"Hahaha, I really couldn't hold it in. Sorry.
Next time, bring your Cursed Tool and we can spar again."
Satoru Gojo laughed it off, completely unconcerned about his rude behavior.
"I hope you're still around by then."
Shinsuke Zenin walked past Satoru Gojo and left.
Was he unable to fight without a Cursed Tool?
Of course not. So far, he hadn't even shown the power of his vital energy.
Vital energy represented yang, so surely it couldn't be weaker than Cursed Energy, which was full of negative energy.
If his opponent had been a Cursed Spirit, he would have been more than willing to fight.
But since it was Satoru Gojo, he wasn't particularly interested.
Satoru Gojo had the Limitless technique for defense. Shinsuke couldn't use Domain Amplification, nor did he have the Heavenly Spin. There was no point in fighting when neither of them could win.
Watching Shinsuke Zenin leave, the smile gradually faded from Satoru Gojo's face, and his expression turned serious.
"Putting his Cursed Energy aside, that guy's probably Special Grade in terms of strength."
It was absurd to reach Special Grade strength through physical combat alone.
By the time Shinsuke Zenin got home, Maki was already exercising in the courtyard, while Amanai lay on the sofa watching TV.
Clattering sounds came from the kitchen.
"Oh, Uncle's back?"
Seeing them all make themselves at home, Shinsuke Zenin's forehead creased.
These people...
"Did you take care of things?"
Amanai asked casually.
Shinsuke Zenin nodded slightly. He still couldn't find any trace of Kenjaku, so all he could do was tell Toji and Megumi not to worry too much.
Kenjaku would show up sooner or later, and Tsumiki would never be possessed by someone else.
"Crash!"
Another clatter came from the kitchen, and Shinsuke Zenin suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Where's Maki?"
"She's in the kitchen. She insisted on helping you wash the dishes, and wouldn't listen when I tried to stop her."
The next moment, Shinsuke Zenin appeared in the kitchen. He looked at the few dishes he had left and Maki, standing happily on a stool as she washed them.
Her hands were covered in suds, and so was her face.
"Ah! Big Brother's back! Look how good I am! I'm helping you wash the dishes!"
Maki had no idea what was coming. Beaming, she looked to Shinsuke Zenin for praise.
Shinsuke Zenin silently stepped forward, rinsed the suds from Maki's hands and face, then laid her across his lap.
"Big Brother, what are you doing?"
Maki turned her head and stared at Shinsuke Zenin with wide eyes. She didn't understand why he had laid her across his lap. Was he going to play a game with her?
"Smack!"
Only when a large hand landed on her bottom did she realize that this game wasn't fun at all.
"Ah! Big Brother, why are you hitting me?"
"Smack!"
"I told you not to go in the kitchen! Did you just ignore everything I said?"
"Smack!"
"Ouch! Stop hitting me, Big Brother! I know I did wrong!"
"Smack!"
"Waah... Sis, save me! Sister Amanai, save me!"
"Smack!"
After giving Maki a thorough scolding, Shinsuke Zenin finally let her go and started cleaning up the kitchen.
Nearly half a day had passed between the time he left and the time he got back. Maki had been washing dishes the whole time, and had even taken out the clean ones to wash.
If not for all the broken pieces on the floor, she might actually have deserved praise.
"I told you not to go in the kitchen, but you wouldn't listen. Look where that got you."
Amanai mercilessly teased Maki, who was pouting so hard she could hang an oil bottle from her lips, tears in her eyes as she held her bottom.
"Hmph!"
Maki ignored Amanai and turned her head, sulking by herself. She didn't want to talk to a woman who wouldn't help her.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Shinsuke Zenin came out with a dark expression and stared at Maki.
"If you go into the kitchen again, don't expect to come here for meals!"
"Ah~ No, please! Mom's cooking is awful. I want to eat your food, Big Brother.
I promise! It won't happen again!"
Although Maki was ignoring Amanai, she didn't hold a grudge against the brother who had just spanked her. She quickly raised her hand to promise she wouldn't do it again.
At that, Shinsuke Zenin's expression softened a little. He silently mourned for Maki's mother for a few seconds.
Was her cooking really so bad that even her own daughter complained about it?
Maybe it was because his cooking leaned more toward the food of his past life, focusing on flavor and heartiness. It just happened to suit Maki's taste.
"Pfft, hahaha..."
Amanai laughed at Maki without a shred of guilt.
"I can't take it anymore. I've got to go. If I stay any longer, Maki's going to laugh me to death."
Still laughing, Amanai left. She had a mission tomorrow and couldn't hang around for too long.
After Amanai left, Maki lowered her head and walked over to Shinsuke Zenin. She tugged at him with both hands, swaying from side to side.
"Big Brother~ Maki knows she did wrong. Forgive Maki just this once, okay? Maki loves you the most~"
She was so young and already knew how to act spoiled... Shinsuke Zenin gave Maki an annoyed look.
"Last time."
"Yay! Big Brother's the best!"
Maki immediately cheered up, forgetting all about being spanked.
After years of spending day after day together, Maki had more or less figured out Shinsuke Zenin's personality.
He looked fierce, but he wasn't fierce at all.
She had quietly moved this brother up in her heart countless times.
He was even about to surpass her sister.
Shinsuke Zenin glanced at her, feeling somewhat helpless.
They said that women who knew how to act cute had the easiest lives. It seemed the same was true for children.
People were naturally far more tolerant of cute things. It definitely wasn't because of anything like little girls; it was simply that little girls were cute too.
That was what Shinsuke Zenin told himself.
Looking out the window at Maki, drenched in sweat, Shinsuke Zenin felt a little pleased.
At least this disciple satisfied him.
She wasn't his disciple yet, but he already approved of her perseverance.
Once her body met the requirements, he would teach her some real techniques.
With that thought, Shinsuke Zenin went into the courtyard too, planning to exercise before making dinner.
He sank his consciousness into his mind.
Five pages of the scripture had lit up, which meant he could now open the fifth gate.
At this point, he could clearly feel how much harder it was to make further progress.
Exercise had become almost entirely ineffective.
A whole year of hard training might not do as much as killing a few Cursed Spirits.
He estimated that the sixth gate was probably the limit one could reach without chakra.
With his current physical strength, even tempering a trace of vital energy was extremely difficult.
Once he reached the sixth gate, exercise would become completely useless.
Fortunately, he had a cheat. As long as he had enough Cursed Spirits, he didn't have to worry about being unable to grow stronger.
After a bit of casual exercise, Shinsuke Zenin threw together a few dishes for the two sisters.
A few days later, Jujutsu High sent word for all the teachers who could make it to attend a meeting.
They were to discuss the unrecorded Special Grade Cursed Spirit that had injured Amanai.
Shinsuke Zenin was very interested.
He wondered what kind of surprise a Special Grade Cursed Spirit would bring him.
Before you continue