Things happened faster than expected.
Only a few days had passed when Madara stood by a corridor window on the second floor of Jujutsu High's classroom building.
Looking toward the distant school gates, he spotted that familiar figure-Satoru Gojo-and a pink-haired boy walking beside him.
Yuji Itadori.
Even from this far away, Madara could clearly sense that presence.
It was like a dormant volcano, calm on the surface, but with destructive power boiling at its core.
Sukuna's presence.
Madara did not move. He simply watched quietly as they approached.
Satoru Gojo walked with his usual light steps, talking to the boy beside him as they went.
Yuji Itadori looked curious, glancing around at Jujutsu High's old-fashioned buildings and spacious courtyards, occasionally nodding in response to Gojo.
The two entered the classroom building.
Madara could hear their footsteps and voices coming from the stairs.
"...Who's stronger, you or Sukuna, sensei?" It was Yuji Itadori's voice, carrying the straightforwardness particular to boys his age.
Satoru Gojo laughed. "Well, if Sukuna regained all his power, he'd be a handful. At his peak, he was the King of Curses, a special grade among special grades..."
"Would you lose?" Itadori asked even more directly.
Their footsteps echoed through the corridor, drawing closer.
"I'd win." Satoru Gojo's voice carried absolute confidence. It was not arrogance, but the matter-of-fact certainty that came from being "the strongest."
"Besides...I'm not alone, am I, Madara?"
Madara froze for a moment.
Satoru Gojo had spotted him standing nearby and was waving in greeting.
Beneath his blindfold, his lips curved into a familiar smile.
Yuji Itadori looked over as well, curiosity and a little nervousness in his eyes.
Madara collected himself and walked over from the window. "Welcome back, Gojo-sensei. And this is...!"
When he was still three meters from Yuji Itadori, Madara's pupils abruptly contracted.
"A cursed spirit? No..." Madara stopped, frowning, his expression puzzled and wary. "This feeling...something's very wrong."
Satoru Gojo patted Itadori's shoulder, signaling him to relax, then said to Madara, "Sharp senses. I need to take him to see Principal Yaga first, but I suppose there's no harm in introducing you beforehand."
He turned to Itadori. "This is Madara Uchiha, a second-year at Jujutsu High, so he's your senpai. He's very strong~"
Yuji Itadori immediately straightened and bowed to Madara. "Oh! I'm Yuji Itadori. Nice to meet you!"
His movements were energetic and his voice lively, showing no sign at all that the thousand-year-old King of Curses was sealed inside him.
Madara was silent for two seconds before replying, "Nice to meet you."
But his eyes remained fixed on Itadori before turning to Satoru Gojo with a questioning look.
Satoru Gojo caught the signal and shrugged. "Simply put, this guy swallowed Sukuna's Finger and became Sukuna's vessel."
Madara's frown deepened. "He's suppressing him?"
"Yes, perfectly." There was a hint of admiration in Satoru Gojo's tone.
"So perfectly it's surprising. A once-in-a-thousand-years constitution. He's completely suppressing Sukuna's soul, and Itadori is in control right now."
"Is that so..."
Madara slowly approached Itadori.
His eyes turned blood-red in an instant, three black tomoe slowly rotating within them, giving off an ominous, uncanny gleam in the corridor's light.
Startled by the sudden change, Yuji Itadori instinctively took a step back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.
But he did not avert his gaze, instead making an effort to meet Madara's eyes.
Satoru Gojo rested a hand on Itadori's shoulder, his voice calm. "It's all right."
Madara looked at Itadori, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.
"Relax," Madara said softly, his voice carrying a strange, soothing quality.
Then he made an attempt.
Madara concentrated cursed energy in his eyes and, through the Sharingan's ocular power, tried to "connect" to Yuji Itadori's consciousness.
Itadori's inner world.
It was a dim space, its floor a dark expanse of water stirred by faint ripples.
A faint smell of blood and rust hung in the air.
At the center of that space, atop a mountain of white bones, sat a person.
No, not a person.
It was the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.
He had a misshapen body with four arms and two faces. Only his upper body was visible now as he sat leisurely on a throne piled from skulls.
One hand propped up his chin, his scarlet eyes half-closed, as though he were dozing, or watching something.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
All four eyes shifted at once, looking in one direction.
"Hmm?" Sukuna's mouth split into a malicious grin. "What's this brat up to? Eyes I've never seen before..."
A figure gradually appeared in his field of vision.
Black hair, a black uniform, blood-red eyes, and three tomoe slowly rotating within them.
Madara Uchiha.
He stood on the water, looking up at Sukuna on his throne of bones, his expression as calm as though he were viewing an exhibit.
"Oh," Madara began, his voice echoing through this mental space. "So you're Sukuna?"
Sukuna froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Ha! Hahaha!" His laughter was manic and grating. "What? You can actually get in here? Interesting. Very interesting! Brat, how did you do it?"
He leaned forward, all four eyes fixed on Madara. His gaze carried a palpable pressure, as though it would crush a person.
But Madara did not budge.
"I only meant to give it a try," Madara said casually. "Luckily, it worked."
Sukuna's grin faded somewhat, and a flicker of interest crossed his scarlet eyes. "I don't know how you knew, but...if you can enter this domain, you're no ordinary jujutsu sorcerer either."
Just then, Yuji Itadori's surprised voice came from outside. "Whoa! Madara-senpai's voice is in my head too!"
Satoru Gojo's voice followed immediately. "What's going on? Is he talking to Sukuna?"
Itadori replied, "Yeah, that seems to be what's happening."
Sukuna clicked his tongue, leaned back against his throne, and waved a hand. "What a fuss that brat makes. Hey, you-"
He pointed at Madara.
"I'm in a good mood this time, so I'll let you leave. Remember, there won't be a next time."
His tone was flat, but the murderous intent in his words was real.
Madara looked at Sukuna and suddenly laughed. He found this amusing.
"Pfft! Hahaha..." Madara shook his head with a laugh. "All right, I'll leave, then. But Sukuna, there's something I want to say-"
His smile vanished, and his blood-red Sharingan stared straight into Sukuna's four eyes.
"Your era is over. Now, it's 'our' era."
With that, before Sukuna could react, Madara's figure began to fade as he withdrew from the mental space.
The real world, in Jujutsu High's corridor.
Madara slowly deactivated his Sharingan. The blood-red color faded, leaving ordinary black eyes.
He lowered the hand pressed against his temple and let out a long breath.
He had obtained the information he wanted.
Yuji Itadori's suppression of Sukuna was indeed perfect. Sukuna was currently sealed, confined to the mental domain and unable to directly affect reality.
But Sukuna's soul was far stronger than he had imagined. Without Itadori's special constitution, he would probably have suffered a backlash instantly.
"Thanks for the effort, Itadori." Madara patted Itadori's shoulder, his tone much gentler.
Yuji Itadori was still reeling from what had just happened and nodded blankly. "Ah...it's nothing."
Satoru Gojo looked at Madara, the Six Eyes narrowing slightly behind his blindfold.
He had just used the Six Eyes to observe the flow of cursed energy throughout the entire process-Madara's cursed energy had connected to Itadori's mind through the Sharingan, briefly entered Sukuna's domain, then withdrawn safely.
"All done?" Satoru Gojo asked.
"Yes, all done, Gojo-sensei." Madara nodded.
He checked his watch, then smiled again. "I'll take Itadori to see the principal, then. Also, Madara, I'll come talk to you tonight. Make sure to keep some time free~"
Madara tensed inwardly, but showed nothing on his face. "Of course, Gojo-sensei."
"Let's go, Itadori."
"Ah, yes!"
Satoru Gojo led Yuji Itadori toward the principal's office.
Itadori glanced back at Madara and waved, then hurried to catch up with Satoru Gojo.
The corridor fell quiet again.
Madara remained where he was, watching them disappear around the corner before slowly exhaling.
Well, my acting's pretty good...
When he had seen Itadori just now, he had perfectly acted out the reaction a jujutsu sorcerer ought to have upon "encountering Sukuna's vessel for the first time."
Most importantly, he had successfully entered Sukuna's mental domain, confirmed Itadori's condition, and shown his face to Sukuna.
That was important.
Because, according to the original plot, Itadori would soon make a contract with Sukuna, exchanging the "One-Minute Enforceable Binding Vow" for his resurrection.
That would be the first time Sukuna truly interfered with reality, and a turning point in Itadori's fate.
And Madara's goal was-
Then...next comes saving Itadori and stopping him from making a contract with Sukuna.
He turned and headed toward his dormitory.
Before you continue