As the sun set, Akashō was hiding inside a concealed cave.
It wasn't that the cave was absolutely safe or that no one could ever find it, but at the very least, there was no sunlight inside. If something happened, Akashō could transform into Kokushibo at any moment.
"Time's about right."
Akashō skillfully took off his clothes, changed into a loose robe, and his figure suddenly stretched taller as he transformed into Kokushibo.
He then stuffed his previous clothes into a bundle nearby, which also contained some food he had gathered the night before.
"Time to move."
By now, the sun had completely set. Akashō stepped out of the cave and began searching for Sand Village ninja.
What surprised him slightly was that before going to sleep that morning, he had noticed Kokushibo's reputation had already climbed into the thousands. It was likely that the people he let go last night had spread the name.
If that was the case, the number of ninja from these two villages must be in the thousands. Akashō had originally thought there were only a few hundred at most.
Then again, did he still need to keep targeting the Sand Village?
Logically speaking, they should already know the name by now.
Akashō recalled his original goal. No—he still needed to. Building Kokushibo's reputation on the battlefield and making the civilians of the great nations know the name of the Moon Sword Demon—that was where the real gain in reputation lay.
"Yeah… that's the plan. Best if I wipe out the entire Sand Village. That'll really show just how terrifying Kokushibo is."
Akashō hung the bundle at his waist and quickened his pace.
Thanks to last night's experience, he had a rough idea of where Sand Village ninja and Konoha ninja tended to clash. In less than half an hour, he could already hear the sounds of battle in the distance.
"Feel the terror of the Moon Sword Demon, Sand ninja."
Akashō spread his hand, and his Blood Demon Art quickly formed a long blade. He dashed toward the source of the sound.
Before long, he arrived at a rocky terrain. Among the scattered boulders, three Sand Village ninja were overwhelming eight Konoha ninja.
"Hey, mind looking at me for a second?"
Akashō stepped into their line of sight, his gaze locking onto the three Sand ninja.
"Who are you!?"
Both sides had already noticed the sudden appearance, and at Akashō's voice, everyone immediately stopped fighting and separated.
"Yo, Sand ninja. Good evening."
A faint smile curved on Akashō's lips as he tilted his head slightly. Six crimson eyes stared straight at them.
Among the three Sand ninja, two looked no different from the ones Akashō encountered last night. The third, however, was a woman—wearing rather revealing clothes. Her dark green hair was tied into a bun, while two strands of yellow bangs framed her forehead.
The Land of Wind was plagued by constant sandstorms, so most people wrapped themselves tightly. Her attire was definitely unusual.
Pakura looked at the approaching figure, her expression suddenly changing.
"Three pairs of eyes… is that even human…?"
The two Sand ninja beside her didn't look much better. Encountering something like this in the middle of the night—even for ninja—was enough to unsettle anyone.
Meanwhile, the Konoha ninja opposite them froze when they saw Akashō.
"Isn't that the Moon Sword Demon Kokushibo the higher-ups mentioned?"
"Didn't they say he has a grudge against the Sand ninja? That makes him on our side, right…"
"Don't forget—we were told not to interfere with his actions. Just because he's targeting Sand ninja doesn't mean he'll get along with us."
"But that's Pakura of Scorch Release… can he really handle her? If we help him and keep her here, wouldn't that be better?"
Akashō raised a brow as both sides began whispering. With Kokushibo's hearing, he caught every word clearly.
From the sound of it, Konoha had already spread his name. But the Sand Village… didn't seem to recognize him yet.
"You don't know me?"
Akashō didn't bother overthinking it and directly addressed the three Sand ninja.
"Should we?"
Pakura raised her guard silently.
"Looks like killing over a dozen Sand ninja last night didn't matter to you at all."
Akashō let out a breath. "Listen carefully. I am Upper Rank One of the Twelve Demon Moons—the Moon Sword Demon, Kokushibo. And my purpose here…"
"Is to slaughter every Sand ninja!"
The moment he finished speaking, Akashō moved, charging straight at the three.
"Watch out!"
Pakura shouted, forming hand seals at lightning speed. Several fireball-like orbs floated around her.
"Scorch Release: Excessive Steam Kill!"
The two Sand ninja behind her reacted just as fast. Their fingers flicked, and three puppets shot toward Akashō.
"Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon—Evening Palace."
Akashō held the blade at his waist, then instantly drew it in a swift iaijutsu slash.
Unlike previous slashes, the blade wind this time lingered along its path. Crescent-shaped blades spun rapidly within it, shredding the incoming puppets into fragments on contact.
"What!?"
The two puppet masters stared in shock, unable to believe their techniques were destroyed so easily.
As the blade wind dissipated, Pakura had already closed the distance. With a push of her palm, two fireballs shot toward Akashō.
His expression didn't change. With a casual slash, he split both fireballs in half.
But in the next instant, Pakura slipped through beneath the blade wind and kicked his sword arm, restricting his movement.
Another fireball followed immediately, flying toward his head.
Akashō raised a brow. "Too slow."
He merely tilted his head, and the fireball brushed past his cheek.
Yet Pakura smiled at the sight.
"It's over!"
Akashō paused slightly. Then, the side of his face that had brushed past the fireball suddenly erupted in intense pain.
From Pakura's perspective, aside from the eyes, his otherwise handsome face shriveled like a dried sponge. In a single breath, half his head had withered, the flesh clinging tightly to the skull—a horrifying sight.
"What kind of technique is this… it can drain the moisture from a human body?"
But to her surprise, Akashō didn't react at all. He even seemed curious, calmly analyzing her kekkei genkai.
Another breath passed.
Right before Pakura's stunned eyes, the flesh on his shriveled half rapidly swelled back, returning to normal.
Then, a sudden surge of force erupted from the arm she was stepping on, sending her flipping several times through the air.