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Faced with the "sudden assault" from the eccentric swordsmith, Kaito deftly sidestepped with graceful footwork.
He lightly leaped, landing on the rooftop, looking down at the swordsmiths below.
"Hotaru-san!!"
Haganezuka had already grabbed the impulsive swordsmith from behind, but despite his efforts, he was dragged forward by the man's superior strength.
So, he switched tactics… furiously tickling the swordsmith's armpits.
"Hahahaha…"
The swordsmith burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"I know your weak spot all too well, Hotaru!!" Haganezuka declared triumphantly.
Kaito looked down at the farce unfolding below, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"The chief is here!! Lord Tecchikawahara is here!!!"
At that moment, someone shouted, and the crowd automatically parted to form a path.
The Swordsmith Village chief, Tecchikawahara Tecchin, whose height was less than half that of an average person, strode through the crowd.
Despite his small stature, the chief commanded immense respect among the swordsmiths, and the group instantly fell silent.
Except for…
"Hotaru, you brat, stop it!" the chief barked at the swordsmith still being tickled.
The swordsmith froze, his laughter ceasing.
Haganezuka withdrew his tickling hands.
"My apologies, Uchiha-san," the chief said, looking up at Kaito on the rooftop. "This kid is just too obsessed with blades and isn't great with people. Please forgive him."
"No matter," Kaito said with a wry smile. He hadn't expected that his reluctance to explain would cause such trouble.
"But let me state clearly," he said, raising the blade in his hand and speaking loudly, "the most special thing about this Nichirin Blade is simply the person who imbued it with its color."
Before the swordsmiths could ask, he provided the answer himself: "The swordsman who used the original breathing technique, Sun Breathing, during the Warring States period—Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
The swordsmiths were stunned by his words.
"I see. That swordsman must be the model for Yoriichi Type Zero," the chief mused. "Sun Breathing, the legendary technique most effective against demons—sadly, it's been lost."
"Not quite, Chief," Kaito said with a smile. "The Demon Slayer Corps has found a successor to Sun Breathing. In time, that person will likely request the Swordsmith Village to forge a Nichirin Blade for them."
The chief's eyes behind his mask gleamed with excitement, and he raised his voice. "Is that true? Looks like this old man needs to start preparing!"
"What? Chief, you're going to forge it yourself?"
"That's too sneaky, Lord Tecchin!"
"I want to forge a Nichirin Blade for the original breathing too!!"
The swordsmiths erupted into a clamor of voices.
"Leave it to me!!!" Hotaru rushed forward again, flexing his muscular arms at the chief.
"Armpit assault!!"
Haganezuka followed close behind, launching a surprise tickle attack.
"Hahahahaha…"
Hotaru doubled over, trembling with laughter.
"…"
Kaito simply sat on the rooftop, watching the chaos with deadpan eyes.
…
Feeling they had lost face in front of their guest, the chief finally shooed all the swordsmiths away.
Kaito hopped down from the rooftop, ushered the chief inside, and the two sat down for a private conversation.
"This was truly embarrassing. My deepest apologies for disturbing your rest, Uchiha-san," the chief apologized again.
"You're too kind. It's my fault for not explaining clearly," Kaito replied graciously.
"Speaking of that blade…" the chief's gaze drifted to the Nichirin Blade taken from the doll's body.
"Is it truly special just because it was colored by that swordsman's Sun Breathing?"
He still seemed puzzled.
"Of course, it's not that simple," Kaito said with a smile. "I can see that this Nichirin Blade, over three hundred years old, has been hidden inside the doll all this time, enduring countless battles between Demon Slayer swordsmen and the doll. Rather than the blade itself, it's the memories of those swordsmen that make it precious."
"Memories?" the chief asked curiously.
"Even objects, in the eyes of ordinary people, can retain memories from their interactions with humans," Kaito said, his eyes lowering as he ran his hand over the worn sheath.
In his downcast eyes, light and shadow flickered, as if countless fleeting images of Yoriichi Type Zero and various swordsmen flashed by in an instant.
"But ordinary people can't see them," he sighed softly.
"I see," the chief nodded with a knowing smile, though it wasn't clear if he fully understood.
"Then I'll take my leave. Please rest well."
With that, he exited the room.
Kaito watched the chief leave, his gaze returning to the old blade in his hand.
"While it generally meets the conditions, it's still a weapon that hasn't tasted blood, so it's not complete," he said, standing up. "The moment it's stained with demon blood, its awakening will be complete."
…
The next day, Kaito left the Swordsmith Village, accompanied by Haganezuka.
"Ah, the Hidden Corps is already waiting. I'll see you off here, Uchiha-san," Haganezuka said, bowing.
"Sorry for the trouble yesterday. And please rest assured, we'll arrange to transport the enshrined Nichirin Blades to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters as soon as possible."
"Then I'll leave it to you. I hope our next meeting is after the demons are completely eradicated," Kaito said, bidding him farewell.
Once again blindfolded, he was carried by Hidden Corps members, relayed through several exchanges, and returned to the vicinity of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
"You're back, Uchiha-san!!"
Near the Butterfly Mansion, Rengoku's voice boomed from afar as he waved enthusiastically.
Beside him stood a girl with somewhat revealing clothing and an unusual hair color.
"Hello, Rengoku-san," Kaito said, approaching the pair with a smile and a nod.
"This is the Tsuguko I mentioned—Mitsuri Kanroji!" Rengoku introduced the girl loudly.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Kaito," he said, giving the girl a gentle smile.
"Y-You… Hello, Kaito-san! I-I'm Mitsuri Kanroji. Please take care of me!!" Mitsuri, visibly nervous, gave a deep bow, her three fluffy braids swinging wildly.
"No need to be nervous," Kaito said, a flash of spiritual light passing through his eyes as he assessed her strength.
That muscle density—truly exceptional talent.
With that in mind, he said decisively, "Since your master, Rengoku-san, has already vouched for you, I won't object. I'll help you activate your mark later."
"Thank you!!!" Rengoku shouted his thanks first.
Kaito smiled again, bid farewell to the master and apprentice, and headed toward the main residence of the headquarters.
*****
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