Rokuya felt a little ticklish from the poking. He caught Shinobu's mischievous little hand, gently pulled her down to sit beside him, then rested his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath of the faint herbal fragrance on her.
"Stop teasing. I went out scouting talent." With his eyes closed, Rokuya enjoyed the rare moment of peace and recounted everything about meeting Mitsuri Kanroji that day, her astonishing physique, and her joining the Rengoku Family.
"Eight times the muscle density of an ordinary person? Wouldn't that make her much stronger than many adult male swordsmen?" Shinobu's lips parted slightly in surprise. "With talent like that, combined with a Breathing Style, she could certainly become an incredibly powerful fighter."
"That's not the point." Rokuya opened his eyes, a wicked grin curling his lips as he leaned close to Shinobu's ear and whispered, "The point is, that guy Iguro seems to have fallen for her at first sight."
"Huh?!" Shinobu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mr. Iguro, the Serpent Hashira who's always cold, makes cutting remarks, and treats everyone with suspicion? He actually likes a girl?"
"Absolutely. His killing intent was practically spilling over at her matchmaking meeting. The way he looked, he was practically a venomous snake guarding its food." Rokuya chuckled.
Just then, Kanae Kocho approached from the other end of the covered walkway, carrying a plate of freshly made rice balls. A gentle smile graced her face, and her eyes, which seemed capable of embracing everything, were full of tenderness. "Oh my, what are you two talking about? You look so happy."
"Big sister! Listen to this. Rokuya just said that Mr. Iguro..." Like a little girl sharing gossip, Shinobu immediately pulled Kanae over and recounted the story.
After listening, Kanae set the rice balls in front of