Don't Fuck with the White Mage (Jujutsu Kaisen - Utahime Iori SI Chapter 10)
"Five years. If you can hold on for that long, there's nothing they can do."
Iori Kazuo thought back to those words, and for just a little bit, wondered if his daughter was underestimating herself, or maybe under promising what she can do.
The Zenin Clan didn't take Kazuo and the Iori Clan's refusal of their marriage request to Utahime too kindly. Mostly because they had offered their heir as her husband-to-be. Kazuo met the little shit once. A function he had to go to as a Clan Head, even if it was a minor clan, and while Naoya was of course a talented Sorcerer and maybe even a good Clan Head in the future, that didn't mean he would be good husband or father.
Actually, given what he heard about Ogi and his twin daughters, and how the Zenin Clan in general venerated Sorcery, they treated those without Cursed Energy or of lesser talent, as less than human.
Kazuo sighed from thinking about this. The Big Three Families were a great bulwark against Cursed Spirits, but they were not places one should wish to live in.
Already the Iori Clan began to feel a pressure from the Zenin Clan as they would ask from some of their Sorcerers (what few there were) to head on missions with their Zenin members as back-up. An obvious ploy to kill what little Sorcerers the Iori had, as a warning for their disrespect. Or ask for some of the Iori members to be wedded to theirs, likely a way to use the disposable Zenin members, and taken over the Iori Clan in a few generations by blood.
They obviously wouldn't take over the Iori Clan's duties of supervising the sacred sites of Kyoto, so likely they would make them another Zenin branch family.
Yeah, fuck that! ...I shouldn't pick up words from my daughter. Asuka wouldn't let me hear the end of it, if I said such things out loud. He chuckled in a huff.
While the strategy of saying how unworthy they are of the Zenin Clan attention, or how their members wouldn't help but hinder the Zenin member in their missions, was a sting to Kazuo's pride, humiliating the Iori Clan like that was better than if his clan were bled and taken apart piece by piece.
Already what funding the Iori Clan gets to look after the sacred sites, be it for cleaning, to hiring other Sorcerers to renew the barriers of those places, was lowered. The Zenin Clan already took back their portion (what little they bothered to remember to add) of the funding the Big Three Families usually handed out to the minor families to keep their operations going.
The Iori were blamed for this. A bit of political pressure applied to them to placate the Zenin so everyone else wouldn't suffer.
For now Kazuo felt they can hold on. They can even help out other minor clans if need be. Thankfully the Gojo and Kamo didn't care about the Zenin's drama, and thus this retaliation for the Iori's "slight" wasn't as damaging as it could have been.
The Iori Clan Head couldn't help but feel a bit guilty that his daughter's financial efforts, were at times, literally the only thing keeping them going.
It is sometime considered a burden to have a genius born to a minor Jujutsu Clan, because it means that clan doesn't have the resources to support them.
Or worse, it means attention form the bigger clans. For some clans who valued Sorcery over human life, this would be seen as a blessing. But the Iori were only a Sorcerer Clan on a technicality. Because of their duty and history than anything else, not because they produced Sorcerers.
Thus this attention Utahime brought due to her talent was a burden.
Yet beyond that, his daughter was nothing but a blessing. She had always fulfilled what duties or expectation her parents had of her. Nay, she would go above and beyond them. She didn't only support the clan, but held herself as a part of it, not letting her talent distance her from others.
A child blessed by the heavens, yet choosing to be human, could Kazuo have asked for a better daughter?
No, there wasn't. His Hime-chan was the best!
Although he had at times wondered where she got her rough way of speaking from. He's pretty sure she didn't grow up with delinquents around.
Kazuo definitely knew where she got her temper from. Of course he'd never say that to his dear Asuka's face.
Honestly for all his wife acts proper, when she let her emotions get to her, she would shout and scream. Like when Hime-chan finally got her first victory against Lord Gakuganji, she whooped and punched the air in jubilation.
Often times Kazuo feared if he had placed too much pressure on his daughter. If maybe he burdened her with too much, and she internalized that she needed to do more, train more, provide more than what she could. He worried he might have cursed his Utahime with responsibility from when she was but a child.
"Hime-chan, you don't need to train that hard. You know that, right? Your mother and I are more than proud of your efforts, but we also don't want you to burn yourself out for our sake." He remembered once telling her, when they were alone enjoying some tea on the porch, watching the garden one night.
Utahime didn't say anything for a long while, just looking at her cup, before looking at the moon with eyes that seem to see beyond it.
"I don't want my children to grow up in a world with Cursed Spirits."
It was a childish notion. A naïve one. How many people, how many parents wished for the same thing? Those who ventured out as Jujutsu Sorcerers hoping they can change the world to be free of Curses for good.
Yet... it's almost as if Utahime's powers were made for that specific purpose.
Kazuo didn't say anything then. He didn't want to burden (curse) her with such task. Yet looking at her determined face, that spark in her eyes as she faces the world, in his heart he couldn't help but believe in her.
With her talent and growth from her hard work, he couldn't help but think in a few years she would reach a Special Grade Sorcerer status.
She might just elevate the Iori Clan to a higher status just from her existence alone.
He frowned at that thought. He had planned to have Utahime take the position of Clan Head after her graduation. But if the Clan does end up elevated to a Major Clan status, that would be a lot of benefits, true, but also a lot of headache inducing responsibility. He'd have to make sure Hime-chan is ready for that position then, and try to remove as much of the pressure she will likely face beforehand.
Regardless, changing the world isn't a duty he wished upon his daughter.
Thus on the day after she fulfilled her Binding Vow against Gakuganji Yoshinobu, as Kazuo and his wife, stood at their house's door to wave Utahime off on her mission, he couldn't help but say:
"Hime." Kazuo spoke, making Utahime pause to head out to Kyoto High to meet her team. She looked back to see his content smile. "Come back safely, we'll have some yaki soba and steak ready for when you return." Kazuo said, as those were her favorite dishes.
"Oh!" Asuka looked surprised, but didn't oppose in indulging in some salt heavy food this once. "I think we got some A5 wagyu beef recently. Alright, we'll go all out today, dear, Hime-chan."
"Wait, you did?!" Kazuo asked shocked. When the hell did she have the time? Who did she kill to get that?
"Wait, you did?!" Utahime was drooling.
"Yes, so be sure to come back quickly, Hime-chan. Those steaks are only gonna be available today. I guess everyone else and the kids will have a very memorable dinner tonight if you miss it." Azuka said with a sly, closed-eyes smile.
"THOSE SPECIAL GRADES ARE FUCKING DEAD!" Utahime shouted.
As Hime-chan dashed away, kicking the ground so hard, she left a dust cloud in her place.
Go Hime-chan, go! Kazuo smiled.
Azuka held his arm, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. The future was turbulent but for now, all was right in the world.
"Honey, where did you get that kind of wagyu beef?"
"The Gojo Clan sent it as an apology for whatever problems a certain rumor may have caused."
"Ah."
"They also not so subtly hinted they also wanted a marriage interview for Hime."
"...I see."
"Fuck indeed."
"Honey!" Kazuo said in shock.
"It's not my fault. Hime-chan is a bad influence." His wife pouted.
"Asuka." He said pointedly.
"What do you say we give Hime-chan a sibling?"
Iori Kazuo was left speechless.
"What?" I blinked at what Mana said.
All members of the Kyoto Jujutsu High members, staff and students, were gathered ready to head to the Urasato Village.
We were going to the airport, meet up with Tokyo High, then take a domestic flight on a private plane, before air-dropping onto the location. Yeah, we're trying to get there as fast as possible.
Of course Principal Gakuganji and some of the staff will stay behind, since the school's location is also pretty important, and needed protection. Leaving it defenseless would be stupid.
"I'm sorry, Utahime-senpai, but as the Zenin Clan is calling on all members for this mission, I'll have to join in with them. I can't be a part of the team for this time." Mana said bowing.
"One, don't bow it's fine, but," I waved her off. "Why's the Zenin Clan moving for this mission? Yeah, I know it's an 'all hands on deck' situation, but I figured they'd only send a few members, not everything they have." I said.
"It's because of what the Seekers of the Ten did." Mei Mei spoke up.
"You mean create those Special Grade Curses?" I raised an eyebrow.
"More than that," Mei Mei shook her head. "The Seekers of the Ten believe in the 'Ten Treasure Gods' whom they believe inspired the legend of the Ten Sacred Treasures."
"Okay, so?" I asked.
"So," Mana answered. "The Zenin Clan's prized technique the 'Ten Shadows Technique' is suppose to be the actual Ten Sacred Treasures. Thus the cult's gods are seen as a direct insult to the Zenin Clan. The Curses their actions created are like a defilement of the Zenin's symbol itself."
"Ah. Thus the intense retaliation." I crossed my arms. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about back-up for this mission." I said. "You're going to be okay?" I asked Mana.
"Yes, Utahime-senpai!" She grinned earnestly. "I'm more than ready to fight. I'll show that all your efforts on me these past months weren't for nothing!" Mana then chuckled bashfully. "Although I'm likely gonna be regulated to a support role. Hehe."
"Stop putting yourself down like that." I smiled at her. "Just be safe and don't do anything stupid. Kick ass, but make sure to come back alive."
"Yes, senpai!" Mana saluted.
Mei Mei and I waved her off as she left to join her clan, who had their own modes of transportation. Likely their own plane too.
"So, biggest mission yet. Are you going to start using your Domain more freely, or keep it hidden because its 'not ready'? Mei Mei blatantly asked with a sly smile.
"Noticed that, huh? How long?" I asked.
"Always, it seemed like the smart move when they asked you to exorcise Sukuna's fingers." Mei Mei chuckled. "Are you going to do it when they ask again.
I frowned as I looked up to the morning sky in thought.
"After graduation, I'll start dealing with that. I should be ready to deal with the fallout by then." I decided.
"You think there would be a fall out?" Mei Mei raised an eyebrow.
"It's Sukuna. Given everything we know about him, it would be stupid not to expect to." I sighed. "If we had all twenty fingers sealed up then I wouldn't worry, since I could just go ahead and exorcise them all at once. But we only have four, and I have a feeling that once those are dealt with, the rest will go to ground, and something else will come up from that."
Mei Mei sighed. "You really are too much of a goody-two shoe, carrying the world on your shoulders like that." She shook her head. "But I guess you wouldn't be Utahime otherwise."
"I don't do that." I said skeptically.
"When was the last time you spent any of your money on yourself, and not just add it to your clan's coffers?" Mei Mei asked.
"Uuumm..." I gave it some thought before snapping my fingers. "I went to the cinema a few days ago. Then I went to a high class restaurant for lunch." There, see! I do spend time on myself.
Mei Mei sent me a pitying look. Wait, why?
"Utahime, that restaurant is just an average franchise, their place just looks nice. High class restaurant needs reservations, not you just going on your own whenever you want. Unless you are on talking terms with the owner. And as for cinema as your free time fun? Well, I'll applauded you for being frugal if nothing else."
Her words felt like a strike in my chest. I mean, I'm not a miser or anything, but it's not like I know how high society spending or whatever. I'm glad with my comfort food, comfort time wasters, and comfort spending.
"Anyways, enough about how I spend my free time, for this mission, I want you to help me stock up on some weapons." I 'skillfully' deflected the topic. "Can you get me a number of weapons in an hour?"
"Do you have that list on you?" Mei Mei asked. I handed her a list I wrote up this morning upon hearing about the mission. Mei Mei read through it slowly, but by the time she reached the end, her eyebrow rose to her hair line. "Utahime..." she said slowly. "I'm not sure what image do you have of me, but do you think I'm an arms race dealer?"
"Errrr..." Crap, was of that stuff too much? Maybe asking for anything beyond a machine gun was too much?
"Some of this stuff I can get now, but the rest? It's gonna take more than an hour. Especially for the minigun."
"So you can do it!" I really shouldn't be shocked. But I'm still shocked!
Mei Mei! How deep are your connections!? Seriously who are you in contact with? You're still in high school!
