Dec. 1989   /  Jan. 1990

"Rejoice!" Sang Kubo Kaito as he stood before his family, arms wrapped around a bundle of cloth, "Rejoice for the Kubo clan continues to thrive!"

It was the eve of December 14th, 1989, that Kubo Rin had woken up and screamed. An earth shattering scream that whirled her husband from his slumber and had servants rushing to call for the mid-wife.

While mothers and fathers woke up to greet the day with a joyous smile, the woman was debilitated by an earth shattering pain. A soon-to-be mother clutched her stomach, a sweat upon her brow, and fear in her eyes— what's wrong with my baby? She asked with a tremor in her voice. Endlessly, she babbled her worries to the midwife that was called in an instant. The women bustled around, the mother ignored as she cried again— what's wrong with my baby?

A month before they were to be crested and blessed into this world, the baby was forcing its way out.

The main Kubo family, reserved and usually unmoved by disruption, now murmured amongst themselves about the situation. They wondered if there was a lie passed around. If the father had been deceived. If the head of their clan had managed to miss the tellings of an affair. They asked themselves if Rin had managed to fail in bringing about a heir to the clan. That they would be having a funeral instead of a rite of promise to their gods.

Kubo Kaito, the head and the father, had never been entirely too smart or entirely too interesting, but he still stood in front of his family with a grin. In his arms, a small bundle of silk and fleece.

"Rejoice!" Sang the man as he presented the sleeping baby, "Rejoice for the Kubo clan continues to thrive!"

Kubo Hibiki was born on the afternoon of December 14th.

"Rejoice!" The man continued as the elders raised their eyebrows. "For the blessing graces our family once again! My dear Hibiki carries the blessing!"

The blessing could be many things. But there was one that they all knew well.

Long before Kubo Hibiki was a thought, before the mothers and fathers before her, the Kubo clan had been considered blessed and gifted amongst the jujutsu world. They carried a heavy burden and a responsibility that hadn't been bestowed upon anyone else. The Kubo clan had appeared during the Nara period. Protectors of the light, they were the unwavering force that protected those of the clans that couldn't protect themselves. They used to be a powerful family before their hard and sudden fall from grace during the Meiji period.

The clan had been ousted and disregarded by the jujutsu hierarchy. Her great-great grandmother, dishonorable and a mere ant amongst giants, had done the unspeakable. Her trial and death was swift, barely any contention from the other clans, and the denunciation of the Kubo clan had been as equally swift. They'd been tossed aside. Disgraced .

122 years later, the higher-ups didn't particularly care when they heard Kubo Kaito was expecting his first born. The merriment of the news didn't move them, the happiness of another heir for the Kubo clan didn't enlighten them. The higher-ups heard of the Kubo heir to be and, all at once, they had the same reaction— another to fend off. Another wild child to discourage and disbell from getting ideas above their station. They'd done it ruthlessly, endlessly, for the past 122 years, and most of them believed they could do it for another 1,000. They knew their abilities.

"Rejoice!" Sang Gojo Akito. "Rejoice for the Six Eyes has been reborn!"

Gojo Satoru was greeted by the world with a heavy snowfall in the early morning.

There was collective merriment throughout the clans and society— both sinned and innocent looked to the Gojo clan with interest, hunger, and need. The impure and pure saw their lives change with the birth of Gojo Satoru. New opportunities, chances, and growth were now achievable. Such an impressionable mind with such immense power could be manipulated into a monstrous force.

400 years since the last Six Eyes had graced the Earth, everyone awaited for news of his death or continued growth. Those who had ill intentions, those who feared what it meant to have this power reignited, would surely wait for his murder eagerly. They watched the websites, they spoke to their connections— all of them waited for the brave soul that would defy the Gojo clan and attempt to take the life of Gojo Satoru.

400 years and the curses had waned. They grew less powerful and the sorcerers could relax .

A week after the Six Eyes was born, the first bounty was placed on his head.

A week after the Six Eyes was born, the Kubo clan welcomed a daughter into this world.

There was a collective pause in the jujutsu world as the news spread, as the reality set in.

The Kubo blessing lives on! Cried Kaito as he held his daughter for his members to see and gawk in awe (but more resembled horror and fear). Rejoice!

The higher-ups had been scrambling with the birth of Gojo Satoru— the almost immediate shift in power in the world for the family rattled them all. They started to suck up to those who mattered, those who could give them an edge with the family, promising them wonderful extravagant things that would, otherwise, be unattainable. They were all resting in their respective homes on the eve of December 14th, 1989 when the servants and wives rushed to spread the news—

"The Kubo clan head has brought about a daughter."

Confusion, panic, and, worst of all, fear all flooded their minds at once.

"Wasn't she due in another two months?" Asked one elder to his servant, his hands clutching onto his book.

"Kubo Rin went into labor early." Answered another's wife as they laid in bed.

Another pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. "And the girl, she's...?"

"Kaito believes she is."

Simultaneously, the higher-ups called a council meeting.

There was a restlessness in the air as they all settled into their seats, their screens protecting them from eyes that would watch too closely, or gazes that would judge the pinch in their brows. All of them held their breaths as they let it settle over them. The reality of their situation. The current state of their little jujutsu world. With the birth of Gojo Satoru, the birth of the Six Eyes, there's a chance that the power that had proudly flowed from the Kubo clan 500 years ago was again given back to them. This hadn't been considered one week ago— or even nine months ago when either conception was spread throughout the clans like wildfire. All of them hadn't even considered the possibility, it'd been so long. Now, they suffered for it.

A member of the Kamo clan was first to speak. "Is there any confirmation on the child having cursed energy?"

"No," Answered a member from the Fujiwara's clan, his silhouette shifted as he seemed to regard something in his lap. "No one except the inner family has seen the girl."

"I suspect the Zen'in's haven't attempted to see her?"

There was an all too knowing huff from where the Zen'in's usually sat. Noabita no doubt was rolling his eyes behind the screen now. "None of the Zen'in's have seen it and they don't plan to."

There wasn't much contest from the rest of the men in the room.

"How likely is it for the girl to inherit the Kagemusha?" Came the timid voice of another man.

There was a collective grunt as the men weighed the options.

If this had happened any other time, there'd be no question that they had nothing to worry about. If the Gojo's hadn't welcomed the Six Eyes into the 20th century. If the Kubo's didn't have ancestors of great power. If they weren't born only a week apart when they were supposed to be two months. All of these things strongly suggested that they were all facing something that was bound to grow out of their own control. All of them could only wish for the if to be true. To have one over the other, or neither, would've been a blessing they all wouldn't take for granted.

Oh, if those thoughts left this confined room... a target would surely be marked on their backs.

"Very likely." Sighed an older man from one of the many screens.

"Is there any way to sense the inheritance this early?"

"No, it's unlikely the girl will have any signs until she's older. Usually, these things manifest quickly and violently. You know how that family is."

Quickly and violently. The Kubo clan was never known for their grace, or their mercy. They were given their orders and, like the beasts they were, carried them out with little protest. They'd been murderers, assassins, ruthless beats bred to carry out the massacres of those too cowardly to hold the weapons themselves. The Kubo clan would've fallen even without the help of Yukiko— they were a people stuck in the past of brutalization and savagery. They were bound to be usurped anyway.

"There might be one way."

Attention was diverted from their own minds to one of the many screens, except this one might as well have been transparent. The head of the Gojo clan, Yudai, had never been one to insert himself into politics, or to concern himself with the petty happenings between clans. He was arguably one of the tolerable clan heads in the jujutsu hierarchy. But he had his own biases, his own selfish needs. Yudai had a grandson now— a powerful one at that and the thought of something coming in the way of his life unsettled him. More than it had when his first son was born or his last.

"The cursed energy she'll have to inherit will be more than can wait until she's older. Even as a child now she's bound to have something residing. We just have to observe for the time being."

There was a momentary pause as they all considered what he said.

Then, "So we'll only have to worry if we sense the cursed energy?"

Yudai shrugged. "It's a theory."

"That's all we have."

And they all come to an agreement: they'd wait for the right moment to see the girl— they'd make their plans thereafter.

The moment came exactly 33 days after Kubo Hibiki was born.

There was a long standing tradition in the Kubo family, in which the newborn would be presented to their beloved ancestral god exactly 33 days after their birth to be blessed and protected. The woman had apparently graced their land during the Heian period. On the day that blood had been shed, the mourning of mothers and daughters alike, she had stood amongst the carnage, using her final breath to promise protection and love upon her descendants as long as they promise the same for others. The first clan head had become their very own deity. Many babies had been blessed under the shrine, with gifts and fortune that would guide their families through hard times. Sometimes they would be particularly blessed with special abilities.

It was a tradition that was upheld for hundreds of years. The elders and heads of various clans would be invited, all of them to bear witness to the blessings and love exchanged from god to feeble mortals. Sometimes a child would stand out. They would be presented all the same, introduced and cherished all the same, but she would still leave that impression. The heavy feeling of uniqueness. Back then, it was a blessing and a special ability, now it was jujutsu as a whole. Jujutsu was a blessing in their eyes, even after they'd been casted aside.

The tradition, although usually private, was now seemingly a parade.

Kaito invited all of those who mattered in jujutsu society. The various clan heads that had paid them little to no mind, announcing Hibiki's birth once and for all. An invitation of this sort would've been ignored if it was any other child— but the unsettled fear and the curiosity burned at their very souls. Each of them respectfully sent a member in their steed, each of them carrying apologies for the head's absence, but they were blessed to be joining them now. Each one is desperate to catch a glance at the newborn.

The main Kubo manor was alive once again with life. Lives teeming with adrenaline and anxiety as they clutched onto every word that the clan head and elders threw out there.

Have you noticed anything special? Asked a representative from the Kasike family.

Of course! My dear Hibiki is extremely special. Answered Kaito proudly, closed eyes and proud smirk on his lips.

Has she exhibited anything interesting? Asked another representative from the Fujiwara family.

She makes the most interesting face when she's about to cry. Like this, Daiki.

And where is the child now?

With her mother, of course.

It was then that a majority, if not all, of the representatives and heads realized that Kaito was as difficult to deal with as an adult as he was as a child.

As the father paraded around, speaking highly of his daughter, they all waited and watched. A thin veil of irritation masked all their faces. Bitterness and confusion captured their hearts as he told stories about the child. Little details that revealed nothing to them. Kept them wanting more so they could run to the nearest phone and declare the girl as unimportant as her family before her.

In the mingling of the group, representative Gojo Daigo made his way in front of Kaito. The young man felt lucky to finally have caught the clan head alone before his daughter was to be presented to the deity and, effectively, the rest of the jujutsu world. He stood at the entrance to the garden where most of everyone was lingering, speaking quietly to one another. His eyes observed the groups in front of him with almost satisfaction leaking from them.

Daigo felt uneasy as he took the place beside Kaito. "Congratulations, Kaito."

Kaito blinked, his eyes cutting to Daigo and he seemed to assess him for a few moments before grinning. " Daigo, what a nice surprise! Let me guess, your father sends his congratulations and hopes your place is welcomed in his stead?" He asked it so casually that it was almost as if he heard it a thousand times before— maybe he had.

Daigo gave a small sigh in return. "You'd be correct." He turned his attention towards the crowd that was congregated. "None of the Zen'in decided to attend?"

Kaito stared at him for a beat too long before his eyes joined to overlook the crowd. "If you mean Rin's uncle, no. But her brother came to see Hibiki himself."

Daigo's eyebrows raised in shock. The news shouldn't be that jarring— he had heard about how heartbroken the siblings were when Rin was married off to Kaito. Rin was only several years older than her youngest brother and they appeared to be the closest amongst the clan. Daigo was convinced the woman used to protect him from the punishment Noabito dealt out. "Toji is here?" He asked softly, his eyes meeting Kaito's profile.

Kaito nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes! It was a surprise when he walked through the doors, but a welcomed one all the same!" The father glanced around and tucked his hands into his robes pleasantly. "I was convinced he was going to try and pull something similar to what happened on Rin and I's wedding day. Surely, you remember?"

Daigo clenched his jaw. Of course he remembered. There'd been a great argument between Kaito and young Toji on the day of the wedding. It caused quite a stir and it was the only time he could recall the Kubo family being spoken about in the last decade. He wasn't sure exactly what had caused the argument or hatred between the two. Still, he mucked it up to a young boy not having his sibling to lean against anymore.

Kaito continued with a wave of his hand. "That kid is scary. Like, I wouldn't doubt he could easily wipe out the entire clan if he wanted," Daigo hummed in agreement, "That's why I'm a little surprised he's here now. If he was Jinichi I would've been convinced Noabito was worried about Hibiki's inheritance."

It was said so nonchalantly that Daigo almost missed it. But the words settled deep into his skin and he narrowed his eyes. His old childhood friend was one to present himself as dumb, but he always had something up his sleeve. It was no wonder that he would be holding such a dramatic ceremony for his newborn like this. He wanted this crowd. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when they realized what was happening. As they all realized that the Kubo clan had a chance to grasp at power once more.

Daigo didn't let his unsettled panic wash over his face, instead he gave a low hum. "So you're aware they're all scrambling after her birth?" His eyes danced over the various members of the ceremony, imagining what they would've done in his place during this conversation. They'd probably announce their horror, run to the phone and inform their family of the impending doom.

But he knew that's exactly what Kaito wanted.

"Oh, of course. I wanted the stir." He admitted with a smirk. It only widened as Daigo scoffed. "I'm rather confident about her, you know? I know the majority of the people here, including my wife, think I'm a fool— but she's special. I'm warning you now."

"You're right, Kaito," Daigo huffed. His eyes cut back to Kaito with a clenched jaw. "They all do believe you to be a fool. I, however, know better. Whatever you're planning for that girl, Kaito, it's going to backfire."

"What do you mean?"

"Once the wrong people hear about the high possibility that she's inherited the technique, they're going to be placing bounties on her head. I'm sure you've heard about the situations surrounding my family?" He dipped his chin to convey the severity of his words. The other man seemed to not take it all too seriously as he rolled his eyes and took a loud sip from his drink. "I'm serious. Akito almost died just the other day."

"Akito is a fool in his own ways." Kaito snapped, his own jaw clenched. "And these aren't things I haven't heard from Rin. I think this is the best move for my clan, Diago. I would ask if you understand where I'm coming from, but you wouldn't know what it's like."

Again, Daigo huffed, "Kaito—"

"Kaito."

Both men snapped their eyes to the doorway where Rin was standing. Her eyes were narrowed on her husband, a severe degree of raging emotions on her face that would shatter and disrupt any man's composure. Behind her lingered a stoic and spikey haired Toji, who was dressed in his blue hakama. The boy seemed intent on giving Kaito his most displeased and nastiest glare possible. The tension that quickly grew between the three was enough to make anyone uncomfortable— or at the very least, curious.

However, Diago was extremely distracted.

There, dressed up in appropriate ceremonial garb for a month old, was Kubo Hibiki.

Immediately, Diago's face paled as he noticed the rumored markings that usually adorned the faces of the kunoichi. Black and sharp, it framed her tiny face, two vertical lines over her closed eyes. She looked peaceful as she rested in her mothers arms, but there was something there that made Diago uneasy. He could sense it. He could feel it and he knew then that Kaito wasn't a fool. He wasn't lying when he said he sensed it.

Fear took hold of Diago's heart as his eyes trailed from the baby to the smirking Kaito beside him.

The Kubo clan lives on.

It was jarring to see how correct that statement was in an instant. That the clan would, in fact, live on with this single life appearing. With the birth of one girl, they solidified their continued existence.

Daigo had been there to see his nephew only hours after he was born. As his older brother presented him with a grin, as he passed on the word about the Six Eyes foolishly to anyone who could hear, he realized that things were coming to a very sudden and abrupt shift. The power that surrounded their little world was at an imbalance and the fear curse users and normal sorcerers had for the Gojo family had increased tenfold.

With the birth of two children, mass fear and panic had become widespread.

Death had knocked on the Gojo's door twice since the birth of Satoru.

Now, the attention would shift to the Kubo clan.

"I'm ready," Rin stated flatly, staring at him with distaste.

He nodded, "Of course." His attention was drawn to the crowd, who had mostly turned their attention towards the mother and daughter. The smile that spread across his face was as feral as it was smug— something that had Daigo receding into the shadows as Kaito opened his arms. "Everyone, please make room for my daughter and wife!"

The tension in the air was immediately upon the sight of the girl. One-by-one the crowd split, their faces pale, eyes wide— their fears confirmed. Their prayers and hopes went unheard as Kubo Kaito presented his daughter to the red and black shrine at the end of the garden. An assortment of flowers and offerings to the goddess that blessed their land. Only to be graced with love and the sun shining upon it.

Horror probably hadn't been seen by the shrine since the Heian period.

There was a bated breath as the monk at the side of the shrine rang the bell. Kaito and Rin bowed gracefully, without hesitation or unpracticed weight, eyes closed and shoulders straight. They'd practiced this. Like the good Head of Clan, Kaito definitely had his wife, either heavily pregnant or just newly mothered, bowing before the shrine endlessly. A practiced respect.

With their new found fear, the crowd was quick to follow suit. Their role that had been vacant for decades, was now fulfilled with a new vigor. They bowed greatly, generously. They were not trying to express their disrespect. Not now. They muttered their thanks, their greetings to the silent and generous God. It was a change of tune that had filled the garden only moments ago.

The monk moved to stand before the two parents, expression flat as they regarded the two, "The child." A simple and straightforward demand.

Kaito straightened, offering a miniscule smile as he uttered his agreement, turning towards Rin. The woman stood herself, a long drawn out movement that would've seemed calm and collected to the untrained eye— Daigo however could see the hesitation. The subtle glance she sent towards her husband, the glare that quickly followed it. She was displeased, as she usually appeared in Kaito's presence. Not a shocker or entirely interesting in the Gojo's opinion. It'd been like this since the moment they'd been wedded.

It was another moment before Rin gently placed her daughter into the monk's arms.

The monk turned back to the shrine. Where the box for offerings would usually rest, sat an old bowl that had various pictures painted around it. The water inside looked pure and glistened in the sunlight overhead. The girl rested peacefully in the monk's arms as they reached forward, dipping the tips of four fingers into the water, then bringing them back out to gently trace the girl's markings.

"Yukiko-sama, we come here to you today, begging for blessing on this child's life," despite the monk's voice being soft, it was loud and clear. Everyone lifted their heads to watch as the monk smoothly moved their finger against the baby's face. A delicate motion that was just as important to the ritual as their words. "Take her into your loving embrace, accepting her for her future rights and wrongs— punishing her for the anger and rage to come. Accept her as one of your many children amongst your meadow. Purify that which is impure. Cleanse her soul, strengthen her will, and protect her heart. A blessing from you to all.."

With a final stroke from forehead and down the bridge of her nose, the monk bows gratefully. They stay in their position, staying in a perfect bow for a minute and a half, just staring at the ground beneath them. It was almost as if they were listening to something. An exchange that was for their ears alone. There wasn't much time before they straightened back up, uttering their thanks, then turned back to the crowd with a stoic expression.

"Yukiko-sama has accepted the Kubo heir, blessing her," they announce to the crowd, who immediately break into murmurs. They gently place the baby back into Rin's arms, offering another bow. Then they sent a look in Kaito's direction. "Do not take advantage of her blessing. You know the consequences."

They walked through the crowd to return to their regular duties, peacefully ignoring all the eyes with a raised head.

The air was tense as all eyes shifted to the back of Kubo Kaito.

Daigo's eyes narrowed as he watched the way Kaito straightened. His shoulders high as he seemed to regard thesspot the monk once stood for a longer moment than necessary. Contemplation, hesitancy. Things that didn't suit the arrogance of Kaito. It made the Gojo son uneasy as he frowned heavily. The man was weighing his options— whatever they may be— and putting them up against the life of his daughter.

Then, as if nothing had happened at all, he turned to face the crowd once again.

"The God has graced my Hibiki with a great gift, a great fortune. The next generation of sorcerers will be safe with the kagemusha bearer!" He bowed slightly, as if he were the one that had the blessing, and then grinned, cat like. The breath was snatched from every member, eyes wide and dry as the clan head regarded them with feral hunger. " Please , enjoy the food."

At the dismissal, the crowd moved chaotically. Murmurs and curses waved over them all as they moved as one, as those with cell phones pulled them out and those without rushed to find one. Fear was struck into them as if the God herself had graced their feeble presence and warned them of the future. It wouldn't be long before all the clans would be knowledgeable on the girl's will— it wouldn't be long before the Kubo's were in the crosshairs once again.

Daigo accepted this as he watched the crowd scramble with his blank expression. As he watched their eyes seep with uneasiness, the worry over the balance of the jujutsu society was suddenly in question. He knew this panic, this fear, this inferiority was exactly what Kaito wanted when he had invited them all here. He dragged his eyes back to his old childhood friend, a man he no longer recognized due to time and his exposure to weak power, and held his eyes as they stared at one another.

As Kaito placed a cold hand at the small of Rin's back, his eyes told Daigo one thing: Run. Run and inform your clan. Tell them the Kubo clan is alive once again.

And Daigo didn't hesitate in doing just that. Of course, without the urgency of the others.

On January 17th, 1990, at exactly 12:07 PM— a hit was placed on the head of Kubo Hibiki.

AUTHOR'S NOTE. yay!! first chapter up!! i love this so much. i love kubo clan lore so im sorry if it ever gets complicated, i've thought about their every little detail a bit Too much. i hope you like it :)) lmk what you think of kaito and the rest!

WORD COUNT. 4.7k

UP NEXT. Hibiki is introduced to the council. Consequences are given. Lives are changed.