Akisame POV:
How peaceful. The life in Ryõzanpaku is always peaceful. The huge forest like backyard provides an atmosphere different than the constant hustle of a city like Tokyo. Trees housing a variety of rodents, birds, insects, etc, creates a scenic view comparable to that of a natural forest park. Combination of these elements in the environment results in a suitable place for learning martial arts. Such a peaceful life in the nature's embrace. This is the ideal world for a person practicing jiu-jitsu. This also provides me with ample of time to dedicate my efforts into my personal hobby of making Buddha statues of different shape and sizes.
How peaceful. It's peaceful. Too fucking peaceful. Because I have nothing to do. What hobby? Making shady statues that no one wants to buy. Nature's embrace my ass. A fucking forest has grown in our backward because we are too lazy to work on such a huge garden. Moreover, our poverty has allowed us a house that only has enough rooms for our family. We have to attend to the guests in our fucking bedrooms. The only source of viable money we had, were challenges that different martial clubs or dojos made to defeat us. Now even those have stopped. The only money we make, i.e. through commissions taken by Shigure and when Sakai goes to host martial events, are used up in Miu's school fees. Atleast, they have something to do with their lives. Similarly, Kensei has his (although questionable) hobbies of reading those perverted magazines. Elder is old and Apachai is an idiot. So, the only one with nothing to do is me. Atleast, thanks to our ex-student we have a house and a sufficiently huge property. So huge that we don't even know what to do with it.
Bless all our good deed, Miu has returned. That child has such a pure heart. She never lets this old man stay by himself for too long. It's a shame though. Yesterday, her friend informed her that he won't be joining our dojo. There goes an extra source of money. *Cough* I mean it's sad to see her friend won't be able to join her after her classes. Yeah, that's right; we had no intention of using our connection with him when he joins the jujutsu world given his obviously impressive CE. Well, even though normally people like us shouldn't be able to see those but given our collective near-death experiences, we are atleast able to see CE and CS.
SLAM
Huh, again! Who is it this time?
I rush towards the gate, from my room with a speed not accessible to ordinary humans but quite not in the range of supernaturals either. With all others doing so too, we made brief eye-contact sending the message of being alert to each other. Shigure as always going through a different path with her presence hidden to provide an opportunity for a sneak attack. It's not every day we entertain unwanted guests after all.
Reaching the place, we come to an abrupt stop, not because we're already here but due to the human shaped monster standing at gate. Pretty clear from his face is the fact that all he feels, is amusement witnessing us rush towards him, as if watching children scrambling around. I quickly look towards the Elder gauging his expression only to find everyone else doing the same. Ah, he came to the same conclusion as us. Even if the Invincible superman himself fought this white-haired monstrosity without any supernatural powers, (as is obvious that this man is a sorcerer) he will lose and terribly at that. In fact, I'm not sure we can defeat him even if we all fight him together, and that is also not counting whatever superpowers he has.
"Hello, welcome to Ryõzanpaku. I'm Fūrinji Saiga, owner of this dojo. This is…" He then proceeds to introduce all of us. "Can we ask, to what do we owe the pleasure of having you as our honored guest?" His tone measured and body tensed like all of us.
"Why, Hello~~ I am Gojo Satoru, just some ordinary Jujutsu sorcerer." Amusement leaking from his voice like water in a spring. Yeah, right. As if anyone with slightest knowledge about the current status of supernatural world wouldn't recognize this name. But that explains my primal instinct screaming at me to run at the sight of this man.
"I am only here to register my ward in your dojo."
It was only then did I register the familiar face alongside him and the girl he's with. It's clear from his face that Megumi is annoyed for some reason. Looking at others, I found they also just realized that there were two kids besides him.
"Hello. Sorry, to intrude upon you without prior notice because of some idiot dragging us." Megumi greets, making the white-haired man animatedly clutch his heart with a 'sad' look on his face. "This is my elder sister, Fushiguro Tsumiki." The girl besides him instantly perks up.
"Hello. Thank you for having us." The girl greets politely.
"Now, now. You know, it's quite rude to sneak up from behind the guests and not greet them, isn't it?" Gojo Satoru states looking directly at Shigure. God, even I didn't notice her. Looks like the title of strongest is no joke.
Following this, Shigure jumps down from the top of the tree opposite to the gate and greets the man politely, awkwardly introducing herself.
"Megumi?" Comes a voice from the side of Elder. God, just how much on the edge am I? I couldn't even sense Miu from behind. Decades of experience just went down the drain due to the presence of one man. "Who's this? And what are you doing here?"
"Well, this is…."
"That's enough of introductions today." Before Megumi could complete his sentence, he is interrupted and picked up from his collar only to be placed on the shoulders of the older man like a sack of potatoes. "Let's get inside. Air around is quite chilling today." This is the month of July.
The man then proceeds to take the boy inside towards the house just like that, without the permission of the respective owners present. The said boy only struggles in futile attempts, before giving up rather quickly. The girl (Tsumiki?) bows a few times in apology and proceeds to follow the man. All this happens while the people, the said place belongs to, stand there looking at each other not sure what to do. Seeing Miu quickly follow the older girl, I can only feel confused and unsure of any response due to the roller coaster of emotions we just went through.
*Sigh* Kensei finally breathes out a resigned sigh and proceeds to enter the compound. All of us follow successively not voicing any complains, as we all are lost in our respective thoughts. I can only imagine how this supposedly meeting with the guardian of Megumi will go. Or more like cannot imagine, given how weird the introductions went.
Megumi POV:
"It was an interesting event." Pretty clear to what she was referring to.
"More like an embarrassment." It came more grumpily than I wanted it to be. Though I should have pretty much guessed it, the unpredictable brat that Satoru is, he would something idiotic. But outright threatening them was not something I thought he would do.
"But it was necessary, considering that their intention to have you as their student was not entirely genuine." Yeah, then there's that.
Just remembering that conversation dampens my mood. I proceed to keep my silence as we make our way to the apartment complex. Satoru pretty much bailed out the moment the conversation with the dojo masters ended. Seeing me not answering for about a few minutes, Tsumiki speaks up.
"Don't pout so much, Gumi-chan." Ugh, I'm not pouting woman. "It's not that bad of a thing."
"I know" Tsumiki giggles as I grumble. "but the fact that they took me as their student only because they wanted some assurance against the supernatural world, makes me a little....annoyed."
"Well, everyone needs their connections, don't they? If they want to survive in this world that is." Her tone somber. It's reminding her of her mother isn't it? "But that's not the real reason for you being grumpy, is it?" She continues with a knowing smile.
Ugh! "Yeah, I am starting to doubt if Miu also became my friends only for…..my connections too."
"First; that's not true. She's only a kid. For her to be that smart…."
"So, are we." I pointed out interrupting her.
"Touché. But we are not exactly the norm either." That I have to acknowledge. "And that's also not the reason." Tch, so perceptive and only when it comes to me.
"I don't like the expectations that my situation brings." I admit as I unlock the door to enter the house keeping my face out of her sight.
"That only happens because you are strong, Megumi."
"I'm not strong. I will be in the future due my potential and talent, but right now I'm not."
"I am not talking about Jujutsu." I finally look at her questioningly. "Why do you think Satoru ni-san is strong? Because of his power?"
"Obviously."
"No, because he has his ideals and he sticks to them no matter the situation."
What?
"I believe a distinct set of ideals and firm belief in them is what makes a person strong. To be kind, to be forgiving or to be helpful requires a considerable amount of strength. But you see those masters in the dojo, they were not strong."
"Yeah, to take hold of you ideals you need to distinctively strong."
"Nope. Taking hold of your ideals is strength itself." She says with smile bright enough to compete with the sun.
But this leaves me with more confusion than before. I don't get it.
"You see you also have a set of ideals that you hold firm belief in. So, you're strong, Megumi. Don't bother concerning yourself with the thought process of those weaker than you. Your ideals alone will make you strong enough to stand by the side of Satoru ni-san." I see, so she understands my goals.
"So, you are saying, strength isn't required to take hold of one's belief. Rather having a strong belief in one's ideal is strength itself." She brightens up once more. "That's….quite naive, sis"
"Maybe. But, that is also my belief."