A/N: Firstly, I would like to thank you guys for your support! It really means a lot to me :D
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I hope you guys keep enjoying this series!
About this chapter…
This chapter is a filler which has a tiny bit of story plot points hinted here and there.
Not a very important chapter in terms of story but something I couldn't help but write.
"It's morning right now, the Demons won't appear for the sun. We have quite sometime to prepare till the night" Giyuu stated slowly.
"I think its better to get some rest since with what we witnessed and heard…it might be a rough battle" Tanjirou said.
With how specific and confident Muzan had been in terms of what he asked for through his demons…It was clear, he has sent one of his most ruthless bunch.
"But where do we stay till then…? The inns here seem abandoned and destroyed…and I am not fond of staying in this deserted, bloody mess of a place till the night…the scenery and residual sound of all the suffering is too much for me to handle-" Zenitsu said timidly but kept a serious tone. He was starting to feel a little light headed after all things that happened. He looks at Tanjiro who nods sadly.
"As much I hate to agree with Monitsu here…the essence of air around the place is making me sick" Inosuke said in a low voice.
Tanjirou smiled softly and said, "I never said we have to stay here till the night. You might have forgotten but up there-" he continued as pointed his index finger to the near top of the mountain.
"-is my and Nezuko's home. Where we grew up. We can stay there, get some rest and come back down the mountains by the evening to kill the demons and go home"
This earned him happy, excited noises from the other two while Giyuu kept his neutral expression. He looked towards the pointed direction.
Brings back memories.
"Um but-" Tanjirou started nervously.
"It's been a long time since I have visited my house...I- I didn't...clean the house when I left it-" his voice turning more and more strained as if he can cry at any moment.
"The stains and maybe a bit smell could…-" he turned his gaze down as he couldn't continue, the corner of his eyes turning red. He mustn't cry. He mustn't.
"Tanjirou, it's alright, if anything I am sure that it would be hundred times better than this place. If something needs a cleaning, we could do it together. It is your and Nezuko-chan's home after all. That's the least we can do." Zenitsu stated kindly as he patted his back. "We are in this together"
"Yup, if nothing, I'll clean the entire place in half the time it would take you, Monitsu and Mismatched Haori combined" Inosuke put his hand on the boy's shoulder although his subtle boasting earned him the stink eye from Zenitsu as Giyuu threw the boar head an annoyed look simultaneously.
Tanjirou smiled gently as he knew that it was Inosuke's way of showing support.
"Alright then, let's head out" he said as he started to walk towards the direction of the mountains, very close by and the others followed.
As they climbed up, Giyuu noticed that the place really looked much different than the last time.
Colourful flowers of all sizes were scattered at the base of all trees.
The red-headed boy truly didn't overexaggerate the mountain's beauty when when he described it.
Slowly they came across an old house under the shade of a huge tree. Tanjirou stopped and glanced over it.
This caught the attention of others as they asked if something was wrong.
Tanjirou shook his head and stated, "A man named Saburoji-san lives here. He was like a grandfather to me for all the time I grew up in the mountains"
The others nodded as Tanjirou knocked on the door and called out, "Saburoji-san! It's Tanjirou! You here?!"
No response.
Tanjirou tried to knock again but just with one knock, the entire door collapsed backwards, much to the shock and surprise of others who peeked from behind.
The boy mustered up some courage and went inside, others following him slowly with their hands resting on their katana's hilts, their guards up.
The inside of the home was dark and littered with spider webs and covered in a somewhat thick layer of dust. It looked like the house has been abandoned for quite sometime now.
Sensing no presence of a human or a demon, the others left, although Tanjiro turned back once again to look at what remained of a once alive house. He could smell something in the house but not sure what was it.
The others seemed convinced that the old man probably left for his own safety since his house was located near the foot of the mountain but Tanjirou knew something was off. The smell of the house emitted a sad scent along with what seemed like a slight smell of a demon .
He shook his head and focused on the directions. He was overthinking.
The group eventually enters the steep flat valley portion of the mountain where the river flowed in its purest form.
The nearing grounds were covered entirely in what looked like hundreds or thousands of lively flowers. Each flower differing in size, colour and fragrance.
The group except Tanjirou was awestruck by the beauty of it.
He knew the true beauty of the mountain when spring gave her gentle touch to it. He and his siblings would spend hours playing here when their household or coal selling work got over early.
He could remember the happy face of Nezuko as she made flower garlands for all their siblings and made them wear it on the top of their head as a crown who in turn giggled and laughed in response. He could remember Takeo's blush as he insisted he wasn't a small kid to enjoy these, only to receive a few more garlands on his neck.
A soft smile appears on his face at the tender memory. However within moments, his lips curled with distaste as he remembered the fate of those happy smiles, his expression soured. His visage was blanketed with the pain of the memory of his family's death.
No matter how beaten you are, there is something you have to protect.
Tanjirou glances at the wooden box he always carries around. "We are almost home, Nezuko"
The said demoness makes a scratching noise against the wooden walls of the box in response, earning a smile from her brother.
A bit further away, Zenitsu plucked a few pink flowers and thought loudly, "Nezuko-chan would love these flowers! It matches with her kimono~"; He looked at the sky, dreamingly.
Giyuu just stared at a butterfly who constantly hovered over the flowers he was standing close to.
While Inosuke simply went and jumped on an area where the most flowers grew and rolled on it, seeming to enjoy himself.
Tanjirou looked through all the flowers his eyes could see, he seemed to be looking for something.
"Did it really not grow again? Even after so many years?" He thought to himself.
W̶h̶a̶t̶ w̶e̶r̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ n̶a̶m̶e̶s̶ a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶?̶
After a few more minutes of shenanigans, they started moving again. Giyuu started walking in the front, beside Tanjirou.
The other two followed close behind. Inosuke's mask had two pink petals sticking to it while Zenitsu carried the flowers he plucked in his hands.
Currently, they passed through the line of the Sakura tree forest. The pink petals fluttered down and fell on the ground, creating a calming and aesthetic sight.
Zenitsu's leg were starting to hurt after so much walking but the beauty and peacefulness of the mountains was something that kept him calm. He didn't feel like complaining while witnessing a sight like this.
Inosuke seemed to do the same. He wasn't boasting about his abilities or talk out loudly as usual.
When asked he simply said that little animals wake up during this season and shouting or yelling might disturb them which is very rude.
It was one of the rare instances where Inosuke decides to be normal for once. Zenitsu had absolutely no intention to change that. He hoped it lasted a bit longer. He wished he could embrace the tranquility a bit more.
However he could practically hear the want of asking a particular question to Tanjirou within the others, himself included. He didn't need to ask what question it could be because he has been pondering over it as well. He felt even Tanjirou must be thinking about it. He felt utterly selfish asking it at the moment but the question would be brought up sooner or later so why not now?
Why Tanjirou of all people?
"Um Hey, can I ask you something?" Zenitsu politely asked as he stared down at the flowers he held.
"Yes, what is it?" Tanjirou replied.
"You won't mind it…right?" Zenitsu asked timidly.
At this the latter raised an eyebrow "No, you can ask"
"I have been thinking about this for a while…" The yellow haired boy started, "...What would Muzan want from you ? Why would he be targeting you? Do you have any clue?"
Tanjirou looked down on the ground, his face's smile halting to a thin straight line which turned into a sad smile.
"If I'm being honest….I don't know, Zenitsu...I wish I did" He replied with his eyes cast low. "I just know he wants me dead." He supplied in a hollow voice. "It's not the first time he sent demons specifically after me anyway"
The others went completely silent.
What the fuck did he mean by this not being the first time?
"You have been targeted by Muzan prior to this as well?" Giyuu asked worry and surprise evident in his voice.
"Yea…" Tanjiro whispered. "This is probably the…second or third time?" He supplied hesitantly as he tried to recall more accurately.
"SECOND OR THIRD TIME?!" Zenitsu started to panic.
"Why didn't you tell us this?" Inosuke asked worriedly.
"I must have forgotten to mention it-" Tanjiro sweated as he tried to brush the topic off. "I didn't think it was that worthy of a note"
"Not important?" Giyuu blurted, not even trying to hide his shock. "Did you atleast report it to the Corps?"
"N- No" The boy replied honestly.
"Ta- Tanjirou…this…I-...YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS- This is MADNESS, I tell you! Why would he want to kill you?! WHY DIDN'T YOU REPORT?! We must immediately inform the Corps of this!! We can't let anything happen to you!" Zenitsu practically wailed as he completely lost all of his composure within a second as he understood the full gravity of the situation. The aspect of death by Muzan scared him... Heck, he wouldn't even wish death by the demon king himself to his worst enemy….let alone his close friend.
Tanjirou considered his words for a moment but answered back with a bittersweet smile, " Oyakata-sama did say Muzan never comes out and is always constantly hiding…maybe- maybe its because I met him in person after centuries…? Come to think of it, the targeting started immediately after I met him."
He whispered to himself in a sound even barely heard by Zenitsu. "Whatever it may be…It doesn't change anything…My main concern is to find a cure for Nezuko and…We have to complete this mission for now. "
It did make sense. Muzan was infamous of his apparent shape shifting abilities and can transform into whatever he wants to escape and stay hidden from the slayers and has been successful in doing so over all these years.
The special "meet-up" was no new information. Infact, It somehow spread like wild fire once he was admitted to the Butterfly Estate and things got so bad that the Kakushi were specifically instructed to make sure Tanjirou doesn't end up getting harmed in any of it, be it any prying Hashiras or any other demon slayer. No Hashira or Slayer alike has ever crossed passed with the Demon King for centuries so Tanjirou meeting him and being consistently targeted by him is a huge deal.
Could Muzan be wanting to eliminate Tanjirou out of the picture for being the one spotting him after centuries?
Giyuu would be lying if he said he didn't think about the whole topic prior to this conversation as well. Infact he had his own theory and once this mission was over, he needed to talk with Ubayashiki-sama about this.
"It does change a lot of things then" Giyuu says loudly enough for others to hear which made them turn their attention to him.
"Tanjirou, your safety is paramount. You should not and must not undermine it. We won't let Muzan kill or silence you..…Don't worry, we shall protect you while also keeping the safety of the corps and its members in mind" He reassured. He knew Tanjirou would decline if his safety became more prioritized than others otherwise. The boy was way too kind.
But the Blue Spider Lilies…What could Muzan possibly be planning? Why Blue Spider Lilies in particular? What is so special about them to attract the attention of the Demon Progenitor himself?
"Kentaro, don't be afraid! I won't let that bastard even lay a finger on you! I'll rip him that namby-pamby to shreds" Inosuke said as he put his arms around Tanjirou's neck and gave him a good squeeze.
Zenitsu came from the back and clinged on to him as he cried, "We won't let you die, Tanjirou!! We will protect you with everything"
The red-headed boy felt tinges of tear form at his eyes as he took in the overwhelming response. "Thank you so much everyone" He replied almost at the verge of crying.
"Even then…" The water pillar pondered. "I don't understand why is he after the so called 'Blue spider lilies' in particular?" He crossed his arms.
This bothered the others as well. The flower searching part truly didn't seem to fit the puzzle much.
"We could ask Oyakata-sama once we clear this mission. He must have some answers!" Tanjirou said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, I heard he is pretty knowledgeable and very wise. He could know" Zenitsu chimed in.
The rest of the journey upwards was spent in silence as each of them were occupied by their own thoughts however occasionally having a friendly banter about something.
What Tanjirou forgot to mention to them however was that he felt like he has heard about and seen those Blue Spider Lilies himself.
"We are here!" Tanjirou announced as they stood in front of a humble looking house as they finally reached the intended location. The house was definitely not small by any means and seemed to be more than enough to house just four people till the night.
So this was Nezuko-chan and Tanjirou's house?
Tanjirou's hands trembled for a bit as he slid the door open.
He would be lying if he said the trauma had left him completely. He wondered what scene could lay behind the door while at the same time, he didn't want to know. He didn't know if he had the courage to look at the dried stains of his own family's blood and take in the smell of old yet foul essence of blood once again.
To his and everyone's shock and surprise, the house was surprisingly very clean and at a somewhat mint condition. The stains were still faintly visible on the ground and walls but appeared as though someone rinsed them to the best of their ability and they seemed to have been dulled down in a similar way a stain could be removed with repeated scrubbing overtime. There was not even a trace of the foul odour of blood.
Considering they have been gone for more than two years; the state of the house was as if they left the house for a week or two with a very light coat of dust.
But...who cleaned the house then...?
Tanjirou then noticed a pair of old slippers at the shoe keeping space.
"Could someone have been living here?" Zenitsu asked.
Tanjirou looked at the slippers carefully and eventually sniffed it to recognize the smell.
"I think this slipper belo-" he got interrupted.
"No way! This is your turf! No one deserves to steal that!! If they forcefully take over then they should be the one's leaving!" Inosuke said as he drew out his katana.
"Hold on!!! You aren't planning to commit a MURDER here, are you?!" Zenitsu panicked as he grabbed the boar head from the back and tried to restrain him much to the irritation of Inosuke who desperately tried to shake him off. Tanjirou slightly winced at Zenitsu's choice of words.
Giyuu silently decided that he wasn't even going to bother interfering. He wasn't about to waste anymore energy on these morons who are constantly giving him a headache. However he did keep his eyes on Tanjirou who looked at the pair of slippers carefully and then looked at Giyuu and then the boar head and Blonde's direction.
Tanjirou said with a firmer and louder voice, "These slippers are of Saburoji-san! It has his scent and the slippers seemed to have gathered a bit dust too. They must have been left for a while."
This caught the attention of the quarrelling pair who immediately quietened down.
He added, "I am guessing he took care of the house after we were gone." A small smile appearing on his face.
Why are his slippers left here then? Did he leave in a hurry? Could he have forgotten them?
Tanjirou thought to himself as his smile wavered.
"Why are you all standing outside? Come in!" Tanjirou said as he put his zori in the shoe space.
The others nodded and put their shoes in the place carefully. Inosuke, however, tossed his sandals carelessly as they remained flipped over unrulingly.
Proceeding inside, Tanjirou opened the wooden sliding window, letting in fresh air and light. He also unlocked the garden sliding door for gentle breeze to enter.
Then, He carefully set his box in a side and then ready the table up in the middle of the room and put on the cushions they had when guests came in.
"NO NEED TO PUT THOSE THINGS!" Said Zenitsu as he shook both his hands in front of him, feeling guilty at all the arrangements Tanjirou was doing.
"It's alright, Zenitsu! Don't think much of it!" Tanjirou shrugged it off.
The others then went and settled down on their seats with much hesitation and a lot of insistence from the former resident of the home. For Inosuke's case, he put his mask aside when he sat down and started to ruffle his own hair.
"We might need to refill water though…" as the red-haired boy glanced at Inosuke violently shaking the gourd vessel for a drop of water to fall off and Zenitsu Giyuu's stomachs grumbled to which the latter turned his face away from others in embarrassment.
"...And maybe a few fruits and a lunch" Tanjirou said to himself.
Within a blink of an eye, he rushed to the kitchen area; found a clean pitcher and his old basket. This genuinely shocked everyone at how speedy he was.
"Alright! I will be back soon! Don't roam around in the forest incase you get out of the house!" Tanjirou said as if warning children of the dangers in the wild as he set off with his basket into the forest area.
"WAIT I WILL COME WITH YOU! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!-" said Zenitsu as he rushed.
The wild boar head caught on to his other two friends going away to the forest area almost immediately. He yelled as he quickly put his mask back on and rushed to where Zenitsu ran moments ago, "HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING BY LEAVING ME OUT OF THE FUN?!"
Giyuu set his head on the table and made his arms act like a pillow and slept. He really had no idea how the other three had so much stamina even after traveling for more than day, non stop. At the very least, he needed sleep badly.
After a while, the three arrived bickering over some non sensible topic but got silent immediately as they realized Giyuu had went to sleep.
The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Tanjirou cooked because Zenitsu and Inosuke really and truly had no clue how to even start the stove.
He was half glad, both of them followed him since Zenitsu had helped him pluck a lot of fruits, some of which make great spices and Inosuke managed to catch decently sized fishes from the river with his bare hands while the he and Zenitsu were filling water in the pitcher. His talent was pretty handy and earned him praise which he proudly accepted. In a way, it reminded him of the old, simpler and happier times with his family still alive. The times he wished he could return to once more. He quickly shook his head. He had much larger responsibilities in the present. He has to take care of Nezuko, his only will to live is for her.
Now is not the time to think all this...
After a while even if they didn't want to disturb, Giyuu had to be woken up from his sleep for the lunch. They expected him to be grumpy at best, but what was not expected that he would be pointing his sword at Inosuke's throat who promptly took the challenge of waking him up after Zenitsu gave up.
He apologized immediately when he realized what he had done and seemed to be pretty embarrassed at how he attacked a fellow demon slayer because he tried to wake him up during his beauty sleep.
This was dropped quickly since no one really can blame him. He is a hashira after all, they are known to have fast reflexes and on top of that, he was just as tired as them.
A few moments later, they all sat for lunch and once they put the food in their mouths. Their eyes widened. For Giyuu's case, his eyebrow rose ever so slightly.
Tanjirou visibly tensed.
Are the dishes really that bad tasting? I should probably apologize-
"Tanjirou…." Zenitsu started.
"Y-yes??"
"DID YOU EVER CONSIDER BECOMING A COOK?! THIS IS AMAZING" He yelled as he started chomping down the food offered on his plate intensely.
Inosuke was licking his plate clean and Giyuu seemed pretty satisfied.
"T-thank you! It has been a long time since I cooked- I was worried how it might come out" Tanjirou stated honestly.
After the meal and cleaning up the dishes which Giyuu helped in the most, everyone passed out in exhaustion.
The pink flowers collected by Zenitsu rested beside an all too familiar wooden box as soon the rays of sunset fell upon it.
A/N: Yeah..like I said, this was a filler chapter. I hope it wasn't very disappointing-
To those confused, Zori is basically traditional Japanese "Flip Flops". Yk the ones our Demon slaying gang wears!
I apologize if I made any grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes and stuff-
Give this story a like if you liked it!
Please do leave a review! They are always great to read and encourage me to write more :D
I would update soon! See y'all!~
