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!
Sorry for the delay, but the New Chapter is here! On that note, since it has been so long, I do apologize if you need to go back and reread a bit for reference. But, worry not, as I have painstakingly taken the time to re-edit all five of the previous Chapters. I fixed several spelling and grammatical errors, expanded a few key scenes and even changed some aspects within them. Nothing that outright retcons anything, but enough for it to feel like a fresh, yet familiar experience. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and feel free to let me know what you thought!
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto; or, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
"Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!"
Zenitsu shrieked as he ran all throughout the sandy floor, up to one of the pillars and right across the side of it, as miniature bird-shaped ice projectiles swarmed all over him, aiming right at him, and hitting pretty close, all the while instantly freezing whatever surface they did touch. He ran, as fast as his legs could carry him, waving his arms around frantically, as the never-ending barrage kept getting closer and closer to hitting its designated target. One slip up, and he would be frozen solid. And probably dead soon afterwards.
"How can they use this much ice!" Zenitsu cried out, sobbing, "This place has like, zero humidity! Are all ninjas this strong?! This isn't skill! This is magic!"
"…It's the armor they're wearing," Kanao observed, far more calm than her teammate. In fact, too calm. It irked Nadare, as he clashed his several kunai against her blade. No use. Each one of them broke to pieces as soon as it came into contact with that glimmering blade. He frowned.
"How very observant of you little lady," he praised, even if he was just irked. First he had mangled his one chance at finally killing the great Copy Ninja himself, and now he found himself in this hellhole, fighting a little girl and her not taking him seriously at all. Well, her mistake. "But you would be wise not to underestimate the power behind this particular armor."
He quickly did a series of hand seals, four if Kanao was able to count them properly, before what seemed to be a dog or wolf or beast of some kind formed itself before him. But it did confirm her theory, as she saw his armor light up once again, and the ice seemed to come right out of it. The beast formed, and it seemed to outright glare, its fangs pointed at her. She steadied her stance, then her blade.
"We must neutralize that armor," Kanao instructed, as no sooner as she did, she could hear Zenitsu squeal while he ran from the raining icy death, and she couldn't help but feel a sweat drop. He'd be alright, right? "…Just try and do something fast, we can't let them fill this entire arena with ice, otherwise they have us pinned."
"Too late for that missy," Nadare told her as he launched the attack at her. "Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger!"
"Fourth Form," Kanao declared as her sword began to glow even brighter, and as she took her swing against the upcoming ice beast, flower petals followed the very trail made by the sword, "Crimson Hanagoromo," she said softly, but despite her tone, the attack was anything but. The sword slash extended far beyond the blade's reach, hitting the ice beast and tearing it in two, before it curved and took aim at Nadare himself, who looked a bit surprise at it.
"Ice Release: Ice Wall!" Nadare countered, as a wall of ice appeared before him, blocking the slash before it could reach him. It did, however, leave quite the dent in his new wall, which made him frown more. "For such an elegant technique, it sure packs quite the-"
"Thanks," Kanao replied, now right besides Nadare, who while surprised, blocked her blade with his armored wrist, clashing both, and to Kanao's disappointment, the armor did not break.
"Nice try!" he told her, "But I told you I was going to make you scream, and scream you will!" he threatened, and placing his fingers back into that peculiar form, the broken down wolf reformed and launched itself back against Kanao.
She frowned. The beast aimed to maul her neck right open, but it had to settle to sinking its teeth on her blade, as she blocked its bite with her sword, but its momentum was strong, so she was pushed back against the wall, hard, causing her to let out a soft groan as she felt her back crack the wall a bit. It hurt, but nothing she couldn't endure. But…
…Her sword was starting to freeze up.
"Now scream!" Nadare in turn screamed at her, as he launched an oversized shooting star right at her, aiming to tear right through his own Jutsu and carve her right into the very wall. This… she couldn't allow.
"Fifth Form," she declared, her expression changing, as she struggled to change her posture in time. "Peonies of Futility," she announced, and in a flash, a flurry of several slashes erupted from her blade, destroying the ice wolf completely. Then she flipped, her eyes on the giant shuriken, as she allowed it to get so close to her until she felt its metal edges brush up against her skin, as she cried out, "Sixth Form: Whirling Peach!"
And Nadare was caught completely off-guard the moment he saw her barely dodge the windmill shuriken, as she spun her body at an unnatural angle and launched herself at him at frightening speeds, landing a blow right at the center of his armor with her swords tip, causing and audible crack and throwing the shocked Shinobi several feet away, with Nadare smashing himself against the icy rubble with a thunderous crash.
Kanao looked on, her bright pink eyes still on him despite the distance. 'It cracked… but it didn't break…'
Deciding to first check up on her teammate before she went for the kill, Kanao was utterly disappointed to find Zenitsu had effectively been turned into a snowman at this point. To his credit, he wasn't frozen solid, just utterly covered in snow and ice, likely from the many near-misses from the opponent who he had not managed to even scratch.
"Did Nadare seriously get his ass kicked by a little girl?" Fubuki asked with utter annoyance. She could see that Kanao was now staring her down, but this room was big enough so that she could finish up the pathetic, blonde swordsman before she had to deal with the more talented swordswoman. It was clear she was the true threat here anyways. "~Oh well, sorry love, but as for a future husband, you simply don't make the cut."
"You can't hurt me with facts I already know!" Zenitsu screamed at her as he surprisingly launched himself at her. Despite his sudden bravado, the poor boy was all tears, but if it was because of the pain from the cold, her words or his admittance to her words, Fubuki didn't know. Still, he was an utter annoyance, and sadly, a weak one at that.
His blade clashed against her armored arm, and unlike with Nadare, he didn't even crack it. Fubuki just smiled. "~Too bad, but chin up kiddo, it happens to most men…" she then turned her flirty little smile it a full on malicious grin, "They just don't last long against me!"
"Huh?!" he tried, but before he could even move away from her, a massive surge of ice surrounded him completely.
"Ice Release: Whirlwind!" she screamed out, and it was here he remembered what Kanao had warned him about. So much ice around him, it was impossible to escape it. Fubuki aimed her hand at him, and the whirlwind of snow covered him completely, freezing him from the feet upwards. He tried to move, to use his technique or something, but it was too cold. His mind went numb. And within seconds, he was frozen solid, like an ice sculpture with the most frightened expression imaginable. "…Pathetic-hey!"
Fubuki had to open up one of her armor's wings to be able to protect her neck from Kanao's assault, as the petite girl had gone right for her neck. The force behind the little girl's attack proved strong, as it pushed Fubuki back, sending both combatants into the air for a moment.
"Release him," Kanao ordered, her eyes sharp. Fubuki just smiled.
"What?" she asked, mockingly, "First time losing a comrade? Don't worry, it's a slow death, so there's still time to have you join him. That way you both can die to-!"
Then she felt a chill. Fubuki's eyes went wide, wondering how she, a Shinobi specialized in the arts of ice release, could feel such… coldness all the sudden. No… It wasn't cold. It was numbness, almost as if…
She turned, looking back at her fallen opponent, and her eyes went wider. Electricity poured out of the soon-to-be corpse, and to her shock, the ice quickly broke off in a violent fury. And there stood Zenitsu, eyes downwards, as if closed. The boy looked utterly knocked out, but… why was he still standing?
Kanao gave the boy a brief glimpse, and unsure but having a gut feeling about it, just pushed herself off of Fubuki, gaining distance between the two girls. Before Fubuki could react to this, she heard the boy speak, and his voice… was different.
"First Form," an unconscious Zenitsu voiced, and it sent chills over Fubuki's body.
"Is he-?!"
"Thunderclap and Flash."
And he simply vanished. Fubuki had been staring right at him, but he was no longer there. She could only see a faint trail of electric discharged sort-of directing itself towards her, but then she felt the hit… No, not hit. It wasn't just one. Before she could even blink, the boy sliced at her again and again, each time bouncing off one of the pillars or the wall, or the floor or the ceiling, moving faster than she could even see, and with a thunderous momentum, within seconds, she had been stripped off all her armor, and quite possibly most of her clothes too.
She shrieked, not out of any sense of modesty but out of outright fear, as she had never seen anyone so young move that fast, but shriek was all she could do, as the boy she couldn't even see any more landed right on top of her still airborne body, and used his own momentum to outright kick her down onto the cold, ice floor, causing her to crash right next to a recovering Nadare, who couldn't help but look utterly horrified at the scene.
What… the hell had possessed that Samurai?
Zenitsu landed next to an outright impressed Kanao, who was looking at him with her eyes wondering why he had not done that from the start, before she felt herself slapped.
He was snoring.
"…Zenitsu…?"
"Uh? Huh? What?!" he exclaimed as he woke up, repositioning himself and his blade, before in his frantic movements, he slipped on the ice and landed flat on his ass, leaving Kanao utterly confused. "I'm not dead?! I could have sworn she had caught me! Did you save me Kanao?" he asked, turning to the girl, who all she could muster for a response was to shake her head, "But where is that woman that was-Ack!" he squealed the moment he saw his opponent now practically nude, her breasts out in the open and the coldness of the night very evident. "Why is she naked?! I-Is she using Naruto's technique?!"
"You did that yourself you moron!" Nadare shot back, gritting his teeth. Was he acting the fool, mocking them? The girl was clearly strong, but surprisingly so was the boy. This was bad. Even so, he had not killed Fubuki despite the clear gap in speed between the two, only rendered her utterly incapable of fighting back, knocked out, armor-less and practically nude. He'd find it hilarious if it didn't mean he had to take those two out or he'd suffer a similar fate. Still, it wasn't over yet. If he used his own armor to the fullest, alongside all the ice created by Fubuki and himself, he could pull it off. "Take a bite out of this! Ice Release: One-Horned Wh-!"
His eyes went wide. He had been forming the correct hand seals, midway towards the technique's completion. The "Horse" seal, fingers interlocked, index fingers pointed upwards. Then, he couldn't feel them anymore. He looked down, and screamed.
Kanao had appeared right in front of him, and with just a simple swing, had severed all his fingers by their second joint, her eyes unblinking. "What the hell?!" he screamed in agony, as his ten fingers slowly hit the ground, staining the white snow with blood, his look one of utter fear, as he saw Kanao slowly lift her blade up.
Then she smiled.
"…So you are a screamer," she noted ever-so cheerfully, before she put him down like a dog, "First Form: Bloom Strike."
One slash, right against the already cracked armor, broke it completely in two, and knocked the villainous ninja right out, his body landing right next to his nude teammate, both knocked out cold. But, for what it was worth, both still alive. One wouldn't be able to practice Ninjutsu anymore, and the other, well, she needed a lot of healing for her pride to be regained, but still… Slayers were not meant to kill humans.
Kanao took a deep breath, and slowly sheathed her sword once again. This had been… a very weird day.
"T-That was brutal," Zenitsu noted, slowly stepping next to Kanao, as she turned to him, her expression once more the usual near-emotionless gaze. "I mean, poor guy won't be able to… scratch himself anymore. Or much anything, really."
"You didn't exactly go easy on her," Kanao noted, her eyes shifting to the fallen kunoichi.
"I didn't do that!" he argued, waving his arms around frantically. Kanao really had no idea what to make out of any of this.
But then a massive crash caused both Slayers to turn, one of them shifting her eyes to the source of the explosive sound, while the other shrieked and almost slipped on the ice again, but managed to remain on his feet this time. Landing right next to the other two fallen ninjas, the heavier Mizore, who they had barely caught a glimpse of when he sealed them in here, was knocked out cold even before he hit the ground, Kanao assumed, and given his bloody face he looked like he had gotten his nose, jaw and maybe even neck broken.
He was also utterly naked, just like Fubuki, for some reason, but with his legs spread right open, much to Kanao's regret.
She turned, closing her eyes, inwardly cursing her superior sight.
Zenitsu looked on, dumbfounded to hell and back, before the one responsible for the act strolled right into the scene, covered in frost from head to toe, but standing triumphantly nonetheless. 'Of course it would be him,' both Zenitsu and Kanao thought in unison, as they exchanged glances before they turned to their last remaining teammate. He was alright, at least.
"Oh?" Inosuke said, noticing the pair, "You two got here too? I would have gotten here first if this idiot didn't try and freeze me or whatever it was he was doing. Tough luck, though, as it might have worked on anyone else, but on I; the Great Inosuke, he was nothing but a common thug! No, even less than that, he was-!"
"Yeah, yeah! We get it!" Zenitsu quickly blasted, pressing his face against the boar's. "But why the hell did you have to strip the guy naked?!"
"Got a problem?" Inosuke growled. "I heard a voice call out to me, telling me to remove their armor, so I did."
"You did more than that!" Zenitsu countered, then paused, "Wait… a voice called out to you?"
The boar nodded furiously.
"…He must have heard my voice in the echo," Kanao noted, before she turned her attention towards the fallen Shinobi, carefully avoiding looking at anywhere indecent. There had been way too much nudity today for her liking. "They are down for the count, which is what matters, so we must move onwards."
"Right, Tanjiro and Kaigaku are just up ahead," Zenitsu nodded, and he could practically read the boar's thoughts before he even spoke. "Tanjiro is our friend, and Kaigaku is our team leader. You remember, them, right?"
"Of course I do!" he exclaimed. He did, sort-of. He was sure he knew who Gonpachiro was, he'd never forget… Raigaku on the other hand… Was he the ninja? Must be. Regardless, they needed help, and Inosuke had some more ass to kick, so it all worked out.
But just as the trio decided it was time to move towards the far-off room that led out of this iced arena, they all felt a massive chill stab each of them right through the heart. It was cold, colder than the very ice Jutsus they had just fought against. Colder than they have ever felt. Cold as death itself.
And they all knew. Knew it meant danger. So without a word, the three raced towards the singular, distant room where this entire maze led to, swords drawn, knowing that whatever was in there would not be pretty, and hoping against all hope, that they were not too late.
-0-
The Upper Moon One was not a demon used to surprises. Whatever he set out to do, he did. Whoever he set out to kill, he killed. And whatever he was sent out to retrieve, he got. These disgraced ninja from the Land of Snow had been easy prey to manipulate. Desperate for power and riches, just like all other filthy humans, they jumped at the opportunity to be used as pawns for His glorious purpose. And for pawns, the proved… adequate. The book his Master wanted was now indeed in his possession, but it was looking like these Shinobi had failed to kill even a single Slayer.
Or, judging up the incoming boy clad in orange, they didn't even kill off the one of their kind either.
"Tanjiro!" Naruto screamed out, coming down from the crumbling roof, as he used the debris as a foothold to launch himself at Kokushibou. "Get away from him you freak of na-"
He never got to finish. Without bothering to even humor the ninja, Kokushibou just ripped him cleanly in half with his blade, no breathing arts needed. His upper body and lower body fell on opposite ends, but it was here Kokushibou noted something he had seen before. '…Substitution.'
Two pieces of wood now adorned the floor, while the real Naruto appeared a few feet from him. His eyes wide, yet his fists clenched.
'What the heck was that…?' Naruto couldn't help but ask himself, as his hand instinctively reached out to his jacket that now had a massive gash upon it. 'I knew he was going to take a swing at me, that's why a prepared the substitution way in advance. But that… thing's sword still cut me. How on Earth did he…?'
Kokushibou turned his attention to the ninja. All his eyes on him. The six on his head, and the numerous on his blade. "…A Shinobi… Of the Leaf, if your headgear is any indication," Kokushibou noted, and his voice unnerved Naruto to an insane degree. "…Pity, you lack a vest. Such would be the indicator of your power, but it seems you are not noteworthy… A shame, as feasting on a human with a high level of chakra is a very distinct meal to be had. How I would wish… I could offer Master Muzan such a meal… But you… You are lacking…"
"Oh, screw off you Akatsuki-wannabe!" Naruto barked at him, and reaching into his pouch, he sent a flurry of shuriken and the demon. With a very quick hand sign, the dozen of shooting stars turned into hundreds, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
But Kokushibou did not even move.
Most of the shuriken struck him, pinning deeply into his flesh, even into two of his six eyes, but the monster did not even blink. The paper bombs attached ignited, and a strong explosion followed, and as the smoke cleared Naruto could still see the beast standing there, unmoving. Unflinching.
Naruto just shivered. '…I'm starting to hate these things so much…'
Glaring even stronger, knowing his priority was saving Tanjiro, who looked outright pinned to the wall by his own sword he should… wait, where was everyone else. Naruto paused, looking around for a moment, until he caught glimpse of Kaigaku. On the ground… bleeding out, his arm cut cleanly off.
"You monster!" Naruto roared, "I won't let you get away with hurting my team like this!"
"…Team?" the Upper Moon asked with the closest tone to amused he could possibly muster. "You are including the fallen Thunder Slayer in that description, are you not? How… amusing."
"I'll show you amusing!" Naruto added, as he did his signature hand seal, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" and the admittedly small room became filled with over a hundred copies of the boy. It… did amused Kokushibou, as it had been too many years since he had seen any noteworthy Jutsu of this caliber. Perhaps the boy… would be adequate after all. "Imma flatten you!"
"…I will try my best to capture you for His amusement," Kokushibou noted, as he steadied his blade, "But I make no promises… Humans… are fragile…"
In what seemed like a flash, dozens upon dozens of Naruto clones rushed at the Upper Moon, each trying different tactics, from kunai, more shuriken, a higher number of explosive tags, senbon needles, and pretty much everything else he had in his pouch to try and see if he could put a dent on the demon. But, it was clearly not working. Kokushibou just moved his blade in a general direction, and about forty clones were vaporized in an instant. Another swing, and about fifty more "poofed" out of existence in a flash. And, Naruto noted grimly, his attacks were no longer even piercing the demons skin. Kokushibou had clearly allowed those earlier shuriken to pierce his flesh, just to prove a point. Just to prove… how different in power they really were.
"…N-Naruto," Tanjiro voiced, wincing at the pain. His own blade was still pinning him to the wall, skewered right through the left side of his torso, somewhere between his shoulder and his heart. It didn't hit anything vital, he noted… well, he hoped. At least he could still breathe. Set himself free, on the other hand, proved much harder. His left arm was now utterly useless, he could barely lift it two inches at most. As such, he had to grasp his hilt with only his right hand, and try and pull himself free. "Damn in, I-I need to get loose. I can't… Let Naruto face him alone…"
As he struggled, a familiar face quickly came into view, and Tanjiro felt immediate relief, before a massive surge of dread hit him instead. "Nezuko," he forced himself not to scream. "What are you doing here? Get out, hide. That's an Upper Moon. You cannot let it see you."
Then Nezuko just narrowed her eyes, and to the elder brother's surprise, the girl with what looked like a rolled up scroll on her mouth outright scoffed at him.
"Nezuko," he said, as close to reprimanding her as he could without raising his voice. Since when was she so stubborn?
"Hmph," she muttered, as she rolled her eyes, and Tanjiro frown and pouted at the display before him. Any other time, he'd be thrilled at seeing her show more individuality, and even glimpses to the sister he all-but lost, but now of all times? Before he was forced to beg her to hide, since Naruto was running out of clones for Kokushibou to practice his swings with, Nezuko took hold of Tanjiro's hilt, grasping it firmly before she gave him a knowing look.
"Fine…" he voiced, steeling himself, "We'll do it your way. Try not to rip out a lung, please…"
She nodded, then placed one of her feet on the wall right next to him, and as Tanjiro took a deep breath, Nezuko pulled, and thanks to her strength, the entire blade came right out, dropping the boy onto his knees, as he clenched the bleeding wound while biting his lower lip to avoid screaming out in pain.
Nezuko quickly motioned down towards him, her hands on his face, before she seemed to examine his wound, her eyes narrowing a bit further, as she took the scroll right out of her mouth, exposing her sharp, little fangs. At this she paused, looking at Tanjiro, wondering if he understood what she wanted to do. Her eyes widened a bit, expressing it as best she could.
"If you think that I'm under any impression that seeing my blood will make you want to bite me," her brother voiced softly, his voice hoarse but sincere, "Then you may force me to tan your hide. Don't be dumb Nezuko. Of course I believe in you. Do whatever you think will help. I trust you, you know that silly."
His little sister then smiled, such a beautiful smile that for once she looked… human again.
Then she unrolled the scroll, and using the sacred scriptures, made a makeshift bandage for her brother. She used a lot of it. She hoped Naruto wouldn't mine. Then again, the boy had broken her box, so now they were even.
Said boy, however, was almost out of clones.
"Damn it!" Naruto cursed. "He's plowing right through all of them without even breaking a sweat. Well time for plan-huh?"
Kokushibou had just vanished from his sights, before he reappeared right before Naruto, the real one. In less than a second the demon had the Shinobi by the head, grasping onto him tightly, and pressing further until Naruto let out a pained yell, as his forehead protector began to crack thanks to the pressure Kokushibou was placing upon it.
"Did you think I could not tell… which one was you?" Kokushibou voiced, all his eyes on the blonde. But, despite the pain, Naruto just glared right back.
"And who says I was hiding?!" he shouted at the Upper Moon, before another Naruto clone jumped right out from behind. Kokushibou was already convinced he would simply ignore it. He had the original. It was all he needed… But, then he saw it.
The clone had taken hold of the Nichirin Blade from their fallen comrade, the one he had given the sacred blood to. This was… surprising.
"Eat this asshole!" the Naruto clone roared, as he forced as much chakra as he could onto the blade itself, and swung it right at Kokushibou exposed neck. Tanjiro and Nezuko looked on, both with their eyes wide, and a sickening crunch echoed throughout the room, the moment the blade touched the demon's neck.
'It wasn't enough to behead him,' Tanjiro noted, as he struggled to get up, 'But that sound, he must have hurt him! I have to help! It could be our only chance to-' he added, but no sooner had he thought this than had his very thoughts froze.
The clone Naruto stammered back, letting Kaigaku's blade fall onto the floor. Kokushibou stared, unamused, at the sight of the clone's broken fingers thanks to their little exchange.
The real Naruto, still held by the head, just had his eyes wide. 'What…?!'
'I used the damn sword,' the clone thought, looking at his hands, as at least four fingers, two on each hand, had been bent in ways they definitely should not go, 'How come I ended up the one hurt?! And… I couldn't even feed my chakra onto that sword, it… it didn't allow me!'
"…A valiant effort," Kokushibou noted, before in one swift motion, he swung Naruto around and smacked him right into the clone. This resulted in both of them flying towards the wall on the far-end, each landing near one part of Doto. Upon impact, the clone vanished, and the real Naruto felt his head begin to bleed. But, from where? Was his forehead bleeding, or the back of his head?
He couldn't tell anymore.
"…Perhaps it is faith you intervened," Kokushibou said, as he turned his gaze towards the Kamado siblings, with Nezuko helping Tanjiro to stand. Kokushibou's three left eyes turned towards the duo. "I was too rash," he explained, "…best take all of you back to Master Muzan. Let He be the one… to decide your fates."
"…Nezuko," Tanjiro spoke, his vision still blurry, but he knew this was do or die.
Nezuko said nothing, but she took hold of her brother's sword, this time by the blade itself, so hard it caused her to bleed, shocking him… until he understood. The two steadied themselves, as Kokushibou readied his own blade, prepared to end this all.
Naruto was barely conscious, but he refused to let Tanjiro and Nezuko fight that monster alone… It's just… his body refused to respond to his commands…
'Oh… come on…'
"I warned you," the voice of the beast on his belly echoed inside his mind, and Naruto felt peeved. If he really wanted to help, he could have easily lent the boy chakra. "You cannot match his power. You will die. You need to run. Do not let him come near us with that book again."
'What book do you keep blabbering about…?' a half-unconscious Naruto asked the fox, not even sure if he needed the answer. Was that what the demon had in that pouch he was holding onto? A book? All of this, for some dumb book? Where libraries not a thing in Demon Slayer land?
"The Necronomicon."
"Necronomicon?" Naruto muttered, confused, but as soon as he did, to his and the siblings surprise, Kokushibou quickly turned his attention back to the fallen Shinobi, all eyes on him.
"…That knowledge did not come from you," Kokushibou spoke, and his voice was deeper still, somehow. "…Who is feeding you information?"
Tanjiro had no idea why that one word had caused Kokushibou to completely disregard them, but he knew he'd never get another chance like this. He turned to Nezuko, and after whispering something to her, she looked at him, worried, before she nodded. He knew why she was worried, he was too. But, they had no other choice. So he charged.
"First Form!" he shouted, as he visualized the string that connected his blade to Kokushibou's neck, using all his strength to position himself right behind the demon, taking the strongest slash he could muster with his only usable arm.
"…How predictable," Kokushibou noted, as he positioned his own blade to counter it and, in the process, take the boy's arm clean off. "…Master Muzan may forgive me… If I only bring you mostly intact-"
Blood Demon Arts: Exploding Blood!
Kokushibou's eyes all widened when he sensed the demon girl activate her powers, igniting the blood-drenched sword her brother wielded, turning the blade into a bright red, flaming sword. "Fire Surface Slash!"
Both blades clashed against one another, the eyes on Kokushibou sword instinctively closing thanks to the heat created by the united attack. It was strong, Kokushibou noted, making him realize why is was this boy had defeated a Lower Moon… But, sadly, against him, it still was not enough.
But, it wasn't meant to overpower him, Kokushibou came to realize, as Nezuko had not only ignited the blood on Tanjiro's blade, but also the one left over on her own cut palm, using it to propel herself forwards at frightening speed, and aiming right at Kokushibou.
'No… not at me…' Kokushibou noted too late, as he was still incapacitated from using his sword thanks to Tanjiro's own, so by a hair's breath, Nezuko was able to take hold of Doto's ninja pouch, taking it off Kokushibou and barely flying right past the demon's grasp.
Nezuko, not having planned pretty much anything afterwards, spiraled in the air like crazy, before she landed, rather roughly on top of Naruto, who if he had been struggling not to lose consciousness, got one hell of a wakeup call when Nezuko landed with her knees pressed right onto his family jewels.
The Shinobi-in-training made the superhuman effort of catching Nezuko and making sure she was alright, without letting out the pained shriek he so desperately wanted to. Nezuko, unaware, quickly smiled, flashing her little fangs as she showed him the pouch she had just gotten. Naruto smiled back, tears streaming right down his whiskered cheeks, since the girl had yet to move her knees, and he wasn't sure if the stupid fox inside him could heal that.
"Good girl…" he squeaked.
"…What do you think that even accomplished?" Kokushibou asked, narrowing all six eyes. Tanjiro forced his blade further, shifting his stance, and screaming, "Second Fo-" before Kokushibou broke his burning blade into pieces, shattering it like glass, and leaving the Slayer stunned. He fell back, thanks to the momentum, but even as he did, he couldn't help but be in total, utter shock, '…I didn't even see him move…'
"Tanjiro!" Naruto shouted out, slowly regaining his breath. He took hold of Nezuko by the arm, as she looked moments away from charging at Kokushibou, and given his own failed result at trying that, it wasn't much of a viable tactic. "Hey! Six-Eyes, over here!" he shouted out, grabbing hold of the pouch Nezuko had taken from him, "This is what you want right?! Be a real shame if I just set this entire thing on fire, no?"
That caught Kokushibou attention. The demon had been aiming to severe each and every one of Tanjiro's limbs, but upon hearing that, the recovery of the Necronomicon took precedence. He turned, all eyes on Naruto, who gulped, because despite his bravado, he knew… He knew that that thing could skewer him before he had the chance to even grab a paper bomb.
'But he is hesitating…' Naruto noted, 'What is this book anyways?'
He took firm hold of the pouch, and then he felt it… move. He flinched, not letting go because it was probably the only thing keeping any of them alive at this point, but it felt so… freaky. He only took a half glance into the pouch, his eyes growing as he caught sight of something that looked so… wrong…
A book, wrapped in flesh.
Bloodied and torn.
Pulsating, like it had a beating heart buried within its pages.
He couldn't help but shiver, biting down on his lips until they bled to try and keep himself calm. He then turned to Kokushibou. This was the last strategy he had left to employee. "…How 'bout a trade, you ugly piece shit? Give you the book, and you let us go? Deal?"
"Naruto, don't!" Tanjiro cried out, getting back up, despite his protesting body. "That… That book gives off the stench of the monster who created all these demons, he cannot be allowed to have-!"
But within moments, Tanjiro was silenced, smashed right into the wall by Kokushibou, so quickly Naruto didn't even register the latter move. All he saw was Tanjiro's body hit the wall, motionless, leaving a bloody trail across the stone wall, and he felt his blood boil. "You asked for it buddy! Screw you and screw this book!"
"…You seem to think," Kokushibou noted, his tone very clearly angered, yet calm all the same, "You hold even a fraction of power over me," he said, before he lifted his hand. Naruto felt his whole body run cold as ice. "…The only reason you still speak, is because you have not answered my question. So tell me, who told you the name of the sacred scripture? Or you will be joining them…"
And in his hand, he held Nezuko's head.
Her eyes were still frozen in their wide-eyed stare, as if she was still reacting to her brother getting hit. But, how? Naruto slowly turned, and all he could see was her body was still there. He was still holding her by the arm. She just no longer had her head, and as soon as he looked at her, out came gushing blood from her arteries on her severed neck, painting the scared, broken, blonde boy in its crimson colors.
"…You have but this one chance to answer," Kokushibou warned. Naruto no longer heard him.
Naruto just roared, the fox's chakra leaking out and turning him feral, leaping so fast he broke the very ground he had been standing on, determined to break Kokushibou into pieces, holy blade be damned.
The demon… did not look impressed. "How… disappointing…"
First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace…
A swift slash from the Upper Moon's sword, and dozens of crescent shaped blades erupted all over the battlefield, outright shredding Naruto's body into a bloody mess, and in that very motion, sending him flying backwards, way past Nezuko's body and Doto's bodies. He fell and flipped and flopped down the dark hallway Kokushibou had come in from, before coming to a stop, his eyes white as snow, his body bloodier than it had ever been.
And, safely in Kokushibou hand, Doto's pouch. "What a waste… hmm?"
Kokushibou turned his blade, blocking a thunderous attack from another blonde, just a Slayer this time.
"Thunderclap and Flash!" Zenitsu screamed at Kokushibou, the boy expressing far more rage than the demon had expected. He still parried him effortlessly, sending him back, all the while keeping a firm hold of the pouch. He would not be tricked twice.
"…How surprising," Kokushibou noted, "Out of all the young Slayers, reports suggest you are the least likely to act in such a manner."
"After what you did to Nezuko, Tanjiro, Kaigaku and Naruto, you think I would just stand back and cry?!" Zenitsu roared, as he took aim once more, and in a flash, he vanished, aiming right for the demon's neck. "Thunderclap and Flash!"
Again, Kokushibou blocked it. "…You have speed, but it is not enough," the demon noted before he positioned himself, but then he sensed another attack.
"Second Fang: Slice!" came a roar from behind, and Kokushibou had to push Zenitsu away to parry the onslaught from the two blades that came from the masked Slayer. And then, just behind him, a third Slayer attacked, "Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
With the Beast Slayer holding down his blade, even for the fraction of a second he could, Kanao took aim not at Kokushibou neck, but, surprisingly, at his open mouth. His eyes quickly widened, as for the first time, he dodged, kicking the boar aside with a swift kick which he tried to block with his arms, but all it did was break him and send him tumbling to the side.
Kanao missed her strike, by mere inches, before Kokushibou took a swing of his own, which she blocked with her blade, but too little effect, as it still sent her flying right at the wall, slamming painfully onto it, landing her right next to a barely breathing Tanjiro.
"Kanao!" Zenitsu called out, gritting his teeth. How insanely powerful was this monster?
Kokushibou had his eyes on the Flower Slayer, his expression unreadable. "It makes sense…" Kokushibou noted, "That one specializing in the Flower Breathing technique would drench the tip of their own blade with the poison of the Wisteria flower…" he added, as he frowned. 'Such a small quantity would never be enough to even slow me down, but… This place, it's affecting me… I cannot… remain here for much longer… I must end this…'
"He saw through it…" Kanao lamented, taking aim. She glanced at Tanjiro's fallen body, and just hoped, somehow, that they could save him. But, she wasn't sure if they could even save themselves at this point.
"Hey, Inosuke, are you okay?!" she heard Zenitsu cry out, as the boar remained on the ground, twisted in ways that made it clear, that no, he wasn't.
"…That one is not getting up ever again," Kokushibou told the blonde, but just as he did, Inosuke began to move. Kokushibou's eyes widened, as the broken… thing twisted and turned until he was somehow able to pop his joints back up.
"Oww, damn it, that hurt like hell!" Inosuke roared, rubbing himself. "Bastard would have broken everything if I didn't go limp and snap my own limbs off their sockets…"
Kokushibou had had enough of this. All of this.
"Enough," he declared, taking aim. If he needed to use further breathing techniques, then he would, pride set aside for the time being. "I'll end you all in-" then he froze. For the briefest of moments, even he couldn't understand why. But… it reminded him of being human…
What?
No, never. Nothing could ever remind him of that. But why was it, that he, the second most-powerful demon… had for the briefest of moments, felt… fear?
Kokushibou turned, and a huge roar erupted that rattled the clothes he was wearing. The Upper Moon stared, eyes wide, just as a gigantic claw made out of red chakra came out of the hallway he had walked in from, catching his utterly off-guard, and pushing him right out of the room. He was launched into the large arena still filled with ice.
Kokushibou grimaced, trying to let himself loose, but the effects of this underground, lost city, alongside this unknown power, made him unable to use his powers properly. With a force heavier than anything he had ever seen short of an Upper Moon itself, the chakra claw plowed Kokushibou through several pillars in quick succession, before sending him onto the floor, slamming him again and again and again, as the demon desperately tried to get loose.
Wait… he was bleeding? What was this power?
The Slayers looked on, utterly shocked, but before they could speak, a flash of red flew right past them, connected to that very chakra claw that had just saved them all.
"Is that?" Zenitsu asked.
"Naruto…" Kanao noted.
"So cool…" Inosuke admitted, for once, not even bothering to try and compare himself to such a feat.
But Naruto didn't hear them. He didn't even see them. His eyes were all on Kokushibou, as the chakra from the Nine Tails formed around him, offering him two chakra tails, and far more animalistic traits than Kokushibou had seen before. With a massive roar, he pulled Kokushibou towards him, and stretching his chakra infused hand back, delivered a punch so strong at the demon that he made his spit out a bit of blood, just as Kokushibou found himself launched right onto the icy floors, cracking it all up in a loud crash.
"…What is this power?" Kokushibou asked again, his eyes now bloody red, blade in hand. "You are just as demonic as us."
Naruto just let out a bloodcurdling roar in response, as he launched himself at Kokushibou, but the demon was ready. The ninja was fast, but so was he. He swung his blade, but he just hit a mirage. His eyes went wide. Naruto appeared behind him, using his claws to stop him momentum by clawing onto the floor, before he launched himself at Kokushibou from close range, an extra chakra hand appearing and helping him form a circular Jutsu in his palm.
What was usually blue was now purple, as blue chakra mixed with red chakra. The tailed beast screamed, "Rasengan!"
Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon – Incessant.
"You won't make it," the demon fox within Naruto voiced, as it instinctively took hold of Naruto's two chakra tails, using them to cover the boy's torso. Mere moments afterwards, the entire area was reduced to rubble. Dozen upon dozen of moon-like slashes cut all the pillars in the huge area, destroying the very structure entirely. But to Kokushibou shock, the chakra tails protected Naruto. Not completely, as he looked beyond hurt, but he was still alive. Still… mostly intact.
Kokushibou eyes went wide, as Naruto aimed the Rasengan right into his face…
…But inches from it, he lost complete consciousness, and just fell right past the demon, landing in the debris, utterly knocked out.
Kokushibou looked on, moving to the side, his sword aimed at Naruto. He was much too troublesome to be allowed to live.
Just as he did, the resulting chaos caused Fubuki to slowly regain consciousness, her eyes slowly opening, quickly widening when she saw that the entire place was outright shaking, sand pouring in from the very ceiling, and everything destroyed. "What the hell?!" she muttered, before she looked down, and despite herself, couldn't help but blush madly, "And why am I topless?! What the hell happened?! Hey, Nadare, did you-?!"
Then she noticed that her teammate was not all there. One of the many slashes, that had just barely missed her, had taken his head clean off, right below the eyes. She panicked, tossing herself back, turning, and then her heart sank further. Mizore was there too… but…
An entire pillar of stone had crushed him… All that could be seen was just his left arm sticking out. She felt faint… It wasn't supposed to end this way. Then her eyes turned, as she caught glimpse of Kokushibou, and her entire body froze. She no longer even bothered at covering herself, as the moment she saw him, she knew she was destined to die tonight.
"…a demon?" she softly asked, beginning to cry.
Kokushibou said nothing.
Back in the upper room, the Slayer trio had barely avoided getting shredded, throwing themselves each at the body of their fallen companions. Zenitsu clung to Nezuko's body, slowly and gently taking hold of her severed head. His own hands was shaking uncontrollably. "She can't…" he whimpered, then bit down hard, turning to Kanao. "She hasn't disappeared yet! Do you think that monster just ripped her head off, instead of cutting it off?! She could still recover!"
"Then we get her out of here too!" Kanao announced, herself guarding Tanjiro, who she was utterly relieved to hear that his heart was still beating. Thank goodness. "Inosuke, can you carry Kaigaku?"
"I got him," Inosuke announced, the boar protecting the fallen Thunder Slayer. He had even secured his severed arm, hoping that maybe it could still be reattached.
"Then we-" Kanao tried, but a loud ghostly shriek filled the entire area. Not just their room, but everywhere. 'What the…?!'
Kokushibou turned again, hearing the monstrosity as well, before he felt his body grow cold, just as he realized his body was decaying. "I've been here too long!" the usually unexpressive monster noted with far more emotion than normal, "Nakime, open the portal now!"
A string from the biwa was heard, as a portal appeared right before Kokushibou. Nakime was seated on the other side, her expression as usual, unreadable. "Has it been obtained?"
"Of course," Kokushibou replied, clenching the pouch. 'That sound. It was undoubtedly the Necronomicon's doing. It has even stopped pulsating within my grasp… Did coming into contact with that boy… activate it?'
"Then I shall send us directly to Master," Nakime replied, "He is expecting you."
Kokushibou said nothing, but entered the portal, just as the place around him continued to collapse. Next time, Slayers, he imagined, if they weren't buried alive within these sands for all eternity.
"He's escaping!" Inosuke barked, but he was held back by Kanao.
"Leave him, we simply cannot stop him," she admitted, even if it hurt her pride. Her sisters would be so disappointed in her. "This right here is still the highest point we've been ever since we descended down that staircase. One-hundred and eight steps. This stairwell was sixty. Inosuke," she asked, her eyes on the boar. "Can you help me cut through this roof before we are buried in here?"
"Of course!" he replied, even if he had no idea if he could or not. But he would. He had to. But… "What about Sanji?"
"…Who?" both Kanao and Zenitsu asked, utterly confused.
"What do you mean who?" Inosuke barked, annoyed. "The ninja!"
"It's Naruto you idiot!" Zenitsu shouted back, "How do you even-wait! Damn it, he's right, we can't just leave him!" he exclaimed, as he turned to Kanao. "I'll be right back, you two try and open a way out of here!" and with a thunderous flash, he was gone, right back into the collapsing arena.
Kanao had to admit, for all his faults, the boy was dependable. They all were. She'd have to tell Aoi this.
Zenitsu flashed across the collapsing area, as more and more sand fell inside, until he spotted someone. Not Naruto, not yet, but his prior opponent. The young woman just sat there, eyes wide, utterly in shock. Zenitsu narrowed his eyes, seeing the state of her two teammates. They were enemies, but seeing human life be lost thanks to demons was never pleasant, even if they were bad guys. He bit down, and took aim at her. "Take my hand!"
She looked at him, utterly shocked. 'Is this kid really risking himself just…?'
But, even with doubt, not knowing why herself, she extended her hand, accepting his help even if out of nothing but desperation. He threw himself at her, and just as he reached her, she erupted into a mix of blood and guts and bone and…
"…What?!"
Her teammate, the one Kanao had beaten, who had no fingers and was missing the top part of his head, had just grabbed her and pulled her apart, vertically. She had only screamed for a second, before her face became blank, as death over took her.
Thunder overtaking him, Zenitsu outright charged at the monster, cutting what was left of his head clean off, his expression one of pure rage. He then turned to the girl… and she was still breathing.
He felt faint. She was breathing, and he could see her lungs. Lungs would simply collapse upon themselves if exposed outside the ribcage, yet here she was, still… undead?
She looked at the almost crying boy, with the one remaining eye she still had connected to her skull, and gave him a little smile… "Maybe I should have married you…" she said, moments before her eye shifted into something else, and she was lunging at him, desperate to take a bite out of him.
He just looked on. Was this a demon? She wasn't healing. She was still torn to pieces, just still moving and trying to get to him, with nothing by animalistic instinct. He then turned, and the man he had just beheaded, was also still moving. His body was struggling to stand up. The lower part of his head was biting wildly at nothing. The upper part of his head was looking at him, glaring, with something that could no longer be called eyes.
Even the one Inosuke beat was moving, well, what little he could, waving his arm like crazy, scratching against the stone pillar that had just crushed him. He scratched so hard that his nails were ripped clean off, blood marking the stone, but it did not stop his attempts.
He looked at them in lament, before he turned his focus towards his teammate. "Naruto!" he cried out, hoping against hope that the blonde ninja was still alive. Not hearing a response, he moved, searching everywhere in that wasteland.
As he did this, Inosuke and Kanao took aim and struck the roof of the room they were it, breaking through, and a massive surge of sand began to fill the area even quicker.
"We have to go all the way through or we drown here!" Kanao exclaimed. "Hold onto Kaigaku firmly, and," she said, turning towards Nezuko's body, "We need to both take hold off… No!"
As Kanao turned, her eyes went wide, as the bodies of the deceased Doto had returned to life, two halves of the same man growling and biting down at the defenseless Nezuko before him. One side biting down onto her body, the other onto her head. Kanao's eyes went wide with rage and fright, as she took aim. She had Tanjiro on her, so her movement was limited, but if she did not behead both sides of this man, Nezuko was as good as dead.
So she moved, no attack name or anything, just a singular horizontal swing with all her might. In a flash, Doto's head was separated from his body twice, freeing what was left of Nezuko, and Kanao threw herself to reach young girl…
…Just as an avalanche of sand fell upon them all. Kanao couldn't help but scream the moment all that weight almost crushed her, causing Zenitsu to turn, seeing the massive surge of sand coming out of the room. He had not yet found Naruto, but everything was filling up too fast, too much. If he waited even a second longer, they'd all be dead.
Crying, he apologized to the fallen Shinobi, as he activated his lightning and propelled himself towards the upper room. He managed to reach Kanao as she was almost drowning in the sand, grabbing hold of her arm, and using all his strength to pull her alongside Tanjiro and Nezuko up, even if he couldn't see Nezuko at all.
Inosuke roared, using all his strength against the falling sand. "Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting!" he screamed, and repeated the move for far longer than his body had been trained to handle it, but with all the force he could he pushed sand and rubble away, while keeping his team safe. He was close to finding the exit, until…
…His own mask began to move.
The boar head he had used to create it came alive, squealing and frantically moving about, taking him out of his technique completely. He cursed, utterly shocked, as he took hold of his mask and pulled it off, throwing it to the side, seeing how the empty boar mask squealed and bit at nothing, until the sands swallowed it whole.
"What the hell?!" Zenitsu outright screamed.
Inosuke, for once, was utterly speechless. But, that damn thing had cost him his concentration, and the sand fell upon them all, burying them all within it. As Kanao, Zenitsu and Inosuke tried to escape its grasps, the Slayers were slowly swallowed whole, their screams muffled by the death that was soon to follow…
…Until they were suddenly, and forcefully, pulled right out. I giant, sticky rope buried itself in the sand, taking hold of each slayer, and once it had all of them grabbed, pulled them out with a very impressive force.
One moment, they had been dying, crushed under the sand…
The next, they were now back outside, seeing the sky again for what seemed like an eternity, all of them being held onto by… a large frog?
"That was close," Lord Gamabunta voiced, setting the teens down on a part of the sand that wasn't sucking any one down. The team, all with sand in placed they didn't even know they had, stared, blankly wondering if this was what death looked like. "You should check up on them…" the mystic Toad said, "They look like they could drop dead at any minute."
Kanao was the first to react, reaching for Tanjiro, who while still knocked out, was still safely tucked against her back. She then turned, and was shocked to see who their savior was.
"That was quite the close call, huh?" Naruto Uzumaki asked the group, and the boy looked nothing worse for wear. He didn't even have a speck of sand on him. "You guys okay-Wait, what happened to Tanjiro? And the Team Leader guy, what happened to his arm?"
"N-Naruto, you're okay…" Zenitsu noted, tears in his eyes.
"Huh?"
"I was so scared!" the Thunder Slayer admitted. "I had sworn the sand had buried you. I-I couldn't find you! I'm so happy to see you alright!"
"Ah… Zenitsu," Naruto spoke up, and for the briefest of moments, Zenitsu's expression changed from elated to horrified. "I'm a clone. He left me up here to keep watch. I felt the rumbling, and summoned my friend here to help me dig you guys out. I… had no idea things had gotten so-wait… Where am I?!"
"Wait, does that mean?!" Zenitsu asked, turning to Kanao, who had an expression of sheer… agony. Zenitsu was going to ask, but he soon saw why. Naruto's clone saw why too. As did Inosuke. And, in a dark sort-of way, it was fortunate Tanjiro was not awake.
Kanao had not Nezuko on her hands, only managing to save a single sleeve from the new clothes Nezuko had gotten and a several strands of her hair, both parts of the girl now lost to the sands. As the team stared in disbelief, none knew what to say or do, as the very village they had just escaped from, was no longer there. Not a glimpse of it to be seen. Almost as if it had never existed in the first place.
And, come time for each to offer a report to their respective leader, the only thing they could say, was the undeniable truth. The very first mission between Shinobi and Slayer had ended in a total and utter failure…
-0-
Kibutsuji Muzan was not a demon to be kept waiting. He despised having things not play out exactly how he wanted them to. Hated how these damn humans kept on trying to put a stop to him. To his very existence. He was a calamity, not meant to be faced, not meant to be stopped. If you just survived him, then you should consider it a blessing and move on with your meaningless life. But, it would all soon change. Because, Kokushibou had found the book. At last, after so many years, the words inked within that cursed book would be his at last.
That Mad Arab, his knowledge would soon be Muzan's own.
And then, no force on this planet, Slayer, Shinobi, Exorcist or even Pirate King would be able to stop what was coming.
So, as all his Upper Moons stood by, ready for their Master's declaration, the portal opened, and in came the Upper Moon One, Kokushibou; alongside Muzan's personal aide, the Biwa Demon herself, Nakime.
"Oh my," the Upper Moon Two, Douma, voiced with glee, "It's been ages since I've seen you suffer even a scratch. Where were you, at a Pillars meeting?"
"There is a reason I was the one sent," Kokushibou noted, his annoyance evident. "…None of you would have been able to handle being within those walls for too long."
"Scary then," the Upper Moon Three, Akaza noted with a grin, "It actually sounds fun. I should have gone instead!"
"Weren't you the one who came in here missing half your body?" Douma teased, as Akaza just glared.
"I already informed why," he shot back, "And Master was pleased. One less annoying Pillar. Which gives me a streak of two. When was the last time you killed one?"
"No! Stop arguing! Too scary!" the Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, shrieked, cowering behind a nearby stairwell, or something to that extent. This place was so strangely ordered that even the Upper Moons had trouble traversing it at times, with the exception of the domain master herself, Nakime, or, of course, Muzan.
"Don't be like that Hantengu," the Upper Moon Five, Gyokko, mocked. "You'll never please Master Muzan with that attitude. Thanks to how useless the Lower Moons turned out to be, we need to pick up the slack, otherwise, it will make our Master look bad."
"You think I can look bad?" Muzan asked. He didn't even raise his voice, but the demon within the pots shrieked, and quickly bowed in apology.
"Never Master," he corrected, "Even if we were all to fail, which we won't, but even if we did, you would always be triumphant. Always!"
"Hmm," Muzan just noted. Normally, he'd smash any of them who'd insult him, indirectly or otherwise, but he was in high spirits today, so he'd be… lenient.
"You seem pleased Master," Upper Moon Six, Daki said. Well, one half of the Sixth. The drop-dead gorgeous monster gave Muzan a very flirty smile. "Are there any good news for His Greatness?"
"You could say that," Muzan noted, as he extended his hand towards Kokushibou, who bowed while he offered Muzan the pouch. Even without opening it, Muzan could feel the book inside, and he felt the biggest amount of thrill he had ever felt in his undying life. "Victory is now mine," he declared, proudly, as he opened the pouch and took hold of the cursed book that would spell the end of the world. "Behold, the greatest scripture to ever be…"
All the Upper Moons looked on, all with their expressions unreadable.
Muzan looked on, frozen in place.
The silence was something.
Muzan was holding the Limited-Movie-Edition of Make-Out Paradise.
All the Upper Moons stared.
"…Isn't that porn, Master?" Douma asked, with a little smile. Within moments, he was just a stain on the nearest wall, splattered everywhere. "…Ouch," the torn up demon said, wondering if maybe he should not have said anything.
"…Kokushibou," Muzan growled, turning to the soon-to-be demoted Upper Moon. "Does this look even remotely like a cursed, demonic book to you?"
"…I have no words Master," Kokushibou apologized, his head bowed. How had this happen? He should have known the moment he felt the book no longer pulsated within his grasp that something was off. Wait… "The boy," the Upper Moon said, causing Muzan to glare at him. "The team of Slayers I fought, they were being accompanied by one young ninja… He managed to take hold of the pouch for the briefest of moments. He must have made the switch-"
Then a wall erupted, and Kokushibou quickly silenced himself. He had not even seen his Master move.
"You were tricked…" his Master's voice said, dripping with venom, "By a child playing Ninja?"
Kokushibou said nothing.
"…My, my, underestimating that one is a sure way to get your plans unraveled."
Muzan and all the Upper Moons instinctively turned towards a nearby hallway. Nakime was utterly shocked, as that had been clearly a voice she did not recognize, and no one could enter her domain without her say so. The Upper Moons all looked on, not even sure if they should pounce or not, as Muzan glared at the invading presence, slowly realizing who it was.
"Who do you think you are?" Muzan softly roared, his eyes sharpening to an insane degree. "Entering my domain is not a mistake you can make twice."
"Is that so…?" the invader replied with a slasher smile, as snakes slowly filled the area, before a man with a complexion just as inhuman as Muzan stepped into the light. "Even if this were hell itself, once I step inside, it is no longer just your domain."
And for the first time in history, evil met evil, as Kibutsuji Muzan stared down against a grinning Snake Sannin, the missing-nin Orochimaru.
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