The urgency in Rin's eyes was almost palpable, yet when faced with his request to "depart now," Gojo Satoru suddenly fell silent.
He leaned back in his office chair, raising a hand to remove his black blindfold. His azure Rikugan had lost its usual flamboyance, leaving only an indescribable difficulty.
His fingertips unconsciously caressed the rim of a cup, but he remained silent for a long time.
Rin's heart sank little by little. He could feel that it wasn't Gojo Satoru holding him back, but another, more intangible force.
"It's not that I won't let you go."
Gojo Satoru finally broke the silence, his tone carrying a rare helplessness:
"Your strength has long been sufficient for Special Grade missions. With Cursed Spirits appearing frequently now, I can't handle it all alone. Logically, you should have been deployed to help long ago."
He paused, then changed his tone, a hint of sarcasm entering his voice:
"But the Higher-Ups are firmly blocking your mission authority. No matter how much I argue, they only give the perfunctory reply of 'further observation.'"
"They're not targeting you; they're targeting me."
This sentence struck Rin like a bolt of lightning, making him instantly understand.
"My forces are growing stronger. Okkotsu can already handle things independently, and now there's you, a Special Grade with unlimited potential."
Gojo Satoru's voice grew colder:
"And my philosophy is to break the monopoly of those old Jujutsu families. This touches their very foundation."
Those old geezers from the Jujutsu families, despite having no real talent or knowledge, firmly held onto the management rights of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
They couldn't defeat Gojo Satoru, so they could only try to annoy him with such "minor matters." After all, no matter how rampant the Cursed Spirits became, Gojo Satoru would ultimately take care of it, and they wouldn't be affected at all.
"But you are the strongest."
Rin was puzzled:
"With your strength, you can completely disregard these rules."
"Of course, I can."
Gojo Satoru looked up, a sharp glint flashing in his Rikugan:
"I could easily eliminate all opposition, completely control Tokyo Jujutsu High, and even the entire Jujutsu World. But that's not what I want."
What he wanted was change, to break the corrupt rules and free the Jujutsu World from the control of the families, not to become a dictator.
So, even with absolute power, he willingly bound himself by rules. Only by achieving change within the rules could he gain the trust of more people and truly alter the status quo.
"Those old geezers are exploiting precisely this point, which is why they dare to be so brazen."
Gojo Satoru tapped the desk:
"They know I won't easily break the rules, so they're using your mission authority as a bargaining chip, trying to force me to compromise and restrict the expansion of my influence."
Rin fell silent.
He finally understood that he was merely a pawn in the game between the Higher-Ups and Gojo Satoru.
They feared Gojo Satoru's power, so they targeted him, the "outsider," to both suppress Gojo Satoru's influence and test his bottom line.
Rin silently listened to Gojo Satoru's words, said nothing more, just nodded slightly, and turned to leave the office.
The corridor lights stretched his shadow long. There was no ripple in his blood-red pupils, only the hidden reluctance and irritation deep within.
He didn't return to the dormitory. Instead, he walked down the stairs, leaving Tokyo Jujutsu High and aimlessly stepping into the night city.
Streetlights flickered, traffic flowed endlessly, and the noisy crowd felt out of place with him.
Rin walked slowly along the street, hands in his pockets, a thought repeatedly echoing in his mind: Was disbanding the Star Plasma Cult truly a mistake?
If he hadn't disbanded that organization back then, he could still rely on the Star Plasma Cult's intelligence network to precisely locate powerful Cursed Spirits everywhere, instead of being strictly confined to Tokyo Jujutsu High by the Higher-Ups, doing repetitive and meaningless tasks every day.
Two months of peace, which was stability for others, was a waste of time for him.
He could clearly feel that a crisis was rapidly approaching.
The frequent appearance of Special Grade Cursed Spirits that Gojo Satoru mentioned, Jogo had already appeared, and the Culling Game was not far off.
He had to increase his strength as much as possible before these major events occurred; otherwise, let alone using the crisis to grow stronger, it would be difficult to even protect himself.
In his eyes, everyone and everything were merely tools on his path to becoming stronger.
He never intended to eliminate crises; he only wanted to use them to continuously break his limits and ultimately reach an unparalleled height.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Rin arrived at the rooftop of a tall building.
He flipped over and sat on the edge of the rooftop, with the dazzling city nightscape below his feet.
The evening breeze brushed through his black hair, bringing a touch of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his heart.
Just then, Sukuna's cold and seductive voice echoed in his mind once more:
"What, already feeling bored?"
The voice carried a hint of mockery, as if scoffing at his predicament:
"Then why are you still sitting here? Rin, you should seek real battles, not lament here like a mortal."
Rin didn't respond, merely gazing at the distant lights, his fingertips tightening slightly.
"Being restricted by those old geezers, bound by Gojo Satoru's rules, is this what you want?"
Sukuna's voice continued, carrying a fatal temptation:
"You could clearly have a wider world, you could clearly hunt Cursed Spirits and improve your strength as you please, yet you insist on trapping yourself in a cage."
"Star Plasma Cult? Do you regret disbanding it?"
Sukuna seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled lightly:
"Regret is useless.
However, if you want to find Cursed Spirits, I can help you."
Rin's eyes shifted, finally showing a hint of reaction.
Sukuna's tone grew more and more enticing, "As long as you are willing to undo part of the seal, I can help you find them.
At that time, you can fight however you want, become stronger however you want, and never have to cater to anyone again."
"Those crises are not trouble for you; they are excellent nourishment!"
Sukuna's voice held a hint of fanaticism, "As long as you seize the opportunity, you can even surpass Gojo Satoru, surpass me!"
Rin's breathing quickened slightly.
Sukuna's words accurately pierced his deepest desires: to break free from restraints and become stronger as he pleased.
He raised his hand and pressed it against his forehead, clearly feeling Sukuna's restless Cursed Energy in the Divine Tree Space, and those vertical pupils filled with greed and seduction.
"Undo the seal, and I'll help you."
Sukuna's voice was like the devil's whisper:
"Our goal is the same, to stand at the pinnacle of this world."
Rin remained silent for a long time. The evening breeze ruffled his clothes, making them flap.
He knew Sukuna's ambition and was aware of the risks of undoing the seal, but his inner desire, under Sukuna's allure, expanded little by little.
Rin lowered his gaze to the city below, a cold resolve flashing in his blood-red pupils.
"Heh, undo the seal? You're being too fanciful."
He scoffed, his tone full of disdain and wariness:
"I don't need your help. I'll find Cursed Spirits myself, and I'll get stronger on my own."
He knew Sukuna's ambition too well; that guy merely wanted to regain freedom through his body, so how could he genuinely help him?
Undoing the seal? It would be akin to playing with fire.
But this did not mean he would allow the Tokyo Jujutsu High Higher-Ups to manipulate him, wasting time meaninglessly here.
Sukuna's allure continued to chatter in his mind, repeating tempting words.
Rin's patience completely ran out. He frowned deeply, his tone tinged with irritation:
"Why? Why can you still speak in my body? Why can't I just seal your mouth?"
Faced with his question, Sukuna chuckled. The laughter was cold and carried a knowing mockery:
"No, Rin, you can do it."
He paused, his words like a fine needle, accurately piercing deep into Rin's heart:
"But have you ever considered that you yourself don't want me to shut up?"
"Nonsense!"
Rin subconsciously retorted, his face instantly darkening. How could he possibly want Sukuna to chatter in his mind, how could he allow the King of Curses to interfere with his thoughts?
"Perhaps you are too lonely."
Sukuna's voice softened, carrying a strange gentleness that made it even more seductive:
"Your subconscious wants to communicate with someone, wants someone to talk to, so I appeared."
"You see, you disbanded the Star Plasma Cult, rejected your companions at Tokyo Jujutsu High, and have no one around to confide in."
Sukuna's words were like a serpent's tongue, constantly licking at Rin's defenses:
"Only I can always be with you, can see through your ambition, and can understand your obsession with becoming stronger."
Rin abruptly clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
He didn't want to admit it, but Sukuna's words were like a thunderclap, splitting open the hard shell he had deliberately put on.
He was indeed lonely. After disbanding the Star Plasma Cult, he became a lone wolf.
Upon arriving at Tokyo Jujutsu High, he deliberately kept his distance from Maki, Panda, and Inumaki, unwilling to open up.
He seemingly had Gojo Satoru's approval, but there was always an insurmountable barrier between them.
His ambition, his anxiety, his worries about the future—he had never been able to confide in anyone.
Yet, even so, he would never admit that he needed Sukuna's "companionship."
Rin said nothing more, his face terribly grim, his surrounding Cursed Energy slightly agitated by his emotional fluctuations.
He abruptly stood up and walked towards the edge of the rooftop, each step filled with resolve.
The city lights reflected in his blood-red pupils, shimmering with dangerous and cold light.
The evening breeze lifted his clothes, making them flap, as if echoing the turmoil within him.
"Lonely? Perhaps."
He murmured to himself, but without the slightest wavering:
"But I would rather be lonely than become your puppet."
Sukuna seemed to sense his determination and said no more, leaving only a meaningful chuckle in his mind before temporarily falling silent.
Rin stood at the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the bustling streets below.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within, his eyes once again becoming sharp and resolute.
He didn't need Sukuna's help, nor did he need false companionship.
The Higher-Ups' restrictions, his companions' distance, his inner loneliness—none of these could stop his progress.
Rin leaped, jumping from the rooftop.
Cursed Energy attached to his feet allowed him to land smoothly like a feather.
Without the slightest hesitation, his figure flashed and disappeared into the night.
Panda
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