Shinobu hesitated for a second. If it was just letting someone study on their own, it wasn't really a big deal. At this point, she couldn't stop it anyway.
"…Then I don't agree."
Shinobu gave up on arguing with Itsuki, but Kanae unexpectedly stepped in.
"If you're letting me teach this child, then I'll take responsibility. I'll personally train Kanao for the next few days. If she's really fit for Flower Breathing, then it's good to take her in. You don't have to do anything."
Itsuki finally relaxed after hearing that. It was even better than he hoped for.
"Thank you so much, Hashira-sama!"
Kanae smiled. "Oh my, just call me Kanae."
"I can't, that's disrespectful—"
The two of them started chatting and thanking each other again. Honestly, from the outside, it looked like Itsuki was asking to be her apprentice.
Shinobu stood off to the side with a helpless look, like she'd given up on stopping her sister. Shinjuro at the front of the room didn't say anything either—he could already tell what was coming. This meant Kanae would be showing up every day and probably bringing more lectures about quitting drinking.
Only Kanao sat there quietly, not really understanding what had just happened and a little happy that Itsuki was still thinking about her.
By the time the sun started setting, the sisters left the dojo, with Itsuki and Kanao walking them to the gate.
"Kanao, try practicing the breathing exercise I showed you tonight. Don't forget the key parts I mentioned."
"Okay, Big Sister."
Since Kanae hadn't officially made her a tsuguko yet, Kanao just called her "Big Sister." Kanae actually liked it better that way.
"Oh my, Kanao is so sweet. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
She reached out and patted Kanao's head gently, clearly already growing attached.
As the sun dipped below the trees, the sisters walked side by side on the road back to their inn.
"Sis, you're not staying here long. Why are you taking the time to teach her?"
"Because now you'll have someone else to keep you company, Shinobu."
"I told you, stop treating me like I'm a little kid."
"Sorry, sorry, it's a habit."
"Hmph."
Only in front of Kanae did Shinobu ever let that kind of expression show.
"But really," Kanae added, "we have almost the same kind of name, wear butterfly clips, and even have the same eye color. Don't you think we're kind of connected?"
"…That's it? That's your reason?"
"Isn't that enough?"
"You're unbelievable."
Kanae laughed.
"If Oyakata-sama were here, he'd agree with me. I'll write him tonight and explain. He'll probably give us a few more days."
"Wait, why would he—oh, I get it."
Shinobu narrowed her eyes.
"You're planning to use teaching Kanao as an excuse to get closer to the Flame Hashira. That way you can convince him to get his act together. Right?"
"Am I really that sneaky in your eyes? That hurts… I'm crying."
"Sis, fake crying won't work on me."
"Alright, alright," Kanae smiled, "I really do want to teach Kanao. As for helping Shinjuro-san? That's not up to us. If anyone can reach him, it's Itsuki."
"Him? Did you not see what he was doing? With him around, Shinjuro might end up drinking more."
"Oh my, you're really keeping an eye on Itsuki, aren't you?"
"Sis!"
The two sisters walked off, their teasing filling the quiet road as the sky darkened.
The next morning, the Butterfly Sisters returned to the Dojo Hall, holding the token the master had given them. As usual, their beauty drew attention. After some effort, they got away from the crowd of students and found Kanao eating breakfast in a corner.
They weren't ready for what they saw next.
Itsuki was nearby, eating like he hadn't eaten in days.
Shinobu stared for a moment, a little weirded out.
This guy just kept surprising her.
Itsuki didn't even blink at their reaction. By now he was used to people being surprised by his appetite. He needed the food anyway—it was part of his plan to level up faster.
After finishing, the group walked to Shinjuro's small courtyard.
Senjuro opened the door this time. Shinjuro was still in bed. After a quick greeting, Senjuro headed off to train with the other Dojo students.
That left the four of them in the courtyard, the wind blowing across the empty space.
Itsuki figured his master probably knew Kanae would come again. That's why he was "conveniently" still sleeping. He didn't want to deal with them, plain and simple.
Kanae didn't seem bothered though. She smiled and gently started walking Kanao through her first lesson.
Before long, she was already impressed.
"Oh my, Kanao! You already picked up so much in just one night. That's amazing!"
"W-whoa…" Kanao blushed a little under the praise.
Itsuki sat nearby, watching them with a proud smile.
Why does he look so smug? Shinobu thought. She frowned.
"Hey, Itsuki, right?" she said. "Aren't you going to train too?"
Itsuki blinked. He didn't expect her to talk to him. "Oh, uh, yeah. Right now."
He had a feeling yesterday that Shinobu wasn't the mature, composed version of herself yet. Not like in the story.
And that made sense. She only changed after Kanae's death. That fake smile and calm voice came from carrying everything alone.
Right now, though, she was just a serious girl who spoke her mind.
That… actually made her feel more real.
He stood and stretched. Time for his daily warm-up.
Shinobu stood nearby, arms crossed and watched him.
As Itsuki started going through his weird stretches and intense exercises, her expression started changing.
Weighted sprints, one-arm push-ups, burpees with added weights… What was this guy doing?
Kanae raised an eyebrow too.
"Kanao, does Itsuki really train like this every day?"
Kanao tilted her head. "Mhm. Itsuki says this helps him use more energy so he can eat more."
"…"
Kanae had no words. That was a new one.
Shinobu wasn't sure what to say either. She just kept watching him, confused and kind of impressed.
Finally, she asked, "Don't you actually practice Flame Breathing?"
Itsuki paused to wipe off sweat. "I do. Every other day, I spar with my master. That's when I train the real stuff."
He was mostly leveling through actual fighting now, but sparring gave him solid experience.
Shinobu's eyes lit up.
"Wanna spar with me?"
"Yeah, I'm down."
Itsuki smiled. He liked fighting new people. It was the best way to learn.
Shinobu grinned—an actual grin.
Coming here with her sister wasn't part of her usual routine, and she hadn't expected much. But now, she had something to look forward to.
This trip might not be so boring.