83 Request

"Master?" Kanao's voice came from behind Hiroto, who turned around in response. "Ah, it's Hiroto. I thought I heard master here."

"Shinobu? She was here a second ago, but she left to go do something. Also, I heard you decided to participate in the Hashira training. Which stage are you at?" Hiroto asked.

"Ah, I just finished training with the Mist Hashira," Kanao responded. She looked at Hiroto and the altar and asked, "How come you're here? Don't you have the night patrol you need to do?"

"Oh? Do you not want me here?" Hiroto teased.

Kanao quickly waved her hands and said, "I-It's not that! I just thought that you wouldn't have any spare time since you haven't visited lately…"

Hiroto smiled and said, "Don't worry, although I have lots of work I can still make time to visit you guys. Hmm, since you finished your training with Muichiro, then that means you'll be doing mine tomorrow. I expect great things from you."

Kanao smiled and said, "Of course, I'll complete it in record time."

"Hahaha, don't be too sure now. There are some familiar faces in my training now, and it's not that easy to pass, you know?" Hiroto laughed and stood up, looking at the moon outside. "It's getting late, I need to go and do my night patrols. *sigh* Being a Hashira sure is troublesome."

Kanao smiled and thought, 'You might be the only one who complains about being a Hashira…'

Hiroto then asked, "How's Nezuko been lately?"

"The girls have been keeping her busy and playing with her. You don't have to worry about her." Kanao responded.

Hiroto nodded and said, "That's good. Ever since the Demons stopped popping up, I just keep getting this really bad feeling, as though something big is going to happen. At Least I can patrol around the Butterfly Estate."

As Hiroto was about to leave, Kanao quickly spoke up. "Uh, wait!"

"Hm, what is it?" Hiroto asked.

"I-If I am the first to complete all of the courses tomorrow, c-can I have a prize?" Kanao asked while stuttering.

Hiroto smiled and said, "Sure, if you're able to pass it all tomorrow, you can have me do anything you want." With that, Hiroto left the Butterfly Estate, leaving Kanao standing alone in the room, clutching her coin tightly.

-----

The next day, Hiroto once again gathered in front of the trainee's. Some new ones had arrived, but it wasn't as much as the previous batch. Looking around, he saw Kanao standing with the new batch.

Genya, Inosuke, and Zenitsu were still stuck at the beginnings of the third course. Giving his usual speech, Hiroto left the Kakushi to handle the small matters while he oversaw the training.

The rest of the day passed by as usual, except for one thing. Kanao. She managed to clear the first and second courses easily and was making steady progress with the last course.

"Hmm, seems like her reaction timing is superb. Being able to run forward while dodging the numerous traps and flying objects." Hiroto said as he watched on from above.

Hiroto looked at the scar on his right hand and saw that it didn't resemble a scar anymore. Instead, it was a red mark that was shaped as a mismatched flame pattern.

'Is this from the mark that they talked about? I should see Tanjiro next time, maybe the scar on his head would change as he completes the Hashira training.' Hiroto thought, pulling on a rope that launched rocks and knocked out several trainees.

As evening arrived, Hiroto halted the training. The trainee's all collapsed to the ground from fatigue, as they all breathed out a sigh of relief. Hiroto looked over to the people who managed to reach the third course. Genya, Zenitsu, and Inosuke had finally reached it.

Then, there was the one person who stood alone off to the side. Hiroto gave his usual speech and beckoned Kanao to follow him. Entering his living room, Hiroto said, "Well, you indeed completed the full course in a full day. So, what do you want me to do?"

Kanao looked down and said, "It's about Master… She…" Kanao struggled to speak, grasping the coin in her hand tightly causing it to shake.

Hiroto walked over and put a hand over hers, and said, "It's okay. Just say what's in your heart."

Kanao nodded, her hand stopped trembling, and said, "The Demon who killed master's sister, she told me how to kill it."

Hiroto's eyebrow furrowed, "What did she say?"

"Well, first she told me to never tell you this. Because she knew how you would react and didn't want to worry you. But… I can't just sit here and do nothing. She said that since I was being honest with my feelings now, that this was a good time for her to tell me…" Kanao said, looking at her hands.

Hiroto took his hand back and said, "Kanao, is it something dangerous."

Kanao hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "She… she told me about her plan. She's putting poison into her own body. So that, when the Demon c-consumes her, it will slowly melt him."

At that moment, Hiroto's pupils dilated. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You said, she put poison into her own body? She plans to sacrifice herself?!"

Kanao nodded her head and said, "I tried to stop her, but she said there was no point. She said that she needed to do this."

Hiroto stood up and said, "Where is she? Do you know where she is, right now?"

"I-I don't." Kanao shook her head. "Hiroto, your eyes…"

Hiroto turned to a mirror on a table and saw that his eyes were lightly glowing. Closing his eyes, he calmed himself down. Opening them again, his eyes seemed to have returned to normal.

Sitting back down, he rubbed his head and said, "Just what is she thinking? To go that far… What would be the point if she died in the end…"

"Master wants to avenge her sister and everyone who lost their lives to that Demon," Kanao said.

Hiroto turned to Kanao and said, "Thank you, for telling me. I know that it would have been hard for you since she told you to keep it a secret."

Kanao shook her head and said, "That's why I want to ask you to do something. When the moment comes for her to try and sacrifice herself… please, stop her."

Hiroto stared into Kanao's eye and saw how firm her will is. Nodding his head, he said, "Of course. I'll do anything to keep you and Shinobu out of danger."

Kanao's face slightly blushed, as she turned her face to hind it. "Th-Thank you. I need to go, it's getting late."

"Alright, rest well, you'll have the serpent Hashira training next," Hiroto said, leaning back into his chair.

Kanao nodded her head and left the room. Hiroto was lost in his thoughts, as he thought of what Kanao said.

-----

For the next few days, Hiroto was in the same routine as always, supervising the trainee's throughout the day and going on night patrols in the evenings. However, on this day, his brother finally arrived.

"Brother!" Tanjiro shouted and he ran forward.

"Whoa, haha, watch it," Hiroto said as Tanjiro almost tripped over when running over. He noticed the mark on Tanjiro's forehead seemed to have changed similar to the one on his hand.

"Brother! I talked to Giyu! He finally agreed to participate in the training!" Tanjiro said excitedly.

"Oh, that's great! I read the letter this morning. Well, whatever it is, you can tell me more in greater detail in the evening. For now, go and join the training with the others. Oh, and wear these." Hiroto said, dropping a set of weights onto the ground, causing the ground to be indented.

Hiroto continued, "Since you're already familiar with this style of training, I'll add more restrictions to you. Wear your full kit, with the weights, and no shoes."

"Okay!" Tanjiro said, picking up the weights and running off to begin his training.

Hiroto sighed, *sigh* "That's not even the right way… Oh right, I need to meet with the other Hashira's tonight. I almost forgot about that."

-----

In the evening, Hiroto told Tanjiro to wait for him as he had to go to an unofficial Hashira gathering. Well, less of a gathering and more to update each other on the current situation.

Sitting in the headquarters, Hiroto looked around and saw that not everyone had attended.

Muichiro nodded and said, "Shinazugawa, Tomioka, and Kocho sent letters back in advance, saying they are too busy to convene."

"It is unfortunate, but since this is unofficial, they are not obliged to attend," Gyomei said, with tears streaming down his face.

Hiroto spoke up and said, "Well, since Giyu at least agreed to attend the training, that's the best we can get for now. Also, Shinobu is off on official business, as for Shinazugawa… well, who knows."

"Hm, is that so." Uzui said, "Well, it matters not. Let us begin then, how have the training sessions been going? We shall start from the first and onwards."

And so, the Hashira's began to tell each other about how their training sessions have been going. When Hiroto heard how Obanai conducted his training, he would be lying if he didn't feel bad for the trainees.

"Don't you think it's a bit overkill to tie them up like that?" Hiroto asked as he got a visual image in his mind of people being tied up to poles, and Tanjiro having to fight around them, constantly hitting the people on accident.

"Of course. It's also my way of punishing them for the crimes they committed." Obanai said.

"Crimes?" Mitsuri asked, tilting her head.

Obanai looked away, covering his blush as he thought, 'She's so cute…' "Ahem, you could say so… Crime of weakness. Crime of forgetting. Crime of taking their time. Crime for pissing me off."

"... Ok." Hiroto said and began to tell the others how his training went.

At the end of the meeting, everyone began to leave, when Muichiro came forward and said, "Hiroto, I have to say that your brother's body coordination is perfect. I was even surprised when he first showed up."

Hiroto smiled smugly and said, "Haha, I know right? I taught him before whenever I had the time. Haha, must run in the family."

Muichiro smiled and said, "Well, he did everything I told him, so there was no point in him continuing it. Compared to the others though…" Muichiro's face went back to his lazy blank expression as he thought of the other trainee's performance.

"Well, I better get back, I need to ask Tanjiro something," Hiroto said, waving to Muichiro and leaving.