HRU: Chapter 98/100

Chapter 98: Pinnacle

"The latter!"

Satoshi's answer was firm.

The Zanpakutō he forged for Toji was merely icing on the cake.

Even without Katen Kyōkotsu, Naobito and Ogi would still be no match for Toji.

"Oh? Why? Satoshi, why are you so certain?"

A hint of curiosity flashed across the wrinkled face of the old man. From the very beginning, Satoshi seemed to have an unusual regard for Zenin Toji. The first time he had drawn his sword in battle had also been for Toji's sake.

What exactly had influenced Satoshi to make such a judgment?

Facing the clan leader's inquiry, Satoshi did not hesitate. He directly revealed the secret of Heavenly Restriction.

"Toji's Heavenly Restriction is the most extreme type. The complete absence of Cursed Energy grants him a natural resistance to it while also allowing him to reach the absolute peak of human physical potential."

"You could say he is the strongest human being alive."

Satoshi spoke with conviction. At the very least, as a human, Zenin Toji had reached the pinnacle.

A flash of understanding appeared in the old man's eyes.

"I see… And what about yours, Satoshi?"

"Me? My physical strength will also stand at the peak of humanity in the future."

Satoshi's words made the smile on the old man's face widen.

"Satoshi, I believe in you. You've already given me enough surprises."

"The future of the Gojo family will be in the hands of you and Satoru. With that, I can rest easy."

The old man no longer pursued the topic of Toji. Although he had initially felt envious of such a person, knowing that Satoshi possessed the same kind of body put his mind at ease.

If Toji were truly brought into the Gojo family, it would only cause more internal strife.

Both the Zenin and Gojo families would be displeased.

"So, Satoshi, why did you and Satoru come to see me together?"

"Clan Head, I want to apply for some Cursed Tools," Satoshi responded immediately.

"Cursed Tools?" The old man's eyes lit up. "Are you planning to continue forging Zanpakutō?"

Gojo Satoshi nodded. "But this time, the Zanpakutō is a bit special, so I need your assistance."

"It's fine, it's fine! If you need anything, just go to the Treasury and take it yourself. I'll grant you full access."

Seeing how hard Satoshi was working, the old man felt a tinge of guilt.

The person in front of him was just a child, not some tireless machine, not an adult.

He had assumed that Satoshi would take a short break after his previous forging, but he hadn't expected him to start again so soon.

"Clan Head, what I need isn't in the Treasury."

Satoshi shrugged.

If the Gojo family had the necessary materials, he would have taken them long ago. Why would he need to come here and ask the old man for help?

The old man's expression stiffened for a moment before he let out an awkward laugh.

"We don't have what you need?"

Satoshi nodded. "Our Gojo family's inventory is quite large, but it's lacking in many areas. The materials for Senbonzakura and Katen Kyōkotsu both came from the Zenin family's stockpile."

"Clan Head, our Gojo family has not done well in this regard."

Satoshi looked genuinely disappointed.

If there were enough materials in the Treasury, he might have already mass-produced a batch of Zanpakutō and trained a whole squad of leek-warriors by now.

"It's true… Our family doesn't place as much importance on Cursed Tools as the Kamo and Zenin families."

The old man nodded and coughed lightly.

"Then tell me, Satoshi—what kind of materials do you need? I'll see what I can do to get them for you."

They had been skirting around the issue, but in the end, this was the main point.

"Fire-element Cursed Tools. The higher the quality, the better…"


---

Lately, a pattern had emerged within the Gojo family.

Whenever the forge was opened, it meant that another Zanpakutō was about to be born.

"Young Master Satoshi is unbelievably productive! In just two months, he has already forged three special Zanpakutō Cursed Tools. I wonder who he's forging for this time?"

"It doesn't matter who it's for, as long as it's not for another family! We can't let something as sacred as the Zanpakutō fall into another clan's hands again."

"But these Zanpakutō were all forged by Young Master Satoshi. Doesn't he have the right to decide what to do with them?"

"First and foremost, Young Master Satoshi is a member of the Gojo family. Only after that is he an individual. If a person leaves the family, they lose their foundation."

"But didn't Zenin Toji leave the Zenin family?"

"...Still, we must ensure Young Master Satoshi doesn't share any more Zanpakutō outside the clan!"

Conversations like this echoed throughout the Gojo family mansion.

In the eyes of almost every Gojo family member, Gojo Satoshi had already become an indispensable figure in the clan.


---

Gojo Kyokushin-Ryu Dojo

Many Kyokushin-Ryu disciples subconsciously turned their gazes toward the forging house. Though it was located in a remote area, it had become a place of longing for every disciple.

Every Kyokushin-Ryu disciple harbored the same dream—that one day, they would be summoned to the forging house and receive a Zanpakutō personally forged by Gojo Satoshi.

"Grandfather, are you really just going to let things unfold like this?"

Gojo Genichi looked at Gojo Kumaen, unable to understand why his grandfather, once so firm in his stance had softened after becoming the acting head of the clan.

The foundation of their Twin Curse Faction was the Two-Person Curse Theory. However, Satoshi was gradually breaking away from the traditional understanding of Cursed Energy. If this continued, their faction would lose its reason for existence.

Gojo Kumaen stroked his chin, gazing into the distance at the forging house. His mind replayed the moment he had been engulfed by Senbonzakura.

"The sight of cherry blossoms in winter… Genichi, do you still remember it?"

Genichi nodded, though he was puzzled. Every member of the Gojo family who had witnessed that spectacle would never forget it.

"Grandfather, are you referring to Young Master Satoru's Senbonzakura?"

Just the mention of Senbonzakura sent a chill down Genichi's spine. The sight of thousands of shimmering petals had completely shattered his previous understanding of Zanpakutō.

"Genichi, remember this—at the end of the day, strength is the foundation of everything."

"For the weak, the family is a source of support."

"But for the strong, the family often becomes an obstacle…"

"I'm looking forward to it. What kind of spectacle will Satoshi bring us next?"

Genichi didn't fully understand, but he could clearly sense something—his grandfather, the staunchest believer in the Twin Curse Theory, had started to waver.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 99: Read as Kaori, Written as...?

"You're starting the forge again so soon?"

Upon learning that Satoshi was about to forge another Zanpakutō, Toji immediately put down his work at the Yorozuya and came over.

"Can your body handle it?"

Toji remembered that after forging Senbonzakura and Katen Kyōkotsu, Satoshi had taken a few days of rest in between.

Yet now, Satoshi was planning to forge another Zanpakutō without a break. This was something Toji hadn't expected.

Looking at Toji's usual indifferent expression and hearing his concerned words, Satoshi found the contrast rather amusing. However, it also showed how much Toji valued him.

That said, the matter of Ryūjin Jakka needed to be put on the agenda as well.

"This Zanpakutō will be extremely difficult to forge. I'm just giving it a try. The chances of failure are quite high."

Weighing the materials in his hands, Satoshi felt uncertain.

After speaking with the clan head earlier, the necessary Cursed Tools had arrived in the afternoon.

Though fire-element Cursed Tools were rare, the Gojo family was still one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families and had its own resources.

But for some reason, when Satoshi looked at the Cursed Tools in front of him, he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling.

As for what the result would be when he opened the forge this time—he had no idea.

"Then why not take a break first?"

Gojo Shunichi, standing off to the side, also spoke up with concern.

"I can't rest."

Satoshi shook his head. Right now, while his energy was still high, there was a slim chance of success. But if he waited, attempting to forge Ryūjin Jakka with these materials would become nearly impossible.

"Alright, alright, let's get started!"

Satoru made no effort to dissuade him. He knew that Satoshi had his own reasons. All he needed to do was trust in him.

As the rhythmic clanging of the forge filled the air, anticipation spread throughout the entire Gojo family.

And beyond the family estate, the ripples of this event extended throughout the Jujutsu world as well.

---

Zenin Clan Residence

Naobito and Ogi exchanged looks and shook their heads in silence.

If Satoshi was really this productive, then was there even a point in trying to compete with the Gojo family anymore?

---

Ieiri Clan

"I can't believe you missed it again, Shoko! Next time, you must be there in person to witness Gojo Satoshi forging a Zanpakutō!"

Ieiri Inamichi scolded his daughter as she lazily munched on snacks, resembling a little hamster.

But then, as he thought about it, part of the blame lay with him. If he hadn't relented earlier and had instead sent Shoko directly, maybe Satoshi would have been more inclined to keep his promise of forging a Zanpakutō for her.

"What's so interesting about forging? It's just hammering metal—it's boring."

Shoko casually tossed a potato chip into her mouth as she chatted with her father about Satoshi's latest forging session.

She never understood why people like Satoru, Toji, and Shunichi could sit and watch Satoshi hammer metal for hours on end.

Could someone explain it to her?

Did men really find watching weapons being forged that entertaining?

Inamichi sighed.

"You don't understand, little girl... this is a kind of happiness between men."

"Now hurry up and make sure Satoshi remembers his promise to forge you a Zanpakutō!"

---

Kamo Clan Residence

"That brat Gojo Satoshi is forging again? So soon? How is that even possible?"

Kamo Shin's expression darkened.

He had been planning to visit the Gojo clan to investigate the matter of Shoso. But before he could even take action, Satoshi had already fired up the forge again.

If this pattern continued, where each time the forge opened, another legendary Zanpakutō was created, how was he supposed to maintain his standing in the Jujutsu Blacksmith Association?

"This time, it has to fail!"

Kamo Shin muttered to himself.

But the very next second, he realized he didn't even believe his own words.

After all, Satoshi's track record—having successfully forged Suzumushi, Senbonzakura, and Katen Kyōkotsu was far too overwhelming.

At this point, most people had already accepted that Satoshi's skill in forging Zanpakutō had reached perfection.

Even if he said there was a chance of failure, people still trusted his authority when it came to forging Zanpakutō…

---

Elsewhere in the Jujutsu World

A strikingly beautiful woman sat at a conference table, her expression contemplative.

"Kaori, we cannot allow these Zanpakutō to continue strengthening the Jujutsu Sorcerers."

A middle-aged man, dressed in monk's robes, spoke with clear displeasure.

"Ever since the birth of Gojo Satoru, the level of Cursed Energy in the world has risen dramatically. According to prophecy, we Curse Users chose to lay low and bide our time."

"But if this continues… where will there be a place for Curse Users like us to survive?"

The monk's name was Akazawa Shusaku, a high-ranking member of the Curse User Alliance.

This was a small but significant Curse User gathering.

Though their numbers were far fewer than Jujutsu Sorcerers, they were effectively the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association's counterpart within the Curse User world.

At Akazawa's words, the other members of the roundtable turned their gazes toward the woman named Kaori.

She remained calm, her expression unreadable. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Zanpakutō? I've been hearing about them a lot lately. A type of Cursed Tool that can use techniques, right?"

"It only emerged this year, correct?"

Kaori nodded slightly, glancing around before continuing.

"I'll look into it."

"For now, all of you should continue lying low and gathering strength. The Gojo family is not an enemy you can face directly."

"Besides—" Kaori's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Isn't that the real reason you called this meeting? To have me investigate the truth behind the Zanpakutō?"

The atmosphere at the table grew awkward.

Though none of them admitted it out loud, that was exactly what they wanted.

It wasn't that they were cowards—rather, they acknowledged that the Gojo family, one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, was simply too strong.

And only the woman before them had the ability to accomplish this task.

After all, when Kaori had first crashed their meeting, she had single-handedly defeated every single Curse User present.

At this moment, within the Curse User Alliance, the strongest among them was undoubtedly Kaori.

Seeing their silence, Kaori sighed in boredom.

She stood up, took a final glance around the room, then turned to leave.

As she turned, a few strands of her bangs shifted, revealing the faint outline of a suture mark beneath her hair.

Her name was pronounced Kaori…

But the way it was written...

Kenjussy xD

(To be continued.)

Chapter 100: Ripples

At night, the moon hung high in the sky, yet many members of the Gojo family had not gone to sleep. They remained awake, keeping a close watch on the forge, fearing that if they dozed off, they would miss the birth of another Zanpakutō.

Satoshi's latest forging attempt had not only caught the attention of the Gojo clan but had also drawn the eyes of other forces across the Jujutsu world.

However, inside the forging room, Satoshi wore a helpless expression.

This attempt had taken an unusually long time. One of the two fire-element Cursed Tools the clan leader had procured for him had already failed during forging. Now, Satoshi was making a second attempt.

Clang!

As the final hammer strike fell, Satoshi set down the blade blank in his hands and sighed.

"Forging failed."

The moment those words left his mouth, shock spread across everyone's faces.

As outsiders, they had clearly felt the sharpness and searing heat emanating from the blade blank. Based on previous experience, the completion of a Zanpakutō should have been a natural process, right?

This was different from Satoshi's earlier months of trial and error. Back then, he had been unfamiliar with the process, experimenting to find the right approach.

This time, everything had proceeded smoothly—except for this final step.

Seeing the regret on everyone's faces, Satoshi smiled.

"Maybe the Zanpakutō I'm trying to forge is simply too powerful. It makes sense that it wouldn't be created so easily."

Even though he had just experienced failure, it was Satoshi who ended up comforting Gojo Satoru and the others.

"Was it because of the Cursed Tool materials?"

As an experienced blacksmith, Gojo Takuya was the first to notice the issue.

During the forging process, Satoshi had been growing more hesitant as he approached the final steps, as if worried that the next strike would shatter the material.

Clearly, the quality of these Cursed Tools was too low. While they did possess fire-related properties, they were still insufficient to serve as the foundation for Satoshi's Zanpakutō.

"A Grade 2 Cursed Tool isn't enough? Does that mean we'll need a Grade 1 Cursed Tool just to forge this Zanpakutō?"

Satoru's words made the entire room fall silent.

None of them were strangers to Cursed Tools, so they understood how rare fire-element Cursed Tools were. Even these two Grade 2 tools had likely been secured through the clan leader's personal connections.

If what Satoru said was true, then it might take quite some time before this Zanpakutō could be forged.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Everyone's tired, so get some rest. We can figure it out later."

Satoshi waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

The flames in the forge gradually dimmed, and soon, silence filled the room.

What Satoru said might actually be an understatement. To truly forge Ryujin Jakka, I might need a Special Grade Cursed Tool.

But... I've never heard of a Special Grade Cursed Tool of that level.

Well, there's no rush. I'll take my time searching. Since the path to forging is currently blocked, I should focus on breaking through to Shikai first.

Looking at his nearly full experience bar, Satoshi nodded in satisfaction.

Lately, Satoru's sparring sessions had been particularly useful, significantly speeding up his progress.

At this rate, in just a few more days, he should be able to break through Hakuda and begin learning Hohō.

With that thought, Satoshi drifted into sleep, filled with anticipation.

Meanwhile, outside the forging room, discussions were already spreading across the entire Gojo family and the broader Jujutsu world.

"Young Master Satoshi's forge has gone cold? But the strange phenomenon of the Zanpakutō still appeared… What's going on?"

"Did the forging really fail? That's impossible."

"Something must've gone wrong in the process. Someone just went to check, Young Master Satoshi voluntarily ended the forging tonight."

"This can't be his fault. There must've been an issue with the materials."

"Maybe this is a divine warning telling Young Master Satoshi not to hand out his Zanpakutō so casually. Our Gojo family truly is chosen by the heavens…"

"..."

Over at the Zenin estate, Ogi and Naobito both let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Satoshi's forging attempt had failed.

If Gojo Satoshi had managed to successfully forge another Zanpakutō so quickly, it would have put even more pressure on the Zenin clan.

"Naobito, what do you think? Will he ever return to the Zenin family?"

"It's unlikely. Toji has always had a mind of his own. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have concealed his strength for so many years."

Thinking back to when Toji had single-handedly defeated them, both Ogi and Naobito found it difficult to even discuss.

Although there was no direct connection between Toji and Satoshi, seeing Satoshi fail even momentarily still gave them a sense of relief.

At this point, all the Zenin family could do was comfort themselves with small victories.

Meanwhile, over at the Kamo estate, Kamo Shin nearly burst out laughing when he heard the news.

"Gojo Satoshi's forging attempt failed?"

The moment he confirmed the truth, his heart filled with excitement.

As long as Gojo Satoshi wasn't flawless, as long as he had weaknesses, then he wasn't invincible.

Kamo Shin could already imagine how things might play out—if Satoshi ever experienced another major failure in the future, the higher he had climbed, the harder he would fall.

"Perhaps this is how Gojo Satoshi's downfall begins."

"After all, it's completely unnatural for one person to forge so many Zanpakutō alone."

Kamo slowly calmed himself.

Since Satoshi had failed this time, he would simply wait and watch.

Still, the fact that Shoso hadn't consumed Satoshi alive was unexpected.

If this continued, he wouldn't be able to delay Gojo Takuya's proposal any longer.

It was clear now, he had no choice but to visit the Gojo family personally.

Whether it was to retrieve Shoso or to determine whether Satoshi was truly worthy of advancement, this meeting was inevitable.

---

"Grandfather, Satoshi failed in forging this time!"

Gojo Genichi rushed to deliver the news to Gojo Kumaen, unable to hide his excitement.

Ever since Satoshi had forged Senbonzakura for Satoru, many clan members had been pressuring his grandfather to take action.

But now, finally, Satoshi had suffered a setback.

For Genichi, this was cause for celebration.

"Genichi."

Kumaen's deep voice carried a weight that made Genichi straighten his posture.

"If Gojo Satoshi continues to fail, it will be the greatest loss for our Gojo family."

"He won't give up so easily. The clan leader said something important, the future of the Gojo family rests on both Gojo Satoshi and Gojo Satoru."

Genichi froze.

Such words wouldn't be surprising if spoken by anyone else.

But coming from Gojo Kumaen, the leader of the Twin Curse Faction, and the acting patriarch of the Gojo family, the implications were monumental.

While the major clans continued their discussions, far from the political scheming, in a secluded Yagyū residence, Yagyū Hidetsugu retrieved an ancient scroll from the ancestral hall.

Yagyū Yusuke nodded slightly, while Yagyū Saemon looked on solemnly.

It was Tsuki no Sho, a sacred text containing the swordsmanship techniques of Yagyū Shinkage-ryu, passed down through generations.

That very night, as Gojo Satoshi's Zanpakutō forging attempt failed, the Yagyū family made a decision.

They would trade the Tsuki no Sho with Gojo Satoshi—in exchange for a Zanpakutō.

(To be continued.)