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Chapter Text

Agatsuma Zenitsu was an annoying mystery to try and figure out.

It's something that Sanemi has come to a conclusion with merely just meeting him. He was just a few years older than Tokito, and yet that blond thunder brat was more of a child than the Mist Hashira was. Loud, annoying, a fucking crybaby. A liability. He was a goddamn child. How did a child like him ever reach the position of a Hashira, let alone become a demon slayer? It was stupid. He was more annoying than Tomioka fucking Giyuu with his ‘I'm not like all of you’ attitude.

All of the Hashiras had, at the very least, a similar train of thought. The blond boy was an anomaly within the rest of the Hashiras. A coward like him did not deserve this rank. He did not deserve to be one. Well, those last two thoughts were what Sanemi truly thought.

Him and Iguro were just striding down a village, rumours of a lowermoon being around its outskirts. He was looking around, seeing all of the terrified villagers there. They were hurrying to their houses, the words ‘monster’ echoing in Sanemi's ears. They were terrified of the demon. He didn't blame them. They were just naive, innocent bystanders.

“Ma'am, you should hurry.” he heard someone. His footsteps came to a halt as he looked around. The voice was awfully familiar. And he hated the sound of it. His eyes narrowed as he saw Agatsuma helping an elderly woman walk, his voice gentle. Since when could he talk without wailing or screeching? In the few times he has had a conversation with the blond, all he did was cower or wail. What the hell?

“Thank you, young man.” she spoke, her voice shaky yet sweet. He shook his head.

“No problem. But please, hurry to the safety of your home.” he ushered. Sanemi stared at the scene, maybe a bit too hard. Since when was the blond brat so gentle? Since when could he be quiet? What the fuck?

“That's Agatsuma, is it not?” Iguro asked, his tone curious, like Sanemi's. The Wind Hashira nodded as an answer. The blond’s head perked, turning to look at the two. It was as if he had noticed them without them approaching. His face immediately paled at the sight of the other two Hashiras, his body shrinking in itself. He quickly turned his tail and sped away from them, seemingly in a hurry. He and Iguro shared a look.

“Was he also assigned a mission here?” the wind breathing user grumbled, not exactly liking the idea.

“Perhaps. Or maybe he’s just coming back from his own mission.” Iguro hummed, Kaburamaru’s tongue flickering slightly in discontent at the idea of the blond being there with the two adults. The Serpent Hashira scratched his companion under his chin, the other hissing, complacent.

“Hope that crybaby doesn’t get in our way.” the wind user huffed, shaking his head. That liability better stay out of his and Iguro’s mission.

Sanemi dodged a blast of the demon’s vines, rolling on the floor. He breathed out, charging straight at the demon with the first form of Wind Breathing. Yet all it did was pull itself away from him with its vines. He gritted his teeth. He can’t find a damn opening to cut off its head! How the hell was he supposed to do this?!

“Iguro! Can you give me some assistance?!” he asked.

“I would! But I can’t find an opening!” the Serpent Hashira answered, his sword cleaving through endless streams of vines. How was this a lowermoon? How were they losing to a lowermoon?

His thoughts were interrupted as vines wrapped around his throat, Total Concentration Breathing cutting short. He gasped, blade clattering against the ground as he was lifted off of the ground, the plants tight against his skin. His chipped nails clawed at the restraints, begging to be let go while his legs swung in a panic. He heard Iguro gasp. “Shinazugawa!” he called, moving to charge.

“If you move, I’ll snap his neck.” the demon threatened, its tone sorrowful. Like the bastard could actually feel any sort of sadness or sorrow. Both froze at those words. Shit, this was bad. This was actually bad. He didn’t have his sword with him, he wouldn’t be able to get free. And Iguro- shit! They were in trouble. They needed help.

A flash of yellow flew by, his eyes widening as he fell to the ground, remnants of the vines scattered on the ground. The demon cried out in pain, its limbs regenerating faster than the usual demon. Iguro was just as shocked as he was. Sanemi’s eyes widened even more as he saw the blond brat land behind the demon. He stood on one knee, his sword in its sheath. How..? How did he do that? Iguro ran to Sanemi, helping him back to his feet.

“You! You buffoon! How dare you!” the demon cried out, vines shooting out of its arms and heading towards the Hashira.

“Agatsuma!” the blond jumped high up, flipping in the air and landing against one of the trees. His eyes were glowing brightly, thunder crackling all around him.

“Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash.”

The wood of the tree cracked, splinters flying around the younger Hashira as he dashed forwards, faster than lightning. In just a second, the demon’s head rolled on the ground, its body falling limp. Sanemi stared, mouth parted open, watching the brat land on the floor. He and Iguro shared a look, watching him kneel down by the demon.

“What is he-”

Zenitsu knelt down by the demon, his gaze soft and gentle. The demon was staring at him. “What are you-”

“I may not understand your reasons for becoming a demon. But you were in a lot of pain, were you not?” he asked. Her voice caught in her throat, he could hear her shaky breaths.

“Your vines had black roses. You were in pain.” he said.

“...I never wanted to hurt anyone… I wanted the pain to stop…” she sobbed, tears rolling down her face “I wanted to live… I didn’t want to die…” she whispered, her voice breaking. Zenitsu closed his eyes, resting his hand on the demon’s head.

“Sleep well. May your next life be painless and happy.” he whispered. The demon’s eyes widened, the upper half of her head remaining as her body crumbled away into dust, laying on the ground.

“You’re… so kind… and warm…” she whispered, closing her eyes before her existence crumbled and decayed, disappearing. Zenitsu opened his eyes, seeing a small ornament of a rose on the ground. He took it in his palms, treating it with care as he placed it in the pocket of his pants.

He then turned around, facing the two Hashiras with a nervous expression. He forgot they were there, he forgot that he’d just saved Shinazugawa-sama from almost dying a premature death. He swallowed thickly, a pool of anxiety in his stomach. However, he pushed through his nerves. “Are you both alright..?” he asked, fingers curling around his haori.

“...Y-Yes. We are.” Iguro-sama nodded, finally finding the words to speak. Zenitsu sighed in relief. That was alright. They were okay, thank god. Their sounds were unlike usual, though. And it worried the blond.

“That’s a relief. I’ll be on my way.” he told them, bowing down in respect. He turned, walking past them almost in a hurry. They were terrifying. They terrified him. God, he just wanted to get back to his Estate and-

“Agatsuma.” he flinched when Shinazugawa-sama called him. All the hairs on his body shot up as he slowly turned around, seeing him stare daggers at him, eyes narrowed.

“Ye-Yeah?”

“...Good job.” the blond’s face lit up slightly at the compliment, his eyes lighting up in joy. He suppressed the urge to hug the crap out of the man for congratulating him, instead he chose simply bowing his head down at the two with a grateful smile.

“Thank you!”

The Thunder Estate smelled like a mixed variety of fruits and vegetables. The smell of peaches, specifically, hit Sanemi like a carriage the moment he approached. It was a sweet and creamy smell, something he’s not used to. The dirt path leading to the building was filled with peach trees. He continued his way, the sun’s warm rays blanketed his skin gently. He paid no mind to it, although the sound of an instrument did catch his ear. It was a soft, gentle tune, by a string instrument perhaps.

He followed the gentle sound, the dirt crunching under his steps. The sound seemed to be of a shamisen, although he couldn’t exactly pinpoint it. He wandered further and further until he came across a building. A small minka house on a field, with what seemed like fields filled with fruits and vegetables being cared for. He stared at the house. It was small, probably with just the needed rooms like a bedroom, a kitchen and a restroom.

Sanemi approached the minka, his eyes landing on the Thunder Hashira. He sat on the engawa at the entrance, a shamisen in his hands. He was playing the instrument delicately, his fingers moving from one string to another with the precision of a professional. The Wind Hashira stood silently, his face softening at the tune. It was so soft, like a lullaby.

The blond opened his eyes, widening immediately when he spotted the wind breather. His fingers slipped, creating an out of tune note that disturbed the original melody the blond was playing. Sanemi’s face scrunched up at that sound, it was unpleasant to hear. “S-Shinazugawa-sama! I-I wasn’t expecting you!” the blond stammered anxiously, putting down the instrument as he shot back to his feet “I-I didn’t even know that you knew about my Estate’s location!”

“I asked Oyakata-sama, since none of the Hashiras know. And if Tokito knows, he forgot.” the white haired man said, scratching the back of his head. Slowly, he presented the box wrapped in the pale yellow cloth with white polka dots to the boy. Iguro had been the one to pick the cloth’s colour, as Sanemi’s color blindness could not be of help in that department. Seeing the boy’s surprise was definitely normal.

“Huh? What- What’s this?” he asked, carefully taking the box in his hands.

“A gift. And an apology from me, and from the Serpent Hashira.” Sanemi said, watching his face morph into a curious and confused expression “Both Iguro and I want to apologize for underestimating you and believing you’re not worth your Hashira rank. For not seeing past your… crying and your emotional self.” he saw the surprise and hurt in the other’s eyes at those words, his chest tightening for some reason “I know it’s not gonna fix it immediately, of course. Just know that… We’re sorry.” he finished, the words strung together sounded more awkward than he had wanted for them to sound. He wasn’t good at apologizing, at least with words.

“...Heh. You’re better than my brother.” Agatsuma bitterly laughed, brows knitted together into a frown. Sanemi’s shoulders visibly stiffened. That bitter tone was… odd. He didn’t like it.

“I’m sorry for acting like a crybaby. It’s just- You guys scare me a lot, y’know!” he nervously admitted, setting the box down on the engawa “And- well, yeah, it’s true that I’m gonna have a hard time forgiving you. But…” he paused, his tone softening “You’re not lying. I can tell. And I appreciate the effort you and Iguro-sama are making. So I… I appreciate your apology.” he smiled. Sanemi blinked. Just- Just like that? No tricks, no buts, no conditions, no nothing?

He must have looked like a deer lost in the city, because Agatsuma chuckled at his reaction. “Shinazugawa-sama, I’m not a piece of shit like my brother. I may be a bit bitter about your previous thoughts about me, but I’m willing to overlook it because of your honest words and efforts.” he told him, picking up the shamisen and the clothed box “Would you like to come inside? I can prepare some tea for you.” he offered.

“...Sure. Do you have matcha or green tea?”

“Of course! Tsukuda-kun brought some leaves yesterday for me to enjoy. It must have been a long journey to my Estate, was it not?”

Chapter Text

It's a few days later when the two Hashiras decide to visit their thunder breathing comrade again. “It truly smells like a lot of fruits here.” Obanai commented as he and Shinazugawa wandered down the dirt path to the Thunder Estate, the smell somewhat repulsive to him for very obvious, personal reasons. The other man nodded, his expression soft. To other slayers, the sight would have been uncanny to witness. The Wind Hashira, not angry all the time? Totally unheard of. But Obanai, who has known the man for a short time, has seen that look before. Not many times, of course. But he's seen it enough. As they approached the Thunder Estate, they noticed Agatsuma talking with some people. The unknown people were nervous, and they looked like they were trying to reject something that the blond kid was offering them, while the kid looked... annoyed. The two Hashiras shared a look of confusion, deciding to approach to try and hear what was going on.

“Again! I insist!”

“Agatsuma-sama, please! That is too much!”

“It isn’t! Please, take the money! The three of you have been taking care of my Estate’s fields, I can never repay you all!”

“Agatsuma-sama!-”

“What’s happening here?” Shinazugawa asked, raising a brow. The four people turned to look at them. Agatsuma wasn’t wearing his uniform, instead settling with a jinbei kimono with the same pattern as his own haori, just with a yellow-brown base colour instead of the bright yellow one.

“Shinazugawa-sama, Iguro-sama!” Agatsuma exclaimed, immediately dashing towards them upon seeing them “Help me convince them to accept the raise I’m trying to give them!” he pleaded. His expression reminded Obanai of that of a sad kitty begging for food. He had no idea why the image came to his mind.

“Raise?” Obanai repeated.

“We work for Agatsuma-sama.” one of them, a woman around Himejima’s age, spoke “We take care of the fields, sometimes he helps us. We’ve been working for him a few weeks after he received his Estate.” she explained. Ah, that makes sense. So they had been hired by him.

“I don’t see the reason why you should deny that raise.” Obanai deadpanned “You’ve been working hard here, and he appreciates the help. You deserve it, it's logical that you accept it.”

“THANK YOU!” Agatsuma let out, exasperatedly throwing his arms up in the air. Obanai flinched a bit from the shouting.

“But!-”

“OH! MY! GOD! FOR THE LOVE OF THE MASTER, TAKE IT!” he exclaimed, practically shoving the envelopes with what the Serpent Hashira assumed was money into their hands, not taking no for an answer “OR ELSE I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU THREE!” The people eventually relented after a short back and forth, Obanai and Shinazugawa awkwardly standing to the side while they waited for it to end while watching in disbelief. Because it was such a strange scene to witness itself.

Once that small highlight was finally done, the trio entered the Thunder Estate while the workers sat on the engawa, taking a break. The smell of food hit Obanai’s nose, his stomach recoiling just slightly. Food. He’d eaten earlier, with the only person he has trusted enough to reveal his scar. But he was still hungry. And yet-

“I made onigiris earlier because I wasn’t sure when you’d arrive. Please wait while I give them to the workers.” Agatsuma sheepishly apologized. Obanai blinked. Huh? He made them earlier? But the smell- it was recent. What was he talking about? Had he… noticed his discomfort, somehow?

The two Hashiras sat at the kitchen, the sound of fast, silent footsteps echoing throughout the place as Agatsuma moved fast, like thunder. Now that Obanai thought about it, it made sense that he was so fast. His breathing style was Thunder, and that style was known for utilizing blinding speeds and immensely fast attacks to overwhelm the user's enemies in an instant. The kid was fast. It made sense.

He ended up coming back with a small plate of ohagi and tea cups filled with sencha tea, putting the small meal on the table. Obanai watched Shinazugawa, seeing his eyes lighting up just slightly once the sweet treat came into his vision. “Feel free to take some if you wish.” the blond offered. Almost immediately, the Wind Hashira reached out for one, taking it and taking a bite. Agatsuma smiled softly as he took a piece for himself. Obanai didn’t take anything, instead his hands curled around the tea cup. It was warm, recently made.

“Did you make the ohagi?” Obanai asked.

“Ah! No, I can only make basic things. Kanemoto-san made it.” the two Hashiras raised a brow “The woman that spoke to you both. She’s the oldest of the workers I hired to take care of my Estate.” he explained.

“Why did you hire people to take care of your Estate?” Shinazugawa asked.

“At times, my missions take me far away from my Estate for some periods of time. I experienced my crops going rotten the first two times it happened and cried so much, so I decided to hire people to take care of them. At first it was while I was away, but Kanemoto-san convinced me to let them come here every day.” he recalled, sweatdropping. The picture of the blond crying dramatically because of his crops rotting while he was away came into Obanai’s mind. It wasn't exactly far off from the Agatsuma everyone knew. Shinazugawa must have imagined it too, since he huffed out a chuckle, looking away.

“Don't laugh at me!” the blond exclaimed, embarrassed as he flapped his arms around like a child.

“When you say Kanemoto-san convinced you. You mean she convinced you, as in she bullied you to let them work here every day?” Obanai quizzed, receiving a nod and a nervous chuckle for an answer. He hummed softly.

“At first I was reluctant to do so, since they lived far away from my Estate. But… Yeah, they bullied me to do so. And bribed. I'm kind of a doormat...” the thunder breather admitted, his head ducked down in embarrassment as he sweatdropped. His throat felt dry, he was thirsty. But Agatsuma was here. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t-

He paused when he saw the blond cover his eyes with his hands, the action confusing. Him and Shinazugawa exchanged a glance. “What are you doing?” the Wind Hashira asked.

“Ah- Sorry. I could tell that Iguro-sama wanted to drink and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable in case he decided to reveal his lower face just to drink.” he nervously explained, not taking his hands off of his eyes. Obanai stared. He just stared. That was… oddly kind. Nobody really did that. Hell, it took the Serpent Hashira some time before he could tell Shinazugawa why he wore these bandages. And here was this- this fourteen, fifteen year old just- being caring and respectful of his boundaries.

Shinazugawa gave him a glance, as if he waited for him to act. Kaburamaru was looking at him with concern. Obanai took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “It’s alright, Agatsuma. You don’t… You don’t need to cover your eyes.” he told the kid. Shinazugawa stiffened at those words.

“Are you sure?” the blond asked.

“Yes. I’m sure.” he insisted. With a nod, Agatsuma uncovered his eyes. And then, Obanai slowly lowered his bandages, his fingers curled around the fabric almost shakily.

Zenitsu’s eyes widened slowly as Iguro-sama lowered his bandages, revealing a large scar across the lower part of his face. His mouth had been cut open, it almost resembled a snake’s gape of some sorts. His gaze softened, however. ‘Iguro-sama must have gone through a lot of pain. His sounds are sorrowful, painful. His self-loathing shines through in the worst way.’ he thought, eyes closing ‘And Shinazugawa-sama must have known. He tensed when Iguro-sama allowed me to see. That must mean that they’re closer with each other than with the rest of the Hashiras.’ he mentally noted it down. He did notice the small friend groups within the Hashiras, both the first time and the second time. Albeit the first time, it had only been because of his hearing. It was different than witnessing it. In the deep chasm of his mind, he wondered if it had always been like that. But right now, there were other things to discuss. And to react to.

“It’s very admirable, Iguro-sama.” he spoke as he opened his eyes. The Serpent Hashira blinked, surprised.

“Huh?” he let out.

“Even despite how uncomfortable it can be, you still chose to trust me and reveal your secret to me. It’s admirable.” he smiled.

“...You don’t think that it’s-”

“Why would I? Everyone has scars, mental or physical. Some people can show them off proudly,” Shinazugawa-sama blinked, as if he knew that the Thunder Hashira was referring to him specifically “others are more secretive about them. But each scar has a story to tell.” he smiled. There was a beat of silence, but it was loud. Silence had always been loud for Zenitsu. Iguro-sama and Shinazugawa-sama’s heart beats slowed down slightly, calmer now. The blond was relieved. He had thought that maybe he’d chosen the wrong words, but it seemed like he didn’t.

“Thank you, Agatsuma. Your words are very kind.” the gratefulness and the relief that he felt had seeped into Iguro-sama’s tone with ease, and the blond smiled in response.

“No problem, Iguro-sama. Besides, it's not like I don't have any! You can already see the one on my left eye. Although the ones I got from that lightning that hit me when I was younger aren’t really visible!”

"I'm sorry, the what now?"

It's almost time for the Hashira meeting, and Kyojuro can't help but stare at Shinazugawa-san and Iguro. They're both amicably speaking with Agatsuma, who had a big smile on his face. Shinazugawa-san’s tone was gentle, even if he lacked a smile on his face and he looked pissed off, like always, and Iguro’s posture was relaxed, unguarded. The blond had his hands laced together behind his back as he spoke, rocking his feet back and forth almost nervously, like always. But he looked less scared of them. Hell, Kaburamaru happily sat on the blond’s shoulders instead of Iguro's, he was even nuzzling his head against the young boy's cheek almost affectionately!

Well, considering the fact that he was speaking with the two scariest Hashiras, according to the entirety of the Corps, without wailing or being scared, then yeah. He looked less scared.

“Well, that's not something you see every day.” the Sound Hashira whistled, hands placed on his hips “Who would’ve thought that the Wailing Hashira would befriend the two scariest Hashiras.” he commented.

“It is very surprising indeed, my fellow comrade!” Kyojuro boomed, arms folded below his chest “I wonder what happened for them to bond!”

“I think it's very sweet!” Kanroji beamed “Agatsuma-kun is always lonely whenever I see him, so I'm happy he's talking to someone!” she admitted "Iguro-san is very kind, too! He's letting Kaburamaru-kun be around Agatsuma-kun!"

“His choice of friends could be better, though.” Uzui added. Then, a pebble flew at him, hitting the Sound Hashira straight in the face. Kyojuro and Kanroji backed away, surprised.

“OW! What the hell?!”

“I can hear you, Uzui-sama!” Agatsuma exclaimed in anger, with Kaburamaru glaring at the Sound Hashira from the blond's shoulders. Shinazugawa-san laughed, while Iguro rolled his eyes.

“Don't throw a pebble at me, Agatsuma!”

 I'll do whatever the hell I want!”

“Respect your superiors!”

“I will when you act like an actual adult!”

"What the fuck!"