Another half month had passed.
One evening, after dinner, Hatsune arrived at the backyard laboratory where Shinobu, clad in a white lab coat, was busy at the bench.
The lab door was open, so Hatsune knocked twice. Hearing the invitation to enter, he stepped inside.
Shinobu straightened up, offering Hatsune a warm smile. "You're here. You're a regular now; I don't need to instruct you anymore, right? Just sit by the bed."
Hatsune sensed an unusual atmosphere in Shinobu's cheerful tone. Feeling uneasy, he seated himself by the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt.
Today marked the removal of his stitches.
With his left wrist still in a cast from a fracture, he struggled to unbutton his shirt, ultimately feeling exhausted and sweaty.
Observing Hatsune's struggle, Shinobu chuckled softly and leaned in to help him undo the buttons.
His chest bore the marks of past wounds, old and new scars intertwined like threads binding a well-worn doll, with black stitches crisscrossing.
Shinobu's smile, though gentle, carried a hint of sadness. The red marks from previous stitches had yet to fade, now overlaid with new scars barely a month later. The boy before her couldn't have been older than eighteen or nineteen.
In all her time overseeing the Butterfly Mansion, Shinobu had never encountered a patient quite like him—someone who had narrowly escaped death twice in less than two months.
They say "misfortune clings," and his resilience was akin to a weed flourishing in the harshest of conditions, refusing to yield.
Pulling up a chair, Shinobu sat facing Hatsune, tweezers and scissors in hand, skillfully removing his stitches. Each touch of her cool fingers on his scarred skin sent a tingling sensation through his body.
Hatsune endured the discomfort, stealing glances at Shinobu's striking features.
Full lips curved in a faint smile, eyes the color of wisteria emitting a delicate purple haze, complemented by the scent of wisteria blossoms that filled the air, creating an ambience both sweet and enigmatic.
"Hatsune, you performed admirably in the assessment. I've rarely seen a newcomer in the Demon Slayer Corps quite like you. Even the Love Hashira has shown keen interest in you, and the Master himself inquired about your progress. Truly remarkable."
Seizing the moment to converse, Hatsune averted his gaze from Shinobu's face. "The Master? The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Shinobu nodded.
"And who is this 'Love Hashira'? Why would she be interested in me?"
Hatsune had spent most of his recovery time secluded, acquainting himself with only a handful of Demon Slayer Corps members. He hadn't encountered any "Love Hashira."
Shinobu looked surprised. "You don't know? Hasn't Nae mentioned it to you?"
"Mentioned what?"
"The Love Hashira is Mitsuri Kanroji, Nae's sister."
"What? That scatterbrained girl's sister is the Love Hashira?" Hatsune exclaimed, taken aback. While Nae had mentioned her sister was part of the Demon Slayer Corps, he had no clue she held such a prestigious position.
A Hashira—meaning she was one of the Corps' top-ranking figures.
"The 'Love' Hashira, practicing the 'Love' Breathing Style—it all makes sense now."
Seeing Hatsune's stunned expression, Shinobu's interest piqued. The boy had always maintained a cold demeanor around the girls at the Butterfly Mansion, yet mentioning Nae seemed to stir intense emotions within him. Perhaps there was more to uncover.
"Scatterbrained? Why do you say that? I find Nae quite endearing. She's caring and knows how to look after others. Why call her scatterbrained? I heard she even gave you her first kiss to save you..."
"Enough," Hatsune interrupted abruptly, sitting up from the bed without bothering to rebutton his shirt. His face flushed, he hastily exited the lab, leaving behind Shinobu's laughter echoing in the air.
"Nae mentioned she'll visit you in a few days. Hatsune, be prepared!" Shinobu called after him.
The following morning, just as dawn was breaking, Kiyo arose to use the restroom. Passing through the front yard, she glimpsed a blurry figure darting towards the door, slipping out quietly.
At the time, Kiyo didn't think much of it.
As daybreak arrived, the others waited for Hatsune to join them for breakfast, but despite their wait, he never appeared. Checking his room, they found it empty, the bed neatly made, with a note left on the bedside table.
"Don't tell her where I've gone."
They puzzled over who "she" could be, eventually handing the note and news of Hatsune's disappearance to Shinobu.
Reading the note and recalling Hatsune's early morning departure, Shinobu couldn't help but laugh once more.
Hatsune had fled back to Falling Dragon Mountain.
He remembered when he departed, Ryoubei had asked Shinobu to relay a message to Hatsune: "If you pass the assessment, remember to buy a bag of rice when you return; there's no food on the mountain." However, being newly inducted into the Demon Slayer Corps, Hatsune lacked the funds to purchase rice.
Left with no other choice, Hatsune returned to the mountain empty-handed. Luckily, Ryoubei hadn't brought up the rice.
Thus, Hatsune resumed his training on the mountain, following Ryoubei's pre-assessment instructions for rehabilitation.
His journey to Mount Fujikasane had highlighted his shortcomings, particularly in confronting the final demon. Had the sun not risen when it did, he might have perished on that mountain.
At the Ubuyashiki Residence.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat on the veranda, his expression serene, belying the turmoil within.
Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, and Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, knelt respectfully beside him.
"Shinobu, how is the boy faring?" Kagaya Ubuyashiki inquired gently.
"Master, his recovery progresses well, though his left wrist remains fractured. Two days ago, he returned secretly to Falling Dragon Mountain to continue training under Seigen."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded in approval. "He is a resilient child. Giyu, what have you discovered?"
"Master, Mount Fujikasane exhibits anomalies. At the lake's bottom on the mountain's peak, we uncovered bones belonging to several missing participants and demons. Each bore fine strangulation marks. Though we found no hair demon as reported by participants, we did locate a cave on the northern mountainside leading to its base. Moreover, there exists no record of a hair demon, nor any indication among mutated demons. We are uncertain how these anomalies arose on the mountain."
A brief silence followed before Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke again. "The answer isn't difficult to surmise. Mount Fujikasane serves as our selection ground, akin to our blood source. Its destruction would sever our supply of fresh blood, weakening the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Yes... It must be Kibutsuji Muzan."