"Naruto…"
Naruto kept punching, refusing to stop even after the demon's head had been smashed into pulp—until someone called his name.
He turned.
Familiar faces stood in the distance, staring at him with fear and horror etched across their expressions.
Naruto's face and body were drenched in the demon's blood. Blood dripped from his jaw, staining his chin and neck, making him look less like a human child and more like a monster himself.
"Th-that… Naruto…"
The head of the household—the man whose body Naruto now inhabited—looked at him with trembling eyes and spoke cautiously.
"That monster is dead… a-are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Naruto clenched his numb fists, his knuckles cracked and raw. He shook his head, expression blank, then pointed at the headless corpse at his feet.
"Do you know what kind of monster this is?"
"That…"
The man swallowed hard, glancing at the demon's remains before answering.
"It's a demon. A man-eating monster that comes out at night."
"A man-eating demon…"
Naruto nodded slowly, then asked again,
"Why did it attack here?"
"I don't know."
The man shook his head immediately.
"To demons, humans are just food. They don't need a reason."
"Humans are just… food."
Something burned in Naruto's chest.
His eyes darkened as anger surged.
"Can't we resist?"
"Y-yes! Of course!"
Startled by Naruto's sudden intensity, the man hurried to answer.
"Legend says the Demon Slayer Corps roams the land. They hunt demons and protect people in the darkness."
"The Demon Slayer Corps?"
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Where can I find them?"
"I-it's said that to the east, there's a mountain covered in wisteria. You can sometimes find traces of them there."
He hesitated, then asked carefully,
"Are you… planning to go find them?"
"That's right."
Naruto clenched his fists.
"I'll find them. And I'll join them."
He didn't understand this world yet—but after witnessing demons devouring humans, Naruto's sense of justice had already chosen his path.
"That's wonderful!"
The man smiled, then quickly corrected himself.
"I mean—someone like you is perfect for the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Hehe~"
Naruto laughed shyly, mistaking the words for praise.
The man prepared a large sum of travel money and personally sent Naruto off, wearing an expression of reluctant goodwill.
"He's finally gone…"
The moment Naruto disappeared down the road, the man exhaled deeply in relief.
He remembered how he had treated Naruto in the past.
After seeing the boy beat a demon to death with his bare hands, he feared Naruto might one day remember that abuse—and treat him the same way.
"What are you standing around for?!"
He turned back to the remaining slaves, his tone sharp once more.
"Clean this place up!"
"L-look!"
A trembling voice cried out.
"That demon… it's still alive!"
"Ho ho ho~"
A chilling laugh echoed.
The headless corpse twitched—then slowly stood upright.
Before their horrified eyes, flesh regenerated, bone reformed, and a new head grew where Naruto had destroyed it.
Scarlet eyes opened.
The demon smiled.
---
Naruto traveled east.
It took him an entire month to find the mountain covered in wisteria.
"Kid. What are you doing here?"
A cold blade pressed against his neck.
Naruto froze—but didn't panic.
"I'm looking for the Demon Slayer Corps."
He glanced at the light green sword at his throat and slowly turned his head.
The man behind him had wild white hair like a hedgehog, three long scars slashed across his fierce face, and a chest covered in old wounds.
He didn't look friendly.
"You're looking for the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The man's sharp eyes showed interest.
"Why?"
"My friend was killed by a demon."
Naruto answered without hesitation.
"I want to join the Demon Slayer Corps and kill every man-eating demon."
Then he asked,
"Are you one of them?"
"Heh~"
The man didn't answer. Instead, he spoke mockingly,
"So your friend died, and you survived. Did you escape because of their sacrifice?"
In this era, such stories were common—and he despised people who mistook grief for heroism.
"No."
Naruto shook his head seriously.
"I saw him get killed in front of me. Then I beat the demon to death."
"You?"
The man's expression shifted.
"With your bare hands?"
"Yes."
Naruto raised his bandaged fist proudly.
"I smashed its head."
The man studied him in silence.
Then asked,
"When did this happen?"
"About a month ago."
Naruto frowned slightly.
"Why?"
The man slowly withdrew his blade.
"…Then listen carefully."
His voice turned cold.
"You didn't kill that demon."
"What?"
"There are only two ways to kill a demon."
He raised his sword.
"One is sunlight."
"And the other—"
He tapped the blade.
"—is cutting off their head with a Nichirin blade like this."
He stared at Naruto.
"So whatever you fought back then… wasn't dead."