Chapter 175: Well... I'll Begin
"Making it seem like a life-and-death parting." Back in his room, Tatsuro lay on his bed. The 'Universal Summoning Scroll' was placed back under the bed, and the unnamed 'Special Grade Cursed Tool' was now in the corner of the wall.
The sound of "splash" came from the bathroom. Lady Katsuyu and Noa Yorishie were taking a bath inside. The well-fed Shura was lying on the floor sleeping. Everything seemed very peaceful.
"What should I name it?" Tatsuro looked at the long sword in the corner. He now had three cursed tools: a long sword from Kamo Noritoshi, a katana from Zenin Naobito, and this one. Although none of them had names, he felt like he could go be a three-sword style user in One Piece…
"Click—" The sound of rinsing in the bathroom dissipated. Noa Yorishie, dressed in pajamas with a towel on her head, walked out and shouted, "Brother, it's your turn to take a bath."
"Mm." Tatsuro stood up and looked at Lady Katsuyu, whose body had expanded by two sizes. She had now merged with the Lady Katsuyu left at the school. He then picked up his change of clothes and walked into the bathroom.
"Splash—" Tatsuro had already thrown his clothes into the washing machine and was now bathing under the cool water. The icy water fell on his body like raindrops, seeming to purify even his soul, making him enjoy this moment very much.
Speaking of which… His black pupils slowly opened, looking at the falling water droplets. Atsuya Kusakabe had wanted to talk to him before, the second-year homeroom teacher. I'll go see him tomorrow. He should know by now that I've returned to the school.
Does he want me to join the higher-ups, so that he, as the homeroom teacher, won't be implicated, or what? In any case, I'll see tomorrow.
[Wave Breaker] Tatsuro's mind suddenly had an idea, a name that fit that special grade cursed tool; the cursed energy blade it produced could easily break through oncoming waves.
"Wave Breaker... let's go with that name."
The next day.
Tatsuro, who had finished making breakfast, left with the 'Wave Breaker' in a black backpack; it was 5:50 in the morning, and Noa Yorishie was still fast asleep in bed. Tatsuro waved at the awakened Lady Katsuyu and Shura, then gently closed the door.
"Click—" Looking at the sun that had not yet risen, and the coolness that belonged only to the morning, Tatsuro stretched and sighed, "It's a beautiful day today."
Last night at, Teacher Kusakabe had called and arranged a meeting time with him. He was a strange person. He was clearly a teacher, but he was rarely at Jujutsu High. The last time they met, he had also deliberately looked at his watch, as if someone couldn't leave him.
"Where are you going so early in the morning?" Zenin Maki on the training grounds was up early as usual. She saw Tatsuro walk by and asked.
"Going to see Teacher Kusakabe. I'll be back soon." Tatsuro smiled faintly, his eyes squinting, struggling to see Zenin Maki dozens of meters away. If she didn't move, he would have thought she was a building; to be honest, even if she did move, he probably wouldn't be able to see it. After all, it was too blurry. His brain would automatically filter it out, which was also a form of self-protection for his brain. Distinguishing things he couldn't see clearly would be very difficult.
"..." Zenin Maki looked at Tatsuro's troubled expression and also knew the general condition of his eyes at this moment. After all, they had been together for so long; she could always sense something.
Her right hand unconsciously clenched. This guy was always trying to be strong. He was probably pretending that nothing was wrong now, which was why he chose not to wear glasses.
"Bye-bye, I'll be back as soon as I can." Seeing that Zenin Maki didn't say anything, Tatsuro waved and left, his right hand gripping the backpack strap, humming a little tune.
"Mm, see you." Watching the "unconcerned" Tatsuro, Zenin Maki also raised her right hand. She planned to discuss this matter with Gojo-sensei when he returned. If Tatsuro continued like this... he would go blind... a kind of "blindness" that probably couldn't even be cured by 'Reverse Cursed Technique', since he himself knew it.
"What a hassle." Tatsuro, walking out of the school, slowly closed his eyes. The sage markings gradually appeared on his face. He took out his phone, looked at the address, turned around a few times to check the direction, and then left.
Because it was in Tokyo and in a bustling area, he didn't have the 'Explosion Bird' carry him. The backpack that had originally contained the 'Explosion Bird' was now thrown in a corner at home. He only had three in his black backpack. He wasn't going to a fight; there was no need to be fully armed.
"Is it to your liking? Ah!"
The Nuan Nuan Breakfast Shop, commonly known as a breakfast shop. But in Japan, almost half the people would choose not to eat breakfast. This kind of shop was quite rare in the bustling Tokyo, because it was likely to lose money if it opened.
Atsuya Kusakabe was currently holding a spoon, feeding his sister who was sitting in a wheelchair in front of him.
"Ah." The rather thin woman in the wheelchair opened her mouth and ate the porridge in the spoon before her.
Since it was only six o'clock, the shop was rather quiet. The owner was busy preparing for the peak period at six-thirty. His eyes would occasionally glance at the man and woman on the side, a gratified expression on his face. He said, "It must be hard for you to bring your sister over so early every day. Still haven't found a girlfriend? You're almost thirty."
"Ah!"
"Not yet." Atsuya Kusakabe scratched his head. He just smiled faintly at the owner's concern and said, "It's because my sister used to love eating here the most."
"Is that so? Then I'll keep doing this." The owner said and then fell silent, just feeling happy. After all, having regular customers was a sign of recognition for his culinary skills.
Ten minutes later, Tatsuro walked into the shop with his phone. His black pupils scanned the small shop. The sage markings on his face had dissipated before he entered the shop. He soon saw his teacher sitting in the back. He looked up, squinted at the shop's signature dishes on the sign, and said, "Boss, a bowl of egg over rice, and a bowl of miso soup."
"Coming right up." The owner glanced at Tatsuro and said while cooking, "Young man, you look new here. If you're not short on money, why not choose the squid over rice? It's our shop's special secret sauce, very delicious."
"Then I'll have the squid over rice." Tatsuro didn't refuse either. After all, he could steal the recipe. Secret sauces, he loved them the most. The pride of a chef!
He took off his backpack and walked towards Atsuya Kusakabe at the innermost table. He placed his backpack under the table, saw Teacher Kusakabe wiping the mouth of a thin woman, and said, "I'm here, sensei."
"Mm, sit down. I've just finished eating." Atsuya Kusakabe glanced at the cursed tool under the table and said, "Well done. Carrying a cursed tool can effectively protect yourself. Even if you're not on a mission, you have to be careful of revenge from your enemies."
"Mm, after all, it's legal," Tatsuro nodded, looking at the woman who resembled his teacher. Her eyes were haggard and vacant, as if her mental state was not very good. He said, "Sensei, excuse my rudeness, but this is..."
"Ah, my sister. But it's okay. As you can see, she's... sick right now."
"Your miso soup and squid over rice." Because it had been prepared in advance, the food was served very quickly. The owner, whistling, brought a plate and placed it on the table. After glancing at the three of them, he left directly.
"Thank..." Tatsuro was about to say something when he saw an extra bowl on the plate, with two fried eggs inside. The departing owner said, "This is a special. Morning is the time to replenish energy. You look so thin, young man. Hurry up and eat."
"Thank you." What a straightforward owner. Tatsuro picked up a pair of disposable chopsticks and asked, "Sensei, what did you want to see me about? If you want to say that I should be directly managed by the Jujutsu General Affairs Department, I've already agreed."
"I did think so a few days ago. After all, you will implicate the entire second year now. I'm really sorry, but..." Atsuya Kusakabe said and swallowed, "Can you make my sister return to normal?"
"..."
"Huh?!" Tatsuro's pupils contracted slightly. The egg on his chopsticks fell into the bowl. It wasn't that he didn't understand his words, but that he understood them too well.
Teacher Kusakabe's sister, at this moment, looked like she had suffered a severe mental blow, leading to a breakdown. From a medical point of view, this could only be treated with counseling and medication, letting her walk out of this foggy area on her own. But his Sharingan could seal that part of the infinitely magnified memory, forcing her to walk out of this foggy area.
Only he knew this. How did he know? This was what surprised Tatsuro at this moment. How was his hidden secret exposed… Genjutsu was one of the few trump cards he had shown, and he usually only used it where there were no people.
"I don't know. After all, I can't handle mental problems. I'm just an ordinary jujutsu sorcerer who knows how to cook." Tatsuro picked up the fried egg that had fallen into the bowl and ate it calmly.
Although this was his teacher, they were not familiar enough to be able to confide in each other. He only felt sorry for his sister's situation at this moment.
"You can, can't you? Principal Yaga told me a couple of days ago that you might be able to handle it." Atsuya Kusakabe suddenly grabbed Tatsuro's left hand, which also made Tatsuro feel a little repulsed. He insisted, "Sorry, I don't have such a heaven-defying ability. Sensei, please find someone else."
Tatsuro did not believe Kusakabe's words at this moment and continued to eat the food in his bowl; Jujutsu High was under the management of the higher-ups after all. Besides Gojo Satoru and Masamichi Yaga, he didn't want to reveal too much to the others. After all, the more you reveal, the faster you die. Especially the fact that his eyes were going blind. If Geto and the others found out, who knew what they would do to him?
Now he was in the dark, and the enemy was also in the dark. It was a contest of information. He had to create a false impression that if you dared to come out, I would destroy you. And those useless higher-ups. Although he didn't know if they were really useless or just pretending, seeing Gojo-sensei's nonchalant attitude, Tatsuro himself was unknowingly drawn into it. Whenever someone mentioned the higher-ups, he would instinctively have the idea that 'the higher-ups are all useless'; plus this year's matter with Yuji…
"..."
"Sorry, I was too aggressive. After all, my sister has been like this for many years. I always think about what would happen to her if I died." Atsuya Kusakabe withdrew his right hand, his expression somewhat ashamed.
'The way you say it makes me sound like a bad person.' Tatsuro's black pupils glanced at Teacher Kusakabe. He always felt that there was a hidden meaning in his words, but he didn't say anything more and continued to eat the food in his bowl, as if nothing had happened just now.
He would not admit that he could treat her. He could only wait for him to actively propose a 'contract' to bind himself. After all, once he actively proposed it, wouldn't it be a tacit admission that he had the ability to control others' "minds"? This kind of practice was very dangerous; it was like pushing oneself into the abyss.
"A bowl of miso soup, raw egg over rice."
"Coming right up."
In the small shop, people gradually started to come in, enjoying this rare moment of leisure; Tatsuro, who had finished his squid, poured the miso soup into his rice, turning it into miso soup with rice.
Time passed minute by minute. Kusakabe's gaze kept wandering between his sister and Tatsuro; he could vaguely feel that Tatsuro definitely, certainly had a way to make his sister walk out of the grief of losing a loved one.
He recalled his conversation with Masamichi Yaga two days ago.
August 2nd.
In the principal's office.
"Are you ready? To let your sister see Takeru." Masamichi Yaga, sitting on the sofa, clasped his hands together and looked at Atsuya Kusakabe seriously. He continued, "Although it was a success, he is not your nephew, just a cursed corpse with information related to your nephew."
"..."
"Mm." After a long period of thought, Atsuya Kusakabe nodded and said, "She's been immersed in the grief of losing a loved one for so long, how can she face the future? But, if my sister loses the support of the past, she won't be able to live on."
"Alright, but only a glance." Masamichi Yaga slowly stood up.
"I know. The existence of a fully autonomous cursed corpse cannot be made public. He cannot live with my sister." Atsuya Kusakabe nodded at this, his expression grave. After all, if this thing were to be exposed, it would be very terrifying. Although other manipulation techniques could also make artificial cursed corpses move independently, they could only use the cursed energy given by the technique as power. And a fully autonomous cursed corpse was like a person. Not only did it have thoughts, but it could also recover cursed energy on its own; this meant the birth of an "army of sorcerers."
"Sigh, actually... you can go and try asking Tatsuro. There's no need to cause your sister more grief." Masamichi Yaga sighed. After thinking about it, he felt that this autonomous cursed corpse would be too much of a blow to the living; create an "army of sorcerers"? He had never thought of it. He was just giving those dead souls a second life, letting them live happily. That's all.
"Tatsuro?" Atsuya Kusakabe, with a lollipop in his mouth, said with confusion. He didn't know why the principal had mentioned his name. He knew he had 'Reverse Cursed Technique', and he knew he was strong, but none of these could heal the damage to the soul.
"Yes. Among the enemies Tatsuro killed, some were given to Shoko for examination. Some of their consciousnesses were tampered with."
"Consciousness..." Kusakabe was a little confused. What did this tampered consciousness have to do with Tatsuro?
"How should I put it? You just need to know that he should have the ability to control others' consciousness. So I recommend you go find him. Also, keep this matter to yourself. After all, at this moment, he is very dangerous."
"Gulp…" At this moment, Kusakabe inexplicably felt a sense of pressure. He also knew the importance of this matter. He stood up and said, "I will absolutely not speak of today's matter, I swear. And thank you…" If Masamichi Yaga's autonomous cursed corpse was just to give his sister some psychological comfort, then the current Tatsuro was the person who could make his sister return to normal. Although he didn't know when he would return to school, he just had to wait for now. After all, he had waited for so long… a few more days wouldn't make a difference.
You don't trust me because I didn't make a 'Binding Vow'!? Having finished his thoughts, Atsuya Kusakabe glanced around. Seeing that there were more people now, he suppressed his excitement and prepared to find a place with no one to talk.
It was a good thing for him to maintain this vigilance at this moment. After all, he was already being targeted by the higher-ups. He was too stupid not to have the resolve, even though Yaga had already reminded him so.
"I've finished eating, Teacher Kusakabe. If there's nothing else, I'll be going." Tatsuro clasped his hands together and placed his chopsticks on the plate. Not even a single grain of rice was left in the bowl. The food in this shop was indeed good. It was clear that they cooked with their hearts. Importantly, he had also roughly figured out the secret sauce. He would try it for dinner.
"Let's go out and find a place with no one to talk." Kusakabe said quickly, afraid that Tatsuro would leave. At this moment, he was not a teacher, but an ordinary person asking for help.
"Alright." The two walked out of the breakfast shop. Tatsuro looked at Kusakabe's sister in the wheelchair.
Atsuya Kusakabe: "Thank you."
"No, don't thank me, sensei. There's nothing I can do. I can also understand your desire for me to leave. My staying now will only implicate the second years. Someone has to be the bad guy, and I'm not a child." Tatsuro shook his head. He didn't feel there was anything wrong with his actions. It was just the most correct choice for a human being.
His black eyes re-examined the road ahead, and he also had his own plans.
He didn't feel the thing that was following him at this moment. It was probably because there were too many people, and their lines of sight were crossing; if his teacher proposed a 'contract', he would help him. If not, it meant that fate was so.
He didn't know how long they had been walking, maybe half an hour. Tatsuro's attention had been on his conversation with Teacher Kusakabe. During this time, he seemed to have seen through something. He kept talking about his past. Although his appearance suggested he had a personality similar to Kento Nanami's, and the few times they had met before were indeed so—he was very serious—but the difference was, he gave all his tenderness to his sister. Just now, he had been talking about his sister's past. One could see this man's devotion.
Walking to a place with almost no one, Atsuya Kusakabe stopped and said, "I will make a 'contract' here, to forget everything I saw and heard with you today, and I will owe you a favor. In the future, I will agree to whatever you ask of me. Can I trouble you to save my sister, Tatsuro?"
"You can." Perhaps it was fate. He had already given so much, so he could only agree. A Grade 1 sorcerer working for him, it was really a first. The sorcerer rating systems in different countries were different. That guy Diabolos could only get a Semi-Grade 1 in Japan.
He raised his clenched right hand, his index and middle fingers raised, and said, "Born from darkness, blacker than black. Purify the defilement."
At this moment, he didn't feel that prying gaze. Opening the 'Curtain' was just instinct. As the small 'Curtain' with a radius of two meters was completed, Tatsuro's black eyes turned scarlet, the three tomoe slowly spinning, and then condensed into the Mangekyo. Looking at her soul at this moment, he reminded, "I can only infinitely shrink that part of the magnified memory, I can't make it disappear directly. After all, memory is something that will cause trouble if tampered with随意. Go back and throw away what should be thrown away. I don't need to say anything more, right?"
"Mm, forgetting is forgetting. It's better than letting her drown in pain all the time." Atsuya Kusakabe nodded, holding back the tears in his eyes. He had no better way to deal with this.
"Well then... I'll begin."
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