Chapter Text
Zenin Toji wasn't often an individual that could be interacted with in the Zenin Clan. He was treated like dirt and trash when he was a child, but once he had grown to the stage of an adult, there was nothing anyone could do. They failed to nip him in the bud and now he grew too strong for anyone in the Clan to even take down. Many members of the Clan knew that the only reason it was still standing was because of his whim.
For that matter, most of them were either cautious or fearful of him. One thing was for sure, none of them decided to bother with him at all, outside of sustenance and necessities.
There was... one exception.
"It's an interesting topic to read about, no?" Museigen passed a notebook to him. "It's a notebook I made about the Special Grade Cursed Tools, in the Zenin warehouse."
"Why would you give this to me, anyways?" Toji asked while grabbing the notebook. His eyes scanned the cover before his hands opened it. "This seems like something important."
She didn't really care at all when it came to Zenin Toji's status or strength. There were only few times she had looked at the man as a person, and that was behind a screen. She was rather curious of who the man was, outside of being the Sorcerer Killer and the father Fushiguro Megumi never had.
"I thought it would be useful for you," She retorted. "You have zero Cursed Energy after all, but Cursed Tools don't require Cursed Energy at all." She continued. "They simply do as their user commands, extending even to the Cursed Technique engraved within them."
"Hm..." Toji hummed. "That still doesn't give me a good answer."
"Is it not a good answer?" Like a curious child, she tilted her head. "If you're worried about accessing them, would you even need to worry about that? As the Strongest, do you think a wolf would allow sheep to stop you from doing what you want?"
Toji blinked before laughing. "You're right. I don't care about what those dumb asses think." He patted her head. "But I'm asking why you're giving this to me. You made this, after all... and it's written pretty well for a seven year old. What's in it for you?"
"What's in it for me..." She repeated, letting his hand ruffle her hair a little.
She wasn't... really sure. There wasn't a reason in mind when she decided to give him that, she simply had a feeling and acted on that impulse.
"I don't know..." Museigen shrugged. "I just enjoyed writing about the Cursed Tools in the warehouse and thought to give it to you because we're friends."
She wasn't sure if that was the correct term to describe their relationship, and he was sure Toji was on the same boat considering his eyes narrowed and he pursed his mouth in contemplation. He was thinking pretty hard on it, by the looks of it. It came to a stop when he just shrugged.
"Sure, we're friends." Toji callously answered. "Now then, which of these Cursed Tools do you think would fit me?"
Well... he didn't think it was that easy, but Toji never seemed to be the type of person to think too much about things, if he constantly forgot who his son was, the byproduct of the wife he loved so much.
"Mimic my form."
Toji ordered Museigen while holding a kendo sword. While he wasn't in the Kukuru Unit anymore, it didn't mean his training hadn't left him. He still maintained his form and skill that accompanied his overwhelming physical prowess. And since he didn't have any responsibilities, he had plenty of time to teach her how to fight with a sword. And since they accepted they were friends pretty quickly, she can see why he didn't hesitate to accept.
"Like this?"
Museigen's little hands wrapped around the small kendo sword and tried to mimic his form. Her mind was anxiously waiting for his feedback. Toji studied her with scrutinizing eyes before answering. "Widen your feet, don't close them. Don't grip the sword too tightly. Also, you're too tense and rigid." He rested the sword on his shoulders. "You should relax and loosen a bit, but not too much. Find a perfect balance between the two."
"Like this?"
...
"Now you're too relaxed. For one, anyone can easily bat that sword off your hand with a swing."
"Guh."
Toji chuckled when she slumped and looked down on the floor. "Come on, kiddo. It's not a bad start. We can make you better from here and you'll get the hang of it." He patted her head. "Besides, don't get too hung up on it. You're gonna be a Shikigami user, so this wont be the main focus of your fighting style anyways."
"You sure like patting my head a lot." Museigen mumbled. "And that's not really a good point. If I rely too much on my Shikigami, I'll be vulnerable when they decide to attack me themselves."
She wasn't wrong. She hadn't been outside the clan at all, but that was the regular sentiment for the average Shikigami user. They were always so reliant on their little beasts of Jujutsu, that once they entered close quarters combat with their enemy, they were at a heavy disadvantage and were easy to defeat. And since Shikigamis relied on their masters to exist and operate, they'd likely be taken care of once the master has fallen in combat.
"That's because you're adorable." Toji smirked. "My cute little cousin. But you're right, you'll grow weak on your own if you rely on your Shikigamis." He entered a stance once more. "Again."
"I'm not adorable..." Museigen grumbled before mimicking her stance.
Museigen opened her eyes upon realizing she was sitting in her room on the floor. More specifically, she was situated in front of her desk, filled with papers of theories on Jujutsu and a manual of the Ten Shadows, which she has yet to open except for gleaming on the section about Tiger Funeral. A sigh escaped her mouth when she tried to recollect her dream, but found it was slipping her grasp faster than she could remember.
Before long, it was gone.
She rubbed her head. It was probably not important.
She stood up from the floor and approached the door. She slid it open and stepped out before sliding it closed. Once she was out, she walked around the household in order to find the current Head, before the spot she'll soon take. In all honesty, she wasn't thrilled to be the Heir of a Clan. However, there was something within her that was stopping her from outright denying the spot and she didn't know what.
Museigen continued to walk through the household, until she encountered a familiar face. A flare of irritation welled up within her when Zenin Naoya smiled mockingly at her. "Well, I didn't expect to see you out of the room at this time of the day." He crossed his arms. "It's amazing that you keep such an amazing face while being a shut in, when you're not training, studying, or eating."
She walked past him and ignored him. She could tell how he felt, just by the grunt that left his mouth, followed by the growl. "Oi, don't ignore me. Just because you're the Clan Heir doesn't mean you get to brush me off." She didn't turn to, because her interest lay elsewhere. Nevertheless, despite ignoring him, the flare of irritation remained blazing within her. The facade of apathy deceived Naoya, but for someone like her, only delusions could fool her from her emotions. "Damn you... face me and say something, you bitch."
Museigen said nothing. He faded from her mind when she turned around the corner and continued walking. She had done nothing in trying to be the Clan Heir, it was not her fault that the system depended on who inherited the fabled Ten Shadows of the Zenin Clan, rather than qualifications and credibility. It was a golden rule that stuck so much, that despite the protests of the current head's choice of Heir, she was still chosen to be.
Speaking of, she had finally arrived at the room where he always drank his alcohol. She slid the door thoughtlessly and walked in, not bothering to close the door behind her. "Naobito-sama."
"Museigen." Naobito returned while holding a gourd. When he turned his sight towards her, she was greeted with the sight of eyes that were drunken, yet lucid enough to be a clear sign of conscious and capable thought. "Why did you come to me? Is there something you want?"
"I'm leaving the Clan."
The silence that came after dropping such a bombshell was predictably tense. At least, that is what her statement, without context, would evoke and she was painfully aware of this, so she wasted no time elaborating.
"I'm not actually leaving the Zenin Clan," She clarified. "I'm enrolling at Jujutsu High. The Tokyo branch, to be specific."
"For a moment, I thought I was going senile," Naobito sent her a joking grin. "But why the sudden decision? Got a problem with how we teach or something? Or do you just want to meet with Gojo Satoru?"
None of the above. There were more selfish reasons, than understandable and rational ones when it came to making such a decision to enroll at Jujutsu High, and it was a decision she had made long ago when she was but a young child.
"No, not any of those," She bowed. "The Zenin Clan proved to be a sufficient source of knowledge and training and Gojo Satoru has not been an influence in my decision. I assure you, the Clan was not lacking." She stood straight up once more. "It's a choice for me to simply go to a different environment, far from home."
Waiting for years for it to come was agonizing, but patience had been a skill developed in her waste of a past life. A past life that she would learn from, in order to ensure she didn't waste her second one.
Naobito appraised her for a moment, sternly looking at her. "And what if I were to refuse your request?"
The chains tightened around her heart, freezing her veins cold in their tracks. There was that instinctual voice telling her to follow, to acquiesce whatever order was given to her. Taking a deep breath through her nose and exhaling out, she replied. "It's not a request. I am going, regardless."
A grin carved itself into his mouth. "Even if it meant fighting me?"
"Even if it meant fighting you and the Clan." Museigen tossed out.
A laugh escaped him at her words. He looked at his gourd. "Very well, I'll allow it."
"...Goodbye, Naobito-sama." She turned away.
"Don't you dare regress, Museigen. I will be testing you." He shouted over while she walked away. "Once you return, you better have not grown weaker! You're the Heir of this Clan!"
Her mind echoed the parting words and no matter what she could do, she couldn't erase them from her mind.
"The Clan Heir of the Zenin is apparently coming here."
Satoru blinked behind his glasses when he heard Shoko blurt those words out in the courtyard. However, he shook them off his mind easily and returned back to eating his cake. He didn't know what game they were playing, but he was sure that whatever it was, it was probably just boring ol little Clan beef. He had seen the Zenin Clan Heir before, when he came to visit with an entourage from his Clan. Even now, he could remember just how lifeless she looked and how spineless she seemed.
"The Clan Heir of the Zenin?" Suguru repeated with a clueless look. Ah right, he just remembered. While Geto Suguru was only other Special Grade Sorcerer of his year, it didn't change the fact the man had come from a civilian background. As a result, he was mostly ignorant in the inner-workings of Jujutsu Society, in spite of his power.
"Yeah, the Clan Heir of the Zenin." Satoru repeated with a smile. "Heir to one of the Three Great Families is coming right to Tokyo Jujutsu High, huh. Shouldn't say I'm surprised."
"Three Great Families?" Suguru raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean you shouldn't be surprised?"
"The Three Great Families are the most powerful, influential Families in Jujutsu Society." Satoru turned his head towards Suguru. "One of them is mine, the Gojo Clan. The other is the Kamo Clan. And the last is the Zenin Clan." He crossed his arms and leaned on his bench. "It's a couple weeks late, but when I enrolled here, I knew something was going to happen with those pricks."
It was predictable, to be honest. He swore that every time the Zenin Clan was within his hearing, it was always a subtle competition between him and the girl. And the funny part is, he was sure she didn't like the competition, just like him. He couldn't care for it and neither could she. It seemed like a waste of time and would be annoying to have a rivalry with someone.
"And that is...?" If it were possible, Suguru's eyebrow could have raised higher. "Is this an inter-clan rivalry?"
"Yes, it is." Shoko answered disinterestedly while blowing out a puff of smoke after removing the cigarette from her mouth. "Satoru's Clan and the Zenin Clan have a problem to pick with each other and they're trying to one up each other with their own Heirs."
"Bingo." Satoru shot him a finger gun. "The Zenin Clan and my Clan beef have a huge beef going and it's hilarious. They even keep comparing us with each other! The Ten Shadows against the Limitless, each the most powerful Techniques in both Clans." He cackled and leaned his back against the bench. "The two of us didn't give a shit though. You shouldn't treat this like it's a big deal, she's probably just being enrolled because I'm here, but nothing much would happen."
"So it's not that big of a deal, just a bit of politics that wouldn't amount to anything." Suguru crossed his arms. "With how you act, I thought there was going to be more to it."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"