I sat across from Michikatsu in the cave. The darkness no longer bothered either of us. His six eyes glowed faintly as he stared at the cave entrance.
"I need to tell you what happened before I lost everything," he said. "You need to understand what Shinji has done to the Land of Iron."
"Go ahead."
"About a year ago, shinobi from the Land of Earth started appearing in our territory. At first there were only a few of them. The numbers kept growing." He leaned forward. "I brought it to Shinji's attention. He told me he would handle it."
"He didn't."
"No. He made it worse." Michikatsu's upper set of eyes narrowed while his middle and lower sets remained fixed on me. "The shinobi weren't invading. They were invited. Shinji had made an agreement with them months before I even noticed their presence."
I waited for him to continue.
"The shinobi belong to a clan called the Kamizuru. They come from the Land of Earth, but unlike us samurai, they aren't loyal to the Daimyo there. They're trying to overthrow him and take control of the entire country." He paused. "Shinji is helping them."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. That's what I tried to find out." Michikatsu touched the marks on his face. "I investigated on my own."
"What did you learn?"
"The Kamizuru are at war with another clan. The Daimyo of the Land of Earth hired mercenaries from the Land of Lightning to fight them. The clan is called the Yotsuki." His six eyes all focused on me at once. "The Land of Iron has become their battlefield. The Kamizuru use our territory to launch attacks. The Yotsuki chase them across our borders. Our people are caught in the middle."
I considered this information. A civil war in the Land of Earth had spilled over into neutral territory. The ruler of the Land of Iron was actively supporting one side.
"What does Shinji gain from this arrangement?"
"That's what I asked him." Michikatsu's voice dropped lower. "I confronted him."
"How did he react?"
"He listened to everything I said. Then he thanked me for bringing it to his attention." Michikatsu laughed without humor. "He said he would address the situation immediately. He asked me to leave."
"How did you get captured?"
"I already understood that something was wrong with Shinji." His hands clenched into fists. "So I started to take things into my own hands."
He touched his face again where the expanded marks covered his skin.
"I gathered others and guarded the borders strictly so that no shinobi could enter our land."
"Shinji didn't try to stop you?"
"No. He ignored the whole thing." Michikatsu's middle pair of eyes burned brighter. "I was bounded by my duty, so I couldn't do much more than that. I did my best to save what I could."
"Then how did you get captured?"
"Ishikawa Kamizuru. The leader of the Kamizuru Clan. He is a monster through and through. I thought I was strong until I met him."
He flexed his regenerated hands.
"I couldn't win. I couldn't defend myself. He was a force of nature. His strength felt unfathomable to me." His voice remained steady as he described it. "I lost fair and square."
"But you survived."
"Shinji, that bastard, didn't want me to die. He kept me alive." He looked at his complete limbs. "He said he'd make me experience the new Land of Iron. One that would be far stronger. He said he would usher in a new era."
I listened to everything he told me. I still couldn't understand what Shinji wanted.
"You still don't know what Shinji gains from helping the Kamizuru."
"No. That's the part I couldn't figure out. The Kamizuru aren't offering him money. They're not offering him military support for the Land of Iron. They're just using our territory as a staging ground." Michikatsu stood up and walked to the cave entrance. He stayed in the shadows away from the sunlight. "There has to be something. Shinji wouldn't risk everything without a reason. I never found out what it was."
---
Shinji slammed his fist on the table. The wood cracked under the impact. Papers scattered across the floor. His advisor took a step back and kept his head lowered.
"You let him escape," Shinji said. His voice was low and controlled despite the anger radiating from him. "You had one task and you couldn't even do that."
"My lord, I don't know how this happened," the advisor said. His hands trembled as he spoke. "The guards were knocked unconscious."
"Knocked unconscious?" Shinji walked around the table and stood directly in front of the advisor. "You mean someone infiltrated the prison and freed a prisoner? What kind of security allows anyone to infiltrate our prison?"
"I don't know, my lord."
"You don't know." Shinji turned away and looked out the window of his private chamber. The capital spread out below the palace. Torches lit the streets. Everything looked peaceful from this height. "Send search parties. Check every village within fifty miles. Question anyone who might have seen him."
"Yes, my lord."
"Double the guard rotations. If Michikatsu is alive somewhere, I want him found and captured."
The advisor bowed and moved toward the door. Before he could leave, someone knocked from the other side. The advisor opened it to find a servant standing in the hallway.
"Forgive the intrusion, my lord," the servant said. He kept his eyes on the floor. "A messenger from the Kamizuru Clan has arrived. He requests an audience with you."
Shinji rubbed his temples. The last thing he wanted right now was to deal with more Kamizuru demands. The clan had become increasingly demanding over the past few months. They wanted more supplies, more territory, and more freedom to operate within the Land of Iron's borders.
"Tell him I'll meet him in the formal receiving room in ten minutes," Shinji said.
The servant bowed and left. The advisor remained standing near the door.
"Get out," Shinji said. "Find Michikatsu."
The advisor bowed quickly and fled the chamber. Shinji took a moment to compose himself. He straightened his robes and adjusted the ceremonial sword at his waist. Whatever the Kamizuru wanted, he would need to maintain his composure during the meeting.
He left his private chambers and walked through the palace corridors. Guards stood at attention as he passed. He reached the formal receiving room and entered to find a man wearing the dark clothing typical of Kamizuru shinobi waiting inside.
The messenger bowed when Shinji entered. Shinji took his seat on the raised platform at the far end of the room. The messenger remained standing.
"Speak," Shinji said.
"Lord Shinji, I bring word from Ishikawa Kamizuru," the messenger said. "Our forces require additional supplies. Specifically, we need weapons. We need kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags. The quantities we previously agreed upon are insufficient for the coming operations."
"How many weapons are you requesting?"
"Five thousand shuriken. Three thousand kunai. Five hundred explosive tags."
Shinji leaned back in his seat. The numbers were staggering and far beyond what they had originally discussed. Producing that many weapons would strain the Land of Iron's resources significantly.
"That's double what we agreed upon in our initial arrangement," Shinji said.
"The situation has changed, my lord. The Yotsuki have increased their numbers. The Daimyo of the Land of Earth has hired additional mercenaries from the Land of Lightning. We need more equipment to counter their forces."
Shinji rubbed his temples again. He could feel a headache building behind his eyes. The Kamizuru were bleeding him dry. Every month they asked for more. Every month he gave it to them because he had no choice. The arrangement had gone too far to back out now.
"I'll authorize the production," Shinji said. "But I want something in return. I need twelve elite shinobi assigned to palace security. Recent events have made me concerned about potential threats."
The messenger's expression didn't change. He simply nodded. "I will relay your request to Lord Ishikawa. He will likely agree to these terms."
"Good."
Before Shinji could dismiss the messenger, the door to the receiving room opened. A young man in samurai armor entered and bowed. Mifune had been newly appointed to a position of authority after Michikatsu's disappearance. He was talented and ambitious, but he lacked the experience and wisdom that came with age.
"My lord, forgive my interruption," Mifune said. "I heard about your concerns regarding security. You need not worry. I will personally oversee the protection of the palace. You don't need to request assistance from outsiders."
Shinji's expression darkened. He stood up from his seat and walked down the steps of the platform. He stopped directly in front of Mifune and stared at him.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Shinji said.
"No, my lord, but I thought—"
"You thought wrong. When I want your input, I will request it. Until then, you will remain silent during meetings that don't concern you." Shinji's voice was cold and sharp. "Do you understand?"
Mifune's jaw tightened, but he lowered his head. "Yes, my lord."
"Leave."
Mifune bowed and exited the room. Shinji returned to his seat and looked back at the messenger.
"Regarding your earlier statement," Shinji said. "You mentioned the situation has changed. How is the war progressing? How much longer will your clan need to operate within the Land of Iron's territory?"
The messenger clasped his hands behind his back. "The war is reaching its conclusion, my lord. The additional weapons you provide will be used for one final major offensive. Lord Ishikawa is assembling all our forces for a decisive battle against the Yotsuki. Once we crush their main army, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth will have no choice but to surrender."
"When will this battle take place?"
"Within the next month. Lord Ishikawa is coordinating with our other allies to ensure we have overwhelming numbers. The Yotsuki will not be able to withstand our combined assault."
"Good. Remind Ishikawa not to forget what he promised me. I don't like those who go back on their words."
The messenger smiled slightly. "Your cooperation will be remembered, Lord Shinji."