影と風 | Kage to Kaze | Shinazugawa Sanemi

5 - Woman

"Who's this kid?" I asked as I stepped into the medic wing of the Butterfly Mansion. The boy before me had a buzz cut, save for a small tuft of messy black hair on top. A large, jagged scar ran across his right cheekbone, from his ear to over his nose. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place him.

I sat down in front of him, scrutinizing his features, trying to jog my memory.

"That's Genya," Yuka and Haru answered in unison. The boy—Genya—remained silent, his face flushed red as he avoided making eye contact.

"I've never seen him this quiet before," Yuka remarked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"He's just flustered, that's all," I said with a small smile, placing a hand on his head before getting up to leave. Just as I turned, I walked straight into Shinobu.

"What are you doing here?" she asked politely, though her arms were crossed over her chest in a way that spoke volumes.

"Taking a break. Shinazugawa is driving me insane." I half-joked, though I caught a glimpse of Genya suddenly sitting up in his bed at the mention of Sanemi's name.

"You know, that's precisely why I placed you in his care. You were getting too comfortable here. And speaking of which, it's time for you to leave. Now," Shinobu said, her left eyebrow twitching in mild exasperation.

"Fiiiiine," I sighed, dragging out the word before finally taking my leave.

The walk back to Sanemi's place wasn't far, but I knew I'd have to start preparing to sneak up on him if I wanted to have any chance of catching him off guard. I began to breathe slowly, focusing on the rhythm of my heartbeat. As I neared his mansion, I blended in with the shadows, my presence as subtle as a whisper.

My footsteps were practically inaudible as I crept through the halls, trying to sense where the white-haired man might be. Either he wasn't home, or he was concealing himself. Cautiously, I entered his dojo and scanned the room. He wasn't there.

"You're too loud," came his deep voice, so close that it sent a shiver down my spine. I jumped, startled, spinning around to find Sanemi right behind me.

"Gods, Sanemi, you scared me," I faked a gasp, placing a hand over my racing heart. Without hesitation, I lashed out, aiming to hit his shoulder. But my attempt was futile—he caught my arm effortlessly, twisting it behind my back.

"And too slow," he added, kicking the back of my knee and forcing me to kneel. I looked up at him, frustration bubbling inside me. "You have to focus on either hiding or attacking. You can't do both at the same time. If you're concealing yourself, strike only in the last possible moment," he explained, releasing my arm.

As he walked away toward the garden, I rubbed my wrist, feeling the slight sting from his grip. Reluctantly, I followed him, still processing his words.

"What's with that face?" he grumbled when I sat down beside him on the engawa.

"It's the sun. It's too bright, and my eyes are sensitive," I replied, rubbing my eyes. Light sensitivity ran in our family, a trait that had never been an issue in the district, where we were only outside at night.

"Mhm," he muttered, closing his eyes as he leaned back.

"Here," I said, handing him a small, wrapped mochi. His left eye opened in mild irritation, glancing down at the treat.

"What for?" he asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

"You don't always have to think people want something from you, old man. Just take it," I insisted, placing the mochi into his scarred hand.

"Don't call me old, you little shit," he retorted, but he ate the mochi without a single complaint, causing me to smirk in satisfaction.

~*~

The following weeks passed in a predictable rhythm. Every morning, I would attempt to sneak up on him, only to have him deflect my attack with ease. He would then begin his training in the training grounds, and I would shadow his movements, mimicking every exercise. Despite my frustrations, I couldn't deny the sense of peace I felt around him. 

"Why am I not getting better?!" I groaned one day while eating my rice in the Butterfly Mansion, my frustration boiling over.

"You might not feel it, but I can already see a stark difference in the way you hold yourself and move. Now, stop being a crybaby and get out of my kitchen," Shinobu said, finishing her bowl of rice with her usual calm demeanor.

I left the kitchen, still grumbling, only to come face to face with an incredibly tall, white-haired man. His physique was even more impressive than Sanemi's, with muscles that seemed to ripple with every movement.

"What the hell is this tall grandpa doing here?" I asked, pointing at the man, who was bedazzled in rhinestones.

"You can't call everyone a grandpa with white hair, big sis!" Haru scolded me, her voice tinged with exasperation.

The man turned around, his curious fuchsia eyes meeting mine before he burst into laughter. "Who are you, pretty lady?" he asked, crossing his massive arms as he bent down to look at me.

"Kiyomi," I introduced myself, before asking: "what do they call you?"

"Tengen Uzui. I'm the Sound Hashira," he said, extending his hand in greeting. I shook it firmly and was about to leave when he asked, "Is a beautiful lady like you already married?"

Before I could respond, a deep voice cut in. "You already have enough wives. Leave my apprentice alone," Sanemi said, appearing in the doorway of the medic wing.

"Sanemi, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised to see him. Instead of answering, he showed me his bleeding shoulder.

"Yuka, tend to his wound!" I called out to my younger sister. Yuka popped up from behind a bed, quickly gathering her equipment and rushing over.

"How flamboyant of you to finally have a woman by your side, Sanemi," Tengen's obnoxious voice interrupted my thoughts. His words triggered images of my old home seeped into my consciousness, as I relived all the times the women close to me were either sold off or beaten into submission. No woman was ever free, even if they got married, they were enslaved for the rest of their lives; tending the house and looking after the kids.

"I am nobody's woman," I scowled, narrowing my eyes at him.

My sisters exchanged curious glances, clearly not used to seeing me so openly defiant.

"Please excuse her. Now, how can we help you, Sound Hashira?" Aoi interjected, taking control of the situation.

"Bye-bye!" I waved dismissively and left the room.

As I walked out, Sen, my crow, perched on my shoulder, cawing urgently. "Caw, caw—demon sighting just up ahead, caw, caw!"

~*~

Taisho-era Secrets

~ No, the protagonist is not a bitch, she just has a bit of PTSD from her past life in the district. She does not try to be rude towards men, but it is kind of an automatic defense system.

~ Because she was raised in the entertainment district, she can come across very childish, because she did not grow up in an environment where she could be a child freely.

~ She did not have a horrifying first-encounter with demons like the other demon slayers, and therefore she has more sympathy towards demons than the most. She kills them to protect her sisters and because it is her duty, but she realizes that demons were once humans too.