Resurrection (4k)

Satoru Gojo leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, watching Mashiro.

He sighed. "Let's step outside first."

Satoru Gojo headed toward the end of the hallway without looking back. Mashiro followed him, closing the treatment room door behind her.

They stopped at the vending machine by the corner of the hallway.

Satoru Gojo slipped a coin into the machine, pressed a few buttons, and bent down to retrieve two cans of coffee.

He handed one to Mashiro.

"I don't drink coffee."

"It's sweet. A latte."

Mashiro took it, pulled the tab, and had a sip. It was very sweet, and definitely a latte.

She set the can on the windowsill, leaned back against the wall, and looked up at Satoru Gojo.

"Who called the meeting in Kyoto?" Mashiro asked first.

"The Affairs Department sent the notice directly. It was signed off as a routine meeting of the Higher-Ups. Eleven people were listed as attendees, and nine showed up. The agenda was next year's allocation of jujutsu sorcerers."

Satoru Gojo opened his own can. "It ran from two yesterday afternoon until six this morning, with only two fifteen-minute breaks. No one was allowed to leave early. They put a barrier around the meeting room, supposedly to prevent eavesdropping."

"A barrier," Mashiro repeated. "Does the Affairs Department even have the authority to put up a barrier at a meeting of the Higher-Ups?"

"Usually not, but there's precedent." Satoru Gojo took a sip, none of his usual flippancy in his voice. "I didn't think along those lines at the time. Barriers are fairly normal at their meetings. They used one during last year's budget review too, so it wasn't unusual."

"Not unusual." Mashiro tapped the windowsill twice with her fingertips. "Was fifteen minutes enough for you to get from Kyoto back to Tokyo?"

"Just about. So once they saw I was still in the meeting, they knew the plan could proceed unchanged."

Mashiro nodded, rubbing her fingers against the can. "I hadn't realized it while I was in Saitama. It only clicked when you told me you were in a meeting."

"So you called me."

"Yes, and you said you'd come straight back."

"But I was still too late."

"You weren't the one who was late. I was," Mashiro said. "I should have realized the moment you weren't at Jujutsu High that day."

Satoru Gojo turned to look at her.

The light sharply outlined the girl's profile, but her usually bright eyes looked slightly dim.

The more she blamed herself, the angrier Satoru Gojo grew at those disgusting maggots who did nothing but rot Jujutsu Society from within.

"Itadori had only been enrolled for five days." Mashiro tilted her head back slightly and sighed. "I thought we had plenty of time. The Higher-Ups had only just learned he'd swallowed a finger. They'd need to reconcile everyone's interests, follow procedure, and issue observation orders to the Window System. That would take preparation. I thought we'd normally have at least two or three weeks."

"Normally, we would."

"But the Higher-Ups didn't need to bother with any of that. They only needed to wait for a time when you weren't here."

"Ijichi said the Juvenile Detention Center mission was automatically assigned by the system, while Nanami told me about my emergency mission the day before." She turned to face Satoru Gojo, thoughtfulness in her crimson eyes.

"Three orders, two targets, and a timeline that lines up perfectly. There can't be many people capable of arranging that."

After a moment of silence, Satoru Gojo smiled coldly. "You're right. They taught us a lesson this time. Three things happening at once, with the timing calculated perfectly. What I want to know now is how many people can set all three in motion."

"You already have an idea?" Mashiro asked, turning her head.

"Not many." Satoru Gojo uncrossed his arms, picked up the coffee Mashiro had left on the windowsill, and shook it to ask whether she still wanted it. "About six people have access to all three procedures."

"Six?" Mashiro snatched the coffee back and took a sip.

"Take away the two who've been away from Tokyo long-term, and the one who never gets involved in the Higher-Ups' affairs. That leaves three. At least one of them orchestrated this. The other two may or may not have known."

"Names."

Satoru Gojo tossed his empty can into the trash. It struck the side with a sharp metallic clink. "Are you planning to investigate them yourself?"

"They'll be on guard if you investigate," Mashiro said. "It's different with me."

"They still don't know how much I've figured out. Using that semi-special grade to keep me in Saitama means they still think I'm just a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer who can copy cursed techniques. I'm going to use that misjudgment."

"All right." Satoru Gojo straightened and smoothed the creases in his uniform, his tone returning to its usual cheerfulness. "I'll send you the names in a bit. Once Shoko finishes here, I'll talk to Yaga about what to do with Itadori. As for you..."

"I know what I'm doing," Mashiro interrupted.

"Call me directly if you need anything. That meeting doesn't happen every day."

"If it did, you should start wondering whether they're planning to come after you." Mashiro finished the last of her coffee and tossed the empty can into the trash.

"One more question," Satoru Gojo said with a smile.

"What?"

"When you said in the treatment room that they'd pay for this, did you mean it?"

"What would you do if I did?"

"Nothing." Satoru Gojo nodded and turned toward the end of the hallway, his footsteps gradually fading in the empty corridor. "I'll talk to Shoko. Have her keep you updated."

Mashiro stood alone by the window, took out her phone, opened LINE, and sent Nanami a message.

"Mashiro": Nanami, help me look into something.

"Mashiro": Which terminal sent the automatic assignment order for the Juvenile Detention Center mission?

"Mashiro": No rush. Let me know when you find out.

"Nanami": Understood. I'll have the results tomorrow.

She slipped her phone back into her pocket and headed for the treatment room.

When she opened the door, Shoko Ieiri was examining Itadori's injuries. At the sound of the door, she said without turning around, "I thought you'd gone home."

"I wouldn't have anything to do there anyway." Mashiro walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair.

"Shoko."

"Hm?"

"How long will it take to repair his heart?"

Shoko Ieiri kept working. "Repairing the heart itself isn't difficult, but Sukuna tore it out."

"The damage from the cursed energy spread from his chest throughout his body. Everything needs to be reconnected. If it were just his heart, a few hours would be enough." She put the cursed energy probe in her hand onto a tray, then turned and leaned against the equipment counter, looking at Mashiro. "Honestly, I don't know whether he'll wake up again."

Mashiro didn't look at her. Her gaze rested on Itadori's face, and she sighed softly.

"He'll wake up," Mashiro said evenly.

Shoko Ieiri raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any questions.

In all her years at Jujutsu High, she'd seen too many people cling to hope after someone had died.

"Then I'll keep going." Shoko Ieiri picked up the probe again. "If you want to stay until morning, there are blankets in the cupboard."

"No need."

The treatment room fell silent, leaving only the rhythmic beeping of the instruments and the faint glow of Reverse Cursed Technique.

Mashiro sat in the chair with Murasame laid across her lap, gently stroking Murasame. The repeated motion helped soothe her.

She didn't know how long she would have to wait, but she knew he would wake up.

From Sendai to Tokyo, from Saitama to the Juvenile Detention Center, she'd chased after him all the way and still hadn't made it in time. But there was one thing she could still do.

Wait here. However long it took.

Then Yuji Itadori's finger moved.

His index finger twitched slightly first, then his whole hand curled, his knuckles bending before relaxing again.

A moment later, the line on the heart monitor, flat for hours, suddenly jumped and began rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Shoko Ieiri immediately stepped back and called Satoru Gojo. "Get over here right now. He's awake. I don't know whether it's Sukuna."

The boy's eyelids twitched, then slowly opened. He spent several seconds focusing on the unfamiliar ceiling.

Then he slowly sat up. His vision gradually cleared, revealing the silver-haired girl standing before him.

Itadori blinked and said in confusion, "...Mashiro?"

Mashiro stood there looking down at him, then reached out and flicked his forehead.

"If you're awake, don't just lie there," she said, her tone no different from usual. "You said you'd save me dinner. It's already the next day."

Itadori froze for a moment.

Then a smile slowly spread across his face, still a little sluggish from having just come back to life. "Then I'll make breakfast."

His voice was still a little hoarse, but he couldn't keep the laughter out of it. "Last night's food is all gone. I'll have to make something fresh."

"Mm." Mashiro stepped forward and gently hugged him.

Itadori went completely stiff when she embraced him.

Mashiro's touch was gentle, her arms around his shoulders. Her silver hair brushed his cheek, carrying a faint scent of shampoo.

She wasn't someone who hugged people of her own accord. In all the time Itadori had known her, he'd seen her kick people and glare daggers at them, but he'd never seen her hug anyone.

"Mashiro," he began, his voice a little tight. "Are you... angry?"

"No."

"Then why are you hugging me?"

"Shut up." Mashiro's voice was soft, her tone exactly the same as always, but she didn't let go.

Itadori froze for two seconds, then cautiously raised his hands and rested them very gently on Mashiro's back.

"I'm back," he said.

"I can see that."

"Um... sorry. I made you worry. I didn't have time to call. Fushiguro and Kugisaki were still inside..."

"I know," Mashiro interrupted. "You did what you had to do. I didn't make it in time. That was my fault. Everything's fine now."

Itadori opened his mouth, wanting to say, "It wasn't your fault," but Mashiro didn't give him the chance.

She released him, stepped back twice, and tapped his head.

"Breakfast," she cut him off.

"Huh?"

"You said you'd make breakfast. I'm hungry."

Itadori blinked, then broke into a grin.

It was the same smile he wore when Mashiro kicked him or told him to shut up.

Bright, innocent, and a little pleading.

"Okay. What do you want?"

"Anything." Mashiro's lips curved as she deliberately made things difficult for him, her smile adorable.

The rarely seen expression left Itadori stunned for a moment.

"'Anything' is the hardest thing to make."

Itadori came to his senses and scratched his head. Just as he was about to say something, the treatment room door was kicked open.

The handle struck the wall with a dull bang, louder than when Mashiro had burst in earlier.

Shoko Ieiri nearly dropped the examination tray she was holding. She steadied it and looked expressionlessly toward the doorway.

Satoru Gojo stood there, his gaze passing across the room to land squarely on Itadori and Mashiro.

One sat on the bed, still wearing the bewilderment of someone just waking from unconsciousness. The other stood beside him, wearing a smile she never usually showed.

The room stayed silent for about a second before Satoru Gojo's serious expression shifted into something more subtle.

He tilted his head, the corners of his mouth slowly lifting. "Oh? Sharing secrets?"

Mashiro's smile froze. She turned to face him, her crimson eyes murderous. "Did you never learn to knock before coming in?"

"I knocked. You just didn't hear." Satoru Gojo lowered his sunglasses slightly, revealing those unmistakable eyes. "Shoko called and said Yuji was awake, so she told me to hurry over. After all, what if it was Sukuna, right?"

"It's not Sukuna." Itadori raised his hand behind her as though answering a question in class. "It's me, it's me. Yuji Itadori. Sukuna went back. I woke up on my own."

"I can see that." Satoru Gojo stepped into the room, his footsteps light.

He walked to the foot of the bed, hands in his pockets, and bent down to study Itadori's face.

After a few seconds, he straightened, his tone returning to its usual irreverence. "Yep, it's really him. Sukuna wouldn't look this stupid."

Itadori was about to protest, but Satoru Gojo had already turned to Mashiro.

His tone was airy. "Still, that little scene was pretty touching. A big sister watching her little brother return from the brink of death, smiling in a way no one's ever seen before."

"Satoru Gojo, do you have a death wish?" Mashiro's tone dropped below freezing.

"I didn't even know you could smile like that." Satoru Gojo completely ignored her warning and pushed his sunglasses back into place, his grin undiminished. "Itadori, your big sister is so good to you."

Itadori looked at Satoru Gojo, then at Mashiro's face, which was dropping from above freezing to absolute zero.

He gave two awkward chuckles. "Mr. Gojo, um, maybe you should stop talking..."

"Why should I?" Satoru Gojo spread his hands, his tone teasing. "I always thought Mashiro only knew how to kick people. Today I discovered she has such a gentle side too."

Mashiro raised her hand. A ball of water formed above her palm, its surface crackling with blue light and giving off the shrill hum distinctive to high-frequency sonic vibrations.

Satoru Gojo raised both hands in surrender, but the smile on his face didn't fade at all. "Okay, okay, I'll shut up."

"Too late."

The water ball flew from her hand.

Satoru Gojo didn't dodge. He merely extended a finger, touching its tip to the ball's surface.

The instant Limitless activated, the water ball stopped less than three centimeters from his nose. An invisible boundary blocked the rapidly vibrating water molecules, preventing them from advancing even a fraction farther.

"That's dangerous." Satoru Gojo withdrew his finger, thought for a moment, then added, "It's stronger than before, though. Did you learn something new from that semi-special grade in Saitama?"

"None of your business." Mashiro waved her hand, and the water ball dispersed into mist in midair, settling on the spotless floor.

"Of course it's my business." Satoru Gojo stepped forward. "Yuji being alive means their death trap failed, after all."

He turned to Itadori. "Yuji, how do you feel? Does anything feel wrong with your body?"

Itadori moved his arms, then looked down at his chest. His heart was beating steadily inside it.

"Nothing feels wrong."

Itadori looked up at Satoru Gojo, worry in his eyes. "Sir, what about Fushiguro and Kugisaki? Are they okay?"

"Kugisaki has a concussion and two cracked ribs. Shoko says she'll recover in three or four days. Fushiguro has bandages on his shoulder and face, but he can walk fine."

"They're both waiting for you to wake up. Kugisaki asked how you were doing as soon as she woke up earlier. I told her you'd died, and she nearly tumbled out of bed trying to run over here."

"Why would you say I died?"

Satoru Gojo ignored him and nodded. "You even told us to live long lives. Quite an educational message coming from a dead person."

"Hey, who's dead?"

"You," Satoru Gojo and Mashiro answered almost simultaneously.

One sounded flippant, the other matter-of-fact.

Itadori was left speechless. He opened his mouth, then finally just scratched his head.

Seeing him like that, Satoru Gojo couldn't suppress his grin and patted him on the shoulder with a laugh.

"But you're right. Living a little longer is a good thing. So don't die again next time. I have a bad heart. I can't take scares like that."

"You have heart problems?" Itadori believed him.

"No." Satoru Gojo turned to Mashiro. "What are you planning to do next? Yuji's awake, and it's about time we wrapped up the Juvenile Detention Center incident. As for the Higher-Ups..."

"We'll stick to what we just discussed." Mashiro traced circles on Murasame's sheath. "Then, for now, we'll let the Higher-Ups think Yuji really is dead."

"What do you mean?" Itadori didn't understand.

"It means you'll have to train in secret for a while." Satoru Gojo nodded and smiled at him.

Please leave lots of comments, meow ♡

The author's note has a character limit, so I put my thoughts in this paragraph's comments instead. If you're interested, sweeties, go take a look~