Inside the wagashi shop, I sat across the low table from the fox-eared girl.
I deliberately put on an air of mysterious profundity, while Izuna stared at me with an adorably blank, curious expression.
"Sensei's ninja way? But Sensei isn't…" Izuna looked confused, then suddenly brightened. "Ah! Does that mean Sensei really is a ninja!"
"Heh, do you think ninja are so easily defined?"
I smiled. "In an age where ninjas have vanished, as long as one upholds their own ninja way and continues forward, no matter their identity, whether student or Sensei or even an ordinary resident, any of them could be considered a true ninja."
Izuna nodded though she seemed only half certain. "Mmh, Izuna understands… so that means Sensei really is an amazing ninja right?"
"I wouldn't say amazing, but something like that."
At the very least, being able to endure my guilt and continue fooling this pure, adorable Izuna with a straight face must count as some kind of ninja level skill.
"Then then, what is Sensei's ninja way?"
Izuna watched me with hopeful eyes, her big fluffy tail tapping lightly on the tatami beside her.
"Before that, Izuna, you should know what a ninja way means, right?"
Izuna raised her hand eagerly. "Yes! Izuna knows. A ninja way is the core of what it means to be a ninja!"
"Correct."
I nodded in approval. "Which means that a ninja way is what a ninja seeks in life. Upholding one's sense of justice, increasing one's strength, or even pursuing wealth and status can all be considered ninja ways."
Although everything I knew about ninja came from a few quick articles I skimmed online when I first received Izuna's request, it was enough to combine with my own ideas and present convincingly.
As long as Izuna believed me, that was enough.
"Even personal gain…? Uu… I don't really want to admit it, but there are ninja like that too… So then, Sensei, what is your ninja way?"
After muttering her reluctant acceptance, Izuna rushed into the question that mattered most to her.
I took a deep breath, letting my expression grow solemn.
"To protect those important to me. That is my ninja way."
Based on the definition I gave earlier, calling the pursuit of my priorities a ninja way was not a lie at all.
"To protect important people…" Izuna repeated softly, her eyes beginning to shine like stars. "So cool! Sensei really is an incredible ninja! Izuna wants to learn from you too!"
I didn't respond to her admiration, but inwardly noted that I was getting closer to my first goal.
"Mmh! Mmh mhm! Izuna understands now!"
Izuna declared with fierce determination, "Izuna's ninja way is the same as Sensei's! Izuna will train hard and protect the lord Izuna will devote herself to in the future!"
Which is me, right?
No matter how I think about it, it can only be me.
But it is too soon. I do plan to build a deeper bond with Izuna, but this is not the stage for that yet.
"It seems my intuition was correct."
I sighed and spoke gently to the puzzled Izuna. "Izuna, would you be willing to become my disciple?"
"Eh? D-disciple?"
"That's right. Not only receiving my help in ninja training, but inheriting the way I walk my ninja way."
By establishing a more personal teacher disciple relationship that differs from an ordinary Sensei student bond, I could justify guiding Izuna more directly, weakening her employer's influence, and leading this deceived girl back onto the right path.
Izuna blinked, then frowned slightly, and suddenly her eyes widened. "Ah! Izuna saw this kind of story in a drama before!"
"A drama?"
The little fox grew enthusiastic as she explained. "A legendary ninja sets many trials to choose a disciple. In the end the only one who passes is someone no one expects, someone mocked for being unfit to be a ninja, but with an unbreakable will. So amazing! It's exactly the same now!"
…How does she normally learn about ninja? Dramas and manga are all dramatized.
While I silently complained, I still smiled kindly. "Then Izuna, would you like to become my disciple?"
Her excitement faded instantly, replaced with hesitation. "Eh, b-but, after Sensei's guidance, Izuna already knows she's still so unskilled as a ninja…"
"Don't sell yourself short, Izuna. You already passed my trials, just like in the drama."
I cleared my throat. "When you knocked me over and immediately checked on me, that was benevolence.
"When you faced pursuers yet turned back to save me, that was righteousness.
"When you spoke politely despite my rough attitude, that was morality.
"When you quickly noticed I wasn't injured at all, that was wisdom.
"When you held firmly to your dream of becoming the best ninja, that was determination."
Some parts were admittedly forced, especially the wisdom part, but I had no better examples.
I looked at her earnestly. "Passing every trial perfectly makes you the disciple I have always dreamed of, Izuna."
"Sensei…"
Izuna's eyes shimmered with tears. "No, Shishou (Master)!"
Switching to the new title, she lowered her head and declared with heartfelt sincerity, "Izuna has wandered half a life and regrets never meeting a true master. If Shishou does not turn Izuna away, Izuna wishes to bow and follow you!"
…Why does that line feel strangely ominous?
"Shishou, please have some tea! Nin-nin!"
Just as I was about to tell her we didn't need such old-fashioned rituals, she lifted her half finished drink with both hands and offered it to me reverently.
The words caught in my throat and I swallowed them back down.
It was not anything strange. I simply realized that this was her sincere gesture, and rejecting it would put her in an awkward spot.
I took the cup, turned it slightly, and drank from the portion where the rim was still damp.
Maybe because it was a specialty of the cherry blossom festival, the taste felt subtly sweeter than before.
Izuna finally realized what she had done, her cheeks flushing bright red. But seeing me only lick my lips with satisfaction and act unconcerned, she didn't dare mention it.
"Well then, let's end here for today."
"Eh? So soon?"
"More haste, less speed," I explained truthfully. "Besides, Izuna, you still have your employer's request to finish, right?"
"Eh, that's true… I need to hurry and eat the rest of the snacks… Uu, but I have to chew slowly, so I can't hurry…"
Izuna had actually taken my earlier advice to heart, which moved me a little.
But as the cute fox girl agonized between duty and slow chewing, I simply waved my hand. "Staff, to go please."
Izuna blinked. "Eh? Eh eh?! To go?!"
I looked at her strangely. "You have something urgent, so of course you can pack the leftovers. What's wrong?"
"N-no, it's just, but earlier you…"
Izuna became flustered and confused, then grabbed onto the key point.
"Does that mean Shishou was tricking me!"
"How could you call it tricking? I simply chose to ignore certain options."
A fox who can be fooled by something this simple is truly worrying.
Izuna wailed, "Uuu, Shishou, how could you do that!"
After the joke, I corrected my expression and spoke seriously to the pouting little fox. "Izuna, this is the first lesson I must teach as your Shishou. Never take others' words at face value, no matter who they are."
I tapped my chest lightly, giving her a gentle smile.
"So after listening, remember to judge with your own heart. Only then can you find the right answer for yourself."
"…Mmh, Izuna understands."
Even so, judging from her bewildered look, I suspected she was still far from truly understanding.
I handed her the packaged snacks and arranged a meeting place for tomorrow. After that, we said our goodbyes outside the shop.