Chapter 152 : Gojo's News & Sun Totem
It was now three or four in the afternoon. Since it was a weekday, there weren't many pedestrians on the street.
"Here." Okkotsu Yuta, carrying his black sword bag, turned slightly to the side and handed the three-colored dumplings in his hand to the brown-haired youth beside him.
After Okkotsu Yuta said goodbye to Nanami Kento and left Jujutsu High with Little Sheep Jiang Lai, taking a taxi to downtown, he bought a serving of three-colored dumplings from a shop they passed.
Little Sheep Jiang Lai originally thought the other wanted to eat them, but unexpectedly they were given to him.
He was slightly stunned and reached out to take them: "Thank you."
"No need to be polite." Okkotsu Yuta showed a smile: "Gojo-sensei said you quite like sweets. That shop happens to be one I've heard of, very famous, so I thought I'd let you try it."
He did indeed like sweets, but he always felt that Gojo Satoru hadn't discovered his love for sweets, but rather judged others by himself, thinking everyone liked sweets.
Jiang Lai thought casually in his mind while biting into a soft, glutinous dumpling.
After swallowing the food in his mouth, Jiang Lai looked up slightly and asked: "Where is Okkotsu-senpai taking me?"
This time leaving school, Nanami Kento had seemed very at ease, probably because he knew Okkotsu Yuta was a proper person who wouldn't make people worry like Gojo Satoru did when babysitting.
"Ah... no need for the senpai honorific." Hearing Jiang Lai address him this way, Okkotsu Yuta's expression showed some embarrassment, then he smiled: "I did indeed take on a mission and need to exorcise a Grade 1 cursed spirit later. During this time, we can chat."
No need for the senpai honorific? Jiang Lai raised his eyebrows slightly in his mind.
He heard the implications behind Okkotsu Yuta's words. The other seemed not to regard him as an ordinary middle school student.
Jiang Lai had long guessed that Okkotsu Yuta's sudden return to Japan must carry some of Gojo Satoru's intentions.
Since the other was now proposing to chat, he showed no surprise, only nodding: "Alright, we can communicate now."
He wondered how much content Gojo Satoru had told Okkotsu Yuta.
As if able to perceive what Jiang Lai was thinking, Okkotsu Yuta lowered his eyelids and smiled:
"Gojo-sensei told me about the current situation. I understand who our enemies are now. However, he didn't reveal too many stories about you to me, only saying you're a very important friend of his."
"Gojo-sensei said whether those stories are told, and how much is told, is entirely up to you to decide." Okkotsu Yuta blinked slowly: "He didn't plan to spoil too much in advance."
Hearing this, Jiang Lai's eyebrows curved slightly. He knew this was Gojo Satoru's way of protecting him.
After all, his [Existence] identity was constantly being watched by enemies. For safety's sake, Gojo Satoru had long expressed that he wouldn't easily reveal Jiang Lai's identity. All these matters were for Jiang Lai himself to decide.
Although Gojo Satoru was usually playful and particularly loved mischief, at these crucial moments, he was always the most reassuring.
"To tell the truth, when I got your file, I was quite surprised. The file showed you as a first-year middle school student staying at Nanami-senpai's house."
Okkotsu Yuta paused: "But I guessed this isn't your real age and identity. Because of some secrets, you need to use another identity that won't arouse enemy suspicion to walk in the world."
Okkotsu Yuta had very sharp intuition. Although Gojo Satoru hadn't told him these things, he could analyze the answer from fragments of information.
Speaking of this, his expression showed some embarrassment: "Of course, these are all my speculations... I said them without thinking. If there's any offense, I'm very sorry. You don't need to answer me, just consider it nonsense."
"It's fine, no offense taken." Jiang Lai blinked lightly and smiled: "You guessed correctly. Since you're a student Satoru trusts, telling you is naturally no problem."
Unlike Fushiguro, Itadori, and Kugisaki, who were still in their growth phase, Okkotsu Yuta had long been exposed to the darkness of the jujutsu world and possessed strong self-protection abilities and the ability to protect others.
Therefore, he could accept and bear more secrets.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and there were no iris flower totems on this road either. Okkotsu Yuta was also lightly releasing his cursed energy to survey the surrounding situation. In short, their conversation was currently safe.
Jiang Lai's gaze fell ahead, the beige, pale daylight swaying in his eyes.
Speaking of the past, there were many things he wanted to say, but when it came to his lips, he didn't know where to start or how to tell them.
How should he describe those old times?
Many things couldn't be completely expressed in words, only those who had personally experienced them could feel them.
However, perhaps he didn't need to reveal things in such detail right now. This was essentially basic intelligence exchange, roughly explaining some key points would suffice.
Jiang Lai recalled for a moment, considered his words, and finally began narrating past events in a calm voice.
Okkotsu Yuta was a very good listener. His expression was gentle and calm, maintaining an appropriate pace walking alongside Jiang Lai.
Only after Jiang Lai finished his narration did he nod slightly and smile broadly: "Mm... so that's how it is."
Okkotsu Yuta didn't offer personal commentary on this. He understood in his heart that those past events didn't need his evaluation.
Therefore, he only adjusted his sword bag on his shoulder and voiced words that sounded like a sigh:
"It seems I should be calling you senpai."
Speaking of this, Okkotsu Yuta's cheeks reddened slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed: "...When Gojo-sensei told me you were his friend, I felt that perhaps seniority and such weren't as they appeared on the surface. It's indeed so. Earlier on the steps, when you called me [big brother], I shouldn't have accepted it."
The powerful yet gentle youth rarely showed some embarrassment. Jiang Lai was amused by the shy big boy before him.
He said: "It's actually fine. As I just said, I currently do need to pretend to be a middle school student. In that case, in front of everyone, the senior-junior relationship and big brother-little brother address should be exactly like this."
"...I understand." Okkotsu Yuta nodded, his ears still carrying indistinct red, though his expression had already readjusted: "In front of others, I'll treat you with the attitude of treating a junior."
He could distinguish priorities and wouldn't get particularly hung up on this.
"Since what you wanted to know is now known, next it should be my turn to ask." Jiang Lai's tone was light, using a half-joking tone: "Answer honestly, okay?"
Okkotsu Yuta's expression was serious, his voice steady: "Please ask, senpai."
"How did your overseas mission with Satoru go?" Jiang Lai didn't rush to ask why the other had returned, but first cared about the overseas situation: "I heard the mission was somewhat troublesome."
"It was indeed a bit troublesome, mainly because it involved quite a few people, and those cursed spirits were very cunning. But it wasn't a big problem."
Okkotsu Yuta nodded, the demeanor he showed being the kind of ease that belonged to Special Grade: "Everything was mostly resolved. Gojo-sensei personally exorcised that troublesome Special Grade cursed spirit."
"Resolved?" Jiang Lai blinked: "In that case, why didn't he come back?"
"The explanation to the jujutsu higher-ups is that the most troublesome cursed spirit is resolved, but there's still a lot of cleanup work, so he needs to stay overseas for a while longer."
Okkotsu Yuta paused: "But actually, Gojo-sensei plans to handle some other matters."
Other matters... Jiang Lai keenly sensed that this part should be the key point.
After all, few things could make Gojo Satoru personally take on work.
Okkotsu Yuta's return to Japan this time should also be Gojo Satoru's arrangement. He would handle overseas matters himself, then have Okkotsu return to Japan to relay messages and do things beyond message relaying.
After all, if it were just relaying messages, Gojo Satoru could completely inform them by email.
Jiang Lai and Gojo Satoru often communicated through phones. Jiang Lai had told Gojo Satoru about the Supervisory Committee's fragment collection, Geto Suguru swallowing Mahito, more secrets of [Existence], and going to the Zenin family, all through email.
The two maintained smooth intelligence flow, avoiding internal consumption where one hid things from the other.
But speaking of which, logically, Gojo Satoru should have emailed him when Okkotsu Yuta returned to Japan. Why didn't he send a message?
As if seeing what Jiang Lai wanted to ask, Okkotsu Yuta continued: "The place where Gojo-sensei is going to handle matters is quite remote, plus some special reasons. I think there probably isn't any signal there."
"Why would Satoru go to such a remote place?"
"Mm... this is what I'm going to say next, and actually, it's also why I came back to Japan." Okkotsu Yuta looked at the person beside him: "Gojo-sensei has been secretly searching for intelligence related to sun totems. This trip is because of this."
Sun totems...
Mentioning this, Jiang Lai's first reaction was that incomplete complex black sun pattern on Geto Suguru's forehead!
Gojo Satoru from back then had said he would definitely find information related to this.
Even after knowing this was some kind of contract mark from the Supervisory Committee, he had never stopped searching.
At this moment, it seemed Gojo Satoru had finally fulfilled his promise to Geto Suguru from back then, finding key clues about the sun totem.
Although he usually appeared carefree, actually, Gojo Satoru always took promises very seriously in his heart, just like he had once held fast to [see you tomorrow], and like how he protected his students' youth in his own way.
Okkotsu Yuta continued: "This sun totem is something used to determine collective contracts, similar to binding vows but different."
"It has many special characteristics, for example, after fully forming, only people who have signed the same contract can see the totem. But one point is that this contract isn't permanent or absolute, it can still be removed."
"As long as the [Four Guardian Towers] are broken, the collective contract effect of the totems will become invalid."
Can be removed? Hearing this, Jiang Lai's eyes narrowed.
The immortal characteristic of the Supervisory Committee's core members was a very troublesome thing. He had originally thought it would be necessary to bring [Birth] out, but now it seemed perhaps they could also use breaking this collective contract as a breakthrough?
"What are the [Four Guardian Towers]?" Jiang Lai asked.
"Generally speaking, they're formations in four special places, but besides the formations themselves, the Supervisory Committee probably also arranges other guardians." Okkotsu Yuta said: "What Gojo-sensei went to handle is the most troublesome one among them, and as for the remaining ones..."
He picked up his black sword bag with one hand, his eyelids lifting lightly, his smile gentle yet carrying the power of Special Grade, his youthful voice clear: "Let's handle them together, senpai."