Discord: discord .gg /eHuxNeZfyS [Come chat with me]
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene [Read ahead & support me]
You.tube: @KeanuEugene [Giving away all my writing knowledge]
CHAPTER START---
"So, what do we think?" Suguru Geto asks as Manami rests her head on his chest and curls into his side.
Mimiko and Nanako were now fully alert, staring at the screen in wonder as the broadcast ended.
Larue, a tall and muscular caucasian man, was at a table nearby enjoying his coffee while silently observing everything.
And a few other members of Geto's main team take a moment to process what they witnessed.
"He doesn't seem so invincible anymore," Mimiko says. "You have a Domain Expansion, right?"
"I do, but it's not as refined as Satoru's, so I've barely trained it. Plus, the effect of it is fairly worthless in combat. I'm better off using my Cursed Spirits like an army, since using Domain Expansion destroys them all."
"What is your relationship like with the boy?" Manami asks. "Can he be swayed to our side?"
Geto sighs and closes his eyes, uprooting old memories of his dear friend before responding.
"Don't fall for the little show," he says. "Satoru was only playing along with Taiyo, he didn't actually put his back into that fight. No Red, no P—. Well, let's just say he has more."
"So he was just playing, wasting time?" Nanako asks.
"No. This was a play, showing off for the people watching. A feint, baiting people into thinking he's beatable so his enemies will make a move. The other clans want Gojo gone, as do the higher ups. And if I didn't know him as well as I do, attacking him would be tempting."
"Certainly fooled me," Larue says. "But would anyone take the bait and attack him?"
Geto scoffs. "They'd likely try to recruit Taiyo against Gojo. And Gojo likely has Taiyo in his pocket to keep him aware of those moves. He trusts the boy not to side with them, but also positions him in a position to. Controlled opposition."
"What about us?" Larue gets up and walks over to Geto, his face a mask of annoyance. "Did we learn anything new from this? Will Taiyo side with us against Gojo?"
"No, but I'm sure an opportunity will arise. And all I need is one opening."
Larue narrows his eyes at Geto. "And if needed, can you do it? Can you kill Satoru Gojo, your dear friend?"
Geto frowns, and the room grows tense for a moment.
But Larue breaks the silence. "Let me contract that tribesman from Kenya, then. If you don't want to handle Gojo yourself, maybe he can. Between his Cursed Tool and Innate Technique, there is a chance."
"That just leaves all of Jujutsu Tech for us to deal with, and Taiyo Daburu."
"Will that be a problem?"
Geto shakes his head. "Taiyo's Innate Technique is a very bad matchup for me, but I'm sure we can figure it out. Without Satoru Gojo, eventually, they'll all fall."
Larue nods and leaves to make the arrangement, having absolute faith in his boss figuring out the best plan to accomplish their goals.
He takes out his phone while walking back to his room, massaging the back of his neck while scrolling through his contacts.
"Special Grades," he mutters. "Geto is strong, but, those two are monsters. But once we deal with Gojo, that other one should fall. We just have to be sure not to try any silly political moves with him."
He finds Miguel's number and begins the call, chuckling to himself.
"What kind of moron would try to play politics with that thing…"
---The Zen'In Clan Compound…
"Is this another silly ploy to take my seat?" Naobito Zen'In asks.
The man was old, a head of shoulder-length grey hair and a thin mustache to match, wearing matching grey and black traditional robes and Japanese sandals.
Sitting on a floor mat and drinking rice wine from a large gourd, legs crossed and leaning forward to prop his chin up on his palm.
Across from him is his younger brother, a middle-aged man in simpler attire, predominantly black and white, with a katana Cursed Tool at his side.
"This is for the good of the clan," Ogi Zen'In says. "As head of the Zen'In clan, your approval is needed for us to move forward."
Naobito glances to his right, where his son, wearing a similar outfit, is standing by. "Naoya, this had better not be some nonsense you've started again."
"I have no clue what Ogi wants," Naoya says, gesturing to his uncle. "Probably just desperately grasping for power as always. Have some dignity and kill yourself, old man. The clan will be mine, and my first order will be for you and those worthless bitches to be forgotten."
Naobito gulps down more wine before slamming down his Gourd, silencing his son. "Enough wasting my time. Ogi, what do you have planned?"
"To tie Taiyo Daburu to the Zen'In clan by blood."
Naobito hiccups, and Naoya grits his teeth loud enough for the assistant to hear it beyond the paper screen doors.
"Stay," Naobito orders, and his son stops what would have been his first step out of the room. "Killing those girls because Ogi plans to have that outside breed with them is unnecessary. After all, Taiyo won't actually control them, and they won't inherit the clan, right?"
"Right," Ogi nods. "My daughters have no talent, and their children likely will be the same. I have already resigned myself and my branch of the family to serve under yours, under you, under the next Zen'In Clan head, Naoya."
Naoya smiles. "Finally learning your place?"
"He intends for his great-grandchildren to take over," Naobito says. "Special Grade blood will eventually overrule the shit luck his seed carries. And at that point his line will be stronger than mine."
"So it's a long game for control?" Naoya scoffs. "You won't even be alive to see it. Is your desire for power so insidious?"
"It's not relevant to me, so I don't really care," Naobito says. "I'll be long dead by dead, so it's that generation's problem. But who do you know this is possible?"
"I hired Mei Mei to collect information about Taiyo Daburu," Ogi says. "In the few days since his battle with Satoru Gojo, she's delivered much.
I know his relationship with the Kamo clan is non-existent. He's neutral to the Gojo clan and has more exhibition matches with Satoru Gojo planned.
And he has had no contact with the Zen'In clan. We have a chance to bring him into our faction. And if he continues growing at this rate, we can even become the top clan."
"Assuming he can surpass Satoru Gojo," Naoya says. "Which is impossible."
"But Satoru won't be able to pass on his Innate Technique, since they are tied to Master Tengen. In the hundreds of years between now and the next Six Eyes user being born, we can have generations with Special Grade blood in them."
"Assuming he'd want your useless daughters. How much would you pay him to take on such a burden? Would the wealth of the entire clan be enough for such a miserable task of breeding them?"
Ogi glares at Naoya for a moment, then turns back to Naobito. "I already asked Mei Mei to set up a meeting, and Taiyo has entered negotiations."
"Negotiations?" Naobito asks.
"He wants something that we have in exchange for coming to the negotiation table. We have to deliver on this before he's open to hearing what we have to say."
"The other clans must be making similar offers."
"They are, but quite frankly. Even if we cannot get him on our side, keeping him neutral is vital. The worst case scenario is Taiyo Daburu siding with Satoru Gojo. The Jujutsu world has been balanced to this point because Suguru Geto, Satoru Gojo, and Yuki Tsukumo have irreconcilable differences.
But this boy, Taiyo, he is new, and has room to be swayed."
As the two men fall into a discussion of politics, power grabs, and wealth, Naoya retreats into his own mind to consider his future.
'Taiyo Daburu is stronger than most. I can't kill him. And father is entertaining this shit, so I can't go kill those useless twins. My best hope is that he rejects this entire offer. If not, he could agree, but then his blood would be part of Ogi's branch, not ours.
And I only have brothers, so we can't bind him to us.
Well, my children and his, but that could make things complicated. I should get some woman to mix her blood with his children, then have those mix with mine.
It will be diluted, but still Special Grade. After that, my branch will have his blood, and I can wipe out Ogi's.
If not, I can always negotiate him down to not joining the clan formally but simply impregnating the twins or some concubines. Then I can kill all of them, and their families, to raise the children with me.
Then eventually, I do the same and join them to our branch of the family in a few generations. That will be most likely since he clearly doesn't care for the clan politics. Otherwise, he would have already joined the Gojo clan.
Sigh, so annoying. Why couldn't I have a few sisters? Tying them down for him to use would be so much quicker and easier than having to plan ahead like this…'
"What about Jujutsu Headquarters and the higher-ups?" Naobito asks. "I'm sure they've offered many gifts to sway him to their side."
"Yes, but only we have access to a specific Curse Tool, and luckily, it's not one any of our members is using." Ogi snaps his fingers and a servant enters carrying s small ornate wooden box in her hands.
"Hmm, what good would that thing do for him?"
END CHAPTER---
Discord: discord .gg /eHuxNeZfyS [Come chat with me]
pat.reon: Keanu_Eugene [Read ahead & support me]
You.tube: @KeanuEugene [Giving away all my writing knowledge]