When he saw Shinazugawa's constipated expression, he knew exactly what the guy was thinking—that he wanted him to go ask Roo.
"I ant you should ask Kochou."
"After all, Roo is now Kochou's man. You can go through her."
Shinazugawa froze.
He seed genuinely conflicted.
He squinted suspiciously at Obanai. "Why are you telling this?"
Obanai blinked. He hadn't expected Shinazugawa to be sharp right now.
But there was no way he'd let this athead figure out his real motive.
He shrugged. "I just don't want you to lose to Roo. Is that so hard to believe?"
"Sothing's not right." Shinazugawa raised a hand and pointed at him. "Why are you so... helpful? That's not like you."
Obanai's face twitched. "Love isn't allowed now?"
Just then, a crow swooped down urgently.
It was Obanai's.
A tiny scroll was tied to its feet.
Before it even touched down, the crow squawked, "It's nectar..."
Swish!
"Snake Breathing, Fifth Form — Long Winding Snake!"
A gust of blade wind sliced through the air.
Before Shinazugawa could react, the ssage crow was already nestled in Obanai's arms.
The letter was gone, and Obanai had clamped a hand over the bird's beak.
He glanced back at Shinazugawa one last ti.
"So? Are you going to the Butterfly House to ask Kochou, or not?"
Shinazugawa shook his head, defiant. "No!"
"Really not going?"
"Nope!"
"Fine, suit yourself."
Obanai took off with the crow.
This ti, his pace was far faster than when he'd arrived.
Especially after Shinazugawa called out to him—he bolted like lightning.
Gone in a blink.
Shinazugawa stood there, a little confused.
But he didn't overthink it.
Looking down at the cracked skin on his hands, he muttered stubbornly, "I'm not going!"
The sky was bright, birds chirped, flowers blood.
And outside the Butterfly House, a certain wild boar-headed boy had returned.
Shirtless, with two serrated Nichirin Blades at his waist, and that ever-familiar boar mask on his head—
Inosuke had arrived.
"What the heck? Why isn't anyone welcoming back?!"
He stood at the entrance, visibly baffled.
Since the battle on Mt. Natagumo, he'd gone through the worst days of his life.
He was later nursed back to health at the Butterfly House.
So, despite his wild nature, Inosuke had grown quite fond of the place.
Almost treated it like ho.
But now?
He'd yelled—and no one ca out.
"Unacceptable! I just got back from a mission! How dare Tanpachiro and the others not show up?!"
Fuming, Inosuke kicked the door open and leapt over the wall.
The front yard was packed with people.
Too many.
It hurt his eyes just to look at them all.
So he turned his attention to the quiet backyard.
There, a young man was practicing swordsmanship.
It was Roo.
As for Kanao, no one knew where she'd gone.
"That guy!" Inosuke's eyes widened.
He crouched low and crept through the grass like a stalking beast.
Only the boar mask peeked out.
He studied Roo's movents intently.
"What weird sword technique is that?" Inosuke muttered.
He used his own strange, beast-like breathing technique, but it lacked the finesse of the five main forms.
Because of this, he had always wanted to find soone like him—soone with a wild, instinctual style.
And now, such a person stood before him.
The way Roo moved reminded Inosuke of a creature from his childhood in the mountains.
The Hornet Fang.
Small but deadly—its tail carried venom strong enough to kill.
Inosuke had been stung once.
If not for his absurd poison resistance, he might've died.
"This guy... he knows the Hornet Fang's techniques!"
Inosuke's heart pounded with excitent.
His full attention now locked onto Roo.
All earlier distractions forgotten.
In the courtyard, Roo darted and spun, blade flowing like water.
Sotis he slid low, sotis launched forward at high speed.
It was like a dance—graceful, sharp, controlled.
Roo took a deep breath.
He was ready to attempt a new move—one from his Bee Breathing.
At that mont—
Inosuke couldn't hold back.
He sprang from the grass, wild with impatience.
Roo twisted his blade.
His body vibrated, transferring that pulse to the sword tip.
He closed his eyes.
Listening.
Buzzing bees filled the air.
The soft pause of flower petals underfoot.
And then—a rude croaking shout:
"Hey gaga gaga gaga! You're strong! Fight !"
"Bee Breathing, Eighth Form – Vampire Bee Fang!"
Roo swung the wooden sword.
It sliced through the air with explosive force.
Red and yellow fang-like arcs shot from the tip of the blade!
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Then—sudden silence.
Roo opened his eyes.
No one was there.
"Did I imagine that?" he muttered.
Then—Kanzaki Aoi's voice echoed from the front yard.
"Master Shinobu is back!"
Shinobu's back?
Roo sheathed his wooden sword.
Straightened his clothes.
And began walking toward the front yard.
Little did he know—
Hidden in the grass nearby,
A boar-masked boy had fallen asleep.
"Master Shinobu! You're finally back!"
"I missed you, Master Shinobu!"
"Hug, please!"
Kochou Shinobu stepped into the Butterfly House.
Before she could even remove her shoes, Kokiyo, Kosumi, and Konae threw themselves into her arms.
She smiled and patted their heads lovingly.
Then she saw the beds filling the Butterfly House.
"Huh? Why is everyone so busy today?"
She smiled, eyes forming gentle crescents. "You've all worked hard while I was gone."
"Mmm!" The three girls nodded in perfect sync.
"Master Shinobu, what did the lord say this ti?"
Kanzaki Aoi asked from behind them. "About the funding..."
Bang!
"Oh my~"
Shinobu clapped her hands and smiled, "I forgot again. Let's think of sothing next ti, okay?"
"Alright, alright, Xiao Kui, get back to work. The Butterfly House can't run without you~"
After so coaxing, she sent Aoi away.
Watching her busy sisters, Shinobu let out a quiet sigh.
"Still not good enough. I need to find a solution soon."
She took off her shoes.
Fatigue crashed over her like a wave.
But there was no ti to rest.
She needed to reach the lab.
Because soone was here—soone Shinobu wasn't quite ready to face.
Just as her bare feet hit the wooden floor—
Roo's voice ca from the corridor like a shadow.
"Shinobu, you're back?"
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