Chapter 33: Two Very Important Conversations
Notes: Part 2 of the Pillar Training Arc. I LIVE! Many apologies for ghosting you guys like this for so long. Chapter 40 has been kicking my ass, because it doesn't feel right and between my need to get it just so, my perpetual distractibility, and penchant for hyper-fixating on shiny things that cross my screen, left us with a four-month long period of dead silence. Still, Chapter 40 will probably be a while, because I seriously need to rework the blasted thing from the ground up it seems. Original title was "Tamayo-san's Story".
The next morning, Zenitsu came to visit him.
"I heard the news." he said, sitting beside his bed, "Congratulations, Tanjirou!"
"Thank you, Zenitsu!" Tanjirou smiled, brightly, "I'll be visiting my family later today, do you want to come? I'll ask Inosuke, too, if I see him today."
"What will happen now?" the blonde boy asked.
"After my recovery you mean? I can take you and Inosuke as my Tsugukos, so things won't change much."
Zenitsu, tears in his eyes, launched himself at Tanjirou.
"TANJIROOOOOOUUUU! YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD FRIEND!" he cried happily, "PLEASE TAKE CARE OF MEEEE!"
Tanjirou laughed.
"What happened?!" the Kakushi, along with the girls, came running in.
"It's alright. It's just Zenitsu." Tanjirou explained.
"Why are you like that?!" Aoi-san demanded angrily, trying to calm down.
As if that wasn't enough, the window was broken into by Inosuke, who jumped in through it, shouting excitedly.
"Argh! Inosuke! What are you doing? Why'd you break the window…!?" Tanjirou exclaimed.
"You dumbass! Kochou-sama's gonna kill you!" the Kakushi hit him over the head, "Shut up!" he shouted when Inosuke kept shouting.
"What is wrong with you?!" Aoi tried to throttled him.
Zenitsu had fainted and the girls were torn between helping him and helping Aoi and the Kakushi in their attempt to kill Inosuke.
Genya was closing his ears, before he gave up and got up and left.
"STRONGER! STRONGER! STRONGER! WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SUPER HARD TRAINING SESSION NOW!" Inosuke shouted through all that, "LOTS OF STRONG PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO TRAIN…AND SOME HUBBLE DUBBLE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT."
"Ah, I know." Tanjirou said, "I was there when we decided about the training. I was appointed the position of the Sun Pillar."
That seemed to give the other boy pause.
"As expected from one of my underlings!" he laughed, proudly, ignoring Aoi-san and the Kakushi's attempts to throttle him.
"Please, stop, everyone." Tanjirou looked worried at the chaos around him.
In the end, Shinobu came in to see what all this commotion was about.
"Shinobu-san! Help! They're not listening to me!" Tanjirou called out to her.
Shinobu took a look at the scene; window broken, Zenitsu out cold on the floor, Aoi and a Kakushi hitting Inosuke, who was still shouting about the training, the girls looking on with distress and Tanjirou – recovering from broken bones Tanjirou – trying to break them apart.
Shinobu smiled.
"Who wants to spend a month in a near-commatose state of sleep?" she asked sweetly.
Tanjirou got back into his bed in a flash, as the others froze.
"We are sorry." the three apologised immediately.
"Inoskue-kun you will clean up the mess you made. On your own. And I want you to do a perfect job. If the hint of an idea of glass has remained, I'll make sure you will be joining the training after Tanjirou-kun." Shinobu said, "Aoi, please look after Zenitsu-kun. Girls, please help her."
"Yes, Shinobu-sama." they bowed their heads and helped get Zenitsu in a bed.
"And you, please find Genya-kun." she addressed the Kakushi, "It should be peaceful from now on. If anyone makes a sound to disturb the peace, I will make sure they remember this is a hospital."
And with that she left, Inosuke trembling in fear and the girls feeling chastised.
Tanjirou looked around and motioned to Kiyo, Naho and Sumi to come closer.
"What is it, Tanjirou-san?" Kiyo-chan asked.
With a smile he patted her head, then Naho's and then Sumi's.
"Good work." he said.
The three little girls stared at him with wide eyes.
"Oi! Kentaro! I did a good job, too! Praise me!" Inosuke said loudly – but not too loudly. He had finished cleaning up the glasses.
Tanjirou smiled.
He reached over and took the boar head off of Inosuke's head and patted his head as well.
"Well done." he smiled.
"Aoi too! Aoi too!" the girls called, excitedly.
He patted Aoi's head, much to her embarrassment, though he could tell she was happy about it.
"Oi, Gompachiro! I'll wait for you at the training! As my underling, you can't stay in here for long, you hear?"
"Alright. I'll meet you at the training." Tanjirou said, as Genya walked in, "Ah, by the way, drop by my house later this evening. My mother is preparing dinner." Inosuke nodded.
"Can I rest in peace and quiet now?"
"Yes, sorry, Genya." Tanjirou smiled sheepishly.
Just as everyone settled down again and Inosuke left through the window he had broken, Zenitsu opened his eyes.
"This training… I heard we'd be fighting against you Pillars." he said, "I don't like it."
"Against and with. We'll be training as well." Tanjirou replied, "And it's for the marks to appear on the Pillars. If anyone else gets their mark, it'll be a bonus. The end result will be all of us getting stronger, so it'll all work out in the end."
"Who thought of this idea?" the blonde asked, "That is not a good idea. It's a horrible idea! It's living hell. They should just die! I could die fighting against a Pillar!"
"The secret trick to getting better is partnering up with people who are stronger than you!" Tanjirou said passionately, "Confronting the strong will make you use your breaths more and make you even stronger!"
"If you're gonna be that forward-looking and positive, then our friendship ends today!" Zenitsu exploded – albeit in a hushed tone, in fear of Shinobu's wrath, "You're lucky that your bones are still broken. So you can just sleep, all warm and cozy, snore, snore, snore the day away! I'm the only one who has to deal with this shit now! You get what I'm feeling here?!"
"Sorry, sorry." he said, apologetically, "Oh, Zenitsu. I forgot to say it, but thanks. To you and Kuwajima-san. I've already sent him Tennouji with my thanks."
"Don't talk to me, bub…"
"No, no, wait a bit. I couldn't use one of my legs back when I was fighting Upper Moon Four. But I managed to cut his head off thanks to remembering what your Gramps taught us before. I mean, I wasn't as fast as you were, of course. But I'm truly thankful. This is why having connections with other people actually does help us out of tight spots. So, I am sure everything you'll learn in Pillar training, it'll help you reach a great future." he smiled brightly at his friend.
"Awww, you dumbass… You really think that will make me feel better?!" Zenitsu grinned.
'Oh, he's feeling better.' Tanjirou thought, amused, "Hoh." he let out a breath, "Remember to come by my home this evening for the dinner, all right?"
"I'll be there. And then, I'll become even stronger by the time you've healed. Me and Inosuke, we will be waiting for you to catch up to us." he said.
"I'll do my best not to keep you waiting." he smiled.
He watched his friend go and laid back on his bed.
He looked over at Genya.
"Do you want to come with me later in the evening to my house?" he asked the other teen.
"What for?"
"My family is preparing a celebration – though I don't think Shinobu-san was supposed to let me know about it."
"Why ask me to join?"
"You're my friend, too, you know."
There was a moment of silence.
"If you'll have me…" Genya mumbled.
Tanjirou beamed.
Tomioka-san came to see him during lunch.
"Ah, Tomioka-san! Hello!" Tanjirou beamed, "What can I do for you?"
"…I was ready to quit the Demon Slayers." he said quietly.
"Why? You're a really strong swordsman, Tomioka-sam."
"I never actually passed the Final Selection."
Tanjirou blinked.
"Eh? The final selection, as in the Fujikasane Mountain one?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Are you…a ghost?" he asked, apprehensive.
Tomioka-san blinked.
"…No."
"So…how exactly didn't you pass the Final Selection? Did you steal someone else's Nichirin sword?"
"No. Back then, there was a boy whose family got killed by demons, just like me. I went into the Selection with that boy. I was thirteen. We got along right away because we both lost our families and we were of the same age. He had a strong sense of justice, and he was a very kind boy. He was also the only one who died in the Selection that year." he explained, "He pretty much single-handedly defeated every demon on that mountain. Everyone aside from him got accepted in that Selection." the Water Pillar was saying, "I was injured by a demon who attacked me in the beginning, so I was fading in and out. Then he came and saved me. He entrusted me to another boy, and then headed toward another voice crying for help. When I came to, the Selection was over. I was selected for somehow surviving the seven days." he said emotionlessly, "But I am a human who couldn't beat a single demon, and I was bailed out. Can I really say I passed? I am not worthy of becoming the Water Pillar. I am not worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the other Pillars as equals. I'm not like them. I never should've had a place among the Demon Slayers. I don't deserve it."
"Ah." he understood, "What was his name?"
"…Sabito."
"Peach-colored hair? Scar on his right cheek? Same pattern on his yukata as half of your haori?"
"…How?"
"I saw his spirit, before I took my Final Selection. He congratulated me on finishing my training." Tanjirou said with a sad smile, "So, you feel like you don't deserve this position because Sabito saved you? Wouldn't you be throwing away what he entrusted you with by saving your life back then? Isn't that keeping you together?"
Tomioka-san looked away, raising his hand to his left cheek, for some reason.
"…You are right. I would. And it is. You said you believed in me."
"I do."
"As you are the leader of the Pillars, if you can accept me, I will do all I can during this Pillar Training."
"Tomioka-san." Tanjioru said with a soft smile, "I am the leader of the Pillars merely in name. Rengoku-san or Himejima-san would have been better suited for that role. I was just lucky enough to have a body that can withstand Sun Breathing. And I only just came into my role yesterday. I have to fill the position of someone who was far better than I am. But he believes in me and what I can do. So I have to live up to that. I understand and accept my limitations as a person and move forward with them, trying to be better along the way." Tanjirou said softly, "And I know what it feels like when someone important to you gets hurt, or dies, protecting you. You wish you were in their position. You want them to survive longer than you and when that doesn't happen, it feels you're being ripped apart." he reached over to the older man and patted his head, "But, no matter how ashamed or embarrassed you are, you have to stay alive. You may not accept it, but you're a Pillar now. No matter how much you badmouth yourself, how much you remind yourself of painful days, you have struggled and suffered a lot on your way up. I can't and I won't blame or criticize you for anything. The first person that needs to accept you is yourself, Tomioka-san. But, you will always have my acceptance, and my support, no matter what."
Tomioka-san stared for a long moment before he stood and bowed.
"I look forward to sparring with you again, Kamado-san." he said and left, with a lighter scent coming off him.
Later that day, the Butterfly Estate was in a bit of an uproar.
Tanjirou took his crutches, while the Kakushi was standing by to assist in a moment, Genya was dressed up, looking anxious, Aoi, Kanao and the three young aides, ready to follow Tanjirou to his house.
"Shinobu-san?" he asked, looking around.
"Sorry for being late." she said, coming closer.
Tanjirou froze, his mind going blank. Genya had, equally, frozen beside him and it was no wonder why really.
"Oh, Shinobu-sama." Aoi exclaimed, "That's…"
"Very pretty!" Kiyo, Sumi and Naho said together, laughing happily.
"Why, thank you." Shinobu smiled kindly at them.
She was wearing a light purple kimono, with a red flowers-and-butterflies pattern.
"Are we ready?" she asked, coming up to the front and looking at Tanjirou.
"Ah, yes." he said, awkwardly trying to give her his arm, while managing his crutches, "Shinobu-san looks exceptionally beautiful tonight." he blushed.
"Thank you, Tanjirou-kun." she smiled softly, laying her hand on his arm for a moment.
The walk to the Kamado Residence was a little longer than usual – seeing as Tanjirou was walking slower – and a lot more lively since the Estate's three youngest members were excitedly chattering.
"NII-SAN IS HOME!" Shigeru shouted from the doorway, having been on the lookout for him.
Tanjirou chuckled.
"I'm home." he smiled, as he entered.
"CONGRATULATIONS TANJIROU!" everyone gathered shouted.
Tanjirou bowed, blushing hard.
"Thank you. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations." he promised.
Beside his family and the Butterfly Estate's residents, Zenitsu and Inosuke with Genya were there, Tamayo-san and Yushirou were dragged up to join them –probably by Hanako– Kiriya-kun and his sisters, who would be staying with them from now on, along with congratulatory messages from the Rengoku family, Uzui-san and his wives, Urokodaki-san, Kuwajima-san, Haganezuka-san, Kanamori-san and Kotetsu-kun.
Tanjirou introduced Genya to his family and they all sat down to eat dinner.
"Nobu-chan looks very pretty tonight." Hanako smiled, "Right, nii-san?"
"Very, very pretty." he agreed softly, trying in vain to hide his blush.
At one point during the small party, Tanjirou heard Genya apologise to Kanata-chan.
"Sorry…my bad." he had said, woodenly, his obvious nervousness almost amusing, if Tanjirou didn't feel a little sorry about his friend, thanks to Hanako's very excitable personality.
"No, no problem." Kanata-chan smiled up to him, not making it easier for Genya.
Slowly the house emptied; Zenitsu and Inosuke left to prepare for the training tomorrow, Genya, Aoi and Kanao took the girls back to the Butterfly Estate, while the Kakushi staid behind with Shinobu and Tanjirou. Kiriya-kun and his sisters wished him a bright future as the Sun Pillar and then retired, followed by Nezuko and Takeo taking their younger siblings to their beds.
"Tamayo-san, you had something to tell me about the first Sun Breath user you knew?" Tanjirou asked at last.
The mood swifted.
All eyes were on the demon doctor, who drew in a deep breath.
"Yes, Tanjirou-san." she said, at last, "I will spare you from recounting my story, but at the time I met that man I had been at Muzan's side for a hundred years. Muzan had sought him out, as he had been defeating his demons and had taught Breathing Styles to the Demon Slayers, in order to kill him. The fight that followed, was something no one had seen before in this world and probably won't see again. This man defended and attacked with a calmness that, despite his deadly accuracy, put you at ease. He came very close to killing Muzan just then. But in the end, he failed. Because in his fear and desire to survive, Muzan divided his body by exploding into little pieces, allowing him to escape. His weakened state, allowed me to be able to speak his name and then change my body so much that I could remove his curse off me. He, too, asked my help to kill him. I accepted. But things didn't work out. His older brother was turned into a demon, and the rest of the slayers were angry at him for not killing Muzan and letting me go. From what I heard later, he left the Slayers after that. I do not know where he went or when he died."
"What did he look like? Do you know his name?" Tanjirou asked, feeling like he knew the man Tamayo-san was talking about.
"I never asked for his name, nor did he give it to me, I am sorry. But he had wavy long black hair with red-burgundy tips, maroon eyes, a flame-like demon crest birthmark on the left side of his forehead and a pair of hanafuda earrings."
"The swordsman from my dream!" Tanjirou exclaimed, "And the one Yoriichi Type Zero is modeled after!"
"The battle doll at the swordsmiths village?" his father asked.
"You know about it?"
"I trained with it once, yes."
"Dreams?" Shinobu asked.
"The swordsmiths call them 'inherited memories'." Tanjirou explained quickly, "I've been…seeing memories of our ancestor, Sumiyoshi, with the first Sun Breath user." he continued, "Haganezuka-san said that 'destroy all evil demons' started being engraved on the Pillars' swords after the sword I found in the battle doll was forged, and that was made during the Sengoku era, the era of the swordsman it was built and modeled after. And by the very little I know about him through those memories, and from what Tamayo-san said, if we can prevent Muzan from exploding like that, and finding a way to slow him down, or speed us up, then we really could kill Muzan!"
"We'll need some way to administer the poison." Yushirou spoke up, thoughtfully.
"How about Shinobu-san's sword?" Tanjirou said, "Her specialty is poisoning demons."
"Which means I am absolutely needed alive." Shinobu said with a rueful smile, "Tanjirou-kun is really devious." she said, lightly tweaking his ear.
"Maybe I am just selfish and want to fight at your side at least once."
"We have come up with a drug that hinders a lot of Muzan's abilities." Tamayo-san said, "Shinobu-san's help had been invaluable."
Tanjirou beamed beside Shinobu.
"Tamayo-san is an exceptional doctor. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I'd've been able to manage to create half of the drug."
"Of course. Tamayo-sama is great." Yushirou huffed.
Tanjirou chuckled quietly, holding Shinobu's hand, preventing her from reaching over to throttle Yushirou.
His parents chuckled, too.
"Yushirou, don't antagonise Shinobu-san. If it wasn't for her help, neither we would have made any progress."
"As you wish, Tamayo-sama!"
Shinobu stood up. The Kakushi moved behind Tanjirou, helping him up.
"You can rest here for tonight." Kie said, "It's late."
"I wouldn't want to bother you, Kie-san."
"Really, Shinobu? Why would you think that? You have been greatly missed here. You hardly ever visit us. I know you are busy with your Pillar duties and with nursing our Slayers back to health, but seeing you only when you come to check on my husband for his treatment is not enough." Kie said, "I am a little worried for you, dear."
Shinobu hugged Kie tightly.
"I am sorry. I'll try to do better from now on."
Kie smiled.
"Just keep our Tanjirou safe and don't worry about me. It's a mother's prerogative to worry too much."
"Your room is still here." Tanjirou spoke up, a soft smile on his lips, "You can rest there."
"Thank you, but I am staying in your room, Tanjirou-kun. What sort of doctor sleeps half-way across a hallway from her patient?"
"One that takes care of themselves as well." he said, "You know there isn't enough space in my room, Shinobu-san."
"Then you can sleep in Shinobu's and the Kakushi in yours." Kie grinned, "Shinobu needs to keep an eye on you, after all."
"If you'll have me…" he turned to Shinobu, blushing.
"That room was always meant for two people, after all." Shinobu said softly.
"I'll help you." the Kakushi said.
"You know, you might as well tell me your name, since I can tell you apart from the rest." Tanjirou said, as he leaned on the man's arm.
"You know that's against the rules, Tanjirou-kun." Shinobu smiled.
"Eh, Oyakata-sama would understand." he smiled back, "Father, mother, Tamayo-san, Yushirou, good night."
"Good night. Thank you for having me." Shinobu bowed her head.
The Kakushi bowed his head as well.
"Gotou." he said, quietly, once they were in the hallway to Shinobu's and Kanae's old room, "My name is Gotou."
"Nice meeting you, Gotou-san."