Theft and Mystery

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After the battle, dusk settled over Jujutsu High.

Inside a conference room, Yaga spoke in a heavy voice.

"Satoru, do not dwell on it too much. If not for you, Kyoto's staff and the students might have died."

Utahime, who normally could not stand Gojo, spoke up as well.

"He's right, Gojo. Sukuna was probably just running his mouth."

She clicked her tongue.

"Moping does not suit you, idiot."

"Moping?"

Gojo leaned against the door and raised one hand with a smile.

"A guy that strong finally appeared. I am way too happy to mope."

He had thought the jujutsu world no longer had anyone who could challenge him.

His development of Limitless and his own growth had been stuck for a long time.

Thinking about the brief battle that morning and the method he had stolen from Itsuki to heal cursed technique burnout, Gojo grinned.

"I did not expect Fake Smile to be hiding that much. This is getting exciting."

When would the next real fight be?

Nanami adjusted his glasses from where he sat nearby, complaining silently.

Work was garbage.

Jujutsu sorcerers were garbage.

Having a lunatic like Satoru Gojo in the jujutsu world was already troublesome enough. Now there was Itsuki Zenin too.

Nanami began to question his decision to return to Jujutsu High.

The jujutsu world would not be as quiet from here on.

Mei Mei noticed Gakuganji studying her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes. I did not expect the Zenin Clan head to be that powerful either."

"Old man, stop staring."

Gojo glanced at Gakuganji.

"Miss Mei Mei probably is not with Fake Smile. Right, White Zetsu?"

In the corner of the room, White Zetsu gave a weak grin full of sharp teeth.

"Correct. Correct. Mei Mei and Itsuki just like each other. They are not with us."

Mei Mei smiled calmly.

"I do like the Zenin Clan head very much. More accurately, I like the compensation he sends."

"And the Zenin Clan head was satisfied with my cursed spirit collection work. In that sense, White Zetsu is not wrong."

She had promised not to disclose task details if possible, but she had no intention of being wanted by Jujutsu High alongside Itsuki.

She did not have his strength.

He could ignore Jujutsu High and even Satoru Gojo.

She could not.

"White Zetsu," Gojo said, "Fake Smile is still hiding quite a lot, isn't he?"

The room went tense.

Even excluding the burden of protecting the students, Itsuki's performance in the battle was enough to prove he was a monster on Gojo's scale.

And he was still holding back?

Everyone looked at White Zetsu.

"You're pretty sharp, Gojo-sensei."

White Zetsu raised one hand and began counting fingers.

"Ten Shadows is one."

"An unknown special grade cursed spirit is another."

"He did not use a Maximum Technique."

"Most importantly..."

"Yours truly, the ultimate trump card, did not enter the field."

"And then there is..."

He counted until all five fingers were down.

"Tsk, tsk."

White Zetsu shook his head with a smile.

"Honestly, that kid is hiding a lot of cards."

He threw out meaningless information easily.

The true hidden cards remained untouched.

White Zetsu looked over the shocked faces in the room.

"Also, what Itsuki said before leaving was sincere."

"He really does want you to become a little stronger."

"Heh."

Gojo covered part of his face with one hand and laughed.

"So he thinks I am too weak?"

His tone turned amused.

"Being treated like fodder is absurd."

"Ijichi," Gojo said, turning his head. "Just report it directly. White Zetsu probably knows more about what happened in the Tombs of the Star Corridor than we do."

Ijichi gave White Zetsu a complicated look, then stood.

"First, the casualty report."

"Five Grade 2 sorcerers, three semi-Grade 1 sorcerers, one Grade 1 sorcerer."

"Seven assistant managers and two Storehouse guards."

"According to Shoko-san's examination and the cursed energy residuals at the scene..."

Ijichi glanced at Nanami.

"We can basically confirm that one of the attackers was the stitched-face cursed spirit Nanami-san encountered before."

"The bodies also contained traces of a freezing cursed technique. That should belong to another attacker."

"As for whether anyone else infiltrated the area, we cannot confirm that yet."

Yaga's expression was grim.

"The killers moved extremely fast. Even the Grade 1 sorcerer was killed almost instantly."

"By the time I arrived, they had already withdrawn."

"There is more," Ijichi said, fearfully glancing at Yaga before turning the page in his notes.

"Special grade cursed objects..."

"The six Ryomen Sukuna fingers Jujutsu High had stored were stolen."

"Also, the special grade cursed objects known as the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings..."

"Numbers One through Nine were all stolen."

"Impossible," Gakuganji said, his white brows twitching. "Did Master Tengen not detect the intrusion?"

"Sorcerers aside, how did cursed spirits pass through the barriers?"

Gojo touched the edge of his bandage.

"Probably the special grade Fake Smile crushed earlier."

"Master Tengen's barriers are for hiding, not protection."

"That special grade had a presence like a spirit of plants or nature. Maybe its technique allowed it to camouflage the intruders by scent or aura."

He looked at White Zetsu.

"Can you tell us that much? Or do you need to ask Fake Smile for permission even for this?"

"No need for provocation. That much does not matter."

White Zetsu answered directly.

"The Sukuna finger you brought back last time had a locator barrier placed inside the sealing talisman."

Then he looked at Yaga.

"Next time, do not throw dangerous things into the Storehouse so casually. They would be much safer with yours truly."

"Tch."

Gojo smiled.

"So your group has a very capable barrier user."

White Zetsu smiled and did not answer.

"Come on. Tell us."

Gojo's tone turned playful.

"Since you think Fake Smile is that strong, betraying a little information about him should not matter."

Everyone's faces twitched at his expression.

At least they no longer had to worry about him being depressed over losing.

Satoru Gojo was still the same unreliable idiot.

"Yours truly answered one question first."

White Zetsu looked at Gojo.

"How about you tell me who gave you the idea to bug me?"

"Suspecting your own student. Acting against your own people at Jujutsu High."

"That does not sound like your idea, does it?"

His grin widened.

"Gojo-sensei."

Gojo did not hesitate for even a moment.

"The Kamo Clan head."

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