Chapter 10: I'll Definitely Outlive You
In truth, the old man was worried that Hakuya's blind self-confidence and arrogance would ultimately cost him his life.
While Sakonji Urokodaki's former disciple hadn't been inherently arrogant, his actions revealed otherwise. As Sakonji Urokodaki had said, pushing oneself far beyond one's capabilities is a form of arrogance.
Even with the best intentions, such actions can lead to one's downfall.
"Don't worry, Master! I'll definitely outlive you!" Hakuya said with a teasing grin, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"Ah..." Sakonji Urokodaki sighed. Without another word, he picked up his bowl and chopsticks, gesturing to Hakuya. "Eat."
With that, Sakonji Urokodaki began eating, no longer concerned with how Hakuya had learned the Water Breathing Technique.
When the elder began to eat, Hakuya followed suit.
The two ate the fish quietly. The dipping sauce was exceptionally delicious—Hakuya thought it would work perfectly with beef or other hot pot ingredients as well.
Time passed slowly, and the fish fillets on the plate gradually disappeared as both Hakuya and Sakonji Urokodaki finished them off.
After finishing the fish, they each ladled out a bowl of steaming fish broth and sipped it slowly, a sense of quiet contentment settling over them.
The cold night wind slowly drifted into the house, causing the weak flame beneath the iron pot to dance. A few sparks flew upward, burning out their last bit of heat before disappearing completely from the world.
Just as Hakuya and Sakonji Urokodaki were about to finish their soup, the door to the wooden house burst open. Tanjiro stumbled in, disheveled and gasping for breath.
Tanjiro looked at Hakuya and Sakonji Urokodaki, who were calmly sipping their fish soup. With his last ounce of strength, he managed to say, "I'm... back!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tanjiro collapsed in the doorway, completely exhausted.
Hakuya and Sakonji Urokodaki both set down their bowls and chopsticks. Urokodaki stood up and walked over to Tanjiro, looking down at him with approval. "I acknowledge you, Tanjiro."
Then, Sakonji Urokodaki lifted Tanjiro's unconscious body and laid him down next to Nezuko.
Tanjiro's breathing was extremely shallow—such an intense trial had truly pushed him to his absolute limit.
If it weren't for his incredible willpower, Tanjiro would have passed out long before making it back.
The next day, around noon, Tanjiro regained consciousness. His entire body ached—the aftereffects of intense physical exertion.
"Ugh..."
Tanjiro groaned against the pain and tried to sit up. However, his muscles refused to cooperate. After struggling for some time, he still couldn't manage to get up.
Then, Tanjiro's sharp nose caught a familiar scent. Following it, he turned his head.
There, sleeping peacefully beside him, was Nezuko.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro called out joyfully.
At that moment, the sound of combat outside the house caught Tanjiro's attention.
Having recovered slightly, Tanjiro slowly pushed open the door of the wooden house.
Outside, Hakuya was sparring with Sakonji Urokodaki using bamboo swords. The two exchanged strikes back and forth, the sharp clacking sounds of bamboo on bamboo echoing in Tanjiro's ears.
"Your reflexes are quite sharp, but your strikes lack power. Each time you attack, your body moves on pure instinct. Your breathing isn't fully channeling your strength when you strike."
During their sparring match, Sakonji Urokodaki pointed out Hakuya's weaknesses. As soon as he finished speaking, Sakonji Urokodaki inhaled deeply, then suddenly unleashed tremendous force and momentum, severing Hakuya's bamboo sword in a single strike.
The broken edge of Hakuya's bamboo sword was remarkably clean, as if sliced by a razor-sharp blade.
Hakuya was momentarily stunned, but after a brief pause, he revealed a faint smile. He bowed respectfully and thanked Sakonji Urokodaki. "Thank you for the lesson, Master!"
In truth, Hakuya understood the enormous gap between himself and the old master. The fundamental problem was his complete lack of knowledge in swordsmanship and sword techniques. When facing Sakonji Urokodaki, Hakuya could only rely on his body's natural reflexes.
"Hakuya, while you can control Water Breathing with remarkable ease, you have no foundation in swordsmanship. Perhaps you really did learn it through observation, as you claimed. You truly are a prodigy," Sakonji Urokodaki praised him once more.
Hakuya wasn't particularly surprised that Sakonji Urokodaki could tell he was a complete novice with the sword. After all, the man was a veteran warrior—naturally, he had a keen eye.
"Your next phase of training will focus on learning proper swordsmanship and mastering it. That's enough for today. Go back inside and rest."
After giving Hakuya his instructions, Sakonji Urokodaki looked toward Tanjiro, who stood in the doorway of the cabin. "Follow me, Tanjiro."
With that, Sakonji Urokodaki turned and walked away.
Tanjiro followed after him, but as he passed Hakuya, he couldn't help but say, "Hakuya-san, please look after Nezuko!"
Hakuya nodded without saying anything more.
Back inside the cabin, Hakuya couldn't help but lie down on the empty space next to Nezuko, stretching lazily and sighing. "Looks like I'll be staying here for a while."
Feeling bored, Hakuya found himself studying the slumbering Nezuko. The more he looked at her peaceful face and fair skin, the more he felt an odd urge to reach out and touch her cheek.
About half an hour later, Tanjiro and Sakonji Urokodaki returned to the cabin.
"From now on, you'll be responsible for cooking. Go clean those fish! This will also serve as training for you," Sakonji Urokodaki instructed Tanjiro.
"Yes, Master!" Tanjiro replied with a somewhat resigned expression, then took the two large fish they'd just caught and headed to the cooking area to prepare them.
Tanjiro's use of "Master" was a clear sign of his acceptance and acknowledgment of Sakonji Urokodaki—he now considered himself the old man's disciple.
Without another word, Sakonji Urokodaki entered the cabin.
Then he said to Hakuya, who was still lying next to Nezuko, "No matter how you look at it, she's still a demon. Don't tell me you've developed feelings for her?"
Hearing Sakonji Urokodaki's teasing remark, Hakuya sat up abruptly, then smiled faintly without saying much in response.
Sakonji Urokodaki didn't press the matter further. He changed the subject and said, "Light the fire. Today we're making fish hot pot again."
And so, Hakuya and Tanjiro set to work—one busy starting the fire and setting up the iron pot, the other busy preparing the fish. As for Sakonji Urokodaki, he sat to the side and rested.
The days that followed fell into a steady rhythm. Hakuya would study swordsmanship with Sakonji Urokodaki every day, while Tanjiro focused on his physical conditioning. At dinnertime, Tanjiro would go to a designated location to catch fresh fish.
Tanjiro's evening routine included running back to the cabin from Mount Sagiri.
While this task might not sound particularly difficult, Tanjiro himself described the numerous traps Sakonji Urokodaki had laid throughout the mountain.
The locations of these traps changed daily, and as Tanjiro became more skilled at avoiding them, the traps themselves grew increasingly dangerous—evolving from simple obstacles to genuine threats to his life.
Initially, Tanjiro would only return after Hakuya and Sakonji Urokodaki had already finished dinner, arriving just in time to clean up. Gradually, this improved to arriving with enough time for a few mouthfuls of leftover soup and rice. Then he managed to return halfway through dinner, and finally, he could make it back to the cabin before dinner was even served.
Every night, Tanjiro would talk with the sleeping Nezuko and write in his diary, while Hakuya would lie in his sleeping area, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Once Tanjiro mastered dodging all the traps, he began formally learning the fundamentals of swordsmanship—starting with basic sword swings.
As Tanjiro's training progressed, the amount of knowledge he needed to absorb increased steadily. Hakuya, meanwhile, continued perfecting his swordsmanship and the Ten Forms of Water Breathing that the old master had taught him.
Compared to Tanjiro, Hakuya had considerably less to learn. For example, the intense physical conditioning that Tanjiro endured daily wasn't required for Hakuya.
Throughout these long months, Tanjiro's sister Nezuko remained unconscious, and Sakonji Urokodaki couldn't offer a clear explanation for why she hadn't awakened.
Six months later, Sakonji Urokodaki formally began teaching Tanjiro the principles and essence of the Water Breathing Technique.
"Tanjiro, today I'm going to teach you Water Breathing. Listen carefully!" Sakonji Urokodaki said with utmost seriousness.
"Yes, Master!" Tanjiro immediately straightened up, his expression focused.
Hakuya stood quietly beside Tanjiro, observing without comment.
"Breathing techniques involve taking long, deliberate breaths that allow oxygen to reach every single cell in your body. This dramatically increases your natural healing power, as well as your physical strength and reflexes. This method is called Total Concentration Breathing!"
"Water Breathing is based on Total Concentration Breathing, but you maintain a specific breathing rhythm. When you achieve this particular rhythm, it generates what we call the 'flow of water.' This is Water Breathing. Other Breathing styles work similarly—each has its own unique rhythm and characteristics."
"Now, Tanjiro—relax your upper body, steady your lower body, and begin breathing," Sakonji Urokodaki instructed, his tone shifting to one of patient guidance.
Hearing this, Tanjiro began practicing his breathing according to Sakonji Urokodaki's instructions.
The moment he took his first breath, Tanjiro's expression twisted in pain, and he let out a sharp cry.
Hakuya glanced over and saw that Sakonji Urokodaki had struck Tanjiro squarely in the abdomen.
"No, that's not Total Concentration Breathing. You must draw oxygen deep into your core, not just through your nose. Your nose is merely a pathway for the air—you need to pull it all the way down into your center and circulate it through your entire body."
"Try again. Focus on your core—let the oxygen flow from there to every cell in your body."
"Yes, Master!" Tanjiro responded, preparing to try once more.
"Ahhh! Ahh! Ahhh!"
What followed was a series of Tanjiro's pained cries as he attempted the technique again and again.
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