Early in the morning, Satoshi was not allowed to wake up naturally but was instead shaken awake by Gojo Shunichi.
"Uncle Shunichi, you're a Grade 1 Sorcerer now. Why are you still on wake-up duty?"
Satoshi rubbed his eyes, his voice laced with irritation. Being woken up mid-sleep was never a pleasant experience.
"Young Master Satoshi, hurry up and wash up. Someone from the Yagyū family is here."
There was an unusual excitement in Gojo Shunichi's tone, something Satoshi couldn't quite understand.
What did the Yagyū family have to do with him wanting to sleep in?
Why was Shunichi so worked up?
Did he and Satoru really need to personally greet visitors from the Yagyū family? That didn't seem necessary.
Seeing that Satoshi remained motionless, Shunichi decided to get straight to the point.
"Tsuki no Sho. The Yagyū family wants to exchange it for a Zanpakutō."
Satoshi blinked, unimpressed.
"Tsuki no Sho? What's that? And why would I trade a Zanpakutō for it?"
His lack of enthusiasm instantly dampened Shunichi's excitement.
"But this is Tsuki no Sho, the original swordsmanship manuscript of Yagyū Jūbei! Every master of the Yagyū family has drawn their own unique insights from it."
"Young Master, with your talent in swordsmanship, aren't you even a little curious?"
Shunichi did his best to convey just how rare the Tsuki no Sho was, but Satoshi remained utterly disinterested.
At this hour, the only thing that could truly excite him was news of a fire-element Cursed Tool that could serve as a base for Ryūjin Jakka.
"Young Master Satoshi, the Yagyū family takes this matter very seriously! Yagyū Yusuke, their clan head, Yagyū Saemon, their greatest kendo master, and Yagyū Hidetsugu, their top Grade 1 Sorcerer, all came in person."
"You can't just ignore them. You'll have to at least hear them out, right?"
Realizing that there was no way Satoshi would go willingly, Shunichi dragged him out of bed.
With no other choice, Satoshi got up, washed his face, got dressed, and yawned his way toward Gojo Kyokushin-ryu Dojo.
Since this was an informal visit rather than a formal challenge, only the highest-ranking members from both clans were present.
Three representatives from the Yagyū family sat across from Gojo Kumaen, who hosted the meeting as the acting patriarch.
Gojo Satoru wasn't originally required to attend, but upon learning that the Yagyū family had come specifically for Gojo Satoshi, he volunteered to be there.
Thus, the Gojo clan had a four-on-three advantage in numbers, Gojo Kumaen, Gojo Shunichi, Gojo Satoru, and Satoshi against the three Yagyū representatives.
"Master Yagyū, since Satoshi is here, our part in this matter is done."
"The next step is between you and him. We will remain as spectators and will not interfere."
Gojo Kumaen had no intention of overshadowing the discussion and immediately handed the floor over to Satoshi and the Yagyū family.
Gojo Satoru wanted to say something, but before he could, Shunichi gave him a quick tap on the shoulder, signaling him to stay quiet.
By the time Satoru caught on, Satoshi had already begun speaking with Yagyū Yusuke.
"To be honest, I'm not really interested in Tsuki no Sho. And a Zanpakutō isn't something you can just forge on a whim."
Satoshi was about to refuse, but before he could, Yagyū Hidetsugu suddenly knelt on the ground, raising Tsuki no Sho high above his head, offering it to him.
Next to him, Yagyū Yusuke and Yagyū Saemon bowed their heads in silence, waiting for Satoshi's response.
"...I really don't care about kendo manuals."
It was hard to reject someone this sincere.
Satoshi sighed. It seemed that unless he accepted Tsuki no Sho, Hidetsugu wouldn't lower his hands.
So, out of courtesy, he took the ancient scroll.
Just to glance at it.
It was just an old antique, after all—what use could it possibly have for him?
However, the moment his eyes swept over the text, a familiar notification rang in his mind.
[Swordsmanship classic detected. Host has begun reading and learning. Zanjutsu experience +200.]
Satoshi's brows rose slightly in surprise.
He had accepted the book reluctantly, but he never expected it to bring an unexpected bonus.
On the other side, the Yagyū family representatives remained tense.
They had worried that Satoshi had no real interest in kendo.
But now, seeing him seriously reading Tsuki no Sho, they finally felt relieved.
As Satoshi continued reading, the entire room held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Time passed in silence.
Finally, the system notifications stopped.
Satoshi exhaled slowly.
An unexpected windfall.
After reading Tsuki no Sho, he had accumulated 3,000 points of Zanjutsu experience.
There was no visible experience bar for Zanjutsu, but he could feel the difference.
This wasn't just theory—it was an understanding.
His grasp of Zanjutsu had improved.
Closing his eyes, he let the techniques from the Tsuki no Sho replay in his mind.
"Who is this Zanpakutō meant for?"
Satoshi's voice was deep and steady.
A few seconds of stunned silence followed before realization dawned on Yagyū Yusuke's face.
Satoshi's question meant he had agreed to forge a Zanpakutō for them.
"Young Master Satoshi, it's for Yagyū Saemon."
Yusuke did his best to contain his excitement as he spoke.
Satoshi opened his eyes and glanced at Saemon, then gave a slight nod.
Although he had initially been reluctant to let the Yagyū family get involved with Zanpakutō, he had taken something from them.
And since he had gained something valuable, it was only fair that he repaid the favor.
Besides, as a master swordsman, Yagyū Saemon was worthy of wielding a Zanpakutō.
As he thought about the Shinkage-ryu's fluid, water-like swordsmanship, an image of the perfect Zanpakutō began to form in his mind.
"I understand."
"Leave the Tsuki no Sho here. Come back tomorrow for your Zanpakutō."
With that, Satoshi turned around and left, taking the Tsuki no Sho with him.
The room was left in stunned silence.
"...Satoru, help me retrieve a Cursed Tool from the Treasury—that one..."
As the two Six Eyes users departed, Gojo Kumaen turned back to the Yagyū family with an apologetic look.
"Forgive us. While your clan has a request, Young Master Satoshi's manner can be a bit... direct."
(To be continued.)
***
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