Practicing Iaido

At the same moment, Ogi Zenin, both older sisters, and their mother all turned to look at the tiny Naomitsu, whose cheeks still had a baby's rosy glow.

"Naomitsu... was that you talking just now?"

His mother could hardly believe it. She covered her mouth and hurried over to Naomitsu, her eyes shining with tears and excitement, her love plain on her face.

"Yes. I want to learn Iaido."

Naomitsu's gaze was resolute. He did not have much time left. If Ogi Zenin was dissatisfied with the final results and wanted to kill him, he at least had to put up a fight.

"Naomitsu, you're only a year old. You can't even hold a sword properly. How could you do something so dangerous? What you need to do now is eat well and sleep well."

His mother took Naomitsu's little hand and patiently tried to persuade him. But Naomitsu did not even glance at her. His eyes stayed fixed on Ogi Zenin the entire time.

Ogi Zenin, naturally, was thrilled.

Of everyone in the clan, he was the most obsessed with comparisons. He had to compare himself to his older brother, and his children to his brother's children.

Everyone in the clan was praising Naoya Zenin these days. Meanwhile, people were always gossiping behind his two useless daughters' backs.

Whenever he went out, he suffered humiliation at every turn.

Maki and her sister had been scolded this time because Naoya Zenin had mocked them. Mai had talked back, and Naoya Zenin had immediately lashed out, leading Maki to get into a fight with him.

"Good! I'll teach you Iaido!"

This Iaido was the sword-drawing technique known as Falling Blossom Emotion. Once mastered, it could defend against the guaranteed physical hits of a domain.

Within the Zenin Clan, it was a highly practical, mid-level technique.

Ogi Zenin led Naomitsu out of the courtyard, and Maki and Mai naturally escaped further punishment.

Following Ogi Zenin down the long corridor, Naomitsu arrived with him at the bamboo grove in the front courtyard. Tall bamboo grew on either side, leaving the bluestone path between them pleasantly cool.

There, Ogi Zenin tossed Naomitsu a wooden sword sixty centimeters long. Then he took a stance, demonstrating sword swings as he explained.

"With Iaido, the movements are your foundation. But controlling your cursed energy is even more important. Your cursed energy hasn't manifested yet, so master the movements first."

Ogi Zenin showed considerable dedication toward a child who was eager to learn and grow stronger. He guided Naomitsu through the movements again and again, correcting his posture.

Naomitsu's aptitude also pleased Ogi Zenin greatly. After just half an hour, every slash Naomitsu made had begun to look convincing.

"Just what I'd expect from a child of mine!"

Naomitsu let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The praise brought him no joy, only relief that he was still alive.

If this keeps up... maybe he'll remember our bond and show some mercy when he tries to kill me?

After another half hour of sword practice, Ogi Zenin told Naomitsu to stop. His body was still too weak. Damaging his foundation and affecting his future cursed energy would be bad.

To Ogi Zenin, cursed energy was what mattered. After all, they were jujutsu sorcerers, not ordinary people who relied on physical strength.

When Naomitsu followed Ogi Zenin back to the courtyard, Maki and Mai were helping their mother with the chores. The sisters had been chatting and laughing, but the moment they saw Ogi Zenin, they lowered their heads.

"Hmph!"

As Ogi Zenin passed Maki, he kicked her in the stomach as punishment for what she had done earlier.

Then he left without looking back.

"Maki!"

Mai hurried over to Maki and hugged her, crying. But the body of a Heavenly Tyrant was formidable, and the kick had left only a minor bruise.

Naomitsu walked over to Maki and handed Mai the medicine for external injuries that their mother had given him earlier.

"Mai, help Maki put the medicine on. I'm exhausted from training, so I'm going back to rest."

"You're so sweet, Mitsu..."

As his older sister, Maki had not cried when Ogi Zenin kicked her away, yet Naomitsu's gesture of bringing her medicine moved her to tears.

"I love Mitsu so much!"

Watching Naomitsu's retreating figure, Mai wore a silly grin too.

Her little brother was the first person besides her sister Maki to give her a sense of familial warmth.

"Phew... once I've rested, I'll spend the next stretch of time practicing Iaido with cursed energy!"

Over the following week, Naomitsu quietly practiced Iaido. As his swordsmanship improved, his cursed energy steadily increased as well.

As for the Ten Shadows Technique, Naomitsu would never reveal it before he had the strength to protect himself.

He looked up. His cursed energy had already reached [487].

"I still have too little cursed energy. Training is so hard. I'm really jealous of those guys born with more cursed energy than they can ever use. Am I really a good-for-nothing?"

The person Naomitsu meant was, of course, that monster from the Gojo Clan: Satoru Gojo, who had been born with the Six Eyes and could also use Limitless.

"Does hard work really help?"

Naomitsu set down his wooden sword and leaned against a bamboo stalk thicker than he was, brooding.

The summer weather was stiflingly hot. Naomitsu closed his eyes, and the chirping cicadas seemed to pound against the back of his skull like a dull blade.

"No! I have to raise my cursed energy before next year!"

To test the suspicion in his mind, Naomitsu opened his eyes, picked up the wooden sword again, and resumed his basic practice.

"Mitsu, come have some water. Don't get heatstroke."

Maki and her younger sister Mai came down the bamboo-lined path, carrying a water flask and packed meals.

Ever since Naomitsu had brought Maki medicine, the sisters had delivered lunch and dinner right on time.

Sometimes, once they finished their chores, they would spar with Naomitsu as well. The three of them had a wonderful time together, briefly forgetting their troubles.

Lunch that day was eel over rice, with a soft-boiled egg as well. After training all morning, Naomitsu was starving, and he wolfed down his food.

Maki and Mai watched from beside him, their eyes tender. Even after Naomitsu finished eating, neither girl stopped looking at him for a moment.

"No running around after eating! Go take a nap! Once we're done with our chores this afternoon, we'll play with you!"

Naomitsu nodded and waved goodbye to Maki and Mai. In the short time they had spent together, less than a year, he had already grown very fond of these gentle sisters.

If he could, he would protect them whenever it was within his power.

"I finally found you two little brats!"

The speaker was a blond boy, who stood with his hands on his hips, blocking Maki and Mai's path.

"Maki!"

Mai hid behind Maki, while Maki spread her arms to shield her.

"Hmph! Let me try out my new move on you!"

Naoya Zenin adopted a running pose. This was the Zenin Clan's Projection Sorcery. Moving at twenty-four frames per second, he appeared behind the sisters before either could react.

"Divine Dogs!"

Naomitsu brought his hands together, lining up his right thumb beside his left and resting the other four fingers on his left index finger. Then he separated the four fingers of his left hand into two pairs, forming an outline that resembled a dog's head with its mouth open.