[The clipped response, he thinks, tells him what he wanted to know. That certainly puts a new perspective on things, doesn't it?]

[If Hizen is connected to him, then he will have to proceed much more carefully than before. He's glad that he at least found out before it became a problem, but still... How irritating, to have a complication like that.]

Now, now, that's not very nice, is it? [Matoba smiles his cheery and annoying smile at Hizen, and gestures at him with his spoon as he makes his point.] Surely one's Master, who polished and took care of you throughout the years, deserves a little more credit than that?

I guess I wouldn't really know. [Would he?] Do swords enjoy being used, Hizen-kun?