Of all the people. Why you? //KNY//

If only it lasted

Surprisingly Shinobu was actually feeling hopeful, hopeful that maybe things would start to improve. She'd been recently promoted up to tsuchinoto, the butterfly mansion was at an all time low in patients, she had more free time then usual which she used to create a more potent and faster acting poison and her talk with the water hashira had all contributed to this. For the first time since her sister had died she actually felt happy. Although Shinobu knew this wouldn't last long (it never does) she decided to just enjoy it for a change, instead of worrying about what's going to go wrong and when, but seemingly nothing did. Her life was peaceful. Her poison got stronger, her strikes got faster and her rank kept increasing taking her closer and closer to becoming one of the hashira. Things started to seem almost boring to her, her missions were more spread out and the quality of her opponents was seemingly getting worse and worse. It was if kibutsuji was running out of demons in his army.

2 years later

Peace won't last forever though. Demon attacks had been ramping up more and more in just the last few weeks, both in frequency and intensity. The beds in the butterfly mansion gradually filling up with more and more injured slayers. Shinobu felt as if she was being torn in multiple directions at once, she had to treat the patients, she had a new mission every night, Kanao had recently left for final selection not even bothering to say goodbye to her. The only reason she knew was because Aoi had eventually told her after the 3rd day. Whilst this surprised her that the girl had chosen to go to the final selection she didn't have to the time to worry about it, time was seemingly in short supply these days.

To make matters even worse she'd recently been summoned to see the ever so elusive and vague "master". Shinobu had never met the master but had asked Shinanzugawa about him a few times, strangely enough he spoke about his with respect which coming from him must mean this master of theirs is something truly incredible.

"This is the master, he looks...dead" Shinobu thought upon meeting him for the first time, but held off saying anything to him.

"Ahh welcome Shinobu" the dead man spoke

Ignoring the use of her given name she decided to be friendly with him, worried that if she said the wrong thing she'd end up being removed from the corps.

"Thank you for inviting me here, master"

"Your most welcome my child"

Child? She was an adult, and had no relation to this man she'd never even met before.

"What did you need from me?" She asked yet again ignoring his antics.

"I have good new for you, and unfortunately bad new as well." He spoke cryptically and slowly. It took all the self restraint Shinobu had not to hurry him along.

"And what would be the good news?" She spoke as sweetly as she could manage, she was pretty sure he was blind so he didn't see the annoyance on her face. She had more important things to be doing.

"Well...congratulations insect hashira Kocho Shinobu"

Congratulations? What was he congratulating her for? Shinobu thought not even realising what he'd called her. Then it clicked. Insect Hashira Kocho Shinobu.

"Master...are you promoting me to hashira?" She asked, hoping not to embarrass herself.

"Yes Shinobu"

So many thoughts flooded into her head as he said that. A hashira? Me? What did I do to deserve this? I haven't met any of the requirements?

As if reading her mind, the dead man spoke again "recently you slew your 50th demon for the corps...as such, you have earned your place amongst the hashira."

"Thank you...master" Shinobu managed, so overwhelmed by her own thoughts of doubt that she'd forgotten he also had bad news for her.

"Now...onto the bad news" he spoke

"The corps has recently welcomed a child that is having...trouble with their memory, I would like you to take care of him as if her were...a patient."

That was it? A slayer she didn't even know had amnesia. That was hardly bad news.

"Of course master"

"Thank you Shinobu...Gyomei will bring him to your butterfly mansion tonight...please take good care of him."

With that he dismissed her, one of the kakushi arrived to show her out. She thought she'd be happier. Everything she'd been doing was to become a hashira, to gain access to the resources she needed to avenge her sister. Somehow though, she just felt tired. Physically she hadn't slept much but that was nothing new, it was rare for her to sleep more then 5 hours a night anyway. She'd recently hired 2 new nurses to care for patients, and they'd been doing a great job so far.

"Is everything ok?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts as she looked towards its owner.

"Ara Tomioka-san why wouldn't it be, did you know were the same rank now?" She teased trying to distract him from asking her too many questions.

"I did, the master announced it last week." He replied.

"I'm here to tell you about our mission." He continued seemingly knowing what her next question was going to be.

"Our mission? Is it normal for hashira to work together?"

"Yes"

"...Then please continue." Shinobu said after a while, expecting him to continue before realising who she was talking to.

"We leave in 9 days, meet me here" he said before vanishing out of sight.

"As talkative as ever Tomioka-san" she said to the empty space he had occupied.

She used to find his reluctance to talk infuriating, but recently with all the chaos in her life she appreciated how he hadn't changed a bit. He was still the same as when he came by to see Kanae. She found it strange how comforting that was.

"Never change Tomioka-san." She thought, as she treated making her way back home. Feeling slightly more energised now.