Hi again! This chapter will help us learn about Kumo's past and how she met her sensei! Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Having her body accostumed to sleep during the day at the final selection, Kumo found it hard to go back to her house regime, which meant waking up with the sun to work at the rice fields. She vagely remembered her father entering her room a few minutes ago to say she could keep sleeping but she decided against it. She couldn't let her parents work alone, it was around 5 hectares of rice ready to be harvested.
Might as well take this as training.
After changing into her work clothes and grabbing her katana, she left her room to find her parents eating breakfast in the kitchen.
« Good morning, kaa-san, tou-san! Today is harvest day, isn't it? Let me help you with that! »
« But, Kumo...don't you need to rest? You must be tired » her dad looked at her with a small frown.
« I'm fine tou-san, I want to see how fast I can cut with my blade! » she said excitedly to erase any concern from her parents « Also, I plan to see sensei in the afternoon! She prepared lunch!»
« Mou, if you say so...just don't overwork yourself » he mother sounded resigned and a bit angry still.
« Hai, hai! » Yosh, it was on. « You two just rest and leave it to me! »
-4 hours later-
Gasping for air while resting against a carriage full of golden rice, Kumo noticed she could now hold Total Concentration Breathing for about 10 minutes without feeling her lungs were about to explode. Progress, sweet progress. She was glad though, that what used to take about 2 days for 3 people, could now be done in a few hours now by herself. When we have enough money we should totally hire some Demon Slayers! Haha! She joked to herself while sipping some water. Yosh, now that this is ready, I should go to Hina-sensei.
Momonosuke Hina was Kumo's sensei. She was a woman of around 32 years old that had reached the Rank of Hinoe in the Kisatsukai during her prime but was currently retired. Kumo was sure her sensei could've been a strong Hashira if she hadn't injuried her legs during a fight several years ago. She still had both legs, it's just that she couldn't run anymore and, as a Breath of Thunder users, legs were everything. However, her reflexes were as sharp as ever so one should never underestimate her. Kumo could barely hold her ground agaisnt her sensei while sparring for 5 minutes before losing.
Sensei is one of the best! Kumo thought as she stood up with a smile and started walking towards her sensei's house.
Hina had tought Kumo that, no matter where you come from or what disability you have, you always got a chance to be better, a chance to change your future however way you want with lots of effort and discipline. All you had to do was to make up your mind.
-Flashback : 3 years ago. Kumo : 11 years old.-
Kumo and her dad were at the local market of their village, Kaminoge, trying to sell as much rice as they could. That year hadn't been particularly good for rice since it hadn't rained as much, as a result her parents had decided to increase the price. Since most locals were farmers as well, they knew why the prices had gone up. The problem was servants from rich families of the area that sometimes came to buy food. They were difficult clients but today was the cherry on top.
« WHAT?! How dare you charge me 200 yen for this much rice?! » a chubby woman in a clean blue yukata yelled in tou-san's face « Are you trying to scam me, uh?! Do you even who I work for?! »
Her father nervously tried to explain the reason but it all fell on deaf ears, the woman's face resembled a tomato more and more out of anger. « You farmers are all the same! No better than thieves! » she said while pushing her dad with surprising strength that made him fall with painful thud.
« HEY! Don't you dare touch my father, you old hag! » Kumo yelled as she pushed the woman a couple of steps back. She was a thin child so she lacked strength to move her farther but that didn't prevent her from standing protectively infront of him. « What gives you the right to treat him like-
SLAP!
Kumo's neck hurt from the fast force that striked her right cheek. She looked back at the woman with disgust.
« Don't touch me, you dirty little rat! » the woman spat « I should teach you a lesson for your insolence! You should know your place! » she raised her other hand to hit again.
« And you should know how to treat people right, you witch! » Kumo cleched her fists and took a fighting stance she had seen some neighbourhood kids use while playing. It's on, hag.
« Please, forgive my child! » Kumo's father quickly kneeled while touching the floor with his forehead « She's still young and doesn't know much! Please take as much rice as you want! »
What the-
« Tch, I'll overlook this offense this time » the woman said while looking down in disdain « I hope you teach your daughter some manners in the meantime. I'll take everything! » some servants that had come with her started to take all the rice away.
« Father! Don't let her- »
« Kumo, stop it! » tou-san yelled at her « Just stop it! »
Kumo couldn't take it anymore. That rice had cost them lots of hard-working months. All their effort was for nothing? She clenched her fists hard, turned around and ran. She ran as fast as she could. Maybe if she was fast enough, she could run away from the sadness and anger that had overtaken her. Her right cheek hurt but the anger she felt, burned.
She didn't know how long she ran. Probably not a lot considering her low stamina. She was panting by the time she stopped next to a tree at the start of a small forest. She dropped down and hugged her legs to her chest. She noticed her knees getting wet with all the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
It's not fair. We work hard every day to survive just like everyone else. What makes us less than them? Is it money? Is it all that takes? Is it the only thing that matters? Is this how our lives will be until the end?
All these questions went through her head as she burried her face on her knees. She just wanted this day to be over with.
« Little girl, are you alright?"- a soft voice spoke next to Kumo, who quickly raised her head to face a tanned woman with short brown hair who had crouched down with a concerned face. I didn't hear her. When did she appear?
« I'm fine » Kumo muttered while looking the opposite way. She noticed the woman was wearing a nice light yellow yukata. Probably another rich lady. « It's none of your business »
The woman said nothing as she examined Kumo's face. Her right eye twitched in anger as she noticed Kumo's cheek. People who beat children are trash.
« People that hurt children are trash, you know?» Kumo heard the anger behing the woman's voice « You shouldn't have to put up with such treatment-
That stricked a chord and Kumo had it. She quickly stood up to face the stranger with a frown.
« Put up? I was ready to fight that old hag but it was my own father that decided to sell his pride. And for what? Why does being poor makes you less? Aren't we all people? Don't we all bleed the same?! » Kumo looked down at her rough palms after days of hardwork at the fields. Shit. She was crying again but she couldn't stop. She had to vent somehow « Why doesn't it get better? When do people stop looking down on us?! The worst part is that I can't even defend my own family because I'm weak. I'm...tired of this. Every day is the same : working until we can barely move in order to survive for another day. Why...can't it be different? Tell me, please! » she couldn't even see the woman anymore because of how blurry her sight had turned.
The stranger stayed silent for a few seconds before asnwering.
« How badly do you want your life to change?» she asked with a serious sound.
« Wha-what do you mean? » Kumo stuttered.
« Would you be willing to give up everything you know in order to become stronger? Would you put your life on the line for it? »
Any person would've think this stranger lady was part of a cult or something but Kumo could hear how serious and honest she was being with her words. She balanced all the suffering and hardships were family had gone throught the years. Her shabby house with several holes in the roof. Tattered clothes. Dirty hair. Her father's tired face as he sighed counting their savings. Her mother's silent crying at night.
Yes. Giving up her life for a chance was worth it.
« Yes, I would » the woman was surprised by the level of confidence the little girl could muster in just a few words. She liked it.
« What's your name, girl? »
« Sugawara Kumo"
« Then, Kumo, call me sensei from now on. My name is Momonosuke Hina » the lady said with a smile "I'll train you to become a demon slayer!"
"…a what?"
-end of flashback-
The young girl chuckled as the memory ended. After that day, her training started. Hina was as strict as any teacher would be, pushing Kumo to her limits almost every day. It had been particularly difficult for her since she lacked stamina as a malnourished kid. Part of her training had included eating lots of protein to build up some muscle, and thankully Hina provided it all for her. Her sensei was a bit rough around the edges but had a caring and motherly core, this is why Kumo considered her part of family, almost like a second mother. She wanted to make her proud.
With a determined look, Kumo walked the last section of the path uphill that led her to Hina's house. She knew her sensei was home since the chimney was on. The middle of autumn meant dry, crisp air that, after an hour walking, made Kumo's nose slightly red. She completely forgot to put on her haori since she didn't want to get it dirty- Wait.
Her haori wasn't at home, she hadn't put it in the laundry basket yesterday night. Where...where did she...Shit. She gave it to Hiroto at the final selection and, if her memory served her right, it was covered in blood, ripped and probably burnt by now. What would she tell her now?
« Kumo, are you going to come in? You've been standing outside for 5 minutes. Your grilled salmon is gonna get cold » her sensei's voice came from inside sounding a bit annoyed but Kumo could hear a relieved sound in it as well. She had told Hina-sensei to cook her favourite meal the very next day after the final selection so they could celebrate together. It had been a silent promise of coming back alive, which she had fulfilled. Here goes nothing.
« I'm back... » she said softly as she entered, her eyes looking down « Hina-sensei, gomennasai! I kinda…gave your haori away! But I swear it was for a good cause! » she said while bowing down. Kumo didn't have a lot of material things she cared about, but the few she had represented her bonds with people precious to her. That haori was one of them.
« You silly girl! » a fist softly knocked her head on the side, Kumo raise her head to meet her sensei's gentle dark brown eyes « What matters is that you came back alive! And I can always get you another one! This time as a celebration gift so don't worry about it! »
« Thank you very much, sensei! » Kumo felt her eyes get a bit teary "I…I missed you a lot!" As many other boys and girls in the final selection, she had wondered if she would be able to see her loved ones again. And Hina-sensei, being the one she spent most of her time with in the last 2 years, was the one she had missed the most. Incapable of holding back her emotions, Kumo threw herself into her sensei's warm embrace.
« There, there. It's all over now » Hina gently patted Kumo's back as she let her student cry sofly into her shoulder. She believed in Kumo's strength but that didn't mean she hadn't worry. She was her first student after all. "Come on, let's eat! You must be hungry. And you need to tell me all about it!"
« Hai, sensei » as soon as she said this, Kumo's stomach growled loudly, making her blush slightly. She quickly wipped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled up to Hina « So many things happened! I even made a friend! »
« Oh, did you? Come, tell everything over lunch! »
Needless to say, Kumo spent a wonderful evening with her sensei.