Hi everyone, hope you all been having a good summer
Chapter 11
Shinobu Kocho is a woman of many talents. Her status as Hashira is a sign of recognition as one of the demon slayer corps top swordsmen. An astute observer who could pick every minute detail and capable of adapting her strategies on the spot. The violet eyed woman had come from a family of doctors and picked up medical knowledge alongside her sister Kanae. In doing so, she was adept to demon anatomy to the point of discovering a weakness without beheading them, while becoming the top doctor within the demon slayer corps.
It was now just past noon and everyone was having lunch, all except her. Without some prompting, the petite doctor will spend all of her time lost in her research or prepping her wisteria poison. At the moment, she was jotting down notes for the correlation between the symptoms of a mental disorder and the behavior of her patient. She was thankful to have discovered the condition of her patient, but she had hoped to have killed birds with one stone.
"Oh dear. I was able to diagnose one patient but the other is as allusive as ever. Whatever is wrong with that boy?" Shinobu sighed as she looked outside her office window and decided to move around and stretch her legs.
With the exception of the Insect hashira, most of the residents within the butterfly mansion were enjoying their meals. Yuki for his part was enjoying his lunch with Aoi. He had hoped for the butterfly triplets to join but were finishing their chores from earlier.
"Hey Aoi-chan. Today's tofu is good. I like the way you make Japanese dishes." He replied merrily.
"Thanks. I do my best to bring out good quality now that we've gotten more people here recently."
"Keep up the good work." He smiled sweetly.
"You're too sweet for your own good. You know that?" Aoi huffed in annoyance. The dull eye boy leaned towards the blue-eyed girl.
"I've gotten that from my mom sometimes. She hated it whenever I got too friendly with commoners. That's why all of my servants were replaced with adults to keep me in check." He nodded with a sad smile.
"Geez, the more you talk about your family, the more I can't stand them." Aoi confessed.
"They're not all that bad. My papa is the nice one who always defended me from my mom whenever I made mistakes. As for my sister, well, she's nice and supportive as a younger sister can be." He spoke hastily.
"As long as you swear your dad and sister are nice, I'll believe you." The head nurse conceded.
"Thank you. Um, Aoi, mind if I try that green stuff?" He asked politely.
"Sure. Have at it, Subachi-kun." She offered him a sauce plate. He hummed in acceptance. He dipped a bit of the green sauce on his tofu and took a bit. His face displayed a look of disgust as he spat his food back into his bowl.
"Ugh. What was that?! He gagged.
"Have you never had wasabi before?" Aoi snorted.
"This is my first time eating this. I thought it was green pea puree." The lanky student spoke while gargling water.
"You should know better than to talk with your mouth full. You're a rich boy." Aoi shook her head while Yuki swallowed the water in one gulp.
"Was, but it's not my fault it tasted so nasty. I mean, yes Aoi-chan." He apologized after seeing her glare up at him.
"It's fine. I won't trick you to having wasabi again." She chuckled.
"You did that on purpose?! Meanie!" The former heir pouted and the head nurse chuckled.
After several minutes, Yuki and Aoi had calmed down, resumed eating civilly. Lunch time was relatively peaceful with everyone inside making friendly banter and were non-disruptive. As the two butterfly mansion employees prepared to resume their duties, the dull eye boy went to throw away the portion of tofu touched with wasabi. Afterwards, he bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry." He looked down at the demon slayer with worry.
"Watch yourself next time. You're dealing with a Mizunoe here." He boasted.
"Right, I'll be more careful next time." Yuki bowed politely.
"Just a sec. I noticed you eat far more than the average person here. Why is that?
"Oh, um, I can't help it." Yuki whimpered and trembled. He never liked confrontation.
"Hey, mizunoe. Do you really need to ask why? It's obvious because he's a tall and growing boy. Subachi-kun needs all the food he can eat since he's still underweight and is training to be a demon slayer. Show a little respect to your future comrade." Aoi scolded the demon slayer.
"Right. My bad, Subachi-kun. Please excuse me." The Mizunoe scurried away from Yuki and the raven-haired girl.
"Thanks for defending me, Aoi-chan." Yuki sighed with relief.
"It's no problem. Just keeping being you and help around. You're a good guy, Tāke-kun." She smiled softly.
"I better check on the half the patients on Miss Shinobu's checklist. See you later, Aoi-chan." Yuki said
"See you. I got the other half." The raven hair girl nodded. They then stood and walked towards the main hall. Once they had got to the fork of the building, Aoi went right, with Yuki heading left simultaneously.
For his part, the former heir's duty was fairly simple: visit the patients, check their vitals, and write down notes for Shinobu to look over. He enters the first the first room with a female demon slayer, who had a concussion on her hand. Yuki greeted her and sat down on a nearby chair to apply pressure on the wounded area. After he had released her hand and jotted down his report, he happily informed the demon slayer she was all but set to be deemed fully recovered. He couldn't help but share the girls enthusiasm over returning to the field. He patted her shoulder in encouragement. Afterwards, he left the room and proceeded to check on the remaining patients. He was relieved no one else seemed to be in critical condition. One more patient and he was good for the day.
"Tokito…" The dull eye boy said audibly as he enters the last room in the hallway.
"Hmm." The patient tilted his head.
"Konichiwa, Tokito-chan." The slim student spoke softly. He sat down on a nearby chair and leaned over to get a better look at the patient. This person was by far one of the shortest he had seen, aside from Shinobu. The individual's uniform had longer sleeves than anyone else wore. The hair was similar to Shinobu's where it was mostly black with tinted cyan at the tips instead of purple. Yuki then took notice of the individual's eyes matching the cyan tinted tips. More importantly, he couldn't help but notice how hollow the eyes seemed. As though a part of their soul was missing, though the lanky student couldn't figure out for the life of him what that'd entail. Another detail Yuki took notice of was the long luscious hair this person had.
"Hai" the cyan eyed patient glanced up, speaking softly.
"Wow, you have really long hair." Yuki found himself staring at his patient.
"Is that a problem?" the cyan-eyed demon slayer asked with a tone of annoyance.
"No, its just… you look pretty." Yuki blushed faintly.
"Are you done staring at me?" The long-haired patient asked sternly.
"I'm sorry, I-I just couldn't help it." The former anxiously responded.
"Koko de nani ga okotte iru nodesu ka, Subachi-kun?" A new voice emerged. Yuki turned to see Shinobu behind. He then crouched down and moved behind while sticking close to her.
"I'm sorry, I was just talking to the pretty girl here and then she started being mean to me. I didn't mean to offend her." Yuki said nervously as he shielded himself behind the insect hashira.
"It's okay, calm down. Though I suppose I can understand where the misunderstanding comes from." Shinobu replied calmly.
"What do you mean?" Yuki tilts his head.
"For starters, Tokito Muichiro is a boy, not a girl."
"Huh?! But his hair is so long!"
"That's just his preference. Not to mention he's the newest hashira as well."
"No way! He's so tiny. A-and much younger than the patients I checked on today, Kocho-sama.
"I was wondering when you'd stop by, Kocho-chan." Muichiro stated plainly.
"My apologies, I had an unexpected delivery dropped in today, so I was needed to oversee it brought in safely. I hope my student didn't give you a hard time. Please introduce yourself." Shinobu gazed at the former heir, who in return nodded.
"M-My name is Yuki Subachi and I am a former heir turned demon slayer. In training." The lanky student clarified.
"I see. My name is Tokito Muichiro, the mist hashira. Why are you here again?
"Because I live and work here. I was tasked to check on several patients today." Yuki hesitantly explained. He was caught off guard with Muichiro's question.
"Well, thank you for your assistance, Subachi-kun. I'll take it from here." Shinobu stated.
"Kocho-chan, you said this boy is your student, right?" the mist hashira asked with a blank stare.
"Yes, I've been training him for about four months. He'll be learning my second breathing technique soon." The insect hashira informed her colleague with a smile.
"In that case, I'd like to test his worth. I am in stable condition, correct?
"Yes." The petite doctor answered with concern.
"I've seen your other student in action once. She was good. I'm curious how well this boy can handle himself in a duel." Muichiro said in a daze.
"Wait, If this is about me confusing you for a girl, I'm really sorry. There's no need to fight me. I never assumed you were weak or anything." Yuki frantically addressed the mist hashira as he looked down and trembled before his potential opponent.
"That didn't help you at all. But, Kocho-chan asked me to evaluate your reflexes. She said you kept up with her a few times. I'm curious how that's possible since she is one of the faster hashira's.
"Oh, okay." The dull eyed boy began calming down.
"Could you set up the proper equipment for this match. Tokito-kun and I will meet inside the dojo in several minutes." Shinobu asked softly.
"You got it, Kocho-sama." Yuki nodded and went ahead.
"…The symptoms of your condition is not unique to any one of the disorders I listed just now. Until further notice, I will diagnose you with a mental disorder. I don't blame you if this news is upsetting. Even so, have comfort knowing you have the support of everyone here in the demon slayer corp. I for one, will continue to look out for you whenever you stop by. I truly hope you regain your memories back, Tokito-kun. Shinobu explained with a solemn gaze.
"Thanks. Although I have a feeling I'll forget this conversation, having a friend within my first week as hashira means a lot. Thank you, Kocho-chan." The cyan eyed prodigy explained while giving an empty smile.
The violet-haired doctor nodded and continued leading the newest hashira towards the outside of her mansion. They were in no rush since everyone had concluded lunch, meaning people were either In their rooms recovering or practicing drills within the dojo. She allowed her guest to enter the dojo first, following from behind. The insect hashira gave a soft smile towards her dull eyed student, who in returned gave a cheerful smiled since he had set up a row of wooden swords along with a table set with a medical kit and several water gourds on the side. Shinobu bowed politely at Muichiro and watched him meet with her student for a friendly spar.
"M-May the better man win." Yuki looked down at the mist hashira nervously. The long-haired prodigy walked past him after selecting a wooden training sword.
"Ready when you are, Hachi-kun." Muichiro stood aloof and readied himself.
Yuki lifts his wooden swords and charged at the mist hashira. He lifts his left hand to swing right to left while slashing left to right with his opposite simultaneously. The cyan eyed boy evaded effortlessly and sidestepped to the right, preparing to strike the lanky student's shoulder. Yuki glanced at Muichiro's direction and was able to step back and counter the attack.
"Hmm, not bad, Suzume-kun." The mist hashira remarked with a distant tone.
The former heir smiled and kept his attention focused on the young prodigy. He swung his right arm down with all the might. This however, proved ineffective as his opponent evaded with ease once more. The mist hashira tries to get a strike at the boy but once Yuki caught him in his sights, he used his left sword to block the attack. Yuki shifted his body as quickly as possible in order to keep up with Muichiro's movements. The lanky student decided to switch it up by slashing horizontally with his left hand and defended with his right.
"Interesting. Since you're trying to throw me off, allow me to do the same." The long-haired prodigy responded coldly. Yuki eyes widened when he heard this remark. In an instant, Muchiro had disappeared from his sight. With Yuki no longer able to keep track of his opponent, he was increasingly losing his composure.
He let his fear and anxiety take control to the point of feeling surrounded in a mist. All of a sudden, Yuki felt one hit strike his back and winced in pain. One hit after another, the former heir was being battered repeatedly. This continued for a solid minute when one of Muichiro's attack landed on Yuki's training sword. He felt relieved to have blocked one attack for he could finally lock on his opponent once more with his eyes. With the exception of several swings to fend for himself, Yuki focused his remaining energy on protecting himself from further harm and to ensure he didn't lose track of the cyan eyed boy again.
"I think…that concludes my assessment" Muchiro declared, lowered his sword to look up at his opponent before giving him the wooden sword and walked past him.
"That's it? So how did I do?" The brown eyed boy asked.
"You have a long way of becoming a viable demon slayer" Muichiro said dismissively as he continued walking towards Shinobu. Yuki gulped as he remained in the arena.
What do you think?" Shinobu asked politely.
His attacks lacked conviction. His stance was stiff. Plus, he faltered the second he lost sight of me. However, he has powerful swings that could prove a force to be reckoned with. When he kept his eyes on me, his reflexes were impeccable, along with timing his defense perfectly. In other words, he has room to grow. I believe you're doing a good job teaching him to be a demon slayer. I hope my insight will help you moving forward." He smiles softly.
"I'm relieved. Kyojuro-kun had a favorable opinion towards Subachi-kun. I'm glad he wasn't a disappointment in your eyes."
"My takeaway is given his stature and strength, there's no reason for him to feel insecure. Boost his self-confidence." Muichiro suggested.
"I'll consider it after my student masters my second breathing technique. Thank you, Tokito-kun." She smiled warmly and led the mist hashira to the butterfly mansion's gates.
Yuki wasn't able to hear their conversation from afar, but once he had watched them leave the facility, he put away the swords then took off with a water gourd in his hand.
After what felt like an eternity accompanied by a serious beating from Muichiro, the dull eyed boy sighed in contentment to have met up with his head servant, Haruno-san. Before commencing his daily check-up, he spotted the butterfly triplets shuffling around the room.
"Kiyo, Sumi, Naho. What are you all doing here?!" Yuki exclaimed while trying to keep his voice soft.
"We're sorry, we were simply cleaning up the room." Kiyo squeaked
"We won't take long" Naho quipped
Laundry took much longer to finish since we have more people living here now." Sumi replied, followed with all the girls quivered their lips and gave him puppy eyes. He couldn't stay mad at them for long.
"It's fine, I just thought Shinobu cleaned this room since shes the only one taking care of my friend, Haruno-san.
She checks his vitals, and records any updates. But we take care of the cleaning." Sumi explained.
"I... I guess that makes sense." he acknowledged.
"Do you want us to leave, Tāke-kun?" The butterfly triplets
No, its fine. Um, do any of you want to speak with Haruno-san?" Yuki asked, the girls nodded in return. He waited for them to pull up some chairs. Once everyone had quiet down, he spoke: Good Afternoon, Haruno-san. Sorry for the hold up, but I have some friends that want to say to you. They've been keeping your room clean.
"Hi, Take-kun's friend." The triplets said in unison. Yuki couldn't help but chuckle over the way the girls referred to Kenji.
"Yeah, if you hadn't heard…they named me after a bamboo stick." He shook his head before continuing. "As silly as it sounds, I've gotten used to it coming from them. Today I fought against a hashira, one of the best swordsmen the demon slayer corps has to offer. He was short and way too young to be holding a sword if i'm being honest. It was however, a good reminder not to judge people based on appearance. Miss Shinobu and I fall victim to this. I just wanted stop by and inform you I will be learning Miss Shinobu's second breathing technique. I'm gonna grow strong and even bigger, just you wait." Yuki concluded with a warm smile.
With the daily updated fulfilled, the lanky student offers to help clean the room with the triplets since he kept them from their duties. Once they had finished, they decided to meet with Shinobu, Kanao, and Aoi for dinner. The second they closed the Haruno-san's door, Yuki bolted.
"Last one to the dining room is a rotten egg!" He shouts as he was well ahead of the girls. They soon followed suit.
"No fair!" Kiyo whined
"You didn't give us a heads up!" Sumi pouted
"Meanie!" Naho complained.
Several days later, a waterfall thunderous roar could be heard from a distance. Its torrent crashing down on the rocks with incredible power and speed. Undergoing this sort of training was common for those learning from the stone hashira, yet the only people within the forest were the insect hashira and her student. The dull eyed teen found himself squatting and chanting, occasionally glancing at Shinobu while enduring the pressure.
"This bit of training was inspired by Himejima-kun. Remain calm and continue your chant." Shinobu spoke with a low tone.
"Master…Its so cold…and slippery…losing…grip." Yuki yelled in order to get message across.
"Save your energy and do as I say." Shinobu said sternly.
"Nanuamidabutsu, Namuamidabutsu, Namuamidabutsu, Namuamidabutsu, Namuamidbutsu. NAMU AMIDA BUTSU!" He shouted frantically with his lungs then felt himself become weary. After 10 minutes in position, the former heir collapsed onto the water, exhausted from the intense session. The petite doctor retrieved him from the shallow currents and left him on the ground.
"Moshi, Moshi. Tired already, Subachi-kun?" the Insect hashira spoke calmly.
"Yeah, how did I do?" He looked up and asked softly.
"You could do better, but for your first time under the waterfall. You lasted longer than I thought." She smiled softly.
"Are we done with training for today?" Yuki responded in a hopeful tone. What he got instead was Shinobu staring at him wide eyed and a suppressed giggle.
"Ara, Ara. That was only the warm up. When you're ready, I'll show you the real training." Shinobu replied.
"Th-that was just a warm up?!" he screamed internally then stared with disbelief for the only muscles he could move was his chest in order to breath.
Once he had felt his muscles much more relaxed, he stood up to follow shinobu to the next destination. After following a path, the master and her student arrived at large river. The slim student looked down at the Insect hashira, waiting for her instructions.
"You must cross this river and back while carrying your teammates to safety. This is the second trial, Subachi-kun." The violet eyed teacher arched her neck upwards. Once Yuki sat on a rock to compose himself, Shinobu had then walked up to him.
"How about we start with you carrying me, just like at the mountains." She stated.
"Okay?" the former heir reluctantly agreed as he pick her up in his arms.
"You may proceed anytime" Shinobu responded. A whimper came out from him, but she had simply nudged him to move forward.
He took a deep breath and dips his feet in the river. The coolness of the water sent shivers to his spine, but he had to continue forward. Despite the bone chilling water covering his ankles, crossing the river was easy at first since his height enabled him to walk much later, delaying the inevitable. Once the water had reached the upper half of the body, he lost contact with the ground, requiring him to paddle onwards. He pulled shinobu closer to his chest, tightening his grip to keep her secure and dry. However, by the time he made it halfway across the river, he panicked for he felt his body began giving out. His body tensed up because despite his efforts, the rivers current was much stronger for him to handle and was unable to advance further. He lifted his arms up to keep Shinobu from becoming damper than she already was.
"Miss Shinobu. I can't go on anymore." He gasped for air due to constantly gargling water out from his mouth.
She broke free from his hold and leaped to the nearest boulder, where she signaled the kakushi to her aid in order to pull Yuki out of the water. They dived in to pull the former heir up the surface to return to the starting point. Once the lavender eyed doctor observed their safety and saw Yuki regained consciousness, she leaped across the river to regroup. The Insect Hashira treaded carefully as she approached her student closer by crouching to his level.
"What happened back there?" Her tone filled with disappointment as she looked down at him for once.
"The water was so cold. And, I underestimated how fast and deep it would be." Yuki whimpered while shivering simultaneously.
"Precisely. Your lackluster performance has me question whether you are taking your training seriously or not. I would think swimming would be easy since you lived by the coast, did you not?" She addressed with a firm tone.
"Yes, but I was not allowed to stray too far from my sessions with my mother or her tutors."
"I see. A noble who can't speak his native language, can't stand up for himself, doesn't know how to swim properly, and gets spooked easily. Ara Ara, it seems I've been dealt a bad hand, wouldn't you say?" Shinobu teased.
"Damare." Yuki growls.
"Excuse me?" Shinobu gasped
DAMARE! You think you're the first person to be disappointed in me?! Everyone back home gave me that same pitiful look. People think a big boy like me should be tough and confident but I'm not. It hurts most when my mom was disappointed because no matter what I'd do, it was never enough. I thought you were different, Miss Shinobu. I was wrong, you're no different than her!" The former heir's body trembled.
The insect hashira was appalled by her student's outburst and stared at him as she sees the kakushi guided him and themselves back to the butterfly mansion. In the six months of looking after the boy, this was the first time he had talked back to her. She leisurely walked back home, assessing today's events in thought.
I know my teasing isn't well received by everyone, but that couldn't have been the cause of his emotional breakdown, could it? We need to discuss this matter by the end of the day.
Since her return to the butterfly mansion, she hadn't seen her student the rest of the day, which was for the best. The insect pillar regrouped with the butterfly girls who were eating merrily at a table. She decides to push her concern at the back of her mind.
"Hello Kanao, Aoi, Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho. I hope you all have had a good day." Shinobu expressed joyfully.
"It's been good, we helped Aoi-chan bake chocolate chip cookies for everyone here. Everyone loved them." The triplets cheered enthusiastically.
"I personally wanted mochi, but the majority of people asked for cookies. Glad everyone got to try a piece. I have some for you and Subachi-kun. Speaking of which, when I saw him, he looked distressed. Did something happen?" Aoi's asked softly, her voice filled with concern. Shinobu felt her face falter briefly, only to pick it up immediately to mask her worry.
"Everything is fine. He's just exhausted from his training." She replied without missing a beat.
"As long as you're okay, all is good. Will you be able to train me today, Shinobu-sama?" Kanao asked.
"Of course, Kanao. I'll check in with your training after I meet with all the patients here. That reminds me, I have a mission to partake tonight. So please take care of yourselves and keep this estate tidy and secure while I am out. You all are doing a great job and I couldn't be prouder of you all." Shinobu happily responded.
By sunset, the lavender-haired doctor had finished checking on every patient within the butterfly mansion. She had no doubt her girls followed protocol on how to tend and look after patients in her absence. Yet, she was more than content on double checking because she could pick up more subtle symptoms from her patients. In addition, she enjoyed conversing with patients who were in need of support. Her sister had performed the same tasks before her effortlessly. She wondered if her sister would be proud of her for keeping the butterfly mansion in one piece. Shinobu had all but prepared herself for her upcoming mission, but felt a pang of pain. She knew the cause of it and decided to rush towards the shed.
Meanwhile, Yuki sat at the edge of his bed and held a pillow tightly against his chest. He replayed his tantrum towards his teacher over and over. He was filled with shame and remorse because he wasn't entirely upset with Shinobu, he simply wanted to express his frustration over the pressure he had been feeling with their training. Yuki felt ashamed over comparing his favorite person to his mother. It was then he was reminded of an incident long ago:
"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to cause a scene. I just wanted to leave the room since you and papa were discussing business deals. They're boring." He begged desperately. She was having none of it and threw a vase near her son up who had curled into a corner.
"DAMARE! It doesn't matter if they're boring or not. Participating in these meetings is your responsibility as heir to the family name and fortune. We have an image to uphold here. The future doesn't wait for anyone. Get it through that thick skull of yours, you pathetic excuse of a son." She laced every word with venom, followed up with glaring down at Yuki. Her eyes pierced into his soul. She left the room to call for the servants to clean the mess she had caused. The dull eyed boy trembled and sobbed quietly despite his efforts to suppress his tears.
I was only nine when that happened. I didn't mean to lose myself like that. Now she'll hate me" The dull eyed boy thought to himself. He'd been in distress since he returned to his room thanks to the kakushi. Since his self isolation, he wrote on his notecards to articulate his wording the next time he saw his teacher. The sound of a soft knock brought him back to reality.
"Yes?" he asked softly, rubbing his eyes and taking deep breathes before opening the door.
"Konbanwa. May I come in?" Shinobu looked up and asked.
"Y-Yes of course." He leads her inside then lit several candles to illuminate some light. He sits on his knees and leaned over to see meet her at eye level.
"Did you see the moon tonight. It was particularly beautiful this time around." Shinobu remarked smoothly as her voice allowed her.
"I did, full moons are the best." He chuckled awkwardly.
"I've informed the others this, but I will be going on a mission tonight. I wanted to check up on you before I took off." She bowed politely. As Shinobu was ready to leave, he called for her attention.
"I…I didn't mean to yell at you today. I was feeling overwhelmed from all the training and responsibilities here since we've gotten more people to take care of. I'm not a big fan on change, but I know it happens sporadically. I'm sorry for comparing you to my mother and for snapping at you. You don't deserve that after all you've been doing for me. Please don't hate me, Kocho-sama." Yuki's voice cracked as his tears fell rapidly, Shinobu heart panged at the sound of her student crying. She turned around to hold him tightly, rubbing his back soothingly.
"Oh Yuki-kun. I could never hate you. I admit your outburst was unexpected, but after hearing your side, I think I understand why you were frustrated. You were expected to meet the standards of your mom and community, am I right?" The Wisteria doctor asked cautiously, in which her student nodded.
"Yeah, I was destined to become a leader and lead everyone to a bright future. So my papa says." The lanky student confessed.
"You struggled to meet those expectations, didn't you?" She gazed upwards.
"Yes, I'm nothing like they wanted me to be. I'm weak, sensitive, and only make things worse. Since my mom is the head of the household, it pained me she never praised me in any way. Your words on not doing enough reminded me of my mother" He sobbed.
"Shh, don't cry. I know I'm asking you a lot. I want you to know I'm so proud of you for giving it your all. I'm sorry if my words hurt you, It was never my intention. I too have been under a lot of stress. Between looking after everyone here, tending to more patients, upholding my duties as a doctor and hashira, and training my students separately. It takes a lot out of anyone." She sighed and wiped his tears with her fingers.
"I bet. If it makes you feel better, you're doing a great job teaching me to become a demon slayer. I only ask for your forgiveness." Yuki pleaded.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Although you could obey my orders the same way Kanao does, I am thankful you at least give me feedback. Your words hold more power than you realize, Yuki-kun. Now, I need to get going. Remember, you must finish this training, but go at your pace. Excessive stress isn't a good look on either of us" She teased in an effort to lighten the mood.
"I'll remember that, thank you. Please come back safely. I don't want to lose you, Miss Shinobu." He begged.
"I only ask is for you to have faith in me. I may be petite, but I'm a hashira for a reason. See you in the morning." She kissed his forehead and exited the room to face whatever demon awaited her.
Her student was flustered over her gestured, but was more so relieved he had earned her forgiveness. He tucked himself to bed and closed his eyes, his body no longer filled with anxiety but replaced with inner peace.
It was now mid-July and a pocket watch read 12:30 pm. The lanky student had been swimming back and forth this very river for over a month alongside his warmup under the waterfall. Today's water level was higher than normal.
"Subachi-kun. Are you sure you're ready?" Shinobu asked.
"Yes, Kocho-sama, let's do this." Yuki reaffirmed. Crouching to her level first, he looked her in the eye and gives a soft smile as he picked her up bridal style and proceeded to walk inside the water. The current pushed the dull eyed boy towards a large boulder. Instead of being afraid, he used the rock to his advantage and pushed himself as far as he could. From there, he kept his teacher close to him with one arm and kicked with his legs along with relying on his left arm, the weaker arm, to pull his body forward with strokes. At long last, he finally crossed the river, carrying someone to safety.
"Good job, Take-kun. Now, carry me back to safety, my little bumblebee." She giggles while maintaining her hold around his neck.
"Not…falling for that this time" He puffed his cheeks for a moment. "In fact, I'll take this a step further. Kakushi!" He announced, no sooner than he did, they had arrived.
"Yes, Subachi-kun?" Goto asked.
I'd like you and your friend to grab onto my back." Yuki declared. Everyone was taken aback.
"Tāke-kun, are you sure you can handle this much weight?" Shinobu gave a concerned expression.
"You said to believe in myself. So I'm taking your advice." The dark haired teen said softly. She nodded and glanced at the kakushi before looking up at her student.
"Remember, if you aren't able to cross over, help is here." The Wisteria doctor assured him.
The former heir walked inside the river until the water reaches his upper body, signaling the kakushi to grab hold of him. He groaned after feeling his body sink further into the water.
Everybody, hang on!" Yuki said with determination and used a nearby rock to kickstart his journey back. This time, using his right hand, the dominant one, to pull himself forward while keeping Shinobu and the kakushi from drifting away. His legs weren't fully rested prior to reentering the water, but pushed forward through sheer strength and willpower. He felt his legs cramp by the time he made it halfway, yet he had full faith in himself to complete this trial no matter the cost. In his mind, he wanted to meet the expectations of the people he had come around to trust. With a few more strides, the former heir finally crossed the river one last time. He crouched to lower the kakushi and let go of his teacher.
"As much as I should scold your recklessness, I am proud you didn't let this river nor our disagreement deter you from completing the second trial. You are now ready to learn the second Insect breathing technique." The Insect hashira decreed with pride.
"Yay! Um, could someone carry me back? I don't think I can feel my legs anymore." Yuki confessed.
Shinobu decided to return the favor and picked him up in her arms. Before he could protest, she placed her finger on his lips.
"I insist. Trust me, you're really not that heavy." She stated as she led everyone back to the butterfly mansion.
The next day, Shinobu had led her dull eyed student to the dojo once more. She steps away from him to set up a training dummy in front of them.
"Now, this technique is fairly simple. All it requires is the user to charge towards your enemy with incredible speed. Watch and learn, Tāke-kun." The Inset pillar distances herself halfway across the dojo to perform her demonstration. She draws her sword and prepares to strike.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting- True Flutter" She said calmly. In the blink of an eye, Yuki spotted his teacher closing the gap and impaled her target without lifting her feet.
"Whoa! You were so fast, I couldn't even see you. Could you do it again?" The lanky student eyes sparkled with amazement.
"Of course" The Wisteria doctor nodded and walked to the middle of the dojo once again. This time, she had mentally told herself to hinder her movements to be witnessed at a speed the human eye could keep track of. She charges ahead toward her target, aiming to stab the dummy's head instead of the chest.
"Was that better, my dear student?" Shinobu smirked.
Yuki nodded, yet couldn't wrap his head around how swift and precise his teacher's attacks were. He admired how her attacks displayed both strength and grace.
"You're so cool." He cheered.
"I advise you to run from one end of the dojo, touch the floor with your hands, run back then repeat. I have some business matters to attend to, once Im finished, I'll come by to call you for lunch. Afterwards, take the rest of the day off. See you soon, Tāke-kun." She waved then walks towards the butterfly mansion.
Yuki waved back and then does some quick stretches, his legs in particular, before his exercise. When he was ready, he lunged forwards as fast as his legs could carry him. Although he was able to reach the end of the dojo with ease, the lanky student was unable to hold his grip onto the floor. Resulting with him running straight towards the wall.
"Ow, stupid wall." He said aloud while pulling himself away. Once he cleaned himself up, the former heir continued his exercise, at a steadier pace until dinner was ready.
Two weeks have passed and it was now the start of August. Yuki had accompanied the Insect pillar to a small village, unlike their last destination, the area only had a handful of people awake at night. Shinobu had finished conversing with the village leader over a series of demons rampaging their homes. She nudged her student to follow her as they prepared a plan to annihilate the demons.
Yuki followed up on top of a roof where they surveyed the area. Close to an hour later, he squinted his eyes and noticed several figures heading their way. He called Shinobu softly to verify the figures as humans or demons. Once the moonlight shined above the mysterious duo, The insect hashira confirmed the newcomers weren't human.
"Once I get their attention, I'll strike one and you get the other. Got it?" She spoke, seeking his affirmation. He nodded in response.
The demons were but a pair of ghoulish looking humans who teamed up for the sole purpose of collecting as many bodies at once. Shinobu had leaped from the roof to the top of the village gates.
"Moshi Moshi. Where are you two running heading at this hour?"
"We need human flesh." One demon said, both were salivating over eating the Insect hashira.
"I see neither of you two want to admit the error of your ways. Very well. Allow me to aid you to the afterlife." The wisteria doctor leaped onto the ground and drew her sword, setting her sights at the demon at the right.
"Insect breathing: Dance of the bee sting- True flutter" She spoke aloud. She charged towards her target with great speed and pierced her sword in its eye. The first demon screeched in agony and slowly shriveled before collapsing onto the ground.
"What did you do to my partner?" the second demon demanded as he steps back.
"Pardon me. Normally I'd take you both out instantly, but you'll serve as practice for my student." Shinobu giggles.
"Insect breathing: second form. Bee Dance: True Flutter!" Yuki shouted for all to hear. He leaps off the roof and sprinted the second he touched the floor. He thrusted his first sword at the demons stomach and aimed for the heart with the other. In his mind, he felt he was floating in the air, as light as a bee.
"What's wrong? Too much of a wimp to slice my head off?" it taunted at the former heir. Yuki returned a glare for he had let the wisteria poison do it trick.
"You…bastard"" The second demon shrieked, followed with falling face flat onto the earth, never to harm another human.
You see that? I was able to replicate your breathing style just now." The lanky student cheered.
"I saw that. You've done a wonderful job mastering my second technique. Just, aim for the eyes or the neck next time." Shinobu advised.
"Did I not do that?" Yuki tilts his head sideways
"Not on your first move. But you did well to finish it by stabbing the heart, my little bumblebee." Shinobu teased her student.
"I'm not a tiny honeybee. I'm a giant hornet." He whined.
"You say that, yet none have surpassed neither the sound or stone hashira's height. You have a long way to go." She chuckles.
The dull eye boy huffed then folded his arms as he waited for shinobu to update the mission to the village leader and her Kasugai crow. After the crow flew to its destination, The Wisteria doctor exits the village first in which the former heir followed alongside, satisfied with completing their mission and mastering half of his teacher's fighting prowess.
Welcome to taisho era secrets. Today's guest is the Mist Hashira himself, Muichiro Tokito. Yuki said proudly.
"Oh hey, Hachi-kun. Why am i here again?" The mist hashira questioned the dull-eyed boy.
"Um, I asked if you could spare a moment to share your thoughts on, anything really." the lanky student replied nervously.
"In that case, here's my Taisho era secret: I think Suzeme-kun is like a fly. He's harmless yet loud and tries too hard to be the center of attention. It annoys me. Now, how do i get out here?" Muichiro relied in an aloof tone.
That was rude. But um, next time on chapter 12: I'm tasked to help a Gyomei Himejima, the stone hashira. And, I can finally spent quality time with Shinobu. Yay! Still, I wish the mist hashira would get my name right. Wait, you're going the wrong way!" He sighed.
Wanderingtree here.
It's been an interesting month. My car broke down recently, so I have had to walk to work. But, I will be meeting with someone today and tomorrow. I was also able to finish this chapter much sooner compared to the last one. I'm finally drawing again, so that makes me happy. It was a little hard to get back to since I went camping. Procrastination is the worst. Do what you gotta do to stay motivated.
In terms of this story I got some updates to share. Now that Yuki has learned two of Shinobu's insect breathing, this timeskip arc is about halfway done. You all know how I've stated this was going to be a long arc, but we are inching closer to the final selection arc. In fact, besides the summer episode next chapter, all we need to finish this arc are Obanai's and Mitsuri's inclusion as hashira's. My goal is to conclude the timeskip this October for the one year anniversary, at most beginning of 2025.
Another thing I want to discuss is a review left in this story. First off, thank you for being the second person to do so. With that said, I want to make something absolutely clear: THE MC (YUKI) WILL NEVER BECOME A DEMON!
It doesn't make sense since a demon was the reason my OC lost everything to one. The point of the dream in chapter one was not about foreshadowing him in becoming a demon. It was his paranoia and imagination running wild since he had never traveled alone prior. In fact, It's a question all the demons ask my OC: Why doesn't he become one of them?
To wrap things up, I want to thank everyone who read my story this month. It's the first time I can think of where a story of mine had close to a 1000 views. Speaking of miles stones, As of this upload, The Red Hornet has surpassed my Gigantic story in every way possible. Including this story now hitting 50k words (Not including the after notes or intros). While we're on the topic, I've been rereading Towfu San's story, And so, the current flows, what caught my interest was they stated their OC and Shinobu got together within the 50k mark. Meanwhile, my OC has only just mastered the second insect technique. Yuki needs to step up his game to avoid being friend zoned. Also, please check out their story. Its really good. I've also been reading a bit of 'Amare Flos' by YourTearsAreMyFuel. Can't say my progress is great because its so long, but its interesting to say the least.
Before I forget, the time this site went down scared me. I have all my work saved on word but what send chills to my spine was that I never saved the edited version, the ones I upload here. So, yeah, the moment this site got back up, I immediately backed them up. All in all, I need to find a second home for my stories. In general, I'd like to broaden my work.
I actually had wasabi just for this chapter. Yuki may have hated it, but honestly, I didn't mind a sample of it. And, I got a new car. It's preowned but any car was better than my old one. Gotta count my blessings.
Thank you all for reading my ramble and I'll see you next time.
Edit: Thank you to everyone who helped this story reach 1,000 views. Even if I might not reach this number again, I'm so happy so many people took time to read my story. It means the world to me.