The story of Gyutaro and Ume Kamado

by bmidd111

In one world, Gyutaro and Ume were orphans, delt the worst that the world had to offer. In that world, the two became Demon's. This is not that world. Read and see just how a little kindness can change the world. Big AU, Kamado Siblings survive.

9. Stone Hashira and 2 years of training

Gyutaro was led to another large Mansion by Kyojuro. He knocked on the door, which was opened by a very tall man. The green-haired young man tried not to stare, but he was very tall. "Ah! Greetings Gyomei! You're looking well, old friend!" Kyojuro cried with his usual volume. Thankfully, Rokuta was awake this time. The man smiled, "Kyojuro. And are there other guests as well? Please, come inside" Gyomei said. He had a very deep voice. Gyutaro and Kyojuro followed the tall man inside. The Kamado couldn't help but notice Gyomei's eyes when the Stone Hashira opened the door. He was blind, just like Kagaya. And yet, according to what Kyojuro had said on the way there, he was the strongest Demon Slayer in the Corps. Eventually they reached a tea room and all four sat down, the 3-year-old sliding out of his Older Brother's lap and plopping down onto the floor.

Rokuta looked up at Gyutaro, "thirsty" he said. "Of course, where are my manners. Would you all like something to drink?" Gyomei asked. "Could we just have some milk for my Brother please? As long as it's not a problem" Gyutaro replied, stroking his baby Brother's hair as he looked around from his spot on the floor. "Of course, please wait a moment" the Stone Hashira replied, standing up and leaving the room. A few minutes later, he returned, "even though I have long since learned to live without sight, I would not want to spill a guests drink because I was stubborn. One of the Kakushi who help me with some things will bring it out momentarily" Gyomei said. Then he smiled, "while wee wait, let's begin our discussion, shall we?" he asked. The green-haired young man went to speak, but Rokuta suddenly interrupted him, pointing at the large man, "big Brother, why that man crying? And his eyes look funny" he asked.

Gyutaro felt mortified. "Rokuta! That was very rude! His eyes look like that because he's blind and can't see. And his crying isn't any of our business. Didn't Tanjiro teach you to be nice to people?" he asked. The 3-year-old began to tear up. "Y-you a meanie!" he wailed, before bursting into tears. "Rokuta-" Gyutaro began, but the mall boy started to squirm in his arms, "I DON'T LIKE YOU! WAAAAAAHHHH! *sob* .MAMAAAAA!" he wailed, tears streaming down his young face. Gyutaro could only helplessly try to soothe his baby Brother, but nothing worked this time. He bit his lip. "~Hush, hush, hushaby, baby bunny on the, hill. Tell me why your eyes are, so, very red. Because, when she was expecting me, my Mother ate red berries from a tree, and that's why my eyes are so red," the Older Brother sang. He would admit that he didn't really have the best singing voice, but Rokuta began to calm down, so he continued, while rubbing the Toddler's back gently.

"Hush, hush, hushaby, baby bunny on the, hill. Tell me why your eyes are so, very long. Because, when my Mother was expecting me, she ate long leaves from a tree, and that's why my ears are so long" he finished. Rokuta whimpered and sniffled, tears in his eyes still, "I wan' Mama and Papa" he uttered. Gyutaro held the small boy close and kissed his head, "I know. I do too. But we'll be okay. I will never allow anyone to harm you or our other Siblings Rokuta. I love you all, and I swear I'll protect you no matter what. I will become strong" he stared with steely eyes at the Stone Hashira. Gyomei couldn't see his expression, but he could feel the weight in the air that he was sure came from the Oldest Kamado. "Please. Make me strong. Strong enough so that we never have to lose someone we love to Demons again" Gyutaro asked, determination burning in his gaze. After a moment of silence from the Hashira, Gyomei nodded, "I will. You can be sure of that. Once I'm done with you, nothing will be able to break your will of stone" he agreed.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

A couple of minutes later, a knock was heard on the door, "I have the milk you requested Sir" a female Kakushi said from the other side. "Please enter" the Stone Hashira said. The black-dressed woman entered the room and held out the cup to Gyutaro. He took it with a smile, "thank you Ma'am" he said gratefully. Once the Kakushi had left the room and Rokuta had begun drinking his milk, discussion turned to what they were there for. "Gyutaro," Gyomei began. The 25-year-old looked up at his new Master, "yes Sir?" he asked. "I want to know one thing before I train you. If you gain the strength that you seek, what will you do with it? Why do you want to be a Demon Slayer?" the Hashira asked. Gyutaro looked down at Rokuta, who, while not happy, had since calmed down, "the reason is simple. I will protect my family, and make sure what happened to my Mother and two of my younger Sister's never happens again," he stroked the Toddler's hair, "I could never forgive myself if I failed them a second time," he looked back at Gyomei, "that's my reason" he replied.

Gyomei frowned slightly, 'well, if what I've been told is true, he only just lost his Mother a short time ago, while his Sister's were badly injured, but the Demon must have run out of time and had to leave' he thought, remembering the story the Master had told him. 'Of course he would be determined to protect his Siblings at all cost right now. We can work on the rest later.' The blind Hashira faced the green-haired 25-year-old, "alright Gyutaro Kamado. I'll take you on as my Student. However, you must always keep this determination inside your heart. It must be as solid as stone, so that you can never be broken. Naturally, your body must be the same. Do you understand what this means? Gyomei asked, Gyutaro gained a fiercely determined expression on his face, "if that's what it takes to protect my younger Siblings, then I'll train for however long I need to!" he proclaimed. Gyomei nodded, "good. Are you ready to begin now?" he asked. "Actually, can I have some time to prepare? Going straight from trying to learn Flame-Breathing to learning Stone-Breathing may be a bit much on my mind and body. If it's alright with you, can I start tomorrow, after I give my body a chance to refresh?" Gyutaro asked.

Gyomei nodded, "of course. I hope you are ready to train harder than you even have before. Stone-Breathing is one of the hardest Breathing Styles to learn. I don't mind if you rest tonight" he replied. Gyutaro smiled and nodded, "thank you Sir. I'll do my best tomorrow". After saying goodbye to Kyojuro, who had sat quietly listening for once, the younger man left and a Kakushi led the Brother's inside to sleep.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

As Rokuta slept peacefully next to him, Gyutaro tried to fall asleep. Despite what he'd said, his mind was just too full of thoughts to let him relax. He kept thinking about the rest of his family, wondering how they were doing. It was in the early hours of the morning, that the caw of a Crow caught his attention. Gyutaro got out of bed and walked to the window to take the letter from the Kasugai Crow. That was a fast response and return time. After lighting a lamp so he could read the letter, he opened it. Once he started reading, Gyutaro smiled. 'Dear Big Brother Gyutaro. How are you, Tanjiro and Rokuta doing? Is Mr Rengok's Father still treating you badly? If he is, I can come and make sure he knows not to mess with our family!' the oldest Kamado let out a soft huff of laughter. 'Anyway, how's your training going? Oh, this is Shigeru by the way.' Gyutaro chuckled softly t the fact that his little Brother forgot to introduce himself at the start of the letter.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but smile fondly. Shigeru had gotten a lot better at writing already. 'Take' is still training with Mr Urokodaki. He complains because he thinks our Caretaker is crazy. But he is improving. He can swing his wooden sword for a lot longer than when he started out. Mr Urokodaki said we might all bee able to come live with you guys soon! I can't wait! We all miss you very much. Also, Ume and Nezuko are still sleeping. Mr Urokodaki called a Doctor to come look at them, (and made sure he wouldn't tell them about them being Demons) but he couldn't find anything wrong with either of our Sisters. They just keep sleeping. We do what we can to try and make them both comfortable, like Hanako washed and brushed Ume and Nezuko's hair recently, and Take' even helped Mr Urokodaki wash and replace their Futons. But neither have woken up yet. I'm getting worried Gyutaro. What if they never wake up? please reply soon. We love you all, Shigeru, Hanako, Takeeo, Ume and Nezuko.'

Gyutaro was conflicted. One the one hand, he had to keep training if he wanted to protect his family and help Tanjiro find a way to turn their Sister's back to normal. But on the other, he was very worried for Ume and Nezuko's wellbeing. He knew that Demons needed to eat humans to live. But their younger Sisters hadn't eaten anything since becoming Demons. What if this sleep was a sign of them wasting away? What of their precious Sisters dies because they'd starved to death? He shook his head, 'no, there's no way that's going to happen. Get it together Gyutaro! Urokodaki said Demons are immortal, they can only be killed by sunlight or Nicherin Swords. Demons cannot die of starvation! Ume and Nezuko will be fine' he took a deep breath and released it, 'they will be fine. in fact, I'm sure the next time we see them, our Sister's will be awake!' Gyutsro nodded to himself, before looking back at the sleeping Rokuta and folding the letter up, 'I can reply to this tomorrow before training' he thought.

Then, with a yawn, they young man lay down next to his baby Brother and fell asleep.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

The next morning, before Breakfast, Gyutaro sat with a brush and a clean piece of paper in front of him. 'Dear Takeo, Shigeru and Hanako. I'm glad everyone is doing well. I'm actually training with the Stone Hashira now, and I have Rokuta with me. I was glad to get out of that house. I'm assuming Urokodaki read you the crossed out part of my last letter. About our Sisters. I don't know why they're still sleeping, and I can't ask anyone either. But as long as they're still alive, we should be content. I'm sure they'll wake up soon. Maybe Mr Urokodaki has an idea why they haven't woken up yet. Take care of everyone for us and good luck in your training Takeo. Tanjiro and I will do our best too. I hope to see you all soon. We miss all of you too. Love you, your Older Brother Gyutaro.

The green-haired 25-year-old placed down his brush and left the letter to dry. Then he picked up Rokuta and left for the Dining Room.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Rokuta didn't even make much of a fuss, probably due to sensing the mood in the room. However, soon he turned to his Older Brother, "Gyu! Play today?" he asked. Gyutaro smiled apologetically and stroked his youngest Brother's head, "sorry Rokuta, I start my training with Mr Gyomei today. But I won't be far away. You'll always be able to see me, okay?" he asked. The 3-year-old pouted. "This is important to me Rokuta. If I don't get stronger, how can I protect you or any of the others? I want to keep you all safe, no matter what. So I need you to be a big boy and wait. I promise I'll find time to play with you, but right now, I need to train, just like Tanjiro had to work before. Can you do that for me?" Gyutaro asked, taking his youngest Brother's hands in his own. The Toddler whined slightly, but sagged, "okay Gyu. I'll wait" he replied. The green-haired Kamado smiled proudly and hugged Rokuta, "good boy. You just watch me. I'll become strong enough to protect all of you!" he said cheerfully.

The little boy smiled, and the 25-year-old helped him eat some more food. The eldest Kamado looked up, 'I wonder how Tanjiro's doing. I bet he's still training hard' he thought. "Are you ready to begin your training in Stone-Breathing Gyutaro?" Gyomei asked as he entered the room, his deep voice startling the young man out of his thoughts. "What? Sorry, I was thinking and didn't hear you Sir. What did you say?" Gyutaro replied apologetically. "It's fine. I asked if you were ready to begin your training in Stone-Breathing today," the blind Hashira repeated, "I'll remind you that this Breathing Form is one of the hardest to master, and will push you to your limit. You may wish you were dead due to the agony and strain" Gyomei said ominously. "I almost failed to protect my family once before, but I was given a second chance. But then I failed a second time. If I had lost any of my younger Siblings that day, I would never have forgiven myself. In fact, it would be the same as being dead for me. That's why I will do anything as long as I can protect the people that I love" Gyutaro swore. The Stone Hashira thought over the young man's words and nodded. "You are certainly determined about this" he said.

The green-haired young man nodded, "I am. No matter how hard this training is, I will not give up. My younger Siblings are counting on me to protect them. I have to become strong enough to do that, and if the price of that strength is that I have to break my body, then I will" he swore. Gyomei frowned, "a broken stone doesn't make a strong pillar. If you truly want to protect those precious to you, then ensure that you take your own wellbeing into consideration. How will you protect anyone if you can't move?" he asked seriously. Gyutaro frowned, but looked down in thought. 'I've never thought about it like that before. For so long, protecting my family has been my purpose. If I got hurt and my family was safe, then it was worth it. But Mr Gyomei is right. I can't protect anyone if I let myself get hurt' he clenched his fists, before looking back up at the taller man, "I understand. Please train me so that I can protect everyone" he asked. Gyomei smiled and nodded, "as long as you understand" he replied. Then Gyutaro's hellish training began.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

Two years passed in this way. Gyutaro spent his time training, spending time with Rokuta and even visiting Tanjiro and Kyojuro. He also kept up his letters to the rest of their Siblings. He learned that while Takeo didn't think he was quite fit to be a Demon Slayer, he was training to bee able to protect their family while Gyutaro and Tanjiro were on Missions. Gyutaro had also been asking his Master to check with Kagaya about their new house. Gyomei had reported that it was nearly ready, and would only need to be filled with furniture according to the Kakushi, who were the ones who had brought them to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters with Kyojuro previously. Gyutaro said this in his next letter to his family, and asked when his Siblings could be brought down. Urokodaki's reply was sometime after this years Final Selection. Upon reporting this to Kagaya, the young Leader suggested sending someone for extra protection for the young ones, as well as careful transport of the two Demons.

They didn't want anything to happen on the way there. "How about Giyu? He's one of Urokodaki's Students, so he knows the way to Mt Sagiri, plus he's the one who found us after Ume and Nezuko first transformed, so the fact of them being Demons would stay in the circle of those who know" Gyutaero suggested. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I shall summon Giyu and inform him of his Mission to escort his Master and your Siblings to your new home safely" Kagaya replied with a smile on his face as his Kasugai Crow flew down to him. While the Master gave Giyu's Crow his instructions, Gyutaro couldn't help but smile. it had been two years since they had seen the rest of their family. He wondered how everyone had changed. He was even taller now as a 27-year-old man, while Tanjiro was 15 now. Rokuta was walking and talking fully now, as he had turned 6 last year. Takeo would be 13 now, Hanako would be 12 and Shigeru would have turned 11 not long after. Everyone must look so different.

He couldn't wait to see them. Of course, Ume and Nezuko wouldn't have changed, since they were immortal now. Ume would still be 21 and Nezuko would still be 12. Gyutaro clenched his fists. They had to find a way to turn them back into humans soon. He didn't want his little Sisters to miss so much time with their younger Brothers and Sister. And he didn't want to miss so much time with them either. 2 of their Siblings had already caught up to or were older than Nezuko, their Older Sister. "Gyutaro?" Kagaya asked. "Oh. Yes Sir?" he asked, figuring that he should get used to being more formal with the younger man. "Would you like to see your new house?" he asked with a soft smile. The 27-year-old thought about it. "I think, I would like to wait Sir. That way I can see everything with my family" Gyutaro replied. Kagaya nodded in understanding, "I see. Well, the Final Selection Exam is coming up soon, you should go and prepare" he said. The green-haired young man nodded, "right" he replied, as he stood and bowed to the Master, before leaving.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

After that, Gyutaro spent his time training until a couple of days before the Final Selection. On those days he rested. The day of the exam, Gyomei gave him a chained sickle. "You told me that this kind of weapon is one that you've used before. That's why I decided to get one for you. The sickle is made of the same metal as a Nicherin sword, and will be capable of killing Demons just as well as one. Of course, you will get a new one of these made for you after passing the Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane. I hope this one serves you well until then" the Stone Hashira explained. Gyutaro took the weapon and bowed to his Master, "thank you Sir, I will use it well." he promised. Gyomei smiled, "come back alive and I'll make you my Tsuguko" he said, placing his hands on the young man's shoulders. Gyutaro nodded, a determined look on his face, "I will. I have to" he swore.

Ư*Ğ.Ķ

That day, he also got a Haori from Gyomei that was coloured brown, highlighted with grey. "Take care of yourself and your Younger Brother. When you get back, the rest of your Siblings will be waiting for you in your new home" the Stone Hashira said. Gyutaro smiled, knowing that the knowledge that their family was waiting for them would go a long way. He nodded, "we'll see them when we get back," the green-haired young man said firmly. He waved as he left, "I'll see you later too Sir! See you later Rokuta!" Gyutaro called. Rokuta, who was trying to hold back tears, gripped the tall man's pants, "I'll see you later big Brother!" the 7-year-old boy called. His Older Brother waved to him as he walked away. After half an hour, he met up with Tanjiro. "So, this is it" the teenager said determinedly.

"We will survive and come home to everyone. And then- we'll find a way to turn Ume and Nezuko back into humans again!" Tanjiro swore. Gyutaro nodded, "and then we'll all go home together" he agreed.

To Be Continued