*****
Somewhere in Kyoto's districts
Kyoto District 6 did not scream.
It whispered.
The residential block sat under dim streetlights, rainwater collecting along gutters, the air thick with something metallic, something wrong.
Four homes.
Four families.
All silent.
Police tape fluttered uselessly in the wind.
But this was no ordinary crime scene.
Blackened stains marked the walls — not blood, not fully. Something darker. Something that carried the residue of cursed energy.
The Kyoto Jujutsu Support Team moved in quietly, stepping past law enforcement who would later be fed a fabricated explanation.
"Minimal cursed spirit residue," one technician muttered, adjusting his glasses. "But unstable. Like it dispersed suddenly."
Another crouched near a shattered doorway.
"No signs of prolonged manifestation. The cursed spirit didn't linger."
Which was strange.
Grade 3 or lower curses were impulsive. Chaotic. They fed messily.
This one?
It targeted parents.
The children were gone.
A support member whispered:
"This matches and looks similar to other incidents we observed in other Kyoto District."
"Like Kyoto District 3 and 4."
"And 9," another added grimly.
A pattern was forming.
Children disappearing.
Parents brutally slaughtered.
But the curse energy left behind felt… restrained.
Controlled.
As if something had guided a lesser cursed spirit to do the work, then pulled it away.
One technician swallowed.
"This isn't random."
*****
The Ino Residence
The Ino household felt unusually warm that evening.
Grandma moved quietly through the house, folding clothes with careful precision. Her movements were measured. Calm.
Too calm.
Shinji leaned against the doorway.
"Are you going somewhere, granny?"
She didn't look up immediately.
"Yes, my dear. Just going out for family business."
Akane frowned from the couch.
"Why does family business always sound mysterious?"
Grandma chuckled softly.
"Because children are not meant to worry about such things."
But her eyes lingered on Shinji.
Assessing.
Measuring.
Then she approached him, resting her palm gently against his chest.
"You're the man of the house while I'm away," she said lightly. "Take care of your sister."
And then she left.
The door sliding shut sounded heavier than usual.
⸻
Later that night, it rained heavily
Akane sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through an old photo album.
Shinji joined her.
There were photos of their parents — younger, smiling, wearing familiar uniforms.
Shinji blinked.
"That's…"
Akane nodded.
"Kyoto Jujutsu High."
The school crest was unmistakable.
"They met there," she continued softly. "Dad used to say Mom beat him in sparring during their second year."
Shinji almost smiled.
"Mom didn't look like she'd win fights."
"She didn't look like it," Akane said proudly. "But she did."
Her expression shifted slightly.
"They were powerful sorcerers. From the Ino Clan."
Shinji's breath caught.
"I thought the Ino Clan was just… an old family name."
"That's what Grandma tells people," Akane replied. "But I overheard things."
Her voice lowered.
"They disappeared during a classified mission."
Silence.
"No bodies were recovered."
The rain outside intensified.
"Grandma never talks about it," Akane whispered. "But I once heard her crying."
Shinji felt something twist inside him.
A legacy.
A history soaked in secrets.
"So what's our family business?" he asked quietly.
Akane shook her head.
"I don't know."
*****
Inside Kyoto Jujutsu High, Principal Yoshinobu Gakuganji stood in his office, reading a sealed communiqué.
The paper bore no insignia.
Which meant it was important.
One of the Higher-Ups had summoned him.
Immediate attendance required.
Regarding:
• The incident at Kyoto District 3, 4, 6, and 9
• Escalating cursed spirits' movements around these areas
• The Ino clan's future heir
He closed his eyes briefly.
"So it begins."
Moments later, he informed Utahime Iori of his departure.
"You will oversee operations until I return."
Utahime crossed her arms.
"This is about the districts… or the boy?"
Gakuganji adjusted his shamisen case.
"Both."
She didn't press further.
But she understood.
The board was being arranged.
Pieces were moving.
And Shinji Ino was no longer outside the game.