NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Make a Friend
Satoru glanced at Gojo Kumaen. He knew that within the clan, there were two major factions: the Twin Curse Faction and the Neutral Faction.
To him, both factions were essentially his supporters.
The main difference was that the Twin Curse Faction was openly hostile to Satoshi, believing that the twins were a curse upon the family.
The Neutral Faction, on the other hand, simply followed the will of the clan head. They weren't necessarily against Satoshi, but they also paid him no mind, choosing indifference instead of opposition.
However, after the Zanpakutō Incident a week ago, many elders within the clan had gained insight into the clan head's true thoughts. As a result, their attitude toward Satoshi had shifted.
During this time, they had also heard of the forging explosions, four in total, and each time, they expected the clan head to punish Satoshi severely.
Yet, each time, he merely brushed it off and had the forge repaired as quickly as possible. This made it abundantly clear just how much the clan head valued Satoshi.
Moreover, Gojo Shunichi, the main pillar of the Twin Curse Faction, had personally begun teaching Satoshi kendo. This alone shattered the expectations of many elders.
Thus, a week ago, the veteran members of the clan had already come to a realization:
If both Satoru and Satoshi possessed overwhelming talent, then the future of the Gojo clan was secured.
That was the consensus among the elders present.
However, at this gathering, their opinions meant little. The one presiding over this event was Gojo Kumaen.
His booming voice snapped Satoshi out of his thoughts.
He quickly realized that all eyes in the room were focused on himself and Satoru. The gathering was about to begin.
Gripping Sode no Shirayuki, Satoshi took a step back, leaving the stage to Satoru.
At an event like this, everyone was here to see Gojo Satoru—the true heir to the Six Eyes.
As for him, the fake Six Eyes user, his presence was merely a footnote.
---
Through Gojo Kumaen's introductions, Satoru learned the names of the three individuals who had caught Satoshi's attention.
"Ieiri Shoko."
"Okkotsu Yuto."
"And... Zenin Toji?"
Satoru didn't know much about Ieiri Shoko and Okkotsu Yuto, but he had certainly heard of the Zenin family, the only clan that rivaled the Gojo family.
The cursed energy emanating from both Shoko and Yuto was undeniable, allowing Satoru to instantly gauge their potential.
It wasn't surprising that these two had drawn Satoshi's interest.
But why Zenin Toji?
Satoru frowned slightly.
Unlike the others, Zenin Toji had no cursed energy at all.
That was strange.
Satoshi… what did you mean earlier? Why are you so interested in Zenin Toji?
---
Just as Satoshi had expected, Kumaen's introductions were heavily focused on Satoru, with only a brief mention of himself.
Not that it mattered to him.
His real goal for coming here was to meet Zenin Toji.
Ieiri Shoko and Okkotsu Yuto were just unexpected bonuses.
So, once the event transitioned into the free interaction phase, he wasted no time heading toward Toji.
"Toji!"
Toji blinked in surprise at Satoshi's direct approach.
"The Six Eyes brat from the Gojo family?"
Toji hadn't expected Satoshi to call him by name so casually. He also noticed the samurai sword at Satoshi's side and quickly identified him as the other twin.
"Kid, you actually know my name? Gojo Satoshi, right? What do you want?"
Toji raised an eyebrow, sizing him up.
Several members of the Zenin clan had gathered nearby. Unlike Toji, they didn't have the same sharp instincts. Upon seeing Satoshi approach, they mistakenly assumed he was Satoru.
One of them—Zenin Shinsuke—stepped forward.
"Young Master Gojo, I advise you not to associate with this man," Shinsuke said coldly. "He was born with Heavenly Restriction. He has no cursed energy at all, he's nothing more than a waste. Someone of your status shouldn't be seen with him."
Satoshi frowned.
He wasn't particularly offended by the rude remark, what piqued his curiosity was Toji's reaction.
Toji didn't even bother refuting it.
"Who are you?" Satoshi asked flatly. "And why do you think you can interrupt my conversation?"
He didn't give Shinsuke the slightest bit of respect.
To Satoshi, the only person worth paying attention to in the Zenin family was Toji.
The rest were irrelevant.
Shinsuke's face stiffened.
As one of the most talented younger-generation members of the Zenin clan, he couldn't believe Gojo Satoru—no, Satoshi—didn't recognize him.
Especially since Gojo Kumaen had just introduced him.
How could this brat remember Toji but completely ignore me?!
A flicker of anger appeared on Shinsuke's face.
"Young Master Satoru, I am Zenin Shinsuke, the representative of the Zenin family for this gathering."
Despite his irritation, he maintained his composure and reintroduced himself.
Satoshi, however, simply searched his memory.
Zenin Shinsuke?
Never heard of him.
In the original timeline, this guy doesn't even exist.
Which meant only two possibilities, either he was completely mediocre, or he died young.
"Oh."
Satoshi nodded dismissively.
"Never heard of you."
Without another glance, he turned his attention back to Toji.
His time was limited. He wasn't about to waste it on nobodies.
As he spoke, Satoshi reached out his hand toward Toji.
"Toji, I think you're pretty interesting. Let's be friends."
Shinsuke's expression darkened instantly.
The blatant disregard burned.
Meanwhile, Toji stared at the small hand extended toward him, momentarily at a loss.
A six-year-old kid… wants to be friends with me?
Toji absentmindedly touched his face, confused.
I know I'm not as ugly as Jinichi, but I'm not exactly friendly-looking either. Kids usually avoid me…
This was completely unexpected.
But from Satoshi's perspective, he had his own plans.
He needed to establish a connection with Toji now.
Once he formed a bond, he'd have plenty of reasons to interact with him in the future.
However, before Toji could even process Satoshi's words, Shinsuke still fuming from being ignored interrupted once again.