The first thing I saw when I woke up was a blinding light.
"ARGH! MY EYES!"
A dazzling, painful light.
Then the pain came.
"ARGH! MY BODY!"
The pain was absolutely unbearable. And it didn't help that the light was practically stabbing my eyes.
I shut them tight and took a deep breath.
'Breathe. You have to breathe. The pain is all in your head. You know what they say—no pain, no gain.'
It took me several minutes to calm down. Then, despite the pounding headache, I deployed my Observation Haki.
I couldn't sense anyone—at least not within my range. Reassured, I deactivated it. Not that I could've kept it up much longer in my condition.
I slowly opened my eyes and blinked to adjust to the brightness. Once I did, I finally saw where I was.
It was a simple bedroom. Not a hospital room—no. A house bedroom.
The sunlight filtering in was soft, which made me assume it was evening.
'Where am I?'
The million-dollar question.
Despite the pain, I sat up and looked at myself. The clothes I had worn yesterday had been replaced by long bandages.
That was alarming, but it wasn't my main concern right now. First, I needed to know where I was—but more importantly…
'Is the cursed spirit dead? Did the little girl make it?'
I climbed out of bed as best as I could and started walking toward the door.
Every step hurt, and breathing was difficult.
'Well, I did practically get my ribcage blown apart, so that's fair.'
Still, I managed to reach the door. I pressed the handle and cracked it open slightly. It led into a hallway. I peeked out to confirm it was empty.
I wasn't in any condition to use Observation Haki anymore, so I had to rely on my senses.
After confirming no one was there, I opened the door fully, as quietly as possible.
I stepped out silently when suddenly—
"You should probably stay in bed."
Hearing a woman's voice right beside me made me jump, and I quickly tried to move away. The pain immediately caught up with me.
I collapsed, clutching my ribs and gasping.
"Easy. You're going to reopen your wounds."
The woman approached calmly. I looked up and finally got a clear view of her.
She looked remarkably similar to the little girl. The same blonde hair. The same chocolate-brown eyes.
She was absolutely stunning.
She crouched down and lifted me, carrying me back into the room. Then she pulled up a chair, placed it in front of me, and sat down.
An awkward silence settled between us. It lasted several minutes. Just as I tried to break it, she spoke first.
"First of all, I want to thank you." She bowed her head, her voice filled with gratitude—I could guess why. "Thank you for saving my daughter."
I was extremely embarrassed seeing her like that. "I-It's nothing, ma'am. P-Please, raise your head." I stuttered. Six years of isolation with only my brother as real company had seriously eroded my social skills.
She refused to straighten up. "No. I have to thank you properly. Without you, my daughter would surely have died. Without her, I—I…" Tears began to stream down her face. "…I don't know what I would have done. So thank you."
Asking her again felt inappropriate, so I just accepted it.
"Sigh. Very well. I accept your thanks."
She straightened up, and I noticed a small smile on her lips.
"Now that that's settled, we need to discuss something else." Her face darkened instantly, and a pressure radiated from her.
I couldn't use Observation Haki, but I was certain—it was cursed energy.
My eyes widened. 'A sorcerer! Or a curse user!'
"Who are you, kid? And what were you doing there?" she asked, her tone completely stripped of the earlier softness.
GULP.
I swallowed at her sudden shift in demeanor. In my current state, I couldn't possibly defeat her. But I stood firm and, despite the danger, refused to speak…
(…)
You really believed that?
I spilled everything.
Where I came from and why I was there.
The only thing I kept to myself was how I defeated the cursed spirit.
To be honest, I didn't remember it myself. I had passed out the moment I delivered my final blow. Even now, I couldn't believe that strike had actually killed it.
The most likely scenario was that I had stalled long enough for this woman to arrive and finish the job.
That was the only logical explanation.
My instincts told me this woman was extremely strong. Strong enough that fighting her—even at full strength—would be suicide.
"So you're telling me the Zen'in Clan sent a six-year-old kid to kill a Semi-Grade 1 spirit?" she repeated skeptically.
I shook my head and corrected her.
"No. They falsified the mission details so I'd go there and get killed."
"That's not exactly better, you know." She held her head in her hands. "Sigh. I should seriously consider retirement. That still doesn't explain how you lasted that long."
"As you probably sensed, I don't possess any cursed energy. It's due to a Heavenly Restriction. I lost the ability to use cursed energy in exchange for extraordinary physical abilities."
She narrowed her eyes at me. "There are several holes in your story." I stiffened on the bed. "But for now, I'll believe you."
The pressure on my shoulders eased, and I finally let out a breath.
Still, I had questions.
"How long have I been here, ma'am?"
My voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she focused on me again.
"Hmm. It's been about three days."
"What?!" I jolted upright, ignoring the pain this time. "Damn it, Toji's been alone with them for three days. I have to get back."
Before I could take a step, her arm blocked my shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going in that condition?" she asked sternly.
"I have to go home. My little brother is waiting. I can't leave him alone in a place like the Zen'in Clan."
She seemed to notice my panic and stepped back slightly.
She hesitated for a long moment before speaking.
"Fine. But I'm driving you back."
She lifted me again without warning, and this time the embarrassment outweighed the pain.
"I-I can walk on my own."
"Be quiet. Your bones were basically mush when I found you."
"B-But I swear I'm fine."
"I said be quiet. Or I'll make you."
Her threat shut me up instantly, and I endured the embarrassment in silence.
---
Zen'in Clan Estate
It didn't take long to arrive at the estate. It was just as gloomy as ever.
I got out of the car, and she did the same.
"This is where we part ways," she said calmly.
I didn't reply and rushed forward immediately—but she stopped me once more.
This time I couldn't hold back. "WHAT NOW?!"
It slipped out in my impatience, and I instantly regretted it. But she didn't seem offended.
She moved quickly, opened the trunk, and took something out before handing it to me.
The object was wrapped in cloth, but I could clearly tell they were katanas.
"It was with one of those that you defeated the cursed spirit."
'Wait, what? I beat it?'
I didn't have time to ask. She quickly got back into her car and shut the door.
I was about to give up and run toward the estate when she rolled down the window and called out—
"By the way! What's your name? My daughter's been pestering me about it ever since you saved her."
I was so shocked that I'd forgotten something so basic that I slapped my forehead.
"Sorry about that. My name is Zen'in Zoro. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine. My name is Tsukumo Hyo. I'll pray for our next meeting."
She started the engine and drove off.
"Tsukumo? So the little girl was…"