The Path Rōnin Walk

A purple-haired woman stood at the edge of the daimyō compound, nestled in the forest of the Land of Yang. She was to escort a producer of goods into the meeting with the Lady Daimyō. Feeling the wind rustle through her hair, Yūko sighed. The journey that had brought her to this country was an interesting one; she found it hard to believe that a feudal lord had bested her in combat given their penchant for hiding behind walls of money and bodyguards. But Kurumi was no ordinary daimyō having been raised a kunoichi before her career took a bad turn. Recovering before growing to the level she had today. Yūko found the woman worthy of her S-rank designation. Part of her hoped that their lessons would begin soon as she was keen to expand her repertoire beyond what she had accumulated during her Iron days. She bit her lip, expecting the lady and her guard to arrive any moment now. The rōnin wondered what the manufacturer would be like, having yet to meet in her person. Though unknowingly she would be in for a rude surprise when the person made themselves known.

Meanwhile, Eihei trudged through the trees, nimbly jumping from one to the next while making sure her sister's best friend was beside her. "So how the two of you meet anyways?" she asked Natsumi, still clueless on how the former mercenary and her fire-breathing sibling came to be acquainted. Nevertheless, she had taken a break from helping her nephew, wanting to see how her sister's village was faring these days. Only to find out that Aka had stepped down, leaving the village to an electric individual. She shook her head, knowing that part of the reason for the decision was to spend more time with the children. From her vantage point, Eihei could see an open space rapidly approaching along with an impressive structure rising over the treetops. "Looks like we're almost there," she commented, picking up speed. While fully aware that Natsumi was still keeping pace with her. She could see a solitary figure waiting at the forest's edge, a sword strapped to the woman's side while wearing an impassive expression. "A welcoming party? How nice." Eihei said flippantly before dropping to the forest floor.