Hello everyone, welcome to the second chapter of the sorcerer who lived. I realize I got this camper out decently fast and honestly, I'm surprised I got it out. I was having a decent amount of trouble writing the younger characters. Anyways I digress. I got it done and I'm happy with this. We've got a bit of a time skip in this one. Roughly 5 years into the future. I'm going to spend a few chapters at this time period before jumping forward again. I could write out every year or Harry's childhood but that honestly didn't really feel all that interesting to me. Think of this like the vegetables of the fanfic before we get to the meat and potatoes of it AKA the main plot. Before we continue I just want to reiterate that I will not be keeping to an upload schedule chapters will come whenever they are ready. As usual constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
Time to go to the review!
Romeperson: I hope to live up to your expectations!
As usual JJK and HP are owned by their respective creators, I own only my own OC's
Thoughts - italics
-{=BREAK=}- - scene change
Chapter 2: A World of Curses
Kaori Zen'in always hated her birthday. Every year she watched the other kids get to play, to have fun, to have but a brief moment away from the training and just be a kid. Kaori never got that, no breaks from the training, no breaks from the beatings she suffered for being weak. Kaori always looked towards her birthday with dread, and this year wasn't any different. The day had started in the dojo, where she was forced to fight people twice her age until she couldn't lift her weapon anymore. Until her frail body was covered in sickening bruises from hits she failed to dodge. Kaori hated her birthday. No, Kaori hated her family, every single one of them! They always told her that she wasn't good enough! That she was weak! A stain on the Zen'in name! A pathetic waste of space... a failure. Why couldn't she be loved by the rest of her family? Why did they hate her so much? Was it just because of her technique? It wasn't her fault they had better techniques! It wasn't fair! they hadn't been born with a heavenly restriction that destroyed their potential as a sorcerer! IT WASN'T FAIR! It wasn't fair. It never was, not for her.
Kaori went to bed that night crying. Her day had only gotten worse and by nightfall the pain from her injuries was just too much. Too much for her frail body to take, too much for a 5 year old child to take without breaking. Kaori knew deep down that if she was still here tomorrow that her horrid day would repeat itself. She would be battered and broken down by the rest of the Zen'in clan, beaten again and again, over and over until her small body was covered in a macabre painting of purple and blue bruises, Kaori knew she would tortured until her bones strained to keep themselves intact and her muscles screamed out in protest against every movement. Kaori knew she had to run, to get as far away as possible from this hell she called home, the only question left was where would she go? Kaori knew nobody would take her in, hours of "lessons" had beaten it into her that nobody did anything for free, and Kaori couldn't offer any would-be saviors anything of value. She couldn't go to any of the other sorcerer clans either, they'd just ship her back here, where she'd surely be punished for running away. The only option left for her it seemed was the streets. Oh who was she kidding! Kaori wasn't ready to live on the streets! She was just 5 for god's sake! She could barely even read! How was she supposed to survive all alone in a world that seemed to hate her for existing! She thought and thought about running, about if she could survive, she thought about what she could do to lessen the pain, she thought and thought, putting every last shred of her being into thinking of somewhere, anywhere that would take her. And then she remembered overhearing some of the adults talking about someone named Gojo Satoru, about how he had taken in a helplessly weak child with no technique. And all of a sudden a glimmer of hope began to form in her heart. Gojo! Satoru Gojo! That's who she would run to! If none of the big clans would take her she'd just go to him. He'd already taken in a hopeless sorcerer after all, maybe he'd help her to! She would find him and beg for help, she could find a way to be useful she was certain!
And so Kaori waited, she waited until everyone else was asleep, until the moon was high in the sky, and the stars were shining bright. She waited until she would have her chance. And when it came Kaori ran. She snuck past everyone's rooms, past all of the sentries that littered the Zen'in household, past everyone until she was in the central courtyard. Kaori continued on towards the gate, towards freedom! She abandoned her stealthy retreat, the gate was right there! Freedom was right in front of her! Kaori ran like her life depended on it, she ran past the training yard, past the rickety old weapons shed, past all the curses that were littering the Zen'in household, past everything that had ever hurt her. When she finally passed the main gate and entered Tokyo proper she felt a weight lift off her shoulders, she was finally free! Kaori couldn't help the manic laugh that escaped her lips! She was free! She was finally free! It took her a few seconds to calm down and remember her goal, to find Gojo Satoru.
Shouldn't be too hard! Come on Kaori, all you have to do is find Jujutsu high. They'll be able to point you in the right direction!
And so with a spring in her step Kaori ran off towards Tokyo proper. She had a goal, and she was going to find Gojo. She was going to be free from the Zen'in clan. Kaori had a plan, she wasn't going to let anything stop her from seeing it through.
-{=BREAK=}-
Harry woke up an excited child. He had been looking forward to his Gotcha-Day for weeks now, and it was finally here! Ever since Harry could remember, his dad had always been doing his cool sorcerer stuff, and today he was going to start teaching him to do it too! Running down the stairs Harry had expected very little to greet him in the living room, dad was busy after all and he often did his assignments early in the morning so he had the rest of his day to spend time with him. Needless to say Harry was extremely surprised to find his dad standing in front of the stove, wearing a bright neon pink apron, making what seemed to be a giant American style breakfast. Harry was so stunned at the display before him that he didn't even notice the other occupant in the room, a tall muscular man with a well kept beard, stylish sunglasses, and an extremely ugly, hand sewn teddy bear in his arms. Despite himself Harry couldn't stop himself from letting out a small squeal of excitement upon seeing the giant stack of pancakes before him. Before he knew it he was already running across the room to give his dad a massive hug.
Gojo saw Harry before he impacted him and had just enough time to turn off limitless before a ball of energy slammed into his legs and began speaking at an incredible speed.
"Oh my god I thought you were gonna be away this morning! How are you here! How'd you get the day off! ARE YOU GONNA TEACH ME TO BE A SORCERER NOW!?
"Good Morning Harry-kunnn! Of course I'm here! I wouldn't want to miss your fifth gotcha-day after all! And yes I'm going to teach you jujutsu, but remember young padawan, a sorcerer must always have one thing above all else and do you remember what that thing is?"
"PANCAKES!"
"Ding ding ding! You. Are. CORRECT. It's a well known fact that a breakfast of pancakes will make or break a sorcerer. Speaking of, these guys are almost ready! Why don't you set a plate for the three of us."
Harry tilted his head in confusion. There were only the two of them living in the house, and dad rarely had visitors. Gojo, noticing his confusion gave him a mirthful look before speaking.
"Ohhhhh~ did you not notice? Why the amazing sorcerer and Jujutsu High principal, Yaga-san, has decided to visit us for breakfast! Say hi Harry-kun!"
Harry quickly turned around finally noticing the third occupant in the room. Hastily Harry gave a bow, not wanting to be rude to his guest. He began to sheepishly mutter an apology.
"Hello Yaga-san, it's nice to meet you. I'm sorry I didn't notice you earlier. I might have gotten a bit excited about today."
"Oh it's no problem Harry. Thank you for having me. I won't take up too much of your time, I actually just came by to ask you a few questions about your ambitions."
"My ambitions?"
"Your desire to become a sorcerer, but those can wait until we've started eating."
It took very little time for everyone to set the table and for breakfast to finish cooking. Once everyone was seated and the food had been plated they all began tearing into it, one person with significantly more enthusiasm than the others.
"So Harry, I normally wouldn't do this until you were 15 but considering your circumstances I've decided to ask this question now. Why do you want to be a sorcerer Harry?"
Harry was currently busy inhaling pancakes at a level approaching dangerous and so to answer his future principal he (regretfully) took a break from his meal to answer.
"What do you mean you usually wouldn't do this until I was 15?"
"Ah right my apologies Harry, I forget you're still so young. I always ask my students why they want to become a sorcerer, why they want to risk their lives to fight back against the curses that plague us. Usually I also like to do this mid combat but I somehow doubted that you dad would let me attack you out of nowhere as I usually do."
In the background Gojo could be heard muttering "you guessed right". Harry meanwhile was contemplating the question. Why did he want to be a sorcerer? There were so many reasons to want to! You got to be an awesome monster killing hero! And you got to look cool doing it! But somehow Harry knew those weren't the real reasons he wanted to be a sorcerer. After thinking for a bit he began his reply.
"Honestly Yaga-san I was going to say something along the lines of 'because it's cool!' But that didn't feel right. I think the real reason is because I want to help people. If there's something only I can do to help, it just makes sense to do it. I guess I kinda see being a Jujutsu sorcerer the same way. I'm sorry if it's not a very interesting answer but it just felt right."
Yaga found himself surprised. For a five year old that was a surprisingly insightful answer, and it was one that he had always hoped to hear from his school's applicants. Smiling Yaga looked at Harry and after taking a bite out of what remained of his pancake he began to speak.
"Don't worry about it not being interesting Harry, you were honest and that's all I wanted. Honestly I found myself surprised by your answer, it was surprisingly well reasoned for someone so young."
"HEY I'm not young, I'm five! Maybe even six! We don't know when I was born after all!"
Yaga allowed a smile to grace his face once more. He honestly admired the innocence of youth. He hoped Harry would be able to keep his innocence for a while longer. Before Jujutsu society crushed him underfoot.
"Right you are Harry, I often forget how fast time flies. It felt like just yesterday Gojo called me about needing a place to raise a child. And let me tell you, that was the one phone call I never expected. Oh but I'm getting off track, before I go I wanted to give you a gift Harry, Gojo told me he's going to be introducing you to cursed energy today and I made something to help you learn to control it faster. I hope you like it."
Harry watched with bated breath as Yaga pulled out a small box and handed it to Harry. Curiosity got the better of him and Harry began to open it up, tearing off the wrapping paper to find a small miniature stuffed bear about the size of his torso. Harry was about to ask him how it would help him learn to harness his cursed energy but Yaga seemingly read his mind and answered his unspoken question.
"It's a cursed doll Harry, I've designed this one to react if it's being held and isn't being fed cursed energy. I recommend holding onto it while you watch cartoons. Once you can fully pay attention to the TV without the cursed doll interrupting you you will know you've got an understanding of cursed energy."
"Ohh ok! Thanks Yaga-san! I promise to put it to good use!"
"That's all I ask Harry. Now then if you'll excuse me I have much work to do, thank you both for having me. It was a wonderful breakfast."
Gojo just smiled "no worries sensei. I think Harry's going to explode if we wait any longer anyways."
Harry could only nod his head in agreement with that statement.
After a short break father and son found themselves outside, a demonstration set of soda cans set up and a bowl of snacks laying in wait on the ground. After waiting for Harry to get over his excitement Gojo began his lesson.
"Ok Harry-kunnnn! Welcome to Jujutsu 101! Today's lesson: cursed energy basics! Before we start, what do you remember about cursed energy!"
"It's the energy generated by negative emotion Gojo-Sensei. Sorcerers use it to reinforce and strengthen themselves and to access their innate technique. Oh! And you always have to be flipping out to use it!"
"Ding ding ding! CORECT! Since you already know that we can move on to a demonstration about the differences between cursed energy and a cursed technique. Watch closely!
Gojo pointed his hand at one of the soda cans. Cursed energy gathered at his fingertips as an ethereal blue flame flickered into existence around his hand. After a brief pause Gojo let his cursed energy fly forth towards the can, striking it like a bullet, shot from a gun. Gojo then moved his attention towards another can, this time calling upon his cursed technique: limitless. Gojo didn't raise a hand this time, after a brief pause the can just twisted in on itself, compressing and twisting like an invisible hand had grabbed the can and mercilessly crushed it. Gojo let his cursed energy fall away before turning back to Harry and asking:
"Now then Harry the can on the left was with just cursed energy and the can on the right was with a cursed technique. What do you think the biggest difference between them is?"
Thinking for a moment Harry turned to look at the cans, thinking on what made their destruction different. It wasn't the end result that was for sure, both cans were broken. But they had to be different, dad said to find the difference, so what was it? The more Harry looked the more he found himself drawn to the second can, mangled and twisted beyond repair. It was like space had twisted around it, crushing it as the can attempted to conform to the world around it. Feeling confident about his answer Harry turned to give it.
"It's the application isn't it? One was just a general expression of cursed energy while the other achieved a more specific result."
"Got it in one Harry-kun~. The technique ingrained in a sorcerer is a more specific way of using cursed energy. Almost all sorcerers have one and they use them to fight curses and they're all extremely unique."
"So if every sorcerer has one what's my technique?"
And there lies the hard question Gojo thought. Honestly there's a chance he doesn't have one, a small chance but it still exists. He is the first sorcerer in his line after all it would be weird if he had a well defined technique. Seeing no way to dodge the question Gojo decided to answer in the softest way he could.
"Well Harry, we don't know what your technique is. There is a chance, a small one mind you, but a chance you don't have a technique. But honestly I think you do. Sorcerers without a technique often stumble onto cursed energy much later in life. Like after they eat a cursed object or something. You on the other hand have had cursed energy since I found you as a baby. That's not typical of someone who doesn't have a technique."
Harry looked downtrodden, to him the chance he wouldn't have a technique scared him. But he knew there was nothing he could do except hope. And so he turned back towards his dad with a question on his lips.
"So how do I start?"
Gojo grinned, pleased to see Harry at least somewhat accepting of the chance he wouldn't have a technique. He was worried Harry would shut down and lose his enthusiasm but he seemed to be fine, at least externally. Smiling Gojo began to give what little advice he could. Jujutsu was 80% natural talent after all. He could teach the basics and not much else.
"Well Harry-kun the best thing for you now is to focus on controlling your cursed energy. Once you can do that we can start experimenting with your technique. You remember how to call on your cursed energy right?"
"Yea! I gotta start flipping out!"
"Well then you better get to it Harry-kun~"
It took Harry hours of frustration to even get a grasp on his cursed energy. He could feel it. It was right THERE! Just out of his reach. Every so often it felt like he would get close to reaching it just for it to pull back and retreat deeper inside himself. But eventually after hours of practice with help from his dad, he managed to grab hold of it. It took him even more time to begin focussing it at his will but eventually. After hours upon hours of practice, after an entire day of training, of failure after failure, Harry managed to focus his cursed energy into his fist. He opened his eyes and he saw his fist glowing with that ethereal blue fire, the fire that proved he was harnessing his cursed energy. Unbidden, a gleeful scream escaped his lips. He did it! He took his first step towards becoming a sorcerer! It was hard and Harry had no doubts it would only get harder, but he did it, he had proven to himself he had what it took. He was going to be a sorcerer, and nothing was going to stop him now.
-{=BREAK=}-
Oko always found Tokyo insufferably loud. The constant racket from the general populace grated on his ears, and every waking second was a torturous affair. Oko wanted it all to stop, he wanted to unleash his technique and rip apart every single one of the fucking monkeys around him, maybe then he'd finally be at peace, at least for a time. Unfortunately for Oko he wasn't ever able to act on his fantasies, the higher ups kept a tight leash on him, and Oko knew if he ever attempted to break it he would quickly find himself dead in a gutter somewhere.
What I wouldn't give for some peace and quiet. Why, the fuck do I put up with this shit again? The higher ups never even bother to make this shit bearable. Oh yea, I forgot money, copious amounts of money, that's why.
Sighing Oko looked at his watch cringing at the time it displayed. it's getting late, I should probably get home, the monkeys were starting to bother me anyways. At least home will be nice and quiet.
Trudging through the deserted Tokyo streets Oko found his way to a decrepit looking building, its windows had been replaced with sheet metal that had been welded into the windowsill, forcing the windows closed, all the once colorful paint was flaking off the walls revealing the concrete structure below, and a collection of various stains from god knows what littered the lower half of the wall. Oko inserted a key into a rusted lock and swung the door to his house open. The interior was much the same as the exterior, decrepit and worn down. Oko took a moment to savor the moment, sure he may live in a shithole but there truly was nothing quite like the peace and quiet of home. Oko haphazardly tossed his disgusting old coat onto his living room couch and went to cook an impromptu meal but stopped when he noticed an old flip phone and a note sitting on his table that he was absolutely sure wasn't there when he left.
Cautiously Oko approached the table, his cursed energy humming beneath his skin, ready to activate at the slightest hint of danger. He reached out and opened the note, tearing off a wax seal as he opened it. Before reading it Oko poked and prodded with his cursed energy, ensuring that no traps or other tricks were present. Finally satisfied he wasn't going to die, Oko looked at the note and read.
We have need of your services. Further details on your assignment can be found in the provided device. Contact us at your earliest convenience.
Well if that wasn't ominous Oko didn't know what would be. Cautiously Oko opened the old flip phone, searching through it revealed an extremely stripped down operating system, all he had was a single message app, with a single phone number already entered. After a few minutes of deliberation Oko began typing a message, it wasn't like whoever left him this was going to let things lie, might as well see this through.
Oko: Who is this?
H: Hello Oko, the higher ups send their regards. We do apologize for all the cloak and dagger, but this job is sensitive and any physical meeting could raise unwanted questions.
Oko: You morons do realize you could have put that in the note right?
H: Please see the previous message about discretion. Now if you are done asking stupid questions we have information for you on your job. Unless you'd like to go in blind?
Oko: No I'll take the details, what do you assholes want?
H: You are to kill a young sorcerer that was recently adopted by one Gojo Satoru. They are an 'undesirable' and represent an unwanted variable in our society. You will receive a forward payment of 15,000,000 and another 45,000,000 upon completion of the job.
Oko: Yea no fuck that, I am not getting anywhere near that job, not when Gojo fucking Satoru is involved. Find someone else.
H: Gojo will not be involved, before the child's enrolment in Jujutsu High we will be sending them on a classified mission away from Jujutsu Society. You will be given the details of this assignment and he is expected to die before its completion.
Oko: And you can guarantee that this assignment will be remote enough?
H: The assignment will be taking place in England. We can guarantee both Gojo's absence and your safety following the assignment.
Oko: I want 20 million upfront and 55 million on completion.
H: That is acceptable. The basic information is as follows: Target: Gojo Harry, Age: 5, Appearance: a shorter Caucasian male with messy brown hair, green eyes, and spectacles, a picture will be provided closer to the mission date. Technique: Unknown, they most likely lack a technique of any kind.
Oko: Anything else?
H: No, you have 8 years until the child's assignment begins. Further information will be provided as it becomes available. In the meantime a token bounty of 15,000,000 has been placed on the child. Should the child die by another's hand you will not receive the ladder half of your payment.
Oko: Very well. We have a deal, though I hope you're ready to fork over all that extra money, those other idiots don't have a chance in hell.
H: Your concern is noted. The 20 million has been transferred to your account. We expect results Oko, do not fail us.
Dinner forgotten, Oko closed the old flip phone and placed it in his back pocket. After ensuring that no other surprises were present in his house Oko shifted his couch out of the way, flipped over his old tacky rug and opened a secret door he had installed in his flooring. The compartment it hid was tiny, barely the size of a human arm, but it was big enough to store the one thing of any value in Oko's life. An old wooden box lay in the hole, and unlike everything else in his residence this box was clearly well cared for, a fine lacquered finish reflected the miniscule light in the house, giving the box an almost ethereal look to it. Smiling Oko opened the box and took out the cursed tool within. It was a beautiful thing in Oko's mind, a katana made with a serrated edge meant to rip and tear flesh, the pommel and guard were inlaid with runes he could use to activate the technique imbued within the blade, and the handle even held a hidden compartment, perfect for storing some final surprises. Oko loved his blade, it was a tool made purely for death and destruction, to cause as much pain to its opponents as possible. Reverently Oko placed the weapon on a felt cushion, and checked it over for any damage. The act was unnecessary, the blade was perfect, not a scratch on it. Oko made to place the blade back into its sheath staring longingly at the blade like one would to a long lost love and just for a moment, Oko saw his face reflected in the blade. Manic eyes shone behind horribly long and unkept purple hair, all attached to a burned and scarred face. For a brief moment Oko felt as though his blade was staring back at him assessing his disposition and giving ascent for what he was going to do with it. That was what he truly loved about his job, that was why he kept himself on the higher ups leash, not the money no, that was just a nice bonus. It was the electric feeling of anticipation that coursed through him whenever he was going to make a kill. That one brief moment where the light faded from his target's eyes and all their hopes died. That was why he kept himself on his leash. With a smile Oko sheathed his blade and placed it in its box. After securing the hidden compartment Oko began to prepare dinner, a jaunty tune danced from his lips as he gathered all his ingredients. It had been so long since he had been on a job, and even though he was preparing dinner his mind couldn't help but wander to his target, and the feeling of pure despair Oko hoped to create when he finally got his hands on them.
Chapter End =
I'm gonna take this moment to reiterate that JJK can get dark. Seriously, one of our MC's in the base manga almost got sold to the Zen'in clan as a child, this shit can and will get dark. Also Kaori and Oko are both OCs. I know those can be somewhat contentious in the fanfic community but I needed a few extra people to fill in some story roles and none of the main cast would fit. Oh by the way If anyone's curious Oko is getting paid roughly 530K (USD) to kill a child. Good man Oko is. Anyways jokes aside, the next chapter will see more of Harry's training in jujutsu sorcery as well as some more stuff on the wizard's side of things. See you all next time!
