Please Read : Please support me by finding akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for the grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker. I'll try to improve it with all my might.
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- Alexis Chagoya
- DPD
- Deadlock TV
- Sengoku's Apprentice
- Rust
- Hodunk
- Brandon Mannella
- PSYMEDIC
- Jennifer Price
- TreizerL, and
- Lucas Sherman
Thank you so much for supporting me, guys.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary: He did not experience the romantic comedy of youth, nor did he experience the quiet and normal life of youth. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman, and these
Chapter 39: Uncovering Something.
—OoOoO—
Sukuna's finger was a cursed object that has always been a hot topic from generation to generation. There were many myths and legends whose truth couldn't be confirmed that circulated around those fingers. However, one thing for sure, whoever ate Sukuna's finger and could maintain his consciousness would gain a massive increase in power.
The bespectacled girl had never seen Sukuna's finger directly. However, Maki wasn't stupid enough not to recognise the object that was said to bring many disasters.
Hachiman was silent, with his eyes still glued to the cursed object. Haruno, before Hachiman, shifted her body slightly closer and tilted her head to see something that was the hottest topic in the world of Japanese jujutsu.
"No wonder the Cursed Train, which should only be at the semi-first grade level, suddenly experienced a crazy increase in power," Hachiman muttered as he continued to observe.
His gaze filled with curiosity, then turned to Maki.
"Hey, don't you want to try eating it? I heard this finger can increase your power many times… if you're lucky."
"Like hell I'll eat that disgusting shit. Why don't you just do it instead? Maybe it can help you beat Satoru? Isn't that your ambition?"
"You say it as if I'm a bloodthirsty person."
Hachiman didn't deny the statement, but no words of agreement came out.
"But you're right. I'd rather be beaten up by Gojo-sensei than eat this disgusting thing," continued Hachiman while wearing an expression of disgust that he rarely showed.
"Do all cursed objects increase power that drastically?" asked a curious Haruno, "Now I understand why people are worried that I'm a cursed object eater and controlled by whatever possessed me."
"You're so rude. Even I can feel pain, you know?"
Hachiman and Maki simultaneously looked at Haruno and saw a mouth appear on her cheek. It was Alter, Haruno's cursed technique, that had her own consciousness and even made Haruno naturally have two separate pools of cursed energy.
"And I wouldn't be surprised if someone misunderstood you, Alter. If it wasn't for Satoru himself, who confirmed you were Haruno-san's cursed technique, I might have found it hard to believe it, too."
"Oh, your blunt words are as spicy as people say, Maki-chan. You even made the other me feel hurt."
"Don't drag me into your delusions," Haruno replied.
While they were joking, the sound and lights of a train caught their senses, making them turn to the source. It wasn't a cursed train, but an actual train. They reflexively stepped to the tunnel wall, allowing the train to pass without obstacles. However, the train continued to sound its horn loudly, as if the driver was angry with the three idiots who dared to enter the train tunnel.
"It seems we've to leave immediately," said Hachiman while pocketing the Sukuna's finger.
"Yeah, if we stay here, the next thing we fight won't be a cursed spirit, but security."
Maki replied and immediately went towards the direction the train had just come from, which she assumed was the end of the tunnel. Hachiman and Haruno jogged after her. Apparently, they were closer to the station than they thought. It only took a minute, and they had arrived on the platform.
People waiting for the next train seemed surprised to see those running on the tracks. Some even screamed because they thought it was a perilous, stupid act. Maki, without hesitation, immediately jumped over the platform guardrail. Hachiman caught up smoothly from behind, but he took the time to turn around to provide assistance to Haruno. However, she could jump over it just fine, given that her qipao had a tear on the right side of her leg.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Are you brats out of your mind, running around on the tracks?"
The three young sorcerers simultaneously looked at the source of the sound. They found a security guard running over with an angry face.
"Wow, we're in big trouble, aren't we? What should we do?" Haruno asked.
"What else? Just run."
Hachiman answered Haruno's question without looking her in the eye. However, the boy reflexively grabbed Haruno's hand and pulled her to run. She didn't fight back, and a thin, sincere smile appeared on her face. Too bad Hachiman couldn't see it.
'It's not that bad. This actually feels fun. It wasn't like this was the first time I'd committed a minor law violation. But doing it with these people, especially with Hikigaya-kun, feels a thousand times more fun.'
—OoOoO—
The three sorcerers could, of course, escape easily. Their speed was much faster than the average human. In fact, Haruno, who had just become a sorcerer, was faster than non-sorcerers. However, when they arrived at a point quite far from the station, Maki decided to separate because there was something she wanted to finish. She left with Akira after waiting for her for almost ten minutes.
Meanwhile, Haruno planned to take a day off and return to Chiba after completing her first mission. As such, she waited for Ijichi to pick her up along with Hachiman.
"So, you can access your negative energy now? And with Alter's help, you can increase the efficiency?" Hachiman asked.
The battle just now left a positive impression on Hachiman. He saw a rapid improvement in Haruno's development. Even though Alter's unique qualities as a shikigami were yet to be fully visible, the girl showed her creativity in battle.
"Well, that's it. When I was given permission to follow and observe Maki-chan and her team carrying out a mission, you could say I found a clue or something."
Hachiman took a sip of the canned drink he bought from 7-Eleven. He looked at Haruno sitting before him with great interest and listened to her explanation.
"Inumaki-kun has a technique that can be said to be very strong, right? But the efficiency is quite poor, and the side effects are no joke. If the basics of the cursed technique are embedded in the brain, then it's not impossible that digesting all existing information into the smallest details will increase efficiency. It also fits the theory, the cursed spirit that turned me into a sorcerer did something to my brain that gave me access to my cursed energy and technique."
Haruno took a deep breath before continuing.
"In other words, the brain is the most important component for increasing efficiency. The more and faster information about cursed energy you can obtain, the better your efficiency. It's like the function of a transistor on an IC. So, I discussed with Alter the possibility of sharing duties. While I completely analyse the battle, Alter will focus on controlling the cursed energy."
Hachiman listened to the explanation while slowly drinking his canned drink.
'Because Alter is a shikigami with intelligence and consciousness, she can carry out any task requiring heavy brain performance. In other words, it's the same as having two Yukinoshita Harunos. The method is also similar to mine for using black flash at will. If I give myself the illusion that my brain will automatically respond at certain timings so that the black flash can activate, but Haruno-san is more efficient and natural.'
Hachiman immediately realised that it could open up various possibilities. He then looked up, looking at the sky.
'Do I need to tell her about my conversation with Okkotsu last night?'
—OoOoO—
Hachiman didn't like to stay up late for no apparent reason. However, he had many reasons to stay up late. Tonight, he had to go to Omiya Station to accompany and supervise Maki and Haruno on their mission. Instead of getting ready, he played PUBG with his friends, Yuta and Inumaki.
"Hey, they pushed me from behind! I'm trapped inside and starting to run out of ammo. Someone, help!"
Hachiman continued to direct his mouse at the enemies visible on his screen. Some bullets hit them, but they hid so well that he couldn't do much and was slowly pushed back.
"I'm coming! I come with a motorbike. It should be here soon—No, two people are chasing me! I think they are a sniper with AWM, and the other one attacks me using AKM!"
Hachiman heard screams through his headset.
"You use a motorbike, don't you? You should be able to escape from them!"
"I'm dying, Hikigaya-kun! I'm dying!"
Hachiman ignored the shout, considering he was also busy with his war zone. However, it didn't last long. The limited ammo overwhelmed him, and in the end, his opponents could shoot him dead.
"Dang it!" cursed Hachiman.
Hachiman's monitor automatically displayed the game lobby after he was defeated.
"Nice try, nice try," said Yuta via Discord.
"This is our sixth losing streak. My rank even dropped to diamond," replied Hachiman.
"Yeah. We seem to underestimate the ping issue. Even though today I want to help Inumaki-kun get on the leaderboard."
As Yuta said, their main objective was to help Inumaki enter the top 500. They were basically in the same rank, namely Master. However, Inumaki was superior because he was at Master 1, while Hachiman and Yuta were at tier 2 and 3, respectively.
"Speaking of him, is he still disconnected?" Yuta asked.
Hearing that question, Hachiman looked at their chat room on the Discord. But he didn't find anyone else besides the two of them.
"It seems so. That's why playing using the internet at Jujutsu High is a nightmare. I don't know why they have first-rate facilities, but their ISP is shit."
Hachiman heard Yuta's awkward laughter from across there. It lasted for a few seconds until the laughter stopped.
"Well, after all, Jujutsu High is a learning facility, not an internet cafe. But I agree that Inumaki-kun should buy his own ISP for streaming purposes."
Even though they were jujutsu sorcerers, they also had other goals they wanted to achieve. As a millennial, Inumaki always wanted to be a YouTuber. However, it was difficult because he had to limit his vocabulary. For this reason, Hachiman suggested that Inumaki start his career as a YouTuber by becoming a game streamer with the persona Sushi Guy, who only said sushi ingredients throughout the stream.
This method was quite successful. At least, Inumaki could gain ten thousand subs in the last year. However, today, they realised that the ISP could be a hindrance, mainly if Inumaki played on an oversea server.
"Speaking of a place for learning, I suddenly want to ask you something," said Hachiman.
Yuta didn't reply, but Hachiman interpreted his silence as a sign for him to continue his words.
"But before that, let me confirm one thing. The current Rika is a shikigami, isn't she?"
"She is," replied Yuta curtly.
"Alright, correct me if I'm wrong. Even though Rika is a shikigami, she seems to have her own consciousness and will. So, when you exorcised Orimoto Rika's spirit and got the empty shell of 'Rika' as a shikigami, do you have to tame her first like Megumi's shikigami, or can you just use it as it is?"
There was a long pause since Hachiman asked that question. Even though he couldn't see Yuta's expression, who was said to be in Saudi Arabia, Hachiman knew that the boy was currently furrowing his brows and thinking about the most straightforward answer he could give.
"Well, from the start, my shikigami was very different from Fushiguro-kun's. So, I didn't go through such a process."
"You can use it just like that, even though Rika is so strong? For a shikigami as powerful as Rika, I thought you'd have to perform a troublesome ritual first or something?"
Hachiman knew that every sorcerer could essentially create their own shikigami even if they didn't have the associated cursed technique. He also knew the created shikigami couldn't be used directly without a troublesome ritual. However, Rika was too strong as a shikigami, so he thought there was no way that kind of power could be used so easily.
Haruno's Shikigami, Alter, and Rika had a remarkable similarity. Both had their own consciousness and will. However, the two technically had different roots. Alter was a Haruno's cursed technique, just like Megumi's Ten Shadows and Ino's Auspicious Beasts Summon. Meanwhile, Rika was technically a type of shikigami in general. Even sorcerer could create their own shikigami. It was just that Rika was on a completely different level.
"I mean, do you know one of Megumi's shikigami, who's said to be the ace of the Zen'in Clan and can rival the previous users of Six Eyes and Limitless?" added Hachiman.
"You mean... Mahoraga?"
Hachiman subconsciously nodded , even though he knew Yuta couldn't see his reaction.
From the start, he was sure Yuta knew about Mahoraga. After all, Yuta was a distant relative of Gojo Satoru, and Satoru took full responsibility for Yuta. With those two facts combined, Yuta was technically part of the Gojo Clan. Apart from that, Hachiman even believed that Satoru had a plan for Yuta, whether to become the next head of the clan or a top official.
"Yeah. I discussed shikigami with Megumi a few days ago, and it ended with him telling me about Mahoraga. If Mahoraga can adapt to all phenomena, I think he also has consciousness, intelligence, and perhaps... a will to a certain level."
"If you want to ask if there's a shortcut to taming Mahoraga just because he has similar characteristics to Rika-chan, I don't think it will work. After all, even though they are both shikigami, Mahoraga and Rika-chan come from two different roots."
Hachiman had already expected that answer. However, that wasn't the topic he actually wanted to discuss. He tried to make small talk and find as much information as possible about shikigami for Haruno's training method. But he knew it was valuable information, so he was pretty reluctant to ask about something more detailed.
"Yeah, I know about that one. Honestly, I've thought of 246 combination plans for Megumi to defeat Mahoaraga. Even though I think only eight are effective."
"Are you seriously thinking about planning that much?" Yuta commented.
"Well, yeah. It seems that thing is too strong, but from Megumi's explanation, it wasn't like Mahoraga didn't have any openings. If he's part of the Ten Shadows, there must be a way for Megumi to tame him."
"I also believe Fushiguro-kun can do it. Maybe when I return later, we can help him gather information before letting him face Mahoraga alone."
The condition for taming Ten Shadows' shikigami required the user to defeat them alone. However, the user could invite outside parties into the ritual and gang up on Mahoraga. Even though, in this case, the ritual would be considered invalid, a lot of data would be collected if Mahoraga was defeated as a group.
Talking about that, Yuta didn't doubt Hachiman's words. He knew that Hachiman was sincere in helping Megumi even though he was reluctant to admit it. However, Yuta also knew that there were other topics Hachiman wanted to discuss.
"So, is there anything else I can help you with, Hikigaya-kun?"
Reflexively, Hachiman slightly lowered his head after being faced with this question. It was like he had been caught red-handed, and he had only been making small talk all this time. It wasn't like there was anything personal, but for someone as awkward as Hachiman, it embarrassed him.
After all, Yuta was one of his closest people. They probably only knew each other a little over a year and had very opposite traits. However, as fellows with some of the same hobbies, that was enough to make them friends. Moreover, Yuta was a person who really cared about the surrounding people, so he could understand his friends more quickly.
"Well, yeah, if you say so…."
Hachiman hung on his words for a while.
"Actually, I've an acquaintance who has a shikigami with very high intelligence and a will of its own. It's similar to Rika, but its intelligence is much higher than normal humans."
That wasn't an exaggeration. Alter was a shikigami that represented Haruno's other pole. Even so, that didn't mean Alter was on the evil side or anything like that. She only had several physical traits that were the opposite of Haruno, and most importantly, the passive effect of the shikigami was that Haruno had two different pools of cursed energy, negative for Alter and positive for Haruno. Other than that, she literally was the embodiment of Haruno itself. So, saying Alter had intelligence as smart as Haruno wasn't an exaggeration.
"But the problem is," Hachiman continued, "This person can't summon the shikigami. I've heard you discussed something about a connection with Rika, but I don't know what that means."
"Oh, that's about your friend, then?"
Hachiman frowned when he heard Yuta chatter instead of answering his question.
"What? No. I mean, it depends on how you define friends and the classifications. But she's not my friend."
"Hmm… so she really is your friend, huh, Hikigaya-kun?" Yuta said without paying attention to Hachiman's chatter.
Hachiman wanted to protest, but Yuta cut him off first.
"If she's your friend, that's fine. I can share some tips that might be useful."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Why not? I've never seen you bother like this unless it was for Komachi-chan's sake. So, your friend must be someone who means a lot to you," Yuta replied.
That might sound like naïve words. However, that genuine kindness and seemingly trivial concern showed Yuta's true value as a human being. The guy was a true example of a sorcerer who lived in this cursed world but never lost his light and warmth. After all, a gem wouldn't lose its value even if dropped in a mud puddle.
Hachiman indeed saw Satoru as the peak he wanted to conquer. However, he really respected Yuta, and for him, he was a true main character who appeared only in superhero comics.
"I think you misunderstood something. But still, thanks," Hachiman said.
On the other side of the world, Yuta smiled at the soft reply. Yuta didn't know what his friends were experiencing in that part of the world. He was too focused on his mission and training, so he didn't update the news in Japan. But he loved to help the people around him. He would be pleased if his small efforts could increase the life expectancy of valuable people to his friends.
"I really hope to see you all again soon."
—OoOoO—
Hachiman finished his canned drink while looking at Haruno sitting before him. Silence had enveloped them for quite a long time. It was a little strange because Haruno, who was known for being talk-active, didn't take the initiative to open any conversation after she told him about her training process over the past week.
Likewise, with Hachiman. From the start, he was a quiet person. So, while not exchanging words, Hachiman continued to consider whether he should tell her about Yuta's methods.
'Well, whatever.'
Hachiman gave up on the inner conflict he was facing. He put the drink can on the table and looked at Haruno. However, he also took the time to monitor the surroundings, making sure no one would hear their conversation. After all, they were still in the open, sitting at a table in 7-Eleven's courtyard while waiting for their driver to arrive.
"Haruno-san, you know, I think you can already do energy control pretty well, and you just need to get some field experience to hone it to perfection."
Haruno supported her cheek with one hand while hearing what Hachiman was about to say.
"So, I think we can work on finding a way to summon Alter."
Even though hearing those words didn't make Haruno feel happy. On the contrary, she showed a sour expression that made Hachiman confused.
"What?" Hachiman asked.
"Nothing. I just feel disappointed. I thought I could exceed your expectations by finding the key to summoning Alter myself. I even heard that people with shikigami-based abilities can summon their shikigami easily even though they can't unleash their potential yet."
Hachiman sighed.
"Don't worry. You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations. From the start, the jujutsu world was a terrible place. Living in such a world with people's expectations in mind is like a nightmare in broad daylight. As long as you don't die and can enjoy your life, that's enough."
Hachiman paused for a moment to take a sip of his canned drink. However, he was disappointed after discovering it had already run out.
"Even for me, I don't really care about expectation and intend to retire after ensuring I've successfully overcome our biggest threat."
Haruno unconsciously raised her eyebrows.
"The biggest threat?"
Instead of answering immediately, Hachiman reached into his pocket and took out the Sukuna's finger that they got from Cursed Train just now.
"Ryoumen Sukuna. Who knows what happens in the future, but he'll surely become humanity's greatest threat. I'll retire after ensuring we can strengthen the seal or even kill him."
"Isn't Itadori Yuuji, the Sukuna's vessel, dead? If he died, wouldn't Sukuna not be able to be resurrected?" Haruno asked.
Hachiman was unsure how he would answer. Itadori Yuuji's death was an attempt to deceive the higher-ups. In fact, he was still alive, but it was a secret that only a few people knew, including him. So, he couldn't carelessly answer Haruno's question.
"It's not that Sukuna can't be resurrected. It's that he can't be resurrected with his full power. The book explains that killing the vessel is the only way to eliminate a cursed object. Unfortunately, there are twenty Sukuna fingers out there. Meanwhile, according to the latest report, Itadori Yuuji only ate two fingers."
"So, that's only a small part of Sukuna's power, huh? And even if each finger could increase its power exponentially, it would probably be less than ten per cent of Sukuna's full power."
"That's how it is. With Gojo-sensei's existence, this is the best opportunity that jujutsu society has had since Sukuna first appeared a thousand years ago."
"But we need another vessel to resurrect Sukuna before killing him, right?" Haruno said.
"That's the problem. It sucks."
Put Haruno aside, who knew nothing about Itadori Yuuji's true status. Although Hachiman was optimistic that Gojo Satoru could defeat Sukuna, it left a bad taste in his mouth when he imagined having to sacrifice someone.
"And after that, you're really going to retire?" Haruno asked.
Hachiman looked up at the sky, which was starting to be illuminated by the morning sun. It took him a moment just to answer that simple question.
"Yeah, I will."
Haruno was surprised but not because of Hachiman's statement, which sounded less convincing. She was surprised because she didn't expect to be able to accept that reason so easily. If it was her old self, she would probably label Hachiman as a boring man for abandoning what he had built since he was young.
However, Haruno had learned many things since she set foot in this cursed world. If you were too fixated on expectations and couldn't do what you really want to do, you would just end up like an empty doll with no character.
At first, Haruno thought the jujutsu world was a whole new world that could eliminate her boredom. Yes, she felt the sting of passion like dopamine being injected into her body. Moreover, she also felt encouraged when she saw the sorcerers who had fire burning in their eyes. In fact, Haruno could tell that people who seemed to have no enthusiasm for life, like Hachiman and Shoko, had a high dedication to their lives.
However, that view gradually changed after Haruno got to know them more closely. Their eyes looked livelier, not because the cruel world of jujutsu pumped their adrenaline up. However, they seemed to enjoy their life because they continued to struggle to do what they wanted to do even though the great responsibility of being sorcerers burdened them.
For example, in Inumaki. His determination to become a YouTuber was completely unwavering, no matter how the world changed. Haruno didn't know why Maki was so rejected by conservative society, but that never dampened her desire to prove that she could reach the top despite all her shortcomings. Panda wasn't a human, nor was he a normal living creature. However, he was very interested in learning how to become a figure who was even more human than humans themselves. Even though Haruno's acquaintances in the jujutsu world were still limited, she could tell they weren't dull people just because of something as superficial as they always lived in challenges. It was more than that.
In fact, for Hachiman, who hoped to retire in peace after all his affairs were finished, Haruno found it interesting to follow. Ultimately, she realised that what made them look less boring was because they were people full of freedom.
'I used to think that meeting other people's expectations and letting them see me as the flawless Yukinoshita Haruno was normal for me. But deep down, I'm just trying to find validation to maintain the truth of the values I've believed in all this time.'
Haruno looked straight, deep into Hachiman's eyes. Without her realising it, a faint smile appeared on her face.
'I'm always surrounded by those who expect a lot from me and seek to increase their status by currying favour with me. I forgot that in this world, there are also people who'll continue to do whatever they do, no matter how bad this world changes.'
Hachiman, who caught Haruno's gaze, started to feel awkward. He chewed his tongue, and his eyelids glanced here and there to make sure that the woman was really looking at him and that it wasn't just his feelings.
"What? Stop looking at me like that. It's weird," said Hachiman.
Haruno supported her chin and widened her smile at Hachiman.
"Really? But you look cute and funny when you act like that."
"Don't be stupid. Anyone'd feel awkward if you looked at them like that," said Hachiman, trying to avoid it.
"But you're the only one, though, that I look up like that."
Hachiman was frustrated because he kept being verbally teased by Haruno and couldn't reciprocate. After all, Hachiman was a cherry boy who didn't have much experience with girls, so the only thing he could do was change the subject.
"Well, putting that aside, I'll ask Gojo-sensei to see if we can use one of the training grounds at Tokyo Jujutsu High for your next training."
Haruno grinned when she saw her interlocutor trying hard to change the conversation. She wanted to continue pushing the guy. Unfortunately, luck was on Hachiman's side after they saw a black sedan pulled over on the shoulder of the road.
"That's Ijichi-san. Let's go," said Hachiman.
Haruno let out a snort of disappointment, but she could do nothing but retreat. However, they saw Ijichi getting out of the car and rushing over to them when they had just taken their first step.
'Or maybe he's more in a rush to immediately meet Hikigaya-kun,' thought Haruno after confirming that Ijichi's eyes were locked on the boy.
"Calm down, Ijichi-san. This mission may have taken longer than I imagined, but we're fine."
Hachiman tried to calm Ijichi when the man arrived in front of him. But he shook his head slowly and immediately looked at Hachiman with a serious and slightly nervous look.
"No, that's not it. But I'm grateful you're okay after being trapped in a domain that can bend time. But that's not it. There's something else I want to say."
Hachiman frowned at those words. He signalled through eye contact for Ijichi to continue.
"Several things are happening, and we are still trying to investigate them. But most importantly, we found one of Sukuna's fingers."
"What? Really?"
Ijichi nodded in confirmation of Hachiman's surprise. Before continuing his words, Ijichi glanced at Haruno first, making the girl raise her eyebrows.
"In short, we are monitoring a young man suspected of being an awakened curse user…, just like Yukinoshita-san."
Haruno immediately jumped into the conversation after hearing that the case was brought up again.
"You mean the cursed spirit that changed me is back in action?"
"We still haven't found valid evidence, but all indications are that it is. Nanami-san even clashed with the cursed spirit when we investigated the neighbourhood where this young man lived."
Hachiman closed his eyes momentarily when he heard Nanami, one of the sorcerers he respected, was involved in this case. However, it wasn't the man who was his concern, but something related to him.
'Gojo-sensei said he'd leave Itadori under Nanami-san's care for a while. So, is he also involved in this investigation case? If so, it makes sense why Ijichi-san chose to tell me of all people. The discovery of Sukuna's finger may have been reported to higher-ups. That's why, if it's not taken care of quickly, they might realise that Itadori is alive.'
The boy opened his eyes again. He understood the situation and why Ijichi came to him. Itadori's current status was a secret and was a conspiracy for several of Gojo Satoru's trusted people. Considering that Haruno was here, Hachiman couldn't just mention Itadori's name. However, he also couldn't rule out Haruno completely because this case involved the figure responsible for awakening her cursed technique.
'I hate this. I thought I could take a break for a while after this mission. Why didn't he just report to Gojo-sensei directly?'
Hachiman took a deep breath and knew no other choice was left.
"I understand. It was about one of Sukuna's fingers that you found, right?"
Hachiman said that while reaching into his pocket. After finding something he was looking for, he took it out and immediately handed it to Ijichi.
"Coincidentally, the Cursed Train we fought also ate one of Sukuna's fingers. I don't know if this is related, but let me check first."
"Can I go with you? You won't leave me and send another assistant manager to take me home, will you?"
Haruno's sudden question made the two men fall silent and look at each other. Hachiman shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he couldn't decide. After all, he didn't know the situation at the scene, so he didn't know whether there was sensitive information.
Seeing the reaction of the sorcerer recently appointed as a special grade, Ijichi could only surrender while adjusting his glasses.
"Of course. We're currently short on people, so we can't just ask for a replacement. Because of your status, Gojo-san and Hiratsuka-san strictly forbid you from being accompanied by assistant managers other than their trusted people. Moreover, the discovery of Sukuna's finger is not a secret, and we have also reported it to several related parties."
"Alright then," replied Haruno briefly.
After receiving permission, they walked towards the parked black sedan.
The explanations given by Ijichi were all very reasonable, and there was nothing suspicious. However, the saying goes that silence is golden. Which meant it was best not to say anything unnecessary. As said, Ijichi's explanation was nothing suspicious. Hachiman didn't pay much attention and walked away while yawning several times.
Unfortunately, Haruno was a person who had a sharp mind, even as brilliant as Hachiman. However, unlike Hachiman, who was so oblivious to many things that he sometimes missed small details, Haruno was very meticulous and even a perfectionist. Thus, Haruno caught an oddity in Ijichi's explanation.
'The discovery of Sukuna's finger isn't a secret. However, Ijichi-san seemed to be trying to avoid the topic of the mission carried out by this Nanami man despite I was the first victim of that cursed spirit. So, even though the discovery of Sukuna's finger isn't a secret, is something related to Nanami and his mission a secret? Interesting. I wonder what they are hiding.'
—OoOoO—
Their next stop seemed pretty close. It was only about thirty minutes by car from their starting point. Technically, it's in Tokyo. But because it was in a small city and directly bordered Saitama, so the traffic was smooth.
Ijichi explained the situation in detail to Hachiman and Haruno, who also happened to be following them. Of course, Ijichi left out the story about Itadori because it was one of the top secrets in Gojo Satoru's circle. And here they were now, at the Yoshino family residence.
"When you said a Sukuna finger was found in someone's house, I thought it'd be in an old, haunted house. I don't think it's a completely normal house, and it's in the middle of a normal neighbourhood," said Hachiman.
"Yeah, I think so too," Haruno agreed with the boy's words, "It makes more sense to say someone put it here on purpose."
Haruno wasn't finished with her words. She turned to Ijichi, who had exited the car and continued her words.
"Are you sure that Sukuna's finger was really found lying on the dining table, Ijichi-san?"
Haruno didn't intend to act like a smart ass by asking questions that an investigator might sometimes find annoying. She realised her position as a newbie. However, she couldn't help herself when faced with a situation that she thought made no sense.
The Yoshino family residence had been fenced off with police lines. People in black suits also appeared to be standing guard outside. When the three sorcerers who had just arrived got out of the sedan, someone from the representative on guard immediately approached them.
"Ijichi-senpai!"
The man then turned his gaze to Hachiman and Haruno. Realising who they were, especially Hachiman, the man immediately bowed politely.
"Hikigaya-san, nice to meet you."
The other assistant managers, who also saw Hachiman's arrival, felt relieved. They were facing Sukuna's finger, and perhaps the involvement of a special grade cursed spirit. They would be finished because they didn't have sufficient fighters if something suddenly happened to that finger. With the arrival of Hachiman, a special-grade sorcerer, their safety was guaranteed.
"Can you show me where the finger is?" Hachiman asked.
"It's still inside. We haven't moved it at all. I'll show you the way."
"I appreciate that."
The assistant manager, whose name wasn't even known, led Hachiman, Haruno, and Ijichi to the dining room. Apart from the bloodstains on the table, the room was clean and tidy, as if there were no signs of a fight. However, Hachiman could feel two dense residual energies in the dining room. The first came from the Sukuna's finger lying on the table, while the other came from an unknown foreign source.
'It probably came from the cursed spirit that attacked this house.'
Hachiman moved to take the finger. He studied it closely with a look full of suspicion.
"Can someone briefly explain the situation?" Hachiman asked.
An assistant manager nodded.
"The victim is Yoshino Nagi. Only her upper body was found in the bathtub. Seeing that there was no blood spilt apart from the dining table, it can be concluded that the body was moved properly."
The man stopped for a moment to take a breath.
"She's a single parent and has one child, the name's Yoshino Junpei. Temporary suspicion, he conspired with the cursed spirit."
"The person who's said to be a sorcerer whose powers were awakened just like me?" Haruno asked.
The man nodded slowly before continuing his speech.
"Yes, he is. He was first noticed on the radar when he was in the same cinema where three school students were killed, and their body shape changed."
"Is this Yoshino Junpei related to these three students?" Hachiman asked.
"No, he is not. We had conducted a background screening. Apparently, he just happened to be there."
Hachiman narrowed his eyes because he felt something was wrong.
"Then, how can you conclude that Yoshino Junpei and the cursed spirit are in cahoots?"
"That... that was actually the conclusion of Ijichi-san, who had previously investigated it."
Hearing the man's explanation, Hachiman glanced at Ijichi briefly. Seeing that the assistant didn't know the details of Ijcchi's investigation results, Hachiman could easily conclude that the investigation was carried out with Yuuji. Realising it, Hachiman decided to drop that topic.
"Well, whatever. Digging deeper into Yoshino Junpei's background wouldn't get us anywhere. The most important thing is to find out the motive, how and why the finger is in this house," Hachiman said.
The boy lifted the cursed object, looking at it as if he was looking at money.
"It would be suspicious if this object suddenly ended up here without someone deliberately putting it there," said Haruno, seeing Hachiman's complex expression.
The boy also had the same suspicions as Haruno. However, he didn't reply to the girl's words. His brain was literally racked to find the most reasonable approach to the case. He eliminated various speculations and solutions to find one true answer.
Seeing that, Haruno actually wanted to help him become a brainstorming friend. Unfortunately, her knowledge about the jujutsu thingy was very limited. If it was just an ordinary discussion, like solving a normal criminal case, she could clearly help him. However, the tangled thread currently trying to be unravelled was closely related to supernatural phenomena far from human reason.
As such, Haruno just kept quiet and believed in this guy even though her ego felt insulted because she was again far from competent to be involved in things related to jujutsu sorcery.
Haruno sighed and looked at the assistant manager who was guiding them. Actually, there was one thing she wanted to ask for a long time.
"What about Yoshino Nagi-san's body? You said only her upper body was found, right?"
"We've taken care of it. Her body will be cremated."
"Then what about Yoshino Junpei?"
The man was a little hesitant, but he had to answer Haruno's question.
"If the accusation that he's in cahoots with a cursed spirit is proven, according to the law implemented by the association, then he'll be executed."
Personally, Haruno wasn't used to how easily they sentenced others to death. However, seeing the resulting casualness, she could understand why the association enforced such brutal laws. Moreover, if she imagined how terrible the corpse of Yoshino Nagi, who died in vain because her only son was involved with the cursed spirit, Haruno realised that the same thing could happen to her family.
'If that happened to me, if my family fell victim to this cursed spirit, I'm sure I wouldn't hesitate to hunt down and kill whoever did it.'
It would be a lie to say Haruno wasn't worried. After all, she was currently playing with fire. She was enjoying her new life as a jujutsu sorcerer, but the risks ready to devour her were also terrible.
"Starting to feel regret about your choice, Haruno-san?"
Haruno was awakened from her thoughts when she heard the baritone voice. Even without needing to confirm it, she knew it came from Hachiman.
Haruno smiled broadly and confidently, showing her determination that she wasn't afraid of any threat.
"In your dreams, Hikigaya-kun."
The future vision was terrifying, but wasn't enough to scare her. Even if she was afraid, it was by no means a sign she would back down, let alone regret it. Haruno has become accustomed to conquering all adversity in her life, and this one wouldn't be an exception. No matter how cruel the world of jujutsu was, Haruno would be the winner and continue to laugh with the people who matter to her.
"So, how? Have you thought of anything about that finger?" asked Haruno, who decided to change the topic.
"I'm not sure. Honestly, I need Gojo-sensei to confirm that my theory is correct."
"Need Gojo-san's help? Is it something dangerous?" Ijchii asked.
Hachiman shook his head slowly at the question.
"Not really. Like Haruno-san and I said, the presence of Sukuna's finger in this very normal house is very strange. I can't accept it as a coincidence. However, the problem is, why is this placed here? Why does it seem like it was done intentionally so that we'd find it and take it?"
Hachiman paused his words and closed his eyes for a few seconds.
"If the perpetrator was me, and I left behind something as valuable as this finger, definitely I left it with a specific purpose. If I had to use a finger as bait, I'd make sure it was marked to track and retrieve it whenever I wanted. However, the problem is, where will this finger be kept by my enemy?"
Ijichi still didn't understand where Hachiman's analogy would lead. But he still tried to answer the question.
"A special warehouse at Jujutsu High. Since this was found in the Kanto region, it will be stored at Jujutsu High Tokyo. Or rather, in a place that ninety-nine per cent can't be entered by others, the Tomb of The Star that is protected by Tengen's Barrier."
Ijichi finally realised that and his eyes were wide open as a response. Moreover, he remembered the Star Plasma assassination tragedy that killed Amanai Riko. The Tengen's Barrier in Tokyo has never been broken through throughout history. Still, that incredible feat was destroyed by Zen'in Toji, who successfully infiltrated and killed Amanai Riko, who was protected by the barrier. In other words, the barrier wasn't an impenetrable zone. If Zen'in Toji could infiltrate it using his own methods, other methods could also be used for the same thing.
While Ijichi had yet to recover from his shock, Haruno took over the conversation.
"But since you said you needed Gojo to confirm it, are you not sure this method can penetrate the Tengen's Barrier?"
"No, quite the opposite. I'm pretty sure that it can be conquered with this method," Hachiman replied.
The boy recalled Hiratsuka's explanation. Basically, there was no impenetrable barrier in this world. All types of barriers could be destroyed. However, the important point was how to prevent outsiders from being able to reach something that was inside the barrier. For that reason, instead of creating an unpenetrable barrier with its strong construction, the barrier users tended to focus more on the principle of a barrier that couldn't easily be penetrated.
It was a high-level barrier that utilised thousands of layers of elements. However, the important point was that Tengen allowed someone without his permission to enter the area, but he prevented that person from achieving its goal in exchange. All in all, it was an endless maze.
"I actually don't know if it's possible to mark cursed objects, and I can't be sure if this finger is marked," Hachiman said while showing it off, "If it's Gojo-sensei, I'm sure he can tell with just one look."
After giving the reason, Hachiman then looked at Ijichi.
"So, Ijici-san, where's Sensei now?"
The bespectacled man was stunned and seemed confused about how to answer. Moreover, the concerned person said not to tell Hachiman his location and to immediately report the boy on his way home. However, since it was an urgent situation, he had no choice but to answer it.
"Well, how should I put it… Gojo-san is now… at your house, Hikigaya-kun."
A rope that maintained his sanity seemed to be cut. Surprisingly, he didn't explode despite his spiritless eyes glaring fiercely. Hachiman grabbed his smartphone in his pocket and turned it on to see what time it was. The screen on his cell phone showed 06:52 am.
There were so many family-friendly words he wanted to spit out. However, only three words actually managed to escape his mouth.
"What the heck?"
—To Be Continued—
Author's Note: There's nothing important I want to say. But as I said, this is a set-up for Hachiman so that he can be involved in the Goodwill Event more naturally even though he's no longer a student. The Goodwill event may be a long way off, but I put the groundbreaking in this chapter because I had to adjust the timeline and so it didn't look too forced. But of course, that's not all because there's another reason why I made it this way. The answer will probably be revealed in the next two or three chapters. So, stay tuned for the answer.
That's all from me. See you in the next chapter and please stay healthy.
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