Chapter 3: Learning To Breathe
Flashy Flash sat up and flicked his eyes around the classic room. It took a few seconds to remember where he was and ensuring everything that had happened wasn't a dream.
Nezuko was still asleep across the room. She hadn't budged since Flash first laid eyes on her. Perhaps it had something to do with her having become a demon. Regardless, the girl may remain asleep for some time.
The hero rose to his feet and reached for his sword, only to realize it wasn't there. Urokodaki must have taken the blade as he slept.
"Tch, curse him. Where is that old man anyway?"
He walked to the door. Once there, he slowly cracked it open but suddenly stopped when memories resurfaced of the hashira keeping sunlight from reaching Nezuko. Then there was what the hashira said when inspecting his sword.
Keeping the thought in mind, the ninja took extra precautions to ensure no light hit the demon girl. He could only assume it was the creature's biggest weakness, similar to vampires.
Outside, the sun remained out of sight. It must be early morning, meaning he had slept for nearly a full day. The light that did reveal itself remained over the horizon.
A person cleared their throat to his left. His eyes landed on Urokodaki, who had sat on the ground with Flash's sword on a rock before him. The elder slightly turned right to get a look at him while also watching the sunrise.
"You are awake. Good. It seems waking early to train is a common trope for swordsmen from your time as well." Urokodaki spoke.
Flashy Flash walked over and dropped to one knee as he spoke to the former hashira. "Why do you have my sword?"
The masked man shifted his head left to watch the sunrise fully. The sword caught its first glimpse and glowed with a new light. "The sun is a demon's greatest weakness. Hence, why they only appear at night. The way we bring their weakness with us is by having metal absorb the sun's rays and removing a demon's head with the weapon."
"A metal known as Nichiron excels at light absorption, but other metals can perform the same if maintained in the sunlight. However, it could take weeks of light to make them as effective. It is better to get started as soon as possible for this blade." The elder continued.
He then reached to his side, then pulled out a new sword, and tossed it to Flash. The hero caught it with ease by the hilt. The hashira spoke again. "You will use this sword for the time being. I don't need to give an expert swordsman a lesson on not to break his weapon."
Flash looked at the blade, then twisted it to point the hilt back at Urokodaki. "Normal weapons melt when I use them. It is why I continue to use that blade before you, even with my distaste for its origin."
The elder waved him off. "Then slow down for now. You may train your speed when the sun goes down with your blade, but sometimes it is better to suppress yourself against weaker foes to gain more fighting experience. Instead of instantly finishing a fight."
His new teacher stood up. "It is time. Let us begin to teach you how to use concentrated breathing."
The two stood in the sunlight as they prepared the ninja for training. Flash's cloak had been replaced by a thicker, warmer kimono that was pure white. He kept his ninja gear underneath to allow him to maintain his agility.
The sword that Urokodaki had given him was sheathed at his side, just under his left arm. The weapon will remain sheathed for now.
The former hashira spoke. "Concentrated Breathing is a way to bring out the body's hidden strength. This power is naturally drawn out in critical moments. But the breathing technique allows us to draw it out at will and further enhance that strength through training."
This reminded the hero of Silverfang's technique, Awakened Breath. It had similar qualities. Could they be linked in some way? Perhaps the former hero had used Concentrated Breathing as a base to create his style.
"Training the strength of your lungs shouldn't be a problem. I assume someone with your speed and endurance should possess quite powerful ones. What we need to work on is how to perform the skill. Now watch as I perform an example." Urokodaki said.
The elder took a massive breath in. Flash watched how the lungs and tongue shifted to get an estimated guess on how to use the move. When Urokodaki exhaled, the air that came out gave the appearance of steam.
"Now you try."
Flash hunched over slightly. Then his lungs expanded as he gave his attempt. Then coughed up spit when his new teacher punched him in the gut.
"Wrong! You must use your whole body! Not just your chest and mouth!"
The hero glared at him but said nothing. It was best to do as instructed. But this did remind him of his time in the Ninja Village. Thou, not nearly as stressful.
He closed his eyes and focused on the blood flow throughout his veins, took a deep breath in, and felt the oxygen shift through him. Urokodaki hadn't hit him yet, so he must be doing something right.
Muscles tensed as the O2 seemed to enhance them to an even greater degree than usual. After a few seconds, his body grew accustomed to the new level and relaxed.
Then he was struck in the stomach again.
"Wrong!"
"What now?" This was getting annoying. AND THEY JUST STARTED!
Urokodaki pointed to his throat as he went through the technique process again. The ninja listened as closely as he could to the explanation.
Even with years of experience, Total Concentration Breathing will be hard to master.
–
(3 hours later)
Urokodaki rotated his wrist to relax the muscles. His old hand began to bruise from the constant impact against Flash's stomach. The punches didn't seem to hurt the ninja all too much, but they enraged him to no end.
Flash grumbled to himself as he prepared to attempt Total Concentration again. He was getting close. In just a few more attempts…
The ninja took a deep breath. The muscles in his body reached their full strength without pause. Next came the hard part of maintaining that strength when he exhaled. Perhaps the most challenging part of the technique.
Steam slowly left his mouth as he let out only half of the air in his lungs, adjusting his tongue and chest to compensate, finally taking in a new breath.
His lungs then erupted in pain.
Flash collapsed and grabbed his stomach with his left hand. A coughing fit overcame him. Urokodaki watched as his new student attempted to get his breathing under control.
"It took three hours for the effects of Total Concentration to accumulate, as flawed as your attempts were. Even your lungs have limits when they have to be trained beyond just stamina. This breathing style physically trains your lungs like a jog does the legs. Eventually, they will harden like any other muscle."
The hero finally finished coughing and rose to his feet. "So there was a missing component to my training." He brushed off some dirt on his kimono.
Urokodaki turned around. "We will take a short break, then practice your swordsmanship with Total Concentration. See what we can create.
–
"Absolute Technique…"
The ninja flexed his legs. His training blade was held upside down before him, with his wrist twisted to compensate for the position.
"Flashy…"
He shot forward and swung the sword in a horizontal path. The speed at which he moved increased exponentially. Making him invisible for the distance he moved.
"Slash."
The tree split in two. The wood close to where the blade touched shattered from the force that passed nearby. The once proud oak soon fell with a mighty boom.
Flash looked back at the now split tree. Urokodaki stood next to where the ninja once did. His face was hidden by the red mask he wore. However, the elder was in awe.
"Such speed and precision. Are you certain you are human?"
A sizzling noise made itself known. The ninja lifted the sword and realized the blade was red hot. The sharpness the sword once possessed was now lost.
"Tch, a rookie mistake on my part. I went too fast." Flash criticized himself.
Urokodaki turned to face the shack. "We can sharpen the blade as you continue training your breathing. It'll be good practice in multitasking, even if it's a small start."
The two made their way into the building. Flash went and sat down in his usual spot. Urokodaki grabbed a whetstone and tossed it to the ninja, who caught it without looking.
As Flash sharpened the sword and used total concentration, the former water hashira began cooking food. He had no idea where the elder kept the ingredients, but the aroma quickly filled the air.
"I doubt there is much to teach you, Flashy Flash," Urokodaki spoke. "You are already a master of your craft. Showing you the Water Breathing style may harm your way of combat as it would clash with your preferred style."
"Water breathing?" Flash stopped the sharpening and glanced at the hashira. "There are different styles of the technique?"
"Of Concentrated Breathing? No. But when mixed with fighting styles, we refer to them as a breathing styles. For example, my Water Breathing is Total Concentration mixed with techniques that mimic the movement of water." The former slayer stated.
"Yet another similarity to Silverfang? Could the Fist of Flowing Water be based on this ancient sword style?" Thought Flash.
Urokodaki continued. "Perhaps you could one day create your own style by mixing your current fighting style with Total Concentration. But that could take time to form properly."
The ninja coughed a bit as he reached his limit on his lungs. The water hashira brought over two plates and set one in front of Flash. He then sat down across from him.
"Forgive me, but there isn't much I can teach you." Urokodaki slightly lifted his mask and used chopsticks to eat his food.
"It is enough to get me started, and for that, you have my rare appreciation." Flash grabbed his utensils and slowly began eating. "That tree out there will give you a week's worth of firewood. After that, I'll go to Tanjiro and begin teaching him what I know."
"Out of curiosity, Flashy Flash, what creature do you know is out there from your time?" Urokodaki asked. "Your most recent adversary."
The ninja thought about it for a second. "There was this monster with the power to disperse toxic fumes. A rather strong one, at that. He will be the first to watch out for."
The elder sat in silence as Flash continued his meal. He was pondering to himself about something, but the ninja didn't pesture the man about it.
–
(1 week later)
Urokodaki took a sip out of his cup. The warm liquid eased his old body in the cold of night.
Flash had continued his training throughout the week, as the man had stated. During the day, he would train alongside the elder to perfect Total Concentration. At night, or at least an hour into it, the ninja would practice his new full speed with his sword. This left very little time to sleep, but he was pushing through.
When Flash trained in the open field, Urokodaki would check on Tanjiro. This mostly led him to find the boy asleep under a tree. The teacher would cover the boy in blankets and inspect the boulder he had told Tanjiro to cut. A few scruffs, but far from splitting it.
He would leave a small meal next to the boy and then return to his home.
The water hashira stood up and then made his way to the door. He opened it to stare into the distant woods. Streaks of light constantly crossed the trees at speeds that appeared to come from multiple figures. However, the retired hashira knew it was one man.
–
The ninja landed on the side of a tree, then jumped off at light speed. Shattering the plant with force transferred into it. Flash flew through the air until he bounced off a rock on the ground. Which also broke.
He grabbed his sword and swung diagonally in front of him from his lower right to his upper left. A cliffside was cut short and slid down into the woods below it.
Flash landed on the cliffside with grace. The woods around him seemed to explode as his senses returned to average time. Multiple trees around him fell to the ground as the bases were cut or obliterated. The rock from the cliffside landed on the earth with a thunderous boom.
After a few seconds of minor movement from pebbles and splinters of wood falling through the air, the hero stood up straight and looked at his sword.
The blade was red from friction but appeared no less sharp than before he started training. Although he hated its origin, the weapon was excellently crafted.
A sharp pain then racked his stomach, causing him to flinch. He reached down and placed his palm against his ribs. Total Concentration was beginning to take a toll on his lungs, both in a good way and a bad way.
The bad way was that if he continued to train the technique today, the ninja risked permanent damage to the lung if he refused the organ rest. Typical for exercising muscles.
The good was that it meant he was done for the day and could go to sleep. If he continued to train the breathing style like this, his lungs would eventually be able to hold up longer.
Flash looked at the forest that had become the testing site to his new speed, which was increasing with each training session. The ground had taken the appearance of mulch with how much-shattered wood was covering it.
He sheathed the sword. That was enough training for one day. It was time to get some sleep.
The path back was hardly noticeable if it could even be considered a path at all. The only reason Flash could follow it easily was because of twigs he had broken on his way to this part of the forest.
The ninja began thinking to himself as he walked through the forest.
Today was the day he would meet Tanjiro. Wherever that kid was. Urokodaki said he would show Tanjiro's location whenever asked, so finding him wouldn't be a problem. But considering that he did not come across the boy on his training route, he could only assume that the location was far.
Not that distance had ever been a problem for this hero.
The biggest concern would be whether or not Tanjiro would follow him or not. From what he had heard from the elder, the boy was a very kind individual. That was the opposite of what Flash expected from a student. Mercy in the killing business always led to the death of the innocent.
Meaning Tanjiro would be cut down if nothing changed.
Flash continued his stroll through the forest until he eventually came to a stop at Urokodaki's home. He could hear shuffling inside as the former hashira made dinner.
The door swung open with a bang. The ninja stood with an aura of pure intensity. "Master Urokodaki, I have concluded my weekly training! When will you give me the location of Tanjiro Kamado?!"
A delightful aroma hit his nostrils on entry. His body relaxed due to the nicely seasoned rice balls giving off such a promising smell. This is why he stumbled back when a small box landed in his hands. Flash fumbled with it briefly before finally getting a good grip.
"You can eat that while we make our way there. I hope you can multitask." Urokodaki had two similar boxes in his own hands. "We won't be walking."
Without no further explanation. The elder ran into the forest behind the shack. Flash sighed. He opened the box and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. He then tilted the box forward and dashed off after his temporary teacher.
Even with the ninja's high reaction time. It wasn't easy to keep leaves out of his food as he ate. This didn't deter him from following the former hashira as they bolted across the landscape.
"Can't I just eat this when we get there?" Flash shifted his box to avoid some falling leaves.
"It is good to get better at multitasking." The elder spoke. He then thought to himself. "Plus, with your speed. This would be no problem with you anyway."
The time they took to get to their destination began to extend. No wonder Flash hadn't seen the boy yet. Not only was this in the opposite direction of his training area. The distance was so great that not only had he finished his dinner, but he also started dozing off mid-run.
Flash's eyes bolted open like a truck driver on the highway when he stumbled. Urokodaki saw this and smirked underneath that mask. "Looks like the great Flashy Flash wants to get some sleep. If you stop, I won't."
"You wish, Old Man. Even in my sleep, I am leagues faster than you." The ninja slapped himself to snap him out of his trance.
"Don't worry. We are almost there. It's just over this clearing." Urokodaki jumped into a bush with the hero in tow.
When they emerged from the brush, an open field of crops stood before them. A small path split the area in two. Even with the sun down, a few farmers watched their fields—with crude weapons.
The two crossed the path with relative quickness. As he passed, Flash noticed that the farmers had several scars across their bodies. The oldest, a man with short grey hair and a slight build, had an eye patch covering his right eye.
The farmer didn't notice the swordsmen shoot by him as he kept watch over his crops.
"Those damn rookies," Urokodaki mumbled to himself. "If those new Demon Slayers don't get to that farm by tomorrow, I'll personally handle it. They've lost enough crops as his. Not to mention farmers."
"Why would a demon destroy crops? The farmers, I understand." Flash asked.
The former hashira took a few seconds to reply. "It may have something to do with their Blood Demon Art."
"Blood Demon Art?"
Urokodaki glanced back. "More powerful demons have abilities given to them when they reach a certain strength. Some are reasonable. Some make you question reality. The demon that attacks that farm may have a blood art that uses the crops."
The hero was then thrown into a string of thoughts. Could one of these abilities prove trouble to his speed? What does Urokodaki mean when he says they make you question reality? And what level did a demon need to be at to obtain a Blood Demon Art?
It was definitely an interesting concept.
"We are here." The elder slowed into a walk, then casually jumped onto a branch above them. Flash quickly followed suit.
Trees covered in snow scattered the area, as well as the sky above them. Very few branches could be seen outstretched from the lower parts of the trees. They were giving it a somewhat open feeling. The ground lacked grass due to its location and the harsh winter.
"Where is Kamado?"
"He will appear soon to attempt to cut that boulder over there in two. That is the task I have given him." Urokodaki pointed at the large rock wrapped with a single horizontal rope. Slight cuts could be seen engraved where a sword had made contact.
Urokodaki gave the boxes of food he held to Flash. "Give this to Kamado for me, will you?" And with that, the hashira jumped off and ran in the direction they came from.
Flash glanced back before sitting on the branch and wrapping himself in his cloak before drifting to sleep.
–
The ninja awoke with the snap of a twig. Hand on sword hilt on instinct.
The clouds in the sky had become illuminated by the sun above them. Light snow fell from the sky with a slight breeze that brought chills to the skin.
But Flash had a focus that was not directed toward the weather. Instead, it was towards the source of the sudden noise.
A boy had entered the clearing that Urokodaki had pointed out. His appearance was odd, but that could be his current cultural displacement.
His red hair was long enough to cover his ears and go past his neck but didn't hide the kimono earrings that hung from them. A scar covered the upper left side of his forehead just above his red eyes that emitted a light that was uncommon among people he knew.
He wore a checkered kimono that kept him warm in this harsh climate. Underneath were some white clothes that he couldn't find a name for. Grime covered most of his body from both sleeping in this forest and training in it.
This had to be him.
Tanjiro Kamodo.
Tanjiro made his way into the same clearing he had seen for months on end. The sword marks on the boulder were a constant reminder of his failures, but that didn't deter him.
He wondered where Sabito and Makomo were. Not like they didn't stay hidden at times every day. However, usually, they would be here at this time.
The boy shrugged to himself. Perhaps they had some other business to attend to. He might as well keep practicing on the boulder.
Tanjiro walked up to the large rock and unsheathed his sword from its sheath, then raised the blade above his head to prepare to slash downwards. He took a deep breath in…
…then stopped.
Kamado had an excellent nose his entire life. When he went down to the village to sell coal as a kid, the locals always asked for his help to sniff out problems and their solutions. It had never let him down.
So when his nose told him something was on a nearby tree, he would assume it was just an animal if the scent of a blade wasn't mixed in.
His eyes darted to the right and up a tree. There, a blond man in a white Kamino stared at him. A slight glint of light made Tanjiro aware of the light armor underneath the cloth. A sword remained sheathed on his belt.
"Um, hello, sir. May I ask who you are and where you come from?" Tanjiro asked nicely. His sword lowered from the spot above his head.
The man raised his eyebrow momentarily before his face returned to its still look. "Tanjiro Kamodo, my name is Flashy Flash. I have come here to become your master and to kill Muzan Kibutsuji. There will be no question about this."
I'm sorry for the wait. I honestly lost interest in writing for a bit. Also, I wouldn't say I like writing at work anymore because typing on my phone is annoying. Hopefully, I can make it up to you now that the boring part is over.
Seriously, having Flash act nice to one person was a lot less interesting to write than just being himself. Still, I felt like he had to be somewhat kind to Urokodaki was the best way the former hashira would let him join Tanjiro. Now we will have Flash being a semi-dick again.
I hope you enjoyed it!