Chapter 12

Meanwhile…

"Seriously dad, can't you talk to him about it?"

"He REEKS!"

Toji was getting an earful from the kids, apparently they have been complaining about Hoshi and how much he is smelling up the house. He noticed the pungent smell too, but thought someone had a hell of a bowel movement in the bathroom. But apparently, that's not the case. It's his youngest that's stinking up the place.

"I'll speak with him, speaking of Hoshi, where is he?"

It didn't take Toji long to find him. His son has been with Mochi more often than not, yet when he saw them, he found his son getting a little too close to her. "HEY!" he called out.

Hoshi instantly backed off and gave his father his full attention. "Yeah dad?" he asked.

"We need to talk, Mochi, mind if I borrow my kid?"

She nodded and told Hoshi she will meet up with him later. When she was out of sight, he turned to his son who appeared rather bitter. "What? I am not doing anything wrong!" he protested.

Toji looked over his son's face, but noticed something. "You got some lumps on your head there… mind explaining that?"

He froze and felt his head, Hoshi jumped as he felt the bumps. "What…"

"Your horns are coming in aren't they? Shit, how are yours coming in before mine!" he demanded.

His son was at a loss as he kept feeling his forehead. "Why is this happening?"

Toji didn't know, and yet, someone lingering behind him did. He turned and saw Tiamat smiling as she approached. "Tiamat… do you know about this?" he asked of her.

She peered and smiled. "Indeed, our son is becoming a respectful young dragon. His time with Mochi might have sped things up a little…" she said offhandedly.

"Mom?"

"It happens sometimes. When a young dragon is around the opposite sex, and depending on how they feel about them, it sometimes jumpstarts the maturity process…" she explained. "Fortunately, you won't be going to Ether alone soon enough, I have a feeling your father will be joining you…"

"Huh?" came out of Toji. "Look, Tiamat, I haven't even gotten a lump on my head for horns, what makes you think I'm going to join him?" he demanded.

Tiamat became rather serious. "It's because of Megumi." She said. "Toji, I am going to have to interfere."

He froze to this, Megumi hasn't said much of anything lately, he has looked normal for the time being and yet now… "What is happening to him?"

She was silent on the matter, either she didn't want to say it out loud or she herself is not completely aware as to what is happening either. But the fact is, Megumi still has yet to adjust. "Toji, it's been a few years… what should have taken a few weeks to adjust and yet… Megumi is not much better. I fear he has gotten worst." She explained.

He was all ears as she told him he had a mock battle recently between Sota and his brothers. He couldn't summon a single shikigami to his aid. This was serious. "He knows his power, but the fact it isn't coming through…" he said offhandedly.

"I think it's more than that, but I can't be certain. Toji, I have to interfere, for the sake of Megumi." She said gently.

He was at a loss, at the same time, Toji didn't know what he COULD do to help his son, so, he merely nodded to her in understanding. "Okay, whatever you need to do, I'll support you." He said.

Tiamat nodded. "I already had a talk with your late wife on the matter, she wanted me to have your permission to continue, I already got it from her…" she sighed aloud to this. "It's sad that I have to interfere, at the same time, your son has a good heart. But not so good of a mind at times."

"Tell me about it…" Toji muttered.

"So… do I still have to go to Ether?"

Toji jumped, he nearly forgot Hoshi was still lingering about.

Tiamat smiled to him and nodded. "Soon enough, for now you can go back and see Mochi…"

"Actually, I think we need to have Hoshi stay elsewhere for a while, his siblings are complaining that he smells." Toji said and snickered.

Hoshi froze to this and smelt himself. He didn't detect any lingering scents but sighed. "Where do I go then? No doubt everyone with a strong sense of smell is going to know that the stink is coming from me!" he protested.

Toji however, smirked. "I got a place…"

#

"You want me to what?!"

"Keep an eye on my kid. He's going to stay here for a while just until we work some stuff out…" He does what he does best. Dropping his kid off on someone else and making it their problem! Hoshi was stunned that he was brought out of the domain and to the old family estate of his father. Those of heavenly restrictions had been calling this place home.

"Well… fine since you're asking… besides it's gotten quite around here…"

Toji peered about and noticed the lack of students. "Where did they go?"

"Hell if I know, I don't give a shit about the monkeys." He snapped back. "All I know is that some had gone to that school in Kyoto, they have been on assignment from them. Those who have stayed behind are keeping tabs as to where the others are sent to ensure that this new council is who they claim to be…"

"And?" Hoshi asked.

"And what?"

"Are they?" Toji questioned.

"I told you before, I don't give a damn about the monkeys." He said bluntly. "What becomes of them is on them. I am merely here to hold down the land of our clan!" he protested.

"He seems nice…" Hoshi said sarcastically.

Toji smirked. "Well kid, either way, we will have you hang out here for a while until you… settle." Toji explained.

Hoshi peered about, but his eyes came on to an empty lot on the land. "Can I build my own place?" he asked.

"Go nuts."

"HEY!" Naoya protested.

"What?!" Toji snapped back, instantly he silenced himself yet peered away disappointed.

Hoshi excused himself to get started, but Toji saw that sneer on Naoya's face. "What's with you?"

"We… never finished what we were working on. The dragon slayers, you were hunting them down weren't you? Granted, I already took out the woman who was our source of information… didn't have to do much as her head was already too far gone…"

"Someone began to beat me to the punch." It wasn't a lie either. In fact, after that stupid culling game they tried to pull on the Toorus, the dragon slayer activity has dropped rather drastically, to nearly nothing. When he gets a scent and goes to take them out, he finds the slayers are already gone. They cannot be this good to know he was hunting them, but when he arrives, there are smells he hasn't picked up before. And they are peculiar too.

They smell a mixture of life and death.

"I've been beaten to the punch more often than not on the slayers…" he said offhandedly.

Naoya nodded, but then smirked. "So you haven't noticed the scavengers?"

Scavengers?

"I left the body of the… source behind one day, because I noticed monkeys lingering about but had no power. Curiosity got the better of me, for shortly after she went insane, her body collapsed from all the dragon parts she tried to put into herself… they picked the body clean of all the dragon parts and some of her body that had them embedded. So, there is someone picking up the scraps."

Toji knew of the alchemist that Sukuna took out state side, but if word somehow got out to them that there are indeed dragon parts floating about, no doubt they would risk everything to get here and obtain at least one item.

"What else?" he demanded.

"They all wore glasses, and I swore, someone saw me. I shouldn't be seen among humans in my… state of being." He said with a sneer. "As such I took notice and figured they are after something more. Dragon slayers for the most part are divine users, some are monkeys but mainly divine users with a grudge. These monkeys picking at the bones… well… I find them more revolting,"

"Do you now?"

"Yeah, they don't know their place and are trying to obtain power! They ought to know once a monkey, always a monkey!" he decreed.

He forced a smile. "Really? Including me?"

Naoya snickered. "You are beyond their level!" he said proudly. "I acknowledged you when the clan didn't!"

"Well, if we're being honest here, let me say this. Don't say those words in front of Rook Tooru"

Naoya paused. "The Gojo monkey? What about him?" he demanded.

"Don't call him that either," Toji warned once more. "And it's not him nor his parents you are going to piss off… but the one teaching him everything about heavenly restrictions as we speak."

Naoya paused; he took a moment to process it all before he peered at Toji oddly. "You mean, you're not teaching him? Then that bitch is!"

"You know… I'll let you learn the hard way then." Toji said, perhaps he ought to bring Rook by with Sukuna and see what happens!