The Eternal Paradise Arc (Demon Slayer)

11 - The Shadow Hashira

Roughly fifteen kunai blades fell short of hitting their target, gathering in a pile a few meters in front of the intended haystack. A sixteenth kunai landed with a clink, and its frustrated wielder stomped her feet in anger.

"Ugh!" she shouted, steam escaping from her ears. "Why can't I do it right?!"

Tsunashima knelt down, ruffling his daughter's hair.

"You're being a bit careless, that's all," he said with a smile, skillfully handing her another kunai after twirling it around his fingers. "Relax. Take your time and focus just above the center of the target."

She took a deep breath, centering her aim. Then she catapulted the kunai, its blade lodging off-center in the haystack, but showing improvement nonetheless.

"I did it!" she celebrated, jumping into her father's arms.

"Amazing job, Hana!" he responded, squeezing her before tossing the girl into the air and catching her.

Without warning, another kunai flew past them and embedded itself in the center of the target. Tsunashima and his daughter followed the path of the blade with their eyes, landing on Tsunashima's eldest daughter, who was only a year or so older than her sister.

"It's not that hard," the child stated, heading toward the house. "By the way, Mom says dinner's almost ready."

Tsunashima set his younger daughter down, watching as his oldest made her way to the house ahead of them.

༺•━✧━•༻

"How was work?" Tsunashima's wife asked as she spooned a mouthful of wet food into their youngest's mouth. The baby gummed and swallowed happily, giggling afterward and reaching for more.

"Exhausting," her spouse replied, settling at the table. "We've been working on some new strategies and training exercises. It's demanding, but it keeps us sharp." He smiled widely as he took a bite of his meal. "What did I miss while I was away?"

"The girls bickered a lot," she explained, eyeing her daughters with a commanding presence. "But they worked things out."

"Good," Tsunashima said, concealing his grin. He glanced upward with a mock stern expression. "Had they not, I'd have tickled them endlessly, y'know."

Their mother laughed, while one daughter rolled her eyes and the other giggled. "Hear that? Misbehave, and it's tickle torture for you both!" Tsunashima's wife suddenly stood and brought over a framed picture, revealing it to her husband. "Oh! By the way, I finished our portrait!"

The corners of Tsunashima's mouth curled upward as he was deeply moved by the artwork. "You're so talented," he said with a warm smile.

"I probably look a bit odd," she remarked, turning the picture to herself. "It's surprisingly tough to draw yourself."

"Murakami," Tsunashima gently took the portrait from her, his eyes meeting hers. "You look beautiful."

The woman blushed as she gathered their infant into her arms. "I'm going to put him to bed. Goodnight, girls. Love you all."

"Goodnight," both replied, bowing in response.

༺•━✧━•༻

Tsunashima and Murakami sat outside their home, watching their youngest child take his first, unsteady steps with the help of their eldest. As the little one toddled forward, Tsunashima animatedly recounted the details of a recent military exercise he had taken part in.

"And then we had to adapt our strategy on the fly. We barely escaped with our lives when—"

"You're doing it again," Murakami interjected with a playful grin.