45. Mitsuri Kanroji

The journey to the Swordsmith Village was unlike anything Hana and Tanjiro had expected. To keep the location a secret from the eyes of Muzan Kibutsuji's demons, the siblings had been blindfolded, their ears plugged, and their noses stuffed. They were carried on the backs of various Kakushi, passed from one to another.

When the blindfolds were finally removed, Hana blinked against the bright light, gasping at the sight before her. The village was tucked deep within a lush, green valley, surrounded by steaming springs and wooden buildings.

"Those are amazing buildings!" Tanjiro cried out, spinning around to take in the architecture. His nose twitched, and his eyes lit up. "And I know this smell! There's a hot spring nearby!"

Hana laughed at his sudden burst of energy.

"Yeah, there is one," a kakushi replied with a nod.

"You'll see a large house when you turn left there. Make sure to greet them first and foremost. Well, we will be taking our leave now."

"Thank you so much! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!" Tanjiro said, bowing repeatedly until the Kakushi were out of sight.

The siblings made their way to the largest house in the center of the village. As they entered, they were greeted by a very small man wearing a Hyottoko mask.

"Hello! I am the chief of this village, Tecchikawahara Tecchin," the small man announced. "Very nice to meet you. I may be the smallest in this village, but I am also the best at my craft. Now, bow your head so low it touches the mat!"

Without hesitation, Hana and Tanjiro dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads against the cool floor.

"Kamado Tanjiro and Kamado Hana, honored to meet you!" they said in unison.

"What good children!" Tecchin chirped, visibly pleased. "Now come over here. Have some dogu cakes." He pushed a bowl of sweets toward them.

"Thank you so much!" they said, taking the treats.

"Now, about your swords," Tecchin said, his tone turning a bit more serious. "Hotaru has gone missing right now. We're doing our best to look for him, so please be patient."

"Hotaru?" Hana asked curiously, tilting her head.

"Yes. Haganezuka Hotaru." He replied.

"What a cute name!" She remarked.

"I'm the one who gave it to him," Tecchin sighed. "But he keeps badmouthing me since he says it's too cute."

"That's pretty sad." Tanjiro said.

"He's always been like this ever since he was a child. He throws tantrums and then goes off somewhere. I am sorry about him."

"Oh, no, no!" Tanjiro waved his hands frantically. "I'm the one who ends up breaking the sword or chipping it–"

"No, you're wrong," Tecchin interrupted firmly. "It's his fault for creating a sword that could actually break. As soon as we find him, we'll seize him and bring him over. So don't worry about anything. Your body still hasn't recovered enough to be sent out into the field anyway. The hot spring in our village does wonders for the body. Go spend some time there. I will be preparing your meal down here."

After leaving the house Hana and Tanjiro headed toward the hill where the springs were located. As they approached the steaming water, a flash of pink and green hair blurred past them.

"Tanjiro-kuun! Haanaaaa-chaaaaan!" Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, came running toward them, her face streaked with tears.

"Kanroji-san! Please be careful! Your breasts are going to spill out!" Tanjiro yelled, waving his hands frantically.

"Listen, listen!" Mitsuri cried, grabbing Hana's shoulders and shaking her. "He ignored me! I asked his name, but he ignored me! Isn't that just cruel? Now all that good energy I got from the spring is completely gone! Waaah! Wahhh!"

"Who did?" Hana asked, trying to steady the distraught Hashira.

"I don't know! He was just sitting there. I askes his name and he ignored me. That's not nice. I'm a Hashira!" Mitsuri sobbed.

"Well, it looks like they'll be done with dinner soon," Tanjiro offered, trying to cheer her up. "I heard they used matsutake mushrooms."

"Whoaaaaa! Are you serious?!" Mitsuri's tears vanished instantly, replaced by wide, sparkling eyes.

Hana and Tanjiro nodded and Mitsuri skipped away singing a song to herself.

After a relaxing soak in the healing waters, Hana met up with Tanjiro to head to the dining hall. Tanjiro told her about his interaction with the boy from their final selection.

When they arrived at dinner, Mitsuri was already finishing her sixteenth bowl of rice. "Impressive!" Hana said, looking at the tower of plates.

"Really? But I didn't eat that much tonight," Mitsuri blushed, dabbing her mouth.

"I'm gonna eat lots and get strong too!" Tanjiro declared, shoving a mushroom into his mouth.

"The boy you met at the spring was someone from our final selection his name is Genya Shinazugawa." Tanjiro told Mitsuri.

"Oh is that so?" Mitsuri said.

"That'd mean he's Shinazugawa-san's little brother right. He told me that he doesn't have a brother. Maybe they don't get along. That's so sad." She said sadly.

"Well, I have five siblings and I get along with all of them. Family should stay together." She added.

Hana's smile faltered. She felt a familiar ache in her chest. She remembered everything. She could still see the faces of Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru, and Rokuta, the way her younger siblings would crowd around her, tugging at her sleeves. She remembered the weight of them in her arms when they were born, their small, grasping hands.

"Genya still hasn't some here." Tanjiro said looking towards the door. "I'd love if we could chat for a bit."

​"Looks like he isn't coming," Mitsuri said, leaning in closer. "He told the villagers he won't eat at all. Maybe he brought something with him to eat in private."

"I hope he's alright I'll bring him some leftovers." Tanjiro said nodding to himself.

"Yeahhh! That's a good idea!" Mitsuri beamed.

As they walked out of the common room, heading toward the guest wing where Genya Tanjiro looked at Mitsuri with curious expressions.

"Kanroji-san, Can I ask??" Tanjiro asked. "Why did you join demom slayers."

​"Huh? Me? It's kind of embarrassing... oh no! Should I? Really?" Mitsuri squealed, her face turning a bright shade of pink as she twisted a strand of her hair. After a moment of dramatic hesitation, she whispered loudly, "I joined so I could find a gentleman who would marry me!" She admitted, her cheeks turning bright red.

Tanjiro stopped walking. His face went completely blank, his mouth hanging open in a 'dumbfounded' expression. Hana, on the other hand, let out a soft chuckle

"Girls actually like men who are stronger than themselves!" Mitsuri admitted, her cheeks turning bright red. "Back in my village, I was rejected because I was too strong. They said no one would want a wife who could out-wrestle them or eat more than the whole family. I felt so alone... so I thought, pillars are strong, right? It's really difficult to meet them, so I worked really hard and became a pillar myself! It's the best way to meet someone who will love me for who I am."

Hana smiled softly. "That isn't silly at all. Everyone wants to find a place where they belong."

"You're so sweet, Hana-chan! You alwayd understand." Mitsuri squealed, giving Hana a quick, rib-crushing hug. She leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And I think I'm not the only one finding love at the corps. you've already found a handsome head start with Tomioka-san!"

Hana's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. "Kanroji-san, please! It's not like tha–"

"Huh? Giyuu-san?" Tanjiro said, his head tilting to the side in genuine confusion.

"Oh, it's so romantic!" Mitsuri sighed dreamily, clutching her hands to her heart.

"Tanjiro-kun, don't you think your sister would be happy with someone as reliable as Tomioka-san?" Mitsuri asked Tanjiro as Hana heart hammered against her chest.

Tanjiro actually took the question seriously. "Well... Tomioka-san is a good person. He staked his life for us. If Hana likes him, I wouldn't be against it."

"Tanjiro! Stop it! Not you too!" Hana hissed, her hands covering her face to hide the heat.

To save herself from further embarrassment, Hana practically sprinted the rest of the way to Genya's room. They slid the door open, but the room was dark and silent. The futon was untouched.

"Genya-kun isn't here." Mitsuri said with slight disappointment.

Just then, a kakushi walked towards them, bowing to the Love Hashira. "Kanroji-sama! Your sword will be done very soon. We would like you to come to the workshop so we can make our final touches."

​"Awww," Mitsuri pouted. "Looks like I have to go now. Don't worry about me! I'll see you off. It's fine, I'll probably have to leave in the dead of night anyway."

​"No, but... well, okay then... uhhh," Tanjiro stammered, surprised by her sudden departure.

​Mitsuri's expression turned unusually serious for a moment as she looked at the two of them. "Tanjiro-kun, Hana-chan... I don't really know if we'll be able to see each other alive next time, but let's just do what we can."

​She stepped forward, her voice filled with a warm, encouragement. "You survived a battle against an Upper Moon. That's already a great learning experience. Practically speaking, there's nothing more valuable than experiencing something like that. That's equal to five, maybe ten years of intense training. You're definitely a lot stronger now than when I last saw you, Tanjiro-kun, Hana-chan."

​Hana felt a lump in her throat. Mitsuri reached out, gently patting Nezuko's head as the girl nodded happily "Kanroji Mitsuri fully supports the Kamado siblings!"

​"Thank you so much!" they said in unison, bowing deeply.

​"But I still have a ways to go," Tanjiro said, his voice ringing with determination. "I only 'won' because Uzui-san helped me. I will work harder than ever so I can beat Kibutsuji Muzan."

​Hana nodded in determination.

Mitsuri's eyes widen at the sibling's determination. ​"Tanjiro-kun, Hana-chan, you got permission to stay here a little longer, right?" She asked.

​"Yeah.." Hana replied.

She leaned in closer to them whispering "I heard there is a secret weapon in this village that makes you stronger. Go look for it." She said.

She ran off with a giggle, leaving Hana and Tanjiro standing in the hallway. Tanjiro, still thinking about Mitsuri's close proximity, suddenly had a massive nosebleed.

"Tanjiro!" Hana yelled, grabbing a napkin. "Get it together!"