"Don't you have anything you want to ask?"
The one walking in front, Bi, suddenly broke the silence.
"Ask what?"
Kyoichi didn't slow his pace.
"Aren't you even a little curious why the Elder Genji wants to see you?"
"Wouldn't I know once I meet him? What's the point of overthinking it beforehand?"
"…You've got quite the attitude."
Bi turned to glance at him.
Once he started talking, he couldn't seem to stop, his words spilling out in a constant stream.
"Young people around your age—if they found out the Elder Genji had summoned them—nine out of ten would lose their composure, and the last one would probably faint from excitement. They'd rack their brains trying to figure out how to leave a good impression, pulling every string they could to find out what the Elder Genji wanted from them…"
"That's probably because they're too weak," Kyoichi replied casually.
"…Fair enough," Bi nodded after a few seconds of silence.
The weak rarely face the strong without fear.
Most tremble and sweat like rain beneath the weight of power.
"But by that logic, you see yourself as one of the strong?" Bi asked again.
"As an individual, I'm still a ways off from being truly strong—but I'm no weakling either. Besides… I've heard some things about the Elder Genji from Mei and the others. The old man isn't exactly some terrifying demon, is he? We're just meeting for a talk—there's no reason to be nervous."
Kyoichi's tone was calm and sincere.
Bi, however, fell completely silent after that.
But while Bi stopped talking, Kyoichi seemed to have warmed up to conversation.
"By the way, Bi, Mei told me you were raised directly by the Elder Genji himself?"
"…That's right."
Bi hesitated for two seconds before answering, then explained,
"My parents were shinobi. They died during a mission. With no relatives left, I was about to be sent to an orphanage… until the Elder Genji heard about me and took me in."
"I see," Kyoichi said, suddenly understanding.
No wonder Bi was so loyal—the bond of being raised and nurtured is one of the strongest ties in the world.
At that moment—
"All right, we're here."
Bi stopped walking.
"This is… the Elder Genji's residence?"
Kyoichi blinked, curious.
Before him stood a modest house. It wasn't grand or luxurious—if anything, it looked a little old. The stone walls bore the marks of time: patches of moss, tiny cracks, and edges worn smooth by the years.
Everything about it was simple and unassuming.
Yet, within that ordinary-looking house, Kyoichi could sense more than a handful of powerful chakra signatures lurking—each one sharp and alert. The level of security here surpassed even the Mizukage's office. Around the Mizukage Building, he'd only ever sensed four hidden guards. Here, there were more than double that.
"Yeah," Bi confirmed with a nod.
Just then—
Creak.
The wooden door of the residence opened.
"Bi," called a stern-faced man with short brown hair and a brown jacket as he stepped outside. "You're here! Come in, both of you. The Elder Genji's been expecting you."
"Gonbee-senpai."
Bi bowed respectfully. "How's the Elder Genji's condition today?"
As they stepped toward the entrance, the man—Gonbee—replied,
"That little girl Mei came by earlier and brought him some sweets. Got the old man in a great mood."
"Mei's here?"
Bi nodded knowingly.
Unlike them—the orphans the Elder Master had taken in—Terumī Mei was a true-born heiress, carrying the blood of both the Terumī Clan and the Kirigumo Clan, inheriting the twin kekkei genkai of Lava Release and Boil Release. Because of that, she had been sent to train under the Elder Genji.
It was obvious what the clans intended—
they were grooming the girl for the Mizukage's seat.
Otherwise, why send her away from her home to train under the Elder Genji?
Still, that didn't bother Bi or the others.
If anything, they liked having Mei around. Not because of politics—
but because the girl had a sweet tongue and a knack for cheering the old man up, something none of them could manage.
"Come on, I'll take you to him. The Elder Genji's in the tearoom," Gonbee said, leading them through a long corridor until they stopped before a white paper door.
Standing there, he spoke softly,
"Elder Genji, Bi has brought our guest."
"Oh? Already here, are they? Well, come in, come in!"
A hoarse, trembling voice came from inside.
It was frail—so fragile it felt as if a strong breeze might blow it away.
"Elder Genji, we're coming in."
Bi slid open the paper door.
Inside was a six-mat room. The tatami mats were old but well-maintained, the space neat and simple.
In the center stood a low table, with only brushes, ink, and a small open box of sweets upon it.
There was nothing else.
Behind the table sat two people.
One was a bald old man—his scalp gleaming like an egg.
He had no hair, no beard, not even eyebrows left. The arms that extended from his wide brown monk's robe were thin and dry, skin stretched tight over bone.
That was the Elder Genji—
the First Mizukage's most trusted friend,
a living fossil of Kirigakure.
Seated beside him was Terumī Mei.
When the girl saw Kyoichi, she smiled and playfully winked.
"Elder Genji," Bi greeted with a bow.
"So, you're Koeda Kyoichi, eh?"
The Elder Genji's trembling voice carried surprising vigor. Though his body looked frail and ancient, his eyes shone sharp and clear—like blades cutting straight through flesh and into the heart.
"I am," Kyoichi replied, standing tall on the tatami, letting the old man's gaze rest on him without flinching.
"…Sit down already! You're so tall you're making this old man crane his neck—feels like it's about to snap," the Elder Genji grumbled irritably after a few seconds of scrutiny.
At that, Bi shot Kyoichi a sharp warning glance.
"Elder Genji, if your neck hurts, let me massage it for you," Mei said brightly, hopping to her feet.
She slipped behind the old man and began kneading his shoulders with gentle hands.
Meanwhile, Kyoichi quietly lowered himself to kneel on the tatami like Bi.
He couldn't help but notice—
in the Land of Earth, tatami wasn't common.
The region's lack of grass made igusa mats a rare luxury, and even the wealthy of the Koeda Clan had never used them.
To sit on one now, in a humble old room like this…
was a reminder of how far from home he truly was.
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