Japan, within the borders of Shikoku.
A light breeze stirred, making the black clothes of the black-haired boy flutter softly.
Soon, he arrived at a hidden courtyard.
But the indifferent boy didn't hesitate. He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Judging by his expression, everything here was already familiar to him.
The boy walked naturally along the cobblestone path, passed through the bamboo grove, and came upon a woman holding a baby, standing on the veranda and gazing into the distance.
He slowed his pace.
His eyes briefly paused on the baby's face, then shifted away.
They returned to the woman.
"Lady Kaori, what arrangements do you have for me this time?" the black-haired boy asked expressionlessly.
The Lady Kaori he referred to was clearly the gentle-looking woman standing on the veranda.
"Long time no see, Choso."
Seeing the boy, the woman smiled. But the stitches on her forehead gave off an eerie sense of distortion and dissonance.
Choso said nothing.
Although Itadori Kaori had saved him nine years ago and raised him since...
He never truly liked her.
Because she always reminded him vaguely of Kamo Noritoshi.
And he hated Kamo Kaname.
Itadori Kaori said, "You completed the mission well. Thank you for your hard work during this time."
Previously, Satoshi destroyed six of Sukuna's fingers, severely disrupting the plans of the Curse Users...
After Choso had run around cleaning up the mess, they finally managed to relieve some of the pressure brought on by Satoshi's intervention.
Choso nodded.
He didn't say much. He simply waited quietly for Itadori Kaori to continue.
A breeze passed, rustling her hair. The little boy in her arms seemed to feel a chill and nestled closer into her chest.
Itadori Kaori turned and returned inside, with Choso following silently. But once again, his eyes fell on the little boy.
The woman sat down on a nearby sofa. She looked down at the peacefully sleeping baby in her arms, then lifted her gaze. A subtle smile crept onto her face.
"During this period, the Sister School Goodwill Event of Jujutsu High is about to begin. Their vigilance will be much lower. Choso, you should return to Tokyo. Tengen is a critical target for us..."
"I need a clearer objective," Choso frowned.
He had been working under Itadori Kaori ever since she infiltrated the school and revived their Nine Phase Diagram a few years ago.
But even now, she still hadn't given him any concrete plans.
"We need Lord Tengen to join us. We need her power," the woman said, still smiling as she looked at the boy.
"Lady Kaori... with my strength, I'm afraid that's impossible." Choso thought for a moment and shook his head.
As the leader of the Nine Phase Diagram, he had no problem collecting Sukuna's fingers or confronting humans and Cursed Spirits.
But going up against Tengen, the guardian of the sorcerer world?
That was overestimating him.
"..." Itadori Kaori smiled and explained, "Choso, you don't need to fight Lord Tengen. According to my calculations, I'm afraid she won't be able to suppress her evolution much longer."
"You're going to Tokyo for one purpose only, to find all the Star Plasma Vessels that Lord Tengen cultivated within the year. Use any means necessary. As long as you prevent her from assimilating with one of them..."
"For specifics, contact the Time Vessel Association. I am sure they will be more than happy to cooperate."
Choso thought for a while and nodded. "Understood."
"Then get going," Itadori Kaori said, waving her hand.
Choso turned to leave.
But he didn't walk away.
Itadori Kaori looked at him, a trace of doubt flashing in her eyes.
Choso pointed at the child in her arms and said, "There's a familiar connection between him and me..."
Just like the other Nine Phase Diagrams.
But Choso knew for certain that his brother didn't have a child.
So he was even more confused.
Itadori Kaori looked at the child for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I'll tell you once you've completed this mission."
Choso nodded and said nothing more.
He turned and exited the hallway.
Outside, on the edge of the veranda, the boy stood still.
The bamboo grove below swayed gently in the wind, and the crisp sound of wind chimes echoed softly through the courtyard.
In the next second, the black-haired boy's figure vanished from the courtyard, fading into the breeze.
...
The next day.
The Sister School Goodwill Event of Jujutsu High had always been a point of interest within the sorcerer community.
Especially this time, with Gojo Satoshi involved, it drew even more attention.
Though everyone believed it was unlikely Satoshi would personally participate!
Tokyo Jujutsu High would probably send Gojo Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko instead.
Otherwise, with Satoshi's overwhelming strength, even if the principal of Kyoto's Gakuganji brought all their elite graduates, they'd still struggle against Satoshi's Zanpakutō!
Kyoto Jujutsu High obviously stood no chance!
Even if Tokyo didn't send Satoshi, the rest of their lineup was already terrifying!
The problem-child duo—Satoru and Suguru.
Their perfect teamwork alone was enough to make even Special Grade Cursed Spirits lose their edge.
Team battles like the Goodwill Event were practically built for them.
How will Kyoto Jujutsu High even respond?
Thinking about Kyoto's likely fate, many couldn't help but feel a touch of sympathy.
In their eyes, Kyoto had absolutely no shot at victory!
This might just be the most one-sided Sister School Goodwill Event in history!
At the General Directorate of Jujutsu—a key administrative office linked to Jujutsu High...
A man in a suit sat expressionlessly as he reviewed the event report submitted by Yaga Masamichi and Yuki.
"Yaga Masamichi, has the Tokyo roster been finalized?"
Compared to Kyoto, he was more concerned about Tokyo's lineup.
In truth, he wanted to see how Yaga planned to handle Gojo Satoshi.
After all, the General Directorate had already issued an order prohibiting Satoshi from representing Tokyo in this event.
Yaga calmly handed over a document. "This is the final list for Tokyo Jujutsu High, along with their information."
The man in black skimmed through it. "Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ieiri Shoko..."
"All right. No issues here."
He casually passed the document to an assistant, then looked at Yuki and spoke respectfully:
"Special Grade Yuki, your school's roster..."
Compared to Yaga Masamichi, his tone was noticeably more polite when addressing Yuki.
He seemed much more at ease now. Since Satoshi wasn't on Tokyo's list, Kyoto basically stood no chance anyway.
Yuki chuckled. "Heh, this is our lineup for the Goodwill Event."
She scribbled the names down without much concern.
(To be continued.)
***
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