Chapter 5: Demon Brothers Vs Asmodeus

Weeks slipped by like passing shadows—quiet, uneventful, and yet not without meaning.

Team 7 had survived the bell test.

Survived each other.

And now, they trained under the same name. Moved through the village under the same headbands. But their paces—still so different.

Naruto complained the loudest. Every D-rank mission they completed brought a new layer of theatrical whining. Whether it was walking dogs, catching cats, or helping grumpy old merchants unload carts—Naruto believed every task was beneath him.

"We're ninja!" he'd shout, arms flailing. "Why are we cleaning paint off buildings?!"

Sakura would sigh. Sometimes loudly, sometimes just under her breath. But still—she tried. Tried to match Kakashi's expectations. Tried to guide Naruto. Tried to impress Sasuke.

Sasuke stayed mostly quiet. His eyes sharp, his hands always drifting near his weapons pouch. He didn't argue. He didn't complain. But he didn't smile either.

And Asmodeus?

He walked through it all like mist through a battlefield—present, untouched, ever-watchful.

He spoke when spoken to. Laughed when Naruto said something stupid, but only just enough. Nodded when Kakashi gave instruction, but never blindly. And when missions ended, he vanished into the silence of the evening.

Not once did he train with them after hours.

Not once did he ask for help.

But the next day, he was always sharper.

Always faster.

Always stronger.

Because Asmodeus wasn't growing like them.

He was evolving.

Quietly. Carefully. In ways no one could fully see.

Every soul he devoured in the dream realm added another piece to the puzzle. Combat instincts from a fallen shinobi. Muscle memory from a swordsman. Chakra discipline from a rogue Hyūga who once dared defy the Main House and paid the price.

The devouring was methodical. Sparse.

He never took more than he needed.

And never too close to home.

The Hokage's gaze was long and old, after all. Watching everything. Especially him.

Kakashi hadn't said a word about that day in the forest. About the way Asmodeus reacted faster than anyone else.

But the way his eye lingered now and then?

That was enough.

It happened on an ordinary morning.

Clear skies. Gentle breeze. Nothing unusual.

Which made it unusual.

Because Kakashi arrived… early.

Naruto nearly dropped his lunchbox. "Wait… you're not late?"

Kakashi offered a lazy shrug. "The world's full of surprises."

Asmodeus blinked slowly. He noticed the small crease on Kakashi's vest. Freshly adjusted. His blade, clean. His movements, just a little more precise today.

Something's different.

Kakashi didn't waste time. "We've been summoned. Lord Hokage."

They moved through the streets together, passing shopkeepers setting up stalls, mothers calling out to children, wind chimes swaying gently from wooden frames.

But the quiet had a weight to it.

Asmodeus could feel it pressing just beneath the surface. Like a storm still forming out at sea.

Inside the Hokage's tower, the light was dimmer. The windows barely let in the morning sun.

And waiting there—stood a man.

Rugged. Middle-aged. The scent of sake clung to him even from across the room. His eyes darted like those of a man used to looking over his shoulder.

"This is Tazuna," Hiruzen said from behind his desk. "He comes from the Land of Waves. You'll be escorting him home."

Tazuna took one look at them and snorted. "These brats are supposed to protect me?"

Naruto's forehead vein throbbed. "I'm not a brat!"

"We're Genin," Sakura added, forcing a smile. "Trained and certified."

Sasuke didn't say anything.

And Asmodeus didn't look away.

He met Tazuna's stare—unblinking, unbothered, unreadable.

Tazuna shifted, just slightly.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "The mission is C-rank. But you're advised to remain on guard."

Kakashi gave the faintest nod. "We understand."

When they left the room, the air felt colder.

Not from the weather.

But from the weight of unspoken things.

They departed at dawn the next day.

The mist rolled in slowly, crawling across the road like a living thing. The trees looked taller somehow. The silence between them, heavier.

Tazuna walked faster than before. His steps no longer casual. His eyes jumped from tree to tree, bush to bush. He kept glancing behind them.

Asmodeus noticed every detail.

The twitch in Tazuna's fingers. The subtle clenching of his jaw. The way his footsteps changed when he passed through shade.

He's scared of something.

But it's not us.

"Do you think we'll fight bandits?" Naruto asked, adjusting his forehead protector with both hands.

"Don't jinx it," Sakura muttered.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "There's too much fog."

Kakashi walked at the rear, his gaze unreadable behind the book. But Asmodeus could feel his awareness—like a second shadow, sweeping everything around them.

Then, ahead on the path—

A puddle.

Small. Still.

Out of place.

Asmodeus slowed his pace, head tilting just slightly. The moisture in the air had not increased. The dew wasn't thick enough. It hadn't rained.

This shouldn't be here.

He didn't speak.

Didn't warn.

He watched.

Naruto stepped forward. Sakura followed behind him. Sasuke moved closer to Tazuna, eyes narrowing just a touch.

And then it happened.

Chains.

Metal screamed through the air, whipping out from the puddle—too fast, too precise. It wrapped around Kakashi in an instant.

And tore him apart.

Blood splattered across the ground.

Sakura screamed.

Naruto froze.

Tazuna stumbled back, mouth agape.

Two masked figures burst from the fog, blades gleaming, their laughter thick with bloodlust.

Sasuke moved first—dragging Tazuna behind him, sliding into a defensive stance.

And Asmodeus?

He vanished.

One second, he was there—still as ice.

The next, he was behind one of the attackers, blade flashing once.

Steel met flesh. A deep gash across the shinobi's thigh.

The man cried out, turning—

Only to catch the full arc of a lightning pulse, crackling from Asmodeus' palm.

He dropped.

Paralyzed.

The second attacker turned too late—just in time for Kakashi to reappear behind him. Alive. Calm. His blade pressed against the shinobi's throat.

A substitution.

The body on the ground?

Only a log, painted in blood and illusion.

"The Demon Brothers," Kakashi said quietly. "Chūnin-level missing-nin from the Mist."

Naruto stood frozen, breathing hard. His knees trembled.

"I couldn't move," he whispered. "I just… froze…"

Kakashi didn't mock him.

Didn't offer false comfort.

He only turned to Asmodeus.

"Well done."

Asmodeus said nothing.

Naruto clenched his fists.

Sasuke kept staring at him—not with envy. With something else.

And Tazuna?

He looked pale.

Too pale.

Like he'd just seen the beginning… of something worse.