After a few days, the injured were taken back to the Butterfly Mansion by the Kakushi. The Kamado's, however, needed a bit more preparation before they could leave. Tanjiro's foot was nearly crushed, and Gyutaro wanted to let Kagaya and their Siblings know about the new development with Nezuko before they got back. Genya, however, accepted the offer to be taken home immediately. "I needed a new sword and gun, but I haven't been away from my Siblings for so long in ages. I'm worried" the mohawked teen explained, as he got ready to go. Gyutaro and Tanjiro nodded, "we'll be back in a bit as well. We just need to write some letters about Nezuko's situation to the Master and our Siblings, and then we'll be going home too. See you there, Genya?" Gyutaro asked.
The Shinazugawa grinned, "sure! See you later" he replied, as he left to get ready to go. As the Brothers walked back to the building that they were staying in, Tanjiro frowned, "I just realised that we probably don't need to let the Master know about Nezuko conquering the sun ourselves, since the Hashira will do it for us when they get back to Headquarters" the teen said, as he looked at their sleeping Sisters. Gyutaro smiled, and stroked Nezuko's hair, "yeah". He then glanced down at his younger Brother's bandaged foot, before looking over his other injuries, "how are you doing Tanjiro? Your injures were the worst out of all of us, unless you count Muichiro being poisoned. Your foot especially must hurt a lot. Why don't you lay down for a while?" Gyutaro asked.
"I'm okay!" Tanjiro tired, but his Older Brother gave him a look. The 15-year-old sighed, "okay, I'll go rest. But you have to as well!" he replied. Gyutaro rolled his eyes, but nodded, "alright," he turned to look at Nezuko again, who was sleeping curled up in a patch of sunlight, like a cat. "Heh, wasted no time, huh?" Gyutaro said softly. "I think she must like the warmth," Tanjiro replied, "it has been 2 years since she was able to be in the sun at all". Gyutaro looked at his little Brother, "get some more sleep. I'm going to write to the Master and our Siblings about what happened with Nezuko" he said. Tanjiro nodded, "okay. Make sure you rest too big Brother" he replied as he got comfortable in the bed.
Within minutes, he was deep asleep. The green-haired man smiled at the sight of his sleeping Siblings, before getting his things ready to write his letters. Suddenly a meow caught his attention. Gyutaro looked over at the window as Chachamaru appeared jumping over the sill. The cat walked over to him, rubbing itself over the man, and starting to purr. Gyutaro smiled, "hey Chachamaru. Sorry, both Upper Rank Demons that were here have been killed. I don't have any blood samples to give you" he said apologetically. But the Calico cat continued to rub itself on him, and present the bag on it's back.
Gyutaro frowned, "a letter from Lady Tamayo?" he guessed, opening the bag, and, indeed, there was a letter. He opened it up and began to read. 'Dear Gyutaro and Tanjiro. Sayuri has been doing well here. I thank you both for providing me with samples of the 12 Kizuki's as well as your Sister's blood, Nezuko's especially. They and Sayuri's blood have all helped me a lot with my research. The man from Asakusa who was turned into a Demon by Muzan, has regained his sense of self. All thanks to Nezuko's blood. Released from Muzan's control, he is able to spend time with his Wife without hurting her, and he can live on only a small amount of blood.' Gyutaro thought back. He remembered Tanjiro saying something about a man having been turned into a Demon when he confronted Muzan in Asakusa. That must be who the Demon Doctor was talking about.
The transformation of Nezuko's blood surprises me. In such a short time, the components of her blood have changed again and again. All this time, I've been thinking. Why is it that Nezuko has yet to regain her sense of self, and remains in a child-like state, unlike Ume, who I heard, regained herself almost immediately? I believe that, within Nezuko's body, there is something more important than regaining her sense of self, something that she needs to prioritise. Gyutaro, Tanjiro. This is pure speculation on my part. But I believe that it won't be long, before Nezuko can conquer the sun.' Gyutaro lowered the paper and sighed. "A bit late there Lady Tamayo" he said softly. But it was nice to know that you could tell that kind of thing through bloodwork.
He glanced over at where Chachamaru had now laid down next to Nezuko to sleep in the sun as well. Folding the letter for the Demon Doctor up to show to Tanjiro later, Gyutaro got to work writing his reply to Lady Tamayo, as well as letting Kagaya know what had happened to Nezuko.
Ư*Ğ.Ķ
It was now the day of their departure from the Village. A large cart with a bed on it had been fixed up for Tanjiro, due to his injuries, while Gyutaro was being carried on another Kakushi's back. The Chief had come out to meet them, being carried by an uninjured Swordsmith. "We are grateful to you both, Tanjiro, Gyutaro. And to your Sisters as well. I take it they are sleeping in their boxes?" the tiny old man asked. "Yes. They were both very tired, so they are having a sleep right now." "We will never forget what you've done for us. If any of your weapons need repairing, don't hesitate to let us know. Also, come back to visit sometime, even if your weapons don't need fixing!" one of the Swordsmiths standing with the Chief said.
"Thank you for the offer's. I hope you can fix up the Village quickly" Gyutaro replied. The Kakushi put the blindfolds and ear and nose-plugs on the two Demon Slayers, and began to leave the Village, before stopping, and removing them again. Gyutaro flinched from the sunlight shining back in his eyes, before he gasped. Everyone from the Village was there, cheering and waving them goodbye. Gyutaro and Tanjiro were in awe, but especially the oldest Kamado. Being a Demon Slayer, he had learned, was often a thankless job. People got mad at them for killing their family members who had been turned into Demons, or they were too late to save someone.
Very rarely did they get thanked for their work. So the hundreds of cheering Swordsmiths, waving and calling out thanks to them was something he never expected. From the delighted look on Tanjiro's face, he never expected it either. The female Kakushi who was pulling Tanjiro's cart turned to them, "I think we can do without the blindfolds and ear plugs. Just until we get out of the Village" she said. The male Kakushi who was carrying Gyutaro nodded in agreement. So the Kamado Siblings left to cheers and thanks all around them.
Ư*Ğ.Ķ
Once the group got out of the Village, everything went back on, and it was a couple of days of the switching between Kakushi before something changed. Two days after they left the Swordsmith Village, the group was travelling at night, when Gyutaro suddenly got a bad feeling. Before he could say anything, the Kakushi carrying him stopped. There were a few muffled words spoken, before he was set on his feet, and his senses were unblocked once again. "What's wrong?" Gyuatro asked, body already tense.
"There are supposed to be the next set of Kakushi here to take you from us, but look around. No one is here" the male one who had been pulling Tanjiro's cart said. They suddenly heard growling coming from the boxes their Sister's were in. "Big Brother. There is a Demon nearby" Ume said from her box. "I knew it. Right, you two stay here with Tanjiro. Ume, protect them for me" Gyutaro ordered. The white and green-haired Demon nodded, "got it" she replied, as the young man let both Ume and Nezuko out of their boxes.
"Nezuko, you're with me. Let's hurry and take out that Demon" Gyutaro said seriously, grabbing his chained Sickle. "Hm!" Nezuko said, still not good with words yet, unless she was repeating them. Suddenly she looked back at Ume, then turned to her Oldest Brother with a worried look on her face, "morning?" she asked. "Don't worry. The sun just went down an hour ago. It won't come up again so soon" the male Kakushi replied, understanding what Nezuko was saying. "Wow, you got that quickly" Tanjiro said. "I have a toddler Niece back home, so I got used to deciphering that kind of talk" the man explained. "Take care of them Ume!" Gyutaro called, as he and Nezuko ran off to find the Demon nearby.
"I will!" Ume replied with a wave. Then the two Kamado's ran into the trees on the side of the path.
Ư*Ğ.Ķ
Gyutaro focused on his senses. Finding the place his premonitions most flared up, helped tell him the direction of the enemy Demon. It was almost as specific as Tanjiro's sense of smell. And it couldn't be tampered with by overpowering scents. "There" he breathed, drawing in a deeper Total-Concentration breath. The Demon was a woman, in a tattered Kimono with long fangs and bright blue hair. Gyutaro used his Stone-Breathing, 'Stone-Breathing, Fourth Form: Volcanic Rock, Rapid Conquest!' he thought, as the sickle and the weight both swung towards the Demon. She shrieked, before dodging the strike.
"Demon Slayer? And what's this?" the Demon asked, as Nezuko snarled at her, fangs showing. "A Demon working with a Demon Slayer? Why I never-!" she began, only for Nezuko to shoot at her with a kick that shattered the tree behind the enemy Demon when she managed to dodge. "You're pretty strong little girl. I know how to pick my battles. After nearly a hundred years of being a Demon, I've learned a thing or two, you know," she sneered. Both Gyutaro and Nezuko headed towards the Demon, ready to attack. "Blood Demon Art!" The Demon formed a black cloak out of nothing, "Cloak of infancy!" she cried, before tossing it at Nezuko. Gyutaro stopped in his tracks as Nezuko was completely covered by it, "Nezuko!" he cried, as his little Sister cried out and flailed under the cloak, seeming to be shrinking herself. Gyutaro glared at the Demon woman, and began to charge at her, but then Nezuko cried out again, this time seeing to be crying. 'Is Nezuko in pain? Is the cloak hurting her?! Damn it, what do I do?!' Gyutaro thought, unable to choose. He knew that he could not lose his little Sister! Not after what almost happened. So Gyutaro turned and ran towards where Nezuko was covered by the cloak.
"Nezuko! Hold on, I'll get you out!" he called to his crying little Sister. 'I have a feeling that I shouldn't touch the cloth with my hands. So, I'll have to cut it off of her!' the green-haired 27-year-old called. He cut through the cloth with his Scythe, and the sight that greeted him shocked him to his core. "What the fuck?" he breathed in shock. There was Nezuko. A Nezuko who was now a human toddler, if the lack of claws, fangs and orange hair tips were anything to go by. In fact, the second daughter of the Kamado's looked like she had when she was three-years-old. The three-year-old Nezuko continued to wail, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed. Gyutaro could see that even her clothes had shrunk down this time, Nezuko how wearing the smaller version of her favorite pink Kimono she used to wear when she was three, as well as smaller shoes.
Gyutaro shook himself out of his shock as he saw the toddler begin to shiver with cold as well, and picked up the little girl, wrapping her up in his own Haori and hugging her close, "shh Nezuko. It's okay. Big Brother Gyu is right here. You're safe, so please stop crying little one" he soothed, rubbing the three-year-old's back and rocking backwards and forwards. "There, there. You're okay little Sister, that's it, shh". Nezuko slowly stopped crying, before falling asleep. Gyutaro wrapped the shivering child up more, and looked around for the Demon. It was well and truly gone, and he sighed as he began to walk back to the others. What the heck was he supposed to tell them?