On April 24th, a Monday, Gojo Satoru finally saw someone who had disappeared for two entire days.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he scrutinized Asou Akiya while the latter calmly folded the bedding as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Gojo, aren't your eyes getting tired from staring at me? Hurry up and go wash up."
"Seven."
Gojo Satoru spat out the number.
He could not help but look at Asou Akiya in a whole new light.
He had only stopped keeping an eye on him for a single weekend, yet the man had somehow acquired two more Binding Vows.
"Are you some kind of Binding Vow maniac?" Gojo asked bluntly. "Suguru likes collecting cursed spirits, and you like collecting Binding Vows? Should I find some unique hobby too?"
"No matter how many Binding Vows I have, I will never betray you. I will always be your companion."
Asou Akiya's voice was gentle and sincere.
"Of course, if you really want a unique hobby, I suggest collecting coins. Fill up your piggy bank. Let every coin represent how much we like you."
His sweet words came one after another.
His attitude was impeccable.
He personally handled every household chore, and even the breakfast he had brought was prepared exactly according to Gojo Satoru's tastes—without the slightest bit of chili.
It was as though he had not spent the weekend sneaking around doing questionable things, but had instead attended a special course dedicated to learning how to speak more pleasantly.
Gojo Satoru was the type who responded better to softness than force.
The coldness faded from his face. After Asou Akiya lightly pushed his shoulder, he obediently got out of bed and went to wash up.
While eating breakfast, Gojo Satoru suddenly remembered something extremely important.
"I'm going to upgrade the school's signal base stations!"
"...Good luck with that."
At ten o'clock that morning, representatives from the Gojo family arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High to discuss providing funding free of charge.
Not long afterward, the entire school heard the news.
Gojo Satoru had casually thrown around a fortune to upgrade Tokyo Jujutsu High's signal infrastructure.
Wireless coverage would be expanded across the entire mountain.
His goal was to turn Tokyo Jujutsu High into the school with the best signal reception in all of Japan.
In the first-year classroom, Haibara Yu raised both hands in agreement.
"Gojo-senpai is so rich and so awesome!"
Nanami Kento sat at his desk with his head resting on his hand.
"Even without upgrading the base stations, mobile signal isn't that bad, is it?"
Haibara Yu replied, "From what I heard, Gojo-senpai always complained about how the signal always gets bad whenever he's on a call."
Nanami Kento answered, "...I think the problem is the person, not the signal."
For example, whenever a teacher asked Nanami Kento to contact Zen'in Naoya, he also found himself hoping the call would end as quickly as possible.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nanami glanced at Haibara Yu's desk mate.
There were only three boys in the first year, so they sat side by side without any sense of exclusion. Zen'in Naoya sat on the innermost side, Haibara Yu in the middle, and Nanami Kento kept the greatest distance from him, carefully avoiding any exposure to feudal toxicity.
"Zen'in-kun, your blond hair looks really cool!"
In the blink of an eye, Nanami heard Haibara Yu actively engaging Zen'in Naoya, enthusiastically praising his change in appearance.
"Which hair salon did you go to? Was it expensive? You look like a male model on a poster now. Are all people from the Three Great Clans this good-looking?"
Zen'in Naoya gave Haibara Yu a slightly higher evaluation and replied with restrained pride.
"Not bad taste. Do you want to become my servant? As for the cost of the dye job, I'm not entirely sure—it should be about ten times the normal price."
Since it was paid for by Kamo, he would simply have to repay it tenfold in the future.
Haibara Yu conveniently ignored the parts he didn't like and asked excitedly, "Are you an only child?"
Zen'in Naoya shook his head.
"No. I have a few useless older brothers ahead of me."
Haibara Yu, always good at spotting the positives in his classmates, continued, "So you're the hardest-working one in your family? That's amazing! I'm not an only child either—I have a younger sister, and I'm going to try my best to be a good role model for her in the future!"
Zen'in Naoya, realizing that Haibara Yu was genuinely praising him, casually asked, "Is your sister pretty?"
Haibara Yu immediately gave a thumbs-up.
"Of course she is!"
Zen'in Naoya showed more interest in girls than boys.
"Got a photo?"
Nanami Kento didn't even have time to stop him before Haibara Yu already handed over a picture of his younger sister.
Zen'in Naoya's tongue was as sharp as ever.
"Ugly."
"..."
"..."
Nanami Kento quickly said, "Haibara, don't get angry…"
Haibara Yu's expression drooped, but he shook his head.
"I'm not angry. To any older brother, his little sister is the most beautiful in the world, right?"
He carefully saved the photo back into his phone.
"I can't let Zen'in look at her pictures anymore."
Nanami Kento silently admired him. That level of mental resilience was impressive—no wonder he dared to casually talk to Zen'in Naoya.
Haibara Yu quickly cheered up again.
"Now all of you have blond hair and look like mixed-race models. I'm going to dye my hair blond too! I think blond hair boosts the looks of Jujutsu High students!"
Nanami Kento: "..."
Zen'in Naoya: "..."
Not at all. Looks are innate. They don't magically improve just because you dye your hair.
Zen'in Naoya didn't find Haibara Yu's thick-headed personality particularly annoying. Instead, he shot a provocative glance at Nanami Kento.
[So what if you're naturally blond? You're still not as handsome as me!]
Nanami Kento: "???"
What is wrong with this guy's eyes? It's like he's cursing me just by looking at me. It's uncomfortable no matter how you interpret it.
The two of them, communicating on completely different wavelengths, somehow avoided starting a conflict.
When class ended, Zen'in Naoya suddenly tilted his head, hearing the commotion of people playing and roughhousing outside the classroom.
Haibara Yu perked up in excitement and rushed to open the window.
"It's Getou-senpai and Gojo-senpai!"
Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru were always fighting, but this was the first time underclassmen were witnessing the two seniors brawling up close.
Today's incident had started because Gojo Satoru brought his piggy bank to class.
His classmates had been surprisingly cooperative and contributed coins from their pockets. But Gojo Satoru, still unsatisfied, cornered the Assistant Manager during break time alone and smiled so brightly that it frightened the man into tears.
To divert Gojo's attention, Getou Suguru snatched the piggy bank and bolted straight toward the outdoor training field for the next physical combat class.
Gojo Satoru chased after him at full speed, shouting, "Getou! Be careful! You damn gorilla—don't crush my piggy bank!"
Getou Suguru glanced back and laughed at him.
"You're the gorilla here! A gorilla who can even scare people to tears with a smile!"
"Bastard!"
On the training grounds, Ieiri Shoko was already stretching calmly nearby, completely used to watching dust-filled fights unfold.
Asou Akiya had tried to avoid being dragged into the conflict, but was swept in anyway when Gojo Satoru kicked up a wave of dust with a high kick. Immediately after, Getou Suguru fanned the flames, saying, "Akiya! Aren't you going to get angry yet? The more you indulge him, the more arrogant he gets!"
Asou Akiya ended up eating dust.
And that made him angry—Getou Suguru was no better!
Masamichi Yaga arrived a little late. He did not stop Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru from fighting, but he would not allow them to suddenly gang up on Asou Akiya mid-brawl.
The two delinquent students immediately complained, "Yaga-sensei is biased!" "Yaga-sensei is basically Akiya's dad."
Yaga Masamichi did not react to Gojo Satoru's complaint. Instead, he looked at Getou Suguru in surprise.
"Getou, you know about it?"
Getou Suguru failed to catch the implication—or perhaps he did, but was too shocked to respond. His expression froze, eyes turning into tiny beans.
Asou Akiya promptly pulled Getou Suguru away, preventing Yaga Masamichi from discovering the adoption arrangement in advance.
"Enough fighting, Getou. I wanted to ask you for guidance on taming cursed spirits. I obtained a low-level cursed spirit with a space-type technique and want to make it more obedient in daily use."
Getou Suguru reacted a beat slowly. "Oh… sure."
Gojo Satoru was left standing there, glancing left and right, completely out of the situation.
Seeing how pitiful he looked, Ieiri Shoko felt a rare pang of nonexistent conscience and walked over.
"Come train with me."
Gojo Satoru immediately replied, "Shoko is too weak. Just attack me however you want—I'll try not to let your hands get hurt."
The white-haired boy was radiating an overwhelming "I am number one" aura from head to toe.
Ieiri Shoko inexplicably felt a bit of bitterness in her chest, her fists itching. So this guy had finally learned how to "consider others," huh?
After school in the afternoon, Asou Akiya did not assign Gojo Satoru any cleaning duty and took over his share of the cleanup work instead. In exchange, Gojo Satoru was required to accompany Getou Suguru to the Tombs of the Star Corridorl to clean there; the two of them spent a portion of every day in that place.
Using the brief moment when the two of them were away, Asou Akiya handed Zen'in Naoya the duty roster.
"I'm going to see Yaga-sensei. I'm leaving this to you."
"Tch. What a lazy guy."
Zen'in Naoya resentfully picked up the broom and began cleaning the second-year classroom. Ieiri Shoko left the room alongside Asou Akiya, and upon seeing this, she let out a small laugh, genuinely impressed by his abilities.
"Class rep, you've got that junior completely under control?"
"I've only caught the chain that binds him. I haven't actually controlled him yet."
"So I don't have to avoid him anymore?"
"You don't. If he shows you any disrespect at school, just hit him back. He won't dare use cursed energy against you."
"Nice! I'll try it next time!"
Ieiri Shoko had gradually picked up Getou Suguru's bad habit—calling people by their names when nothing was wrong, and addressing them as "class rep" whenever something came up. She received a helpless glance from Asou Akiya in response.
Beneath Tokyo Jujutsu High, deep underground, a vast network of dark corridors connected a thousand sealed doors.
The mysterious and silent Tomb of the Star Corridor had, for a time, been turned into a noisy place because of Gojo Satoru and Getou Suguru's arrival.
This was not their first time coming here to clean. Since April 17th, up until tonight, it had already been nearly a full week.
During that time, Gojo Satoru had seen traces of Getou Suguru's past battle, along with dried blood stains. Following the residual cursed energy, he deduced that Getou Suguru's cursed spirit stock had suffered heavy losses, which left Getou Suguru deeply ashamed. He admitted he was no match for Toji Fushiguro.
Gojo Satoru had never blamed him for his defeat. Yet Getou Suguru himself felt he was still too weak, unable even to achieve revenge.
"Satoru, you've gotten stronger. I'm still standing still."
At the steps of the main hall, Getou Suguru dropped his broom and sat down there to talk with Gojo Satoru.
"Didn't Akiya say it before? If I get stronger, cursed spirits will also grow stronger alongside me, and then Suguru can level up rapidly! The two of us together are invincible—separate, we both lose!"
Gojo Satoru was extremely optimistic, firmly believing that both of them were the "strongest."
Getou Suguru, however, was not very willing to owe anyone favors—especially after having once "bullied" the Master Tengen only recently.
"Starting tomorrow, I won't be coming here to clean anymore, so I've been thinking about when I should go meet Master Tengen and ask her about the previous 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation' user…"
Gojo Satoru chimed in teasingly, "With me around, what are you afraid of? That old woman?"
Getou Suguru glared at this heartless idiot. "Old woman? Don't forget whose territory this is."
"Satoru, show some respect. I'm the second Special Grade sorcerer in the world, not some newly minted semi–Special Grade who can act recklessly like you."
Gojo Satoru responded with mockery.
"Yeah, yeah, Special Grade Getou—the broke guy who likes stealing his classmates' piggy banks."
Getou Suguru wasn't bothered by the fact that his cash flow had been exposed. After all, no one knew what his bank balance actually looked like.
"Let's go."
Getou Suguru lost interest in continuing the discussion. The person he needed to consult about this was Akiya.
"Hey, Satoru, is the cursed spirit Akiya tamed the one that used to belong to Toji? Can he really defend that weapons stockpile alone?" Walking along the gravel path through the school's forested grounds, Getou Suguru grew concerned about Asou Akiya's current situation.
"With me around, who would dare take his stuff?" Gojo Satoru replied. "Back then, aside from the Zen'in, there shouldn't have been anyone else who saw Fushiguro Toji carrying that low-level cursed spirit, right?"
Getou Suguru made a playful throat-slitting gesture. "Yeah, only him. Should we silence the Zen'in?"
Gojo Satoru thought about it for a moment, too lazy to overthink.
"Next time we see them, just ask the Zen'in."
Getou Suguru was confused. "Ask the Zen'in about what?"
Gojo Satoru let out a laugh, speaking vaguely.
"The Zen'in and Akiya made a Binding Vow."
A servant-master Binding Vow that could drive Zen'in Naoya into utter misery.
"Wait, Akiya isn't in the dorm?"
Gojo Satoru's cheerful mood came to an abrupt stop. His Six Eyes expanded its range, but he still couldn't locate Asou Akiya.
"He's been really busy lately," Getou Suguru remarked.
Gojo Satoru's face darkened. "Akiya left with Yaga and the Zen'in. The three of them sneaked off without me. I have a bad feeling about this."
Getou Suguru thought it over. Strange, why would the Zen'in be involved in Yaga-sensei's private matters?
Yaga Akiya?
He glanced at the oblivious Gojo Satoru. A bad feeling? That might actually come true.
Huh—doesn't sound great. I hope Akiya doesn't change his surname.
Outside the school, Yaga Masamichi drove Asou Akiya and Zen'in Naoya to handle Fushiguro Megumi's household registration. With Yaga Masamichi's authority smoothing the way, they successfully updated the orphaned child of Fushiguro Toji, who showed talent in jujutsu, into the system. The legal guardian was temporarily changed to the fifteen-year-old Zen'in Naoya.
This arrangement did not comply with Japan's ordinary adoption laws, but the jujutsu world was different. Within the jujutsu society, there existed an obligation to raise orphaned children with sorcerer potential found in the wild.
Yaga Masamichi reminded them, "Zen'in, you need to inform your father. Akiya, you need to inform Gojo Satoru. This matter is not trivial."
Asou Akiya and Zen'in Naoya exchanged a glance, and both simultaneously chose a silent, unspoken refusal.
Yaga Masamichi: "?"
Yaga Masamichi: "Don't tell me you're planning to hide this?!"
Yaga Masamichi: "Akiya, Fushiguro Toji nearly killed Satoru. Don't ignore Satoru's opinion on this!"
Asou Akiya felt a little guilty, but with Zen'in Naoya standing beside him, he could only pretend to be composed and say with a confident air, "Yaga-sensei, Gojo has already let this matter go. He won't take it out on a three-year-old child. Once the child is a little older, I will explain everything to him in full."
Yaga Masamichi accepted this somewhat reasonable explanation and turned to the other silent party.
"And you? What's your situation?" he asked Zen'in Naoya. "What's going on with you people nowadays? A fifteen-year-old already thinking about raising a child?"
Zen'in Naoya inwardly complained.
Why are you asking me? It's not like I wanted to raise the Ten Shadows Technique user. Go ask Kamo yourself.
Yaga Masamichi did not know that Fushiguro Megumi's technique was the Ten Shadows Technique.
Without the technique being activated or publicly revealed, it was extremely rare in the jujutsu world for anyone to identify a technique at a glance.
Zen'in Naoya suspected that Asou Akiya was deliberately helping his nephew hide from the Six Eyes. Outwardly, he said, "After the Star Plasma Vessel incident ended, the Gojo family also began holding the Zen'in family accountable. The Zen'in cut ties with Fushiguro Toji and do not acknowledge his identity. My nephew is now without any support. As his uncle, I decided to take responsibility and raise him for a few years."
Yaga Masamichi remained doubtful. Zen'in Naoya's explanation was too dry, lacking any real sincerity.
Asou Akiya quietly filled in the gaps for him, saying softly, "The person Naoya has admired most in his life is Toji, and second only to that is Gojo Satoru. After Toji's death, all of us hope that the grievances of the previous generation will not be carried over to the next."
Zen'in Naoya's face flushed red.
"I only admire Toji! I don't admire anyone from the Gojo clan!"
Asou Akiya replied calmly, "Yaga-sensei, that's the situation."
Yaga Masamichi suddenly felt as though he had been tricked. He had agreed to help update Fushiguro Megumi's household registration without fully clarifying the details beforehand.
There was nothing he could do about it. Akiya was just that kind of good child—kind, rational, and dependable.
Yaga Masamichi looked at Asou Akiya through a naturally filtered "good kid" lens, full of a fatherly kind of leniency.
"Akiya, there will be no next time! You are not allowed to go around casually helping with things like this again!"
"Yes!" Asou Akiya stood straight and answered firmly.
Zen'in Naoya: The mastermind behind all this scheming is seen by the teacher as a helpful, rule-abiding student?!
In short, Asou Akiya had managed to avoid the Zen'in clan, the Gojo clan, and the Kamo clan entirely, used Yaga Masamichi to complete the guardianship procedures, and even placed Zen'in Naoya at the front as a human shield. In one move, he achieved a golden achievement: successfully keeping the Ten Shadows child hidden from the jujutsu world and out of the eyes of the major clans.
The Ten Shadows transformation plan had officially begun.
The meeting between the Six Eyes and the Ten Shadows was now only a matter of the right timing and a friendly bridge.
After all—
He might be able to fool Naoya, but he could not fool the Six Eyes.
Fushiguro Megumi was only three and a half years old right now. His cursed energy was still too weak, and he had not even awakened the Ten Shadows Technique yet.
—
TLNote: Sorry for disappearing for a while!
I was busy moving into a new house, and cleaning everything up took way longer than I expected. I seriously had zero free time whatsoever, bruh.
But I'm finally back! And uh, hope you enjoy the new chapters!