"Northeast direction! There are demons in the northeastern forest, please proceed as soon as possible!"
Shinobu quickly set out, heading towards the northeastern forest. She arrived shortly and began searching for any sign of demons, her eyes observing her surroundings with careful attention until she saw a piece of torn clothing scattered on the ground.
A vein throbbed on Shinobu's forehead. She tightened her grip on her nichirin blade, her knuckles turning white.
Haruki, why are you still here! How many times have I come for nothing!
Shinobu was starting to lose her patience. This was the fourth false alarm this week alone.
No! I must find him! Haruki is such an idiot! If he continues this, headquarters will investigate the sudden drop in demon activity in my territory.
After a week of continuously finding empty locations on her missions, Shinobu decided that when she finally saw Haruki, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind.
Half a month passed like this. Even though Shinobu hadn't fought any demons recently, she was still exhausted from constantly traveling and then returning to the Butterfly Mansion to research Haruki's blood samples. This non-stop grind meant Shinobu wasn't getting nearly enough sleep. The dark circles under her eyes were becoming harder to hide, even with makeup.
During meetings at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, she could only force herself to stay alert. While waiting for the Master to arrive, she would close her eyes for brief moments of rest.
A white-haired man with a large scar on his face sitting next to her looked at her, then hesitated before asking,
"Kocho, what's wrong with you? You look like shit."
Shinobu's eye twitched, but her smile remained fixed. "Mr. Shinazugawa, shut up."
"Tch. Just trying to help," Sanemi muttered, crossing his arms. "You look like you're about to pass out."
"How kind of you to notice," Shinobu said sweetly, her voice dripping with false pleasantness. "But I assure you, I'm perfectly fine."
"Well whatever floats your boat, Kocho."
Before Shinobu could respond, a boisterous voice rang out from across the courtyard.
"SHINOBU! You do look rather tired!" Rengoku Kyojuro's voice boomed with his characteristic enthusiasm. "Have you been getting enough rest? A Hashira must maintain their physical condition!"
"Rengoku-san, please lower your voice. Some of us have headaches," Shinobu said, though her smile never wavered.
"My apologies!" Rengoku said, though his volume barely decreased. "But truly, you should take better care of yourself!"
"Don't bother she won't listen anyway," Sanemi interjected gruffly. "Too stubborn."
"Mr. Shinazugawa, I thought I told you to be quiet," Shinobu said, her tone remaining pleasant despite the warning in her words.
A tall figure with white hair and clouded eyes tilted his head in their direction. "Namu Amida Butsu. Shinobu, if you are unwell, perhaps you should rest. The Master would understand."
"Gyomei-san, I appreciate your concern, but I'm truly fine," Shinobu insisted, her smile becoming slightly strained.
"You don't look fine," a quiet voice observed. Tokito Muichiro looked at her with his usual distant expression. "You look like you haven't slept in days. Have you forgotten to sleep?"
I wish I could forget, Shinobu thought irritably. But unlike you, Tokito-kun, I actually remember my problems.
"I've been quite busy with research," Shinobu said aloud, maintaining her pleasant demeanor. "Nothing to worry about."
"Research on what?" Muichiro asked with genuine curiosity.
"Medical matters. Very boring, I assure you."
"Hmph. She's hiding something," Obanai observed from his position leaning against a pillar, his serpent wrapped around his shoulders. "She's been acting strange for weeks now."
"Oh my! Iguro-san, are you keeping tabs on me? I'm flattered," Shinobu said with false sweetness.
"Don't flatter yourself. It's just obvious."
"What's obvious is that everyone should mind their own business," Shinobu countered, her smile sharp.
"Now, now, everyone," a gentle voice interjected. Kanroji Mitsuri approached with a worried expression. "We're all just concerned about Shinobu! She does look tired. Maybe we should—"
"I'm. Fine." Shinobu's smile remained, but her tone had an edge that made even Mitsuri pause.
"The Master approaches," Gyomei announced, sensing Ubuyashiki's presence before anyone else.
Immediately, all the Hashira fell silent and assumed their positions. Shinobu opened her eyes fully, forcing herself to appear alert and composed despite the exhaustion weighing on her.
It wasn't until the Master arrived that Shinobu and the other Hashira knelt on one knee, their voices ringing out in unison.
"Greetings, Master!"
- - -
Daytime
"En, please come back and tell me as quickly as possible once you get the information, okay?"
"Caw~ Understood, Lady Shinobu! I'll search thoroughly!"
"Good. I'm counting on you."
The crow took off, its black wings disappearing into the bright sky.
- - - -
Night
"In Sakiyama, to the west! A demon has appeared! Five mizunoto are fighting it!"
Finally, a demon! Although she didn't know if Haruki was in that vicinity, Shinobu still reached the destination as quickly as possible, pushing her exhausted body to move faster. What met her eyes were five unconscious mizunoto lying on the ground in various states of injury, and...
Haruki, kneeling on one knee, one hand on the hilt of a nichirin blade, his head slumped forward, having passed out.
Shinobu was surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure. Haruki was a demon—as long as his head wasn't cut off, he would be fine. The injured personnel on the ground were more urgent. She sent En to notify the Kakushi immediately. After examining the five slayers, she found that while some of their injuries looked serious, none were immediately life-threatening. They would survive with proper treatment.
She looked at Haruki with complex emotions swirling in her chest and walked over to him. She checked for any injuries on his person, her fingers gentle despite her professionalism. Well, considering he was a demon, she wasn't surprised to not find any wounds, but his breathing was ragged and uneven, concerning for different reasons.
"So, you protected them, huh?" she murmured softly.
Watching his furrowed brows and hearing his uneasy murmurs, Shinobu slowly patted his head with careful, soothing motions. Like the first time Haruki was told he was a demon, Shinobu saw him display such a vulnerable expression. She reached out her fair, delicate fingers to smooth Haruki's furrowed brow, while her other hand remained resting on his head.
Her voice gently comforted him, barely above a whisper.
"It's okay..."
"It's okay..."
"Haruki did very well."
After some time, Haruki slowly woke up. He opened his eyes and met Shinobu's gaze directly. His blue eyes were still misty from sleep, making them even clearer and brighter. Haruki was first bewildered, then belatedly backed away from Shinobu with a start.
"You... why are you here?"
Shinobu extended her finger and lightly tapped Haruki's forehead with a soft flick. She had originally intended to give him a firm scolding. But seeing how hard he had worked, the exhaustion written all over him, she decided against it. Still, she retained a bit of mischievousness, so Shinobu said with a complaining tone,
"Isn't it because Haruki finished all my work? I finally had one demon to deal with, but I still didn't make it in time."
"Haruki made me run around for nothing several times, you know"
As expected, Haruki opened his mouth, somewhat at a loss for words. He had originally wanted to repay Shinobu for her kindness but hadn't expected to cause her trouble instead. Haruki lowered his head slightly, like a child who had made a mistake, and apologized to Shinobu with genuine remorse in his voice,
"Sorry. I didn't mean to cause you trouble. I just wanted to help you a little."
Haruki is really too honest.
Shinobu felt a bit guilty for teasing him when he looked so genuinely apologetic. Alright, I won't tease him anymore.
"Thank you for your hard work, Haruki,"
"But Haruki, I am one of the Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps! Slaying demons is my duty, a mission that must be completed, no matter how hard or tiring it is!" Her voice carried pride despite the exhaustion. "It's what I trained for, what I chose to do."
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm very happy that Haruki can help people, even if it does make my territory suspiciously demon-free."
Shinobu stood up, brushed off the dirt on her clothes, and extended her hand to Haruki. Haruki instinctively reached out, but then noticed his hand was covered in dirt and quickly pulled it back. However, Shinobu's hand firmly grasped his before he could fully retreat, and Haruki couldn't pull away from her grip.
"My hands are dirty," he said quietly, looking uncomfortable.
"It's alright." Shinobu's smile was warm. "I've dealt with much worse than a little dirt, I assure you."
After pulling Haruki up with surprising strength, she now, under the moonlight, carefully examined his current state. His clothes were torn in several places, and his golden hair looked disheveled and tangled, giving him a distinctly travel-worn appearance. He looked like he'd been living in the wilderness for weeks—which, she supposed, he had been.
"Haruki, your clothes are torn. I'll get you a new set."
Shinobu pulled out a brand new set of light blue clothes from her bag and handed them to Haruki. Haruki stared blankly without reaching out; the dirt on his hands would stain the clean clothes. Shinobu noticed this and, calculating the time, realized it would still be a while before the Kakushi arrived to collect the injured slayers.
"Oh, right, I remember there's a river nearby. Haruki, why don't you go wash up there first? Then you can change into clean clothes."
Shinobu led Haruki through the forest. Haruki obediently followed behind her, his footsteps quiet. Soon, the sound of flowing water could be heard; it was a clear small river reflecting the moonlight, its surface sparkling.
"Haruki, please feel free to wash up."
"Okay." Haruki didn't hesitate and began to undress right in front of Shinobu, pulling his torn kimono off without a second thought. It wasn't until Haruki had completely bared his upper body that Shinobu reacted. She quickly turned her back, her voice a little teasing as she said,
"Haruki! How can you take off your clothes directly in front of a girl!"
It wasn't like Shinobu was embarrassed seeing Haruki undress—there were many male members in the Demon Slayer Corps, and sometimes more skin might be exposed when they were injured. She was fairly numb to the human body by now. But that didn't mean she wouldn't tease Haruki about his complete lack of social awareness.
Haruki asked, genuinely puzzled, "Oh, should I not have done that?"
"Men and women should not be... that is to say..." Shinobu paused, trying to figure out how to explain this simply. "Boys and girls shouldn't be too close in such situations unless they are married. It's a matter of propriety."
"Okay." Haruki nodded, seeming to understand but not quite, and quietly moved a little further away from Shinobu. "I'll go wash up now."
"Please do," Shinobu said with amusement in her voice.
Hearing Haruki's footsteps receding and the sound of water splashing, Shinobu turned back slightly. Inadvertently, she saw the crisscrossing scars on Haruki's back and frowned deeply.
Haruki is a demon, so why does he still have so many unhealed scars?
Recalling when Haruki had undressed in front of her earlier, she had glimpsed many similar scars on his chest. It looked like several of them had been fatal wounds—wounds that should have killed him.
Haruki, what exactly happened to you? What was your past like?
"Now I'm really curious,"