In the blink of an eye, four years passed.
It was January 20th, 2001.
On this day, something happened inside the Zenin clan, one of the three great families of the jujutsu world.
The sky rumbled with unending thunder. Rain poured down in sheets, and the wind roared as if cursing the injustice of the world. Yet amid that furious downpour, in the clan that stood at the very peak of the jujutsu society, a new life was born.
"Waaah…"
"Waaah…"
The cries of newborns rang out. In one of the Zenin courtyards, a woman had just given birth to a pair of twins.
"Useless… all of you are useless!"
What should have been a cause for celebration in any normal household only left the thin, ponytailed man outside the delivery room scowling with anger. His voice carried like a whip, striking everyone nearby.
He had known twins were coming. But when the moment arrived, he could not hide his frustration. His eyes burned as he looked around at his brothers and his father, who sat in a wheelchair. With nowhere else to vent, he shouted curses at the servants lingering near the back.
This man was Ogi Zenin, the husband of the woman who had just given birth, and one of the clan head's sons.
The reason for his fury was simple.
In the jujutsu world, twins were considered a curse. Regardless of how great the potential of one child, it would always be divided in the womb. The other would absorb a portion of that talent, and both would end up unable to reach the peak of pure cursed energy or mastery of a technique.
Because they were meant to have been one.
"Please don't let them be identical…"
Even before the doors to the birthing room fully opened, Ogi shoved his way inside impatiently. But when he saw the swaddled baby's, two girls whose features were nearly identical, a fresh surge of rage nearly drove him mad.
If not for the presence of his father and brothers watching closely, he might have strangled the weaker infant right then, the one whose cursed energy was barely detectable.
"Hahaha! It's not all bad. At least they have cursed energy. Better than the eldest son's children, who had none. Raise them properly."
The old man in the wheelchair glanced only once at the twins before ordering his attendants to wheel him away. His voice carried no interest, just a faint chuckle as he teased one of the embarrassed middle-aged men standing behind.
Twins like these had no right to bear the weight of the Zenin clan. They weren't worth a second thought.
Before leaving, the old man reminded Ogi in a firm voice. "No matter what, as long as I draw breath, I won't allow blood to spill between our kin. The strong may rule over the weak, but never slaughter your own."
The warning struck deep.
"I'm sorry…" On the bed, pale and exhausted from the ordeal of childbirth, the woman looked at her husband's stormy face and whispered an apology. She even tried to rise, her body trembling with the effort.
"You should rest," Ogi muttered coldly. Without sparing her another glance, he turned and walked away, bitterness and fury churning in his chest.
His father's once-sturdy body had grown frail in recent years. He had hoped that, by fathering children more gifted than Naoya, he could claim the right to compete for the position of clan head. But that dream shattered the moment he saw the twins.
The raging storm outside matched his turmoil within.
He wandered aimlessly through the Zenin estate, rain and wind howling like his thoughts.
* * *
"You trash. What are you doing here?"
A harsh voice broke through Ogi's haze. He had wandered too far without realizing it, stepping into the courtyard belonging to Toji and Mukuro.
Arms folded across his chest, muscles straining against the sleeves of his shirt, Toji stood in the doorway. His gaze was ice-cold, his words sharper still. He didn't care that blood tied them together, and his first greeting was an insult.
"I heard his children were born. Rare twins, no less. He's probably so thrilled he can't even find his own yard right now." Mukuro, already taller than one-sixty even in fifth grade, leaned against the wall beside his brother, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Hmph. Two useless burdens. My children, at least, have cursed energy. Maybe even strong techniques. Not like you worthless garbage," Ogi snapped back, his pride flaring.
Over the years, both Toji and Mukuro had gained a reputation in the jujutsu world. The former's strength as a grade 1 sorcerer had already been firmly recognized, while the latter's true abilities remained unclear. Still, no one could call him ordinary.
But here, in the Zenin clan, none of that mattered. As long as they carried the Zenin name, Ogi would always look down on them. He himself was also a grade 1 sorcerer, and that title gave him all the arrogance he needed.
"Funny how the weakest dogs always bark the loudest. Do us a favor and go bark in your own yard before I crush an annoying insect under my heel," Mukuro said, waving him off as if swatting a fly.
"Oh right, Toji. Didn't you like picking up trash? Why don't I hand you one of my daughters? Useless things belong together after all." Ogi had been ready to storm off, but suddenly he stopped, turning with a sneer. His eyes swept over the two as though they were beggars at the roadside.
"Pathetic fool," Toji murmured.
Neither he nor Mukuro entertained the insult further. Their gaze had never been for the weak.
"You insolent monkeys. Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Right as the brothers were about to head back inside, Ogi's rage finally boiled over. Their contemptuous stares were like oil poured onto a blazing fire.
Snarling, he drew the long blade at his waist and lunged.
"Trash will always be trash. You can't even see the difference in strength." Toji let his arms fall loosely to his sides.
Bang!
In a flash, before Ogi could even process what happened, his body was already lying outside in the courtyard. Rain beat down on him mercilessly.
"W-what… what just happened?!"
Only when Toji and Mukuro calmly closed the door did he jolt back to awareness. He tried to rise, but blood gushed from his mouth, forcing him to collapse onto his knees. His blade, still clutched in one hand, had been shattered into several pieces.
If they had wanted to, he would have been dead from that single exchange.
Toji's back, framed by the storm, etched itself into Ogi's mind. A nightmare he would never escape.
* * *
Months later, the old Zenin clan head fell critically ill.
On his deathbed, he summoned every member of the family and formally declared Naobito as his successor.
After taking the position, Naobito's first act was to persuade Toji and Mukuro not to leave the clan.
Unlike the others, he saw their terrifying strength clearly. With promises and benefits, he managed to convince the brothers to remain for now.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!