Chapter 43

Before Zoro could answer, both he and Satoru Gojo turned their heads in the same direction.

Whoosh!

Toji, who had quickly approached from that direction, positioned himself in front of Zoro, wedging himself between Zoro and Gojo, with his weapon storage curse already wrapped around him.

Satoru Gojo frowned as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then, as if recalling something, he tilted his head.

"...Have we met somewhere before?"

Without responding, Toji moved his hand towards the mouth of the weapon storage curse as if to draw a weapon. Zoro caught Toji's hand.

"There's no injury. He hasn't done anything yet."

It meant there was no need for a fight. If this man really was Satoru Gojo, as Toji had mentioned, engaging in combat, especially with Megumi here, would be disadvantageous. Moreover, there were too many people around.

Sensing the implication, Toji lowered his hand but gripped Zoro's hand tightly.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, but where did that guy come from? I didn't see him."

"Shall we go back? There was a weird loud noise earlier..."

People had already started murmuring, noticing something amiss.

The man with the peculiar forelock spoke lowly next to Gojo.

"Satoru, I don't know what's going on, but we can't do this here. You're alarming the people."

"Because of this tennis ball-headed kid. Look at him. What kind of kid walks around with a katana on his waist? It's not like we're in the Edo period."

As Satoru Gojo gestured towards Zoro behind Toji, Toji moved even closer to Zoro. Geto, having glanced at the scene, commented,

"...It's rude to compare people to tennis balls, Satoru. But that sword does look odd. Could it be fake? If it were real, they wouldn't have allowed it at the entrance."

"Well, non-sorcerers wouldn't see it. That belt, it's an item covered with an illusion technique to hide the weapon attached to it. It's cheap so sorcerers can easily see through it. But more suspicious than the belt is that suddenly appearing guy. He has no cursed energy at all."

"No cursed energy...?"

While they conversed, Toji and Zoro exchanged meaningful glances.

'Should we make a run for it?'

'Let's do it.'

Seizing a moment when the crowd's attention was momentarily dispersed, Toji, carrying Zoro and Megumi, ran with all his might. Gojo, spotting them, yelled out in shock.

"Hey, wait! Hey! Hey! Who runs away while the protagonist is talking?!"

Of course, Toji didn't pretend to listen and continued to run at full speed. Watching Toji become a tiny dot in the distance, Satoru expressed his frustration.

"Damn, can't attack because of the people. Suguru, do something!"

"What can I do in such a crowded place? Plus, he's too fast."

They hadn't taken the usual paths where people walk but had headed towards the wooded area of the mountain, and they were already out of sight. How could someone supposedly without cursed energy move so fast?

Unlike Geto, who was simply amazed, Gojo was stomping his feet in frustration for letting an intriguing person slip away.

"Ah, so annoying! Stop right thereeee!"

...

After running for a while, Toji finally stopped halfway up the mountain. Zoro, holding Megumi, hopped down from Toji's back.

Zoro clutched his slightly dizzy head. So this is what it's like when dad runs at top speed. He learned something new.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Didn't I tell you? I'm not hurt."

But what worried him was Megumi. Even though Zoro had held him tightly, fearing he might bump into something while running, the speed must have been felt.

'What if he cried?'

Worried, Zoro looked down at Megumi in his arms.

Megumi was... with his cheeks flushed red, he was gaping in awe.

"Wow."

His eyes sparkled brightly.

Like a child who had just ridden an extremely fun amusement park ride, Megumi wore a huge smile, bouncing up and down in Zoro's arms.

"Again! Again! Agaaain!"

"..."

I'm not sure if I should be happy about this. Watching this scene from beyond Zoro, Toji chuckled and commented.

"Just like a sorcerer."

"What do you mean?"

Unable to outright say his child was crazy, Toji closed his mouth.

'Well, as long as he's not crying, it's fine.'

Thinking this, Zoro comfortably adjusted Megumi in his arms as he continued to chant for more! Zoro then asked Toji.

"Who were those guys just now?"

"Satoru Gojo and his peer, probably. They were wearing traditional high school uniforms."

"Traditional...?"

"Jujutsu High, short for Jujutsu High School. It's often called 'High' or 'Jujutsu High.' It's a high school that trains sorcerers, with one in Tokyo and another in Kyoto."

When Toji sensed Satoru Gojo's presence with his Observation Haki, he felt as if his heart had dropped. That immense cursed energy and his noble presence.

Even as he ran with all his might towards where Zoro and Megumi were, his mind was racing, worrying if something had happened to them.

Logically, there was no reason for Satoru Gojo, especially at his young age, to harm two children, one of whom was a non-sorcerer.

'Has that guy enrolled in Tokyo Jujutsu High...?'

Honestly, Toji hadn't imagined it. Typically, young sorcerers from famous sorcerer families like the Three Great Families receive training within their own families and seldom enroll in Jujutsu High.

'Plus, the Gojo family, like the Zenin family, is based in Kyoto.'

Toji had assumed that if Gojo were to enroll in a high school, it would be the Kyoto branch, not leaving Kyoto to enroll in the Tokyo branch. For some reason, this was bad news to Toji.

Should I move? Toji pondered seriously.

If Toji were to say it's dangerous here and suggest moving, Zoro would pack up without any complaints.

That's why, conversely, Toji hated to bring it up.

'He likes this house.'

There was no denying it when sometimes he'd lie sprawled out on the living room floor, snoring away, or when he'd hold Megumi and look out the window just like Chie used to do. This house was a space filled with memories for Zoro, a place of utmost comfort.

He didn't want to take away something Zoro already loved, let alone fail to provide something better.

"By the way, the ice water?"

"..."

Toji pulled out a bottle of frozen water from his pocket and handed it over.

Taking the ice water, Zoro opened the lid and drank it greedily, letting out a satisfied sigh. Unlike the carefree Zoro, Toji's mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

'What should I do?'

Toji's worries only deepened.