|·Idiots With Swords·| Inosuke X Reader

25

You could tell that Sanemi's training regiment was hard just by looking at Zenitsu's condition, and though he is usually a complete train wreck, this seemed pretty concerning. As I had expected, it was a classic beat down session where he slashes at you non-stop. There's no resting until you vomit or faint. Sanemi was harsh usually, and he was this bad when I trained with him before, but he's especially cruel towards Tanjirou.
By the end of the day, I was beaten bloody, but it seems like my injuries were minor compared to just about everyone else. I knew I was getting hit just as hard as everyone else was, so I assume it was my demon blood activating to protect me from further harm. But I'm not complaining in the slightest.
"This is only day one.." Tanjirou grumbled as he limped down the hallway next to me.
"Yeah, and?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, wiping blood away from my nose before it could hit the hardwood floor.
"And I'm bruised and covered in vomit." He groaned. "I feel completely heart broken."
"Yeah well, that's what training with him was like usually." I shrugged calmly.
"Wait up, Aniki!"
My eyes widen as I recognize Genya's voice from around the corner. Both Tanjirou and I lean back against the wall to listen in.
"I wanna talk to you about something.." Genya said softly.
"Oh no.. This isn't going to end well.." I whispered under my breath.
"Wow, you're annoying. You know I have no brother. Now cut the crap, or I'll shread you to pieces." Sanemi spat angrily, but I could feel a wave of sadness emit from him.
Genya's energy was worse. He was completely mortified, upset, hurt. It took everything in me not to jump around the corner and break up the argument or say something, but against my better judgement, I clamped a hand over my mouth and sat still.
Sanemi was furious still, "Don't talk to me like we're buddy-buddy. From what I've seen, you have no talent whatsoever. Just leave the demon slayers. Those who can't use breaths have no right to be called swordmen."
"..but.." Sanemi started walking off and Genya called out after him. "W.. Wait, Aniki! I've always wanted to apologize to you!"
"Yeah, I seriously don't give a shit. Now go screw off." Sanemi said dismissively.
Genya's voice cracked with emotion, "but I.. I even ate demons... so I could fight.."
"Of fuck oh fuck oh fuck.." I whispered through my fingers. This situation is going to become increasingly worse.. Why did you say anything about it, Genya you stupid moron!?
"You what?" Sanemi froze in his steps. "What did you just say? Demons? You ate them?!" He immediately went for the kill.
Within half a second, Tanjirou and I were on the move. I redirected Sanemi's attack while the brunette pushed Genya through the wall out into the yard.
"Sanemi!" I hissed. "What the fuck is your malfunction?! He only did all that to impress you, for fucks sake!"
He turned towards me furiously, ".. You knew.. You knew about this.. And you didn't fucking tell me?! Even after I told you what happened?!"
"He's your fucking family!" I shouted angrily. "Your little brother!"
"..are you betraying me here, (y/n)?" He said calmly, but his eyes full of rage. "You taking his side after all we've been through?"
"You told me to protect him, and this is my way of doing it." I whispered to him, so only he would hear. "I protected him then, and I'll protect him now. Even from you if that's what it takes."
"Fine. If that's your goal.." He grabbed onto the front of my shirt harshly, pulling me close to him. He looked at me, eyes roaming my face silently for a moment, disgust written across his face, before he set me down harshly. ".. From now on.. You're dead to me."
I looked up at him completely horrified and I shook my head blinking back tears. "F..fine. So be it then."
"Don't fucking talk to me. You're nothing to me anymore. Consider yourself lucky I don't kill you right now." He growled angrily before stomping outside to complete the fight he had started.
I had half a mind to follow him and break up the fight, but I stopped myself and instead walked down the hall and packed my bag.
I punched the floor harshly, and began crying alone. Out of everything that could've happened.. This hit me differently. After a moment or so, I wiped off my face, and stood up. This is fine.. If thats how he's going to be, I don't need him in my life anymore.

The chaos continued well into the night. Tanjirou recieved an official scolding from the higher ups, and his training came to a complete halt. Not only that, but he was banned from even approaching him as well. Both Sanemi and I requested to stop my training as well.
"This wasn't how I wanted to do things.. And the marks not showing up yet. Maybe the training just isn't working." Tanjirou said with a frown as he followed behind Zenitsu and I.
"Oh its working alright." The blonde said calmly. "You managed to land a hit on the Wind dude, thats badass." He suddenly throws his hands up and shrieks, "and seriously, we're still in the mountains?! Where the hell is the rock pillars house?!"
I hold my hands up to cover my ears and walk ahead quicker then them. I've been here before as well for endurance training when I was younger. My eyes land on a water fall, and sitting under the water are three people who are chanting.
"This is what I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, near the city of Srâvastì."
"..Inosuke!" I resist the urge to fall to my knees in relief as I spot a familiar pig head under the water.
"If you erase your mind.. Even fires will become cold. Welcome to my training ground." I turn to see a pit of fire. In its center, is Himejima, holding a large log covered in rocks on his shoulders. He was calm, and composed and I bowed my head respectfully. He's always been kind to me through the years, and was always there to comfort me when I was arguing with Kagaya, or Sanemi's training was too rough on me.
"Hello, Himejima- Sama. Its a pleasure to be here under your care." I said calmly.
"Remove your shoes, and come talk to me child." He instucted softly, waving towards me.
I did as he asked and stepped into the fire infront of him. The flames not even effecting me in the slightest. "Yes sir?"
"I heard what happened at Shinazugawa's place." He said, a fresh tear rolling down his cheek landing on the embers with a soft hiss. "I understand if you don't wish to talk about it. But are you alright?"
I shrugged sullenly, "yes.. No.. I.. I don't know, Himejima. I have to be okay, so people don't see me like I'm just another weak girl. So don't even think about offering me a different training regimen."
"I wasn't going to. But you're not weak, you know." Himejima said quietly, hardly above the crackle of the flames. "You're the estranged daughter of a demon and a human. And the beloved daughter of not only Oyakata-Sama, but one of the strongest fighters throughout the entirety of the Demon Slayer Corps. You're not weak."
"I.. Thank you.." I bowed my head again before wiping my face of any tears threatening to spill. "I.. I needed to hear that." I walked out of the flames with my head held high.
Himejima followed me out to greet Zenitsu and Tanjirou. "The most important thing is the body's core, the limbs. Stabilizing your body with strong limbs will lead to accurate attacks and indefatigable defense." He gestured to the waterfall, "first, train by having the waterfall beat you. Then carry three logs on your shoulders. Finally push the rock through a town. My training is simple. Just these three things. The training involving the flames was far too dangerous for you, so I removed them."
"I'm sorry Zenitsu passed out.." Tanjirou said worriedly as he hardly supported his weight.
"Dump him in the river." Himejima said bluntly.
When Tanjirou looked towards me for reassurance I gestured towards the water. "Listen to the man. I'll even go with you." I pull off the top of my uniform, handing it to Himejima, to reveal my loose black shirt.
Both of us drag Zenitsu behind us, and toss him into the icy water. He lets out a high pitched screech and runs out of the river to go hug a large rock with several other demon slayers.
The water is enough to freeze the blood in my veins, but after a moment or so, I get used to it. "You know, this isn't half bad."
Tanjirou is shivering violently next to me as we start heading towards the waterfall. "I..its so cold.. Inosuke is working hard though.. I should too.. Wait.. I can't hear his chants."
"Ino.. Inosuke!!" I shouted, pulling him out from under the water, and dragging him towards the shore. I pulled off his mask and immediately began CPR. After a minute or so, he sits up and coughs up water off to the side.
He looks at me for a moment with dull confusion before registering my face, and getting excited. "(Y/n)!!"
I held him tightly against me, his skin cold as ice. "Hey Inosuke!"
He seemed to be bouncing in place with a newfound abundance of energy. "My cute girlfriend saved me! I'm so hyped up!! Aaaa!!!"
Inosuke put his mask back on and went back under the waterfall, me right next to him and Tanjirou. As soon as I stepped under the waterfall, my muscles all instinctively tensed up so my neck wouldn't break under the pressure.
The chants were to help us focus, and it also helped let everyone else know that we were still concious. We chanted for several hours straight until we all beat the waterfall. Afterwards, we were all more than happy to hug one of the rocks, that was still warm from the sun.
I chose to share a rock with Inosuke, his hand curling around mine loosely.
"Man.. You and that boar are amazing.. So is she." One of the boys shuddered as a soft breeze went by, making him cold again. "It took me until evening to finish the waterfall on the first day. I couldn't get used to the water. Anyway, ever since I started getting used to the waterfall, I've been stuck on the log training."
Tanjirou shivered visibly, "T.. That's awesome, Murata- San."
"T.. Ten days of this.." Murata shuddered.
"Hey.. Are you guys hungry?" I asked suddenly, shaking the last of the water from my hair.
They didn't say anything, but their stomachs all growled loudly.
"Tanjirou, I trust you can cook?" I asked grabbing onto one of my swords, which i was permitted to take with me in case a demon attacked.
"Y.. Yeah, I can cook." He said hesitantly prying himself from the rocks warmth.
"Good. Go start a small fire. I'll be back in a few." I instructed, walking off down into the water again without so much as a wince. I held still, the blade positioned an inch above the icy current. When I saw movement near my shadow, I sank my blade into the water. When i pulled it up again, two fish were skewered cleanly. "You, Murata. Come get these and wait by the shore to get the rest."
"Yes ma'am." He said, walking towards the shore shakily.

I had managed to catch nearly two dozen trout, and Tanjirou cooked them over the open fire perfectly. Inosuke insisted on eating next to me, which I was happy about. Just being near him is cheering me up a little bit.
We ate in silence, everyone was glad to have full stomachs and I decided to try and make them shit themselves.
"You know.. It was on a night just like this that a girl I knew went missing." I said suddenly, instantly drawing the attention of everyone around the camp fire. "Her name was Nao, and she had invited me to go camping out in these very woods with her friends and their parents. Now, she was adventurous, and had a habit of never listening to anyone else. So, on that first night, when everyone was gathered around a campfire just like this, she decided to wander off because she wanted a better view of the moon. When someone realized she was gone, the rest of us were instructed to stay put while the parents went out with lanterns to go find Nao." Everyone's eyes were on me as I looked at each of them in turn. "Not 15 minutes passed before a freak storm blew in, making it impossible to continue looking for her. The parents had decided to wait until the storm passed before going out to find her. But they fell asleep. Her friends all went to bed, but I remained awake in case she found her way back. That wasn't the case. All through the night, I swore I heard Nao's voice in the wind asking for help and to go find her." I stared off into the crackling fire place, silent for a moment before continuing quietly. "But that was 10 years ago. Even now, if you listen carefully, you can still hear her in the wind late at night calling out for her parents, her friends, anyone."
"R..really?" One of the boys asks with a shaky voice.
I nod, my voice low, "yes. The last time I was up here, I swear I saw her and she was furious that we didn't find her. And she approached me slowly.."
The boys all leaned in closer, their eyes wide and frightened.
"And Nao looked me in the eyes and whispered something so quietly I couldn't hear her." I said slowly.
"...What did she say?" Tanjirou asked after a moment, his eyes darting around him nervously.
I gesture for them to move closer, which they all do, and I let out a blood curtling scream.
They all fall backwards, screaming and shrieking so loudly, all the birds in the surrounding area leave the trees, which only makes the boys panic more.
I sat back and laughed loudly at the chaos I had caused. Zenitsu was crying and both he and Inosuke were clinging to Tanjirou for dear life. One of the boys fainted. And for the first time in a while, I felt accomplished.