A/N sorry for short chapter, gym and school has me beat.
"A trip to the Zenin Clan, huh? You want me to make sure Megumi doesn't get into any trouble?" Yuji said as he and Gojo walked toward Megumi's house. It had been three months since Geto's defeat, and things had been going well for Yuji. Over that time, he had grown closer to Yuko, Maki, Yuta, and even Megumi. He had also started training the girl to ensure she wouldn't become a "potential woman" in this timeline. That talk with the girls after Geto's defeat had shocked him. They all liked him but wanted to start things off slow with little dates here and there—he wasn't complaining.
"Yeah, Naobito, that old fart, called Megumi for a meeting, something about the Ten Shadows," Gojo said as he sipped a soda. "All these higher-ups and clan traditions piss me off. And they wonder why I broke away from my clan." Gojo stuck his tongue out in a disgusted manner before chuckling, crushing the empty soda can, and throwing it into a trash can on the street.
"Oh, those old guys. I wanna get some cursed tools for Maki while I'm there," Yuji said, also tossing a soda can into the trash.
"You know they might not be too welcoming toward you, but since you have my backing, they won't do anything too reckless," Gojo said as they ascended the steps to Megumi's house.
Yuji chuckled. "Don't worry—if they pick any fights with me or her, I'll put them in their place."
As they walked through the house, they heard grunting and sounds of a scuffle.
"Oh, Megumi sparring with your Divine Dogs, huh? Smart," Gojo said as they arrived at the back door and saw Megumi in the backyard training with her shikigami. Yuji blushed at the sight of her in a sports bra and shorts, her skin glistening with sweat.
"Go shower and freshen up. You have a meeting with the Zenin Clan," Gojo said as he plugged his nose.
Megumi only huffed, unsummoned her shikigami, and walked past Gojo before looking up at Yuji. "Oh, you're here. Wanna train after this whole Zenin Clan stuff?"
Yuji chuckled, his blush intensifying. "Yeah, totally."
"Man, she's really upped her training ever since you came here to help," Gojo said, pointing a finger at Yuji.
"I guess I just inspire people," Yuji said with a grin.
"Yeah, right. That girl is totally crushing hard," Gojo teased, shaking his head.
Yuji leaned his head against the wall, listening to Naobito's attempts to convince Megumi to join the clan. Tch, old-headed bastard. If it wasn't for the Ten Shadows, you'd hate her for being a woman, Yuji thought bitterly. He used cursed energy to enhance his hearing to catch the conversation more clearly.
Gojo couldn't be there due to a request from the higher-ups, but he had asked Yuji to step in if anything happened.
"I'm sure you'd love to join the clan. You never know if anything bad could happen..." Naobito's tone was sly and condescending.
Yeah, that's my cue. Yuji opened the door, staring down Naobito. "This meeting is over, old man. Megumi, let's go."
Megumi nodded, relieved the ordeal was ending. Naobito took a swig of alcohol and stared at Yuji. "What's up with you new-gen sorcerers and not respecting your elders?"
"You'll earn my respect when you do something to deserve it," Yuji shot back as he and Megumi walked toward the door. Suddenly, Yuji stopped, turning his head to glare at Naobito. "You try anything with Megumi, and you'll pay. I'm not like Gojo, tied to any clan, so I won't hesitate to burn you and this whole clan."
Yuji began to walk out but paused. "Also, get the fuck off Maki's case. She's important to me, so..." He let the threat hang in the air as he and Megumi exited. Naobito set down his beer, sweat dripping from his neck. "These new sorcerers sure are monsters," he muttered, sinking further into his drunkenness.
As Yuji and Megumi walked through the halls, two of Yuji's blood clones approached and handed him a bag full of books and cursed tools before dissolving.
"Won't they notice that you stole stuff?" Megumi asked nonchalantly as she fixed her hair.
"Even if they do, they're too scared to mess with me, I prom—"
Yuji was cut off as a foot nearly crashed into Megumi's face. He quickly reached out and caught the foot. "Look at that, a woman with the Ten Shadows technique still needs a man to save her," sneered a blond-haired man in Zenin attire.
"And it looks like a man as weak as you has to sneak attack someone off guard," Yuji retorted, tightening his grip on the man's ankle before pulling him forward and slamming his fist into his face.
He's fast—he even reacted to me and perceived my movements without me using cursed techniques, the blond-haired man thought as he flipped backward and landed on his feet.
"Who the hell are you, and why are you on Zenin property?" the man demanded.
Yuji's expression was annoyed. He knew who this man was from the manga. Such a womanizer, he thought before responding. "Naobito summoned Megumi here for a meeting. I was asked by Satoru Gojo to attend to make sure nothing happened." Yuji put Megumi behind him protectively. "I told the old man, and now I'll tell you—this is my last warning. Do anything to harm or halt Megumi's progress or life, and I'll kill every last one of you."
Naoya Zenin's eyes gleamed with pride. "I'm Naoya Zenin, and that woman beside you is the Ten Shadows user of this generation. I was hoping to test her."
Yuji scoffed. "By blindly attacking her? Yeah, right. Now get lost before you do something you'll regret."
Naoya activated his cursed technique, Projection Sorcery. As he rushed forward with a kick, Yuji's automatic blood sphere defense activated, repelling the attack. Naoya flinched in pain. The sphere disappeared as Yuji's fist collided with Naoya's face.
This time, Naoya stayed standing, reinforcing himself with cursed energy. He aimed a punch at Yuji, but a tiny blood shield intervened. "Like my technique? It's Blood Manipulation. This is an automatic defense I made—not as strong as Gojo's Infinity, but it'll do the job for a runt like you."
With his "revealing one's hand" Binding Vow, Yuji increased his output. He slammed his foot into Naoya's chest, cracking his ribs and sending him flying.
He's fast even when he isn't going full force. He could contest an awakened Maki in the manga, Yuji thought as he watched Naoya slowly stand.
"This'll be a lesson, Megumi. Watch closely," Yuji whispered. Megumi giggled.
Naoya's eyes widened in panic. This is the same aura as that man back then ...Toji! he thought.
"If you want to show me what you've got, you need to be at one hundred percent. Me beating on you after you could barely take one kick would just be sad," Yuji said, carefully moving Megumi further away with a blood construct.
Naoya rushed back in with a flurry of blows. Yuji dodged and parried each one. Ducking under another attack, Yuji grinned. "You're pretty good!"
Yuji dropped into a split, wrapped his legs around Naoya's waist, and slammed him into the ground before jumping back.
"You have potential as a sorcerer, but as a human, you're scum. I'll show you the difference between the likes of you and me," Yuji said, forming a finger gun. I wanted to hide this as long as possible, but I'll put this loser in his place Yuji thought as he prepared to end this.
Naoya rushed again. "Dismantle." Yuji sent hundreds of low-powered slashes at Naoya, who passed out from the pain. Yuji walked over, healed him enough so he wouldn't die, and said, "Like I told the old man, keep your dogs in check." Yuji glanced at Naobito, who had watched from a distance.
Yuji picked up the bags and walked over to Megumi. "Let's go home and continue your training."
Megumi stared wide-eyed at Naoya's unconscious body as Yuji dragged her away. He's only a couple of months older than me and already at this level... I need to catch up, she thought, and her resolve was brimming.
"So they ended up messing with you two, huh?" Gojo said as he sat in a lawn chair next to Yuji, watching Megumi spar against a blood clone of Yuji.
"Yeah, but I sent a little message to them," Yuji said, grinning as he pulled out the bag. "Stole a couple of cursed tools and books about the Ten Shadows too!"
Gojo laughed. "That's hilarious."
Yuji set the bag down, his expression turning serious. "Sensei, you're the strongest, so I get why you'd be lonely at the top. But why are you so lonely?"
The statement caught Gojo off guard.
"I know you feel like a weapon, a tool for the Jujutsu world, and honestly, you're not wrong when you think that. But that's just what those old geezers think. I know you're human, and I wanna stand with you at the top—to make sure you're not alone. And I know all the students at Jujutsu High and Megumi want that too. So don't worry, Sensei. You won't be the strongest anymore."
Yuji's grin widened. "We'll be the strongest."