As he spoke, a trace of grave killing intent crept into Tsugikuni Yoriichi's voice.
He could clearly sense that the creature before him had traits of a demon, yet none of its weaknesses.
Yoriichi knew better than anyone how terrifying a demon that had no weaknesses and could appear in daylight would be.
Seeing Yoriichi's reaction, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't worried that he would draw his blade and strike him down. Instead, he explained how things had come to this.
"Yoriichi, do you know how Kibutsuji Muzan became a demon?"
Yoriichi said nothing, waiting for Hiruzen to explain. If Hiruzen harbored thoughts of harming humanity or committing unforgivable crimes,
Yoriichi wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword and show him the brilliance of 1,500 slashes in a single second.
"The head of the Ubuyashiki family once said that Kibutsuji Muzan came from their clan, but he didn't give any details,"
"Or perhaps he didn't know them himself."
"Kibutsuji Muzan was born into the Ubuyashiki family during the Heian period. He came from a privileged background, but his body was frail."
"A terrible illness plagued him, and every doctor believed he wouldn't live to adulthood."
"But Muzan survived until he was twenty."
Hiruzen explained Muzan's origins and what he was doing now.
"Later, a doctor created a remedy to treat Kibutsuji Muzan."
"But Muzan, still suffering after drinking it, thought the doctor had deceived him,"
"So he killed the doctor."
"Some time passed,"
"And then Kibutsuji Muzan realized the doctor hadn't deceived him."
"His body had recovered, the illness had vanished completely, and he was far stronger than before. He had even gained all sorts of unusual abilities..."
"But he had also acquired a weakness: the sun..."
Hiruzen continued speaking as Yoriichi listened quietly.
"Later, he discovered that the medicine he'd drunk hadn't been made from the complete formula..."
"One ingredient had been missing: the Blue Spider Lily..."
"Kibutsuji Muzan believed the Blue Spider Lily was the key to overcoming the sun..."
"But the doctor was dead, so no one knew where the Blue Spider Lily could be found..."
"Kibutsuji Muzan searched for hundreds of years, right up to the present day."
"Other than eating people, he's been searching for one thing: the Blue Spider Lily."
After hearing the story, Yoriichi understood.
"So this creature before us is probably the result of a demon combining with the Blue Spider Lily..."
"And overcoming sunlight."
Hiruzen nodded.
"That's right. Perfect 1 is the Perfect Being Kibutsuji Muzan has spent hundreds of years trying to become."
"Immortal, and unafraid of sunlight..."
"But you don't need to worry, Yoriichi."
"Demons that overcome sunlight also lose the ability to spread their kind."
"And their craving for human flesh becomes something they can overcome..."
"They can survive on ordinary human food."
Hiruzen's words eased Yoriichi's concerns.
Yoriichi felt the tension leave him.
If demons could no longer spread, then no matter how strong or evil they were, they would remain an exceedingly small minority. Compared with humanity, they would be a drop in the ocean and no longer a cause for concern.
"Even so, we can't let Kibutsuji Muzan get his hands on the Blue Spider Lily."
"We must destroy him as soon as possible."
Yoriichi remained vigilant.
If a vile, inhuman wretch like Kibutsuji Muzan became a perfect demon, he would inevitably bring calamity upon humanity.
In an unspoken agreement, Yoriichi didn't mention the Blue Spider Lily again or ask where it was.
The fewer people who knew the details about something like that, the better. Even someone as powerful as him could let his guard down.
"Then why didn't you choose to become this kind of perfect demon, Lord Sarutobi?"
Yoriichi asked again.
"If you want to live longer, becoming a demon with no weaknesses should be the best choice."
Hiruzen shook his head and replied with a mixture of truth and falsehood.
"Although I do want to live a little longer..."
"I'm not willing to give up my identity as a human."
"If I could live a long life openly and honestly,"
"That would be best."
Yoriichi felt a great deal of respect for him. With his strong spirit, he understood humanity's flaws all too well.
For Lord Sarutobi to refuse such a tempting choice undoubtedly spoke to his noble character.
"Then, Lord Sarutobi..."
"What exactly did you bring me here for?"
Yoriichi figured it had something to do with Breathing Styles.
Hiruzen slowly began to speak.
"Tell me..."
"Does a perfect demon like this..."
"Have a rhythm of its own?"
Inside the spacious room,
Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a tight-fitting Ninja outfit. His expression was solemn, his eyes half-closed.
His whole body rose and fell in a strange rhythm. White mist formed from the air between his nose and mouth, drifting slowly around him before gathering again.
Hiruzen's breathing had grown exceptionally long and slow, following an extremely complex pattern.
The pauses, fluctuations, and continuities between each breath formed an intricate, drawn-out rhythm.
Yet Hiruzen performed it with remarkable precision, making full use of the Breathing Style.
"Whoosh."
Hiruzen finally breathed out. The condensed white vapor seemed almost tangible and lingered for several seconds without dispersing.
"I've finally completed a full cycle..."
"A new Breathing Style, tailored to me."
After Hiruzen had brought Yoriichi to see Perfect Being 1, he proposed using the creature's biological rhythm as the basis for creating a Breathing Style suited to him.
The breathing method Yoriichi had created and passed on to Hiruzen was already a prototype, with a basic life-extending effect. It wasn't difficult to understand.
It simply turned the Breathing Style's ability to expend stamina and life force into a means of preserving and nurturing life force.
That could greatly reduce the loss of life force, though it meant giving up the Breathing Style's explosive power.
Hiruzen understood that, but as someone who had transmigrated, he was greedier and more adaptable.
He didn't want to learn this Breathing Style only to live like a tortoise, slowing the passage of his life by reducing his body's daily energy expenditure.
At its core, that wouldn't extend his lifespan; it would only slow the loss of it.
A Breathing Style that relied on laying low to prolong life might solve Hiruzen's lifespan problem in the short term,
But over time—or if he kept fighting at high intensity—its flaws would still become apparent.
"Cultivating one's nature but not one's life—the first pitfall of cultivation..."
Hiruzen smiled.
"I have no intention of practicing Turtle Breathing..."
That's right. Hiruzen jokingly called this Breathing Style, with its limited life-extending effect, Turtle Breathing.
"For ordinary people, learning it might extend their lifespan to over a hundred years."
"But for a Ninja like me, who's already pushed his body too hard, it's barely better than nothing..."
"And now..."
Before you continue