Chapter 24 - Shinobu Kocho, Makes Friends with Kanao

I'm back.... Yo👋

.....

For Itsuki, getting stronger wasn't just about training—it was about spending money.

A lot of it.

But clearly, Shinobu didn't seem crazy rich, so asking her for help with that felt unrealistic.

Then what could she offer?

His first thought was Wisteria poison. She was the future Insect Hashira and a genius with medicine. Her specialty—poison made from Wisteria—worked well against demons.

Maybe he could ask for that?

He paused. Not only was he not hunting demons yet, he also had no idea how to store that kind of poison long-term. It'd probably go bad or be wasted.

Just as he was second-guessing himself, Kanao jogged over.

Forget it. He made up his mind.

Looking at Kanao's blank, slightly spacey face, he made a different choice.

"Shinobu—uh, Miss Shinobu—"

"Just Shinobu is fine."

"Okay... Shinobu, then. My request is simple, your left foot is injured, right? So while you're resting... could you try to talk with Kanao more? Maybe become friends if you can, please."

Kanao blinked.

Kanae's eyes widened slightly. "Ara."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "That's it? That's your one request?"

"Yeah."

Shinobu paused. "Well... we can't stay here too long. Are you sure that's still okay?"

"It's fine. Kanao's not used to being around people. I just want her to have more good memories."

As he spoke, Itsuki reached out and gently took Kanao's hand.

"Here, shake hands with Shinobu."

Kanao looked at him, then at Shinobu, then stuck her hand out. Her movements were stiff, but there was effort in it.

Shinobu stared at the little hand.

Well... she'd been ready for a weird or even annoying request. She wasn't expecting something like this.

Honestly, she kind of felt like she got off easy.

So she took the hand and gave a rare, gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, Kanao. I'm Kanae's younger sister. I'll be staying close these next few days, so I'll practice Breathing Techniques with you. Please be patient with me."

"Ohhh~ Shinobu, you haven't smiled like that in so long! I'm jealous!" Kanae teased.

"Sister! Don't interfere! I'm making friends here!"

"Wuwuwu~ Shinobu doesn't like her sister anymore. I guess I won't treat your foot now."

"Then just tell me where the medicine is! I'll bandage it myself!"

...

Kanao stood by quietly, listening to the two sisters banter back and forth, looking a little lost.

"Kanao," Kanae said suddenly, "can you help me treat Shinobu's foot?"

"Uhh..." Kanao froze.

She wasn't expecting to be pulled into this type of conversation.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked softly. "It's okay. You can take your time."

Seeing Kanao flustered, Itsuki stepped in. "Hashirasa—ah, Kanae... just a reminder. Kanao's not good at making choices by herself. It's... psychological."

Kanae's playful expression faded. "Oh my..."

She looked at Kanao again, this time more carefully. Her silence wasn't just shyness—it was something deeper.

"Kanao," she said gently, "is that true?"

"Um... I'm sorry..." Kanao whispered.

"You don't need to say sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Kanae leaned in and brushed Kanao's bangs aside, smiling warmly.

Then she glanced at Itsuki again and gave him a silent look—We'll talk later.

He understood and nodded.

Eventually, everything would come out. He wasn't trying to hide anything about Kanao's past. It was just hard to explain sometimes. But if Kanae wanted to understand, he wasn't going to stop her. That kind of attitude was rare—and meant a lot.

Shinobu, who was still arguing with her sister a minute ago, now stood quietly, watching Kanao out of the corner of her eye.

This girl's gonna be hard to get close to... but whatever. I said I'd try.

After that, Kanae brought out the medicine box and started treating Shinobu's foot, explaining the steps to Kanao while she worked. Shinobu added a few details here and there.

Both sisters were veterans in the Demon Slayer Corps' medical wing even if they are young, and if anyone could teach Kanao, it was them.

Kanae was also curious—maybe Kanao had potential in medicine.

Meanwhile, Itsuki didn't join them. He was hungry after the sparring match, so he went to the dining hall first.

He ate until he was full, then came back carrying food for the others.

That's when he saw Rengoku Shinjuro and Kanae in the courtyard, awkwardly making small talk.

...Oh right. I forgot my teacher was still around. And I only brought three lunch boxes.

Before he could turn around to grab another one, Shinjuro locked eyes with him.

He looked at the food in Itsuki's hands. And then he grinned.

Ah, this disciple really is mine.

Itsuki didn't know how to change the subject, so he awkwardly smiled and said "Ahahaha! Master! You should definitely drink more Sake! Eating is bad for your health!"

"..."

Everyone around them went silent.

That line coming from Itsuki hit a little too close to home.

That afternoon, for the first time ever, Shinjuro didn't ask for a single drop of alcohol. He actually helped train Itsuki properly.

They went over combat experience, movement techniques, and how to control breath during long fights.

Result?

Itsuki's left arm was twice its normal size by the end of it.

Luckily, Kanae applied medicine for him, and it would heal in a couple days. It also gave her a better understanding of the weird dynamic between this master and student.

The next morning, Itsuki and Kanao met the Butterfly Sisters again in the courtyard.

Kanae focused on teaching Kanao Flower Breathing, while Shinobu no longer begged for a rematch. She walked with a limp, her bandaged foot slowing her down, but she still practiced breathing and movement alongside Kanao.

They even chatted a little during breaks.

Itsuki stayed nearby, doing digestion exercises and helping carry lunch when it was time to eat.

In the afternoon, when it was Kanao's solo training time, Itsuki asked Kanae for a sparring match.

She agreed with a smile—and beat him in under ten moves.

The difference in skill was brutal. But still, it was Hashira-level training... without him needing to bribe anyone with wine. A total win.

That night, he let Kanao stay with the sisters.

"Bonding time," he said with a straight face.

Kanae didn't hesitate.

...

Days passed like this.

At one point, Shinjuro ran out of Sake and asked Itsuki to fetch more, and the Butterfly Sisters witnessed—firsthand—how bizarre the teaching style between those two really was.

And then they understood.

That's why he keeps trying to get his teacher drunk.

Weird as it was, Kanae didn't stop them. In fact, she and Shinjuro ended up sitting with Itsuki one evening, telling old stories and demon-hunting experiences, dropping helpful tips between laughs.

Itsuki was loving it.

But the one who gained the most... was definitely Kanao.