Unprepared

Obanai is a Hashira. Among the best that the demon slayer corps has to offer. He dedicated he mind, body, and soul to the cause of eradicating all demons and defending Oyakata-sama from any and all harm.

So, it was only natural that when he spotted a stranger a mere 600 meters away from the master's estate, he took action. Later, he would deal with whatever patrols had allowed someone to just waltz up to the single most important location in the entire demon slayer corps. Such incompetence couldn't be allowed to pollute their organization anymore then in already did.

In the moment, this intruder need to be dealt with.

The man was just standing there, under the shade of the forest surrounding the master's estate, and so Obanai had no problems sneaking up on him. He moved with the swiftness of a viper, blade swinging though the air with a metallic hum before he paused it a moment before it could meet flesh. This close, he can see the man's left arm is missing below the elbow, and can't help but wonder how a cripple made it this far.

He glared up at the stranger, careful to keep his entire face in view of his good eye. His hair was darker then Obanai's, standing stark against pale skin. For a brief moment, he felt utter revulsion, because this man wouldn't have looked out of place in his Kami forsaken clan. Then he caught his eye, the one that wasn't covered by bangs. It was an inky black abyss, and the disgust he'd had before blunted back into disdain for a potential threat to Oyakata-sama.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Obanai hissed. The intruder didn't react immediately, in fact, it was almost like they were only just now noticing his presence, as if the blade at the bastard's throat hadn't been enough to draw his attention before. It had the Serpent Hashira's hackles rising.

Slowly, ever slowly, that pitch black eye focused on him instead of the space above his head. Obanai's mouth twisted into a scowl, not that the stranger could see it. That look, the blackness of those eyes, it mirrored his own observation right back at him. Distantly, he remembered a quote from a book he'd read.

If you stare into this abyss, it'll stare back. He thinks he gets what the author meant now.

The man does not answer, and the Hashira's ire grows. He has half a mind to press his blade to the stranger's neck, if only so those dark dark eyes will flash with something other then freezing cold calculation.

They don't of course. No, instead, they bleed red, and every alarm bell in Obanai's head is suddenly ringing. There is a pupil just as black as the they were before, and surrounding it is a red that burns and burns and keeps burning. 3 tome orbit lazily as the wind catches the man's bangs just enough to reveal the left eye along with the crimsons of his right.

Hysterically, Obanai thinks that this stranger would be right at home in his clan, with a pair of mismatched eyes and that cold, cold stare. One of the orbs is red and burning and spinning and a void all at the same time, and the other is a purple a few shades off from kochou's eyes. There is no sclera, the entire eye one shade with black rings spaced apart. He counts 6 more tome whirling around and around and around, like planets around the black dot mimicking the sun.

And as Obanai looks into these eyes that trace the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, he can think of only one thing.

Demon.

He inhales, muscles already tensing to swing. His blade is in position, he can end this threat quickly before it has even a moment to react. His already in motion, and then-

And then the demon is gone.

Between one moment and the next, it vanishes, a whirl of leaves and Obanai's memory the only evidence that it had there at all. He blinks, slow and deliberate as he lowers his blade.

"Did you see which way it went?" He asks, and scowls again when his scaled companion hisses in the negative. This is bad, extremely so. There is a demon loose near the masters Estate. He does not know the how, and he cares not for the why, just that there's a threat and it needs to be dealt with. There is a silver lining in that there is a Hashira meeting in less then 24 hours, and he's certain that no demon short of Muzan Kibutsuji himself could possibly survive all of the Hashira at once.

Obanai is off in a flash. He has a report to make, immediately.

— — — —

Immediately turned out to be a lot longer than Obanai would have liked.

It is not that Okoyata-sama doesn't think the matter is urgent, he is assured, but that news this important needs to be heard by all of the Hashiras.

Which Obanai can agree with. It wouldn't do to have the Hashira trickle in and learn one by one that a demon had found its way to the Master's estate. No, they need to be informed at once and mobilize at once. Overkill or not, a threat to the Okayata-sama needed to be eliminated with extreme prejudice.

And so, Obanai had waited patiently for all of his fellow Hashira to arrive, greeting Mitsuri as he always did before the master arrived alongside his children.

"Okayata-sama has arrived."

The twins's spoke in harmony, guiding the master out into the suns light. Obanai kneels in tandem as he counts the master's steps till they come to a halt.

"Good morning everyone. It seems we have been blessed with another beautiful day." Okayata-sama says, and if Obanai hadn't encountered a demon just a few hours ago, he'd agree completely.

"Before we begin with this Hashira meeting, I believe Obanai had something rather urgent to share with us, yes?"

He feels the other Hashira's attitude settle on him as the master speaks, and after a moment of silence long enough to be respectful passes, he raises his head just so to speak.

"That's correct. During my journey, I encountered a demon less then 1 kilometer away from your headquarters, Okayata-sama."

Silence.

And then, chaos.

"How could a demon have gotten so close?! What the hell are the patrols even doing?!?" Shinazugawa snaps.

"That is rather concerning." Kochou agrees. Anything more is lost in the cacophony of Hashira attempting to speak over each other. Questions of how a demon could've possibly gotten so close and if Obanai disposed of it asked in a half dozen voices. He tries and fails to answer, the serpent Hashira's own words lost in the noise.

It goes on like that for several painfully infuriating seconds till the master raises a finger to his lips, and the silence returns. Okayama-sama waits several seconds before he speaks, voice smooth and melodic even with it's nichrin steel edge.

"Obanai, could you please describe to us the nature of your encounter?"

Obanai allows himself an internal sign of relief. "Of course master." He says, and then prepares to begin his tale. He'd gone over the encounter a dozen times in his mind to ensure not a single detail was lost.

"The sun had only just risen, and I was walking down the road to the estate when Kaburamaru informed me of an unfamiliar presence. I elected to investigate and found the demon standing under a tree."

"But how is that possible? The entire headquarters is surrounded by a a wisteria grove," Rengoku interrupts, and Obanai can't exactly blame him since he doesn't know himself.

"I don't know, but I initially believed it was a human. It lacked the typical demonic traits, but it's eyes gave it away." Obanai explained. He remembered that twisted red and purple pair, unnatural in a way only a demon could be. "They were black at first, but when I threatened it, they Changed. The right eye was red with 3 tome, and the left completely purple with 6. I attempted to behead it, but the demon….escaped me," the admission hurts. To openly share his failure in front of the Hashira is a shame approaching that of his tainted blood.

"You let it escape?!" Shinazugawa shouts, and the sentiment is echoed by all save for Shinobu.

"Purple you say? Perhaps the demon has some resistance to wisteria." Kochou speaks up, and while her smile does not shift at all, Obanai suspects she is more shaken then the rest of them. If the demon is indeed resistant to the plant's affects, then she may be near useless against it.

"I see," The master says.

"Okayata-sama, if I may, I suggest we move out immediately to find and eliminate this demon as extravagantly as possible!" Tengen booms, and for all that the sound Hashira grates on his nerves, Obanai agrees, and says as much.

"Tengen is right master, a demon able to withstand wisteria that potentially knows our headquarters location cannot be allowed to exist."

The other Hashira speak or nod their agreement, but the master does not answer immediately. Obanai does not rush him, for Okayata-sama is deliberating, determining the best course of action for the corpse.

"You are correct, my Hashiras." He finally says. "This demon needs to destroyed."

"Then please, order us after it at once Master!" Shinazugawa's bloodlust is palpable when he speaks, and Obanai is about to remind him of who exactly they're speaking to when the master addresses them again.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Senemi. To allocate all of the Hashira to one mission-even a short one-is wasteful." And as usual, their leader is correct. Even if it would ensure the demon's death, pulling them away from their duties for a single kill was-even if Obanai didn't like it-as the master said, wasteful.

"Obanai, you are familiar with the demons appearance, yes?" The master asks, and he answers immediately.

"Of course master. It will not fool nor escape me a second time," he declares. The shame of having let the demon elude him once still burns hot, but if Okayata-sama is giving him the chance to redeem himself, he will take it gladly.

"Excellent. I am assigning you the tasks if locating and eliminating this demon." The master says, and Obanai nods in acceptance.

"If I May Okayata-sama," Rengoku begins, only continuing when their leader inclines his head just so. "Please allow me to accompany Iguro. If the demon was able to escape one Hashira, I believe allocating a second is advisable." He reasons. Under any other circumstance, Obanai might feel slighted, but he had seen the demon vanish. It was so quick he hadn't even been able to process it…

Against something so fast, the Serpent Hashira was not opposed to having backup, especially from a slayer as powerful as Rengoku.

"If you believe it will not hinder your sector's operations, then I approve." Okayata-sama says. And just like that matter is settled.

The rest of the meeting goes smoothly, though the lingering tension from Obanai's announcement follows them through it. The serpent pillar puts it out of his mind for now, focusing on giving his report on his most recent patrols and missions.

Only on thought is allowed to linger, that being that the Serpent Hashira will have his redemption, and that demon will die.