There was no way the higher-ups could hide the fact that Gojo Satoru and Sherlock had somehow managed to trigger Black Flash during a teacher-student brawl.
Especially since Gojo had also smashed part of the dormitory in the process.
By early the next morning, a complete report on the incident was sitting in front of the conservative elders.
Their expressions were spectacular.
Disgust.
Disbelief.
Confusion.
And beneath all of it, calculation.
Jujutsu sorcerers lived under tremendous pressure, so strange hobbies weren’t exactly uncommon.
People developed all kinds of coping mechanisms.
But someone like Sherlock?
This was a first.
The boy had somehow become so obsessed with those performers and their fan event that missing it pushed him into landing Black Flash.
To the higher-ups, the entire situation bordered on incomprehensible.
Then again, that was exactly why they were the higher-ups.
They clung stubbornly to tradition, hierarchy, and propriety.
Sherlock, meanwhile, seemed almost specifically designed to step on every social landmine they cared about.
Even with the tremendous strategic value of Flying Thunder God, Sherlock’s personality had already dragged his reputation dangerously close to Gojo Satoru’s.
More importantly…
No one in the room said it aloud, but nearly every elder found Sherlock deeply irritating.
The boy had somehow managed to drive even Gojo into a rage.
So despite how tempting his cursed technique was, the higher-ups ultimately decided against trying to recruit him directly.
Instead, they mentally tied Sherlock and Gojo together.
Permanently.
Their reasoning looked perfectly respectable on paper.
Tokyo Jujutsu High currently had only one full-time teacher and one first-year student.
Summer was approaching, which meant curse activity would soon increase.
Sherlock’s teleportation ability could dramatically improve Gojo’s mission efficiency.
Therefore, it would be logical for teacher and student to begin taking assignments together.
Reasonable.
Practical.
Responsible.
At least on the surface.
In reality, it was a calculated trap.
Gojo’s missions were often extremely dangerous.
One mistake and a Grade 2 sorcerer like Sherlock could easily get caught in the aftermath of a battle far beyond his level.
And even if Gojo left Sherlock outside the combat zone to act as support, Sherlock’s own Grade 2 assignments would inevitably become mixed into their schedule.
Eventually, the higher-ups assumed, Gojo would get impatient.
Knowing his personality, he’d probably start casually exorcising Sherlock’s targets himself just to save time.
And if that continued…
Sherlock would stop growing.
He’d remain stuck in Gojo’s shadow.
Sooner or later, resentment would develop between them.
Once cracks appeared in the relationship, the higher-ups could step in.
Recruit Sherlock.
Control him.
Or eliminate him.
Whichever became more convenient.
And so an official order assigning Gojo and Sherlock as a permanent mission pair was sent directly to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
The moment Masamichi Yaga read it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“What the hell are they thinking?!” He immediately stood up, fully prepared to storm over to headquarters and protest.
Not because he’d understood the higher-ups’ political scheme.
Yaga simply knew exactly what Sherlock and Gojo were capable of when left together for too long.
That combination was more dangerous than Gojo and Suguru Geto had ever been.
And Yaga knew from experience.
It hadn’t even been two months.
In that time, he’d already had to retrieve Gojo from a police station once.
Then he’d been forced to clean up the mess from the Hokkaido kidnapping vacation.
Then he’d personally apologized to an entertainment company because of Sherlock’s fan-event disaster.
If Gojo and Sherlock were officially paired on every mission?
Yaga could already see his future.
Police stations.
Government offices.
Damaged buildings.
Angry civilians.
Emergency calls in the middle of the night.
Constantly going somewhere ridiculous to collect his former student and his current student’s equally troublesome student.
Everything else was survivable.
But Yaga absolutely refused to let those two destroy his professional reputation as an educator.
Unfortunately, his grand campaign to save his dignity ended before it even began.
Because just as Yaga was leaving the office…
He ran into Gojo.
Unlike the straightforward Yaga, who had never been especially interested in political games, Gojo was much more sensitive to manipulation.
He wasn’t yet the older version of himself who could instantly read the higher-ups’ intentions from a single glance.
But even now, this order smelled wrong.
Gojo took it from Yaga.
Read it once.
Then again.
His expression cooled.
After thinking for a moment, he understood what the elders were trying to do.
“Don’t bother going, Yaga.” Yaga frowned.
“What?” “They won’t change it.” Gojo handed the order back.
“Those old fossils want Sherlock tied to me.” He dragged Yaga back into the principal’s office and explained his theory.
By the time he finished, Yaga could only stare at him.
Then stare at the order.
Then stare back at Gojo.
Finally, he sighed.
“They really don’t think like normal people, do they?” Gojo snorted.
The higher-ups expected him to get annoyed and start clearing Sherlock’s Grade 2 missions for him?
That was ridiculous.
The far more likely outcome was the exact opposite.
Gojo would dump his own missions onto Sherlock whenever possible, then stand outside eating sweets and watching.
Unless Sherlock was genuinely about to die, Gojo wouldn’t interfere.
And Sherlock’s missions?
Those could be handled between larger assignments.
Flying Thunder God made travel almost irrelevant.
What was supposed to be a malicious political arrangement would probably turn into a training program Gojo would’ve designed himself.
Yaga rubbed his forehead.
His headache was already starting.
After a long silence, he finally looked at Gojo seriously.
“Satoru.” Gojo glanced over.
“You need to remember something.” Yaga’s tone became firm.
“You aren’t a student anymore.” “You can’t do whatever you want and expect someone else to deal with the consequences.” “You’re a teacher now.” Gojo said nothing.
“That means you’re responsible for Sherlock.” “He may be…
unconventional.” Gojo’s mouth twitched.
“That’s generous.” Yaga ignored him.
“But I don’t want to see that boy get killed because you decided to turn a mission far beyond his level into another training exercise.” The message could not have been clearer.
Do not dump your dangerous assignments onto Sherlock.
Unfortunately, judging by Gojo’s expression…
Not a single word had gotten through.
He casually pulled a lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, and stuck it into his mouth.
Then he leaned back with both hands behind his head.
“Relax, Yaga.” Yaga’s eye twitched.
“I’m the strongest.” Gojo grinned.
“And more importantly, I’m the greatest teacher, Gojo-sensei.” “I’d never let anything happen to my student.” Yaga stared at him suspiciously.
Then Gojo suddenly seemed to remember something.
His grin changed.
It became dangerous.
“Oh, right.” He stepped closer to the desk.
“Speaking of being a teacher…” Yaga immediately sensed trouble.
Gojo reached into his coat and pulled out a small booklet.
Then he slapped it down onto the desk.
Yaga looked at it.
His expression froze.
Gojo leaned forward with a smug smile.
“Are you really qualified to lecture me about a teacher’s responsibilities?” For just a moment, Yaga’s face dimmed.
Then Gojo continued.
“Because, if I remember correctly…” He tapped the booklet.
“You still don’t have the same official teaching certification I do.” Yaga slowly looked up.
Gojo’s grin widened.
“I do.” He held up the document proudly.
“Special-grade teaching certification~” Yaga’s blood pressure skyrocketed.
Gojo waved it in front of his face.
“See, Yaga?
Certified teacher right here.” A vein appeared on Yaga’s forehead.
Gojo was still smiling when the Fist of Righteous Guidance, powered by an unmistakable amount of professional jealousy, came crashing down onto his head.
THUNK!
“OW!”