Warm Morning on the Misty Mountain, Giyu's Return

The moment the wooden door was pushed open, a warm breeze rushed in.

The salty and savory flavor of the marinated salmon, the rich aroma of the miso soup, and the steam from freshly cooked rice... all mixed with the smoky scent of burning firewood, create a particularly comforting aroma.

The Kocho Sisters stood at the door.

Ren's nose twitched, and his eyes gleamed. "There really is pickled salmon!"

Kanae's gaze drifted into the room.

Then she saw it.

On the left side of the table, in that usually empty seat, someone was now sitting.

Blue haori... black hair...

The profile is clean and sharp, with a high nose bridge and a particularly defined jawline.

He sat upright, his back like a tall, straight bamboo, and even on such a relaxing morning, he showed no signs of laziness.

He held a cup of tea in his hand, the steam slightly blurring his face. His icy blue eyes peered through the rising steam at Urokodaki Sakonji Urokodaki from him.

Mr. Giyu! He's back!

Kanae felt her heart skip a beat.

Shinobu's reaction was more direct.

The purple-haired girl's eyes widened, her mouth agape in a cute "O" shape. She stared at the blue figure for a full three seconds, then—

His cheeks puffed up instantly.

Like a puffed-up pufferfish.

"Mr. Righteous and Courageous!!"

He practically spat out each word through gritted teeth.

Ren ran over, his training shoes making a dull thud on the tatami mat.

She stopped in front of Giyu, hands on her hips, glaring up at the man who was taller than her even when seated.

One month!

I haven't seen anyone for a whole month!

Not even a letter!!

Every day after training, she and her sister would subconsciously look at the mountain path, hoping to see that figure appear.

At night, snuggled in bed, I would mutter to myself about how dangerous the mission on Hachijōjima was, and whether Giyu would get hurt.

When I open the window in the morning, the first thing I look for is whether there's an extra pair of shoes covered in dew in the yard.

As a result, this person...

And just like that, without any warning, it appeared.

He was still sitting there, slowly holding his teacup, his face calm.

I'm even angrier now!!

Giyu turned his head.

His icy blue eyes looked at her calmly, without any emotion, as if he were looking at a tree, a stone, or a cloud.

He put down his teacup, the bottom of the ceramic cup hitting the table with a soft "click".

"Shinobu, Kanae, good morning!"

He spoke, his voice as flat as ever.

"You have the nerve to call us?!"

Shinobu rushed forward, her finger almost poking Giyu's nose.

"A month! A whole month! Do you know how worried we were?! No matter how busy the mission was, surely there was time to write a letter?! Master Urokodaki was worried, we were worried, and you—"

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Giyu by the collar.

Even Kanae was quick enough, couldn't stop them in time.

The blue haori fabric was very thick, but Shinobu gripped it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She pulled down forcefully while giving the command:

"Bend over!!"

She wanted this always aloof Water Hashira Lord to lower his noble head and listen carefully to her questioning.

Giyu blinked.

Kanae keenly noticed that Giyu's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Then, Giyu really did bend down.

The movements were slow and steady, as if the person had thought things through carefully.

He coordinated with Shinobu's pulling force, leaning his upper body forward until his face was close to Shinobu's.

The distance was suddenly stretched to its limit.

She was so close that she could see her own puffed-up reflection in his icy blue eyes.

Those icy blue eyes were like two mirrors, clearly reflecting her appearance at that moment:

Her wide, round purple pupils, puffed-up cheeks, slightly wrinkled nose from anger, and her hand gripping his collar so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

And what about Giyu himself?

Expressionless... serious...

Even because he was bent over, a few strands of black hair fell down and landed on his forehead, making him look somewhat... well-behaved?

This contrast instantly extinguished Ren's imposing aura.

Her face flushed red instantly.

The heat traveled from my cheeks all the way to my ears, and even my neck started to feel hot.

Her grip on her collar weakened, her eyes began to dart around, and she dared not look Giyu in the eye again.

"Why are you standing so close..."

Ren turned her face away, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz.

You made me bend over.

Giyu's tone was particularly matter-of-fact, even somewhat confused.

"I..." Ren couldn't speak.

Kanae finally came to her senses, quickly stepped forward, and gently pulled Shinobu away:

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Mr. Giyu just got back, he must be tired."

She turned to Giyu, smiling gently.

"Welcome back, Mr. Giyu."

Giyu straightened up and nodded. "Mm."

Then he looked at Shinobu and added:

You've grown taller.

Tolerate:"..."

Kanae: "Pfft."

Even Sakonji Urokodaki, who was sitting in the main seat, let out a low chuckle from beneath his mask.

"Please sit down."

Urokodaki spoke, his voice hoarse but gentle.

"Giyu arrived in the early hours of the morning, just in time for breakfast. We talked while we ate."

~~~

The one in the main seat is Urokodaki, wearing his ever-present red Tengu Mask.

On the left is Giyu, whose blue haori, when he sits down, spreads out like a pool of blue water.

Opposite her was Kanae, her long, black hair flowing smoothly down her shoulders. To her right was Shinobu, still sulking, but her eyes couldn't help but dart towards the pickled salmon on the table.

Breakfast was simple, but it was prepared with care.

Shinobu was still being stubborn, but her actions betrayed her. She took Giyu's bowl, filled it to the brim with rice, and then piled a small mountain of pickled salmon on top.

The pile was so high it looked like it was about to collapse.

She slammed the bowl down in front of him with a "thud":

"Eat!"

Giyu stared at the bowl of salmon rice and remained silent for two seconds.

Then he picked up his chopsticks, starting from the "foot of the mountain," picked up a piece of fish, placed it on the rice, and then put it in his mouth along with the rice.

They ate very seriously and attentively, as if they were doing something extremely important.

Kanae asked softly:

"Mr. Giyu, how did the mission on Hachijōjima go?"

The chopsticks paused for a moment.

Giyu raised his eyes and looked at Kanae.

Her pale pink eyes held an unconcealable worry.

He remembered the battle, the excruciating pain of being cut in half at the waist, Kokushibo's sword, the scorching heat of rebirth...

"Successfully... minor injury!"

This is the truth, and it's a lie.

The mission was indeed accomplished, and he only suffered minor injuries. As for the more complicated matters concerning his physique and Breathing Style, there was no need to worry them.

Kanae finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

She smiled and served Giyu a bowl of miso soup.

"Have some soup, it'll warm your stomach."

"Thanks."

While shoveling food into her mouth, Shinobu kept glancing at Giyu out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly spoke, her voice muffled:

"Mr. Giyu, Hachijōjima far?"

"Far."

How long does the boat trip take?

"One day."

What color is the sea?

"Blue."

"... Dark blue or light blue?"

Giyu thought for a moment, "Dark blue! There are waves! It glows at night!"

"Glowing?"

Ren's eyes lit up.

Like a firefly?

"Like stars shattered and scattered in the sea."

This analogy left both Shinobu and Kanae speechless.

Giyu, however, had already lowered his head and continued eating, as if he hadn't uttered that poetic remark just now.

She stared at him for a long time.

Seeing that he remained stubbornly serious and unmoved, she knew that no matter how much she tried to provoke him, he would probably still be the same. She pursed her lips, gave up on teasing him, and focused on eating the rice in her bowl.

Master Urokodaki spoke, his voice low and deep:

"Giyu is entitled to a month's leave this time. It was personally approved by the Oyakata-sama."

"A month? Really?"

Kanae looked up, her eyes filled with surprise.

Giyu nodded and picked up a piece of pickled vegetable.

"Then... will Mr. Giyu stay on Mount Sagiri?"

Kanae's voice was filled with anticipation.

"Um."

"Very good!"

He blurted it out, then immediately put on a stern face.

"Well, what I mean is... finally someone can practice with me. My sister always lets me win, it's no fun."

Kanae gently retorted, "I wasn't going easy on you. You're just progressing too fast."

Yes, it is!

The two sisters started bickering again, and the atmosphere immediately lightened.

Giyu Yong ate quietly, occasionally glancing at them. His icy blue eyes remained expressionless, but he wasn't annoyed at all.

He just sat there, listening and eating, like a quiet background figure, yet no one could do without him.

The sunlight moved slowly.

Ren finally stopped sulking and started chattering about the past month of training:

How did she spot the new traps? How did she cooperate with her sister? How did she find her way through the maze? Kanae occasionally added a comment, her tone gentle.

Master Urokodaki listened most of the time, only occasionally offering a comment or two.

Giyu was the quietest of the three, but every time Shinobu asked him "Right, right?", he would nod or say "Mmm".

It was such a simple response, but Shinobu seemed particularly satisfied.

After the meal, Giyu put down his chopsticks.

The bowl was completely clean; not a single grain of rice was left.

"I'm stuffed."

He paused, then looked at the Kocho Sisters.

You've made progress.

A very simple evaluation.

But Kanae's smile became even gentler, like a cherry blossom in full bloom.

Ren let out a snort, but a smug grin crept across his lips, and a triumphant glint shone in his purple eyes.

Master Urokodaki stood up and began clearing away the bowls and chopsticks:

"Take the morning off! Giyu, you review the basic Water Breathing forms with them! I'll check on them this afternoon!"

"Yes."

Giyu stood up, his blue haori drooping as he moved, gleaming softly in the morning light.

He looked at the two sisters:

"Take an hour's break! See you on the training field!"

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door. He opened the door, and the morning light rushed in, gilding his silhouette with a golden edge.

He went outside and headed towards the mountain spring... probably to wash his face, or maybe he just wanted to be alone for a while.

The wooden door closed gently.

There were only three people left in the room.

Shinobu leaned close to Kanae's ear and whispered:

"Sister, have you noticed?"

"What?"

"Mr. Giyu..." Shinobu lowered his voice.

"It seems a little different."

Kanae looked towards the door.

Through the crack in the paper door, you could see the figure in blue walking towards the mountain spring. His steps were steady, his back straight, but his aura was just different.

It has become heavier and deeper.

Like a sea that has weathered a storm, the surface may appear calm, but beneath it surges a more complex and powerful force.

"Mmm," Kanae responded softly.

Then she smiled.

As long as he comes back safe and sound, that's good.

Everything else is unimportant.

The morning light bathed Mount Sagiri; a new day had begun.