HRU: Chapter 66/68

Chapter 66: Leek?

As he watched Shoko use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal his injuries, the pain in Satoshi's arm gradually subsided.

This Reverse Cursed Technique is really powerful. I wonder how it compares to Kaidō from the world of Bleach.

Satoshi subconsciously compared the two healing techniques in his mind.

In terms of flexibility, Reverse Cursed Technique seemed more versatile.

After all, in the future, Satoru who had mastered it was able to continuously heal his brain while engaging in high-intensity combat against Ryomen Sukuna.

On the other hand, there was no known case in Bleach where someone used Kaidō to heal while actively fighting.

However, when it came to healing others, Kaidō probably had the upper hand.

If I could use Kaidō now, I might be able to compete with Shoko to see who has the stronger healing abilities.

But unfortunately, my Zankensoki are still at the level of someone flailing around with no real combat skills.

To use Kidō, I first need to break through my limits in Hakuda, then master Hohō before I can even access Kidō.

The road ahead is long and difficult.

Satoshi wasn't someone who aimed too high. Even though Kaidō seemed promising, there was still a long way to go before he could reach that level.

For now, there was already a healer here, why not make use of her?

...

[The host is receiving instruction from Toji, Hakuda experience +10.]

[The host is receiving instruction from Toji, Hakuda experience +10.]

Looking at the system prompts, Satoshi felt the satisfaction of progress.

With Toji's guidance and sparring, his Hakuda improvement speed would definitely not be any slower than his Kendo training.

As long as he continued like this, he would eventually break through in Hakuda, master Hohō, learn Kidō, and become a "qualified" four-in-one Shinigami.

But just as he was about to return to the training ground to fight Toji again, another system notification appeared.

[During the borrower's battle, corresponding experience is converted—Free Experience +1.]

[During the borrower's battle, corresponding experience is converted—Free Experience +1.]

At that moment, Satoshi realized something—Satoru had become the "borrower" of Senbonzakura.

This meant that Satoru's combat experience would be partially shared with him.

Since both he and Satoru were learning hand-to-hand combat, Satoru's training experience was effectively his own as well...

Satoshi suddenly felt like he had stumbled upon a system loophole.

Back when he had asked Satoru to train in free combat, he had never considered that he might gain free experience through this method.

At the time, his only thought was to help Satoru develop his physical combat skills, so he wouldn't be entirely reliant on his techniques in the future.

He never expected that an unintentional move would lead to such an advantage.

Satoru, who was training alongside him, had inadvertently become his "experience leek."

Not bad, not bad!

A "strange" smile appeared on Satoshi's face as his gaze shifted toward Shunichi, who was standing beside him with a concerned expression.

Should I bring him in as well, so I can farm free experience from two experience leeks?

No need to hesitate—just do it!

Before long, the number of people training in hand-to-hand combat increased from just Satoshi and Satoru to include Shunichi as well…

"Young Master Satoshi, I really don't think I need to learn hand-to-hand combat..."

Shunichi swallowed nervously, instinctively trying to refuse.

After all, he had just witnessed how brutally Satoshi and Satoru had been beaten.

Although he was an adult, if he could only use physical combat, he probably wouldn't be a match for Toji either.

Some might argue that Satoru and Satoshi got beaten so badly because they were still young, and their bodies hadn't fully matured.

But if he ended up in the same state, there would be no excuse.

After all, he was a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, he had a reputation to uphold!

Unfortunately for him, Shunichi's concerns meant nothing in the face of Satoshi's thirst for experience.

Satoshi wasn't about to let him refuse.

Uncle Shunichi, I'm doing this for your own good! Although you're a master of Kendo, what will you do if you ever find yourself without a weapon?

A Kendo master who can't fight barehanded, what kind of joke is that?

Satoshi wasn't just pulling Shunichi into hand-to-hand combat training for experience, he had genuinely considered something important.

Satoshi didn't want Shunichi, who was currently his subordinate to ever end up in such a situation.

Of course, his main goal was still to farm experience…

…

"Hey, hey, are you guys done yet?"

Even though she had plenty of snacks to eat, Shoko's expression was turning uglier by the second.

She was supposed to be a guest of the Gojo Clan, yet now she was being treated like a laborer.

It was bad enough that she had already healed Satoru and Satoshi.

But now there was Shunichi as well?

The amount of Cursed Energy required to heal an adult compared to a child was vastly different.

I'm just a kid myself, how am I supposed to handle this kind of workload?!

Shoko's complaints finally brought an end to the three-day hand-to-hand combat training session.

Not only Satoshi, but even Toji, who had been "handing out beatings" let out a sigh of relief.

After all, beating someone up was exhausting too.

By the end, even he started to lose interest in pummeling the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes prodigy.

It's just like playing poker, exciting at first, but if you're forced to play every night, you'd eventually get bored.

Even if it's a public service, you can't expect someone to do it every day, right?

At this moment, Toji felt completely drained from constantly beating up Satoru.

After training ended, Satoshi needed some time to rest.

To be honest, he wouldn't have minded continuing, but he was worried that Satoru and Shunichi wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

Satoru was already slumped over, looking completely out of it.

Meanwhile, Shunichi was rubbing his sore lower back—these past few days had been nothing short of hell for him.

However, this experience also gave him a firsthand understanding of Toji's true strength.

The man standing before him wasn't someone he could even hope to contend with.

Even though he was a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer...

(To be continued.)

Chapter 67: Shall I Forge a Zanpakutō for You as Well?

"Toji, why don't you head over to the Zenin estate later? Go check out the treasury and take a look at the cursed tools you selected earlier."

Satoshi glanced at his experience bar, which had increased to 46%, and couldn't help but feel satisfied.

In just three days, his experience bar had risen by almost half. Toji's combat ability was clearly on another level compared to Shunichi's Kendo skills.

During these three grueling days of training, Toji had spared no effort.

Taking advantage of this break, he could visit the Zenin family's treasury in person and make some selections.

Might as well see if there are any other useful cursed tools while he's at it.

Unlike the Gojo family's vault, which he had already raided, the Zenin family's storage was still untouched.

This unspoiled treasure trove was definitely a place he needed to explore.

Too many cursed tools were wasted during my earlier experiments. If I had access to this many test materials back then, I probably could have forged at least two or three Zanpakutō by now.

Satoshi shook his head.

Looks like I'll have to rely on the Zenin estate for another haul. If I ever get the chance, I'd love to explore the Kamo family's secret vault too.

Among the three great sorcerer families, their treasury should hold the largest collection of cursed tools in the entire jujutsu world.

I also heard that the Kamo family has a master of cursed tool crafting. Their storage might even surpass both the Gojo and Zenin families combined.

Although Satoshi had never had direct dealings with the Kamo clan, he was already eyeing their treasury with interest.

Toji, who had been drinking water nearby, nodded at Satoshi's words.

"The Zenin family has prepared accommodations for you and is expecting your visit."

"However, I hope you'll focus your energy on my Zanpakutō rather than being distracted by that rotten family."

Toji had no interest in speaking on behalf of the Zenin clan.

As for the mission his family had originally assigned him, he had already tossed it aside.

What happens to the Zenin family in the future has nothing to do with me.

Satoshi chuckled, unconcerned, then extended his right hand toward Shoko.

"Shoko, I think I broke my pinky. Sorry to trouble you!"

Then, turning back to Toji, he smirked.

"Oh? I was wondering why it was so easy for me to get the cursed tools Satoru needed."

"So the Zenin higher-ups have already given their silent approval, huh?"

Shoko scowled as she healed Satoshi's finger. Seeing that he was more focused on chatting with Toji than paying attention to her, her treatment became noticeably rougher.

"Ow! That hurts—"

Satoshi winced but still kept his eyes on Toji.

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to. There's no need to bother with those outdated relics."

Toji remained indifferent to the Zenin family's affairs.

Satoshi, however, didn't mind keeping an amicable relationship with them—for now.

There would be many instances in the future where cooperation with the Zenin family would be necessary. No need to burn that bridge just yet.

Besides, weren't they showing great sincerity?

The cursed tool they provided for forging Senbonzakura wasn't just any ordinary item, it was at least Grade 1.

They handed over something that valuable without hesitation. In Satoshi's eyes, that kind of decisiveness was worth acknowledging.

Not to mention, I'm still eyeing their secret vault.

"It's fine. I just want to check out the Zenin estate. Staying at the Gojo compound all the time would be too narrow-minded…"

As the pain in his finger intensified, Satoshi instinctively tried to pull his hand away.

However, Shoko wasn't letting go.

A patient shouldn't be trying to escape before treatment is complete.

After tugging twice without success, Satoshi finally realized something was off. He shifted his gaze from Toji to Shoko.

Noticing the dissatisfied look on her face, he smirked playfully.

He immediately recognized what was going on.

She's upset that I wasn't paying attention to her.

"Hey, Shoko! How about I forge a Zanpakutō for you too?"

Satoshi's sudden question caught Ieiri Shoko completely off guard.

She had never expected him to say something like that.

The fingers that had been gripping Satoshi's hand out of frustration subconsciously loosened.

Only then did she realize how intimate her action had been.

When Satoru, Shunichi, and Toji heard Satoshi's words, they all instinctively turned to look at him and Shoko.

They had all clearly seen the moment when Shoko had grabbed Satoshi's hand.

"Oh? Did I just hear that correctly?" Toji curled his lips in a lazy smirk. "Our esteemed Young Master Gojo Satoshi is actually offering to forge someone a Zanpakutō?"

"Hey, Satoshi, so love does make people change? What about our brotherhood? Are you just going to cast me aside? My heart… it hurts!"

Satoru's deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he glanced between Satoshi and Shoko, his expression full of amusement.

It was as if Satoshi's words had completely reinvigorated him, erasing the exhaustion he had suffered from being beaten by Toji during training.

Shunichi, meanwhile, silently observed the two of them, running calculations in his head.

Shoko and Young Master Satoshi, huh? Not bad.

Miss Shoko is a genius in Reverse Cursed Technique. If she and Master Satoshi were to combine their talents…

Not to mention, they make a nice pair.

Feeling the shift in the atmosphere, Satoshi suddenly realized that what he had just said might have been a little inappropriate.

His main goal was to forge a Zanpakutō for Shoko so she could serve as another experience generator.

Now that he had discovered this system loophole, he needed to maximize it.

Besides, whether it was one or a whole flock, sheep were still sheep, right?

Since Toji was already training them in hand-to-hand combat, couldn't he just farm experience from three people at once?

Of course, the amount of feedback varied.

Satoru, being more talented, generated higher feedback frequency and more experience points.

But hey, experience points are still experience points, no matter how little.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 68: It Should Be the Most Suitable Zanpakutō for Shoko, Right?

Without small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without small streams, one cannot form a river or sea.

This was something we learned during our nine years of compulsory education in our previous life.

For Satoshi, the more experience sources he had, the better, and the sooner he could activate the Borrowed Sword Function, the better...

It was a pity that such a simple thought of his was seen as something special in the eyes of others.

After all, Zanpakutō were an extremely rare existence in the world of jujutsu.

Excluding Suzumushi, which was currently in Shunichi's possession, both Toji and Satoru's Zanpakutō had been at their own request.

But now, Satoshi had personally offered to forge a Zanpakutō for Shoko.

It would be strange if this didn't look suspicious.

As the three men eyed him with scrutiny, Satoshi finally noticed Shoko's flushed face. No matter how slow he was, he realized the situation.

"Uh, I was just trying to say…"

He hesitated for a moment.

He had done something that led to a misunderstanding. But if he clarified it now, would it hurt Shoko's feelings?

If I suddenly explain that this isn't what they think, wouldn't that be a little too cruel?

Thinking of this, Satoshi shook his head helplessly and chose not to clarify. Instead, he simply replied:

"Shoko and I are friends! It's only natural that I forge a Zanpakutō for her."

"Besides, Satoru, Toji—whether or not you asked me, I would've made one for you anyway, right?"

Feeling that the atmosphere was becoming a little awkward, he added that last sentence as a way to smooth things over.

Satoru nodded in agreement. As Satoshi's brother, it was a given that he should have a Zanpakutō.

Toji, however, just smirked in disbelief.

"Oh? Well, since you're going to forge a Zanpakutō for me, that means my previous agreement with you is void now, right?"

Seeing Toji trying to get something for free, Satoshi immediately counterattacked.

"Toji, you're an adult! A man should stand by his word."

"You can't go back on a promise just because it's convenient for you."

Hearing Satoshi's response, Toji sighed in resignation.

This brat from the Gojo family was already this persistent.

Still, he didn't dislike Satoshi's personality.

"Alright, alright. I get it. But the next Zanpakutō you forge has to be mine. Shoko can wait."

Toji no longer dwelled on their previous deal.

After all, these Zanpakutō were Satoshi's creations, and he had no right to demand anything.

His only condition was that no one should cut in line.

"Of course. Even if I wanted to forge a Zanpakutō for Shoko, I don't have the materials right now."

"Let's go to the Zenin estate first and see what we can find. Maybe we'll come across a cursed tool suitable for her."

Satoshi nodded, fully intending to make Shoko a Borrowed Sword User as soon as possible.

Another experience source wouldn't hurt.

As for what kind of Zanpakutō to forge for her?

Satoshi already had a plan in mind.

Shoko specialized in Reverse Cursed Technique, which made her incredibly skilled at healing—but weak in direct combat.

Her Zanpakutō needed to serve two purposes:

1. Enhance her healing abilities, making her an even stronger support.


2. Give her a means of self-defense, so she could fight back if she ever found herself in a crisis.


The perfect choice was the Zanpakutō of Unohana Retsu, the former captain of the 4th Division of the Gotei 13—Minazuki.

Minazuki's Shikai would allow Shoko to further amplify her healing abilities.

And once she reached Bankai, it's power was not to be underestimated.

In Satoshi's opinion, this was the most suitable Zanpakutō for her.

However, Minazuki was a special type of Zanpakutō, one that functioned as a living being.

Forging it wouldn't be easy.

To create Minazuki, he would need to find the right cursed tools to serve as forging materials.

And that… was the biggest challenge at the moment.

After all, even though his Shinigami Fusion System allowed him to forge Zanpakutō, it did not give him the ability to create cursed tools out of thin air.

For now, it would take time before Minazuki could come to life.

...

While Satoshi was deep in thought about Minazuki, he suddenly felt an itchy sensation on his pinky finger.

Looking down, he saw that Shoko was gently treating him, her face slightly flushed, completely different from her earlier irritation.

Meanwhile, Satoru and Toji were watching with knowing smirks, their expressions almost maternal.

Satoshi had a bad feeling.

If I give them another second, they're probably going to start shouting—"We ship it!"

Sure enough…

No matter what world you're in, no matter what kind of people you meet…

Everyone loves a good romance rumor.

…

"Young Master Satoshi, let me accompany you to the Zenin estate. Your safety—"

Shunichi's expression was full of concern.

Satoshi, however, shook his head.

"When I came to the Gojo estate before, I didn't have any guards with me. As one of the Three Great Families, the Zenin clan wouldn't dare do anything to me."

At that moment, he glanced at Toji and smirked.

"Besides, isn't Toji going with me? With him by my side, who do I need to be afraid of?"

Shunichi followed Satoshi's gaze, looking up at the towering Toji.

Then he fell silent.

If Toji was the threat, there was no way he could protect Satoshi.

Luckily, Toji and Satoshi were on good terms.

My presence really wouldn't make a difference…

As for Satoru, after three days of training, he was completely drained.

The heir of the Six Eyes, a once-in-a-generation prodigy, had zero interest in visiting the Zenin estate.

And when it came to selecting cursed tools, he couldn't help Satoshi in the slightest.

So, he simply lay there, pretending to be dead.

…

After resting for a while, taking a shower, and changing into fresh clothes, Satoshi and Toji finally departed from the Gojo estate.

Their destination—the Zenin Clan.

However, lurking in the shadows outside the Gojo compound, a figure had been waiting for three days.

Gojo Kotetsu.

His bloodshot eyes and pale complexion betrayed the toll this mission had taken on him.

But now, the chance he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

This time, his target was Gojo Satoshi.

He had to carry out Kamo's orders, to eliminate Satoshi before it was too late.

At this moment, Gojo Kotetsu was no longer acting of his own free will.

The Gojo Kotetsu that once existed…

…was now nothing more than a hollow shell.

(To be continued.)