The rain had stopped at some point without anyone noticing.
Shinobu Kocho silently finished her examination of the little girl they had just met, feeling a sense of surprise in her heart.
That Big Radish's medical skills... they seem to have improved again.
Limited by such an environment and conditions, even she had to admit that in the realm of pure "medical technique," she had been left far behind by the other party.
And after slaying a demon, he had chosen to travel this far immediately to treat a girl he didn't even know?
What an excessively considerate, philandering Big Radish!
Shinobu turned around and tilted her head up toward Natsunishi. "Kuguruma-kun, about what happened earlier—I am sorry!"
He had clearly come to save someone. Yet, she had drawn her blade against him.
Natsunishi paused for a moment before realizing what she was referring to.
Oh, that amateurish surprise thrust from just now? No big deal; she hadn't even scratched his health bar. Forget it, forget it.
The water droplets outside were still making a slight pitter-patter sound, while a silver of moonlight filtered through a gap in the broken roof, falling between the two of them. It was as if they were part of a unique painting.
Nobuko blinked. Being sandwiched between the two of them felt a bit redundant. She tentatively spoke up: "Um—anyway, thank you both, great divine doctors! I will definitely prepare a thank-you gift and visit your home to express my gratitude another day!"
Natsunishi: "The illness isn't fully cured yet. Continue to get the next batch of medicine according to this prescription."
Shinobu: "Also, remember not to catch a cold, but don't wrap her up too thickly either."
Natsunishi: "Keep the air flowing as well, and do not drink raw water. Boil it first and let it cool a bit before drinking. If there are any changes in her condition, you can come find me."
He looked at the girl. "Shinobu, it's alright to tell outsiders the address of the Rengoku estate, right?"
"Shinjuro-san might not necessarily agree—" The butterfly girl tilted her head, feigning thought. "But if it's Kuguruma-kun asking, perhaps it'll be fine?"
Natsunishi looked at Nobuko and nodded. "I will be staying in Tokyo for a while longer; you can look for me there when the time comes."
Hearing Natsunishi's words, Shinobu suddenly realized something she had been overlooking.
Natsunishi was only staying at the Rengoku estate temporarily for his studies. And she herself had only come to Yokohama and Tokyo to take over a mission from her sister and the Kakushi. Neither of them would stay here forever.
Parting was only a matter of time.
It feels like... I haven't written a letter to Nee-san in a while—
Natsunishi was still explaining the details of recuperation to Nobuko, but Shinobu was staring at his back, lost in a daze.
"Still daydreaming? It's time to head back."
Natsunishi's hand waving in front of her eyes brought Shinobu back to reality. Usually, it was the boy whose mind wandered to the clouds. This time, it was the girl's turn to daze off because of certain thoughts.
"Oh."
She gave a shallow response and followed behind him, setting off on the road back to the Rengoku estate.
A few days later.
The sunlight was blazing. Natsunishi and the others were training seriously in the training ground at the back of the Rengoku estate.
In the center, the youth was taking on three opponents at once. Or rather, he was guiding Kyojuro Rengoku, Obanai Iguro, and Shinobu Kocho through high-intensity combat training.
At the beginning, Natsunishi had decently held a wooden sword to spar with the three. But as time went on, he stopped pretending. He tossed the wooden sword aside, raised his fists, and went straight into "Phase Two" of the lesson.
At this moment, these three couldn't even be compared to Kanae or Tengen. Even compared to the "seniors" of the previous class, there was a significant gap.
After all, whether it was Kondo or Sashiko, they had both passed the Final Selection and been tempered by over six months of demon-slaying. While they couldn't be called masters, they were certainly more mature and seasoned than the children before him. Not to mention the top student of the previous year, Dojima.
As a fellow practitioner of the Flame Breathing, Dojima was already a massive leap ahead of the current Kyojuro in terms of energy level alone.
"You lot are the worst batch I've ever taught!"
Zankenshoki—Slash, Fist, Footwork, and Spells.
Hand blades, swift punches, footwork, surprise attacks—
For a time, the training ground was a chaotic mess of tumbling figures and shadows. And Natsunishi's feelings? Occasionally smurfing in a PVP match was actually quite refreshing.
"Too slow! Iguro, is your blade path still following the Serpent Breathing? What, are you afraid of going too fast and making Kaburamaru fall off?!"
"Kyojuro, spirit isn't built on shouting! It's Breathing Styles, not Battle Cries!"
"Shinobu, don't think you can just force your way in with speed! You need to practice more than just thrusts; you need to practice how to use blind spots to make those thrusts successful!"
In the eyes of the three, Natsunishi's figure was like a ghost. One moment he was sliding across the ground, the next he was dragging afterimages behind him. But no matter what, he would always appear at the critical position at the critical moment, using a wooden sword to tap their flaws.
But now, they didn't know if he was getting carried away or just going crazy. He had thrown away the wooden sword and started sparring with them using only his fists.
Kyojuro and Obanai initially wanted to prove themselves, but after taking a few heavy iron fists like sandbags, they learned to fight conservatively. How did this man get even stronger after losing his weapon?!
Kyojuro was knocked down once again by a clever bit of leverage. He rolled twice on the ground but immediately roared, "Thank you for the guidance, Big Brother!" before flipping back to his feet.
Sweat soaked through the bandages on Obanai's head. He was supposed to be the master of surprise attacks, yet he was repeatedly thwarted by Natsunishi's perception and speed.
"It's Kaburamaru, Senpai—" After a small mumble of complaint, a few more bruises appeared on his arms.
As for Shinobu? After toxins were banned in training, she could only use the thrusting skills within the Insect Breathing. Even though her energy level was slightly higher, restricted by her Breathing Style and sword techniques, she actually posed less of a threat to Natsunishi in practice than the other two. Naturally, under Natsunishi's "fairly distributed" iron fists, she was the one bearing the most pressure.
Under the veranda, Shinjuro stood with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on the field. Beside him, Lady Ruka, whose health had clearly improved, sat in the shade.
Ever since Natsunishi's medical skill broke through to Level 4, her condition had not only been brought under control but had even shown signs of recovery. However, at this moment, she spoke with a worried expression: "Shinjuro, training like this—is it really alright?"
In her eyes, the fist-to-fist combat between them didn't look like a training session between teenagers at all. Even though Natsunishi was clearly holding back, the other three children had brought out a desperate, life-and-death ferocity. It had already reached the level of a real battle.
The three were surrounding Natsunishi with their Breathing Styles at full power, holding nothing back, solely to take him down. If they weren't holding wooden swords, she would be worried that someone's head would roll on the ground in the next second.
Shinjuro didn't look away, saying in a deep voice, "It is fine. Natsunishi has a sense of measure."
Only this kind of high-pressure, guided training could best unearth Kyojuro's potential. In that regard, the same applied to the other two children. This was far more efficient and useful than conventional basic training.
Of course, it wasn't that the basics weren't important, but that Natsunishi seemed to be intentionally guiding them beyond solidifying their foundation. He was also leading them to find their own paths.
In the art of teaching, Shinjuro admitted he was not Natsunishi's equal. If Senjuro weren't so young, he might have let his younger son go up to train with them.
Senjuro, hiding under a tree in the courtyard, naturally didn't know his father's thoughts. At this moment, he was clenching his small fists, secretly cheering for his brother. He hadn't shouted much before he couldn't help but let out an "Ah!"
He saw Natsunishi duck and charge, followed by a powerful "Iron Mountain Lean" that sent Kyojuro flying back. The latter dropped to one knee, momentarily unable to get back up.
Ruka looked at her eldest son who was struggling to move, then glanced at the bruise on the corner of Obanai's eye, and then at Shinobu Kocho, whose hair was disheveled and face covered in dust.
She silently stared at Shinjuro. This is what you call a sense of measure?
The owl-like man gave a light cough. Well, probably?
He then raised his voice: "Kyojuro, stand up quickly! Your mother is watching you!"
The tips of the owl boy's hair twitched. He shakily straightened his spine and stood up.
"Yes! Father!"
It was the same loud response as always, though his breath was slightly shorter than usual.
Shinjuro looked at his wife. "See? Natsunishi still has a sense of measure."