Baby tanjiro ♡

Chapter 9: News

...

"I-...saw something"

The hashiras blink but say nothing. Muchirou looks at the ground trying to remember the best he can. He thinks for a moment and a moment more.

"Well..."

---
Backflash
---

Muchirou had ended up being separated from Shinobu and Gyomei. He walks around for a few minutes, forgetting what he's doing. Continuing forward he hears something close by. Muchirou slides behind a tree peeking out ever so slightly.

He stays as still as a statue to not get caught. He listens carefully to the foot steps. Muchirou counts one by one.

'One pair...Two pairs...three pairs..?'
Muchirou thinks

He questions himself on the last part. Not knowing if there is a third pair of feet. He listens again as they get closer.

'A childs..? They sound to small and speedy...'
Muchirou thinks again

He looks over but branches obstruct his view, making his view less clear. Looking past all the branches he spots a small body skipping about. Though he doesn't move as he's not sure if it's tanjiro.

'Tanjiro?! But...their wearing a different haori and I can't see their face.'
Muchirou questions

Though with the knowledge of the child and thought of it being tanjiro, he remains calm. Muchirou steps out but then sees another pair of legs. Quickly he hides himself once again.

Looking over his shoulder he can see there is another two people. Something is wrong though, he takes a closer look to see one of them has six eyes.

"Demons..."
Muchirou whispers

Under his breath he curses them but that is the one thing he shouldn't have done. Catching the attention of one of the demons, they look over at muchriou's direction. Mochirou ducks under some more branches to make himself less visible to the demon.

The demon looks around for a second before he snaps his head back around to his name being called.

"Kokushibu!"
A voice calls out

He takes a quick glance back in Muchirou's direction then walks away. Muchirou lets out a breath he seemed to have held onto. He runs back to where he came from in hope of finding the others.

Minutes passed...

He finds Shinobu and Gyomei but in doing so he had seemed to forget what he wanted to tell them.

"Guys"

"What is it Muchirou?"

"I...uh- oh, seems I forgot..."

"No worries, you'll remember eventually"
Shinobu says

- - -
End of back-flash
- - -

"I see, that's what you were trying to tell us"

"Poor soul, almost got caught by a demon"

"What are we still doing here then? Let's go!!"
Mitsuri yells

She became frantic but it wasn't only her who had become frantic. On the other side Giyuu was also looking, more or less, frantic. Muchirou and Mitsuri are the first to notice. Mitsuri runs up to the both of them and begins tugging them along.

Past all the hashira and out onto the main path they run. Surely enough the rest follow after them.

- - - '
With tanjiro
- - -

Back at the infinity castle the tiro sit in Kokoshibu's room. Kokoshibu and douma sit around talking as tanjiro sleeps in douma's lap.

"What now..?"

"It's you who has to make the decision before midnight."

"I can't just kill him!"

"I know but, you don't have much of a choice, do you now?"
Kokoshibu questions

Douma doesn't say anything, all he does is look down at tanjiro. Soon enough midnight strikes, the daunting realization hits the both of them. Slowly douma shakes tanjiro awake.

Tanjiro yawns as he gets up. The two demons stand up helping tanjiro up after. A biwa string rings out and surely enough the three of them are now in front of Muzan. Kokoshibu kneels down leaving Douma and tanjiro standing to face muzan.

"Douma, you've been given a day to kill him, and yet, you haven't. Kokushibu will now be the one to do so"
Muzan declares

Kokushibu freezes once muzan had said that. His eyes opened in surprise but he remains calm.

"You can't Muzan-sama"

"Oh, and why is that?"

"H-he can...uh-.."

"He can be useful"
Kokushibu speaks

With out a second thought he responses for Douma. All three of them turn their heads; Tanjiro in confusion. Muzan narrows his eyes.

"Stand up"
Muzan orders

Kokushibu obliges and gets up as told.

"Speak now"

"He can be useful in defeating the corps and maybe in finding the Spiderlilies"

"Yes, exactly! He can be a spy and get information on the corps!"
Douma adds

Muzan seems to think for a moment, still not convinced. He stares at Tanjiro for moment then looks away with his mind made up.

"Child, come here"

"O-okay..?"
Tanjiro mumbles

He goes up to Muzan only stopping a few steps away.

"Mhm. I've made up my mind"

.
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Smile:

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