In Your Eyes

Chapter 7

A/N: poetry was a major form of communication in the Heian period. Kanshi or poetry written in Chinese by Japanese was the most popular style among the aristocrats.

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"...it's a byproduct of Chinese Gu and was brought into the country three decades ago. From my sources, it say Abe no Seimei, a highly skilled sorcerer of the past, was very knowledgeable about it and in his practice, happened to learn one of his famous techniques. But when the Higher Ups at that time discovered the potential dangers of kodoku, they ordered an immediate ban. It wasn't used again until ten years ago; someone performed it with malformed humans and combined them with poisonous animals. The ritual was completed but the kodoku escaped."

Hana reported.

The gentle rustles of plum trees outside could be heard accompanied by a stunned silence.

Shoko turned to Gojo who was equally speechless. "Have you heard anything like this before?"

He put his thumb under his chin and squinted. That word was indeed familiar and he owed this knowledge from their family library. "Yes, it's a forbidden practice which originated in Nanyue and had its way to be introduced in Nara before the capital was established in Heiankyo."

The most powerful curse is the survivor . He mused. A king of curses .

Gojo crossed his arms and continued. "It's a non-standard, heretical technique lost in the records of old tales and legends. Those who have sufficient knowledge and cursed energy are the only ones who can perform it."

Shoko rarely shows expression but even she was disgusted by the information Hana had provided; A process of concentrating curses, experimenting on living things, being forced to kill and devour each other's manure and flesh.

Gojo dismissed the messenger. Even then, he had a feeling that Ryomen Sukuna's sudden existence years ago was out of place. His father used to suggest to the Higher ups to evaluate the mysterious specter, on where and why he exists. But having limited influence in the court prevented him from doing so.

He hired Hana initially as an emissary but in reality, it was to cover up her real mission which was to move around and look into it. There was no way that all of a sudden, calamities would have happened without an origin. Everything came from something, this was what he adamantly believed.

Gojo slid the door open and stepped onto the veranda, letting the cool breeze enter as a memory from his younger years came to mind. Back when his father was still alive and would attempt to know it himself, he felt like someone was concealing the truth, that someone was preventing him from the discovery. Though his father might have suspected what the real reason was, that an influential jujutsu sorcerer used a forbidden technique for his selfish benefit, he lacked the evidence to prove it.

He was a young boy back then and had no voice over the matter. Not until he succeeded the seat as the clan head and gained exceptional authority, thanks to his six eyes and the title strongest sorcerer. Now that he's closer to the truth and solution to end the never ending calamities that had befallen the land for years, what Gojo needed was that one final push.

"You are thinking it's them , aren't you?" Shoko expressed.

"You know me so well," he said. "There is no other clan more ambitious than them. According to Hana's reports, Seimei mastered the kodoku three decades ago. That's around the time the Fujiwara rose into power."

The answer was obvious. Gojo's wariness of the Higher-ups that were mainly composed of the Fujiwara clan, the family that controlled the Imperial court. They were the pioneers, the people who established the system - the elders, Higher ups and they were too valuable to the empire. Going against them was the same as antagonizing the rest of society.