Natagumo Mountain Arc

Shinobu is present when Kagaya Ubuyashiki receives news of the situation unfolding at Natagumo Mountain, and is given the order to travel there and assist the lower-ranked swordsmen. Acknowledging this, the Hashira states that it would be great if everyone could get along, regardless if they are human or Demon, and asks Giyu Tomioka if he agrees.[3]

Much later, Shinobu appears before a heavily injured Zenitsu Agatsuma, greeting and asking him if he is alright.[4] She then suddenly appears behind the daughter member of Rui's Demon Family, inquiring if the strings came out of her palms, wishing the creature a good evening, and commenting on the beauty of the moon that night. Startled, the Demon attacks the Demon Slayer with her strings, but Shinobu dodges them all effortlessly. Drawing her sword, Shinobu dryly comments that this attack means that the Demon doesn't want to get along with her.[5]

Shinobu asks the Demon how many people she had killed.

The daughter Demon quickly begs Shinobu for mercy, stating that she would be killed if she disobeyed Rui. Shinobu, sympathizing with the creature's plight, says that she will cooperate with the Demon if she answers a few of Shinobu's questions, the first of which being how many people she had killed. The Demon's answer is five, but Shinobu assures her that she doesn't have to lie, complimenting her string technique from earlier, and the Demon corrects her answer to eighty humans. Despite the creature's stubborn denial, the swordswoman notes that both of them came from the west side of the mountain, and, on that side, she had found forty of the Demon's cocoons. Shinobu adds that she isn't angry, but only trying to be as accurate as possible. When asked what the point of checking this information is, Shinobu tells the elder daughter Demon that in order for them to be friends and to satisfy those who have died, she will have to endure punishment, explaining in gruesome detail what she had in mind for this, and adding that the creature won't die from it, so there will be no aftereffects.[6]

Shinobu defeats her foe.

Enraged, the Demon attacks Shinobu again, but the Demon Hunter quickly bypasses her, simultaneously landing her Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice attack on the creature. She laments the Demon's poor choice, turning and subsequently watching as the creature collapses. Shinobu tells the creature not to let her guard down just because she can't cut the Demon's head off since, she explains, that she utilizes poison as her weapon instead. Shinobu then introduces herself as the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, stating that, although she may be the only one among her order to not possess the ability to cut off a Demon's head, poison that can kill the creatures is still a potent tool. She then apologizes, realizing that the daughter Demon is already dead and could not hear her explanation.[7]

Shinobu offers to kill Nezuko with a painless toxin.

Shinobu then proceeds to cut open the Demon's silk cocoon, freeing Murata. She asks him if he is alright, and he asks what happened to the older sister Demon, to which she answers that she had killed the Demon with poison from the wisteria flower, commenting afterwards on how lucky he is for only having his clothes melted off by the creature's attack.[8]

She later attempts to attack Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado, but her attack is deflected by Giyu. She questions his interference, noting that if he continues this course of action, everyone would hate him.[9] The Insect Hashira asks her fellow Demon Slayer to get out of the way, apologizing to him when he replies that he isn't hated. She then turns her attention to Tanjiro, telling him that he is protecting a Demon and that he should get away from her. The young Demon Slayer exclaims that Nezuko is his sister, causing Shinobu to take pity on her and plan to kill her with a toxin that inflicts no pain.[10]

Giyu restrains Shinobu.

Giyu then instructs Tanjiro to run, which Shinobu notes to be a violation of Demon Slayer's conduct.[11] Later, while being restrained by Giyu's arm, she laments that she had been in the right to come kill Demons and therefore had broken no rules, but noted that Giyu had, asking him what his intent was. Her fellow Hashira remains quiet, prompting her to angrily ask him to say something. Giyu replies that it had all started two years ago, causing Shinobu to note that the length of time was a problem and wonder if he was holding a grudge because she had said he was hated. She then extends a blade from her right shoe and prepares to attack Giyu, only to be stopped by an important message from a Kasugaigarasu which said that Tanjiro and Nezuko are to be restrained and brought headquarters.[12] Later, at the headquarters of her order, the Demon Slayer stood alongside her fellow Hashira in front of a restrained Tanjiro.[13]

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