章 21: Time Flies
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July 4th, 2006. Minato Ward, Tokyo (2 years later)
"It should be about time." A man said to himself, running his fingers through his slicked-back coffee colored hair. Gently swirling the wine-glass in his hand as he met his reflection through the window of his condo, a set of burning orange pupils staring back at each other. "Unless I was just hallucinating the whole time."
He turned his head, walking over towards a couch as he set his glass down on the table in front of him. His attention returning towards his watch every now and then as he counted the minutes in his head whilst drumming his fingers on the armrest.
"Or perhaps she seeks to ambush me? Though I could only guess as to what motives would lie behind such an abrupt course of action." He rested his fingers on his chin and allowed his thoughts to wander.
"How vexing, maybe I should've formed a pact as a precursor to our follow-up." He half-lamented his supposed carelessness before kicking his legs up. "No, there's no need to be paranoid. It is clear she seeks collaboration in some form or another, I should pay more attention for what is to come rather than would could've already happened."
The minutes would soon turn to hours, causing the man to stare somewhat listlessly at his television, hopping between channels as a part of him doubted his decision making. A frown soon appeared on his face as he contemplated whether he should simply allow bygones to be bygones, or pursue the matter further.
"It would seem that I have indeed wasted my time, how unfortunate-" The sound of his doorbell ringing brought a newfound sense of promise within him. "I stand corrected." He smiled, recognizing the unmistakable eerie presence at his door.
"I apologize for my tardiness, Orochi-san." He opened the door, greeted with the sight of a youthful woman with side-swept onyx hair and lusterless eyes that maintained an almost inhuman sense of calm within them. "Unfortunately, I was caught up in some rather untimely business that required my attention."
But most strikingly of all, were the stitch-like scars that ran across her forehead. Making her standout like a sore thumb whether she wanted to or not.
"You needn't apologize Kaori-dono, the matters of which we wish to address are more than worth enduring a little bit of delay." Orochi smiled faintly, a purposefully evident level of displeasure worn on his face.
She breathed a coy giggle. "In that case, let us delay no further." Orochi welcomed her into his abode, to which she instantly began scouring the area. Taking particular notice of the paintings and artistry scattered across his walls. "I take it you are a rather avid history-buff?" Kaori concluded.
He hummed inquisitively. "Not so much history itself as its lessons. But I'd be lying if I didn't admit my rather resilient curiosity in the subject. How about yourself?" He asked as he politely poured her a glass of red wine.
"Me? Well to be honest I'd say even calling me a fanatic is an understatement. Some have told me it's as if I've actually lived through the eras of which I study." She kindly accepted the gesture.
"Is that so? Then perhaps you could tutor me some time in the future." They stood across from each other next to the kitchen counter.
"Haha, perhaps." She folded her arms under her chest and glanced to her side. "But before all that, it is important that I receive, evidence, shall we say, of your competence." The atmosphere in the room changed, causing Orochi's face to tense up as he steeled himself.
"Evidence. You say?" He took a sip from his glass, observing each and every micromovement on the woman's face.
"Mhm. Is there a problem with that?" She queried in an oddly casual manner.
"No, not at all."
"Are you positive? Nothing's been finalized yet, if you wish to opt out then I assure you no ill-will shall be barred." Orochi took a mental step back, realizing that she genuinely was willing to allow him to take his hand off the table if he so wished.
"I'm quite sure. I understand the scale of change I am aiming to make, it's only natural that I face a test or two along the way."
Kaori tilted her head, retaining her smile as she looked at him with an unreadable expression.
"Such admirable resolve. I'm aware of your desire to enforce change, but are you confident you've thought this through?" The question left Orochi temporarily stunned.
"You doubt my desire?" His gaze hardened.
"Your desire? Not quite. However, with your abilities, you are likely to attain the power to create the change you wish for in due time. I don't see any reason for you to seek my influence when you have such a promising foundation to work with."
A simper appeared on Orochi's face as she eagerly awaited his response.
"If history has taught me one thing, it's that despite hundreds of others being in my position and sharing my desire, not one of them have had their names etched in anything meaningful." He momentarily clenched his fist before opening it out again. "But people like you on the other hand, the change they bring is not superficial, it's real, and it shows."
"Go on." She insisted.
He looked out the window once more. "Money can do much, influence can do even more, but these are all concepts empowered by the same people who created them. At the end of the day, something that can be created and torn down by the same construct can only last so long."
"Isn't that a bit hypocritical of you?" She inquired.
"How so?"
"You belittle influence, yet is that not exactly what you seek from me?" Orochi's steeled expression remained unperturbed.
"The influence I hold, and the influence you hold are not of the same caliber. Hence why we are standing here today, Kaori-dono. I'm sure even you are aware that all I have attained will be naught more than dust in due time."
"Time is indeed a powerful adversary. Notwithstanding, it's rather bold of you to assume that what I can offer you will surpass that, especially when I haven't even laid out the conditions yet."
Orochi turned to look her in the face. "Then name them."
She beamed, pulling out a document from her coat and handing it to him. "Tell me, have you ever had any encounters with a Jujutsu Sorcerer before?"
"I've had a few encounters with them, but I assure you my presence is not much more than a pindrop on their radar." He started to read through the document.
"I see. The thing is, for you to be of any use to me I will require you to be capable of opposing them should I allow you to stand by me. After all, what good is an ally if they can be naught but a bystander?"
Orochi nodded. "I can share the sentiment, but is the opposition you seek the indirect kind, or direct kind?"
"Read the file."
He did as she asked, skimming through the information of the figure in the document. "A brat?" He mused.
"If you wish to see him that way, yes." She affirmed. "But I should warn you, age and ability don't always go hand in hand in our world."
"You have a point." He agreed. "So, what do you want me to do with him?"
"It's simple really." She paused. "Kill him, by your hand of course." Kaori turned to him with a plain expression.
"That's it? All you want from me is to dispose of one brat?" He felt the need for confirmation.
"Yes, all I want from you is to dispose of one brat." She repeated. "You may not receive any intentional help in doing so, but beyond that you may approach him as you wish. Succeed in this, and I shall both accept you as my ally and grant you the influence you covet."
Kaori held her hand out towards him, sparks of cursed energy coursing through her arm, a pact ready to be formed between the two. Forcing Orochi to accept the fact that she was serious.
"I must admit, I find this rather hard to believe."
"I know, which is why I'm making a pact. But try not to deliberate for too long, it's bad manners to keep a woman waiting."
Orochi started to extend his hand. "Very well, if that is the condition you wish for me to meet, then I shall oblige."
"Splendid." Their hands coiled around one another. "I look forward to your success."
The binding vow had been formed.
"And I look forward to our eventual alliance."
Kaori offered no response, simply retaining her smile as she made her departure, leaving Orochi entirely to his own devices.
"How odd, she didn't bring up Geto Suguru even once during that conversation." He continued to trace the file with his eyes. "However, that doesn't necessarily mean she's removed her attention from him. It just means this kid has proved to be formidable in some way." Orochi surmised.
"But at the end of the day this brat isn't Gojo Satoru, which means I can kill him." Excitement welled up within him as he looked towards the future. "Every decision I've made up to this point has led me to this, I don't know why you've grabbed her interest, but today it was decided that your fate would be that of a footnote."
He tossed the file aside, unable to contain his smile any longer as he found himself looking down on the Tokyo lights beneath him.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"Ready?" A scruffy individual with spiky chestnut hair asked, wielding a refined katana in his hand with his left foot planted in front of his right.
"Ready." The young man stood opposite him replied, sporting snow-white hair and bright verdant pupils. Accompanied by a dark-blue kimono and a distinct lack of footwear.
The older of the two made the first move, lunging forwards and aiming a swift vertical swing towards the youth's chest.
CLANG!
The latter responded by directly blocking the attack, hammering in an offensive of his own as he used his superior brute strength to push his opponent backwards.
"Brutish as ever Ginko-kun." He grinned, smoothly planting his left foot on top of his gorilla-tuned student and creating an opening through a momentarily interrupting his footwork.
"You say that like it's a bad thing, Kusakabe-sensei." Ginko smiled, taking full advantage of his speed to grab his teacher's wrist and deliver a dirty kick to his abdomen.
Kusakabe tumbled backwards momentarily before finding his balance, wiping the sweat of his face with the back of his hand. "Only because I'm the one who has to put up with it." He grumbled. "Isn't it about time someone else took you under their wing?"
"Nonsense." The soon-to-be third year insisted, dashing at him and exchanging a series of blows with the veteran. "You're the only swordsmen around, who else would I go to?"
"Kendo isn't even your main fighting style." He groaned, sustaining a few cuts on his arm as the intensity of the spar started to ramp up. "Aren't you just making excuses so you can beat up an old man?" But through channeling his [Reverse Cursed Technique] healing them as they dueled was hardly a problem.
"Oh please. Only gramps gets to use that card, and that old bag of bones at Kyoto I guess." He said while stretching his shoulder. "You've still got plenty of life in ya." Ginko prepared to clash with Kusakabe once more, but with his cursed technique this time.
"Uh-huh. Sure." He rolled his eyes, using his Simple Domain to block the attack without being overpowered by Ginko's insane offense. "But seriously, there isn't really much of a point in you training with me anymore. You're more than ready to take it into your own hands."
They continued to dart around the room as Ginko pondered the suggestion. "Really?"
"Really." He replied. Slowly starting to struggle to keep up with his students' relentless manner of fighting. "Someone of Geto-kun's caliber or even Gojo's would be better for you." The mention of the latter caused Ginko's expression to sour. "Ah, the two of you are still at it?"
Over the years Ginko had started to reciprocate Gojo's feelings of animosity towards him, granted he didn't know exactly why he was doing it, he just knew that something within him didn't like Satoru in the slightest.
Like a gut feeling of sorts. Their personalities simply couldn't coexist in the same room without trying to blow each other to smithereens. Thankfully, one of the only people either of them listened to, Yaga, was normally there to prevent them from destroying half of the campus in their petty grudge-fueled wake.
And if he wasn't present, Suguru's intervention would do.
Kusakabe groaned. "You do understand that you're supposed to be on the same side right? Eventually you're going to have to set aside your differences and make peace with one another."
"Hah, maybe in the next life." Ginko huffed, turning his head away like a grumpy child. "He thinks he's better than me just because his eyes are a little shiny. Why should I have to work with that asshole?"
"From what I've heard you don't even talk to each other, you just start trying to attack one another on sight." His assessment was 100% correct.
"He doesn't need to open his mouth to let me know how annoying he is." He folded his arms together with an expression of pure annoyance. "If Suguru or Yaga wasn't there to protect him, I'd have him pummeled into the ground like a cartoon character."
Obviously, Ginko could not in fact beat Gojo in an all-out fight. But the destruction a spar between the two would cause, more than warranted the concern of everyone caught in its crossfire.
"Right, of course." Kusakabe said with a dead-panned expression. "Anyways, Yaga's requested something of you so you'll need to be at Jujutsu Tech first thing in the morning."
"Hm?"
"The new batch of first-years will be arriving tomorrow, and you alongside Geto-kun and Gojo-kun will be acting as supervisors for their trial missions. Like Mei Mei did with you all those years ago." Ginko only vaguely remembered the event.
"Do I have to?" He'd much rather steal Gojo's sweets or something, you know, productive stuff like that.
"Absolutely. Unless I need to call Yaga to offer up some guidance to motivate you?"
A shudder sprant down Ginko's spine. "N-No, that won't be necessary." He said with a gulp.
"Great." He smiled.
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