Rating: T+ (M Post Act 1)
Pairing(s): Naruto/Nezuko; Tanjiro/Kanao; Sasuke/Sakura; Shikamaru/Temari; Zenitsu/Ino; Inosuke/Aoi; Neji/Tenten; Giyu/Shinobu; Kakashi/Anko.
Genre: Romance; Horror & Gore; Drama & Some Angst; Shonen Jump Action; Humoresque.
Notes:
Hello everyone! Zancrowe here!
I do want to thank each and every one of you for all the reviews and comments. Even if I have not been able to reply back to all of you, rest assure that I have taken all the praise and criticism to heart. It's my intention to write a fun and thrilling story for fans of both Naruto and Demon Slayer, so if there's anything at all you wish to share with me, please do not hesitate to do so. This story has been planned out in advance, so I have a north that I'm heading towards, but even then I am not immune to mistakes, so any and all help is appreciated!
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto; or, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
"Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru! It's getting late, mom says for us all to come back inside," the elder sister called out, one hand opened right next to her lips in an effort to make her voice reach further. She had never been one to be loud, especially when also tasked with the tremendously difficult task of putting her baby brother to sleep. Try as she might, little Rokuta was wide awake, those dark red eyes peeking from her shoulder and onto his ever playful siblings. He missed his father; that much she knew. They all did, and the pain of his departure hurt even more so whenever their elder brother would be away.
"Ah, come on sis!" Shigeru whined, grabbing onto the ball the trio had been playing with as if his elder sister Nezuko was about to yank it from him. Silly boy, she'd never. "We want to wait until Tanjiro comes back."
"Big bro should be back soon," the younger sister, Hanako, explained. "It's already getting dark. He never stays out after dark."
"Which is exactly why~" Nezuko playfully began, before softly bopped the ball out of Shigeru's hands before the boy could react, and as it bounced up from the ground, she caught it without much effort.
"Hey!" the younger brother exclaimed with a pout.
"Too slow~" she practically sang to him. Yank it from him? She'd never. Bop it right under his nose and claim it as her own? That she'd definitely do. "Now, come on, all of you, mom's been busy making our food for us to come in late when it's already cold. We'll all get together and play tomorrow morning, promise!"
"Yeah, sis's right," the second eldest boy, Takeo, thankfully took her stance in all this. Nezuko had already been planning to play them on a three-on-one game to get their butts into their seats, but this would suffice. "This place gets pretty creepy at night, so let's go in."
"You think big bro is alright?" a worried Hanako asked, and Nezuko could only offer the little princess a soft smile.
"Big brother? Oh, of course he is!" the elder sister addressed to all of her siblings, as they walked back towards their little home, turned to face her as she spoke. "He's insanely responsible and dependable. If he's late, it's probably because he's making great progress in his work. Come tomorrow, he'll bring enough for new clothing for you all!" Nezuko explained, then stopped, wondering to herself if she should probably lower those expectations a bit, as she didn't want to burden her brother any more than he already was. "…But material stuff aside, which isn't important, he'll be back safe and sound, and we can play ball, all of us. Any bets on who'll win between us?"
"Big bro."
"Brother."
"Big bro Tanjiro, obviously."
"Bro bro~"
"…Not a single vote of confidence in my favor it seems," a playfully distressed Nezuko said with her head lowered in shame, as her siblings all moved to "console" her, and by that, they began to tickle her. She had to bite into her lips as they did, as they all knew her weakness well. She was insanely ticklish, and despite her best effort to tickle back, she was no match for an onslaught of four against one, especially when one of those four hung right at her back. By the time the five siblings made their way into their home, their mother had a very peculiar sight before her. Four happy kids and a very exhausted looking Nezuko.
"Kids…" their mother voiced, and the four immediately straightened up. "Don't take advantage of your sister like that. Otherwise I will be forced to authorize her to fight back."
The four gulped turning to each other, before the eyed their elder sister…
…Nezuko flashed the four a very sinister grin, which made them all rush towards the dining area, laughing all the way at their elder sister's playful nature. The table had already been set, so they each took a seat, as Nezuko moved in and set herself on the table, before setting Rokuta right next to her. She pinched his cheeks out of habit, causing the boy that seemed to be recognizing Nezuko more as his actual mother than Kie, who in her defense found that utterly adorable. Within moments, the family of seven minus one were eating, the warm meal taking away the chill from the night, and the candles adorning the area pushing away the darkness that had enveloped their loving home.
It wasn't perfect, because despite how sure she made herself sound to her siblings, she was awfully worried about her elder brother. Tanjiro was dependable, she had not lied about that. He was also smart, and resourceful. If he got into any sort of problem, he'd know how to get out of it. But… that didn't mean she wouldn't worry. Any sister would. She didn't like to sleep in this house if he wasn't there. If any single one of them wasn't there. A home was made by its people, not the walls or the roof. So she couldn't help but worry, and simply promise herself that she's jump into his arms and hug him tightly whenever he'd come back, making him swear he'd never stay out so late again.
He'd laugh and apologize, because of course he would, and he'd promise he wouldn't. And Nezuko knew; she knew he'd keep it. Because if there was one person she could depend on, it was her elder brother.
Then came the knock.
They had almost finished eating. Rokuta had at least, especially since Nezuko had spoon-fed him most of it. She was in the process of tucking him into bed when she heard the knocking on their door, her eyes almost sparkling at the idea that Tanjiro had finally returned, just before they sunk when she recalled that he wouldn't knock like that. He'd know they were probably about to go to sleep, he'd just come in, so… who…?
Nezuko then heard her mother by the door. Nezuko couldn't see that far back, not from the room she was at, trying her best not to let the youngest brother be awakened. She could also hear the other three, bouncing about, likely thinking it was Tanjiro at the door.
"Kids please. You guys haven't finished eating yet," she heard her mother tell the three, before she heard the sound of the door be opened. Somehow, even if she was far away from there, the chill of the night hit her as soon as that door was opened, down to her very bones. "Y-Yes?"
"My apologies," spoke what Nezuko figured was a grown man. He sounded young, but he also sounded old. He sounded kind, yet he also sounded… wrong. She couldn't quite understand it. She began to move towards the entrance, to catch a glimpse of this visiting stranger. "I seem to have lost my way across these woods," the man told their mother. "…And I couldn't quite help but become enamoured by that wonderful smell coming from this little household. I don't mean to be a bother, but may I warm myself in your home, if only for a few minutes?"
'He wants to come inside?' Nezuko thought, as her increasingly quickening steps took her from the kids' rooms towards the entrance, trying her best to calm herself and tell herself that any gut feeling she was experiencing was nothing more than paranoia. The effect of hearing so many tall-tale from the locals.
"Who are you Mister?" Hanako quickly asked, as their mother quickly shushed the little girl.
"Hanako, sweetie, please," Kie Kamado said, before she turned to the stranger. "I'm sorry, they get, well, excited when people visit. It doesn't happen often."
"Oh, no offense whatsoever," the man replied. He then turned to Hanako, and just as Nezuko managed to peek her head from the edge of the wall, the man flashed the girl a very peculiar smile. "My name's Kibutsuji Muzan," he introduced. "And it's my utmost pleasure to meet you sweetheart. How old are you?"
"Oh! I'm-"
"She's young," Nezuko cut in, stepping out from the hallway and walking towards their visitor, whose expression shifted so quickly she wasn't able to follow it properly. It was almost as she had imagined it, since as soon as she observed him, he was all smiles at her. "My name's Nezuko Kamado, the eldest of this household."
"Ah, eldest," he commented. "Such a pleasure to meet you young lady. Quite the lovely set of kids you have here Mrs. Kamado. I'm almost envious."
"You have kids, Mr. Muzan?" her mother voiced, her tone still wary of the man. Just as how Nezuko was.
"One," he replied. "Although, sometimes it feels like I have hundreds, with how… naughty they can be. Kids, I mean."
"Mine are a handful at times," their mother admitted, as the younger three kids present pouted, unaware of the situation at hand. "It's very late, Mr. Muzan, and I'm expecting my husband and eldest boy to be back here soon, so if you'd like, I could pack up a little bit of our meal so that you may-"
"You don't have a husband."
"-enjoy it on… What?"
"Funny, I didn't stammer," Muzan spoke, the politeness fully exorcised from his voice. All that remained was venom, and it made all the kids freeze in place. "I said, you don't have a husband. Not a living one, at least. I should know, I asked around. An elder boy, you do have. For the given definition of "elder", at least. Still, my assessment of this household remains, you are severely lacking a male presence in this home."
"P-Please leave," their mother instructed, her tone filled with fright, but her eyes burning themselves into Muzan, watching his every move. She was scared, because of course she was, but she was making it clear she wasn't going to let him inside.
"My, how impolite," Muzan voiced, as he proceeded to place his hand on his hat. A very expensive looking hat, Nezuko had noted, white as the very snow which fell. He removed it from his head, and placed it to the side, letting it drop to the floor just outside the Kamado family's home. "I come to you, hungry and cold, and you chase me away. Why am I not surprised?"
Nezuko could barely follow what happened next.
One moment their mother had been standing between this man and them, the very next she's impaled to the wall, well behind them all. Or at least, half of her was. Her lower body, split evenly by the waist down, was still standing before Muzan, before it slowly tumbled forwards, falling down before his very feet.
Kie Kamado upper body slowly became limp, as her eyes slowly seem to fade away from existence itself, held to the wall by a long claw-like thing protruding out of that monstrous man. Nezuko and her siblings were now covered in blood that was not their own, but that very could well be, as Muzan merely cocked his head to the side at display before him. The kids weren't screaming, or running. They were just standing there shocked, as small tears began to slowly form in their eyes.
"Kids…" he muttered. "Always so slow in the intake. Let me try to help. I, as in this guy right here, just murdered your mother, who's over there… and, a little bit here, making for a very elegant wall decoration if I do say so myself. That aside, like I said, I am famished, so allow me to take that woman up on her offer feast on the four delicious little treats she made for me."
He took a step forwards, the claw contorting itself and retreating towards his body, allowing Kie's body to slowly slump itself down from the wall. Muzan then took a long lick across the bloodied claw, savoring every dingle droplet of blood, before he aimed it at the kids, as if ready to pounce onto any of them. The kids were frozen in place, their eyes wide, just before Nezuko jumped in between him and them.
"Ah, eldest indeed," he applauded. "Are you going to beg, cry or try and make a wager? I can never properly predict which one I'll get."
"…N-No, p-please w-wait-t," she began, as the tears would not stop. Despite this, she kept her hands fully extended, in a vain effort at keeping this monster from reaching her siblings, somehow. "I-I-"
"Ah, beg it is," he said, and she felt herself about to faint. "Oh, don't mind me, go on. I want to hear you say it."
"I-I, n-no, please, j-just let u-us-l-let them," she tried, but Muzan simply moved one hand to the side, and flicked his wrist. Nezuko only felt a breeze, before she heard the wood crack.
Then she saw Shigeru fall, his body covered in blood, his eyes as lifeless as their mother's. She didn't even hear him scream.
"Your begging does not amuse me in the slightest, you can barely pronounce the words properly," he explained, as he moved to eye the shaking Hanako, as Takeo forced himself to move and cover his little sister with his own frame, causing Muzan to give the boy a small, proud smile. "Ah, the third eldest I take it. Not bad. Won't do you much good, but I'll try and make it painless."
"No!" Nezuko shouted as loud as she could, as she quickly turned to the two. "Run! Run away now!"
Takeo didn't have the strength in him to move, but upon hearing his sister's desperate plea, he forced his body to react and ran, grabbing Hanako by the hand and pulling her along with him, as the two fled from the area and into the house, with Nezuko noting that they were moving towards where Rokuta was. Good, Nezuko noted, it would mean they could carry him out as well.
She then saw Muzan shift in his stance, his hand raising towards where the kids were running. She quickly got in the way, grabbing his hand with her own, lowering his aim towards her own body, as she pleaded again, this time forcing herself to speak as best she could, fear be damned. "Please, take me, do whatever you want to me. Just let them go. They're kids. I-I'm worth much more. Just tell me what it is you want, I'll do it. You won't be hungry with me, so please, I beg you, just let them go. Please…"
Muzan paused, turning to face the twelve year old girl currently begging not for her life, but for her siblings'. He then offered the girl the fondest smile she had seen the man sport, and for a moment, her own face lit up. It didn't matter she had practically sold herself to this monster, all that mattered was that they were safe. That she could protect them. No matter what this monster did to her, if they were safe, then she'd endure.
"Such a caring little lady," Muzan mussed, as he called back the tendril. Nezuko's eyes widened. When had he summoned it again? "…That offer is one I'll remember. Unfortunately, you really can't offer me anything I can't simply take otherwise."
"…What…?"
He then pulled his "claw" back fully, and on the tip, were the bodies of Takeo and Hanako, perforated by their torsos, blood drenching from their wound, mouths and eyes. Nezuko screamed and cried, trying to reach their bodies, but Muzan kept them at bay. "Please have some proper etiquette my dear, don't touch my food."
"Oh… God, no… Oh," Nezuko cried out, before she felt the air leave her body as Muzan lifted her by the neck, almost effortlessly, as he placed her at eye-level with him, his eyes now blood red.
"Where are your manners?" he asked her, and his voice now sounded monstrous. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, did your mother never teach you that? The only divine intervention you may cry out to is of my own, so, let me see you grovel at my feet. Lick them, kiss them, grovel and I may spare him!"
Him?
Nezuko's crying eyes widened. In his other hand, somehow, was a trembling Rokuta, his eyes meeting hers, a silent plea from him to her. She felt her entire world fall to pieces at that very moment. "…Rokuta," she whimpered.
"Choose your words carefully little girl," Muzan told her. "Your baby brother's very life hangs in the bal-shit!"
She bit down so hard into his hand that it drew blood, shocking the invading demon so much that he instinctively released her. It had not been the pain, as he barely felt anything, but just the sheer animosity from the petite girl that took him by complete surprise. She, on the other hand, wasted no time. She landed on her feet, and ran towards Rokuta, snatching him from Muzan's tendril just as easily as she would a ball from Shigeru. Then she ran. She pressed Rokuta against her chest, as the boy cried out to her, and she ran. She ran past the bodies of her family, knowing that stopping even for a second would mean she'd lose Rokuta as well. So she ran. Out of their blood drenched home. Out to the dark woods…
Out to find Tanjiro… He'd know how to help them. He'd be able to protect them. Please…
"Please…" she cried out, "Someone he-!"
Then she felt the tendril tear right through her abdomen. As she felt her body grow numb, her eyes darted downwards. Her back, her stomach. She was holding Rokuta there. Was he also…? She couldn't see. She couldn't see anything anymore. She could only gasp for air, even if she wasn't sure there were any lungs left to be filled. As she landed on the cold ground, her last moments were nothing but the taste of copper that the blood of that monster had left in her lips, as the cold and darkness took her.
In her death, she also remembered Tanjiro, crying out to her.
"Nezuko!"
Don't cry. I don't like it when you cry.
"Nezuko!"
I'm here. I can hear you. Forgive me, I couldn't save them.
"Nezuko, don't worry, I'll save you… I-I promise, I will…"
I know. I know. Of course you will.
"Nezuko! Stop! It's me!"
Nezuko jumped away, the sight of her pouncing on Tanjiro, fangs ready to devour the last of her family, as she fought against her urges with what little was left of herself. She'd never hurt him, she's rather die. So she forced herself to bounce away, with way too much strength, and she felt herself land on a wooden surface, cracking it open like if it were made of paper, before she bounced again and landed on another surface, this time softly as to not break it. Her vision was still blurry, and it was dark, but as her eyes desperately searched for something familiar, she made eye contact with him.
"Nezuko!" her brother cried out, standing above her, somehow, his feet to the ceiling. "It's alright, we're safe. Was it a night terror? You're safe, look, safe," Tanjiro assured her, pointing to their surroundings. Nezuko looked around, her eyes scanning the place. It was a wooded room of sorts, minimalistic in nature but cozy. It wasn't their home, nor was it Sakonji Urokodaki's home. She looked around some more, finally noticing that her brother was not standing upside down above her, rather she was hanging on the ceiling, all creepily on all fours. She blushed slightly at this, as she noticed she was still simply wearing that smelly orange jacket that the multiplying boy had given her and little else.
The blushing girl bounced right back and landed on the floor before her worried brother, who quickly moved and gave the girl a warm hug, one which she never felt she needed more than now.
"It's okay," he whispered into her ear, as she buried her head into his chest. "It's alright Nezuko, we're together now. Nothing is going to hurt you."
She whimpered into his robes, a muffled sound he didn't understand, but one which she wished to the heavens she could tell him that she wasn't worried about herself. This should never be about her.
Then he filled her face with kisses, which made the younger girl all giddy inside, exorcising the dream demons that had taken over her and allowing her to smile once more, even if said smile was obscured by the familiar piece of bamboo that kept her in check.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"Mm hmm," she nodded back.
"That's good!" he replied, placing his hand across her cheek and caressing his younger sister gently. "…You don't have to worry. We'll find a cure… and we'll end this nightmare. We'll bring that monster down; he won't win. You remember the stories mom used to read to us, right? Not once did the evil monsters win. Well, we'll have ourselves one of those endings. A happy ending, to our ever convoluted story. That sound good to you."
She said nothing. Just nodded once more, and he smiled at her.
Then the broken wall was broken further. The ninja that had been sleeping elsewhere rushed into the siblings' room, pants only up one leg, held up by one hand, a kunai in his mouth and his pillow on his other hand. He had the eyes of a madman, half scared and half angry, as he dashed towards the two. Tanjiro and Nezuko looked on, stupefied.
"What was that?! An attack?! Is it another one of those de-ack!" the blonde screamed out, before he tripped on some wooden debris and landed flat on his face, filling the room with the feathers that had made up his once-upon-a-time pillow.
"Where's the attack?! Naruto, remember what I told you not to rush into-ack!" the blonde's master, the self-proclaimed Toad Sannin, or something to that extent, rushed behind Naruto, sporting only colorful underpants and still clutching onto his favorite bikini-model body-pillow, as he also tripped (on his pupil, no less) and landed flat on his face.
Tanjiro and Nezuko just looked on, at the two "ninjas" currently sprawled across the wooden floor, a feeling of awkwardness enveloping the four. It did, however, result in Nezuko giving out a very soft laughter, which if only for just a bit, reminded Tanjiro of the Nezuko of old. Perhaps some things were for the best, he noted.
"Ah, that's right," he muttered to her, as the two Shinobi began to argue with each other over who messed up the most. "It's not just our story anymore, is it?"
-0-
"Alright kids, eat up!" Jiraiya told the two as he placed a breakfast-banquet on the table, as both Naruto and Tanjiro gave the sight a very questioning look. The old man had cooked them a very big and varied breakfast meal. Eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, fruits, sausages and plenty more was placed on the big table before the duo. This little two-room hotel they had "booked", or rather, that had been deserted ever since the village had been evacuated and thus they didn't need to pay a ryo; was pretty cozy at least. It did allow for Naruto and the Kamado siblings to rest, which after their fight with the two demons, it was something they very much needed.
"Since when can you even cook Pervy Sage," Naruto asked Jiraiya, as the elder man gave the boy a sharp look.
"I'll have you know I'm a pro behind the stove," Jiraiya told his ward, an air of pride in his words. "If you want to be a proper ninja, you should learn how to cover all your basics, and a ninja must be properly nourished."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto mumbled as he sat down, rubbing his still sleepy eyes in the process. Hard to fall asleep after a demonic girl broke down your wall and almost made it fall on you in the middle of your rest. "…You're just showing off in front of the siblings."
"What was that?!"
"Nothing! Let's dig in!"
"That's what I thought you said," Jiraiya added, as he took a seat himself on the opposite side of the table, before he turned to the young swordsman. "I know it's pretty to look at, but food it meant to be eaten. Take a seat kiddo."
"Oh, I, erm," Tanjiro tried, but all he could do was stammer and blush. "I-I'm thankful, really. You've both have been very kind to us, despite how rash I acted earlier," Tanjiro explained. "But I really don't want to be a hindrance. Nezuko and I will take our leave, you do not have to take care of us, and we'll pay you back anything you believe fair."
The boy then bowed before the Sannin, who gave the sight a curious look, before he turned to Naruto, who was busy shoving four pancakes into his mouth. Naruto tried to say "don't look at me, he's weird" but nothing could have ever been understood out of that food-filled mouth of his.
"Swallow before you talk, you damn brat," Jiraiya reprimanded, before he turned to Tanjiro. "And you, take that stick out of your butt."
"What?!"
"Relax a little," the Master explained. "A little hospitality is too a good thing to let it go to waste. You and your sister helped out at subduing those troublemaking demons last night; way I see it, we're now comrades in arms, so let's feast. Besides, I can't let two kids go on hungry, that ain't the type of man I am."
"I possibly couldn't," the still bashful Tanjiro tried.
"You most certainly could," Jiraiya added. "Besides, my idiot apprentice here broke something of yours, didn't he? So we owe you that much."
"I didn't break it!" Naruto defended. "I used it for a substitution! The big demon-thing was very punchy in his methods, so it broke. I'll get them a new one!"
"Oh yeah, right," Jiraiya shot back. "I'm sure you have easy access to Mist Cloud Fir materials just lying around, no?"
Naruto then shifted his position in his seat, avoiding the accusing gaze of his master and he took a sip from his orange juice. "…maybe."
"You don't, and that's obvious. It doesn't grow in these parts after all," Jiraiya explained, as he stood up, taking a few steps until he reached Tanjiro, who looked up at the elder man, still unsure of what he should do. "But don't you worry about that. A few friends of mine know of the material, and they took care of that little issue, I hope it's to your liking!"
"Huh? What do you-?" Tanjiro began, but before he could finish asking, Jiraiya took one of the kitchen knives and cut himself slightly on his thumb, which shocked Tanjiro greatly, despite the fact that Naruto did not even bat an eye at the display. A few hand signals later, a puff of smoke covered the kitchen floor, as Tanjiro could swear he had seen some type of scripture appear out of the blue on the wood on the floor.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
And out of the smoke appeared a new box, almost inch-for-inch the same as the one his Master had made for him previously. Tanjiro could only look on with the widest of eyes and his jaw slightly agape. It was fixed. He didn't know how, but it was.
"That was amazing!" Tanjiro told them. Jiraiya smiled proudly. Naruto stuffed his face. "I-It's just as good as new! Such great work, thank you! I-I mean, I wasn't holding Naruto accountable, he did it to protect himself and help us in fighting those demons, so I'd much rather this box break than anything happen to him… But, man, thanks! I was brainstorming all night how to carry Nezuko back without getting her drenched in sunlight."
"Wait," Naruto spoke up, using his chopsticks to point to the box. "You seriously shove your sister in there? There aren't even any air-holes on that thing!"
"She's not human Naruto, remember?" Jiraiya answered for Tanjiro, and the swordsman froze. Would that be a problem for this man? He'd never allow anyone to hurt Nezuko, that was certain, but he also knew… He knew, by just being in the presence of this man, if Jiraiya wanted him dead, he would be dead within moments. He could feel it.
"…She won't hurt a human," Tanjiro told the two. "She's been like this for months now. And I have wagered my life in proving that. My goal is to save her, so you mustn't worry about her."
"Nah, she's cool," Naruto answered, waving Tanjiro's concern off as he continued eating. "Girl's got a mean kick though, might make for a good training partner. Still rough to have to shove her into that small box."
"He does it because demons can't resist the sun," Jiraiya explained, as Tanjiro looked on, surprised at this man's knowledge.
"You know…?"
"I've had my run-ins," Jiraiya explained. "Demons don't usually reach these parts. Not those types in any case. But I have met a few members of your corps, of the Demon Slayers. Rowdy bunch, I must admit, but man do they have good looking women, am I right?" Jiraiya added as he nudged Tanjiro's shoulder, as the young boy's face turned bright red in response.
"W-What? Oh, I don't know about that! They're very dependable comrades, and strong fighters, you know…" he replied, finding the subject of the conversation very awkward for him.
"Oh, yeah, no denying their skills, but," Jiraiya continued, offering the boy a very strange smirk. "You also know what else I mean. Those short skirts, those tight robes, some of those girls have such a tight attire that it feels that at even the slightest motion their clothes are just going to open up and out comes those perky br-"
Naruto's bowl landed right against the pervert's face, sending the elder man onto the ground.
"Dial down on the dirty old man shtick there," Naruto dryly told the fallen man. "Tanjiro's telling you about how he wants to save his sister and all you're worried about is checking out his superiors, for shame," Naruto continued, as he half-heartedly wondered to himself when did he become the voice of reason of, well, anything?
"Fair point," the man with the bowl still stuck on his head answered, before he stood back up and addressed Tanjiro again. "Sorry about that, my inner writer occasionally takes over me sometimes."
"He means he can't help being a pervert," Naruto added.
"Stop butting in!" Jiraiya scolded, before he turned back to an ever-more confused Tanjiro. "Now, I see that you are quite the peculiar Demon Slayer. Considering how strict their rules are, that they'd openly allow one of their own to carry a demon around is quite something. Must have taken you a lot of effort to manage that."
"Yeah, I couldn't have done it without Master Urokodaki, and of course the Water Pillar Giyu Tomioka. They both pledged their lives in order to assure to the Corps that Nezuko would never harm a human being. I… I wouldn't have gotten this far without them," Tanjiro explained, feeling his throat tightening as he did, since it was still a subject that made him tear up a bit.
"Huh? Master Urokodaki? Are you referring to Sakonji Urokodaki by any chance?" Jiraiya asked, and at this Tanjiro lit up.
"Yes, he's my Master. He trained me in the Demon Slaying arts," he replied. "Y-You know him?"
"Know him? I fought alongside him a long time ago," Jiraiya replied, and both Naruto and Tanjiro gave the man an awestruck look. "What? I haven't spent my entire career just walking around the Land of Fire. There's a big world out there, very big mind you. Still, that crazy masked swordsman is now tutoring kids, my, how times change. Is he still a Pillar?"
"Oh, no, he has retired," Tanjiro replied. "…He's still insanely strong, though."
"I'd imagine," Jiraiya commented. "To be frank, there's a lot of questions I wish I could ask you, given the strangeness of all these events that have been happening the last couple of weeks. Seems like the demons are a whole lot more active nowadays, and have begun to appear in areas where they had never before set foot in… But, that might have to wait."
"Huh?" Naruto and Tanjiro both asked in unison, blinking questioningly at the older man.
"…Seems like our little Demon Slayer here is being called into action," Jiraiya explained, as he pointed to the nearest window, where a familiar crow had just landed, his eyes fixated on Tanjiro, who bit his lip in anticipation. Naruto just looked on, wondering what all the fuss was about regarding one dumb bird.
-0-
It took several days for him to reach his destination, or rather, several days to reach the midpoint towards what would eventually be his final destination. As he traveled, he noticed that the days got longer, the nights got shorter, and the heat and dryness of the ambience got ever so stronger. It didn't take long for him to notice he was getting closer and closer to a desert. Once he managed to reach the designating meeting spot, as per told by his superiors, he couldn't even begin to process just how damn big the desert before him seemed to be. Utterly endless, he noted, a sure sign that he was going to buy his farm within those sands…
"Oh, Slayer Zenitsu, pleased to see you have arrived unharmed," a voice spoke right next to the sword-wielding youth, who proceeded to jump in sheer fright and land a few meters away, sword drawn (still tucked away in its sheath) in an effort to defend himself.
"Who goes there?!" the ever-scared Lightning Master screamed out, before his eyes caught glimpse of the individual responsible for his latest fright.
"Oh… My apologies for, erm, startling you," a familiar face, erm, mask told him. One of the members of the clean-up brigade, Zenitsu remembered; named Goto if he recalled that correctly. "I have been given the extra task of handing your group a few essentials before you embark on your journey."
"Oh, that's nice of you…" Wait. "…Before we embark? I thought I was already half-way there!"
"Oh, well, if you count it by distance, then yes, probably," Goto explained. "But over in these parts is where all the disappearance have been happening, as most people who enter that part of the desert are never seen again. Seems like it's quite the challenge for them to send so many of you, noteworthy as you all are."
"You don't say…" a teary eyed Zenitsu muttered, before he registered the other part of Goto's words. "Wait… So many? How many Slayers are there assigned to this mission?"
"Five," Goto replied.
"Five? That's… not too bad actually… But, where are they?" Zenitsu asked, seeing as there was no one else out there but Goto and himself. And he damn well hoped Goto, for as dependable as he was, wasn't among those "five" Slayers.
"They haven't arrived yet, it seems," Goto replied, as he took out his backpack and pulled out a few fabrics. "Hence why I'm handing this to you. As per instructed, a new attire for both of the Kamado siblings, which they requested to after their latest battle."
'Kamado? Yes!' Zenitsu thought, as he lit up. "That means Tanjiro! No, even better, that means Nezuko! Oh, my precious, adorable Nezuko! Together at last! Ah… Wait? She gets a uniform too? Since when?"
"I don't think it's one of yours," Goto explained. "Just a pinkish kimono, the checkered obi and the haori, which she seemed to have gotten… eaten, I think, if I read the report ri-"
Zenitsu had Goto by the throat so fast that the masked boy didn't even see the blonde move. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, as Zenitsu spoke to him with a voice so frightening that he could have sworn it had come from a demon as opposed to a Slayer. "…Did you say my precious Nezuko got eaten?"
"O-Oh, n-no, Slayer Z-Zenitsu, she's fine, i-it was he clothing that got-"
"Huh?" the now returned to normal Zenitsu asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "Just her clothes? Wait… does that mean my dear Nezuko was indecent?!"
"I… wouldn't know," Goto answered honestly.
"Well, not that it matters much, given how she only travels with Tanjiro, and as the elder brother, he'd never allow anyone to see such a pure princess in any state of undress," Zenitsu concluded, as he nodded to himself, proud of his reasoning. Goto was still confused. And a little frightened.
"Uh… yes, they weren't being accompanied by any other Slayer," Goto confirmed, then remembered, "Oh, but there was that one young ninja with them, the one who helped him complete their miss-ack!"
Goto was once again being held by the throat.
"…What ninja?"
"I-I haven't a-any i-id-ack!"
Then Goto got thrown right out of Zenitsu's hands, or rather, kicked out. The poor boy flew a bit, before he silently fell onto the nearby sand hill, landing head first and remaining sticking in place with his feet in the air. Zenitsu could only blink, completely confused as he had not pushed the masked boy in the slightest, but as soon as he turned to the side, his confusion became annoyance.
"Pig Assault!" screamed the assailant, who had just kicked the cleanup brigade member several feet away. The ever shirtless, boar-mask wearing boy then turned to Zenitsu, and offered the blonde a hearty thumbs-up. "Nice hold! I got him good!"
Zenitsu wanted to kick him away, for good if possible.
"You imbecil, he's one of ours!" Zenitsu screamed into Inosuke's face, as the pig quickly got pissed and began to scream right back.
"Then why were you attacking him?!" the pig assaulted verbally.
"I wasn't! I was asking about Nezuko!" Zenitsu defended.
"Who's Nezumi?!" Inosuke barked back.
"It's Ne-zu-ko, you Neanderthal!" Zenitsu corrected. "If there's anybody who you need to put some effort in getting their name right, it's her!"
"I never get names wrong!"
"What's my name then?"
"Zenigata!"
"Do I look like an Inspector to you?!"
"I don't know your life!"
As Zenitsu and Inosuke looked all but ready to begin slashing themselves to bits, a familiar sight caused them both to stop in their tracks, turning their heads to the side, both staring into the same direction from where they had walked in from. Standing feet from the bickering duo, stood the third member of their trio, who upon seeing the two, quickly lit up, smiles and all, which caused the two to lower their animosity, even if they couldn't quite describe why.
"Zenitsu! Inosuke!" Tanjiro cried out as he rushed to them, and before they could react, jumped towards them and gave the two a tight hug, which caught them off-guard, especially the pig. "I'm so glad you both are alright! Can you believe it that we're together again on a-huh?"
Tanjiro was confused, as one second he had been hugging his best friends, the next, he had been tackled onto the ground by Inosuke. The Water Slayer was dumbfounded to say the least.
"Nice try Konjiro!" Inosuke praised, in his special way. "But your tackle needs work! You won't catch me off-guard so easily!"
Then Inosuke was smacked right across his mask by Zenitsu, causing it to flip and face the other way.
"You idiot!" Zenitsu scolded, as the pig swung his fists in the air like a madman, as he didn't bother to fix his mask first before he started his counterattack. "He was hugging us! Can you be anymore stupid?"
"That's quite alright," a sandy Tanjiro cut in, popping back up on his feet and brushing himself off. "That's still very nice of you Inosuke."
"What?!"
"That you tackled me to the ground facedown," Tanjiro explained, pointing to his back. "…That way Nezuko wouldn't be disturbed. For such a brash guy, you can be pretty gentle at times."
"…I will cut you."
"Ignore the pig!" Zenitsu cut in, stepping between Tanjiro and Inosuke, quickly grabbing Tanjiro's hands with his own. "That aside, how have you two been? I heard that you got into quite the fight, and m-your sister Nezuko got her… clothes eaten, if I understood that correctly?"
"She should dress like me," Inosuke cut in, standing proudly to show off his half-nakedness. "That way there's barely anything to lose!"
"She's a girl you moron!"
"And what of it?!"
"Guys, guys, relax," Tanjiro tried his best to calm the two. Mission had not even begun and they were already off to a rough start, it seemed. "But yeah, I got my clothing wrecked, and Nezuko too. Not all of it, just her outerwear. The Corps said they'd send someone with replacements here, so I was wondering if… why are you two looking at each other like that?"
"Ah…" Inosuke began.
"We totally forgot him…" Zenitsu concluded, as both he and Inosuke ran towards Goto's now limp body, still buried in the sand. Zenitsu to try and help the guy, Inosuke to try and beat Zenitsu at "helping" the guy. Tanjiro could only stare, completely shocked, at the display before him. This was going to be a long mission… which, of course, reminded him of that one other factor…
"Are those the guys you keep mentioning?" the jacketless ninja spoke up as he walked towards Tanjiro, his eyes scanning the two other swordsmen currently digging out the almost dead guy from the sand. Naruto knew his fair share of quirky dudes, but this honestly felt a bridge too far, even for him.
"They're… difficult," Tanjiro tried to downplay. "But, once you get to know them, I wouldn't want anyone else next to me in the battlefield."
"Makes sense," Naruto replied, as he narrowed his eyes at the sight before him. Not the Slayers, but rather, the desert that they had been assigned to travers. 'Pervy Sage was clear when he said I should come with these guys, but this desert, if I heard it right from him, it is the Land where the Sand Shinobi have their village, right? Somewhere in there, I mean…'
He also remembered the words Jiraiya had told him, moments before he departed with Tanjiro and Nezuko on their next assignment.
"Do I really need to go?" Naruto whined. "I get helping people an all, but wasn't the purpose of me leaving the village so that I could focus on my training fully?"
"It was, and it still is," Jiraiya replied. "If you're lucky, you'll learn a lot from this. But that summoning crow, not only did it address Tanjiro, but it also requested my presence at their headquarters. Shinobi and Slayers barely communicate, but it seems whatever this Muzan fellow is up to had the Slayers rattled, and that could end up affecting us if we don't do something about it. Hey, don't give me that look," he added, as he softly patted Naruto's head. "I'm just going to get some intel from them. You be careful and learn as much as you can from their methods. A Hokage should know more about the world than any other Shinobi in his or her village, so consider this a massive step forwards. Be on guard, and as always…"
See though deception.
'Easier said than done, but… I'll own this mission so hard that I'll be both a Hokage and a Pillar-thingy all-in-one when this is done!' Naruto declared to himself, as he watched as a now revived Goto gave Tanjiro his clothing and Nezuko's, while the masked man practically ignored the other two, likely still mad by being pile-driven into the sand. Tanjiro simply placed Nezuko's clothes into her box, the shape-shifting girl probably having no trouble getting dressed in that tight space, whenever she woke up that was.
Then Goto left, in a hurry, and the other two Slayers turned their attention to Naruto, who tilted a brow in anticipation.
"Um… Tanjiro?" Zenitsu began. "Who's this other dude?"
"A villain!" Inosuke accused, as he reached for his blades.
"No! Stop it!" Tanjiro quickly scolded the pig, and to Naruto's surprise, the volatile young man actually stood down. "This is my new friend, his name is Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja in-training who helped Nezuko and me against some demons. He is going to be his village's next Hokage, was it? Did I say it right-Naruto?"
Naruto was almost crying.
"D-Don't mind m-me," the increasingly snottier ninja said. "I have never been introduced as the next Hokage. It feels incredible, I think I love you."
"…Okay," Tanjiro replied, turning back to the other two. "He's also a big softy, so treat each other well."
"Oh, so he's the ninja," Zenitsu said, as he furrowed his brow. 'He's about our age. Did he see my precious Nezuko in a less than ideal state?! No, calm yourself Zenitsu, if Tanjiro's not mad at him, I have no reason to… even if he's blonde like me and has blue eyes of all things! Life is so unfair!'
Inosuke said nothing. The pig-man simply took a few steps and walked right up to Naruto, meeting the ninja right up in his face, Naruto's face inches from his boar mask. Naruto tensed, sensing hostility from the dual swordsman, as Inosuke seemed to stare him down. Naruto glared right back, his fist clenched and inches from his weapon pouch.
"Got a problem?" Naruto asked, as Tanjiro quickly called for Inosuke to calm down.
"Maybe," Inosuke replied.
"…And?" Naruto shot back.
"…Depending on your answer," Inosuke warned, his voice oozing venom. "I might just cut you down right here and now."
"Oh really?" Naruto said as his chakra began to increase its flow across his body, the familiar feeling of power hitting him once again. He stared Inosuke down, and the pig glared right back.
"Are you…?"
"Yeah…?"
"…a demon?"
"…no?"
"…"
"…"
"Okay!" Inosuke happily replied, leaving Naruto even more confused. Inosuke then turned to an equally confused Tanjiro and Zenitsu, and offered the two a thumbs up. "He isn't a demon. So it's okay!"
The other three individuals present just kept quiet, deciding that it would be for the best to simply be glad Inosuke had welcomed Naruto into their group, in his own unique way, and move on. Zenitsu then began to relay the information given to them, how their destination was to be somewhere within the vast desert itself, and how they were supposed to be a team of five Slayers. Tanjiro noted, that while they were currently a party of five right there and then, if only Slayers were to be counted, they were two short, as neither Nezuko nor Naruto counted as one.
"So we're still missing two more?" Zenitsu asked, feeling even safer now that he knew they were going to be an even bigger group.
"Five huh?" Naruto muttered, his arms crossed as he looked out into the dessert. "You guys sure like to travel in large groups. We ninja usually keep our teams at four."
"Are you a strong ninja Boruto?" Inosuke asked the blonde Shinobi, who had his trademark foxlike face in place.
"Who's Boruto?!" Naruto blurted out. "I mean, it's a nice name, but I'm Naruto, like what you put in ramen!"
"…I like ramen," the pig admitted.
"I like ramen too," the happy ninja agreed.
'Two more…' Tanjiro mused, as he looked on from his quirky companions and towards the road before them. 'What kind of mission is this that they decide to send so many of us to? I mean, groups of Slayers is nothing new, and as far as I know, none of the Pillars will be joining us, so it's probably not a big deal. Still… I can't shake this feeling of dread. Best be on our guard…'
-0-
As the foursome of boys and their sleeping demoness got themselves ready to head out to their mission, while also waiting for their remaining comrades, a lone figure looked on from afar, her eyes scanning the group. She had arrived before even Zenitsu had, and had had every intention on joining them, but as more and more shenanigans transpired between them, she couldn't muster the courage to do so. She wanted to, and it was her mission, self-chosen to boot.
"Are you sure about this?" she remembered Aoi asking her. "Those boys are nothing but trouble."
She had nodded as a response.
"My advice?" Aoi had told her. "Don't go lowering your guard with Tanjiro just because he has this "nice guy" vibe to him. You need to look out for yourself, first and foremost… But still, it is surprising… That you actually asked to be sent alongside them. Why was that?"
She had no answer.
And now, faced with them all. Faced with him once again, she felt it hard to move. Hard to breathe even. And she had mastered continues breathing before any of them! Why was she now feeling like this? So she swallowed hard, and just like what he had told her before he had left, she decided to go out and meet up with them. Coin not required.
So, with her blade firmly by her side, Kanao Tsuyuri began to move towards the group, ready to, somehow, be able to exchange a few words with them, no matter how hard it would be. She could do this. She would make her adoptive sisters proud.
Then she felt a shiver run down her entire spine. Out of instinct if nothing else, she took out her blade and swung it back, stopping an inch from the neck of the person that had appeared right behind her. The young man, likewise dressed as a Slayer just like they all were, was unmoved by her near attack, as he simply took a look at her blade and offered her a smile.
"Nice reflexes," he praised, his eyes scanning her from top to bottom, something which caused her some discomfort. But, she knew him. Or rather, knew of him.
"…My apologies," she said, her tone as dry as it was those very few times she spoke. "You must be our fifth member."
"Why of course," he answered, smile still ever present. "Never did think I'd be accompanied by the Insect Pillar's handpicked champion of all people. This mission might not be that hard after all, if I'm counting on your strength."
"…" Kanao said nothing. She knew she shouldn't be concerned, but something just didn't seem right. Aoi had always warned her about how some boys could be dangerous. She had never paid her much mind. If they were dangerous, she could be worse, that was Kanao's mindset. But this guy, something about him made her uneasy, even if she couldn't quite describe it. But, in the end, it didn't matter. The Corps had decided on them being a team, so she couldn't argue against it. For the duration of this mission, whether any of them liked it or not…
…The Thunder-Breathing Slayer Kaigaku was to be their Team Leader.
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