I Play Ninjutsu in Jujutsu Kaisen! Chapter 18

"Gulp—"

Murata Shoichi swallowed hard, his inner voice screaming: It's over, it's over! Look at Ido Squad Leader's expression—he's serious. Where did this lunatic come from, straight-up asking the leader to hand over a lifetime of martial arts training?

"B-Begin..."

As the stopwatch in his hand started ticking again.

Ido Shuichi moved, but this time he was going for the kill. Every bit of his martial skill had been forged through countless brushes with death—there was no way he'd just hand it over to anyone!

Even if he couldn't kill within the country, he'd still break both arms and teach this brat the price of running his mouth!

Faster!

Seeing Ido Shuichi already in his face, Natsu Hiraku's expression turned grim. His body, now amplified by cursed energy, wouldn't be caught off guard like the first time.

The fierce fist came again, but this time Natsu Hiraku blocked it the moment it swung, cutting its power at the weakest point and snuffing it out.

Then he grabbed the right fist and yanked it backward, trying to throw off Ido's center of gravity to buy himself some time.

This strength is insane!

Ido Shuichi immediately spread his feet into a wide stance to stabilize himself, while his free left hand shot toward Natsu Hiraku's throat.

It all happened in an instant, a perfect display of both their reflexes.

Murata Shoichi stared wide-eyed at the stopwatch in his hand as the numbers jumped, counting under his breath:

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"No way, this kid's actually trading blows with the squad leader?"

The exclamations around him didn't break his counting.

"Seven."

"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of joke is this? Their builds aren't even close, and the squad leader's punches are getting blocked?"

"Eight."

"You're kidding me—it's been this long, and the squad leader only left one scratch on him?"

"Nine."

What's with this kid? Why is he so strong?

Ido Shuichi, who had lost track of time, was starting to panic. He'd been fighting this long and only managed to land one hit before getting shaken off by that Super Strength.

"Ten, time's up! Natsu Hiraku wins!"

Murata Shoichi clicked the stopwatch and shouted. Both fighters stopped.

The onlookers looked like they'd seen a ghost. The two weren't even in the same weight class—there was a difference of over eighty pounds. How had they fought to a draw?

"Oh my! Judging by the crowd's faces, it looks like Natsu Hiraku won!"

Mitsuchi Mi had watched the whole thing, a satisfied smile curling at her lips. Just as I thought—he's incredibly strong, maybe even stronger than the squad leader. Father will be distracted by the succession struggle, but with his protection, nothing should go wrong.

As for why she didn't just pick the powerful squad leader as her personal bodyguard—it felt a bit off. He was in the prime of his life, not quite suitable.

But Natsu Hiraku, according to her investigation, was just a kid of fifteen or sixteen. His background was a bit tragic—his parents had died suddenly a few weeks ago. At that age, she could practically treat him like a Younger Brother, so there weren't any major concerns. In other words:

"He's still wet behind the ears."

Teasing a pure little boy like that should be fun, right?

Tch, what a tough fight. Even though my speed and strength outclassed him, he kept clinging on. After the initial suppression, I was the one getting pushed around the whole time.

Natsu Hiraku looked at the wound on his arm—a scratch from a dodge that went wrong. Just a graze had left a mark like this. No wonder he's the man I set my sights on.

If I could copy his entire martial arts repertoire, how strong would I be?

If he were a sorcerer, he'd be the second Todo Aoi.

"I lost..."

Ido Shuichi stared at the blood on his fingertips. He never thought he'd fight a kid to a standstill. The raw power, the lightning-fast reactions—he could feel it all.

But losing to a child still stung. After all, a grown man losing to a kid—how embarrassing was that?

"Ido-sensei, according to our deal, I win if I last ten seconds. So you have to pass on everything you've learned. I know it's hard for you, but a teacher for a day is a father for life. How about I kneel and kowtow to you right now?"

Natsu Hiraku knew it was tough to ask someone to hand over a lifetime of skill. So he had to rely on his silver tongue. This big, rough-looking guy probably doesn't have a girlfriend. Hitting him with the 'no one to rely on in old age' angle should work. If he refuses, I'll play the sympathy card.

With these fighting skills plus the Sharingan as backup, I might even be able to go toe-to-toe with Todo Aoi.

"Th-That's not necessary."

Ido Shuichi looked at this goofy kid and finally came to terms with it. A loss is a loss—own it. I'm already past thirty. In another seven or eight years, I probably won't even be able to throw a punch. Am I supposed to take this martial art to the grave?

"No need for a formal apprenticeship. I'll teach you. Come to my room tonight. I'm old—time to pass the torch to the younger generation."

"Got it."

Natsu Hiraku beamed. Looks like this old geezer, for all his ruthlessness, keeps his word. Guess when you get older, face really does matter.

The elders at home used to say, you have to fight for your pride in life—don't do things that bring shame. If you lose your face, what's left to live for?

They weren't wrong. Once I finish my training and go back, I'll definitely blind their dog eyes!

"Alright, everyone back to your posts. If you dawdle any longer, I'll make you run twenty kilometers with weights!"

Ido Shuichi's roar sent the onlookers scattering like they were fleeing a disaster, as if they had some unforgettable experience and were terrified of being dragged into a weight run.

"So strict..."

Natsu Hiraku had just finished his complaint when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. He turned to look and saw a woman in a black-and-white maid outfit walking slowly toward him.

"Hello, Mr. Natsu Hiraku. I'm the housekeeper here. The young lady requests your presence."

"Got it."

Natsu Hiraku picked up his backpack from the floor, waved at Ido Shuichi, and followed the housekeeper into the villa. The moment he stepped inside, he was stunned.

The floor was so clean it could double as a mirror. Four massive pillars carved with flying dragons held up the entire hall, each dragon's mouth clutching a golden orb. Judging by the luster, it looked like they were made of real gold...

The word "wealth" was now deeply etched into his mind.

As the housekeeper led him deeper, Natsu Hiraku's expression grew darker. At the end of the corridor was a room, and from that room emanated a powerful curse.

He'd sensed it faintly from outside, but he hadn't expected it to be in the room of the person he was supposed to protect.

"Hey, Sister Housekeeper, have there been any weird incidents in this house lately? Like bottles flying around or people going missing?"

"No, Mr. Natsu Hiraku. Why do you ask? That's kind of creepy."

The housekeeper smiled gently, her expression kind.

"Just asking. I heard big villas are prone to supernatural stuff. I'm a bit scared of ghosts, so I might need Sister Housekeeper to sleep with me at night."

Natsu Hiraku said playfully, "If you don't mind, you can call me Younger Brother Raku from now on. I'd be happy to help you out anytime."

"Haha."

The housekeeper raised her right hand to politely cover her smile, looking at Natsu Hiraku with a warm gaze. "If Younger Brother Raku says so, then Sister will keep you company tonight."

"Thanks, Sister. Have you been feeling something heavy on your shoulders lately? Like they're tired even when you don't move them?"

"Actually, yes. I don't know why, but my shoulders have felt really heavy recently. The hospital couldn't find anything wrong. How did you know, Younger Brother Raku?"

The housekeeper rubbed her shoulder, curious.

Of course he knew—there was a cat perched on her shoulder. Natsu Hiraku glanced calmly at the black cat on the housekeeper. This kind of curse spirit was common in almost every household, too weak to harm people, and sorcerers usually didn't bother with them.

It wasn't that they wouldn't deal with them; it was more that they couldn't be bothered. Too weak. The curse might dissipate on its own someday. Besides, they were human too—they couldn't exorcise curses around the clock.

Living like that would be exhausting. It'd kill you.

"I could tell. I used to rub my mom's shoulders a lot, so I noticed yours are a bit droopy. Want me to give you a rub? It might help."

"Is that so? Then I'll trouble you, Younger Brother Raku."

The housekeeper crouched down, and Natsu Hiraku reached out with his right hand, exorcising the cat. Then he made a show of rubbing her shoulders a few times. "How does it feel?"

"Hmm, I don't know why, but after you rubbed them, they feel a lot lighter. It's like the weight on my shoulders vanished all at once. Strange."

"Really? That's good. I'd be sad if you wore yourself out, Sister. You're too beautiful for that."

"Such a smooth talker. Learning bad habits at your age. If you get any ideas, I'll tear your mouth apart."

The housekeeper pinched Natsu Hiraku's cheek as she spoke. "My name is Harukaze Chizuko. You can call me Sister Chizuko from now on."

"Got it, Sister Chizuko."

Harukaze Chizuko nodded in satisfaction and withdrew her hand. "For the next half month, Younger Brother Raku, you're to protect the young lady at all times. Don't let her out of your sight."

"Even when she's bathing?"

Natsu Hiraku muttered.

"Yes!"

"..."

"No!"

Harukaze Chizuko realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself, then grabbed Natsu Hiraku's cheek in anger. "Oh, so you were thinking about that?"

"I was just asking. No ulterior motives. Does the young lady hate being watched? Those bodyguards outside seem pretty strong."

Natsu Hiraku quickly changed the subject.

"That's too conspicuous. The young lady doesn't like it. Even though it's a special time now, with Father and Brother... never mind, that's not something I should discuss."

Harukaze Chizuko trailed off, looking at the door right in front of her. She took a deep breath, shed her flirtatious demeanor, and smiled like a kind older sister next door.

"Then, please go in, Mr. Natsu Hiraku."

As the door opened, it wasn't the morning breeze stirring a beauty's hair or a first glimpse of the young lady's face.

Instead, a hideous curse spirit, its body mist-like, snarled and bared its teeth at him. Harukaze Chizuko walked right through its form as if it weren't there.

Eerie.

What kind of form was this?

Natsu Hiraku only glanced at it before immediately looking away, then walked straight through its body.

This wasn't a good place to fight—there were two ordinary people here. He'd better keep his curse energy fluctuations as low as possible, or it'd be over if they found out he wasn't normal.

More importantly...

He might not even win.

"You're here. This is our second meeting."

Mitsuchi Mi smiled faintly.

"Yeah." Natsu Hiraku looked at Mitsuchi Mi, surrounded by the curse spirits, and said, "Never thought that alley encounter would turn me into your personal bodyguard. Let me introduce myself—I'm Natsu Hiraku. Pleased to serve you."

"Hahaha, such a smooth talker."

Mitsuchi Mi had just laughed when the curse spirits around her seemed triggered. Their mist-like forms instantly flooded the entire room, dense curses surging toward Natsu Hiraku.

The sudden pressure drove him straight to his knees. His heart screamed bad news, but he didn't strike back. If he did, those two would be killed in an instant.

Stay calm. With so many people in the courtyard unharmed, that means this curse spirit won't hurt anyone. I'll gamble on it—keep pretending nothing's wrong.

A hoarse voice came from all directions: "Don't come near my daughter... Kill... no... can't kill. If I kill, it'll scare my daughter... I can't let my daughter be scared..."

As the voice slowly faded, the curse pressure weighing on him vanished completely.

"Mr. Natsu Hiraku, are you okay?"

Harukaze Chizuko's concerned voice came from beside him, a pale arm reaching out.

"No... it's nothing. The floor was a bit dirty, so I was wiping it..."