Shinjuro returned home, and the moment he stepped inside, the weight on his shoulders lightened.
On the engawa sat Ruka, the newborn nestled in her arms. Kyojuro leaned in close, poking Senjuro's cheeks with curious little fingers. Kagerou, ever watchful, stopped him now and then, while Ruka's soft giggles tied their antics together in gentle harmony.
'…This. This is the reason I still carry my sword,' Shinjuro thought, a smile breaking across his face. 'I can't retire… but I can refuse missions. It isn't the same as before, but perhaps it's better'
"Father!" Kyojuro's bright voice rang out, drawing all eyes to the entrance.
Ruka greeted him with a radiant smile. Kagerou said nothing, his face calm, but his eyes… his eyes carried an unspoken expectation that pierced Shinjuro deeper than words.
Shinjuro sighed, returning a faint smile in answer to that gaze. He stepped forward, ruffled Kyojuro's hair, pressed a kiss to Ruka's forehead, then brushed his lips against Senjuro's tiny head.
At last, he turned to his eldest.
"…Let's talk, Kage"
Kagerou nodded silently and followed Shinjuro. They sat together on the engawa, not far from Ruka, yet close enough for their voices to be private.
"…Mother said you agreed to what I asked," Kagerou began, his tone calm but direct. "So? How did it go?"
Shinjuro didn't answer immediately. He studied his son's face, searching for something in that steady gray gaze before speaking.
"I was rejected before I could even say a word," he admitted with a tired chuckle. "It's as if Oyakata-sama already knew why I came before I even arrived"
"I guess so," Kagerou replied simply.
"…Wait," Shinjuro blinked. "You're not angry about that?"
"I mean," Kagerou said, crossing his arms, "there are only three Hashira right now. Of course, they won't let you retire easily. But still… that Oyakata-sama of yours sounds kind of selfish, if you ask me"
"Ah-Ahaha~" Shinjuro laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Y-You can't say things like that in front of him, alright?"
"Of cour- wait. Why not? It's not like I'd ever meet him, right?... Not anytime soon"
"Well~" Shinjuro drawled, smiling faintly. "You will meet him soon"
"Huh?"
"I might've… talked about you a little," Shinjuro said, trying not to grin. "And it seems he's interested. So at the next Hashira meeting, you're coming with me"
Kagerou blinked once. Then twice. And then, a mischievous grin crept across his face. "Good. I have a lot to say to that old geezer. He should know it's not okay to treat his people like this"
"…Kage," Shinjuro said, his smile frozen halfway. "I think you're… misunderstanding something"
"What? You're going to stop me, Father?"
"No, no, absolutely not." Shinjuro waved his hands quickly. "It's just… Oyakata-sama isn't exactly an old geezer"
"…What do you mean?"
"He's nine," Shinjuro said, voice completely straight. "Just two years older than you"
"…"
"…"
"…You're serious?"
"As serious as I've ever been," Shinjuro said with a sigh. "He's been the head of the Demon Slayer Corps since he was four. One of the reasons he wants to meet you isn't just because of your Smoke Breathing. It's because when I told him about you, he sees something of himself in you"
"Something of himself?" Kagerou repeated, raising a brow.
"Yes. Mature beyond your age," Shinjuro said with a proud smile.
"…Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Well… in some ways, yes"
"So there's a 'bad' way, too?"
"I didn't say that…" Shinjuro muttered, trying to defend himself.
"But you meant it, didn't you?"
"…No..."
Kagerou smirked, leaning back slightly. "Sure, Father"
Shinjuro sighed, realizing he had lost again, though in truth, he didn't mind losing this kind of battle.
--------
- Next Month.
This month had been nothing but hard.
Hard for Kagerou. Hard for the family.
After finally coming to terms with Ruka's condition, everyone in the Rengoku household had worked together to ease her burden as much as they could.
As Shinjuro promised, he hadn't accepted a single mission this month. In fact, he even turned down several that he believed other Demon Slayers could handle without the presence of a Hashira. For once, that decision brought peace to their home.
The first week, however, was… a disaster.
They had tried, a bit too hard to make Ruka rest. With the man of the house suddenly taking over chores, chaos naturally followed. Cleaning was easy enough, even Kyojuro helped with that, but when it came to cooking, Shinjuro and Kagerou nearly burned the kitchen down. Ruka had to step in before their "Flame and Smoke Cuisine" turned into actual fire.
In the end, they found a balance. Ruka moved around when she needed to, but only for light work in the kitchen. Everything else was handled by Shinjuro and Kagerou, with Kyojuro enthusiastically joining in whenever he could.
It was during this same month that Kagerou completed a new form for his Smoke Breathing, bringing the total to six techniques. Even so, he knew it was far from finished. His style was flexible, ever-shifting, and he could sense that with enough imagination, he could create countless more. Perhaps, someday, Smoke Breathing would have more forms than any other style.
But that was a story for another time.
Now, Kagerou sat beneath a tree, his back resting against the trunk, a broom lying beside him. He had just finished sweeping the yard. His eyes drifted toward the porch.
There stood Shinjuro, the Flame Hashira, one of the strongest among Demon Slayers, currently hanging laundry beside a very serious-looking Kyojuro.
And nearby, on the engawa, Ruka sat quietly, tending to baby Senjuro in her arms.
The sight drew a small smile from Kagerou.
For a brief moment, everything felt perfect.
Then...
*Chaw! Chaw! Chaw!*
The sharp cry of a crow sliced through the calm morning air.
#A/N: Ruka's case is a complicated one, so I'm going to take this slowly... very slowly... because this part will be a deciding factor in the story. That's all for now. I hope everyone reading can enjoy it, and rest assured, there will be more to come. (°~°)