The Zenin clan head stood, the moonlight casting his shadow long on the walls. He had believed he had more time to prepare, but now the time had come. His plot to have his eldest son killed had been thoroughly planned. It was meant to ensure that the elders would be entirely blind to his final moves. It had been cunning of them to use his eldest as their spy to report his actions to them.
In his mind, he recalled his talk with the Gojo clan's heir. It was simple: an arrangement for his son to stand opposing the Six Eyes during a mission, setting the stage for an inevitable death, a fate the elders knew well. But they had started getting suspicious, and their scrutiny was pressing down upon him now. They knew of his betrayal now, just not the extent of it. They were approaching, believing that he would be caught unaware.
He could flee now, avoid a fight entirely, but that would reveal the depth of his work—his men embedded at every level of the Zenin clan. Such a thing would have been impossible a decade ago; living under the shadow of the Six Eyes had made the elders desperate for any power, and they had clung to their authority over every part of the clan with an iron grip. But when the child with Ten Shadows was born, they had become obsessed, turning blind to the power that could be wielded by influence over those who allowed the clan to function.
A battle had to occur; he needed them to believe he had been caught by surprise. He had to flee with enough losses to fool them. As he prepared to face them, he felt his cursed energy surge. He would orchestrate this confrontation precisely, ensuring his plans stayed concealed, to take control of the Zenin clan, dispose of the elders, and gain control over the Ten Shadows. His men were ready, as they always were. Only a few truly knew of the coming battle, and it needed to be so; after all, the losses had to be convincing. It was time; they were here. They may not know, but he was as ready as he could be. When the time came for him to strike back, they wouldn't be.
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I walked through the hallways of the clan's compound towards the core area reserved for the elders and the clan head. This was where the clan's secrets were hidden—cursed tools and documented techniques. The elders had summoned me, and I did not know why. It was probably related to the incident that had occurred a few days ago.
The clan head had been planning to betray us. The elders had moved quickly, forcing him to run amidst a battle that had claimed the lives of most of his loyal followers. They had done what they could to prevent the details from spreading, but the incident itself couldn't be fully suppressed. Without the clan head, the elders were split between restoring order and hunting down the traitors.
When I reached the entrance, my heart sped. What could be so important that they needed to spare their time to speak with me? I stepped forth. Seven of the nine elders were present, each a first-class sorcerer with almost uncontested expertise in their fields.
"Step forward, child," Elder Ryu spoke up. I did as asked. "We do not have time to waste. Let's proceed," another elder urged, his tone full of impatience.
"Very well," the grand elder began, his voice calm and steady. "You have been made the clan head now that the former is… otherwise disposed of."
"What?!" My voice cracked with disbelief.
Elder Ryu continued, "Surely you've heard the whispers, the betrayal of our clan by the former head, and how he has been forced out?"
"Yes, but why… I'm not ready," I stammered.
"You're never given time to be ready," Elder Ryu replied. "That's a truth every sorcerer must come to learn. The clan needs a symbol now more than ever, and there's nothing greater than the Ten Shadows."
"Do not worry," the grand elder reassured me. "We will handle the responsibilities of such a position until you are prepared. Follow the path we've laid for you, and there will be no unexpected troubles."
"That will be all. Someone will be sent to relocate you to the clan head's residence. You may leave for now," he concluded.
I mutely left, still not fully grasping what had just happened. But one thing was clear: nothing had truly changed for me. The elders had decided on my path, and all I had to do was continue down it.
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Raizo Zenin stepped into the shrine with quiet yet deliberate steps. The air felt filled with a taint he couldn't quite place. How ironic that this would be the meeting place of those who considered themselves the future of sorcery. But they had been left with no choice but to hide in the shadows until the time was right. This shrine, thought by the common dregs to be for Sukunahikona—the deity of agriculture and healing—was anything but peaceful. Sorcerers, however, knew better. They knew of its true history linked with Sukuna, the calamity, a being that sought nothing but destruction.
Perhaps their ancestors had hidden and twisted the shrine's origins to strip Sukuna of the satisfaction of inciting fear in the populace.
But there was no time for such idle thoughts. This meeting would decide the future of sorcery.
Though the shrine appeared pathetic, its significance was still felt by the thick cursed energy in the air. Raizo walked deeper into the shrine, reaching a room that contained a stone statue of Sukuna, its four arms shattered and scattered across the floor.
The others were already there. Each side had brought only their most trusted confidants—there was no room for betrayal. Any secrets leaked would result in their deaths.
Fuyoshi Kamo spoke up as Raizo approached. "Last one here… took you long enough, Zenin. Oh, wait… is that even your name anymore?"
Despite the meaning of his name, Fuyoshi was a snake in human skin—always coiled and ready to spring.
Raizo growled in return. "I may be cast out now, but the Zenin clan still belongs to me, Fuyoshi. And when I return, there shall be no more doubts of that."
Kiyomitsu Gojo, ever the calm presence, cut through the coming banter. "There's no time for posturing. We're here to decide the future of sorcery, not to squabble like children." The room fell silent, acknowledging Gojo's statement.
Kiyomitsu continued, his voice stable. "We are here for two primary purposes. One: to rid ourselves of the old guard. Two: to forge an alliance amongst our clans to ensure that the Gojo, Zenin, and Kamo will be the only great sorcerer families in Japan. If this succeeds, we will have complete control over each of our clans. 'The Great Clans' won't just be an adjective any longer—it will be a title solely belonging to us."
Fuyoshi snickered, his voice full of sarcasm. "A wonderful future indeed! But how do you plan on achieving this? Your two clans still have those dusty skeletons hanging around, while my clan rid itself of those nuisances. What are you going to do about your elders?"
Kiyomitsu's eyes narrowed. "You know well, Fuyoshi, my father is not just a nuisance to me but to all of us. You also know how much power the Zenin elders have accumulated, waiting for the day my father no longer haunts them. But a plan has already been set in motion—an ongoing collaboration between me and Raizo."
Kamo smiled. "So I'm late to the party, huh? I feel left out."
Raizo spoke up, "It doesn't matter if you're late to this. If this fails, we all face death. You won't be spared either, Fuyoshi, especially with you employing all those curse users."
Kamo's smile faded, his eyes focused. "Fine. What do you require of me?"
Kiyomitsu stepped forward, his voice calm and steady. "The plan will have my father invading and attacking the Zenin elders, and once he's dealt with them, he'll also be ripe for killing. What I need from you, Fuyoshi, is to guarantee that no one outside the Gojo or Zenin clans will be able to interfere. Ensure that all other clans remain unaware and that certain individuals—including civilian officials connected to the old guard—are taken out using your curse users. Their influence must be fully eradicated."
"You have found a way past infinity!?"
Raizo shook his head. "Not us, the Zenin elders have. They would not be willing to use it unless given no other choice. We just need to put them in the right circumstances so that there may be no other choice. That will be enough to leave him vulnerable, and with his feeble body alone, he won't survive the might of two clans."
Fuyoshi acquiesced. "Very well. I shall play my role. But what of the future? What happens after this?"
Raizo leaned forward. "I don't believe our clans will ever form a true alliance, but a loose one will suffice. Our main objective should be the eradication of other clans' inherited techniques. From then, we will work together to ensure that only the Zenin, Gojo, and Kamo clans stand atop as the great clans of Japan."
Kiyomitsu cut in, "We'll settle the details down the line. Before that, the old must be disposed of so the new may rise. The time has come for the world of sorcery to move forward."