Oni = Sogo,  Oni no Kannebutsu = Gaku (there's a difference)

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Long ago, Oni was nothing more than a normal human. His true name was Fuuka Tachibana, born May 28th, 1489, in the Sengoku era. Fortunately he was born in a wealthy family who had a long line of samurais. His life was practically set for him, no need to worry about money or figuring out what he'd do once he was of age, he'd become the next head of his family.

But even with his life set, his childhood wasn't the best. His family was very strict, he had to spend every moment studying and preparing to take over as the next heir one day. So he was more mature than he should have been at such a young age. Though he was grateful for that sometimes, especially when other families from high society tried to get close to him.

His family was highly respected and well known, so other nobles wanted to get some sort of connection to his family. Get on their good sides. Or how Fuuka saw it, take advantage of them. Unfortunately his parents weren't ones to fall for empty praises or attempts to get close to them. So people had begun trying to get close to Fuuka, since he was the future heir, even trying to have their kids befriend him. All of which failed.

"Why should I get along with kids who are spoiled or just trying to take advantage of me? Sure it meant I had no friends, but what's the point of being friends with people who don't actually want to be real friends?" Oni would later say this to whoever asked why he didn't have friends growing up.

He didn't regret turning down anyone who offered friendship to him. Though he would later on wonder if some of the people truly did want to be his friend, he was too skeptical to ever risk being friends with anyone. His uncle would sometimes try convincing him to try being friends with other kids. Unfortunately, whenever he did try, it was as he expected, they were just trying to use him.

So he just didn't bother anymore, besides, he already had a friend, his uncle, he was the only friend Fuuka needed! His uncle was the kindest person he knew, he was also the only one of his family who was so strict, cold and serious. As well as the only reason Fuuka had any sort of a normal childhood was because of his uncle.

He would take Fuuka outside to play when he was little. They would explore the nearby forest and play in the stream running through and watch butterflies in the garden. Sometimes he'd play music for Fuuka, he loved hearing his uncle's music. There were also times his uncle would make gifts for him too. In his room was a small chandelier made of purple and blue paper butterflies. That was his favorite gift given to him.

Unfortunately the more his uncle tried to give him a happy childhood, the more his parents and other relatives wanted to separate them. They already considered disowning his uncle because he wanted to follow his own path in life instead of what everyone else in their family had done. The only reason they hadn't was to keep up appearances and not ruin their reputation . Not that it would matter years later.

Over the course of Fuuka's life, his family's reputation only grew, but so did their enemies. They were good at acting like proper nobles, but when it came to people they despised, they made it clear as day. Which just made tension grow between them. He remembered how his uncle was worried they'd one day cause a feud between them and the many families they wronged. At the time, Fuuka dismissed the idea of that ever happening, his father seemed to always have everything under control.

Until one day, after he had turned eighteen, a feud did happen between them and another family. One which his family despised a lot more than the other families they had issues with. Although tensions were higher than when he was a kid, Fuuka still tried to hold onto hope that his father could prevent things from getting worse.

"I was still naive back then, thinking my father or my family all together wouldn't escalate things further between us and that family. All they had to do was ignore them, not give me more reasons to despise us to the point they wanted to take us down. Although I hate them for what they did to my family, I can understand that my family's high and mighty attitude would be enough to make someone want to take us down a few pegs."

He would come to terms that his family set themselves up for their downfall much later. Though he wished they would have just ruined their reputation instead of massacring them. They may have had bad attitudes but it wasn't a good enough reason to kill them.

The day his family was slaughtered was something he didn't want to remember often. His family were all trained to be samurais, even some women in his family knew how to fight. But they were caught off guard when the attack happened, there was no signs, if anything they were feuding less and less before it happened. Both Fuuka and his uncle had actually hoped their two households were moving on with their lives and ignoring each other.

They were wrong though, so very wrong. All Fuuka would say about the day was everyone was running around, yelling and screaming, so much fighting and carnage. He had tried fighting back in the beginning, but seeing how they stood no chance, he ran away. Honestly he thought at least some of his family would have ran away too, so that some of them made it out and they could rebuild their lives.

By the time he went back after the massacre was over and he made sure it was safe, that hope was shattered. His home was burnt, those bastards had set his home on fire. The chances of anyone else in his family had dropped to just about no chance. The flames had died down, so he didn't hesitate to run back to his home and look around.

"Is anyone there?!" Fuuka yelled out, panting as he ran through his entire home. Everything was destroyed, bodies weren't burnt making it hard to tell who they were. Though if you looked close enough you could tell. There were some who managed to avoid the fire, but they were beyond saving. "Anyone! Please.."

No matter where he looked, there was no one left alive. Every single person that lived there was dead. His entire direct bloodline, gone. Except for him, who escaped and left everyone behind, instead of staying to fight and die like the others.

Besides him being the only one alive in the house, everything was destroyed. But after some more searching, he found a few things still intact. A few books, a painting of him and his parents and other small items that wouldn't have any value now. The one item he did find though was more valuable than anything else to him. His uncle's sword.

Picking up that sword, he felt determined to avenge his family. "Uncle..Everything was taken from me, from us..I don't care if killing out of revenge is seen as sinful. I know that you wouldn't want me killing anyone, but I have to do something about this..They're not going to get away with what they did."

His uncle had always told him avenging someone may seem like a good thing to some people. Sure it showed that they cared so much about someone or something that they wouldn't let anyone get away with harming them. But Fuuka's uncle remembered how his uncle said it was better to just let karma happen, what comes around goes around.

But he didn't want to wait for karma. Nor did he want to simply expose the people. Ruining their lives after exposing them for killing his entire family wasn't enough. It wouldn't stop them from eventually hunting him down in revenge once they knew he was alive and was the one who exposed them. He was the only one left, if he died, his entire bloodline would be ended.

There was no other choice, he wouldn't let any of them live, they deserved the same fate his family suffered.

"I don't care if I become an Oni after I die, or even become one while still alive. As long as I'm able to get back at them.." he sheathed his uncle's sword as he left his home. "Everyone, I'll avenge all of you, and once everything is said and done, I'll come back and give you all proper burials."

With that said, he headed out to search for every single person of that family. Unlike his family who lived in the same household, this family didn't. So it would take a while to hunt each and every one of them down. It took him two years to do so, which was a little longer than he expected. But what mattered was, he killed them all.

By the time he had completed his revenge, he was now twenty years old, and not long after his birthday, he did transform into an oni. He didn't care though, he knew this would happen, this was his punishment for what he did.

Later on in life, Fuuka would learn that he transformed presumably for a number of reasons. For starters, taking revenge on that family, which was a sin itself. Oni no Kannebutsu figured he might also be experiencing how his kind turned into Oni, by having attachment to his human life but also a lingering hatred to the people who ruined his life. Either way, he just lacked a clean soul.

You'd think all they had to do was redeem themselves to become human again, but no one said that would actually. So there was no point of redeeming themselves really. Maybe the Oni no Kannebutsus had a chance since they were Oni only because of self delusion. But the others who were beyond redemption? Who knows.

Oni had returned to his former home, no longer human, he had gone around gathering the bodies of his family and making proper graves for them. After everyone he could find was buried, he decided to stay at his home for a while. Keep anyone away from his home to ensure no one would try to steal whatever remained in the house. Or destroy the graves.

He remained there for years, successfully keeping away anyone who dared to come near his home. Barely anyone tried to fight him, if they did, they didn't win against him. After a while, he didn't know how many years had passed anymore, maybe twenty or more years, he decided to finally leave his home.

The oni had built a reputation in the area that a dangerous oni lived in the abandoned home, no one would get near that area now. Any towns nearby were about fifteen to twenty minutes away. Last Oni had seen, they put up various signs warning people of the danger.

At least his family's home and graves were safe. Now he could go try to make a life for himself, somewhere, somehow. Where would a yokai find somewhere to live in peace? He didn't even know any other yokai to help him figure out what to do now. It's not like he could trust humans to not try to hurt him or use him. He'd need an alias now, his uncle had told him how true names held power when it came to yokai-human interactions.

It wasn't until many more years of wondering when Oni met Oni no Kannebutsu. Honestly, he was glad he met Kannebutsu, he helped him figure out how to fight, improved his sword techniques, led him to the Spirit Realm where only yokai like them lived, sheltered him, etc. He basically became Oni's guardian.

Kannebutsu helped him figure out how much time had passed. It was 1507 when his family was killed and 1509, almost exactly two years later, when he became an Oni. It was now about the 1550s. At first Oni was surprised knowing he had spent a little more than 30-40 years traveling around and that he hadn't aged at all. That's eternal youth for you, as a yokai, he must have stopped aging past twenty.

"So I'm around sixty years old..yet it doesn't seem like it. I don't even feel like an old man. If anything I feel like a child, I've been acting more carefree and childish now that I can do whatever I want. Making up for my lack of a childhood.."

"Being sixty is nothing compared to how old I am. I'm about three hundred years older than you. By the time you become a hundred years old, I'll have reached four hundred years of age."

"That's a big age gap! You have hundreds of years of experience compared to me then..Speak of which, how come you know swordsmanship? Oni no Kannebutsus are monks aren't they? Last I checked, monks don't use swords. Besides that oni's name stands for 'Oni's Winter Training', that has nothing to do with swordsmanship either!"

"I gave up on winter training decades ago. I picked up swordsmanship to be able to defend myself, yokai have to have some way to fend humans off. Unfortunately I can't do sorcery like normal oni. You on the other hand can, maybe you should ask the other Oni to teach you."

"Sorcery..? Hm..maybe I'll do that, it could be really helpful in the future! Especially if I combine sorcery and swordsmanship."

Kannebutsu sighed but smiled, this was the most excited he'd seen Oni since he met him. During their time together, Kannebutsu had also started running a small bar. Originally it was because Oni had wanted to drink a lot of alcohol, mainly sake, and since he was the one always supplying him with alcohol, he may as well start a bar, at least then he could earn money. But now he wished Oni would break his bad drinking habit.

Oni had gained a somewhat high tolerance for alcohol, though if it was hard liquor or alcohol, he'd get drunk. But sake barely made him anything more than tipsy. On the bright side, Kannebutsu got Oni to start drinking juices and teas and not as much alcohol. It seemed he mainly preferred apple juice though. Still, he kept various drinks in his cave, which he claimed as his own when he settled down in the Spirit Realm.

That cave now looked like a normal home on the inside, he decorated it to look like a nice cozy house. He even brought some of the remaining items from his old home back to keep them close. Though the painting of him and his parents was kept stashed away, out of sight. All he would ever say as to why he did this was, "it reminds me of that day, and I can't help but want to scream and cry every time I remember that day."

Oni was deeply traumatized by that day, but Kannebutsu helped him get through it all. They would talk about his family, what his life was like, they only talked about that day if Oni felt like it. Which was on rare occasions and those talks didn't last for long, no more than a few minutes, until Oni decided he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Although after a few more years, around the 1600s, Oni began talking about his past a bit more on his own, even that day. But Kannebutsu found it strange how he'd talk about it all so casually. His guess was he gave up on holding it all in and just wanted to talk about everything, every detail. Though afterwards he'd break down and cry for a while, just to go back to acting like everything was okay.

Kannebutsu had tried talking to Oni about this, how he shouldn't have to act like everything was okay when it wasn't. Even though Oni acted like he was happy again, enjoying his new life, in reality he was still going through trauma. He didn't try getting close to anyone really, anyone who tried to befriend him had almost no success in doing so.

Well, except one person, Onibi. A young lesser yokai who was raised by Kyuubi-no-Kitsune. Surprisingly the flame yokai with how energetic he was but also very caring, managed to befriend Oni. His first real friend, since he saw Kannebutsu as just an acquaintance. For the first time since Kannebutsu had known Oni, he actually seemed to be improving, his mental state seemed more stable. Though he was sure that trauma would remain, deep down.

"Kannebutsu always seems worried about you, Oni. Why is that?" Onibi had decided to ask this one day when the two of them were exploring the forest again.

"He's been worried about me since he first met me. I wasn't in the best condition, well, best mental condition. Physically I was fine, aside from some lack of sleep and all, but mentally, I guess you could say I was broken. I went through some trauma."

"How can you say that all so casually? That sounds pretty serious! I know you probably haven't gone through the same thing a lot of yokai have experienced with getting hunted down by humans who are either trying to kill you or enslave you, but still! Why can't life be easier for everyone.." Onibi huffed. He was aware that Oni transformed into an oni long ago before he was created. But he still felt bad for him.

"This happened a little over a hundred years ago, before you were even born. I've moved on..Sure I still feel upset sometimes talking about certain parts of my past, especially that day, but I'm fine."

"Hey, I was created like, fifty years after you became an Oni! Don't treat me like a child! Kyuu already does that.." the young flame yokai pouted. "Still..that trauma really caused some issues for you, Oni. You won't even try getting close to anyone, sure you're friendly with everyone, but..I'm the only one who's gained your trust and became your friend."

"It can't be helped, I have some trust issues and abandonment issues. I'm afraid some people will just try to use me, or if they were just trying to be my friend, that they'd either eventually leave me behind because they don't want to deal with me, or I lose them somehow. Those yokai who try making moves on me definitely make me not want to get close to people."

"Just ignore those yokai! Hmph, they stand no chance with you at all!" Onibi crossed his arms. "You're too good for them. At least you're cautious about people, sure it'd be nice if you could find more friends and maybe someone to be together with, but how things are, you're better off. I mean, you've got me! I'll always be here for you!"

"Fufu..I've been cautious of people before I was traumatized. But I'm grateful to have you to keep me company..Maybe one day I'll make more friends and maybe..just maybe..I'll find someone to be with.."

While he was still a human, he never got set up for an arranged marriage, which he was glad about. He despised arranged marriages, most of the time they were either completely one-sided love or just no love at all between the two people. Only on some rare occasions was the love true for both people. What he wanted was true love, not something set up to benefit someone else.

"If I wanted to date someone..I'd want them to be kind to not only me, but others as well. Also someone who's protective, but not overbearingly so, and fun to be around. Basically, someone like you, Onibi. Ah- I don't mean to say I'd like to date you though..! I only see you as a friend!"

"Eheh! Don't worry, I know what you meant! It'd be great if you found someone else like me! Though, maybe someone who's a little more serious, I mean I can be serious when I gotta be."

"I hope I meet someone like that one day..The issue now is, whether they'd be human or yokai..If they're yokai, well, we'd have a long time to be together. But if they're human..I'd have to prepare myself for heartbreak..I've barely heard of stories about humans and yokai living happily together in love."

"Hmm..well, just hope you meet a human who will accept you for being a yokai then! Man, now I wonder if I'll ever find a yokai or human I'd want to be with! Kyuu says I should find someone a bit more mature, someone to help keep me out of trouble and keep me safe. Though I'd like for them to be nice and caring too. Someone like Kyuubi and you!"

"Well, we have plenty of time to find our ideal love interests. Fufu, I've never felt so hopeful before, I hope we find them soon..Maybe then, I can truly achieve the happy life I've dreamt of.."

"Oni..I'm sure you'll find them, one day! And I'll find my ideal person too!" Onibi cheered. Oni couldn't help but laugh at how excited the other was. The lesser yokai never failed to make his day so much better.

He truly hoped the two of them could find people they could be together with. Neither of them cared if they were human or yokai, all that mattered was both sides truly did love each other. That they were their ideal types.

What neither expected was the chance of meeting their ideal types would arrive years later in 1674. Though it all began with one very annoying human, who had heard rumors about an area that had terrorized by an oni and supposedly killed an entire household's bloodline. All he could ever find about said oni was that they had white hair and purple eyes. With an appearance like that, he wondered how no one had found the oni.

Maybe he could find this oni, it'd be great to have such a powerful yokai serving their household, though convincing them wouldn't be easy. But he would find a way. Besides, maybe having a yokai around would help get his son, Tadaakira, to stop being so scared of them. One near death incident with a yokai when he was a child shouldn't be affecting him still, right? His son is grown up now, he should be a man.

Fortunately for him, but unfortunately for Oni, He eventually found the oni he heard so much about. He was visiting the human realm for the first time in years, his horns shortened but still somewhat visible due to his hair color, sipping sake in a tree. Oni was not thrilled, this human wanted him, an oni, to serve his household. To toughen up his son and get him over his trauma with yokai.

As someone who dealt with trauma, he knew this was not ideal at all. But no matter how many times he refused, how many times he explained why it wasn't a good idea, this man wouldn't listen. It was so irritating. Honestly, he felt like unsheathing his uncle's sword, which he always brought with him, and just stabbing the man.

But he refused to follow through with that idea. He didn't want to kill anyone anymore. Besides, who knew if this was how the man normally was? Maybe he just really wanted to find a way to help his son move past his trauma, though there was probably a better way to do so. Instead of literally forcing his son to face a dangerous yokai who has a literal record of bloodshed. He killed an entire bloodline! Wouldn't that just make his son paranoid about the chances the oni would do that again but to his family this time?

After spending an hour listening to the man trying to convince him to serve his household, Oni got up and began walking away heading back to the Spirit Realm. Oh how he wished the man gave up at that moment. But life apparently still had something against him as the man began following him! He couldn't let this man find out where the Spirit Realm was!

To avoid letting this human find out where the gate was, he began walking off the path and eventually began running, hoping to lose him in the forest. Unfortunately this man wasn't going to let him get away. Why the hell did he so badly want him to serve his household?! Getting his son over his fears and trauma isn't a good reason!

They were nearing the edge of the Spirit Realm, he had to deal with this guy, now! So he stopped in his tracks and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the man. "Enough of this! I don't want to serve your damn household! Forcing your son to face an oni of all yokai, every day of his life, won't make him get over his trauma! So unless you have a better reason, get lost!"

"I don't want you to serve my household only to make my son be a man already. I want you to serve us because I've heard of your reputation. You'd be rather useful to have around, no one has ever tried getting an oni to serve them. If anything, you'd be especially useful for making sure that son of mine never gets in trouble with another yokai again."

"So what, you want to brag to people how you got an oni to serve you and basically protect your son from other yokai? That's literally all?"

"That's all."

He didn't believe that for a minute, there had to be more. But he doubted the man would tell him the true reason he wanted him to serve his household. His guess was more of to have a powerful yokai who'd intimidate or deal with issues for them.

After thinking for a few minutes, he sighed and sheathed his sword, "Fine. I'll serve your household. But don't expect me to listen to you all the time, if I don't want to follow them, then deal with it."

"Hmph, fine by me as long as you obey my orders most of the time. At least the ones relating to my family's safety and well-being, especially my son's."

"That I can do. Now just lead me to your household. So I can go back to sitting around drinking sake." He huffed. "Though you owe me more sake for me to do that, I had to drop the sake I had while trying to avoid you." Perfectly good sake, gone, all because of this human!

"Fair enough, you're lucky we have sake, we normally only serve it when we have guests."

"Uh huh, just get me some sake and don't bother me for the rest of the day. I hope you have a good explanation for this to tell your family. Especially your son.." he muttered in the last part.

Honestly, he couldn't help but feel bad for this man's son. It would be no surprise to him if the son was mad about this new arrangement. A yokai was going to be serving them now, and an oni at that! Little did Oni know, this man's son would be the kind of person he had been looking for.