Twas All For Love

Chapter 6

Obanai had decided to visit Mitsuri's estate that day. They were having tea in her lounge

"Iguro-san, why is your sword twisted?" Mitsuri asked

"It works better with serpent breathing" He explained "Like your whip-like sword"

"That's so cool!" She jumped up and clasped her hands together

"Mitsuri-chan, I've a question" Iguro said assertively

"Hm?" The pinkette said

"Have you seen Senjuro-kun recently? Wouldn't he feel more lonely now?"

Mitsuri looked down "I visited him yesterday, he seemed lonely, I wish he'd tell me whenever he was feeling down. He's a quiet boy though"

His suspicions were pretty much covered "I figured if he felt sad, you'd be the first person he would come to. I think Shinjuro became a worse father since Lady Ruka's death"

"Lady Ruka?"

"Kyojuro and Senjuro's late mother. I suppose she's reunited with her firstborn"

There was a knock on the door

"I'll get it" Iguro offered

He walked down the hall and opened the door. "Speak of the devil" he noticed something off about Senjuro. Blood. All over his face. His eyebrows burrowed "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!??"

"Who are you?" Senjuro asked, wide-eyed

Iguro's jaw dropped "You seriously don't remember me? Come inside"

"Are you Kanroji-san's husband?" Senjuro asked

He froze "No, now we need to take you to Kocho's"

He entered the room and Mitsuri's eyes lit up, then faded at the sight of Senjuro Rengoku with blood all over him. She was speechless.

"Mitsuri! We have to take him to the butterfly mansion!" Iguro said sternly, he knew Senjuro from when Shinjuro introduced the kid he saved to his sons. Kyojuro remembered him when he became a Hashira, Senjuro was a toddler at the time though, no wonder he had no clue who Iguro was.

"R-RIGHT! COME, SENJURO-KUN" She scooped him off the ground and held him in her arms

Soon enough, Lady Kocho took care of his injuries and she, Mitsuri and Iguro sat him down in the patients room.

"SENJURO" Tanjiro screamed "What happened to you!?" he had tears in his eyes

"Hi Tanjiro!" Senjuro said optimistically

"Now, might you tell us which demon hurt you?" Shinobu asked concernedly

Senjuro finally spoke up "It wasn't a demon, father was...drunk and when I tried to ask him something he hit me with a glass bottle"

Tanjiro rolls up his sleeves "So that old geezer hurt you, huh?" only ever when someone he cared for was hurt would he get angry and moody.

"Tanjiro-kun, please don't pick a fight with father over this" He turned back to Shinobu "Anive said he took care of his injuries here . . . but I didn't know where the butterfly mansion was so I went to Kanroji-san's estate"

"And we brought him here!" Mitsuri exclaimed happily

"Good of you to bring him here, he should be fine, no brain damage was put upon him. If anything bad happens to you because of Shinjuro-sama, tell someone at the butterfly mansion or Mitsuri-chan. Got it?" Shinobu said to Senjuro carefully

Senjuro nodded.

Most of them left and Senjuro was left alone with Mitsuri and Obanai.

"Kanroji-san, who's he?" Senjuro pointed at Iguro

"I still don't understand that you don't remember me" Obanai sighed "All those years ago when Shinjuro-sama was still a Hashira, he invaded an old mansion full of only women who worshipped a demon. He slayed the demon and took back the only boy born in the family for around three hundred years after saving his life"

"Okay?" Senjuro and Mitsuri said in unison

"The boy he took back was introduced to your Anive and you, though you were only a toddler so you don't remember him"

"Obanai-kun, where are you going with this?" The pinkette asked

He sighed "That boy who met you and Kyojuro was me"

The looked at him wide-eyed "So we have met. I was just too young to remember you." Senjuro stated

Iguro nodded "Kyojuro seemed to remember me when he became a Hashira"

"So that's why you and Rengoku-san were so close!" Mitsuri exclaimed

Obanai's dumb side kicked in "We were? I guess we were close...." he pinched his chin

"YOU" A rugged voice said from behind "FIGHT ME" A boy with a boar mask on his head rushed forward with two chipped swords in his hand towards Obanai.

Obanai watched with a loook of disgust on his face, bent down and grabbed his foot before he could attack. He held Inosuke up by his foot "The hell is wrong with you?"

A young lady entered "Inosuke-san! How many times must I tell you to not terrorize patients?!" she scolded. She banged the back of his head with a frying pan and forced his head down "I apologize, Love pillar-sama, Serpent Pillar-sama"

Mitsuri waved her hands "No need for formalities, Aoi-chan. Call me Mitsuri" Mitsuri held her dear to her heart.

Aoi looked ahead and smiled "Mitsuri, sorry for Inosuke-san" She turned towards Inosuke "Go on, apologize!"

"Sorry, Mitsuki and snake man" he said

They left promptly "Who were they?" Iguro asked

"The boar boy is Kamado-kun's friend, the other is Tomioka-san's pupil and Shinobu's little sister"

Iguro blinked 'Kocho let rat-face train her sister? That's strange' "Okay"

They stayed for longer, talking with Senjuro, frantically checking if he was feeling well.

The sun was going down, Mitsuri was gone, it was just Senjuro and Obanai.

"Hey, kid" Iguro nudged the boy, smiling under his bandaged mask "I live closer to Kyojuro's place than Kanroji does. If something like that ever happens and you need to go somewhere. Stop by." He handed Senjuro a slip of paper with his adress on it.

Senjuro looked at him wide-eyed "Thanks, Iguro-san"

'He learnt my name, I see' he smiled, this kid felt strangely precious to him. In all his history of meeting children, he either kicked, punched, elbowed, or threw them away. He felt a strong urge to keep him safe, half a personal dedication, half because with Kyojuro gone he had nowhere to turn to.

Iguro placed a palm atop his head "You have a home at my place if you ever need one" he looked up to the sky 'Kyojuro. Your brother is safe in my arms'

Senjuro's eyes filled up with tears, he leapt forward and hugged Obanai, his demon slayer uniforms' button getting in his face. He sobbed.

Iguro was taken aback, but stood there awkwardly at rubbed his back slowly.

Senjuro let go "Sorry, Iguro-san. I had to get those emotions out of me. Bye bye" he flashed forward a whole-hearted grin.

(Flashback insues) "Obanai, don't try to push emotions such as regret, love or sadness away. Cherish your feelings, alright?!" Kyojuro said confidently.

Iguro nodded firmly

(Flashbback ends) "Don't get those emotions out. Emotions like love, sadness and regret are meant to me felt, not left behind. Cherish your feelings, okay?" he said firmly, he could never pull off the loud, encouraging voice Kyojuro was blessed with.

"Okay, bye bye" Senjuro said, his eyes filled with tears and a million different emotions flowing through every one of them.

'You'll be avenged Kyojuro, and your brother will be kept safe. I'll make sure of it'