The relationship between Sakezan and Oko was actually quite complicated.
This fellow didn't like sweets, nor did he enjoy tea. And when he first went to the Flower Capital, it was their very first meeting.
Later, when Oko went to Kuri, she and Sakezan had very little interaction.
It wasn't until this guy was sent to the Guardian Forest because of a drinking mishap, and then got slashed by Oden, that Oko specifically came to visit him. In truth, she mainly wanted to put in a good word for Kin'emon and the others.
After that, Sakezan, who had largely stopped drinking, began frequenting her teahouse. Later still, both Sakezan and Yukiko were taken overseas by Ren.
Before leaving, Yukiko made a point of bringing Oko along. Only after that did the relationship between Sakezan and Oko gradually grow more intimate.
As for Kin'emon, more than ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. Even if Oko had once harbored some affection for him, she had nearly forgotten what he looked like by now.
Besides, Kin'emon had never left Oko with a good impression to begin with. He was mostly idle and shiftless, prone to petty theft — how could he compare to Sakezan?
Kin'emon had no idea that his "wall" had been completely dug out from under him long ago, and now he was busy tearing down the walls of that very teahouse in the Flower Capital.
Although they called it renovations, the truth was that the teahouse had been abandoned for over a decade. Even the beams were infested with insects, making it dangerous to move in without caution.
So the group made a bold decision: they would tear down the original teahouse and rebuild it from scratch.
This wasn't particularly difficult for them. Heavy timber was as easy to handle as firewood sticks in their hands, and before long, a new structure was complete.
It might not have looked especially refined — unplaned wood wasn't particularly smooth — but at least it would keep out the wind and rain.
The climate in the Flower Capital was mild, so there was no worry about freezing.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Raizo, carrying the secret letter, slipped into the Flower Capital under the cover of darkness.
His infiltration skills were hardly exceptional, but the curfew in the Flower Capital was enforced very early, which made it less likely for him to be discovered.
As long as he avoided the patrolling soldiers, he was basically home free.
Raizo moved across the rooftops of the city several times. The layout of the Flower Capital's buildings differed slightly from his memory, but fortunately, Hyogoro's home hadn't changed.
He slipped into the courtyard with practiced ease and found Hyogoro's room, tapping gently on the door.
"Who's there!"
Inside, Hyogoro heard the noise and immediately grew alert. Without a second thought, he grabbed the katana from the weapon rack, ready to strike at any moment.
It didn't matter that the person outside seemed somewhat polite — after all, they had knocked. But this was his bedroom door, not the courtyard gate.
Hyogoro's wife began to sit up to see what was happening, but he gently pushed her back down.
"It's me... Raizo," came Raizo's hushed response from outside.
But then he reconsidered — his name wasn't exactly well-known.
After all, he had merely been one of the retainers of the daimyo's guard who was expelled. So he added, "Lord Oden sent me."
"What — Oden!" Hyogoro felt his breath catch for an instant.
Over the years, countless people had spoken that name in whispers. And now, was the man they had waited for all these years truly back?
He threw on his coat and hurried to the door, though he didn't let his guard down.
Opening the door, Hyogoro saw the ugly man with a face larger than his body and hair styled like a crab.
He remembered now — there had indeed been a shinobi like that among Kozuki Oden's followers.
"Raizo of the Mist... right?" He stepped out onto the corridor and studied the man until he nodded.
Then he said, "This isn't the place to talk. Come with me to the study."
Leading Raizo into the study, Hyogoro cast a wary glance around before closing the door and asking without preamble.
"Where is Oden now?"
"Lord Oden has returned to the country. Right now..." Raizo was about to reveal the location, but held back, deciding not to disclose the exact whereabouts.
After all, he couldn't be entirely certain that Hyogoro was truly trustworthy.
Hyogoro didn't take offense at this. His stern face finally broke into a smile.
"It's good he's back! With Oden back, Wano still has hope!"
Then, concerned that Raizo and the others might not understand Wano's current situation, he gave a brief overview before adding, "No matter how you look at it, things aren't optimistic."
"When you go back and inform Oden, make sure you warn him not to act rashly. He needs to gather all the forces he can first."
"Hearing you say this, it sounds even worse than what Mr. Ren told us," Raizo said, his face looking grim.
But Hyogoro brightened at his words.
"So the daimyo of Kuri is coming back too? With Kuri's help, our chances will be even greater!"
"I'm afraid Kuri can offer very little assistance," Raizo said awkwardly. He recounted what Ren had told them, which brought Hyogoro down from his excitement.
"I see. I didn't expect them to have built such a massive power overseas."
"Compared to that, Wano naturally pales in significance."
But he was relieved that at least Kuri wasn't refusing to help entirely.
They could still send some soldiers and samurai to assist.
"I'll find a time to gather the samurai who have already assembled. When that happens, you must bring Oden. Those people need a leader to rally around," Hyogoro said gravely.
The resistance fighters had been beaten down by Kaido to the point where they had almost lost heart. The strongest daimyo and samurai were either dead or captured. The survivors could barely breathe just thinking about Kaido and Orochi.
"With Oden here, we should be able to gather even more strength."
"Everyone believes in him, and they've been waiting for him. Now that he's back, I'm sure many who were too afraid to fight before will take up arms!"
Raizo nodded, agreeing with his words.
Sometimes, people truly do need a leader to rally around. Even if that leader isn't the strongest, as long as they haven't fallen, the people won't stop fighting.
The two finalized the details of their plan, and Raizo didn't leave until dawn was near.
Hyogoro looked out the window. The sky was just beginning to lighten.
Despite not sleeping all night, his spirits were remarkably high, and he looked years younger than before.
"Wano's hope has finally returned!"
...
"Achoo!" Oden sneezed.
The "hope" in question was currently having his hair yanked by his daughter, who was pulling with all her might.
His wife covered her mouth and laughed. "It seems Hiyori has inherited more of your monstrous physique."
[
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