the way of the eclipse

the first day of training part one

Before I start this I just want to say I do not know how long it took for them to recover from the swordsmith village so I'm just going to say a month so yeah please if you know tell me so I can make this make sense
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(Tsukuyomi, before we start, I swear to all the gods above and below, don’t you dare start with me today. I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, and I am in no mood for your shenanigans. Seriously, not a single wink. Do you know what that does to a person? If you don't, you're about to find out.)

Groggily, I dragged myself out of bed, my limbs feeling like they were made of lead. I had half a mind to just flop back down and let the world sort itself out, but that wasn’t an option, unfortunately. Life doesn’t pause just because you want it to. I quickly changed into my uniform, still grumbling internally about how unfair it was that I had to get up when the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. Sure, I didn’t have any trainees in the dojo yet—probably because I was the last person anyone wanted to visit—but it was still good to walk around and help out if needed. Or so they told me. Frankly, I had my doubts about that.

With a sigh, I strapped my sword to my back and switched its cover for a regular one. It was too hot for the fancy stuff, and I definitely didn’t need an umbrella today. The thought of carrying an umbrella around in this heat was enough to make me break out in a sweat. I headed over to my vanity, where I quickly brushed my hair into some semblance of order and applied a bit of eye makeup. After all, just because I felt like death warmed over didn’t mean I had to look the part.

When I was done, I slipped on my shoes and stepped out into the hallway. Yuzu was already in the living room, hanging upside down by her hair like some kind of bat-human hybrid. Honestly, I’d gotten used to her doing that by now, but it still made me shake my head in disbelief. As soon as I shut my door, she sprang to life, flipping down from the ceiling with the kind of energy that made me wonder if she’d stolen all of mine in my sleep.

“Good morning!” she chirped, far too cheerfully for my liking. Couldn’t she see the bags under my eyes? Or was she just pretending not to notice?

“Good morning,” I replied, trying to muster some enthusiasm. “Are you coming with me today, or are you staying home?” Honestly, I was secretly hoping for the latter. Her perky attitude was making me feel even more exhausted.

“I’ll come! I want to see you in action!” she said with a grin that was almost blinding in its brightness. She then dashed off to put her uniform on, her purple horns sparkling like tiny, mischievous stars in the morning light.

“You see me in action almost every night on missions!” I yelled after her as she disappeared into her room. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her enthusiasm. Why was she so excited to see me do the same things I did every day?

“I know, I know!” she called back, her voice muffled by the door. A few moments later, she emerged fully dressed, her uniform neat and tidy. She walked back out, still looking far too pleased with herself.

“To be fair,” I started, trying to sound casual, “I thought things might be awkward between us after…well, you know…” My voice trailed off as I scratched the back of my head. It was still a little strange, everything that had happened between us, but if anything, things had gotten better since then.

“Nah, we’re good,” Yuzu said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Let’s go!” She practically skipped to the door, her energy levels still way too high for this time of day.

“Yeah, sure,” I muttered, feeling like an old woman compared to her youthful exuberance. “You go ahead and meet me outside. I need to check on something first.” As Yuzu bounced out the door, I made my way down the hallway towards Luna’s room. My pace slowed as I approached the door, and my hand hesitated over the handle. Even now, even after all this time, I couldn’t bring myself to walk in. It felt too final, too real. I let my hand hover there for a moment before shaking myself out of it. Later. I’d look later.

Quickly, before I could dwell on it any longer, I turned on my heel and headed outside to meet Yuzu. She was waiting for me, tapping her foot impatiently as if I’d kept her waiting for hours instead of minutes.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, trying to sound more awake than I felt. We began walking together, the sun climbing higher in the sky with every step.

As we passed by my dojo, I noticed someone standing there, looking as out of place as a fish on land. It was that blue-haired girl—what was her name again? I racked my brain, trying to remember, but it was no use. I’d have to ask.

“What are you doing by my dojo?” I called out, putting my hands on my hips in the universal sign of authority—or so I hoped. “Your useless ass isn’t supposed to be here yet.”

“Tsuki!” Yuzu gasped, horrified by my choice of words. Her eyes went wide, and I could tell she was upset, probably wondering why I couldn’t be a little more tactful.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Can you please tell me why you’re at my dojo?” I added in that overly sweet, annoyed voice that people use when they’re trying to sound polite but are actually about two seconds away from snapping.

The blue-haired girl—Kori, that was her name!—shifted uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to the ground as if it suddenly held the answers to life’s biggest mysteries. “I’m here to ask you something…more or less,” she mumbled, barely loud enough to hear. She pointed at Yuzu, her finger trembling slightly, as if she were afraid of what might happen next.

“What do you need to ask me?” Yuzu asked kindly, stepping forward with a warm smile. I swear, that girl had the patience of a saint. How she managed to stay so calm, I’d never know.

Kori took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “Can you train me in Ice Breathing?” she asked, still staring at the ground as if it might open up and swallow her whole. “I’m not as good as I want to be in my breathing style, and I know that if you weren’t a demon, you would be the Ice Pillar, so…can you train me at night?”

For a moment, there was silence. Yuzu looked genuinely surprised by the request, and I…well, I was just annoyed that this was taking up my precious time.

“Of course, I would love to,” Yuzu finally replied, her voice full of warmth and sincerity. It was almost sickening how nice she could be. How did she do it? Was it something in her diet? Did she meditate every morning? I needed answers.

Meanwhile, Kori still couldn’t bring herself to look Yuzu in the eyes, which I couldn’t really blame her for. Yuzu had this weird way of making people feel seen and valued, and that could be pretty intimidating for someone who wasn’t used to it.

“You should probably get going to your first Hashira,” I said, trying to hurry things along. I couldn’t help but notice the look Yuzu shot me—it was a look that said, “You’re being rude, and you know it.” But I couldn’t help it. There was this bubbling feeling in my gut, something sharp and uncomfortable. Jealousy, I think. It was probably the same feeling Obanai got whenever Mitsuri talked to another guy. I probably had the same face and aura too because Kori looked like her soul had just left her body. Her face went pale, and she seemed to shrink in on herself.

“Yes, Miss Tsukuyomi!” Kori squeaked, bowing so low I thought she might topple over. She then turned and bolted, her blue hair streaming behind her like she was trying to outrun a hurricane.

As she disappeared into the distance, I couldn’t help but let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Kids these days,” I muttered, shaking my head.

(Uh tsuki you're 17 and Kori is 16)