Saving

Sarutobi Hiruzen's large hand simultaneously rested upon Renji's chest.

"This situation, huh."

"That is quite difficult indeed..."

"After all..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's dazed expression slowly calmed.

"Just enduring the foul stench of blood on your body took a great deal of effort."

Renji's expression froze upon hearing this; she had not expected such a turn of events at all.

"My lord..."

"What are you saying..."

"I don't quite understand."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was indifferent.

"If you don't understand, then don't bother listening."

"You won't have another chance anyway."

"I am also quite curious..."

"That piece of trash Muzan really likes to plant his subordinates in brothels, doesn't he?"

"So you really were a cross-dressing master in disguise."

Renji had originally intended to feign weakness, but upon hearing her master's name, she realized she could no longer hide.

In an instant, she prepared to lash out and kill!

Her originally fair skin was instantly covered in a blood-red hue, while blue veins and fangs erupted across her face!

Her fingers became sharp and elongated, instantly lunging toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's face!

"I told you, it's useless..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned a blind eye to the sharp claws inches from his face, instead applying slight pressure with the palm pressed against her chest.

Dense, intricate sealing incantations instantly unfurled.

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style."

Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's calm gaze, Renji's body movements ceased instantly under the effect of the sealing incantations.

The boiling blood within her body was also quelled by the seal.

"I have already studied it on your own kind."

"The blood within a demon also possesses a form that combines physical and spiritual energy..."

"Therefore, when faced with the Ninja World's strongest technique—sealing jutsu—it has no ability to resist either..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself.

The Eight Trigrams Sealing Style was a super-powerful sealing technique improved by Konoha's sealing genius, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, based on the Four Symbols Seal.

The principle was to overlap two Four Symbols Seals, and its effect was so stable that it kept the Nine-Tails inside Hokage stable for over a decade.

As for how to judge the level of stability, one only needed to compare the Nine-Tails inside Hokage to the Jinchuriki of other villages who would go on a rampage at the slightest provocation.

Actually, the Four Symbols Seal might have been enough, but out of caution and knowing that Muzan was also in the vicinity of Kyoto, Sarutobi Hiruzen still deployed the stronger Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.

"Fortunately, while I am not a research genius,"

"I am the best in Konoha at learning from the achievements of others..."

Watching the demon before him covered in sealing incantations and falling into a deep slumber, Sarutobi Hiruzen tossed her aside.

Then, Sarutobi looked toward the two human courtesans who had been performing opposite them.

One let out a shriek and fainted.

The other had better nerves; she widened her beautiful eyes and covered her mouth tightly to keep from screaming.

She knew that at a time like this, any unnecessary movement or sound might trigger a catastrophe.

However, judging by her trembling body, she was also terrified by what had just occurred.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded; as expected of a widow, her mental fortitude was indeed stronger.

Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen certainly didn't pick her because of some "married woman" attribute.

It was random. A random selection.

"Alright..."

"It's over."

"As you can see, I am a mage who eliminates demons and defends the path."

"And this creature was a monster hiding among you."

Sarutobi Hiruzen used the language best understood by the people of this era to comfort her.

The steady voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to possess a magical quality, causing the courtesan before him, whose body was trembling with fervor, to lower the hands she had been using to tightly cover her mouth.

"Come here."

"Today's events were just an accident, weren't they..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled the approaching courtesan into his arms, comforting her with care.

Naturally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had used some genjutsu; otherwise, how could he have so quickly pacified a courtesan who had just witnessed a supernatural event?

Watching the delicate, succulent courtesan sobbing softly in his arms, Sarutobi Hiruzen quietly extinguished the room's lights.

If money had been spent, it shouldn't go to waste.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had always been a frugal Hokage.

The next day, What jolted Sarutobi Hiruzen awake was the smell of something burning.

"Whose pot is burning..."

When Sarutobi Hiruzen woke up, what he saw was the sunlight from outside the window shining perfectly onto the unconscious Renji on the floor.

The sunlight was melting Renji's flesh and bones, emitting waves of a charred, acrid odor.

Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen helplessly rose from amidst the many fair, jade-like arms and dragged Renji to a spot not touched by the sun.

After all, she was a specimen that Sarutobi Hiruzen had spent effort to capture.

Although he hadn't fought her directly, having used a clever ruse to seal her instead, her aura suggested she was far stronger than the Four-Armed Demon.

She likely reached the level of an Upper Rank later on.

It was just that she had probably been killed during the Demon Slayer Corps' purges following the era of Tsukiguni Yoriichi.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the two courtesans sprawled out on the bed and smiled slightly.

One had to admit, they were true professionals; they were quite supple.

As for why there were two, it was because after Sarutobi Hiruzen had first subdued the married woman, he felt the pill provided by the Daimyo shouldn't be wasted.

So, he had pulled the other courtesan, who had fainted from fright, up to get to work.

Courtesans also possessed professional integrity; even in a half-dreaming, half-waking state, their level of cooperation was extremely high.

Once Sarutobi Hiruzen finished dressing, he grabbed a nearby chamber pot and began to relieve himself.

"Hmm."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.

No bifurcation.

"I knew it. With a transcendent physique influenced by Chakra, how could there be any side effects from medication?"

"That said..."

"Chakra can even eliminate the aftereffects of tobacco, or even those of the glorious little pills..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

Setting aside such outrageous thoughts, Sarutobi Hiruzen performed a one-handed seal.

He tapped his index finger against the foreheads of the courtesans one by one, using genjutsu to modify and seal their memories of the night.

Otherwise, once Kibutsuji Muzan discovered his subordinate was missing, he would certainly interrogate and investigate.

Although they were mere passing acquaintances, there was still the kindness of a drop of water to consider.

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't bring harm to others.

Immediately after, Sarutobi Hiruzen rolled up the bedsheet, scooped up the Renji on the floor, and carried her away.

"My lord?!"

"Did you actually steal the courtesan out?"

Masahiro was shocked, yet his expression carried a hint of excitement.

Stealing a courtesan out, this kind of operation...

As expected of my lord.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had just emerged from the Spring Pavilion, and after tidying up the loose ends, he directly body-flickered to the outskirts of the city.

Masahiro had been waiting there for a long time with the carriage, awaiting Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This was something Sarutobi had ordered before he entered the Spring Pavilion last night.

When the courtesans were parading through the streets, Sarutobi Hiruzen had naturally recognized at a glance that one of them was not human, but a demon.

Moreover, her rank was quite high, so Sarutobi Hiruzen had planned to secure this experimental specimen for himself.

If it were in any other region, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have simply steamrolled through; she was just an Upper Rank demon, after all.

But since he had encountered the Scum Boss, Sarutobi Hiruzen, in order to prevent triggering the Scum Boss's scum-aura, had planned things out carefully so the Scum Boss wouldn't discover the existence of someone capable of threatening him.

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