Maiden Of The Moon

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

So I made a pic of the passenger who entered Yua's mind and the rest of the Mochizuki family.

And as little treat how Yua looks in Inosuke’s dream.

I found a Beta-Reader the wonderful JayWalkerReal from Wattpad.

So it can happened that the chapter don’t come all two to three days but a bit later, till she corrects anything-

Hope you understand!

Now on with the Story.

Chapter 14: Beautiful Nightmares

Our four Demon Slayers enter the inside of the train.

Fascinate Yua looks around, as she had said she never had taken a train, so it was an amazing experience.

Inosuke thought the same and showing no manners like always, stormed between seat rows, scarring passengers, so he could look out the window.

“So fast! Hahahaha!”, laughed the wild boy in amazement.

“Sorry! We’re very sorry!”, said Zenitsu to the passengers and grasped Inosuke. “Forget that! Get over here, idiot!”

“So freakin’ fast! Hahahaha!”

“Boarhead, calm down. I know it’s cool, but show some manners!”, hissed Yua, as Zenitsu pulled Inosuke away from the window.

The quartet makes their way towards Rengoku.

“He’s a Hashira, right? This Rengoku person…”, ask Zenitsu Tanjiro. “Are you sure you’ll recognize his face?”

“Sure. He had this gaudy hairstyle, and I remember his scent, too.”

“That’s good to know, Tanjiro. My Aura-Sensing is useless if I don’t know what I’m looking for.”, tells Yua. “But in the next wagon is someone with a fiery Aura.”

“That could be him. I think I’ll know it’s him once we get close.”

Tanjiro prepares to open the door to the next train car. He only can open it to a slit, when all of sudden a loud shout of Delicious rattles even the windows!

This quiet shocks the four Demon Slayers.

Who has so much power in their lungs?!

They enter the train car, hearing someone shout Delicious over and over again. Yua feels a warm and fiery Aura coming from this person.

They stand now behind a young male with blond hair and red strikes in it, eating Bento’s to his heart contentment.

“Delicious!!”, again he shouts and it looks like all the Bento Boxes fly into the air!

Yua was disbelieving, (was that the Hashira?!), as was Tanjiro, while Zenitsu hides behind them and Inosuke looks curious.

“Is that the Flame Hashira guy?”, whisper-shouts Zenitsu. “Not just some random glutton?”

“The aura is in any case fiery and warm like a flame.”, answers Yua, watching in bizarre fascination how the Flame Hashira eat and shouts with any bite Delicious.

He is like a shouty black hole. She never met someone who could eat that fast and with enthusiasm.

Tanjiro tells them that this is the Flame Hashira they searched for. He tries to talk to Rengoku, but he just eats and shouts to his heart contentment.

“Uh, we really get that part already…”

“The people in Kyoto get this part, what a shout...”, mumbles Yua with crossed arms.

Two nice attendants prepare to discard a tall stack of Rengoku’s empty bento boxes, as the overhead light flickers.

“And you’re the kid from that day at the Master’s.”, say’s He finally something different and stopped eating.

Yua wasn’t sure he could.

“Yes. I’m Kamado Tanjiro.”, answers her boyfriend. ”And they are my fellow Demon Slayers, Mochizuki Yua, Agatsuma Zenitsu and Hashibira Inosuke .”

Zenitsu and Yua bow in greeting, while Inosuke just puts his hand on his hips and lets out a loud huff from his mask.

“It’s an honour to meet you, Rengoku-Sama.”, greets Yua. “Kocho-Sama only had good things to say about you.”

That her fellow Hashira was a shouty glutton she had left out.

“Now none of that young Mochizuki, we are all comrades here. Rengoku is fine.”

In agreement, Yua nods.

Then Rengoku turns back to Tanjiro.

“And inside that box there…”

“Yes. It’s my sister Nezuko.”

“Right! That demon we saw that day, huh? Since the Master has acknowledged her, I won’t say any word for now.”

The Flame Hashira pats the seat beside him.

“Have a seat here.”

So they all settle down.

Tanjiro beside Rengoku, Yua with Nezoko’s Box in the seat in front of them and Inosuke and Zenitsu settle for a seat nearby.

The wild boy is so amazed by the train that he pounds the windows, shouting how fast the lord is. Thankful Zenitsu grasps him and makes him sit down again.

“What are you four doing here? A mission?”, ask Rengoku Tanjiro and Yua, while facing forward with crossed arms.

Yua raises an eyebrow. Why isn’t the Hashira facing her or Tanjiro?

Anyway, she answers him. “My crow Kaguya gave us orders. “The casualties of the Mugen Train are increasing. Join Rengoku on site,” she said. And here we are.”

“Yes! I see now! Understood!”

He still wasn’t looking at them.

“Right.”, says Tanjiro. “Also, there’s one more thing. There’s something I wanted to ask you, Rengoku.”

In bizarre fascination, Yua watches how Tanjiro tries to get more information on the Hinokami Kagura Dance from Rengoku. They both take turns in talking so it’s like she is watching a Tennis Match.

In the end, the FLame Hashira has no idea about the Hinokami Kagura Dance.

What a bummer.

“Um, can you try to help me a little more?!”, begs him Tanjiro.

“Why aren’t you looking him in the eyes?!”, adds Yua curious. “My Kaa-Chan always said that’s super rude.”

“You should become my Tsugukos, my apprentices! I’ll look after you both!”

“Hold on a second! And just what are you looking at?!”, shouts the couple together in disbelieve.

What was going on?!

“Flame Breathing has a long history.”, begin Rengoku with a little history lesson. “In any given era, there’s always been a Flame and Water swordsman among the Hashira. Flame… Water… Wind… Stone… Thunder…Moon...Those are the fundamental breathing techniques, even if we only had one Moon Hashira till now. The other techniques were created as offshoots of those six. Mist is a fork of wind. Young Mizoguchi and Young Mochizuki! What color are your katana’s?”

“Huh?! My name is Kamado. And the colour is black.”

“Mine is white.”

“Ah, white, the Mist Hashira Katana is white too and Noritaka’s also. He is your uncle, right Young Mochizuki?”

“Erm, yes.”

“That means you have a calm and distant personality, fitting for someone who practices Moon-Breathing.”

“Erm, thank you?”

The midnight blue-haired girl wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“A black sword, huh?”, Rengoku turned to Tanjiro. “Well, isn’t that unfortunate? Hahahaha!”

“For real?”, asked Tanjiro in disbelief.

“I’ve never known a swordsman with a black sword that became a Hashira. On top of that, I hear that they have no clue which style to master. Come to me, and I’ll train you! You can rest easy now! You also Mochizuki, you will be the second Moon Hashira we have in the corps.”

“No… No, thank you! And just what are you looking at?!”, chorus Tanjiro and Yua.

Silence falls over them and Yua takes the chance to do a good Aura-Sensing of the Flame Hashira.

Yes, indeed, like she had noted before fiery and warm. Also caring and just. He really cared for her and Tanjiro and wanted to help them.

Yua decides, that Rengoku might be a bit weird, but his Aura shows clearly a good heart and soul.

Meanwhile, Inosuke tries to jump out the window to try to race the train (Idiot!) and Zenitsu tries his best to not let him jump out.

“That’s dangerous.”, warns Rengoku. “You never know when a demon might appear.”

And that was the thing Zenitsu didn’t want to hear. He thought they were travelling to the demon and not that the demon was in the train as Rengoku explains.

Of course, the blond freaks out and wants to get off.

“If you wanna jump out a driving train be my guest.”, deadpanned Yua with crossed arms. “But I don’t think you would survive it Agatsuma.”

The scarred boy only shakes and whines more in fright.

Tanjiro sends his girlfriend a look and she shrugs her shoulders.

She was just telling the truth.

Yes, but you could say it nicer, it’s clearly written in Tanjiro's face.

A train crewman enters the train car and begins walking along the aisle

“May I… see your… tickets, please?”

“What’s he doing?”, wonders Tanjiro

“The conductor is going to check your ticket and punch a hole in it.”, explains Rengoku.

The conductor punched a hole in each ticket of the Hashira and the four Demon Slayers.

When he is done with Yua, the light flickers again.

Suddenly Yua feels how her Aura-Sensing goes crazy, but before she can check what caused this all turn dark around her...

***

She is underwater.

She is drowning.

Deeper and deeper.

There was something.

Something important!

Yua tries to swim, but her arms haven’t the strength.

She sinks deeper...

***

Yua is leaning on the Nezuko box. Tanjiro leans on Rengoku and Inosuke is drapped over Zenitsu.

All of them are sleeping.

None of them knows in which danger they are now.

***

Something is tickling Yua's nose.

With a little sneeze, she wakes up and looks around.

Huh?

The sun is shining warm down on her as she lays in her family garden.

“Strange...”, she mumbles. “Wasn’t it night? Wasn’t I somewhere else?”

Confused she scratches her head. There she notes how utterly long her hair is, even her bangs now reach her hips?!

What the...?

Why did she let her hair grow this much?

It will be a huge hassle in a fight with a Demon.

“Blossom.”, calls a sweet voice for her.

Immediately tears spring into her eyes and she stands up.

No.

It can’t be.

She hadn’t heard this beloved voice since she was 14 years old.

But...but there she is.

Wavy light pink hair.

Big red eyes.

A soft lovely smile on her hips.

Wearing her favourite cherry blossom Kimono.

In her hands a little tablet with a cup of tea probably.

It’s her mother!

But mother...but mother...wasn’t she...?!

“Blossom?”, calls again Kaa-Chan worried. “Is something wrong?”

With a shout, that resembles more of a wounded animal, Yua races up to her mother and hugs her tight. The tablet with the tea fell down on the ground.

“Mama! Mama! You are here!”, cries Yua, gripping her mother so tight, scarred she would leave her. Her tears wet the kimono of her mother.

“My sweet blossom, where else would I be?”, coos Mama, hugging her back and kissing her forehead. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yes this must be it.”, agrees Yua, still hugging and getting hugged by her mother. “Just a long bad dream...”

***

In the real world on the Mugen Train, Yua sheds tears.

She isn’t the only one.

Tanjiro dreams of his dead family and cries about being reunited with them.

Rengoku dreams of his family, especially his beloved brother.

Zenitsu dreams of his beloved Nezuko.

Inosuke has a wild adventure with a bunny Nezuko, a deer Yua, a raccoon dog Tanjiro and a rat Zenitsu.

They don’t know and feel the five people who bind themselves to each of them with a robe so they can enter their dreams.

And kill them from within!

***

All is so perfect, Yua can’t believe it.

Grandma Junko is fine! She didn’t die when she was a little girl and is now clan head.

It was her grandfather who had died.

Good riddance.

Under Grandma Junko's lead, the Mochizuki have abandoned the Demon Slayer Corps forever and are now just a big happy family.

Everyone living their dream job.

Aunt Chiyako has opened up a dress shop in the nearest city, selling beautiful Kimono.

Uncle Hansuke helps out his wife in the shop and works as a merchant.

Cousin Taiga, the oldest, who Yua had thought die, facing a Demon, is working as a wood carver. He always liked to make them little figures out of wood, she is happy her older cousin could make out of his passion a job he liked.

Cousin Daku goes to school and it seems like he will go to the university in Tokyo! Studying Physic he likes so much.

Cousin Kaito is enjoying for now kindergarten, but he likes to build houses with his wood blocks. Maybe he will be an architect?@

Her father Haruto has opened up a bookshop, sharing his passion for books with everyone.

Her mother and she help him out with it.

Yua isn’t sure if she wants to continue her father's work, but she enjoys the tranquillity of the job.

Uncle Keitaro became a fisherman, turning his hobby into his job. He isn’t often at home, but he lives his dream.

His wife Aunt Miwa decided to stay home and raise the kids.

Sayako, her beloved pain in the butt of a cousin, has an apprenticeship with the local pharmacy and is on the best way to take it over.

Hikari enjoys also kindergarten. The youngest is still too little to have a future job in mind besides becoming a princess.

And then...there is Uncle Noritaka.

Yua grins at her favourite uncle as he cleans his face from the theatre makeup from his last show.

His uncle always wanted to be an actor.

And he was it now.

“Peach, you seem so happy, it gives me the creeps.”, jokes Noritaka, ruffling her long hair.

“I’m just so happy...we all are free from the curse of the Moon Breathing. It’s amazing!”, she chirps and hugs her uncle.

“Yeah, maybe we are egoists, but our family has done enough for the Demon Slayer Corps. They can do just fine without the cursed Moon-Breathing.”, he agrees and hugs her back.

“My bitch.”, calls Sayako for her. Her cousin enters Uncle Noritaka's bedroom with a shit-eating grin. “Your little coal lover boy is here.”

For a second Yua doesn’t get what Sayako means-

***

She opens her eyes.

She is underwater again.

Something is wrong!

Something is wrong!

She needs to get out of the water!

It only drags her down more...

***

-Till she remembers again.

Oh right, her love Tanjiro.

Tanjiro and his family moved two years ago and started to sell coal around the city and to them.

They had become friends and now after years of pinning a couple.

“Thanks, you slut!”, she gives Sayako a kiss and runs out of the house.

There is Tanjiro waiting for her with Nezuko on his side, enjoying the warm sun.

...Something is not right.

Something tells her Nezuko shouldn’t be out of the sun.

Then her future sister-in-law smiles at her and she forgets the thought.

“Yua-Nee, nice seeing you.”

Both girls hug each other before Yua kisses Tanjiro's cheek and the couple embrace.

“Hello, love.”

“Hello, darling.”

“Okay, I will let you be happy for half an hour and then we need to get going alright, Nii-San.”

“Thanks, Nezuko.”, the couple chores and doesn’t even look how the other Kamado enters the Mochizuki Mansion.

They both are more invested in each other.

Their lips met a tender and passionate kiss.

***

Yume herself wouldn’t say she is bad.

Yes her actions are bad.

However, she isn’t bad.

Born from a prostitute mother, who stayed pregnant with her, a child with natural blond hair, she hadn’t had an easy life.

Her mother was abusive.

She saw in her the foreigner she had made Yuma with.

The foreigner who had promised her to take her away to the far land of England to marry and raise their child together.

All men were the same.

Only promise and nothing following up.

Yume had experienced the same.

Thanks to her exotic looks the boys swarmed her.

And she listened to their promises.

Opened her legs.

She had her first child at 13.

Thankful it was a stillbirth.

Or her mother would have killed her to bring another mouth to feed at home.

Then she ran away because she couldn’t take any more of the hate of her mother and did the same job as her.

Used, used and used.

The blond was only a thing to play for people.

Then a client gave her Syphilis.

And her life would have been over, hadn’t she heard about the Mugen Train.

She didn’t have the money for the cure, so dying in a beautiful dream sounded way better.

That’s why she helped the demon.

The blond-haired woman watched emotionless behind a tree how the female Demon Slayer dreamed about being together with the red-haired Demon Slayer.

All been cutesy and coupley together.

Something she never had the luck to experience.

It disgusted her.

Silently she turned around and searched for the border of the dream and the subconscious. She found it at the edge of the little Wisteria Forest.

With an ice pick, she destroyed the border and entered the subconscious.

In it, all air left her lungs.

What kind of subconscious was that?

The floor was silver with graters, and over her a bright night sky with a million stars, the sun shining warm down on her.

Yuma walked around.

Where was the spiritual core? Only if she destroyed it, the demon slayer girl would die and she would get her dream from the demon.

This landscape was so alien, yet so incredibly beautiful.

“I’m...on the moon?”, asked Yume herself.

It made sense somehow.

She seemed to walk for ages.

A never-ending silver landscape, only the sun taking vigil over her.

Then she found it finally.

The spiritual core.

It was all silver and white, reminding her of a pearl.

“Beautiful.”, she gasped. “A shame I have to destroy it.”

She raises the Ice Pick ready to stab it!-

***

Yua is floating down in the water, till all of sudden her Aura Sensing goes crazy.

She opens her eyes and screams!

The water vanishes.

***

The intruder in Yua's subconscious never gets to change to stab the spiritual core, since the floor breaks under her and she falls screaming into the darkness.

***

With a jerk, Yua wakes up.

Huffing she blinks frantically with her eyes.

She is back on the Mugen Train.

What the heck had this all been?

“Yua!”

“Mmh!”

The girl looks up and sees Tanjiro and Nezuko awake. Rengoku is in the background, still sleeping, choking some random girl, while Zenitsu and Inosuke sleep too.

“Tanjiro! Nezuko!”

She rises from her seat and hugs her boyfriend and her future sister-in-law. They hug her back just as tight.

“What is going on?”, ask Yua them.

Her boyfriend explains how they got pulled into a Blood Demon Art thanks to the train tickets. Then the people who hang them with robes have also a demon smell on them. They surely were sent into their dreams to harm them in a way.

Nezuko burns Yua's robes and then after Tanjiro asks her she burns the others because Yua notes that it would surely be a bad idea to just cut the robes.

They had a very strange aura around them.

So the two awake Demon Slayers try to wake up their sleeping comrades.

Tanjiro tries to shake Zenitsu awake, while Yua just slaps Inosuke. Hard.

“Okay, not even my bitch-slap helps.”, notes Yua dry.

What should they do?

What could they do? 

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Found a Beta Reader!

Beta-Reader Wanted!

Hi, my loves!

You probably read my Self-Doubt entrance.

A nice person comforted me and gave me a tip, which may help to make my writing better.

Since I have no friends and my real-life friends aren't in fandoms, I'm announcing here the search for a Beta-Reader!

If you are interested, send me a message!

If you can't please reblog this entrance till I find one!

Have a nice day/night!

UPDATE!

I want to add that I need a Beta-Reader who is only often so we can talk and it would be great if you have Discord.

That's all my loves!

Back again (A late Update)

Hi, my loves!

I'm really, really late with my announcement that I'm back from my summer break, I mean it's already November XD

I just started writing new stories again and forgot to make it XD

I have to take better care of this blog too.

So if you follow my main blog, you have seen that I started 3 Naruto FFs, 2 Final Fantasy 7, updated my Demon Slayer FF and finished To Belong and Cancelled Together, We Map the World and My War.

Yeah, I was productive.

Sadly not all my FFs have the success I wish.

For example, I really worked hard on my Final Fantasy 7 one, Anomaly, but the comments are not what I wish. -_-

To this day my most favourited, loved and commented FF is freacking Isekai'd as Chloe!

I ask how, how, this one and my others not?!

Writing is really a pain in the butt. :/

You plan other FFs out, try to be creative and new and some stupid idea you had at 3 a.m. is the boom.

I think I know how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle felt now.

Did you know he hated writing for Sherlock Holmes? After the success, he had with the first books he knew he never again would be successful with another book than with Holmes and that pissed him off.

That's why he killed him.

And then on demand of his fans made him alive again.

Isekai'd as Chloe is my Sherlock Holmes.

I can't say how much I hate this FF! I want to delete it and set fire to it because I have a feeling none of my other FFs will ever be as loved like Isekai'd as Chloe.

This makes me so angry.

Will I go down in fandom history with this Reader-Insert and my other fanworks will be just footnotes?

This makes me really sad.

And angry.

Stupid Isekai'd as Chloe!

Grr!

Okay, enough with the whining I said my bit, I will just hope for the best.

So you probably wonder what the schedule will be.

Right now I want to concentrate on Nothing is True, since I have a nice person on Ao3 who always comments and makes me happy to write.

And on Maiden of the Moon, since I'm rewatching the anime Demon Slayer ^^

I got a nice new comment for it on fanfiction.net ^^

I can't repeat myself enough times COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT, if you want that story to get updated!

This was all for today, I think.

Until next time, my loves!

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

I want to thank you all that you didn’t give/gave a chance to my little FF!

Now I gave the Spider Family a big sister so Yua had someone to fight. I made her even with a base, so check my Deviantart!

Can some of you guys from whom I got the inspiration for Onee-Sama and the fight they both have?

Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 7: Onee-Sama

Her lungs felt like collapsing.

The Katana in her hand weighed so much.

She shivered all over her body.

But Yua couldn’t give up.

She swiped with her Aura-Sensing again the clearing she was in.

There!

On her left!

Total Concentration! Moon-Breathing! Second Form: Moongazing Pearl Blossom!

Yua performs three crescent-shaped slashes which deflect the incoming spider thread arrows of her opponent.

“Fu, fu, fu.”, laughed the spider demon, from his hidey-hole. “Little girl, aren’t you tired already? How long can you deflect my attacks?”

The midnight blue-haired beauty gulps but doesn’t back down.

“As long as I can!”, she spats back.

I have to give Tanjiro and Inosuke enough time to reach the demon who controls the other Demon Slayers!

***

A few minutes ago, Yua was racing with Tanjiro and Inosuke through the forest.

Well, she and Tanjiro had to drag Inosuke with them.

After the maks-wearing boy had pinpointed the location of the Spider Demon, who used the other Demon Slayer as puppets, they didn’t know how to reach it.

Thankful Murata and Katsumi had told them to go on and that the two would handle the controlled Demon Slayer. They now knew to cut the threads and be careful of the little spiders.

It happened that Inosuke insulate them telling them that they had pissed their pants before, to which Murata rebuked him was a stupid boar.

Inosuke was ready to kick his ass, thankful she and Tanjiro had gripped him and run forth with him.

Huffing annoyed the boar-headed boy told them: “Dammit! I’m gonna punch that guy if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Stop talking like that!”, told him Tanjiro.

“He called me “a stupid boar”, okay, Monjirou!”

“It’s “Tanjiro”!”

“How can you mess up names so much?!”, adds Yua huffing.

“What’ya mean Yue?”

“THAT right here!? Do I look like I have white hair and blue eyes?”

“Anyway!”, intervented Tanjiro. “We’re heading the right way, right?”

“My senses never lie!”

Like lighting stroke her, Yua Aura-Sensing acted up.

“GET DOWN!”, she screamed and tackled both boys to the ground.

“Yua-Senpai?!”

“What’s your problem, woman!”

However, both boys were speechless when they saw three big white arrows impaled in the ground where they had stood before their Senpai had tackled them.

“W-What?!”, mubled Tanjiro.

He hadn’t even smelled them, so fast were they.

Thankful Yua must have sensed them with her ability.

“Ara, Ara, what do we have here?”, said a feminine voice mockingly. “A handsome boy, a beautiful girl and a ripped half-boar man? You are quite interesting. I wonder if you taste as good as you look.”

The three Demon Slayers stood up and sheathed their Katanas.

“Inosuke is this the Demon?”, wondered Tanjiro aloud.

It was Yua who answered him. “No, this is a different one. The other demon was so far away that my Aura-Sensing didn’t reach it. Also, the arrows have a different Aura hefting on them than the threads that control the Demon Slayers.”

An eerie giggle was heard.

“Fu, fu, fu, beautiful and smart. You will taste good girl. I won’t let you near my mother.”

So the mother of the spider demons controlled the Demon Slayers. At least this was good to know.

Again Yua Aura-Sensing acted up.

“Guys get ready!”, she took a deep breath. “Total Concentration! Moon Breathing! Seventh Form: Mirror of Fortune, Moonshine!”

The barrage of arrows, which was flying towards the three friends, gets stopped by Yua's technique. She performs a frontal crescent-shaped slash that unleashes straight and curved slashes that expand outward, hitting all arrows.

“Tzz!”, grumbles the spider demon.

Tanjiro and Inosuke are in awe.

They never saw Moon-Breathing in action.

It was really as powerful and beautiful as their Senpai told them.

“Kamada, Hashibira!”, turns Yua to them. “You two go along. I will take care of this demon. You need to get to the Spider Mother, it doesn’t make sense if we all stay here.”

“But Yua-Senpai.”, mumbles Tanjiro worried.

Yes, their Senpai and her Breathing Style were on a whole different level than theirs, but could they really leave her behind?

Yua gives them a confident smirk, which makes Tanjiro feel all the flattery in his stomach, even Inosuke feels strangely shyly seeing it.

It was...hot.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m not a Hinoto for nothing. I can take care of myself. Now go!”

Tanjiro thanks her and he and Inosuke start running.

This makes the Spider Child (?) scream in outrage: “You aren’t going to touch my mother!”

She sends arrows after the boys, but Yua is already there.

“Total Concentration! Moon-Breathing! Eighth Form: Moon Dragon’s Tail!” 

Swift Yua performs a massive long-ranged curved slash that leaves dozens of crescent moon blades along its path. The moon blades hit all arrows and Tanjiro and Inosuke are safe to go on.

“You are going on my nerves, girl!”, hisses the Spider Demon.

“And I just got started.”, sasses Yua back.

 ***

This was like a half hour ago and Yua felt how she got weaker with any attack.

It was just her luck that she couldn’t pinpoint where her adversary was hiding because she didn’t give her enough time to do a good sweep of the clearing.

She needed to try while she got attacked to sense the Demon.

This was the only way!

As the spider demon sent new arrows at her Yua performed Moon-Breathing Fifth Form: Ghost of the Moon, Advantageous Swirl! It creates multiple long and curved slashes layered over one another, essentially creating a vortex of crescent moon blades.

Hopefully, this would give her enough time to sense where the demon was hiding.

The midnight blue-haired girl reached with her Aura-Sensing to the borders of her ability and finally, she found the demon.

It was hiding up a tree, not far from her.

Determined Yua ran up to it, deflecting the arrows that were sent towards her, and with a scream she cut the tree down.

This made the Spider Demon jump out of it.

It stood now before her, pissed off.

Like Yua had guessed, it was a young woman, with white skin and red circles markings on her face. Her Kimono was white with some red accents and a green Obi. She wore normal wood sandals and her curly white hair had a green orb-like hair comb to the side.

In her hands, the demon holds a bow and arrows.

“You are a pest!”, hissed the Spider Demon Girl. “I will feast on you!”

“Come at me then, bitch!”, Yua growled back.

With a scream, the Demon ready her bow to shoot her.

Yua quickly dodged the arrow and charged towards the Spider Demon Girl. She swung her sword with precision, but the demon was quick to dodge and counterattack.

The Mochizuki felt herself getting weaker with each hit, yet she refused to give up. She needed to end this quickly before she lost all her strength.

 The two continued to exchange blows, neither one gaining an advantage over the other.

“I have to hit her with my strongest technique or I will be spider lunch!”, thought Yua desperate.

Uncle Noritaka had taught her before he left the family their family ultimate technique. It was of his own creation and had secured him a place at becoming a Hashira, even if in the end he had refused.

However, Yua was scared to use it.

It took an enormous toll on the body.

Muscles and bones could break if you didn’t do it precisely.

She only ever used it on practice wood dolls, never on a Demon.

Could she even do it?

Does she even have a choice?

No.

So she gathered all her strength for one final and hopeful devastating attack.

Yua closed her eyes and focused on the technique. She could feel her body trembling with anticipation and fear.

With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and charged towards the Spider Demon Girl. As she swung her sword, she shouted, "Moon-Breathing, Forbidden Techinic! Executing Moonlight Paradise!"

A loud boom echoed through the clearing as Yua's sword struck the ground in a crescent shape, sending shockwaves through the ground and air.

The Spider Demon Girl was flung screaming to the air, where Yua followed her and started to cut her over and over in crescent forms all over her body. It was so fast that it seemed that the Spider Demon Girl was cute by moonlight, thanks that Yua's sword was white.

She fell to the ground, a mess of ripped-open meat.

You couldn’t even recognize the Spider Demon Girl anymore.

Yua was covered in a white shimmering aura, making her look like moonlight herself.

With a last deep breath, she jumped high up and attacked the neck of the demon.

She cut her head, or what had remained of it, off.

The Spider Demon Girl let out a blood-curdling scream as she disintegrated into ash.

The Demon Slayer stood there for a moment, panting heavily from exhaustion.

She had done it.

She had defeated a demon all on her own using the Moon-Breathing ultimate technique.

As she walked away from the clearing, Yua couldn't help but feel proud of herself for what she had accomplished. She knew that Uncle Noritaka would be proud of her too if he were here to see it.

It was then that all forces left her and she fell face down to the forest ground.

Welcoming darkness embraced her.

***

Yua didn’t know how long she was out, but she awoke abruptly as someone slapped her face.

“Hello dear cousin, long time no see.”, greeted Sayako, her younger cousin, Yua.

She was dressed in her Kakushi uniform.

So that means...

“Huh, we won. Didn’t we?”, she asked Sayako.

Sayako huffed and petted her hair.

“Of course, you care more if the mission was complete than greeting me after so long.”

“Hello Sayako, you are still a pain in my ass.”

“Much better.”, hummed Sayako. Careful she picked Yua up and placed her on her back, giving her a piggyback ride. “Well, you sure made interesting friends, I must say. You and they keep holding off the Demons till the honourable Hashira’s Kocho-Sama and Tomioka-Sama could come.”

“Are the guys okay?”, Yua asked worried.

“Well, as well you can be facing a Lower Moon.”

“A Lower Moon was here?!”

“He made all this Spider Demon. Wanted to make a family if I understood right, but your friends are wounded but okay. You will join them at the Butterfly Mansion for cures.”

A little yawn escaped Yua and she snuggled herself closer to Sayako.

“That sounds good. I used Uncle Noritaka's forbidden technique, I think some of my muscles took damage.”

Impressed Sayako let out a whistel.

“Wow, YuYu, you didn’t break a bone. You are really something!”

“Yeah and now I gonna faint again.”

She only heard Sayako's amused laughter before she fainted again.

Yua was sure she earned herself some rest.

***

Moon-Breathing! Second Form: Moongazing Pearl Blossom! Is Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing.

Moon-Breathing Fifth Form: Ghost of the Moon, Advantageous Swirl! Is Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy

Moon Breathing! Seventh Form: Mirror of Fortune, Moonshine! Is Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit

Moon-Breathing! Eighth Form: Moon Dragon’s Tail! Is Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail

Moon-Breathing, Forbidden Techinic! Executing Moonlight Paradise! Is my own invention. ^^

I know it’s a short chapter but I didn’t want to drag it on.

In the next chapter, we will stay at the Butterfly Mansion, and rehabilitation training and bonds will get deeper.

Can’t wait for it.

Until next time!

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Nothing is True

… Everything is permitted.

What is real?

What is not?

Is she just turning crazy or are other powers at work?

One thing is clear Kohana will get to the bottom of this and maybe change the whole Ninja-World at the same time.

S.I. Third Shinobi World War 

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Since Obito’s Grandma doesn’t have an official name I gave her own. ^^

I hope you like it. :D

Chapter 8: New Discoveries

The next day, before it was time to meet with her team, Kohana walked into the Uchiha District.

Where else could she find information about Uchiha Madara and hopefully his lover, her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya?

Soon she reached Obito's house and knocked on the door.

Her teammate opened it after a few seconds.

“Yes, hello?”, he yawned cutely, still sleepy and in his sleepwear.

Konoha wished to have a camera to immortalize this moment.

Obito was adorable!

But she was here on business.

“Morning Obito-Kun, shouldn’t you get ready to meet up with our team?”, she couldn’t help but tease.

It was like lighting struck him, waking the Uchiha full up.

“Huah! Konoha-Chan?! Aww, don’t tell me you really will pick me up till I get my tardiness under control.”, he whined.

Gosh, he was so cute.

The urge to kiss his cheeks was strong in Konoha.

Why was her crush such a cutie?

So unfair!

“I’m also here for that.”, she told him and hid a giggle as he groaned. “But I need your help with something.”

“Huh? What is it, Konoha-Chan.”

She took a deep breath.

What she was going to ask could get Obito in trouble and that’s the last that she wanted.

Needless she said: “Uchiha Madara. I learned recently that my ancestor Haruno Sakuya was his lover did you know this?”

Obito's eyes widened at the mention of Uchiha Madara and Haruno Sakuya.

So he knows something!

That was surprising.

He quickly composed himself and replied, "Yes, I've heard about it. But it's not something we talk about openly in the district. It’s all hush-hush...Uchiha’s don’t normally date or marry outside the clan. But..."

The boy waved her over. Konoha stepped closer so that he could whisper in her ear.

She ignored the warm shower over her body as his hot breath stroked her skin.

“But...My Grandma told me that Sakuya was a special case. She was a welcomed guest in our clan since she was a Miko devoted to Amaterasu, our patron goddess. So as she and Uchiha Madara courted, the clan was okay with it. Even the Elders and they were always a pain in the ass.”

Huh, that was interesting.

“Sorry, but wasn’t Madara the Clan Head? Couldn’t he marry whoever he wanted?”, wondered Konoha.

The Uchiha shook his head.

“If you want to bring an outsider into the clan you need the permission of the Elders. Whatever just a normal shinobi or the clanhead.”

Double huh.

“Konoha-Chan do you wanna come in? Grandma knows more about this stuff than I do. She met Sakuya when she was a little girl.”

Well, if Obito's grandma personally knew her ancestor, who was she to say no?

Konoha thanked Obito for inviting her in and followed him into the kitchen.

His grandma, Uchiha Keika, was sitting on the kitchen table drinking a cup of tea.

“Obito-Chan who was it on the door?”, asked the elderly lady.

“Gran you remember my friend Konoha?”, said Obito putting a hand on Konoha’s shoulder. “She wants to ask you something.”

The Haruno bowed down.

“I hope I don’t disturb.”

That’s when Keika looked at her and blinked owlish.

“Incredible...you look exactly like her! Aren’t you a Haruno, child?”

“Yes I’m Uchiha-San.”

“Aww, any friend of my Obito can call me grandma, sweetheart.”

Now Konoha awed in her head.

Obito's grandma was as sweet as she remembers

“Alright, grandma, I look like who?”

“I met her when I was a child and she a grown woman, but you have the same face, eyes and hair colour as Sakuya-Sama.”

Konoha couldn't believe it.

She looked like her ancestor, Haruno Sakuya.

That was unbelievable!

And also strange.

Not only was she reliving the life of her ancestor, but she looked also like her.

Something was definitely not normal about that.

"Grandma, I'm so grateful for your time. I've been trying to learn more about my ancestor and her connection to Uchiha Madara for months," Konoha said eagerly.

"Of course, dear. It's always nice to see young people taking an interest in their family history.", Keika smiled kindly to her and then turned to Obito. “Take an example from your friend Obito-Chan.”

“Gran!”, whined the boy.

“Obito-Chan go make some tea for Konoha-Chan, while we talk. Sit down, dear.”

Both kids did as Keika asked them.

So while Obito heated up the tea again, Konoha sat in front of the older Uchiha.

"Can you tell me more about Sakuya's relationship with Uchiha Madara? How did they meet?" Konoha asked, leaning forward.

The old woman took a sip of her tea before answering. "Sakuya-Sama was a Miko devoted to Amaterasu, which is our patron goddess. She often visited our clan to perform purification rituals and offer blessings. That's how she first met Madara."

The old woman giggled.

“Sakuya-Sama was a real beauty. A lot of men and women in our clan crushed on her. When I saw her the first time, I thought she was some nature deity herself. I bet you will grow up to be just as beautiful.”

This made Konoha bashful, looking into the tea cup Obito placed in from of her as the boy joined them on the kitchen table.

“Really Gran?”, wondered Obito. “Some of our clansmen were crushing on Sakuya?”

Keika nodded. "Yes, but ironically it wasn’t Madara who first caught her eye. It was Izuna, Madara younger brother. They were inseparable from the moment they met. They became quite good friends, their relationship resembled the one siblings had. Madara was quite jealous that a woman spending so much time with his beloved brother and also he felt like Izuna was favouring a stranger over him. Actually Sakuya and Madara butted heads on more than one occasion, they were like cat and dog."

Keika took another sip of her tea before continuing. "But eventually Madara saw the error in his ways, after a lot of shouting matches between him and Sakuya and between Izuna and himself. It’s said that Izuna told his brother he would always be his most precious person, but he was allowed to have others too. Madara accepted their friendship, but then Izuna died at the hands of Senju Tobirama. You both truly know the story."

Both kids nodded.

“I know that Sakuya was also friends with Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, I can’t image how it felt to hear your friend killed your other friend.”, mumbled Konoha.

"It was a devastating time for her and Madara. But this was the Warring States Era for you. Friends could become foes in one second, foes could become your friends.”, shared Keika with them. “In their grief for Izuna, they became friends and eventually in time Madara and Sakuya fell in love with each other.”

"Their love was a forbidden one, as Uchihas were not allowed to marry outside the clan. But Madara was the Clan Head and had some leverage, so he went against the Elders' wishes and married Sakuya in secret. They kept their marriage hidden from everyone, even their closest friends and family members."

Konoha's eyes widened in surprise. "They got married? I had no idea."

"Yes, my dear," Keika said with a smile. "Their love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. But unfortunately, it was short-lived. Madara became consumed by hate and his desire for power. He never could forgive Senju Tobirama for killing his brother, even if it was war back then and it was killed or to be killed, then he didn’t become Hokage and our clan was tired of the fighting. Sakuya had found in her heart the power to forgive Senju Tobirama and worked with Senju Hashirama, Tobirama and Uzumaki Mito to create a peaceful village and better life for all of us. Sakuya couldn't bear to see Madara become someone she didn't recognize anymore. She tried to save him from himself, but you know it was fruitless.”

Keika sighed sadly, "It was a tragic end to their love story. Madara and Sakuya parted ways, with Madara going down a dark path that ultimately led to his downfall. Sakuya continued to work towards peace and prosperity for the village until her death. She married a civilian man, and had a son and a daughter with him. Her son, Haruno Oga is your great-grandfather, right?"

Konoha simply nodded.

Keika took a deep breath and continued, "But you know, Konoha, I always felt that Madara regretted his actions towards the end. He realized too late what he had lost in Sakuya and how much she meant to him. It's a tragedy that their love couldn't survive the turmoil of those times."

The Haruno listened intently to Keika's words, feeling a sense of sadness wash over her. She couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like if Madara had chosen differently.

Would her ancestor still be alive today?

Would their love have survived?

Obito cleared his throat, breaking the sombre mood in the room. "So, Konoha-chan, did you find out everything you wanted to know?"

Konoha nodded slowly, still lost in thought. "Yes, thank you both for sharing your knowledge with me. It means a lot."

"Anytime dear, it was lovely having you over. And Obito-chan," she turned to her grandson with a stern expression, "make sure you're not late for your team meeting again."

Obito groaned playfully as Konoha stood up from the table.

"I'll wait for you outside then, Obito," she said with a small smile.

Quickly Obito finished his tea, got dressed and joined Konoha outside.

As they walked towards their meeting spot, Konoha couldn't help but think about the tragic love story of her ancestor.

It was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

She wondered if such a forbidden love could exist in today's world, where people were more accepting of different cultures and backgrounds.

It made her think about her own feelings for Obito.

She had always found him cute and charming, but now she realized that there was something deeper there.

Maybe it was the way he talked about his grandmother and his clan with such passion, or the way he had helped her uncover the secrets of her family history.

Whatever it was, Konoha knew that she wanted to explore these feelings further.

However, at the same time, she couldn't shake off the feeling that their love would also be forbidden.

After all, they were from different clans and had different backgrounds.

Would their relationship be accepted by their families and friends?

Would they be able to overcome any obstacles that came their way?

When they approached their team, Obito turned to her with a serious expression. "Konoha-chan, I hope you won't tell anyone about what my grandma told us. It's a sensitive topic in our clan."

Konoha nodded understandingly. "Of course, Obito-kun. Your secret is safe with me."

Then Konoha was reminded again why thinking about being with Obito was useless since not even a second his eyes landed on Rin, he left her side to talk to his crush.

Something like a dying whale sound left her lips.

“I don’t get what you see in this idiot.”

Shocked Konoha turned to a deadpanning Kakashi beside her. She didn’t even hear how he had approached her.

“I-I don’t know what you mean...”

The Hatake just deadpanned harder.

“Of course.”

Konoha felt her cheeks heat up as she tried to compose herself.

She couldn't believe she had just made such a sound in front of Kakashi. But the truth was, she couldn't help it.

Watching Obito fawn over Rin was like a punch to the gut every time.

She sighed and looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment from Kakashi. However, he seemed unfazed by her outburst, almost amused even.

"You know," he said after a moment of silence, "sometimes what we see in others is not always rational or logical."

The Haruno looked back at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe Obito sees something in Rin that we don't. And maybe you see something in Obito that he doesn't see in himself."

She felt her heart skip a beat at his words.

Was Kakashi suggesting...no, it couldn't be possible. She shook her head and tried to push the thought out of her mind.

Yet as they continued to watch Obito and Rin together, Konoha couldn't help but wonder if there was more to their relationship than meets the eye. And maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for her own feelings towards Obito after all.

“Good morning, kids.”, called them Minato-Sensei.

Surprised Konoha blinked at the beautiful red-haired woman on his side.

She seemed familiar...

Suddenly she got one of her visions!

Minato-Sensei and the woman, Kushina were her name, throwing themselves at the claws of the Kyuubi to protect a little blond baby on an altar. In their last moments, Kushina talks to the baby, Naruto, their son, giving him advice to become a good man...

With a little hiss, Konoha messaged her hurting temple.

God this was a heartbreaking vision!

What would happen if she didn’t manage to change the future?

In no way in hell would she let Minato-Sensei and Kushina get killed, leaving little precious Naruto alone in the world?

As the team gathered curious around Minato-Sensei and his guest, Konoha tried to keep her composure and focus at hand.

Sadly her mind kept drifting back to the vision she had just experienced. She couldn't let it become a reality!

“Kids, I want you to meet someone, this is Uzumaki Kushina.”, presented Minato-Sensei the grinning red-haired woman. “She is one of Konoha's best Fuin Jutsu and Kenjutsu Masters, also she is my girlfriend.”

“Nice meeting Minato-Kun cute little Genin.”, cooed Kushina at them. “He told me a lot about you, let’s see..”

The red-haired started to point at them.

“Cute brunette with lilac stripes and already a prodigy in medical Jutsu you must be Rin.”

This made Rin giggle cutely.

“Charming black-haired boy with goggles who is really good with his fire jutsu, you are Obito from the Uchiha Clan.”

The boy rubbed his nose shyly.

“Adorable green-haired girl with cool glasses, a prodigy in assassination techniques and has this cool weapon named Hidden Blade, you must be Konoha.”

Konoha couldn’t help but blush at the praise.

“And the last of you....”, dramatically Kushina stopped before she grinned even brighter. “Kashi-Kun we already know each other.”

Kakashi ignored that Obito seemed to die of laughter, hearing Kushina's nickname for him and just deadpanned at her.

“Hello Kushina-San.”

Minato-Sensei had also an amused smile on his face. “Kushina here wanted to see for herself how good you guys already are. So today you will spar against her.”

Why did Konoha have a bad feeling about this? Kushina smiled at them promising a world of hurt and pain.

“So we four against Kushina-San?”, asked Rin to clarify.

“That’s right, Rin-Chan.”

Kushina got her Katana out, heaving now an evil look on her face.

“You four need to work to together to get me, Dattebane!”

Then she started her attack!

The four Genin were no match for Kushina's skills.

She moved with such speed and grace that they could barely keep up. Also, she threw at them Fuin Jutsu traps like no tomorrow!

Kakashi tried his best to coordinate their attacks since he had already fought Kushina in several meetings, sadly it seemed like they were just getting in each other's way.

Kushina was enjoying herself immensely, laughing as she dodged their attacks effortlessly.

It was clear that she wasn't taking the fight seriously at all.

This was so frustrating.

Suddenly, Konoha had an idea. She signalled to the others to back off and let her take the lead.

They looked at her sceptically, yet she gave them a determined nod.

The Haruno actives her Eagle Vision.

The world turned into the familiar black space, highlighting the persons in a blue Aura.

Since Kushina was their opponent she was tinted in red.

And in gold were the weak points of the Fuin Jutsus Traps!

Perfect.

A little smirk formed on Konoha's face.

She totally ignored Kushina's sword slash and concreted to hit with her Hidden Blade the weak points.

The Fuin Jutsu Trap destroyed themselves with satisfied pops.

“What, Dattebane?!”, shouted Kushina shocked.

Not only she was shocked.

Anyone was.

How did Konoha do this?!

Grappling the change that Kushina was distracted, Konoha made fast handsings.

She thanked her brother Kizashi mentally that he had shown her this Jutsu.

“Earth Style! Headhunter Jutsu!”

Thanks to the Jutsu Kushina was buried to the head into the ground.

The other Genin rushed forward to help Konoha finish the job, however, Kushina just laughed and broke free from the trap with ease.

"Not bad," she said approvingly. "You kids have some potential."

Minato-Sensei clapped his hands together in admiration. "Well done! I'm impressed by your teamwork."

The four Genin beamed at them.

“I’m impressed by you Konoha-Chan. How do you find the weak spots of the Fuin Jutsu Trap and disable them like that...Are you interested in Fuin Jutsu?”, wonder Kushina.

Before Konoha could say something Obito shouted: “What the heck?! Konoha since when do you have golden eyes?!”

Oh shit, she had forgotten to deactivate Eagle Vision.

Now all looked at her interested.

“Konoha.”, said Minato-Sensei calmy. “Do you need to tell me something important...like how a new Kekkai Genkai, especially a Dojutsu, awakened in you?”

Oh shit, what should she do now?!

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Chapter 8: The Butterfly Mansion

The young woman didn’t know how long she slept.

She just knew it was still not enough as she woke up.

With a loud yawn, Yua stretched herself and blinked into the sunlight that streamed into the Butterfly Mansion Patient Room.

She knows the room well.

Wasn’t the first time that she was here for cures after a heavy battle with a demon.

You never quite forget the smell of the flowers and antiseptic in the air.

“Uurgh, what time and day is it?”, she asked into the room.

She hoped that Aoi-San was in the room or the least one of the little girls.

Luck was not on her side since a well-known and shrill voice shouted: “Yua-Senpai, you are awake!”

“Agatsuma...”, she growled, turning to him, a vein popping up on her forehead. “I just woke up, I’m cranky and ready to commit murder, I don’t need your shrill voice! Keep it down.”

A little shriek escaped Zenitsu, till he noted what he did and clapped his tiny arms over his mouth.

Huh...?

“What the heck happened to you?”, she asked astonished. “What’s up with your arms?”

The blond-haired boy started to cry softly.

And with a lot of snoot.

Urgh.

“It was terrible Yua-Senpai. I followed your guys up the mountain to protect Nezuko-Chan and one of these Spider Creeps injected me with venom! I nearly turned into a spider myself! That’s why my arms and legs are shrunk! With my breathing style, I could stop the transforming process long enough till Shinobu-Sama could give me an antidote. But I need to drink disgusting medicine till I’m back to my old self again.”, he told her all teary and winy his woe.

Yua just deadpanned.

“Woman-up, Agatsuma! Be glad you are still alive.”

He didn’t woman-up and whined into his pillow.

That’s when Yua saw Inosuke in the bed next to Zenitsu. The wild boy Aura was all gloomy.

Okay, now that was terrifying.

“Do I wanna know what happened to Hashibira?”

“I heard he lost his voice or something.”, answered Zenitsu anyway. “I don’t have all the details, but I heard he, like, got hit in the neck, and when he yelled at the top of his lungs at the end, that finished it off, and that did a number on his throat. He’s depressed now, so it’s made him gentle, and it really cracks me up! Hehehehe… Hehehehe!”

“Stop it with the creepy laugh or I will suffocate you.”, promised the midnight blue-haired girl.

Immediately the blond stopped to laugh.

He could smell how murders Yua was feeling. Better not to go on her nerves.

“Where are Kamado and Nezuko?”, she asked.

“I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me. I’m worried.”, admitted Zenitsu.

With a sign, Yua got again comfortable in her bed.

“Then we can only wait and pray.”

***

Somehow Yua managed to fall asleep again.

The Spider Demon did really a number of her if she still was so sleepy and feeling weak.

When she woke up again, Yua felt a bit better.

She sat up and looked around the room, taking in the familiar surroundings.

It was quiet except for the sound of Zenitsu's soft snores. She glanced over at him and saw that he was asleep, his arms and legs still shrunk from the venom.

Inosuke was laying in his bed still as a statue, his Aura gloomy.

That didn’t fit him at all, but Yua didn’t know how to raise his spirits.

She wasn’t good at this kind of thing.

Yua sighed and leaned back against her pillows, wondering how long they would have to stay here before they were fully healed.

She missed being out in the field, fighting demons, rising in Ranks and finally becoming a Hashira. However, she knew that she needed time to recover after her latest battle.

It was just awesome.

After six weeks spent in the Wisteria Mansion, now she was in the Butterfly Mansion and who knew how long this time it would take to heal?

Her grandfather would give it to her, if she returned home and wasn’t at least a Kinoe, for all this wasted time in his eyes.

She flexed her arms, saying the secret password and watched the Kanji appear on her skin.

Kinoto.

She raised two Ranks.

Normally she would be proud, however, she could only think that if she raised one more Rank she would have been a Kinoe.

So close and yet so far.

How long would it take before she became one?

How long till they would offer her the position of a Hashira?

The midnight blue-haired beauty missed her family, besides her grandfather, and she didn’t want to stay away longer from home.

Yet it seemed she had to.

She would not face her grandfather like that.

Never.

As she lay there, she directed her thoughts away from this and to Nezuko and Tanjiro.

She hoped they were safe wherever they were, and that they would be able to join them soon.

Yua closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for their well-being to Tsukuyomi.

After a few minutes of restful silence, Yua heard a knock on the door.

She opened her eyes and called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Aoi." came the reply.

A little smile formed on the midnight blue-haired young woman.

“Long time not seen, Aoi-San," she greeted her.

Aoi entered the room with a tray of food.

"Indeed, Yua-San. Good morning," she replied with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," Yua admitted as she set down the tray on her lap. “So tell me, how bad of shape I am?”

“You have significant muscle strains all over your body, your cousin Sayako said you used the forbidden technique of the Moon-Breathing?”

She just nodded.

“It did a number one you, but Sayako-San said you could have broken bones too. Anyway, you need to rest, we bandaged both your arms and one leg, there were the strains the heaviest. The compression should help the swelling. Also, you need to put ice on the muscle strains. It should take more than a few weeks till you are good again. We will see.”, explained Aoi her.

Yua didn’t realize that Aoi had the ice packs in her hands.

“Eat and then put this on your arms and leg.”

“I will, thank you, Aoi-San.”

The girl with the pigtails nodded before turning to leave the room. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

Yua thanked her before digging into her breakfast.

After finishing her meal she put the ice packs where Aoi had said she should.

She noted how the area started to feel better.

Yua sat back against her pillows. It was somehow good to have some normalcy in her life again, even if it was just breakfast in bed.

She wondered what the rest of the day would bring.

A yawn left her mouth.

Well, she still was tired.

No problem to take a nap again.

And she did so.

***

Zenitsu's creepy laughter awoke Yua suddenly from her nice dream of her beloved late mother.

Angry she gripped her pillow and threw it in his face!

That shut him up!

“AGATSUMA, STOP IT WITH THE LAUGH!”, she screamed.

“Yua-Senpai!”, called her Tanjiro voice.

Surprised Yua rubbed her eyes to fully wake up.

There really was Tanjiro, kneeling beside Zenitsu's bed, a Kakushi was also there, but that wasn’t important.

“Kamado-San!”, called Yua back a bit too happily even for her taste.

She long ago decided that it would be bad to fall in love with Tanjiro, so why did she feel and sound so happy seeing him?

This feeling needed to die.

So she cleared her throat.

“I mean, Kamado, good to see. I assume Nezuko is alright too?”

Pointedly she ignored the looks of the two boys and no she didn’t think that a confused Tanjiro was cute!

Perish that thought!

Thankful Inosuke directed the attention to himself as he said in his crooked voice that they should forgive him for being weak.

“Hang in there, Inosuke!”, encourages Tanjiro. “It’s not like you to get depressed!”

“Come on, you did good! You’re awesome!”, added Zenitsu.

“Your Aura is creeping me out, that’s not like you Hashibira.”, tried Yua her luck to cheer him up.

It showed how bad she was at this since Tanjiro and Zenitsu (Even the Kakushi!) gave her WTF-Looks. The young woman may shrunk a bit into her bed.

“What?”, she crooked out. “It’s the truth...”

“Anyway...”, said Tanjiro into the awkward silence and turned back to Inosuke. “I’m just so happy that you’re alive!”

All of a sudden Zenitsu screamed about whether he took his medicine, if someone had seen him taking it.

A vein popped up on Yua's forehead.

“You took it before I fell asleep the first time. Can I have my pillow back, please?”

Tanjiro was so nice to throw it back to her and the girl didn’t waste time to put it over her head to block out the noises.

Could she get a single room?

Please?

***

She had fallen asleep again because the next thing she knew was that she needed to breathe. Slowly she put the pillow away and looked around the room.

It was sunset, and beautiful red and orange light falling into the patient's room.

Zenitsu was snoring away and even Inosuke seemed to sleep.

Only Tanjiro was missing.

Like her thought made him appear, the red-haired boy entered the room.

“Ah Yua-Senpai, you are awake.”, he greeted her as he made his way over to his bed.

“Kamado, from where you you coming from?”, she asked a bit curious.

“They were so nice to give Nezuko her own room. All dark so we don’t have to worry sunlight will hurt her.”, he explained, crawling into his bed.

Yua nodded.

It was probably for the best that the Demon Girl had her own room.

Yua closed her eyes and settled back into her pillows.

She felt a sense of relief knowing that Nezuko was safe and being taken care of.

It was good to see Tanjiro again too, even though she tried to hide her happiness at his presence.

She couldn't let herself get too attached or distracted from her goal of becoming a Kinoe and then a Hashira.

As she lay there, Yua couldn't help but think about the future and what it held for her.

She knew that there would be more battles and challenges ahead, but she was ready for them. She had worked hard to get where she was, and she wasn't going to give up now.

With a deep breath, Yua opened her eyes and looked around the room once more.

She saw Zenitsu snoring away, Inosuke still as a statue, and Tanjiro settling in for the night.

It was strange...even if she didn’t want to get too attached to people, these three and Nezuko had somehow wormed their way into her heart.

Sure most of the time she wanted to hit them for their stupidity, but...it was nice being with familiar people in the patient room.

This happens if you spend six weeks with the same people, she supposed.

Yua knew that it would take time for her body to fully recover from the Spider Demon's attack, yet she was determined to come out stronger on the other side.

And when that day came, she would continue on her path towards becoming a Hashira.

“Yua-Senpai.”, called then Tanjiro out for her. “You have fallen asleep before I could ask, but how are you feeling? How did the fight with the Spider Demon go?”

She turned to face Tanjiro.

"It was tough, but I managed to defeat the Spider Demon with the help of my strongest Moon-Breathing technique. However, it did a number on me." The young woman gestured towards her bandaged arms and leg. "But I'll recover soon enough."

Tanjiro nodded in understanding before settling back into his bed.

“I’m glad, me and Inosuke were worried when we left you alone to face her.”

“All is good Kamado, don’t worry so much. You will get grey hairs this way.”

This made Tanjiro laugh, till he held his ribs with a pained expression.

“I have a feeling your fight was a whole other number.”, guessed Yua.

And it was.

The red-haired boy told her, how he managed to kill the Spider Mother, but had to leave Inosuke behind in the arms of the Spider Father. Then it turned out that the Spider boy they had seen, was one of the Demon King Lower Moons.

Only with Nezuko's help and a new Breathing Style Tanjiro managed to keep fighting till the Water Hashira Tomioka Giyuu took care of the Lower Moon.

With only one technique.

That was impressive.

However, Yua was more fixed on the new Breathing Style that Tanjiro had suddenly used.

“The Hinokami Kagura Dance?”, she repeated surprised. “And it’s dedicated to the fire god? Huh...”

Cutely Tanjiro titled his head and now Yua didn’t want to pet his hair.

No!

Forget it!

He was not cute at all!

“Do you have heard of this Yua-Senpai?”, asked Tanjiro curious.

The young woman got comfortable in her bed, crossing her arms. It hurt a bit, but she could manage.

“My family has something familiar. It’s a dance called Jihibukai Tsukigami No Mai (Dance of the benevolent moon god). All children have to learn it.”, she starts to explain. “It mimics Moon Breathing. If you learn the dance without problems it means you are fit enough to learn Moon-Breathing.”

“Huh, what a coincidence.”, mubled Tanjiro.

“Kamado, I don’t think that it’s a coincidence.”

“What you mean Yua-Senpai?”

“A dance that turns into a powerful Breathing Style? And you are really sure your family was only coal makers? This sounds more like an ancestor of yours wanted to hide his Breathing Style in the dance.”

Tanjiro frowned and scratched his head.

“No, I’m pretty sure we were only coal makers, but I agree it’s strange at that Dance turned into a Breathing Style and then your family has something familiar for their breathing style...”

“Hey, don’t try to crack it now.”, advises Yua. “It mimics Flame-Breathing from what you told me, if I’m not mistaken one of the Hashira uses it. You should talk with Shinobu-Sama about it. Maybe she knows more about this.”

Now Tanjiro was smiling brightly, which did not make Yua blush. However cute and handsome Tanjiro looked.

No.

She probably had a little fever not more!

“When we are better, we can visit my home.”, offered Yua, stroking her hair to distract herself from Tanjiro's damn handsome face. “The Mochizuki Mansion isn’t far away from the Butterfly Mansion, but it will take us at least half a day. We need to get better first. Maybe we have something in our archive about the Hinokami Kagura Dance.”

“Really Yua-Senpai you want to help me?”

Oh no, was he going to start to cry from thankfulness?

Yua’s heart wouldn’t take this!

“Now, no tears, even thankful one!”, she admonished. “I’m not doing this out of the good of my heart or some sappy shit, I’m curious myself what’s up with this dance.”

This made Tanjiro only laugh quietly and send her a soft smile.

Okay, maybe she did blush now and felt shy.

Why did Tanjiro need to be so handsome and have a beautiful soul and heart?!

“You act all tough and rough, but I can smell how kindhearted you really are Yua-Senpai.”, told Tanjiro, pointing at his nose. “Don’t hide behind your anger, we are friends you can be yourself around me.”

“Be me?”, she repeated confused.

The midnight blue-haired beauty had to admit she didn’t know who she really was.

She was what people wanted her to be.

And when she didn’t get what they wanted, she reacted with anger, sarcasm and homicidal tendencies.

Probably not sane, if one thinks about it.

Eager Tanjiro nodded.

“I can see and smell that you are confused but...we are friends. I will help you to find out who Mochizuki Yua really is like you will help me with the Hinokami Kagura Dance.”

This made her snort.

“Seems like you got the worst deal. I’m a handful.”

“Not for me...not when it’s you.”

Did...did she hear right?!

Shocked she looked up his face.

Was she imagining things or was Tanjiro blushing?

He was playing shyly with his blanket at least.

In turn, this made her feel all mushy and clammy inside. Yua had never felt like this.

So she fell into her default behaviour.

Avoid, ignore and get pissed.

“Enough with the mushy stuff, Kamado.”, she hissed and let herself fall on her bed. She closed her eyes, so she couldn’t see him and his Aura. “Let’s just sleep. I’m tired.”

It was still for a few seconds till Tanjiro quietly agreed and she heard how he lay himself on his bed.

The older girl let out a breath and ignored the burning in her eyes.

Becoming a Hashira, and bringing her family honour was all that mattered, she repeated to herself.

Then why did feel these words like bitter medicine in her body?

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