Chapter 4

(POV 3rd Person)

In Jigoro house, in a certain room, lied yellow haired boy. He had bare chest and his left arm was wrapped in bandages. His chest was moving up and down, signaling that he's still alive. This boy is obviously Zenitsu. It's been a month since the lightning struck him and he never woken up since then. Jigoro after three weeks started to getting worried, he thought that Zenitsu could wnet into coma. He checked him every day to find any sign of improvement but to no vail.

Suddenly, Zenitsu's hand started to twich, and after a while he clenched his hand into a fist. He suddenly opened his eyes. After few blinks his sight adjusted to surrounding.

Zenitsu: "Huh?.. Where am I? Ugh! "

He sat up and grabbed his head in pain. Gritting his teeth he tried to endure pain while memories of him being struck by lightning came to his head. After few minutes pain faded away and he sighed and massaged his temples.

Zenitsu: "It's seems that I somehow survived that. So even I can have little luck in life hahahaha."- he said while laughing self-mockingly.

He looked around his room and found his clothes. He stood up and tried to walk only to lean against the wall. His vision started to spin and he felt like he gonna to faint.

Zenits: "Ugh... It seems like I was sleeping for a long time. I feel dizzy, dammit."- he groaned and complained irritated. He grabbed his clothes and put them on.

While putting his clothes he found two things. First one is that he got a scar after that lightning. It has form of thin, light brown, zigzag lines formed mainly on his back and some spread on his right shoulder blade and chest. He wouldn't even notice them if he hadn't saw it accidentally in mirror. He felt no pain from this scar and it wasn't convex. It's just look like some kind of tattoo. Second thing, his hairs changed color from deep black to yellow with darker ends. He only shrugged his shoulder while thinking that now though his hair matches his eyes.

He walked to his window and opened it. The sky had dark-blue shade which mean that it is few hours before dawn. He sat up on a window frame and looked at the sky. He had to sort out his thoughts.

By first, he noticed that he overcome his fear towards the death. Well, just think of it. He nearly died twice in his life, first time almost by that Demon and second one by that lightning. When he experienced it second time, he realized that nothing is immortal and someday everything will perish. If something is inevitable while he should worried about it? It will only bring more harm than good. Well, this doesn't mean that he's willing to die, no. He still want to live but he doesn't see any reason why he should always think about death, he will only waste his time.

Second thing is his family. He tried to forget about what happened in the past and live like nothing happened but that didn't went well. He subconsciously still blamed himself for what happened then. Now he understands that that would happened sooner or later because Demon said himself that he planed to kill them one by one slowly, he only sped it up. It's not like he stopped blaming himself. He still feel guilty about that but he understand that he should never tried to forget about them, they were his only family. He decided to accept what happened and stop running from reality. He will change his hatred and sorrow into motivation to prevent another such situation. He won't let anyone else feel what he felt, anger, helplessness, fear and sorrow. He promised to himself that he won't let any other children lose what is important to them, he won't let them become orphans because of some fuck*ng, mad animals!! He clenched his fists so hard that they started to crack. Suddenly he stopped and looked surprised at his own hands. It was first time when he felt so angry at something, it's made his blood boil.

He calmed down and thought of third thing. If he want to keep up to what he decided, he need to become strong. Stronger than anyone. Let's be honest. Actually he's weak, very weak. He couldn't help but sigh at his own condition. To be stronger he need to train and not just train, he need to break himself. If Gramps order him to run five miles, he will run ten, if he order to do hundred swings with sword he will do thousand! From what he remember Gramps is former Hashira, the strongest of the strongests, the top of Demon Slayer Corps. He need to achieve strength to go toe to toe with Gramps before the Final Selection. Only then he will be confident to go outside and do what he promised. But being equal to Gramps is only the beginning. Jigoro is old and crippled, and yet he's so strong, just imagine him in his prime.

First sunray fell on his face bringing him back from thoughts. He smiled a little and looked at rising sun with resolve in his eyes.

Zenitsu: "Yooshh, let's do some warm up and let's get going with the training, I'm rusty after my beauty-sleep, haha. " - His room is on the ground floor so he jumped from his window and goes to the place where he trained with Gramps. He even joked a little.

° ° °

After few hours, sun was almost at it's peak. Jigoro woken up and prepared for the day. After he ate brekfast, he walked to take a look at Zenitsu and check his condition. He slide the door open and stared at the empty room for few seconds while blinking.

Jigoro: "Eh?... EH?! Where is Zenitsu?!"

He panicked a little and searched whole room. He even checked under the carpet. Looking around he finally saw open window. He quickly jogged to it and looked outside. What he saw made his jaw dropped. In a distance, around hundred and fifty meters, he saw yellow haired teen, swinging wooden sword at wooden training dummy repeatedly. He couldn't belived his own eyes.

He quickly stormed outside the house, to the training grounds. He stopped several meters from Zenitsu and watched him carefully.

*BANG BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*THUD*

He was stunned at the performance in front of him. Zenitsu was practicing combination of four slashes and one thrust. First, he made Ko Gasumi stance. After that he did swift and quick, vertical downwards slash which was followed by next vertical slash upwards. In his third move he slashed diagonally downward from his left to right. Then he slashed horizontally from right to left and pulled his sword closer to him and made flawless thrust toward training dummy's neck. Next, he repeated this again but faster than earlier. When he ended his combination he started again but always faster than earlier until he have to stop to catch a breath. After sixth time he sat down and breathed heavily. 'Damn, I can't keep up. Haaaaah.. Gramps was right, stamina is very important. I should focus on this more while training' (Zenitsu).

Jigoro was speechless... What's happen to him?? He looked around and found four baskets filled with stones. He was surprised again. He always made Zenitsu run with empty basket at the peak of the mountain and he had to fill the basket with stones and come back to the training grounds. He always brings one basket and it took him four hours to complete it but know there is four, full baskets. FOUR!! Please be warned that one full basket could weight to fifty kilograms and he had to run for around three miles in one direction.

He rubbed his eyes and started to walking towards his student. On his way he tripped over something. He looked down and found two broken wooden sword. '... What the hell?! What's get into him?'. Zenitsu alarmed by sudden sound snapped his head at Jigoro and looked at him with dangerous glint on his eyes which quickly faded when he realized it was just Gramps. Jigoro saw this slight change in his eyes and with raised eyebrows. 'Just when he became so confident?'.

Zenitsu: "Oh, hi Gramps! You finally awake aren't you?" - he said with kind smile.

Jigoro: "Ze-Zenitsu, is this really you?" - he asked with little doubt. Boy in question tilted his head a little and looked at him confused.

Zenitsu: "Of course it's me, couldn't you recognize your favorite student? Haaah, old age is truly fearful, to have problems with memories. I should look after you more careful from now."- he said half seriously with little sigh.

Jigoro couldn't comprehend what he said. Did he just made a joke of him? He's alway fearfull student that cried when he saw his cane rising up, made a joke with him? No no no no. What else? Sun rised today on the west? He have to dreamed, yup, it's definitely a dream. He pinched himself hard and winced in pain. It's not a dream.

Zenitsu: "Oi, Gramps, are you okay? Maybe we should go inside?" - he asked this time with real concern in his voice when he saw Jigoro wincing on pain.

Jigoro: "Zenitsu, my boy, tell my please what happened to you? You were the most scared person I ever knew, and now, after a month of coma you just become totally new person. Is everything really alright?"- he had to ask. This is not normal to change person's whole personality over a month, especially when he was unconscious whole month.

Zenitsu: "Hahaha haha."- he chuckled at Jigoro- "Everything is good, Gramps, even better than good. I just... Had to realize few things. I consider this normal, in the end I almost die in that accident." - he said with closed eyes while scratching back of his head and smiling wryly.

Jigoro thought of what he said, and agreed with the boy. He also changed slightly when he almost die that day when he losed his leg.

Jigoro: "haaaaah.... Can you at least tell me what you thought about?" - he wouldn't be mad if Zenitsu rejected his request. In the end he asked just for curiosity.

Zenitsu thinked quickly and he didn't found anything wrong with sharing what he decide with Gramps. After all he really consider Jigoro as his real grandfather and his last part of family left. So he told him about what he thought after woken up and what his actual goals are. Jigoro was simply impressed and proud of him. His student finally overcome his fears. It was good sign. This mean, if everything will go without problems, he won't have to worry about him when he will join Demon Slayer Corps. They talked for a while and Jigoro told him what happened when he wasn't awake.

Zenitsu: ".. Hmm I still can't believe I slept for whole month. So Kaigaku officially become Demon Slayer two weeks ago.. Well good for him, I think?"- he didn't know how to react for news about Kaigaku. They weren't on the friendly terms and Zenitsu had a little grudge to him about how Kaigaku treated him. He wasn't hating him only because of little portion of respect he had for him as a fellow student under Gramps. Basically, he tolerated him onle because of Gramps. But that didn't mean he would let sweep the floor with himself, if Kaigaku crossed a border, he won't stay still. He won't be humiliated by anyone.

Jigoro: "Well, let's go inside. You shouldn't push yourself hard after being inactive for so long time. Let's eat something."- he stand up and dusted off his clothes.

*GRUUU*

Zenitsu: "Well, why not, I feel like I hadn't eat for a month, hahahaha" - he scratched his head in embarrassment when his stomach groaned loudly- "But still, I won't to train even a little, I can't waste any moment anymore."- he clenched his fists tightly and said with fire and confidence visible in his eyes.

Jigoro: "Hahaha haha! You asked for it yourself, let's work hard from now on, Zenitsu!"

Zenitsu: "Yes, Gramps!"- he said seriously with nod.

Jigoro: "Call me Master, you little rascal!!" - he tried to hit him with his cane but Zenitsu avoided it swiftly and showed his tongue to him while running toward house.

Jigoro's angry face was replaced with kind and sincare smile while he looked at the back of his young student. 'Yeah, aside from his personality, his eyes are what changed the most. They are not scarred and downward-slopped anymore. Now they are calm, focus and full of confidence. I expect you achieve great things in the future, Zenitsu', he thought while looking at the clouds. But after he again looked angrily at Zenitsu.

Jigoro: "I will make you eat that damn tongue!!"- he shouted and ran to the house.

Next day, Zenitsu started his training but with thrice more effort than before. He also realized that he wasn't really that weak, he just lacked confidence in his own abilities which make him hesitant in crucial moments. He knew his Breathing Style focused on fast movement and strong legs, so he mainly working the hardest on this parts:

- lower body

- greater stamina

- reflex and senses

- swordmanship.

Also, following advice of Gramps, he decided to perfect Firs Form of Breath Of Thunder. If he couldn't learn other Forms, he will become incomparable in this one. But that's doesn't mean he won't tried to learn other forms. He will try even harder to achieve that.

And like that three years passed and time for Final Selection finally has come.