The Two Sisters

It was barely a week, when there was a knock on Sakonji's door.

'Yes?' Kagome, answered because Sakonji was starting to cook. Only to see a large blind man who's crazy-muscular, and with him were two little girls younger than Sabito and Giyuu. They wore silk, butterfly furisodes of high-class. Kagome knew these changes are extremely jarring for the sisters. Rich and happy one moment and then this happens. Its something out of manga for sure.

'I am the new Stone Pillar, Himejima Gyomei.' he introduced himself. 'These two girls have survived a terrible tragedy and survived. The Tsuchinoto who saved them took them to the estate when they expressed desire to become Slayers, I took them here along with everything they packed.'

'I see...they look like sisters, yes?'

'Yes.'

'Stay to rest for a few hours, before you return, Himejima-san.' said Kagome. 'I know a job's a job, but what use are we if our body is too tired? Sensei! Room for three more!' Kagome called out.

'Mm.'

'...and I'll buy the girls clothes. Can't exactly train in fancy furisodes, can we?' Kagome chuckled as the girls were literally dressed up like dolls. 'Girls, training will be extremely difficult, so I'll have to buy cheap clothes as silks will not last long.' she told them. 'You can wear silks again when you become Slayers.'

'I-it's alright, we'll do what we have to do.' said the older girl shakily, holding onto her younger sister for dear life. 'We can't live as long as they're around!' by that, she meant the oni.

'That's a good resolve they got, Himejima.' Sakonji approved. 'Working to live is not a bad reason to pursue the blade. Just so you know, I'll have to be very strict because the Final Selection, your Graduation Exam is when failure means death, while surviving means you pass AND live.' he warned as Kagome left for shopping.

xxx

In a big town far from Sakonji's House...

Using the fortune she stole before coming here, she purchased a lot of goods.

A small crate each of Soy Sauce, Mirin, Salt packs, Mirin, Konbu, Katsuobushi, Umeboshi, and a barrel of Mugi-Miso and Awase-Miso each, as well as 2 bales of rice as Sakonji only gets enough every week, but when the children came, there will hardly be time for shopping breaks now for condiments and flavoring in the nearest town that's a frikking day away! The nearest village at least, has access to vegetables, tofu, chicken and eggs they'd want. Then clothes, the monthly necessities for girls and writing supplies.

She chose clothes for both summer and winter, seven pieces each. Besides, sandals can be woven anytime...

And so...

'Oi?!' Sakonji squawked as Kagome came back with a hired wagon since she purchased a lot.

'We can't shop much in the coming days sensei so I bought a lot!' said Kagome cheerfully as she paid the hired wagon 80000 yen as his charged fare. 'And I got the girls' clothes!'

'...'

Needless to say, it's time, for training from hell.

Sakonji meant business and he didn't hold back even if there's children!

'Sabito and Giyuu easily survived this training that they graduated at age 13!' he would say, 'Now show me your resolve!'

They learned kenjutsu, iaido and battojutsu techniques, body training, breathing training, made to train until they collapse. Not only that, there's that 'mountain from hell' routine...and being told to cut many makiwaras using worn-out, filthy tatami nobody wants anymore. The catch? They don't cut bamboo as tradition. Oni necks are tougher the stronger they get, so they have to cut a literal log!

Besides, after training from hell, tasty food awaited them and they can eat as much as they want! Kagome knew how to cook Katemeshi, the staple dish of peasantry and experimented in her years in Sengoku and her time here to make several delicious versions, and knew the art of making fried chicken and teriyaki-ing it, and showed them how to make tamagoyaki. However, she mostly recommends Chankonabe for muscle development with a lot of shiso in it. In fact, everything they eat, has Shiso in it. Kagome also gets fruits that she squeezes into fruit juice as vitamin sources and she introduced the painful flexibility training.

Sakonji never knew Katemeshi can taste so delicious when usually, 'I just do whatever. Eating is for living, not pleasure.' Kagome left him a recipe book as a result so he can eat delicious food all his senior years.

However, due to ahem, monthly issues, the girls get a break for at least, four days a month.

But they DO get a one day break once every two months, due to hiring swordsmiths to come to their home to resharpen their blades.

And for two rich girls who ate rich food - but not mostly healthy, they compensate with Kagome's know-how.

The first week with Sakonji was mind-blowing for the girls.

Sakonji's house only has a single, multi-purpose room. Which means his space is a kitchen, living room and bedroom all at once! As for his bathroom, it's the same place as his lavatory! The girls were in dismay.

'How come you only have one room, sensei?' Kanae asked, baffled. 'Shouldn't homes have plenty of rooms for everything?'

'Well, for peasants such as us, we can't afford that sort of thing.' Sakonji told them. 'Carpenter Services are expensive, way beyond our budget. I know I used to be a wealthy Mizubashira for the organization, but I preferred a simple life. And before I became rich, I was a peasant who was a victim of Oni attacks like yourself. So I simply returned to my origins.' he said. 'Me? I live alone. Owning a big fancy house in my homeland is just asking for trouble girls. I'll be attracting ne'er-do-wells. Its best that I appear poor outside, but living well inside without anyone the wiser.'

'That's life.' Kagome told them. 'Anyone who looks rich, becomes a victim to muggers and bandits. You have to have the power to protect yourself. Hiring bodyguards? You don't know who's loyal to you and who'll betray you if tempted by an evil outsider. One really can't tell. Not all people are good and bad, that you have to learn how to be a good judge of character in order NOT to be swindled. You have to be smart.'

'Smart?' Shinobu asked curiously.

'Intelligence is a fancy word for fast learners in study and retaining knowledge.' Sakonji told them. 'Smart is putting that intelligence to good use. Kagome and I will teach you how the world works at night, that when you become slayers someday, you'll know how society works. You must be smart as being clueless and naive as well as a bad judge of character, you'll get trouble you really don't want. We'll start those lessons when we're at least, a year under training.'

Not just that, survival training too, as traveling doesn't mean you'll make it to a village or town by the end of the day. You'll literally sleep outdoors and live off the land. Knowing what's edible, not edible, and poison. They trained in Mt. Sagiri for that purpose.

Kanae who was four years older than Shinobu went ahead to her exam when she turned fifteen and she took the exam with Kagome, both returning successful. However, due to Shinobu's small build, she cannot cut the logs that symbolize oni necks off, so Sakonji suggested thrusting and stabbing attacks, leading to a later inspiration to create her own Breath.

And as much as Kanae wants to stay until Shinobu graduates, she was immediately put to work by her crow.

'Ehhh? You have to leave right away?!' Shinobu who was 11 cried in dismay. 'Nande?'

'Well that's how it is.' said Kagome. 'Newly graduates are quickly put to work after getting their swords made for work from the smiths.'

'Awww...' that got Shinobu gloomy. 'Grrr I'll work harder so I can graduate! I don't want to be left behind!" she swore irritably. 'Sensei, can't I take the exam?!'

'The exam just finished.' said Sakonji. 'Youngest is 13 if you're that good and 15 for normal people! Work hard Shinobu!'

xxx

After leaving their teacher...

'Kagome-san, you're not wearing your uniform?' Kanae asked Kagome whose age was still unknown to the sisters even if she sounds young. Kagome also has a new mask made for her by Sakonji since his students' exam masks are unique to them and she cannot keep wearing Giyuu's mask forever, especially as it's made for a BOY. Her mask has a red eyeliner around the eyes, breathing hole below the carved snout, and spider-lily prints. The female uniform for slayers was short-skirted and threatened to spill their breasts out!

Sakonji told them, 'Don't wear that, go to Headquarters and demand a normal uniform. Immediately.'

So Kanae wore a plain green yukata with a yellow obi with a matching haori.

'I'm in mourning, Kanae-chan.' said Kagome, back in her kimono, only, with a thinner obi this time without an obi board for max comfort and movement a stiff, wide obi cannot afford her. She also wore a spider lily pin on her hair. Her words made Kanae gasp in shock. 'An oni literally displaced me in time with their kekkijutsu. I can never go home ever again and that's basically the same as me losing all my family and friends.' she said softly. 'I'm from Sengoku Jidai.' she can never say she's actually from Showa. Ever.

'That's a little too forward...'

'Yes.' Kagome said softly. 'Those left behind avenged me by killing it, but also effectively cut my way back home...'

'Oh dear...that's a terrible loss...I cannot imagine being in your situation.' said Kanae in dismay at being cut off from what you know and held dear through time. 'But you seem doing well...even encouraging us and laughing with us, even...'

'Well, crying and getting angry won't do anything for me at all.' Kagome told her. 'It won't help me go back home anyway so I'm trying to move on, to live like a normal person, otherwise I'll go mad.' said Kagome softly. 'The day that I'll stop wearing this mourning kimono of mine will come. I won't wear anything else until then.'

'Oh...' Kanae deflated. 'What will make you stop then?'

'Well, marriage to a wonderful man who would both be a good husband to me and good father to kids. Goodness knows marriage age for us is 14 at the earliest in Sengoku Jidai and 16 at the latest...and it hasn't changed here, in this era at all.'

'I won't marry anyone until I know we live in an oni-free world.' said Kanae seriously. 'I can't bring myself to marry without being sure my house is oni-proof...I-I don't want to experience that ever again.' she said with a shiver. 'Shinobu and I got lucky but what about next time? There might be no next time so I guess no marriage for me until we clean up Japan!' she swore with a pout. 'Until then, its enough for me and Shinobu that we're each other's family.'

'...point...'

The two parted ways by sundown after getting to a forked road as their assignments were different.

xxx

Kagome knew this is her own, new adventure.

As a newly-minted Mizunoto, she wanted to create her own techniques and the appropriate breathing for it. Yeah, the Breath of Water's easy to learn but its not suited for her at all. Or rather, its techniques are not suited for her at all.

So she was wondering what she should do as she went where she was pinpointed at to kill.

She never dreamed the day would come, that she can now fight instead of firing arrows from afar.

It strangely feels exhilarating. That she felt really strong that she gained self-esteem and confidence after being a year of being nearly a deadweight to her team.

But she's now alone.

Sometimes, she wonders if being strong means you're alone in turn.

The only semblance of family she had, was with her teacher and fellow students.

But will they live long? Will they outlive her or she them? Will they be as lucky as their teacher in living long to retire? Only time can tell, really, as she developed her techniques.

However, she and Kanae rose quickly to Pillarhood after just one year and now, they're before their boss and received their promotion in front of the whole organization along with a man named Shinazugawa Sanemi who was the new Kazebashira after the old one retired.

They were to demonstrate their worth to the others to make things official.

Kanae developed a new Breath called Hana no Kokyu and so did Kagome who called hers Shinbatsu(god's punishment) no Kokyu, wherein her speed was key to the techniques that she was forced to master Full-Focus Breathing and develop a new breathing form entirely for her new techniques. Incredibly-fast, but powerful. She just said, 'I'm a Miko before a swordsman, isn't that natural?'

Her techniques were:

First Form: Uzume - a counterattack, she would crouch down and do three hi-speed upward slashes.

Second Form: Amaterasu - she would jump up, and do multiple high-speed stabs overhead enough to crush your head and your torso.

Third Form: Fujin - a lunge forward of Shukuchi and then countless slices you're in pieces in all fatal cuts.

Fourth Form: Izanagi - a morbid attack that cuts from groin upwards, then a decapitation.

Fifth Form: Izanami - she would stab your eyes first, then attack all vital organs.

Sixth Form: Omoikane - she would make five illusions of herself by moving at fast speeds and you don't know where the real one is and you'll never know till you die.

Fifth Form: Raijin - a rather furious back-attack version of Fujin.

Sixth Form: Uke Mochi - she disembowels you, opens you up ala blood eagle, and then cuts you in half.

Seventh Form: Tsukuyomi - she performs a myriad series of slashes that accelerate faster than other rapid slashing techniques, and are executed to beyond the spectrum of visible motion the naked eye can detect within splits of a second. Due to the nature of the required speed and force required to naturally accelerate beyond shukuchi, pushing her to the limits of her bodily ability, the final slash is augmented with such strength that it creates such tremendous impact capable of smashing, shifting, and razing the nearby earth before the user and crush rock, and the force with which the blade lands into the earth with is powerful enough to send its foe flying into the air, before the attack's full effects can take hold. Bad part? After using it results in hellish muscle pains!

Its effects on the ground, were eyeball-popping.

And she executed all her skills without being hampered by her fancy furisode! That spoke a loud statement about her skills.

'Let us now welcome our three new Pillars.' Oyakata-sama, Ubuyashiki Kagaya declared to the whole organization.

The current Pillars were:

Himejima Gyomei, the Stone Pillar. Has been since he was 19.

Iguro Obanai, the Snake Pillar.

Rengoku Kyojuurou, the Flame Pillar.

Uzui Tengen, the Sound Pillar.

And Sabito, the Water Pillar.

'Whoa, I never dreamed you'd become a slayer, you of all people Miko-san!' Sabito exclaimed in excitement. 'Did seeing me and Giyuu got you going?!'

'Boo. Wrong.' Kagome childishly made an X with her arms, making her choke. 'Amane-jousama talked me into it. That lady who was presenting your graduaton gifts.'

'Ehhh?!'

'Sabito.' Giyuu gently chided the other man.

'Oh yes, here.' Kagome returned Giyuu's mask. 'Sensei said he makes masks based on how he sees us, his students so he told me to return it to you after he made mine.'

'Uhm thanks, but your necklaces were better.' said Giyuu with a sheepish smile, taking his mask back reluctantly since he really didn't miss it. He is currently a Kinoe but his accomplishment was akin to a Pillar he was a Pillar in all but name and he refused to be one since he felt he has no reason to.

'I agree, we could sleep soundly at night anywhere with them on.' Sabito agreed with a grin.

'You're pretty strong Higurashi! What flamboyant techniques you have!' Uzui patted her shoulders jovially that made her go 'Hyaaaa!' in pain. 'Higurashi?!'

'U-using Tsukuyomi...hurts a loooot...' Kagome squeaked in a pained high-pitched voice. 'I mastered it...trained my body even...but it won't go away!'

'Oh wow, a kinjutsu?' by shinobi lingo, its a powerful technique with consequences to the user. That much, Uzui can understand!

'P-Pretty much...eeeeepp...'

'Oh dear, Kagome, do you have medicine on you?!' Kanae squeaked out.

'L-Later...I don't have any right now...' and bam, collapsed forward, face first.

'Kagome!' Kanae wailed.

Well, what a first impression.

She missed how snarky the other new Pillar was and Kanae told her later about it.