HRU: Chapter 223/224

Chapter 223: Sukuna's Grudge

Seeing this, Itadori Kaori raised her lips slightly and didn't resist. "Looks like someone finally caught Ryomen Sukuna's attention."

She began to inject cursed energy into the finger, resonating with the power sealed within. This was part of their old agreement. They had first met in this manner long ago.

Suddenly.

Darkness engulfed everything. Itadori Kaori, Itadori Yuji, the wind chimes, the courtyard, all disappeared into the void.

By the time Kaori regained her senses, she was standing in a strange place.

The space around her was dark, streaked with deep, blood-red hues.

But she quickly found her target.

Not far ahead, atop a mountain of bones, sat Ryomen Sukuna, resting his face in his palm with a mocking smile.

"So, this is the twisted brat you mentioned?"

This wasn't the first time Kaori had communicated with Sukuna over the past nine years. She had grown used to his eerie realm and his temperament.

Kaori gave a slight smile. "Sukuna, I told you before to be wary of Gojo Satoshi."

"Heh. I listened. I made sure he couldn't use his Zanpakutō. But I still lost to that guy."

Sukuna narrowed his eyes. His face suddenly turned vicious, and he sneered, "Didn't you say he didn't know any techniques? Is he really bound by Heavenly Restriction?"

"He is," Kaori replied with a bitter expression.

"And nine years ago, he really didn't know that strange Kidō. He must have developed it during his sleep."

Sukuna was silent for a while before speaking again, his voice deep and grim. "I made sure to suppress his Zanpakutō, but I still lost. I spent a lot of time studying that seal. Kenjaku, Gojo Satoshi is interesting. I haven't wanted to kill someone this badly in a long time."

Kaori continued, her voice calm.

"That's why I said it. Gojo Satoshi is the biggest obstacle to the plan. As long as he's around, it won't progress smoothly."

Sukuna sneered at her. "Don't worry. I'll kill him. One finger is just one-twentieth of my full strength. He didn't really beat me."

Kaori opened her mouth as if to speak but said nothing.

During the nine years Satoshi was in a coma, she had told Sukuna about him multiple times. She had warned him repeatedly, especially about his two terrifying Zanpakutō.

But Sukuna had dismissed those warnings, acting as though he was the only king in the world.

If he had taken it seriously from the start, he might have had a chance. But by the time he realized it, Satoshi had given him no chance to fight back.

…

Sukuna seemed to notice her gloomy expression and, annoyed, waved her away with a flick of his hand.

Kaori vanished from the domain.

Left alone, Sukuna plucked a skull from the bone pile and stood atop the hill of remains. His eyes narrowed as a grin formed.

"Gojo Satoshi… such a worthy opponent."

This wasn't the first time Kaori had brought up this topic, and at the time, he had indeed looked down on it.

After all, he was Ryomen Sukuna.

But he hadn't acted carelessly. He had memorized Satoshi's appearance, prepared a domain to restrain him, and sealed his Zanpakutō.

When he first saw Gojo Satoru, he was momentarily confused. But with a pulse of cursed energy, he correctly identified the real Satoshi.

He had laid everything out perfectly. And yet, Satoshi still crushed him.

That wasn't just Zanpakutō. He had something else—some strange, powerful technique. And his body… wasn't normal either.

Sukuna exhaled and sneered.

"Next time, I'll definitely kill you, Gojo Satoshi."

…

Kyoto Jujutsu High, Principal's Office.

The office was simple—just a few desks, chairs, and a couple of potted plants. Principal Gakuganji sat straight in his chair, eyes fixed on his phone.

He was also interested in Gojo Satoshi's current status.

As two violent organizations under the Jujutsu Headquarters, it wasn't rare for them to share data.

"Judging by the time, it should be arriving soon." Gakuganji furrowed his brow and closed his eyes.

Soon, his phone vibrated.

His eyes snapped open. It was a secure line, an encrypted message from the Department of Jujutsu.

An email.

He tapped it open and saw that it was indeed the full report from Tokyo Jujutsu High's entrance exam, complete with video attachments.

A rare smile appeared on the old man's face.

He wasted no time opening the video, and Satoshi's battle unfolded on the screen.

"It really is Gojo Satoshi." Gakuganji narrowed his eyes, unable to hide his intrigue.

But as he watched, his expression changed slightly.

"He didn't use his Zanpakutō… only relied on a technique called Kidō. Not as powerful as his full-strength Zanpakutō from nine years ago, but still formidable..."

He closed his eyes again, lost in thought.

Did he really not use his Zanpakutō? Was it sealed, or had it lost its effect? The answer is still unclear.

But one thing is certain—Gojo Satoshi's greatest threat is still his Zanpakutō.

He shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"We still don't know the condition of his Zanpakutō? What a headache. Whatever the Kyoto Sister School Goodwill Event is around the corner..."

Just as he finished speaking, he called Sekiguchi Seiji, principal of the Tokyo branch.

[Make sure Gojo Satoshi attends the exchange event.]

…

Tokyo Jujutsu High, Plaza.

Everyone had now finished watching the exorcism footage in full.

They finally let out a collective breath.

This time, the event was truly over.

Though they couldn't fully analyze the formula behind Satoshi's technique, they at least understood its effect.

Clearly, Satoshi had grown in strength over the past nine years.

His physical ability had become far more formidable. And that new technique—its functions of sealing and destruction—was clearly deadly.

Powerful. Absolutely.

But still, compared to the overwhelming might of his Zanpakutō from nine years ago, it was inferior.

This fact gave them some sense of relief.

After all, many others had also improved greatly during the past nine years.

If Gojo Satoshi truly could no longer use his Zanpakutō, that alone was a huge reassurance.

Zenin Ogi frowned and rubbed his chin, regret thick on his face.

"Naobito, sealing a Zanpakutō isn't that easy. I think Satoshi really can't use his Zanpakutō anymore. Otherwise, he would've used it long ago."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 224: Gojo Satoshi Can No Longer Use His Zanpakutō?

To use a Domain Seal on a Zanpakutō, one must first thoroughly analyze it—something not easily done, even for Ryomen Sukuna.

Unless this had been planned long in advance, how could such a convenient "coincidence" occur?

But who could possibly make Sukuna do something like that? Obviously, it was impossible.

So, it was more likely that Gojo Satoshi simply couldn't use his Zanpakutō anymore.

Zenin Shinsuke nodded in realization. "That makes sense. If Gojo Satoshi really can't use his Zanpakutō, Patriarch, then even if we only ally with the Kamo clan, the Gojo family will no longer be a serious threat."

Naobito glanced over and sighed inwardly.

"Ogi, Shinsuke, you're still too impulsive, even at your position. Haven't you suffered enough from him already? Do not underestimate Gojo Satoshi. Keep a low profile for now. Wait until you clearly see his strength before you act."

"But we're in a position of advantage now. Do we really need to step back?" Shinsuke frowned.

Naobito didn't even respond to him. He said calmly, "You can play your little tricks within the Jujutsu Headquarters, but do not overstep when it comes to the Gojo family. Even without Satoshi, Gojo Satoru's potential alone is enough to keep you on edge."

Shinsuke retorted, "As long as Gojo Satoru doesn't master the Reverse Cursed Technique, he's not a fatal threat to us."

"But the Reverse Cursed Technique isn't something that can be learned easily," he added indifferently.

At that, Kamo Shinji smirked. He turned toward the Zenin clan and said with a soft chuckle, "Shinsuke-kun, you're full of ideas. Keep at it."

Then, he stood up. "Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave."

Before walking off, he leaned in and whispered in Shinsuke's ear, "Don't worry. I'll take care of the Sukuna Finger business."

…

Meanwhile, after leaving Yagyū Hidetsugu, Satoshi returned alone to the Jujutsu High classroom.

Ieiri Shoko had gone to see Inamichi, and the surroundings had become quiet again.

He sat down and checked over what he'd gained.

His Kidō proficiency had clearly improved, and his Reiryoku had increased slightly.

This progress made him excited. He had found a growth path beyond his body and Zanpakutō, both bound by Heavenly Restriction. Kidō would become his new path forward.

If his Reiatsu grew strong enough, even if Kidō couldn't rival the power of his Zanpakutō, it would still be formidable within the world of jujutsu.

Especially Reiatsu.

If he could gain complete control over it... that would be insanely cool.

As expected, if you want to grow stronger, you've got to beat Sukuna.

Satoshi chuckled to himself.

A bold idea then struck him. Sitting cross-legged, he began to test the flow of spiritual energy within his body.

To his surprise, the Reiryoku really did respond to his will.

It was slow, but promising.

Once he gained full fluency, he might even be able to cast Kidō without incantation. That would be a major advantage in battle.

He continued training.

After some time, the classroom door slid open.

A soft voice rang out beside his ear.

"Satoshi, here you are. The entrance exam is over, and you're still practicing. You're really diligent."

Shoko had returned.

Satoshi slowly opened his eyes and smiled. "Weren't you with Uncle Inamichi? Why are you back? Where's Satoru and the others?"

He was genuinely surprised to see her here.

Shoko sighed and waved it off. "We talked, he went back. As for Satoru and Suguru, they were sulking and said they wanted to eat daifuku in Sendai. I'm not interested in the nonsense those two are always up to."

Satoshi laughed. "That's just like Satoru. Always chasing sweets."

Now that he'd mastered Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, teleportation wasn't a problem for Satoru. Distance was meaningless when daifuku was involved.

"Still," Shoko asked, "what kind of technique did you use to beat Sukuna?"

Satoshi had no intention of hiding anything from Shoko. She was one of the few people he completely trusted.

"It's also a type of jujutsu. I call it Hadō #33: Sōkatsui."

"That sounds so cool. Can I learn it?"

Satoshi scratched his head, a little helpless. "Unfortunately, no."

Though Kidō could be translated as "curse technique," it clearly wasn't the same kind as the ones used in this world. Even the energy source was different.

Shoko, after all, mainly specialized in Reverse Cursed Technique. Trying to channel Kidō through her Cursed Energy wasn't something Satoshi could teach right now.

"I'll try to analyze it more. Maybe once I've mastered it, there'll be a way to adapt it," he said.

"Fine. When you figure it out, teach me. I want to smack Satoru around with it," she grinned.

"I'll hold you to that," Satoshi replied with a chuckle.

…

He looked out the window and noticed more and more people leaving the plaza.

"The square's clearing out?" he asked.

Shoko nodded. "Yeah. The school's urging everyone to go. It's basically over."

"Then I should head out too. I want to visit the Yorozuya. Want to come with me?"

"I'd love to, but I can't. Principal Yaga gave me an assignment. Apparently, I'm the only first-year who can handle it."

Shoko had been tasked with escorting the Kyoto Jujutsu High School visitors. It wasn't anything major—just showing them around. She heard there were three girls coming from Kyoto.

According to Yaga, only Shoko could manage the job.

Satoshi had actually been curious about the Kyoto faction, but he valued the Yorozuya more. He'd have time to meet the Kyoto students later anyway.

After saying goodbye to Shoko, Satoshi stepped out of the school gates.

He adjusted his sunglasses and began walking toward the Yorozuya.

(To be continued.)