At the Butterfly Mansion on the outskirts of a small town,
The sky stretched endlessly in a clear, vibrant blue, without a single cloud in sight. The summer heat had begun to settle in. After a long day of travel, Ryou, led by a Kakushi, finally arrived at the Butterfly Mansion.
Kanae and Shinobu had departed midway, summoned by a Kasugai Crow. They hadn't revealed the reason, and he hadn't asked. If his guess was right, they were meeting Ubuyashiki.
Once he arrived at the mansion, a young girl, Aoi Kanzaki, helped him tend to his minor wounds.
"I heard you saved Kanae-san. Thank you for that. She's the heart of the Butterfly Mansion. If something happened to her… we wouldn't be able to bear it.
You're mostly unscathed, so you just need some rest. Take this pain relief medicine after you've eaten something." With that, Aoi hurried out of the room to tend to the other wounded Demon Slayers brought in by the Kakushi.
The Butterfly Mansion was still relatively quiet, and no one came to disturb him. Dressed in the white hospital clothes provided by the young butterfly girls, Ryou lay on his bed, ready to summon the system.
[~ Name: Ryou
Race: Ordinary Human
Skill: Nature Breathing - Basic [5/10], Tekkai - Intermediate [1/10]
Demon Points: 2 ~]
Ryou opened the status panel and saw that his Demon Points had increased by '2'. He wasn't in a rush to allocate his points. He also noticed that his Nature Breathing had risen by '1' point after his battle with Doma.
It seemed that pushing his body to its limits or facing extreme situations help increase the proficiency of his breathing style.
He then opened the Lucky Draw he had earned from completing the mission:
[1. Moon Breathing Style]
[2. No Reward]
[3. Sharingan]
[4. No Reward]
[5. Soru]
[6. No Reward]
[7. Selfless State]
[8. Transparent World]
The rewards were even worse than the last time. The top rewards like 'Sun Breathing Style' and 'Observation Haki' were gone, replaced by 'Moon Breathing' and 'Selfless State'.
In place of 'Tekkai,' he now saw 'Sharingan'. Knowing it was useless to complain to the system, Ryou silently gave his command.
"System, spin the lottery!" Ryou thought.
The Lucky wheel began to rotate for a few seconds and then stopped at number '3,' just like last time, earning him the reward, 'Sharingan.'
"Better than no reward," Ryou consoled himself as he read the description provided by the system.
[~ Sharingan: Three Tomoe (Fixed, not upgradable)
A Magical Dōjutsu from the Naruto World. Accepting the Sharingan, the perception will be enhanced to an exceptional level, you will gain the ability to predict the opponent's movements and read the flow of breath.
Note: The use of Sharingan consumes physical strength. ~]
"It can't be upgraded to Mangekyo Sharingan?" Ryou quickly realized the reason—he got the Sharingan itself, not the bloodline of Uchiha.
'The system tricked me! But at least I don't have to use Demon Points to upgrade it from the basic level,' he thought.
[~ Do you want to equip Sharingan? ~] The system's mechanical voice sounded in his mind.
"No! I'll do it tomorrow." Ryou decided not to equip the Sharingan just yet, knowing his current state wasn't at its prime.
"When you want to do it, just think of equipping Sharingan. The system will complete the installation."
"Good!" Throwing aside the unnecessary thoughts, Ryou decided to get some rest to heal the injured body. Starting tomorrow, he would resume training. He can't waste time in bed, resting.
--
Meanwhile, at the Ubuyashiki Manor—
Gentle wind drifted through the manor, scattering cherry blossom petals in the air. The scent of nature infused the surroundings, so calming that even a single breath could ease the heaviest tension.
That's exactly how Kanae felt now—at peace.
The doors of the manor opened, revealing Kagaya Ubuyashiki, clad in a white haori with pink and purple wave patterns near the hem.
Seeing his arrival, "Oyakata-sama", Kanae Kocho greeted, lowering to one knee in respect. But the man dismissed it, signaling her to stand on her feet.
"Your breath feels weak, Kanae…" Kagaya spoke in a gentle, soothing tone that would make anyone feel light and serene.
Although she had changed clothes and bandaged her wounds, Ubuyashiki's extraordinary perception could see through her condition.
"Yes, Oyakata-sama. I encountered the Upper Moon Two demon, Doma. He's incredibly strong. My body should recover in a day or two," Kanae recounted her battle with Doma, detailing how Ryou had saved her without leaving anything out.
"Fortunately, nothing happened to you," Kagaya spoke in a warm tone. "I foresaw your battle with a powerful demon and your death. It's by fate that you're still alive."
Kanae remained silent. How could she not know that? If not for Ryou, she would've already been dead before Shinobu arrived.
"Since he could stall an Upper Moon for some time, he must be strong and skilled. What do you think of his strength?"
"He's strong, Oyakata-sama. He's mastered a unique breathing method that I've never seen or heard before. He calls it Nature Breathing. It integrates wind, water, and lightning styles. If I'm not mistaken, there might be even more to it," Kanae replied.
"Good! Guide him well. My intuition tells me he will be of great help in eradicating the demons in the future!"
"Yes, Oyakata-sama," Kanae responded, but she was shocked in her heart as she knew the extraordinary ability to foresee possessed by the Ubuyashiki family.
"Be safe, my child. We will meet at the next semi-annual Hashira meeting. At that time, you can share your insights with other Hashiras about the Upper Moon you fought!"
"Yes, Oyakata-sama. Please take care of your health," Kanae said her farewell and took her leave.
--
Early morning,
Ryou made his way to the back of the Butterfly Manor, grabbing a wooden training sword he saw along the way. Sliding open the door, he entered the small training field.
The morning air was refreshing and cool, and the gentle breeze soothed his spirit.
To his surprise, he saw a thin girl, around 7 or 8 years old, swinging a wooden sword with practiced focus. If he wasn't mistaken, she was Kanao Tsuyuri, the adopted sister of Shinobu and Kanae Kocho.
Noticing his presence, Kanao glanced at him briefly before returning to her training.
Ryou didn't mind, understanding the girl's circumstances. He could only sympathize with the life she had experienced during her childhood. Without disturbing her, he began practicing his breathing style.