"What are you doing?"
"Hugging a tree."
"Why are you hugging a tree?"
"Hugging a tree."
Illumi's smooth forehead suddenly showed a thick vein, and he simply closed his eyes, deciding that out of sight meant out of mind.
It was noon, and although the sun was quite fierce, one Zoldyck brother had shade under the tree, and the other had a parasol to keep cool, so it wasn't too hot... just that the scene looked somewhat bizarre.
"Master Milluki, please slow down."
Just then, a little chubby boy was trotting along with his short legs, chasing after a butterfly, followed by a panting butler.
Three-four-year-old children climb up and down as if with endless energy, perhaps because he ate a butterfly last time and found that it tasted quite good... Milluki cautiously approached, delivering a beautiful "Mount Tai Crush"...
He pounced forward, squashed the butterfly, and stuffed it in his mouth.
"Chew... chew..."
Green juice dribbled down the corner of his mouth,
Milluki lifted his head satisfied, only then realizing... that there was a person stuck to the tree and another buried in the hole, both looking somewhat familiar...
"Big brother" and "Second brother" are nonexistent titles in the Zoldyck Family.
The chubby kid climbed off the ground, squatted at the edge of the pit to look at Illumi, then went around to the tree to check Roy... pulling down his pants, he began to pee...
Roy frowned, glared down at him, while Milluki tilted his head up to meet his gaze, utterly fearless, stood his ground, and almost sprayed his foot↑...
Seeing this, the corner of Illumi's mouth twitched fiercely, seemingly schadenfreud...
Who would have thought, upon hearing the noise, Milluki turned curiously... and the steaming boy's urine poured over Illumi's head.
This time, Milluki hummed comfortably.
Unfortunately, the next second, before he could pull up his pants, someone grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
...
It turned out to be Illumi jumping out of the pit.
"Three years old now, time to start training. Why not start with electric shocks."
Illumi, with a grim face, carried Milluki away like he was lugging a fat cat... Roy, who didn't need to look, could tell what he intended to do.
Decisively abandoned the cypress and switched to hugging a willow.
The result of kids eating odd things is that they have strong-smelling urine fire, just like Illumi now, fuming with rage.
'Calm down...'
'Don't ask if it's none of your business...'
'Adjust your breathing...'
Silently muttering to himself...
"I am a tree... I am a tree...."
In a daze, before long, Roy was asleep against the tree trunk....
"Nii-san... Nii-san...." This time, it seemed he heard someone calling him.
Opening his eyes, he found himself back in the familiar Snow Country,
shivering from the cold right then and there.
What's called "just out of fiery hell, and into an icy pit," roughly like this.
Tanjiro held a pot of hot tea, gave him a sip, and said with concern, "Nii-san... the sky is already dark, let's head back first."
The warm current flowed into his stomach, and Roy finally felt a little warmer. He glanced at the sky, and the night was deep. Without the reflection of the snow, he probably wouldn't be able to see his fingers.
It seemed he really hugged the tree and slept for a good two to three hours.
Not much effect except... almost getting frozen into an ice sculpture.
"Let's go."
Step by step, stumbling,
Roy didn't persist, leading Tanjiro towards Urokodaki Sakonji's small cottage.
In the mountain forest behind them, a few occasionally visible figures followed, and faint winds mixed with the cold wind howled...
"'Breathing Technique' is difficult because of the word 'breathing'."
"When the teacher asks Eiichiro Oda to hug a tree and not practice with a knife, it shows he thinks highly of his potential."
"Why, if you had passed the test without spending half an hour back then, the teacher would've valued you too."
Shinsuke Fukuda started bickering again,
When alive, they were respectful senior and junior brothers, but in death, due to boredom, they could only bicker for amusement.
On a tall birch tree behind them, Sabito accompanied Makomo, quietly watching...
Kamado Brothers, through this night, are destined to be separated.
'Father is not in good health... the house lacks a pillar... coal exchange money, clothes, sugar still need to be brought home...'
Tanjiro carried the tea kettle behind Roy, fully aware that tomorrow morning is the moment he must leave.
He was a sensible child, from a young age learned to perceive situations, understanding that after Roy became a disciple, he had no intention of leaving Sagiri yama shortly, so he didn't forcefully cling to stay with him.
"The family needs you, it needs me too. I will go back to check once in a while."
The lamp in the nearby cabin was already lit.
Seeming to see through his thoughts, Roy stopped, turned with a smile to Tanjiro and said: "Tonight I'll prepare a training plan for you to take home and practice well."
"Every week I'll go back once and check your homework."
"By then, if you slack off, don't blame me for spanking you."
"Promise to complete the mission!" Tanjiro said decisively....
Roy patted his shoulder: "Go back and tell Father, I haven't forgotten my promise, please let him and Mother take very good care of themselves."
"I understand," Tanjiro's eyes warmed, taking a breath: "The family needs me, the world needs you."
Roy paused: "Who told you that?"
He didn't think that was something Tanjiro would say.
"Father did."
"He said Nii-san has a big heart, shouldn't stay in the mountain, should go to the vast world, venture and see."
"He also said he dragged you down, dragged this family down, and told you not to linger, just to go your own way."
A gust of cold wind blew, stirring the youth's bangs, swaying slightly.....
Roy touched the Sun Earrings, paused and gazed in the direction of home, unable to speak for a long time.
So much to say, yet seemed like nothing to say, eventually turned into a "I will"... the next day, watched Tanjiro leave.
"Are you in a hurry?" Urokodaki Sakonji approached Roy, watching from afar as he glanced back every few steps with a backpack on Tanjiro, waved at them, and said indifferently: "A day has only twelve hours, excluding eating, drinking, sleeping, time for training is less than eight."
"No matter how urgent, you can't escape this rule."
What Urokodaki Sakonji said was right, people aren't machines, they need rest, especially "sleep", taking up the largest portion of "rest".
But... what he wouldn't expect is—
Roy's day can be twenty-four hours... daytime he can train at home, night through deep sleep, come to Sagiri yama and hug the tree...
So...
"Even rules have a day of error, Master..."
"Perhaps I'll realize the secret of "Breathing" faster than you."
Tanjiro's figure disappeared...
Roy glanced sideways at Urokodaki Sakonji with a smile and turned to walk into the misty mountain forest.....
The face of Urokodaki Sakonji hidden beneath the Celestial Dog Mask was unclear, silently watching Roy leave, after a while, let out a light laugh: "Then the old man will wait and see."