Chapter Text
Shinobu woke up to someone shaking her shoulders.
"Shinobu, wake up! Hurry! We need to leave!"
Slowly, her eyes parted open, finding the pair of eyes that belonged to her sister, Kanae, looking down at her.
"Nee-san...what's going on?"
Kanae looked around cautiously, putting a finger to her lips, she said, "We need to leave. Come on."
Dragging Shinobu out of bed, Kanae led her to the balcony. The younger girl gasped at what she saw. The whole village has erupted in flames. Kanae tugged at her hands, "Shinobu..."
She looked at her sister and nodded, "Let's get out of here."
Together, they jumped off the balcony, rolled to prevent getting hurt too seriously, and ran.
The two siblings reached the foot of Mt. Sagiri when a pair of demons stopped them in their tracks. Kanae stepped in front of her younger sister, unsheathing her katana in her hand. She managed to cut one of them down, leaving her ride side completely open. The other demon took the opportunity and slashed its claws along her arm, leaving 3 marks that run from her biceps all the way to her wrist.
Kanae's face twisted in pain. She charged at the demon, slicing at it multiple times. It disintegrated into ashes, and she turned with a smile on her face
Shinobu watched the scene in horror. "Nee-san... your arm!!"
Kanae smiled, "I'm fine. Shinobu...get out of here, alright? Go somewhere far away... Nee-san will take care of everything here. So go."
She sheathed her katana, resting the blade in Shinobu's small hands, before giving her a small shove towards the mountains. "Go...run. Run as far as you can. Don't forget Nee-san... okay? And...please live a normal life...be happy...get married... have a family...don't put yourself in danger."
Shinobu shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Nee-san..."
Kanae smile weakened, "I love you, don't you ever forget that."
The young girl spared one last glance at her sister before running up the mountains like her life depended on it. 'Nee-san, I hate you...'
.
Shinobu stopped when the sun came up. She took one look at the village. Her home. It's in shambles now. Sighing, she continued onwards. Her legs ached and her lungs burned, but she had to keep going. 'For Nee-san.'
But she didn't go far before she collapsed. Her vision was getting cloudy and she couldn't move her body. 'Tou-san... Kaa-san... Nee-san... Is this where I'm going to.. die?'
Just before she lost consciousness, she saw a figure hurrying her way.
Urokodaki Sakonji was heading down the mountain early in the morning before his three Tsugukos started training. He often ran down and up the mountain to replenish the supplies that were necessary for life in the mountains. Today was different. That morning when he woke up, he sensed a demon, no. Rather, two demons had attacked the night before.
He hurried his way through the mountain, only to find a girl halfway down about the same age as his apprentices, 14 or 15 at best. From there, he got a clear view of the town. Or more precisely, what remained of it. The village had been burned down, ash and soot decorating the ground.
He sighed and carefully lifted the girl from the ground.
Clink
Underneath the man's mask, his eyes went wide. That sound was all too familiar. The sound of a sword readjusting in a person's hand. He looked down. Sure enough, the girl held a katana. Urokodaki frowned. The girl was not wearing a Demon Slayer uniform, so she couldn't possible have a Nichirin sword. 'Who is this girl, and why does she have Kanae Kocho's sword?'
He sighed, carefully took the sword out for the girl's hand, and set off towards his cottage.
.
Makomo woke up to the sound of birds singing through her window. Groaning, she got out of bed and changed. Makomo dressed in a red yukata with a flower print on it. On top she wore a purple, sleeveless haori. Bound at her waist, was a pale brown fabric. The girl made sure to tend daily necessities. Walking to the kitchen, she finds that the boys have not yet awaken. "Sleepyheads."
She cooked a basket full of onigiri for them to eat. 'Urokodaki-san must be out again.' She thought. 'I hope they don't eat everything, so that at least he can get some.'
After the girl finished her portion of the meal, she put on her footwear, a pair of closed-toed, light brown flats that ends with an ankle strap linked to the heel of the shoe. Makomo headed off towards the summit of Mt. Sagiri, ready. The girl had only started training for two months and got the hang of it way before Sabito and Giyuu had, who had been training for nearly eight months. As she headed up the mountain, she made sure not to engage with any of the trap wires, just as Urokodaki had taught her. At her waist, was a katana given to her by the elderly man. Now that she reached the start point, she held it in her hands.
"Makomo, you've learned a lot in these past months. Starting today, you'll train to deflect everything that's thrown at you," Urokodaki had said.
Makomo ran down towards the cottage, katana in hand. 'Knives.' To her right, a dozen knives flew towards her. Makomo managed to block them all, but found that she had stopped in her tracks. 'Again!'
But no matter what, she always failed to continue moving when she parried a blow with her sword. By the time she made her way to the cabin, she was exhausted. Cuts and bruises from the attacks she hadn't managed to block in time had done its damage. 'I guess I'll have to keep trying.'<\i>
Suddenly, a knife came flying out of nowhere. Makomo deflected it with her sword. 'A demon? No, it can't be, it's broad daylight.' She scanned her surroundings carefully. Up on the road was a group of three giant, scarred men. She gritted her teeth. "What are you doing?"
"Get out of our way, kid. We've got business with Urokodaki Sakonji." The one in front said, most likely the leader.
"Actually, this is my house. I live here, so you got the wrong place."
The three men looked at each other confused. One stepped forward, "This is definitely the house. You're in our way, pipsqueak."
"Really? I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid I can't let you take one step further into this house," she replied, with a small smile on her face that was neither friendly nor polite.
"Oh, she thinks she's tough. Boss, what do we do?"
The first guy spoke, "Leave her. She's worthless."
She stepped in front of the house, unsheathing her sword, "My, you guys are all brawn and no brains, aren't you? Not that I mind, I'm happy to play along."
The three men took out their weapons. One held a dagger, another held a bow and a quiver of arrows, and the last guy held a wooden club.
'Ah, an archer. This is going to be a challenge. When are those sleepyheads going to wake up?'
.
Clash! Clang!
'What is that noise..?'
Sabito sat up, rubbing his eyes. Curious, he glanced out his window. "Makomo...?"
The boy watched as his friend cuts at the two armed with a dagger and a club only to jump back when an arrow was shot at her. One already hit its mark on her left arm.
'Really? Bandits are so annoying these days.'He climbed out of bed, squatting next to Giyuu. "Giyuu! Wake up! We've got help Makomo!"
The boy woke up, scratching his head, wondering what's going on. Sabito quickly explained before pulling him up.
The two rushed outside, sliding the door open with their own swords in their hands.
Sabito watched as the man raise his dagger, ready to cut Makomo down in her blind spot just as she was deflecting an arrow that was shot at her. He ran towards them, and blocked the weapon just before it reached her.
.
Makomo had knocked the club guy out with the hilt of her katana.
'Great...' Makomo watched as the archer fired an arrow aimed at her waist. She quickly reacted, sidestepping the sharp tip, but it still cut through the fabric of her yukata.
Clang!
Her eyes widened, and she looked up. Standing in between her and the man with the dagger, blocking the small weapon was a peach-haired boy.
"Sabito..."
'If he hadn't blocked the attack just now, I would've sustained a huge injury, if not died.'
The archer gritted his teeth, aimed, and shot.
Another boy stepped in front of Makomo and deflected the arrow before it reached her. He ran over the man and chopped his neck, knocking him out.
Sabito had push the guy with the dagger into the tree, his blade held at the man's throat. "You woke me up from my sleep, you will pay."
He fled from the scene, carrying both of his comrades on his shoulders.
Giyuu and Makomo laughed in response to the boy's words.
Makomo removed the arrow that pierced her arm. Blood began to trickle out of the wound. Sabito ripped a piece of fabric from his haori, and wrapped it round her forearm carefully.
He pulled her into a hug. "Are you alright?"
She nodded.
"Thank goodness."
Giyuu smiled as he watched.
The three headed inside. Sabito treated Makomo's wound with a clean bowl of water, and fresh bandages while they awaited Urokodaki's arrival.
.
Urokodaki had went over to the village to see if there was anything he could salvage. He found that the hospital hadn't been burned down like the rest. Inside, he found all sorts of supplies he might need, multiple medicines. Books and files containing information on different diseases and illnesses, plus their cures. After he finished searching the town, he headed back home with the young girl on his back.
When he reached the cabin, he took in the three men lying unconscious around his house. Without giving them a second glance, he headed inside. There, he was greeted by Sabito, Makomo, and Giyuu.
Makomo, ever the observant one, asked about the girl.
Urokodaki explained how he had found her lying in the snow, unconscious. "I believe she was from the nearby village. Demons attacked last night. She's the only survivor."
Makomo suggested, "Let's put her in a spare room. Lock the windows too. The door will be open, so when she wakes up, she might come out."
Urokodaki nodded, "We only have three bedrooms, though."
"She could sleep in my room. After all, she is a girl, and she's about our age too."
They agreed on the decision, and the mysterious young girl was moved into the room where Makomo rested.
Once they set her to bed, Urokodaki glanced at her one last time.
A/N: I'm sorry, this is so bad.😭
*EDITED