"The Brotherly Bond"
Aoki actually quite liked his junior brother, Tanjiro, even though he frequently reminded Tanjiro of life's fragility. He didn't doubt Tanjiro's genuine sadness over the Hand Demon's death; his junior brother was inherently kind.
It was said that the day before Urokodaki Sakonji brought him back, Tanjiro had spent the entire night agonizing over whether to kill a demon. The demon was ultimately incinerated by the sun, marking Tanjiro's first encounter with the sun's power over demons.
Looking at Aoki's smiling face, Tanjiro said, "Yeah, I don't know why, but I felt sorry for him." He smiled at Aoki. "Actually, Senior Aoki, you're kind of the same. You just don't show your sadness to maintain your image. Otherwise, you'd probably be annoyed, maybe even punch me a couple of times."
"Well, something like that. But I only felt sorry for them; it didn't change my resolve to kill them," Aoki said, awkwardly touching his nose, his thoughts exposed.
He then remembered Urokodaki Sakonji's instructions before he left for the final selection. "Oh right, Tanjiro, Old Man Urokodaki said I should team up with you if I find you on Mount Fujikasane and protect you for seven days. So, from now on, senior brother will take you under my wing."
"Okay, it's reassuring to have Senior Aoki here," Tanjiro said with a smile. While Aoki liked to beat him up, having him for protection increased his chances of passing the final selection.
"By the way, Senior Aoki, Master told me to tell you to stop acting so cocky and arrogant. He said you need to be more humble and restrained, or you'll never find a girlfriend."
Tanjiro's smile remained unchanged, seemingly oblivious to his misspoken words.
Aoki froze for a moment, then a mischievous smile spread across his face.
"My good junior brother, Master's right. Since you're so well-behaved, senior brother will give you some training to improve your body's resilience."
"Okay, thank you, Senior… wait? Training? Resilience?"
Tanjiro realized something was amiss as he opened his eyes, only to see a fist the size of a sandbag hurtling towards him.
"Aaargh!"
Tanjiro's scream echoed through the forest.
"Senior, didn't you hit me a little too hard? I don't mind you beating me, but if you need my help later, my injuries might incapacitate me," Tanjiro groaned, clutching his aching waist as he limped behind Aoki.
Aoki, his hands behind his back, scanned his surroundings with a nonchalant air.
"My foolish little brother, how incredibly stupid are you to think I need your help? If I encounter an opponent who requires assistance, do you think you could handle it?" Aoki asked, turning to look at Tanjiro's bruised face.
"I understand, but could you hit me a little lighter next time? And why don't you ever hit my forehead?" Tanjiro asked. Aoki had a habit of beating him up, but he never hit his forehead, even when Tanjiro offered it as a target.
Aoki's mouth twitched at Tanjiro's question. He remembered the first time he'd hit Tanjiro's forehead during their sparring sessions. Even with a light blow, he'd suffered a minor fracture in his left hand, requiring three months to recover. Fortunately, it was his left hand, not his sword hand.
But that incident had taught him a lesson. He now deliberately avoided Tanjiro's forehead.
Hearing Tanjiro's question, the memory of his fractured hand resurfaced, igniting his anger.
Aoki approached Tanjiro with a smile, and Tanjiro seemed to realize he'd said the wrong thing again.
Tanjiro's screams echoed once more through the forest.
After venting his frustration, Aoki left Tanjiro unable to stand. Aoki often beat him until he couldn't get out of bed, but this was a special occasion. Tanjiro harbored resentment but dared not voice it.
Aoki dragged the semi-conscious Tanjiro to a suitable resting place. Knowing Aoki's habit of beating Tanjiro, Urokodaki Sakonji had prepared fast-acting healing medicine.
After applying the medicine to Tanjiro's wounds, Aoki ignored him, lying down in a sunlit spot to rest after a day and night without sleep.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro, unable to sleep due to the pain, served as a makeshift watchman, ready to wake Aoki at the slightest disturbance. His exceptional sense of smell and perception, surpassing even Aoki's Sharingan, made him perfectly suited for this role.
Leaning against a boulder, Tanjiro resented Aoki's brutal beating, though he only dared to feel this way in his heart. He actually liked Aoki far more than he disliked him.
"Actually, Senior Aoki is pretty good to me. It would be perfect if he didn't hit me," Tanjiro thought, smiling faintly before exhaustion forced his eyes shut.
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