A few days later, Hiroto, accompanied by Hiroshi and escorted by a group of Senju Sorcerers, left the Senju Palace. "Hey, Oji, where are we going?" Hiroshi inquired.
"Aokigahara Forest. There have been unnatural disappearances there," Hiroto replied.
"Isn't that normal since that's where most people end their lives?" Hiroshi asked, using a more sensitive term for the sake of clarity.
"What I mean is, even tourists disappear, including the escort police and a few Jujutsu Sorcerers," Hiroto clarified.
"Alright," Hiroshi acknowledged, his casual acceptance belying the gravity of the situation.
Upon arriving at a road, a few cars awaited them, some of them old-school Mercedes-Benz models.
"I forgot we're in the 1980s; of course, the cars would look old to me," Hiroshi mused to himself, reflecting on the anachronisms he experienced due to his unique circumstances.
A few hours later...
At the entrance of Aokigahara Forest,
"Alright, set up a curtain," Hiroto ordered the escorting Senju Sorcerers.
"Hey, Oji, let me share a bit about the Shinboku no Jumon," Hiroshi said.
"What is it, Hiroshi?" Hiroto inquired.
"The trees are my eyes and ears," Hiroshi revealed. The Moment Hiroshi stepped into Aokigahara Forest, he noticed a multitude of cursed spirits wandering around and a particularly strong one in the center.
Hiroshi elaborated, "There are a lot of them. Cursed spirits, and a particularly strong one in the center. Not strong enough to be a special grade but also too strong to be grade 1, somewhere in between."
"Good to know. Scouting for the numbers and the strength of cursed spirits is often where most of our Jujutsu sorcerers meet their end," Hiroto remarked, about to command the accompanying sorcerers, but Hiroshi interrupted him.
"Oji, don't move yet. I'd like to exorcise the entire forest by myself," Hiroshi stated boldly.
"Are you sure? It's your first time performing an exorcism," Hiroto asked with concern. He was aware that his nephew had been born with the two inherited techniques of the Senju Clan.
"Don't worry, Oji. I am the strongest," Hiroshi proclaimed confidently, echoing the words of Gojo Satoru and asserting his unprecedented prowess.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Multi Wood Clone Jutsu." As Hiroto invoked the technique, ten wood clones emerged from him, stepping back to reveal themselves. Now, ten Hiroshi Senju clones stood ready before him. "Scatter. The moment I render them all unconscious, begin the exorcism," Hiroshi commanded.
The wood clones nodded in unison and dispersed throughout Aokigahara Forest.
"Given that we are in the Sea of Trees, this will be all too easy. Nature bends to my will. Shinboku no Jumon: Deep Forest Bloom."
With the activation of Deep Forest Bloom, the surrounding trees blossomed, releasing pollen that drifted through the air. Any cursed spirit touched or inhaled this pollen began to succumb to unconsciousness.
The standby wood clones promptly eliminated these incapacitated spirits.
"Let's consider that particularly strong one a special grade, albeit unofficially," Hiroshi decided, observing through the trees. He watched as the special grade cursed spirit, resembling a wendigo with ashen skin and a bloodied jaw, discarded a corpse and fought against the pollen-induced drowsiness.
"A wendigo? Here, in Japan?" Hiroshi was puzzled by the appearance of a spirit from Native American folklore so far from its origin.
"You're in the wrong country, fool," Hiroshi remarked, noting the wendigo's struggle to remain upright against a tree.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Tree Bound Burial." The tree the wendigo clung to suddenly snapped shut like a massive jaw, trapping the spirit within its trunk and beginning the burial process.
In mere seconds, the cursed spirit was fully exorcised and vanished from sight.
Within an hour, Hiroshi had cleansed Aokigahara Forest of its cursed spirits.
"Hey, Oji, the forest is cleansed. I reckon it will return to its former state in a few years, given its reputation as a destination for those seeking to end their lives," Hiroshi observed.
Hiroto signaled the Senju Sorcerers to verify the cleansing.
"That's acceptable. We can always perform another cleansing if necessary," Hiroto responded.
Minutes later, the sorcerers returned with their report. "No signs of cursed spirits remain, Acting Clan Head. The young patriarch has purified the forest... an astonishing feat."
However, just as Hiroshi was about to speak further, he sensed a cursed spirit beneath the ground. "Heavenly Foot of Pain!" Hiroshi leaped up and slammed his foot down, creating a crack 30 meters wide, from which violet blood spurted.
"It appears I overlooked one hiding underground," Hiroshi noted, acknowledging the oversight.
"That could have been disastrous," Hiroto reflected on the potential danger had a regular Senju Sorcerer encountered the hidden spirit, impressed by his nephew's ability to cleanse an entire forest of cursed spirits without physically moving through it.
"Oji, what time is it?" Hiroshi stood beside Hiroto, looking up at him. Due to the significant size difference, Hiroshi's youthful appearance of five years old made sense. "I'm hungry," Hiroshi stated.
"It's 11:47 AM. We can eat at a nearby restaurant or something," Hiroto suggested.
---
1:30 PM
After lunch, the Senju convoy traveled through the country roads on their way back to Kyoto. Six curse users lay in ambush ahead in the forested area. "Ninety million dollars is ours," one of the curse users declared. "Don't underestimate the Senju. The moment we succeed, the Senju will be on our tails, Samuel," another warned.
"It's fine. That's why we're doing it in an isolated area. Set up the curtain already," Samuel commanded his men.
However, they failed to consider one critical factor. They never knew that the forest had always been watching. Hiroshi Senju was always watching. Wherever there were trees, Hiroshi could see. Just as the curtain was about to be set up, roots instantaneously impaled all of them, crucifying them.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Sea of Trees Erosion," Hiroshi muttered.
"Oji, stop the car. I just wiped out a group of assassins around us," Hiroshi urgently informed Hiroto.
"What?" Hiroto exclaimed, gesturing for the convoy to halt, while Senju sorcerers began scouring the forested area.
There, they discovered the bodies of cursed users, bloodily crucified, with tree roots having killed them from the inside out. Flowers bloomed from their corpses, creating an oddly gruesome yet strangely beautiful scene.
"Hiroshi, you mentioned earlier that the trees are your eyes and ears. How far can you see?" Hiroto inquired.
"Possibly across entire Japan, theoretically. I haven't tried it yet, but that would waste a lot of cursed energy, so I keep it limited to just the trees around me," Hiroshi explained casually.
Hiroto was astonished by his nephew's capabilities.
"Weird, I feel nothing killing those curse users," Hiroshi remarked, looking at his palm, contemplating.
"It must be because of integrating Hashirama's battle experience," Hiroshi concluded, shrugging it off.
"Acting Clan Head, these curse users are of international origin," one of the Senju sorcerers reported after investigating.
"It seems that, after hunkering down due to the death of the former patriarch, these moths think that the Senju have become soft," Hiroto stated, clearly irritated.
"Hey Oji, since these moths have begun to come out, it's better to attack once we find their lairs. It might serve as experience and a way for me to flex my muscles, letting the sorcerer world know who I am," Hiroshi suggested.
"Perhaps after more rigorous training, Hiroshi," Hiroto responded.
"Alright, I'm not in a hurry," Hiroshi replied.
_____________
A day and a half later, Hiroshi found himself back at the Senju Palace, standing on the dirt training ground.
Hiroto stood in front of Hiroshi, with five people standing behind him at attention. "Now that you have decided to showcase your strength to the world, Hiroshi, let's begin the rigorous training for taijutsu, kenjutsu, shikigami, barrier techniques, sealing techniques, and lastly, the domain techniques, which I will personally teach you by the end of the year. The individuals behind me are experts within their fields in the Senju clan. They will be your teachers for the duration of this year," Hiroto explained.
Although Hiroshi wanted to skip this seemingly boring part due to Hashirama's template, he decided to go with the flow and learn more. After all, knowing more could indeed help him if he ever wanted to face off against Prime Gojo and Sukuna. These thoughts ran through Hiroshi's mind as he nodded in response.
"Hello, teachers. Please take care of me during this duration," Hiroshi said politely as he bowed.
"We too shall be in your care, Young Patriarch," the five trainers replied, bowing in return.
And so, my rigorous training began. Honestly, with Hashirama's template, I thought I could breeze past the taijutsu and kenjutsu training. However, boy, was I wrong. First and foremost, Hashirama was without a doubt an excellent taijutsu and kenjutsu ninja. I emphasize "ninja" because the taijutsu and kenjutsu I was taught had a different flavor. As a ninja, Hashirama was trained to kill fast, and of course, the unorthodox techniques and battle sense I had were for ninjas. This taijutsu and kenjutsu focused on frontal combat and formal combat. Still, I was able to hold my own and absorb the teachings. What can I say? The more experience I have, the more I can throw hands in the future. The kenjutsu and taijutsu training lasted for almost five months.
Now, the shikigami summoning. I wasn't too familiar. Yes, I watched Jujutsu Kaisen until the Shibuya Arc, and I knew the basics. Hashirama wasn't too keen on using shikigami. The closest thing I have is literally the Quintuple Rashomon, but those were gates.
"Young Patriarch, to summon a shikigami, one uses their cursed energy and a medium, in our case a talisman, except for a select few who have their own innate technique like the Zenin Clan, who has the Ten Shadows Technique," the Senju teacher explained, handing Hiroshi a talisman.
"Channel cursed energy into the talisman, and if done right, your shikigami will appear," the Senju teacher instructed.
Hiroshi channeled cursed energy into the talisman, and as he blinked, the shikigami appeared in front of him—a Tengu.
Hiroshi scrutinized the Tengu in front of him. "Isn't this Madara's Susanoo? Albeit now in flesh and blood, but that messy flame-like hair and blood-red eyes, it's too familiar," Hiroshi said to himself.
The shikigami's information flooded into Hiroshi's mind. "I see it only has one ability. The more cursed energy I use as I summon it, the stronger its attributes become, but the upper ceiling is 70% of my full strength," Hiroshi analyzed.
"Excellent work, Young Patriarch. You were able to do it on the first try," the Shikigami Teacher praised.
And he began to teach me the theory, the ins and outs, and that every shikigami has different abilities albeit weak.
The shikigami training was rather brief, only lasting two months.
Next was the barrier and sealing trainings.
Honestly, I was surprised that I was able to breeze past this one fast, seeing as the sealing and barrier techniques Hashirama already knew.
This only took me one month.
And now comes the domain technique, domain expansions, and basically domains.
Hiroto stood in front of Hiroshi. "Excellent work, my nephew, breezing past all those lessons. A normal Senju would typically need five years to accomplish," Hiroto praised his nephew.
"Ah, well, you know how it is," Hiroshi chuckled modestly, flashing a wry grin at his uncle. "Just your average, everyday sorcerer, breezing through lessons like a gentle breeze through cherry blossoms. Nothing special, really," he said with a shrug, jokingly gesturing approval towards his Oji.
Hiroto had already realized the antics and the personality of his nephew. Confident, assertive, proud, cautious, and somewhat of a braggart—a humble braggart.
"Now, now, let's move on to the most important aspect of a sorcerer, domains," Hiroto said seriously.
"First, the moment we are born, we already possess an innate domain. It is a mental landscape that embodies the mind of an individual which they are born with. Innate domains serve as the foundation of an innate cursed technique, but sorcerers, non-sorcerers, and cursed spirits are born with them," Hiroto explained.
Hiroto nodded, although he understood the theory, the domain was relatively new to him.
"Essentially, a domain is the manifestation of a sorcerer or curse spirit's powers, abilities, and personality that exist within their mind. And then there's the Domain Expansion," Hiroto continued.
Hiroshi listened intently.
"Domain Expansion is the most supreme technique of any jujutsu user. It is achieved by expanding one's innate domain with cursed energy while using a barrier to construct it inside a separate space. The caster then imbues their cursed technique within the barrier to complete the expansion, allowing them to deploy their ability all throughout the domain. A specific hand sign must be used in order to use the technique.
It has only three steps, but they are extremely hard to do.
1. You manifest your innate domain.
2. You imbue it with your technique.
3. You create a barrier to manifest the sure-hit.
Most sorcerers fail at Step 2 and don't make it to Step 3, and I, for one, can only go until Step 2. That is what you call an incomplete domain," Hiroto explained in depth.
Hiroto put his hands together. "Observe, although I have an incomplete domain, I hope that this can help you achieve the Domain Expansion. That is the only way you can become a Special Grade Sorcerer, Hiroshi."
"Domain Expansion (領域展開 Ryōiki Tenkai): Torrential Tide Domain (激流潮領域 Gekiryū Shio Ryōiki)," Hiroto announced as he opened his domain.
Hiroshi saw his uncle's domain—a world of water, an island surrounded by water with different sceneries such as waterfalls, water rapids, etc.
The Domain Expansion was cancelled after a few minutes by Hiroto.
"Now, the reason why Domain Expansion is so deadly and supreme is because of the Sure hit-effect and the fact that your enemies can't escape. There are ways to counter this; the simplest way is to engage in a Clash of Domains. The other ones are Anti-domain techniques created by Sadatsuna Ashiya—a domain for the weak, it is called, but the right term is Simple Domains. Created as a counter for domain expansions, Simple Domain neutralizes a domain's guaranteed-hit function by affecting its barrier and not the imbued cursed technique. However, against a proper domain expansion, Simple Domain can only hope to buy its user time. Powerful domains can destroy simple domains within seconds," Hiroto explained, visibly tired from releasing the Domain Expansion.
"And lastly, there's Domain Amplification (領域展延 Ryōiki Ten'en, Domain Envelopment), an anti-domain technique that envelops the user in their domain to neutralize any opposing cursed technique or domain expansion they come into contact with," Hiroto explained.
Hiroshi absorbed the knowledge and pondered how to enter his innate domain, as well as how to expand it based on the teachings.
"Now, because of using my domain expansion, I am tired. You can study on your own for now, Hiroshi. Dismiss," Hiroto said as he left.
"Have a good rest, Oji," Hiroshi replied.
"Now, how do I enter my innate domain? In fact, what does my domain look like?" Hiroshi thought to himself.
"Probably something about nature or whatnot. I'll find out sooner or later," Hiroshi shrugged and began to meditate.