Though there was no chance of seeing the special-grade cursed object sealing Ryoumen Sukuna, the two of them did agree on the matter of cooperation that Hayashizaki had mentioned.
Gojo wasn't too worried about Hayashizaki pulling some trick. Between strong people, communication was all about fists hitting flesh. After fighting Hayashizaki, Gojo felt like he had a decent understanding of him.
He didn't seem like the kind of sneaky guy who liked to plot in the shadows, but his sense of humor was twisted for sure.
Most importantly, Gojo still had a lot of doubts about who Hayashizaki really was.
From his observations, it was clear that the one in control of this girl's body was Ryoumen Sukuna, not Yukinoshita Yukino herself. However, Sukuna hadn't fully taken over her body; instead, they seemed to be coexisting in a strange harmony.
It was odd. Could it be that Sukuna wanted to experience a different kind of life from the one he had a thousand years ago, playing some sort of role-playing game with the girl?
Because of these doubts, Gojo Satoru agreed to Hayashizaki's request to work together, intending to keep a close watch on him.
"Well then, let's have a good partnership."
Hayashizaki extended his hand, and Gojo, activating his Limitless technique, shook it.
"Teaming up with the King of Curses—this is a pretty unique experience."
The moment he firmly grasped Gojo's large hand, Hayashizaki swung his free left hand toward Gojo's face, but it was stopped by the barrier formed by the Limitless technique.
"Is our partnership about to fall apart right after it started?" Gojo asked smugly, having blocked the sneak attack.
"Strange. I don't know why, but when I see your face, my hands just move on their own," Hayashizaki said, swinging at him without even using any cursed energy.
"Oh my, even the King of Curses can act childish."
"Your smug face is really asking for a punch."
"Sorry, sorry."
The two returned to the police station, and Gojo put his black blindfold back on. Fushiguro Megumi and Ijichi Kiyotaka, who had been instructed to stay put, immediately relaxed when they saw the familiar figure.
"Sensei!"
"Gojo-sensei!"
But in the next second, they noticed Hayashizaki following behind Gojo, and the smiles that were just beginning to form on their faces froze.
What's going on? Did Gojo-sensei not deal with Sukuna?
"Ta-da~"
Gojo quickly stepped aside, extending his arms toward Hayashizaki.
"I found a strong ally for Jujutsu High! The King of Curses from a thousand years ago, Ryoumen Sukuna!"
"...No way. You've got to be kidding, right?"
Fushiguro was completely stunned. Gojo-sensei had only been chasing Sukuna for ten minutes or so, and he already managed to turn Sukuna to the good side?
"..."
Ijichi Kiyotaka silently adjusted his glasses. Nothing Gojo did surprised him anymore, as long as it didn't make trouble for him.
"I told you, call me Hayashizaki."
"You heard him, call him Hayashizaki."
Ignoring Gojo's antics, Fushiguro, full of questions, immediately furrowed his brow and asked, "So, what's going on here? Please explain it properly, sensei!"
Gojo Satoru briefly explained the cooperation he had reached with Hayashizaki, but the spiky-haired boy still looked like he couldn't accept it.
"Can we really trust Ryoumen Sukuna?"
Fushiguro Megumi looked troubled.
"We don't need to trust him, it's just mutual benefit."
Hayashizaki walked up to Fushiguro Megumi and patted him on the shoulder.
"Compared to that white-haired guy, you two seem more normal. If there's a mission to exorcise curses, come find me."
His presence was so overwhelming that it completely wiped out any thought of resisting...
Just from Hayashizaki lightly patting his shoulder, Fushiguro Megumi was already drenched in sweat.
"Also, Yukinoshita's parents are about to arrive, so deal with that. Make sure they don't learn anything about the jujutsu world."
Hayashizaki turned to Ijichi Kiyotaka and said. The latter instinctively glanced at Gojo Satoru, who was standing to the side. Seeing Gojo give him a thumbs-up with a smile, Ijichi nodded.
"I understand, Hayashizaki."
"You seem like a responsible adult. I feel pretty comfortable trusting you with this."
Hayashizaki shook his hand, pleased.
Just hearing the words "responsible adult" made Ijichi Kiyotaka feel so emotional he almost wanted to cry.
How long had it been since he'd heard such praise? Always stuck between the higher-ups at Jujutsu High and Gojo Satoru, and constantly being pushed around by the latter in unreasonable ways, Ijichi had long gotten used to it. But hearing this rare compliment, he couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
It felt like meeting a wise leader at the right time.
"Leave it to me, this is my job after all."
Ijichi Kiyotaka said earnestly.
However, his serious attitude clearly annoyed someone present.
"Hey, Ijichi—"
Hearing Gojo Satoru draw out his name with a pout, Ijichi instinctively shivered, as if the fear of a corporate worker had been triggered.
"Just ignore him."
Hayashizaki kindly patted the hunched-over back of the hard-working man, giving him some encouragement.
"That was a pretty fast switch of sides, wasn't it?"
Seeing Ijichi stand up straight with new confidence after Hayashizaki's encouragement, Gojo squinted and grumbled.
"It's about time. Yukinoshita's parents should be here soon, so I'll make leave from here."
As Hayashizaki spoke, he returned control of the body to Yukinoshita Yukino. The black marks on the girl's face gradually faded, as if they were dissolving.
Gojo Satoru silently observed as Yukinoshita regained control of her body. Sukuna's presence and cursed energy completely vanished, just as they had when he first appeared—without any warning. If Hayashizaki didn't make himself known, even the Six Eyes couldn't detect his presence in this girl.
If she had absorbed and merged with the cursed object, her own cursed energy should have been mixed with it. Is there some special method of hiding it?
Was she never really a cursed object at all... How believable is that?
"Alright, let's head back, Megumi."
Gojo had no intention of sharing his thoughts with anyone. There was no one left who could truly understand him. He called out to Fushiguro Megumi as they prepared to leave. "There's nothing more for us to do here. Let's leave the rest to Ijichi."
With one last glance at the girl who was no longer under Hayashizaki's control, and who was now asking Ijichi for help, Fushiguro turned his gaze away and followed Gojo out of the station.
"Let's grab some peanuts on the way back."
"All you care about is souvenirs, huh, Gojo-sensei."
Not long after they left, Yukinoshita Yukino's parents arrived at the Chiba Police Station. They met their daughter in the reception room. Yukinoshita's father was wearing a neatly pressed suit, with a glimpse of a Patek Philippe watch peeking from his cuff. His deep eyes and composed expression gave off the air of a successful businessman, though there was a hint of worry in his brow.
Yukinoshita's mother wore a kimono, her long hair tied up at the back with a silver hairpin. She had the elegance of a traditional noblewoman, and although she was no longer young, she had taken great care of herself. Her graceful face was filled with concern for her daughter.
In Yukinoshita Yukino's memory, she had never seen her mother look this anxious. A surreal feeling, like a dream, rose in her heart.
The main reason for this feeling was that the scene didn't truly appear before her eyes. It was as if she were watching it on a movie screen—her consciousness had been pulled into the Domain.
This was the same perspective Hayashizaki had when he was hiding in the Domain and secretly watching things. What started as a spur-of-the-moment experiment by Hayashizaki had surprisingly succeeded.
In reality, it appeared as though Yukinoshita was sitting in a chair, staring blankly with a vacant expression, looking almost catatonic. Strands of her hair had fallen messily across her forehead, and she looked utterly exhausted, with the light gone from her eyes.
Seeing her youngest daughter in this state, Yukinoshita's mother felt as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart. With a face full of distress, she quickly moved forward and gently embraced her daughter, asking with worry,
"Yukino, are you alright?"
"What... what should I say to my mother?"
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't bear to keep lying to her mother any longer.
"Just let your consciousness go back."
Hayashizaki quickly stopped her from doing anything rash.
"Hold on, don't rush. If you go back now, the effect will be much weaker."
"But..."
Yukinoshita wanted to say more but was cut off by him.
"Come on, no 'buts.' Don't you want to watch your mother worry about you a little longer?"
"I..."
After hesitating for a moment, Yukinoshita Yukino didn't leave the domain. She bit her lip, struggling as she spoke.
"Just... just for a little while."
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