Chapter 21: 21 Real proggres in the Kamo clan
"Young Master, please reconsider this!" Shino called out, his face full with worry. "The clan is already in a precarious position. We can't trust anyone... that includes someone as dangerous as him..." The desperation in the old man's voice was evident.
Jotaro felt a little bit of annoyance hearing the old man freak out but kept his silence, his expression neutral as he waited for them to finish.
"You're right, Shino," Noritoshi replied, his tone calm yet resolute. "We can't trust anyone... not even ourselves." The recent events had forced Noritoshi to mature in just a few hours, if there was a time for him to grow up then this is it.
Noritoshi never wanted to become a sorcerers, let alone the clan head of the Kamo clan but then his mother's voice echoed inside his head, reminding him of the duty he has.
The Kamo clan wasn't just on the brink of collapse, it had already fallen. With no strong sorcerers in the clan, no loyal allies, and no reliable protectors, it was only a matter of time before the jujutsu world will find out about the Kamo clan's weakness.
There were two options by then, The higher ups might take advantage of the situation and take full control of the clan or have its name erased from history.
"That is exactly why I want to keep Mister Kujo as close to the clan as possible..." Noritoshi affirmed, his serious expression left no room for Shino to refuse.
Shino's frown deepened. "Young Head..." He hesitated, clearly displeased, but stopped upon seeing Noritoshi's gaze.
"Enough Shino, please wait outside the room," Noritoshi ordered, his voice carrying the authority of the Kamo clan. Reluctantly, Shino bowed and left, though his disapproval was evident in his stiff movements.
Jotaro was lounging casually in his seat. "What's in it for me?" he asked, his tone dull. "You say you want my protection until the clan gets back on its feet, but to me, it sounds like a hassle. And from the looks of it, the old man doesn't seem thrilled about me being here either."
Noritoshi's lips tightened, considering the words carefully.
"Please disregard Shino's behavior," Noritoshi replied after a moment. "Our clan was never open to outsiders..."
He paused, gauging Jotaro's reaction. "Back to my offer, even now the Kamo clan's reputation still holds some weight, whether it's wealth, status, or even...your freedom-"
"Shino told me your relationship with the Jujutsu higher-ups isn't exactly amicable. I can help you with your execution order," Noritoshi leaned forward slightly "If you stay in the Kamo clan, the higher-ups will lose their leverage. It's only a matter of time before the execution order becomes null and... our clan will keep some power with you here, its a win, win!"
Jotaro let out a sigh. "You forget something.... I don't give a damn whether the higher-ups want me dead or not. And I'm not in need for money." That was a half lie, Jojo was in fact in need for money, and the execution order did slightly annoy him...
Noritoshi's shoulders slumped slightly, disappointment flashing across his face.
"But..." Jotaro continued. "There is something that interests me. You might have heard of it: The Falling Blossom Emotion—"
"What nonsense!" Shino suddenly burst into the room, his face red with anger. "Master! That technique is sacred! It's been passed down exclusively within the three great clans. Teaching it to an outsider is out of the question!"
Noritoshi glanced at Shino, his expression unchanging. After a long pause, he nodded. "Fine. I'll grant you access to the Falling Blossom Emotion technique," he said firmly. "In exchange, you will stay with the clan for five years and act as its protector."
Jotaro just shook his head. "Three years. And I'll work on my terms..." JOtaro trailed off for a moment thinking "I also want to add the Simple Domain technique as well as some hand-to-hand combat techniques to the deal"
Shino's face turned a deeper shade of red. "How dare you—"
"Deal," Noritoshi interrupted, extending his hand toward Jotaro. Compared to the Falling Blossom Emotion, other requests paled in significance, a cheap price to pay considering the protection of a sorcerer as strong as Jotaro would offer. Even if the execution order came before his special grade rank could become official, the news that he was as strong as a special grade was enough to make a name for himself in the jujutsu world
Jotaro reached out to shake his hand, a small smile on his face. Three years was a long time, but it wasn't as if Jotaro had anything better to do. 'Isn't this the best opportunity to get a power up?'
***
A few days later.
"This thing is delicious, what you think, Megumi?" Gojo asked with his mouth full of food.
"Its alright I guess" The little black haired kid next to him answered with a blank expression as he kept playing with his food.
Inside the bustling restaurant, three teenagers sat around a table together with 2 little girls and a boy.
Satoru Gojo standing to the right side was happily devouring a slice of cake with Megumi in the middle and Shoko to the left side, sipped her drink while casually scrolling through her phone.
Suguru Geto was facing them, he calmly ate his cold soba noodles. On either side of him sat two small girls, Nanako and Mimiko, quietly savoring their own plates while occasionally glancing at Geto.
"Oh?" Gojo's eyes lit up as his phone buzzed with a notification.
Suguru looked up at Satoru, raising an eyebrow. "What's got you so interested all of a sudden?"
"It seems our Purple Stripper is having fun while playing with the big dogs." Gojo laughed making Suguru even more confused at his words.
"Check this out," Gojo said with a grin, turning his phone toward Suguru.
Suguru squinted at the screen. It was an official post from their teacher, detailing a surprising piece of news, Jotaro Kujo's execution order had been postponed, with the Kamo clan stepping in to defend him.
"The Kamo clan?" Suguru asked, genuinely shocked. "I heard rumors that the clan's leadership had changed recently, but this... why are they helping Jojo?" He rubbed his forehead thoughtfully but a very small smile appeared on his face
Hearing them, Shoko lowered her phone and leaned over to glance at the screen. A small smile played on her lips. "He's doing better than we thought," she murmured.
"Yea" Gojo nodded his head with a smile. "See, I told you that there was no need to worry about that guy!"
(A/N: 3 exams done, 4 more to go. Wish me luck!)