Hinokami Kagura

"I know about Hinokami Kagura," Ryou replied with a knowing smile.

Tanjiro blinked in surprise before his eyes lit up with excitement. "Ryou-san, you've heard about the Hinokami Kagura?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes, the Hinokami Kagura, also known as the Dance of the Fire God. It's a ritual passed down through the Kamado family, from father to son, along with the Hanafuda earrings."

He continued, "The dance is part of a ceremony performed every New Year. The performer dances from sunset to sunrise as an offering to the Fire God, a ritual meant to ward off threats and diseases.

But, the true essence of this dance is the breathing technique, which is actually a derivative of the original Breathing Style—Sun Breathing.

If I'm not mistaken, you should have learned about the Dance of the Fire God from your father, right?"

Tanjiro nodded. "Yes, I was asked to watch my father perform Hinokami Kagura from a young age."

Kanae, who had been listening, was startled by this revelation. She knew the significance of Sun Breathing—its origins and immense power—thanks to Ryou's earlier explanations. This unexpected connection to Kamado's family lineage filled her with a mix of surprise and shock.

She directly asked Ryou, "Then, does that mean Tanjiro can perform Sun Breathing?"

"No," Ryou replied, shaking his head. He continued, "Tanjiro only knows the breathing style because it's been imprinted in his mind from watching his father perform the Hinokami Kagura. But it isn't perfect, not after being passed down for 500 years."

Ryou's expression grew serious. "Remember, Sun Breathing is the strongest of all the breathing techniques. Its power is immense, but there's a reason why no one could master it even after being personally taught by Yoriichi.

Without proper training, mastery, and physical strength, if you attempt to use it in battle, it will burn your lungs and weaken your body severely. 

Just knowing the technique is useless. But..."

Ryou glanced at Tanjiro and said, "It's different for you, Tanjiro. It's in your blood as your family has been practicing it for generations. Besides, you have the mark.

Tanjiro shook his head slightly. "No, Ryou-san, I wasn't born with this mark," he explained with a smile, touching the scar on his forehead. "I got this when I tackled my younger brother out of the way of a falling pot of boiling tea."

Ryou raised an eyebrow with a hint of amusement. "Oh, I see... But if I'm not mistaken, your father should have had a similar mark on his forehead, right? How do you explain that?"

Tanjiro hesitated, as he recalled his father's appearance. "Yes… my father did have a mark on his forehead, just like mine," he admitted. "But..."

"Don't think too much about it," Ryou said with a smile. "Every Sun Breathing user develops a mark. It's part of their destiny.

If you want to kill Muzan, practice Hinokami Kagura. Start by practicing it once a day, and gradually work on extending the duration. Consistent practice is key to mastering it."

"Ryou-san, how do you know all this?" Tanjiro asked, full of curiosity. Even his family had never known the full origin of Hinokami Kagura, but Ryou seemed to know it all.

"I know many things; it's nothing special," Ryou replied casually. "If you don't mind, could you show me the Kagura dance?"

"Yes, please show us, Tanjiro!" Kanae encouraged from the side, while Shinobu also equally curious.

"I will try," Tanjiro said hesitantly. Although he had watched his father perform the Hinokami Kagura a few times, he had never used it.

After relaxing his breathing, Tanjiro began to perform the Hinokami Kagura. The dance looked graceful yet powerful, with each movement connected with the next. It was beautiful.

Ryou watched intently, by opening his Sharingan, capturing every minute detail. Within a minute, Tanjiro completed the Kagura dance, but as he finished the final form, he began to cough violently, exhaling smoky breaths.

"Are you okay?" Shinobu quickly rushed over and checked on him.

"How's he?" Kanae asked.

"He's burning up. I can even smell the scent of scorched flesh on him. This Hinokami Kagura is dangerous," Shinobu remarked.

After a few seconds, Tanjiro's breathing stabilized, and his coughing subsided, but he felt slight weakness as if he'd been training for a day without stopping.

Closing his Sharingan, Ryou looked at Tanjiro and activated the Transparent World, quickly identifying the problem. Walking over to him, he said, 

"Tanjiro, avoid practicing Hinokami Kagura during the day in the initial phase. This technique utilizes solar energy directly from the sun, which puts an immense strain on your body. 

Start by practicing it at night. Once your body has fully adapted to the Sun Breathing, you can gradually begin to practice it during the day.

If you have any doubts or need guidance, you can come to me. Practice well!"

"Yes. Thank you, Ryou-san!" Tanjiro responded, bowing slightly in gratitude. After that, Ryou, Kanae, and Shinobu departed, leaving Tanjiro to continue his training.

--

After they had walked some distance, Kanae broke the silence. "You knew about this boy for a long time, didn't you?"

"I didn't know him personally, but I knew of the Kamado family," Ryou replied. "I've been searching their traces for some time, but I never managed to find them. But after meeting Tanjiro, I knew he was the one."

Shinobu's eyes softened with sympathy. "Ryou-san, if you had found them earlier, maybe you could have prevented Muzan from destroying their family. He's a nice boy!"

"Maybe," Ryou said quietly. "But the past can't be changed."

Suddenly, a thought crossed Kanae's mind. "Wait... that demon girl, Nezuko..."

"You've guessed correctly," Ryou confirmed. "There's a chance she might conquer the sun. It might be also the reason she's different from other demons."

"Is that why Muzan sent his minions after the siblings?" Kanae asked.

"No, he shouldn't know about this," Ryou replied. "He's likely targeting Tanjiro because of his Hanafuda earrings—those earrings were passed down from Yoriichi himself."

"Keep an eye on the boy," Ryou instructed. "Let me know when Tanjiro sets out on his next mission, and inform Oyakata-sama as well. Warn him that strong demons may target Tanjiro, and we can use this as an opportunity to eliminate some demons!"

"Mn," Kanae agreed and asked with a smile, "Tell me the truth... Do you have the same ability as Kagaya-sama? You seem to know many things."

"That's a secret!" Ryou replied with a smile before quickly changing the subject. "By the way, I've memorized the Hinokami Kagura. It has a few wasted movements, or maybe Tanjiro isn't using it correctly!

Give me some time...I can use its principles to modify your Flower Breathing. It might greatly enhance your strength."

--

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