journey-of-zoro-in-another-world

by Dextrode

Don't read, Not mine. Need TTS

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 82: Chapter 80

Cursed Technique Lapse, Blue, at maximum output.

The moment Toji saw the boundless expanse of blue, the corners of his mouth turned up.

'Now's the moment.'

The moment Gojo Satoru focused solely on offense, neglecting defense.

That was the moment Toji had been waiting for.

From the arsenal curse's mouth sprang forth a Inverted Spear of Heaven. The Armament Haki, drawn to its limit, enveloped Toji's entire body and the spear in stark blackness.

Gojo Satoru was unaware of the Armament Haki. He was also unaware of the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Both were things Toji had never mentioned or used in front of Gojo and Geto.

While Gojo had seen glimpses of the Armament Haki, the Inverted Spear of Heaven was entirely new to him. It had been deliberately hidden.

For this very moment.

Even Gojo Satoru couldn't imagine and prepare for a weapon he had neither seen nor heard of. The Inverted Spear of Heaven, capable of forcibly disengaging any active technique regardless of its nature, was not common or famous enough for Gojo to anticipate.

Moreover, the Armament Haki compensated for the Inverted Spear of Heaven's relative fragility, ensuring it wouldn't be destroyed even by the explosive force of Blue, allowing it to pierce through.

All of this became possible in the hands of a physically gifted individual with zero cursed energy, capable of tearing through the void itself.

That was Gojo Satoru's critical mistake.

Enveloped in the Armament Haki, Toji overcame the pulling force of Blue. Counteracting the sensation of being drawn in, Toji swung the Inverted Spear of Heaven powerfully towards Gojo's neck from the front.

Powered by the Heavenly Restricted Body's strength and clad in the Armament Haki, the Inverted Spear of Heaven pierced through Gojo Satoru's invincible defense, embedding itself in his neck.

Crack!

Blood burst forth. Gojo's neck was half-transpierced, staining the Jujutsu High uniform red with his blood.

"Cough...!"

Even as Gojo spat out blood, he tried to grasp Toji's hand.

At that reaction, Toji's green eyes displayed a sharp murderous intent. Like during his days as a sorcerer killer who delivered certain death to his opponents, Toji maneuvered the embedded Inverted Spear of Heaven, slicing through Gojo's upper body.

Slash!

"Satoruuu—!"

Geto cried out as he saw Gojo collapse, drenched in blood.

Breathing heavily, Toji turned to face Geto, who charged at him, having lost all reason. It was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to go this far. But with a reverse curse technician around, it shouldn't be a major problem.

Geto, with veins bulging in his eyes, reached out towards Toji's arsenal curse.

'I have to seal the arsenal first!'

While the Heavenly Restricted Body's physical abilities are remarkable, there's a limit to the attack patterns without a curse tool.

'The functions are special, but the power it holds isn't extraordinary. I'll subjugate and seal the arsenal curse first, then from a distance, I'll unleash all the curses I've subdued to kill him.'

The moment Geto's hand touched the arsenal curse, intending to carry out his resolve,

Whoosh!

A strong repulsion force flung Geto away.

Thud!

Toji's roundhouse kick landed squarely on the bewildered Geto's head. As he staggered dizzily, another kick to the side sent Geto flying.

"Argh...!"

Geto crumpled to the ground in the sports field, writhing before eventually becoming still. He wasn't dead, as his heartbeat could be heard; he seemed to have fainted. Toji had intentionally held back just enough.

'What was he trying to do?'

He had attempted to steal Toji's arsenal curse. It seemed he was unaware that a curse that has already formed a servitude contract cannot be a target of curse manipulation.

'It's not an easy fact to know.'

Toji himself had learned it from an old book deep within the Zenin family's archives when he was young.

In any case, it was over. Both of them. Toji checked the arsenal curse's condition before putting the Inverted Spear of Heaven back into its mouth. He sighed.

"Annoying brats."

Though it took a bit more effort than expected, Toji emerged victorious without a scratch.

It was a win for Zenin Toji.

Toji gestured towards Ieiri, who was standing at a distance. She seemed quite worried about rushing over with full force. One was unconscious, and the other had his throat pierced; it would be strange if she wasn't worried.

Roarrrr!

A one-eyed giant curse bellowed from within the forest. Toji turned towards the noise.

"Ah, I should have asked Geto to recall the curses."

Caught up in the excitement, he had made a mistake. Toji clicked his tongue. It was difficult to wake up someone unconscious.

'A curse running wild in Jujutsu High would be troublesome.'

While dispelling it was easy, doing so would diminish Geto's power, something Toji wanted to avoid if possible.

As Toji was pondering what to do next,

Bang!

He turned towards the sound. Behind a pale-faced, rushing Shoko Ieiri, Zoro was seen knocking down the Rainbow Dragon with a sword.

Screech!

The Rainbow Dragon twitched its white body before collapsing to the ground with a thud. Leaving the fallen Rainbow Dragon behind, Zoro, with a face full of excitement, charged at the one-eyed giant curse. The fact that the Rainbow Dragon remained down without disappearing suggested it was likely knocked unconscious.

"..."

Having worried when Zoro was around made me a fool. Toji rubbed the back of his neck. He felt a strange mix of emptiness and fatigue.

'Maybe because I've drawn too much Armament Haki in such a short time.'

This was the first time Toji had used so much Armament Haki in such a short period.

'The haki is the power of the spirit. It has its limits.'

If the Armament Haki is overused in a short period, one might not be able to use it for some time or it could even shorten one's lifespan, Zoro had said before.

Trying to wrap his fist in the Armament Haki, as expected, not a bit of it emerged. He had indeed exhausted it, Toji realized.

'I need to rest.'

Shoko Ieiri, seeing her peers lying bloodied on the sports field, turned pale. Despite habitually calling them trash, she knew and believed in her peers' strength more than anyone, making the shock all the more intense.

"How could this happen... they could have really died..."

"That's why I called you in advance. Heal them quickly."

Ieiri nodded rapidly, her fear palpable, but Toji thought it reasonable and turned away. It was true he had attacked more severely than planned.

Just as Ieiri was about to pour her reverse technique on the significantly more critical Gojo,

"Don't do that one."

A young yet calm voice stopped her hand in its tracks.

Zoro, having subdued all of Geto's curses, approached Toji and Shoko, wiping the purple fluid of a curse off his face with his fingers. His youthful, round face betrayed a mix of surprise and joy.

"It's not over yet."

"What are you talking about? The training's already finished. If you don't use the reverse technique right now, Gojo's going to die!"

Ieiri found it strange that she couldn't pour the reverse technique on Gojo despite the child's words. A mere kid, yet there was an odd charisma in his words and demeanor.

"He'll handle it himself."

"What do you mean...?"

Twitch.

Gojo's hand moved as he lay in a pool of blood. Both Ieiri and Toji stepped back in surprise.

Zoro looked down at the fallen Gojo.

Honestly, Zoro had been a bit worried when Toji said he'd be teaching. Not about Toji, but the students learning from him.

But since Toji wanted it, Zoro didn't say much. He thought there'd be something for the students to gain from fighting someone as strong as Toji.

But then...

"You're doing pretty well, Dad."

To bring him to this point so quickly. Zoro smiled, feeling the strong presence through his clairvoyance.

Gojo Satoru's condition began to stabilize. The gushing blood significantly lessened, and his breathing returned.

"...Reverse technique?"

Ieiri murmured in a daze. Almost simultaneously, Toji also exclaimed in astonishment.

"What a monster."

As if melting snow, all of Gojo's wounds disappeared. The wound pierced by the heavenly reverse spear on his neck, the diagonal slash across his torso.

"..."

Gojo Satoru's body trembled weakly. Once, then twice.

And then, his blue eyes opened again.

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If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 83: Chapter 81

Blink, blink.

Long white eyelashes followed the motion of the eyelids, fluttering down and then lifting again.

The sky-blue eyes captured the clarity of a rare winter sky.

He sees everything.

He understands everything.

Everything Gojo Satoru thought he had seen and understood up to now was merely the surface. Now that he had grasped the essence of cursed energy and mastered the art of reverse techniques, he could see beyond the limits of the world and cursed energy.

So…

"Ah…"

…It was delightful.

"Ahahaha! Ha, hahahahaha!"

Endlessly, boundlessly.

Shoko Ieiri's pale, dismayed face barely registered to him. At this moment, Gojo Satoru was too absorbed in savoring his own emotions.

'Good.'

Refreshing. Liberating. He had never felt so good in his life.

Gojo sprang to his feet, looking around. Where is it? Where is it? His actions were buoyant and lively, like a child searching for a hidden gift box on their birthday. Then, his gaze met Toji's, who was standing quietly and watching.

"Ah!"

There you are! Gojo Satoru beamed brightly.

"Gorilla, no… Zenin Toji! Thank you! When you drew that cursed tool to stab my neck, I realized it then! The strange cursed energy emanating from that tool!"

…Physically healed, but not mentally. Shoko Ieiri quickly assessed the situation and moved from Gojo to Geto.

"And then it hit me. You couldn't possibly be unaware of my Limitless, yet you charged at me with an ordinary cursed tool? And you, a member of the Zenin family? No, nooo! That couldn't be! So, at that moment, I focused all my nerves on the reverse technique!"

Bright blue eyes encapsulated the world. Right now, Gojo Satoru was truly, truly in high spirits.

"Nearly died, but it was at the brink of death that I grasped the essence of cursed energy, the inversion of techniques! I had never gotten the hang of it before. The only one who could, Shoko, would just go whish and voila, speaking in riddles. Ahaha, hahaha!"

Toji observed Gojo closely. He was rambling. This wasn't about revealing information under a binding. He wasn't even in a state to be aware of such a thing.

'He's in a state of excitement (High).'

Becoming engrossed in the thrill of battle is a common occurrence. Toji had encountered a few sorcerers in such a state before.

However, the current Gojo Satoru wasn't the same as those Toji had faced before.

'...Different.'

He could tell without needing to use Observation Haki. The Gojo Satoru before him was different from the youth Toji had just confronted and slashed at the throat.

Born like a comet during a time when curses were subsiding, Gojo was the powerhouse the Gojo family and the sorcery world had imagined and longed for over centuries.

The modern era's strongest sorcerer.

Though it seemed ridiculous that all it took was one stab with a knife, considering Gojo was born with the Limitless and belonged to the Gojo family, it's unlikely he'd ever be in a situation to be stabbed in the neck anyway.

'I want to defeat him.'

Suddenly, a desire surged within Toji.

It was the desire of a warrior who wished to battle a strong opponent, but also the desire of Zenin Toji, who had hardly ever been truly recognized in his life.

Before him undoubtedly stood the strongest sorcerer of the modern era.

If he could defeat him, all in the sorcery world would have to acknowledge it.

The strength and existence of Zenin Toji.

Slight rustle.

It was when Toji, with his vacant green eyes fixed on Satoru, grasped the handle of the Inverted Spear of Heaven protruding from the curse's mouth.

However, he did not pull it out.

The hand holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven twitched. Dominating Toji's mind now were anticipation, excitement, and…

'...A sense of discord.'

Something was off.

Toji snapped to his senses as if doused with ice water and released his grip on the Inverted Spear of Heaven. He then became aware of the sense of discord filling his mind.

...The dulled Armament Haki from extensive use in the recent fight was sending a strange warning throughout his body.

Zoro's words from years ago, when Toji first began learning Armament Haki, came to mind.

"Because your senses and physical abilities are so good, you'll unconsciously try to use those instead Armament Haki."

Back then, he didn't understand why that was bad. He vaguely thought it was because it hindered learning Armament Haki.

'...Now I see.'

Beyond the limits of what the body can perceive. Even if perceived, failing to properly relay it to the brain.

Armament Haki makes one aware of such things.

There's no winning. Absolutely not.

At least not now.

"You'd be taken down in an instant."

It was exactly as Zoro said.

Thud.

Zoro's hand grabbed Toji's. With that small force, Toji's body stopped as if obeying an irrefutable command. Looking up at Toji, Zoro asked calmly,

"Are we going to fight?"

Deep concern, conviction, and some form of readiness were evident on his youthful, innocent face.

He knows.

...About the outcome when Toji fought with Gojo.

Toji took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. He gently placed his thick hand atop Zoro's head.

"We're not fighting."

Softly.

After softly stroking the green hair, Toji fully retracted the Inverted Spear of Heaven into the curse, then rolled up the arsenal curse and swallowed it.

"I refuse unpaid labor. That's enough lessons for today."

Beating someone up might be fun, but getting beaten up isn't fun at all. Toji wasn't foolish enough to engage in a fight he was certain to lose. After giving them a good beating as planned, it was time to withdraw.

"…Huh?"

Seeing the bewildered face of Gojo Satoru made Toji feel a bit better. He chuckled lightly and clapped his hands briskly twice.

"Alright, that's a wrap~ Everyone, disband, disband!"

Toji approached the fallen Geto and hoisted him up. Thanks to Ieiri's reverse technique, the injuries had healed, but Geto was still out cold.

'I'll just dump him at the infirmary.'

Leaving a student unconscious could lead to trouble for Toji's livelihood.

Gojo, who had been dazedly watching the scene, protested belatedly.

"Wait a seeecond! Running off after stabbing me in the neck, where do you think you're going?!"

"When the lesson ends is up to the teacher."

And once the lesson is over, there's no reason for the teacher to stick around, especially if the student is a guy.

Toji, who would never make a good teacher even if he died and came back, thought this as he turned away.

Gojo was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Wait! I'll give you money. I'll give you as much as you want, so let's fight againnnnn!"

"No thanks. I'm gonna dump this guy in the infirmary and then take a nap with my Marimo son."

Did you really think I'd come here just to die for you, you fool? Toji sneered.

Fighting Gojo with all his might and winning was out of the question, but Toji still was the physical education teacher at Jujutsu High. There were still plenty of opportunities to get the better of him during non-cursed energy physical classes.

Watching Toji walk away leisurely while carrying Geto, Gojo stomped his feet in frustration.

"Just once, just one more time, let's fighttttt! Shoko, catch that guy!"

"Do you want me to die?"

Ieiri, who had just finished using a reverse technique and was resting, grimaced. Catching someone who had just beaten both Gojo and Geto at the same time was akin to asking her to commit suicide.

Just when she thought she could finally rest. Such was her fate. Ieiri murmured to herself as she stood up and then turned back to Gojo.

"Oh, Gojo? You come to the infirmary too. We need to check if there's something wrong with your head."

"I'm fine!"

"I don't think so."

He clearly wasn't in his right mind. Though he always was a bit off.

'Well, who can stop him.'

He'll return when it's time. Ieiri thought as she hurried towards the infirmary.

Left alone, Gojo, now in a more ruined sports field than before the lesson, pulled at his hair in frustration.

"Ah, so annoying! Where's the law in thissss!"

Revenge match should be granted! His howls, unheard by anyone, echoed loudly throughout Jujutsu High.

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If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 84: Chapter 82

Gojo Satoru was standing in the ruins of a sports field.

Swept clean by a maximum output of Cursed Technique Reverse once, and again by the decisive battle between Gojo and Toji, the sports field of Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College had now become too damaged to repair.

"..."

A few days later, upon seeing the sports field where the two had fought, Yaga swallowed an anti-nausea medicine he had become accustomed to taking. He then asked Toji what he thought about restoring the site.

"Just leave it. Those guys need a space where they can freely practice their Cursed Techniques."

It would just break again anyway. Toji answered indifferently.

Thus, the sports field remained torn up and overturned, becoming a space where students could practice their destructive Cursed Techniques.

Just like now.

Geto Suguru and Ieiri Shoko were sitting side by side on the outskirts of the sports field, looking at Gojo Satoru standing alone in the center.

Gojo lifted his finger, and his blue eyes shone through his black sunglasses.

"Cursed Technique Reversal,"

Red.

A flash of red light, and an explosive energy that pushed everything away burst forth. Not only the overturned sports field but even the trees nearby were blown away.

Kwa—ang!

Trees were uprooted and flown away, distorting the forest, but Gojo did not stop. This was not the end.

A blue Cursed Technique Lapse, Blue.

A red Cursed Technique Reversal, Red.

He raises both at the same time and clashes them together.

Gojo extended his arm. A purple light, created by mixing blue and red, flashed beautifully and threateningly from his fingertips.

"Hollow Technique,"

Purple.

With a flick of his fingers, the view suddenly turned purple. An absolute power shockwave, impossible to defend against, engulfed the sports field and the forest beyond.

"..."

When Geto was able to properly see in front of him again, the dense forest of the academy had a gaping hole in it.

"Yay! Success!"

Gojo energetically bounced up and down. Geto clapped his hands in applause.

"Congratulations, Satoru."

"Hehe!"

Turning towards his peers, Gojo made a triumphant V-sign with a proud expression. Geto laughed heartily, while Shoko grimaced with a groan.

"You've become incredibly strong, Satoru. When did you master the Reverse Cursed Technique?"

"Right after Toji-sensei stabbed me."

Geto's face twisted severely.

"And you still call him 'sensei' after going through that?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Totally."

The first-time shock of being utterly defeated, the humiliation of a total loss, the pain of having one's throat pierced and upper body split in half.

Such feelings were insignificant and meaningless compared to the joy and exhilaration of mastering the Reverse Cursed Technique and reaching its pinnacle.

"In heaven and on earth, I alone am honored."

It is I alone who is revered in this world.

Since it was Toji who had led him to this stage, Satoru Gojo was, in his way, thankful.

Of course, Geto Suguru felt differently.

"You might be okay, but I'm not."

Geto still couldn't shake the image of his friend collapsing, bleeding from the neck.

'It was the first time I'd ever seen Satoru like that since we were born.'

It was also the first time Geto himself had felt so powerless against someone. Despite mastering the exceptional Cursed Technique of Summoning and even appropriate martial arts, none of it was useful against Toji.

The curse user killer, Zenin Toji's notorious reputation became something Geto could seriously appreciate.

'Satoru became much stronger after mastering the Reverse Cursed Technique.'

Even knowing this, Geto never let Gojo be alone with Toji after that incident. As for Toji, he didn't care whether Geto was cautious or not.

"Don't worry, Suguru. My body is much stronger now."

Gojo confidently smiled and placed his hands on his hips.

"Speaking of which, I've wanted to try fighting Toji-sensei with this technique."

But Toji had slipped away at that time, preventing the fight.

Of course, if Toji had really fought Gojo, he would have died. He was strong, but he hadn't reached the same level as Gojo, and at that time, Gojo had no mindset to control his power.

'It was just exhilarating.'

The entire world as seen through his eyes.

Toji probably knew as well. That if they fought now, he would definitely lose.

So, he quickly made himself scarce, ensuring that Gojo couldn't recklessly attack while also taking Suguru into account.

Days passed, and despite Gojo's numerous attempts, Toji still refused to engage in a Cursed Technique duel.

'It seems like it'll never happen.'

His skillful avoidance and excuses were frustrating yet somehow fitting. Avoiding an unbeatable opponent or finding another way is a killer's trait, after all.

When Gojo turned his head, Geto also shifted his gaze in the same direction. At the end of their gaze, a small green-haired boy... that is, Zoro, was seen approaching.

Shoko asked in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

"...? What about you guys? Why are you here?"

"What do you mean— You're lost again, aren't you?"

Zoro's poor sense of direction was well-known to everyone.

How he managed to do it was beyond anyone's guess, as Zoro almost never found his way on his own. Not only could he not distinguish north, south, east, and west, but even with someone beside him, he would often wander off in a different direction.

Even when walking down the nearly straight corridors of the academy, he would end up going back the way he came, prompting concerns that something was seriously wrong with him.

Geto asked kindly.

"How did you end up here?"

"The academy moved."

Of course, that wasn't the case. It was Zoro who got lost. Geto couldn't bring himself to say that outright, but Gojo, without any filter, bluntly voiced his thoughts.

"You got lost, you dumb marimo."

"What?!"

Gojo took off his sunglasses and scrutinized Zoro with a serious look. Even after achieving his current level, Zoro showed no signs of any curse or curse-related traits.

"It doesn't seem like you're a directionally challenged curse user."

That was a mystery in itself. How could someone not be a directionally challenged curse user and still get lost this badly?

Geto squatted down to be at eye level with Zoro and offered his hand.

"Since the next class is a theory class, let's go together."

Even though Geto was wary of Toji, that caution didn't extend to Zoro.

Survival of the weakest. That was Geto's creed, and a non-sorcerer child was the epitome of the weak.

"Oh, thanks."

And unlike Toji, Zoro readily expressed his gratitude. Geto smiled at the sight.

Zoro pointed towards the forest that Satoru had blown away, in the exact opposite direction of the building where their class was.

"This way, right?"

"Just hold my hand and follow me, okay?"

Geto knew from long experience that some things never change. In his view, Zoro's lack of direction was one of those things.

Geto firmly grasped Zoro's hand to prevent him from running off. Shoko, observing Zoro's tendency to veer off despite having people on either side, murmured.

"...Might need a thorough examination to see if there are any lasting effects."

"? Who?"

"You, you."

The marimo, that is. Gojo playfully poked Zoro's cheek.

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If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 85: Chapter 83

"Waaah."

Megumi walked up to Zoro, who was sitting in a chair, with a toddling step and whined as he snuggled into his arms. Since Megumi got lost while they were playing together, Zoro had no words to offer.

"...Sorry."

"Mew."

Zoro familiarly lifted Megumi into his arms. Seeing Megumi's eyes faintly wet, Zoro made a troubled face.

"Don't cry."

"Waaah."

Zoro gently patted the back of the whimpering Megumi. Tsumiki scolded Zoro sternly.

"You can't go alone. From now on, let's always go together!"

"Why..."

"Tsk!"

Let's go together! No matter where! Tsumiki insisted.

"If not, I'll wear all the belly bands! I'll wear them all so you can't wear any."

"Why would you wear my belly bands?"

"Then why do you go alone when you can't find the way?"

"Hey!"

Gojo laughed out loud watching the small girl scold the slightly larger boy.

"She's fearless. Standing up to him like that."

"Family is all like that."

Geto, too, despite being called the strongest sorcerer at the academy, was just another son at home.

'I should contact them after a long time.'

A smile appeared on Geto's lips as he thought of his parents.

"Huh? If you disappear without saying anything, huh? Do you know how much it hurts here?"

Tsumiki then climbed onto the chair where Zoro was sitting, after patting her chest with her palms, and stretched Zoro's cheeks like sticky rice cakes.

"Sigh."

Zoro sighed. Tsumiki flinched and backed off, checking his reaction when she might have been too harsh.

"Sorry."

A gruff apology came back. As Tsumiki gently approached Zoro again, he stroked her head.

"I like you, brother."

"Yeah?"

"I hate it when you leave..."

Zoro silently pulled Tsumiki into his embrace. On the chair, the three children huddled together like one.

Shoko sat quietly in the classroom chair, observing the scene before her. It wasn't particularly awkward or surprising to her, having seen it multiple times before. Those kids, well, it was like...

'They're more like parents and children than siblings.'

Of course, that wasn't an extremely rare occurrence. When parents were negligent or there was a significant age gap, it wasn't uncommon for the older child to take on a parental role.

Shoko recalled the sight of Toji, who had sent two students to the brink of the other world and then swiftly retreated to the faculty dormitory.

'Well, it's true he's negligent.'

It wasn't that he completely abandoned parental responsibilities or duties. Whenever Toji wasn't teaching or on a mission, he was usually found by the children's side.

'But those two always turn to Zoro for everything.'

Whether it was something scary, something they needed to say, or something they wanted to be done, Megumi and Tsumiki would first seek out Zoro. Only if Zoro was unavailable or busy would they then turn to Toji, even if Toji was closer.

Toji took this for granted.

It might seem like passing parental responsibilities onto the son...

'It's different.'

When Zoro decided what to do after listening, the implementation of that decision was usually carried out by Toji alone or both Toji and Zoro together.

'Zoro holds more authority than that teacher.'

It's not about who is stronger in terms of power. It's about who holds the upper hand in relationships. Whether in parent-child relationships, romantic relationships, or friendships, there are those who lead and those who do not. Zoro firmly held that leading position within his family.

In other words, the linchpin and the head of the household was Zoro.

'Interesting.'

A 6-year-old being the head of the household. While most people would be astonished at such a realization, Ieiri Shoko, a fully-fledged sorcerer herself, found it absurd.

At least the people in that household seemed perfectly content with their roles, and they weren't harming anyone.

'That settles it.'

Shoko wasn't the type to meddle in others' family affairs to such an extent. She withdrew her attention and interest at that point.

Gojo tilted his head at the sight of the children clinging and snuggling up to Zoro's body.

"Is this a fusion?"

"..."

"With that spiny one's main power, maybe, but that girl won't be much help."

Geto handed Gojo a notebook filled with Chinese characters.

"Do your homework."

"Why hasn't Yaga-sensei come yet?"

"Exactly. He's overdue."

The door opened with a creak, and Toji appeared. Geto's face instantly soured, and Gojo, who had been lying on the desk, perked up his head.

"What, why is Gorilla-sensei here?"

"Yaga suddenly got a mission, so I came in his place. Today's class is self-study."

"Aw man."

I would have skipped if I knew this! Gojo's posture slumped immediately.

Toji, wiping off the green bodily fluids of a cursed spirit that had splattered on his face, noticed his children clinging to a tree and hanging like cicadas.

"What happened?"

"Brother got lost again!"

At Tsumiki's tattling, Toji's eyes narrowed. He looked at Zoro with a reproaching expression.

"I told you never to go anywhere alone."

"The building moved."

"How many times do I have to tell you? You're the one who got lost."

What to do with this chronic case of getting lost. Toji massaged his throbbing head.

"Did you come back from a mission? Cursed spirit, or sorcerer? What grade was it?"

"It was a cursed spirit. Special grade."

That's why he was a bit late. Toji roughly wiped the cursed spirit's fluids off with tissue paper found in the classroom.

Geto asked with a somewhat wary expression.

"...Didn't you say you're a Grade 4 sorcerer?"

"Right. But I also do missions for Grade 1 sorcerers."

"Why on earth..."

"They said it was a grading mistake."

Of course, that was nonsense. Although the Jujutsu Headquarters might be incompetent, confusing a Grade 1 mission for a Grade 4 mission was rare due to the significant disparity.

'They know what they're doing, pretending not to.'

It was a clear intent to have him killed. Of course, Toji was not one to die so easily; he completed all his missions.

'Sometimes they really do miscalculate the grades.'

Yesterday, Toji reported to the headquarters in his mission report. Assigning his mission as a Grade 4 task could lead to a real Grade 4 sorcerer's death if they took it on, so he told them not to spout nonsense about grading errors and to sort it out properly.

Thinking of the upper echelons grinding their teeth made him feel good. Toji, tidying up his clothes a bit, asked.

"So what's this class about?"

"You didn't even listen before coming in?"

"I'm busy, so is Yaga."

The job of a teacher at the Jujutsu High was busier than Toji had vaguely imagined. Missions, supervision and guidance of students, teaching, assigning missions to students, and receiving reports on the outcomes.

Even though he mostly ignored missions that took a long time or required travel far away, citing the reason that at least one teacher needed to remain at the Jujutsu High, he was still quite busy.

There was a reason for this. Currently, Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College only had two teachers. Masamichi Yaga, responsible for grades 1 to 5, and Toji Fushiguro, the physical education teacher.

'Insane.'

Having only two teachers in a high school was absurd. Even if the Technical College wasn't a normal school, it was still far too few.

There was a principal, but rather than working, he was an old man so sick he could die at any time, so Yaga was essentially fulfilling the principal's role as well.

Originally, the Technical College didn't just have two teachers. Yaga was in charge of grades 1 to 3, and there was another teacher for grades 4 to 5.

However, not long after Toji became a teacher, the teacher responsible for grades 4 to 5 got severely injured on a mission. The injury wasn't incurable, but it required continuous rehabilitation, necessitating at least six months of convalescence.

In other words, for at least the next six months, Yaga and Toji had to handle all the classes at the Technical College.

Knowing the circumstances as a sorcerer, Ieiri Shoko looked at Toji with sympathy and readily answered.

"It's a kanji class."

"Ah."

It's important for sorcerers to memorize various kanji. From the names of techniques and talismans to incantations, there was no aspect of sorcery that didn't use kanji.

"I can help out with that to some extent."

"...From a teacher who isn't even a sorcerer?"

Geto sarcastically pretended not to care.

After their duel, it wasn't Gojo, who had suffered more, but rather Geto whose attitude towards Toji had sharpened. Constantly glancing at Gojo and glaring at Toji as if thinking Toji might harm Gojo again.

'Even if I intentionally ambushed him now, it'd be hard to kill him since the young master has become a monster.'

Whether he knew this yet pretended not to, or truly didn't know.

Either way, it was a touching friendship. Toji thought dismissively and responded.

"If you ask, I can at least tell you if it's correct or incorrect."

As a child living in the Zenin household, Toji often hid in the library to read books. It was then he learned about various kanji, techniques, and talismans.

Toji found the library, of all places in the Zenin household, to be the most comfortable. Few people came and went, it was quiet, and importantly, he wasn't beaten there, at least.

Of course, that was because the precious books shouldn't be splattered with the dirty blood of a monkey. A scar twisted at the corner of Toji's mouth.

Shoko quickly handed Toji her kanji notebook.

"Could you check if these kanji are written correctly?"

After looking through Shoko's notebook, Toji pointed out one of the kanji with his finger.

"This one. The stroke count is wrong. It should be one, not two."

After being corrected, Shoko hurriedly flipped through a thick kanji dictionary to check. Realizing Toji was right, she laughed in defeat.

"Really..."

Toji smoothly answered several more of Shoko's questions. Gojo, with his feet up on the desk, fiddled around.

"It really baffles me. Why did the Zenin family expel you? I've been to the Zenin household a few times because of the high school meetings, but there was no one with skills like yours."

"I wasn't expelled. I left on my own."

Why the Zenin family didn't officially disown Toji was a mystery even to him. Maybe because he was the direct son of the previous head, or they were planning to sell him off somewhere.

Whatever the plan was, it must have been ruined when Toji left the household.

"...Why did you leave the family?"

"Couldn't stand the sight of those old folks."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

There was no reason to elaborate. Maybe if Zoro asked, but not Geto.

Toji glanced briefly at Zoro, who was fast asleep in his arms. He always managed to sleep well, no matter where he was.

"Any more questions?"

Gojo raised his hand high.

"Me, me! Mr. Toji! I have a question!"

What is this lunatic going to say? Despite feeling apprehensive, Toji nodded for him to go ahead.

Gojo Satoru, with an innocent face, threw a bombshell question.

"On the day we dueled, what was that black energy enveloping your body?"

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 86: Chapter 84

The sound of Zoro's sleeping breaths filled the room. Amid the subtle silence and tension in the classroom, Tsumiki, who was about to fall asleep in Zoro's arms, opened her brown eyes wide and anxiously glanced around.

Toji looked at Gojo Satoru with an expressionless face.

He hadn't expected the question not to come. If it hadn't, he would have laughed at the stupidity of it.

Unlike Observation Haki, which couldn't be detected with the naked eye, Armament Haki, which coats the body or weapons, cannot be hidden because the coated area turns black.

Yet, he had no choice but to use it, because without Haki, the outcome of the fight would have been uncertain.

It wasn't a surprise attack or a battle where either was tired or had used up a significant amount of their techniques. It was a head-on fight with Gojo Satoru, who was in peak condition and had support.

"It was strange, you see. I've occasionally glimpsed you hitting Suguru's cursed spirits with your bare hands."

Gojo's eyes, carrying a hint of cold light, seemed to pierce through as they met Toji's green irises.

"It was too fast to see properly, but it was definitely with your bare hands. Physical attacks shouldn't work on cursed spirits, and a talentless curse like you shouldn't be able to manipulate energy. So, I thought maybe you had some unique cursed tool I didn't know about. Maybe something related to invisible techniques."

It wasn't an invisible technique, but there was indeed a unique cursed tool.

Gojo unconsciously touched the spot on his neck that had been pierced that day. The sensation of the void being filled and then sealed away at the moment his throat was pierced and the weapon entered was still vivid.

'Surely surprised.'

A cursed tool that could forcibly deactivate an active technique was indeed a trump card.

However, the black energy that Toji used when facing Geto's cursed spirits and during the duel, which dyed his whole body black, wasn't due to that cursed tool's ability.

"What was that, exactly?"

Gojo saw the blackened form of Toji clearly with his own eyes, yet at the same time, he saw nothing at all.

Even when seeing a unique cursed tool for the first time, he could immediately understand its effect with his eyes, but he could not grasp any identity, principle, or performance of the black energy.

'Is this what it feels like for a normal sorcerer without the Six Eyes to see techniques?'

'An additional effect of a talentless curse? Restraints? The action of a special cursed tool?'

He earnestly pondered and came up with various hypotheses, but had to discard them all. If it were any of those, he wouldn't have failed to recognize them with his eyes.

'I knew a talentless curse the moment I saw one, so it's impossible I couldn't recognize those.'

The unknown. It was something that could only capture the interest of Gojo Satoru, who had been able to see everything since birth.

Toji, still with an expressionless face, countered.

"What would you do if you knew, young master?"

"Tell me!"

At that lively demand, the strange tension that had been lingering in the classroom dissipated. Shoko exhaled the breath that had been caught in her throat.

Separately, Toji flatly refused Gojo's request.

"No."

"Whyyy?"

"I'm not qualified to teach anyone."

Toji frowned, regretting his spontaneous response. It was a mistake. He hadn't intended to give a sincere answer.

Gojo's Six Eyes sparkled.

"Heh, so that's the basics for someone at your level?"

"Maybe."

Toji honestly didn't know how his use of Haki compared. After all, in this world, only Toji and Zoro knew about Haki.

Zoro had never explicitly told him, "Your level of Haki is this." It was doubtful whether there was even a quantitative standard to measure the levels of Haki.

'All Zoro has ever said about my Haki was something like, "It's somewhat decent now."'

What Toji knew was that his Haki was significantly lower than Zoro's and...

'...that Zoro's Haki is near its peak.'

If there was a limit to how strong one could become with Haki, Toji believed Zoro's Haki would be touching that limit.

Maybe except for Armament Haki, Zoro had mentioned that his Observation Haki still had a long way to go. But, well...

'If that's a long way to go, then what about my Observation Haki? Is it just learning to walk?'

He remembered dueling with Zoro, who never missed a single movement of Toji's. There were times when his body, still young and slow, knew but couldn't dodge, but never a time when Zoro failed to perceive Toji's movements. Not even once.

When Zoro's gray eyes filled with the thrill and joy of battle met with Toji's... there were times he couldn't help but get goosebumps. Despite knowing better than anyone that Zoro would never harm him, there was an urge to flee.

It wasn't just about seeing with the eyes but feeling as if the essence and information beyond were being fully exposed. Everything about Toji: his body, techniques, experiences, weapons, and even his potential.

'...What exactly happened for him to reach that far?'

Still, it was incomprehensible.

"Anyway, Gojo, you should continue refining your techniques."

"Aww. But I want to learn. Can't you at least tell me its name?"

"No."

It might be Toji's power, but Haki was also Zoro's power.

The future is uncertain. Even though Gojo and Zoro seem to get along now, they could become enemies later.

Can it be guaranteed that Gojo, having learned about Haki, wouldn't use that information to attack Zoro?

'There are no guarantees.'

Therefore, there was no way Toji would discuss Haki with Gojo.

Even if it meant death.

Of course, Zoro would say to speak up and save his own life, but that made Toji even less willing to speak.

'If I can't stand beside him, I should at least not hold him back.'

He was utterly insane. Toji chuckled to himself.

But then, he had been abandoned since birth.

He couldn't bring himself to put the one person who vowed never to abandon him in danger.

Even more so since he was his son.

'Anyway, even if I taught him Haki, it wouldn't be easy for him to master.'

The better one's physical abilities, senses, energy, or other skills like techniques are, the harder it becomes to learn Haki. Instead of awakening Haki, one could simply rely on their other abilities.

Toji himself had struggled to learn Haki for this reason. Not to mention Gojo Satoru, who was born with the Six Eyes.

Gojo pouted and tapped his legs impatiently.

"So, you're saying you won't teach me?"

He never really expected Toji to willingly share. It's common for sorcerers to keep their trump cards secret, and naturally, they don't want to share them with others.

'Especially if it's a power not even visible to my Six Eyes.'

It was a capability anyone would covet.

Still, Toji had mentioned he wasn't at a level to teach anyone. Even if he didn't know the extent of that ability, what Toji had demonstrated in front of Gojo suggested there was much more to it.

'Of course, a gorilla remains a gorilla.'

Even a basic level of that ability would be much more effectively used by others.

'The reason Marimo is strong... probably because that gorilla taught him that power.'

Gojo seriously considered the exact opposite of the truth.

'Maybe if I press Marimo, I could get an answer.'

Like Toji, Zoro would know about that power. And since Zoro is Toji's son, perhaps harassing Zoro could make Toji open up.

But Gojo had no intention of going that far.

'A gorilla going berserk is one thing...'

His gaze drifted to Zoro, who had fallen asleep in the chair, embracing the children. Zoro mumbled in his sleep and hugged the kids tighter. Watching this, Gojo thought.

'He's just a kid.'

A kid, a child, is always the weaker party in any society.

And for the strong to bully the weak is something Suguru strongly condemns and dissuades.

Of course, Zoro wouldn't technically be considered 'weak' when it comes to absolute strength.

'Suguru doesn't seem to know yet.'

It seemed Suguru might even misunderstand that the incident with the special grade cursed spirit at the department store was handled by Toji. A laughable misconception.

'Zoro surely has power.'

Likely the same power that dyed Toji black.

However, even if such power existed, Zoro was still young, younger than Gojo Satoru when he first started on missions. Additionally, there's no need for him to be involved in the sorcery world, yet he's been inadvertently caught up as a non-sorcerer.

In that sense, Zenin Zoro was someone Gojo Satoru needed to protect.

Groaning, Gojo scratched his white hair in frustration.

'The strong sacrificing for the weak is what makes a society right, or that sorcery exists to protect non-sorcerers.'

Such things, no matter how many times Gojo heard them, never really resonated with him, he muttered to himself.

Gojo simply enjoyed using sorcery. He liked being strong and overwhelming, being able to freely rampage and burst cursed spirits.

Although he had saved people in the process, he didn't attach much importance to it. He wasn't a despicable human being or trash who delighted in seeing innocent people suffer, but he also couldn't genuinely empathize with the pain of the weak and get truly angry for them like Suguru did.

However, he was well aware that a world where people like Suguru held power would be more peaceful and ideal.

So, even though he retorted not to act all high and mighty every time Suguru nagged him, Gojo faithfully followed his friend's ideals.

Surely, it was the better choice.

'Well, can't be helped.'

He'd just have to leave Zoro alone and pester "Gorilla Sensei" to find out what that power was. Gojo thought to himself.

'If I pester him all day, he might teach me out of annoyance eventually.'

In the past, such persistence might have been fatal, but now Gojo had the Reverse Technique. Even with Toji's strange cursed tool that could cancel techniques, Gojo wouldn't be easily subdued like before. In other words, he had nothing to fear.

Seeing Gojo's sparkling Six Eyes through his sunglasses, Geto's eyes narrowed. That was the face he made when he was up to something.

'What's he plotting now?'

Geto mouthed the question. Nothing, Gojo mouthed back with a sly grin.

'Can't really call a student asking their teacher questions a scheme, can you?'

Exactly. Gojo nodded vigorously.

Toji frowned, feeling an ominously bad premonition. With a feeling of unease, he declared.

"...That's it for today's lesson."

"Oookay. Be prepared, teacher~"

I'll stick to you until you teach me, without giving me a chance to not learn.

Gojo chuckled ominously, shoulders shaking.

"Hehehe, hehehehehe!"

"What's wrong, have you lost it?"

"Satoru, what's with you?"

"Ah~ nothing. Hehehe!"

"...Gojo is weird..."

"Tsumiki, close your eyes."

There's nothing good about seeing this. Toji scooped up the three huddled kids into his arms all at once.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 87: Chapter 85

Tsumiki and Megumi were sound asleep in the rest area in front of the vending machine at the Jujutsu High.

The two had been drawing pictures together, proudly showing off their ability to write Hiragana, and then, as if by agreement, they simultaneously nodded off into a deep sleep.

'It's true that young kids need a lot of sleep, but they seem to fall asleep quite often.'

Zoro was unaware that they had picked up this habit from him, who could sleep anywhere as soon as his head hit a surface.

He laid the two comfortably on a long bench. Then, he picked up the papers on which they had been practicing Hiragana.

Zoro calmly reviewed the paper with Tsumiki's name (つみき) written in small, round Hiragana characters.

'She missed the dot on "o (お)" again.'

It was a letter Tsumiki frequently made mistakes with.

'Megumi's writing wasn't so much writing as it was drawing.'

Seeing Megumi's scribbled writing, Zoro chuckled to himself.

The two strokes for "i (い)" were so close they almost looked like a U, and when writing "su (す)," instead of twisting the stroke once, it was twisted twice.

'It's not a spring.'

They were still young, so it was understandable. Who knows what they'll be like when they grow up. And if they're still silly... well, that's fine too.

'Fools have their own path.'

The greatest fool of a captain and the former strongest swordsman in the world, who were about equal in their level of foolishness, would later look at Megumi, who managed to score a perfect 10 out of 10 in the Jujutsu High's theoretical (sitting) exams, and think nothing of it.

Sensing a presence, Zoro looked up. Toji had returned to the Jujutsu High after completing a mission, walking towards them with a cursed spirit weapon wrapped around his body.

"Father."

"Nothing happened?"

"No."

Toji picked up a piece of paper fluttering near Zoro. Seeing the crooked writing, a faint smile appeared on Toji's lips.

"You've been checking their Hiragana studies."

"Yeah. Teach them a lot now."

"...?"

"When they grow up, your siblings will be smarter than you."

"Huh?!"

Zoro was quite knowledgeable and level-headed but not particularly intelligent. Usually, intelligent kids are the opposite.

Toji silently sat next to Zoro, careful not to wake the children.

Toji spread his Observation Haki to ensure Gojo's presence was not nearby before asking Zoro.

"Where's he?"

"If you mean Satoru, he's out on a mission with Suguru."

"That's a relief."

After Toji declared he would not teach Haki, Gojo Satoru had been making excuses to stick around Toji incessantly, constantly asking questions and requesting additional lessons.

'He's planning to stick around until I teach him.'

An infuriated Toji once banned the use of techniques during physical training and, with all his might, threw Gojo, who had released his Limitless, to the opposite side of the Jujutsu High.

However, Gojo was not the same as before; the moment he was thrown, he immediately applied the Reverse Cursed Technique to his entire body, recovering from all the damage he received while flying.

"Strictly speaking, the Reverse Cursed Technique isn't a technique, right? It's just one way of manipulating energy. Isn't that so?"

That was what Gojo said when he showed up unharmed shortly after. Watching Gojo, Toji for the first time understood what it felt like to be truly exasperated.

'I should throw him again.'

He was seriously tempted but gave up, knowing Gojo would just use the Reverse Cursed Technique again.

Since then, Toji used his Observation Haki to avoid Gojo as much as possible.

'If it were about defeating him head-on, that's one thing.'

Running away from Gojo was something Toji could do. Of course, since Toji would return to his kids eventually, Gojo would quickly find him again.

The good thing was, both Gojo and Toji were very busy.

As soon as the higher-ups were informed that Gojo had mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique, the level of his missions steadily increased. Therefore, Gojo didn't have much time to follow Toji around.

'If the young master gets promoted to a special grade, the number of missions he and the front-runner go out on together will decrease.'

It's inefficient to assign both a special grade and a grade 1 sorcerer to the same mission.

They're dying to be apart from each other. Toji finished his thought.

"I wish it was a long-term mission."

"It's a simple one. They've been gone for a while, so they'll be back soon."

"Ugh."

Guess I'll have to head to the next mission site right away. Seeing Toji's disgusted expression, Zoro said.

"If it bothers you that much, why not just tell him about Haki?"

"Can't do that."

"Why?"

"It's annoying."

Of course, that wasn't the main reason, but Zoro wasn't great at understanding complex explanations, so it was easier to put it this way.

Fortunately, Zoro accepted the explanation without much fuss.

"He is annoying, isn't he."

"You can't teach him Haki either."

"Why?"

"He'll become even more annoying."

"Just for that reason?"

"That's right."

Zoro observed Toji, then smirked.

"That's not it."

"..."

"There's another reason. It's not entirely a lie, but the reason you don't want to teach Satoru Haki isn't just that."

Toji clicked his tongue. Zoro was sharp. Faced with Zoro's expectant gaze, Toji had no choice but to speak.

"He's already too strong."

If he becomes any stronger, then he might truly become an existence that even Zoro can't catch up to.

'I've already said too much about Haki to him.'

I'm not at a level to teach anyone.

That meant there could be someone capable of learning and surpassing Toji in the use of Haki.

'He might have already realized that.'

Even if he's crazy, he's definitely not dumb.

Zoro's grey eyes examined Toji for a moment before he laughed as if he had realized something.

"Are you afraid that if Satoru learns Haki, I'll never be able to beat him?"

"..."

"Father, I'm going to be the strongest."

And to become the strongest, naturally, he had to surpass Satoru as well. However, he had no intention of hindering Satoru's growth to achieve that.

'It would be a waste.'

To lose a good rival like that.

'People's growth isn't something you can just stop if you want to.'

In a previous life, those in power tried everything they could to halt the growth of the Straw Hat crew, mobilizing forces from all over the world. In the end, they all failed.

"I have no intention of becoming the strongest by belittling others, Father."

"..."

"It might be your choice not to teach Satoru Haki."

But that doesn't mean Zoro has a reason not to teach Satoru Haki.

Well, even though I say that.

"I wonder if it would really be beneficial for Satoru to learn Haki."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm honestly not sure what would happen if a sorcerer learned Haki."

Energy, as we know, has a negative (-) nature.

The Reverse Cursed Technique generates positive () energy by multiplying negative energy by negative energy.

—So, what about Haki?

"What kind of energy is Haki? Positive? Or negative?"

"...You don't know?"

"I don't."

In a previous life, there was no energy with a clear negative (-) nature like cursed energy.

Unlike cursed energy, which originates from negative emotions and has negative properties, Haki is derived from a strong will.

This raises the question.

Does the will of living beings originate from positive or negative things?

'Can we even categorize human will as either positive or negative?'

Will is usually a mix of a person's emotions, beliefs, circumstances, and enlightenment. It's mostly impossible to pinpoint it as either positive or negative.

If it's neither positive nor negative, then what is Haki?

Currently, it's unknown. Toji and Zoro never used cursed energy in combat at all. There's also never been a sorcerer who learned or used Haki.

"Since we don't know the nature of Haki, we can't predict how it would interact with immense cursed energy."

Perhaps, for a sorcerer, learning Haki might be incredibly difficult, or even if they learned it, Haki and cursed energy might cancel each other out, actually weakening the power of sorcery.

In short, it might be better for sorcerers not to learn Haki. Toji muttered, having realized what Zoro was implying.

"I didn't feel a decrease in power when I used Armament Haki on a tool."

"That's because you're flowing Haki into an already created tool. It might be different when a person directly generates both Haki and cursed energy."

Besides, Toji has no cursed energy at all.

Since Zoro, a non-sorcerer with a bit of cursed energy, uses Haki just fine, it's assumed that a sorcerer learning Haki wouldn't have a fatal effect. But it's uncertain since the difference in cursed energy between sorcerers and non-sorcerers is vast.

Zoro thought,

'I should borrow a cursed tool from Father and spar with him.'

It seemed like a good opportunity to truly experience the essence of cursed energy.

Toji ruffled his hair, overwhelmed by the unexpected conversation. He hadn't even considered the impact of Haki's nature on sorcerers.

"...Got it. I'll be back from the mission, so we'll talk in the evening—"

Zoro and Toji's heads turned in a certain direction. Someone had arrived. It was a strong presence.

Toji pulled the handle of a cursed tool from the mouth of the storage cursed spirit he carried. Zoro, without making any particular movement, watched the hallway. The strong presence didn't seem hostile.

Clack, clack. The sound of brisk footsteps approached. From the end of the Jujutsu High's corridor, a young woman appeared with long, blond hair and a charming mole under her eye.

She lit up upon seeing Toji.

"Hello, Zenin Toji. Lucky me to meet you."

"...Who are you?"

"Tsukumo Yuki. A special grade sorcerer."

There was no need to add that title. Everyone in the Jujutsu High knew the name of the only existing special grade sorcerer.

...Especially since she was infamous for abandoning her duties and wandering abroad.

As if she hadn't noticed Toji's attempt to draw his weapon, she asked casually,

"What's your type in women?"

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 88: Chapter 86

Toji chuckled dryly. Being asked about his preference in women as the first question upon meeting was neither appropriate nor pleasant.

Had a man asked such a question at their first meeting, fists might have flown, but Toji, who tended to be quite gentle with women, asked for the reason behind it.

"Why do you ask that question?"

"I believe that a person's sexual preference reflects everything about them."

It was a thought fitting for a sorcerer.

"While I did ask about women, it doesn't really matter if it's men or anyone else. So, what's your preference?"

The image of a woman clearly formed in Toji's mind. In fact, it was a face that hadn't left his mind since he was first asked about his preference.

"..."

She had petulant black hair and a smile like a piece of sunshine.

He had never considered it as a preference.

But he definitely couldn't say it wasn't his preference.

Tanaka Chie was someone Zenin Toji couldn't help but love.

In every way, from one to ten.

So, if asked about his preference, the only response Toji could give was,

"She's gone now."

Preference or whatever, the only woman he could love as a partner was Chie.

...And Chie was dead.

"Is that so? Unexpected."

With that, Tsukumo no longer pursued Toji's preference.

Then, glancing briefly at Zoro, she said to Toji,

"Zenin Toji. I have something to discuss with you. Shall we talk outside for a moment?"

...

'Flatly rejected.'

At Tsukumo Yuki's suggestion to research the curseless phenomenon of a person with zero cursed energy, Zenin Toji displayed his displeasure and firmly refused.

'Well, it's not unexpected.'

It was natural for anyone, sorcerer or non-sorcerer, to dislike being experimented on with their body, so Tsukumo wasn't too disappointed.

Clunk! Thud.

A can of cola rolled out of the vending machine. She picked it up, opened it, and took a drink.

Tsukumo's gaze shifted toward the corridor Toji had just left through.

After rejecting her experiment proposal, Toji had reluctantly left, repeatedly glancing back at where Zoro was, clearly not wanting to leave. The menacing warning that he wouldn't let anything happen to the kids was a bonus.

'It's a pity. I wanted to talk more with him.'

Toji, the curseless phenomenon, had flatly rejected the experiment proposal and left, and the ones rumored to soon rise to special grade sorcerer status, Gojo and Geto, were also out on a mission.

It might have seemed like a wasted trip to come all the way to the Jujutsu High, but Tsukumo didn't feel that way at all.

'I've met a remarkable child.'

She secretly smiled and turned back to Zoro.

"Do you want me to get you something too?"

"Alcohol."

"Sorry, your father said he wouldn't let it slide if I did anything harmful to you guys."

Besides, it's not like a school vending machine would sell alcohol.

Instead of alcohol, Tsukumo picked out a can of orange juice and handed it to Zoro. He looked slightly disappointed but opened it and drank it down.

She sat down beside Zoro, smiling at the sight of the children sleeping soundly.

"Is this one, your sibling?"

"Yeah."

"Cute."

Especially the boy, who was the spitting image of Zenin Toji. Except for the spiky hair.

"Zenin-kun, what's your type in women?"

"I don't have one."

Zoro was indifferent to matters of sexuality, both in his past and present life. It wasn't out of aversion or bad feelings; he simply had no interest.

Tsukumo tilted her head, uncertain whether he truly had no preference or if he was too young to understand the question.

So, she decided to ask a slightly different question.

"Is there anyone outside of your family or friends you want to meet? Someone you find interesting."

Someone interesting. Zoro mentioned the first person that came to mind.

"A swordsman."

"A swordsman? Why?"

"I want to fight them."

Although Toji was quite skilled with a sword, he wasn't a swordsman. In this world, there were indeed people who wielded real swords, but most could hardly be called swordsmen due to their lack of skill, merely brigands at best.

Tsukumo Yuki laughed heartily.

"That's interesting. I know a few sorcerers who use swords, should I introduce you?"

"Are they swordsmen?"

"Uh, no. More sorcerers than anything. Most use swords to channel cursed energy or as a tool when they can't use techniques."

The most swordsman-like sorcerer she could think of was probably Kusakabe. Tsukumo murmured.

Zoro turned his head away, showing disinterest.

"Never mind, then."

Of course, being a sorcerer doesn't mean one can't be a swordsman. In his previous life, there were often swordsmen who also had Devil Fruit powers.

But from Tsukumo's explanation, it seemed like their identity as sorcerers was much stronger than as swordsmen.

'Their fighting style would be more focused on sorcery than swordsmanship.'

From Zoro's perspective, it was understandably disappointing. A world nearly devoid of swordsmen. Sensing his feelings, she spoke calmly.

"Swordsmanship isn't looked down upon in the sorcery world. In fact, among sorcerers who use Cursed Tools, those who wield sword types are the most common. However, there's a limit to how strong you can become with swordsmanship alone, not just for non-sorcerers but also for sorcerers. It's because you can't infinitely strengthen a Cursed Tool with cursed energy. If too much is imbued, the tool can't withstand it and will break."

"You and your father are quite unique cases," Tsukumo added. It seemed like the ceiling for becoming stronger through swordsmanship in this world was much lower compared to his previous life.

'But isn't it the essence of a swordsman to cut through and leap over such limits?'

Insurmountable foes, bitter and desperate defeats, and the painful limits felt every time the path forward is blocked.

Roronoa Zoro overcame all these hardships to finally reach the pinnacle as a swordsman.

Zoro shook his head after a moment of thought.

'Not everyone can be like me.'

He had talent, continuously worked hard, and was also lucky. While effort is up to the individual, talent and luck are different matters.

...Even Kuina was frustrated that she was born a woman.

"If only I had been born a man."

Stirring up old memories, Zoro's expression turned sullen.

He was aware that people are born with different types and magnitudes of talents. Even if two people have the same talent and put in the same effort, it doesn't mean they'll achieve the same results.

But still…

'I really hate it.'

The notions of wishing to have been born a man, saying that biological differences meant she couldn't beat him, that there are limits to how much physical strength or cursed energy can enhance a weapon.

For Zoro, who lived his life without once making excuses for his defeats or weaknesses, all of it was nothing but excuses.

Tsukumo chuckled at Zoro's grumpy face.

"You seem quite displeased."

"I really hate those kinds of excuses."

"Is that so? But many sorcerers make those excuses."

Lacking in cursed energy, not inheriting powerful techniques, not being born into the Gojo family, being from a non-sorcerer family with no knowledge of the sorcery world, encountering a strong cursed spirit too early in life.

Many sorcerers voice their reasons for not becoming stronger as they fall behind and die.

Tsukumo Yuki understood them.

She knew all too well how shitty the fate you're born with can be.

That's why she wanted to change it.

"Sending sorcerers to hunt cursed spirits as they appear… That's the current policy of Jujutsu High. But I think there's a fundamental limit to that approach."

All that does is pile up the ashes of exorcised cursed spirits and the corpses of sorcerers.

Even though she was criticized for not fulfilling her duties as a special grade sorcerer, her focus on research activities abroad all had a reason.

Tsukumo Yuki spoke earnestly.

"I don't want to hunt cursed spirits; I want to create a world where cursed spirits are not born at all."

Zoro listened silently to her words.

"Do you think it's impossible?"

"No."

There's nothing impossible in this world. And Tsukumo Yuki seemed to sincerely believe in her goal and was making efforts to achieve it.

Just as many pirates spoke of their dreams in his previous life.

It's not polite to criticize someone else's dreams, no matter how absurd they might seem. Being someone who harbored dreams and ambitions as foolishly big and vast as Luffy's, Zoro had no intention of mocking or denying Tsukumo's dream.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 89: Chapter 87

Tsukumo Yuki looked at Zoro with unfamiliar eyes.

The upper echelons and other sorcerers, even Tengen himself, had never seriously listened to her words. They gave half-pitying, half-dismissive responses as if her wish was, "I want to pick stars from the sky"—looking at Tsukumo as one would look at a child saying such a thing.

Because Zoro took her ideal seriously, Tsukumo decided to give him a bit of a lesson.

"Cursed spirits are born when people feel negative emotions, and the cursed energy that flows out clumps together to form a shape."

"..."

"However, unlike non-sorcerers, sorcerers circulate cursed energy within their bodies instead of emitting it externally. That's why sorcerers don't create cursed spirits. ...Of course, excluding cases where a sorcerer is killed by an attack not imbued with cursed energy and transforms into a cursed spirit posthumously."

"..."

"So, there are two ways to create a world where cursed spirits aren't born."

"...Zzz..."

"...Are you sleeping?"

"Huh!"

Zoro, who had been nodding off, was startled awake by Tsukumo's nudge.

"Yawn."

He didn't even try to hide that he had fallen asleep. Shameless. Instead of scolding him, she continued.

"Anyway, originally I thought of two ways to create a world without cursed spirits. First, remove cursed energy from all of humanity. Second, make all of humanity able to control cursed energy."

Neither path is easy. Yet, she had a prime example right before her.

"The most promising clue is your father."

"Huh?"

"Your father obtained superhuman physical abilities in exchange for being a curseless entity with zero cursed energy. Since he has no cursed energy at all, he can't create cursed spirits while alive."

Despite searching the entire world, the only person like that, both in the current era and throughout history, was Zenin Toji.

"If all humans become like your father with zero cursed energy, the first scenario becomes possible."

However, the major problem was that there's practically no way to transform non-sorcerers or sorcerers into curseless entities with zero cursed energy, and it's unknown under what conditions a curseless entity with zero cursed energy is born. None of Toji's sons are curseless entities with zero cursed energy, after all.

"My original goal was the second one."

Making all of humanity able to control cursed energy.

"And recently, I discovered an unexpected third possibility."

"What's that?"

"You."

Tsukumo pointed straight at Zoro with her finger.

"Zenin-kun, you're still young and, most importantly, a non-sorcerer, yet you're incredibly strong."

The rumor that a 5-year-old non-sorcerer single-handedly defeated a special grade cursed spirit was hard for even Tsukumo to believe, but seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn't deny it. Zenin Zoro possessed that level of skill. He didn't seem to use techniques or cursed energy, but his sense as a special grade sorcerer was on a completely different dimension from other sorcerers.

"You've already gotten rid of far more cursed spirits than you could ever produce in your lifetime."

"If all non-sorcerers could become like you, what do you think would happen?" Tsukumo asked, her eyes sparkling, before answering her own question.

"The rate at which cursed spirits disappear would far exceed the rate at which they are born."

It wouldn't be a world where cursed spirits never arise, but it could be a splendid alternative.

In that sense, Zoro, like Toji, was a subject of her research.

Of course, researching Toji was one thing, but knowing Toji would become hostile, even seeing it as a threat if she suggested researching Zoro, she didn't mention it to Toji.

Zoro frowned. He had a lot to say, but he asked the first question that came to mind.

"How are you going to do that?"

"...That's the problem."

All three options were currently unrealistic.

"How about asking your dad to make another sibling?"

"That's absurd..."

"It's a joke."

Tsukumo chuckled, then clasped her hands behind her head.

The joke wasn't entirely a joke, though. Tsukumo was fascinated not only by Zenin Toji's curseless physique but also by his genetic relations.

'Ironically, Zenin Toji, a man with absolutely no cursed energy, was born into the Zenin family, one of the three great sorcerer families in Japan. And all his children were born as beings capable of eradicating cursed spirits.'

The first child was a non-sorcerer with combat abilities to defeat cursed spirits, and the second child was a sorcerer.

'The Zenin family, among the Gojo family, is famous for possessing a variety of inherited techniques.'

To secure and preserve inherited techniques, the Zenin family has been marrying sorcerers with various techniques into the family and intermarrying within the family to ensure their children inherit these techniques.

'Maybe being a curseless entity with zero cursed energy is a mutant trait that emerged from the continuous interbreeding of sorcerers with techniques.'

Of course, it was just a hypothesis. Since Zenin Toji was the only known curseless entity with zero cursed energy throughout global history, there were limits to verification.

"Zenin-kun, do you know the basic principle of sorcery... no, of this world?"

"...?"

"It's equivalent exchange."

As the number of non-sorcerers increases, so does the number of cursed spirits.

When powerful sorcerers are born, powerful cursed spirits emerge as well. The same goes for constraints. The more you restrict, the more you gain.

"But you, you haven't lost much compared to what you have."

Despite claims of abandoning duties or whatever, being a Special Grade Sorcerer, it's undeniable. This child, although not a non-sorcerer or possessing zero cursed energy like a curseless vessel, has physical abilities comparable to those of zero cursed energy.

Although Zoro's physical abilities are currently less than Toji's... Well, will that still be the case once he becomes an adult?

Becoming stronger as a non-sorcerer doesn't mean the cursed spirits will become stronger.

Like Zenin Toji or other curseless vessels, he wasn't born with the constraints essential to life from the start.

Yet, he has the potential to become even stronger than them.

Thinking about it in terms of equivalent exchange, that was a very strange occurrence.

"You and your father are beings that escape the causality and laws of this world," Tsukumo Yuki defined them that way.

Toji was born without the cursed energy inherent in all humans, not confined by the yoke of cursed energy from the start.

Zoro, although born within the yoke of cursed energy, was breaking and ignoring the fate that should have left him a significantly weak existence as a non-sorcerer, growing fearsomely instead.

"..."

Zoro quietly pondered. Tsukumo stood up, realizing it was about time to leave.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Let's meet again in a few years, not now, as fellow sorcerers."

"I'm not a sorcerer, though."

"Well, who knows."

To her, Zoro seemed destined to remain within the sorcery world, an irregular capable of defeating Special Grade cursed spirits at a young age despite being a non-sorcerer.

'Because you were born that way.'

Tsukumo smiled wistfully and turned away.

"See you again someday, Zenin-kun."

As the woman's figure receded, Zoro, watching her golden-haired back, gently stroked the back of Tsumiki, who was tossing and turning as if dreaming.

"But you, you haven't lost much compared to what you have."

Tsukumo's words kept echoing in Zoro's head.

'Really?'

Have I really not lost anything?

Reincarnation. The ability to use cursed energy even after the world has changed. A body that can grow infinitely stronger with training and rapidly develop despite not being a curseless vessel with zero cursed energy.

All of that, obtained without any cost?

Something didn't add up. It was strange.

'If I have paid a price for all this,'

What did I pay?

Suddenly, a dream that Zoro no longer dreamed about flashed through his mind.

More precisely, the red thread seen in that dream.

When dreaming of the red thread and heart, although the thread was tied to Zoro's hand...

'It seemed like it could unravel or break at any moment.'

Loose, thin, fragile.

Yet, also beautiful and precious.

Something he wanted to hold onto by any means.

...If it hadn't been for the gradually slowing heartbeat, perhaps he would have.

Holding onto the thread might have caused the already fragile thread to snap.

Zoro let go of the slowly unraveling red thread from his hand and watched as it disappeared towards where he had left.

"..."

Towards a place scented with the sea and illuminated by the sun.

Whether it was a dream or a memory was unclear.

'If that was not merely a dream but a memory, was the red thread the price I paid?'

What exactly was that thread?

...What did I give up?

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 90: Chapter 88

"1564... 1565... 1566..."

"Hurry, hurry!"

"Brother, faster!"

"1567, 1568, 1569, 1570, 1571, 1572...!"

Mei Mei, having completed her mission and returned to the school, stopped in her tracks at the sight of a rare scene.

"...Well."

A young man with green hair, shirtless, lifting and lowering a giant basket with two small children inside, performing exercises was indeed a sight one wouldn't see just anywhere.

"Kyaa!"

"More, more!"

The children inside the basket didn't stay still; they bounced around.

Seeing Zoro lifting and lowering the wildly shaking basket quickly and steadily, Mei Mei cracked a smile.

'Even a slight imbalance would tilt the basket. And the kids inside aren't staying still either.'

Zoro subtly adjusted his grip on the basket, shifting the center of gravity while continuing his play and exercise routine.

Drip, drip.

Mei Mei noticed countless sweat droplets falling every time Zoro moved.

It's mid-December. Moreover, the school's location in the mountains made it colder than the city. Today was exceptionally cold as well.

On such a day, especially in a place colder than most, how long and how intensely would one need to exercise for their shirt to become soaked with sweat?

Mei Mei casually asked Zoro.

"Aren't you cold?"

Zoro glanced at Mei Mei. Unlike Gojo, Geto, or Shoko, with whom he often interacted, Zoro didn't have much to do with Mei Mei. They had only seen each other's faces in passing a few times.

"Not really."

"You're working harder than usual, Zenin-kun. Something on your mind?"

"Not sure."

1603, 1604, 1605. Zoro counted internally, responding nonchalantly.

After Tsukumo's visit, Zoro had thought about the dream involving a heart and red threads.

He also considered the possibility that the dream wasn't merely a dream, but a real memory that Zoro had experienced at some point.

If it was a real memory, two questions arose:

One was what the red thread Zoro had given up represented.

The second was when exactly he had experienced that event.

Wondering if there might be something he missed, Zoro reflected on his experiences across two lifetimes.

"Whether it was my first life or my second, there's no particular gap in my memories while I was alive."

All memories were intact within Zoro's mind.

Of course, it wasn't that he remembered everything without fail; naturally, some memories faded over time, but there was no unnatural void.

"The only time I might not remember is when I was very young in my first life."

But lacking memories from infancy is quite natural. Unless it was about his second birth, where he was reborn as an adult, almost no one retains memories from when they were actual infants.

If there was a void...

"After death?"

Did he dip his toes in hell? Zoro thought for a moment but then shook his head.

"Hell wasn't that dark."

Trying to recall the circumstances before and after that memory proved impossible, as if trying to cram something much larger into a tiny box.

"..."

One thing was certain: he did not regret letting go of the thread at that moment.

Then, as now.

"That's enough."

It was only giving him a headache.

"If it's something I need to know, I'll find out eventually."

Zoro carefully set down the basket and put his shirt back on. Megumi's eyes sparkled.

"More! More!"

"No, Megumi. Brother is tired."

"I'm not tired."

"Don't show off."

"When did you learn to say that?"

"From Mr. Gojo!"

"...That guy, really..."

Tsumiki chuckled and then suddenly asked.

"Do you feel better now?"

Zoro looked thoughtfully at Tsumiki.

"Why do you ask?"

"You seemed upset."

Tsumiki gently rubbed between Zoro's eyebrows. To others, he might have appeared as his usual expressionless self, but she could tell the difference.

Earlier, Zoro had been in a particularly bad mood.

"Lifting heavy things and sweating a lot makes me feel better," he explained, though Tsumiki still didn't understand why. Was it because his body warmed up in the cold? But then, he would take off his top when it got too warm.

Yet, if it made Zoro happy, Tsumiki was happy too.

'The basket is fun!'

Seeing Tsumiki's bright smile, Zoro couldn't help but smile faintly himself. Megumi clung to Zoro's arm, whining for more.

"Ah, right. I want to swing a long sword. One that can reach all the way over there!"

"Why?"

"So it can reach far!"

Zoro chuckled at the childlike logic.

"A short sword can reach far too."

In his previous life, Mihawk had used a fork-sized sword, or even smaller, to unleash massive slashes. A skilled swordsman didn't need a large sword to reach far.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe I'll use a short one?"

"Up to you."

Doing what one desires is the best. Zoro, echoing the sentiments of a true pirate, gently patted Tsumiki's head.

"Higher, higher!"

Yielding to Megumi's demands, Zoro lifted his onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride. With his eye level significantly elevated, Megumi, forgetting his tantrum, hugged the back of Zoro's head and giggled happily.

"I love you."

"Me too."

Cradling Megumi, who buried his face in his green hair, Zoro also expressed his affection for Tsumiki.

"And you too."

Tsumiki's brown eyes widened, then softened.

"I love you too, brother!"

"I know."

"It's important to say it even if you know. It's nice to hear. Idiots don't understand unless you say it."

"Are you talking about me?"

"You're not that kind of idiot."

"Hmm."

"But you are an idiot at other times!"

"Teasing me?"

Zoro playfully tousled Tsumiki's hair. Tsumiki stretched her arms wide.

"Hug me!"

With an exasperated look, Zoro warmly embraced Tsumiki. Mei Mei commented,

"So affectionate."

"They're the ones who always come to me."

"Uh-huh, sure…"

Being young doesn't mean being utterly clueless. Initially, they might approach, but they wouldn't keep clinging to someone they thought wouldn't accept them.

The fact they freely ask for hugs suggests they've been readily given them before, quite frequently at that.

After completing a mission, Gojo and Geto arrived with their hands full of snacks. Each had a skewer of dango (Japanese dumplings) in their mouths already.

Seeing the kids clinging to Zoro, Gojo grimaced.

"They're at it again."

"Hello, Mei Mei," greeted Geto.

"Hi, Geto-kun. What's that in your hand?"

"We passed by a famous dango place on our way here. Bought some."

Gojo looked around and asked,

"Hey, Marimo. Where's your dad?"

"Not sure."

"Hmm, must have gone on a mission?"

Guessing correctly, Gojo tossed his finished dango skewer onto the ground.

"Too bad, I wanted to spar."

The Class 1 spirit he had just defeated was too easy. Gojo stopped himself from saying more, knowing the response wouldn't be favorable.

For Gojo now, Class 1 spirits weren't much of a threat. He needed at least a Special Grade to exert himself, but those weren't common, and as a Class 1 sorcerer, he rarely encountered them.

"Blasting spirits away with my newly learned Purple technique is fun at first."

But that soon became boring. Essentially, recent missions felt like outings with Satoru.

"Though, the dango today was delicious!" Gojo preferred dango with lots of sweet red bean paste, but the mitarashi (sweet soy sauce) dango from that shop was exceptionally good. Satoru liked the ones coated in soybean flour.

Zoro glanced at Gojo setting down a shopping bag and asked in a very calm tone,

"It was boring?"

"Sort of..."

...I guess.

Gojo blinked, surprised. It was the first time someone openly asked if he found fighting boring.

Geto set down his shopping bag and admonished softly,

"Zoro, fighting isn't for fun. It's to protect the weak."

"What if the opponent is weak?"

"Then you shouldn't fight at all. If there's wrongdoing, punishment should follow the law, not violence. Seeking meaningless fights only harms the weak in the face of stronger aggression."

A society where the strong sacrifice for the weak is the ideal. Geto concluded with a slight smile.

Satoru made a groaning noise,

"Even lecturing a kid about positioning, Satoru?"

"It's important to teach them while they're young. They don't yet fully understand right and wrong."

"Ugh, total old man talk~"

"…Haha, Satoru."

Geto grabbed Gojo by the collar, only smiling with his eyes. Gojo, with his physical restraints lifted at the collar, laughed, "You can't hit me, can you?"

Watching Geto effortlessly lift Gojo off the ground with a clean motion, Zoro chuckled.

"The right society, huh?"

In his previous life, Zoro was a notorious pirate who caused upheaval across the world, ultimately leading to its collapse. Discussing the rightness of society wasn't exactly a conversation meant for him.

"Sorry, Geto, but I don't fight based on those standards."

If there's someone to fight, whether they're strong or weak, alone or in a group, whoever they are, I'll fight.

"I won't get hurt, I won't! Even if Satoru throws me a hundred times, not a speck of dust would land on me."

"Ha. Guess we'll see if that's true if I actually do it a hundred times."

"Hey, no spinning! Who spins someone around while throwing them?"

"Who announces their moves in advance if they're not stupid, Satoru? Alright, going for ten more rounds?"

"I surrender! I surrender!"

...

As Zoro watched Geto spin Gojo around, he kept his thoughts to himself, seeing that neither seemed inclined to listen to anyone else at the moment.

Mei Mei had left at some point, and Megumi and Tsumiki were engrossed in their own game, holding hands.

Maybe it's time for some training, Zoro thought, but then he sensed someone approaching. It was his father, Toji, returning from a mission, silently coming up behind him.

"Father."

"Were you watching a fight? Fun?"

"Watching isn't fun. Fighting is where the fun's at."

Usually, people enjoy watching fights, don't they? Toji thought for a moment but then remembered neither he nor Zoro was exactly normal.

"Just make sure you don't get caught by someone who can scold you. Like the police, or a teacher."

"Who would scold me?"

"Well, I can't, that's for sure."

The only person who could really scold Zoro was Tsumiki, mainly when he wandered off on his own and got lost.

Toji whistled at Geto's actions.

"Your physical skills have improved a lot."

Well, after getting beaten up by me that much and not improving would be idiotic. Toji looked pleased, watching Geto swing Gojo around like a club. Well done, Geto. Keep it up.

"Father, are you tired now?"

"...No?"

"Then lend me a sword. As a cursed tool."

"Why?"

"I want to find something out."

Thinking might clear his head, and he felt restless after being relatively calm lately.

Guessing what Zoro was planning, Toji chuckled. Why was he asking if he was tired?

"Alone?"

"Having someone to spar with would be ideal."

"You're planning to beat up your newly returned dad?"

"You said you weren't tired."

But Toji had been quite busy with missions lately. Zoro glanced at Gojo and Geto and pointed in their direction.

"Then, how about with those guys?"

"...?"

"What?"

Gojo, still dizzy from being spun around, asked. Geto released Gojo's collar and turned to Zoro.

"What are you talking about, Zoro?"

"You're out—"

"I was thinking of sparring."

Before Toji could intervene, Zoro made his intention clear. Both Gojo and Geto stopped and looked down at Zoro.

...This could get complicated, Toji thought, pressing the bridge of his nose.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

If you want to read 20 chapters ahead or support me, visit my /fumiaki

Chapter 91: Chapter 89

"Sparring? With who?"

Geto asked warily. Zoro answered casually.

"One of you, or dad."

A one-on-many fight was a bit bothersome. It didn't exactly fit his current goal of testing his power.

"Father... you mean to spar with that gorilla?!"

Surprised, Geto exclaimed without his usual respectful address for a teacher.

"No. You'll get hurt, Zoro."

"I won't."

Zoro stated calmly.

Though still physically young, his Armament Haki was different. As long as he didn't delay in coating his entire body with it, he was confident he could withstand most attacks without taking damage.

Even if it was from Toji, Geto, or Satoru.

'I'm not sure about that purple technique.'

Unlike Toji and Geto, Satoru's attacks had a very high destructive power. Especially that purple technique, Zoro wasn't sure if his Armament Haki could fully defend against it.

But that didn't mean he intended to avoid sparring with Satoru.

...

Gojo remained silent, unusually quiet compared to his typically playful demeanor. Instead of Gojo, who was quietly observing Zoro with an inscrutable look, Geto tried to reason with Zoro.

"Look, Zoro. Sparring isn't real fighting, but it's rough. It can be very tough, and you can get hurt."

"I know. It's not my first time."

"Not your first... Teacher!"

Geto glared at Toji with burning eyes.

"Even if we, as active sorcerers, do it, I don't think it's right to train your son in the same manner."

That's child abuse.

Toji, met with Geto's sharp gaze, looked back at him askance. He was incredulous and frustrated, but most of all, he found it ridiculous.

"You know nothing."

He thought, if Toji and Zoro sparred, who would end up getting beaten wasn't clear to someone making such comments.

In most spars between Zoro and Toji, Toji was the one who ended up taking hits. Of course, there hadn't been a time when Toji went all out with the intention of truly hurting Zoro...

'...But the same could be said for Zoro.'

Ignoring Geto, Toji looked down at Zoro.

"Are you going to use it?"

Though the question was vague, Zoro understood it was about Haki and responded.

"Yeah."

"Just spar with me."

"You said no."

"It's better than with one of those guys."

Revealing his Haki was one thing, but the thought of how those two would react was already giving him a headache. However, Zoro shook his head.

"I think it's better to do it with one of those two this time, not dad."

What Zoro wanted to understand was the relationship between Haki and Juryoku (cursed energy). Thus, it would be better if his opponent also used Juryoku. Though Toji used cursed tools, there's a clear difference between the Juryoku of a sorcerer and the Juryoku in cursed tools.

Noticing Zoro's intention to spar with someone who uses Juryoku, Toji's expression hardened a bit.

"Should I spar with you after that?"

"...Forget it. Why bother?"

It's frustrating, but inevitable. Zenin Toji couldn't handle Juryoku. In exchange, he acquired superhuman physical abilities. So, there was nothing he could teach his son about Juryoku.

...Bitter taste.

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize."

Zoro, checking the condition of his sword, said,

"I'll let it go this time, but next time I spar with you, it'll be for real."

...

That's not what I meant.

Toji sighed. He had wanted to keep the existence of Haki a secret as long as possible, but it seemed impossible now.

There was a hint of regret.

'Maybe I should've told that Gojo guy earlier.'

Then perhaps they wouldn't have fought.

Opposing the spar now, Toji knew he couldn't win against Zoro. Being the father, he knew his eldest son's temperament well. Once Zoro decided something, he hardly ever went back on it, even if the family opposed.

"You're too reckless."

"And you?"

"I've always fought only battles I knew I'd win."

Even during his days as a sorcerer killer, he never took on jobs that seemed too troublesome or paid too little for the effort.

But as with many parents and children, Zoro was quite different from Toji.

Seeing those lively gray eyes for the first time in a while, Toji crouched down to meet Zoro's gaze.

"Don't reveal everything."

"Yeah."

He couldn't, even if he wanted to. He wasn't skilled in Three Sword Style or capable of using Conqueror's Haki yet.

"Don't get hurt."

"..."

"Answer me. Promise you'll be a round, healthy 'marimo' after the spar. Don't end up flattened."

"I'm not a marimo, okay?"

"Alright, Zoro."

Zoro just shook his head. He couldn't promise not to get hurt.

That wasn't something Zoro could decide on his own will.

Zoro glanced at Gojo. Though he seemed expressionless and silent, his Observation Haki read the turmoil inside him.

Under his rationality and self-control, he was on the verge of erupting.

Vivid excitement and fighting spirit.

"..."

Gojo seemed a better choice than Suguru.

"Satoru."

With determination, Zoro called out to Gojo, who was casually sitting with his legs loosely folded. Gojo met Zoro's gaze and chuckled.

"Ha... Really wanna spar with me? Why?"

"Because it seems like dad and Suguru don't really want to."

There's no need to force someone who doesn't want to fight into combat. Zoro likes battles, not slaughter, oppression, or torment.

Right now, the person with the most fighting spirit here was Gojo.

"You think I'd want to spar with a brat like you?"

"Yeah."

"...Don't know what makes you so sure."

But Gojo couldn't deny it.

Because he's a child, a subject of protection, the son of a gorilla. For several reasons, he had been avoiding confrontation with someone who now was asking for a spar himself.

If he didn't accept now, who knew how many years he'd have to wait before seeing that kid's strength?

Gojo glanced at Toji. His expression screamed headache, but he didn't seem like he would interfere or stop them.

He then stood up briskly and exclaimed cheerfully.

"Alright! Let's spar with me!"

"Satoru!"

"Spar, Suguru. You think I can't control my strength?"

Gojo, unable to hide his excitement, exaggeratedly swung his arms around to loosen up.

"Get ready, marimo. I'll avenge the grudge I have against the gorilla!"

"Why are you taking out your grudge on my son for something you faced?"

"Heh, the one who asked for the spar is your son, professor."

"...Cross the line, and I'll kill you with everything I've got."

"Yeah, yeah."

Geto yelled incredulously at Toji.

"Professor! You're really not going to stop them?"

"Can't stop them."

Zoro doesn't listen to people, and he especially dislikes being interrupted in a fight. So, once Zoro has made up his mind to fight, there's virtually no way for Toji to stop him. Maybe if he grabbed Zoro and ran away right now?

If it were a life-or-death battle, Toji might have carried Zoro off, regardless of being despised, but this was a spar. Sparring with Gojo would be highly beneficial for Zoro.

More importantly…

'Win or lose,'

Zoro wouldn't just be overpowered.

"Ugh."

Toji spit out the Weapon Storage Spirit. Then, from the swollen mouth of the spirit, he pulled out a katana-shaped cursed tool.

It wasn't a cursed tool with a technique or a high grade, just a simple katana with only pure cursed energy infused, a grade 2 cursed tool. It could have been a Special Grade if it had as much cursed energy as Split Soul Katana, but it wasn't, so it remained a grade 2 tool.

Zoro handed over the ordinary katana he usually carried. Toji took it and gave Zoro the katana cursed tool.

"Be careful."

"Yeah."

"Try to land a hit if you can."

Zoro nodded.

Geto placed his hand on Gojo's shoulder and seriously said,

"Satoru, you can't hurt him. He's just a child, only 6 years old. Don't think of it as fighting, think of it as playing with him. Be gentle with everything."

"I got it."

"Don't do it, or your already precarious humanity will cross an irretrievable river."

"Ah?!"

Toji took out his phone and called Shoko. No matter how the match went, she would be needed.

Ssshh.

Zoro drew the two swords he had tied to his waist. He held the Wado Ichimonji in his left hand and the cursed tool in his right.

Zoro raised the cursed tool in front of his face to inspect it closely.

'As expected, it feels different from a normal sword.'

Blue and dark energy enveloped the entire sword. Even without Observation Haki, any swordsman would notice.

This sword was not ordinary.

Swish. Zoro swung the sword through the air. Watching this, Gojo made a sound,

"You use two swords?"

"Technically three."

But he wasn't going to use that technique now. Unless his life was in danger, he promised Toji he wouldn't use Three-Sword Style.

Gojo made a puzzled face,

"How do you use the third sword?"

"I hold it in my mouth."

"...Is this a circus? How do you balance with such a method?"

It should be impossible for a human to have the jaw strength to swing a sword, and even if possible, the sword held in the mouth would interfere with the trajectory of the other two swords.

"You fight in a funny way."

Zoro didn't mind Gojo's comment. It was a reaction he often saw from those who faced him in his previous life.

Of course, their reaction changed after experiencing the Three-Sword Style firsthand.

Zoro just smiled lightly.

"Too bad I can't show you now."

It would have definitely been more fun if he could.

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