"Quick, follow me~ Rest." "Quick, follow me~ Rest."
In the sky, Tanjiro's crow flew about, calling out. Uchiha Nagi was rather envious of these intelligent auxiliary birds that could not only communicate but also serve as reconnaissance. Large summoning animals could serve as significant combat power, but when it came to smaller summons, those capable of flight were undoubtedly the top choice. Once he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he too would have such an animal partner.
As for large summoning animals, Uchiha Nagi frowned. The three great sage regions were clearly out of the question. Wild ones were too weak for his consideration. There were some in the original story, but he had no idea where they were located in the Naruto world. What made him even more uncertain was how much chakra would be required to summon a beast to the Demon Slayer world. If it was several times the usual amount, then the moment one was summoned, he'd be exhausted and in no condition to fight.
Thump!Thump! Thump!
"Hey, Boar-boy, what are you doing now?" Uchiha Nagi asked, looking perplexed at Inosuke, who was repeatedly running headfirst into a wall. This guy's brain didn't seem to work too well...
"Bastard! My name is Inosuke, not Boar-boy!" Inosuke roared in anger.
"Then can you write it out?" Tanjiro shouted.
"It's written on my loincloth!"
"......."
Probably feeling a bit embarrassed, Inosuke once again shouted, "Pig Assault!" He then charged forward again, crashing into a large tree, and this time knocked himself unconscious.
"Nagi-nii, don't mind him," Zenitsu piped up. "While you were gone just now, he challenged Tanjiro and got knocked out by Tanjiro's headbutt. Then, this guy, refusing to admit defeat, started vigorously training his head..."
[This guy, his brain really has problems...] the other three thought in unison.
Uchiha Nagi covered his face. Three problem youths: one incredibly timid, with a dual personality, who could only fight effectively when asleep. One incomparably brave, yet wore a boar-head mask to hide his overly beautiful face, and was utterly one-track-minded. And one protagonist... The protagonist, Tanjiro, was relatively the most normal of the lot, aside from being a bit naive.
"South-southeast, to the Wisteria Flower House!" "South-southeast, to the Wisteria Flower House!"
Tanjiro's crow kept cawing from the sky. Tanjiro could only wave his hand and say, "I know, I know, stop shouting." The crow then flew down and landed on Tanjiro's shoulder, still squawking loudly, "Wisteria Flower House! Rest! Treatment!"
A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Tanjiro's crow. "Huh, this bird can talk. Can it be eaten?" Boar-boy Inosuke had woken up again. He rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry. Let's roast it and eat it!"
The crow was terrified; it could understand human speech. "Tanjiro, help me! Tanjiro, help me~"
"Who's Tanjiro?" Inosuke turned his head, curious.
"That's me! Didn't I tell you before? My name is Kamado Tanjiro!" Tanjiro pointed at himself and shouted.
"Nonsense! You clearly said your name was Kamaboko Gonpachiro!" Inosuke raged.
"Baka! Are you a pig or something?"
"I'm not a pig! I'm Inosuke!"
Uchiha Nagi covered his ears. "Alright, stop arguing. The Wisteria Flower House is just ahead. It's probably a logistics base for the Demon Slayer Corps, a place where we can rest and eat." He pointed to a manor not far away, on whose gate a wisteria flower pattern was carved.
There were no other houses in the vicinity, but many different varieties of wisteria flowers were planted all around. To demons, these flowers were poison, repellent like filth. So, even if they knew people were inside, they generally wouldn't approach such a place.
When they arrived in front of the Wisteria Flower House, an elderly woman was already waiting respectfully for them.
"Ah~ A monster~" Zenitsu shrieked in terror and immediately hid behind Tanjiro.
"You're being too rude, Zenitsu," Tanjiro said with displeasure.
"You must all be members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Welcome to the Wisteria Flower House. Please follow me; everything has been prepared for you," the old woman said with a gentle smile, bowing before leading the way.
"Prepared what?" Tanjiro asked.
"Naturally, food, clothes, and a doctor to treat injuries, correct?" Uchiha Nagi inquired.
"Yes, yes, this young gentleman is very clever. This is a logistics station for the Demon Slayer Corps, a place for you all to lodge and rest." The old woman, still smiling, led the group to a room where several sets of clean, fresh clothes were already laid out. "Please come to the dining hall for your meal after you've washed up. Food has already been prepared for everyone there. I hope you will find it to your satisfaction."
The moment she finished speaking, the old woman suddenly vanished—
"Aaaah! A monster! She disappeared in an instant! I told you she was a monster, didn't I, Tanjiro?" Zenitsu, terrified, once again hid behind Tanjiro.
"It was a Breathing Style. She's likely a retired former member of the Demon Slayer Corps," Uchiha Nagi stated calmly. Someone who could vanish before Tanjiro and the others' eyes was definitely no ordinary person. The answer, of course, was a retired former member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto—ten ranks. Tanjiro and the others were merely members who had just attained the lowest rank. The human body, after the age of thirty, tends to decline year by year. By forty, it's mostly a matter of regression with little further progress. Demons in this world, however, remain perpetually in their peak state. Thus, it wasn't surprising that the Corps relied on younger members. If stamina couldn't keep up, Breathing Styles naturally couldn't be maintained for long. Breathing Styles weren't omnipotent; they required physical strength to execute. This old woman was clearly in her fifties or sixties, undoubtedly a former member retired due to her age.
"Mmm... Delicious, delicious..."
At dinner, Zenitsu, Tanjiro, and Boar-boy Inosuke were feasting heartily. It had to be said, young people warmed up to each other quickly; individuals who were at each other's throats an hour ago were now sharing a meal.
"Hehehehe..." Inosuke stared sinisterly at Uchiha Nagi and Tanjiro. Suddenly, his hands shot out like lightning, snatching the meat from in front of both of them. He then opened his mouth wide and stuffed it all in. "Hehehe... Oof, cough, cough!" One moment he was eyeing Uchiha Nagi and Tanjiro provocatively, the next he was choking from eating too quickly, repeatedly thumping his chest.
Uchiha Nagi speechlessly handed over his sake. Inosuke gulped it down in a few noisy swallows, managing to get the food down and narrowly avoiding choking to death.
"Here, if that's not enough, I have more," Tanjiro said. Faced with Inosuke snatching his food, Tanjiro, far from getting angry, generously offered some more of his own.
Boar-boy Inosuke was stunned. This was completely different from what he had expected.
"Aaaah—" Inosuke grabbed his own hair, looking like he was about to lose his mind—