Tokyo Suburbs.
Jujutsu High was nestled deep within a remote mountain range, far from civilization.
Itadori Yuji had already dealt with his grandfather's funeral arrangements, and thanks to Gojo Satoru, his death sentence had been postponed to a suspended sentence.
Looking around curiously, Itadori exclaimed, "So this is Jujutsu High? Why does it look like it's in the middle of nowhere?"
Gojo replied casually, "You'll get used to it. After all, a place for eating, sleeping, and exorcising cursed spirits can't exactly be in the middle of the city."
Itadori turned his attention to Natsuki Riu. "Natsuki, you're amazing! You completely dominated Sukuna earlier!"
Natsuki patted Itadori on the shoulder, his expression a mix of relief and amusement.
He had almost forgotten that Sukuna was occupying Itadori's body. If Sukuna hadn't dodged his Kamui decapitation, Itadori would've been the one to lose his head.
Glancing at Itadori's previously injured shoulder, Natsuki noted that Sukuna had healed it using his reverse cursed technique.
"By the way, where's Fushiguro?" Itadori asked curiously.
"He's resting. He suffered internal injuries, so he's undergoing treatment. He's probably sleeping soundly by now," Gojo said with a grin, his hands behind his head.
As they walked, Gojo introduced Natsuki and Itadori to the school's general structure and information.
By the time he finished, they had arrived at the gate of an antique-looking courtyard.
Twelve bold characters were inscribed on the plaque above: Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School.
Gojo turned to them and said, "Alright, you two better make a good impression. If the principal isn't satisfied, you might get rejected from the school."
Itadori panicked, clutching his head. "Rejected? Does that mean I'll be executed right away?!"
Gojo waved him off. "Relax. The principal is a kind and compassionate man."
Soon, the three of them entered a spacious, dimly lit room.
The only illumination came from the candles on either side, casting flickering shadows across the room.
The space was filled with an assortment of dolls, each with strange and unsettling expressions.
"You're late, Gojo!"
A gruff voice echoed through the room.
"You're exactly eight minutes late."
Startled, Itadori looked toward the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged.
To Itadori's shock, the rugged man was busily sewing… adorable dolls?
A stern-faced man making cute dolls—how could something so contradictory exist?
Meanwhile, Natsuki Riu calmly observed his surroundings, unperturbed by the oddity of the situation.
Natsuki Riu knew that the dolls scattered around the room were no ordinary playthings. They were cursed corpses, meticulously crafted by Yaga Masamichi himself.
These dolls weren't to be underestimated.
Natsuki secretly admired Yaga, thinking of him as the "Puppet Master" of the jujutsu world.
He also knew what was coming next—Yaga would interrogate Itadori Yuji.
Yaga cast a curious glance at Natsuki but quickly turned back to Gojo Satoru.
"I won't reprimand you, but your habit of always being late really needs to change," Yaga said sternly.
Gojo waved his hand nonchalantly, a playful grin on his face. "If I'm not being reprimanded, why bother? You're going to have your hands full in a moment anyway."
Placing a hand on Natsuki's shoulder, Gojo smirked, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama.
"Let me introduce you to the great Yaga Masamichi, our esteemed principal! His hobby is making, uh… sensual dolls~"
"If you've got any special requests, feel free to commission Principal Yaga privately~"
Gojo's tone was dripping with mischief.
"Enough!" Yaga barked, his face red with anger. "I'm still the principal! Don't I deserve some respect?"
Yaga stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied Natsuki before shifting his gaze to Itadori Yuji.
"So, you're Sukuna's vessel? A walking time bomb, I see."
Itadori straightened and bowed deeply. "Yes… that's me! I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused!"
"What are you here for?" Yaga asked coldly.
"Uh… a conversation?" Itadori stammered nervously.
"I asked why you've come to Jujutsu High. What do you hope to achieve?"
Itadori was at a loss, his mind blank. After a moment of hesitation, he blurted out his true feelings.
Gojo sighed, shaking his head dramatically as he turned to Natsuki. "Here we go again."
Meanwhile, Natsuki wandered around, inspecting the dolls. He eventually locked his gaze on a pink, twin-tailed doll.
Kamui!
The doll disappeared into Natsuki's Kamui dimension without a sound.
Since he was bored, why not take a doll back to his room for company?
"Hey…" Gojo leaned over and whispered into Natsuki's ear, "Get me that one, the one with the tuft of hair at the front."
Natsuki followed Gojo's pointing finger and froze for a moment.
The hairstyle resembled Nanami Kento's iconic look.
Is this proof that Gojo has unresolved feelings about Nanami? Natsuki thought.
Using Kamui, Natsuki silently sent the doll into his dimension, fulfilling Gojo's quirky request.
BAM!
Itadori was sent flying as one of Yaga's summoned dolls struck him.
While Yaga interrogated Itadori, he also lectured him on responsibility and morality.
Though his words might sound tedious to others, for Itadori, they held profound meaning.
In that moment, Itadori seemed to have an epiphany, and his expression shifted. His eyes grew firm as he declared, "Devouring Sukuna's fingers is something only I can do!"
Even if it meant postponing his execution or escaping his mission, Itadori knew he couldn't live with himself if he turned a blind eye to the tragedies caused by Sukuna and cursed spirits.
"How could I sit back, eat, bathe, and read manga, knowing people are dying because of him?
"I refuse to live like that!"
Yaga stopped in his tracks, a satisfied smile forming on his face. "Very well. You're qualified."
Natsuki couldn't help but admire Itadori's sense of responsibility and kindness.
What a noble person, he thought.
Though, deep down, Natsuki knew he wasn't as selfless as Itadori.
He didn't have any lofty ideals; he only wanted to grow stronger to protect the people he cared about.
The lives of others? That had nothing to do with him.
"Now it's your turn, newbie!"
Yaga turned his sharp gaze to Natsuki.
"If Gojo brought you here, you must have something special. Show me what you've got."
"Chotto matte (Wait a second)!"
Gojo quickly stepped in front of Yaga. "I'd advise against sparring with him—you'll regret it."
Yaga raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I can't handle a rookie?"
Yaga Masamichi wasn't as monstrously talented as Gojo, but he was still the principal of Jujutsu High.
His greatest achievement was Panda, a testament to his mastery of creating cursed corpses.
With Panda by his side, Yaga could barely be considered Special Grade. Even without Panda, he could control over a hundred cursed corpses at once, firmly placing him at Grade 1.
But now Gojo was implying he couldn't beat a freshman? How insulting!
Gojo sighed. "Fine, fine, have it your way."
Before stepping aside, Gojo leaned in toward Natsuki, whispering, "Don't go overboard, okay?"
Natsuki nodded, knowing full well he wouldn't use Kamui offensively against Yaga.
After all, Yaga was a respectable character, albeit a bit rigid and old-fashioned. He didn't deserve harm.
Yaga squared up and asked, "Why have you come to Jujutsu High?"
"Why?" Natsuki thought for a moment.
To recruit members for my future Akatsuki organization, of course.
Not just Tokyo's students—Kyoto's sorcerers were fair game too.
But he couldn't exactly say that out loud.
Instead, Natsuki shrugged and replied, "Didn't Gojo-sensei say there's free food and lodging here?"
The room fell silent.
All three men froze.
Gojo began frantically signaling at Natsuki with his eyes. Hey! Can't you phrase that more tactfully? This puts me in a tough spot!
Then again, Gojo thought about it and realized Natsuki wasn't entirely wrong.
Itadori's jaw dropped so far it could fit a whole apple.
Of course it's Natsuki. Who else would dare say something like that? If it were me, I'd be beaten to a pulp for sure!
Still, given Natsuki's strength, it probably didn't matter how he responded.
But now I wonder… who's stronger: Natsuki or the principal?