Origin(2)

Botans' serious stare then bursted out laughing as he struggled to breathe. He then shouted, "You're one interesting kid alright."

As he calmed down he then began to speak, "What I said about my father was partially the truth as well as the orphanage. However, the syndicate itself is an assassin group that my grandfather made, to try to piggyback off the new discovery of Jujutsu Sorcerery. Once his son grew old enough, he led a Coup d'état to kill its leader and take leadership of the still-growing syndicate at the time. Once my father managed to fully take over he led the group to newfound glory, expanding it to the point that it became one of the largest groups in the world trickling just behind Jujutsu Society. As its influence grew, the manpower needed for it increased, and so he opened up the Daihatsu orphanage. A place where lost or kidnapped children would be sent to be secretly trained to join the organization. However the survival rate was low, and just as strong people naturally joined the organization, so my father eventually abandoned the project. However, after I assassinated my father I took over the organisation, and then after a couple of months, I discovered that same orphanage. At first, I only took a small interest in it but then yesterday I decided to take a look at it myself. Once I arrived there I found the horrible state that he left it in, that's when thought: 'No one should be suffering such a cruel fate'. So I shamelessly paid off the old director to never speak about that place again, as well as hired some new staff, and moved all the kids to a new orphanage."

As the man finished his explanation, Taori asked, "Why did you bring me here then?"

The words that he uttered next shocked her greatly. Botan responded, "I wanted to take you in as my daughter."

Taori argued with him, "I don't believe you, this is all too sudden." Taori sensed that this too was a lie, however, her pain wanted her to believe that what he said was true.

Botan then asked Taori, "Do you want to go visit them?"

One hour later

A limousine parked outside a large luxurious building surrounded by great steel fences. As one of the limousine's windows rolled down, it revealed Taori who peaked outside.

As she took a look, she could see her younger brother, Mitsuki as well as Nagto and some other new kids, playing in a field. Unlike the rags that they wore before they were all clean and happy. In just the few hours that she had been gone their lives had changed completely. Just before she left to go see them she turned as pale as a ghost once she saw another girl leave the building to go play with them.

It was Fuuko.

The shaken Taori asked Botan who had sat in the front passenger seat, "How is Fuuko playing outside?? I thought she was too sick to leave the building without help?"

Botan then told her, "Some drugs and treatments were being developed worldwide, however, they were experimental and highly illegal. Using my influence, I was able to procure some of these and give it to the girl. As long as she doesn't get off the medication she can live for around 50 more years."

As he was told the news, Taori struggled to hold back tears. Finally, the family that she had been trying so hard to protect could finally live in peace. Botan then asked her,

"Don't you want to go speak to them?"

As this question pondered in her mind, Taori answered, "No. They have finally achieved the happiness ever after that they all deserved. My purpose was to make sure they could survive in that horrible place but now I'm not needed anymore."

"They will still miss you though?", He asked.

Taori responded, "That doesn't matter anymore."

Thanks to the harsh circumstances that she grew up in, Botan could see that Taori was incredibly mature for her young age.

Botan then whispered in the driver's ear, then suddenly the car began to transport them to a new location.

Botan then asked, "You have never had ice cream before, Taori?"

1 year later

Taori and her father were taking a walk in a nearby park. This is a routine that the two would perform almost every day. Ever since the 1 year that Taori had been adopted by Botan, she had lived the life of a high-class girl. She went to school and had made many friends and now had a pet dog that she looked after with the help of Tsubaki. However, the walk that she and Botan went on today was different.

As the two walked down the luscious green grass along with their pet dog, Botan suddenly said, "There is something that I need to show you, Taori."

Taori responded, "Father?"

As the two walked further down the park, they slowly ventured into a part that Botan had never brought Taori into before. The grass began to grow darker and darker until only dirt remained. The leaves of the plants and trees began to darken and fall as they withered away and hollowed. At some point, the two had walked past the corpse, of a crow.

As the park grew darker and sinister, Taori began to gain an eerie feeling, it was as if something was following her, stalking her with malicious intent.

As the two reached the end of what could no longer be described as a park but a forest, a large, dead and hollow tree stood before them. In front of it laid a stone grave with the name carved,

"Botan . II Daihatsu."

Botan then began to talk, "I never told you my father's name did I? Ever since the founding of the Daihatsu, it had been made a tradition to name the firstborn son after the father."

Taori asked him, "What do you want father?"

Botan responded quickly, "It's been a year since I adopted you Taori. Those kids at the orphanage are all almost grown ya know. Some have them have even found happy families that took them in."

Taori began to sense uneasiness in his words. She couldn't tell if he was threatening her. His goal seemed anonymous even to her.

Taori asked him worryingly, "Father? You're scaring me..."

As she said that with a shaky voice, Botan responded, "It's time that you paid me back Taori. I have raised you comfortably all this time so that you could slowly get accustomed to that life that you would inevitably live."

Taori asked him in shock, "What are you talking about?"

Botan told her, "You have a really good intuition for a 9-year-old. Even since last year, you had known that what I told you back then was a lie, but it was your inexperience to betrayal that had blinded you from that realisation."

The scared Taori asked him, "What do you want from me, Father?"

He then said, "Back then when I told you about my father's project to create the ultimate assassin. I kind of lied, but you had already figured that out hadn't you? Around 4 years ago, a researcher from the Shibuya power plant called Mozu was experimenting with cloning. That research was put to use by a doctor called Hasashi who was collaborating with my father 3 years ago in an attempt to mass-produce assassins. However, that research failed, and so he turned his mind to another project called EDEN."

Suddenly he slapped himself in the face while shouting, "AHH, I almost went off topic!"

As he calmed down he then continued, "In the end, there were only around 10 successful clones in the project. However, the majority had been born with malediction lethargy disease so they all died relatively quickly. One however was incredibly resiliant and was able to survive for quite a long while, even to the point where I was able to take over that experiment! I can't seem to remember her name however which is quite sad. Anyway, only 3 of those clones were ever considered successful as they had been born with a Cursed Technique. But among them, there was one clone, that was incredibly exceptional, she had enough willpower to push through at the toughest times, and was prepared to sacrifice herself for others. Do you want to have a guess at who that clone was Taori?"

As he said that Taori dropped to her knees. Ever since this man had adopted her she knew that he must have had some ulterior motive but she was just too naive to see it. 

She then asked, "So all those memories that we made together were a lie?"

Botan responded, "Not completely, I had fun too Taori. Raising a daughter is an experience, that I will never forget."

Taori looked up at him thinking that this was it, that it couldn't get any worse than this, and that things would go back to normal soon. But then he said, "The roleplay ends here Taori. It's time you serve your purpose."

Suddenly a tree root emerged from the ground instantly impaling the pet dog that she had brought all the way out here. Taori screamed as some of its blood landed on her face.

She quickly tried to wipe it off her face, but as she did the blood covered her hands. As she looked at them she began to uncontrollably vomit.

Botan continued, "My father thought that with suffering he could create the ultimate assassin out of you, which is probably the one thing he and I agreed with. However, the methods that he took were incredibly boring. Instead, I decided to give you the world and then rip it away. Those emotions will fuel your blade for me, and then you will become the strongest."

Taori shouted at him, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME FATHER?? HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS?? WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO TO MAKE ME COMMIT MURDER FOR YOU??"

Botan responded, "One year ago you said that since your friends had found happiness, then you wouldn't need to protect them anymore? Then what if that happiness were threatened somehow??"

Taori shouted at him, "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!"

As an evil smile spread across his face, Botan said, "After you left they all found happy families you know?? However what if those families were killed right before them??"

As Taori sobbed on the ground she begged, "Please don't hurt them. I will do anything..."

As she begged for mercy Botan asked her, "Then let's make a new deal. You will become an assassin for me and in return, they get to continue living happy lives, while you suffer for them."

Without hesitation, Taori shouts, "If you break this promise, I swear that one day I will kill you myself."