HRU: Chapter 105/107

Chapter 105: The Real Zanpakutō Battle

At this moment, Nejibana had fully taken its Shikai form, a trident with a spiral-shaped spearhead at the tip.

Hidetsugu looked at Saemon in surprise. A master of kenjutsu had now become a wielder of a long-handled weapon.

Gojo Kumaen felt his understanding of the Zanpakutō shift completely.

Until now, he had always believed that since it was called a Zanpakutō, it would remain in the form of a katana.

But now, it seemed that once the wielder chanted the release phrase, the Zanpakutō could unleash a new form, unlocking a power beyond its initial state.

In other words, while every Zanpakutō initially took the form of a katana, their true shape could vary greatly once released.

Up until this point, the only liberated Zanpakutō Kumaen had seen was Sode no Shirayuki, which had retained its katana form. That misconception had now been shattered.

Shunichi saw the transformation of Nejibana in Saemon's hands and felt a wave of helplessness.

As expected, once a kendo match involved Zanpakutō, it was no longer just about swordsmanship.

However, a determined light flashed in his eyes. Whether in kenjutsu or Jujutsu, he would never allow himself to lose.

Now, the true battle between sorcerers would begin.

On the other side, Yagyū Saemon, who had just unleashed Nejibana's Shikai, forced himself to suppress his growing excitement. Seeing Satoshi's satisfied expression, he was eager to prove himself even more.

Saemon spun Nejibana with one hand, and waves of water surged around him. The water moved in sync with his attacks, rushing toward Gojo Shunichi.

This was Nejibana's ability the power that had elevated him from a mere kenjutsu master to a full-fledged Jujutsu Sorcerer.

Shunichi blocked the incoming waves with a swift defensive maneuver before quickly creating distance between them.

Unlike Nejibana, an elemental-type Zanpakutō, Suzumushi fell into the Kidō-based category, its abilities far more unpredictable.

With Suzumushi's sonic attacks, Shunichi could engage at both close and long range. However, in close combat against an opponent like Saemon, who had powerful physical attacks, he decided to rely on long-range spells instead.

"Suzumushi Isshiki: Kyōmei!"

As Shunichi's voice fell, Suzumushi vibrated violently, emitting a high-pitched buzzing sound—similar to the cry of an insect.

A gray wave of sound pulsed outward from the blade, surging straight toward Yagyū Saemon.

If Saemon failed to dodge, the hypnotic effect of Suzumushi's ability would determine the battle's outcome in an instant.

Unfortunately for Shunichi, Saemon was already prepared.

The moment Suzumushi's technique activated, Saemon instantly dodged, escaping the range of the sonic wave. At the same time, he used Nejibana's water ability to launch three sharp water projectiles, forcing Shunichi to break off his attack.

Both attacks had failed.

Hidetsugu, watching from the sidelines, felt a pang of guilt.

He hadn't expected Satoshi to arrange this battle. On their way here, he had already discussed Shunichi's Zanpakutō techniques with Saemon, which was why Saemon had been able to guard against Suzumushi's abilities from the start.

On the other side, Satoru grinned as he watched the exchange unfold, his expression full of amusement.

This was precisely why he had made the bet with Satoshi. Saemon's understanding of Shunichi's abilities gave him an advantage.

And so, the duel continued. Water splashes and sonic waves clashed at the center of the training grounds, creating a spectacle for all the onlookers.

This was the first real battle between Zanpakutō in this world.

Everyone present was witnessing history.

Half an hour later, Gojo Shunichi and Yagyū Saemon stood opposite each other, breathing heavily.

The prolonged intensity of the battle had drained them, yet neither had managed to gain a decisive upper hand.

Continuing this deadlock was pointless.

Shunichi glanced at Satoshi and saw that he was still watching with great interest. Not wanting to let Satoshi down, he made a decision.

"Saemon, let's end this with one final technique!"

"It's time to bring this battle to a close!"

Shunichi's voice echoed across the training grounds.

Saemon stopped spinning Nejibana and gave Satoshi a serious look. Seeing that Satoshi showed no objections, he nodded.

"Then let's show him the true power of our Zanpakutō!"

A hint of pride flashed in Saemon's eyes.

He wanted Satoshi to witness the strongest technique he had learned.

He believed that Satoshi would be shocked by what came next.

The two warriors took their positions on opposite ends of the training grounds, gripping their Zanpakutō tightly.

Then, their voices rang out simultaneously—

"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō!"

"Nejibana: Rage Through the Seas and Heavens!"

In an instant, Suzumushi transformed into countless razor-sharp blades that rained down from above, filling the sky like a storm of crimson locusts.

At the same time, Saemon hurled Nejibana forward.

The spinning trident rapidly gathered the surrounding water, forming a massive sphere of churning torrents.

A powerful suction force radiated outward, making it difficult for the spectators to stay on their feet.

Kumaen's eyes widened in shock.

The earlier Zanpakutō techniques had already amazed him. He had thought he understood their power.

But now, witnessing these final techniques firsthand, he realized just how terrifying a Zanpakutō could truly be.

How could a mere Cursed Tool generate such overwhelming power?

The abilities of Suzumushi and Nejibana had far surpassed Kumaen's imagination.

Previously, he had believed that Gojo Satoru's Senbonzakura was a special case, its ability to form a "Sakura Domain" over the entire Gojo estate was already astonishing.

But now, he realized he had been mistaken.

Every Zanpakutō forged by Satoshi possessed techniques and abilities that defied all logic.

As an outsider to the Yagyū family, Satoshi had likely held back when forging Nejibana. And yet, it still displayed such devastating power.

A sudden wave of regret washed over Kumaen.

Trading Nejibana for Tsuki no Sho had seemed like a fair exchange at first.

Now, it felt like an enormous loss.

Compared to Kumaen's regret, Hidetsugu was filled with nothing but joy.

This was his first time witnessing Nejibana's ultimate technique. And to his surprise, its destructive power was even greater than Suzumushi's Benihikō.

Such a powerful Zanpakutō, and it had been willingly traded…

Gojo Satoshi truly was an honorable man.

This young master of the Gojo family was nothing less than a savior to the Yagyū clan.

As everyone stood in stunned silence, Nejibana and Suzumushi clashed violently in midair.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 106: Final Technique

The flying blades of Suzumushi continued slicing through the torrents, while the churning waters of Nejibana consumed the blades one by one.

For a brief moment, the two forces seemed evenly matched.

In the end, as Suzumushi's countless blades were fully expended, the powerful suction of the reverse torrent weakened and eventually dissipated.

At that moment, the remaining energies of Suzumushi and Nejibana fused together, causing the entire water sphere to expand violently.

The sphere reached its limit, then detonated, sending a shockwave straight into the sky!

Within seconds, a torrential downpour engulfed the entire Gojo estate, covering a one-kilometer radius.

To ordinary people, it was an eerie, localized rainfall—a freak weather event with no apparent cause.

However, to those within the Jujutsu world, the meaning was clear: a battle powerful enough to alter the weather had just taken place at the Gojo estate.

"What's going on? Why is it suddenly pouring rain?"

"There was a massive energy fluctuation coming from the training grounds just now. Should we go check it out?"

"No need. I heard that Master Shunichi and Master Saemon were having a sparring match."

"But there were massive waves rising into the sky! Am I seeing things? There isn't even a pond near the training grounds!"

"This strange weather… it must have been caused by their battle. The power of Grade 1 sorcerers is terrifying."

"You're thinking too small! Master Yagyū Saemon is only able to fight Master Shunichi on equal footing because Young Master Satoshi forged a Zanpakutō for him. Otherwise, how do you think he suddenly became a Grade 1 sorcerer at his age?"

"Why does Young Master Satoshi keep forging Zanpakutō for outsiders? We have so many talented young sorcerers in the Gojo clan—why aren't we getting them instead?"

"First Zenin, now Yagyū Saemon… when will it be our turn?"

Murmurs spread among the Gojo disciples.

"Focus on your training!"

A cold voice silenced the group instantly.

The disciples, who had been whispering just moments ago, quickly straightened their posture and resumed their sword practice with serious expressions.

"If you had Master Saemon's kenjutsu or Zenin's strength, you might have the qualifications to discuss Zanpakutō with Master Satoshi."

"But right now, with your half-baked skills, you aren't even worthy of mentioning them."

The disciples fell completely silent, their heads lowered in shame.

Those who were perceptive enough realized that the balance of power between the Gojo clan's factions was shifting.

Ever since Satoshi's falling out with the Zenin clan and Zenin Toji's departure, the Zenin clan had been closely monitoring the Gojo clan. Any information related to them was immediately sent to Naobito.

Thus, mere moments after Gojo Shunichi and Yagyū Saemon's battle ended, Naobito received firsthand intelligence.

"Did their techniques really cause that localized downpour?"

"As expected… the Grade 1 sorcerer evaluations aren't just formalities. So even Yagyū Saemon has reached Grade 1 strength?"

"A Zanpakutō with water-element abilities… and it's capable of unleashing such powerful attacks?"

Naobito sighed at the thought of Nejibana.

One of his subordinates suddenly spoke up, "Master Naobito! Gojo Satoshi has failed a forging attempt before, we should take advantage of this!"

Before the man could continue, Naobito interrupted him.

"Look at this first."

The room fell silent as Naobito's sharp eyes scanned the report in his hands.

His expression darkened.

"This doesn't make sense. Didn't he fail before? How is the Zanpakutō he forged for the Yagyū family so powerful?"

Naobito shook his head.

"Maybe Satoshi was simply trying to push the limits of Zanpakutō forging?"

His intuition had always been sharp.

The subordinate hesitated for a moment, then fell silent.

---

"Good thing I ran fast. Otherwise, I would've been drenched."

Satoru stood in the corridor, shaking his head in mock fear.

If Satoshi hadn't warned him to move in time, he would have ended up just like Yagyū Hidetsugu and Kumaen, soaked from head to toe after being caught in the sudden rain.

"I never expected Saemon to develop Nejibana's techniques this far. The compatibility between them must be incredibly high."

The technique he used hadn't existed in the original world of Bleach. Even Shiba Kaien had never shown anything like it.

Yet in just three days, Yagyū Saemon had grasped Nejibana's abilities to such an advanced level. It was beyond Satoshi's expectations.

"I never imagined Nejibana's final technique would be this strong. Master Gojo, on behalf of the Yagyū family, I thank you for supporting Saemon."

Yagyū Hidetsugu and Gojo Kumaen approached the corridor, their clothes still drenched.

Despite the cold, the excitement in Hidetsugu's heart burned brighter than ever.

So this is the power of the Zanpakutō…

Now, it was clear why the Jujutsu Master Association had promoted Yagyū Saemon to Grade 1—it wasn't just out of favoritism for the Yagyū family.

Gojo Kumaen remained silent, his expression grim.

Regret weighed heavily on him.

The stronger Nejibana became, the more he felt that the Gojo clan had lost an invaluable treasure.

"The final technique?"

Hearing those words, Satoshi chuckled and shook his head.

"Who told you that the ultimate techniques of Nejibana and Suzumushi were the ones you just saw?"

There was a confident arrogance in his tone, yet Hidetsugu felt no resentment toward it.

"Wait… could it be…"

A bold realization struck Hidetsugu.

"That was only their Shikai. If Yagyū Saemon manages to reach Bankai, that will be the true final technique."

Satoshi nodded slightly, glancing at Shunichi and Saemon, who still held their Zanpakutō firmly in their hands.

"Saemon has already mastered Shikai in such a short time. That's impressive. But I hope you achieve Bankai as soon as possible. That will be the true sign of your worthiness to wield Nejibana."

It was an unusual sight, a child speaking to grown men as if he were their superior.

Yet neither Saemon nor the others felt even the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.

Saemon listened intently, treating Satoshi's words as absolute truth.

In his eyes, as the creator of Nejibana, every word Satoshi spoke carried profound meaning and had to be carefully considered.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 107: Satoru Also Wants to Invest in Yorozuya

After Satoshi made his remark with a smile, he stopped engaging with the Yagyū family and turned to leave.

This battle had already brought him significant rewards.

Not only had his Zanjutsu experience improved, but his overall combat awareness had also sharpened. Satoshi felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Next, it was time to find Toji and verify his theories.

"Oh, Satoshi, wait for me! That was a draw just now, right? Don't walk so fast…"

Satoru called out, quickly following Satoshi. With that, only four people remained by the training grounds—Shunichi, Kumaen, Saemon, and Hidetsugu.

"Bankai…"

Saemon muttered, his expression not one of loss but deep thought.

Nejibana's potential was proving to be even greater than expected, reigniting Saemon's competitive spirit.

However, Shunichi had only used his Shikai's technique, he hadn't fully released his Bankai. This meant his Zanpakutō had not yet entered its true Bankai state.

He couldn't let Satoshi down.


---

"Hey, Satoshi, so was that a draw?"

Satoru asked.

"Hm? I guess so—there wasn't a clear winner, after all."

Satoshi responded casually.

Hearing this, Satoru suddenly grinned. "Then I won the bet, right?"

Satoshi froze for a moment, then turned his head, looking exasperated.

"Uncle Shunichi didn't lose. Why would that mean you won?"

Satoru's smile widened as if his plan had succeeded.

"The bet was that if Shunichi won, you won. And if he didn't, I won."

"Shunichi hasn't won yet, so technically, I'm the winner, right?"

Satoshi suddenly realized that Satoru had been playing a word game.

No wonder his expression had been a bit off earlier. If things were calculated this way, then as long as Shunichi wasn't declared the winner, even if it ended in a draw, his cunning brother would still come out on top.

Satoshi let out a helpless sigh. He really didn't understand what Satoru was trying to gain from this little scheme.

"Fine, fine, Satoru, I miscalculated. I didn't think you'd be this devious."

"Alright, tell me—what do you want?"

Crossing his arms, Satoshi looked at Satoru, who looked exactly like him, trying to figure out what he was after.

Seeing Satoshi concede so easily, Satoru who had been prepared for a long argument was momentarily stunned.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he rubbed his hands together and said seriously:

"You've been working with Toji lately to build some kind of secret base, right? Let me in on it too—I don't want to be left out."

Satoshi was speechless.

So that whole bet, that whole trickery just to make sure he could be involved?

Satoshi shook his head in disbelief.

"You can't?" Satoru's face fell the moment he saw Satoshi shake his head.

"No, that's not it," Satoshi sighed.

"Toji and I weren't trying to exclude you. It's just that I think he can handle this project well on his own."

"But if you want to be involved from the start, I welcome it. Just know that your role will be more… participatory."

"This kind of thing is easier for an adult like Toji to manage, and honestly, he has more money."

Satoshi explained, then went on to outline his plan for Yorozuya.

Satoru's eyes lit up in understanding.

"So you're short on funds to build Yorozuya? No problem, I have money!"

Satoru had quickly grasped Satoshi's current financial struggle and patted his chest confidently.

"You have money?"

Satoshi was baffled. They both only received so much New Year's money every year, and the clan head didn't treat them differently. If he barely had any funds, where did Satoru get his money?

When Satoru revealed that it was an annual gift from the Twin Curse Faction, Satoshi suddenly felt that life was incredibly unfair.

He only got a tiny amount of money each year, but Satoru had achieved financial independence at six?!

Satoshi's teeth clenched in frustration.

Satoru laughed.

"This year, they'll probably give you one too!"

Satoru had already noticed the shift in their family's attitude toward Satoshi. With his current standing, there was no way the clan would continue treating him like they did in past years.

He had also sensed that the relationship between Gojo Kumaen's faction and Satoshi was improving.

"Alright, alright, I don't really care, as long as the money's enough."

"Then I'll go ahead and use your funds too. This way, Toji can design it even more comfortably."

Satoshi spoke with a hint of resentment before dropping the subject. He turned and continued walking toward the forging house.

"Hey, Satoshi, what exactly is Yorozuya for?"

"It's nothing, just a little project of mine."

"Is it gonna be our new base?"

"No, it's my shop. You're just an employee."

"Wait, what? I invested money too, I should be a shareholder!"

"If you keep talking nonsense, I won't let you join at all."

"...Fine."


---

After seeing Yagyū Hidetsugu and Yagyū Saemon off, Gojo Kumaen reported the matter to the clan head.

As he spoke at length about the power of the Zanpakutō, a satisfied smile appeared on the old man's face.

He could clearly sense the shift in Kumaen's attitude, as well as how much importance he now placed on Satoshi.

This was exactly what he wanted to see.

After all, rather than forcing Satoshi to take power from Kumaen in the future, it would be much better for it to be a smooth transition.

"Kumaen, do you think it was a loss for Satoshi to forge that Zanpakutō for the Yagyū family?"

The clan head saw through Kumaen's thoughts instantly.

"Of course. Giving a powerful Zanpakutō to anyone could turn them into a formidable Jujutsu sorcerer."

"And yet, all we got in return was a single Tsuki no Sho… That hardly seems like a fair trade, does it?"

Kumaen was blunt.

Although the Gojo Clan oversaw Kyokushin-ryu, they didn't particularly prioritize Zanjutsu. Otherwise, Gojo Shunichi wouldn't be the top Kyokushin-ryu swordsman.

In the current Jujutsu world, Cursed Techniques were king. Kyokushin-ryu was just a minor branch of the Gojo Clan, primarily serving as a training ground for family members who couldn't awaken Cursed Energy.

So in Kumaen's view, no matter how valuable the Tsuki no Sho was, it was still just a resource for a niche group, ordinary people and the rare Jujutsu sorcerer who practiced swordsmanship.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a loss.

Hearing this, the old man chuckled.

Slowly, he rose from his recliner and walked to the window.

Looking out at the bleak scenery beyond, he let out another sigh.

(To be continued.)