Gojo leaned against the classroom wall, arms crossed lazily as the first-years shuffled in, eyes wide with nervous energy.
Today was the day Yuta Okkotsu was introduced, standing awkwardly at the front alongside Maki, Panda, and Toge Inumaki.
Their presence was familiar, a part of the school's ever-turning cycle of new talent, and yet something in Gojo's mind drifted elsewhere.
'It's been four years…'
He thought, tapping his chin.
'Four years since that kid showed up under my wing. Roy… where is he now? Alive? Strong? Still training somewhere, or has he… disappeared from the world entirely?'
Gojo shook off the thought with a small smirk, though his eyes lingered on the empty space near the window where he had often observed his students in training.
Roy Viltorium.
A boy with unmatched potential, a trickster at heart, and a cursed technique that even Gojo had been curious to see fully realized.
And yet, here he was… no longer a part of Gojo's immediate world.
"Alright, everyone,"
Gojo called, his voice carrying over the classroom.
"Yuta this is your first day. Remember, first impressions matter, so try not to blow anything up."
The students exchanged introductions, with Yuta nervously stumbling over his words.
Panda tilted his head curiously, Maki crossed her arms, and Toge muttered a quiet greeting.
Gojo observed all of them carefully, but his mind kept drifting to the boy he hadn't seen in years.
'I wonder how far he's come… if he's even alive.'
He couldn't shake the memory of the boy with the golden eyes, the messy brown hair, and the unrelenting determination that had impressed him from the start.
Roy had shown incredible promise even before his techniques fully manifested, mastering illusions and mobility beyond what most students could do in years of training.
Gojo sighed, leaning back.
'A shame… I'd love to see what he's become now. All that time, all that work…'
Maki's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Gojo-sensei? Are you… okay? You look kind of lost in thought."
Gojo glanced at her, letting a small, knowing grin cross his face.
"Just thinking about an old student. Potential Special Grade in the making, you know?"
Maki raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"You mean… someone from before?"
"Exactly,"
Gojo said lightly, masking a hint of concern behind his usual charm.
"He's gone somewhere, doing his own thing… somewhere out there, growing stronger."
Yuta's voice wavered nervously.
"You think… he's okay?"
Gojo's smirk softened into a thoughtful expression.
"He's probably fine. Kid's tough. But I won't lie… I wouldn't mind seeing him back here. See what all that time has done."
The room fell into a quiet hum as introductions finished and students began settling into their new routines.
Gojo's eyes flicked around, pretending to observe the class, but in truth, he was thinking about a boy he hadn't seen in years, whose potential he still couldn't fully predict.
'Whatever he's become, wherever he is…'
Gojo mused silently.
'I hope he's ready. The world's about to get a little more interesting when, if, he decides to show up again.'
For now, Gojo's gaze returned to Yuta and the other first years.
The present demanded attention, but in the back of his mind lingered a shadow, a reminder of the untapped storm that had once been under his guidance.