Jinsuke arrived at the training grounds just as the students were wrapping up another intense session.
"Well, looks like you all have been training seriously," he remarked, watching their coordinated movements.
"Master! You're here!" Maki immediately brightened when she saw him.
Jinsuke nodded at her. "Mm. Short hair suits you much better."
Maki, now sporting a sharp short cut and no glasses, did look far more confident and clean-cut. Ever since she began cultivating blood qi, she no longer needed cursed-tool glasses to see curses. The training had boosted not only her physical strength, but also her senses, perception, and focus.
"Really? I just thought it'd be more convenient for fighting," Maki replied, brushing her fingers through her new hair.
"So?" Jinsuke asked. "Why did you call me over? I was planning to take a long break until the competition."
That had been his intention — until Maki insisted he come.
"Master, the competition is a month and a half away. Don't you think it's time you gave us some special training again?" she asked hopefully.
She hadn't been personally coached by him in ages, and she could feel her progress slowing without direct guidance.
"Maki, maybe we shouldn't bother Zenin-sensei," Panda interrupted quickly. Toge nodded vigorously beside him, despite only being able to speak through food-related words.
"We're doing fine on our own. Zenin-sensei should be focusing on the first-years."
"Yeah," Panda added, "no need to drag us into another round of hellish training."
"Zenin-sensei's time is valuable! We really shouldn't waste—"
"Shut up!" Maki exploded. She turned on them with fiery eyes. "Don't you want to get stronger?! You're satisfied staying weak?!"
One human, one panda, and one cursed-speech user froze on the spot.
"Special training, hm…" Jinsuke stroked his chin.
Gojo was busy cramming fundamentals into Yuji, so he'd left Megumi and Nobara under the second-years' supervision.
"I think Megumi and Nobara will learn plenty from you guys. As for all of you…" Jinsuke shook his head. "Your foundations are already solid. What you need now is steady progress. I don't have anything more to teach you at this stage."
"Wha—" Maki deflated instantly, disappointment written all over her face.
"Alright, Maki," Jinsuke said gently. "Right now, there really is nothing else I can teach you."
She looked at him, conflicted. He knew what she wanted — shortcuts, secret techniques, a way to speed up Eight Gates training. But that wasn't something that came quickly.
"Oh yeah," he added, "I haven't checked your progress in months. How far have you gotten?"
Maki perked up immediately. "Master~ after all this time, I've only managed to open the second gate. When will I ever catch up to you?"
"…Second gate? …Wait. You can already open the second gate?" Jinsuke blinked, scratching his ear, wondering if he'd misheard.
"Yeah! But afterwards everything started slowing down. Why is that, Master?" Maki asked. Her workload was absurdly high — constant weighted training, brutal conditioning, even during missions.
"Let me check." Jinsuke placed a hand on her shoulder and sent his blood qi through her body. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and nodded.
"Impressive."
Because her body didn't have the same overwhelming self-regeneration as Jinsuke and his brother, Maki could accumulate blood-energy faster. And because her physical body wasn't as monstrous as theirs, the amount needed to open each gate was lower. That was why her progress surpassed theirs.
The power ceiling would differ — but her speed was real.
"Master? Did I mess something up?" Maki asked.
"No. It's normal. You're a genius, Maki."
"Really, Master?!" Being called a genius — something she'd never heard in her entire life — made her eyes shine.
"Tch. She only acts this soft in front of Zenin-sensei," Panda muttered. "With us she's all violence. The double standards are insane."
Nobara crossed her arms, staring at the master-disciple duo. "What are they even talking about? I don't understand a single word."
"We wouldn't," Megumi said. "My uncle and Maki train completely differently from us."
"But aren't we all sorcerers? What's different?" Nobara asked, confused.
"Oh. I hadn't told you," Megumi said. "My uncle — and Maki-senpai — they're sorcerers at Jujutsu High, but they have no cursed energy. No techniques. No jujutsu at all."
"…Hah?" Nobara blinked. "That explains why the old guy was carrying a literal spear last time…"
The world had gotten stranger ever since she entered Jujutsu High.
"Uncle," Megumi said, stepping forward to halt Maki's chatter, "there's something I want your opinion on."
Jinsuke looked at him, curious.
"A few days ago, when Yuji — well, Sukuna — took over, I fought him. And he said something like… he thinks I can defeat special-grades. How is that possible?"
He had wanted to ask sooner. If Sukuna saw potential in him, what did that mean? Only first-grade or special-grade sorcerers could reliably exorcise special-grade curses.
"That, huh… I suppose I never explained it," Jinsuke said. "I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you getting arrogant."
"Megumi, do you know why the Zenin clan values you so highly?"
"Probably because I inherited the clan's Ten Shadows Technique," Megumi answered.
"Correct. And what do you think of that technique?"
Megumi scratched his cheek.
"Honestly? It feels like any other technique. Maybe I haven't mastered it deeply enough yet."
Jinsuke smiled.
"Let me put it simply. If you one day tame all ten shikigami and master their combinations… you'll be able to stand toe-to-toe with the strongest sorcerer alive — Gojo."
He placed a heavy hand on Megumi's shoulder.
"So work hard, kid. Whether or not you can crush Gojo under your heel in the future depends entirely on you."
Megumi: "…"
"Then what about me? What about me?!" Nobara shoved Megumi aside, puffing out her chest. "Sensei! How far will I go?"
"You?" Jinsuke looked her up and down carefully. "Not bad. Tremendous potential. Excellent prospects. Your technique is exactly the kind the higher-ups adore. If you work hard, you'll absolutely become a pillar of the jujutsu leadership in the future."
"For real?! What kind of authority do the higher-ups have?" Nobara asked excitedly.
"Well…" Jinsuke coughed. "If you become a top executive, you could even take a dump on Gojo's head and get away with it."
"That's… amazing!"
"…"
"Why does Zenin-sensei always use Gojo-sensei as a comparison?" someone murmured.