JJK: Chapter 54

Title: New Student

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Hospital, patient room.

Thanks to Shin Shuichi’s Reverse Cursed Technique, Sasaki and Iguchi had recovered significantly. They were still in the hospital, though, due to some lingering psychological issues. After having a long conversation with them, Yuji Itadori deeply bowed to them: "I still have something very important to do, so... goodbye, senpai."

Afterward, Yuji went to the crematorium, accompanied by Gojo Satoru. He placed his grandfather’s ashes into an urn and, holding it, sat on a bench outside, his expression distant, lost in thought.

Gojo, legs crossed, sat next to him. "The deceased was...?"

Yuji glanced down at the white urn, his eyes unfocused. "My grandfather. As for my parents... Well, I’ve lived with my grandfather ever since I was little. He was like a parent to me."

"I see. I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into all this trouble at such a time. So... have you made your decision about my proposal?"

Yuji let out a long sigh. "Are these kinds of cursed incidents common?"

Gojo rested his chin on his hand. "Not exactly. This case is somewhat unusual. If we only consider the number of victims, it’s actually pretty ordinary. In fact, thanks to you all, there were hardly any casualties at all, which is quite fortunate."

"But most of the time, when ordinary people encounter a curse, if they’re not saved in time, it’s considered lucky if there’s even a body left. Many don’t even leave behind that much—death becomes the only form of release."

Gojo leaned back on the bench, looking up at the sky. "In the search for Sukuna’s fingers, you’ll inevitably witness more tragic scenes. I can’t promise that you won’t meet a similar fate. Just think of it as choosing your preferred path to hell."

Yuji asked calmly, "If Sukuna is completely eradicated, would that mean fewer people die from curses?"

Gojo turned to look at him, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Of course. As the King of Curses, Sukuna poses an immense threat. The faster we exorcise him, the fewer people will be harmed in the future."

"The finger... Do you still have it?"

Hearing Yuji’s question, Gojo pulled out the finger he had used for demonstration earlier and handed it to Yuji. After inspecting it, Yuji couldn’t help but comment: "Ugh, this thing’s disgusting when you really look at it."

Without hesitating for too long, Yuji tossed Sukuna’s finger into his mouth, swallowing it with some difficulty. Black markings once again appeared on his face, and an incredible aura surged from his body.

Gojo remained completely at ease. This was the second finger—it was ten percent complete. Let’s see... Do you really have the potential for this?

"Ugh, tastes awful!"

There was no awakening of Sukuna; it was as if nothing had happened at all. Yuji remained in control of his body, and Gojo didn’t even get the chance to intervene.

Yuji, who had never been a picky eater, could only describe the taste of Sukuna’s finger as absolutely disgusting. Maybe even a shoe dipped in sauce would taste better. But then again... what normal person would eat a dried-up finger?

Gojo’s smile deepened. This guy... not only does he possess incredible physical endurance, but he can also maintain his sense of self in front of Sukuna. He’s a once-in-a-century—no, a once-in-a-millennium prodigy!

"You’re ready now, aren’t you? Can I take it that you’ve made up your mind?"

Yuji scratched his head. "Not exactly. I still don’t really feel like I understand everything you guys have said. I still don’t get why I’ve been sentenced to death. But... we can’t just leave curses unchecked. I’ll eat all of Sukuna’s fingers. After that, who knows..."

"What a troublesome last will... My death has already been decided."

'You’re going to die surrounded by people.'

Gojo laughed heartily, standing up and patting Yuji on the shoulder. "Good, good. You’re not the type to be disliked. For now, go pack your things."

"Where are we going?"

"Tokyo."

It wasn’t Gojo who answered, but Shin Shuichi, who appeared nearby, along with Fushiguro and White Wolf.

"Huh? It's you, Shin and Fushiguro!"

Shin handed a bag of Kikufuku (a local Sendai delicacy) to Gojo, who beamed with delight. "Thanks, Shin! I’ve been craving these forever but haven’t had time to come and get them."

Shin had bought extra—enough for everyone to enjoy, with all the flavors included. "We’re heading to Tokyo, and you’ll be enrolling in Tokyo Jujutsu High. You and Fushiguro will be in the same year."

Yuji grinned. "Sounds great. Huh? What about you?"

Shin shoved a small bag of Kikufuku into Yuji’s hands and, throwing an arm around Fushiguro’s shoulders, said, "I’m a year ahead of you, so you’ll have to call me senpai. Isn’t that right, Fushiguro?"

"Tch."

Fushiguro turned his head in annoyance, but Yuji politely bowed and greeted, "Shin-senpai!"

"Oh, by the way..."

Gojo suddenly remembered something. "You’re actually the third first-year student."

Shin perked up. 'Is it Nobara? The third first-year...'

"When did you recruit a new student, Gojo-sensei? You never mentioned it."

Gojo smiled innocently, his bag of Kikufuku swinging. "Haha, did I not? Oh well, you’ll find out soon enough."

Shin sighed. "I guess I’m used to it by now."

Afterward, Yuji Itadori went back to pack his belongings. To be honest, there wasn’t much to pack; he mainly needed to take care of his grandfather’s affairs.

The next day, the four of them took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. During the journey, they tried the Sendai specialty, Kikufuku. It was indeed delicious as a snack, but... very sweet. Shin Shuichi found the green tea flavor more balanced, as it neutralized some of the sweetness, while Gojo Satoru, a devoted sweet tooth, happily devoured the sweet cream and edamame flavors, even though they were overly sugary for most people.

Once back at Jujutsu High, Gojo took Yuji to meet Masamichi Yaga, while Shin and Fushiguro returned to the dorms.

Shin had originally wanted to distribute the souvenirs he brought to Panda, Maki, and the others, but none of them were at the school—they were all out on missions. So, he decided to put the treats in the fridge for later.

The next time they saw Yuji, Gojo was leading him to his assigned dorm, which happened to be next to Fushiguro’s, just a few steps away from Shin’s. Jujutsu High didn’t have any specific dormitory divisions since there were too few students to fill all the rooms, and each room was quite spacious.

After sorting out the dorm situation, Fushiguro and Yuji were informed by Gojo: "Tomorrow, we’ll be picking up the other first-year student!"

"Why do I have to come along too?" Shin asked, looking bored as he stood in the bustling streets of Harajuku.

Gojo, sipping on a sweet drink he had just bought, replied, "You’d be bored staying alone at Jujutsu High, wouldn’t you? Besides, there’s a task I need to give you later, so I’ll explain it to you then."

"Ugh... fine. I’m going to get some ice cream. What flavors do you guys want?"

"I’ll have a triple scoop: strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate!" Gojo was the first to respond. Yuji and Fushiguro weren’t picky, so the three of them waited under the shade of a tree while Shin went to get the ice cream.

"Where’s the new student? And why are we meeting in Harajuku instead of just having her come straight to the school?" Shin grumbled.

As he ate his ice cream, Gojo explained cheerfully, "It was her request, and besides..."

Yuji, who was looking into the distance, interrupted, "Is that her?"

They followed Yuji’s gaze and spotted a short-haired girl arguing with what seemed to be a talent scout. She was wearing what was clearly the Jujutsu High uniform, though slightly modified with a waist belt and a knee-length skirt.

"That’s probably her. Why don’t you go say hello?"

Gojo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Over here, over here!"

Attracted by the noise, Nobara Kugisaki let the talent scout go and walked toward them.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Nobara Kugisaki. Get excited, boys, because I’m the one and only rose among the thorns!"

With one hand on her hip, the orange-haired girl spoke with an air of confidence. She seemed to be the type of girl similar to Maki, but with her own unique flair.

"Yuji Itadori, from Sendai."

"Fushiguro Megumi."

From Nobara’s perspective, one of them seemed like the kind of kid who used to eat his own boogers, and the other one looked like the aloof type who could set an oil-covered seagull on fire with his stare. This new environment didn’t seem much better than the last. And that black-haired boy over there, though handsome, looked like he was on the verge of death. Was he also a first-year student?

Clapping his hands, Gojo cheerfully announced, "Great! The first-year students are all here now. Let’s go explore Tokyo!"

"Oh, by the way, this guy here is one of your senpais, a second-year student."

Shin, who had reluctantly perked up, took over with a forced smile. "Shin Shuichi, second year. I got dragged along by this blindfolded idiot to fill out the numbers. Nice to meet you."

Since Shin had advanced to the second year, his new homeroom teacher was Atsuya Kusakabe. However, Kusakabe had a rather hands-off approach to teaching, so most of the tasks assigned to Shin still came from Gojo, who, being both a special-grade sorcerer and the homeroom teacher for the first years, was a major figure in the Jujutsu world.

Jujutsu High had so few students and teachers that the boundaries between classes weren’t always clear. Fortunately, the students were generally self-reliant and didn’t require much supervision... or so it seemed.

Gojo’s plan to "explore Tokyo" delighted both Yuji and Nobara, who were newcomers from the "countryside." They quickly bonded and began discussing where to go. Shin, watching them, sighed. These two were in for a surprise...

"Roppongi?"

What had initially been dreams of visiting Disneyland or Chinatown quickly turned into disappointment. Before them stood an abandoned building, surrounded by a heavy curse presence.

"The entrance exam begins now!"

Clapping his hands, Gojo gleefully explained the situation to Yuji and Nobara, informing them that they were to exorcise the curses inside. However, Yuji was forbidden from unleashing Sukuna, as doing so would instantly destroy the curses but might also lead to even greater disasters.

While Gojo, Shin, and Fushiguro waited outside, Gojo casually remarked, "The main goal this time is to evaluate Nobara. Yuji is already qualified. He swallowed Sukuna’s finger without hesitation and immediately engaged in combat with the curses. He’s passed."

"He’s different from you two. You’ve been dealing with curses for a long time, but before all this, he was just an ordinary high school student. You’ve seen plenty of jujutsu sorcerers with talent who gave up halfway because they couldn’t overcome their fear or disgust, right?"

"Today, we’re just seeing if that girl has what it takes... Is she crazy enough?"

Shin sighed beside him. "Only the crazy ones thrive as jujutsu sorcerers. So, about that task you mentioned... Do I have to leave right away? You’re working me like a mule."

Gojo chuckled. "You’re not much better. And if you go too crazy, you’ll end up like a curse user."

Then, changing the subject, he said, "As for the task... Do you remember how I mentioned that overseas, there are far fewer jujutsu sorcerers and curses than in Japan? Well, this task involves a rare exception. A special-grade curse has been observed abroad, and after some negotiations, the mission has been assigned to us. As a reward, besides the usual payment, you can make a special request—of course, only if you complete the mission."

"Huh? Why does this mission have an additional reward? Is the target particularly strong?"

Gojo stroked his chin. "Not entirely. It’s a commissioned job, so part of the reward comes from the client. You get the idea."

"Oh~"

Shin’s eyes lit up. "Then I’d like some valuable information. That should be acceptable, right?" He was referring to the rare, highly restricted knowledge stored by the powerful jujutsu families, accumulated over thousands of years. Shin had been able to access some of it before, thanks to his accomplishments in exorcising special-grade curses and Gojo’s influence.

Thinking of the Kamo and Zen’in families’ secret techniques and research, Shin couldn’t help but feel excited. Especially the Kamo family’s work, with their inherited Blood Manipulation technique, had led to profound research into the body and cursed energy. This task was as good as accepted!

"When do I leave? What’s the location and the details?"

"Next week, five days from now. The location is... the North Pole."

"What?"