The Scene-Stealer

Within the Tokyo Metropolis, in the Shinjuku District, inside a high-end apartment that even Jujutsu High could not detect.

Kenjaku used a knife and fork to skillfully cut the steak before him. He examined it with a slightly critical gaze for a moment before slowly bringing it to his mouth.

Chew, ponder.

After completing the process of swallowing, Kenjaku wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and offered a rather "objective" evaluation.

"Sous-vide? A cooking method that retains juices while keeping the texture tender and fresh... I see. It seems culinary techniques are also progressing with the times. In this regard, my concepts were indeed too outdated."

Kenjaku set down his knife and fork with a sense of emotion, half-turned his head, and cast his gaze toward the kitchen.

"Unblemished, well done... I am very satisfied with this taste."

Damn it, you better be satisfied! He had been busy since last night just to steam this dinner.

Wiping the fine sweat from his forehead, Kana Shizumi revealed a slightly strained smile.

"Thank you for the praise..."

"No, I don't mean to flatter you."

Kenjaku spread his hands, accompanied by a gentle smile.

"I truly believe the texture is excellent and the seasoning is top-tier. It is no exaggeration to say... if Akechi Mitsuhide had brought this out to entertain Tokugawa Ieyasu back then, perhaps the Honnoji Incident wouldn't have happened at all."

Kana Shizumi had to put in some effort to realize what kind of joke this was.

Legend has it that during the Warring States Period, Akechi Mitsuhide served rotten fish to Tokugawa Ieyasu, causing Oda Nobunaga to fly into a rage and beat the former on the spot...

So, we have reason to believe that the rotten fish incident was the fuse for the Honnoji barbecue case!

Of course, this statement was more of a joke than a serious claim.

Because there is a lack of authentic historical records here, most accounts are written by other scholars, so to this day, many things have been passed down in a way that approximates "romance."

History, after all, is as exciting as it is made to be; otherwise, what would be the point of watching?

But then again, if Kenjaku has lived for so long, theoretically, he should have experienced the Warring States Period as well?

Kana Shizumi wiped his hands with a towel and spoke in a joking tone.

"Father, have you witnessed these things with your own eyes?"

Kenjaku lifted the wine glass at his side, gently swirling it while speaking in an extremely calm tone.

"Yes, I was the one who served the rotten fish... Actually, it was just that Tokugawa had a light palate and wasn't used to fermented goods. Sigh, it is hard to please everyone. I suggested back then not to use such heavily localized things to entertain guests, tch... people who don't listen are truly difficult to deal with."

Wow!

So there really is a scene-stealer.

"Haha, just kidding, just kidding... but back to the point, the taste is indeed very good. I am very satisfied with tonight's dinner."

Kana Shizumi let out a light breath and turned from the kitchen back to the living room.

"Then I am somewhat relieved. As long as you like it."

Marinating, processing, and seasoning—this series of processes was not simple. It could only be said that fortunately, the background of this transmigration was still in the modern era, and some techniques from his "past life" were now of great help.

And the current situation was as just described.

In this life spanning over a thousand years, Kenjaku did not seem to pay much attention to the desires of the palate.

Unlike the Hannibal of the Heian Era, it turns out Kenjaku was the Marie Curie of the Heian Era... he was too busy creating radiation sources.

"It's just that it feels a little salty after eating too much."

"For after the meal, there is dessert: a chestnut-flavored daifuku, a specialty of Kyoto. It tastes best after being frozen. Please enjoy..."

Since he was already working like a beast of burden for Kenjaku, he certainly had to provide top-tier service.

Regarding this, Kana Shizumi's awareness was quite high! So the focus during this period was to keep this thousand-year-old demon happy first.

"Oh, you are thoughtful."

The atmosphere after a full meal was the most subtle. Kenjaku looked at Kana Shizumi thoughtfully, and after gently wiping the corner of his mouth, he spoke in his usual flat tone.

"Verbal praise alone feels like it is missing something. Unblemished... is there anything you particularly want?"

So there is a reward phase.

Although he did not know what medicine Kenjaku was selling in his gourd, Kana Shizumi decided to go for a direct approach.

"I want to become stronger!"

There was no other way; his strength had to improve.

Otherwise, with these cat-and-mouse skills, what would he use to participate in the Shibuya Incident, the Culling Game, or the Shinjuku Showdown?

Originally, after transmigrating, he had intended to step onto the field himself to fight Sukuna, but it turned out that the man wouldn't even look at him straight. Once a domain was opened, the aftermath could kick him to death like a stray dog on the side of the road...

It is true that there are many ways to improve one's strength.

But considering the current situation, where he dared not mess with the plot, he could only rely on cheats...

Help me, Jail Mom!!!

"I see."

Kenjaku nodded calmly. His gaze dropped, catching sight of the fluffy cream stained on his finger, and he licked it clean one by one.

"Tch, tch... actually, at your current level, you should probably be at Grade 2... no, if you perform exceptionally well, you should be at the Semi-Grade 1 level."

After saying this, Kenjaku shifted his gaze upward, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Placed in the jujutsu circle, this strength is basically enough to suppress over 90% of people. Are you still not satisfied with this?"

It sounded a bit exaggerated, but it was actually not far off.

As a technique, Crimson Blood Manipulation inherently made Kana Shizumi different from ordinary sorcerers.

After all, you have to know that not everyone has combat power after awakening... In the original work, the little blonde guy in the Culling Game awakened a technique that only controlled the sugar content in his body...

Others have Limitless, Malevolent Shrine, or the Ten Shadows Technique.

And you get assigned a sugar-control technique...

Some things are just absurd to think about, and over 90% of the sorcerers in the jujutsu circle are likely in this situation.

Therefore, in the original work, "Yoshino Junpei," who awakened during Young Fish and Reverse Punishment, was actually a sorcerer with decent talent.

First of all, being able to see curses itself indicated that he possessed jujutsu talent.

The technique he awakened later was summoning a shikigami jellyfish, which also filtered out those types without combat talent.

Finally... through the original work, it could be known that this kid's jellyfish could actually be poisonous.

Damn, it really is—as everyone knows, how exaggerated the gold content of the term "poison" is in Jujutsu Kaisen... It can be said that without touching the peak combat power, the effect of poison is of a very significant degree.

It can be said that if Yoshino Junpei had not died, he might have had quite a bit of room to play in the subsequent plot.

After all, the progress of a sorcerer is inherently non-linear.