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Gentleness.

"... This ointment is good for injuries..."

"... It's a gentle ointment." Shinobu stated as Naruto gently rubbed ointment into her ankle. She covered her chest with her arm, and she looked at him not even paying attention to that fact. The way he held her calf with one hand, and gently would apply the ointment with his other hand while looking over her leg implied something with demons.

With a normal demon, a demon doing that would imply they were thinking of where to start digging into her leg.

At this point, she knew he was no normal demon.

"... There was once a medicine woman I met... she had legs very much like your legs." Naruto pointed out as he looked up towards her eyes. "... the memory just came to me. The medicine woman who treated my wounds back then, she taught me how to make this very ointment." Naruto gave a gentle smile as he dipped his fingers into more ointment and rubbed it into her leg.

Shinobu was speechless, not out of shock or awe, but because she just didn't know what to say to that.

"... do you remember her name?"

"I don't... I remember her death, but not her name... if there is something that makes me sad to be a demon, it's so many of my human memories... I don't have them now." Naruto moved closer to Shinobu, and she lifted her free arm up and her breasts so that he could unwrap the bandages around her ribs. "She was a kind, gentle, lovely woman... she was soft spoken." Naruto told Shinobu about the woman from his memories.

There was a huge bruise on her ribs still, showing where he had broken her body in their fight. Naruto placed a hand under the bruise, before he took a dab of the ointment and started to rub it into the bruised and broken flesh.

"... Are you truly not tempted to eat me?"

"Tempted or not, I won't eat a friend... and you're my friend. All I want to do, is heal my friend." Naruto finished rubbing ointment into her ribs, before he moved using his knees, and went behind her. She had a large bruise on her back as well, and he opened another jar of the ointment.

"... How did she die... this lovely woman?"

"She was killed by a samurai... you see, the Lord of the area wanted her as his bride... but she didn't love him. If he couldn't have her... nobody could have her." Naruto remembered that. "... I found her... and my memories as hazy after that. I remember my anger... and after that, I do remember how empty I felt when I got revenge for her." Naruto explained as he began the process of healing the bruises on her back.

Shinobu couldn't help but smile.

"Were you infatuated with her?" Shinobu couldn't keep the small amount of awkward teasing out of her voice. As much as part of her screamed to hate this demon, the louder part of her was pushing down that voice.

He was a good man.

"You know... I think I was. She loved flowers." Naruto told her.

"... Is that important?" Shinobu didn't know why he mentioned her.

"... when I got revenge for her, I felt empty... so instead, I remember that I traveled the land. I found the most beautiful flowers I could find... and I planted them on her grave." Naruto kept his voice gentle and even. "... revenge left a hole in my heart, but what filled it was a goal... what filled it was the happy memories I had. I celebrated her memory... and now I barely remember her." Naruto laughed under his breath.

Shinobu didn't find it funny.

She found it sad, so sad that she almost wanted to cry for the man behind her. He started to change her bandages, starting by wrapping them around her ribs slowly, but he made sure they were tight and secure. His gentle hands knew, and that was why was off about his hands. They were hands that wielded a sword in anger, but could wield medicine with kindness. His hands had touched a woman, and he knew how to treat one with delicacy.

"... Was she your lover?"

"I think she was... I'm sure she was... I hope she was." Naruto could only answer those questions with that vagueness. He didn't know, most of his memories of the girl were faded from his mind, beyond a mist. "My memories of her are tainted by sadness, but despite that... my heart remembers her with fondness. Friend or lover... all I need to know was that she was important to me."

Shinobu smiled.

"So she is the reason... you killed 1,000 men for her then." Shinobu had her reason, and she smiled, before she frowned.

He got revenge by slaying 1,000 men. She didn't need him to confirm it for her, she could tell that she reminded him of his old lover. She was also a medicine woman, she practiced her craft with poison so well because of her medical knowledge. She knew that a man as strong as him, wielding his strength for a fallen lover, could topple an army if he so chose to.

"That, I'm certain of... revenge for the dead is empty. It doesn't bring them back, and revenge brings the dead no happiness... it leaves you empty and alone... because when you are consumed by revenge, what remains when that is gone... is nothing." Naruto finished wrapping her breasts up, before he got to her shoulder and sternum. He used her shoulder so that he could apply the bandage with pressure between her breasts.

"... I hate demons still."

Naruto didn't say anything as he stood up, and he walked away from Shinobu so that he could start making her a meal. Shinobu looked towards him as he started a fire, and she smiled at him when she saw him unphased.

"... but I don't hate you." Shinobu admitted, looking away from him.

There was a long silence.

-The Next Night-

Shinobu walked on crutches made from tree branches.

There was Naruto, sitting down with a jug of sake with a calm smile. He just stared up at the moon with a twinkle to his eye. There was dinner cooking in a pot next to him, and she smiled at it.

He was making sure she got 3 healthy meals a day, and he made an ointment for her every night. Then during the day he would change her bandages for her inside of the house, away from the sunlight. He was taking perfect care of her, and he had helped her recovery by making her a way so that she could stand up and get some light walking done. She could control her breathing again, so she was able to increase the speed she healed.

She would be fully recovered in a week.

With how well she was eating, and the medicine he was using on her, she would be back in fighting condition soon enough.

"They say if a demon eats the Blue Spider Lily, they can conquer their weakness to the sun... have you ever considered searching for it... so that you can continue your journey?" Shinobu asked as she sat down next to Naruto. She looked up at the moon, but found herself not interested in it or it's beauty.

Naruto glanced towards her.

"... Why search for it, I can name 3 places where it grows." Naruto already knew the flower she was talking about. "... I already told you, didn't I..." Naruto smiled at Shinobu.

She got it.

'He planted Blue Spider Lily on his lover's grave... meaning he had to at least find one place where it grew. If it is as beautiful as Red Spider Lily, I understand him not wanting to disturb it... did he not know it could grant him the ability to walk in the sun?' Shinobu looked towards Naruto, who just looked up towards the moon again. "... you could... you know... I understand you're powerful... if you want, once I'm healed you could come with me... you could join me... as a Demon Slayer." Shinobu didn't know what was coming over her.

From a sheer skill aspect, he was already above her.

If anything, she would place his abilities easily on par with an Upper Moon. He was a demon that no Hashira could just beat by themselves, the way he toyed with her told her that much. His power could be a huge asset to them, and if he could master a breathing style to go along with his monster power then they could start slaying Upper Moons.

"Hmmmmm."

"I could vouch for you, offer my seal of approval. I don't want the only demon worth being friends with... I don't want demon slayers to keep hunting you." Shinobu explained her reasoning. As long as he was a demon, unless somebody vouched for him and he was useful to them, he would forever be a target to be hunted. "... my sister..." Shinobu stopped her words in her throat.

Naruto smiled without looking at her.

He was being patient, and he only glanced at her briefly when she was looking away.

"... Should we ask your sister what she thinks?" Naruto asked Shinobu when she paused for too long. "Kanae... do you think I should join the demon slayers?" Naruto asked the air.

Shinobu looked at him with her eyes widened.

She turned her head towards the moon.

"My dear friend Naruto... nothing would make me happier than to fight by your side, to live, breath, eat, and help others knowing we will do it together." Shinobu spoke those words. She could imagine her sister was going to say them. If asked, she would be positive her sister would respond just like that.

"... and now what does Shinobu want... what are her feelings?"

"I believe my sister would... I know my sister needs this. We lost our parents, she her students... she lost me to the demons. She is filled with so much hatred, sometimes it blinds her... but... I can tell you calm her... when you are around, she feels... happy... she feels like I'm back in her life. She still hates demons... but she... she wants to live, and smile, and fight, and laugh with you... as a dear friend." Shinobu continued speaking what she believed with all of her heart and soul that her sister would say. She revealed what was in her own heart when she did so. "... will you... will you take the risk... will you please..." Shinobu couldn't stop the tears.

The words were stuck in her throat.

When she pretended to be her sister, and when she said what was truly in her heart... it hurt her so much, but she enjoyed the pain.

Revenge was empty, no amount of killing demons had ever brought her an amount of real joy. It never brought back her sister to her.

This healed her.

As she pretended to be her sister, she thought like her... she could only do her best to think like her. She imagined, she remembered everything she loved about her sister. She felt like in her memories, her sister was always next to her, wanting what was best for her.

It hurt, but even in that hurt she felt happy.

Like her sister wasn't gone.

"Will you please join my sister, and live with her. Will you look after her, and keep her safe... will you..." Naruto trailed off, placing his hand on her head. He gently rubbed the top of her head as he spoke.

Shinobu was crying, unable to speak, but she was smiling.

There was a silence where only the crickets and animals in the forest could be heard to go with the sounds of her crying. Naruto just kept rubbing the top of her head.

"... thank you.. Naruto, will you take the risk and fight by my side. Will you, a demon... take the risk and join me in my fight. Will you... risk it all?" Shinobu didn't need to pretend to speak for her sister anymore.

She was doing something more now.

Shinobu was speaking for herself, and her own desires.

"I hate those that lie to themselves-"

"I'm not lying, I..." Shinobu had a finger pressed against her lips.

"... so I love how honest you are being. Yes, I will go with you. As my friend, I will go with you... I will always be there to help you when you need help here..." Naruto pointed as he touched her forehead. "... here..." Naruto lowered his finger and touched her heart. "... or even when you need help with this." Naruto held her hand and gripped it into a fist. "... as your friend, I am on your side." Naruto confirmed for her.

Shinobu's lips quivered, before she smiled.

"... Thank you..." Shinobu looked up at the moon.

She closed her eyes, and she took a deep breath.

She felt at peace.

Chapter End!
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