Hello again! OMG04 here with part two of Total Concentration Breathing.

Before we begin I'd like to address ships, specifically Hinokami Rose (Tanjiro x Ruby)

I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm starting to like the idea more and more.

Now calm down, nothings been decided yet. I just said I like the idea, I'm still thinking about it.

That said, IF I do go through with it, I'll have to figure out what to do with Kanao. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. If you guys have any ideas for other ships, let me know.

Anyway, I talked your ear off long enough. Let's get to what you're all here for!

*I do not own RWBY or Demon Slayer. Both shows/manga and all their characters belong to their respective owners.

"Tanjiro" = Talking

"Tanjiro" = Thinking

Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV

"Tanjiro" = Flashback

Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect


Chapter 6 - Total Concentration Breathing: Part 2

Tanjiro Kamado

Tanjiro was writing in his journal in Mr. Urokodaki's guest room while Nezuko was still sleeping, he had finally been accepted as Mr. Urokodaki's student.

A few days ago, he began his training to become a Demon Slayer. Tanjiro checked the time on his scroll and got ready to leave. He took his haori which was laying on Nezuko's blanket and put it on.

He turned off the light in his room and opened his door. Before he closed it, he looked back at his sleeping sister. He reminded himself why he was doing this.

"Let's go." Mr. Urokodaki said behind him. Tanjiro closed his door and the two left the house.


The Demon Slayer Corps. An organization completely unrecognized by the Japan government and the other four kingdoms.

Since ancient times, like the Huntsmen and Huntresses who existed to protect humanity from the creatures of Grimm, the Demon Slayers have existed to hunt down demons.

However, unlike the Headmasters of the four Huntsman Academies, the identity of the leader of the Demon Slayers had always remained a mystery.

Demons. Their staple food, humans. They hunted and killed them. It was unclear when or where they first appeared.

The demons possessed incredible physical prowess, their wounds would heal almost instantly. Despite their apparent lack of Aura, their flesh could completely restore itself and severed limbs were regenerated.

Some could shape-shift. Some had other powers. And unlike the Grimm, demons could only be killed by sunlight or decapitation with a special sword.

The Demon Slayers fought these demons with their mere mortal bodies. As humans, major wounds would heal slowly, even with Aura. And any lost limbs would not grow back.

Limbs could be replaced, but that would not ease the pain of losing a part of yourself. Many Demon Slayers died horrible deaths in their battle against the demons and even the occasional Grimm.

Nevertheless, they still fought, to protect and defend humanity.


"I am a trainer," Mr. Urokodaki stated, "My job is to teach new swordsmen. There are many other trainers across Japan, each one using different methods to teach their students."

"In order to complete your training and join the Demon Slayer Corps, you must survive the Final Selection process on Mt. Fujikasane. And I decide whether you'll undertake that challenge or not." The masked man informed.


During his training, Tanjiro would start keeping a journal for Nezuko. Today, he descended down the mountain again.

The boy had to train so he could survive through Final Selection. Day after day, he made his way down the mountain.

He was starting to learn how to avoid most of the traps. He was stronger. And for some reason he didn't know, he was better at picking up subtle scents than before.

However, as Tanjiro became better at avoiding traps, Mr. Urokodaki made the traps even harder.

The traps that threw rocks were replaced with throwing knives, and the tiger pits were replaced with spike pits. Tanjiro began to think that the old man was trying to kill him.

That night, Tanjiro wrote all this in his journal. He kept looking to Nezuko for motivation. It was because of her that he could keep going.

The next day, Tanjiro descended the mountain once again. This time, however, he carried with him the sword that Mr. Urokodaki gave to him. It made moving around a lot harder.


Tanjiro was running with his sword in hand, but the weight kept throwing him off. His leg got caught in a rope trap that lifted his whole body and hung it from a tree.

He grunted as he tried to get out, flailing his arms while the rope kept swinging him. Urokodaki looked on in silence.


Tanjiro also swung his sword that day, which he had actually been doing everyday.

"991, 992, 993, 994…" As soon as he got down the mountain, Tanjiro had to swing his sword until his arms felt like they were about to fall off.

"998, 999, 1,000!" Tanjiro finally finished before Mr. Urokodaki popped up behind him.

"Now do 500 more." Urokodaki ordered. Tanjiro paled and his jaw dropped. He groaned in pain before starting again.


That night, Tanjiro was writing in his journal again. However, he was sleepy due to the fatigue from his training.

Tanjiro closed his eyes and began dozing off.


"Swords are fragile weapons." Urokodaki said the next day. Tanjiro had finally begun his sword training.

Though a sword is strong around the blade's edge, it is very weak on the sides. So obviously, you must apply the force where it's strongest.

The direction of the swing and the direction that the blade faces have to be exactly the same. Otherwise, it'll break.

Once Mr. Urokodaki finished demonstrating sword swings and told Tanjiro these tips, he faced the boy and pointed a finger at him.

"If you ever break your sword, I'll break every bone in your body." He said in an ominous tone, making Tanjiro think he meant it.


Tanjiro continued to doze off on his desk, but he woke himself up and rubbed his eyes.

"Nezuko," he thought of his little sister who had not woken up for over a week, "I have to stay strong for Nezuko."

Tanjiro continued writing in his journal.


The next day, Tanjiro stood in a clearing in the forest near the mountain. Urokodaki stood a distance away from him. Tanjiro held his sword and assumed his stance.

One second, Tanjiro was staring right at Mr. Urokodaki. The next second, the world seemed to flip upside down.

It took the boy a few seconds to realize that he was the one that was flipped, by Mr. Urokodaki specifically. Tanjiro was being trained in falling down.

The purpose was to fall as softly as possible, allowing one to get up quickly from any position.

Tanjiro got up, raised his sword, and with a charged at Mr. Urokodaki with the intent to kill while screaming like a banshee.

The masked man, on the other hand, was unarmed. He charged at Tanjiro and somehow flipped the boy over his head barehanded before Tanjiro even realized it.

For an old guy and maybe for even a middle aged man, Mr. Urokodaki was ridiculously strong. Every time Tanjiro attacked, Urokodaki threw him over his shoulder and the poor boy rolled to the ground.


When Tanjiro got back, he went to Nezuko who was still asleep. "Hey Nezuko. I'm back." He said, not sure expecting an answer.

Tanjiro then went to his desk and wrote in his journal.


The next day, Tanjiro would learn about breathing techniques and fighting forms. Little did he know how important a lesson it would be.

"Total Concentration Breathing?" Tanjiro repeated, having never heard of such a thing.

"That's right," Mr. Urokodaki confirmed, "Also, I'm going to teach you how to use all ten Water Breathing Forms."

"Start by taking a long, deep breath, so the oxygen flows through every cell in your body." Mr. Urokodaki instructed.

"This will enhance your healing ability and stabilize, as well as energize, your spirit." Urokodaki informed Tanjiro.

Tanjiro then thought of something important. "Wait sir, isn't that similar to an Aura. Why don't I work on unlocking that first." Tanjiro questioned. The masked man merely nodded.

"That's a good question. You see, Tanjiro, the Huntsman Academies and even some Demon Slayer teachers think it's better for their students to unlock their Aura and, in some cases, their Semblance as soon as possible." Urokodaki stated.

"However, trainers like me feel that unlocking their Aura first makes things too easy. I believe that students must learn to endure pain and struggle without help from their only lifeline."

Tanjiro thought it made sense. If he had his Aura the first time he went down the mountain, it would've been a lot easier. Or at least, a lot less painful.

But then Tanjiro would start slacking and not bother making an effort to look out for traps or even potential enemies, and the same might've applied to battles.

But instead, Tanjiro was a lot more careful when he descended the mountain and avoided getting severely injured without Aura.

To Mr. Urokodaki, it was the equivalent to training wheels. Sometimes, it's better to learn without Aura than with it.

"When you unlock your Aura someday, most achievements will be a lot easier to accomplish." Urokodaki continued, "But, you'll know better than to rely on it."

"The Demon Slayer Corps also believes this, which is why the use of Aura is prohibited during Final Selection." Urokodaki stated.

Tanjiro was slightly shocked to hear this, since he knew it was possible to die during Final Selection. But, he kept his worries to himself.

However, Mr. Urokodaki noticed Tanjiro's slight shock. "Don't worry, an exception to this rule was added during the start of the Taisho Era." He stated.

"Due to the amount of deaths during Final Selection, future candidates were allowed from then on to activate and use their Aura in a life or death situation like a fight with a powerful demon."

"However, you can only use Aura for offense. If you use it to heal yourself or as a force field, you'll be expelled from Final Selection. After that, you must wait a full year before trying again. That is, if you don't die first."

Tanjiro gulped as Mr. Urokodaki finished. "But, how do they know if you-" Tanjiro was interrupted.

"Tanjiro. I cannot tell you everything, at least not right now. Understand?" Urokodaki asked. Tanjiro nodded nervously. "Good. Now let's get back to training."

"Yes sir!" Tanjiro nodded again, this time with determination.

"Now, relax your arms and shoulders," Urokodaki instructed as Tanjiro's body became less tense, "But keep your lower body braced."

Tanjiro bent his knees slightly while still keeping his upper body relaxed. "Good. Now breathe!" Mr. Urokodaki commanded.

Tanjiro did as he was told and took a deep breath in and out through the mouth…Before Tanjiro grunted as his whole body bent forward from a sudden pain.

It turned out to be Mr. Urokodaki who smacked Tanjiro's stomach with his hand. "Wrong!" He scolded the boy as he fell on his knees and held his stomach.

"Next, the forms." Urokodaki announced after Tanjiro got himself up again. The boy struck a pose, trying to do the forms as Mr. Urokodaki showed him.

"Right! How am I doing?" He asked

"All wrong." Urokodaki said. Tanjiro tried another pose.

"How 'bout now?" Tanjiro asked again.

"Still wrong." Urokodaki replied

"Now?"

"Again!"

"Now?"

"Terrible!" Urokodaki then proceeded to harshly smack Tanjiro's stomach multiple times. The poor boy grabbed his stomach and let out a loud and painful groan.

This went on for a while. Tanjiro was yelled at for not bracing his stomach and clobbered to a pulp.


For his next lesson, Tanjiro had to become "one with water". Urokodaki took him to a waterfall and had him stand near the edge of a cliff next to the falling water.

He looked over the edge and the height made Tanjiro nauseous, until Mr. Urokodaki gave him a little push. Literally.

"Get in already." He said before kicking Tanjiro off the cliff. Tanjiro froze in midair and began running upwards in the air. He tried to get back up the cliff by fluttering his legs to propel himself up in the sky.

This strategy was working until Tanjiro realized he wasn't in a cartoon, as gravity claimed it's victim.

"FOR NEZUKOOOOOooo…" Tanjiro screamed as his voice faded away.

Splash!

Tanjiro floated down the river facedown and Mr. Urokodaki had to save him.


Tanjiro was then told to go under the waterfall. He had his knees bent and his palms were touching, taking on the full force and extreme coldness of the falling water. Needless to say, Tanjiro was freezing.

"AHHHHH ! ! !" He screamed as he shivered uncontrollably. "NEZUKO! I AM WATER ! ! !

Eventually, the pressure became to much for Tanjiro and the constant fall of water caused the boy to collapse.


-Five and a Half Months Later-

It had been six months since Tanjiro's training began, and Nezuko still hadn't woken up. Tanjiro became very worried.

Urokodaki sent for a doctor, but he couldn't find anything wrong with her. "So why are you still sleeping?" Tanjiro asked in his head as he stared at Nezuko.

Tanjiro was scared, no, terrified. Terrified that he would wake up one day and Nezuko would be dead. Every day, that thought haunted him.


After six months of training, Tanjiro had to start even higher on the mountain as he descended. Due to the air being thinner, it was even harder.

There were many times where he thought he was gonna die. But, he persevered and made it through in the end.

Tanjiro could avoid any trap with ease and could even use his sword to slice through or deflect the traps. He had become a lot stronger and more skilled with his blade.

His strikes were precise, quick, and strong. Even though he still hadn't unlocked his Aura, Tanjiro was well on his way to becoming a true swordsman.


-Six Months Later-

"That's it, I've taught you everything I can." Urokodaki said to an exhausted Tanjiro.

Tanjiro, who was now fourteen-years old, had been on Mt. Sagiri for an entire year now. And suddenly, this. "Huh?" Said the confused boy.

He believed he had a good handle on the basics of Total Concentration, and even all ten forms of Water Breathing

"The rest is all up to you. You have to prove that you're capable of advancing to the next level." Urokodaki said before turning around while still looking at Tanjiro. "Come with me."


Urokodaki led Tanjiro through the forest as it began to snow. Tanjiro looked around, wondering where Mr. Urokodaki was leading him.

The masked man soon stopped in front of a huge boulder which had a rope tied around it.

"If you can cut this boulder in two," Mr. Urokodaki began speaking, "I'll allow you to enter the Final Selection."

Tanjiro looked at the old man and then back at the boulder. "Cut the boulder," He thought, "Is that…Even possible? Can a sword cut through that?"

Tanjiro continued to look at the boulder as he gripped his sword. "I'm gonna fail. My sword will break." He told himself as Mr. Urokodaki started to walk away from the boy.

"Urokodaki?" He called out, the old man continued to walk without uttering a word. "Hang on a second! Urokodaki!"

Mr. Urokodaki continued to walk. Before Tanjiro knew it, the masked man was too far away to reach.

After that day, that was it. Urokodaki never taught Tanjiro anything again. The boy was left alone with the boulder as he looked down. He knew it was impossible.

But, Tanjiro decided to try. To try for Nezuko. He unsheathed his sword and turned to face his opponent, the boulder.

He let out his battle cry and charged as he brought his blade down onto the stone…The sword didn't make a dent.

Instead, the shockwave that came from the force of the swing traveled through Tanjiro's body, causing it to vibrate uncontrollably. Tanjiro's fierceness disappeared in an instant.

On the bright side, the sword wasn't broken and therefore, at least Tanjiro's bones were safe. He saw that as a win.

Tanjiro got into his stance and tried again.


-Six More Months Later

From then on, Tanjiro practiced everything he had learned from Urokodaki. He went through all the basics like holding his breath and staying flexible.

Tanjiro made sure to write everything he learned and did in his journal, which made practice a lot easier. After that, Tanjiro went to the boulder and tried to cut it again…and again…and again.

But even after another six months, Tanjiro had nothing to show for his effort except the burn marks and scars on his hands from holding his sword.

So, Tanjiro trained even harder, pushing himself harder than any fourteen-year old should have to. At some point, Tanjiro started to wonder if the reason he couldn't cut the boulder was because he wasn't good enough.

"Am I really no good?" Tanjiro asked himself after another failed attempt at cutting the boulder. "Will Nezuko die just like this? Dammit! I'm about to give up, this is impossible!"

Tanjiro headbutt the boulder in frustration, he was on the verge of calling it quits. But he knew that if he did that, he would never be able to avenge his family.

But most importantly, he would never be able to turn Nezuko back into a human.

"Come on, Tanjiro! You can do this!" He tried to motivate himself before headbutting the boulder again.

"Silence!" Tanjiro gasped as he heard an unfamiliar voice call out, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He backed up and looked up to see someone sitting in the boulder. The voice immediately told Tanjiro that it was a boy. His hair was thick, spiky, and peach-colored.

The stranger wore a plain white haori over a green kimono which had a yellow and darker green geometric hexagonal pattern. It was tied off at the waist with a piece of black fabric.

He also sported black tattsuke-hakama pants tucked into a pair of kyahan on his calves which bore the same design as his kimono.

He also had on black tabi socks and a pair of zōri on his feet. His most notable feature, however, was the white fox mask on his face and his peach-colored fox tail hanging below his waist, indicating that the boy was a Faunus. The mask itself had a strange scar on the right cheek.

"It's unseemly to whine, so knock it off." The boy said. Acting as if he didn't just show up out of nowhere.

"Who's this guy? He has no scent. And what's with the mask?" Tanjiro wondered, still shocked by the stranger's sudden appearance. Tanjiro had a strong nose, which made it near impossible to sneak up on him. But this boy had done just that.

"A Demon Slayer bears his suffering in silence." Said the boy in the mask as he began to get up. "That is what you want to be, right?"

The stranger jumped off of the rock. "Then start acting like it." He said before drawing a wooden sword midair. He front flipped and brought his sword down on Tanjiro.

Tanjiro brought his sword up to block the attack, but the stranger then brought his right knee to the left of Tanjiro's face with a great amount of force.

Tanjiro was knocked onto his back before flipping backwards and landing on his knees.

"You're slow, weak, and immature," The fox boy pointed out, "You're not worthy to be called a Huntsman, let alone a Demon Slayer."

Tanjiro finally recovered from his shock and questioned the Faunus' actions. "What do you think you're doing!?" He asked.

"Trying to figure out what you think you're doing." The boy shot back.

"What do you mean? I'm training." Tanjiro said.

"How long do you plan to keep sitting on your butt?" The stranger asked. "Take a fighting stance."

Tanjiro did just that. "Come on then," The fox boy gestured for his opponent to come at him, "Give me your best shot."

"But, your sword's made of wood. I could hurt you." Tanjiro pointed out with concern in his voice.

The Faunus started laughing, which confused Tanjiro. "How thoughtful of you! I greatly appreciate your concern." He said after he finished laughing.

"But do you honestly think someone like you could even give me a scratch?" He mocked, basically saying that he was better than Tanjiro. Deep down, Tanjiro knew that was true.

The stranger did not hesitate as he charged at Tanjiro with incredible speed. Tanjiro barely had enough time to block his sword as it came down on him.

"Rest assured, you have nothing to worry about! I'm far more powerful than you are! I've already cut through MY boulder!" The boy bragged as the two clashed swords.

"His boulder!? So, it IS possible!" Tanjiro realized. The fox boy pushed Tanjiro away and leaped into the air as he spun his body and landed on the side of a tree behind Tanjiro.

Tanjiro managed to turn around in time to block the masked boy's attack as he lept at him from the tree. Tanjiro pushed the boy back, but the Faunus then jumped into the forest.

He jumped around the trees at incredible speed, Tanjiro was unable to keep up. Then Tanjiro noticed a white blur go behind him.

Unfortunately, Tanjiro was not able to block his opponent's attack as the fox boy's sword struck Tanjiro's back and forced him to fall to the ground.

"You obviously haven't learned anything." The boy said, making his disappointment clear. "You haven't mastered any of your training!"

Tanjiro struggled to get up again while the stranger scolded him. "Especially not Total Concentration Breathing, didn't Urokodaki teach you?" He asked, catching Tanjiro off guard.

"He knows Mr. Urokodaki. Who is he?" Tanjiro wondered as he rolled over onto his back.

"All you've done with your training is memorize the information." The masked boy pointed out, "Your body still has no idea what it needs to do."

Tanjiro got up and faced the strange boy. "What the hell have you been doing for the past year and a half?" He asked.

The boy swung his sword at Tanjiro, who weakly blocked the attack. "All of it needs to be hammered into your flesh!" The fox boy swung rapidly at Tanjiro as he struggled to block.

"More! More! More!" The Faunus yelled out as the two blades continued to clash. "You have to make sure you never forget any of the secrets Urokodaki taught you!"

"Pound it into the marrow of your bones!" He shouted as he brought his blade down to meet Tanjiro's.

"I'm trying!" Tanjiro shouted back, still trying to block his opponent's attacks. "I'm giving it all I've got every day!"

"Except, I'm not getting anywhere! I can't-" Tanjiro admitted, "I don't think I can do it!"

"You can!" The boy yelled at Tanjiro as charged. "Man up!" The two boys clashed swords over and over again.

"Don't you want to be a Demon Slayer?" The fox boy asked. "There's nowhere else to go but forward! Give it your all! Show me just what you're capable of!"

The two charged at each other with their swords as the stranger spun around and brought his sword up to strike Tanjiro's chin, lifting him up into the air.

The battle ended as Tanjiro was knocked out and unable to fight anymore. The last thing he heard was the boy's voice addressing someone.

"I leave the rest to you."


Tanjiro woke up in the clearing with the boulder, he realized that it was now nighttime.

"Are you alright?" Tanjiro heard another unfamiliar voice. This time, it belonged to a girl.

Tanjiro sat up and looked at the stranger beside him. "Please tell me you saw that!" Tanjiro yelled out. The girl stared at him in confusion.

"The way that guy hit me! His swing didn't lose an ounce of power, it was just beautiful." The boy described his opponent's attack in great detail.

"I want to be able to do that! What do you think? Is that possible?" Tanjiro asked, his innocent excitement causing the girl to smile.

"I'm positive it is," She assured, "Because I'll be there to look after you." The girl's smile widened as she met out a silent giggle.

Tanjiro started to blush as he got a closer look at the girl beside him.

She had a short body and pale skin, along with gentle, deep cyan eyes. Her hair was black and came down on her shoulders, spiking outwards at the ends. There were also short micro bangs over her forehead.

She wore a red yukata with a white and pink flower pattern. Over it, she wore a sleeveless, dark-purple haori. She also had a pale brown piece of fabric tied around her waist.

She also had sandals on her feet, tied around her ankle from her heel and closed at the toes. Like the boy he met, the girl also had a fox mask but with two blue flowers decorating its right cheek.

However, she decided to wear her mask on the side of her head. Tanjiro also thought she was cute, but that wasn't important right now.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Tanjiro asked for the girl's name, his face still a little red.

"My name is Makomo, nice to meet you." Makomo introduced herself.

Makomo then went on to tell Tanjiro that the boy who attacked him was named Sabito.

The next day, Makomo helped out Tanjiro with his training. She pointed out everything Tanjiro was doing wrong. All of his mistakes, unnecessary movements, and bad habits were corrected.

Tanjiro was grateful, but couldn't help but ask why Makomo was helping him. And while he was at it, he asked where she was from, but she never said anything.

"Sabito and I," She started talking as she put on a handmade crown of flowers, "We both love Urokodaki very much."

She said this a lot, almost like it was her catchphrase. Tanjiro soon learned that Sabito and Makomo weren't siblings. They were orphans who were raised by Mr. Urokodaki.

"We're not alone though," Makomo would add, "There are lots of other children too. They're always watching you, Tanjiro."

"Hmm?" Tanjiro tilted his head in confusion after she said this. Makomo was cute, but she was also very strange in Tanjiro's opinion. Her speech was so abstract and dreamy.

"With Total Concentration Breathing, your blood circulation accelerates because your heart rate is faster than normal." She explained.

"This causes your body temperature to spike as well, allowing even a powerless human to fight with the strength of a demon."

"That's why it's crucial to expand your lung capacity. By introducing lots of air into your bloodstream all at once, your blood gets excited. So, your bones and muscles heat up and thus, grow stronger."

"Of course, there's more to it. However, you will find out more once you cut the boulder." Makomo finished speaking.

"…That didn't make any sense at all…" Tanjiro thought. Makomo's explanation only made him more confused.

Tanjiro shook himself out of shock to ask Makomo a question. "Sooo…How do I…learn that?" Tanjiro asked. Makomo simply looked at him, her face unchanged.

"Train until it kills you," she said with a straight face, "Because really, when you get down to it, there's nothing else you can do."


-Three MonthsLater-

Following Makomo's advice, Tanjiro trained. He trained until his limbs were ready to fall off, until his heart and lungs were about to burst.

He swung his sword. But, Sabito continued to wipe the floor with Tanjiro. So, he trained more and more. But even after three more months, nothing changed.

However, Tanjiro was getting stronger and he knew it. He just had to keep trying, for Nezuko.

Little did he know, three months later, everything would change. For both him and a certain girl in a hood. Soon, both of their journeys would truly begin.


Sakonji Urokodaki

-Three Months Ago-

It was the middle of the day. Urokodaki was in his house, watching over Nezuko. Tanjiro was out training, it had been six months since he told Tanjiro to break the boulder.

It was the same thing he did for all his former students, however, Urokodaki felt guilty.

Why? Because unlike the rest of his students, the masked man gave Tanjiro a major disadvantage. He told himself it was to make sure the boy was ready, but he knew it wasn't that at all.

After a year of training and taking care of him, it was natural that Urokodaki became attached to the boy. He also didn't mind Nezuko's company, even if she was asleep.

After six whole months, Tanjiro was still not able to cut the boulder. And despite his best efforts, Tanjiro was unable to unlock his Aura.

It wasn't unheard of, there were plenty of people who've had a harder time unlocking their Aura on their own than others. It's why most people nowadays rely on others to unlock it for them.

Tanjiro probably trained harder than any of his students, but he still couldn't unlock it on his own…And maybe that was for the best.

Sabito, Makomo, and all of his other precious students flashed through the old man's mind. He didn't want Tanjiro to suffer the same fate as them.

He told the boy he would train him to become a Demon Slayer. But, the truth was that he had no plans to send Tanjiro to the Final Selection.

After finishing his thoughts, Urokodaki addressed the crow cawing outside. "I know you're there, show yourself." He called out.

His door opened to reveal a shadowy figure, a man. "Oh come on, Urokodaki," The man spoke with a deep, sort of raspy voice, "Is that any way to say hello to an old friend."

The man walked forward into the light of the room, making his appearance more visible.

The man had black spiky hair with bangs that looked similar to feathers, red eyes, a grey dress shirt, a tattered cloak, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.

He also had a giant sword on his back. Urokodaki didn't bother to look at his guest, knowing exactly who it was.

"Is there a reason you came all this way to visit an old man like me?" Urokodaki asked the man while keeping his eyes on Nezuko.

"Actually, there is. I couldn't help but notice that you've finally taken on another student. I was just glad to hear that you finally moved on." The man answered.

"Hmph, define 'moved on.'" Urokodaki muttered.

The other man then looked at the muzzled demon girl. "Woah, Sakonji! When I said you needed to get back out there, this wasn't what I had in mind!" He joked.

Urokodaki was not amused. "Oh relax, I'm just kidding. I knew about the girl too." The man admitted.

"I assume Giyu told you." Urokodaki said.

"Well, he did after I bugged him for a bit," The man said, "He let it slip that you'd be getting a new student, then I followed him around until he gave me the details."

"You're lucky that Giyu trusts you, he doesn't give such information to just anyone." The masked man stated.

"Tell me why you're really here, Qrow. You don't like how I'm training the boy, do you?" Urokodaki accused the man known as Qrow Branwen.

"Well, I did pay the kid a little visit. Without him knowing, of course." Qrow said. "And I couldn't help but notice that he was having a hard time cutting the infamous boulder."

The dusty, old Qrow sat down next to the masked man, giving him a look. "That was four months ago, and I've been visiting him ever since. And it's the same thing every day."

"Which is funny since I recall Sabito cutting through the boulder in only two days." Qrow confirmed. Urokodaki said nothing.

"I'm a teacher too, Urokodaki. I know squandered potential when I see it." He stated.

There was a moment of silence before Qrow sighed and broke the silence. "Why haven't you unlocked the kid's Aura, Sakonji?" He asked.

Another moment of silence, this time broken by Urokodaki. "It's to help him grow. If I unlock his Aura, he'll start to rely on it."

"I get that, but you kind of need to rely on it to cut the damn boulder. That's why you unlocked it for Sabito and the others." Qrow stated.

Urokodaki finally looked at his old friend. "I unlocked their Aura on their first day of training," Urokodaki said, "All of their tasks became easier and they learned much faster. But their over reliance on it became their downfall."

"It was my fault, I took it too easy on them. I will not make the same mistake with Tanjiro, he must learn to rise above and beyond using his own strength." Urokodaki said.

"Technically, Aura is a part of a person's strength." Qrow stated. "And Tanjiro already went through a lot in the first part of your training. Can't you just throw him a bone, I think the kid is strong enough to handle himself at this point."

"I am the boy's teacher, Branwen. I decide when he is strong enough, not you." Urokodaki stated, showing that he would not back down.

Qrow sighed. "You're right, this is none of my business." He got up. "That boy trusts you, you know. And so do I, but trust is a two-way street, old man."

Before Qrow left, he looked down at Nezuko. He suddenly had a scent of sadness and pity. Then, he left and turned back into his corvid form and flew off.

Urokodaki thought about Qrow's words, and he knew he was right. Trust did go both ways, and Tanjiro clearly trusted him. That meant he had to trust Tanjiro.

If Urokadaki unlocked Tanjiro's Aura, he had no doubt that the boy would cut that boulder in no time.

But he couldn't, he couldn't trust that Tanjiro would come back to him. He couldn't trust that Tanjiro wouldn't perish like the rest.

That made Urokodaki feel even more guilty. He could only hope that Tanjiro could overcome the challenge he gave him.

If the boy managed to unlock his Aura and cut through the boulder on his own, that made Tanjiro more than ready to take the next step.

For now, Urokodaki would wait and see.


And that's the end of Total Concentration Breathing! I hope you all liked it!

What did you think of Qrow's appearance here? Crazy, huh? If you're wondering how he and Urokodaki know each other, I'll explain in future chapters.

In case you're wondering, yes, Qrow knows about demons. Qrow also knows Tomioka which will also be explained in the future.

But now that I've gotten to Tanjiro's time skip, I can finally focus more on Ruby's story.

That's right! Ruby Rose will be relevant again! Not only that, but she'll actually feel like a co-main character!

"What!? A co-main character like she's supposed to be!?"

Yep, I can't wait to see what I can do with Team RWBY and friends. You all seem to like what I've been doing with the Demon Slayer story, I just hope I can live up to your expectations.

Now, I realize that some of you are wondering when and how the Demon Slayers and Huntresses in training will meet.

I can't reveal everything right now, but I do plan for them to meet in the Mount Natagumo Arc. That's all I'll say for now, but there will be references to each other as the story continues.

Once again, thank you for the support you guys have given me. Feel free to leave any suggestions you might have to make the story better.

Don't be afraid to point out any mistakes, nobody is perfect. Just don't be too harsh on me, this is my first story.


Preview

*Cut to a manga with a cover for "RWBY DSR" with Team RWBY, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke standing next to each other*

*Play the Preview music from Demon Slayer*

The manga opens and flips to a page showing Tanjiro charging into a battle in one panel while Ruby poses in another.

Both of them jump out of the manga and face the audience. Tanjiro and Ruby look at each other.

Ruby: Wow! That Sabito guy really mopped the floor with you! He was like "SLASH," "SWISH" and "WOOSH!"

Ruby does a bunch of sword swinging poses as she makes sound effects.

Tanjiro: Well, I guess if you want to put it like that.

Tanjiro has a nervous smile and scratches the back of his head.

Ruby: But the way you clashed your swords looked so cool! You two were all "CLING" and "CLANG!"

Ruby continues her poses and sound effects.

Tanjiro: Oh come on, Ruby. It really wasn't that impressive.

Tanjiro has a confused, yet flattered smile on his face.

Ruby: What are you talking about, it was awesome! I can't wait until I get to fight!

Ruby pumps her fist into the air.

Tanjiro: Don't worry, Ruby. I'm sure you'll get your time to shine very soon!

*Cut to a close-up of Tanjiro's face*

Tanjiro: Now it's time for a Taisho Era secret!

Tanjiro leans forward with a mischievous look in his eyes. He places his right hand next to his mouth like he's whispering something.

Tanjiro: I heard that Makomo used to pull on Sabito's tail when they were younger. Whenever he ignored her, she yanked on his tail which apparently really hurts.

*Cut back to Ruby and Tanjiro*

Ruby: Of course it hurt, I heard that pulling a Faunus' tail is pretty much the same as pulling someone's hair.

Ruby has her index finger left like she's stating a fact.

Tanjiro: It must be really hard being Faunus, I'm sure glad I don't have a tail.

Ruby: Yeah, me too. How do you even control a tail? Maybe you can ask Sabito about that.

Tanjiro and Ruby look back at the audience.

Tanjiro: Next time, Chapter 7 - Two Small, Honest Souls.

Ruby: Yeah, this is where our story really begins! Let's do our best, Tanjiro!

Tanjiro nods with a smile.

*Music ends as the screen cuts to a kanji saying…*

To Be Continued…