It took longer then we both thought to get to Master's house since it was a fair bit away from Rengoku's house and I was still injured. Rengoku had insisted many times to carry me but I managed to always get away with walking but I did let me carry my box so that he would get distracted. After we arrived at the house that I had seen once before, when I was explaining about the Akatsuki ritual, Rengoku lent forward and knocked before waiting. We didn't wait long as the door was slid across and Master's wife was the one that answered the door.
"Good afternoon ma'am, we have come for the scheduled meeting. I apologise for our tardiness but Hikaru is still recovering" Rengoku announced though I noticed that his voice wasn't as loud as when we were on the train.
"Of course, come in, my husband is waiting" She smiled before gesturing us inside before gesturing us to follow her. We were taken to a room where Master was sitting on a cushion with some tea and as soon as we walked in we bowed.
"Please, raise your heads. I am sure that Rengoku has explained but I am most interested to know how you managed to heal his injuries that would normally result in death, Hikaru" Master smiled, getting straight to the point as his wife, Amane, gave us some tea.
"Yes, he did explain. Before I continue with telling me how I did it I would like your word, from all three of you, that you will not tell a soul what I am about to tell you" I said seriously as I straightened my back.
"May I ask why it is so important that this stays a secret, is it perhaps an Akatsuki family secret?" Master enquired.
"It is not so much a secret of my family though it does have something to do with the Akatsuki family. Back when my family was plentiful everyone knew about what I used but just like knowledge of demons it has disappeared over the years. I shudder to think about what people would do to me should they find out about this," I explained.
"So it is a matter of your safety? In that case of course you have my word not to speak about this with anyone without your permission" Master said.
"You have my word as well," Rengoku smiled. Amane smiled as well and was about to speak but I noticed something in her aura.
"I of course do not mind if you tell your children about this knowledge, I would never insist that parents keep secrets from their children. Especially since it may one day involve them" I said and she smiled.
"Thank you, you have my word I will not speak to anyone about it" Amane said and I nodded.
"To explain it fully I have to start back at the start of the Akatsuki family. The Akatsuki family is as old as demons themselves and the first ever Akatsuki was once in love with a demon. When his lover was turned into a demon he did everything that he could. He prayed to the gods and when they didn't listen he cursed them. He looked into all sorts of supernatural things but nothing could help him to help his lover. Then he turned to medicine. He searched everywhere, gathering herbs, flowers, vegetables, trees and all other sorts of things that he mixed together trying to find a cure but still there was nothing. Until one day he finally made something that he believed would help them, he believed that he had made a medicine that would turn him into a demon so that he could be with his love forever but it wasn't a mixture to turn him into a demon. His hair turned red, much like my own, his eyes turned golden and he became irresistible to demons. But as soon as demons came in contact with his blood they would go berserk trying to devour him while also poisoning themselves until they would burst into ashes and die" I explained before stopping to take a sip of my tea. I was glad that they were staying quiet while I spoke so that I could just get it all out.
"The first Akatsuki's lover thought that his lover had betrayed him and decided to kill him in revenge without even finding out the truth but what he didn't know was that he left behind children that were born with the same red hair and golden eyes and so the Akatsuki family was born" I said.
"So your ancestor only wanted to help his lover?" Rengoku asked and I nodded.
"He truly loved him with all of his heart, if not why would he search for so long and hard to help his lover?" I smiled.
"Yes he must have truly loved them" Master said while holding his wife's hand.
"Two halfs, one given the power to destroy humans and strengthen demons while the other was given the power to destroy demons and strengthen humans. The medicine that I gave Kyojuro worked so well because I mixed my blood with it and sometimes I was putting just my blood on the injuries to heal them" I announced. I saw the surprise, shock, a little bit of horror and sadness cloud all three of their auras and I didn't mind. That reaction was better than I thought it would be since I thought they would have been disgusted and repulsed.
"Your blood? I am not sure I understand" Master admitted.
"My blood has the ability to drive demons to madness but it also has the ability to heal regular humans. I mix them with my medicines to enhance their abilities. A normal mixture that would help a wound close will seal it shut within ten minutes depending on how big the wound was. Some medicines that are meant to help with internal damage can fully repair the damaged organs within half an hour depending on the damage" I said.
"That is why I thought that I tasted blood, I had thought it was simply because of me coughing up blood but it was also because there was blood in the medicine" Rengoku smiled. I couldn't help but relax a little as my shoulders slumped at his smile.
"As you have no doubt seen or heard it is not a miracle cure. It can't bring back something that has been destroyed or taken and sometimes the damage is to serve for the blood to fully heal" I said clenching my hands in my lap as I thought about Rengoku's lost eye and the damage that would stop him from being a demon slayer.
"Hikaru, I have told you that I am thankful to you. You can not blame yourself for what happened after all you saved my life even when it meant exposing one of your closely guarded secrets" Rengoku said while his hand gently squeezed my shoulder and I couldn't stop a shaky smile from crossing my face.
"Rengoku is correct, I understand now why you would want to keep this a secret. People would believe that you were able to cure everyone and everything, then they would get upset when you couldn't help some of them" Master softly said.
"Exactly. It is not the nicest thing to say but it is unrealistic to think that I can save everyone in the world. I just can't do it, that's why I will save everyone that I can" I said and they nodded.
"One more question before we finish this meeting, how likely is your blood to help my condition?" Master questioned and I saw his Amane's aura sharpen and perk up like she was waiting with baited breath.
"I would have to test my blood against yours but it would do one of two things. It would either fully heal you or it would give you more time, there is no way that it would have a bad reaction since you are human" I said.
"In that case I will have some of my blood sent to the Butterfly mansion so that you can analyze it. I would be honoured if you would try and help me," Master said and I smiled.
"Don't worry Master, I will do everything that I can to cure you even if it takes every last drop of my blood I will make sure that you live a long life. After all you will have a lot of people that will miss you" I said with a look towards Amane before I got up bidding them goodbye and left.
"Rengoku," Master said.
"I know Master, he believes that if he dies no one will miss him but there are a lot of people that will miss him, myself included" Rengoku sighed. He had no idea what was causing me to think like that but all he wanted to do was make it go away.
"Don't let go of him, Rengoku and I am sure that he will realise that there are people all around that will miss him. Now as I am sure that you are still recovering you should head home, your brother is probably pulling his hair out by now" Master said and Rengoku nodded, bidding them goodbye and leaving back to his house.
