Demon Slayer AU
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and it was just a little blurb that hit me so I had to write it. Maybe a bit OOC.)
"Sun breathing? You know sun breathing?" Tengen asked gaping at the small boy with the bright smile.
"Yeah. Uncle Yoriichi taught me when he saw some of the Kagura dances we do." Tanjiro said nodding his head and the Pillars were all wide eyed and dumbstruck again as they looked at Tanjiro.
"Apparently back when he was alive he was friends with my ancestor and had preformed the sun breathing techniques as a dance to entertain my ancestors small children. My ancestor memorized the dance and then when Uncle Yoriichi gave us the hanafuda earrings he left and died. The dance and the earrings were passed down from father to oldest son over the generations though, so of course I learned it and when I accidentally used the breathing technique my dad taught me while dancing one day and the flames came out Uncle Yoriichi took notice and trained me." Tanjiro explained easily and the others slowly nodded.
"But it's nice to finally meet the descendant of Uncle Yoriichi's brother! Uncle Yoriichi comes and checks on you a lot, along with his friend Tamayo-san!" Tanjiro said giving Muichiro a bright sunny smile and the others all glanced at the youngest pillar.
"Since he's not here he must be with Tamayo-san right now…oh I suppose I should prove that I really do know Sun Breathing and not making that up huh?" Tanjiro asked and he stood up, wobbling a little unsteadily for a second and immediately had three pillars supporting his weight.
"You have a blade then?" Tengen asked and Tanjiro shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"I don't have a nichirin blade like you all do, but I'm not a Demon Slayer yet so that's fine. I've got a hatchet though!" Tanjiro said brightly and held up his hatchet for emphasis.
"He can use his Breathing Style with the hatchet too. He nearly took off my head when I stabbed his sister." Giyu said and the others glanced at Tanjiro who grinned sheepishly at that.
"Sorry but Nezuko-chan is my little sister, and the only family I have left. I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." Tanjiro said and his smile was still bright but there seemed to be an undertone of threat to it now.
"Show us then. This sun breathing!" Sanemi demanded as he stared at the boy who smiled completely bright again and set down the basket his sister was in. The top cover moved a bit as if something was trying to peak out and Tanjiro rubbed the top of it.
"It's alright Nezuko-chan. Onii-chan is just going to show the others his sword skills really quick. I'll be right here and no one's going to hurt you." Tanjiro promised as the cover lifted a little bit to show two childlike pink eyes peering out at them curiously.
"Careful not to get hit by the sun okay?" Tanjiro said smiling at his sister who nodded slightly and peered out of the basket closely, she always did like watching her brother train with the flames.
Moving further away from the pillars and the house Tanjiro held his hatchet loosely but firmly and then took a deep breath before he began to go through the dance, one technique at a time and all perfectly in sync one after the other.
The pillars watched awed as this slip of a boy used Sun Breathing with ease and with only a hatchet. They wondered what he could do if he was properly trained up in the other style. What could he do if he had a Nichirin sword of his own?
"It really is like a dance." Mitsuri breathed out amazed as she stared at Tanjiro when he finished the last form and lowered his hatchet.
"It's supposed to be. Mom told me once that since we work with fire we use the dance to appease the gods and pray to not get burned that year. Uncle Yoriichi said that it was probably how the family remembered it, thinking of it as just a traditional dance." Tanjiro said with a smile and he wasn't even breathing hard despite going through all twelve forms without break.
"How long do you do the dance for?" Shinobu asked curiously as she stared at the boy, he wasn't breathing hard or sweating which meant he was accustomed to doing more than just those twelve forms in a row. And the way his body easily moved through each form with precision and an easy fluid like motion spoke of long practice.
"From dusk until dawn on the first of the year." Tanjiro said immediately and the other pillars began to sweat. The boy danced for at least six or seven hours in a row doing those same movements over and over?
"Do you do any gourd breathing exercises?" Sanemi asked staring warily at Tanjirou. What kind of god damn stamina did he have to keep up the dance for that long?
"Gourd breathing?" Tanjiro tilted his head curiously at that and all of the Pillars looked at one another wide eyed.
"I dare say that you will be an excellent Demon Slayer young Tanjiro-kun. While you do have Sun breathing it would be best to not let anyone else know of that for the moment so we should get you a second style to master." Kagaya said smiling gently towards the boy.
"Dibs!" All of the pillars immediately began yelling and clamoring to train the boy in their own styles, causing an argument to break out while Tanjiro just hummed slightly as he put his basket imouto back up onto his back and stared at the arguing pillars.
"I'll take you to Urokodaki-sensei for training in the Water Style. Please hold on as this may get bumpy." Giyu said softly to Tanjiro as he approached the boy while everyone was arguing. Only Kagaya noticed when Giyu left with Tanjiro and Nezuko in his arms, the others were too busy arguing over who would be the better teacher for him.
"Where has young Kamado-boy gone?" Rengoku asked several minutes later when the flame pillar turned to ask Tanjiro who he would want to learn from or which style he wanted to use.
The yard became silent as a grave as everyone looked around for Tanjiro and his basket sister, seeing him gone.
"Ah it seems you all finally calmed down enough to notice. Giyu-kun had taken Tanjiro-kun to Urokodaki-san a few minutes ago for training. He will make a fine Water Breather as well." Kagaya chuckled as he set down the tea his wife had given him.
"He did what?!" The other Pillars were less than happy with that as they looked around for Giyu and noticed he was gone as well.
"This is why no one likes him!" Shinobu growled out looking annoyed, Tanjiro would have made a nice apprentice to go with Kanae and possibly bring the younger girl out of her shell some.
The ominous clinking of Kagaya's cup being set onto the plate sent a shiver down everyones spines as his sightless eyes locked onto where Shinobu was standing.
"I believe we need to have a talk about that and about why young Giyu-kun behaves the way he does. Although I dare say young Tanjiro-kun will break down that part of him soon."
