Heavenly Restriction User of the Gojo Clan: I Refuse to Be Cut in Half

Naobito's expression was as dark as storm clouds. He was already preparing to use Shinsuke's challenge as an opportunity to initiate a wagered battle against Satoshi.

The stakes: a cursed tool from the Treasury.

If Satoshi's Sode no Shirayuki lost to Shinsuke, it would achieve two things, satisfying both Ogi and Shinsuke while also justifying the decision to stop supplying Satoshi with cursed materials.

After all, if Sode no Shirayuki was defeated, it would prove that the power of a Zanpakutō was not as formidable as he had originally imagined.

If Satoshi won and demonstrated the true strength of a Zanpakutō, then the Zenin Clan would simply hand over a cursed tool as originally planned, and things would continue as before.

His strategy would remain intact.

Moreover, from what he had observed, Satoshi and Toji had grown quite close. Even if they gave him a cursed tool, Satoshi would likely use it for Toji's benefit anyway.

In other words, no matter the outcome, the Zenin Clan would profit.

That was his plan. The only issue was whether Satoshi would accept it.

As an outsider from the Gojo Clan, rejecting such an unreasonable proposal was the logical choice.

Everything hinged on how desperate Satoshi was for cursed tools.

Naobito shook his head, stood up, and motioned for Ogi and Shinsuke to follow him as he made his way toward the VIP room.

…

In the VIP room, Satoshi had already guessed that this trip to the Zenin Clan would not go smoothly the moment Naobito left the room earlier.

His Six Eyes had already picked up on Shinsuke's arrival.

And there was no way that someone as arrogant as Shinsuke had come here to show his support.

A young prodigy like Zenin Shinsuke would never let go of his past defeat so easily.

"Toji, looks like the birth of your Zanpakutō is going to be another long, complicated process," Satoshi said, amusement flickering in his Six Eyes.

He was genuinely curious to see what kind of nonsense the Zenin Clan would try this time.

Did they really think they could control him just because the cursed materials were in their hands?

It was true that certain materials were rare.

However, he had already confirmed that Zanpakutō weren't strictly bound to specific cursed materials.

As long as a material possessed the necessary properties, it had the potential to be forged into a Zanpakutō.

That being said, the quality of the cursed tool directly influenced the success rate and developmental stage of the Zanpakutō.

Take Senbonzakura, for example.

The reason Gojo Satoru had been able to unlock Shikai immediately upon obtaining Senbonzakura was due to three key factors.

First, Senbonzakura was highly compatible with Satoru.

Second, Satoru himself possessed exceptional talent.

Third, and most importantly, the cursed tool used in Senbonzakura's forging was of extremely high quality, allowing it to manifest in an advanced developmental state from the very beginning.

Without all three conditions being met, even someone as talented as Satoru wouldn't have awakened Shikai so quickly.

If the Zenin Clan truly wanted to cut off his supply, he would simply spend more time finding a substitute material for Toji.

Even if the Zanpakutō's development was slower, Toji's talent would allow him to gradually strengthen his connection with it over time.

Toji wasn't in desperate need of power right this second anyway. A little extra time to refine his abilities wouldn't hurt.

Countless thoughts flashed through Satoshi's mind in an instant.

That was the side effect of the Six Eyes, an overwhelming flow of information processing.

With just Shinsuke's arrival and the expressions of Ogi and Naobito, he had already pieced together multiple possible scenarios.

Beside him, Toji was already growing impatient.

He disliked formalities to begin with, and now the Zenin Clan had left them waiting for no reason.

It was irritating.

Even though his older brother, Zenin Jinichi, was there, Toji had never thought much of him.

"I don't really care," Toji said with a shrug, exhaling a puff of smoke as he glanced at Gojo Satoshi.

"Anyway Satoshi, you promised me. All I have to do is wait for my Zanpakutō."

Toji touched the corner of his mouth, a strange sense of anticipation building within him.

Ever since childhood, he had experienced nothing but cold indifference from the Zenin Clan.

Now, he was curious.

How would Satoshi respond to their arrogant demands?

Would he remain indifferent, just like Toji himself had been his whole life?

At this moment, Toji almost hoped that the Zenin elders would act even more foolishly, enough to completely enrage Satoshi.

If that happened, perhaps the Zenin Clan's future would be far more miserable than they ever anticipated.

When Satoshi truly rose to power, Toji wanted to see the regret on the faces of the Zenin higher-ups.

A playful smirk appeared on Toji's face, causing both Jinichi and Satoshi to momentarily pause.

What the hell?

Why did it feel like Toji had changed in just a single month?

His smile was downright creepy.

As Toji's older brother, Jinichi knew him well.

But he had never seen that expression on Toji's face before.

Satoshi, on the other hand, noticed something else.

Toji was expecting something, something that involved him.

He didn't know what Toji was looking forward to, but he could tell that he was the cause of it.

The Zenin Clan is full of freaks.

Satoshi shook his head.

If he had to compare them to another anime world, the Zenin Clan felt just like the Uchiha Clan from Naruto.

Their entire household was filled with twisted personalities.

Zenin Ogi was so twisted that he blamed his own twin daughters for his failure to become clan head—and was even willing to kill them for it.

There was Zenin Naoya. He ended up idolizing Toji, obsessing over him, and after death, was even dragged into the cycle of resentment and became a cursed spirit.

Zenin Mai was full of contradictions. She wasn't inherently bad, yet in the end, she sacrificed herself to fulfill her sister's wish.

Zenin Maki witnessed her sister's death… and went on to slaughter the entire Zenin Clan.

As Satoshi reflected on the insane characters within the Zenin Clan, a strange excitement began to bubble up inside him.

He was actually looking forward to seeing what kind of ridiculous nonsense the Zenin elders would throw at him next.

(To be continued.)