Chapter 15: The Alliance
Notes: Part 3 of the Rehabilitation Training Arc.
Mild (I think?) Spoiler Alert for those who haven't read the manga. There are elements taken from later chapters.
The same Kakushi from earlier picked him up.
"It's you." Tanjirou smiled, "Thank you for your hard work."
"I requested to be the one to carry you." the man said after a long moment.
"Thank you."
They arrived a short time later.
Shinobu and Kagaya-san came a couple of minutes after them.
"Tanjirou." his father greeted him.
"Hello, father. How are you feeling?"
"Well enough. Tamayo-san is at the basement."
"I'll go talk to her." he said.
Tanjirou carefully walked down the stairs. He knocked the door.
Yushirou answered.
"Ah, it's you." he said.
"Hello, Yushirou." Tanjirou smiled, "Can I come in?"
"It's your basement." the boy huffed.
"But you and Tamayo-san live here now. It would be rude of me to assume I can barge in."
"Just enter already!"
"Tanjirou-san. How can I help you?" Tamayo-san smiled at him as he came in and sat down, heavily, on a chair, "Are you alright?"
"Tired. Still in some pain. Don't worry, Shinobu-san is taking good care of me. There are two people who want to meet you, actually. I came in to ask you if you are willing to meet them."
"Who is it?"
"Ubuyashiki Kagaya-sama, the current head of the Corps and Kochou Shinobu-san, the Insect Pillar. I talked to them about you. I vouched for you, so if you ever meet any of the Pillars, they won't attack you."
Tamayo thought about it for a moment.
"Could we decline meeting them?" she asked.
"Yes, of course. If you feel like this is going to endanger you. I could act as your messenger if you need me to." Tanjirou said.
Tamayo-san smiled.
"Thank you, Tanjirou-san. Please, tell them to come in."
Tanjirou stood up and went to the door, only to find Oyakata-sama and Shinobu waiting a few steps away.
Tanjirou huffed.
"Seriously, Kagaya-san." he said, with a smile, "I think I can understand how others feel about my nose now." he added, opening the door for the two of them, "Please, come inside."
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Oyakata-sama said, with that serene smile.
"This is Ubuyashiki Kagaya-sama, the 97th Head of the Corps," Tanjirou introduced him, "and this is Kochou Shinobu-san, the Insect Pillar and our medical genius. Tamayo-san, the doctor trying to find a way to defeat Muzan and Yushirou-kun, her aide."
"Thank you, Tanjirou-kun. You should sit down, though. You haven't recovered." Oyakata-sama said.
"Yes." he bowed and sat down on a chair next to Shinobu, who turned to look at him, making sure he was comfortable. He smiled at her.
He didn't really pay too close attention to the talk that followed, as he closed his eyes, leaning back on his chair, resting.
"We understand that us being here is quite the shock. So far, only Tanjirou-kun has proven himself to you to earn your trust." Oyakata-sama was saying, "But we are facing the same enemy, Kibutsuji Muzan. Seeing as you yourself are a doctor I would like to propose a partnership with our pharmaceuticals and demon physiology expert on finding a way to stop him."
"What would that mean for Yushirou and me? For our safety?"
"Tamayo-san, during your stay here, you have taken it upon yourself to cure Tanjuurou-san's illness. His family is still alive and thriving. The Kamado family trusts you and that means a lot for me. So long as they vouch for you, you have nothing to fear from me."
"I would like to know who treated Kamado-san." Tamayo-san said after a moment, "That man… He should have died three years ago. His doctor is nothing less than a miracle worker."
Tanjirou smiled in his half sleep.
"That would be me." Shinobu said.
Tamayo-san nodded.
"Very well. We will help you as much as we can. But allow me to keep working from here. At the very least, I want to repay Tanjirou-san's kindness by finding a cure for his father."
"I'll help you with that, too." Shinobu said, looking at Tanjirou's face and running her fingers through his hair, "I've known this family for years. They practically raised my sister and me before we got our own place to stay."
"There is something about this boy…" Tamayo-san said, "Oddly familiar."
"The Kamado family has been part of the Demon Slayer Corps for three hundred years. They carry on the first breath from the first user, even if the fine details have been lost down the line of history." Oyakata-sama said.
"I see…I wondered how he knew that sword style."
"You know the Breath of the Sun."
"A user of it nearly killed Muzan once. He was the reason I managed to free myself. I ran and I hid, until Tanjirou-san crossed paths with me. Running from one Sun into another. Maybe the circle will close finally."
Oyakata-sama and Shinobu-san looked at each other.
"Once Tanjirou-kun is strong enough to be fully aware of what is being said, and we have time, I would like to visit you again." the head of the Corps said, "I am very interested on that user of the Breath of the Sun."
"We will be here." Tamayo-san said.
"We will ask Tanjirou-kun to ask first, again. This is, now, your home too. I am pretty sure that is how our young friend feels about it."
"We should move him to a bed, though." Shinobu said, looking at the young Salyer.
"Don't worry about me." he yawned.
A knock on the door called their attention.
"Come in." Tamayo-san called.
Nezuko opened the door and looked inside.
"Mother cooked dinner." she said, "And there is a Kakushi on standby to move nii-san."
"I am afraid I will have to decline, Nezuko-chan." Oyakata-sama said.
"You always say that. Mother is not going to take 'no' for an answer this time. You just accept your fate of actually eating something." the girl said.
The man laughed softly.
"Very well. If Kie-san is so determined to have me for dinner, who am I to deny her?"
"Nobu-chan! You're staying too, right?" Hanako poked her head in, a big smile on her lips.
"Would you let me go?"
"No!" the small girl laughed, "Yu-kun, Tamayo-san, will you join us?"
"Thank you for your offer, but we can't." Tamayo-san smiled kindly.
"One of these days I am going to get you to join us." the little girl said with conviction.
The door opened slightly more and the Kakushi man entered.
"Apologies." he bowed towards Oyakata-sama and Shinobu, before picking up Tanjirou.
Tanjirou felt the motion, and sighed, letting himself fall asleep.
When morning came, Tanjirou opened his eyes and yawned.
"Good morning, Tanjirou-kun!" a familiar, chipper voice greeted him.
"Good morning, Shinobu-san." he grinned, "Did I miss anything?"
"No. I'll be working with Tamayo-san and Yushirou-kun from today to create a poison to take down Muzan."
"Are you three getting along, then?" he smiled softly, as he sat up and tried to get off his bed.
Shinobu didn't reply, only stared at Tanjirou, lost.
Tanjirou noticed her saddened scent and looked at her worried.
"Shinobu?"
"I…never expected that something like that could happen. Demons that do not eat humans. They live off a small amount of human blood and that is bought as blood donations." she said quietly, "Sister's dream…And she isn't here to see it."
"She is." Tanjirou said, "Right there." he pointed in Shinobu's heart.
She smiled at him, cupping his cheek.
"You're such a sweet boy." she said.
Tanjirou blushed.
"What am I doing today?" he asked, after a moment.
"You still need to rest. So, do not exert yourself."
"Zenitsu and Inosuke?"
"Sitting outside. You can join them if you wish."
Tanjirou nodded once, then pulled Shinobu in his arms, to the surprise of the Insect Pillar.
He held her for a long while.
Shinobu returned the embrace.