"Zenitsu, I heard Shinobu mention earlier that you defeated that spider demon using Thunder Breathing while you were unconscious. That's the human body's potential." "Normally, the human body has self-preservation mechanisms, and these eight gates are just that. Once opened, it's equivalent to releasing your body's limitations, granting extraordinary power. But this isn't necessarily a good thing. Without the body's self-preservation, you can easily get injured."
Tanjiro asked curiously, "So, is this technique meant for a mutual destruction scenario?"
"Of course not. To avoid injuring yourself, you need a strong physique to protect yourself. Remember, the stronger your body, the safer you'll be after opening the gates. And you must never exceed your limits," Uchiha Nagi said.
"Nagi-nii, what's the last gate, the Gate of Death, for...? It sounds terrifying..." Zenitsu asked, his face pale with fear.
"The Gate of Death, as the name implies, means certain death upon opening. You all should aim to master up to the Seventh Gate. The Eighth Gate..."
Gulp~
The two boys swallowed hard. This technique truly sounded frightening.
"Oh oh, so the last gate is for taking the enemy down with you, right? I get it, Chihaku-nii~" Inosuke patted his chest, indicating he understood.
"Inosuke, you got the name wrong again! It's Uchiha Nagi-nii~" Tanjiro reminded him with a helpless sigh.
"You haven't even managed to knead chakra yet, so you can't even start training..." Zenitsu covered his mouth, giggling.
"Bastard! None of your business~" A pillow went flying.
"Aaaah, Tanjiro, he's bullying me~" "Can't you two stop fighting and just rest properly?"
Watching the three youngsters bickering again, Uchiha Nagi felt a sense of deja vu, as if he had returned to his past life, to the days of playful roughhousing with classmates in the school dormitory.
Unconsciously, Uchiha Nagi walked out of the room and into the medicinal herb garden outside. In the garden, Shinobu Kocho was tending to the herbs. She was a poison expert, but also a doctor. Her poisons were primarily targeted at demons, as wisteria flowers were just ordinary plants to humans—some even used them to make tea. The other herbs were used to create antidotes for corps members poisoned during battles.
Watching Shinobu busily working among the flowers, Uchiha Nagi subconsciously asked, "Need any help?"
"Oh my~ Nagi-san, you understand herbs too?" Shinobu wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead.
"Yes, I was a medical-nin before. Although our medical practices might differ somewhat, I understand the principles of most herbs," Uchiha Nagi replied.
"Ah, is that so? Then I won't be polite. Thank you for your trouble, Nagi-san. Some of these herbs are just too delicate. Some can't stand the rain, others can't be exposed to direct sun, so a little oversight and they die. Could you help me move these flowers indoors first?" Shinobu smiled, unceremoniously directing Uchiha Nagi.
"No problem." Uchiha Nagi formed a hand seal, and the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu activated. If not for life-or-death battles, Multiple Shadow Clones were an incredibly convenient ninjutsu. Its biggest drawback was probably the backlash when many clones dispelled simultaneously. The sudden influx of memories from a large number of dispelled clones could overload the main body's brain, making one suspect they had actually died. But for simple labor, there were no such side effects, just a bit of fatigue.
"What a convenient technique. I truly envy you, Nagi-san, for having such powerful jutsu where you come from," Shinobu said with admiration. A dozen clones helped move some of the medicinal herbs indoors, finishing the task in two trips.
"These flowers, could you please help me move them outside to bask in the sun, Nagi-san? They only bloom and mature in sunlight," Shinobu said with a sweet smile. "They also have a very old name, you know. They're called Higanbana~"
"Alright~" Uchiha Nagi moved these Higanbana—spider lilies—outside. There were blue ones, red ones, yellow ones... Among these flowers was the one Kibutsuji Muzan had been desperately seeking for a thousand years: the Blue Spider Lily. If he consumed it, he would become a perfect being, able to survive in sunlight. It was undeniably ironic: a demon who could only move in the night, pursuing a flower that only bloomed in sunlight for an hour or two. Thus, he had searched for a millennium without any news. And what he didn't know was that this flower was actually a wildflower, found everywhere. Tanjiro's family even ate it as a wild vegetable...
After Muzan killed the doctor who had saved him and transformed him into a demon, he realized he couldn't survive in sunlight. In his extreme vexation, he later looked through the doctor's notes and diary, discovering that this flower might be the key to allowing him to walk in the sun, to become a perfect being. For a thousand years, he had probably consumed countless types of plants. He must have eaten spider lilies too, but unfortunately, not the ones that bloomed during the day, so they were ineffective. So Muzan even began to suspect that such a flower didn't exist at all.
Uchiha Nagi thought to himself that perhaps, when he was old and nearing death, he would try to see if Uchiha cells could fuse with demon cells, achieve longevity, and then consume the Blue Spider Lily... But that was still a long way off. Barring any accidents, he could live for at least another hundred years. There was no need to alter his cellular makeup. Besides, not every demon could maintain a human appearance. Uchiha Nagi had no intention of casually altering his genes. He knew that the Uchiha clan, at its peak, could evolve to the level of the Sage of Six Paths, and the Sage of Six Paths could utterly crush Muzan...
After finishing the herb tending, Shinobu brewed Uchiha Nagi a cup of tea. The two of them sat in the courtyard, gazing at the sky and white clouds under the scorching sun. A gentle summer breeze caressed them. Uchiha Nagi lifted his teacup and took a sip. A light, fresh fragrance with a hint of bittersweetness, followed by a trace of sweetness after swallowing—it was wisteria flower tea.
"What a warm day. If only the starry sky at night could be this peaceful..." Shinobu said with a relaxed smile, looking at the sun.
Uchiha Nagi didn't speak. There was a time when he, too, had wished for such a carefree, hermit-like life. However, this world was not peaceful either. His mind couldn't help but drift to Kagome, the girl who had been killed just days after he met her. If she hadn't gone to get medicine for him, perhaps her fate would have been completely different...
Uchiha Nagi took out a musical instrument and began to play the melody of "Dearest Love." A faint, sorrowful tune started to spread through the Butterfly Mansion under the blazing sun...
Clap, clap, clap, clap—
As the song ended, two sets of applause were heard. "What a beautiful and sorrowful piece of music. Huh? Muichiro-san, what brings you here?" Shinobu, after clapping, noticed the other applause came from the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito.
"Um... I think I've managed to knead chakra..."