Title: zenith of stars

Rating: T

Summary: "It's not the Six Eyes," they said. So then, the question is –what is it? [OC, Mystic Eyes of Death Perception!OC, AU]

Warnings: N/A.

AN at bottom.

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zenith of stars

"85: invite"

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If one thing can be said for the 'punishment' that the Gojo elders have deliberated and decided on for her, it's that… suspension from school is both convenient and inconvenient for Shiki.

As contrary as the statement sounds.

The girl sighs, leaning back and lying down on her futon as she silently thinks through the current situation in her mind again.

… Suspension from school, in exchange for killing two Yagyu elders. It's the sort of punishment that can't even be really considered an actual punishment, in many ways. Shiki is perfectly aware that she has her status as a sorcerer of the Gojo Clan to thank for the leniency here.

If she were not a Gojo sorcerer, then it's highly likely that the Yagyu Clan and the higher ups from the Jujutsu Headquarters would be united in their desire to see an upstart, disobedient sorcerer severely punished for daring to kill two of their number. Men in power generally tend to be obsessed not only with amassing power but also keeping a tight control over said power. They also do not react well to having their authority challenged or slighted. So in this, it would not be strange for them to cooperate with each other–

But currently, it's fairly unlikely that the Yagyu Clan would accept any overt intervention from the Jujutsu Headquarters.

Because if the Gojo elders agree with Shiki and do not further pursue any Yagyu clansmen, then the Yagyus will see it as a victory for themselves, in a manner of speaking. There is no need, then, for them to seek outside assistance to intercede on their behalf –like the Zenins or the higher ups, whichever they may be.

In other words, if the Yagyu Clan accepts this arrangement where the Gojo Clan 'punishes' Shiki and does not seek further retribution upon the Yagyu for Yagyu Nariyasu and Yagyu Toshiatsu's ill-fated attempts at using her for their own ends, then this will be where the situation ends, as far as the clans are concerned. There will no longer be any room for the higher ups to voice their protests. Because if both the Gojos and Yagyus are satisfied with the arrangement that they've reached, then any attempts at intervention would be considered infringements upon clan matters.

So even if there are higher ups who would very much like to push for a harsher punishment for Shiki, or if there are those who desire relations between the Gojos and Yagyus to truly devolve to that of enemies, their hands will be tied on this front once the Gojos and Yagyus peacefully resolve things between themselves. It wouldn't stop certain opportunistic individuals from continuing to look for ways to undermine or inconvenience Shiki –and by extension, the Gojo Clan– in the future. But in the here and now, the current matter with the Yagyu Clan would no longer exist as an opportunity for them to capitalize upon.

So…

It's not like Shiki can't see the benefits to this, from the Gojo elders' perspective. But this still does not change the fact that the arrangement they're proposing is both convenient, and inconvenient for Shiki personally.

Being suspended from school means that Shiki will not be permitted to enter school grounds and attend her lessons there as usual. It's an excellent excuse to avoid being summoned or cornered into any more 'coincidental' meetings with any higher up or clan representatives. If Shiki is not in the school, then that means she is not 'publicly available,' and that means any attempts to meet with her will have to go through the wall of Gojo elders first. Who will most likely be highly disinclined to allow such meetings to take place, considering the recent example they'd had of Yagyu Nariyasu.

But there are also certain downsides to being suspended from school. Chiefly, Shiki's promise to Satoru-niichan that she would keep an eye on Okkotsu-san for him in his absence. Okkotsu-san was currently a ward of the Tokyo school, and if Shiki was no longer supposed to remain on school grounds, then this created a slight conundrum.

There were two ways of resolving this: Either Shiki openly flouts the suspension and remains in school anyways, or she takes Okkotsu-san with her outside of the school.

Each solution is not without its own difficulties. Flouting her suspension without even pretending to go along with being 'punished' will make the Gojo Clan's gesture seem singularly insincere, which defeats the purpose of the punishment in the first place. Taking Okkotsu-san with her is an act that will likely be met with resistance, particularly the higher ups who would view this as an excellent chance to approach Okkotsu-san without Shiki getting in the way.

And, in this method, they would then be able to attain their original goal of approaching Okkotsu-san and convincing him to work under them as their personal Special Grade sorcerer.

… Shiki doubts that this is something that the Gojo Clan would've failed to consider, when deciding on 'suspension from school' as her punishment. Perhaps… perhaps it's because there are those who believe that the Gojo Clan has been making too much of a target out of themselves, and wish to show that the Gojo Clan does not wish to supplant the Jujutsu Headquarters as the heart of the jujutsu world. Because if they show that they are not keeping a death grip on the new potential Special Grade, then it's effectively a gesture of goodwill towards the higher ups as well. Maybe it's intended to act as a peace offering to the higher ups as well, in order to ease the discontent over Shiki killing two of their number.

That's just silly, though.

From what Shiki knows of the Gojo elders, she would think that they'd only be all too happy to see the Gojo Clan enthroned upon the seat of power in the jujutsu world. Even if they're wary of making too many enemies, there are other ways to go about easing tensions with other sorcery clans. Ones that are not counter to their clan head's desires, given that Satoru-niichan intended to keep an eye out for Okkotsu-san…

Oh.

… In front of outsiders, the Gojo Clan presents a united front. But Satoru-niichan had asked Shiki to watch out for Okkotsu-san as a personal request, and not as the head of the Gojo Clan. If there were those in the Gojo Clan who actually disagreed with it –as mind-boggling as the thought that there were elders who would pass up on the opportunity to build close relations with a prospective new Special Grade sounded– then now would be an excellent opportunity for them to subtly express their disapproval. Satoru-niichan was currently out of the country, so if they wanted to take action, then now would be the perfect time to do so.

How irritating.

Shiki sighs, rolling over on her futon. The nighttime silence only seems to make the sound of her thoughts more pronounced, and it doesn't help that these are also irritating thoughts to have. But it's important to carefully consider a situation, especially when the calculating elders are involved –Yuzuki had expressed that to her multiple times in the past, even though he hadn't used those exact words. The sentiment is the same, though.

It seems that it would be prudent to make another visit to the Gojo clan compound soon. She needed to get a measure of the elders' thoughts, and there were also some matters with the Tobiume that needed to be dealt with. Kiyohira-sensei usually had the affairs of the branch family well in hand, which was quite a blessing for Shiki. If it were solely up to Shiki, then she would've passed her title as head of the branch family to Kiyohira-sensei a long time ago –the man was pretty much already responsible for all the duties of the family head, especially once Shiki had become a student and now spent the majority of her time split between school lessons and missions.

A visit to the clan compound… would not be amiss, given the circumstances at hand.

Another sigh. She'd known that there would be certain inconveniences to killing higher ups, so it's not as if the current situation here is surprising. It would be more surprising if there were zero repercussions for killing the Yagyu elders, really. Which might also be another reason for why Satoru-niichan hasn't bothered getting rid of any of them…

But with the higher ups growing ever more overt as they reach their hands out towards Shiki, attempting to push her towards the direction they want, to the point where it even affects those around her… she can't keep overlooking it. Not unless she wanted things to get even worse.

Was there a better way to deal with this aside from killing those who offended her?

… Possibly. But Shiki doesn't have the patience nor the desire to be a player in the elders' games, and it's important to draw a decisive boundary. To let them know that this wasn't something that she would accept, for the consequences to be laid bare.

As for where this might lead her in the future–

It's difficult to say. In the best case scenario, the higher ups would finally leave her out of their plans as she wished, but…

But, Yagyu Nariyasu likely hadn't been acting entirely out of his own initiative. And he would not be the only higher up to have his own agenda.

…

… Shiki really, really does not like politics.

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"A visit to the Gojo clan compound?"

"Yes. There are certain matters that I need to take care of," Shiki nods.

"That wouldn't have anything to do with the higher ups you just killed, right?" Kinji asks brightly. From the side, Kirara slowly reaches over and pushes the boy by the face.

"Is the sass really necessary?"

"C'mon, lemme live a little." The words are slightly muffled by Kirara's hand, but still easy enough to make out. Kinji leans back out of the other boy's reach. "So, what's up with your clan, then? I thought you said they'd be helping you?"

"They are." The elders have their differences with each other, but they work towards the betterment of the Gojo Clan as a whole –or what they believe to be the betterment of the clan, at least. In this case, it would not benefit the Gojo Clan to cast Shiki aside, and so they would step in to help her. As for how they planned on helping her, though… "But there are still some details that I'd like to clarify, and Hayanari-san doesn't have all the answers."

"I apologize, ojou-sama."

"It's not a criticism." Hayanari-san must be one of Daisaku-sama's assistants, if he's being entrusted to deliver sensitive messages for the elder. However, this doesn't mean that he is able to fully speak on behalf of Daisaku-sama, and there's also a limit to how much he knows of the other Gojo elders. It's only normal that he does not possess all the information that Shiki is looking for, so it's unnecessary for him to apologize.

Even so, Gojo Hayanari still silently bows his head towards her.

"Were there any other tasks that Daisaku-sama tasked you with in Tokyo?" The man had arrived and delivered the message to Shiki yesterday. She would've thought that he would be returning to the clan as soon as possible, but to her surprise Hayanari-san had still been present on school grounds when Shiki had woken up this morning.

"None," Hayanari-san responds, "But he said that if you expressed a desire to return to the clan in person to discuss recent matters, then I should accompany you."

Shiki casts a brief glance towards the young man. There are a few reasons that she could think of as to why Daisaku-sama would specify that, and if he'd already foreseen that Shiki would be making a visit to the clan compound after receiving news of the clan's decision… perhaps it was also a tacit request for a meeting from Daisaku-sama as well. "Alright. I plan to set out shortly."

"Understood, ojou-sama."

"Wait, you're leaving right now?" Kirara blinks, surprised.

"Yes." It's better to deal with this sort of thing sooner rather than later. And if there really were elders attempting to use this opportunity to subtly chip away at Satoru-niichan's authority in his absence… that's not something Shiki will stand for. Not under her watch.

Unlike the matter with Okkotsu-san, this might not be a task that was explicitly entrusted to her by Satoru-niichan, but–

But Shiki would rather get a hold of things before it potentially escalated into a problem for her cousin. She imagines that this would not be something that Satoru-niichan would enjoy returning to, after his extended trip outside the country.

"Well… have fun then, I guess?" Kinji makes a thumbs-up motion with his hands. "Should Kirara and I be looking out for Okkotsu in the meantime while you're out?"

"I'm bringing Okkotsu-san with me." Currently, the boy's wellbeing still remains her responsibility, and Shiki is not about to compromise that.

Her two classmates exchange a quick glance with each other.

"… You sure you don't want to give Okkotsu a break or something?" Kinji asks.

Shiki tilts her head. "I'm not going to make him deal with any of the Gojo elders, though?"

Kirara slaps a hand over his own face, covering his eyes. "You don't think he might be slightly traumatized from seeing people die and want to take a break from things because of that?"

"… He seems fine?" Shiki had found Okkotsu-san earlier and informed him of their impending trip. The boy had seemed a little surprised, but amiable enough towards the prospect of heading out again. He'd seemed to be rather curious about the Gojo Clan, too. During their brief exchange, Okkotsu-san hadn't appeared to be particularly traumatized to her… but admittedly, perhaps Shiki may not be the best judge of such things.

In which case–

Shiki claps her hands together, "Would the two of you also like to come along?"

"Bwuh?" Kinji blinks. "… Come along with you to that fancy clan of yours?"

"Wait, don't we still have classes later, though?" Kirara sounds similarly bewildered by the sudden offer.

But the more Shiki thinks about it, the more it's starting to sound like a better idea in her head. Shiki might be a little lacking in emotional awareness, but her classmates don't have the same shortcomings as she does. Which means that they'll have a better grasp on Okkotsu-san's emotional state, and be able to watch out for the boy in that respect. If it turns out that Okkotsu-san really does need a break, then they'll be able to keep him company in the clan compound, too, while Shiki is preoccupied with other matters. The boy would probably prefer to have a few friendly faces around, too.

If Kinji and Kirara are worried about missing out on their lessons… hm. Maybe she should bring Takagi-sensei along as well? … Would he be willing to adjust his lesson plans on such short notice?

"… I suppose I should ask."

"Eh?"

…

Takagi-sensei, as it turns out, is willing to accommodate her request. He seems to be slightly nervous about visiting the Gojo clan compound, however, and his nerves are not abated in the slightest when Shiki admits to him that this wasn't exactly a planned visit, either.

"What's making you so nervous about this field trip, sensei?"

The man sighs. "Hakari-san… the Gojo Clan is one of the Three Great Families."

"… And?"

Takagi-sensei tips his head back and looks upwards instead of meeting Kinji's expectant gaze. "And currently, the Gojo Clan is the most prominent sorcery clan within the jujutsu world. Usually, their gates are barred to any outsiders."

"That's the case for most sorcery clans," Shiki nods. Because most sorcerers tend to be secretive; the existence of curses in this world is not a widely-known phenomenon, after all, and sorcerers specialize in exorcising curses. As a result, most sorcery clans are withdrawn from the general public and protective of their guarded family secrets. "The Gojo Clan isn't unique in this."

"But it's the Gojo Clan," Takagi-sensei emphasizes, which… doesn't really explain anything.

…

It's been quite some time since Shiki has last returned to the clan compound. Given that she had not announced her return ahead of time, her arrival is met with surprise by those manning the gates. She suspects that it will not take long for news to spread of her return, particularly since she isn't bothering to be discreet about it. And it's also quite a large group that she's returning with, too.

Both her classmates, her teacher, and Okkotsu-san. And, aside from Choki, who always accompanies her, there's also Hayanari-san who'd been sent by Daisaku-sama. It's a rather sizable group, and no doubt one that attracts attention as she leads them through the long, winding walkways.

"This is even fancier than the place in Kyoto," Kinji comments, craning his neck to look around the well-kept flower garden that they're walking through.

"That's because the compound in Kyoto isn't one of the primary estates," Shiki responds. "Most sorcery clans all have their roots in the Capital of Jujutsu, and… I suppose the same is true of the Gojo Clan as well. However, these days the Gojo Clan is primarily based in the Tokyo area."

"Really? Why?" Kirara asks curiously.

"There's a bit of history involved here." And Shiki knows that neither of her classmates are particularly interested in jujutsu history. If she could condense her answer… "You know that the Gojo Clan claims descent from Sugawara no Michizane, correct?"

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning that before," Kirara nods. "He was a really important sorcerer during the Heian Era, wasn't he?"

"He was. And in addition to being a sorcerer, Sugawara no Michizane was also a prominent politician serving the emperor." Shiki mentally reminds herself to try and keep her explanation short. "… To summarize, the maneuverings of the Fujiwara Clan resulted in him being heavily demoted and banished from the imperial court. He and his entire family were exiled to Kyushu."

"… So the Gojo Clan is based out of Kyushu?"

"No. His titles were restored posthumously, and all mentions of exile were later struck from the records, allowing his bloodline to return to Kyoto."

Kirara twitches slightly, "Where are you leading with this little history lesson, exactly?"

"Between the time that Sugawara no Michizane was exiled and the time that it took for the Special Grade vengeful spirit born after his death to be pacified, there were already other sorcery families that had firmly established themselves in Kyoto," Shiki explains. "At the time, the Fujiwara Clan also did not make it easy for the Sugawara to return to the capital even after their exile was lifted, either. So while the Gojo Clan has deep roots in Kyoto, it was never entrenched as deeply as you could say of the other sorcery clans that trace their history to the time of the Heian Era."

Kirara lets out a soft 'ah' in understanding. "Oh, so is that why the Gojo Clan doesn't have its main base in Kyoto?"

"It's a large part of the reason." Tensions with the Fujiwara Clan meant that it was no easy task for the Sugawara Clan to regain their footing in the capital city. With the situation being what it was at the time, naturally there were those who decided to focus the clan's resources elsewhere to rest and rebuild their strength, instead of feuding to the bitter end with the Fujiwaras in Kyoto.

"What's the other part of the reason?" Kinji asks.

"Political disagreements," Shiki responds succinctly. "… Do you remember what I told you about the jujutsu schools, back when we went to Kyoto for Obon?"

"You kinda said a lot about the jujutsu schools," Kinji rolls his eyes. "C'mon, you gotta be a little more specific than that."

"About the split between the schools," Shiki clarifies.

Kinji's face scrunches up in thought, clearly working hard to recall the explanation that she'd given. "… I think you said something about the first jujutsu school being built in Kyoto because Kyoto is the Capital of Jujutsu?"

"And the Tokyo school?"

Kinji's face scrunches up even harder, sweating. "And the Tokyo school… was built afterwards?"

"…" Was that… really all Shiki had told her classmates? Surely not?

"I think you also said that the people in charge at the time in Kyoto used the expansion and construction of a new sister school to get rid of people they didn't like and move them away from the center of power," Kirara says slowly.

"Yes," Shiki nods, glad that at least one of them still recalls the information. "At the time, this also included many sorcerers who were either of or affiliated with the Gojo Clan."

"Wait, really?!" Kirara's mouth drops open in surprise. "But with how important the Gojos are supposed to be and everything, wouldn't they have been one of the people in charge? Not the ones being driven away?"

"The Kamo Clan was the most influential of the Three Great Families back then." Even though that most certainly wasn't the case anymore nowadays. "And the Kamo Clan has always been the core of the conservative faction in the jujutsu world."

A brief beat of silence.

"… The Gojo Clan are progressives?!" Takagi-sensei's voice is one of clear shock.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Shiki glances towards her teacher. "While it's true that the Gojo Clan is still very traditionalist in their ways, they are progressive compared to other sorcery clans."

It doesn't seem obvious, most of the time. And Shiki has also seen her fair share of conservative attitudes from within the Gojo Clan. But when looking at the situation as a whole, and comparing it with what can be observed of the Kamo and Zenin clans, it's undeniable that the Gojo Clan is progressive in many ways.

Shiki being the young head of a branch family, for example. And before her, it had been Gojo Ima who'd been a young, female branch head. There may have been those who'd been discontented with it within the Gojo Clan, but both of them had succeeded their positions despite the protests. A woman holding such a position would've been utterly unthinkable in either one of the other Great Families.

"I… thought it was just because of Gojo Satoru," Takagi-sensei says.

"And Satoru-niichan grew up in the Gojo Clan. Don't you think that indicates anything about the teachings of the Gojo Clan itself?" … Granted, the Gojo Clan had likely never intended for Satoru-niichan to turn out the way he did, to the point where he was 'uncontrollable.' If the elders had their way, then he would be their perfect, obedient puppet and weapon–

But even then, there was a certain degree of freedom in the Gojo Clan that one would be hard-pressed to find in any other sorcery clan. The Gojo Clan is not without its myriad problems, that's certainly true enough. But there are also far worse alternatives that exist out there.

It's more a point towards Satoru-niichan's own character that he hadn't compromised on his principles and remained steadfast even despite the never-ending pressure from the elders. Yet in the end, even despite all their grumbling and the small movements that they made in the background, the clan still followed Satoru-niichan's will.

"… I suppose the elders would call Satoru-niichan a 'radical.'" By extension, did that make Shiki a radical, too?

The girl lets out a slight, thoughtful hum at the errant thought.

To the side, Takagi-sensei still looks poleaxed by the apparently completely unexpected revelation that the Gojo Clan are actually the progressives of the jujutsu world. Which is a little sad, when one thinks about it that way. At least from Shiki's own perspective, she would say that it's not at all inaccurate to say that the Gojo Clan are conservatives, still. Just… perhaps they are less conservative than the Kamos and Zenins, in a manner that marks them as 'progressives' by default.

Which really says something about the stagnant quagmire that is the current state of the jujutsu world. A situation that Satoru-niichan is attempting to change through gradual reform, from what Shiki understands of her cousin's plans.

… If anything, Satoru-niichan should be the one who's considered to be 'progressive.' 'Radical' would be Geto-san, who has apparently decided that the solution to all problems is the complete genocide of non-sorcerers, which is anathema to what sorcerers stand for –not to mention, a humanitarian crime.

Okkotsu-san looks between all of them slowly. "I… think I followed most of that conversation, this time. So the Gojos are progressives and the Kamos are conservatives?"

"Seems so," Kirara nods, and pauses. "Hang on, what does that make the Zenin Clan, then?"

"In practice, the Zenins are largely conservative," Shiki answers. "But officially, their stance is one of neutrality. They've alternated between siding with both the Kamos and Gojos on various decisions in the past before. Although…"

Although, in recent times, the Zenins have been leaning closer towards the conservative side of things. Particularly more so after a void had opened up with the fall of the Kamo Clan, which had the effect of not only throwing the Kamo Clan itself into internal turmoil but also causing quite a stir within the conservative faction as well. By all appearances, it seems that the Zenins have been stepping into the empty space left in the Kamo Clan's absence. But as for what they were intending to do with it…

Shiki turns towards Choki, "I need reports on the Zenin Clan from the past three years."

"I will have that arranged for you, ojou-sama," her assistant immediately bows. And, with a stroke of keen insight into the general direction of her thoughts, "Will you need it before your meeting with the venerable elder Daisaku-sama?"

Shiki thinks about it for a moment, then shakes her head.

"It's a bit late for that by this point, especially if I'm meeting Daisaku-sama later today," she decides. "But if you could have it ready for me by this evening, I would appreciate it. Prioritize recent reports from the past six months."

"Understood, ojou-sama."

"… If you would be open to extending your stay with the clan, ojou-sama," Hayanari-san suddenly speaks up, "I believe Daisaku-sama wouldn't mind rescheduling your meeting for tomorrow. It would also give you more time to speak with Kiyohira-sama, and deal with any pressing matters relating to the Tobiume branch family."

That… was another option. But Shiki wasn't the only one here; she'd brought guests with her, and all of them needed to be considered and accounted for. She turns around towards her classmates–

"Does that mean we're getting a sleepover?" Kinji asks with a lopsided grin.

–and it seems that they already understand what she is about to ask them. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please."

"I'd say that we're the ones troubling you," is what Takagi-sensei has to say about it. "If you're sure…"

"Thank you. It's no trouble for me."

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…

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Author's Notes:

I think there was a JJK Q about Gojo Satoru somewhere saying that the Gojo Clan was also based in Kyoto like the Zenin and Kamo families, but I'm tweaking things a bit here in zenith haha.

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