"Mother!"
"Renka..."
Inside Xia Yan's house, Xia Yan tilted his head as he watched Senju Renka and her mother embrace and weep, then went straight outside to leave the mother and daughter some time together.
Once outside, he saw Shōma Senju standing where he had been, waiting for him.
Shōma Senju had accompanied Senju Renka's mother here this time. Xia Yan had woken him early that morning, and they had gone together to see Senju Ryōta.
That visit had also let him see just how far the person he had personally raised had come.
Even now, Senju Ryōta still seemed shaken. His gaze toward Xia Yan was exceedingly complicated, holding amazement, fear, and relief at having survived. The one thing he did not dare harbor was hatred.
It was easy to imagine just what terrifying things Senju Ryōta, his longtime friend and subordinate, had experienced.
"Elder." Xia Yan nodded slightly to Shōma Senju before smiling. "Thank you for your help. This matter is settled."
"Yes, it is settled." Shōma Senju sighed softly. "But Xia Yan, your methods..."
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures." Xia Yan interrupted before Shōma Senju could finish. "Besides, Elder, I went there as Senju Natsuhiko this time. I think I showed considerable restraint."
Restraint?
At those words, the corner of Shōma Senju's mouth twitched.
He had seized the man's entire family, then made him choose to his face whether to keep his wife or his son. That counted as restraint?
Although he knew Senju Ryōta's actions could be called despicable and had somewhat angered him, he truly could not have done something like that if he had dealt with Senju Ryōta himself.
Fortunately, this boy had gone there as a member of the Senju Clan, just as he had said.
Had he gone as Anbu instead,