Throughout the years Katsuki and her crow, Daisuke, continued to assist those in need. She mowed down demon after demon. Not once did she waiver at the sight of one. Whether it be a male or female, child or adult. Katsuki took them down. She found herself growing stronger throughout the years. Between her breaks, which weren't long in between missions, she practiced her other breathing style. Katsuki remembers Urokodaki saying it was possible to know different styles that suited them better. While she found that flame breathing was more effective than water. Her water breathing style was a good line of defense. While fire was better offensively. She wondered if there was a way she could combine the two styles to create her own that would be even more effective rather than switching between the two. She noticed when she switched between the two styles it drained her tremendously. But until she could fully master the flame techniques, trying to blend the two together would be impossible. Maybe there was a mentor or teacher out there she could learn from?

Shizuko kept in touch with Katsuki throughout the years they were apart. It scared Katsuki to develop friendships in fear of losing someone, but her company was nice. Shizuko found a spot in training as the Tsugoku for the Sound Hashira. She even asked if Katsuki could visit her some time on her way traveling to other missions. She promised her she would try to find time.

Katsuki also communicated with Urokodaki often, making sure he knew she was thinking about him. She had not received anything from Giyu, which only had fuel to her anger.

"Katsuki! Katsuki! There is a message for you!" Daisuke squawked loudly.

At the moment the sixteen year old girl was enjoying a bowl of Udon. Hearing the obnoxiously loud voice of her crow made her sigh, rather loudly. "What now, Daisuke. I just completed a mission not too long ago." The annoyance radiating off her voice.

"HEY!" Katsuki yelped and swatted at her crow. He had jutted down and pulled at her ponytail. "That was rude, Daisuke," she grumbled to herself and fixed her hair that was now disheveled.

"You are to report to headquarters! Hurry, hurry! Let's go! Let's go!" the crow shrieked and flew in circles above his owner.

"Headquarters?" she questioned and pushed her bowl to the side. "Why would they need me?"

While there were a hundred and one questions running through the girl's mind, there was no time to sit around. Especially with her crow beckoning in her ears. She could continue to run through the scenarios on her journey. Her crow was of no help, he gave no more information other than she was to report to headquarters immediately,

"Giving a little more information would be helpful," she grumbled.

Not to her surprise, Daisuke heard her faint voice. He nipped at her cheek and she yelped again, swatting at the bird to fly away.

A few hours later…

Upon reaching the Headquarters, Katsuki was greeted by members of the Kakushi.

"Hello, are you Katsuki Akane?" one of the members questioned.

"Yes," she bowed her head in respect. "I was given orders to come here immediately!"

"Of course, we will guide you to the Masters mansion."

Katsuki allowed the members to guide her to her final destination. The area was pretty and well hidden behind the trees and wisteria flowers scattered. This kept demons from entering the hideout.

"Excuse me," Katsuki interrupted them. "Do you happen to know if Giyu resides in this area?"

"This here is the Ubuyashiki Estate, this where all the Hashira meet with the master. Their mansions are located elsewhere," one of the members spoke, "But it is not too far from this location."

"Good to know," Katsuki thought to herself.

"The Master is currently getting examined at the Butterfly Mansion by Lady Shinobu, he should be here momentarily," the other member bowed it's head, "Please remain here and do not wander off!"

"Understood, thank you for your help," Katsuki bowed her head in return.

She watched the two walk off. She wondered how long she would be waiting here alone. Or so she thought she was alone until a voice broke her concentration.

"Katsuki, is that you?" a female voice questioned coming from behind Katsuki.

She turned around and had totally forgotten who lived in these parts now. It was Shizuko. She had changed quite a bit. While she was still small and petite. Her aura seemed stronger, not so much like the frail and doubtful girl she met during Final Selection. She still wore her hair in the braided top buns, but her loose hair was significantly longer with curls at the end. She wore a white haroi that reached to her knees. She wore a burgundy cloth around her calves and wrapped around her forearms. Shizuko also had these flashy rocks intertwined in her braids. She looked good.

"Shizuko, long time no see!" Katsuki smiled softly and walked towards her friend. The last time the two had seen each other was through Final Selection.

"Katsuki, you look amazing!" the girl beamed and embraced her in a tight hug. "You look like you have gotten much stronger!"

"Your style is a lot different from what I remember," Katsuki chuckled and touched the stone pieces in her hair.

Shizuko let out a long sigh, "Lord Tengen recommended that I wear them. He says that he does not want a Tsugoku that is not 'flamboyant' or 'flashy' whatever that means."

They both laughed together. It felt nice having a wholesome moment with an old friend of hers. While Katsuki feared friendships and making newly found bonds, it was nice not feeling alone. While she traveled alone, she knew there were people constantly praying for her safety and well being.

"What brings you here?" Shizuko asked. "You aren't being put on trial are you? Did you do something wrong? Break a rule?" She asked question after question.

Katsuki waved her hand in the air, "Geez, you act as if I go around without a care in the world."

"Well," Shizuko trailed off, earning a smack in the arm from Katsuki.

"Hey!" she whined and rubbed her arm that now had a red mark on it. "I'm just saying you have a habit of being distant and doing things on your own. I worry sometimes that something has happened to you because you travel without anyone to accompany you."

Katsuki shifted her gaze away from her friend's stare. She did isolate herself from others. But she thought her reasoning was valid. She did not want to see a comrade or someone close to her perish because of her own weakness.

"I'm fine, I promise," Katsuki gave the brunette a reassuring look.

"Ms. Shizuko, I see you have introduced yourself to Ms. Katsuki," a new voice entered the conversation.

The two spun around to see a male being assisted by the two younger girls from Final Selection. Without hesitation, Shizuko dropped to a knelt position and kept her head lowered. She tugged at Katsuki's arm to do the same, which she obeyed in response.

"Hello, master," Shizuko said in a soft and pleasant voice, "I'm relieved to see you doing well."

"Thank you Shizuko," he responded with a gentle voice.

"You see, Master," Shizuko began, "This is my friend, Katsuki. We battled side by side in the Final Selection. We have known each other for quite some time."

"Ah," he said with a smile. "That is wonderful, welcome to my Mansion Katsuki. My name is Kagaya Ubuyashiki. I am the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps and as the leader, I would personally like to say thank you for dedicating your energy, life, and time into protecting those who need it."

She jutted her eyes up and looked at the man. The scarring around his eyes was rather unusual and she wondered if it prohibited him from seeing. His gaze and look overall was soft and gentle. It gives you a warm feeling that you don't feel too often. He must be a safe place for those around him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you for welcoming me into your Mansion," Katsuki responded.

"Shizuko, if you don't mind, I would like to speak with Katsuki alone for the time being?" he asked politely.

"Of course, Oyakata-sama!" She responded immediately and stood up. She bowed to the leader, "Thank you for your time today!"

"No, thank you for allowing me to see you today, stay safe Shizuko." he smiled softly and she beamed with happiness at his response.

"Katsuki you stay safe as well and please stop by and say goodbye before you leave! Who knows when we'll see each other again!" she bowed quickly and scurried off before Katsuki could respond.

"She is a sweet girl, Ms. Katsuki, I'm glad you two are friends," the ravenette said. "She is a delight to have around here. She was quiet at first, but has opened up since working with the Sound Hashira. I expect great things from her.

"I'm glad I was able to meet her during Final Selection, master," Katsuki responded. Her head lowered to the ground.

"Please, call me Oyakata-sama," he said with a smile. "I bet you are wondering why you are here, Katsuki?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama!" she responded quickly.

"I have been watching you closely and have gotten the reports from your crow, Daisuke. You are doing a splendid job and I wanted to personally tell you these appraisals. You have been moving up the ranks rather fast, now a Kinoto, is that correct?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama!" Katsuki nodded her head. "I try my hardest to complete my missions to the quickest and best of my ability."

"I see." was all he said.

"Katsuki, have you considered possibly taking the role as someone's Tsugoku?" he asked.

She had pondered the idea of it, but it wasn't something she thought would suit her. That is because she did not think she was strong enough for that position. Plus, to one day fill the role as a Hashira, was a big responsibility.

"I had given it thought, but it was something I have not looked into, it is a rather big responsibility, no?"

"Of course, but everyone has a big responsibility in life, no matter what role or position you are in."

Before she could respond, he began speaking again, "Give it some thought, by the way you work you will be at the last rank in no time. When that comes I would like you to come visit again and we can discuss where your mind is at, okay?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Thank you, now before you take your leave, I'm ordering you to say goodbye to your friend before you leave," a grin formed at the corner of his lips.

He knew.

"I will make sure to stop by," Katsuki nodded her head. "Thank you for your time today and I will pray for your safety and well being!"

The two bid each other farewell, but knew they would be seeing one another again eventually. Katsuki ventured out to go find her brunette friend. She found her sitting on top of a large rock not too far from the Ubuyashiki Mansion.

"You know if you became a Tsugoku we could see each other more often," the girl mused and leaned over, eyeing her friend closely.

Katsuki leaned on the rock and looked up at the sky. "I don't know, Shizuko, that is a big responsibility."

"If I can do it, so can you!" she stated promptly.

"I just don't trust my ability enough," she sighed.

"Do I hear self-doubt!" a voice boomed from not too far in the distance.

The two girls looked over and saw a man with fire-like hair, walking over.

"Ah! Kyojuro, I see you have returned safely from your mission, I'm glad," Shizuko smiled, her eyes creasing slightly.

"Thank you very much, Shizuko!" He smiled widely. "The village was being tormented by a pesky demon, but I handled the situation with ease! I got distracted by their sweet potatoes, that is why I took so long traveling back," he laughed.

This boy was strange and loud.

"Kyojuro, let me introduce you to my friend, Katsuki," Shizuko gestured towards the scarlette. "She was summoned by Oyakata-sama himself, who asked her to seek out becoming a Tsugoku, you're in need of one, huh Kyojuro," the girl teased, earning a glare from her friend. She knew Katsuki was unsure of what she wanted to do.

The man's demeanor heightened and he grabbed ahold of Katsuki's hand with both of his.

"While I just recently was promoted to the Flame Pillar, I am in need of a Tsugoku, would you be willing to allow me to train you!"

Katsuki grew uncomfortable by the man's sudden outburst. However, his warm grasp was comforting.

"I-I'm not sure what I want to do yet," she stammered. She cursed herself mentally for allowing herself to show she was uncomfortable. Katsuki heard her friend snicker from above and shot her another glare.

"Katsuki, if you don't mind me calling you that, but your hands are freezing to the touch, even my warm hands can feel it!" he shouted. "Are you by any chance getting sick?"

She chuckled and wriggled out of his grasp, "I'm cold all the time, I have grown used to it at this point."

"Kyojuro… was it?" she questioned.

"Yes! Kyojuro Rengoku!" he boomed again.

How did people listen to this on a daily basis without getting a headache?

"You mentioned you were the flame pillar, correct?"

"That is correct! The flame pillar has been a long line of family history, my father was the flame pillar before I took his position!"

"I have been trying to master the flame breathing style as well, are there any tips or knowledge that you could possibly relay to me?" Katsuki fiddled with her fingers.

"Of course! I was already heading back home, please, follow!"

"I- wait!" Katsuki was about to stop the man, but he was already on a move. She glanced up at her friend who was snickering uncontrollably.

"Have fun," she stuck her tongue out and disappeared.

Katsuki cursed at her friend mentally and scrambled to catch up with the man. What was she getting herself into? All the way back he talked about what a great opportunity this was and how he would do his best to help in anyway possible.

At the Rengoku Estate…

"Alright, this is where we will begin!" he shouted and stood in his backyard, his arms folded over his chest.

She gave him a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

"Attack me! Show me what you've got!"

The girl's face dropped and a sweat drop fell from her head. She did not mean actually training together, she was more so just hoping for them to discuss the techniques or maybe he could just give her a demonstration. Anything other than fighting him. This was something she was not prepared for.

"I'm sorry," she laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. "I was more so just hoping for maybe some words of knowledge or maybe for you to demonstrate it?"

"There's no better way to demonstrate it other than actually performing the act!" he shouted, excitement and enthusiasm glistening in his orange orbs.

This man was extremely strange.

While he was fairly new, he still had the title of Hashia. Only the God's knew how strong he truly was. Even though Katsuki found herself to be at an excelling level and she believed she was capable of holding her own to a certain degree. She had not tried her strength at sparring with someone at a Hashira level.

Katsuki simply shrugged, knowing she had no other choice at this point, and unsheathed her sword, she readied herself before dashing at the man.

"HA!" she swung forward only to find that he disappeared and reappeared behind her.

"That was a valiant attack! Such force and strength behind it! Excellent!"

Katsuki gritted her teeth and spun around, swinging her leg in the air to connect with the man's face. He simply caught it, his grip was not rough or hurtful, but rather gentle and strong. He held her in place.

She jumped in the air and swung her other leg forward only for him to grab as well and toss her backwards. She flipped in the air and landed gracefully on the floor. Her green eyes observed the man in front of her. He stood there, arms back crossed over his chest and the smile still pertaining on his face.

This time Kyojuro moved and suddenly was in front of her face, his sword making its way to connect with her. Katsuki reacted fast to block his attack. The force behind it sent her skidding backwards.

The two clashed for what seemed like forever, Katsuki found herself on the defensive side, not finding an opening to push with an attack of her own. He sent her back a few feet and she tried to quickly regain her composure before he unleashed another series of attacks

"First form… Unknowing fire!" he dashed forward at a very fast pace, slicing horizontally at the girl.

Katsuki reacted quickly, "Third form, flowing dance!" she twisted her body to maneuver around his attack and unleash her own slash. Only for him to deflect it.

The two stood there, fighting for dominance, applying their body weight to try and throw one another off.

"It is undeniable that your strength is remarkable!" Kyojuro shouted.

Katsuki used the moment to release some of her pressure and Kyojuro stumbled forward. She used this moment to sweep her legs underneath him. He jumped backwards and made another dash at the girl.

"Let me see it, Katsuki!" he shouted, throwing slash after slash. "Water breathing is good for defense, but when you want to strike, try flame breathing. Find an opening and strike!"

"Second form… Rising Scorching sun!" he sliced vertically and Katsuki staggered back.

Calming herself down quickly, she got into a stance that was proper for flame breathing and gripped her sword.

"First form… Unknowing fire!" She dashed forward and connected with his sword. Mustering up her strength she shoved him back and readied herself again for another attack. "Third form… Blazing Universe!" She swung her sword down and before she could realize it he disappeared from her sight.

Katsuki panted heavily and squinted her right eye. The stamina it took for her to switch from water breathing to flame breathing was excruciating. Her arms grew heavy from the strain she was putting on them.

Kyojuro placed a hand on the girl's slender shoulder, "That was excellent, way to give it your all, Katsuki!"

The tired girl turned around and noticed that he had barely broken a sweat. He probably wasn't even trying during their little sparring match and yet his power and strength was unreal. Katsuki wondered what it was like when he was serious. She could only imagine the training he had to go through to get to this point. It only made her question her own powers and capabilities.

"T-Thank you," she panted and used her forearm to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

He offered her a seat on the porch to the backyard and went to grab them drinks.

Katsuki gulped down her water rather fast.

"Your technique is good for not having the proper training," Kyojuro stated. "However, switching between the two noticeably takes a toll on your body. Which is understandable because switching between different styles mid battle can put an enormous amount of strain on your body."

"I have noticed," Katsuki nodded her head. "I don't really use Flame breathing in battle as much because I'm afraid of it tiring me out too fast. That is why I have focused mainly on using my water breathing."

She took another sip of her water, "But, I believe once I can master Flame breathing I will be able to blend the two together to make my own breathing style that will be more suitable for myself?"

"I see," he nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you took the position as my Tsugoku, I could help you hone your skills."

Katsuki sighed and placed her cup down. "I'm not sure what I want to do, if I'm being honest," she stared off into the distance. "All these years I thought I would eventually figure out what I wanted to do, but I can't quite seem to find that purpose."

They grew silent for a moment and immediately Katsuki responded, "But I am flattered by the offer and I know it would be an amazing experience!"

"I understand," he too looked out into the distance, pondering the thoughts in his head. "Let me go grab something for you, wait here!" He prompted the girl to stay seated and headed off into the mansion.

Kyojuro came back. He had a book tucked underneath his as he shut the door behind him, popping a squat next to the girl again. He crossed his legs and opened the book for her.

"I used these books left from previous flame hashira's in my family. They are very resourceful and provide the knowledge you need to master Flame breathing!"

Her emerald orbs widened. This was something that had to be precious and dear to him and his family. Yet he was offering it to someone he just met to take so she could practice as well.

"I don't know if I can take this," she rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of what to do.

"I insist!" he interjected. "My mother once told me that I was born strong, stronger than others. That those who are blessed must use their strength for good. We have a duty to protect those who can not defend themselves."

"We?" Katsuki questioned.

"Yes," he nodded his head, his fiery eyes staring into hers. "You have undeniable strength that hasn't even reached its full potential! Take this book, train till your arms want to fall off, till you feel like you're not making any progress because I promise when you feel like that, set your heart ablaze and unlock your flame burning inside you!"

Something in the pit of her stomach turned. She did not know what she was feeling, it was different, but a warm feeling. What was this? Why was she feeling like this? A tint of red appeared on the apples of her cheeks and her nervous orbs stayed connected with his strong and passionate orbs.

"Set your heart ablaze" she repeated to herself.

Hesitantly her fingers touched the book and she slowly took it from his gentle grasp.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"I have one condition," Kyojuro immediately started after the girl took the book from his hands.

"Promise me that when you return the book you will have mastered Flame breathing, your own style, and we can spar once more as mentor and Tsugoku?" He said this with a serious smile, his voice not as loud as before. That fire in his eyes shining brightly.

The girl sat there, her mouth laid agape. It was then replaced with a small chuckle, "I think that's more than one request, huh?" she earned a chuckle in return from the Flame Pillar.

"Only if you'll be prepared to lose next time, Flame Boy."

"Flame Boy?" he questioned.

"I think it's rather suiting," she grinned and stood up from his seated spot. Finally deciding it was time for her to take her leave.

"Thank you, again," she offered him a small. He returned the gesture with a bigger smile.

She would use these moments as ways of fueling her to continue in her training. Kyojuro Rengoku What an interesting person.