----------(3rd POV: Hayate)----------
The moon shone high in the sky, and with its silver light came a rare silence at the foot of the mountain in which the former Rumble Hashira resided. It was a beautiful scene, one so peaceful that it would make any wayward soul relax upon witnessing it. The villagers had all gone to sleep, and the usual chaos one would see and come to expect in a market was nowhere to be found. All that remained were the wooden structures of the closed shops and the occasional cat that would wander around the town in search of food.
This picture would not be stained by the presence of demons or any other malevolent being, for that is what Jigoro Kuwajima guaranteed with his presence alone. The wisteria he had planted would keep all those who resided within this area he called home safe, and his sword would make sure no bandits or other, more human threats, would disturb the silence he had come to create.
If only Hayate could enjoy the same thing, wouldn't that be something?
Thwack
"You stopped breathing properly, brat! Wake the hell up and get back to it!"
The boy opened his eyes groggily, not even registering the hit, and what greeted his still-blurry sight was a descending hammer that had come to take his life for having hidden a secr—
Oh, it was just his master's cane.
Wait, his master's cane?
"Master! Wai-"
Thwack
"Gods damnit! I'm up, you demonic old fossil! Stop hitting me!"
"THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME, BRAT?!"
This was just another normal night for the master–student pair, one that had become so after their heartfelt discussion in which the boy had finally gotten a handle on Total Concentration Breathing.
It had been two weeks since then, and the old man had been pushing his apprentice harder than ever. He would keep watch over him like a hawk, making sure he followed the instructions he was given to the last letter.
While eating, he breathed. While training physically, he breathed. While meditating, he breathed. While bathing, he breathed. While sleeping, surprisingly, he breathed.
The moment he even attempted to stop, no matter where he was, judgment would be upon him in the form of a whack to the head courtesy of the retired demon slayer.
The trainee, now sporting multiple bumps on the head, sat on his knees in front of his fuming caretaker.
"You were so damn close! Just two more hours and you would have succeeded. But of course, instead of acknowledging your failure and thanking me for my help, you do that!"
"Sorry, master," the child muttered from his place on the ground.
Jigoro stared at his disciple for a few seconds before sighing and placing his hand atop the boy's head, or rather, bumps.
"It's fine. I was just frustrated. You're at the finish line now, Hayate. This is where you redouble your efforts! Now, go back to sleep, and unless you want another bump added to the count, you better breathe properly."
The child shook his head furiously before burying it under the covers of the bed and breathing in the same way he had gotten used to lately.
----------(Switch)----------
Another week had passed by quietly. Each day, he would get closer and closer, improving after each failure with the (brutal) guidance of his teacher. His meditation, a practice that he had hated at the beginning, had now become a normal daily ritual that he would do for the sake of calming his emotions and better mastering his breathing.
Who would've thought that people from the 21st century could still reach a state of having no thoughts? The first few times were impossibly hard since whenever he tried, he would just end up remembering songs and movies and other random stuff that would just keep his mind busy.
Tonight was the final night of this training. Hayate was getting ready for bed, his master standing nearby, observing quietly.
"Are you sure about this being the last day, master? How are you so confident that I won't mess up again tonight?"
"I was a Hashira, child. If I can't recognize when someone succeeds in mastering a breathing technique, then my life until now would've been wasted. Now stop worrying and just sleep already. I'm worried you'll start breathing too hard from talking too much."
The boy sent a stink eye to his teacher before getting under the covers and closing his eyes, his breathing steady.
----------(POV: Jigoro)----------
Jigoro kept his eyes locked onto his student until he fell asleep ten minutes later. The old man simply left the room and went to his own in order to finally sleep normally for the first time in what felt like years. He had forgotten how tiring it was to stay awake entire nights.
Only now, when his disciple was close to succeeding, did he finally acknowledge that he had just become too old. He wasn't the same young demon slayer he once was. He was still much stronger than regular demon slayers, but he wouldn't be surprised if one of the younger, talented slayers defeated him. He couldn't stay awake days on end without sleep, and he couldn't breathe as well as before because of his lost limb.
The kid couldn't see it, but he was scared. Nothing terrifies a human more than knowing that they can't do what they once could anymore. In his opinion, it was better to die with honor and fighting than to die bedridden, unable to move or do anything but sit and be taken care of. He was always terrified that he'd reach that point someday, but now, seeing Hayate's progress, his dedication to learning everything he wanted to teach him, his desire to uphold his legacy, he could finally rest easy.
He now knew he didn't need to worry about getting old; he didn't need to be like that old fossil Urokodaki, running around like a man in his twenties, because even if he couldn't do what he once could, someone else was able to, and that someone else was his pride, his legacy, and the grandson he always wished for.
Thank you, Hayate. Even if you never will know, since I'm too much of a prideful fool to admit it, you have already saved someone even if you don't know it. Keep working hard, and I'm sure you'll surpass me one day, and I'll be the first to congratulate you when you do.
----------(POV: Hayate)----------
The first rays of the sun shone from the window, illuminating the sleeping figure that was curled up under the covers. His pitch-black hair framed his soft facial features, giving him an air of peace that would remind one of a painting drawn in bright vibrant colors.
The boy's eyes twitched slightly, the sunlight bringing a small stinging sensation to them and forcing him to lift an arm in order to shield them, revealing the muscular physique hiding beneath his kimono, one that you wouldn't expect from a child.
"Mmm... Master?"
Receiving no response, Hayate began the slow painful process of opening his eyes slightly and squinting, attempting to keep them open while searching for the silhouette of his teacher.
Seeing no one there, Hayate rubbed his eyes and searched again, quicker this time before repeating this process a final time, his jaw hanging on the floor in disbelief.
Did the old man really just leave? The hell?
He threw the covers off his body, put on his sandals, and went to the bathroom in order to freshen up, all the while wondering where his master had gone and why he had left.
Only after throwing some water on his face did he realize what had happened. He was breathing. He was still breathing.
Unable to contain his excitement, he ran out of his room and rushed down the hallway toward the backyard where his master usually meditated in the morning.
His shouting echoed through the entire mansion.
"MASTER! MASTER! I'm...still...BREATHIIIIINNNNG!!!"
He kept running, his joy consuming him until he collided with a brick wall by the name of Jigoro.
"The fuck are you screaming about so early in the morning, brat!? Do you want to wake the entire village?"
"Master, master, look. I'm breathing!"
"Well, of course, you'd be dead otherwise. Have you gone senile?"
"No, that's not what I meant, you damn geezer. I did it. I am now a proud practitioner of Total Concentration Breathing," the disciple said, pride oozing out of his body.
"Alright, that's enough. One would think you had slain Muzan Kibutsuji with how excited you are. Abandon that bravado. Your journey has just begun; it's now time to push farther ahead."
"Yes, master!"
"Good, now go outside and wait for me so we can begin training, understood?"
The boy nodded his head firmly before passing the man and heading toward the training area. But in his haste, he was unable to hear his master's words.
"I'm proud of you, son."
{A/N: Before saying anything, I'm sorry for the late update though I did warn you guys. The week after I released the first chapters was the beginning of the exam period for the midterms so the only thing I can say is my bad. I'll be attempting to release 10 chapters during this weekend by going at a pace of 3 per day and maybe 4 Sunday. Now for the chapter, I'm happy with it and I feel I conveyed everything I wanted to.
The part with Jigoro was a reflection of what I thought his character would be like considering the little we saw in the anime. The fact that he committed seppuku shows how much he values duty and honor so I thought it fit.
I will be adding two new auxiliary chapters in order to keep up with character ages and timeline and another for any new stances the MC creates. That's all for now, see ya'll next chapter.}