Chapter 108: Surpass Your Limits
"Kumaen, sometimes we can't always focus on short-term gains and losses."
"The actions of the Yagyū family hold great significance for Satoshi. If you are familiar with history, you might know the story of the daimyo buying horse bones for a thousand gold pieces."
"The Yagyū family is the horse bones that Satoshi bought. Likewise, in the future, anyone with the same mentality will offer their most valuable possessions to try and trade with him."
"This is exactly what Satoshi wants."
"Furthermore, from the perspective of the clan, this transaction has secured a firm ally for the entire Gojo family."
The old man tugged at the corner of his mouth with effort, then turned to look at Gojo Kumaen.
"Do you really think Satoshi is just an innocent child with no caution regarding the Zanpakutō he gives away?"
"Satoshi's thoughts run deeper than yours or mine. He was born with knowledge and may be even more exceptional than Satoru."
"Kumaen, the future of the Gojo family is in your hands."
After speaking, the old man reclined in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.
Kumaen remained silent for a moment before finally preparing to leave.
"Wait. You and I will go to the forging house together. I want to see Satoshi again. The matter of the Fire Cursed Tool must be taken seriously…"
The old man's voice rang out once more. Gojo Kumaen gave a small nod and sat down, waiting for him to recover his energy.
—
Outside the forge, Toji and Satoshi, who had been called back temporarily, faced each other.
"Satoshi, are you sure you want me to go all out?"
Toji asked, skeptical. He had no idea what had gotten into Satoshi to make him suddenly insist on a direct confrontation.
Satoshi nodded, his gaze fixed on the experience gauge that was stuck at 99.9%. He realized that only by passing Toji's test could he successfully break through his limits.
This would be the culmination of all the combat experience he had accumulated so far.
"Alright. If you manage to land a hit anywhere other than my arm, you win."
Toji touched the corner of his mouth where a wound was healing, a fiery desire for battle igniting within him.
—
[The host is receiving hand-to-hand combat training. Hakuda experience +10.]
[The host is receiving hand-to-hand combat training. Hakuda experience +10.]
[The host is receiving hand-to-hand combat training. Hakuda experience +10.]
The sound of fists meeting flesh echoed in the forge, yet the last 0.1% of experience seemed unreachable.
Just like his previous Zanjutsu breakthrough, in the end, the system issued a cold notification:
[The host is receiving hand-to-hand combat training. Hakuda experience +0.]
Then, Satoshi entered that strange, elusive state once more.
Scenes of his past training replayed in his mind—his own failed attempts, Satoru's progress, Shunichi's discipline.
All these experiences merged into his consciousness.
As he continued to throw punches mechanically, the wasted experience that had piled up in Satoshi's system started to decline rapidly.
[Hakuda experience: 99.9%]
[Hakuda experience: 90.9%]
[Hakuda experience: 80.9%]
…
[Hakuda experience: 10.9%]
[Hakuda experience: 0%]
At that moment, as his experience hit zero, Satoshi's body trembled.
His stagnating Hakuda mastery finally integrated completely with his instincts.
Where he had only been able to barely defend himself before, he could now counterattack.
Feeling a blunt impact in his abdomen, Toji's eyes widened in shock.
How long had it been?
How long had it been since anyone had managed to land a hit on him?
Barehanded, he had always been absolutely confident in his superiority. But this time, his confidence had been shattered.
Satoshi, standing before him, had actually outpaced his reactions and landed a clean blow.
By Toji's estimation, Satoshi's physical skills shouldn't have caught up until he was at least thirteen or fourteen.
Now, for the first time, Toji felt a sense of danger.
Satoshi couldn't be measured by normal standards at all. Had he already begun manifesting the effects of Heavenly Restriction at six years old?
—
A heavy silence settled over the scene.
Shunichi, Satoru, and Takuya, who had been observing from the side, had witnessed every moment of the battle—the flurry of strikes, the seamless dodges, and Satoshi's unexpected counterattack.
Just as Toji had said, Satoshi had hit him somewhere other than his arm.
Satoshi had won the spar.
Coincidentally, at that very moment, Kumaen and the clan head arrived, catching the final exchange.
The old man's eyes widened in shock.
Satoshi can already fight evenly with Toji?
As the head of the Gojo family, he understood more about the Zenin clan's power than most.
Toji was, without a doubt, the strongest physical combatant of his generation. His sheer strength defied conventional measures.
He had initially assumed that Satoshi's power stemmed from his Heavenly Restriction. But like Toji, he had never expected that a six-year-old Satoshi could perform at such a level.
Kumaen, meanwhile, had become numb to it all.
He had always assumed that Satoshi's strength came from the Sode no Shirayuki in his hands.
If he were to lose his Zanpakutō, then surely Satoshi would just be an ordinary person.
But now, everything Kumaen had believed about Satoshi was overturned.
The boy before him had just fought Toji without using his Zanpakutō.
Even if Toji hadn't gone all out, the fact that Satoshi had still been able to land a hit was proof enough of his strength.
The Gojo Clan's two greatest prodigies—one mastering Limitless and the other wielding Heavenly Restriction. One the embodiment of limitless potential, the other the ultimate honed weapon. They complemented each other perfectly.
And Satoshi also had the unique ability to forge Zanpakutō…
Kumaen's previous doubts about Satoshi completely vanished.
—Doubt Shunichi.
—Understand Shunichi.
—Become Shunichi!
At last, Kumaen understood why Shunichi, who had always supported him, had suddenly chosen to back Satoshi so decisively, even to the point of going against orders.
Gojo Satoshi and Gojo Satoru, the most outstanding twins in Gojo Clan's history, were indeed worthy of every resource the clan could provide.
At that moment, Kumaen made up his mind.
No matter the cost, no matter the means, he would dedicate everything to securing the Gojo Clan's future.
(To be continued.)
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