Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer

A week was enough to get familiar with a place.

For Madara Uchiha, those seven days had felt both long and short.

Long because every day was packed full-Taijutsu training, cursed energy control, familiarization with his cursed technique, theory classes, and sparring.

Short because, standing outside the principal's office that afternoon and looking back over those seven days, he felt almost dazed.

Life at Jujutsu High was more regimented than Madara had imagined-or rather, much stranger than life at an ordinary school.

Yuta Okkotsu was a good opponent and a good senior.

He held back during their sparring sessions-though, of course, he did not dare hold back too much under Satoru Gojo's watchful eye.

But he always stopped short at crucial moments, then patiently pointed out Madara's shortcomings.

Maki was much stricter.

Her Taijutsu lessons bordered on brutal.

There were no flashy moves, no unnecessary explanations, only one sparring session after another.

Most of the bruises covering Madara's body came from Maki's training.

But afterward, she would toss him a tube of ointment, say, "Don't be late tomorrow," and turn to leave.

Madara gradually understood that this was her way of showing concern.

Panda and Inumaki mostly served as sparring partners.

Panda relied on formidable physical strength and an innate resistance to cursed energy, attacking with broad, sweeping movements that helped Madara learn to dodge and deflect power-based opponents.

Inumaki harassed him with Cursed Speech, teaching Madara to maintain his fighting rhythm amid interference.

As for Satoru Gojo... his teaching method was to have no method.

Sometimes he would suddenly appear at the training ground, announce, "Today's exercise: dodge all of Panda's attacks while Inumaki interferes with Cursed Speech. Time limit: three minutes," then disappear.

Sometimes he watched the entire session, sitting at the edge of the field with snacks in his arms, saying nothing and simply watching.

Other times he dragged Madara into the city in the lofty name of "field instruction," only to spend an entire afternoon in a dessert shop talking about things that had nothing to do with anything.

But Madara could sense that Satoru Gojo was observing him.

Those Six Eyes hidden behind the blindfold had never truly left him.

Over the course of the week, Madara gradually grew familiar with this body.

"Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer?"

On Friday afternoon, in the principal's office, Madara looked at the identification Masamichi Yaga handed him, somewhat surprised.

It was a stiff card about the size of a credit card.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu High School crest was printed on the front.

The back held his personal information: his name, Yu, his affiliated institution, and a line of small print at the bottom: Jujutsu sorcerer grade-Grade 3.

"Your abilities go beyond Grade 3." Yaga sat behind a large desk, his hands folded on its surface, his stern face showing little expression.

"But grading jujutsu sorcerers requires recommendations and review, and the process takes time. Operate as a Grade 3 for now. You can apply for a promotion assessment later."

Madara nodded and put the card away.

He did not really care about grades.

Grade 1 or Grade 3, it was nothing more than a label.

The card simply made it easier to get around-jujutsu sorcerers needed identification when carrying out missions, using cursed tools, or entering certain restricted areas.

Without identification, he could hardly go anywhere.

"Did no one recommend me?" he asked.

"Someone did," Yaga said. "Gojo wanted to recommend you, but the rules prohibit teachers from recommending their own students. And..."

He paused, seemingly weighing his words.

"The higher-ups aren't particularly welcoming toward students with unknown backgrounds like yours."

Madara understood.

Satoru Gojo's recommendation was one thing; the higher-ups' attitude was another.

In the conservative, lineage-oriented Jujutsu Society, a boy of unknown origins with an unusual cursed technique and ties to Satoru Gojo would naturally meet with suspicion and rejection.

Grade 3 was already a compromise.

"I understand." Madara slipped the card into the inside pocket of his uniform.

Yaga watched him in silence for a few seconds, his fingers tapping lightly against the desk in a steady rhythm.

"Gojo wants you to start taking missions tomorrow," Yaga said, his tone giving nothing away.

"A solo mission. Investigate and exorcise a curse at an abandoned Shinto shrine in Suginami Ward."

Madara raised his head.

"By myself?"

"Yes." Yaga nodded. "It shouldn't be difficult for you. According to Window's observations, the curse is no higher than Grade 3, its range of activity is limited, and there are no signs of it spreading."

He took a file from a drawer and pushed it toward Madara, a brown paper envelope with the Jujutsu Association's seal stamped over its closure.

"This is the mission briefing. It contains sighting reports and a map of the shrine's terrain." Yaga paused.

"Remember, the mission is to 'investigate and exorcise.' That means confirming the situation before deciding whether to act. If you find that the curse exceeds Grade 3, or notice anything else unusual, retreat immediately and contact the assistant supervisor."

His gaze grew stern.

"Coming back alive matters more than completing the mission. That is a jujutsu sorcerer's first lesson, and their last."

Madara picked up the file, undid the string, and pulled out the papers, quickly scanning them.

The shrine had been built in the early Showa era and dedicated to a local deity.

It had been abandoned ten years earlier over a land dispute. The priest had moved away, and the buildings had gradually fallen into disrepair.

"Strange occurrences" had begun two months earlier: unidentified noises at night that sounded like a woman crying.

Nearby residents frequently suffered nightmares, all involving "a woman in a white bridal kimono wandering in the darkness."

A homeless man had also claimed to see "a white shadow" near the shrine.

A Window observer had visited twice, detected traces of cursed energy, and classified it as a Grade 3 curse, but had been unable to determine its precise form or abilities.

The recommendation was to send a Grade 3 or Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerer to deal with it.

"An assistant supervisor will take you to the site and set up a Curtain around the perimeter," Yaga continued.

"There's no fixed time limit, but you must finish before sunset at the latest. Curses become more active at night, which increases the risk. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Any other questions?"

Madara thought for a moment.

The information in the file was brief, but sufficient. The shrine's location and layout were there, and although the curse's characteristics were vague, they offered a starting point.

"No." He returned the papers to the envelope.

"That's all, then." Yaga stood, signaling the end of their conversation. "Meet at the school gates tomorrow morning. The assistant supervisor will arrive on time."

Madara bowed slightly, turned, and left the principal's office.

The corridor was quiet. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the windows, casting patches of light and shadow across the floor.

He had only taken a few steps when he encountered Satoru Gojo at the corner.

Gojo was leaning against the wall, holding a box of strawberry daifuku and stuffing one into his mouth.

A little bean paste still clung to the corner of his lips.

"Hey~ Got your ID?" Satoru Gojo asked indistinctly, pointing at the envelope of documents in Madara's hand.

"Yes."

"Grade 3, huh..." Satoru Gojo swallowed the daifuku, licked his fingers, and put on an exaggerated look of regret.

"Those old men are so stingy. With the ability you've shown, they should've given you Grade 2 at least."

Madara said nothing.

Satoru Gojo did not mind. He picked up another daifuku and stuffed it into his mouth, talking as he chewed. "But that's fine. Start with something easy. Good luck on tomorrow's mission~ I'll look forward to your report."

"You're not coming?" Madara asked.

"Me?" Satoru Gojo smiled, something inscrutable in his expression.

"I'm very busy~ I have a business trip tomorrow. Besides, this is your mission. Naturally, you have to complete it yourself."

He leaned a little closer. Despite the sunglasses between them, Madara could feel his gaze.

"Relax. A Grade 3 curse is a piece of cake for you. As long as you don't get careless, do anything stupid, or let appearances fool you-you basically won't die."

Madara looked at him and suddenly asked, "Is this a test?"

Satoru Gojo's smile did not change, but the gaze beneath his blindfold seemed to sharpen for an instant.

The air briefly froze, then began moving again.

"Every mission is a test," he said, his voice light but carrying an underlying meaning. "A test of your ability, your judgment, your response to the unknown, a test of whether you..."

He paused, his smile deepening.

"Are worth trusting."

He patted Madara's shoulder, neither lightly nor heavily, then turned to leave, waving as he walked.

"Do well tomorrow~ I'll bring you a souvenir~"

Early the next morning, dawn was only just breaking.

Madara stood at Jujutsu High's gates, dressed in a jujutsu sorcerer's black uniform-a spare tanto Maki had lent him hung from his belt.

"Don't break this one!" Maki had said when lending it to him.

A black official car drove up and stopped in front of him.

The window rolled down, revealing a man in the driver's seat who looked to be in his early thirties, his expression tense and sweat beading at his temples.

"H-hello! I'm Yoshino, your assistant supervisor for today!" the man said rapidly. "P-please get in! We'll leave right away!"

Madara opened the door and settled into the passenger seat. The car drove smoothly out of Jujutsu High and onto the winding mountain road.

Yoshino stole several glances at Madara through the rearview mirror, hesitating to speak.

"Um... Uchiha, right?" He finally worked up the courage. "This is my first time working with you. I look forward to it! Have you read the mission briefing? Is there anything you need me to add? Oh, right, this is for you-"

He fumbled for a paper bag on the back seat and handed it to Madara.

"Breakfast! A sandwich and coffee! I wasn't sure whether they'd suit your tastes!"

Madara took the bag. Inside were a wrapped sandwich and a cup of hot coffee.

"Thank you," he said.

"Y-you're welcome!" Yoshino seemed to relax a little. "Then let me give you a quick rundown. The mission site is in Suginami Ward, about a forty-minute drive away. I've already notified the local residents and police and sealed off the area around the shrine under the pretext of 'gas pipeline maintenance.' Once we arrive, I'll lower a Curtain. Everything after that will be in your hands!"

His words came like machine-gun fire, his eyes fixed on the road ahead and his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Madara tore open the sandwich wrapper and took a bite. Ham and egg salad. It tasted all right.

"Is the curse inside the shrine?" he asked.

"According to the report, its range of activity extends roughly a hundred meters around the shrine," Yoshino replied. "But its exact location is uncertain. It could be inside the buildings, in the courtyard, or on the hill behind it. You may need to go in and search."

Madara nodded and continued eating his sandwich.

The car left the mountains and entered urban Tokyo. The early morning streets were still quiet, with only street cleaners and joggers about.

After they passed through the bustling commercial district, the buildings gradually grew lower and older as they entered Suginami Ward.

Finally, the car stopped at the foot of a hill.

"This is it," Yoshino said, pointing uphill.

A red torii stood at the top of the stone steps, looming faintly through the morning mist, its paint peeling and vines entwining its pillars.

Dense woods flanked the steps, their leaves and branches rustling in the wind.

There was indeed something eerie about the atmosphere.

Madara got out and looked up the hill.

His cursed energy perception told him something was up there-very faint, but definitely present.

"The curse is inside the shrine?" he confirmed again.

"According to the report, yes." Yoshino also got out and took a black briefcase from the trunk. "But its exact location is uncertain. You may need to go in and search."

He opened the briefcase, revealing various cursed tools and talisman papers.

He took out a stack of talismans and several small barrier devices and began arranging them around the hill.

Watching his practiced movements, Madara suddenly asked, "How long have you been an assistant supervisor?"

"Huh? Th-three years!" Yoshino answered as he worked. "I mainly handle missions below Grade 2 within Tokyo. Ah, this goes here... As for Grade 3 missions, this is my seventh!"

"Have any jujutsu sorcerers had accidents before?"

Yoshino's hands paused.

"...Yes," he said quietly, without looking at Madara. "Six months ago, a Grade 2 jujutsu sorcerer was handling a Grade 3 curse... He got careless. The curse had a special ability, and he didn't have time to retreat."

He quickly set down the final barrier device, stood, and dusted off his hands.

"S-so! Please be careful! If anything seems wrong, retreat immediately! Contact me! I'll request backup right away!"

His expression was earnest, even somewhat anxious.

Madara nodded. "Understood."

Yoshino took a deep breath, formed a hand seal with one hand, and closed his eyes.

"Emerge from darkness, blacker than black. Purify all that is impure."

As he chanted the incantation, cursed energy surged.

A black Curtain rose from his palm, spreading rapidly like ink dropped into clear water, rising to form a translucent black dome that enveloped the entire hill.

From outside, the hill would appear blurred and distorted, and ordinary people would subconsciously avoid the area.

This was standard procedure for jujutsu sorcerers on missions, both to prevent curses from escaping and to conceal things from ordinary people.

"Well, then." Yoshino bowed slightly, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I wish you a successful mission. I'll remain here on standby. If you need anything, please contact me at any time."

He took a walkie-talkie from his pocket and handed it to Madara. "The channel is already set. Press this button to speak."

Madara took the walkie-talkie and clipped it to his belt.

He checked his equipment one last time: tanto at his waist, identification in his pocket.

Then he stepped onto the stone stairs and began climbing.

The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and birdsong drifted from the woods.

The stone steps were slippery and covered in moss. Madara's footsteps were light, making almost no sound.

Step by step, upward.