Echoes of the Uchiha

The Ghost of Kappa (Part 2)

"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll ask Master Kappa to go easy on me."

Uchiha Lihuo's tone was mocking, his face feigning fear, his posture inviting.

"I hope you're still smiling when your bones are shattered," growled the Kappa demon, crouching low to the ground.

With his limbs splayed like a frog, the Kappa began to build momentum. The moment it sprang forward, its limbs tucked into its shell and it hurtled toward Lihuo like a living cannonball.

Good grief. A turtle-frog hybrid... If I take a direct hit, I'll probably cough blood.

As the Kappa ghost lunged, Lihuo gripped his Nichirin blade and sidestepped, slashing toward the edge of the creature's shell.

Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!

The curved arc of his blade struck with force, causing the Kappa to ricochet away and land several meters back.

This was a defensive Water Breathing technique—simple but effective. It was one of the foundational moves passed down to him by Urokodaki Sakonji.

Still, Lihuo's arms trembled from the impact. The Kappa's carapace was incredibly dense—more like forged iron than bone. There were no obvious weak points.

Looks like I'll have to rely on ninjutsu... this is too troublesome otherwise.

The Kappa demon had likely devoured many humans, making it far more powerful than the temple demon Lihuo had previously fought.

He opened his eyes, revealing the scarlet glow of the Sharingan, his inherited bloodline limit. The tomoe spun slowly, tracking every twitch of the Kappa's body.

"Oho? What kind of eyes are those... I can smell my kind on you now," the Kappa sneered, licking its lips.

"You're a ghost like me... but you wield a Nichirin Blade and fight alongside the Demon Slayers. What are you, exactly?"

The Kappa's usual brute-force tactics wouldn't work against another demon. Ghosts—oni—were notoriously hard to kill unless exposed to sunlight or decapitated by a Nichirin blade.

The demon began to calculate. A fellow ghost with a Nichirin blade was both threat and curiosity. Even among demons, trust was scarce, and betrayal rampant. If Lihuo truly served the Demon Slayer Corps, the Kappa would be in grave danger.

Even the demon of the Twelve Kizuki—the one who gave him Muzan's blood—had shown hesitation when dealing with rogue ghosts.

But while the Kappa was lost in thought, Lihuo struck.

With practiced precision, he lunged forward and slashed at the demon's neck.

Shunk!

The blade left a deep cut, burning the wound with the purifying power of sunlight.

Before the Kappa could respond, Lihuo raised the blade again, determined to finish it in one clean strike.

But the demon smiled. Its head retracted into its shell, and its hands grabbed the blade, ignoring the sizzling pain.

Without the Nichirin blade, it would be hard for Lihuo to land a fatal blow. If the demon could escape into the river—its home territory—the tables could turn.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Lihuo's blade vanished in a puff of smoke—a substitution technique.

A massive fireball exploded directly inside the demon's carapace.

Boom!

"Blood Demon Art...? Why hasn't a traitor like you been purged yet?" the Kappa growled through scorched lips.

Despite being heavily burned, it still had the strength to speak—a testament to its power and how many it had devoured.

Lihuo didn't respond. He swung again, this time severing the Kappa's limbs.

"Tell me where the other demons are hiding," he demanded, sitting on a fallen log, eyes calm and unblinking.

"Abandoned... cursed... abandoned..." the Kappa mumbled. Its eyes had lost focus. Instead of replying, it drifted into memories of a time long gone...

---

He was an orphan, mocked daily by the children of the village. Still, he smiled, trying to make friends.

One day, the children tied him up in an abandoned shack by the river as a cruel prank. But a storm rolled in, and they all fled home, leaving him behind.

It rained all night. Starving, freezing, and bound, the boy slowly slipped into unconsciousness as floodwaters crept toward his neck.

Just before he drowned, a demon wearing an elaborate kimono appeared.

"My, my. An abandoned child? Want revenge?"

He couldn't speak—only nod.

The demon smiled and extended a drop of blood toward him.

His body twisted. A shell sprouted from his back, his limbs grew webbed, and a shallow water-filled dish formed on his head.

"Kappa, eh? That's a good look. Let's see how your story unfolds."

Before vanishing, the demon whispered, "By the way, the village's flood barrier is about to give."

Awakening fully transformed, the boy—now demon—rushed back to warn the village.

But when they saw him, they screamed.

"He's dead—he turned into a monster!"

To protect themselves from blame, the children accused him of attacking them.

He pleaded, but one injured child pointed at him, crying, "He wants to kill me!"

Adults grabbed weapons. Rocks, sticks, knives.

"You're a monster... a freak orphan... even in death, no one wants you."

They beat him. He hid inside his shell, terrified that his demonic instincts would take over.

The villagers debated what to do.

"Let's sell him. Some city nobles collect oddities. He's worth something."

They tied him up and dumped him in a livestock pen.

"Because of you, I'll get new toys," mocked the child he once tried to save, urinating on him from above.

Humiliated. Forgotten. Alone.

If I get the chance... I'll kill every person who abandons their friends so easily.

That night, the flood destroyed the village.

The Kappa, free at last, found the child who had tormented him—and devoured him whole.

"You told them about the dam, didn't you?" the kimono demon reappeared.

"They didn't listen. They deserved it," said the Kappa calmly.

"Killing your entire village... wasteful. Just eat those who hurt you next time," the demon chuckled.

---

Lihuo clapped slowly, rising from the log. He picked up his Nichirin blade.

"That's a sad story," he said softly. "I almost want to hug you like Tanjiro would. But I can't."

He lifted the blade.

"You still didn't answer my question. Who is that kimono-wearing demon?"

"I'll never tell you his name or location," the Kappa whispered.

"That's fine. I won't force you."

His grip tightened.

"But you should know... I recognized the scent you described. The demon you met—his name is Muzan Kibutsuji."

The Kappa's eyes went wide in shock.

And somewhere, far away, a girl in a kimono frowned, sensing something had shifted.