The Elder's Plot
In Japan, there exists a world that never shows itself on the surface.
The ninjas said to have vanished from history never truly disappeared. As the ages changed, they simply withdrew into the shadows.
Ninja clans steeped in centuries of history each inherited their own techniques and philosophies, keeping one another in check while building independent powers that even the nation itself could not easily touch.
Among them rose the greatest force of all—a vast coalition clan born when the blood of the three houses became one.
Heukyeonga.
Formed from the merger of the Kuroba, Okada, and Amagi ninja clans, it exerted a profound influence on society from the darkness.
The current clan head was Kenshin of the Kuroba line.
The third elder, Okada Masanori, had never been able to accept that fact. For nearly a hundred years the Okada clan had failed to claim the seat of clan head.
A silhouette appeared beyond the tatami door.
“Elder, this is Okada Reiji. May I enter?”
“Come in.”
Masanori quietly set down his teacup.
Reiji slipped inside without a sound and knelt before him.
“I have ascertained the location of the kunoichi.”
“……You’re telling me the kunoichi is still alive?”
Masanori showed rare surprise.
The council of elders had already decided to dispose of her.
The reason was simple: she had ultimately failed to cast aside her emotions.
Emotion inevitably created weakness, and a Geukin could not be allowed to possess weakness.
That was why we gave her an impossible mission.
It had been a death sentence in all but name. When word came that she had actually succeeded, even Masanori had been left speechless.
Still, the report that she had been wounded and gone missing had led him to assume she was dead.
After all, it had been a commission even he could not have completed alone.
“What is her condition?”
“She claimed to be injured, yet outwardly there appeared to be no serious problem.”
“And where is she staying?”
“At the home of a doctor named Sato Kenji.”
“A doctor……?”
A name he had never heard. Outside of missions the kunoichi lived only within the clan’s training grounds; she could not possibly have an acquaintance unknown to them.
“Why is that man helping her?”
“Forgive me. I was unable to learn that much.”
Reiji bowed his head low.
Masanori clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Elder, I have one question.”
“You have only two left, do you not? You may call me Father.”
“……Father. Is the kunoichi…… a Geukin?”
Masanori’s body went rigid. Those were not words he could let pass.
“……Did the kunoichi say so with her own mouth?”
“Yes. For it to be mere nonsense……”
“She must have been strong in truth. Whether you crossed blades or she merely leaked killing intent. Seeing you unharmed, it seems you were fortunate enough not to fight her in earnest.”
At Masanori’s flat declaration Reiji bit his lip in humiliation.
“There is no need for frustration. The kunoichi’s talent ranks highest even among successive Geukin.”
The true problem was that she had spoken the fact aloud to an outsider. She had leaked a secret drilled into her like brainwashing since earliest childhood.
This was bad. The kunoichi was beginning to reclaim human emotion.
Masanori exhaled a long breath. The plan would have to change.
Reiji carefully opened his mouth again.
“Father.”
“Speak.”
“Why are you trying to discard the kunoichi?”
His expression was one of genuine incomprehension.
“She was clearly a monster. Losing a ninja of that strength would be a great loss to the clan, would it not? In the first place, the reason we have treated her that way all this time……”
“Reiji.”
Masanori cut him off with his name.
“There is one thing you misunderstand.”
Reiji fell silent and listened.
“A Geukin is not the strongest ninja. They are merely a weapon.”
“……What?”
Not a trace of emotion colored Masanori’s voice.
“Of course they will inevitably surpass High-class Ninjas in time. Only those with such talent are selected. But a weapon that is merely strong has no meaning.”
They must never question orders. They must never judge for themselves. They must never harbor emotion.
Only then is a Geukin complete—the most perfect ninja the clan has ever forged, and its final deterrent.
“Strength is always replaceable. If one will not suffice, send ten. If ten will not, send thirty. What matters is this.”
Masanori lifted the teacup, took a sip, and continued.
“Complete obedience.”
“……”
“The kunoichi was raised from earliest childhood without name or family—so that she would forget even the fact that she was human.”
Reiji’s face hardened.
“We invested considerable effort. A pity. In the end she became human after all.”
Masanori rose and walked slowly toward the window. Beyond the wide-open frame the sunset was bleeding across the sky.
“What else did the kunoichi say?”
“She said to tell them that once her wounds heal she will come of her own accord. She added that she would return within two months.”
“……The kunoichi spoke so insolently?”
“Ah—those words were meant for the clan head.”
“Kenshin, is it. Then I understand. The clan head is exceedingly fond of her.”
Reiji doubted his own ears.
“If the clan head is fond of the kunoichi……?”
“The disposal of the kunoichi has nothing to do with the clan head’s wishes.”
“……!”
Reiji’s eyes shook violently. The entire council of elders was deceiving the clan head and secretly moving to eliminate a Geukin.
He held no particular grudge against the kunoichi, yet something felt deeply wrong.
Even Reiji, who had taken countless lives, found the process by which a Geukin was created—known only through rumor—difficult to accept.
“She said she would return within two months, correct?”
“……Yes. She said so clearly.”
“Good.”
A faint smile touched Masanori’s lips.
“That child does not lie. If she said she will return, she will return without fail.”
A strange chill crawled down Reiji’s spine.
“There is no need to go searching. Two months from now we will simply deal with her on the road back to Heukyeonga.”
Masanori closed the window.
“I will speak with the other elders. Tell no one of this.”
“……I will keep it in mind.”
Reiji bowed his head deeply.
Hikaru lightly washed her lower body in the bathroom, then entered the room with a soft wish for sweet dreams.
The light kiss she left on my cheek was a bonus.
Can a person suddenly become this cute?
I recalled the sensation of kneading her breasts. That soft, almost ecstatic feel still lingered in my palms.
It was my first time caressing a woman, so I was relieved she had liked it.
Watching Hikaru climax under my hands filled me with a simultaneous sense of conquest and quiet pride.
I still haven’t finished myself, though……
Asking Hikaru for that as well felt both embarrassing and unfair.
What I had done to her was not something she had requested; I had simply taken the liberty.
I wasn’t even sure whether she possessed any knowledge of that sort of thing.
“Ahem.”
I approached the laundry basket outside the bathroom. Hikaru’s discarded dolphin shorts and white panties lay inside.
She must have changed after washing because of her earlier climax. I glanced toward her door, then quietly lifted the panties.
This much is fine, right……?
The center of the fabric was still damp with a stain. Holding Hikaru’s panties, I slipped back into my room.
The next morning.
I stretched and stepped out of my room only to hear clattering from the kitchen.
Still half-asleep, I wandered into the living room and found Hikaru, apron tied around her waist, moving busily about.
“Y-you. Y-you’re up?”
She spoke without turning around. Her cheeks and ears were flushed crimson. She was clearly still conscious of the night before.
“Yeah. You’re up early. But…… did you make breakfast?”
On the table sat rice, miso soup, a rolled omelet, and a neatly grilled fish, all arranged with care.
So that was why she had been asking about cooking methods every so often.
Hikaru glanced my way, then shyly lowered her head.
“I tried it the way I learned. You said nothing stimulating, and to make sure there was protein.”
Such a praiseworthy effort. A fond smile tugged at my lips.
We sat facing each other across the table. An awkward silence settled for a moment.
“……Is your side feeling any better?”
“Yeah. Moving is much easier than before.”
“That’s a relief. Still, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I understand. Then…… would you like to try some? I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”
Hikaru fidgeted with her fingers, clearly nervous.
“Well then—thank you for the meal.”
I picked up a piece of the rolled omelet with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth. Since it was her first time cooking, I hadn’t expected much.
“Huh?”
It was far better than I had imagined.
The egg was moist, the seasoning perfectly balanced. The miso soup, too, was mild yet deep in flavor.
“This is good.”
Hikaru’s shoulders gave a little jump.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Hard to believe it’s someone’s first attempt. Hikaru, don’t you have a talent for cooking?”
“Haa…… thank goodness.”
Only then did a faint smile bloom on her lips, relief softening her features.
“Actually, I failed a few times.”
“…Huh?”
“I practiced while you were sleeping.”
My chopsticks froze.
“How many times?”
“……Three.”
“No—someone who’s still hurt shouldn’t be……”
The scolding slipped out before I could stop it. Hikaru’s gaze dropped.
“I’m sorry……”
“Uh—wait, that isn’t what I meant.”
I sighed and laughed softly.
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“I don’t like only receiving.”
Hikaru spoke quietly, eyes fixed on her rice bowl.
“I wanted to be…… even a little help.”
“……”
Warmth bloomed unbidden in my chest.
“I’ll eat well.”
After breakfast I prepared for work.
As I slipped on my shoes, Hikaru came all the way to the shoe cabinet.
“You…… have a good day.”
“Yeah. I’ll be back.”
“Ah, and……”
“Hm?”
Hikaru looked at my face for a moment. She seemed to hesitate, lips parting and closing several times, then squeezed her eyes shut.
Rising slightly on her tiptoes, she carefully wrapped both arms around my neck.
“……!”
Hikaru’s lips pressed softly against mine.