HRU: Chapter 69/72

Chapter 69: Scorched Flesh

The one currently controlling Kotetsu's body is Kamo Shin's ultimate technique—Shoso (Scorched Phase).

Possessing unparalleled stealth, he also wields an invisible assassination ability.

If given the chance, he could incinerate Satoshi to ashes in an instant.

This time, however, Satoshi had merely accompanied an ordinary person out, and First-Grade Sorcerer Shunichi was not by his side.

It was the perfect opportunity.

Although Shoso was the weakest of the Nine Phases of the Cursed Womb, once he successfully completed his close-combat technique, everything would burn to nothingness…

—

As soon as he exited through the back door, Satoshi, clad in a blue kimono, saw Kotetsu suddenly appear.

His Six Eyes did not detect anything unusual, yet his instincts screamed that something was off about the man in front of him.

Satoshi silently watched Kotetsu approach, his right hand gripping Sode no Shirayuki, ready to unsheathe his blade at a moment's notice.

Shoso's eyes burned with fervor as he completely ignored the man standing beside Satoshi.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… he was confident that he could eliminate Satoshi.

As he inched closer, the cursed technique within Shoso's body had already begun to activate. If his calculations were correct, his technique would ignite just as he closed the final distance between them.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

Satoshi's voice was low, yet the blade in his grasp gleamed with an icy-white glow.

Although Kotetsu still appeared normal, Satoshi wasn't about to let him get any closer.

However, just as he was about to unleash Shirayuki's Sleeve, Shoso abruptly vanished before his eyes.

In the next instant, he reappeared behind Satoshi.

His speed far surpassed even Zenin Toji during their previous battle.

But Satoshi's Six Eyes were not so easily deceived.

He instantly pinpointed Shoso's position, and in the next moment, his Zanpakutō had already slashed toward him.

Seeing this, Shoso smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

Before coming here, he had already studied Sode no Shirayuki's abilities.

While ice naturally countered flames, his fire was no ordinary blaze.

It was the Bone Fire—capable of incinerating all things.

Sode no Shirayuki would serve as the perfect medium to ignite Gojo Satoshi.

Mission Accomplished!

Flames erupted from Shoso's body, preparing to surge through Sode no Shirayuki and consume Satoshi.

Yet, in that very moment.

His head was completely crushed.

The long-ignored Toji had simply thrown a punch. And with that, Shoso lost all signs of life.

"You dare ignore me, you bastard?"

Toji pulled a cigarette box from his pocket, slipped a cigarette between his lips, and searched for his lighter, only to realize he didn't have one.

Shrugging, he crouched down and lit it with the flames still flickering from Shoso's burning corpse.

As smoke curled around him, he exhaled lazily.

"This guy was from your Gojo Clan, wasn't he?"

Satoshi nodded, retracting his sleeves as he watched Toji smoke, looking completely at ease.

As expected of Toji, you took down a First-Grade Cursed Spirit with just one strike. I wonder when my own body and hand-to-hand combat will be as strong as yours.

Satoshi pinched Toji's arm muscles, a hint of envy flashing through his Six Eyes.

My body is still too small. I'm only six years old, it's so inconvenient.

The icy energy from Sode no Shirayuki spread toward Shoso's corpse.

Even though the cursed spirit had long since perished, the flames showed no signs of extinguishing.

Satoshi suspected that the fire was bound to Shoso's cursed technique.

Letting it burn unchecked wasn't an option.

So, he activated White Ripple drawing a circle beneath Kotetsu's remains, completely freezing his body.

—

The moment Sode no Shirayuki's power was released, both Shunichi and Satoru sensed the disturbance.

Despite their exhaustion from physical training, they rushed toward the outskirts of the mansion.

"Satoshi, are you alright?"

Satoru's expression was filled with concern.

Meanwhile, Shunichi immediately stepped toward Shoso's frozen remains, his face dark with shock.

"Young Master Satoshi… this person… is Kotetsu?"

Even with most of his head missing, the charred body was still recognizable to Shunichi.

Staring at his stunned expression, Satoshi glanced at the worried Satoru before nodding.

"It was Kotetsu, yes. But the one who attacked me wasn't truly him."

"He was already dead the moment he was possessed by the cursed spirit."

Satoshi understood Kotetsu's relationship with Shunichi, he had been his most cherished disciple.

Now, with Toji having crushed him in an instant, it was important to clarify the situation. Otherwise, it might cause resentment.

Shunichi fell silent.

Looking at Kotetsu's burned body, still wreathed in cursed flames, he understood, this was no ordinary possession.

It was both heartbreaking and infuriating.

Heartbreaking—because his beloved disciple had suffered such a tragic fate. He had died, his body stolen, and was forced to attack his own family.

Infuriating—because had Toji not been there, Satoshi might have been the one to perish.

Taking a deep breath, Shunichi clenched his fists.

"Young Master Satoshi, allow me to investigate this incident."

"I will uncover the identity of the cursed spirit that attacked you."

"For you, for Kotetsu…"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 70: If Only I Could Get Rid of Kenjaku in Advance!

The sudden attack did not deter Satoshi from proceeding with his planned visit to the Zenin Clan.

After all, he had already sent a formal request through Toji, and breaking the appointment now would be unacceptable.

Besides, given the situation, after a failed assassination attempt, it was unlikely that another killer would be foolish enough to target him when he was now on high alert.

It wasn't as if the mastermind behind this had another cursed object capable of possessing a second Gojo Clan member that he knew.

Such a thing could only happen once, never again.

This kind of cursed object, one that could maintain the body's appearance after taking possession, was an exceptionally rare ability.

Satoshi scoured his memories.

In the original timeline, Sukuna's remains and Kenjaku's techniques allowed for similar possessions, where the host body retained its original form even after being taken over.

This cursed object is special. I wonder if I can recover it after Toji killed it?

Since it was a possession, the physical body was exorcised, but the actual cursed object should still exist, right?

Satoshi walked quietly beside Toji, deep in thought about his future plans.

At present, he already had three Zanpakutō: Sode no Shirayuki, Suzumushi, and Senbonzakura.

Of these, Senbonzakura and Suzumushi had already been loaned out through the Borrowed Sword Function—one to Satoru, the other to Shunichi.

Only Sode no Shirayuki remained as his exclusive weapon.

Both Senbonzakura and Suzumushi had achieved Shikai in their users' hands, revealing their true abilities.

Based on his current training schedule, his Hakuda progress wouldn't take long.

Within a month, with Toji's guidance and enough experience packs, he should be able to reach the level required to learn Hohō (mobility), specifically Shunpo (Flash Step).

With that, he would have mastered two core Shinigami combat techniques.

Combining Sode no Shirayuki, Zanjutsu and his growing proficiency in Hakuda, his strength in this timeline was already comparable to a Grade 1 Sorcerer.

As long as he, Satoru, and Toji didn't run into Sukuna or Kenjaku, they would be practically unbeatable.

Even Special-Grade Cursed Spirits wouldn't be a problem against the three of them.

Yet, despite his current strength, Satoshi felt an overwhelming sense of urgency.

Even with his preparations, even with Satoru wielding Senbonzakura, there was no guarantee that the future where Sukuna bisected Satoru wouldn't happen.

Sukuna and Kenjaku were not to be underestimated.

Especially Kenjaku, who had been planning in secret for centuries. There was no telling how many backup plans he had in place.

If he let his guard down simply because he had three Zanpakutō and had mastered Zanjutsu, Satoshi was certain he would regret it in the future.

That's why he needed to gather as much strength as possible.

He had to rally every potential ally who could stand against Kenjaku and Sukuna.

If possible, he wanted to establish relationships with all of them.

Even after all this time, he still didn't know Kenjaku's true power.

In the original timeline, Special-Grade Sorcerer Tsukumo Yuki, Special-Grade Cursed Spirit Tengen, and even Sukuna himself couldn't prevent Kenjaku from executing his plans.

After all, in the original story, Sukuna's rise was orchestrated entirely by Kenjaku.

I need to forge an invincible Zanpakutō for myself.

At the same time, I need to lend more Zanpakutō to worthy allies…

The problem is, most of the sorcerers I know are either still kids or haven't even been born yet.

As for the current higher-ups in the Jujutsu world… they're all corrupt. None of them are worthy of wielding my swords.

Satoshi's Six Eyes constantly processed information from his surroundings, and before long, fatigue set in.

At that moment, he understood why Satoru always wore sunglasses when he was younger.

And why, as an adult, he constantly wore an eye mask.

When he first read the original story, he assumed Satoru did it to show off.

But now, he realized the truth.

The Six Eyes' analysis ability was too exhausting.

It never stopped. Every detail he saw was broken down and examined, straining his brain with an overwhelming amount of information.

When I get back, I need to forge a pair of sunglasses for Satoru and myself.

This might help with mental training, but being this tired all the time isn't ideal.

Satoshi exhaled, glancing at Toji beside him.

With Toji guarding him, he didn't need to keep his Six Eyes constantly active.

That in mind, he closed his eyes and simply followed Toji's lead.

I wonder if I can find the cursed tools I need in the Zenin Clan's secret storage…

A fire-based cursed tool would be ideal…

If I can forge that Zanpakutō and successfully achieve Bankai, I could potentially shut down all of Kenjaku's contingency plans.

But to forge it, I would need at least a Special-Grade Cursed Tool.

Had Yoru wielded a Special-Grade Cursed Tool back then, he might not have forged Sode no Shirayuki.

Instead, he could have created Hyorinmaru, the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society.

Satoshi continued analyzing his past forging experiences.

Every Zanpakutō in this world was linked to the characteristics of the cursed tool fused into it.

If he wanted to recreate the legendary Zanpakutō from Bleach, he needed to find exceptional cursed tools as base materials.

However, it wasn't an absolute requirement.

As long as the essential characteristics were present, even lower-grade materials could still produce a Zanpakutō.

If the Zenin Clan's vault doesn't have the tools I need, many legendary Zanpakutō may never be born in this world.

That means I need to check three locations: the Zenin Clan, the Kamo Clan, and Jujutsu High's storage vault.

These places are the most likely to contain Special-Grade Cursed Tools.

Kenjaku has been manipulating events for centuries, he must have his own collection of cursed tools.

But if possible, I'd rather not confront him directly just yet.

If he had the chance, Satoshi would love to kill Kenjaku right now.

That would prevent the entire disaster that was to come.

But he knew that was just wishful thinking.

Kenjaku wasn't just strong, his strategic planning was nearly flawless.

Even as a reincarnator with cheats, Satoshi knew that some opponents could not be taken down in a single battle.

And Kenjaku was one of them.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 71: How About Opening a Handyman Shop?

Seeing Satoshi walking behind him with his eyes closed, a rare trace of warmth flickered in Toji's usually lifeless gaze.

He wasn't sure why Satoshi trusted him so much.

Not only had Satoshi followed him to the Zenin Clan's estate, but now he had even closed his Six Eyes entirely.

After spending time together, Toji had confirmed that Satoshi's Six Eyes functioned exactly the same as Satoru's, an unparalleled ability to process information in real-time.

The only real difference between them was that one had limitless cursed energy, while the other had none at all.

By closing his Six Eyes, Satoshi was showing complete trust in Toji.

This was the first time Toji had ever encountered someone like that.

Wasn't Satoshi being a little too trusting?

Toji exhaled a ring of smoke, stretched his shoulders, and his usually lazy gaze turned razor-sharp.

Every blade of grass, every tree, and every possible threat in the surroundings fell under his watchful eyes.

Since Satoshi had chosen to trust him, he couldn't afford to let the kid down.

—

Meanwhile, even as he followed Toji, Satoshi was already planning for the future in his mind.

The forging of Zanpakutō could never stop.

It was the foundation of his existence in this world. If he wanted to rapidly improve his Zanpakutō proficiency, the most efficient method was to lend them out and let others train with them.

However, he couldn't rely only on his Zanpakutō.

Nor could he depend solely on the skills extracted from Bankai, that method was far too random.

When opening a blind box, the best mindset was to expect nothing. That way, if he ended up getting something valuable, it would be a pleasant surprise.

For a while now, Satoshi had been considering a long-term plan, establishing a force outside the Gojo Clan.

That way, if he ever needed to act independently, he wouldn't be restricted by the clan's influence.

Everything he had said to Satoru before was genuine.

To him and Satoru, the Gojo Clan was nothing more than a toy.

If they weren't burdened by responsibilities to the family, life would be a lot easier.

But at the same time, Satoshi understood Satoru's nature.

Annoying as he was, Satoru wasn't the type to run from responsibility.

After being raised by the Gojo Clan, Satoru would inevitably feel obligated to uphold the clan's reputation.

Unlike Satoshi, who had no real sense of belonging to the Gojo family at all.

The only thing that gave him even the slightest motivation was the Gojo Clan's armory.

Although he had already taken some things from it, there were still plenty of resources left.

After all, the three major clans hoarded treasures that smaller families could only dream of.

Toji did promise that he'd work for me once he got his Zanpakutō. But at my age, openly building a faction would be way too conspicuous.

What if… I had Toji set up a handyman shop instead?

That way, even if they eventually left both the Gojo Clan and the Zenin Clan, they would still have a place of their own.

There's always a handyman shop in every world, right?

Between "Urahara Shoten" and "Yorozuya," the latter is definitely more fitting for this world.

After all, there's no way Urahara Kisuke is showing up in Jujutsu Kaisen.

In the future, he and Satoru would probably end up enrolling in Jujutsu High together. When that happened, Toji would need something to occupy himself.

Otherwise, if he got bored and went back to gambling or assassination, they'd be right back to the original timeline's mess.

Yeah. Let's make Toji the manager of Yorozuya.

I'll be the boss behind the scenes…

Having finalized his decision, Satoshi abruptly opened his eyes.

His sky-blue Six Eyes locked onto Toji's back, causing the man's muscles to tense instinctively.

A sharp chill ran down Toji's spine, like a predator's gaze locking onto him.

On pure reflex, Toji glanced back, just in time to catch the mischievous smirk in Satoshi's expression.

His brow furrowed.

This brat is definitely up to something.

But he had no idea what it was.

Before he could ask, they arrived at the Zenin Clan's estate, where a group of Zenin servants awaited Satoshi at the entrance.

Among them stood the Zenin Clan's acting leader—Zenin Naobito.

His towering frame and forced, polite smile looked out of place against the backdrop of the estate.

—

At the same time, back at the Gojo Clan's residence…

Satoru was furious about the attack on Satoshi.

He hadn't expected a cursed spirit to appear this close to the Gojo family's mansion.

More importantly, the cursed spirit had actually taken control of a Gojo Clan member's body.

"Who the hell is behind this? Why is this cursed spirit so fixated on Satoshi?"

Satoru's Six Eyes swept across the entire estate, scanning for any signs of the culprit.

But—nothing.

Beside him, Shunichi spoke with a grave expression.

"Young Master Satoru, this wasn't an attack by an ordinary cursed spirit. It was a move made by a curse user. Kotetsu was possessed by a Cursed Object."

"We need to request the head of the clan's assistance to remove the object from Kotetsu's body."

"That's the only way we'll be able to trace it back to whoever is targeting Young Master Satoshi."

Hearing this, Satoru clicked his tongue in frustration but ultimately shut his eyes and stopped his search.

Then, without wasting another second, he turned and sprinted toward the clan leader's residence, with Shunichi close behind.

—

The Gojo Clan's patriarch sat in his room, his expression dark.

"Send someone to summon Ieiri Inamichi. In the meantime, make sure Kotetsu's body is preserved."

His white hair bristled with anger, like an aging lion still ready for battle.

Ever since Satoshi forged Senbonzakura, the elder had acknowledged him as a key figure in the Gojo Clan's future.

At this point, Satoshi and Satoru held equal weight in the family.

A direct assassination attempt on Satoshi, the heir of the Gojo Clan was nothing short of a declaration of war.

"The Dark Web was already cleaned up. Things should've been more under control… I didn't expect the curse users to already be targeting Satoshi."

"Then again… a weapon as powerful as a Zanpakutō would certainly make them nervous."

His eyes narrowed, gleaming with an intelligence that defied his old age.

He didn't have much time left in this world.

But the Gojo Clan was still far from being a family that anyone could trample over.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 72: Is Heavenly Restriction a Curse or a Blessing?

"Satoru, I heard that Satoshi and Zenin Toji went to the Zenin estate?"

After sending word to Ieiri Inamichi, the old man shifted his attention to Satoshi's whereabouts.

Satoru nodded.

"The material for my Senbonzakura came from the Zenin Clan. Satoshi wanted to see what else they had stored away in their armory…"

"Besides, he also agreed to forge a Zanpakutō for Toji."

Hearing this, the Gojo Clan Head nodded slightly before turning his gaze to Shunichi.

"It seems Satoshi is quite fond of Zenin Toji. After spending time with him, what do you think of him?"

Though Satoshi and Satoru had the Six Eyes, making them highly observant, the elder still wanted the opinion of the more experienced Gojo Shunichi.

"He's strong. Really strong."

The old man was a little surprised by the response.

He had expected Shunichi to comment on Toji's personality or motives, not bluntly state his overwhelming strength.

After all, Gojo Shunichi was already a Grade 1 Sorcerer, among the top combatants in Jujutsu society.

For someone of his caliber to acknowledge Toji's strength so openly…

"Isn't Zenin Toji a bearer of Heavenly Restriction? How could he be that strong when he has no cursed energy?"

The old man had never encountered a truly powerful sorcerer with zero cursed energy before.

In all the Gojo Clan's historical records, there had never been a notable figure who possessed Heavenly Restriction to this degree.

To him, it had always seemed like more of a handicap than a gift.

Shunichi met the elder's gaze and nodded solemnly.

"Zenin Toji is terrifyingly strong. If it ever came down to a life-or-death fight, even if I fully mastered Suzumushi, I wouldn't stand a chance."

"No matter what I did, I'd be completely dead."

His words shocked the old man.

He had expected Toji to be powerful, but he had never imagined that Shunichi, one of the Gojo Clan's most skilled swordsmen would admit defeat so decisively.

"My Lord, I don't think we can say for certain whether Heavenly Restriction is a curse or a blessing."

"But one thing is undeniable, Young Master Satoshi has an incredible eye for people."

"Zenin Toji is, without a doubt, the most talented warrior in the Zenin Clan. If they fail to recognize his value, it's their loss."

"Right now, Satoshi and Toji have a strong friendship. It was Toji who took down the cursed spirit that possessed Kotetsu's body with a single punch."

"To instantly kill a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit… That alone speaks volumes about his capabilities."

The old man fell into deep thought.

—

While the elder contemplated this revelation, Satoru spoke up.

"Satoshi seems to care about Toji a lot."

"I don't think it's just because they both have Heavenly Restriction. Honestly, it feels like Satoshi understands Toji better than Toji himself does…"

"Over the past two days, Shunichi and I have been training Hakuda under Toji. The improvement we've seen is insane."

"And, believe it or not, Toji actually agreed to a request from Satoshi in exchange for his Zanpakutō."

The elder's expression stiffened slightly.

To Satoshi, a Zanpakutō was his most valuable asset.

And yet, he had willingly offered one to Toji, simply to build a connection.

That meant Satoshi had recognized Toji's worth long before he even met him.

"What's more…"

"Satoshi himself is also a bearer of Heavenly Restriction."

"If he learns how Toji controls it, then he'll have a second trump card besides his Zanpakutō."

Satoru's words made the old man close his eyes in contemplation.

At this moment, no one except Toji and Satoshi truly understood the full potential of Heavenly Restriction.

However, in the eyes of the Gojo Clan's upper echelon, Heavenly Restriction was no longer just a flaw.

Once, the elder had regretted that Satoshi was born without cursed energy.

But now…

Heavenly Restriction seemed like an even greater advantage than having cursed power.

Is this a sign from fate?

Did the heavens choose Satoshi to be the future head of the Gojo Clan?

The old man slowly opened his eyes, glancing at Satoru.

After a moment of silence, he turned to Shunichi and spoke in a measured tone.

"Satoru. Shunichi."

Both of them nodded, awaiting his instructions.

"Right now, you are the only two who possess a Zanpakutō. That means Satoshi places his trust in you above all others."

"You've experienced their power firsthand. And you understand that many—sorcerers, curse users, even cursed spirits will covet them."

"Until the day Satoru becomes the strongest sorcerer… until Satoshi demonstrates absolute power… attempts on his life will keep coming."

"Satoru, you must continue training your Limitless Cursed Technique."

"Shunichi, you must keep perfecting your kendo skills."

"Satoshi is the future of the Gojo Clan. We can't always rely on Zenin Toji to protect him.

"At the end of the day, Toji is a Zenin, not a Gojo."

"You two are the ones Satoshi can truly rely on."

The elder's words were carefully chosen.

Though Satoru always insisted that he didn't care about becoming Clan Head, the position that was meant for him was now shifting toward his brother.

The old man wasn't sure how Satoru truly felt about that.

So, every chance he got, he used subtle nudges to help Satoru sort out his feelings, while reinforcing the bond between him and Satoshi.

"Clan Head, you don't need to worry. I will protect Satoshi."

A rare sense of conviction flashed through Satoru's Six Eyes.

Beside him, Shunichi nodded just as firmly.

He understood the elder's intentions.

The true future of the Gojo Clan rested with Gojo Satoru and Gojo Satoshi.

As long as there was no conflict between them, the Gojo Clan would remain unshakable for the next fifty years.

Two pairs of the Six Eyes.

With them, the Gojo Clan would reign supreme.

And Shunichi would eliminate any threat that dared to challenge them.

Even if it cost him his life.

(To be continued.)