I Play Ninjutsu in Jujutsu Kaisen!

"This..."

Natsu Hiraku touched his head and said somewhat hesitantly, "I came today to say goodbye to you, big sister. Thank you so much for taking care of me these past few days. I'll miss you. This is a necklace I bought for you, Mashi-neechan."

"Thank you. Come visit me when you have time. I'll take you to my place then."

Harukaze Mashi patted Natsu Hiraku's head, accepted the gift, and continued, "Do you want me to give you the key to Miss's room? You could do a surprise visit? Or maybe put the gift inside and then quietly leave?"

"No, I can just climb in through the window. Mashi-neechan, you should get some sleep too. Good night."

After speaking, Natsu Hiraku bowed and left.

"But I locked the window tight. Oh well, he'll find a way in anyway. Whatever."

Harukaze Mashi watched Natsu Hiraku's retreating figure disappear completely before closing the door.

Natsu Hiraku didn't rush to Mitsuchi Mi's room. Instead, he wandered around the courtyard, searching for suitable wood to carve a key until midnight.

Holding the 1:1 replica wooden key, Natsu Hiraku arrived at Mitsuchi Mi's door. He sensed the calm Cursed Energy from inside, confirming the Cursed Spirit was asleep before slowly inserting the key.

Perhaps it was guilt, but every tiny sound the key made as it went in made Natsu Hiraku's heart skip a beat. He knew the sound was faint enough not to disturb her, but to him, it was as loud as an alarm clock.

"Click--"

The door opened. Natsu Hiraku took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open, peeking inside. Then, he tiptoed in, feeling safer only when his body was lower than the bed.

He crawled to the bedside, slowly peeked his head over, and looked at Mitsuchi Mi's sleeping profile. He swallowed, staring for a full minute. Believing it was safe enough, he slowly got up and looked at the ring on her left hand.

He had touched it many times before, but now he didn't know how to proceed. Being a thief was truly a test of one's psyche. He truly admired those thieves who treated other people's homes as their own while the owners slept soundly inside. Their nerve was incredible.

Natsu Hiraku gently lifted her left hand and carefully removed the ring from her index finger. His left hand, holding the ring, didn't tremble at all during the process, and the Cursed Spirit inside didn't react.

Only when the ring was completely removed did Natsu Hiraku's tense heart relax. His left hand remained in a gripping position, afraid to let the ring sway too much. He then tiptoed out of the room.

He didn't close the door. He would need to open it again when he returned, and he didn't want to go through that a second time.

Now, all he needed to do was reach the abandoned building safely.

"How interesting. You actually managed to retrieve that Cursed Object. Let's see just how crazy you are, Natsu Hiraku!"

Gojo Satoru sat on a tree, bathed in moonlight. His azure eyes were fixed on Natsu Hiraku, who was sprinting at full speed.

Faster, faster!

Natsu Hiraku's left hand clutched the ring as he raced towards his destination. Although he was running, his left hand was remarkably steady. However, the Cursed Spirit inside seemed to have woken up and noticed the abnormality.

Seeing the black mist emerging from the ring, Natsu Hiraku ran even faster. Scarlet Cursed Energy instantly enveloped his body, strengthening him further. He took a ten-meter stride, sprinting towards his destination.

"What... are you doing?"

The Cursed Spirit poked its head out, its scarlet pupils locked onto Natsu Hiraku's eyes. It seemed confused as to why it was being brought out.

"Heh..."

Natsu Hiraku looked at the abandoned building ahead and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to exorcise you here."

With that, he threw the ring violently. His originally black pupils turned scarlet, and one tomoe spun rapidly.

"Enemy... Enemy!!"

The Cursed Spirit also reacted, its eyes flashing with the thought of devouring Natsu Hiraku as it sensed the Cursed Energy emanating from him. Then, its entire form emerged from the ring, and black mist spread out like a vast expanse, rushing towards Natsu Hiraku.

Natsu Hiraku was prepared. He quickly formed hand seals, completing six in less than two seconds. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and felt a burning sensation within. He shouted in his heart:

'Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!'

He spat out a massive fireball. The flame, initially only ten centimeters in size, instantly expanded to four meters, catching the Cursed Spirit completely off guard. The dark night was illuminated by a ball of fire.

"Ah! It hurts!!"

The Cursed Spirit, burned by the intense heat, retreated rapidly. It touched the scalded area with its hand, its killing intent amplified infinitely. It thrust its right hand towards Natsu Hiraku, as if by instinct.

But with that casual grab, the mist scattered in the air instantly gathered, forming a giant hand that lunged towards Natsu Hiraku.

"What!!"

Natsu Hiraku's internal alarm blared as he saw the giant hand approaching. He exerted force in his calves and quickly retreated.

"Whoosh, Thump--"

The giant hand missed and, as if in a fit of rage, smashed down onto the ground, cracking the stone path.

Natsu Hiraku swallowed. This seemingly harmless mist was incredibly powerful. If he had been caught, he would have been crushed to death.

He took off his backpack, unzipped it, and took out a Cursed Tool. Only then did he feel a bit more at ease. That single fireball had cost him 150 Cursed Energy. While it looked impressive, he would have to use it sparingly from now on, or he'd die of exhaustion.

Natsu Hiraku gripped the Cursed Tool, his scarlet pupils fixed on the Cursed Spirit. For some reason, the sound of dripping water suddenly echoed from above. This sound caught the attention of both the man and the curse.

Black Cursed Energy spread outwards like raindrops. Seeing this familiar scene, Natsu Hiraku's mind instinctively conjured the image of Gojo Satoru waving his hand.

He sneered:

"Teacher Gojo is here too, huh... Heh, then I have nothing to worry about. Let's fight to the death!"

He didn't know what limitations the System's setting of "exorcising the Cursed Spirit alone" had, but as long as Gojo Satoru's domain didn't activate, it should still count as him defeating it alone!

Besides, even if he lost, Teacher Gojo would step in to save him. He had nothing to hold back now. He would eliminate it with all his might!

Natsu Hiraku gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, veins bulging in his arms and muscles tensing in his calves. He charged towards the Cursed Spirit, which was curiously wondering why the sky had become darker.

"Crack—"

Perhaps it was due to the excessive force, but the stone path let out a crisp sound and developed a few cracks.

Natsu Hiraku gripped his Cursed Tool and swung it fiercely at the Cursed Spirit.

"Clang!"

A clear sound rang out as the Cursed Spirit, having reacted, caught it with a palm. With a powerful squeeze, the blade instantly shattered into pieces.

The sound of "clack" echoed in his ears. Natsu Hiraku's pupils contracted sharply, seemingly surprised by the outcome. However, at this moment, there seemed to be no other option but to fight. He gritted his teeth.

Releasing the hilt of the blade with both hands, he used the giant Cursed Energy hand as a springboard. His fist, covered in scarlet Cursed Energy, charged forward.

At this moment, the Cursed Spirit's body had shrunk to human size, with most of its mass concentrated in that giant hand. Facing Natsu Hiraku's sudden assault, the Cursed Spirit showed no fear, seemingly relying on its own strength to suppress him. It swung its right fist.

Seeing its incredibly flawed swing, a smile spread across Natsu Hiraku's lips as he said, "Found it, your weakness!"

He had been worrying about how to deal with this Cursed Spirit. The moment the blade shattered, he knew he absolutely couldn't touch that hand!

But how could a Quasi Grade 1 Cursed Spirit be this strong? It definitely had a weakness. Seeing the incoming fist, he knew the weakness was its core!

Most of its Cursed Energy was used to synthesize and control that giant hand, meaning its true body wasn't strong right now. If he had retreated and played it safe...

He might have been worn down to death by that fist. The tide of battle turns in an instant. Fortunately, Teacher Gojo had arrived, otherwise, he might not have chosen to fight it with his life on the line!

"Die!!"

His right arm slammed forward, shattering the Cursed Spirit's entire arm. Before a scream could even escape, Natsu Hiraku threw another punch, unleashing a flurry of close-quarters Sanda against it, fearing it might use the giant hand to attack.

In just one second, Natsu Hiraku had thrown three punches, his body splattered with red blood. The Cursed Spirit's head was directly smashed, its body left mangled.

Only when the Cursed Spirit began to dissipate did Natsu Hiraku stop. His scarlet pupils stared at the dissipating form on the ground. The blood staining his body seemed to spontaneously combust, turning into black ash and vanishing into the heavens and earth.

The System panel popped up.

[Quest Complete. Quest rewards are being distributed: 15 points, 100 Cursed Energy permanent increase.]

[Distribution complete.]

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The giant hand completely dissipated. The shattered blade fell to the ground, its clear sound echoing in the silent night. Natsu Hiraku's heart remained unsettled.

To be honest, this was the first time he had exorcised a Cursed Spirit of this level. He felt a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of loss.

"Well done. Looks like I can apply for your Grade 2 promotion soon."

Gojo Satoru's voice came from behind him as the Curtain dissipated.

"It was just a coincidence. If it weren't for the Curtain Teacher Gojo set up, I wouldn't have charged in without holding back."

Natsu Hiraku picked up the ring that had fallen to the ground and put it in his pocket. He looked back at Gojo Satoru and said flatteringly, "Don't say that. Luck is also a part of strength. Want to go grab some late-night snacks together?"

After speaking, Gojo Satoru slung an arm around Natsu Hiraku's shoulder. With his left hand, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, skillfully opened the camera, and took a few photos.

"No, I need to return the ring. Oh, right..."

Natsu Hiraku asked the question that was currently bothering him: "Teacher Gojo, do you think it was wrong for me to exorcise this Cursed Spirit if it was only something I wanted to exorcise and didn't actually harm anyone?"

"Hmm... that's hard to say. My advice is to just have a clear conscience."

"Is that so..."

Arriving at the courtyard gate, Natsu Hiraku walked straight in. Go-in Roku and Ryusui Ruo Bing looked surprised.

"Vice-Captain Hiraku, when did you go out?"

"Just now. Testing your defenses. Turns out none of you noticed me."

Natsu Hiraku grumbled and walked inside. He wasn't in a good mood and didn't want to chat. Leaving was simple; he had been here long enough to know their defensive loopholes and easily climbed over the high wall.

As for Teacher Gojo, he was waiting outside. After returning the ring, they would leave together.

Walking into the villa, he looked at the ring in his left hand. The Curse within had completely dissipated. The mother who was only kind to her daughter was gone. Perhaps her daughter had moved past her trauma with her guidance, or perhaps not.

Who knew? The road ahead still had to be walked. Let time bear witness to it all.

Natsu Hiraku took out a gift he had bought from his backpack. This was also a ring, and he had spent a long time choosing it.

Entering the house, he looked at Mitsuchi Mi, who was still fast asleep. He gently lifted her left hand and put the ring back on. Then, he placed the gift on the table. After a final glance at her, he closed the door and left.

He leaped down from the window in the corridor and then skillfully dodged the patrolling people, climbing over the wall.

"Yo! Done already? Let's head back. It's been so long since I've eaten dinner made by you, Raku-kun."

Gojo Satoru, who had been waiting, said with a grin.

Looking at Gojo Satoru, who was cheerful every day, Natsu Hiraku's own irritable mood was quietly shifted. He took a deep breath and smiled, "Yeah, we'll have a feast tomorrow."

Life had to go on. Being gloomy all day wasn't good. Face everything with a smile. As long as you don't feel awkward, others will. Smile. This was what Liu Yang had once told him.

After adjusting his mood, he pulled up his sleeve, flexing the muscles on his left arm, and continued, "Oh right, Teacher Gojo, can you arrange a sparring session with Megumi Fushiguro for me the day after tomorrow? I'll beat him with one hand!"

"You've gained a lot of confidence after that fight, huh? No problem."

Gojo Satoru said as he slung an arm around Natsu Hiraku's shoulder. With his left hand, he pointed to the stars in the sky and continued, "I can see it, Raku-kun. Your strength is growing rapidly. Although right now you're just an insignificant star in that vast sky, with your effort, you'll eventually become a dazzling sun."

"The moon is all there is at night; the real sun is you, Teacher. Please don't put too much pressure on me, I'm usually quite lazy."

Natsu Hiraku waved his hands and said helplessly.

Gojo Satoru merely chuckled at this response, rubbing Natsu Hiraku's hair with his left hand and saying, "Who knows... Shall we go back?"

Natsu Hiraku: "..."

Don't make me show you tomorrow.

Although it was already close to one in the morning, vehicles could still be seen on the street, with people still striving for their future. Gojo Satoru and Natsu Hiraku took a taxi back to Jujutsu High.

"Click--"

The door opened, and Natsu Hiraku looked at the pitch-black room inside, stretching as he said, "Ah, we're finally back. These past two weeks have worn me out."

He turned on the light inside, skillfully closed the door, took off his clothes, and threw them into the washing machine. He turned on the shower and stood under the cold water to bathe, then opened his System panel, which he hadn't looked at in half a month.

[Host: Natsu Hiraku]
[Cursed Energy: 650, Grade 3 Sorcerer]
[Stamina: 17]
[Dojutsu: One-Tomoe Sharingan]
[Ninjutsu: Fire Style · Great Fire Annihilation, Fire Style · Great Fireball Technique.]
[Physical Techniques: Self-Defense Techniques, Military Fist, Sanda, Jeet Kune Do.]

650 points of Cursed Energy and still a Grade 3 Sorcerer. It seems like Grade 2 is really difficult to achieve. On the other hand, his body has become stronger through the beatings over the past half month, and these four physical techniques have transformed him from a close-combat novice into a close-combat master.