As Hiroshi continued to meditate, the hours passed by, and he felt the familiar sensation of being close to nature envelop him. The sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves seemed to fade away as he delved deeper into his meditation, finding solace and enlightenment through his connection with the natural world.
Unbeknownst to him, marks of pigmentation indicating Sage Mode had appeared on his face.
Then, a question arose in his mind: "Who am I?" It struck him as odd, yet his answer came naturally. "I am Senju Hiroshi, 41st Patriarch of the Senju clan. I am John in my former life, but I am also Hashirama Senju," Hiroshi concluded, acknowledging the influence of the Hashirama template within him.
From the depths of darkness emerged a radiant light when he reopened his eyes. Before him stood a massive tree, its lush green leaves swaying gently in the wind. Strangely, it was the only tree in the vicinity, and the location seemed eerily familiar.
"I know I have the Hashirama template, but that's the Earth's God Tree. Does that mean I'm an Otsutsuki?" Hiroshi pondered aloud.
"Don't overthink, kid," a voice spoke from behind him.
Turning around, Hiroshi saw a reflection of himself.
"Hey ROB, what are you doing here? You're not here to revoke my reincarnation, are you?" Hiroshi asked cautiously.
"No, but you're pretty good at this. You're able to enter your soul, your inner world, through the connection with nature. My purpose is just one thing I noticed that I overlooked: there was no such thing as domain expansions in the Naruto verse. And since you have Hashirama's template, I just gave you access to the God Tree without the Ten Tails. And no, you're not an Otsutsuki. The moment you reincarnated into the Jujutsu Kaisen verse, I had already made sure the God Tree absorbs cursed energy and produces a fruit. You can eat this to expand your cursed energy reserves. That's basically it," ROB explained.
"I see," Hiroshi said as he contemplated.
"Right, that's it for me. Good luck and have fun. I'll be occasionally watching you now," ROB concluded before disappearing.
After ROB departed, I had thought that opening a Domain would be a piece of cake. However, after two years, I still found myself with an incomplete domain. Yes, I am now seven years old. Oji refuses to allow me to confront Curse users without a complete Domain Expansion, citing something about the human element needing to be incorporated into the mix. Though, dealing with curse spirits has been relatively manageable; I've exorcised many of them over the past few years.
---
Within the confines of the Senju Palace's forested area, Hiroshi Senju sat in meditation. Hiroshi's extraordinary senses, coupled with the trees' awareness, alerted him to a newcomer's presence. He opened his eyes and addressed the newcomer, "Do you mind telling me your name, stranger?"
Silence hung heavy in the air.
Hiroshi deliberately directed his gaze toward the direction where the man stood. He knew only one individual who lacked curse energy but possessed the ability to infiltrate the Senju Palace: the Monkey who Killed God, Toji Fushiguro.
Toji was taken aback by Hiroshi's ability to perceive him.
"It's rude to ignore someone's question," Hiroshi chided Toji.
"You're not afraid of strangers or assassins, Senju kid?" Toji retorted.
"No, I've taken care of everyone who has tried," Hiroshi replied coolly.
Toji disappeared, appearing lost in thought.
Hiroshi rose to his feet and made his way directly to his uncle.
"Hey, Oji," he said to Hiroto, who was engrossed in paperwork.
"What is it?" Hiroto responded.
"A stranger with no curse energy managed to sneak into the Senju Palace. We need to improve security and possibly implement a barrier technique over the entire compound," Hiroshi stated.
"What?" Hiroto exclaimed.
"Don't worry, I have these hands," Hiroshi assured him. "But I'm more concerned about the other Senju sorcerers."
Hiroto, observing his nephew downplay the seriousness of the situation, pondered over the intruder's identity.
"Did he tell you his name?" Hiroto inquired.
"No, but I can think of only one person in the sorcerer world who lacks curse energy and could infiltrate the Senju Palace: the Sorcerer Killer, Toji Fushiguro."
"The Sorcerer Killer!" Hiroto gasped.
"Don't worry, Oji, I can show him these hands," Hiroshi remarked confidently.
"What do you mean by 'show him these hands'? Is this some sort of new generation slang that young children are into?" Hiroto sighed, amused by his nephew's choice of words, unaware of Hiroshi's true strength.
After that run-in with the Sorcerer Killer, Toji, ROB appeared before me again.
"Hey, ROB!" I greeted.
"Seeing as you encountered Toji, if you were to fight him, do you think you would lose?" ROB inquired.
"Nah, I'd win," I replied confidently, without hesitation.
ROB chuckled and vanished.
"I'm starting to think ROB is just here for the memes," I mused to myself.
A year later...
Honestly, this is getting frustrating. It's been three years, and I still can't manifest the sure-hit effect of my domain.
But on the bright side, I can now leave the Senju Palace and hunt down some Curse users with Oji's blessing.
Here's an update on my abilities: although I've struggled with my domain, I've managed to expand my arsenal. First and foremost, I can throw these hands, and I don't always have to rely on the Spell of the Divine Tree to handle most of my battles. One of the experimental techniques I've developed is the Rasengan, though it's made of cursed energy, so it gets the job done.
I've also picked up some moves from Bleach, like that CERO thing. It wiped out a chunk of Kyoto's forest, which I had to quickly regrow to avoid any trouble.
But one thing I haven't had the chance to practice is Genjutsu. Perhaps I can give it a try during this mission.
____________
A few hours later, I found myself flying to Tokyo, My task was to protect the NPA Commissioner General, as he was the a potential target. Honestly, it seemed like some punks with grudges against the cops or something.
Upon arriving at the Commissioner's house, I waited patiently for the assailants. After a while, I sensed the aura of four curse users approaching through the rooftops and landing behind me.
"What's this, a kid?" one of them remarked.
"Just kill him too. We already have the Jujutsu Sorcerers on our asses. We don't need witnesses," another one said.
"Bold of you to assume you can kill me," I retorted, releasing my aura to effectively immobilize them.
I looked at them frozen in fear, their faces betraying desperation.
"That's great. You can be my target practice," I remarked, observing their frightened expressions. "Looking at your faces, you seem like you want to beg for mercy. Sadly, mercy can only be granted to the innocent. Are you guys innocent?"
One of them pissed themselves, while another soiled himself. I sighed and covered my nose due to the stench. "Let's make this quick."
I lifted the Aura on them.
"Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu" I invoked, enveloping them in darkness. They began to wander aimlessly in panic, unable to see anything, and resorted to using their Curse Techniques frantically.
"Genjutsu: Kyoka Suigetsu" I then released, replacing the darkness with an illusion, making them perceive me standing in front of them. In their panic, they attacked each other hastily, ultimately leading to their demise.
Sitting by the side, I watched it all unfold. "All is good. Directly controlling the flow of their cursed energy simultaneously was quite a hassle at first, but with more practice, I can do better," I thought, patting myself on the back.
As I dialed my phone, I noticed one of the curse users still alive, crawling away. Without hesitation, I stepped on his head, ending his life. Dealing with curse users and curse spirits since I was five had desensitized me to such scenes add to the fact that in my previous life I was an adult.
"Hello, this is Hiroto," came the voice on the other end as the call was answered.
"Ah, yes, Oji, I completed my mission already," I casually reported.
"FAST!" Hiroto exclaimed in surprise.
"All in a day's work. I'll be heading home in a few hours, I guess," I replied.
"Alright, see you later," Hiroto said before ending the call.
As Hiroshi was about to seek out a place to grab a bite to eat, he caught sight of someone below, a figure he knew all too well – a kid with snow-white hair and sky-blue eyes. A smirk played across his lips. "Let's say hello to Mr. Honored One," he thought to himself.
But as he smirked, his eyes met Gojo Satoru's.
"What's with that guy's arrogant smirk, and what an absurd amount of curse energy?" Satoru remarked, activating Infinity subconsciously and appearing a few meters in front of Hiroshi in an instant.
"Hey there, pretty boy," Hiroshi greeted confidently, his smirk unwavering.
"Sure, pretty boy. But you've got that 'just rolled out of a mud pit' look down pat. I guess it's a good thing we're not judging by appearances, huh?" Satoru quipped.
Hiroshi suggested taking the fight somewhere more practical to avoid harming civilians.
"Throwing hands on top of a building will hurt civilians. Why don't we take this somewhere more practical?" he proposed.
"Throwing hands?" Satoru echoed, baffled by the slang.
Realizing he had been using slang unfamiliar to most, especially to someone a kid like Satoru, Hiroshi clarified, "I mean, we're fighting. Show me what you got Gojo Satoru, Strongest Sorcerer," as he gestured provocatively.
"I know of a deserted place near Sayama Lake," Satoru replied, leading the way.
"Lead the way, pretty boy," Hiroshi said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
At Sayama Lake, Hiroshi and Satoru faced off a few meters apart. "Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu," Hiroshi declared.
Satoru briefly felt his curse energy manipulated before regaining control. Darkness clouded his vision for a moment before he saw three Hiroshis charging toward him, each intent on engaging him in combat.
"Just as expected from the Six Eyes. He regained control immediately, but that momentary distraction was enough," Hiroshi thought to himself.
"Three?" Gojo questioned, scrutinizing the three Hiroshis. All three emanated the same cursed energy, making it impossible to discern the real one.
Despite the onslaught, all attacks halted just inches away from Satoru, held back by the power of Infinity.
Satoru remained composed. "This is the Infinity between us," he stated confidently.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," the middle Hiroshi retorted, initiating Domain Amplification.
"This must be the real one," Satoru deduced, assuming he had identified the genuine Hiroshi.
As Satoru attempted to draw the Hiroshis together using Curse Technique Lapse: Blue, he encountered resistance. Hiroshi's Domain Amplification nullified the effects of his curse technique upon contact.
The trio of Hiroshis launched a coordinated assault, leaving Satoru on the defensive. Despite his efforts to counter, Hiroshi continually disrupted his curse techniques with well-timed genjutsu.
Observing the trio's seamless cooperation, Satoru sought an opportunity to create distance. "Now!" he exclaimed, deflecting an incoming blow and teleporting away. However, before he could initiate another cursed technique, darkness enveloped him once more.
With annoyance evident on his face, Satoru regained control, only to find the Hiroshis now within striking distance. "Tsk, that illusionary trickery is becoming tiresome," he muttered, frustrated by the persistent interference.
Satoru braced himself, his movements fluid as he navigated through the onslaught of attacks from the Hiroshis. With each blow he received, he noted the disappearance of one of the clones, leaving him momentarily perplexed. Suddenly, he found himself facing the third Hiroshi, who aimed a finger at him, unleashing a surge of charged cursed energy.
"Cero," Hiroshi muttered, and a black beam of cursed energy surged forward, splitting into two as it approached Satoru. In quick succession, another clone materialized with a massive ball of cursed energy in hand.
"Rasengan!" Hiroshi exclaimed, as the energy ball surged toward Satoru, halting just inches away from him.
As Satoru grappled with stopping the Rasengan, he was struck by another Hiroshi. This time, the blow momentarily halted before penetrating infinity, owing to the effects of Domain Amplification.
The impact sent Satoru hurtling through the trees, the force of the blow rattling him. As darkness clouded his vision briefly, he gritted his teeth in frustration, regaining control once again.
"Shit!" Satoru muttered, his determination unwavering despite the setback. The Hiroshi trio closed in once more, ready to resume their relentless assault.
As Satoru prepared to evade the incoming strike and create distance once more, the trio unexpectedly halted their assault.
"Gojo Satoru, looks like Infinity and Six Eyes aren't all they're cracked up to be," remarked the Hiroshi in the middle.
"Heh, I was just getting started," retorted the youthful Satoru.
"It's clear as day, homie. You're struggling without that safety net called infinity," Hiroshi jabbed.
With a smirk, Hiroshi declared, "Looks like the title of Strongest is mine now."
"Whatever. I'll reclaim it someday," Satoru replied nonchalantly.
"You can try, but I highly doubt it," Hiroshi boasted confidently, earning a glare from Satoru.
Hiroshi's words seemed to irk the young sorcerer. "What's your name, Mud Boy?" Satoru quipped.
"First of all, I'm not even that tanned. I'm just slightly bronzed, not even close to being brown. If you bothered to read a book, you'd know my skin color is Medium," Hiroshi countered.
"Mudboy and a nerd," Satoru retorted, trying to provoke a reaction.
"But this 'mudboy' and 'nerd' just handed you a beating," Hiroshi shot back, his confidence unwavering.
With a click of his tongue, Satoru conceded defeat. "Tsk," was all he could manage.
"Gojo Satoru, former Strongest Sorcerer, remember my name. I am Senju Hiroshi, and I am the strongest," Hiroshi proclaimed boldly, cementing his claim to the title.
The name Senju held significance for Gojo Satoru, as it belonged to one of the four prominent sorcerer families renowned for boasting the largest active sorcerer population, numbering at 400 across Japan. While they maintained a mostly neutral stance, they enjoyed good relations with the Gojo Clan, albeit tension existed with the Zenin and Kamo clans due to differing approaches to clan matters. The Senju clan was famed for its two inherited techniques: the Spell of the Divine Tree and its immense curse energy reserves, as well as its members' mastery of countless skills and non-innate techniques.
"Hey Satoru, can I call you that?" Hiroshi inquired.
"I'll call you Hiroshi," Satoru replied.
"Satoru, take a guess which one is the real body," Hiroshi challenged, prompting Satoru's confusion.
"Aren't you the real one because you're talking to me?" Satoru ventured.
"Nope," Hiroshi responded.
"The left?"
"Nope."
"The right one?"
"Nope."
"Then where are you? You all look the same!" Satoru exclaimed in frustration.
"The answer is me," Hiroshi declared, as his true body emerged from the tree behind Satoru.
"Impossible!" Satoru exclaimed, his Six Eyes unable to identify or detect the body concealed within the trees.
"Surprise!" Hiroshi exclaimed, grinning mischievously at the bewildered Satoru Gojo.
"Right, are you busy?" Hiroshi inquired of Satoru Gojo.
"Not in particular," Satoru replied.
"Great! Let's hang out. I'm getting hungry, so let's grab something to eat," Hiroshi suggested, grabbing Satoru's arm as he began to search for a place to dine.
As they walked, Satoru Gojo then turned to Hiroshi and asked, "Hey Hiroshi, I'm coming for that title of Strongest."
"You can challenge me anytime, because your status has changed from the Challenged to the Challenger," Hiroshi retorted with a smirk, locking eyes with Satoru.