Chapter 48: War Room

Kaze followed Hina and Mizuki down the long corridor toward the war room, their footsteps echoing in the silence. He could feel the twins tension hanging thick in the air.

As they approached the ornate doors, Kaze spotted Namida already waiting outside, a bloody bandage covering her left eye. At the sight of them, her one good eye narrowed.

Namida looked over the trio with a haughty glance. "Ah, the trio of worthlessness appears. Kaze, it seems you've not grown taller since we last met. Still at the height of a bonsai tree, I see."

Feeling a flare of irritation, Kaze kept his composure. He locked eyes with her—rather, her remaining eye—and responded, "Maybe so, but at least I can still see the full moon with both eyes. I assume Kazuki or Obanai took your eye out?"

Namida bared her teeth, fury etched on her scarred face. She took a threatening step forward.

Kaze immediately brought up his staff, pointing it directly at her. "Trying to start something, Namida?" His voice was cold and filled with challenge, his eyes never leaving hers.

Namida scoffed, leaning closer, her voice dripping with condescension. "With you? You're barely worth my time, little bonsai. But maybe I should just pluck you out of the ground."

It was at this point that Hina and Mizuki exchanged a concerned glance at each other. The mounting tension in the air was palpable, and the two knew they had to intervene before things went south.

"Enough!" Hina shouted, positioning herself between Kaze and Namida, her hands raised in a placating gesture.

Mizuki followed suit, holding out his arms to physically separate the two, her face a mask of concern. "We are not here to fight amongst ourselves."

Kaze's glare didn't waver, but he lowered his staff. Namida, meanwhile, let out a frustrated growl but begrudgingly stepped back.

Hina took a deep breath, addressing Namida directly, "It doesn't matter who is taller or stronger. We need to focus on the real threat."

Mizuki nodded in agreement. "Personal vendettas will not serve our purpose. We have bigger battles to face."

Namida rolled her eyes, but the fire in them seemed to dim just a bit. She threw one last glare at Kaze before turning her back. "Just make sure Kaze doesn't fall over. We wouldn't want him to get lost in the grass."

Despite the obvious insult, Kaze simply smirked, "Don't worry about me. Just keep an eye out... or should I say, your one good eye."

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But before Namida could formulate a sharp comeback, the war room doors burst open with a foreboding sound. Beyond lay torchlights flickering off dark wood walls. At the head of the long table sat Lord Kuroyama, clad in a black kimono and emanating power. Beside him hovered his ethereal guardian deity, Kagutsuchi.

Kaze swallowed hard, the heat from Kagutsuchi's flames stinging his skin. He dared not look into Lord Kuroyama's eyes, focusing instead on the polished floorboards beneath him.

Kuroyama's voice filled the chamber, each word measured and deliberate. "Hear me well. Uninvited intruders have breached Kyoto's boundaries. It has come to my attention that the emperor is aware of my expanding territories and the hostages under my charge."

The atmosphere in the chamber grew stifling, the air thick with tension. Sweat began to bead on Kaze's forehead, the moisture stark against his paleness. As Kuroyama's aura intensified, Kaze couldn't help but think, This oppressive heat... it's merely a sliver of Lord Kuroyama's true power.

Kuroyama's eyes, cold and penetrating, fixed upon Kaze and then slid over to the twins. "Kaze," his voice dripping with menace, "along with Hina and Mizuki, confront the emperor's forces. Remind them of the supremacy of the Minamoto bloodline. And if fate brings you face to face with the traitor, Obanai Minamoto... capture him. I desire a word with him while he still draws breath."

His directives carried an air of finality. As he relayed further commands, Kagutsuchi whispered into Kuroyama's ear. A smirk briefly touched Kuroyama's lips.

"An old acquaintance seems to have ventured into Kyoto," he reflected, a gleam of intrigue in his gaze. "I shall ensure they receive the courtesy they deserve."

Rising gracefully, he began his exit. But just before he left, he paused, casting a stern look upon each of them. "My vision is clear - a world where the Minamoto lineage shall flourish once again."

As Kuroyama departed, the back of his kimono displayed a striking blue emblem – a flower representing the Minamoto clan.

Engulfed in her memories, Namida replayed Obanai's pronouncement of his impending arrival in Kyoto. As she watched Kaze and the twins depart the war room, a fury welled up inside her. She pressed the white cloth forcefully against her wounded eye and whispered darkly to herself, "Obanai will not elude me, and as for Kazuki... he will meet his end." Her voice was tinged with a sinister glee as she laughed quietly.

Kaze and the twins proceeded down the corridor.

He turned to the twins, their slender figure garbed in dark Kunoichi attire, twin blades at their hips.

"Come," he said briskly. "We've lingered here long enough. Lets go outside the heat is killing me."

As they strode from the castle, Kaze's mind churned. He needed to eliminate the incoming army, and quickly. The sooner their task was complete, the sooner he could pursue his true goal - discovering the identity of this 'old acquaintance' who had Kuroyama so intrigued.

Who had the power to coax a twisted smile from Lord Kuroyama? The question ate at him. He needed answers. Curiosity consumed him.

Snowflakes pirouetted through Kyoto's night sky, casting an ethereal chill.

Kaze tightened his grip on his staff.

"Split up," Kaze told the twins, his tone hushed yet firm. "The emperor's forces might approach from every corner. Mizuki, head south; Hina, take the east, and I'll cover the north. Once we're done or if they elude us, rendezvous at Nijo Castle."

Mizuki paused briefly, exchanging a glance with Hina, then responded with a hint of reservation, "Understood, Kaze. Let's proceed."

The trio parted ways, each one vanishing into the shadows like whispers on the wind. Kaze moved with purpose, the weight of his failure against young Shogun Hidetada still fresh in his mind. He would not be bested again.