"Mr. Shinazugawa, where are we going?"
Naruto followed behind Shinazugawa Sanemi, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
He had been clearly told that he would begin training, yet out of nowhere, it was announced that they needed to attend some kind of meeting first. To Naruto, this felt like a complete waste of time.
"We're going to the Master's residence."
Shinazugawa Sanemi replied without turning back. "A new 'Pillar' is about to take office. As a Pillar myself, I must be present."
Each Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps had their own territory and responsibilities. Shinazugawa Sanemi's return this time was originally for the semi-annual Pillar meeting—but encountering Naruto along the way had been an unexpected, and pleasant, surprise.
"A new Pillar?"
Naruto's eyes lit up immediately. "Does that mean someone as strong as you, Mr. Shinazugawa? Are there many people that strong in the Demon Slayer Corps? And who exactly is this 'Master'?"
Naruto fully acknowledged Shinazugawa Sanemi's strength, which made him extremely curious about others on the same level.
He had also noticed something subtle—whenever Shinazugawa Sanemi mentioned the "Master," the fierce sharpness in his eyes would unconsciously soften.
"Many? Don't be ridiculous."
Shinazugawa Sanemi shook his head. "Even including the one about to take office, the Demon Slayer Corps only has nine Pillars in total. As for the Master… he is the soul of the entire Corps."
He suddenly stopped and looked at Naruto with a serious expression. "When you meet the Master, you must show proper respect. Understood?"
"No problem!"
Naruto answered immediately. At the same time, his curiosity about the Demon Slayer Corps' Master deepened even further.
Someone who could command this level of respect from Mr. Shinazugawa had to be even stronger than a Pillar… right?
Not long after, Naruto followed Shinazugawa Sanemi to the residence of the Demon Slayer Corps' leader. The numerous layers of inspection and complex procedures required just to enter made Naruto even more aware of how extraordinary this organization was.
"Yo, Shinazugawa! Long time no see!"
The moment they stepped inside, they were stopped by a tall man wearing a flamboyant diamond headpiece. He greeted Shinazugawa Sanemi enthusiastically before turning his gaze to Naruto with interest. "Oh? You brought someone new? That's rare. Truly surprising."
This flamboyant man was Uzui Tengen—the Sound Pillar, one of the current Eight Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Hmph. Picked him up on the road."
Shinazugawa Sanemi curled his lips into a fierce grin, pride flickering in his eyes. "This brat's a genius. If trained properly, he might even break Tokito's record for the shortest time to become a Pillar."
The Tokito he referred to was Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Pillar—only fourteen years old, a once-in-a-generation talent who had become a Pillar just two months after first picking up a sword.
Even someone as proud as Shinazugawa Sanemi had believed that record was untouchable.
Until he met Naruto.
"Oh?"
Uzui Tengen's interest was clearly piqued. He smiled broadly and said, "Kid, how about ditching Shinazugawa and becoming my Son instead? I'm the most flamboyant 'God of Festivals,' Sound Pillar Uzui Tengen. Following me would be far more exciting than sticking with this hot-headed guy."
"Uzui, are you courting death?"
Shinazugawa Sanemi exploded instantly. He stepped forward, placing himself between Uzui Tengen and Naruto, grabbed Uzui by the collar, and snarled, "If you want a Son, go find one yourself. Don't even think about poaching mine, or I'll chop you to pieces."
"Whoa, whoa, calm down."
Uzui Tengen brushed Shinazugawa's hand aside and laughed loudly. "I'm joking. Relax. I'm far too busy, and I'm terrible at teaching. If I had that kind of patience, I'd have stayed with my family and kept being a Ninja."
"Hmph."
Shinazugawa Sanemi's expression eased slightly, though his tone remained sharp. "You're lucky you know your place. Otherwise—"
"That!"
Before he could finish, Naruto suddenly stepped toward Uzui Tengen, his eyes shining. "Mr. Uzui, did you just say… Ninja?"
Naruto had always believed that Ninjas didn't exist in this world. Hearing the word now felt like discovering a long-lost home.
"That's right!"
Uzui Tengen struck a flamboyant pose. "I come from a Ninja clan. I used to be the most flamboyant Ninja of them all, and now—"
"I want to learn!"
Naruto interrupted without hesitation. "Mr. Uzui, I want to become a Ninja. Please teach me!"
For Naruto, if he could become a Ninja, why would he join the Demon Slayer Corps at all?
"Oh? You want to be a Ninja?"
Uzui Tengen had originally planned to say that he was no longer a Ninja, and that it was a dying profession with no future.
But seeing Naruto's burning enthusiasm, he abruptly changed his tune. "Fine! As long as you become my disciple, I'll teach you to become the most flamboyant Ninja in the world!"
"Master!"
Naruto bowed immediately, without the slightest hesitation.
"(•́へ•́#)!!!"
Nearby, Shinazugawa Sanemi's eye twitched violently as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"Hahahahaha!"
Uzui Tengen burst into laughter, triumphantly winking at the visibly furious Shinazugawa Sanemi before turning back to Naruto. "My Sound Breathing comes from my Ninja background. Let's see if you have the talent to learn it."
"No problem! I definitely can!" Naruto patted his chest confidently. Being a Ninja was his specialty!
Ten minutes later—
"Idiot! Moron!"
Uzui Tengen pointed at Naruto furiously. "You can't even grasp such a simple breathing rhythm! You're a complete fool! I now flamboyantly declare—you are expelled from my tutelage!"
Uzui Tengen had initially thought that if Naruto truly possessed talent comparable to Muichiro Tokito and could synchronize with Sound Breathing, he would reluctantly accept him.
But after testing him, he discovered that Naruto couldn't even perform the most basic breathing rhythm.
Thus, the flamboyant Sound Pillar mercilessly ended their extremely short-lived teacher–disciple relationship.