Chapter 5: Shadows of the Past
"How do you do it??"Asked.
"What do you mean??"Answered confused.
"You know!!"exclaimed excited"That ability to create fire from your Nichirin!! If I didn't see you right now, I would think you were an infiltrated demon."joked with a smile"Although it is very useful, you don't even need to cut off a demon's head to kill it, you just have to hit its vital points and it will die like a normal person."
Yoriichi could only frown thoughtfully at his friend Enjiuro Rengoku's question while observing the beautiful scenery of the flame estate. To be honest, the Hanafuda earring hunter only put into practice what he had learned in his training and the memories he had watching Michikatsu's practices to be a Samurai.
"Well, it's not very complicated, you have to expand your lungs to take in as much air as possible, accelerating blood flow and heartbeats while increasing your body's internal temperature, resulting in your bones and muscles becoming stronger, then you just adjust that energy to your combat style."
"Huh… what??"asked confused.
"Sorry if you didn't understand me, I mean that you concentrate your breathing and focus the energy of your body on specific points to improve your fighting style, be it on your arms to attack with greater force, your head to increase your reflexes or your legs to run faster."
"aaahhhh" Enjiuro replied understandingly.
"….."
"….."
"….."
"….."
"you didn't understand anything, right??" He said with a poker face at the obvious look of confusion in the eyes of the blonde with reddish locks.
"nope jajajajaj sorry but I can only understand with training." He replied somewhat embarrassed
Yoriichi could only smile at Rengoku's jokes.Rengoku was one of the best people I had ever had the luck to meet, especially at his lowest point."Don't worry, I can gladly help you with that if you want"
"I would love that, my good friend, I would love that…." said with a quality smile of gratitude.
Both swordsmen then decided to enjoy the calm while they didn't have missions, enjoying each other's company. These were the moments that made him forget the evils and misfortunes of the world, allowing his mind, body and soul to find the peace he so desired, allowing him to feel less the weight of mourning for his deceased wife. Yoriichi treasured these moments with all his being and thanked the kamis who allowed him to have these small moments of rest in his tormented life. The minutes passed quietly, without any need to exchange any words, but the hashira of the flame had a question that made him restless.
"By the way, what is blood flow?" asked a confused Rengoku,causing a drop of sweat in his companion.
The loud sounds of blows and impacts constantly echoed in the quiet forest where the Kamado family resided. Tanjirou watched attentively as his 2 brothers practiced the art of the sword, while the eldest guided and corrected any posture with the help of his Nichirin and the transparent world.
A year had passed since his trip, things were, to say the least, difficult at first. His mother constantly watched him and prevented him from even leaving the house, while she dedicated herself to selling charcoal, something that did not work due to her age and the effort of extracting and selling the raw material. With no other choice, she decided to leave that task to Tanjirou, but he would have Nezuko's surveillance. Speaking of sisters,the kid barely separated from him; She always had her hand holding on to the redhead's arm when she was working or at home, even going into the bathroom with him or sleeping in the same bed, although she didn't care, due to the constant fear reflected in the brunette's eyes and the redhead's guilt, her mother forced her to give some space to the older brother. She refused, which caused constant fights between mother and daughter, luckily that attitude calmed down and returned to being the same as always.
Hanako was upset for a while, not speaking to him at all, but with the help of Nezuko, and an indecent amount of candy that left Tanjirou penniless, she put her temper aside and went back to playing with him.Rokota was a baby, so Tanjirou's presence was enough to calm him down.
Takeo and Shigeru were something else entirely.
They were angry was an understatement. Tanjirou constantly sensed an aura of pain, anger, and sadness when he was around, and the arguments between him and the two brothers were constant, no matter how much the elder kamado did everything to avoid any conflict.
"Definitely, I can see some Michikatsu in both of them."he reflect amused as he remember his older brother's constant anger when he easily defeated him in his training as a demon slayer.
Then one day, he offered them both a deal: put their resentment aside in exchange for combat training. Obviously the idea worked perfectly, seeing Shigeru's shocked expressions and Takeo's happiness. Plus, this could also help them defend the family when Tanjirou was working. The first few months he focused on physical strengthening, making the two young men train tirelessly with him, then he explained to them the technique of total concentration breathing and imposed strict training done by Tanjirou while he watched the surroundings of the village, looking for any demon.
Obviously Kie did not know about this.Tanjirou still remembers with a shiver the anger she had when he went after his Nichirin. If by chance he found out that he is training his 2 brothers to kill, regardless of whether it is only to defend themselves, he could not imagine what would become of him. Probably anger would be so dangerou, that it would make even Muzan Kibutsuji himself cry.
Surprisingly, he has never detected any trace of demons or demon slayers in the area. He did not know the reason but he hoped one day to find some hashira or even a crow that could take him to Ubuyashiki. He still regretted not having left a letter or address to the pillar of flowers so that they could find him, but the concern for his family did not make him think correctly.
In any case, things were moving quietly until today. The ex Sun Pillar continued his own physical training while practicing the Hinokami Kagura and his two brothers slowly advanced in their training, although he had to admit that a clear affinity to the art of the sword can be seen.
"That's all my dear older brother can do? "Shingeru focused his style on agility to dodge blows, waiting for the right moment to deliver a critical hit.It reminded him a lot of the way the ancient Hashiras of water and wind fought. Emphasizing stealth, speed and agility instead of brute force.
"Shut up and fight you coward!!!"Takeo, being more temperamental, used force to carry out powerful attacks, but with great precision and strategy that contradicted his more volatile mood.
"What's wrong?? Does the blow I gave you yesterday still hurt you?? "The younger brother asked mockingly while continuing to easily avoid any attack.
Takeo could only snort with mockery as he continued his constant thrusts "Do you want me to remind you that I kicked your ass all week ??"
"Ah, such painful words Takeo ..." he exclaimed with a false sadness "You make my heart break with your painful words"
Takeo ignored his younger brother's monologue and continued his offensive, managing to corner him against a tree, which prevented him from escaping. Shingeru could do nothing but try to nullify Takeo's brutal strength while searching for the way to escape. Luckily for him, an opening on the left side allowed him to escape, at the cost of receiving a couple of blows to his abdomen and back.
"HAHAHAHA!!! Now it's my turn to counterattack!!"
"NO, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!!"both brothers accumulated all their strength in this last blow, which made both sticks collide in a dead point.
"How is this possible??!!"Tanjirou, for his part, opened his eyes in shock when he saw the scene that was formed by the clash of the wooden swords.
Both swords were wrapped in characteristic crimson flames that only roared with force while their owners focused on defeating the other one.
The fight would have continued if it weren't for a precise slash by Tanjirou that destroyed both wooden swords, while the Nichirin quickly absorbed the solar flames. Both Takeo and Shigeru watched exhausted but impressed as the older brother undid the flames with a simple movement while he put the old sword away in its sheath.
"They definitely have an affinity for solar breathing, this can be very helpful in protecting Oka-san and the others."
"T-That was awesome!!"Takeo exclaimed in surprise as I tried to regain energy.
"Yes!! I didn't know we could do that, did you see it Nii-san? Tell me you saw it!!"asked also exhausted but excited
Both young men continued talking excitedly about what happened while Tanjirou watched them with a soft smile, perhaps they still had a long way to go in learning total concentration breathing, but after that, he had no doubt that they would have an enormous talent in learning breathing styles.
"Yes, I saw it. You really did a good job today, I hope this motivates you to improve and train hard to become great swordsmen. Now, we must return home. I have some charcoal orders to deliver."
Both kids nodded and headed home together, theorizing about how they had been able to create fire with their swords. Tanjiro simply made sure they made it inside and set about picking up the basket of charcoal.The holidays were approaching and he had planned to save as much money as possible to organize a huge banquet that would leave his mother and all his siblings satisfied, but to do so he needed to work as hard as possible.
"Oka-san!!! I'm leaving!!"
The mother quickly left the kitchen to deliver a small basket of food to her son. "Remember to avoid the path in the hills, with the recent snow, there is a high risk of falling"said while wiping away the remains of dirt that was on his son's face. "Please, don't overexert yourself, okay?"
Tanjirou just shook his head at the request while smiling. "I'm sorry, but as the man of the house, my duty is your well-being, especially today. Even if it's not much, I want to sell as much coal as I can so that we can have a nice New Year's party."
Kie could only sigh at his son's stubbornness. "At least make sure you come back soon, please.Heavy snowfall is possible today."
Tanjirou just nodded trying to calm his mother's spirits. "Don't worry, I'll be back at the usual time."
With everything ready, Tanjirou began his way to the village, while his mother watched as her son retreated into the forest to work.Along the way Tanjirou found Nezuko and a sleeping Rokuta, so he decided to accompany them back home before returning to work.
"You don't have to do it Nii-san" insisted an amused Nezuko
"I insist, I can't let a beautiful woman walk around unprotected in the middle of the forest with an innocent child" joked the redhead while bowing deeply, making the brunette laugh.
"Well, but at least make sure you come back before the storm starts, it's more important to be together every day than a pile of coins" she said with a laugh at her brother's antics
"So, did you also hear about the snowfall?" he asked curiously.
Nezuko just nodded in response "Yes, the air feels humid but also cold, so a heavy snowfall is very likely."
Once they reached the entrance of the house, the swordsman said goodbye to his companion to go straight down to the village, but a tug on his haori stopped the momentum he was generating.
"Tanjirou"she said quietly.
"Yes, Nezuko?" he asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter about the money, just come back with us, come back with me please" she continued in a low voice.
Sensing the girl's sadness, he quickly enveloped her in his characteristic warm hug. "No matter what happens, I'll come back, I always do."
With all that said, he set off at full speed towards the hill to quickly reach the village.Once in the village, the redhead was in charge of delivering coal rations to the villagers and helping with any problems, despite his youth, people often came to Tanjirou in search of his wisdom, so he was very loved in the village and they helped him by offering extra money or food for his family. Once the sunset was approaching, the Kamado headed for the exit to meet his family.
"Kamado-san!!"
Tanjirou turned his head to look in the direction of a man with long hair, wrapped in a ponytail like his, followed by an old man, quite aged, who could barely stand upright or lift without his cane." Good afternoon Kazashi-san, can I help you with something??"
"I need a very important favor, this man is my older brother urgently needs you to get to the hospital in the next village, because his son is about to die and he wants to say goodbye to him before, well, the sad end that awaits him."
Tanjirou's usual smile disappeared upon hearing the request, getting there would take him an hour at most, much less if he used lightning breathing. But the frail old man would need all night to get there and a demon could attack him, as well as it could attack his family, just like it happened with...
"No..."
"Why can't you go? I'm sure an adult is better able to defend himself from the constant dangers of the night."asked as calmly as possible, although a slight anxiety was beginning to grow inside.
"Sorry but I have a newborn granddaughter to take care of, my son works far from here and his wife died in childbirth."He replied quite sadly while bowing several times.
"I see..." Despite the stoic and thoughtful expression that the redhead had, his heart does not stop beating strongly and with fear. It was the same event that separated him from his wife that day, it was the reason he was not there, then it happened ...
"No, please tell me that this will not happen again, I can not lose them, I can not lose someone I care about again"
"Please" the weak and pleading voice of the old man interrupted the thoughts of the young man, who turned to look at him directly "nobody wants to help me, it is already painful to have to bury a son, I need to at least hear his words one last time, I beg you"
The pain of the loss of a son hit him more than he could have imagined, he can understand the pain of burying a son, which he could not even hear his sweet cry, and the cause of that...was a series of unfortunate events that were repeating themselves in front of him.
"It doesn't matter about the money, just come back with us, come back with me please"
And unfortunately, it seemed that he could do nothing but watch helplessly.
"O-okay"
The old man could only smile through tears as he rolled up constantly thanking his act of generosity, but Tanjirou was barely paying attention to that. As soon as he said those words, a huge feeling of panic and regret built up in his heart, he wished he could have had the will to refuse, he wished he could have left earlier to be with his family, he wished someone from the village could have helped the poor old man, he wished for so many things and he had no choice but to accept his situation, wishing greatly that the bad feeling he had was only a product of his paranoia.
The journey was quite exasperating for Tanjirou, first he tried to find a cargo cart but the road only allowed him to go on foot, then he tried to carry the old man, but his fragile bones prevented him from holding on to Tanjirou's body well. Luckily, a street stall sold baskets and he was able to use one to carry the old man, who, confused,simply went inside, shortening the journey to the late hours of the morning.
Once there, the man continued expressing his enormous gratitude, while Tanjirou just nodded as he returned as quickly as he could to his home"Kaminari no kokyou: Hekireki Issen" Tanjirou's heart did not stop beating violently, he almost had the feeling of receiving a cardiac arrest, but the panic and anxiety were stronger, he had a horrible feeling that his family was in danger, perhaps it was only the effect of the trauma of his past, but he did not want to risk more than he has done, because of having a spirit too noble.
He had already crossed his hometown, the villagers only watched in disbelief as remnants of dust, wind and some boxes on the street were violently shaken while yellow flashes and electrical particles accumulated in the air, causing several discussions between the neighbors, accusing each other as those responsible for this disaster.
"I'm almost there"he murmured as I continue running with the same energy I would have had when I just woke up.He was finally close to home, he did not detect any demon smell in the area, so a feeling of tranquility and relief took hold of the swordsman, but the peace only lasted a few seconds before he perceived a smell that made him stop.
It was a smell full of evil and chaos, devoid of any kind of goodness. It was unpleasant and made Tanjirou's heart beat erratically as he continued his slow pace while several horrible scenarios ran through his head.
"No, no, no, no, please tell me it's not true."
Tanjirou's body could barely move now, he felt all the energy and relief from before being extracted from his body, tears began to form in his crimson eyes, while he prayed and begged for the sad fate from which he could not escape. Thousands of memories of his family flashed through his mind, the sweet smiles of his mothers that he received when he went to work, the constant praise from Takeo after his training, the teasing and joking from Shigeru, the soft chants of Nezuko, the beautiful laughter of Hanako and the funny gestures of Rokuta. All the happy memories of his family only tortured Tanjirou's despair more as he instinctively walked towards his house.
"It doesn't matter about the money, just come back with us, come back with me please"
Nezuko's last words echoed deep within her soul as she stared in shock at the dismembered bodies of her entire family scattered in the snow just like years ago with his deceased wife.
A/N:To tell the truth I was tempted to leave the kamado family alive, but it would have been too unbalanced for the demons. 3 users of the sun breathing, one of which is the reincarnation of the being that traumatized Muzan, a renegade demon with the power of an upper moon and 2 children with a possible affinity to the original breathing, uff a whole family of suns. Kokushivo would have let himself be burned by the son before being humiliated by a group of children and would undoubtedly be the demon king's worst nightmare. I hope you like this idea of telling anecdotes about Yoriichi's life in the form of flashbacks, there is very little canon information about him and there is also no one who has written anything about his life, so this came up with to complement the story. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, it obviously follows the canon, the next part is a battle against a Hashira, which will not be easy for both of them, so I leave it to your imagination who it could be (Maybe Tomioka is not available this time or maybe he is).
Thanks for reading :)