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A few days had passed since Toji left the Zenin clan. Naoya had tried asking around if anyone knew where he went, but got no clue from either the servants or his father.
Currently, sitting at the dinner table, Naoya placed his bowl and chopsticks down and looked toward Naobito.
"Father," called Naoya.
"Hm?" asked Naobito, placing his own bowl and chopsticks aside.
"I have a request."
"What is it?"
"I would like to join a school," replied Naoya.
That made Naobito look at his son in surprise. He wasn't expecting such a request — nor did he understand the need. The clan provided all the education a Zenin heir needed, especially in jujutsu.
"Why would you want that? The clan will teach you everything you need to know. You should focus more on your jujutsu training. I don't see any benefit in joining a school," said Naobito.
Naoya took a deep breath. Going to school was something Toji had suggested. It would limit his constant interaction with the clan, help him understand how society worked, and let him grow into a somewhat normal person — as normal as a sorcerer could be. But the real reason was more practical: Toji had told him that having verified academic records could be important if the clan ever cast him aside.
The Zenin clan could teach him everything, yes, but they couldn't give him a recognized certificate. And if he ever ended up like Toji — clanless and unemployed — he'd face serious trouble finding a job.
Jujutsu was important, but being able to fit into normal society mattered too. Toji had learned that the hard way, and he didn't want Naoya to make the same mistake.
"Father, the clan can teach me academics," said Naoya, "but interaction with my peers — and the lessons you learn from that — are difficult to acquire in an isolated space. Especially when there's no one else my age."
Naobito went silent. There was truth in Naoya's words, but clan tradition demanded isolation and early specialization in jujutsu.
"If you go to school, when will you train? If you slack off, others will surpass you. The three great clans — Zenin, Gojo, and Kamo — all focus on jujutsu from this age. What will you do if they move ahead while you're busy 'learning to be a good adult'?" asked Naobito.
"You mentioned all three clans do the same thing," replied Naoya calmly. "Maybe that's why none of them have pulled ahead. Why not try something different? Maybe that's what it takes to advance."
"That's a big gamble. You're the only one in the Zenin clan of your age. We can't experiment with you," said Naobito.
"It's like you said, Father — the Zenin clan has only me, while the Gojo clan has several around Satoru's age. He can grow alongside them. But I'm stuck alone. It's boring doing the same thing every day; my motivation fades. I'll train before and after school, and if the results aren't satisfactory, you can pull me out," said Naoya.
"Train before and after school? How much time will that leave you? And won't it affect your studies if you're tired all the time?" asked Naobito.
"The time will be reduced, yes, but that's still better than losing motivation and stopping altogether. And as for being tired... have you ever seen me skip training just because I complained about it? I may whine, but I never slack off," said Naoya.
"That's really not something to brag about," muttered Naobito.
He thought about Naoya's words. The boy complained a lot, true, but he never skipped training. If he got bored and started half-assing things, that would be a disaster. Discipline was something Naoya still lacked, and Naobito had tried — and failed — to instill it by force. The Disciplinary Pit wasn't an option anymore either; Naoya was strong enough to handle grade-2 curses on his own, and the pit only held curses up to that level.
Naobito furrowed his brows, deep in thought. Then he looked at his son and said, "Fine, let's have it your way. I'll admit you to a school. However, at the end of each month, you'll undergo a test to prove this school idea isn't interfering with your growth."
"What kind of test?"
"Simple. Combat. You'll face members of the Hei, Kukuru, and Akashi units, starting from the lowest ranks. Defeat one opponent from each group to pass. Once you reach the Hei unit, you only need to show improvement — defeating them won't be mandatory. You can't fight the same opponent twice; if you lose once, challenge them again next time. Lose twice, and you fail."
"Hm... fighting clan members, passing by victory, failing by two losses... Agreed," said Naoya.
Naobito smirked. Good. Time to drill some discipline through combat. He knew Naoya had trained with Toji, but what could training with a non-sorcerer really amount to?
Sigh… if only he knew.
If Naoya truly improved, that would benefit the clan. And if he didn't, Naobito could always pull him back and do things the Zenin way.
Naoya smiled as well. He got his wish, even if it came with conditions. All he had to do was make sure he kept improving — which he planned to do anyway.
"On that note, which school do you want to go to? Any preferences?" asked Naobito.
"Hm? I don't know. I don't really know about schools. I just wanted to go to make some friends and play around... along with growing into a good man," added Naoya quickly as his father's glare fell on him.
"I'll check which school our family sponsors and admit you there. Admission won't be an issue since you're just about the right age," said Naobito.
"Thanks! I knew I could count on you," said Naoya with a bright smile.
"Brat, apart from me, who else do you think you can count on? Also — tell me something," said Naobito.
"What?"
"Why did your cursed energy spike so much?" asked Naobito, frowning. He'd felt it months ago — Naoya's cursed energy had suddenly increased one day, which was abnormal. Cursed energy was supposed to be fixed from birth. The amount that one can use at a time might change but the total energy remained the same. He had waited to see if it happened again but hadn't felt anything since.
"Huh? It increased? I don't feel it," said Naoya, putting on his Oscar-worthy act.
Naobito frowned. Was his son telling the truth?
"Maybe it's because I have two techniques? Did it really increase though? I don't feel any different," asked Naoya innocently.
"It did — about a year ago. If you truly don't feel it, then it might be something beyond our understanding," said Naobito, deciding to believe him for now.
"Hm? Is that a bad thing?"
"Not for us. But those who dislike you might decide you're more trouble than you're worth," said Naobito.
"Hm. Troublesome. What should we do then?" asked Naoya.
"What can we do? Just inform me if you notice any changes or another increase in cursed energy," said Naobito.
Naoya nodded. Cursed energy increase rewards were very rare. In fact he only got it once when he collected the seven dragon balls. So it was unlikely that he will need to confront this topic again and again.
Done with their discussion, Naoya went back to his room and rested for a while. When the clock hit midnight, he stood up, ready to train with Toji — only to stop midway as he remembered Toji was gone.
He sighed.
Still, Toji's absence wasn't an excuse to slack off.
With renewed determination, he walked toward the area where they used to train.
.
.
.
The next day, during lunch, Naobito handed a paper folder to Naoya without saying a word.
Naoya looked at the folder curiously before opening it.
"Setagaya North Elementary School."
Naoya read the words aloud.
"It's a school the Zenin clan funds. Not a grand one — big schools waste too much time. Work hard there. If you've chosen this path, I won't have you underperform," said Naobito.
"Understood. Thank you, Father," said Naoya with a smile.
Naobito nodded, though his expression turned serious again.
'I'll need to assign someone to watch over him at school… Sigh. This boy just keeps adding to my burdens,' thought Naobito as he glanced at Naoya.
But the faint, genuine smile on his son's face made him feel — just for a moment — that it wasn't such a bad burden after all.