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!
We are now moving onto the meat of the story. I feel that I did have to focus a bit much on exposition in these last few chapters to somewhat better align both worlds, but if I stick to that, there won't be much fun to be had. So with the first ever team-up mission between a Leaf Ninja and the Demon Slayers (that we know of) on its way, we can finally begin to pick up speed!
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto; or, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
"And I'm telling you that it was the single most, outright creepiest thing I've ever seen!" was the cry heard all across the halls leading to the main office, as the trio of ninja made their way through. Having been summoned by the Hokage herself, it was clear they were being assigned a new mission, that much was a given, but what had been a bit surprising was how they were purposely grouped up once again. With all the Jounin and most of the Chunin out of the village, it made sense for the apt Genin to be given the lower rank missions so that the Village could gain some much needed money in the meantime while they waited for the higher ranking Shinobi to return.
Still, Shikamaru noted, it was oddly nostalgic for the Hokage to purposely reunite Team 10 like this.
"I'm not saying it wasn't," Chouji stated as he walked right next to Shikamaru, although the chubby ninja's attention was focused on the bag of chips on his hands and the blonde Kunoichi on the other side. "But, like, you weren't there! When we went up against those four creeps, they transformed into some mighty scary looking guys. Even the girl was scary!"
"Especially the girl…" Shikamaru muttered, as he tried his best not to shiver at the reminder of his fight against the Sound Four Kunoichi, who would have surely left him with a lot more than a broken digit had the somehow even scarier Sand Kunoichi not arrived at the scene in time to do a surprise save.
"Yeah, and you two always describe those guys as "demonic", right?" Ino asked the two, her eyes narrowed in analysis.
"Well, yeah…" Chouji said.
"It's an apt comparison," Shikamaru added.
"Well, and I'm telling you that the bodies that have been appearing all over the forest look like the handiwork of actual demons," Ino explained. "Like serious, ritual-like sacrifices and stuff."
"But, it's just Ninjustu right?" Chouji asked, feeling a bit nervous about it all. "Like what that bastard Orochimaru had been caught doing? Or something like that?"
"Lady Tsunade thinks otherwise," Ino answered. "She says that while it is similar, there's not a trace of invasive chakra to be found, which is almost impossible. Not being able to identify a suspect's chakra is one thing, but finding none? It's like they were torn to shreds by wild animals, but some of these are Missing Nin we are talking about. Hardly people who'd fall prey to a random animal attack."
"Creepy…" Chouji commented, but added, "Still, I find the Sound guys to still be creepier."
"You wouldn't say that if you had to fight whatever did that to those Missing Nin…" Ino countered, "…and to think the first victim was just a boy. Civilian at that. Whatever those things are, they are not to be trifled with."
"I fought the Sound guy! I can handle whatever those things are!"
"At least the Sound Ninja don't try and bite off your balls!"
"Well, they-Wait, what?!" Chouji almost choked on his chips.
"That's what I'm saying!" Ino explained. "Those bodies were torn to shreds, eaten while the person was probably still alive. Strong people, reduced to an all-you-can-eat buffet, not the way I'd want to go… especially with how thoroughly they eat you."
Chouji was still gasping for air.
"…We are so ending this conversation right here," Shikamaru, likewise unnerved, stated, as he was ever-so grateful to finally reach the main office. Ino, satisfied at having won the "argument", decided to drop it, all the while Chouji looked about to faint. With such a "steady" resolve, Team 10 reported themselves before the Hokage, as Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork-loaded desk and at the trio.
"Ah, you're here, good," Tsunade quickly "greeted", as she moved her hand towards the mountain of papers and folders before her. She skimmed through them, again and again, growing agitated, as she seemed not to find what she was looking for. The trio before her just stared, confused but not surprised, but they preferred to keep quiet. "Oh, blast it all, Sakura, get in here! Where is Team 10's mission guidelines?"
Sakura took less than three seconds to "poof" into the office. Ino could only hold up an audible gasp at just how tired the Kunoichi looked, with her trademark pink hair a mess and heavy bags under her eyes.
'Just how hard is she working you…?' Ino mentally asked.
"It's right here Milady," a heavily exhausted Sakura stated, as she picked the very first document in the desk and handed in to Tsunade, who glared at the document as if it had purposely hidden itself from her.
"Ah, right, thanks," she offered her pupil who nodded, and without being told so but knowing she was going to anyways, turned and handed the document to Shikamaru, who, as the only Chunin of the team, was to be the Team Leader.
"…Thanks, Sakura, you okay?" Shikamaru asked, actually growing a bit concerned at seeing her like this. "You look a bit…"
"You look like shit Billboard Brow," Ino finished his sentence, in far less delicate terms than Shikamaru would have used.
"Oh, this, it's nothing," Sakura offered weakly. "You know how it is, between missions and training, and now all those autopsy cases that keep piling up, with so many half eaten bodies at the morgue that I'm almost certain an outbreak of disease is imminent unless we start burning them, well, I'm good I guess."
"…Right…" the trio before her answered in unison, deciding to take her word for it for now.
"Now then," Tsunade began, and all attention returned towards their leader. "Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji. You have before you your next mission. This time, you'll be helping out a friend in need that gave you guys a hand not that long ago. See to it that we answer in kind."
"Friend in need? You mean…?" Shikamaru asked, as he glanced down and say the location they were to set out towards. "Suna?"
"Wait, that's…?" Chouji began.
"The Land of Sand!?" Ino concluded.
"Precisely," the Hokage confirmed. "It seems that there have been a few disappearances recently near the border of their territory, and just like us, they are very short handed to deal with such an emergency. Even worse, unlike us, they still don't have a Kage, and as such the Village Elders are the ones handling the day-to-day offerings of the Village, but this seems to be a growing problem. The villagers are growing restless, and they find themselves in need of solving this quickly. I can't offer much, as most of my Shinobi are out, so you three have better deliver for us on this front… Ino."
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
"They also found a corpse recently, and while details are vague, it seems to share some similarities with the ones we've been finding all over our terrain. You saw one of the ones we found, the young boy. I need you to verify if there is any possible connection between that and the one they've found over at the Village Hidden in the Sand. Understood?"
"Of course!"
"Good, so get yourselves ready, you leave in an hour," Tsunade concluded, and the three Shinobi before her nodded in response. As the trio, and Sakura, prepared to move out, they were stopped by the Hokage. "Oh, and one more thing!"
The four stopped.
"While I can't confirm this, given how very little information Jiraiya has given me on the issue," the Hokage added, with the faintest of smiles. "It seems that near that area, our certain favorite knucklehead of a ninja is doing… something or the other."
"Wait, you mean…?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes widening a bit at the notion of a possible meet-up with him, of all people.
"Naruto…?" Sakura softly voiced, her eyes likewise as wide, and her expression a bit more lively than it had been just moments prior.
"Who else fits that description?" Tsunade said. "Seems our little troublemaker found himself caught up with these events, which just goes to show how widespread I fear it could be. Regardless, every single thing Jiraiya told us in his briefing, for as little as it is, is in that document, so read up on your way there. And if you do bump into Naruto, remind him he's still reports to me, so he better help you guys out and he better keep himself safe. We don't know much about these current Demon Slayers to be offering them assistance so willy-nilly."
"Did you say…? Demon Slayers?" Chouji asked, trembling a bit as Ino's description of the bodies they've found began to ring in his ears. Now, fighting one of the Sound Four didn't sound that bad all the sudden.
"Wait, Lady Tsunade," Sakura quickly voiced, her concern evident, "Don't tell me Naruto got involved with… that."
"We don't know for sure," Tsunade earnestly responded. "Hopefully, with this mission on its way, we'll have some answers soon."
"But… those things, if they really are demons…"
"Don't worry your massive forehead over this Sakura," Ino butted in, shit-eating grin ever present. "We'll be sure to keep your boyfriend safe and sound, alright?"
"No one asked for your input Porker!" Sakura barked back.
As the two began to argue, their way of telling each other two stay safe until they were together again, Shikamaru had learned to note, the details of this mission still made the young tactician feel heavily uneasy. Fighting strong opponents was nothing new for a Leaf Ninja, in fact, it was to be expected. And unlike the disastrous Sasuke Retrieval Mission, outright the hardest fights Shikamaru had ever had in his life, this still felt like they had more control. Had more options. Had more time. But even so, a part of him felt outright dread over it all.
'I just hope you're not neck-deep in all of this Naruto,' Shikamaru thought to himself, 'Please at least keep yourself away from ground zero. You can do at least that much, right? Right?'
…Right?
-0-
"Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage and right now Substitute Demon Slayer!" the cheeky Ninja introduced himself, hand extended and all smiles.
"My, you're a spunky one, ain't ya?" the current leader of their team, the heir of the Thunder Pillar, Kaigaku, noted. He offered Naruto a short but ever so firm handshake in return, which delighted the boy. He liked this guy. "I'm Kaigaku, and I've been informed you will be offering your assistance to us on this mission Leaf Ninja. We are ever so grateful."
"Oh, it's no big deal, just, you know, doing my part and all that," the ever flustered Naruto replied as he rubbed the back of his head, both embarrassed and elated to have his ego rubbed just the way he liked it.
"…U-Um, Kaigaku, it's been a while, I-I mean, I look forwards to-" Zenitsu approached his superior, and he hoped, comrade, offering a greeting of his own, but he was interrupted before he could properly speak by the latter.
"Same," Kaigaku coldly replied and walked away from a taken aback Zenitsu, who just bit his lip and looked down. He had thought that perhaps it would be best to keep quiet for the remainder of the mission, lest he further insult the Thunder Pillar's legacy, but he was quickly surprised by someone else tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He looked up, half expecting Tanjiro, but it was someone way, way, way more unexpected.
"…K-Kanao!"
The petite girl offered the blonde Demon Slayer a soft smile and a wave as greeting, which shocked the boy so much he almost fainted. He had never, ever seen this girl emote, let alone actually come to greet him. Him! His mood now did a 180, and he was bright smiles once again, which he failed to realize had probably been her intention all along.
"It's great to see you again! I-I can't believe you are going along with us for this mission! Must be a toughie, right, considering how they sent you! Right? What made you come all this way to us?" Zenitsu spoke so fast that Kanao had a hard time following it all, but she still nodded and offered a response. Not a spoken one, she didn't quite feel ready for it, but she did point to the side. Zenitsu turned, following her finger, then felt his soul leave his body.
She was pointing at Tanjiro.
She then turned back to Zenitsu, and smiled, and he felt both happy and betrayed.
'Does this mean, that she and Tanjiro… are…?'
Zenitsu almost fainted, and Kanao looked on, not knowing what she had done wrong.
"And you must be Tanjiro Kamado," Kaigaku addressed the boy with the mark on his forehead, who offered his elder a polite bow. "The ever-famed Demon Slayer who carries a demon on his back," Kaigaku added, as his eyes shifted from Tanjiro towards the box behind him. "…Is that where you carry it?"
"Her," Tanjiro corrected. "And yes, she's there, sleeping. She needs her rest, but don't worry, I alone suffice to assist this team with everything and anything it'll need."
"Good to know, I like you spirit," Kaigaku stated, smiling at the wary boy and turned his attention elsewhere. "Then let's move on, we have a mission to complete, and time is of the essence. Get everything you need now, so we… can-"
Kaigaku then stared at Inosuke.
Inosuke stared back.
…
"And I can do this," Inosuke told Kaigaku, as he curled up into a ball.
"…You certainly can," was all Kaigaku replied.
'He's certainly a brash one,' Tanjiro noted, as his eyes kept staring at Kaigaku's back. 'Still, just because he's rude doesn't make him an enemy. Heck, he's still friendlier than Genya, or that bastard Sanemi for one.'
Tanjiro sighed, then turned back to see what Zenitsu or Naruto were doing, leaving Inosuke to his attempts at impressing and proving his superiority to Kaigaku, but his sight was blocked by a sudden appearance.
"…Hi."
"Oh, hey, Kanao, you're with us! So, you're the fifth member then?!" a surprised Tanjiro greeted Kanao as she seemed to have teleported right in front of him without him noticing. How did she even manage that? Had he been that distracted? He had not even managed to pick up on her scent until after she startled him. Not that she smelled. In fact, she smelled like flowers. Incredibly well even…
He shook his head. That train of thought did not seem right.
"I'm glad you'll be the one going along with us," Tanjiro tried to keep the conversation going, pushing any and all thoughts on how good this girl smelled out of his teenaged head. "Are you ready for the fights? I have to say, I'm outright eager to see you fight, given how insanely strong you are."
"…Yes."
Was all she replied before she nodded and walked right past him, leaving Tanjiro surprised and without any words, half wondering if she had read his mind somehow.
To the side, an unamused Zenitsu looked on next to a still giddy Naruto. Both blondes looked on, both on the opposite spectrum when it came to how they were feeling.
"Love is wasted on the blind… right?" Zenitsu figured Naruto would at least understand.
"Oh, yeah, totally!" Naruto totally did not.
-0-
"We should set up camp here," Kaigaku instructed the group, signaling to his surroundings. Night had begun to fall, and after several long hours of wondering the vast desert, the group seemed in need of some rest. The desert's unforgiving weather was not offering them any sympathies, as the harsh, hot sun had quickly shifted into a very cold nightfall, and the group of young swordsmen felt out of their element here. "It's not wise to seek out those bastards during the night, we don't want them to have the advantage over us."
"Understood," the ever good boy Tanjiro quickly replied, as he set his belongings down and began to use the tools handed to them by Goto before they departed to set up a tent of sorts. In his defense, Tanjiro was quick with his hands, but the end result was not the best example of a proper tent.
"…That thing looks like a slight breeze would topple it over…" Kaigaku muttered, and Tanjiro's eyes widened as he turned back to his work of art.
"Ah! You think? I know I haven't done this in a while, but am I that rusty?" he asked himself more than he did their team leader. "…Master would be disappointed."
"Kaigaku! Look! I got the tent set up!" an overly eager Zenitsu told his upperclassmen, and Kaigaku just stared at Zenitsu's work for a moment before he shrugged it off. It was passable, he supposed, but he need not pay him of all people no mind.
Then he saw Inosuke's tent.
No, calling it a tent would be an insult to even Tanjiro's attempt.
The boar had just rolled up into the material, spikes and all, and now looked like some overstuffed porcupine with his boar mask sticking out from one end and his ass from the other.
"Never seen one like this, have you!?" the boar proudly exclaimed.
"I have not," was the honest reply.
Kaigaku then turned to their last sword wielding member, and of course, she had a picture-perfect tent already erected and possibly furnished, all with that characteristically emotionless blank stare. She was somewhat creepy, Kaigaku noted, now that he had an actual opportunity to examine her. 'Not unattractive, I'd say,' he inwardly noted, 'She looks pretty damn good even, and that quiet attitude might make for a fine wife. Wonder if I can take this opportunity to-'
"Hold that end!"
"I'm holding it!"
"Not that one you idiot, the one on the left!"
"This is the one on the left!"
"Not your left! My left!"
"Be more specific! We're the same guy!"
The Demon Slayers just looked on, Tanjiro amused while the others looked different shades of shocked and outright frightened at the sight of several Narutos fighting over how to set their tent up, all doing an admirable poor job at it despite the several dozen hands at the job.
"Umm… Tanjiro?" Zenitsu spoke up as he approached Tanjiro, pointing weakly at the mess of shadow clones before them. "Can he, like, multiply himself?"
"Yeah, I was just as surprised as you are when I first saw it," Tanjiro replied. "They call those arts Ninjutsu, and they use this life energy of sorts called Chakra to activate it. Pretty cool stuff if you think about it."
"…It's not that amazing," a somewhat jealous Inosuke stated, appearing next to the other two, still wrapped up in his tent like some pissed off looking burrito.
"It's insanely amazing, what are you talking about?" Zenitsu shot back. "Can you even imagine how much easier it would be to fight demons if you could literally become a one-man army? Oh, I could just sit back and send my copies in to fight, no longer at risk of being horribly mangled to death! Just me, and my dozen cop-"
Wait.
"Do female ninjas also know those tricks?!" Zenitsu shouted, asking the important questions.
"I think…" the ever innocent Tanjiro replied, before he turned to the clones. "Hey, Naruto, can female ninjas use that copy Jutsu of yours?"
"Huh?" came a dozen replies in unison. Annoyed by the crowd, the real Naruto dispersed the clones, and as soon as he did, his tent became unraveled and fell down. The annoyed ninja decided to ignore this and say screw it to all, if the boar guy was going to sleep using the tent as a blanket, then so could he! "Uh… yeah. I haven't met a Kunoichi who could make as many as I can, but there are some very talented girls I've met who could probably make, I dunno, five at a time. Maybe more. Why?"
"Oh, just cur-" Tanjiro began, but was cut off.
"FIVE!?" Zenitsu squealed with joy. "You're telling me these lovely girls can multiply themselves up to five times?! Like, how amazing a world do you come from?!"
"I could beat five-" Inosuke began, but was cut off.
"NOT WHAT I MEAN YOU POOR SIMPLETON!" Zenitsu practically yelled in Inosuke's ear, which left the poor savage boy half deaf. "Can you two pathetic excuses for male specimens not understand the virtue behind such a technique?! Oh, how could you, when you took our ever-so lovely training under our ever-so lovely Kanao for granted, isn't that right?"
Zenitsu turned to Kanao with sparkles in his eyes.
Kanao just stared.
"I'll take that as a "right!", he proudly proclaimed, and Tanjiro and Inosuke just looked on, utterly baffled. However, unlike the other two, Naruto was quick to flash a cheeky grin.
"Oh, a fellow man of the right culture, aren't we?" Naruto said, as he took a step right next to Zenitsu and flicked his arm across the lightning swordsman's shoulders. "These two don't catch your drift, but I do. Jutsus have many implementations, and not many people are as imaginative as us, don't you agree?"
"I do so much I could die!"
"Then let me let you in on a little secret," the fox-faced Naruto whispered into Zenitsu's ear, as the latter began to fantasize even further. "There's a technique that's even better than that, so amazing in fact, that it is still undefeated. You wanna see it?"
"I would trade my soul for it!"
"Perfect, then, stand back!" Naruto shouted out as he jumped back and landed with his hands forming a sign. Tanjiro's eyes widened slightly at this. 'That hand sign,' Tanjiro thought, 'I haven't seen him use it before.'
"Transform!"
A massive cloud of smoke erupted from Naruto's position, so suddenly that it caused Kaigaku and Kanao to take a defensive stance instinctively, as Zenitsu, Tanjiro and Inosuke looked on, eagerly, confused, and aggressively respectively. Then the smoke began to clear…
"…Sexy Jutsu."
…and a blonde, voluptuous, nude woman appeared, posing suggestively before them, only the whiskers on her cheeks still hinting at who was behind the disguise. Her body was something straight out of a red light district professional, with her breasts having just the right amount of bounce and the flirty little smile and wink "she" gave sending a very peculiar sensation to each of them.
"KYAAAAA!" Zenitsu squealed in delight. "You're a genius!"
"W-What i-is t-that N-Naru-t-to?" an ever nervous Tanjiro blurted out.
"He was a girl all along!" a completely off the mark Inosuke "realized".
"…" Kanao said nothing, simply lessened her grip on her sword.
"Are you some kind of suicidal idiot?!" Kaigaku growled from the side, causing the lady formerly known as Naruto to jump defensively. "Are you trying to get us killed? If you use that much smoke and are as loud as you are, you'll draw every demon to our location! I thought you were supposed to be a ninja! Silent and sneaky is in your damn job description, ain't it?!"
"…sorry," Naruto murmured as he undid the transformation and reverted back to his real form, head swung low in shame. Zenitsu was still ecstatic, heart for eyes, while Tanjiro was averting looking at anyone, trying his best to stop his nose from bleeding. Only Inosuke remained shocked, as the girl turned out to be a boy all along. What a twist!
As they all went back to their set up, Kaigaku took a few steps away, making sure no one was looking as he wiped the blood from his nose. '…What a dangerous technique.'
"Oh, looks like someone woke up," Tanjiro said softly as he felt the box on his back began to shake. He softly set it down, removing the top, all the reveal his diminutive younger sister, sleepy eyes adorning her muzzled face. "Hey, sorry if we woke you with all the yelling."
Nezuko stared for a moment, before she shook her head, and crawled out of the box, reverting to her actual height in the process.
"My lovely Nezuko!" Zenitsu exclaimed as he rushed to her side. "Ever so lovely, my dear, how was your sleep?"
Nezuko turned to him, and Tanjiro could swear she did her best to offer him a genuine smile, which caused both boys' hearts to skip a beat. Inosuke, in turn, raised his hand and offered a rough "Yo!" to the girl, who imitated his gesture and offered a muffled "Hmh!" in return. Then she took out a worn out jacket, which severely confused Zenitsu. He wanted to ask, either her or Tanjiro, but she quickly handed it to the side, where Naruto stood.
"Oh, right, you had that with you, I totally forgot," Naruto said as he took his jacket back, quickly redressing himself in his trademark style. Nezuko offered him a thumbs up, likely as thanks for letting her borrow the jacket, which caused Zenitsu to inwardly boil alive in a mix of jealously and betrayal.
"…H-How can I admire someone so much and also wish him a very violent death at the same time?" Zenitsu muttered, teeth clenched, with Naruto none the wiser. The others just looked on, unsure of what was happening.
"Alright, let's try and keep the stupidity at a minimum for now, alright?" Kaigaku announced, as he took a seat in the sand, signaling the others to follow suit. They all did, forming a circle between all seven of them, with each member of the newly formed team awaiting further instructions from their would-be team leader. "…Good," Kaigaku expressed, "We are working with limited information. Not much is known what exactly is causing all the disappearances here. It being the work of a demon is likely, but as we are in Shinobi territory, we can't fully discard one of them being responsible. Hence, I presume, is why Master Ubuyashiki asked our… comrade here," he said, signaling to Naruto, "to accompany us on this mission. Where that to be the case, well, it wouldn't be our problem anymore now would it?"
"Who's Master Ubuyashiki?" Naruto softly asked as he leaned towards Tanjiro.
"Master Kagaya Ubuyashiki is our leader, and current figurehead of the Demon Slayer Corps," Tanjiro answered. "If anything, I'd say he's our Hokage, going by how you described the position."
"Oh, so he must be a really strong guy."
"…I would have thought the same," Tanjiro said. "But, as far as I know, he's not a fighter. Not that it makes him any less dangerous an opponent. He's insanely smart, and there's something about him that commands respect. I'm… not sure how to properly describe him. Then again, I've haven't had many interactions with him."
Naruto simply nodded in understanding at each word Tanjiro said, making a mental note how this Ubuyashiki guy was someone he wanted to get to meet someday.
"So, if we're clear on that," Kaigaku continued. "Let's focus on getting some rest so we can be head out as soon as sunlight appears… Zenitsu," Kaigaku seemed to outright struggle to get that name out. They boy in question lit up slightly, turning his head from facing the sand towards his superior.
"Y-Yes?"
"You get first watch," he instructed. "See anything moving out there, and you wake me the hell up, got it?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"…And who else?" Tanjiro was quick to ask, even going as far as raising his hand to do so properly.
"Who else what?" Kaigaku spat out.
"Zenitsu can't be expected to remain on-guard throughout the whole night," Tanjiro explained. "He'll be worn out and restless come the mission tomorrow, and it could end up putting him in harm's way."
"…Yeah, I was going to set up someone else after him, that way he could rest well," Kaigaku said, and Tanjiro didn't know if his smell could theoretically be considered able to smell lies, but if he could, this would be one of those cases. "So, how 'bout it? You volunteer?"
"Sure," Tanjiro replied without hesitation. The look Zenitsu gave him was one of utter gratefulness.
"Great, so we're settled," Kaigaku said. "So let's us get back to… What now?"
Kaigaku glared at Naruto, who had also raised his hand.
"I need to go pee!"
"…You don't have to ask for permission for that!"
"Then… I'm going to go pee!"
"You don't have to announce it either! Just go!"
Naruto quickly bounced on his heels and leaped his way towards a nearby sand hill, which he could use as cover while he did his business. Because, as Sakura had once put it, no one wanted to see him pee…
…Then he returned, not even two seconds after he had left.
"Hey, Kagiku!"
"It's Kaigaku you moron," the elder boy spat out, before he visibly struggled to keep his anger in check. "…What is it?"
"Is it normal for there to be a cave out there in the middle of nowhere?" Naruto asked as he pointed in the direction he had just come back from.
"A cave?"
To Kaigaku's surprise, Naruto had not been wrong. Out there, in the middle of nowhere, a cave of some sort had just… appeared. Or, that is to say, not exactly a "cave". It seemed more like a stone stairwell, leading downwards into the very sands, nothing but sheer darkness to be seen within. The seven teens stood in front of it, each examining the strange structure in their own way, none sure of what it even was. They had searched the area thoroughly before setting camp, and none of them had seen such a structure. They had seen sand dunes, cacti by the dozen, an abnormally large Venus Flytrap, something that resembled a scorpions' nest, but nothing outright mad-made. Or they what they assumed was "man"-made.
"Do the reports mention any sort of structure of this sort around these parts?" Tanjiro asked Kaigaku, who merely shook his head.
"No, there's no such mention," Kaigaku replied, as his eyes narrowed. "…Still, this is around the area were the disappearance started."
"This looks like a gateway to hell," Naruto stated bluntly, causing Zenitsu to shriek.
"Don't go spitting my thoughts out of your mouth like that!" he exclaimed to Naruto, who turned to him with a confused look.
"You were thinking that too?"
"Of course! What else does this thing look like?"
"…One-hundred and eight steps," Kanao softly spoke, and the others turned to her, noticing how focused she was on looking at the entrance.
"You can see that far down?" Tanjiro asked, surprised.
"…Yes," Kanao simply answered, her eyes shifting from the ever consuming darkness towards a nearby Tanjiro, who had an expression that was nothing short of impressed. She studied him briefly, wondering why this boy could get words out of her like he did, unsure of why it was he had that effect on her. To his side, clinging to him as per usual, Kanao eyed Nezuko, also looking into the darkness, but there was more to it. Her eyes… "…Is she alright?"
"Huh? Nezuko?" Tanjiro asked, turning to his little sister. And he saw it too. She was clinging to him, her nails buried into his robes, her eyes narrowed with vein slowly showing. It wasn't fear, which had been his first thought. No, it looked like anger, rage. Whatever was down there, Nezuko did not like it. And that left little doubt in his mind. "Nezuko," he spoke again, firmer this time. Enough so that it managed to get the demon girl's attention. "You alright?"
"Hmm…" she voiced, but loosened her grip.
"Nezuko is probably sensing something," Tanjiro told the others, as he faced Kaigaku. "My guess? Whoever is responsible for all of this is somewhere down there."
"Dark, creepy and weird, sounds legit," Kaigaku said, as he turned to the rest. "Then let's move. No sense in waiting for sunlight anymore, as there is no way sunlight is reaching that far down."
"Wait!" Zenitsu blurted out, which caused Kaigaku to glare at him. He almost froze, but shook his head, he needed to say this. "Shouldn't we inform someone about this? If this is where everyone is going missing, we shouldn't follow suit by going down there without anyone knowing. If we are lost, no one would know where to find us and we'll all be back at square one."
"If you are afraid to die," Kaigaku shot back. "Then you should simply quit this life and do something else, don't insult us true warriors with that nonsense."
"He's not wrong though."
Zenitsu was surprised by the sudden assist, especially from an unlikely source. The ninja in orange stared Kaigaku down, his eyes fixated on the elder sword wielder. "Back in my village, we do leave signs hidden for our comrades to find. Being careful is not the same as being scared. One must see through deception after all, and that dark, creepy place looks as devious as anything."
"Don't confuse your role, Shinobi," Kaigaku warned. "You are here to assist, I'm here to lead. If you disagree, be gone. I can manage without your "expertise"."
"Hey, I'm just trying to help!" Naruto barked back, getting right up to Kaigaku's face. "You know how many guys I've had to deal with that have that very same attitude problem you have pal? Plenty! And you remind me of all of them!"
"Like I care!"
"You should!"
"Pig assault!"
"You tell him-huh?" Naruto paused, wondering what the heck had just been said, before he and all the others were left dumbfounded as Inosuke had simply shrugged and began to race down the steps, swords drawn, ready to face the unknown.
"Inosuke, wait!" Tanjiro shouted out, as he rushed to his friend's aid, running through the dark steps after the flailing pig.
Nezuko followed quickly behind, rushing after her brother, and at that sight, Zenitsu ran after the three, screaming at them to stop and listen to reason. It fell on deaf ears, as Naruto, Kanao and Kaigaku were left outside, utterly flabbergasted.
"They didn't," Kaigaku almost spat out as venom.
"…" Kanao seemed like she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet, deciding to simply take a deep breath and chase after her teammates, much to the continued shock that Kaigaku was experiencing.
"They are seriously going to get murdered!" Kaigaku shouted out, and Naruto could not tell if he meant by demons or by Kaigaku personally. The next-in-line Thunder Slayer decided to ignore his argument with the ninja and ran towards the stairs as well, now even more annoyed at the fact that they all had entered before him. This left Naruto outside, alone, unsure of what his life had become.
"…Since when am I… the voice of reason…?" he muttered with a sense of déjà vu, before shaking his head and steading his resolve. A quick hand sign, and he shouted, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Another Naruto appeared, sporting the same dumbfounded expression as the original. Still, he didn't need to tell him what to do, as they both knew their roles. Naruto would go down and stay with the others, while the clone would keep guard outside, just in case. Without a word, Naruto raced downwards, clenching his fists in anticipation, all the while he tried his best to ignore the strange feeling building up in his belly…
…the seal placed on his stomach burning ever so slightly.
-0-
The darkness was suffocating.
Even after his eyes grew accustomed to the increased darkness, it was still incredibly hard to see any further than a few feet from his face, badly at that. Still, all seven were still there, so no one had gotten eaten, which was a good sign Naruto imagined.
'…Wait,' Naruto thought, as he squinted a bit more. 'No… There's only six of us here! Damn it, someone did get gobbled up!'
"Did the pig guy die?" Kaigaku bluntly asked, also noticing they were missing a member.
"Inosuke's fine," Tanjiro replied, making sure to pronounce his friend's name with emphasis. "I don't smell blood, and I can smell him nearby," he explained, even if his face twisted a bit as he did. 'But, this place, the smell is so strong. It's like decay, but… different at the same time. It's not exactly like a demon, but, it transcends every other scent almost entirely.'
"Inosuke! Get back here!" Zenitsu ordered, even as his voice began to break a bit. This place was outright the third freakiest place he had ever been in, and considering he had almost gotten himself killed in a spooky forest, a rotating mansion, another spooky forest (but with spiders!) and a murder train, that was saying a lot!
"There are three routes in this room, excluding the stairwell we used," Kanao firmly stated, surprising Naruto when she spoke more than a single syllable at once. Similarly, how could she even tell? He couldn't even count his fingers properly in this darkness.
"You sure? I can't see a damn thing," Naruto replied, even if he expected no answer in return. But, to his surprise, she quickly shifted her attention to him.
"Yes, I am," she said. "I can see well, even in the dark."
She did not blink as she said this, and Naruto could only nod in response. 'She's cute as hell but creepy at the same time. The way she looks at people, it's reminds me of Hinata, just way more cold and creepy… actually, scratch that, she reminds me of Neji.'
"This place is a maze!" came a shout from one of the entrances, causing both Naruto and Zenitsu to jolt and land hugging one another, not realizing it was Inosuke walking towards them.
"Keep quiet you idiot, how many times do I have to tell you!" Kaigaku roared, ironically ignoring his own order. "And if you run off again, I'm leaving you behind, got it?!"
"Sure, sure," Inosuke replied, as he joined the group, one hand in his pocket…
…as he drew out a kunai.
"Pig Assault!" was heard throughout the darkness, as before the team could react, another Inosuke came flying out of the shadows and smacked the first Inosuke to the side, causing both boars to roll a bit and land next to a nearby wall, one holding the other to it.
"-The hell?!" Kaigaku shouted out, as he and the others drew their swords, save for Naruto and Nezuko, the former who really wished he had one right about now. "Did a demon take his form?"
"No," Tanjiro replied, as he moved towards the two boars. "Nezuko didn't react to either of them. Which means, it's the technique Naruto used before!"
"Wait! Inosuke's naked?!" Zenitsu screamed, in his mind picturing the Sexy Jutsu girl with a boar mask on.
"Not that technique!" Tanjiro shot back, as he reached the two dueling Inosukes, then he paused. 'Damn it, that stench is making it too hard for me to tell them apart!'
Before he could decipher the situation, one of the Inosukes, the one being held, turned into a 'poof' of smoke, leaving the other (real) Inosuke behind holding a plank of wood. As the boar looked at the offending wood, moments from smashing it into the floor as he still believed it to be the enemy, the fake Inosuke reappeared on the side, swords drawn, and aiming to cut him down. Inosuke flipped, tossing the wood into fake Inosuke's snout, and using the distraction to clash swords with him. In a flurry of four swords clashing against each other, Tanjiro took aim, now clear on who the fake one was. 'I won't lose your scent anym-'
His declaration was cut short by another figure landing right behind him, a rather heavy individual who caused a noteworthy 'boom' the moment he hit the ground.
"Ice Release: Frozen Pillars Jutsu!"
"Everyone, get ba-!" Naruto screamed out, but his shout was cut short as a massive amount of ice began to cover the area, filling the vast, empty room to the brim. The Slayers had no choice but to bounce back, the ice outright reaching out to them as if alive.
"Inosuke!" Tanjiro shouted out, as he saw the ice seal the way towards his friend. But it was too late. Within seconds, the entire area was covered with ice, and Tanjiro could no longer smell anything.
Both Inosuke and his similar looking opponent were left to their own devices, clashing swords, but the moment Inosuke heard Tanjiro's yell, his clenched his swords tighter. "Second Fang: Rip and Tear!"
With an "X" shaped slash with his swords with a beastly power behind them, Inosuke broke his opponent's blades, pushing the fake onto the wall once more, then following it up by smashing his foot directly onto his opponents chest.
"Your mistake was challenging the great Inosuke first," he told his fake. "Tell me what it is we're looking for in here!"
"…You certainly have a way with women, don't ya big boy?" the other Inosuke "said", but the fake actually used the boar mask to talk as if it were the real face, creating an effect that seemed to unnerve even Inosuke.
"How did you-?"
"Ice Release: Ice Clone Jutsu!" his opponent said with a flash of a smirk. Within moments, several ice-made copies of Inosuke filled the small space both he and his opponent had been forced to fight in, while the fake Inosuke transformed from a topless, muscular boy, and into an armored up, young woman. "And here I thought all you Slayers were quick to aim for the neck!"
"Wait!" Inosuke tried, but soon his snowy clones began to attack him, and he was forced to fight back, clashing his sword with their ice ones, which, to be fair, did not hold up that well against a Nichirin blade. "Damn you! Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting!"
With a furry of slashes, Inosuke cut down all of his clones within a moment, and unfortunately for him, he was left alone afterwards, his original opponent long gone. He could feel his blood boil.
"Damn it you crazy bitch!" he screamed out so loud the nearby ice wall cracked a bit. "You have to tell me how you made the mask's mouth move! That looked so damn cool!"
-0-
"They've engaged," a man spoke up, sensing the clash beginning several rooms away from his current location. He needed for it to work this time, his Master was not a man who would accept failure, no matter the excuse presented. But, at least this time, there were seven opponents. More than enough for a proper ritual sacrifice. "I shall make my move. Be prepared to take me to him once it is complete."
His reply came in the form of a single musical note playing, as the demonic woman seating on the sand covered floors strung along to her wooden biwa.
"Understood."
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