Gengyo's squad was the first to arrive back. Their feet were wet with all the streams they had to walk through, but their spirits were high. The camp was still asleep when they had come back under the cover of darkness, but there were a few men about, sitting by campfires, warming a bowlful of soup before dropping back into bed.
Those men noticed them coming back in and their curiosity demanded that they not let them pass quietly.
"What has happened, my Lord?" A samurai asked boldly, lowering his head, holding a bowl full of soup in one hand.
"No villages will be burning today. Tell your Takeda comrades to rejoice," Gengyo told him, patting him on his shoulder, before turning his back on the man and resuming his wait for the other groups. It would only be a successful mission if they all managed to return safely.
