The door to the Zen'in, Roronoa, or Inagaki house opened, and the older brother stepped inside.
"Toji, I'm back," Zoro said while taking off his shoes.
Toji then appeared not far from the door, holding a nearly empty bowl of noodles and chopsticks in his hand.
With his mouth full, he asked, "How did it go?"
Zoro stood up, holding his shoes in his hands. "Swallow before you speak, and yes, it went well."
Zoro walked past Toji and went straight to the living room, collapsing right onto the couch.
Toji approached after setting down his finished bowl of noodles and wiping his mouth.
"I still don't understand why you didn't want me to come with you," Toji said, sitting down as well and pulling out a game console.
Zoro grabbed the other controller and replied, "I already told you, this debt doesn't concern you."
They booted up *Tekken* on the PlayStation and each chose their character.
"I still think it's dumb, but whatever. Ready to get your ass kicked?" Toji asked confidently.
"You're just a frog at the bottom of a well, little grasshopper," Zoro replied.
1 year later
A year passed like this. Zoro went to the Star Plasma estate three times a week to visit Yuki and share the information he dug up through his numerous informants.
It goes without saying that the results weren't very conclusive. Some info was wrong, while other details were simply falsified to pocket the money.
Those who tried that would, of course, receive an unexpected visit from Zoro and Toji, forcing them to return all the money—plus a little extra for the inconvenience.
And so the days rolled by until the day of the first meeting between Tengen and the Star Plasma Vessel arrived.
Zoro was currently sitting on the bed in Yuki's room, with Yuki herself getting ready.
"I would've figured there'd be maids to get you ready," Zoro said vaguely.
Yuki, who was doing her makeup, answered without taking her eyes off the mirror, "When you told me you were coming today, I asked the maids to teach me how to get ready, and then I threw them all out."
"And they agreed?" Zoro asked, surprised.
Yuki gave a small smirk. "They didn't really have a choice. Even if I'm not strictly their employer, they are obligated to obey all my orders."
"Uh-huh, I see," Zoro said, leaning back on the bed. "By the way, why did Tengen only summon you today? After almost three years."
Having finished getting ready, Yuki closed her makeup bag and turned to Zoro.
She then dropped a revelation: "Tengen never summoned me. I was the one who asked to see him."
This caught Zoro's attention. "Why?"
Just as Yuki was about to answer, Zoro spoke up again, "Actually, no, never mind. I can guess why. It's a stupid question. Forget it."
Yuki was offended by this, and her dark glare made it obvious.
"Oh really? Then why do you think I asked to see Tengen?" she asked angrily.
"Well, to ask if she knows a way to eliminate all cursed spirits, obviously," Zoro said confidently.
That only exasperated Yuki even more, because he was right.
"Tch, I hate when you do that," she said, sitting down on the bed as well.
"Sorry, but it was extremely obvious. Anyone who knows you could have guessed it. And besides, I can even predict Tengen's answer," Zoro continued, closing his eyes.
Yuki's anger had calmed down a bit, and she had to admit to herself that he was right and it really was obvious.
But the second part of his sentence made her pause a little. "And what do you think he'll answer?"
"He'll answer that it's impossible, that it's naive, that it's a waste of time. All the answers a stuck-up, millennia-old geezer would give," Zoro predicted.
Zoro's answer didn't really surprise Yuki, but she noticed something else. "You don't seem to hold Tengen in very high esteem. By the way, why are you even coming with me today? It's not like I'm in mortal danger."
"I'm not coming with you to protect you; I just have a few things to ask Tengen, that's all," Zoro replied with a yawn.
"And what do you want to ask?"
This time, Zoro didn't answer. "Hmm, I'm sleepy. My brother and I trained all night. Wake me up when it's time to leave."
"Consider yourself lucky I didn't chase you out of here with a broomstick, you training maniac," replied the stellar plasma.
Zoro fell asleep instantly after saying that.
Yuki could clearly see he was trying to avoid answering, but strangely, she didn't wake him up.
"Who would believe this idiot is the greatest mercenary in jujutsu?" Yuki said with a sigh.
Yuki stared at the sleeping Zoro for a long time. Her fist clenched slightly, and she was lost in thought for a moment.
Her gaze didn't waver for several seconds until she finally began to move.
She leaned gently over him and gave him a kiss... on the forehead. (lol)
She quickly pulled away and got off the bed, blushing. "Well, I've got a fashion show to do."
Two hours later
Yuki came back into the room and went straight over to Zoro. "Hey! Wake up, good-for-nothing."
"Hmm? Is it already time?" Zoro said, stretching.
"Yes, and I don't know how you're going to follow us, but don't get noticed," Yuki said, helping him up.
Zoro nodded, rubbed his face, and started walking toward the window.
Before jumping, he turned back and said, "Well, see you later."
Zoro used the indentations in the wall to hoist himself onto the roof. He did it so fast that the guards didn't even have time to catch a glimpse of his shadow.
Once at the top, he waited and saw Yuki leave the house a few minutes later.
She was being escorted toward a car by several guards and maids holding a parasol to protect her from the heat.
One of the guards opened the car door, let her inside, and closed it behind her.
The other guards hurried into the other cars surrounding Yuki's.
All the cars started their engines and began to drive off. Seeing this, Zoro made his move.
He gathered all his strength and leaped into the air. The jump was so powerful that he reached a height far above a fifty-story building, yet despite that, he could clearly see the convoy.
"I would've preferred to be closer, but this crap makes a hell of a racket," he said as he gathered strength in his legs.
As he began to fall back down, he kicked the air so violently with his leg that it created a platform beneath him.
Geppo
Poff!
The power of the impact propelled him forward—not at his usual sprinting speed, of course, but fast enough to keep up with the convoy. And he still had leeway.
Poff!
Poff!
Poff!
With every new step he took, he launched himself several dozen meters forward. The only downside to this technique was the deafening noise it created. That was exactly why Zoro was forced to travel so high up.
The Plasma estate was relatively close to Tokyo Jujutsu High, so it took the convoy—and therefore Zoro—no more than 15 minutes to reach their destination.
Arriving at the entrance, the cars parked, and Yuki stepped out of hers.
Zoro stopped suspending himself in the air and began a freefall toward the forest surrounding the high school.
Just as he was about to enter the canopy, he caught himself on a branch and did several full rotations around it to dissipate his momentum.
Fwsh!
Fwsh!
Fwsh!
With all the momentum now dispersed and no longer at risk of making noise, he stood on the branch and began leaping from tree to tree.
He arrived in time to see Yuki enter the building's compound with her guards and a guide, whom he recognized as the current principal of Jujutsu High.
Several guards had been left at the entrance, and the barriers were all in place. For a normal person, there was zero chance of getting inside. But Zoro was not a normal person.
That didn't make things easy, though. The courtyard separating the entrance from the actual building was completely open. There was nowhere to hide.
There was only one solution left for Zoro. He pulled out one of his Glocks and cloaked it in Armament Haki.
He aimed at a spot somewhat far away, ensuring he wouldn't hurt anyone when he fired.
Bang!
Normally, the sound of the gunshot would have drawn attention, but it was eclipsed by the sound of the Haki-coated bullet striking a cliff face.
Boom!
Cr-Crick!
A piece of the cliff broke off and began to fall. This inevitably drew the attention of the guards, who immediately went on high alert.
With their attention diverted elsewhere, Zoro got all the window he needed to cross over.
Soru
Zoro then entered the building unhindered and jumped to the ceiling, clinging to it just before the principal and the other guards rushed out to see what was happening.
From there, the way was completely clear. Zoro dropped down from the ceiling and began to walk calmly.
It didn't take him long to find Yuki, who was standing still as if waiting for him.
"I told you not to get noticed," she sighed in exasperation.
"And I didn't. No one but you knows it was me. I hope you'll keep your mouth shut," Zoro said brazenly.
His behavior drew a small laugh from Yuki.
"Haha! Alright, let's go," Yuki said, starting to walk.
The two headed in the same direction, both in search of answers.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached their destination. Before them stood two ancient doors leading straight to Tengen's residence. *(I forgot what it looks like in the anime and I'm too lazy to go check, so just make do with this.)*
Zoro stepped forward, placed his hands on both sides of the doors, and pushed them. An unpleasant creaking echoed as the two doors parted from each other.
And as soon as the entrance was fully opened, a voice reached them: "Good day, Tsukumo Yuki, and to you as well, young man whose identity I do not know."
Zoro mentally put his guard up, but without letting his vigilance show too much.
Then, suddenly, he heard a dull thud coming from behind him.
Thud!
When he turned around, he saw Yuki on the ground, holding her head and breathing heavily.
"Yuki?" he said, drawing Wado Ichimonji and turning back toward the voice. "You bitch, what did you do to her?"
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