A Positive Twist

by Nasha Rei-Kun

He wanted to change the system they lived in. To allow people like Mai, Maki, and people like Toji to thrive with their own talents or desires. Naruto wanted to become a grade even become Special-Grade to work alongside his ridiculous cousin to change how the world worked. Naruto Uzumaki, 'Defect' of the Gojou Clan, wanted to put a bit of a positive twist on the Jujutsu world.

4. Positivity

~NRK~

~A Month Later~

"Alright," Naruto said as he pulled Ryu-Bang out from behind him and expanded it, Sage's Talisman at-the-ready in his other hand. "Let's do this, Megumi."

The Ten Shadows-user nodded, his Divine Dogs at his sides and ready for combat as well.

"Y-Yeah," Megumi nodded, a black scimitar Cursed Tool held in Shirou's mouth. "Ready to fight, um, I-I think it's the snake?"

"Seems so. You ready, Maki-chan?"

The girl-in-question nodded, grinning as she held an odd long knife that held fur and bandages around the guard and base of the blade.

"Yes," she said with a look of excitement. "God, it's so much better outside of that damn estate."

Mai smiled nervously at that, standing behind the three with a familiar pair of blue talismans in her hands.

"O-Oh, God," she swallowed.

The four children had worn similar outfits composed of blue hakama and untucked shitagis, the four's feet covered by 'ninja sandals' as Naruto called them.

With Maki wearing some odd Cursed Tool glasses that allowed her to see cursed spirits and shikigami, the four were prepared as the adults and older teens stood outside of a small circle in a field they'd taken for this ritual.

"It'll be fine," Naruto said with a nod. "Anything comes up, let me know, I've got you," the nine-year-old said with a smile before looking at Megumi. "Alright, let's do this."

Megumi took in a deep breath before forming the right hand puppet.

"Hebi!" He called out as his shadow expanded before shooting off ahead of him, expanding once more before releasing a long serpent with white scales, yellow eyes, and a red symbol on its forehead. "O-Oh…"

The four kids kept looking up as the snake kept going before finally leaving the shadow it'd been summoned by and landing in a coil that caused the floor to rumble.

Outside of Divine Dogs, the shikigami from Ten Shadows would not adjust to the summoner's 'experience level' and would be as strong as it was supposed to be during the ritual to exorcize it.

So, the giant snake's good amount of cursed energy wasn't exactly small to most of those there.

"Hmm, it's decently strong, Megumi," Naruto said as he summoned Sage a second later, the oni's form landing in front of him and now wielding a small 'Shikigami Hammer' that the blonde had helped make for him. "Now, let's see how this goes."

Megumi retrieved his Cursed Tool from Shirou before nodding with determination as Mai swallowed and Maki hummed.

The snake roared at them, throwing out a powerful shock wave that threw back most of their hair.

"Hold on!" Naruto told them as he stomped down, crushing the floor beneath the foot and securing his position. "It's only some yelling!"

Mai held onto Maki as the girl did as the blonde had, her twin sister barely able to reinforce herself with cursed energy.

Megumi stabbed his weapon into the floor while reinforcing himself, Divine Dogs bracing themselves by crouching.

---

The other stood on the sidelines with interest.

"Just a roar but it's probably physically powerful," Minato said with a hum, his falcon shikigami surveying the situation from above with a flock of crows under Mei Mei's control. "Honestly, it'll be a good addition to his arsenal when he can subdue it on his own."

---

By the time the roar ended, the four children unbraced themselves before Naruto and Maki led the first charge.

The blonde got there first before jumping up with Sage, the oni grabbing his arm and throwing the blonde even higher before he caught Maki mid-air.

They spun before Sage sent her slamming into the snake's body, her Cursed Tool, Slaughter Demon, piercing the serpent's flesh.

The shikigami began to uncoil and swing its body at the ground only before Naruto's weapon slammed into its head.

It flinched back, stunned, while Maki unlatched Slaughter Demon before jumping back to allow Megumi to attack with his blade.

A slice at the spot of her puncture only widened the wound a slight bit before Sage quickly grabbed the two and got away, the snake slamming its head down and crushing the floor around it.

Naruto landed moments later before spinning up and over a tail swipe, Ryu Bang swinging out to barely block the follow-up swing before he was sent flying.

The blonde recovered in time to see Maki and Megumi rushing past him before both Divine Dogs circled and lunged at the snake's back.

The large shikigami roared again, repelling the four before its upper-half began to swing around.

"Jump!" Naruto ordered, rushing towards Mai before sweeping her off her feet.

He and the others jumped, dodging the snake's club-like rotation attack.

---

"It probably does have cursed energy-enhanced muscles for a snake," Kushina said. "It's fast, too."

---

The large shikigami's form snapped out to try and grab Megumi mid-air only for the two dog shikigami to latch onto its neck with their jaws and claws.

The snake flinched before writhing around and throwing its length around to slam into the floor constantly.

Megumi releas ed the dogs before they could be crushed, landing and grimacing as he began to run around with Maki.

"Its hide is so tough," he said as she nodded.

"Slaughter Demon's good at getting past it," Maki said as they skid to a stop as the snake stopped slamming, Naruto rushing towards it with Sage. "It's fast, strong, and durable."

"I guess Naruto was right, this would be a good shikigami to have," Megumi nodded before performing the Divine Dogs hand puppet.

The pups returned, howling in preparation.

Just in time to catch Sage uppercutting the big shikigami, sending its head flying back before Naruto used his shikigami's shoulder as a jumping pad.

He changed Ryu Bang into its hammer form and wound back.

The blow sent the snake's head right back into the ground, its lower half twitching as the boy landed on its body.

"Hit him hard!" Naruto said, rushing down the length of the shikigami's body before jumping high and bringing his hammer down, Sage right behind him.

An explosion of grass and dirt sent a rumble through the ground before throwing up a dust cloud.

The latter two came sliding out moments later as Maki, Mai, Megumi, and the Divine Dogs grouped up by them.

"It's still alive," Megumi said as the group watched the snake's form twitch before its head began to raise. "You, Sage, and Maki can hurt it while I can't really do it."

"You need to imbue the blade, Megu," Naruto told him as the boy groaned.

"I-I can't really… I'm no good at that yet."

"..." Mai hesitated before grabbing it. "L-Like this."

Her cursed energy flowed out over the blade, the pitch-black weapon's form soon being covered in a blue film with black borders.

"W-Whoa," Megumi said in awe as Mai blushed at Naruto's thumbs-up and grin. "Thanks, nee-chan."

She blushed once more before huffing and wearing a slightly haughty-look that Maki rolled her eyes at.

"I've gotta teach ya to handle that better," Maki said with a grin as Megumi nodded. "Alright, this shouldn't be too bad!" She declared as Mai did the same for her weapon.

They fought to the last drop.

---

Watching the kids fight had been interesting, if not amusing, especially when it came to their roles.

"A support type," Utahime said as she observed Mai doing her best to dodge while supplying Megumi and Maki with energy-enhanced Cursed Tools. "And she's a good evader."

"Anyone in support should be able to do that, we believe," Minato said as Kushina nodded.

"As the support, medical or otherwise, you're going to be vital. In their current fight, she literally gives them the ability to harm his shikigami, that's valuable," the silver-haired woman said. "That will obviously change with time but so will she if she pursues this path."

They kept going, the children going in and out of curling limbs and clamping jaws, Naruto and Sage working double-time to ensure that last action was avoided.

"Maki's clearly full-on offense," Minato said. "For obvious reasons."

"Then, Megumi's offensive-utility," Satoru said as one of the boy in question's wolf shikigami grabbed his weapon before slashing at the snake with a lunge, quickly slipping out of danger compared to his summoner. "And his shikigami allows him longer reach."

Their final combatant, Naruto, called out more orders, plans, and movements, the blonde at the front of them all.

He parried with Sage, evaded while carrying the others out of danger, and attacked with blows that did the most damage.

"And, in time, Naruto will be an all-rounder," Shoko said, combing her hands through her getting-longer hair, Tsumiki nodding rapidly next to her. "Once he's truly able to use his full abilities, he'll literally be invaluable wherever he goes, no matter what he's doing or there for."

"That front's been a bit interesting," Riko said, gaining their attention.

A year older and stronger, the girl's height had become something curious, the 17-year-old's stature putting her at 5'10, a sharp shot up compared to her previous 5'4 frame from just a year back.

With shorter chin-length hair and her usual yellow bandana in it that helped hide her fox ears, she was a bit more mature compared to who she used to be.

"I can feel it through Kurama's core," she continued. "Naruto's powers are slowly unfurling the first skill. We just don't know when."

"Huh," Satoru raised his blindfold, squinted his eyes, and made an offended sound before pulling it back down, much to Utahime and Riko's amusement. "Ah! That's painful."

"So, it automatically deflects you?" Utahime asked. "I didn't know positive energy could deflect Cursed Techniques before all of this," she said, looking to Shoko for answers.

"It's not something I'm capable of but I do remember a rumor about one of the big shikigami of the Ten Shadows," Shoko began. "The Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General, Mahoraga. He wields the Sword of Extermination, a positive energy-enhanced blade that allows it to deflect Cursed Techniques."

"Seriously?!" Riko's jaw dropped as Satoru whistled.

"Still, you'd have to see the technique coming, that's not something a normal person could do," he said. "I mean, I probably could but I can't wield positive energy like that. Naruto, meanwhile, can't see Cursed Techniques like I can but can deflect them with positive energy, probably," Satoru explained, templing his hands together and wiggling some of the jutting-out fingers. "In a way, it balances us out. Having the ability to deflect Cursed Techniques would be kinda crazy even to me."

"I guess even you have a limit," Utahime said. "But, even on some level, Naruto's positive energy reflexively reflects, no? If that's the case, perhaps he'll be immune to smaller Cursed Techniques or even Techniques of a certain category?"

"It's likely," Shoko said as the kids kept going after the snake shikigami, only bruises and cuts being their biggest injuries. "In the future, maybe Naruto-kun will look into it and use the Divine General as a concept for a new way to improve. For now, he's gotta grow and actually unlock his skill set."

There was a thunderous rumble before the floor beneath their feet shook a bit, the event ending in a couple seconds.

Looking back at the kids, they found Naruto and Maki cheering as Megumi sat on his rear with Mai, looking drained.

Beneath them, the defeated snake shikigami hissed weakly, form falling away into shadows and allowing the cheering duo to land on shaky feet.

"W-We did it!" Naruto declared, covered in the most wounds of the four of them, Sage coming over and knocking knuckles with his master. "Nice!"

Maki just looked excited all the way through, rubbing some sweat off her forehead and sporting a few cuts in her clothes but nothing more. "That was an exorcism," she said in awe, core welling with warmth and pride. "And it only took us, four kids, we could be an amazing exorcism team."

"I don't mind," Naruto chuckled as the two of them hurried over to help their other teammates. "How are you guys feeling?"

"Y-Yeah, I know I'm not for this," Mai wheezed as her sister smirked a bit. "Shut up! I ain't a fighter!"

"But you move like one," Maki said with a smile as the others hurried over. "You could dodge all that stuff."

Mai blushed, looking embarrassed and worried. "It's because of all of our games," she muttered as Megumi tilted his head.

"Games?" He asked Naruto.

"Yep, we'd usually be playing, essentially, Super Tag," the blonde snickered.

"How's it going, Snake Slayers?" Satoru called with a grin as Maki smirked, Naruto chuckled, Mai blushed some more, and Megumi hummed. "Truly, you all are blessed with great teammates, covering all your bases is extremely important, ya know?"

"You all worked together wonderfully," Utahime smiled. "You're all gifted in your own ways, it'll be a pleasure to watch you all grow into marvelous sorcerers," she praised, the four looking embarrassed but pleased for the most part.

Mai just wished to keep this bit about her private from her family members.

~NRK~

~Half a Year Later~

Naruto blinked as Yaga and Kuroi showed the group two 'children'.

One a pale baby boy with black fuzz for hair… and the other a panda.

No, they weren't kidding.

"Meet Panda-kun," Yaga said as Kuroi giggled a bit. "And Kuro 'Kuma' Masamichi."

"... Oh my God," Satoru held his face as Naruto laughed. "Y-You put bear in his name?!"

"Of course!"

"Dammit, sensei!"

Kuroi smirked as the two were marveled at. "Panda is a bit special before anyone goes crazy and asks 'did you give birth to a panda?'," she shot Shoko and Riko a look.

The two women cleared their throats, not looking at her at all.

"Right. Panda-kun's situation is rather… well, secret."

"Yep," Naruto said with a smile as he rubbed Panda's cheek, the panda bear cub with a pacifier looking pleased. "And, well, he's certainly not gonna have it easy but your godfather is here, you two, Naruto Uzumaki never lets you down… hopefully."

"Hold on! W-When?!" Mai balked.

"It was before they were born," Kuroi chuckled as Riko gasped. "You're basically their sister, you don't need 'god-' anything in front of your relationship."

"O-Oh! H-Hehehehe," Riko giggled nervously as Kuroi chuckled. "Obviously, ya know? I wasn't gonna ask something crazy like that…"

"... Riko."

"I wasn't!"

Satoru stared at Panda the panda. "I'm a goduncle to a panda, I don't even know what's going on anymore," he said as Utahime sweatdropped.

"In an act of unity… I have no idea either," she said with a nervous smile.

"Well, if even you can't respond, that means I'm not crazy."

"Most of the time."

"Most of the time."

Kushina shot the two a flat look while Minato chuckled.

"God, it's so easy," she facepalmed.

"Yes, yes, let them take their time," her husband said.

~NRK~

~Half a Year Later : Zenin Estate~

Mai sat back-to-back with her blonde friend, eyes looking out at the horizon.

"Hey, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"I… Well…" Mai struggled with her words. "It's nothing."

"Whenever you want to talk, I promise, I'm here," he told her and she sighed before adjusting herself onto his back, nodding against his shoulder blades.

"I know."

~NRK~

~A Year Later~

Now 11-years-old, Naruto sat in a meditation stance atop a small stone plate atop a spire of earth.

Satoru floated by him, upside-down, with a hand cupping his chin.

"Is this part of the positivity thing?" He'd asked as Naruto chuckled.

"Probably not?" He offered him. "This just helps me put my body's energies at peace, I guess? I'm slowing them all down and just becoming one with nature," Naruto said.

As if summoned, birds flew on by before landing on his shoulders, Satoru huffing at that.

"Come to me, birds," he commanded regally.

They looked at him like he was the weird one?!

"Oi! Animals of the world! I am blessed!" He shouted and they kept on staring. "God, even the animals won't respect me, ugh. I'm gonna go and pick on Megumi."

Naruto laughed at that.

~NRK~

The blonde grinned as he helped Panda eat in his lap, sitting with the others in the mess hall.

Kuroi did the same for Kuro, the brothers-in-'name' eating healthily.

"So, how many more years?" Megumi asked his blonde friend, the boy ruffling some of his hair. "And I need a haircut."

"Oh, you can just style it, Megumi," Mei Mei said with a smile as he blinked.

"... No thank you."

"Aww."

"It's around 2 and a half, I'll give it that much," Naruto said as Panda raised his arms in cheer. "I've been sending Fujin out to survey the world with the help of Mei-nee-chan's crows. So far, nothing big but they did have to exorcize a curse here or there."

"The fact you two made exorcism androids isn't weird or anything," Kushina chuckled. "So, I am curious, Naru-Naru, what do you plan on making if you can find the Vak Vak Tree?"

Naruto already knew. Among all else, there were two things he wanted amongst all else.

"Hehehe, well, I wanna do two specific things," the blonde boy began. "One, I wanna update Sage and Fujin. I spoke about it with dad and Yaga-sensei, I don't want to make anymore shikigami and focus on those two."

"Huh?" Tsumiki blinked. "But you just said two things."

"Yep," Naruto grinned. "That's gonna be a big surprise if I'm able to make it work. What I want is a Positivity Talisman, a talisman that runs on positive energy that can do something only I can do."

"Oh?" Minato perked up.

"I'm gonna need your expertise to the MAX, pops. This is probably gonna be super annoying but I know I want this as my big thing. I want to try and make this while also making it a Maximum Technique."

"Oh, I didn't expect that," Shoko said. "But, in cases like us, I can't imagine it wouldn't be the best way to use it. Especially because your method is based around making positive energy. You'd be pushing that innate skill to a new level, I just wonder what kind of effect you'll gain by doing it."

~NRK~

~Christmas Time : Zenin Estate~

Wearing an orange haori, a yellow long-sleeved top, black sweatpants, and some black shinobi sandals, Naruto walked up to the steps of the Zenin Estate before cresting the last step to see the area quickly covered in slow-falling snow.

"Hmm," he breathed out into the Winter air, white fog slowly slipping up into the sky. 'It's been three years since that day,' Naruto considered with a soft hum, eyes closed as he allowed the world around him to sweep him away for a couple seconds. "Things haven't changed that much but it's like things are coming to a head for no reason."

In two years' time, he'd be going on his trek to find the Vak Vak Tree, hopefully.

'I should probably come back before I have to go in,' normally, one would enter Jujutsu High at 15 but entering at 16 wasn't unheard of. 'If I did that, I'd be entering around the time Maki-chan would,' they'd be second-years together by the time Megumi would join.

Naruto smiled a bit, walking onto the wooden pathways of the estate, steps unbothered by the build-up of slight snow and sleet.

The world welcomed him easily and without issue, this wasn't that hard.

Finding the house of the Zenin Twins had been just as simple, having been there before.

As he made it up to the modest-looking home, the door opened before he was even four meters away.

Ogi Zenin left the home without a word to him or his house, the man's more insulated-looking clothing and scarf enough of an indication he felt the cold.

Naruto shrugged, getting closer to the open door only to find a familiar pair of girls there.

"Sup, Mai-chan, Maki-chan," Naruto grinned as the girls nodded to him.

Maki was wearing a dark green kimono with red spider lilies on it while Mai was in a completely black one with golden leaf motifs on the hem and cuffs, a yellow sash, and a small golden bag.

"We're ready!" Mai grinned as a small shikigami came out of the house and handed the twin sisters scarves and purses.

She was around the size of a large dog at the shoulders, bipedal, and female in form.

The small oni woman was also wearing a pure-black kimono with a floating cloth hovering around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Inazuma-chan," Mai said with a smile as Maki nodded.

"Thanks, Ina," the glasses-wearing twin said as the two tied the warm items around their necks. "Alright, let's go!"

Naruto chuckled but nodded, leading the way out of the Estate without issue.

The shikigami bowed to the trio, her wild white hair with red lightning-like marks shifting as she did.

Making it towards the entrance of the estate, Naruto hummed.

"How's Inazuma-chan holding up? I know it's nice to have more help, huh?" He smiled as Mai blushed before nodding, Maki shrugging.

"Honestly? It was probably a good idea," the glasses-wearer said. "Ina helps with chores and is a decent secret sparring partner."

Naruto hid his frown at that, simply leading the way as he considered the 'Zenin Situation'.

He, sadly, still didn't know the truth of it but he knew it was sexist. Thankfully, nothing crazy like 'aggression' had been forced on them but with Maki's headstrong personality, he feared for the worst.

Still, that wasn't important right now. For now, they had to meet up with the others.

~NRK~

~Harajuku~

Megumi looked around at the crowds of people, wearing a blue haori over a black kimono and his own black ninja sandals. With his sister at his side, wearing a yellow coat over a pink kimono and her own little ninja sandals, the two of them walked alongside Naruto, Mai, and Maki as Satoru and Utahime walked behind them.

Wearing a white haori over some baggy black clothes and dark brown shoes, the man allowed his eyes to 'roam free' while doing his best to not look at Naruto… or Utahime.

He didn't know what was wrong with him but nowadays looking at the older sorcerer made him feel awkward.

Satoru snuck a peek anyway at the smiling woman before grumbling to himself.

Wearing a rather elegant purple kimono with flowing red vines coming up from the bottom with some straw sandals, the woman had released her hair again, put on some light-red lipstick, had a black scarf hanging down the sides of her neck, and had a parasol.

No, you heard him right, Utahime had dressed to the nines and he feared why he noticed so damn much.

"What should we do first?" Utahime asked the group with another smile.

"Hmm, let's get our fortune!" Mai said with an excited look. "Then, we'll go to the main square to see the lights!"

"Maybe we'll get some taiyaki or crepes," Satoru said, crossing his arms. "Oh, right, you're not a fan of those," he added, shooting Utahime as normal of a look as he could.

"No but I can do it for the children," she said with a shrug. "I'm not a fan but I can live with some sweet foods."

"Hmm."

They followed Naruto's nose, the boy leading the way to a stand where they found not just taiyaki but dango, crepes, and honey peanuts.

Satoru chuckled before ordering for the group.

Seconds later, Utahime blinked as they walked down the street, an order of those odd peanuts in her hands, parasol tucked between her armpit and shoulder.

With the kids eating their own set of sweets, she took out one of those roasted honey-crusted nuts and plucked it into her mouth.

'... hmm, they are beer nuts,' odd.

She considered the flavors before noting exactly how much sweetness was actually on them.

"Oh," she perked up as they walked, smiling a bit. "It's not a lot."

"Really?" She heard at her side before a man's long slender fingers plucked a single peanut from her bag.

"H-Hey!"

Satoru grinned before plucking his stolen treat into his mouth. "Mmmm… Oh, that's nice. I don't drink but I can see why that'd be nice."

Utahime huffed before considering his words. "So, even though you're now 21?"

"I could have drank way before this but it'd get in the way of my Infinity," he said, tapping his noggin. "My automatic method needs my brain at its best at all times."

The woman tilted her head at him, considering him. "Is that not straining you?"

"Thankfully, with a constant influx of Reverse Cursed Technique, I can keep my brain eternally fresh and constantly acute."

Utahime looked surprised by that. "Wait, I'd thought-"

"It was the normal skill of my clan's skills, yeah?"

She blushed a bit, looking embarrassed.

Crystal-blue eyes zoomed in without thought. 'Oh, crap! Stop!' His eyes snapped back ahead of him in horror. "Yeah… um, that's my skill at work," he added with a shaking grin.

"I see… despite your age, you really are the best sorcerer our generation will ever produce," Utahime said after some thought, eyes ahead and mouth curved a bit into a smile. "I can give you that much."

He blushed and felt horrified. "Yeah, well, it's sometimes difficult… You know," Satoru added, eyes closed as his face contorted into a somber expression, gaining her attention. "I mean, Special Grade is great, I guess…"

It was odd but Utahime felt no arrogance.

No joy from him, not even a bit of curiosity at the moment.

No, she just knew he felt like it might not have been as great a thing as it could have been.

Her eyes went ahead to the chatting kids. "... Sometimes, I wonder if you being all the way 'up there' does get in the way of how you'd view things," Utahime began as he sighed a bit. "... But it never felt like it, not fully. I always wondered a bit, since you like saying it all the time," Satoru flinched and she smirked at him. "Do you know what 'being weak' means?"

There was silence between them as a pair of fireworks went up, gaining the kids' attention.

"You never seemed to have those moments outside of one case," she smiled as she gestured to Naruto, the boy currently telling his friends the way of 'Christmas'. "Naruto and Kushina kept you grounded, they were the reason you never truly 'took off' if you will."

Satoru knew this to be true amongst all else. "They helped, probably in ways I can't even imagine. When I look at that kid, I can't help but see the future I'm sure will come about," Satoru sighed. "I have all the power in the world, I'm the head of one of the biggest clans, and I pretty much have almost everything I could ever want… yet being with Naruto, talking with him, training with him… Aunty, uncle, you, Yaga-sensei, everyone else," he wore a look that her eyes latched onto.

A look of vulnerability, something that would likely never exist had the man before her not had a specific loved one.

"It feels weird, I get anxious sometimes. I don't know what'll happen to them and that…" The man looked hesitant and concerned.

She wore a somber smile. "You love them immensely, there's nothing wrong with that."

"... I could do without it making me feel like they're hanging on a thread."

"Sometimes, it's just that complicated," Utahime responded. "... I don't really have relatives, you probably didn't know, so it might seem weird coming from me but I think that's the chance you take with relationships."

"I guess you'd get that a lot," she blinked at his words, looking at him in confusion. "You've helped how many students?"

Her eyes widened and she blushed again, the sight colored by fireworks.

He stared dead-on this time and Utahime's cheeks reddened some more before she looked away with an embarrassed expression.

Satoru's chest thundered rapidly.

~NRK~

Naruto raised a brow as they all sat down in a rather full cafe, eyes switching between Utahime and Satoru.

The man looked oddly focused while the woman looked shy and embarrassed.

Mai snickered next to him as Maki blinked.

Tsumiki grinned while Megumi rubbed the back of his head.

'Adulthood's so weird,' the four other kids thought.

Naruto hummed before leaning next to Mai. "How sure are you?"

The girl smirked. "Pretty sure. My senses in this kinda stuff are always right on the money when it comes to dramas," Mai grinned. "In fact, I bet they're gonna go through so many emotional trials!"

"Ugh, sounds hard," Naruto groaned as she giggled some more. "... But, well, nothing worth it is gonna be easy," he ruffled his hair with an embarrassed grin. "That's how these kinds of things are, after all."

Mai drank some water with a blush, eyes going to the blonde next to her while the others stared at her now in disbelief.

Maki shook her head. "This is ridiculous," she whispered to Tsumiki who giggled.

"All's fair in love and war," she grinned mischievously as Maki snorted.

Megumi just tilted his head.

"Girls are weird," he mumbled.

~NRK~

~One Year Later~

Naruto, Mai, Maki, Megumi, and Satoru stood in front of the Kyoto Jujutsu High School.

Wearing their 'training uniforms', the four children looked around with interest.

"Alright," Satoru clapped his hands. "Battle Pals, it's time for you to see your first-ever Jujutsu High Sister Event. Anyone know what this is?"

"It's supposed to be a competition isn't it?" Mai asked as Satoru grinned.

"Correct!"

"It's just an annual contest, isn't it?" Maki asked. "I mean, it's just so we can see who's stronger."

"Basically!" Satoru agreed. "But, still, it's also a way for us to observe the potential of our students. You guys will also probably be meeting some of the other sorcerer families' kids or upcoming students if you're lucky."

Naruto cupped his chin with a hum. "Ya know? I never considered it but I wonder which school I should go to," he said to the group. "Right now, I do live in Kyoto and nee-chan is here."

"You'd betray me?!"

"Eh."

"EH?!"

"W-Why?" Megumi looked pale. "W-We'd fight you?!"

Maki perked up with slowly narrowing eyes. "Yeah, we'd fight you, right?" She began to grin as Mai wheezed.

"C-Come on! Seriously?!" The other twin balked as her sister shrugged. "Naruto wouldn't need to go there! He could fight you in Tokyo!"

"But that's just a spar. When he's willing to win something," Maki grinned. "He's probably a completely different animal!"

Naruto considered her for a moment before grinning.

"Maybe," he said as Mai groaned. "It's not like I won't be able to visit, Mai-chan."

'But you'll be around less due to school and missions,' it'd be longer spouts of time between them hanging out. 'And less time I'll have away from them.'

Things hadn't changed too much with the passing year, her father still despised Maki, her talented cousin got more talented, and Naobito was, as always, a drunk.

… Okay, no, that wasn't true. It was all bullshit.

Maki's continuous, unrepentant, admissions to still wanting to be a sorcerer, her training weights, her weapon that she'd spoken of having but left in Megumi's care for safe keeping… it piled up.

Whether it was her cousin's bullying, their uncle's indifference to it all, and, worst of all, their father's hand…

Needless to say, Maki had only barely been left with almost-broken bones due to two reasons that didn't fail to infuriate their father.

Her enhanced physical sturdiness, this one he heckled as being the only good thing for her to attain in case of 'damage'.

And… not wanting to anger the Gojous. Somehow, some way, Naruto really did help even when he wasn't around but that made her father furious.

A Zenin holding their hand in their personal matters, as he said, because of a Gojou, a CHILD at that, made his anger somehow worse than his beatings.

But Maki would know the most, more often than not taking Mai's own in her stead because she was crazy.

Because Maki was rebellious.

Because Mai was pathetic, dumb, weak-

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie, eyes widening before looking away from Naruto's searching gaze.

She walked on ahead, the two of them at the back of their little group likely due to her own ignorance.

"Mai-chan-" Naruto whispered as he caught up to her quickly.

"Don't," she whispered intently, getting a frown out of him. "I-I'm fine," Mai lied as she grabbed his wrist before pulling him towards the group. "Let's just go," the girl masked her expression.

She couldn't break the promise she'd made to Maki, Naruto was a light in their lives that shouldn't have been marred by the darkness of their clan.

He was too good for that.

~NRK~

They made it towards the school section of the sister campus before finding a familiar woman standing there with a quartet of 'children'.

Utahime smiled at the group even as they stared at her face in disbelief.

The new large bandages around the middle of her face even had Satoru powerwalking over in an instant and staring at it with a frown.

The woman blushed a bit, shooting the group a smile.

She'd changed a bit, losing her former pigtail hairstyle and allowing it to fall down her back with some of it tied around the back of her head.

Wearing a more formal miko outfit compared to her former days with them, the articles still being white and red, there was now a bow at the back of her head and her feet were covered by brown boots.

"Welcome-" She began as Naruto skidded to a stop along with the others.

"What happened?!" The kids asked in disbelief as she blinked and blushed, looking embarrassed and shy. "Sensei?!"

"I-It was just a bit of a bad mission," Utahime tried to explain as Satoru leaned forward a bit, hands in his pockets. "B-Back away. It was just one that required my assistance but ended up outside of my power as some might say…"

He flinched and she didn't look proud of that fact, brushing some strands out the way of her cheek.

"That looks rough, nee-chan," Naruto frowned with crossed arms. "... Still, I guess since everyone's alright…?"

"Yes, we're all fine," she said with a smile. "The cursed spirit will just require someone higher up to handle it."

"So, it's recent?" Megumi asked. "... Sensei?"

"I'm fine, Megumi-kun, I mean it. Instead," Utahime smiled brightly before gesturing to the four curious individuals next to her. "These are some of the children I'll be teaching in the future," she grinned.

Of the four 'children', well… one stood out.

Because this one was basically a giant 'wooden' robot.

[Greetings.] He said, confusing the four visiting students while Satoru cupped his chin before pulling out his phone. [... You are that Gojou I've heard of.]

As stated before, he seemed wooden, having a brown humanoid shell that was around the same height as Satoru, glassy green eyes, and an odd swirl mark on his forehead, this 'child' wore what was basically baggy black pants with no shoes over his brown shell feet, a white rope around his waist, and a large black cloak over its torso.

"This is Mechamaru-kun," Utahime introduced with a smile, seemingly not bothered at all by the fact one of her 'children' was a robot. "His situation is rather unfortunate."

[Please, ma'am, I'd like that to remain confidential.] He said as the teacher nodded politely.

Naruto stared at the now-bowing robot. 'I can feel his cursed energy but…' It was like it was bunched-up in this robot and led off somewhere. 'A long way… that way,' Naruto thought, eyes flicking from Mechamaru into the distance out a window.

The robot's eyes whirled.

~NRK~

"Can he… sense me?" A young boy thought in disbelief within a ton of life-sustaining fluids. "Then, the rumors were true," a completely-bandaged-up form shifted with a hiss as his dark brown eyes narrowed in the enclosed space made up of wires. "He might be able to do it, the one who can use such a grand Reverse Cursed Technique beyond parallel to any known user throughout history."

The boy who'd become the Primal Sage of Heaven.

~NRK~

"Well, nice to meet ya, Mechamaru," Naruto grinned. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki."

"... Megumi Fushigoro," Megumi introduced himself.

"Maki Zenin," Maki followed suit.

"M-Mai Zenin," Mai slowly hid behind the blonde as Mechamaru nodded to each of them. 'There's a ROBOT at the school and nobody's weirded out?!'

"Hmm, pleased to meet you, Mechamaru-kun," Satoru said with a small smile as he closed his phone. "... Utahime, he's a robot, no offense to you," he quickly added as Utahime hummed.

"As I said, he has a worrying condition, still, he's quite the little genius and will be joining Jujutsu High the same year Maki-chan will be," Utahime said. "Next, we'll introduce Miwa-chan."

A girl peeked out from behind Mechamaru. "H-Hi! Miwa Kasumi! At your service!" She declared with a raised hand as Mechamaru chuckled a bit.

She was around the same height as Mai and Maki while sporting light blue hair set in a chin-length haircut, fair skin, and navy blue eyes.

Wearing a blue tracksuit, white sneakers, and some water bottles in a bag, the girl seemed nice if not a bit cute.

"Sup," Naruto greeted back as Utahime smiled. "Hmm," he looked at them all before finding his eyes back on Miwa. "Right, you don't have an innate technique, do you?"

The girl choked while the other three students' heads snapped to the blonde.

"H-How can you tell?!" The other girl of their little group gasped in.

She was shorter than Miwa with short light blonde hair , fair skin, and blue eyes. Wearing a black sundress, black flats, and two earrings on one of her ears, she held a broom in her hands.

"Ah, this is Momo Nishimiya-chan," Utahime said.

"Sup, Momo-"

"Don't hide from the question!"

Naruto blinked before chuckling. "Well, I can tell. My senses can tell me if your cursed energy is more 'complete'," he twitched his fingers. "Or not."

"..." The last member of the Kyoto High students grimaced at him, looking conflicted. "I see," he said.

He was taller than most of the group sans the adults and Mechmaru with a slightly lanky frame, white skin, seemingly perpetually closed eyes, and black hair that was short with two chin-length bangs at the sides of his face.

Wearing a black shitagi, black hakama pants tied at the shins, tabii socks, and zori sandals, he was frowning at the blonde Gojou before sighing.

"Noritoshi Kamo of the Kamo Clan," he introduced himself as his eyelids lifted for black eyes to lock onto Naruto's blue ones. "You're Uzumaki-san," Noritoshi said.

"Yep, glad to be it," Naruto told him without remorse and a raised brow, the older boy grimacing. "I don't care if I'm a Gojou or not so I'd say you should do the same."

"Hmph!" The other boy kissed his teeth. "Utahime-sensei, why did we meet them?" Noritoshi asked, eyes landing on Megumi. 'Outside of him, they're going to be difficult to deal with, especially the blonde.'

Naruto Uzumaki kind of pissed him off with that last comment. Who denied their heritage like he did? His only claim to importance was the Gojou Clan and he ignored it?!

'Yeah, this guy's gonna be fun,' Mai didn't like how this one reacted to Naruto.

She held onto the blonde's hand with narrowed eyes as Naruto wore a look of 'long trials ahead'.

Mechamaru's eyes simply focused on him. 'I'll need to find some time to constantly observe him.'

The cult he'd snuck in on had spoken of a dead sorcerer who gave them a divination about the blonde Gojou's abilities.

Healing abilities beyond parallel were exactly what he needed… but no one spoke of the blonde in high regard. Not one.

If anything, they'd been rather… unkind due to believing he'd failed a mission to bring back one of their Special Grades.

'Honestly, humans can be so…' It made him annoyed.

Who blamed a child for the failure of a mission?! It annoyed him to no end, especially because they acted like he deserved it.

'I need to mind Noritoshi-kun,' the boy was one who thought this way and Mechamaru knew, above all else, that he would likely try to rile the blonde boy up with this fact.

"We were supposed to greet Principal Masamichi but he was busy with family matters," Utahime smiled at that, ignorant to four particular individuals' thoughts. "So, Satoru Gojou was sent in his place."

"Yaga-bro's supposed to come soon, give or take an hour," Naruto told her. "He had to find his usual sitter so he'll be here. He also had to grab some notes and stuff for my shikigami."

"Huh?" Miwa spoke up. "Naruto-san, I thought you didn't have cursed energy… A-At least, that's what people say!" She said quickly, hiding behind Mechamaru's humming form.

[There has been news, Miwa-chan, about Naruto Uzumaki gaining special shikigami due to the help of his former non-sorcerer father.] Naruto raised a brow at Mechamaru. [I usually listen a lot, Naruto-kun, nothing too odd.]

"Well, I guess that'd be obvious," Megumi said as Mechamaru turned to him.

[And you are Megumi Fushigoro. Apologies, I'm just curious, did you not take the name Zenin?]

"I can't take care of my sister like that," Megumi answered without hesitation, Satoru smirking at that. "I know my dad was in it at one point but he wasn't afterward. I don't want to join them, especially because they'd just want my Technique."

"Hmm?" Noritoshi frowned. 'Another one?!' What was wrong with these people?!

His heart wilted for a moment at the boy's reasoning before it regained its steel.

Being from one of the Big Sorcerer Clans was an honor that couldn't be matched! There had to be some reason for his nonsensical answer!

Nortitoshi's eyes snapped to Naruto as Megumi demonstrated the coveted Ten Shadows Technique.

It seemed there was a problematic one amongst the Tokyo Jujutsu High students. One who didn't help matters.

Meanwhile, Momo and Miwa smiled in adoration at the Divine Dogs conjured by Megumi's Technique.

"I recently beat another one," Megumi admitted. "But I can't really use him all that well yet."

"It's fine, that's what we're training for," Maki grinned as Naruto nodded.

[Ah, yes, that ingenious method of yours that we'd heard of.] Mechamaru stated with interest while Noritoshi grimaced. [Many find your relationships odd, especially due to your family's pasts.]

"?" Naruto raised a brow. "What would whatever the hell some guys from a hundred years ago mean to me?" He said. "This kinda stuff is why these people can't work together. If you're gonna let what are essentially ghosts control who you're willing to be friends with, you've got a long way to go before you're a clan head to me."

Twitch.

"Naruto-kun believes in judging people on their merits as individuals first and foremost," Utahime said encouragingly to her most recent students. "It's a more progressive way of thinking."

Momo raised a brow at her fellow blonde. '... Maybe he won't be that bad,' it'd be nice to have more open-minded boys around.

And that Mai girl seemed to like him well enough so Momo felt like they could be good friends.

"He's not wrong, though," Megumi said. "I don't really get it all the time but good people like Naruto, I guess it's usually something good people do," he muttered as Maki smirked a bit, bumping shoulders with the younger Zenin.

"It's a sight better than most oldies," she said as Miwa giggled a bit.

'They truly believe in him,' Mechamaru realized. 'Noritoshi-kun isn't going to take well to this.'

"Alright," Satoru clapped his hands together. 'I'll need to go and handle that cursed spirit quickly,' he thought with more venom than even he was surprised by. "Let's go and move to the observation room-"

"If I may be so bold, Satoru-san," Noritoshi spoke up, eyes cracked open and narrowed. "Before the event, can I ask for a spar with Uzumaki?"

No '-san' or anything? Naruto rolled his shoulders as Mai tightened her grip on his hand. "I mean, if you want a fight," he shrugged as the older boy's eyes narrowed before they closed. "I'm down for anything. It shouldn't be too long of a fight, aniki."

There was another twitch of Noritoshi's brow. 'In time,' he kept his emotions in check and mind focused. "If he asks for such…"

Satoru considered the two boys before shrugging. "Alright," the Gojou head said. "Hime-chan," he called out to the teacher who frowned before nodding.

"We'll use a bit of the forest for the competition," she said.

~NRK~

They found themselves in a small clearing dotted by trees, the ground shifted up and light brown.

Naruto and Noritoshi stood across from one another in the middle of it, the others standing outside of the area while Mechamaru released a small shikigami from within his forearm to view the area.

[Surveillance has been established.] Mechamaru said. [If you have any last-minute hesitations, now would be the time.]

Utahime considered his words, eyes closed before she shook her head. "No, it's fine, we'll continue the match. Boys," she stepped forward as both participants looked at her. "The rules of combat are as such," Utahime looked between them. "All forms of cursed energy reinforcement are allowed along with Jujutsu, Noritoshi-kun can't use his family's Cursed Technique fully so this should be a fair fight."

Noritoshi's eyes narrowed while Naruto nodded, preparing to take his weights off.

"Nope," Satoru said to his cousin who blinked at him. "Keep those on, this has to be a fair fight."

"... Well, I guess," Naruto said, removing his hands off of them under Noritoshi's glare.

"Huh? What's he mean?" Momo asked as Mechamaru cupped his chin.

[Same question.] He proposed to Satoru and the Tokyo High group.

"Oh, well, aniki wears weights," Megumi said as Miwa blinked.

"L-Like in anime!?" She gasped as he blinked before nodding.

"Y-Yeah. Nii-chan's Heavenly Restriction means he has to push his physical skills like Maki-nee-chan."

"O-Oh, right, we heard about that."

~NRK~

"Still," the young boy's eyes blinked. "How long has he been using them? Why did Satoru Gojou declare that this fight would be fair if he kept them on?"

Had the boy attained physical prowess beyond imagination? Was that it?

Or was Naruto Uzumaki more of a monster than he assumed?

~NRK~

Naruto didn't pull out Ryu Bang before crouching a bit, eyes half-lidded.

Noritoshi grimaced at him before holding his hands together in a prayer-like fashion. "Flowing Red Scale," he declared as Naruto's eyes locked onto his changes.

A red splatter mark 'X' formed around his right eye, the boy widening his own stance.

It was perfectly balanced between back and front, Noritoshi's left arm out towards the blond and curled up a bit while his right did the same but more at his side.

"I won't be giving you any quarter just because of your age," he said with narrowed eyes. "I will treat you how you wish to be treated. Whether that ends up your misfortune is all on your own head."

Naruto's eyes gleamed.

---

"I guess we'll go over the different types of techniques in the big clans first," Toji said as Naruto did some push-ups. "Right now, learning about the Gojous is a moot point, Gojou Brat, so we'll talk about the other two. Since the Zenin Clan's sorcery is kinda… annoying to explain out of nowhere, we'll explain Kamo's first."

---

Utahime looked between them before raising her hand.

"The match before Naruto Uzumaki and Noritoshi Kamo… BEGIN!"

Her arm came down.

Noritoshi's eyes narrowed before he shot around the trees of the surrounding area.

'Despite my annoyance, I can't take him lightly,' the older combatant said as his eyes remained on the blond. 'He's traded cursed energy for something,' he just didn't know what that something was.

But he had his own skills to play-

His eyes widened at a presence at his back, one that ravaged his senses for a moment before he blinked.

And the blonde in the middle of their 'arena' vanished.

'?!'

He skidded before swinging around with a backhand at the presence only to hit nothing, his eyes snapping down to see the blonde.

Naruto's head slammed into the center of his chest before sending the older male flying back into a tree.

Noritoshi bounced with a grimace. "Tsk!"

He lunged at the standing blonde before his palm strike met a raised forearm.

The floor cracked a moment later as Noritoshi's eyes widened.

Another loud 'SMACK' rang out as he hit that same tree again, cracking it this time with both his arms raised in defense.

That power was ridiculous-!

He rolled out of the way of the blonde's fist.

Right as it was about to make contact it stopped before the blonde's gaze landed on the blood manipulator.

The Kamo child crossed his arms as the blonde punched out at him again.

And he was sent flying… again.

---

"Huh? How?!" Momo gawked as the blonde boy essentially ragdolled Noritoshi! "What? What did he trade for his Heavenly Restriction?"

"Probably cursed energy," Maki said with a grin, raising her hands to show the weights on them. "Me and Naru over there have used these weights for a while. I know he's used 'em for over twice the time I have."

Miwa's eyes shined in excitement as Mai sighed in relief.

[His strength for his size is still commendable.] Mechamaru said as he looked to Utahime for answers, the woman giggling a bit while Satoru snorted. [You spoke about him before, how did he train to attain such strength?]

"His method to power is a bit different compared to Maki's," Satoru said as the girl-in-question blinked.

"Wait, it is because of his Heavenly Restriction, right?" She asked.

"Yes, it is," Utahime said with a smile. "But just because you both have Heavenly Restrictions doesn't mean they all act the same," she added with a smile thrown Mechamaru's way.

[... Yes, she is correct.] Mechamaru nodded. [No matter what, there are likely always distinctions.] And, of course, Mechamaru knew this in full.

Naruto Uzumaki's powers were aligned with 'positive forces' that most couldn't handle. When the time came, he'd be as valuable as all Special Grades just on that fact alone.

---

Noritoshi grimaced as he sliced at the blonde with a knife hand.

The shorter boy was already ducking low before hooking him in the side.

'Don't falter!' The Kamo child thought with a stifling cough before bringing both his elbows down on the blonde's back.

His reactions proved to be as ridiculous as they'd been before, the boy leaning back and crossing his arms just in time to block his attack.

The blows cracked the floor beneath Naruto's feet but nothing else, the younger male kicking out at Noritoshi's shin and causing him to crumble on one side.

He tackled him, the two going into a roll that ended with a leg-held throw.

The older boy choked on his breath as he went through a tree before hitting the trunk of another and sliding down it, barely landing on his feet… that trembled.

He grunted at the feeling. 'How? Does his Restriction truly give him that much advantage?' Or was that arrogant?

The other boy's reaction speed, strength, actual speed, and martial arts knowledge outstripped his own by a series of magnitudes that the Kamo heir hadn't thought was possible.

Even with Flowing Red Scale, he was barely keeping up, his defenses held somewhat but that was it. He was on the losing end.

'And those weights make this fair?' He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all… but couldn't.

That was a true fact, without those restrictions, he'd have lost long ago.

He took in a few rapid breaths before slowing his blood rate, looking up to see nothing.

Not a hint of his opponent until he heard the rustle of leaves, the breaking of branches, and the steps of dirt.

He looked around, barely seeing the blur that had become Naruto Uzumaki.

He didn't have much at his age, the Kamo hier knew he'd gain more things to his repertoire and skill set in time but, at that very moment, he didn't have much beyond two Techniques.

Flowing Red Scale and a barely controlled Crimson Bindings.

Kamo felt his abdomen area, two large packets of blood sitting within specialized pouches in his attire. 'Can I hit him?' Would that even be enough?

Naruto's body was tough like his own and the other boy's reaction speed… No, he would do it!

As the Kamo Clan hier, he'd not fall here!

He ran about, eyes flicking through the trees to catch the blonde's blurring form.

'Not yet, I need to catch him off guard,' he circled around as he listened in on Naruto's steps. 'Don't get confused!' His skin began to grow flushed before he, too, became a blur.

---

"I-I can't see them," Momo muttered as she looked about with squinted eyes.

"I can't," Megumi shook his head.

"A-A bit," Mai admitted as Miwa nodded.

"T-They're really fast and I thought Kamo-kun's Cursed Technique was super good at enhancing his body," the swordswoman said as she looked before whining. "I-Is this the bar for sorcerers?"

Utahime smiled. "Those with great technique can make it to levels beyond but don't just focus on one aspect, Miwa-chan. The world of Jujutsu has so many different aspects to it that you can mold into your own. I mean, you can use Simple Domain, not everyone can or will get the chance to."

The girl blushed before looking hopeful, Mai raising a brow at her.

"I… Didn't you want to be a sorcerer?" She asked the blue-haired girl.

"I-I do! I, um…" Miwa fumbled a bit. "I just want to know what the differences between sorcerers are… I-I know that Grade 1s make a lot of money! Enough to live in an apartment!"

Maki raised a brow. "What?"

"I wanna make a lot of money!"

"H-Huh?!"

[Miwa-chan's family is poor.] Mechamaru explained as the girl nodded rapidly. [She wants to support her family. It's a noble goal.] He nodded as Miwa blushed before fiddling with her katana's handle.

"It shouldn't be that bad, Miwa-chan," Satoru said with a nod. "Even Grade 2 can support you enough for an apartment," he explained. "Then again, Grade 1 is so much money."

The girl's eyes shined as Utahime rolled her eyes at the man's shenanigans but didn't deny it.

"You can ask Hime-chan, too," he said, getting a blush and mumble out of the woman. "She's Semi-Grade 1 and I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be getting an upgrade soon," Satoru said before cupping his chin. "How long is that supposed to be?" He asked her as she burned a bit.

"S-Shut-up! I just… I'd need to take more missions for that," she admitted. "I like teaching, it just doesn't come with as much potential for job advancement."

"I feel like that's kinda weird," Maki admitted. "I mean, if ya make a student who's Grade 1, wouldn't that mean you got the potential?" She asked.

"Well… I've only really helped produce Semi-Grade 1s," the woman admitted. "I've never helped a student become Grade 1."

"I'm sure Naru-nii will do it," Megumi said with determination as she chuckled a bit. "Then, you can be Grade 1, too."

"Honestly, I do sometimes wonder what it's like for people who'd make Special Grade students," she smirked as Satoru gasped dramatically. "Then again, Yaga-sensei is a principal now, it must work well."

"... I can give ya a soft maybe on that," she sweatdropped. "I mean, that old man did help a bit but I was already the genius you see before you!" Satoru posed as a pair of trees fell. "The man who the heavens grasped at desperately! The Satoru Gojou!"

Utahime's face went flat. "Thank God Naruto isn't like him," she told the children, Mai and Maki smirking at Satoru's depressed state.

Then there was an explosion that landed the result of the match.

---

Moments earlier, Kamo found his opportunity when he felt Naruto's presence on his back.

'I knew you'd do this,' he thought with a neutral expression, pretending to still look ahead of him. 'That's why this is my win!'

He turned on a dime to find the blonde's raised fist in view.

"Crismon Bindings!" Kamo threw the last of his blood packets at the blonde whose eyes widened.

Naruto skipped back with that ridiculous amount of reaction speed like before, Kamo's snake-like blood streams slamming together to miss him… right as the blonde landed by a familiar cracked tree.

'Got you!' Kamo's hands slammed together within one another's grasp.

The blood packet on the floor shot up around the surprised blonde.

"?!"

"I win-!"

"Do you?"

Kamo's eyes snapped open in disbelief.

As he looked at the oni currently within his bindings, the sound of someone's voice emanating from behind him.

"W-What?" How had he done it?!

Had he had the shikigami on him? Was it in the pouches? But, even then, how did he avoid Crimson Bindings?!

"Good game, Noritoshi."

Noritoshi's body trembled before the punch to his back brought him down into the ground.

The floor exploded into a billowing dust cloud, Naruto nodding to the result while looking down at his wrists.

'Are these actually working?' He wondered if he'd just become that strong or if there was more acting below the surface. "... Hmph," Naruto tightened his fists with a nod.

The sounds of approaching steps had him crossing his arms, Sage's form released and returning to his talisman pouch.

"See? Fair," Satoru said with a grin as Mechamaru hummed, his flying camera coming back down and inserting back into his forearm.

'This will be useful information,' if he could figure out more about the boy, he might be able to make a trade of sorts. [You were correct, Noritoshi-kun was outclassed in every fashion save for durability.]

"Hm, hm, hmm~ I wasn't sure how he'd fare, myself, but I know that Naruto's reaction time is literally second-to-none. I can say, amongst all else, unless Nori-kun got really creative, Naruto wouldn't lose. Having him take off his weights would be pointless."

Momo hummed in interest. "Noritoshi-kun is said to be a pretty good sorcerer even now, this is kinda hard to believe," she said as they stopped by the blonde to see the results. "... Ouch."

The blood-user was currently sitting in a crater almost twice his size, the side of his pretty boy face bruised and his clothes in disarray.

Outside of a few cuts on his arm and clothes, Naruto looked absolutely fine.

A truly one-sided affair.

"Time for Gojou-sensei's Masterful Pick-me-up," Satoru said as he walked over to the downed boy and crouched to his level. "A-one, ah-two, and ah-healed."

He pressed a raised finger down on the knocked-out boy's cheek, Mechamaru's eyes whirling in interest.

~NRK~

Watching Satoru heal Noritoshi, he had his robot pick up the still unconscious student before the group was walking back to the school building.

'He's capable of it as well,' and the man didn't look bothered too much to do the move. 'Still, it wouldn't be enough. RegularReverse Cursed Technique isn't good enough,' it had to be the blonde's powers.

He didn't know what it was, likely a component in the blonde's energy would differ from other usages of positive energy. All he knew was that he had to form a plan or deal for the blonde.

~NRK~

Mai nodded to the blonde as she finished putting the bandages on the blonde's arm.

"There," she said. "You should have had Gojou-san do it."

"It's fine, it'd be kinda pointless to make him use energy on a few cuts," Naruto told her as he put back on his uniform. "Thanks, Mai-chan."

The girl blushed a bit but nodded.

Utahime stared in fascination as Momo followed suit with Miwa.

The boys just shook their heads. "I don't get it," they said, Mechamaru included.

Maki just shrugged.

---

An hour later, Masamichi arrived and nodded to the group sitting in the observation room with him and the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High.

The former teacher had changed a decent bit since Geto's betrayal.

Now bearing a powerfully clean-cut goatee and beard, he'd grown out his hair into small spiked-back locks with the sides of his head still shaved with those familiar lines.

With a pair of black shades over his eyes, he'd now wore a black priest's outfit minus the extra robes, the sash around his neck that came down to his waist bearing a powerful white with black scripture written on it.

Sitting down, he was positioned next to the principal of Kyoto High.

Yoshinobu Gakuganji.

He was a moderate-height individual with extremely wrinkled fair skin, eyes impossible to see from the shadows his thick long gray eyebrows cast over them, long ears, and a foot-long gray beard that ended in a sharp tip.

Wearing a white shitagi, dark blue hakama, tabii socks, and zori sandals, the man's hands rested on a wooden cane that helped him around.

Looking at the children, he raised a brow at the sulking Noritoshi in a corner with a smirking Momo next to him.

"It's fine, Nori-kun, it was one-sided," she said with a cheeky grin and the boy slumped further.

"I…" He seemed so defeated, Yoshinobu shook his head.

"What happened?" He asked Utahime and Yaga, ignoring Satoru completely.

"My cuz beat one of your future students," the Gojou interceded anyway, getting an annoyed huff out of Yoshinobu but a curious look regardless.

The old man looked at Naruto, the blonde boy currently sitting up above near the screen at the front of the room with the rest of the Tokyo High children and even half of Kyoto High's own.

The boy seemed to have their avid attention as he pointed to one particular student destroying a curse before making a spinning gesture with his hand.

Seconds later, that same student was blindsided by a raccoon-looking cursed spirit that spun around a tree by its disfigured tail before tackling him to the ground.

The fight still ended in the boy's favor but Naruto's clear understanding of the curse's movement got the principal's attention.

"I wasn't here yet by that time but I can see that happening," Yaga said. "Right now, Naruto's more physically capable than most a year or two above his age range. Possibly even a first-year student."

The older principal blinked. "Like that chatter from years ago, eh? You fully believe in his abilities."

"Yes, Naruto-kun is capable, sir," Utahime smiled. "He's received an array of teachings that he's taken well to."

"Hmm…"

They watched the proceedings of the Kyoto High Goodwill Event with interest.

"Hmm, it's unfortunate Nanamin graduated," Satoru pouted as Utahime smirked. "Ugh, we lost."

"Hmph, it's still only the first day. The second half might prove to Tokyo High's favor," Yaga said with a hum. "Still, we certainly don't have the advantage in curse exorcism speed."

"It's still good to see that all the students are coming into their own," Utahime said. "For now, let's go and have some lunch, yes?"

The entire group got up before taking their leave, Noritoshi muttered some things as he walked next to Naruto.

"Sup? You done?" The blonde asked him as Mai snickered. "Dude, come on, let bygones be bygones," Naruto told the older boy who grimaced before sighing.

"I… How could I lose?" He said, looking at the blonde. "... You've truly taken your body to its current peak but to have advantage in every other ability but defense seems improbable."

"Can't tell ya, my body's just different. Besides, you can literally take your skills up a notch while I've gotta keep training and finding different ways to work on things," Naruto explained. "Also, you could have powered me out, I was expecting to have to worry about blood blades."

"I don't have that kind of control yet. Projectiles are a bit more… troublesome."

"Huh? No, I don't mean that," Naruto said, confusing him. "I mean, like, using that extra blood to coat your arms in blood blades. I wouldn't have been able to block your attacks like that."

Noritoshi's eyes widened and he cupped his chin while Megumi nodded.

"He's right," he said, gaining the older brunette's attention. "I can't do that with Ten Shadows, we tried," Megumi admitted. "I don't have complete control over shadows like you do blood."

"... I didn't consider that, the way my family has used it has always focused on internal enhancements and external long to mid range," Noritoshi said. "None have used it like that… to my knowledge."

"Well, now ya know," Naruto smirked. "Working outside of your comfort zone will work for you, you just need a bit more creativity."

"I thought you didn't like each other," Momo asked curiously, tilting her head.

Noritoshi blushed while Naruto shrugged.

"Eh, I was a bit annoyed but I don't hate 'im. Besides, we got to work out differences. Nothing like a good fist-to-fist to make life easier."

"... What?"

"It's a guy thing."

The girl looked unsure of that as Maki snorted.

"It's kinda fun, though," she said as Momo shot her a flat look.

"Y-You've hung around boys too much! Don't get your cute face punched in!" Momo gasped as Maki smirked while Mai grinned nervously.

"I can heal, my feelings aren't that easy. So, trust me, a good fist fight works wonders."

Momo looked ready to refute it while Miwa looked intrigued.

"Guys are like that in anime all the time, Momo!" The blue-haired girl said as Mechamaru hummed.

[I understand, on some level, that it makes sense.] He said, shocking the broom-wielder.

"Y-You two?! Mechamaru! I expected better of you!" Momo shot him a flat look as he rubbed the back of his head.

[It's kind of a guy thing.]

"I don't want to hear it!"

As the teens got into a debate on 'fist fights saving relationships', Utahime smiled as Satoru smirked.

Yaga nodded to Yoshinobu. "This is another reason why he's so effective,"

~NRK~

As they ate in the cafeteria, Naruto blinked as he felt a presence coming up behind them.

"?" He turned his head to see a girl.

She wore a nervous look and had light brown hair that came down to her chin in slightly choppy locks, light brown eyes, and lightly-tanned skin. Wearing a dress shirt, a black skirt, and brown boots, she had a phone on her hip and a chain on the other.

"Hmm? Ah, Nanako-chan," Utahime smiled at the girl who smiled back before coming over with a nervous expression. "Please, everyone, meet Nanako, she's a girl we picked up recently."

"H-Hey," she said to the group, now standing behind the blonde boy in their midst.

Some manner of greeting was said by most of the group, the girl looking more relaxed before sitting down with them.

"I woke up late, sorry."

"It's no problem," Mai smiled. "Still, you missed out on a lot of things," she grinned as Noritoshi blushed, the boy coughing off to the side.

"?" Nanako blinked, looking intrigued. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing!" Noritoshi said in an instant as Miwa giggled a bit. "I-It's nothing, Nanako-kun. The fact remains, I and Naruto-kun simply had a spar, no more, no less."

Nanako took one look at the blonde boy and then Noritoshi.

"... You won, right?"

"..."

"... Nori-kun, y-you won, right?"

"Nope," Mai said with a little remorse. "Naru-kun clobbered him."

"Basically," Maki said.

"It's true," Megumi agreed.

"Guys, easy on him, I think his spirit's passing on," Naruto said with a sweatdropped at the pure white Noritoshi. "It was just some guy friendship we were working on."

"... Guy friendship?" Nanako looked so confused as Momo pouted.

"You should have been here, we could have made my argument work but everyone else is crazy," she pouted some more.

"... What?"

~NRK~

Nanako snickered as the preteens and teens of the group sat in a dojo, the girl finally having the entire picture.

Noritoshi had immediately offered himself to go away from them and spar with anyone, Megumi taking the offer.

"God, isn't he always so uptight and no-faced?" She asked Momo, who grinned.

"Not this time around, he ain't!" The blonde girl said as they laughed.

Miwa sparred a bit with Maki a bit away, the green-haired girl sporting a wooden spear in her grasp while Miwa handled a wooden sword.

"I-Is it hard for you?" The blue-haired girl asked, concerned as Maki frowned a bit before shrugging.

"Yeah but I'll deal with it. I will become a sorcerer and make 'em eat their words," the Restricted One said.

"I-I guess it's not like me."

"Ain't nothing wrong with your motivations, hell, it's a sight better that other sorcerers care about their families."

"?"

"Don't worry about it, now, fight me!"

With Mai, the girl considered the current situation with a hum.

"Hmm," she hummed. "I wish Tsumiki-chan was here."

"Another girl?" Momo asked with excitement, Mai chuckling a bit.

"Well, she's not really a sorcerer but she knows her stuff! She's Megumi-kun's sister and wants to live a mostly normal life."

"Mostly normal?" Nanako asked.

"She knows all the Jujutsu stuff and how to make shikigami, barriers, Curtains, and talismans."

The two looked surprised. "And she didn't want to be a sorcerer?" Momo pouted as Mai giggled a bit.

"She told us she just wanted to help Naru and Megumi."

"Hmm, I guess that's cool. I feel like she should have stood on her own to be a big female sorcerer, we don't have many of those."

"Huh? Well, I do know some others."

"You do?" Nanako looked surprised, kinda. "Well, I mean, it's not impossible."

"Right, Utahime-sensei said that she had a lot of female sorcerer friends!" Momo grinned. "That's good! I wanna be a sorcerer so I can make the girl side look great!"

Mai could understand that, improving the standing of female sorcerers would be a nice change.

"Yeah…" She said slowly.

"I mean, what about you?" Mai flinched, looking embarrassed. "Mai-chan?"

"She doesn't want to be one," Naruto explained, Momo's jaw dropping as he rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I don't know everything about it but it's what she's told me. Still, we play a lot of the time and I think she's good at reinforcement techniques."

Mai blushed at that, Nanako raising a brow at her.

"Right," she said as Mai burned up and shot her a look of horror, Nanako snickered at her while Momo's expression changed in an instant.

"I-I just don't… Besides, I have m-my own dreams and stuff," Mai burned up, Naruto cupping his chin with that 'infamous' squinty-eyed look. 'Oh no!' Don't! Please don't tell her he was thinking about it!

That was bound to be bad!

"Just ignore it!"

"H-Huh? Wait, why-?" Naruto tried to ask.

"Just do it! Mai demanded as he sweatdropped before shrugging.

"Alright," he dropped it as she pouted. "Sorry?" Naruto tried.

Mai huffed and he slumped.

"Why is understanding girls so hard?"

"We're complicated," Momo said proudly.

Mechamaru's head slowly turned to her with what had to be a look of disbelief. [... Yes… Well.] He considered his words before dropping it.

Females really were a different breed, he supposed.

~NRK~

The night after the day's meetings and events, Nanako sat in her room, looking down at her vanity dresser.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a phone before making the call.

Two rings went by before it was picked up. -Nanako?-

"Geto-nii," she said with a smile.

-What's going on? Did something happen?-

"That Naruto guy is here."

-Hmmm- Geto Suguru made a humming noise. -What for?-

"The Goodwill Event," she explained.

-Oh, I'd forgotten about those- He said with a sheepish chuckle. -He's not… participating is he?- Geto said, sounding like a confused man.

"Nope, just here with some other guys."

-Let me guess, a boy and three girls?-

"Two girls."

-Ah, she's probably really living that normal life despite her affinities- Nanako looked confused. -Don't mind me, just thinking about wasted potential. For now, you should simply do as you and Mimiko are.-

"I don't know, bro, I just… was this really a good idea?" Nanako asked nervously.

-Is… everything fine?-

"I feel like I'm getting anxious, I-I feel a little sick."

-Oh- He said softly. -I know this is hard on you two, especially since you're usually so inseparable. Please, do your best, I'll send over a spirit to give you some pills. Just know, this is important, I love you both-

Nanako nodded, biting her lip. "I-I love you, too, bro. Can you tell Mimiko?"

-Short on time?-

"Yeah, we're having night classes."

-Very well, I promise. Though, I'm sure you'll see her again, you're at sister schools, after all, hm, hm.-

"..." she pouted.

-That bad?-

"Yep, that bad."

~NRK~

Now sitting with the group in the observation room, Nanako observed the others with interest. 'I wonder why bro thinks Naruto is so important,' she looked at the blonde in question.

The boy was currently talking with Megumi Fushigoro about his shikigami, the 'Shadow Boy', as she started calling him in her head, having a rabbit and frog at his sides.

'God, they're so cute!' Yes, the rabbit, too. "M-Mmmm," she struggled to not go down there and hugged the life out of the slimy-looking amphibian.

With Naruto, he nodded to Megumi as the boy explained more of his skill set.

"I can mix them but it takes their combined amount of cursed energy," Megumi explained as he petted the rabbit and toad shikigami with a smile. "I wanted to see if you have any ideas for combinations."

"Rabbit Escape and Divine Dogs," Naruto said in an instant as the Fushigoro boy grinned. "Ah, you're getting it but, yeah, you could make a bunch of one-off but powerful wolf rabbits to charge in and attack. Besides, those two are the least expensive ones in your arsenal."

"Really?" Miwa asked, her phone in her hands and taking numerous pictures of another rabbit shikigami in her midst. "Mmmm! You're so cute!" She squealed.

Maki looked down at the toad by her sitting form, constantly poking the croaking shikigami in its inflating cheek, the spirit not bothered in the least.

"God, you're gonna make whatever wife you get happy," she snickered as Megumi huffed, looking red in the face. "Hah."

Mai hummed at Naruto's side where Sage sat. "Actually, Naru, what about him? Fujin!" She grinned as the blonde blinked before chuckling and removing a talisman, Fujin's Talisman, from his talisman pouch.

"Come on out, Fujin," he called to it, slapping the item on the ground where it glowed.

Seconds later, it puffed out golden smoke before dispelling to reveal a curious spirit that kneeled down by Naruto's side and nudged Toad a bit.

It was a big shikigami, almost the size of an average-height man, especially considering it was supposed to follow Naruto's growth. It bore a pure-white coat with a series of blue marks on its hind-quarters, shoulders, and forehead around a dark blue horn that ended in a short fork of two spikes. Having a dark blue mane with two big glowing 'swirls' of haze by its neck and on its feet, the creature had scales on its cheeks and a nearly impossibly-long tail.

The kirin looked around with its completely blue eyes, the shikigami observing Megumi before nudging the boy's cheek, much to his grin.

"Fujin!" He and Mai cheered as the kirin nodded to them all, looking around and tilting its head at Yoshinobu.

The principal of Kyoto, along with Utahime's students, looked on in interest.

"I was of the opinion that he had no cursed energy," the old man said with interest. "Or is this just a weak shikigami?"

"One's true," Satoru said as he walked on over and pat the kirin on the nape, the dragon-horse neighing a bit in delight. "Naru's pops is a master talisman maker, remember?"

That'd been another thing that changed over time. Minato Namikaze had become a more well-known quality in the schools and Jujutsu world.

The man's genius had neverending interest from many inside and outside of the schools while his relation to his wife and son bore no end of scrutiny.

Many questioned if the blonde wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps while also being surprised in the Gojou woman's ability to handle the talismans and their understanding.

Truly, the Uzumaki family was making a comeback most couldn't even know about.

"Ah, that man."

"Yep. So, he helped out and things ended up like this. The shikigami Naruto has a part in are pretty revolutionary in that it took some of Naru's blood and they gained a perfect quality for him."

Utahime shot the Gojou man a worried look he grinned at.

"A perfect quality?" Yoshinobu raised a brow. "And I don't suppose this is revealed?"

"Nope, under the words of Satoru Gojou, head of the Gojou Clan, this secret will live within only the Uzumaki Clan," Satoru said, confusing Utahime. "Oh, right, you might have been busy but I did some sneaky stuff!"

"Is… is that how we're saying it?" Naruto raised a brow before rolling his eyes at his cousin's thumbs-up. "Well, basically, yeah. In time, there'll likely be a sub-clan in the Gojou Clan," the blonde boy gestured with jazz hands at Satoru.

Utahime looked surprised by this news along with most everyone else.

"What?!" Yoshinobu's eyes peeked out of the darkness of his brows. "What are you doing?"

"Solving some things," Satoru explained. "We need more sorcerer clans that aren't the Big 3. Some that can make new pathways for the Jujutsu world at large. Sure, our head clan is a bit overshadowing, for now, but I'm sure this will lead to better growth and opportunities. Hell, uncle's already getting letters from other sorcerer families and mentors to try and learn under him. It's bound to be interesting."

"Of course, it still needs to be permitted by the higher-ups," Yaga said. "But, even if it's only within the Gojou Family, the boy's parents and he can do some good," he added as Yoshinobu ran his hands down around his beard.

"You approve?"

"I can see quality and potential in my own students."

"Oh? Student-taking before he's even within?" The older principal huffed. "Don't you have 'children'?" Yaga heard the quotation marks in his voice and shrugged. 'You know they still don't trust you,' the old man thought. 'That's also a part of this, likely.'

"Hehehe, we can corner the market on sorcerers," Satoru said with a sly grin as Noritoshi stared at him in disbelief.

'Make a new clan?' Was that even possible? 'Likely not for someone who isn't a clan head and Special Grade…' But… It was an idea.

Noritoshi had ideas about a possible solution to his problems, possibly.

"That sounds crazy!" Miwa said in awe. "I-Is being one of the Big Three hard?" She asked.

"Hehehehe, Miwa-chan, let me tell ya… it absolutely is!" The girl made a shocked sound as Momo sweatdropped. "To be part of the Big Sorcerer Families ain't a joke. Hell, ours only became this way because of being related to the Three Biggest Vengeful Spirits in all of Japan."

"Suguwara no Michizane," Utahime explained, ticking off fingers. "Tairo no Masakado, and, finally, Emperor Sutoku. It's not wrong to say, these three were basically the beginning of their clans."

"That sounds crazy," Megumi said. "I don't think we ever spoke on this," he told Naruto.

"I'm not exactly great at history, Megumi, trust me if I didn't tell you, it's because I didn't even remember," he admitted as he friend nodded. "Besides, we weren't trying to be that big, it'd be kinda crazy to have that happen twice in the Gojou Clan."

"True," Satoru said. "Anyways, Naruto-kun's family is special in technique when it comes to talismans and shikigami related to said talismans and their concept. All things considered, they could really give the world a run for their money. Why, Fujin's the best part!"

The kirin neighed again while Naruto chuckled, patting his cheek.

"Yeah, he is full of hot air," he smirked as Satoru smirked right back. "Ugh, you like him too much," Naruto said to his shikigami kirin. "Fujin's a bit different from Sage in that he's wind-natured," he smiled as the Kyoto group looked confused.

"Wind-natured?" Momo asked Mai who nodded with a look of awe.

"The crazy part is, Naruto's dad somehow made it so its energy comes out purely as wind," she explained as Utahime looked intrigued. "Yeah, I thought it was crazy, too. All I know is, Minato-san said that Fujin's close to an idea he and Naru had."

"It's still in the makings," Naruto nodded. "But it'd be nice to make these guys perfect."

"Hmm… the youth of today are truly odd," Yoshinobu said as Naruto grinned with a waggling eyebrow. "Away from me, if your looks could kill, they'd be trying to scam me."

The boy grinned wider.

~NRK~

~After the Goodwill Event Games~

Mai, Momo, and Miwa grinned as Naruto controlled the astral reins that slipped out of Fujin's neck.

"Let's take this to the sky, boy!" The blonde boy declared as the energy around the kirin's hooves glowed before they ascended as it galloped. "YES! Aerial maneuvers!"

The girls squealed as they moved throughout the sky on a dragon-horse, the others down below watched it all go down.

"H-His father seems… rather amazing," Noritoshi said with a look of awe, Mechamaru nodding.

[Making it so the energy within the shikigami resides in an element. It's quite impressive.] And useful thinking.

~NRK~

"Could I imbue the Mechamarus with an element of use?" The bandaged boy considered with a hum. "I'd need to know his secrets, how could he change the method of energy? How did he do it?"

~NRK~

As Naruto brought Fujin down from the sky, the dragon-horse neighed as their landing happened almost immediately, no need to bleed off moment as gusts of wind shot out from its feel.

"Haha! As I said," Satoru smirked at Yoshinobu's look of intense interest. "Revolutionary."

"Yep, we're gonna get even better at this," Naruto chuckled as he helped the girls off his shikigami. "Sometimes, you just need a new outlook, Yoshi-jiji."

"Hmm?" The old principal raised a brow at that while Utahime grinned just out of sight. "Hmm… I suppose Gojou's words aren't for naught. Your family is likely to make a big name for themselves."

"Thanks!" Naruto said with a grin as Mai giggled from Fujin's side.

She wished these kinds of days could last forever… but she knew better.

Really, it all began to fall down over the passing year.

~NRK~

~Half a Year Later : Zenin Household~

Mai grimaced as she flew back into the wall of the dojo, flopping down next to Maki with a quivering lip.

"I thought you werebetter than her, Mai," Ogi grimaced as he walked towards his downed daughters. "You knew your place, you chose to live life as a woman and yet I find out you've been hanging around that boy. Playing at being a SORCERER."

Mai choked on tears as Maki struggled to her feet, hate in her eyes.

"Every. Time. I give you warnings, I've held my hand, and even bowed my head for you. Do you children not understand what you put your parents through? By being born, you already damned us to inadequacy and the least amount of effort you can put in is impossible?"

"Why were you born?"

The words bit at Mai's heart and had her biting her lip.

"I told you…" Maki growled as she got to her feet, eyes full of rebellion. "This is all me, you old bastard… You got a problem, it's with me."

~NRK~

The twins awoke what had to be hours later, where the nighttime sky fluttered through a large window and allowed them to see each other.

Maki wore a look of failure as Mai covered her eyes with her arms.

'I HATE this place.'

~NRK~

~A Day Later~

When Naruto arrived at the top of the steps to the Zenin Clan home… he knew something was off.

Whether it was the lack of Mai or Maki, the looks some of the random clan members threw his way, or even just the feeling of the place.

Something had gone wrong.

His eyes narrowed at it all, his senses reaching out for the twin sisters.

'?!' His eyes widened before he ran off into the compound, leaping over large stretches of water to other wooden pathways to speed up.

And came face-to-face with Ranta, the Zenin teen grimacing as he caught sight of him.

"Ranta…" Naruto's run slowed to a crawl as Ranta's head fell. "Ranta… What the hell is going on?" The blonde frowned as the brunette grimaced.

"Naruto-kun… it might be for the best that you go home today," Ranta said.

Something set Naruto's senses on 'BULLSHIT'. "Ranta."

"You can't… it's not… they wouldn't want you to see them."

Wouldn't want him to see them? No… Naruto felt like there was a throbbing nerve that was on the 'edge'.

"Why?" The question hung in the air, leaving Ranta quivering.

The world seemed to get whiter and whiter, the black being before him's blazing eyes looking at him with a threat.

"WHAT HAPPENED, RANTA?"

There was silence as the feeling went away and Ranta looked up with ashamed eyes.

"..."

The words that spilled from his lips dropped Naruto's control.

His tail bristled and throbbed as Ranta stared in disbelief and shame.

"..." Naruto didn't say anything to him, walking around the boy and heading towards the location of the twin sisters.

His approach alerted nearly every other Zenin on the pathways, the hidden guards popping up and onto the bridgeway in his path.

Naruto's eyes burned.

~NRK~

Naobito calmly approached the carnage as the guard hurriedly told him everything that was happening.

"S-Sir! We have to-"

"Shh, quiet," the Zenin head said, eyes closed as he opened the doors of his home and walked out to see the result. "... Hmm, Ogi, this will fall on your head," he uttered without emotion.

The bruised, still-breathing, and broken bodies of his clan's guards had the man humming.

When Jinichi arrived, he shook his head, the large man's look of disbelief apparent.

"Come, I know where this is going," the oldest Zenin said.

They powerwalked down the wooden pathways and found an unharmed Ranta sitting on the edge of one part.

The boy looked miserable, eyes dim and expression blank.

"... He went after Ogi-san, Zenin-sama," he told Naobito who nodded before walking past. "I…"

"Hmm," the old man didn't stop to speak with him, simply walking on.

The further he went, the less carnage he found but only due to the fact that they didn't have that many guard members hanging around the residential areas.

Then there was a harsh 'CRACK!' in the air, shouting, growling, and all manner of whimpering.

They stopped at the feeling of pressure fell over them, eyes snapping to the corner of a brick wall to see-

A white beast.

Naobito blinked and found the sight of a bloody but strong Naruto Uzumaki walking away from the direction of Ogi's home.

The boy's shikigami stood behind him, completely untouched by blood or the sight of effort, with familiar twin girls in their care.

"..." The sight of a familiar crystal-like blue eye nearly startled Naobito as he saw them glow. "..."

"... What have you become, hmm?" Naobito asked as Jinichi's eyes widened at the feeling resting on his shoulders. 'So, his Heavenly Restriction… it wasn't just some form of meager limit releasing,' no, the tail, the wilder hair, the darker whisker marks?

No, there was likely a high chance the boy's humanity and HUMAN CURSED ENERGY had been traded for an enhancement that likely went further than the sight before him.

The distortion in the air around the blonde intrigued him but, moments later, Naobito sighed as a familiar man landed at his side with a look of rage plastered on his face… along with a fist-shaped bruise.

The man held a katana Cursed Tool at his hip with white knuckles, eyes burning with a hatred Naobito didn't expect but wasn't surprised by.

"Return my daughters, you animal," Ogi hissed as that being, Naruto Uzumaki, shot him a look that nearly chilled his bones and caused him to snap.

"And if I DON'T?" Naobito perked up at the 'feeling' in the blonde's voice.

A voice that had deepened and yet was filled with an animalistic fury that fit his current appearance.

"Naruto-kun," Naobito began. "... I can see it in those eyes of yours, boy, you're looking for a fight."

"I'm pushing his face into the dirt when I get back," Naruto said without hesitation as the twins' father roared at him.

"RELEASE MY DAUGHTERS, THIS INSTANT!" Ogi shouted at the boy whose eyes flickered with more power. "Or I shall cut you down here and now-"

"Do what?" Naruto whispered. "You're not gonna do shit until I get back here, you scum."

Flames built-up from within Ogi's sheath-

"That's enough," Naobito declared between the two. "Ogi, what in the world have you brought upon our clan?"

"I?!"

"It's not my home this trail of bodies leads to," the older man said simply as Ogi's face scrunched in anger. "It was not I who he wished to deal with."

"Our clan is more important than some boy!" Ogi shouted, faces and eyes peering through windows and screens. "Do not stop me, Naobito-sama, I shall see to it that a repeat of a hundred years doesn't come to pass."

"Those are some big words," came a voice from above, Satoru Gojou landing in their midst. "But, please, continue," he frowned.

"That child is stealing my children!"

Satoru blinked at that, frown deepening at the ends as he turned around-

… Another pressure slowly began to fall over the three Zenin men's shoulders as he turned back around with a neutral expression.

Naobito groaned at this turnout. "... Your cousin wishes to fight my nephew," the Zenin head said as Satoru's gaze went to him. "If so, I don't mind allowing that to take place, Satoru Gojou. Just remember, I can turn my eye to the boy's carnage but not to yours."

The second pressure stopped, Satoru turning around still with that neutral expression. "Make sure to clean your neck for him, Ogi Zenin."

The man walked towards Naruto and nodded-

The boy, his shikigami, and the girls vanished in a blur that crumpled the ground beneath his feet.

"I hope you're aware of what you're doing, Ogi."

The man vanished.

Naobito groaned as Ogi's rage filled the area. 'Just what I needed,' but he wasn't sure if it'd be him that'd be getting the worst of it.

~NRK~

The news had spread like wildfire amongst the Tokyo High campus, the exact details not skimped out on and reaching ears aplenty.

And so most of the blonde's inner circle stood outside of a single door, Naruto's room in the dormitories.

Megumi swallowed as he reached out and slowly turned the door knob-

Only for a heavy feeling to settle over his and everyone else's shoulders.

-Yaga-sensei! Yaga-sensei!- Utahime's voice called out over the phone in the principal's hand, the man grimacing at the feeling pressing down on him. -What happened?!-

Tsumiki swallowed as Megumi's trembling fingers pushed the door open so they could see in.

And see him.

Sitting against a wall, one arm resting on a raised knee, eyes crystal clear, and form nearly just a hazy image, was Naruto Uzumaki.

Laying down, seemingly asleep, in front of him on a pair of futons were Mai and Maki. The last one rounding up the room was Satoru who sat on the opposite wall Naruto had, both knees pulled up and arms hanging off their tops.

"N-Nii-chan?" Megumi swallowed as he stepped into the room.

The pressure nearly pushed him to his knees before it released almost entirely.

"..."

Megumi blinked, wiping his cheek of sweat that'd built up before looking at the still intense blonde.

"It's probably best to not disturb him, Megumi," Satoru said simply, the group turning to him.

-Satoru… What happened?- Utahime asked with a concerned voice. -W-What's this I hear about Naruto attacking the Zenin Clan?!-

"... It's what it sounds like," Satoru said, getting a choke out of her.

~NRK~

Utahime paled as the students around her flinched.

"He what?!" Momo froze as Miwa swallowed in horror. "What?! Why?!"

-... Likely because of the state he found Mai and Maki in-

The group froze at Satoru's words, Utahime the most as her pupils shrank.

[... Concerning.] Mechamaru said. 'Very much so.'

Meeting with Naruto Uzumaki had given the long-range robot a good idea of the kind of person he was.

'Buddha' was the word that came to mind, a peace-loving individual who sought joy for many and himself.

Not to say he was a pure pacifist, he certainly wasn't, but that put him into context. Someone who could fight well but chose to not make every argument into a domain of combat but more words.

Yes, Naruto was very much like Buddha in that regard… so, what the hell had happened to the twin sisters for him to, from what they'd been told, destroy the Kukuru Unit of the Zenin Clan?

~NRK~

Satoru simply told the story of what he knew and not everything.

"Hurried as soon as I felt the large amount of random cursed energy usage before finding him like that," the Gojou head explained. "Naobito'll probably send Ranta to inform him of the time of his fight."

Megumi wheezed along with Tsumiki.

Yaga grimaced while Mei Mei's eyes had never been colder.

The last two members of their group wore looks of apathy and concern.

Shoko had worn the former, eyes narrowed, while the latter had been worn by none other than a recent Grade 1 Sorcerer of theirs.

Kento Nanami.

He was a tall man, even beating out Satoru's tall frame, with fair skin, an angular face, dirty blonde hair in a neat haircut, and small brown eyes. Wearing a cream-colored suit, a blue dress shirt, a yellow tie, and black dress shoes, he adjusted his circular glasses with a grimace.

He walked into the room before standing before Naruto.

The man didn't do anything more than sit at the blonde's side.

"It'd be hard to not tell what you're feeling," the businessman-looking sorcerer said. "It's not wrong to feel rage or wrath… but do not let it overtake you. A mind of rage is one wrought with weakness that will be taken advantage of."

The intensity of the blonde's stare vanished behind his eyelids but his bristling tail remained, his position hadn't changed, his demeanor had only shifted.

When those eyes opened again, 'normal' blue orbs stared at the group with what had to be an apologetic gaze but one blink later had the blonde's stare on the Zenin twins returning.

"... You always were good at that, Nanami," Satoru said with a smile that quickly left as something pinged off his senses.

"Ranta," Naruto called out and the blonde's voice nearly startled the group again, a familiar young man coming into view, a letter in his hands. "..." He simply held out his hand.

The Zenin teen came over quickly before handing the item to the blonde, sitting in seiza on his other side in wait.

Naruto's tail came around and undid the latch, alarming Ranta still, before the blonde read the contents of the message.

"... Tell Naobito I'm coming for his brother tonight," Naruto said simply, eyes closed as he dropped the letter in front of the older boy's knees.

Ranta nodded somberly, picking up the letter and folding it gently before getting up-

"Ranta," the teen flinched as he looked at Naruto to find a calm blue eye peering at him. "I don't blame you," Naruto said simply, startling the Zenin boy whose head fell. "But I'm not happy with your family right now."

"... I understand."

The teen took his leave as Naruto took in a deep breath that seemed to take something from the room.

Then he breathed out and something 'else' filled the 'empty space'.

'... He just…' Satoru's eyes widened behind his blindfold as he watched what the blonde had just done. 'He filtered the cursed energy in the room and released what I can assume is positive energy…'

"Nii-chan!" Came a voice form Yaga's back, a cloth carrier allowing a small black and white figure to jump out. "You got scary!"

Panda said as he hurried over before sitting in front of the sighing, but smiling, Naruto.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly happy with someone, Panda-kun," Naruto said simply, patting the bear's head. "So, at the moment, I'm kinda in the middle of something. I'll play with you tomorrow."

The panda bear, cursed corpse puppet, nodded, Nanami blinking at the bear and then Naruto.

"... I see," he said, like it made sense. "Your relationships are… varied."

Naruto cracked a small smile at that, getting up before turning to a window.

"Sorry for the trouble, everyone, but I need to be ready for this."

He disappeared out a window, leaving a room full of concerned and sighing people.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Panda asked with floppy ears, Nanami sighing a bit before patting the bear.

"He should be," he said. "Children shouldn't be dealing with such complex things… but I believe he understands where his emotions, wants, and truths stand. He will stand before you once more."

Panda nodded as Satoru smiled before rubbing the back of his head.

~NRK~

~Midnight : Field in the mountains around Tokyo Jujutsu High~

It'd been a large field of grass and white lilies that sat on the side of a mountain trail, the large stone structure's walls sitting on one side with a cliff on the other.

Naruto landed like a ghost, the moon high in the sky and shining a light down on himself, Ogi, Naobito, Satoru & the others including the blonde's parents, and, last but not least, the Zenin twins.

The looks of shame on their faces could have sparked his anger all over again but he knew better.

He would know better, Naruto didn't think he'd need to be reminded so often of who he was and how he should be acting but he was glad he had people around him to give him those bits of advice.

Wearing a familiar pair of clothes to when he'd first met the Zenin clan, the boy hadn't kept the wrappings around his left eye, his gaze intense with just that fact alone.

Ogi hadn't changed his attire at all for the occasion, the man simply unsheathing his Cursed Tool in preparation as Naruto removed his weights.

The heavy thuds of each one indicated a fight of nearly equal-in-physical-strength individuals.

"Hmm?" Naobito blinked and stared at the tail behind Naruto. "... this fight occurring beneath the full moon will shine as penance for the loser. There is no time limit, no limitations, nor calls for outside help. I won't stop this fight until one fighter is either unconscious or not breathing."

"U-Uncle!" Mai choked as Maki grimaced. "T-This is-!"

"That's enough, Mai," Naobito said as she flinched. "They are the ones who agreed to this. Naruto-boya was even the one who instigated, I shall not have you marring their decision."

Mai clenched her fists at that as Maki stared at Naruto before blinking in alarm at the monkey tail around his waist.

'What?' She stared in disbelief even as the wind picked up a bit, the boy removing his staff from his back and elongating it. 'When did he-'

"BEGIN-!"

There was a 'BANG!' before Naobito could even finish, Naruto's staff end slamming into the raised blade of Ogi.

The man flung the boy off with a grimace, form covering itself in visible cursed energy before he lunged at the boy like a bullet.

Naruto landed before throwing his body into the air, dodging a painful-looking slice that carved into the ground.

He took aim with his staff.

The weapon's tip extended out and slammed into Ogi's raised guard, the man's form skidding back before he tilted his weapon.

Sparks flew as he turned his block into a parry before he ran along the extended Cursed Tool's length.

Naruto landed and returned Ryu Bang back to normal, leaning back from a slashing katana, kicking up at Ogi's wrist.

The blow rocked the man's bones. 'Such strength in a child?!' His grip held tight, blade coming around to slice past Naruto's nogging, the boy ducking out of the way before jumping back.

'He held onto it,' as much as it pained him to admit it, Ogi was clearly a warrior.

His eyes narrowed before he shot into a blur that surrounded the older man with raising leaves.

The swordsman's form glowed as he crouched low.

"Falling Blossom Emotion."

The man's form became enshrouded by a calm-looking energy film that shined white, his hand on his blade handle.

The raising leaves slowly encroached on him before his Simple Domain flickered at a presence.

His blade swung out, a trail of flames sprouting behind it.

The swing was strong enough to dispel the leaf tornado, his weapon biting into flesh-

A crack rang out before he was sent flying.

Sage's golden-liquid-spilling hands released their hold on Ogi's blade as Naruto landed from his dropkick.

The Zenin grit his teeth before righting himself and digging his feet into the ground.

Their eyes met and the blonde and brunette met in the middle.

---

The crash-bang-clang rocked his eardrums and had Megumi covering his sensitive hearing organs.

"O-Ow!" He grimaced, Tsumiki, Mai, and Momo doing the same. "T-That hurts! How is nii-chan dealing with it?!"

The blonde in question shot up over a thrust of Ogi's blade before coming down at the man's wrist with his weapon.

The older combatant's grip on his blade went slack as he just let go, kicking out at the aerial boy only for his blow to be stopped by Sage's crossed arms and then grab.

Naruto landed on the Zenin's grabbed limb before dropkicking the man away once more, Sage pulling his hammer off his back while Naruto landed.

The two gave chase before the air filled with dodges and heavy blows, Ogi regaining his blade sometime during the exchanges and filled the air with 'twangs' and 'schwings'.

"You get used to it, Megumi-kun," Minato said with a frown, eyes narrowed and watching Ogi's every move. 'You old bastard,' it made the man furious to think the other father would beat his own children for such misogynistic reasons.

Kushina wasn't much better, the woman's glowing hair was all the indication anyone needed to know, depending on a specific outcome, she'd be charging up on a Zenin.

Damn the consequences all to hell.

Utahime grimaced as she gripped her hands tightly. 'How could he… What is he thinking?!' It made her angry.

How could the man beat his children for such selfish, disgusting, reasons?! Were they not his blood?

---

Naruto's staff slammed into a katana before it was circumvented with a mere twirl of the sword, the boy's shikigami appearing at Ogi's side before backhanding at the man's chest.

The Zenin stepped in low and towards the blonde who twirled his staff in time to locked their weapons together.

Ogi pressed down before jutting the weapon out.

Naruto's head dodged each thrust before he kicked up at the man's chest.

He wheezed, giving the blonde enough time to roll away as Sage came down on the Zenin Clan member with a glowing-black hammer.

Sage connected and the eruption of dust and grass had Naruto jumping back more, the boy recalling the shikigami the moment he did, just in case.

Just in time as a whistling sound cut through the smoke and rubble, dispelling it.

"Tch," Ogi grimaced, rolling his shoulders with a bit of a hiss. 'No real damage and my Simple Domain even reacted in time…'

That shikigami was trouble, the amount of strength it had leaving Ogi at a disadvantage due to its size.

Even worse, the blonde was somehow strong enough to match up to his reinforcement and Simple Domain. The fact the boy's blows could parry his was worrying, the fact he could react was even more concerning.

'I'm losing ground like this,' would he have have to use his own Cursed Technique? Against a child? 'No… he's a monster.'

The earlier events hadn't left him, the image of a raging ape burned into his mind… along with that ape's image overlapping with another's.

A similar raging man with just as much animalistic terror to imbue in the Zenin Clan.

He grit his teeth at the memory before holding his sword above his head in both hands.

Naruto watched the weapon blaze with energy that quickly changed into flames.

'I can't bring out Fujin for this,' the kirin was fast, make no mistake, likely enough to bother even Ogi but the man's Simple Domain made him concerned for its life. 'Sage's hands are already cut.'

The wounds had stopped bleeding but Naruto had never seen carves into his shikigami's flesh before. He didn't know if this was because of the oni gaining more life or if the man's attacks were that potent.

Best to think it was the latter.

He shifted his weapon's form into that of a hammer… before giving it to Sage.

---

"That's dangerous," Yaga frowned as Kuroi held their human son in her arms. "He's right in that Sage's existence is very tentative in this situation but he's putting his own body at risk to Ogi's flames."

Panda looked concerned, not even his father's hand calming him.

"He's going to go in as pure offense, I think," Riko looked at Ogi's glowing form. 'Simple Domain.'

She didn't understand the concept in practice but knew what it did.

It was like a force field that protected against Domain Expansions and their Sure-Hit abilities… but it could do more than that.

It could be customized to do more with cursed energy and its effects.

"The Falling Blossom Emotion is supposed to be a reactive Simple Domain," Maki told them. "It's meant to attack whatever comes into contact with it."

"I see," Minato frowned. 'Naruto can dodge it but it's Sage who's most in danger,' and he knew his son.

That'd be a downside when it came to be.

---

Naobito raised a brow at the other side of the match. 'That's an odd choice,' he knew it'd likely be something that blonde was going to work well with but he was still just confused about this entire move. "What is it?"

---

Boy and shikigami circled the Zenin swordsman, Ogi's eyes narrowing as he held his stance.

Then he turned on a dime, gaze on the approaching Sage and hands coming down.

The oni spirit dodged the slash of flames that burnt the ground by him before he swung around with his hammer.

Ogi ducked under it before slashing at the teen oni's abdomen only to stumble and miss.

A kick to his shin had made him falter to the side before his Simple Domain activated.

Naruto leaned back barely in time to watch the energy-coated blade slice through some of his hair. 'It's faster!' He flipped to the side before Ogi was skipping back from Sage's continuous swings.

The spirit handled the weapon well, dangerously so, and left the man grimacing as he slipped in and out of the barrage of smashes before finding his opening.

It was still a childish spirit, one without much height, reach, nor speed.

So, he deactivated his technique before widening his stance, a circle of flames spinning around his feet.

Sage had already been mid-swing when his move struck.

Golden and red blood spilled as Ogi grimaced.

Naruto and Sage rolled backwards, Ryu Bang hitting the ground a moment after they did.

"Naruto?!" Kushina's shout had Naruto grimacing before he got up.

With a cut down his arm and one down the middle of Sage's chest, the only reason the spirit was still alive was due to the boy's interference.

Ogi frowned but readied his blade. "This is your last moment of reprieve, I shan't hold my blade after this. Surrender, boy, you and your foolish actions might be forgiven."

"Blow it out your hole, you old biddy," Naruto said and Ogi's face grew cold and uncaring. "I ain't losing," he added as he shot Sage a look before the blonde dispelled the shikigami to his talisman pouch, removing something else from it.

A roll of bandages covered in white ink scripture on its black surface.

When Naruto finished wrapping his palms to his elbow, he pulled out Fujin's Talisman and slapped it on the side.

The white ink glowed blue.

---

"What?" Utahime blinked before Minato nodded. "I see, more talisman work."

"There would be moments where Naruto can't make use of a shikigami. Whether it's because he's in the public eye, captured, or if it's even too dangerous for them. Fire is Fujin's weakness so he can't use him normally… but like this, he can."

"It's supposed to give him more close-range abilities," Satoru said as Mai grimaced while Nanami nodded.

"I understand the concept," the man said as Satoru blinked before making an 'Ahhh' sound.

"Oh, you're the one they fashioned it after."

"... Perhaps."

Kushina nodded with narrowed eyes.

---

Naruto tapped his fists together, the flow of light blue wind visible to the naked eye.

Ogi simply reactivated Falling Blossom Emotion.

The blonde widened his stance-

He was already in the man's face, an explosion of wind following behind him.

Ogi swung and the blonde floated around the slash impossibly.

"What-?!" A fist to his chin sent the man flying as the man landed.

Ogi crashed into the mountain wall with a grunt. 'He's faster?!' His eyes narrowed as the boy appeared in front of him again. "Hmph!"

The man's Simple Domain expanded before Naruto's eyes narrowed.

What followed was a series of exchanges that seemed nearly impossible for the blonde to react to but he kept pace.

Whether it was him using the back of his fist against the back of Ogi's blade.

Barely when the man's blade was caught in his hands.

Or even when the blonde's fist alone repelled it.

They kept going. Stomping feet crossed for the nth time as their owners clashed.

"How?!" Ogi growled as he swept his weapon across the blonde's chest, the boy's form skirting around him in an instant, wisps of blue energy licking off his heels.

Naruto's fist found the middle of Ogi's back before the man's Simple Domain reacted.

Blood flew as his backward swing sprouted a flaming arc that the blonde hadn't expected.

He still escaped out of the glowing circle around the old swordsman but Ogi slowly approached regardless, confidence renewed.

Naruto grimaced, rubbing his thumb over the cut on his chest. 'He closed it at the same time,' convenient but that didn't change the current situation. 'Falling Blossom Emotion gives him the reaction time to keep up with me,' and the blonde had forgotten and thought he'd have the speed advantage.

That was clearly wrong.

---

Mai paled as Maki grimaced.

"This is bad," they said to the others who either frowned or looked worried.

Shoko considered the situation at hand. 'There has to be something,' hadn't the blonde and his shikigami landed more than enough blows to lower Ogi's capabilities? '... There's something off,' how had Ogi shrugged off such blows like they were nothing? 'Did he make a Binding Vow with himself?'

That was possible but for what? Binding Vows were powerful instruments of cursed energy but one couldn't just make one that did everything.

"Yeah, it is," Satoru whispered to her as her eyes narrowed. "It's a Binding Vow that enhances his cursed energy when fighting a Gojou."

Shoko choked, eyes wide. "... Of course…"

The man was using the rules of their world to his utmost.

"So, what did he give up in exchange?"

"Likely usage of cursed energy for maybe a month?"

That'd be detrimental.

---

Naobito huffed. 'You gave up a month's worth of cursed energy for this boy and yet you haven't beat him,' he honestly wondered where his brother's pathetic nature ended.

For the amount of effort he put into this, the Binding Vow, the usage of his Cursed Technique, and the deployment of his Simple Domain, he hadn't beaten Naruto.

It either said a lot about the boy or the opposite about his brother.

Speaking of Naruto, the boy's previous move made no sense to him.

Why did he save the shikigami? Why did he release it?

What was that liquid that spilled from the talisman spirit's body? Had that been some kind of preserve? Embalming fluid? Transfigured blood?

The Zenin head just knew he'd have more questions than he could fathom after this.

---

They fought time and time again, the two combatants coming to blows easily over cycles.

And, throughout, neither faltered even if they both should have.

Ogi grimaced. 'After all this time, all this effort, how is he STANDING?!'

The man had maybe a bruise here or there but otherwise was completely fine.

Naruto, not so much.

The cut on his cheek, the large one on his chest, the one on his arm from when he foolishly saved a shikigami, and more small ones decorated the boy's form like patterns.

Yet, he kept coming after him with those eyes of distaste and disappointment. A child! To him on how he raised his daughters!

The Zenin man was losing control of his temper.

Naruto, meanwhile, knew he was losing ground.

'I'm breaking down his cursed energy but it's still too high,' he'd known what the man had done long before he'd even originally arrived.

The sheer amount of cursed energy he'd gained in under eight hours was too large to be some secret method. It'd likely been because of a Binding Vow.

'You just keep on piling on why you're a bastard,' who went this far to prove they were allowed to beat their children? "... Phew, you're a piece of work, old man."

Ogi grit his teeth but didn't respond.

'His reinforcement's failing,' the man's cursed energy kept spasm sporadically instead of staying in that neat flow sorcerers of his caliber should have had. 'I just need to keep on bringing on the damage,' he could keep going.

Even now, his body was numbing the pain all on its own.

He'd either beat him without it or he'd be gaining his first Technique, tonight.

Naruto's tail smoothed out as he focused inward.

'Make him waste his energy,' the blonde thought, eyes closed. 'Focus on it.'

He felt it all. The man's angered energy and the flow of it.

When Ogi approached with a stab, the blonde tilted around it.

A slash was ducked before he slid out from between the man's legs.

The 'back slash', as he called it, was parried.

'Don't engage, just continue to waste his energy!' Make him angry!

Make the man weaken himself.

Ogi grimaced as each swing of his sword was dodged, parried, or 'feinted against' by the boy.

'He's trying to rile me up,' he realized almost immediately as he stepped back from an exchange. "Your plan won't work, boy."

"It's been working before, you're really not good at it," Naruto said without hesitation as Ogi's knuckles grew white. "I gave you chances, you fossil, every time, you seemed to fail it."

Ogi felt his rage grow.

He lunged with measured steps before slashing across at the dodging blonde… before flames coated the tip of his blade and allowed it to ascend faster than before.

The blonde's eyebrow furrowed before he jumped back but not unharmed.

When he landed, his cut-up top allowed the fresh blood to come through, gaining Ogi's satisfaction.

"Hmph."

"What? Actually do something important for once?"

There was a silence as Naruto stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, the moon throwing a shadow over his now-open eyes.

"Outside of actually having Mai-chan and Maki-chan, when was the last time you did any good?"

"Y-You insolent child!"

"I'm just pointing out the obvious, you old crow," Naruto said with rolling shoulders. "You could have been an amazing person but you're not. You could have been someone important but you're not."

Each sentence raised the man's hackles as his cursed energy flared out.

Naruto shot the man with a pitying look.

"What a sad existence-"

He floated out of the way of a trailing slash whose damage shot out and climbed up the mountain wall.

"One more word out of you-" Ogi warned.

"And you'll what? Miss?" Naruto baited.

A raging blaze shot up around the man before he lunged at the preteen.

Each scorching slash was dodged to Naruto's fullest. 'I guess I should have… expected this!' Naruto thought as he slipped down before shooting back into a crouch. 'His flames can expand.'

"Courage of Wrath," the man uttered as he walked towards Naruto, the flames coming from his blade beginning to rage about the field of grass and flowers. 'I'll ensure the Gojou Clan can even grovel at my feet for doing their work for them,' Ogi thought as Naruto frowned.

'I'm not gonna be able to dodge this without getting hurt,' Naruto thought before widening his stance, arms at his sides. 'He's using everything to attack me right now. I just need to outlast this.'

The air around his feet distorted.

'I won't lose,' Naruto thought with narrowed eyes. 'Megumi.'

Something 'sparked' within him.

'Tsumiki.'

It happened again.

'Maki…' His eyes went to the grimacing girl in question.

His body filled with a lightness he couldn't possibly describe.

'Mai, I've got people to protect,' Naruto thought with a grin as Ogi's glare reached him.

'It' sparked brightly and fully, alarming the man as his advance stopped in alarm at the sight of 'it'.

Naruto's eyes closed in a full-blown grin, the boy standing up to his full height with a cheeky look.

"Hey, old man, did you know that Heavenly Restrictions are pretty different?" Naruto offered the man as he frowned. "Yep, yep, like, I know… I knew three people who had one, you're probably familiar with two of them."

---

Satoru stood up straight with a laugh as the others blinked at him.

"Oh, good, it finally hit," Riko said in relief as the other processed her words before balking.

All of them save for the kids.

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Miwa asked, looking concerned. "I mean, Naruto-kun looks like he's barely surviving."

"Likely for only a couple more moments," Minato said with a proud smile as Noritoshi blinked in confusion. "He's explaining it, you'll understand."

"Like with Cursed Techniques, most Heavenly Restrictions are, in fact, different."

---

"What are you speaking of, boy?" Ogi got out with a frown. 'What's going on with him?!' What was with that symbol in his left eye?!

"It's just, duh, all aspects of Jujutsu kinda tie in one another," Naruto said with a smile. "Like I was saying, I knew three people. One is Mechamaru over there," the robot on the sidelines flinched.

[H-How can you tell?!]

"The feeling of your soul, basically," Naruto shrugged as the robot choked again. "Then, there's Maki & Mai, I know how that sounds but, yeah, their souls are linked and they both have a Heavenly Restriction."

---

The girls in question stared at him in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Maki asked in disbelief. "Mai's normal… Right?"

"Nope," Naruto said. "I told Mai-chan this once but you guys being twins is considered an 'omen' by those dumb old guys is because you guys are, together, a single soul. The reason Maki still has cursed energy but can't do even the basic stuff is because Mai has them. The reason Mai has a Technique like she does is because that's what was originally traded. You girls, as one person, were supposed to have that 'defective' Technique," he twitched his fingers.

They stared at him in alarm as he nodded.

"I mean, I have to guess that's the case."

"I…" Mai considered his words, looking down at her hands. 'It did always bother me why I even had such a Cursed Technique…' And the more she thought about it.

"Get rid of the energy in the body that allows it to be enhanced," Naobito said as he walked over with his chin in his hand as he observed his nieces. "... I suppose it makes sense… Go on, boy, I know where your last point is going."

---

Naruto grinned at that before nodding. "Then, since we're getting there, then there's Toji Zenin who kinda activated my Heavenly Restriction when he cut me down. It was a sad time, if I'd gained it faster, perhaps I could have stopped a lot of things. Riko Amanai getting shot, my cousin going through death along with his friends… my master's, Toji Zenin's, death, all of it."

Those in the know were surprised that he'd admit to it while those not in the know… well.

"What?!" Mai, Ogi, Maki, and most of the Kyoto side balked.

Minato and Yaga shot Naobito a look that the man shrugged at.

"I figured it out from our last little philosophy session about Megumi-boya," Megumi perked up at the Zenin head's words.

'H-Hold on! He was the student of the Sorcerer Killer?' Mechamaru's glass eyes whirled in disbelief. 'Then, why hasn't he utterly dismantled Ogi Zenin?'

Maybe that wasn't fair, the boy was just that still, a boy. Meanwhile, the man was an avid practitioner of sorcery and had experience that Naruto didn't; along with a well-trained body.

The fact the blonde had lasted this long was more surprising than the otherwise.

"Hmm, I wonder where this is going," Naobito said, turning the group's attention back on…? "..." The man stared, form freezing a bit along with the others.

At stark white hair.

---

Ogi's eyes widened to impossible levels as Naruto hummed, looking up and grabbing a few of his glowing locks.

"Well, I guess this is because it built-up too much," the boy said with a tone that reminded the man of earlier. "I'm gonna get rid of a lot of this extra energy, you old fart," the boy grinned-

And the mountain wall crumpled, Naruto landing in front of the destruction with crossed arms, form glowing a powerful white.

Satoru's gaze snapped to him along with Minato, Naobito, and Mechamaru. "That's some speed-"

And then the boy's shins exploded into red blood.

"What the fuck?!"

"..."

In an instant, they healed like nothing had happened with hisses of steam, startling the boy's mother.

"N-Naru-kun?!" She called out to him.

The boy rubbed the back of his head as the rubble shifted.

"Well, it's not like my body's able to handle all this power, you guys," Naruto told them with a shaky grin and curling pure-white tail. "Um, sorry…"

He felt it before he heard it.

And Naruto batted aside the trailing flaming attack, eyes on the rubble still before it broke to reveal Ogi.

---

"Well… I guess that solves that," Shoko said with a blink before cupping her chin. "If he's right, that's power that's built up over, what, six and a half years?" She offered, recovered like it was nothing.

"Why is he glowing?" Miwa asked with a swirly-eyed expression. "D-Do people like Naruto-kun glow? Does his cousin?! His mother?!"

Kushina blinked before sweatdropping. "O-Ohh, a-ahehe," he giggled nervously as Minato shot her an amused smile, the woman's hair doing as her son had. "That is from me… sorry," Kushina said with an apologetic grin.

Satoru snickered. "Oh, so our 'glow' runs in the family."

"It seems so."

---

Ogi grimaced at the boy, his confidence waning. 'This…' What was this?

Was the boy not defective like Maki? Or had his ridiculous words from before held weight?

"No matter," Ogi uttered as he widened his stance once more, Simple Domain expanding to contain the entire field. "I shall end this fight here and now."

Naruto considered his words before taking one step.

And a field of powerfully green grass spread out beneath Ogi's feet, the man startled and jumping back to the wall once more.

"What?!"

"Wow, that's gonna take some getting used to," Naruto sweatdropped. "Well, I fixed all your damage. Surrender, old man, all things considered, hurting you won't solve anything."

Ogi stared at him like he was insane and looked so offended he could kill.

His weapon was engulfed in a blaze so strong, it lit up the top of the mountain.

"One cut, boy," the man sheathed his blade, flames spilling out and into it before they went from orange to white to blue. "No matter your power, no matter your strength, I will down you in a single stroke."

Naruto considered the man with a frown before sighing, holding out a hand at his side.

And then a tower of white energy shot into the sky, the nearly fathomless amount that cleared the clouds and allowed the moon's light to shine down on them fully.

Then the tower swirled into a single point, all that power shifting into one held-back arm while Naruto raised his other hand.

"Yellow."

---

Satoru covered his blindfold from the glowing mandala amulet that formed in Naruto's other hand.

"AHHH! Stop doing that!" He held his face even as Shoko whistled long and proud.

"Damn, so that's where all your power went, Kushina-san," the younger woman said as the mother of 1 considered her words. "And that item is…" Shoko looked intrigued.

"... You know, Naruto's birth is starting to make a lot more sense," Kushina said with a bit of a chuckle. "Knock 'em down, boy!"

"Should we really be sayin that?" Minato sweatdropped. "Break his legs!" He joined in without remorse.

Megumi sweatdropped as Maki grinned viciously.

Mai just looked awed and relieved, the 'fluffier'-haired twin staring at her friend… her crush with adoration.

---

Ogi grimaced before coiling in everything.

His body, his muscles, and what was left of his cursed energy.

Everything balled into a single powerful point-

The boy swung.

And the top of the mountain was gone in a single wave of a limb.

Ogi's hair fell out of its ponytail, the extra light shining over his back shadowing his horror expertly, a waterfall of sweat falling from his brow.

The man's weapon fell from his grasp as he hit his knees, Naruto coming over with a very mangled arm that hissed rapidly, replacing skin, mending muscle, and fixing bone quickly and easily but leaving the limb looking fidgety.

"That's gonna be for when I'm older," Naruto said flatly, body back to normal as he finally stood in front of Ogi. "I don't like using force if I can't help it, Ogi," the back-to-blonde boy said. "What you did to your daughters was shitty. You chose that, they're your children and you chose that," Naruto whispered.

"..."

The boy closed his eyes as Ogi's lips moved.

"I lost everything… I wasn't the clan head because of them. I demanded less respect because of them. I was demoted in the eyes of my clan because of them… What was I to do?" The man whispered.

"Be a better person, not for your clan to decide but yourself and your family you gave rise to."

The man's head fell, shoulders slackened, as Naruto sighed before twitching his fingers, Naobito and the others coming over seconds later.

"This fight's over," the blonde said to the Zenin head who nodded with a curious look at the boy's left eye.

The golden mandala within it had him curious but the one floating above the boy's left hand was more significant.

"And that is?" The old man asked with a look of interest as Naruto lifted that hand to see the floating amulet. "I was of the opinion your Restriction took energy, not gave it back in years."

"What's going on-what is that?" Riko began to say only to blink as she and the others made it in time to see the odd accessory. "That's the thing," she realized as Kuroi sweatdropped.

"Very adept of you, Riko," the woman said as her adopted daughter chuckled nervously.

"Look, for now, my body is killing me… well, mostly my arm is," Naruto said, showing the twitchy but fully healed limb. "Dad was right, it released my limits but, like, even beyond that."

"We'll look at it in the medical bay," Shoko said with a hum at the limb. 'There's likely a lot to learn about Naruto's powers with this.'

Naruto nodded before slowly moving the stiff limb into his sleeves, nodding to the others.

"Let's go."

~NRK~

Maki and Mai had chosen to not return to their clan's estate for the next… maybe three days if they could get away with it.

So, they also sat in the observation hall as Naruto laid on a gurney in front of Satoru, Shoko, Minato, Kushina, and Mechamaru, surprisingly.

Though, his reasoning made sense.

[I have sensors for different occasions, thermal, visual, x-ray, energy, and more.]

So, the five were currently dealing with Naruto within the examination room.

---

"Hmm, Mechamaru-kun, how would you compare Naruto-kun to, possibly, your past examinations of people with cursed energy?" Shoko asked him. "Ah, in the sense of seeing pathways. You won't see his energy due to a big factor."

[I'm confused why you'd state that.] Mechamaru said as he crossed his arms but his eyes glowed. [But, yes, I can. His pathways are a bit thinner and they flow from his core, right below his chest but a bit above the stomach.] He questioned how long they'd keep going before revealing this.

With Naruto's light show from before, there was literally no possible way for this NOT to get out. The boy's life would likely take a flip-turn in the morning or the day after.

"How is it?" Minato asked, the man setting up a series of talismans around his son's gurney. "I guess you didn't expect this to happen, huh?" He asked in amusement as Naruto sweatdropped.

"Nope. Though, I think I get what the penalty was," Naruto said. "It was basically half-done when I forced the Blessed Technique to activate."

'That's what he calls it,' Mechamaru considered.

"So, maybe it made it so it lasted the same percentage of years?"

"Seems about right," Kushina smiled a bit sadly. "Life for you might take a sharp turn after this, Naru-kun."

"Yeah, well, we knew this was coming," the blonde boy said.

"I know, it just feels different."

---

"What are they talking about?" Megumi wondered as the rest of the group hummed.

The adults looked between one another before nodding. "This may be a bit hard to understand," Yaga said as Panda sat on his head.

"Nii-chan's alright?" The baby panda asked and the man nodded. "... Alright."

The group explained the situation with Naruto, his awakening during the mission with the Star Plasma Vessel, a bit of info on that part of the mission, and the current situation.

By the end of it, the entire pack of kids balked.

"T-That sounds stupid!" Momo squealed. "W-Who just gets positive energy?!"

Mai, meanwhile, gasped. "I… W-When we first met, Naruto did say something like this…" She realized as Maki blinked while Utahime nodded.

"This is what he meant," the teacher smiled as the girl mumbled. "He honestly didn't hide it from everyone that well but the fact the secret lasted until it actually happened was just good fortune."

Mai could see that, Naruto was always open with them, with her. She knew he and Maki weren't the same because he said as much.

She was just reeling a bit.

"So, he didn't have super strength but got, like, growth multipliers?" Maki asked with a finger on her chin. "Hmm, it's honestly still weird," she said. "And now he has that yellow thing."

Speaking of said object, it currently sat in Riko's hands, the girl humming at it.

"..." She messed with it a bit, rubbing the tails, tracing her fingers through the different color rings, and just observing it. "I didn't know his powers could 'come off' if you get my drift."

"It's not something that really happens," Kento explained, adjusting his glasses with a curious look at it. "You said his power would reflect Gojou-san's, yes?"

"It should be the absolute reversal," Utahime explained. "The thing is, we only know so much from learning, observation, Satoru, and Riko. Had the latter two not had a sense for this, we'd be a lot less knowledgeable."

Most of the other children just looked awed, shocked, or confused.

Miwa was in the last category, eyes blank. "Huh?"

Noritoshi, meanwhile, was in the second. '... What would this mean for him?' The boy didn't know but, in a way?

Naruto had likely just become like himself and Megumi. He now held a powerful unique Technique and skill set that, if biology allowed, would start a new line of sorcerers.

Another clan like they'd pre-empted just for the sake of privacy…

Momo just seemed taken aback, looking both awed and curious.

'I wonder what he'll do now,' she considered.

This was kinda 'big' BIG. Naruto was so unique of a sorcerer no other could literally match up to it, now.

She didn't envy the immediate future for him, though. Momo understood politics more than even Noritoshi did at times.

Naruto was in for some rough questioning-

"I just got here!" Came the shout of a woman who burst into the hall.

"H-Huh?!" Momo balked at her while Megumi blinked.

"Yuki-san?" The Ten Shadows-user said in surprise, the others shooting him looks of confusion. "Oh, um… well, she's the third Special Grade Sorcerer."

"WHAT?!" Most of the group balked save for most of the adults.

"Y-Yeah, we met her a while back."

"Yep, yep, it's sad what happened recently," Yuki shot them all a small smile, dressed as she had been years ago. "But let's move onto other things! Like the Golden Boy!"

"Oh, right! You guys said Naruto was being pursued?!" Mai said in horror as her twin sister blinked before grimacing. "We have to stop them!"

"Hmm, I already dealt with that," Yuki waved her off with a grin. "This nee-chan can handle some pretty tough customers."

"Hmm?" Satoru made a confused sound, leaning his forehead on the glass. "Yuki Tsukumo, what the hell are you here? What? Finally decide to take a mission?"

"Stop bullying her," Naruto sweatdropped from his position. "Sup, Yuki-nee."

"Ugh! The duality of youth!" The woman looked ready to cry. "Naruto-kun, I can figure out most of what just happened and I have an idea for you," she winked.

~NRK~

Bright and early in the morning, Yuki grinned with her biker jacket and helmet on.

Standing at 'that outpost' once more, she grinned as Naruto said goodbye to his family and friends.

Wearing a new black cloak, orange pants, and a chainmail shirt, the boy had on some blue ninja sandals and a large burlap sack at his feet.

"I guess this is the start of my journey for that tree," Naruto said as he ruffled Megumi's hair before patting Tsumiki on the shoulder. "Good luck with my cousin, he's a known troublemaker," he said as the three of them hugged it out.

"Hehe~" Satoru grinned without remorse as Utahime hummed with a shrug.

"He is," she said with a smile. "You'll do well, I'm sure, Naruto-kun. Just be sure to send letters to your parents, we'll all eventually hear of them."

"Of course," Naruto said. "Letters are gonna be all I can send to you guys," he rubbed the back of his head, his phone in his room back in the dormitory.

The idea was pretty obvious but the notion was to just go on his 'tree journey' now instead of waiting to be grilled by the higher-ups.

"A month before your birthday, honestly," Minato smiled as he pat his son on the shoulder. "You'll become something great one day even away from these eyes."

Kneeling down, the Uzumaki family hugged before the parents pat their son on the back, pulling away with grins aplenty.

"God, it's like I'm seeing him off to college," Kushina whined, hugging her boy some more as he grinned nervously.

"T-That's great, mom, but you can let go!" Naruto wheezed as his friends snickered. "No! My credibility! It's all down the drain, now!"

The woman smirked as she put him down and he shot her the most suspicious look he could.

Which wasn't a lot but he tried.

"Honestly, you're gonna have this old lady feeling so guilty."

"... I'm not falling for that."

Satoru snickered. "Just don't forget, the first years start in April. Your first-year should be 2016 since you're basically two years older than Megumi."

"I'll start the year after that," Maki said. "So, you'll be a third-year student by the time Megumi's in," she smirked. "Won't stop me, though."

"Glad you're happy with my age," Naruto said as they knocked wrists. "I hope this doesn't turn into some crazy quest, I'm serious," he added flatly as Maki shot him a hum.

"... I don't envy your future… a little."

"Thanks, Maki-chan, you're a gem."

The girl smirked once more before pushing Mai forward with Momo, much to the girl's protest.

"Y-You guys?!" She nearly shrieked as Utahime smiled before raising her phone discreetly. "S-Stupid…" Mai muttered before turning to face the grinning Naruto. "... ugh," she blushed.

She hugged him tightly, cheeks puffed out.

"I'm gonna miss ya, ya lug."

"I thought I was a blonde, shows what I know-"

"You're ruining it, stop."

"Sorry!" Naruto said quickly, hugging her back a good bit. "Okay, so, like, when I come back, don't throw a knife or something at me-that's not an idea, Maki."

The other twin shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Your sister's going to kill me."

"... Yeah," Mai sweatdropped as the blonde boy paled. "Yeah," she just pat him on the back. "Good luck with that."

"Not helping!"

Mei Mei came forward with a grin before leading a young boy to the blonde as she crouched.

"Hmm! Say goodbye to Naruto-kun, Ui-Ui!" The woman squealed as her little brother huffed before nodding to the older male.

He walked over before patting the older boy on the back thrice. "I'll take care of sister. I'm equipped with all the necessary mannerisms," Ui-Ui said as Naruto chuckled before ruffling his hair.

"Good luck, your sister's gonna cry for some reason after I'm gone. I get worried," Naruto said as Ui-Ui nodded with a determined expression. "Alright, Nori, Mechs, Momo, Miwa, see you guys on the flip side of a couple years."

"Later!" Miwa gave a big wave with a grin as Mechamaru shot the blonde a smaller one.

[Take care, ensure your training flourishes well.] The robot said.

~NRK~

"For, in time, I know we'll have some kind of working relationship," the boy in the machine smiled a bit. "Naruto-kun."

~NRK~

The blonde boy grinned.

"Don't cause trouble for Mai," Momo whispered as she and Maki came back in close and leaned in. "Who knows what kinda bombshell she'll become when you're gone."

"What-?"

"Yeah, you gotta be sensitive," Maki grinned, looking more like she just wanted some fun before he left. "Who knows how many boys she'll turn down."

"Why is-"

"Take these words to heart, Naruto-kun."

"Y-Yeah, t-to heart."

The sagely Momo and barely controlling herself Maki left him with pats on the back.

"Why are they hard to understand now?! I thought this came later!" The blonde paled as Noritoshi walked up to him and nodded.

"It's as you say, feminine wiles will never be understood," the usually stoic boy said with a look of sympathy.

"My God, Nori, I never knew the day would come where we're in agreement on something."

"I'm surprised, myself."

The women sweatdropped at the handshaking boys while the men nodded.

"It's exactly as it sounds," they said.

Of course, the men would side with the boys.

"Alright, that should be all, yeah?" Yuki grinned as Naruto nodded, grabbing his bag before throwing it into the side compartment and getting on. "Alright, ladies, gents, boys & girls! It's time for this show to get on the road!"

The motorcycle revved up before Naruto grinned one last time.

He threw them the biggest thumbs-up.

"I'll be back!"

~NRK~

And so, four chapters in, we're approaching the BIG timeskip.

I'm not sure when I'll get back to this but I'm sure I will, one day. Hell, I'm not sure if I should run with Naruto coming back when Maki's in her first year or if he should enter before that.

For now, I've been glad to have you guys.

Ciao.

~NRK Out~