Ryuzaki had long wanted to promote Tai Chi throughout the Demon Slayer Corps. But without any standing, it'd be tough. He decided to shelve it until he became a Hashira; Hashira had real clout and powers, not just raw physical but influential powers too.
Even if he couldn't roll it out Corps-wide, there were always the people right in front of him. Under the banner of "strengthening the body," he tricked two apprentices into joining; naturally, they were none other than the Kocho sisters.
He had invited Aoi Kanzaki, too, but she was swamped running every corner of the Butterfly Mansionand simply had no time.
Suddenly, Shinobu Kocho's fist thumped Ryuzaki in the chest, because that was as high as she could reach.
"Hey! Weren't you going to teach us that Tai Chi thing? Why are you spacing out, hmph!" Shinobu griped.
"Hey now, I was just thinking it through," Ryuzaki said, scratching his head sheepishly.
Kanae Kocho stepped in and held her restless little sister back. Ever since Ryuzaki arrived, Shinobu had gotten even more unruly; Kanae was truly helpless about it.
"Ryuzaki's our teacher right now. Show some respect. And stop hitting him."
Kanae patted her sister's head. Shinobu leaned into it like a kitten, bliss written all over her face, making Ryuzaki's hands itch to join in.
Ryuzaki then dropped his usual casualness and grew serious. "Tai Chi trains the temperament and health while also serving as a fighting art. It integrates the transformations of yin and yang and the five phases. It's inside-and-out training, soft, slow, light, nimble, where hardness and softness meet."
"And where did you even learn this Tai Chi? Also, that last bit, I didn't understand a word," Shinobu cut in.
Ryuzaki wagged a finger. "No, no. Tai Chi is about using softness to overcome hardness, 'four ounces moving a thousand pounds.' It's all about skillful redirection. Perfect for making up for your lack of raw strength."
"So strong?" Her eyes lit up. Solving her biggest weakness? That, she cared about.
"Enough talk. Come hit me, you'll get it."
He clasped one hand behind his back like every other xianxian novel's old men, which made Shinobu blink, then smiled. Someone asking to be hit? There was a first time for everything. She wouldn't be too polite.
She lunged without another word. Just as her fist was about to land, Ryuzaki slid his left foot, caught her forearm, and Shinobu felt her force siphoned away as her body went weightless. She would've hit the ground if Ryuzaki hadn't caught her at the last second.
They locked eyes, which made her cheeks flush a deep red. Ryuzaki's gaze skittered aside. Staring at his face, Shinobu felt her heartbeat pick up a bit.
She scrambled out of his arms and stomped on his foot hard on the way. Ryuzaki yelped, then put on the most innocent face in the world.
"C'mon, Shinobu, that was a demo. And I did catch you," he complained.
Kanae, meanwhile, was stunned by the effortless borrow-and-redirect. The word "Impressive" didn't quite cover it.
"Ryuzaki, how did you do that?" Kanae asked.
"That? Well, I've trained since I was eight, about six and a half years now. One set every morning. Most important in Tai Chi is grasping the spirit of it, feeling in tune with heaven and earth," he said. (T/N: Ahem, this fanfic deeply integrates Tai Chi, and a bit of xianxian type terminology, so... if some of ya'll uncomfortable reading about it in a Japanese-based anime fanfic, I'd suggest finding another fanfic (js don't wanna have randos complain about it later on.)
Kanae knew how rare that kind of six-and-a-half-year persistence was. The boy had consistency and will, which was for sure, since not many kids at that age will ever be patient enough to stick around to train like that.
Even Shinobu admired that perseverance, and she couldn't help wondering what drove him to keep at it.
"Alright. Today we'll learn some basics. Fist, palm, and hook. It's called 'fist,' but it isn't just fists," Ryuzaki said.
He demonstrated the fist: fingers curled naturally, thumb pressed across the second joints of the index and middle fingers.
The sisters copied his movements. Then he taught the palm and the hook. They weren't idiots, so by noon, their hand shapes were locked in properly.
Ryuzaki was floored, and a bit jealous since every time he'd learned, he forgot as fast as he learned. It took him a week just to remember the handwork while they picked it up in a few hours.
***
Practice time flew. Morning ended in a blink. In the afternoon, Ryuzaki went to swing his blade, not just up-down drills, but running the twelve forms of Sun Breathing on repeat. He knew that when all twelve connected, they became the Thirteenth Form.
Only through training did he understand why Yoriichi Tsugikuni was called a god. This stuff wasn't for a normal human. If he hadn't strengthened his body since childhood, Sun Breathing would've broken him by now.
He sometimes daydreamed about getting a transmigrator's system like other schmucks transmigrators/reincarnators. Then he would've stomped those Upper Moons and decked Muzan Kibutsuji.
But only dreams are sweet; reality is often really harsh. There was no such thing as a system. If he wanted to protect the people around him, he had to train really hard, like a madman.
Soon it was the next day. Ryuzaki's little class started again. Shinobu rubbed her bleary eyes, looking dead on her feet.
"Shinobu, did you stay up brewing again?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Can't be helped, it keeps failing. And your blood is really useful." She ran her tongue over her lips with immense greed.
Goosebumps prickled up Ryuzaki's arms. More blood? One more draw and he'd die of anemia.
He hugged his shoulders and shivered. Right now, Shinobu was like a hungry wolf; he was a lamb.
"Drawing any more will kill me off anemic, boo-hoo," he said, pitifully.
"I'll make it up to you later. If the medicine works, you'll be a hero, too. Not everyone has regeneration on par with a Demon," Shinobu said with a wicked grin.
"Alright, stop teasing Ryuzaki. Let's keep learning," Kanae's gentle voice came from right behind Shinobu, making her jump.
"Sis! Walk while producing some footsteps, will you? What if you scare your precious little sister to death?" Shinobu huffed.
"You act more and more like a tomboy every single day. What if you couldn't get married?" Kanae sighed, her hands over her forehead.
For some reason, Shinobu's eyes drifted to Ryuzaki, deep in thought, which he overlooked.
Suddenly, Ryuzaki looked up and met her gaze. He thought there was something on his face and rubbed at his cheek in an attempt to rub it off.
Shinobu snapped her eyes away and muttered under her breath, "How do you know I won't get married…"
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T/N: Thought i might lose the 4 days streak. Thankfully... Safe!
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