#kanae

In this alternate reality, fate was more merciful. Kanae survived her encounter with the Upper Moon, escaping with serious injuries that forced her to retire as the Flower Hashira. Her younger sister, Shinobu, took up the mantle of the Insect Hashira, bearing the burden of protecting humanity. But Kanae, freed from constant missions, found herself with far too much free time. She found the perfect use for it: arranging the personal life of her unbearably stubborn, prickly, and secretive younger sister.

The object of her intense focus was you.

You appeared at the Mansion several years ago. Not being a Slayer yourself, you took on a massive portion of the administrative and medical workload, becoming an indispensable asset in the infirmary. Your soft smile, incredible patience, and ability to calm even the most rowdy patients made you a universal favorite. But Kanae noticed what others didn't.

She noticed how Shinobu would freeze when you entered a room. How her usually cold, calculating gaze—hidden behind that eternal fake smile—would suddenly soften when she looked at you from behind. How the Insect Hashira, capable of dissecting demons without a flinch, would suddenly start dropping test tubes if you accidentally brushed her hand while handing over medical reports.

The diagnosis was clear. Shinobu was head over heels, absolutely and hopelessly in love. And knowing her sister's character, Kanae understood: if she didn't intervene, this silly girl would suffer in silence for the rest of her days.

One quiet evening, while you were on duty in the wards, Kanae walked into her sister’s laboratory. Shinobu sat at the table, fiercely grinding poisonous roots in a mortar.

"Shinobu, dear," Kanae sat gracefully across from her, resting her chin in her hands. That mischievous elder-sister smirk played on her lips—the one that never boded well. "If you keep grinding that root with such hatred, you'll put a hole in the table. Thinking about [Y/N]-chan again?"

Shinobu’s hand slipped. The pestle hit the edge of the stone mortar with a loud thud.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Onee-san," Shinobu muttered without looking up. A traitorous flush crept onto her pale cheeks. "I'm thinking about a new wisteria-based poison formula. [Y/N]-san has absolutely nothing to do with it."

"Oh, of course," Kanae laughed softly. "That’s exactly why yesterday, when she complimented your new hairpin, you turned beet red and ran away, mumbling something about an urgent bandage inventory. Shinobu, who are you trying to fool?"

"Onee-san!" Shinobu snapped her head up, her violet eyes flashing. "Stop it. There is nothing between us. I am a Hashira. I don't have time for silly romantic fantasies. My life belongs to the Corps."

"Your life belongs to you," Kanae countered gently but firmly, covering her sister's trembling hand with her own. "I didn't survive just to watch you bury yourself alive in this lab. [Y/N] looks at you the same way you look at her. You’re both just too stubborn. But no matter. Since you won’t make the first move, your Onee-san is taking command."

Shinobu swallowed hard, looking at Kanae’s inspired face with dread. "What are you planning?"

"I’m going to teach you the art of seduction, my little butterfly," Kanae clapped her hands happily. "Operation 'Butterfly Wedding' is officially underway!"

Kanae approached the matter with all the seriousness of a former Hashira. The next day, she presented Shinobu with a detailed plan of action.

"Rule number one," Kanae lectured, pacing the room like a general before an army. "Stop scaring her with that creepy fake smile. When you smile like you’re planning a murder, it’s not romantic!"

"I always smile like this!" Shinobu protested.

"Exactly! Try a sincere smile. Rule number two: gifts. You must give her something that shows your attention."

"I could give her a new set of scalpel blades. The ones she’s using are dulling," the Insect Hashira suggested seriously.

Kanae slapped her forehead. "Gods, give me strength. Shinobu, scalpels are not romantic! Give her flowers. Sweets. Something beautiful! And for heaven's sake, don't start the conversation by discussing demon anatomy!"

Armed with this "valuable" advice, Shinobu went on the offensive.

You were sitting on the veranda, darning a torn uniform for a young Slayer, when you heard light footsteps. Looking up, you saw Shinobu. She stood before you, hands behind her back. Her face was tense, and her lips were twisted into a strange, almost painful grimace that was apparently meant to be a "sincere smile."

"S-Shinobu-sama?" You set down your sewing, looking at her with concern. "Are you alright? Is that a facial spasm? I can bring a muscle relaxant!"

Shinobu instantly reverted to her usual cool expression, mentally cursing Kanae's advice. "I'm perfectly fine, [Y/N]-san," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I was just... passing by. And I thought... this was for you."

She whipped an object from behind her back and practically shoved it into your hands. It was a small but incredibly beautiful bouquet of wildflowers, tied with a silk ribbon.

You froze, staring at the flowers. Your heart did a somersault. Shinobu Kocho, the most formidable and unreachable woman in the Corps, had just given you flowers?

"They... they're beautiful," you whispered, feeling your cheeks burn. You looked up at her with glowing eyes. "Thank you so much, Shinobu-sama. This is so unexpected."

Seeing your genuine joy, Shinobu felt her own heart start to race. Her usual armor cracked. She actually, truly, slightly sincerely smiled.

"I’m glad you liked them," she said softly. Then, panicking from the sudden awkwardness, she blurted out: "Those flowers have a mild neurotoxic effect if ingested. Be careful!"

She spun on her heel and sprinted down the hallway so fast it looked like Muzan himself was chasing her.

A loud sigh of disappointment echoed from the bushes nearby. Kanae was sitting there with Aoi, watching the scene.

"Neurotoxic effect? Seriously?" Kanae groaned, burying her face in her hands. "We have so much work to do."

Despite Shinobu's clumsy attempts, the ice began to melt. Her awkward courtships—like bringing you tea into which she accidentally added too many sedating herbs (causing you to sleep half the day), or attempts at compliments that sounded like medical diagnoses—only filled you with endless tenderness. You began to realize that behind that prickly armor hid an incredibly caring woman who was simply terrified of her own feelings.

Kanae, seeing that the process was moving too slowly (it was a classic, agonizing "slow burn"), decided to bring out the heavy artillery.

It was late evening. You had entered a far storage room in the Mansion to count the stock of clean linens. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind you:

"[Y/N]-san, Aoi said we needed to—"

Shinobu entered the room. Before she could finish her sentence, the heavy wooden doors slammed shut with a bang. You heard the distinct click of a lock.

"What in the—" Shinobu rushed to the door, rattling the handle. Locked.

From the other side of the door came Kanae’s cheerful voice: "Oh, what a nuisance! The lock is jammed! Unfortunately, only the blacksmith has the key, and he won't be here until morning. You'll just have to spend the night there, girls. Have fun!"

"ONEE-SAN! OPEN THIS INSTANT!" Shinobu yelled, forgetting all her manners as she pounded her fists on the door. But her only answer was Kanae’s fading, satisfied humming.

Shinobu leaned her forehead against the wood, breathing heavily. The storage room was cramped, lit only by the dim light of a small window high up. The scent of lavender and clean laundry mixed with the fragrance of wisteria emanating from Shinobu's uniform.

You stood by the shelf, feeling your knees tremble. You were locked in together. In the dark. For the whole night.

"I'm sorry for this," Shinobu said quietly, turning to face you. In the twilight, her eyes looked massive. "My sister crosses the line sometimes."

"It's alright," you tried to smile, though your voice wavered. You both sat down on a stack of clean futons in the corner, maintaining an awkward distance.

The first few hours passed in a tense silence. But the night chill eventually forced you to move closer to one another. The silence became intimate. Locked in this tight space, stripped of the need to wear their masks, you began to talk.

You talked about demons, about fears, about the future. For the first time, Shinobu told you how heavy the burden of being a Hashira was, and how much she feared losing those she held dear.

"I'm so afraid to get attached to someone, [Y/N]," Shinobu whispered, her voice breaking. In the darkness, she allowed herself to be vulnerable. "In our world, love is a weakness. It’s just another point of pain for enemies to strike."

You couldn't take it anymore. Crossing the final inches between you, you carefully, as if afraid to scare her away, covered her hand with yours.

"Love isn't a weakness, Shinobu," you countered softly, intertwining your fingers with hers. "It’s what gives us the strength to fight. It’s what makes us want to come home. I’m not afraid to be your weakness. I want to be your strength."

Shinobu froze. In the dim moonlight, you saw her eyes glisten. The entire wall she had built over the years crumbled under the weight of your tenderness.

She slowly leaned forward. Her breath brushed your cheek. And when her lips hesitantly, tremblingly touched yours, the entire world outside that cramped room ceased to exist. It was an awkward, shy kiss—the first for both of you—but it held so much suppressed passion and genuine longing that a shiver ran down your spine.

In the morning, when a triumphant Kanae opened the door, she found you both asleep in each other's arms on a mountain of sheets. The elder Kocho simply nodded with satisfaction, mentally checking off the box for "Organize First Kiss."

Years passed. Your relationship developed, hidden from public view but completely transparent to the inhabitants of the Butterfly Mansion. You became a quiet harbor for each other. Kanae continued to watch over you like a proud matchmaker, occasionally dropping advice on how to organize the perfect day-off date.

But there was a war. And war spares no one.

The terrible day came when the Corps launched its final assault on Muzan. The battle in the Infinity Castle was the bloodiest and most terrifying ordeal of all.

Because this was an alternate universe where fate favored the Kocho family, the course of history changed. Shinobu faced Doma, the Upper Moon Two. The plan involving self-sacrifice and poisoning her own body with wisteria was initiated, but Kanae, Inosuke, and Kanao arrived in time to help. With their combined efforts, they managed to behead the demon before he could fully consume Shinobu.

But victory came at a staggering price.

When the remnants of the Corps returned to the Butterfly Mansion after dawn, you stood at the gates, your legs numb with primal terror. Kakushi were carrying in stretchers with mangled bodies. And on one of them lay her.

Shinobu was pale as a sheet. Her uniform was soaked in blood, her lungs were damaged by the demon's cryokinesis, and the amount of poison in her own blood had reached a critical, barely life-sustaining level.

"Shinobu!" Your cry tore through the morning silence. You rushed to the stretcher, falling to your knees in the dust.

Kanae, herself wounded and leaning on her blade, sank heavily beside you. Her face was grim, but tears stood in her eyes. "She’s alive, [Y/N]. She survived. Но she needs all the help we can give."

The following weeks blurred into a single endless nightmare. You didn't leave her bedside for a second. You changed her bandages, poured antidotes developed by Yushiro and herself down her throat, and slept in a chair while holding her hand. Every raspy breath she took was a victory for you; every moan in her sleep was a knife to your heart.

But she fought. She fought for you.

One night, as the Mansion fell into sleep, Shinobu finally opened her eyes. Her gaze was hazy from pain and medication, but when she saw you dozing by her bed, a faint, sincere smile touched her lips.

She weakly squeezed your fingers. You woke instantly, jumping to your feet. "Shinobu... you’re awake..."

"I promised," she rasped, her voice barely audible. "I promised I'd come back to you."

Tears flooded from your eyes. You carefully, afraid to cause pain, pressed your face to her uninjured shoulder and sobbed, letting out all the terror you had bottled up for weeks. "Don't you dare do that again," you wept. "Never. Do you hear me?"

Shinobu weakly stroked your hair with her good hand. "Never, my love. The war is over. We are free."

Kanae stood quietly in the doorway of the ward. She watched you both, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her remaining haori. Her primary mission—to save her family—was complete. Now, it was time for the final stage of Operation "Butterfly Wedding."

Five years later, when the wounds had healed and demons had become nothing more than a scary story from the past, the inner courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion was transformed.

The spring sakura was in bloom, showering the ground in pale pink petals. The yard was decorated with silk ribbons and paper lanterns. Today, there were no Slayers. There were only friends and family.

You stood under an arch of wisteria, dressed in a snow-white traditional kimono embroidered with gold thread. Your heart pounded with an incredible, ringing happiness.

Shinobu walked down the path toward you. She also wore a white kimono, but theirs featured a pattern of purple butterflies. She no longer hid behind a fake smile. Her eyes shone with such open, pure love that it took your breath away.

Aoi and Kanao stood nearby, wiping away tears of joy. And Kanae... Kanae was the officiant. She stood at the altar, her chest swelling with pride.

"I told you my plan would work!" Kanae whispered, winking at both of you as Shinobu took your hands.

"Your plan consisted of locking us in a closet, Onee-san," Shinobu huffed softly, but then smiled tenderly. "But... thank you. For everything."

You exchanged vows and shared the ritual cups of sake. And when your lips met in a kiss, the Butterfly Mansion erupted in joyful cheers.

Time flies when you are happy.

Five years had passed since that spring day. Life had settled into a peaceful, steady rhythm. The Corps had been disbanded, and the Butterfly Mansion had turned into the finest and most famous clinic in the region.

It was a warm summer evening. You were sitting on the engawa (veranda), sipping green tea and enjoying the sunset. The doors behind you slid open with a soft rustle, and Shinobu stepped out. She looked stunningly peaceful. Her hair was down, and there was no trace of the tension that had accompanied her during the war years.

"Are they finally asleep?" you asked quietly, reaching out to wrap an arm around your wife's waist.

Shinobu sank down beside you with a sigh, resting her head on your shoulder. "Yes. But putting them down was harder than defeating an Upper Moon. Akira is teething, and Honoka flatly refused to sleep without a story about the brave butterfly."

In this alternate universe, the peaceful days brought not only tranquility but the miracle of birth. Thanks to Shinobu's medical genius and the research left by Tamayo, science had leapt forward. And now, two little girls ran through the corridors of the Mansion. The eldest, Honoka, inherited your eyes and calm temperament. The youngest, Akira, was a spitting image of Shinobu—with the same violet eyes and an incredibly stubborn streak.

"You spoil them too much," you said with a tender smile, kissing the top of Shinobu's head.

"It’s not me who spoils them, it’s our dear Onee-san," Shinobu grumbled, though there was no real annoyance in her voice. "Kanae bought out half the sweet shop this morning. If she keeps this up, our children will be made of nothing but sugar."

At that moment, as if by magic, Kanae appeared from the garden. She was carrying yet another box of toys. "I heard that, Shinobu!" Kanae protested, though her eyes twinkled mischievously. "As the eldest aunt, I have a full, legal right to spoil my nieces. You two bores just don't understand anything about upbringing!"

Kanae stepped closer and, setting the box on the edge of the veranda, looked at the two of you with a warm smile. At the two women sitting in each other's arms, whose path had been so long and difficult, but had culminated in absolute, perfect happiness.

"My most successful project," Kanae murmured quietly to herself, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her sleeve. "A wedding, children, a peaceful life. I truly am a genius matchmaker."

"We can hear you, Onee-san!" you and Shinobu called out in unison, laughing.