The night was quiet, too quiet for Gojo's liking. It was the kind of silence that came before something bad happened, and Gojo was never one to ignore his instincts. His students—Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara—had gone out on a simple mission, one that shouldn't have caused much trouble. But Gojo couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
He leaned against the doorway of his office at Jujutsu High, fingers tapping rhythmically on the frame as he kept his senses attuned to the world around him. There was no denying it now—the cursed energy in the area had shifted. His students were in trouble.
Without a second thought, Gojo vanished, warping space to reach them in an instant. When he arrived, the scene before him made his heart drop.
Yuji stood at the front, his usual carefree smile replaced with a grim determination, blood running down his arm as he shielded Megumi and Nobara. Megumi was struggling to keep his cursed techniques active, his breathing labored, while Nobara had lost her hammer somewhere in the chaos, back pressed against Megumi's for support. They were all outmatched, surrounded by a group of curses much stronger than anticipated.
"Looks like you kids need a hand," Gojo called out, stepping into the fray, his usual playful tone tinged with a protectiveness his students hadn't often heard.
Yuji blinked in surprise, relief flooding his features as Gojo stood between them and the cursed spirits. "Gojo-sensei…"
"You know, you're all supposed to call me when things get this bad," Gojo said, his tone light but his gaze sharp as he surveyed the scene. "What's the point of having the strongest sorcerer in the world as your teacher if you don't use him?"
Megumi grunted, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. "We didn't want to bother you…"
"Bother me?" Gojo raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. "Fushiguro, you should know by now—keeping you kids safe is never a bother."
With a wave of his hand, the cursed spirits were obliterated in an instant, nothing more than dust floating in the air. Gojo's infinity flickered around him, a barrier of protection that none of the curses could hope to penetrate.
Nobara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I thought we were done for…"
"Not on my watch," Gojo said, turning to his students with a more serious expression. "You're my responsibility, all of you. That means no matter what happens, I'll always have your back."
Yuji stepped forward, his usual lighthearted demeanor cracking as he glanced at Megumi and Nobara, both worn out and injured. "Thanks, Gojo-sensei. I don't know what we'd do without you."
Gojo placed a hand on Yuji's shoulder, his grip firm but comforting. "You won't have to find out." He glanced at Megumi, his tone softening in a way that almost sounded fatherly. "And you, Fushiguro, next time call for help sooner. You don't always have to do everything on your own."
Megumi looked away, embarrassed but grateful. "Yeah… I will."
"Good," Gojo said, his voice returning to its usual teasing tone. "Now, let's get you three back to Jujutsu High before Shoko yells at me for letting you get hurt."
As they made their way back, Gojo kept a careful eye on his students, the usual carefree attitude hiding the deep affection he held for them. They might have been some of the strongest sorcerers of their generation, but to him, they were still kids—his kids. And nothing in this world or the next would ever hurt them as long as he was around.
Because no matter how invincible Gojo Satoru seemed, his greatest strength wasn't his cursed technique—it was the unwavering protectiveness he felt for the people he cared about.