Interlude: Moments of rest

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Guest review answer corner

Guest: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

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Welcome again everyone!

So, not much to tell so let's get right into it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kimetsu.

I hope you enjoy!


'…how did he arrive at that conclusion? It doesn't make sense!' That was the only conclusion that Zenitsu could arrive at after thinking properly about everything that happened inside and near that house.

He could understand wanting to calm the children, wanting to stop the fight with the boar, Inosuke as he introduced himself, and wanting to bury the bodies of the people unfortunate enough to end up inside the tsuzumi mansion, all of that was understandable.

But the fact that when Inosuke woke up and said that he won't bury the bodies, like Tanjiro, Zenitsu and the three siblings have been doing while he was unconscious and that Tanjiro immediately thought it was because he was in too much pain and told him to rest was too much.

'I thought it was some weird reverse psychology thing but… no, he definitely meant it.'

The boar did help them after the comment from the Kamado, albeit it was because he wanted to prove 'he could bury more bodies than the others', not the best motivation but it helped finish the job faster so he wasn't complaining.

Then, as the six were going down the mountain, after Tanjiro's crow gave Kiyoshi an amulet that is supposed to keep demons away, made of wisteria according to Tanjiro, and went their separate ways, the teen with the boar mask kept trying to goad Tanjiro into a fight… and kept saying his name very, very wrong for some reason.

Seriously, how do you confuse 'Kamado Tanjiro' with 'Kamaboko Gonpachiro'?!

Anyway, the three swordsmen then followed Tanjiro's crow until they arrive at a hotel with a wisteria crest and an old lady with a dark purple kimono and gray hair received them; it seems the family that owns the houses with that crest were saved by the Demon Slayer corps many generations ago so they let any members stay free of charge, according to the crow.

Although Zenitsu kept thinking the old lady is a ghost and Inosuke mentioning that she looks weak, making Tanjiro scold them.

Still, there was nothing to complain about the place, they got food (which Inosuke tried to use to provoke Tanjiro again… and he only said 'have this too if you're that hungry', completely meant it too!), a bath, some clothes to wear and a doctor was called to look at their wounds.

It turns out they all have broken ribs… although Tanjiro is the only one that got those wounds due to fighting a demon.

After getting a room with three futons and turning in to sleep, they began to talk.

Inosuke mentioned that his head hurts more than his ribs and the Kamado apologized, Zenitsu took that as his cue to complain about the beating he received and try to get Inosuke to apologize to him.

'I'll pass' he answered simply, much to the Agatsuma's chagrin.

Then they asked Inosuke why he joined the corps… it wasn't a nice story, a member happened to go to his mountain, he had been living there so the rumors about him probably made the corps think that there was a demon, then he beat that member, stole his sword and learned about demons and the Final Selection.

"So that's why you joined the Demon Slayer Corps?" Tanjiro said with a smile. "And hey, we both grew up in the mountains."

"Don't lump me in with you! I don't have any parents or siblings! Testing my strength against other living creatures is my only pleasure!" Inosuke said with a wide grin, putting his boar mask at the end of his speech.

"Is that right?" The Kamado said sleepily.

"…Tanjiro, no one else is asking, so I'm gonna ask myself." Zenitsu said, moving to a sitting position and looking at him over his shoulder. "Why are you traveling with a demon?"

"Ah…" The Kamado was silent for a second before also sitting. "Zenitsu, you knew about that and still protected the box? You really are a great guy, you know? Thanks!" He wasn't trying to avoid the question, an explanation is the least he can give him after how he protected his sister, albeit unknowingly, from Inosuke but that was the first thing he felt he needed to say, any other member of the corps would have likely cut the box first and ask questions later.

"You… you really shouldn't heap so much praise on me!" The blond said with a delighted expression while hugging his pillow.

"I've got a keen sense of smell so I knew it from the start. That you are a kind and strong person."

"No… I'm not strong." The delighted expression was suddenly changed to a neutral one as he sat again on top of his bed. "Don't give me that… lying is not nice."

"Ah… hm… bu…" The Kamado mumbled, trying to come up with something to say after such a definitive 'you're wrong'.

When his box began to move.

"Wha- ah! Eh?! It's trying to get out!" Zenitsu yelled, moving away from the box as soon as he heard the noise.

"It's alright." Tanjiro assured him quietly.

"What is alright?! What?! What?!"

"Zenitsu, lower your voice, it's really late." The red haired teen continued to try, and fail, to get the Agatsuma to calm down.

Inosuke simply stayed on his bed, wondering how to goad Tanjiro into a fight, completely ignoring the ruckus.

Then the door of the box opened.

"AHHHHHH! IT WASN'T LOCKED?!"

"Shh!"

"P-p-p-protect me! Please protect me! I'll even accept Inosuke's help!" Zenitsu yelled, running towards the masked swordsman, who quickly kicked him away and, although he didn't mean it, right in front of the almost open box.

"Eh…" A small hand crawled out from inside the darkness of the compartment.

"It came out! I have to hide! Hide!" The blond ran towards a closet and tried to enter it, even though there wasn't any space, until he turned around to actually see the demon. "Eh?"

"Nezuko~" Tanjiro called out happily as his sister turned from her 'child' form to her normal one.

"Huh?" While Zenitsu stared, completely frozen in place. 'Wha… this… that's a demon? But…' His mind always associated demons to evil and grotesque creatures, so when he saw what he knows is a demon but looked like a completely normal girl, save for the muzzle, he needed to take a moment to process it. "Ah!"

"Zenitsu, Nezuko is-"

"Tanjiro." The blond interrupted in a strangely serious voice. "You…"

"Eh? Zenitsu?"

"Youuuuuuuuuu…!" The Kamado was almost certain that lighting was starting to come from the Agatsuma and he certainly sounded angry if his tone was anything to go by. "You are pretty lucky, aren't you?!"

"Huh?"

"Traveling with such a cute girl, huh? Having a cutie like her travelling with you day in and day out…!"

"Ah, wait Zenitsu, you have the wrong-."

"GIVE ME BACK THE BLOOD I SPILLED FOR YOU!" The blond shrieked before shoving a finger in his face. "I… I did not protect… did not protect your box so could go have fun with a girl every day! That's the reason I let that weird boar hit me?!"

"Wh- Zenitsu, calm down, what's gotten into you?"

"YOU DON'T JOIN THE DEMON SLAYER CORPS TO HAVE FUN!" He completely ignored Tanjiro as he continued to rant. "People like you… are to be purged!" Suddenly, he grabbed his sword and unsheathed it. "Also, you got in the way of my marriage back then. BE PURGED! Don't underestimate the corps!" Zenitsu yelled as he lunged forward with his katana.

"Wha-?!" Tanjiro side-stepped to avoid the sudden thrust. "Zenitsu, cut it out!"

"People like you!" But the blond wasn't listening at all, he just continued to swing his sword at him.

Realizing that he is not listening, Tanjiro stopped running and when Zenitsu came at him again he counter-charged, grabbed the handle with his hands, making sure to avoid the blade, then let go with his left one and placed his arm under his chin to then lift it, and Zenitsu along with him, breaking his balance and sending him to the ground.

"Cut it out already! Nezuko is my sister!" Tanjiro yelled, still holding Zenitsu's sword.

"Don't think I won't beat you with my bare ha… what did you just say?"

"She's my little sister!" The Kamado repeated. "Her name is Nezuko, she was turned into a demon and I joined the corps to find a cure for her!"

It took a few seconds for the explanation to actually settle in and Zenitsu's mouth made an 'o' the moment it hit him.

"I see… your sister." The blonde turned his eyes from Tanjiro to Nezuko and back to Tanjiro. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine as long as you understand." The red haired teen answered, giving him back his sword. "Now, it's late, and you are injured, go to sleep for now." He said, his usual smile back in place.

"Ah, but-"

"No, no, we need to recover from our wounds, let's go now." He insisted, gently pushing Zenitsu back towards his bed.

"Alright, alright, I'm going to sleep, geez."

"Good night."

"Likewise." With that, Zenitsu laid down on his futon and closed his eyes.

"Sorry about leaving you alone for a while Nezuko, are you alright?" Tanjiro asked his sister.

"Hmm, hmm." She nodded, smiling under her muzzle.

"A lot has happened, you know?" Tanjiro began to tell her about what happened while she was in her box, where they are and who the other two are.

"…so Zenitsu defended you from Inosuke, make sure to thank him later, alright?"

The younger Kamado nodded a few times in acknowledgment.

"Alright… I should go to sleep… but first." Tanjiro moved to a desk inside the room where some paper and pen he had requested earlier were resting.

"Hm?"

"I'm writing a letter to Tamayo-san, there is something I have to ask her." He explained with a sad look as he began to write.

Nezuko stared at him write in silence for a few moments before suddenly hugging him.

"Nezuko?"

She didn't answer, not even with a mumble or hum, she just began to pat his head as if trying to comfort him.

The swordsman smiled and let himself relax. "Thank you, I guess I can't hide anything from you, huh?" He said with a chuckle. "I'm okay now, I'll just finish writing this before going to sleep."

Nezuko smiled again before letting go so he could continue writing.


A week after Tanjiro and co. arrived at the Wisteria House.

Makomo has always thought that, aside from the home she shares with Sabito and Giyu and her master's hut in Mt. Sagiri, the Butterfly State, home of the Insect Pillar and the corps' unofficial hospital, has to be her favorite house.

Although her reason for visiting is usually not a good one, she always appreciates the chance to spend time there with her friend and the children she and her sister rescued.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure it was necessary to come here for a wound like this." Shinobu said calmly as she bandaged her left arm.

The two were in Shinobu's personal room for when she has to take care of injuries.

"I agree but Sabito insisted and he wouldn't take no for an answer." She answered with a giggle, remembering how insistent he was that she should go see Shinobu.

"He can be a real worrywart, can't he?" The Kocho commented. "It's funny, he usually tries to keep a… what would you call it, 'dignified image'?"

"I don't think he actually tries to do that, it just comes natural to him."

"Unless he drinks sake." The smaller woman commented with a smirk.

Makomo blushed at the memory of the one time Sabito drank more than he thought and… well, everyone found out that he is the type to be completely honest, and loud, when drunk.

"In any case, didn't Tomioka-san backed you up? Surely he could see the wound was not that bad and he is always… blunt, shall we say?"

"Giyu couldn't really argue, not when he knows that Sabito's intentions are good… it's the same with me, really." Makomo answered. "I know Giyu is a man of few words but he always tries to think about how others feel, you know? …although he is not the best at conveying that."

"Sounds like there is a story behind that?" Shinobu raised an eyebrow when she saw an embarrassed smile from Makomo.

"…you didn't hear this from me, one time Giyu was coming back late from a mission so Sabito and I decided to… 'make the best of it', then he suddenly came in while we were making out in a… compromising position."

"Ara~ Ara~" The Kochou put a hand over her mouth to stop her giggles to no avail. "Hehehehe, what happened then?"

"Well, it was awkward, as you can imagine, but he simply apologized and asked that we leave a sign or something so he knows he should stay away for a while before leaving."

"That sounds like Tomioka-san, hehehe." Shinobu continued to try and control her giggles.

"Still, his intention was good, it's just the way he phrased it that was… less than ideal."

"Well, as fun as talking to you is, I've finished with the bandage and I have other things to do." Shinobu informed her, using a pair of scissors to cut the bandage. "Feel free to stay for a while, though, I'm sure the kids would be happy to see you and show you how much they've improved at making flower crowns."

"I think I'll take you up on that." The aqua eyed woman smiled. "Thank you Shinobu, see you later."

"Later~"

With that, Makomo left the room and began to walk around the mansion.

She already knew where she was going, straight towards the garden.

"Ah, Makomo-san!" Three voices said in unison when the saw her.

They were three little girls of around the same age with round black eyes, wearing the same white nurse dress but tied with a pink, green or blue bow around their waists; other than that, the only real difference between them was their hair style, the one with the pink bow has shoulder length black hair with two butterfly clips of the same color on each side of her head, the one with the green one is longer and has it styled in two braided twin tails with green butterfly clips and the one with the blue one has it styled in low twin tails fastened with blue butterfly clips.

"Hello Kiyo-chan, Naho-chan, Sumi-chan!" Makomo greeted them with a smile. "I came to visit and Shinobu told me you two have been practicing how to make flower crowns."

"Um… are you alright?" Naho asked. If someone came to the Butterfly State it was usually for an injury, so her question was understandable.

"Yep, I'm fine, I got a wound on my arm but Sabito made a bigger deal about it than he should." She explained happily. "But enough about me, how have you three been doing?"

"Ah, we made this!" Kiyo said happily as she presented a flower crown to her.

"We all found different flowers and then took turns to make it… it wasn't the best idea." Sumi admitted sheepishly.

"Hmm, I can see how that could have been a problem, still it's amazing that it came out as good as it did if you all took turns, maybe I'll ask Sabito and Giyu to do the same and see how it ends up."

"We would love to see it if you do!" The three said in unison.

'If I didn't know any better, I would think they're triplets.' The swordswoman thought with a giggle before offering to teach them how to make better flower crowns.

Their smiles immediately became brighter.

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"Thank you, Makomo-san!"

"You're welcome, you little caterpillars." She said as she waved at them.

The 'caterpillars' needed to go attend to their duties so they had to stop the lesson for now, they all got a flower crown made by Makomo before leaving, though.

'Now then, I guess I should be going back.' The demon hunter thought, getting up from the ground and dusting herself down. 'Hm, that is…' Her eyes moved to another part of the garden where a girl with a demon slayer uniform, black hair that turned pink at the ends tied in a side ponytail with a butterfly ornament was standing, one of her fingers extended and a butterfly standing over it as several others surrounded her. 'That's Shinobu's Tsuguko, I don't think I ever talked to her… let's go change that.'

Her previous plan forgotten, Makomo slowly began to walk towards her, keeping some distance to make sure she doesn't scare the butterflies away.

"Hello." She greeted. "I'm Makomo, you're Shinobu's little sister and Tsuguko, Tsuyuri Kanao, right?"

The girl, Kanao, moved her eyes towards her… and nothing else.

Not a word of acknowledgment, a nod, or anything, if it wasn't because she turned her way Makomo would have thought she didn't even realize she was talking to her or had downright ignored her.

"Is something wrong?" The aqua eyed woman asked, puzzled by her lack of response. 'They did tell me a bit about her situation but… I didn't think it would be this bad.' A look of sadness found her way into her eyes but she didn't say anything about it. "Well, I don't want to bother you so I'll be going now, let's talk some other time, ok?"

Again, there was no form of response from the younger female so Makomo simply waved and left.

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'I guess she understands better now.' Shinobu, who had happened to be looking for Kanao to train, thought as she watched the scene. 'Nee-san, I don't doubt she has good intentions but… I really wish she didn't thought about joining the Demon Slayer Corps.' The master of the house sighed as she remembered when Kanao came back from the Final Selection.


Flashback

It was a bright and beautiful day, almost no clouds in the sky, the sun was shining brightly, it was truly a beautiful day.

One that Kocho Shinobu could not enjoy in the least.

'It's the last day.' The Insect Pillar thought, taking a deep breath to try and calm down while she stood outside the Butterfly State. 'She should be coming back any moment now… if she survived.' A part of her mind, one that she didn't want to listen to, added the last part, making the purple eyed woman shake her head. 'I just have to believe, she will be alright.'

'But she never had any sort of formal training.' Again that part of her mind showed its head. 'She would have to be really lucky to survive seven days against demons without knowing how to fight.' As much as it pained her to admit it, that was true.

What exactly possessed Kanao to just grab one of their spare swords and leave a note saying she is going to the Final Selection is something she fully intends to find out.

'If you get the chance.'

'Stop!'

Taking another deep breath, Shinobu forced herself to stop thinking about the subject and simply wait.

But the waiting was unbearable; her mind kept coming back to thoughts of her younger adopted sister dying on that mountain.

She actually tried to go to Oyakata-sama and requested permission to enter the testing grounds and bring her back but he had refused.

It's not like Shinobu expected a different outcome, especially when the leader of the corps pointed out to her that 'if you didn't told her to and no one forced her to, then she went there of her own free will', but she had to try, as futile as it might be, she couldn't live with herself if she didn't.

That week had been hell to her, she literally just continued to think of 'what-ifs' even though she has her own duties she should be focusing on.

The Kocho did her best to not let that show to the other members of the house, she knows they're worried too and seeing her worried would only make it worse, so she did her best to try and reassure them that Kanao will be back safe and sound... even if a part of her didn't believe that.

'Kanao… please just come back already.'

Shinobu stood there, waiting for her to come back, constantly wondering if she is just waiting in vain, part of her even wanted to go write an urgent letter to Oyakata-sama to know if he knows if Kanao passed… but she is also afraid of what the answer might be.

Eventually, after two long and agonizing hours, she could see a figure in a pink kimono with her hair tied in a side ponytail with a butterfly ornament walking towards her.

Shinobu simply stared as her sister walked towards her, a katana on her hip and a crow resting on her shoulder.

"…you have a lot to explain." She said with a glare that made the younger girl avoid her gaze. "But first…" Shinobu grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy you're alright."

"…yes." Kanao answered in a quiet voice.

"Let's go inside and tell the others, then I'm going to give you the scolding of a life-time." She said with a smile… and a dark aura around her.

The girl in the pink kimono just nodded and followed her inside.

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After telling everyone that Kanao had come back and she was safe, Shinobu brought her to her room and had her sit in seiza in front of her.

"Now, tell me what exactly possessed you to go to the Final Selection without telling anyone." The Kocho demanded.

"…I… don't think I'm good enough to help out with chores or taking care of patients." She answered. "But I still want to repay you for everything you've done for me and… I couldn't think of another way."

"Kanao…" Shinobu's gaze softened slightly but she hardened it once more. "Still, to go to the Final Selection without any training… it's a miracle that you don't have any wounds." The Kocho had been checking her constantly since she saw her coming back, to see if she stumbled or clutched her side or any other indication of pain. "Well, you passed, so I guess there is no stopping it now… I'll see if you can enter the Kakushi."

"Actually… I can fight demons as a demon slayer."

"Kanao." The older of the two called out, a look of disbelief across her features. "I am very happy you survived the Final Selection but don't think that means you can fights demons."

"I did fight demons."

"…pardon?"

"I fought demons in that mountain with Kanae-nee-san's Breath Style."

For the first time since Shinobu met her, Kanao left her speechless.

"You… what…?" She asked after a few seconds. "But… Nee-san never trained you."

"No, I learned by watching her." The Tsuyuri revealed easily, as if they were having the most benign conversation imaginable.

"Show me." Shinobu ordered.

The girl with the pink kimono nodded, stood up, unsheathed her sword, and took a stance.

Kanao then took a deep breath, one that Shinobu could tell was a 'Total Concentration' breath and unleashed a technique.

Her sword moved gracefully, unleashing five slashes that flowed and weaved in on themselves.

"That was…" For the second time, Kanao left her older sister speechless.

"The Fifth form of the Breath of Flower: Peony of futility." The younger one finished.

"How?" The Kocho recovered a lot quicker this time. "You said you learned by watching her?"

"Yes, I can't perform the techniques at the same level she could but I believe I have the basis down." Kanao answered, still with the same inconsequential tone.

"That… even if you could learn by watching I can't believe you are able to perform them without training-" It hit her before she could actually finish her sentence. "You've been training on your own, haven't you?"

"Yes, I saw you and Kanae-nee-san train so I did the same things you did." She explained. "I can't do everything you do, though."

"To think I never realized…" Shinobu thought out loud. "…how many demons did you face in that mountain?"

"Hm? I didn't count them, should I have done that?"

"No, no, that's alright." The fact that the question came with the same distant and matter-of-fact tone as before made Shinobu uncomfortable but she decided to keep that thought to herself. "Let me rephrase, of the demons you encountered, did any of them give you trouble?"

"Not really, they all got taken down with one technique; sometimes I didn't even use a Flower Breathing form and managed to cut them just by swinging my sword through their necks."

'She is not lying… well, she is not capable of it after all.' That thought was bitter-sweet for the Kocho; on one hand, she doesn't have to worry about Kanao lying about her skill, on the other, the reason why she can't lie is something that she still wishes she could help with.

"Very well, starting tomorrow I will begin to train you so you learn more about Total Concentration Breathing." The Insect Pillar declared. "I'll be strict, just so you know."

"I understand… should I call you 'master' from now on?"

"You can if you want to."

At the answer she received, Kanao looked into a pocket on her kimono and retrieved a coin from it, she then threw it upwards and caught it when it came down.

It landed tails.

"Very well, Master."

"…go rest for now, we have a long day ahead tomorrow." Shinobu said, hiding how she felt about her throwing that coin behind a smile.

Kanao bowed her head and got up to leave.

"Kanao." The aforementioned stopped and turned around. "When you went to the Final Selection, did you flip your coin to decide that?"

"..."

The fact that she was taking a long time to answer brought a questioning look to the Pillar but she simply waited in silence.

"…no." She finally said.

"I see… that's all."

Bowing once more, Kanao truly left this time.

The Insect Pillar stood up and walked towards another room, one that had a shrine for the dead with some incense burning.

'Nee-san, I am not happy about the circumstances but…' Her mouth curved into a small, real, smile. 'It seems Kanao is getting a bit better.'

End of Flashback


'I thought that at the time but…' Her gaze went towards her Tsuguko. 'She hasn't made any other decision on her own since.' Letting out another sigh, Shinobu called out to Kanao for them to begin training. 'You said her heart will open when it gets the chance… I really hope you were right, Nee-san.'


Far away from the Butterfly State.

"Thank you for your help, doctor." A man in his early thirties said as he walked out the door.

"You're welcome, please contact me if something happens." Tamayo answered with a nod.

The man waved once more before leaving the clinic.

'He was the last one.' The demon woman thought with a relieved sigh.

Standing up from her chair, she walked through the house she and Yushiro had prepared and opened a hidden door on the floor, leading to a basement.

She calmly went downstairs and opened another door to a room filled with different research materials.

"Welcome back, Tamayo-sama." Yushiro greeted her, looking up from his microscope.

"I'm back." She answered simply and moved towards a desk with several papers in it. "How were the tests?"

"…inconclusive." 'A failure' but the younger demon didn't want to use those words. "I'm trying a different compound now but… we're running out of blood."

"Yes, I thought the blood from just one demon wouldn't be enough to run enough tests." The brown haired woman commented. "Try to run as many as possible then we'll have to wait until Tanjiro-san can send us more blood."

"Understood." He answered with a nod.

While Yushiro did that, Tamayo opened a drawer from her desk and retrieved an already opened letter from it.

'What should I do…?' She wondered while reading the letter for the nth time. 'What Tanjiro-san proposes is ridiculous and yet… I can't help but consider it.'

"Tamayo-sama." Yushiro called out.

"Hm, did you finish with the test?"

"No, it's about the letter." He answered, his eyes still focused on his task. "I don't think you should agree, the risk is too high."

"…I know." She answered with a sad look.

"…that being said…" The green haired demon continued, momentarily taking his eyes off the test to look at Tamayo. "You decided to trust Tanjiro, if you want to trust that he can actually find something like that, I will abide by your decision."

The woman was momentarily stunned by his words but it brought a warm smile to her face.

"You're right, I did decide to trust Tanjiro-san." Tamayo answered. "Thank you, Yushiro."

"I didn't do anything that you have to thank me for." He muttered with a blush as he moved his gaze back to the test.

'There are risks involved but… there is also a lot to gain if he can find one.' Tamayo grabbed a pen and paper and began to write her reply. 'And… I genuinely hope he can.' The demon woman never thought the day when a demon hunter would look at a demon and think of helping them before killing them would come but it had.

So maybe, just maybe, it would be alright to have a bit more faith.


Ok, a bit shorter than usual, but this was mostly a transitory chapter and a way to set up a few things for the future.

Also, I never knew I was that good at the pronoun game, haha. Think you can guess what the letter Tanjiro sent Tamayo was about?

You know, this is the most fun I've had writing a chapter for this story in a while, mostly because a big part of it are things that I thought of instead of things from the anime/manga (can't wait to reach the part where I no longer need to set things up and can just write to my heart's content)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment if you did (or if you want to leave some constructive criticism, I am always happy to read that)

Until next time.