Standards for friendship

Toji asked curiously, "Then, since the person you're looking for isn't here, could he have already left?"

"No, he's just not in this room. I think he's still somewhere in this building. A few monkey pawns died, that's all. He has no reason to run."

As he spoke, Tan Man led Toji through the Time Vessel Association's building.

Only when they found a room where some sort of prayer ritual was taking place did Tan Man stop, his gaze settling on one of the women inside.

Tan Man walked straight to the woman's seat in the third row of benches, sat beside her, and spoke calmly.

"The Star Plasma Vessel is in my hands now. Let's talk business..."

But the woman ignored Tan Man. She maintained her prayer pose, looking exceptionally focused, as though she truly were a devout believer.

Tan Man was in no hurry. He continued.

"If that's how you want to play it, I'll send her to Tengen tomorrow. Toji won't take the job, either. How will you stop her from assimilating with Tengen then?"

The woman turned in confusion and gave Tan Man a strange look. "Sir, are you talking to me?"

"Is there anyone else here? Keep playing dumb, and I'll have someone kill Yuji Itadori for good right now, along with his father, Jin Itadori. If Jin dies again now, how long will it take you to find his next reincarnation?"

The woman's expression showed no obvious change when she heard him threaten to kill Yuji Itadori. Perhaps she could still keep her expression under control.

But when Tan Man mentioned Jin Itadori and reincarnation, a subtle shift crossed her face.

The truth about Jin Itadori was a secret, one that only a handful of people in the world today could possibly know.

And even those people should have been unable to learn the truth about Jin Itadori without first verifying it.

Why did this boy know all this? Where had he learned it?

"You..."

But as Kenjaku considered what to say, Tan Man spoke first.

"Would you prefer I call you Kaori Itadori, or should I use your real name, Kenjaku?"

Only after hearing those words did Kenjaku abandon his disguise completely, his pupils contracting slightly.

Of course he recognized Tan Man Zenin, the boy who had defeated the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes. Even though they had never actually met, those Golden Eyes were enough to prove his identity.

In fact, Kenjaku had been intensely curious about this boy for quite some time.

But because of Tan Man's plans for his development, he had hardly ever left the Zenin Clan's grounds. Any necessary outings had been discreet trips with Toji, leaving Kenjaku with no real opportunity to approach him.

Yet today, just a few words from Tan Man had already convinced Kenjaku that he was extraordinary and piqued his curiosity.

Kenjaku's gaze swept over Toji nearby. He was now certain that his trouble getting in touch with Toji was most likely due to Tan Man's influence as well.

Kenjaku gave up playing dumb and asked in a different tone.

"I'd very much like to know how you learned all this. If I remember correctly, your name is Tan Man Zenin, isn't it?"

Tan Man replied casually, "Cursed Techniques that can predict the future do exist."

"I do know such Cursed Techniques exist. But someone with one who can also overpower the Six Eyes? That's a first for me."

Kenjaku rubbed his chin, then changed tack.

"Or are you actually lying to me?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere between them turned icy.

Tan Man was not intimidated by Kenjaku's presence. He answered calmly.

"Is that what concerns you most? Not Tengen successfully assimilating with the Star Plasma Vessel, all your preparations coming to nothing, and having to wait another five hundred years?"

Kenjaku's expression changed as he answered Tan Man.

"That's the sort of thing I only like to share with friends..."

Tan Man immediately followed up.

"Let me guess your standards for friendship. First, they can't bore you. Second, they have to be your equal in strength. Just kidding. That was a random guess."

If Kenjaku had only been half convinced before, after Tan Man said that, his sixth sense told him with certainty that this fellow truly knew something.

"You've certainly piqued my curiosity. Then let me use your standards to test whether you can become a friend I can truly confide in."

As Kenjaku spoke, he stopped concealing his terrifying cursed energy.

Tan Man could tell that Kenjaku was probably preparing to attack. He had considered this possibility beforehand.

Still, it was considerably worse than Kenjaku willingly cooperating and handing over what Tan Man wanted, allowing him to secure a guaranteed profit without paying any price.

Tan Man himself needed Tengen not to assimilate, because he needed the situation to become chaotic enough for him to achieve his goal.

Moreover, Kenjaku's reaction left Tan Man unable to confirm for the moment whether Kenjaku knew about the multiple Star Plasma Vessels.

It also left Tan Man unable to judge whether Kenjaku had rejected his proposed deal because he knew there were other replacements available even if Riko Amanai was lost.

Kenjaku's refusal to cooperate merely meant that Tan Man would not gain quite as much.

Tan Man was simply too unusual. Based on what Kenjaku knew, he possessed a powerful Cursed Technique capable of defeating Satoru Gojo's Six Eyes and Limitless, and he had already become the leader of Hei, making him at least an exceptionally powerful Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Combined with the intelligence he had somehow acquired, all this ultimately led Kenjaku to estimate Tan Man's strength at Special Grade level.

Kenjaku even skipped probing him in combat entirely.

"Domain Expansion: Womb Profusion!"

The massive pillar that embodied Womb Profusion appeared instantly, bursting straight through the ceiling of the room, four meters overhead.

Terrifying gravity struck Tan Man in an instant. Everyone else in the room was caught in the domain as well. Kenjaku had no intention of sparing them.

Unleashed with precision and full force, the horrifying gravity crushed Tan Man's limbs with just the right amount of pressure.

The others in the room were not so fortunate. In an instant, they became sprays of pulped flesh, staining the once-white prayer room red.

But then something happened that astonished Kenjaku. Tan Man's limbs eerily returned to their original state, and despite the gravity bearing down on him, he stood up with complete composure.

"What?" Kenjaku froze. He was a Jujutsu Sorcerer who had lived for over a thousand years, and he knew his own Cursed Technique better than anyone.

Tan Man's response was something that absolutely, unequivocally should not have been possible inside his domain.

"Although I guessed things might turn out this way, I still hoped you'd cooperate with my deal."

Frowning, Kenjaku continued pouring gravity onto Tan Man as he asked.

"What are you trying to do?"

Kenjaku watched as Tan Man strolled toward him through his domain, answering as he went.

"That's a fairly complicated question. To sum it up, I'm going to 'stop' you."