“Kid, how about it?
The scenery in my hometown is quite nice, isn’t it?” Kuwajima Jigorō, supported by Kanzaki Kumo, stepped down from the carriage.
He looked around, his tone filled with nostalgia and emotion.
“It truly is nice.” Kanzaki Kumo turned his head to look around, speaking honestly.
Although named Peach Mountain, there weren’t many peach trees on it.
Instead, there were many broad-leaved trees Kanzaki Kumo couldn’t name.
It was precisely the turn of spring and summer, a time when vegetation was bursting with life.
The endless green leaves shimmered with golden light under the setting sun; the view was quite lovely.
Kuwajima’s old home was at the peak of Peach Mountain, offering an open view and fresh air.
Moreover, Peach Mountain wasn’t very high, and with Kanzaki Kumo’s excellent eyesight, he could see the pedestrians in the small town below even from the summit.
However, rather than admiring the scenery, Kanzaki Kumo was more concerned about when dinner would be served.
To avoid walking in the dark and potentially encountering ghosts, the group had eaten dry rations in the carriage for lunch.
Although what he ate over the past decade was similar to these dry rations, having enjoyed the delicacies provided by the Demon Slayer Corps for half a month made Kanzaki Kumo somewhat unaccustomed to returning to them.
It could be considered a firsthand experience of the saying, “It is easy to transition from frugality to luxury, but difficult to transition from luxury to frugality.”
The living necessities, arranged by Ubuyashiki Kagaya the day before, had already been delivered here.
They even took the time to clean the rooms.
Kanzaki Kumo and Kuwajima only needed to move in, demonstrating extremely thoughtful service.
Kagaya had originally intended to arrange a few servants for Kuwajima Jigorō, but the self-reliant Little old man refused.
He felt unworthy of such treatment since he could no longer fight on the front lines.
This prompted Kanzaki Kumo to complain internally quite a bit.
Fortunately, thanks to Kuwajima’s long-standing foundation in martial arts and the assistance of his prosthetic limbs, even though he couldn’t walk as swiftly as before, his daily activities were not an issue.
As for Kanzaki Kumo taking care of him, how could this stubborn Little old man allow a child to look after him?
When they had time, helping him up was considered a moment of closeness between master and disciple.
Beyond that, he certainly wouldn’t demand Kanzaki Kumo stay by his side constantly.
After all, Kuwajima was determined to give Kanzaki Kumo a complete childhood, hoping he would participate in the demon-slaying business a few years later.
Kanzaki Kumo: Well, a complete childhood, doesn’t that seem to involve more than just playing happily…?
“Alright, you go check if the bedroom setup meets your preferences first.
The person in charge is still down in the town, so if you need anything, you can change it on the spot.
They are leaving tomorrow,” Kuwajima gently instructed while deftly pulling his arm away from Kanzaki Kumo’s support.
“Okay.”
In the bedroom, there was a large bed and some accompanying furniture, a small table and stools, plus a wardrobe—this would be his bedroom for the next period.
All the essential items were present, and they looked quite good in quality.
Although there were no decorations, Kanzaki Kumo didn’t care about such things anyway; in fact, fewer flashy items made him feel more comfortable.
Upon approaching, he noticed the quilt still emitted a faint warmth, likely having been aired out during the day.
Opening the wardrobe, he found several sets of casual clothes tailored to his size.
Although the colors were just simple black and white combinations, Kanzaki Kumo happened to prefer this simple style of dress, which is what he wore while at the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kanzaki Kumo could only marvel again at how thoughtful Ubuyashiki’s arrangements were regarding the interior setup.
After a brief inspection, Kanzaki Kumo turned and headed toward the kitchen.
It was absolutely not because he distrusted Kuwajima’s cooking; he was simply feeling hungry and wanted to see how much longer until dinner.
As it turned out, while Kuwajima’s cooking couldn’t compare to the chefs at the Demon Slayer Corps, it was still quite good.
Dinner was delicious, and it was characterized by large portions that ensured he was full.
In Kuwajima’s words: Kanzaki Kumo, “Your frame is so thin; you need to bulk up,” “This is the age for growing; you can’t go hungry,” and “What good were those dry rations on the road?
You need proper meals.”
Watching the Little old man who usually bickered with him develop such a strong ‘motherly’ aura, Kanzaki Kumo found himself unable to cope and could only lower his head to eat ravenously.
At least, he couldn’t let this Little old man see him on the verge of tears.
Kanzaki Kumo, who was over thirty considering both his lives, hadn’t been cared for this much since Kanzaki Keizan treated him like a beloved grandchild.
In his previous life, the relatives who took him in provided him with food and shelter and allowed him to complete his compulsory education.
He didn’t ask for more care than that.
As for this life, his life before the age of four was numb, existing only to survive.
After living with Kanzaki Keizan for over two years, he experienced the feeling of being loved, only to end up wandering again.
Although he had companions at the temple, he was one of the older ones and mostly played the role of caretaker.
While the head priest and the monks, including Gyoumei, cared for him, it wasn’t as intimate.
It felt more like the kindness humans show to stray animals.
That kindness was certainly good, but it wasn’t as warm or heart-touching as the nagging of this white-haired Old Man before him.
Burying his emotion, Kanzaki Kumo couldn’t help but think that in a few months, when he went to pay respects to Kanzaki Keizan, he could tell him about Kuwajima Jigorō, letting his non-blood-related grandfather know that his grandson was no longer someone without affection.
Immediately after, Kanzaki Kumo wondered if that guy Kaigaku had been dealt with by Ubuyashiki and decided he needed to confirm it sometime.
…The next morning, Kanzaki Kumo’s biological clock rang precisely on time, causing Kuwajima Jigorō a sense of defeat.
He had originally hoped Kanzaki Kumo would wake up late so he could use the excuse, “If you want to learn the Breathing Technique, you must wake up early,” to try and discourage him.
In Kuwajima’s view, what child didn’t like sleeping in?
Yet, Kanzaki Kumo woke up slightly earlier than him, causing Kuwajima’s plan to fail before it could even be implemented.
After finishing breakfast and a brief warm-up to aid digestion, Kuwajima Jigorō, despite his reluctance, took his wooden sword and stood in the center of the open space outside to begin teaching the Breathing Technique.
No matter what, his current identity was Cultivator, and Kanzaki Kumo was his disciple.
Teaching the Breathing Technique was his responsibility, and he couldn’t let personal desires interfere with official duties.
Therefore, Kuwajima Jigorō became even more determined to make Kanzaki Kumo voluntarily suggest delaying the study of the Breathing Technique for a few more years.
Kanzaki Kumo roughly guessed Kuwajima’s thoughts, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
This Little old man always possessed a strange persistence in certain odd areas.
As long as it didn’t hinder his learning of the Breathing Technique, it was fine.
“Brat, listen up carefully.
Thunder Breathing is the strongest Breathing Technique in terms of instantaneous burst among the Five Great Breathing Techniques.
Its key lies in…”
The entire morning was spent explaining theoretical knowledge, ranging from the basic breathing rhythm of a Breathing Technique, the key points of Total Concentration Breathing, to the core essence of Thunder Breathing, and the characteristics of the Six Forms, and so on.
Despite being purely theoretical explanations with no demonstration of the forms, Kanzaki Kumo was somewhat puzzled why Kuwajima was holding a wooden sword and why he insisted on standing in the sun the whole time.
But regardless, Kuwajima was the teacher.
Kanzaki Kumo, whose understanding of the Breathing Technique only extended to the flashy special effects in anime from his previous life, naturally would not question this professional who had dedicated decades to Thunder Breathing.
Moreover, Kuwajima kept glancing at him from time to time during the teaching process.
Perhaps this arrangement truly held a unique purpose?
Kanzaki Kumo’s state of focused listening unintentionally caused Kuwajima Jigorō’s discouragement plan to ‘die in the cradle’ once again.
Standing still and soaking up the sun for an entire morning while listening to dry theoretical explanations—in Kuwajima’s view, no child could remain focused the entire time, or even maintain their standing posture.
As long as Kanzaki Kumo had a problem midway, Kuwajima’s wooden sword would have a purpose, ensuring the force was just right—startling but not causing brain damage.
“If one time isn’t enough, I’ll do it a few more times.
I’m sure the Brat will eventually give up on his own,” Kuwajima thought to himself.
But Kanzaki Kumo listened attentively the entire time, and his stance was perfectly steady.
Even though his legs were trembling slightly by the end of the morning, he didn’t lean to one side at all.
Kuwajima Jigorō: This disciple is too good, which also makes one so troubled…