"There are currently three sages in this world," Zetsu said calmly. "The Snake Sage, the Toad Sage, and the Slug Sage."
Muzan nodded slowly, sprawled on the ground, lazily rolling around.
"Mm. Zetsu, these 'sages'—what do they even do?"
"They don't really do much," Zetsu replied, watching him. "They absorb natural energy and raise more of their kin. That's about it."
Muzan suddenly stopped rolling, his voice sharp.
"Zetsu. That man—Kenjaku. Who was he?"
Zetsu's face turned grim. "You don't know? That stitched bastard isn't from the Land of Fire, and I can't even find his scent anymore. It's been two days—he's completely vanished."
He paused
"But the worst part? If that was Kenjaku… then what's stopping a Sukuna or a Gojo from showing up too?"muzan thought
Muzan rubbed his chin. "He did seem powerful… and the stingray obeyed him like a pet."
"Must've been a summoned beast," Zetsu muttered.
Zetsu stood. "Come on. We're going to locate the Tailed Beasts."
"Why?" Muzan asked innocently.
"They're crucial for the plan."
⸻
Meanwhile… Somewhere in the desert…
"RAWR!"
SMASH!
A giant nine-tailed fox slammed into a tanuki, roaring directly into its face.
"Damn it, Nine-Tails! Don't you ever brush your teeth?" One-Tail shouted, eyes watering.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" the Nine-Tails screamed, its chakra surging wildly.
"Shit," said a nearby shinobi, Shui Sky, as he rapidly weaved hand signs.
BOOM!
A massive sand wall erupted, knocking the fox's head upward and redirecting the forming Tailed Beast Bomb into the sky.
The Nine-Tails roared like a beast of war.
"Pathetic," a voice echoed.
"Weak."
"Puny."
Inside Muzan, the three divine beings spoke in unison.
"Compared to the Three Deities," one muttered, "those creatures are like children."
"Puny brat," they agreed.
"What?" Zetsu asked, hearing Muzan mumble something.
"Nothing," Muzan said quickly.
⸻
Back at camp, Zetsu looked at Muzan seriously.
"We need to capture the Nine Beasts. Then we fuse them into the Ten-Tails."
"Why not just do it now?"
"We're not strong enough," Zetsu admitted. "And we don't yet have the tool to summon the Gedo Statue."
"What tool?"
"You'll find out," Zetsu said vaguely, as always.
"I'm going to explore for a while," Muzan said, standing and walking toward the Land of Wind.
⸻
Blood.
Muzan sniffed the air. His eyes narrowed.
He bolted toward the scent.
⸻
"My name is Inuzuka Dan," the boy said softly, crouched amid ruin. "I turned ten this year. We're part of the Fang Mercenary Clan. I'm the heir."
He looked at the flames, his hands shaking.
"…Why did this happen?"
⸻
Muzan's POV
Fire. Flesh. Blood.
I walked through the rubble, untouched by the chaos.
"Oi, brat. I can see you're alive," I said.
"RAAARGH!" the boy screamed and lunged at me, a large wolf-dog following behind him.
THUD.
I kicked his face lightly—he flew back, knocked out cold.
"Calm down," I muttered. The boy had wild beast-like eyes and flowing black-brown hair.
"You bastard," he growled, rising again. "I know that smell! You killed my clan!"
He rushed me again.
Bang.
I planted a fist into his gut—hard enough to make him vomit.
"Yuck," I muttered, stepping back and examining the boy. He was unconscious again. His dog growled, ready to strike.
"No, I'm not going to hurt him," I said.
I took some of the boy's saliva and rubbed it onto his shirt—and onto the boy's body.
Now the waiting game begins.
⸻
"You're awake," I said casually.
The boy stood up, shaky but furious.
"You—!"
"I'm not the one who attacked your people," I interrupted. "Relax."
"But… but you smell like him!"
"Bro, that's kind of gay," I said, shaking my head. "Let me tell you a story."
⸻
"Long ago," I began, "in this cursed world… there was a man. He began devouring others of his kind and was known as the Demon King. That man was from my family."
The boy stared, eyes wide.
"He created demons. We created slayers. While his monsters killed, we hunted them. We are the protectors of this land, the secret force in the shadows."
I crossed my arms.
Bullshitting: my specialty.
"Wow," Dan muttered.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Yesterday, my sister and I went to find herbs… We found a boy. Covered in blood."
⸻
Flashback – Dan's POV
"Nina, look!" a boy lay collapsed in the dirt.
Dan and his sister rushed to him, dragging him back to their camp.
But when they used a healing jutsu—he snapped.
He killed Nina. Then the others.
Only Dan survived—because the sunlight scared the boy away.
⸻
Back in the present.
So… Yang chakra harms demons. Muzan made a mental note.
"Why do you carry that umbrella?" Dan asked suddenly.
"It's a curse," I said, my voice lowering.
"Our ancestor committed great sins. So the gods punished us. Sunlight doesn't kill us—but it burns. We carry this as we try to earn redemption."
I even let a tear fall.
"…What will you do now?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Then join me," I said.
Dan looked up.
"Join the Demon-Slaying Organization."