Chapter Text
Tanjiro’s eyes snapped open. He was lying in a quiet forest clearing, the morning air calm and soft. There were no signs of battle — no blood, no ash.
Confused, he sat up and checked himself over. His clothes were clean, untouched by the fight. His sword rested quietly at his side.
Something wasn’t right. Was this one of Muzan’s tricks? He was unsure. Disoriented, he began walking where his feet took him.
He was walking for what felt like hours. He strangely felt well rested, as if he just woke up and had breakfast.
Not long after, he reached the entrance of a small village.
It was peaceful and full of life, even in the early morning. People crowded the streets, minding their own business.
"Fresh cabbages! Get your fresh cabbages! Half the usual price! Only today!" One street vendor shouted.
Tanjiro walked down the path aimlessly. He watched as people went around, selling their crops and produce. His eyes flickered over a small boy with white hair carrying a huge basket on his back.
‘Charcoal.’ he thought sadly. He remembered the life he had before — selling charcoal and going back home to his family. His eyebrows furrowed, as he became lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into someone.
He mumbled an apology, still lost in a trance. He didn't know where he was nor what had happened to his comrades. 'Is this a dream? One like Enmu's?' he thought, alarmed.
As Tanjiro walked through the streets, people glanced at him with wariness. He clutched his sword tight, he knew the Corps weren’t recognized by the government. He needed to be careful.
Then, he felt it. His thoughts were interrupted by a small tug on his haori. He halted and looked down. A young boy clutched his haori with dirty fingers, holding something out.
“Mister, you dropped this! Don’t worry — I didn’t take anything!”
Tanjiro froze. That face… that voice. Memories rushed in like a wave. The ghost of his dearest friend, staring back at him. But this time, he was whole. Alive. And smiling.
He was missing a few teeth and his face was flushed. He was panting, as if he had been chasing him down the path. Tanjiro didn't miss the bruises forming on his face.
He stared at the boy, barely breathing. “Genya?” The boy blinked in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "How did you know my name, Mister?" he asked.
Tanjiro shut his mouth quickly and furrowed his eyebrows. ‘I should be careful. I don’t know what's going on yet. Genya is in front of me, but he is not the Genya I know. He’s younger,’ he thought.
"S-Sorry, I heard someone call your name just now and I was wondering if you knew who they were calling.” he said, finding an excuse and looking around. His gaze went back to the white-haired kid who was selling charcoal. The kid locked eyes with him and frowned when his gaze landed on the young Genya.
"Genya! Didn’t I tell you to stay beside me?" he asked, watching Tanjiro with distrust and calculating eyes. Tanjiro could smell fear radiating from the white-haired child. The child seemed older than Genya.
"Sorry Nemi! I just returned the pouch he dropped," he defended, waving his arms in the air. His gaze left Tanjiro and looked at Genya with soft eyes. "That’s kind of you. Good job," he praised.
"Of course! Mother said to be kind and honest always!" he huffed. The kid, Nemi, smiled at that. He then looked back at Tanjiro, his gaze no longer holding any distrust. "We have to keep going. We can’t keep Mother waiting.” he said and turned around.
"Goodbye, mister!" Genya waved his hand while the other gripped Nemi’s hand. Tanjiro reached out to the two. "P-Please wait," he called out, earning confused looks from the two boys.
"To thank you for your kindness..." he trailed off and knelt in front of the two boys. He grabbed a few hundred yen and pressed it inside each of their palms, then closed them.
The boys gasped and tried to return the money to Tanjiro. "M-Mister, we couldn't accept this!" the child, Nemi, exclaimed, clearly in distress. But Tanjiro was stubborn by nature.
"I insist. You two are good children and very hard-working. Why not reward yourselves with treats? Or..." he trailed off and glanced at their bare feet. His expression turned sad. No matter where he was, life was tough.
"Buy anything you want for you and your family," he finished. The boys looked at him, stunned. Genya, understanding the opportunity, looked at Nemi with anticipation. "Nii-san, we could buy Sumi a new kimono!" he exclaimed.
His brother shushed him and looked helplessly at Tanjiro. "Mister, I can't accept this. We don't have anything to give back to you," he mumbled.
Tanjiro reached out and patted their heads affectionately. The two boys flinched, then finally relaxed under his touch. Unconsciously, they leaned into Tanjiro's hands.
Tanjiro's expression softened as he continued patting their heads. "Yosh, yosh. What good children," he praised, making the siblings’ ears turn red.
"What are your names?" he asked. The kid, Nemi, snapped out of it and grinned at Tanjiro.
"My name is Sanemi. Shinazugawa Sanemi. This is my younger brother, Genya. Shinazugawa Genya," he introduced.
Tanjiro froze. ‘Huh?! This cute, soft kid is Shinazugawa-san? THAT Shinazugawa Sanemi?!’ Tanjiro thought in disbelief. He snapped out of it and stared at the two, who were now watching him with confusion and worry.
‘Did I... travel in time?’ he thought. His arm was grabbed and shaken. Glancing down, he saw Genya gripping his arm. "How about you, Mister? What's your name?" he asked.
"My name is... Tanjiro," he said, leaving out his last name. He wasn’t sure if he had been sent back to the past or not, but he didn’t want to stand out.
But at the same time, if it was true that he had been sent back to the past, isn't this the best opportunity to change the future? The future where they lost — where he lost everyone.
His stomach churned at the thought of losing everyone again in the future. He didn't know what lives everyone had lived before they joined the Demon Slayer Corps, but as much as possible, he wanted to make a difference before this time-jump blood demon art he was in at the moment ended.
With newfound determination, he stood up and grabbed the discarded basket on the ground. The basket was still full of charcoal and heavy. It could crush Sanemi with its weight. He was surprised at how strong the kid was.
Sanemi visibly panicked and stopped Tanjiro from taking Genya's hand basket too. "Tanjiro-san! You don't have to do this," he said, trying to grab the basket back. Genya stared at the scene, unable to do anything.
Tanjiro smiled and patted Sanemi's head, earning a choked sound from him. "It's fine. I'll help you sell this charcoal. I may not look like it now, but I used to sell charcoal regularly. We’ll sell out in no time!" he said with determination and reached out his hand, crouching to Sanemi's height.
"Could you help big brother out?" he gently invited. Sanemi could only stare at him in awe, eyes glistening. He sniffed and held Tanjiro’s hand. It was twice as big as his own. He said nothing as the trio walked the path, all holding each other's hands.
Sanemi couldn't help but stare at the man selling the charcoal they hadn't been able to sell earlier. Tanjiro effortlessly talked to people and found ways to earn their trust. In the end, he always managed to convince people to buy their charcoal.
Sanemi hadn't met someone like him before. He was a stranger — someone he had just met today — and yet he felt drawn to the man. He was kind, gentle, and loving. He was someone lowly, and yet Tanjiro looked at him and his brother as worthy people. As humans. Not with disdain, not with anger.
His fingers betrayed him as they curled tightly around Tanjiro's. Tanjiro squeezed back in return. He looked down and met Sanemi's gaze. He smiled warmly. Sanemi's breath was taken away.
It was almost sunset when they finished selling the last piece of charcoal. The brothers walked home with their bellies full, feet covered in new sandals, and their arms filled with kimonos and sandals for the rest of their siblings.
Genya, now on Tanjiro's back, nodded off as he drooled, asleep. Tanjiro held his legs firmly as they made their way back to the Shinazugawa household. The walk was quiet, the streets full of life were now beginning to settle down in preparation for the night.
Tanjiro's eyebrows furrowed. Nighttime meant the possibility of demons roaming around the village. He needed to be on guard. Sanemi halted in front of a small, rundown house. Tanjiro thought it might be the Shinazugawa residence.
"This is where we live," Sanemi's voice was small, and Tanjiro hummed gently.
He gently jolted Genya awake. "H-Huh? Nii-san... Mister, are we home?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Yes, we are," Tanjiro said, gently setting the sleepy Genya back on the ground. "Go get some rest. It's already late," Tanjiro said, patting the boys' heads before standing.
In a panic, Sanemi reached out to grab Tanjiro's sleeve. "A-Are you leaving already?" he asked. Sanemi mentally punched himself. Of course he was leaving. He couldn't stay forever. He didn't even know them — he was just kindhearted.
The thought of Tanjiro leaving spiked fear in Sanemi's heart. He didn't want him to leave. He wanted him to stay forever.
Tanjiro could smell the sadness radiating from the two siblings and smiled. Crouching down to their level, his hands made their way to their heads.
"Don't worry. Big brother will come back. We’ll still see each other tomorrow," he promised. Sanemi and Genya brightened at the promise. They nodded and slowly made their way back inside after one last wave at Tanjiro. He stood and waved back.
Morning came, and Tanjiro couldn't sleep a wink. His eyes snapped open as he found himself yet again in the same forest clearing where he first woke up. It was not a dream... He sighed. He stood up and patted his uniform clean.
Sleeping in the forest, exposed, wasn't a good idea. But he hadn't smelled nor sensed any demons that night — it was safe for now. Clutching his sword, he sheathed it on his side belt. "I wonder how the siblings are doing?" he wondered.
He began trekking down the path again, until he found himself walking the familiar route towards the Shinazugawa household. In his hand, fresh fruits he had gathered along the way for Shinazugawa-san and his family.
His footsteps halted when a commotion erupted from the household.
"Genya, get out!" The scream came from Sanemi as a series of screams and cries echoed from inside, followed by a gruff yell from a man full of disdain and anger.
"You little bitches! Did you have fun playing outside while I worked my ass off?! You should earn your keep!" he yelled, grabbing a bottle and smashing it on the wall near Genya. The shards scratched Genya's cheek as he cried out in pain.
His hair was still trapped under his father's grip. "Let him go, you old fart!" Sanemi cursed, barreling towards the man's legs and grabbing them, only to be kicked to the side, hitting the closet where the rest of the siblings hid. Muffled cries could be heard from inside.
Sanemi coughed, tears swelling in his eyes as he watched his father — no, that man was not their father — raise a clenched fist into the air, ready to strike Genya, when a familiar fluttering checkered green haori filled his sight.
Tanjiro gripped the man's arm tightly as the man stared at him in shock and anger. His eyes bulged as he tried to shake Tanjiro’s grip off. However, as a trained slayer, Tanjiro was stronger and didn’t budge. His eyes glared at the man in front of him with fury.
"What in the world are you doing?!" he gritted out in anger. The man, who he assumed was the children’s father, shoved Genya aside and grabbed Tanjiro’s arm.
"Who the fuck are you?! What gives you the right to trespass into my home?!" he yelled as he raised his fist, ready to punch Tanjiro. But Tanjiro was quicker — he ducked and kicked the man’s legs, causing him to buckle.
"Your home?! You call the place where you hurt your children and insult them your home?! You have no right!" Tanjiro yelled, veins popping from his forehead in anger. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
His gaze quickly met the eyes of five terrified children hiding behind the closet door. There was a baby. His vision turned red at the possibility of the man hurting the baby.
He couldn't bear the thought of his own brother, Rokuta, being hurt the same way. He gritted his teeth and swept the man off his feet, causing him to faceplant on the floor. The man tried to stand up, but Tanjiro kneaded the man's back with his foot.
"You should be the pillar of this house! You should be the one protecting your family, and yet you beat them!" he growled at the man below him. The man scoffed and laughed sardonically.
"Family?! I don't even know if they're mine! My whore of a wife goes out every day to sleep with the men she sees!" he screeched.
Sanemi clenched his fists, his eyes wild. No one insults his mother. No one!
"That's not true! Mother works so hard to look after us!" he screamed, tears clouding his vision.
"Work hard? That bitch is lazy! All she does is laze around at home and produce more parasites!" the man screamed. Tanjiro grabbed his arm and twisted it causing him to shout in pain.
"That's enough," Tanjiro said, voice cold. Sanemi’s voice caught in his throat.
"You have been blessed with a kind, loving wife and wonderful, amazing children, and yet you're blind to see it all," Tanjiro seethed. "You don't deserve them. You don't deserve to live," he gritted out.
Sanemi watched the scene with glistening eyes and a pounding heart. But for the first time, his heart wasn’t pounding because of fear. It was pounding because of a sudden relief he couldn't explain — something that cured the break inside of him. The man they'd only met yesterday saw them as a blessing. Not parasites. But worthy. Not disgusting. But treasures.
The door slammed open as his mother gasped and screamed in panic at the sight of her subdued husband.
"S-Sir, please! Whatever my husband has done—!" his mother pleaded, bowing down, head to the ground towards Tanjiro gripping his feet. "Please let him go. Please forgive him!" she cried.
Tanjiro could only grit his teeth and shoved the man to the side.
"Kyogo!" she said, approaching the grunting man on the floor. Kyogo growled and stood up, shoving the woman out of the way as she fell hard beside Sanemi.
"Mother!" he cried out, clinging to her to prevent her from going after their father.
"You bastards! All of you! I hope you all drop dead!" he yelled as he marched outside the house, shoving Tanjiro out of the way.
A few seconds of silence and panting filled the house until a series of footsteps rushed out from the closet, racing towards their mother.
"Mom!"
"Ma!"
"Mother!"
They cried out and scrambled into their mother’s embrace. The woman cried and hugged all of her children tight. All of them were sobbing on the floor, and Tanjiro could only watch with a heavy heart.
His heart clenched painfully as he watched the scene. He couldn’t believe that the strong and feared Wind Hashira had a past like this. He had wondered what could have happened to make the Wind Hashira so hostile in the future — even towards the little brother he loved the most.
When their wails died down to sniffles, they pulled away from their mother’s embrace and ducked behind her under Tanjiro’s soft gaze, except Sanemi and Genya.
The woman huddled in front of Tanjiro and bowed again, causing him to raise his hands to stop her.
"Ma’am, please don’t—" he began, only pausing when the woman held his hand.
"I’m sorry, young man, that you were involved in our feud. I thank you with all my heart for saving the children. Without you here, I don’t know what might have..." she trailed off, covering her mouth as she wept.
Sanemi fretted around her in distress. Tanjiro knelt and held her hand. The woman jolted at the unfamiliar feeling, but it was not unwelcomed. It was warm, loving, and gentle. It made her cry even more.
"You don’t have to apologize. I’m glad I intervened before it escalated even further. The children’s safety is my priority. Please don’t blame yourself," he said gently, eyes warm and soft — but holding heartbreak within. He wanted to make sure the family would be safe. This was a temporary measure, and he was certain her husband would come back. He felt uneasy leaving the family alone.
"I haven’t introduced myself — my name is Shizu. These are my children: Sanemi, Genya, Sumi, Teiko, Hiroshi, Shuuya and Koto," Shizu said, introducing all of her children one by one, leaving Tanjiro in awe and warmth. A big family. Like his.
The thought of his own family brought bittersweet grief to his heart, and his smile softened as the children gazed at him with warmth and wonder.
"Please let me make it up to you. We don’t have much but—" she trailed off, opening a cabinet before fishing out a few yen from her pouch. Tanjiro grabbed her hand softly.
"You don’t have to, Ma’am. Seeing you all safe and happy is enough," he said firmly. Tears fell from her eyes as she thanked Tanjiro for his earnestness.
"Then why not just stay here?"
Their heads whipped around in Genya’s direction, who was sitting while his brother treated his wound. Sanemi, in shock, accidentally pressed the wound too hard, earning a cry from Genya.
"Sorry!" Sanemi exclaimed, then looked at Tanjiro with hope in his eyes.
He wished for him to stay. He had seen how Tanjiro was gentle with his mother and siblings. He had seen how kind and loving he was towards his family. He wanted him to stay. He didn’t want him to leave. He had never been selfish in his life, but if the gods would allow him to be selfish for once, he wanted Tanjiro to stay.
"But..." Tanjiro trailed off.
"That’s a good idea. Please at least stay for dinner!"
He didn’t want to impose. But on second thought, he didn’t have a place to go or stay for the time being. If he were to stay with the Shinazugawa family, he would be able to protect them while he figured out why he was sent back to this point in time. Perhaps he needed to stop something from happening, or perhaps he needed to understand more about the Wind Hashira and his friend Genya.
But nevertheless, he smiled in defeat. "Alright. I’ll stay."
Tanjiro swore he had never seen Sanemi smile that big and happy once since he met him.
He vowed to protect that smile.