I was walking down the same corridor that had led me to Naobito the first time.
The cursed energy emanating from it was just as repulsive as on the first day. This was only the second time I had set foot here, so I had never had the chance to get used to that sensation.
I felt just as exposed as I had back then, though this time I wasn't completely powerless.
I took advantage of being in a place saturated with cursed energy to test a particular trait of my Haki.
I separated from Toji and the guide to move closer to a wall.
I coated my hand in invisible Haki and touched the wall.
The cursed energy surrounding it was instantly erased—not merely pushed aside, but completely obliterated.
I was pleased to confirm that when I felt the Haki coating my hand burn away at breakneck speed.
'Figures. Otherwise it would be way too broken.'
After my test, I hurried to catch up with the other two.
It didn't take long to spot them. They had already reached the door.
I extended the range of my Observation Haki to twenty meters around me.
Inside the room, I could perceive Naobito's gray aura. His head was tilted back, and his right arm seemed to be pouring something into his mouth.
'Don't tell me that idiot is drinking again.'
I let out a sigh. Toji noticed my expression, didn't understand, and whispered softly.
"What's wrong, big brother?"
I shook my head and stepped forward, but I didn't miss the presence of two other people.
"It's nothing. Let's go in."
At my words, the guide slid the door open.
"So you're finally here."
Naobito's loud voice echoed the moment we stepped inside. Beside him stood Soya, wearing the kind of expression you'd see on someone who just tasted something foul, and not far from him was a woman I suspected to be our mother, looking at us anxiously.
'Now the question is whether that anxiety is for us or for herself.'
There was palpable tension in the air. It wasn't due to cursed energy—proof of that was the fact that even Toji could feel it.
His eyes were narrowed, and he looked uncomfortable.
"Good. Come sit," Naobito said, pointing in front of him with his chin.
We didn't hesitate. We stepped forward and sat down across from him.
From here, I could feel Soya's stare growing heavier, but I had to stay calm. Turning my attention to Toji, I noticed he was also doing his best not to show any nervousness.
Our faces were as neutral as possible. And that didn't go unnoticed by Naobito.
"Hahahaha! You kids are funny. You look like you're trying not to crap yourselves. Bwahahaha!"
He laughed like an idiot for a solid ten minutes before finally calming down.
"Alright. I already told you last time, but you're here because you have a choice to make."
He looked at me, then turned to Toji.
"Answer honestly about what you want to do. And don't worry about that useless fool—he can't touch you."
My gaze stayed on Naobito, but with my Observation Haki I could feel the rage burning in Soya's heart.
He bit his lip and clenched his fists until they bled.
As for our mother, she started to panic at those words, as if she expected everything to fall back on her.
"Now that that's settled, we can move on to the main point."
Apprehension crept in. My mind raced in every direction, trying to predict what he would say. But in the end, it was such a simple and predictable question that I hadn't paid it much attention.
"Do you prefer to stay in the clan or leave for good?"
My mind stopped for a second, then kicked back into gear.
'He's serious? All that buildup for something this basic?'
I obviously had my answer. I couldn't even imagine choosing anything else.
"I'm staying."
Of course.
As stated before, Naobito is far from a saint.
I could be his son, but the moment I leave the clan I will lose all value in his eyes. OG Toji was an exception only because his son had the talent to become a sorcerer.
The second I left the clan, I'd just be a homeless kid with no money.
Beyond that, the Zen'in clan was the perfect place for me to grow stronger.
The Zen'in clan is a rotten place where I would be mistreated, bullied, and beaten for years—but precisely because of that. Where else would I find a place better suited to forge my character?
The willpower needed to survive the Zen'in clan without being broken must be extraordinary. To this day, the only one who truly managed it is Maki—and she had to lose her sister in the process.
Even Toji didn't come out without scars. Speaking of Toji, I had to ask his opinion too.
I turned my head and saw him looking at me.
"And you, Toji, what do you choose?"
"As long as I'm with big brother, I'm fine," he answered calmly.
His response didn't surprise him, so when I faced Naobito again, I was completely calm.
"You have our answers."
The room fell silent for a moment until sudden laughter burst out.
"HAHAHA!!! NAOBITO, THESE KIDS ARE CRAZY. BWAHAHAHA!!!"
Soya, who had remained silent until now, laughed so hard I could see him choking on it.
Naobito, his face dark and all traces of drunkenness gone, asked us seriously,
"Are you sure about your choice? You don't know the ins and outs."
"We know what we're walking into. I understood it a long time ago, and I made sure Toji understood it too," I said firmly. "We're going to suffer. We're going to suffer like hell. But that won't break our resolve. This family will be our stepping stone to become even stronger."
My words silenced Soya's laughter. His mocking expression quickly turned into outrage.
His cursed energy, which had been dormant until now, flared up and began to ripple around him.
"You pieces of trash think you can mock the great Zen'in clan without consequences? Do you really believe monkeys like you could even touch the soles of our feet?"
His tone made his contempt and fury unmistakable.
"Yes."
My voice was calm, my answer blunt. That was the last straw.
Soya lunged at me just like he had done to Toji a year ago, but unlike last year, I could perceive all of his movements.
He tried to wrap his hands around my throat, but I only needed to tilt my head slightly to the side for him to completely miss.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
The three adults were too shocked by what they had just seen to process it.
A six-year-old child casually dodging the attack of a semi–Grade 1.
When he regained his senses, the anger already burning inside him rose to another level.
"YOU FILTHY MONKEY, YOU THINK YOU CAN HUMILI—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he turned into what looked like a frozen frame suspended in midair.
I already knew who had done it. It was Naobito. He had already moved behind Soya by the time the latter came back to his senses.
He lightly tapped the frozen image. It shattered, and Soya was blasted out of the room.
"Go pick up your husband and tell him that if he disobeys the clan head's orders one more time, he'll be exiled."
He was, of course, addressing our mother, who had remained silent since the beginning of the conversation—but nothing surprising. This was the Zen'in clan, after all.
She stood up without a word, bowed to Naobito, and left the room.
We were alone again with Naobito, who looked at us for a long moment.
"Are you sure about your choice?"
"Couldn't be more sure," I said with the same confidence I had shown since the start of the discussion.
He sighed. "Very well. You're moving tomorrow. You'll be joining the Kukuru. So be ready."
With that, he left the room as well. Our guide came back in and escorted us to our cabin.
I don't know what had come over me, but I felt that the wings that had grown on my back that day would definitely not fold back anytime soon.
Author's note
Lately I haven't needed chatgpt as much to write long chapters as I used to.
Tell me what you're taking, the chapters with the help of chatgpt (be objective, don't let your hatred of AI take over chatgpt didn't write the chapters; he just broke down what I gave him to make it a little longer.)
Spam power stone please