Hanami's mission was simple: use the deployed Veil to isolate Gojo Satoru while it attacked the students of Jujutsu High.
There were no rigid requirements; in fact, it was best not to kill anyone.
The mere act of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit appearing inside Jujutsu High and attacking students was enough to capture Gojo Satoru's full attention, especially since he couldn't enter the school grounds for a short time.
This would create an opportunity for Kenjaku, Mahito, and the others to seize Sukuna's fingers and the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, which were sealed away by the Jujutsu world.
In theory, it was a perfect plan. Kenjaku had made extensive preparations for it, and Hanami itself was a very special Cursed Spirit specialized in defense.
Even among Special Grades, its defense was top-tier.
But too many variables had appeared. Having been severely wounded by Kakashi several times, its condition was clearly poor. And the Jujutsu High students on the other side... well, they were protagonists in their own right.
Just as Sasuke was preparing to use the power of his Cursed Seal to break the Veil, Hanami was already locked in battle with Itadori and the others...
"When a physical strike and the impact of Cursed Energy overlap, you can unleash an attack called Black Flash."
"When Cursed Energy hits the target within 0.000001 seconds of a physical impact, the Cursed Energy will distort space and emit a black light. That is Black Flash."
In the middle of a stream, Itadori and Todo stood facing Hanami. Despite being in the heat of battle, it was as if a lesson had begun.
After his previous fight with Mahito, Itadori had fallen into a state of confusion, unsure of what he was fighting for.
Todo, having noticed this, chose to counsel him in his own way—with a slap.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of palm meeting cheek, the clarity returned to Itadori's eyes.
Hanami didn't interrupt their exchange. Its objective was to stall for time. For a moment, the situation resembled its battle with Kakashi, only now their roles were reversed.
Itadori and Todo had to end this quickly. Their Cursed Energy couldn't compare to that of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit; if they were drawn into a battle of attrition, they had no chance of winning.
More importantly, the other Jujutsu High students were already severely injured and needed immediate medical attention.
In its weakened state, Hanami, unlike in the original timeline, hadn't held back much, nor did it have the luxury to do so. The injuries sustained by Fushiguro Megumi and the others were extremely serious.
'I dealt with those kids quickly, so my Cursed Energy isn't at its peak, but the main goal is to stall for time.'
'Is this guy in front of me Sukuna's vessel? I have to keep him alive.'
Hanami was like a boss waiting to be challenged, quietly observing their movements. At the same time, the plants all around it were silently withering.
It was absorbing the life force of vast amounts of vegetation and converting it into Cursed Energy—a necessary sacrifice.
Although Itadori didn't know why Hanami wasn't attacking, he had regained his will to fight under Todo's tutelage—two slaps.
"You're not running away, but approaching me instead?"
Hanami couldn't understand. The interaction between Itadori and Todo was baffling.
"I can't beat the crap out of you without getting closer."
His fighting spirit ignited, Itadori spoke as he walked toward Hanami.
Though he hadn't seen how it had defeated his comrades, judging by their life-threatening injuries, Itadori knew it must have been a brutal fight.
How big was the gap between a Special Grade Cursed Spirit and himself? He didn't think about that now. His mind was focused on one thing only: a complete, wholehearted perception of his Cursed Energy.
Hanami and Itadori stood facing each other. To defeat their opponent and save their comrades, they had to land a Black Flash. Otherwise, they stood no chance.
Cursed Energy gathered in his fist. He was so focused that he didn't even notice drool dripping from his mouth, as if in a trance.
'Give it my all, complete focus!'
Trusting his senses completely, Itadori threw a punch. It looked no different from any ordinary Cursed Energy-enhanced strike.
It was like a Showa-era Kamen Rider hiding an ultimate move within a standard attack—a simple, unadorned punch, yet its power was on an entirely different level.
As a Cursed Spirit, even a Special Grade, Hanami knew nothing about Black Flash. Or rather, it was completely unaware of its existence.
Roots controlled by Cursed Energy shot out from behind it, forming an armor-like shield that enveloped Hanami's front.
Relying on its formidable defense, Hanami paid them no mind, until—
"Black Flash!"
The fist, imbued with Cursed Energy, landed heavily upon its body. With a flash of black Cursed Energy, the punch that couldn't break its defense before became stronger! More overwhelming!
It was as if the art style itself had changed. The unique effect of Cursed Energy distorted space, the pitch-black color resembling a spatial rift.
"What?!"
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn't an attack that a half-baked sorcerer like Itadori should be able to produce. How could his Cursed Energy surge so dramatically in that instant?!
The defensive roots were completely shattered by the punch. Hanami's body directly took the full force of the Black Flash, and even its right arm was blown to pieces by Itadori!
While this wasn't a grievous injury to it, it was the first time it had been wounded by these students.
Itadori's experience on the other side was completely different. With the activation of Black Flash, he felt his understanding of Cursed Energy suddenly leap several levels.
Its aura is completely different. What's going on?
Hanami could sense that the current Itadori was a completely different person from before, as if fully immersed in the battle!
Natural energy and Cursed Energy quickly repaired Hanami's injured arm. It actually felt a trace of a threat from its opponent.
"He's just a brat who's new to the Jujutsu world, yet he already possesses this level of fighting spirit?"
As a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Hanami had initially looked down on these so-called students, including the ones it had encountered earlier. They were beings it could eliminate just by getting a little serious.
But now, it realized things were completely different from what it had imagined. The current Itadori was qualified to be its 'opponent'!
"How interesting. In that case, I'll play with you for a while."
Humans were truly an incredible race. Its previous battle with Kakashi had made it feel this.
To ensure the mission's success, it had to go all out to finish off Kakashi.
And now, also to ensure the mission's success, it had to give its full attention to eliminating the two sorcerers before it!
It wasn't just Itadori whose fighting spirit was ignited. Hanami, as an incarnation of nature, was also infected by it and decided to defeat him in earnest.
Unfortunately...
The Veil in the sky was torn apart in an instant, dissipating into the surroundings.
'How is this possible? The barrier targeting Gojo Satoru was broken this quickly?'
Hanami hadn't even recovered from the shock of Itadori and his Black Flash when it noticed the Veil in the sky had been destroyed, leaving it momentarily trapped in a dilemma.
It hadn't stalled for enough time, but if Gojo Satoru arrived, it had to retreat...
"Found you, Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
But now, it no longer needed to make a decision. A strange yet intensely oppressive voice came from behind Hanami.
Seeing his students' severe injuries, Gojo Satoru wasted no time, teleporting directly into the center of the battlefield.
Hanami was now face-to-face with Gojo Satoru.
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