"Had a single Crab magistrate arrived to investigate this matter, and found the two gone in two different directions, they would only be able to persue one." Herohide replied to Shizuke. "Splitting up gives them a better chance of evading justice, as Hida-san has also said." Turning to the Crab, he added "Alive is preferable, but justice must be done. The life of an honourable samurai is not to be wasted, and I would not exchange his for one of yours. I dispatched as message onwards concerning Hida-san. I expect by now his family will be aware of the murder, but if not, they will be once the messenger arrives."