Chapter Text
Tanjiro started seeing ayakashi before he turned eighteen. Nezuko was nineteen when she began to see the little creatures everywhere too. She and Tanjiro spoke about it quietly, but otherwise decided not to say anything and kept living their lives as normally as they could.
It wasn't usually that difficult to tell the difference between Youkai, Ayakashi, and humans. Youkai almost always had an other-worldly aura to them and ayakashi rarely took human form. Still, to avoid drawing other-worldly attention, Nezuko did take to wearing high necks to cover her mark. Tanjiro took to covering his mark with a bandage, explaining that he had a grotesque scar underneath that he didn't want to subject other people to. Most of those he ran across approved. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about of that.
Shinobu continued to look into helping with the mark, and eventually was able to produce a substance that, if taken regularly, would negate the effects of the mark on the body, thus allowing all marked slayers to live as long as they had that substance. The entire remainder of the corps celebrated with that discovery.
Tanjiro and (his wife) had moved in with his mother after their marriage. (his wife) had actually looked forward to the quiet atmosphere of the place, and he'd taken to building new rooms and huts for any of their needs. His mother had been thrilled.
The Taisho era came to a close and the Showa* era began when Emperor Hiroto took the throne. Tanjiro continued to live in peace with his family, enjoying his sister's marriage to Zenitsu (who cried the entire time) and the surprising twist of Inosuke marrying Aoi.
Then Genya decided to join the military. That would have been fine if some incidents in Northern China hadn't happened. Japan invaded in retaliation**, but… something about that did not sit well with Tanjiro, or many of the Slayers.
The letters they got from Genya didn't help. He'd been deployed across the sea, but he had refused to take his nichirin blade. Not only would that stand out, but he couldn't use breathing styles anyway and the main way of fighting had turned to guns, for the most part. Not that Genya minded that, but his own accounts of their battles – those he could speak of – seemed… off somehow.
The longer Genya remained over seas, the more dour Sanemi became. He hadn't been happy Genya had joined the military, especially when he'd been sent overseas. But they hadn't been at war, technically, and weren't supposed to do much fighting. And even when they did fight, it would be human against human. Once you fought a demon, nothing else really compared. But, still, even humans could get lucky…
The next year, Genya finally returned. To Sanemi and Tanjiro's surprise, he seemed happier than ever, going off about how they were bringing a better way of life to the rest of the world. That rubbed both Tanjiro and Sanemi the wrong way. Inosuke bought right into it and almost joined right then and there. If Aoi hadn't put her foot down, he would have.
Then Genya was deployed again and they took Jehol, right next to Manchuria, and then Inner Mongolia. This only escalated the tensions between China and Japan†. By that point, even Genya was questioning things. Just… not aloud. He'd known people who had been outright killed for voicing any sort of questioning of the government. Which was part of the problem.
The remainder of the corps had come to a conclusion once Genya wrote home about that.
War was coming. Again. And the country seemed to have fallen behind the emperor's ideas for expansion, mainly because of the resource shortages, but to Tanjiro, it just seemed like a power grab. He couldn't voice his objections outside his home (or those he intimately trusted) for fear of retribution and claims of treason, much like what Genya had written about.*** It felt like a virus that was spreading, changing everyone's perspective and (in some instances) ability to think.
The propaganda didn't help. It wasn't the posters and films (actual moving pictures, how cool was that?!) themselves that got to Tanjiro so much as the incongruity between Genya's letters and what they portrayed. Brave warriors united in justice, and yet they continued to forcefully expand. Haikko ichiu, or the right of the Emperor to make everything within the eight directions his abode, seemed both right and wrong at the same time. He was, after all, the emperor. But weren't they a democracy now? It just didn't seem to quite fit… And according to Genya, the Bushido code had changed. Instead of saying one should be willing to die for their emperor and comrades in battle, the soldiers were almost encouraged to do so – told to fight to a point of death or victory††. Tanjiro could appreciate the dedication, but to only live by that seemed a little extreme.
Tanjiro had two children at that point and a third on the way.
The recruitment for the military continued to climb and he watched as many men and women from the village left to join.
About a month before Genya returned home from that… expansion, he welcomed his third child into the world.
He also got his first visit from the Youkai.
xXx
The Youkai ask him to withdraw from the human world. He says he can't leave his recovering wife and children. Their youngest needs her mother. The Youkai aren't happy, but agree that it is reasonable. They want to know what he's going to do about the war and he agrees to stay out as much as possible. He hopes that Mitsuri Senior won't be too upset that he refused the first time. (Side note, she's NOT happy when she finds out)
-The second Shino-Japanese war breaks out in 1937. By this time, Tanjiro's oldest is 12-13. They manage to avoid being brought into the war, but in 1945, the emperor orders that every single man between the ages of 15 and 60, and every single woman between the ages of 17 and 40 are to be enlisted.†† That includes their oldest son and all of the Kamado children. Takeo, Hanako and Shigeru are likely married at this point, with children of their own (at least Takeo and Hanako) and Rokuta may very well be dating or just married himself.
"Go, Tajiro. Take the children and go. Keep them safe." (Because he can't take his wife)
-Zenitsu says the same and insists on Nezuko going too. Even though her children are only a 'quarter' Youkai, she insists on taking them if she has to go.
They are not happy to leave the rest of their family behind but decide to go to the world of the Youkai (Spirited Away style?) because they have their children to think about now.
OR
They refuse to go and decide to go and stop everything on their own. Then Hiroshima and Nagasaki happen first…
OR
They get 'there' (to the Emperor) first? Dunno where to go with this one, but if someone is a history buff, this could be fun. This could also bring a LOT of Youkai attention to the Kamados. Mitsuri Senior will be LIVID and it could start a human-youkai war if they aren't careful. SO lots of stakes, lots of tension, etc.
RULES
Tanjiro's wife is your choice. I didn't mean for there to be TanjiroxShinobu vibes in this, but it definitely happened. Or you can have TanjiroxKanao… or anyone else, I suppose. Again, your choice.
I mean… as long as it meshes with the story, I think that's my only real rule. Keep the characters as in character as possible. :) Please don't break up current pairings, although you can choose Tanjio's wife.
Tanjiro and Nezuko can't be more powerful than, say, Amaturasu. She is a goddess after all. So keep that in mind. Also, youkai and humans work off of different rules. The culture clash will likely be strong and a lot of fun.
So yeah, I guess here's my second rule: HAVE FUN. :3