She dismissed his words with a scoff and a wave of her hand. “Not that. Have you seen Ryuichi?”

“Short little annoying brat? Can’t miss him. He’s always underfoot.”

“Normally. This isn’t normal.”

“How do you mean?”

Keiko gave him a vicious glare. “I repeat. Have you seen Ryuichi?”

“Not in the last few minutes.”

Crooking her finger, she motioned for him to follow her.

Irritated, Koichi sighed. He was trying to stay low, given that the monks on the mountain weren’t very keen on his presence. While they tolerated him, he still had a bit of a dubious reputation where they were concerned.

No one was sure he could be trusted.

Not to mention Ryuichi’s attack on Ryota upon their arrival, which hadn’t exactly endeared them to anyone. Plus, his former pupils had apparently been sharing less-than-flattering stories about him as they hid themselves away in the camp.

Now the monks who’d been his longtime allies were giving him less-than-pleasant smirks whenever they glanced at him.

Koichi clapped one of his former students on the back as they passed. “Itsuki. So glad you weren’t eaten.”

“No thanks to you. I could have been killed.”

“Yet here you are.”

Itsuki scoffed as he returned to work for the monks.

“Well, if you don’t like it, you can leave.”

“Monks won’t let me. Thanks for committing me here. I’d have rather been at the school. In Night Patrol.”

Just like Ryota.

Koichi rolled his eyes. Ungrateful brat. He should have allowed the demon to eat him.

No good deed goes unpunished.

And his good deeds were forever criticized.

At least the monks weren’t quite so rude to him. They were tolerating him as a necessary evil.

Though that could change, given how many of them were being captured by Oda Nobunaga whenever they left the mountain. For some reason, Nobunaga was having them tortured for information regarding their camp. Though why the great Nobunaga cared about the camp, he wasn’t sure.

Granted, the monks were opposed to his rule, but normally Nobunaga gave them plenty of latitude. This newfound crusade against them was frightening.

And no one knew Ryuichi was here.

So the kidnapping and interrogation of monks made no sense.

Those were his thoughts until Keiko brought him to a small clearing where two boys were sparring. The ferocity stunned him, but not nearly as much as the reality that one of the boys—the one winning the fight—was Ryuichi.

Koichi stumbled. No . . .

Instead of being the kindhearted boy he knew, this was the same kid who’d attacked him at the merchant’s home. The one with unrestrained bloodlust in his eyes.

And Ryuichi was showing no mercy to the poor boy.

“Ryuichi!”

He ignored him.

Growling, Koichi grabbed a staff from the hands of a nearby monk and headed for his student.

Ryuichi went to hit the boy on the head.