Oden Uzumaki stood in the center of his relatively small dorm room, lazily adjusting the dark, high collar of his Tokyo Jujutsu High uniform in front of a slightly dusty mirror.
The sharp serpent eyes he possessed slitted slightly as he blinked against the bright morning sun filtering through the window pane. The room around him was a chaotic reflection of his daily life.
Half-empty bags of chips sat on his desk, a stray manga volume was propped against his desk lamp, and right in the middle of his unmade bed lay the crumpled bowling scorecard. He smiled faintly, still feeling a bit smug about how he had utterly demolished Yuji's wallet for those extra-large strawberry parfaits.
He reached for his uniform jacket, about to button it up so he could head out. Maki had made it abundantly clear before they went to bed that there was a mandatory team meeting first thing in the morning to adjust their strategy now that Yuta was officially gone on a mission. Oden wasn't particularly thrilled about waking up early to stare at tactical maps again, but he knew Maki would actively try to hunt him down with a wooden spear if he was late. She had a terrifying amount of discipline, and he really didn't want to deal with her nagging before he even had a proper breakfast.
Before his fingers could even secure the first button, the sliding door to his room didn't just open; it snapped back so fast it nearly rattled completely off its track. The sudden noise echoed loudly in the quiet hallway.
An upside-down face suddenly dropped into view from the top of the doorway, hanging suspended by some unseen force.
"Hey there, Oden. What are we doing so early in the morning?"
Satoru Gojo greeted him with a massive, unhelpful grin, his signature blindfold perfectly in place as he dangled precariously from the top of the doorframe. He looked entirely too awake for this hour, radiating a chaotic sort of energy that always managed to disrupt the peace.
Oden didn't even flinch. At this point, he was entirely desensitized to his teacher's complete lack of personal boundaries. He casually buttoned his jacket, not breaking eye contact with the upside-down sorcerer who was defying gravity just for a grand entrance.
"I am preparing to go to a meeting with Maki. If I am late, she is going to use my ribs as a xylophone. Why are you hanging from my door like a giant bat, sensei?"
Gojo let himself drop smoothly, spinning mid-air to land perfectly on his feet inside the small room without making a single sound. He brushed some imaginary dust off his dark shoulders and waved his hand dismissively in the air, a carefree smile plastered on his face.
"Oh, ditch it," Gojo said casually, leaning back against Oden's desk and accidentally knocking over an empty soda can in the process. "You don't need to go to that meeting. Trust me, you won't be included much in it anyway. Maki is just going to pace around, stress herself out over Yuta being gone, and tell you to stop eating the dry-erase markers."
Oden tilted his head, his serpent eyes narrowing slightly as he considered the statement.
'He is probably right about the markers. She really has no faith in my dietary choices, even though the blue ones taste slightly like blueberries.'
Still, Oden looked at his teacher with a raised eyebrow, refusing to let Gojo off that easily. "And why exactly should I skip? Do you have a better plan, or are you just trying to get me executed by Maki before the event even officially starts?"
Gojo's grin widened, turning into something distinctly mischievous. He leaned forward, tapping his chin thoughtfully as if he were plotting the ultimate prank on the entire jujutsu world.
"I have a brilliant idea, Oden. An absolute masterpiece of a concept, and I need your cooperation to bring it to life. Tell me, what do you think this upcoming Sister School Exchange Event is really about?"
Oden shrugged his shoulders, leaning against his bedpost. "Fighting the Kyoto kids, exorcising some low-grade curses in a confined forest, and winning bragging rights so we can rub it in their faces for the next twelve months?"
Gojo wagged his finger back and forth dramatically, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Wrong. Completely wrong. To the higher-ups, it is a political chess match. To the Kyoto school, it is a chance to reassert their traditional dominance. But to me? And more importantly, to you? Without a doubt, Oden, you are the main stage. You are the absolute main character for this entire event."
Oden blinked, a slow, amused smile creeping onto his face. The concept of being the center of attention always appealed to his vanity. "The main character, huh? I do like the sound of that. It has a nice, appropriate ring to it."
"Exactly," Gojo purred, stepping closer and placing a heavy, reassuring hand on Oden's shoulder. "The higher-ups are watching you. The Kyoto elders are terrified of you. They sent Yuta away because they are cowards, leaving you as the undisputed heavyweight of the Tokyo team. So, let me ask you this: shouldn't the main character's entrance fit that exact caliber? Shouldn't we give them something they will never, ever forget? Think of the looks on their wrinkly old faces!"
Oden's serpent eyes gleamed under the room's fluorescent light. He fully understood what Gojo was implying. Gojo didn't just want a victory; he wanted a theatrical performance that would completely shatter the rigid, boring expectations of the traditionalist faction. Oden loved nothing more than causing low-effort chaos, especially when it involved making old, powerful people deeply uncomfortable and ruining their carefully laid plans.
"Indeed," Oden agreed, his voice dripping with sudden amusement. "My entrance should definitely be spectacular. It would be a disservice to my immense talent if I just walked out there normally like some background character."
Gojo smirked broadly, his shoulders shaking with quiet, infectious laughter. "Excellent. I knew I could count on you. Let's create the best, most absurd entrance in the history of jujutsu. Follow me, my star pupil. We have some serious preparation to do, and we need to acquire some very specific props before the Kyoto bus gets here.
Meanwhile, in the primary strategy classroom across the campus, the atmosphere was notably less festive.
Maki Zenin slammed a thick black marker onto the desk, crossing her arms tightly as she stared at the empty seat at the end of the long wooden table. Panda was sitting quietly next to her, lazily tracing a circle on a paper map, while Toge Inumaki chewed on a piece of dried seaweed. The room was silent except for the faint ticking of a clock on the wall.
"Alright," Maki announced, her voice tight with clear irritation. "It is officially fifteen minutes past the start time. Oden isn't coming."
"He is probably still asleep, or maybe he found another box of snacks in the kitchen," Panda offered with a chuckling huff, adjusting his posture. "You know how he is. If it doesn't involve immediate food or immediate entertainment, his brain just shuts off entirely. We shouldn't be surprised."
Maki let out a loud, aggressive sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off an impending headache. "Whatever. He's not needed for this part anyway. If he were here, he would just complain about the geometry of the terrain or try to draw faces on the whiteboard to distract everyone. Let's just finalize the strategy for the rest of us."
She tapped the map of the exchange event grounds sharply with her fingernail, drawing everyone's attention to the designated forest zone.
"Since the higher-ups successfully pulled Yuta away on that sudden deployment, our raw power output is technically halved," Maki stated, her eyes flashing with a sharp, tactical focus. "But that doesn't change our core objective. The Kyoto team likes to move in a coordinated pack, usually led by Kamo's blood manipulation or guided by Momo's aerial surveillance. Our goal is controlled separation."
She looked up, meeting Panda's serious gaze.
"We are leaving Oden entirely in charge of dealing with Todo. Yesterday, Todo ambushed Yuta in the courtyard, so we know he is itching for a high-level fight. Oden is the only one who can match that freak's physical output without breaking a sweat. Once Oden locks Todo down in a direct confrontation, the rest of us will systematically hunt down and eliminate the remaining Kyoto students one by one. Oden can handle him alone, which frees us up to dominate the rest of the field."
"Salmon," Toge murmured in firm agreement, nodding his head decisively as he adjusted his high collar.
Maki nodded back, satisfied with the response. "Good. We don't need a massive, overcomplicated plan. We just need to execute our roles perfectly. Let's go meet our esteemed guests at the front gates. I want to look them in the eyes before we beat them into the dirt. Show them that Tokyo doesn't back down just because our lineup got messed with."
---
Later that day, the Tokyo students stood lined up on the wide stone pavilion just past the massive main traditional gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High. The sun was fully up now, casting long, sharp shadows across the ancient cobblestones. The mountain air was crisp, but the tension radiating from the students made the atmosphere feel incredibly heavy.
Maki stood at the front of the line, her hands resting casually on her hips, though her posture remained incredibly tight. Panda stood directly behind her, his large furry form drawing the occasional rustle from the nearby trees, while Toge kept his hands deep in his pockets, his high collar pulled all the way up to his nose to block out the chill.
Maki shifted her weight, glaring down the long, winding stone staircase that led up from the mountain base.
"Remind me again why we have to stand out here like a welcoming committee?" Maki grumbled, her voice full of genuine annoyance. "They are our rivals. We are going to be trading blows with them in less than two hours. This traditional hospitality stuff is incredibly tedious and a waste of preparation time."
"It's about politics and optics, Maki," Panda explained smoothly, stretching his massive arms wide to loosen up his joints. "If we don't show up to greet them, the Kyoto principal will write a three-page complaint to Yaga about Tokyo's complete lack of manners. Just smile and look pretty. It's only for a few minutes."
"I don't smile for traditionalists," Maki snapped back, her eyes remaining fixed on the empty steps.
Before Panda could reply, the heavy, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed up from the stone steps. One by one, the Kyoto Jujutsu High students emerged from the tree line, stepping onto the main pavilion.
Noritoshi Kamo walked at the very front, his eyes closed, his hands tucked neatly inside his wide sleeves, embodying the rigid perfection of the Kamo clan. Directly beside him was Mai Zenin, a cruel, mocking smirk already plastering her face the moment her eyes locked onto her twin sister. Kasumi Miwa followed closely behind, looking polite but distinctly nervous, while Momo Nishimiya floated an inch off the ground on her broom, looking down at the Tokyo group with an arrogant tilt of her chin. Mechamaru clanked heavily at the rear, his wooden and metallic joints whirring softly in the quiet morning air.
And standing in the center of their formation was Aoi Todo, his massive chest exposed, his scarred face twisted into a look of absolute boredom.
"Well, well, look what the cat dragged out of the slums," Mai drawled, her voice dripping with venom as she stepped forward, looking directly at Maki. "I see Tokyo is still struggling to maintain a decent wardrobe. Are those the same glasses from last year, sister? Or did you find them in a trash heap?"
Maki didn't even blink. Her expression turned ice-cold. "At least my glasses let me see reality, Mai. Unlike you, who seems to be completely blind to the fact that you're standing on our territory. Try not to cry too hard when I break that little toy gun of yours today."
"What did you say?!" Mai snarled, her hand twitching toward her holster, her anger flaring instantly.
Momo floated a bit higher, looking down her nose at Panda with a look of pure disdain. "Wow, they really are desperate. They are letting literal stuffed animals compete now? Tokyo's standards have truly fallen off a cliff if this is your presentation."
"Hey, this fur is custom-made and highly aerodynamic, Momo!" Panda fired back with a bright, entirely unbothered grin. "You're just jealous because your broom doesn't have a luxury heating option for the winter months!"
While the two sides immediately engaged in a rapid, back-to-back volley of petty insults and tense glaring, Todo stepped out of the Kyoto line. He completely ignored the bickering girls, his sharp, intense eyes scanning the Tokyo lineup with a deep, mounting frustration. He looked left, then right, his jaw clenching tightly together.
He didn't see the massive, oceanic blue-white cursed energy of Yuta Okkotsu, whom he had fought just yesterday. And more importantly, he didn't see the monstrous, lazy presence of the serpent-eyed Special Grade he had heard so much about. The field felt empty to him.
"Oi," Todo boomed, his deep voice instantly cutting through the insults and silencing the entire pavilion. "Where are they?"
Maki narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to be intimidated by his massive frame. "Where are who?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Zenin!" Todo roared, stepping forward so forcefully the concrete seemed to ring under his boot. "Where is Okkotsu?! And where is that other one, the Oden brat?! I came all the way to Tokyo to crush the strongest fighters you have to offer, yet I see nothing but a bunch of second-stringers standing in front of me! It is an insult to my time!"
"Yuta is away on an official mission," Maki said coldly, her voice tight with defensive pride. "And as for Oden... he doesn't feel like wasting his energy standing out here listening to you bark. You'll see him when the match starts."
Todo's face contorted into pure rage. He felt utterly insulted by their lack of presence. To think the two strongest sorcerers of the Tokyo school wouldn't even show up to look him in the eye was a massive blow to his immense pride.
Just as the tension threatened to boil over into an immediate preview of the war, a sharp, authoritative voice echoed from the top of the stairs behind the Kyoto group.
"All of you, calm down and stop acting like children."
Utahime Iori stepped onto the pavilion, her long purple hair swaying behind her. She looked exhausted, her hand resting on her hip as she glared at her own students. "We are here for an official school function, not a street brawl. Todo, get back in line. Mai, stop provoking people before the opening ceremony."
The Kyoto students instantly quieted down, Todo letting out a loud, frustrated huff but stepping back nonetheless. Utahime let out a long sigh, turning her gaze toward the Tokyo students. She looked around the empty courtyard behind them, her eyebrows knitting together in a familiar, deep irritation.
"Alright," she muttered, crossing her arms tightly against her chest. "I see my students are accounted for. So where the hell is Satoru? Is that idiot late again? We scheduled this arrival time a week ago!"
Maki let out a dry, deadpan chuckle, shaking her head. "He's always late, Utahime-sensei. If Gojo-sensei was ever on time, I would assume the world was ending or someone had body-swapped him."
"Salmon," Toge chimed in, shaking his head in complete agreement.
Panda rubbed the back of his neck, offering a helpless smile. "Yeah, and unfortunately, it seems Oden is rapidly developing his exact same terrible habits. The two of them have been missing since sunrise. They are probably off somewhere buying limited-edition sweets or causing a public disturbance in the city."
Utahime's forehead visibly sprouted a throbbing vein.
'That absolute man-child...' she growled under her breath, clenching her fists tightly. 'He does this every single year! He has absolutely no respect for the schedule, no respect for authority, and he is actively corrupting the youth!'
Suddenly, a massive, booming voice resonated across the entire mountain pavilion, drowning out the wind. The sound didn't come from a megaphone or a speaker; it felt like it was vibrating directly out of the sky itself, rich, theatrical, and completely unbothered by reality.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone!"
The voice of Satoru Gojo echoed through the trees, filled with an obnoxious amount of dramatic flair that made everyone instantly look upward.
"But do not despair! For the wait is finally over! Behold, the true main event! The absolute pinnacle of Tokyo excellence! Welcome... the main star of the show! Oden!"
---
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