Looking at Himejima I could tell that he was really strong from his aura so even if I knew that this training was going to be hell I was going to throw myself head first into it.
"The most important thing is the body's core...the limbs. Stabilizing your body with strong limbs will lead to accurate attacks and indefatigable defense. First, train by having the waterfall beat you, then carry three solid logs on your shoulders. Finally push this rock through a town" Himejima said. The pressure from the waterfall was going to be intense especially since the water was coming off the mountain so it was going to be really cold. The logs looked more like three tree trunks tied together with rope but if you had enough strength it would be easy. The rock on the other hand was more like a boulder then a rock but again if you had the strength, dedication and learnt from Himejima then you would be able to do it. Maybe this training wasn't going to be as hard as I thought?
"My training is simple, it's just these three things. The training involving flames coming from below was too dangerous so I removed them" Himejima said and I stopped my thoughts right there. Maybe it wasn't going to be as easy as I was making it sound for normal swordsmen but I was sure that Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke and myself would be able to pass if so long as we gave it time.
"I'm sorry, Zenitsu has passed out" Tanjiro called out and I turned. Sure enough Zenitsu was passed out and limb in Tanjiro's arms.
"Dump him in the river," Himejima said with no mercy. So without any further discussion Tanjiro took Zenitsu over to the river and dropped him into it.
"GYAH! Sho cowld!" Zenitsu screamed as he woke up.
"The river is even worse in mid-winter but I'm dying! Oh my god, what's wrong with the water in this mountain river! I'm dying! I'm gonna hurl!" Zenitsu continued to scream.
"Zenitsu" Tanjiro called out.
"Calm down and focus on letting your body adjust" I said as I took my box off. Once it was sitting on the ground I put my mask on top of it, haori also sat on top of it and I had my two swords leaning against it.
"Land....L-land. Wah! I feel like my innards are rotting! They're screaming!" Zenitsu said as he made his way through the water to the other side of the river.
"Oh, oh shit, even when I'm out....It's too late! I'm freezing!" Zenitsu yelled, hugging himself to try and warm up. That's when I realised some other swordsmen who were wet were hugging rocks.
"Hug....the rock....It's warm" Murata said and Zenitsu threw himself on top of one of the rocks. Of course the rock was going to be warm since the sun was shining down on it.
'S-So warm! Rocks are so warm! It's like I'm inside my mummy's arms,' Zenitsu thought before he started to cry and hug the rock.
'Gh...It's cold. This is hard. Waterfall training is hard. Inosuke is working hard though....I should too' Tanjiro thought.
"Hey Tanjiro, mind checking on Inosuke. His aura is a little weird" I called out and Tanjiro nodded.
'Now that I think about it I can't hear Inosuke's chants' Tanjiro thought.
"Uh Inosuke? Ino....AH! Oh god! Oh god!" Tanjiro yelled out. I jumped into the water and quickly helped Tanjiro get Inosuke out of the water.
After Tanjiro revived Inosuke I made sure to do a general health check up to make sure that he wasn't hurt. Once that was done it was time for us to start training under the falls as well. Hajima had us going chants so that we could focus while under the water and I didn't mind doing them. Tanjiro was also thankful for the chants since they helped him know that everyone was still conscious.
"Man the waterfall training alone was really hard. Water falling from high places is really heavy, if I let my body relax my neck might snap," Tanjiro shivered as he hugged a rock. I was still under the waterfall with all the muscles in my body tensed so that the water wouldn't crush me and it also helped me keep warm.
"M-Man, you and that boar are amazing though not as amazing as Hikaru" Murata's teeth chattered as he spoke.
"It took me until evening to finish the waterfall on the first day, I just couldn't get used to the water. Anyway, since I started getting used to the waterfall, I've been stuck on the log training. How is he managing to stay under there?" Murata demanded as they looked at me.
"A-awesome Murata, as for Hikaru, he runs hotter than us" Tanjiro said before he lit up with an idea.
"T-Ten days of this" Murata said but Tanjiro wasn't paying attention.
"Hikaru come over here" Tanjiro called. Since I had gotten used to the waterfall I shrugged and headed to land again. As soon as I was near Tanjiro he threw himself at me in a hug and I wrapped my arms around him in a hug.
"You know, using me as a heater could be really offensive" I whispered in Tanjiro's ear, making him look up at me sheepishly.
"Come on let's get some lunch so that we can do our best in training" I chuckled as I lent down and kissed his forehead, where his mark was. I was going to do training under the waterfall with my mark activated but my temperature rose so much that the water turned to steam as it hit me. It didn't take us long to get some wood and start a fire to cook some fish on it that we caught.
"He's awesome, the ball ball old guy" Inosuke said. His mask was off since he was eating a fish.
"You mean rock pillar, Himejima-san? Don't give him weird nicknames" Tanjiro chuckled as he worked on cooking the food. Inosuke wouldn't be himself if he wasn't giving people weird nicknames.
"He has given me chills ever since I first met him, no doubt about it," Inosuke said as he started to eat the bones of the fish as well.
"You eat bones, Inosuke?" Tanjiro asked a little weirded out as well as worried but I felt the same so I didn't say anything. I mean if it was Genya I would understand since his stomach breaks down things differently but Insouke wasn't like that. Maybe it was something to do with growing up as a wild child?
"This guy is the strongest demon hunter" Inosuke continued, like Tanjiro hadn't said anything.
"Ah, yeah I figured. Himejima-san's the only one with a different smell, did his mark show up already?" Tanjiro wondered.
"Wouldn't be surprised if it did" Inosuke shrugged as he continued to eat.
"What do you think, Hikaru? Does someone's aura change if they have a mark?" Tanjiro questioned.
"Sorry Tanjiro but people's auras are personal so unless you want to talk about emotions I won't give up anything else about it" I said. Of course people's auras changed after they got a mark but I wasn't going to tell anyone about that, it also changed as people got closer and closer to getting a mark.
'Yeah uh....We're normal people who didn't rise through the ranks like monsters, so we have no idea what you're talking about. I still can't believe that Hikaru is a Hashira now....No I can believe that, on the mountain he never hesitated to rush towards the demons and even now he is pushing himself more than anyone else here. Also the fish Tanjiro cooked is good,' Murata thought.
"I don't believe it. I'm sure that old man can't move that rock across town, he's just having fun picking on younger people," Zenitsu protested while crying and glaring at the fish in his hands.
"No, no, Himejima-san can push rocks bigger than that," Tanjiro said.
"You think I'll believe what you say right away? You're trying to trick me" Zenitsu bluntly stated.
"No, he's telling the truth," I said.
"You have good ears, Zenitsu. You can tell whether I'm lying or not right?" Tanjiro asked. Behind us Himejima was pushing a giant boulder that was even bigger than the rock that Urokodaki asked us to cut when we first started our journey.
"Namu amida butsu. Namu amida butsu" Himejima said as he continued to push.
"Ah there he goes," Tanjiro smiled while the other swordsmen looked terrified.
"Himejima-san's amazing. Maybe I can be like that?" Tanjiro smiled, his aura was filled with awe and determination.
"The hell you can! You moron! What's with the happy-happy face!" Zenitsu shrieked as he started to beat up on Tanjiro.
"That man is insane! And he's as big as a bear!" Zenitsu yelled.
"But" Tanjiro started.
"Shut up! People are born giant and little! You know that!" Zenitsu continued while holding Tanjiro down. I would interfere if I believed it was necessary but if Tanjiro really wanted Zenitsu off him he would get him off.
"I'm full so I'm gonna push rocks and carry logs" Inosuke said as he put his mask back on.
"Wah you dumb positive guy! I have no place here!" Zenitsu yelled.
"Oh dear," Tanjiro said.
"Do your best Inosuke" I smiled and he nodded.
