The Zen'in Clan council chamber was a sober, silent space, covered in time-aged wood and with lineage symbols engraved on the pillars. They only met there when the stakes transcended the everyday. That day, the air was thick. The elders' faces held no trace of concern. There was tension in every sigh, in every glance.
Three of the most influential elders were present: the stern Zen'in Kogetsu, the pragmatic Zen'in Shinsai, and the astute Zen'in Kaoru. Seated in a semicircle, they exchanged opinions in deep, measured voices, as was tradition… but their words held fear.
"That boy's technique..." Kogetsu began, his brows furrowed. "A cursed technique that manipulates time. Don't you realize the risk? If this continues, we'll have no way to contain him once he stops obeying us."
"And if he doesn't stop obeying us?" "Kaoru retorted, elegantly crossing her legs. "What if he becomes the weapon we've been waiting for? A power that can stand up to Gojo Satoru. Or have they forgotten who currently holds the balance of the jujutsu world?"
Shinsai nodded ruefully.
"Naoya is still young... but his growth has been exponential. If he continues at this rate, he could become the clan's greatest asset. Or its greatest threat. The question is: what can we do about it?"
Kogetsu tapped the ground with his staff.
"What we should do is obvious. Seal him! Lock him away before it's too late!"
Kaoru frowned.
"And provoke an internal war? Show weakness to the other clans? We tried that before with Toji, remember? How did that end?"
Mentioning it caused an awkward silence. Toji Fushiguro, the outcast without cursed energy, had been a thorn in the clan's pride... and a wound that had yet to fully heal.
Shinsai intervened:
"We can't decide lightly. We need proof, data. A definitive assessment. Something to tell us if the boy is still within the boundaries... or if he's already crossed them."
At that moment, the wooden doors slid smoothly open. Everyone turned.
It was Naobito Zen'in, the clan leader. He wore his usual dark kimono with gold details, his face lined with wrinkles, but his intense eyes showed not a hint of weakness. He walked slowly to the center, leaning easily on his cane.
"I've heard enough," he said in a deep voice, "to understand that fear has entered the hearts of the Zen'in."
The elders stood reverently. Kaoru bowed slightly, as she always did when acknowledging authority without completely submitting.
Naobito looked around the circle. Then he turned to the rice-paper window that let in the afternoon light.
"I haven't felt this mixture of anticipation and fear for decades. What Naoya has accomplished is... extraordinary. A technique inspired by time-skipping... performed before he has even reached the age of majority."
He turned around, staring at those present.
"But power alone does not define the strength of a Zen'in. Will, loyalty, control... that is what makes a true heir. A true leader."
Shinsai frowned.
"So you have a proposal, Clan Lord?"
Naobito walked to the center of the room and stopped. His voice took on a solemn tone:
"We will give him a test. One year from today. Before Naoya turns 18, he must hunt down and eliminate, alone, a special-rank cursed spirit. There will be no help. There will be no backup." Just him, his technique... and his instinct.
The elders exchanged glances. The decision was brutal... but fair. Kaoru smiled, barely.
"A way to measure whether he's a prodigy... or a threat."
Kogetsu, however, didn't hide his bitterness.
"And if it fails? What will we do then?"
Naobito looked at him coldly.
"If it fails... we'll know. And we'll act as the clan has always acted upon mistakes: with force."
Naoya watched from afar. He wasn't invited to the meeting, but that didn't stop him from spying through a small crack in the wall hidden behind the panels. His body motionless, his gaze intense. He listened to every word, every judgment, every doubt. He felt a surge of contempt for the elders… and at the same time, a strange emotion.
"A test, huh?" he muttered to himself.
He walked away, walking through the silent corridors of the Zen'in complex.
In his mind, a cold, clear thought repeated itself:
"Those people still don't understand what I am. They fear me, but they don't understand. It doesn't matter. They'll give me a chance to prove it. And when I do… not even those senile old men will dare to raise their voices."
He stopped in front of a bronze mirror. He studied himself. He smiled arrogantly.
"Gojo, Sukuna, Toji... Only they could defeat me right now. And Toji... he should have been a Zen'in. Someone like him should never have been banished from this clan."
His eyes shone with insane determination.
"I will be the deadliest weapon this lineage has ever seen. Or its destroyer."
Meanwhile, in the council chamber, Naobito had given his verdict.
"Prepare the report. Send observers. And keep your eyes open. This year will decide the fate of the Zen'in clan."
The elders nodded.
The test had begu