Some of the nine are really not so far away (6)
I believe the answer is:
nearer
'not so far away' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'some of the nine are really' is the wordplay.
'some of' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'NEARER' is hidden within 'nine are really'.
(Other definitions for nearer that I've seen before include "Existing from birth" , "More close at hand" , "less generous" , "More intimate" , "More approximate" .)