Inside a residence on Peach Mountain.
"I don't wanna train anymore!" a blond boy wailed as he ran outside.
He crashed headfirst into the black-robed man's leg, bounced off, and landed on his backside.
"S-sorry..."
The man gently picked him up and ruffled his hair. "Be more careful next time, okay?"
"Thank you." Only then did the boy look up and see that the man was a kindly middle-aged fellow with a warm smile.
"Pfft..." But when he saw the people standing behind the man, he nearly burst out laughing.
Every one of them wore an incongruous black vest and carried a Turtle Shell on his back.
"Kid, is Senior Kuwajima here?" Sanemi asked fiercely.
"Ah! Grandpa? He's here. Who are you?" Startled, the blond boy hurried to answer.
"Grandpa?" Everyone sized the boy up and reached the same conclusion: cowardly and unlikely to amount to much.
Only Tanjiro felt somewhat fond of him.
"Grandpa? Are you Senior Kuwajima's...?" Kyojuro asked curiously.
"Ah, I'm his..."
"Zenitsu, get back here!" Just then, a black-haired youth chased after him and kicked Zenitsu to the ground, his manner arrogant and disdainful.
"I despise useless trash like you most of all. You're wasting Master's time and energy. If he hadn't insisted on keeping you, I'd..." As he prepared to kick him again, he suddenly shuddered and froze.
Something's strange about these people!
Tetsuhiro stared coldly at the black-haired youth, disgust in his eyes, and ordered, "Help him up."
"Who are you? Why should I listen to you?"
"Watch your attitude!" A cold glint flashed through Danzo's eyes.
Even the usually gentle Hiruzen looked displeased. "Didn't you hear His Majesty? Get on with it!"
"Hmm?" When the youth still failed to move, the others bore down on him with their presence.
"Of course, my lords.