Madara

There's a reason I won. It had to do with relentless training but there was also another reason behind it. It didn't take me long to learn it at all. This wasn't something Urokodaki had thought me but something I had thought myself.

I had trained my nose on how to pinpoint and find the opening thread. As soon as I pick up the scent I'm able to see the thread. It guides me. It connects my blade to an opening the enemy leaves me and it tightens as soon as I see it. It quickly draws my blade forward, then I strike.

I heard footsteps approach as I continued to look at the boulder I had split open. Sabito had left a while ago. "Urokodaki". I said with my back to him. "If I'm being honest I never had any intention of sending you to the final selection.

Not because I wanted to keep you from achieving your goal but because I didn't want to see any more children die. I was sure you wouldn't be able to cut through this boulder but". He made his way to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Well done Madara, I'm truly proud. Make sure you come back from final selection alive, Hashirama and I will be waiting for you".

That night Urokodaki fixed a big meal for me in celebration of me passing my test. It was just the two of us, Hashirama was still sound asleep despite it being two years now.

"Madara, what did you think of the meal"? He asked as I laid next to Hashi. "It was delicious, thank you". "A growing boy with a appetite like yours will get bigger and stronger the bigger his meals are. The same applies to demons.

The more humans a demon eats the stronger it becomes, remember that". "So if they eat a lot the tougher it'll be to defeat them, makes sense". "That's right, they get stronger, physical traits change and some learn to use strange spells. You'll be able to tell how many souls they've claimed the more your sense of smell develops".

When the sun rose the next day I got up and prepared for my departure. I dressed myself in the fire kimono Urokodaki had gifted me then made my way over to Hashirama. I kneeled beside him and gently brushed a few strands of hair out of his face.

"I'm leaving now. I'll be gone for a couple of days but when I come back I'll be a full fledged demon slayer". I said softly as I cupped his cheek. "The two of us will then continue our journey together in search of a cure for you.

In the meantime all you have to do is continue resting. I love you". I leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips before heading out of his room.

"No need to worry about Hashirama, he's in good hands". I bowed to him. "Thank you, I appreciate it greatly. Thank you for everything". I turned and left.

I followed the instructions that were given to me and arrived there with in a few hours. When I arrived purple Wisteria trees were on each side of the entrance walk way. I looked at them confused having thought them to be out of season but brushed the thought aside and continued walking.

I made my way up the steps and saw multiple swordsmen there ready to partake in the final selection. I looked around and saw a lot of them had potential while others didn't.

"Good evening, tonight you've come to enter the demon slayers core final selection. Thank you all for being here". Two little girls said at the same time. One of them had snow white hair while the others hair was jet black.

"Here on mount fujikasane there are several demons that were captured alive by demon slauer swordsman. Their kept here for this event". The twin with the white hair said. "The Wisteria blossoms prevent them from leaving

They bloom on this mountain year round and they cover everything from the base to the top". The twin with the black hair said. "But the wisteria ends here so demons are bound from this point on and their very hungry". The white haired twin said.

"In  order to survive final selection you must be able to survive seven days beyond the wisteria's protection". The black haired twin said. "Now, your trial begins". They said in unison and bowed.

Seven days huh, should be easy enough.

It was currently night time so I and all of the other participants took off into the woods .

I just have to make it through the night, I'll be able to rest when morning comes.

I took off and headed east, knowing that's where the first rays of sunlight would hit. I ran for awhile until I smelled a demon close by. I stopped and quickly grabbed ahold of my sword as I tried to pinpoint his location. I waited and waited until I sensed it coming from above.

He tried to jump on top of me but I managed to move out of the way in time. A second demon had tried to take advantage of the situation and aimed a sneak attack at me but i easily blocked with my sword.

"Why don't you go find your own snack? This is my terf". The first demon I was fighting said as the two of them fought over me. "Your terf? Go to hell".

It really doesn't matter which one of you fights me, the result will be the same.

"I saw him first". "Dosent matter, I'll be the first to kill him". I watched as the two of them both lunged at me. I wasn't suprised by this at all. I knew they would more than likely play unfair. I blocked the first ones attack with my sword and used my leg to block the second one.

I was wearing armor underneath my clothes so I wasn't worried about being scratched by either of them. I pushed them both back and created some distance between us. I waited for an opening to appear and took it as soon as I saw it.

"Fire breathing fourth form, fire dragon flame wheel". Red flames appeared from my sword and went in a circle as I spun in the air and attacked the demon that was closest to me chopping his head off, I did the same thing to the second on as well.

I turned and watched as both their bodies disintegrated infront of me. I put my sword back into its seth and started to walk off when I smelt another one. I turned around and saw one of the other participants running away from something.

When I looked behind him I saw a massive demon that looked like it had become mutated. I quickly hid behind a tree and observed it so I could try to find any openings. I watched in horror as it grabbed a person and swallowed it whole.

The person it was currently after tried to get away from him but the creature made his arm stretch out and grab him. I wasn't going to allow the same thing to happen twice. "Fire breathing second form, flame strike". I charged towards it, jumped up and cut off the arm that was holding the man he had grabbed.

He looked me up and down then spoke. "You there, are we still in Meiji"? "No, we're in the Taisho period now". "Taisho? Already! We have passed into a new period"!? He screamed while thrashing about. "Again, and I'm still stuck inside this wisteria prison! Dam you Urokodaki"!

"You know Urokodaki"? "Of course I do. He's the one that captured me and brought me here but that was forty seven years ago back when he was still hunting demons like me during the edo period during the Keio era".

"That's impossible, no demon can survive that long in here". The man I had saved said standing behind me. "And yet I'm still here. I've managed to devour at least fifty of you brats".

"Fifty"? "Let's see, eleven, twelve, thirteen". He said counting on his fingers. "What are you talking about"? "That's how many of Urokodaki's students I've killed over the years. I promised myself I'd kill every single one of them as revenge". He said giggling.

"You know, the one that stood out the most was a boy who had peach colored hair and a scar on his right cheek".

Sabito was actually a ghost?

"Your mask, that's what gives you away as one of Urokodaki's brats". Urokodaki had given me a fox mask before o left as protection.

I see. All I can do for them now is avenge them. I know he's strong but all I need is one opening to finish him.

"I wonder how he'll feel when another one of his children dosent make it back home"?

That won't happen. Hashirama's waiting for me to come back

I watched as he aimed his many arms at me and used my katana to cut each and everyone that made it close to me. I then took off and tried to create as much distance between us as I could while still trying to find an opening. He had arms covering his head and neck which made finding a way to behead him difficult but not impossible.

I continued to slice each one of his arms off one after another then jumped up when I smelled he was trying to attack me from the ground. He then tried to attack me while I was in mid air thinking I wouldn't be able to dodge it.

I head butted his hand then jumped on top of his arm and ran towards him. "Fire breathing first form fire slash". Flame engulfed my sword as I swung it at him and cut throw his head like butter. I aimed for the part of his head that was between the arm that was covering his chin but was still exposed. I landed on my feet, put my sword back in its seth and watched as his body disintegrated.

It's over Sabito, you and the others can all rest in peace now.

Word Count. 1729