Usami spoke. "This is a threat that surpasses the Culling Game incident. If that's the case, we'll need to find…" He paused but stated solemnly. "Naohiro Zenin."
Mino's eyes widened. "Naohiro Zenin!? Is he even still alive? It's been 69 years since he and Satoru Gojo finished the Culling Games. He's been missing for decades and should be in his 90s!" He looked down. "Even if he is still alive, he shouldn't be nearly as powerful as he used to be."
Usami closed his eyes. "It's not public knowledge, but after his wife died and his children became fully fledged sorcerers, he suddenly vanished, never to be seen again. While the second half is known, only a select few know the truth about him." He took a sip of his coffee. "Naohiro Zenin is immortal."
Mino gulped. "That shouldn't be possible! Master Itadori has the immortal cursed technique that Master Tengen previously held, so it makes sense, but how could a human without a specialized technique live forever?" He clenched his hands on his knees. "By all accounts, he should be like Satoru Gojo—old, but retaining only a fraction of his old strength."
Despite being 97 years old, Satoru Gojo is still alive, contrary to many expectations. However, his mastery over cursed energy control can only push a human body so far. Satoru Gojo is able to extend his lifespan beyond his usual limit by using his mastery of cursed energy control.
Usami slowly opened his eyes. "Whoever said Naohiro Zenin was human?" This statement made Mino freeze. "So he's part-cursed spirit like Master Choso?"
"Who knows? I'm not omniscient, so you would have to ask the people close to him." Usami spoke with a slightly tired expression. "But there are only a few people who have knowledge about what has happened to him since he disappeared."
Mino caught on. "So, we'll need to meet with Satoru Gojo." Usami stood up from his seat as he concluded their conversation. "We're going to have a meeting with the Simurians soon, so we can't delay. I'll schedule some time with him."
-
A man lazily crossed his legs while stuffing his mouth with sweets, while lying in a hospital bed watching TV. "Haah, Kikufuku just doesn't taste the same." He tilted his head to the side. "A Jujutsu license, huh?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Oh no…anyways. AYO Nurse! I'm runnin outta Kikufuku here!"
He smirked with his aged face and ashened hair while leaning his head on the bedframe.
-
Naoto Zenin, the grandson of the strongest sorcerer in history.
This is the label that he has had to live by his entire life. Naohiro Zenin's naturally gifted abilities, cursed energy reserves, and potential earned him a seat among the peak of sorcery, eventually surpassing Ryomen Sukuna.
Despite what people say about the mentality a sorcerer needs, genetics is a major factor in determining how powerful a sorcerer can become.
Satoru Gojo had the Six-Eyes combined with the Limitless technique. If Gojo had the perfect techniques, Ryomen Sukuna had a body perfect for Jujutsu—four arms for hand signs, an extra mouth for chanting, and bottomless cursed energy. Naohiro Zenin had the same boundless, cursed energy and a body quite literally crafted by a God.
And even though he's Naohiro's descendant, Naoto Zenin doesn't have the same gifts that other Jujutsu sorcerers were given. Naohiro's father, mother, brothers, children, and grandchildren don't have the same talent and raw genetics as Naohiro Zenin.
However, his cursed technique, [Cursed Evolution], was passed down to his children. Even so, they couldn't use it nearly as well as the original user. It was as if something was missing. A factor that was needed for the technique to become unstoppable.
Many speculated that he had a trait similar to the Six-Eyes, but it remains unknown why his technique worked differently from theirs.
Unlike Naohiro's adaptation, [Cursed Evolution] in the hands of other sorcerers (his son and daughter) has allowed them to use only one adaptation at a time. Any attempt to adapt to another phenomenon renders the previous void. When the technique ends or the user runs out of cursed energy, the adaptation is removed.
Naohiro had either figured out how to keep each adaptation or had a trait that allowed him to store the phenomena in his arsenal. Before they figured out how it worked, Naohiro Zenin had disappeared from the public eye.
The difference with Naoto Zenin is that he doesn't have a cursed technique. Projection Sorcery, The Ten Shadows, Cursed Evolution, and the other clan-exclusive techniques weren't passed down to him.
Cursed energy reserves are fixed from birth. No matter how hard you train, you can't increase your maximum reserves. The only thing you can do is master cursed energy control to make the best use of your reserves.
Unfortunately for Naoto, his cursed energy reserves matched those of a semi-grade 1 sorcerer. While not terrible, it wasn't even close to matching powerhouse reserves like Satoru Gojo and Yuta Okkotsu, let alone Ryomen Sukuna.
Naoto looked down at his watch as he heard a ding indicating a message.
From: Mom
[Don't stay out too late. There has been news of kidnappings of Jujutsu sorcerers. Also, you'll need to get some sleep. We're going to get our Jujutsu licenses in the morning.]
Naoto rubbed his forehead and thought to himself. 'Come on, now I got a curfew? Not only that, but we're just accepting the whole license thing?' He tapped his watch to close the message and looked at the sky. 'What is the point of it all? Doing what other people tell you to do and following an old geezer's agenda? I'm a grade 2 sorcerer—weak, insignificant. Just useless canon fodder that can't change a damn thing.'
While grade 2 sorcerers in the past were nothing more than average children that you would find at Jujutsu High and Kyoto, they were in the mid to upper echelon of power in the current era. First-grade sorcerers were the current standard as a sorcerer at the peak, similar to how special grades were treated in the Heisei era.
"Huh?" As he looked up, his surroundings changed. The people on the street suddenly vanished, making the area deathly silent. The broadcast had also stopped, only becoming a flickering sign.
The strangest thing was that when he looked down, he saw a strange collar on his neck. Unlike most NPCs, he wasn't oblivious to what was happening. "A barrier…" He spoke with vigilance, glancing around for threats, but as he attempted to use cursed energy, his eyes widened. 'What, I can't use cursed energy!?'
In that moment of shock, Naoto felt a heavy blow to the side of his head, turning the world black.
-
"Nom. Sho, what can this schpechial gwade shorcherer do fow you?" The man talked with his last kikufuku mochi in his mouth. Despite having the diet of a child, the man showed no sign of gaining weight. In fact, he still had quite a bit of muscle.
Mino whispered to Usami. "Did we get the wrong room? This is Satoru Gojo and not some blind old man, right?" Usami's mouth twitched in slight second-hand embarrassment. "Yep…that's him alright."
Gojo leaned his head back on his hands after he clapped the crumbs off. "So did you two come here to insult me or to talk?" His tone suddenly changed as he lowered his black glasses, revealing his bright blue eyes. "Usami, the active Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his goon. To what do I owe the 'honor'?"
Usami noted that his tone sounded slightly venomous. No matter how long it's been, Gojo has never been fond of politics or higher-ups. They have only ever been a negative addition to his life. There hasn't been a single good interaction with them.
The room's pressure increased, making Usami and Mino both start to sweat. They both had the same thought of the man in front of them. 'So this is what a man who stood at the peak of sorcery is like!'
Mino's eyes widened as his thoughts raced. 'And he's weaker than his prime!? Just what did sorcery look like seventy years ago!?' He was regretting his past statement. An old man with a fraction of his old strength. 'What a joke, he could take over Japan if he wanted to!' Even in his old age, the reason curses remain so powerful in this era is that Satoru Gojo is still alive in this timeline.
A few seconds later, the room returned to normal as Gojo fixed his glasses back on his face. "I'm assuming this is about that giant box hovering above Earth, right?" Before the two could talk, Gojo continued. "Yeah, I got some special eyes. No matter what type of barrier they use, I can see cursed energy pretty well."
Usami cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes. They are an alien species known as the Simurians. They come from a planet called Simura." Gojo cut him off. "Not interested. Besides, I don't have a license. I don't want to get arrested after all~." He covered his mouth and chuckled.
The two politicians were initially here to find out about Naohiro's whereabouts, but after sensing Gojo's power, they were planning on inviting him for assistance as well.
Usami took a deep breath. "We were actually here to gain information on Naohiro Zenin's whereabouts." Gojo's eyebrows slightly furrowed, but Usami continued. "We might need his assistance if they eventually turn hostile. They have 50,000 residents on their ship, who likely all know some form of unique Jujutsu. You're one of the last people who have seen him."
Mino clenched his fists and lowered his head. "Please help us contact him. Japan, and the world is in danger. This incident can prove more formidable than the Culling Games 69 years ago." The room went deathly silent, the only sound being the birds chirping outside the window.
After a minute, Gojo spoke. "Whether I contact him or not, nothing will change." He continued, seeing the confused looks on their faces. "What I mean is that he definitely already knows about it. So what if I send him a message? It's not like he's gonna just show up at your front door and immediately start working with the higher-ups again."
Gojo gazed at the wall. "He disappeared for a reason. You should know this if you can think for two seconds. He's immortal. He saw his wife die, his students, brothers, friends, and I'll probably kick the bucket soon. Eventually, he'll see his own children die." Mino and Usami sat in the chairs across the room, solemn-faced, as Gojo continued. "When I was a kid, I thought I would be lonely my entire life, but Naohiro is truly experiencing the loneliness of unrivaled strength."
Seeing that their conversation came to an end, Usami and Mino stood up and started to leave, not before Gojo spoke one last time. "Just focus on the political stuff. Yuji, Naohiro, and I are all still here. I might not be as strong as I used to be, but if it comes down to it, who knows?" He huffed a laugh. "But if it's not something those two can handle, then we're pretty screwed."
Usami glanced back at Gojo, but ultimately left the room in silence. In the hallway, a man in a black suit and dark glasses spoke. "The Simurians are ready, sir." Usami took another deep breath and spoke. "Alright. Mino, let's go talk to the Simurians."
With the fate of the world at stake in a single meeting, Usami, Mino, and the other representatives of Japan made their way toward the Kyoto Future Science Lab.