"Do you want to learn another Breathing Style too, Kaigaku? You haven't even fully mastered Thunder Breathing yet. Rushing off to learn Water Breathing would only waste your talent. No, I won't allow it!"
"Old man, if you won't agree, I'll go down the mountain and find Sakonji Urokodaki myself. You can't stop me."
"You, you!"
Jigoro Kuwajima clutched his chest in anger and nearly fainted.
"Please let him go, Senior Kuwajima. Everyone has their own path. Let him see a little of the outside world and broaden his narrow horizons."
"You!"
Kaigaku's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Suzuki Mufeng to speak up for him. No, wait—was that attitude and look of his mocking me? Does he think I still won't be a match for him even after learning Water Breathing?!
Sensing Kaigaku's hostility, Suzuki Mufeng didn't care in the slightest. The moment things went wrong, Kaigaku blamed his master and immediately wanted to switch teachers.
Going to see Grandpa Urokodaki? Sure, sounds great. I've already had my Kasugai Crow notify Giyu and Sabito to make sure they teach you a good lesson.
Now Kaigaku could learn Water Breathing, while Sabito and Giyu got a free punching bag. Everyone wins.
"All right, then. If a child wants to leave, I can't stop him. I'll write a letter of recommendation to Urokodaki. How much you learn is none of my business, but Kaigaku, this will always be your home. You can come back whenever you like."
Kaigaku paid no attention to Jigoro Kuwajima's words. His mind was already full of schemes to use against Suzuki Mufeng. Once he left the mountain, he could put his plan into action.
The matter was settled after Jigoro Kuwajima agreed. Now he had to teach the two of them Thunder Breathing.
"I can't do this! My body can't take training this intense! My leg's cramping up. It hurts so much! I need a week to rest and recover!"
Zenitsu Agatsuma curled up on the ground, clutching his calf with both hands and looking utterly miserable.
"Zenitsu, stop fooling around and get up. It's time to train!"
"But, Grandpa, can I really become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps? I can't do it!"
Zenitsu Agatsuma stopped crying and crouched on the ground, his spirits low. The disappointment in his eyes and his self-doubt were plain to see.
"Zenitsu, you have talent. I'll always believe in you."
"But, Grandpa, I—"
"Zenitsu, that's a real shame. I specially arranged this mixer as a reward for you, but I suppose there's no point now."
Suzuki Mufeng held up a stack of photos of girls. Zenitsu Agatsuma only needed one glance. He sprang up like a kettle coming to a boil, moving so fast that even Suzuki Mufeng couldn't react. In an instant, Zenitsu had snatched the photos from his hands and brought them right up to his face, his eyes practically glued to them.
"She's so cute! Hey, what's her name? How old is she? What does she like? When do I get to meet her? Ah, I'm so excited!"
"If you can't master Thunder Breathing, none of this has anything to do with you. So work hard, kid."
Zenitsu Agatsuma instantly became a ball of energy. For a moment, he seemed to see Shin-chan transformed into a train.
"Thunder Breathing places especially strict demands on physical fitness. It also requires tremendous explosive power in the legs and quick reflexes. Mufeng, you've already met all those requirements. The only difficult part is the breathing technique. Watch closely."
Jigoro Kuwajima half-crouched and took a deep breath. Suzuki Mufeng focused intently, the Sharingan beneath his fringe fixed on every change in the old man's body.
As expected of Thunder Breathing, renowned for its extreme speed and explosive power. To his eyes, Jigoro Kuwajima's small body had an astonishingly high muscle density. Even an ordinary adult might not have as much vitality as this old man!
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
A thunderous boom rang across the sky. Fast—that was extreme speed, so fast that even the Three-Tomoe Sharingan couldn't track it!
When Suzuki Mufeng came to his senses, Jigoro Kuwajima was standing beside a tree so thick it would take two adults to wrap their arms around it. Clang—he sheathed his sword.
The tree beside him had been cleanly sliced through. With a crash, it fell to the ground.
"Thunder Breathing lives up to its name. Just in terms of speed, not even a Hashira can match you, Old Man."
"Hahaha! I've always been confident in my speed. So, Mufeng, could you see the rhythm of my breathing just now?"
Thanks to the Sharingan's ability to copy techniques, he had easily switched from the rhythm of Water Breathing to that of Thunder Breathing. Just as he was about to try it, he noticed Zenitsu Agatsuma had somehow climbed into a tree!
"Zenitsu! What are you doing? Get down here!"
Jigoro Kuwajima called out to Zenitsu Agatsuma in alarm. Zenitsu clung tightly to the tree trunk and wailed from a branch.
"I don't know either! I saw you demonstrate it, Grandpa, and tried Thunder Breathing. I almost hit the tree, but then I ran right up the trunk! Now I can't get down! Help me, Grandpa! Suzuki, big brother!"
Say what you will, Zenitsu really was the comic relief. For now, they should get him down from the tree.
"Zenitsu, I told you you were a genius. You've already learned it! You just can't control it yet. Keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it."
"Big Brother Suzuki, I won't let you and Master down!"
Using Thunder Breathing, Suzuki Mufeng stood on a branch and carried Zenitsu Agatsuma, ready to climb down. Then he saw Jigoro Kuwajima waving frantically and shouting.
"Get down, quickly! It's too dangerous!"
Dangerous? Could it be—
Suzuki Mufeng suddenly remembered why Zenitsu Agatsuma's hair had turned yellow in the original story. Could it be happening now?
He looked up at the black vortex in the sky. He had just one thought: This is bad—
Rumble—
The power of the lightning coursed through their bodies. The two of them were charred black and fell unconscious, tumbling helplessly from the branch to the ground.
"Mufeng! Zenitsu!"
Before he lost consciousness, Suzuki Mufeng had just one thought: Will my hair turn blond too?
Jigoro Kuwajima checked both of them. Thankfully, neither was seriously hurt. He hurriedly carried them back to the house, cleaned them up, and laid them in bed to rest.
Meanwhile, Kaigaku had just made it down the mountain, sweating profusely. A pile of discarded wisteria flowers lay before him. He opened a bottle and spilled blood on the ground.
"Hmph! You dared look down on me, Kaigaku? I'll make you pay for it. This is all rare blood I secretly collected. Let's see how many demons you can handle tonight."
After finishing, Kaigaku quickly packed up and fled into the distance. The sun had reached the mountain ridge and was about to set.
Back in the house, Zenitsu Agatsuma was fast asleep, his hair now golden. Suzuki Mufeng was unconscious too, but arcs of lightning danced all over his body.
Before you continue