Author's Note: I apologize for the long period without any chapters. Life has gotten busy all of a sudden so writing has been slowed significantly. I hope you understand and still enjoy the story as it unfolds.
Chapter 11
Megumi and Nobara noticed Josefu behind them. Megumi turned to Josefu while Nobara inched away. Josefu knew why. "Did Itadori… Say anything before he died?" Megumi asked tentatively. In an attempt to keep the story on its previous track, Josefu stated, "He told us to live a long life…" This line used to be said by Megumi to Nobara in the manga. Yet, Josefu deceived Megumi and Nobara into believing these were Yuji's last words. In the back and forth he had with Gojo, he passed these words to Gojo so Yuji would go along with the act, knowing Yuji would accept the idea since it was something he'd think of saying. Admittedly, Josefu felt horrid about constructing a lie this perverse yet persisted through the moral pain. This persistence emerged to keep the higher-ups from knowing the truth, which would only put more focus on him and likely lead them to attempt to isolate Josefu from Yuji and Gojo to force him to comply with their beliefs. This incident was, unfortunately, something Josefu did before in his previous jumps to survive or keep the narratives of these worlds intact for as long as possible.
After Joesfu said this, Megumi and Nobara began talking about the weather as usual, a sign the narrative was using Josefu's input to get itself back on track from the distortion. Josef noticed Megumi and Nobara were seemingly depressed at the news of Yuji's death, which didn't surprise him as he was also acting depressed to keep the story going. After this interaction, Maki Zen'in appeared, sending the story to the new arc. "Sheesh, you're more moody than usual, Megumi," Maki began, "What is this a funeral?" After Maki said those words, Josefu knew the story's course correction was running smoothly, albeit with Sukuna's motives altered. The regular interaction between Maki and Megumi from the manga occurred, introducing Panda and Toge Inumaki into the narrative as Megumi explained everything to Nobara and Josefu.
This transition prompted Panda to inform the group that the second years wanted the three first years to participate in the Kyoko Sister-School Goodwill Event. After receiving an explanation of the event, Nobara and Megumi agreed so they could get stronger as jujutsu sorcerers. Meanwhile, Josefu agreed so the story could move smoothly without too many stops. Nobara and Megumi clarified that if they thought these actions were pointless, they would stop participating in the training and the Goodwill event, whereas Josefu didn't say anything. The training began immediately, with Megumi and Nobara getting beaten rather quickly. At the same time, Josefu managed to hold out for a little longer but still ended up beaten, thanks to Maki's fighting style. The experience reminded Josefu that not every opponent he comes across has readable curse energy or possesses curse energy in the first place. This realization meant that Josefu applying his curse energy to predicting his opponent's movements was not an infallible strategy.
Three days after starting the training in jujutsu sorcery, Megumi was having trouble keeping up, more so than in the manga. Josefu realized that this was a consequence of Sukuna never bringing Megumi's true strength to his attention since he and Megumi never fought. After deducing this, Josefu resolved to guide Megumi in the right direction instead of Sukuna. "Hey, Fushiguro," Josefu began. "Yes?" Megumi asked. "I noticed you tend to be passive when you fight. Why is that?" "Well," Fushiguro answered, "The only unfair thing that is fair about life is how unfair it is to everyone. So, I'll fight to save people. Whether or not it's unfair." "That's a sweet sentiment," Josefu commented, "However, you need to know that your power is more than meets the eye. Part of jujutsu sorcery is taking it upon yourself to take risks and think outside the box with your technique. I do that every time I use curse energy." Megumi perked up at the sound of this. "Don't be afraid to indulge your desires in a fight now and then. It might help," Josefu advised, doing his best not to be preachy to Megumi. Megumi nodded and stood up, ready to train.
After a few days, Megumi progressed rapidly to the moment where he sat on the steps, talking to Maki about cursed tools while Nobara trained with Panda and Josefu trained with Inumaki. Panda was throwing Nobara around to help her learn how to maintain a more consistent flow of curse energy. Meanwhile, Inumaki was assisting Josefu in developing a nuanced understanding of mixing curse energy flow with curse reinforcement, allowing Josefu to focus on using his expertise in martial arts instead of solely relying on curse energy when fighting his opponents. This day was also when Megumi realized he could hide cursed tools in his shadows.
The training would continue into August. Maki ordered the trio to run errands, which caused Josefu to realize that he missed the fight between Gojo and Jogo. 'Why would the forces ignore that fight?' Josefu pondered. Simple, that scuffle is not significant. The abrupt sound of the forces made Josefu jolt, causing the forces to snicker at his reaction. 'Why is that fight not important?' Josefu pondered. It does not progress the narrative, so there is no point in putting anything there. 'Even if it introduces domain expansions?' Josefu pondered. We said narrative events, not world-building events, so it does not count. 'Fair enough,' Josefu concluded.
While the trio focused on getting some drinks from a vending machine, the inevitable conflict arrived. Megumi looked to one end of the hall and signaled to Nobara and Josefu that he needed them to look where he was looking, and they did, seeing three figures. They were Aoi Todo, Mai Zen'in, and, to Josefu's shock, Noritoshi Kamo. In the initial form of this event, only Todo and Mai were here, and now Noritoshi was included. Josefu tensed up, looking serious and focused.
Afterward, Megumi began, "Why are you here, Zen'in sempai?" After that, Mai began taunting the trio as before in the manga when only Nobara and Megumi were there before Noritoshi stopped her, walking towards the trio. "Who's he?" Nobara whispered to Megumi. "Noritoshi Kamo of the Kamo Clan in Kyoko," Megumi answered. Noritoshi walked up to Josefu, showing a calm, stoic demeanor. "I am here for you. Follow me or else," Noritoshi uttered. "Oi! I had my eye on him, Kamo!" Todo yelled, clearly annoyed. "That is none of my concern, Todo," Noritoshi retorted calmly before he walked past Josefu. Josefu nodded to Megumi and Nobara before he began to follow Noritoshi.
Noritoshi leads Josefu to a broad clearing in the woods. This place is perfect," Noritoshi began before he blasted Josefu with his curse technique, blood manipulation. Specifically, a piercing blood attack that Noritoshi was charging with condensed blood while leading Josefu to the clearing. Josefu, having already detected what Noritoshi intended, dodged the attack effortlessly and sensed two slicing exorcisms that Noritoshi released, which he also dodged immediately after the pierce blood attack. Maintaining his stoic demeanor, Noritoshi proclaimed, "I have come here to test your skill in jujutsu for the Kamo clan, Josefu Hanto! So far, you live up to your reputation, but I have already prepared to test all of your abilities." Josefu's intuition activated his Fire Tyrant technique while Noritoshi released another piercing blood attack. Josefu used a firebomb to dispel the attack by making the projectile roll up his skin so it would be fast enough to be at level with the blood before darting at it and violently exploding to vaporize it instantly. Josefu immediately let loose five more firebombs to turn up the heat on Noritoshi. However, Noritoshi fired five arrows tipped in his blood to guide them to the firebombs, stopping them from reaching Noritoshi and forcing Josefu to detonate them, destroying the arrows. Josefu understood now that Noritoshi had studied his technique, forcing Josefu to think of a new strategy. Joesfu settled on attempting to use a reverse curse technique. After all, why not try something new when pinned into a corner?
Josefu generated positive curse energy to power the Fire Tyrant technique. The change was swift and noticeable as Josefu's firebombs fizzled out, replaced with an unmistakably bitter cold. Instead of producing heat, Josefu's curse energy rapidly absorbed heat, making Josefu the coldest thing in the area. Noritoshi paused in confusion, unsure of what was going on. Josefu quickly realized that his curse energy lingered wherever he previously was, causing Josefu to experiment by sending out clouds of curse energy that absorbed the heat wherever they were. Noritoshi shot another arrow at Josefu's arm, leading Joesfu to flash-freeze his arm, forming a layer of ice that protected him from the arrow. Josefu's curse energy clung to the arrow, allowing Josefu to freeze Noritoshi's arrow to the ice before Noritoshi could recall it. Josefu tried to freeze parts of Noritoshi covered with clouds of frigid curse energy that Josefu managed to connect with Noritoshi's body. The attempt worked, freezing Noritoshi to the ground and preventing him from accessing his arrows, forcing Noritoshi to use convergence to prepare another piercing blood attack. Josefu took this time to try altering the temperature emphasis in his ice, spreading the ice to his chest as water began to form around the tip of the arrow, conserving Josefu's positive curse energy while diluting the blood and removing the effectiveness of Noritoshi's technique. Once Noritoshi released piercing blood, it was instantly frozen when it touched Josefu's chest. Josefu diluted the blood using water he created afterward to remove Noritoshi's control over it, which Noritoshi noticed.
In a last-ditch attempt to keep fighting Josefu, Noritoshi activated a flowing red scale, allowing him to melt the ice on him and rush towards Josefu before hitting him with an open palm strike. Due to the heat Noritoshi was producing, he could melt the ice. Yet, Josefu's technique could refreeze it, bringing both to a standoff. At the end of it, both sides were exhausted. "You have proven yourself. Perhaps I'll see you at the Goodwill Event," Noritoshi stated with a calm, stoic attitude before walking off. Josefu trudged back to Jujutsu High, where Panda met him at the entrance. "Are you alright?" Panda asked. "I've been worse," Josefu answered, enduring the fatigue as Panda and he went back inside.