Reconnecting

As our journey progressed across the trodden dirt road that led us to the north, the distance between breaks had gradually begun to increase. Congratulating the two of them for their perseverance through the trial of weights, we took an off rode and began to slowly ascend, shoving us to a slower speed.

Having spent the entire day just travelling, the home I had spent my first years of life came into view. Both Shinobu and Kanao were surprised to see a house this deep into a mountain but seeing that I had a small smile on my face, they knew it was a special place to me.

Staring at the door I hadn't seen for years; I took a heavy breath in before knocking. Mere moments after standing there, the door opened and revealed Urokodaki's figure. Looking down slightly, Urokodaki stared straight into my eyes.

Feeling a smile form on his lips even through his mask, I am the first to initiate the hug with him. Stroking my hair with his hands, I feel his head swivel between Kanao and Shinobu before nodding his head in approval. Releasing Urokodaki from the hug, we are led inside. Urokodaki then sits at the head of his chabudai, hinting at the fact that he wanted us to sit as well. Motioning for Kanao and Shinobu to sit down next to me, the three of us stare expectantly at Urokodaki.

Grabbing the teapot that lay in the center of his chabudai, Urokodaki fills himself a cup of tea and begins to drink it.

"It's times like this where I feel blessed that my grandchild hasn't forgot about me. I can almost feel the rotting of my bones come to a halt."

Hearing the sarcasm inside Urokodaki's voice, I respond by saying, "Well then, I feel blessed to have such an amazing grandparent that wouldn't leave his home to try and visit his own grandchild."

"Oh, so they taught you how to have a silver tongue while you were there? Then I guess it was well worth it, after all, it makes it easier for me to give you a few punishments."

Feeling as sweat starts to accumulate, I give a small fear smile to Urokodaki.

"But let us forego those punishments. After all, I feel like it's more important to learn what had occurred in the Demon Slayer Headquarters." Urokodaki states while hinting at Shinobu and Kanao.

"In one of the letters, I did inform you that I had become a new Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps Ranks, and one of the privileges gained from being a Hashira is that I can take in Tsuguko. So, the two sitting next to me can be considered something akin to successors."

"But that's not what they truly are."

Nodding my head, I say, "Of course not, I have no plans of dying anytime soon, so it's more apt to say that they are Hashiras in training."

"We're Hashiras in training?" Shinobu blurts out.

Turning my head, I nod again. "Yes. My plan by making you my two Tsuguko's was so that Kanao could become the next Flower Hashira while you become something else entirely in the Hashira community."

"But why would I create a new form?"

Instead of answering Shinobu, Urokodaki instead steps in. "Your body is too weak. I have experienced a multitude of children in my times of teaching, but your body is the weakest I have encountered thus far. Water Breathing or Flower Breathing would be too much for you to handle, therefore it becomes necessary for you to create a new Breathing Form if you wish to be introduced into Demon Slayer Corps."

Looking to me to see if what he was saying was true, I give her a serious nod. Having her question answered sufficiently, Shinobu falls silent, allowing for Urokodaki and I to return.

"If I may be so impertinent to ask, what took you so long to return? I want to be told firsthand rather than being told by a bird."

"Well, creating "final" forms for each breathing art is a long and strenuous process that I needed an extra year to complete. And I spent that year recreating a form that's used to kill Muzan."

"Sun Breathing." Urokodaki finishes.

Nodding my head, Urokodaki slumps backwards a bit. "But you can't kill Muzan can you?"

Shaking my head, I say, "I'm young, so my power is weak. At most, I could remove a limb from Muzan, but I'd die in the process. I almost loss to Doma, only saved by Kanae."

Seeing Shinobu stiffen from the mention of Doma, Urokodaki sighs.

"So, what's your plan?"

"We got a mission from Ubuyashiki to find the item that Muzan has been looking for. We'll be travelling to the north in hopes of finding it."

"But what is it you're looking for?"

Responding with a shrug of my shoulders, Urokodaki stands up suddenly. Pulling out a pot, I knew that the business talk was finished, and it was now time to relax.

"What's my breathing art then?" I hear as a whisper.

Looking at a worried Shinobu who seemed to have deliberated this for a while, I smile brightly.

Patting her on the head, I whisper back, "Insect Breathing."

Slinking away from me, Shinobu looks at me with a faint trace of disgust, but I explain.

"Butterflies are insects, so another way to look at this form is 'Butterfly Breathing', but it'd be more beneficial to mimic the style of all insects rather than limiting yourself to the butterfly. Also, you work with poisons all the time, and I'm pretty sure you've worked with poison from insects like a centipede."

This seems to quell Shinobu, but I could still see she was uncomfortable with cultivating a breathing art based around insects.

"I'm sure it'll be beautiful. After all, the breathing art matches the user."

Seeing her cheeks redden slightly from this comment, Urokodaki starts to cook stew.

---

Waking at the crack of dawn after having slept in my old room while Shinobu and Kanao had slept in the other, I decide to test myself against the mountain. Running up it for an hour, I breath in the oxygen deprived air and start my run back down. With the old traps still set in place, I reached the base of the mountain without a single scratch on my body. Upon reaching the base though, I see that Urokodaki was examining the swinging form of Kanao while Shinobu was focusing on weight training.

"Seems you have yourself a couple of good disciples. This one is diligent and knows how to wield the blade. The other is stubborn and knows how to push past her limits. Kanao already knows Flower Breathing, so if you're to focus on one of your disciples, then I recommend working with that one."

Seeing Urokodaki hike his head over to Shinobu, I nod my head and make my way over to her. Strengthening Shinobu took a while, but within three days, Urokodaki was content and decided to no longer interfere in my training. By the end of those three days, we had packed our belongings and were preparing to head even further north.

"Make sure to say hello to Jigoro for me, won't you?"

Taking Urokodaki's message with me, we began our trek in the morning of the fourth day. Spending a multitude of days travelling, Kuwajima's peach orchid finally came into view. Looking at the home that lay in front of the orchid, I knock on its door.

Not finding a response come for ten minutes, I decide to make my way around the home and walk around the peach orchid. After finding a hill, I look to its peak to find both Kuwajima and Zenitsu "training".

However, Zenitsu had climbed into the tree, probably to escape the torment that is called training.

Hearing the blaringly loud cries and yells come from the duo, I make my way towards them. Not standing behind Kuwajima, Zenitsu spotted me, and my disciples and his cries eventually slowed to a stop. Kuwajima, at realizing that Zenitsu was staring at something, turned around. Staring me directly in the eyes, a huge smile blossomed onto Kuwajima's face.

Walking up to me, Kuwajima hit my shin directly with his cane, causing me to near crumple because of the surprise attack. Holding my ground, Kuwajima lets out a huff.

"So nice of you to finally come and visit me after all these years. I thought that you went off and already died, but Urokodaki prevented my worries from growing. You ungrateful brat, you should have messaged me by crow."

"It seemed to have slipped my mind." I remark.

Seeing the look that Kuwajima was giving me, I was quick to apologize.

Standing over my prostrated body, Kuwajima asks, "Any specific reason why you're here to see little old me?"

However, before I can let out a single peep, Kuwajima seems to spot my companions.

"Oh, ho, ho, no need to tell me, I understand now. Your tastes are rather good for someone so young, congratulations."

Deadpanning at Kuwajima, I clear the misunderstanding.

"So, this old man misunderstood. Bah! I don't believe it!" Kuwajima spits.

After saying this, Zenitsu finally joins the group after having climbed down from the tree. Looking at his hair with intrigue, I ask Kuwajima about it.

"An unfortunate thing occurred while we were training. Zenitsu was struck by lightning and in return for what had occurred, his hair changed color. And because of that, his irrational fears seem to have grown worse. He's barred himself from taking the Demon Slayer Final Selection because he's nothing more than a wimp and because he has nothing but the first form at his disposal."

"And what's wrong with the first form?" I raise an eyebrow to Kuwajima's statement.

"It's a straight shot technique. Meaning it's easy to predict and dodge since the only direction it can go is forward." Kuwajima huffs.

"While that may be true, it doesn't mean that it can't be improved."

This time, it was Kuwajima who rose his eyebrow. Choosing to show it rather than explain it, I scraped my feet across the ground, getting into the proper positioning to use 'Thunderclap and Flash'.

Breathing in harshly, the air around me vibrated violently before I used 'Thunder Breathing First Form Second Extension: Eight-Fold'. Disappearing from where I was standing, I form an octagon around the hill before arriving back in my original place. Looking at a flabbergast Kuwajima, he finally seems to understand.

"Just because Zenitsu can't handle the other forms doesn't mean that he can't improve the form that he does have."

Nodding his head, Kuwajima in return for my teachings allows us to rest in his house for the day. Zenitsu on the other hand, was jitterily staring at Kuwajima, most likely expecting his training to become harder and therefore worse. We had a heartwarming dinner with the old man and his nephew.

The very next morning, it appeared as though Kuwajima had grabbed us by the scruff of our Demon Slayer uniforms and thrown us from his home. Understanding that Kuwajima was an impatient man who wanted to train Zenitsu with his newfound knowledge, we left without a fuss.

Having met the two teachers that I hadn't seen for years, I restart my travels to the north, this time setting myself to properly looking for the item that Muzan wished to hold.