snow, moon, and flower

A quick aside from the usual chapter notes to put this out there. I am searching for a beta reader for this fic. More details about the fic below for people who see this via the tags.

Once again, this chapter got too long and the things I originally wanted to cover got pushed to the next chapter. I’m very bad at not writing longfic.

The title

The direct translation is more akin to "ten colours and people", and it's an idiom that's kind of akin to "to each their own". Ten people can look at the same thing and walk away with ten different opinions. I went with the title "shades of a soul" after some deliberation. Remember that the English titles of these chapters are not direct translations, but rather something that encapsulates the spirit of both the title and the chapter's contents.

Words and phrases

A bunch of weaponry and katana details this time.

yari – a type of Japanese spear, generally straight-headed with a varying number of prongs. Wiki page here.

saya – a scabbard, generally lacquered but not always.

sageo – the cord used to tie the saya to a belt or hakama.

tsuba – the hand guard of a katana

tsuka – the hilt or handle of the blade, generally wrapped in shark or ray skin (samegawa)

hamon – the pattern on the steel of the blade, sometimes straight, sometimes not

shihan – an honorific that is nowadays used to refer to martial arts masters, but is a perfect form of address between a tsuguko and their hashira. Kanao refers to Shinobu as shihan.

omiai – literall ‘look meet’; matchmaking or arrange marriages. Uncommon now as love marriages are a majority of Japanese marriages, more common around 16th century Japan and beyond. Akihito and Iyori met and married through omiai, as did Kagaya and Amane (and many, many more, as we will discover as the story continues).

Let’s talk about wardship and adoption

Wardship is perhaps not the correct term to use in Japanese, but it is the most appropriate word in English in my opinion for Masachika and Sanemi’s positions. They are adopted in all but name, given rights and assets that are normally only entitled to true-born children. 

In Japan, teenage and adult adoption is not uncommon, even to this day. It’s very common for prestigious families who lack a male heir to adopt an unrelated or distantly related male (child or adult) to carry on the family name. Oftentimes, it could be a straight adoption, or it could be adoption via marriage.

Wardship is a combination of traditional adoption and the unofficial status that many children in the Demon Slayer Corps are currently living under. An example would be how Genya lives under Gyoumei’s care and tutelage in canon – he is Gyoumei’s student, but Gyoumei is also implied to take a certain kind of responsibility over Genya, who lives with him. You could also argue something similar with Sabito and Giyuu, who were orphans but lived and trained with Urokodaki, who they doubtless saw as a teacher and father figure. Although in Snow, Moon, and Flower, Urokodaki is not part of a great family, people still regard his relationship with the two boys as that of guardian and ward. It is also Obanai’s current standing in the Chrysanthemum Estate – he’s given the same rights and protections as the trueborn Rengoku children (although we explore more of him and his circumstances later).

All in all, to most families, it’s a way to take in orphan children and give them a modicum of legality in terms of status. In this period, school is mandatory for children, but depending on how far out you are from the cities and whatnot, it’s not particularly possible for this to be enforced. There’s no modern-day CPS, but the koseki or Japanese family registry has existed and been enforced since the Meiji Restoration. This means all families and their units are reported to local authorities and governments – it is a registry after all. I do not speak on this too heavily in the chapter – it’s told from Masachika’s POV, and while he’s smart, he's not going to linger on the details of stuff like this. Wardships offer the orphaned and estranged child soldiers in the corps a degree of legal protection, all somewhat loosely handwaved and covered up by the great families and their “friends in high places”, the Ubuyashiki family and their copious amounts of money… and me, the author of the fic, who wants to think a little bit about this stuff, but not too much, because we are 5 chapters in on a 36+ chapter story that’s already longer than the average YA novel (75k or so).

To further explore this though, wardship means more to the great families than it does to a regular family, and it comes with more… “perks”. Entitlement to land that is bought by the family itself and gifted to the ward is a tradition that comes from the Sengoku period when samurai would take on retainers; in fact, wardship to the great families is very much an evolution of the relationship between a daimyo or shogun and their kanshindan. Kanshindan were retainers in service to the daimyo or shogun and would be offered land and rice stipends. Their duty was not only to serve their lords but to keep them accountable as leaders. Very much the bond of a lord and their vassalage.

In 1908, the current time the fic takes place, wardship means more soldiers for the corps under the family’s kamon, and it means a roof over the heads of the ward’s family and a meal on their plate every day, three times a day. They will never want for money or possessions. Being offered a wardship is to offer a family - an entire family, as large as the ward has and would like housed - safety and security in exchange that the ward is in service to the great family.

Is it antiquated? A little, and it will be explored. There’s a reason the kanshidan were abolished come the Meiji Restoration, and there’s a reason the corps’ great families continue a variation of the tradition. Is it manipulative to offer something so profoundly life-changing to children and their families in exchange for their devotion and dedication to a corps whose very tenets endanger said children’s lives? Yeah, it is, but this is a different time, and different set of circumstances (uh, demons), but it is also deeply, unfathomably wrong. 

And it will be explored.

Let’s talk about sexism

This fic has always been tagged as “Period-typical attitudes”, while I only recently added “Period-typical sexism” – I did hope that the former implied the latter, however. One of the things I wanted to explore with Snow, Moon, and Flower is… well, period-typical sexism and attitudes.

The weight of what it means to be a woman and a man in Taisho era Japan is alluded to in canon, but never heavily lingered on. We see a lot of different expectations between men and women, as well as between upper and lower-class families in the source material. My mind immediately jumps to the Ubuyashiki quintuplets, Tengen and his three wives and the shinobi culture, Mitsuri’s childhood, and other individual characters and their circumstances: Amane, Zenitsu, Ruka, and Shizu. 

As a modern-day left-leaning feminist who lives in a first-world western country, but whose heritage comes from Southeast Asia, I have a lot of differing opinions on this and this fic is an outlet for me to explore those opinions. Tradition is important in Asian cultures, and Japan is no exception. Sexism was and is rampant, then and now. Demon Slayer does go somewhat above the expectations of the time – women were not allowed to hold a sword or take on roles traditionally taken by men. Yoake and Kanae should not be heirs to their families, they are women. A woman like Tadako would not exist in real life and does not exist in the source material (I don’t think there are any female swordsmiths in canon!)

But as Yoake says in this chapter: “demons do not afford us the luxury of abiding by tradition.”

When I explore these themes, I do want to approach them from the worldview of someone who lives in this universe and is deeply ingrained in its culture. There is a complexity to Yoake’s position, to Kanae’s position, to Tadako’s, and Mitsuri’s, and Shinobu’s, and the Doumae girls that I deeply want to explore, and I want to do it justice without putting on my 21st-century hat as I sit in the comfort of a first world western home. This of course means there’s period-typical sexism and attitudes in this fic that are both addressed and ignored – abided by and defied – subverted and enforced. That’s part of the nuance of the story I want to tell in Snow, Moon, and Flower.

you can read the newest chapter here!

Let's start of with some translations!

oyakata-sama

a traditional way to say "Master". I refer to Kagaya in prose as "master", however the character directly address him as oyakata-sama. This choice was made to distinguish other characters that are called master - for example, someone may call Akihito "Master" due to him being master of estate and a hashira, whereas oyakata-sama is reserved for the leader of the corps. Oyakata is traditionally used as a title for a father figure or provider. It's also very commonly used nowadays for sumo coaches.

nembutsu

also known in Chinese as nianfo, nembutsu is essentially a repetitive meditation in Pure Land Buddhism, commonly of the name of Amida Butsu (also known as Amitabha).

南・無・阿・弥・陀・仏 | namu amida butsu

one of the most common nembutsu - it essentially translates to "Praise Amida Butsu" or "I am aware of Amida Butsu" or even "I bow to Amida Butsu"

kyoudai sakazuki

a practice in which two people will swear over cups of sake to be sword brothers. the two people are not related, but after the practice, regard each other the same as true born family members. kyoudai means sibling to indicate the relationship - there are versions of this ceremony for parent-child relationships too. nowadays this is very commonly associated as a yakuza tradition or initiation.

shimuryoushin

also known as the brahmavihara, it is the four immeasurable virtues practiced and cultivated in Buddhism; loving-kindness or benevolence (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), empathetic joy (muditā), equanimity (upekkhā)

tsume-eri

the style of high western collar often seen in gakuran style uniforms. its the style of the demon slayer uniform.

tattsuke-hakama

the type of hakama worn for the corps' uniform where the bottom hem is bound into the kyahan shin guards.

umanori

essentially is means "horse-riding". umanori-hakama are divided/split hakama with two pant legs designed for riding horses. undivided hakama are full skirts with no pant legs and are worn over kimono, which can't accomodate a "split" or "divide".

keikogi

a type of garb commonly used for juudo or other martial arts practitioners. also known as a dougi or keigi. if you've ever seen a juudo match, they are likely wearing a keikogi.

waraji

traditional straw-woven sandals. similar to zoori, but because they are completed straw, they are significantly more flexible.

furisode

a long, flowing style of sleeve seen on kimono. generally furisode sleeves are considered formal and are reserved for young unmarried women (but not always!)

Next, a quick summary of the currently serving Hashira as of the beginning of Summer 1908.

Yanagizawa Yoriha

Dragon Hashira, 38 years old. She is the eldest serving hashira and de facto "leader" due to being in a position of seniority over the others. Has tanned skin marred with battle scars and shaved blond hair bar her side-swept bangs which cover her left eye and facial scarring. Has a very tall, muscular build.

Rengoku Shinjurou

Flame Hashira, 36 years old. Akihito's sworn brother. The Master of the Chrysanthemum Estate and Head of the Rengoku Family. He has lost himself to alcoholism since the death of his beloved wife, Ruka, one year ago. Unruly blonde hair with ends dipped in red, and vibrant red-and-gold eyes.

Urokodaki Ritsunoko

Water Hashira, 35 years old. She is Urokodaki Sakonji's only child and lives with Sen Watanobu at the Forest Estate. Long blue-black hair kept in a high tail, and bright sky blue eyes. She always wears a white kitsune mask with blue and red paint. She is Giyuu's master.

Sen Watanobu

Ice Hashira, 29 years old. He was once the tsuguko of Urokodaki Shouhaku, who was Sakonji's elder brother. After Shouhaku's death, he was too young to inherit his title, so continued training under Ritsunoko until promotion. Lives with her at the Forest Estate. Wavy navy hair kept in a low tail, and sad blue eyes.

Kakutani Akihito

Wind Hashira, 35 years old. Shinjurou's sworn brother. Master of the Spring Estate and Head of the Kakutani Family. Long, straight black hair with green eyes, the picture of nobility. Although he is older than Watanobu, he was promoted after the boy, making Watanobu his senior in rank - despite this he commonly sits with Yoriha and Shinjurou out of respect for his seniority in age and circumstance.

Himejima Gyoumei

Stone Hashira, 20 years old. A former monk turned demon slayer. He lives with Yanagizawa Yoriha at the Steel Estate. You should know this guy :')

Kakutani Yoake

Crane Hashira, 15 years old. Heir to the Spring Estate and daughter of the last Wind Hashira, Kakutani Atsuhito. Very long black hair kept in a low dolphin tail, gold eyes. She is the youngest currently serving hashira and the only practitioner of her esoteric breathing art.

Uzui Tengen

Sound Hashira, 16 years old. A former shinobi turned demon slayer. You should also know this guy :')

this chapter starts off slow before moving into a bit more intense (and admittedly gory) action.

let's talk about sanemi

while he is brash and aggressive, sanemi has more nuance to him than that. he has been shown to be well spoken and respectful of those who deserve it, and he's noted to be particularly kind to women, children, and the elderly (within reason!)

i feel like so far i have very much explored the more kind and gentle nature of the eldest shinazugawa while hinting at a darker exterior. his introduction to masachika, obanai, and kyoujurou (to an extent) are rough and cold, whereas he has been very polite to the women of the spring estate and respectful to those of deserving rank and stature (akihito, ritsunoko, and yoriha).

the second half of this chapter was a lot of fun to explore. sanemi is known to loathe demons (as we've seen in the series), however his hatred and contempt for them is so strong that his subtitle in the fanbooks is 'he who holds peerless resentment against demons'. this is pretty stark when the others hold subtitles such as 'she who's peerless heart beats ever loudly' (personal character trait) or 'he whose cold, peerless judgement guides his slaying hand' (character trait that directly impacts how they kill demons). sanemi's subtitle stands out as neither something that helps him slay demons nor a character/personality trait (arguably), it's the simple fact that he peerlessly resents and despises demons.

i don't think sanemi is so lost in his contempt and hatred that he's unaware of it and it's made him unadjusted to life with other humans. i hope some of his internal dialogue helped illustrate his state of mind and his crusade against demons.

let's talk about the hashira

there are many original characters in this story (as evident by the tag i included: a lot of original characters). while we love the nine pillars initially introduced to us in KNY, i desperately wanted to pad out the world and give it more substance and flesh. there's so much potential for more growth in terms of characters, family, and overall history and lore for the corps and the breathing styles.

we currently know of a handful of hashira, but the entire lineup as of this point in the story has yet to be revealed. allow me to recap what we know:

yanagizawa yoriha, the dragon hashira who is currently the eldest serving hashira. she has the highest seniority.

rengoku shinjurou, the flame hashira and master of the chrysanthemum estate. he is kyoujurou's father, and as hinted by kyoujurou this chapter, has some kind of mentorship over obanai.

kakutani akihito, the wind hashira and master of the Spring Estate. he is yoake's uncle. masachika is his tsuguko, and he is sanemi's wind breathing cultivator.

urokodaki ritsunoko, the water hashira, who we met very briefly at the end of chapter one. tomioka giyuu is her tsuguko, and she has a pretty familiar family name...

kakutani yoake, the crane hashira and heir to the spring estate.

without saying too much more, i'll tell you that we will at least meet the other hashira within the next chapter or so, and we might start exploring the connections and histories between some of the OC hashira too...!

let's talk about final selection

in the series, we see that kirya and kanata are the facilitators of tanjirou's final selection, which i personally find to be a very bold choice (sending the ubuyshiki heir so close to demon territory) however it's very possible and likely that the children were escorted there by kakushi or other demon slayers as guards (we do see demon slayers acting as guards/patrols in the swordsmith village, after all).

at this point in the story, kuina and kanata are far too young to facilitate final selection, and amane would be responsible for caring for five needy toddlers, so i doubt she'd facilitate it either. and as bold as it was to send the ubuyshiki heir to facilitate final selection, i do not ever see them sending the current oyakata-sama and head ubuyashiki to facilitate, no matter how much he'd might like to.

it makes the most sense for someone of relative seniority and high rank to facilitate final selection. we know no one helps the recruits on the mountain, as evidenced by the hand demons wonton destruction of the trainees over the course of 47 years, so they wouldn't necessarily need to be slayers or capable fights - however given the nature of it being an assessment, and its importance in the corps in terms of keeping the ranks full, i don't think it unreasonable that one or twice a year, a hashira holds off their patrol duties for one week to facilitate the intake of new members of the corps.

it's my personal belief that final selection is held about 1-3 times a year depending on how many students and trainees have prepared and petitioned. their cultivators would be responsible for putting their names forward to the corps as potential recruits, and when that number hits a certain threshold, a final selection will be organised.

we know from giyuu's comments about his own selection (paraphrasing: "the selection from that year") seems to imply there was only one that year. given the comment made by the hashira in the series after tanjirou first comes to headquarters, we know the quality of the recruits has deteriorated over the years despite the strength of the modern day hashira standing on par with the sengoku era (said to be the peak of strength of the corps). i believe we can infer from this that while multiple selections are held a year, within the past decade or so, it's not uncommon for a year to only host one.

final notes

i had a subtle confirmation in this chapter that the fourth great family of the five great families that have supported the demon slayer corps over the centuries is, of course, the ubuyashiki family. this means we know the of the following families:

the Kakutani household of the Spring Estate

the Kochou household of the Butterfly Estate

the Rengoku household of the Chrysanthemum Estate

the Ubuyashiki household of an as-of-yet unnamed estate

To whet your appetites, here's a look at the four kamons for the four great families (made my myself!)

chapter notes

let's talk a little bit about the kakutani family.

the kakutani family is one of the five great families in the demon slayer universe (in this story). the families that have been revealed so far are: the kakutani family of the spring estate, the rengoku family of the chrysanthemum estate, and the kochou family of the butterfly estate. the other two will be revealed in time.

the spring estate currently houses the following characters (that we know of):

kakutani akihito; head of the family and master of estate. the wind hashira.

kakutani yoake; akihito's heir and niece by his elder brother. the crane hashira.

kumeno masachika; akhito's tsuguko and an adopted ward of the household

doumae daichi; head of the doumae servant family

doumae daiya; younger sister of daichi

doumae miharu; daichi's daughter

shinazugawa sanemi; a wind breathing student currently residing at the estate - despite gossip, sanemi has not been adopted by the household or been taken as a ward

we also know of two other deceased members of the family:

kakutani atsuhito; the former head of the family. akihito's elder brother and yoake's father

kakutani isane; a former kakushi. wife of atsuhito and yoake's mother

chapter notes

this segment of the story was very loosely planned, but took a life of it's own when i started writing. it sprung to life to such a degree in fact that i didn't get to cover the events i wanted to in this chapter, even though i'm dividing it into parts - there will be a part two, then i have pushed the following events to a new chapter entirely.

today, let's talk about training, final selection, and mastery of the arts

we only have a very rough reference of how "fast" someone must train to be considered a "fast learner" or "natural" in kny, so here's my reasoning/logic for sanemi being considered a prodigy for his age.

tanjirou trained under urokodaki sakonji over the course of two years to make it to final selection at age 15, and is noted for slaying the hand demon, an old and powerful demon (for the context of final selection). this demon is anywhere from 44-47+ years old, which is many many many years and hundreds of potential trainees who have failed to eradicate it - we can safely presume this was an incredible feat on tanjirou's part.

side note about the hand demon and timelines - the hand demon himself states he was captured by urokodaki 47 years ago, however i personally am of the opinion that since the hand demon was isolated from human society for so incredibly long with only trainees to taunt and consume, his understanding of time would be extremely skewed (as we all collectively experienced during the 2-3 year period of covid lockdowns where keeping track of time while isolated was a chore, even in modern day society with access to the internet).

so if we take the demon's comments as only a rough estimate, we can assume it ran amok undisturbed for minimum 44 years if it was captured in the last year of the keiou era (1868) and we assume that tanjirou's final selection takes place in the first year of the taishou era (1912). if we take his comments literally and place his capture on the last year of keiou, that would place tanjirou's selection 47 years later in the year 1915. the current year as of this chapter in the fic is 1908 - sanemi is 14 - so it will be 1915 when he is 21, his canonical age in the series. so take that as you will!

kyoujurou is a hashira at age 20 at the start of the series. being part of a long line of previous flame hashira, we can assume he began training at an early age. we get implications of natural talent as it is said that he not only taught himself advanced flame breathing for a book, but also because his esoteric skill, rengoku, was developed and used exclusively by him.

senjurou is seven years younger than kyoujurou in this story (his canon age is never confirmed outside of kimetsu academy, which is an AU itself). this places him at age 13 in 1915. we know that at the start of kny, senjurou had recently completed final selection, but his nichirin blade did not change colours.

there is implication that he had essentially the same training as kyoujurou. his brother took up the role of mentor when shinjurou stopped caring, and that very well could have affected his regimen and progress. regardless though, his sword did not change colour, so i take this inferences to mean that senjurou didn't have the natural talent or dedication of his brother when it came to swordsmanship.

muichirou canonically becomes the mist hashira after only two months after his final selection. he is noted as being extremely exceptional, and that the feat itself outmatches most of the other hashira combined with his age. as he is 14 when the story starts, we can assume he is at the very least 13 when he wakes up and recovers, begins training, goes to final selection, then becomes hashira.

gyoumei is canonically considered the strongest hashira of the current era. it is said he also became a hashira in only two months, despite being much older when he became a demon slayer proper. he had no formal training, much like muichirou, and his skill is noted to be "innate" or "natural". this is considered extremely exceptional.

piecing together this information, i've basically spitballed this approximately timeline on training to be a demon slayer:

the five great families are exceptional, as they train their children in the breathing arts at a young age (maybe from the moment they're old enough to hold a sword!) typically, they enter final selection anywhere between ages 11-13, however waiting until this age is more of a formality and a kindness to not thrust their child soldiers so readily into their war with the demons. children of the great families aren't expected to master their breath techniques, but its a common occurence

outside of the families, anyone who grew up with knowledge of the corps and were dedicated to training to be a slayer still typically will not take final selection until age 13-15, and while they do not train as extensively from as young an age as the great families, its still expected that most would have 2-5 years of experience and no mastery of their skill by the time they go

there is no age limit for final selection - you can be as young as 11 or as old as 18, maybe even older. i do not see the corp being ageist in their battle against kibutsuji

an "average" person (like murata or senjurou) cannot master breathing techniques, no matter how long or hard they train - even those who complete final selection typically are not "masters" of their chosen art! mastery is not a matter of just dedication, and not everyone can be a master, even if they train for 20+ years. there is a degree of innate talent

for those who have the potential to master a breath style, it typically takes over 5+ years to achieve true mastery - those who achieve mastery earlier than this are considered prodigies, even amongst the great families

in one month, sanemi has perfected total concentration breathing and is noted by several others (who are masters as well) to have "complete mastery" over at least one of the forms of wind breathing, which in this story is specifically described as the hardest and most aggressive technique to learn. he is not a natural talent like gyoumei or muichirou, but he is certainly considered a prodigy even by the standards of the five great families.

so lets give them a rough standing on where they stand as "prodigies"

gyoumei and muichirou are considered prodigies or extremely exceptional talent, not heard of or seen since the sengoku era

sanemi is considered a prodigy, though not to the degree of the former two

kyoujurou is exceptional and would be considered a prodigy to "normal" slayers - to the great families however, he is simply doing what is "expected" from such a prestigious line. i will say his determination sets him apart though

tanjirou is considered exceptional - not a prodigy, but an exceptional swordsman with exceptional circumstances. i think most "normal" people like murata or gotou would think him a prodigy though

that's all for this half of the chapter notes! when i post the next half of the chapter next week, i will continue with more notes that would be considered spoilers at this time.

chapter notes:

while this fic will explore shinazugawa sanemi's story and the lives he has touched over the course of his life, at the end of the day, this is a sanemi x oc story, so please keep that in mind. there will also be chapters in the future that do not feature sanemi, as i make an effort to explore as many POVs as i can, but the central plot will always return to him and my oc.

there are some Japanese words that I specifically chose not to translate as I felt they did not fit the tone of the story when translated to English.

translations:

jinbei - traditional attire consisting of a kimono-like top and a pair of trousers

engawa - a wooden/bamboo edge strip that runs around a room or building, almost like a veranda

kamigami - japanese pantheon of deities

tsuka - the hilt of a katana

seiza - specific way of sitting in which one kneels, which is considered very polite and formal

agura - sitting crossed legged, which is considered casual and (sometimes) rude

zabuton - a thin, flat cushion

shishi-odoshi - this thing

uguisu - japanese bush warbler, also called a "nightingale"

kikkou - a common japanese hexagonal pattern that resembles a tortoise's shell

about OCs and canon:

the OCs in this story, for the most part, are introduced to flesh out the world of demon slayer and explore the struggles and hardships of the corps and its several-hundred-year journey. there are a handful of OCs who are an exception to this though and play a major role in the story.

this story is not canon-compliant as the fate of several characters differs from that of the manga (in addition to the introduction of certain important OCs). for the most part, though, this will follow the overall story that was presented in the manga, so please be aware of spoilers for un-animated episodes of the anime.

most of the story will run concurrently to the main story portrayed in the manga, exploring different POVs and the happenings of the corps around such events.

i deeply enjoyed writing this story and i'm excited to see it through to the end. the thirty-six chapters listed on the ao3 page are subject to change, especially if i have to split more future chapters, but for the most part the entire story's outline is completed, so i have charted a course for this turbulent ship!

Shinazugawa Sanemi does not believe in fate. People do not ask for the lives they lead; they work, they fight, and they die for their beliefs. For the sake of his family, Sanemi will sin, lie, and kill. For the happiness of those he loves, Sanemi would give his life. A long form series telling the story of Shinazugawa Sanemi, demon slayer and wind hashira, and the lives he has touched.

[Shinazugawa Sanemi x OC] [Rengoku Kyoujurou x OC]

---

hagakure; hidden in leaves

Kumeno Masachika meets a white-haired boy with sad lavender eyes that tells a story he is all too familiar with.

additional tags:

eventual romance, slow burn, mutual pining, friends to lovers, unresolved romantic tension

hurt/comfort, angst, character study, found family, exploring trauma and depression

loads and loads of characters, expansion of lore, canon divergent,

canon-typical violence, period typical attitudes, implied/referenced child abuse, graphic descriptions of gore, anyone can die