Was there any reason for Shinobu to dislike Yuta? Yes, she had.
"He has a severe delusion that he can cure Demons." Hearing the reasoning from the violet-eyed girl, Kanae and Yuta were surprised.
However, the surprise only remained for a mere second before Kanae asked, "And would your opinion remain the same if I also support Yuta-kun's declaration."
Shinobu's eyes widened at that before she looked at her sister in disbelief, "Nee-san?"
"It's as you heard, Shinobu. Yuta-kun is the best medic I have ever come across, who doesn't require any external help or equipment to treat his patients. And that includes the demons as well."
The way Kanae suggested those words without hesitation, forced Shinobu to nearly believe in her. But even so, Shinobu couldn't bring herself to trust such a claim.
Can a person really heal a demon?
"Kanae, let's not force her anymore. If the chance arrives, I will show Kocho-san, how I never intended to tell any lies." Yuta quelled the situation since he didn't want to bitter the reunion of the two sisters because of him.
Kanae looked at her lover with concern, but seeing his gentle smile, all her worries just melted.
"That's right, Shinobu. How about we prepare dinner for everyone together?"
Shinobu also composed her demeanor and nodded toward her sister. The two soon got up and left Yuta alone in the living room.
"Make yourself comfortable, Yuta-kun. We will be back in no time." That certainly was a lie. Yuta knew how long the conversation between the two sisters could go—but he didn't say anything and waved at Kanae before getting up.
'Let's see what I can do meanwhile...'
Tanjiro was brought to a strange place, for his recovery. After the battle back on the mission with his two comrades and his sisters, he have been severely injured and two of his ribs have cracked.
Tanjiro has passed the test to become a demon slayer after training with the masked swordsman, Urokodaki-san. However, the last battle he fought along with Inouske and Zenitsu took a lot of toll on him. He wasn't prepared for such an amount yet.
Not to talk about, what followed that event. The arrival of Wind Pillar.
Tanjiro recently came to know about the rankings and power difference between Demon Slayers. Witnessing the overwhelming strength of the scarred man, Tanjiro knew, he would have to work extremely hard to reach that height.
...in that way, he would defeat Muzan one day and liberate his sister.
"Quite a heavy thinker you are."
"Huh?!" Tanjiro suddenly flinched before he looked toward his right—only to find the same person sitting there, who saved his sister earlier.
If not for him, Tanjiro knew, he and Nezuko might not have made it today.
"I-I am th-tha-thank-"
"Don't strain yourself, Kamado-kun. Your injuries are still quite green."
Yuta rested his hand over Tanjiro's shoulder to make the boy lay back down. Without hearing it from him, Yuta knew, Tanjiro wanted to thank him.
Yuta sighed to see the injuries, inflicted on someone so young and at such a delicate age. He has always believed that no one deserved to go through such cruelty and chaos, which the demons forced them to. Seeing how most of the Slayers are still so young and full of youth, yet prepared to die any day, makes Yuta's revulsion toward Muzan even more grave.
"Ah..." Tanjiro's eyes slightly widened upon feeling a warm sensation seeping through his pores and his body engulfing in a hazy cloud. Soon, all his injuries disappeared—like they were never inflicted in the first place.
"How...how is this even..." Tanjiro couldn't even comprehend how he had been healed instantaneously.
Yuta smiled at the reaction before he brought his hand over Tanjiro's head and said, "Don't sweat over it, Kamado-kun."
Tanjiro got a little flustered because of the gesture but soon he also smiled a little before nodding.
Although unsure of Yuta's origin, Tanjiro was far away from being wary of him. After all, Tanjiro owes this person more than what Tanjiro could ever offer.
Now healed, Tanjiro got up from the bed, and bowed deeply,
"Thank you for taking my sister's side and believing in us. I am extremely grateful for what you did for us."
Seeing the upright behavior of the boy made Yuta a little bashful before he responded, "As I said, don't sweat over it. Rather, can I meet your sister?"
Tanjiro blinked in slight surprise before he stood straight and asked, "Sure...but I think she would be still asleep right now..."
Yuta smiled at that before he assured, "Don't worry; I won't take long."
Tanjiro nodded before he moved toward the next bed and opened the wooden box—inside which his sister remained asleep while being curled up in a small ball.
"She can adjust her size quite conveniently." Yuta was about to pat the cute little thing, but he held himself, given how he could easily interrupt her sleep.
Rather, he began inspecting the girl using the Cursed Technique he learned from a certain medical expert.
'Hmm?' Yuta frowned sensing the amount of cursed blood of Muzan flowing in her body.
'It's in abundance...' Turning toward Tanjiro, Yuta asked,
"Has she really never consumed human flesh?" It was rather contradictory of Yuta to ask this when he previously defended Tanjiro for the accusation of the same thing he just asked.
However, the shock Yuta received upon assessing the little girl didn't allow him to remain silent.
"Never! Nezuko would never do such a thing."
Yuta smiled in helplessness seeing the determination and persistence the elder Kamado wore. It was clear to Yuta that the older brother trusted and cared for his little sister. This strong relationship between the two warmed his heart.
After a little thought, Yuta asked, "Kamado-kun...do you mind letting me examine Nezuko-chan once in a while when you are around?"
Tanjiro tilted his head as he said, "I don't mind but...is there something about Nezuko that bothers you?"
Tanjiro could see from Yuta's reaction that there was something about Nezuko that greatly surprised him. And also, the fact that he doubted that Nezuko had ever consumed human flesh dictated something grave to be the case.
Tanjiro was growing a little anxious.
Yuta did not want to raise Tanjiro's concerns, however, Tanjiro—despite being young—was a responsible and mature person.
Yuta decided to not hide things from the person who deserved to know about Nezuko,
"Nezuko-chan contains a vast amount of Muzan's blood...to the point where I believe she could become strong as an Upper Moon." Tanjiro's eyes widened in shock upon hearing those words.
He has faced a strong foe who called herself a lower moon. Tanjiro was gravely injured in that battle and so were his companions. However, later Tamayo told him that the demon wasn't even a lower moon.
It signifies how strong a ranked demon was.
Yuta continued, "The fact she never eats human flesh yet has retained her sanity means she is unique..."
"Unique...in what way...?"
Yuta wasn't sure whether he should say this but in the end, he didn't hold back, "Kamado-kun...if I could heal Nezuko-san then I think I might revert every demon, regardless of their ranks or strength."
For Yuta, Nezuko might be the key to unlocking all those hidden secrets that Muzan's blood carries. To unravel the mystery behind the curse that the demon lord puts on others, Yuta would need Nezuko's assistance.
Mostly, it was Aoi who prepared meals for the people of the Butterfly mansion. However today, a different pair of butterflies could be seen chatting and moving around the kitchen.
Shinobu was accustomed to preparing food as such her swift movement with the knife didn't seem surprising to Kanae.
"Nee-san...were you there when I and Tokito-kun arrived at Mount Natagumo?" While slicing the vegetables, Shinobu asked in a solemn voice.
Although Kanae wanted to lie, she didn't, "Yes...I was."
Shinobu was no longer a child nor was she emotionally unstable like before to complain about it as she asked calmly, "Then why didn't you come to meet me?"
Although Shinobu has discerned the answer to that query, she asked her sister.
"...because I wasn't prepared. I thought I would be nothing but a burden to you."
The knife halted as Kanae hugged her sister from behind. Shen knew what must be going through Shinobu's mind at the moment and Kanae felt guilty about it. However, it was also true that Kanae still feels a little troubled about the fact that her disability might hinder her sister.
Shinobu breathed a long sigh. Her shoulders slumped as she collected her thoughts.
Being in the Demon Slayer Corps has certainly helped her regulate her emotions and not act on impulse. Special thanks to a certain fellow Hashira she occasionally meets.
Turning towards Kanae, Shinobu uttered, "Nee-san...did Okkotsu-san ever let you feel like you are a burden?"
Kanae shook her head without a second thought.
Shinobu held her sister's hands with a sad smile as she said, "Then how could you assume that your sister will get burdened by your presence? I feel more relieved that you are around now. It feels like no danger in the world could harm me now."
Although she sounded a little childish, Shinobu didn't hesitate to let out those words she genuinely felt. Her sister wasn't her weakness but rather her strength, and Shinobu wanted to convey that to Kanae.
Kanae understood what she was trying to say here, but the clouds of doubt remained.
However, she didn't let it show on her face and smiled at her sister, "Alright, I understand. From now on, I am not going anywhere."
"I am glad to hear that."
As the sun disappeared from the sky and a crescent moon illuminated the surface, Kanae along with Shinobu brought the dinner to the table.
The three little girls, along with Kanao and Aoi have already woken up and were questioning Yuta about the unknown past he shared with Kanae.
(A/N:- Kanao was just listening while giving some subtle reactions.)
"Now everyone, stop bothering Yuta-kun. He is already too tired after carrying me."
Hearing Kanae's words, the butterflies scattered away(regretfully).
"Don't worry; I will tell you everything when Kanae isn't around." Yuta secretly whispered, to which the three little ones giggled and Aoi flashed a curious smile. Kanao also raised her brows, but as usual, no words arrived from her.
"Kanae, what about Kamado-kun and his friends?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, they have already eaten dinner and now are sleeping. Seriously, those injuries will need some time to heal."
Kanae heaved a sigh as she remembered the wounds, Zenitsu and Inouske had incurred.
"Don't worry, I will heal them once I finish the dinner. Since they were sleeping peacefully in the afternoon, I didn't bother them." Reverse Cursed Technique generally doesn't hurt the patient or send any strong sensation whatsoever—however, Yuta has noticed that Demons and Demon Slayers are quite sensitive toward Cursed Energy.
"That would be a huge help. They really looked in pain." Kanae said as she rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled close.
"Fufu~"(Sumi)
"~~!!"(Kiyo)
"*Ahem*"(Aoi)
"Shall we start?" Shinobu asked with a fake smile on her face.
Yuta wryly smiled at that before he nodded and nudged Kanae to stop teasing the juniors.
The former Hashira giggled playfully before she picked the chopsticks and the family began to enjoy the dinner while chatting about random stuff.
It was around the time when the Moon was at its peak and the serenity of the night provided a sense of peace and a subtle amount of stress to Tanjiro.
He has been quite wary of Darkness for the past few years ever since he came to know about the inhumane entities.
Recently he was pushed near death after he along with his friends came across a horde of demons. They generally tend to work separately but it seems Tanjiro was out of luck to be caught by around a hundred of them at once.
There was no chance for him and his friends to survive—if only, at that time the Wind Pillar hadn't arrived.
'He was so strong...' Although Tanjiro had a bad impression of Shinazugawa Sanemi he couldn't refute the fact that the man is a veteran warrior. His fearless approach and the hatred he showed toward Demons were both admirable and terrifying.
"How can you be so deep in thought despite being so severely injured?" The groaning voice of his new friend, Agatsuma Zenitsu reached him which urged Tanjiro to look over.
With a smile that was brighter than the sun—and ushered Zenitsu to cover his eyes—Tanjiro said, "I was healed by Yuta-san in the afternoon. He is a great person and a magical doctor."
Zenitsu looked at the raven-haired with an expression that told how little he believed in him. Zenitsu believed that Tanjiro might have hit his head to blabber such things.
'This life is so cruel...I don't want to live like this...' Zenitsu groaned as he placed his forearm over his aching head and grimaced about his present.
It was then, "For such a young person to have so many heavy emotions...not good."
Zenitsu blinked...and blinked before he suddenly jumped away from the bed.
"T-Tanjiro! There is a panda-eyed ghost near my bed!"
Tanjiro widened his eyes hearing that as he reprimanded his friend,
"O-Oi...Zenitsu. You can't insult someone like that..."
"That's not a problem, Kamado-kun...it's not the first time someone got scared of my eyes." Yuta waved his hand to dismiss the younger one's worries.
Zenitsu came down from his frenzied state before asking Tanjiro, "I-Is he the person you just told me about?"
"Yes. He is Okkotsu Yuta-san. He is a friend of Shinobu-san."
Yuta sat down on Zenitsu's bed before asking, "Despite how I look, Zenitsu-san, I am not a bad person. So can you let me see your wounds?"
Zenitsu narrowed his eyes to the point they no longer were visible before he asked, "You not here for some wild experimentation, are you? For the record, I am still unmarried."
Yuta laughed out aloud at that. It has been a while since he has met such a distrustful yet humorous person.
"I promise you, I won't experiment on your body. I am just trying to heal your wounds so you can continue your services as a Demon Hunter."
Suddenly Zenitsu's face turned blank.
...this person was not here to help Zenitsu. Rather, he was here to push him back to that hell.
"Zenitsu?"
"Zenitsu-san?" Under the baffled gazes of the two, the Thunder Breather disappeared from the room—leaving a yellow streak behind.
[Some days later]
"Mmh...what was that...noise?" Yuta woke up from his slumber as he heard a familiar voice yelling from afar.
"Oh, you are awake. I thought they wouldn't make much noise, but young boys are really loud." Kanae, who was folding some clothes, regretfully said.
"Nah, it's okay. I am just a little sensitive." Yuta rose from the futon and stretched a little—making Kanae momentarily dazed.
Yuta became a little embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head and said, "Umm...Kanae?"
Kanae became conscious of her action and hurriedly removed her eyes from him and continued to fold the clothes.
A subtle awkwardness phased between them before they both chuckled at the same time.
Despite seeing each other every day, Yuta and Kanae often experience these innocent and awkward moments. Well, they were a young couple who had started going out recently so this much was to be expected.
"Would you like to have breakfast?" Kanae asked and was about to get up since she was done folding the clothes.
Yuta got up faster than her and helped Kanae to get up and took the clothes from her—receiving a sweet smile in response.
"I would like to have breakfast...but hearing those noises got me interested." Turning his eyes toward Kanae, Yuta asked, "Are they training?"
Seeing the rare child-like enthusiasm in his eyes, Kanae couldn't help but ruffle his hair softly as she said, "Yep~it seems Shinobu has taken the responsibility for their rehabilitation."
Yuta didn't back off from getting caressed by his lover before he asked, " Will she...mind if I join?"
Kanae's hand paused before she reminded him, "You don't need to ask, Yuta-kun. Just like she is to me, Shinobu is a sister to you as well."
Yuta wanted to sigh at that, but he held back. The relationship between him and Shinobu has surely improved but he could see that she still hasn't accepted him.
Regardless, Yuta was going to see how the Demon slayers trained and if possible he might as well join them.
A/N:- And that's it.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
The next one would be focused on the training and rehabilitation. After that, we would move to the Mugen train arc. The romance in this chapter was a bit less but I had to introduce some characters so yeah...
The next one would be longer and I will try to post it in July at some time.
Thanks for reading.