JJK: Wheel of Time

Gojo Satoru said to Shin, who had just been set down, "Hey, welcome to Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College or just Jujutsu High. You'll be studying here when you're a bit older."

Shin surveyed the surroundings. Between rows of tall, neatly arranged trees, there was a stone-paved path lined with numerous stone lanterns. In the distance, a cluster of ancient, traditional buildings with curved eaves and corners blended with the mountains and forests, giving off a distinctly historical atmosphere.

As they walked, Gojo Satoru continued, "This place is protected by barriers. Ordinary people and even curse users can't easily enter. You stay here for a while. I'll arrange things for you after I take care of some business."

Passing through several buildings, Gojo finally brought Shin in front of a tall, muscular man. This man had short, strong black hair, a neatly trimmed beard near his chin, and sharp, determined eyes—an embodiment of strength and masculinity.

"Gojo, what's going on? Why are you bringing a child here?"

Gojo briefly explained the situation to the man, then turned to Shin and said, "This is my former homeroom teacher and the next principal of this place, Yaga Masamichi. Yaga-sensei, I'll leave him with you for now. I'll be back soon."

After Gojo left, it was just the two of them, staring at each other—Yaga Masamichi, arms crossed, looking down at the little boy who barely reached his waist, his expression serious.

"Ahem…"

Yaga Masamichi broke the silence. They couldn't just keep staring at each other—that would be far too awkward. An idea occurred to him, and he spoke in as gentle a voice as he could muster: "Do you like toys? I have many moving toys here. Maybe you'll find something you like."

Shin then recalled Panda. It seemed that this tough-looking man could make "cursed puppets," objects infused with cursed energy that could move on their own. He became intrigued and nodded in interest.

Yaga Masamichi led Shin into a room filled with a wide variety of dolls, most of them based on animals, with many tools scattered around. He picked up a round, fluffy white ball that had only a cartoonish pair of eyes and a mouth—no limbs—and handed it to Shin. "Gojo said you have cursed energy too. Just hold it in your hands, focus on making it move, and then throw it on the ground."

Shin held the object, slightly smaller than a basketball, and squeezed it. It felt nice in his hands. Following Yaga's instructions, he channeled his cursed energy into the ball. Soon, the cartoonish eyes on it began to animate, and the ball started to tremble in his hands, almost as if it wanted to escape his grip.

Shin quickly threw the ball to the ground. The fluffy ball immediately bounced off the floor at a tremendous speed, hitting the ceiling, then darting around the room in a dizzying pattern.

Thud!

Bang!

Crack!

Yaga Masamichi was stunned. This was just a toy he'd made in his spare time, designed to be elastic when infused with cursed energy. It had little combat power, so he had left it idle. But now, why was it bouncing around at such terrifying speed? And what were those cracks on the walls and ceiling?

Just as Yaga was about to intervene and stop the rapidly ricocheting ball, he noticed Shin suddenly reaching out, and the ball was firmly caught in his hands. Yaga realized that something was unusual.

Gojo had only mentioned that the boy was "a bit special," without going into detail. The speed at which Shin moved had almost escaped his notice, and though he hadn't been prepared, it was still shocking.

Shin's eyes sparkled. Though he had the mind of someone beyond his years, there was still a childlike innocence in him, likely due to his young body.

Tossing the ball and watching it bounce around wildly before catching it again—this supercharged bouncing ball gave Shin immense joy.

Yaga had intended to say something, but seeing how happy Shin was playing, he held back. While Shin played with the fluffy white ball, Yaga took out a few other relatively harmless cursed puppets for him to play with.

---

By the time Gojo Satoru returned, he found Yaga Masamichi sitting cross-legged, chuckling, while Shin played nearby with a husky-shaped cursed puppet. The boy tossed the white fluffy ball, which bounced away at incredible speed.

The husky then joyfully sprinted after it, grabbed the ball in its mouth, and ran back, even stumbling along the way but quickly recovering to deliver the ball to Shin.

Noticing Gojo's return, Yaga Masamichi stood up and greeted him, "Satoru, you're back."

Gojo scratched his head. "What's going on here?" Yaga explained, "I was worried he'd be bored, so I gave him a few cursed puppets to play with. You know, I've been researching ways to give cursed puppets their own consciousness. This dog is one of my less successful attempts."

Yaga looked at Gojo thoughtfully and added, "This kid has impressive talent. Where did you find him, and what's your plan for him?"

Gojo rubbed his chin, and to Yaga's dismay, he said, "Huh? Didn't I tell you earlier?"

After explaining Shin's background in more detail, Yaga squinted. "That's quite something…" Gojo grinned as he watched the husky run around and added, "I've already taken care of the paperwork at the orphanage. I'll find him a place to stay soon. If necessary, I'll hire a nanny. He's old enough to live on his own, right?"

Yaga sighed, "He's only seven or eight. Sure, he's smart for his age, but you can't be that careless. And didn't you already adopt another kid? You should have experience by now."

Gojo suddenly remembered and smacked his fist into his palm. "Oh right! I'll have him live with Megumi and the others. They're around the same age. He'll have more company that way. Let's do that."

Yaga shook his head, no longer expecting Gojo to act responsibly. He gestured to Shin, calling him over.

Shin approached with the fluffy ball and the husky in tow. Gojo waved and said cheerfully, "I've arranged everything with the orphanage. I also found a nice place for you to stay."

"Oh, thank you."

Shin politely expressed his gratitude, then turned to return the fluffy ball to Yaga. But Yaga waved it off. "Take these cursed puppets as gifts. The ball is harmless, but the dog, whom I've named White Wolf, has some combat capability. It might be helpful to you in the future."

Shin looked down at the tail-wagging White Wolf, then back up at Yaga with a serious expression, sincerely thanking him. He hadn't expected this stern-looking man to be so kindhearted, giving him such thoughtful gifts.

Gojo then said, "Alright, I'm taking him with me now," and before Shin could protest, Gojo picked him up again, with White Wolf and the fluffy ball tucked in his arms. Waving goodbye, Gojo and Shin vanished from the spot.

They reappeared on a quiet street, in front of a standalone house. Gojo handed Shin a key. "This will be your home from now on. I might hire a nanny for you later. First, let me take you next door to meet your new companion. He'll be one of my future students."

They walked over to the neighboring house, and Gojo knocked on the door, calling out in a drawn-out, cheerful voice, "Megumi, Tsumiki, open up! It's me, Gojo Satoru!"

After a rhythmic knocking, the door was unlocked and opened by a quiet, polite-looking girl who greeted Gojo.

"Where's Megumi? I've brought a new companion for you all."

Tsumiki looked over at the boy standing behind Gojo, then replied, "Megumi is in his room."

Gojo, hands in his pockets, casually made his way upstairs. Just as he was about to push open a door, it swung open, revealing a boy with spiky black hair.

"Gojo-sensei, do you ever plan on knocking?"

Gojo waved it off. "Didn't I already knock?"

Young Megumi Fushiguro sighed, "Not this door… Never mind."

Gojo tousled Megumi's hair, flattening the spiky tips only for them to spring back up. With a dramatic flourish, he introduced, "Ta-da! Here's your new companion. His name is Shin Shuichi, and like you, he has the talent of a jujutsu sorcerer. He's already awakened his technique, so you might even be classmates one day."

Shin sized up the young Megumi, who looked much like the image he had in his mind—especially the spiky hair. Despite the boy's indifferent expression, there was a certain… charm?

But to Shin, he seemed like the type of person you'd want to punch. Of course, Shin was a good kid and wouldn't resort to violence. Back at the orphanage, people respected him, so he didn't have to assert dominance.

Speaking of the orphanage, he wonders how things are going there. But with the authorities and professionals taking care of it, there shouldn't be any issues.

'When I'm older, I'll find some time to go back and check on it…'

While Shin was sizing up Fushiguro Megumi, the other boy was also observing him. After hearing Gojo Satoru's words, Megumi's face darkened. "I don't want to become a sorcerer…"

Gojo Satoru acted as if he didn't hear and cheerfully continued, "Well, now you two know each other. Oh, and by the way, since school is starting soon, you'll likely be classmates in elementary school too!"

"You two get to know each other. I've got things to do, so I'll leave now, bye~." As Gojo spoke, he vanished, leaving the three kids standing there.