Flower Breathing

Waking up two hours before sunrise, I fumble my way around the Butterfly Mansion before stepping out into the training courtyard.

Looking around the area to get a better sense of what I could do to train, I see a pile of stacked weights. Grabbing them, I throw them onto my body and start running around and doing strenuous workouts.

Doing that for the next two hours, I finish, remove the weights, and have the luxury of taking an actual bath instead of in a river. After finishing my ever-relaxing bath, I make my way into the main room with light just barely coming through.

Sitting down in a seiza position at the table, I relax my body and mind. My tranquility is broken by the appearance of the three toddler servants, but I would never get angry at their presences.

Seeing that I was up and awake, they chatter around me for a short while before determining that they'd make me breakfast. Watching them scurry into the kitchen, my attention turns to Aoi who had just entered the room.

"Well, good morning to you." Aoi tiredly greets me.

Returning the humble greeting, Aoi notices that the other servant girls aren't here and heads into the kitchen to help prepare breakfast. A few moments after the disappearance of Aoi, Kanae, Shinobu, and Kanao all arrive in the main room.

Seeing me already awake, Kanae says, "I'm surprised your up this early. Since you lived in seclusion for so long, I thought an actual bed might be a blessing for you."

Happily smiling, I say, "Oh it was, but it's just been built in me to wake up so early and train."

All three of them then proceed to sit down and breakfast surprisingly also finishes at the same time. Eating the delicious food, my eyes continuously dart to Kanao to see that she stares at me before then staring back at her own food. Finding this action adorable, I have a smile plastered on my face the entire meal and it grows when Kanao eats once again on her own tuition.

Kanao, after having eaten a small portion of her meal, looks to me to see if what she had done was correct. In return, I show the smile I had on my face to her, urging her to continue eating. Turning my head to Kanae, I can see that she's coming close to crying as she watches her daughter eat.

"Are you alright Kanae?" I ask.

"Ah, I guess you don't know." Kanae answers while putting down her bowl. "Kanao has suffered from extreme abuse in her life which forced her to stop being able to do things herself and only listen to what other had told her. However, her parents, being the scum that they are, then decided to sell off Kanao. Even after I had adopted her, her trauma has remained, and she has been unable to make a decision by herself since then. This is however the first time that she's doing something by herself, so I as her parent and caretaker, I couldn't be happier."

Kanae then proceeds to chuckle while a tear rolls down her cheek. "I'm really glad that Master put you under my care, you're a blessed child. Excuse me."

Kanae then stands up and walks out of the room while wiping her eyes.

"Sister." Shinobu fondly murmurs before also excusing herself to follow Kanae.

Finishing the rest of the meal, Kanae returns, apologizes for leaving, then drags me off to the training courtyard.

"Alright, listen up, since you're staying here, I'll be teaching you my breathing form. The form I've mastered is called Flower Breathing. This is a form derived from Water Breathing, so it might be rather easy for you to learn. Flower Breathing is used to mimic flower and fruits, specifically their gracefulness and beauty of them. All the techniques I'll be teaching you are a combination of graceful attacks that optimize your use of agility and flexibility with both your weapon and body."

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Flower Breathing Forms:

1st Form – Orchid Blossoming – Allows the user to deliver multiple stabs and slashes all over the opponent.

2nd form – Honorable Shadow Plum – A defensive technique that deflects attacks using rotating sword slashes.

3rd form – Camellia Ascension – A powerful barrage of upward slashes.

4th form – Crimson Hanagoromo – A single sword slash that curves and twists.

5th form – Peonies of Futility – A graceful flurry of nine consecutive attacks that flow and weave in on themselves.

6th form – Whirling Peach – A technique used after and during evasion that allows the user to spin around their body weight and deliver an attack.

7th form – Circle of Life – The user preforms all the previous forms in rapid succession in any order the user desires.

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Once having listed each of the forms, Kanae then proceeds to slowly use each form to give me a general idea of what I would be trying to do.

Watching very carefully, Kanae then teaches me the Flower Breathing breathing pattern so that I can achiever the techniques used. Following her direction with pinpoint accuracy, I can use the Flower Breathing breathing pattern and then I start executing the basic movements of each form to not break an arm when I use one.

Using the rest of the allotted time of day, I simply focus on understanding and using the forms without a breathing art. Waking up the next day, I repeat the same process until Kanae informs me that I should be able to use most of the techniques.

Listening to Kanae's advice, I proceed to use each Flower Breathing form, except "Circle of Life" and have Kanae teach me how to improve.

"All of your techniques are lacking in strength. If you tried using Flower Breathing on a higher-class demon, there's no way your blade would cut through their necks. Using "Camellia Ascension" as an example, you need to think that you are a Camellia and influencing yourself to sprout faster or slice upwards more powerfully than you normally would. Mother Nature will accept your growth and not limit it."

After having heard her advice, I would then spend the next week in both improving my strength I put into my attacks and my flexibility to execute each technique faster. By the end of the week, I was mediocre in Flower Breathing, but I was finally able to do Total Concentration: Constant, of course with the help of the Butterfly Mansion residents.

Back to Flower Breathing though, even after knowing what I was trying to do and how I should execute everything, my mind was holding me back. I didn't want to risk the chance of receiving an injury that would most likely end my career as a demon slayer before it began, so I unconsciously help my strength back to not rip something. Kanae knew this was happening and so she gave me a piece of advice.

"If you keep holding yourself back, you'll amount to nothing. Your talent is immeasurable, so by simply retaining the fear of injury, you're letting your talent go to waist. We all want to end this war, and even you, someone who has never seen a demon, must also want to end the war. So, to save and protect those that you must, push yourself past your barriers and destroy your body, to build it back up again. Stronger and better than ever. If you can't do this, then you really won't survive the other Hashiras training." Kanae then proceeds to smile evilly. "As extra incentive, if you fail to improve within the month, then I will personally punish you however I want."

Having my mind run wild at what Kanae's punishment could be, I give a mini salute before sticking myself to work. Returning to my bed excruciatingly tired, I am quick to fall asleep. Commencing my early morning training, I return to the main room to find Kanae spoon feeding Kanao. Sitting across from the two of them, I feel Kanao's eyes glued to me and that she was no longer accepting food from Kanae even under her constant begging.

Eating my breakfast while I watch the two of them entertainingly, Kanao takes the incentive, grabs the spoon from Kanae and then starts eating by herself.

"Ah, my babies growing up." Kanae says while holding the back of her hand to her head.

Before I leave after finishing my breakfast, I pat Kanao on the head to praise her for being able to become more independent. As I pat her head, Kanao seems to purr.

Walking to the courtyard, I once again commit myself to improve in Flower Breathing. After hours of training, Kanae suddenly appears.

"Seems you're still having the same issues as before."

"Well, what do you expect? You can't just get rid of mental barriers like that."

"Is that sass young man?" Kanae asks with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"No ma'am."

"Anyway, you do know that you've reached such a considerable strength in Flower Breathing that you could just move on to the next form."

"But I like it here and if I move on to the next form, then I destroy the foundation that I've been trying to build up." I answer back.

Covering her mouth with her hand, Kanae says, "Oh, you like living here. Is it because of Kanao or because of someone else?"

"Who knows?"

Hearing this, Kanae's expression turns from teasing into a pout as she angrily walks back into the Butterfly Mansion.

Laughing to myself, I continue training. Ending for the day, I go to return to my room and encounter Kanao along the way.

"Hello Kanao."

Seeing my smile, Kanao meekly replies. "Hello."

"How did your day go?"

"Good."

"Oh, and why is that?" I ask to continue the conversation.

"Mama started teaching me..." Kanao begins "But I feel lacking."

"Is it because you're comparing yourself to me?" I ask.

Kanao nods her head.

"There's no need for you to do that Kanao." I smile sincerely. "If you focus on what you can do, as of right now, then I know that you'll grow to be bigger and stronger so you can protect those that you love."

Once again patting Kanao on the head, I retire to my room.

Waking up the next morning, I exit my room to find myself in a warm embrace. Craning my neck upwards, I find the teary eyes of Kanae looking at me.

"You have no idea how much it means to me to see my daughter breaking from her shell, so I thank you for what you've done."

"I only did it because I like Kanao."

Hearing Kanae chuckle, she proceeds to caress my head before releasing me from her hug. After that interaction, I proceed to train for the remainder of the month. During this month, my interactions with Kanao, Aoi, and Kanae had steadily increased as I was giving myself more time to recuperate from training, especially since I was straining my muscles more.

However, my interactions with Shinobu were almost nil and I decided to talk with her about it. Knocking on Shinobu's door, a second later it opens to reveal Shinobu.

Startled by my arrival, Shinobu unconsciously flinches backwards before asking, "Ah, Shiro, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to ask why you've been avoiding me?" I ask directly. "I have common interactions with everyone else except you and I would like to know more about you."

"Eh?" Shinobu seems taken off by this question before shuffling uncomfortably. "It's not like I've purposely been trying to avoid you…, it's just that I've been spending my time in my room."

"But I see you come out sometimes and completely ignore my presence, even when I'm trying to get your attention." I pout.

"Well…," Shinobu then starts mumbling. "That's because every time I speak with Kanae, all she does is praise you and the fact that you're fixing Kanao, which isn't a bad thing of course, but it feels like I'm being left out of the image. So, I've been giving you the cold shoulder, maybe to get back at you, but… I'm sorry."

Hearing the heartfelt apology come from Shinobu, my expression softens.

Taking advantage of Shinobu's bowing position, I start patting her on the head before saying, "It's alright, all I wanted to do was to get to know you better. And I'm also sorry for the trouble I'm putting you through."

Taking my hand off her head as she stands back up, I say, "I hope to get to know you better in the future. Plus, since you've been in your room for so long, you must be making something great. I hope I can see it personally in the future."

Skipping away from the door, I put myself to bed early. Working for the next two weeks, I completely break my own barrier and can use Flower Breathing with enough strength to kill Lesser Lower Moons, as judged by Kanae.

My relationship with Shinobu had improved drastically and whenever I had free time, I would spend it with her, Kanao, Kanae, or Aoi. Knowing that the probability of me improving again was a small chance, Kanae decided to relay to the other Hashiras that my training with her was done and that I could now be trained by someone else.

The entire Butterfly Mansion was depressed at the fact that I would be leaving them, but the saving grace was the fact that I would return when I needed to sleep or when I was let off early.

Having the request out, it didn't even take an hour before a crow came flying in relaying to Kanae that someone requested to teach me.

"Your teacher shall be Rengoku. Please survive, we would all be sad if you were to die."

Knowing I would be training under Rengoku, I get a good night of rest before heading out.