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Chapter Text

Hi HI HI everyone!!! This is the request page so if there's anything you want to see in this fic, or in the series as a while you can request it here in the comments! For things in this fic Giyu won't be added bc he's not here but don't worry, this is only one part of the Peony au past! Giyu gets his own chapter fic to himself! That one will be angsty bc my boy was no support system. So anyways I'm super happy to be back!

Chapter Text

Tengen is playing with his little sister when his father calls him. 

He's seven, about to turn eight, and has already watched someone die in front of him. 

He smiles and walks up to his father.

"Yes Father?" He asks, turning his head. He idly wonders if his mom will be back home any time soon, she's been out more recently.

"I want you to meet someone son, come," His father says, putting an arm behind Tengen to lead him into another room.

He walks in to see a younger girl than him, although not by much, maybe a year or two, smiling up at her parents. Her hair his long almost reaching knees, it's thick, far thicker than Tengen's own. It's the same shade of black as fresh ink, and when she turns to him he sees the color of midnight skies and icy late night lakes. She wears a yellowish kimono that compliments her eyes.

"This is my son, Ishi Tengen," His father introduces. the people visiting bow slightly.

"Our daughter's name is Uzui Suma, she's quite a hard worker and is already able to clean and make tea, she's only five," The girl's father, Suma's father, explains.

This is the only wife screening Tengen cared to remember six years later. Thirteen and having seen his father kick his little brother in the stomach.

Suma walks up to him and taps his shoulder.

"What's wrong Tengen-kun?" She asks, tilting her head. She lives with Tengen most of the time, and goes back to her family for new years and summer.

"Just thinking," Tengen responds.

"About what?" Suma asks, turning around to walk backwards.

"About father," Tengen deadpans.

"Hm, why?"

"He's been a bit more distant recently, I don't know why though," Tengen answers. The bruise under his ribs disagrees with his statement. So does the bruise on his chest and the left over remnants of rat poison in his gut.

"Ten-kun.. when was the last time you slept?" Suma asks, leaning closer to Tengen. And to be fair to her question— Tengen doesn't remember.

"Good question, answer, I have no idea," Tengen answers, smiling down at her.

"Get over here right now you goober, you have to sleep!" Suma calls, grabbing his hand and running off. Tengen could out speed Suma any day but he'll let her drag him along for now.

"So anyways, that other family is vying for my marriage as well, they don't have as much money as your family though so they probably won't win. Now I have to spend summers with them though which sucks seeing as I'll only be able to see my parents at new years and when your dad lets me off for my birthday," Suma explains. Tengen huffs.

"The other family can fuck off, we might not be dating but they don't get my best friend," Tengen growls out. Suma giggles.

"Speaking of dating, I found someone I like," She says tilting her shoulders.

"Hm who?"

"Well, her name is Makio, I've only seen her twice but she's super cute," Suma says rocking back and forth the way she does.

They’re in her tea garden, and Tengen really thinks she'd be a better gardener than kunoichi, but it's not like they can do much about it.

"Twice?"

"She's a tea server in the red light district near here," Suma explains.

"How old is she?" Tengen asks concerned if Suma is trying to go after a twenty something girl.

"Hm, oh about a year younger than me, why?"

"Why is she in a red light district then?"

"I think she was born into her mothers debt and is working it off," Suma says shrugging. Tengen buries his heading his hands.

"How much is she worth?"

"500,000 yen," Suma answers, looking sheepish.

"WHAT THE HELL DID HER MOTHER DO!?" Tengen yelled, his eyes widening.

"I think she robbed the house Makio is working for so she has to earn back what her mother didn't."

"What the fuck did that woman steal to be worth that much money," Tengen asks his hands.

"Sorry, but she'll probably be in your arrangements anyways, since she's nearby and has good credit," Suma says shrugging.

"I know. Don’t remind me, just a year," Tengen shutters, "Why can't you just be my wife?"

"I don't think we'd be very good at producing heirs Tengen, seeing as how we're friends and not lovers," Suma consoles, patting Tengen's back.

Chapter Text

Gentishi Somèshi is fourteen when he meets Uzui Suma. The girl has mid back length black hair, and brilliant blue eyes. Smattering of beauty marks cover her shoulders and parts of her face. Her eyes give away nothing she feels and Somèshi can tell the woman is far more intelligent than she seems.

"Pleasure to meet you Gentishi-san," Uzui bows, only a half bow not a full one. Somèshi doesn't mind the perceived rudeness to not do a full bow. Her smile is soft when she looks at Somèshi.

"Good to meet you too Uzui-san, let me show you around the house and where you'll be staying," Somèshi says opening his arms to gesture to the hall behind him. She takes a step forward before joining Somèshi just a step behind him.

She doesn't consider him much more powerful than herself. Somèshi inner pride wilts at that, he's not dumb, she must be able to tell Somèshi is inferior. How could Somèshi let this happen? He wasn't supposed to let anyone know.

He hated himself, he hated how he looked, he hated everything that made up his being.

--

Somèshi finds Suma sitting on the outside porch two weeks before she's going home with a soft smile on her face and a letter sitting in her lap.

"What's so good?" Somèshi asks tilting her- no his, he needs to remember he isn't some demon child who doesn't know what poise and culture is, head to the side.

"Oh, it's just one of my friends it getting married, I'm happy for her," Suma answers. Somèshi walks up to sit by Suma and points his hand next to her,

"Mind if I sit here?" He asks.

"Of course," She says patting the ground next to herself. Somèshi leans down to sit on his knees rather than the laid back way Suma is sitting, with her legs dangling off the edge of the porch. Her smile is soft with the backdrop of near fall sun behind her.

"Are you going to be officially married in the next year or so?" Somèshi asks.

"Probably, I already have two people vying for me so I'm not sure who I'm going to be married to," Suma answers closing her eyes. Somèshi nods having heard about Suma's other suitor, Ishi Tengen. From what Suma says she thinks Somèshi and Ishi would get along.

"Suma I have an odd question," Somèshi blurts out before she- he can think better of it.

"Yeah?" Suma asks turning to look at Somèshi.

"What do you think about deviants and queers, those alike?" Somèshi asks, waving his hand avoiding eye contact with Suma waiting to be spat at.

"I think their quite brave, after all not being up to normal society standards is hard and yet there they are," Suma answers.

"Why do you ask?" She asks.

"I think I might be one," Somèshi answers truthfully.

"In what way?" Suma asks.

"Well sometimes I find myself liking both boys and girls, and other times I find myself fantasizing about having multiple with me," Somèshi answers, his face turning red.

"I like girls," Suma says, "and boys, I think just about anyone who comes why way looks nice, I've always known I'd never be happy with just one person either, so I guess we're not that different there." Suma laughs. Somèshi turns his head to look at her, she looks angelic like a peaceful god sitting on Somèshi porch. Maybe she is one, fallen down from the heavens. She acts like one.

"And what of those who claim they aren't in the correct body?" Somèshi asks, knowing somehow this, this will change his life.

"They're just like the rest of us, trying to figure out themselves knowing that something everyone else says isn't true, their just normal people living," Suma turns her head to look at Somèshi, "It doesn't matter if you're a male or female to me you just have to win my heart." She smiles soft and sweet in a way that reminds Somèshi of pansies and summer time.

Maybe, just maybe Somèshi parents were wrong, maybe, maybe, he- no she is a woman.

--

There's a knock at the door close to noon.

"I'll go get it!" Somèshi calls walking to the genkan to get the door. She opens it to find a large man standing there. His hair is the color of first snow and his eyes the brilliant red of maple leaves two days after they've fallen. He's burly too in a way that doesn't make him look imposing though, he looks strong, but like he'd rather have tea than fight.

Oh did Somèshi mention that the man's face is the most handsome one she's ever seen? This man has looks she'd die for. He looks down at her, looks down!

Somèshi is tall, taller than both her mother and father, but this man is taller than her, taller than her!

He smiles, "Hey there, Gentishi Somèshi-san right?" He asks. Somèshi nods.

"Ishi Tengen pleasure to meet you," He says holding out a hand. Somèshi takes it shaking it tersely. Ishi-san looks Somèshi up and down before smiling.

"You're pretty," He says, his voice low. Somèshi feels her heart start to pound out of her body.

"TENGEN!" A loud voice interrupts Somèshi's heart attack.

S he watches as a blue and black blue collides into the man standing in front of him. Somèshi sees Ishi-san not even move an inch when he catches Suma.

"Hey there's my girl!" Ishi-san says his voice loud and confident. Somèshi smiles he does like Tengen, Suma was right.

"How's Makio adjusting?" Suma asks.

"Hm she's doing good avoiding me at all costs though, I did tell her she could though. I think she's having some problems with the whole job change though she hasn't seen her mission," Ishi says looking with a clouded face at the end.

"I didn't think of that, I'll go talk to her when we get back," Suma says rubbing the back of her head.

"You and Shi-chan get to know one another I have to go get my things," Suma says turning around quickly. Somèshi glares at Suma as she makes her escape.

"So how was Suma? Hope she didn't cause too many problems," Ishi-san says.

"She was great, I hope you two have a happy marriage, you turn fifteen soon, so I probably won't see either of you again," Somèshi says, not wanting that to be true but knowing oh how it was.

"Hey maybe you will who knows I still don't know who I'm getting married to officially anyways," Ishi-san says waving around his hands, smiling.

"And anyways you seem nice I'm sure Suma would find a way to get back in touch somehow," Ishi-san continues.

"That is true she did give me her place of residence for both the majority of the year and holidays," Somèshi comments.

"Sounds like her, if you ever need help even for the smallest thing Suma will figure out a way to help, and hey if I'm there too I will too, don't worry a friend of Suma's is a friend of mine," Ishi says, smiling down at Somèshi in a way that shows something more than just a normal lie, This man, this boy is complex in a way Somèshi will never know but hopes to understand.

Gods above does she want to know this man.

Somèshi doesn't have the time for that, though, sadly, he's busy and has a clan to run after his father's death, and needs a wife of his own.

Chapter Text

Makio marches forward with the rest of the house's young girls of marrying ages, really most of them are. The kimono she's in clashes with her hair and skin, lighter than everyone else and covered in freckles. Her mouth burns with the tacky liquid the house wonder put in her mouth to close up her throat so she couldn't speak.

Makio turns her head to look over to see the footsteps she hears. An older man with nearly white hair is escorting two young boys one with a light peachy color of hair and the other with the ebony of midnights in winter. The other boy's, the one with black hair, hair fades into the color of sun blocked typhoons, to a lighter color like winter rain.

The peachy haired boy is speaking to the other boy. The other boy while not responding with any verbal responses seems to be enraptured by the other boy.

"-That's when I said," The peach hair boy says, looking the way in front of him and running in Tishi, the bitch deserves it though, always bragging about how she always gets paid for.

The black haired boy grabs the other boy's shirt collar and yanks him back, before bowing,

"We're very sorry, he wasn't looking where he was going," The boy says, to the house head. The woman turns to look at the boy before huffing.

"Where's your guardian?" The house head asks.

"He's uhm," The boy looks up to look for the man he was walking with before, Makio spots the frazzled curls in the boy's hair, the curl pattern looks close to dead.

"Urakodaki-san," The peach haired boy calls. The man appears before everyone's eyes.

"What did Sabito do Giyu?" The man, Urakodaki asks the black haired boy.

"He ran into her we were just apologizing," The black haired boy says, Giyu. Makio think the name somehow fits the meekly boy.

"Very sorry about them, they are my apprentices I'm training both of them in the way of the sword," The older man says. All the girls perk up.

"Are they willing to have wives?" The house lady asks. Giyu's eyes catch Makio's and she freezes. She knows the look in his eyes, she's seen it one too many times.

She's seen it in her own eyes too, it's fear, it's the fear of others to take you from the back and revel in your screams.

This boy is much like her, Makio knows, and she knows he will never speak of what he's gone through to anyone just like Makio won't.

She rips her eyes away and walks forward, ignoring the rage from the house lady and Tishi, she turns back,

"Don't we need to be screened by the super rich man to get married off miss?" Makio asks. The house head huffs and starts walking again. Makio falls back into her place near the back.

The makeup covering her freckles itches, as does the sloppy hair dye to cover her fiery curls. Her body screams as she walks, she isn't just a tea server anymore she's open to anyone who pays.

Or rather the house head says she is, she doesn't ever want to open her legs to man in her life again. Her head hurts they won't let her cut her hair.

When it's wet to goes all the way down to her butt something everyone raves about, she hates it though, its so thick that even when it's not weighed down by water it gives her a constant tension headache.

Makio's throat burns as they reach the last leg of their walk. She doesn't think she'll be able to speak at all when they get there. it's fine though, she's not going to be some mans cock sleeve.

--

Makio stares at the man, more like teenager that their being showed to. He massive, at least 180 centimeters, his hair is white a color that Makio never thought she'd see on someone.

His eyes are red, not red in the way that girls are after they hit something up, his irises are red, that's his natural eye color.

--

Makio sits down and looks out the window rain pours down outside, she's glad she doesn't have to walk back. She curls into herself sighing.

The door slides open and she stills.

"I'm just letting you know that my room is three doors down to the left, you never have to see me if you don't want to though, I won't force you to come lay with me. In a few weeks you're roommate will be here, her name is Suma. You'll have to start training tomorrow, make sure to make up before they sun comes up if you don't they'll drag you through the mud.

They're going to put you through hell, sorry." The door closes behind Makio's new husband.

She drags a hand down her face. She pulls out the small pack of cigarettes she traded for a few weeks ago.

The lighter in her hand flashes out a small flame before the smell of smoke fills the room. She opens the door and walks out resting her arms on the hand railing. The downpour screaming for her.

She takes a long drag before exhaling and pulling her head down. She can't do this.

She isn't some woman he owns. She bangs her hand down on the rail. A small crack sounds in her ears and she nearly screams.

Damn it, she broke that damn bone again.

She crumples down, and starts to sob. The cigarette in her hand burns into her plan as she closes her hand around it and bangs her hand down again.

She doesn't want this.

Of course they won't care though.

Why would they ever care about a woman?

Chapter Text

Somèshi has never been very athletic right now; she wishes she was. Her legs burn as she gasps panting.

She doesn't think she's far enough away for the guards to catch her though. She's been running for hours they must have given up by now.

A twig snaps and Somèshi freezes. She really should've found a way to lock her door.

Her father had walked in our her, yes her, in one of the Kimono's that had been made for Suma but was much too large. Suma had given it to her along with some makeup and tips on how to use it.

All Somèshi means to say is, her father walked in on her fully dressed how she wanted to be and was now out for her head.

She whips her head around to look in the direction the sound came from.

She doesn't see anyone though, she shakes in fear. She closes her hand around the small dagger she managed to steal from her father a few years back, her only defense, and useless against a sword that would be too far out for her to reach with her arms.

She wanted to keep her arms, and head, she really liked having a head.

"Somèshi!?" A familiar voice asks before popping out of the bushes from behind her. She jumps turning to look at Suma.

A person from behind her walks out, her hair is a fiery orange and the color of the last burning coals.

"Suma! Oh thank the Kami above! You have to save me!" Somèshi nearly wails. She's so scared. She trembles with exertion and fear.

"Hey, hey, hey, Somèshi what happened?" Suma asks walking up and placing her hands on Somèshi's elbows.

"M-My father he walked, he walked in on me," Somèshi rips away her arms to point at herself, "Like this, he's, he's out for my head." Somèshi sobs and crumples down dragging Suma down with her. The ground was cold against her bare feet. Fall in full swing.

"I have an idea," The other woman with Suma says.

"What is it?" Suma asks looking up from comforting Somèshi.

"Tengen still needs another wife right? I'm sure while she's looking like this no one would think anything of it, do you have a name?" The woman asks.

"Somè-"

"No not that one! Like a name that isn't you're you can go by a woman's name!" The other snaps. Somèshi looks down and shakes her head.

"Well uhm what do you like? that could be a name?"

"Hinatsuru," Somèshi blurts, she's thought about it maybe once. She's fine with her name really, but if it ever came down to it, she'd rather have Hinatsuru as her name.

"Alright Hinatsuru it is then," Suma says.

"Nice to meet you Hinatsuru, Makio," The other woman says holding out a hand.

"I'd say nice to meet you, but," Somèshi- Hinatsuru, she has to get herself to think that's her name now. Says, she sighs as she looks down tears still on her face.

There's a thunderous sound of feet and a scream of wretch. Somèshi freezes she knows that voice. It's her father's personal swordsman.

"Fuck," She murmurs. She can hear he's getting near. She tries to stand before her body collapses under her.

The other woman, Makio runs up on Somèshi's other side.

Suma dives down and grabs the small dagger Somèshi had dropped. The man runs into the clearing.

Everything goes so still, Somèshi can't even breathe.

"There you are," The man says running forward, sword pointing to Somèshi's neck.

Red fills Somèshi vision. The scream of a full grown man fills the air.

Somèshi gingerly raises a hand to her face and feels the warm liquid on her face. She falls back and screams.

When she finally blinks away the blood in her eyes, the blood, the blood, she has blood on her face. She sees Suma with a dagger in her hands stabbing it into the still screaming swordsman.

She almost throws up. Suma is covered in blood, it almost looks like she's bathed in it.

Somèshi throws up.

She feels arms around her as she's dragged away.

--

The Ishi family head stares at her. Somèshi- Hinatsuru points her head down bowing low.

Suma managed to wash off all the blood covering her somehow. Hinatsuru shakes.

Makio to the other side of her is still the only remains of a screaming fit being the dried water tracks down her face.

How could someone as kind and calm as Suma do that?

She killed the man! Killed him!

"You're accepted please go girls show her to your room," Ishi-san says standing.

Ishi Tengen isn't in the room with them, training.

Shinobi that's what the Ishi family works for. Assassins.

Somèshi- Hinatsuru never wants to take a life with her own hands. She shakes.

She couldn't work as an assassin, she couldn't do this. She'd be a horrible house wife too. The only thing she knew how to do well were writing and tea pouring.

She couldn't do this. How could she do this?

When can't breathe when she reaches the room she's staying in with Suma and Makio. She flinches away from Suma, how could she not know something like that was lying under Suma this whole time?

How could she be so close with someone who kills. She can't breathe she scrabbles at her own skin tearing it off in a fit of panic. She curls into a corner and screams.

--

Suma winces when Hinatsuru's scream pierces the room. Makio just sighs and leans into Suma. She looks down, she didn't have much of another answer and she panicked. She didn't want to kill him, something sick and twisted inside of her begs for more blood and the sound of screams of pain.

She pushes down that thought.

"Hina-" She's cut off by more screams. Where the hell was Tengen when you needed him? He was so much better at calming people down than Suma was. Tears roll down her face as she looks down. Hinatsuru won't stop screaming. Suma shakes.

"Hey Suma calm down, you didn't have another choice," Makio says from beside her rubbing her back. Suma leans into Makio and sobs. Suma curls into the younger.

--

Hinatsuru hasn't looked at Suma in weeks. Which says a lot considering they live together and sleep in the same room. Suma falls into training, already having a head-start compared to everyone else considering she's been training to be a kakushi since she was five.

Nine years, she's been training for nine years. Her first mission was three years ago, the week after she turned eleven. She remembers watching blood drip down her hands and sobbing.

Now she's sent on a mission at least once a month if not more. She's one of the most successful kakushi's in the clan. She's only second to Tengen's own mother.

She loves Tengen's mother, Kawanokoi-san the woman is so calm and taught Suma most of what she knows. Kawanokoi's hair is as pales as Tengen's and she almost matches him in height far taller than her husband. Tengen looks almost identical to his mother.

Suma only hopes that Hinatsuru's time with Kawanokoi helps her, as it helped Suma.

Suma still hasn't seen Tengen though she wonders where he is. He's not normally on this long of missions.

Suma drags a hand up her arm as the rain starts falling. She tilts her head up and sighs.

A twig snaps and she whips around only to see a young boy. He lifts his hands up. His eyes are close to the same color as the sea before typhoons and midnight light next to the moon and, in the bottom of his eyes the color of burning blue flame.

"Sorry," He whispers moving his hands in a district pattern Suma knows is sign language.

"It's fine you just startled me," Suma says smiling. The boy bows before slinking away back into the trees in a moment. She doesn't even see him go, she just blinks and he's gone. All that's left is the faint scent of fresh peonies and mint.

Suma sighs the rain creeping through her hair. She shivers, winter will come soon. She turns back and puts away the interaction.

--

Makio sighs again as she hits dead away in the target for the fifth time. The kunai in her hand burns through her already rope burned palms.

Ichinai-san nods, Ishi-san youngest wife.

"You can finish training for today make sure to put ointment on your hands at this rate you'll be ready for your first mission soon," The woman says. Makio nods before walking away.

Makio ideally wonders where Tengen-sama is she hasn't seen him in two weeks. Suma says it's not normal but Makio really couldn't care less as long as he doesn't touch her.

She hasn't seen Hinatsuru in a few days either. The woman doesn't have enough muscle to make it out to be an assassin from what Ichinai-san says. Makio wonders what they'll do with Hinatsuru. She'd be good for a spy she's quiet and pretty men would fall over her.

She just needs to grow out her hair a bit more.

Makio wanders into the garden. She seen Hinatsuru slaving over some mint. Hinatsuru has been avoiding both her and Suma. She decides to let her be.

What Ishi-san does with the woman isn't Makio's concern.

--

"What're you doing?" A voice asks. Kawanokoi looks up to see Hinatsuru above her. She smiles softly.

"Calligraphy, I'd suggest you learn it while you can," She answers. Kawanokoi knows Hinatsuru will never be able to take lives with her own hands. She'd be a good spy or information gatherer but she needs to learn how to be those before the next month for Taisen-sama to consider keeping her. Kawanokoi knows this very well.

Kawanokoi misses Hisui. The woman she used to love was much in the same possession that Hinatsuru was in now.

"Can you teach me?" Hinatsuru asks sitting herself next to the older woman. Kawanokoi smiles.

"Of course."

Chapter Text

Tengen doesn't dare make sound through his hazy pain filled mind. His younger siblings aren't as wise. He hears the screams they make as their father kicks their already downed bodies. Tengen's youngest sibling, his brother, is barely five.

He won't make it through the month, Tengen knows. Tengen grimaces when he hears the faint heartbeat of his sister from beside him. She looks much like him. They're only about five months apart in age. He grabs her hand and squeezes it. She's never been as strong as him. She can barely stand in fact. She's too kindhearted for this.

She's going to heaven unlike Tengen. Tengen knows he will die and be reborn into the flames and fire of hell. Too many lives have been taken with his hands.

"Are all of you awake?" Their father asks. Everyone has the sense to not make a sound he can hear. He can hear the panicking sound of Tenshi's heart, and that Eshi is hyperventilating in the corner he's hiding in. Tengen hears it all.

"Tengen, are you all awake?" Their father asks.

"Yes," Tengen croaks out, his throat so sore from a knee to it. He's sure with how easy his body bruises that there's not an inch of skin unbruised.

"Get up," Their father snaps. Tengen lets go of his sister's hand. Her heartbeat getting fainter and fainter and lungs barely fluttering with each breath she takes.

He turns to his father, he stands at the door light outlining him.

"You're free to go," his father says. Tengen realizes then, that no one else could get up. It's starting to get cold enough at night that they'll get hypothermia if they stay out here. Tengen freezes.

He won't survive another 'training' session with his father but, he knows not everyone will survive the night out here either.

"Is there a problem Tengen?" His father asks. Tengen shakes his head mutely before walking out. He dares not to run. His whole body shakes. Suma's back home for her father's birthday. Makio doesn't want to see him.

And Hintsuru. Hinatsuru would just spit at him. His mothers are away.

He has no one. He stumbles into his room and collapses on the floor. His body curls close. He feels sick. His hands cover his mouth as hot tears run down his face.

He can't breathe. Everything is too clear. He can hear the screams down the hall of his beloved siblings. He can hear the shattering tea glass, that he knows Hinatsuru just dropped. He can hear the sound of Makio taking in a deep breath of smoke before blowing it out.

He can hear his father's laughter at his own children's suffering.

Tengen can hear everything. He wishes for nothing more than to stab a hot poker into his ears so he never has to hear again. He won't.

It's too important for him to hear for him to do that. He shudders. He wishes to scream, but he knows his father will hear and bring him back into the room to watch unable to move as he hurts his siblings.

As he does the unspeakable to his sisters.

Tengen will break if he has to see that again. He won't ever be able to recover. There will be no one to recover if that does happen. Tengen won't be there anymore. It'll just be a husk not Tengen himself.

He cries through the night. The cold seeps into his bones by the time his mother walks into his room in the morning. Tears run down her face and she looks half dead.

"Oh Tengen," She murmurs when she sees him. Tears rekindle in his eyes when he sees her. He should've gone back. He should've saved them.

Her heart beats no longer. The light flutter of her laughter will never grace his ears again. He'll never be able to see her smile when she looks at her husband again. He'll never be able to comfort her while she's crying again.

Tengen screams and claws at his face. He's a monster. He's such a monster.

"I'm going to hell," He whispers. His mother collapses on him and sobs. They sob into each other.

--

"Tengen-ni, Tengen-ni!" Sasura calls, running up behind Tengen.

"Yeah?" He asks his little sister.

"I love you more than everyone else in the whole world," Sasura says spreading her hands wide.

"Not as much as I love my little sister Sasura-chan," Tengen says, spreading his arms even wider, on the fact he's bigger than her. He dwarfs her in size.

--

Tengen doesn't get to go to his sister's funeral. He doesn't speak for weeks. He doesn't make a single sound. Suma is next to him. Quiet as he is. She doesn't try to make him feel better like everyone else in his family. Nothing will make him feel better he knows.

When he breaks his silence it's around his wives as they sit in a dark room. His father upset about the fact none of them are pregnant.

"If I ever have a daughter I want her name to be Sasura," He says. He then turns and lays down on the futon he had been sitting on. He hears Suma start to sob. Makio nearly does too. Hinatsuru sniffs.

She's finally starting to spend time with them again, even if it took a month and a half and Tengen's sister dying for it to come to it.

Tengen's mother is despondent, she's barely alive. Half starved and crazed.

--

Tengen flukes his first mission after his sister's death. He doesn't leave the cellar for a week.

Tengen's youngest brother dies in Tengen's arms his last night in the cellar. He's inconsolable at this point. Lines of blood mark up his thighs. He's much like his mother at this point he doesn't eat and doesn't listen. He's in the cellar more than he's not now.

He doesn't know how to cope.

He sits in a tree leaning on the main trunk. He doesn't hear the boy that walks into the clearing Tengen's on the edge of until he sees him. Tengen blinks a few times to make sure he's not hallucinating, yet there the boy is oh so very still. The clearing Tengen is in consists of grass and mint. Maybe a few peony bushes around here and there. When the boy moves he strikes out with a blade, the force behind it is too much for the blade and it cracks when it hits the target of the boy's a long dead tree trunk. The boy cuts off a fair portion of the trunk in the process but his blade is far too damaged to make it through. Tengen almost laughs when the serene beautiful boy lashes out in the most vulgar cusses Tengen has heard.

He hears the boy sigh before dropping the handle of the broken blade and walking away.

When Tengen can't see, or hear the boy anymore does he walk over to the boy's target. He walks around it. He notes the many broken blades in the tree's trunk he wonder's if all of them are from the boy's hand.

For someone so small he has a lot of power. Tengen tilts his head when he sees a small hollowed out den in the space between the roots and the ground dog the tree.

Tengen is just small enough to fit into the opening of the space. When he's in it he can comfortably sit. It's filled with some small things; ink, a notepad, a bloody shard of glass, a lighter, and a– 

muzzle.

Tengen almost throws up when upon further inspection he sees that the wires on it are rusted over with blood.

He leaves the place with a sense of looming death and decay over him. But not that of the feeling of death and decay that he fears, but rather the soft embrace of the earth and the assurance that he won't be useless in death.

It's odd, Tengen reflects, how calming yet disturbing the place was.

Tengen doesn't visit the place again, perhaps he never will.

He's okay with that, he doesn't want to embrace the feeling of death, he isn't ready to die. He doesn't want to die despite how miserable he is.

--

He's out getting groceries when he stumbles upon Hinatsuru trading away money for what looks like drugs.

"Hinatsuru what the hell?" He asks. He's sure he doesn't look the most imposing right now, with bags of groceries hanging off his arms.

"None of you matter, it's not drugs though," She answers, giving him a coy smile. Tengen just blinks after her. Doesn't matter, he still has more things to buy.

--

"Tengen," Ichinai says.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Kawanokoi wants you for tea, I'll put away the groceries," Ichinai says putting a hand on Tengen's own. Her hair darker than Suma's is braided in an elaborate pattern that Tengen knows his mother does every morning, differently everyday. Tengen nods.

Tengen's mother has started to look only slightly better, five months after his sister's death, two months after Ichinai's son.

"Hi mom," Tengen whispers. He must look pitiful, he knows he feels pitiful. Kawanokoi pats the spot beside her. Tengen sits next to his mother. He leans his head on her shoulder.

The black and blue kimono she wears contrasts her eyes in a way that makes her look like a goddess. She runs a delicate hand through his hair.

His mother is taller than his father. Something the man has never appreciated. She's a year older than his father as well. She's the only one of his father's original wives alive. He never wants to leave his mother's side.

He never wanted to as a child either.

"Oh Tengen," She whispers.

"My wonderful darling son, please tell me you'll never be like him."

"Never," Tengen vows. He never will. He never, ever will. He won't become what has made him. Tengen's father may be his blood, but Tengen is more than his blood.

He'll always be more than his blood.

--

Tengen sighed. The kunai in his hand was so small it was practically rendered useless. He'd have to get the smithy to make bigger ones for him. Suma laughed from beside him. They were so small for him they had to be made lager.

"Your hands are too big, Tengen," She chuckled out.

"Yeah well, you're hands are too small!" Tengen barked out defensively. Suma just kept laughing at him.

"I don't want to learn to kill people," Hinatsuru mutters looking down at the kunai in her hand.

"We're not teaching you this for killing, but for self defense. If someone comes for you again, you need to be able to protect yourself," Makio responds, spinning a kunai in her finger.

"How are you doing that?" Tengen asks. Makio just laughs, crazed.

"Who cares, she can't throw them right, all the spinning you want won't get you good aim," Suma quips. Makio looks at her betrayed.

"That's true, why don't you have good aim?" Tengen asks.

"Don't know, just don't," Makio says.

"Maybe you should try tying up your hair, it always seems to get in the way when you try to throw them," Hinatsuru comments. She experimentally spins the kunai on her hand. Tengen grabs the kunai before it splits into her hand. Hinatsuru looks down at it her eyes boggling.

"Yeah maybe but all the hair ties I use always break after a few minutes," Makio sighs.

"Use silk, it's what Ichinai uses, her hair is about as thick as yours, ask her from some," Tengen says.

"I guess I could but I don't want to annoy her," Makio says shrugging.

"SUMA WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Hinatsuru screams. Tengen whips around to see what Suma's doing only to find her cutting her hair, with a kunai.

"Cutting my hair, duh," She snarks, sticking out her tongue at Hinatsuru.

"But your hair is so pretty don't cut it!" Makio says, she almost wails really. Tengen looks at the two. His gaze flicks back and forth, and back and forth.

He sees what's going on.

--

He does not know what is going on.

"-And I don't know what to do," Suma whines holding on to the last sound of do.

He definitely doesn't know what's going on.

"Have you tried asking her?" Tengen asks, he's at his wits end here, he doesn't know how getting a girl works when you're a girl. He's not a girl.

How would he know.

"Ask Hinatsuru! She'll know more than me!" Tengen exclaims throwing up his arms. Suma just shakes her head.

"She's never been with anyone, can you think of anyone else?" Suma asks.

An idea pops in his head. He knows just the person, or well people.

"Ask Ichinai, or well no, ask my mom, she'll know better than Ichinai," Tengen says.

"What?"

"Just ask her," Tengen says waving off Suma. Suma looks at him like he's lost his mind.

Tengen to avoid the question that's bubbling up in Suma stands up and walks off, the smithy should have his kunais made by now.

--

Tengen looks down at the man as blood drips down his face. He just had to make it hard. Tengen breathes through his teeth. The smell is overwhelming. Tengen blinks a few times before standing. Or well blood doesn't drip down his face, it drips down the mask he wears, one of his father's newest games of torment for everyone.

Chapter Text

Tengen looks down and sighs, rain pelting down. The mask on his face itches, he shakes his head. It doesn’t matter Tengen just wants to survive this as much as he might think he’ll amount to nothing, he still doesn’t want to die.

Not yet. He doesn’t want to die yet. He promised himself he’d be there for his mom’s death, and he wouldn’t take that back. 

A branch cracks and he snaps his head around to see the running off fox. His eyes narrow. 

It won’t matter. He isn’t planning to die anyhow.

He moves through the forest quietly standing on a tree as he looks down the back of another person. Their hair is black. He stalks behind them watching as they look around shifting slightly, they seem nervous, uncharacteristic for the people that are often kill targets for missions, but his father did mention that all he were with were younger than him. 

He doesn’t bother with it, it’s almost dawn and he’s soaked to the core. Tengen feels his body shiver not for the first time that night. His body has never handled cold or heat very well, not to mention how fast he burned. It wasn’t time to ponder. He turns around sharply, sighing. He’d just find the other person tomorrow. 

The large tree hollow he found to sleep in wasn’t comfortable, but he didn’t need it to be. He knew it was kill or be killed. He won’t let himself sleep, that’s far too much of a security he can’t take. Still he can let himself doze slightly.

His ears are out for any sound. He knows he’s going to have the worst headache of his life after this but it’ll be worth it. The sounds of dawn hit his ears as he lets himself slide his eyes half closed. 

A scream perices the air, Tengen doesn’t flinch, he doesn’t. The scream almost sounded familiar, he doesn’t want to think about who’s scream that sounded like.

Tengen’s day doze is fitful, he jolts at any sound, and when he does slide his eyes shut all he sees are the dead bodies of his little sister and brother.

He wakes up with a fever. He can barely move. His body screams at him when he even so much as opens his eyes. The light is far too bright and his head spins . He can feel that the back of his throat is raw. He curls tighter around himself, cold to his core. It must have been the rain, he thinks. It had to have been, he hadn’t eaten or drinken anything a day before this, it couldn’t be poison. He shudders as a wet cough makes it past his throat.

It might have been because he hadn’t slept properly in a week, but that was unlikely, he barely slept as was, he was probably getting more sleep now then at home. His chest aches as he coughs again curling tighter somehow, he felt like he was squeezing out his insides. 

He can hear someone nearby. They’re muttering to themselves.

“I can do this, it’s just one guy and he seems sick from all the coughing, he’ll be an easy fight, I won’t let dad down,” They say taking another step forward. Tengen tries to move but he can’t, every muscle in his body screams the moment to even think of moving. Tengen struggles to get his breathing under control, he won’t die here. He moves even if painstakingly slow. He can hear the other person climbing up the tree he’s in. His body shudders as he reaches out for the kunai that’s less than five centimeters away from him. The person is almost in his hollow. His hand drips around the kunai. He turns knowing there’s fear in his eyes. The person stands at the front of the hollow, a katana in their grip, the blade pointed up ready for the down arch that would cut through Tengen’s throat and kill him. 

He doesn’t hesitate, like the other person, he throws the kunai. They make a bubbling sound as they hold a hand up to their neck and cough before their body spasms and they fall over.

Tengen hears the sickening crack of their bones breaking as the fall limply down the tree.

Tengen scrambles over to the side watching the person’s body struggle, they open their mouth, the bottom of it having cracked off and scream,

“NII-SA-” Their scream cuts off. Tengen’s body goes stiff. He scrambles down the side not caring as he falls down the tree, knowing he’s broken something as he falls. He crawls to the side of the person ripping off their mask. 

His little brother's face, his dead blood covered face- gods above their so much blood, no, no, no, not another one! He- he can’t live if another one dies, NO, NO.

Tengen slams his head down on the ground and everything spins before it goes black.

–

The smell of rot hits his nose. Everything hurts. He doesn’t move, even as the smell of death fills his nose and he can feel maggots crawling into cuts along his skin. 

He can’t open his eyes. He won’t, he can’t.

He can’t face it. He wishes he hadn’t woken up. 

But Tesren wouldn’t know. Nor would Awa, or Tenshi, or Saruka. He has to tell them, Rense was dead, by his hand. Kyuno was dead, by his hand.

He was a monster. He was going to hell. He knew it. There would be no way to repent from this.

He was just as bad as his father, wasn’t he?

Tengen stands not daring to open his eyes as he steps away from his brother. He rushes over to the meeting spot their father made them start from. He can assume that everyone else will be there, because after three weeks their father wanted to see everyone again.

Tengen doesn’t know if it’s been three weeks but he can hope. His body aches as he runs finally, finally opening his eyes when he can’t hear the sound of maggots crawling around in his brother's body.

He hears the sound of three people talking. 

Burst into the clearing. 

Tesren stands above the unmasked faces of Awa and Tenshi, holding put two kunais spinning them both on one hand.

“That’s why you’ll be killed little brothers,” Tesren says stabbing one kunai through Awa’s skull. 

The cracks that rings in Tengen’s head is enough to make him throw up. 

Tenshi screams, squirming trying to get away, but Tesren has a firm grip on his ten year old brother. 

Tengen steps forward and rushes trying to run to his brothers aid, but the sound of the second kunai stabbing through Tenshi’s eye stops him. He watches as his little brother’s- he’s so small, he just turned ten, he doesn’t deserve this, what had Tenshi done to deserve this? What had they all done to deserve this? Did the gods hate them?

Why was this happening to them?

“Oh there you are Tenge-”

“ What the fuck, Tesren. ” Tengen’s voice is deathly quiet. Almost so soft Tesren doesn’t hear it. He does, he can’t miss the undertone of danger, and how every muscle in his body screams at him to- run, run, run he needs to run away from this thing that replaced his large kind hearted brother, that can’t be him.

Tengen is loud and rambunkshus, and harmless. 

Tengen is harmless. He might have the highest pain tolerance of them all, but he can’t hurt a fly.

This can’t be him, this person radiates danger, and Tesren knows he won’t beat this person if they come blow to blows. He takes a step back. 

The person takes a step forward. Tesren can’t think of anything to say. He can’t think of a way to deflect. He stumbles backwards falling. 

This person’s right arm is broken and there are maggot infected scrapes on them.

This can’t be Tengen, it can’t be.

Tesren shudders.

“ Why ?” This person asks deadly calm, Tesren is starting to think their a god from above come to possess his brother’s dead corpse to scare him.

“I have to do this! Father won’t see me as better if I don’t!” Tesren screams, he’s better than Tengen he can kill someone without a second thought and he doesn’t care that his little brother, the one that his mother also birthed, was killed by his father, if he couldn’t take it then he deserved to die.

Tesren cried for weeks when he learned of it, he couldn’t contain his grief, the bruises that covered him for weeks were a testament to that.  

“Why would you care what that man thinks?!” Tengen screams, and that is Tengen, he’s loud and Tesren can see the painted haze that covers his eyes. Tesren knows he can kill Tengen. Tesren lunges forward, the kunai in his hand at the ready. 

His world stops in motion. He starts to choke as Tengen’s two large hands strangle him. He can’t breathe.

“How could you kill your own kin and still think you're in the right?” Tengen hisses. 

Tesren realizes, it’s been Tengen all along, who was the most dangerous, his mother the most dangerous of their father’s wives, Tengen is large and strong. 

And he’s angry. Tengen is nothing but pure fury at this moment, and Tesren is at the barrel of all that anger.

Tesren, is scared.

He’s going to die isn’t he? He is going to die, Tesren doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want it.

He won’t have it. 

Pain flares in Tengen’s leg as his brother kicks it. 

Oh gods above, he was going to have killed his brother. Tengen  steps back, something overwhelming him in every sense of the word. He falls down as he covers his mouth feeling bile creep up the back of his throat. He coughs as he stares as his little brother scrambles away like a hunted prey. 

Tengen is going to hell. 

That’s all he deserves. 

—

Suma shuffles as she looks around, she’s outside the bathhouse that Hinatsuru is using right now. She’s making sure no one else comes into the bathhouse. They don’t need Hinatsuru’s secret getting out, it would ruin everyone and possibly get Hinatsuru killed. 

The rest of the clan believed that Tengen had come onto all his wives. Suma knew he hadn’t, too consumed by grief. 

She stiffens when she hears footsteps padding down the hallway. She slackens with relief when she just sees it’s just Makio.

“Hey Maki,” She says.

“Stop calling me that, I was coming over to take a bath I need to wash my hair.” Suma perks up knowing that Makio does something godly to her hair to make it so soft.

“No, you don’t get to come in and try to wash my hair, don’t you dare ask,” Makio snaps, crossing her arms and sending Suma a pointed look. Suma pouts. 

“I need to wash up too but Hinatsuru asked me to keep guard for her, I think she’s still jumpy from when her father found her,” Suma says.

“It’s past midnight no one else is awake, come on, we won’t use the same bath as Hinatsuru and plus she should be finishing up soon right?” Makio asks grabbing Suma’s hand.

“Hey wait I don’t have all my stuff!”

“You can borrow my stuff. I have extra sleep clothes too anyways,” Makio snaps back, turning her head to send Suma a glare over her shoulder. Suma feels heat rising to her face as she looks into Makio’s eyes.

“O-okay,” Suma says, she’s sure her face looks red, although it would probably be hard to tell due to the fact she was darker than Makio. 

Makio’s fiery red hair bounces in its loose ringlets.   

Suma turns around when they change, making sure to grab a towel and hand it to Makio. As much as she does want to see Makio nude, she also doesn’t want to. 

As the walk into the shower basin area, they see Hinatsuru staring down her hair like it’s a demon that sprouted its own mind and started saying everything she never wanted anyone to know. 

“Hina?” Makio asks. Hina jumps a little, turning to the two of them.

“Oh thank the gods it's just you two,” She says her voice dropping the higher tone she keeps up.

“How come you haven’t gotten in the bath yet?” Suma asks.

“Oh I already did, I wash my hair last, speaking of that, I’ve never had hair longer than my chin and I’m afraid I don’t know how to wash it very well,” Hina says, she curls a strand of her shoulder length hair around her finger as she smiles sheepishly. Suma and Makio turn to each other and nod.

“We can help!” They say at the same time. Hinatsuru smiles softly.

“Thank you,” She says.

–

The bath water is warm as Suma lets herself relax against the bath wall. Makio is across from her looking at her intently. Suma looks away quickly trying to sink further into the water. Makio sits in it, the water just barely covering her bust. 

Suma is trying her best to not stare. 

“Suma.”

“Y-yeah?”

“Come here.”

“What?”

“Come here,” Makio repeats. Suma looks towards the shorter girl. She moves slowly walking forward. When she’s in arm each Makio grabs her by the wrist, it was much more gentle than when she had dragged Suma into the bathhouse.    

“Maki?” Suma asks. 

“You’re stupidly pretty, you know that right?” Makio asks, grabbing Suma’s chin. Suma’s insides erupt in a fit of fleeting butterflies as she feels heat rush to her face. 

“What do you mean Maki?” Suma stutters out from her place resting her head in Makio’s hand. Makio leans closer their noses almost touching.

“I said you’re fucking pretty Suma,” The redhead repeats. Suma can feel Makio’s breath on her face, the smell of mint and jasmine greeting her.  Makio’s heartbeat throbs under her skin, transfering to Suma’s own making their hearts beat as one.

“Maki-” Suma is cut off from finishing Makio’s name by her lips meeting hers. Suma jumps a little before she leans into it.

It’s not her first kiss, she’s dated someone before, and she’s sure it’s not Makio’s either, but it’s something Suma can’t say she’s ever felt before.

Her heart hammars in her chest. When they break away for air Makio has a smug smile across her face. Suma puts her hand up to her lips tracing them softly.

“You smell like pansies,” Makio comments, running the back of her hand against her lips.

“Are- are you sure about this Makio we’d get into so much trouble if-”

“We’re wives Suma, everyone else can go suck it up, your my wife as much as you are Tengen’s, not that the two of you are more than friends anyways,” Makio says waving a hand.

“B-but-”

“No buts Suma, I’ll be yours if you’ll be mine,” Makio says. Suma nods.

“No buts,” Suma repeats. Makio sends her a smirk, 

“Good then.”

–

 Kawanokoi looks down. She knows her husband's plan. Tengen won’t leave unless she’s dead. Kawanokoi doesn’t want her son to stay here and suffer. She closes her eyes. The kunai beside her comforts her.

Her first lover’s Kunai, oh how she missed that woman, it wouldn’t be long until she saw her again at least. Kawanokoi sighs as she picks up the kunai and holds breathing deeply as her racing thoughts try to make her stop.

She’s already made her mind, she won’t leave this room alive ever again. Kawanokoi takes her last long draw of air and pushes the Kunai into her throat.

Chapter Text

Tengen stares. It wasn’t hard to find this place. If he’s honest it was probably such an easy place to find that someone would find him.

He didn’t want anyone to find him. 

Someone was probably going to find him. He thought.

No, probably not who’d care about a random floating body of a man who was different. Tengen had no place in this world. 

Tengen pulls his legs over the edge. 

A person steps through the bushes behind Tengen. He turns his head to find a young woman black hair running to her mid back, a kimono of deep blue and milky purple fluttered around her. She bowed her head before walking forward sitting next to Tengen.

Tengen didn’t ask. He knew the answer. He looked out at the sea.

“Nice night for this huh?” Tengen asks, maybe he could at least talk to someone before he did it. The woman just nods her head, her mouth completely still.

Goodnight, Tengen thinks before scooting off the high ledge. 

He doesn’t know if the woman follows him down at that moment, if she waits watching, or if she stands up and walks away. 

He’ll never learn

—

Tengen comes to cold. Colder than he’s ever been in his life. His lungs ache. All he knows is the feeling of dull skin and sharp blistering bursts of pain. 

Someone is screaming beside him, he thinks. He can’t tell his ears aren’t working.

The muttering around him grows stronger.

—

Tengen wakes up slowly. In chunks and pieces. 

First the sounds of people groaning around him and quiet discussion. 

The the aching of his cold, cold, skin

The taste of rot in the back of his mouth

The smell of antiseptic and blood. 

The sight of Suma crying over him. He wakes up after that one. He doesn’t have the heart to watch his best friend cry her eyes out over someone like him.

“-Um-chan, d…on’t cry…” Tengen mutters, his throat is dry. Suma jumps, Tengen can barely keep his eyes open. 

“Ten-kun!” She cries. Tengen blacks out.

—

Tengen looks at the young man in front of him. There in a garden, the young man, Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiles softly at him.

“You saved my life?” Tengen asks the boy. Ubuyashiki just smiles.

“I did, in truth it was a happy accident. I was there with my wife to save another wayward soul when we found you.” Ah the woman who had sat with Tengen. 

“I’m an assassin, you should’ve let me die, there is no way I can live in a world of life when I am a creation of death, I have no reason to live either, my family is dead, you should’ve let me drown,” Tengen says, hanging his head low. Ubuyashiki reaches up a hand and pats Tengen’s head. 

“You are not alone Tengen-kun, you have your wives, and if you care so much about the way you have no redemption, maybe I can offer you a slight way?” Ubuyashiki murmurs. 

Tengen looks at the man, they’re the same age, he knows but he can’t help but feel Ubuyashiki is centuries old compared to himself.

“What redemption could a man like me have?” Tengen asks. 

“Kill demons, save lives, kill demons and save the lives of those the demons treathan it will take training and a long time, but you can earn redemption through that, save people Tengen,” Ubuyashiki says. Tengen tries to not wince at the fact the man still doesn’t know his last name. He’ll have to change it.     

—

Maybe Tengen had gotten too proficient at killing people when he passed the final exam easily. His wives as well.

He would no longer be a shinobi. 

And if he had to turn everything about himself around to do so, he would. He was working on it.

Thunder breathing suited him well enough, but there was something missing. Maybe he’d create his own breath style?

His wives, his dear wives, had mostly signed up for recon, Hinatsuru especially, she was smart but dainty. Makio was a good long range fighter and was mostly for support missions.

Suma? She loved the thrill of battle. She hadn’t wanted a sword but other weapons? She was happy with those.

Tengen was grateful he had taken Ubuyashiki’s offer when the man gave it to him. 

He had something to live for again. Even if he knew he was going to hell, maybe his wives wouldn’t. 

“Tengen! Come on, the crow just called for you, you have your first mission!” Makio yells, waving Tengen over. Tengen just grins before waving his wives goodbye; this'd be his new life. 

Well, in that case, bring it on!

—

Tengen stared at everyone else. God he was becoming a Hashria? What the hell was this? Sure he made his own breathing style and killed lower moon four but that was just surface level stuff. 

Still Ubuyashiki welcomed him into the Hashira’s with a smile.

The other Hashira’s 

Kocho Kanae, Tengen already knew her, she was the healer of everyone.

Himejima Gyomei. 

Rengoku Shinjiro, the man looked four drinks away from an assault complaint.

And a mystery Hashira that no one had ever seen apparently.

Apparently the Hashria’s threw a congratulations party?

“So the mystery hashira never comes to anything?” Tengen asks Rengoku again. The man takes another drink.

“Yes, his name is Tomioka Giyu, no idea what’s he about,” Rengoku huffs out. Kocho perks up.

“I’ve heard so awful rumors about him,” She says, covering her mouth. 

“Like what?” Himejima asks, turning to face the younger woman.        

“AH well it’s likely just hearsay but there are a lot of rumors that it’s his fault for the late wind hashira’s passing, and for a few unsolved murders at a shrink on the other side of Kyoto, all of it is rumor though so I wouldn’t believe it myself,” Kocho says.

“The fuck probably got killed at a bar trying to grope so poor man, he deserved it,” Rengoku snaps, bringing more sake to his lips.

“I have also heard rumors that the past wind hashira was rather distasteful,” Himejima says, taking a sip from his water. 

“Who knows, who am I to judge if the water hashira has killed anyone?” Tengen half jokes. A black haired man(?) walks into the room.

“Speak of the devil,” Rengoku says.

“Kanae, your sister requests that you come back many injured slayers have just returned and she needs your help,” The water hashira says. Kocho just nods, excusing herself. 

Tengen promptly does not think of the water hashira until two years later, when Shinagazawa is given the title of the new wind hashira. 

Chapter Text

Makio hates this. She should’ve just told Tengen no. He would’ve accepted it, he would’ve found someone else. 

Why hadn’t she? She knew why she hadn’t. He would’ve found someone else and the poor girl would’ve been out of her wits trying to figure out the rules. 

Makio still hated this though. 

Just breathe in and breathe out.

It’s been two weeks. She hasn’t gotten any unwanted attention, and everyone has been nice. There is definitely something fishy about the Kygoku’s house Orion though. 

Makio shifts through her notes as she sighs. The door behind her slides open. 

“Makio-chan you have a guest,” A younger house goer says. Makio turns to her.

“Of what kind?” Makio asks, turning to the younger woman.

“Overnight kind, our mother let him in because he was beautiful, in her words. He’ll be here in a minute, please get ready.” The other shuffles the door closed and walks away. Makio wants to bang her head through the wall. She hated the work arounds people went to have sex with non sex workers. Makio just sighs, picking up her notes and turning to fully face the door and however the hell she was about to beat up.

Her husband opens the door. She nearly screams at him. Nearly. She stops herself because she does actually love this man and him being banned from the house would be a bad idea. 

“I’m going to kill you Tengen,” Makio growls out instead of the stream of cusses circling in her brain.

“Good to see you too Makio,” Tengen murmurs, sliding the door closed and sitting across from her. Makio huffs. 

Still after all these years, he keeps his promise, he never touches her without asking or carefully dictating his movements so she can see. 

She hates him for it as much as she loves him because of it. 

“Come over here you dumbass I know you want your hands on me,” Makio huffs out leaning into a more comfortable sitting position. Tengen scoots over before locking his hands around her waist and pulling her into a deep kiss.           

“Someone’s missed me,” Makio teases, running a hand through his hair. Tengen nods into her shoulder.  

“How’s the house, no one’s died from food poisoning right? I hope you haven’t been cooking,” Makio continues basking in the attention of her husband.

“No one is dead yet, Giyu’s been cooking for us mostly,” Tengen murmurs.

“Hm good, he’s probably the least likely to burn down the house.”

“Is that a jab at my accidental arson that one time?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you Makio.”

“Love you too Tengen,” Makio responds, leaning her head into Tengen’s hair.

“The house sounds all wrong without you there,” Tengen mutters, hugging Makio closer.

“Yeah, I miss stealing everyones body heat,” Makio responds.

“Knew it was you.”

“Shut up, I have bad circulation!” Makio exclaims play swatting at Tengen’s back. Tengen laughs, leaning back to smile at Makio. 

“I think Giyu misses having you as his weighted blanket, he keeps trying to get under us when he sleeps, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it either.”

“My poor spouse is dying without me to be his extra blanket.” Tengen giggles, leaning closer to Makio’s neck. 

“Well, I miss using Giyu’s thighs as my personal pillows so,” Makio shrugs, leaning back into Tengen’s arms. Tengen laughs. 

“I think he might get desperate enough to come here and pay for a night with you,” Tengen chuckles out. 

“The girls would swoon over him, everyone would be trying to get them into their house. Saying they have the ‘prettiest’ girls.”

“Who wouldn’t swoon over Giyu? He’s gorgeous,” Tengen comments.

“Damn right he is, but he’s ours and only ours,” Makio responds a smirk playing onto her lips. Tengen giggles again. 

“I missed you,” Tengen murmurs looking into Makio’s eyes. She used to not believe her spouses when they said that. The look in Tengen’s eyes. She knows he isn’t lying.

“Missed you too Tengen,” Makio responds leaning closer to him.

—

Makio is out of the house walking around observing Kyogoku’s Orion making a procession around the street. Makio stares the woman down. She isn’t human. 

That has to be demon sighting. 

Mutterings around Makio make her look to the side of the Orion to find a black haired man in a kimono and haori, his hair styled down and curled around his shoulder. He was looking down, finding his way through the crowd without problem. 

Makio knows this man. This is her spouse. He isn’t looking down to seem mysterious, he's mortified at the thought of accidentally looking at womens or mens chests and is trying to avoid attention. 

Giyu is less than fifty centimeters away from her. She holds out her hand and he spots it rushing over to her.   

“Hey Giyu,” Makio mutters to her extremely socially mortified husband.

“Makio I’ve been looking for you for hours,” Giyu gasps out, still refusing to look up, even to meet her eyes.

“Poor thing, come on I’ll get you back,” Makio says, grabbing his hand and walking back to the house. 

“Makio, who is this?” The clerk, the house mother’s daughter, asks when Makio walks in.

“My personal guest, he’ll pay to visit next time, don't worry,” Makio says, dragging Giyu back to the stairs.

BY the time Makio has dragged Giyu to her current room, it’s kinda cramped, not as small as her room in the Ishi house had been but not as big as their bedroom at home. 

Giyu closed the door behind him and sank down to the floor covering his face, breathing shallowly. Makio sits down next to him scooting herself closer, waiting for him to make the first move or not flinch away from her.

“Hey, hey, Gyu, what's wrong?” The result of too many times drunk and half asleep gave way to Giyu’s nickname, Gyu. Giyu shakes, covering his face, his fingers digging into past scars where a muzzle once lay.

“They have the same looks as them,” Giyu chokes out his fingers digging further into his skin. Makio leans forward, letting her shoulder brush Giyu’s for just a moment before the other curls closer to her.

“I know, I hate it.”

“I hated how they looked at you like you weren’t human, I hated how they looked at me , like I was a toy again.” 

“Giyu you were never a toy to begin with, neither was I, I know. I know the way they stare is beyond shitty for everyone, I hate it too Giyu, I hate it,” Makio murmurs, pulling Giyu closer to rest her nose in his soft curling hair.

Giyu’s arms hesitate before wrapping around Makio’s waist and pulling her closer, imperceivable closer, but closer. 

“You're stronger than me Maiko.”

“Why’d you think that?”

“If I were in your position I would’ve already broken. I wouldn’t even be able to stand a day like you are. I’d already be shattered by this.”

Giyu, Makio observed, always talked about himself as an easy to shatter mirror, copying whoever he was close to, easy to break, and harder to put back together, only leaving sharp edges and blood, if someone tried. 

Tengen dared to try, Suma dared to try, Hinatsuru dared to try, Makio dared to try.

She was willing to pour her heart into making sure Giyu healed, she was willing to let her own blood become the gold of Giyu’s kintsugi mirror if it meant he’d be okay one day.     

She was sure all of her spouses agreed with her thoughts. 

Her blood, spit, and tears had become part of the golden lacing that healed Tengen, she wasn’t afraid to do it again. 

Maybe she was broken too, maybe everyone with the Uzui name was.

Maybe that’s why they were together, they wouldn’t be able to exist without each other. 

All of them would’ve shattered by now if they hadn’t found each other. 

Chapter Text

Tengen paces around the butterfly mashion. Correspondences should’ve come by now. Maybe the mail keeper was running late? Running late worth two weeks of correspondence? Unlikely. Tengen feared the worst. He needed backup. He needed fucking backup. 

Tengen would get Giyu, maybe Mitsuri or Shinobu too, but he had no fucking idea where any of them were. Mitsuri was probably knuckles deep in that pitiful man known as Obanai–

Tengen shouldn’t be thinking these thing of his coworkers. 

Shinobu wouldn’t agree to help him no matter what, Giyu would but he’d need to go so far under cover. Tengen knew Giyu would lose himself doing that.

Fuck! What the hell was Tengen supposed to do, he couldn’t just let his wives disappear, and never be seen again. 

Tengen mutters and suddenly an idea comes to his head. If he can’t find Hashira to help him, the next best thing, their underlings! Tengen rushed forward finding the first girl he saw, he thought her name might be Aoi? He wasn’t entirely sure though.

He’d need to find Kocho’s apprentice, Kanano too. Maybe he could find another person, there weren’t many women in the corps, most resided in the kakushi, and most of the others were powerful enough to always be on missions. It left Tengen with few women few and far between who were always busy. These people weren’t on mission however, so it’d be fine.

Sure Kocho might yell at him, but he could handle that.

“Please set her down!” A boy yells. Tengen flicks his head over to see the boy Giyu saved, Tanjiro?

“Hah?” He asks, he knows the boy is favored by many but he can’t have blatant disrespect to his superior officers and expect to get away with it.

“Can’t you see I’m taking her on a mission,” Tengen snaps.

“Can;t you see she’s not a mission assigned member?!” Tanjiro asks. Tengne raises an eyebrow and turns to look at the girl. Ah.

Seemed Tanjiro was right. His fault, but still blatant disrespect to higher members in the corps was always a punishment. He knew from far too many disciplinary actions. Normally a punishment would be forced to help around the butterfly mansion for a month, however that seemed to be this girl's job. 

Physical disciplinary action wasn’t as common but–

Tengen threw the girl. “You,” he said to her, “you do fifteen training runs, you.”

Tengen turns to Tanjiro, “You’re coming with me.” He smirks to the boy. Two more boys, one with a boar head, another who seemed like a snob, yellow and orange chopped hair. 

“Where do you think you're taking Gonpachiro!” The boar one screams. 

“How dare you treat a young woman so cruelly,” The yellow one says.

“Where are we going?!” Tanjiro yells. 

Tengen flashes a smirk, “The flashiest place around, the city of red lights.”

 The kids goon around, especially the yellow, one who seems very flustered. Tanjiro seems to be completely unaware of everything around him. The boar one wants to fight everything, and Tengen is mostly sure the yellow has a hard on.

These fools. Tengen wishes he could’ve taken Giyu. He sent a message but know Giyu’s crow, it would be at least another two days before Giyu was here. He was held up at the house alone. 

By the time Tengen drags them back to the small apartment Tengen has been renting for this mission he has a headache. 

“I need you all to find my wives.” He says, sighing.

“I refuse you get you a bride!-” Tengen punches the yellow kid in the gut, before knocking over the stash of letters he’s been receiving. 

“They’re already there, but they recently stopped sending letters so I need someone to go in for backup.” Tengen snaps. 

“She must’ve been undercover for a long time,” Tanjiro says with wonder.

“I have three wives,” Tengen responds deadpan. He thinks it wise to not mention his husband as the yellow doesn’t seem to know how to respect others.

“Who are we looking for?” The boar one asks. 

“Suma at Tokito, Makio at Ogimoto, and Hinatsuru at Kyogoku, if I find out that you don’t try to find my wives, death for all of you,” Tengen says, levelling his gaze on the yellow boy.

“At anyways, it’s time for you all to get dressed!” Tengen says in a false cheeriness. 

Tengen didn’t put the three of them into the best makeup possible; he won't lie, but that makeup is for Giyu’s scars to hide them, and for when the black haired man dresses up for dates. Tenegn won’t break into his husband’s stash.

Tengen smiles at the madam at Tikito and she agrees to take in Tanjiro, they lie and say that the box hold’s Tanjiro's life possessions. It’s not wrong, his sister is a life possession but, it’s the only way Tengen could think to get the box inside with Tanjiro. Tengen doesn’t mind Nezuko but she looks like how his littlest sister looked before she died, and it hurts Tengen to look at her for too long. 

The yellow one is pissed at him, Tengen knows how to clean up and just because he can get both in bed seems to hurt the yellow one’s pride. 

Tengen thinks that if the yellow knew at Tengen wasn’t always on top the boy would become completely desolate. The boar one, who is actually quite attractive, reminds him of Giyu somewhat how easily they could pass as the other gender although for different reasons. Tengen knows not to make him too attractive though.

“Excuse me sir,” A woman says. Tengen turns around to find her holding the boar kid.

“Can I please take her with me?” Tengen smiles at the woman,

“Of course I can never get poor Inoko under control. I'm sure you can help with that right?”

“Of course sir.” The woman and boar kid turn around and leave quickly. Tengen turns to the yellow kid.

“You’re clearly a disappointment,” Tengen comments dryly. They walk over to the Ogimoto house and Tengen charms the yellow kid’s way into the house by saying that while she’s not a looker she can play with grace. 

Tengen fleets back, staring out at the houses that make the city. A person lands beside him.

“Hey Giyu.” Tengen comments, his crow must’ve come early.

“Hi Tengen,” Giyu responds, placing a hand onto his shoulder. 

“Who were the others you convinced to come?” Giyu asks, his gaze flickering around the city looking.

“Tanjiro, and his two little followers.”

“Insosuke, and Zenitsu?”

“Yeah something like that. That yellow shit had half a hard the whole time, brat.”

“He’s a kid as long as he doesn’t do anything rash about it.”

Tengen just huffs pulling Giyu down into his arms. 

“I’m worried this isn’t like them, and everyday I’m worried someone will figure out Hinatsuru and she’ll be killed and-”

“That won’t happen, Tengen, we won’t let it,” Giyu responds.

“How long can you stay to help?”

“Tonight and tomorrow there’s rumors of demon stirrings near my area, I wouldn’t want the owners of the water mansion to be harmed.”

“I still can’t believe you sold the place to them,” Tengen murmurs. 

“It’s their family house, and it was far too big of a place for me to live myself, it can house way more people than we have.” Giyu goes silent for a moment.

“Plus if I hadn’t I would’ve never have gotten close to you, so I think it worked out in the end,” Giyu reasons. Tengen just lets out a fond huff of hair.

“You’re obnoxious,” Tengen says with no heat in his words.

“When they die that house better be in their will under your name though, hell knows if we have kids we’re gonna need a bigger house. Giyu snarks out a laugh at Tengen’s words.

“So many of my old paintings are still in the house, I hope they’ll give them back to me when the owners die.”

“You sold it to their grandchildren right? Not the old water hashira’s siblings right?”

“Mhm, they seemed a lot nicer, I think they’re a little older than me, maybe your age?”

“Hm, well, we might as well call it a night, nothing’s going on that I can hear, anything you can see?”

“No, I think that’d be good. I haven't slept well in weeks.” Giyu admits sheepishly. 

Tengen just smiles at his husband.

Chapter Text

So, you might've noticed that updates for this fic have been getting slower and slower, and tbh that's because I felt that I should've ended this around chapter 8-9ish. I wanted to the the entertainment district arc, but I actually really love how it's written and don't see much merit in rewriting it has it's the exact same other than Giyu visiting Tengen the day that the main trio start the mission. So naturally, I have come t other conclusion to end this fic. This is not the end of the series by any means, I still have Giyu's past to write (which is dramatically changed from canon) and more for post canon. So Lead me home, please is ending here. I hope everyone who has read this or continues to read this understands my design and will keep reading all my aus. Note; the Spotify playlist for this fic series will be down for a little while, I want to redo it as I want to remake the structure of the playlist.