Ch 35 Departure

After arriving, Gojo invited Ichiro to eat in a nearby restaurant. However, due to the amount of snacks Ichiro consumed in the Zenin clan, he found himself quite full. Understanding Ichiro's predicament, Gojo decided to leave him on his own as he had something urgent to attend to.

"Whew, I'm so full right now. I think I ate too much," Ichiro remarked to himself while walking down the hallway. Despite his full stomach, he made his way to his room and decided to take a quick nap.

An hour later, Ichiro was awakened by a sudden knock on his door.

"Hmm?" He groggily stood up, reaching the door and opening it before saying, "Who is it?"

"Yo, where you sleeping?" Gojo's voice came through the door.

As Ichiro rubbed his eyes, he responded with a yawn, "Yeah, what is it, Gojo Sensei?"

"Here," Gojo said, immediately handing Ichiro a uniform and an ID.

Ichiro blinked, a bit confused. "What's this for?"

Gojo grinned. "You're officially joining the Jujutsu High School as a student. Consider it a surprise enrollment!"

Ichiro, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, asked Gojo about the sudden enrollment. Gojo noticed Ichiro's confusion and decided to explain.

"Well, I asked Yaga Sensei, and he immediately agreed," Gojo explained, a hint of amusement on his face.

However, Ichiro still couldn't comprehend the reason for his enrollment. "Isn't it too vague? Could you give me a more detailed explanation?"

Gojo chuckled. "Well, no need to sweat the small stuff. The important thing is, you are now a student."

Ichiro nodded slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "I see," he said, accepting it as it was. Deep down, though, he couldn't shake off the feeling of curiosity about the sudden turn of events.

With excitement in his voice, Gojo urged Ichiro to put on the uniform.

"Now, hurry up and wear it, Ichiro!"

"A-alright," Ichiro stammered, feeling a mix of confusion and eagerness. He closed the door behind him and began to change. As he reached for the uniform, his eyes caught sight of his ID. It looked like a typical ID at first glance, but one thing stood out—printed on it was.

"Special Grade, huh," Ichiro muttered to himself, feeling a rush of pride and anticipation. With a sense of determination, he continued to don the uniform. As he finished putting it on, he stood before the mirror, examining his reflection. The uniform was predominantly black with striking red lines accentuating the neckline, giving it a bold and formidable appearance.

Feeling a surge of excitement and determination coursing through him, Ichiro couldn't help but grin at his reflection.

After showing off his uniform to Gojo, Ichiro received a thumbs up from his sensei. Together, they stepped outside.

"Gojo Sensei," Ichiro began, curiosity lacing his voice.

"Hmm? What is it, Ichiro?" Gojo replied, his attention fully on his student.

"Um, what are we doing outside exactly?" Ichiro inquired, still slightly puzzled.

"We're going to train, of course," Gojo answered with a grin.

"I see," Ichiro said, nodding in understanding.

"Now then, let's begin," Gojo declared, signaling the start of their training session.

As the days passed, a month flew by in the blink of an eye. Ichiro's departure was now nearing, and in an airport terminal, a man with striking white hair and a blindfold was seen conversing with a young kid whose height could easily be mistaken for that of a high schooler.

"So, Ichiro, over this month, you've improved quite a lot. You've become even stronger than last month. You even easily beat Panda, now even in his Gorilla mode, and you've helped exorcise curse spirits," Gojo complimented Ichiro's dedication to his training, a proud smile gracing his lips.

"Well, I couldn't do all this without your help, so I'm very grateful to you, Gojo Sensei," Ichiro responded humbly, bowing deeply to express his gratitude towards his mentor.

"It was my pleasure to help you grow, Ichiro," Gojo replied warmly, his voice reflecting pride in his student's progress.

As Ichiro straightened up, he took a moment to soak in the last few moments of his time with Gojo.

"Well, I'll be going now, Gojo Sensei," Ichiro said, a hint of sadness tingeing his voice as he prepared to depart.

"Yeah, take care of yourself, Ichiro," Gojo replied, his tone filled with genuine concern for his student's well-being.

As they bid farewell at the airport, Ichiro boarded the plane and embarked on his journey back to Africa. After hours of flight, he safely arrived at the airport where Kyle was eagerly waiting for him. They exchanged small greetings before entering a car and driving home.

Upon reaching home, Ichiro began unpacking his luggage before heading downstairs to the living room where Kyle was seated.

"Hey, Kyle," Ichiro called out, catching Kyle's attention.

"Yeah, what is it?" Kyle responded, turning to face Ichiro.

"I'll be heading out for a bit," Ichiro announced, prompting a curious look from Kyle.

"Where are you going?" Kyle inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, I want to see the place since it's been a month, and I kinda miss it," Ichiro replied, wearing a forced smile as he offered Kyle a fake excuse.

"I see. Then be careful, okay?" Kyle said.

Kyle, seemingly oblivious to Ichiro's excuse, permitted Ichiro to leave the house. Ichiro stepped out and started walking away. After a few minutes of walking and surveying the surrounding area for any signs of life, Ichiro summoned Griffin, his loyal shikigami. With a graceful leap, Ichiro mounted Griffin's back, and they soared through the sky towards the familiar battleground where he had fought countless shikigami before.

As they descended upon the familiar landscape, Ichiro couldn't help but notice that the place hadn't changed at all. The air was still thick with the scent of cursed energy, and the eerie atmosphere hung heavily around them.

"Hmm, this place didn't change at all," Ichiro remarked to himself, his eyes scanning the area with a sense of determination. "Since I've now gotten stronger, I guess it's time to continue my shikigami conquest."

Griffin let out a low, rumbling growl of agreement, understanding his master's intentions perfectly. With a confident nod, Ichiro urged Griffin forward, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in his ongoing quest to conquer the shikigami and hone his skills as a powerful sorcerer.