𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘 ╱ the dojo

     "Is this the correct place Miso?" Sayuri lifts up an arm for the crow to perch on, stroking his shiny feathers. With a squawk of affirmation, the adolescent takes in her surroundings. It was a very beautiful one, after all.

     Hundreds of cherry blossom petals sifted to the gravel-pathed village she was about to enter. Light and warm breezes swirled the little pink leaflets in every direction imaginable before they hit the ground, young children running outside in their wake. Young women chattered as they walked down the streets, pointing and blushing at the males they passed with sweet crushes on their minds. Adults and elders worked in their yards, small enough to fit each home side by side to line up the roads. The sky was especially blue today, without any clouds, projecting sunshine onto the smiling faces of the village folk. 

      If Sayuri were younger, she would've never suspected a hideous creature to be lurking in the shadows, waiting to find its nightly prey. Now, she could sense the above-average heart rates of the people living here and took special note of the weapons sitting out on the front porches. Rifles and swords alike, though none specially crafted for killing demons. The nichirin sword upon her waist would deal with matters soon enough, as soon as she did the necessary searching.

     "Excuse me," Another adolescent, likely a few years older than Sayuri considering his height, walks up to greet her, "-Welcome to our cozy village! I'm Fumihito, the local doctor. Is there anything you're visiting for?"

     "My name is Sayuri Fukunaga, I'm here for the beast that's been hurting your people."

     "They decided to send a Demon Slayer? I figured it'd only be a matter of time," Fumihito begins to lead Sayuri through the main street, the inviting smile on his face turning sour with regret, "-Three of the students at our dojo have been attacked, each in a different location. We've been fortunate to have someone close by each time, the demon just runs away after getting caught."

     "Running away? That's interesting..." Sayuri's slender fingers brush against the hilt of her sword in thought. It must be a pretty weak demon if it scrambled away from more than one person, and also attacked younger children. Though if they were all from the dojo... why was that a pattern in its movements?

     "I don't mean to overwhelm you so fast! I'm honestly just grateful you've shown up! Let me buy you a meal before night falls, as a thank you?" Fumihito was just about as awkward as Sayuri had once been, especially after being on Mount Sagiri for so long. Luckily, the girl had outgrown most of her unknowingness and rather enjoyed being in the presence of others. Every so often she'd wonder if Giyuu had done the same.

     "That'd be lovely, thank you," Sayuri agrees to his offer, honestly hoping there was a place that served miso soup. She hadn't eaten it for months now, typically hunting demons far from any bustling towns. Fumihito smiles wide once again and nods, pointing to a food vendor just a few houses north.

     It only takes ten minutes or so for the both of them to be situated at an outdoor table, steaming bowls of udon placed under their noses. Sayuri gently blows coolness into the dish before removing her sword to lay across her lap. She focuses on Fumihito, stifling laughter as he tries to keep the wind from blowing his wavy curls into his face,

     "Fumihito, you're quite young to be the only doctor her. May I ask why?"

     "Oh! Right, I suppose that is a bit curious," The male places his utensils evenly across his bowl, "-My father just recently passed due to an illness he caught in the winter. He used to be the one to care for the people here, but now that he's gone... that makes me the next best option."

     Sayuri hums at the self-doubt in his tone, one she was highly familiar with whenever she wrote back and forth with Giyuu. She only wished for a way to make that self-deprecation cease to exist. It was something she had also battled with for years after Sabito's death, and now she properly promised to live strongly for her fallen sibling, though still often visiting his grave to request forgiveness.

     "I feel you're doing a wonderful job, just like your father. No one has died to the demon yet."

     Fumihito flushes at the compliment from Sayuri and returns to stirring his udon in an attempt to avoid eye contact,

     "I appreciate your kindness, Ms. Fukunaga. And if you don't mind me wondering, you seem to be young for a Demon Slayer traveling by yourself. Is that not dangerous?"

     "I have Miso, my crow. I'm also sixteen, I've achieved a high ranking due to my abilities," Sayuri flexes her arm and the red mark appears on the back of her hand. Only recently had she changed to the rank of Tsuchi-noe after a long-fought battle against a highly powerful demon. Her joints still screamed achingly when she fell asleep at the end of each day.

     Not to mention her constant moving from one bed to another as she had yet to find a place to settle between each mission. Most nights Sayuri laid under the mercy of the stars, counting each sparkle in the black sky until exhaustion took her under. Soon, she desired to find a nice place to call her own, and maybe one day train someone in the technique of Cloud Breathing there. Just like Urokodaki had with her, Giyuu, and Sabito.

     "Then I do hope this demon is easy for you. Those blisters on your fingers have yet to fully heal." Fumihito seemed to be just as observant as Sayuri, the both of them able to pick up on small hints that gave way to a whole truth. Perhaps for doctors and Demon Slayers alike, it was a necessity to possess.

     "I wish for the same," Sayuri scoops a mouthful of udon into her mouth, tastebuds praising the savory umami flavor bursting from the meal. If she couldn't eat miso soup every day of her life, she'd certainly take this as a replacement. Her cheeks pinken in delight, even taking a spare noodle to feed to Miso. The crow caws satisfied and nestles in her lap beside her sword.

     The pair don't take long to polish off every speck in their bowls, and very much every speck to not waste one bit of the incredible cooking. Sitting there with full stomachs and blissed-out expressions, Sayuri lazily pieces together some information while her food digests. It seemed there was only one target this demon had, and that was the children at the local dojo. She wondered if the creature had some connections with the place when it had once been human, however many years ago that might've been.

     "I'd like to spend the rest of my visit at the dojo. I think that will be the easiest way to track the demon down." She tells Fumihito, who pales to a rather sickly shade of green. His curls bounce in agreement,

     "I'll take you there. Though we've stopped evening classes for the time being."

     "I request you don't cancel tonight, it'll help to bring the demon out of wherever it's hiding."

     "Huh? But the children..."

     "I won't let that thing hurt a hair on their heads. I promise," Sayuri lurches across the table to grasp Fumihito's hands within her own in earnest. Surprised by the intensity radiating from the girl, he agrees fairly quickly without much doubt about her skill. Of course, he'd always take his own village's safety over that of an outsider, but there was something caring about Sayuri he'd never felt from mere passersby. It was as if she was as familiar with the people living here as Fumihiko himself. Her soft blue eyes had experience with demons and her hands stuck to her sword wherever they walked, uncaring of the blisters reopening during a fight.

      She was on a mission to expel the demon as much as she was following her own personal goals. An ideology formed from the past.

     After taking care of their dishes and thanking the elderly chef working hard to serve his customers, Fumihito and Sayuri continue walking together toward the dojo. It was placed toward the outskirts of the village, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the daylight surrounding them until the situation turned far more serious. Sayuri liked to watch the doctor's relations with the people here, everyone chatting and turning an open ear to hear what he was up to. It seemed they held high respect for Fumihito, and his olive eyes shone brightly with each conversation. 

     Sayuri couldn't help but smile warmly at the interactions, reminded of her past before she'd known of demons. The children here were so excited to show off whatever they could to gain Fumihito's praise, just as she had worn whatever clothing her parent's made proudly through her own hometown to gain the approval of the people living there.

     "Fumihito," Sayuri digs in a satchel she had tucked under her haori to pull out multiple purple wrapped candies, "-This recipe is from an old friend. They're infused with wisteria, it could protect the children if need be. Demons hate the plant."

     Haru had written to Sayuri years after his first message all that time ago, hoping she was safe and that he too had been looking into the Demon Slayer Corps. After learning about the effect of wisteria, his mind had returned to that old woman giving out the nasty flowery candies. He then experimented to make something much more enjoyable, to which he supplied Sayuri with plenty of after discovering she'd made it through Final Selection.

     "That's incredible! This friend of yours seems to know their stuff! We should give these to the kids in the dojo tonight," Fumihito takes the small treats and holds them securely in his palms.

     "He's very skilled, as are my brothers. I work hard to keep up with them," Sayuri laughs softly, fond memories of Giyuu and Sabito always on her mind in some way or another. Now, she enjoyed looking back on those times instead of letting them bring pain into her heart. Fumihito grins at his guest's cheerfulness and now points out the larger building coming up on their left,

     "There's the dojo. I'll talk to the owner about keeping tonight's class on the schedule, feel free to look for anything you may need."

     "Thank you," Sayuri dips her head and they enter the very well-kept traditional building. It was quite old compared to the newer builts homes in the village. Though they maintained the traditional style, it was clear this dojo had been around for quite some time.

     The owner was a well-built man who seemingly didn't have a mean bone in his body, except Sayuri could tell a fight with him could properly tire her much smaller frame. His boisterous and booming voice spread across the entirety of the building, even able to be heard from where the girl was now headed. Apparently under some renovation for broken windows (due to rowdy children playing in the backyard), a dimly lit hallway was leading to a currently abandoned room with lots of construction equipment inside of it.

     Sayuri entered with caution, ready to unsheathe her blade if the lack of sun meant a demon was currently perched in the shadows. Alas, upon proper inspection, all she found were the bones of a small animal that must've been food for the creature at one point.

     "It's moved to a different shelter," She notes to herself and takes one last glance in all the nooks and crannies before exiting the area. There was no reason to continue searching for the demon while the day blazed on, it was somewhere else entirely and also waiting for night to fall. Returning to Fumihito and the owner, she shakes her head at the doctor and offers kind words to the other,

     "Thank you for letting me look around. I believe I'll have better luck at night. If you don't mind I'd like to return for the evening class and take care of the issue once the children are heading home. It is likely the beast will reveal itself then."

     "Of course! I look forward to seeing things return to normal after that thing is finally gone! Miss my kiddos every night when I have to close up early!"

     Sayuri agrees with the bow of her head and exits beside Fumihito, noticing the empty home just across from the dojo. It seemed to have received little TLC for at least a couple of months,

     "Fumihito, is that house for sale?"

     "Yes! No one wants it with the recent attacks."

     "Hmm..."

     Sayuri sent yet another kid toppling to the mattress below them, easily avoiding their advances. She was not very well versed in the practice of Aikido taught at the dojo, but somehow after revealing she was a swordsman, the focus of tonight had been the children wanting to take her down. Their sensei had no qualms over this request, so here Sayuri was doing her best not to use too much force and accidentally send someone flying too far. She didn't want the building to have any more broken windows tonight.

     "Awe man, she's really powerful!" A younger kid groans with her cheek currently smushed into the padded floor, "-Can we see you try and fight our Sensei?"

     "Perhaps another night. I have to preserve my energy to save you all from the mean creature attacking little children like you."

     Lots of oohs and ohs fill the crowd of onlookers who have already failed to take down the Demon Slayer. While they didn't know about the demon or Sayuri's real profession, it seemed they were awfully intrigued by her. After letting up on the girl and bowing her respects to the class that invited her to join, the session ends with lots of little bodies surrounding the sixteen-year-old. The owner chuckles behind them and begins herding them out of Sayuri's personal space.

     "Can we help you defeat the monster? I bet I could do it!"

     "No." Sayuri's tone turned much harsher than she intended to, fear fogging her mind, "Do not stray from any of your paths home. If you hear something, I want you to scream and run as fast as you can."

     The group nods with open mouths, even their teacher reinforcing Sayuri's words. He didn't know it was a demon either since Fumihito had kept the world of Demon Slayers a secret from the village, but her serious instructions held much power to them.

     "Ms. Fukunaga!" Speaking of the devil, Fumihito enters the dojo looking far more nervous than he had during the day. He surely had every right to. He'd heard of the hideous demons stalking across the land but never saw one with his own eyes, he had no idea what to expect.

     "I've brought those candies you gave me earlier," He begins handing them out to the children, "-I'd nearly forgotten them, my apologies!"

     "Ah... It seems I didn't think of everything. Thank you."

    "Happens to the best of us! Wait a minute... I'm one short?"

    The little girl from just moments before stands solemnly with a lack of a purple candy in her hand, little tears threatening to spill. The sight alone makes Sayuri and Fumihito's hearts drop, wondering what they should do to ease her sadness and keep her protected. Sayuri takes a deep breath and closes her eyes to think for a moment. It'd make the most sense to stay here and keep Fumihito and the girl safe, considering they both hadn't taken a wisteria candy. Yet she couldn't just rule out the other children as if they were completely safe.

    Think Sayuri think.

     "Fumihito, please stay here with the girl. I will be perched on the roof." With that, Sayuri exits through the sliding doors and leaps up to the top of the dojo, nestling her zōri into a secure stance. This would be the best spot for her to sense, or even spot, the demon wandering the streets. With enough concentration her hearing could heighten to new levels, making way for a whole new level of tracking pattering footsteps searching for its nightly food. Her nose could tingle with the foul scent of disgusting creatures from much further away, and even her eyes felt narrowed in on what they needed to find. When she taught herself Total Concentration Breathing, it had only been the start of honing such skills Sayuri practiced so hard to strengthen.

     The billowing fabrics of her distracting haori, blue linens adorned by white ribbons, dance in the night breeze hitting the rooftop. It would be easiest to take care of the demon outside because of the breezes, but she could make do without. The moon was bright tonight, full in the ever-cloudless sky. It was as if they had all fled to Sayuri so she could use them for her Breathing Technique. An amusing thought.

     "Ho-How did you get in here!?" Fumihito can be heard from below, voice breaking in hysterical panic. The whimpering of the young girl can be heard just beyond that, and Sayuri moves faster than she could've ever imagined. A blur of blue and white flashed into the dojo, breaking the sliding screens in her arrival, to come face to face with the hideous demon she'd been looking for. Luckily, Fumihito was holding the girl tightly in his arms and the furthest away from the drooling creature. He openly made his body a shield between the two, something Sayuri respected him even more for.

     "A... Demon Slayer?" The demon takes a step back and wipes its mouth angrily, "I hate you!"

     "Let me send you someplace better. You're not a human anymore, you're hurting others," Sayuri calmly speaks. Her sword remained in its holster, but she was already three steps ahead of the demon if it tried to make any moves. It was true that it was weak, far more than the recent ones she's faced for missions. It'd be a quick fight.

     "You failed to protect my little brother! You disgusting Demon Slayers and lying dojos! He... He couldn't protect himself or be protected from demons! I hate you! I hate-" Tears slipped down its cheeks as it lurched forward in a messy attempt to hurt anyone it could.

     "Cloud Breathing, Third Form; Lavender Sunrise," Sayuri uses her most gentle attack to take the life of the demon. A series of painless blows she'd been inspired to use after another Water Breathing Form, hoping to give the sad monster one last experience of the cloudy sunrise they'd never see again. Sabito had helped her with it once, so she named it after him.

     Red ashes flutter up from the demon's perishing body, the haunting issue in the village resolved at last. Fumihito clutches his hand over his mouth for a few moments, nauseated by the horrific creature, before regaining himself as Sayuri takes care of her blade and smooths her haori. She turns to him and the girl,

     "You are unharmed?"

     "Yes, all thanks to you."

     "It is my job," Sayuri smiles and reaches over to wipe the child's wet cheeks from crying, "-Let's get you home, yeah?"

     It was from this mission, that Sayuri had found her home amongst the kind people living in the village and an incredible new friend. Fumihito may hold cowardice toward demons, but he promised to aid the Demon Slayer wherever he could. It was the least he could do in return for the favor she'd done for everyone. 

☁️

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 ╱the gif is the anime fc
for sayuri !! ofc she's closer to
the picrews n my descriptions ,,
but i still have one for her hehe <3

mirai next chapter !! this was
more to set up sayuri's living
situation ,, and the people in
the village !! fumihito fl tbh

sorry if this was like boring or
way too fast-paced!! i found
mistakes last night rereading
but forgot them by morning :'(

gumiguro-