In a small courtyard outside Sendai.
Jinichi was sparring with Eichi.
Neither of them used Cursed Energy.
If Eichi had used Cursed Energy, the gap in their strength would have been too great.
The sparring would have turned into a one-sided beating.
That would have been too much of a bully move.
Unlike Toji's well-proportioned physique that captivated all who saw him, Jinichi's muscles conveyed an explosive sense of power.
It was like the difference between a muscular gorilla and a bodybuilder.
Bang, bang, bang.
Eichi and Jinichi exchanged direct blows.
Neither side dodged.
They let their fists land squarely on each other.
Jinichi threw a full-force right punch, and Eichi, unfazed, responded with a punch of equal strength.
Bang.
Their fists collided.
A sharp pain shot through their hands.
Eichi ignored it, withdrawing his right hand only to punch again.
Jinichi did the same.
Sometimes their fists collided, sometimes they struck each other's bodies.
Rip.
Jinichi tore his shirt, revealing muscles that radiated explosive power.
His muscles were several sizes larger than Eichi's balanced build.
It was like the difference between Suguru and Toji.
However, Eichi still preferred Suguru's physique—slim in clothes but muscular underneath.
Eichi grinned but didn't tear his shirt. After Jinichi stretched his shoulders a few times, he punched again.
Jinichi didn't dodge, instead aiming a punch at Eichi's chest.
Thud.
The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed.
Both were pushed back by the force of the impact.
"Haha, you two are really enjoying yourselves, huh? Youth is a beautiful thing."
A hearty laugh rang out.
Naobito, with his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, entered the courtyard with Toji.
Hearing Naobito's voice, both stopped.
"You're late, old man."
Eichi nodded at the servants in the courtyard, then turned to Naobito.
"Haha, I'm old now, can't walk fast anymore."
"Why don't you say that after your muscles turn to flab?"
Eichi playfully slapped Naobito.
Naobito's muscles were enough to make most young men ashamed.
"Hey, you brat. Young people these days have no martial ethics, ambushing an old comrade like that."
Naobito, who had just walked past Eichi, almost had his sake gourd knocked over by the slap. He glared at Eichi, his beard bristling.
"Drink less for now. You can drink all you want once we get inside."
Eichi glared right back.
The four of them entered the house and sat cross-legged at the table.
The door to the small courtyard was left open, and from time to time they could hear the crisp sound of the shishi-odoshi dropping after being filled with water.
Soon, servants began placing dishes on the table one after another.
Gulp, gulp, ha~.
Naobito picked up a sake cup and drank it all in one go.
"This sake isn't bad."
"Like I'd ever try to fool you with bad sake."
Eichi rolled his eyes.
"Haha, you rascal. You always manage to find good sake wherever you go."
Naobito laughed.
"Jinichi, what do you think of this kid?"
Naobito asked while pouring more sake, seemingly casually.
"He's a hero."
Jinichi picked up his cup and clinked it against Naobito's.
There's an old saying, you don't truly know someone until you fight them.
Often, the intense collision of fists reveals more about a person than years of casual interaction.
Eichi choosing to forgo Cursed Energy and his jujutsu advantages to engage Jinichi in a direct, bare-fisted clash was something Jinichi deeply respected.
After all, just judging by physique, Jinichi had the advantage.
Fist-to-flesh combat is painful. Most would instinctively dodge or resort to tricks.
But Eichi never dodged once.
So their battle wasn't just physical. It was also a clash of will and spirit.
Through repeated collisions, Jinichi saw Eichi's integrity.
He wasn't one of those scheming scoundrels Jinichi despised.
"Haha, I knew you two would get along!"
Naobito laughed and downed another cup of sake.
This small gathering had been Naobito's idea.
The courtyard was arranged by Naraku at Eichi's request.
When Naraku heard that Eichi wanted a quiet courtyard suitable for a small gathering, she immediately found an old Isayama Family residence and arranged for the best chef.
As for the purpose of the gathering—
It was actually to help Jinichi and Eichi get to know each other.
Naobito had noticed that whenever Eichi spoke of the Zen'in Family, there was always a trace of disdain in his voice.
Especially toward Ogi.
Naobito even suspected that if Ogi showed up in front of Eichi, Eichi might punch him on the spot.
Jinichi was one of the few Zen'in clan members that Eichi seemed to have a normal attitude toward.
So when Naobito came to join the battle, he brought Jinichi instead of Ogi.
He wanted to see whether Eichi genuinely had a good impression of Jinichi or simply didn't know him well.
Incidentally, he also wanted to try winning over Toji.
After all, Toji's original name was Toji Zen'in (II).
They were brothers by blood.
Unfortunately, their parents had been overly devoted to the Zen'in Family's ideals.
That led to Jinichi's childhood being consumed by training and growing stronger.
Toji had been outright abandoned.
So, although they were brothers, they had no real bond.
"I heard you became a teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High."
Jinichi looked at Toji with the same lifeless, dead-fish eyes that Toji had.
"Mm."
Toji replied flatly.
"How's it going over there?"
"Not bad."
The two brothers, neither good at small talk, exchanged a few half-hearted lines.
"What do you want from us this time?"
Eichi asked casually.
The Japanese dishes were plated too small. He could finish a plate in one or two bites.
"Isn't it because Jinichi and I are leaving soon? So, thought we'd get together before that."
Naobito replied.
"That so? Then we definitely should."
Eichi glanced at Jinichi.
Jinichi was one of the few conscientious members of the Zen'in Family.
Maybe because no one had ever held an umbrella for him when he was young, he made a habit of holding umbrellas for others now that he was grown.
Though not good at expressing himself, he would still help when he could.
The Kukuru Squad had a very low position within the Zen'in Family, and Jinichi was one of the few high-ranking members who genuinely cared about them.
He'd praise them during training, saying they did well and had good muscle tone.
He even bought them watermelons to eat.
It was worth noting that watermelons in Japan are extremely expensive.
Most people wouldn't even buy a single slice all year.
And yet Jinichi bought watermelons for the Kukuru Squad without saying a word.
If no one had seen him do it, no one would have known where the watermelons came from.
Many members of the Kukuru Squad had been helped by Jinichi.
Naturally, Eichi had a good impression of this rare, non-predatory Zen'in.
The few of them drank and chatted, and with Naobito's lively personality, the atmosphere never turned dull.
They spoke of many interesting things, and before they knew it, their bond had grown stronger.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)