Chapter 6

The Toorus returned to Kyoto. Hokus was excited to get started on his training as he learned he could obtain the ten shadow technique, however he held off on using his curse energy. Megumi told him to wait 24 hours, he knows he has gone beyond that at the moment, but, when he got back. Hokus went right to the training grounds.

He knew the shikigami summons, and was trying them all. He summoned no wolves, toads, hawks or anything of significant power.

What came was a single rabbit.

He was confused at first, but went on his knees as he peered over his summoned partner. "I summoned you?" he asked.

The rabbit peered at him oddly, perhaps making sense of the situation it was in.

"A rabbit?! That's it?!"

He smirked and saw his brother Roark peering over his shoulder. "I thought the ten shadow summon starts with two jade wolves?" he asked.

Hokus nodded to this but then realized. "But I was given this technique, I didn't inherit naturally. So, I have to earn it." He decreed.

"Had you been your old self, I am sure you would have thrown a fit by now."

"And I agree!" Hokus laughed. "No, I understand the situation before me. I have to earn this power and not have it handed over. So if I am given a rabbit, I will work with said rabbit!" he said with great passion. He turned back to the summons.

"Okay, come at me, let me see you in action"

The rabbit… was oddly obliging.

In fact, it came at him fast and furious. Powerful strikes that made him stumble. It would kick him unconscious if it wanted to, and yet, this rabbit was remarkable!

When he called for a pause, he peered at it, the rabbit panted a little but appeared to be ready for more. "Damn, you are amazing!" Hokus decreed. "So, it's going to be us for a short while. I want to work on gaining the ten shadow technique, but it's best to do this in stages…" he paused. "Do you got friends we can call upon?"

It thumped.

Hokus has no idea what it meant.

"You do remember you have to defeat the summons, right?"

He peered and saw Roark had yet to leave! He saw the whole sparring match. However, he wasn't mocking him, he was serious.

"But how do I summon them?" Hokus asked.

"The same way you summoned your rabbit but different incantation, if anything I think you need to focus on the shikigami you are after and say an incantation, summon them and defeat them." Roark explained.

Hokus nodded and gave it a try.

In a single afternoon, he managed to gather ten thousand rabbits.

He was out of breath by the end of it all.

At the same time, he was rather taken aback to see Roark had yet to leave. He stayed with him the whole day as he hunted down rabbits for his ten shadow technique.

"That's a good legion." Roark said offhandedly.

"Yeah… now I got to train them."

#

The next day…

"ONE! TWO! THREE!"

Hokus stood before a legion of shikigami rabbits, he had ordered them to mimic him and copy his movements. Today, they were learning about throwing a punch. He would teach them a three step movement; one for punching, another for kicking and then throwing. He was rather surprised to see them follow through with his movements as he demonstrated the motion.

Before long, by lunch, the rabbits were capable of hand to hand combat. They would pair off and spar with one another, and after lunch. Hokus would take a group of them, ten at a time and train them to see how well they can move and fight back.

By two in the afternoon, he was already out of breath, but pleased with his results. "Good, take a rest." He ordered as the rabbits vanished.

"Really? That's it?"

He jumped a little to the voice, yet, he turned and saw Sukuna lingering! Yet he looked human… how does he do that? "What the hell are you doing here?!"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"He came to see his brewery." Chimed Lefi as she approached. "And I keep telling him it takes time to make sure that we can make a steady base… at the side of a goddamn mountain!" she protested.

"It's not that big of a deal…" he muttered. But then peered back at Hokus. "I see he didn't relinquish the full ten shadow technique to you. Are you just training with rabbits at the moment?"

Hokus smiled. "It's all I got." He explained to Sukuna that the moment he felt the ten shadow technique manifest, he tried every symbol he could think of, not even the jade dogs came before him. But a single rabbit did. "I trained that one up, it only took a day and then, we hunted down more rabbits. I got ten thousand at my call."

"Rabbits…" Sukuna muttered. "It rather interesting that you didn't gain the jade dogs, that's the first summons the user gains and they don't have to fight them." He said offhandedly. "That or perhaps the boy is making a mockery of you."

Hokus smirked, he knows that is also possible but he said. "Sukuna, may I ask, if you know the Zen'in clan well enough…"

"More so than many assume but go on."

"How would they have reacted if they only got one rabbit after being given the technique?" he asked.

Sukuna considered his answer he smirked and said. "They would have gone to Megumi and demanded and explanation as to why they didn't get the technique promised. Then again, I am starting to see that boy's perspective as well. He was testing YOU, to see YOUR reaction in gaining only a single rabbit."

Hokus nodded to this in agreement. "Either way, I am not complaining. This was given to me, I didn't earn it so I have to work for what I have. If I want this power, I have to obtain it for myself."

"And there it is…" he muttered.

"There what is?" Hokus asked.

"Your Tooru side. You may not have their blood, but you have their mindset. That is hard to come by let alone accept. You see the boarder picture before you as well, you also notice that this is a test of your character. Any other would be pissed off and demanding more power from Megumi, you are working on building it. Even if it is just rabbits."

"I am also grateful I have to the time to work on this, there's no real urgency, at the same time… I want to obtain them all sooner than later. But that I an uphill battle considering. There are powerful shikigami and it may not be enough with ten thousand rabbits."

"There it is again…"

"Must you comment on everything!?" Lefi demanded.

"Usually, at the same time, I came here to see if perhaps there is something to hunt. I took Rook out the other day with his younger brothers. We have meat and plenty of it. However, attempting to nurture two dragons and a pregnant wife… who is having my children… it not simple."

Hokus froze, as did Lefi. "Yua did say Chusi was eating as much as he was, right?"

"Indeed, so she's not having just one baby." Lefi replied.

They paused as Sukuna shuttered!

"Are you nervous about being a father?" Hokus asked curiously.

He sneered at him but said nothing. It's not like Sukuna would admit to it or anything either. Hokus was just curious at this point.

"Anyways. I merely came to inspect my brewery as well as see the land that your family has gained… it's good and it's rather interesting to see you obtained such a piece of property…"

"It is?" Lefi and Hokus asked.

He nodded to this. "Despite the school being in Kyoto. The lands your family has owned and continues to do so, as well as what has been gathered… you are far closer to Osaka than Kyoto. But the history is rich as well as it's a good base to obtain. Not only this, but the three great families tend to live near and within Kyoto due to their history of it. It's wise you are not near them. You are out of the cities and have the cover of nature around you. Therefore it is a prime place to be." He explained. "Now in my madness, it would be the first place I would target. However, knowing my odds, it would have been a failure for me."

Hokus paused. "You think the Tooru clan can defeat you?" he asked.

"I don't speak much about it, however, as of late I am getting rather good at pegging what would have been a grand fight and what would have cost me my life. The Toorus would have taken it with ease. Many don't see nor understand the value the clan itself has. And just from what I have heard from the three great families. There is so much infighting, I doubt many would get on the same page when it comes to fighting me. Granted, there are exceptions to the rule. But, from what I have seen first hand. The Toorus have more trust and confidence in their clan and all others. For you are not out to make a name for yourself or get noticed."

They paused to this.

Hokus nodded his head as Lefi sighed. "Why do you sound like my father in law?" she asked in a tired tone.

"I was raised by Toorus." He said bluntly.

This… made everyone pause. "Wait, Yua said something like that… our family raised you? Yet…"

"I don't get why either," Sukuna muttered. "But the fact remains is that they taught me, they trained me, and in my madness, be grateful I forgot all of that. Had I not, I would have been a far more refined killing machine."

Hokus was silent. "You think so?"

Sukuna snorted a laugh. "If I had retained what the Toorus taught me in my sanity. What do you think I would have done when insane and yet had that knowledge to use?"

Lefi went pale. "Oh God…" she muttered.

"She gets it."