He paused, struggling and stuttering. Looking briefly frustrated, Momo let him take his time, eyes half on the screen as she watched some guy attempt a ridiculous food challenge.
After nearly a minute, Kuroki finally continued, "Reality, at its core, is violent, dor most of human history, it's been held in check by the collective might of society. You should be- enthus- Enthusi. . ."
He cut himself off with a sharp breath, frustrated. There was a reason he didn't like talking around people who weren't family.
"Enthusiastic," Momo supplied dryly. It was one of the few things she didn't make fun of her brother for because it's one of the few things he actually got hurt over.
"Welp, that's why we're in clans. Groups of strong people to keep the freaks away. And besides, it's not worth the effort to break into all the boys' club stuff anyway, goofy," She felt his irritation spike but she ignores it, watching in awe as the man on her tablet shoved an entire bowl of mac and cheese down his throat.
Kuroki grabbed a sweat towel, balled it up, and hurled it as hard as he could. It smacked into her tablet, making her yelp as it flopped down onto her face.
She groaned, pulling it off and shooting him a dirty look, "Besides, you're getting Mom's broom, so it's pretty clear you've got this! Let me coast. Its clear, the Elders want a guy in the spotlight for the next generation, its just stupid to make moms broom into a Bo-Staff."
"The broom's yours," The words came out smoother than before as he turned back to the bag. That sharpness returned to his eyes as he fell back into the rhythm of his strikes.
Momo rolled her eyes and went back to ignoring him, content to lie there while he finished his sets taking some small comfort in simply hanging out with her strange, unsettling brother.
~~~~
Momo yawned softly as she shuffled out of bed, the early morning chill clinging to her skin. Winter had settled fully over the compound, the wooden floors cold beneath her feet as she padded toward the edge of the room.
She nearly tripped, narrowly catching herself, she looked down and froze at what she saw.
A broomstick lay neatly in the center of her room, wrapped carefully in pale paper, a small bow tied at the handle with almost excessive precision. For a moment she simply stared, slowly she crouched and gently peeled a folded note from beneath the ribbon.
Kuroki's Handwriting. It was always so hard to read it, and it always pressed on the paper so hard so she takes a moment to squint and read her brothers sloppy Handwriting.
"Momo, after speaking with the Elders, they have acqucuivesed to letting you have the broom. Merry Christmas."
She snorted quietly at the mangled spelling but kept reading, her expression softening.
"They believe an object passed down from mother to son has the potential to amplify cursed energy through emotional bonds They wanted me to convert it into a bo-staff so it would be a cursed tool by the time we reach first-year status I do not agree with this I want you to have it instead. You have Mom's eyes, you should have her broom too."
Momo smiled despite herself as she reached down and lifted it. Muttering, "That was all one sentence. Dork."
It's all she does say, as a wide infectious grin covers her face. It was a stupid present perhaps, and such a small thing but it made her smile.
There was nothing ostentatious about the broom. It wasn't yet a cursed tool, only one with potential. Reinforced core, carefully chosen wood, custom-balanced for flight and durability. What made it valuable wasn't power, but the connection they had with it.
It had been meant for their mother.
She'd retired early after giving birth, choosing the clan over the field. The elders had never liked women on the front lines anyway, not when the Zenin or the Kamo were watching. The broom had flown only a handful of times since they've been born.
Momo closed her eyes and focused. Cursed energy trickled from her fingertips. The broom shuddered, then lifted, just barely hovering in a wobbling circle around the room. Her tongue stuck out in concentration as she guided it, laughing quietly when it nearly smacked into her dresser.
"Okay, okay," she muttered, steadying it as she darts over to her closet where she opens it and pulls out the gift she got of her brother. Carefully wrapped, and boxed was a framed and signed Mike-Tyson poster with his signature on it.
She tucked the broom under her arm, alongside letting the box float as she grabbed a sweater, and padded down the hall. The smell of oil and soy greeted her as she entered the kitchen.
Her mother stood at the stove, already dressed, sleeves rolled up as she worked. Momo, waved at her mom and said, "Mom! Wheres dad and Kuroki?"
"Your father left early, hes trying to clear up his missions so he can enjoy Christmas eve with us. Your brother's already in the gym with Grandpa, and don't expect just because you two gave out your presents early that Santa's coming early," Aoi teased turning away from the freshly cleaned counters, littered with only a single plate of rice and eggs.
Her eyes flicked to the broom, and she smiled faintly, "I see you like his gift at the very least. He had to argue with Grandpa you know."
Momo nodded, letting her cursed energy leak just enough to slide a plate toward herself. She slipped on her shoes and headed outside, breath fogging in the cold air as she crossed the compound.
A few clan members smiled as she passed. One of the Elders on the council giggling with his son walking alongside him, "Look at her, Bringing her brother a present. How cute!"
Momo ignored them. The words made her uncomfortable, but it wasn't worth the trouble to say anything.
She slid open the gym doors and called out, "Kuroki-"
The word died in her throat.
Elder Shigemori sat cross-legged near the wall, his posture relaxed. Grandpa Naoto stood beside him, arms folded, both men watching the center of the room with cool, evaluative eyes.
A dull, wet thud echoed through the space one that kept being repeated. The source of it and Momo's breath freezd
Kuroki straddled one of their cousins, pinning him effortlessly to the mat. His knuckles were split and swollen. Beneath him, an older boy writhed weakly, his face unrecognizable beneath blood and swelling as Kuroki continued to punch him, methodical, unhurried.
There was no anger on Kuroki's face and all Momo felt from her twin was a frightening amount of satisfaction and delight. Even as their cousin sobbed, "I-It's Christmas, K-Kuro. . . please-"
Another punch snapped his head against the floor and Kuro hand darts down. Snatching his cousin by the throat and squeezing, done out of realization that if he let his opponent breath it was easier to recover.
Cursed energy flared faintly around Kuroki's fist as he drew back for the next strike.
Grandpa Naoto moved instantly, seizing Kuroki's wrist before it could fall, "That will be sufficient, you made your wager. You've proven your skill without your mother's broom, defeating a boy two years your senior. Heh, I only made this bet to prove Shigemori's grandsons A wimp gegegegegeg."
Kuroki froze, and so, did Momo. Never before had her Grandpas joyful laugh ever felt so- wrong. Kuroki nods, and released his cousin, rose smoothly to his feet, and bowed, "Understood."
"Sufficiently ruthless," Elder Shigemori murmured, stroking his beard, and fishing out a few yen which he throws at Naoto who caught it with that same laugh.
The words barely registered to Momo as she stared at her cousin.
The same boy who'd walked her to lessons, and who'd shared sweets with her brother, and was one of the few who tried to hangout around Kuroki. . . Her cousin who she had expected to see tonight at the family feast.
Now he lay gasping, blood bubbling at his lips, jaw shattered, and the elders only watched as he struggled to draw breath.
Shigemori hummed, "A bit excessive, but useful, but a reminder of what a curse would do if he were careless. That last strike was especially nasty. Healing a jaw like that will take time."
Naoto snorted, "Reminds me of when you broke my jaw after that American boxer won. Don Frye, was it? You were furious I'd won that bet, my wife wanted to see you fry for that one!".
Naoto finally noticed her, "Oh? You brought Kuroki his Christmas present? Excellent timing. Don't worry about the mess Momo, the staff will handle this."
Shigemori stood, casually lifting his own grandson's limp body as though it weighed nothing, "Merry Christmas."
They left the gym and as the doors slid shut, Kuroki approached her. Momo stood frozen, clutching the broom. Blood dripped from Kuroki's hand onto the mat, dark, steady. A fragment of tooth clung to his knuckle.
He looked, waiting for her to speak. Finally, he spoke muttering, "What do you have?"
"Your gift," She numbly says handing him the package. Despite all the brutality something flickers in his eyes, something soft and tender in those icy hazel eyes.
He's gentle as he reaches forward and takes it in his hands, "Thank you."
She just nods, as he carefully unwrapped it. His tongue sticking out his mouth, as she stares at the bloodstained on the mat at the center of the room. Finally, Kuroki, paused as he finished unwrapping it leaving the paper as unstained and unborn as possible as he stares at the picture frame.
His eyes sparkle and he mutters, "Thank you."
"What a wonderful present," Grandpa mutters almost faux jealously, as he rubs his big nose.
Momo finally moves her gaze from the bloodstain and to her brother, whose shadow stood over her. Almost perfectly aligned behind him, was the drawing of Sakuna- The King of Curses painting hanging over her brother, and for a split second she swore the painting's eyes perfectly matched her brothers.
Inhuman.
No matter how carefully she maintained her cutesy shell how practiced her smiles and shrugs became Momo couldn't shake the feeling that realization was sinking in deeper with every passing day.
Her brother was inhuman and strange, sometimes feeling so out of place while others fitting right in perfectly.
Kuroki's spars had grown so violent that the elders forbade him from training without supervision. And yet, they praised him all the same for every win, every loss, every moment of "progress." He hadn't even revealed his hidden techniques, and still they spoke of him with pride.
She was half certain she was the only one who knew what her brother was hiding in reserve. She's not sure why, but it was the little things that tipped her off. Small habits she noticed only when it was just the two of them.
Maybe their parents saw it, but maybe they didn't. But regardless, despite that inhumanity she never truly feared he was gonna hurt her, for out of all the spars they've done he's never gone out of his way to hurt her like the others.
She even got away with blackmailing him for sweets, without fear of repercussions because on some level she knew her brother took solace in those interactions. He wasn't a good person but- He was certainly her brother.
Either way, Momo brushed it aside for now, focusing instead on getting ready for her trip to the mall with a few of her cousins.
Ren and Kiri.
Ren was older, the daughter of a Window, sharp-eyed and nervous girl who was likely going to be a Branch Member of the clan. Kiri, who insisted everyone use her cutesy nickname, was tall and painfully thin, all angles and quiet smiles and her actual cousin- As in her mother's sisters daughter, rather then just calling every relative of the clan cousin.
Momo stepped into the kitchen and paused when she saw Kuroki sat at the low table, eating in silence.
Their mother occupied the small computer desk in the corner of the living room, glasses on as she worked through tax documents and expense ledgers. Their father, as usual, was gone, off on another mission.
That was the price of being an outsider.
Even with Grandpa's influence softening the worst of it, an American sorcerer never lacked for assignments. There were always more missions, and more obligations or more proof to be demanded because the Elders remembered the days of the Emperor in a far different light.
Momo shook the thought away and drifted closer to the table. With a lazy flick of cursed energy, she plucked a piece of cabbage straight from Kuroki's plate and floated it over to herself.
He froze and then slowly, he turned his head to glare at her as he kept chewing on his pork and rice.
One of the few things Kuroki genuinely loved was food. To an almost concerning degree. Hidden in his room, tucked behind training manuals and old notebooks, was a cookbook she'd once discovered while searching for a charger to steal from him.
It was sad, that Mom and everyone else in the clan would make fun of him if he ever followed that hobby of his. Still, Kuro chewed methodically, eyes fixed on her.
From the living room, their mother called out, "Oh? You're all dressed up. Where are you heading?"
"To the mall, with Ren and Kiri. Theirs a sale on perfumes and stuff," She quickly answers back moving to the door rapidly as she can.
"Take your brother, Ive heard there's been trouble on the trains lately," Aoi said without looking up, and Momo groaned.
Kuroki swallowed his last bite, stood, and followed her without a word.
She poked him in the side as they stepped into the hallway, "Don't ruin this for me. I love shopping with Ren and Kiri. If you do, I'll hide your punching bag somewhere you'll never find it."
He pinched her cheek in response, stopping only when she smacked his hand away. They rounded the corner and found their cousins waiting.
Both Ren and Kiri went still the moment they saw Kuroki.
Ren was about Momo's height, maybe a little taller and had her blond hair tied into a neat bun, green eyes sharp with unease.
Kiri towered over them all, narrow as a reed, pale hair almost white in the winter light. Ren licked her lips before managing fearfully, "Ah. . . Momo, you brought Kuroki?"
"My bad, my bad. Captain Killjoy wasn't my idea. Mom insisted something about train trouble. But I really want to see that perfume sale you mentioned," Momo said quickly, not quite sure what her mom was referring to and feeling disgruntled at the presence of her twin.
Only makes, things worse when she felt amusement radiating off him.
Kiri's eyes widened in understanding, "Ooh. Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Sorry if we're a little weird about you, Kuroki. It's just that you're, um-"
Kuroki raised an eyebrow and quickly interrupted her for once, "Intimidating?"
"Yes," Ren said immediately, nodding too fast.
Momo grimaced as they started walking, her brother naturally falling into step behind them like a shadow who didn't belong, "On the bright side, he can carry all our bags. We're starting high school soon, we've gotta take advantage while we can."
"Of course," Kuroki murmured.
There was a faint flicker of amusement in his eyes as they headed toward the station.
~~~~~
Kuroki trailed behind the girls, several steps back, as though by instinct he had already designated himself the rearguard. The mall corridor was warm compared to the winter air outside, lights reflecting off polished floors and glass storefronts. The three girls were relaxed now, their earlier tension fading into easy laughter as they drifted from display to display.
Even with christmas over things hadnt thawed yet.
In Kuroki's hands hung several shopping bags, each one held carefully, evenly balanced. Bottles of perfume clinked softly inside their boxes. One bag held a neatly folded dress, the tissue paper still crisp and unwrinkled. He adjusted his grip once, automatically, ensuring nothing bent or shifted.
He was content to follow, for most the trip- Until now, when he finally came to a stop.
It was a small arcade-themed store tucked between two louder, brighter chains. Neon trim buzzed faintly above the doorway, and the sound of games leaked into the hallway. Inside, colorful machines blinked and hummed, and the walls were plastered with posters of anime, fighting games, and old series rendered in bold metallic inks.
Kuroki's gaze locked onto one in particular.
A metallic posters caught the overhead lights just right, the colors sharp and cool.
He simply stared, glancing to his sister and then the posters before sighing and preparing to move on after one last glance.
Momo noticed the moment his pace broke.
She slowed, glanced back, and followed his line of sight. Recognition sparked instantly, it was a poster of some anime Kuroki loved. Her lips twitched, and she reached out to tug gently at Kiri's sleeve.
Kiri followed her gaze and stifled a laugh, eyes bright with mischief, "Finally, we found what he actually wants."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "It's kind of nerdy, but honestly? I could use a new Nintendo game anyway."
Ren's posture softened as well, some of her lingering tension draining away. She smiled shyly, fingers clasping together, "I- I like games too, I wonder what kind of gift cards they have. . .I hope they sell Steam cards. Oh! I see Shirts!"
The three girls turned in unison.
Momo didn't give Kuroki time to protest. She grabbed his arm and began dragging him toward the store with exaggerated enthusiasm, "Come on, let's see what posters they've got!"
For a brief second, Kuroki's expression faltered, surprise, and hesitation, mixed with something uncertain. Momo rolls her eyes and says, "Oh stop, hesitating no one's gonna judge you for some posters."
Then his mouth curved upward, just barely as his sister assures him, "That would be. . . nice,"
Inside, the store's energy wrapped around him immediately. Bright colors, familiar imagery, sounds layered over one another. His attention scattered, drawn from rack to rack. He moved slowly, methodically, fingers brushing over laminated posters as he examined them.
He stopped in front of one rack and pulled out a poster carefully, followed by another.
He glanced around, shoulders tightening slightly. Ren and Kiri had wandered deeper into the store, already absorbed in browsing clothes and shelves even heading to the dressing room eagerly.
Kuroki leaned toward Momo, lowering his voice, "Not a word, If they ask- it's yours."
Momo snorted softly and slid the poster free, she teased looking it over, "Sailor Moon? Isn't this ancient?"
Kuroki hesitated and she saw for the first time her brother genuinely uncertain, before finally she rolled her eyes, then smiled, "Fine. I'll say it's mine."
Kuroki relaxed and he quickly added a Dragon Ball Z poster to the stack, aligning the corners perfectly before carrying them to the counter. His sister had even picked two she liked as well and was carrying her own.
There was no one there, and Momo opened her mouth to comment just before a scream came from the back of the shop, "Get the fuck away from me!"
Ren's scream tore through the store like a blade. Momo dropped the posters in shock. They nearly hit the floor before Kuroki caught them without looking, placing them carefully on the counter as if completing a task already begun.
Then he followed, quickly they reached the back of the shop.
Ren stood rigid near the changing area, face flushed, eyes wet with unshed tears. Her hands shook at her sides. Kiri was beside her, fists clenched, jaw tight with fury. In front of them stood a middle-aged man in a coat, and the store clerk.
"You're making a scene, miss, P
Please leave before I call the police," The clerk snapped sharply.
"He- He slid his phone under the stall, He took pictures of me while I was changing," Ren said, voice cracking. Momo had to stop herself from breaking the mans spine on sight.
It would be something easy for her but the trouble- was worrying.
The large man, and pervert scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "That's a lie, all the time I've come here and had no problems at all- Until today, what's wrong with you girl."
"I'm calling the police," Kiri said, already fumbling for her phone.
Momo moved without thinking, stepping in close to Ren and gripping her arm tightly holding back her desire to kick the perverts ass, "Ren doesn't lie, you just wait till my Grandpa hears about this he's rich!"
The clerk sighed loudly, irritation plain on his face. Finally he steps closer, towering over the young girls, "That man is a valued customer here, I want all of you out. Now."
Momo felt it then, her eyes darting away from the man and to her brother. It was faint, but it was there a shift in his cursed energy.
A sharp, cold spike that prickled along her skin. Kuroki had moved behind the two men, silent as a shadow.
"We will wait for the police," Kiri said calmly, as she could glaring at both men as Ren looked deeply upset. She was always a soft girl, spoiled by being the byproduct of a vital marriage alliance for the clans business interests. It made Momo only more angry.
The large man sneered, face twisting with contempt, "I'm angry just being accused by these bitches!"
Momo felt her brother decide on a course of action the moment thoss words escaped the large mans mouth. The clerk snorted as he reached forward grabbing Momo's and Kiri's forearm, "Out. Now-"
The sentence ended in a scream.
Kuroki's foot slammed into the back of the clerk's knee with brutal precision. There was a sharp crack, bone giving way, and the man collapsed instantly, howling as he hit the floor.
The pervert lunged toward Kuroki, who stepped back, rotated his hips, and delivered a single punch directly to the jaw
The impact was devastating, as the man crumpled, jaw snapping sideways as he hit the floor in a heap.
"You dishonor my clan, and my sister," He spoke, with a glare to both of the men.
He turned back to the clerk, who was clutching his leg and sobbing. Kuroki brought his heel down on the man's wrist, bones shattering under his stomp before he snatched a nearby lava lamp and threw it on the man.
The clerk screamed as it shatters across him. The other man groaned, barely conscious, slowly starting to rise. Kuroki switches attention, reaching for a piece of glass until Momo barks, "Kuro cut it out."
Ren moved before anyone could stop her. She kicked the man hard in the stomach, rage and fear pouring out of her. Then she reached down and tore his phone from his pocket.
Kuroki, sighs dropping the glass shard, and instead extended his hand towards Ren, "Give it."
Ren hesitated, eyes wide, then placed the phone in his palm. He crushed it.
Plastic and glass folded inward with a dry, grinding crunch. He reduced it further, pulverizing the remains until nothing recognizable was left. Then he scattered the fragments across the man's chest before spitting on the mans face, "I will murder you, you pathetic fucking worm if I ever discover those photos somehow survive."
"Kuroki, That's enough," This time it was Ren, who spoke. Kuroki hesitated, and for a moment, something dark and hungry flickered behind his eyes. The satisfaction lingered, coiled and waiting.
Then Ren stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. She clung to him tightly, shaking. "Thank you! Thank you! I couldn't live with the idea of my photos being out there."
The tension drained from him all at once.
"Oh," he said quietly, genuinely surprised.
He patted her head, awkward and careful. A soft smile soon comes across his face, as he struggles to find the words before settling on, "It's. . . all right."
For just a brief moment, he looked calm. Until the Sirens arrived.
He sighs and mutters, "Call Dad."
~~~~~~~
Kuroki rubbed at his wrists as he stepped away from the police officer, falling into step beside his father and grandfather as they exited the station.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, cold and sterile, and the winter air outside felt sharp against his skin.
Daniel glanced down at him, jaw tight, "You did good defending your sister, but you went too far. Sometimes you should call an adult when such situations arrive and th-"
Naoto's cane snapped forward, smacking sharply into Daniel's thigh, causing the man to yelp.
"Daniel, what the boy did was defend the honor of our clan. What would our allies think if they learned we allowed a lowly, cursed-energyless man to violate one of our own," Naoto said cheerfully, though there was iron beneath the tone.
He waved a hand dismissively as the government liaison assigned to the Nishimiya clan sighed, watching them pass. The liaison gives a small wave back as Naoto continued, "In older times, in the days of the Emperor's reign, men like that would have been executed. Such offenses were considered attacks upon the family itself."
Daniel exhaled slowly, forcing himself to nod, "I'm proud of him, don't misunderstand me. But there are degrees of violence, to responding appropriately. Praising him without restraint helps no one."
Naoto chuckled, unfazed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, individually wrapped hard candy, pressing it into Kuroki's hand.
Kuroki's eyes brightened. He unwrapped it carefully, bruised knuckles still swollen from earlier, and slipped it into his mouth. The sweetness spread slowly as he swished it around, grounding himself before speaking.
Both adults paused when Kuroki cleared his throat and chose his words wisely and slowly as always, "I do not believe the police would have responded adequately to the situa-situation, So I acted. Because we function as a clan."
Daniel stared at him, unsettled by the calm certainty in his son's voice. But Naoto laughed loudly, "Gegegegege! That's my grandson. If only we could fix your retarded speak."
Kuroki visibly flinched at that one, as his Granpda clapped his hands together, "You'll need to be ready when we return home. The Clan Head wishes to reward you. A spar, its meant to help you overcome the difficulties in utilizing your innate technique."
Kuroki's posture straightened slightly as his grandpa went on, "Tomorrow, you will undergo the Trial of Bruises."
Daniel stopped walking, "No, He won't-"
The air shifted and Naoto's smile vanished as he asked quietly, "Are you questioning the elders judgment?"
Both Daniel and Kuroki froze Daniel clenched his teeth. "He's just a boy, He doesn't start Jujutsu High for little under a year. Trials like that aren't supposed to happen until-"
"Kuroki is exceptional, and he enjoys combat. It is only right he be tested earlier than his sister, if she ever chooses to walk that path. She could grow up into quite a marriage candidate both within and without the clan," The old mans words made Daniel look sick to his stomach.
Kuroki slowed his steps, glancing at his father, and Daniel looked afraid. They look of someone who went into this world ignorant and eager for money and was paying the price the rest of his life.
They reached the car. The driver opened the door in silence. Naoto entered first, humming to himself. Daniel followed stiffly, Kuroki climbing in last.
As the door shut, sealing them inside, Kuroki spoke, "What is the Trial of Bruises?"
Naoto leaned back, cane resting across his knees, "It is the first step of preparation, you see, Karo is the title I hold, along with the four other elders. Beneath the Clan Head, we advise, we weigh decisions, and when necessary, we oppose if that Old goats doing something stupid."
He smiled faintly stuck in memory as he says filled with nostaliga, "The path to becoming a Karo has many stages. We would like to groom you as a future pillar of the clan. Perhaps even an elder, one day."
Daniel's hands clenched into fists as he finally interrupted, "The first stage is the Path of Bruises, then comes the Path of Iron. And finally. . . the Path of Blood. Which I will not allow neither of my children to do as long as Im guardian of them."
"Fate, fate is a real force in this world Daniel. It does not always welcome those, who intrude upon it from the outside. The boy must be strong, to prove he is not an outsider and face the rejection you do as an American in an old clan, who still remembers the days of our Emperor," Their was a calculating look in Grandpa's eye as the car began to move.
But, bar a soft hum and the mouth noises Kuroki made as he swished the candy around in his mouth. No one spoke for the rest of the drive.
The road home felt longer than usual