"Izu, you lost to the Gojo brat again?" I was sitting cross legged on the mat in the traditional Japanese greeting room. Rather sad, when a daughter was considered a guest to her own father. But not unexpected. It was a common theme.
"I deeply apologize, Honored Elder." I didn't dare to call him anything less. He let out a deep sigh, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment and shame. Honestly, it should have been a lot worse. A full meeting between the Clan Elders all berating me about my failure.
Thankfully, my Father decided to show a bit of kindness. After all, how could a 'weak woman' compare to the Honored One? Even if I held the 10 Shadows Technique, I was nothing but a placeholder until an actual heir was declared. This was nothing other than a formality. Still, the look of disappointment on his face hurt. Would it be so hard to give me a bit of praise?
I got second on the Recommendation Exam for U.A. High. I beat Yaoyorozu, Todoroki. The participants were people who had spent years longer training with their quirks, while I only recently convinced my Father to let me be a Hero. To find a suitable husband, was my excuse. The Zen'in clan would have never allowed it otherwise.
Despite breaking All-Mights record, it didn't matter. Because Gojo Satoru blew mine and All-Might's score out of the water. Because he single handedly took down 3 0-Point robots that could be considered natural disasters in and of themselves.
My Father sighed. "Well, I didn't expect much anyways. And you did prove those other bastards wrong." He sighed, and he shifted from a 'elder' to a 'father'. If he could even be called one. A real Father would support me no matter what. Would let me choose who to marry. Would actually protect me against the clan.
But he was better than the others, that much I was grateful for. I could go to U.A. thanks to his support. "Well, I hope you are happy, Izu. At least that would be worth it." He spoke sadly. He knew he wasn't the best father, and didn't do much to fix that fact, but still tried to make me happy whenever it was convenient.
"Tell me what you learned at U.A." He commanded, and I began my report.
"Most of the contestants were not notforthy. Only the Todoroki heir was unexpected." She reported formally. The clan had given her the profiles of the other participants, and none of them were worthy of recognition.
"The Todoroki Clan?" He muttered.
"Shoto Todoroki. He possesses a dual-quirk of the Fire Manipulation Endeavour is famed for, along with a Ice Manipulation supposedly from his mother." I rattled off. Father looked contemplative. Though, for whatever reason, I only saw him use his Ice Quirk. Not that it wasn't sufficient on it's own.
"Interesting. I had thought they were done for. While Endeavour is worthy of some level of respect, the Todoroki clan was on the verge of collapse a few years back. His marriage was the futile last hope of their clan. If it truly paid off…" He muttered quietly to himself.
"Either way, this information itself is satisfactory enough for the Elders." he nodded in approval. He then adopted a serious expression. "And what of the Gojo boy?" He ordered.
I felt an unconscious shiver in my body. Not from the aura my father was radiating, but from the mere memory of my first meeting. "He is … everything they ever thought. And more." I spoke quietly.
A little fear crept into my voice as I continued. "He will obtain the Number One spot with no resistance. I don't know what it means for Japan, but he radiated an Aura like 'that man'." My mind turned to the figure I had seen long ago, when the clan tried to negotiate to have my quirk transferred to someone more 'suitable'. A crisp, black suit. Perfectly fitted, without a speck of dust. A cruel, vicious aura that surpassed anything I had ever seen. A black mask, and holes in his hand that opened to an infinite abyss.
They had the same aura. That they stood above the world, looking down on the inhabitants, amused at the work of ants trying to pretend to be civilized. Knowing that they could crush hundreds of us with a stomp of their boot.
" He had a strength that, unlike All-Might, wasn't something for people to see and admire. It was absolute. He could teleport in rapid succession with ease, fly, and destroy any robot with a punch. He destroyed the entire mock city with a single attack." I spoke nervously. Her Father remained expressionless, but didn't speak.
"However, I did notice something." I ventured, looking up to his face. He remained stoic. I took it as a sign to continue. "He turned off his Limitless to 'make it fair', as he put it. And when he was scratched when another contestant turned violent, he didn't heal. I believe this is because he is yet to unlock the capability of the Reversed Cursed Technique yet." I spoke excitedly, an almost desperate expression on my face.
It was a desperate theory. A hope. That he wasn't perfect, that I could somehow still surpass him. If he hasn't mastered it yet, maybe I have a chance. Father nodded. "Good. This is valuable information." He remarked.
I flushed with pride. My Father hummed in approval, before speaking. "I sincerely hope that you will continue to impress the Elders. Remember, everything you do carries the weight of the Zen'in clan. Don't disappoint us." He warned. I bowed my head.
"I will make the Clan Proud." I spoke.
I sat down sadly in front of a lonely gravestone. It was secluded in a corner of the clan graveyard, with no visual distinctions. Unlike the other gravestones which were decorated based on the deceased's accomplishment and status, this one had none.
I sighed. It was a miracle at all that this much was even allowed. I had hardly believed that the Elders had agreed, before I realized they feared that someone like All-Might might make a fuss about how a Hero was treated.
The gravestone was bare, with only two words engraved. 'Toji Zen'in'. Next to the gravestone, a much smaller gravestone sat. It was unmarked, without even a name to engrave. I smiled slightly. It was a grim satisfaction. She might be the only non-clan member to be buried in this place.
"Dad. Mom." I spoke out. They were secluded in a corner of the graveyard, away from everyone else. Buried unprofessionally on a small hill. A tree grew over their gravestones. It was a cloak of sorts to separate them from the rest of the clan, in my mind anyway
I cleaned up the gravestones, and sat in front of them. I poured out a bottle of sake onto my Father's grave, the liquid running down the cold stone and seeping into the earth. It was ironic, how the Legendary 'Villain Killer' was laid to rest in such a desolate and unimportant place.
"I got into U.A. Despite what the Elders and the rest of the clan thought, I really did it. They still haven't allowed me to progress to taming the next Shadow, but my skill with the Divine Dogs is better than the past users in the clans records, I am sure." I rambled on.
I sighed. "You would have probably loved it dad. Seeing those stuck ups and how angry they were when I passed. The daughter of a quirkless woman and the failure of the Zen'in clan. A woman, also inheriting their prized 10 Shadows Technique." I laughed out loud, imagining how sadistically he would have loved the idea. He always hated the Elders.
"I wish you were here. I got second place in the Recommendation Exam. I heard that the Recommendation Exam was much harder than the normal one, but I found it pretty easy." I smiled.
"You would have loved it. The second part, anyway. They had us take a written test, then we were put into these giant city replicas. They were filled with an army of robots which we had to destroy. Some were as big as sky-scrappers." I smirked.
"My score was the Second-Highest ever. Higher than All-Might. I easily beat the Todoroki Clan Heir. If they can even be called a 'Clan' anymore. The Kamo Clan Heir was also there. But they all were completely eclipsed by the Gojo Heir."
I laughed. "He was really as strong as they say. It's no wonder he was able to finally finish you off." I felt a wave of complex emotions. I lowered my head slightly in shame. "When I first saw him, I really thought I might kill him. After all, he was the reason I was pushed into a quirk marriage. He's the reason I am kept by the Zen'in Clan." I spoke softly. "He's the reason you're dead." I almost whispered.
I didn't know my Father very well. He was never home, always on an assignment, leaving me alone after my Mother died. When the Clan took me, telling me about how my Father was killed by the Gojo Clan, I grew to hate him. I hated my Father for dying, and leaving me to the Clan. I hated Satoru Gojo for killing him. I had hoped that the Clan would actually care for me, only to realize, the Zen'in clan was no better. The same hypocrisy and ruthless pragmatism. Nowadays, I came to terms with how Gojo Satoru killed my Father.
I didn't forgive him, far from it. I also would still extract repayment one day. But I didn't hate him for it anymore. My Father was hired to kill him, and nearly succeeded. But that was a long time ago, when the Honored One was just a child.
"I don't think he recognized me. I also don't think he knows I am your child. No one does, besides the Clan Elders. They like to pretend I am a pure-blooded Zen'in. When in reality, they treat me like trash. Because I am not a Zen'in. Because I am a female. Because I am the daughter of a Quirkless woman. Because I am the daughter of the failure of the Zen'in Clan. Because I have the 10 Shadows Technique when a more suitable heir should have inherited it."
It was the same insults she listened to everyday. But she still smiled. "But now that will change. If I can become a powerful and famous Hero, I can break free from the obligations of the Clan. I can be free to do what I want. And even if I fail, I still can meet new people. Make friends." She rambled on, justifying her actions.
I sighed, before taking the bottle of Sake and drinking the last drops left in it. "I suppose even if I fail, I can still become a mercenary like you. Live as a Hero sponsored by the Clan." I conceded.
I sat in front of the gravestone for some time, watching the setting sun. Eventually, I got up and left, the bare gravestones left behind me.
I panted as the corpses of monsters laid around me. I was currently in the Disciplinary Pit, training. I had been here since sunrise, trying to work off the stress and nervous energy I had accumulated. Today was the first day, and I had only a few hours before I was expected to show up at the campus for my first day.
I wiped my forehead, before sighing. I was still too weak. I grimaced, feeling the pressure. Unlike the other students, I would be one of the weakest. I had only begun training my quirk 8 months ago, when I finally convinced the clan to let me attend.
Before then, I was simply expected to go to events, and be paraded around like a prize. As a woman, the Zen'in Clan only saw me as a bride-to-be, and a way to increase their power against the monster that was the Honored One.
My standing within the clan was non-existent. I was not born from the main bloodline, instead an orphan born from the Villain Killer and a Quirkless Woman. Yet I possessed the prized 10 Shadows Technique. And on top of all of that, I was a woman. It was the greatest shame of the Zen'in Clan.
My mind turned to my upcoming schooling. I had been assigned to Class 1-A, along with several of the nation's future Heroes that would become known world-wide. Big, powerful, and ancient names were tied to the class. Not to mention the looming shadow that was the Honored One.
My thoughts soured. The single person in this world that became the source of my misfortune. The reason the Zen'in Clan pressed my marriage. The reason they pushed me to be better. To find a powerful husband. Everything I had ever accomplished was dismissed, and compared to him.
Nothing I did was ever enough. Because I had to compare myself to the Honored One. Because he existed, I suffered. I didn't really hate him though. I just disliked him very, very, strongly. I couldn't blame him for my suffering, but I could ignore him and dislike him.
I groaned, as I activated my Quirk. I hated it. The constant pressure to live up to the Honored One. To surpass him. A stupid and ludacris idea only an idiot would dream of. Yet, I was expected to do so. It was my declaration to do so that allowed me to convince the Elders to attend U.A.
I sighed, as a hideous giant worm emerged from the ground. I put my hands together, forming the familiar hand sign. "Divine Dogs." I spoke out, as my shadow twisted and morphed.
I frowned. Weak. It was far too weak. Despite my weakness, I had a great capacity to see where I could improve. It was my lack of ability to actually do so that was a problem. Knowing where you can improve is a far cry from doing so.
I focused, trying to use my Quirk. I visualized the meaning, my Power forming into the vague shape of two large wolves. I focused on the image, my shadow acting as a puppet that I could control. Two forms began to become clearer. Both are rather large, one with white fur, and another with black fur.
The Jewel of Turning Black. The Jewel of Plenty. Red, gleaming eyes shined from the darkness that had pooled, as they took form in the material world. They didn't turn to look at me, nor did I look at them. They were my arms, and I was the brain. Limbs didn't need to communicate, they just did. My will was pushed unto them, and then stepped forward, a growl emerging from their throat at the worm in front of me.
The 10 Shadows Technique relies on interpretation and imagination of the User. These were the most basic interpretations of the Divine Dogs. Despite my dissatisfaction with the fact, they were the only ones that I currently could control. The other 9 needed to be tamed by me, which was impossible at my current level.
Not to mention that the Clan forbid me from doing so. It was their way of controlling me. They forced me to master the 1st Shadow, in hopes of making me strong enough in the future to be worth something to them.
The 10 Shadows Technique was different from other Quirks. I didn't need to train my actual Quirk. What needed training was the mind, the process, the interpretation. If I could master that with the Divine Dogs, then the rest would come in time. I had spent a long time in the Zen'in Clans records, reading about past users of the Technique. And it was something to truly marvel at.
Even objectively, I thought that the 10 Shadows Technique was far more powerful than the Gojo Clan's Limitless. Which was true. But the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes allowed them to use it to such an efficient degree, while the 10 Shadows Technique had nothing of the sort, relying solely on the user. The Gojo Clan needed 2 extremely powerful Quirks to rival our Clans single most powerful Quirk, something stated many times throughout my life by the Clan Elders.
Space Manipulation and near perfect perception were useless against the 10 Shadows Technique's sheer power and versatility. The record spoke of how the Past Users could manipulate Shadows themselves, teleporting, storing items, and phasing through matter much like the Limitless. Then it also spoke of the mysterious 'Totalities', combinations of the 10 Shadows that could sport their own unique powers for any given situation.
The two Divine Dogs sprinted forward, their teeth ripping into the worm as it writhed in pain. They howled, as they continued to rip and tear the monster until it stopped moving, even while it tried to escape after it had been ripped in half.
The dogs returned to my side, as I knelt down to face them. "Good work, Shiro. You too, Mira." I called their names that I had given them. I wonder how many names they had been given over the years by different users.
I scratched their fur, as my thoughts turned to my ability to use the dogs. I had begun to understand what the records talked about. Despite their set form, they were unique to every user. Unlike a previous user, who envisioned the Divine Dogs as Giant Wolves, or another which used them as small and agile pack dogs, mine were large, but sleek and agile. Like Fox's.
Shiro, the white wolf, was fully white with red markings across her fur. I thought she was 'her', but I had no idea. But she perked up when I said 'good girl', rather than 'good boy'. She was the one constantly getting into trouble, sometimes summoning herself and running off to do who knows what. There were no records of the 10 Shikigami acting according to their own will after being tamed, but I didn't mind. In fact, it comforted me.
That she was truly sentient, and she chose to obey me. To be my only friend throughout the years. Her strange tail with an almost brush-like quality flicked against my face, causing me to smile and let out a small giggle. Shiro nuzzled her snout against my face while I petted her, with Mira simply staring at us, the emotion in his eyes unreadable.
While Shiro was a troublemaker who often did strange and incredible things, Mira was the opposite. He rarely showed affection and rarely showed signs of true thinking beyond my commands. It was strange, one feeling almost alive, while the other seemed like just a robot.
They weren't always like this. One day, during a situation, Shiro changed. Orange and red markings manifested on her fur, and she had been her faithful companion ever since. Shiro was my one true friend. But while she had changed, Mira had remained the same.
But whatever happened that changed Shiro never occurred again. If it could, and if I could make Mira stronger, was uncharted territory for the 10 Shadows Technique.
I had spent over 6 Months practicing the Divine Dogs, practicing every day. And after all of that, I could say for certain I was close to mastering the Divine Dogs. I had used them fully for the first time a few weeks ago at the Recommendation Exam for U.A.
I sighed, as I got up. I stretched my arms, my dark black turtleneck sweater and black hair soaked with sweat. I decided to take a shower before heading to U.A.
A fun and simple story that crosses over the Jujutsu Kaisen universe and My Hero Academia. Izunami is of course a Original Character, and her 10 Shadows Will be unique and different from Megumi's and Sukuna's. Shiro is based on and inspired by Okami, of course. Somehow in honor of Okami 2 coming out soon.
I love to read comments, so constructive criticism or simply yelling at me to write more chapters is always welcome.