It was... intriguing.

Kokushibo studied the remnants of the battle, running his fingers over frosty walls and recognizing Doma's blood demon art. The disgraced Upper Moon had fought here... demon slayers based on the residue of wisteria in the air.

Kokushibo didn't pursue the scent of the demon slayers or the residue of Doma. He was not too eager to draw attention to himself when Muzan had so explicitly told him to stay discreet.

He wasn't to engage Doma, just observe his movements. It was more salt in Kokushibo's very open wound.

Muzan didn't trust him to do his duty well enough. Muzan didn't believe Kokushibo would be able to take on both Doma and Akaza (and perhaps Six if the rumors were true). All these years, all this time, and Kokushibo was still pitifully weak.

Surely Yoriichi was laughing at him for his failures... for his shortcomings...

Kokushibo shook his head and slipped back into the infinity fortress closing the door behind him and locking out the cold demon-touched wisteria air. He was getting distracted.

Focus. On ex-Upper Two. On the demon slayers. On his duty to Kibutsuji.

If Doma was fighting demon slayers, then they weren't working together. That bode well for Muzan and demonkind. If Yoriichi's students refused to recognize their greatest salvation, that was their greatest loss. Perhaps it would be the demon slayer's hatred of demons that would snatch their hope away from them. The thought quelled some of the anger in Kokushibo's chest.

Demon slayers working with demons? Never. The slayer's ego and beliefs would never allow it, and that would let Kokushibo rest easier.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Damn demons.

Damn demon slayers.

Damn wounds. Damn weaklings. Damn medicine.

"DAMMIT!" Inosuke roared. The girl wrapping his arm jumped away for a moment as he flailed and cursed some more.

"Inosuke! Calm down!" Damn Tanbachiro - or whatever his name was. Always making rules or making Inosuke feel all fluffy and warm. Damn him too!

"I am perfectly calm!" Inosuke growled as he crossed his arms and tried not to wince as the movement pressed on his wrapped broken ribs.

"Yeah. Sure," stupid Zenbitu rolled his eyes and Inosuke could've punched him if he wasn't bed-ridden. The big-ol' spider demon had done him in well and he could almost hear Akaza's roaring laugh in the back of his head.

"Beaten by a weakling like that! Pathetic!"

"Hashibira, we need to finish wrapping the wounds in your arms," the little girl at his side pleaded as she held up her gauze. She made her eyes as big as she could - like Miku would and it took all Inosuke had to not groan and whine as he held out his arm and huffed.

They finished wrapping his wounds - tightly, showing no mercy whatsoever. Inosuke growled and ripped his arm away once they were done, glaring at the foot of his cot as the girl left him.

"Don't be so angry, we all survived," Tanbuko... Tinjoru? Tanjourno? Tanjiro, there it was, Tanjiro was lecturing Inosuke and he dramatically rolled his eyes.

"How am I supposed to kill the king of all demons when I'm taken out by a lowly low-life demon like that?" he retorted as he glared Tanjiro down.

The two looked at him with pity and it made Inosuke seethe. No one looked at him with pity - not Akaza, not Gyutaro, not Daki, not even Doma (No, Doma would just look worried, like he was about to have a heart attack). No one pitied him - they knew he was strong! They would know it was his own damn fault he'd gotten hurt. 

These two humans we very different from his family, and that fact only ever reared its head when they looked at him like they were now.

He'd met Tanjiro and Zenotosu - Zentosu? Zenetso? Zenitsu? Whatever, the point was that he'd met the two of them in the middle of a drum demon's house. He'd sensed that feeling - the same power that followed Gyutaro, Akaza, or Doma. That sensation of an apex-predator pacing behind an unlocked door; a demon moon.

He'd raced into that house with an unsatiated hunger, his blades yearning to taste that bastard's flesh. The place had been a maze and it had messed with his damn beast breathing that he'd been honing.

Tanjiro had gotten to the demon first. Inosuke could've killed the brat for that. What sort of decent beast walks into a fight meant for two and steals the kill? Unforgivable. Akaza would've never done that - and Gyutaro would've at least teased him a little bit for being too slow. All Tanjiro did was look sad and shit while he accomplished what Inosuke couldn't.

Screw Tanjiro, because of him Inosuke would never know if he could take on one of the lower moons, or at least that ex-lower moon.

The only reason Tanjiko wasn't dead yet was because he had a demon sister and goddamn it, Inosuke was happy to find out he wasn't the only one. Nezukon (that was her name, right? ah, doesn't matter), Nebukon was a lot more 'demon' than Mirakuru but hell Inosuke couldn't care less and it was nice to know his family wasn't the only weird one. 

Tanjoku and he got along great after that. Zenotosu thought they were both crazy (he reminded Inosuke of a high-strung Gyutaro sometimes). Of course, neither of them knew Mirakuru was half-demon (he wasn't stupid, okay). Doma had been pretty clear about what was and was not safe to say. Telling a bunch of demon slayers that his Dad was an ex-upper moon who'd fathered a half-and-half kid would be a one-way ticket to a 'fucked-up-station' as Gyutaro would've put it.

Anyway - 

"How are your ribs?" Tanjiro asked.

Inosuke perked up and laughed, despite how the action pushed against his said shattered bones. "The demons are going to have to do better than that if they want to take down the Great Lord Inosuke!!"

"You're crazy, you know that right?" Zentosuu deadpanned. "You got like three broken ribs, can hardly speak, and almost bled to death."

Alright... that was kind of true. Though Inosuke would much rather die than admit it - and you know what, knowing Doma, he may as well. If Dad ever figured out he got that fucked up he may kiss his life goodbye. He would never live it down. He'd lived swaddled in blankets for the next five years.

Though, in his defense, Inosuke did not believe it was solely his fault.

 He'd been traveling with Tanjiro and their blond friend for a while until the stupid spider mountain got in their way. Tanjiro had apparently fought a lower moon while Inosuke was stuck with the monster-beetle-spider-father-bullshit that broke his ribs, nearly crushed his throat, and got him strung up by that stupid water hashira. He had absolutely no control over it.

And apparently, he'd yelled too loud and made himself hoarse.

So, all-in-all, Inosuke's life as a demon slayer was going sucky. He was useless as ever and he'd almost died - just like Doma said. That very thought made Inosuke's blood broil. He'd hardly killed any demons of decent stature which meant there were just as many demons after Mom and Miku and Doma as before! He was useless!!

He threw his pillow across the room in frustration and seethed with anger.

"H-hey, calm down. What's your problem?" Zenistue demanded, quaking a bit as Inosuke's boar mask turned to glare at him.

"Stronger," Inosuke growled. "I need to get stronger."

Across the room, Tanjibo sighed and smiled. His eyes were warm and his smile was soft as he nodded in agreement. He was always smiling - it was weird!

"We will. We'll get it," the dark red-eyed boy assured him. "We survived; that's the first step."

"We're useless like this," Inosuke growled through a rasp. "Waited upon by kids and nurses, having medicine shoved down our throats like we're helpless - "

"AND IT TASTES TERRIBLE!" Zenbotu whined.

"Exactly Zenbotu!"

"It's Zenitsu."

"Whatever - We're helpless and useless here while the demons out there only grow stronger and create other demons! If we ever want to go give em' hell we gotta get strong, quick!"

His announcement was met with a silence that filled the air and hung it on an unsettled note. Tanjiko looked determined as ever and that let Inosuke breathe a bit easier. Everyone here shared his drive (mostly... who knew what the fuck Zenbotu was doing here) and everyone dreamed of decapitating that Master-fucker-demon-king.

"We'll work hard. We'll get stronger, just you wait," Tan-ji-ro smiled.

"Then we'll put that fucking demon king in the ground!" Inosuke cheered, coughing once as his throat acted up.

"Inosuke..." it was Zen... Zen-it-su, it was Zenitsu who spoke. "You never did answer my question back then."

"Back when?" Inosuke demanded.

"What makes you want to kill Kibutsuji so bad?" Zenitsu asked.

"Who's that?"

Zenitsu deadpanned. "You're an idiot."

"Who are they? Are they strong?" Inosuke demanded with a grin.

"Muzan Kibutsuji," Tanjiro murmured, clenching his fists together from where he sat. "He's responsible for the creation of demons."

Inosuke felt his chest swell at the name. Was that him? The one that had carved X's into his Dad's eyes. The one that made Akaza tense up like a hissing cat. The one that made Gyutaro tremble and Daki hiss. The one that could almost bring Doma, his fucking Dad, who only ever seemed unbeatable, to his knees?

"Is he their Master?" Inosuke asked; his father's name for the bastard curling on his tongue. 'Master', what a disgusting phrase. It sat festering on Inosuke's tongue.

"Yes," Tanjiro nodded.

"Muzu Kibutusoji," Inosuke muttered.

Zenitsu's face fell. "Nope, not even close."

"Munza Kibut... Kibuto... what was it again?" Inosuke grumbled.

"Kibutsuji," Tanjiro supplied. "Muzan Kibutsuji."

"Ki-but-su-ji." There it was. The name; the bastard had a name now. "Yeah... that's him. I'm going to kill him."

Tanjiro chuckled. "I hope so."

"I'll kill him. Then I can go home to Mom and Miku. I can shove it in Akaza's fucking face. I will kill him," Inosuke swore up and down, again and again. He'd put his sword through that fucker's neck.

They sat in silence for a long time after that. Inosuke let himself lean back and smile. He'd always wondered who was chasing them. Mom knew but she didn't want Miku learning it... Something about a curse killing her (because of fucking course there would be some curse), the demon king did seem like a coward using curses and other weird stuff to do his dirty work. He wasn't like Inosuke who would deal with problems head-on.

"Hey... Inosuke. If you don't mind me asking, why'd you become a demon slayer?" Zenitsu asked after a moment. 

"What?" Inosuke demanded.

"Well - " Zenitsu sputtered. "You talk about your Mom a lot and your little sister - and don't forget your Father or your Uncles or that one Aunt of yours - "

"What's that got to do with anything?" Inosuke puffed out his chest and smiled. Of course, he talked about them. Everyone had some sort of family - wasn't his fault he had the best one. Sure Daki was annoying as hell and Gyutaro could be a dick but they meant well, and Akaza had his moments too - but it was still the best family.

"Well... why would you become a demon slayer... why would you set your sights on Muzan if you could be happy? If you could be home?" Zenitsu asked nervously. 

"Home?" Inosuke echoed.

Tanjiro was looking at him earnestly, curiously perhaps. 

"Why the hell would I want to go home?" Inosuke demanded.

Tanjiro's face fell.

"They're... they're you family! You're lucky to have that!" Zenitsu cried.

"My family lives in fear of demons," Inosuke growled, pointing viciously at Zenitsu. "Lucky my ass. I became a demon slayer to become the strongest. The more demons I fight out here mean the fewer demons they have to be afraid of."

Both Zenitsu and Tanjiro had an expression Inosuke wasn't familiar with and he seethed against it.

"I'm not going back home until this Muzan bastard is dead and my Dad can stop worrying. I won't stop until every evil demon is dead - that's a promise."

It was Tanjiro who nodded slowly, perhaps in understanding. Inosuke didn't know the details but Tanjiro had mentioned, briefly, that his family had been eaten - maybe he would get it. Maybe he wouldn't.

"I think..." Tanjiro murmured - " I think that if I had known about demons before my family was killed, I would've joined the corps too... just so they wouldn't have to be so afraid."

Zenitsu looked between the two of them and sighed. "Seriously? Neither of you would settle down? Live a little! Enjoy family?!"

"Not until they're safe!" both Inosuke and Tanjiro announced at once. The perfect synchronization made all three of them laugh.

"You're both crazy," Zenitsu sighed at last.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Inosuke may very well have been crazy, but he also was determined.

As soon as he could move, he trained. As soon as he could scream, he yelled. He trained harder than Akaza had ever trained him. He and Tanjiro were forces to be reckoned with in the morning. They'd jump out of bed, see who could do the most push-ups, run a good few miles, try to drag Zenitsu into rehabilitation training, and eventually tried to figure out Total Concentration Breathing; constant.

That was a whole other fiasco but Inosuke be damned if he couldn't figure it out. He would figure it out, he had to!

Breathe. Hold. Release. Hold. 

Like the pulse of a beast's breath, the thunder of boar's hooves, the growl of a mountain lion. His breath was the woods he'd grown up in, the meadows he'd played in, the moon he'd lived under. He lived, breathed, and slept to kill demons. It was his only goal.

There were other good things about the place too. The butterfly girls were all either strong or helpful and that was great. Miku probably would love it here, especially with all the flowers and butterflies. Hell, she'd probably like all the swords too! One day maybe Inosuke will go back and teach her how to be a demon slayer! She'd kick some serious ass.

Anyway, the butterfly girls;

The big one was Ka-something and she was strong as hell. Soft-spoken though and always real gentle with how she talked. She had a pink sword that Daki would've loved and a style that would've made Gyutaro envious as hell. 

Inosuke preferred the younger butterfly swordsman though. Shibonu or something like that. She snapped orders and scowled all the time but that was something Inosuke could get. She was strong, no doubt and he wondered his Dad knew half the stuff she did about demon poisons. She was all purple with a weird sword and a closet full of wisteria stuff that made his nose curl. He really should snag some wisteria flowers so he could shove them into Gyutaro's face and watch him gag. It would be funny as hell.

Both Ka-something and the purple girl looked at him weird though like they recognized him. He knew the younger one had apparently saved Zenitsu on the mountain and the elder one was the hashira who found him strung up in a tree. She hadn't looked at him weirdly then...

But then the two went off on some mission and came back right when Inosuke was able to start taking a few steps out of bed. After that, they both just studied him and it was a little weird but... maybe it was just their medicinal shit-personality.

He didn't fucking know. Anyway:

There was the one wicked fast girl that they trained with. Another Ka-something but this one was the short one and damn was she too fucking fast. Inosuke promised himself one day he'd be faster. He'd be better, but for now, he'd keep losing to her over and over and over again.

The tea-throwing exercise, the keep away, he'd best her in all of them. Tanjiro too! He'd already decimated Zenitsue, Kana-something was the real challenge and once Inosuke beat her it was on to the purple butterfly warrior next and then the big ol' pink lady. He'd be the strongest. Just you wait.

He told himself that again and again as they set off for their next mission; The Mugen Train. He'd beat this demon and he'd become the best.

Just you wait...

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Kanae watched the new slayers train in the garden and she couldn't help but stare at the wildest of the bunch; Inosuke Hashibira.

The resemblance was uncanny. He looked just like the woman that ex-Upper Moon had protected. Inosuke was human, without a doubt - unlike the other child, the Moon had defended. She's spent too long forcing the boy to relax so he would heal.

Inosuke...

Was it a coincidence? Pure and simple? But the eyes and the hair. The resemblance was too uncanny.

She watched the boy as he went down for another push-up, focusing on his breathing. Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho all cheered the boys along. Kanae was there too, meditating by the look of it. Kanae hoped that the girl would soon flip a coin and decide to interact with the children... they were all her age... it might do her well - 

"Kanae!" a bright voice bellowed from the doorway and Kanae smiled as she turned to see Rengoku Kyojuro, all smiles and teeth as he usually was.

"Kyo!" she greeted warmly, stepping away from the window and leaving those thoughts mulling the garden. "Off so soon? The boys don't leave until tomorrow."

"I'm heading out now, to scout ahead and see if I can prevent them from seeing combat at all. I wanted to bid farewell and ask how those siblings were doing!" he grinned.

Kanae felt her chest warm at the man's concern. So many of her fellow hashira were impartial of hateful of Nezuko's existence... it was reassuring that Kyojuro cared enough to check. Together they began walking through the halls.

"They're doing well. Nezuko has been nothing but sweet when she's awake and her brother has healed up well. He will be accompanying you on your mission," she explained.

"So Shinobu told me, I look forward to it!" the man grinned. He sombered only for a moment as he seemed to ponder. "You say the demon's acted kindly towards everyone?"

"Yes, Nezuko has been very sweet," Kanae grinned. "I think she may even get Shinobu to smile one of these days."

To that, Kyojuro laughed. "If she does that, she can melt even Sanemi's heart."

"Oh I wouldn't go that far," Kanae smirked. "We both know he's too stubborn for that."

Kyojuro only grinned. "He was quite worked up about this whole scenario."

"Yes..." It was Kanae's turn to feel somber. Sanemi was... difficult, good-natured but full of hate. She tried to talk with him after the meeting but he'd been so worked up he'd run off... he hadn't done that to her in years.

Apparently, he was keeping himself busy with missions now and ignored all the crows she sent. She couldn't tell if he was angry with her... or how she defended Nezuko. She hadn't seen him this upset since the day she'd accidentally called him Nemi...

"Kanae... are you alright?" Kyojuro pulled her out of those solemn thoughts.

"Yes, yes," she assured him. "Just worried for Sanemi."

"Understandable, he's quite prone to harm don't you think?" Kyojuro chuckled. "Have no fear, I'm sure he'll turn up eventually with a broken arm or self-inflicted blood loss."

"Oh, I swear he's going to make me steal his sword one day," Kanae giggled. "He's too reckless."

"It is our duty to be so," Kyojuro smiled. They'd made a small lap around the house, as was their tradition and now they were in front of the door again, listening to the boy's train in the garden. "Speaking of duty, I must be off now, take care Kanae."

"Kyo - " she grabbed his arm and stared at him forcefully. "I want to tell you something before you go; it's about one of the boys you'll be traveling with and what happened to Shinobu and me on our last mission."

Kyojuro looked at her in concern. "What?"

"Hashibira, the boar-mask child... he bears a striking resemblance to a human Shinobu and I ran into. She was harbored and protected by that ex-Upper Moon Master spoke of," she explained quickly.

Kyojuro clearly had no idea what to do with that information.

"What does that mean?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't know," Kanae answered honestly. "I just wanted to warn you in case it should come up."

To that, Kyojuro smiled warmly and pat her head which made her glare at him playfully. Of all the hashira, Kyojuro struck her as the most brotherly. They'd bonded over being the eldest child, but Kyojuro always seemed to pass that energy along wherever he went... 

"Thank you for the warning Kanae," he grinned. "I'll be careful, whatever this means."

"Please do," she smiled. "And do so without pulling a Sanemi."

Kyojuro laughed again as he made his way towards the door. "Don't be too hard on him, he does survive those injuries after all!"

"Barely," Kanae grinned. "Take care, Kyo!"

"And you Kanae!" he threw the words over his shoulder as he left towards his next mission. Kanae stared after him, her thoughts wandering from him, to the green-eyed boy in her garden, to the rainbow-eyes Upper Moon and his child... back to Sanemi.

She would send another crow to Sanemi...

"Nee-san?" Kanae startled out her thoughts as she found Shinobu walking towards her, an arm full of linens.

"Shinobu," she smiled.

"You zoned off," the girl scowled as she came to a stop beside Kanae. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing! You worry too much," Kanae teased. "I was just seeing Kyojuro off!"

Shinobu obviously didn't believe her, narrowing her eyes but relenting.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I was just passing along some information. No worries."

Shinobu hummed in understanding before a familiar frown took over her lips.

"Alright, then go help Aoi with the laundry, it's piled up like a mountain," she demanded. "Those boys don't know how to keep their clothes clean -"

Kanae giggled as Shinobu walked away, still grumbling.

"Remember Shinobu! You look so much nicer when you smile~" she teased after her little sister before heading towards where she knew Aoi would be.

As she left she heard Shinobu scoff and that made her chuckle, her earlier thoughts forgotten in the bright light of the Butterfly Estate.

(Damn, we really do be getting into it. Any thoughts? Predictions? Wishes for the future?

For all you guys wanting Inosuke's point of view: boy be vibing. Boy do be vibing.

Kyojuro is big bro, especially to Shinobu, Kanae, Mitsuri, and Iguro. They love him. Tengen loves him too but that's purely best friend energy.

Me: writing the Mugen Train Arc

Me: :)

Me: Hehehe, it has begun...)