Ryosuke felt his heart leap in his chest, his eyes widening with a mix of shock and realization.
"Damn, I really messed up!"
Of course... he should have known. Gojo's Six Eyes, capable of detecting even the faintest traces of cursed energy, wouldn't miss a thing.
"What exactly do you want, Satoru?" Yuki demanded, her voice sharp as her hand gripped her nephew's shoulder, as if shielding him.
Satoru tilted his head slightly, adjusting his glasses with a calm, almost leisurely gesture, an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. "Nothing more than simple curiosity, Miss Tsukumo," he replied, his intense gaze shifting to Ryosuke. "At Ume Hospital, I detected a particularly… unusual concentration of cursed energy. A place as rundown as that should have been in ruins, overrun by curses. And yet, when we arrived, everything was intact, as if untouched. It was… peaceful. Almost too much so."
A heavy silence fell as he continued to watch Ryosuke, gauging his reaction. "But…" He paused, a shadow of a sly grin appearing on his face. "The place was steeped in cursed energy residue, strong enough to suggest that something incredibly powerful had happened there. I wanted to understand the source. And, I'll admit... your nephew surprised me. For someone so young to hide his energy that well—he has rare talent."
Ryosuke felt a mixture of pride and discomfort. He lowered his gaze, but his heart pounded.
"My nephew hasn't done anything wrong, Satoru," Yuki cut in, her voice sharp as a blade. "It was just an accident, nothing more."
Satoru nodded, still smiling. "Of course, Miss Tsukumo. I understand." He adopted a mock-thoughtful look, as if playing with his own thoughts, then remarked casually, "But tell me, Miss Tsukumo… have you ever talked to your nephew about Jujutsu High?"
At those words, Yuki's expression darkened, almost fierce, as she shot him a piercing glare.
"My nephew is not up for grabs, Satoru," she declared coldly.
Ryosuke glanced questioningly at his aunt. He knew Satoru might be a bit of a narcissist, but he had a good heart and opposed the oppressive ways of the jujutsu elders. Yet his aunt seemed to harbor strong feelings about him.
"Did they have issues in the manga?"
Satoru raised his hands, feigning innocence. "Calm down, Miss Tsukumo. I'm here out of curiosity, nothing more." He looked at Ryosuke. "But you know as well as I do that your nephew has exceptional potential… It would be a shame to let it stay hidden."
Yuki murmured softly, almost to herself, "I'm already overseeing his training…"
"I understand," Satoru said, with a look of understanding and a hint of a smile. "Very well, I won't push." Then, with a fluid, graceful movement, Satoru straightened up, adjusting his glasses with his characteristic nonchalance. "It was a pleasure, kid. And Miss Tsukumo…" He cast her a mischievous look and a sly smile. "Take good care of him."
With that, he slipped behind the curtain and disappeared.
Ryosuke stood there for a moment, stunned by an encounter he could never have imagined. His heart was still racing, but the thrill overshadowed his nervousness.
As soon as Satoru vanished, Ryosuke turned to his aunt, eyes alight. "Auntie, you mentioned Tokyo High, I…"
"It'll be Kyoto, Ryosuke," she interrupted.
Ryosuke bit his lip, thrown off balance. Tokyo was his dream destination. It was where Satoru and most of the manga's big players were. Going to Kyoto felt like taking a detour when he was just steps away from what he wanted. He took a deep breath, ready to argue, but Yuki crossed her arms and looked him straight in the eye.
"You planning to defy your aunt?" she asked sharply, her gaze intense.
He scratched his head nervously. Ryosuke knew his aunt wasn't strict without reason. He didn't fully understand her grudge—it wasn't something he remembered well from the manga. Part of him felt a pang of disappointment, thinking of Tokyo and the key players he could have met there. But Kyoto had its appeal too. He recalled that some of the secondary characters, though lesser-known, were remarkable in their own way. Maybe it would be an equally exciting adventure.
"Kyoto wasn't shown much in the manga; it's a new chance. Plus, I'll meet the others eventually. No rush, Ryosuke…"
Seeing his momentary silence and his slightly downcast look, Yuki placed a hand on his tousled hair. She leaned in a bit, her tone softer, almost soothing. "Don't worry, Ryosuke. I'm sure you'll love Kyoto. It's a thousand times better than Tokyo. And… you'll meet my student there."
Ryosuke feigned surprise, an amazed smile lighting up his face, drawing a look of pride from Yuki.
"She must mean Todo. He's definitely someone interesting…"
"I trained a kid a few years ago," she continued, almost dreamily. "He's your age, and you'll likely be classmates there." She stopped, studying him for a long moment, a spark of amusement in her eyes. Then she added, chin raised slightly, "But, of course, talent-wise, my nephew is unmatched. I'm sure you'll far surpass anyone you meet there."
Yuki sighed, her gaze drifting for a moment. "Well… I'll have to make a strong case to convince your mother," she murmured with a faint, weary smile. "And trust me, she's not easy to persuade."
Then she straightened up and looked at Ryosuke. "But first, there's one last thing we need to do before heading back."
"What is it, Auntie?"
To be honest, Ryosuke had had enough excitement for one day. He was more eager to head back and process everything he'd learned and experienced. His exchange with his aunt had opened up incredible possibilities.
"If what I think is true, then sorry, Satoru and Sukuna, but I'm the strongest…"
Yuki gave a mischievous smile. "We need an alibi…"
That snapped Ryosuke back to reality.
"Alibi?" he repeated, not quite catching on.
Then his eyes widened as he understood. They'd been gone a long time—they'd need a good excuse.
He looked at his aunt, waiting for her suggestion.
"Ryosuke, don't you think your clothes are in pretty rough shape?"
At her words, his face fell.
"Don't tell me that…"
TO BE CONTINUED!
A/N:
Alright, break time's over, and I'm back to work. I've got two pieces of good news to share with you!
First, chapters are going to be longer—from now on, around 1,000 words on average. Why? Well, that's because of the second piece of good news.
The second and final bit of good news for today is that my original novel is finally published!
SLACKER HERO
I was planning to release it for the WSA, but Rising Star II tempted me a bit, so I figured, why not go for it? As I mentioned before, this fanfiction was created to gain votes and an audience for my original work. But given how popular this story has become, I'm going to keep it going for your enjoyment. Also, I'm not looking for any payment for this fanfiction. However, if you're enjoying this story and want to support me, please consider voting for my original novel and joining my Discord, where you can support me more directly.
Thank you again!
P.S. Another chapter is on the way… Stay tuned!
Next Chapter: Alibi