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!
Thank you all for the kind words as always, and for giving this story a shot. The introductory arc for this little work of fiction comes to a close in this Chapter, so enjoy everything that is showcased therein, as we prepare to move to the big leagues. You guys will probably also see a bit more of the Romance aspect of this story now, as we give the Action elements a momentary rest, but do not fret, those will come back with full force soon enough. For now, read on, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto; or, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Giyu Tomioka found himself back on those snowy plains, just where it had all begun to him, on this endless journey of pain, sorrow and loneliness. And blood. Too much blood of the innocent spilt. He was so tired of it all. Usually, news like this, of tragedy upon tragedy, no longer seemed to face him. He acknowledged the loss, praised the sacrifice, but deep down, he felt… empty. Desensitized he supposed, after witnessing so much horror that he had long stopped hoping. He knew he was do die at the hands of a demon, he just tried his best, that at least, it would be against an Upper Moon, and that maybe, he could take it down with him.
Kyojuro Rengoku had managed almost that, but instead of killing the Upper Moon, he had defended the lives of over two-hundred innocents. A fair trade, in Giyu's eyes. An honorable death, as some would say. He had also defended the siblings and their friends, and for that, Giyu was grateful.
But…
As soon as he caught sight of that old home, where he and Sabito had begun their journey to defend these lands from the undead horrors, he couldn't help but feel a little bit more defeated than before.
Giyu looked on, and just like the poorly written letter indicated, what he found could no longer be called a home. The entire place was broken down, roof caved in, walls torn to pieces, everything smelling of oils, smoke and blood. The floor itself was smashed into large craters, wood everywhere. Even the front door, thrown outside and almost covered in snow at this point, had a hole in it, right in the mid-section.
Giyu frowned. He could see it. The fight, the struggle…
His Master, Sakonji Urokodaki, the mask-wearing retired Water Pillar that trained him, and Sabito, and Tanjiro, and to an extent, Nezuko too… That very same, kind and powerful man, had received a knock on the door in the middle of the night. He had paused, not yet asleep, but not expecting visitors. He was no fool. He knew that making the journey to these parts was not just a random occurrence. Last time someone had come in, it had been a desperate boy, clinging onto something he had never seen in his long life of facing the demons. A demon girl, no older than twelve, still clinging onto her humanity… somehow. He tried to help them. Giyu had sent them after all. If he believed in them, then maybe…
He trained the boy, forged him into a strong enough steel to survive in this harsh world, strong enough to survive what others before him could not. He did not want more blood in his hands. He did not think himself the best master, not how Giyu had described him. Not the way Tanjiro looked up to him as.
And he tried to train the girl too. Allow her rest, but also, trick her mind. Assist her human side in gaining some sense of control. It was an old technique. A simple mind-manipulation art, enhance what was already there. That sense of protection, make it stronger. Make her see the world a little differently. It took him a while, as he had not used such arts in ages. How did they call it again?
Genjutsu, was it?
The illusionary arts. A technique well crafter by their Shinobi brethren.
But, as the knock repeated, he knew he should not expect another lost boy and girl, not anymore. At this age, during this dark time, all that could be behind that door… could only be death itself.
Still, a Pillar, retired or otherwise, who feared death would only bring shame to them all, and he had seen death so many times, that in a way, it was indeed an old friend. So he went to the door…
…and a pale, tattooed arm, muscular and inhuman, pierced right through, aimed right towards his torso.
It would have torn right through him… had his own blade not blocked the fist. It caused his whole body to be pushed back, as the force of the blow was indeed strong. Too strong.
The hand paused, and slowly pulled itself back. Then he heard death's voice.
"Hey, not bad old man," the demon voiced from the other side, sounding ever so pleased, "You have got to help me. After that fight with Rengoku, the former Flame Pillar you know, I've been itching to have a go at it with another one of you guys. And more-so, you are the one who trained that brat with the traitorous wench of a sister, ain't ya?"
"…No rest for the wicked, is there…" Urokodaki voiced softly, taking a stance. The broken door still stood between him and the demon, but he didn't need to take a look at it to know. An Upper Moon, physical strength beyond what any human could ever hope to achieve.
"Wicked am I?" the creatures asked with mockery, before in one fell swoop he ripped the door clean of its hinges, tossing it aside like it was nothing. His eyes, marking the rank of Upper Moon Three, stared at Urokodaki mask.
"How conceited," Urokodaki noted, his grip tightening. "To think everything is about you."
Giyu walked past the entrance, and the sigh of the struggle was ever more evident. The walls, what was left of them, were covered in dried-up blood, while holes and slashes covered everything else. The smell of burning was also present even stronger, as black stains surrounded everything, even in the invading snow that now called this place their home.
His Master was talented beyond words. Even past his prime, he was not as easy target as one would assume. He knew, Giyu knew, that he would not go quietly.
"How very strong!" Akaza cheerfully praised, as his fists flew right past Urokodaki's face, missing by just half-an-inch, and yet creating visibly cracks on its sturdy surface. Urokodaki said nothing. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to turn into a demon? If you are this strong now, imagine being brought back into your youth, at your prime, and then having that power multiplied by the tenfold! No, hundred-!"
Akaza's offer was cut short as one of his hands was sliced clean off, with a strong upwards swing that carried the force of the raging river. Akaza just grinned, his arm already healed before his severed limb had even hit the ground. 'Water, eh? For a moment I had sworn that brat actually had Flame techniques, was it just the after effects of my fight against Rengoku, eh, who cares? Water, Fire, all equally worthless if wielded by human hands.'
"You are a chatty one," Urokodaki noted, his tone clearly not pleased. His swings and the monster's fists quickly destroyed his home, each blow landing them in a separate room, destroying it within seconds. He needed to end this quickly.
"Second Form…"
"Water Wheel…" Giyu noted, examining the area. "A fine form Master, using not just the force of the blow, but dragging all the debris that had built up alongside it. It would not do much against an opponent of such caliber, as he would heal instantly, but it should have been enough for you to escape his gaze just long enough to be able to use the Sixth Form…"
"Whirlpool!" Urokodaki roared, fiercely twisting his body with such ferocity that the resounding slashes caught Akaza off-guard. It cleaved the house cleanly in two, slashing it circularly, and severing Akaza from the waist downwards. It should be enough, Urokodaki hoped, to try and take aim for the neck next, if he could be fast enough-
-But he froze. He felt his sides burst open.
A kick from the still disconnected legs, so fierce that it broke Urokodaki's ribs and even caused two of them to break out of his skin, sticking out. It paused all the momentum of his attack, as the Upper Moon Three landed safely back onto his body, healed in a blink of an eye.
"Killer moves old man," he praised, and Urokodaki felt disgusted. "But it's clear you are past your prime. Won't you be the one to finally take me upon my offer? You can no longer fight with those injuries, and you served the Slayers long enough, right? You did you job, so now just change sides! And we can fight properly!"
"The fact that no Slayer has taken your offer should prove our strength of will enough, demon," Urokodaki spat out, his mask cracking further. Akaza frowned, tired of hearing the same thing over and over, and still getting the same results. A dead Slayer, and a wasted fight. "…Fine, I won't ask anymore. But… Do tell me where I can find where you buried the failed Slayers. All those kids that didn't make the cut. Do that and I'll kill ya quickly, how does that sound?"
'What?!' Urokodaki thought, his widened eyes hidden by what was left of his mask.
Then he felt a chill behind him, and as he glanced with the corner of his eyes, he saw another figure there. But what scared him most, was that it wasn't a demon. But with such a look on his eyes, he might as well be…
"Someone else was here," Giyu noted, looking at the room. It was his Master's own little room, likewise as destroyed as the rest of the home, but… There was a residual, a sense of another invader, but one that did not engage his Master directly, but one who had his hands just as bloodied.
"Oh, never mind that Akaza," Kabuto told the Upper Moon, with a soft smile on his lips, sitting in what was left of Urokodaki's bed like if it were a casual visit. "It wasn't as hard to find as I had imagined. Marked graves and all, clearly a treasure trove for my master's studies. And more than enough bodies to keep him busy for days."
"You!" Urokodaki roared, controlling his breathing to stop the flow of blood, but his grip on his sword tightening further still. "A Shinobi, of the Sound! How dare you come in here?! What have you done to the grave of those children?!"
"Me?" Kabuto asked, almost as if insulted. "My good sir, I am merely a doctor. A researcher at that. I was not the one who gave them a sword and sent them out to be slaughtered. And here I thought our measures were extreme, but at least we give our Genin a few missions before we try to kill them, you know?"
"I will never forgive-!"
"Hey!" Akaza quickly cut in, taking hold of Urokodaki's right arm, sword and all, stopping the injured man in his tracks. "Your fight's with me. I told four-eyes over there not to butt in. But if he already found what he was looking for, it means I have no longer any need to hold back at all!"
"Sure, knock yourself out," Kabuto calmly noted.
"Won't you at least tell me your name old man?" Akaza asked, the biggest grin on his face, "I promise I won't forget. Both the battle that was, and the battle that could have been. Hell, survive this and become a demon, and I'll stop four eyes over there from taking the corpses, how does that sound?!"
"How rude," Kabuto added.
"Compass Needle," Akaza voiced, before he roared, his fist aiming right at Urokodaki's heart, like a magnet to metal. "Disor-"
Then the entire area exploded.
Giyu looked down, noticing what could have been one of his Master's own triggered traps. A small wire, connected to what appeared to be some sort of explosives. Already detonated, hard to tell what they were made up initially. Not enough to kill a demon. Not enough to kill the other invader either, Giyu's assumed. But… just enough of a distraction, he believed, as he raised up a hidden door beneath his Master's home, something no one would think to look off unless they knew what the man himself was like.
But before he did, he caught sight of something, and for a man that believed himself immune to emotion, he couldn't help but feel a burning anger in him.
"The hell was that?" an already recovered Akaza asked, looking around, wondering if the former Water Pillar had blown himself off. A wasted effort in the end, but points for creativity he supposed. Akaza's eyes then shifted towards his new… companion. The good doctor had been replaced by a stack of now burnt wood, with the real deal a few yards away, staring at the scene behind those creepy glasses of his. "What's the matter? Afraid of a little boom?"
"I'm not as tough as you," Kabuto assured, but he sounded anything but sincere. Akaza frowned, since he could damn well tell this "Shinobi" or whatever it was he was really was quite the accomplished fighter.
"Still, damn, what a cowardly move," Akaza noted, but then he looked down. In his grip… was still Urokodaki's arm… just severed, no longer connected to a torso. The blood spilled, and the blade that had once been held by it was also no longer there. 'Oh? Cut off your own limb to try and escape? What are you, a damn animal? This is why humans can never measure up. Damn it, he was even worse that the Flame Hashira, or Pillar, or whatever the hell they call themselves!"
"Stop arguing by yourself," Kabuto calmly noted.
"You promised me a good fight!" Akaza growled, tossing the severed arm aside. "And if that old man refused to give it to me, then you will have to pay up! You got your corpses, now come on, let's fight!"
"We could do that," Kabuto voiced, his eyes on what seemed to be a trap door on the floor, but deciding it best not to mention anything. The Slayer was as good as dead anyways, and one so old and broken was no use to him or his Master. "But I can offer a much better fighter for you to sink yourself in if you just give me a few more days. This study of mine, oh, you'll probably end up too afraid to even engage against it once you see."
"Is that so…?"
Giyu descended the small steps that lead to the room below everything, and upon entering, he caught sight of his worse fears realized. There was his Master, the esteemed Sakonji Urokodaki, without his arm, without a mask, his body now almost frozen thanks to the cold. Deceased, just as his letter had told him he would be.
And… it hurt.
He thought himself already immune from the pain, but the demons found a way to always hurt him again. A retired Hashira, no longer a threat to any of them, hidden away deep within this forest… why was he made a target once more?
And the invader, Giyu wonder, taking out the bloodstained, poorly written note. Of course it looked like that, his master was right-handed, and he was forced to write it with his left, all the while controlling his breathing through a punctured lung. Such strength.
"I'm sorry Master," Giyu voiced softly, as he placed a piece of cloth of his Master's exposed face. "I was too late… Once again. But thank you for using the last of your strength to write this. I… I will not let them desecrate them. All those kids… Sabito… I won't let this get any further."
Giyu the stared up, at the pretty clear skies, utterly oblivious to the blood that had been spilled. Why, he wondered, was the Devil allowed to walk this Earth, and the Gods did nothing?
He clenched his sword harder, frowning. It wasn't the time for these thoughts. The message had managed to reach him. He should be grateful for that miracle. How one carrier crow had managed to slip through an Upper Moon and a Missing Nin from the Sound, was a miracle indeed.
From the cracks of the floor, the carrier bird flew, as fast as its winds could carry it. It knew, it felt itself flying right through the predator's nest itself, as both Akaza and Kabuto took notice. It was fate, or a miracle, or just plain luck. But the crow passed by the two, and both enemies attacked, a powerful wind blast by the demon, and a Chakra infused snake by the ninja. Both aimed at the summoned crow. Both meant to rip it apart…
…Both clashing against each other instead.
The bird was hurt by the aftershock of the attacks clashing, its right wing sustaining damage that made flying almost impossible, but it pressed on. It had a mission, and it would see it through. So it flew away.
"You stopped my attack!" Akaza blasted, his eyes on the ninja.
"Seems like I did," Kabuto noted, "My apologies. Had I known you'd also attack, I'd-"
Akaza then swiftly smashed his fist right across Kabuto's face, shattering his glasses and breaking his neck on impact. His body fell, no longer alive, and Akaza frowned. "…You are quite the coward, ain't ya?" he asked, turning, as another Kabuto walked in, a bit further away from the enraged demon.
"No need for us to fight just quite yet," Kabuto told him, still sounding pleased. It irked Akaza even more. "But do not worry. A promise is a promise. A fight you will get. But… be warned," he said, as he made a quick set of hand seals. "We will see each other again, but you may not like what happens then."
And in a poof of smoke he was gone, and no trace of him could be felt anywhere.
Akaza's grip on his fist tightened, his bloody eyes fixated on the spot the missing nin had just vanished from, pissed beyond belief.
"Is that right?"
-0-
He had not thought much of that encounter, figuring the ninja's boasts and warning had just been what every other victim of his, including the brat with the black sword, had always been, just empty threats. The words of a frightened weakling, running away while at the same time trying to salvage what little was left of his dumb pride. But, as he and the others that carried titles similar to his own, the Six Upper Moons, alongside their domain master Nakime and the King of Demons himself, Muzan, all stared, it was clear it wasn't just an empty threat.
The missing nin he had met that night, Kabuto Yakushi had indeed returned, inside of His Master's domain at that, and alongside him…
…Was death itself.
The Upper Moons all stared, prepared to attack at a moment's notice if their Master merely hinted at it, but holding their ground, as Muzan stared at the unwanted presence currently invading his very palace.
"…Nakime?" Muzan voiced, softly, growling.
"I-I did not grant anyone entry," the biwa demoness voiced, softly, bowing. How had this creature slithered inside? No one could without her say-so or her Master's.
"Invaders!" Hantengu screamed, as he hid behind the several pots scattered throughout, the Upper Moon Four scared out of his wits.
"Do try and not humiliate our Master now," Gyokko reprimanded, annoyed at his fellow Upper Moon hiding behind his own little "homes", half-afraid the scared fool would break one. "And go hide elsewhere!"
"What business do you have with our Master, you filth?" the would-be Upper Moon Six, the very beautiful Daki asked, taking a step closer to the invading man whose features were similar to her Master's. No, wait, what? How dare she compare anyone to Him?
"Do you want to die Daki?" Muzan asked, and despite his tone sounding far gentler, Daki still felt a cold chill run up and down her body. She was sure her brother felt it too.
"Master, I am so sorry, I did not mean to even think of putting anyone in the same plane as-"
"That is not what I mean," Muzan cut her off, and it slowly hit her, as His eyes never left the invader. "It is not me who'd kill you."
All the Upper Moons felt a chill at their Master's words, as they all slowly realized what he meant. But… could that even be possible. No Nichirin blade, no sunlight… and could this… human… actually kill one of them?
"Come now," Orochimaru voiced, "Am I that bad a guest that I would just come in here to slaughter your little army. Far from it. I believe you have amassed quite the cast here, a far more imposing group than I have managed to at least. I suffered quite the set of heavy losses a few months ago thanks to the Leaf Ninja, my talented Sound Five, reduced to mere corpses, whose collection was a rather arduous task."
"You speak as if it was you who had to go into the enemy's territory and find their remains Master," Kabuto added with a bit of sarcasm.
"Well, I was worried for your wellbeing, so it was straining for me as well," Orochimaru responded, and Kabuto just gave out a small laugh.
"Why of course, silly me, I did not consider that," he joked.
"That's that damn four-eyes!" Akaza roared, upon seeing Kabuto once more. He gritted his teeth, his Compass Needle activated upon instinct. "You won't get away this time, I'll-"
But before Akaza could even speak, Muzan had his hand straight through him. The Upper Moon Three stared, surprised, and uttering a very pained "Master" during it all. Muzan just glared, before he pulled his hand out, wordlessly. Akaza, to his surprise, did not fade away. His Master had not killed him. But…?
"Such a small little creature," Muzan noted, as he held onto a small snake, slithering across his fingers, the little parasitic creature having been festering with Akaza all this time. Muzan then crushed it into dust within his fingers, before he turned back to Orochimaru. "Your follower planted this onto my Upper Moon. Quite the sneaky little trick. That explains how you were able to track him here, but… Entering this domain without my say-so, now that's quite the feat."
"It was not an easy location to pinpoint," Orochimaru admitted with the faintest of smiles. "Such a marvelous little domain, but once I got a bit of my Chakra within these walls, if was just a matter of summoning myself into its coordinates. It takes quite a bit of Chakra to force myself through, but worth it nonetheless."
"So much trouble," Muzan noted, "To what end? To what do I owe the… pleasure of a visit from the Snake Sannin?"
"Oh, you do know of me," Orochimaru replied with a little laugh. "I had thought I was too lowly a mook to be noticed by one who deems himself a king."
"Speaking with such a tone will get you killed," Muzan warned, his eyes shifting, Orochimaru just smiled. "Entering this domain does not mean you can exit it as easily. I'll have your head in my hand before you can even form the first seal."
"We can try that, or," Orochimaru offered. "I can help you obtain that which your prized subordinate failed at," the Snake Sannin added, and Kokushibou's eyes, all six of them, narrowed. What was this pale man offering? "What do you say? Unless you are content with the book you did get. Fair warning, it is all worthless garbage, much like its writer."
Muzan glared, but he did notice he still held the damn book on his hands, so he tossed it aside, disgusted. "I have little time for such trivialities. But, how exactly do you propose you can accomplish something my Upper Moon could not? And to what end?"
"For one, my people can walk in the sunlight," Orochimaru flatly stated, and Muzan's glare intensified. How he hated to be reminded if that, singular weakness. "Two, I already sent a little group to recover the book that you just carelessly lost. So you'll have it in no time. On the other hand… What I want, is simple. Something you love to offer up at that, for nothing even. Just some of your blood of course, King of Demons."
"~My, you want to become one of us?" Douma asked, amused.
"…Somehow I doubt that," Daki noted, her eyes on her Master's.
"Indeed," Muzan replied. "I find it hard to believe you'd willingly become my subordinate."
"I serve no one, that is true," Orochimaru admitted. "But what I can do, is power you up further. Perhaps that ever elusive power you seek, which the Necronomicon may or may not bring, I can provide differently. In return, I take revenge on the Leaf, crushing their ranks and ending their threat to us both. Wonderful, is it not?"
Muzan said nothing. He was… not used to facing someone he could, hatefully, describe as a near-equal. He wasn't, of course not. The Snake Sannin, for all his power and cunning, was still just human. Powerful… but not undying.
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Muzan asked, his eyes scanning the little group accompanying the Snake Sannin. The young man with the glasses looked formidable, enough to probably challenge his own Upper Moons. And behind the two, were two other figures, wearing animal masks. ANBU was it? Did the Sound Village also employ such groups? "I can see it in your eyes, the power you seek," Muzan noted, "If you were to gain access to the Sacred Scriptures, would you expect me to believe you'd hand it over, just like that?"
"What good would it do me?" Orochimaru countered. "I am not a demon, and I will not become one. As such, its writing will be forever foreign to me. Your blood, however, will open the doors I have long been seeking. You can do whatever you want to the rest of the world, I do not care. But the Leaf is mine to do with as I please."
"I feel we won't come to any sort of agreement here," Muzan voiced, and the shift in tone made it clear that the conversation was over. The bloodlust was felt all over, as the Six Upper Moons all poised themselves to attack. "A King does not share a throne. And I know your goal, Orochimaru. You seek eternal life, but one without the shackles demonization brings. Such a thing does not exists. This is the greatest of powers, and you and I both know it. Your aim is as clear as can be to my eyes, use my blood to unearth the powers of the Necronomicon, and dethrone me. That… I cannot allow!"
"Oh my," Orochimaru noted, as he felt the surge of power flow from Muzan's body and hit his own. Quite the strength. Call it Chakra, call it Reiatsu, call it Haki, in the end, it was all different aspects of Ki manipulation, and the Demon Arts themselves were the furthest that he had ever seen such power ripped apart and corrupted to such a degree. Like a cancer on the very being itself. Such a trilling power, but Muzan was not wrong, if Orochimaru had his way, there was no way both Muzan and Orochimaru could be the Kings of a new world. But, that still meant, a fight against Muzan in this palace, was not the best of ideas.
"Sir?" a still poised but slightly worried Kabuto asked, turning to his Master. Orochimaru just sighed.
"I had wished we could have been more civilized about this," he noted grimly, before he made a serious of hand seals and placed his hands on the ground, causing a series of inked scriptures to appear on the floor in a circular fashion around him.
But Muzan's threat had been very real.
As only Orochimaru's body had completed the Jutsu, his head now long gone. It currently rested on Muzan's hand, the Demon King staring it down, fingers digging right into its breaking skull. "You think I'd be so easily fooled?" Muzan told the severed head. "I have faced Shinobi before. Where is your pathetic substitution technique?"
"Unneeded," Orochimaru's decapitated head responded, as it opened his mouth, and suddenly, out came a snake, and out of the snake's mouth, out came a blade. Muzan's eyes widened, as he was soon beheaded in turn by the sword, leaving his Upper Moon shocked, as Muzan's body dropped Orochimaru's head.
The Snake Sannin's severed head extending what was left of his spine and formed another snake, which itself reconnected him to his body, still in summoning position. And within seconds, the Sound Shinobi was back together.
Not to be outdone, Muzan's body seemed to take a few steps back, slowly picking his head back up, and placing it on his neck like a disposable hat, before he turned back to the Sannin, fully healed.
"The Sword of Kuzanagi," Muzan noted. "I was not aware it had Nichirin-properties. How very clever, but sadly, I have long outgrown dying by such pathetic means."
"That was not my point," Orochimaru responded, straining, as this summoning was quite the pain. "This is."
The Jutsu was done properly, and out came a puff of smoke. The Upper Moons charged, all taking aim at Orochimaru, and they were moments from reaching him. Surely, even with a Nichirin blade, of sorts, even he could never take all of them out at once. But then…
"Stop!" Muzan ordered, and they all froze, inches from the Snake Sannin.
"Good… Eye…" an exhausted Orochimaru noted. Summoning was one thing, but summoning into this place was too much, even for him. But still, he had gotten it in, and with that, he had forced a stalemate. He knew that, and he knew, that Muzan did as well. "…You can kill me and my subordinates, but before you do, I will awaken him, and you and I both know what happened the last time you faced him."
Muzan just stared, eyes flared, biting his lower lips so strongly he was almost ripping them off. How?!
"How?! How do you even know of this?!" he demanded, but he still would not move an inch closer. Not to that man. Never to that man. Not again. Kokushibou stared, his eyes not believing the name before the coffin that Orochimaru had just summoned before them. "There is no way you could revive a corpse that old, and it that wrecked state!"
"It took me great pain to find the remains," Orochimaru admitted. "And bringing the body back is a specialty of mine, but even so, it is severely draining. But, if you will not join up with me, I will save the Demon Slayers the trouble and end this all at once. Because… you, a King? Do not make me laugh. What King hides only in the dark? What King has so much land left unconquered? What kind of King refuses to even set foot in the Land of Fire? You and I are both on the same boat, your majesty, both men of greatness, but if the Akatsuki get to us before we are complete, we are dead… And you know it. You are aware of what that monster can do, are you not? Can you really say, without my help, that the day Pain makes his presence known to you, that you can survive him?!"
"…Master?" Daki voiced, somewhat unsure of why her Master and the Upper Moon One looked so utterly… terrified. Never had she seen either of them like that.
"…You've made you point," Muzan admitted, and the Upper Moons all looked on, shocked, but refusing to voice it. Kabuto took a huge breath of relief, since had that failed, he knew he'd be dead within moments. He could feel it. He could face off against the Upper Moons, but against that Muzan… he could never. He'd be dead before he even knew what hit him.
The would-be ANBU standing besides Orochimaru, however, did not seem bothered in the slightest. During it all, they just stared, eyes on their Master, unmoving.
"So…?" Orochimaru asked, his hands still forming the seal, the undead body of that someone still poised to attack, "Can we be a little bit more civilized this time?"
"I will hear you out," Muzan was forced to conclude, and with a nod, his Upper Moon all retreated, standing back. "…If you are able to bring me the Necronomicon, then fine, maybe this world is big enough for two rulers. Just, maybe…"
He was lying.
They both knew it.
And they both knew the other knew.
But for the moment, they had been forced into this unsteady alliance, where they knew the second either could get the upper hand, then the other would be struck down without mercy. But until then, if the Leaf Ninja and the Demon Slayers were to be wiped out, how fortunate would they both be…
-0-
Tanjiro woke up with a fright, startled, as he sat up, eyes wide open, hand on his chest. His heart, it felt like it was about to burst right out of his ribcage. Why? Why was he so scared all the sudden? As he slowly regained his senses, he began to remember what had happened. The fights, the cave, the ninja from the snow land, the Upper Moon, the… book.
"…Nezuko," he voiced, as he regulated his breathing to keep his strength up. He could barely feel his left arm. Getting cleaved into a wall had that effect.
"…Tanjiro," a familiar voice called him, and as he turned, he saw her come into view. Kanao stood there, battered and bruised, but looking a lot better than him. "…So glad you're awake. I mended your wounds best I could. But I am not my sister, it won't be enough. We need medical assistance."
Tanjiro noted that he had been indeed bandaged up, his upper body exposed, with a series on bandages pressed heavily against both sides of his wound and a large portion of his arm. Kanao had her eyes focused elsewhere, half-wondering why, despite her being the one to tend to him was it harder to look at him half undressed when he was awake all the sudden. Tanjiro did not seem to notice.
"We?" Tanjiro repeated, and then he noticed it. Zenitsu was tending to Kaigaku, whose missing arm was placed near him, avoiding the sun, in the hopes it could be reconnected, somehow.
"Tanjiro!" Zenitsu quickly cried out, rushing to his friend's side and hugging him, Tanjiro squirmed at the touch, since he hurt, well, everywhere, but he was glad Zenitsu was safe. "You're awake! I'm so glad! I had thought we'd lose you too!" he said, sobbing.
"Zenitsu, so glad to see you alright," Tanjiro noted, then paused, his eyes wide, "Wait, too. Did we lose…?"
"Tanjiro, it's…" Kanao tried, but for once, she really didn't want to be too direct. How was she supposed to say this?
"Wait, where's Nezuko?!" Tanjiro cried out, trying to move, as Zenitsu held him down, still crying. "Wait, no, no way!" Tanjiro roared, his eyes starting to water. "No! She wasn't! She was still alive! The sun's already out! We can't just leave her! She'll… She'll… Oh God, please, not her too!"
And he couldn't help but cry. Why?! Why did it had to be her?! Of all people he had left to lose?! This one, he just couldn't bare it!
Then he was smacked upside the head. And while the shock of it paused his crying, the "attacker" just stared. Tanjiro raised his head, and found it a little odd, despite the pain, to find Inosuke without his mask.
"Nezuko's not dead you idiot," the former boar cleared up, and Tanjiro, Kanao and Zenitsu stared, their eyes wide. Didn't they just have this conversation and cried (mostly Zenitsu) over her loss? Kanao had tried, but she hadn't managed to pull her out. Why was Inosuke…? "What, don't look at me like that, Naruko over there was the one to tell me about it!"
They all paused, their eyes from Inosuke and towards Naruto. The clone gave them a little wave, as he sat by some rocks, protecting himself by the shade. "Seems like we have good news," he called out, with the biggest of grins, "Come take a look!"
Zenitsu and Inosuke helped get Tanjiro back on his feet, and the four made their way towards where Naruto was, as the grinning ninja quickly showed them all what he had discovered. He took out a mass of hair, which Kanao quickly recognized as what little of Nezuko she had managed to "save". He then placed it on the sun, and it quickly began to burn away, shocking everyone present. He then pulled it away, and just like that, it began to slowly heal. Very slowly, but it was evident. "Her powers are still active, which means she's alive," he cheerfully told the four. "And since I haven't vanished, it means I'm not dead too!"
"Oh, Nezuko, thank the-Eh? You Naruto?" Tanjiro asked, confused.
"Yeah," the boy sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm a clone he left behind up here. No need to thank me for saving you all though. But, you guys sort of did leave me down there, so shame on you and all that," he said, but he really didn't sound that angry or concerned, even if he really should be.
"Oh, my darling Nezuko, she's still alive!" Zenitsu cheered, jumping for joy, as Inosuke joined in, happy that his subordinates were all okay.
Kanao said nothing, but she let out a sigh of relief. It had been too much. If she was still alive, they could rescue her. And Naruto too, the real one that was. "Do you have any sense of where you are?" she asked him.
"Hmm… No, it doesn't work like that," Naruto noted, frowning. "I mean, I can undo the Jutsu, and I-well, the other me will know what I know, but there's no way I can get back to you guys if I'm, say, stuck or something. It was a lot of sand."
"…Yes, I see," Kanao noted.
"Then we dig!" Inosuke decided.
"Dig?! Do you have any idea how much sand that is?!" Zenitsu barked, pointing to the desert itself. "We can't dig this all! We need to find another entrance, and a way to get Nezuko out safely! We lost her little box too!"
"The box too?" Tanjiro noted, his hand instinctively to his back, the wooden carrier no longer present. "Have… Have we received any notifications at all? Does anyone know of the state of our mission? How we… failed?"
"I told one of your birds to report an Ice Jutsu coming from the stairway to Hell, but other than that, no," Naruto replied, as Tanjiro frowned.
"I'm saying, let's dig!"
"Then start!" Zenitsu shot back. "We need to be quick! Digging like madmen will get us nowhere!"
"Perhaps if we contacted one of the Hashira," Kanao offered, "We have our wounded to tend to as well. If Nezuko and Naruto are alive, perhaps they can hold until we bring help…" she said, but paused, her eyes on Tanjiro, "But I would understand if you'd object to such an idea."
"…I would," Tanjiro replied honestly, "But you are the superior of this mission. If it means saving her, I'll refer to your judgment."
"So… we're not digging?" Inosuke asked, almost as if disappointed.
"Not unless you know of any Sand Breathing techniques, no!" Zenitsu shot him down quickly.
"…Wait…" Naruto voiced, pensive, his head tilted. The four turned, as the little fox ninja seemed to get an idea all the sudden. "That's it! Sand Breathing-I mean, Sand Jutsu; that can help! He's strong enough! He could probably empty this entire desert out in moments!"
"Huh?" the four voiced in unison. Was the heat getting to the boy? "Erm, Naruto, who are you talking about?" Tanjiro asked, just a little fraction of hope evident on his voice, wishing against logic itself that maybe Naruto did in fact knew of someone that powerful.
"Well, Gaara of course!" he replied with a smile. "I haven't seen him since he tried to kill me, but Granny said he's on our side now; even helped save Bushy Brows, and his Village is close by, so I'm sure he can help!"
The four just nodded, softly. They had no idea what they were about to get into.
-0-
They reached the spot where they had first met up, right about the place Inosuke had almost murdered Goto, and to their surprise, found a carrier crow waiting for them there, alongside what seemed to be a little carriage of sorts mounted onto a rather buff looking ostrich. The big bird turned to the team and seemed to both scoff and glare at them, while the smaller one quickly flew towards Kanao, landing right across her outstretched arm.
More than reporting to them, they were to report what had occurred to him, so that he would relay said information towards their leader. She reported their injured, mostly their team leader's Kaigaku's current state, to which the bird nodded. She also reported the two missing members, and had to clarify that, no, she wasn't hallucinating, the Naruto with them was not the real one. She reported his idea as well, to find both help and shelter at the near Village Hidden in the Sand. Lastly, she reported what they all assumed had been a failed mission.
A book. Called the Necronomicon if Tanjiro recalled its name right, had been the demon's goal all along and it had taken it with him. The crow, for reasons they did not know, did not even let her finish. As soon as the name of the book escaped her lips, it just flew away. They all stared, looking at each other, confused, but figuring that they had probably messed up far more than they initially imagined.
After practically forcing Inosuke not to race against the ostrich and just ride in the wooden cart like a normal-ish person, the six-man team all sat, exhausted, with the exception of Kaigaku, who Zenitsu softly laid as best he could within this cramp little space. Then of course, came following some very, very poor directions from Naruto to where he sort-of, kinda imagined the Sand Village was at.
"Your directions suck," Zenitsu flatly told him, causing Naruto to frown and pout at him.
"Hey, it's not called the Super Visible Village of the Sand for a reason," Naruto shot back, "They are hard to find. That's the purpose!"
"…We should be fine," Kanao noted, her eyes on the group, before she turned her attention to Tanjiro, who despite his best efforts, couldn't quite hide who utterly miserable he felt. "…You are not abandoning her. We will return. And we will get them out."
"I… yeah, I know," Tanjiro noted, nodding. He knew he could do nothing else. If it had been just him, he would have taken Inosuke up on his offer and just started digging at the sand until his hands bled and then continued anyways. But… if Naruto knew someone who could help, Tanjiro would not think twice about swallowing his pride and begging for his help. "…It's just," he voiced, not even sure to who anymore, "She's probably scared. Lost and alone, in her mental state, I don't think she'll realize what is going on if she wakes up, can't see anything and can't move… I can't even imagine what she going through."
"Hey, come on," Naruto cut in, eyes on Tanjiro, frowning, "I'm in there too."
"My apologies Naruto," Tanjiro added quickly with a forced smile. "I do not mean to lessen your own peril. I'm sure-"
"That's not what I mean," Naruto interrupted him, eyes still narrowed. "I mean she's not going to be alone. I am there, so I'll keep her safe. That's my Ninja Way. And believe me, I know her chakra signature pretty well already, so even in that strange place, I won't lose her."
"…Chakra?" Kanao asked, her head turned towards Naruto. He nodded.
"That's your magic stuff, right?" Inosuke asked, with Naruto having to remind himself every time he spoke that it was the boar-kid he was looking at, since without a mask he was… well, not what Naruto had expected.
"It's not magic… kinda," Naruto explained, "Just natural energy. You all have it, and I'm pretty sure you use it when you use those fancy techniques. It explains why those swings are so damn strong. Heck, maybe you'll be the next one to master the Sexy Jutsu, eh Zenitsu?"
"…Oh, yeah, maybe," Zenitsu voiced, his attention fully on Kaigaku, and his deteorating state.
"Zenitsu…" Tanjiro voiced softly, his eyes filled with nothing with concern. "How's he holding up?"
"Kaigaku is strong," Zenitsu replied, his hand on his superior's face. "But he's lost a lot of blood. We compressed the wound as best we could, Kanao was… instrumental, of course, but… he's burning up. I'm keeping him out of the sunlight for now, trying just to see if we can make it in time."
"We will!" Inosuke shouted. "And he'll be back up in no time, then we go back, and get this guy and Nezuko back! …Why are you smiling at me?"
"Nothing," Tanjiro replied, his smile still present, "You remembered Nezuko's name properly."
"I never forget."
"…Yeah."
"Ah! We'll be fine, I promise," Naruto told the group, his fist on the cart's wooden floor, eyes narrowed. "Outside of Gaara, the Sand probably has a few good medical ninjas that can assist us. They can heal Kaigaku right back up, and get us all into fighting shape again. And once we have Nezuko and, well, me back, we'll get back whatever book that dumb demon took!"
"You're right," Tanjiro noted, shaking his head. "Sulking won't do us any good," he added, as Naruto quickly grinned, "…You know, I never did ask, but you have been very kind to both Nezuko and me, and all of us really. And you know all about me, about my journey, but I… I never much asked you anything. It feels off. Do you have any siblings Naruto?"
"Ah…" Naruto's face seemed to dim at the moment he heard the question, something which did not go unnoticed by Tanjiro, who quickly wailed his arms around and told him he did not have to say anything he did not want to. Naruto just shook his head. "No, it's not that," he told him, and the team, including even Inosuke, all turned to him, interested in knowing more about the young ninja they now called a friend. "I… really don't have anyone if I'm honest. An orphan since almost as soon as I was born. My parents died to a calamity that hit our village the day I was born, or so I'm told. Other versions say they just abandoned me, or that my mother was a goat, or some other stuff…"
"That's cruel," Tanjiro voiced, frowning. "I'm sure your parents were fine people, if you are anything to go by."
"…I've heard similar sentiments about my own parentage. They are not that… untrue," Kanao surprisingly voiced, surprising the others. She just stared, wondering if the purpose of this was not to share.
"I was raised by pigs," Inosuke added.
"We figured," everyone except Kanao said, even if she probably did think it too.
""Kaigaku and I trained under Gramps, it is funny really," Zenitsu chimed in, his voice low. "I don't think he likes me much, to be honest."
"We like you and that's what matters," Tanjiro told Zenitsu, causing the boy to smile. "And I'm sure you had parents Inosuke. Everyone does."
"I don't need any," the boar claimed, '…Although there was that woman, who was she…? Eh, who cares…?'
"And you have us now Naruto, just as you do too, Kanao," Tanjiro added, turning to the lone girl of the group. The look she gave him made his constant breathing technique a lot more difficult for some reason.
"Well, thanks a bunch guys!" Naruto said with the biggest grin. "But, hey, you have got to meet my other friends, you'll all get along great, I think. I mean, there's of course Sakura, and the team we formed on that… retrieval mission, all those guys are great. Maybe, once we are all fixed up and together, you guys can stop by the Lead Village and we can-"
The cart then came to a sudden halt, causing all of them, to stammer, almost falling into each other. Zenitsu quickly held onto Kaigaku, hoping to avoid his bleeding to start again, while Inosuke and Naruto almost bumped heads, or given Naruto's track record, he almost kissed the boar boy. Tanjiro was able to hold onto a nearby wooden wall, his hand close to Kanao, who had her back to that very wall, her eyes scanning the area.
"What ha-?" Zenitsu tried to ask, but Tanjiro quickly signaled him to keep quiet.
"Was it spooked, or…?" Tanjiro asked in almost a whisper, as Kanao narrowed her eyes.
"…Someone is out there," Kanao noted, as even with this harsh weather, her eyes could see through it all. There was clearly someone before them, bringing this carriage to a halt.
"It can't be a demon, right?" Naruto asked, a kunai already in his hand.
"Too bright," Inosuke noted, hands on his swords' hilts. "Wait, someone's behind us too!" the boar roared, his skin burning up the moment he sensed someone staring at them. And no sooner had he warned the group, than the entire carriage burst into flames, taking them all by surprise.
It was a matter of seconds, as they all quickly scattered right out. Zenitsu took hold of Kaigaku, and using his Thunder Breathing, got out in a flash. Inosuke broke right out of the wall, swords drawn, and aimed at who ever had just taken aim at them. Naruto followed him, removing his jacket in the process, as it had gotten caught in the fire…
'…Wait?' the clone noted, sensing a… familiarity with this chakra.
Kanao was out quickly too, sword drawn, her eyes scanning around, and frowning. "Three opponents," she informed the group. "One in front, one behind, another on my left, a bit further off."
"Got it," Tanjiro noted, but he still took a turn, and using what was left of his black blade, which was about half of it, broke the rope holding the panicking ostrich to the cart, allowing the poor beast from escaping from a burning death. He then stopped, his nose picking up on the scent of the three Kanao had seen. Three scents he did not recognize. Not demons, of course, but that smell was undoubtedly something slightly familiar by now. 'A massive amount of that energy signature… Chakra. Shinobi. But why?'
"…Tanjiro?" Kanao voiced, noticing the boy's expression.
"Watch out!" Tanjiro warned, "They're Shinobi! Whatever they hit us with, it was probably some kind of Jutsu!"
Naruto and Inosuke stood their ground, as the figure that had attacked them stood before them, the cloak he was wearing covering most of his features, likely to protect himself from the sand, but upon seeing his would-be opponents ready to engage, he slowly lifted the hood off…
…And Naruto felt his entire body collapse.
"S-Sasuke…"
Sasuke Uchiha said nothing. He looked at Naruto, then at the swordsman next to him. It wouldn't matter, he had his orders. So he moved.
"You're asking for it!" Inosuke screamed out, charging just as Sasuke did, swords aimed at the Uchiha's neck.
"Wait, Inosuke!" Naruto warned, but the mask-less pig did not bother to stop. He was sick and tired of so many damn surprise attacks to last him a lifetime.
"Fifth Fa-"
Inosuke did not even see Sasuke move. One second they were charging at each other, the next he felt a massive kick land right against his ribs, smashing him into the sand and right across the desert, rolling around with too much momentum for it to have been a human that had hit him. Sasuke merely took the pig's momentum as his own, launching himself forwards. Before Naruto could even muster up a seal, Sasuke's blade was run right through him, stabbing right where his heart should be. The Uchiha just stared, as Naruto, still in shock, could only muster a pained "…Sasuke," before he vanished in a poof of smoke.
Sasuke then retook his stance turning, and meeting with what could be called half a blade if one where generous enough. "Why are you attacking us?!" Tanjiro demanded, and yet, Sasuke said nothing. Gritting his teeth, Tanjiro changed his stance. His sword was not in the condition needed for the techniques he needed to use, but he had no choice. He needed to force it. "Second-"
And like Inosuke, he couldn't even finish a phrase. Sasuke had already turned, flipped his body somehow so fast that the heel of his sandal had hit Tanjiro's hilt, causing the Slayer to lose his grip on his blade, and as the realization hit him, he saw Sasuke take aim. And he was aiming to maim. 'I… I can't defend against this!'
"Flower Breathing!" Kanao screamed out, with a sheer amount of fury that Tanjiro had never heard the girl utter before. Had he not known for a fact she was on his side, he would have outright been frightened. "Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility!"
A flurry of nine consecutive slashes formed and weaved within themselves, creating a massive crater where Sasuke had just stood, blowing sand out in every direction thanks to the ferocity of the attack. She stood before Tanjiro, sword aimed at the Uchiha, her eyes sharp, taking in any movement he were to make.
"Kanao… thanks," was all Tanjiro could offer.
"You are injured," she expressed, but the anger was still there. "Such a cowardly move. To attack us at our weakest. I suppose even humans can also be scum. But if you want a challenge, do not point your blade at the injured, I am more than willing to entertain your bloodlust."
Sasuke looked on, but the young man seemed surprised, even if just slightly. He brought his hand to his check, were a small drop of blood dripped down, showcasing the very minor cut he received from Kanao's uncharacteristically furious assault.
"…I'm here for the book," Sasuke finally broke his silence and spoke, his eyes narrowed. "Hand it over, and no one dies today."
"Now he talks," Tanjiro noted grimly, trying his best to stand up. He wasn't letting Kanao face off against this monster alone. "And no one dies? You've been trying to kill us from the start!"
"You are all still alive," Sasuke calmly responded.
"You struck Inosuke down," Kanao voiced, her tone dripping with venom.
"The blue-haired boy, still alive, just knocked out," Sasuke explained, his tone unchanged. Uncaring. Never had Tanjiro met a human who sounded so much like a demon.
"And Naruto?" Kanao added, and for the briefest of moments, she saw something spark in Sasuke's eyes.
"Are you seriously worried about a clone?" Sasuke replied, and for once, his tone sounded slightly annoyed. It wasn't much, but some human emotion was still surprising. "I spared that idiot once. He's lucky his real body is not here. So, where is the book? And do trust me, I can take it over your corpses if the lady does so prefer."
"My, what a gentleman," Kanao replied, taking aim at the Uchiha. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at this. It was strange, to be thinking of this now, but it was almost refreshing to find a female opponent who did not factor his physical appearance into the conversation in anyway. Quite the focused swordswoman she was. Not bad.
Kanao was not as impressed. She knew a bully when she saw one, and she wasn't going to take her eyes off of him for even a second. His speed was absurd. Probably even faster than Zenitsu, and that, despite herself, scared her. So she took her stance, and took aim, and called out…
…Wait… Why was his eye spinning…?
"…Hello there, nice to meet you," a familiar voice she had not heard in such a long time spoke to her. Kanao looked on, her eyes wide as wide could be, looking at what she could only assume was the ghost of her dearest sister. "My name is Kanae Kocho. What's your name?"
Kanao looked on. She… What was happening? She looked down, she had those filthy rags on once more, and that accursed rope tied to her waist, the same one her parents had sold her with. How?! Why?!
"She's got no name alright," the very bad man that had bought her replied, and his voice sounded more demonic to her than any demon she had faced in her life. She had not known it then, but she knew now. His intentions with her. The way he looked at her. The way his hands itched wanting to touch her. No! Please, she couldn't be back here! She needed to get away! "Her parents never gave her one. If you want to talk to this kid, pay up!"
"All right, then," her other sister, who she loved dearly, then spoke those words. The words that had saved her. "We'll purchase her," her dearest Shinobu Kocho added. "Would this be enough?"
And with a flash, bills and coins just flew right out of her palms, engulfing the area, leaving that… man bewildered. Kanao looked on, eyes wide. Why was she remembering all of this now? She never thought back on this. But, this was the start of her true life, when they took her in and…
"No," Kanae interrupted, causing both the seller and her sister to pause, as everyone on that street, whose faces Kanao no longer remembered and as a result, where nothing but… blank. But, what did big sister say? No? That… wasn't what happened…
"Sis?" Shinobu asked, turning to the elder sibling.
"…Let's not waste our resources on this one," Kanae replied, and Kanao felt her world come down on her. And without a word, Kanae and Shinobu just walked away, leaving her there, leaving her tied up. The little girl back then would have not felt anything. But she knew. She knew that they took her in. She knew that they saved her. Those words would have never left her sister's sweet lips.
"N-No!" she cried out, rushing after them, before the rope caught on and she was held back. "No! You adopted me! You took me in! You made me strong! Sisters! Please, don't abandon me! Don't leave me! That-That couldn't have all been fake! I-I can't face this…!
"That's too bad kid…" the demon spoke up, and she felt his hands on her, as he took hold of her robe, and in one slow tug, dropped it all onto the floor. Her eyes widened further still. Everyone was watching, but not a single person was helping. She laid there, bare for all to see, and she knew, her current self knew what her younger self did not, what he was to do with her. "Better get some enjoyment out of you before I sell you. Need to make sure you are worth the price I paid."
"No!" she screamed, pushing him away, but her frail little arms could not manage a thing. "No! Please! Sisters! Don't let him hurt me! Please, save me! Sisters! …Tanjiro! Anyone! I-I…!" he then took hold of her frame…
"…Hello there, nice to meet you," a familiar voice she had not heard in such a long time spoke to her. Kanao looked on, her eyes wide as wide could be, looking at what she could only assume was the ghost of her dearest sister. "My name is Kanae Kocho. What's your name?"
Wait… No… What was happening…?
Kanao just stood there, her sword drawn and aimed, but her wide eyes long lost, caught in the Sharingan's Genjutsu. Sasuke frowned, seeing how the girl's eyes were beginning to fill up with tears.
Next to her, Tanjiro stood by, frozen in time as well. He was also experiencing something similar, lost in his own mind, trapped in the power of the Uchiha's pride. Or, what was left of them.
"I think you're growing too soft Uchiha," another voice spoke up, one Sasuke had the displeasure of knowing. Sasuke turned, coming face to face with Misumi Tsurugi, one of the many missing-nin from the Leaf that had taken to Orochimaru's side, and one of the two members of Kabuto's pretend Chunin Exam's team. The ninja who could use chakra to control and contort his body like rubber was currently dragging the body of the blue-haired swordsman Sasuke had struck down, before he tossed him face-first into the sand. "You barely even hurt this one. I had to come in and knock him out. The guy was already getting back up," he noted, as he turned his eyes towards the other two, currently caught in the Genjutsu. "And what are you feeding them? Happy dreams? Should they not be screaming in agony?"
"…They are facing their fears, I can't control every little facet of what they see," Sasuke lied, in a way. He had planted the illusion, and he could probably take it further if he wanted to. He had chosen to instead play them in a loop, leaving them trapped would suffice. The boy, his tragedy mirrored Sasuke's own, so the Uchiha had no intention of doing to him what Itachi had done to him. And the girl… well, better a loop than what that monster would do to her. Sasuke had no desire to make anyone suffer such a fate. The implication was enough to keep her in the illusion, no need to be crass.
"And you forgot one," another voice called out. Yoroi Akado walked into the scene, in his large palms he held Zenitsu by the neck, his hand glowing as he drained the lifeforce from the boy, who was already beyond pale. Despite all this, the Thunder Slayer still tried to lift his sword up, failing each time, but never letting go of his blade. "This one was busy defending another one of them who is dying. Pretty quick for a non-ninja, but once I got a hold of him, it was long over. Now, let's see how long he last until-"
"Let him go."
Both Yoroi and Misumi paused, their eyes on Sasuke, as the Uchiha stared the former down, his eyes on the fallen swordsman.
"Are you really suggesting-?" Yoroi asked, or tried to.
"We came here to find the book," Sasuke explained, his tone now clearly one of anger. "I purposely let that one go to have someone to interrogate. And now you've left him nearly catatonic. So release him, now."
"…I see," Yoroi noted, "But, since that failed, you could always undo the Genjutsu on either of these two, and ask them. I don't see why I can't just suck the life out if this-"
"If he dies, so do you," Sasuke's voice cut right through him, and despite himself, Yoroi quickly dropped the wounded slayer down. He tried to glare at Sasuke, but the boy's eyes left him no courage to manage such a feat. Sasuke then turned to Misumi. "Same for you. If that swordsman is dead, you will also be buried within these sands. Understand?"
"…H-He's still breathing," Misumi muttered, for once happy that he had not outright killed a guy.
"Why?" Yoroi asked, "Why are you defending our enemies?"
"Do I look like a demon to you?" Sasuke asked, and both men paused, "We are not with the demons. This is only a temporary alliance, nothing more. We will not do their work for them. Slayers, are not my concern. So, if either of you kills anyone here… you answer to me."
Despite their age difference and longer time serving Orochimaru, they both knew they couldn't hope to survive Sasuke even if they went at him together, so they were forced to simply nod. Sasuke then ordered them to look for that book everywhere, which they did. But no sooner than Misumi taken aim at Kanao, than had Sasuke cut him off. "She doesn't have it," he warned. "Do not touch that girl."
The two were utterly baffled by this criminal's sense of… protection, was it, with these Demon Slayers, but they still did as they were told. And despite their combined efforts, they ended up with nothing.
"It's not here…" Sasuke noted, not sensing that overwhelming dark power Kabuto had explained to him anywhere near here. But then, it clicked… maybe… "…Naruto," he noted, frowning. "The clone was here, then that probably means the real one…" he couldn't help but laugh a bit at this. "My, quite the scary demons they are, fooled by the oldest trick in the ninja handbook. You made a switch, somehow, didn't you?"
"Sasuke?" Yoroi asked, as both he and Misumi stood by, awaiting orders.
"Open the portal," Sasuke ordered, stepping towards them. "Orochimaru might want to know that the book he wants is probably still buried miles within the Earth. Not sure it's worth the aggravation to-"
Then Sasuke paused, slowly turning to the side, his Sharingan flickering for a mere moment.
Tanjiro stood, his breathing intense, his eyes bloodied, his grip fierce, and his blade still broken… But, he had broken out of the Genjutsu. Sasuke frowned. That… was not expected.
"I-I did not think, I'd face… such a-a similar ability once again," the young swordsman stammered, but his stance did not waver. It hurt to stand, to talk, or to breathe even. But, he could see everyone around him knocked out, on the brink of death. "Why… did you attack us…?"
"You broke out?" Sasuke noted, a very slight impressed tone evident. "How?"
"I-I've been trapped in dreams before," Tanjiro shot back, his sword shaking as he could barely keep himself together. "Killing myself w-within that world… is not as s-scary the seventieth time than it is… the f-first."
"I see," Sasuke voiced, and retook out his own sword. "Well then, since you went to the trouble of waking up, allow me to ask, where is Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Naruto?" Tanjiro voiced, before he frowned, then glared. "You stabbed right through him!"
"Not the clone," Sasuke responded, eyes flashing red. But, to his credit, despite having no idea what was going on, Tanjiro was avoiding looking into his eyes. 'Not bad…'
"Even if I knew," Tanjiro lied, somewhat. Then he spoke the truth. "I will never rat out a friend."
"…Friend?" Sasuke repeated, before he caught himself. Why did it matter? If that blonde idiot had new friends, it did not change a thing. "…Too bad. You could have saved everyone here if you had just told me where he is."
"…G-Go to hell."
Tanjiro took his stance, connected the thread right onto Sasuke's neck, and cried out "First Form", which was probably the only Water Breathing technique he could muster at this point, and at half strength at most. He took his swing, water enveloping the harshness of the desert, but then, he saw it…
Sasuke had taken a similar stance.
No, that was wrong…
Sasuke had taken the exact same stance. His breathing matched Tanjiro's, his sword and his body moved in unison to his, like a mirror image of his attack. And it threw him completely off. He still tried, called out his attack, "Water Surface Slash!" and used all of his strength, but Sasuke's blade emitted the same water and the same movements, and to his utter disbelief, Tanjiro was cut down by the First Form of Water Breathing, the Water Surface Slash.
Sasuke landed opposite him, storing his blade away, just as Tanjiro's torso erupted into a geyser of blood, and the slayer fell into the ground, staining the sand crimson.
"What a… disappointing technique," was the last thing Tanjiro heard Sasuke softly mutter, as despite his controlled breathing, despite his anger, his sorrow, his pain, his drive… his body just gave up and he drifted away into unconsciousness.
-0-
"Sasuke wait!" Naruto woke up screaming, his hand punching into nothingness out of pure instinct. He paused, confused, finding himself back within the realm of the Nine Tailed Fox, the familiar water holding his body up. He turned his head, noticing the closed gate, alongside the glaring eyes sealed within. Then, slowly at first, before all together, all the information and memories the clone had accumulated came back to him. It was… weird. He had never held onto a clone for that long. Never had to receive such an influx of memories all at once.
In an instant he knew. They were safe, but then in danger again. They had been trying to reach the Village Hidden in the Sand, but got attacked midway. He needed to reach them, find a way there, now!
"You never listen, do you…?" the Nine Tailed demon within him growled softly, his glare fixated on Naruto, as the young ninja stood, turning to him. "I warned you about that book. I warned you not to go near it. It is… awake now. And it has bonded itself. You really screwed up-"
"Oh shut your trap!" Naruto barked back. "Why am I even here again? I need to go help the others! And I don't care what else you have to say! If you were that afraid, you should have been clear from the start!"
Naruto clenched his fist and glared at the gate, as the demon did not seem that much fazed by his outburst. His big eyes just stared, but he said nothing. Naruto was about to scream some more, try and nudge himself awake… when…
"…Why am I burning?" the boy asked, noticing how the entire place seemed to light itself on fire and in a flash, he was awoken yet again.
Like a dream within a dream, a false awakening followed by the real deal, Naruto woke up feeling a sense of… burning in him right in the belly. He squealed, rolling across the ground in an effort to put out the flames. But, as he came to a sudden halt, he noticed that not only had the fire been put out, but he really wasn't hurt at all. He blinked, noticing that he also couldn't see pretty much anything.
It was pitch black, and even his well-trained eyes could barely just catch a glimpse of his hand mere inches from his face.
Then, as if to alleviate this, a small flame was formed, the same color as the one that had almost consumed him. Naruto stared, tensed, until he felt a familiarity behind it. Unlike when he had sensed Sasuke's residual chakra, this was… kinder…
"…Nezuko," Naruto noted, seeing the girl sitting where he had just been, her small palm lit like a torch. The girl turned, she no longer had anything covering her mouth, but she kept it shut as tightly as possible. Her wide eyes showed just how worried she truly was. Frightened even. "Oh, you were just trying to wake me, huh? Thanks for that!" Naruto cheerfully told her, playing off just how that had scared him shitless. "And you're okay! You even have your head back where it belongs! That's…"
He then paused, as he saw Nezuko just push her own legs inwardly, hugging herself by the knees. She looked, tired, drained, and so, so sad. Naruto decided it best to simply stop talking like a fool and focus. He walked up to her, and she instinctively shifted her head a bit downward, hiding her mouth from view, as her eyes looked up at him. Lost. As if she were about to cry.
"You may find this hard to understand, I know I do," Naruto told her, bending down next to her, speaking softly. "But I left a clone up there. And I know for a fact that your brother and all the others made it out safely," Nezuko's already wide eyes widened further, the sheer relief on her face evident. "…Good news, eh? But we need to get out. I know where they are headed towards, but we need to go help them… Can you stand?"
"Hmm…" Nezuko murmured, trying her best to keep her mouth closed. She then pushed herself up, and despite wobbling a bit, she managed to get back up. She was tired beyond words, but she relented. No use going to sleep now. Everyone needed her help, so she'd manage. She then turned to the boy, as he stood up. "…Hmm?"
"Where are we though?" Naruto wondered, looking around. With the little light Nezuko's flame produced, he could see they were in a hallway of sorts, but he couldn't see an end to it on either side. Also, the walls and roof where very close to each other, and the space was very, very narrow. Naruto had never thought himself claustrophobic before, but this place did unnerve him. "Last I remember, well, this me, real me, was seeing you getting hurt and then me getting butt whopped by that demon guy with the many eyes…" Naruto recalled, a small shiver in his spine the moment he recalled that monster. "…I know I forced the Nine Tails Chakra out, but I blacked out mid-fight… Guess I lost, but why he didn't outright just tear me in two afterwards is beyond me. Lucky day, right?"
"…Blonde."
Naruto paused, his eyebrows shifted, a look of utter confusion on his face. Nezuko had just spoken up, and, not only was very voice extremely sweet, but why had she just said…
"Nezuko? What, are you referring to me?" Naruto asked, pointing his thumb at himself. "Yeah, I am blonde. Took you this long to notice?"
"…Did not… see you… before," Nezuko tried, forcing herself. As she spoke, Naruto could see her little fangs peeking out from just under her lips. Her clothes were bloodied up to an extreme, and her eyes showed utter confusion. What… was happening?
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"…Hmm," she tried, she really did. But, after everything, even trying to form her thoughts into coherent sentences was a… very difficult thing to do. "…I only saw… my family… Everyone… was… them to me…"
"Huh?" Naruto said as he titled his head to the side. "Wait, are you saying you had not even seen me? How, how does that even work?"
"Hmm…" she mused, her eyes narrowed. She had no idea. But she knew, that something had been done to her to help keep her in control. A spell of sorts. She knew, that there was no way that everywhere she went, she saw multiple versions of her family. She knew… they were dead. She remembered that night. And she slowly, the more time she spent with someone, the more she saw them as they were. She knew how Zenitsu looked like. She… thinks she knows what Inosuke looks like, or she's totally off and merging his image with that boar that once chased her through the woods. She was starting, faintly, to be able to tell who Kanao was. She was pretty, Nezuko thought.
And this boy, the ninja from the strange land, she had slowly begun to create a mental profile of him too. Mostly his eyes, blue as the skies, which she found so lovely. Or… were they red, like hers? She had trouble remembering…
But now, she saw him clearly. Blonde as the sun, eyes a clear blue. Whiskers in his cheeks, like a cat. Short, but still taller than her. Toned body, well trained, like her brother and the others. His hands, a fighter's and a working man's hands, like how she remembered her father's being. His look, gentle, despite the intense ferocity he could unleash. This boy… was stunning, Nezuko noted.
And it was not something that made her blush or stammer. He simply was, and she was not going to lie about that. Under any other circumstance, the Nezuko of old, the one with human blood still on her veins, would have probably been petrified to even share a few words with him. He was a hero of another nation. Her? A simple village girl. And now, she was even less than that…
She shook her head, as the boy looked on, she couldn't help but think. Why? Why was she all the sudden seeing him as he was, instead of how slowly she would before. Then she slowly came to the realization. Their Master… his spell, had it… gotten removed?
"Hey," Naruto voiced, softly, "You okay?"
"…Not sure," Nezuko voiced, turning to him. "…Feel strange. As… as if… lost something…"
"Well, you are speaking a bit better now," Naruto noted. "That's a plus. But you did lose your head for a moment there, so we have to get you some attention. Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?"
At this she did blush.
"…I can… walk," she forced herself to say, despite her crimson face.
"Great!" Naruto told her, "Let's go then… somewhere," he added, not sure of how to get out. According to his clone, the rest had escaped upwards, but just how downwards were they at? Naruto was boastful, he knew, but even he knew he was running out of Chakra. He couldn't hope to summon a thing anymore, and smashing his Rasengan against the ceiling was not the brightest idea, even for him.
Nezuko moved her palm, and with it, the flame, to the side, showing off a little bit more of the hallways they were on. Naruto's eyes widened, as the walls seemed to have carvings drawn into them. They seemed to show creatures, similar to humanoid… lizards, all bowing to a creature of sorts. It had a skull, but not for a face. It had hands, but no fingers. It had a tongue, but no mouth. It made no sense, and yet, it felt so off-putting Naruto avoided examining it further.
Nezuko then pointed with her other hand forwards. "…There."
Naruto looked on, and just as she said, there it was. The book.
The Necronomicon.
It was peaking right out of his pouch. How it had fallen so far from him, he wasn't sure. But at least it confirmed to him that the demon had not taken it. The switch had worked. 'Hope those idiots enjoy Pervy Sage's masterpiece… Limited edition and all that.'
Nezuko walked towards the book, with Naruto quickly following behind. As soon as she reached it, she paused, turning to him. Something in her did not want to be near it, yet, she was also drawn to it. Naruto felt it too. In the deepest part of his stomach, it both repulsed and intrigued him.
"So… this is the big, bad thing that guy wanted…"
"Hmm…"
"Should we burn it?"
"Hmm?"
"Like, can't you shoot a fireball at it?"
"…Hmm…" she paused, her eyes back to the book. "…Don't think… I should."
"Creeps you out too?"
"…Yes."
"Alright, let's try to leave that for later then," he suggested, "Better give it to Pervy Sage or one of your Slayer buddies who'd probably know how to secure it better than us. For now… let's just," he tried, using his boot to try and push the book back into the pouch. "Get it… in there… and-Eek!" the future Hokage shrieked like a little girl the moment he felt the book move, the skin that made its cover beat and pulsate. "It really does move!"
"Hmm…" Nezuko murmured, but she had also taken like five steps back from the thing.
"Hey, don't be scared," the clearly scared boy told the equally scared girl. "It's probably harmless. So, let's just…" he tried using a kunai this time, pushing it in, "…Get going. We can't face the others if we're late just because we were afraid to pick up this stupid-Oh come on!" Naruto yelled out, the moment the book outright convulsed and opened itself up, with the ninja landing with his back to the wall and his kunai pointed at damned thing. "Do that again and I am going to Rasengan you! You hear me, you creepy…"
Nezuko looked on, her eyes scanning the pages that had shown themselves to them. Naruto did too, edging closer, trying to be near her, despite his own fear, so it wouldn't just attack her, somehow. It sounded stupid, he knew, but at this point he was expecting pretty much anything.
"So much for this thing," Naruto voiced, looking at the pages. "And it had nothing written on it… You think if someone writes on it they get to use its power, or-Nezuko?"
"…Words."
"Huh?"
She turned, her eyes from the book to the boy. She then pointed at the Necronomicon. "…Written in blood… It has words…"
"Huh?" Naruto repeated for what felt like the tenth time. His journey with Nezuko could probably be summarized to Tsunade with him saying "Huh?" and her replying "Hmm", but that aside, he looked at the book once more and all he saw was blank pages. "…What words? I don't see anything written on it."
She narrowed her eyes. "…It asks," she voiced, "…What… does thou… desire?"
"Ramen," Naruto just flatly told the book, glaring at it. "And, while it feels so generous, to tell me why I can't see what it says!" he exclaimed, before a thought flashed through his mind… 'The demons did want it after all, maybe,' he noted, turning to the pretty girl next to him… Wait, pretty, where did that come from? '…Erm, that aside, she's a demon-kinda. So maybe that's why?'
"…Words still there."
"I don't think we should interact with it," Naruto noted. "I don't think it'll give us anything we want. If I could, I'd want to get out of here, go home even, but for now, we should just stick to…Nezuko?"
She was still looking intently at the book. "…Your home?" she asked, and he wasn't sure if she was asking him or the book.
"Yeah, but don't touch that thing okay… Nezuko!" Naruto raised his voice a bit, causing the girl to snap out of it and turn to him, eyes still wide. "Sorry to yell at you, but we better get moving."
Nezuko just nodded. She watched as Naruto slowly, gently closed the book with his foot, before kicking the damn thing into the pouch, pulsating flesh or not. He then took hold of the pouch, and closed in off in a flash. "Object secured," he motioned to her with a smile. "Now, let's get out of here. Light the way, please!"
Nezuko nodded, and using the flames in her palm, the two walked through the long, narrow hallway, picking a random direction sticking to it. Along the way, the two noted that it seemed whatever the sand swallowed up ended up here, as they ended up coming across the mutilated pieces of the ninja of the snow, each piece still moving.
Inosuke's mask was also there, biting at nothing, as Nezuko almost ran to assist it, with Naruto stopping her and telling her that he had made it out, mask-less. He did not mention how his initial impression of the boar without a mask was that he was probably prettier than Sakura. Then again, he was sure he wasn't telling anyone that.
"…Box," Nezuko voiced, pointing with her non-burning hand. Naruto looked, and noticed how it seemed Tanjiro's box, the one he used to carry her, had also found itself down here.
"Well, let's not leave that here," Naruto noted as he took hold of the surprisingly light wooden box. "Don't want Tanjiro mad at me if I ruin your room twice," he said with a little laugh. Nezuko looked on, head tilted, but said nothing.
The two walked some more, enough for Naruto to actively wonder if this hall was endless or something. Maybe it actually circled, and they'd end up back where they started. That would be… frightening. He was on the lookout for any pieces of gore he found familiar, just to confirm his theory and start panicking, then it seemed the duo managed to reach… something.
It was a closed off spot, right at the end of the dark hall.
It looked, also, like a door of sorts, with the smallest of openings right in the middle, allowing just a little bit of light to come inside.
"Is that…?" Naruto wondered, but then Nezuko instinctively motioned behind him, covering herself from the little light entering. "What is it? Is that sunlight?" the boy asked, and the demon girl nodded. He turned, wondering just how in the world could sunlight reach this place? He did not feel like all this time walking they had been going up, but, he also much preferred not staying in here any longer.
So, after mustering what was left of his courage, he signaled Nezuko to get into her box for her safety, just in case. Nezuko nodded in understanding, shrinking down into the size of a child, which still amused Naruto a bit, before she slowly crawled into the box. Naruto then took hold of her, the box to his back, and she was almost weightless.
"Once we are somewhere safe," he told her. "I'll let you know. For now, just stay there."
"…okay," came a soft, muffled response.
Determined to save everyone, Naruto clenched his fists and bit down, and mustering his remaining strength pushed on through, pushing the door-like things before them and outright breaking them open. They ended up being just cheap wood, as they got smashed with the most miniscule of efforts. He looked on, stupefied even further, as he found himself in a small wooden room, with the sunlight that Nezuko had been fearing coming from a nearby stained window.
It was… a bedroom?
Wooden walls and floor and even roof, with a properly dressed, cheap bed and clothes folded and stacked, a framed photo of Team Seven alongside the crudely-made Kakashi-sensei puppet he used to practice on just before the…
"Wait!" Naruto blurted out, turning right around, as the dark and scary tunnel he had just come out of from was now just a wooden closet, wrecked to all hell by his kick. "You have got to be kidding me!"
He ran right out of the room, right to the front door, and kicking it open in a hurry… only to be met with the most impossible of sights.
It was Konoha.
This was his room.
He was back.
He quickly reached back, touching the wooden box. It was still there, she was still there. His hand also touched the surface of his pouch, and he could still feel the Necronomicon within, but it was not moving. He stared at nothing and at all at once, as he could see a few villagers walking by, some staring at the boy, the adults mostly annoyed at seeing him, while some actively looked confused, given how word had spread that he had left the Village.
But, no one was as confused as a certain pink haired Kunoichi, who had been doing her morning routine of helping out and keeping at least some parts of Naruto's house in working condition, alongside Sasuke's as well. It helped explain why the place was not a mess of dust and stained underwear. She was frozen in place, having not expecting… well, him to be home.
"…N-Naruto?" Sakura asked, confused.
"…Hey Sakura," Naruto replied back, even more confused than her.
"Hmm?" Nezuko whimpered, wondering where she was now.
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Next Time: Nezuko In Konoha?!
