Locked in combat with a demon, Shinji landed a hit and immediately leapt back to observe.
During the clash, he had coated his ninja tools with Tsunade's poison and struck the demon, confirming that its monstrous regenerative ability was indeed suppressed. The wound tainted by the poison sizzled as if doused with acid, its self-healing drastically slowed amid corrosive hisses.
But soon, he furrowed his brow.
As time passed, the poison's effect gradually diluted, and the demon's wound eventually healed completely.
"Tsunade underestimated the demons' physiology," Shinji muttered.
He couldn't entirely blame her, though. Her poison was more than sufficient against ordinary shinobi, but against creatures like demons, which defied conventional understanding, it fell short.
Still, with this real-world data, the next poison Tsunade developed might truly give the demons a headache.
"Ahh!"
As Shinji assessed the poison's potency, a scream pierced the air nearby.
He quickly looked over and saw a member of Kakashi's team being torn apart by a demon, who held the body aloft, greedily drinking its blood.
His expression darkening, Shinji scanned the other battlefields.
Aside from the demon he was engaging and the one drinking blood, five demons remained on the field.
Tsunade was suppressing one, Kakashi was clashing with another, and Yakumo, using her Koryugan's blood manipulation, was holding another at bay.
The remaining two demons overwhelmed the rest of the team, including the formidable Shizune, putting them in dire straits.
Whoosh.
In the blink of an eye, another team member was ripped apart by a demon.
Realizing the enemy's strength exceeded expectations and that her poison hadn't performed as hoped, Tsunade shouted, "I'll cover the rear! Split up and retreat!"
The team immediately broke into groups to break through.
Everyone understood that the priority wasn't to fight these demons but to relay the intelligence back to guide the joint forces in purging Grass Village.
Yakumo declined Shizune's aid and turned to Shinji. "Shinji, break out with me!"
Shinji, who had been preparing to act alone, reluctantly followed Yakumo.
The two chose a direction, fighting as they retreated, but they were ultimately cornered by a demon in a forested area.
Yakumo stepped in front of Shinji, whispering, "It's strong. I'll handle it. Find a chance to escape!"
"Alright," Shinji replied with a slight smirk, humoring her.
The demon sniffed the air, its face twisting with greed. "Such a delectable scent! You two brats are far tastier than the blood fodder we had before. Heh, my luck's pretty good!"
"Blood fodder…!?" Yakumo instinctively shuddered with revulsion.
The demon licked its lips. "Don't worry, little darling, I'll savor you slowly!"
Yakumo panicked. This was her first encounter with such a repulsive enemy.
At that moment, Shinji lightly patted her shoulder. "No need to be afraid. Use Wood Release to restrain it and drain its chakra. That'll do the trick."
Yakumo nodded. "When I pin it down, find a chance to escape!"
Shinji agreed, "Got it."
Yakumo took a deep breath, first activating her Koryugan to manipulate the demon's blood and restrain it. Then, with a clap of her hands, she unleashed Wood Release!
Rustle!
In an instant, countless vines sprouted from the ground, ensnaring the demon.
Sensing the threat, the demon's body rapidly swelled. Within moments, it grew from a normal human size to a towering three or four meters, transforming into a small giant.
Not only that, but its strength surged exponentially. The vines spawned by Wood Release were torn apart one by one with its bare hands.
"This!?" Yakumo froze.
Shinji whispered in her ear, "Don't panic. You've faced down even Susanoo, haven't you?"
Yakumo's wavering resolve steadied. She immediately channeled all her chakra into her Wood Release.
As the demon tore through the vines, thicker and more robust ones quickly replaced them.
Under the relentless chakra absorption of Wood Release, the demon, once brimming with chakra, rapidly weakened.
Within moments, its swollen form shrank back, and it was completely buried under Yakumo's Wood Release.
Huff, huff…
Yakumo panted heavily.
Shinji remarked, "Against this kind of trash, you didn't even need to waste so much chakra."
"I…" Yakumo felt a bit ashamed.
The demon's eerie ability to regenerate even after being blown apart by explosive tags, its brutal combat style, and the gruesome sight of it devouring people had genuinely rattled her, a ninja academy student with little real combat experience.
But she hadn't realized how powerfully her Wood Release and Koryugan countered these demons. Forget low-tier demons like this one—even against a true Upper Moon, the combination of Koryugan and Wood Release could subdue any defiance.
Ignoring the demon trapped in the layers of Wood Release vines, cursing incessantly, Shinji leapt onto the canopy of a large tree.
"Why hasn't my 'Lamp' reacted yet? Is the 'Lampbearer' from the Demon Slayer world nearby? What's their goal this time?"
Shinji felt a twinge of unease.
In the past, whenever demons invaded, his "Lamp" would issue warnings and assign tasks. Yet now, even after clashing with demons, his "Lamp" remained silent.
The only explanation was that his "Lamp" was being interfered with by the opponent's "Lamp"!
Sitting on the treetop, Shinji gazed into the distance, propping his chin as he pondered.
Ordinary demons, even Upper Moons like Upper Moon One or Two, didn't concern him.
His true target was singular: the "Lampbearer" of the Demon Slayer world.
Only by eliminating them could he sever the Demon Slayer world's influence on the shinobi world. Otherwise, even if he repeatedly dealt with invading demons, he'd only be treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
This was also why he hadn't yet fought seriously.
In fact, it wasn't just him. His forces—Haku, Sasuke, Karin, Ido, Neji, and Kimimaro, divided into three teams—were all in position nearby but had been held back by his orders.
Below, after confirming the demon trapped in her Wood Release couldn't break free, Yakumo looked up at Shinji perched on the treetop, her heart filled with admiration. "It's his first mission, yet he's calmer than I am. Truly worthy of being Shinji!"