Reckoning of the Broken
After a day's journey, the group finally arrived at the Yoshiwara district of Tokyo.
Sasori glanced at the bright, flashy lights of the city, his brow furrowing slightly in irritation at the chaotic noise of the bustling streets.
"So, this is a red-light district?" he asked, his eyes scanning the area before spotting a group of women casting curious looks his way.
"What? Never been to one?" Sanemi retorted, his gaze sweeping the crowd, clearly searching for a familiar tall, white-haired figure.
"Never had a reason to..." Sasori muttered, his attention shifting as he noticed a familiar yellow-haired boy gazing up at a group of women.
"Found them," Sasori announced, striding toward Zenitsu. Sanemi and Shinobu exchanged a quick glance before following close behind.
"Oi! You're too young to hire a prostitute!" Uzui's booming voice rang out as he grabbed Zenitsu by the back of his collar, effortlessly pulling him away from the women.
"Uzui! Glad to see you've finally learned that children shouldn't hire prostitutes—or be sold as one," Shinobu said, her cheerful smile carrying an unmistakable undercurrent of menace as she glared at him.
"Ah!" Uzui exclaimed, taking a cautious step back. His usual confident demeanor faltered slightly as he stammered, "Oh! Shinobu! You're not still mad about that... right?"
"Hmmm?" Shinobu tapped her chin theatrically, pretending to think it over.
"Oh, you mean the time you tried to sell my underaged staff members as prostitutes?" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm sharp enough to make even Sasori raise an eyebrow.
Uzui averted his gaze, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Before Shinobu could press further, Tanjiro, and Inosuke approached the group.
"Thank you, boys, for volunteering to help with my staff," Shinobu said, her smile softening into something more genuine and grateful.
"Ah! It's no problem, really!" Zenitsu stammered, his face reddening as he quickly looked away.
"As he said, it truly was no trouble," Tanjiro added with a kind smile.
Inosuke, however, crossed his arms and glared at Sasori.
"OI! IT'S THE CRIMSON CLOWN!" Inosuke bellowed, pointing a dramatic finger at Sasori. His loud declaration instantly drew the attention of almost everyone nearby.
Uzui burst into laughter, doubling over and dropping to his knees as he clutched his sides, laughing as though he'd just heard the funniest joke in his life.
Meanwhile, Shinobu and Sanemi exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of exasperation and disbelief, as if Inosuke had just signed his own death warrant.
Sasori's face remained calm, though his tone carried a faint edge. "Ah... I see you still haven't bothered to read up on what a clown actually is."
"Sorry about him..." Tanjiro said, offering an apologetic bow to Sasori.
Before anything else could be said, the box on Tanjiro's back suddenly sprang open. Nezuko kicked the door aside and leapt out, her adorably tiny form making Zenitsu nearly collapse in a faint.
Nezuko approached Sasori without hesitation, tilting her head curiously as she gazed up at him.
Then, she raised her arms, clearly asking to be lifted.
Sasori raised an eyebrow at her but complied, picking her up with an air of mild confusion.
"It's nice to see you haven't burned to ash in the sun yet," Sasori remarked dryly as he glanced at Nezuko.
Zenitsu, meanwhile, glanced down at Uzui, who was still on the ground, gasping for air from his uncontrollable laughter.
"It wasn't that funny," Zenitsu muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Uzui finally began to calm down, placing a hand over his chest as he stood back up.
Shinobu smiled at the sight of Sasori holding Nezuko before redirecting her attention to Uzui.
"Anyway, Uzui, what happened to the three slayers you sent undercover?" she asked, her tone shifting to a serious one.
Uzui straightened his posture, his usual flamboyant demeanor slipping slightly. "Right. I originally planned to send my wives undercover, but something came up. So instead, I sent a couple of slayers. Problem is, I haven't heard a word from them since. That's why I need another group to investigate—and these brats are perfect for the job," he explained, nodding toward the trio.
"Also," Uzui added, his expression darkening slightly, "keep an eye out for a man wearing a goat skull with a silky cloth covering the lower half of his face. I've received reports of someone like that wandering the area, always accompanied by several different children."
Shinobu and Sanemi exchanged glances, both nodding solemnly.
"A man with that description should be easy enough to spot," Sanemi said, his sharp eyes briefly flicking to Sasori, who still held Nezuko up as if she weighed nothing.
"Anyway," Sanemi said, stepping forward decisively, "let's get moving. We've got work to do."
Sasori handed Nezuko back to Tanjiro, who smiled warmly at him before gently picking her up and placing her back in her box.
Uzui nodded at the group. "Stay sharp, all of you," he said, before walking off with the main trio—Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke—trailing behind him.
Shinobu turned to the remaining group. "Let's start by asking around about the man Uzui described," she said. "But make sure to stay within each other's line of sight. We don't need anyone getting separated."
With that, the three briefly split up.
Sanemi approached a group of middle-aged men chatting near the entrance to a teahouse. His straightforward manner earned a few wary looks, but he pressed on, his gruff tone demanding answers.
Shinobu took a different approach, her demeanor calm and polite as she engaged with several street food vendors and shopkeepers. Her disarming smile and friendly nature made it easy for them to open up, though the conversations yielded little so far.
Meanwhile, Sasori targeted the largest group he could find—the one that had been staring at him earlier.
The group consisted of four women, all dressed in elegant yet practical attire that marked them as workers of the district. Their laughter and animated conversation died down as Sasori approached, their gazes sharp and curious as they sized him up.
"Excuse me," Sasori began, his tone calm and deliberate. "I'm looking for a man who wears a goat skull and a silk cloth over the lower half of his face. Have you seen anyone like that around here?"
The group of women immediately turned their attention to him, their curiosity piqued. The tallest among them, a striking brunette with a sly smirk, stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over him appraisingly.
"My, my," she said, her voice dripping with playful charm. "What's a handsome man like you doing asking about someone so peculiar? Surely you could find better company to occupy your time."
The others giggled, their eyes lingering on him. One, a petite woman with fiery red hair, leaned in, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "Forget the goat skull man. Stay a while, and we'll make sure you have all the answers you need," she purred, her tone light and flirtatious.
Sasori's expression didn't waver, though his eyes briefly flicked between them. "I appreciate the offer," he replied coolly, "but this is urgent. Have you seen him?"
The red-haired woman sighed theatrically, resting her cheek on her hand. "Always business, isn't it?" she teased, her voice laced with mock disappointment. Then, glancing at her companions, her tone shifted to something more serious. "You mean the one with the kids following him? I've seen him a few times, but he's always on the move."
The brunette beside her, now twirling a strand of her hair, leaned in with a mischievous smirk. "I might know where he is~," she purred, her tone dripping with playful insinuation. "But~ I'll only tell you if you give me something in return~." Her voice turned suggestive, her gaze locked on Sasori in mock defiance.
Sasori's eyes grew sharp and cold, the faintest flicker of irritation darkening his expression. He stared at the brunette, his voice low and chilling. "How about I give you a chance to rethink that?" he said, the subtle menace in his tone enough to make her confidence crumble.
The woman visibly shivered, her bold demeanor fading into nervous compliance. "If he's around," she stammered, glancing away to avoid his gaze, "he usually hangs out near the eastern alleyways. Quiet spot, far from prying eyes..."
Sasori held her gaze for a moment longer, ensuring his point was made, before giving a curt nod. "Thank you," he said flatly, then turned on his heel to leave.
As he turned, however, he spotted Shinobu approaching him from halfway down the street. Her expression carried a faint hint of irritation, though it quickly vanished as Sasori's eyes met hers.
"Well," Shinobu said, her voice light yet purposeful. "Looks like you found something. Let's move." Sasori noticed the faintest blush dusting her cheeks as she brushed past him, leading the way without another glance.
Sanemi fell into step with them, glancing between Sasori and Shinobu. "You get anything useful?" he asked gruffly.
"Eastern alleys," Sasori replied succinctly. "It's his usual hangout spot, apparently."
"Good," Sanemi muttered as the three of them made their way toward their destination, the busy district gradually giving way to quieter, shadowed streets.
As they walked down the street, the neon lights from the Yoshiwara district slowly faded behind them, replaced by the dimming shadows of the quieter eastern alleys. The sounds of the bustling city were muffled here, the only noises coming from the distant murmur of street vendors and the occasional chatter from passersby.
Sanemi's sharp gaze swept over the surroundings, his posture relaxed but alert. He tilted his head slightly, muttering, "So this is it, huh? Doesn't look like much."
Shinobu raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanning the dimly lit alleyways as they passed. "How do we figure out which one he's in?"
"Probably the shadiest-looking one," Sanemi replied, his voice carrying the usual edge of annoyance. "They're all equally suspicious."
The trio continued walking, their footsteps light on the cobblestone as they kept their senses sharp. Every alley seemed to blend into the next, indistinguishable from the last. The air had an almost palpable still, as though the alleyways were holding their breath.
Then, Sasori's sharp eyes locked onto something—a flash of movement at the far end of one particular alley. "Found him," he said in his usual flat tone, his voice calm as always.
He stopped abruptly, his gaze narrowing as he shifted behind a building. The others followed suit, taking up positions in the shadows as they peered into the alley.
Their target was just ahead. The man stood tall, wearing the unmistakable goat skull and silky cloth that Uzui had described. Behind him, there was another figure, this one a lot more agitated, with a child standing behind them—thin, frightened, and nearly starving.
"How many times do I have to tell you?!" the second man snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "Why are all the kids you give me nearly starving to death?!"
The man wearing the goat skull grimaced, his voice dripping with irritation. "Stop demanding things," he said, his words clipped. My job is to get you kids. Not to keep them fed."
The second figure's face twisted in anger. "Your luck Lord Muzan can use you. Otherwise, I'd have killed you where you stand—"
Before he could finish, something whizzed past them, a small explosive tag flying through the air. It stopped right between them, and before either of them could react, it detonated in a brilliant explosion.
The blast sent the man with the goat skull flying backward, his body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. His mask shattered upon impact, and his face seemed to crumble away in pieces, leaving only the raw, exposed flesh beneath.
"NO! MY FACE!" he screamed in agony, desperately trying to stitch it back together with trembling hands.
"Mister!" The child cried out for the other man, whose face had been blown apart, yet he still stood. The top of his head began to melt and twist, reshaping into a grotesque mouth as his face regenerated.
"I was planning to kill you later, but..." The man's face fully reformed, revealing an eye marked with the symbol "Lower 1," identifying him as Nanami.
"What a surprise..." Sasori remarked, stepping into the alley, his gaze shifting between the demon and the grotesque figure.
"Back at the auction, I thought you two hated each other. Yet, here you are," Sasori continued, his tone cool as Shinobu and Sanemi joined him in the alley.
"Ah, it's doll face," Nanami sneered, using a hair clip to set his face back into place.
"What's up with the face-splitter?" Sanemi muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Why isn't he regenerating?"
"He's human," Sasori answered flatly.
"Not just any human," Shinobu added, her voice shifting with realization. "I think I know who this man is..."
The man chuckled darkly, though there was an almost imperceptible tremor in his voice as his eyes narrowed on Shinobu. "Oh? I-I see someone did their history lesson," he taunted, forcing a sinister grin across his face despite the slight waver in his tone.
Shinobu's expression didn't falter, her tone sharp and cutting. "The only thing history will remember you for is being a fool who got too comfortable wearing others' skin."
Nanami's voice cut through the tension as he addressed the other figure. "Dr. Benton, the redhead's mine. Keep your hands off him," he snarled before his face grotesquely morphed. A large mouth formed, and two elongated tongues shot out, aimed directly at Sasori.
Benton shrugged dismissively. "Whatever. I want the woman. Her skin is flawless—perfect for replacing these old ones," he said, gesturing to his patchwork body.
Sasori's movements were swift and precise. He caught both of Nanami's tongues mid-air and yanked them hard, dragging Nanami forward. Undeterred, Nanami's hand plunged into the ground, claws forming on his other hand as he sliced through his own tongues, freeing himself.
"Sanemi, get the kid!" Shinobu commanded as she unsheathed her stinger-like blade, her focus shifting to Benton. "I'll deal with him," she added, her voice steady as she rushed forward.
Benton barely dodged her thrust, countering with a punch to her stomach. Shinobu winced but didn't falter, using her free hand to grab his wrist and leverage her body into a spinning kick. The blade hidden in her shoe sprang out, slashing into the side of Benton's face.
"Ah!" Benton screamed, stumbling back before throwing her off. Shinobu landed gracefully on her feet, her stinger poised for another attack.
Meanwhile, Sanemi charged toward the terrified child standing behind Nanami. Before he could reach him, a sliding door materialized beneath the child, opening to swallow him whole. Another door appeared under Sanemi, and two hands clawed their way out of it, lifting a grotesque figure with gray skin and green scales. The creature launched a powerful kick, slamming into Sanemi's stomach and sending him flying through the window of a nearby building.
Sanemi crashed into a wall, landing with a loud thud. A startled scream pierced the air as an elderly woman, a young girl, and a middle-aged man stared at him in horror, teacups clattering to the floor.
"GET THE HELL OUT!" Sanemi barked at them, his voice a sharp command. The family scrambled to escape just as another sliding door appeared beside him. The green-scaled demon lunged out, throwing a punch, but Sanemi caught it mid-swing and retaliated by slicing off the demon's hand in a swift motion.
The demon howled in pain before vanishing into thin air.
"Great," Sanemi muttered, his irritation palpable as he scanned the room for any sign of the demon. The family's hurried footsteps faded, leaving only silence and tension.
Sanemi steadied his breathing, gripping his blade tightly. "Third Form: Clear Storm Wind Tree," he muttered, unleashing a whirlwind of precise slashes around him. The air seemed to ripple as the invisible demon screamed, forced out of its concealment by the relentless attack.
Taking the opportunity, Sanemi dashed forward with blinding speed, his movements a blur as he executed another technique. "First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!" he shouted, slashing in a horizontal cyclone pattern. The demon's body was torn apart, and the force of the attack sent it flying through the hole Sanemi had made earlier, crashing into another building near the alleyway.
The sound of splintering wood and shattering glass echoed as Sanemi straightened, his blade glinting in the dim light.
"How many more of you pests do I have to deal with?" he muttered, watching as another demon descended from the ceiling, landing with a soft thud.
This new demon, no older than a child in appearance, had pink skin and small, twisted horns curling from its head. It stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes, a malevolent grin stretching across its face. Sanemi sighed, his grip on his sword tightening.
"Another runt," he muttered, shifting into a combat stance. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Sasori vs. Nanami
Nanami straightened, his grotesque form shimmering in the faint light as his severed tongues regenerated. His voice, deep and guttural, carried an edge of fury. "You will pay for what you did!" he snarled, his hands melting and reshaping into massive claws. His face twisted grotesquely, forming a gaping maw ringed with jagged teeth.
Sasori tilted his head slightly, his expression unfazed. "You're the most demon-looking demon I've ever fought," he remarked with a taunting edge, unsheathing his blade in a smooth motion. "And yet, somehow, you're also the weakest."
"You... know... NOTHING!" Nanami bellowed, his elongated tongues snapping through the air like whips as he lunged.
Sasori smirked, leaping effortlessly over the attack. Landing lightly on the side of a building, he hurled two kunai with pinpoint accuracy, pinning Nanami's tongues to the ground. Nanami's eyes widened in shock as Sasori launched himself forward, slamming both feet into his head with a powerful dropkick.
The force spun Nanami's head grotesquely, leaving him momentarily disoriented. Sasori wasted no time, his blade flashing as he severed the demon's head in a single, clean stroke. Nanami's body crumpled, disintegrating into ash as the head hit the ground.
"Last time, you had help. Not so lucky this time," Sasori muttered, sheathing his sword as he turned toward Shinobu's fight.
-Shinobu VS Dr. Benton-
Shinobu landed lightly on the ground, her stance poised and graceful. Across from her, Benton's face began to peel away, revealing dry, shriveled muscle and darkened veins beneath.
Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Even without your face, your body barely reacts. You're more monster than human," she remarked, leveling her stinger at him.
Benton sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "That little stinger of yours is useless. You can't kill without your precious poison. And guess what? That poison of yours doesn't work on humans."
His lips curled into a twisted grin as he added, "You'll regret crossing me. Though I suppose replacing my face with yours might make this all worthwhile."
Shinobu smiled sweetly, her tone laced with an almost playful menace. "I think you're misunderstanding something," she said, her stinger gleaming faintly in the dim light. "You're not quite human anymore, are you? I haven't tested this poison on monsters yet." Her eyes sharpened as she dashed forward, her movements a blur.
Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter.
Shinobu drove her stinger through Benton's torso, piercing straight through his stomach and into his lungs. Blood spattered from his mouth as he let out a strangled gasp.
Shinobu tilted her head, her smile unwavering. "Hmm. It seems my poison doesn't work on monsters either," she said with mock curiosity.
Benton growled through gritted teeth, his hand lashing out to grab her stinger. "You're... really... fucking annoying!" he spat, blood spraying as he attempted to hold her in place.
Shinobu's expression didn't falter. "And you've lived far longer than you should have," she replied coolly, pulling her stinger free and leaping back. She spun midair, delivering a sharp kick to Benton's face. The hidden blade in her shoe extended, slicing through his cheek as the force of the blow sent him crashing into a nearby wall.
Benton's body slumped to the ground, motionless.
Sasori emerged from the shadows, his eyes flicking over Benton's form. "Well, that didn't take long," he remarked dryly.
Before he could finish, a beheaded demon's body flew past them, colliding with the alley wall before disintegrating into ash. Sasori turned sharply, noticing Sanemi standing amidst a pile of debris, surrounded by a swarm of demons.
Sanemi growled, his blade swinging as another demon lunged at him. "Guess I've got my hands full," he muttered, parrying the attack.
"Looks like we've got more company," Shinobu noted, her tone light despite the situation. Without hesitation, she dashed forward, plunging her stinger into a demon's chest. She withdrew it swiftly, watching as the creature stumbled back and dissolved into ash.
Sasori rolled his shoulders, his sword glinting in the dim light. "Let's make this quick."
"It's a shame," Shinobu said softly, her voice carrying a hint of sorrow as she glanced at the remaining demons. "They're all just kids..." She steadied her stinger and struck another demon, her movements precise yet heavy with emotion.
Sasori prepared to step in and assist, his hand resting on his blade, but he froze mid-step, his attention drawn to the side. A demon child with green scales was slumped against the wall, trembling. Something about the stillness was wrong.
His instincts screamed danger.
The child opened its mouth unnaturally wide, and in an instant, a torrent of blood erupted from its body, enveloping it in a grotesque cocoon. Sasori leaped back, blood splattering the ground where he had stood moments before. The cocoon pulsed violently, and with a sickening crack, it shattered.
Standing amidst the gory remains was Nanami.
Sasori's gaze narrowed. "Ah. So that's your trick?" he said, his voice laced with dry curiosity.
Nanami stood motionless, his cold, unyielding eyes locked onto Sasori. His voice was low, but it carried the weight of something deeper, something raw. "It's not a trick," he replied, his tone devoid of the rage he had shown before. "It's my way of stopping you from taking my children away from me."
Sasori tilted his head, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh? You mean possessing their bodies? Killing them yourself so I can't?" He paused, his voice growing sharper, more mocking. "How noble. How utterly pathetic."
Nanami's eyes burned, his composure cracking ever so slightly. "I'm not killing them," he growled, his voice trembling, not with fear, but with anguish. "They live on. Eternally... with me."
Sasori's smirk deepened his words cutting like a blade. "How comforting for them. To lose their lives only to serve your obsession. You're not protecting them, Nanami. You're destroying them."
Nanami's fists clenched, his claws digging into his palms. His body trembled, not from weakness, but from the overwhelming weight of his emotions. His voice rose, filled with both fury and pain. "You know NOTHING!" he roared. "It's not pathetic to protect my family! I will keep them safe from YOU, from EVERYONE!"
With a guttural cry, Nanami lunged at Sasori, his form shifting grotesquely as his anguish manifested physically. His limbs elongated, his claws gleaming like blades, his face twisted into a monstrous reflection of his desperation.
Sasori readied his blade, his gaze unwavering. "Desperation isn't strength," he muttered coldly. "But if you insist, I'll show you how pointless this is."
Nanami roared, his monstrous form surging forward in a blur. Sasori sidestepped the initial charge with ease, his movements fluid. He retaliated with a swift kick aimed at Nanami's midsection. But the demon's body shifted unnaturally, sprouting a grotesque arm from his stomach that caught Sasori's leg mid-strike.
For a moment, Nanami's grip tightened, but Sasori used the leverage to his advantage. Propelling himself upward with his trapped leg, he drove his knee into Nanami's face with bone-crushing force. The impact shattered Nanami's head into a spray of blackened ichor, forcing him to release Sasori.
Sasori landed smoothly, his fingers forming rapid one-handed seals. He touched his knee as he crouched, and the air around his legs swirled with concentrated wind. The moment Nanami's head began to regenerate, Sasori shot forward like an arrow, the wind augmenting his speed. With surgical precision, he severed Nanami's neck once more, the blade cleaving cleanly through flesh and bone.
Nanami's body collapsed into a heap, motionless. But the brief respite shattered as a nearby demon spasmed, blood erupting from its form, which twisted grotesquely into Nanami once again.
Sasori clicked his tongue in irritation. "Persistent," he muttered, turning to Shinobu and Sanemi. "Take out the demon children. All of them."
Sanemi, mid-swing, snarled in frustration. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE'RE DOING?!" His blade sliced cleanly through another demon, but more poured in, emerging from sliding doors and bursting through the walls of the crumbling building.
"They just keep coming," Shinobu muttered, her voice strained as she drove her stinger through the heart of another demon. Her eyes darted to the terrified civilians nearby. "We can't even focus on killing them properly with so many people around!"
Without hesitation, Shinobu dashed forward, snatching a crying child from harm's way and sprinting toward safety.
Sasori sighed, his gaze flickering back to Nanami, who now seemed... distracted. For a moment, the demon's cold, focused expression faltered, confusion flickering across his features before his resolve hardened again. Sasori noticed the shift and raised an eyebrow.
"Oi!" Sanemi called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. "The thing bringing him back isn't his Demon Blood Art—it's someone else's! You need to find whoever's doing this!"
Sasori's sharp mind raced as he processed the information. But before he could act, Nanami charged at him again. Yet halfway through the attack, Nanami froze abruptly, his eyes wide with something Sasori rarely saw in a demon—pure, unfiltered terror.
The sudden shift made Sasori pause. He prepared to strike Nanami down again but stopped as a shiver ran down his spine—a strange sensation for someone who lacked one. Turning his head, Sasori felt a surge of unmistakable chakra, one that sent a chill of recognition through him.
"Well, well..." a smooth, familiar voice drawled from the shadows of a nearby alley. Slowly, a figure emerged, dragging a demon child with purple skin by its hair. The child whimpered but didn't resist, its eyes wide with fear.
The man stepped fully into the dim light, his pale skin and serpentine eyes sending a wave of memory crashing over Sasori.
"Long time no see," the figure said, a sinister smile curling across his lips.
Sasori's grip on his blade tightened. His voice was low, barely above a whisper, yet filled with venom. "Orochimaru."