BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 0: Chapter 5; Hashira Meeting

As the lanterns were lit and the Master took his place before his ten greatest warriors, the semiannual Hashira meeting took place.

"Everyone, welcome." Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with his gentle tone, "I am pleased that every one of you are able to join us."

Back when he had his eyesight, and his mark did not blind him, Kagaya remembered that Sakusa always sat in the same place in the room, at the far left, as far away from everyone else as possible. Sure, he wished that the Rage Hashira would be more cooperative with his fellow Demon Slayers at times, but he was accepting of the now-young man's lone wolf personality.

Nonetheless, he still turned his head towards the man sitting in his same place as always, with his arms crossed and a tight-lipped scowl still across his face.

"I am glad that you were able to come this time, Sakusa. How are your injuries?"

"Pfft, they're nothing." Sakusa grumbled, still feeling awkward about being cared for, even if certain people were getting him acclimatized to that sensation.

"I see," Oyakata-sama replied, "That's good to hear."

Turning to the other Hashira, the master continued, saying, "Based on our recent reports, the carnage and destruction the demons have caused is getting more severe and life-threatening than ever. As a result, the threat of human life being destroyed is at a higher risk than ever before. Sakusa?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama?"

"What is the status of the Kinoe unit of the Kari family?"

"My family's Kinoe, along with the Kinoto, Hinoe, and Hinoto, are all at your disposal. Not a single one of my family's 25 demon slayers, including me, have fallen below the rank of Hinoto, and there have been no casualties within the past year."

"That's great to hear." Kagaya said, his smile growing as he teased, "And how is your father doing, getting turned into a leader of his own from the comfort of his home~?"

"He's.....adjusting." Sakusa replied, his answer being a blatant lie and averting his gaze.

"Well, in any case, this just goes to show that we need to bolster the ranks of the demon slayers in order to compete with the demons and the Twelve Kizuki." Kagaya turned towards his Hashira and said, "Any thoughts?"

"Tch, as if it wasn't obvious enough, the incident on Mt. Natagumo with the Spider Family only made it more obvious." Sanemi spat,

"The caliber of the demon slayers has taken a nose-dive over the years, it's absolutely pathetic. The trainers must be losing their eyesight or something, letting in pathetic weaklings into our ranks and getting themselves slaughtered out on the battlefield. You think they could tell if someone was competent or not."

Uzui spoke up with a teasing smirk, saying, "That kid back there with the demon seemed like he had some spunk, he was well prepared to give you the most flamboyant of blows to your head before Kari stepped in~!"

Sanemi clicked his tongue in response, evidently annoyed as he took a glance over at the giant crimson-haired man in the back of the room, well away from everyone else. He was still angered at how Sakusa treated him like they weren't equals, belittling him and even not hesitating to throw a punch at him right in front of the master.

That being said, he was well aware of the strength the man had, and knew that if he had been hit with that blow, hospitalization and semi-retirement from the demon slayers would have been the least of his worries.

If there was any Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa could hate but respect for their power at the same time, it was Sakusa Kari, the Rage Hashira.

"The more the human race expands its reach on the earth, and populates more and more areas, the harder it is to control and unify them together, much less protect them." Shinobu said, "And in this era, where everything is growing so rapidly, that truth is more relevant than ever."