The next final selection begins tonight. Both Tanjiro and Kanao would participate this time.
Giyuu had done as much as he could to help those two along over the months. Physical conditioning, swordsmanship, tactics, he drilled as much of those three things into them as he could. Soon it would be up to them and them alone to survive for 7 days and 7 nights with no one other then themselves to rely on.
"I have nothing left to teach you boy." Sakonji said to Tanjiro as he patted his back.
"You've cut the rock, learned all the forms, you've even gotten special training by not one, but two pillars." He said counting himself.
"Tomioka-san I-" Tanjiro tried to address him.
"Don't call me that, I've told you, it's just Tomioka to you." He never liked how formal Tanjiro spoke to him, it sounded odd coming from someone he knew for years.
"Right, Tomioka, thank you." Tanjiro said bowing down to him.
"Remember, once you step inside that place, don't try to be a hero. Your first priority is?" Sakonji said.
"Safety, water, shelter, then food." Tanjiro answered.
"Good, I'll be waiting for you once you return."
Giyuu had a slight smile on his face as he watched Tanjiro straighten out his outfit and sheathed the blade he was given.
The two men walked him out of the small home as they continued talking.
"Good luck, I and your sister will be waiting for your return." Sakonji said he eyed the boy.
The two men watched him as he started his journey to the mountain where the final selection would be held.
Tanjiro waving back at them one final time before disappearing out of sight.
He knew Tanjiro would be alright. Yet he felt a strange uneasiness even as he watched him leave. The very demon that had killed Sabito lay waiting in those mountain grounds. Giyuu could only lament that he couldn't go kill it himself.
Giyuu then gave his goodbyes as he pardoned himself. He would run back to the butterfly estate just barely in time to catch Kanao's farewells. Her two elder sisters were seeing her off before she went.
He watched as the young soon to be slayer was swarmed by a certain pair of individuals.
"You look worried." He said as he walked up to the three sisters.
They all looked at him as he approached.
"Who? Me?" Kanae said pointing to herself.
Giyuu gave her a stare that said 'not you' before turning his attention to Kanao.
"Be safe, use your training."
He wasn't really saying it for Kanao but rather for her two elder sisters.
Even though they were masking it well for Kanao, Giyuu could tell how worried they were for her by their body language alone.
"Yes, do be safe, I'll have a warm bath ready for you when you return." Kanae said as she hugged onto her oh so cute little sister.
Shinobu soon joining in on the hug.
"You best hurry, I think we've taken up enough time." Shinobu said as she broke away.
"Right." Kanae reaffirmed as she also let go.
The three pillars watched as Kanao made her way out of the estate.
They stared at the front gates for a few seconds before Giyuu said something.
"Y'know, I checked the list of participants this year."
"Apparently Shinazugawa's brother is taking part this year too."
Kanae's head immediately turned to him.
"HE HAS A BROTHER?" she said loudly in surprise.
Shinobu covered her ears at the suddenly very loud Kanae.
"He told me he had no family!" Kanae exclaimed sounding a little angered.
"I only recently found out myself."
She turned away before taking a few steps from the two as she mumbled to herself.
Kanae quickly came back after a few seconds of incoherent rambling.
"If you'll excuse me, I have someone I need to TALK with."
The sadistic yet calm smile on her face told Giyuu everything he needed to know.
Sanemi was definitely going to get a hell of a talking to after this.
The pair watched as Kanae marched out the estate with a huff.
"What made her so mad?" Giyuu asked.
"Not sure, it's Shinazugawa-San, it could be anything." Shinobu responded.
It wasn't even three seconds after she finished talking that the front door swung open behind them.
"Where? Where is she?" Aoi said in between pants for air as she walked over hastily over to them.
It was fairly obvious who Aoi was referring to.
"She was just here." Giyuu commented.
"I missed it?"
"She left already." Shinobu told her.
Aoi had a look of defeat on her face as she caught her breath.
"Don't worry, she'll be back in a little over a week." Shinobu said reassuring her.
Aoi, just as quickly as she came went back inside. It was just unfortunate timing on her part to have missed her best friends send off to the final selection.
Giyuu and Shinobu soon followed suite.
It was hard for her, every single day she always found herself thinking about how Kanao was doing more and more. Shinobu did her best to stray her thoughts away from her little sister. Yet they always seemed to creep back into the forefront of her mind.
It felt like one of the longest weeks in her life as she waited and waited for each day to pass. Even though she was only missing for a short time, the estate somehow felt incomplete without her presence.
It felt like an eternity before the day she was supposed to come back finally came.
Shinobu and Kanae made sure to clear up their schedules to make time for her soon to be arrival.
It was a anxiety inducing few minutes as they counted the seconds after sunrise. They could only take guesses on when she was supposed to get back.
"She should be here by now." Kanae worriedly said as she eyed the front gate. Her foot tapping on the ground as she waited
"It's alright, I'm sure she's fine." Shinobu said trying to calm her elder sister. She wasn't exactly relaxed either but it was the best she could do.
A slow drawn out creak of the front gate hinges and the sound of wood groaning instantly took their attention.
A singular girl pushing them open before stepping inside.
It was barely a few seconds before she was wrapped in the hugs of her two older sisters.
They didn't care if she was dirty or not, the fact that she was ok and back home safe was everything they needed to know.
The large hug Kanao received made it hard to breath as she was held onto tightly.
"Im so glad your safe." Kanae said with a heavy feeling of relief.
They waited a nail biting whole week unsure wether she was hurt or even alive.
Kanao let them do their thing, she didn't feel like stopping the two since she was tired anyway.
Kanao's stomach loudly growled.
"I-.......need food." Kanao admitted with a tired smile.
The two sisters pulled away from their bear hugs as they looked at each other briefly.
"Right, I'll go start you a bath." Kanae said realizing Kanao most likely wanted to eat, clean herself and sleep after a long week of survival out in the wilderness.
"Aoi and I made you some food, let's get you inside." Shinobu added as she grabbed onto Kanao's hand and helped her inside.
(Somewhere with Giyuu)
He paced back and forth as his former Sensei watched him from the front porch.
"You look more worried then I am." Sakonji said to him.
It was hard not worry, from the looks of it, Tanjiro was taking his sweet time getting back. All he needed was confirmation that he made it back safe and sound, and yet he still showed up to greet him back personally.
"Since when was I so worried, I know he's fine." He thought to himself as he blew off Urokodaki's comment.
A smile formed underneath the old man's mask as he watched the boy slowly approach from a distance.
This was his second ever student to return back to him.
"Hey! I'm over here!" Tanjiro called out as he picked up his pace into a light jog over to them.
"There he is." Giyuu thought as a wave of relief passed over him.
"You made it back, come quickly, someone is here to meet you." Urokodaki said as he ushered the two inside.
Tanjiro caught his breath as he followed the two inside.
As he stepped inside the small home a familiar face greeted him.
"Nezuko!" He said as he hugged onto his newly awakened sister.
She looked unaware of what was going on before hugging him back.
Giyuu watched the joyous boy as he hugged his little sister, Tanjiro's bright smile lightening his mood.
Urokodaki let Tanjiro have has moment, he earned it after the trails and tribulations he went through for 2 years straight.
"How long has she been awake?" Tanjiro asked still excited from his reunion with the three.
"She awoke just this morning, I think she's been waiting for your return." Urokodaki said to him as he ruffled through a small bag.
"Now, do me a favor and go clean yourself off." Sakonji told him while handing him a pair of fresh clothes.
"Ahahah I'm filthy, sorry." Tanjiro said with an awkward chuckle as he took the set of clothes.
Tanjiro spared a few minutes to talk to the two before leaving to go bath.
"He will stay here another 2 weeks until his uniform and sword arrive."
Giyuu nodded in understanding, Tanjiro had a long journey ahead of him. In just three months they would meet once more before Tanjiro would be captured and put on trial.
Giyuu was going to make sure this would be different, Tanjiro was definitely much stronger then he would've been originally. If he could make Tanjiro and Nezuko be looked upon more favorably then it would be much easier going forward.
Tanjiro would have his fateful encounter with the demon king in just his first handful of missions as he would encounter the two demons who would later help defeat Kibutsuji Muzan. Tamayo and Yushiro would be vital with their aid to the slayers in the final battle to come.
Giyuu had to make sure that at the very least, this didn't change, without Tanjiro it would be impossible to track them down and get those two on their side.
"I would assume you will be going?" Sakonji said as he readied some tea for himself.
"Actually, I'd like to talk to him one more time before I go."
"Then would you like some tea while you wait."
"Yes."
Tanjiro took over half an hour before returning. His long deserved bath was a god sent since he was covered in filth and grim.
The door slid open as Tanjiro walked in, his newly dried hair still slightly damp.
"Boy, sit with us." Sakonji said softly as he set his now empty cup down.
Tanjiro seated himself as he looked at the two men.
It was quiet between the three for a few seconds as Giyuu finished sipping his drink.
"Tanjiro, you're a demon slayer now, but you travel with a demon. Let no one know of your sister's affliction, even if she is different, others will not see her so." Sakonji sternly warned him.
"Tanjiro...." Giyuu said as he formulated his thoughts.
"If you wish to cure your sister then you should become a hashi-."
"I can't!" Tanjiro interrupted.
"Boy, listen." Sakonji scolded him.
"Become a hashira. It'll give you access to resources you'll need to cure your sister."
"You need Allies and resources to help you. Once your inevitably discovered, I can only do so much to help you, but if you become a hashira, you'll have many more tools to help you at your disposal."
"Are you sure it would help me?" Tanjiro asked hesitantly.
"I wouldn't lie to you." Giyuu told him.
Tanjiro thought it over for a minute until he came to his decision.
"I'll do it." Tanjiro said with a firm conviction.
"Then you have one of two choices." Urokodaki spoke first.
"You either become Giyuu's tsuguko, or you forge your own path and rise the ranks."
"Which one's better?" Tanjiro asked seeking advice.
"I don't believe you should be my direct tsuguko, that would put too many eyes on you for the time being." Giyuu answered.
"That would cause problems. For now you are to go about your usual training while we wait for your equipment and uniform to arrive." Urokodaki ordered him.
Giyuu slowly got up from his seat.
"I have somewhere I must be, we will meet again soon. Tanjiro, make sure to lay low until then."
Tanjiro nodded in understanding one final time before Giyuu excused himself and left.