Shinjuro soon adjusted his mindset. Talent was not something envy could give him.
Besides, Kanzaki Kumo's strength did not come solely from his extraordinary talent. Without enough tempering, he could not have spotted the flaw in Shinjuro's painstakingly honed swordsmanship at a glance.
Kanzaki Kumo spent nearly the next twenty days with the Rengoku Family.
He usually practiced Flame Breathing with Kyojuro, occasionally sparring with Shinjuro using basic moves.
During that time, he also spent a little time with Shinjuro's wife, Ruka Rengoku. Though the strong-willed woman did not show it, Kanzaki Kumo still noticed that she seemed somewhat frail.
Perhaps to keep her family from worrying, Ruka Rengoku had been concealing her condition. Even when Kanzaki Kumo noticed, she only said she had accidentally caught a chill and come down with a cold, and even wanted him to help keep it secret.
Naturally, Kanzaki Kumo would not agree to that.
Many deadly illnesses began as seemingly insignificant ailments.
Since there were already signs, she should get diagnosed and treated early. Perhaps then she would not end up dying young from illness as she had in the original story.
After discussing it with Shinjuro and his sons, Kanzaki Kumo wrote to the Butterfly Mansion, asking Butterfly Zemu and his wife to find time to come over. They gave Ruka Rengoku a thorough examination and identified the source of her illness. After treating her for several days, they left behind a prescription to nourish her body before departing.
Because of this, the Rengoku family grew a little closer to Kanzaki Kumo.
The only thing that gave Kanzaki Kumo a bit of a headache was that Kyojuro Rengoku was a little too stubborn.
Ever since Kanzaki Kumo had narrowly beaten Shinjuro in their spar and demonstrated his talent for learning Breathing