Chapter Text
About two days post their bonding session, a Hashira meeting was held. All the Hashiras were waiting in the grounds for Oyakata-Sama. Sanemi was talking to Obanai, Mitsuri and Shinobu were talking about something, Rengoku and Tengen Uzui were being too loud, the remaining three Hashira stood in absolute silence. One of them was crying for the mental peace of others, while the other two did not have a single emotion on their face.
Suddenly, Muichiro walked over to Giyuu and patted him on the shoulder. Giyuu looked down.
“Come with me”
Giyuu nodded. No questions asked. Muichiro led Giyuu towards Himejima and then patted twice on Gyomei’s stomach. He would have chosen a different location but that was the highest Muichiro could reach comfortably. Gyomei turned his head downwards towards Muichiro.
“Yes Tokito?”
“Just be like this for some time”
“Okay”
No questions asked again. Muichiro turned over to Giyuu.
“I am going to teach you something today.”
“okay?”
“Himejima san is strong like a bear. You can kick him, punch him, tickle him and he even won’t move an inch... see”
Muichiro moved forward and kicked Gyomei in the shin. Gyomei didn’t even flinch at that. Then Muichiro punched him in the stomach, again nothing. Then finally Muichiro started tickling Gyomei, he immediately started crying. Spoiler, It wasn’t from laughter, It was from sincerity. Sincerity towards the child’s soul.
Everyone was looking at the scene; Sanemi was smashing his head on a tree bark, Obanai was looking at it with his eyebrows raised. Shinobu was whispering something about “these three finally starting a cult” in Mitsuri’s ear which made her gasp. Rengoku was standing with his arms crossed as if this is perfectly acceptable behavior. Tengen Uzui was muttering “Flamboyantly flashy” with a grin on his face.
"Now it's your turn to try." Muichiro looked at Giyuu with a smile and shifted aside, giving him space to stand in front of Gyomei. Gyomei ruffled Muichiro’s hair with a smile. Muichiro chuckled.
Giyuu looked at Himejima for a moment. Gyomei looked down at Giyuu. Not that he could actually look, but he definitely could sense the energy, probably.
Giyuu then, without another word, kicked Gyomei, nothing happened. He punched Gyomei, again nothing. Finally he tickled Gyomei… nothing. Giyuu then slowly nodded.
“He really is like a bear”
Muichiro nodded proudly.
“I will show you one more thing.” Muichiro raised his hands up making grabby hands towards Gyomei.
“Gyomei... up”
Gyomei picked Muichiro up and placed him on his shoulder....
Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance, “thunk.” Sanemi probably would have gotten another scar by now.
Muichiro stared up at the clouds and smiled proudly.
“See the clouds are closer.”
Giyuu nodded with a smile.
“Yeah mui-…chiro”
Everyone snapped their head towards Giyuu. Did he just, almost, call Tokito..... The chaos was interrupted by a loud voice.
“AN EXCELLENT WAY TO TRAIN TOKITO... YOU REALLY ARE A BRIGHT COMRADE”
Muichiro smiled at Rengoku. Then he looked back towards Giyuu.
“See I am taller than you Giyuu.”
Tengen choked on air. Mitsuri and Shinobu were attempting CPR on Obanai. Sanemi was shouting somewhere in the distance
“Master please come faster, please… before god picks me up”
Muichiro and Giyuu were unbothered. The weather was nice that day, neither too chilly nor too warm. Then Master Kagaya finally entered the room and everyone settled down after bowing. Though Muichiro did whine a bit on being put down like this because the Stone Hashira’s shoulder was really comfortable. The meeting was going on pretty normally for once. Everyone was silent as master spoke and they discussed upcoming missions. Then about halfway through the meeting, Oyakata-Sama looked towards Giyuu.
“Giyuu, my child, did you get those reports about your previous mission?”
“Yes master… uh mu-Tokito did you complete those reports?”
Muichiro nodded adamantly as he lifted his shirt and took some papers out. They were tucked in his belt. Giyuu took the reports and just as he was about to get started upon the briefing, he flipped the first page. There was a drawing of an octopus with legs, his breath hitched before he turned to the next page. Exactly 5 points were written down in a handwriting that was almost illegible.
- The weird tea (a tiny drawing that is difficult to understand)
- World's largest sleeve problem
- Salmon Daikon
- octopus demon who needs emotional support
like giyuu Futon leakageAdoption of Kiri
It was tough to understand what was written. But after reading this, Giyuu totally froze for a moment. Muichiro brought his sleeve to his mouth and sucked it with a grimace for emotional support.
"Oi Tomioka, you gonna take the entire day or what?" Sanemi snapped.
Giyuu slowly looked up.
"The report has been compromised."
Giyuu slowly handed over the report to Master Kagaya's daughters who read it and then whispered something into master's ears.
"Very well.. Giyuu please rewrite this report and we can continue with the report briefing in the next meeting."
"Sure Master... Thank you. And I am sorry I should have thought about this earlier."
"A mere situation of lack of judgement.. its alright. Lets get back to more important matters"
Master's daughter put the report down for Giyuu to pick it up. But before Giyuu could pick it up, Sanemi snatched it from his hands and turned over to the first page.
(Drawing of an octopus with legs, horns on his head and a fish tail)
Sanemi stares at it for a moment before turning the page. He read the 5 points. Looked at Giyuu, looked at Muichiro, looked at the point that says "Futon leakage Adoption of Kiri" and then puts the report down. He just leaves it there on the ground. Other Hashiras looked in anticipation.
"Tomioka"
"hm?"
"Was adopting a demon girl not enough for you. Did you adopt a child now too?"
"Not Giyuu. I did"
Muichiro answered immediately. His voice broke through the silence of the room.
"You did?"
"yes.."
"And Tomioka let you?"
"He bought the child for me"
There was silence. Absolute silence. The kind that's there before the start of a war.
"Tomioka that's really unflashy you know you can't just buy children." Uzui said that with a really serious tone.
Mitsuri had both hands over her mouth
"Tomioka San bought a child...?"
"For Tokito kun...?"
Rengoku looked at Giyuu with an alarming expression.
"I WAS NOT AWARE THAT CHILDREN WERE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!"
"THEY AREN'T!"
Sanemi shouted.
"You need to explain this Tomioka"
"I.. It-It's not that deep guys.."
"Ara Ara Tomioka San. First of all. You can not buy children and second of all, Tokito kun, a child can not adopt another human child."
Shinobu said that with a deadly smile which also somehow said the word "poison" without actually saying it.
"Who said it was a human child?" Muichiro looked at Shinobu with an expressionless face.
Everyone paused for a few seconds. Did this man adopt a demon child again?
"Tokito... I think we should really introduce them to Kiri" Giyuu said that with a look of determination.
"Okay"
Muichiro nodded.
He reached out into his loose baggy sleeve and pulls out Kiri. He hugged it tightly before showing it to everyone.
"See this is my baby."
The room went silent. It was so quiet that a tiny breeze rustling through the trees could be heard. Three leaves fell down somewhere in a distance. Obanai from across the courtyard needed a second CPR while Mitsuri was squealing from cuteness.
Sanemi stared at Muichiro.
Then at the plushie.
The plushie stared back.
"THAT IS NOT A BABY!!!" Sanemi snapped.
"It is a cloud baby."
Muichiro said that with a blank face. Everything was silent for a second before Master Kagaya let out a low chuckle, and then, everyone burst into laughter.
"Aww Muichiro can I hold your cloud baby for a minute.."
Mitsuri asked with bright glimmering eyes while still laughing a little bit. Muichiro turned towards her and handed her the baby cloud.
"Just don't drop him, he is sensitive"
Mitsuri nodded as she took the plushie in her hands and caressed him like a real child. Suddenly Muichiro felt a poke on his cheek. He was surrounded by the three master's daughters that were present there. It was Kiriya, Kuina and Kanata.
"Hey.. his name is similar to mine"
Kiriya said that to Muichiro. Muichiro thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Yes it is."
Kanata then asked
"How old is he?"
Muichiro bit his lip thoughtfully.
"He is 2 years old."
Kuina turned towards the master.
"Dad.. we want a Kiri too."
Master Kagaya finally laughed. God knows that these kids haven't actually had a chance to be kids.
"What is his favourite food?"
"Salmon Daikon"
"Real flashy of you Tomioka. I didn't know you were such a good babysitter" Tengen declared
"I am not"
"YES YOU ARE"
Muichiro instantly replied.
"VERY FLASHY TOMIOKA AND TOKITO. A VERY GOOD PARENTING INITIATIVE"
Rengoku announced. Giyuu blushed. Sanemi died on the spot for the 17th time. Shinobu was trying to decide whether murder is legally acceptable under these circumstances and somehow Obanai had gotten a hold of the report by now and he can't stop reading the striked words "Futon leakage". He is physically trembling.
"Thank you Rengoku-san."
"YOU ARE WELCOME TOKITO!"
"Kiri is growing well."
"EXCELLENT!"
Suddenly, Obanai interrupted.
"Tomioka... what is futon leakage supposed to mean?"
Giyuu froze for a second. Muichiro froze for a second. Kiri froze for a second.
Then Giyuu finally replied
"It was a consequence of the indoor rainfall. It was mist induced"
Muichiro nodded firmly. Before anyone in that room could even process the words, Gyomei's voice silenced the chaos.
"You really seem very attached to your child Tokito."
"I am"
"And does Kiri behave well?"
Muichiro nodded profoundly
"Much better than Sanemi."
Sanemi died for the eighteenth time.
Here onwards the meeting descended into pure chaos. It was no longer a meeting. It was a playdate. Who would have thought that a fluffy tiny ball of cotton can so cause so much chaos between Hashiras that fight demons with regenerative abilities.
And as for Muichiro, he was happy. He finally got to be a mother like he always wanted to be.