While Kyoshi ate his "food" the village went into full lockdown while the shinobi search for him. Masako was also out looking for him seeing as he was the one that started all of this.
…
—Nagasumo Mountain—
As the demon slayers kept advancing up and around the mountain they ran into some traps. The team being lead by Kyoko were mostly fine although some had some bruises.
The other team however were down to four people. On Kyoko's side she was able to discover a few things.
1. The explosions are made from some explosives tags that were left in random places under a thin sheet of dirt.
2. The trip wire was made from some type of silky but tough thread.
3. Lastly, that they were being watched. She didn't know where she was being watched from, but she got the sensation of someone stalking her.
As both teams continued they soon made it up to the midsection of the mountain, where the forests start to get thick and usually where cabins are built.
They avoided any types of traps they cane across and made it to their current position. They had the crows going back and forth sending over information from one group to another along with giving them the location of their target.
…
"I guess we can start the plan now." Koyuki said with a smile on her face. Itsumu and Mayumi nodded their heads before running off.
Mayumi went opened a door underneath the staircase leading to the second floor of the house and pulled up some of the boards from the floor and climbed down a ladder.
Itsumu went into the closet and did the same thing as Kyoko.
"Plan?" Habuki asked.
"We're leading the prey right into our trap." She answered.
"Do we need to do anything?" Keiko asked.
"Hmm, no. It should all be covered and going well like usual." Koyuki replied.
Keiko nodded her head and leaned back on the sofa.
After a while Itsumu came back up the ladder and out the closet as he gave a report.
"Mayumi already took out the other team and their in the pit right now. I sent some spiders to investigate the other group and got them to bit the demon slayers. The full effect should finish after thirty minutes." He said.
"Good, where's Mayumi right now?" Koyuki asked.
"She should just be getting from the pit." He answered.
"Go check on her."
Itsumu nodded and dashed off towards the stairs and climbed down the ladder like Mayumi did.
"You guys planned for this stuff?" Habuki asked.
"Remember when we were getting the place fixed up and Kyoshi said it looked like this place could be knocked down easily?" Koyuki asked.
They both nodded slowly with a kinda apologetic smile.
"I had a sudden thought that a strong demon slayer could just slice the roof off the building and let us burn in the daylight."
"So that's why you wanted these tunnels and stuff built. I thought they might have just been escape routes in case this place did go down." Keiko said.
"We thought of that, but then realized it'd be too much work plus we kinda like this place although the demon slayers are a pain. We built our memories here so if it goes down we just go down with it." Koyuki replied.
Habuki and Keiko admired that kinda outlook on their situation. Although they didn't voice it, they both decided to stay in their original home.
Leaving because of demon slayers also made it seem pike they won them over and took their territory which Habuki had trouble hiding his irritation.
Soon, Itsumu and Mayumi came back to the living room and Mayumi told them she was done wrapping the bodies to preserve them.
"Now it's time for the finale." Koyuki said as she got up and kneeled down by the door and placed her hands on the floor with her eyes closed.
She shot thin strings of webbing from her hands and they shot through the small gaps between the wood of the walls to the outdoors. They moved in a wide range and were headed straight for the Kyoko and her team.
…
"The targets are about 50 feet ahead. If the intel is correct then there's a house where the demons live. I want you three to knock it down and do it fast. Then you four should go around the mountain and search for bodies of the dead." Kyoko commanded.
The seven of the people with her nodded their head. The first three would be a team of two boys and a girl. They all got into a stance and dashed forward.
"First Form: Water Surface Slash!!"
"First Form: Unknowing Fire!!"
"First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!!"
The three of them each preparing a different attack to slice the house clean through in one slash as they blasted forward at speeds a human eye can't see.
Suddenly Kyoko caught a glimpse of something reflecting light and saw multiple threads shooting right towards them.
Her eyes widened and she shot forward. As she ran, she drew her sword and started using Total Concentration Breathing.
'Second Form: Venom Fangs Of The Narrow Head!!' She thought.
In a flash she was in front of the three and swung her blade. A snake-like silhouette could be seen destroying the webs with Kyoko's blade.
Her interference interrupted their attack and concentration as they all came to a dead stop.
"Thank you Kyoko. We would've been dead without you." The girl said.
"Everyone stay close. Somethings watching us. Stay vigilant." She said as she started going forward with her hand still on her sword.
The further up they went, the air around them seemed to get thinner and although they weren't up that high, they started feeling some slight tension in their legs and arms.
They didn't mention it though, seeing as it would make them seem weak.
….
"Although those spiders are good, it seems they're still not nearly as potent as the poison from my stinger." Itsumu said as a white stinger came out of his wrist.
"It's to be expected, however that gurl seems to not be too affected at all." Koyuki said.
"Does this mean the plan failed?" Habuki asked.
"No, this was just the set up. It should just be starting now." Koyuki replied.
Just as she said that, one of the boys faltered in his step and tripped over a trip wire.
"Huh, but the crows didn't-" That's when she noticed. The Kisanagi crows were never quite yet they hadn't made a single sound.
Looking into the sky the crows were nowhere to be found. They looked around as the boy and girl held up the other guy and noticed over a hill was a cabin.
"Let's put him down there." Kyoko ordered and they ran up the mountain using teamwork to pass the passing out boy to one an other.
As they were running towards the cabin both the girl and boy supporting the other guy collapsed. Their breathing was heavy and they were burning up.
'What to do. I'm not in any better shape, but damn it!!' Kyoko yelled in her mind. The noticed purple blisters starting to appear on them and even on her hand she had purple marks.
They didn't know all the hyperventilating and moving around would cause the poison to circulate faster and faster e specifically for the weak ones.
She dragged them into the cabin and leaned them up against the wall.
"Alright, stay awake get your breathing together. This must be poison from those spider bites, so focus on your breathing. Even if you lungs hurt!!" She told them.
She too started to use the breathing technique to slow the circulation of the poison while also coming up with a plan.
They couldn't call for help because the crows were gone, although it's daytime they've been poisoned and it's already taking effect weakening them.
They were left with two very unfavorable options.
…
"The way we planned this would leave them with two options. Both ending with them dead. Either they die from the poison or they sit there till nighttime surrounded by the spiders and webbing and we kill them." Mayumi said.
"I gotta say, this was a fairly simple but effective plan. Test their group power with traps at the bottom of the mountain while picking off some members. Split them up and take out the smaller group, and lastly poison them and corner them." Habuki said.
"It was actually Itsumu that came up with it. Apparently he was playing a game of tik-tac-toe with Kyoshi and lost because Kyoshi had a two way." Koyuki said.
"Yeah, this was inspired from that. Slow game in the beginning then trap them in a two way were we'd still be the winners." Itsumu said.
"What if they just charged out here with their strongest attack combined?" Keiko asked.
"I doubt they have the strength left." Koyuki replied.
….
—Koga Village—
As Kyoshi finished eating the shinobi he whipped his mouth and removed the cloak he took from the shinobi so blood wouldn't get on him.
"Even from here I can hear them in a panic." Kyoshi mittered to himself. He got up and moved far away from the body before going into a secluded place to practice with his sword.
He already had an excuse ready if somebody were to question him. If they wondered why he ran away from the shinobi, he'd just tell them he didn't like being followed. If they ask where he went, then he would just tell them this forest.
Anything from that point on didn't need to be answered. It's not like he's at the mercy of these people or anything. He's only staying here now because of that demon he smelt and because of that business proposition.
After giving it some thought he remembered that most if not all of his money is stuff coming from his uncle, Muzan.
He realized that he basically just goes to him every time he needs money and that's when it hit him.
He's spoiled.
Like some little rich kid that only uses their parents for money. It was disgusting. He decided that, although he didn't like messing with stuff like businesses, he could do something here.
After all, it's a shinobi village at most they might want him to escort some merchant safely to another village.
…
Back in the village, Masako and everyone else looked everywhere for Kyoshi and the shinobi on team 3A that went missing. Masako could feel it that, Kyoshi had something to do with it and she had some questions for him.
After looking over the whole village, she told ever the lock down was over and everyone could go on their regular shifts, while she looked around outside the village.
Things like tracking and getting intel stealthy and quickly were things ninja were created for, so she also told everyone she'll be looking for the traveler alone.
Yui was informed that a traveler that was recently allowed to spend a night in the village ran away from the shinobi watching him and now one of their shinobi is missing. She was also informed of Masako looking for him in the forest.
She was told to stay inside the house at all times. Well, it's not like she was ever able to do anything else. Her father always tells her to stay in the house since people are dangerous and now Masako.
If the guy's out the village why would she have to stay inside the house. She was being treated like some damsel in distress which was something she didn't like.
Up front she politely accepted to stay in the house, but come nighttime she would leave.
…
*CRACK* *BOOM*
One after another, trees came falling down. Masako heard them slamming into the ground and immediately started running through the forest towards that direction.
As she got closer and closer she was able to smell Kyoshi's scent. She sped up and made sure to hide her presence as she got into a tree and his in the leaves.
She watched Kyoshi practicing slashes slowly and every one he did increased in speed. The movements were fluent and at some point she felt the air being pulled towards his blade before he spun in a full circle.
The went formed sharp crescent like shapes and lashed out around his body. The wind cut down more and more trees and as he finally stopped, the air returned to normal.
Masako was left stunned at the mere sight if this technique. She also got a feeling that made her body shiver. A feeling of dread and impending doom.
"So he was telling the truth about being a swordsman." She muttered to herself.
She saw his body flicker before he vanished and immediately she pulled out a tanto and aimed to stab the presence behind her.
Before she could stab him, Kyoshi grabbed her right hand with his left and pulled it over his right shoulder and put his forearm against her throat.
As he noticed it was her, he came to his senses and played it off with a stale laugh.
"What're you doing here?" He asked with a small smile.
"…I'll be the one questioning you." Masako replied as she got up.
"And for the record I could've kicked you in the stomach and got free from that at any moment. Don't get hot headed." She added.
"Yeah, sure." Kyoshi answered with a light sigh.
**********************************************
Yes, I know, another late chapter. School ain't looking to good but regardless I'll try to put chapters out every day.
Still though, I got a job and school life to keep up as well, so what can I do🤷🏾♂️
Anyways, after this little arc is over we'll get more into all the good stuff. Also, just to clarify, no harem, no polygamy, no nothing other than one LI.
I personally hate any and every type of harem out there.
The_Pumpkin_Man