replied, smiling.
He wasn't about to turn down her kindness. Everything he'd done—every battle he'd endured—was to build a foundation for himself and his clan. If he could earn the favor of Genji, one of Kirigakure's greatest pillars, and the alliance of the Kirigumo clan, then the Koeda Clan's place in the Kiri would be secured.
"Don't worry! Elder Genji's very kind," Mei said confidently.
Jūzō's expression twitched slightly at that.
Kind? That's one way to put it.
Perhaps he was kind to you, little girl, he thought. But the man revered as Kirigakure's immovable pillar wasn't known for his gentle side. His decisiveness and ruthless efficiency were enough to make most men tremble.
Still, Mei's support could only help Kyoichi—and the Koeda Clan as a whole.
"Kyoichi," Jūzō said solemnly, "if you ever run into trouble in the village, come to me. I can't promise to solve everything—but within my power, I'll help however I can."
In Kyoichi's eyes, Jūzō Biwa was a man worth trusting.
And in Jūzō's eyes, Koeda Kyoichi was a comrade whose back he could entrust his life to.
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