A/N At the end of the chapter
CHAPTER 11
{POV: Satoru Gojo}
"A potential Special Grade Curse was spotted by numerous non-sorcerers, contained in a cursed womb. Due to the urgency of the situation, three first-year students from Tokyo Jujutsu High were sent to the scene. Sukuna's vessel went on a rampage. A sorcerer from the Zenin clan eliminated him."
He had known from the moment he left that something was off, that the mission he had been sent on was nothing more than a ploy, a distraction concocted by the higher-ups to get him out of the way. But he had underestimated the extent of their scheming, their willingness to sacrifice others to achieve their goals. And now, because of that miscalculation, Yuji was dead.
He had made a judgment error, underestimating their cowardice. He had left, trusting that things would be fine, and now here he was, facing the consequences of that decision.
The news hit him like a physical blow. Sukuna's vessel, Yuji, the boy who had shown so much promise, who had been thrust into a world of curses and sorcery with little more than sheer will and a good heart, was gone. The vessel that had been the focal point of so much controversy, fear, and hatred within the sorcerer society was now reduced to nothing more than a casualty of their twisted machinations.
After being gone for only three days, Satoru now stood in front of the staircase leading to Tokyo Jujutsu High, rain pouring down in incessant torrents.
Sukuna's vessel was dead, just as the majority of the sorcerer society had loudly demanded. News like that spread quickly, and indeed, rumors began circulating that a mysterious sorcerer from the Zenin clan had defeated the King of Curses and eliminated his vessel, now being quietly hailed as a hero along with the Zenin clan.
The news naturally reached him through various sources, whispered in hushed tones. He had dismissed it as nonsense until Yaga confirmed in a brief, curt message. But that was not what had Satoru standing frozen in the rain. It was the name attached to that hero, the name that Yaga had confirmed without any trace of doubt: Suzue.
Satoru's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. Suzue, that woman who he... no, he wouldn't think about that. The quiet, introverted assistant, who had always carried herself with a calm, almost shy demeanor, who had seemed so out of place in the world of sorcery yet had proven time and again to be a reliable presence in the background. Suzue, who had shown genuine concern for the students, who had built a quiet, almost unspoken bond of trust with him over time. Suzue, who had—according to this damning report—betrayed that trust in the worst possible way.
Satoru's mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts and emotions. He replayed every interaction he had ever had with Suzue, searching for clues, for signs of deception that he might have overlooked.
Had she been acting all along? Was everything he thought he knew about her just a carefully constructed lie? He had always known she was placed there by the higher-ups, likely as a spy. They both knew that. It was an open secret between them, something unspoken that neither of them ever needed to address directly. But he had believed—no, he had wanted to believe—that beneath that, there was a genuine connection, a mutual respect that transcended the circumstances of her placement.
But now, that belief was being shattered, torn apart by the harsh reality of what had happened while he was away. The idea that Suzue had coldly executed Yuji—under the guise of carrying out her duty—was a bitter pill to swallow. The thought that she had been pretending all along, playing the role of a concerned and trustworthy ally while secretly plotting to eliminate Yuji as part of the Zenin clan's twisted agenda, made his stomach churn with a mix of anger and disbelief.
But as much as he wanted to be angry, to curse her name and the Zenin clan for what they had done, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story. The betrayal didn't fit, it didn't make sense. Why would Suzue, of all people, be the one to carry out such a cold, calculated act? Had she been coerced? Forced into a corner by the higher-ups or the Zenin clan, with no other choice but to follow through on their orders? Or was there something else at play, some deeper, more insidious plot that he hadn't seen coming?
Yet, he couldn't ignore the facts. The reports were clear: Yuji was dead, and Suzue was being hailed as a hero for eliminating the vessel of Sukuna. But there was a nagging doubt in Satoru's mind, something that kept him from fully accepting the narrative being fed to him.
The rain continued to pour down, the cold seeping into his bones as he stood there, lost in thought. He needed answers, and there was only one way to get them. He had to confront her. He wasn't sure what he would find when he finally confronted Suzue, but he knew that he couldn't avoid it any longer.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the school looming ahead, its familiar silhouette now a fortress of unanswered questions. The rain blurred the building's contours, making it look like a mirage. As he climbed the last few steps, he noticed Principal Yaga waiting for him, his face a mask of seriousness and concern.
He climbed the last step, his drenched clothes clinging to his skin. He raised a hand in greeting to the principal. Satoru's usual cocky demeanor was there, but it felt forced, a flimsy mask over the turmoil raging inside him.
He raised a hand in greeting, the gesture casual, almost flippant. «Hey there! So, can I kill all those decrepit old fools now?» His voice was laced with sarcasm, but underneath, there was an edge of frustration that he couldn't quite hide.
Yaga's stern expression didn't change, though his eyes seemed to carry a deeper weariness than Satoru remembered. «Satoru,» he said gravely, his voice carrying the weight of a man who had seen too much. «The mess is already big enough. Don't make it worse by getting involved. Itadori's body is in the school's basement. Shoko is waiting to perform the usual routine autopsy.»
The words hit Satoru like a physical blow, though he showed no outward reaction. The body. Routine autopsy. It all sounded so clinical, so detached, as if they were discussing a simple procedure rather than the death of a young sorcerer with so much potential. Satoru clenched his fists, the frustration and anger bubbling just beneath the surface. He had to maintain his composure, but it was getting harder with every passing second.
As they descended into the basement, Satoru removed his blindfold, an unconscious gesture that helped him focus his thoughts. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. He needed clarity, and fast.
«So...» he began in a low voice, «A collapsed building, not to mention the surrounding devastation. No survivors among the prison inmates. Assistants and students seriously injured. No veil to hide the situation from non-sorcerers. The ministry furious about the chaos caused by the clashes. Are you sure about Suzue? That it was... her?»
Yaga sighed heavily, the sound filled with the weight of too many responsibilities. «It's complicated.»
"Complicated." Of course, it was. In their world, nothing was ever simple. The frustration gnawed at Satoru, the need for answers growing more urgent with every passing moment.
«It's not like her.» he murmured, almost to himself, as they approached the morgue. It wasn't just a statement; it was almost a plea, a hope that there was some other explanation, that Suzue hadn't betrayed them all.
As Satoru entered the morgue, the atmosphere was heavy with an unfamiliar tension. The normally composed Shoko stood beside Yuji's body, her demeanor uncharacteristically serious. Yaga exchanged a brief, meaningful look with her, a silent communication that only deepened the unease gnawing at Satoru. Something was off, and every instinct told him that whatever it was, he wasn't going to like it.
Approaching Yuji's covered body, Satoru felt a strange sensation, a faint flicker of energy that didn't belong in a room filled with death. He frowned, his keen senses picking up on the discrepancy. His voice, laced with frustration and suspicion, cut through the silence.
«Are you two idiots? You know with the Six Eyes I can clearly see that—»
But before he could finish his sentence, Yuji suddenly sat up, the white sheet dramatically flung into the air. Satoru's usual composure was only slightly disturbed, his eyes narrowing in annoyance rather than shock as the supposedly dead boy grinned at him with that infectious, youthful smile.
«Ta-Dah! Welcome back, Gojo-sensei!» Yuji's voice was full of life, his smile wide and infectious. He expected his teacher to be overjoyed, but instead, he was met with a look of irritation and exasperation. Behind him, Satoru could sense Yaga and Shoko barely containing their amusement, their expressions betraying a certain satisfaction at the spectacle.
SShoko, ever the irreverent one, couldn't hold back a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand in a futile attempt to stifle it. Yaga, usually the picture of stoicism, was making a visible effort to maintain a straight face.
Satoru turned back to them, his voice low and carrying a dangerous edge. «Yaga…» He began, each word dripping with the weight of his barely controlled frustration. «He seems quite alive to me.»
Yaga cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow in a display of false innocence as he attempted to recover his usual authoritative stance. Shoko, however, was less restrained, her chuckles breaking the tension in the room. «You know, Satoru, it's nice to be able to fool you; how does it feel to be the one getting fooled for once?» she teased, her voice light with amusement. «Yuji's fine, at least now. He was a bloody mess when we got to the scene, but I can say I did a great job; he just needs to recover a bit of energy.»
SSatoru sighed, running a hand through his still-wet hair, an annoyed smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The relief he felt was undeniable, though he tried to mask it behind a veneer of irritation. «Do you have any idea how much my poor brain has worked these past hours? I was about to go on a killing spree at the higher-ups' headquarters.» he replied, trying to mask his relief behind an expression of annoyance.
Yuji, sensing the shift in his teacher's demeanor, looked down with a sheepish smile, his earlier bravado replaced by a tinge of remorse. Satoru, softening slightly, gave him a firm pat on the back. «Don't worry, Yuji, you just got tricked by these two idiots. It's good to see you still in the land of the living!»
The boy's smile brightened, the weight of his earlier anxiety lifting. «Thank you, Gojo-sensei. I'm sorry if we made you worry.»
Yaga, scratching his head as if trying to maintain some semblance of seriousness, chimed in. «We had to find a way to get you back here quickly. For the rest of the world, as you know, Yuji is still dead and buried, and we couldn't risk letting this news slip by communicating it over the phone. The fact that he's still alive is known only to those present in this room, to Ijichi and... to Suzue Kujou.»
At the mention of Suzue's name, Satoru's heart skipped a beat. The tension that had been slowly draining away returned with full force. He had been so focused on Yuji that he had pushed thoughts of Suzue to the back of his mind, but now they came rushing back, demanding attention. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The relief of knowing Yuji was alive had been a momentary reprieve, but the unresolved questions surrounding Suzue weighed heavily on him. He needed to know what had happened, to understand why Suzue had been implicated in this mess.
«Are there any other surprises I should be made aware of?» He asked, his voice strained as he tried to keep his emotions in check. The room fell silent, the playful atmosphere evaporating in an instant. The smiles on Yaga and Shoko's faces faded, replaced by a more somber expression. Even Yuji looked away, avoiding eye contact, his gaze drifting to the floor.
«..Like Suzue?»
He realized the question didn't come out as detached as he had hoped. Satoru's sharp eyes took in every detail—the heavy silence, the averted gazes, the sudden tension that hung in the air like a thick fog. His heart raced, a sense of dread settling in his chest as he waited for someone to speak.
After a long, uncomfortable pause, Shoko finally stepped forward, her usual lightheartedness replaced by a seriousness that Satoru rarely saw in her.
«Suzue is fine now, but... she wasn't in good shape, you know, that girl really fought like crazy to bring Yuji back in one piece. Well, let her tell you, she's a few rooms down with Ijichi. They're putting together a convincing report on the incident.»
For a moment, the world seemed to stop. All the confusion, all the unanswered questions faded away, leaving only one clear thought in Satoru's mind: she was fine. The relief that washed over him was almost overwhelming. The tension that had gripped him since he first heard the news about Yuji began to loosen, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to breathe.
Shoko, observing the shift in his demeanor, couldn't help but chuckle, though her tone was still tinged with concern. «I haven't finished healing her yet, she insisted that I prioritize the students—Goddamit Satoru, do something about that expression of yours...»
Satoru didn't bother hiding the smile that spread across his face, the weight on his shoulders easing with every passing second. His voice, usually so full of bravado, softened with genuine gratitude. «Thanks, Shoko; I knew I could count on you.»
He didn't wait to hear the rest of Shoko's explanation; the need to see Suzue, to confirm with his own eyes that she was truly okay, was too strong. He turned on his heel, moving quickly toward the door, but stopped just before stepping out. He glanced back at the three of them—Yuji, Yaga, and Shoko—and nodded, his expression a mix of determination and relief. «We'll discuss this later. For now, I need to talk to Suzue.»
As he closed the door behind him, he could hear Shoko's voice trailing after him, her sarcasm as sharp as ever. «Wow, Satoru Gojo has feelings; I never thought I'd see the day... »
The guilt that had gnawed at Satoru as he walked down the corridor lingered in the back of his mind, a reminder of how quickly doubt can cloud judgment. He prided himself on his instincts, on his ability to read people and situations with unnerving accuracy, but when it came to Suzue, he had let his guard down. It was something he didn't do often, and the idea that he had even briefly entertained the thought of her betrayal stung more than he cared to admit. But now, knowing how she had risked everything to protect the students, to protect his students, the guilt intensified. She had shown a strength and selflessness that went beyond what he had expected, and he was ashamed that he had almost believed the worst of her.
As he walked through the dimly lit basement corridor, the tension that had gripped his body since he received the news began to ease, replaced by a different kind of anxiety. He could hear voices ahead, one of them unmistakably Suzue's. Her voice was calm, measured, carrying that quiet intensity he had always associated with her. Despite everything that had happened, it was comforting to hear that some things hadn't changed.
Then he heard her say something that made him stop in his tracks, just a step away from the door. «Do we really have to write this down too...? I mean, the building would have collapsed anyway, even if I hadn't busted through the roof.»
Satoru blinked, processing her words."She did…what?"
«That's not the issue, Kujou-san, but the fact that you did it without raising a veil... »
Ijichi's response, laced with exasperation, made Satoru smirk. "Of course, she did." The thought of Suzue, whom he had always seen as shy and cautious, taking such a bold action was almost too much to process. It was a side of her he hadn't fully considered, and the idea of her tearing through a building's roof in front of non-sorcerers was almost comical. The label of "docile" no longer seemed to fit her, and he mentally reassessed everything he thought he knew about Suzue Kujou.
When he finally opened the door, the creak of the hinges announcing his presence, he saw her sitting there—tired, yes, but very much alive. The room was dimly lit, with a single desk lamp casting a soft, almost intimate glow on the scene. Suzue sat on a couch, her legs crossed, her fingers nervously fiddling in her lap. Her hair, tied back in a small, messy ponytail, framed her face, which bore the marks of her recent ordeal: dark circles under her eyes, a large band-aid on her cheek, and a bandage wrapped around her head. Visible burns and other injuries dotted her neck and arms, reminders of the battle she had fought.
Shoko had mentioned that Suzue had insisted on prioritizing the students over herself, which didn't surprise him, but seeing the physical evidence of what she had endured was something else entirely. She looked fragile, almost delicate, sitting there in clothes that clearly weren't hers—probably borrowed from Shoko. Yet, despite her appearance, there was an endearing quality to her that caught him off guard. It contrasted sharply with the image of her bursting through a roof, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of regret for having left her to face all this alone. For a moment, he wished he had told the higher-ups to go to hell and stayed by her side instead.
Across from her, Ijichi was visibly struggling with the report, and Suzue's stubborness and persistent objections were clearly not helping. Satoru found the situation almost comical—finally, Ijichi had someone else to stress him out besides Satoru.
Deciding it was time to step in, he moved further into the room, making his presence known. «Seems like you guys have had some pretty intense days, huh? »
Both Suzue and Ijichi looked up at him simultaneously, their reactions starkly different. Ijichi's face lit up with relief, almost as if seeing Satoru was a lifeline. Suzue, on the other hand, looked surprised, her eyes widening slightly, a mixture of relief and something else—fear, perhaps? Or maybe it was just exhaustion. «Satoru… You're back.»
Hearing his name from her, especially with that small blush creeping onto her cheeks, brought a strange comfort to him. It was a reminder that some things hadn't changed. By now, he was almost used to the way she would turn various shades of red around him, and seeing it again made him smile.
Ijichi, ever the professional, quickly stood up, almost as if to pay his respects. «Gojo-san, it's a pleasure to see you. We were finalizing the report on the incident—»
But Satoru cut him off with a smile that was both reassuring and menacing. With a brusque wave of his hand, he pointed toward the door. «Ijichi...»
"Leave us." The unspoken command was clear.
Ijichi, clearly nervous, nodded quickly and scrambled to gather the scattered documents on the table. «S-Sure, Gojo-san! We'll finish drafting the report later.»
As he hurried out, almost tripping over the table in his haste, he cast one last glance at Suzue. She watched him go with evident compassion, her expression softening into one of understanding. It was as if she was silently offering him support, even as he fled the room under Satoru's orders.
Satoru couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and impatience. Normally, Ijichi's reactions would be a source of lightheartedness for him, but right now, all he wanted was to talk to Suzue, to hear her side of the story. When the door finally closed behind Ijichi, Satoru allowed himself to relax slightly, turning back to Suzue with a softer expression. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate.
«Everything's fine?» Satoru's voice, though light, carried an undercurrent of concern. It was his way of gently probing, of trying to gauge where Suzue's head was at without overwhelming her. He knew she had been through a lot, and he didn't want to push too hard, too fast.
Suzue nodded slowly. «Everything's fine.» But the words felt hollow, as if she was saying them more out of habit than conviction. Her mind was clearly elsewhere, perhaps trapped in the memories of the past few days—days filled with danger, fear, and decisions that had weighed heavily on her. It was only when she noticed Satoru's drenched state that her focus seemed to snap back to the present, her eyes widening in concern.
«You're soaked. You'll catch a cold.» Her voice was laced with genuine worry, and Satoru couldn't help but chuckle softly at her concern. Even now, after everything she'd endured, she was still putting others before herself.
«You know, I've never caught a cold in my life.» he reassured her with a smirk, trying to ease her worries.
Suzue, ever the caretaker, immediately began to rise, intent on finding him a towel or something to dry off with. It was such a Suzue thing to do—always looking after others, even when she was the one who needed rest. «I... I could find you a towel or something.»
But Satoru wasn't having it. He placed a gentle hand on her head, and pushed her back, making her sit down on the couch again «Hey, sit down. You need to rest. Besides, a little rain never hurt anyone.»
She settled back down, but the worry in her eyes didn't fade. «I just... I feel like I should be doing something. Anything. After everything that happened... » Her voice trailed off, and Satoru could see the conflict within her. She was struggling to reconcile the need to rest with the overwhelming urge to stay active, to keep moving so she wouldn't have to face the full weight of what she had been through.
Satoru frowned slightly, a crease forming between his brows. Suzue's stubbornness was both admirable and frustrating. He knew she had a tendency to push herself too hard, to take on more than she should, and it worried him. «I have a feeling you've done more than enough in the past few days. I need you to take it easy for a bit. Can you do that?»
Her response was barely above a whisper, a simple «Alright…» that carried the weight of exhaustion and reluctant acceptance. Satoru could tell that she was still holding onto some of the stress of the past days, but he hoped his words had at least planted the seed of taking a step back, of allowing herself to rest.
A comfortable silence fell between them, the kind of silence that Suzue seemed to prefer—one that didn't demand anything from her, one that allowed her to simply be. But as Satoru sat down next to her, closer now, he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. For all his confidence and bravado, there was something about this moment, about being so close to Suzue after everything that had happened, that made him feel... intimidated. It wasn't a feeling he was accustomed to, and it unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
He studied her closely, noting every small detail—the dark circles under her eyes, the bandages that wrapped around her head, the burns and other injuries that marked her skin. These were physical reminders of the battle she had fought, but Satoru knew that the real scars, the ones that couldn't be seen, were the ones that worried him the most.
«So…» Satoru began slowly, choosing his words carefully as he broke the silence. «Tell me everything that happened. I want to hear it all.» His tone was gentle, encouraging her to open up, but he also made it clear that this was important, that he needed to know. «Otherwise, I can't help you.»
For a moment, Suzue didn't respond. Her gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers nervously intertwining as she took a deep breath. It was clear that she was gathering her thoughts, preparing herself to relive whatever had happened. Satoru waited patiently, giving her the space she needed, but his mind was already racing with possibilities, with questions he desperately wanted answers to.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but steady, carrying the weight of everything she had endured. «It's a long story.»
Satoru nodded, his gaze unwavering. He would listen, he would understand, and he would help.
«I've got time.»
{Bonus POV: Shoko Ieri}
It had taken just those few magic words: Suzue is fine. And as quickly as he had arrived, Satoru had darted out of the room in search of his precious and introverted assistant, with an expression on his face that Shoko could swear she had only seen in B-movie romances.
«Wow, Satoru Gojo has feelings; I never thought I'd see the day... »
"My God, who would have thought." Shoko mused, her gaze vaguely cynical as she watched the door close. "The great Satoru Gojo, the most powerful sorcerer, has found his kryptonite."
She wondered if Satoru was aware of how transparent he was when it came to Suzue. Every time he talked about her or she was mentioned, there was a change in his tone of voice and mannerisms that Shoko found incredibly amusing. It was as if, without even realizing it, he let all his defenses down. The mighty Satoru Gojo, who could face the most terrifying curses without flinching, turned into a complete sap at the mere mention of Suzue.
"It would be almost cute if it weren't so blatantly embarrassing. They're making us all uncomfortable." she thought, rolling her eyes slightly.
She slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat and turned to Yuji, ready to continue the routine checks on the boy. Fixing that hole in his chest with the reverse cursed technique hadn't been too difficult, but with all the blood he had lost, she would have to monitor him for a few more days. The kid was resilient, though; she had to give him that. Despite the severity of his injuries, Yuji had bounced back remarkably well.
Behind her, Principal Yaga, who wore an almost exasperated expression at the spectacle put on by his teaching staff, watched the door with a certain concern, weighing the doctor's words. Shoko could see the worry etched into the lines of his face.
«What do you think he'll do when he finds out Suzue made a binding vow with the King of Curses?»
Shoko sighed thoughtfully. Luckily, he had left before she could touch that nerve, sparing her that unpleasant task. Just the thought of having to explain that part of the story to Satoru gave her a preemptive headache.
«He'll lose it.» she said, her voice matter-of-fact.
Shoko could already imagine the scene—Satoru's eyes widening in shock, his expression hardening with a mix of anger and concern, and then the inevitable explosion of frustration as he struggled to process the information. Satoru wasn't used to feeling helpless, and finding out that Suzue had made such a dangerous decision would undoubtedly push him to the edge.
"If anyone can handle his reaction, that's Suzue."
A/N
Finally, he's back, as promised, with a POV entirely his own, giving space to all the effort his little head is putting in to make sense of the mess he found upon his return! And what better way to vent some tension than taking it out on Ijichi? (ㆆ _ ㆆ)
Facts:
I've never been entirely clear, from the series, whether the morgue or Shoko in general was actually located within Jujutsu High. Well, here it is—my interpretation.
I like to think that Yaga, deep down, tried to prevent leaks because, come on, he's starting to care about Suzue's cause a little bit. And since she's been so good at holding everything together and keeping the students safe, she deserves a bit of protection. So, the news has only partially leaked, and the one who "defeated" Sukuna is just an unnamed sorcerer from the Zenin clan.
This gives our Suzue a bit of a break. Maybe.
Satoru doesn't know how to handle feelings—sorry, but for me, that's a fact. As long as it's about joking and teasing, he's fine, but when things get serious, no, he has to act like a teenager overwhelmed by hormones; there's no way he's good at handling these things.
Occasionally (sporadically), I'll include some POVs that aren't Suzue's or Satoru's because, yes, some characters deserve it. Like Shoko, who is basically a saint deep down.
And with these crumbs of information, I'll leave you! ️