Sanemi and Tengen were a duo that most people didn't expect.
Of course, as equals and peers, they were respectful to each other and willing to get the mission done. But beyond that, they had no deeper relationship.
The ironic thing in the Demon Slayer Corps was that despite the shared camaraderie in fighting demons, a meaningful friendship was difficult to maintain.
With high attrition rates and team missions being based on several factors, it was easy to feel alone. Depending on one's luck, a person could find themselves completing solo missions for years at a time, if they survived that long.
The hashira fared better with those issues, but since their ability were leaps and bounds above the average demon slayer, they were relegated to solo missions, barring extremely rare cases.
The current mission fell into the rare category. This situation was a special request put by both Tengen and Sanemi that the master reluctantly approved.
As a result, they spent most of their time together investigating a certain demon.
They trained together. They ate together. They worked together.
In the past year, Tengen had spent more time with Sanemi than with his wives. A fact that he often lamented privately.
Sanemi could not care less. Though, he did wish to be in the company of Kanae rather than the Sound Hashira.
Over time, they developed a bond deeper than friendship, but not so intimate as romance.
Regardless of their personalities, Wind Breathing and Sound Breathing mixed well. With Sanemi's tricks and Tengen's unorthodox ways, fighting together became more and more natural.
Unfortunately, while their teamwork improved, Sanemi's lack of patience hindered their investigations. In addition, Tengen's information network was devoid of his wives, which further slowed down progress. He did not want to risk their lives against someone like his father.
Finding themselves in a lull, Sanemi complained.
"At this rate, we'll never find the bastard," downing his drink, Sanemi ordered another.
Tengen scoffed. "Calm down, you brute. I have a good feeling about the next place."
-
Tengen's village was a hidden and old secret. They were not the only family of ninja in the history of Japan, but in the Taisho era, they were one of the few remaining.
The village was empty, with a seemingly unnatural mist clouding the area. Tengen remembered brighter days, with children running around and old people walking peacefully.
Well, as peacefully as retired spies and assassins did.
Strangely, other clans of ninja were possessed by a fervor similar to his father. Not only did the decline of their profession cause a panic, but the sudden change in lifestyle proved harsh for many of the people, and most abandoned the path or died while training.
Shaking his head, Tengen stuffed his old memories away as he observed the buildings.
Old blood stains covered some of the wooden structures. It appeared as though a massacre swept the area. If his father became a demon, then the first place he destroyed was likely the village.
There was no need to continue the bloodline if one was immortal. They were the bloodline.
Tengen muttered to himself. "I don't know why I waited so long to come back."
"Because I bet it brings back shitty memories." Sanemi said, seeing Tengen's tight expression. Sanemi wouldn't want to come back to his own village either, after everything that's happened.
Preparing a running start, Tengen waved him off. "It matters not! Let's continue."
Sprinting into the distance, Sanemi followed.
-
"Why are there so many damn stairs to your home?"
Grumbling to the top, the two hashira stopped in front of the gate.
"The first head of our clan wanted our estate to be the highest in the village. It also helps with training," Tengen explained. Their crows flew above them, scouting for anything suspicious.
"That's strange. It's locked." Tugging at the chain and its lock, Tengen began lockpicking.
"Step aside," Sanemi commanded, bringing out his sword.
Tengen half-heartedly chopped Sanemi's head. "Idiot! This is still my ancestral home! You want my family's spirits to haunt you?"
With a light glare, Sanemi mumbled to himself.
Finessing the lock and throwing out the chain, Tengen opened the gates to his family home.
When they entered, the gate closed behind them.
Standing in the middle of the yard, they saw a figure sitting right before the entry to the manor itself.
A man that looked like Tengen stared at them.
Upper Moon Four
"If it isn't my son and his rabid monkey," Tetsuji said dispassionately, as if he were discussing the weather.
"Did you decide to kill the rest of our family and village before or after you became a demon?" Tengen asked. His face was engraved with unrelenting focus and a burning fire danced in his eyes.
"Does it matter?" Tetsuji lazily said. "I killed them as I pleased. Good timing as well. Once I got rid of your brother, there was no one else left to inherit the Uzui name."
Tengen shook, his blades already unsheathed in his hands. "I pray you find torment in hell. There are no words to describe your cruelty."
Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar
Jumping towards his father, Tengen brought down his blades. Tetsuji blocked, already ripping an arm to create his blood weapons.
Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter
Sanemi closed the distance, unleashing his own attack to cover Tengen's blind spots.
The area groaned from the ensuing collision. Trading blows, Tengen and Sanemi clashed with Tetsuji. Covering each other whenever a weapon flew towards them, both hashira maintained their momentum.
Suddenly, Tetsuji kicked Tengen harshly.
Crashing through the gate, Tengen kept falling farther and farther. Seeing his father charging straight at him, Tengen's eyes widened.
Pulling out a bomb, he let it explode as it propelled him down to the village. Throwing out several more, he swung his weapons together to disorient Tetsuji.
Wind Breathing, Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist
Sanemi chased down the two as he unleashed another attack.
Regrouping, Tengen and Sanemi fought side by side, putting the pressure on Upper Moon Four.
Frustrated with his lack of progress, Tetsuji exploded both his arms. He quickly regenerated but the pools of blood turned into a pinprick of needles.
Nicked by several needles, Tengen immediately noticed the effects.
"It seems not even my most talented son is immune to the poison," Tetsuji said, picking up on the slight hesitation in Tengen's expression.
Tengen laughed heartily, his amusement echoing in the quiet village. "Dumbass! You think this stuff works on me? Tut-tut, I'm disappointed in you, father."
"Don't bother hiding it. I can sense it."
Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws Purifying Wind
"Sense this, bastard!"
Tetsuji dodged the attack. With a counterattack, he slashed Sanemi's arm.
The rich marechi blood wafted in the air, causing Tetsuji's eyes to narrow and his pulse to quicken.
Flushed with heat and excitement, Tetsuji stared back at Sanemi.
"You...are marechi?" Laughing to himself, he started clawing at his arms. "What a beautiful night!"
Sound Breathing, Second Form: Flashing Chains
Tengen mounted another strike at his father. Busy with Sanemi's advance, Tetsuji found himself on the defensive again, his neck coming into contact with Tengen's blade.
Turning his foot into a curved axe, he kicked upwards, attempting to impale Tengen.
Tengen retreated, allowing the demon's neck wound to heal back up. Sanemi sliced again, but Tetsuji parried and summoned several more weapons.
With both hashira able to keep up, the battle began turning into a temporary standstill. Tetsuji could kill them given enough time, and it was only a matter of time. Tengen and Sanemi slowed slightly, the collective wounds beginning to pile up.
Tengen racked his mind for another idea. It didn't look good, and if one of them let down their guard for even a moment, the demon would capitalize on it.
The battle continued, Tengen throwing out whatever he had on hand, and Sanemi going for cheap shots when able. Their speed steadily slowed and their stamina waned. Tetsuji's endurance, on the other hand, was commendable but the drunken feeling and the constant barrage of attacks made him sloppy.
Coming up with a last ditch effort to end the battle, Tengen rushed again.
Seeing the nonverbal sign, Sanemi kept engaging the demon, keeping him distracted.
Sound Breathing, Third Form: Spinning Flashing Rumble
With speed that made him look like a whirling drill, Tengen aimed straight for his father's chest, impaling him.
Wind Breathing, Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash
Digging into the shoulder towards the neck, Sanemi poured his strength into his sword.
Tetsuji found himself in a rare moment of dread.
-
It was not long after Tengen left that Tetsuji found himself in a bind.
Tengen's younger brother was learning well and adopted the mannerisms and tactics as his father. Unfortunately, he did not possess as much latent potential as Tengen.
Tetsuji could sense the potential of each of his children. It was an instinctual skill, and while Tengen claimed to have no talent, his hard work and potential saw him reaching heights no other child could.
In a fit of rage unlike him, Tetsuji murdered his last son.
Tetsuji's last surviving wife committed suicide shortly after, and for the first time in his life, he shambled mindlessly, lost in purpose and meaning.
After six centuries, this was what the Uzui bloodline amounted to?
It made him want to hunt down Tengen himself.
During a dark night, Tetsuji found himself approached by a horrifying being. The man pricked himself with his blade, collecting a small pool of blood in his hand.
"Bloodline?" Kokushibo thought for a moment, sheathing his sword while giving the blood to Tetsuji.
"If His Lordship is willing, then becoming a demon is the answer. Only then will your concerns of lineage and bloodline disappear. As a demon, you can continue honing your skills for centuries."
With a clear solution to his problems, Tetsuji drank the blood greedily. He convulsed and writhed in pain, the transformation into a demon taking over a day.
For once in his life, Tetsuji felt enlightenment. He suddenly understood why the monks went to torturous efforts to find such clarity.
In Tetsuji's mind, this sense of clarity was only possible by becoming a demon.
He would never regret it.
-
"I will not lose! To be bested by children!"
Roaring desperately, Tetsuji detonated his body, leaving only the head and bits of the torso intact.
The blood turned sharp, scratching Tengen and Sanemi. A perfect representation of a death by a thousand cuts.
Regenerating his arm only to turn it into a blade, he cut off Tengen's leg, causing the demon slayer to cry out and lose balance. Tengen made to grab something, then he fell and collapsed in pain.
Running away, Tetsuji fled as the first signs of dawn advanced.
Sanemi, initially torn between chasing the demon or helping Tengen, immediately rushed back to Tengen, trying to stop the bleeding.
"You'll be fine, damn it! Just stay alive! Stem the flow!"
Tengen kept his eyes opened, but his consciousness waned. Despite his closeness to death, he smiled triumphantly. "Don't...worry. I got...something."
Sanemi kept cursing. "Stop speaking nonsense, and focus on your breath!"
The kakushi arrived, herded by Tengen's crow as they assessed casualty damage.
-
Leaving the medical ward, Murata walked into a room prohibited by most people.
Kanae was inside, peering into journals and working on a medical experiment.
"Ah, Murata, it's good to see you! Did you talk to Sanemi?" She asked, a cheer in her step.
"I did, but since Tengen's at his estate, I couldn't ask for his side of the story. Did he tell you anything?"
She hummed, then nodded, a manic gleam appearing in her eye.
"Yes, but even better, he retrieved samples of his father's poison. With a cure in sight, Sanemi will be ready in no time!"
Murata raised his brow, delighted but wary by Kanae's excitement.
"I'll be able to get back into my duties as well," Kanae remarked. "This Flower Hashira is blooming once again!"
Murata nodded. Now he understood.
Bidding her a farewell, he left, writing a letter to Tamayo.
