Not Your Hero [Possibly Back?]

Alternate Chapter 1 : The Dance of the Burning Sun

The sun was just about to set, when a figure jumped out of a window of a mansion. The person silently ran up to the forest around the mansion, disappearing in between the trees.

There was no sound aside from occasional wind, today the forest was unusually quiet, an unsettling aura all around. However, that didn't stop anyone from falling asleep in the mansion. It was just a few moments after sunset, no unwelcome guests around.

Some wished the others goodnight, and all went to bed. Just as the last person fell asleep, a loud explosion echoed throughout the mansion, deeming all the attempts at getting rest failed. There weren't a lot of people there, the humanoid beings having around triple the amount.

The fact that one person was missing wasn't helping.

Most of them grabbed their swords and rushed at the humanoids, still in their sleeping attire. Others were either trapped or helping the trapped in rubble. There was a lot of yelling, either blood demon art's, breathings, or names.

The fight continued for the whole night, leaving everyone heavily wounded. While they were checking everybody over, they realized that there was one person missing. What they didn't realize was the partly-burned piece of paper stuck under the burned mansion.

"Hey guys, do you know where Tanjiro is?" Shinobu asked, getting "no"'s in all different forms in response. She sighed, now walking up to the thinking wounded wind hashira.

"It must've been him!" Sanemi exclaimed the moment the insect hashira tapped his shoulder, slightly scaring her. "What could you mean, Sanebi?"

His mind momentarily malfunctioned, every possible answer in the form of a thought running all around his head. "It must've been that Tanjiro boy!"

Shinobu asks him what he means once again, to which the other hashira answers with "He must've been the one to tell our location to the demons! He's a traitor!"

Now, Shinobu wasn't the one to be genuinely surprised and show it, but she couldn't cover it up when Sanemi went on and on as to why Tanjiro is a traitor, eventually ending up muttering. She couldn't understand everything that he said, but what she did understand was actually making sense.

"S-so... you're telling me that Tanjiro is a traitor..?" she tried vaguely summarizing what he said, leaving the 'evidence' out, and stuttering at the start, something she almost never did. "Yes! We have to notify everyone and kill him!"

She slightly flinches at his response, but still agrees and goes to the others, deciding to announce it when everyone will be awake and checked over. Once Shinobu gets to the garden of her mansion, she sees Kanao, Zenitsu, Inosuke and Nezuko unconscious and laying under one of the few not burned trees.

Sighing, she decided to help out with everything and then only get rest. Shinobu does as she decided, being the last one to fall asleep, also in the garden.

When everyone woke up, they traveled to their masters' home. He was notified in the morning along with other hashiras, so when the small group of demon slayers from the butterfly mansion and the wind hashira got there, everyone else was already waiting. They greeted each other just before two young girls announced the masters' arrival.

Just after their greetings and reports from other hashiras, the ones that were attacked finally gave their own speech. Sanemi spoke up once it was over, eager to add his theory to it. "I think that it was the Tanjiro boy who sold us out!"

"Could you explain?" The master commanded the hashira once everyone else's protests quieted down enough. Sanemi's mouth formed a grin, which was noticeable through the cloth. "Of course!"

"Tanjiro wasn't there during the attack, the demons somehow got through the wisteria, the demons knew where the butterfly mansion was and he didn't tell anyone or leave any notes to notify us where he was going!"

The wind hashira yelled out, all too enthusiastic. Others remained silent, trying to come up with an excuse to not believe the white haired male. Of course, they couldn't find one. "...I don't want to disappoint you all, but I'll have to banish him for this. As much as this pains me and he has some more information, I cannot bring myself to wish death upon my once-child."

The clearing was silent after that, Ubuyashiki calling the meeting off soon after. Some other hashiras also left, but the group from the butterfly mansion and Iguro stayed. They were the ones who believed that Tanjiro needed to be killed and they needed a plan, after all.

The silence didn't leave the clearing for a few more minutes, eventually being broken by Kanao. Some words didn't even need to be voiced out, everyone was basically thinking the same. "Anyone has any suggestions on how to do it?"

HEE-HEE

Tanjiro was tired, but that didn't stop him from running all the way to the Demon Slayer HQ. He definitely didn't expect for his journey to take a whole week, but he was Finally back.

Once he saw the building, he stopped. A wave of anxiety washed over him, reminding him that he never notified anyone. Tanjiro took a few deep breaths, recalling the note that he left and that someone probably saw it.

With newfound energy and confidence, he stepped into the butterfly mansion. Though he did notice that it was kind of destroyed, he thought nothing of it. Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe the excitement, but he didn't care enough to pay attention to the hole in the roof.

"Hey guys, I'm back!-" Tanjiro felt something heavy hit him. He quickly got out from what looked like Zanitsu, but not fast enough to dodge Inosukes hit. The burgundy haired teen stumbled in both exhaustion and surprise, staring at his attackers. "Guys? What are you doing?!-"

He got hit yet again from behind. Almost falling, he caught a glimpse of familiar, pink eyes. "Nezuko?!"

Tanjiro fell onto the ground from yet another hit, now staring at the three of his attackers; Inosuke, Zenitsu and Nezuko. His disbelieving and tired eyes met the angry, disappointed and despising eyes of his now-former friends. "W-why?-"

"You told our location to the demons, that's why!" Now, Tanjiro was even more confused. Didn't they see the note? And what happened when he was gone? His mind wandered back to the hole in the ceiling, connecting it to Zenitsu's shout. "Also, you're banished from the Demon Slayer HQ, so you have to give the uniform back. That is, if we don't kill you, which I'm highly doubting!"

Tanjiro listened to the victorious announcement made by his now-former sister. He was thoroughly confused, but managed to dodge the sword speeding at his neck. Instead, it hit his shoulder. Tanjiro knew full-well that he wasn't going to fight the three and win or survive, especially not after his journey.

So, his only choice was to escape. To run.

Dodging another sword aimed at his neck, he rolled closer to the door. Of course, his now-enemies saw it and tried to block him, but he stood up and barged through them, earning a lot of bloody wounds and cuts. Tanjiro, now outside, slammed the door and ran.

He ran, and ran, and ran.

He ran, until he collapsed near a tree. Upon further examination, he recognised the smell of the small cave. It was really close and Tanjiro didn't feel like passing out in the forest. So, using the last of his energy, he crawled over to the small opening in the cliffside and fell asleep there. Before that, his last thought was;

They took away the meaning of my life, I'll completely ruin theirs. Karma's a bitch, and I'll make sure of it.

shadow8of8the8stars

Credit to him for writing an alternate chapter for me. Make sure to check out his writing! It pog :)
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