Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

Osaka

Kamihara Hajime stepped out of the airport with his luggage in one hand and White Wolf by his side. Fortunately, the flight allowed pets. While White Wolf was large, its husky appearance and calm, intelligent eyes gave off no sense of aggression—just an unusually sharp presence.

The mission itself wasn't difficult, just a bit unusual. Hajime wasn't here only to deal with a case involving a Curse User—it was also because someone from a certain family had awakened a Technique.

Technically, this should've been Kyoto Jujutsu High's jurisdiction, but the family in question had an old lineage connected to the Jujutsu world. While they'd produced no Sorcerers in recent generations, their ancestors once had strong ties to it. According to Gojo Satoru, it seemed a Technique had resurfaced in a current-generation descendant—likely the result of a generational skip.

Lacking any formal training or knowledge, the individual had mistaken their awakening as some kind of "superpower" (Hajime couldn't help but think: What a familiar story). It wasn't until a recent incident that the family realized something unusual was happening. The girl's grandfather, who was well-versed in their ancestral texts, eventually contacted the Gojo Family for help.

The "incident" turned out to be an attack by Curse Users, which prompted Gojo to send Hajime—partly to resolve the threat, and partly to see if a new student could be scouted for Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Hajime hadn't even left the terminal when he noticed someone holding a placard with his name. Gojo hadn't given him any detailed address, just a phone number and a vague comment that someone would "handle the logistics."

The woman waiting was dressed in a sharp black suit. Her appearance was average, but well put together—standing around 170cm with a composed aura.

As Hajime approached, pushing down his sunglasses slightly to get a better look, he guessed, "Minamoto family, right? I'm Kamihara Hajime."

She gave a formal bow. "Kamihara-kun, I'm Sugihara Riko. The vehicle is waiting outside. Please follow me."

Outside was an imposing, elongated luxury car. Hajime didn't recognize the brand, but the logo was some sort of triangular crest. Sugihara opened the rear door, momentarily stunned as White Wolf leapt in on his own. Hajime followed.

Inside, the back seat was unexpectedly spacious, with only two large chairs. Opposite him sat a girl—young and beautiful, with a soft oval face, almond-shaped eyes, and long, slender legs crossed neatly under a short skirt. She looked like the type who'd get scouted by talent agents walking down the street.

She eyed both Hajime and White Wolf with curiosity, but seemed more intrigued than alarmed. Hajime removed his sunglasses. "You with the Minamoto family?"

The girl extended her hand. "Naine."

Hajime shook her hand briefly. "Kamihara Hajime. You're the one who awakened the Technique, right?"

Her eyes sparkled. "How did you know? Are you a Sorcerer too?"

Of course, he didn't know—he guessed. Her Cursed Energy was well-contained, likely tied to her Technique. And given that she was in the car instead of acting as staff, combined with her curiosity, she was obviously the newly awakened one.

As the car pulled off, Hajime noted the partition separating the front and back seats. Sugihara Riko sat silently in the front.

Instead of answering Naine's question, Hajime leaned back into the comfortable leather and asked, "You've been filled in a bit about the Jujutsu world by now, haven't you?"

She nodded rapidly, visibly excited. For a long time, she'd wondered if others also had strange powers like hers. Now, thanks to her grandfather and the dusty old family archives, the door to a whole new world had opened.

She recalled when Curse Users had targeted their family—and how, thanks to her ability, she'd managed to repel the attacker. "So, do you have a Technique too? What is it? And this dog… is it normal? It seems different…"

Hajime let her ramble until she finally paused. Then he replied, "While some Techniques are public knowledge, it's considered rude to ask someone directly. That said, mine is speed-based."

He nodded at the dog. "His name is White Wolf. Looks like a dog, but he's actually a Cursed Corpse—made by our principal."

That only made her more curious, but Hajime humored her. While she had some foundational understanding, she clearly had a lot of knowledge gaps. He answered the important questions and ignored the fluff.

Eventually, the car came to a smooth stop. Naine perked up. "We're here!"

White Wolf leapt out first, then Hajime stepped onto the driveway of a vast estate. A few more cars were parked along the road—likely security.

Looking around, Hajime noted the landscape: sprawling greenery, very few homes nearby. Isolated and peaceful.

Three people came to greet them at the gate—Naine's parents and her grandfather. The middle-aged man with a refined air stepped forward, smiling. "I'm Minamoto Takashi. This is my wife, Minamoto Meiko, and this is my father, Minamoto Haruki."

"And of course, my daughter Naine. I trust you've already met. Please, come in. We've prepared refreshments."

Hajime nodded with a brief bow—nowhere near ninety degrees. Too much hassle. Probably a bad habit he picked up from Gojo.

They passed through several classic courtyards, patrolled discreetly by security. The atmosphere was calm, but under watch.

They finally reached a tea room. Sugihara Riko shut the door behind them, leaving only the family and Hajime.

Takashi began, "Thank you for coming. Let me explain our situation."

Hajime drank his tea in one go, then waved his hand lazily. "No need for formalities. Just call me Hajime."

Takashi nodded. "Our family is a distant offshoot of the Settsu Source lineage. Only in recent generations did we start building wealth. As our status rose, we began to hear rumors, and some of our older family records confirmed things we'd long dismissed as superstition."

"I never imagined my daughter would actually inherit this talent. I've failed her somewhat by not preparing."

He continued, expression darkening. "Naine visited her grandfather a few days ago and encountered something… unnatural. It was injured by her Technique. We soon realized it wasn't a coincidence—and after some investigation, I contacted the Gojo Family."

Minamoto Haruki spoke up, "They were after a relic passed down through our line—a sword: Dōjikiri Yasutsuna."

Hajime raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that kept in a museum?"

The old man smiled. "That's the replica. We have the real one—Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Legend says it was used by our ancestor to slay the demon Shuten-dōji."

Naine added, "I used it to injure the monster! It looked like a giant, mutated fish."

Her mother shot her a worried look, but her grandfather just chuckled.

A cursed tool, Hajime thought. No wonder a Curse User was involved. But something else tugged at his mind—Shuten-dōji. An Imaginary Vengeful Spirit? Such legends, when manifested through human fear, produced terrifying Curses.

"I'll look into the Curse User, but I have another job here too," Hajime said. "Naine, you've got raw talent, but being a Sorcerer isn't something you can walk into blindly. You need training, proper instruction. That's where Tokyo Jujutsu High comes in."

He briefly explained the school's existence, its purpose, and how Naine might fit in—casually mentioning Gojo as the top instructor.

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. A school that taught real sorcery? She couldn't have dreamed of a better opportunity.

"I'll give you time to think it over," Hajime said. "But for now, can someone show me the site of the attack? I'd like to check for clues."

Takashi nodded. "Father, could you and Naine take Hajime-kun to the ancestral hall? Meiko and I will handle preparations."

The elder led them to a traditional wooden hall. He dismissed the bodyguards and allowed only Sugihara Riko to follow.

Inside, shelves filled with ancient texts and armor lined the walls. A long table in the center displayed a single sheathed sword.

Hajime and White Wolf scanned the room. Some shelves were toppled, and though books had been gathered, signs of damage remained. One window was still broken—a perfect recreation of the scene.

Residual Cursed Energy lingered. Hajime had White Wolf memorize both energy signatures—Naine's and the unknown intruder's.

Naine watched curiously. "Find anything?"

"Some. The intruder's not that strong—Grade 2 at best. It was a shikigami, remotely controlled. Ran as soon as you hit it. Seems like it wanted to stay hidden."

He looked at the sword.

"This blade…"

Haruki walked up, lifting the weapon. "This is the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. Naine used it that day."

"It's a Cursed Tool," Hajime murmured.

Naine added, "It looked like an ugly monster fish…"

Hajime locked away the detail in his memory.

Now he had a target, a weapon, and a potential new student.

Things were about to get interesting.

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