"Father!"
Kuina's forehead twitched as Koshiro spoke, "Why do you have to say everything out loud?"
"Oh?"
Koshiro smiled, "Suddenly feeling shy in front of your idol? But you're still holding onto his arm, aren't you?"
Huh?
Kuina instinctively looked down, her cheeks burning red all the way to her ears. She quickly let go of his arm and bowed, "I'm so sorry! My apologies, Lord Xiano!"
"It's fine, it's fine."
Xiano waved his hand, not taking it to heart, nor interpreting it as any kind of romantic admiration.
Kuina was only eleven this year, a year older than Zoro and the same age as Nojiko.
A young girl just entering puberty, her personality changed day by day, making it hard to predict. Suddenly becoming a fan of someone, then just as suddenly losing interest, was quite common.
"Lord Xiano."
As soon as Kuina sat down, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you just passing through here? You're not leaving tomorrow, are you? Why not stay a few more days? This is a rare opportunity, and I'd like to learn some swordsmanship from you."
Just what he was afraid of.
"No rush."
Xiano forced a laugh, rubbing his empty stomach, and cast a pleading look at Koshiro, "How about we eat first?"
...
The dinner was held in a spacious side room to the west of the dojo.
A long, low table was set in the middle, and everyone sat along the tatami mats on either side.
The Isshin Dojo was quite large, with about ten people sharing the dinner.
Besides Koshiro and Kuina, there were two assistant instructors, the cook, and a few children who lived and ate at the dojo.
Zoro was also there. The kid hadn't finished his extra training and was dragged back halfway by Kuina, looking quite unwilling.
The dinner was simple: rice as the main dish, a few stir-fried vegetables, grilled eel, and miso soup.
The presentation was ordinary, but Xiano was so hungry that anything looked like a feast to him.
As he started eating, Xiano keenly noticed that someone was occasionally sneaking glances his way.
Looking up, Kuina quickly averted her gaze, pretending to be ladylike as she took small bites of her rice.
At first, Xiano tried to maintain his image, eating with restraint, but after being stared at by Kuina, he couldn't care less.
—This unlucky kid, sneaking a glance once or twice is enough, why keep doing it?
So he stopped pretending, rolled up his sleeves, and started devouring his food. In no time, the pile of plates was taller than his head, effectively blocking the girl's view.
"This guy eats so much..." Zoro, sitting across from him, was dumbfounded, "And his table manners are even worse than mine..."
"Shut up!"
Kuina immediately looked displeased, glaring at him, "It's only natural for a strong swordsman to have a big appetite. As for you, you can't even beat a girl, yet you have the nerve to go for a fifth bowl?"
"You!"
Zoro was furious. Why was this brat being so hypocritical today?
He wanted to retort but couldn't find a reason.
Especially after losing to her for the 1950th time this afternoon, he felt even more frustrated.
Xiano could only sulkily lower his head and stuff his mouth with rice. When he got up to fetch his sixth bowl, he secretly glanced up and down at Xiano.
Senior Brother Junichi said this guy was strong, Kuina also said this guy was strong, but where exactly was he strong?
Couldn't tell.
Zoro narrowed his eyes, thinking... maybe he should find an opportunity to test him later?
...
After dinner, the night grew darker, and a light drizzle began to fall.
In the Japanese-style garden, the old-fashioned bamboo deer scarer occasionally made a soft "tap" sound, startling the fish in the pond and causing them to scatter.
Xiano stood silently under the eaves watching the rain when Junichi suddenly hurried in, "Boss, everything at the clinic has been taken care of."
"How are things?" he asked.
"That kid named Sanji is fine. After taking the medicine, his complexion has improved a lot. He'll probably be up and about tomorrow after a night's rest."
Junichi sighed, "But that old man Zeff, his wound is infected and festering. It's a bit troublesome to handle. Granny Zilan doesn't have enough strength, so she just called for Master Koshiro. The two of them are working on it together. They should be able to resolve it properly tonight."
"Good work."
Xiano nodded and was about to say something when someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
Turning around, he saw the little Mosshead kid struggling to tiptoe, trying to meet his gaze, but the height difference was too great, and he ended up looking up instead.
"Hey! Lord Xiano!"
"What is it?"
"Let's have a spar! What do you say?"
Zoro grinned, waving the two bamboo swords in his hands, "That sword on your back looks really impressive. I'd like to see if you, as a swordsman, are worthy of it!"
Xiano glanced back at his Authentic Blade, raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Zoro," Junichi frowned, "Boss Xiano is tired. He doesn't have time to mess around with you."
"But Senior Brother, I've been training all day too, so I'm just as tired. Isn't that fair?"
Zoro kept his eyes fixed on Xiano, "Scared?"
Xiano didn't feel like arguing with the kid and was about to walk away when his gaze fell on the bamboo swords in Zoro's hands. Suddenly, he changed his mind.
Fine.
Since he couldn't avoid it, he might as well get it over with.
"Alright, let's spar."
Xiano reached out to take one of the bamboo swords, but Zoro pushed his hand away, glaring, "What? You think I'm going to give you one? I'm a dual-blade swordsman! Both of these are mine!"
Xiano had almost forgotten. He smiled and gestured for Junichi to fetch one for him. Then he suddenly turned his head, looking toward the end of the corridor.
"Miss Kuina, Master Koshiro's daughter, why don't you join us too?"
"Huh?"
In the dim light, Kuina, who had been hiding behind a pillar, widened her eyes, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes. When had he noticed her hiding there, watching?
...
In the backyard of the dojo.
The open space here was sheltered by a thatched rain canopy. If the weather was bad, the dojo's outdoor activities would usually be moved here.
"Hey! Are you serious?!"
Zoro was so angry he was about to explode, pointing his bamboo sword at Xiano, "We agreed on a one-on-one spar! How did it turn into the two of us against you?!"
"Zoro!"
Kuina scolded, "Mind your manners! Mr. Xiano is a renowned Swordsman from the East Blue. It's already a rare opportunity that he's willing to give us a chance to spar. We should both give it our all and do our best to honor this privilege. Why are you still shouting like this?"
"What kind of spell have you been under? Why are you always siding with outsiders!"
Zoro grew even more irritated. "Fine! Let's have this match then. I'll fight on my own, treating it as a one-on-one. Don't expect me to cooperate with you!"
"Who cares about you."
Kuina scoffed, gripping her Bamboo Sword tightly. She then turned to Xiano across from her and said solemnly, "We're about to begin our attack. Be careful, Lord Xiano!"
The shy and timid girl who had been facing her idol moments ago now straightened her back like a bamboo stalk, her entire demeanor suddenly becoming sharp and focused.
"Bring it on."
Xiano smiled, weighing the Bamboo S
word in his hand.
Under the eaves behind them, Junichi rested his forehead on one hand and let out a deep sigh.
This scene was all too familiar. He could guess what was going to happen next just by wiggling his toes.
(End of Chapter)