"You're that person… the one who made Headquarters back down?"
Naobito took a slow breath, his tone turning more serious than ever.
Rin kept his hands in his pockets, meeting his gaze calmly.
"So you're well-informed."
His eyes swept over the frightened members of the Zen'in Clan.
"I came here to make something clear."
He paused briefly. His voice was not loud, yet it reached every corner of the courtyard.
"Toji Fushiguro is now under me."
"Whatever you did to him in the past is his business. I don't care. But from today onward, if anyone dares to call him 'trash without Cursed Energy' again…"
The bluestone beneath Rin's feet crumbled silently into dust.
"I will erase the Zen'in Clan from the ranks of the Three Great Clans."
"Just like the Star Religious Group."
Silence.
The entire courtyard fell still, broken only by the sound of wind rustling through leaves.
Zen'in Ogi and several elders trembled with anger, yet none dared act without Naobito's command.
More importantly, with the Inverted Spear of Heaven in Toji's hand and that unfathomable young man before them, acting would be suicide.
Naobito remained silent for a long time.
He was a pragmatic leader. Pride mattered, but understanding the situation mattered more.
To risk the foundation of the entire clan over a few words was a losing proposition.
"Everyone, stand down."
Naobito raised a hand, ordering the Kuroi Squad to lower their weapons.
He lifted his wine gourd, took a sip, and looked at Rin with a trace of caution and concession.
"Since this gentleman has spoken, the Zen'in Clan has no intention of damaging harmony over such a trivial matter. Toji has long since left the clan. Whom he follows is his own choice."
He glanced at Toji and let out a faint sigh.
"Toji, now that you've found your own path, don't come back to this place again. I'm getting old. I can't handle you stirring things up like this."
It was, in essence, a concession.
Toji put away the Inverted Spear of Heaven and grinned.
Looking at those who had once stood above him, now unable to utter a single word, the resentment he had carried for years finally dissipated.
He never needed their approval.
Seeing fear in their eyes was enough.
"Boss, let's go. The air here stinks. Staying any longer makes me sick."
His tone carried far more respect than before.
Rin gave a slight nod and turned toward the gate.
The two of them walked out through the courtyard under the watchful eyes of hundreds of sorcerers.
No one dared stop them. No one dared speak.
Only after they had completely disappeared did Naobito exhale slowly, his grip tightening on the wine gourd.
"The winds are changing…" he murmured.
"The jujutsu world is heading toward chaos."
…
After leaving the Zen'in Clan, Rin did not linger in Kyoto.
He brought Toji back to the villa in Chiyoda using Kamui.
"The weapons are back, and the score is settled."
Rin sat on the sofa, watching Toji clean the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
"For the next few days, I need you to investigate someone."
"At your command, Boss."
Toji put away the blade, his posture straightening.
"Find someone with a stitched scar across their forehead."
Rin leaned back, recalling Kenjaku's features.
"Regardless of gender or age. As long as they have that scar, report immediately. That one is a deep-hidden target. Don't alert them."
"A stitched scar on the forehead…"
Toji committed it to memory and nodded.
"Leave it to me. If they're still in Japan, I'll dig them out."
"Go."
After sending Toji off, Rin closed his eyes.
The Star Plasma Vessel incident was resolved.
Now, it was only a matter of waiting for Gojo Satoru's growth… and Kenjaku's next move.
...
Time passed quickly.
Several months had gone by since Rin crushed the Star Religious Group and forced Jujutsu Headquarters to abandon the Star Plasma Vessel assimilation plan.
The luxury villa in Chiyoda, Tokyo, had become his permanent base.
Toji Fushiguro had fully adapted to his new role as both bodyguard and intelligence handler.
With an unlimited black card at his disposal, he had not only quit his pachinko habit, but even visited Fushiguro Megumi at school a few times. That alone was unprecedented.
Of course, this was all with Rin's approval.
A Heavenly Restriction monster with attachments and a bottom line was far more useful than a reckless gambler who could spiral out of control.
...
One evening.
Inside the villa's underground training room.
Toji stood shirtless, sweat running down muscles that looked carved from stone.
With the Inverted Spear of Heaven in hand, he was locked in high-intensity combat against several Grade 2 cursed spirits he had captured.
Despite lacking Cursed Energy, repeated enhancement from Yang Release had pushed his physical abilities beyond their previous limits.
Bang!
With a heavy impact, the final cursed spirit's head was crushed by his fist.
Toji wiped the sweat from his face, grabbed a nearby towel, and walked over to Rin, who was seated in the lounge area.
"Boss, over the past few months, I've combed through Shiu Kong's entire network. I even put out a large bounty in the underground market."
He sat down and took a long drink of ice water, a hint of frustration in his tone.
"But that guy you mentioned, the one with the stitched forehead… it's like he vanished. No one in the entire curse user circle has seen anything like that."
Rin leaned back against the sofa, tapping his fingers lightly against the armrest.
He wasn't surprised.
Kenjaku, a curse user who had lived for over a thousand years, was a master of changing identities and lying low.
After the Star Plasma Vessel incident spiraled out of control and he witnessed Rin's absurd spatial abilities, that old fox had undoubtedly chosen the safest option.
Hide.
He might have already abandoned his previous body and taken on a completely new identity, blending into the crowd.
As long as he didn't take the initiative to act, trying to pick him out from tens of millions of people was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Alright, stop. No need to keep looking."
Rin stood and waved his hand lightly.
"That guy's like a turtle. As long as he thinks the timing isn't right, you won't find him even if you turn Japan upside down."
"So we just wait?" Toji frowned.
"We wait. Time is something I have plenty of. If he wants to hide, then let's see who runs out of patience first."
A faint glint flickered in Rin's eyes.
Kenjaku's ultimate goal was the Culling Game, to complete humanity's evolution through assimilation with Tengen.
It was a plan he had cultivated for a thousand years.
As long as that objective remained, he would eventually make a move.
Whether it was scheming for the Prison Realm, targeting Geto Suguru for his Cursed Spirit Manipulation, or waiting for the emergence of the vessel known as Itadori Yuji.
"In the meantime, do whatever you want. Eat, drink. If you see a cursed spirit you don't like, cut it down."
Rin turned toward the stairs leading upstairs.
"Isn't your kid about to start elementary school? Spend some time with him. Don't let him grow up into another delinquent like you."
At the mention of his son, Toji scratched his head awkwardly, a rare hint of a smile appearing on his face.
___
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