Other Side

Satoru yawned loudly, feeling his eyelids droop. He had been sneaking out to the Gojo Clan garden every night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious and beautiful energy he had seen in the sky a few days ago. He was fascinated by it and wondered what it was and where it came from. But that was not the only reason he was sleepy.

He was also bored out of his mind.

He hated this stupid tournament. He wished they would just crown him the strongest already. It was obvious that no one could match his Six Eyes and Limitless technique, the ultimate combination of power and skill.

He was the heir of the Gojo Clan, the most prestigious and influential clan in the jujutsu world. He deserved to be the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, and everyone knew it.

But NOO! The old farts had to make things complicated and drag out this pointless competition, where he had to face off against other heirs from different clans. As if they had any chance against him. He had easily defeated all of them, without breaking a sweat or even using his full strength. They were pathetic, with their weak and lame jujutsu techniques.

They could not even scratch him, let alone hurt him. His Limitless cursed technique shielded him from any attack, and his Six Eyes allowed him to see everything and manipulate the space around him. He was invincible, and he knew it. He did not care if they thought he was arrogant or cocky.

He was just stating the facts.

He was born to be the strongest, and no one could change that. He did not have to work hard or train like the others. He was a natural genius, a prodigy, a legend. He was Satoru Gojo, and he was the best.

It was almost evening. The tournament was nearing its end. Only one round left, the final round. The last obstacle between him and his rightful title. He had to face Zenin Naoya, the heir of the Zenin Clan, the second-largest and most powerful clan in the jujutsu world. Naoya was known for his speed and agility. He was considered a strong and talented sorcerer, but Satoru did not think much of him.

He was just another loser, who would soon learn his place. Satoru walked to the arena, where Naoya was already waiting for him. Naoya looked serious and determined, while Satoru smirked and rolled his eyes. He could see the fear and envy in Naoya's eyes, and he enjoyed it.

He loved making others feel inferior and hopeless.

He loved being the centre of attention and admiration.

He loved being The Strongest.

There was only one winner in this battle, and it was him. He did not doubt it. He heard the announcer say, "Ready, Set, Fight!". The final battle between the two greatest heirs of the jujutsu world had begun.

_________________________

I can still feel the dread in my stomach when I think about that day. The day my dad, the leader of the Zenin clan, called me to his office. He and the other clan heads told me about this big tournament that was coming up. A tournament where all the Jujutsu clans would compete to see who was the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer. The winner would get respect, fame, and power. Everything I ever wanted.

I knew this was my chance to prove myself to my clan. To show them that I was worthy of being the next Zenin leader. They always looked down on me, like I was some weakling who couldn't handle the family legacy. But I was determined to change that.

I was determined to win.

So I trained like hell for months.

Father pushed me to my limits, and beyond. He made me fight against stronger and stronger opponents, sometimes even multiple at once. He made me endure pain, exhaustion, and humiliation. He said it was for my own good. He said it was the only way to make me stronger.

But it was worth it. It was all worth it when I made it to the final round of the tournament. When I stood face-to-face with Gojo Satoru. The prodigy. The blessed child. The one who had everything I didn't. Talent, charisma, confidence. And the six eyes. The legendary technique of the Gojo clan is said to be the most powerful in the world.

I hated him. I hated him with every fibre of my being. I hated the way he smiled at me, like I was nothing. Like I was a joke. He didn't take me seriously. He didn't respect me. He didn't fear me.

But he would. He would soon learn to fear me. I swore to myself that I would beat him. I would take the title of the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer from him. I would make him pay for his arrogance. I would make him regret ever crossing me.

I didn't care that I wasn't born with the ten shadows. The Zenin clan's signature technique, that could summon ten different cursed spirits to fight for them. The technique that was rumoured to be the only thing that could rival the six eyes. I didn't need it. I had my own skills, my own techniques, and my own will.

I was not weak.

I was strong.

And I would prove it.

"Ready, Set, Fight!" The referee shouted, and I wasted no time. I charged at Gojo, ready to unleash all my fury on him. I would do whatever it took to win. To claim the title of the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer. To make my clan proud. To make Father proud.

To make myself proud.

_______________________

Jin zooms his car like a madman. He's pretty sure he blew past at least four red lights and almost ran over several pedestrians. His work clothes are wrinkled and stained. But he couldn't care less about that right now. His face is etched with worry.

How could he not be worried when his dad called him from his landline as he was leaving work and told him that Kushina had passed out while reading a book in the library at the mall with her friend and now she was at her friend's apartment.

He was terrified that something weird had happened to Kushina. Or worse. So he floors it even more to get to his destination.

Soon enough, he pulls up in front of the apartment building his dad had mentioned. He hops out and looks for the apartment with the number his dad had given him to pick up Kushina.

"47, 48, bingo, here's apartment 49!" Jin says as he knocks on the apartment door. A guy with black hair, green eyes, a bulky body and a scar on his mouth opens the door. The guy doesn't look much older than Jin.

"Who are you looking for?" the guy asks in a gruff voice and piercing eyes.

"Sorry, I'm Itadori Jin, is Kushina here?" Jin asks in a low voice. Before the guy can answer, a woman with short spiky black hair pops up behind him and smiles warmly at Jin.

"Oh, you must be Itadori Jin, right? Come on, please come in first," the woman says as she swings the apartment door open for Jin to enter.

The woman introduces herself as Yuna and the guy next to her is Toji, her husband.

Yuna tells Jin what Kushina and she had been up to for the past four hours before Kushina had a seizure-like episode where she sobbed uncontrollably and then blacked out on the library chair. Luckily, Toji was also at the mall at the same time and he carried Kushina to the apartment.

When Yuna got to the apartment, she immediately called the number on the bus card in Kushina's bag using her landline. Yuna did this to let Kushina's family know where she was so they wouldn't freak out.

Listening to Yuna's explanation, Jin thanks Yuna and Toji for taking care of Kushina and bows to them. He feels grateful that nothing bad happened to Kushina and that there are still nice people who are willing to help others. Before heading home, Jin slips some money to the couple.

The wife declines, while the husband seems pleased with the amount of money Jin offers. He waves goodbye and finally drives home with Kushina who is still out cold in his car.

________________________

I was so goddamn tired after the crazy day I had. I was fucking glad I had tucked my son in his crib earlier, so I didn't have to worry about him. I lay on the bed, waiting for my wife to get out of the shower. I couldn't believe how the day had turned out.

It started with me following my wife, who wanted to hang out with her new friend that I knew damn nothing about. It ended with me carrying her friend's limp body from the library to our apartment.

I was sceptical about bringing her friend here, especially after seeing what she could do. She was definitely involved with the curse users, or even worse, the Jujutsu clan.

The last thing I needed was for my enemies to find out where I lived and who I brought here. My family could be in fucking danger if any rogue curse sorcerers or bounty hunters came after me. But my wife insisted that we take her friend with us, and I just went along with it. While my wife called her friend's family, I checked her bag.

There was only a wallet with some cash and some clothes she bought at the mall. No ID, no weapons, nothing. Then I got a text from Shi Woo, telling me that this woman had no identity at all. No birth certificate, no records, nothing. How was that possible? Even I, the monkey of the Zenin clan, had a birth certificate.

How could there be no trace of this woman's existence?

Shi Woo's words made me pause and think. There were two possibilities.

One, she was a foreign curse user who snuck into Japan illegally. Maybe she was from Scotland or some other place where people had red hair like hers. But I fucking doubted that, because she sounded like a native Japanese. She had this weird way of ending her sentences with a verbal tic.

Two, someone wanted to hide her identity from everyone. Someone with a lot of power and money, like the Jujutsu elders. It was common for them to have illegitimate children in the Jujutsu community. They didn't care about their wives or their families. They only cared about themselves and their secrets. That explains why there are more female servants than male, as the elders sought to satisfy their desires.

The most likely scenario was that this woman was one of the Jujutsu clan's secret offspring, concealed by their powerful fathers. No one wanted to acknowledge her existence. The question remained, which clan did she belong to? Or perhaps her physical appearance predominantly followed her mother's genetics rather than her father's? It was all a whirlwind of thoughts that left my fucking head spinning.

But my focus quickly shifted toward, my wife's presence as she came out from the shower, wearing the sexy lingerie she had recently purchased from Victoria's Secret.

He couldn't help but smirk as she playfully climbed onto the bed, settling on top of him. Things were heating up, and he was eager for some intimate moments.

His hands started to explore, moving up from her hips, but got halted by his wife's hand, putting a stop to things. Glancing at her face, he noticed a mix of fear and concern. Then came a question he never saw coming: "Toji, when did you get that pet monster? What else have you been hiding from me?"

_____________________________

He barely had time to react before a hard slap struck his face, sending a jolt of pain through his jaw. He felt the heat rising in his cheek, a stinging reminder of his failure. His father glared at him with fury and contempt, his voice booming with rage.

"You are a worthless child! You had one simple task, one fucking opportunity to prove yourself, and you screwed it up royally! Now our clan will be the laughing stock of the whole world, thanks to you! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

He lowered his eyes, unable to meet his father's gaze. He had no words, no excuses, no apologies. So he's answering his father's question with silence. He felt another slap, this time on his right cheek, making his head spin.

He tasted blood in his mouth, and tears welled up in his eyes. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress his emotions. He didn't want to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

"That's it! You have disgraced our clan beyond repair! You are no longer my son and my heir! You are banished from this clan, forever! Get out of my sight, and take your useless belongings with you! I never want to see your goddamn fucking face again, as long as I live!"