"Satoshi, you need to clean up properly today!"

  Takuya woke Satoshi up early in the morning. A group of attendants entered his room, immediately assisting him in washing up and dressing.

  "What's going on?"

  Still half-asleep, Satoshi looked around in confusion, completely unaware of what day it was.

  Last night, he had practiced swordpy with Shunichi until te, finally managing to raise his kendo proficiency to 80%. He had pnned to push it to the max today and then move on to actual combat training.

  So why was his precious sleep being disturbed so early in the morning?

  "I knew you'd forget! I reminded you a week ago, today is the day the Zenin cn and other jujutsu families are visiting."

  "As direct descendants of the Gojo cn, you and Satoru must attend. You two are the real reason for the Zenin cn's visit."

  "They came here to see the future of the Gojo cn."

  As the attendant wiped Satoshi's face with a warm towel, he instantly became more alert.

  So today is the day I meet Zenin Toji?

  A strange anticipation welled up in his heart. Zenin Toji, the man who would one day become Gojo Satoru's greatest enemy.

  A person without cursed energy and a person with the Six Eyes, two outcasts in opposite extremes of the jujutsu world. They had never had the chance to meet before.

  But today, in the Gojo cn's estate, the only two individuals utterly devoid of cursed energy were finally going to come face-to-face.

  "The Zenin cn, huh? This should be interesting..."

  Satoshi allowed the attendants to dress him as he thought about how to establish a connection with Zenin Toji.

  I wonder what kind of mindset Toji has right now. He shouldn't be completely twisted yet... After all, there's still a long time before he leaves the Zenin cn.

  If possible, I need to prevent him and Satoru from becoming enemies in the future. Satoru only mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique because of his battle with Toji, but that doesn't mean he has to get killed in the process just to learn it.

  If, during that fight, Toji had used the Inverted Spear of Heaven to nullify Satoru's technique activation before sshing his throat, Satoru might have actually died. That alone could have changed the entire timeline of Jujutsu Kaisen...

  Toji will become an assassin in the future, but right now, the Zenin and Gojo cns are not yet enemies. If both sides can maintain a good retionship, maybe Toji doesn't have to be Satoru's enemy. Maybe, just maybe, he could even be his friend.

  Most importantly, Toji has no real sense of belonging to the Zenin cn! If I could introduce him to a girl from the Gojo cn, maybe, just maybe... he could become Gojo Toji instead.

  With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Satoshi was led out of his room by Takuya.

  Outside the smithing hall, Satoru was already waiting.

  "Hmm? Satoru, why aren't you going in? What are you standing outside for?"

  Satoshi looked at him in confusion. Seeing Satoru's delicate features, almost like a porcein doll, he suddenly remembered, oh right, they were still just six-year-old kids.

  "Why would I go in? Just to get manhandled by those women again?"

  Satoru looked at Satoshi helplessly. Seeing that Satoshi was dressed in the same blue kimono as him, a trace of sympathy fshed in his eyes.

  At that moment, Satoshi suddenly recalled the sheer horror of being surrounded and dressed up by a group of attendants earlier.

  He was just a child, yet he had to be washed, dressed, and groomed without any say in the matter...

  Perhaps that's why he had emptied his mind and thought about the Zenin cn so much, to distract himself.

  "Satoru, you look way too young in that outfit."

  Satoshi subconsciously voiced his thoughts.

  At that, Satoru immediately shot back:

  "And you think you don't? We're literally wearing the same thing! If I look young, so do you!"

  The two exchanged gnces and then burst into ughter.

  "Young Masters Satoru, Satoshi, we should head out now."

  Shunichi approached them, holding a rge bck paper umbrel.

  Noticing it, Satoshi realized, it was snowing outside.

  ---

  At the Gojo Cn's Main Gate

  A middle-aged man with a sinister expression stepped into the Gojo estate, followed by a group of people dressed in formal kimonos embroidered with the Zenin cn's crest.

  This was the delegation from the Zenin cn, led by Zenin Ogi. Their purpose was to visit the Gojo family and greet the next heir of the Six Eyes.

  "Even so, I wonder just how powerful the Gojo cn's new Six Eyes really are..."

  Two older youths accompanied Zenin Ogi. One had a scar across his face, looking older and more aggressive, while the other had an indifferent expression, showing no interest in anything.

  "Jinichi, If you wanted to come here, you could've just come on your own. Why drag me along? I'm not even a sorcerer."

  "This is supposed to be a meeting between jujutsu families. I'm just a normal person."

  Zenin Toji sighed, clearly unenthusiastic. Though he was curious about the Six Eyes, he had no real desire to come here just to see them.

  However, since his brother was here, it would've been awkward to refuse.

  Behind him, another young man with a cold, malicious gaze stared at Toji.

  Zenin Shinsuke, the most talented of the younger generation in the Zenin cn. Though only eight years old, he had already achieved the rank of a Grade 3 sorcerer.

  One of the reasons Ogi had brought this group today was to let their most promising talent witness the Six Eyes firsthand.

  However, this visit was destined to be anything but pleasant.

  Shinsuke was a firm believer in the Zenin cn's ideology, one that worshipped cursed energy above all else. In his eyes, Toji, who had no cursed energy at all, was nothing but a disgrace to their bloodline.

  But to Toji, Shinsuke's hostility meant nothing.

  Talent? Six Eyes? None of it mattered. Toji had already come to understand the overwhelming strength granted by Heavenly Restriction.

  If a fight broke out right now, he was confident, he could take out the Zenin cn's "most talented prodigy" in under ten minutes.