Ch 52 First meet

After the incident at the office, Ichiro stepped outside, squinting against the bright sunlight. The warm rays contrasted sharply with the cool, shadowed interiors of the school building. As he walked, his thoughts drifted back to his earlier conversation with Tsumiki.

Her words echoed in his mind, "Gojo sensei can't come because of a new student?"A mischievous smile spread across Ichiro's face as he pondered this. "Well, why don't I visit my juniors?" he muttered to himself, his steps quickening with excitement.

Leaving the school grounds behind, Ichiro made his way through the bustling streets, each step bringing him closer to Tokyo Jujutsu High.

The familiar sights and sounds of the city swirled around him, but his focus remained on the visit ahead.As he approached the imposing gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High, a sense of nostalgia washed over him.

Ichiro walked through one of the hallways of Tokyo Jujutsu High, each step echoing softly against the polished wooden floors. His eyes wandered over the intricate designs that adorned the walls, a seamless blend of traditional Japanese architecture and modern elements. The shoji screens, tatami mats, and minimalist decor complemented the sleek, contemporary lighting and technology integrated into the space.

"Wow, this place is so beautiful," Ichiro murmured to himself, a sense of nostalgia washing over him. "It looks like it hasn't changed much since I left."

As he continued down the hallway, he took his time examining each room, noting the familiar details and reminiscing about his own time here. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when his eyes caught sight of a figure standing across the hallway, facing a door. The person wore a crisp white uniform, their posture tense and nervous.

Ichiro's sharp eyes immediately recognized who that person is, Ichiro quickened his pace, his footsteps now purposeful and steady. But before he could get close to him that person already entered the room.

After a few seconds, Ichiro continued his walk towards the room where the person had entered. As he approached, he could hear faint voices from inside, accompanied by a low, grumbling sound that piqued his curiosity. When he reached the door, he pushed it open gently, peering inside.To his amusement, he saw the same boy pressed against the blackboard by two students and a panda. The boy's eyes were wide with visible fear and confusion, clearly overwhelmed by the unexpected and somewhat intimidating welcome.

Ichiro then entered the room, his presence immediately drawing attention.

"Hey Ichiro!" came the familiar voice of Gojo Satoru, who stood nonchalantly by the window.

"Hey Gojo-sensei, it's been a long time. You too, Panda-kun," Ichiro greeted with enthusiasm, his smile wide. 'Looks like Gojo-sensei already knows about my arrival,' he thought.

A/N I'll be using japanese words for inumaki so it will be, Shake, Okaka, konbu, Takana, Sujiko, since using English words doesn't fit right well for me

The students in the room turned their attention to Ichiro, curiosity and confusion written on their faces. Maki Zenin, with her usual stern expression, was the first to speak up, irritation clear in her voice. "Who are you?"

'huh did maki forget about me?, I mean she was still young when I visit the zenin clan so maybe that's the case?' he thought as he pondered about the reason of why maki forgot about him.

Toge Inumaki, standing beside her, echoed her curiosity with a simple, inquisitive "Shake?"

Gojo approached Ichiro, his trademark blindfold hiding his eyes but not his broad smile. "Hey Ichiro, it's really been a long time," he said, clapping a hand on Ichiro's shoulder.

Turning to the students, Gojo continued with a grin, "Well, since you guys are curious, let me introduce him properly. This is Ichiro Fushiguro, a second-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High, which means he is your senior."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you—" Ichiro began, his greeting interrupted by a sudden loud voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. A big white hand materialized on the blackboard, spreading its huge fingers towards the shaking students.

"Rika-chan, stop!" Yuta's voice cut through the tension, filled with urgency and concern.

The huge hand halted abruptly, trembling as Rika's expression shifted from one of aggression to one of remorse. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hate me, Yuta," she pleaded, her voice small and filled with regret, ichiro observed the scene with a mix of surprise and understanding as he watch yuta console rika, turning to the other students, ichiro then spoke

"Hello, the name's Ichiro Fushiguro, nice to meet you," Ichiro reintroduced himself, offering a friendly smile to the group.

Maki Zenin responded with a cold silence, her attention elsewhere, while Toge Inumaki maintained his usual neutral expression, observing quietly.

"Yo, Ichiro-kun, it's been a while. How have you been?" Panda interjected cheerfully, expressing his happiness at seeing Ichiro again.

"I'm doing fine, Panda-kun. It really has been a long time," Ichiro replied warmly, appreciating Panda's upbeat demeanor.

Ichiro then turned his attention to Maki and Inumaki. "You guys are...?" he inquired, though he already knew their names.

Panda, ever eager to help, jumped in before Maki could respond. "Oh, this is Zenin Maki, and beside her is Toge Inumaki!"

Maki's irritation flared up instantly. "Oi, who said you could just introduce me?" she demanded angrily, glaring at Panda.

Panda shrugged, undeterred. "Well, since you don't feel like introducing yourself, I'm just doing you a favor," he retorted, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Maki's frustration was evident as she clenched her fists, veins popping on her forehead. "What makes you think I need your favor, huh?!"

Ichiro intervened before the situation could escalate further. "Now, now, you two should calm down first, you're setting a bad example for you classmate here" he interjected calmly, stepping between them and pointing towards Yuta, who stood nearby.

All eyes turned towards Yuta, who flinched under the sudden scrutiny. The tension in the room shifted as the focus shifted to the quieter, more reserved student.

"Ichiro's right. Maki, you should stop that. You won't be popular with guys if you're like that," Panda agreed with Ichiro, though his tone was light-hearted.

Maki's response was swift and sharp. "Shut up, or I'll beat you," she threatened, her frustration evident.

Panda chuckled, undeterred by her threat. "But you already are," he teased, a cheeky grin on his face.

Before the exchange could escalate further, Gojo finally stepped in, his presence commanding attention. "The introduction was not quite what I expected, but it's alright," he said calmly, his voice carrying authority.

He continued, shifting the focus to the practical matters at hand. "Okay, now there are four first-years. For your afternoon practice, you'll be in pairs of two on two—"

Gojo outlined the details of their practice session, directing the four students with precision and clarity. As he did so, Maki and Panda reluctantly set aside their banter, their focus shifting to the task ahead.

Once the students had left the room to prepare for their practice, Ichiro found himself alone with Gojo.

"Now then, Ichiro-kun, let's go as well," Gojo said suddenly, surprising Ichiro.

"Eh? Where?" Ichiro asked, caught off guard by Gojo's spontaneous suggestion.

"Where else but the training ground? I want to see how strong you've become since I last saw you," Gojo replied with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Alright!" Ichiro responded eagerly, excitement clear in his voice. His time away from Tokyo Jujutsu High had only sharpened his skills, and he was eager to show Gojo how far he had come.

Gojo smiled approvingly at Ichiro's enthusiasm. "Let's go then," he said, leading the way out of the room.

As they arrived at the training grounds, Gojo stood tall with an aura of strength and confidence, while Ichiro mirrored him with profound excitement and a fierce fighting spirit. They faced each other, their eyes locked in determination.

Ichiro made the first move, sprinting towards Gojo with each step echoing his years of dedication to training. He threw a straight punch, aiming for Gojo's midsection, but the seasoned sorcerer effortlessly dodged it with a swift sidestep. Ichiro followed up with a front kick, but Gojo intercepted it with a well-timed block, his movements fluid and precise.

Their spar continued for another hour, Ichiro maneuvered with agility and strategy, attempting to find openings in Gojo's defenses. Gojo, in turn, countered with strike, and feints, paired up with a calculated block and dodge, testing Ichiro's reactions, speed and strength.

After a particularly intense exchange, Ichiro stepped back, taking a moment to catch his breath and reassess his approach. Gojo seized the opportunity to speak, his voice filled with genuine satisfaction.

"That was a good spar, Ichiro," Gojo praised, his expression reflecting pride in his student's progress. "To think you could react to my attacks like that... You've really grown."

Gojo signaled the end of their session. "Then that will be for today, Ichiro. You can head back to your room and have rest."

"Eh, are we done already, Gojo-sensei?" Ichiro asked, his disappointment and disbelief evident in his voice.

"That's right," Gojo reaffirmed, his tone calm but firm.

Ichiro frowned slightly, feeling a mix of frustration and eagerness. "But all you've been doing since earlier is dodge and block my attacks, and sometimes you would attack, but you dodge and block way more frequently than your attacks," he expressed, his disappointment clear.

Gojo nodded thoughtfully, understanding Ichiro's feelings. "Well it can't be helped as this is only a test so no need to get serious, Ichiro. And this spar is only meant to test how strong you are, and I didn't intend to go all out" he responded.

"I see" Ichiro sighed, his understanding of Gojo's reasoning clear.

He straightened himself and looked directly at Gojo. "So? Am I strong?" Ichiro asked, his curiosity evident.

Gojo met Ichiro's gaze, a smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, very strong," he reassured him, his voice confident and sincere.

"I see. Well, I'll be going now. See you later, Gojo-sensei," Ichiro said, nodding respectfully.

"Yeah, see you later as well, Ichiro," Gojo replied warmly.

As Gojo watched Ichiro's back as he left the training ground, he couldn't help but reflect on the young sorcerer's growth with a mix of pride and astonishment. His hands trembled slightly as he recalled the strength behind Ichiro's strikes and his ability to react swiftly to Gojo's attacks.

"I can't believe how much Ichiro has improved over the past years," Gojo mused quietly to himself. "To think his strikes have this amount of strength behind them, and not only that, he can also react to my attacks, with that kind of attack's I would be lying if I say that I held back a little, physical prowess wise ichiro might by slightly weaker than me"

He glanced once more towards the entrance through which Ichiro had departed. "And to top it off he did all those things without using a single drop of cursed energy."

A smile crept onto Gojo's face as he imagined how formidable Ichiro would become once he fully tapped into his cursed energy.

"I didn't know being a teacher could be this fulfilling," Gojo admitted to himself, the satisfaction evident in his tone. Watching his students grow stronger and surpass their previous limits was a source of pride and joy for him, reinforcing his commitment to mentorship and teaching.

With a sense of anticipation for the future, Gojo turned back towards the training grounds, ready to continue guiding and supporting his students on their journeys as sorcerers.