Location: Gojo Clan Estate, Inner Sanctuary
Time: 11:00 AM
Clan Head, Gojo Hideaki, rubbed his tired eyes.
He sat at the head of a long, low wooden table.
Five older men sat on silk cushions across from him. They were the elders of the Gojo clan.
Thick accounting scrolls covered the entire table.
RUSTLE.
Elder Masato unrolled a long sheet of paper.
"...The Zenin clan officially crowned Shingen as their new heir," Masato reported quietly.
Sip.
Hideaki picked up his ceramic teacup. He took a slow sip.
Sigh.
"...They put two brothers and let them break each other's bones," Hideaki sighed.
He set the teacup down on a wooden coaster.
CLACK.
"...They act like wild animals fighting over scraps," Hideaki added.
Elder Takashi frowned deeply. He adjusted the collar of his expensive silk kimono.
"Those animals hold the western borders, Hideaki," Takashi muttered. "...And the Kamo clan just secured three more government contracts in Tokyo."
Elder Takashi pointed a wrinkled finger at the accounting scrolls.
"...Noritoshi Kamo is sitting in the capital right now," Takashi complained. "...He shakes hands with officials while we sit here counting our money."
Hideaki leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.
"...We rely on that money, Elder," Hideaki said.
He looked around at the five old men.
"...Master Tengen moved the barriers to Tokyo twenty-five years ago," Hideaki continued. "...We survived the shift purely by bribing are way in the Council of Elders to give us more seats."
[A/n; Jujutsu Council = Council of Elders.
Modern terms and grading system isn't yet created before the establishment of Jujutsu High.]
Masato rolled the paper back up.
"...We cannot bribe them forever," Masato argued. "...We need a physical presence."
Masato looked directly at Hideaki.
"...Your son is ten years old," Masato said carefully. "...Has his training progressed?"
Sigh.
Hideaki closed his eyes. He let out a long, heavy breath.
"... Its the same... You should already know... My son inherited the Limitless technique," Hideaki answered. "...Just like I did."
Hideaki opened his eyes. He looked at the ceramic teacup in front of him.
"...But he does not have the Six Eyes," Hideaki stated bluntly.
He reached out and pushed the teacup off the edge of the wooden table.
The cup fell toward the tatami mat.
Hideaki quickly focused his cursed energy. He raised his right hand.
FSSSH.
The falling teacup stopped completely dead in mid-air.
It floated exactly two inches above the mat.
The five elders leaned forward to look at it.
Hideaki's hand started to shake violently.
Thick drops of sweat immediately formed on his forehead. His face turned completely red.
HUFF-PUFF.
Hideaki started gasping for air.
He gripped the edge of the table with his left hand to keep himself from collapsing.
The cursed energy consumption was absolutely massive. It drained his stamina in seconds.
Hideaki dropped his right hand.
CRASH.
The teacup hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
Hot tea soaked into the tatami mat.
Hideaki slumped forward over the table. He panted heavily, clutching his chest.
"...Without the Six Eyes to manage the energy output," Hideaki gasped. "...The Limitless is a curse."
He wiped the sweat from his chin.
"...It drains the body instantly," Hideaki explained. "...My son cannot use it in a real fight, and neither can I."
"..."
The elders sat in complete silence. They stared at the broken ceramic pieces.
"...So we just hide behind our walls again?" Takashi asked quietly.
Hideaki sat up straight again. He forced his breathing to slow down.
"...Yes," Hideaki answered firmly. "...We play defensively."
He pointed at the accounting scrolls.
"...We use our lineage as descendants of Sugawara," Hideaki ordered. "...And our wealth to buy influence."
Hideaki grabbed a cloth and wiped the spilled tea off the edge of the table.
"...We wait," Hideaki finished. "...We keep a low profile until the heavens finally grant us another Six Eyes user."
Elder Masato gave a slow, reluctant nod.
"... That's should be the best move we have right now, Clan Head," Masato murmured. "But you should also produce another heir... One child is not enough. Alteast add five more."
"..." Hideaki.
"I agree with what Masato said."
"You need to work hard clan head."
"The future of the Gojo clan rest upon your shoulders."
"Only five? Should be eight or nine sons. Clan Head Hideaki is still young."
The rest of the clan elders joined and agreed on one thing.
"..." Gojo Hideaki.
--<>--
Location: Main Kamo Estate, Council Room
Time: 01:00 PM
Noritoshi Kamo sat at the head of a massive wooden table.
Seven deeply traditional Kamo elders knelt on the floor on both sides of the room.
The doors to the courtyard were wide open.
A warm breeze blew through the council room.
"...The imperial government approved our new barrier placements in Tokyo," Elder Yasu announced.
Yasu bowed his head deeply toward Noritoshi.
"...You secured the contracts perfectly, Lord Noritoshi," Yasu added.
Noritoshi smiled slightly. He rested his chin on his knuckles.
"...The politicians in Tokyo are very easy to talk to," Noritoshi replied smoothly.
He tapped his fingers against his jaw.
TAP. TAP.
"...They fear the curses they cannot see," Noritoshi continued. "...They gladly pay us for peace of mind."
Elder Goro cleared his throat from the back of the room.
"...The Zenin clan named Shingen as their heir," Goro reported. "...He broke his brother's ribs in the dirt pit yesterday."
Noritoshi let out a quiet, amused chuckle.
"Let them play like soldiers," Noritoshi said.
He leaned back in his chair.
"...Brute force will not win political favor in this modernizing country," Noritoshi stated. "...The Zenin rely on spears. We rely on influence."
A nervous silence fell over the council room.
Elder Yasu shifted uncomfortably on his cushion.
"...Lord Noritoshi," Yasu started hesitantly. "...We must discuss our own succession."
Noritoshi raised an eyebrow.
"...Go on," Noritoshi permitted.
Yasu swallowed hard.
"...Your eldest son, Kenji, has a legitimate male child," Yasu said. "...And several children from his concubines."
Yasu looked down at the floorboards.
"...None of them have awakened Blood Manipulation," Yasu whispered.
The other elders murmured in agreement.
Elder Goro leaned forward.
"...By our traditional laws, Kenji's firstborn son will take the seat after Kenji will be the next 21st Clan Head," Goro explained.
Goro wrung his hands together.
"...But a Clan Head without the inherited technique will make us look weak," Goro said. "...Both of your sons and grandsons lack blood manipulation, Lord Noritoshi."
Noritoshi kept his face perfectly calm.
He looked at the anxious, sweating old men.
'These fools care so much about a chair.'
He didn't care about the Kamo clan's future at all.
Noritoshi just needed their political stability and their money.
He needed them to fund his underground laboratory and to pierce through the jujutsu ruling class.
"...Do not panic, Elder Yasu," Noritoshi said warmly.
He held his hand out to calm them down.
"...Our bloodline is strong," Noritoshi declared easily. "...The technique will emerge in one of the younger children soon."
Noritoshi stood up from his chair.
"...I will speak with Kenji and Shiro about pushing the children harder. If possible both of them can bear another children. They are my direct descendants." Noritoshi promised.
The elders all bowed their heads simultaneously.
"Thank you, Lord Noritoshi," they said in unison.
Noritoshi turned around.
He walked out of the council room. He just wanted to get back to his curse womb experiments.
--<>--
Location: Advanced Branch Courtyard
Time: 08:30 AM | Three Days Later (Week 1)
Hanzo stood in the middle of the dusty courtyard.
He held a heavy wooden sword in both hands.
His four-year-old arms shook from the weight.
Kamo Juzo walked slowly down the line of children.
The Grade 1 instructor held a thick bamboo cane.
"...Focus your energy on the point of impact," Juzo ordered loudly.
Juzo stopped behind a nine-year-old boy named Kamo Kenta.
Juzo raised the bamboo cane high into the air.
He swung it down directly at Kenta's shoulder.
SWISH.
Right before the cane hit, a thick flash of blue cursed energy coated Kenta's shoulder.
THWACK.
The bamboo bounced off the hardened skin. Kenta didn't even flinch.
"...Good timing, Kenta," Juzo grunted.
Juzo took two steps sideways. He stopped right behind Hanzo.
Gulp.
Hanzo swallowed hard. He kept his eyes straight ahead.
"...Brace yourself, kid," Juzo warned.
Juzo raised the cane again.
Hanzo pulled the static feeling from his gut. He tried to push the energy up into his left shoulder.
The energy moved too slowly.
SWISH.
WHACK.
The bamboo cane slammed into Hanzo's bare shoulder before the energy could harden the skin.
"AGH!" Hanzo exclaimed.
Thud.
He dropped his wooden sword. He fell to his knees in the dirt.
His shoulder burned intensely. A dark purple bruise formed instantly.
Juzo looked down at him.
"...Too slow," Juzo stated flatly. "...Your output is weak."
Juzo walked away to check the next student.
Hanzo stayed on his knees. He gripped his throbbing shoulder.
Footsteps stopped right beside him.
Kenta looked down at Hanzo. The nine-year-old boy had a very stern, serious face.
"...Your timing is terrible," Kenta said bluntly.
Hanzo looked up.
He didn't act arrogant and didn't snap back.
Hanzo slowly stood up. He bowed his head respectfully to the older boy.
"...I know," Hanzo admitted quietly. "...It moves too slowly from my stomach."
Hanzo looked Kenta in the eye.
"...How do you pull it up so fast, Kenta-senpai?" Hanzo asked with a cute face.
"..."
Kenta blinked in surprise.
Older children rarely received that kind of polite respect from the younger batch.
Kenta's stern expression softened slightly.
"...You are holding your breath when you pull," Kenta explained.
Kenta pointed at Hanzo's chest.
"...You have to exhale right as the cane falls," Kenta said. "...The energy follows the breath outward."
Hanzo rubbed his bruised shoulder.
"...Exhale on the impact," Hanzo repeated.
He gave Kenta a grateful smile.
"...Thank you for the advice," Hanzo said.
Kenta gave a short, awkward nod.
"...Just pick up your sword," Kenta muttered. "...Sensei is coming back."
Hanzo reached down and grabbed the heavy wooden handle.
He secured another connection in the clan.
--<>--
Location: Archery Range
Time: 02:00 PM | Four Days Later
The afternoon sun baked the long dirt range.
Fourteen older children stood in a line.
They held heavy bamboo bows.
"...Infuse the wood," Juzo commanded from the side.
Hanzo held his own bow.
He pushed his blue cursed energy into the bamboo.
The wood creaked under his grip.
CREAAAK.
"...Pull," Juzo ordered.
Hanzo pulled the thick bowstring back.
He focused completely on his hands.
His cursed energy wrapped around the bow, preventing the tension from snapping the wood.
He kept the string pulled tight near his cheek.
He looked down the line at the other children.
Hanzo focused his eyes. He looked at their auras.
Kenta stood two spots away. A thick, roaring blue flame of energy covered Kenta's entire bow.
Another boy named Jin held his bow perfectly still. His energy looked like a dense, heavy fog.
Hanzo looked down at his own hands.
His blue energy was thin. It flickered weakly around the bamboo.
Hanzo frowned slightly.
He had practiced every single night. He pushed his energy to its absolute limit.
But the total amount that increased was negligible.
'The capacity really is fixed at birth.'
Puff.
Hanzo let out a slow breath.
As far as he knows. It will slowly get larger but based on his estimate, his cursed energy capacity should be the same or a notch more than his father
Hanzo was completely genetically average.
He didn't have a massive, overflowing pool of cursed energy like Yuta Okkotsu. He didn't have the insane efficiency of Satoru Gojo.
His internal pool was small.
'I will probably max out at grade 3. Or grade 2 if I get lucky on my innate technique.'
If he trained his entire life, he might reach the bottom of Grade 2.
Hanzo didn't feel angry.
He just felt unlucky and lucky at the same time. He died but was transmigrated in Jujutsu Kaisen world. And was unlucky since his genetics is an average joe.
But Hanzo knew exactly what his tools were now.
He couldn't rely on raw, overwhelming power to survive this era.
He had to rely on his intelligence. He had to rely on his meta knowledge.
"...Release!" Juzo barked.
THWIP.
Hanzo let go of the string.
The wooden arrow flew across the range. It luckily hit the edge of the straw target.
THUD.
Hanzo reached into the barrel for another arrow.
--<>--
Location: Branch Dojo
Time: 10:00 AM | Two Days Later (Week 2)
Juzo dragged a piece of white chalk across the large blackboard.
SCRATCH. SCRATCH.
Hanzo sat in the front row. He held a small brush and a roll of paper.
Juzo drew a large circle on the board.
"...Bounded Fields," Juzo announced. He tapped the chalk against the circle. "...Barriers are the absolute foundation of Jujutsu survival."
The scarred teacher turned around to face the class.
"...They do not require a specific innate technique," Juzo explained. "...Anyone with cursed energy can cast a veil if they understand the laws."
Hanzo dipped his brush into the black ink.
TAP.
He carefully wrote the words 'Bounded Fields' on his paper.
"...The most important law is give and take," Juzo stated loudly.
Juzo walked closer to the front row.
"...You cannot create a perfect, indestructible box," he said. "...The world demands a trade-off."
Juzo pointed his bamboo stick at Kenta.
"...If I want to make a barrier completely impenetrable from the outside," he asked. "...What must I sacrifice?"
Kenta sat up perfectly straight.
"...You must make it completely weak from the inside, sensei," Kenta answered confidently.
Juzo gave a slow nod.
"...Correct," Shigeru said.
He walked back to the chalkboard.
"...If you want to trap a curse inside," Juzo continued. "...You make the inside walls indestructible."
He drew an arrow pointing out of the circle.
"...But that means anyone on the outside can walk right in and break it easily," he finished.
Hanzo stared at the diagram on the board.
His adult brain easily grasped the logic.
'It is just structural engineering.'
You sacrifice tension for compression. You trade flexibility for load-bearing strength.
He just had to apply civil engineering formulas to cursed energy.
Hanzo started writing furiously on his scroll.
He drew small structural diagrams next to the Japanese characters.
"Hmm?" Juzo noticed Hanzo writing.
The teacher walked over and looked down at the scroll.
Juzo stared at the strange, geometric diagrams.
"...What are you drawing, Hanzo?" Juzo asked suspiciously.
Hanzo quickly covered the engineering diagrams with his hand.
"...Just visual aids, sensei," Hanzo lied. "...Uhm to help me remember the trade-offs."
Juzo narrowed his eye.
"...Just memorize the chants," Shigeru grunted.
He walked away.
Puff.
Hanzo quietly let out a breath. 'Shit, I was too absorbed. I'm still a child. Almost five years old at that. And no more modern stuff infront of others.'
--<>--
Location: Branch Courtyard
Time: 05:30 PM | Six Days Later
The sun began to set over the high stone walls.
The courtyard was completely covered in long shadows.
Fifteen children stood completely still in the dirt.
Juzo stood at the front of the yard. He smoked his wooden pipe.
PUFF.
"...The Rite of the Curtain," Juzo announced. "...The Tobari."
He pointed his pipe at the children.
"...You use this to hide your battles from the non-sorcerers," Juzo explained. "...It is mandatory for all commission and subjugation."
Juzo held up his right hand. He crossed his index and middle fingers.
"...Focus on the area you want to cover," Juzo ordered. "...And recite the chant."
Hanzo raised his right hand. He crossed his small fingers together.
He picked a small, five-foot circle of dirt directly in front of him.
He pulled the static energy from his gut. He pushed it up his spine and into his hand.
He listened to the older children chanting around him.
"...Emerge from darkness," Kenta chanted loudly.
Hanzo closed his eyes and copied the words.
"...Blacker than black," Hanzo whispered.
He pictured the dark ink from his classroom scrolls. He imagined it spilling over the dirt.
"...Purify that which is impure," the entire class finished together.
FWOOSH.
A wave of cursed energy rippled across the courtyard.
Hanzo opened his eyes.
Right next to him, Kenta had successfully dropped a perfect, pitch-black dome over a ten-foot area.
It looked exactly like solid night sky.
Hanzo looked forward.
His own curtain had formed over the one-foot circle.
But it wasn't even black.
It was a weak, translucent, sickly gray color. It flickered violently, looking like it was about to tear apart in the wind.
Hanzo dropped his hand.
"...Well, that is pathetic," Hanzo mumbled to himself.
A loud laugh came from his left side.
Hanzo turned his head.
A seven-year-old boy named Kamo Jin was standing there. Jin had messy hair and a very relaxed posture.
Jin pointed at Hanzo's gray dome.
"...It looks like dirty bathwater," Jin laughed.
Hanzo looked at Jin's curtain.
Jin's dome was completely black, but it was lopsided and covered in holes.
Hanzo pointed back at Jin's dome.
"...Yours looks like a piece of chikuwa," Hanzo joked casually.
[A/n: ( A tube-shaped fish cake made from surimi (fish paste), wrapped around a bamboo or metal stick, and then steamed or grilled]
Jin looked at his own terrible curtain. He burst out laughing again.
"...Fair point," Jin agreed.
Jin walked over and patted Hanzo heavily on the back.
"...A pale curtain is better than no curtain at all," Jin smiled. "...You are only four. It will get darker."
Hanzo smiled back.
"...Thanks, Jin-senpai," Hanzo said.
Juzo walked past them, tapping his cane against the dirt.
"...Break them and try again," Juzo ordered.
Hanzo raised his hand.
Snap.
He snapped his fingers, breaking his own weak barrier.
The gray dome dissolved into thin air.
FSSSH.
He took a deep breath and prepared to chant again.
The physical pain was awful, and his energy pool was small.
But he was back to the basics.
...