jujutsu Kaisen: The Heavenly Restriction

"Kensei, you better get yourself ready today!"

At the break of dawn, Gojo Takuya woke up Gojo Kensei, and soon after, a team of servants entered the room to help him wash up and dress.

"What's going on?"

Still groggy from sleep, Gojo Kensei looked around in confusion, having completely forgotten what day it was.

Last night, he had sparred with Gojo Shunichi until late, finally raising his swordsmanship proficiency to 80%.

Today, he had planned to push himself further, maxing out his swordsmanship and unlocking unarmed combat.

So why was his peaceful morning being disturbed?

"I knew you'd forget! Didn't I remind you a week ago? Today is the day the Zenin clan and other Jujutsu families come to visit."

"As direct descendants of the Gojo family, both you and Satoru must attend! You two are the reason the Zenin clan is coming."

"They want to witness the future of the Gojo family."

A warm towel wiped across Gojo Kensei's small face, jolting him awake.

So today was the day he would meet Zenin Toji?

Gojo Kensei had always been curious about the man who would one day become Gojo Satoru's enemy and earn the title "The Heavenly Tyrant."

Those born with Heavenly Restriction were destined to be isolated. He and Toji had never had the chance to meet—until today.

The only two individuals in this world completely devoid of cursed energy would finally cross paths in the Gojo estate.

"Zenin Toji..."

As the servants dressed him, Gojo Kensei contemplated how to form a connection with him.

"Today, I'll finally get to see the Heavenly Tyrant in person. I wonder... Is his mindset still normal at this point? He shouldn't have reached the point of being completely twisted yet. After all, there's still a long time before he leaves the Zenin clan."

"If possible, I'd rather not let Toji and Satoru become enemies. Sure, fighting Toji is what led Satoru to master Reverse Cursed Technique, but it's not like he had to be killed once by Toji to achieve that."

"If, back then, Toji had used the Inverted Spear of Heaven—capable of forcibly canceling activated techniques—when he slashed Satoru's throat, Satoru might have actually died. That would have completely altered the course of Jujutsu Kaisen's world."

"Toji will eventually become an assassin, but at this moment, the Zenin and Gojo clans are not yet enemies. If we can maintain a good relationship, maybe Toji doesn't have to turn against us. Maybe he could even become friends with me and Satoru."

"Most importantly, Toji feels no attachment to the Zenin family at all! If I introduce him to a girl from the Gojo clan... Maybe, just maybe, Toji could become Gojo Toji instead."

Lost in thought, Gojo Kensei was led out of the room by Gojo Takuya.

Outside the armory, Gojo Satoru was already waiting by the door.

"Huh? Satoru, why are you waiting out here? Why didn't you go inside?"

Gojo Kensei tilted his head in confusion, looking at the porcelain-doll-like Satoru. Seeing him dressed in the same blue kimono, Kensei finally felt the reality of their six-year-old selves.

"Why would I go in? Just to let those women mess with me again?"

Satoru looked completely drained of hope. His gaze fell on Kensei's identical attire, and a flicker of sympathy crossed his eyes.

Hearing Satoru's complaint, Kensei suddenly recalled his own recent experience—being controlled by those women, forced into makeup, hairdressing, and fancy clothes...

He was just a kid! Why did he have to go through all that?

Since he couldn't resist, he had simply let his mind wander, thinking about Zenin Toji instead.

"Satoru, your outfit makes you look like a baby!"

Regaining his senses, Kensei teased him without thinking.

Satoru immediately shot back, "And you think you look any different? We're wearing the exact same thing! If I look like a baby, so do you!"

The two locked eyes for a moment—then burst into laughter.

"Young Master Satoru, Young Master Kensei! It's time to go."

Gojo Shunichi arrived, holding a large black paper umbrella over his shoulder.

Only then did Kensei realize that outside, light snow was falling.

Meanwhile, at the Gojo family's front gate…

A middle-aged man with a stern, hawkish face led a group of formally dressed visitors into the estate.

Each of them wore intricately embroidered kimonos bearing the same family crest—the emblem of the Zenin clan.

These were Zenin family descendants, led by the elder Zenin Ougi, here to visit the Gojo estate and greet the next heir to the Six Eyes.

"Toji, do you think both of Gojo's Six Eyes successors are equally strong?"

Two older youths followed behind Zenin Ougi. One bore a scar on his face and looked menacing, while the other seemed completely indifferent, his expression devoid of spirit.

"Shinichi, if you all wanted to come, you could've just come by yourselves. Why drag me along? I'm not a sorcerer."

"Isn't this supposed to be a meeting between Jujutsu clans? I'm just a regular guy."

Zenin Toji sighed. He was mildly curious about the Six Eyes, but not enough to make this trip willingly.

If not for his older brother being present, he would have already left.

Standing behind Toji, another young man with a sharp, sinister gaze stared at him with unconcealed malice.

Zenin Shinsuke.

At just eight years old, he was already a Grade 3 sorcerer and one of the most talented among the younger Zenin generation.

One of the reasons for this visit was to have Shinsuke witness the power of the Six Eyes firsthand.

However, this meeting was bound to be unpleasant.

Shinsuke was a firm believer in Cursed Energy Supremacy—the idea that one's worth was determined by the strength of their cursed energy.

To him, Toji, who was completely devoid of cursed energy, was nothing but a disgrace to the Zenin bloodline.

But Toji couldn't care less about Shinsuke's hostility.

Six Eyes? Talent? None of it mattered to him.

He was already beginning to feel the strength granted by Heavenly Restriction.

If a fight were to break out, Toji was confident that he could take down Zenin Shinsuke—the so-called "most talented youth of the Zenin clan"—in under ten minutes.

And so, with the snow falling gently outside, two fates that were never meant to intersect were about to collide.

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