What's up, BITCHEEEEEEEEEEES!

Sorry this took so long, there were two reasons for this.

One, I had final exams. Happy Summer by the way, WOOOOHOOOO!

Two, I've been working on the first drafts for future stories I would write after finishing this one.

Speaking of, I wrote a bio to tell you some things about myself which includes descriptions for potential story ideas.

If you want to check them out and send me a PM about what you think about them, I'd be so happy to hear your opinion!

Alright, next order of business. Thank you guys for nearly TWO HUNDRED FOLLOWERS and ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FAVORITES ! ! ! ! !

I honestly didn't think that this story would get so much attention, but I'm so happy that it did! You guys truly make it all worth all the effort! Please continue to support me with your kind words and advice.

Speaking of, REVIEW TIME, BABYYYYYY!

The first review I'd like to address is from mr. black cat. First of all, thank you for your praise!

Second, about the romance, I'm probably gonna do canon ships along with generally accepted ships (like Shinobu x Giyu).

I also liked your ideas for Tanjiro going berserk and your idea for a Sun Conqueror move. Also, I also see Kanae playing matchmaker for Tanjiro and Kanao lol!

Now as for your request to not kill off Kanae or Shinobu, I mean, I wasn't really planning on it. Sadly, I can't make any promises.

One thing you should know about me as a writer. Unless it's a comedy, someone's gonna die, that's just how I roll.

I know you don't have to kill off a main or supporting character to make a story good, but in a universe like this, it's at least more realistic in my opinion.

If I was the type of writer who let all the heroes live and the bad guys die, there'd be little to no tension. That's why a lot of people don't like plot armor in shows.

Shinobu is one of my favorite characters and I don't want to kill her or Kanae, but that doesn't automatically mean that they're safe. I hope you understand.

Next review I'd like to talk about is from cocon2004nikki, who was wondering about how I'd handle future events.

Honestly, there will be some changes to most of the canon events. Some events also might not even happen like how Kanae being killed didn't happen.

All I can say is that I hope you all look forward to future events and chapters!

Thanks to all those who sent in their suggestions for abilities Tanjiro could possess, I'll be sure to take them into consideration!

With that said, let's get to the chapter!

*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.

"Tanjiro" = Talking

"Tanjiro" = Thinking

Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV

Japan - Middle Alignment = Location

"Tanjiro" = Flashback

Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect

Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art


Chapter 9 - First Mission Part 1

Tanjiro Kamado

Shinjuku, Wisteria Family House Courtyard

-Morning-

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Exhale…

Tanjiro stood in the backyard of the Wisteria House with his feet shoulder-width apart and repeated this process from night to morning. He took in the maximum amount of oxygen and slowly breathed out.

He constantly had to fix his stance while keeping his breathing under control.

"I've noticed that practicing Total Concentration Breathing for too long causes a strain on my body, although not as bad as Hinokami Kagura."

"Still, I need to be careful not to push myself too hard again. I also need to learn how to maintain my position."

Tanjiro tried to brace his lower body while simultaneously keeping his arms and shoulders relaxed. Keeping this position while breathing turned out to be a lot harder than expected.

The strain from trying to use Total Concentration would slowly increase until it became too much for Tanjiro and he collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. He began to feel dizzy.

"No! Not enough! I have to go further!" Tanjiro said in his head, completely forgetting his vow to not push himself.

He got back on his feet and assumed his stance again and continued to breathe despite his body's protests, specifically his lungs which felt like they were about to burst.

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Thud!

Tanjiro collapsed face first onto the ground as if his body had decided to give the poor boy the middle finger.

(AN: Low key, I'm pretty sure Tanjiro's body hates him for all the shit he puts it through in canon XD)

"Okay…let's take a break…" he mumbled as he turned his head sideways.

"I've been able to sort of maintain Total Concentration for at least ten minutes, but that's all I've got. Miss Shinobu said that most beginners can't even practice Total Concentration Breathing for a minute before collapsing."

"Even so, can you really call it Total Concentration when you keep messing up most of the time?"

Tanjiro got up on his feet and smacked both of his cheeks twice. "Get a hold of yourself, Tanjiro! You won't make any progress if you keep doubting yourself!"

"Once I get the hang of doing Total Concentration while standing still, I'll practice using it while swinging my sword. After that, I'll have to master breathing while moving around and soon, sparring."

Tanjiro was able to recover from the strain of Total Concentration much faster than he would from Hinokami Kagura, needing only a minute's rest.

Tanjiro got into position and breathed. He practiced for hours into the night as he slightly began to improve.

Total Concentration Breathing. According to Shinobu, this breathing gave Demon Slayers the ability to fight with the strength of a demon.

However, Tanjiro already had that, so Shinobu predicted that the benefits of Total Concentration would give Tanjiro an even greater edge in battle over average demons.

If he could learn and master this technique and eventually, Hinokami Kagura, he would be a force to be reckoned with.


-Many Hours Later, Afternoon-

Asakusa

After over a week, they finally made it to the Asakusa ward.

The buildings were even larger than the ones in Shinjuku, but Tanjiro was able to adapt since it was still daytime. According to Kanae, Asakusa was a popular major entertainment district founded during the Edo Period.

The streets were filled with people, making it hard to navigate them. As they walked, Kanae held Tanjiro's hand so that he wouldn't get lost again. After the incident last night, Shinobu and Kanae took no chances.

Tanjiro must've apologized a thousand times to Kanae and Tamayo who were worried sick about him. Yushiro didn't say anything but still made his displeasure known.

Soon, the group came across some tracks that Tanjiro hadn't seen before which cut through the rows of tall buildings.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Those are railway tracks." Kanae answered. "I assume you've never seen them in person?"

"Railway tracks…? What are those?" Tanjiro asked back.

"Do you seriously know nothing about Japan outside of your home? You really are hopeless." Shinobu said while shaking her head.

"Now, now, Shinobu. It's not Tanjiro's fault." Kanae said before looking at the demon in question. "Railway tracks allow these wonderful machines called train cars to move throughout Japan while carrying people to their destination."

Tanjiro tilted his head with visible confusion. "Oh…I…see…" He said as if pretending to understand.

Shinobu facepalmed. "Sister, this is pointless! He didn't understand a word you just said!"

Kanae looked at Tanjiro with a nervous smile before they all heard something coming from the tracks. Kanae perked up.

"Ah, perfect timing! Look, Tanjiro!" Kanae exclaimed before Tanjiro saw a large object coming down the tracks. As it passed by, he noticed multiple people inside. Suddenly, Kanae's explanation made more sense, but it was still overwhelming how advanced cities were.

Tanjiro slumped his shoulders and looked down. "I think I'm getting dizzy…"

Suddenly, he felt a gentle squeeze on his left hand which Kanae was still holding. Tanjiro looked up at her and saw a warm, sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry. We're almost at the house, you can rest there for a bit. Just hang on a bit longer, okay?" She asked sweetly like how a mother would talk to their child.

Tanjiro slightly blushed before returning the smile, his dizziness replaced by a feeling of comfort. The group continued on.


After getting out of the more public area, they walked through a small area before coming upon their destination. "Here we are!" Kanae announced, having let go of Tanjiro's hand a bit ago.

The house was not too different from Tamayo's last house, a modern-styled two-story house with a front and backyard surrounded by brick walls.

"Well, it's about time!" Tanjiro heard a muffled voice from the box Yushiro was in which was carried by Shinobu. "I can't wait to get out of this damn thing! And just where did you learn how to WALK, Shinobu!?"

Shinobu didn't say anything before undoing the straps on her shoulders which connected to the basket and letting the box fall on the ground with a hard thud.

"OOOWWW! Damn it! You'll pay for that!" Yushiro yelled out moving around inside the box, causing it to shake and jump.

Tanjiro held the box down. "Yushiro, don't move around so much! You might accidentally open the box!" He warned his fellow demon in vain.

"Yushiro!" Tamayo's muffled voice came out of the box on Kanae's back. "Behave yourself or else I will not talk to you for a week!"

That was all it took for Yushiro to stop moving around. "Yes, Lady Tamayo!"

Tanjiro and Shinobu sighed while Kanae tried very, very hard to contain her laughter.


Kanae Kocho

Backyard of the House

-Evening-

After the sun went down, Yushiro placed a talisman on the house to hide it from the public eye just like he did with the last house.

Meanwhile, Shinobu and Kanae observed Tanjiro practicing his Total Concentration Breathing. Kanae was impressed with how well he was doing.

Sure, there was a mistake here and there, and he had to take short breaks from time to time. But still, Tanjiro was able to hold Total Concentration without getting tired or messing up for at least twelve minutes.

In her beginning years as a Demon Slayer trainee, Kanae would've died trying to hold Total Concentration for that long. It took her at least three weeks before she could do five minutes while standing still. Having demonic stamina really made a difference.

That said, Tanjiro was obviously putting the effort in. If he wasn't, there'd be no way he could pull off such a feat after only one day.

After watching for a while, Kanae had seen enough. "Alright, Tanjiro. You can stop now." She said to the boy who fell on one knee after hearing that.

He panted, clearly feeling the pressure on his lungs. However, it wasn't so bad compared to how he looked after using Hinokami Kagura. Tanjiro recovered quickly in only a minute.

Kanae walked up to the boy with two training swords in hand, handing one to Tanjiro. "Now, let's get started on parrying and disarming techniques.


Kanae and Tanjiro faced each other from across the yard, pointing their swords at each other. Shinobu continued to observe from the sidelines and was even joined by Yushiro.

"Alright, Tanjiro. Come at me!" Kanae ordered with a bright smile on her face. Tanjiro, who looked more serious, did as he was told and pointed his sword towards Kanae while running towards her.

One second, Tanjiro raised his sword above his head and swung downward.

Thwack!

The next, Tanjiro stood in front of Kanae who had her sword held out to her right. Meanwhile, Tanjiro appeared to be empty handed.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Thud!

Tanjiro's sword was sent flying into the air before landing on the ground, the wooden blade stuck into the ground.

Tanjiro looked at his hands, noticing his lack of weaponry. "…Huh…?" Tanjiro expressed his confusion as he continued to stare at his hands.

What Tanjiro didn't notice at the moment he and Kanae clashed was that Kanae turned her sword upside down from its original position while moving it to her left side and unleashed an upward slash to counter Tanjiro's attack, launching his sword upward. This all happened in about 0.6 seconds.

"As you can see, Tanjiro, a simple sword swing will not solve all of your problems. Swordsmanship is much more than just swinging a blade around and hoping your opponent won't see you coming from a mile away." Kanae stated.

"A swordsman must be smart, calculating, precise, accurate, and skillful. Being stronger and faster is also important in battle, but it's not all that matters. Do you understand?"

Tanjiro recovered from his shock and nodded. He went to pick up his sword and the two went to their original positions.

"Now, this time, I'm going to attack with a horizontal slash to your right hip. I want you to parry and then counter." Kanae instructed.

"Right!" Tanjiro answered back. Soon, Kanae leapt forward until she was right in front of her demonic pupil and released the exact attack she said she would.

Tanjiro responded by swinging his sword upwards towards the right from his left hip and struck Kanae's sword, pushing it to the side.

Tanjiro brought his sword back to his chest and went for a one-handed thrust with his right arm. However, Kanae had already recovered and sidestepped the thrust before swinging her sword at Tanjiro's neck, stopping only as her sword was an inch away from his throat.

Tanjiro gulped after realizing the situation too slowly. "Not bad for a beginner." Kanae began as she pulled her sword back. "However, there were many things wrong with your technique."

"First off, you focused too much on speed and not enough on power during your parry, and then vice versa in your counter. It doesn't matter how fast you parry an attack if you can't push it back far enough. Also, swords aren't like baseball bats, you don't always have to put so much power into your swings, that's how swords get broken."

"Swords are sharp blades that can cut through almost anything provided that the wielder is strong enough. Sometimes, more power is necessary, other times, it's speed that will win the day. It's up to you to decide which style suits the situation best."

Tanjiro had a look of confusion. "That sounds…really hard…" He said while tilting his head down.

Kanae smiled at the boy and patted his head. "You're thinking about this too hard. You started sword training nine days ago, and you were asleep for four of them. Just relax, you'll get it eventually. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all!"

Tanjiro looked up at her with bright eyes. "Hang in there, Tanjiro! I believe in you! That's what friends are for!" Kanae exclaimed.

Tanjiro's eyes widened before he gave a big smile. "Yes, ma'am! I promise, I will become the greatest swordsman of all time!" Tanjiro announced, shocking the Flower Hashira.

"Umm…that's great, Tanjiro." Kanae put on a nervous smile. "But, why don't we focus on improving your counterattacks first, okay?"

Tanjiro's face turned completely red, similar to how he did when they first met. "R- RIGHT!" Tanjiro yelled.

Kanae giggled in response, also hearing a snicker from Shinobu and Yushiro as well. Kanae looked again at the blushing demon.

"If only his body was as strong as his heart. He'd give even Gyomei a run for his money." Kanae said in her head.

"Oh, Tanjiro." Kanae called for Tanjiro's attention. "What do you say we try Hinokami Kagura again?" She asked. Tanjiro responded with a determined smile.


Hinokami Kagura - Sunflower Thrust

Tanjiro thrusted his sword in his right hand, moving his entire body into the attack.

Kanae, who stood in front of the wall surrounding the house, jumped to the left and twirled in the air to gain momentum until…

Flower Breathing: Sixth Form - Whirling Peach

Kanae swung her sword with her momentum before twisting her body so that her sword was aimed at Tanjiro's head.

Tanjiro barely saw this before being hit on the cheek with the wooden sword. He was knocked away by the powerful counterattack and recovered a few feet away as Kanae landed.

Kanae then immediately rushed towards Tanjiro, who kept jumping backwards to get some distance. However, it was hopeless as Kanae was quickly able to close the gap.

Then, she noticed Tanjiro breathing in as he landed and stopped jumping. He stamped his feet on the ground to stop himself as Kanae continued to rush forward.

"I see. He's trying to catch me off guard by suddenly stopping while I uncontrollably charge at him, giving him the chance to counter." Kanae realized.

Tanjiro raised his sword above his head as it was enveloped in imaginary fire. "Very clever trick, Tanjiro. One that would've worked…"

Kanae completely stopped in her tracks as Tanjiro brought his sword down.

Hinokami Kagura - Dance

"…had you not made it so obvious."

Tanjiro unleashed his trap, only to realize that Kanae was too far away for the hit to connect. He tried to catch Kanae off guard, but the Flower Hashira was too observant and too quick for such a simple attempt.

Tanjiro's eyes widened as he was unable to recover, allowing Kanae to unleash her own technique.

Flower Breathing: Fifth Form - Peonies of Futility

Kanae released nine consecutive attacks that flowed and weaved in on themselves as Tanjiro tried to recover and back away again, but it was too late to escape.

"He's already reached his eight-use limit. If he uses Hinokami Kagura again, he'll start to slow down." Kanae thought as Tanjiro started to breathe in again.

Kanae imagined her sword connected to a white and pink ribbon resembling the pattern of a flower petal which all surrounded the young demon.

Tanjiro backed up just enough to avoid one attack, but seemed powerless to dodge the rest. Then suddenly, Kanae's eyes widened as she saw the imaginary ribbons connected to her sword catch on fire and burn to ash.

Kanae's sword was knocked to the side along with her arm, still keeping her grip. The illusory flames departed to reveal Tanjiro swinging his sword horizontally.

Hinokami Kagura - Raging Sun

Kanae tried to retreat before Tanjiro pushed forward, but she was knocked off balance by the out of nowhere counterattack.

Tanjiro gripped his sword tightly and unleashed another horizontal slash at the left Kanae's face. However, Kanae noticed the decreased speed of Tanjiro's slash.

"Just as I thought, he's already slowing down. I can dodge this attack." Kanae thought before Tanjiro's sword started to become wobbly and blurry. "What the…?"

Kanae moved her head back to avoid Tanjiro's attack, only to see a smile slowly appear on Tanjiro's face. Suddenly, Kanae felt something strike her left cheek even though the sword was nowhere near her.

Hinokami Kagura - Solar Heat Haze

Kanae stumbled back before quickly regaining her balance and feeling her cheek. She stared at the panting Tanjiro with wide eyes as he did the same with her.

Soon, the shock in his eyes was replaced with child-like excitement as an open-mouthed grin appeared on his face.

He fell onto his knees and pumped his fist into the air. "I DID IT ! ! ! I ACTUALLY LANDED A HIT ! ! !" Tanjiro yelled.

"He knew that his body would slow down, so he used the element of surprise to his advantage…" Kanae thought before a warm smile appeared on her face. "It would seem I underestimated you, my young friend."

Of course, Kanae wasn't going all out, not even close. Even so, landing a hit on a Hashira is far from an easy task. Tanjiro definitely had potential.

"Excellent job, Tanjiro! You were truly amazing!" Kanae said as Tanjiro stopped celebrating and looked at Kanae before his smile was replaced by horror.

"AAAHHHH! Kanae! Your mouth, it's bleeding!" Tanjiro exclaimed to which Kanae felt the left corner of her mouth with her hand and found blood on it.

Kanae looked at Tanjiro again, still keeping her warm smile while the boy looked like he was about to cry. "Please don't worry, Tanjiro. It's okay. I've suffered much worse, trust me." She assured him.

However, that didn't stop Tanjiro's guilt. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm SO sorry! I shouldn't have put so much force into that swing!" Tanjiro bowed repeatedly while smashing his head into the ground.

"Tanjiro, I think you're overreact-" Kanae began to say before Tanjiro suddenly picked her up and carried her in his arms. "-ING!? Tanjiro, what are you-!?"

"We need to get you to a doctor right away! Miss Tamayo can help, she knows all about medicine!" Tanjiro ran out of the backyard and to the front of the house as Shinobu and Yushiro looked on in confusion.

"How is he still able to move like this!? Using Hinokami Kagura should've tired him out for at least an hour!" Kanae thought.

"Tanjiro, wait! I'm fine, really!" Kanae yelled, only making Tanjiro more panicked.

"OH NO! SHE'S ALREADY HALLUCINATING! MISS TAMAYO, HELP!" Tanjiro ran inside to get Tamayo, who was in her lab.


Tanjiro

-A Couple of Hours Later

Yushiro's Room

Tanjiro and Yushiro were playing Shogi again in Yushiro's room which had been all unpacked with his things.

Tanjiro had a solemn look on his face. He was completely embarrassed by the way he acted earlier.

Tanjiro was always like this when he hurt someone, be it by accident or on purpose (which was even more rare).

Tanjiro got his scar when he pushed Takeo out of the way of a falling brazier and used his own body to shield him.

However, when Tanjiro pushed Takeo, he nearly broke his wrist. Tanjiro was overcome with guilt and immediately told his parents about it, completely ignoring his burn.

"MOMMY, DADDY! HELP, TAKEO IS DYING AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Tanjiro would yell.

"TAKEO JUST HURT HIS WRIST, HE'S NOT DYING! AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR HEAD!?" Kie and Tanjuro would yell back simultaneously.

Tanjiro sighed at the memory, he wouldn't stop crying for Takeo even as the doctor wrapped his head in bandages.

The current situation wasn't much better. Tanjiro personally carried Kanae into Tamayo's lab as Tamayo was still unpacking.

Tamayo put a bandage on where Kanae got hit while Kanae used a washcloth to wipe the blood from her mouth.

Tamayo then talked to Tanjiro about not freaking out over minor injuries, even if he caused it.

Tanjiro lazily moved his rook to attack one of Yushiro's bishops, not noticing that he left himself open to one of Yushiro's knights.

Yushiro sighed at this. "Look, don't beat yourself up about it, kid. It happens. I couldn't tell you how many times I did that with Lady Tamayo." He said to the young demon.

"I know but…It's just so humiliating whenever I get like that. Back home, I always made a fool of myself whenever I hurt someone by accident." Tanjiro stated.

Yushiro seemingly decided to throw Tanjiro a bone and not take away his rook and instead moved his lance to the end of the board, allowing him to promote it.

"So you're overprotective, that's not always a bad thing. When someone overprotective cares about you, you're less likely to get into trouble. You do it because you care." He responded.

Tanjiro perked up a bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He said as he moved a pawn forward.

Yushiro then facepalmed. "Good grief, Tanjiro. I gave you like six chances to move your king." He sighed as Tanjiro looked confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked before Yushiro moved a dragon piece towards Tanjiro's king.

"Checkmate."

Tanjiro's eyes turned into tiny black circles as he blinked in confusion.


Shinobu Kocho

Backyard

"OH, COME ON!" Shinobu and Kanae, who sat beside her, heard Tanjiro yelling from inside the house.

The two sisters were drinking tea on the back porch while admiring the stars. Kanae started giggling. "Oh my! Looks like Tanjiro lost again."

"That kid really needs to take some lessons, I played with him back in Shinjuku and I destroyed him." Shinobu stated.

Shinobu then recalled reading a letter sent to the Master from Tamayo about how Tanjiro would play Shogi with Yushiro sometimes.

She then recalled back when they first learned about Tanjiro.


Demon Slayer HQ - Courtyard

-Three Weeks Ago-

Shinobu and Kanae made it to Headquarters, still pondering why Master Ubuyashiki summoned only them.

They stepped into the courtyard and waited. "Do you think Lord Ubuyashiki has a special mission for us, Shinobu?" Kanae asked with her usual smile.

"If that was the case, sister, I don't see why he could've just told us via Kasugai Crow." Shinobu replied.

Kanae looked up into the sky in wonder. "Maybe…He wanted to avoid a demon intercepting the message. There have been reports of winged demons lately."

"Perhaps…but isn't that why they usually deliver messages during the day?" Shinobu responded before two children, one with white hair and the other with black hair, appeared on the porch of the building in front of the courtyard.

"The Master has arrived." The two children said simultaneously as Kagaya walked forward into the light.

Kanae and Shinobu immediately got on one knee and bowed. "Good Afternoon, Master. I hope you are feeling well today and that you continue to do so." Kanae greeted him first.

"Why thank you, Kanae. I feel quite well, especially since I know you are both safe and sound." Ubuyashiki replied.

"Tell me, how are Kanao, Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho? Are they well?" He asked.

Shinobu was always impressed by how Ubuyashiki could memorize the name of just about anyone associated with the corps, even those who weren't Demon Slayers.

"They are all doing fine. Kanao has been doing excellently in her training. She has already managed to turn her sword pink after only two months. We have just started her training in Total Concentration Breathing." Shinobu explained.

"At this rate, we may be able to teach her all forms of Flower Breathing and Total Concentration Constant by the time she turns fifteen." Kanae joined in.

"Aoi and the others have also been a great help to us in my research of poisons and medical treatment. Speaking of, Aoi's medical training is also going smoothly." Shinobu finished.

"Excellent, I am so happy to hear that." Ubuyashiki responded happily.

"I am very sorry for the sudden summons, but this was a matter that could not wait." He stated as the two young women looked up.

"You have no reason to apologize, Master. We Demon Slayers are all at your beck and call." Shinobu responded.

Ubuyashiki smiled even brighter. "Thank you, my children. Now, as for what I had to tell you." He said as he took a letter from his left pocket.

"A few days ago, I received a message from Lady Tamayo about a demon she had encountered." He said as Kanae gasped and Shinobu tensed up.

"Is she and Yushiro alright?" Kanae asked worriedly, to which Ubuyashiki smiled warmly.

"Yes, fear not, Tamayo and Yushiro are safe. Actually, this demon has shown no signs of hostility." He replied, confusing the two Hashira.

"Tanjiro Kamado, that is his name. A thirteen-year-old boy who once lived a simple life in Mount Kumotori on the border of Okutama." He began to describe this "Tanjiro" person.

"Living with his mother, his three younger brothers, and two younger sisters, his father passed away about a year ago due to a serious illness."

Kanae had a sympathetic look on her face as Ubuyashiki continued.

"Tanjiro comes from a family of charcoal merchants, selling charcoal in the nearby town to pay for meals. One day, Tanjiro had an encounter…with Muzan Kibutsuji."

Shinobu and Kanae gasped upon hearing this.

"Muzan turned Tanjiro, who barely escaped with his life. He became a demon and tried to eat his mother. However, he fought back and his humanity returned. He ran away from home, afraid that he would hurt someone."

"It was soon revealed that he was not a normal demon."

"What do you mean by that, Master?" Kanae asked as she tilted her head.

"I mean…He has conquered the sun."

Shinobu's eyes widened at this. A demon that has conquered the sun? She shuddered at the idea. Shinobu knew that this demon could not be allowed to roam freely.

"Yushiro found Tanjiro wandering around the village which he and Tamayo are currently hiding in. Tamayo talked with the boy and asked him for a sample of his blood, to which he agreed. Tamayo stated that he wanted to become human again, help other demons become human as well, and help protect the innocent."

"He's been staying with Tamayo for a few days now, and has shown some interesting developments."

"He can eat normal food without throwing up, he can suppress his demonic desire by remembering his family, and Tamayo has even learned that he has a sense of smell more advanced than any demon we've seen."

"But, that's not all. It seems that Tanjiro has the ability to absorb solar energy from sunlight and store it inside his body for power."

Shinobu's eyes widened even more, realizing how dangerous this demon was. If it got stronger the longer it was in sunlight, if given enough time to power up, it could rival the might of the Twelve Kizuki. Perhaps even, god forbid, Kibutsuji himself.

Ubuyashiki must've read her mind because he then tried to assure the two Hashira. "I know you are both worried about a demon walking in sunlight, but there is no need."

"Tamayo has assured me that Tanjiro means no harm. He doesn't have full control over his demonic habits, but he is nothing like the demons you've encountered."

"That's why, when you go visit Tamayo, I want you to avoid antagonizing the boy. Also, I want you to keep this a secret from the rest of the corps, including the Hashira and your butterfly girls."

Shinobu wanted to trust Ubuyashiki's judgment, but…

"Master, with all due respect…That is a horrible idea." She said as Kanae gasped again, this time staring at her sister in shock.

Ubuyashiki didn't seem to react as his smile remained intact. "Oh, is that so, Shinobu? Might I ask why?" He requested.

"Ignoring the fact that this demon can constantly grow in power when exposed to sunlight, we cannot let a demon who is immune to sunlight roam freely." Shinobu stated.

"Demons are lying, deceitful creatures who live to consume all humans in their way. We can't just trust Lady Tamayo's word that this 'Tanjiro' won't do anything."

"Not to mention that if Kibutsuji were to find this demon, he would absorb it in a heartbeat. If he gains immunity to sunlight, Japan…No, the entire world would be in jeopardy."

"We should find this demon as soon as possible, restrain it, and keep it at headquarters where sunlight won't reach him to further study its blood."

Ubuyashiki frowned at this suggestion. "Shinobu, I hear your concerns, but I am not fond of the idea of locking up a child, demon or otherwise." He responded.

"But Master, the risk of letting the demon run amok is too great. If it turns against us or if Muzan finds it, many people will die!" Shinobu argued.

"Surely, you don't want to be responsible for the deaths of thousands or millio-!"

"Sister, that's enough." Kanae scolded Shinobu calmly. Shinobu looked at Kanae and saw the look of disappointment on her face, a face that was rarely seen.

Ubuyashiki spoke before tensions got too high. "I understand your point, Shinobu. But my decision is final, you are not to harm the boy. I hope you can at least respect that."

Shinobu wanted to argue, but Kanae's look drained her of all motivation. She lowered her head again. "Yes, Master. Please forgive my rudeness, I overstepped my boundaries."

Ubuyashiki's smile returned. "Raise your head, my child. You clearly meant well, there is no reason to apologize for that."

"Thank you, Master." Shinobu raised her head as Ubuyashiki motioned for the two Hashira to stand up.

"That will be all for now, I merely wished to inform you of this news. You may return to your estate." He said Shinobu and Kanae nodded.

And with that, the two sisters left. Shinobu felt guilty for saying all that in front of her sister. Kanae seemed to notice this.

"I'm sorry for giving you that look, I really didn't mean to make you feel guilty." Kanae said, surprising the Insect Hashira before she regained her composure.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. You were just stopping me from saying something I would regret. Thank you, sister." Shinobu gave a smile to Kanae who returned it.


-Present-

"Lady Tamayo was right, he really is a joy to have around." Shinobu was snapped out of her thoughts by Kanae's words.

"You know, Shinobu, I couldn't help but notice that you've been treating Tanjiro more humanely lately." She said as Shinobu looked to the sky.

"Yes, I suppose you're right about that." Shinobu replied.

"Could it be that you're starting to warm up to him." Kanae teased.

Shinobu wouldn't go that far, but she supposed that was the case.

When she first met Tanjiro, she expected to find a typical menacing demon with suspicion written all over him, watching her and Kanae with hungry eyes.

What did she find instead?

An adorable, innocent boy who looked like he wasn't even capable of telling a lie playing shogi. Wait…did she just call a demon adorable!?

Shinobu sighed. "I'll admit that I was wrong to automatically assume that Kamado was an enemy. I still don't completely trust his ability to stay in control, but I can at least say that…he seems like a good kid." Shinobu admitted.

Kanae smiled brightly upon hearing this, but seemingly decided not to press Shinobu about it. "So, you'll be heading back to the Butterfly Mansion soon?" She changed the subject.

"Yes, someone has to continue Kanao's training and look after the Butterfly Mansion." Shinobu answered. "Which reminds me, we might want to work out some sort of trade-off system with the boy and mansion duties."

Kanae nodded in agreement. "Well, I'll be accompanying Tanjiro on his first mission. Next mission, you can watch over him while I take care of Kanao's training and the mansion in your absence until you come back or another mission comes up."

Shinobu didn't see any problems with that idea. "Yes, that way, we can switch back and forth between pupils without neglecting either one's training." She stated as the sisters were in agreement.

"I'll be sure to send a message to Lord Ubuyashiki tomorrow about our plan." Shinobu said to which Kanae nodded.

They watched the stars for a while before turning in for the night in Tamayo's guest room.


Tanjiro

-Ten Days Later, Morning-

Tanjiro was practicing some basic katas shown to him by Kanae while Kanae observed. Thanks to all the solar energy he had absorbed over the past few weeks, he felt himself getting stronger.

Shinobu left last week for her home, the Butterfly Mansion. She left Tanjiro with some training tips and exercises to do until the next time they saw each other.

Tanjiro was now able to hold Total Concentration Breathing for twenty minutes standing still. But, now he had to practice doing it while swinging his sword.

The whole time he did katas, he tried to do Total Concentration. Needless to say, it was hard to watch.

Sometimes, Tanjiro focused too much on the kata and lost control of his breathing. Other times, he'd focus too much on breathing and mess up the kata.

Kanae would tap Tanjiro's head with the flat of her sword whenever he did either of these things.

After only seven minutes, Tanjiro already felt his body getting exhausted.

"Hmm, I never would've thought a demon would struggle with Total Concentration so much." Kanae would say as he took a break. "It seems demonic stamina isn't as vast as we thought."

After less than an hour of that, Tanjiro practiced Total Concentration while standing still again. However, this time, there was an extra challenge.

As Tanjiro breathed, Kanae stood next to him and would try to start a conversation with him to break his concentration.

"What's your favorite flower, Tanjiro? Mine are sakura cherry blossoms. I know, I know, that's pretty common, but I just can't help it. They're too beautiful to choose anything else, at least in my opinion. Don't you agree, Tanjiro?"

Tanjiro wouldn't respond, afraid that he would lose control over his breathing if he focused on the conversation.

Eventually, Kanae would start trying to get Tanjiro's attention, purposely trying to make him lose focus.

"Hey, hey! Tanjiro! Hey, hey!" Kanae called out to the boy while poking his shoulder like a little girl did to her big brother. He knew this because Hanako would poke Tanjiro and their father all the time to get their attention.

Kanae continued to poke as Tanjiro struggled to concentrate. "Focus, Tanjiro. Don't let anything break your concentration. Focus…" He thought.

"Hey, hey! Tanjiro! Hey, hey!" Kanae started poking Tanjiro a tiny bit harder, still keeping her bright smile. "It's rude to ignore someone talking to you, you know? Especially when it's a lady."

"F-Focus, Tanjiro…F-Foc-cus!" Tanjiro's closed eyes started to twitch as he kept breathing in and out.

"Hey, Tanjiro! Did you know that your name contains the kanji for 'charcoal' ("tan"), 'to heal' ("ji"), and 'male'("")?" Kanae asked. "I saw that when I read your name in one of the letters Lady Tamayo sent to Lord Ubuyashiki."

"F-Focu…Wait…of course I know what my name means! Why did she need to tell me tha-NO! FOCUS!" Tanjiro almost lost control over his breathing as his mind and body began to feel the strain.

"I think that name suits you to a T, you know, since you're from a family of charcoal merchants and you're so committed to helping others? And also since you're male, of course." Kanae continued as she continued to poke Tanjiro.

"Focus…! F-Focus…! I SAID FOCUS, DAMN IT!" Tanjiro's eyebrows began to furrow as he struggled to focus on his breathing and position.

"CAAAAW!"

"WAH!" Tanjiro jumped before losing his balance and falling back on his bottom, his concentration completely broken.

"HEAD EAST! HEAD EAST! A demon has been reported to have killed three dozen civilians along with four Kanoto (Third Rank) Demon Slayers in Yachimata Village in the Chiba Prefecture!" Tanjiro looked up to see Kanae's Kasugai Crow, Pii, flying in the air.

"Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho, and Demon Slayer Trainee, Tanjiro Kamado, are to depart for Yachimata as soon as possible!"

Kanae helped Tanjiro up as they both listened to the crow.

"Kamado's first mission as a trainee will be to eliminate the demon threat without fail' His performance will bring him one step closer to becoming a true Demon Slayer! CAAAW!" Pii finished.

Both Tanjiro and Kanae had serious expressions. It was finally time.


-Half an Hour Later-

Inside the House

Tanjiro and Kanae got ready for the trip as they met Tamayo and Yushiro in the house's basement. The basement also looked very similar to the one in the other house.

Tanjiro walked up to Tamayo, both of them possessing a sad smile. Tamayo then gave Tanjiro a sudden hug, which Tanjiro returned after a small shock.

Yushiro just looked away and grumbled. "Please be careful, Tanjiro. You may be a demon, but that doesn't mean you can just put yourself in danger without consequences." Tamayo warned the boy as they broke the hug.

"I promise, Miss Tamayo. Don't worry, I'll be careful. I'll be sure to come visit from time to time!" Tanjiro promised with a bright smile.

"We'd love that. You are always welcome here, my boy." Tamayo said as she returned the smile.

Tanjiro walked to Yushiro who held out his hand, which Tanjiro took as the two shook hands. "Try not to get killed, Tanjiro. Otherwise, Lady Tamayo will get sad." Yushiro said with a smirk.

Tanjiro simply smiled brightly at Yushiro without saying anything. After a moment of awkward silence, Tanjiro's message was made clear to Yushiro.

"Sigh…You really want to hug me, don't you?" Yushiro said with a blank stare as Tanjiro nodded excitedly. "Hmm…Fine…"

Yushiro awkwardly held his arms out as Tanjiro immediately tackled Yushiro with a bear hug. Tanjiro held his friend tightly as he failed to notice a cracking sound.

"O-Okay…That's enough!" Yushiro yelled out as Tanjiro finally let him go, allowing him to take a few breaths. "If you ever do that again…Oh, never mind. There's no way I'm strong enough to do anything to you."

Tamayo and Kanae chuckled as Yushiro walked away with a hand on his ribcage. After saying their goodbyes, Tanjiro and Kanae left the house and began their trip to Yachimata.


-The Next Day, Afternoon-

Yachimata, Chiba

After a day and a half of walking, Tanjiro and Kanae had finally made it to Yachimata Village.

Yachimata appeared to be a more urban area with less lights, smaller buildings, and multiple paddies as far as the eye could see. Tanjiro much preferred this setting to Shinjuku and Asakusa.

Kanae and Tanjiro asked the civilians in town about anyone who's gone missing lately. They got multiple responses.

"I haven't heard of any disappearances, but I have been hearing some commotion from some families."

"It's awful, my friend's husband and daughter have both gone missing. I really hope they find them soon.

"I don't really care about other people's problems so I got nothin-…Wait, are those…swords?"

"M-Mama is really sad because Papa went missing last night. He was w-working at the ramen stand down the street b-but…he didn't come b-back."

"It's so strange, I literally saw them last night at the local ramen shop. Now all of a sudden, everyone's talking about how they disappeared."

After a few hours, it became night and Kanae had made sure to inform all citizens to stay inside.

Tanjiro and Kanae jumped onto the roof of a house near the center of the village.

"It looks like we'll have to split up again." Kanae stated. "Use your nose to find the demon and slay it by any means necessary before it hurts anyone else."

Tanjiro nodded in response before putting a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Almost all of my battles up to now were won because of luck." He thought.

"I defeated that demon at the farm only because I went berserk, and I only defeated the demon with six arms after conveniently unlocking my Blood Demon Art. Then there was that 'Asahi' guy, who I managed to beat thanks to Hinokami Kagura despite it being just a fluke."

"It'll be different this time. I may not have changed the color of my sword yet, but I will prove that these last few weeks of training weren't for nothing. I'll prove that I deserve to become a Demon Slayer."

"Tanjiro," Tanjiro snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up from his hilt to see Kanae smiling at him. "Don't worry, I know you can do this."

Tanjiro's morale went up a bit as he returned the smile. "I won't let you down, Kanae."


Tanjiro ran through multiple blocks, occasionally jumping onto rooftops for a better view. He kept sniffing the air for the scent of a demon or even blood, nothing.

Tanjiro ran as fast as he could, making sure he didn't go too far from his designated spot.

Kanae had assigned Tanjiro an easy to recognize building in the southern part of Tachikawa as a point of reference to help him figure out where he was.

Kanae would cover the rest of the village. If she found the demon first, she would chase it towards Tanjiro's location while preventing any casualties.

Tanjiro saw that he was getting too far from his spot and started to head back when.

Sniff Sniff

"Blood! Someone's hurt!" Tanjiro realized as he turned back around towards the source of the smell. He imagined a cloudy trail which represented the scent he picked up and ran in that direction.

"I've got to hurry, they could be getting attacked by the demon!" Tanjiro said in his head as he ran as fast as possible.

It wasn't long before Tanjiro began to pick up a new scent, the scent of a demon. "There you are!" Tanjiro began to follow the scent.

Soon, Tanjiro stopped as he came upon a street with multiple blood trails leading to a spot between two houses. Tanjiro's eyes went wide at the sight of human blood, but he shook his head and pushed down his demonic thoughts.

He slowly walked to the dark path and drew his sword, inching closer and closer. The demon was here, the smell was strong.

However, Tanjiro was unable to see anything due to the darkness…until a young woman came limping out, covered and scratches and blood..

Tanjiro and the woman locked eyes. "HELP ME! PLEASE, THERE'S A MONSTER CHASING ME!" The woman screamed as Tanjiro tried to keep his composure.

"Calm down, don't let the blood get to you! This woman needs your help, you will NOT eat her!"

Tanjiro ran towards the woman until she was behind him. "Run! I'll hold it off!" Tanjiro ordered the woman who obeyed, not questioning that a child with a sword was protecting her.

The woman ran into the street when suddenly, a shadow leaped at Tanjiro at great speeds. Tanjiro was barely able to react as he brought his sword down in an overhead slash. Due to the suddenness of the attack, Tanjiro was unable to pull off a breathing technique.

The shadow dodged the slash and jumped onto the wall of a house and jumped off of it into the street, right towards the woman who was still running.

That's when the figure landed in front of the woman and immediately shot out a tail from its backside. The tail, which looked like that of a scorpion's, went right through the woman's throat.

Tanjiro could only stare with wide eyes as the demon's tail lifted the woman into the air as she gagged while clawing at the tail.

The demon revealed itself as it stopped moving, it looked male and had giant pincers for hands with green, cat-like eyes. He also didn't have a mouth, at least, not a normal mouth. His mouth instead was some large claws which also resembled a scorpion's.

The demon wore a black jinbei with red vertical stripes and no footwear. He looked at Tanjiro's attire while the woman was hanging onto her last shred of life.

"I've seen that uniform before…They're really sending fucking trainees to kill demons? The Demon Slayer Corps must be getting desperate for new recruits." The demon said as the claws of his mouth curled up into something resembling a smile.

Tanjiro's attention was solely on the woman on the verge of death. He was about to throw up when he snapped out of it and sprung into action.

He jumped towards the demon's tail and breathed while bringing his sword down.

Hinokami Kagura - Dance

Tanjiro managed to slice off the tail before and landing and jumping off the roof of a house to catch the woman in midair.

He landed on the ground with the gagging woman in his arms and jumped away from the demon, he set her down gently before slowly pulling out the stinger in her throat and applying pressure to her throat like Shinobu taught him.

"It's okay…You're gonna be fine." Tanjiro assured the woman as he took some bandages out of his pocket which Kanae had given him in case he needed to help an injured human or reattach his own lost limbs.

Tanjiro wrapped bandages around the woman's wounds, not noticing that the scorpion demon who stood only a few feet away was suspiciously still as his tail regenerated.

As he bandaged the wounds, Tanjiro found himself drooling due to the blood. Luckily, he gave himself a mental smack and focused.

Tanjiro finished wrapping the bandages as he looked at the scorpion demon who smiled at him. "What's that look for? Why isn't he attacking?"

Tanjiro got up and faced the demon as he got into a fighting stance. The demon continued to smile. "You don't know much about scorpions, do you?" He said.

That's when Tanjiro heard a noise behind him. He turned his head to look behind him, his eyes widened at what he saw.

The woman's body was spazzing out of control, the sclera of her eyes becoming red and bloodshot, she had been poisoned by the demon's blood which appeared to contain venom.

Tanjiro watched as the woman continued to suffer until her body went limp and she died. Tanjiro's mind had temporarily shut down to deal with the trauma that he was now experiencing.

"If only I had been faster…If only I had gotten here sooner…If only I had stopped that demon in time…She wouldn't have died such a horrible death…" Tanjiro thought.

"It's all my fault…It's all my fault…It's-."

"Oh, will you shut up already?"

Tanjiro heard a familiar voice…his own. No…It was his inner demon.

"You're always blaming yourself for shit you can't control. It's annoying, so stop it."

It was weird to hear himself curse, even if it wasn't really him.

"Think of it this way. Who's really to blame for that bitch's death? You, a dumbass kid who has about as much fighting experience as a fucking stray cat, or the demon going around stabbing motherfuckers without a care in the world?"

Tanjiro knew it was a bad idea to listen to this guy, but…he thought he had a point. Yeah, he was a demon, but he's still a kid.

He literally just became a demon not even three months ago, and he's been holding a sword for at least half that time.

Tanjiro knew he was trying his best, so this was out of his control. This demon was obviously stronger and faster than his previous opponents, which is why he got caught off guard. It really wasn't his fault, if he thought about it.

This demon however, he went for the weakest one first and had the nerve to act cocky about it. Demons were cowards, every one of them. Tanjiro would make them pay, he would make him suff-.

"NO! STOP THINKING LIKE THAT! DON'T GIVE IN!" Tanjiro told himself as he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I can't think like that, otherwise, I'd be no different from any other demon. I have to accept responsibility for my mistake and atone for it."

"I will avenge this woman by killing this demon, but I refuse to make people suffer, demon or not!"

Tanjiro sheathed his sword and gave a quick prayer for the deceased woman. "Rest in peace..."

He then slowly turned around with his face covered in shadow. "You have a horrible smell…Like burning oil…"

"The hell did you just say to me?" The scorpion demon asked, clearly triggered, but not as triggered as Tanjiro.

"Tell me, demon…How many people have you eaten…?" Tanjiro said as his glaring plum-red demon eyes became visible.

"Answer truthfully…and I'll make your death as painless as possible…"


And that's all for now!

I hope you all liked this chapter!

Yeah, unfortunately, it was a little shorter than usual. Sorry about that.

Also, quick note, Tanjiro's stamina increases as he gains more solar energy, allowing him to use both Hinokami Kagura and Sun Conqueror without any consequences for longer periods of time.

Also, I'm gonna hold off on saying Tanjiro's energy level until the next chapter so there's more tension in the next battle.

Alright, that's all I have to say for now, thanks for reading!

Next time: Chapter 10 - First Mission Part 2