Genzō watched the boy's movements as he gathered his belongings.
The old man raised a glass of wine to his lips, took a sip, and set it down on the table.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked, turning to Kaito.
"Thank you for saving me," the boy replied, adjusting the sheaths of his blades. "But I've already wasted too much time. I need to reach Yorigakure as soon as possible."
Genzō rose from his chair and stepped closer.
"And what are you planning to do?" Kaito asked, going on guard.
"You… all by yourself, you want to go looking for trouble with the Reikeitai?" the old man began.
"You're planning to infiltrate one of the most heavily guarded cities in all of Fuyoko."
"You do realize you could die, right?" he provoked him.
"You don't know me… I'll figure something out, like I always do," Kaito shot back, walking past him.
"If you want to die, go ahead. Even if I still don't understand why…" he taunted him again.
"Women to kill time with are everywhere."
The boy's steps stopped abruptly.
Kaito slowly turned his head toward Genzō, his gaze turning feral, like a freshly drawn blade.
"Don't you dare talk about her…" he growled under his breath.
The man turned as well, a sarcastic smile curling on his lips.
"Oh really? And what would you do otherwise?"
Kaito remained still, ignoring the provocation.
"Good. Well done. Then go on back to your little playmate."
At those words, Kaito's silhouette vanished in a flash.
When Genzō lifted his gaze, the boy was already upon him, blade drawn.
The old man dodged at the last instant: the opponent's wakizashi plunged into the wooden floor, splintering it.
"Is that all?!" he continued to provoke him, his voice sharp.
Kaito lunged forward and tried to knock him down with a kick.
Genzō, with surprising agility, leapt into the air.
As he landed, he seized the arm holding the weapon, immobilizing the boy for an instant.
"And now what will you do?!" he said, extending his index and middle fingers toward him.
Genzō's intent was clearly to put him down, just as he had done during their first encounter.
"Do you think I'm moving guided by anger?!" Kaito snapped back.
With a swift motion, he let the blade fall from his hand.
In the same instant, he caught it with the other arm—an action so fast it bordered on reflex.
The two found themselves in a stalemate.
Kaito's wakizashi was aimed at the old man's throat, while Genzō's fingers hovered just inches from the boy's carotid artery.
The house fell silent.
Then laughter shattered the stillness.
"Ahah… truly fantastic!" the old man burst out.
They both stepped back.
"Forgive me, boy. I wanted to see how far you were willing to go for your companion," he explained.
"I like you—you remind me of myself at your age," he chuckled again.
"Even knowing you would lose, you still faced me, and you finished with a fine, decisive technique," he praised him, smiling faintly.
—Is he completely insane?— Kaito wondered, still short of breath.
"I'll get straight to the point. Tell me, Kaito… would you like to become stronger?" Genzō's tone suddenly turned serious.
"What are you talking about?" the boy asked, tightening his grip on the blade.
"If you truly want to fight the Reikeitai, that weapon alone won't be enough."
He took a step closer, lowering his gaze to the wakizashi.
"I'm not saying it isn't extraordinary, but from what you told me…"
He recalled when the boy had explained that the blade was linked to another, as if they shared the same essence.
"I believe that, for now, you can only use half the power you would unleash with both weapons…" he commented, narrowing his eyes as he studied him.
"Correct me if I'm wrong."
Kaito met his gaze.
"My compliments," he muttered. "It's true: for now, my strength is extremely limited. The blades were created to be used together." He slid the wakizashi back into its sheath.
"All the more reason to accept my offer…" Genzō pressed on.
"Are you interested, boy?"
Kaito thought about it for a few moments.
"Let's hear it first."
The old man walked over to one of the chairs and shifted it slightly away from the table.
"Sit down. There are a few things I need to tell you," he urged.
The young man sat, and Genzō followed suit shortly after.
They found themselves facing each other, as if at the beginning of a new confrontation.
"I'll be brief. As I already told you, I am a Fuyumi… but not like the ones you've met."
Those words immediately ignited Kaito's curiosity, as if he had just sensed that from this moment on, something would truly change.
"I belong to the cadet branch of the Fuyumi."
"Cadet branch?" the boy repeated, slightly furrowing his brow.
"In the Fuyumi family, only the firstborn gain control of the auction," the old man explained.
"The second-born, instead, are trained to ensure the event's success," he continued, pouring himself another glass of wine with a slow, almost ritualistic gesture.
"By now you've probably understood… what I'm asking of you is to train like a Fuyumi of the cadet branch…"
"Wait a second," Kaito interrupted him.
"When I attacked the auction, there was no one from this cadet branch. And besides… why would you help me?" Doubt crossed his eyes.
"I was the one who destroyed the Fuyumi."
Genzō didn't answer right away. The silence weighed on him for a few moments.
"I have nothing to do with them anymore," he finally said.
"One day I rebelled against selling what they called 'merchandise'…" He clenched the glass tightly, the veins on his hands standing out beneath his skin.
"And then I understood… when you have power, it doesn't matter who begs you to stop, not even if it's your own brother…" he snarled, his voice cracked by a rage that still seemed alive.
"Because to ensure the auction continues, they are willing to kill you."
"Your… brother tried to kill you…" Kaito immediately realized.
"The last thing I knew was that his wife was expecting a child. I wonder how my nephew is now…" The anger slipped from his face, replaced by a slow, heavy remorse.
"But that's a story from forty years ago…"
—So his nephew is Kagura's father— Kaito thought, eyes widening as the pieces fell into place.
"Kaito… I'll tell you the truth. When I saw you, I saved you only to try to redeem myself for my mistakes…" Genzō confessed in a low voice.
"But now that I know you want to save your friend, I truly want to help you. I don't want you to lose someone dear to you… like I did."
Kaito remained silent, reflecting on everything he had just heard.
"All right…" he said suddenly.
"Genzō… please!" His voice didn't tremble—it was resolute.
"I don't want to lose anyone else!" He immediately thought of Yume, clenching his fists.
"Give me the strength to fight the Reikeitai!" He sprang to his feet.
The old man watched him without speaking. He could do nothing but admire the determination burning in his eyes.
"Then starting tomorrow, I will teach you how to fight like a Fuyumi."