A Magnetic Field Like the Sun

"There's some connection, I suppose."

"But not much..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen replied with complete honesty.

"Is that so..."

In Hezi's eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen's answer was undoubtedly an affirmation; the gentleman before her clearly possessed a status of extraordinary significance.

As Hezi's thoughts swirled, the pressure of her massage gradually grew gentler, and the area she worked on continued to expand.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt those warm, fragrant hands roaming over his body, and his mood became increasingly calm and relaxed, though ripples of a different nature began to stir within him.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen's physical body was advanced in age, his soul remained that of a young man.

Furthermore, Sarutobi Hiruzen's "hardware" remained robust despite his years; a ninja's physical constitution far exceeded that of an ordinary person, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to bloom like an old tree and eventually father Sarutobi Asuma.

As the atmosphere reached its peak, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not feign modesty, and the lamp inside the tent was promptly extinguished.

Since they had already reached the vicinity of the Kyoto region, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in no rush to reach his destination.

Instead, he spent his days within the merchant caravan refining chakra and researching ninjutsu, while at night, he studied the mysteries of the demon body and human anatomy.

After the caravan traveled for several more days, they finally arrived within the borders of Kyoto.

Under Hezi's reluctant gaze, Sarutobi Hiruzen declined the wealth offered by the caravan leader and stepped straight off the carriage.

The world of the extraordinary would never truly run parallel to the lives of ordinary people.

"Finally here, are we?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the reasonably prosperous small town before him, scanning it up and down, and immediately noticed that the town was under significant guard.

Many sentries armed with swords and bows patrolled the area, presenting a picture of strict vigilance.

Even more striking was the abundance of purple wisteria flowers grown everywhere, forming a beautiful, vibrant landscape.

And this was the destination Sarutobi Hiruzen had been heading toward all these days.

The location of the Demon Slayer Corps, situated in a small town on the outskirts of Kyoto.

Naturally, as an underground secret organization, the location of the Demon Slayer Corps was not something easily obtained.

In this era, members of the Demon Slayer Corps did not yet possess Breathing Styles and were indistinguishable from ordinary people, making them difficult to identify.

"However, the Ubuyashiki clan has always been a remarkably prominent family in this country."

"Ever since the time of Kibutsuji Muzan, they have been a wealthy clan."

Sarutobi Hiruzen had tracked them down by following the trail of the Ubuyashiki.

"Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to single-handedly support so many members of the Demon Slayer Corps who do not engage in production..."

The people in the merchant caravan also knew that the Ubuyashiki clan, which had mysterious ties to the high-ranking shrine maidens of the nation, had always been known for their wealth, nobility, and secrecy.

It was said that the Ubuyashiki clan possessed the bloodline of the high priests.

It was only in the last few decades that they had become exceptionally low-profile, even moving their family estate from the bustling city of Kyoto to this relatively remote area.

Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen knew the truth.

The Ubuyashiki clan's bloodline had indeed been cursed due to the birth of Muzan, and every child born to the Ubuyashiki was destined not to live past the age of thirty.

That was why they had begun to keep such a low profile.

"A curse that extends to the bloodline, is it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered with great interest.

"Is it radiation in the physical sense?"

"Or is it a curse in the sense of supernatural magic?"

However, as far as Sarutobi Hiruzen knew, there were still some obscure powers of gods and demons in this world.

"But then again... having fought against Muzan for so many years..."

"Why haven't the people of the Ubuyashiki clan ever thought of joining him if they couldn't defeat him?"

"If a bloodline already cursed by Muzan were to turn into demons, would that be even more interesting?"

Thinking this, Sarutobi Hiruzen walked to the entrance of the town, looking at the vibrant purple wisteria flowers blooming at the gate.

"It seems the Demon Slayer Corps is not without its achievements."

"At the very least, they have discovered the harm that wisteria flowers cause to demons."

"And thus, they can protect their headquarters from being invaded by demons."

"As for the Nichirin Sword,"

Sarutobi Hiruzen estimated, "I suppose it won't be invented until after Tsugikuni Yoriichi comes along."

"Mister."

A clear, youthful voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

The voice was gentle and polite, yet it failed to bring Sarutobi Hiruzen even a shred of comfort.

Instead, a deep-seated, intuitive sense of alarm began to spread within Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.

The chakra within Sarutobi Hiruzen's body boiled to its limit in an instant, and he turned around with a solemn expression.

He saw a young man with deep, handsome features standing before him, wearing an approachable and bright smile.

Most striking of all was the flame-like mark on the handsome man's forehead; rather than making him look strange, it only added a touch of mystery and heroic spirit to his appearance.

"Sir..."

A gentle smile hung on the young man's face, like the rising morning sun, instantly melting away the wariness in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.

"Are you a member of the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression remained unchanged, his extraordinary power allowing him to maintain as much composure as possible.

"No..."

"But our goals should be the same..."

"I am also here to search for the Demon Slayer Corps."

"By the way..."

"Why did you think I was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

"Because you are very strong."

The young man's expression was quite earnest, carrying a look of admiration.

"I feel like if we were to fight, I wouldn't be a match for you at all."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched upon hearing this, his expression turning exceptionally strange.

"Is that so..."

If anyone shouldn't be a match for the other in a fight, it should be me.

Tsukiguni Yoriichi.

The moment he saw the young man, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally recognized his identity.

In this two-star world, the number of people capable of posing a threat to Sarutobi Hiruzen could be counted on one hand, and when combined with the young man's appearance, the identity of the man before him could not be more obvious.

This magnetic field, like the rising sun.

It doesn't seem like something a human could possess at all.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the young man, whose temperament was like the great sun and whose expression was calm and gentle. Such temperament and magnetic field—

Just by standing nearby, one could be influenced by such power, feeling their mood and body warm up involuntarily.

This reminded him of that other man who also bore the weight of destiny, a child of the gods.

In the distant memories of Sarutobi Hiruzen, there was someone just like this.

Just like Senju Hashirama.

Tsukiguni Yoriichi also bears a realm that transcends mortals...

The realm of the divine, that power of the soul that can convince others through mere presence and magnetic field alone.

The realm of the divine that Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke of was not the true, grand power of a god.

Rather, it was the ability to achieve a complete unification of one's own will and power, reaching a state of self-realization that could influence others.

Simply put, it was reaching the level of "Talk no Jutsu," where one could change the will and values of those around them, or even their enemies, through mere words.

It's a good thing this is only a two-star world.

Otherwise, if I met a guy like this anywhere else,

I would definitely be the first to run away.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a lingering fear; these types of people who possess such self-realization and divine clarity are often the children of destiny in every world, the favorites of the world itself.

They are always cheating, acting like GMs, and gaining strength in all sorts of unreasonable ways.

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