High above a waterfall—the same spot where Tanjiro usually fishes—Urokodaki Sakonji brought both Shin Arashi and Tanjiro to train.
Today's goal was to help Tanjiro learn how to feel the rhythm of water through his breathing.
Of course, Urokodaki Sakonji already knew that Shin Arashi didn't need this kind of training. Arashi could use Water Breathing at will. That alone showed he already understood the rhythm of water deeply.
So, this training was mainly for Tanjiro.
"Shin Arashi, Tanjiro," Urokodaki Sakonji said calmly, "Today, your task is to become one with the water."
"Master, become one with water? Are you serious?" Tanjiro asked in shock.
——"Go!"
Without answering, Urokodaki Sakonji suddenly kicked Tanjiro off the edge of the waterfall.
Tanjiro flailed in the air before crashing into the water below.
Then Urokodaki looked at Shin Arashi. But before he could move, Shin calmly jumped off the edge himself.
While still in mid-air, Shin Arashi began using Water Breathing. As he neared the water, he flipped in the air and landed lightly with the sole of his right foot touching the water first.
The rushing water suddenly stilled. The surface became perfectly calm, like a mirror, and Shin's reflection appeared clearly.
One second… two seconds… three seconds passed. Shin didn't sink. Instead, he stood upright—balanced as if the water were solid ground.
Ripples spread out from where his foot touched the surface. After they faded, the water began to flow again.
Shin gently lowered his left leg. Now, he stood fully on the water, as if walking on land.
Tanjiro burst up from under the water and gasped when he saw Shin Arashi standing there.
"Unbelievable! Master wasn't joking… he really became one with the water!"
"Excellent performance," Urokodaki Sakonji thought proudly from atop the waterfall.
"Senior Shin! How did you do that? That was amazing!" Tanjiro shouted, amazed.
Shin walked calmly toward him and replied, "Master the breathing your teacher taught you—and you'll be able to do it too."
…
After that day, Tanjiro gained a new training task. Under Urokodaki Sakonji's guidance, Shin Arashi trained alongside him.
"Uwoaaahhh~ Nezuko! I am water! I am—!"
Facing the crashing waterfall, Tanjiro howled and shouted. But eventually, he couldn't withstand the force and fainted from the impact.
Meanwhile, Shin Arashi also stood beneath the same waterfall. But for him, the water simply flowed over his body gently. He had become one with the water.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, a year had gone by.
During that year, Tanjiro trained hard and slowly began to grasp the breathing technique.
Then one day, Urokodaki Sakonji called both Shin Arashi and Tanjiro to him.
"Tanjiro," he said seriously, "I have nothing left to teach you."
Tanjiro froze. He hadn't expected to hear those words. To him, there was still so much more to learn from Master Urokodaki.
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