With New Year approaching, his older sisters Maki and Mai would soon be celebrating their birthday. Naomitsu had yet to get started on their presents, but today was the day to act.
Some time ago, he had spent a little money to track down that man through a private detective.
He was nearby, right in Tokyo.
After a drive of less than an hour, Naomitsu arrived at the University of Tokyo. The person he was looking for was in its Faculty of Law.
That was right. Naomitsu was looking for Hiromi Higuruma.
The gift he had planned for the sisters was to have Hiromi Higuruma use his domain, Deadly Sentencing, to seal away and confiscate Mai's cursed energy.
That way, Maki's Heavenly Tyrant physique would fully awaken. Not only would she become an asset to Naomitsu, but both sisters would finally be free of their shackles.
That was Naomitsu's gift to the two sisters.
Once they reached the University of Tokyo, Naomitsu got out of the car and headed straight for the Faculty of Law. There, he would find Hiromi Higuruma, who had turned down becoming a judge and was planning to become a lawyer.
Of course, at this point, he was still just a non-sorcerer.
Naomitsu was only seeking him out to lay the groundwork. If Higuruma awakened someday, the relationship they had established would become an opportunity to change Maki's fate.
A few minutes later, the two met.
Looking at Naomitsu, who only came up to his thigh, Hiromi Higuruma fell silent.
"All right, little guy. I promise I'll help your sister."
Clearly, Hiromi Higuruma hadn't taken Naomitsu's words very seriously. He treated them as nothing more than a joke-a child's joke.
For Naomitsu, though, having that promise was enough.
Once Higuruma became a jujutsu sorcerer, he would understand what that promise meant. When Naomitsu sought him out again, at least they wouldn't be strangers.
Putting that distant gift aside for now, Naomitsu needed to think of something he could give them soon.
"Should I give them chocolate? That feels a little too ordinary. Maybe I could make them a bento myself? But all I know how to cook is instant noodles!"
As Naomitsu scratched his head in frustration, he suddenly thought of Satoru Gojo. It was time to go pester that unreliable teacher.
On his way to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Naomitsu ran into an old friend, Utahime Iori, at the entrance before he even set foot inside.
"Little Nao? Looking for Gojo? Want me to show you the way?"
Utahime Iori had missed Naomitsu dearly. She swept him into a bear hug.
"Ms. Utahime, what brings you here?"
"Shoko, of course! What, aren't you happy to see me?" Utahime Iori flicked his forehead, sounding displeased.
Naomitsu apologized repeatedly, and the two entered Tokyo Jujutsu High as they chatted.
"Yuki? Is Gojo around?"
On campus, Yuki Tsukumo stood out with her long, wavy blond hair. Utahime Iori's question prompted her to lead the way.
To secure his present, Naomitsu poured out his grievances right in front of Utahime Iori.
Hearing how little Satoru Gojo had done, Utahime Iori rolled up her sleeves and promised Naomitsu she would make things right.
"Om nom..."
In the hallway, Satoru Gojo was eating bread with his head tilted back. The bag in his hand held a heap of sweets, too.
"Hey! Gojo! Someone's here to see you!"
Satoru Gojo hastily swallowed his bread and lifted his blindfold to look at Yuki Tsukumo.
Behind her, Naomitsu scratched his head with an awkward smile, while Utahime Iori stormed up to Satoru Gojo like a fiery little pepper.
"Utahime? Want some ice cream? I just bought it~"
"I hear you haven't been looking after little Naomitsu at all? And you even dumped him on Nanami?" Utahime Iori demanded.
With Utahime Iori scolding him, hands on her hips, Satoru Gojo walked over to Naomitsu. Naomitsu seized the opportunity to ask for the present he wanted.
"A present... I just got something! Here, you can have it!"
Satoru Gojo casually pulled something out: a pair of glasses issued by Jujutsu High. These glasses were specifically provided to non-sorcerers with no cursed energy, allowing them to see cursed spirits.
"You're fobbing little Nao off with a present like that?"
Utahime Iori's booming voice sent Yuki Tsukumo slipping quietly away. Beside her, Satoru Gojo kept sighing, his head aching.
But for Naomitsu, this gift was enough.
"Thank you, Mr. Gojo! I'm going home for a visit next month! Sorry for the trouble, but could you let the school know for me?"
Seeing that Naomitsu was satisfied, Utahime Iori stopped pressing the issue. After all, she had stepped in as a teacher from Kyoto Prefecture to stand up for a student.
Now that Naomitsu had given them a way out, there was no need to make things too awkward.
"Goodbye, Mr. Gojo!"
After saying goodbye to Satoru Gojo and Utahime Iori, Naomitsu went to a pet shop and bought a cute little hamster.
Maki liked cursed tools, so the glasses Satoru Gojo had given him were perfect. Mai liked small animals, so she was sure to love the hamster he had bought her.
"These two will do for their birthday presents."
With the birthday presents sorted out, Naomitsu felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He suddenly remembered that Utahime Iori had just arrived, and they seemed to have run into Yuki Tsukumo along the way.
I think this was my first time meeting Yuki. I didn't expect her to be so pretty. I wonder what Utahime came here for.
"Squeak... squeak!"
The little hamster squeaked away inside its cage. Naomitsu poked it with his little finger, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Don't worry, little guy. I'll feed you once we get back to the dorm."
"Oh, right. I haven't named you yet."
"Since you like squeaking so much, I'll call you Moji."
Naomitsu played with Moji as he headed back to the dorm.
On the way back, Mr. Nanami called him. He said he had heard about Naomitsu's plans to go home and had already contacted the school to make the arrangements.
Unlike ordinary schools, the Jujutsu Sorcerer Academy offered a great deal of freedom. When Naomitsu was at school, he mostly just studied academic subjects.
The jujutsu sorcerer courses the school taught were all far too basic for him.
He had only just set Moji down back at the dorm when his phone rang again. It was Nanami. Utahime Iori wanted him to come over, saying there was something to discuss.
Puzzled, Naomitsu fed Moji, then headed back toward Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Masamichi Yaga, Satoru Gojo, and the others were all in the Principal's Office. When Naomitsu entered, every gaze turned to him.
"Everyone? What's going on?"
With everyone staring at him, Naomitsu was briefly at a loss. He sounded a little nervous, unsure whether something had happened.
Masamichi Yaga looked at Utahime Iori, then explained why they had called Naomitsu over.
"Kyoto Jujutsu High is short on teachers and students, and Utahime can't manage everything alone. Gakuganji sent word asking me to have you return and become a teacher there."
There was so much packed into Masamichi Yaga's words that even Satoru Gojo took off his blindfold and stared at Naomitsu in shock.
"Huh?"
Naomitsu froze and looked at Utahime. When she nodded too, he realized they weren't all teaming up to play a joke on him.
"Me, a teacher?"
Imagining Maki and Mai attending Jujutsu High in Kyoto Prefecture someday and calling him their teacher, Naomitsu cringed so hard he could have carved a three-bedroom apartment into the floor with his toes.
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