Within Her Eyes - Kimetsu No Yaiba

22. Rengoku

"Tsukiko" Iguro called to her from the engawa. Tsukiko responded from where she lay in the grass.

The girl had been staying at the serpent estate while she healed from the fight with the flute demon. It had only been a few weeks but she exchanged letters with Tanjiro everyday. He had wanted to come see her but Tsukiko warned him to stay away. Something in her told her that the personalities of the serpent hashira and Tanjiro would clash.

Iguro's face appeared in Tsukiko's line of sight, illuminated by the light of the rising sun. Since Tsukiko had removed her veil for the first time at the serpent estate, she noticed him looking at her more. The girl knew it wasn't because he liked her but because he was intrigued by the moons. He was waiting for what she would tell him.

"You slept outside again," the hashira observed. "You've done that for over a week. I provide you with a room and you don't even care to sleep in it." The last part was said roughly.

Tsukiko closed her eyes and and sighed before speaking. She had been sleeping outside as the room she was given at the serpent estate did not have a window in which the moon was visible through.

It was left to wonder if Iguro actually did not want to know his future.

"Yes," Tsukiko moved to stand and dusted herself off. The morning dew had settled into her clothes and hair. "I was waiting for the one I wanted."

"For a vision?" Iguro asks as they make their way into the building.

Tsukiko nods and grips her new nichirin blade that had come during her stay. She had barely escaped the beating from Nishikawa for breaking the other. The words paused on her tongue as her eyes slowly moved to Iguro. She gazed at him for a moment before proceeding.

"It was about you," Tsukiko looked ahead and pretended not to notice when Iguro's eyes cut to her, "do you want to know what it showed me?"

Iguro did not speak as they entered his home and began making their way to the front gate. Then it was only a series of hums. He had been pondering the question more each day Tsukiko remained in his estate. Now he had to face the music.

"I have thought about this much since you went to the festival with me," Iguro states as they arrive at the gate of the serpent estate, "I don't want to know anything beyond what demon I will face. There are things I don't want to see."

"Then there is nothing for me to tell today."

Tsukiko bows to the hashira, thanking him for allowing her to heal at his estate. Iguro hands her the veil she wore on the night of the festival. He had forbidden her from wearing it at his estate. He gave Tsukiko no reason but instead told her to shut up when she asked.

"You could always stay as my Tsugoko," Iguro offered for a second time to Tsukiko. "You might survive my training if you can handle Hashimoto."

He did not want to admit it but he had come to see Tsukiko as not worthless. In fact, she bad began to grow on him during her time there. This was enough motivation for him to want to mentor her.

That and the fact that she refused to not train despite her injuries.

"I'm sorry but I must decline. There is someone waiting for me and being your Tsugoko is not what the future holds for me." Tsukiko bows again to Iguro, "this is something that I should not change."

Tsukiko starts her walk back to the butterfly estate and a few steps in Iguro calls to her.

"Have you changed the future before?" Iguro asks her.

"Yes," she looks over her shoulder to respond, "I'm not dead."

The walk back to the butterfly estate was peaceful and there were several people along the path as she made her way back. However, she had not been expecting to see the flame hashira close to the butterfly estate. Nor was she expecting him to approach her.