Gojo stood on the outskirts of his school. His black blazer was seated perfectly on each side of his shoulders, his pants matching with his blazer.
The yellow sun radiating down on him and the multiple well-structured bars that stood at his side.
Even though he had recently been stabbed, the smile on his body seemed to reverse the idea of that even remotely happening. His expensive shirt was smeared with blood although barely noticeable it was still an eye-sore to the normal eyes. His scarred forehead was hidden by his fluorescent silver hair, which had a dot of blood from his recent battle.
On the other side stood a shocked Toji. He was wearing a tight-fitting black shirt, sports tan baddy pants, training pants with a black belt weaved in between his waist and thighs and black martial arts slippers.
Before this event he had sneaked up on Gojo, giving a good stab to his body before moving on to his next victim. Needless to say, Gojo should have been dead.
"Hey it's been a while," Gojo said with a sweet grin, a smile that seemed more menacing than pleasing.
"For real?," were the only two words Toji could muster up. It would be a disaster trying to fight the kid without the element of surprise.
"For real, real!" Gojo said with the same grin plastered on his face.
"I'm alive and kicking!" He continued, lifting his hair where you could see a scar from when Toji had attempted to kill him.
"Reverse Cursed Technique," Toji replied impassively, his face betraying his tone.
"Bingo!" Gojo exclaimed.
"When you stabbed me through the throat, I gave up on counter-attacking and poured all my energy into the reverse cursed technique," He explained with a sinister smile on his face.
"Cursed energy is negative energy, while it can enhance the body… it can't regenerate it," Gojo continued, seemingly lost in his world.
"So you multiply that negative energy against itself to create positive energy… that's the reserve cursed technique,"
"Easier said than done," Gojo said. " I hadn't been able to do that myself up until now!"
"And I couldn't understand anything the one person who could do it said,"
Toji had changed his entire demeanour, annoyed by the constant babber of Gojo. Even the seemingly harmless slug that entangled his body seemed to be sick of Gojo talking.
"He's blabbing on and on… is he high?" he thought. As if the heavens were reading his thought Gojo spread out his arms and opened his mouth as if to laugh but nothing came out.
"But I finally grasped it on the verge of death! The true essence of cursed energy!"
"The reason you're gonna lose is because you didn't chop my head off!" Gojo spoke almost sadistically, "And because you didn't use that cursed tool when you stabbed my head."
"I'm going to lose?" Toji replied calmly, drawing out the inverted spear of heaven. If you looked close enough you could see a slight smirk on his face.
"Our fight is just getting started," he said in that same calm tone. A gagging noise could be heard from the purple curse as the weapon that was pulled out of it was now on full display.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven is a spearhead with a shortened handle (thus resembling a large dagger) and a two-pronged, jitte-like blade. It has a q-shaped, rounded hand guard that points out on the side of the longer blade.
"Oh is it?" Gojo replied. "Yeah.. maybe so!" He said while pushing his head back and screaming to the heavens.
Toji didn't bat an eye at the weird behaviour and jumped straight at him leaving behind a gust of wind.
With an excited grin on his face, Toji took his first swing at Gojo, who managed to dodge it by a hair. It seemed that he had gotten lucky but the following actions portrayed the exact opposite.
It was like Gojo could see the future as every swing that Toji took was not landing. After the third swing, he re-positioned his grip on the sword and went for another swipe at Gojo's life. This strike was more powerful than the other and even left a bit of air pressure behind it. The grin on his face did not dissipate one bit.
Unlike the last time, Gojo was nowhere to be seen. It only took Toji half a second to realize that Gojo had appeared right behind him.
Gojo wasn't standing behind him, he was straight up upside-down and putting his hand in some kind of hand sign. To summon a technique…
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red," Gojo spoke.
A bright beam of red appeared right in front of his hand and shot forward at supersonic speed. A gulp was the only sound that could be heard from Toji. He focused all his might on stopping the technique from harming him and positioning his inverted spear of heaven in a side grip to lessen the impact of the attack.
His attempt at stopping the attack wasn't very effective, resulting in him crashing into a nearby building window The dust was more visible than the glass shards.
In the middle of the building, Toji was sitting on the floor, seemingly cradling the curse that was located in his stomach. With a smirk on his face, he faced the direction of his adversary.
Gojo was lost in another world, his body seemed to be sleeping in the air.
"monster," Toji said in his head.
He put his weapon to the ground and started stretching. "No bones are broken… that shock wave was an application of limitless, the cursed technique reversal red, huh?"
Toji moved on to another series of different stretches, showing off his physique that could rival a Greek god.
"So he poured the positive energy generated by the reverse cursed technique into the limitless technique ingrained in him…"
"One power to stop: the neutral application of limitless technique." He said as he pulled out a different cursed tool. This time a chain
"Two, the power to attract: the amplified application of the limitless technique, Blue." Toji proceeded to pull out the inverted spear of heaven from the ground.
"And three, the power to repel: the reversal of his cursed technique, Red!" a smirk appeared on his face "All things I can handle!"
The chain he had pulled out of his curse was called the chain of a thousand miles. He attached it to the inverted spear of heaven and started to give it a 360 swing about with it.
"Something is off," Toji pondered as he glared at the hovering figure of Gojo. But in that split second Gojo's eyes turned towards him like a predator seeing his prey.
Truth be told, it scared Toji a little bit, but it wasn't something worth getting worked up about. As he spun the chains around they grew exponentially larger.
"No this is fine," Toji told himself while regaining his smirk.
"I'll kill you!" Toji said.
He started his first attack towards Gojo, using the extremely long chains towards his advantage. The inverted spear of heaven was sent upwards towards Gojo.
Gojo quickly got a hold of himself; his eyes glowing and an impassive expression on his face, Gojo quickly dodged the attack coming from below.
However, Toji was relentless and wasn't bothered that his first attack was missed and went for another one… only to be met with the same result.
"Sorry Amanai… I'm not even angry over you right now, I bear no grudge towards anyone …. It's just that the world feels so… so wonderful right now" Gojo thought.
Lifting his hands above his head Gojo said "Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honoured one."
Toji paid no attention to his words and prepared for his next attack. He took a practice swing on some nearby rocks, shattering them into smithereens.
Gojo looked down on him "The merit of having a technique that's passed down for generations is having a user manual,"
The Toji destroyed came towards Gojo at a break-neck speed only to stop right in front of him.
"The demerit is that information about the technique is easily leaked," Gojo said still with that impassive look on his face. It seemed like he was almost bored of this fight.
Toji hurled the cursed tool towards him using a pillar to redirect the attack, maybe to catch Gojo off-guard.
"However even in the Gojo clan, only a scant few know about this," Gojo said in his head, his vision seemed to slow everything down. Toji's struggling expression, the cursed weapon trying to kill him and even the white birds in the sky.
"Take the amplified and the reversal, then smash those two different expressions of infinity to create and push out imaginary mass,"
"Imaginary Technique: Purple"
Gojo snapped his fingers and a huge amount of light radiated off him into the surrounding area. The buildings, the sky and the floor anything you could name. Everything was devoured by the blinding light.
Out of all that chaotic light, a singular purple beam stood out, the source of all that disorder.
Toji was left flabbergasted. The two cursed tools at his disposal could not stop the impending doom of his life.
"Something is off," His thoughts drifting off, he had long since lost any will to fight the technique that was fired at him.
"I refuse to do any work for free…normally I would've said that and hightailed out of there, yet the freshly awakened user of the limitless technique was right before my eyes,"
"He was probably the strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the modern age…" Toji gathered.
"I wanted to reject him, I wanted to bring him to his knees – I wanted to take down the pinnacle of the jujutsu world and the Zenin clan that rejected me,"
"I twisted myself to try and affirm myself… that was the moment I lost," Toji thought in sadness and also a bit of regret.
In his left side was a gaping hole, left behind by the devastating attack. The dripping blood and the evaporated body part left quite a view to see.
He no longer had any strength left, he manoeuvred his hand to his injury. He was in too much pain to cry or even scream. The weakness of his body felt similar to the time he was abandoned by the Zenin clan.
"I thought you had abandoned that pride… " his thoughts shifted to a black-haired lady holding his son Megumi.
"I thought you had chosen to live without respecting yourself or anyone else," .
"Any last words?"
"Two or three years from now, my kid will be sold to the Zenin clan… do what you want with that,"
Gojo looked into the distance, though he had been an enemy, his power was something that couldn't be ignored. He had managed to nearly kill him albeit without Cursed Energy.
—------------
Megumi had always lived a rough life, having a dead mother and an inactive father said a lot about his life so far. It was anything but great, many things that parents would teach and explore with their children, were a treasure that Megumi did not have.
Even though his life was difficult it didn't mean that Megumi necessarily sulked about it. He had his older step-sister who was overly protective of him. Though it annoyed him sometimes she had a good heart and the care and love that she showed to him was more noticed.
Truth be told, Megumi kind of liked his life as it was. Having parents wasn't really an issue to hi since his older sister filled out that part. He had always thought to himself that there was no point chasing something you did not have.
However, in recent days, his sister has started to look more and more happy. It wasn't something that Megumi focused on but it was rather peculiar. She hadn't gotten any new friends – neither had her grades increased. It was really a strange case, no human being become more positive without some kind of external factor.
The fact that she was happy didn't bother Megumi, if anything it elated him at the happiness of his sister. But it just felt so strange that her attitude would go up for no reason. Megumi stared at the sky.
The orange sky seemed to be painted out of a painted sculpture. The sunset colours blend meticulously with each other as if God himself had personally attended to it. The rays of sunshine that came down seemed to envelop the entire world.
His analyzation of the beautiful sky abruptly interrupted by the sound of a teenage voice.
"You're Megumi Fushigoru right?"
Megumi turned his back "Who are you?" he replied, "And what's with that weird face?"
Gojo closed his gaping before answering back "You just look like him, is all," but was only meant with a confused expression from Megumi.
"My own issue, so listen about your dad… He's from this big shot jujutsu sorcerer family called Zenin," Gojo said. "But they're such big scumbags that they make me even sick."
"And that's why your dad left the family and had you. Now you're one of the ones who can see things so you are privileged there, right…. You've noticed the power within yourself right?"
Megumi was keenly listening to what Gojo was talking about, though Gojo seemed to be talking a lot it didn't seem to annoy him.
"The Zenin clan just loves strong powers, most become aware of their cursed technique around 4-6 years old… so it's the perfect time to sell a kid." Gojo now had his arms lifted, building up the excitement of his next few words.
"So Megumi, you were the ultimate card that your dad used kept on hand against the Zenin clan, pisses you off doesn't it…." Gojo spoke as he leaned a bit closer to Megumi's height.
The bright smile on his face was the polar opposite of the words that flowed out of his mouth.
"So about that dad of yours, I ki–" He was near to finishing his sentence until he was abruptly stopped by Megumi's annoyed voice.
"I don't care, I have no interest of where he is or what he is doing," was the cold reply of the kid standing next to him, though the smile on Gojo's face was still in place it looked more forced than natural.
"I haven't seen him in years, so I don't even remember what he looks like," that seemed to shock Satoru a bit as there was a visible change in his expression.
"Though I get the general idea from what you just said. Tsumiki's mother hasn't come home for a while either,"
"Oh Megumi is home!" the excited voice of Tsumiki chirped from their dirty apartment window roughly two floors up.
"That means they are done with us, and they are off enjoying themselves somewhere else, right?" Megumi finished
"Are you a first grader? If you ever want to know about your father you can call me?"
"But on to the main question, do you want to join the Zenin clan?" Gojo asked.
"It all depends on whether Tsumiki will be happy or not, will she find happiness in the Zenin clan?"
"A hundred per cent no!" Gojo spoke his voice taking a full 360 from jolly to serious.
" I don't know whether you're being biased because you simply don't like the people in the Zenin clan, however, I will remain cautious and if it doesn't work out, I will consider going to you," Megumi spoke back.
"Suit yourself Megumi-kun," Gojo said.
—----------------------
The rain had stopped just before Megumi reached the Zen'in estate. The air clung to him, damp and heavy, as though the world itself understood the weight of what was happening. At seven years old, he wasn't naive. He'd overheard the words his father hadn't bothered to hide: sold.
Megumi's fingers tightened into fists at the thought.
The two retainers escorting him didn't speak as they climbed the wide stone steps leading to the Zen'in compound. One of them, a tall man with a scar cutting across his nose, glanced back at him occasionally, his expression unreadable. Megumi ignored him, his dark eyes fixed on the towering gates ahead.
When they opened, it felt like a maw swallowing him whole.
The estate was vast, impossibly so, and the polished stone paths winding through pristine gardens only made it feel colder. Every detail screamed wealth and power, but not warmth. Not family.
"This is where your life begins, brat," Scar-Nose said with a sharp laugh. "The Zen'in clan owns you now."
Megumi didn't respond. What could he say? His father had dumped him here like luggage. He hadn't said goodbye, hadn't even looked back as he walked away.
"Move." The second retainer gave him a shove, not hard, but enough to remind him where he stood in the world. Megumi stumbled but didn't fall. He straightened, his jaw tight, and kept walking.
The main hall was massive, the polished wood floors gleaming under the soft glow of hanging lanterns. A semicircle of elders sat at the far end, their expressions sharp and predatory. At the centre was Naobito Zen'in, the clan head, dressed in fine robes that seemed to shimmer as he shifted in his seat.
"So, this is Toji's son," Naobito drawled, leaning forward. His gaze was as piercing as a knife, cutting through any pretence. "A scrawny little thing, isn't he?"
The room chuckled. Megumi didn't flinch, though his nails dug into his palms.
Naobito's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Do you know why you're here, boy?"
"Yes," Megumi said, his voice steady. "Because my father sold me."
The laughter stopped. A ripple of surprise moved through the room. Naobito's grin widened, but there was no warmth in it.
"Well, at least you're not an idiot," he said. "Your father was a disgrace, but even he knew what you were worth. The Ten Shadows Technique flows in your blood, boy. A gift the Zen'in clan will mould into something… useful."
Megumi's fists tightened further. He knew what they meant. He wasn't a person to them—he was a tool, a weapon to be forged and wielded.
Naobito gestured, and a younger man stepped forward, his face hard and unkind. "Take him to the training grounds," Naobito ordered. "Let's see what this brat is made of."
The training grounds were nothing more than an open courtyard surrounded by stone walls. Wooden weapons were lined up neatly against one side, and the faint smell of sweat and blood lingered in the air.
"Pick one," the trainer barked, pointing to the weapons.
Megumi hesitated. "I don't know how to fight."
The man sneered. "You'll learn."
Megumi stepped forward and grabbed a short staff. It was light but solid, and it felt strange in his hands. He barely had time to adjust his grip before the trainer lunged at him.
The man's staff came down in a sharp arc, and Megumi barely managed to raise his own to block. The impact jarred his arms, and he stumbled back, struggling to stay on his feet.
"Pathetic," the trainer spat. He struck again, faster this time, and Megumi didn't even see it coming. The blow caught him in the side, knocking him to the ground.
The other trainees watching from the sidelines laughed.
Megumi pushed himself up, his chest heaving. He tasted blood in his mouth but didn't wipe it away. Instead, he gripped the staff tighter and forced himself to stand.
The trainer raised an eyebrow. "Got some fight in you after all."
The next strike came faster, but this time, Megumi moved. He sidestepped, letting the staff whiff past him, and jabbed his forward. It wasn't a strong hit, but it landed, striking the man's arm.
The laughter stopped.
The trainer grunted, his expression darkening. "You think that's enough to impress me, brat?"
He attacked again, relentless this time, and Megumi quickly found himself overwhelmed. Blow after blow rained down, and though he tried to block, to dodge, to fight back, it wasn't enough.
By the time the session ended, Megumi was on the ground, his body bruised and trembling. The trainer stepped back, shaking his head.
"You've got spirit, kid, but spirit won't save you here," he said. "If you want to survive in this clan, you'll need more than that. You'll need strength."
That night, Megumi sat alone in a small room they'd given him. It was bare and cold, with nothing but a thin mat and a single blanket. He stared at the shadows pooling in the corners, his mind racing.
He didn't cry. He hadn't cried in years, not since he'd realized crying wouldn't change anything. But the anger inside him burned hot, threatening to consume him.
The Zen'in clan wanted to use him. To turn him into a weapon, just like his father had said they would. But Megumi wasn't going to let them break him.
"I'll get stronger," he whispered to the darkness. "Stronger than all of them. Strong enough that no one can threaten Tsumiki or sell me again "