The best way to describe Mifune was stern.
He had his back straight, his eyes calm, and he had an air of discipline around him.
"Who is that old man?" Karin asked as she spotted Mifune standing there in front of the doors we were heading toward.
I could feel the samurai escort tense at her words, but in the end, she was but a child, and they could hardly find fault with what she was saying. So despite being displeased with the lack of respect, they couldn't say anything.
After all, who could blame a child for not recognizing General Mifune at sight? More so, an outsider?
"That is Lord Mifune," Masanori explained.
Karin gasped—not in awe, not out of respect, nothing so expected.
No, it was out of shock alone.
"What? That guy? He doesn't look strong at all!" Karin didn't hold back; she said what she thought, a classic Uzumaki trait—not thinking before speaking.
"Show some respect!" one of the samurai couldn't remain silent. "He is the greatest samurai in the world!"
No sooner had he uttered those words than he was sent flying; he crashed violently into the wall before anyone could even react.
Everyone instantly grew alert, their hands on their swords, shock and fear on their faces. They hadn't seen the attack and felt nothing. One moment, the man was telling Karin off; the next, he was slamming hard enough into the side of a wall to damage it.
"What a rude man," I said in a light tone, as if it had nothing to do with me. "Don't mind him, Karin-chan, he doesn't know what is good for him."
Karin just blinked in confusion. One moment, some man had shouted at her, and the next, he was unconscious on the ground.
Karin blinked again, eyes moving from the unconscious samurai to me, then back again.
"…Did he trip?" she asked earnestly.
Silence followed.
Then—
"That will be enough."
Mifune's voice was calm, measured, and carried effortlessly across the courtyard. He had not raised it. He did not need to.
The samurai froze.
Hands that had hovered near hilts stilled. Breaths that had tightened eased, if only slightly. Even Masanori straightened, spine going rigid as he bowed deeply.
"Lord Mifune," he said.
Mifune did not look at the fallen man. His gaze rested on me instead, steady and unflinching.
"I apologize for my subordinate's lack of restraint," he said. There was no anger in his tone, nor shame—only acknowledgment. "He acted without leave."
I inclined my head. "Then there is no issue."
Karin tilted her head, peering up at him with open curiosity. "Are you mad?"
Mifune paused.
Then, to the visible shock of nearly everyone present, the corner of his mouth twitched—just slightly.
"No," he replied. "I am not."
She nodded, satisfied. "Okay."
Mifune's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, something thoughtful passing behind them, before he looked back to me.
"Kaguya-hime," he said. "You are welcome in my city. I trust your journey here was… uneventful."
"For the most part," I answered.
"Good." He turned, gesturing toward the doors behind him. "Then let us speak—away from cold stone and sharper ears."
As we moved forward, the samurai parted without a word, the unconscious man already being quietly carried away.
Behind us, the courtyard exhaled.
Ahead of us, the doors opened.
And with them, the real conversation began.
The doors closed behind us with a muted thud, cutting off the cold wind and the murmurs outside.
The chamber within was austere. Stone walls, polished but undecorated. A single brazier burned low at the center, its heat steady rather than oppressive. No banners. No ornamentation. Nothing that existed purely to impress.
It was a room built for decisions.
Mifune stopped several steps in, then turned to face me fully.
Up close, the weight of him was easier to understand. He did not radiate chakra the way shinobi did, nor did he exude killing intent. Instead, there was a stillness to him—like a blade left in its sheath not because it was dull, but because it did not need to be drawn.
He bowed.
Not deeply. Not theatrically.
Correctly.
"Kaguya-hime," he said. "Thank you for your restraint."
Kanna inhaled sharply beside me.
Karin looked between us, confused. "For what?"
Mifune did not look at her as he answered.
"My man was rude," he said evenly. "He forgot where he stood, and who stood before him." His gaze met mine again, unblinking. "You could have killed him."
It was not an accusation.
It was not a question.
It was a statement of fact.
"Yes," I agreed.
Mifune inclined his head slightly, as if that single word had confirmed something important. "You did not."
"I am a guest," I replied. "And he is your man. Killing him would have been discourteous."
A faint exhale left him—not relief, exactly, but acknowledgment.
"Many who hold your strength do not concern themselves with discourtesy," he said. "Or with hosts."
"Then they are fools," I answered calmly. "Power does not excuse bad manners."
For the first time, Mifune's eyes softened.
Just a little.
Karin tugged lightly on my sleeve. "So… he's not dead?"
"No," I said. "He will wake up with a headache and a lesson."
She nodded approvingly. "Good."
Mifune glanced down at her, studying her openly now. After all, he had no doubt long since heard about the two Uzumaki following me around.
They were beyond rare these days; so few remained.
I had even heard rumors that these two were all that was left.
And they weren't far off; I knew of at least three others, though only two had red hair.
But yes… from a clan able to rule a nation down to just five… and many of those mere children.
It was truly only the danger of angering an S-rank kunoichi that kept people away; without me, they wouldn't have lasted a week.
"You travel with interesting company," he finally said.
"That keeps the journey interesting," I replied with a smile and stroked Karin's hair.
Mifune inclined his head once more, then turned toward the low table set near the brazier. "Please," he said. "Sit. Warm yourselves."
Kanna moved immediately, guiding Karin to the cushions without needing to be told. She settled her daughter carefully, fussing with gloves and scarf until Karin squirmed in protest.
"I'm not cold," Karin insisted.
"I know," Kanna replied softly. "Humor me."
Mifune watched the exchange with quiet interest before seating himself opposite me. The brazier crackled between us, its heat steady, restrained—much like the man himself.
"I will be direct," he said. "An unaffiliated S-rank shinobi entering my capital is not something I can ignore." His gaze sharpened, but did not harden. "Nor is it something I wish to mishandle."
"That is wise," I said.
A pause followed. Not tense. Measured.
"Your presence will unsettle some," Mifune continued. "Your reputation already has." His eyes flicked briefly toward the door we had passed through. "But you have shown respect for my authority and restraint toward my men."
"I expect the same in return," I replied.
"You shall have it," he said without hesitation.
Karin leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "So… does that mean we're allowed to stay?"
Mifune looked at her again, then at me.
"Yes," he said. "It does."
She beamed. "Good. Because I really want to see the swords."
For a brief moment—so brief it could almost be imagined—Mifune smiled.
"Swords aren't toys, little lady. They are dangerous weapons and should be respected," he said kindly, though I could feel that it was more toward us, the two adults, than Karin herself.
Karin nodded solemnly at his words, clearly taking them very seriously.
"I know," she said. "That's why I want one."
Mifune blinked once.
Then he let out a slow breath through his nose. "Of course you do."
Kanna pressed her lips together, equal parts embarrassed and resigned.
Mifune turned his attention back to me, the faint softness in his expression receding, replaced by the calm focus of a man accustomed to weighing nations rather than people.
"Kaguya-hime," he said, folding his hands neatly in his lap. "I would like to speak plainly."
"That would be preferable," I replied.
"You are not here by accident," he continued. "Nor do you strike me as someone who wanders without purpose. You arrive openly, and for that you have my thanks. The Land of Iron welcomes all honest guests, but still, I must ask what you seek here."
Kanna stiffened slightly, though she did not speak. Karin, sensing the shift in tone even if she did not understand it, leaned back against her mother and grew uncharacteristically quiet, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.
"I am passing through," I said. "The Land of Iron lies on a convenient route."
"That answer is true," Mifune said. "And insufficient."
I did not object.
"You are a missing-nin," he continued calmly. "Unaffiliated. Unclaimed. That alone places you outside the systems most nations rely upon to predict behavior." His eyes flicked briefly toward Karin. "You also travel with two Uzumaki."
I inclined my head. "That is not a secret."
"No," Mifune said. "But it is a risk."
"Only to those who would prey upon them," I replied.
A moment passed.
Then Mifune nodded once. "That answer is also true."
He shifted slightly, the metal of his armor whispering against itself. "The Land of Iron does not hunt missing-nin," he said. "Nor do we offer bounties. We have no interest in the petty wars of shinobi villages."
"I am aware."
"However," he continued, "we do protect our neutrality. Our borders. And our people." His gaze hardened—not threatening, but firm. "Which means I must know whether your presence here will endanger them."
I leaned back slightly, posture relaxed.
"Your agents must have already told you about the many people following us when we arrived here. They are the reason we came to this land—to lose them before I lose my patience." I kept to the truth, because I had no ill intent with my stay here.
"Once more, you speak nothing but the truth." He nodded. "Though still, you trouble me, as you being here could be seen by others as me offering you shelter," he continued.
"As far as I know, I have no bounty on my head, nor do I have ties with any village; I can hardly even be described as a missing-nin. I've never been part of a hidden village, so who am I missing from?" I questioned back.
Mifune was quiet for a beat, his gaze unwavering. "Fair enough." He gestured lightly with one hand, an almost dismissive motion. He surely assumed it was nonsense. After all, how could a member of the Kaguya clan not be connected to Kirigakure?
However, there was no proof; the Kaguya clan had long since denounced me as an outsider, ruining any chance Kiri had to claim me as one of theirs.
Not that it stopped them from putting a price on my head, but that didn't matter. Even Mifune didn't pay that particular bounty any mind.
That was not why he was asking these questions, I realized. Not for the sake of some distant village's missing-nin lists. He was asking what I would do.
"Let me be clearer," he said, as if reading the shift in my thoughts. "Your reputation is built on strength and independence. Your companions make you a symbol of defiance to those who still hunt survivors of the Uzumaki clan. And you are a Kaguya, a bloodline feared for its ferocity."
He leaned forward just slightly, the light from the brazier glinting off the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Regardless of any bounty, people will come for you. Some seeking glory. Others seeking revenge. A few might even seek alliance." His gaze sharpened. "The Land of Iron does not involve itself in such matters. But we do not allow our land to become a battlefield for outsiders."
"Then you have nothing to worry about," I replied smoothly. "I have no interest in dragging your people into a war they did not choose."
Mifune's expression did not change.
"I hope so."