+++++++++++++++++++++++++Jump 4 - Chainsawman Jujutsu Kaisen Part 1 : God Dammit Gojo!
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"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fears...fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The forth world I was sent too was decently the worst so far. There, although most humans go through their everyday life's like in a standard world, they also have to deal with the presence of Devils and Curses, roaming the streets for pre, feeding on both human flesh and their cursed energy.
Cursed energy, the source of power that flows through almost every single being on the planet. With this power source humans have done battle throughout the eras, both against themselves and against devils and curses. You see, humans who train with cursed energy are known as sorcerers.
Creatures who fead on said energy are usually known as curses. If a curse absorbed mostly of the fear directed at a certain concept ( Darkness, War, Fire, Gun, Storm, Spider, Bat ) It becomes a Devil, gaining a soul with enough cohesion to join in the hellish reincarnation Cycle
Fear rules as various entities earthly and hellish struggle for control over the world as they use each other for their own means. Society is persevering, although sick to its core as different alien threats rise and fall in a seemingly endless cycle.
Strength wise, most devil are special grade curses, though the ones that represent lesser fear ( Cockroach, Bat, Razor ) tend to fall into being grade one. A small amount may even fall under Grade 2, but those represent such insignificant fears, they are only call devils out of technicality ( Tomato, Pigeon, Paper)
Other thing that separates devils from other curses, is their ability to survive beyond exorcism by finding a host. Those are called fiends. And generally, they are grade 2 or 3.
Jujutsu Sorcery is public knowledge, evenly distributed through the globe. The average number of sorcerers per civilian in most city is 10 times the one found in cannoon JJK. In Japan the protection of the public is divided among Public Safety and the private sector. The most powerful and influential forces in the private sector are the 3 great clans and Jujutsu high ( that in this world has way more than 2 to 3 students per class
… And I thought Tokyo Ghoul was a Grim-dark world… For fuck sake's this place is EVIL.
The air itself TASTES like negativity, fear, despair and indifference. People go to their everyday lives and love and laugh, but at the same time corpses painting the streets on every other day is a expected occurrence.
One every 10 people you pass by reeks of the worlds most disgusting sins, half of which look and act normal.
Aah, maybe I got to heated on my description, but one have to keep in mind: since the age of 5 the souls of everyone became as visible -as loud- as their words and actions, and unlike words and actions, the soul does not hide its ugliness.
I could taste, hear and see the fine detail of people's psych/spirit, and when one grows up among the Zenin clan… Those are not pleasant at all.
Naobito Zenin – My father in this life would not hesitate to strike me at the first unwanted behavior of my toddler self. The freaking jerk would backhand me when I was 4 years old and with no powers or past life memories to shield me. I was lucky I have always being a more phlegmatic and behaved child in all of my life's or else I would not have survived being the Zenin bastard. Until my cursed technique manifested, of course.
" Regeneration, shapeshifting, and the power to kill with a with a touch. That … that's unprecedented, Amaro." He looks down at me from the entrance of the "Advanced Traning" room, eyes darting between the arm I transfigured into a giant sword to decapitate a rat-shaped car-sized curse and the transfigured body of what once was a snake-like curse, but at the moment looked more like a 10 meter long dried tree-branch.
"A grade 2 curse, gone with a single touch. A immortal body… You may even be able to challenge Satoru Gojo with this sort of power at your fingertips." He babbled as I reflected on how clever it was to hide the fact that he could also turn curses ( and humans ) into temporary minions by transfiguring them. Minions which could be as strong or stronger them the curse of sorcerer they were made from. The sort of atrocities they might try to force him to do with this kind of power would be to much even for him ( them he might have to throw it all to the wind and just kill them all) .
"Finally, the Zen'in clan sports an heir to challenge the Gojo's! You'll take your rightful place in this world, Amaro. Finally. We'll be afforded the respect we deserve!" He exclaimed, practically yelling at the sky, arms raised in V. Damn was he posing for manga panels? What comes with being so dramatic ?
When the healers came to take me to my room and clean me ( not that I needed, but I guess they were trying to put on a image of caring for me now that I was the families new child-prodigy.
The revelations about his outstanding cursed technique brought further uncomfortable scrutiny onto me before he could even fully recover from the 3 days stay on the curse-pit. I wake up the day and finds, abruptly, that he's lost the privilege of being ignored as an "just another one of the useless bastards".
He is brought in front the "clans core", which basically means the old man – and few not so old ones- with the higher positions in this stupid "Family" ( but seriously, there were literally military style uniforms for the weaker family members condemned to be basically unpaid troops- what part of that sounded like a family?")
At the center of a elevated wooden palataform waits smugly with two other old men, on a little less elevated platforms. Ita almost makes the Edo-period-style hall feel like a trone room where the patriarch holds court. The ones besides "Father" are Ogi and Chojuro. Both horrid in appearance and personality.
Sitting in Seiza at the sides of the hall are Jinichi, Toji, Nobuaki and – surprisingly- my older brother Naoya. The 14 year old boy feels really out of place in this scene, Though to be fair, I myself was a 7 year old brat in body. So…
"My Clansman!" Naobito's boisterous happy voice echoed through the hall. "We are her for a anoucment – or rather – a celebration." His smile was had a slight manic edge and I could see he was drunk on more than just the alcohol. " My youngest son manifest a technique easily worthy of a special grade, and with it his cursed energy reserves have exponentially grow." Smug, power hungry, egocentric old bastard. " It's a happy day for the Zenin clan…"
I just stared, still as a statue, face unreadable and unchanging. I would not give any of them the satisfaction of knowing what passed in my head. I did not move a muscle even as father said. " … For today Zenin Amaro is to officially be welcomed by his blood… and recognized as heir to the Zenin Clan."
From that day on training became 5 times more grueling. Before I was just told to join the tri-weekly trainig sessions of the lower-branch kids (The same class Maki was be put in a few years later ), but after it…
Ogi glares at me like I was cockroach daring to crawl on the floor, instead of a 7 year old boy who's leg had being cut of a moment ago. "My brother has long since claimed his children exceed mine, but as far as I'm concerned, the Zenin cannot waste any more time spoiling smug children - Naoya is the living proof of it - so cease your winning and get up !"
Once he discovered he could punish my body as much as he wanted, and a hour later all would be fully healed, my swordsmanship teacher "Uncle Ogi" decided that there was no reason not to maim me on every opportunity.
Though Thanks to my "Hanma Blood" and "Ghoul Physiology" and "Hybrid Vigor" catching up to me pre-pubescent body, by the age of 10 could already kick his ass in our no-cursed-technique sparing sessions.
Cousin Jinichi was way more pleasant of a teacher. Our hand-to-hand combat lessons were a bright spot in my weeks. His silent and respectful company was pleasant, and reminded me of Kuroki Gensai and Dopo Orochi.
Besides private lessons with the strongest in the clan I mostly had to appear in in public events so that the Zenin could show of their Special Grade child. It was good that the at this point I had over 90 years to develop maturity and self control, because the whole etiquette of jujutsu high society would have drove my original -autistic- self to madness.
Being a heir had its advantages, though…
"A sorcerer's license?! You're freaking 13!" Maki yelled at my face, snapping my new ID from my hands.
Through the years I tried my best to hang around Maki and Mai through the years. In part, because my presence made anyone ( with the exception of Naobito, and Ogi ) think twice before being a jerk to the twins, but also because I was lonely and stressed as hell and having actual friends among this dem of snakes helped me keep my sanity.
" Father pulled some strings. Though honestly I don't think it was much of hassle. The Tokyo Olympics are next year and Japan currently has no more than 12 special grade sorcerers. They cannot afford to refuse a potential Special Grade, even If is just a kid to throw at curses while the actually experienced special grades take care of any devils that come close to the main events."
The 10 year old girl threw the license at my face "Arrgh! That is so unfair!" she wined, laying in the training grounds her Bo-staff forgotten by her side. "You get to earn your own money AND use the clans money to travel since you will be traveling to hunt. All the while I have to 5 more years to be authorized to become a sorcerer."
Her angry pout melted into a expression of neutrality that did a good job to mask the sadness he could feel from her soul. " I bet that between missions and school you will barely be able to do keep up with your training." She said, subtext easy to read. She and I trained together a lot, she was afraid that with me going out into the world I would end up having no type or will for her a Mai.
"Maki… you know I would – I will take you out of this damn place as soon as I can right? You and Mai both. I will buy you guys your own apartment and put in a good word so you can progress well in your own jobs – You know I-"
"Yeah yeah, whatever, don't get emotional with me." She brushed me of getting up and apparently returning to her training position. "I am not crying over your absence, I was just telling you not to get lazy. Plus, I can succeed in life and escape this damn family on my own, jackass. I don't need the clan's special little boy to look out for me." she finished, starting her kata.
I only shook my head and smiled fondly. No point on nagging her about it. Though as I left I could hear her utter "But please take care of, Mai." Under her breath.
It was so quiet I probably would not have heard it without my ghoul hearing, so I am not even sure she meant to let it scape. I decided to make a promise on that anyway.
"You are BOTH getting out of here."
"Heeey, If it isn't my little rival! Are you here to take this mission from my hands Maro-chan?" Gojo jokes, weightlessly landing on top of huge piece of debris.
I do not flinch, but feel like flinching.
Even with my enhanced senses and honed instincts to feel when some one powerful is approaching, that fucker still got the habit of appearing out of nowhere just to make me react. Always with shit-eating grin plastered on his smug stupid face.
Since I was 7 my family has engineered situations where I would be put face to face with the heir of the great Gojo clan. They would never go as far as to arrange a fight between us, but they did nearly every other thing they could to put us side to side and compare us – Including have us sent to accomplish the same mission on multiple fucking occasions !
All this bullshit they did to try to make it look like the Zenin heir and Gojo heir were "rivals" not only did not work, but also made me look ridiculous and turned me into one of Gojo's favorite teasing targets.
"Who knows, Satoru? I may just end up pretending this investigation did not lead me to nothing and leave this devil to you… although honestly I doubt you could get to it before public safety got their hands on it." I answered challenged, smugly. Luckily for me, over 60 years of dealing with people plus my natural tendency to psychoanalyze everyone those who interest me lead me to becoming pretty good at reading people
Gojo Satoru had 2 modes : "Friendly playful" and "Friendly Teasing" and "Threatening teasing".
His teasing of me was one of his main love languages. The same mode he used for his juniors, like Nanami and Haibara. In all honestly, though none of us would ever say it out loud, we had been sort of friends since The first time we met and I had asked him "How did you survive this for 14 years? I have being a heir to the clan for only a few months and already feel like wiping out the whole clan!". At the time he just popped a Chesiree smile and said " If you ever come around to do it, call me so I can film it!"
Beck to the present , Gojo, still the strongest of Japan ( no matter what propaganda the clans and public safety tried to put out) just smiled at me. " Ara, ara Maro-chan. You expect so little of me... and here I was thinking about sharing the clues I had found with you. "He teased, while taking a manila folder out of nowhere and dangling it in front of my face.
I just snapped it out of his hands and started reading. " What?! - 4 sorcerer's and the Chainsaw Devil? That... doesn't make a lick of sense!" I ramble at him going through the few photos and Info the report had. "How the hell would the Chainsaw devil of all things cause this much damage? What did he do? Collected all the fragments of the Gun devil or something? With this much destruction, I was expecting it to be someone like the Rage devil or the Earthquake devil..."
Gojo only chuckled "Nearsighted as always Maro-chan." He flicks the the pages so it showed copies of the photos taken. " Only thinking about the devil and not about the ones fighting the devil. Doesn't that redhead look familiar to you?" He asks, like someone sharing a conspiracy.
It takes a little while but the blurry picture of one of the people sighted on the incident finally sparks recognition. Red hair, put on a low braid - " Public Safety ! She was one of the public safety heavy hitters in Tokyo. Leadership position in some division, I think... But why ? The PS guys rarely make their devil fights Hush hush. They brag about successes and try to lie or take attention of their failures, but not straight up go out of their way to hide fights, especially fights in the middle of nowhere in rural areas. Unless..."
The strongest invade my personal space. Even without my soul perception, I could feel his excitement and curiosity as he picked on of the photos of the file. " Unless they acquired - or at least were trying to acquire - a devil they do not want the public to know about. Tell me Amaro-kun: Do know who the strongest on Japan are ?"
Usually, that kind of question would be a joke, but the way he asked told that was an actual line of thought to be made here.
Among sorcerer's Gojo was the strongest of Japan and some argued of all Eastern Asia, followed ( not so) closely by Geto Suguru, Yuki Tsukomo, Raito Kishibe, Hiromi Higuruma, Fumihiko Takaba, Me and 5 agents of public safety whose names I could only remenber one - Kishibe.
That red-haired girl... I could feel she was powerful in the one time I was in her vicinity, but her power was under a cloak that made it difficult to assert exactly how strong she was, besides the fact she was probably special grade.
"What are they hiding? ..."
"She did what ?"
"She conscripted a 16 year old boy that merged with the Chainsaw Devil into one of their little Divisions. Apparently they are making a entire squad offends and stuff." Gojo casually informed me with the same tone of voice as one discusses a tv show, instead of a violation of the international law. "Honestly I kinda of like the idea. Having a whole band of misfits to train and have them outshine everyone. Underdog stories are cool."
"Gojo this is not a team of Underdogs- They are WAR dogs. This kid is being put on a team with people who are disposable weapons half the higher ups wants chained."
"Yeah yeah I know… It DOES sound fun though."
"Are we – no – are you doing something about it?" It was not my problem. I was not. I had to keep myself from being to involved or else it would only lead to hurt. Never care too much. Never pick the world on your shoulders, or else you will get crushed.
Gojo, sadly, did not agree with my philosophy.
From the other side of the line a annoying noise that most likely was a giggle and a simple answer : " Oh WE sure are … Just wait for my cue." And he hanged the call.
I put the phone down and massage my temples. "God fucking dammit, Gojo!"
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++END
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Author notes:
It surprises me how this turn out. I a very fun way this stories are growing organically instead of following a pre-planed idea like other jumpchains I planned
This one ended up so long I probably am going to take a bit more tham 2 or 3 weeks to finish. Here is part 1 of 3
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