The Crow's Master (Kimetsu no Yaiba Fanfic)

Chapter 20

" Won't you come down with me, today?" She asked me sweetly. " Pretty please?" She cooed.

" I'm not sure..." I replied.

" Why not?" Kija asked me as he carried some bird feed to the houses. " You barely do much here anyway. And whenever she's away you have that depressing look on your face."

" I do not!" I scolded him.

" Oh, look at me. I'm the great Crow Master! Oh, but I miss wife so much. But what's this? I'm too socially awkward to go down the mountain." I lifted the hilt of my blade by an inch, causing him to flinch. " Hey, calm down...I'm only teasing..." I sheath back the blade and blushed as Itsumi giggled softly. " Wus." I turned to him with my simplest smile. " A-Arakawa-san? Hisao, what's with that smile?"

" I'm following Kocho-san's example." I replied gently. " It appears I must now remove your tongue."

" No, thank you!" He tried to run but I quickly caught him by the collar.

" Open up." He screamed as I held him by the collar.

" Lady Itsumi, help!" She sat quietly for a moment and wanted to say something. I turned to her and smiled as sweetly as possible.

" Itsumi," I said to her as smoothly as I could muster. " Wanna try tonight?" Her face turned red and was shocked into silence. " It looks like she's occupied."

" Wait, no! No!" He struggled against my grasp. " W-Wait! Lady Itsumi, you want to go to the swordsmiths village, right?"

" Swordsmith village?" I let him go and turned to her. " You're going there?"

" Hmm?" She looked back at me, pulled from her thoughts. " Oh, yes! I am. That's why I wanted to invite you to come down with me this time." She looked at me cheerfully. " You know, there's a hot spring there! Maybe we could take a dip together." A dip, into a pool. Together.

" Oh..." Was all I could muster before spacing out again.

" Ah, sounds like a nice date. Right, Hisao?" Kija asked but I gave no answer and he sighed. " Itsumi, you did it again!"

" Why is he like this?" She complained as she hurried to snap me out of it.

" Arakawa-san!" I awoke under water and almost drowned myself. Getting up calmly, I glance at Tanjiro's direction. He sighed in relief and smiled. " You scared me there! You were underwater for a while so it made me worried. We're going out now, do you want you join us for dinner?" He offered. I ran a hand through my face and hair. I've been in for a while now.

" Yeah, sure. Give me a sec." I massaged the bridge of my nose as I grumbled to myself. " I really need to stop going blank like that." Cause it almost got me killed twice already. Maybe I should do that thing that the stone pillar does. That chanting thing. I'm not very religious so I forget the words, I should ask him when I get the chance. I left the hot spring and put on the robes prepared for me and followed directions to one of the houses that were serving the guests. " Oh my god..." The plates stacked around Mitsuri were as high as mountains. " How...."

" Arakawa-san, come join us!" Tanjiro invited me to sit next to him. I sat next to him as they served my meal. " You're still letting your hair down?"

" It's a bit wet to tie up." I told him.

" You look like a whole different person." She said smiling widely. " Can I braid it later?" I almost chocked hearing that.

" I-I don't think.. " I turned as a shrunk Nezuko tugged my sleeve. " But I don't..." She looked up at my hair with wonder and reached out to touch it. Cute. " ....okay...But after it dries." I added quickly so I could eat in peace. Once our meals were done, my hair was fully dry and the two girls were ready to play around with it. However, Mitsuri received a call that the final touches were being added to her sword and she left after telling Tanjiro of some secret weapon hidden within the village.

Tanjiro left Nezuko with me as he went to look around. The young girl played with my hair gleefully as she hummed. She braided it too, even tried my usual top knot.

" Arakawa-san, we have found the blades you asked for." A Kakushi informed us.

" I see. Sorry, Nezuko. I'll be back soon." I tied up my hair back to a ponytail like my lazier days. A top knot is too much trouble. " Thank you for informing me." She merely nodded and continued to lead me to where Haga Suzume should be, Itsumi's previous swordsmith.