The biggest disadvantage Tengen ever faced due to his shinobi background, other than his ever-present guilt, was in understanding people — or rather their connections and emotions.

It wasn't like he didn't understand the basis of relationships and why they were formed or their general theme, because he did. However, he always felt like there was a gap in his understanding when he watched them play out in front of him, especially in the cases of relationships of familial nature.

Maybe it was because of his own dysfunctional family but relationships always seemed complicated to Tengen, like a distant scene playing in front of him as the audience.

This was also one of the main reasons why he couldn't imagine himself having a family.

Don't get him wrong, he loved his wives dearly and knew they would love to have a family with him but the concept of having his own family felt so foreign to him that he almost felt disconnected from even the idea of it.

And this uncomfortable yet familiar emotion was exactly what he felt when he watched Sarota interact with her three-idiot package.

Maroon eyes narrowed as Tengen watched the violet-haori female scold the kids around her, her expression seeming as exhausted as her tone yet even he could detect the affection in her mannerisms.

It was strange seeing Sarota act like that if he had to admit it. Since he got to know her through her 'seniors' along with the letters of Kyojuro and her own ones that she sent him, he knew her as someone more fun, formal and rather sarcastic — even his own interactions with her were mostly like that only.

But seeing her like this, acting in such a 'motherly' and adult manner somehow made him feel like it was exaggerated. Not a lie or pretence per se, but he was sure it didn't completely suit her.

However, it wasn't like he knew her any better, so he couldn't say anything for sure beyond relying on his basic intuition.
Though he won't lie, the whole chaos and her reaction to it were hilarious.

"We should start moving if we want to start our mission by tonight."

Tengen hummed as he watched Sarota declare that with a hint of annoyance, his own amusement dimming a bit as his mind went back to his wives.

While he never forgot about his wives' situation, the thought of them being safe for now still gave him a sense of security he was once desperately searching for.
He knew this sense of security was only temporary and more fragile than even a spider's web, but it still helped him somewhat return to his wits.

It wasn't like him to be this desperate or even this hasty but...

Human lives were on the line.
And three of them were of his own wives whom he promised to protect at every cost.

"So," he heard one of the three idiots piping up, "Where are we going, geezer?"

Tengen felt irritated at the lack of respect as he turned to teach them a lesson. However, Sarota was faster and closer than him as she smacked the buff one out of the three idiots.

"Manners, Ino!" Her annoyed tone coupled with her exasperated expression made Tengen smile as she continued, "He is not only our senior but also a Hashira! Treat him with respect, all three of you!"

"We are going to the most flamboyant place in all of Japan, filled with lust and greed," Tengen said once the three idiots quietened down, his lips twitching into a smirk as he continued, "The 'Red light District' where the demon lives."

"Red... light District?" The big forehead idiot asked as he turned to Tengen with the most innocent look he had ever seen on any boy.

The Sound Hashira gave them a blank look as he turned to Sarota who only shrugged in response.

"Don't tell me they don't—"

"Hah? What is that?" The buff idiot spoke out loud again, answering his unasked question unintentionally. He gave them a look of mild annoyance as the yellow idiot tried to explain what a Red light District actually meant.

"It's, it's that o-one, you don't know? That place, uh, you know?" Tengen continued staring at them blankly as one idiot attempted to explain to the other idiots, "Y-You don't ge-get it?"

And while Tengen believed himself to be a flamboyant man who was not only patient but also very kind, these three fools made him feel like he was none of them — especially with that dumb expression and plain look of theirs.

"It's a place where adults go to entertain themselves," Sarota stepped in, her eyes looking sideways to give him a look that he really didn't appreciate but knew the meaning of.

"Entertain?"

"Entertain as in," Sarota tilted her head as she rubbed her chin, "Intimacy. Most people seek out such places to get paid intimacy to help them meet their physical needs."

The idiot with the big forehead raised his hand, "Physical needs? Like, training?"

That question honestly amused Tengen as he watched Sarota get more and more agitated while the yellow-haired idiot went completely red.

"No, but it does cause physical exhaustion," Tengen decided to stir the pot, getting the familiar look of disbelief and annoyance from Sarota, "And it's more satisfying if you do want to know."

"No, they don't want to know that," she replied to him almost instantly, "At least not in the way you are explaining to them, Hashira-sama."

"Why don't you explain it with all the flamboyant details then, Sarota," he couldn't hide the amusement in his voice as he interjected, "I thought you were their 'Aneki'. You should guide them before a mission then."

The look she gave him almost made him laugh out loud before he controlled his expression — teasing Sarota was an activity that never failed to amuse him, especially since the expressions she gave him were very animated and diverse.

She almost reminded him of Suma, maybe even some of his youngest siblings.
His mood dimmed a bit, his eyes looking ahead again as he was reminded of the mission again and what he had to do.

He should have listened to Sarota when she discouraged him from sending his wives out for this mission.

"By that logic," his attention snapped back to Sarota as she fixed him her iconic look of annoyance, "You should be the one to guide and brief them on the location and objective of the mission, considering how you are our senior, Hashira-sama."

Tengen blinked a few times before chuckling at her quick wit. She did have a point there.

"Let me then," he directed a cheeky grin at her before standing over the three idiots, his tall frame towering over them in a flamboyant manner, "Listen up! I, Uzui Tengen, am a God!"

"You three are," Tengen got their attention with his flamboyant movements as he continued, "Trash! That's the first thing you need to pound into your heads! Screw it in there!"

"If I tell you to become a dog, become a dog. If I tell you to become a monkey, become a monkey!" He pointed at them directly as he continued firmly, "Hunch over and rub your hands together, constantly pander to my every whim and suck up to me with every fibre of your being! Do your best to flatter me!"

It was better to pound the idea into their empty skulls now before they went on their own during the dangerous mission — he needed complete cooperation, if not blind following for this one.

"And let me remind you one more time!" He declared lastly, "I am a God! Remember that!"

Tengen turned to look at Sarota who stood behind him, giving him the most judgemental look he had ever seen on anyone's face.

"Don't look at me like that!"

She only continued to look at him with that ridiculous expression, making him want to squish her cheeks with his hands to change that stupid look of hers.

"Hashira-sama!" The big forehead idiot raised his hand before asking, "What exactly do you rule over as a God? What are you the God of?"

"Good question! You have potential," Tengen nodded his head in satisfaction, at least one of them had any smarts to hope for, "I am the God who rules over flamboyance... the God of festivities!"

His declaration was met with silence and another look of disbelief from Sarota. However, before he could say anything against it, Tengen was interrupted by the boar-headed buff idiot.

"I am the king of the mountains," He proudly stated as he stepped ahead with his hands on his waist, "Nice to meet you, God of festivities!"

Tengen looked at that idiot blankly, "What are you talking about? You are just disgusting."

"Hah? What did you say?!"

"Back off, Inosuke!"

"Let me go, Konpochiro!"

"Disgusting."

"Haaah!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Sarota interjected loudly with a clap of her hands, making Tengen turn towards her from the two idiots playing tug of war in front of him, "Focus on the mission at hand! We don't have much time to waste like this."

"Sarota is right," He agreed as he turned back to the way he was going, "There's no time to fool around. Since there's a Wisteria House on our way to the Red Light District, let's move there to prepare."

"Follow me." Tengen turned ahead and took his position before sprinting ahead instantly; there was no time left to waste and since he now had three idiots to prepare for the mission as well, he needed more time to pound them in shape for this.


"Sorry to impose!" Sarota called out as she entered with Tengen in the house marked with the Wisteria flower, "I hope it's not an issue if we stay here for a while?"

"Hai, slayer-san, please come in." A plain-looking older guy bowed as he welcomed them in.

Tengen looked around to see if the threw idiots followed them or not (which they luckily did) before proceeding to instruct the plain-looking guy grandiosely regarding the items they would need for their infiltration.

"It would be better if you get four complete kimonos with no haoris, Hashira-sama," Sarota suggested as she smiled kindly at the plain-looking guy, "The sizes of the three of them would be for girls roughly around the age of seventeen or so and one would be for me if that is not an issue?"

"You want to go undercover too?"

"Wasn't that the initial plan?"

"That was but," Tengen hesitated as he looked towards the room the three idiots were currently sitting in, "We already have those three for that. Would it be easier for you to track the Demon by infiltrating as a courtesan?"

Sarota tilted her head as she too looked in the direction he was previously looking at, "Mm, I mean, while those three may help a lot, wouldn't it still be better for me to go as well? That'll speed up the whole mission, especially considering that we already have Kyougoku house narrowed down and fixed as the main target."

Tengen nodded as he considered her words.

Well, she was right regarding their main focus currently being on Kyougoku House. While all his three wives had gone missing, Hina was the only one who he was able to contact directly after her sudden departure.

And if Hina was to believe, then she did encounter the Demon face-to-face in Kyougoku House before she took poison to escape to the lower houses.

Maybe, it would be better to send Sarota to that house to detect and capture the demon quickly. But, then again, she had her own plans too that may require her to do that.

"Alright," Tengen finally agreed, "Do as you think is wise."

"Thank you for your permission, Hashira-sama," Sarota bowed slightly, making him feel strange as she turned to the plain-looking guy (owner?) and instructed him further on the kimonos and their types.

Tengen stood there for a few moments, wondering what exactly in her actions got on his nerves and made him feel strange, before dismissing it and moving towards the room they were graciously invited in.

He sat down in front of the three idiots as they drank tea while enjoying the refreshments provided to them without any worry or care in the world.

Such innocence. He wished he could experience such innocence and carefreeness once too.
But, then again, he didn't deserve that either.

After what he had done in his past, it would be a miracle if he didn't go to hell, let alone experience an innocent and worry-free life like them.

"Now," Tengen decided to focus on the situation at hand instead of his self-deprecating thoughts, "Listen up. Your first task, once you infiltrate the Red Light District is to look for my wife then the Demon. I'll be digging for information on the demons as well."

There was a pause after his instruction before the yellow idiot bursted out, "What?! This is outrageous!"

"Huh?"

"Please just stop joking around! How dare you use your subordinates to personally find a bride for yourself!"

"Huh?!" Where the hell did the idiot get that idea from? "You're misunderstanding something—"

"Nope!" The yellow idiot yelled in what he most likely presumed to be righteous anger, "I'm going to have my say!"

"Zenitsu!"

"No, I'm not stopping, Tanjiro! I'm just going to say it harshly — weird ass people like you will never be popular! However! Even so! Just because you don't have any luck with ladies, that's no reason to use Demon Slayers like us to find a wife for you!"

"Are you an idiot!? I'm talking about my wife who infiltrated the Red light District in order to collect information on the demon!" Tengen yelled out as he felt his anger rise up at his idiocy, "Our regular contact was cut off, so now I'm going, too, all right?"

The yellow idiot just stood there and stared at him blankly before blabbering, "... I suppose that's what you fantasize about."

"You shitty brat!" Tengen got up and threw all the letters he had exchanged with his wives on that damn fool, "Here are the letters she sent me via the Kasugai Crow!"

It was almost satisfying how that idiot fell down and finally shut up.

"There's... quite a lot of them," the burgundy-haired boy said before asking, "Has she been undercover for a long time?"

Tengen sighed as he replied off-handedly, "No, but I do have three of them. Wives. And since all three have infiltrated—"

"Three... of them..." he watched warily as the yellow idiot sat up again, "Wives? Th-Three? Why you... you...!"

Tengen was getting ready to punch the idiocy out of that yellow brat before the door slid open loudly, making everyone in the room turn to a very annoyed Sarota glaring down at them.

More like at the three idiots, if what Tengen observed was right.

"May I know why I could clearly hear Zenitsu's voice from down the hallway?" Her voice was firm and expression fierce as she stepped in the room, "What is the issue that you cannot even discuss with an even tone and proper manners, hm?"

Since Sarota looked down to direct the last question at the yellow idiot, Tengen supposed that his name was Zenitsu.

And, while he would never admit it if anyone asked, he actually liked how Sarota immediately came to handle the three idiots. Maybe, it would be better to brief those idiots in her presence rather than attempting to do it on his own.

"I, I," He watched gleefully as the yellow idiot— uh, Zenitsu stumbled over his words in front of Sarota, "I just... I mean, he brought us here to find his wives, like three wives and I was wondering how can he even get three wives..."

"And what right do you have to ask that question?" Sarota tilted her head as looked at the three idiots, who now acted very attentive as they straightened up, "It's between him and his three wives. I don't see your role anywhere here. So please explain to me what right you have to ask for any justification from Hashira-sama here, who is not only your senior but also whose mission you are imposing on?"

Tengen looked at them with amusement as Sarota scolded them in a manner that he could only call motherly, making him feel like scolding like this was way better than actually hitting them like he was considering earlier.

Then again, he was not as good at words as Sarota seemed as she completely demolished them.

In fact, by the end of her scolding session, all three of them looked properly reprimanded, making Tengen feel a little bit bad for them. Albeit, it was still hilarious to watch.

He could see why the twins jokingly often called her their 'mother', though he still didn't feel comfortable putting that tag onto her since he felt it was too restricting of what he thought of her.

Once that was done, Sarota proceeded to sit with the three idiots and guide them through the letters while reading those said letters for the first time herself.

"Hashira-sama's wives had infiltrated the Flower District about two months ago," Sarota started as she neatly folded back one letter and shifted to the other, "And presuming for how long Hashira-sama has been investigating this area, it must have taken more than four months to narrow down a lot of areas before infiltration."

She folded another letter while handing one to the boarhead, "As you may or may not know, the red light district, which is also known as the flower district for its overall shape, is an area which is active in the night while sleeping in the morning, unlike other professions. This makes it a very ideal place for demons to lurk."

"Why is it active at night?" The burgundy-haired boy asked innocently while Tengen sat back and watched them converse.

Since Sarota was handling them so well, he was not going to intervene. Unless, of course, there was a need to.
Not to mention, if she was going to do his work for him, who was he to stop her?

It wasn't like he felt like he didn't belong in the dynamic of their small yet tight-knit group and that's why he was avoiding to participate. Absolutely not.

"It's because prostitution is a profession that is mostly conducted at night," She frowned as she read one of the letters before folding it back and passing it on to the boys, "It's, uh, alright, how much do you three know about sex, give me a quick rundown."

"Hah, what is that?"

"Se... what?"

"S-Se-Se...! A-Aneki, you shouldn't sa-say such words out loud!"

Tengen laughed at the look Sarota gave the three idiots before turning to him with the same look.

"Heh, don't look at me like that," he said while still chuckling at her predicament, "That's not a flashy look I prefer to be given!"

"Then please stop laughing at my misery, Hashira-sama."

Tengen only hummed as he watched her brief the three about basic human anatomy before moving on to the 'baby-making' part. It was amusing watching the yellow brat turn redder and redder while Sarota struggled with their strange questions about the topic.

What did pique his interest was how accurately yet objectively she spoke about sex. It was unlike how used to he was people getting shy around the topic, especially females. But her words didn't feel like she was speaking from personal experience either, which made him quite curious.

Did medical books teach this stuff too?
What are the chances that Kocho would indulge him in his queries if he asked to read one?

"So... that's what, um, intimacy means, Aneki?" The burgundy-haired boy asked as he looked around shyly. The way he was acting was what Tengen was more used to seeing when talking about sex, if not a more extreme of it.

"Quite so," she replied simply, making Tengen wonder if she genuinely was always this open while talking about sex, "And since it is pleasurable, aside from its intended purposes, it is used as an activity that can be monetised. Honestly, any activity can be monetised if you have enough smarts for it, I guess."

"B-But Uzui-san's wives are...?"
Tengen glared at the yellow brat who immediately shut up and looked down.

"Yes, they are in the red light district, and?" Sarota simply tilted her head, "They are expert ninjas, please do not degrade them just because they have gone in to do the work for us demon slayers. Also, prostitution is not anything to look down upon, since it is a service like any other."

"B-But..."

"But?"

"It's alright, Sarota," Tengen decided to interject, "While you may be so open-minded and kind, not everyone can understand or accept such things. No use forcing them to do so."

Sarota looked back at the three boys as they looked at her shyly, "Well, if that is the case then you should not be able to look at me with respect either since I was once in a brothel too."

Tengen frowned as he watched the three stiffen, "For intel collection, right?"

"No," she shook her head lightly, "I was born in a brothel, actually. My mother was an Oiran and my future would have been that of a courtesan too, if not for a few... accidents."

Things started to click in his head as Tengen immediately connected the dots, "Wait, which brothel? Don't tell me it was the Byakuren House from the Kurto District?"

"Well, I won't then, if you don't want me to," her sarcasm only agitated him more.

"Sarota, are you here to avenge your brothel?"

"I'm not that stupid, Hashira-sama," her cold tone genuinely confused him as she continued, "I didn't have that much of an attachment with, well, 'my' brothel. I am simply here to reaffirm a few facts, nothing beyond that."

"About who wiped out that brothel?"

"In a way, yes," Tengen disliked how dark her eyes had gotten as she spoke on the topic since he knew how complicated this was gonna get, "My brothel was attacked by demons when I was quite young. And while my suspicions do tell me that it can be, well, due to it being one of the other popular red light areas in Japan, I just want to confirm about it once."

"What other reason do you think they would have been attacked for?" He asked in genuine curiosity since that was the only conclusion he reached as well.

"I mean," Sarota averted her gaze from his, "I am a Dokuchi. I don't think that wouldn't be any less of a reason for Muzan to target me and wipe out the brothel in the process of killing me."

The uncomfortable silence that followed made Tengen feel extremely uneasy. The thought of your family — well, as much as it could be called one — being killed only because of your blood... that sounded much more horrible than he would ever care to admit.

Did the twins know about it?
Because if they did, they would kill him for dragging her into this mission with himself.

"Sa—"

"I'm sorry, Aneki!" The yellow brat unintentionally interrupted him as he suddenly piped up, his expression as well as posture clearly showing how regretful he felt, "I... I didn't know that I just... I'm sorry."

Tengen watched silently as the three apologised genuinely; the coldness in Sarota's voice and stance melting away in a minute as she patted them and waved off their worries.

The whole scene was warm and something that he didn't have the heart to interrupt, except just watching silently as she explained her experience in brief details before moving on to the more relevant questions.

And while Tengen hesitated with the idea of including Sarota any deeper in the mission as she already was, he knew removing her now would only cause more inconvenience and unnecessary drama.

Not to mention, she was the only one who could help him find his wives quickly while avoiding to harm them any further than they already might have been because of the mission

"Well," Sarota started almost absent-mindedly, "No one actually goes willingly into red light areas as courtesans. You are either born in the brothels and take that up as a profession to pay the debts to your House for providing for you since you were young, or you get sold there by slave owners or other debt collectors due to poverty."

"Most courtesans earn their pay and clear their debts to their House by prostitution and doing other odd jobs," She continued, "In return, they are given food, clothing and lodging. And if they can climb up the ranks and make their position prominent in their house with their beauty and arts, they can be bought by a rich man as his official mistress or wife."

"Was your mother one of them too?" The burgundy-haired boy asked innocently.

"Ah, technically?" She rubbed her chin as she answered, "Well, the thing is, there is a hierarchy among the prostitutes too. The highest rank courtesans are usually known as the 'Oiran', who is not only the most beautiful in their respective Houses but also intelligent and exceptional at the traditional arts like different types of dances, instruments and songs."

"My mother," she continued, "Was an Oiran. She was the breadwinner, like any other Oiran, who represented her House during a variety of festivals and celebrations."

"They are known to be very distinct women," Tengen added as all four of them turned to him, "So much so that they are viewed very highly in society and are known for not taking customers regularly."

"Yes," Sarota agreed as she added, "They perform dances and songs at many festivals and occasions as a high-paying job, too. Anyway, it is usually difficult to meet them, since you have to frequent the Red light district a lot as a customer to even be considered for the meet. That's why I kind of suspect the demon to be an Oiran or someone very close to that rank."

"But if she's an Oiran," The burgundy-haired boy started as he looked down at the letters and envelopes lying around him, "How can we meet or even find them? Even in the letters, Uzui-san reminded his wives multiple times to do their best to not stand out but still..."

"Well," it was now Tengen's turn to speak, "We're are gonna be disguised, of course. And, as much as I hate to even say it, be plain. Though, before that, we would have to prepare to look our 'parts' for the infiltration."

"And since we have already narrowed down the number of Houses," Sarota added, "We can divide the group into three and collect intel on the demon while looking for Hashira-sama's wives."

"Suma in the Tokito House," Tengen got up as he heard someone's footsteps outside the room, "Makio in the Ogimoto House and Hinatsuru in the Kyougoku House."

"Ah, but wasn't your, uh," Sarota began as the door opened and the plain-looking guy from before arrived with the necessary items, "Um, but wasn't one of your wives already found?"

"Oh, so his wives aren't dead already?"

Tengen smiled as Sarota smacked the boar mask out of that buff idiot's head, scolding him instantly for his lack of manners and tact as Tengen instead focused on arranging the kimonos and makeup that the owner had brought.

Their whining as she scolded them soothed his nerves enough.

"Anyway," Sarota said once she was done scolding, "Since one of Hashira-sama's wives, Hinatsuru-san was found alive, I think there is a high chance that the other two wives are also alive — especially considering how the demon knows about Hashira-sama and, in a way, is trying to track him down as well."

"So, that demon must be using the wives as bait." The yellow brat finally said something smart that Tengen could have hope with.

"Yes," Tengen replied as he handed each of them a suitable kimono, "All we need to do is trace that demon before it can trace us. For that, we have to be as plain and inconspicuous as possible, even though I hate the idea of it."

"Hah? What are we gonna do with these?"

"These are for our disguises," Sarota answered as she took her own violet kimono out of the box, "It's plain, yes, but it would be better to have plain clothes to align with the stories we'll be going for."

"Ah, you mean our background for being sold to the House, right?"

"Yes, Itsu-kun," she then looked towards Tengen who raised an eyebrow at her, "What about their names though? Are you gonna use some common girls name or just...?"

"Nope," Tengen waved off her suggestion, "Just use the feminine version of your name. So, say your names out loud!"

"Uh, Kamado Tanjiro?"

"I meant your feminine names! I have no interest in your real names!"

"Ah, uh, Tanako?"

"...why does that sound like a name someone would give a racoon—"


"Stop moving, you damn punk!" Tengen very much wanted to hit the buff idiot as he tried to focus on painting his face, the stroke of his brush smoothing out his previous mistakes around the border of his eyes.

His focus only shifted once he was done with the makeup, his smile broadening before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh," Sarota exchanged glances with him as she kept looking back at the buff idiot's (now) glamorous face, "Inosuke looks very beautiful. Like, extremely so."

Tengen laughed as he agreed, "Isn't he? My flamboyant skills can make even a plain drag like him look flashy!"

From his lightly pink lips to the dusted red cheeks and bordered eyes, the brat looked like a beautiful woman, which was even more emphasised with his minimalistic yet highlighting makeup. He felt proud of his work, considering how long it had been since he had done anything with makeup.

"Yes, but," she gave him a worried look, "Wasn't the point being, uh, not flashy?"

Tengen's face fell as he remembered his own plan.
Not to mention, he was sending these idiots to the Red Light District — it was very dangerous to make them look this pretty and flashy with his unparalleled skills.

"Ah, yes, I need more foundation and blush then."

"I'll suggest you add a little... well, to add lip paints too, with the blush. To make their face look fuller."

The makeup journey after that was an easy but rather disgruntling one as Tengen had to undo all his resplendent artwork and resort to an ugly, exaggerated look.

And while making it ugly was not necessary, Tengen could think of no other way to make it as plain as possible while also making them look somewhat like women.
At least these boys were still young enough to at least be disguised as females — he couldn't imagine any grown man dressing up like they were doing and not getting caught.

A smile stretched on his lips as his mind conjured up an image of the Kinomiya twins in typical feminine kimonos, which then shifted to Kyojuro in feminine clothes. Even the thought of it made him laugh but the images were absolutely hilarious while being very distinct and grandiose.

Maybe he should dare them to wear feminine clothes one day. Kyojuro might even take him up on that, with enough alcohol.

Tengen ignored the yellow brat as he laughed while painting his eyebrows thicker, his attention soon shifting to the sound of the door being opened.

"Wow..." He frowned as the brat gasped while looking at someone behind him, "Yo-You look very pretty, Aneki!"

"Yes, absolutely beautiful, Aneki!"

"Hah? Why are you so colourful and good-looking?"

"Why, do you want to be like that too, Ino-chan?" Tengen heard Sarota's voice as he finally finished with the makeup of the last boy.

"Ah, Sarota, you are done with your disguise—?" Tengen felt his words fail him as he watched the very unfamiliar female in front of him.

"Ah, yes, I am," she replied as she effortlessly tossed her brown hair into a short side-braid, "I hope I look very different from my normal look, hm?"

"Very," Tengen finally replied as he turned around to observe the female in front of him properly, his eyes scanning her changed hair and bangs which emphasised more on her bluish-violet eyes.

And if that wasn't enough, the violet kimono she wore hugged her body in a way to show all her curves, making her look like an elegant yet very mature woman. Even her simplistic makeup made her look more gorgeous and feminine than she usually presented herself as.

"Hashira-sama? Is this... not alright?"

He could now clearly see why Kyojuro was so interested in her.
However, the issue wasn't that she was Kyojuro's woman. No. It was that the twins were going to kill him if he allowed her to go out like this, especially in the Red light District where she had her own little revenge agenda to go after.

"Hashira-sama?"

"Wait, I'm thinking," Tengen sighed as he rubbed his forehead, "No, I don't think this... outfit is alright. You need to change."

"What?" Sarota frowned as she looked down at her kimono, "Wait, why? Also, I don't have any other kimono on hand currently — should I ask the owner to get another one? Or is there something else that we can do?"

"I don't think we have enough time for that," He won't ever admit, but Tengen genuinely did feel bad for doing this to her as he watched her panic over it.

"Wait, what is wrong though? Is the colour too bright? Or does it look too much on me?"

He hesitated before admitting honestly, "It looks too splendid on you, Sarota. And while I wouldn't have loved anything more than you wearing it for the night, I don't want the demon to target you immediately."

"But—"

"Won't that be bad for your own plans too, hm?" Tengen played her own cards at her as he got up to grab his own kimono, "It's better to not be noticed than giving our plans away, right?"

"...then what now?"

"Simple," He smiled as things became infinitely easier for him, "Let the three boys go undercover and you stay with me as an outside eye to track my wives."

This way, not only would he be able to directly keep an eye on her but also make sure of her safety — decreasing his chances of getting killed by the twins and maybe even Kyojuro infinitely.


(~×~)


"Since I would not be able to go with you three," Miyasha smiled as she patted down the hair of the three stooges one last time, "I want you three to listen to me very carefully, alright?"

"Firstly, try looking out for any information you get on the 'missing' courtesans. Most of them are usually said to have 'lost their footing', so please investigate those thoroughly and cautiously."

"Secondly, keep an eye out for the Oirans of your houses. There is a high chance the Demon Moon is an Oiran and has a room farther in either of the houses, where the sunlight doesn't penetrate." She gave them a stern look as she continued, "However, avoid getting on her nerves and crossing her directly. Do not enter her room on your own either, got it?"

"Yes, Aneki!"

"Good," she gave them an uneasy smile as she finally finished, "And lastly, remember that the Demon will not kill you instantly upon catching you since you three are not her aim — Hashira-sama is. That would just make her use you as bait. Thus, in any such case where you feel like you are going to be caught by the demon or they might come after you, leave traces behind that can help us find you quicker, alright?"


(~×~)


"Who knew selling those three idiots was going to be this vexing," Tengen couldn't help but complain as he finally reached the rooftop Sarota was sitting on, "I even sold them at such a low price!"

"Please avoid talking about humans as if they are objects, Hashira-sama," her cold reply irked him as he glowered at her in exasperation.

"I didn't stop you from going undercover just because I wanted to, you know that right? So, don't be pissy about it anymore."

"As I stated before," she finally turned to him, "I am not stupid. This mission is much more than just going undercover for some information. I am not going to jeopardise it just because I couldn't do it in a more convenient manner."

The feeling that she knew something that he didn't come back with a vengeance the more he observed her, making Tengen feel a bit distrustful of her despite knowing how much she had helped him up until this point.

There was just this feeling that he wasn't able to shake off.

"Was your going undercover necessary for your own 'agenda'?" Tengen focused on the only thing he did know about her, maybe it was something related to that?

"Not quite," she confessed, "I have already gathered most of the information I needed regarding that before I even joined the Corporation."

"Then why join me?"

"Because you asked nicely," he made a face at her very much expected sass, "What? Really, that was the primary reason, Hashira-sama. The secondary, however, was to meet the Demon Moon."

The look Tengen fixed on her only made her laugh as Sarota explained how she believed that the only way to get her answer was through conversing with the Demon Moon itself since it was the best candidate to know about all this in the first place.

"I don't believe in coincidences, that is why I believe they were the ones who directly caused the death of everyone in my brothel." She added as her eyes looked at the streets down below them, "Considering how I am a Dokuchi, there is a very less chance that the attack wasn't deliberate and that Muzan didn't have any hand in it."

The certainty in her voice left no room for questions as Tengen wondered what made her believe such a fact with this much confidence. But, then again, Sarota didn't seem like someone who would speak up with such confidence unless she was absolutely sure of it.

However, Tengen couldn't help but still feel like there was something he was missing — as if he was being played. He knew Sarota had another intention for going undercover, no matter what she said otherwise.

"You have quite the pride to think you can face a Demon Moon and hold a conversation with it at the same time, huh?" he decided to ask that instead as he kept staring at her oddly relaxed face. Her face in itself wasn't bad or plain — it was smooth, small and very attractive if she actually cared enough to highlight it.

Ironically enough, he could imagine her as an Oiran, if he had to be honest. She had the beauty and sure as hell did have the voluptuous figure needed for the position. And if what she said was to go by, then she must have gotten her mother's looks quite well.

As for the talent, she sure had enough potential to cover that as well, if Kyojuro's word had to be taken for it. Or even the twins.

"Well," she shrugged, "I ain't fighting her alone, am I? Maybe I can just distract her and you can slay the Upper Demon Moon."

For a split second, Tengen wondered if what he was doing was right — bringing three lower-rank Slayers with him along with a Dokuchi on a mission with supposedly Upper Demon Moon.

One step wrong may cause the death of everyone involved and he wasn't sure if his own capabilities were enough to—

"The Demon Moon," Sarota's voice broke him out of his spiral of thoughts, "Is an Oiran if what we have gathered by now is right. And if that is the case, then it all comes down to the two houses of Ogimoto and Kyougoku where the Demon may be residing currently."

Tengen agreed with her but still interjected, "What if she isn't an Oiran?"

"Chances are low and risks are pretty high for the demon to not be one," she off-handedly shrugged as she defended her findings, "Not to mention, Demon Moons are known to be very prideful just like their bastard leader. I don't think she'll prefer being anything besides an Oiran."

"Besides," They both turned to the bright-lighted brothel in front of them, "I doubt there is any other role free yet influential enough to let a Demon stay out of the constraints and duties of a regular courtesan. Only an Oiran can choose their customers and have any decent say in the whole politics and earnings of the brothels."

"Are you suggesting me to keep an eye on the Oirans, then?"

"I have already relayed that to the trio, so no," Sarota shook her head as she stood up, "It'll be better if you go around and spread a rumour for me — one saying that there is a demon seductress here in the Flower District and tomorrow night, she'll strike against the humans for sacrifices."

"What?" Tengen gave her a look of disbelief, "Are you crazy, Sarota? That would be completely counterproductive! Our plan is to not garner her attention!"

"I know, I know. But that will only help us for the initial phase when we infiltrate. Since the demon already knows a Hashira or, at least, a high-ranking slayer is on the case, she already has laid out your wives as the 'bait,' as we discussed earlier as well. This also means that she would be actively looking out for suspicious individuals too, like Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke, making it difficult for them to actually report anything useful to us without being caught."

"I..." Tengen honestly felt very stupid and blind-sided as Sarota laid down the reality so bluntly, "I shouldn't have brought those three here."

"No use thinking like that," Sarota immediately disagreed, making him frown, "I know them. They would have followed us regardless, just like how they did with Ren-senpai on his mission. Not to mention, them following us can be better for us either way since it'll help us bring her out more quickly."

"We just have to wait for the right moment," she continued as the bustling city felt oddly quiet at the moment, "We only have one chance. That demon is setting bait for us, thinking we don't know of her disposition. The best way would be to bait her into her own trap by allowing her to think so. And that is exactly what I am aiming for."

"And you want the rumour to start the smoke?" Tengen couldn't help but ask since he knew what that rumour would do — it would make the people panic and stir away from the District, making the demon hyperfocus on everyone around it.

That can be both a boon and curse, since the chances of making a mistake by either party would be very high during that period.

"Yes, you can say that," she explained briefly, "Since there are already some rumours around the District about cruel Oirans and dangerous seductresses, it would be easy to fan the smoke into a fire."

"Did you..." Tengen honestly felt impressed as he caught up to her thought process, "Did you plant all those rumours even before I asked you to?"

"Think what you may," she shrugged again but with a more mischievous smile that betrayed the nonchalance she was trying to portray, "But I think it would be better to do it this way, especially if we start a new rumour with such a short deadline."

"But why tomorrow? Do you think we'll be able to bait her out by tomorrow?"

"Well," The grin she gave him did nothing to reassure him but still somehow did, "If the trio follow my suggestions to the point then yes, we would be able to annihilate that demon by tomorrow night."

Tengen mused when things started changing — from her giving him suggestions to gradually guiding him through his infiltration in the District. And now, she was almost giving him orders, making him wonder why he even was allowing her to act like that with him.

That made him wonder if Sarota was always like this — confident, decisive and focused. The confidence she showed bordered on being delusional and yet he could see no fault in the explanations she provided for them.

It was almost as if he was in the presence of a prophet and all he could do was follow her blindly and try his luck.

Maybe that's why he followed her words almost blindly despite the faint mistrust he somehow had for her — or was it because of how desperate he became because of his wives? Who knew.

This was a mystery he might come around to resolve further down the future if he survived after the mission, that is.


"Where's Inosuke and Aneki?"

"I don't know, Zenitsu. Maybe they will be coming soon!"

Tengen returned swiftly to the pre-decided meeting spot on the rooftop, noticing two out of the three boys yammering there.

It has only been one night and yet he had already stopped getting any response from the raven brat, Inosuke.

And while Sarota kept telling him to not worry, he couldn't help but keep feeling that what he did was idiotic.

"Inosuke's not coming," he stated out loud, making the two slayers gasp as they finally noticed him further down the roof, "His whereabouts are currently unknown as he has stopped contacting me since this early morning. I went in and checked but he seems to have disappeared."

The silence that followed felt louder than it should have as the three of them stared at each other with varying degrees of horror and confusion.

"And Aneki...?"

"I don't know about her," he replied honestly, "She'll either be coming here in a few minutes or we will meet her later in the evening."

Sarota had vanished around the time Sun rose, informing him nothing beyond a few words that she would be 'gathering intel' while suggesting he to visit Hina in the lower brothels.

"But—" Zenitsu started whining before Tengen smacked him straight, fed up with this mission and his worries in general.

"Listen here, you brat," he decided to lay it out bare as he continued, "Sarota has been doing everything she can for this mission. If not for me or even the innocent civilians, at least respect her and stop whining. You three followed her here, remember that."

He watched them solemnly as they nodded before Tanjiro started giving his own report. Apparently, the people who were said to have 'lost their footing' were of two kinds — one whose bodies were found and those whose weren't.

In most cases, those whose bodies were not found were deemed to have run away, just like how Suma's disappearance was portrayed.

"But for those whose bodies were found," Tanjiro relayed, "All of them fell from a higher level to the ground, committing suicide."

"Or what was made to look like suicide," Tengen narrowed his eyes, "Maybe they were the ones who found out about the demon's nature already. Who were the most recent ones? Any significant person?"

"N-Not in my brothel," Zenitsu shook his head, "All who committed su-suicide were older courtesans or even w-workers."

"Hai," Tanjiro agreed, "Some courtesans in my brothel had also committed suicide but they were very rare. Most of the cases were of disappearances, like Suma-san or Hinatsuru-san."

"Hina was sent to the lowest-class brothel to recover after she took poison to avoid the demon," He confessed, "And while she was not able to say much beyond this, she did say she saw the demon in Kyougoku House. How is it operating and threatening other houses too while I'm keeping an eye out here?"

"I think there might be passages inside the buildings," Tanjiro started, "Since the demon is going so swiftly in and out of the brothels while not being spotted by anyone, even while abducting their victims."

"That'll make cleaning up easier too," Zenitsu agreed, "But... But I didn't find or hear anything around? I couldn't hear the demon using any passages while I was in the brothel."

"Maybe the passages are in the ground and not the brothel itself," Tengen deduced, his mind reeling with plans of attack as he assessed the situation, "If we block them after tracing them through, we can corner the demon."

"Or," Sarota's voice surprised everyone as they turned to her approaching figure on the roof, "We can trace the passages back to its base and disclose where the demon is hiding its un-eaten or live victims."

"What?"

"Since we have only found one of your three missing wives," she explained carefully as she sat down beside Zenitsu, "That means your other two wives are in her captivity. However, there is no other area in this District except the Kirimise or the lowest-class brothels where they can be hidden."

"But they are not there," Tengen added as he nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," she then turned to the younger slayers as she gave them a reassuring smile, "That means that she must have transferred them to an area which is easily accessible by her, yet not easily detectable to others."

"And that must be where at least one of her passages leads to!" Tanjiro added.

"Yes, and that is where we will find everyone — Inosuke as well, who I am assuming has been caught by the demon too."

"Wh-What should we do now th-then?" Zenitsu asked uncertainly, making Tengen turn to Sarota.

"Warabihime," She started as everyone instantly realised who she was talking about, "She is the one we are looking for. And yes, I confirmed it from the Hostess of the Kyougoku House who was housing her for quite a few years as well as by the clues Inosuke left behind before disappearing."

"Did you threaten her?"

"No," she disagreed but her tight smile said otherwise, "We just had a little... chat." Her dull expression in the split second that followed left everyone bewildered before she schooled her expression back to a neutral one.

And while Tengen wasn't much well-versed in reading or understanding others' emotions that well unlike Kyojuro, he still felt like something was amiss with how different Sarota was acting from a few hours ago when he last saw her.

"The Hostess had her own doubts regarding Warabihime as a human," she explained, "Though, she did ignore a lot of her entitlement due to how much money she alone could generate for the entire brothel."

"Should we a-attack it head-on, then?"

"Yes," This time it was Tengen who answered Zenitsu, "In fact, since there are a lot of captive people, it'll be better to free them first before cornering the demon."

"We need to do it swiftly, then," Sarota added as she stood up, "Since the demon must have used her blood art technique to make that space, it is highly likely that she will know the exact moment we enter that space. So, it is better if we plan ahead and divide the tasks before she can corner us."

"If it is fine with Hashira-sama?" she finally turned to look at Tengen, pretending to ask him when she knew damn well that he was going to follow her regardless.

"Hah," he huffed out a laugh as he got up too, "Don't waste my time asking questions you know the answer to, Sarota. Discuss this quickly, we only have a few hours before the sun sets."

Tengen couldn't wait for this mission to be over and return home with his wives safe and sound — the whole thing was beyond nerve-wracking and yet somehow hopeful that he wasn't used to feeling.

If he had to be honest, Tengen silently admitted to himself as he watched Sarota pull out her small notebook and form a plan with everyone, this was the most hopeful he had ever been for any mission. And it felt wrong, especially considering how it was one of the most dangerous ones he had ever participated in, too.

And yet, there was something that made him feel on edge but still give a feeling of safety on that very edge and that feeling was not only because of the obnoxious Upper Moon itself.

He gave Sarota one last glance before moving onto their decided positions for the attack, his maroon eyes meeting her violet ones last time as she nodded to him in a very distant manner.

He knew something was going on with Sarota, however, it was not something he could afford to wonder about right now as the sun gradually crept towards the horizon.


Istg, this has been one of the most complicated arcs ever, wtf. I can totally understand why Gotuoge just left some things out and rushed through at some part cause holy shit.

And I still have the final two arcs left which are gonna be even more complicated, with Miyasha around.
May Lord save my soul.

Anyway~ I have the next chapter almost ready as well, so I'll upload it in a few days. Up until then, please enjoy our favourite Shinobi's POV and leave some comments if you want to!

》Taishou Secrets《
In this chapter, Inosuke was actually caught by Daki when he interrupted her while she was interrogating Makio. Instead of running away as she did in the original timeline, she simply knocked out Inosuke and stored his body in her stash.
However, before going missing, Inosuke had grabbed the chopsticks and left it in his room as a 'clue', which Miyasha was able to understand easily when she went ahead to check on him before going to meet Uzui and others on the rooftop.

And that'll be all for this chapter! Thank you so much for your kind reviews and please review this one as well if you want to— And yes, I am reading them! Honestly, it motivates me like no other! I mean, I am an attention whore so xD

Stay safe and stay healthy!