Chapter Text
Shiki has not had the dubious pleasure of receiving a Zenin delegation before.
… In fact, she doesn’t think that there has been any visit from a Zenin delegation to the Gojo Clan in the past few years. It’s a ‘snub,’ in a manner of speaking –but one that the Gojo Clan returns in kind. While there is no active feuding that’s currently ongoing between the two clans, they’re not exactly on friendly terms, either.
Shiki imagines that this sudden visit today is not one made out of goodwill.
“Did they announce their arrival beforehand?”
“No, ojou-sama,” Mutsuo responds. Arriving without making the proper arrangements beforehand is rude, and it’s interesting that the Zenins would choose to deliver such an insult in this manner. Something as blatant as this is a statement, and one that the Gojo Clan will need to respond to lest their silence be perceived as cowardice.
Surely the Zenin Clan would know that.
Then, what were they playing at?
Satoru-niichan currently is not present. He’s been notified of the Zenins’ sudden arrival, but given that he’s currently overseas in the United States right now, it’s not as if he can teleport here in the next moment. Satoru-niichan is capable of teleportation, by way of a rather flexible application of his cursed technique, but the range on it is not so wide as to cover teleportation between different continents across the oceans.
Which means that it’s only Shiki and the Gojo elders who are present to deal with whatever it is that the Zenins are planning.
Shiki strides forward, flanked by Kiyohira-sensei and Ken-jichan behind her. It’s not long before they reach the main hall, where there is already a number of people who are present–
Blood.
There’s blood on the ground. Crimson droplets staining the stone pathway leading towards the entrance of the hall, the bright redness of it a vivid contrast against dull gray. Agitated voices fill the air, floating over the man who is hunched over the ground with his hand pressed tightly to his mouth, blood visibly seeping between his fingers as he trembles in pain.
The man is a Zenin.
“–brazenness. What gives you the right to–”
“You think that we will stand for such violence against our own?!”
“You will regret this, you lowly–”
One of their own has been injured in a rival clan’s home. It makes sense that the Zenins would seek to defend their own clansmen; failing to do so would be a clear sign of weakness, and no proud sorcerer would willingly suffer weakness and insult.
A tall, muscular Zenin steps forward with narrowed eyes, arm cocked back and fist cracking with cursed energy. “Did you think that you could act with impunity just because this is the Gojo Clan’s territory?!”
He punches forward furiously –and finds himself stopped in the middle of his tracks by a single finger placidly meeting his fist.
“That’s enough,” Shiki says.
“… Gojo Shiki,” the Zenin narrows his eyes, then lowers his fist and steps backwards. The way that he looks at her is odd –a mix of apprehension and scorn, before it is all buried beneath a veneer of righteous anger. “Is this the hospitality of the Gojo Clan? Visiting violence upon those who arrive as guests?”
Shiki tilts her head. “Are you here as guests?”
A proper guest would not have arrived with little forewarning, nor would they have caused such a scene immediately upon their arrival.
The Zenin sneers, then deliberately shifts his gaze away from her. “Who here is in charge after Gojo Satoru?”
So it’s a conscious decision on the Zenin Clan’s part to send a delegation to the Gojo Clan at a time when Satoru-niichan was out of the country. That’s… rather telling.
“If you wish to be met with good faith by the Gojo Clan, then perhaps you should reflect upon your own words and actions,” Kiyohira-sensei snaps sharply as he steps beside Shiki. “The heir of the Gojo Clan stands before you, and you would offer her insult like this?”
The Zenin opens his mouth–
–and is prevented from digging his own grave when a wrinkled hand closes over his arm.
“Apologies,” the Zenin elder says with an easy, good-natured chuckle. “Kyogo only acts in anger because of the injury done to his fellow clansman. I assure you that he does not mean to slight the little lady.”
“Elder Eizo–”
“Hush, Kyogo. We are visitors to the Gojo Clan, and it would behoove us as guests to follow our host’s rules,” the elder reprimands the younger man when it appears that he is about to argue. “I’m sure that the Gojo Clan would see justice done for those who have been wronged, wouldn’t you agree?”
Does the Zenin elder think he’s being sneaky? He’s already implying that it’s the Gojo Clan at fault in the altercation that just took place. And for all that he had chided ‘Kyogo’ for slighting Shiki, he himself is not being particularly respectful, either. The tone with which he addresses her is a grandfatherly one, rather than that of a Zenin elder addressing the Gojo clan heir.
He also referred to Shiki as ‘little lady’ rather than ‘clan heir’ as would be appropriate. Which is most likely a deliberate choice in wording that inadvertently reveals much about his true thoughts.
… Or, there was also the possibility that there’s nothing inadvertent about this at all. Perhaps this is a test? His way of seeing if Shiki would notice –and therefore gauge Shiki’s acumen and insight when it came to such matters?
Whatever it might be, Shiki remains decidedly unimpressed.
… Although the Zenin elder is correct that this conflict needs to be properly addressed. The Gojo and Zenin clans are not on good terms to begin with, and the fact that Zenin blood was drawn on Gojo clan grounds is something that must be recognized and dealt with.
Shiki turns her gaze towards the man who had been kneeling patiently this entire time. He is no longer holding a knife in his hand, but the droplets of blood staining his sleeve give him away as the perpetrator.
“Choki, stand. Explain.”
Choki rises to his feet. If Shiki had known that her assistant would get mixed up into a mess with the Zenin delegation, then she would’ve asked him to stay put during her meeting with Kiyohira-sensei, instead of sending him to deliver a message to Takatomi-sama.
But there’s no changing what’s already done. Shiki trusts that Choki has a reason for doing what he did.
“Yes, ojou-sama,” Choki bows his head to her. “I was part of the group that received the Zenin delegation when they arrived. Zenin Kakuji spoke disrespectfully of you, multiple times. I requested that he cease and desist, to which he responded with further insults and physical threats.”
Shiki’s gaze flicks towards the whimpering Zenin still hunched over on the ground. One of the Gojo Clan’s healers is currently tending to his injury, but the man seems to be acutely miserable nonetheless. “So you cut off his tongue?”
“It did not seem that he knew how to hold it still.”
Kiyohira-sensei snorts at the answer. The Zenins, on the other hand, do not seem to be so amused.
“A completely disproportionate reaction,” the Zenin elder insists. “Perhaps Kakuji was quite thoughtless with his words, but to cut off his tongue for that? The punishment is far too severe.”
Shiki glances towards the elder. “Then, what is the resolution that you want?”
The elder loftily raises his hand and points directly towards Choki. “He must learn his lesson of acting without thinking. Perhaps if his hands are chopped off, then he would know the consequences of unilaterally taking action into his own hands.”
… He wants to chop off Choki’s hands?
That’s absolutely not happening. If the elder thinks that he can demand something like that from Shiki, then he’s utterly delusional.
“A mere servant should know their place,” the other Zenin from earlier –Zenin Kyogo, was it?– also cuts in. A derisive look enters his eyes as his gaze rakes over Choki with zero subtlety. “If the Gojo Clan does not know how to keep their servants in line, then that is a lesson that must be engraved into them by force, before they reach beyond their station.”
Just because Choki is from a vassal clan, they think that they can demand something so outrageous?
Shiki is almost amazed by what she’s witnessing. What gave them the right? What gave them such a sense of entitlement within the Gojo Clan? Was it simply the fact that Satoru-niichan was currently absent that they felt free to act in such a way?
If they know that Choki is one of the Gojo Clan’s vassals, then they should reflect on their own actions. Shiki knows Choki to be calm and levelheaded; for him to choose something as drastic as cutting off a Zenin’s tongue means that they truly crossed the line. That Choki saw it as something that he must do.
Shiki is guessing that Zenin Kakuki was not the only one who was rude with his words. He was probably the most egregious of the lot, though –which explained why Choki left him as the one bleeding on the ground.
Choki is also holding himself in a slightly awkward way, and Shiki does not need to see the lines on his body to know that he’s injured. It’s more likely that the Zenins were the ones who became rough first; it would explain Choki’s ‘disproportionate’ retaliation.
… Did the Zenins come here looking for a fight or something?
It seems unlikely, but it’s not as if Shiki can ignore the proof in front of her eyes right now. The Zenins were antagonistic, and it was probably on purpose.
“Let’s not be difficult here now, little lady,” the Zenin elder smiles at her. “We simply seek justice for our fellow clansman. It does you no good to be so permissive with your servants, either, if they think that they can attack the Gojo Clan’s guests in your name. If you allow this to go unpunished, then who knows what they would do using your name as an excuse in the future?”
Shiki finds herself amused. It’s been a while since she’s been the target of such a blatant attempt at manipulating her.
Unfortunately for the Zenin elder, combat strength is not the only reason why Shiki is the Gojo clan heir.
“I’ll grant you two options to choose from,” Shiki tells him. “One, you and your entourage will kneel, bow down, and apologize for your arrogance and presumption ever since stepping through the Gojo Clan’s gates, and then I will deign to hear out your goals for arriving here today. Two, each and every one of you will be returning to the Zenin Clan with your hands severed from your bodies. What is your decision?”
At first, the Zenin elder continues smiling, lulled into a false sense of security by the mild, pleasant tone with which Shiki delivers her words in. And then he finally seems to register her words, and the smile vanishes from his face entirely.
“… Surely you jest, little lady.”
Even now, he underestimates her.
“It’s unfortunate for you that Satoru-niichan is currently away from the clan compound,” Shiki informs him. “Because I am not as patient as my cousin. I will not entertain your games and find it amusing. There are more important things for me to occupy my time with.”
The Zenin elder splutters at the implication that they are a waste of her time. “T-That’s–!”
Shiki has little interest in hearing him finish his protests. “You and your delegation have delivered nothing but insult after insult to me and the Gojo Clan thus far, and so now I will answer your actions in kind. Choose, Zenin, and know that I am a sorcerer of my word.”
“That’s quite enough!” Another Zenin shoves his way forward, scowling fiercely as he glares at Shiki. “Just because the Gojo Clan is ridiculous enough to leave a little girl in charge like she actually means something, doesn’t mean that we need to debase ourselves by–”
The man doesn’t get a chance to finish his words.
Because the instant that he stalks forward menacingly, the Zenin elder strikes him in the back of his knees, and the man falls. In the same heartbeat, the Zenin elder also lowers himself to the ground on hands and knees, and presses his head to the ground.
“All of you, get down.”
The tone of the elder’s voice has changed. No longer is it grandfatherly and patronizing; instead, there’s a sharp urgency and command that fills it.
And, the rest of the Zenins obey. Some remain visibly reluctant, but they obey all the same, falling to their knees one by one before Shiki in the middle of the courtyard. There are numerous Gojo clansmen watching this exchange, making it all a very public display –a public humiliation, as the Zenins cast their pride to the ground. Literally.
“We apologize for the disrespect that our behavior and conduct has shown to the Gojo heir and her clan,” the Zenin elder says in a clear, unwavering voice. A little too unwavering, actually. There’s nothing in his tone or posture that indicates the slightest shame or unwillingness at kneeling before a young girl, which strikes a sharp contrast to what Shiki observes from several of the other Zenins behind him.
… Shiki hadn’t left the Zenins with much choice, not with the options that she’d presented them with. Though she’d expected that they would swallow their pride, the casual easiness with which the Zenin elder followed along was… strange.
It reinforces the thought that he’d been probing and gauging Shiki’s reactions earlier. The not-so-subtle insults and implied disrespect were both tools that he’d used, rather than a reflection of his true thoughts. And now that it became evident that his previous methods were ineffective, he would change his tactics accordingly.
His reaction confirms to Shiki that there is a particular goal that the Zenin delegation has in mind here, and gauging Shiki’s astuteness is only a secondary task to it. If the Zenins wished to test her, then they likely would’ve acted contrary to the very end, just to see how far they could push her.
Shiki is not unaware of the current tensions between the Gojo and Zenin clans. Her maiming multiple Zenin clansmen merely for insulting her would only be adding oil to the fire. But between insulting the Zenin Clan and publicly displaying weakness for refusing to answer the Zenin Clan’s insults in front of the Gojo Clan, the latter would be far more inconvenient for Shiki to deal with, as the clan heir.
As for the Zenins…
The Zenin elder at the forefront does not seem insulted. He rises easily to his feet again, dusting off his robes unconcernedly.
“Now that we’ve set aside our misunderstandings,” he says, “Will you not invite us inside, Gojo heir?”
Courtesy dictates that Shiki should allow them inside, now that the Zenins have followed her conditions and apologized for their earlier disrespect. But with how swiftly the Zenin elder had spoken, now it seemed as if Shiki would be following his instructions if she did so. Which really would not be the best image to leave in front of so many other Gojo clansmen.
As such, Shiki–
“That eager to enter our halls are you, Eizo?” A new voice interrupts with a light chuckle. “I see that you’re as shameless as ever, old fox.”
The Zenin elder chortles. “You of all people have no right to call me that, Takatomi!”
Elder Takatomi turns towards Shiki with a slight nod.
Shiki stares back, unimpressed. I hope you’re not expecting me to thank you for this.
Elder Takatomi’s lips twitch upwards ever so slightly. You’re welcome, respected heir.
… If nothing else, his arrival here was certainly very well-timed. And although now it does not seem as if Shiki is following along with a Zenin elders’ suggestions, the closer association with Elder Takatomi through his interjection isn’t something that she’s particularly enthusiastic about, either.
Kiyohira-sensei coughs purposefully into his hand. “If Elder Eizo and the other Zenin representatives still wish to entertain discussions, let us move this conversation inside. As for the injured party, perhaps it would be for the best if he received further treatment with the Gojo Clan’s healers instead of remaining in attendance here.”
Zenin Eizo glances towards the Zenin on the ground. “How are you feeling, Kakuji-kun?”
The response that he receives is a gurgling sound, accompanied by a mouthful of blood.
“… Well. I will be happy to accept the Gojo Clan’s hospitality on Kakuji-kun’s behalf, then,” the Zenin elder says. “I hope you’ll understand that this time, we’re not going to gloss over things so easily if Kakuji comes back to us missing his limbs or ears or something, yes?”
“You need to work on your sense of humor, Eizo,” Elder Takatomi shakes his head.
The Zenin elder arches an eyebrow. “Do you really think I’m joking?”
“Hmm. I think you should know perfectly well which jokes are acceptable to make and which jokes are not,” Elder Takatomi counters coolly.
The Zenin elder shrugs casually and raises his hands in a helpless ‘what can you do’ gesture. “Consider me warned, then.”
The Zenin Clan has certainly chosen a very interesting individual to lead the Zenin delegation here. His behavior is… perhaps the most careless and flippant that Shiki has seen from any clan elder to date. He’s most likely an eccentric even among the Zenin Clan, given what Shiki recalls seeing from the Zenin elders that she’d met on various occasions over the years. Did the Zenin Clan choose him for his abilities despite his oddities? Or did they send him because he was disposable to them?
Zenin Eizo is certainly not what she’d expected to see from a Zenin elder.
The subject that he brings up once all parties are settled inside the wide meeting hall, however, falls far more in line with what Shiki expected from the Zenins.
“The Zenin Clan would like to request that Fushiguro Megumi be returned to us, so that the boy may begin learning how to properly utilize his Ten Shadows from his clan,” is what the Zenin elder opens with. And, holding up a hand to forestall any protests, “The Gojo Clan has done well to care for Megumi these past few years. Gojo Satoru presented a convincing argument to Naobito-sama, and the Zenin Clan agreed that there was much for Megumi to learn beneath the wing of a Special Grade sorcerer.”
If Shiki recalls correctly, the Zenin Clan had not agreed willingly to this arrangement. They’d been furious when Satoru-niichan swooped in and ‘stole’ their Ten Shadows user, yet helpless to do anything about it. Even back then, Satoru-niichan had held the title of Strongest, and that remained true even now.
How interesting that this is how they’re re-framing the narrative. Then again, Shiki isn’t surprised that the Zenins are attempting to portray themselves in a better light. Like any sorcery clan, the Zenins abhor weakness, and undoubtedly the fact that they’d ‘lost’ their Ten Shadows user because they were too weak to keep hold of him is something that grates at their pride.
Satoru-niichan had known that the Zenin Clan wouldn’t give up on Megumi, even with the boy under his protection. The Ten Shadows was the prized technique of the Zenin Clan, in a way not at all dissimilar to how Limitless was treasured in the Gojo Clan. It would be stranger if the Zenin Clan chose to give up on Megumi and write him off as a loss, even with Satoru-niichan obstructing them.
But all these years, they’ve been silent. Despite the political maneuvering and various movements that the Zenin Clan have been engaging in, they haven’t openly reached their hand towards the Gojo Clan –until now.
Did this mean that their preparations were complete? What made the Zenin Clan think that now would be their best opportunity to ‘retrieve’ Megumi from the Gojo Clan’s clutches? Did they believe that they could somehow convince Shiki to assent to handing Megumi over to them?
Ridiculous.
“We are grateful for the instruction that the Gojo Clan has given to Megumi all these years,” the Zenin elder continues. “But given that the boy is slated to begin attending one of the jujutsu schools next year, the Zenin Clan is of the opinion that it is beyond time that Megumi begins furthering his development of the Ten Shadows technique.”
Those words. It almost sounds as if–
“Certainly, the Gojo Clan’s teachings are quite remarkable to have produced two Special Grade sorcerers in succession,” the Zenin elder allows. “But you are not privy to Zenin secrets. There is much regarding the Ten Shadows technique that remains restricted information even within the Zenin Clan… but it is only natural that such knowledge be shared with the clan’s current Ten Shadows user.”
… His words aren’t wrong. Though the Gojo Clan keeps certain records detailing the Zenin Clan’s prized cursed technique, just as the Zenin Clan most assuredly documents their own observations of Limitless, it would not compare to the Zenin Clan’s own records of the Ten Shadows technique. Megumi would benefit from gaining access to the Zenin Clan’s extensive documentation on his cursed technique–
But Shiki doubts that the Zenin Clan are offering this out of the goodness of their heart.
“The Zenin Clan requests to further Fushiguro Megumi’s training, then?” Elder Takatomi arches a silver eyebrow.
“It would be a great disservice to keep him from the proper training that he is entitled to through his Zenin heritage,” the Zenin elder responds.
“And I suppose that you would wish for custody of the boy to be handed over to the Zenin Clan?”
“It only makes sense for Megumi to be trained properly within the Zenin clan compound, among his clansmen.”
Elder Takatomi shakes his head, “There is a reason why it is currently the Gojo Clan that retains custody of Fushiguro Megumi.”
“The Zenin Clan was content to leave Megumi in the Gojo Clan’s care as he would be receiving direct instruction from a Special Grade sorcerer,” the other man counters. “That is no longer true. As of this year, Gojo Satoru has become a teacher for first year students in the Tokyo school. Between that and his missions, and his duties as clan head, just how much time would he be able to spare for Megumi?”
For emphasis, the Zenin elder shakes his head mock-sadly. Shiki doesn’t think that anyone sitting in the room is fooled by his act for even an instant, though.
“And… the Zenin Clan is concerned,” the Zenin elder pauses for dramatic effect. “There have been some worrying rumors circulating recently, that the Gojo Clan discards precision in pursuit of overwhelming strength, which results in tragic accidents to non-sorcerer civilians. The Zenin Clan would not wish for Megumi to see this as an example to learn from.”
Elder Takatomi smiles, unruffled and unaffected by the decidedly unsubtle insinuation. “If you know that they are rumors, then you should know better than to take such whispers at face value, Eizo.”
“The Zenin Clan knows how to sift truth from lies in the rumors that circulate,” the Zenin elder responds lightly. “Unless the Gojo Clan decides to make it a policy to cut off the tongues of each and every person whose words they find offensive, I’m afraid that these whispers will be difficult for you to quell.”
“Is that a threat?”
The Zenin elder gasps exaggeratedly. “Oh, most certainly not! Our clans may have our disagreements from time to time, but I assure you that the Zenins still view the Gojos as stalwart allies shouldering the burdens of the jujutsu world alongside us. It would be a pity if the Gojo Clan’s reputation were to be irrevocably stained at a time when public sentiments regarding their actions are… mixed.”
In other words, the Zenin Clan are fanning the rumors of the Gojo Clan not caring about civilian casualties, using the recent car accident. If even the Gojo heir cares little for deaths resulting from negligent use of sorcery, then what does that mean about the rest of the Gojo Clan? This might be the only death that people know of, but how many more deaths have been quietly swept up and hidden behind closed doors?
If the Zenin Clan enters the scene at this time, loudly complaining of the Gojo Clan’s unilateral tyranny in stealing the Zenin Clan’s Ten Shadows from them, then it would be a blow to the Gojo Clan’s reputation.
‘Not only does the Gojo Clan care little for non-sorcerer civilians in reality, they also look down on fellow sorcery clans and hold no qualms about stealing cursed techniques from other families.’
The Zenin Clan is one of the Three Great Families. The Gojo Clan has already all but destroyed the Kamo Clan, and to also disrespect the Zenin Clan in such a manner–
It’s not a good look, certainly. That much, Shiki can easily recognize and admit.
But if the Zenins think that just this will be enough to pressure her into conceding to their demands, then they would be absolute fools.