Muzan opened his eyes. Light filtered through the gaps in the tent fabric. From the brightness, he could tell the sun was already up.
He sat up slowly and listened. Outside, he could hear footsteps, voices, and the sounds of the camp coming to life. Someone was cooking food nearby. The smell of smoke and roasted meat drifted into his tent.
Then he heard footsteps approaching his tent specifically. Two sets of feet—Amanai and Toshiro, most likely.
"Muzan," Amanai's voice called from outside. "Time to get up. We're starting your training today."
Muzan didn't move. He stared at the tent entrance. If he stepped outside, the sunlight would burn him. His skin would blister and smoke. Everyone would see it.
That couldn't happen.
"Muzan," Amanai called again, more firmly this time. "Did you hear me? Come out."
Muzan took a breath. "I can't."
There was silence outside. Then Toshiro spoke. "What do you mean you can't?"
"I have a condition," Muzan said. "Sunlight harms me. I can't go outside during the day."
More silence. He could sense their confusion.
"What kind of condition?" Amanai asked, his tone now suspicious.
"A rare one," Muzan replied. "My skin cannot tolerate direct sunlight. It burns almost immediately. I can only go outside at night or in complete shade."
He heard them whispering to each other outside, too quiet for a normal person to hear. But Muzan's hearing was far better than that.
"Do you think he's lying?" Toshiro whispered.
"I don't know," Amanai whispered back. "But if he's trying to stall or escape—"
"Let's test it," Toshiro said.
The tent flap suddenly flew open. Sunlight poured in.
Muzan moved instantly, pressing himself against the back corner of the tent where the shadows were deepest. His speed was inhuman—faster than any normal shinobi could move.
Both Amanai and Toshiro noticed. Their hands went to their kunai pouches.
"Stay back," Muzan said, his voice cold. "Don't force me into the light."
Amanai's eyes narrowed. "If what you're saying is true, then prove it. Show us what happens."
"No," Muzan said flatly.
"Then you're lying," Toshiro said. "And Lord Urashi will want to know about this."
Muzan's jaw tightened. He had two choices: either let them drag him out and reveal his weakness, or demonstrate it on his own terms.
He chose the latter.
Slowly, he extended his hand toward the beam of sunlight coming through the tent entrance. Just his hand. Nothing more.
The moment his fingers crossed into the light, his skin began to smoke. Small wisps of vapor rose from his flesh. The skin reddened, then began to blister.
Muzan pulled his hand back immediately. The damage was minor but visible. His skin was burned, the flesh raw and angry-looking.
Both Amanai and Toshiro stared, mouths hanging open slightly.
"What the hell..." Toshiro breathed.
Muzan looked at his hand. Already, the burns were healing. The blistered skin smoothed out, the redness fading. Within seconds, his hand looked completely normal again.
Amanai and Toshiro saw that too. Their shock deepened.
"You... you heal that fast?" Amanai asked.
Muzan said nothing. He hadn't meant for them to see that part.
"This changes things," Amanai said slowly. "We need to inform Lord Urashi immediately."
"What about him?" Toshiro asked, gesturing at Muzan.
"He stays in the tent. Post two guards outside. Make sure the tent stays closed. No one goes in or out without Lord Urashi's permission."
Toshiro nodded. Both men left quickly, closing the tent flap behind them.
Muzan sat back down. He had revealed more than he wanted to, but it couldn't be helped. At least now they knew he wasn't lying about the sunlight.
But the rapid healing would raise more questions. Still, he'd had no choice.
Yes, he could have escaped the night before and sought help elsewhere, but he'd wanted to take the risk. He wanted to learn how shinobi operated and absorb whatever knowledge he could from them. With his current strength, he was indeed very strong, but that wasn't enough. He needed to be far stronger.
Another reason he'd revealed his abilities was that last night he'd overheard talk about the war between the Uchiha and Senju clans.
Though he didn't know much about shinobi and how they operated, he knew the basics. Historically, whenever two countries clashed, they would hire shinobi clans to fight for them. He guessed it was the same case for these two clans.
So even if they found out about his abilities, the Uchiha would see it as an opportunity—a strong card to play against the Senju. On top of that, he had the Sharingan, so they would inevitably think he was one of them. And even if they wanted to harm him, he could escape anytime since this camp didn't have many shinobi. If they waited for reinforcements, Muzan would be long gone by then.
Considering all these factors, it was better for him to learn whatever he could from them. In a way, they would be using each other. What if his weakness leaked to others? Though Muzan didn't want to resort to it, if they tried to betray him, he wouldn't hesitate to wipe them out.
Outside, he heard Amanai and Toshiro barking orders. More footsteps approached. Two guards took up position outside his tent.
Then Amanai and Toshiro's footsteps faded as they headed toward Urashi's tent.
Muzan waited. There was nothing else he could do right now.
It didn't take long—maybe ten minutes. Then he heard multiple sets of footsteps approaching. One of them had a heavier gait. Urashi.
The tent flap opened just slightly. Urashi's face appeared in the gap, careful not to let too much sunlight in.
"I'm told you have an unusual condition," Urashi said. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
"Yes," Muzan confirmed.
"And that you heal injuries almost instantly."
Muzan hesitated, then nodded.
Urashi was quiet for a moment. "Close the flap," he ordered someone outside. The tent entrance was sealed again, plunging the interior back into dimness.
Urashi stepped inside fully. Amanai and Toshiro followed, along with one other person Muzan didn't recognize—a woman with grey streaks in her hair and intelligent eyes.
"This is Uchiha Hana," Urashi said. "She has knowledge of medicine and unusual conditions. She's going to examine you."
Muzan tensed slightly but didn't object.
Hana approached carefully. She knelt beside him and studied his face first, then his hands. "Show me the hand that was burned," she said.
Muzan held out his hand. There was no trace of the injury.
"Amanai said it was blistered and raw just minutes ago," Hana said. She turned his hand over, examining both sides. "There's nothing. Not even a scar."
"I heal quickly," Muzan said simply.
"Clearly." Hana looked at Urashi. "I've never seen anything like this. There are medical techniques that can accelerate healing, but nothing this fast. And certainly nothing that happens automatically without hand signs or chakra expenditure."
"Could it be a bloodline trait?" Urashi asked.
Hana frowned. "Possibly. But if so, it's not one I've ever heard of. And combined with the Sharingan..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "The Uchiha bloodline doesn't include regeneration. This is something else."
"What about the sunlight sensitivity?" Urashi pressed.
"That I've heard of," Hana said. "There are rare conditions—extremely rare—where a person's body reacts violently to sunlight. Some kind of blood disorder. But those people don't heal like this. They're usually frail and weak. He doesn't seem weak."
She looked at Muzan. "Are there others in your family with this condition?"
"I don't know," Muzan said. "I don't remember my family."
Hana's eyes narrowed. "Convenient."
"It's the truth," Muzan said coldly.
Urashi raised a hand. "Enough. Here's what matters: Can he fight? Can he be useful to the clan?"
Hana stood up. "If he can only operate at night, his usefulness is limited. But if his regeneration is as strong as it appears, he could be valuable for night operations—scouting, assassination. He'd be hard to kill."
Urashi nodded slowly. "Then we'll work with what we have."
He looked at Muzan. "You'll remain in this tent during the day. At night, Amanai and Toshiro will train you. You'll learn our ways, our techniques, our history. If you prove yourself useful, you'll have a place in this clan. If not..." He didn't finish the sentence.
"Understood," Muzan said.
"One more thing," Urashi added. "Your regeneration—can it heal any injury? Or are there limits?"
Muzan considered lying but decided against it. "I don't know the limits. I haven't tested it extensively."
"Then we'll find out," Urashi said. "In time."
He turned to leave, then paused. "And Muzan—don't think your condition makes you safe from us. Sunlight may harm you, but there are other ways to kill someone. Remember that."
"I will," Muzan said quietly.
Urashi left. Hana followed. Amanai and Toshiro remained.
"Get some rest," Amanai said. "We'll teach you our ways tonight."
They left as well, sealing the tent behind them.
Muzan was alone again. He lay back down on the bedroll and stared at the tent ceiling.