After the events in the Entertainment District came to an end, Hiru intended to follow up on the intelligence he had gathered and track down the remaining Upper Moons.
However, after searching for more than half a month, he still found no trace of them. Instead, the lower-level demons grew increasingly rampant, leaving the Demon Slayer Corps overwhelmed.
During this period, Yoriichi, who had been slaying demons everywhere and never returned empty-handed, became a hot topic among the Kakushi.
For some unknown reason, the Kakushi noticed that Sun Hashira had been patrolling various regions far more frequently than before. The local Kakushi were already swamped just handling the aftermath of Yoriichi's demon slaying.
All the Kakushi were speculating about what had triggered Sun Hashira to move around so often and hunt demons so aggressively after the last Hashira Meeting.
Although this had greatly eased the chaos caused by the demons, Sun Hashira, who had never been easy to approach, now gave off an even more intimidating presence, which made the Kakushi deeply uneasy.
Under these circumstances, Hiru simply couldn't find Yoriichi. Or perhaps, Yoriichi didn't want to be found.
That gave Hiru quite a headache. When he turned to Kitaro for help, Kitaro told him that Yoriichi's Kasugai Crow had refused to continue serving him after learning he had become a demon, and had instead switched to delivering messages exclusively for Oyakata-sama.
As for Yoriichi's recent updates, they were all sent via other Swordsmen's Kasugai Crows after he stopped by Wisteria House following his demon hunts.
"…So that means brother doesn't have a crow with him right now?"
"Caw, that's right."
Kitaro perched steadily on Hiru's shoulder.
"Honestly, aside from me, even you've been rejected by the Kasugai Crows. A Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps being a demon? Even the Rakka tales wouldn't come up with something that bizarre, caw!"
"…I see."
Hiru's gaze drifted.
"In that case, I should just head over to the squad training."
"Do you still think you're not annoying enough, caw?"
Kitaro tilted his head.
"After the meeting, Oyakata-sama only informed the former Hashira about the two of you to avoid causing panic, and the lower-ranking Swordsmen who know have all been ordered to keep it secret.
"But if you go to the squad training, the other Hashira will feel uncomfortable. If conflict breaks out, your identity will definitely be exposed, and that'll cause panic right before the final battle, caw!"
"For Oyakata-sama, wouldn't my brother's unstable emotions be even more worrying?"
Hiru rolled his neck, stood up, and let out a long sigh.
"Honestly, I don't know why my brother keeps avoiding me… Is it really that hard to face me?"
"Want me to try finding him, caw?"
"As if you could…"
Hiru sat down at his desk and began writing a letter to Ubuyashiki.
The content was roughly that, since they couldn't find the Upper Moons, following Uzui around everywhere felt incredibly dull, and he hoped to be reassigned somewhere more interesting. In the letter, he also mentioned to Ubuyashiki that Tanjiro would soon take the medicine to revert back into a human and would need someone to watch over him. He rambled on about various unrelated matters, but his core message was clear.
[ Assign me to the squad training immediately. Preferably the section under Kyojuro.]
Notably, he did not mention at all that he had lost contact with Yoriichi for over half a month.
However, Ubuyashiki was far from simple-minded. The Kakushi had already reported Yoriichi's frequent demon-slaying activities. On top of that, Yoriichi's Kasugai Crow had gone on strike after learning he was a demon. Now, unless Yoriichi initiated contact himself, no one in the Demon Slayer Corps could track him down.
From Hiru deliberately mentioning Tanjiro in his letter, it was clear that he was both worried and hoping to use Tanjiro's return to humanity as a chance to reconnect with Yoriichi.
Having Hiru stay at the squad training grounds also had its advantages.
First, there would be no need to allocate extra manpower for pointless surveillance that served only as reassurance.
Second, the training was organized by both current and former Hashira, with a large number of Swordsmen nearby. If anything unexpected happened, it could be dealt with immediately, minimizing losses as much as possible.
Third, Hiru was highly skilled in pharmacology and had a deep understanding of demons' strengths, weaknesses, and countermeasures. Having him instruct the Swordsmen would reduce mistakes when facing demons.
Most importantly, Hiru could ensure Yoriichi's stability.
Taking all of this into account, Ubuyashiki agreed to Hiru's request after only brief consideration.
After receiving the reply, Hiru said goodbye to Uzui and set off for the Rengoku estate, with Muichiro, who had practically become his shadow, following along.
However, upon arrival, he didn't see the person in charge, Rengoku Kyojuro. Instead, he found Mitsuri and Obanai sitting together, enjoying tea and snacks.
The moment Obanai saw him, his previously gentle expression immediately turned sour.
Mitsuri, on the other hand, looked delighted. She jumped up and greeted him cheerfully.
"Hiru-san~ Long time no see~"
"It hasn't been that long since the last Hashira Meeting."
Hiru smiled.
"Isn't this place under Kyojuro's supervision? Where is he?"
"Kyojuro-san is at the training grounds~"
Mitsuri's smile was warm and soothing.
"I found an amazing dessert shop nearby. Let's go together later, okay?"
"That does sound tempting…"
Hiru glanced at Obanai, who looked like he wanted to bore a hole through him with his stare, then at Muichiro beside him, whose presence was just as intense as he glared back on Hiru's behalf. Hiru gave a helpless smile before turning back to Mitsuri.
"Just tell me where it is. You know my situation. Being disliked almost feels like nothing at this point."
"Is that so?"
Mitsuri's expression dimmed slightly, a hint of concern appearing.
"Hiru-san, don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"I'm not pushing myself."
Hiru reached out to ruffle Muichiro's hair.
"By the way, how have you been lately? Have you achieved the goal you had when you joined the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Eh—"
Mitsuri covered her flushed face, her gaze drifting.
"Hiru-san, that's way too direct…"
Hiru chuckled.
"Really? Personally, I think Iguro is pretty great. You two get along well, don't you? Have you considered him?"
At the mention of his name, Obanai frowned even more, but his gaze unconsciously shifted toward Mitsuri.
"Do you need help with something? If so, you can tell me."
"Eh—"
Mitsuri's face turned even redder. Meeting Obanai's concerned gaze, she quickly looked away again.
"Iguro-san really is wonderful. He's gentle and considerate, very strong, and he takes great care of me. But, but… honestly, Hiru-san, are you teasing me?"
Seeing Mitsuri puff out her cheeks, Hiru laughed even harder.
"Sorry, sorry… It's just that Mitsuri-chan is so cute, and the timing felt just right, so I couldn't help saying a bit too much."
"What do you mean, the timing is right?"
"Oh, Muichiro, you're still too young for that."
Hiru looked down at him, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
"But thinking about it, it won't be long now, right? I wonder what kind of choice and reaction you'll have, Muichiro. That really makes me look forward to it."