"What?!"
Shinobu had only just returned to the hospital when she received a piece of news that stunned her.
Her two teammates.
Had gone missing on their way to gather medicinal herbs.
Not only had they still not returned.
Even the Kasugai Crows responsible for keeping in touch had gone silent.
"Were they your partners?"
Beside her, Kazetoriin was holding a pastry he had yet to put in his mouth.
"Could something have held them up?"
But Shinobu shook her head emphatically.
"Momo and Nashi take their work very seriously. They would never delay a mission without reason."
She looked toward the distant wards.
"Besides, I sent them to the Eastern Cliff to gather herbs so we could prepare medicine for the wounded here."
"Unless they ran into something they couldn't resist."
"They would never leave the wounded waiting for nothing."
Kazetoriin's brow furrowed slightly.
"Could it be... demons?"
"But why would demons appear in groups like this?" Shinobu said. "And those two aren't weak, either."
They were both Senior Swordsmen.
Working together, they might even beat her if she did not use poison.
The Feather Hashira grew serious as well.
Going by what Shinobu Kocho had said...
Two dutiful, capable swordsmen, working as a team.
Had disappeared without a trace, just like that.
Their own Kasugai Crows, along with the ones sent afterward to contact them, had all vanished without a word...
Could it be a Lower Rank?
He immediately reached that judgment.
But seeing the worry on Shinobu Kocho's face, he changed the words on the tip of his tongue.
"Let's not jump to conclusions."
Takitsuki Kazetoriin stuffed the pastry into his mouth in one bite, then stood and spoke indistinctly.
"Maybe they got lost, or some other accident held them up."
"Anyway, let's go look for them