Raised by the darkness ||Kny FanFic||

Chapter two: Swords and slumber

Does Kokushibo know how horrible of an idea this is? Yes. Is he able to leave the child alone as someone else's problem? Absolutely not.

He begins to walk, his strides long and measured, careful not to wake the boy in his arms. The night is quiet, save for the sounds of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves. He walks through the forest, following a path only he seemed to know. Every so often, he glances down at the boy, making sure he's still asleep and comfortable in his embrace. He's struck by the boy's innocence, how he snuggles into his chest as if seeking safety and comfort. He continues walking, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of what lies ahead. He knows he'll have to keep the boy hidden from Muzan, and it won't be an easy task. But as he walks, he can't help but wonder about the future. How will the boy react to his new situation? Will he trust him? Will he be afraid?

Suddenly, he hears a sound behind him. A rustling in the bushes. He stops and turns his head, listening carefully. His eyes narrow as he spots the demon slayer hiding in the bushes. He can instantly tell that the slayer is not a high-ranked one, but still a potential threat to the boy in his arms. He carefully adjusts his hold on Tanjirou, making sure the boy's still deep asleep, before turning his gaze towards the slayer.

The demon slayer spots the kanji in his eyes, and then the sleeping human child in his arms. The demon slayer draws out his sword.

"Unhand that child immediately!" He commands too loudly.

He glances down at the sleeping boy as he begins to stir in his arms, clearly disturbed by the demon slayer's loud command.He grits his teeth, feeling annoyance and irritation rise within him. The slayer's recklessness has woken the boy, which he doesn't appreciate.

"Keep your voice down... you fool." He hisses. "...You'll wake the child."

He watches the demon slayer, noticing the look of surprise on his face. It's clear that the slayer didn't expect him to care about the boy's waking up. He adjusts his hold on Tanjirou again, feeling the boy's small form stirring in his arms.

"...Leave this place." He says, his voice cold and commanding. "Now."

The demon slayer snaps back to reality and tightens his hold on his sword, and stutters slightly. "Wh- No! I won't allow you to harm this innocent child!"

Tanjirou stirrs again due to the demon slayer's yelling. He bristles with irritation as the demon slayer continues his loud protest, clearly determined to rescue the boy from him.

"I have no intention... of harming this child..." He says, his voice sharp and firm. "...In fact, I'm protecting him."

He looks down at Tanjirou, noticing the boy's restless stirring as he tries to keep him calm. "...But if you continue to wake the child with your yelling... I might have to silence you myself."

"And how could I be so sure that once I leave you aren't planning on killing him? You're a demon! There's no way you'd protect a human child!" The demon slayer yells again.

He's getting on Kokushibo's nerves, and disturbing Tanjirou's sleep. He feels a pang of irritation at the demon slayer's words. Kokushibo knows that it's against the very nature of demons to look out for humans, so this demon slayer's concerns are understandable. Doesn't excuse his irritating attitude.

"You have no reason to trust me..." He admits. "But I assure you... harming the boy is the furthest thing from my mind..." He adjusts his hold on Tanjirou again, making sure the boy is comfortable in his arms.

The demon slayer deciced that he has had enough, and attacks. How foolish. Kokushibo lets out a soft sigh, almost pitying the slayer's foolish move. It's as if the slayer has a death wish. He shifts Tanjirou's weight in his arms, making sure the boy is safe and protected, before effortlessly dodging the slayer's attack. The slayer has about a second to realize that Kokushibo dodged his attack before Kokushibo's own attack slices him in four pieces.

Kokushibo watches as the slayer's body falls to the ground with a thud, and then sighs, feeling a mix of irritation and disappointment. "Reckless and shortsighted."

He stands there for a moment, looking at the slayer's body, before glancing down at Tanjirou in his arms. The boy has thankfully not woken up, still fast asleep in his arms, completely unaware of the events that just occurred.

He sighs and continues walking, heading further into the forest. As he walks, the silence of the forest surrounds him, broken only by the sound of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. He's careful to keep out of sight, knowing that there may be more demon slayers in the woods, not that they'd cause him that much trouble, but he'd like to avoid anything that could disturb Tanjirou's sleep. He looks down at Tanjirou again, the boy's small form still cradled in his arms. In his sleep, the boy looks so vulnerable, so innocent. He finds himself gripping the boy tighter, almost protectively.

Tanjirou lets out a huff in his sleep, snuggling a bit closer to Kokushibo, practically burying his face into Kokushibo's kimono. He feels a small flicker of affection at the boy's actions. Tanjirou burrowing his face into his kimono is both adorable and endearing.

He continues walking, his steps measured and steady, but his mind is elsewhere. Tanjirou's small form in his arms, soft and defenseless, reminds him of someone from his past. A memory he thought he had buried centuries ago suddenly resurfaces in his mind:

...In his mind's eye, he sees a young boy. A twin, nearly identical to the tiny human he now holds...

The memory is distant, almost faded, but still vivid enough to feel the pang of loss in his chest. The young boy, so much like Tanjirou, looks up at him with eyes full of admiration and love. The boy's words, spoken with a childish innocence, echo in Kokushibo's mind like a whisper from the past:

"Brother, is your dream to become the strongest samurai in the land? I want to be like you. I... want to become the second strongest samurai, so that I can fight along side you."

Kokushibo forces himself back to the present, his attention returning to the small boy in his arms. Tanjirou is still asleep, blissfully unaware of the thoughts going through Kokushibo's mind. The boy's small face is peaceful, and he can see the faint rise and fall of his tiny chest. He finds himself walking a bit faster, as if trying to put distance between himself and the memories of the past.

Kokushibo looks up at the sky, noticing the faint light of dawn starting to break through the darkness. Kokushibo picks up his pace, knowing that the light of the sun is deadly for demons. He needs to find shelter and fast. He glances around, looking for a cave or a rocky overhang where they can shelter from the rising sun.

He spots the cave, nestled against the side of a mountain. It's the perfect place to shelter from the sun. He walks quickly towards it and ducks inside, careful not to jostle Tanjirou too much in his arms, and grateful for the shelter from the approaching sunlight.

After a brief moment of hesitation Kokushibo sets Tanjirou down on a soft patch of moss, making sure the boy is comfortable and safe. The boy stirs in his sleep but remains asleep, unbothered by the change in surroundings.

Kokushibo takes a moment to look around the cave, inspecting the place with a critical eye. The cave is a decent size, with enough space for both him and Tanjirou to move around. It's far enough inside the mountain that it provides sufficient shade from the sun's light. He sits down next to Tanjirou, leaning his back against the rocky wall.

Tanjirou curls into a tiny ball on the moss patch, letting out another huff in his sleep. He watches as Tanjirou curls up, looking like a small, defenseless puppy. He can't help but find the boy's actions endearing. Despite being asleep, Tanjirou seems to be seeking comfort and warmth.

After about thinking about it for a few seconds, Kokushibo takes his purple kimono off and cover Tanjirou with it. Kokushibo briefly remembers a time when he tucked a child into bed.

How strange. Kokushibo has had two children, yet the nearly overwhelming need to protect Tanjirou is far more powerful than his need to protect his own children. He doesn't even know if Tanjirou is related to him or not. Kokushibo's descendants might be running around somewhere, but he has no proof that Tanjirou is even a distant relative of his descendants.

So why is he acting this way? Simply because Tanjirou showed no fear towards him and was abandoned?

Kokushibo shakes his head, there was no need for him to dwell on such meanless things, he had other things to worry about.