HRU: Chapter 141/142

Chapter 141: Concerns of the Yagyū Family and the Zenin Family

Zenin household.

Zenin Naobito, who had yet to recover from the shock of Satoshi's zanpakutō's bankai, was stunned again upon hearing the truth about Yuki's identity as a Star Plasma Vessel and envoy of Tengen.

He never expected that the Tombs of the Star had been involved in the attack on Satoshi.

That mysterious girl turned out to be the current generation's Star Plasma Vessel.

And rumors even suggested she had a special relationship with Gojo Satoshi. This made Naobito's expression grow even darker.

Originally, just with Satoshi's Zanpakutō alone, the Gojo clan had become unmatched in the world of Jujutsu.

Now, if the Gojo clan also forged ties with Tengen, wouldn't that make them even more terrifying?

"What's the girl's name?"

Naobito stared sharply at the intelligence officer in front of him.

"Master Naobito, the girl's name is Tsukumo Yuki."

The intelligence officer lowered his head and answered.

That name made Naobito frown. If it were just a normal sorcerer, perhaps it wouldn't have been a problem.

But Tsukumo…

While the name wasn't particularly renowned in Tokyo, he was well aware of the Tsukumo family's roots in Kyoto.

If the Gojo clan and the Tsukumo family formed an alliance, then Tokyo and Kyoto, the two largest sorcerer strongholds would fall completely under the Gojo clan's control.

Is the Zenin family really going to decline like this?

Naobito furrowed his brow deeply. At this moment, he could no longer see any possibility of the Zenin clan standing on equal footing with the Gojo clan.

He was unwilling to accept this.

As the acting head of the Zenin family, he had decision-making power over the entire clan. He absolutely could not allow the Zenin family to fall into the same decline as the Kamo clan.

If the Zenin family truly crumbled under his leadership, he would go down in history as the one who ruined the clan.

A sharp gleam flashed in Naobito's eyes.

I've been too soft. Since the clan head entrusted me with power, I should've enforced the law with an iron hand.

Thinking about how Ogi always defied him, and Shinsuke, the Zenin family's prodigy who had long since lost his edge, Naobito made up his mind.

If the Zenin family was to rise again, it would have to rely on Toji—the so-called outcast with no cursed energy—whom the entire clan viewed as heretical.

Unknowingly, Toji had already built a close friendship with Satoshi, and even earned the Gojo clan's recognition.

If Toji could return to the Zenin family successfully, then the clan's future wouldn't be completely crushed beneath the Gojo clan's influence.

Naobito had made his decision.

He must bring Toji back to the Zenin clan.

The current Zenin family had become too rigid and corrupt. As its helmsman, he could not allow the ship to sink under his watch.

Even if that meant appointing a controversial figure like Toji as the next head, it was a risk he had to take.

...

The Yagyū household.

Yagyū Yusuke looked at Saemon and Hidetsugu, who had rushed back in a hurry, with a confused expression.

The Yagyū family had limited information sources. Up until now, he still didn't know what had happened to Gojo Satoshi.

He had no idea that Satoshi had completed his Bankai. He didn't know that Satoshi had been attacked. He didn't know that Satoshi had ties to the Hongxing Palace.

"What happened? Why were you in such a rush?"

In response to Yusuke's question, Saemon and Hidetsugu exchanged a bitter smile.

Although the two had taken part in the operation to rescue Satoshi, in truth, aside from Saemon briefly releasing his Zanpakutō, Nejibana, and attacking Kenjaku's barrier, Hidetsugu hadn't even had the chance to fight.

The entire time, they were more like spectators.

They watched Toji's physical strength dominate, witnessed the transformation of Senbonzakura in Satoru's hands, were overwhelmed by Yuki's terrifying Cursed Technique, and saw the vast number of sorcerers assembled by the Gojo clan.

But most importantly, they witnessed Satoshi's Bankai—how he used Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai to force back a Domain user.

"What? A curse user? And he had a Domain?"

Yusuke's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

"Is Young Master Satoshi alright?"

Yagyū Yusuke asked urgently. He could ignore everything else, but not Satoshi, who was deeply tied to the Yagyū family.

Saemon and Hidetsugu both nodded.

"In the end, Young Master Satoshi used the power of his Zanpakutō's Bankai to repel the attackers."

Hidetsugu explained.

"You mean Satoshi repelled a Domain user himself?"

Even though Yusuke's own power was weak, he understood the Jujutsu world's power structure very clearly.

In this era, the number of sorcerers capable of Domain Expansion could be counted on one hand.

Yet Satoshi had managed to push back a Domain user with just his Bankai?

At first, Yusuke thought it was just a fantasy.

How could something like that be possible?

But Saemon and Hidetsugu had witnessed the whole thing with their own eyes.

"Yes."

Saemon's heart was still pounding with excitement. He placed Nejibana on the table and gently caressed its hilt.

"The power of Bankai is beyond comprehension. And Young Master Satoshi told us that every Zanpakutō has the potential to awaken a Bankai. Whether it can be achieved depends on whether the wielder can make their Zanpakutō submit."

Nejibana had already brought him many surprises. Now, hearing that it still held more hidden potential, Saemon was eager to dig deeper.

If Nejibana could achieve Bankai, could he fight on equal footing with a Domain user?

As a sorcerer with no aptitude for Cursed Energy, all he had were his Zanjutsu and the Zanpakutō in his hand.

If it were before, he wouldn't have stood a chance against a Domain sorcerer. He could only surrender.

But now that he had seen the power of Bankai, he had a new idea.

He wanted to become someone who could stand up to Domain users using just Bankai.

After hearing the full story from the two, Yusuke's expression turned grim.

"You two should keep a low profile for the time being."

"The Yagyū family has drawn a lot of attention this time. The other sorcerer families are bound to be jealous."

"So stay home unless absolutely necessary."

Yusuke didn't want to invite any trouble. He was deeply concerned that the curse user's real target was Satoshi's Zanpakutō.

And if they failed to get what they wanted from Satoshi…

Would they turn to the Yagyū family next?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 142: Curse Users Gathering

"Satoshi's body is currently suffering from severe frostbite, but his recovery rate is fairly quick. He should regain consciousness once the frostbite has fully healed."

After exiting the room, Inamichi was still in shock over Satoshi's physical condition.

He couldn't imagine how someone could survive after suffering frostbite from such an extreme temperature.

That was a body exposed to absolute zero.

How could an ordinary person endure such a thing?

Without needing anyone to explain further, Inamichi had already concluded that the changes in Satoshi's body were due to the Zanpakutō, Sode no Shirayuki.

As expected of a Zanpakutō capable of repelling a Domain user. But using such a technique must come at a terrible cost.

Fortunately, Satoshi's body was strong enough to sustain self-repair even under this degree of frostbite. If it had been anyone else, even their consciousness would likely have been frozen by that absolute zero.

After hearing Inamichi's diagnosis, both Toji and Satoru breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, Inamichi was an authority in Reverse Cursed Technique. With his assurance, they no longer had to worry about Satoshi's life being in danger.

"Master Inamichi, would you consider staying here at the Yorozuya for the night? Satoshi's body temperature is still fluctuating wildly. We're worried something could happen again."

Shunichi, who had accompanied Inamichi during the check-up, suggested sincerely.

Though Inamichi was the head of his family and held a high position, Shunichi set formality aside for Satoshi's sake.

Shunichi's words took Inamichi by surprise, but a glint of thought quickly flashed through his eyes.

"Ahem, Master Shunichi, Satoshi's condition has stabilized. There's no need to worry. Even if I stay, I can't accelerate the healing of his frostbite right now."

"But, if you're really concerned, I can have Shoko stay instead."

If Shoko stayed, it would be like gaining the upper hand through proximity.

Shoko's proficiency in Reverse Cursed Technique wasn't inferior to his own. This could be considered the final card he played for his daughter's future.

Both Shunichi and Satoru accepted Inamichi's proposal. Though Shoko was still young, she had already mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique to a remarkable degree. Based on Inamichi's evaluation, she was more than capable of handling the situation.

In the end, Inamichi successfully arranged for Shoko to stay. Just yesterday, only Toji had been living at the Yorozuya, but today, it had become a full house.

Toji, Satoru, Shunichi, Yuki, Shoko, and Satoshi.

Looking at the sudden flood of uninvited guests, Toji felt helpless. Thankfully, there were enough guest rooms on the second floor to accommodate them all.

In the end, Toji assigned one of the rooms next to Satoshi to Yuki, so she could keep watch over him. The other adjacent room was given to Shoko, since she was now the assigned doctor.

As for the rest of the rooms, Toji didn't care much.

However, he still left the well-lit room Satoshi had previously requested to Satoru. After all, Satoru was a shareholder in the Yorozuya, and deserved proper treatment.

...

After the attack on Satoshi became public, the Gojo clan's forces went into full operation.

Numerous dormant curse user organizations were suddenly ambushed by the Jujutsu Society and swiftly eliminated. It caught everyone off guard.

Like a wildfire breaking out at the city gates, even uninvolved curse users were swept up in the chaos. These small organizations hadn't even had a chance to make a move before being wiped out.

As if trying to curry favor with the Gojo clan, many other sorcerer families also mobilized, deploying their clansmen to hunt down curse users.

For a while, the entire curse user community was in turmoil, terrified they'd be captured in their sleep by mysterious groups of jujutsu sorcerers.

---

High-level meeting of curse users.

Akazawa Shusaku hadn't expected Kaori to act so recklessly, choosing to launch a direct assault on Gojo Satoshi.

Worse yet, she failed. A Domain user unable to eliminate Satoshi? It was a disgrace.

Wearing his monk's robes, Akazawa Shusaku began discussing with the other executives how to hold Kaori accountable for the recent losses suffered by the curse user side.

The entire leadership quickly reached a consensus. Itadori Kaori needed to be reined in before her actions brought disaster on all of them.

If things continued this way, the Jujutsu Society might soon launch investigations and execute them all as criminals.

The high-ranking curse users present grew impatient as they waited for Kaori's arrival.

After being ten minutes late, Kaori finally strolled in, looking completely unfazed. She was still her usual self—elegant and calm.

With a faint smile on her face, she showed no signs of being affected by her failure to steal Ryūjin Jakka.

"Another meeting so soon? I thought you were all so cautious before. Not worried about being found by the Jujutsu Society?"

Kaori casually dragged out a chair and sat down.

A full day had passed since her assault on Satoshi. While the entire curse user world was in a panic, she remained untouched by the chaos.

Of course, she already knew why Akazawa Shusaku had called this meeting.

She had shown up simply to see what kind of entertainment these so-called leaders would provide her.

To her surprise, the moment she sat down, Akazawa Shusaku confronted her directly, demanding to know why she had attacked Gojo Satoshi.

"Wasn't that your decision from the last meeting?"

"You said Zanpakutō could become a threat to the future of curse users. So why is it wrong for me to eliminate the problem at the root?"

Kaori glanced at Akazawa Shusaku and the other high-ranking curse users. The corners of her mouth curled upward.

Akazawa Shusaku's expression stiffened. They had indeed discussed Zanpakutō in the last meeting, but he never expected Kaori would take it so far as to attack the Six Eyes heir of the Gojo clan.

Who in their right mind would do that?

Attacking someone with the Six Eyes was the same as declaring war on the Gojo clan. If they were in the Gojo clan's shoes, they would've immediately started a purge.

"Itadori Kaori, no one gave you permission to attack Gojo Satoshi!"

Akazawa Shusaku shouted furiously at her. As one of the leaders of the curse users, he had nearly forgotten just how dangerous this woman truly was.

(To be continued.)