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Eyes Like Evil Spirits
The boy who appeared before them looked to be about their age, but there was something profoundly different about him—his eyes.
Crimson-red irises, pierced with the ominous swirl of pitch-black tomoe. If not for the scent of blood and ash clinging faintly to his clothes, Tomioka Giyuu would have mistaken him for a demon cloaked in human skin.
The young man with the sword narrowed his eyes. He was prepared to strike.
"I am Tomioka Giyuu," the Water Hashira said, voice calm but laced with tension.
"My name is Kamado Tanjirou," the boy beside him followed, stepping forward. He didn't wait for the eerie-eyed stranger to speak. "What did you do to my sister?"
The strange boy answered without emotion, "I cast a genjutsu—an illusion. It put her into a deep sleep. She's in severe hunger and pain. I thought it better she not be conscious for now."
There was no doubt: this boy was Uchiha Lihuo. A shinobi who had crossed into this world by unknown means. He had used the Sharingan to lull Nezuko into rest without harming her.
"I see," Tanjirou sighed in relief. "Thank you. Nezuko must've been in agony."
"Hmph," Giyuu kept his blade raised. "You've given your name. Now tell us yours. Anyone with eyes like that isn't just some wanderer."
"Uchiha Lihuo," he replied, his expression unreadable. "I'm not a demon. I'm human. And like you… I've come to slay them."
As he spoke, the Sharingan in his eyes slowly faded, returning to ordinary black pupils.
Giyuu said nothing. He turned instead to Nezuko's unconscious form. From his wooden box, he retrieved a bamboo muzzle and gently secured it around her mouth—to prevent her from ever biting a human in her sleep or unconsciousness.
"If you want to protect your sister," he said to Tanjirou, "go to Mount Sagiri. Seek a man named Urokodaki Sakonji. Tell him Tomioka Giyuu sent you."
He paused, glancing at Nezuko. "Though it's overcast today, keep her from sunlight. A demon exposed to the sun will burn to ash."
Perhaps Giyuu saw something familiar in the boy's desperation. Perhaps he remembered the pain of losing someone dear. Either way, he offered what help he could.
Then he turned to Lihuo, his eyes narrowing. "Your eyes… they can manipulate the mind. You may be useful. If you truly intend to kill demons, go with him. The more demon slayers, the better."
And with those final words, Giyuu vanished into the falling snow, like a shadow returning to the mist.
---
After Giyuu left, Lihuo turned to Tanjirou. "I suppose I'll be accompanying you now."
Tanjirou nodded, still holding his sister. "Then… please take care of me, Mr. Lihuo."
"I'm going to bury my family first," he added. "Would you like to help?"
"...Maybe I should." Lihuo glanced at Nezuko. "It's the least I can do."
Though far from home, far from the shinobi world he once knew, Lihuo felt the weight of purpose settling in his chest. If he was ever to return to Konoha, perhaps the path forward lay in walking beside this boy.
As they returned to the ruined village, Lihuo stood silently while Tanjirou dug shallow graves. The frozen earth was stubborn, but the boy refused to cry. His sister—now a demon—was all he had left.
"What are your plans now?" Lihuo finally asked, voice quiet.
Tanjirou stood before the graves, his eyes red. "I'm going to find Urokodaki-san. If there's even the smallest chance that Nezuko can become human again, I'll take it."
"And if there isn't?" Lihuo pressed.
"Then I'll find the one who did this to her," Tanjirou said with grim resolve. "And I'll stop him. For her sake."
Lihuo looked toward the horizon, whispering, "To kill without tragedy… maybe it's possible."
He knew of Muzan Kibutsuji—the first demon. The source of this world's darkness. If anyone was akin to a tailed beast without a jinchūriki, it was him.
"Tanjirou," Lihuo warned, "It's not yet dawn. You have less than eight hours. Keep Nezuko out of the sunlight."
"Yes. Thank you," Tanjirou bowed, then began searching for a shelter.
---
Later that evening, as the cold wind swept through the broken village, Uchiha Lihuo hunted in the forest. He returned with a few rabbits and used a Fire Style jutsu to light a flame in the Kamado family hearth.
Tanjirou opened the door to the warm scent of meat cooking. "Where's Nezuko?"
"In the box," Lihuo pointed. "I found a wooden one thick enough to block sunlight. She's inside, resting."
The box rustled, and Nezuko crawled out—her form shrinking and expanding until she sat by the fire like a normal girl.
"She can change size now… and she's almost impossible to injure. Her healing is incredible," Tanjirou muttered, both amazed and troubled.
"A demon's body is far beyond a ninja's," Lihuo observed. "If they fear fire, though… my jutsu might be effective against them."
Tanjirou nodded. "They're strong. But I'll find a way. I'll protect Nezuko. And I'll kill whoever did this to her."
Lihuo didn't respond right away. He only watched the siblings by the fire, a small flicker of memory in his eyes—of another village, another fire, another war.
Maybe… walking this path with Tanjirou wasn't a detour. Maybe it was fate.