First-years vs. Second-years

Naomitsu had requested leave so he could travel to Sendai.

There were two very important people in Sendai. And 2011 was the year Naomitsu needed to visit one of them.

That person was Yuta Okkotsu.

This year, Rika would die, and Yuta Okkotsu's obsession would transform her into a powerful vengeful spirit.

Naomitsu wanted to see that vengeful spirit for himself.

Of course, his main objective was to meet Itadori's biological mother-the thousand-year-old jujutsu sorcerer, Kenjaku.

Before leaving, however, Naomitsu still had to arrange training guidance for the three new students.

The next day, Naomitsu arrived at Kyoto Jujutsu High as promised.

On the field, Inumaki and the other two were already jogging. Meanwhile, the three newcomers, including Aoi Todo, leaned against the wall and watched, looking utterly relaxed.

"They look pretty laid-back, huh?"

Naomitsu grinned as a mischievous urge stirred inside him. Since they were so relaxed, he ought to give them a little sense of urgency.

"Inumaki, Fujiwara, come over here. Let me introduce you to the new students."

All six turned to look at Naomitsu. He then had them introduce themselves to one another.

Aoi Todo's true nature surfaced again.

"Hey, what kind of woman do you like?" he asked Inumaki and Fujiwara, posing the question once more.

"For the record, I like tall women with big butts."

Inumaki: "..."

Fujiwara propped up his chin and thought. "Probably mature women older than me? Or younger married women?"

Aoi Todo wore a rare look of solemnity as he walked up to Fujiwara Sora. With a completely earnest expression, he spread his arms and pulled Fujiwara Sora into a bear hug.

"My best friend!"

Tears welled in Aoi Todo's eyes, as though he had found a brother lost for years. Fujiwara Sora was a little bewildered, but he still returned the new student's embrace.

Meanwhile, Naomitsu explained why he had called them over.

"I called you over so these new juniors could see what their seniors are capable of. Can't have them looking down on you."

Before the six could react, Naomitsu assigned their opponents. The field was spacious enough for them to fight right there.

"Aoi Todo, since you've already picked your opponent, you can fight Fujiwara Sora. Your methods of attack happen to be similar."

The first match was settled: Aoi Todo vs. Fujiwara Sora.

"For the second match, Inumaki, you'll fight Noritoshi Kamo. You're both from sorcerer clans, so you should exchange a few pointers."

Naomitsu was rather interested in the second match, too: Inumaki Yaki vs. Noritoshi Kamo, Cursed Speech against Blood Manipulation.

"For the last match, Nobara Kugisaki, you'll fight Naoya here. As long as you can touch him, Kugisaki, you should win."

Naoya Zenin's attacks weren't particularly strong and couldn't inflict fatal damage on Nobara Kugisaki. But Nobara Kugisaki couldn't touch Naoya Zenin with his Projection Sorcery, either, so their fight would become a stalemate.

With the opponents assigned, the fighting began.

"First match! Aoi Todo vs. Fujiwara Sora! Begin! Ten-minute time limit!"

At Naomitsu's announcement, the first fight officially began.

"My best friend! I won't hold back! Show me everything you've got!"

Aoi Todo took off his shirt, revealing solid muscles. In terms of sheer size, however, he still fell slightly short of Fujiwara Sora.

Fujiwara Sora's muscles could only be described as fearsome. His skin was covered in scars, making him an intimidating sight.

"My full strength? Let's see if you're worthy of it first!"

As someone who had once ruled during the Heian era, Fujiwara Sora had his own pride.

"Come on!"

The two muscle-bound monsters clashed in hand-to-hand combat. Every punch struck flesh, the sounds of impacts ringing out without pause.

"That's more like it! Again!"

Aoi Todo was having the time of his life. Laughing heartily, he charged in again. He hoped this fight would let him enter the Black Flash state once more.

Fujiwara Sora, naturally, hadn't used his Enhancement Cursed Technique. Relying on raw physical strength, he traded blows evenly with the hand-to-hand specialist Aoi Todo.

The exhausting battle continued without pause for five minutes.

"Hah!"

Another punch-but this one was different. Black light wreathed his fist, and looking at it gave the impression that space itself was distorting.

That punch had unleashed Black Flash!

Already familiar with Black Flash, Aoi Todo immediately entered the zone. Everything outside the fight fell away as he focused on Fujiwara Sora before him.

Even if Fujiwara wanted to surrender now, Aoi Todo would have trouble stopping.

A fist slammed toward him, and Fujiwara Sora blocked with one arm. The punch sent him flying. Its power was on an entirely different level from before.

Getting back to his feet, Fujiwara Sora prepared to use his Enhancement Cursed Technique and stop holding back.

"Fujiwara, don't use your cursed technique. Watch how he fights carefully. What he's using now is the power of Black Flash I've been telling you to grasp.

"Use this opportunity to take a good look. Ideally, you'll learn Black Flash through this fight and land one yourself."

Naomitsu's timely reminder made Fujiwara Sora withdraw his cursed technique. His body was already tough enough to take one to three Black Flash punches head-on.

With enhancement active, he could even withstand seven or eight.

Fujiwara Sora had excellent comprehension, and he quickly noticed the difference in Aoi Todo. But understanding something and learning to do it were two entirely different things.

Although landing consecutive Black Flashes wasn't realistic, taking even the occasional hit was no pleasant experience.

Still, to keep Aoi Todo in that state so he could observe him, Fujiwara Sora could only endure the beating and keep going.

"If Fujiwara Sora masters Black Flash and combines it with his Enhancement Cursed Technique, he'll be fully capable of fighting Sukuna one-on-one in hand-to-hand combat."

The ten minutes passed quickly, and the fight ended in a draw. Even at the very end, Fujiwara Sora hadn't managed to land a Black Flash.

Nevertheless, he had gained a great deal from the fight. Every punch Aoi Todo threw had served as a whetstone for him.

"Second match, Noritoshi Kamo vs. Inumaki Yaki."

There was no suspense in this fight. Inumaki Yaki didn't even remove his mask before taking control of Noritoshi Kamo and defeating him.

"Wasn't that a little too fast?"

Naomitsu had expected this and wasted no more time. He called Nobara Kugisaki and Naoya Zenin over and told them to make it quick.

"I've already won!"

Out on the field, before Naomitsu had even announced the start of the match, Nobara Kugisaki folded her arms and confidently declared her victory.

"What do you mean, you've won? We haven't even fought yet!"

Naoya Zenin wanted to impress Naomitsu, and those words immediately agitated him. He glared at her in protest, already preparing to give Nobara Kugisaki a thorough thrashing.

Without a word, Nobara Kugisaki took out a strand of Naoya Zenin's hair.

The blond hair was indeed Naoya Zenin's.

"Naoya! When did she get hold of your hair?" Naomitsu asked, looking at him in surprise.

"Just now? She said there was something dirty on my head... I didn't think much of it..."

Naomitsu shook his head. This idiot was beyond saving.

"There's no need for the last match. Nobara Kugisaki wins."

Faced with Naoya Zenin's bewildered expression, Nobara Kugisaki explained her cursed technique to him.