Ishiki Kujo suddenly realized things were far more complicated than he'd ever imagined.
The Kujo family of this world was hiding an enormous secret.
Not only the Corpse, but also Stands—these things weren't even considered secrets in the Kujo household. They were truths he should have known all along… but had forgotten.
He didn't know how much of Rinfa's words were true, but he did know she could finally answer questions that had long gnawed at his mind.
Rinfa paid no mind to his silent thinking. After placing the steaming bowl of ramen on the table, she calmly began recounting the truth of the Kujo bloodline.
The Kujo family had existed in the Shinobi World for over a thousand years.
Back then, the Kujos practiced a unique technique: Spin using steel balls.
But over time, their ancestors slowly fused that rotation into chakra, creating a secret ninjutsu unique to the Kujo lineage—Chakra Rotation Style.
To the outside world, they claimed this "Spin" was a Kekkei Genkai, an inherited bloodline ability, though in truth anyone could learn it.
"But the technique was lost centuries ago," Rinfa said, sipping her tea. "Today, it survives only in the fragmented records of our clan. Uncle Ryuichi believed the chakra rotation may be linked to the Tailed Beast Ball, and that the Rasengan invented by the Fourth Hokage may have origins in our clan's lost 'Spin' technique."
Ishiki gave a slow nod, but didn't comment.
He knew better. The Rasengan and Spin were entirely different.
The Rasengan was a high-level jutsu inspired by the mechanics of a Bijūdama.
The Spin… that came from Steel Ball Run—a unique force meant to grant painless execution to the condemned.
"And aside from the Spin, the clan has always carried one mission," Rinfa said, her tone growing grim. "To guard the Corpse."
"No one knows where the Corpse came from or whose it originally was. But the Kujos have, for generations, carried the duty to ensure the Corpse is never assembled in full.
Because according to our records, the complete Corpse would bring catastrophe—even annihilation."
That shocked Ishiki.
In his memory, the Saint's Corpse was a miraculous thing—awakening Stand users, healing the crippled, offering salvation, and even bringing prosperity to the nations that held it.
It was sacred, not destructive.
"What kind of catastrophe are we talking about?" he asked.
Rinfa shook her head. "In the entire history of our clan, the Corpse was fully assembled only once. And that single time, it nearly obliterated the Kujo bloodline. From a thriving clan, we became what we are now—scattered, dwindling, on the verge of extinction."
"Okay, okay! Can you not curse us while explaining, thanks," Ishiki muttered.
Rinfa smirked.
"The Corpse is split into twelve parts: Head, Left Eye, Right Eye, Left Ear, Right Ear, Spine, Heart, Torso, Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, and Right Leg.
Each piece contains a hidden Stand. The one who obtains the part fuses it into their own body and gains the corresponding Stand ability.
But the Corpse chooses its host. The Stand in each part only appears when it finds a compatible soul. If no match is found, the Corpse part may remain dormant indefinitely."
This… was already diverging from the Saint's Corpse he knew.
This wasn't salvation.
It was a sealed relic, a container that locked away Stands—possibly even curses.
"Do you know what Stands are inside each part?" Ishiki asked. That was what really mattered.
"Of course. Aside from the Head—which remains a mystery—all others have detailed records," Rinfa said seriously. "Before you obtained both Eyes, the Kujo clan only held two parts:
One is the Left Arm, which I possess. Its Stand is [Tusk].
The other is the Torso, which you have. Its Stand is—[Cheap Trick]."
"…Huh?" Ishiki blinked in disbelief.
He knew that Stand.
[Cheap Trick]—an absolute disaster of a power.
It was a Stand that clung to its user's back and whispered incessantly to others nearby, trying to get someone—anyone—to look at its user's back.
The moment someone, even an animal, glimpsed the back, [Cheap Trick] would switch hosts. But as it peeled itself from its former host's back, it would rip the body open and suck them dry before attaching to the new victim.
How the hell had he survived something like that?
"So… where's the Stand now?" Ishiki asked, voice low.
"Due to the nature of its ability, Uncle sealed it onto a turtle's shell," Rinfa said. "Then sealed that turtle in an iron box and sank it into the ocean. There's a hole in the box so the turtle can breathe. As long as that turtle lives, [Cheap Trick] won't come back to you."
"…So I shouldn't hope for it to return, huh?" Ishiki muttered.
"Definitely not. If it does return, you'll either die or wish you had," Rinfa said bluntly.
Ishiki rubbed his chin. That was a decent solution, sure… but he still didn't get how Ryuichi had managed to remove [Cheap Trick] in the first place.
As if reading his thoughts, Rinfa said quietly: "Uncle's real cause of death… was [Cheap Trick]."
"What?" Ishiki shot to his feet.
He had always believed Kujo Ryuichi had died on the battlefield in the Land of Lightning. The medics hadn't been able to save him.
That belief had driven Ishiki to study medical ninjutsu, to become someone who could protect others.
But now?
"The final thing Uncle sent back was the torso—freed from [Cheap Trick]—and a letter." Rinfa stood and retrieved a small box. Inside was a letter, addressed to Ishiki, written in Ryuichi's hand.
It didn't describe how he'd removed the Stand, but it overflowed with warmth and love, just like Ishiki remembered—his smiling, gentle father.
Still, was that really the only way to survive [Cheap Trick]?
Seal the Corpse inside your body, then seal the Stand in a box with a turtle and throw it into the sea?
Ishiki stared at the letter in silence.
Maybe Ryuichi had been too kind—too unwilling to hurt others, and chose instead to bear all the pain himself.
Or maybe… something forced him to make that choice.
Ishiki looked toward Rinfa.
He needed to know more.