The road from Konohagakure stretched endlessly before Kenji, winding through forests that grew denser and more unfamiliar with each passing mile. Two weeks had elapsed since his departure from the Hidden Leaf, and the crisp mountain air carried scents he didn't recognize—foreign flowers, different soil, and the lingering traces of hot springs that gave this region its name.
He hadn't left on a whim. Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, was home to the Uzumaki clan and their powerful sealing techniques. If he wanted to master fuinjutsu, it was his best option.
---
Deep within a forest clearing, Kenji's enhanced senses detected something that made him pause. Multiple chakra signatures clustered together—a bandit den, by all appearances. His first instinct was to handle the situation himself, but this presented the perfect opportunity to test Rui and Kyogai in combat.
When Kenji had first unlocked them, the system had also granted him a specialized summoning technique. He pressed his palms together, forming the familiar hand seals. The jutsu felt natural now, as if he had been performing it for years rather than months. Chakra flowed through the seal inscribed in his blood on the forest floor, and two pillars of otherworldly energy spiraled upward, casting dancing shadows across the trees.
When the energy dissipated, two figures materialized before him.
Rui appeared first—pale and slight, with pink eyes that held an unsettling depth. His white hair fell across his face in soft waves, and his traditional demon slayer uniform had been replaced by dark clothing better suited for this world, though his otherworldly aura remained unchanged.
Kyogai manifested beside him, larger and more imposing. Drums were embedded across his body like grotesque ornaments, and his yellow eyes swept the clearing with predatory interest. His appearance was more obviously inhuman, but in a world where bloodline abilities manifested in countless ways, he might pass as simply another unusual shinobi.
Both demons immediately dropped to one knee, heads bowed in perfect synchronization.
"Lord Muzan," they spoke in unison, their voices carrying genuine reverence.
Kenji studied them carefully. The summoning had worked exactly as intended, pulling them from whatever realm they had inhabited. More interesting was their apparent retention of memory and their instinctive recognition of his authority—they retained their identities from before their transformation.
He gestured toward the distant stronghold, its torchlight barely visible through the trees. "A den of bandits infests that ruin. Several possess moderate power; the rest are fodder. Demonstrate your capabilities. Eliminate them efficiently."
The demons didn't hesitate. Rui simply nodded, his expression remaining blank. Kyogai cracked his neck, a low growl rumbling in his chest. They melted into the shadows, moving with preternatural silence.
---
The bandit stronghold occupied a natural cave system, its entrances hidden behind false rock faces and concealed by generations of careful cultivation. It was the kind of place that existed in the gaps between villages, preying on trade routes and smaller settlements. Kenji counted at least twenty signatures inside, with five registering as significantly stronger than the rest.
He could have handled them himself easily enough, but that wasn't the point. He needed to understand what his summoned demons were truly capable of in this world—how their abilities translated against chakra-enhanced opponents. Theory was useful, but practical application was invaluable.
---
Chaos erupted as Kyogai slammed his fist against the drum on his shoulder. *THOOM!* The entire bandit den *twisted*. Walls became floors, the ceiling tilted violently sideways. Two bandits screamed as they plummeted into a suddenly vertical surface, bones crunching on impact. A rogue genin tried to leap away, only to find himself running upside-down across the ceiling before Kyogai, moving with deceptive speed for his size, appeared beside him and tore his head off with a single swipe.
"Enemies!" screamed one of the scarred rogue chunin.
The surviving ninja, adapting quickly, unleashed a barrage of projectiles. Kunai and shuriken whistled through the distorted space, some defying gravity, others curving unnaturally. Kyogai laughed—a low, guttural sound—and beat the drum on his hip. *THWAP!* The space *rotated* ninety degrees. Weapons meant for his throat embedded themselves harmlessly in what had been a wall.
Rui remained motionless, his pink eyes tracking the scrambling figures with cold calculation. As a rogue ninja attempted to flank Kyogai, leaping from a wall fragment, Rui's hand twitched almost imperceptibly.
*Sssshink!*
Near-invisible spider silk threads, sharp as monomolecular wire, erupted from Rui's fingertips faster than sight. The leaping rogue ninja didn't even cry out—he simply disintegrated mid-air into cleanly severed pieces, showering the corridor in gore. Two bandits nearby, frozen in horror, met the same fate as threads scythed through them like paper.
"Damn it! Earth Style: Mud Wall!" A spiky-haired rogue chunin slammed his hands down. Thick walls of compacted earth surged up, shielding the remaining fighters from Rui's deadly threads.
Another rogue chunin formed hand seals. "Water Style: Wild Water Wave!" A torrent of chakra-infused water crashed over the mud barrier, aiming to drench and slow the demons. Kyogai grunted as the deluge struck him.
Seeing his opportunity, the third chunin inhaled deeply. "Fire Style: Great Fireball!" A massive sphere of flame roared around the water torrent, superheating the steam into a scalding blast aimed directly at Rui.
Rui finally moved. Rather than dodge, he raised a single, delicate hand. An intricate, circular web of threads materialized instantly before him, layered and dense. The superheated steam and flames slammed into the barrier.
*HISSSSS!*
The threads glowed white-hot but held firm. Fire splashed and dissipated against the impossibly strong silk shield, steam billowing harmlessly around its edges. Rui remained untouched, his expression unchanged.
"Impossible!" gasped the rogue chunin.
Kyogai, shaking off the water, roared in fury. He pounded the drum on his back. *THUD!* The space *compressed*. The corridor telescoped violently, crushing two rogue ninja between floor and ceiling as they snapped together like a vice. Another screamed as he was flung headfirst into a rapidly approaching wall at bone-shattering speed.
"Now!" The female chunin and her partner leaped over the rubble, attacking Kyogai directly with chakra-enhanced kunai while the earth-user attempted to trap the demon's feet with "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld."
Rui's eyes flickered. Threads lashed out—not to kill, but to entangle. They wrapped around the female chunin's wrists mid-swing, yanking her off balance, while others snagged her partner's ankle, sending him sprawling. Kyogai, his demonic strength easily overcoming the sucking mud, brought both fists down onto the prone ninja. *CRUNCH.*
The woman shrieked, trying to cut the threads with a chakra-charged kunai, but they were too strong and too numerous. Rui made another minute gesture. The threads constricted. *SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.* Her limbs severed cleanly before a final thread whipped across her throat, silencing her forever.
The last rogue chunin, witnessing his comrades' obliteration, attempted to flee underground with "Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole." Kyogai stomped hard where he had vanished, triggering his shoulder drum. *THOOM!* The earth *folded* in on itself. A muffled scream and sickening wet pop rose from beneath the distorted ground, followed by silence.
In less than ten minutes, the stronghold fell quiet save for dripping blood and the ragged breathing of a few survivors who had thrown down their weapons and pressed themselves against the cave walls, trembling with terror.
Kyogai turned toward them, chest heaving, blood dripping from his claws. He raised his hand toward a drum.
"Enough, Kyogai," Rui's soft voice cut through the groans and dripping. "These are barely scraps—not worth the effort." His threads retracted like liquid into his fingertips. "Lord Muzan desires efficiency."
Kyogai paused, his rage simmering but controlled. He lowered his hand, glaring at the cowering survivors. "Pathetic." He spat dark blood onto a mangled corpse.
---
From his concealed vantage point, Kenji observed it all. The synergy between his demons was remarkable—Kyogai's disorienting spatial manipulation created openings for Rui's precision strikes, while Rui's thread barriers protected them both from ranged attacks. They worked together with seamless coordination that spoke of countless battles fought as a unit.
More importantly, their abilities translated perfectly to this world. Chakra-enhanced opponents were still vulnerable to spatial distortion and threads that could slice through reinforced bodies. The demons hadn't merely adapted—they had found ways to be even more effective than before.
As the two figures emerged from the cave system, Kenji allowed himself a satisfied smile. The test had exceeded expectations.
---
The Village Hidden in Hot Water lived up to its name—a modest settlement built around natural hot springs, with steam rising from numerous pools throughout the community. It existed primarily to serve travelers, offering rest and relaxation to those willing to pay for the privilege.
But like many such places, it had its hidden aspects.
Kenji approached the bounty station in his civilian guise, his appearance shifted to that of an unremarkable man in his twenties—dark hair, brown eyes, the kind of face easily forgotten. Rui and Kyogai followed at a respectful distance, their appearances carefully moderated to seem merely unusual rather than inhuman.
The bounty station occupied a basement beneath what appeared to be a legitimate merchant's shop. It was a common arrangement—smaller settlements couldn't officially sanction assassination missions, but they could turn a blind eye to independent contractors who happened to solve certain problems for appropriate compensation.
The proprietor was a grizzled man whose missing left eye and scarred hands spoke to a violent past. He looked up as Kenji entered, assessing the two figures behind him with professional interest.
"New faces," the man observed. "Looking for work or posting bounties?"
"Looking for work," Kenji replied.
The proprietor's remaining eye shifted to Rui and Kyogai. "They look capable," he mused silently before pulling out a thick ledger. "What's their specialty?"
"Elimination."
"Ah." His expression shifted to one of professional interest. "Those kinds of specialists are always in demand." He slid the ledger across the counter.
Kenji flipped through several pages before selecting suitable contracts. "Merchant family in the Land of Rivers. They've been skimming from their partners and have hired protection. Standard rate is to make it look like bandits, but the client's willing to pay double for something more creative." He glanced at the demons. "Can you handle that?"
Both demons nodded.
As they finalized arrangements and selected additional missions, Kenji gave his final instructions.
"Work together as a team," he said, his voice carrying the authority they had always recognized. "Complete the contracts efficiently, but more importantly—spread the name of the Twelve Kizuki. Let it be whispered in places where power is bought and sold, where fear has currency."
Rui bowed his head. "It will be done, Lord Muzan."
"The underworld will know our name," Kyogai added with quiet certainty.
"Good. Return here in six months. By then, I should have completed my own objectives."
---
As bright moon painted the night sky in shades of orange and purple, Kenji watched his demons disappear into the gathering shadows, their forms becoming one with the darkness between buildings.
The Village Hidden in Hot Water would be their starting point, but their influence would spread far beyond these steamy streets. Criminal organizations, corrupt merchants, petty warlords—all would learn to fear the name Twelve Kizuki. And in learning to fear it, they would speak of it, spreading the reputation that would eventually draw the attention of those who truly mattered.
Kenji turned eastward, toward the distant Land of Whirlpools. Uzushiogakure awaited.