Well-Adjusted Barely Traumatized Demon Slayer (Murata SI-ish)

[Freeze046]

This is just following the stations of canon way too closely.

Click to shrink...

Because all of Murata's changes are focused more on the upper moons and the hashira so season 1 kind of remains untouched for the most part. I say kind of because we don't know if Inosuke or Zenitsu have had any changes to their stories or not. Unlikely for Zenitsu to have changes but Inosuke may or may not have more depending on certain factors.

 

[xbox432]

Parts of this chapter felt a bit rushed... Mostly the bit where they first met Tamayo, it just seems to be a lot of statements joined together rather than there being any narrative flow.

 

[Turncoat]

Caught up on this, and I've been enjoying it so far. There's a real lack of Demon Slayer fics.

 

[Rodvek97]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[DeeplyoftheWorld]

With urgency in his steps, Murata followed his crow to the borders of the city.

He did not anticipate this change. Focusing on his running, he stopped from overthinking. It did not do good to dwell on things that already happened.

Surrounded by the thick forest and trees, he made his way to the meeting spot. Taking in a deep breath, he paused, silently waiting.

From the clearing, Tamayo and two other people came out.

Her tight expression and tattered kimono showed signs of desperate escape. The two people beside her fared no better. The man was breathing heavily from carrying the woman, and while the woman did not look tired, her constant trembling was easily noticeable.

"What happened?" Murata hurriedly spread out his supplies, tending to their immediate needs.

Tamayo fell to the ground, her voice broken. "Muzan's dog found us. Yushiro stayed behind while we fled."

"Muzan's dog?" Murata asked, already expecting the answer. Surely, Akaza was sent to capture them.

"Kokushibo," she spat the name with venom.

Murata's brows furrowed in confusion. Evidently, Tamayo had history with Kokushibo. But, even more puzzling, Muzan sent Kokushibo for a task like this?

Why now?

"How powerful is he?" He asked while feigning ignorance. The only information Murata had about Kokushibo were on the pages of a book that didn't exist. To actually meet the man and observe his strength meant certain death.

Clumping the dirt with her hands, the veins in her hands pulsed with anger. "Upper Moon One."

Helping Tamayo up, Murata carried her. Keizan, likewise, carried his wife, and they began running further away from the city. Murata's crow led the way, pointing them towards the Ice Estate.

"How did you escape?"

-

While the ambush on Tamayo and the Kamado siblings ended with no casualties, Yushiro and Tamayo knew it was time to move to a different safehouse.

The brothers and their demon sister left, vowing to help Tamayo in her research. They were well-meaning boys, and it warmed her heart.

Having lived for several centuries, Tamayo procured several houses and hideouts.

After relocating, Tamayo tried to make a breakthrough. While she could not cure the newly turned demon from Asakusa, the blood samples Murata gave her were put to good use, and she was able to break the man out of Muzan's control.

It was much faster than the process she used to turn Yushiro into a demon, which meant that with more of Muzan's blood, she could find additional weaknesses and solutions.

Nakashima Keizan thanked her with all his heart, his wife beside him in a kneeling position. They offered to help her in anything, and while Keizan's wife was a normal human, she offered her assistance regardless.

Nakashima Yukiko was a quick learner, and adapted to her new life quickly.

Just like Yushiro, Keizan did not require very much blood. Even so, his blood demon art started developing at a good pace, and progress was being noted by Yushiro.

"He has a blood demon art suited for battle," Yushiro grumbled.

Holding one of the flesh seeds in his hand, Yushiro threw it in the air and watched as it exploded and transformed into a large spike. He pocketed several more of the flesh seeds, hoping to test its limits further.

Taking notes, Tamayo observed its effects. "Fascinating. The spikes can be used to restrict movement and mobility."

She went to take more notes. Then, without warning, Yushiro collapsed, his face flushed with sweat. Tamayo went over to check on him, but he pushed her away.

The urgency in his voice startled her. "Lady Tamayo, you must leave now!"

"Yushiro, what's wrong?"

He gritted his teeth, and his hands bled. "Just leave! The illusion is breaking!"

Applying his talismans to Tamayo and the couple beside her, he rushed out of the house, scouring for the threat.

With the night still young, Yushiro narrowed his eyes. In front of him was a demon with six eyes and a sword by his hips.

He radiated the aura of a monster. Yushiro's chest began to ache and his hands trembled.

Upper Moon One

"An illusionary blood demon art?" Kokushibo observed and remarked to himself. "It's potent. Even with my eyes, I cannot see through it easily."

Hiding several of the flesh seeds within his hands, Yushiro worked to stall as much as possible.

He rid himself of any pretense of escaping. As long as Lady Tamayo and the others fled, that would be enough for him.

He mentally apologized before steeling his expression.

"Who are you, and why have you come?" Yushiro adjusted himself, masking his fear and preparing his posture.

Kokushibo stood still, confusion tainting his expression. "You do not know me?"

Truthfully, he felt slighted. He was Upper Moon One. Even new demons were vaguely aware of the hierarchy.

"Not a clue, dumbass!"

Kokushibo did not react to the insult. "You hide your fear well, demon."

Unsheathing his sword, he introduced himself. "Very well. I am Kokushibo. His Lordship has sent me to investigate and capture the traitor Tamayo. Yet, I see only you. Is that merely your blood demon art or has she already escaped?"

"Like hell I would tell you!" Yushiro slapped a talisman on himself, hiding his presence. Next, he threw the flesh seeds into the air as they exploded.

With a practiced swing, Kokushibo let out a breath.

Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace

In a single strike, several crescent moons were released, instantly destroying the protruding spikes before they could hit Kokushibo. Concentrating on his surroundings, he struck out his left arm, the hand coming in contact with flesh.

A choked sound ensued and the talisman on Yushiro broke, which revealed him. Kokushibo's grip on Yushiro's neck tightened.

Focusing his eyes, Kokushibo peered into Yushiro's biology.

"Abomination of Tamayo," he stated. "I will take you to His Lordship himself. Pray that he will find a use for you."

Sensing a lack of demonic presence in the area, Kokushibo walked away as he held Yushiro tightly. He could search for Tamayo later. For now, His Lordship had just received a new experiment to focus on.

-

Days of traveling later, Murata and the others arrived at the Ice Estate. He sent a message in advance to pause all visits or sparring sessions.

The official reason was for renovation. In truth, Murata already prepared a separate area of the estate for Tamayo and her research. Originally, this was so Murata could help ease the demon doctor's assimilation into the Demon Slayer Crops, rather than being thrown straight into the Butterfly Estate.

Granted, he wanted the transfer to be done at least a year ago after the first meeting with Tamayo and Yushiro. At least now, he could put it to good use.

In his personal opinion, it was a bit useless now.

Murata wanted to inform Kanae of the situation and have Tamayo immediately working in the Butterfly Estate. Unfortunately, the master told him to wait. While frustrating, Murata would not disturb the master's order.

The pieces are coming together. Once Nezuko is known, then the rest can fall into place.

Putting away the letter, Murata sighed. The Ubuyashiki premonition made no sense.

-

On the second floor of the manor, a large room was altered into a makeshift laboratory. Tamayo, alongside her assistants, were conducting further research.

It was a good distraction from the loss of Yushiro. She would not want to admit it out loud, but his presence was a bright light compared to the dimness of her past.

The fact that she was able to help someone as a demon filled her with hope. Unfortunately, she could only pray that Yushiro would be strong enough to resist and sabotage any of Muzan's goals.

She knew the man. If only to satisfy his childishness, Muzan would torment and dissect Yushiro rather than employ him for any mission.

Muzan's paranoia was well known to Tamayo, and she was aware of how often it backfired on him.

She could write an entire book about it. With their history, there were many things to tell.

She sardonically laughed out loud.

"Is something wrong?" Yukiko asked.

Tamayo kept any snappish remark to herself. "Nothing wrong. However, we will need to continue testing your husband's blood demon art."

"Of course," Yukiko nodded. "I'll go get him from the courtyard."

-

Keizan, meanwhile, stared at the stars as he regained his stamina. He had just spared with the Ice Hashira and lost more times than he wanted to admit.

Apparently, Murata was only average amongst the hashira. Though, Keizan would have to meet the others for himself before he believed Murata's words.

While his regeneration was slow compared to other demons and his physical strength left a lot to be desired, his blood demon art held potential.

Murata complimented it. "Against a demon slayer, your ability is is useful. A good trap or a well thrown seed could permanently disable someone. Then, it would be an easy feast."

Keizan shuddered. "Please don't describe it that way."

"Fair enough. Take it from me though. Against even a demon, your skill would be troublesome and something to watch out for," Murata said.

Nobu flew from the north, the crow's voice laced with alarm.

"Retired! Retired!"

Plucking the letter from his crow, Murata cursed.

"What happened?" Keizan asked.

Murata crushed the letter in his hand.

Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, retired, due to loss of limb from Upper Moon Four!

Wind Hashira, Shinazugawa Sanemi, in serious condition, recuperating in the Butterfly Estate!

 

[King0fHearts]

Butterfly's flap

 

[seafare]

Man this situation has escalated fast

 

[DeeplyoftheWorld]

Sanemi and Tengen were a duo that most people didn't expect.

Of course, as equals and peers, they were respectful to each other and willing to get the mission done. But beyond that, they had no deeper relationship.

The ironic thing in the Demon Slayer Corps was that despite the shared camaraderie in fighting demons, a meaningful friendship was difficult to maintain.

With high attrition rates and team missions being based on several factors, it was easy to feel alone. Depending on one's luck, a person could find themselves completing solo missions for years at a time, if they survived that long.

The hashira fared better with those issues, but since their ability were leaps and bounds above the average demon slayer, they were relegated to solo missions, barring extremely rare cases.

The current mission fell into the rare category. This situation was a special request put by both Tengen and Sanemi that the master reluctantly approved.

As a result, they spent most of their time together investigating a certain demon.

They trained together. They ate together. They worked together.

In the past year, Tengen had spent more time with Sanemi than with his wives. A fact that he often lamented privately.

Sanemi could not care less. Though, he did wish to be in the company of Kanae rather than the Sound Hashira.

Over time, they developed a bond deeper than friendship, but not so intimate as romance.

Regardless of their personalities, Wind Breathing and Sound Breathing mixed well. With Sanemi's tricks and Tengen's unorthodox ways, fighting together became more and more natural.

Unfortunately, while their teamwork improved, Sanemi's lack of patience hindered their investigations. In addition, Tengen's information network was devoid of his wives, which further slowed down progress. He did not want to risk their lives against someone like his father.

Finding themselves in a lull, Sanemi complained.

"At this rate, we'll never find the bastard," downing his drink, Sanemi ordered another.

Tengen scoffed. "Calm down, you brute. I have a good feeling about the next place."

-

Tengen's village was a hidden and old secret. They were not the only family of ninja in the history of Japan, but in the Taisho era, they were one of the few remaining.

The village was empty, with a seemingly unnatural mist clouding the area. Tengen remembered brighter days, with children running around and old people walking peacefully.

Well, as peacefully as retired spies and assassins did.

Strangely, other clans of ninja were possessed by a fervor similar to his father. Not only did the decline of their profession cause a panic, but the sudden change in lifestyle proved harsh for many of the people, and most abandoned the path or died while training.

Shaking his head, Tengen stuffed his old memories away as he observed the buildings.

Old blood stains covered some of the wooden structures. It appeared as though a massacre swept the area. If his father became a demon, then the first place he destroyed was likely the village.

There was no need to continue the bloodline if one was immortal. They were the bloodline.

Tengen muttered to himself. "I don't know why I waited so long to come back."

"Because I bet it brings back shitty memories." Sanemi said, seeing Tengen's tight expression. Sanemi wouldn't want to come back to his own village either, after everything that's happened.

Preparing a running start, Tengen waved him off. "It matters not! Let's continue."

Sprinting into the distance, Sanemi followed.

-

"Why are there so many damn stairs to your home?"

Grumbling to the top, the two hashira stopped in front of the gate.

"The first head of our clan wanted our estate to be the highest in the village. It also helps with training," Tengen explained. Their crows flew above them, scouting for anything suspicious.

"That's strange. It's locked." Tugging at the chain and its lock, Tengen began lockpicking.

"Step aside," Sanemi commanded, bringing out his sword.

Tengen half-heartedly chopped Sanemi's head. "Idiot! This is still my ancestral home! You want my family's spirits to haunt you?"

With a light glare, Sanemi mumbled to himself.

Finessing the lock and throwing out the chain, Tengen opened the gates to his family home.

When they entered, the gate closed behind them.

Standing in the middle of the yard, they saw a figure sitting right before the entry to the manor itself.

A man that looked like Tengen stared at them.

Upper Moon Four

"If it isn't my son and his rabid monkey," Tetsuji said dispassionately, as if he were discussing the weather.

"Did you decide to kill the rest of our family and village before or after you became a demon?" Tengen asked. His face was engraved with unrelenting focus and a burning fire danced in his eyes.

"Does it matter?" Tetsuji lazily said. "I killed them as I pleased. Good timing as well. Once I got rid of your brother, there was no one else left to inherit the Uzui name."

Tengen shook, his blades already unsheathed in his hands. "I pray you find torment in hell. There are no words to describe your cruelty."

Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar

Jumping towards his father, Tengen brought down his blades. Tetsuji blocked, already ripping an arm to create his blood weapons.

Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter

Sanemi closed the distance, unleashing his own attack to cover Tengen's blind spots.

The area groaned from the ensuing collision. Trading blows, Tengen and Sanemi clashed with Tetsuji. Covering each other whenever a weapon flew towards them, both hashira maintained their momentum.

Suddenly, Tetsuji kicked Tengen harshly.

Crashing through the gate, Tengen kept falling farther and farther. Seeing his father charging straight at him, Tengen's eyes widened.

Pulling out a bomb, he let it explode as it propelled him down to the village. Throwing out several more, he swung his weapons together to disorient Tetsuji.

Wind Breathing, Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist

Sanemi chased down the two as he unleashed another attack.

Regrouping, Tengen and Sanemi fought side by side, putting the pressure on Upper Moon Four.

Frustrated with his lack of progress, Tetsuji exploded both his arms. He quickly regenerated but the pools of blood turned into a pinprick of needles.

Nicked by several needles, Tengen immediately noticed the effects.

"It seems not even my most talented son is immune to the poison," Tetsuji said, picking up on the slight hesitation in Tengen's expression.

Tengen laughed heartily, his amusement echoing in the quiet village. "Dumbass! You think this stuff works on me? Tut-tut, I'm disappointed in you, father."

"Don't bother hiding it. I can sense it."

Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws Purifying Wind

"Sense this, bastard!"

Tetsuji dodged the attack. With a counterattack, he slashed Sanemi's arm.

The rich marechi blood wafted in the air, causing Tetsuji's eyes to narrow and his pulse to quicken.

Flushed with heat and excitement, Tetsuji stared back at Sanemi.

"You...are marechi?" Laughing to himself, he started clawing at his arms. "What a beautiful night!"

Sound Breathing, Second Form: Flashing Chains

Tengen mounted another strike at his father. Busy with Sanemi's advance, Tetsuji found himself on the defensive again, his neck coming into contact with Tengen's blade.

Turning his foot into a curved axe, he kicked upwards, attempting to impale Tengen.

Tengen retreated, allowing the demon's neck wound to heal back up. Sanemi sliced again, but Tetsuji parried and summoned several more weapons.

With both hashira able to keep up, the battle began turning into a temporary standstill. Tetsuji could kill them given enough time, and it was only a matter of time. Tengen and Sanemi slowed slightly, the collective wounds beginning to pile up.

Tengen racked his mind for another idea. It didn't look good, and if one of them let down their guard for even a moment, the demon would capitalize on it.

The battle continued, Tengen throwing out whatever he had on hand, and Sanemi going for cheap shots when able. Their speed steadily slowed and their stamina waned. Tetsuji's endurance, on the other hand, was commendable but the drunken feeling and the constant barrage of attacks made him sloppy.

Coming up with a last ditch effort to end the battle, Tengen rushed again.

Seeing the nonverbal sign, Sanemi kept engaging the demon, keeping him distracted.

Sound Breathing, Third Form: Spinning Flashing Rumble

With speed that made him look like a whirling drill, Tengen aimed straight for his father's chest, impaling him.

Wind Breathing, Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash

Digging into the shoulder towards the neck, Sanemi poured his strength into his sword.

Tetsuji found himself in a rare moment of dread.

-

It was not long after Tengen left that Tetsuji found himself in a bind.

Tengen's younger brother was learning well and adopted the mannerisms and tactics as his father. Unfortunately, he did not possess as much latent potential as Tengen.

Tetsuji could sense the potential of each of his children. It was an instinctual skill, and while Tengen claimed to have no talent, his hard work and potential saw him reaching heights no other child could.

In a fit of rage unlike him, Tetsuji murdered his last son.

Tetsuji's last surviving wife committed suicide shortly after, and for the first time in his life, he shambled mindlessly, lost in purpose and meaning.

After six centuries, this was what the Uzui bloodline amounted to?

It made him want to hunt down Tengen himself.

During a dark night, Tetsuji found himself approached by a horrifying being. The man pricked himself with his blade, collecting a small pool of blood in his hand.

"Bloodline?" Kokushibo thought for a moment, sheathing his sword while giving the blood to Tetsuji.

"If His Lordship is willing, then becoming a demon is the answer. Only then will your concerns of lineage and bloodline disappear. As a demon, you can continue honing your skills for centuries."

With a clear solution to his problems, Tetsuji drank the blood greedily. He convulsed and writhed in pain, the transformation into a demon taking over a day.

For once in his life, Tetsuji felt enlightenment. He suddenly understood why the monks went to torturous efforts to find such clarity.

In Tetsuji's mind, this sense of clarity was only possible by becoming a demon.

He would never regret it.

-

"I will not lose! To be bested by children!"

Roaring desperately, Tetsuji detonated his body, leaving only the head and bits of the torso intact.

The blood turned sharp, scratching Tengen and Sanemi. A perfect representation of a death by a thousand cuts.

Regenerating his arm only to turn it into a blade, he cut off Tengen's leg, causing the demon slayer to cry out and lose balance. Tengen made to grab something, then he fell and collapsed in pain.

Running away, Tetsuji fled as the first signs of dawn advanced.

Sanemi, initially torn between chasing the demon or helping Tengen, immediately rushed back to Tengen, trying to stop the bleeding.

"You'll be fine, damn it! Just stay alive! Stem the flow!"

Tengen kept his eyes opened, but his consciousness waned. Despite his closeness to death, he smiled triumphantly. "Don't...worry. I got...something."

Sanemi kept cursing. "Stop speaking nonsense, and focus on your breath!"

The kakushi arrived, herded by Tengen's crow as they assessed casualty damage.

-

Leaving the medical ward, Murata walked into a room prohibited by most people.

Kanae was inside, peering into journals and working on a medical experiment.

"Ah, Murata, it's good to see you! Did you talk to Sanemi?" She asked, a cheer in her step.

"I did, but since Tengen's at his estate, I couldn't ask for his side of the story. Did he tell you anything?"

She hummed, then nodded, a manic gleam appearing in her eye.

"Yes, but even better, he retrieved samples of his father's poison. With a cure in sight, Sanemi will be ready in no time!"

Murata raised his brow, delighted but wary by Kanae's excitement.

"I'll be able to get back into my duties as well," Kanae remarked. "This Flower Hashira is blooming once again!"

Murata nodded. Now he understood.

Bidding her a farewell, he left, writing a letter to Tamayo.

 

[Hadiz]

Oh wow. Tengen's Old Man literally ended his Entire Bloodline.

And the fuck is still alive I guess.

 

[Buddhahobo]

Bidding her a farewell, he left, writing a letter to Tamayo.

Click to shrink...

So Tengen is down, Upper Moon Four is...maybe stronger than in canon, maybe not. But there are more Hashira level Demon Slayers as of canon even if the Upper Moons might be stronger. Also for all that there are more Hashira level Demon Slayers, they have not met Tanjiro to potentially gain their Demon Slayer Mark so they have a quality problem.

Yushiro is captured and potentially tortured, but this will also take up more of Muzan's time...the significance of such is unknown however. In universe, Tomoyo seems curiously unworried about this - rather, it does not seem to occur to her that Yushiro might break under pressure in some way? This time in canon, I thought Muzan didn't know Tomoyo was even on the board at all, let alone her attempts at making a poison to kill him. All it would take is one slip of the tongue and that would change things.

Tomoyo, while hidden, is almost fully integrated into the Demon Slayer network. Tomoyo also has much more high quality demon blood to work with for her drug. However, we are within the year mark of Infinity Castle now that Tanjiro and his brother passed Final Selection. While this is perhaps the most extreme butterfly, it remains to be seen how far Tomoyo ever was from succeeding in her poison, or if she has enough time to make use of all of these samples Maruto and now Tengen have retrieved for her.

 

[Simplexity]

Oh man ..this is so bad but good thing Tengen still survived to retire with his three wives...And continue the Ozai bloodline! Despite his shitty father's wants.

Sanemi will be alright though. Another scar for the collection