Seven people were sitting in a kneeling position in front of a man with light skin and black shoulder-length hair. The top of his face looked as if it was rotting, spreading down to the bottom of his face, covering his eyes, making him unable to see. The people who were kneeling to him looked significantly different from each other.

"Master, where is Mitsuri?" A man with dual-colored eyes and whose bottom part of his face was covered in bandages asked.

"She is the reason this meeting is being held," the man, now known as the Master, said.

"Is she okay?!" The man stood up and asked the master in a panicked voice.

"She is fine; she simply requested to hold a meeting," the Master said, instantly calming the man.

"What is this about?" A man with spiky long white hair and large almond-shaped eyes with purple irises, his face and body covered with scars, asked.

"Why don't we let Mitsuri herself explain," the master said as Mitsuri walked in. Most of the Hashiras looked at her, mixed with concern and disinterest.

Mitsuri walked in front of the Hashira. She was silent.

"So? What's this about?!" the man with spiky hair asked.

"You may know that my student Hajime participated in the final selection," Mitsuri began. "Shinobu probably heard about what happened from Kanao."

Shinobu looked sympathetic as she began to speak. "Mitsuri, I understand that you're upset she was killed by a demon, but you need to understand" Shinobu was interrupted by Mitsuri. "It wasn't a demon, Kocho."

"Wait, what's going on?" a young boy with long, straight black hair that fades to pale turquoise asked. He was talking to a young adult with tall, bright yellow hair, red streaks, and golden eyes that faded to red with white pupils. The constant smile on his face seemed to fade a bit.

"Hajime was killed in the final selection by a demon," Shinobu explained to the boy. "As I said before, it wasn't a demon," Mitsuri said, a bit of anger leaking into her voice.

"I know you're upset by her death. Why don't we go get you something to eat? That always made you happy," the man with the dual-colored eyes said.

"ARE ANY OF YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME? I SAID SHE WAS KILLED BY ANOTHER PARTICIPANT!" Mitsuri said, finally losing her temper. All of the Hashira were silent. They had never seen Mitsuri with such anger in her voice.

"What makes you think she was murdered by another participant?" a man wearing a serious and emotionless expression asked. He had unruly black hair tied back in a low messy ponytail, and sharp, moderately large eyes with a deep sapphire color fading to a lighter blue.

"She had bruising from a blade being pushed into her neck. At first, I thought it was by a knife, but it was pushed to the back of her neck, so it may be from a short sword," Mitsuri said, finally coming down.

"Giyu, you aren't exactly believing this, are you?" Shinobu asked. "Why would the participants kill each other?" she continued.

"I don't know why, but if it was a demon, there wouldn't be a body," Mitsuri answered for the man now known as Giyu.

A very tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular man sighed. "Why don't we get the twins? They probably have a clue on who it could be," he suggested. "Hello Uzui-San." Two voices echoed behind the man now known as Uzui. "Ah!" the man screamed, surprised by the twins.

Both of them giggled and walked next to the master."That was extremely unflashy of you two." The man now known as Uzui said.

"Uzui they are just children," a hulking figure, easily towering over his fellow Hashira, Uzui was going to say something when someone cut him off.

"Uzui, Gyomei can we get to the more important thing that's going on right now?" the dual-colored man asked. "So did you see anyone suspicious or anyone who could be innocent?" Giyu asked.

"They were five survivors, and from all of them, we think three are innocent," the twins said.

"And who would that be?" Shinobu asked. "Kanao-chan and two other boys," the twins replied.

"What makes you think it can't be Kanao and these two boys?" the dual-color man asked.

"Are you really suspecting my Tsuguko, Iguro?" Shinobu asked, her face reflecting irritation in her tone.

"I'm just curious," the dual-colored man, now known as Iguro, said.

"Inspecting the corpse of Hajime-chan, she died a couple of hours after Kanao-chan came out, and the two boys came out with each other, so they can probably vouch for each other," the twins said.

"Can you two stop mirroring each other? It's creepy as hell," the man with spiky hair said.

"Can you describe each of the survivors?" Giyu asked.

"Kanao didn't have a speck of dust on her, and the two boys that came out with each other, one had red hair and wore a red cloud-patterned cloak. He also didn't have a speck of dust on him, and the other boy had yellow hair and was crying when he came out. One of the two that came late had Hanafuda earrings, and the last one had a buzz cut and was extremely mean, If I have to say so he is the biggest suspect." one of the twins said.

"What makes him the biggest suspect?" Shinobu asked.

"He grabbed my sister's hair and threatened her. I wouldn't be surprised if he killed someone just because they made him annoyed," one of the twins answered with dismay in her voice.

The white-haired man seemed to start to Sweat, "Wasn't that dumb of him," he said.

"Did any of them have blood on them?" the man with hair resembling flames asked.

"Some of them did, but it could be their own blood," one of the twins said.

"Was there anything noticeable about them?" Shinobu asked.

"The only noticeable thing is that the red-haired boy didn't have a sword," the twins said.

"Hajime was also missing her sword. Did any of the others have a sword similar to hers?" Mitsuri asked.

The twins simply shook their heads in a sign of 'no.'

"That's enough questions for my children right now. I have a mission for most of you," the master said.

"And what are those?" the man with spiky white hair asked.

"Five of you need to go interrogate the five survivors. I do not accept my children killing each other," the master stated firmly.

"I volunteer!" the white-haired man and Mitsuri said simultaneously.

"Neither of you will interrogate the suspect," the master declared.

"What? Why?" they both asked.

"Mitsuri, you're emotionally unstable right now, and Sanami, as your brother is a suspect, I cannot expect a truthful interrogation from you," the master explained.

"You have a brother? Is it the buzz cut?" Uzui asked. Sanami remained silent, prompting Uzui to huff. "I can see that anger issues are a family trait," he remarked.

"Isn't my Tsuguko confirmed innocent? Why does she need to be investigated?" Shinobu inquired.

"Only to hear her side of the story, in case she has a clue," the master clarified. "Now, I need each one of you to pick a survivor to interrogate."

"I'll go with the boy with Hanafuda earrings," Giyu said. "Very well," the master approved.

"I'll go with Kanao then," Shinobu said. "My child, as she is your Tsuguko, I can't let you interrogate her," the master replied.

She sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll go with the redhead," Shinobu conceded. The master nodded.

"I can go with Kanao," Muichiro said.

"I shall go with the buzz-cut boy. He seems to need a gentle hand," the tall man said. "Yes, you would be suited for the boy, Gyomei," the master acknowledged, nodding at the man now known as Gyomei.

"I guess I'll have to deal with the yellow-haired boy," Uzoi said.

"Great," the master said as he clapped his hands. Three Kasugai crows and a Kasugai Sparrow sat on the shoulders of the Hashiras.

"These are the Kasugai Birds of the Survivors. They will guide you to the survivors. I'd appreciate it if you interrogated them as soon as you could," the master instructed.

"Master, I get why Muichiro didn't get Kanao's crow because she's always in the Butterfly Mansion. But where is the redhead's crow?" Shinobu asked.

"You won't need a crow to guide you to the boy. Go to the gates; there will be a Kakushi waiting for you," the master explained.

"Very well," Shinobu said as all the Hashiras began to head in the direction of the survivor they picked.

"And for the rest of you, I need you to go to the murder scene and investigate the area to see if you can find a clue," the master said as the twins helped him up.

"This whole charade is nothing but a waste of our precious time," Sanami sighed dismissively. Mitsuri glared at him, her patience wearing thin. "What are you getting at, Sanami?" she demanded.

"We're Hashira, Mitsuri. We shouldn't be entangled in these pointless endeavors. It's beneath us to be chasing after things that aren't even demons," he argued, waving off the situation with indifference.

Mitsuri clenched, the strain of frustration apparent in her eyes.

Sanami, on the other hand, stayed steadfast. "If she couldn't make it, perhaps she wasn't cut out for this life. We shouldn't squander our time on those who can't endure," he uttered callously. Mitsuri, fueled by anger, couldn't restrain herself. She grabbed his collar, forcefully bringing his face close.

"I DARE YOU TO SAY THOSE WORDS AGAIN!" Mitsuri exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "I DARE YOU TO TELL HIROSHI THAT HIS SISTER DIED BECAUSE SHE WAS 'WEAK AND PATHETIC'!" Mitsuri released her grip, leaving Sanami behind as she walked away. "I'm heading to the forest to investigate. If any of you genuinely care, feel free to join," she declared, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and disappointment.

Iguro glared at Sanami as he followed her. The only ones left were Sanami and the man with hair similar to flames. "You know, Sanami, I thought us Hashira were comrades, and that we all swore to protect the weak, those who cannot defend themselves," the flame-haired man said. "Rengoku, I-" Sanami was going to say something, but Rengoku cut him off. "And I thought no one could disappoint me, but it seems... I was wrong," Rengoku said as he followed Iguro and Mitsuri.

The master left after ordering them to go search the forest. Sanami stood there, a crow perched on his shoulder. "I found a demon you could use to let off some steam," it spoke. "That would be nice," Sanami said as he began to leave, a flicker of remorse crossing his eyes.

As Shinobu left the Hashira meeting, she found the Kakushi that would guide her. "Hello, Miss Shinobu, I'll be taking you to the Swordsmith village," the Kakushi said. "The redhead is in the Swordsmith village?" Shinobu asked. "Yes, I was one of the Kakushi who carried him," the Kakushi replied. "I see, give me the blindfold."

-Several hours later-

"We are here, Miss Shinobu." the Kakushi said as he helped her down. Shinobu removed her blindfold. "What happened here?" she asked, observing the blood being cleaned by some men. "Ah, Miss Kocho, how are you? Do you need to get your sword fixed? You usually keep your sword safe," Kozo said.

"Ah, hello Kozo, long time no see, and no, my sword is fine," Shinobu greeted the man. "Then why are you here?" Kozo sounded confused. "I'm looking for a red-haired boy, and what happened here?" Shinobu asked, pointing towards the blood. "Ah, yes, we have been attacked by some bandits, but you can't really call it an attack they didn't even get into the village. The red-haired boy was the one who protected the village," Kozo explained.

"Oh my, is he ok? I know the medical Kakushi that works here is a real slacker, so if he needed to be bandaged up, I can help," Shinobu offered. "Oh, don't worry about him; he didn't even get a scratch from the bandits," Kozo assured her.

"Really? Can you tell me what happened? It seems like a bloodbath," Shinobu said. "Oh, it was," Kozo began but was interrupted by another voice.

"Miss Kocho!" A young voice called out to her as a child of short stature, pale skin tone, and black hair. He wears a striped yukata and a Hyottoko mask with notable eyebrows and cheek prints that fully conceal his face.

"Hello, Kotetsu, how are you?" Shinobu asked as she looked at him. "Kotetsu, leave; this is not a sight for a child!" Kozo ordered. "I saw what happened," Kotetsu said. "You saw?" Kozo asked. "Of course, I'm not missing out on a demon slayer fighting," Kotetsu said. Kozo was about to say something when Shinobu interrupted him.

"Well, why don't you tell me what happened?" Shinobu asked. Kozo looked betrayed. "Sure, it was so cool, and the red-haired guy was also cool too!" Kotetsu exclaimed. "Now, now, don't leave me hanging," Shinobu urged.

-After explaining-

"He used some sort of force to pull the bandit?" Shinobu asked "Yep I think it's some sort of weird breathing style." Kotetsu said 

"Definitely not a normal breathing style, but anyways, continue, Kotetsu," Shinobu said. "Okay, so the chief interrogated the bandit guy after that. The red-haired guy gave the bandit the sword," Kotetsu continued as Shinobu looked confused. "And then the bandit put the sword to his neck and beheaded himself. I almost felt bad for the guy," Kotetsu concluded.

Shinobu looked deeply troubled by the story.

"He's probably in his room if you're looking for him. He is in the room at the end of the Slayer quarters," Kozo said. "No need; he is probably tired. I'll find him later," Shinobu said as she began to walk in the village.

Shinobu walked around, asking the villagers about the red-haired boy. Most of them spoke highly of him, but some mentioned that he was a bit insane. Then again, most villagers believed that the slayers were insane.

After all, it would be best if you were a bit insane to go and fight demons every day.

 After a while, Shinobu went to the Slayer's quarters and found the boy's room. She knocked on the door, and a boy with red hair and wearing a cloak with red clouds opened it.

"Hello, my name is Shinobu Kocho. I'm here to question you about the final selection," she said.

"What kind of questions?" Sasori asked. "Just a couple of questions on what you did in the final selection. Can I come in?" She asked with a smile that Sasori could tell was fake, but he still let her in.

As she walked in, Sasori connected his strings to her body. 'If she tries to do anything, it won't end well for her,' Sasori thought to himself.

As Ayumi made eye contact with Shinobu, she looked annoyed. "Why are you here?" Ayumi asked. It seemed to take Shinobu a second to realize who she was. "Ayumi. I'd like to ask you the same," Shinobu asked with a fake smile.

"You two know each other?" Sasori asked curiously. "She's the Hashira I told you about," Ayumi explained. "My, Ayumi, you seem to like talking about me. Do you have a crush on me or something?" Shinobu asked with a teasing tone in her voice. "You wish. Anyway, I need to prepare for my class. Come when you want, Sasori," Ayumi said as she walked off.

"What's with the tension between you two?" Sasori asked. "My, you seem too young to be a gossiper," Shinobu said. "I'm probably older than you," Sasori said.

"Is that so? How old are you?" Shinobu asked curiously. "I'm 35," Sasori said. Shinobu made the most bewildered expression Sasori had ever seen. "You're 35?" Shinobu gasped at Sasori's age. "You look like you're still a teen," Shinobu said. Sasori simply shrugged.

"Anyways, let's get back to business. Tell me what you did in the final selection," Shinobu said as she sat down where Ayumi had been seated. Sasori took his place again. "Only if you tell me what's the deal with you and Ayumi?" Sasori asked.

"You really are a gossiper, aren't you? And it's none of your business," Shinobu replied.

"How about we make a deal?" Sasori proposed. Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal?" she asked.

"I'll answer one of your questions, and you answer one of my questions," Sasori suggested. Shinobu, for the slightest moment, looked annoyed. "Is this the only way I'm getting anything out of you, old man?" Shinobu asked with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

"Yes, and you'll answer my questions first," Sasori asserted, not the slightest bit affected by Shinobu's rather rude tone. Shinobu seemed to contemplate whether she should tell Sasori or not. Sasori, impatient, hid his hands under the table between them as he quickly made hand signs to put Shinobu under a Genjutsu that made the victim imagine the caster as the most trustworthy person she would ever meet.

"Fine, I'll tell you... I had a sister. Her name was Kanae Kocho. She... died by a demon's hands," Shinobu said. "But what does it have to do with Ayumi?" Sasori asked as it seemed Shinobu did not want to continue.

"Kanae liked Ayumi as a friend or more I don't know... But after a while, she could only talk about Ayumi. She considered themselves friends, or that's what she told me. And when she died, I expected Ayumi to be almost as sad as me and Kano were, or at the very least, to display some degree of sadness. but she didn't even cry. It's almost as if she never met her. She just said, 'Sorry for your loss,' like everyone else," Shinobu said, almost beginning to cry. Sasori gave her a tissue; she grabbed it and wiped away the tears.

"Apologies, I haven't told anyone else," Shinobu said. "Have you ever talked to her about it?" Sasori asked. "I mean, no?" Shinobu answered. "What is there to talk about?" she continued. "Maybe she did feel sad, maybe she just hid her emotions like you," Sasori said. "I guess, but why?" Shinobu asked. "Who else saw you cry about her after she died?" Sasori asked. "Only Kanao and Aoi, and you, I guess," Shinobu said. "And why did you not cry in front of anyone else?" Sasori asked. Shinobu didn't seem to know.

Sasori leaned back, thoughtful. "Perhaps Ayumi knew that if she showed her emotions, it would break you further. People have different ways of grieving, and maybe she chose to be strong for you," he suggested.

Shinobu looked at Sasori, her eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "But it felt like she didn't care at all. As if Kanae's life meant nothing to her."

Sasori sighed, "Sometimes people cope in ways that are hard to understand. Maybe Ayumi needed to distance herself to handle the pain. It doesn't mean she didn't care; it's just her way of dealing with loss."

Shinobu wiped her eyes again, a mix of frustration and sadness in her expression. "I never considered it that way." She said.

"Why don't you go to sleep? You're probably tired," Sasori said as he opened his door. "You should get some rest," he continued.

"I guess," Shinobu said as she left his room.

As Sasori looked at the retreating form of Shinobu,' I hoped I would find something useful out of her. I was just curious about those two's tension, but I got more than necessary. Oh well, I should get to Ayumi's class; maybe she has something more useful.' Sasori thought to himself as he jumped onto the roof and began to traverse the rooftops.

-With Uzui -

"So, you're telling me that the redhead controlled your body and made you fight the demon?" Uzui asked.

"Yeah," Zenitsu answered.

"Oi, Zenitsu, does this vase contain my mother's ashes?" a short, elderly man with visible forehead wrinkles and large, slanted eyes, as well as a straight scar with even six prongs running along his right cheekbone. He had notably bushy eyebrows and a large mustache, as well as slick white hair that he wore smoothed down to puff out around the base of his head, with what would've been a fringe also swept back away from his face. he was also missing his right leg, with a wooden peg taking its place.

"No," Zenitsu answered as the vase was thrown to his face. "Then get rid of it!" The man said as he left the room.

"I wished I picked the redhead; he seems to be more flashy," Uzui thought to himself as Zenitsu grabbed the vase and looked at it. "You want it?" Zenitsu asked Uzui. "Not my style, kid. Anyways, I should get going," Uzui said. "Okay, goodbye, mister," Zenitsu said.

-With Muichiro -

Muichiro and Kanao were staring at each other silently. "Why am I here again?" Muichiro asked. Kanao shrugged.

-With Gyomei -

"Now, Genya, tell me what did you do in the final selection?" Gyomei asked.

"I kicked demon ass!" Genya said.

"Language, and did you encounter any of the other participants in the forest?" Gyomei asked.

"I saw one, but he ran away," Genya said.

"Is that all that happened to you in the final selection?" Gyomei asked.

"Yes," Genya said. "Can I be your Tsuguko?" Genya continued.

-With Giyu -

"Tanjiro, I need you to be careful with the other participants," Giyu said.

"But why would another participant kill another?" The boy with Hanafuda earrings, now known as Tanjiro, asked confused.

"I don't know why, but all the Hashira are doing their best to find the culprit," Giyu said.

"This is concerning," a reasonably tall elderly man with silver-colored hair, wearing a Tengu mask that covered his entire face, said.

"What do you mean, Urokodaki-san? The Hashira's will catch the culprit soon," Tanjiro asked.

"Tanjiro, a student of a Hashira could handle three demons single-handedly. Anyone who could kill one has to be strong," the man now known as Urokodaki said. "And, as Giyu said, be cautious around the others. Any slayer who is willing to kill another slayer could switch sides at any moment," Urokodaki said as Tanjiro nodded.