"Ah~"
Tendo, full and satisfied, rubbed his belly and let out a contented sigh. Glancing out the window, he thought about finding a place to sleep.
After leaving the restaurant, he leisurely made his way toward the city district. But barely a dozen steps later, he sensed someone following him.
So, after some meandering, Tendo circled back to the slums. After all, it wouldn't be convenient to take action in the city district. He wanted to see who the hell was stalking him in the middle of the night.
Shinobu Shinazugawa watched in confusion as Tendo walked into a dead-end alley. He hadn't expected this big, fat sheep to be such an idiot—getting lost in just the right way to fall into his hands.
"Huh?"
"Where is this?"
Tendo scratched his head and sighed in feigned confusion. In reality, he was wondering why the guy still hadn't made his move. He was itching to beat him up already.
Shinobu Shinazugawa glanced around, carefully picked up a brick from the ground, and weighed it in his hand a few times. Confident, he strode into the alley.
The only reason he'd lost to that little brat at home was because he'd been drunk. But now? Now he was sober, and he felt like he could take on ten snot-nosed kids.
"Hey kid, lend me some cash, will ya?"
Seeing that it wasn't a demon, Tendo immediately lost interest, feeling deeply disappointed.
"Brat, don't make me do this. I ain't in the mood to kill anyone today!" Shinobu snarled when the other man remained unfazed.
Tendo pretended to be scared, letting out a few half-hearted screams before exclaiming:
"Oh no!"
"Someone's robbing me! I'm so scared!"
"Won't anyone save me?"
Shinobu Shinazugawa: (?_?)
Damn it, this little shit's messing with me!
"You asked for this! I'll beat you to death!"
Unaware of just how terrifying the man before him was, Shinobu charged forward with the brick. Moments later, the screams in the dead-end alley gradually died down.
Tendo sat with his legs crossed, using the bruised and battered Shinobu as a makeshift seat cushion.
The man kowtowed frantically, begging for mercy. "Little brother, spare me!"
"I was possessed by greed! It's all my fault! Please, please, don't hit me anymore!"
"Oh! Oh! I have a few daughters at home, pretty ones! If you're interested—"
Before he could finish, Tendo slapped him hard across the face and snapped:
"Are you even human?"
"No, no! Whatever you say, boss!" Shinobu grinned obsequiously, wagging his tail like a lapdog. He hadn't expected this kid to be so damn strong—he had no choice but to submit.
After a while, Tendo suddenly realized something. This man looked oddly familiar.
He leaned down, grabbed Shinobu by the hair, and yanked his head up. "What's your name?"
"Big bro, my name is Shinazugawa—"
Before he could finish, Tendo's eyes lit up. Shinazugawa? That was the surname of the future Wind Hashira!
"Hahaha, perfect!"
"Perfect!" He burst into laughter and pressed further. "You've got a son named Sanemi Shinazugawa, right?"
Shinobu was dumbfounded. How the hell did this guy know that little bastard's name?
Wait—if he knew, that meant he'd done his research. Which could only mean one thing: this guy was definitely into men.After all, those with money and power tend to indulge in extravagant tastes—sometimes little boys fetch even higher prices than little girls.
In Shinazugawa Kin's eyes, Tendo belonged to that category of wealthy individuals with eccentric preferences.
"If you like him, I have plenty more sons, my lord!" He simpered at Tendo, his bruised and battered face twisting into an unsightly grin.
Tendo: "???"
"What the hell?"
"I didn't mean it like that! First, you sell your daughter, now your son?"
"You bastard!"
In a fit of rage, he kicked Shinazugawa Kin, sending him flying. To his surprise, the man immediately passed out.
"Damn it!"
"I haven't even asked where you live yet!"
Slapping his face, splashing cold water…
Tendo tried every method he could think of, but even by midnight, the man remained unconscious, sleeping like a dead pig. Left with no choice, he gave up.
At least he had obtained useful information—the Shinazugawa family was definitely in this slum. He could just ask around later.
Early the next morning, Tendo spent some money asking the slum residents for the Shinazugawa family's address.
Here, money was far more effective than in the outside world. Finding a person or a place was all too easy.
...
"Sanemi, stop scavenging!"
"Some guy paid to find out where your family lives—he's heading there now!"
A young beggar suddenly intercepted Sanemi, who was pulling a cart, panting heavily. Sanemi had once helped him, and he happened to witness Tendo paying for directions.
In a lawless place like the slums, paying for directions could only mean one thing—debt collectors or killers.
Hearing this, Sanemi's hair practically stood on end. He grabbed the boy, raising his voice. "What did you say?!"
"Hurry home! It's probably a debt collector!"
"Genya, watch the cart!"
Sanemi turned to bark the order before clenching his fists and sprinting off. There was no need to think—it had to be that bastard father of his. The debt collectors had come for their money.
"Sanemi, the debt collector has red hair," the young beggar called after him. "Don't mistake someone else for him."
"Got it!" Sanemi gritted his teeth, his fury nearly boiling over. That bastard better not lay a finger on his family.
But deep down, he was more worried than angry. His mother wasn't home—only his younger siblings were there.
By the time Sanemi rushed home, he spotted the red-haired debt collector the beggar had mentioned.
At that moment, Tendo stood with a gentle smile, holding a bag of snacks as he handed them out to Sanemi's younger siblings.
But in Sanemi's eyes, this seemingly heartwarming scene was nothing but a debt collector distributing poisoned treats to his siblings, holding their lives hostage to extort money—or else, no antidote.
It wasn't that Sanemi had a persecution complex. The slums operated by rules that cruel.
"You bastard, stay away from my family!"
With a furious roar, Sanemi charged at Tendo like a raging bull, his fist striking the man's face with a gust of wind.
But to Tendo, the attack felt no different from a light scratch.
Dazed, Tendo sat up, rubbing his cheek. "Sanemi, why'd you hit me?"For Tendo, he knew a lot about Sanemi Shinazugawa, so it was only natural that he didn't guard against him. However, he overlooked one thing—the other party didn't know him at all.
Sanemi tilted his head, thinking to himself that this guy had even inquired about his name. He must be a debt collector, no doubt about it.
"I'm hitting you for a reason!"
Tendo: "???"
Before he could open his mouth to explain, Sanemi swung his fist at him, forcing him to dodge. In terms of skill, even a hundred Sanemis wouldn't stand a chance, but Tendo didn't want to fight.
"Is there some kind of misunderstanding here?" he asked while dodging.
"Did you pay someone to find out where I live?"
"Well, yeah. This place is like a maze, after all. Besides, I don't mind the cost—it's reimbursed anyway."
"Exactly! Carrying a sword like that, you're definitely a debt collector!"
"I'm not!"
"You are!"
Sanemi had already made up his mind, and now that his temper was flaring, he decided to beat the guy up first and ask questions later.
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