Time flew, and six years passed in the blink of an eye. Naoya Zenin had grown from that quiet little bundle in swaddling clothes into a handsome six-year-old boy. Over those six years, Naobito Zenin had abandoned his usual cold distance toward the clan's younger generation. He often took a flask of sake, slipped away from his burdensome clan duties, and made a special trip to Zhiyan's courtyard to see his "fine son."
After spending so much time with him, Naobito finally understood his eldest son's temperament-pride even greater than his own was etched into the boy's bones, yet he handled people with a perceptiveness and polish far beyond his years, never leaving an opening. He showed none of a child's lively innocence.
He was especially reserved toward his father. Most of the time, he remained indifferent, either looking down at whatever he was doing or watching Naobito with those same quiet, ink-black eyes. The distance in that gaze often left Naobito muttering to himself, Who on earth did this brat take after?
Even so, whenever he saw Zhiyan's composure and sharpness, so far beyond those of his peers, Naobito could not help feeling a swell of pride.
That afternoon, after finishing the clan's business concerning the selection of Jujutsu talent, Naobito picked up a flask of freshly brewed sake and headed straight for Zhiyan's courtyard, his steps so light that he practically skipped along.
As soon as he pushed open the carved wooden gate, he saw a small figure sitting properly beneath the courtyard veranda, absorbed in an ancient book many times larger than his palm.
Beside a veranda pillar lay two dogs, one pure black as ink, the other white as jade. Nestled together, they breathed evenly, their languid poses creating a rare air of harmony.
Naobito raised an eyebrow. When did this brat start keeping dogs? The Zenin Clan's courtyards had strict rules. Keeping pets required approval, so why had none of the servants mentioned it? He approached with quieter steps, his gaze sweeping over the two dogs. The longer he looked, the more familiar they seemed, though he could not remember where he had seen them.
Then, instinctively, he released a faint thread of cursed energy to carefully sense his surroundings-the next second, his casual expression froze, his pupils contracted sharply, and the sake flask nearly slipped from his hand.
Clear fluctuations of cursed energy surrounded those two dogs! And those fluctuations... that was unmistakably the distinctive aura of the Zenin Clan's strongest inherited technique-the Ten Shadows Technique!
"Damn it!" Naobito swore under his breath, instantly sobering up considerably. Surprise and delight flooded him, along with a rueful frustration that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Had drinking made him stupid? How could he be this slow? His fine son had already awakened his cursed technique, and the Ten Shadows Technique at that! Yet he, the boy's own father, had only just found out!
Then he furiously glared toward the servants waiting outside the courtyard, inwardly cursing them. Those useless fools! They stayed beside Zhiyan every day, yet not one of them had noticed that he had awakened such a powerful cursed technique. They deserved punishment! He would deal with them properly later!
But no sooner had that anger flared than overwhelming joy swallowed it whole.
He threw back his head and laughed, his hearty laughter ringing through the courtyard, filled with irrepressible pride and excitement.
"Hahaha! That's my son! You've made your father proud!" Laughing, he slapped his thigh, his eyes growing warm-how many years had it been since the Zenin Clan last produced a sorcerer who awakened the Ten Shadows Technique? And now that honor had fallen to his legitimate son! With Zhiyan and the Ten Shadows Technique, the Zenin Clan's standing among the Three Great Families, and even its influence within Jujutsu Society, would rise to new heights!
As his laughter faded, Naobito reined in his excitement and swiftly replaced it with a smile that could only be called "fawning," then walked briskly toward Zhiyan beneath the veranda.
He deliberately softened his voice, even his eyes taking on a coaxing look. All the usual dignity of the Zenin Clan's head vanished, leaving nothing but an ordinary father proud of his son. "Zhiyan, my fine boy, your father's here to see you!"
The breeze beneath the veranda carried the fresh scent of grass and trees as it brushed the turning edges of the pages. Zhiyan's gaze remained fixed on the Jujutsu diagrams recorded in the ancient book, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the texture of the paper. He was so absorbed that everything around him seemed irrelevant.
Only when that voice-familiar enough to make his ears tense-rang out with its deliberate fawning, like grains of sand scraping across jade, did Zhiyan's relaxed brows instantly draw together. Undisguised impatience crept over his handsome little face.
He did not even look up. From the direction of the voice alone, he accurately anticipated the movements of the man behind him. Sure enough, a second later, a warmth tinged with alcohol approached, accompanied by familiar fluctuations of cursed energy. It was Naobito's usual attempt to scoop him into his arms and show him off.
"Tch." The faint sound escaped Zhiyan's lips. He moved astonishingly fast, abruptly raising his right hand before Naobito's arm could wrap around him and planting his palm firmly against his father's face.
His little palm carried a child's distinctive coolness, but the force behind it was considerable, pushing Naobito's leaning body a full half-step backward.
The fawning smile froze on Naobito's face. His nose pressed against his son's soft but unyielding palm, and even the smell of alcohol seemed to fade a little.
He lowered his gaze and met the dark eyes Zhiyan had raised toward him. They were still pure black, but now held a colder edge than when he was younger. At that moment, they regarded him icily, their disgust almost overflowing, as though he were some troublesome obstacle.
"Old man, stay away from me." Zhiyan's voice still had a child's clear softness, but his tone was cold as ice, a strange contrast to his young face. "You reek of booze. It stinks."
As he spoke, he applied a little more force through his wrist and pushed Naobito farther away. Only once he was certain his father would not recklessly approach again did he slowly withdraw his hand and lower his head to the ancient book, as though he had merely swatted away an irritating insect. He showed no regard whatsoever for the head of the Zenin Clan, his own father.
Disturbed by the commotion, the black and white dogs beside the pillar raised their heads, looked at Naobito, then at their master. They lazily wagged their tails and lay back down with their heads on their paws, showing no intention of getting up. Clearly, Zhiyan held absolute authority in this courtyard.
Naobito rubbed the cheek his son had pushed. Far from angry, he smiled even more broadly, pride nearly spilling from his eyes.
This little brat was rude even to his own father. That pride really did take after him! And that strength, that reaction speed-he could clearly already exercise basic control over his cursed energy. The talent that came with the Ten Shadows Technique truly lived up to its reputation!
He casually wiped his face and leaned in again. This time, however, he did not dare reach out. He merely bent at the waist beside Zhiyan, his voice still coaxing. "All right, all right. I won't hug you or get too close."
He glanced at the ancient book in Zhiyan's hands, then at the two leisurely black and white Divine Dogs, and lowered his voice with a hint of boastfulness. "Zhiyan, you're doing quite well with your Ten Shadows Technique. You've raised these two shikigami nicely. Much better than your father did when he first started!"
Zhiyan's fingertips paused on the page. Only after a long moment did he lift his eyelids, his dark eyes sweeping over Naobito's eager expression. His voice was utterly flat. "On my fifth birthday."
His reply was brief, with no further explanation. Naobito blinked and counted on his fingers. Well, then-he had brought pastries for the boy's birthday last year, yet had noticed nothing unusual. Frustrated, he slapped his thigh, then hurriedly eased the force for fear of disturbing his son. "Good grief! It's already been a year! You really know how to keep things to yourself!"
He leaned closer, eyes shining, his voice full of pride. "You awakened the Ten Shadows Technique at five, far earlier than your father awakened his own technique! That's my son! What did it feel like when it awakened? Did you summon any shikigami? Did you feel full of strength right away?" He fired off question after question, looking for all the world like a curious child.
Zhiyan frowned again, closed the book on his lap, and raised a hand to rub between his brows. He looked even more composed than Naobito. "Nothing special. When I summoned them, they just lay there quietly. No noise, no fuss." He tipped his chin toward the black and white dogs beside him. As though sensing it, the two shikigami wagged their tails.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was necessary," Zhiyan added indifferently, his tone carrying a certainty rarely found in children. "The cursed technique is mine. I don't need to report everything."
Those words left Naobito momentarily speechless, but he was not angry in the slightest. Instead, he burst out laughing and slapped the stone table in delight. "Well said! That's the spirit of the Zenin Clan! No need to report it, no need at all! My son knows what matters!"
The more he looked at Zhiyan, the more pleased he became, and he could not resist leaning in again. "How many shikigami can you summon now? Want your father to help you practice? I may not have the Ten Shadows Technique, but I've mastered Projection Sorcery!"
Zhiyan shifted back half an inch to avoid the lingering smell of alcohol and gave him a cold glance. "No." He lifted his eyes slightly, and the black and white dogs instantly stood, cursed energy surging around them. Though they did not reveal their full strength, they already radiated the sharp presence unique to the Ten Shadows Technique's shikigami. Then they meekly settled back down. "They're still no match for you."
That was an honest assessment. The stiffness in Naobito's expression instantly vanished, replaced by even greater pride. He straightened and paced a couple of steps with his hands behind his back, the hem of his robes brushing the bluestone ground. Some of his dignity as clan head returned, and his earlier fawning diminished a little, though the pride in his eyes remained impossible to hide. "At least you've got a good eye, brat."
He turned toward the two shikigami and lightly flicked his fingertips. A strand of pure cursed energy swept through the air. The black and white dogs raised their heads warily but did not dare act rashly. Clearly, even with the foundation of the Ten Shadows Technique, these shikigami, not yet fully grown, still felt awe under the cursed energy pressure of a top Grade 1 Sorcerer like Naobito.
"Awakened at five, and in just a year you've raised shikigami with this much awareness. Your cursed energy control is solid, too. Not bad." Approval colored Naobito's voice. For once, he set aside his jokes and regarded the boy with the scrutiny and recognition of an elder. "But remember, the strength of the Ten Shadows Technique doesn't lie only in the number of shikigami. More importantly, it lies in the harmony between shikigami and sorcerer, and how you deploy them in battle."
As he spoke, he could not help leaning closer to Zhiyan again, the boastfulness returning to his voice. "Want to try? I won't use my full strength. Let me practice with you for a bit, all right? It'll give you a chance to see how a top sorcerer handles the Ten Shadows Technique-even our clan's inherited technique has openings to exploit."
Zhiyan lowered his eyes to the book on his lap, his ink-black lashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyelids. After a long moment, he uttered a single word. "Boring." Despite his indifferent tone, his fingertips lightly tapped the stone table, as though issuing an order.
The next second, the black and white dogs beneath the veranda abruptly rose, their bodies suddenly growing taller. Dense cursed energy wreathed Divine Dog: Black and Divine Dog: White. One took an offensive position and the other a defensive one, instantly assuming ready stances. Their cursed energy fluctuations were several times stronger than before; clearly, they had received Zhiyan's command.
A flicker of surprise crossed Naobito's eyes, then turned into keen interest. With a wave of his hand, the cursed energy around him condensed into an invisible barrier. He grinned. "That's the spirit! Let your father see just how much strength his son's Ten Shadows Technique shikigami have!"
Before you continue