You sprint down the mountain side, dodging numerous traps as you rush to make it to the bottom. Tanjiro runs shortly behind you, trying to keep up with you as he dodges his own set of traps. You reach the bottom in no time at all, waiting patiently for the boy to finish as well. Soon enough he comes running out of the tree line, panting heavily as he stops next to you.
"You've improved quite a bit." You pat the boy on his back, knocking him slightly off balance.
He laughs lightly as he straightens himself out, turning to smile brightly at you. "It's all thanks to you, (Y/N). I have to admit that I was a bit surprised when you showed up since it's been a long time since we've seen each other."
"I was curious to see how far along you've come in your training. I was also interested in seeing your sister and if she truly has been keeping to your promise not to harm anybody. I'm impressed with both of you."
You both make your way back to Urokodaki's place, lightly chatting about random things. You've grown rather close with him after helping him train, finding it rather hard to hate his bright personality and kind heart. It's been roughly a month and he's done a great job of opening up your heart, even if it's just a little bit.
You both enter the small cabin, Tanjiro instantly moving to check on his sister while you move towards the fire in the middle of the room where Urokodaki sits. You sit down across from him, sighing slightly as you look over towards the sleeping girl. Tanjiro had told you that she has been sleeping for quite some time now, and you're rather curious as to if she'll ever wake up. The entire time you've been here she hasn't moved once.
"How is he improving?" Urokodaki questions you, pulling your attention towards the older man. You watch as he stirs the food currently boiling over the fire, the delicious aroma making your mouth water.
"He's getting faster and has gotten better at identifying traps. He still isn't strong enough to split the rock, though. With how things are going now, I believe it will likely be another year or so until he is able to."
"I was thinking the same." Urokodaki glances over towards Tanjiro, frowning slightly behind his mask. He has grown to like the boy and would much rather not send him to his death. However, Tanjiro is strong headed so all he can really do is train him as best as he can.
"You don't need to worry about him. I have strong faith that he will be fine regardless of what troubles get thrown at him. He doesn't seem like the type to give up or back down when faced with a challenge."
The conversation dies down after that, everyone settling down for dinner. You all laugh and chat as you fill your bellies, finally relaxing after a long day of training. It's been a long time since you've trained this intensely on a daily basis and it's certainly taking a toll on your body. After dinner it doesn't take long at all for you to fall asleep.
The next morning you awake bright and early, ready to get the day started. Surprisingly, Tanjiro is awake before you and already working on perfecting his breathing forms. You plop down on the grass next to him, simply watching him as he trains. You usually only help him with fighting and then making it down the mountain.
However, today you plan on simply letting him train on his own.
After a few hours he's ready to train his fighting. You stand up, stretching out your muscles as you both move to a more open field. He stands at the ready with his sword raised, waiting for you to be ready as well. He usually only trains with a wooden sword, but you make him use a real one whenever you train together so he can get used to the difference in weight when actually fighting someone.
You raise your sword, spreading your feet in order to even out your balance. Tanjiro attacks first, launching towards you with his sword raised before swinging it down quickly. You lift your own sword, blocking the hit before pushing him back. You launch the next attack, sweeping your sword towards his side, forcing him to jump backwards in order to dodge it.
He rushes towards you once again, this time going for a jab. You sidestep before slamming the flat of your blade against his back, knocking him to his knees. You back off long enough for him to stand back up before swinging at him once again, you blade just barely grazing his cheek.
It continues like this for nearly two hours, ending with zero losses for you and roughly a dozen for him. As he lays on the ground panting heavily, you sheath your sword, tightening it against your hip. Holding your hand out, you help him back onto his feet.
"I look forward to seeing how strong you become in the future." You pat the top of his head, giving him a small smile.
His eyes widen slightly as he stares at you. "You're leaving?"
"I've already been here for a month. I'm sure quite a few people are worried about me." You lead the way back to the cabin in order to grab your bag. "I've been away for long enough."
"Thank you for coming to train me." He bows before standing up, smiling brightly at you.
"Anytime, kid." You give him a soft smile in return before leaving, waving as you disappear from sight.
You would've loved to stay with him a bit longer, but Shinobu will more than likely get mad if you stayed away any longer. She's already more than likely pissed off since you left without even letting her know.
However, you don't regret it. Tanjiro and his kindness helped open your heart, at least a little bit. It's rather impossible to reject someone who shines as brightly as the sun.
You truly do look forward to seeing him grow stronger.
~~~~~~
Word Count: 1083
Finally got around to updating. Hope you all enjoy this chapter despite it not being very long. I have a handful of other chapters planned, and hopefully I get the motivation to write them soon. Thank you for reading my story.
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DISCONTINUED- Storm (KNY X Reader)
Fanfiction[DISCONTINUED] Becoming a Hashira was a rather big decision, one that took you years to make. People have always believed in you but you tend to push them away in favor of being alone. You view friendships and such as pointless due to how quickly l...
