CAT || Kimetsu No Yaiba Fanfic

Cat Chapter 38

Almost a whole month has passed since the battle at the train.

Urokodaki had been staying for weeks now and counting. He's overlooking the brat's training and missions. Even after they gave him their training schedules and plan, he still have no idea how Hotaru trained them. So he can only observe them and restrain them from slacking off.

He can say that Tanjiro definitely got stronger, along with his two other friends, who he can only describe as total disasters when together. Nezuko was doing okay. She hasn't been killed by the Hashiras yet.

He once visited Oyakata-sama to see his condition. The man could barely support himself from sitting up straight. Bandages was already covering his limbs and his face, and his breathing seems to be getting heavier.

Hotaru and Rengoku hasn't woken up yet. They're still in the same state of unconsciousness, but their injuries seems to be getting better.

'Maybe they're much more tired than we predicted,' He thought.

Today, Tanjiro came back from a mission. Urokodaki saw the boy running towards the butterfly estate with a murderous looking man chasing him.

"Urokodaki-san!" Tanjiro cried, immediately hiding behind him as the man halted in front of them.

"Urokodaki," The man said cooly.

"Haganezuka," Urokodaki returned.

The swordsmith would look strange to some people, but to slayers and swordsmiths alike, it was undoubtedly normal. He has knives held up by a bandana on his head like horns, and two more knives in his hands ready to stab anyone's throat. And of course the murderous dark aura being almost visible from him.

"Where's Hotaru?" He asked lowly.

Tanjiro stiffened, before tiptoeing inside the butterfly estate to protect the older woman just in case.

"Inside," Urokodaki answered. "She hasn't woken up yet."

He turn around and followed Tanjiro inside the estate, Haganezuka trailing behind him with a few spouts of curses leaving his mouth.

"I didn't know she's this hurt," He commented after he looked over her unconscious form. Tanjiro is beside them looking out for Haganezuka's knives. Inosuke was standing opposite from the man, ready and prepared to tackle.

"She got some of her ribs broken and some internal bleeding. Her left hand and collarbone was broken too. But other than that, she wasn't hurt much. Just exhausted." Urokodaki explained, sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Oh, she's just exhausted?" The blacksmith hummed. He raised his knives slowly. "Then shall I?"

"No!" Tanjiro yelled. Inosuke proceed to yeet himself onto the man making them tumble on the ground in heep.

Urokodaki ignored the trio rolling on the floor when he heard many footsteps coming towards them. A few moments later, three girls, Aoi, Kanao, and Zenitsu came crashing through the doors.

"Tanjiro! Inosuke! Hotaru-san! Urokodaki-san! Save uussss!" The blond cried, crawling and clinging on Tanjiro's leg while rubbing his snot on the boy's pants.

"Eh?!" Tanjiro exclaimed in surprise. "Zenitsu? Kanao? What's going on?"

"It's kidnapping!" One of the girls, Naho, also cried as they his behind Urokodaki.

"You little brats!" Tengen suddenly appeared, whole height and biceps just barely getting under the broken doors. "Just come with me already!"

"Uzui-san?" Urokodaki said in surprise.

"ITS THE WHORE GUY!"

"What was that?!" Tengen erupted. "I am the most flamboyant, the God who rules over flamboyance, the God of Festivities, Uzui Tengen-sama!!"

Haganezuka sneakily went around them to the doors, getting out of the situation quickly. He just came to check on Hotaru (and maybe scare Tanjiro a bit). He doesn't want to get involved at all. No thanks, he's gonna work on his swords instead.

"What do you need from them, Uzui-san?!" Tanjiro asked, getting himself between the girls and the Sound Hashira. Then his face fell, a look of horror slowly appearing on his face. "Don't tell me you..!"

"No you dumb twat!" Tengen slapped the back of his head. "I need a girl member on the mission so I'm bringing them along!"

"You can't!"

"And who are you to decide on what I do?!"

"Urokodaki-san!" Tanjiro suddenly faced him with a determined look. "Please tell him that he can't!"

"Stay out of this, old man!"

'Disrespect little...' He sigh, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "You can't, Uzui-san. Kocho-san will get mad." He said like he's talking to a child.

"It doesn't matter what Kocho thinks,–" He's surely gonna regret that later, "–I don't need her permission if they aren't her Tsugoko!" He said, making Tanjiro gasl in horror.

"You inhumane bastard, I'm gonna break your skull open!"

Urokodaki resisted the urge to bang his head on a wall. "Just take these three boys and give them disguises or something," He grumbled.

Said boys gladly step up.Well, Zenitsu looks intimidated and Inosuke looks ready to rip heads off.

The air suddenly turned heavy as Tengen glared down at them. The three boys' instincts are telling them to attack and defend against whatever foe was threatening them. They held themselves back, knowing that the person in front of them is a Hashira, and could crush their windpipes anytime with his bare hands.

"Alright then," Tengen finally said. "I'll have you guys come with me."

They halted in shock and confusion. 'He agreed that simply??'

"But don't you dare defy me, got it?" Tengen said with a malicious grin. Tanjiro only glared at his smug look. "Meet me at the roof in five. Don't be late."

Before he left, he gave a last glance at his sleeping friends. They remained unconscious, despite the loud noises and chattering from the brats.

His eyes soften, before he made his way out of the estate.

'You're both slacking off. Just wake up already...'

Zenitsu wavered from holding Inosuke back trying to beat up the Hashira, feeling an unexpected amount of sadness and grief. He know it came from the man who just left. Of course it is.

The Sound Hashira's sound was booming and loud like explosions– flamboyantly as he call it. But for a split second, he swear, his sound was faint and muted, to the point where the silence was gut-wrenching.

Inosuke paused, feeling his friend's hands trembling. He wasn't stopping him anymore. His hold was just there, limping and weakening as unwanted thoughts sink in.

'Please wake up soon, Hotaru-san, Rengoku-san.'

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I apologize if it's late. And it's short. Oh and the red district/flower district arc won't be tackled fully.

I made a small art of Hotaru and I put it in my tag random book. It's what I think of what she looks like as she is my OC. But feel free to picture her differently as to what she looks like to you. Check it out if you want. No stealing though I added a note on it as I really worked hard on her. (Part is called 'Hotaru')

Taisho Secret!

The Hotaru brats would relax once in a while if they're not busy with missions and training. Their moments consist of trying to make food without burning (Tanjiro miss his casseroles), games not involving Inosuke taking down every tree on his way (tag, hide and seek), and a braiding train. Sometimes the butterfly girls would join in.