Chapter 51: Friends

Jujutsu High, Operating Room.

On the cold, sterile operating table, Yuji Itadori's body lay covered by a white sheet.

Gojo Satoru had rushed back to the school immediately, his face dark and brooding.

"Sending first-year students to deal with a Special Grade while also having to rescue hostages... What were they thinking?"

"Since they can't get rid of me, they wanted to eliminate Yuji in a more 'dignified' way, huh..."

Gojo's grin turned maniacal. "Or maybe I should just kill all those old bastards at the top."

Standing next to him, Ijichi seemed nervous, struggling to find the right words to calm him down.

"Where's that guy?" Gojo turned to Fushiguro, who stood nearby, looking downcast. "Not even Sukuna with three fingers could stop him. So, where did that useless guy go?"

Fushiguro raised his head, his voice steady. "After Teacher Mirai brought Itadori back... he said he was going to the Kamo clan to 'settle accounts.'"

"Heh." Gojo scoffed. "That guy's pissed at the higher-ups too, huh?"

...

Kamo Clan, one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families.

Mirai, who Fushiguro had mentioned, was being led respectfully by the clan's steward to the main hall.

"I'm really curious, how did you come by all this information?"

In the dimly lit room, seated in the family head's place, was none other than the body of Suguru Geto.

"Even if Noritoshi Kamo hadn't died, he's still an evil sorcerer wanted by the jujutsu world."

A heavy sense of curiosity filled Geto's face. "How did you know I control the Kamo family?"

Mirai approached the window, looking down at the training grounds where sorcerers practiced. A flicker of greed flashed in her eyes.

"Let's skip the small talk, Kenjaku. I've got a deal for you."

"Oh~?" Kenjaku spread his hands and smiled slyly. "But I don't see anything left that I'd want from you."

"And don't forget, you still owe me an opportunity to strike at Gojo Satoru, don't you?"

Before coming here, Mirai had already spoken with Kenjaku over the phone. They had agreed to meet here, and Kenjaku had his reasons to show up. At least, until he could seal Gojo, he didn't want to make an enemy of Mirai and risk his plans.

However, binding agreements must benefit both sides, and Kenjaku wasn't one for losing propositions.

Mirai turned calmly toward him and said flatly, "The time limit on that opportunity is running out. You'd better prepare your plan soon."

"And as for what you need..."

"I won't expose the location where you're planning to place the Prison Realm. I'll even help cover your infiltration into Jujutsu High."

Watching Kenjaku's expression darken, Mirai smiled. "Does that sound fair?"

This wasn't something that could be explained by mere intelligence gathering... Mirai seemed to have everything—plans that hadn't even been enacted yet—under her control.

Staring at her composed face, Kenjaku suppressed his shock and asked coldly, "Is this a threat?"

"I don't know what you're scheming, but..." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "I could abandon my thousand-year plan right now and wait for another millennium."

"Time means nothing to me."

"I can wait. Can you?"

Kenjaku's gaze bore into Mirai, trying to read her expression for any slip-up.

After a moment of silence, Mirai chuckled. "We're old friends. No need for such harsh words."

"This is just a small favor for you. Helping a friend out—I'm sure you won't refuse."

"Is that so..."

Kenjaku's eyes narrowed as he caught a fleeting hint of hesitation on Mirai's face. "It seems I play quite an important role in your plans, don't I?"

"You could say that," Mirai admitted without hesitation.

There were indeed things that only Kenjaku could accomplish.

"Heh."

"Alright, then. Tell me about this 'small favor' of yours."

Kenjaku's smile turned oddly sincere, as if Mirai really were an old friend.

In Kenjaku's world, someone he considered a "friend" had to meet two criteria.

First, they had to be interesting—someone he couldn't see through immediately, otherwise, they'd bore him to death.

Second, their power and status had to be on par with his, or they'd just be swatted away like flies.

Mirai met both conditions.

And the sorcerers that Kenjaku had considered "friends"… well, they were all dead.

...

Within the "Innate Domain" made of blood and bones.

Sukuna wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his half-lidded eyes flickering with faint killing intent.

"Let's settle this. If you beat me, I'll revive you without any conditions. If you lose, you'll be revived under the conditions I set."

Hearing this, Yuji, who had managed to land a surprise punch on Sukuna earlier, grinned confidently.

"No problem, watch me—"

SWISH!

Before Yuji could finish his sentence, Sukuna, tired of his bravado, casually flicked his finger.

A blood-red blade shot from Sukuna's fingertip in a split second.

The smug expression hadn't even faded from Yuji's face when everything went black.

His neatly severed skull hit the blood-soaked ground with a wet thud, splashing scarlet liquid in all directions.

...

In the operating room.

Shoko, wearing surgical gloves, glanced curiously at the others. "Are you guys really going to stand there and watch me dissect him?"

Gojo, Fushiguro, and Ijichi were just about to leave when they all froze in place.

Following their stunned gazes, Shoko turned around.

In the mere seconds it took her to put on gloves, the lifeless body on the operating table had sat upright.

"Hmph."

Gojo rubbed his forehead, a low chuckle escaping his lips as his mouth curved upward.

"Welcome back, Yuji."

Still dazed from his encounter with Sukuna, Yuji blinked, then smiled back when he saw Gojo's grinning face. His heart warmed instantly, and he reflexively raised a hand to give Gojo a high-five.

Just as Gojo was about to ask him about the mission, his phone rang.

"Huh?"

Gojo looked at the caller ID and raised an eyebrow. "What day is it today?"

"A big shot I haven't heard from in ages..."

Answering the call, Gojo grinned. "Calling me now…"

"Are you finally ready to apologize?"

...

Meanwhile,

In the medical room ten meters away, Nobara lay quietly in her bed, still unconscious.

White Zetsu stood guard nearby, watching a movie on his phone, eagerly awaiting Nobara to wake up.

He had so much to boast about once she did.

But the moment Yuji woke up, a grin spread across White Zetsu's face.

"Nice slash!"

"This woman is just as fierce as my little sis!"

His excited commentary echoed throughout the room as the movie continued to play.

Unbeknownst to him, Nobara's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"From now on, Nobara's new nickname should be 'Thirteen Sister!'"

Damn that cursed mama's boy!

Damn his love for gangster movies!

Nobara resisted the urge to jump up, her toes tensing as she clutched the bedsheets beneath her.

It wasn't like her injuries were serious—Shoko had already healed her before operating on Yuji. The only reason Nobara hadn't woken up was because she was still figuring out how to face White Zetsu and his cocky attitude.

But now, she was running out of patience.

"In Hong Kong, they have the famous 'Thirteen Sister'... well, Nobara can be Tokyo's 'Thirteen Sister!'"

"Perfect, absolutely perfect."

White Zetsu bobbed his head, satisfied with himself, his voice becoming more and more grating.

"Mama's boy!"

Nobara's sudden shout broke the silence.

Locking eyes with her furious gaze, White Zetsu's face lit up with excitement, his jagged grin widening.

Finally! All those lines he had prepared—he could finally start his speech!

"You're awake, Thirteen Sister!"

"I, the great—"

Before White Zetsu could even finish his triumphant declaration, everything went black.

"Thirteen Sister? Who do you think you're calling Thirteen Sister!?"

With no cursed energy behind it, Nobara's foot smashed into White Zetsu's face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

BAM!

As White Zetsu's vision spun, he caught a glimpse of Nobara bolting for the door.

"Damn it!!!"

"Thirteen Sister! I curse you!!!"

All the grand lines he had so carefully prepared were, once again, left unsaid.

White Zetsu's frustrated, rage-filled roars echoed throughout the entire building.

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