Location: Third Communal House, Washing Yard
Time: 06:00 AM
The morning air was completely freezing. All of the people in this communal house including Hanzo already ate breakfast.
SPLASH.
Hanzo stood in front of a large wooden basin filled with cold water.
SPLASH.
He plunged a thick gray uniform into the basin.
He scrubbed the rough wool against the wooden washboard.
SCRAPE. SCRAPE.
Ten other servants stood at the wooden basins lined up across the muddy yard.
Three large wooden carts sat directly behind them in the dirt.
The carts were piled high with hundreds of dirt-stained hakamas and winter cloaks.
An older woman named Sadako scrubbed a shirt violently at the next basin.
"...They are using way too much oil on these weapons again," Sadako complained.
She held up the shirt to look at the stained collar.
"...It soaks right through the inner lining."
A bald, middle-aged servant named Tokichi laughed from across the yard.
"...Just leave it in the lye water, Sadako," Tokichi yelled back.
He dumped a bucket of dirty water onto the mud.
"...If the fabric ruins, the main house will just buy them new ones."
Sadako rolled her eyes.
She reached blindly toward her small wooden soap dish.
Her hand grabbed empty air.
"...Tokichi, throw me a fresh block," Sadako demanded. "...Mine dissolved completely."
Hanzo stopped scrubbing his uniform.
He looked down at his own wooden dish.
He picked up an extra, uncut block of harsh lye soap.
He took two steps through the mud.
He held the soap up to the older woman.
"...You can use my spare, Sadako-san," Hanzo offered quietly.
Sadako stopped moving.
She looked down at the tiny boy holding out the soap.
Every single servant in the communal house knew about Hanzo.
They all knew his father was killed in the woods just last week.
They expected him to be a crying, useless mess.
Instead, he was just standing there working quietly.
"...Thank you, Hanzo," Sadako said gently.
She carefully took the soap from his small, red hands.
"...Are your fingers doing okay?" she asked. "...The water is freezing today."
Hanzo gave her a small, brave smile.
"...I am okay, Sadako-san," Hanzo said smoothly. "...I just want to finish my quota so I don't cause trouble for Matron Ota."
Tokichi shook his head slightly from across the yard.
"...You are a really good kid, Hanzo," Tokichi said quietly.
Hanzo bowed his head respectfully.
He stepped back to his own basin.
His social interaction was working perfectly.
No one would ever suspect a polite, grieving orphan of plotting anything dangerous on himself.
THUD.
A twelve-year-old boy named Heikichi dropped a massive winter cloak onto a washboard.
Heikichi stood at the basin directly to Hanzo's left.
Heikichi gritted his teeth and grabbed the thick, soaking-wet wool.
He twisted the fabric as hard as he could.
His bare hands slipped completely off the wet material.
SLAP.
The heavy cloak fell back into the basin.
Dirty water splashed directly onto Heikichi's face and chest.
"...Damn it all," Heikichi hissed through chattering teeth.
He wiped the cold water from his eyes with his shoulder.
Hanzo wiped his own hands on his gray pants.
He stepped sideways through the mud again.
"...Let me pull the bottom, Heikichi-senpai," Hanzo offered.
Heikichi looked down at him and sighed.
"...It's way too heavy for you, Hanzo," Heikichi warned. "...Just focus on your own pile."
Hanzo reached into the freezing water anyway.
He grabbed the bottom hem of the heavy cloak.
"...Just twist the top to the right," Hanzo instructed politely.
Hanzo pulled a tiny, almost invisible cursed energy from his gut.
He pushed it directly into his wrists to reinforce his joints.
Heikichi grabbed the top of the cloak and twisted hard.
Hanzo twisted the bottom in the exact opposite direction.
SQUELCH.
A massive stream of dirty water poured out of the thick wool.
It spilled over the edge of the basin and into the mud.
Heikichi let out a long, relieved breath.
"...Wow," Heikichi mumbled. "...Thanks, kid. I almost forgot you're training to become jujutsu sorcerer."
Hanzo gave him a cheerful nod.
"...I all have to finish before ten," Hanzo replied easily.
Hanzo walked back to his own basin.
He plunged his bleeding hands back into the cold water.
He grabbed another uniform.
SCRAPE. SCRAPE.
His face remained perfectly calm.
His mind was running a completely different set of calculations.
'There are over two hundred people in the Kamo clan.'
He stared at the massive pile of clothes still waiting on the wooden carts.
He had to do this manually for five hours every single day just to earn his meals.
'... Heh... Child labor laws definitely do not exist in this era.'
Washing clothes by hand was a massive waste of time for him.
He desperately needed those five hours for his taining.
'I need a mechanical advantage.'
His past life as a civil engineer gave him a distinct edge over these traditional servants.
He didn't need a modern washing machine.
He just needed basic leverage.
'I can build a crude wooden wringer.'
He pictured the pile of scrap wood sitting behind the communal house.
He could easily carve two wooden rolling pins and build a hand-crank.
Or he could construct a basic foot-pedal stomper using a thick bamboo pole and a heavy rock as a counterweight.
He wouldn't do it today.
He would gather the scrap wood slowly over the next two days after the matrons went to sleep.
He would pass the construction off as a grieving kid just playing with sticks in the backyard.
'If I build a foot-pedal, I can wash this entire cart in two hours instead of five.'
It would give him three extra hours of secret training time every single morning.
Hanzo grabbed his block of lye soap.
He rubbed it violently against a stained collar.
SCRAPE. SCRAPE.
--<>--
Location: Advanced Branch Courtyard
Time: 10:30 AM
The courtyard was completely packed with students.
Fifteen new children sat in the dust near the weapon racks. They're already training hours ago. And Hanzo just recently finished his qouta for laundry.
The trauma from the recent massacre forced their cursed energy to wake up.
Hanzo walked over to a small circle in the dirt.
Ren, Yumi, and Daiki sat together with their hands held out.
Daiki grinned and held up his right fist.
FSSSH.
A tiny, pale blue spark flickered across his knuckles.
Yumi dropped her hands into her lap.
"...My stomach hurts," Yumi replied. "... But I can do it for sixteen seconds.."
"It's just six seconds more than me.."
Hanzo sat down in the dirt right next to Ren.
He held out his own right hand.
He reached deep into his gut and just use the appropriate amount from his grade 3 cursed energy output. Just enough to look like other children.
Hanzo pushed the tiny fraction up into his fingers.
FSSSH.
A thin wavering blue light appeared on his skin.
It looked much better than Daiki's weak spark.
"...You can get better in the future." Hanzo agreed quietly.
He blended in perfectly with the struggling, newly awakened children.
CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
Instructor Juzo walked into the courtyard holding his bamboo cane.
The scarred Grade 1 sorcerer pulled a wooden pipe from his pocket.
Hanzo immediately dropped his cursed energy.
"...I will be right back," Hanzo told his friends.
"Where was he going?"
"Just train, you don't want sensei to see us slacking right?"
"You don't need to tell me..."
They started to output again their cursed energy and reinforce the wooden swords in their hands.
Hanzo walked across the dusty yard.
He stopped two feet away from the instructor and gave a deep, respectful bow.
"...Juzo-sensei," Hanzo called out.
Juzo struck a match and lit his pipe.
PUFF.
"...What is it, kid?" Juzo grunted. "...Class is ongoing. You're already behind a few hours."
Hanzo kept his head lowered.
He put a sad, confused expression on his face.
"...I wanted to ask about your lecture from before," Hanzo started quietly. "...About the vows."
The sound of wooden swords hitting the practice posts suddenly stopped.
THWACK.
Hanzo glanced to the side.
The older veterans, including nine-year-old Kenta, were staring at them.
They were extremely curious about what the six-year-old orphan was asking the strict teacher.
Juzo noticed the sudden silence.
The scarred instructor snapped his head up and delivered a heavy, terrifying glare across the yard.
"...Get back to work!" Juzo barked.
The children panicked.
They scrambled to pick up their swords and started swinging loudly again.
THWACK. THWACK.
Juzo looked back down at Hanzo.
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"...How do you physically turn a vow with yourself on, sensei?" Hanzo asked innocently. "...Do you just say the words out loud?"
Juzo let out a short, harsh laugh.
"...Words mean absolutely nothing in Jujutsu," Juzo stated bluntly.
Juzo pointed the stem of his pipe directly at Hanzo's stomach.
"...A vow is a physical execution," Juzo explained. "...You don't just ask the heavens to lock your energy away."
Hanzo tilted his head slightly.
"...You have to physically grab your own pathways from the inside," Juzo continued. "...And you violently clamp them shut."
Juzo took a slow drag from his pipe.
"...Let's say you vow to never use your right arm in combat," Juzo said. "...You have to pull all of your cursed energy out of that limb."
Juzo tapped Hanzo's right shoulder with his cane.
TAP.
"...You force the pathways in that arm to wither and close," Juzo said. "...You physically mutilate your own flow."
Juzo lowered the cane.
"...The heavens responds to the genuine restriction and the pain of your soul," Juzo finished. "...Not the words coming out of your mouth."
Hanzo absorbed the exact mechanics instantly.
'So that is why it didn't work last night.'
He gave Juzo a massive, grateful smile.
"...Thank you, sensei," Hanzo said politely. "...I understand now."
Juzo narrowed his eyes.
"...You are six years old, kid," Juzo warned in a low, serious voice. "...Focus on swinging a wooden sword before you try mutilating your own soul."
The veteran instructor sounded genuinely concerned.
Hanzo bowed deeply again.
"...I promise, sensei," Hanzo replied. "...I was just curious."
--<>--
Location: Courtyard Shade
Time: 12:00 PM
The midday sun baked the dirt courtyard.
Juzo blew a wooden whistle to signal the lunch break.
TWEET.
The children immediately collapsed in the shade under the wooden awnings.
Hanzo sat against a wooden post and opened his small cloth bundle of rice.
Ren, Yumi, Daiki and other newer children wbo awakened their cursed energy quickly scurried over and sat directly in front of him.
They already know Hanzo two years ago. After all he was the one in their class to awaken his cursed energy first and got transferred here.
Kenta walked over a few seconds later and the rest of the older kids also sat against the brick wall.
"...What were you talking about with sensei?" Daiki asked eagerly what the rest of the children was curios about.
Daiki took a massive bite out of a pickled plum rice ball.
CHOMP.
Hanzo swallowed a mouthful of plain white rice.
"...I asked him how Binding Vows actually work," Hanzo answered honestly.
Everyone eyes went wide.
"...Why would you ask about that?" Yumi whispered nervously. "...Those are super dangerous."
Hanzo took a sip of water from his bamboo canteen.
"...Sensei said you have to physically execute the restriction on your own body," Hanzo explained to the group.
He pointed at his own chest.
"...You have to grab your own cursed energy pathways and forcefully clamp them shut," Hanzo continued. "...You basically have to crush your own insides for the heavens to accept the trade."
Daiki stopped chewing completely.
Newer and older kids also look serious. This wasn't thought and told by Juzo-sensei at all.
Some looked terrified. While other pondered.
"...Crush your own insides?" Daiki repeated in a shaky voice.
Yumi hugged her knees to her chest and shivered.
Kenta leaned forward from the wall.
The nine-year-old veteran looked absolutely fascinated.
"...So it relies on trade on a physical level," Kenta muttered. "...That actually makes perfect sense."
Kenta looked directly at Hanzo.
"...You lost your dad a week ago, Hanzo," Kenta said seriously. "...But you are already asking advanced Jujutsu questions."
Kenta gave him a firm nod of respect.
"...You are really tough," Kenta praised him.
Hanzo looked down at his rice.
He gave a small, humble smile.
"...I just want to learn," Hanzo replied quietly.
He held out his bamboo canteen toward Daiki.
"...Do you want some water to wash down that plum, Daiki?" Hanzo offered.
Daiki quickly grabbed the canteen with a grateful nod.
Hanzo leaned his head back against the wooden post looking at the children infront of him.
Every students ate their meal after all they were just given an hour to rest and train again.
Now Hanzo just needed the sun to go down so he could finally start his ten-year hell.
--<>--
Location: Third Communal House, Sleeping Quarters
Time: 10:00 PM
The single oil lamp burned in the center of the wooden room.
Twenty-five-year-old Haru rubbed his sore shoulders and groaned.
"...My arms feel like they are going to fall off," Haru complained to the ceiling.
Taro sat up and crossed his arms.
"...You only scrubbed two carts today, Haru-san," Taro pointed out. "...I did three."
Kenji laughed from the corner of the room.
"...Stop arguing," Kenji interrupted. "...You both wash clothes slower than my grandmother."
Eleven-year-old Sota giggled from his mat near the door.
Hanzo sat on his own straw mat and smiled in the dark.
"...What about you, Hanzo?" Heikichi asked from across the room. "...Did your arms fall off today?"
Hanzo pulled his thin blanket over his legs.
"...A little bit, Heikichi-senpai," Hanzo answered politely. "...But Sadako-san gave me an extra rice ball at dinner."
Haru pointed a finger at Taro.
"...See?" Haru said loudly. "...The six-year-old complains less than you do, Taro."
Taro grabbed a small, crumpled cloth from the floor.
He threw it across the dark room.
THWIP.
The cloth hit Haru directly in the face.
"...Go to sleep, old man," Taro laughed.
Hanzo laughed quietly along with the group.
He addressed everyone by their proper names and played his part flawlessly.
To these older servants, he was just a grieving, shy kid trying his best to fit in.
He cemented his place in their daily lives perfectly.
--<>--
Time: 10:30 PM
The room went completely silent.
SNORE.
Someone snored heavily near the paper sliding door.
Hanzo completely dropped his innocent smile.
His face turned blank and serious.
He pulled a tiny fraction of his Grade 3 cursed energy into his chest.
He pushed his senses outward across the wooden floorboards.
Huff-puff.
Huff-puff.
Huff-puff.
He felt the deep, steady breathing of all ten people in the room.
They were completely unconscious.
Hanzo sat up silently.
RUSTLE.
He pulled off his spare gray shirt and rolled it into a tight ball.
He shoved the shirt under his blanket to create a realistic dummy.
Hanzo stood up and walked silently to the paper window.
He slid the frame open just an inch.
He squeezed his small body through the gap and dropped into the cold grass.
THUMP.
Hanzo crouched in the dark shadows of the communal house.
"..."
He waited for ten full minutes in complete silence.
He swept his senses across the perimeter.
There were absolutely no guards or weak curses roaming near the washing yard.
He stood up and walked directly into the washing area.
--<>--
"This is it..."
Hanzo stopped in a small dirt clearing surrounded by hanging clothes.
He thought about the rigged courtroom in his past life.
Hanzo thought about Noboru dying helplessly in this place days ago.
He refused to remain a weak, disposable pawn.
HUFF.
Hanzo took a deep breath.
"...I will actively suppress seventy-five percent of my cursed energy," Hanzo whispered softly into the dark.
He spoke with absolute, deadly conviction.
"...I will only output a maximum of twenty-five percent for ten straight years," Hanzo declared.
He visualized his specific end goal.
He wanted to force his body to learn flawless cursed energy refinement without a single microsecond of delay.
"...If I ever output twenty-six percent, even to save my own life, this vow is permanently nullified forever. I will sacrifice my ability to create any binding vows."
Hanzo closed his eyes.
He applied Instructor Juzo's exact lesson.
He reached deep into his own navel and grabbed the internal pathways connected to his energy.
Then violently clamped them shut.
He crushed his own flow until it bottlenecked completely.
Then.
CLICK.
Hanzo felt a distinct, heavy shift deep inside his soul.
The universe recognized the genuine physical restriction.
The first vow was active.
"Is this what it feels like..."
Hanzo immediately opened his eyes and continued.
He fueled his next words with pure, raw hatred for his fragile body and the unjust world.
"...I will push my physical body to absolute failure every single day," Hanzo whispered out loud.
He promised to break his limits continuously for ten years.
He needed to forge a body, will, spirit and soul strong enough to consume and contain a Death Painting.
He finalized the ultimate gamble.
"...If I skip a single day, or fail to break my limit, I permanently lose my cursed energy," Hanzo stated. "...I become a normal human forever."
He forced his remaining twenty-five percent energy into his right fist.
He clamped down on his intense hatred.
CLICK.
The second heavy shift locked into his soul.
The massive gamble was set in stone.
Hanzo stepped up and punch a nearby tree.
He threw a straight hook directly into the bark.
THWACK.
Hanzo frowned slightly.
He felt the immediate physical feedback from the vows.
"...My punch was completely wrong."
He wasted his stamina without properly pushing his muscle limits.
"Let's do it again..."
Hanzo adjusted his small feet in the dirt.
He shifted his hips and tightened his core.
HUFF-PUFF.
He took a sharp breath and threw a heavy kick.
THUD.
He threw another punch.
CRACK.
The wood splintered slightly under his raw knuckles.
He felt his muscles properly strain and tear.
Hanzo listened to the feedback from his own body and the heavy weight of the universe pressing on his soul.
SWISH.
He threw another punch.
THWACK.
He finally found the absolute perfect, punishing rhythm.
Hanzo locked himself into the brutal cycle of strikes in the dark woods.
"Again.."
SWISH.
His ten years of hell had officially started.
--<>--
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