BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 0: Chapter 4; Breath of Rage

Inosuke is.....quiet?

Tanjiro was in disbelief.

The boy who constantly wanted to fight him, competing and trying to coax him into combat, the mindless idiot who ran into battles screeching at the top of his lungs, was completely silent.

He simply lay there, hands at his waist, not making a sound.

In his shock he fell right off of the Kakushi's back, collapsing onto the ground and holding onto Zenitsu's bed for stability, tears beginning to flow down his eyes.

"I-Inosuke...I'm so glad you're safe!" He wept in joy, "I left you all alone with that giant demon, and I wasn't able to help you! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!"

"................it's fine........don't worry about it......"

The redhead's expression quickly changed as he mumbled, " Inosuke, your voice... it sounds gruff and deep, are you okay?"

"Apparently his throat got crushed by the demon." Zenitsu chimed in, "His voice is lost now, and he can barely speak, let alone scream like he always does."

Zenitsu broke out in a cackle, saying, "I also heard he's really depressed now, and it's made him all gentle, it's actually hilarious!"

"......why are you laughing in such a creepy way, Zenitsu?"

".....Tanjiro......" Inosuke mumbled, "I'm......sorry for being so weak...."

"What?!" The redhead boy exclaimed, "Get out of your slump, Inosuke! It's not like you to be depressed!"

"Yeah," Zenitsu chimed in, "You did good out there, I bet you were awesome!"

".....I wasn't awesome......he was awesome....."

Tanjiro's eyebrows furrowed at Inosuke's words. "Who was awesome, Inosuke?"

"The man who beat that demon," He weakly replied,

"The man...with two chains on his swords....."

Tanjiro's eyes shot open once again in shock.
Man with chains on his swords... he thought to himself, could he mean Kari-san?

The redhead boy had to confirm his suspicions.

"Hey, Inosuke," he said, "This awesome man, did he have an eyepatch on and was really tall?"

Inosuke only nodded in reply, too depressed to say anything.

"So it was Kari-san!" Tanjiro blurted out on accident, catching Zenitsu's attention.

"Who's Kari-san, Tanjiro?"

"Ah, his name is Sakusa Kari, and he's the Rage Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps! He stopped another Hashira, Shinazugawa, from hurting Nezuko, and then helped me by taking another Hashira off my back when I couldn't breathe!"

"Why would a guy like that be called the Rage Hashira, if he's that much of a nice guy?" Zenitsu asked, tilting his head.

"Pfft, you guys think Master Kari is a nice guy?! You lot are even more hopeless than I thought!"

The duo turned their heads towards a cackling male Kakushi, practically rolling over himself in his fit of laughter.

"In what life is Master Kari a lovey-dovey people person?! You guys are hilarious!!"

"Erm...is he not?" Tanjiro questioned with a confused look on his face.

"Wait...." the Kakushi suddenly got serious, "You weren't joking? You genuinely believe Master Sakusa Kari is a kind and loving guy?"