Branching Paths

by SkywardStrike

Fate is a funny thing. Switch up only a couple pieces and the results can be worldchanging. The Kamado siblings' separation was just such an event, one that led Nezuko to a darker path and turned Tanjiro into a legend reborn. The ripples of their actions, for better or worse, will change the course of history itself.

24. Back on Their Feet

Zenitsu Agatsuma woke up as the sun shone through his window, but even then as he opened his eyes, he didn't move in the slightest, lying on his bed with his gaze set in the ceiling. Silently, he raised up his left hand as he did every morning, seeing the bandaged appendage and narrowing his eyes before beginning to tear off said bandages, knowing he'd have to change them afterwards anyway, and by the time he unwrapped his whole hand and was met with its sight, he was able to indeed confirm to himself once again that his three fingers, pinkie; ring and middle, were still all missing. It was bizarre just looking at it, seeing a part of himself permanently gone, to the point where he had to remind himself of it every morning when he woke up. Even now he didn't know exactly how he should even feel about the fact that he was quite literally missing a part of himself, but it was, in fact, a very hard thing not to focus on while going about the day, and more often than not he'd let it take over his thoughts entirely. He'd realized already that, because of it, his options seemed to have suddenly been vastly limited. He was never that strong to begin with, so how was he supposed to swing a sword effectively with just a hand and a half…?

The most surreal part of it all though was that he didn't even fully remember the fight that cost him so much of his hand. There were flashes and glimpses of him fighting that demon with Inosuke, but other than meeting him and much later losing his hand, he really couldn't say how most of that fight had gone down nor at which point Inosuke had even appeared there. Either way, he knew he'd bitten way more than he could chew. A guy like him could never beat a Lower Moon. He probably lost them in some stupid way too, which almost made him glad he couldn't really remember that detail, but was luckily saved by Inosuke before it could get much worse. He'd wanted to thank the boy since they got back, but hadn't seen him around as of lately.

In the end, maybe this was all for the best. He was never fit to be a Demon Slayer anyway, so better get out with a few fingers lost than killed. Too cowardly, too talentless, too weak…but the thought that he never would be able to give his Gramps a worthy successor made him feel ashamed. He knew Kaigaku would make a better Pillar than he ever could though, but he felt as if he'd come so far…it was hard letting go of a goal he'd been so convicted of pursuing, despite his weaknesses and fears, he always thought if he pushed enough, he'd be able to get there…now though, it seemed as things were bound to end like this, if not even worse. He knew he should be thankful for surviving that ordeal, only losing a few fingers in the process, but try as he might the thought that the tale he'd lived through so far had such a miserable ending still left a bitter taste in his mouth, one he wasn't sure would ever really fade away.

Day after day, it seemed like he was getting more and more used to the idea of leaving the Corps altogether. Not to say that he wasn't still upset by it, but as time went by it began cementing itself as his only possible choice here other than persisting blindly and getting killed, "…damn. I really thought I could get farther than this." He thought, sitting up in bad while staring at his hand with a bitter smile, sighing then as he lowered his hand, "So much for becoming a capable Demon Slayer, eh Tanjiro…?"

Just as he thought this though, his acute hearing caught onto a sound coming from outside, someone grunting while loud footsteps approached before someone cannonballed themselves right through his window, scaring the hell out of him. The cannonballing figure would roll on landing and rise triumphantly amidst the broken glass left by his flashy entrance, at which point Zenitsu would finally recognize the person's blue hair and bare chest, "….Inosuke? What are you doing?"

Inosuke stopped then and turned to him as if just then noticing the blond's presence in the room. As he did so, his demeanor would immediately change, the boy's eyes only meeting his own for a moment before drifting down to the ground, a hand raised to scratch at the side of his head awkwardly, "...I came to see how you were doing, idiot." He muttered even the namecalling being halfhearted, "What else would it be?"

"Oh...I guess you're right." He said with a small, weak laugh while staring down himself at his lap. "You don't need to worry about that...I'm sure you've got better stuff to do."

Glancing up at him slightly, Inosuke's lips bent into a frown before he hesitantly approached the edge of his bed, "Well, either way I'm here anyway, so I might as well check." He told the boy with a rather forced shrug, "So...how are you doing, really?"

Zenitsu looked up at him for a moment in slight surprise only to have his gaze averted by Inosuke looking away, but he quickly narrowed his eyes, staring down at his maimed hand, "...not that well, to be honest." He admitted, "Most of my hand is just...gone. I can't even remember what happened properly. It's hard to even wrap my mind around it"

Hearing that, Inosuke blinked in confusion, "You don't...remember it?"

The blond boy shook his head, "I recall arriving there and meeting with the demon, I have some brief glimpses of us fighting it together and I remember looking at my hand and realizing my fingers were missing, but that's all." He looked up at Inosuke then with a small smile, "I know you were the one who got me out of there though. I never really got the chance to thank you for that, Inosuke, but if it wasn't for you I'd have died for sure."

The blue-haired boy widened his eyes, surprised for a moment, only for that to give in to a more somber expression, "...yeah, well..." He hesitated, but went on regardless, "That's...not exactly what happened."

A confused Zenitsu raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean...?"

"...I didn't save you, Zenitsu. I was the reason you lost your fingers in the first place." Inosuke looked down shamefully, "I was arrogant...tried to take the demon down by myself instead of working together, and you were the one who had to protect me, fight him alone when I got injured. I know for a fact that if we'd kept working together, we could've killed the bastard, but because of me everything went to shit..."

There was a sudden pause then once Inosuke finished his confession, his gaze remaining down while Zenitsu stared at him silently with a poker face, before eventually breaking the silence with a sigh before speaking, "You're wrong. This isn't your fault, Inosuke." He stated, causing the formerly boar-headed-boy to stare up in a mixture of surprise and confusion at this response, "Going up that mountain was my choice. I always knew I might get hurt or even killed, but I did it anyway. I know I'm not the bravest guy, but I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to one of you and me not ever knowing if being there could've made the difference. I was the one who ran into that Lower Moon in the first place, but you were the one who jumped in to help me. Sure, you made mistakes, and in the end we lost, but somehow you still dragged me back down the mountain despite being even more hurt than myself at the time. You've got nothing to blame yourself for."

"...so you're not angry at me?" Inosuke asked, still somewhat confused by the blond not being more upset about all this.

"No...I'm not angry. I'm upset, but it isn't at you." Zenitsu admitted with a small, bitter smile, raising his maimed hand and closing his thumb and index into the closest thing to a fist he could make, "I really hoped I could make it far as a Demon Slayer, even when I knew I wasn't all that suited for it. I wanted to give gramps a worthy succesor...but I won't be the one." He sighed, "It's hard, but sooner or later I'll just have to accept that this is for the best. I could've really died back then, so really, I should be feeling lucky to even be alive. I really wish I could've gone further than I did...but in the end, I guess I'm just weak after all."

Inosuke suddenly froze in his spot then, "What...what did you just say...?"

It was Zenitsu's turn to be confused then, "Uh...whatcha mean?"

His reaction was not really something the blond expected, but on retrospective, it shouldn't be that unusual for someone like Inosuke. The blue-haired boy suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Zenitsu by the hem of his shirt and dragging him off his sitting position in the bed and up to eye level, looking absolutely livid as he locked eyes with the shocked boy, "You're not weak!" He exclaimed in between gritted teeth, "You're strong! Stronger than me, you fucker! You were fighting that demon par on par, cutting him again and again when I barely ever got a decent hit in! Hell, you were moving so fast I could barely even see you! I had to push myself to just keep pace, but you didn't even look winded! That's why I tried to take that bastard down because I realized I was falling behind you! And even then, you still saved me from getting chopped in half and went on to nearly cut off his head by yourself! If your sword hadn't broken right then, you'd still have your fingers and the Lower Moon Demon would be dead. So don't you DARE call yourself weak!" Inosuke finished off by pushing the still surprised boy back down onto his bed.

Zenitsu could only stare in shock at Inosuke who was breathing heavily between gritted teeth after his outburst. He really didn't seem to be lying, nor did he have any reason to. It was completely unlike him to admit even Tanjiro was stronger than himself, let alone him. The blond really couldn't remember the fight itself too well, so it was hard to even deny what he was saying. But could it really be that he had really done all that Inosuke described, "So...you really mean...that I...?"

He couldn't even finish wording that question before there was the sound of a throat being cleared, earning both the boys' attention as they both turned to the door to see Tanjiro just kind of awkwardly standing there, "Uh...am I interrupting something...?"

This immediately shifted the focus as the two boys stared in surprise at the presence of the third one. Zenitsu had heard from Aoi that Tanjiro was dealing with the aftermath of the mission even worse than himself, barely even sleeping or eating since coming back. The few glimpses he'd gotten of him roaming the mansion in the last few days supported him, as he looked downright awful. He felt sorry for his friend but didn't feel confident enough to approach him when he himself was still trying to come to terms with his own problems. But there he was regardless, looking far better than the previous glimpses had hinted he was. Inosuke's equally astonished looking face also told him the blue-haired boy was having similar thoughts.

"Uh...no. We're just talking." Zenitsu finally spoke once he'd gotten over his surprise, "You can come in."

Tanjiro nodded, obviously noticing their reaction as he seemed somewhat uncomfortable with their stares, but regardless stepped into the room and towards the bed. He'd only get so far before he had to address the fact that Inosuke was just standing there staring at him blankly, more so even than Zenitsu who at least tried to disguise it. He would turn towards the wild boy to meet his unblinking stare briefly, "Uh...you alright there, Inosuke?"

Hearing his own name, Inosuke broke out of his daze and seemed to suddenly go back to his normal self, "Of course I am! Much better than you, Donjiro!" He cackled, "Don't think I'll be falling behind just cause I'm still recovering, you hear?! There are more ways to train than just pushing your body!" With that declaration, he would run off and jump his way out of yet another window, also breaking it in the process.

"...that guy never changes." Zenitsu straightfacedly noted.

"I don't know...I feel like there was something different about him." Tanjiro admitted, staring through the window almost curiously for a moment before turning his attention back to the blond Demon Slayer, "But anyway...I came here to see you, Zenitsu. How are you doing after...well, you know..."

Zenitsu pursed his lips before quietly raising his mangled hand to eye level, "...yeah, I know." He sighed, closing it into a half-fist, "It's hard, but..." He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to what Inosuke had said, "...for the first time in a while, I'm starting to think I might be able to deal with this."

"That's...very good to hear." He said earnestly, "I'm...sorry I didn't come to see you earlier. I didn't know if I could even help but I should've still-"

"Stop that." Zenitsu interrupted him with a shake of his head, "I know I wasn't the only one affected by the mission to Natagumo in some way or another...but clearly you guys, are already getting back up from that. I can't stay too far behind either, now can I?"

"...I did have some help." Tanjiro vaguely stated, "Still, I am surprised to see you dealing with this so well, Zenitsu."

"Well...initially, I thought this would be all about accepting my new condition and knowing my limitations." Zenitsu admitted, before frowning slightly in thought, "But...I'm starting to think this might not be as big a dealbreaker as I first thought." He turned towards his friend then, "Tell me something, Tanjiro, and be honest...did you really mean it when you told me I was strong?"

Hearing this, the red-clad boy narrowed his eyes but nodded honestly. "I did. And I still believe in that." He restated firmly, "You have loads of potential in you, Zenitsu, and once you fully accept that I doubt anyone will be able to hold you down."

Zenitsu nodded, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before opening them again staring straight ahead, "I knew you'd say that, but it's still good to hear. You don't know just how much those words meant to me, Tanjiro." He told his friend, "In my toughest moments as a Demon Slayer...well...those I remember, anyway...I always used that for inspiration. I couldn't believe in myself, I was too weak, too cowardly, so I always used someone else's faith to drive me forward..." He glanced down at his maimed hand, but only briefly before turning his gaze to his good one, and clenching that into a fist, "...but I think it's time I start believing in myself for a change."

Upon that declaration of change, Tanjiro looked at him in surprise for a moment, before his expression suddenly contorted and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, much to Zenitsu's evident confusion. He looked wordlessly at the red-haired boy waiting until he finished laughing while staring on silently in wait for an explanation, "Sorry...sorry.." Tanjiro apologized once he managed to control himself, "It's just that...I came here to try and cheer you up. I was pretty down myself up until recently and I'm trying to figure some stuff out still...but now that I think about it, even with that hand, I don't think I've ever seen you looking better, Zenitsu." He said earnestly, "And I couldn't help but find funny that despite all that, it took you this long to realize just how strong you are."

Zenitsu at first seemed surprised, but soon let out a small chuckle himself. Not at the irony of the situation, but that even now Tanjiro could still make him feel bashful with his compliments, "Well, to be honest, I also had some help of sorts..." He admitted in reference to his earlier talk with Inosuke before turning back to Tanjiro somewhat awkwardly a moment later., "...uh...do you really think I look that good?"

Tanjiro opened a small smile, "You already know I do, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I do..." He said with a small smile himself. Tanjiro was not wrong. He did feel better, better than he had in a very long time. More comfortable in his own skin, maybe. Inosuke hadn't lied, and though he couldn't remember what exactly had happened back then, he had somehow fought toe to toe with a Lower Moon Demon. Maybe he wasn't as worthless as he thought, and if that was really the case, Zenitsu wouldn't be letting a few missing fingers stop him from finding out just how far he could go.

---

About half an hour later was when Aoi Kanzaki would enter that very same room as she usually did to check on Zenitsu's healing hand and change his bandages, but would be surprised to find it empty. In the last few days, this hadn't happened once, as she would more often than not have to drag the despondent boy out of bed just so she could change the sheets later on the day. It was where he spent the most time on since returning from the mission, just lying on his bed and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, so to see it empty so early was odd, even if she expected him to be awake by then.

What's more, for whatever reason, both the windows in the room were broken with glass splattered across the floor. Her shoulders hung down and she sighed before she walked off the room to go get a broom to sweep away the broken shards of glass from the floor. As she turned around a corner on her way to the utility closet though, Aoi would unexpectedly bump into a tall figure, stumbling back for a moment before looking up to see a tall boy with a scar across his face looking down in her with slight surprise, his growing mohawk, hanging down to the side.

"Oh...sorry, Genya. I didn't see you there." She apologized before taking note of the fact that, alongside wearing his Demon Slayer uniform, but also having a small bag slung across his shoulder, "Uh...are you going somewhere?"

"It's fine," Genya replied somewhat quietly, averting his gaze from hers and instead fixed it on the wall, "And...yeah, I'm going out demon hunting again. Staying here waiting for the Pillar Meeting is too nerve-wracking, so I figured I should distract myself a bit. "

"I see," Aoi said before pausing, "Uh...you wouldn't have happened to see Zenitsu today, no? I usually come to check on him around this time, but today I found his room empty..."

"Sorry, no..." The tall boy apologized, but after a moment added, "...uh...although...I did see Tanjiro today walking around. He looked much better than last time I saw him, and he did mention he was on his way to see Zenitsu."

"Is that so...?" She muttered to herself, surprised to hear that considering the wreck Tanjiro had been in the last few days. Well, it was good news at least, and now she had a clue on where Zenitsu had disappeared to as well, "I guess I'll ask Tanjiro if I see him. Thanks, Genya. And good luck with your demon hunting."

Genya just gave her a half nod and mumbled something intelligible before quickly walking off, "...for such a mean-looking guy, he sure can act like a dork." Aoi thought to herself while taking another corner to reach the utility closet, of which she took out a broom and a dustpan. Upon making her way back to the room, she would get on with sweeping up the glass, all the while thinking silently about what Genya had told her, what with Tanjiro having gone to see Zenitsu, and looking a lot better himself. She hoped whatever he had to say had served to cheer the blond up too and, hopefully, that was the reason his room was empty at the moment.

Once she'd finished sweeping up all the glass and threw it away, she proceeded to take the trash out, making her way outside the mansion. As she did so though, throwing out the many shards of glass in a bag, something would catch Aoi's attention from the corner of her eye. Something which, once she turned to look at it fully, had her standing staring at it for a few confused seconds before she hesitantly began approaching the source of her confusion.

Sitting over a rock, with closed eyes and a meditative position complete with both hands lying open over his knees with his index fingers touching his thumb was...Inosuke? Aoi had seen Genya or Tanjiro meditating before, but it seemed very unlike the wild boy to do this kind of training, "Uh...Inosuke?"

Hearing his name, the blue-haired boy blinked his eyes open, seemingly breaking him out of his trance...though after a moment with him staring at her drowsily, Aoi realized it looked more like he was on the verge of falling asleep when she called for him, "Eh? Yeah, what is it, pigtails? Can't you see I'm trying to focus here?"

Aoi grunted quietly at the annoying albeit not inaccurate nickname, "And what are you doing exactly?"

"Duh, I'm obviously marinating, just like scarface and Gonpachiro do," Inosuke replied matter-of-factly. "It's supposed to clear your head and make you more focused."

"...you mean meditating?" The girl exasperatedly inquired.

"Eh, same difference." He shrugged.

Aoi sighed, wondering why she had even bothered asking, "Anyway, I was just wondering if you'd seen Zenitsu or Tanjiro today."

"I did actually." He replied, earning her attention, "I stopped by Zenitsu's room earlier today to talk to him, and, right before I left, Monjiro showed up to talk to him too."

"...you wouldn't have happened to enter and leave that room through the windows, did you?" She asked, all the while fearing she already knew the answer to that.

"Well, yeah!" He stated as if it was obvious, "How the hell else was I supposed to get there from the garden? This house is just way too confusing to move around in!"

"...why not make your way around and look for the door, or at least open the window to come in instead of bursting through it? Or at the very least used the same window you broke to get in to go out." She suggested, "I'm the one who has to clean up those messes and have those windows replaced after all."

Inosuke looked at her annoyedly and opened his mouth as if about to tell her to get off his back, but before he could do that, he paused, almost as if catching himself. He looked down with a hard gaze for a moment before hesitantly speaking, "...I'm sorry. I didn't think before I acted and I gave you trouble because of that." He apologized through gritted teeth.

Though it wasn't exactly an honest apology, more so sounding like something the blue-haired boy had to force out of his throat, Aoi was still very surprised to hear this out of Inosuke. The meditation was odd enough, but to see the normally confrontative boy swallowing his pride and muster an apology, even if a half-hearted one, really caught her off guard. Getting over her momentary surprise though, she smiled, "It's fine, Inosuke. Just try and think before you act next time, okay?"

He frowned slightly when she said that, but nodded, "Yeah...I will."

"Anyway, I still have some choirs to do around the house, so I might as well leave you to your meditation." She said, before beginning to walk off, leaving Inosuke behind as he slumped his shoulders, watching her go for a moment before groaning and returning to his meditation.

Aoi meanwhile walked off feeling strangely glad at the interaction. Inosuke seemed to be doing well too, as him trying to meditate was undoubtedly much better than the incessant training she'd seen him put himself through in the last few days. Plus, the fact he apologized for the broken windows was more than she ever expected of the boy. Whatever had happened to him, it had seemingly changed him for the better. Hopefully the same could be said for the two other boys.

With those thoughts swimming around in her mind, she'd begun going through the process of gathering the dirty laundry around the house to wash it outside, which was not really part of the routine, but she was finding reasons to go around the house in search of the other boys. So much so that, upon gathering up Zenitsu's dirty clothes and sheets, she'd make her way straight to Tanjiro's room in the hopes of finding him there. At this point, she was honestly curious to see how they were doing after her brief meeting with Inosuke.

She reached the door and unhesitantly slid it open, half-expecting already the room to be empty, but would be somewhat surprised when she was met with Tanjiro standing with his bare back turned her in the middle of the room as he finished getting dressed in his kimono. Hearing the door opening though, the boy would turn around to look at the girl, "Uh? Oh...hey there, Aoi. Is...something the matter?" He inquired, somewhat confused as to why she had burst into his room.

Aoi paused, feeling her face heating up in shame at bursting into the boy's room like this, especially with him getting dressed in there, "Uh...I...sorry," She apologized, bowing with her head, "I was here to pick up the laundry and didn't think anyone was here...I should've knocked."

"Don't worry about it," He told her reassuringly before kneeling down to grab his haori left in the corner of the room, "I was about to get going anyway."

She nodded, a bit less nervous seeing as he didn't seem to care too much about it, thus allowing herself to step into the room, making her way to his bed to take out the sheets, "Alright...where are you going exactly, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I've just been called out to the Ubuyashiki estate by Lord Kagaya." Tanjiro admitted, picking up his katana from its position against the wall and beginning tying it to his waist, "Apparently, he wants me to give him the details to the mission in person."

"You're gonna go meet the Corps Leader?" She asked, blinking, "And...are you sure you wanna do that with that dirty haori of yours?"

"It's the only one I have," He retorted with a shrug, "Besides, I really doubt he'll notice it."

"Suit yourself." She said with just the slight bit of judgment in her tone. In spite of that, she could tell by now that Genya was right, Tanjiro also seemed to be doing a lot better, and she could do little but wonder why. As she finished picking up the laundry though, she'd turn back to the boy, "So, I heard you went to see Zenitsu earlier..."

"Yeah...I kinda felt bad I've held off on it for so long, to be honest." He admitted somewhat awkwardly, "But...turns out I was worrying over nothing. I'd never have expected for Zenitsu to recover from something like that so quickly, let alone with the kind of determination I saw in him."

"...really?" Aoi asked, turning to look at him fully while holding the laundry basket. Just like she had heard about Tanjiro from Genya, she was now hearing about Zenitsu from Tanjiro, and it made her twice as curious as before. "Wait, what do you mean with 'determination'?"

"For as long as I've known Zenitsu, he always had this inferiority complex about himself." Tanjiro told her as he opened the door leading outside from his room, walking with Aoi along the passageway on the outside of the manor, "I've always told him he underestimates himself, but I don't think he ever truly believed it himself. When I went to see him today though...for the first time since I met him, he seemed honestly confident in himself."

"...is that so? He really didn't seem that different yesterday." Aoi recalled, "I wonder what happened to him between now and then...?"

"...uh, actually, I think Inosuke of all people talked to him," Tanjiro confessed, to which Aoi look at him in disbelief, "Yeah, I know. But they were talking before I got there, and Inosuke was getting pretty intense. I wasn't able to make out much of it, but whatever it was, it must've really riled Zenitsu up."

"Huh...I guess that does make some sense." The girl admitted, "I talked to Inosuke myself just a while ago, and he seemed somewhat different too. He actually said he was sorry for breaking through those windows, which is very unlike him. Though..." Aoi turned to look at him then, "To be honest, you're acting very differently today yourself, Tanjiro."

Tanjiro blinked in surprise at being called out, looking away somewhat sheepishly as he scratched his neck awkwardly, "Well...I did actually talk to someone myself too." He admitted, looking down at the ground with a bittersweet smile, "And it made me realize I've wasted enough time feeling sorry for myself already."

Aoi nodded slowly, knowing better than to push too much on the topic itself. Whatever had upset Tanjiro for so long, it was clear to her that he was still dealing with it to some extent. There was one part that made her too curious not to ask though..."...'someone', huh?" She inquired almost innocently.

Tanjiro stared straight at the ground for a few silent seconds before suddenly staring to the side, "Ah, well, gotta get going. It's not polite to keep the Corps leader waiting, after all." He said evasively, walking quickly off the pathway and towards the estate's gates, soon upping his pace into a sprint, "I'll see you later, Aoi!"

"Sure...see you later." Aoi murmured with a small frown as Tanjiro ran through the gates, taking a hard left and disappearing. She let out a small sigh before making her way back inside the manor, going back to laundry duty as she went through the other rooms in the mansion picking up dirty sheets and clothes. As she underwent this though, she really couldn't help but wonder curiously about the burning question she had been left with. She wasn't normally so nosey with other people's business, but Aoi really couldn't help but wonder who in the world could have penetrated the thick wall that was Tanjiro and gotten him out of the dreadful state he was in the last few days. This was when she paused and realized she had gotten so busy talking with Tanjiro, she had forgotten to ask him about Zenitsu's whereabouts. Groaning, she shook her head, figuring she was bound to see him again around the house sooner or later, and with that, she went on with her chores

As she finished gathering up the laundry and made her way back outside to wash it, she'd step out into the garden and would immediately notice Kanao standing there, smiling peacefully as a butterfly landed on her outstretched finger. Pausing for a moment, Aoi set down her basket of dirty laundry before beginning to walk towards her, thinking she might as well ask, "Hey, Kanao," She greeted the girl, drawing her attention as the butterfly took flight from her finger, "Did you happen to see Zenitsu around today? He wasn't in his room..."

Kanao shook her head as she lowered her arm, "Sorry, I haven't seen him today either."

"Ah, alright, I see." Aoi muttered with a small frown, "I really should've asked Tanjiro back there."

Hearing this, Kanao blinked in surprise, her composure unexpectedly broken as her cheeks reddened slightly, "T-Tanjiro...? Did you...talk to him?"

Aoi raised an eyebrow at her friend's odd demeanor. She, of course, had noticed how much Kanao had been changing lately in relation to accepting her emotions, which was not only something she appreciated but often tried encouraging as well. However, she couldn't say she'd ever seen the girl get like that, "Yeah...I met him when he was on the way out to go meet with Lord Kagaya..." Aoi explained, but couldn't take her attention off Kanao's change in complexion, "...are you alright, Kanao? You look a bit off..."

"I-it's nothing..." The Tsuguko reassured her, visibly trying to regain some control over herself then.

Seeing Kanao acting odd though suddenly reminded her of how Tanjiro himself had acted odd earlier as well when she inquired about whoever talked to him. And Kanao's reaction came just after she mentioned Tanjiro too, so at this point, it was just about adding two and two together and getting the conclusion, "You didn't happen to go talk to Tanjiro recently yourself, did you?"

The question evidently caught Kanao off guard just when she was managing to recover her bearings, the surprise she showcased making it pretty hard to deny it, "...did he tell you something?"

"No...he was closed off like always." Aoi told her, struggling to hide the mix of surprise and satisfaction she felt at her guess paying off, "But he did look a lot better than when I last saw him."

"Really?" Kanao asked, opening a small smile, "I'm glad to hear that."

"Still...I have to admit, I didn't expect you of all people was the one to get through him." Aoi admitted, "Tanjiro's like a brick wall with his feelings, after all."

Kanao shook her head, "It wasn't that tough. All I had to do was be honest with him." She looked over at her friend then, "Besides, you were the one who asked me to go talk to him in the first place, didn't you?"

"Oh...that's right, I did." Aoi recalled, "But...I didn't honestly expect you to go and do it. Turns out though you changed a lot more than I thought, Kanao."

"...thank you, Aoi." She replied, recognizing the compliment, but still pursing her lips, her mind seemingly wandering elsewhere with what Aoi had said.

The blue-haired girl then nodded, "Anyway...I have to get back to my chores. Laundry isn't gonna do itself." She said, nodding at Kanao before she turned around and started walking back towards the house where she had left her basket at.

Before she could get too far Kanao would pause before calling out to her, "Hey, Aoi..." She called out slowly.

Aoi turned around as her name was called, "Yeah?"

"I've...been having trouble with some emotions lately...and I can't even put a finger on what it is I'm feeling." Kanao admitted hesitantly, "What do you call it...when you can't stop thinking about someone and you really wish you could be close to them...?"

Hearing that, Aoi paused for a moment before her shoulders relaxed, her lips changing into a knowing smile, "Ah...I see what's happening here."

Kanao blinked, her cheeks reddening further, "Y-you do...?"

"Of course," The girl said convincedly, "It's only natural that you'd miss Lady Shinobu after she's spent so long away! She is your older sister, after all. I miss her too, but I'm sure we'll get to see her again soon enough."

Kanao frowned slightly, but nodded, "Yeah...I see. Thanks, Aoi."

"Anytime." She replied, glad to have been able to help a friend as she picked up her basket of laundry and continued going along her way without noticing the troubled Kanao glancing at her as she went. Aoi felt satisfied with having her curiosity sated and her guess having proven correct. She knew better though than to ask Kanao about the specifics of that conversation. That part was really between them to know.

Regardless, she carried on her basket of laundry over to the back of the manor where the washing tank was. She then took off her nurse dress as not to get it wet and rolled her Slayer uniform's sleeves up to her elbow before getting to work on the laundry. She would only get about halfway through with that task when she was distracted by a loud sound followed to what seemed like glass shattering. Aoi grunted annoyedly as she quickly got up and walked towards the direction of the sound, waving her hands dry. Her immediate assumption was that Inosuke had forgotten about his earlier promise and broken through yet another window to get in the house.

As she took a corner around the garden though her initial assumption was proven wrong, and the sight she was met with made her stop in surprise for a moment. Instead of Inosuke, it was Zenitsu, the very same she had been looking for all morning. He was standing there, holding a wooden sword with his good hand, with his gaze set on a glass bottle set atop a rock some twenty feet away from him. He took a deep breath and slid a foot back as he lowered the bokken, getting into a stance with his worse hand holding onto the sword as if it was sheathed in a scabbard.

A moment later, he'd move in a blur, leaving sparks of electricity in his wake and, at the same time, the loud sound of glass shattering rang out again as the bottle wobbled atop the rock but refused to fall, having been broken clearly at the base of the bottle's neck. Zenitsu, meanwhile, had reappeared with his back now facing the rock some distance away, holding down the wooden sword in the same sheathed position as before despite his lack of a scabbard.

"You know, you really shouldn't be breaking bottles in the garden." Aoi said as she approached the blond boy, causing him to turn over at her, "You won't be the one sweeping this mess up afterward, will you?"

"Oh...hey, Aoi. I'm sorry about the bottles, but it really isn't that bad." Zenitsu told her, walking up to the rock where he'd placed the bottles, "It was a training exercise gramps used to have me do to get down the preciseness of the Breath of Thunder's firm form. I broke a lot of bottles back in the day trying to get it down. Good news, though..." he knelt down next to the rock and picked up the bottle's neck, broken cleanly without shattering into another piece, "I did get pretty good at it."

Aoi raised an eyebrow, admittedly impressed with how cleanly he was able to break that bottle with a bokken of all things, "Okay...that's not too bad, actually." She admitted, "Still, you still shouldn't be out there breaking bottles around like some bored kid."

"Yeah...sorry, about that." He apologized with a bashful smile, scratching the back of his head. "You're right, you should've asked you about it first."

"Darn right, you should." She huffed with crossed arms, holding up the tough facade, her lips holding tight for another moment before she gave up with a sigh, looking at him in relief, "...I'm really happy to see you like this, Zenitsu."

Zenitsu was caught off guard by such an earnest statement following so quickly after a scolding. "Oh...thanks, I guess." He replied as his shoulders relaxed, "I mean...I really couldn't stay down forever, could I?"

"Well, I really thought for a while you might be considering quitting as a Demon Slayer because of your hand." Aoi admitted, "I did hear you were doing better today, but I didn't expect to find you training..."

"...to be honest, for a while I did consider quitting." The blond boy admitted, taking a seat by the rock as he set aside the broken bottle with its neck by the ground next to a similarly broken bottle, probably the one she heard shattering earlier. "But...I got some things put into perspective today. For the longest time, I thought was just the screw-up...the black sheep, even when I was with Tanjiro and the others." He looked up, donning a small smile, "I'm starting to think though that things aren't really that simple. I've survived this far, and while I know luck was a big part of it, it might not have been just that."

Aoi nodded slowly, as she could tell by now what Tanjiro had meant when he said Zenitsu seemed more confident. Not just with what he said, but his very expression as he looked up at the sky seemed calmer than before, maybe less burdened by his own insecurities. "He really does look a lot different than when I first met him...he almost seems more mature."

He must've noticed her staring though because Zenitsu eventually turned over and met her gaze, "Something wrong, Aoi?"

She blushed briefly, drawing her gaze away, "No, of course not...I was just thinking..." Aoi bit onto her lower lip, having no real response to that question that didn't save face until her eyes landed on a couple few bokken sprawled out at the floor by the step leading down into the garden, probably gathered by Zenitsu and, without even thinking, she spoke, "...that if you're really gonna practice, you should at least get a partner!" She said decidedly, hustling over to the wooden katana and picking one up, "You won't get anywhere training alone like that!"

"Uh...really?" He asked, somewhat surprised by her offer to train with him.

"Of course! I was trained as a Demon Slayer too, you know?" Aoi responded, figuring laundry would have to wait now that she had gotten into this. Still, she was not as hesitant to wield a sword again around the boys since she'd helped Tanjiro with his own training.

Zenitsu opened a small smile as he got up, holding up his bokken with his good hand, "Alright then. Don't hold back on me just because you're my nurse, okay?"

"I promise any damage I do, I'll fix just as quickly." She declared in return, only half-jokingly as she raised her own blade and got into the Breath of Water stance she had been trained in.

Raising his bokken for a moment, Zenitsu would move at her quickly, bringing his weapon down and forcing Aoi to block it, with the two quickly locking in a back and forth of wooden sword strikes. His own handicap seemed to favor her despite him being the stronger of the two. They both got their respective hits in, Zenitsu at some point knocking her off her feet with a sweeping slash to her legs while Aoi, in turn, used the quick stabbing techniques she'd learn when trying to master the Breath of Water's seventh style so long ago to pierce past his guard and get a hit in on his chest. After about half an hour of sparring, both would find themselves fairly tired as they sat together by the steps leading down to the garden.

"You seem pretty up to date with your kenjutsu for someone who doesn't practice all that often, Aoi." Zenitsu noted, adjusting aside his fringe from his sweat-drenched brow while his other hand rested the bokken tip first onto the ground, "We never did really spar properly before, but I didn't expect it to be that hard to get through you..."

"You're being kind...I was pushing myself just to try and keep up with you." Aoi told him as she panted, clearly the more tired of the two., "Though to be honest, I didn't expect you to fight like that either, especially with your hand."

Zenitsu nodded, raising his maimed hand and gazing at it thoughtfully, "I thought it'd be a lot harder too." He confessed, "It bothers me, sure. It's weird to hold a sword with both hands and still think something is missing, but at the same time...something else about it felt different too. A good different."

She raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

He stopped, scratching his head as if trying to put the right words for it before sighing defeatedly, "...I'm not sure." He told her, "But...I guess I'm only as strong as I think I am...does that make any sense?"

"...I don't think so." Aoi admitted, causing him to slump over slightly in frustration before she drew his attention again, "But...I really do envy you, Zenitsu. You might think you're a coward or that you're weak, but you still always went out as a Demon Slayer and put your life on the line regardless. I couldn't even bring myself into taking that step."

Aoi kept her gaze down while Zenitsu stared at her silently, taking a couple of seconds to process all that before finally giving her an answer, "...you really shouldn't though. Any idiot with a sword and a strong enough death wish can go out and try to slay demons, why would a great medic like yourself envy that?"

"You're not an idiot with a death wish, Zenitsu. Well...okay, you are a bit of an idiot sometimes." She said, truthfully but nonetheless coldly, though aside from slumping his head somewhat dejectedly, he did take it fairly well, "...though you are getting better." She added, thus regaining his attention, "Still, you really don't have a death wish. You hate the danger you're put in, but you keep at it anyway, even with your hand like that you still don't wanna give up. That kind of perseverance is really admirable, Zenitsu. Especially for someone who couldn't bear to even try walking that path after my first experience with it."

"Now you're the one flattering me." He said with a small laugh, "The only reason I didn't do the same thing you did is cause I'm not nearly capable enough myself to become a medic myself. I'm better off as a mediocre Demon Slayer." She frowned slightly, hearing him beat himself up again, but it turns out he wasn't done speaking, "That said...I don't wanna be mediocre forever. I wanna be the kinda guy who steps into a fight without letting his fears control him. Someone confident enough of himself to draw his sword without worrying over pain or death. Someone...someone kinda like Tanjiro in that aspect."

Understanding his perspective a bit better now, Aoi relaxed. He still wasn't fully confident in himself, but he seemed to have a goal in sight driving him on. "Is that why you got back to training so quickly?"

"Yeah...kind of." Zenitsu responded, "I know no amount of sword training will make me control my emotions better, but I think I'll feel a lot safer once I know my own strength, a bit better. Besides..." He raised his bokken sideways, staring at it intently, "I really wanna see just how far I can go."

"…you really are something, you know that, Zenitsu?" Aoi said with a small smile, "Still, I should get back to my chores." She stated then, getting back up, "I'll be back a bit later to bandage that hand of yours. Oh, and if you need a sparring partner again, don't be afraid to call me."

"I wouldn't pass up the chance. You actually look pretty cute when you're trying to hit me." He noted before suddenly realizing what he had said and turning to Air awkwardly, who in turn was looking over at him in surprise with a blush on her face, "Uh…I…sorry. I know you don't like me saying that kinda stuff. It slipped out."

Getting over her momentary surprise, she breathed in, "It's fine. Don't worry about it." She told him, turning back and beginning to walk off. Though before she could get too far she stopped, glancing briefly at him over her shoulder and decided to add, "…besides, that one really wasn't half-bad. Keep practicing and you might get somewhere." She winked at him then, leaving him evidently flustered as she turned away and kept on walking, her cheeks somewhat flushed, but her smile wide after seeing the look on his face. It had definitely been well worth it. Besides, when in small doses, it wasn't all that bad being complimented by him...

---

Tanjiro was jogging through the narrow paths in the forest, keeping pace with his messager crow flying above him guiding the boy towards their destination, with Shiro's coloration making it almost hard to distinguish from a cloud from the boy's perspective. The path he'd taken was undoubtedly an odd one, but he followed it regardless. The Ubuyashiki Mansion, despite its relative proximity to the Butterfly Estate, was surprisingly well hidden, and fairly hard for anyone aside from the Pillars or the Messenger Crows specially trained to find it, it was very hard to locate. It made sense too, seeing as if it wasn't it'd be an obvious target for their demonic enemy to aim for.

Eventually, his crow would begin descending again, signalizing him that they were approaching their destination. Sure enough, in a few more minutes, he would see the large house in the distance and slow down his pace to a quick walk, Shiro flying off again once it realized its job to guide him was done. In little time, he would reach the Ubuyashiki Estate's gates, crossing them and finding himself on the large mansion serving as the main headquarters for the Demon Slayer Corps. It was his second time there, but he was nonetheless impressed by the sheer size of the thing.

As he looked around though, he'd catch onto an approaching smell, already recognizing it before its owner even spoke, "It's good to see you up and about again, Tanjiro." The feminine voice said, "Based on what I've heard, I thought that would take a lot longer."

He turned towards the voice's direction in acknowledgment, and saw the young woman standing by the door in her oversized haori with that usual, close-eyed, tepid smile of hers, "Shinobu," He greeted the Insect Pillar with a nod before pausing as he fully processed what she said, "Uh…how did you…?"

"You think I don't know what's going on in my own house? Those Kakushi running around the mansion aren't just there to tidy it, you know? " She asked, almost cheekily, "Besides, Lord Kagaya himself seems to have some vested interest on you, seeing as he told me to keep an eye on you. The only reason you're being summoned here today is that someone saw you and thought you looked a lot better than before."

"…well, that much is true." He admitted, though internally he felt his privacy had been somewhat violated there. Then again, nothing really came free, not even a free room at a luxurious mansion house, "Anyway, as you already know, I'm here to see him."

"Yes, of course. He's already waiting for you." Shinobu told him, turning around and motioning for him to follow, "Come, I'll take you to him." She made her way inside and Tanjiro followed, soon finding himself making his way through its corridors, which as he remembered were even more confusing than those in the Butterfly Estate. "So, how are things going back at the house? Since I've asked the Kakushi to focus on you, I haven't been able to keep track of everyone else as well as I wish I could."

"…so much for knowing what's going on in your house, no?" He quipped with a half-smile, one Shinobu quickly shut down once she stopped and turned to look him with a smile of her own, not the tepid one, but the kind that said 'you're in danger', which was enough to make Tanjiro reconsider his snark, "Uh…the girls in the mansion are fine, Aoi is the same as usual. Zenitsu and Inosuke seem to be recovering pretty well too, while Genya's already left on a mission earlier today. And Kanao…" He paused for a moment then, "…Kanao is probably doing the best there. She's really changed a lot from the emotionless girl she was when I met her."

"And that has a lot to do with your influence on her. You really ignited something fierce in her, Tanjiro." Shinobu told him as they continued moving, not knowing just how true that was, "I am even a bit ashamed to admit that, seeing as I too tried for the longest time to get her to come out of his shell, but I guess you managed to reach her in a way I never did. Despite that, I really am thankful for you giving her some motivation for change."

"You don't need to thank me for that. She was the one who did all the changing on her own, all I did was give her a push." Tanjiro replied, "Besides...she more than made up for it. Kanao really helped me get back on my feet after Natagumo."

"Did she now?" Shinobu asked, looking over in slight surprise, "Huh...it seems just yesterday that she barely had a hang on her emotions, now she's providing emotional support...she's come even further than I thought.

"Tell me about it..." He said in agreement as they then exited through a door in the inner gardens of the house, the same one where he'd sparred Giyu Tomioka in the first time he was there. In its center, by the pond, was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, gazing upwards with his blind eyes as if looking up at the sky peacefully, with a beautiful looking young woman with white hair wearing a light kimono patterned with flowers. As they approached the two, Shinobu would kneel before the Demon Slayer Corps leader and Tanjiro would follow in her gesture, "Shinobu, Tanjiro. Good to see you in such a lovely morning...well, figuratively speaking, of course." He said good-naturedly.

"Lord Kagaya, I brought him here as you asked," Shinobu responded, still kneeling down, "I also have some progress to report regarding the cure for the mutated humans..."

"Of course, I'll see to it soon. But if you will, could I get a moment in private with Tanjiro? There are some important matters we need to discuss." The man told her, turning his sightless gaze towards the boy in question.

The Insect Pillar nodded, "Of course." She said, shooting Tanjiro a brief glance before getting up and quickly making her way out as Kagaya then turned towards the white-haired woman.

"Amane, could you please leave us as well?" He requested, "I feel as if it would be more comfortable for him to talk if we were well and truly by ourselves."

The woman, apparently Amane, looked at him in worry, "Are you sure, dear? Will you be fine, being by yourself...?"

"Of course. Besides, I'm not really alone." He stated, motioning towards Tanjiro, "If I need help with anything, I know I have a reliable Demon Slayer by my side to aid me. Isn't that right, Tanjiro?"

Hearing his name be called, the boy nodded his head, "Yes, sir."

The woman looked at him worriedly for another moment before nodding hesitantly and making her way off as well, leaving the two of them on their lonesome to talk in private. "That is my wife," Kagaya explained to him once she was out of sight, "She worries a lot. I suppose its a given, with my condition and all that...but really, there isn't much of a point, worrying about it." He turned towards Tanjiro then, "You can get up now, by the way." The red-clad Demon Slayer nodded and did so as Kagaya continued, "I trust you already have an idea of why I called you here today."

"...did somebody tell you I was doing better and you finally decided to call me out on the late mission report?" Tanjiro took a wild guess.

In response, Kagaya chuckled, "You're right, but I take it from your tone you weren't all that appreciative of being observed like that." He noted, "I apologize for the measures taken, but I wanted you to come over to report what happened back in Natagumo Mountain as soon as possible. I already postponed the Pillar meeting for a whole week just so I could hear what you have to say before discussing it with the others. Still, I had no intention to invade your privacy, and I apologize if you feel like that was the case."

Tanjiro blinked in surprise at that, "You mean the sole reason behind the meeting being delayed is me staying quiet about the mission."

"Well, of course...surely you understand the weight of what happened back there, don't you?" He inquired, "It's not every day you find two Lower Moon Demons in the same place. Demonkind in general is not known for working together, let alone its upper echelons. Not to mention, according to what I heard from your teammates, the demon you pursued in special was a quite unusual one...'a demon that fought like a Demon Slayer' is how most described it, but only you pursued it past that initial encounter, isn't that right?"

Tanjiro took a deep breath, knowing this question was coming from the moment he was called to speak with the Demon Slayer's leader, and he'd mentally prepared himself to answer it to his best capabilities despite how uncomfortable just thinking about it made him, "...that's right. While everyone else was fighting the other demons I chased her all the way to the peak, and there I fought her. It's just like they said, she fought just like a Demon Slayer, swung her sword just like one, used breaths just like one..."

Kagaya nodded slowly, "Did you manage to slay her?"

"...it's complicated. Things ended in a stalemate." He said shortly, not adding further detail besides that.

Hearing that, the blind man would purse his lips worriedly, narrowing his eyes, "Tanjiro, I can see this topic perturbs you quite deeply," He noted, "but I need to know about this demon. If it's really still out there, it could pose a threat to many a Demon Slayer, we need to know as much we can about this demon to neutralize it in the near future still. Whatever happened to you in the mountain is not something you need to tell me. All I want is a clearer picture of this sword-wielding demon you've faced."

He stood there, in a moment of silence, staring down at the grass at his feet hard before something changed in his expression, a certain resolution that wasn't present here before, "...no. You're wrong." Tanjiro told the man, who in turn raised an eyebrow, but waited for the boy to elaborate, "This whole thing...it's my responsibility to some extent. I need to own up to it, even if it's the last thing I want to do."

Kagaya narrowed his eyes, but nodded again, "Very well. I'm listening."

And so, Tanjiro told him everything, all the way from the beginning in as much detail as he could. He started with them arriving at the mountain and his encounter with the first demon, how she whispered the name of 'Chihime' as she died. He told him of the Demon Slayers controlled by an unseen demon's threads, how they'd fought, and managed to free her only for the demon to appear and rip that away from them. He explained his anger, his attack, their brief clash, and all the odd feelings he felt at that moment and wouldn't understand until so much later. Then he went on to how he ran off up the mountain to chase after her, how he reached her at the peak and how they then fought. The hardest fight of his life, that was, having to contend with a being using the same kind of techniques as himself except with a near-immortal body whose overwhelming strength was only augmented by their swordsmanship and breathing. He recalled even her Breath Style, the 'Dance of the Blood Moon' as she'd called it, and how it seemed to oddly mirror his own. And then he got to the end. Masks were broken and with it came the realization. It was his sister, and all she did as he tried to chase her was strike him across the face and leave him down to watch her turning around and disappearing into those awful flames, leaving him behind to pick up his own pieces.

On the other end, Kagaya Ubuyashiki heard it all with very little change to his expression other than a nod encouraging him to continue or an eyebrow raised in curiosity from time to time. Finally, as Tanjiro finished telling his tale, the man would take a deep breath, "I see...so the sister you thought had been killed by Giyu has, in fact, turned into one of Kibutsuji's Lower Moon pawns...that does bring more questions than answers regarding her knowing a breathing style despite being untrained, but it is still quite an unenvious situation for a Demon Slayer to find themselves in. I truly am sorry for you, Tanjiro." He earnestly told the boy.

Tanjiro shook his head, "Don't be. Like I said, this is my responsibility. I'm the one who must deal with it." He restated.

Kagaya nodded at him, those blank eyes seeming to stare straight through him despite in truth not being able to see a thing, "And how exactly are you planning on doing that?"

Sighing, the boy stared down at the ground pensively, "...I'm not sure myself yet." He admitted, "She is a demon, I am a Demon Slayer. The only answer here should be obvious, but still..."

The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps turned his blind gaze at him with a thoughtful expression, seeming to consider something long and hard before his shoulders eventually slumped and he spoke again, "...killing your sister might not be your only option, you know?"

He looked up in surprise then, "What do you mean?"

"It's a longshot, but for many years there was a doctor who worked on reversing demonification and returning demons to human form." He explained, immediately earning Tanjiro's undoubtful attention with that statement alone, "Despite her being aware of and actively trying to avoid us, we of the Ubuyashiki Estate have been keeping track of her in secret for a long time. We've wanted to approach her for a while now in order to suggest a contribution in our efforts against the demonic threat, but her choice to distance herself from us has always caused us to be cautious in approaching her, afraid that if we made ourselves known she would run off again and we'd lose track of her again, perhaps permanently this time. However...if you were the one to do so, I have a feeling things might turn out differently than expected."

Tanjiro blinked, "Me? Why so?"

"You have certain traits that might appeal to our doctor enough for her to hear you out." Kagaya explained vaguely, "But be aware that what I am telling you has been kept secret even from my Pillars, for reasons that I believe you will understand better once you meet her in person. That is if you actually chose to accept this diplomatic mission I am offering..."

"Of course I do!" He stated without even an ounce of hesitation, "If there's even a faint chance of this helping me save Nezuko without killing her, I want to take it!"

Kagaya chuckled good-naturedly at the boy's enthusiasm, "I thought you would say as much." He admitted, before returning to the topic at hand, "The one you'll be looking for is a woman by the name of Tamayo, currently residing in the Asakusa district in Tokyo. The specificity of where though is unknown, so you will have to find her by yourself."

"Understood," Tanjiro said in affirmation, "Is there anything else I should know? I wish to leave for Asakusa as soon as we're finished here."

"Well, there is one thing." Kagaya told him with a finger raised, "For time being...we'll be keeping the information regarding your sister's identity between us for your sake. However, I cannot afford to leave my Pillars in the dark regarding something like a demon who fights like a Demon Slayer. I won't tell them about her relation to you, but I will not be able to prevent them or any other Demon Slayer who comes across her from exercising their duty. You do understand that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I am already beyond grateful for the chance to solve this situation myself and all the help you've given me." He stated, bowing before the man, "I am indebted to you, Lord Kagaya."

"Your service in the Corps is more than enough payment, Tanjiro." The man told him in return, "When you do reach Asakusa though, I'd advise you to keep your Demon Slayer instincts under control. Try not to draw your blade unless it's an absolute necessity to do so, understand?"

Tanjiro was somehow confused at the rather odd order, seeing as there was no real reason for him to draw his blade unless in the face of a demon, and such a situation arising seemed unlikely in what Kagaya himself described as a diplomatic mission. Nonetheless, he just decided to agree and keep the warning in mind, "Yes, I understand."

"Very well, in that case, you are free to go." Kagaya dismissed him, at which Tanjiro bowed again before starting walking off. He would barely get out of the garden though before the man called again, "Oh, and Tanjiro?"

He turned around and looked over his shoulder, "Yeah?"

"I'd advise you to keep that dirty haori of yours on and those bandages off. It might affect your chances of finding her." He advised the boy with that peaceful smile of his, which caught him off guard causing the boy to mutter a quick 'yeah, got it' before scurrying off in slight embarrassment. Only when he was outside the inner gardens and back in the confusing corridors of the Ubuyashiki mansion did he muse to himself on how Aoi had been right in claiming he'd notice the dirty haori, but confusingly enough he seemed to approve of it. He didn't really understand that last confusing advice of his even after mulling it over in his head all the way up until he found a way out of the corridors and back out of the house. Regardless, he decided to follow it, and as he crossed the gates leading out of the Ubuyashiki Estate, he reached out for his forehead and undid the bandages covering his remodeled scar, dropping them by the ground and looking up to the sky with a deep breath.

"Alright then..." He muttered to himself, "Asakusa it is."

Kneeling down slightly, he entered a running position before shooting off at a quickened pace, soon enough disappearing amidst the trees as he made his way onwards to his new destination.

A/N: Anotha day anotha dollar. So we end Chapter 24 of Branching Paths, where we finished setting our characters up for further development and left with the promise of a new arc in the end. I had some trouble with the title, as usual, but in the end I guess it fit the overall theme. I spent way too long on deciding whether or not to me the t in their capital or not and I'm ashamed to admit it.

We start off with Zenitsu, as promised last chapter, and him getting back on his feet. Even though I wanted to add this in last chapter, on retrospect it kind of works out well moving into this one since it builds upon the two previous characters we covered last chapter, namely Inosuke and Tanjiro, as well as leading into the next POV, which I'll get into a bit further down. Kimetsu no Yaiba never covered Zenitsu learning the fact that he was a secret badass and actually slew of demons while he was actually sleeping, I'm not even sure if he ever did, but this is something I'm gonna focus a lot more in here. Even though he doesn't understand it himself fully, he's begun putting the pieces together and realizes he's probably capable of a lot more he ever gave himself credit for.

That first POV also helps with showing off some of Inosuke's character after his conversation with Uzui has set in, how he admits Zenitsu is stronger than him was meant to show him beginning to overcome his own pride, even if it was in his own, very Inosuke-like way. Tanjiro there is more so meant to show Zenitsu's immediate reaction to that than anything, but I think it makes sense that he's there. At this point, the two of them are the closest among the Senses, so it only makes sense that Tanjiro would visit his closest friend as soon as he felt capable of. Though I think last chapter also makes it kinda obvious Kanao's relationship with him will be catching up pretty soon.

Moving on, there the middle portion, Aoi's POV. That was admittedly a last-minute addition of mine. I could've theoretically had Tanjiro mention to Zenitsu his meeting with Kagaya and jumped over to that, but seeing as we're gonna start next chapter already getting into the Asakusa Arc, it felt wrong not to catch up with the rest of the Senses before doing so. I chose Aoi in specific because it closes the circle I started at the beginning of last chapter by showing her perspective on how the three boys were doing on the aftermath of their mission to Natagumo, plus she's the closest I'll probably ever get to adding a "sixth sense" into the group, so I'd say its fine to give her some focus.

From there I went through each of the Senses in importance to her character. First is Genya, whose own development I had to delay a bit alongside the Pillar Meeting so my plans could flow better. I hope no one thinks I'm kicking him to the curb because I really want to come back and focus on his relationship with his brother further, but I do think things flow more smoothly if I take it a thing at a time, and handling the development of three characters at once already cost me two massive chapters, so we'll leave him be for now.

Then there's Inosuke, which just allows me to have him be Inosuke a bit more, but also show him swallowing his pride again and cementing how he's taking his first steps in his development. We go onto Tanjiro, which really is more a means of establishing where he's going and why, among some other things, but also get a bit of a look at his reaction to the talk he had with Kanao on the previous night. Speaking of which, she's next on the list, which again is a chance to get her reaction to that same talk. Writing an emotionally clueless, lovestruck teenager is kinda fun. I can see why so many people like to do it.

Lastly, we have Zenitsu, and since I already established Zenitsu and Aoi will end up being a thing I wanna build towards, it's not too hard to see where this is going. It's kind of like the same thing I did for Kanao and Tanjiro last chapter in a way, but in contrast to those two, this feels to me like a...normal pairing, if you will. Tanjiro and Kanao each have their own emotional journey to go on before anything could even ever happen, while Zenitsu very clearly knows he likes girls, and Aoi in specific, while Aoi knows that and slowly grows warmer to him. It's not as interesting to write, in a way, but it does have a very different feel, in my opinion. This also serves to establish Zenitsu's whole mentality after he's had some time to process his talk to Inosuke and what it means, serving to establish the last of the Senses.

Which then moves us back to Tanjiro, off to meet Kagaya. I had Shinobu show up briefly there too if only because I'd already established she was there, and I like the amicable relationship I built up between these two. Really, at this point, Shinobu is the only Pillar that Tanjiro even likes, so it's a good point to start leading up to Kagaya. Which, speaking of, is really fun to write. The conversation between Tanjiro and Kagaya back in Chapter 13 is, in my opinion, one of the best dialogues I wrote in this story so far with how it links one idea to another and brings forth so much stuff. Though this is a much smaller version of that, I think it still has some cool stuff to it.

Kagaya is obviously meant to be seen as a foil to Muzan, and in that way, he is this all too knowing figure in the Corps. And of course, he is. Imagine how much knowledge the Ubuyashiki family has accumulated in nearly five hundred years of fighting demons. Him knowing about Tamayo and where she was hiding was something shown in the story itself, but I really don't think its too much a stretch to say he knew as much as her connection to Yoriichi. Which was why he advised Tanjiro to keep his cloak on and his scar uncovered, if anyone was wondering.

But yeah, next chapter we'll be starting a short arc focused around Tanjiro meeting Tamayo and Yuichirou, much later than in Canon but nonetheless its here. Plus, expect an unexpected guest appearance to said meeting. All that said, thanks to DownwardDive. Our thoughts are interconnected, bruv.

And so we end the chapter. Just kidding. There's reviews to answer.

Chimera608: Are you gonna introduce Tamayo and Yushiro like in the anime or in a different way

What a convenient question leading from the end of this chapter. You should feel proud, even though you'll have to wait for next chapter to find out.

CrumpetsAndTeaLeaves: First of all, hope you're keeping well .

Secondly, Damn. Every time I think I have an idea of what's gonna happen you slap a twister straight into my face. Totally was not expecting Zenitsu and Inosuke to lose to Rui and then for Zenitsu to lose his FREAKIN FINGERS! Curious to see what you do with his character next and whether he'll continue to be a demon slayer.

Also was too cute how you had Kanao help Tanjirou get out of his funk.

Keep up the amazing work!

I am, thanks. Aside from the whole worldwide crisis thing, things seem to be looking up. Gotta say though, from Chapter 6 to 23 in one day? I'm impressed. That's like a whole harry potter novel and then some, especially if you read the Author's Notes as I like to think everyone diligently does.

Yeah...what author doesn't like throwing a curveball? Well, I kinda do, and I think there's a lot more where that came from. If you're interested on Zenitsu's character though, then I think this chapter gave you something to get your hook on.

And yeah, their budding romance is admittedly becoming one of my favorite character bits to write in this story.

Someone: You're amazing.

I know.

Uncle G: Do you plan on making Tanjiro still go to the Sword Smith village and train with the Yoriichi puppet so that he gets stronger Yorichii's blade? I think it would be super badass.

That is admittedly an arc from canon I'm having trouble adding to my story, but I really want to eventually visit the Swordsmith Village much later in the story. By then hopefully, I'll be able to work it and all its elements into this the proper way.

Wolvmbm: Great update as these were conversations that both Inosuke and Tanjiro needed to hear. However, given how sometimes Inosuke takes things a bit too literally it makes me wonder if he will listen to the advice he received and tries to think before he acts later in the future.

Tanjiro's talk with Kanao is an interesting development for the both of them given Kanao's shyness/cautious approach to it all. Plus how Tanjiro once viewed himself as the older brother in his family quickly growing up, but also losing so much so soon.

One has to wonder what would happen if Nezuko is cured, but she recalls her previous actions as a demon given how that happens in the manga. Yet it makes me wonder how it would affect her in this storyline of a similar thing were to happen there ?

Please do keep up the good work on this fantastic tale as I cannot wait to see what happens next to the story now that these boys are learning the hard way of being a demon slayer or at least the personal consequences of it all so far.

Well, regarding Inosuke, I tried to show a bit where that whole train of thought took him in this chapter. Of course, he's still very much Inosuke, but the way he views things and approaches situations has by now began changing with his development. It might be a while before anything too concrete comes from this though.

I'm glad you liked Kanao and Tanjiro. That part in special was pretty hard to write despite how satisfying it was at the same time. I think I managed to make a pretty fair argument for Kanao falling for him again despite how different this Tanjiro is from the one in Canon.

Nezuko's cure is something I only introduced as a concept in this very chapter despite being essentially the driving motive of the Protagonist in the main story. Here though, it is obviously different since Nezuko's hands are nowhere near as clean as they were as her 'imouto in a box' version, and it's something I want to touch on from Tanjiro's perspective in next chapter since here he didn't have much time to consider it and just jumped at the opportunity automatically because previously the only logical option seemed to be killing her.

That's such an accurate way to describe so much of this. It was obviously touched on in Canon, but here the hardships of a Demon Slayer's life is a far bigger theme, even if I hadn't really realized as much at first.

Chimera608: I have a question is nezuko gonna have ship in this story or not
If you do can you ship her with Giyuu

At present, I have no plans on shipping her with anyone, and to be honest, if it did happen it's unlikely that it'd be with her would-be murderer. There'd need to be a lot of getting around that part to make it happen, and I personally don't really see the appeal on it as a pairing enough to follow through.

HamburgerLife Bro that Kanao and Tanjiro moment is so hella cute! 10/10 SHIP

Glad Inosuke and Tanjiro skipped past their horrible states, now I'm really curious on how you're gonna get Zenitsu to cheer up.

I'm sensing that it'll be Aoi since that's the ship you settled with but ngl, it's a pretty weird ship that I never thought I'd see. I'd say it makes me uncomfortable but who knows? Depends on how you execute it, it might not be that bad~

P.S.
Need more consumption of 100% pure flamboyancy

Thanks, bruv. Keep shipping.

Well, I hope Zenitsu's own moment worked for you too. Aoi didn't have a direct impact on it, but this chapter was nonetheless very important for their development because of what came immediately afterward. I know its kind of an off-hand pairing, but in my opinion it's actually more well developed in the actual story than the implicitly canon Inosuke and Aoi, or even him and Nezuko given how one-sided that one was for what we saw in the manga. Plus, with Nezuko more or less out of the picture, I thought Zenitsu's character benefited from a relationship more than Inosuke's, especially with the shit I have and will put him through in this story. Either way, I do hope you'll come around to at least appreciate that choice in direction. Though, if not...well, you can't always please everyone.

Anyway, thanks for the review, I promise you more flamboyancy in the near future.

Guest: update naruto senpudden

Nah.

YoungTaoist: Love the story so far! The characterization, the development, the plot and events, it all ties together so well, as if they were all cogs part of a greater machine, which they should be! And the fight scenes are really detailed as well! I look forward to your next update.

Thank you, that is amazing praise. A story should kind of work like a machine in a way, a long horizontal machine with lots of cogs and wheels that make each other spin, all resulting in...something. I think I got a bit too lost in that one analogy, but I get exactly what you mean.

gogo bananas: lo key still salty about schwacking murata, but i get it.
great chapter for the characters dawg

Sorry bout Murata, but yeah, thanks.

AnikaSukino 5d: After a tough and cruel battle comes the mental / psychological consequences of the Kamabako Squad!
I liked how you tackled the crude of Inosuke in relation to his actions and the problems that his decisions brought, I didn't expect that Uzui was in charge of being the support for the boy. Already at least he was able to reveal his frustrations and see his internal flaws.

With Tanjiro ... ahhh I don't know what to say. On the one hand I loved the narrative of those raw and cold emotions now that he knows that his sister is alive but on the wrong side and with the probability that when she dies, she will go to hell for her actions.
There are few or rather, almost null stories in these parts or on different platforms with that expressiveness of Kamado type "Nothing matters to me anymore, everything went to shit", for a moment I almost shouted when he took off the earrings, I thought that he would get rid of his family's most important heirloom, and worse than I thought he would be seeing his family disappointed by the unexpected new turn in his life.
Anyway, Kanao could be the support for the boy and now she knows his secret, let's add that now our new girlfriend is confused hahahahaha I laughed at that ending. XD

I liked the chapter, I fell in love with the part of Tanjiro and her cold and lifeless emotions ... from just imagining those eyes without the shine, so empty ... ufff I LIKE IT ! *O*

I didn't even know there was a Spanish version of your story! I'm going to read it !
And I just found out that you also publish on AO3 ! You already have a new follower ! ewe

I hope new chapter, see you!

PS: Do you remember that I commented that your story inspired me to do a solo that, making changes like Nezuko was actually killed by Giyu and Tanjiro was traumatized and now he wants to seek his death to be reunited with his family but something prevents with someone's intervention and help him with the idea of getting revenge on the man who killed his sister?
I'm already doing it, although I'm working with the part to express the emotions and empty feelings of Tanjiro. ñ.ñ
In case I'm mega involved with the other story of the AU of the Kamado brothers ... but good. TuT

.
I'm sorry if you got bored reading this postscript. T-T

Okay, I gotta say...two completely different but still long reviews on the same chapter by the same person in two different websites. That's a new for me. Kudos to you, you really grabbed my attention.

So yeah, Uzui really was an unconventional choice, but I have my reasons, and I think those will become clearer in the long term. Inosuke really got a hard dose of character-development juice forced down his throat, and this was the chapter where we saw what he started making of it. Like I already replied to another reader, he is a hard character to develop in this way, but I still think I can get this right in the long term.

I'm glad you liked the whole Tanjiro emotional dump in the last chapter. That one was a long time coming but was still somewhat hard to write and pace. It's a big monologue of self-pity and regret. More than that, having to follow it with Kanao forcing him out of that state was even harder. On retrospect, I think it turned out well enough, though I really had to stretch the POV aspect of it to its boundaries. For example, I think I implied at one point that he cried for a moment but never actually wrote it down. I don't know if someone caught onto the intention of that, but either way, now it's written here for all to see.

And with Kanao...well, what really do I have to write about Kanao? She's got a hard case of puppy love. Where that leads from here, only time will tell, not that it's that unpredictable...well, mostly, anyway.

Regarding the postscript, I do remember that. It's almost the same premise as this, but where Nezuko's death isn't a fake off. I still think its a great premise I'll give it a read and a review whenever I can.

And no, not bored. What kind of author would complain about a several-hundred word review anyway?

KermitDaFwog: Really good chapter. I am really enjoying where you're taking inosuke's character development, though I do remember reading a fic which takes a similar approach on developing him, but the author just ended up erasing what made Insokue himself. I think that if pulled of well, this can be a very satisfying character arc.
P.S 4, The Final P.S: Not much of a romance fan, but I'm interested to see where the realtionships in this fic go
P.S 5, A New Begging: Zenistu needs a hug
P.S 8, P.S Takes Manhattan: Got nothing else, just wanted to make this joke

Hm, really? That kind of does make me curious about that fic, but I do understand why it would be so easy to make a character like Inosuke lose his appeal. I kinda did that for Tanjiro in a way, but those are not the same kind of developments. For Inosuke, I think it will be more about ironing out his flaws and playing to his strengths rather than changing him too much. For example, yes, he's not a booksmarts kinda guy, but he is still someone who created an entire breathing style from stretch and has shown some crazy creativity in battle, such as dislodging his own arm with his natural flexibility to get a longer range on his swing. I really wanna play to stuff like that with him here.

Glad you like where I'm taking the romance so far too...and yeah, Zenitsu could've used a hug like Tanjiro did. He'll probably get one eventually.

The FanficHunter10: was going to sleep... but I got the update notification ... spent the last 40 mins reading the chapter... and now it's kinda late since I have school tomorrow (damn you Corona!) but it's definitely worth it !

Thanks, always good to know someone postponned their sleep just to read my stuff.

Anyway, that'll be all for today. Take care, my fine readers. Use your masks, and all that stuff. Plus, like usual, leave a review in this chapter and I'll be happy to answer it in the next. Sky signing out.