Ordinarily, by the time Tanjiro returned from selling charcoal, the sun would already be setting.
Today, however, they were back several hours early.
When Nezuko saw her older brother sitting on the cart, she couldn’t help but worry that he had been injured on the way down the mountain.
“The road was safe.
It’s just that Shiro thought I was moving too slowly and pushed the cart back all by himself,” Tanjiro said, scratching his cheek sheepishly.
In the past, he was always the one pulling Shigeru and Hanako down the mountain to buy supplies.
Being treated the same way was a first for him.
“Honestly, how could you let Shiro do all the work?
Shiro, go inside and rest quickly.
I’ll put everything away,” Nezuko said, firmly taking the cart handles from Shiro while making a symbolic show of flexing her slim arms.
“Actually, it wasn’t that tiring–”
Shiro started to protest, but when he saw Nezuko’s cheeks puff up like a steamed bun, he swallowed his words.
*I really am being treated like a kid.*
Shiro made a quick decision.
Every moment of delay was a risk; it was better to treat Tanjuro Kamado’s body immediately.
He strode into the house and saw Tanjuro lying there, his face deathly pale.
Drawing from his years of medical experience in the 4th Division, Shiro knew that Tanjuro’s life was like a flickering candle in the wind.
Even with the advanced medical equipment of the modern era, he wouldn’t last more than a year.
Kie Kamado was keeping watch by her husband’s side.
Shiro noticed her eyes were red; she likely knew that Tanjuro didn’t have much time left.
The next moment, Shiro stepped to Tanjuro’s side.
Under Kie’s shocked gaze, he placed his hand over Tanjuro’s chest.
A pale green glow emanated from Shiro’s palm, forming threads of light that flowed into Tanjuro’s body.
To be honest, Shiro wasn’t entirely sure if Kaidō–which was designed to treat spiritual bodies–would work on physical flesh.
But considering he could use Soul Reaper powers in a physical body, it was theoretically possible.
Tanjuro’s condition was far worse than Shiro had imagined; most of his internal organs were already beginning to fail.
Any ordinary person in this state would have been long dead.
It was, quite literally, a miracle he was still breathing.
As Shiro’s spiritual power was consumed, Tanjuro’s body ceased its frantic struggle for breath.
His pale complexion grew visibly rosier, and his breathing leveled out.
Kie Kamado covered her mouth in disbelief, tears falling in heavy droplets.
She didn’t dare make a sound to disturb Shiro, terrified that this was a dream she might wake from if she touched it.
In his deep slumber, Tanjuro felt his physical state slowly beginning to improve.
His shattered constitution was being knit back together by a mysterious, warm energy.
It felt cozy and bright–it had been years since he had been sick, and he had almost forgotten what “health” felt like.
Soon, the light in Shiro’s hand began to dim.
His spiritual power was nearly exhausted.
Tanjuro’s body was in such poor shape that even squeezing out every drop of Shiro’s current energy couldn’t restore him to full health in one go.
Even so, he had effectively extended Tanjuro’s life by nearly ten years.
*Thud.*
Kie Kamado suddenly pulled Shiro into a tight embrace, her beautiful face streaked with tears.
“Thank you…”
After a long moment, those two words finally squeezed out of her throat.
She didn’t care how Shiro had done it; after all, both she and her husband possessed certain unique abilities of their own.
“We’re family.
Don’t say ‘thank you’ ever again,” Shiro said, patting Kie’s back to comfort her.
“Right now, my ability isn’t enough to fully restore Uncle.
It will take several sessions to get him back to the level of a normal person,” Shiro explained as he pulled away from the emotional Kie and felt Tanjuro’s forehead.
That process would likely take about a year.
Of course, if another “big shot” arrived in the grey fog space or if he successfully learned his Zanpakutō’s name, that time could be significantly shortened.
“It’s okay.
I’m already satisfied that you can restore Tanjuro’s health, Shiro,” Kie said, wiping her eyes and smiling warmly.
“Shiro really is a child gifted to us by the heavens.”
“Ahem…
I see.
So it was Shiro who healed my body.”
A soft cough came from the side as Tanjuro woke up.
Feeling the radical difference in his body, Tanjuro was filled with emotion.
The child he had saved out of kindness had turned around and saved his life.
Kindness really did bring its own rewards.
That Night.
Tanjuro, who rarely left his bed, was actually helping Kie in the kitchen.
It worried Nezuko and the other children, who feared their father might overexert himself.
Only Tanjiro seemed to understand.
He could smell it–the thick scent of death that had once hung over his father had largely dissipated, replaced by a budding vitality.
“Don’t worry, children.
Shiro has cured my illness.
In a few days, I’ll be able to take over some of the household chores again,” Tanjuro said with a rare smile.
“Eh?!
Shiro-niichan is so amazing!
He actually cured Papa!”
Hanako Kamado hung onto Shiro’s arm, her voice filled with a mix of joy and newfound hero-worship.
The others joined in, expressing their gratitude to the boy who had saved their father.
Shiro only responded with a smile; after all, he had only spent some spiritual energy that would eventually recover.
The Next Day.
Shiro first sought out Tanjiro, who was busy chopping wood.
“You want to learn the Hinokami Kagura?”
Tanjiro was a bit confused but didn’t ask many questions.
Even though the Hinokami Kagura was his family’s traditional dance, Tanjiro would always go all out to help his family.
The problem was that his teaching ability was…
difficult for Shiro to accept.
“First, you have to shake your waist with a lot of force, then breathe really hard so your lungs go *’gu-gu’* and bulge out.
Yeah, that’s about it!”
Tanjiro used his whole body, waving his arms and legs to explain the key movements.
However, his verbal descriptions and bizarre physical gestures were far too abstract for any normal person to comprehend.
Shiro’s plan to learn Sun Breathing from Tanjiro while Tanjuro was still recovering was a total failure.
Ultimately, Shiro had to go to a more suitable teacher: Tanjuro himself.
Tanjuro held nothing back from the boy who was both his foster son and his savior.
He taught Shiro the complete Kagura dance passed down from his father.
That night, Tanjuro even put on the traditional ritual robes and performed the dance for Shiro throughout the entire night.
The swordsmanship talent Shiro had inherited from his Soul Reaper self kicked in, allowing him to quickly memorize every single step of Tanjuro’s movements.
The next step was to master the “Sun Breathing” technique itself.