It was already morning when I finally arrived at the Butterfly Mansion.
My crows had split off from me halfway through the journey, with Kuroha saying they needed to "carry out a temporary assignment" and that they would return soon.
I just waved, a bit reluctant, I was already missing the three chatty voices.
I walked through the open gates, feeling the familiar scent of herbs, alcohol, and flowers.
I soon spotted Aoi, carrying a tray with compresses and flasks.
As soon as she saw me, she gave a small smile.
"Usan-san! You're back!" she said, excited.
"Congratulations on passing the Final Selection!"
I smiled, running a hand through my hair.
"Thanks, Aoi." I paused, looking around.
"Where are the others? Kanae, Shinobu, the girls...?"
She adjusted the tray in her arms.
"Kanae-sama left on a mission not long ago."
"The others are around. Kanao and the three little ones are playing in the courtyard…"
"I'm not sure where Shinobu-sama is, maybe the others know."
I nodded.
"I see. You must be busy, I won't hold you up."
Aoi bowed and continued down the corridor.
I kept walking, watching the sunlight filtering through the paper doors.
The courtyard was filled with laughter.
The three little girls ran in circles, while Kanao calmly watched them, sitting on the ground and flipping a coin between her fingers.
I approached slowly.
Kanao was the first to notice me, she turned her head toward me, observing me expressionlessly, but I could see a faint glimmer in her eyes when she saw me.
I smiled at her, gently patting her head.
She kept looking at me with curiosity before closing her eyes to enjoy the gesture.
The three girls finally noticed me, freezing for a moment before running toward me.
"Usan! Usan's back!" they shouted in unison, and I barely had time to react before two of them were already clinging to my legs.
I smiled, lowering myself slightly to their height.
"You've grown since the last time I saw you," I commented, earning some giggles.
"Could you tell me where Shinobu is?"
Kanao silently pointed toward one of the inner wings of the mansion.
One of the girls added:
"She's in the lab!"
"Got it." I patted all four of their heads and stood up.
"Thanks, little ones."
I left the courtyard, the distant sound of their laughter echoing behind me.
The corridor to the laboratory was quiet.
The sound of cicadas outside contrasted with the cool air inside.
I carefully opened the door and stepped in.
Shinobu had her back to me, focused on a series of colorful flasks lined up on the table.
Her white coat was slightly stained with lilac powder.
I walked up to her, and when I was just a few inches away, the small bell on my belt chimed.
Tlim-Tlim~
"Kyaa!" Her little cry was low and short, but sharp.
She spun around in a jump, eyes wide.
For a few seconds, I stood completely still.
"Usan!" she exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest.
"Why did you show up out of nowhere like that?!"
I raised my hands in surrender, unsure whether to laugh or apologize.
"I thought you heard me coming in."
"I didn't hear anything!", she said, still a little tense.
'…Ah. This again.'
I sighed.
"Sorry… It's a hard habit to break," I said, scratching the back of my neck.
Shinobu took a deep breath and seemed to calm down.
Her expression softened, and a faint smile appeared.
"So that means you passed the Final Selection," she said in a lighter tone.
"How was it?"
"Easy"
"I even tested some wisteria poison formulas during the nights."
"What?!"
"Usan, you tested poisons during the Final Selection?"
"You might be strong, but a single mistake could cost you your life!"
"It's full of Onis!"
She threw her arms down and leaned forward slightly in frustration… though she looked quite cute.
"That's exactly why it was a good testing ground," I shot back, already pulling out some notes and small labeled flasks from my bag.
She looked ready to scold me again, but froze when she saw the number of flasks balanced between my fingers.
"So many...?"
"Mhm."
Shinobu picked up one of the flasks, her eyes shining with interest.
"This is incredible… It seems so concentrated with wisteria…" she murmured, flipping through the notes.
Soon we were side by side, exchanging comments, scribbling formulas, adjusting dosages.
Time simply passed.
At one point, I raised my head to talk to her.
"Shinobu, have you decided if you're really going to create your own breathing technique?"
She sighed.
"Yes, but I still haven't found an effective way to apply poison to the blade."
"Just spreading the liquid isn't enough."
"The amount that enters through a cut is too small to kill an Oni unless it's very weak."
I crossed my arms.
"But you're great at thrusting."
"That makes it worse," she replied, frustrated.
"The contact area becomes even smaller."
"And I'd have to keep applying poison between every strike."
"It's inefficient."
I picked up a syringe from the table and spun it between my fingers.
"You're thinking of a regular katana," I said, pointing at the needle and then at the tube.
"But there are weapons more suited for this."
"If you're creative enough, you can adapt something to your own style."
She looked at me, confused for a moment, before her eyes widened.
You could almost hear the gears turning in her head.
"…A weapon that injects poison…" she murmured, touching her chin with her finger.
I watched her, a silly smile forming on my face.
She looked so focused, distant gaze, lips moving silently.
It was adorable.
But then the light in her eyes dimmed, and a trace of discouragement appeared on her face.
"But only Hashira can request custom blades…" she muttered, crossing her arms.
I smirked slightly.
"Then become a Hashira."
She blinked, stunned.
"What do you mean 'then become one'? You say that like it's simple! I need to be strong enough for that!"
"You already are," I replied without hesitation.
"You just need to focus on what makes you different. Your strengths are more lethal than you think."
For a moment, the laboratory fell silent.
Shinobu looked at me, unsure of what to say, then looked away, avoiding my gaze.
"You have… a lot of faith in me," she murmured almost inaudibly.
Right after, she cleared her throat.
"I still have work to do."
"You can go."
I nodded, smiling.
"Understood."
When I was about to close the door, I heard her call my name.
"Usan…"
I looked over my shoulder.
Shinobu had her face partially turned, a faint blush barely hidden.
"T-thank you," she said quickly, immediately turning back and pretending to handle the flasks.
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
I just closed the door slowly, a silly smile on my face and my heart beating a bit too fast.
I walked back down the corridor, trying to keep a neutral expression, but the warmth on my face gave everything away.
'…Why did that make me so nervous?' I thought, laughing to myself.
When I reached my room, I left my things in the corner, only then realizing I had forgotten to return Shinobu's katana…
Well, I could give it back another day, she probably wouldn't miss a spare blade.
I threw myself onto the futon, slowly sinking into the softness, staring at the ceiling.
'She would figure it all out on her own… sooner or later.'
I closed my eyes.
'But maybe a little push won't hurt.'
'This time, she doesn't have the hatred from losing her sister to motivate her.'
I took a deep breath, feeling my body relax for the first time in days.
The blade would still take some time to be ready, so I would use this interval to train.
The new forms of Shadow Breathing were already beginning to take shape in my mind.
─── ◆ ───
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