Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Giyuu fanfic ideas:

1. Kimetsu Academy AU
Giyuu teaches there for a while then leaves. The other teachers/Hashira discover this band and when they go to a concert they see he is a singer.

2. Giyuu as Ray
When the Hashira are sent on a mission to stop a human farm, they find out a lot about their comrade's past.
(*Currently ongoing)

3. Giyuu Snaps
(Giyuu x Sanemi - friendship or romance)
He is on a mission with Sanemi and he won't stop annoying him. Then, a meeting is announced and Giyuu drags Sanemi there and makes a statement.

4. Urokodaki's Training
The Hashira are sent to train with Urokodaki and find out a bit about how Giyuu was brought up. (*This fic)

5. Final Selection
Himejima finds Giyuu at a grave whilst praying and finds out about his final selection.

6. Water Breathers
Urokodaki suggests testing the current Hashira and tells some embarrassing stories about Giyuu.

7. Mother Giyuu
The Hashira find out how much Giyuu cares for the Kamaboko Squad and how he acts/feels like a mother to them.

8. White, hot rage
When Sanemi burns Giyuu's haori, he learns the true wrath of the water pillar and has to right his wrong. But will he learn a little about his comrade's past along the way?

9. Deaf or Mute?
(Reader X Giyuu - mainly platonic but can be seen as romantic)
Reader is Mute and Giyuu is deaf. The Hashira question the Master about why they won't talk to them. It does make sense that way round to me because Giyuu has occasionally talked but in the Hashira meeting, he walks away (and therefore can't read any lips) but paused at the door because he can feel the vibrations of someone talking, almost turns around but then decides to walk away - I hope that makes sense.

10. The scars that never heal
When Giyuu gets an injury, Shinobu and Mitsuri look through Kanae's medical records to find out why it is affecting him so much.

11. Crazy
Giyuu gets a flashback to his past when Sanemi claims Giyuu is crazy. The Hashira then deal with his panic attack.(*Currently Ongoing)

12. Unseen
Giyuu has one last meetup with the Hashira before he commits suicide + aftermath.

13. The Red Light District
What if Uzui, Sanemi, Rengoku and Giyuu go to the Red Light District and one of them has to work in one of the houses for the mission? Spoiler alert: it's Giyuu.

14. The Original Three
Gyoumei, Tengen and Giyuu have a tradition of meeting up but when Tengen forgets, what are the other two going to do?

15. Suffocating
Giyuu attempts suicide but someone has a hunch about it happening.

16. Questioning Gaze
Someone wanders into the Water Estate for the first time and begins to study Giyuu's habits. (OCD AU - request by GiglingsohardHEHEHE (Guest))

Chapter Text

Giyuu knows how Urokodaki raised him was much stranger than in an average home but he didn't mind. He had a roof over his head and was able to come home to a warm meal after his training every day.

But his training was a different story entirely.

It was, for a lack of a better word, brutal. If you even made the smallest mistake, punishment would follow.

The punishment would ensure you never made the same mistake twice and in that sense, it was quite effective. The fear instilled in the student practically confirmed that getting it right would be a top priority and failure was not an option.

But all of that made Urokodaki seem like a cruel person. Giyuu knew deep down he wasn't, even if his punishments would reflect the darkest parts of him, whilst growing up on the mountain, his kind actions told a very different story.

He can still vividly remember the firm head pats he received or, when he was still recovering from hypothermia when he had just escaped from the village who were so adamant he was a crazy, the kind voice asking if he was cold or did he need any blankets, food, a hot beverage?

The point is that Giyuu knew Urokodaki was a good person and he only wanted him to be the best he could. He apparently did a good job too considering Giyuu was eligible for becoming the water pillar only a year after he (kind of) passed final selection. Whilst he refused out of a mix of regret and respect of his best friend Sabito, he knew Urokodaki and Tsutako would want him to become the Water Hashira, to help people and hopefully find some inner peace.

While inner peace seemed like a distant concept to Giyuu, due to the constant harassment directed at him from his peers, he did help people. And that was all that really mattered in the end.

But that didn't mean he wasn't haunted by the past.

That night, he was having a particularly horrible dream, also known as a nightmare, about the night everything started.

He sees himself walking deeper into the village to play with his friends. The memory almost brought a smile to his face. But that was quickly ruined by the screams of his nee-san coming from the distance.

His younger self was oblivious to the yells for help as were the other villagers but Giyuu could still hear them ringing in the back of his mind.

He shut his eyes as hard as he could in an attempt to block out the sounds but they just kept on getting louder and louder.

His eyes shot open and for a moment everything was silent. And as if his prayers had been answered, he was no longer overlooking his younger self. But that was simply an illusion as now he saw the body of his sister laid out before him, her eyes full of fear.

But what was she afraid of? There was only him and her here. As he slowly plodded towards here, he knew something was wrong and this was not the happy memory he had imagined. He tried to stop himself but his body was not under his control.

All of a sudden, Giyuu was knelt over her body with a kitchen knife in hand. The knife Tsutako had chopped up some fresh salmon she bought for his birthday to make his favourite, Salmon and Daikon. Now, she was about to be butchered by it.

He raised it high above his head and he brought it down and it came into contact with her pristine white skin as crimson blood spurted out of the wound and coated his yukata.

He really was the monster everyone thought he was.

He lay down in despair and just as he sat up in order to check on his sister, he was torn from the land of dream and back into reality.

He woke covered in a thin sheen of sweat and was shaking from head to toe.

Instead of the world letting him have a few moment to recollect himself, his crow, Kanzaburo, swooped in and perched on his window sill. It loudly cawed, "CAAWWW! CCAWW! HASHIRA MEETING! CAAWWW!"

'Great, just what I needed' he thought to himself. But he didn't want to risk being late and, albeit reluctantly, got himself out of bed.

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This wasn't how he wanted to start his morning at all. Besides all the other Hashira hated him with a burning passion and their so called 'teasing' didn't help with his obvious self esteem issues. To an outsider, it was just plain cruelty, but he knew that deep down he deserved it.

He let Tsutako nee-san die, or did he kill her? He couldn't quite remember, his memories were so blurry. He does recall the people in his village telling his Uncle he killed his older sister. And of his insane babbling about monsters that didn't exist. He remembers how his Uncle took him to a mental asylum. How he was punished for the irreversible wrong he committed against his family. How he escaped the torture and when Urokodaki's training began, he felt almost immune to the pain.

Pain was such a strange thing to Giyuu. After a while things stop hurting the way they should. Like when he drew a kitchen knife across the pale skin on his wrist, not because he wanted to. No, he never wanted it, but because he deserved it. Because it dulled the incessant screams imprinted into his head, constantly replaying until he couldn't hear his own thoughts, let alone anyone else's meaningless words.

He desperately wanted to skip the meeting today but he knew someone would come to 'check up on him' or something else of the sort.

He decided to walk to the meeting today. He didn't think he was in a rush and besides, he needed the time to think through last night's dream, or maybe a memory?

Although, he now knew that was a mistake.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing!? Late again!?" Shinazagawa yelled across the Master's garden. He was immediately hit by the disapproving stares focused on his figure. He could almost picture Iguro's scowl now.

He was about to report that he was not in fact late as the Master hadn't arrived yet but thought better of it and decided to keep his thoughts to himself. After all, nobody would listen anyway. He want even a real Hashira, and definitely not someone worthy of their time or respect.

He could hear Kocho tut at his lack of preparation for the semi-annual meeting but thankfully, she did not approach him.

He was left to stew with his thoughts until the Master walked out of his estate followed closely by two of his children.

Once he did, everyone kneeled out of respect for him and everything he had done for each individual. The Master was truly too kind. He paid equal attention to each of his 'children' and always made time when their doubts and fears came to chase them. But the thing Giyuu most respected about him, was his willingness not to pry.

Giyuu had never opened up to the Master in the same way the other Hashira had. He instead left himself to drown in his regrets and never truly faced his past. Sometimes, he tried to ignore that it even happened.

But it was always there, in the back of his mind, nagging at him, worsening his doubts, making him unable to do the one thing he wanted to do so badly.

He knew from a very young age that he couldn't wait to die. There was no reason left for him to live, and it would help him atone for his sins.

But he knew how Urokodaki would feel. All of his students were dead, except for him. He knew that if he died, Urokodaki may commit sepuku* like Jiguro** did when he discovered one of his students had turned into a demon in order to keep his life.

He should consider himself lucky that someone actually cared about what happened to him. But at the moment, it seemed more like a burden than a blessing. It was the one reason why he shouldn't die. And that was all Giyuu had to cling onto.

Yet he had never even visited his Sensei after finam selection.

Consumed with guilt for letting the boy who he considered his own brother die, was too much of a burden for such a young boy to carry. Especially when carrying it alongside even more trauma from his past.

How could he even look his teacher in the eyes?

But perhaps his teacher was the key to getting better, to finally realising his self worth, to not wanting to be slain in battle after a valient fight against a demon.

But those thoughts had to be ignored when the Master began to speak.

"To begin with, I'm glad you all arrived safely to this meeting."

Rengoku replied for the group with a cheery, "We're glad you're in good health, Master!" Which Giyuu thought might deafen him, but alas, his ears had not begun to bleed yet.

The Master continued with a slight smile, "I have decided to give you all a break from your duties." The protests from the Hashira were immediate, even Giyuu was shocked. After all, how could the corps run without them? "Demon sightings have never been lower and for those who would like to spend their time training, an ex-Hashira has kindly offered to test your generation of Hashira. He was the water pillar before he retired and was extremely skilled. He has trained many young slayers, he even trained Tomioka." The Hashira shot him a few surprised looks. They hadn't realised such a strong Hashira had trained him.

All of the pillars quickly agreed to training under Urokodaki as they were very opposed to the idea of just relaxing. Even Giyuu agreed to see his old Sensei again. Although he had his doubts about how the man would react to his presence, if Urokodaki-san didn't want him there, he wouldn't have invited the Hashira to train under him.

Giyuu was slightly concerned about how some of the pillars would manage in the strenuous activities Urokodaki would make them do, but it was unlikely they would crack. Maybe it was just his younger mind that made him believe the training was so bad.

The next day, the Hashira would set off for the mountain on which Urokodaki resided and their training would begin as soon as they got there.

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As Giyuu gathered the few belongings he would need, he was left to stew in his thoughts. Did Urokodaki really want to see him? Even after he had failed him so miserably?

And even if Urokodaki-san did forgive him, how could he ever forgive himself? He knew he never would, that's why his existence was so worthless: if he couldn't find a reason to be here then maybe he should just end it all. End all his suffering and be with his loved ones just to beg for forgiveness he knew he didn't deserve.

But it was too late to doubt himself now, he was already on his way to the mountain. The group of Hashira had met up at the Butterfly Mansion that morning and then set off running very soon after. Now, they were nearing the mountain.

Giyuu recognised the terrain well, there was no doubt the group would be climbing the mountain in no time.

And just like he thought, a few minutes later, the trees began to become more frequent and the once flat ground started sloping upward until the mountain he was trained on was right in front of them. The Hashira decided to stop briefly to catch their breath but fate had other plans for them. Urokodaki-sensei was prepared and somehow gracefully perched in a tree.

When he first spoke, a few of them were startled, even Himejima hadn't sensed a presence. "Hello Hashira. I'm glad you all took the time to train with me this week. Now, as I know next to nothing about the majority of you including your strengths, you will all be trained as if you were right at the beginning of your journey. As if you were not yet a demon slayer."

Shinazagawa let out a sound of protest at that. It felt demeaning to him, being treated so lowly when they had all worked so hard to become Hashira. "Oi! We aren't like the little runts you usually train, we're Hashira and you'll treat us as such!"

He still had a module of respect for the man, he was a strong Hashira for many years after all, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut when being spoken to like that. Who the hell did this guy think he was!?

Urokodaki simply ignored the protest and continued, "Your first task will be getting to the top of the mountain and back before sunset. Once you are finished, look for the house at the foot of the mountain."

Sanemi still looked a little shocked at the audacity of this man ignoring him but quickly shook himself out of him. Everyone assumed going up the mountain would be a walk in the park, little did they know how wrong they were.

As the others went straight up the mountain at a jogging pace, Giyuu ran to the front of the group. He expertly dodged all the traps on the mountain, he didn't even trigger any of them. However this left the others in the dark about the existence of anything sinister lurking on the mountain.

Sanemi, thinking Giyuu's fast pace was a challenge, also charged ahead, attempting to catch up. But then his foot got caught and he was hoisted up into the air, hanging in the air by a rope.

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He yelled out in surprise, "WHAT THE F-" as all the other Hashira looked at their hanging colleague with shock painted all over their faces.

Despite the commotion behind him, Giyuu continued running. He wanted to talk to Urokodaki before the others got back. About what, even he wasn't quite sure but they did need to discuss… Tanjiro and Nezuko, yes that was it.

Sanemi was still cursing up a storm whilst dangling from the rope which was attached to a high branch in a tree to his right. Most of the others were either standing in shock or stifling giggles at Sanemi's 'situation'. The only one who had attempted to help in any way was Himejima.

He was the tallest of the Hashira by far and least fazed by the situation. To him, it was to be expected that the task was not as simple as it would seem. He unfortunately had not been able to serve with the man but had heard rumors of his greatness. He respected him a great deal and had even prayed for his continued health due to hisany years of service to the demon slayer corps.

But for a man so great, training with him would be very challenging. Despite Urokodaki claiming they would be working at a very low standard considering they are Hashira, it would be hard work to maintain a positive mindset when faced with such difficult tasks. But Gyoumei would try his best and pray that his comrades would follow this example.

Whilst trying to help Shinazagawa, he somehow managed to get kicked to the face by the flailing man. Despite this he felt a strange protectiveness and duty to bring aid to the man, but alas he could not find out how the complicated knots could be undone. His blindness was not usually a huge disadvantage to him due to his other senses being greatly heightened but in this situation, that was not the case.

Gyoumei sensed a presence behind him, it was obvious that Urokodaki was trying to make himself known. He reached up and with a single tug of the rope, Sanemi came crashing into the ground, landing in a heap on the mossy floor.
He did not seem as amused as the other Hashira at the sight and beckoned them to follow him as he turned on his heel and marched down the mountain.

There was an air of shame that was almost suffocating. They had failed at such a simple task, if they couldn't climb a mountain without sensing traps, how could they possibly deserve to be Hashira?

As they reached the hut near the bottom of the mountain, they were able to catch a glimpse of Giyuu running down and entering the house. If he could do this so easily, why couldn't they?

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No one could meet Urokodaki's eyes or, well, mask. Instead they all stared at the ground, consumed by shame from their pathetic performance.

They had arrived at Urokodaki's house and were standing around, waiting for their inevitable beratement. After what felt like hours, Urokodaki and Giyuu walked through the door. The group hadn't even realised that he wasn't present. What a sad excuse for Hashira.

As Urokodaki stood in front of them, Giyuu wandered over to the unlit fireplace in the corner, presumably to begin cooking dinner. Just as they thought the disappointed lecture would start, Urokodaki said, "To begin with, I expected nothing less of you." There was a few gasps among them at that revelation. "While this is the training I give to my first time students, it is strenuous and will not be easy. Now, eat and we will work on this tomorrow."

It was nice to have the time to sit down and eat a meal that wasn't rushed with the worries of the next mission or meeting. The food was good too, the broth of the ramen was just the right amount of salty and sweet. Sanemi thought it might not be so bad here after all, if he could get over the embarrassment of being caught in that trap.

When they had finished eating, the group split off into their 2 rooms: one for the men and the other for the women. Their futons were reasonably comfortable and Giyuu couldn't help but remember the time he spent here. Him and Sabito wrestling on this very floor, laughing about their inside jokes. He missed it more than he could ever say. Not that he said much anyway.

As he slept, he could count on the fact that his dreams would be filled with addled memories of Sabito. And it was.

He went through what must have been hundreds of possibilities of how he failed Sabito and how that let to his death. He dreamt of the hand demon, what it looked like and how Sabito died.

For anyone this would be a horrifying sight that could sent them into a fainted spell in an instant. But Giyuu wasn't anyone. He had already done this a thousand times, a million nights.

It didn't matter who was around him or whether he had been knocked out by a demon, the result was always the same. Closing his eyes and going into a hell of his own making and waking up soaked in a mix of sweat and tears, wishing it was his own blood that had been spilled that night.

Maybe that was why he cut at first. Or maybe it was to forget. He didn't know but he did know he was addicted to it. That he couldn't stop whatever he tried. So he didn't. He just accepted it as part of life and moved on.

Pain became normal and he never questioned that. However many times Urokodaki-sensei told him, "Don't do that if it hurts." He still did.

If only Sabito could see him now. The broken boy he had tried so hard to fix. Gone. He didn't really live now, just existed. And that was punishment enough for him.

The other Hashira had very different thoughts whilst sleeping. Mitsuri and Rengoku dreamed of their favourite meals, Himejima thought of his cats, Muichiro tried to remember what he had forgotten but failed, Obanai thought of Mitsuri and their future, Shinobu thought of Kanae and the demon that killed her and finally Sanemi thought of everything that had happened that day, struggling to sleep.

Most of them woke up well rested, some happy and ready for the day and others, less so. But regardless, they got up and mentally prepared themselves for the day and most of all, the upcoming training.

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Mitsuri woke up with a start. She had a strict schedule so she could make breakfast so waking up to noise and not one of her maids (or friends as she likes to call them) was quite different.

The sound of clanging pots and pans was not a welcome noise but perhaps it would be nice to have someone make her a meal. She loves cooking so much that it is rare for anyone else to make her a meal unless she is out (on a mission/ meal out).

She rises from her bed in order to prepare for the day. She notices Shinobu is not in the room, maybe she was making the noise. Although, that may be unlikely due to her calm and organised nature that didn't prompt sudden loud noises at the crack of dawn.

Anyway, she was curious enough to rush her morning routine and instead rush out into the kitchen to find the source of the noise.

The sight of Sanemi doing push ups (shirtless, which she blushed slightly at) whilst Urokodaki-san banged metal pots together by his ear greeted her. Tomioka and Himejima were watching, well bad choice of words, moreso standing nearby?

The scene was quite shocking at first but then it was amusing. Other Hashira, who had also heard the commotion filed in. Uzui burst into laughter immediately but Shinazugawa didn't stop or even flinch and neither did Urokodaki.

After a few minutes of silence (except for Tengen's snickering in the corner), the pair stopped and Urokodaki clarified, "If you make another blunder such as this, your punishment will be far worse." He stated bluntly.

Sanemi, red faced from exhaustion, simply nodded and jogged back to his shared room, presumably to find a shirt, much to Mitsuri's chargin. They all had the same thought, 'we shouldn't mess up' as they didn't want to end up with a severe punishment like those push ups especially with the loud noises distracting them from their task.

Breakfast was eaten fastly and silently, apart from Rengoku's frequent "UMAI!" (Or tasty). They all swiftly filed outside and lined up, ready for whatever task they were given today. They were certain it would be far more rigorous than climbing a mountain despite their failure at such a simple task. 'Apart from Giyuu', Sanemi couldn't help but hate the man for his standoffish nature and unwillingness to communicate, even for important missions that may potentially be dangerous.

But he couldn't help but feel bad for him. Just one time, he felt he saw the real water hashira, the real Giyuu. They had just finished a mission and he had a glimpse of some bandages under his haori sleeve. Sanemi knew Tomioka wouldn't get hurt so carelessly, he was a Hashira after all. He had experience with that kind of thing, using his marechi blood to weaken demons but this was completely different. This was deliberate, a cause for pain, not to save others from it. But he understood, perhaps better than any of the other Hashira would and maybe that was why he never said anything.

He was a confrontational man, everyone knew that, yet he couldn't bring himself to talk to Tomioka. It was a delicate subject, one that he just wasn't suited for, especially if Giyuu refused to cooperate. He knew the matter required patience, not his anger and shouting. But he never considered what exactly Giyuu needed. But for now, he could convince himself that he didn't care about the idiot, if only for a few seconds.

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Urokodaki walked out of the door and it felt like his gaze was piercing their souls, despite the strange mask covering his face. "Today, we will be doing some more… simple tasks. First, sword swinging and let's see how it goes from there. If any of you fail at this, there will be punishment."

There was no room for argument in his tone yet Shinobu spoke up anyway, she had to. "Excuse me but I'm not entirely sure I would be able to do this task." She said in her sickly sweet tone.

Urokodaki sounded confused as he questioned, "Why not?" He was straight to the point which slightly angered Shinobu, although that wasn't unusual, many things did.

"My breathing style does not warrant heavy swings of a sword as I use a poison in order to kill demons." She was hoping he would understand and not pry any further but Giyuu knew Urokodaki-sensei wouldn't drop it.

Urokodaki probed further. "It wouldn't hurt to know how to wield a sword, you never know what situations you could get yourself into."

Shinobu sighed internally, knowing she would have to say it out loud. It felt as if everyone's eyes were on her, so close she could feel their breath on her neck, making the hairs there stand up. Everyone else knew she was weak but saying it, solidified it as reality. "I can't because my body is too small." She paused, considering her next words. "I don't have the strength to cut a demon's head off." She felt like screaming from embarrassment, it was mortifying that she couldn't do something so simple.

"I've had young female students before that were half your size and could chop a demon's head off, no problem." He stated. Shinobu's mouth parted into a little 'o'. How could someone so young and small have the strength to do that? She had tried for years, thinking there was just some kind of technique to it that she wasn't getting but eventually she had to give up. Despite the support from her sister, she failed, she was too weak but she was smart. Smart enough to come up with an alternative solution and still slay demons to avenge her family and all the other people whose lives had been taken by demons.

"H- how?" She eventually managed to stutter out. Even the other Hashira seemed surprised at the news but also hopeful that their friend could reach her once impossible dream.

"I'll teach you." Urokodaki answered and wandered off in the direction of the forest up the mountain.

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Shinobu was still buzzing with excitement at the prospect of being able to swing a sword, but still wary. She was well aware of the potential injuries that she could obtain whilst trying to reach such a goal. Besides, it might not work and she has to prepare herself for that too, despite her trust in Urokodaki and his methods.

The group followed Urokodaki to the training grounds on the mountains. There was a rack filled with wooden training swords, some that had seen better days, many having chips missing where they had been struck, but no matter the condition, the swords would be useful for the task. There was also a row of long, sturdy sticks stuck into the ground and wrapped with strips of bamboo (A/N: idk what they used in the anime so this is what I came up with) that was also quite battered, presumably by Urokodaki's previous students.

He handed each Hashira a sword and they were all assigned a place to train. They all waited with their training swords poised to begin striking and feet automatically finding a suitable position to begin.

Urokodaki stood before Giyuu first and stated, "1000 strikes. Begin now." in his usual cold and calculated tone. Giyuu sighed internally at the number, knowing the old man would be far kinder to his colleagues.

He swiftly moved onto the next Hashira which happened to be Obanai and told him, "600 strikes, start now." Obanai was fuming at Urokodaki's underestimation of his skills, 'he could easily do as many as Tomioka could, maybe even more!' he thought bitterly yet there was still a nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him 600 strikes was plenty, even for a strong Hashira such as himself.

The commands continued down the line: Sanemi got 800, Mitsuri got 700 and so did Rengoku, Muichiro got the least with only 500, Uzui got 600 like Obanai and Gyoumei got 900. The different treatment towards Giyuu was evident in this moment, the trust in his skills, the harder tasks that he seemed to have no trouble completing. And yet the other Hashira were so far behind him, it was almost laughable.

A few of the Hashira had good enough memory to recall the meeting where the Master stated that Giyuu had been trained under Urokodaki for a number of years but others were too caught up in anger to connect the dots.

Now Urokodaki had told the Hashira what to do, he started to instruct Kocho. "Firstly, how do you hold a sword for your technique? No, not quite like that, you just need to… there, that's right." He recognised he couldn't use his usual attitude of 'pain helps build muscle memory' for Shinobu to fully accept the possibility of being able to cut demons heads off after being unable to for so long but soon, those methods would be back in action.

Soon enough, Kocho could hold a sword in the positions needed for the first water breathing technique but he recognised the need for strength training as she could barely hold a sword for more than 2 minutes. So, he sent her with a bucket to go fetch water for lunch. And also so he could check on the others.

Muichiro was just finishing his final strikes while the others still had a few hundred to go. Giyuu was nearly done with only a hundred left but the majority were red faced and breathing slightly heavier than usual, despite the use of total concentration breathing.

He couldn't help but be proud of his own student for excelling at the tasks at such a high level, he had obviously been doing very intense training since final selection. He was also wondering what the Master was thinking when recruiting these idiots as Hashira. Perhaps they were better when fighting demons but right now, they were nothing to him. They would have to prove themselves to gain any morsel of respect from the man and that would prove to be a difficult task.

After a while of waiting, Shinobu returned from dropping off the water at his house and was now standing silently by his side, observing the Hashira with him. It took a lot longer than he expected for such a simple task but eventually, everyone was nearly finished and looking a lot worse for it.

Obanai felt himself get hotter with rage towards Giyuu as his strikes got harder and less deliberate. It was on Obanai's last few strikes when a loud crack echoed through the forest.

His sword had broken.

And now he was going to have to face the punishment that followed.

As Obanai was dragged by his ear up the mountains, the others followed. Some out of genuine care for his continued existence on the planet and some so they could laugh at his inevitable fate.

The group stopped at the top of a waterfall with a lake at the bottom surrounded by tall trees and greenery. This was presumably where Kocho had gotten the water from. It suddenly dawned on Giyuu what Obanai's punishment would be as it had happened to him before and Urokodaki asked, "Can you swim?"

Obanai manages to stutter out a: "N-no… sorry, sir." And the anticipation on his face indicates that he had also realised what would be happening soon.

Urokodaki simply replied, "No, that's good." Before shoving Obanai off the cliff until he plunged into the once still water below with a deafening splash.

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No one could deny the face Mitsuri made was absolutely priceless. She rushed down the mountain to attempt to pull him out of the water. She was not greeted with the sight of Obanai though, as Kaburumaru slithered from the lake instead, wrapping himself around her arm. He rested there with no concern evident for his owner or, as Obanai liked to call it, his friend.

The other Hashira were quick to follow Mitsuri, many fearing for the safety of their comrade whilst Urokodaki stood still at the top of the waterfall, observing the chaos below. The panic that was radiating off of Mitsuri and Rengoku was obvious as Obanai did claim he was unable to swim and he had yet to rise from the water. There were a few bubbles rising from the spot where he landed and the once calm water was now choppy and uneven, most likely the frantic thrashing of the man who was still scrambling to save his own life.

Obanai was sinking. And fast. He had no idea what swimming even entailed due to never being taught by his family or ever even having the need to before now. He had always resided far from the coast even into his teenage years as demons tended to avoid beaches because of the lack of shade to shield them from the rising sun.

His remaining air was running out because of his movements in attempts to escape the pool of water. He was making peace with the fact that death was imminent and his body was rendered useless as he saw a form follow him into the water. His remaining vision now had too many dark spots to decipher who this figure was and he blacked out just as the dark shadow reached out a hand to grab his body.

As he woke, he was greeted with the sight of Shinobu performing CPR on him whilst Mitsuri sobbed hysterically behind her. He was coughing up more water with each chest compression and soon his consciousness was fully regained and he was fully able to look around for his saviour.

However he was sorely disappointed when his addled mind discovered it was not infact Mitsuri or even Sanemi would have been better than this. But, he supposes that they were also unable to swim, otherwise one of them may have jumped in after him in order to help.

Because Giyuu Tomioka looked soaked to the bone. He was in the process of taking off his haori with all the care in the world, in order to dry it out. Obanai had never seen him care about anything, except for that ugly haori, it must be special to him. But at that moment, Obanai could only think of one thing, 'Tomioka saved me. He jumped in to prevent me from drowning… And now he's going to show off about it! What an asshole!'.

He almost leapt up onto his feet to confront the man but Mitsuri was still worriedly looking over him and he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she looked. With the sun behind her, creating a halo of light around her head, she truly looked like an angel.

Her lips were moving but he couldn't quite tell what she was mouthing to him. As the ringing in his ears subsided, he could finally make out the desperate calling of his name and answer, "Yes, Mitsuri?" in an eager to impress kind of way that he reserved only for talking to Mitsuri.

She smiled in relief as her tears slowed, "I'm just so glad you're okay." He made his way into a sitting position and Mitsuri held his arm to aid in his rising from his position on the ground. The other Hashira watched as they made their way back to Urokodaki's house to dry off and get some clean clothes, chatting as they walked.

Once the pair had made it out of earshot, Sanemi decided this was the time to confront Giyuu on the matter at hand. "Why'd you help him? You gonna show off about it or something? And his d'you even know how to swim?"

Giyuu looked him dead in the eye as if to say, 'Really, that's what you decided to ask me?' but replied to the questions anyway, or at least the last one. "Did you forget Urokodaki trained me before I became a Hashira?" His mind unhelpfully added, 'if I can even be called a Hashira.' He said this in such a deadpan voice, it would have made a passerby think the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sanemi stood completely still for a beat, feeling pretty stupid about the whole ordeal before replying with a quick, "Yeah." And walking away to relax for the remainder of the day and the remaining people collectively decided to follow suit, realising training was likely over.

Chapter Text

There was still some animosity lingering in the air, some directed towards Urokodaki-sensei due to his unusual punishment techniques and also, a bit towards Giyuu (namely from Obanai and Sanemi) despite his seeming clear intentions. They couldn't stand the man and would take any excuse to send hateful words in his direction or even spread nasty rumours around the lower ranked slayers. A couple of the other Hashira had caught wind of this situation but we're either too busy at a certain hospital to intervene or didn't care for the man at all due to his unflashy nature.

It had gotten to the point where no one could remember exactly when the one sided anger had begun or even why it existed in the first place but it was just something you had to accept or attempt to challenge them (which wasn't a viable option for the majority of slayers). However, a select few who were closer to the victim in question, wouldn't take the 'teasing' so lightly.

Once everyone had arrived back at the manor and Giyuu and Obanai had dried off, Urokodaki decided to confront Giyuu about the unkindness from his comrades. "Giyuu." He entered the man's room, silent as a mouse.

He replied almost instantly, "Yes, Urokodaki-sensei?" It almost felt unnatural for his student to address him in such a way after all this time, especially since Giyuu was of a higher rank despite the unspoken rules about respecting your elders. It had been such a long time since they had even seen each other as they both held a crushing guilt regarding the death of Sabito and their collective failure to protect him for long enough for him to become the next Water Hashira. Urokodaki was well aware of Giyuu's talent, he also recognised that Giyuu had never intended or wanted to become a Hashira, he did it more so out of necessity than selfish wants or desires, that just wasn't Giyuu in the slightest.

He tucked those thoughts away in favour of continuing the important conversation with Giyuu. "There are a few topics I feel we need to… discuss." He said carefully, he hadn't felt this nervous about a simple conversation in a long time. "Firstly, your… fellow Hashira. Do they usually make those type of comments around you?" He left a pause for Giyuu to formulate an answer, accepting his social issues and need for processing time.

"Well, yes, I suppose so. But, it's just harmless teasing… or at least that's what Kocho tells me." He adds sadly, unsure whether to trust the words that just came out of his mouth or not.

Urokodaki hummed in agreement despite being very uncertain about the truth behind the words. "I see… well, don't hesitate to contact me if you require assistance with the situation." Urokodaki offers, feeling the sudden urge to become more formal due to the tension in the air.

He heard a sudden noise downstairs and took it upon himself to end the conversation in order to observe whatever situation was unfolding downstairs by adding, "We will continue this conversation later. For now, there appears to be a situation downstairs that requires my attention. And… take care Giyuu." He felt like it was appropriate to add the kind words onto the end in a desperate attempt to begin to forget the upsetting past they shared and move onto a new friendship and maybe even try to salvage what was left of the bond that was broken so cruelly that fateful night.

Chapter Text

Urokodaki had descended into the chaos unfolding downstairs and was immediately met with the sight of Rengoku and Tengen shoveling food into their mouths like it was their last day on Earth. Nearly, the rest of the Hashira either looked on with badly hidden disgust (Shinobu, Gyoumei, Obanai & Muichiro) or excitedly cheered them on in an attempt to help encourage them to come out as the victor of the contest (Mitsuri & Sanemi).

"Uzui, don't give up now, that's pathetic, you need to win!" Sanemi shouted in the most encouraging way he could.

Mitsuri's method was entirely different, "I believe in you Rengoku, you can do it!" The difference in character between the two was massive, they seemed like complete opposites despite both of them sharing an emotional nature.

Urokodaki joined the majority of the viewers and observed in silent questioning of the pair's decisions. He wasn't quite sure whether he wanted to stop the eating contest or watch it unfold so he chose the latter, opting for a more calm approach after the events that day.

Giyuu eventually wandered down and once he saw the commotion he escaped to the kitchen to make a nice dinner for those who had still yet to eat after the difficult training. He enjoyed the ritual of making a meal in solitude: it left him with time to think whilst also being productive. Sometimes being left with his thoughts was a bad thing as it led him to remember Sabito and Tsutako and how he failed them yet he could also remember all the happy memories with them.

He could recall filling his sister around the forest whilst looking for plants to eat or when he would be upset about his struggles during training and Sabito would tell corny jokes until he cracked a smile.

He supposes these memories don't really matter anymore. After all, could you even say he felt anything anymore? He was an empty shell of his former self, anything resembling life had long fled from his body when Sabito left the mortal realm. He still bore a certain resemblance to the boy he once was, the same black hair and blue eyes but now his eyes were tired and lacked the look of life that everyone else seemed to have. If he laid really still, you could mistake him for being dead. Because that's all he was, all he was good for, all he could be: dead.

But that was besides the point. Doing menial tasks was, in an odd way, relaxing so he continued to do them despite easily being able to afford staff to complete these tasks for him faster and more efficiently.

As the salmon was cooking, the contest, unfortunately, ended due to Tengen failing to find the room to fit any more food. Him and Rengoku were practically rolling on the floor from how stuffed they felt so Rengoku had little time to bask in his victory. Due to this, the pair decided to go to bed early in an attempt to digest the food and feel refreshed by morning.

Those who remained, sat down and enjoyed the freshly cooked meal in front of them (which was obviously Salmon Daikon due to Giyuu being the one to make it) and participated in idle chit-chat to pass the time. Urokodaki had yet to speak a single word, leaving no hints to what they could face tomorrow.

Then, they all made their way to bed, though it was a fitful rest for most as the impending doom of the next day's task was weighing heavily on many hearts. Though none knew what challenges the next day could hold, they would have to survive it in order to better themselves and, subsequently, save more lives. As Hashiras it was their duty to do so.

Waking up the next morning felt more like a chore than a pleasure. Muichiro woke up earlier than the majority of the others due to his differing schedule and enjoyment of the peace of the birds singing as he watched the sun rise in the east.

But on this particular day, the house wasn't completely silent. Giyuu had also woken up a while before the others and was sat on the patio, basking in the remaining moon light. When Muichiro found the man like this, he took the initiative to perch adjacent to him. He didn't ask but there was always a silent agreement between the two, one Muichiro sometimes failed to recall yet the instinct took over anyway. The agreement was to keep each other company without prying into the other's thoughts or life and it had always worked, after all they were more similar than most would assume at first glance.

As the sun rose and the moon hid behind the line where the land seemed to end, still no words were spoken or were needed, they simply existed together for a moment of companionship and then stood up and headed inside, still glued to each other.

Chapter Text

As the pair walked into the house, they were greeted by the sight of the Hashira sat around the unlit fireplace, nervously muttering amongst themselves about anything and everything. It became increasingly obvious that they were waiting for their next cruel day of training, except for Gyoumei who was praying in the corner for their continued survival.

Thankfully, Giyuu and Muichiro were not left to wait for long, though Giyuu wasn't remotely worried and Muichiro couldn't remember what they were even waiting for. As Urokodaki strode in, everyone's eyes locked onto him, not so patiently waiting for him to speak. "It has come to my attention that none of you have acquired the skill of swimming, so I thought I would teach you for our training today." There wasn't a fleck of compassion in his words, as if he was entertained by their challenges.

Obanai had to hold back a groan. He was still mildly traumatised by the events of yesterday and he was certain this wouldn't help. His mind could only supply him with the comfort that at least he wouldn't be alone in the water this time.

However, Giyuu had a very different perspective on the events that were about to come. He had already learnt how to swim when he previously trained with Urokodaki-sensei so it wouldn't be of much use for him to be there. At best, it would be quite a dull day for him.

Thankfully, soon after, Urokodaki-san added, "Giyuu, seen as, after your show of skills yesterday, there is no doubt you can swim, you may train on your own for today."

"Yes, Urokodaki-sensei." Giyuu replied, feeling a twisted thing, as close to joy as he could get, at the news.

Whilst he pondered on what to do with the day all to himself, the others were forced to trek up to the waterfall, Obanai shivering in anticipation of the cold water coiling around his limbs and hindering his usually fluid movements.

Mitsuri, however, was practically buzzing at the idea of trying something new. Once she had mastered the skill of swimming, she would be able to help her friends or even strangers, should they ever be in need like Giyuu saved Obanai yesterday. It was a great opportunity and one that she would not let go of.

Muichiro felt quite indifferent to the idea of swimming. He could vaguely recall a river near his house when he was younger, although the memory was rather hazy, he could just about make out… himself? Or at least it looked like him, jumping in the river, making water splash onto the rocks and dirt surrounding the water source. There was a strange desire to recreate that scene but he knew he would forget before he reached the water and got the chance to have that childish joy one last time.

Rengoku felt similarly to Mitsuri, though he knew he wouldn't do well in the water due to his flame breathing being the opposite of the skills required. Yet, the excitement in him built at the idea of teaching his younger brother, Senjuro, when he went back home and had the chance to do some brotherly bonding. He couldn't wait for the chance to make Senjuro's day.

Sanemi, obviously, felt quite annoyed about the whole ordeal. Swimming wouldn't help him at all with demon slaying so why should he put any effort in? He wishes that they could do something useful instead of playing around. After all, how hard could it be?

Uzui was rambling to no one and everyone about how getting his hair wet 'wouldn't look flamboyant' but no one paid him any mind. He wasn't too happy about the idea of his perfectly done hair being ruined just for some training that would have no use later in life.

Shinobu wasn't too fussed about it. Her sister had attempted to teach her how to swim when in the mountains but unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) the siblings were caught up in buying a small, innocent but abused girl named Kanao off of a rude man.

Gyoumei was just thankful for the opportunity to learn something from such a notorious Hashira who was well known for his wisdom and strength. Though, he still prayed that this time around, no one would get in trouble for disobeying any rules and failing at the task set for them. Overall, he was rather confident as he had trained with a waterfall before but had not had the chance to swim as it connected to a river.

They walked up the mountain as a group and were now standing on the edge of the body of water, many staring at their reflections, wondering how their life choices had led them to this moment or simply planning how they might escape (definitely Obanai). Everyone took their haoris off in preparation and some (Shinobu, Mitsuri and Obanai didn't) took their uniform shirts off, showing their toned muscles and battle scars. Then Urokadaki motioned for the group to enter the water.

Chapter Text

Mitsuri was the first to tentatively step into the pool of water, the temperature hitting her like a truck. She immediately snatched her foot out of the water, quick as lightning.

Sanemi, seeing this, sighed and stepped in, not reacting to the cold in the slightest. Once he was waist deep, he signalled to the others to follow, saying, "The water's fine, stop being babies." In his usual gruff tone, not showing an ounce of sympathy for his nervous comrades or even his (slightly traumatized) friend, Obanai.

Gyoumei was quick to follow his example, slightly hesitant at the new surroundings but confident in his footing and skills as he had walked in the river near his house. He enjoyed praying beside the waterfall so he figured this wouldn't be much different.

The rest of the group followed Gyoumei, trusting the water slightly more now that it had their strongest Hashira wading through it. The clear liquid pooled around their ankles, eventually rising up to their chests, or for Shinobu and Obanai, right up to their necks. It was rather uncomfortable for most but they tried not to show it on their faces, afraid of being ridiculed or punished by a certain ex-Hashira.

The man in question stayed silent, simply observing the careful movements of his new students but getting slightly fed up at their hesitance to accept the water.

He gained their attention by clearing his throat and like scared animals, their heads all snapped to his figure, attentively watching. "We will start with the basics. While I won't throw you straight into the deep end, I'm not going easy on you. This is an important skill and I expect your full attention and cooperation." The Hashira stared, waiting patiently for their next instruction. "To begin, I would like you all to spread out and find a point in the water where you are submerged up to your chin in water."

He left a long pause, waiting for the group to wade into good spaces. He noted that the Stone Pillar seemed to have a bit of trouble in finding a place where the water was deep enough to be covered up to his chin.

Eventually, Urokodaki decided to help the man find the deepest part and give him some directions as Gyoumei wasn't used to sensing the slope of the land underneath water. He didn't give any explanation, just a series of lefts, rights, forwards and backwards accompanied by an amount of steps that were mostly accurate.

While Gyoumei was not exactly chin deep at this point in the water, Urokodaki could not bring himself to care and decided to just move on. "Forget total concentration breathing, try to hold your breath under water for as long as possible. When you are no longer able to keep your head there, come up for air and try again."

It was a simple task really but, some seemed to struggle more than others, potentially due to the size of their lungs and how much oxygen they could hold there. Then, whilst all but Tengen's head was still in the lake, Urokodaki's voice rang out, clear as day, even through the water. "You may stop. We need delve onto the next step of swimming: learning to float. For this, just lay on your back. If you're feeling confident today, try to do this on your front as well."

Himejima seemed a little unsure though. "Urokodaki-sensei, are you sure we will not sink? I trust your judgement however, to me, this seems unlikely."

Urokodaki turned his head towards Gyoumei but didn't answer, he only stared at him through his red tengu mask and gestures around to the other Hashira who seemed to having no trouble with floating. Well, except for Samemi who kept on flailing around and throwing himself off balance by randomly moving his limbs.

Gyoumei, obviously not seeing this but being able to sense the success rate of his comrades, gave it a try and due to his calm nature, he was able to just lay there, basking in the sun. For now, everything was able to remain like this: relaxed. The mildly irritating chirping of the birds became a lovely melody, the salty water became a refreshing beverage and the bright shining of the sun became a warm light for all.

Chapter Text

Giyuu had mixed feelings about being left behind. At first, it was nice. He had the peace and quiet required to think clearly and, for the first time in days, relax. But for Giyuu, being left alone with his thoughts wasn't a good thing.

All his mind could come up with was that nightmare he had. How real it felt. Perhaps it was real, he could have easily killed his sister. Then those villagers were correct and he should've gone with his Uncle. Maybe escaping wasn't the great idea that it seemed at the time.

Maybe it was his own hand that killed Sabito too. He could've made that story up as a trauma response. He heard Kocho talking about hallucinations due to trauma. The mind creates whatever story it can think of, just so it doesn't have to accept the facts. That cruel demon could never have existed. Just him.

And now, he was paying the price for killing the people who dared to love him. He would never be loved again, always destined to be alone. Just like he was now.

Before he knew it, many hours had passed and he was only snapped out of his trance by the door opening and 8 soggy Hashira stepping in. They all scattered to find towels and dry off in time for dinner but in the meantime, Urokodaki-sensei stepped forward to strike a conversation with him.

"I feel we should continue our chat from earlier." He began. Giyuu didn't reply. "I know we haven't been as close since final selection. Well, we haven't seen each other at all but I wanted to see how you were coping with everything that happened." He left a pause for Giyuu to answer but he had no such luck and was only met with silence. Urokodaki could recognise that this was a sensitive topic for Giyuu and opening up to people wasn't one of his strengths.

He tried again with a different, less direct approach. "Have you been experiencing any longer term effects of the hypothermia? I know your hand used to shake a little but I haven't particularly noticed that during your stay here."

At Giyuu's reluctance to respond again, the man decided to, temporarily, give up. Maybe after some time, Giyuu would be able to find his voice again.

Just as he turned to leave, Giyuu finally piped up. "No, Sensei. I have been in good health."

Underneath his tengu mask, Urokodaki felt a smile forming. "I'm glad."

Chapter Text

As the sun began to set, the Hashira sat around the table to eat. Quiet muttering quickly turned into loud chatter that filled the room. In comparison, Giyuu and Muichiro must have looked very miserable but that couldn't be further from the truth. The silence they both shared helped them understand each other and that was the kind of bond that couldn't be forced or replicated easily.

When they finally did speak, it was only what would be considered small talk. The conversation that day was Giyuu asking, "How did the swimming go?" And Muichiro answering with a simple, "Fine."

As if he just remembered what manners were, Muichiro suddenly asked, "How did the… staying here go?" And Giyuu felt a smile forming on his face at the words before replying, "Fine." in a similar fashion to Muichiro. They silently but unanimously decided to tune in to the other's topics of interest.

Rengoku and Tengen were in an animated chat about some restaurant that they were planning to go to with his wives, Mitsuri was having a one sided conversation with Obanai about practically everything you could possibly talk about, Gyoumei was preaching to an rather uninterested Shinobu and Sanemi was brooding in another corner whilst glaring at everything in the room. Giyuu couldn't help but think about what an odd bunch they were and for a moment, he almost felt like he fit in. But just for a moment. After all, he wasn't a real Hashira, only a placeholder for someone a bit more like Sabito.

And when he went back to his room with hopes of a dreamless night, he should've known that his dreams about Sabito were inevitable. It was probably his fault, almost everything was but there was one thing that wasn't. That he couldn't stop.

As he laid his body onto the futon and his eyes snapped shut, he was once again in Urokodaki's house. Still laying on a futon but surrounded by Urokodaki and Sabito who were giving him worried stares.

He was scared, last time but this time, he was calm as ever, knowing every move and word that would one day be his undoing. "Do you know where you are?" Urokodaki asked. He looked at the wall, being unable to bear looking into his eyes.

"You are suffering from an extreme case of hypothermia. You were laid in the snow for many days. May I ask how you ended up there?" He still stared at the wall. He knew how this would go, now Sabito would speak.

"Urokodaki-sensei, why won't he respond? Does he need help?" Sabito asked innocently. He was still so young but he supposes that now, he will be young forever.

The peach haired boy moved towards Giyuu and pulled the blankets covering his body right up to his chin in an attempt to heat him up.

His mind screamed at him that he was stealing this boy's life. Taking away the number of beats his heart could make, snatching his breaths away in front of his very eyes. Yet Sabito didn't stop him. Perhaps he was unaware of the consequences of helping a delinquent such as himself. Or maybe, he knew it and was doing it anyway.

And in a split second, he was somewhere else. His eye was gushing blood and before him, there were ashes floating off into the distance. A slightly older Sabito was holding his shoulders in a firm but not unkind grip. Another slayer seemed to be closing in on the pair and even in his addled state, he could make the figure out to be Murata.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air and Sabito began to run in its direction. Giyuu felt his heart stop. "NO! SABITO, STOP! P-PLEase…"

As he passed out, he simultaneously woke up to two figures kneeling beside him. One tightly holding his hand and the other looking on with a mix of sadness and understanding that was quickly covered up as they realised Giyuu had awoken.

Chapter Text

"Would you like to talk about it?" Urokodaki's voice rang out. He glanced at the figure to his right. "Perhaps, privately?"

The first thing that Giyuu noticed was the absence of his Sensei's mask. Urokodaki's face was wrinkled and pale yet his eyes were far kinder than he expected. Despite the concern written all over his face, his Sensei remained calm and collected as always.

"Tomioka, I will pray for you during this difficult time." the other voice joined in on the conversation. He retracted his hand from where it met Giyuu's in order to put his hands together in prayer. "Namu amida butsu." Gyoumei's eyes filled with tears at the pain of the sorrowful man before him. He wished he could help in some way but that seemed almost impossible: he didn't know Giyuu well enough to make a real influence, but he would pray for him anyway.

After Giyuu forced his body into a sitting position, Giyuu spoke in an effort to assure the now crying man that he was okay. "Himejima-san. I am… fine. There's no need to concern yourself with this matter." He spoke carefully and slowly, leaving himself time to fully consider his words before saying them out loud. Yet, Giyuu couldn't help but want to be alone again, after all, that is what he was destined for.

Gyoumei respected the man's wishes and silently rose from his sitting position and left the room, tears still streaming down his face. It was at this moment that Giyuu chose to allow himself to fall apart.

His body lay back down and his head was slumped in Urokodaki's lap. In response, his Sensei's fingers began to brush through Giyuu's messy hair, silently comforting the younger man who almost seemed like a son to him.

After many minutes passed by, the silence was broken. "It was about Sabito." Urokodaki nodded sympathetically, he too was subject to nightmares about his former students, though they certainly weren't as often as Giyuu's dreams.

"I should've done more to try and save him." His voice grew in volume, sounding more resolute in his words. "I should've been stronger. I should've-"

"Stop. You can't change what happened. You know as well as I do that there was nothing you could have done, you just need to accept that fact. Sabito would've wanted you to move on." Urokodaki almost felt bad at bringing up what Sabito wanted. Almost. He knew this was what Giyuu needed to hear, though it wouldn't be easy to say.

"Why were you two even in here? It's the middle of the night." Giyuu said it more like a statement than a question but as he had only just been dragged from the depths of his trance, his tone came out all jumbled up and wrong. Though that wasn't anything new for Giyuu, people (specifically the Hashira) often misunderstood his tone for rudeness when he was only attempting to be honest.

"We heard you calling out to Sabito, Gyoumei was drawn from his bed due to his sensitive hearing and I was just… passing by and happened to hear you." Giyuu would've been able to find the lies that were dripping throughout his master's words if he were fully awake and not still shifting through phases of consciousness.

Giyuu felt numb at the words. He nodded dumbly before returning to his spot and closing his eyes once again. He hoped he would be able to fall into a peaceful slumber but he knew that was far too hopeful. It was unlikely that anything but nightmares would follow when he shut his eyes.

He tried to evade sleep for as long as possible but he knew it would ensnare him eventually. He could only pray that his dreams wouldn't contain either Sabito or Tsutako. And so his eyes finally swung shut and his breathing slowed to a steady pace once again.

When Urokodaki felt Giyuu fall into a deep state of rest, he carefully tucked the man under the covers and crept away back into the depths of the shadows, attempting to find a dreamless night for himself. No nightmares, no dreams, just the pit of darkness consuming his mind and soul

Chapter Text

When he awoke, he felt numb. Not the kind where you lie on your arm and get pins and needles, the kind where you have cried yourself to sleep and awake to nothing.

He finds the strength to shift himself into an upright position and then onto his feet. Giyuu silently wonders if anyone else feels this way. Like your heart is being ripped to pieces right in front of your eyes but everyone just stands nearby, unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

As he plods his way down towards the unlit fire and, unfortunately, towards Gyoumei. He knew that he would ask questions or at least give him a concerned look (well not looking exactly).

Despite his lack of sight, Gyoumei still knew Giyuu was struggling. It didn't take a genius to figure that out though. He understood the numb feeling because he had also felt that way before he met the Master. He turned his entire life around and, now, he wanted to be that person for Giyuu.

"Giyuu." The use of his first name felt strangely intimate, something Giyuu had not felt in a long time. "I understand that you are going through a difficult time, while I won't pretend to understand, I am here if you need me."

Giyuu, in response, simply nodded, still too numb to respond in words. Eventually, the remaining Hashiras filed in one by one, preparing themselves for the inevitably intense day of training ahead.

Sanrmi, very surprisingly (as he is not known for his observation skills, especially when it comes to Giyuu), is the first to notice the more miserable look and darker circles under Giyuu's eyes. However, he doesn't approach it in the gentle way Gyoumei did and instead, practically yelled across the room, "Oi! Idiot! Why do you look like that today!?"

All eyes shifted towards Giyuu's now slightly hunched figure. He felt like running away as far as he possibly could but knew that would only get him more looks. And simply not replying was also not an option unless he wanted to be teased by Kocho about 'no one liking him' in a sickly sweet tone that was so obviously fake.

He settled for a simple, "What do you mean?" And thankfully, all eyes snapped to Sanemi, waiting for his answer.

"Half-dead. You look like you haven't slept in days. Are you too good even for sleeping like the rest of us now!?"

Giyuu was dumbfounded. Too… good? More like he wasn't good enough for sleep. He could see Shinobu scanning his face for signs of any visible medical issues that may of occurred but finding none, she quickly busied herself with other matters.

Gyoumei, ever his saviour, intervened for him. "We shouldn't be rude to our comrades, Sanemi. You have no idea what could be going on."

That was the moment Urokodaki decided to walk in and announce the training for the day.

Chapter Text

"This morning, we will be taking a short break from swimming and are going to be doing some flexibility training which Kanroji has kindly agreed to lead due to her expertise in this particular exercise."

Mitsuri, the woman in question, was internally squealing at the praise from the former Hashira. "Thank you and you can just call me Mitsuri!" She grinned.

"Alright, Ka- Mitsuri. You may begin whenever you are ready." Urokodaki responded.

"Okay! I'll do my very best!" Mitsuri all but yelled back, bouncing on her toes in anticipation. "Right- err… I would suggest everyone changes into something more suitable for the activity. If you didn't bring anything then I brought some leotards you can put on!"

Everyone pulled a sour face at the mention of leotards but not even Shinobu had the foresight to bring anything other than her demon slayer uniform and a yukata (summer kimono) and either could tear under significant strain (which Mitsuri's dreaded flexibility training would definitely put them through).

So, very reluctantly and after much pestering from their enthusiastic instructor, everyone begrudgingly (and painfully slowly) put on the pink leotards and white tights that somehow fit perfectly but looked completely ridiculous over their toned muscles regardless.

When Urokodaki, who was observing the training, saw the group, it took every last bit of restraint within him to stop himself from bursting out laughing despite his usually stoic demeanor. The range of reactions towards the outfit made it even more hilarious.

Shinobu and Giyuu looked like they wanted the ground to swallow them whole whereas Rengoku was owning the look with his signature bright smile and can-do attitude. Tengen was muttering something about how it didn't look flashy on him and was trying to add as many bejeweled accessories as he could while nearby, Sanemi was standing with his fists clenched and looking like he was about to burst a blood vessel. Muichiro was completely unbothered and stood off to the side, staring at the ceiling with Gyoumei who was praying that no fights would break out over the clothes. Obanai was also standing awkwardly and furiously blushing whenever Mitsuri so much as glanced in his general direction.

Mitsuri started giggling when the other Hashira walked in but quickly stopped when she saw a certain scarred man named Sanemi who was now trying to punch whilst Obanai looked on threateningly, ready to step in if needed.

"Firstly, we should do some simple stretches to warm up!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. "So can everyone start with some shoulder stretches like this." Mitsuri then proceeded to show the group around 20 different 'simple stretches' before saying the words everyone was dreading.

"Now let's try the splits! If anyone needs any help, please let me know!"

As everyone began the battle to get into anything like the correct position, Rengoku was the first to admit defeat. "Would you mind helping me, Mitsuri?"

"Of course, Rengoku-san! Though," she admitted, "it's kind of weird to be the one training you for once." She then sat down with him and used her own feet to stretch his legs out into the splits and it was obvious to any onlookers that it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to keep a smile on his face.

When Obanai saw this interaction, he immediately called to Kanroji for assistance but instantly regretted it once his limbs were contorted into positions that were, to say the least, rather uncomfortable.

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The others looked on in a mix of understanding and amazement at how well he seemed to be handling the stretch. Tengen guessed it had something to do with how his eyes lingered on where Mitsuri had initiated physical contact whereas Gyoumei had purer thoughts, pondering on how flexibility could be needed for his breathing style.

Obanai let out a small grunt but showed no semblance of pain on his face. From there, all the other Hashira were also forced to take part in the stretching. It was safe to say that some took it slightly better than others.

Shinobu was about average in the scales of flexibility meaning she struggled with doing the splits but not as much as Gyoumei who wasn't hugely affected by the pain but definitely felt it afterwards. It took two people in order to stretch his legs into the correct position, though.

Muichiro was surprisingly good at doing the splits with assistance but when it came to doing it on his own… well, let's just say there were many questions asked. Tengen practically had to be dragged back after many escape attempts to try and change out of the 'unflashy' outfit but he wasn't all that bothered by the actual stretching exercises.

Sanemi seemed completely uninterested with that day's training but after a snide comment from Iguro about the 'importance of flexibility whilst fighting demons', he was quick to join in and overall, wasn't too bad at it. Giyuu was similarly unmotivated to participate but when he did, his skills both shocked and annoyed onlookers (Sanemi and Obanai). He could do everything perfectly without any help and it only added to the increasing resentment towards the man.

As the torture (disguised as training) for the day came to a close, Urokodaki called everyone over to discuss the training for tomorrow. "I have asked some old friends to aid you all in the training tomorrow. Treat them with the utmost respect and listen carefully to their input. This way, there will be more of us to focus on your specific weaknesses. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow may be the most difficult day yet."

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As Giyuu awoke, in the place of his usual emptiness, he felt strangely excited… you could even say he was enthusiastic to see Urokodaki's 'friends'. Though, Giyuu had already met all of them when he was younger. Urokodaki would practically show off Sabito to them, not to gain respect or approval, simply because he was proud to call them his students. And that told Giyuu a lot about the man who was hiding behind a, slightly scary, mask.

He just hoped that Shinjuro turned up sober. The last time he didn't, Urokodaki-sensei made a bit of a scene, albeit quietly, and kicked him out of his house for the disrespect to both him and the other children that were present (which was only Giyuu and Sabito). But he did remember Shinjuro being particularly kind to him and giving him uncharacteristically soft looks whilst muttering about how much he looked like 'Ruka', though he could never quite tell who this person was to him. It was startling how similar he looked to Rengoku (A/N: I will refer to Kyojuro as Rengoku and Shinjuro as Shinjuro to avoid too much confusion) but after many years of being a Hashira, his mouth always seemed to form a scowl. The stench of alcohol was strong around him, as a reminder of however much he tried, he couldn't wash away his drinking problems. But that didn't make him any less strong, his muscles were all he needed to prove that.

Jigoro, however, seemed unshakable and was far harder to earn the respect of but he was very devoted to training his own students and therefore, would not go easy on the other Hashira. He always seemed to be the strictest teacher and never took 'no' for an answer, making Giyuu and Sabito train until they felt sure that they were going to drop dead from exhaustion. But Giyuu could tell that he only did those things because he cared and didn't want them to fall by the hand of a demon (though the training didn't end up doing a lot of good in the end for Sabito). His black eyes always seemed to stare straight through you, picking apart your very soul and despite his current age, it was obvious that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Giyuu wondered if Rengoku knew that his father was going to train them all today. It was likely a long time since he had seen Shinjuro sober and from what he had heard, Shinjuro had never taken the time to train Rengoku so the upcoming day might come as a surprise to him.

Once he had gotten himself ready, Giyuu went outside to sit on the porch and await the former Hashira's arrival. It didn't shock him to see Muichiro appear by his side not long after and the silence was nice. Though it wasn't completely silent due to the early morning birds chirping all around him, reminding him of when he used to wake to those exact sounds.

He could also faintly hear the clanging of the others as they valiantly attempted to make some breakfast. He supposed that he should go help them but Jigoro would usually show up early and Giyuu wanted to be there to greet him. So he stayed.

And as a telltale crack of thunder echoes throughout the forest, he knew that was the right decision. He couldn't hear any footsteps approaching but Giyuu had gotten used to the stealth of the former Hashiras and now came to expect it.

Soon enough, a head of white hair with those piercing black eyes emerged from behind a tree and the nostalgia kicked in. Sabito would've loved to have been here. To show off whilst Urokodaki carefully hid the smirk in his voice. To battle Jigoro and finally win. To have long talks with Shinjuro and try to hide any traces of sake in the house.

But Sabito wasn't here. Yet, Giyuu was. And there was nothing he could do to change that now. But imagining the looks of pity from the people who he once called Mentors, as if it wasn't his fault that Sabito died, as if it wasn't his responsibility to protect him, that was possibly the worst part of all.

He could feel his muscles tending at the thought. At his selfishness. The birds chirping seemed less comforting and more accusatory than before. The smell of breakfast simmering on the stove made him sick to his stomach. If Sabito couldn't enjoy that meal, then why should Giyuu get that pleasure? What made him special enough to survive? It wasn't fair, it had never been fair.

And yet there was no way of escaping it. As much as he considered it, death wasn't an option. He couldn't give up now, that was the easy way out. No, he would endure the sad excuse that was his life. For Sabito.

The figure was closing in on him now and his fight or flight response kicked in. As always, he chose to flee, leaving Muichiro and Jigoro staring at the spot where he had been only seconds ago, wondering why he had such a change of heart.

The two didn't waste any time on introductions and Jigoro simply followed Muichiro inside to wait for his old friend, Urokodaki. He carefully watched the current Hashira's movements for any glimpse of Urokodaki's student and the sweet boy he used to know, but could find nothing. It was inevitable that the two would have to meet eventually but the idea of Giyuu avoiding him, bothered Jigoro more than he would ever admit, even to himself.

After a long while, Jigoro could finally hear the crunch of twigs signalling Shinjuro's approach. He saw a tall man with white hair and an extremely blingy headband look towards the door as well and made a mental note of the man's exceptional hearing but less than exceptional dress sense. He also made note of the slightly younger Shinjuro that was wandering around the kitchen with a bright smile and owl-ish eyes.

As the door creaked open and Shinjuro stepped in, looking reasonably presentable considering how awful he had seen the man looking in the past, he heard a surprised voice practically shout, "Father!?"

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Shinjuro raised an eyebrow at his son's surprise but other than that, chose to completely ignore him. Rengoku's mouth was still hanging open as his smile slowly slipped off his face. At first, he was happy to see his father, especially in such a sober state but then his mind wandered and he was forced to consider the possibility of his father getting drunk and violent. For the people he considered his best friends to see his father in such a state? That was something Rengoku wanted to prevent at all costs.

Shinjuro was looking a lot tidier than usual and was missing his usual bottle of sake that he carried around everywhere but there was no way he was completely sober. Rengoku hadn't seen that in many years, even after much pleading from him and his brother, his father refused, saying he would 'stop some other time' or make other promises that Rengoku knew he wouldn't keep.

Obanai was well aware of this too and his surprise was also evident by the slight widening of his eyes and the way he froze mid step. At least Rengoku knew that there was one person he could count on to help handle his father, though Obanai hadn't seen the full extent of his father's drunken self as Rengoku had done his best to steer him away from it. He considered Obanai a little brother despite the man being a few years older than him. Even though they hadn't been as close since they had become Hashira, Rengoku knew that their bond had not been severed and Obanai felt the same.

Giyuu, however, was still hiding outside the room after he ran away from Jiguro earlier and wondering what his next course of action should be. It could be awkward to enter now but he doubted any of the others even realised he left, despite him darting straight past them. The only other option was staying where he was but someone (probably Urokodaki) would go looking for him eventually.

Thankfully, Giyuu didn't have to make that decision as Shinjuro walked straight through the door to his right and grabbed his arm as if he could see through the wall he happened to be hiding behind.

When Rengoku saw this, he assumed the worst. That his father was dragging someone he had never met before (Tomioka no less) across the room to fight that person for no apparent reason. It was safe to say that shocked didn't even begin to sum up how Rengoku felt when his father pulled Giyuu into a tight hug.

He couldn't remember the last time his father had hugged him or Senjuro. The only possible explanation for his father doing this was that, in his father's mind, Giyuu looked a little too much like Ruka. Rengoku had to admit that this was a very possible explanation to Shinjuro's strange actions as Giyuu had always bore a certain resemblance to his late mother but his suspicions were changed when the other former Hashira that had walked in only minutes before, placed his hand on Giyuu's back comfortingly.

Giyuu looked as close to tears as anyone in the room had ever seen him. Water was lining his eyes but he kept it at bay. Shinjuro finally spoke, offering the onlookers another piece to the puzzle that was Giyuu Tomioka. "I'm sorry about Sabito. He was a good boy and an even better swordsman."

Shinobu was now also deep in thought. She was sure she had heard that name before, if only in passing. Perhaps he was at the Butterfly Mansion and she treated an injury of his. But that didn't seem quite right. It seemed more likely that she had heard whispers of his name around the corps but whose name would be spread like gossip around the demon slayers? Someone powerful, she's sure.

By the wording the former Flame Hashira used, it was safe to assume that this Sabito person was dead. Shinobu knew very well that Giyuu had lost people, the same as all of the Hashira, but seeing his face sour at the name made it feel a whole lot more real.

She had barely even considered what her fellow comrades had been through in their pasts, always too consumed with her own problems and balancing her duties as a demon slayer with running the Butterfly Mansion. She could have tried asking for some kind of assistance but only the immature couldn't handle themselves. She had been managing everything smoothly for years and that wasn't about to stop now.

Giyuu… seemed so similar to her, despite the gap in her knowledge about him. Broken by a world that would never truly understand them. Only Shinobu is able to pretend. Pretend that she's happy, even when it feels like she's dying inside. Pretend everything is fine just to get them off her back for a moment. Pretend that the wisteria in syringes, hidden beneath her spare uniform, isn't there. But it's all fake in a way that Giyuu isn't.

Shinobu supposes that, in a way, she is happy that Giyuu has someone that will hold him whilst he breaks, even if she doesn't. Though her curiosity towards their bond isn't at all weakened.

She had never seen Giyuu hug someone before. Very few people ever had.

"Thank you… though it's not your fault." Giyuu mumbles so it is only audible to a select few in the room. Urokodaki walking in then breaks the comfortable embrace and the slightly awkward silence.

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"Whilst I'm certain that many of you know at least one of my guests, let me formally introduce them to you all." Everyone turned expectantly and Giyuu awkwardly sidestepped a few paces away from Shinjuro. As if on cue, Urokodaki gestured to Shinjuro before stating, "This is the former flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku." Then Urokodaki turned and gestures to Jigoro. "And this is the former Rumble Hashira, Jigoro Ruwajima. They are… old friends of mine as we served together as Hashira for many years and have very kindly agreed to aid in training all of you. To do this, you will be split up into three groups and we will target your weaknesses." At this revelation, a few Hashira around the room looked a bit uncertain, some for different reasons than others.

"From my prior training, I have enough information to do this, however some of you may find today's training a lot easier than others as some of you have unfixable weaknesses such as the limitations of your breathing style or even your own mind. These groups will be as follows: Shinobu, Muichiro and Obanai with me for strength training. Gyoumei, Mitsuri and Sanemi with Jigoro for speed training. And Giyuu, Rengoku and Tengen with Shinjuro for reflex training. I hope you all manage to learn something valuable today. Now, prepare yourselves and then follow your respective trainers."

Urokodaki, Shinjuro and Jigoro then convened in the corner of the room and the Hashira were aware of the hushed conversation but only Uzui was able to make out any semblance of what they could be discussing. When Rengoku looked to Tengen to ask about it, he was met with a frown in the place of his usual jovial smile. He made a mental note to question it later when there weren't others that could overhear.

Once everyone had finished eating breakfast, it was time for the training to start but no one was particularly worried. After yesterday, the majority of them felt like whatever nightmares today could unleash would be mere dreams in comparison. Besides, the former Hashira, while strong, seemed fragile and soft due to their retirement and their training would be a walk in the park because if old men could do it, the younger generation of Hashira could too. Right?

Giyuu knew that wasn't the case and soon enough, all of the Hashira would know this to be fact. It would be, both figuratively and literally, beaten into them until they wouldn't dare to forget it.

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Obanai could hear Kaburamaru hiss a sigh of relief at not being paired up with Shinjuro, he wasn't sure he could handle a talk about how Mitsuri could die on the battlefield. Deep down, he already knew that and considered the possibilities yet in the end, when he imagined his future, he could only see her face. If she was going to die, he was going to make sure that she didn't die alone. 

He wasn't sure whether to feel insulted at the fact that he was doing strength training and for a moment, began to feel slightly embarrassed at his lack of physical strength in comparison to Mitsuri before quickly remembering that her strength was one of the reasons he loved her so much. 

Sanemi, however, did not have the same positive attitude about the day's training. He couldn't believe he had to do speed training. It was just insulting that Urokodaki had the audacity to try and point out everyone's weaknesses when he barely knew anything about them. Sure, they had trained together for a few days but he was plenty fast enough and there was nothing that old man could teach him that he didn't already know. Besides, with only one leg, how could a former Hashira beat any of them, let alone teach them anything new? 

Shinobu was practically buzzing with excitement for the day's training. It wasn't often that she had a real chance at getting stronger and from the training on Day 1, it might just work. Eventually, she might even be able to cut a demon's head off though she would likely still have her poisons on her, just as a precaution. Regardless, it was obvious that she would be the first to rush off to that day's training. Though, very begrudgingly, the others followed not too far behind before splitting up into their respective groups and heading onwards to their mentors. 

Urokodaki was quietly pleased to see the enthusiasm radiating off one of his students which usually meant they would try harder and be more motivated to succeed. He was less pleased to see the other two staring off into space, looking as uninterested as humanely possible but no matter, he would soon get them as motivated as Shinobu.

Jigoro, however, was considerably more pleased about his group. There was a bright pink girl who seemed ready to conquer the world, a tall, strong looking man who was quietly powerful and one other man whose scars spoke for themselves, showing off his perseverance.

To say that Shinjuro was nervous about his group was an understatement. While he was pleased about being able to see and train Giyuu again, Kyojuro was a completely different case. Shinjuro's mind was filled with doubt at the idea of training his son again after so many years. He had avoided training the boy after Runs had died, after all, if he had then it would've made it far easier for Rengoku to become a Hashira and then he could have a similar fate to so many others in the corps: death. But in the end, none of that mattered as Kyojuro just did what he thought was right with no regard to his safety and in this case, he had thought it was right to become a Hashira and try to save as many lives as possible. 

Whilst he was sober, he had a real chance to think about his sons, about how proud he truly was of Kyojuro (though he wouldn't dare show it for fear that he would be motivated to do more dangerous things and risk his life to save others again) and about how much stronger both of them were than him. Kyojuro and Senjuro were able to push their own mourning and pain aside to take care of him. He fell to alcohol the moment Ruka died but they had yet to even touch it. Perhaps they feared becoming like him. 

Maybe one day he could tell them.

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It was now a well known fact amongst the current generation of Hashira that Urokodaki wasn't kind or patient with his training, but Jigoro was something else entirely. You'd never know he only had one leg with the way he was able to dart through the trees. He was like a strike of lightning, never stopping or hesitating and always hitting his target.

The first part of Gyoumei, Mitsuri and Sanemi's training was to try to land an attack on Jigoro whilst chasing him. And so they were taught how valuable speed really could be in battle. If you can't catch it, you can't land a hit either. Even Gyoumei was struggling, trying to catch a subtle shift that could indicate his movements. Every time they were able to see a flash out of the corner of their eye, it was gone as quickly as it arrived. Eventually, Sanemi had had enough of this game of cat and mouse and decided to make the executive decision to give up, yelling, "Alright, we get the lesson! Now can you teach us how exactly we can get faster!?" 

As if on cue, Jigoro stepped out from behind a tree, slightly hobbling due to the immense pressure he had put his remaining leg under. "Quitting already? We'd barely even started. Well, at least you aren't running away like some of my… other recruits."

Sanemi was practically rolling his eyes at the man, wanting to get to the actual training part but it seemed Jigoro had other ideas. But Sanemi was quick to perk up when Jigoro turned to pick something up from behind a tree. 

Mitsuri was desperately leaning around Jigoro to try to get a glimpse of whatever he had grabbed and Gyoumei seemed mildly interested yet trusting that the next task they were set would not be easy: Jigoro won't have gotten his place as a Hashira for nothing. 

When the man turned, Mitsuri was quick to notice the weights in his hands and was about to question them when the former Hashira opened his mouth to explain, "You all need to learn to be lighter on your feet to increase your speed. So I will tie these weights on your bodies and set a course for you to do laps of."

His speech was quickly followed by another remark from Sanemi, "Isn't that a bit counterproductive? I mean, if you want us to be lighter on our feet shouldn't we be carrying less weight?" He queried, rather uncharacteristically polite.

Gyoumei was quick to lecture Sanemi on this, though he couldn't deny his own doubts on the unconventional method. "Sanemi. You shouldn't disrespect your elders by doubting their ways. I'm sure he has trained many as the former Rumble Hashira so you shouldn't-"

"It's fine, Gyoumei." Jigoro interrupted, "I understand that I may not have the most normal methods but I can assure you, with effort, it does work. I expect you to put that effort in." With that, he began tying a multitude of weights to Mitsuri's arms and then moved to do the same for Sanemi and Gyoumei, somehow knowing to put more on Mitsuri. Sanemi ended up with the least weights but a heavily bruised ego whereas the other two were barely even buckling under the mass.

Reluctantly, they all set off running with Gyoumei taking the lead with the other two following closely. Fortunately, they had started at the top of the mountain and whilst dodging the traps whilst maintaining a steady speed was difficult, they all managed it without too much hardship. The way back up however was a completely different story, filled with burning muscles, scratches from the traps and ending with Gyoumei being hung from his foot after he noticed a rope wrapping around his ankle too late. 

Though it took some struggling, the group managed to make it back to where they began and Jigoro was waiting. "You're slow. But at least you all made it. Go have lunch and we will reconvene in an hour to do the second part of today's training."

They were all quick to leave and grab an energy source, knowing they would need it for whatever the next task was. They could only pray it wasn't any harder than the previous one yet, deep down, they all knew it would be. The three ate in silence, contemplating what could happen next and preparing themselves.

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Obanai was still sulking about doing strength training but less so when he remembered the strength of his… co-worker and friend, Mitsuri. He knew of her insecurities as they spent a lot of time together and she was quick to open up to others. He wasn't like that at all, no matter how much he tried and he did try for her. But he just couldn't let her know of his filthy blood. She wouldn't look at him the same, he just knew it so he allowed himself to continue to be selfish and dream of what life could be like if they… Nevermind. But if he couldn't tell her, then he could at least try to better himself for her and this strength training would do just that.

Obanai felt a strange thrill at the idea but he was quickly snapped back to reality when Urokodaki began to speak. "Today's strength training will begin with weights so I can see where we are starting. Try and find the heaviest weight you can lift, even if only for a few seconds."

Obviously, Muichiro was the strongest with Obanai not too far behind and Shinobu being able to lift the least amount, though it was still more than the average person could lift.

Muichiro wasn't quite sure why he was in this training group. I mean, sure he wasn't as strong as the others but it wasn't like he was weak. He supposed they needed even groups and besides, he didn't particularly need training in any of the other skills so this would likely be the most helpful option to him. So maybe he could try and show a little interest, even if it doesn't do much.

The next thing they had to do was strike at boulders of increasing size as a sort of substitute for cutting a demon's neck. While Shinobu had to repetitively hit the rocks with her metal training katana, Muichiro and Obanai flew through the task, getting every one on their first try. Urokodaki requested that they pick up the boulders and carry them around for a bit to occupy some of their time. When Obanai got about half way through the boulders, his shoulder gave out on him so Muichiro ended up, albeit begrudgingly, lifting half a boulder off of his arm which was heavily bruised. However, when Shinobu tried to go have a look at it, Urokodaki was quick to throw his arm to block her way and get her back to the task.

Shinobu was still chopping at a boulder that was about the size of a bush (A/N: I couldn't think of anything else that was to correct size. (⁠•⁠ ⁠▽⁠ ⁠•⁠;⁠) But if you can think of anything better, feel free to let me know in the comments.) and growing more frustrated by the minute. Her technique was perfect, not even her stance was sloppy. Yet she still couldn't seem to cut through it. Eventually, after much encouragement from Urokodaki, she managed to create a crack in it, though she was sure it was just from the constant striking, not the actual strength behind the blow.

She was on the verge of giving up, it wasn't as if she hadn't encountered this kind of problem before when her older sister, Kanae, attempted to train her many years ago. Her stature was just too small, her arms too weak for chopping off a demon's head. The hope she had was diminishing more and more by the second, why couldn't she just do this like everyone else could? Why did she have to be this weak!?

Urokodaki, sensing her growing frustration, told her to "Take a small break. Do what you're good at. Think a way around it."

That made Shinobu stop in her tracks. She had thought a way around it. She used poison to kill demons instead of decapitating them like everyone else. Urokodaki knew this. So why would he say that? If he had an idea, why not just come out with it instead of speaking in these riddles?

He had told her to 'Do what you're good at.' But what was she good at? It sure wasn't strength. She designed her insect breathing around her personal talents so she decided to start there. She was good at making poison but that couldn't be it, she had to be fast but that wouldn't help her at all when summoning the strength that she required and she used short, quick thrusts to- That's right! She could use her strong thrusts to break the boulders!

She rushed back to where Urokodaki was waiting for her and seeing her excited expression, he nodded towards the boulder, signalling for her to try her idea. With a sharp stab, the rock split into two and then crumbled. Her face lit up with a genuine expression that no one had seen in years, pure joy. Even Muichiro turned to stare at the accomplishment, gathering something good had happened through not quite knowing why it was so great.

Moving onto the next boulder, which was considerably larger, Shinobu dropped the katana in favour of a large spade-like tool. The boulder once again crumbled after a few carefully placed hits. Whilst this might not translate well when it came to the regenerative abilities of demons, it was still progress and more progress than she had seen in years. Shinobu was almost reluctant to go to lunch, wanting to keep on testing her new weapon and technique but she relented and joined the other two on a fallen tree.

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Shinjuro was already radiating anxiety but had managed to calm his nerves to a manageable amount or, to the point where even the ever observant Tomioka Giyuu wouldn't be able to tell. He still needed to train them and that meant being, or at least appearing, stronger than them, no matter how much of a mess he was inside.

When the three Hashira showed up to his training, he realised he hadn't put a lot of thought into what exactly he was going to do to improve their reflexes. They had already practiced dodging the traps around the mountain and besides, Giyuu was far too good at that for it to be considered training, he practically knew this mountain like the back of his hand.

Tengen seemed very enthusiastic about the training, though that could just be his 'flashy' personality trying to shine through. He was currently engaged in a riveting conversation with Rengoku about potatoes and Tengen looked ready to scream (in a manly way though).

Shinjuro was quietly questioning his son's taste in friends whilst deciding on the day's training. "Alright, listen up. Here are a few tennis balls. Juggle… or at least try to."

Tengen looked ready to kill Shinjuro (or try to, because let's be honest with ourselves, he wouldn't manage that), Giyuu was as unenthused as ever and Rengoku was just staring at him with those owl-ish eyes that made him want to burst into tears. The trio quickly sprang into action at Shinjuro's hard glare, which was honestly terrifying because it was making Tengen imagine what Rengoku would look like when mad , which was even worse than whatever unflashy train wreck was in front of him.

To put it simply, juggling is hard but Giyuu seemed to adapt quickly, being able to juggle three balls for about a minute before dropping them and having to start over, Tengen, who was not faring so well, decided to start up a conversation. "Hey Tomioka, how are you doing that? This is super difficult but whatever method you're using is super flashy, man." 

He received only crickets in return but seemed undeterred, switching to a softer tone for what he was about to say. "I heard the others talking earlier. I mean Urokodaki-san and that lot." This seemed to garner Giyuu's attention, his dull blue eyes snapping up to meet Tengen's sparkling maroon ones. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything and I couldn't even make everything out but can I just ask: Who is Sabito?" 

The question made Giyuu stop in his tracks, his brain screaming at him to say something, anything but what could he say? A friend? No, Sabito was far more than an ordinary friend. A brother? No, that would confuse Tengen due to their lack of blood relation. A lover? Definitely not! Even if Giyuu had… considered it, they were just kids when Sabito died and it seemed impossible for anyone to love a creature like him.

Tengen was terrified that he had somehow offended the man, uncharacteristically trying to backtrack. "Sorry if I crossed a line or someth-"

"No, you're fine. The name just… brings back some old memories." Giyuu cut him off.

Tengen was fast to reply to this, curious about his comrade. "Do you wanna talk about it? It can be good to get it off your chest: the good, the bad, all of it."

"O-okay," Giyuu was filled with uncertainty at the thought of sharing such a private part of himself but something about Tengen in that moment made him want to spill his thoughts as he tried not to let water escape from his ocean blue eyes. "I suppose that I would describe Sabito as…"

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"I suppose that I would describe Sabito as… my best friend. I don't really know how else to describe him…" Giyuu trailed off, desperately attempting not to get lost in the sea of memories that were washing over him in waves of internal agony.

Tengen's smile seemed to waver, recognising the tone the Giyuu used. Tengen had spoken like that many times about his siblings and realised that he could hear it everywhere. People only ever used that voice when reminiscing about a loved one who they've lost. Tengen wasn't stupid enough to expect any of the Hashira to not have had some kind of loss but Giyuu always seemed so stoic, so untouchable but seeing the water rim his eyes made him re-evaluate this image he had of Giyuu. Giyuu truly belonged amongst the Hashira, even if he couldn't see it himself, and this conversation only re-enforced this belief.

He felt the need to encourage Giyuu and maybe even see a smile, however small, even a slight upturn at the corners of the man's mouth would be an improvement. Just to know that Giyuu wasn't alone right now was enough. "Hey, don't cry. Lemme see that flashy grin of yours." Tengen smiled at him and to his utmost surprise, Giyuu smiled back. It wasn't a smile like anyone else's. This was entirely Giyuu. Even if Giyuu happened to be staring at the ground like it held the answers to life, tears finally dripping onto the forest floor and the smile was deformed to the point where it was barely recognisable as one, this was the closest any of the Hashira had gotten to meeting the man behind the facade. And Tengen wasn't going to let go of that now. Not when he had the chance to find out what kind of person Giyuu Tomioka truly was.

"When we're done with this-" a thousand words ran through his head, including hellish, torturous and nightmare inducing, but he eventually managed to settle with, "inventive training, we should catch up at my place. My wives would be more than happy to have a guest over or it can be just us two." Tengen offered, adding the last bit on quickly, desperately trying to stop Giyuu from closing up again.

"Sure…" tears continued to trickle down from his eyes, "I would actually really like that Uzui."

Shinjuro chose this moment to make himself known to the duo. "Glad that you two have got to have this lovely moment but it's not gonna get you out of training. Get to it!" He said, harshly but not unkindly, finally making Rengoku look up from his juggling and blinked at them all with question marks practically floating around his head.

From then onwards, the group worked in a comfortable silence, occasionally casting each other sideways glances to measure up their progress. Eventually, Shinjuro grew tired of watching them and decided to move them onto another task. He led the trio to a long, winding path running down the mountain at an alarming slant with rows of autumnal trees lining the sides, blocking the view of any clues as to what they could be doing here.

Shinjuro handed Rengoku a wooden training sword and motioned for him to set off. Rengoku was clearly giving his father a confused look, as if begging him to elaborate or at least give him a hint as to what to do. Shinjuro didn't seem inclined to do so and simply said, "It's a loop. Be as fast as you can. Go on." He prompted.

As Rengoku set off, the remaining two were left in silence until their heads snapped up at a surprised yelp that came from somewhere along the path. Tengen moved to chase after Rengoku but Shinjuro put up a hand to stop him. After what felt like an age (but what was only actually a few minutes), Rengoku returned with his skin swelling up with newly formed bruises. 

Shinjuro snatched the sword from Rengoku and placed it within Tengen's now slightly shaking hands. He opened his mouth to ask Rengoku what to expect but was quieted by Shinjuro's grumpy glare. He set off and let out quite a high pitched scream at about the half way mark which left Giyuu wondering what kind of nightmare had been set up for them under the guise of 'training'.

Tengen returned in a similar state to Rengoku, much to his own dismay and Giyuu was sent off, mentally and physically preparing himself for the worst. When a target-like wooden board came flying towards his face, he was mildly shocked but recovered quickly, smacking it with his training sword. He noticed that the target was battered and had a red smear, whether it was one of his comrade's blood or paint, he would never know.

There were a few more unpleasant surprises such as tripwires or flying knives that came at him along the course but he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the worst of it was over towards the beginning. When he returned to the others, he was still in pristine condition, not a single bruise on his body. Tengen was openly gaping and the man, questioning how exactly he had managed to complete this near impossible task without so much as a scratch.

Shinjuro, expecting these results, was quick to send them off to lunch so he could go chat with Urokodaki and Jigoro about anything and everything and the three were left in the forest to munch on their food, still surrounded by the quiet of the forest.

Chapter Text

The groups were all startled when a strangled laugh weaved between the trees, the echo of it growing quieter yet never quite giving up. Far away, a girl with a kind smile, who assumably let out the laugh, and a boy with peach coloured hair leaned against a boulder that had been cut cleanly in half. If one were to glance around the clearing that the pair were stood within, then they would see evidence of something that must have repeatedly struck the trees with scraps of green and black fabric that had snagged on branches.

The Hashira, whilst still being apart due to their lunch break, unanimously decided to join back together at Urokodaki's house, slightly perturbed by the laugh. The former Hashira followed, curious to see what action they may or may not take. Uzui asked the question that was on everybody's mind. "You sure this place isn't haunted, old man?"

Urokodaki let out a low sound that sounded almost like a laugh, rumbling through the ground and making the group shiver in anticipation of his next words. "Perhaps, but we all have our ghosts, do we not?"

Everyone present could relate to that. "So… there are ghosts?" Tengen stammered out, looking slightly unnerved but quickly covering it up by adding, "Then we should flashily hunt them! I know I won't be able to rest well until I know my comrades are safe from ghoulish harm."

Sanemi just glared in response and Shinobu looked dangerously close to rolling her eyes at his theatrics. "There is no scientific way ghosts actually exist. We would just be going on a wild goose chase when we could be training to become better sword wielders." Shinobu attempted to persuade the others to stop the nonsense but no one seemed bothered to train anymore, not when there was a far more entertaining ghost hunt just around the corner.

"It could be a ghost-like demon…" Mitsuri suggested which made Sanemi perk up and agree to search.

Shinobu noticed Giyuu was looking rather pale and his deep blue eyes were darting nervously around the floor, as if there were some answers there that no one knew about. Very ironically, he looked like he had just seen a ghost. When he saw them all, presumably, grouping together to leave and have some fun, because of course ghosts didn't actually exist (right…?), he took a few steps backwards and exited the room without anyone noticing, apart from Shinobu of course.

Gyoumei and Muichiro opted out of the 'fun' and whilst many were skeptical as they considered it a waste of time, eventually they were persuaded by others to join. The group wandered around the mountain, mostly chatting and using the time to get away from the training with the excuse of attempting to find a possible demon.

Eventually they stumbled upon a clearing. Within it, two children sat. They were clearly not demons though, much to Sanemi's dismay. They looked around at each other, waiting for someone to break the silence.

"What are you kids doing here? Did you get lost?" Shinobu smiles in an attempt to make them feel more comfortable around the strangers.

"No, we were just talking here. We didn't disturb you, did we?" The girl had a dreamy voice that seemed almost mythical.

"No, no, you're fine. But… you wouldn't happen to know anything about a strange laugh like noise on this mountain. It must've been quite loud as it echoed throughout the forest." Shinobu explained. The others nodded eagerly.

"Hmm… it's quite normal for sounds to bounce back off the trees and then seem to be something else. It could have just been the wind and you thought you were hearing things." The girl suggested, rather unhelpfully.

The boy who was sat beside her added, "We should probably go, Uro-" he stopped himself, "our… parents will be getting worried." And at that the pair stood up and left, almost as quickly as they appeared.

Everyone was left in stunned silence, too unnerved to continue the search and instead deciding to head back to Urokodaki's house and rest.

Chapter Text

The group that had encountered the strange children had wandered further into the house to stew in their thoughts or try to figure out why that pair of kids seemed so… off. However, the Hashiras were not immune to the calling of food and eventually made their way into the kitchen to eat.

"What did you find? No ghosts I suppose?" Urokodaki asked in a teasing manner, seemingly having grown more comfortable around the group.

"No, but we did find these two kids on the mountain." Giyuu looked up with mild interest at Shinobu's words, curious to the reasoning behind the kids wandering up a mountain such as this one. "They were strange…I can't really explain it but something about them was just wrong."

"Yeah, Shinobu's right." Mitsuri chimed in, obviously perturbed by the experience. "Have you seen them before, Urokodaki-san? I'll describe them to you. The girl was very cute with her little fox mask but her turquoise eyes seemed to stare right through me! Kinda creepy… but she had a flower crown that was so pretty! I kinda wanna make one for myself now! I wonder where I can find some flowers because I don't think I've seen any on this mountain…"

Mitsuri's voice blended into the background as Giyuu sat in shock that there was a child with a fox mask on this mountain. He didn't recall Urokodaki mentioning taking any new students on since Tanjiro trained here but it could just be a coincidence seen as he didn't recognise any of the girl's other features.

Whilst Obanai was currently listening intently to Mitsuri's rambling, Sanemi had decided he had had enough of it and interrupted her. "Get back to the point!" He practically shouted. He was shot a terrifying glare from Obanai but a few thankful ones from others who were too polite to intervene.

Mitsuri face turned bright red. "Kyaaa- so embarrassing…" she mumbled to herself. "Anyway, the boy also had a matching fox mask with a scar on the cheek. He had peach coloured hair which I thought was kinda unusual-"

"You're one to talk." Sanemi intercepted her once again, receiving another withering glare from Obanai.

Mitsuri, ignoring this comment, continued. "He didn't talk much but he had such a unique pattern to his haori, now that I think about it, the pattern was exactly like the green half of yours Giyuu! Maybe you both got the fabric from the same place? What a coincidence!"

Giyuu's face visibly paled at the description, his cup clattering out of his hands and onto the floor, the liquid pooling at his feet. Urokodaki wasn't looking much better, his hands shaking like a leaf and sweat dribbling down from beneath his mask onto his neck. Shinjuro and Jigoro, who had stayed for dinner but would have to leave straight after, looked up from their bowls curious at their comrade's show of emotion.

"H-how…" Urokodaki started but his voice failed him. The others were understandably shocked at this stoic man having such a blatant display of weakness and vulnerability. He eventually gained the courage to attempt to speak again, finding his voice again whilst his mind drowned in questions and denial. "Where exactly did you find them?"

"They were leaning on this massive boulder that had been cut in half. I can't even imagine the type of skill it would take to cut through that boulder, but it was so smoothly cut, it seemed like it would've taken no effort at all to do!" Mitsuri answered his question with enthusiasm. "Were you the one to cut it, Urokodaki-san!?" She asked excitedly, not unaware of the tension that now surrounded the room.

Urokodaki was glad for the change of topic and he was sure Giyuu felt the same, though he would likely wander off later in favour of getting lost in deep thoughts and memories about his friend. "No. I'm sure you can find many boulders such as that one on this mountain and all of them have been cut by students that I have trained. It is a sort of test to ensure they are prepared for final selection. From the direction you returned from, I believe Tanjiro was the one to cut through that specific boulder."

Mitsuri's mouth was practically hanging open in response to that statement and the other Hashira weren't faring much better, some sporting raised eyebrows or wide eyes. Then the silence was broken. "You really don't go easy on those kids." Jigoro chuckled. "Anyway, it's getting late and I'd like to be back before it gets too dark so I'll be off." He stood up and turned to address Giyuu. "I wish you all the best and it was… nice seeing you again. I hope to meet up with you again soon, Urokodaki."

Shinjuro also stood, moving after Jigoro to leave but abruptly turning when he reached the now open door. "Thank you, Urokodaki, for having me in your home and for the meal. I too wish to see you all again soon." He glanced at his son and for a moment, his gaze softened into something that would've been expected from that man many years ago. "It was a pleasure to train you Kyo-" he cut himself off, quickly altering his words, "all, if only briefly and if you are ever in need of… anything, feel free to drop by and we can talk together." Then he turned and, in a mere moment, had vanished.

"I think I will also retire for the night." Urokodaki added, knowing that sleep would not come easily for him but wanting to be left alone to consider possibilities and the impossibleness of the claims made by the others, who had no idea of the inner turmoil they had unleashed within two men who sat with them that night.

Chapter Text

It was only at 3am that Giyuu was finally closing his eyes and able to forget about Sabito, if only for what felt like a few moments as his dreams were not any more pleasant. They always started off nicely, you could say it was the calm before the storm.

It began with a whirlwind of happy memories: mischief with Sabito such as playing pranks on Urokodaki (and failing miserably), training 'til it felt as if his arms might just fall off so he attempted to stop for a breather and the awful punishments that awaited him if he succeeded in that quest. But soon enough, those souvenirs of a time long ago were tainted like his blood had seeped onto them and cursed every moment. That time when Giyuu fell off a log that he was sitting on from laughing and Sabito fell in solidarity with him turned into a nightmarish scene you would expect from a horror novel where Sabito's head was misplaced from his neck, sliding cleanly off and falling onto the soft forest floor with a sickening thud. Other scenes such as that played out in his head, repeating, never allowing him a moment to truly rest.

When he eventually woke, covered in a sheen of sweat and tears, Giyuu felt more exhausted than when he fell asleep and was subjected to that land of hellish nightmares. If nothing else, he was thankful that no one had found him in his messy state. Though he did consider the fact that the Hashira may also suffer from dreams like that but quickly dismissed the idea. The Hashira were far superior to Giyuu and were stronger, both physically and mentally, so we're above stupid nightmares, unlike him. 

Giyuu had to force himself to get up, stifling yawns with his hand so he didn't wake anyone who was fortunate enough to still be resting at the time. His movements were sluggish (more so than usual) and he felt almost ill at the idea of eating breakfast but foregoing the meal would lead to unwanted attention and question so he dragged himself downstairs to find 8 pairs of eyes immediately lock onto his figure. The urge to run back was almost overwhelming but he pushed himself forwards, deciding not to speak in favour of waiting for someone else to mention what they were looking at him to intently for.

"Giyuu? Are you... alright?" Mitsuri asked. Giyuu almost mistaked this for genuine concern but quickly brushed the foolish idea away, after all, she had no reason to care for him as he had performed no action to warrant such kindness.

His answer to her was short, wanting to end the conversation - or more accurately questioning - as quickly as possible. "Yes." 

"You're up late." Shinobu teased, adding some helpful context to the situation. "Considering how long you slept in, you look rather tired-"

"Exhausted would be a better word." Obanai added unhelpfully, earning a glare from Shinobu for interrupting her.

"As I was saying, would you mind if I performed a health check on you? You might have some kind of illness that has caused you to look like... that."

Giyuu was almost surprised at her words. He couldn't look that bad, could he? But then he caught his reflection in a metal serving dish and confirmed that he did in fact look that bad. He was sporting huge eyebags, pale skin and eyes that looked haunted beyond repair. Whilst this wasn't too different form how he usually looked, there was a life in his skin and alertness in his eyes that he was currently lacking. He realised that he had zoned out and completely blanked the increasingly annoyed Shinobu so blurted out a fast "No, I'm fine. Let's just start the training."

He mumbled out the last sentence which led to a booming "WHAT WAS THAT, TOMIOKA?" from Rengoku that threatened to deafen anyone in a 5 mile radius but thankfully Shinobu seemed to drop the idea when Urokodaki strode in to announce the day's training.