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Teen And Up Audiences
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Graphic Depictions Of Violence
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Fandoms:
鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)
Characters:
Tsuyuri KanaoDouma (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Hashibira InosukeKotoha (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kimetsu no Yaiba EnsembleTwelve Demon Moons Ensemble (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Original CharactersDaki | Ume (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Gyutaro (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kochou KanaeAkaza | Hakuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kokushibou | Tsugikuni Michikatsu
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Alternate UniverseFluff and AngstCanon-Typical ViolenceCannibalismDouma is a Little Shit (Kimetsu no Yaiba)BAMF Tsuyuri KanaoDysfunctional FamilyBad ParentingDouma grabs Kanao instead of the Kochou siblingsAnd grabs Inosuke before Kotoha can chuck him off a cliffDouma: I'm not like a regular dad I'm a cool dadSwordfightingDubious MoralityConditioningKanao and Inosuke as siblingsBlood and GoreLoyaltyFamily Bondingno beta we die like the KamadosCultsTsuyuri Kanao-centricCanonical Character DeathHashibira Inosuke Being Hashibira InosukeTsuyuri 'if anything happens to my family I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself' KanaoPast Child AbuseMorally Neutral KanaoProtective KanaoVivisectionAnimal Abuse
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English
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Published:2021-11-21Updated:2026-04-06Words:154,514Chapters:39/?Comments:1,970Kudos:3,614Bookmarks:794Hits:129,331
Iron and Ice
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 11: Hide and Seek
Chapter Text
A small figure ran across the lotus gardens, leaping from the side of a wooden bridge to jump across the massive lily pads like a frog. One, two, three, four, five- then a leap and up onto a grass path, skidding between a group of startled women who struggled not to drop their baskets due to the child darting through them on all fours like a little beast.
Sandals thudded along the bamboo fence, a rhythmic drumming as Kanao moved swiftly in pursuit. She leapt from the fence to land upon the top of the bridge railings, balance as nimble as a cat, before launching herself forward onto the stone stairs leading down from the main commune to the farming area. She followed the four legged form as it ran halfway down the stone stairs and darted off to the left. The sweet smell of flowers grew richer, the air cool and calm.
Spring was heavy and thick within Paradise Faith, the plum tree orchard vibrant with fluffy pink and purple blossoms. Other trees across the mountain were just as blooming, getting ready for the upcoming summer but it was the orchard she was after. She knew her little brother well enough to where he'd go and she followed, jumping over the small fence to the long rows of plum trees. Simple dirt paths ran down each row, with the occasional bucket and wagon waiting for the harvest season.
Kanao landed near silently on the entry path, eyes darting around the wide trunks of the plum trees. The thick blossoms, both clinging to the branches and coating the ground, may make it difficult to see anyone yet it also gave Kanao a trail to follow. Her sharp eyes noticed the disturbance in the blanket of petals upon the path, where little hands and feet had been.
She followed, hopping in the small gaps in the petals as she continued her pursuit. Occasionally she heard a bird flutter about the trees and the ever present drone of the bees clambering over the blossoms or even voices from people walking up the stone path next to the plum tree orchard. Kanao ignored it, eyes scanning the ground as she crept down the path. A few blossoms fell from the fluffy canopy overhead, landing onto her dark hair which was drawn up in its ever present sideways ponytail and cinched with the sparkly lotus pin.
Kanao kept along with the trail in the disturbed blossoms until it vanished and her gaze darted up to the nearest tree trunk, noting the slight marks in the bark where little nails had dug into it. She paused, eyes studying the tree branches above her intently. They were thick, covered in such fluffy blossoms it was hard for her vision to pierce through. But the birds let her know where her prey was, a flutter of wings as a little flock of sparrows took off several trees down and Kanao lunged forward.
She heard a hiss from above and then scurrying limbs, Kanao following the dark shape leaping from branch to branch with the agile ease of a squirrel as she waited for the perfect time to strike.
A smaller branch, bending dangerously under the weight that latched onto it and she lunged, grabbing a skinny ankle and yanking Inosuke out of the tree branches as he shrieked in protest. They both landed with a thump on the grass and petals, Inosuke bouncing into Kanao's lap as she caught him securely.
"Caught you," Kanao said tonelessly.
Inosuke puffed out his chubby cheeks, squirming in her arms and flailing, "'Cause I tripped up on that dumb wagon! You wouldn't have gotten me. Some dummy put it there. It's their fault!"
"Twenty three out of forty five," she continued, ruffling Inosuke's dark hair. It reached his shoulders in wild choppy strands, the tips a bright blue. His big green eyes were narrowed at her, indigent at his loss.
She let him go and Inosuke immediately leapt to his feet, little chest puffed out. His skin was streaked in mud and dust. His hakama pants were stained in dirt and had several partially crushed blossoms sticking to the dark blue fabric.
"It's not night yet! I can win!" he said, stomping a bare foot and face scrunched up in righteous anger.
Much to the despair of Misaki and the other older women Inosuke just hated shirts with a passion and ripped them off the moment he had the opportunity. On festivals he could be wheedled into wearing them but they had to be of the most lavish silk to avoid upsetting his sensitive skin. Otherwise he just ran around in only pants; even shoes he disliked. It didn't matter how often he got told off or how cold the winter grew, he'd just make faces or blow raspberries at the one complaining.
Kanao and Douma didn't care over Inosuke's habit, which he'd always use as an excuse whenever someone complained about it. Usually the 'stinky musty oldies' as the six year old would say which just made Douma laugh when Kenji-san tried getting Otousan involved one time after he broke a vase that had been made during the Asuka era. As it was, Inosuke would only ever listen to Kanao or Douma when it came to scoldings and even then it hardly ever happened. Douma was never bothered by anything and Kanao did not mind Inosuke's behaviour either. He was always so excited and energized and it let her know he was healthy and happy which as his big sister she wanted him to be, always.
"Oneechan, how about hide and seek then? For the last game!" Inosuke perked up, sitting on his haunches like a little beast as his eyes lit up.
"We are not allowed to hide inside the ponds anymore."
Though that was mainly because Misaki saw Kanao under the water while passing with laundry one day and panicked, leaping in to drag Kanao out. She was perfectly fine if not wet, practicing with the reed breathing technique she'd read in a book, but seeing Misaki in tears thinking she'd drowned made Kanao add that rule to their games. Otousan just found the whole thing hilarious when Inosuke told him.
"That's okay! I got a really good hiding spot now, bet'cha can't find me 'til Dad's done with his dumb audiences!" Inosuke crowed, bouncing in place. "Then if I win you have ta make me tempura, we pinky promised!"
Kanao nodded. It was a custom between them now, to link their pinkies together whenever making bets. She had rapidly found using games the easiest way to get Inosuke to behave, since he had so much energy otherwise. She also stressed how such promises can never be broken and it was what they used whenever speaking about Otousan's secrets. Inosuke only knew about the skull room and had a vague idea of what happened to those taken to Paradise but Kanao made him swear not to say anything outside the three of them. Inosuke took his vows seriously, just like Kanao. It was important to keep promises.
Though games were the most the two bet against each other. Tag was the current favourite for Inosuke and Kanao found it testing her sight, tracking down the disturbances Inosuke's running would cause like an eagle tracking a rabbit.
They did occasionally play tag with Otousan but he always won. Picking them right up before they even realized he'd appeared. They promised that one day they'd win against him and Douma said he would get them a pet tiger when that happened much to Inosuke's excitement.
"Hide and seek," Kanao agreed. "Very well. I will count to one minute and then I shall hunt you. If I find you within ten minutes then you will clean the room. If you win I will make the tempura."
"Yeah!"
Obediently Kanao sat down, covering her eyes with her hands. She heard Inosuke's excited hollering before he took off, footfalls slowly fading.
As she counted down the seconds she heard the wind tugging at the plum trees, a soft rustling of branches punctuated with bird calls. Her ponytail swayed, the pearls within her pin briefly rubbing against the skin of her neck as the wind tugged at it.
She was content with her life, content with playing with her otouto, content with Paradise Faith and content with her father. It had taken her a full year after becoming Inosuke's big sister to finally ask Douma the question if he was her otousan. She had thought upon it deeply, over and over while taking care of Inosuke, remembering Douma's suggestion to her making decisions when she got too confused. To think to the benefit of Inosuke and Douma and she came to the conclusion that Douma being their father would be the best for them all.
He had stared at her unblinkingly for a minute straight after she asked and she never once looked away, even as her eyes blurred and burned, before he finally said that if she wished to call him that then she could. She did so and then told Inosuke Douma was their otousan now. Her little brother didn't hesitate to adapt to the new name, especially as he started to grow and talk. And talk and talk and talk, Kanao did not know how her brother had the energy to talk so much. Same with Otousan who liked chattering just as much. She found it exhausting to do it so much on a daily basis, even with her family. She could do full sentences now but then quickly grew tired and would fall silent. Whenever the three had dinner together- though Douma would only ever drink sake when he showed up -his and Inosuke's voices were soothing for her to listen to, eating quietly while the two talked.
Inosuke still almost always slept in her room with her, much like he'd done as a baby as she looked after him, even if he'd been given his own rooms just down from her own. She found it helped with her own sleeping and whenever Inosuke was especially restless she'd sing to him until he drifted off.
Time was up.
She stood, brushing the dirt off her violet jinbei before spinning in place to start jogging from the orchard. Her sandals crunched over the dirt before she jumped over the fence and beginning her search for Inosuke. She dismissed the fields down the mountain side and instead made her way back up towards Otousan's temple. She knew Inosuke's favourite hiding spots- the one that took her to find the longest was when he was inside the roof of the orphanage and the only reason he even got found was because Hama heard him fighting the rats up there and thought it was a rabid tanuki.
Kanao mentally counted off his usual hiding spots, knowing he wouldn't pick one he'd used before. He spoke of a new one. Where hadn't she looked? He'd hidden in the skull room before, crawling inside the skull vase. Douma found him in there that time. There was also the rafters, under the floorboards, the kitchen cupboards. But the orphanage wasn't one of the places she would check now, the other children did not like her nor Inosuke. Though in Inosuke's case it could be because of that one stormy night where he'd hung on the ceiling like a spider while wearing an oni mask he'd stolen from one of the storerooms and terrorized the other children until Misaki managed to catch him.
Kanao didn't care, her family was enough and Douma liked them both so he never punished them.
As the sky grew dark Kanao searched everywhere she could yet could not find her little brother. She ran through the list, thinking of all hiding places. It was hard as Inosuke was very bendy, he could even crawl into the sake barrels so there wasn't really a limit to where he could be. Kanao knew she would end up making tempura but she liked cooking so it was worth it. Though she would still need to find Inosuke to finish the game.
At this point the other Paradise Faith members were well used to her- and well aware of the favourtism -so when she just bluntly asked 'Inosuke' in her usual flat tone, some would point her in the right direction or shake their heads. Some she recognized but others she didn't. Otousan had a healthy appetite but there were a few he kept to have the commune functioning properly. A few were new, nervous in a way, and didn't know how to help. She just moved on with her unblinking stare as they asked her who Inosuke was.
Eventually she was pointed to the great stone temple after she ran around on the rooftops of the houses. But Inosuke and Kanao had spent a lot of time playing hide and seek in the temple. What would a new hiding spot be? Kanao thought that over as she trotted down the hallways, past the lavish indoor gardens and towering Buddha statues. He had hidden up there or beneath the wooden walkways in the indoor lotus gardens before. So what was his new hiding spot?
Then Kanao remember his words, about waiting for Douma's audiences where he spoke to Paradise Faith members about their woes. Occasionally Kanao would sit with him, at his left because she found it fascinating to study the members. Inosuke found it too boring and as a toddler when she'd take him with her he had just crawled around on Douma and try chewing his necklaces until Kanao pulled him away. Douma never cared and the people complaining would just awkwardly ignore it, but Inosuke found the entire thing tiring so she would only sometimes sit with Otousan, usually when Inosuke was roaming the compound on his own or with Misaki who still was close with them.
Kanao quickly found her way to the audience chambers. For the late hour there was already someone dusting the wooden floors just outside, Kanao recognizing the skinny man immediately. Though Rojin was barely twenty years of age already his long black hair was getting streaked with silver. He was also one of the most air headed people she had ever met when he arrived at the commune a year ago, but he would always play with Inosuke whenever the six year old demanded it so Kanao liked him. Better than the old man Kenji anyway, he just complained all the time or gave her and Inosuke nasty looks when they would play tag inside.
"Oh! Kanao-kun, are you looking for your little brother?" Rojin blinked at her, his overly large eyes making him look constantly surprised. "I think he's inside with the Founder. He seemed in quite a hurry when he ran by, he went right through the shoji door again."
Which was truth as when Kanao looked at the door in the bottom panel of the rice paper there was a noticeable torn hole where something had ripped right through it.
"I should fix that. Maybe. Or get someone to. I need to dust first, though. Dust everywhere. They'll turn into bunnies if they're not swept, you know."
Kanao let Rojin ramble to himself, sliding open the door to walk into the audience hall. It was empty except Douma, who was sitting on the polished wooden rise among his usual cluster of plush silken pillows. He seemed to be dozing, slumped in his throne of cushions with his customary cloak and crown with his eyes shut. Gossamer curtains hung above the rise and delicate Omikuji papers were dangling from the ceiling. Great paintings of blooming trees, swimming carp and cranes, gods and Buddhas stretched across the walls. The ceiling was covered in a massive painting of a dragon, curling and twisting through the clouds like a serpent in the sea. The wall behind Douma was solely covered in paintings of blooming lotus blossoms and more of the flora decorated the ground before the rise he was seated on. Hanging on the walls were woodblock prints, ink paintings and silken ribbons.
Several silk screens were set up around the large hall, with tables before them covered in numerous charms like omamori, Bodhidharma dolls and blank wishing plaques. Flocked around the silk screens were also numerous origami cranes and plucked hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and lotus blossoms. Well kept bonsai trees were sitting on the tables between the lucky charms, their pots carved with intricate patterns. There were four Buddha statues in the room, placed north, east, south and west with beads and necklaces of jade dangling from them and burning incense smoldering at their feet in golden pots inscribed with the symbols of the five elements.
Kanao went around the room, sharp eyes darting over the lavish chambers as she hunted for her brother. As the audience hall, it was a place of great wealth and luxury. She checked behind the silk screens, stepping between the clusters of folded cranes. She checked in the woven bamboo baskets in the room, she checked in the various vases. She checked around the Buddhas. Through it all Douma continued to doze on his rise, chin propped up in one hand and seemingly ignoring her.
She stopped mid-stride, her gaze landing on her father. Douma did not linger in the audience hall. When the last of his followers left with their woes soothed he would be gone as well. He complained about it once, comparing it to how the farmers had to lavish and care for their goats and cows.
'Happy meat tastes sweet' he said with a put out sigh.
Then her stare slid down to Douma's black cloak, the purple ribbons hanging over his broad shoulders and the gold-threaded end of the cloak heaped on the cushions around him in silken ripples. Kanao walked across the hall, leaping over the blanket of lotus blossoms to land on the rise. Otousan continued to doze, acting oblivious to her presence. Even when she stared right at his face only a few inches apart he continued to sit there.
Carefully she shuffled around the lush assortment of pillows, taking care not to trip over any until she was at her father's back. Even standing and him sitting he was taller than her, years of healthy meals making her hearty and whole but Douma was tall and broad, while Kanao was still a young girl. Taller than any of the men she'd seen.
But her real focus was on the way the silken folds of his cloak fell oddly on his back. As if there was something underneath.
Kanao poked the lump.
A split second later Inosuke burst out from underneath the cloak, colliding with Kanao's stomach and topping her backwards onto a cushion. She heard Otousan let out a snort, even as she kept a tight grip around the wiggling six year old clinging to her and laughing.
"Haha, Oneechan I win! You took ages to find me!" Inosuke shouted, his loud voice echoing throughout the hall.
"Yes, you did win," Kanao agreed as she patted Inosuke's hair.
"You gotta make me tempura now!"
"Yes."
Then a big hand landed on Inosuke's back, crushing him against Kanao as she was pushed against the cushion. Inosuke started giggling, squirming about on Kanao to try and get out from Douma's grip.
Douma leaned over them both, with his hand still pinning them down and rainbow eyes bright, "And that seems to be the winner of the games for the day. Kanao agreed to make tempura for you, didn't she Inosuke?"
"Yeah! She makes it best!"
"Alright. Then let's go to the kitchens."
Their father could carry them both easily, like when Kanao was younger. She had to keep a firm grip on Inosuke, keeping him in her lap as Douma carried them through the quiet hallways. They passed by Rojin, who jumped at Inosuke's boisterous greeting and promptly dropped his bucket full of dust and dirt all over the ground. He ignored the mess now all over the floor and his feet to wave at them.
Even with encroaching late hour there were some people in the kitchens, though most were cleaning or fixing things for the following day. The only time Kanao found it to be truly empty was when the night was the darkest. Otherwise even a few hours before dawn people would rise to begin prepping meals. Kanao had started to train herself how to cook a year ago, knowing that keeping Inosuke fed would be to his well being. Especially since he ate human food. She still did not know what to feed Otousan. Though she did not like when people invaded her self lessons, as Douma mentioned she should be more self sufficient in herself. Being a big sister and daughter was essential to that.
Several months ago Kanao had set the kitchen on fire in the dead of night when she had been practicing trying to cook. She'd just walked out when the pan and then bench caught fire to go and tell Otousan where he was in his rooms reading. He just found it funny when she told him she'd set the kitchen on fire and did not know how to proceed. He had used one of his gleaming golden fans to put the fire out when they arrived, sweeping one open with a flourish and making a great gust of freezing air that killed the fire instantly and covered half the kitchen in gleaming spikes of ice.
Rojin had come in from the racket as he'd been cleaning the flower pots in the dead of night and thought the sudden ice everywhere was because someone left the window open and it frosted over, seemingly oblivious to the scorch marks everywhere. He then told Kanao and Douma to be careful in case they slipped and what a terrible frost there must be outside, would the orchards be okay? The next day Misaki also mentioned it, how they had to replace some of the ovens and stoves. Then it dissolved into a rambling where she wondered if they'd wire the rest of the complex with electricity as it steadily gained prominence.
But by now Kanao was quite good at not setting things on fire unless she wanted to. Inosuke liked her food, he thought it was the best so she would cook for him as reward for good behaviour or winning games and she liked being a good oldest sister and feeding him.
Tempura was his favourite and she knew well how to make it. Douma kept a tight grip on Inosuke, keeping him entertained as Kanao dragged a stool over, rummaged through the cupboards, mixed the batter and then grabbed the fish from the freezer. By then Otousan was sitting on one of the benches, tossing Inosuke from hand to hand by the ankle as the boy swiped at him while growling happily like a kitten.
Then she heated the oiled pan- but not too much, she learned her lesson -covered the fish in the batter and cooked them until done, using chopsticks to pluck them from the pan once done so they could drain of oil.
When she put them on a plate and turned her attention to cleaning up her mess, Otousan put Inosuke on the counter and he promptly sprinted on all fours to the plate and began to eat the tempura gleefully, uncaring of the hotness burning his tongue.
"Like a piglet in a trough," Douma laughed, long teeth flashing.
"'Neesaness bestest!" Inosuke said, cheeks puffed out as crumbs spitting out of his mouth all over the counter before hastily stuffing the rest into his mouth and chewing loudly.
By the time Kanao had finished cleaning, Inosuke had eaten all the tempura and was now fast asleep with his face still on the plate. Douma picked him up, holding him under one broad arm like a sack of flour. Kanao washed and dried the plate, before taking Otousan's hand.
Inosuke's room was always a mess; he seemed to just throw things everywhere and he moved a great deal in his sleep. He also liked to gnaw on things, the walls having tooth and nail marks on them. Some of his paintings were on the wall but he'd always use his hands in the ink and paints. There were also some animal skulls he'd found around the commune, down in the farmland. Sparrows, squirrels, rats, fox, goat. The only time he didn't squirm about all over the floor while asleep was when he was with Kanao and she kept him in a vice grip. Kanao knew he'd be all twisted up in the morning when she tucked him into the futon, wiping away a few lingering crumbs on his chubby face which was slack with slumber.
Otousan had already started to wander off down the hallway by the time Kanao slid the door shut and she quickened her pace to grab onto his hand.
"Hm?"
She still found it easier to write than speak, even with her family. So she handed the folded paper to her father out of the pocket of her clothes, something she'd prepared earlier when she came to a decision after a week of thought, and waited as he read the contents.
"Oh, you want to buy something special for little Inosuke since his birthday is soon....Well I don't see why not. This mountain can be a bore and you haven't left since you've come here, have you?" He arched a thick brow at her, an almost teasing lilt to his mouth. "Well we can make plans for this weekend then. Let Inosuke loose with Misaki the whole time, she never says no to me or you two adorable little children does she? That way you know he's in good hands. Do you have a gift in mind?"
Kanao shook her head. She had many ideas, however. She would have to search to see if she could find anything like them. Hearing about the cities from other members of Paradise Faith made her think they would be good places to find a gift.
Otousan didn't seem perturbed by her lack of choice, giving a shrug. "Those big human cities are certainly flourishing in this day and age and all that electricity now mean they don't just shut down in the dark. So I'll take you to one and then you can look for something for your little brother. How does that sound?"
"Good. Thank you, Father."
A big clawed hand on her head, ruffling her dark hair. "Of course! Anything for my little manamusume. Now off to bed. Growing girls need their rest, you know."
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