81 Training Course
With the Hashira meeting finally coming to a meeting, everyone departed back to their estates.
"Hiroto, let's head back," Shinobu said.
"You go first, I want to talk to Giyu," Hiroto responded.
Shinobu smiled and said, "Hm, you might just be the only one he'll listen to." With that, she turned and left the Ubuyashiki estate.
Hiroto nodded his head and said, "Alright, now then, time to find Giyu. Except… where does he live?"
"CAWWW! CAWW!" Just as Hiroto was contemplating where to go, a crow cried out and landed on Hiroto's shoulder.
"Quiet down, will you?! Don't scream in my ear!" Hiroto said, covering his right ear.
"Caw! Letter! Letter from Oyakata-Sama!! Read it!" The crow cried out.
"From Oyakata-Sama?" Hiroto asked, taking the letter from its beak.
Folding the letter open he read the contents.
-----
Hiroto,
I must apologize for not being able to formally congratulate you in person for succeeding the Flame Hashira's position. Unfortunately. I cannot move now. I want to talk to Giyu. I know you would as well, however, you are needed more than ever during these times. I have prepared to send another letter to your brother, Tanjiro, tomorrow asking him to do so in my stead. I want everyone to work together, to work hard as one.
You are needed more than ever to train and lead your juniors. It fills me with joy, to find how hard you have been working toward your goal of curing Nezuko.
-----
Finishing the letter, Hiroto folded in and tucked it away into his sleeve. "Tanjiro, huh? Well, if it's Tanjiro he should be able to talk to Giyu. Just thinking about how he would constantly follow and talk to him is enough to give me a headache haha."
Hiroto laughed and shouted out, "Shinobu! Wait up!" He ran forward to follow him.
"My, I just realized something." Shinobu's voice came from a tree above Hiroto. "Since you're the Flame Hashira now, the Flame Estate is technically yours. So you should probably head down there. There's probably some people already waiting for you."
Just as Hiroto was about to protest, Shinobu disappeared from her position, leaving Hiroto alone. "But… if I go there… I'll have to do so much work…"
-----
[At the Flame Estate]
"Greetings, Kamado-Sama!" Several Kakushi greeted Hiroto as he entered the premises of the Flame Estate.
"Uh, yes. Hello. You don't have to be overly formal with me." Hiroto said with a wry smile.
"We cannot possibly do not, Kamado-Sama! You are the Flame Hashira, and we have to treat you with the proper respects that come with that station!" A Kakushi on the side voiced out everyone's thoughts.
Rubbing his head, Hiroto sighed and said, "Alright, fine. But just call me by my first name, my brother is going to live here with me too so it would be confusing."
The Kakushi all looked at each other, unsure and a bit uncomfortable, but still assented to Hiroto's request.
"Alright, now that's out of the way, who's the most senior out of you all here?" Hiroto asked.
"That would be me." A gruff voice came from the side, as a tall man with the usual Kakushi got up stepped forward. "My name is Akira Michi, please allow me to congratulate you on becoming the Flame Hashira."
"No need, no need." Hiroto waved his hands. "I want to ask, have you been told of what is going to happen? About the Hashira Training?"
"We were told in advance, but not much information was given aside from that every Hashira would be conducting training for the members of the Demon Slayer Corps," Akira answered.
"Hmm, it's a bit more intricate than that. The general idea is that each Hashira would train the members in certain aspects that they are proficient in. In my case, I'll be helping them train their reflexes." Hiroto said, walking to the back of the estate with the Kakushi's following him.
Turning around he said, "Umm, are you all not busy?"
Akira answered him, "Currently, we are not. We have all been tasked here to assist you in any way possible, so we're waiting for orders."
Scratching his head, Hiroto said, "Alright then. What I'm planning on doing is to create a course for the members to run through. There will be 3 courses for them to run through, each with varying levels of difficulty. If they are able to surv- *cough* navigate through all 3 of them with ease, then they'll pass."
The Kakushi's all nodded their understanding. Hiroto then told Akira what he wanted to be built, how they would operate and just how difficult the course was.
When Hiroto finished, he turned and saw all the Kakushi looking pale and sweating. "Umm, are you all okay? Do you need some water?" Hiroto asked worriedly.
"K-Hiroto-Sama, I-Isn't this too difficult? And dangerous?" Akira spoke up, his voice trembling a bit.
"Difficult? I lowered the difficulty quite a bit. If you compare it to the mountain course I used to run every morning, this should be a cakewalk." Hiroto said casually, walking into the estate.
The Kakushi's watched him away and whispered,
"That's the Flame Hashira for you."
"Yea, he said he used to run through something even more dangerous like this each morning. No wonder he's so strong."
"Duh? Haven't you heard? He fought against two Upper Moons so far! Two!"
"Yea, I heard a lot of people admire him ever since they found out he killed the Upper Moon Six when he was only a Tsuguko."
"Alright alright, that's enough gossiping. Let's get to work." Akira said, clapping his hands to get their attention.
And with that, the back of the Flame Estate was undergoing some construction work for 3 different obstacle courses. Hiroto was currently inside the office section of the Estate, looking over some documents.
*sigh* "I should go to the Butterfly Estate and find Tanjiro." Hiroto said, putting the documents aside and left his office.
"Caw! Caw! No slacking off! Caw!" A crow shouted as he flew into the window of the office.
"What the?! What are you shouting about?" Hiroto said to the crow that it was perched on the window.
"Caw! If you slack off, I will go and tell Rengoku-Sama! Caw!" The crow shouted.
"Wait! I wasn't slacking! I was just going to go find my brother! Don't worry, I'll come back and complete it as soon as I'm done!" Hiroto shouted.
The crow raised its wing to its beak and contemplated. "Caw! Just write a letter! Caw! And I will deliver it! Caw!" The crow shouted.
"Ugh, fine," Hiroto said, sitting back down and writing a short message for Tanjiro, asking him how he and Nezuko were doing. He also included in the letter that once Tanjiro didn't need treatment anymore, he should bring Nezuko with him to live in the Flame Estate.
"Ah wait, if I bring her over won't she get bored and lonely without the girls? Hmmm, what to do?" Hiroto grumbled and spent the rest of the night thinking of what to do and what to write.
-----
The next day, the crows went and did their work, spreading the notice and information about the Hashira Training. Every available Demon Slayer Member was required to return to headquarters and report to their assigned training locations.
Hiroto was currently inside his office, waiting for the first batch of 'students to arrive'. The Kakushi made quick work of the course that Hiroto had requested and completed it all, working throughout the whole night.
*knock knock* "Come in!" Hiroto said, putting aside a stack of documents.
"Excuse me," Akira said as he went in. "They're here."
"Hm, okay," Hiroto said and followed Akira out to the back of the estate. As they reached the backyard and there were more than a dozen Demon Slayers standing around.
When Hiroto arrived, the surrounding area quieten down as they all turned and paid attention to the newcomer. Reaching into his sleeve, Hiroto pulled out his monocle and put it on.
Looking up, his eyes scanned the crowd silently, almost as though he was trying to gauge their strengths first.
Demon Slayer #4 'Wow, the pressure he exudes when he stands there and watches us is incredible. I feel like he can see straight through me."
Demon Slayer #8 'So, this is the rumored Kamado Hiroto, the new Flame Hashira. He's even more unbelievable when you see him in person.'
Demon Slayer #6 'Kyaaa, that hair looks so cool. Ah, did he just look at me?'
Demon Slayer #14 'Oi, you're a guy. Why are you reacting like that?'
Hiroto, 'Ahh, what do I say? This is practically my first day on the job, and I have to address so many people?'
"Ahem." Hiroto coughed lightly, causing everyone to stand to attention. "So, I assume all of you know why you're here. The Demons have stopped showing up and disappeared somewhere. So, using this time, we Hashira's are going to be conducting a mass training regime, with us Hashira's leading the way."
The crowd started to whisper to one another once Hiroto finished. "Ahem, so, the way this works is that I will be training you guys on your reflexes. You all will have to run through 3 different courses with varying levels of difficulty."
"Huh? That's it?"
"That sounds quite easy, doesn't it?"
"Ha, this is going to be a cakewalk!"
Various voices sounded out, all saying that it sounded too easy and that they can clear it in no time.
Akira's back started to sweat as he thought, 'All of you… I will be praying for your safe travels to the afterlife.'
"Alright, settle down now," Hiroto said, silencing the crowd. Resting his hand on his two swords, his katana, and wakizashi, Hiroto said, "Don't underestimate the courses. One little mistake could and that's it, you're out. And let me remind you…"
Hiroto then broke out into a bright smile and said, "Medical help might be delayed, since they are so spread thin, hahaha."
From the laugh alone, everyone got chills run down their spine. Ignoring their looks, Hiroto nodded to Akira and said, "You will all start on the same first level. If you pass the final course, you will be allowed to progress to the next Hashira for the rest of your training. Alright, follow Akira here and you can begin!"
