The next morning, at the Higher Ups' Chambers.
The silence was broken only by the sound of footsteps echoing as Gojo Satoru and Okkotsu Yuta entered.
Behind the walls, the silhouettes of the council sat in rows, their postures rigid, their voices cold and severe as soon as the two arrived.
"Okkotsu Yuta. Do you understand the severity of your actions?"
One of the higher-ups began, his voice carrying a sharp disdain.
"Manifesting the Special Grade Cursed Spirit within the school grounds was an act of recklessness. Had that cursed spirit lost control, an entire district could have been annihilated."
Another voice chimed in, older and harsher.
"Gojo Satoru, explain yourself. Why did you allow the boy to fully manifest such a dangerous entity? Do you intend to endanger the entire Jujutsu High just for your amusement?"
Gojo yawned into his hand, clearly unfazed by the hostility.
"My, my, you really don't waste time jumping into the scolding, do you? No tea, no snacks, just straight to 'You're reckless, Gojo!'"
Yuta blinked, glancing at the paper walls as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"So… this is what you usually face every time? Man… that sucks, Gojo-sensei."
Gojo chuckled softly, clapping Yuta on the shoulder.
"Told you, right? Painful, but I still do it because if I don't, these old men think they can run wild."
The higher-ups immediately erupted with offense.
"Watch your tongue, Okkotsu Yuta! You stand before the highest authority of the Jujutsu community. Do not mock us with your casual insults!"
"How disrespectful! Gojo Satoru, you've raised this brat poorly. He dares laugh in the face of the council? A mere child?"
But Yuta, instead of looking intimidated, began to laugh.
"Hehehehahahahahahaha!"
His laughter echoed in the chamber, and it made the men behind the wall seethe.
"This is kinda funny."
Yuta said at last, his smile fading into something colder.
"You old prunes really think you have the right to lecture me about Rika-chan? You call her dangerous. You think I can't control her. And then you go and act like I'm some weakling who doesn't understand what he's carrying."
One of the higher-ups slammed his hand against the wooden floor.
"How dare you speak in such a manner-"
"Shut up."
The word came out low and sharp, and glared directly at the blurred silhouettes behind the paper walls.
His glare alone was enough to make several of the higher-ups flinch involuntarily, their breaths catching.
The pressure in the air spiked, a suffocating heaviness that reminded them exactly why Yuta had been designated Special Grade.
Gojo, standing beside him, smirked faintly and casually stepped back, passing the stage to Yuta.
"I had to skip breakfast this morning because I was told this meeting was urgent. And what did I get? A bunch of out-of-touch cowards are insulting me and the person I cherish most. But let me make this clear."
He showed his left hand that had a ring on her ring finger, the very same ring gifted to him by her late childhood sweetheart.
"Rika-chan is under my control. She is my partner, my strength, and my other half. And as long as I live and breathe, no one, no higher-up, no elder, no self-righteous dubass, will ever threaten her under my watch."
The higher-ups were silent, but their discomfort was palpable.
Some shifted uncomfortably, others gripped their sleeves tightly as if to ground themselves.
"If anyone here dares to say otherwise…"
Yuta leaned forward slightly, his tone dropping into something darker.
"Then I'll cut you down. All of you."
Gojo chuckled lowly, clearly proud of his new student/distant cousin.
(Now that's the spirit, Yuta-kun. You're learning.)
Yuta turned on his heel without another glance, walking toward the exit.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the chamber.
He slid the door open, but paused in the doorway.
"Oh, and one more thing."
He didn't turn back, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"A friendly word of advice... Don't underestimate me. If you do, it won't end well for you. Not for any of you."
With that, Yuta stepped out; the atmosphere of the chamber instantly lit up in his absence.
For a moment, the higher-ups remained frozen, unsettled by the boy's presence.
They had expected a meek, frightened student, but instead, they had seen a sorcerer who carried the weight of a monster at his side and spoke with the conviction of someone ready to defy them all.
Gojo lingered behind, his smile hidden but his tone far too casual for the severity of the situation.
"Well, gentlemen, looks like the meeting's over. Don't worry, I'll make sure Yuta-kun doesn't destroy the world or anything. But…"
He tilted his head, the grin on his face audible in his voice.
"…You'd seriously take his warning to heart. Because if he decides not to do something about your nonsense, then I will. And trust me, you'd prefer dealing with him over me."
Not a single higher-up dared respond.
Gojo gave a small wave, turning toward the exit with his usual relaxed gait.
"Anyway, thanks for wasting my morning. I'll see myself out."
He slid the door closed behind him, leaving the council speechless.
JJK
The morning air outside was crisp as Gojo stretched his arms above his head, cracking his neck lazily.
"Well, Yuta-kun, how was your very first experience speaking to the great and mighty higher-ups? Not too scary, right?"
He said in his usual singsong tone.
Yuta let out a long sigh and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Honestly? It was shit. Standing there listening to them go on and on like they're the only ones who matter? Ugh. I don't know how you deal with that all the time, Gojo-sensei."
Gojo laughed loudly, tilting his head back.
"Hahahahahaha! Glad to see you're already picking up what I've been dealing with all the time."
He nudged Yuta lightly with his elbow.
"But hey, you handled yourself pretty well. I'm proud of you, Yuta-kun. You even made a few of those fossils flinch. That's worth at least a thumbs up in my book."
Yuta couldn't help but chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I wasn't planning to threaten anyone the first thing in the morning, but I just couldn't stand them insulting Rika-chan. That's where I draw the line."
"Good. Never let anyone insult your girl. That's the kind of answer you need to survive a relationship."
Gojo said with an approving grin hidden under his blindfold.
Yuta smirked as he rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Sensei."
The two of them walked together down the stone path that led toward the training field.
When they finally reached the field, Panda and Maki were locked in a sparring match in the middle of the open ground.
Maki's new Guandao sliced through the air with precision, while Panda's massive fists blocked and countered.
Off to the side, Toge sat cross-legged under the shade of a tree, his expression neutral as he watched the match, occasionally munching on a rice ball.
"Oi, kids! Come here. Class is officially in session."
Gojo called out, waving a hand casually.
Both Panda and Maki stopped mid-swing, stepping back from each other and turning to face their teacher.
Panda wiped at his forehead with his furry arm and called out.
"Yuta-kun, you okay? Heard you were dragged into the lion's den this morning."
Yuta smiled reassuringly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. We just had a friendly chat."
"Friendly, huh?"
Panda tilted his head skeptically but grinned all the same.
"Okay, I believe you."
Maki lowered her weapon and rested it against her shoulder.
"Friendly, my ass. I'm more surprised that you haven't gotten your head chopped off."
Toge gave a simple nod of agreement.
"Salmon."
Gojo clapped his hands together dramatically, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, alright, gather up! I've got a brand new mission for you little rascals."
The three students looked at him with varying levels of interest.
Gojo cleared his throat theatrically.
"So, here's the deal. There's this old abandoned hospital in Tokyo. Creepy place, hasn't been touched in years. Recently, it's been radiating cursed energy like a broken faucet. It's suspected that there's a Cursed Womb forming inside, which means…"
"A Special Grade Curse."
Maki finished for him, her tone sharp.
"Bingo!"
Gojo snapped his fingers.
"If left unchecked, it could become a real nightmare. So, your job, should you choose to accept it, not that you really have a choice, is to go there, check out the womb, and deal with whatever comes crawling out."
Panda raised his paw.
"Yes?"
"Uh, question, Gojo-sensei. Isn't that… kinda out of our grade? I mean, a Cursed Womb that might become Special Grade? Normally you'd handle something like that, wouldn't you?"
"Excellent question, Panda-kun!"
Gojo said with a wide grin.
"Normally, yes, I'd take care of it myself. But unfortunately…"
He placed a hand over his chest in mock sorrow.
"…I have something extremely important to attend to overseas."
The students all gave him a flat stare, waiting.
Maki's eyebrow twitched.
"Yeah, right. You're going on vacation, aren't you?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny such slanderous accusations."
Gojo said, wagging his finger.
All three of his students deadpanned in perfect unison, and even Yuta glanced at him with exasperation.
"Don't look at me like that. It hurts my feelings."
Gojo said, pouting exaggeratedly.
"Sure it does."
Maki muttered, rolling her eyes.
Gojo cleared his throat, dropping the playful tone just a bit.
"Anyway, it'll be fine. Because this time, Yuta-kun will be acting as your stand-in monitor. Think of him as your substitute teacher for the mission."
The trio all turned to look at Yuta, who raised a hand in greeting and said.
"Don't worry, guys. We got this, okay?"
Panda rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm… if it's Yuta-kun, maybe that's fine. You did knock us all around the other day."
Toge nodded, his mouth opening just slightly.
"Kelp."
Maki smirked faintly, twirling her guandao.
"Well, I'm not against it. Time for you to show us what you can really do, Okkotsu."
Yuta gave a small smile, a hint of determination flickering in his eyes.
"I'll do my best."
Gojo clapped his hands together again, delighted.
"Great! Then it's settled. Your mission briefing is complete. Now go out there, investigate the hospital, and have some fun!"
He pointed dramatically toward the horizon.
"Good luck, my adorable students. And remember, teamwork makes the dream work!"
Then, without another word, Gojo suddenly broke into a jog, waving behind him as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Bahamas, here I come!"
The group watched him disappear, his voice echoing into the distance.
"Sometimes I wonder why we put up with him."
Maki muttered flatly.
Panda shrugged.
"Because he's Gojo-sensei. And unfortunately, he's still the strongest."
"Tuna."
Toge muttered.
Yuta chuckled lightly, scratching his head.
"Well… guess we'd better start getting ready, huh?"
The four of them began walking together back toward the dorms, chatting lightly about what they'd need to bring.
Panda listed snacks he wanted to stock up on, Maki muttered about testing her new polearm against Curses, Toge simply chimed in with his usual food words whenever prompted, and Yuta pondered what kind of Curses they would face in his first mission.
JJK
Hello readers!
I have returned.
Also, I wanna tell you readers something.
First, I'm not dead, nor am I dropping this.
Second, due to so many college-related issues, I've been unable to keep uploading for like a whole month... I think.
I apologize for the inconvenience and hope you readers understand my situation.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!