Chapter 16: Utahime Iori.
Yaga did not speak immediately; he merely scrutinized Toho Hiroshi with his sharp eyes, as if re-evaluating the young man.
After a long pause, he slowly began, "Toho, your performance today... far exceeded my expectations. Not only have you mastered the advanced Reverse Cursed Technique, but you can even hold your own against Satoru in terms of physical combat and basic abilities for a short time."
He paused, his tone growing more serious: "But this does not mean you can rest easy. Your power is growing too fast, too strangely, like a sharp blade without a sheath—it can injure enemies, but it can also easily harm yourself. Although you managed to keep up with Satoru's pace today, that was largely dependent on the special abilities of your eyes and your instantaneous bursts of power. Your foundation, especially the precision of your Cursed Energy manipulation and your experience in prolonged battles, is still somewhat lacking."
Toho Hiroshi nodded seriously: "I understand, Principal Yaga. I will continue to solidify my foundation and will never become complacent because of temporary progress."
"It is best that you think this way." Yaga's expression softened slightly. "Regarding your eyes and the various abilities you have awakened, The Higher-Ups have already taken notice, and the pressure is considerable. I have temporarily suppressed their inquiries by citing that the Cursed Technique is unknown and requires observation and nurturing."
"But when you execute missions in the future, especially those that attract the attention of The Higher-Ups, you must be extremely careful. Unless absolutely necessary, try not to easily expose abilities that are too shocking, such as 'Amaterasu' or 'Susanoo'."
"Yes, I remember." Toho Hiroshi felt a chill in his heart, knowing that Principal Yaga was protecting him.
"Furthermore." Yaga took a document from the drawer. "This is a new mission. In a remote village, several people are suspected to have gone missing. 'The Window' initially judged it to be the work of a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, but the situation is somewhat strange and may involve unknown risks. We originally planned to have Satoru and Geto handle it, but now it seems this might also be a trial for you."
He pushed the document toward Toho Hiroshi: "You will be solely responsible for this mission."
Toho Hiroshi was slightly startled: "Alone?"
"That's right." Yaga's gaze was profound. "This is part of The Higher-Ups' assessment, and it is also my test for you. You need to prove that you not only possess power but also the ability to independently judge and handle complex situations. Of course, I am not sending you to your death. The mission details will be synchronized with two other Jujutsu Sorcerers; they will provide backup on the periphery. Unless you send out a distress signal or confirm a threat far exceeding Grade 1, they will not intervene."
Toho Hiroshi took a deep breath and accepted the mission document. He knew that this was the real beginning.
No longer would he be training or assisting under the wings of Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, but truly facing the darkness and danger of this world alone.
"I guarantee the mission will be completed, Principal Yaga."
... The next morning.
Gojo Satoru, sucking on a lollipop and slinging an arm around Toho Hiroshi's shoulder, shouted, "You better hurry back, kid! We still have to continue our fight!"
"Uh..." Toho Hiroshi felt a black line drop over his head. Was Gojo Satoru addicted to fighting now? "Mhm." He nodded. "But I won't go easy on you either."
"Haha! That's all I needed to hear!" Gojo Satoru clapped his shoulder, battle intent rising in his eyes again.
Geto Suguru stood nearby. Although slightly helpless, he smiled and waved at the two energetic youths: "Then be careful on your way. If something goes wrong, don't try to tough it out; call for backup immediately."
"Don't worry, Geto." Toho Hiroshi smiled too. He put the mission document into his backpack. "Then I'm off. Don't just stare at me, hurry up and go train! Principal Yaga is waiting for your self-reflection reports!"
"Tch, what's the big deal." Gojo Satoru curled his lip in disdain but still released Toho Hiroshi's shoulder and waved him off.
"Take this, even though you might not need it anymore..." Toho Hiroshi was slightly stunned, looking at the eyedrops Shoko handed him, a warmth flowing through his heart.
He took the bottle, his fingertips feeling the slight coolness coming from the glass.
"Thank you." He thanked her solemnly and carefully put the eyedrops away.
This seemingly ordinary concern felt exceptionally precious in the crisis-ridden Jujutsu World.
Without saying anything further, he nodded to the three of them, turned, and set off toward the mission location.
Tokyo Jujutsu High behind him gradually shrunk, eventually disappearing into the mountains...
Based on the coordinates provided by Principal Yaga and the preliminary report from The Window, Toho Hiroshi arrived at a secluded village nestled among the mountains.
The atmosphere here was oppressively heavy.
It was afternoon, a time when the village should have shown signs of life, but it was eerily silent. Houses were tightly shut, no one was visible in the fields, and not even a dog bark or chicken crow could be heard; only the mournful sound of wind passing over dilapidated eaves remained.
The air was filled with a faint, unsettling residue of Cursed Energy, mixed with an earthy smell and a subtle hint of blood.
"A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit... but it feels much colder and more cunning than an ordinary Grade 1." Toho Hiroshi murmured to himself, the Three Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes quietly activating, carefully tracking the residual traces of Cursed Energy in the air.
The residue was intermittent, pointing toward the depths of the dense forest behind the village mountain. Without hesitation, he moved like lightning, swiftly following the traces.
The deeper he went into the mountains and woods, the denser the trees became, the dimmer the light grew, and the more concentrated the nauseating Cursed Energy aura became.
The insight of the Sharingan was pushed to its limit; he could even see sticky claw marks left on some branches and unnatural dragging marks on the ground.
"The lair should be nearby." He grew even more vigilant.
Just then, a faint, suppressed curse mixed with a girl's sob, along with the dull thud of a hard object striking rock, drifted from ahead.
"Bastard! Let go of me! What the hell is this thing? Miss Mei! Is anyone there?"
The voice came from a hidden cave entrance, which was covered by twisted vines and a spiderweb-like Cursed Energy Barrier. It would be easily overlooked without careful investigation. The Cursed Energy fluctuations emanating from inside the cave were the strongest.
Toho Hiroshi silently approached the entrance. The Sharingan easily saw through the weak point of the Barrier. He condensed Cursed Energy onto his fingertip, sliced lightly, tore open a gap, and flashed inside.
The light inside the cave was extremely dim, filled with a heavy smell of blood and decay.
Using the night vision provided by the Sharingan, Toho Hiroshi saw the scene inside the cave: A young girl, dressed in white Miko robes, with two buns in her hair and a hint of childishness still on her face, was hanging upside down in mid-air, swinging miserably, bound by sticky Cursed Energy Ropes resembling black tree roots.
She seemed to have struggled for a long time; her face was flushed red, and she had a scrape on her forehead. She was futilely using what appeared to be a broken branch in her hand to poke at a massive, pitch-black, bristly Spider Cursed Spirit that was dozing below her.
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