- Two Years Later.
Kagerou was now eight years old. Beside him, Kyojuro, five years old, fiery and restless had started tagging along in training.
In those years, Kagerou had shaped his own path further. Smoke Breathing had grown to five completed forms. It was still unfinished, still rough, but five forms born from nothing in three years was already a miracle.
"Kage-nii!" Kyojuro's eyes blazed with determination. "I think I'm ready! I want to learn Smoke Breathing too!"
Kagerou blinked, then gave him an awkward smile. "… I don't think Father will allow that"
"Wh-Why not, Kage-nii?!" Kyojuro's voice cracked with frustration. "I want to learn your Breathing! I don't want Flame Breathing, I want Smoke Breathing! Yours is stro-"
Before he could finish, Kagerou quickly clamped a hand over his little brother's mouth.
His gray eyes darted toward the engawa, where Shinjuro sat beside Ruka, quietly drinking tea.
For a tense heartbeat, Kagerou froze. But Shinjuro didn't seem to have caught the words. Only when the man turned his gaze back to the garden did Kagerou release a soft sigh of relief.
Turning back to Kyojuro, he rested both hands on his younger brother's shoulders, his voice steady but gentle.
"Kyojuro. Listen to me carefully"
The boy pouted, but his wide eyes locked onto him.
"I created this Breathing because I didn't have a choice," Kagerou said slowly. "I couldn't master Father's fire. My body, my spirit… they led me to smoke instead. That's why I forged this path. It was the only way forward"
His hands squeezed a little tighter.
"But you're different. You can inherit Flame Breathing. You can carry Father's fire. You can become the next Flame Hashira. My path… It's still incomplete. Still unproven. How can I teach you something even I haven't finished?"
Kyojuro's lips quivered, his eyes glistening with stubborn tears.
Kagerou managed a faint, crooked smile. "That's why, Kyojuro. You don't need to follow me. You already have a flame waiting for you"
Kyojuro pouted, puffing his cheeks like a child denied sweets. "But Kage-nii! I don't want to be just 'the next Flame Hashira.' I want to fight beside you!"
Kagerou froze. The words sank deep, heavier than the little brother even realized. For a moment, he couldn't find an answer.
From the engawa, Ruka's soft laughter floated. "Kyojuro-kun… you speak as though you're already a man. You're only five"
Kyojuro whirled, his little fists on his hips, golden eyes blazing with that Rengoku fire. "Even if I'm five, I'll become strong! Strong enough to protect everyone! Strong enough to stand with Kage-nii and Father!"
Shinjuro snorted, though his sharp eyes betrayed interest. "Hmph. Bold words. But remember, boy, it isn't passion alone that makes a swordsman. Fire will burn you up if you can't control it"
Kagerou's gray gaze lingered on his brother. He saw more than a child's stubbornness. He saw the spark of a flame already burning brighter than his own smoke.
"…Then prove it, Kyojuro," he said at last, his voice calm but firm. "Learn Flame Breathing from Father first. When you've mastered that fire, if you still want to learn my way… I'll teach you. But only then"
Kyojuro blinked. "Eh… both?"
"Yes. Both," Kagerou nodded. "The flame is our family's soul. Smoke is only my answer, born from my shortcomings. If you truly want it… Then you'll have to master flame first. Otherwise, you'll lose yourself in the haze"
Ruka's eyes softened at those words, pride and sorrow mingling.
Kyojuro's pout melted into a fierce grin. "Very well! I'll master Father's Flame Breathing! And then... then I'll take your Smoke Breathing too! I'll be fire and smoke together, the strongest of all!"
Shinjuro raised a brow, glancing at Kagerou with something like a smirk. "Hmph. Looks like you've set him on fire, boy. You'd better be ready. If Kyojuro inherits both… he might outshine you one day"
Kagerou smiled faintly, his gray eyes never leaving his little brother. "Then that's fine. Because if it's Kyojuro, I'll never lose"
The summer air was thick, but in the backyard of the Rengoku household, two brothers' paths began to cross, one born of fire, one born of smoke.
And somewhere in between, destiny waited.
"…Oh, and I have some good news for both of you," Shinjuro said with a grin, drawing the attention of the two boys. "You two are going to become big brothers"
"Big… brothers?" Kagerou echoed, blinking in confusion. He pointed to himself, then glanced at Kyojuro. "Wait… didn't I already-?"
"Eh? You're right… wait, let me-" Kyojuro started, but before he could continue, Ruka chuckled softly.
"What your father means is…" she said gently, her hand resting on her stomach, "…I'm pregnant"
"Really, Mother?!" Kyojuro exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. "That means I'll be a big brother for real!"
"Yes," Ruka said with a warm smile, "you'll be a big brother, Kyojuro"
Kagerou's lips curved in a faint smile, but deep inside, unease stirred. He was happy, truly, but he also knew what others did not.
Not even Shinjuro understood Ruka's fragile condition as well as he did. For four years, Kagerou had been by her side, quietly watching, quietly worrying.
Ruka noticed the shadow in his eyes. She turned to him and offered a gentle, knowing smile, the kind that spoke without words.
Kagerou froze, then lowered his gaze, already understanding what she meant.
---
Later that afternoon, Shinjuro was in the backyard, demonstrating sword movements to an eager Kyojuro. On the engawa, Ruka and Kagerou sat side by side, their eyes following the father and son.
"…Moth-"
"Kage-kun," Ruka interrupted softly, her voice carrying the warmth of the summer air. "You've grown so strong. You've become my pride… my beloved son"
Kagerou's throat tightened. "Mother…"
"I know my condition better than anyone," Ruka continued, her smile both tender and firm. "I can handle this. I'm strong, you know." She gave him a playful wink before her expression softened again. "…And you're strong too, Kage-kun. And those who are strong… have a duty to protect the weak"
Her hand gently caressed her stomach, her gaze distant yet filled with warmth. "This child… he doesn't know anything. He hasn't done anything. When the time comes, you must take care of him"
Kagerou's gray eyes wavered, but he met her gaze with quiet resolve.
"…Understood, Mother"