The dango cart owner was closing up shop for the day. He had sold enough to meet his quotas, but had overestimated how many of the sweet dumplings to make in the last batch. Usually he went home to his family with a couple extras to donate to neighbors or friends, but today he had already given away some for free to the passing villagers and still had a full bucket's worth.

Two travelers passed nearby. He called out to them, advertising the free food. Odd people, he decided. They wore strange colorful garments and had covered swords at their hip. But everyone got hungry after a journey, which is why he set up his cart near the entrance of Hara. He watched as the girl said something to the guy, then the guy started walking up to his stand. He was a collected looking young man, obviously very fit, and he had an air of importance to him. He asked for two order's worth, and the cart owner obliged, sticking an extra ball onto the sticks to get rid of just a couple more. The guy thanked him and left some coins on the counter, despite the food being free. The cart owner's eyes went wide when he saw how much money it was.

Shinobu heard the cart owner shout something at Giyuu, to which he just shrugged and walked away. The dango salesman seemed to be insisting on something, but Giyuu just kept walking. She saw the man scratch his neck, then shrug and put the money in his register. "What was that about, Tomioka-san?" she said when he offered her one of the snacks.

Giyuu shrugged. "He insisted they were free, but I gave him some money anyway. He seemed to be very principled."

"My, how kind of you!" Shinobu said, "But sometimes it's best to go along with people when they insist on something so simple, isn't it?"

"Hm." Giyuu took a bite of the dango and started walking.

The Hashiras went further into the village. It was a medium sized settlement, the largest for a while in this relatively unpopulated area. Nearly all the commercial buildings were concentrated on the main street, so it seemed a good place to start. They passed a cozy little tea shop, a closed cobbler, what seemed to be a mixed bar and entertainment establishment with exergetic music spilling into the street, a cheery looking sweets store and a bakery. Young couples giggle as they pass Shinobu and Giyuu, and rambunctious groups of young men shout nonsense at each other in the cold evening air.

"Lively night, isn't it Tomioka-san?" Shinobu said cheerfully, turning to face him.

Giyuu hums assentingly, glaring around the crowd. The sun had gone behind the mountains already, and an environment like this is one that disguised demons can thrive in. He didn't sense any as of now however, and it was unlikely any demons would be encountered tonight so effortlessly. He was scanning the crowds across the street when he saw something that caught his eye.

"Kocho." Giyuu pointed across the street.

"Hm?!" Shinobu said, quickly becoming alert and lowering the dango from her lips. Had he found something already? Her eyes darted across the distant buildings, but she couldn't find anything suspicious.

"Clothing store," Giyuu said. "They have winter clothing in the window."

Shinobu huffed. "Tomioka-san… take this more seriously please."

"The demons could be hidden in the mountains," Giyuu reasoned, "you'll need something."

Shinobu considered that. Concentration breathing can give you control of your body and stop unwanted phenomena like shivering or loss of motor control, but it can't beat thermodynamics. Prolonged missions in snowy environments would drain her small stature of all heat very quickly. The increased metabolism that comes with concentration breathing constant can somewhat mitigate this, but only by so much. She should at least get warmer undergarments to wear beneath her demon slayer uniform, if nothing else.

"We can go later," Shinobu reasoned. "We should find a place to stay first, and use the opportunity to ask about any disappearances or attacks. A hotel owner would know about missing patrons."

Giyuu shook his head. "We might end up trapped or fighting in the mountain woods tonight. We should prioritize being combat ready first."

"Hmm…" Shinobu thought about the possibility of having to chase a demon into the surrounding harsh forests in her current attire. "Fine, have it your way. Let's go."

The two of them cross the road and enter the clothing store. It's a plain establishment, with most of the clothes being drab worker's attire. Many jobs in Hara are hunting or logging related, so warm working clothes are a necessity near the perpetually snowy mountains. The cashier greets them, and they both give a polite wave.

"Not really your style," Giyuu comments, eyes perusing through the racks and shelves.

Shinobu raises an eyebrow at that. "Since when do you care about style, Tomioka-san?"

"These clothes look very thick and tough to fight in for someone your size. And most of them are men's."

Gazing around, Shinobu realizes this was true. Hum… this might not work out. All of the pants she could find were triple layered tough fabric, something that could save your skin from an ax or knife grazing across your skin and take years of punishment from using your legs to lever up lumber. Not to mention… some of them were almost as long as she was tall. She looked around and saw Giyuu talking to the girl at the register. Oh no, she thought, remembering how badly he had butchered the conversation with the locals on their previous missions. She quickly strode over to manage his conversation.

"Something her size?" asked the cashier, pointing at the approaching girl. Giyuu nodded at that. "Hmm… actually, we do have a kids section in the back, if that isn't offensive ma'am! We sell mostly mens clothes here, nothing for a creature as pretty as you are!" the cashier laughed nervously.

"I'll… take a look," Shinobu said, straining a little to stay polite at the embarrassing suggestion. Giyuu joined her in walking to the back of the store. There were little shelves with child worker clothes, and the two of them began to pick through the offerings. "Are you getting anything, Tomioka-san?"

Giyuu shook his head. "How about this?" He turned around holding up a pair of kid's fleece filled hunting pants. Unlike the logging pants, these were tailored for extended hunts in the snowiest parts of the mountains.

Shinobu took them in their hands. Soft, supple light brown leather with wool stitched to the insides. These do feel very warm, she decided. Since the kid's section was in the back of the shop, they were already right next to the changing room.

"Mind if I try them on?" she asked, to which Giyuu gave an uncaring shrug. She moved aside the privacy curtain and gently took off her haori and black demon slayer pants. Sliding the new pants upwards she noted that they were a little tight, but soft leather such as this stretches with use, so it's to be expected. She opened the curtain to look in the shop's mirror, Giyuu dispassionately staring at her reflection over her shoulder. She extended and pivoted one leg at a time, looking for overstretched seams or baggy areas, and found none.

"They're a little tight," she said, "but that's to be expected of this style of pants, right?"

"Don't let them hinder your movements too much," said Giyuu. "Your nimbleness is very important to your combat style."

"Tsk." As if I don't know that, she thought, feeling a little patronized. Shinobu stretched her legs apart like she was prepping for a sprint, and the inner seam seemed to hold up just fine. She pulled her leg up in the air in front of her like a dancer, and the backside leather stretched along with her movements. Shinobu put her feet together and quickly dropped to a low squat.

And both outer seams loudly ripped open.

Shinobu stood back up silently, cheeks red, her hands clasping together the flaps of leather to hide the exposed skin. Giyuu was still staring blankly over her shoulder at her reflection in the mirror. The pants had holes on both sides that extended almost the entire length of her outer thighs.

"Maybe a size up," he said calmly, and handed her a similar pair of pants.

Shinobu took it wordlessly and went back to the changing room. She kicked off the old pair, thoroughly burst open, and slid on the new. Trying hard to stay quiet she rapidly repeated the squat, pumping up and down a few times to re-do the failed test. The pants remained undestroyed. She tried a few more durability tests, but this seemed to be the right size for her. She gathered her belongings, and realized the destroyed pair was gone.

He must have taken them, she thought, since they were halfway peeking out from the curtain anyway. She put her demon slayer uniform back on over the pants without issue. Shinobu allowed herself a moment to calm down, breathing slowly and willing the blood to flow away from her cheeks and her heart rate to return to normal.

Shinobu exited the changing room, looking around and seeing Giyuu at the register talking with the girl. She walked up to him and Giyuu turned to her. "Anything else?" he asked.

"I think I'm ok," Shinobu said. "There isn't anything in here I could wear as an undershirt, and I don't need gloves or socks."

Giyuu nods, and turns to leave.

"Ah- Tomioka-san? I still need to pay for these!" Shinobu said with some alarm.

"He already paid for them miss," the girl at the register chimed in. "Two pairs of kids light leather hunting pants, correct?"

"Y-yes, thank you." Shinobu gave her a polite nod and followed Giyuu out the door. She stared at his back for a moment. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"It was an insignificant amount Kocho. I just wanted to keep moving."

"I guess," Shinobu said. While it's true the hashiras are paid well, when it comes to the kind of pocket money one would actually take on a mission, buying two pairs of handmade leather pants from a small store like this was still a rather large purchase.

"…Sorry you had to buy them both," she said sheepishly, cheeks reddening a little.

"Hm," he said dismissively. They walked further into the town, both hashira keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity and asking the occasional passerby a few questions.

—

The demons hadn't been hard to find. It was an enclave of them, nine or so, holed up in the mountain caves. A few missing persons cases and a dismembered family pet had led them to the general area, and a stray demon guarding the entrance had given away their exact location. They had spent the night searching and dawn was approaching, so the two hashira noted down the number of demons scurrying back into their hole before the sun rose.

They decided they would make their move once the sun shone. Attacking so many demons in such a small choke hold would be a death sentence for most demon slayers, but these unfortunate souls had been assigned two pillars of the corps for their extermination. The sun would ensure the demons had nowhere to run from their onslaught.

The cold mountain air bit at their skin as they waited, and Shinobu was thankful her lower half was wrapped in layers of warm leather and wool. Her legs were her survivability in a fight, so it made her feel safer knowing they were protected from the chill.

Giyuu had gone in first, drawing the attention of two demons near the entrance and challenging them with a drawn sword. Their limp bodies were crumbling to ash once the rest of their compatriots took notice. Giyuu stepped forward from the mouth of the cave, and blocked a flurry of attacks from the four closest demons at once.

He then turned and ignored them, moving on to deal with three more who had come up from the depths of the cave. The four attacking demons were confused and raised their steel sharp claws to rake this ignorant slayer into shreds, when they realized their arms never actually raised. Their lives only held a few more moments of confusion and pain, before they succumbed to the poison bleeding into them from small cuts dotting their bodies.

Giyuu sliced the head off of another demon before blocking the attacks of another two, and watched as the insect hashira poked his attackers again from the sidelines. He quickly moved past them, only giving them another glance over his shoulder as they turned around in confusion before bucking over in agony.

Fighting with the insect hashira by his side was… relaxing. Giyuu could take care of these demons by himself, perhaps with some more planning and a longer time frame for the attack, but going against numerical odds such as these in such a confined space always carried the risk of being overwhelmed unexpectedly.

Water breathing was a dependable, adaptive and supportive breathing style. It could compliment any attack by a compatriot, and its defensive abilities are paramount; especially considering his own personal form 11: Dead Calm.

But defense was defense, and attacking would always need to follow. However, most water breathing attacks are momentum based and require broad, flowing motions. Giyuu could weave a path of death through a crowd of low ranking demons, but water breathing didn't have the explosive attack speed of thunder breathing nor the ferocious attacks of flame breathing. As such, Giyuu needed some time to flow between attack and defense, to build and cancel momentum, to flow in and out of the fight like waves on the beach. Not much time, to be clear. He was a hashira, so training to mitigate any weaknesses in your breathing style was a given. But it was hard, it required focus and skill, and it was something he needed to be at his peak to do with grace.

But Kocho simplified fights. He would attack before flowing back into water breathing's impenetrable defense, and before he knew it the demons who attacked him had seconds left of suffering left in their lives. He could give himself to the natural flow of his combat, and not have to fight the momentum in every movement like usual. It was ironic how such an irritating girl could make combat so much less stressful.

The two of them ran further into the cave and found what looked to be the leader of this troop. It was a disgusting thing, much taller than all the rest, with four arms the size of tree trucks, massive steel balls on its fists, and a mouth that oozed a foul smelling bile.

Shinobu charged it with her specially made nichirin blade. She saw its arms cock back to strike her, but she didn't change her course. She was well used to fighting alongside Giyuu in situations like this, and knew she would be safe. She ducked down lower, below the reach of the two upper arms, and prepared to unleash a flurry of poisoning attacks that would bring this beast down.

The demon's massive arms swung at her, to be met by flashing steel. Here it is. Time seemed to slow as Shinobu watched one of the demon's steel clad hands be checked by a blue steel katana in a cloud of sparks. She saw that katana move unhindered from the massive blow to cover her left side, where the demon's attack was deftly deflected harmlessly into the air. It moved again, slicing through the wrist of that fist and moving back again to her right to do the same. To someone with less keen senses than a hashira of the demon slayer corps, it would appear that this demon's arms decided to explode by themselves in a shower of sparks and gore.

Shinobu planted blow after blow of poison tipped blade into the demon's chest, and quickly disengaged with a backwards leap. And that's that. The demon stepped forward to follow them, then clutched its chest with non-existent hands. A few moments and a lot of horrific screaming later, it was all over.

Shinobu always felt fighting with the water hashira was invigorating. He drew all the attention to himself with his peerless defense, leaving her open to utilize insect breathing to its maximum potential.

Usually, Shinobu had to be careful where she struck demons when fighting. She had notably worse defensive capabilities than her peers, as she was both physically frail and had a toothpick for a sword, not to mention insect breathing's lack of instantaneous lethality. She had to use her unique offensive capabilities to their maximum potential, carefully placing poison where it would have the most effect. A neck stab for the quickest killing, a heart stab for the quickest overall immobilization, a stab to the joints or ligaments to instantly disable a specific limb, et cetera. She used her medical expertise and her sheathe's ability to mix specific poisons on the fly to make up for the fact that she could never afford to get locked down in a bind with a demon.

Fighting alongside Giyuu changed that. She could dash through a crowd of demons, hitting each with non-committal glancing blows they rarely even noticed while they focused on attacking him. A few more seconds of life meant nothing to the water hashira's defenses. She could clear out scores more demons than usual when they weren't focused on her, as all demons ever worry about is their necks and the swordsmen attempting to lop them in half.

This would apply to other pillars as well, but Giyuu's mastery of water breathing's defensive techniques meant that she was also free to act boldly in the face of large demons like the one currently dissolving in front of her. Large demons like him usually try their hardest to toughen up their necks, and as a last ditch effort will wrap their arms and anything else they can get around their necks to prevent death by decapitation.

But Shinobu doesn't need the neck. A demon his size, she just needs to hit a certain dosage of poison quickly enough before the demon's body breaks it down. Doing this can be difficult depending on the exact physical characteristics of the demon, but more poison never hurts.

She could let loose, and see the full destructive potential of her insect breathing style come to fruition. By trusting Giyuu to protect her she can quickly rush in and deliver a lethal dose in an instant, ending what would usually be a drawn out fight in a moment. The way his sword flowed through the air, effortlessly deflecting or checking every attack aimed her way in an instant, made her feel invincible.

The pair wordlessly searched the rest of the cave. One more demon was found by Giyuu, hiding and hoping the terrifying hashiras wouldn't be so thorough. Once they were certain the demon threat had been eliminated, they sheathed their swords and walked calmly back to the cave's entrance.

"Well that wasn't so bad," Shinobu said cheerfully, clasping her hands together. "Although I was hoping for a lower moon, since this was a larger group like that we found on mount Natagumo."

"It was a definite possibility," Giyuu commented, "Which is why we were both sent."

"Yes yes, it's better to be safe than sorry. If it had been a troublesome lower moon, one hashira in a cave surrounded by demons would have their work cut out for them."

"The worst part about facing lower moons is the unpredictability of their blood demon arts," Giyuu commented. "Any hashira can deal with being surrounded, but an unknown supernatural attack is the deadliest."

I might struggle with being surrounded, Shinobu thought a little ruefully. She glanced over at him, open hand resting on the end of his katana, walking into the morning sunlight. Giyuu could have been attacked by all of the smaller demons in the cave at once and would have no issue. Shinobu could never allow herself to be surrounded in the first place. Her agility was her only defense, peerless among the hashira, but if that was somehow denied to her she would be helpless.

CAW! CAW!

The two hashira looked up as the crow flew towards them. They shot a curious glance at each other. Another mission already?

The crow flew within talking distance of the two. GIYUU TOMIOKA AND SHINOBU KOCHO TO HEAD EAST TO THE WOODS BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS! GIYUU TOMIOKA AND SHINOBU KOCHO TO HEAD EAST TO THE WOODS BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS! CAW! DEMON SLAYER SQUADS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, LOWER MOON CONFIRMED! LOWER MOON CONFIRMED! CAW!

Giyuu and Shinobu stiffened. A lower moon!

"We don't have time to waste," Giyuu said, quicker than normal. He quickly ran to where they had camped outside the cave, rushing to his pack and flinging open the main compartment. Shinobu jogged over to him and watched him rip his local map from its place.

Giyuu pointed at a thin line on the map. "Mountain path, half an hour south then east until the forest. This is in my jurisdiction, I know where the squads were sent. They'll need help, but it will take until evening to get there. The demons will be pinned in place by the sunlight, if we hurry we can reach them before fighting resumes at sunset."

Shinobu nodded, looking at the map. The path went through a small valley between the eastern mountains' peaks, well above the snow line. It wouldn't be a comfortable journey, but a hashira's comfort was a low priority.

The two of them wordlessly rushed southwards, quicker than their normal traveling speed. To reach the demon slayer squads before sunset would tax their bodies a bit, but they would still be able to fight without hindrance upon arriving. Only after rushing like this for two days would a hashira notice any impact on their fighting abilities on any demon but an upper moon.

They reached the mountain path and shot left, heading eastwards and upwards into the snowy mountain rocks. They continued for an hour before gaining enough elevation to start hearing the crunch of ice and snow beneath their shoes.

"Kocho, wait."

Shinobu slowed to a stop. "Yes, Tomioka-san?"

"We should eat and drink before going up the mountain," Giyuu said, already digging around in his pack. "We won't have the time once we arrive, and it will bolster us against the mountain's chill."

"As long as it's quick," Shinobu conceded, walking over to him. Giyuu handed her a small pouch of nuts and dried fruits, as well as a sliver of a dense candy bar. He took out one of his dry ration portions for himself alongside a small portion of dried meat, which he offered to Shinobu but she refused.

They ate ravenously, washing down mouthfuls of food with gulps from their canteens. They stood together in the mountain path, giving their bodies the fuel it needed for another day of running and fighting. Shinobu gave him back the empty pouch when she was done, and he flicked the crumbs out of it before stowing it away in his pack.

—

They had made good progress. The snow had begun to pile up deeper the higher elevation they went, concealing the path, but the obvious long gap between the trees kept it navigable. They ran for hours, the deepening snow chilling their legs. They had passed the first of two peaks on the way to the eastern forest, at one point resorting to great leaps between the scant trees to avoid areas of waist high snow, and were now approaching the apex of the second.

Giyuu glanced at the horizon, and signaled Shinobu to slow down. They came to a stop in the snow as the distant crow desperately flapped its wings in the mountain air.

CAW! LOWER MOON 6 DEFEATED! LOWER MOON 6 DEFEATED! CAW! DEMON SLAYER SQUADS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SLAIN LOWER MOON SIX! CAW!

Giyuu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Ahh! How wonderful!" Shinobu said cheerfully. "The squads managed to slay a lower moon by themselves!"

The crow keeled north after delivering its message, putting distance between it and the icy mountain peaks. Giyuu took a moment to remember the last information he had about squad postings in the area.

"It's miraculous they managed to do it. The only nearby squad to assist them was a band of recruits. That would make 3 squads total, and none of the members were particularly high in rank."

"By the timing, they found a way to slay it in the daylight," Shinobu reasoned, "So maybe they had a ruse to trick the demon into exposing itself to the sun. Their ranks would matter less if the lower moon was overcome by sunlight, and not their blades."

Giyuu nodded. "It's a likely scenario. But I can't imagine these inexperienced squads pulled off a lower moon fight without significant casualties."

"That's true," Shinobu said thoughtfully, "Where is the closest Corps hospital? Perhaps I should go assist them if necessary…"

Giyuu pulled out his local map. "By time? Your house."

"Eh?" Shinobu asked, surprised. "Surely there's a closer one?"

"There was," Giyuu said, "But a bridge on the way is currently closed for heavy repairs and the gorge it crosses adds over a day and a half to the travel time. That makes your estate the closest one by foot."

Shinobu rubbed her chin with her fingers, considering the situation. "How many people were involved? If you can remember."

"I wouldn't say less than 45. Factoring in their ranks facing a lower moon I would expect no less than 20% deaths and 60% serious injuries, so I would estimate at least 30 incoming patients."

"…I need to get back there, then," Shinobu said, shaking her head. "Nobody with the surgical skills required is there as of now."

"You don't want to catch up with the injured squads now?" Giyuu asked.

Shinobu shook her head again. "The kakushi have stabilized them as well as I could on the road, given no hospital supplies. And I will need time to prepare the hospital for so many patients at once."

Giyuu nodded, and turned the map to face her. He traced a path along the roads with his fingertip. "We've come this far already; turning around now would only lose you time. Finish this mountain path, then take the roads south then back west to your estate."

Shinobu looked at the map. "Do you have spare camping supplies? There's no wisteria home on the way and it will take me at least two days to rush back."

Giyuu shook his head. "Not an issue."

"Why not?" Shinobu questioned.

"My house is on the way. You can stay there."

—

The two hashira ran. They had been running for a long time at this point, rushing from objective to objective like this, and the pace they had kept up over the past few days was finally starting to take an uncomfortable toll on their bodies. Not enough to hinder combat performance, but enough to burn. They would make Giyuu's house a couple hours after sunset, and there Shinobu hoped some real food and a nice bed would restore her long term stamina for the medical ordeal coming in her near future.

Darkness had fallen for some time when Giyuu finally slowed down to a jog, veering off the road and onto a light dirt path. Shinobu followed him through a winding forest trail, mossy trunks and thick bushes on either side. Eventually the small path broke out into a significant clearing, and Shinobu caught sight of Giyuu's house for the first time in the darkness.

It was no butterfly estate.

The building looked like a slightly larger hunting lodge. Wooden beams spanned by white plaster walls, dark wooden shutters flanking a matching door. The roof had large stones in even intervals to stop the wooden shingles from flying away in harsh winds, and it was flanked by uncut grass and small saplings.

Black iron hinges creaked open after Giyuu unlocked the door with an old looking key. Giyuu quickly stepped inside and worked on lighting a small oil lamp with a match, afterwards spreading the fire to the others dotted around his home.

Shinobu watched as the interior slowly came into the light. It was barren. A wooden table and chairs marked the dining area, a low seat was set near the fireplace, and a small table was nearby the door along with a mat for your shoes. No other furniture, no decorations, not even a rug. "My, My, Tomioka-san," Shinobu said mockingly, "Have you moved in yet? I know you try your hardest to be unlikeable, but this is going too far."

"…Let me start a fire," Giyuu said as he walked to the back door. It was through the kitchen tucked away in the back right, and Shinobu heard the rusty door hinge squeal as it opened and lightly slammed shut.

Shinobu's gaze drifted over the sparse home. It looked as if nobody lived here at all. She quietly walked to the dining table, as the echoes of her footsteps were conspicuous in the empty house. She ran a finger over the wooden table; it was very well made. Solid and very thick, you could place a boulder on it and it looked like it wouldn't even sag. It's a shame it was so plain.

Shinobu started trying the doors around the room. One led to a spartan wash closet, another was a tiny linen closet. She opened a door and came across a bathing room, drained tile floors and buckets for heated water, and noted dryly it seemed he at least didn't lie about bathing. Shinobu could see the assortment of soaps and personal hygiene items stacked neatly next to the door…

And couldn't help but notice a particularly conspicuous bottle of scented shampoo. Specifically because it was a garish, hot pink.

Shinobu picked it up in disbelief, but when she tested the cap it appeared like it had never been opened before. Why the hell would he have this? Reading the label, it was apparently one of the fancy soap brands popular in the industrialized cities. Looking at the other bathroom items she saw they were all notably less expensive; this one was the exception.

Shinobu covered her mouth with her fingers. Was this… in case a girl ever came over? Did he buy shampoo just in case? There's no way, there's just no way, that can't be it! Shinobu was snickering at the thought of Giyuu going to the city to buy this, in case the poor guy ever actually brought a girl home.

The fact that it was unopened was quite… tragic.

Shinobu heard Giyuu come back inside, and left the bathroom to confront him about it. She had to know. He was standing in the kitchen doorway with an odd look on his face.

"Kocho, what are you doing in the bath?" Giyuu asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing Tomioka-san… but I must ask," Shinobu said, holding up the pink bottle and smiling mischievously. "Whyever do you have this? Did you want to smell like-" Shinobu turned the bottle to read the label, "Rose and cottonwood extract?"

Giyuu stared at the bottle dispassionately. "It's Mitsuri's."

Shinobu's eyes widened, and her smile faltered a little. Hmm? …He got it for Mitsuri specifically? Does she come over here? I'm sure it was unopened… but then why else would he have it? It's definitely something she would use. She stared at the label on the bottle, for some reason finding herself trying to guess how much money the shampoo had cost.

"…Anyway, we're out of dry firewood here," Giyuu said with an air of exasperation, thumbing the back door. "So I need to run to a nearby lodge. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

"Ah, okay Tomioka-san…"

Giyuu turned to leave.

"Umm…" Shinobu started awkwardly. Giyuu turned around in the kitchen doorway to stare questioningly at her. Shinobu, for some reason, was taking a bit longer to speak than usual. She held up the pink bottle again. "Ah… why did you buy this for Mitsuri? Does she visit?"

Giyuu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Buy that? It was a gift from her. Because my hair was getting longer, she said. It's the one she uses." Shinobu didn't respond to that, so he turned and left to start running for the wood.

Shinobu was left there holding the bottle, feeling like an idiot. Of course Mitsuri would buy him the exact same one she uses, the airhead. She walked back into the bathroom and dropped it unceremoniously next to the others. As if he would ever do that, she chastised herself. Her cheeks were a little red from embarrassment. Why did I even ask him that? Shinobu heard the way she asked 'does she visit' echoing in her ears, and she shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. Who cares?

Giyuu stared forward as he dashed between the trees on the way to the hunting lodge. "Did she want to use it?" he wondered aloud. He considered if Shinobu wanted to take another bath tonight, but decided she probably wouldn't since she'll be at her home tomorrow. Shinobu could take the shampoo if she wanted; it looked expensive, and it would never see any use in his house.

Shinobu shuffled around his house while she waited. She walked through the kitchen, and decided it was definitely the most lively looking part of the home. A surprising variety of cutlery and cookware was present, but only a few plates and bowls. She stuck her head out the back door that connected to the kitchen, seeing what little of his backyard she could make out in the dark. Nothing of interest. Shinobu went back into the main room and entered the last room she hadn't seen yet: the bedroom.

Opening the door, she was met with a paltry sight. The bedroom was adequately sized, but about as spartan as the main room. A medium sized low bed was in the far corner, with a wooden frame and a deep blue mattress cover. Western style, she noted. That must have been a headache to get here from the closest industrialized town it was imported to. Other than that there was only a desk and a bookshelf of note in the room, with the desk positioned underneath a small window and the bookshelf pushed against the right wall nearby.

Shinobu walked over to the desk and saw a book with a scrap of paper sticking out to mark the page. She picked up the book to look at the spine, wondering what the water hashira was reading. It was blank. Flipping to a random page, she began to read the writing.

April 11th, 1909

4 missions since last entry, 9 demons slain. No injuries.

April 16th, 1909

6 missions since last entry, 8 demons slain. Minor wrist injury April 13th, treated by Shinobu in her estate the same day.

April 20th, 1909

2 missions…

Oh God, Shinobu thought to herself, this is his journal. I might feel bad about reading it if it wasn't so… dry. His sentences were very short when he wrote, even shorter than when he talked. She flipped through a few more pages. He occasionally left longer comments if something seemed important enough, she observed. Notes about people he met or details about longer missions. Shinobu flipped through the pages quickly but stopped when her eyes caught a longer block of text.

January 17th, 1910

6 missions since last entry, 13 demons slain. No injuries.

Spoke with sensei yesterday. We talked for a long time about the past. His cooking is delicious. He told me to be more accepting of my role as a hashira. I hold nothing but respect for him, but we don't see eye to eye on this. He disagrees with my insistence that Kamado can become the next water pillar, despite his adoption of an alternative breathing style.

He wants Tanjiro to replace him? Shinobu was very surprised at the notion. Tanjiro and his friends were certainly skyrocketing up the ranking ladder, but to expect them to be hashira so soon… Well, she conceded, Tokito made hashira in two months, but that boy is an utter prodigy. It usually takes years. Shinobu wondered why Giyuu didn't teach Tanjiro directly, if he wished for Tanjiro to replace him someday. She was grooming Kanae for her spot, after all. She continued reading.

We parted on bad terms. I hate arguing with sensei, it feels so childish. I hope we can talk again soon, I'll apologize to him.

Shinobu shook her head. Giyuu already has the social skills of a shoe, she can't imagine how easily he must piss off the people close to him.

She flipped through the pages again, then noticed something. She scanned one page, then another, then five more. "Oh my," Shinobu said quietly, "that's quite embarrassing."

Her name was mentioned once on at least every other page. It was only ever a mention of a 'mission with Shinobu' or 'injury healed by Shinobu,' among other random details, but when taken as a whole it was quite embarrassing to look at. Flipping through Giyuu's diary, her name really did pop up surprisingly often. Well, I guess it only makes sense. We work together more often than other hashira, and when you take into account I'm his primary medical professional it makes perfect sense, since he reports every injury he sustains and heals. Still…

Shinobu stared at a set of pages where her name appeared four times. It felt strange to look at. She thought she might get a little mad, seeing her name everywhere in his journal like this, but no anger came. She shrugged. Just a coincidence, if I wasn't here it would be the name of the next closest doctor.

She gave the book one last flick through, all shame about reading his journal long since evaporated, when her eyes caught another long paragraph. One more for the road.

Glancing at it, she saw her name pop up quite a few times. Her interest piqued, realizing this one was about her. She looked away for a moment before she began reading, savoring the suspense. My my, Tomioka-san. Please tell me this is just an account of one of our missions, and not something more embarrassing… Her eyes moved back to the page and started to read.

I've requested to no longer be paired with Shinobu for missions.

Shinobu closed the book.

Her eyes stared at it blankly. Her ever-present smile didn't falter, but it was as empty as it had ever been. The sentence she had just read echoed in her mind. Moments passed in silence in the sparse bedroom. She was holding the cover closed with a finger marking the page, and was considering if she even wanted to read any more. It might be information she was better off not knowing.

Shinobu sighed sadly. I already read it. Context won't make things any worse. She opened the book back up, and began reading from the top.

I've requested to no longer be paired with Shinobu for missions. The master denied this request, on account of our combat record I assume. I tried to argue but he wouldn't have it, and I am beholden to him.

Shinobu is the smartest of the hashira. It's clear she can see through my charade more so than any of the others. They all know I don't deserve to stand among them, but she harbors the greatest disdain for me of them all. Sanemi and Iguro are antagonistic, but Shinobu takes the time after every pillar meeting to remind me I don't belong. She disguises it as simple mockery, but I can read between the lines.

Shinobu is a professional so she is able to cooperate with me on missions, but even she can't stand being around me for too long. As time passes her professional airs are worn away, and she begins to tell me how she really feels. Shinobu seems to enjoy letting me know how little the others think of me, and I can only assume this is her small revenge for being paired up with me so often.

It's a shame our fighting styles meld so well, as it means Shinobu is often forced by the master to accompany me on missions. I've noticed her patience growing thinner over time, and can only hope the master will relent soon and allow her to keep her distance.

Shinobu closed the journal. She stood there in the dark room staring down at the small book. She stepped backwards, falling to sit on his bedside. She picked at some dirt from underneath her thumbnail, flicking it away. Her left leg began bobbing up and down. Shinobu took a breath, surprised with how shaky it was. Her leg stopped shaking. She took another breath; steady as always. Always steady, always smiling. Always keep your composure. She wiped her eyes and glared at the small amount of moisture on her finger.

Shinobu stood up and left the bedroom, quickly wiping her hand on her black pants. She sat down in one of the wooden chairs on the dining table, folding her hands in her lap. She gave his home another look, felt how empty it was. Shinobu wondered how many others had ever been invited inside.

Her knee was shaking; she stopped, she hadn't noticed it had started again. Her fingers picked at the skin near her fingernails.

Moments they spent together were playing like a movie in her mind. It was filled with their interactions, their scuffles, their victories and their conversations. It was filled with many things that didn't seem so funny anymore.

Giyuu entered the back door, the noisy thing creaking and clacking as he used his legs to pry it open. His hands were full of well-dried hardwood from a nearby hunter's lodge. He entered the main room and went to the hearth, ministering to the creation of a fire. A few moments later the smell of smoke began to spread, and Giyuu placed the smoldering bundle in his carefully constructed pile of wood. He blew and the flames sprung to life, total concentration breathing providing maybe a little too much oxygen. He threw some more kindling on the pile to compensate before standing back up and dusting off his hands over the stone hearth threshold.

He turned now to Shinobu, who was sitting at his dining room table facing him. Her hands were pressed between her knees and she was hunched forwards slightly, with that ever-present smile on her face. She stared at him and he stared back, before turning to go to the kitchen. He shook his head once he was past the threshold.

She looked like she didn't even want to touch anything here.