Chapter 6
It is eight in the morning. Yuki decided to head to the library to pass the time when he saw the Insect Hashira searching for something. Usually, when someone was in the area he wanted to be in, he would wait until said person either left or was far away. he decided to approach her in the event his assistance was needed, startled her once he got behind her.
"Goodness. How did you sneak past me?" the petite woman looked up, genuinely surprised.
"Hi K-Kocho-sama. I uh, tip-toed my way here. I noticed you were looking for something. Do you need my help." He spoke softly.
If you could, I'd greatly appreciate it?" Shinobu asked gently as she raised her arms up.
The dull-eyed boy nodded and crouched to give the Insect Hashira a hug. He wrapped his arms carefully and held her in place until he had heard a soft giggle.
"Is something wrong, Kocho-sama? Yuki asked nervously. She shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong. It's just, you're giving me a hug when I wanted you to lift me." Shinobu smiled warmly.
"'I'm sorry. I didn't know what you meant." The lanky child released his hold and looked away in shame. Shinobu however, placed her hand gently onto his shoulder.
"You've done nothing wrong. I should've been clearer on my request" The violet-eyed woman looked at her lanky patient and smiled once more as she waited patiently. Yuki calmed down and stared at the Insect Hashira's hair with his dull eyes.
"See? Let's try this again. Could you please pick me up so I can reach the shelf?" Shinobu asked.
"Yes, Kocho-sama." The dull-hair teen picked up the petite woman by her waist and lifted her as high as he could. Sure enough, she picked up a big book, Yuki then placed her back on the ground.
Yuki's impression of the butterfly's mansion library was somewhat favorable. It was welcoming and had plenty of books for one to read during their spare time. However, he didn't like the lack of genres the library had to offer. He understood because this is the Demon's slayers sole hospital, much of their time was focused on recuperating and rehabilitating demon slayers. Yet, he missed his family's library where aside from a couple of medical books, included literacy from around the world, on animals, and fairy tales/folklore. In contrast, the selection in this library consisted of medical book and the history of demon slayers. The former heir pulled out a deck of cards from his sleeve.
"Um, is there anything else I can help you with, Kocho-sama?" He kneeled to her level.
"No, I'm fine. I must say, this is the first time in a few days you've left your room. How are you feeling?" Shinobu asked with concern.
"It still hurts. About how my mom convinced papa to leave me behind. Thank you for continuing to look after me and Haruno-san." Yuki whispered, as he read from his cards.
"Its no problem, it's the least I can do after what you two have been through in such a short span. May I ask you a question, Yuki-kun: "Why do you stare at those cards instead of looking at me or to whomever speaks to you, Subachi-kun?" The lavender-haired woman asked. The lanky child looked and then looked away. Even if it wasn't her intention, he felt as though the Insect Hashira was accusing him of ignoring people."
"Promise you won't tell anyone, Miss Kocho?" Yuki looked at the floor. Shinobu was now more concerned and intrigued.
"I promise." She gave him a warm smile.
"It's because…I…I…I can't speak Japanese fluently" He braced himself to anticipate Shinobu's reaction.
I see" Shinobu replied with only a nod.
"You're not going to make fun of me?" Yuki tilted his head.
"Of course not. However, this does explain a few things. You have a tendency to speak in simple terms and you routinely ask us to repeat ourselves. May I ask you you don't feel comfortable speaking our native language?" She asked with a neutral expression.
"M-My parents had me learn English first. They wanted me to learn my father's language since my mom believed it would be beneficial for the future. I speak fluently in the former, but I still need practice speaking Japanese. M-My sister is fluent in both Japanese and English. I bet she'd make a better demon slayer than me." The dull-eyed teen replied with a sad smile.
"Don't talk like that. She is not the one here before me. You are. You have a purpose to become a demon slayer, correct?" The Insect Hashira scolded.
"Yes, Kocho-sama. To avenge those who gave their life to me and not let anyone else meet their fate.
"Good. We can start your training tomorrow but don't forget, you will also learn how to become a medic under my watch. Do you understand?" Shinobu looked up at Yuki.
"I understand. K-Kocho-sama" The dull-eye boy nodded.
"Very well. Now, off you go." Shinobu said.
"This is about the only non-medical book you have here. I'll see you later, Miss Kocho." Yuki said and held up a book about Japanese folklore before heading to his shed.
The sun was setting and according to Yuki's pocket watch, it was nearly eight o' clock. Yuki then left his shed to approach the two kakushi who've been sticking around lately.
"Hey guys!"
"Hey" both the kakushi's said.
"So, I have a proposition for you two"
"Oh, what is it?" the male kakushi said.
"I'm thinking about stopping by at my old home tonight" Yuki looked around, making sure none of the butterfly girls were within earshot.
"Are you insane?! You think Kocho-sama will let you return home?" The female kakushi exclaimed.
"You don't understand. When I say I want to return home, I'd like to retrieve some stuff I left behind." Yuki clarified.
"Well count me out, I don't want to get in trouble with Shinobu again." The male kakushi said.
"To be fair, you did take part in making that ridiculous uniform for the female hashira's here. That was on you, Goto" The female kakushi glanced at her companion. Yuki then pulled out his card and raised his eyebrow.
"How about a proposition? If we leave now, it'll take us an hour to get there by train and a couple of hours on foot. If we go now, we can go in and out of my family's home, retrieve my stuff and be back by dinner. No one will even know we left." The lanky teen explaied as best as he could.
"You realize that there are not a lot of patients here, and it'll be very hard to not miss a 6 foot tall kid like yourself." Goto replied.
"I have to agree, this plan just seems very high-risk, low-reward." The female Kakushi said Yuki looked at his note card once more and sighed.
"Let me rephrase: You two are poor. I am poor now. My family is rich. Let's steal from the rich and give to the poor? Which in this case, is us. "Yuki annunciated every word and syllable as he could, without being too loud.
So, you want us to be just like Robin Hood? The female kakushi replied hesitantly.
"Yeah, pretty much." The brown hair teen agreed
"Wow, the mental gymnastics this kid is trying to sell with backwards logic is astounding." The male kakushi muttered
"Are you two in or no?" Yuki raised his eyebrow. With one glance among themselves, the kakushi finally gave in.
"Alright, you want a retrieve a few things and that's it?" the female kakushi asked.
"Yep and as soon as I get them we leave. Act natural until all the women here enter the mansion. I will get myself out of my pajamas." Yuki promised and rushed back to his storage room.
Yuki was dressed in his red kimono and was the first to meet at the front gate. He waited until the kakushi's arrived.
"All right, lets head home to the chiba region" Yuki declared and in a manner of minutes, he found himself blindfolded and carried to along by the two kakushi's he has since gotten along with.
An hour had passed and they finally exited the last train station. At this point, they let the former Subachi heir take charge and lead them to his residence. His home resided near a beach and was surrounded by a tall concrete fence. Once Yuki, Goto, and the female kakushi approached the side of the fence, the dark-haired teen looked up and was ready for their heist. Ordinarily, most people wouldn't be able to climb over since it was too tall for them. However, thanks to Yuki's height, he was able to pick up both kakushi's one by one and send them over the fence. He followed suit by grabbing a branch with one arm and pulled himself over using with other arm and body.
They find themselves at a spacious yard with nicely trimmed trees and brick titles in from of Yuki's home. His home was a two-story building with terracotta roof tiles. The long window were not only found in from of his home but even the attic had windows identical to the floor beneath it. The house was painted in cream, and was recently polished. Yuki led his friends to the side of the home where his room used to be. The lanky child led them to his storage and he let them carried the ladder and then helped them place it on the wall. Yuki went up first to unlock his window by pressing several of his notecards together to lift the lock. Once he was successful, the dull-eyed child pushed the windows carefully and went inside first, he motioned his hand for the kakushi to come in.
"Wow, I haven't seen this room since I left here months ago." Yuki chocked up. The female kakushi patted his arm, the former Subachi heir looked down at her and smiled.
"This is your room? It's so big and fancy" Goto said.
"Well yeah, us rich people like showing off our status. It helps that my family is good at spotting trends and making good predictions. In any case, let me get my stuff and you two can steal whatever you can at the mini vault." Yuki giggled and gave them a note with the password while he searched his room.
The kakushi opened the door quietly and relied on the moonlight to open a small vault and snatched anything they could grab hold of. Meanwhile, Yuki found a camera attached to a stand, a small wooden box, and a pair of swords. He was about to called the Kakushi to retreat as he popped his head outside his room and looked in the hallway until he spotted a box at the coffee table. The former heir tip toed down the stairs and went up to the box. It was a present covered in blue wrapping paper and tied with a yellow ribbon. He was unsure if what was inside and yet, he was grateful it was addressed to him from his parents, most likely his dad. Yuki smiled and then was ready to go upstairs. That was until he found himself staring at the family pet.
A big bird resting peacefully in its cage, Yuki knew he had couldn't make any sudden moves. The kakushi had since finished stealing all the money and valuables they could carry and were shocked to see Yuki right next to a bird. The lanky child pointed towards his friends then his room. They followed suit and tip toed towards Yuki's room and climbed down the ladder. Once they were out of sight, Yuki ensured all of his essentials were in his arms and carefully opened the front door. This was easier said than done for the family bird would ruffle its feathers constantly and made chirping noises, as if it was dreaming. It frustrated Yuki, but he managed to open the door and sneaked out.
"You got what you needed kid?" Goto asked.
"Yes, now I can begin my path as a demon slayer with no regrets."
The lanky child helped the male kakushi go over the gates, he made it over with ease. Next up was the female kakushi. Yuki hands were getting tired from lifting people up, but he put up with it and pushed her over. Yuki then grabbed his belongings in a cloth and wrapped it tightly around his back and hoisted himself onto the same branch. However, the female kakushi stayed on top of the gate.
"What's wrong?!" Yuki complained
"Look!" she raised her voice as they say the ladder collapsed on the ground. Prompting the family bird to wake up and started squaking. His family was bond to wake up soon.
"Go! Go!" Yuki snapped at the female kakushi as she landed safely.
The dull hair teen anxiety's rose when he saw the lights begin to turn on. Without further delay, he swung himself onto the fence and landed safely. The kakushi helped Yuki up and followed the boy back to the train station. The last train for the night had all been warmed up and was ready to take off. Afraid the police would stop by at the station, the lanky child pulled out an antique plate and threw far away like a frisbee until it broke someone's window. The train was picking up speed and the male kakushi was the first to hop on the end of the train car with the bag of valuables. The female kakushi got on in time and was given all the goods Yuki sought for. The former heir sprinted to catch up with the train.
"You can do it, Yuki-kun!" The femlae kakushi yelled.
"Just a little more and we can grab you!" Goto said.
The dull eye teen sprinted and with one leap, he was able to reach the kakushi's who successfully pulled him inside
"Did you see that?! We did it! We actually got what we needed. And a little extra." Yuki exclaimed as he turned to the kakushi and then the goodies they collected. As the trio took a moment to catch their breath, a staff member of the train entered the room and found the stowaways.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't stop this train and throw you out?" The train inspector said sternly. Yuki searched through his cards quickly and stood up.
"Hey now, is that any way to treat your guest? We might not have our tickets. But what if I can offer you something better?" Yuki grinned and then picked up one of the bags and offered a stack of yen.
Give me two more for your friends and I'll act like I never seen you three. A fourth stack if you want this cart to yourselves" The train inspector said.
Yuki wanted to draw the line there but they needed to return to Shinobu in one piece. As a result, he gave a total of 400,000 yen to the train inspector.
"Welcome aboard!" The train inspector said with a shit-eating grin and gave them their space.
"Where did all that confidence come from, Subachi-kun?" the female kakushi asked.
"As long as I have my trusty cards. We'll be okay." Yuki tucked his cards in his pocket and calmed down. Reverted to his usual self.
"How long will it take to take to get back to the butterfly mansion?" Yuki wondered
"Assuming everything goes well. An hour and a half tops." Goto suggested.
"I-I have an idea as how we can bring this all back." The dull-eyed kid replied.
The kakushi snuck out of the train carrying lanky teen by his arms and legs once more. This time, they used a table cover found in the train and pressed all the goods on Yuki's belly and chest, and then doubled knotted.
Once The trio had finally arrived home safe and sound, the kakushi removed the blindfold off of Yuki's eyes. Unbeknownst to them, the moment they opened the gates to the Butterfly mansion. The head of the household stood in front of them, giving them nothing less than a cold glare.
"You two. Return to your rooms, now. And you, follow me." Shinobu voice was filled with venom. No one dared to go against her wishes and the kakushi rushed inside.
Despite their height difference, Yuki was nervous but obligated to follow his Shinobu's orders. He found himself opening his storage room and allowed the insect hashira inside first. She helped herself and sat on floor and looked up at her 6-foot-tall student.
"Subachi-kun, sit down." She demanded.
Yuki obeyed her and sat on his futon and gave her a somber expression as he hunched over the petite woman.
"Explain yourself, now" the lavender eyed woman asked sternly.
"I…I… wanted to go home and bring back… stuff I felt that'd help me…become a demon slayer" Yuki stammered as he was feared Shinobu the longer he was alone with her.
"And, what was it that you needed from home that couldn't be found anywhere else?" The insect hashira expression was non-existent.
"M-my swords. My camera. My whistle. And…my present" Yuki looked at his belongings.
"You're absolutely positive these items will help you become a demon slayer." Shinobu raised her eyebrow.
"I promise you, they will help me one way or another, Kocho-sama." The dull eye boy replied softly and looked at the floor in guilt. Shinobu placed her hands gently onto his shoulders.
"Subachi-kun, look me in the eye" The insect pillar was barely 5 feet tall, but the lanky child knew better than to disobey her. As much as he didn't like looking into people's eyes, he had to make an effort into looking at hers.
"Yes, Shinobu?" He reluctantly showed her his dark-brown eyes. A pair of orbs that could easily be mistaken for black.
"I was so…scared. I couldn't bear losing you a third time. Especially after you cut yourself the night your parents abandoned you" Shinobu looked up.
"I'm sorry. I promise…not to leave here anymore, Miss Kocho" Yuki teared up for the pain and worry he had caused her.
"Thank you. But, I'm afraid you'll need to punished for running off consecutively and to make matters worse, you brought other people along for your own gain." The petite woman shook her head.
"But it's not selfish, I made sure to compensate the kakushi and I-I brought only what I know will help in my path to being a demon slayer!" Yuki defended himself, unintentionally raised his voice.
"Yuki Subachi. Do not interrupt me." Shinobu spoke with authority and glared at him. He immediately held his tongue.
"You are to be on call for any duties here for the next month. You will undergo a series of exclusive exercises along with your normal routine. And, you are to never see your family again. Not until you have become a new and improved version of yourself. Do you understand?" Shinobu looked up at her new student, waiting for his response.
"Yes, Kocho-sama." Yuki sniffled and then nodded.
"Good. Now, get some rest and I'll see you on your first day of you training. Good night, Subachi-kun." Shinobu calmed down and stood up to exit Yuki's room.
The dull eye child then tucked himself to bed. Thinking about his actions because from here on, he will be a demon slayer taught under the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
Welcome to World Wide Wonders. It's great to be back. Today I brought this segments first guest, this guy from chapter one." Yuki announced.
"Thank you for having me having me here. My name is Kamado Tanjiro and now its time for a Taisho Era Secret: The first era to introduce western culture to Japan was actually the Meiji era. That period lasted from 1868 to 1912. Personally, I don't mind the integration just as long I can live my life in peace. Next time on chapter 7, Yuki and I will train to become demon slayers from here on." Tanjiro waved goodbye.
"You got it all wrong! It's called World Wide Wonders!" Yuki yelled as he pouted and folded his arms.
Hey Everyone, Wanderingtree here,
I wish I could say I enjoyed my month off but not really. Everyone around me got sick and I spent the past week or so editing all my past chapters and made this one. Not to mention its been a struggle looking for a full time job.
Moving on, if this chapter felt short, this is because was intended on being the transition to the next arc. Now, I have a couple of idea in mind as to what kind of training Shinobu will have in store for Yuki. At this point in the story, Tanjiro would have already began his training under Urokodaki in water breathing and become a demon slayer. Speaking of which, I'm sticking with my decision to keep Yuki and Tanjiro separated for the most part. The most I'll say for the next set of chapters, we will also see Yuki's official interaction with the hashira's who were promoted after Tanjiro's family was killed.
I'd like to thank the following who have favorited or followed my story up to this point: marklagoes1978, Myself87, ireadfanfic123, adrangel3, anderarias01, elements blender, Lizzym204. We are now 2 away for this story to have 10 followers. Honestly, I can't believe this is real because when I first submitted this story, All I saw was 0 views. Now I know there was a glitch responsible for this, but it didn't feel good, thinking no one was interested. One last note on this, this might be the last time I give shoutouts to people. Not because I don't want to, but I have a feling people want to remain anonymous. What do you think?
From here, I will be taking an actual break from this story until the new demon slayer movie comes out on the 23rd. At least for us Americans. Feel free to leave a comment and/or fave. Have a good day!