Chapter 3

"Are we there yet? I'm freezing." Yuki complained. He lost track as to how long he and the kakushi have been traveling but imagined it must've been a while since he could feel neither his hands or feet.

"We're here" The female kakushi said, as she propped the lanky child to sit up.

"Yay!" Yuki shouted.

"We were only out for fifteen minutes" The male kakushi muttered as he laid Yuki's legs straight. The kakushi's helped the boy up by pulling his arms. The lanky child thanked them but nearly collapsed after taking one step forward. The kakushi placed the boy's arms around their shoulders and lead themselves inside the estate for their guest had his blindfold intact.

"Wait, I just realized something. If I'm going to a very important meeting, why didn't I have time to change into better clothes?" Yuki asked aloud as the two kakushi's looked at him and then each other.

Now that you mentioned it, why didn't we wait for you to change clothes?" The male kakushi agreed

I think its fair to assume Aoi-chan didn't have any to spare since your taller than the average person. Sorry, Yuki-kun" The female kakushi offered an apology.

"Oh, okay. I guess no one else needs to know if it's just me and the master, right?" The lanky child said in a hopeful tone.

"There you go. That's a good way of thinking" The male kakushi said to Yuki.

Yuki was itching to remove his blindfold and see the master of this place. He followed the kakushi's directions and hunched over when they decided it was time to remove the blindfold. What caught him off guard was not only the lack of a leader around, but three people conversing with another and another two by themselves. He was thankful no one noticed him for he felt insecure about not having any other attire to wear. He was intimidated at each and every one of these people, who all gave off a sense of superiority. After taking deep breaths, Yuki decided to go up to the two tallest members in this group first.

"WOW! YOU GUYS ARE HUGE!" Yuki exclaimed. He covered his mouth in embarrassment from his outburst. This resulted with everyone looking at his direction. He felt uneasy with so many eyes staring at him and who could blame them? Here he was, trying to familiarize himself to people he just met. It was too late to stay in the background, so his only option was to take accountability.

"Sorry. It's just, all my life I've been made fun of for being the tallest person around. I-I know we only just met, but it feels nice not being the tallest person around anymore. Yuki said aloud with gleam in his eyes, resembling stars.

"And to whom are you referring to, little one?" A man wearing a green kimono asked. He was by far the tallest person in the room, standing over 7 feet. His face was distinguishable due to large scar on his forehead and his eyes, devoid of pupils. This man was built differently; Yuki was amazed how much muscle one could gain. He wondered how a man of such physique could cry for no reason.

"Obviously he is referring to us, Gyomei-kun. To be honest, my height only plays a small factor to my flamboyancy." The person who spoke up was several inches taller than Yuki. This person had white hair, held in place by a bandana covered with diamond-like beads. From a closer look, the beads would extent to the sides of his head in the form of chains. Yuki was also impressed this person's physique because he was the only person not wearing a kimono or coat of any sort, despite the chilly weather. He wore a sleeveless shirt and long black pants. The lanky child also noticed some gold bands around the flashy person's muscles along with tattoo on his left eye. He wondered if there was a purpose for them.

"I still can't get over the fact that there are people taller than me in this world. It still blows my mind!" Yuki exclaimed. "Um, may I ask for your name, sir."

"I'm the sound hashira, Tengen Uzui and the big fella next to us is the stone pillar, Gyomei Himejima. Know this: When it comes to appearances and prowess, you won't find anyone more flashy or flamboyant than me." The sound hashira proclaimed.

"Whoa! Long live the king of flashiness and flamboyancy." Yuki said trying to match the sound pillar's enthusiasm.

"I like your way of thinking, kid. Though you have ways to go if you wanna be in my league. You're like a firework, flamboyant for one second and then unflashy the next. Speaking of which, why are you here? It's not proper to attend a meeting uninvited, especially since this is for hashira's only." Tengen gave Yuki a blank expression.

This brought Yuki back to reality as he saw several pairs of eyes looking his way. He brought his arms inwards and became stiff. He started to tremble over several people staring at his direction. All Yuki knew was he did not want to be on anyone's bad side. Before the tears began to fall, the black-eyed child took a deep breath and stopped shaking. The dull-hair was relieved this awkward moment was only temporary and wandered aimlessly.

At the moment, he spotted the fourth individual, who donned a unique haori with two different patterns. One side was solid red but the other side was filled with rhombi pattern of green, orange, and yellow. While the unmatched haori person didn't turn around, the dull-eyed teen spotted another unique trait of this mysterious person. He had long black hair, covering well past his neck, yet seemingly not well taken cared of. To Yuki, the spikes of this person's hair reminded him a porcupine he read in a book. He nearly approached the prickly haired man from behind until he spotting something eye-grabbing.

From the side furthest from everyone else, there was another man sitting by himself. This one appeared to be the oldest by far and his aura screamed experience. He wore a red kimono with black pants which were tinted in red. This person's haori resembled a flame with its orange and red pattern towards the bottom of his attire. Much of his haori was white. Yet for the lanky child, he was most interested in this swordsman's hair. It was a vibrant yellow with red edges, very much resembling a flame. His eyes were bright yellow. It was then a glimpse of the incident came to mind. Yuki decided to approached the yellowed haired man instead.

Good morning, sir. My name is Yuki Subachi. What is your name?" The dark-haired boy looked down and muttered.

"Huh?! Who said that? Speak up! Was it you?! The older man demanded as he looked up. The lanky child nodded and cleared his throat.

Yes sir. I asked for your name just now." Yuki responded politely.

How does a big boy like you able to speak softly as a mouse? For that matter, what gives you the right to boss me around just because you're taller than me? You're speaking to a Hashira" The yellow-eyed man darted at lanky child. Yuki's look of confusion was displayed all over his face. This garnered a loud sigh from the older man.

"Let me spell it for you kid: A hashira is someone with the highest rank in the demon slayer corps. We consist of nine of the strongest swordsmen who only have to take orders from the one person, Master Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

"With all due respect, Mister Hashira, I wanted to ask if you remember me?" Yuki asked anxiously, hiding his face with several notecards.

"Why the hell should I remember you? I never seen you in my life" The flame hashira stated.

"Really? I face a demon recently and I saw someone with your same hair saving me and my servants." The dull-hair teen said.

"Is that so? Then, you must have me mistaken for my son, Kyoujuro Rengoku. He is a Kinoe who did in fact partake a rescue mission" The yellow-haired man replied with an annoyed tone.

"Yes, that's it. I wish I could thank your son in person, mister-" Yuki said with hesitation.

"Shinjuro Rengoku. Not that it'll mean anything after today." Shinjuro muttered. The dull-eyed boy was confused over this remark but decided not to press further.

"If you're done yapping about your life story, go bother someone else for a change." The yellow-eyed man dismissed him by turning his body the opposite direction. The lanky child lowered his head and then gave himself distance from everyone else, unsure what the purpose of his inclusion at this point.

"Master Kagaya Ubuyashiki has arrived" A woman said politely.

Everyone kneeled the second the announcement was made. Yuki, who looked at the kakushi standing at the opposite side of the room, tilted his head when he saw them motioned their hands downwards. He waved back but then saw them slip past the hashira's and grabbed his arms to pull him down.

"Sit down." The male kakushi said.

"We mustn't keep the master waiting" The female kakushi quipped.

It was then Yuki finally understood the situation and sat down crisscrossed. Yuki's impression of the leader of the demon slayers was disappointment. In his mind, he expected a leader to represent strength, someone who had battle scars or had authority in their voice. Instead, the master of this group didn't display any sign of strength. On the contrary, the word Yuki would use to describe this leader was "fragile". What he saw was a slim figured individual, dressed in a black kimono, wearing a white coat with flames colored in pink and a solid shade of purple at the bottom of the coat. The eyes resembled that of the stone pillar, but distinguished itself for the upper half of his face was covered in a violet-colored scars. Yuki may not have been great at picking up body language, but even he knew a leader should hold his head high and walk proudly, not sluggishly slide his feet on the floor or rely on someone else to guide him. Even so, the lanky child was shocked that everyone, including a huge person like the stone hashira, kneeled before such a scrawny leader.

Yuki's disappointment was inscribed all over his face. He lost focus when he felt someone glaring his direction. His instinct proved right when he turned and saw a man staring at him. There was no trace of friendliness whatsoever. Instead, Yuki shivered over a pair of crazed looking eyes staring at his soul. Everywhere he looked, there were scars all over the white-haired man's body. The dark-haired teen had nowhere to look because he didn't want to be rude nor stare at the scars, yet he felt uneasy looking at this person's chest, which was exposed for all to see, thanks to his opened shirt. He didn't know what else to do other than look at the ground and made a small gulp. In return, an audible "tch" sound was heard. Yuki didn't like confrontations and for his own safety, he treaded away from the group and hid behind a tree while the rest had been engaged in their meeting.

"To conclude today's meeting: Due to Shinjuro's retirement, we will have five active hashira's. Giyu Tomioka will prepare for a mission on the mountains and finally, the struggle to boost morale upon rank-and-file demon slayers continues to persist. Not to mention we still have no trace of Muzan or the twelve kizuki at the moment. Do not lose hope, my children. I stand with my belief that this is the era where Muzan's reign will come to an end. With time, we will find the best candidates to fill in the remaining positions of hashira's. Let us wish Shinjuro and Giyu the best on their endeavors. With that, you are all dismissed for the day." Kagaya stated.

"Sanemi-kun, could you inform the boy and let him know he can see the master?" A feminine voice asked.

"Sure thing" The white haired looked at his comrade and nodded.

Yuki spent his time checking the time by picking out a stick from the tree and placed it on the ground in order to create a makeshift sundial. He then felt watching him from behind and flinched when he turned to see a sinister smile. He was not a fan of the battle-scared swordsman but he knew better than to oppose him. He walked up to the white-haired swordsman cautiously and hunched.

"Yes, sir? Eeeek-"

"Listen up, kid. I don't care what you and the flame hashira spoke about, but you still got to show some respect. While we're at it, you better apologize to the master immediately. He deserves nothing but the utmost respect. Do I make myself clear?" He said while pulling down the lanky's child shirt, forced the boy to meet him eye to eye.

"yes, mister-" The dull-eyed boy pleaded while looking away. He covered his face with his hands.

"Shinazugawa. I'm the wind hashira and you better stay out of my fucking way. If I were you, I'd pray we don't cross each other paths any time soon." Sanemi lashed at the dark-haired kid, then finally left the building. Yuki walked sluggishly, stared at the ground to prevent anyone from seeing him cry. A violet-haired woman looked at him with pity. He sat down and looked up sheepishly.

"Thank you for your patience, my husband, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, will now speak with you." An older woman replied kindly. Yuki looked up and saw the master looking directly at him. A key detail unseen prior was the scars weren't only unique for its colors, but the texture. The scars greatly resembled that of veins and found himself struggling to look at the master's eyes, which were a pair of silver pupils. Yet, Yuki couldn't help but to be fascinated by the master's smile, it creased somewhat but there was no sense of dread in the air. Anyone else Yuki knew, including himself, would rather die than be seen with such scars.

"What is your name, young one?" The silver eyed man asked.

"M-My name is Yuki Subachi. I come from a wealthy family." The dull-eyed kid said.

"How long have you been here, young Subachi?" Kagaya asked once more.

"I've been living in a mansion these past few days." The lanky child replied timidly.

"What I meant was, how long have you been by yourself?" The master clarified.

"It's…been a few months since I left home to look after my family inn. I miss them, I hope they missed me. Just like how I miss my servants." Yuki spoke softly and looked at the ground as Kagaya simply nodded.

"You had 10 servants who protected you correct? Akira, Hideo, Itsuki, Jin, Juro, Katsuo, Michi, Ryuji, Haruka, and finally, Kenji Haruno."

Kagaya gaze remained neutral, unaware of the shocked expression the dull-eyed boy had on his face.

"H-How do you know their names?!" Yuki covered his mouth then began to hasten his breathing.

"My wife paid a visit to the butterfly mansion the night you and your servants were rescued. The few who were conscious shared with us the events, along with the names of those who didn't make it, and, what a kind-hearted master you were to them. They said you are a good kid who loves animals. They also told us about your struggle talking to people, yet you continue to push through, never letting your struggles get the better of you." Both Kagaya and his wife smiled at the lanky child.

"Are any of my servants alive? Please tell me, Mr. Kagaya" Yuki pleaded.

"Haruno-san is the only one remaining, he also gave us this letter you wrote a while ago. He gave us consent to read the letter, in hopes we had some clue to a dream you had." Kagaya said. His wife held up a golden envelope who offered it back to its rightful owner. Yuki accepted it immediately. The lanky child couldn't believe Haruno-san actually remembered his dream all this time.

"What I can confirm is the demon that caught you in your dream, was none other than Muzan Kibutsuji. He is responsible for all the demon's existence, including the one that attacked your estate. The description is similar to the reports we have on him. However, I can't imagine the morale here improve over a dream, let alone from someone unfamiliar with our ways. You understand, don't you?" Kagaya asked with concern and offered a small smile.

"Are you asking if I want to join your cause, Mr. Kagaya?" The lanky child tilted his head.

"Let me answer your question with a question: Do you wish to return to your family?" Ubuyashiki asked.

"I…don't know." Yuki was surprised of his own hesitation because at any other point in time, he would've said yes in a heartbeat.

"It's okay. Our time in this world is not infinite. We are born, we live, and then we die. That is the circle of life. When we are alive, our choices are what we believe will let us live our days to the fullest. That is what makes us human. Should you join our cause, I believe you'll become a great demon slayer with a noble heart and soul. If you wish to return to your old life, we can only wish you the best endeavors. Destress these next few days at the butterfly mansion and make your decision. Remember, only you can fill and sustain your box of happiness, Yuki Subachi." Kagaya said calmly.

"I'll admit that I wasn't impressed seeing you for the first time. But, after this conversation, I can see why all the hashira bow to you. Why you are indeed the leader of this organization. Thank you, Ubuyashiki-sama. You have my respect and I'm sorry for any wrong doing I done today." Yuki declared as he repositioned himself to kneel, just as the all the swordsmen had done earlier."

"Believe in yourself, and you can achieve anything you put your heart into. Now, get some rest and think over your choice carefully. The head of the butterfly mansion will lead you back." Kagaya stood up with the help of his wife.

"Yes, sir." Yuki nodded then turned around to see a woman behind him. He turned to face her completely.

"Wow, you're tiny!"

"Hello out there. Welcome to Taisho Era Secrets. I'm the wolf demon from chapter one. Allow me to share with you all a little known fact: Werewolves are not a thing in Japan. Their origin were from Rome and Greece. In fact, there weren't too many wolves in the wild during this point of time. More likely, my appearance is based on the Okuri Inu or the Inugami. Thanks for giving this wolf the time of day." The wolf demon snickered.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you ruined my life enough?! Get out of here!" Yuki whined as he waved his arms around to scare the demon away. He then pulls out some cards to read from.

"Sorry about that, I'll see to it we get some human guests from now on. Next time on chapter 4, who is this woman in front of me? Bye! " Yuki waves.

Edit: So, I've just about finished my first round of editing my chapters and...where do I begin with this one? Um, I didn't know that according to the actual demon slayer timeline, several character's didn't become hashira until after Tanjiro's family was killed. Meaning, It wasn't possible for my OC to have met Rengoku, Muichiro, Obanai, and Mitsuri. While I did ask for help on correcting my mistakes, I am glad I was able to find a solution quite quickly. With that said, I put this down as an OC x Shinobu fanfic and it's only now that Yuki and Shinobu meet. I love Shinobu. She's my favorite female character in the series and I want to do her justice.

If anyone is interested, I'm open to having a beta reader or have someone look over this story in general after chapter 4. I did everything myself in my last fanfic, but here, I just have a feeling I'm going to need some help to deliver consistent, coherent, and enjoyable chapters.

I hope I'm doing a good job entertaining you all and being faithful to the existing characters.

Finally, shout out to Bethxangel for being the first person to like and follow this story. Thank you so much.

I wish you all a good day and feel free to leave a comment.

Edited: 1-27-24, 3/14/24, 4/23/24