"Naoya-kun!!!" yelled Izumi as he ran up to Naoya with a worried look on his face.
"Naoya!!!" yelled Misaki as she, too, came towards him, worried.
"Are you alright?!" asked a panicked Izumi.
"Who was that scary old man!!!" asked Misaki.
"Oh, don't worry. He was my grandpa," replied Naoya with a smile, trying to reassure his friends.
"...THAT'S YOUR GRANDPA!!!!" screamed the two in unison.
The people around them turned to the source of the commotion.
The teachers glared at the trio, making Izumi and Misaki apologise to the nearby people.
"Calm down, you two. He is not that scary," replied Naoya. In his opinion, curses looked even scarier.
"No, no, no. That is scary!!!" replied Izumi.
"What kind of family do you even have that you don't think your grandpa is scary?" said Miski.
"You two are being rude now, you know. How would you feel if I called your parents scary-looking?" said Naoya with a small frown.
Izumi and Misaki went silent.
"Sorry. We went a bit far," said Izumi.
"I should not have said that much. I apologise," said Misaki
Seeing the two of them being apologetic, Naoya sighed.
"Alright. I accept your apology. But it's rude to comment about your friend's family like that. Keep that in mind," chided Naoya.
"Understood," said the two of them.
"Good, now let's go, homeroom is about to start," said Naoya and grabbed his friends' hands and pulled them.
Izumi and Misaki still looked a bit apologetic but decided to follow Naoya to the class.
"So how's your sister?" asked Naoya, trying to change the topic.
"Hey, you won't believe it!!! Suzuna-chan told the family yesterday that she will become Naoya's bride in future. Dad was totally devastated after hearing the news," exclaimed Misaki in excitement.
Naoya and Izumi laughed at the news.
A few weeks ago, during an after-school detour, Misaki's mom coincidentally met with the three of them and invited them for a meal.
Naoya, being the elegant gentleman he was, decided to bring a nice fruit basket as a gift.
Coincidentally, Suzuna, Misaki's sister, seemed to like the fruits and was enchanted by Naoya's appearance and thoughtful gift.
"Looks like my cakes were not that liked..." muttered Izumi in a gloomy tone.
Izumi's family runs a bakery, and so Miyamura decided to show up with a box of pastries as a gift. But because of his slightly gloomy appearance, Suzuna-chan stayed away from him and said that fruits were better than cakes.
"Izumi, the pastries you brought were way better than the fruits," said Naoya.
"You don't have to, Naoya-kun...."
"No, really. Fruits are something that I just randomly picked up. Your pastries, on the other hand, were handcrafted and showed your parents' skill. No skill was involved in my fruit picking. In fact, I will say that I can eat your pastries every day," said Naoya with a smile.
Izumi blushed at Naoya's words.
"Is this like 'I want to drink your miso soup every day' thing?.... We are both boys.....but if it's for Naoya-kun...." muttered Izumi.
And immediately, Misaki smacked Miyamura.
"Snap out of your weird thoughts. Suzuna-chan called dibs," said Misaki and huffed at Miyamura.
"B-But I know Naoya-kun for a far longer time than Suzuna-chan!!!" declared Miyamura and hugged Naoya possessively.
"You!!! Miyamura, you will not get in Suzuna-chan's way!!!" yelled Misaki and tried to pull Naoya away from Miyamura.
"....What about my opinion?" asked Naoya.
"Huh? You dare reject my cute Suzuna?!" asked Misaki in a threatening tone.
"You will take responsibility for your words, right?!" asked Miyamura in panic.
The two friends clung to Naoya, making the young Zenin annoyed.
In the end, the two kids went through their classes with a bump on their heads.
"Sister-in-law beater..." muttered Misaki.
"Husband beater..." muttered Miyamura.
Naoya looked at them with his brow twitching and raised his fist again.
The two immediately looked away and started whistling.
--------------------
Later that day, back at Zenin's estate:
Naoya, who just returned from school, changed into some comfortable clothes and went straight to the training ground.
However, to his surprise, his father, who was currently the acting clan head, was present there as well.
"You...what did you do?" asked Naobito in a stern tone.
Naoya tilted his head in confusion. He didn't know what his father was talking about.
"...I can't think of anything? Did I do something wrong?" asked Naoya.
"I got the news this morning....the clan head walked you to school?" asked Naobito in a serious tone.
"Oh, that. Yes, Grandpa did walk with me to school," replied Naoya.
Naobito's eyes widened in surprise.
'What is going on in that geezer's head?!' thought Naobito, not understanding his father's actions at all.
He didn't want to brag, but his father, Kagenori Zenin, was a man known for his cold-blooded nature even by Zenin's standards. He took the clan head seat after killing the previous clan head, and since then, anyone who tried to challenge his authority met their end at his hands.
The same man was now acting strangely with his grandson.
'What is he scheming?' thought Naobito in worry.
Naoya was his youngest son, but he was also his only son who was alive; the others died during their jujutsu activities or from illnesses.
And now that his wife was also dead and his advanced age, Naoya was probably his last son that he could have.
Along with that, Naoya was his guarantee to become to Clan head since Naoya's potential was high and the clan would like to favour his father so that Naoya could grow better and uplift the clan in the future.
And because of all these reasons, he made sure to isolate Naoya from the rest of the clansmen, be it for training or having meals together. But now that his father had taken an interest in Naoya, he could not deny being close to his son.
'I just hope he is not scheming something...' thought Naobito grimly.
"Did the clan head say something?" asked Naobito.
"Hm? He asked me to be ready in the evening. He will take me somewhere," replied Naoya.
"Did he say where?" asked Naobito.
Naoya shook his head.
"Be careful around him. He may look old, but he is the most ruthless and strongest Zenin out there," warned Naobito.
"Strong, I get, since he said he was a special grade 1 that can beat all other special grade 1s in the family. Ruthless? I doubt that. Grandpa was nice to me," replied Naoya.
Naobito snorted.
"Ask anyone who has been in the clan for 20 years or more, and you will understand how 'nice' he is. As for his strength, he is a Special Grade 1 now. 25 years ago, he was a Special Grade. If not for his advanced age and too much power concentration among the Zenins, his rank would not have been reduced," said Naobito.
"...Huh? Special Grade?" asked Naoya dumbly. He knew that even though there was just one rank difference between Special grade 1 and Special grade, the actual gap was bigger than anyone could imagine.
"A rank given to a sorcerer is not fixed. Just like how sorcerers get promoted to a higher rank based on their skills and potential. A higher-ranked sorcerer can also be demoted if his performance deteriorates, or he is unable to function as they used to. A sorcerer whose cursed technique is based on swords will not be as useful if he loses both his hands. The same is with age. A once-active sorcerer will get sluggish with age. It's not uncommon for sorcerers to retire at an old age, but those who remain active have their ranks reduced," explained Naobito.
"Though despite all that, I still think he is a special grade," said Naobito grimly.
Naoya gulped and nodded.
The way his father told him about his grandfather made him feel fearful as well.
"Do you think he has some ulterior motives for me? He even gave me pocket money?!" asked Naoya in panic.
Naobito looked at his son with a blank expression on his face.
He put a finger in his ear and cleaned it once, and asked, "Repeat what you just said?"
"Do you think he has some ulterior motives for me? He even gave me pocket money?!" asked Naoya in panic.
Naoya repeated in the same manner as before.
Naobito blinked in surprise.
'What is this spoiling grandpa-like gesture!!!!' thought Naobito in disbelief.
"...Did someone take over his body?" muttered Naobito.
Hearing those words, Naoya's eyes widened. Was his grandpa like him?
The father and son went into deep thoughts, both troubled by the same man's actions.
--------------------
After not being able to land on any conclusion, Naoya and Naobito decided to observe for a bit longer before acting.
Right now, Naoya was dressed in a yukata as per his father's advice, since he was about to go out with Kagenori.
Once he checked himself in the mirror once more, he walked towards the entrance of the clan.
Once he reached there, he spotted Naobito and Kagenori talking with each other.
"You sure have grown some balls..." said Kagenori.
"It's related to my son. I will be careful," replied Naobito.
"He is my grandson as well," said Kagenori.
"So now you want to play a good grandfather?" asked Naobito.
Kagenori was about to reply, but the two of them spotted Naoya.
"Carry on. I will come back later," said Naoya and tried to walk away.
"Stop," said both Kagenori and Naobito in unison, making the young Zenin mentally cry from the pressure.
Naoya turned around and walked towards the two adults.
"The clan head is taking you to get a cursed tool for you. Behave yourself," said Naobito in a stern voice.
"You mentioned you liked spear, right? Let's go," said Kagenori with a smile.
Naoya nodded and followed Kagenori.
The two sat inside a car that was parked just outside the clan's gate.
--------------------
Inside the car, Naoya fidgeted a bit from the silence.
"You are acting strange now? Did that brat say anything about me?" asked Kagenori as he glanced at Naoya."
Naoya didn't say anything and just shook his head.
"...What did he say?" asked Kagenori in a cold tone as his gaze narrowed at Naoya.
Naoya immediately understood why his father called Kagenori the most ruthless Zenin of all.
Just from his gaze, Naoya could feel a shiver run down his spine.
"He told me to be careful around you and that you are ruthless even by Zenin's standards," said Naoya, relenting to the pressure from his gaze.
"Hmph! Meddlesome brat," said Kagenori and looked away from Naoya.
Naoya blinked in surprise. His supposedly ruthless grandfather didn't do anything after hearing the confession.
Naoya kept staring at Kagenori, which was clearly felt by the old man.
"What?"
"If it's not rude, can I ask something, Grandpa?" asked Naoya hesitantly.
"Hmph, still calling me Grandpa....ask away..." replied Kagenori as a small smile appeared on his face.
"Why did father call you ruthless?" asked Naoya.
"Did you not find me intimidating?"
"No, you were intimidating."
"Then did that not answer your question?"
"...Just because you are intimidating doesn't mean you are ruthless. I am still in one piece after all," replied Naoya.
"What? Did you think I would attack you just because you relayed what your father told you about me?" asked Kagenori.
Naoya nodded his head in affirmation.
"I don't know if you're brave or just dumb..." muttered Kagenori.
"*Sigh* Back in the day, when I was young, the Zenin clan was nowhere as calm as it is now."
Zenin Clan. Calm.
Naoya didn't know these two words could be used in the same sentence.
Kagenori noticed his gaze.
"I mean, the clan's condition was worse than what it is now," said the old man.
"The clan head at that time, my father, was the strongest sorcerer of his time, and I, his son, surpassed even him. Maybe because I was young and impulsive, or maybe it was the clan's upbringing, I believed myself to be superior to everyone and made sure that everyone, be it someone from the clan or someone from outside, knew it as well. I was infamous among the entire jujutsu world because of my actions."
"My father, seeing that the Zenin clan had amassed a strength that eclipsed all the clans in Japan, decided that it was high time that the superiority of the clan was proven, and I, being a staunch believer in superiority, was totally on board with that plan."
"Our clan fought with the Gojo and Kamo clans; the other clans also joined in to support the two clans, knowing full well that if the two great clans fell, it would be their turn. I was the leader of the Hei at that time and led our clansmen to war. The fights were difficult, considering that our single clan was practically fighting with the entire jujutsu world, but still, we were never at a disadvantage. I killed countless sorcerers and cursed spirits during my days, and it was during those times...I became a father," said Kagenori solemnly.
"I was overjoyed since my first son was born, and in excitement, I headed to the battlefield alone and almost ended the battle that day, had it not been for my cursed energy being depleted."
Naoya looked at his grandfather in amazement. He didn't know if the story was true or not, but if it was, then his grandpa was badass.....and ruthless, but more badass.
"After that day, I decided to take some time off from the fight. I already played a huge part and wanted to spend some time with my wife and son and watch him grow. The clansmen and my father were dissatisfied with my decision, but none dared to argue with me about my choices."
"Two years later, my second son was born....Naobito," said Kagenori with a smile.
"I was overjoyed once again....but this time I decided not to rampage and kill people. The war was coming to a cease-fire since, after my withdrawal, the Zenins were slowly being pushed back. I didn't care much; my name was already etched into the jujutsu world, and no one dared question my superiority. I felt like I could just go to the battlefield and do away with those who oppose me any day I liked," said Kagenori with a smirk.
"However, I might have overestimated the fear that my name carried. A few sorcerers infiltrated our clan and came straight to me to kill me. Apparently, their families were killed by me. I didn't care much for those small fries; they were dead before they could make a single move. Like every day, I went to my wife's and children's room after a morning walk....only to find a brutally mangled corpse of my wife...." said Kagenori in a saddened tone.
"...The assassins were still there, probably searching for the children, but my wife was smart. She had hidden the kids well. I dealt with the assassins, though the shock from seeing my wife's corpse made me react a bit too late, and one of those assassins pierced my heart," said Kagenori and showed his chest to Naoya, a stab wound was still there.
"It didn't matter because I knew the reversed cursed technique.....But I decided to keep this scar as a reminder of my own foolishness."
"My kids were safe; however, my older son was distraught after his mother's death. He blamed me for her death, and I, too, blamed myself. A thought did come to my mind to find which clan the assassins belong to and end that clan entirely....but the fear of someone coming to get revenge again and killing my kids this time stopped me from doing so."
"I became a 'pathetic weakling' as my clansmen and father used to call me, since I gave up being a jujutsu sorcerer entirely to raise my kids well. But my elder son probably did not like his 'pathetic weakling' of a father, who let his mother die. Coincidentally, he inherited my technique, another opportunity for the clan to develop a powerhouse. My father offered him a chance to train under him, and he readily took it."
"However, when I went to check on them one day, I saw him brutally beating my son since he was not 'up to the mark'. That was the day I killed the then Zenin clan head and took on the role myself," said Kagenori.
"My first order of business was to end the war with other clans. Luckily for me, I became a clan head after killing my father, so I had the perfect scapegoat on whom the entire blame could be passed on and end the war somewhat safely. Many clansmen were against that idea or against me being the clan head. Many came to claim my life and claim the position of the clan head for themselves. Many threatened me with my kids. None survived long to tell the tale."
"Many of the stronger members of the Zenin clan who questioned my decisions were killed by me. That made the clan weaker in the eyes of the rest of the clans. And because of that, the other clans were dissatisfied with the sudden ceasefire; they believed that they could destroy the clan now, but stopped once the Zenin clan offered to pay reparations. The fact that they won't have to fight a pointless battle was also there. But the biggest factor was that I went ahead and killed the heads of the Kamo and Gojo clans in front of their clansmen and 'asked' them to stop the war."
"Everything was going well, I had already made up my mind to take upon the entire burden of my clan's misdeeds upon myself, but some were still dissatisfied with the conclusion. One among them was my elder son. He didn't want to be under the man who let his mother die, and decided to reignite the flames of war by uniting the few supporters that were still present in the clan."
"I, being the clan head, tried to reason with him, but he was unwilling to listen to me. In the end, with a heavy heart, I banished him and his supporters from the clan, hoping that being away from the accursed place might calm his heart.....but he came back for vengeance. His small group had become bigger with members from the other clans that wanted to crush the Zenins. They ambushed the clan in the middle of the night, and in the heat of the battle, I killed the assailant that was about to kill Naobito, only to realise later that he, the one who tried to kill Naobito....was none other than my other son, Naotaka...."
Tears were flowing down the old man's face, and it felt like the old man was weak.
"I-I. After the rebels were dealt with, I simply went back to my chambers. I wanted to grieve and blame myself, but as the clan head, I couldn't fall in front of my clansmen. I might have appeared to be ruthless because I didn't shed a single tear then and there....but that doesn't mean that I don't feel. I may be strong, but it doesn't mean that I don't regret my actions. I have sinned and I know that, and there are days when I think that the world would have been a better place without me.... but I cannot give up. I still had someone that I want to protect.....Naobito may think that I am just a ruthless old man, but I cannot stop worrying about him," said Kagenori.
Naoya didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.
He simply moved closer to Kagenori and hugged him.
The old man looked down at the kid and smiled with his teary eyes, and ruffled the golden hair of the boy who embraced him.