"Hehe… now I get why the patriarch looks after you!"
Miyame chuckled at Raizen's smug remark. Unlike the reckless Nagatosuke, Miyame had his head screwed on straight. He knew the Amamiya clan was teetering on the edge of ruin—every wrong move could send them plummeting off the cliff.
Raizen didn't puff up at the praise. He could read Miyame like a scroll: part scolding Nagatosuke, part keeping the peace. After all, the patriarch had personally sent him here. No amount of Nagatosuke's tantrums could reverse that.
"So… what am I supposed to do now?" Raizen asked, tilting his head at Miyame.
"You just arrived. There's nothing for you to do yet. Take this time to get used to the place and wait for orders," Miyame replied with a measured smile.
Raizen blinked. Of course. He'd known it was too early for any real work—Miyame was playing the long game, using him more as a showpiece than a soldier. Still, at least he had a foothold.
"I get it," Raizen muttered, shaking his head. He remembered the intel he'd received before arriving: three Jōnin guarding the vein. One was the patriarch's heir, one female Jōnin, and one—Miyame—was the peacemaker of the trio. Ambition, loyalty, diplomacy. Miyame commanded the mine, so all operations funneled through him. No task from the commander meant Raizen had no leverage. Simple.
"Fine. If there's no mission, I'll scope the vein myself," he said. Miyame gave a nod of faint approval, recognizing Raizen's initiative.
Raizen started toward his assigned residence—but before he could take two steps, a sharp voice cut through the morning air.
"You're Raizen, right?"
He turned to see a young female ninja in her twenties, standing with a calm, unreadable gaze.
"I am," Raizen replied, matching her stare.
"I'm Amamiya Jane. From now on, you'll shadow me and assist with certain tasks. Take today off; we start tomorrow," she said, voice cold but precise, before pivoting and walking away.
Raizen let out a quiet sigh. Jane's frosty demeanor was no surprise—the patriarch had clearly anticipated this dynamic. She was disciplined, exacting, and utterly indifferent to Nagasuke's petty posturing. The patriarch had missed only one thing: her icy neutrality meant she wouldn't intervene in internal squabbles, leaving Raizen to navigate that minefield himself.
"Well… at least it's a mission," he muttered, a half-smile tugging at his lips.
The long journey had taken its toll. By the time Raizen reached his residence, he collapsed into bed, sleeping through the afternoon and deep into the night.
Morning came with a jolt. Shouts rang outside.
"Raizen! Get up! You're on guard duty!"
Raizen scrambled to his feet and quickly readied himself. Outside, Amamiya Jane already stood, expression icy as ever. She glanced at him, snorted, and turned away without another word.
He fell in step behind her as they passed through the residential area and approached the heart of the Songshan Mine.
"So this is the vein…" Raizen muttered under his breath, taking in the sight. It wasn't spectacular—just a vast stretch of mineral-rich earth—but every motion here was done by hand. No machines. No shortcuts.
"Our task today is simple: guard the veins and prevent foreign interference," Jane said, leaping effortlessly to the highest point of the mine.
Raizen shook his head with a dry chuckle. "Responsibility and no leadership. Classic Jane," he thought, finding a suitable perch to oversee the perimeter.