Gojo Satoru paused slightly, about to say something, when he felt a gentle yet irresistible force brush across his memories.
He blinked.
For a brief moment, confusion flashed through his sky-blue Six Eyes, as though he had just awakened from a long meditation. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his silver-white hair.
"Hm?"
His gaze swept across the ruined training ground before settling on Sol, who was standing a short distance away.
"Strange... why does it feel like I've forgotten something?"
He rubbed the spot on his chest where he had been struck earlier. Not only was it completely fine now, but his Cursed Energy also seemed to flow more smoothly than before.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Oh, right! Sol!"
He clapped his hands together, instantly returning to his usual carefree grin, as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Special training! That's what we were doing!" Gojo laughed as he brushed off his uniform. "Excellent performance! Very impressive! Even though your teacher only used one-tenth... no, one-hundredth of his power, lasting that long is still amazing. Truly worthy of being the genius student I value so highly!"
He instinctively reached out to drape an arm around Sol's shoulder, but halfway through, he stopped for some reason and simply gave him a firm pat on the back.
"Alright, special training successfully completed! Outstanding results!"
Nodding to himself, he continued speaking.
"It seems your combat abilities really shine when you're facing stronger opponents. Next time, maybe I'll take you around the Star Corridor, or let you play with some of the Cursed Corpses Principal Gakuganji keeps around."
"Okay," Sol replied.
Gojo's smile widened.
"Then it's settled!"
Humming an off-key tune, he turned and headed toward the exit.
"Come on. Let's see how Yuji and the others handled their mission. Hopefully they didn't destroy too much property this time, or I'll end up getting blamed again."
Sol followed behind him, his gaze briefly lingering on Gojo's unguarded back.
The fierce clash between them, along with everything that followed, seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Gojo Satoru remained the strongest sorcerer of the modern era.
And Sol remained his exceptionally talented student, someone with limitless potential who deserved careful guidance.
That was enough.
When they returned to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Megumi Fushiguro had just returned from their mission.
Nobara was loudly complaining about Yuji's reckless fighting.
"You nearly smashed through the floor!"
Yuji scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.
Megumi stood nearby, looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Oh? You're back already?"
Gojo placed his hands on his hips.
"How'd the mission go? Nobody caused too much trouble, right?"
"Gojo-sensei!"
Yuji immediately ran over.
"Mission complete! There was a Cursed Spirit hiding inside a fitting room and scaring customers, but we exorcised it."
"It's because this idiot made such a huge scene," Nobara added, pointing directly at him.
"Good work."
Gojo grinned and ruffled Yuji's hair.
"Alright, today's training and missions are finished. Everyone's free to go, but don't forget your reports. Especially you, Yuji."
Yuji's face immediately fell.
"Seriously? Another report?"
After dismissing the students, Gojo strolled away while humming happily, apparently planning to hunt down another limited-edition dessert.
Nobara glanced at Sol curiously.
"Hey, Sol. What kind of special training did Gojo-sensei put you through? Why does he look so happy?"
Megumi also turned his attention toward him.
Sol considered the question for a moment.
"We found an old training ground and had a spar."
"A spar?"
Nobara's eyes widened.
"With Gojo-sensei personally? How did that even go?"
She couldn't imagine what sparring with a monster like Gojo would be like.
Yuji immediately leaned closer.
"Yeah! Sol, were you actually able to touch Gojo-sensei?"
Sol stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After a few seconds, he answered.
"His strength is pretty good. There's still room for improvement, though. He's a fun person. I enjoyed playing with him."
The answer was absurd.
Yet somehow, hearing it from Sol made it sound completely normal.
Nobara sighed.
"Well... I guess if anyone could say that, it'd be you."
Yuji clenched his fists excitedly.
"One day I'll be strong enough to spar with Gojo-sensei too!"
Megumi studied Sol's expression.
Something about the situation felt strange.
Still, he chose not to ask further.
Over the following days, life at Jujutsu High continued normally.
The four first-years gradually became more accustomed to working together.
Yuji's physical combat skills and Cursed Energy control improved steadily.
Nobara's mastery of her technique became increasingly refined.
Megumi's control over his shikigami grew more precise with each mission.
As for Sol, he continued playing the role of an unparalleled prodigy.
Anything he learned seemed to click instantly.
His official Cursed Technique remained simple physical enhancement, yet the results he produced consistently surpassed common sense.
Everything was carefully controlled.
Exceptional enough to amaze others.
Not enough to expose the truth.
Gojo, meanwhile, seemed fully invested in nurturing his prized student.
He frequently arranged additional training sessions and occasionally took Sol to more dangerous locations under the excuse of helping him unlock his potential.
Sol cooperated every time.
His visible growth only made Gojo more excited.
One afternoon, the four first-years had just finished a theory lesson when Gojo casually walked into the classroom.
A mysterious smile rested on his face.
"Alright, kids. Pack up. We've got a new mission."
He waved his phone.
"This one's pretty interesting."
The atmosphere immediately became more serious.
Gojo continued.
"We've detected energy fluctuations resembling an unregistered Special Grade Cursed Object. More specifically, it may be one of Sukuna's fingers."
Megumi's expression darkened.
"A Sukuna finger?"
Gojo nodded.
"The location is the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center in western Tokyo."
"A juvenile detention center?" Megumi frowned. "How could a Special Grade Cursed Object end up there?"
"That's exactly why it's interesting."
Gojo shrugged.
"Your mission is simple. Investigate the site, confirm the situation, and determine whether the object is actually there."
His expression remained relaxed, but his tone carried a trace of seriousness.
"If it's confirmed to be a Special Grade Cursed Object, report immediately and secure the area until further action can be taken."
He raised a finger.
"Of course, if it turns out to be a false alarm, that's even better."
The classroom fell silent.
Everyone understood what a Sukuna finger represented.
This mission would be far more dangerous than anything they had faced before.
===
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