We decided to follow them around for a bit. I was actually very curious as to what was going on here. Keisuke whispered "I think they might be up to no good." He agreed with me then. I hoped it was nothing too serious. A clan mission popup then appeared for me in confirmation. It was called "Clan Member???". I guessed that this was actually something important. Eventually, the suspicious acting members found Kyoko walking alone. They then began to attack her viciously. Kyoko tried to fight back in self defense, but she was not a shinobi. Outright combat was not her strong suit. We went in and helped defend her. This was clearly not some joke. There was no way we were going to let a comrade die in front of us. This evened the odds for Kyoko. After beating them back, we saw them turn into green birds and fly away in an attempt to escape. Keisuke shot one down with a single kunai. It fell and turned into a member of the Torikago Clan. He was totally dead when he landed. That meant that the hit was not over, they were not going to stop until Kyoko was dead. It was very brazen attack.
Kyoko
Kyoko was worse for wear, but would live. She thanked us for the save. "Don't worry about it Kyoko-chan. We saw them wandering around and decided to tail them. Who knew the Torikago Clan would go so far?" Keisuke was the one to answer. She had a grim expression on her face. "I was thinking about asking for a new mission, but I think I should really think about settling down." she said. "Why do you say that Kyoko-chan? You've worked so hard to become a chunin." Keisuke asked. She looked at him and said "That is exactly why. The clan does not have many female ninja. As a female chunin, I am strong and capable. I already proved that. I should now be doing what's best for the clan and procuring more members through marriage." she explained. That was fair. Women in this setting did have it hard for them. Her being under constant threat of death was also a big factor. She could not pass on her genes or knowledge to the next generation of some birdbrain Torikago killed her before she had a kid. As a chunin, he kids would be stronger as long as she had them with a decent male.
Nothing was wrong with wanting to settle down and be a mother. As a female, that was probably what was desired and expected unless the parents had no male heirs. It was not like there were not a plethora of male members that were without female partners either. "I think anyone in this clan would be lucky to have you as a bride." I said to her. Kyoko had a very complicated expression on her face. "I guess so." was all that she said in response. It was probably heart breaking to have to end her ninja career so short. That was the true power of what a Player could do. They could interact with the world and change the lives of countless NPCs. As a Devil, the impact was way more grand and potentially destructive. Keisuke and I walked her back home to ensure her safety. Her father was Naoya, the founder's fourth child. When he heard of this, he sighed and said "I completely understand. Most women do not rise further than genin for this very reason. I will see about arraigning a marriage for you soon. Eiko is a good boy. Genji too. They will go on to achieve higher ranks and greatness."
