My preparations may have been rendered meaningless, but I didn't fall into despair or even disappointment.
Just because someone else opened a dojo before me, or set up shop first, that's no reason for me to give up.
Just because there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't score.
If the ball won't go in, I can just smash the whole goalpost to pieces.
Practicing some physical-style positive mind control, I headed into the interior of Rukongai to do some market research.
Rukongai was as lively as ever. Children were running around laughing brightly, and the adults watched them with warm, satisfied smiles.
To be honest, I was a little surprised.
The Rukongai I remembered from the original story was nothing short of a living hell on earth.
Why a hell on earth, you ask?
Well… before the Gotei 13 existed, a 'Kenpachi' would pop up at any moment to butcher people. And even after the Gotei 13 was formed, some mad scientist bastard would kidnap people for biological experiments as casually as eating breakfast.
But looking at the atmosphere now, it seemed those things weren't happening at the moment, which was a relief.
If I had come out to build a dojo and 'happened' to witness that kind of crap, I would have popped the perpetrator's skull regardless of who they were. So, it's a good thing.
What about the things happening where I can't see them?
Well… it's unfortunate, but I can't stick my nose into everything.
After all, I'm a human, not a god. I am neither impartial nor omnipotent.
I am not the Maitreya who can save all people. Therefore, I only save those who enter my sight and reach of my hands.
And even if they escape my gaze, their karma accumulates in their souls. Their sins will be judged in Hell after death.
What if they're strong enough to cause trouble even in Hell? Well, that's when I'd have to step in personally.
So, for now…
"I should look for a plot of land for my dojo."
I wandered around looking for a suitable site.
I didn't plan on building anything massive. I just wanted to take in and train a few strong ones, so I wasn't being too picky about the conditions.
Just land.
Yeah. Just some land where no one else was living would do fine.
"Hmm… this should do."
So, I staked my claim right next to the Shinigami Academy… otherwise known as the Genji Academy.
Hah, I guess because the Academy's reputation is so high, there were no other buildings nearby, leaving plenty of useful land.
What? So what?
Did they rent out the whole area? Could they even do that in the first place?
This is a place without a constitution, let alone real estate laws. It's a place where the strongest guy sits in the big chair and if he says 'Hmm, that's a bit much,' you're punished, and if he says 'You worked hard, have a drink,' you're forgiven. Am I wrong?
As soon as I finalized the site, I prepared to build the dojo.
First, I leveled and flattened the ground. Then I procured the timber, cutting, grinding, and refining it until everything could be slotted into the frame piece by piece…
"Phew, all finished."
Just like that, while my neighbor, the Genji Academy, was asleep during the night, I completed the dojo.
Does it sound impossible? Don't underestimate the civil engineering and carpentry skills I've amassed over 990,000 years.
I'm the guy who terraformed all of Hell and handled the construction and interior design of the Palace of the Ten Kings and the Nether King Palace single-handedly.
A single-story dojo less than 3,500 square feet? If the materials are ready, I can finish that in under an hour.
Given half a day with everything prepared, it was more than enough time.
"What should I call it…"
After a moment's thought, I realized people wouldn't recognize an unnecessarily flashy or difficult name, so I chose something very simple.
[Budokan (Martial Arts Hall)]
And so, I opened my first and last dojo… or so I thought.
A year had passed since I built the dojo on the vacant land next to the Genji Academy.
"…No one is coming."
No matter how long I waited, let alone an aspiring student, not even a single ant visited.
…Though, thinking about it, it was obvious why. What I did was the equivalent of opening a tiny local diner right next to a massive franchise restaurant without any plan.
But still, I thought maybe one or two people might show up. I never imagined it would be absolutely zero…
I told myself I didn't have high expectations, but the total lack of visitors was quite a shock.
"Maybe I should have built it a bit further away."
Or maybe if I had wandered around doing some marketing, it would have been better.
I let out a long sigh at the thought.
"Tsk."
I said I didn't care much, but I was annoyed that someone had beaten me to the punch. I built it right next to the Academy just to mess with them, but far from screwing them over, I was the one getting screwed.
They say if you have a pure heart and do good, good things come back to you, and if you have a wicked heart and do dirty deeds, calamity returns. Since this is a shonen manga world, I guess poetic justice is served quite efficiently.
"Haa…"
As I lay on my side, letting out a deep sigh and a long yawn, I felt about five presences approaching.
The first visitors in a whole year! I reflexively jumped up to greet my guests.
But the moment I swung the dojo doors open, the sight that greeted me was, unfortunately, not new disciples.
They were students from the neighboring Genji Academy, carrying loads of what looked like miscellaneous junk.
"Oh, there's a person…"
"Huh? Wait, what?"
"…Wait, didn't they say this was a warehouse?"
The five of them looked at each other and spoke, then began glancing at me with troubled expressions.
So… they mistook the dojo I built for a warehouse and were trying to dump their supplies here.
It was annoying, but the situation was understandable, and I couldn't really vent my anger on students who didn't know any better.
Besides, if you traced back the cause, it was basically my fault for the location.
"Um, excuse me, but who are you?"
As I was thinking, the student who seemed to have the most seniority put down the luggage he was carrying and asked.
His attitude was much more polite than expected, so I answered politely as well.
"I'm the owner of this dojo."
"Pardon…? No, this is the Genji Academy's property… Are you perhaps an acquaintance of Eijisai-sama?"
Should I call it being 'acquainted'…?
I did see his face once when I saved his life over 8,000 years ago, but calling that 'knowing each other well' feels a bit of a stretch.
"No, we aren't particularly close."
"Then this warehouse is…"
"This isn't a warehouse. It's a dojo I built called the Budokan. Since no one has been coming by, you probably mistook it for a warehouse."
"Uh…? So, if I understand correctly, this isn't a Genji Academy warehouse, but a dojo maintained by you, sir?"
"That's right. You understood perfectly."
At my answer, the student I was talking to turned around with a blank, brain-melted expression.
But if the senior couldn't grasp the situation, what could the juniors do? The other students with him had the same dazed looks on their faces.
The youngest-looking student, who seemed to have some sanity left, carefully raised his hand.
"U-Um, shouldn't we go back and tell Eijisai-sama about this first, Senior?"
"Ah… yes, we should. We apologize for the intrusion…"
"Right, get going then."
I watched the students leave, glancing back at me repeatedly, then closed the door and lay back down on the floor.
Honestly, I thought they'd barge in saying, 'How dare you do business on our turf! You've got guts! We'll burn this dojo down!'
That's exactly why I chose this location in the first place.
My plan was to flip those challengers easily with Jujutsu, have a few sparring matches, steal their students, and succeed through noise marketing…!
"My conscience… it hurts…!"
Shit, this hurts my conscience more than I thought it would…!
If they were overtly bad guys it would be fine, but they were just normal, hardworking, decent kids, and it hurts like hell…!
"Graaaah…!"
As I clutched my chest in agony from the stinging pain of a guilty conscience, I felt a much larger presence approaching.
It was a leisurely stride, as if they were taking a stroll, but with every single step, a thick bloodlust overflowed.
It was the presence of someone whose blade was honed to a razor's edge, as if they held hostility toward everything in the world and hatred for all things living.
"…Hmm."
I don't know who it is, but I should get a look at the face of the one broadcasting this much bloodlust.
…Actually, I think I have an idea, but let's just pretend I don't.
Before long, the one who revealed herself was a woman with long, straight hair and languid, half-closed eyes.
Fingering the hilt of the sword at her waist, she—Unohana—blinked slowly and spoke.
"This is a dojo I haven't seen before."
"It's been here for a year now."
When I said that while lying flat on the floor, Unohana, who had been surveying the surroundings, looked down at me and blinked blankly.
Though it didn't show on her face, I got the feeling she was quite surprised.
"…Who are you?"
"The owner of this dojo."
As soon as I said that, Unohana furrowed her brows.
Hey, I told you the truth. Why the attitude?
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