--First P.O.V--
I sat beside the trio, and began to explain the situation that had occurred between myself and Sakura. Sora widened her eyes in shock, "Y/n...you had the audacity to ask Sakura about being a demon slayer?" She asked, her expression filled with surprise.
I was taken aback, but nodded in agreement. "Yes, I did. But she just...snapped at me!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with a mixture of anger and sadness. It was clear that Sakura was still upset with me, and it pained me to think that I had caused her such distress.
Sora and Yuri locked eyes, and Yuri spoke with a sad tone, "Sora wanted to become a demon slayer too, but Sakura was too quick to shut her down." I was shocked at what Yuri said... Sora also wanted to become a demon slayer...?
Now this made me think, does Sakura have some kind of association with the demon slayer corporation? What happened?
I started to ask some questions, leaning towards Yuri for some answers. "Really? So what happened? Why does she hate the demon slayer corps so much?" I said, curiosity is getting the best of me. Yuri blushed slightly, but before she could speak, Haruka interjected. "Well dumbass, it has to do something with Sato-"
"Haruka-!"
Yuri shouted at Haruka who widened her red eyes, "What? If she's sooo desperate for answers, might as well tell her right? Besides I already told her about Sato." Yuri then stared at Haruka in shock, "Y-You did what? You know what happens if Sakura...finds out right?"
Haruka looked down, a determined expression on her face. "Well I don't care," she said. "I can't just let Y/n feel left out." The two soon started to argue back and forth, while I began to get increasingly annoyed. "Please!" I exclaimed. "The two of you! Just stop arguing! I just want answers!"
I shouted at them, clearly irritated at the fact that they weren't answering either of my questions. "I just feel so...left out! You guys have so many secrets! I'm just so curious and I wanna know what happened to Sato and why Sakura won't let me be a demon slayer!" I said while holding my hands tightly on my head.
My voice was filled with frustration and I was desperate to find out the truth. I felt like I was being left out and that I was missing out on something important. I wanted to be part of the group and feel included, but it seemed like they were keeping to much secrets from me.
The three looked at each other then me, before Sora started to talk, "Well...you see...Y/n... Sakura didn't really hate demon slayers from the start, it's just what happened to Sato..."
Yuri nodded and looked down, "Sato used to be a demon slayer along with Sakura...They both share the title as the Sakura hashira..."
--Past/Third P.O.V--
Sakura looked at Sato with a worried expression. "Are you sure you wanna accept this mission? There might be an upper moon involved," she cautioned. Sato turned to look at his sister with a reassuring smile. "I got this, don't worry, Sakura." he said with confidence.
Before Sato could leave, Sakura grabbed his arms, "I swear Sato, if you die... I'll make sure to kick your ass once I'm dead!" Sakura threatened the boy who simply laughed, "I promise I won't die."
The boy then left...
Never once had he come back.
--Present/Second P.O.V--
"After a few days of waiting...The only thing that was left of Sato was...his mask..." Yuri finished explaining the story. You felt yourself tearing up, 'So Sato was dead, this whole time? I've been fighting with a ghost...this whole time?!'
You leaned in closer to the purple-haired girl, your voice laced with a tinge of anger as you demanded more answers. "What happened? Did she tell you what demon he had fought?!" You shouted, your fists clenched tightly as you thought of Sato. You wanted revenge for his death, and you were determined to find the demon responsible and make them pay.
Yuri shook her head, and Haruka quickly reacted by pulling you away. "Oi, brat! You're making her feel uncomfortable!" Haruka shouted, and lightly bonked your head in an attempt to calm you down. You gave Haruka a glare in response.
You slowly turned your head to face Yuri, your expression filled with guilt. "Sorry Yuri..." you uttered apologetically. She gave you a soft, understanding smile in response. "It's okay, Y/n," she reassured you, her voice as always, was gentle and kind.
Sora gave your head a pat, "Y/n, it's been a long day, and I think it's time for you to rest. Yuri and I still have an overnight mission to finish." She gave a weary sigh, obviously exhausted from all the midnight missions she had to do.
You felt yourself sulking a little bit, before nodding and leaving the three alone.
As you strolled down the chilly, deserted hallways, your mind was abuzz with all the unanswered questions you had. Was Sato really gone? If so, how could you still feel his presence? How could you touch him physically?
Although yet again, it explains why he was stronger than you and faster. Oh and also how he disappeared from your grasp!
You were shocked at the fact that you managed to cut the tree, but never realized that Sato disappeared from your grasp.
Sometimes you could be an idiot...
With a loud, satisfying yawn, you slide open the door to your room and step inside. You take a moment to stretch out your limbs before collapsing onto your bed. You can feel your eyes beginning to close, but before you can drift off to sleep, the door suddenly slides open again!
You let out an exasperated groan and got up to see Haruka standing there, lantern in her hand. "Haruka? What are you doing here at this hour?" You asked with a hint of amusement in your voice.
The black-haired girl blushed and made her way towards you, her voice soft and uncertain as she uttered, "I... wanna sleep with you." You felt your face heat up, and you tried to keep your tone light as you replied, "With me? Uhm... don't you have a bed?"
Haruka irked a little bit, "I know I do, rat. It's just that you probably feel lonely, especially after what happened between you and master." You deadpanned at the girl, before sighing in resignation. "Ok, I guess you can sleep next to me..." You said, not caring about anything at this point due to the fact that you were so exhausted.
Haruka then laid down next to you, and you felt your cheeks flush as you realized how close the two of you were. Fortunately, she had her back to you, so you were able to hide your embarrassment.
The atmosphere between the two of you was uncomfortable and tense, but eventually you both drifted off to sleep.
--Timeskip--
It's been a few weeks since Sakura and you had that big argument. You can't help but feel a little guilty, and a little scared that she might hate you forever. You've been looking for her, but haven't been able to find her. Maybe it's for the best - at least that's what you're telling yourself to make yourself feel better.
You had made the decision to take a leisurely stroll through the village. It had been quite some time since you had visited the Sami village, which had been your home for a considerable period of time. As you walked, you were filled with nostalgia and fond memories of your time spent in the village. Especially working here.
Upon entering the village, you could not help but notice a few familiar faces. However, none of them could compare to the familiarity of Kaki, who was present as well. As expected, she seemed to be in her usual grumpy mood.
You were overcome with fear upon seeing your ex-boss, and you quickly turned in the opposite direction in an effort to avoid them.
"Y/n? Is that you?"
You cursed at yourself, and slowly turned around to face Kaki's piercing gaze. "Where have you been?" She demanded, her voice rising with each word. "Have you realized the damages you've caused in my shop after you left unexpectedly?!" You could feel the force of her words, and your body slightly flinched in response.
"I-I'm sorry, Mrs Kaki. It's just that...my sister died and-"
"Who cares about your sister?!" she screamed, her fists clenched in rage. You felt your anger rising at the disrespect she had shown towards your sister, but before you could respond, she continued. "The fact that you left and the customers are forced to leave my shop, due to the fact that you aren't making any clothes, you're truly useless along with your sister!" she shouted. You stood there, your face betraying your emotions. You were determined not to let her get to you, but her words had already cut deep.
Although it was a long time ago, thinking of S/n and the memories of her crying due to the relentless bullying she endured still fills you with righteous anger. It's a reminder that some people will do anything to try and bring others down...
You have had enough of this woman and her disrespect. You went ahead and gave her a good, hard slap, causing her to stumble back. "How dare you disrespect S/n!" you exclaimed as she looked at you in shock. "You have no idea how many things she and I have been through! We have both suffered and been belittled for so long, and even after her death, she's still disrespected by bitches like you!" You said it with a hint of anger.
An entire crowd had gathered around the two of you, and Kaki growled menacingly before lunging forward to punch you. However, you managed to block the punch, Kaki then yelled, "You little bitch! You think you can talk to me like that? Especially after I've been paying you well?!" The crowd watched in shock as the two of you continued to exchange angry words.
She lunged forward, her knee connecting with your stomach and sending a wave of pain through your body. You groaned in agony, but you managed to suck it up and retaliated with a kick of your own, sending her flying to the side. The crowd erupted with gasps and cheers.
You were about to walk towards her, but someone blocked your way...
It was Sakura.
"Y/n. Come with me, now."
And judging by her tone... she was not happy.
--With Sakura--
"What were you thinking?"
Your head was lowered as Sakura started to scold you. You remained silent as she began to talk. "I'm deeply disappointed in you, Y/n," she said, her voice heavy with disappointment.
"B-But Sakura...she-"
"Silent."
She abruptly interrupted you, now clearly angry. "I don't know what's gotten into you," she said in a stern voice. "First it was the demon slayers, now it's this." She sighed and facepalmed in frustration. "You're not allowed to go to the village this week," she continued. "You're lucky the lady wasn't injured badly."
You glanced up at her, and were met with her mesmerizing purple gaze. You cleared your throat, and spoke truthfully, "I only did that because she said something disrespectful to S/n... and that we were both useless...I couldn't just let that slide." You said, with a sad expression.
Sakura widened her eyes, then softened them as she spoke. "I understand you, Y/n...but what you did wasn't justified," she said, her tone gentle yet stern. She placed her hand on your head, her expression sympathetic. "I know how you feel, but letting their words get inside your head and release anger is one of the things you should never do." Her words were spoken with wit, as if to say that she knew how difficult it was to not give in to rage.
You looked at her in shock, your eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sakura...by that, do you mean someone also harmed Sato?" You asked, hesitantly, your voice filled with a hint of apprehension. You didn't want to come off as too nosy, but you couldn't help but wonder what had happened. You held your breath, hoping the woman wouldn't get mad.
Thankfully, the woman didn't seem angry; instead, she simply nodded in agreement. "Yes, we were belittled by our village too," she said sadly. "It wasn't the Sami village, though; it was our own. We were treated terribly-ignored, beaten, and even spat on-all because of our parents. They were said to have brought a demon into the village, due to their selfish greed."
You felt sympathy for Sakura. Her expression was so downcast as she revealed, "I was the one who got bullied the most out of all my siblings, but I was never really able to do anything about it until Sato came along and defended me. Even though he tried to scare them away, they'd still end up beating him up too." You truly admired Sato's bravery, and Sakura's ability to manage to handle those pesky bullies.
Sakura peered downward, her heart heavy with the memory of the past. "We decided to run away from our village," she explained as you listened closely, "However we were lost in the forest and had no hope of finding our way out. But then, a miracle happened - a man from the Sami village found us and brought us to safety. We were terrified that we'd be welcomed with hostility, but instead, we were welcomed with open arms and unconditional love." She smiled, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
You felt your heart getting warm, seeing Sakura smile. Seriously, Sakura truly had one of the most beautiful smiles this world had to offer!
Oh right, back to reality!
Sakura caught one of the cherry blossom petals that were gently falling, and sighed. "Sato and I thought we had it all figured out," she said her voice was disappointed, "We decided to become demon slayers, and were even taught by a former slayer. We even invented the Sakura breathing technique, and with it, we were unbeatable. We even became a hashira, and life was going so well...until..."
She paused, her eyes welling up with tears that started to stream down her cheeks. With a tone of disapproval, she continued, "He was... killed, by an upper moon demon. That bastard took my remaining loved-one away, leaving only his mask behind - a reminder of his scent that will never fade away."
She then proceeds to take out a fox mask. It was a white mask with pink lines on the side, it also has gold traces around the eyes.
Sakura hugged the mask close to her chest, tears streaming down her face as she quietly sobbed. "It's just not fair," she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion. "Sato didn't deserve to die like this. He just wanted to protect humanity against demons, and yet he..." She shook her head, her heart aching with sorrow.
You stood there quietly, not knowing what to do. You felt helpless and unsure of how to comfort Sakura. You remembered the same exact incident with Yuri. You felt a wave of sadness wash over you, feeling a deep empathy for the pink-hair woman in front of you.
You walked towards her, your arms outstretched in an embrace. The taller woman was taken aback, her sobbing ceasing abruptly as she widened her eyes in surprise. You closed your eyes tightly, a determined expression on your face, and spoke in a gentle and reassuring tone,"I'm sorry about what happened, Sakura..."
You held her close, squeezing her tightly as you whispered, "I'm here now...and it might not seem much, but I'm always here to comfort you." Your head rested against her shoulder, but Sakura was too stunned to say anything. She had never been shown such kindness and compassion in years, and it left her speechless. But despite her shock, she felt a warmth radiating from your embrace that made her heart swell with gratitude.
She slowly started to hug you back, and you both embraced each other for a few moments before you were rudely interrupted by Haruka, who widened her red eyes in shock. "M-Master... and Y/n?!" she stammered, clearly taken aback.
You both immediately pulled away from each other, "U-Uhh... hi?" You awkwardly waved. Haruka dropped her bucket, and immediately fainted on the floor.
You and Sakura exchanged glances, and then she smiled at you. "Thank you, Y/n," she said, before turning to the girl and scooping her up in bridal style. With that, she left you alone under the tree, her words lingering in the air. You couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, it was good that you and Sakura were finally on good terms again.
--Timeskip/Third P.O.V--
It's been a full month now, and Y/n was slowly warming up. She had been enjoying her chores of cleaning up the minka.
It's not only that, but Sakura was also no longer emotionless and smiles from time to time, rather than last time. Where she just remains emotionless.
The trio were still in shock over their master's drastic transformation. Haruka was green with envy over Y/n's newfound closeness with Sakura, Sora was delighted to see Sakura's face finally light up with a genuine smile, and Yuri was proud of Y/n for being able to bring out a change in Sakura.
Y/n was merrily sweeping the cobblestone floors when she was suddenly greeted by Sakura. "Ah! Good morning, Sakura!" she exclaimed, bowing to show her respect. Sakura just smiled and replied, "Good morning, Y/n." The girl looked up at her with a curiousity glint in her eye and asked, "What brings you here so early?"
Sakura patted the porch next to her, inviting Y/n to join her. She looked at the h/c girl with an inquisitive expression and said, "I've been mulling over what you said about being a demon slayer... and I just have to ask...are you sure you want to be a demon slayer?"
Y/n's eyes widened in excitement as her entire world seemed to stop. 'D-Did Sakura just ask me...if I wanna be a demon slayer?!' she thought, feeling like she wanted to scream out loud right then and there!
Y/n tried to remain calm, "Yeah, of course I do." Sakura's expression shifted to one of worry, and she looked down at Y/n with a concerned gaze. "Are you sure...? Because if you do, there's a chance you could get hurt...and there's going to be a lot of missions, so it'll be harder for you to come back home."
Y/n was starting to think it through, but the thought of avenging S/n and Sato was too much to ignore. 'I have to do this,' She thought, 'I have to kill the one responsible for creating demons in the first place. It's for S/n and Sato's sake!'
With a determined glint in their eye, she faced Sakura, "There may be times where I struggle, but I want to avenge S/n and Sato." She said with confidence.
She had expected Sakura to disagree, but the woman could only agree, "If it's what you want, then I supposed I'll let you. After all, I cannot control your future." Y/n's eyes sparkled and she immediately hugged Sakura.
"Thank you so much!"
------
This is the end of arc 1!
You'll be meeting Tanjiro next chapter and sadly... it'll be the last time you'll see Sakura, Haruka, Yuri, and Sora as well. Don't worry though! You might see them later on!
:D