Following Kokushibo's orders, an elder from the "Fruit of Grass" faction stepped forward to Muku. "Muku, the task of reviving the Land of Grass falls upon you. Go!"
Muku gazed at the elder with lifeless eyes, his expression vacant.
He had never imagined that his village harbored a group of man-eating demons, nor that the elders, who claimed to act for the village's sake, were complicit with these demons. They had forcibly turned him into a demon and compelled him to devour countless living souls.
In just a few short days, everything he held dear had crumbled.
The dream of reviving the Land of Grass, which he had once cherished, now held no meaning for him—a being neither human nor demon!
Seeing Muku's lack of response, the "Fruit of Grass" elder barked, "Muku, why do you hesitate? Sacrificing yourself for the revival of the Land of Grass is your greatest honor!"
Muku regained a sliver of awareness and raised his hands. "Yes, I'm already steeped in sin. Rather than living like a beast, it's better to die cleanly!"
Like a walking corpse, he shuffled step by step toward the "Box of Ultimate Bliss."
As Muku was swallowed by the "Box of Ultimate Bliss," a flicker of intrigue crossed Kokushibo's face.
For in the moment the box opened, even he felt a shudder from deep within!
"The shinobi world's depths are truly remarkable," Kokushibo muttered to himself, turning to leave.
At that moment, an elder from the "Fruit of Grass" rushed in from outside, reporting to Kokushibo with a panicked expression. "Lord Kokushibo, we've just intercepted a secret message from the 'Flower of Grass' faction. Those traitors have betrayed the village and may have leaked your presence to Hidden Leaf!"
A cruel expression spread across Kokushibo's face. He led the group of Grass Village elders to a cellar within the underground palace.
This cellar was enormous, originally built as a shelter for Grass Village.
As the cellar doors opened, a nauseating, pungent stench of blood surged forth!
Yet, including Kokushibo, the group seemed drawn to the overpowering scent, showing no discomfort.
Gulp, gulp…
*Gulp, gulp…
As the doors opened, the incessant swallowing sounds from within the cellar abruptly ceased, and pairs of crimson eyes turned toward the entrance.
Standing at the door, Kokushibo said indifferently, "The Master is reorganizing the Lower Moons. There are six slots available. This is your chance!"
"Jie jie, finally, the opportunity!"
"I'll be Lower Moon One!"
"Get lost, I'm Lower Moon One!"
Cackles, arguments, and curses echoed through the cellar.
One of the Grass Village elders, brought to this place for the first time, realized with horror that the cellar was filled with ferocious demons, surrounded by piles of severed limbs and body parts.
If Ryuzetsu were here, she would recognize the remains of many missing "Flower of Grass" shinobi among the corpses.
Clearly, the hundreds or thousands of shinobi who had vanished without a trace in the Land of Grass had been brought to this underground palace, becoming blood fodder for these demons!
As the "Upper Rank Two," Kokushibo held these newly turned kin in disdain.
But he was keenly aware that these demons, nurtured by the chakra-rich bodies of the shinobi world, grew at a rate far surpassing those in the Demon Slayer world who fed on ordinary humans.
Among the twenty-some demons in the cellar, several had auras rivaling the previous Upper Moons, faintly posing a threat even to him.
Thus, opening the "Box of Ultimate Bliss" was merely a casual move on his part. What he truly valued were these twenty-some demons, whose chakra reserves had been filled to the brim!
Once unleashed, these demons would be a nightmare unimaginable even to the great shinobi villages!
Kokushibo stepped aside from the door. "Go slaughter!"
With shrill shrieks, the demons scrambled out of the cellar, rushing toward the surface as if fearing Kokushibo might change his mind.
The Grass Village elders behind him paled. One tremblingly asked, "Lord Kokushibo, are you… are you going to destroy Grass Village?"
The "Fruit of Grass" elders knew full well that once these demons were released, the village above would be finished.
Kokushibo shot the elders a sidelong glance. "You've already received my blessing and become demons. The so-called Grass Village has nothing to do with you anymore! My earlier promise applies to you as well. If you're strong enough, you too can earn the honor of becoming the Master's 'Lower Moons'!"
The Grass Village elders exchanged uneasy glances.
They had indeed succumbed to Kokushibo's temptations, abandoning their shinobi pride for the allure of power and immortality, and joined the demons' ranks.
Yet many among them had originally intended to revive the Land of Grass.
Now, watching Grass Village face destruction before their eyes, many felt conflicted and regretful.
Suddenly, one elder roared, "Even if Grass Village must be destroyed, it shouldn't be by others' hands! That blood fodder belongs to us!"
With that, the elder's figure flickered and vanished.
The remaining elders quickly wavered.
Grass Village's destruction seemed inevitable. Rather than letting the demons from the cellar claim the spoils, they might as well take it for themselves.
Realizing this, the rest of the elders also vanished in a flash, their urgency no less than that of the demons from the cellar.
In a secret "Flower of Grass" stronghold within Grass Village…
Ryuzetsu's brother, Ryuran, a shinobi embedded in Grass Village's Anbu, was exchanging intelligence with several "Flower of Grass" members.
"Ahh!"
"Help!"
"What are those monsters?"
"Enemy attack!"
Suddenly, the entire village erupted into chaos, filled with wails and screams!
Ryuran, startled, rushed to the window and saw countless monstrous figures surging from the ground under the cover of night, indiscriminately attacking the villagers.
Like Hidden Leaf, Grass Village housed many ordinary civilians. These civilians were utterly defenseless against the demons, their bodies torn to shreds in the blink of an eye.
Ryuran's pupils contracted.
As a "Flower of Grass" operative embedded in the "Fruit of Grass" faction, Ryuran possessed not only exceptional skill but also an extraordinary calm.
Thus, upon discovering the village under attack, he didn't act rashly. Instead, he carefully analyzed the enemies' identities, numbers, and strength.
But as he observed, he was horrified to see the village's elders joining the monsters, participating in the slaughter of the villagers!