The union leaders do not belong to Nagato Combine. The Chairman addresses them as friends and allies, but the strength of their friendship and the certainty of any alliance is far less, in Machiko's view, than the bonds that join the three clans. In past meetings, Honjowara -sama has always been careful to maintain the attitude of an ally, but to Machiko it seems that he has kept a certain distance, telling the union leaders only those portions of the truth that they are in need of knowing.