Enmu and Rokuro arrived at the Twelve Kizuki base as the sun began to set. They immediately informed Kenji of their return through the communication rings.
Kenji emerged from his chambers to meet them in the main courtyard. His eyes swept over the three captivs, noting their minor injuries and the satisfied expressions on their faces.
"How did the mission proceed?" Kenji asked directly.
Enmu stepped forward and began his report. "We located the Kamizuru team near a stone outpost, approximately thirty kilometers from their last known position. Five shinobi in total - all appeared to be jounin level based on their coordination and techniques."
"Their abilities?" Kenji inquired.
"The leader, Jubei Kamizuru, commanded metallic bees that formed defensive barriers. Hachiro used explosive bees, Kiyoko controlled paralysis-inducing bees, Tsubame had tracking and illusion bees, and Goro possessed healing bees," Enmu explained methodically. "They fought as a coordinated unit with impressive teamwork."
Rokuro added, "We captured three - Hachiro, Kiyoko, and Goro. The leader Jubei and the tracker Tsubame escaped when we focused on securing our targets."
"Acceptable results," Kenji said with a nod. "Take your rest. You've done well."
After the two demons departed, Kenji remained in the courtyard, considering the implications. 'A full team of jounin-level shinobi. No wonder two of them managed to escape even from Enmu and Rokuro. This suggests Iwagakure is taking the war seriously enough to send elite teams.'
'They might search explanations, but during wartime, such incidents can be attributed to enemy action. The chances of them tracing this back to us are minimal.'
Kenji made his way to the holding cells where the three captured shinobi were imprisoned. He studied them through the reinforced bars. 'Three different types of bee techniques. Explosive, paralysis, and healing. Interesting variety.'
'Two will go to Kirigakure as planned. I'll keep one here for experimentation. Once I unlock the ability to create demons, I'll convert them. How powerful would a jounin-level demon become? Perhaps comparable to the Upper Moons? Worth investigating.'
As he turned to leave, Kenji sensed a shift in one of the prisoners' breathing patterns. The heart beat indicated consciousness, though the prisoner was attempting to maintain the facade of unconsciousness.
Kenji stopped and looked back. "Hachiro, isn't it? You don't need to pretend to be unconscious."
The red-haired shinobi remained still, continuing his act.
"Two of you will be sent to Kirigakure. One of you will stay here permanently," Kenji stated matter-of-factly.
Hachiro's eyes snapped open immediately. He struggled against his restraints and spoke urgently, "Let me stay! Send Goro and Kiyoko to Kirigakure!"
'Interesting,' Kenji thought. 'He's confident they can escape from Kirigakure's custody but understands that staying here offers no such possibility. He's sacrificing himself for the others.'
The dynamic was clear. Hachiro had feelings for Kiyoko, or at minimum, she held significant importance to the Kamizuru clan. His attempt to save her during the battle and now his willingness to sacrifice himself confirmed this.
'Even if Hachiro somehow escaped, which is impossible, his village would never trust him again after being captured by enemies.'
Kenji said nothing more and left the chamber, ignoring Hachiro's continued pleas.
Outside the holding area, he found Daki waiting. She immediately knelt before him.
"Lord Muzan, I request permission to leave the base and explore the outside world," she spoke with humility, as if afraid of provoking his anger.
Kenji considered this for a moment. Daki's restlessness had been apparent recently, and keeping her confined might prove counterproductive.
"You may go," he said simply.
Without further explanation, Kenji returned to his chambers. He summoned Rui and briefed him on the captures.
"Imprison them securely. Contact the bounty station where Kirigakure posted their request. Arrange the exchange for two of the prisoners," Kenji instructed. "But be prepared - there's a high probability this is a trap. Iwagakure likely has spies in Kirigakure who will have exposed this operation."
Rui nodded in understanding.
## Two Days Later
Rui arrived at the designated meeting point, a clearing fifteen kilometers from the nearest village. Silk threads invisibly bound the unconscious forms of Kiyoko and Goro, who floated slightly above the ground in his web constructs.
After waiting thirty minutes, Rui sensed multiple chakra signatures approaching. Seven figures emerged from the treeline - all wearing Kirigakure headbands and standard jounin vests.
'Something's wrong,' Rui thought immediately. 'Their formation and movement patterns don't match Kirigakure's typical reconnaissance protocols. Too aggressive, too coordinated for a simple prisoner exchange.'
The lead shinobi stepped forward. "You have our targets?"
"The bounty payment first," Rui replied calmly, though his threads were already positioning themselves beneath the ground.
The man tossed a scroll containing the promised payment. As Rui reached for it, the shinobi spoke again.
"Actually, why don't you come with us for questioning? We have some additional questions about these captures."
The attack came instantly. All seven shinobi moved simultaneously, their coordination perfect. Explosive tags flew toward Rui while earth-style jutsu erupted from the ground.
'Definitely not Kirigakure,' Rui confirmed as he reacted. 'Iwagakure infiltrators, just as Lord Muzan predicted.'
**"Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Cage!"**
Crimson threads exploded outward in a perfect sphere. Three chunin were caught immediately, their bodies sliced apart before they could complete their jutsu. But the remaining four had anticipated this - they'd spread their formation specifically to avoid group attacks.
**"Earth Style: Rock Fist Jutsu!"** shouted Tetsu Ishikawa, the team leader. Massive stone fists erupted from the ground beneath Rui's position.
Rui leaped clear, threads anchoring him to a nearby tree. **"Earth Style: Mud Dragon Projectile!"** came from Yamabuki Oshiro. A torrent of hardened mud spears rocketed toward him.
**"Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Net!"** Rui countered, weaving a defensive barrier of razor-sharp filaments. The mud spears shattered against it, but the impact severed his anchor thread and sent him tumbling.
"His chakra signature is volatile!" shouted Haru, the special jounin sensor.
'A sensor. That's problematic,' Rui thought as he landed. Haru was already forming hand seals, sending disorienting chakra pulses that made Rui's thread control less precise.
"Understood! Keep disrupting him!" Tetsu commanded. **"Earth Style: Weighted Rock Technique!"**
Gravity quadrupled around Rui, pinning him to the ground. Yamabuki followed immediately with **"Earth Style: Twin Earth Spears!"** Massive stone spikes erupted beneath him.
Rui twisted with inhuman flexibility, but one spear grazed his side, tearing flesh. Black blood welled and immediately began healing with a curl of smoke.
'The sensor is the priority target,' Rui decided. He ignored the other jounin and focused entirely on Haru.
**"Blood Demon Art: Silent Thread Lash!"**
Instead of attacking Haru directly, Rui sent dozens of nearly invisible threads into the ground and trees around the sensor. Haru, detecting the malicious chakra surge, dodged frantically.
"He's targeting me! Protect—" Haru's warning died as they leaped backward directly into Rui's trap.
The threads Haru had dodged formed an intricate web behind them. As the sensor landed, Rui clenched his fist. The web contracted instantly with a wet slicing sound. Haru was dissected into dozens of pieces before they could react.
"HARU!" Tetsu bellowed in rage. "You monster!"
Yamabuki's face hardened. **"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears!"** Dozens of smaller, faster spikes erupted from all directions around Rui.
Rui danced through them, threads deflecting what he couldn't dodge. But the remaining chunin was also attacking now, and the coordinated assault was relentless.
Tetsu slammed his hands down. **"Earth Style: Earthen Magnitude!"** The ground rippled violently. Yamabuki followed with **"Earth Style: Rock Shield Barrage!"** - massive stone plates that crashed together, attempting to crush Rui between them.
Rui anchored threads to pull himself clear just as the shields collided with a deafening boom.
'Four chunin dead, one special jounin dead. Two jounin and one chunin remaining. My regeneration is draining me, but they're running low on chakra from their continuous high-level techniques.'
Rui raised both hands. **"Blood Demon Art: Spinning Web of Annihilation!"**
He spun violently, unleashing thousands of blood threads in every direction. The clearing became a hurricane of razor filaments. Trees splintered, rocks crumbled, and the remaining chunin vanished in a crimson mist.
Yamabuki erected **"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"** but the barrier was shredded instantly. Tetsu roared, **"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"** His technique held longer but still couldn't completely stop the assault.
When the dust settled, the clearing was a slaughterhouse. Among the mangled remains of six shinobi, there was no sign of the demon - only dissipating black smoke that smelled of copper and decay.
Yamabuki pushed herself up from behind a shattered boulder, her face pale but her eyes burning with cold fury. Tetsu stood amidst the devastation, fists clenched.
"A monster," he growled. "We report everything to the Tsuchikage. Every detail about his abilities. Some kind of kekkei genkai involving blood manipulation."
He spat on the bloody ground. "He escaped, but Iwagakure will hunt him down. Fortunately Kiyoko has been secured alongside Goro. Otherwise this mission would have been a complete failure."
Deep in the forest, Rui leaned against an oak tree. His wounds had healed completely, but he could see the approaching dawn. Another few minutes and he would have been incinerated by sunlight.
Opening the scroll, he found it empty. 'Mission failed. Lord Muzan's prediction was correct - Iwagakure had infiltrated the exchange. Kirigakure might not even have known of this exchange taking place. A high level spy is planted in Kirigakure. Someone who could make decisions on their own.'
Rui began his journey back to the base, dissatisfied with the night's work.