Chapter 101: Long Time No See, Todo
Several days quietly passed.
During this time, Yuji Itadori often took several of his juniors out to have fun.
At first, Miyaguni Chiharu absolutely refused to enter the arcade—doing so was completely at odds with the stern and serious image she usually maintained in front of her subordinates.
However, after seeing Yuji Itadori walk inside completely naturally and even greet several people there, Miyaguni Chiharu eventually followed him in.
She had always admired Yuji Itadori in her heart. He was her second sensei, and she wanted to understand him better.
After all, despite spending several decades together, Miyaguni Chiharu had never truly understood this sensei of hers.
Furthermore, Miyaguni Chiharu also had a few things she wanted to confirm.
After entering the arcade, she spoke briefly with the people who had greeted Yuji Itadori earlier—
Miyaguni Chiharu discovered that all of them knew Yuji Itadori's real name, and she heard from them that Yuji Itadori came here to play pachinko almost every day.
So Okkotsu Tsurugi had been right before? Yuji Itadori had never concealed his whereabouts from beginning to end?
At the thought of this, Miyaguni Chiharu nearly crushed the game machine's joystick in her hand.
Although he did not know the exact details, Okkotsu Tsurugi heard that the people involved in the Jujutsu World had endured her wrath for several days.
And so, before anyone realized it, nearly a week had passed.
Early in the morning, Yuji Itadori's phone rang.
Upon seeing the caller, the corners of Yuji Itadori's lips rose slightly.
The moment he pressed the answer button, a hoarse yet incredibly booming voice came through.
The voice belonged to an elderly man over eighty years old, yet it radiated vitality no weaker than that of a young man.
"Long time no see, Todo."
Yuji Itadori answered with a smile.
The owner of the voice was none other than Todo Aoi.
"Brother, I've recently heard many things about you from our beloved disciple!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
"That's right! She said you've been far more active lately than you were before! That's how it should be, Brother! Life requires passion!"
Todo Aoi's laughter came through from the other end of the phone.
However, Yuji Itadori seemed to hear another sound beneath Todo Aoi's voice.
It sounded like... someone screaming?
"Where are you right now?"
"I've already returned. My Darling and I came over to see how Miyaguni has been doing—she's already become someone capable of standing on her own!"
"Then what's that sound behind you?"
"That's Miyaguni having a friendly exchange with her subordinates!"
As Todo Aoi spoke, the wailing in the background seemed to become even more miserable.
Yuji Itadori had already guessed what was happening over there.
All he could say was that Miyaguni Chiharu truly lived up to being Todo Aoi's disciple.
Todo Aoi had once been quite a terrifying person himself. His personality was highly unusual, and if anyone got in his way, he would beat them senseless even if they were his classmate.
However, nearly seventy years had gradually worn away Todo Aoi's sharp edges, turning him into an extremely dependable person instead.
Moreover—
In Yuji Itadori's eyes, Todo Aoi was someone like Choso, a figure akin to an older brother.
Whenever Yuji Itadori lost his way, Todo Aoi helped him find the right direction.
That was the kind of person Todo Aoi was.
"I just got back. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
"About twenty years, I suppose."
"I can barely remember anymore. Want to meet up?"
"Yeah. I was originally planning to come and see you too."
"That's great. I'll have my Darling prepare a meal and wait for you to visit."
"There's also something I'd like your help with."
"Just say it, Brother!"
Todo Aoi answered without the slightest hesitation.
Even if it meant giving up his life, Todo Aoi would not hesitate to do so for his brother.
"I want the notes that Principal Gakuganji left behind."
An hour later, Yuji Itadori brought Beatrice to the front of a luxurious mansion.
As one of the most senior figures in the Jujutsu World, Todo Aoi possessed considerable wealth.
However, he rarely returned here. Todo Aoi had previously spent most of his time traveling the world with his wife and seldom came back, making it difficult for ordinary people to contact him.
Before Yuji Itadori could knock, the front door opened.
Standing before him was a thin elderly man with a slightly hunched back. However, his deeply wrinkled face showed no exhaustion and was instead full of energy.
Todo Aoi.
Compared to his tall and muscular younger self, the current Todo Aoi seemed to have shrunk by an entire size, but his gaze had become even sharper. One of his hands had been replaced by a tool known as a Vibraslap.
"Long time no see, Brother!"
Todo Aoi immediately pulled Yuji Itadori into a forceful embrace.
"Long time no see, Todo. You're still as energetic as ever."
Yuji Itadori smiled at his close friend before turning to introduce Beatrice.
"Betty, this is Todo, my closest friend—and my brother."
"So you're Betty!"
Todo Aoi smiled at Beatrice and greeted her.
"I've heard about you from Miyaguni!"
"Betty's cuteness is naturally known by everyone, I suppose!"
Beatrice proudly raised her head.
"Good. Come inside!"
Todo Aoi quickly invited Yuji Itadori and Beatrice into the Mansion and had them sit at the dining table.
The table was covered with a lavish spread. Although none of the ingredients were particularly expensive and the dishes were merely ordinary home cooking, the superb culinary skill used to prepare them made everything look incredibly appetizing.
For Yuji Itadori and Todo Aoi, this kind of home-cooked meal was actually more suitable.
"Long time no see, Itadori-kun! And nice to meet you, Betty-chan!"
An elderly woman with twin tails sat beside the dining table and enthusiastically greeted Yuji Itadori and Beatrice.
Takada-chan was Todo Aoi's wife and the woman he had once passionately pursued.
Although she was already over eighty years old, she still wore her signature twin tails, and it was easy to see that she had been an extraordinary beauty in her youth.
"Long time no see."
Yuji Itadori responded politely.
"You and Darling can have a good talk later. I'll head out for a while."
"Huh? You're not eating with us, Sister-in-law?"
"As his wife, of course I have to give my husband some space! I won't disturb you!"
Takada-chan smiled and nodded before standing up and leaving.
Only the three of them remained beside the dining table.
"This is what you wanted."
Todo Aoi took out a book from beneath his clothes. It was precisely the information Principal Gakuganji had left behind.
Gakuganji Yoshinobu had once been the representative of the Jujutsu World's Conservative Faction and the principal of Kyoto Prefectural Jujutsu High Specialized Training College—
At the same time, he had also been an old friend of Yaga Masamichi.
The former Gakuganji had been used as a weapon by Jujutsu Headquarters and forced to assassinate Yaga Masamichi—all so they could obtain Yaga Masamichi's method of creating Cursed Corpses that possessed souls.
In their eyes, Yaga Masamichi possessed the potential to create an entire army and was a Jujutsu Sorcerer whose threat level had reached Special Grade.
Had Yaga Masamichi willingly revealed the creation method, they would have considered sparing his life.
However, Yaga Masamichi did not choose that path and instead resolutely went to his death. Gakuganji had no other choice but to personally end his life.
Yet before Yaga Masamichi died, he told Gakuganji the creation method.
It was a Curse.
It was also something entrusted to a close friend.
In the end, Gakuganji Yoshinobu chose not to report the method for creating Cursed Corpses. His heart was filled with guilt toward Yaga Masamichi, and this also made him realize that Jujutsu Headquarters was beyond saving.
Before the decisive battle in Shinjuku, Satoru Gojo massacred the higher-ups but spared Gakuganji—he knew that Gakuganji had been Yaga Masamichi's friend and was no longer the extremist leader of the Conservative Faction that he had once been.
After the decisive battle, Gakuganji became the new head of the Jujutsu World's General Headquarters. At the very least, under his leadership, the Jujutsu World became much better than it had been before.
However, because of his advanced age, Gakuganji did not hold the position for long. Before his death, he left behind Yaga Masamichi's method for creating Cursed Corpses and entrusted it to his student, Todo Aoi.
Todo Aoi was the junior he trusted most.
Throughout the nearly seventy years since then, this information had never been opened and was gradually forgotten.
In this world, aside from Yuji Itadori and Todo Aoi, Panda was probably the only other person who knew about it.
"Thank you very much."
Yuji Itadori carefully accepted the information and stored it away.
"There's no need for thanks between Brothers. Everything is understood in our hearts!"
Todo Aoi said with a smile, focusing his gaze on Yuji Itadori.
"But I want to know why you suddenly need these things, Brother."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Also, what exactly gave you your motivation back? We haven't seen each other for twenty years, yet the passion in your eyes burns even more fiercely than it did back then!"
Todo Aoi remembered that the last time he saw Yuji Itadori, the light in Yuji's eyes had gradually faded because of the deaths of his companions.
But now, Todo Aoi had discovered that light had returned to Yuji Itadori's eyes.
Had it been brought back by this girl named Betty?
"But it's fine if you don't want to say."
Todo Aoi waved his hand.
Yuji Itadori looked at Todo Aoi. After several seconds of silence, he spoke.
"What I'm about to tell you may sound unbelievable, but it's the main reason."
"I'm all ears."
Yuji Itadori then told him about the Chat Group.
Todo Aoi was Yuji Itadori's closest friend and one of the most important people in his life.
Therefore, Yuji Itadori told him everything without holding anything back.
Especially the matter of traveling to the past.
"...That really does sound rather unbelievable."
"No, I believe you."
Todo Aoi looked at Yuji Itadori with complete seriousness and nodded.
"After all, even aliens have already appeared in this world, and all the Cursed Spirits have even disappeared. Compared to those things, traveling through time and space isn't impossible. Besides—"
Todo Aoi narrowed his eyes, and a smile once again appeared on his face.
"This is something my Brother told me personally. What reason would I have to doubt it?"
"Thank you, Todo. Come to think of it, the Goodwill Event should be starting soon in the other world too."
"You said the Jujutsu Headquarters of that world has already been completely replaced, right? Since the younger version of you hasn't been sentenced to death, the younger version of me will be able to fight to his heart's content!"
As Todo Aoi spoke, he stroked his beard with his sole remaining hand.
He knew that no matter when or under what circumstances, he and Yuji Itadori would undoubtedly become close friends.
After all, the two of them were brothers who shared the same interests.
True brothers born to different fathers and mothers!
"I remember that Hanami invaded the Goodwill Event back then and once drove us into a desperate situation. But only afterward did we learn that Hanami had merely been a diversion. The enemy's true objective was the Fingers and the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings."
Todo Aoi said as he recalled the past.
"That's right. But in that world, neither Hanami nor Mahito is around anymore. The same goes for Kenjaku. I took the Fingers from Jujutsu High and purified them. As for the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings—"
"You asked me for this information because of Choso and the others, didn't you?"
Yuji Itadori answered.
"Conventional Incarnation requires another person's body. I don't want to do that, so I'm searching for another method. Furthermore, I'm not certain whether doing this is truly right. I don't think Choso and the others are suited to this world. I want them to live in another world."
Yuji Itadori knew that the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings were neither humans nor Cursed Spirits. Their place in the current world would only continue to shrink.
Choso himself would be fine because he looked no different from an ordinary human, but the bodies of the other Cursed Womb: Death Paintings were closer to those of Cursed Spirits.
No matter how equal society became, they could never completely integrate into human life.
Unless Yuji Itadori could give them bodies almost indistinguishable from those of true humans or place them in a suitable environment.
The Cursed Womb: Death Paintings were currently still in the form of Cursed Objects, so Yuji Itadori could place them inside the Group Inventory and freely travel between worlds with them.
Yuji Itadori had previously considered finding Roswaal or the Echidna he had mentioned in Natsuki Subaru's world and having them create more perfect bodies for the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings. Then he could travel to Sato Kazuma's world and ask Aqua to help transfer their souls, allowing the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings to truly live.
However, if he did that, the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings would probably be regarded as independent individuals and would no longer be able to travel between different worlds.
Yuji Itadori could only do everything possible to obtain suitable bodies before bringing them to an appropriate world to be reincarnated.
Aqua was not a member of the Chat Group and could not travel to other worlds.
Therefore, Yuji Itadori decided to search for a method of transplanting souls himself. The information left behind by Yaga Masamichi might be able to help him.
However, Yuji Itadori still felt somewhat conflicted inside. Was the choice he was making truly right for the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings?
Todo Aoi looked at Yuji Itadori's face and immediately guessed what he was thinking—
"If it were Choso, he would definitely be very happy no matter what choice you made."
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T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me.
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