I Play Ninjutsu in Jujutsu Kaisen! Chapter 16

Three of them were related to Fire Release—was he about to walk the same path as the Uchiha?

The art of Fire Release that can't kill anyone!

Natsu Hiraku stepped out of the line and walked toward Todo Aoi.

What's this guy doing? It's not like we know each other.

Todo Aoi watched the approaching boy with a puzzled look. One glance at his fresh-faced features told him he was a first-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High, barely enrolled.

And they'd never met before, let alone known each other. Could it be he'd run into a kindred spirit?

That's right—he's here for Takada's autograph too. This is a fellow enthusiast. Both sorcerers, both fans of the same person. If that's not fate, what is?

Before Natsu Hiraku could even introduce himself, Todo Aoi hugged himself with tears in his eyes and said, "I get it! We're the same kind of people, aren't we?"

"Huh?"

Wait, what do you get?

I haven't even said anything yet!

Natsu Hiraku was completely baffled. He'd just come over to say hi and make an acquaintance. What did he "get"?

"Brother! Even though we're from different schools, as a second-year senior, I can't let you go back and wait in line again. Take this autograph!"

With that, Todo Aoi pulled off his short-sleeved shirt, revealing his solid, muscular build, and carefully folded the shirt before placing it in Natsu Hiraku's hands.

Natsu Hiraku: ???

Wait, I just came over—why are you taking off your clothes?

"No, it's fine..."

Before he could finish, Todo Aoi cut in, "My name is Todo Aoi. I like girls with big chests. What kind do you like?"

"..."

This is so awkward...

Natsu Hiraku could feel the strange looks from everyone around him. He suddenly regretted staking out this spot, but he steeled himself and said, "My name is Natsu Hiraku. I'm a first-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Nice to meet you. I like girls who are spirited and sharp."

"Oh! Is that so? Not bad! Come on, let's walk and talk."

"Your shirt..."

"Forget it, forget it. Keep it as a souvenir. Takada's love is already etched deep in my heart—I'll never forget it!"

Todo Aoi patted the autograph on his chest, his face glowing with bliss, which freaked Natsu Hiraku out so much he wanted to run.

This must be some parallel universe where I've turned gay!

"Oh... okay then..."

Natsu Hiraku stared at the shirt in his hands, at a loss. The friendship-making had gone surprisingly well, but something felt off, like there was some kind of misunderstanding.

After half an hour of chatting, Natsu Hiraku made an excuse about needing to go home and cook. Honestly, he couldn't stand another second there—the looks from passersby were getting weirder and weirder.

Unbelievable.

Time to bail. If I don't get back to cooking, the ingredients will go bad.

Half an hour later, just as Natsu Hiraku stepped out of the taxi, he saw Principal Yaga talking to a man.

The man was dressed in a sharp suit, clearly a successful professional. A black sedan was parked nearby, and two tall, bald security guards stood stiffly at attention.

What the hell...

Which company president is this, making such a big deal out of going out?

As Natsu Hiraku wondered, Principal Yaga's voice reached his ears:

"Hiraku, come over here. I have a mission for you."

"Coming."

Natsu Hiraku glanced at the man's face and felt a strange sense of familiarity, like he'd seen a similar face shape somewhere before. He couldn't remember who, but he replied politely:

"Hello, my name is Natsu Hiraku. I'm a student at Jujutsu High."

"Hello, I'm Mitsuchi Ichitaki. I hope we can get along well in the days to come."

Get along well...

What the hell?

Natsu Hiraku shot a glance at Principal Yaga, his small eyes full of big confusion.

Yaga Masamichi cleared his throat twice and said, "The mission came up rather suddenly, but for the next half-month, you'll be responsible for protecting Mr. Mitsuchi's daughter from cursed spirit attacks."

"Huh?! Half a month?"

Natsu Hiraku had never heard of a sorcerer having to protect someone for half a month. Shouldn't he just exorcise the cursed spirits around her and call it a day?

Does she have some kind of spirit-attracting constitution that constantly draws in nearby curses?

"Ahem!"

Yaga Masamichi lowered his voice and reminded him, "Just act as her bodyguard for the next half-month. No matter what, you must ensure her daughter's safety."

"Why? Since when do sorcerers work as bodyguards?"

Natsu Hiraku replied in a low voice.

"Because they specifically named you with a photo in hand, and threw in five billion yen."

"..."

Well, damn. So they sold me off for half a month for five billion, and I don't see a single cent?

Natsu Hiraku shot Yaga Masamichi a look of pure disdain.

"When you get back, I'll cut you ten million."

The moment Yaga Masamichi finished speaking, Natsu Hiraku's face flipped faster than a page. He turned to Mitsuchi Ichitaki with a bright smile and said, "A pleasure to serve you. Would you like to come in and grab a bite? I'm about to cook my friends one last dinner before I leave."

One last dinner...

It's not like he was heading off to die. Why make it sound so dramatic...

Mitsuchi Ichitaki wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "No need. If you're busy today, Lord Natsu, tomorrow works too. Here's my assistant's number—give him a call when you're free."

"Sure, no problem!"

Natsu Hiraku took the card, glanced at the number, and watched the wealthy patron leave.

"Good kid, where'd you rope in such a big fish?"

Yaga Masamichi clapped Natsu Hiraku on the shoulder with a booming laugh. "Hahaha! Five billion! Jackpot, jackpot!"

"Keep hitting me and I'll fall apart..."

After that jab, Natsu Hiraku tore up the card. The contents were already burned into his memory.

His curiosity stirred. Who was this rich big shot? Had they met before?

Childhood friend?

No, no. The original body's memories were all there—three generations of poverty. Where would a rich childhood friend come from?

This was ridiculous. They named him specifically, and threw five billion at the school like it was nothing.

Hmm...

Better look it up online. Something felt off.

When Yaga Masamichi pressed him, Natsu Hiraku just brushed it off with a quick "I don't know" and left. It was already four in the afternoon. If he didn't start cooking now, dinner would turn into a midnight snack.

"Last dish is up!"

By eight in the evening, Natsu Hiraku had been slaving away in the kitchen for four hours straight. His home kitchen was too small, so he'd borrowed the school's big one.

Working three burners at once, he'd even shaken the confidence of the school chefs.

"Eat up! Eat up!"

Panda had just picked up his chopsticks when Natsu Hiraku stopped him. "Hold on, don't rush. I've got something to say. I've got a mission tomorrow—I'll be gone for half a month. Hope you all won't miss me too much."

A mission?

Since when?

The four of them plus Panda turned to look at Gojo Satoru, who was already stuffing his face.

Maki Zenin asked, "Teacher Gojo, what mission? Why don't we know about it?"

"Just a bodyguard job. Protecting the daughter of the Mitsuchi Group's future heir. Lasts half a month. That's all I know—the Principal assigned it to him personally."

Gojo Satoru kept eating, his satisfied expression showing the food was to his liking.

"Personally," my ass...

More like I walked right into the crossfire.

And why are you so shamelessly crashing my meal?

Natsu Hiraku finished his inner rant and sat down to eat. From Gojo Satoru's words, he gathered that Mitsuchi Ichitaki was vying for the group's heir position, his daughter knew him, and she'd specifically requested him as her protector.

If his guess was right, that was the gist. He'd need to verify more details online later tonight.

After all, he didn't even recognize that surname.

"Nice, so you've landed yourself a sugar daddy's daughter."

Maki Zenin's comment instantly sparked everyone's gossip instincts.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"No way..." Natsu Hiraku choked on his food, downed a gulp of soda, and said, "I don't even know what the girl looks like. How does that make me a sugar son-in-law?"

"Oh, don't be so shy. Any of us here could do that bodyguard job. Spill it—how far along are you?"

Panda flashed a knowing grin.

Gojo Satoru even paused his eating, looking at the silent Natsu Hiraku with interest.

"I told you, I don't know her. Panda, if you keep trashing my reputation, don't blame me for trying my new move on you!"

With that, Natsu Hiraku began forming hand signs.

"No, no, no—I admit I was wrong."

Having witnessed that flame, Panda quickly apologized. If that thing came at him, it would be disastrous—at the very least, all the fur he'd carefully groomed for so long would turn to ash.

"A new move?"

Megumi Fushiguro's eyes were full of curiosity. Through the vision transmitted by Nue, he'd seen that Natsu Hiraku had to stand still and form hand seals for about two seconds. Next time they sparred, as long as he stayed close the whole time, he could suppress him.

He'd also learned from Senior Maki that Natsu's eyes had an incredible ability to capture and replicate techniques.

In close quarters, he was basically flawless—unless someone overpowered him in physical strength.

Natsu Hiraku knew exactly what Megumi was thinking. He just wanted to see it, then beat him next time. So he said directly:

"You wanna see? Hah—no way!"

Natsu stuck out his tongue, then dug into his food with gusto. After four hours of work, he was exhausted.

Once they'd eaten their fill, everyone talked freely about their own lives and shared some thoughts on the future. They all gained new perspectives and understandings of each other.

The party broke up, and after cleaning the venue, everyone went home to sleep.

The Mitsuchi Group, a leader in the fast-food industry, was headed by Chairman Mitsuchi Souji, now 59. He had two sons: the eldest, Mitsuchi Shinichi, and the younger, Mitsuchi Ichitaki.

And Mitsuchi Ichitaki's daughter was...

Natsu Hiraku lay in bed, scrolling through leaked information online. It was pretty much what he'd expected—Mitsuchi Ichitaki was vying with his older brother, Mitsuchi Shinichi, for the chairman position.

When he saw the daughter's photo, he finally understood why her face had felt familiar that afternoon. It was the woman he'd saved in that alley last time.

So she wasn't some naive sweetheart—she was just so filthy rich she'd never bothered counting the spare change in her wallet...

Damn.