Chapter 9: The Zenin Brothers' Home
After hearing Zenin Jinsuke's explanation, Toji kept a blank expression, but inside he felt much more relieved.
If it was because of their mother, he could understand.
Still, forgetting about him as a younger brother because of their mother did irritate him a bit.
"She left you a letter. I've got it with me. If you want to read it, come get it," Toji said.
"No need. Keep it safe. It's probably just useless stuff anyway."
Zenin Jinsuke waved it off.
It had been so long already—he didn't want to bring those things up again.
Knowing his mother, it was probably full of apologies. Even though it wasn't her fault, she was always apologizing. The one at fault was this world.
"What are you going to do next?" Toji stared at Zenin Jinsuke.
"Of course I'll live off—cough, cough. I'll find a job and get by for now."
Zenin Jinsuke almost blurted out what he really meant.
But thinking that his little brother already had a family and a kid, it wouldn't look good if he, the older brother, still did nothing all day and wandered around living off women.
"Since you're back, don't leave again. Come be a sorcerer killer with me?"
Toji invited him. With their special situation, being an assassin was the only thing that fit. It wasn't like they could learn to exorcise curses like normal sorcerers.
"No thanks. I'm not interested in being a killer."
Zenin Jinsuke shook his head and refused without hesitation.
He already had a plan.
His main goal now was to increase his strength as fast as possible.
The jujutsu world wasn't going to be peaceful in the future. His current strength wasn't enough to protect the people around him.
Thinking about what his nephew would go through later—shouldn't he, as the uncle, back him up?
Sukuna, or whoever. If anyone tried to touch his family, he'd stomp them into paste.
Of course, besides getting stronger, making money to support himself was also important.
Other than living off women, what else made money fast…
"I'm telling you, stop being a sorcerer killer. Go home, live properly, raise your kid. Don't spend all day doing useless crap."
Zenin Jinsuke lectured Toji.
Ignoring your kid and running around outside all day—what kind of example was that?
"Mind your own business. I'm leaving. If nothing's wrong, don't come annoy me."
Toji stood up and left, too lazy to listen to Jinsuke nagging like an old mom. Still just as annoying as ever.
He acted like he didn't care, but the corner of his mouth was slowly lifting.
His brother, gone for so long, suddenly coming back—it made the loneliness in his heart feel lighter.
Watching Toji leave while saying one thing and feeling another, Zenin Jinsuke shook his head.
"Remember to take me to see my nephew and niece tomorrow."
Toji's body froze for a split second. His mouth twitched.
Then he pushed the door open and left immediately, pretending he hadn't heard anything.
"This brat…"
While the Zenin brothers were clearing up their misunderstanding, Jujutsu High was already in an uproar.
Two semi–special grade sorcerers, Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, had actually violated the higher-ups' orders and sent the Star Plasma Vessel, Amanai Riko, back.
That action had already seriously affected the safety of the jujutsu world.
Because if Lord Tengen didn't assimilate with the Star Plasma Vessel, Tengen's body would evolve to a higher state. At that point, Tengen might lose consciousness, and could even end up standing on the opposite side of humanity.
An evolved Tengen would grow closer to the side of cursed spirits.
While the higher-ups were thinking about how to handle the mess Gojo and Geto caused, Lord Tengen spoke.
Not only did Tengen not become their enemy as everyone expected—Tengen even told them not to worry.
If Amanai Riko didn't want to assimilate, that was fine. For now, Tengen could still maintain control, so there was no need to rush.
"Gojo, looks like Lord Tengen is pretty nice. Didn't even blame us."
Inside Jujutsu High, Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru talked in an empty indoor basketball court.
Ieiri Shoko leaned lazily against the nearby door, a lollipop in her mouth.
"Otherwise, why would they be Lord Tengen?"
That was the difference in perspective. How could someone like that make things hard for a little girl?
Watching the two sweat it out on the court, Yaga Masamichi was furious. If Lord Tengen hadn't chosen not to pursue it, those two idiots might've ended up labeled curse users.
"Yaga-sensei, you look kind of unhappy. Something happen? Tell us so we can be happy too?"
Gojo Satoru asked, with his "high emotional intelligence."
"You brat—itching for a beating again?"
Yaga Masamichi put on his teacher's authority, and Gojo Satoru immediately shrank his neck.
Of course Gojo knew it. Because of what he and Geto did, Yaga had definitely been chewed out by those old higher-ups.
"Don't be mad. With our strength, the higher-ups don't dare do anything to us anyway."
Gojo Satoru comforted him.
Six Eyes plus Limitless was already absurd. And after this incident, he'd also awakened Reverse Cursed Technique—and a Hollow Technique that even few in the Gojo Clan knew about.
He was confident his current strength was enough to force the higher-ups to back down.
And indeed, the higher-ups didn't really cause them trouble—just talked big, not daring to take action.
"Yeah, yeah. You're amazing."
Yaga didn't feel like arguing with Gojo.
Sooner or later, Gojo would understand that some things couldn't be solved by strength alone.
"Gojo. We already found out who tried to assassinate you."
Ieiri Shoko spoke, cutting into their conversation.
When Gojo and Geto sent Amanai Riko back, she'd asked Mei Mei to look into the assassin's information.
Zenin Jinsuke and Toji hadn't hidden anything. They were easily investigated down to the last detail.
"They're from the Zenin Clan—natural zero cursed energy."
"The older brother, Zenin Jinsuke, brutally killed dozens of Zenin clan members eight years ago, then went abroad. Seems he just returned.
The younger brother, Zenin Toji, married into the Fushiguro family and changed his name to Fushiguro Toji. He's a sorcerer killer."
Hearing that, Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru stopped what they were doing.
"Zenin Clan?"
"Zero cursed energy? How is that possible?"
Geto Suguru couldn't believe it. Someone with no cursed energy beat Gojo that easily? Was that even real?
"It really is zero cursed energy. I'm sure of it."
Gojo Satoru said firmly.
He hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of cursed energy on those strange brothers.
"By the way, Shoko—what's the deal with Zenin Jinsuke slaughtering the Zenin Clan eight years ago?"
Gojo Satoru was interested in that.
Ieiri Shoko's eyes looked lazy as she replied casually, "Zenin Clan. No cursed energy. Do you really need an explanation?"
"I see."
Gojo Satoru rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "He really is interesting."
The first time Gojo saw him, he'd noticed something different in his eyes.
Now that he thought about it, that had been the absolute confidence unique to the strong.
On the other side, with no money for a hotel, Zenin Jinsuke returned to the courtyard he'd lived in before leaving the country.
Right next to the Zenin Clan grounds.
"Still pretty clean. Not bad."
It wasn't as deserted as he'd imagined. Someone probably came to clean it regularly.
Besides old man Naobito, it was probably his dumb little brother doing it.
After a tiring day, Zenin Jinsuke went straight to sleep.
Tomorrow he'd meet his nephew and niece, then think about whether to find a job.
He couldn't exactly ask the Zenin Clan for money, could he?