Saturo was silent for a long moment before he smirked, "Scary, so much insight with so little context. That, more than anything, makes you a valuable asset…and such a dangerous liability. Maybe it would be better for me to wash my hands of you now."
Kiniro had no reaction to the blatant threat as he continued to look Saturo in the eyes, "Logically, it makes sense. Dispose of me before I can be turned into a tool for your enemies. But you're not the kind to murder in cold blood, and even if you were, your pride won't allow it. Killing me now proves that deep down you believe their doctrine will win me over rather than your own."
Saturo's smirk turned into a grin. "Then tell me, what will I do?"
"Isn't it obvious? Try and convince me that you're right, show me your vision of what this sinful world can be, and turn me into a believer," Kiniro answered with a small smile, "A tenured shepherd guiding an innocent lamb through the pasture under his watchful eye and protection, staving off the starving wolves."
"Well, how could I argue with such an accurate metaphor, though I would hardly call you an innocent lamb," Saturo commented before clapping his hands together. "Regardless, it's decided, you're now my student and my responsibility."
Saturo offered his hand to Kiniro, "I am Gojo Satoru, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of the last four hundred years, but you can call me sensei."
Kiniro took Saturo's hand and stood, coming up very short compared to his new master, "Kiniro, I look forward to your tutelage…Sensei. I hope you show me lots of fun things!
"If your definition of fun is what I think it is, then you won't be disappointed," Saturo replied smoothly as he took back his hand before glancing over his shoulder out the door, "Did ya hear that, Masamichi?"
"Yep," Masamichi grunted, feeling relieved that there wouldn't be any immediate fallout, but also terrified of what the future had in store, "It looks like Tokyo Jujutsu High is gonna have four first years."
---
"Itadakimasu!" Kiniro cheered before biting into the juicy burger slathered in sauce, with two patties, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon. The burst of flavor made Kiniro moan as he closed his eyes and savored the taste.
Watching his student's antics, Saturo shook his head, "Have you never had one of their burgers before?"
"I've never had a burger, period!" Kiniro replied through his mouthful of food, "The Following only let me eat the stuff they grew on the compound, something about me consuming the flesh of another being corrupting my soul, blah, blah, blah. But now with them out of the picture, I can eat whatever the fuck I want!"
Kiniro took another bite of the burger, a gleam in his eye that made Saturo think he was going to regret taking Kiniro out to eat. "Would you like to finish your food before we talk, or can you listen and eat at the same time?"
"Don't wait!" Kiniro insisted mid-chew as he sat up in his seat, giving Sautro his full attention, "The sooner I learn about the basics, the faster I can move on to the fun stuff."
Saturo smirked at Kiniro's eagerness but didn't comment and continued, "Well then, let's start with the most basic lesson, explaining the function of cursed energy, what you know as sin. Cursed energy is produced by humans and their negative emotions; think of it like a power plant burning fuel to create electricity, the emotions are fuel, humans are the generator, and cursed energy is electricity."
Kiniro nodded along, showing that he was listening, "The reason why it's called cursed energy is that with enough time and a high enough concentration, the cursed energy of humans can give birth to a Cursed Spirit. Naturally, being created from the worst parts of the emotional spectrum makes Curses inherently violent; they will haunt and harm almost anyone indiscriminately, making them humanity's greatest threat."
"Whoa, just how many Cursed Spirits are there?" Kiniro asked.
"It's impossible to know," Saturo shrugged, "But for reference, there are over 10,000 people who go missing or suffer from inexplicable deaths every year in Japan. Almost all of them are caused by Cursed Spirits. That number would be exponentially higher, however, if it weren't for the existence of special individuals such as you and me."
"And just what are we exactly?" Kiniro questioned as he shoved a handful of fries into his mouth before locking his lips around the plastic straw of his jumbo-sized soda cup, bigger than his head, "Not everyone can see curses and cursed energy, right?"
Saturo nodded and grinned, "We are Jujutsu Sorcerers. In most instances, we are extremely rare individuals born with far more cursed energy than the average non-sorcerer, with the ability to see cursed spirits and use jujutsu sorcery. It is our job to exorcise cursed spirits and suppress their levels, a duty that is managed by Jujutsu Headquarters, the oversight division of the Japanese government that serves as the supreme judiciary and legislative authority in jujutsu society."
Kiniro pursed his lips, "Are those the higher-ups that want to…how did you put it…turn me into a walking, talking breeding stud?"
"It's a little bit more complicated, but for all intents and purposes, yes," Saturo replied, "And the reason why brings us to the next topic of discussion. Jujutsu Sorcery, which I'll also keep simple for the sake of time."
Kiniro nodded before taking another bite of his burger as Saturo continued, "Jututsu Sorcery is an umbrella term for any action involving the manipulation of cursed energy. It can be performed by Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits alike and consists of three main classifications: Cursed energy manipulation, Cursed Techniques, and Innate Techniques. Curse Energy manipulation is the control of one's cursed energy, allowing the user to reinforce their body, becoming stronger, faster, and more durable. Cursed Techniques are the application of cursed energy through a predetermined formula, producing a consistent result. Most often, these formulas come in the form of Innate Techniques, granting the sorcerers or curses who wield them wholly unique abilities that grow with the user over time and are essentially impossible to replicate. However, an innate technique can be passed down like a genetic trait and inherited by descendants of the original user."
"Huh," Kiniro grunted before a smug grin spread across his face, "So my technique must be pretty good, if the higher-ups want me to pass it on so badly."
"Only time will tell but I'm going to assume that pretty good will be an understatement." Saturo replied as he popped a fry in his mouth, "But that's not the only reason why, you see, there is also another form of inheritable jujutsu sorcery, called Innate Gifts. For the longest time, it was thought that only one existed."
Saturo reached up and pulled down the black blind fold covering his eyes revealing two startling blue eyes that shone like cyan sapphires, "These are the Six Eyes, the hereditary trait and one of the signatures of my family, the Gojo Clan, with the other being the synergistic Innate Technique Limitless, which I have also inherited making me the first to do so in over four hundred years."
As he stared into Saturo's uncovered eyes, Kiniro couldn't help but feel a faint echo within the indescribable aura that surrounded them, "That's what makes you the strongest…But I have something similar as well, don't I? That's why the higher-ups want my genes, so they can be inherited by members of their own clans."
"A teacher couldn't ask for a brighter student," Saturo commented, confirming Kiniro's theory as he put back on his blind fold, "And after they realize you'll never give in to their plot, they'll do everything in their power to kill you off before you become untouchable."
"B-but won't you protect me?" Kiniro asked in a scared, timid tone, batting his eyes at Saturo and looking away bashfully, who wasn't fooled for a second, "I'll mostly act as a deterrent from them doing anything over the top, but I shouldn't have to explain to you the lengths people will go to get what they desire."
Kiniro's cowardly persona vanished in an instant as he took another bite of his burger, finishing it off, "So I'm really racing against the clock now, aren't I?"
"You certainly can't afford to relax any time soon. We should begin your training right away." Saturo said, crossing his arms.
Kiniro nodded, "You got it…but after I get a couple more burgers in me…I also want to check out a few of the stores we passed on our way here…and can we walk around the city for a bit? I've never been able to come here, you know, since I was a religious entity and everything."
Saturo shook his head at Kiniro's antics, but he didn't have the heart to turn him down. "Fine, after all you've been through, I think you at least deserve a day of carefree joy and mindless purchases."
Kiniro cheered with a grin and a fist bump, "Fuck yeah!"