The sun hung low over Jujutsu High, casting long shadows across the training fields. The mourning haze that had dulled the campus air since their last mission had not fully lifted—but the motion of training, of sparring, of pushing their limits forward, kept it at bay.
Yaga watched from a distance as the students gathered. He saw the difference in them. Gojo's swagger was still there, but the shine of it had dulled slightly, tempered with quiet focus. Geto was still composed, but he moved with a haunted edge. And Kishibe—who never smiled before—looked like a man hollowed out, but standing stronger for it.
The trio weren't alone today. Two first-years had been added to their group for the week: Kento Nanami and Yu Haibara.
Nanami was stoic even at this age—precise, practical, and already questioning the ethics of the work they did.
Haibara, in contrast, was a burst of sunlight. His smile never wavered, his optimism burned bright. Even Gojo raised a brow at how cheerful he was before noon.
---
The training began with sparring.
Haibara stood across from Kishibe, bouncing on his toes. "You're, like, super cool, senpai! But I'm not gonna hold back!"
Kishibe merely nodded, drawing his blade.
Gojo called from the sidelines, "You're gonna get diced up, kid!"
"Gotta learn sometime!" Haibara chirped, and then dashed in.
Kishibe didn't go easy on him. But he didn't aim to wound. He guided Haibara's movements with counterattacks, parrying his wild swings and showing, not telling, where he left himself open.
"Lower your stance," Kishibe said, deflecting a punch with the flat of his blade. "And stop grinning so much. You'll lose teeth."
Haibara laughed. "I'll take it if I can learn something!"
Nanami, meanwhile, squared off with Geto.
"You use curse manipulation, correct?" Nanami asked.
"Correct," Geto said, summoning a shikigami to test Nanami's speed.
The clash between them was quiet, focused. Nanami's movements were deliberate. His Ratio Technique, still being refined, broke through the defenses of Geto's weaker curses. But Geto adapted quickly.
"Smart," Geto muttered. "You see the cracks. You go for them."
"I'd rather hit a weak point once than a strong point ten times," Nanami replied.
Gojo watched the others for a while before striding to the middle of the field. "Alright, my turn to show off!"
"Against who?" Haibara asked.
Gojo grinned. "Everyone."
Haibara's jaw dropped. "What!?"
But Geto and Kishibe were already stepping forward.
---
It was chaos.
Cursed energy cracked through the yard. Gojo laughed, his Six Eyes already activated. Kishibe came in low, fast, blade humming with cursed energy. Geto launched a massive cursed centipede from behind. Haibara and Nanami flanked, pressing from the sides.
Gojo dodged, countered, and deflected.
Kishibe's Severance nearly grazed him. Gojo slipped through the attack with a cocky wink. Geto's centipede exploded, sending debris everywhere.
Haibara got the closest hit—a body blow Gojo hadn't expected. "Nice!" Gojo called, genuinely impressed.
But the fight ended when Gojo unleashed a small flicker of his Limitless technique—enough to freeze everyone in place for a second.
"Okay, okay! Time!" Geto shouted, panting.
Kishibe sheathed his blade. Nanami wiped the blood from a shallow cut. Haibara dropped to the grass, beaming.
"That was the coolest thing I've ever done," Haibara said.
Gojo, grinning, helped him up. "You're not bad, Sunshine."
Yaga approached, arms crossed. "Enough showboating. Time for feedback."
The students circled.
Nanami spoke first. "We lack cohesion. It's easy to be picked apart when we aren't thinking like a unit."
Geto nodded. "Agreed. Gojo plays too recklessly. Kishibe's fast, but we need someone watching his back when he lunges in."
Kishibe glanced at Haibara. "You got heart, kid. But stop charging without knowing where you'll land."
Haibara gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir!"
Gojo put a hand on Kishibe's shoulder. "You're a good leader, y'know. You see the whole field."
Kishibe scowled. "Shut up."
Haibara whispered to Nanami, "That means he likes us."
Nanami sighed. "Don't push your luck."
---
That night, the five of them sat beneath the stars, not unlike the trio had days ago. But something was different now.
A lightness.
The crushing weight of their loss hadn't vanished—but training together, fighting together—it gave shape to the pain. It gave them purpose.
"I used to think power was all that mattered," Gojo said quietly. "Now I think it's what you do with it."
Geto looked into the fire. "And what happens when it's not enough?"
Haibara, smiling despite everything, answered: "Then we get stronger together."
Kishibe didn't speak.
But he didn't need to.
He stayed seated with them long after the others had gone, blade resting on his knees, eyes on the sky.
And for once, he let the silence feel like peace.