Chapter 6 Hammering

As Gojo Shunichi walked away, Gojo Takaya clenched the iron hammer in his right hand, his eyes flickering with a trace of sorrow as he felt the weight of the preferential treatment given to Satoru.

As a member of the Gojo clan, he knew such discrimination wasn't right, but there was nothing he could do to change it.

Takaya reached out and ruffled Gojo Kensei's white hair, his gaze locking onto the boy's sky-blue eyes.

"Kensei, do you know? The Gojo clan is like a great tree. Sorcerers are its trunk, while those of us without jujutsu talent are merely branches and leaves."

"Only if everyone fulfills their duty can the tree thrive and grow strong. Cursed energy and innate techniques are predetermined by fate—no one can change that. From the moment you were born, you had no right to complain."

Takaya didn't want Kensei to develop unrealistic ambitions.

Even though Kensei had an exceptional talent for forging, in a world dominated by jujutsu sorcerers, cursed tool smiths held little influence.

Both Kensei and Satoru were direct descendants of the Gojo clan, each possessing the right to compete for the position of clan head. However, in reality, the one who would truly lead the clan could only be Satoru.

Takaya had to make sure Kensei understood this.

The Gojo clan protected its members, but in return, every clan member was bound to obey its rules.

"I understand, Master Takaya!"

Kensei knew Takaya's speech was meant for his own good. He had never considered competing with Satoru for anything.

But that didn't mean he liked being treated differently.

Even if he lacked talent in jujutsu, who could say for sure who would be the strongest in the future?

His Reaper System wasn't just for show.

Once he forged his Zanpakutō and mastered the four core Shinigami arts—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō—he might even surpass Satoru, the so-called strongest sorcerer.

"Oh, right! In a few days, someone from the Zen'in clan will be visiting the Gojo estate," Takaya suddenly remembered something and informed Kensei.

"I heard the Zen'in clan recently produced another bearer of 'Heavenly Restriction.' He's from your generation, though he's a bit older than you."

"I believe his name is Zen'in Toji. He'll likely be visiting as part of an inter-clan exchange."

"Kensei, you should take the opportunity to interact with him. From what I've heard, even though he lacks cursed energy, his raw strength is exceptional. He's quite a prodigy!"

"The Gojo and Zen'in clans are both prestigious families in the jujutsu world. You should push yourself harder as well. 'Heavenly Restriction' isn't a curse—if you truly want to become strong, nothing can stop you!"

Takaya's words were, as always, motivational. But this time, the information he shared made Kensei's expression shift slightly.

— What the hell? Zen'in Toji? And he's supposed to be my rival?

— Oh, well... Toji does look older, but technically, we are of the same generation.

— But that's the 'Heavenly Tyrant' we're talking about! Before fully awakening, even Satoru almost died at his hands! Special-grade sorcerers are nothing in front of him!

Kensei had great confidence in his system, but hearing Takaya speak so casually about competing with Toji made him feel a deep sense of pressure.

Still, since his master had set this goal for him, he had to at least make an effort. He couldn't let Takaya down.

"Understood, Master Takaya! I'll do my best."

At this moment, Zen'in Toji had yet to become the infamous 'Heavenly Tyrant.' He hadn't even left the Zen'in clan yet, so Kensei figured he might still be someone he could communicate with.

Based on the original story, the Zen'in clan had no one besides Toji who could truly rival the Gojo clan.

Among the younger generation, Kensei hadn't heard of any noteworthy names from the Zen'in family.

Despite being a bearer of Heavenly Restriction, Toji had been overlooked by his own clan.

According to the original timeline, Toji was the first person with Heavenly Restriction to make a name for himself.

There had been others before him, but only Toji stood out. Before Kensei was born, Toji was the only one in existence completely devoid of cursed energy.

Yet in the future, it was precisely because of the compensatory effects of Heavenly Restriction that Toji became the ultimate sorcerer killer.

On the other hand, despite the Gojo clan playing a major role in the story, it had little presence beyond its legendary Six Eyes bloodline.

The only true genius was Gojo Satoru—blessed with protagonist-like plot armor.

And yet, even he would eventually be cut down.

As a reader, Kensei found that utterly unacceptable.

But now that he was here, everything would change.

Gojo Satoru was destined to be sliced in half?

What if Kensei forged him a powerful Zanpakutō? If the strongest sorcerer wielded the most powerful cursed tool, would he still meet such a humiliating fate?

Besides, Kensei himself would also have a Zanpakutō and mastery of the four Shinigami arts. With his knowledge of the future, if he couldn't rise to become a world-changing powerhouse...

Then he might as well have let Satoru accidentally kill him in the womb.

Seeing Kensei's expression harden with determination, Takaya smiled slightly, as if he had just glimpsed a second pillar of the Gojo family's future.

"Kensei, you possess the Six Eyes too. In the future, you won't be far behind Satoru."

"Come, let's go to the forge. Show me how much you've improved!"

With that, Takaya turned and walked back toward the Gojo estate, heading for the forge he had maintained for years.

Kensei, recalling his recent progress in blacksmithing and the soon-to-be-unlocked Zanpakutō forging function, figured this was a perfect opportunity to break through and begin his journey as a cursed tool blacksmith.

…

"Master Takaya, watch carefully!"

Kensei gripped the iron hammer Takaya had gifted him when he was three and took his stance, preparing to strike.

"Hmph! Brat, I'm your master. There's nothing you can do that would surprise me!"

Takaya prided himself on knowing Kensei's forging skills inside and out. While Kensei was undeniably talented in crafting cursed tools, he was still just a six-year-old child.

Could a six-year-old really forge a proper cursed tool?

Impossible. That was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Or so Takaya thought.

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