The next morning, Hiru looked at the Tokito brothers, each with a small pack slung over their backs. He crouched down in front of them, his expression unusually serious.
"Have you really thought this through?" he asked. "The path of a swordsman is extremely difficult. I want to protect you, and I won't force you to join the Demon Slayer Corps—but if you give up halfway just because it's hard, I won't accept that."
"Yes. We've made up our minds," Yuichiro said, tightly holding Muichiro's hand. "After seeing what demons are like, I can't keep pretending we can live peacefully anymore."
"…Alright," Hiru said after a pause. "If that's how you feel."
He reached out and lifted both boys up, one in each arm.
"Then let's go! I'll have the Kakushi watch over your house."
"Hey! I can walk on my own!"
"You're my kids now," Hiru muttered. "It's fine to rely on me once in a while."
"I've wanted to say this for a while—what do you mean, your kids?" Yuichiro snapped, his ears burning. "Can you at least have some self-awareness?"
"That's cold," Hiru replied. "I've been taking care of you for months."
"Putting the demon incident aside, what exactly have you done besides chopping wood, carrying logs, and telling stories? Do you seriously think that counts as raising kids?"
"That's way too harsh! Didn't I keep you company? Teach you how to identify medicinal herbs? Help you learn to read?"
"But Brother Hiru can't even tell sweet potatoes apart," Muichiro added calmly.
Hiru immediately turned to him.
"That's not a medicinal herb. That doesn't count."
"Is that so?" Muichiro tilted his head.
"Yes. Exactly."
Yuichiro: ...
At that moment, Yuichiro felt a sudden wave of sympathy for Brother Hiru.
[But…]
He glanced at Muichiro, who was already clinging to Hiru and pestering him for a new story.
[I don't think I'm qualified to pity him either.]
Hiru's very public return to the Wisteria House with the Tokito brothers quickly sparked lively discussion among the Kakushi.
About eighty percent believed the brothers would become successors to the Human Hashira.
The remaining twenty percent thought Hiru had simply taken pity on two orphaned children.
Hiru offered no explanation.
After having Kitaro deliver a letter to Aoba, he departed with the two boys. Along the way, he not only treated them to food, drink, and sightseeing, but also taught them a wide range of miscellaneous knowledge.
The three of them got along surprisingly well.
At the same time, Ubuyashiki—who had been keeping a close eye on the situation—received a report.
"This is truly wonderful," he said as he read the letter in his hand. "As expected, telling him about this was the right decision."
"Did something good happen?" a gentle voice asked.
"Amane, you're here," Ubuyashiki said with a smile, handing her the letter. "Take a look."
"So it's about those children…" Amane said as she sat beside him, a faint smile on her face. "The Human Hashira really are reliable."
"Yes," he replied softly. "They're trustworthy companions."
After a brief silence, Amane spoke again.
"There's something I don't quite understand."
"Hm?"
"Even though the identities of the Human Hashira and the Sun Hashira remain uncertain, why did you choose to trust them?"
"Because I hold no bargaining chips," Ubuyashiki said gently."All I can do is my best to maintain this fragile trust."
"But—"
He raised a finger.
"That's enough. Let's not discuss this further. With the addition of the two Tokito children, we've gained another bond to uphold that trust. That's a good thing. We can't afford the consequences of losing it."
"…I understand. Please take care of your health."
"Yes. Thanks to the Human Hashira's medicine, I can still move freely," he said. "And Amane, lately I've had a premonition."
"A premonition?"
Ubuyashiki looked out at the scenery beyond the veranda, his smile growing brighter.
"Within ten years, the Demon Slayer Corps will inevitably face Muzan. And that battle will finally bring an end to this thousand-year-long grudge."
Amane looked at his radiant smile and smiled as well.
"Yes. We will follow your guidance."
...
"So you didn't even ask for my permission, did you?"
Aoba stared at the two children and one adult standing before him, rubbing his temple.
"I haven't even passed the trainer examination yet."
"If you had passed, I wouldn't have come looking for you," Hiru replied, marveling at the lush vegetation around them. "I mean, aren't you a little too impressive? Some of these plants shouldn't even be blooming this season."
"Oh, those?" Aoba laughed. "I asked the Kakushi how to maintain the wisteria on Mount Fujikasane. Beautiful, right?"
"Those flowers look pretty good…"
"Don't even think about it," Aoba cut in immediately. "I just got them to survive—only three plants. I'm hoping to have a small garden next year."
"Then next year—"
"We'll see. We can talk about it then," he said, shaking his head before turning to Yuichiro and Muichiro. "So why did you bring these two kids here?"
"You're teaching them," Hiru said plainly. "They want to learn techniques that can deal with demons."
"Didn't I already say I haven't passed the examination?" Aoba sighed.
"Swordsmen who haven't passed the trainer assessment aren't allowed to teach Breathing Styles."
"Then don't teach Breathing Styles. Just swordsmanship," Hiru replied, beckoning the boys over. "This is Yukinashi Aoba. His sword skills are decent, his temperament is good, and if all else fails, you can even learn how to farm from him."
"You—how can you say something like that to children?!" Aoba clamped a hand over Hiru's mouth and lowered his voice.
"For kids who want to grow and be acknowledged, that's incredibly hurtful."
"It's fine, it's fine. Yuichiro and Muichiro aren't that petty," Hiru waved it off.
"Besides, about the flower tags we talked about last time—"
"Oh, that. The flowering season's here," Aoba interrupted. "Go straight ahead, behind the third hut. Pick them yourself. Use gardening shears—pulling them out directly damages the plants badly. Honestly, at least let me finish speaking."
He sighed as he watched Hiru walk away, then turned to the two brothers, who had been standing quietly hand in hand. He walked over and crouched down in front of them.
"Alright, let's properly introduce ourselves," he said.
"I'm Yukinashi Aoba. Former Wind Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I'm Tokito Yuichiro," Yuichiro said. "This is my younger brother, Muichiro."
He hesitated, then asked, "Um… would teaching us be a burden to you?"
"Not really," Aoba replied, scratching his head. "But learning swordsmanship is very hard, and I'm strict. Are you sure you're okay with that?"
"We're sure," Yuichiro said firmly. "Please teach us."
Aoba's expression softened slightly. He was just about to speak when Hiru's loud shout cut him off—
"Hey! ! Can I pick the flowers planted behind the red-roofed cottage?!"
Aoba's face instantly filled with alarm. He jumped to his feet and shouted back, "Those are medicinal herbs reserved by Senior Mikazuki! Don't touch them!"
Hiru's voice drifted back from afar. "I just need one!"
"I said they're medicinal herbs! And even if you picked all of them, it wouldn't make a full handful!" Aoba clasped his hands together apologetically. "Sorry! I have to go check on that. You two can look around for now—Hiru, don't do anything stupid!"
"So fast," Muichiro said, eyes shining. "Will we be able to do that too someday?"
"I don't know," Yuichiro replied as he pulled Muichiro along. "But it doesn't feel like something humans should be able to do… Let's go take a look."
"Okay!"
By the time they arrived, Aoba was standing in front of a pot of plants like a human shield.
"No matter what, absolutely not!"
"You're being stingy! I already said I only want this one!"
"This is a precious medicinal plant from overseas! I barely managed to keep a single one alive!" Aoba snapped. "And didn't I already prepare plenty of variegated orchids for you? Stop targeting these lone specimens every time!"
"Then give me a few next year!"
"Absolutely not! Even if we manage to grow more, we'd still have to prioritize seed preservation and supply them to Demon Slayer Corps headquarters!"
"How could I give something this valuable to you just to use as pigment or flower tags?!"
Muichiro stared blankly at the two of them arguing, then tugged on Yuichiro's sleeve, worry flickering across his face.
"Brother… they won't actually start fighting, will they?"
"Hmm… it doesn't look like they're really fighting," Yuichiro said hesitantly. "It should be fine… probably."
"Really?"
Yuichiro could sense that both of their auras were perfectly stable. He nodded.
"It's fine. They know their limits."
"Then should we wait here?"
"Yeah. Let's stay here," Yuichiro said, glancing around. "There are a lot of precious plants here. It wouldn't be good if we broke something by accident."
"The Human Hashira is here too?"
Yuichiro and Muichiro both turned around.
Two young girls were walking toward them, holding hands.
The girl in front had violet eyes, with the tips of her hair dyed a beautiful purple. She wore the Demon Slayer Corps uniform and a spotless white short-sleeved haori. Her features were striking, though her expression was clearly irritated.
The girl behind her had pinkish-purple eyes that looked unfocused. She followed quietly, dressed in a pale pink kimono that made her appear gentle and delicate.
"Are you here to see ?" Muichiro asked politely. "He's arguing with Brother Hiru right now."
"He never knows how to stop," the purple-haired girl sighed. "So… you came with the Human Hashira?"
"Yeah. I'm Muichiro. This is my brother, Yuichiro. And you are?"
"I'm Shinobu," she replied. "This is my younger sister, Kanao."
Shinobu frowned slightly as she watched Hiru trying to snatch the flower pot.
"Who knows how long this will drag on this time…"
"Why do you say that?" Muichiro asked.
Shinobu turned her gaze to Yuichiro.
"I don't know why you're so close to him, but I should warn you—within the Hashira ranks, that man is universally acknowledged to have an awful personality."
Muichiro frowned sharply.
"Don't say that about Brother Hiru!"
"Hmph. Believe it or not," Shinobu said coolly. "Time will prove it."
Muichiro opened his mouth to argue back—only to feel something land on his head.
Hiru's voice came from above.
"Isn't it just you, little miss, who can't stand me? If we're being formal, you should be calling me 'teacher,' you know."
"That doesn't change the fact that your personality is terrible," Shinobu said, sticking out her tongue. "You're a Hashira, yet you spend all day loafing around. Bleh."
"Hmph. Yours isn't much better," Hiru replied lazily.
He ruffled Muichiro's hair as his gaze shifted to the quiet girl standing behind Shinobu.
"And this one is…?"
"My younger sister. Kanao."
"But didn't you only have an older sister?"
"So what if she's adopted?!" Shinobu puffed out her cheeks. "And what about these two kids? Did you kidnap them?"
"What nonsense," Hiru scoffed. "Taking care of the next generation isn't kidnapping."
Shinobu immediately covered her mouth.
"…Illegitimate children?"
"No!" Hiru's mouth twitched violently. "They're children of distant relatives! My family and the Tokito family are related through marriage, that's all!"
"Why is that always the first thing you think of?! I've never even dated!"
Aoba emerged from the house after putting away the precious medicinal plants. Hearing this, he let out a quiet chuckle.
"So you're here, Shinobu. This must be the child Kanae mentioned, then?"
Shinobu made a face at Hiru before bowing to Aoba.
"Yes. Sorry for troubling you for a while."
"Not a problem at all," Aoba said with a smile. "A livelier place isn't a bad thing."
"Oh, right. This is a letter from Oyakata-sama."
"Alright, let me take a look…"
While Shinobu and Aoba spoke, Hiru finished observing Kanao.
"…This child's condition is quite severe," he said quietly. "She's completely closed herself off. Sending her to like this won't accomplish much."
"It was Senior Mikazuki's suggestion," Shinobu replied, her tone becoming more serious.
"He said that for cases like hers, a quiet environment away from crowds would help recovery."
"Does the Human Hashira-sama have any treatment methods?"
"When it's official business, it's 'Hashira-sama,' and when it's not, it's 'that guy' or 'this guy,'" Hiru muttered. "You're very practical."
"Keep dodging the question and I'll write to the Sun Hashira and complain."
"Yes, yes, fine," Hiru sighed.
He walked past Yuichiro and Muichiro and crouched in front of Kanao.
"Hey. What's your name?"
After a long pause, Kanao finally answered, her voice barely audible.
"Kanao..."
Hiru smiled gently, lowering himself to her level.
"Kanao… do you like pink more, or purple?"
The moment the question left his mouth, Kanao's pupils shrank slightly. Her body stiffened, and her breathing became noticeably erratic.
"Alright, don't think about it," Hiru said calmly. "Take a deep breath."
He gently stroked her back, guiding her breathing until it steadied. Then he frowned and looked up at Shinobu.
"Honestly, in this situation, I think asking Urokodaki would've been better than sending her here. At least he has experience raising children."
"We already went to Urokodaki," Shinobu said quietly. "But he said the environment around his mountain is too gloomy and not suitable for helping Kanao open up."
"Senior Mikazuki also said her condition can't be treated with medicine—she has to find her own way out."
"It would be best to stay with her as much as possible, but my sister is a Hashira, and I've just been promoted to a lower rank. We're both constantly on missions…"
"Then… why don't we take care of her?" Muichiro suddenly leaned forward. "My brother and I will take good care of her."
Yuichiro immediately covered his face.
[You can't even take care of yourself—what are you saying?]
"Oh? Is that so?" Hiru laughed, ruffling Muichiro's hair again. "Our Muichiro is really capable."
"But Kanao is a bit older than you two," he added. "That makes you the younger brothers."
"Huh?! Why is it like that…" Muichiro drooped. "I thought I could be the big brother who protects my siblings…"
"You don't have to be the older one to protect others," Hiru said, smiling as he lifted Muichiro up. "My Muichiro is a child with limitless potential."