the op of jjk season 2 is rife with symbolism. there's one particular motif, however, that foreshadows the trajectory (and tragedy) of gojo and geto's love story.
almost immediately, we see geto running through the rain. the stylistic choice to portray him holding his bag over his head is deliberate, because it emphasizes what he conspicuously doesn’t have but so clearly needs: an umbrella.
gojo, on the other hand, is not operating with the same sense of urgency, seen through him taking his time looking at a cat. gojo has what geto needs, but he's not rushing. their behaviour is incongruous; geto is hurrying to get out of the rain, and gojo remains still, because he’s absolutely not hurrying at all.
the sense of urgency is compounding, seen through geto bouncing his leg. he’s waiting impatiently in the rain, and he's not using his bag to cover up his head anymore. geto knows gojo is coming; that's why he's impatient— because he's waiting for someone who has what he needs that hasn’t shown up yet.
geto needs him, yet gojo doesn’t pick up the pace. this is despite the fact that he needs to because it’s raining and geto doesn’t have an umbrella. we, as the audience, feel geto's impatience and we're urging gojo on, yet he still doesn't go any faster.
sharing an umbrella is an established trope in japan. it’s widely recognized and practiced enough to have its own designated terminology.
gojo is bringing an umbrella for them to share. that's why it’s repeatedly reinforced to the audience that geto doesn't have one. that’s also why the shots cut between them; it highlights what gojo has that geto doesn’t, and in doing so, ties the narrative together through the umbrella.
by the time gojo finally shows up, the sun has come out. gojo lowers the umbrella and smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. contrarily, geto almost seems resigned, like he’s accepted the fact that gojo took too long. they can’t share the umbrella anymore because they missed their chance to use it.
we can see that geto is saying something to gojo when he finally shows up with the umbrella. you know what i would bet actual money it probably was?
Hidden Inventory is Satoru’s memory of his high school days with Suguru, and what had all went wrong.
So why is Suguru the one narrating it??
“Things were busy that summer. Cursed spirits were springing up like maggots.”
“Satoru had become the strongest.”
“I hate monkeys. That’s the true feeling I chose.”
It was all Suguru’s thoughts. But it’s supposed to be Satoru’s perspective?
My theory—Satoru was remembering Suguru telling him his side of the story. At some point during the 10 years Suguru was a curse user, they met and talked. I just don’t believe with how close they were, Satoru never tried getting Suguru back multiple times. He could have found Suguru (because we all know how easy it is for him to sense him) and questioned him more. Suguru could have told him his point of view.
Or, maybe, Satoru imagined what Suguru was thinking. He realized too late Suguru’s spiraling thoughts and now it’s imprinted in his memories, a reminder of how he failed to recognize that he was losing it.
Gojo is the most unreliable narrator in the story. He's wrong about everything. "yuuji can guide us to other fingers" wrong. "nah I'd win" wrong. "you die alone" wrong.
Can we extrapolate this to find other things he's probably wrong about? "love is the most twisted curse of all" for example? "you can only save someone who's willing to be saved" ???
gojo's physical form in itself is a cultural symbol which is why it is such a big deal when he's seen in any other way++ besides the labelled strongest; there's no clear split between one's body and mind as they influence one another but it's an interesting way to show that individuals create meaning with their bodies; ie the six eyes being conflated with satoru gojo and the defined strongest. does this mean yuji inherited this cultural symbolism? yes but what part of him is what is instantly recognizable like satorus six eyes n sukunas trueform; because in modulo he seemed unsuspected until he took off his hoodie so im not sure if its a physical trait or not.
Gojo’s beliefs of “when you die, you die alone” & “there is no curse more twisted than love”.
We know these were his personal beliefs. At least the latter was confirmed by his own mouth as a personal theory in jjk0. What he told Megumi during the 1on1 training wasn’t a lecture but a piece of advice for how he hoped Megumi could overcome his limitations. It must’ve worked for, or been personal to, Gojo himself who reflected on how this was inaccurate in ch236.
It got to thinking about how he came to believe these. It’s normal to philosophise following personal experiences and form our worldview. So within the context of the world in jjk, here are my reflections, right or wrong:
As a jujutsu sorcerer they’re expected to embrace death at any moment. They were trained to take lives and therefore they expect the risk that comes with it to some degree. Those whose lives they wish to take will defend themselves, and they can be killed instead. Those with an exceptional burden, whether it be as a teacher or as a talented sorcerer, they’d have to be prepared to lay their lives on the line for others.
We see even adults expressing reluctance over this - like Kusakabe and MeiMei - who have something greater they wish to protect through their survival. Of course it’s not easy to embrace death. Especially when you have a lot to lose. Nanami said he wouldn’t be married for as long as he was a sorcerer. Maybe that’s why they trained them young... but that’s by the by. The greater the strength, the greater the responsibility. This is what the strongest duo shouldered with the mission from Tengen, and this was what they had to get used to when being sent on missions separately.
Meaning, there was always the need to accept the high possibility of going alone. Risking just yourself. Alone.
And it’s not hard to imagine that Gojo and Geto both accepted that death equated to a sense of being alone after they parted ways.
Because they weren’t a duo anymore. The end, the death of it. Even if they were, like in HI, they might still have “died” separately. Helplessly.
So in that sense we can see how the ideal about dying alone could have come about for Gojo, who tended to learn things experientially (e.g. not only as a talented & gifted sorcerer - a genius, but also in the matters of decorum, love, etc.) so in terms of loss and grief, it should not be any different.
When Geto embarked on his path, he accepted that this alone-ness equated to a certain death. He actually sought to be alone (like killing his parents) aside from the girls he protected and found a family who were considered outcasts/minorities within the conservative Japanese society.
He embraced his own self sacrifice - his death - so much so that he proclaimed it would have meaning for Gojo to take his life. Gege wanted him to caution Gojo not to take others’ lives along with his (since they had opposing ideologies too), encouraging Gojo to stay on that path and not follow him. It was like walking alone to his death, living on borrowed time.
And Gojo for certain left behind.
Maybe the pain of having left behind, feeling alone as the strongest, felt like death too. It was not enough to be strong if you were alone. Loss is grief. Being alone was a loss and grief. Grief and loss have roots in separation, in death.
And in being the strongest, being left behind, being alone, being prepared to die, watching someone be prepared to die, and seeing others die - he might’ve felt that his death would equate to being alone too. This was the worst pain he had ever known after all.
So I HC that, just like “love is the most twisted curse” he believed that “when you die, you die alone” based on his own lived experiences.
And for what reason did his greatest hurt/pain emerge? Why was he left behind…? Well, it was out of love.
Love really could make the most twisted of curses. It can bind someone to your soul. We know the parallels with Yuta & Rika and Gojo & Geto.
From HI we can delve deeper. For the sake of humanity, out of compassion and love, Geto became twisted and cursed himself by having crazy ideals that required him to sacrifice himself and humans. Out of love for Gojo, he also cursed them both to separation & loneliness. Out of love, Gojo was twisted himself, cursed as he couldn’t kill his friend, had chosen to abide by the principles and values shown to him, could not move on … and therefore this personal theory was born.
It of course got worse for Gojo (😭) and all hell broke loose when he had to kill his beloved bff but couldn’t let his corpse go.
Sigh.
Love is also salvation though. Gojo made sure Geto didn’t die alone. And Haibara made sure Nanami didn’t. Maybe Nanami made sure Haibara didn’t all the way back then too.
When Gojo died, Geto picked him up.
Love also gave meaning and purpose. It drives humanity. But it was also a curse and Gojo theorised right.
Maybe the two beliefs are linked, in that if you didn’t know love (humanity?) you might die alone, with regret. If you hung onto love and lived purposefully with humanity in mind, you might die a good death.
Who knows what themes Gege is cooking...
Thoughts? Feel free to comment or reblog with them!
Hello, I'm new here and I really liked your tumblr. I would like it if you could answer my question. Don't you think Saturo is a little needy, you know he always wants to get people's attention, he always wants to force a friendship, that scares me a little, he can even be unnecessary sometimes.
Hiii! I literally have no idea how you came across my blog but I'm happy if it made you feel welcome ❤️ Thanks for reaching out.
Don't be scared by the tall man with the impossible eyes and bulk volume suffering. He's here to help! ✨
I mean, you pretty accurately described Gojo, tbqh. He is needy, I wouldn't say he wants to get people's attention... but he has it, anyway, he is desperately reaching out for human connection, he frequently ponders and is consumed by the unnecessary (just as much as the necessary) and people tend to conflate his strength with his identity.
How do we put one at ease with this larger than life personality? We speedrun it, of course. The best way to empathize with someone is to understand how they got from point A to point D and this is as it applies in real life, too. Consider this my humble offering toward this threat I made a few years ago. Going to avoid spoilers beyond what's been animated but this is still going to be a long one so strap in! JK there's a minor spoiler that's marked (⚠️) but it's not a major plot point.
IN DEFENSE OF GOJO
A mostly unsolicited essay ✨
Before we get into how Gojo became Gojo, let's look at the basic information we know about jujutsu society in universe.
Curses are formed by negative emotional runoff, typically from people who can't control cursed energy.
There are humans who are born with cursed techniques but the brains of humans so their powers were dormant until Kenjaku!Geto activated them in the last episode of season 2.
Those with power that are beyond the comprehension of the elders happen to find themselves carrying death sentences (as it applies to Yuta Okkotsu and Yuji Itadori, specifically).
There are 3 Big Families: the Gojo, Kamo, and Zenin Clans, likened to nobility, which have been active since the Golden Age of Jujutsu hundreds of years ago.
Generally, the Gojo clan inherits the Limitless technique. Six Eyes is a lot less frequent and both techniques haven't manifested in one user in over 100 years until Gojo was born. (Purple or Hollow Purple is another hidden move which each family has some extra razzle dazzle offshoots from their main cursed technique.)
Kamo clan passes along Blood Manipulation (re: Choso, Noritoshi Kamo, the Kyoto student, and Noritoshi Kamo, the blemish on the Kamo clan who created the cursed womb paintings)
Zenin clan has the Ten Shadows Technique (re: Megumi. Bear in mind, previously a Zenin Ten Shadows user fought a Gojo Six Eyes + Limitless user and the fight ended in a stalemate that resulted in both of their deaths).
Anomalies, like that of Maki and Toji, exist even in these age old clans where an heir is born without the ability to manipulate cursed energy and/or see curses.
Of the above and those of the main cast specifically, the inheritors of these generations' old techniques have pretty shit origin stories. They are privileged but cursed in a way. Heavy is the head, and all.
BIG THREE FAMILY CULTURE
We haven't gotten a lot of insight into the Gojo clan except that it's basically a clan of one: Satoru Gojo.
Noritoshi, the Kyoto student, bears the name of the blot of the Kamo clan and is a bastard son who happened to inherit the familial technique. Because of this, he is shepherded into the fold of the Kamo the family, foisted into a position of responsibility, and separated from his "disgrace" of mother. She leaves him, knowing her presence would hold him back, and hopes that her sacrifice in doing so will enable him to better help others. ⚠️ However, when Kenjaku!Geto used remote Idle Transfiguration to awaken dormant vessels and dormant cursed technique users, the proper firstborn heir of the Kamo clan's inherited technique was awakened which swiftly saw Noritoshi's expulsion from his status and the clan.
The most damning evidence we have of the culture of these families is from the Zenin clan:
They terrorized Toji Zenin, despite his inhuman strength, simply because he was born without the ability to manipulate cursed energy. To the extent that an incident from his childhood left his face scarred and likely radicalized him into the sorcerer killer he is today.
Mai and Maki were gravely mistreated because, in addition to being girls, they were born twins which is considered highly unfavorable.
The twin superstition is "justified" by Mai's weak cursed technique and Maki's inability to see curses or manipulate cursed energy.
The misogynistic treatment of the girls is likely not uncommon within the Big Three families given 1) what we've seen happen to Kamo's mom, 2) the treatment of the twins' mother, and 3) the way that Gojo vehemently advises that Tsumiki would never be happy with the Zenin clan (as both a jujutsu outside and because she's a girl as determined by events that haven't been animated yet).
Empirically, from the above, we can extrapolate that familial ties don't mean shit in the Big Three Families, blood relations are tenuous at best. Tradition, power and hereditary techniques reign supreme to maintain status. Those outside of the blessed few are at the mercy of more powerful members of the family which will be more evident in season 3.
💡 As an aside, kinda interesting to think about Geto's ideology applied to these traditional families. In fact, I wonder if Geto cultivated his beliefs based on what Gojo told him about his family.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTERIZATION OF GOJO
Now that we understand society as Gojo would have known it, let's get into how he experiences the world from birth.
Canonically, his birth shifted the power balance between sorcerers and curses. A lot of readers assume he has a god complex which, in addition to being categorically false, is more a reflection of his canonical in universe power. He is neither a god nor does he necessarily perceive himself to be one. But that's not to say he doesn't have a bit of an attitude problem.
He is born with both the Limitless and Six Eyes techniques which, again, hasn't happened in over 100 years. Subsequently, stronger curses are on the rise to compensate for this dramatic shift in power.
💡 Lowkey, I kinda headcanon that the influx of more powerful curses comes from the bitter resentment that periphery individuals must have harbored against Gojo because, let's be real. He's clearly Mappa's favorite and it brings out the anti in everybody IRL lol I can only imagine in universe if you were born to a jujutsu family and lost out on the genetic lottery when it came to cursed energy.
He explicitly draws the ire of curses and cursed users alike with a bounty that immediately incites an onslaught of first come, first serve mercenaries. As a child. Even Toji, the great sorcerer killer, tries to get the drop on a young Satoru Gojo but none are successful at coming close. Not even the invisible man.
From what we know of the Big Three above, the miracle of Gojo's inheritance would likely push him into a place of great power and influence within his clan, even from an early age. Further, we've seen what the burden of responsibility an inherited technique looks like as it applies to Noritoshi Kamo. Gojo would have been burdened with this status and, simultaneously, constantly placated by others so as to appease the miraculous heir.
Additionally, as we saw with Noritoshi, other clans may also have a vested interest in currying favor with the young heir because even proximity to Gojo creates a sense of power and status.
By blood, Yuta is a distant, distant cousin of Gojo's from a branch family and we see how OP he is....
Later in the story, Gege makes it a point to use the Great Satoru Gojo as a measure of power and, subsequently, more explicitly how close other characters' power, prowess or technique come close to that of Gojo's.
Subsequently, as the Kamo clan heir, Noritoshi tries to ingratiate himself to Megumi despite the fact that he's no longer even connected to the Zenin clan. He curses that Mai didn't inherit Ten Shadows to make relations a bit smoother. Gojo would likely have several people vying for his attention and grace whether he wants it or not.
I think you can see how, a smart kid like Gojo who literally has nothing but time to process and compute the ways of the world around him, would come to understand the motivations of others as it specifically relates to him and his power. It would be understandable if he were innately wary and distrustful of others, especially when you consider his initial experience as the target of an onslaught of, albeit unsuccessful, assassination attempts.
Here, I think, is what really gives life to the isolation that Gojo feels from a very young age which is only known by those with immense power like Sukuna and other characters who've yet to be revealed. Gojo is less an individual and more a means to an end. He is a monolith for power, protection and status. His power is so incomprehensible for other sorcerers of the era that his potential for vulnerability is taken for granted.
With a culture that prioritizes strength over, perhaps, morality, it makes sense why, when we see Gojo years later as a high school student, he is relatively disrespectful toward his elders and thinks it is silly that the strong should have to diminish themselves for the comfort of the weak. Bear in mind, this disrespect is likely because no one was really checking him on manners from a young age. Further, from his experience, strength has always been commodified, why would you diminish that? He was and remains head of the Gojo clan with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with that.
Enter Suguru Geto, the smoking gun as to why we know Gojo doesn't have a god complex. Suguru, like Geto, is the only other special grade sorcerer aside from Yuki Tsukumo (and she makes it a point to not take missions). Qualified as equals, the two are constantly doled out missions that higher ups are not even equipped to handle. Try not catching an ego about that.
Even though their power may not necessarily be on par with one another, it is enough that Gojo deems Geto an equal. Their friendship tempers Gojo's character in ways his family could not.
THE HUMANITY OF A GOD
Gojo is not a god but, to those around him, he's certainly lauded as such. Part of that entails inherently overlooking that which makes him vulnerable, makes him human. As someone who can, at will, literally turn off the ability to be touched at all, the premise is ironic. But the fact remains, from all the above and his behavior therein, it seems as though Gojo had to wait until high school to act like a kid at all and that is all thanks to Geto.
As an outsider, Geto's opposing ideology suggests that the strong are meant to protect the weak and keep others who are strong in check. Gojo is frequently shown taking Geto's criticism and point of view under critical advisement. In fact, realizing how out of touch he is with the reality of others, he defers to Geto as a moral compass, trusting implicitly in his judgement.
Not only that but, from what we saw during the Kyoto Goodwill Event, it is not uncommon for sorcerers to be wary of disclosing what their cursed technique is to other sorcerers. You can never be too careful nor can you know who's a cursed user in the making, even amongst your own classmates. With inherited techniques, word gets around but... Geto, an outsider, was intimately aware of the drawback Gojo experienced when overusing his technique and that speaks volumes about how comfortable Gojo was being vulnerable with him.
Geto encourages Gojo to speak more politely to his elders, again, a pushback he clearly wasn't getting anywhere else or, perhaps, direction he simply wasn't taking from anyone else.
Because Gojo recognizes Geto as an equal, he is more relaxed and able to behave accordingly which Geto graciously allows and creates a safe space for. Imagine all the steam this little weirdo has been holding in out of obligation? Moreover, as someone who has always undeniably been the strongest person in any room, imagine the relief in finally knowing that there is someone else you can rely on? Feel safe with? Someone you can be needy and greedy with. Gojo found his One and Only best friend.
Geto allows him to authentically be himself AND HE STARES AT HIM LIKE THIS WHILE DOING SO!
Additionally, we talk about Gojo being unnecessary at time, which he is. I poke a lot of fun at how Gojo will take in what someone like Yaga explains to him and then the output is some Digimon reference a lot. He literally speaks in gibberish half the time but Geto just... understands him. Or makes it a point to try. Bear in mind, Gojo's silly goofiness belies his penchant for serious contemplation, as well, as he's knowledgeable about historical poetry, prominent figures and events. The dichotomy of this is whiplash inducing to Ijichi. If you think about the adage, those who don't know history are destined to repeat it, it shines an interesting light on why Gojo seems to have such a wealth and emphasis on the history of not only jujutsu sorcerers but also other politics at play dating back centuries. Even more so if you consider ItaFushi to be SatoSugu 2.0 as... the story kind of feels that way, doesn't it? BACK TO THE POINT, Gojo behaves like a fool but he isn't stupid.
I think this arrogance and silly facade is a product of being plugged into the reality of what it truly means for the few to protect the greater good. He's probably hyper aware of the prospective survival rate of his peers based on empirical information he has at his disposal. It's why he pointblank tells Ijichi not to become a sorcerer. I think it's also why he's frivolous with having and creating fun. Not just for his kohais but later for his students. With Geto, he experiences a closeness he hadn't had with anyone else and it improves his ability to connect with others by extension.
I know this is not from the canon material but I think this is the perfect inclusion as to Gojo's proclivity for frivolity. LOOK AT HIM.
MISSION FAILURE AND FALL OUT
Based on the information we have currently, Gojo didn't exactly have the same splintered origins that Megumi and Noritoshi had. But from the above and his socialization with people outside of the Gojo clan, we see how coming from a place of privilege can still create deficiencies. But it isn't enough to simply learn and benefit from the good times. Maybe people take for granted that which isn't tested or taken away. We can't fully understand adult Gojo without understanding the failures of teenage Gojo.
Tasked with a mission that literally impacts the fate of the world and is relayed as such, the two special grade sorcerers take on the Star Plasma Vessel mission. As we saw in season 2, it didn't exactly end well. From this we can glean the following:
From the beginning and despite that which hung in the balance if they were unsuccessful, Gojo and Geto were willing to blow it all, come what may, if the vessel opted out of the merger. They were willing to fight Tengen themselves to spare one life even if it destabilized everything else. The idea of which seems Icarian in nature and we saw how that worked out for Icarus.
Toji's plan of attrition (wearing Gojo down specifically) was successful partly because of the false sense of security engineered by Shiu Kong that allowed them to recapture Kuroi.
However, based on Gojo's hubris, Gojo and Geto were already living in a false sense of security. Any attempts Geto made to temper Gojo's ego were appeased by the fact that, he wasn't alone. Finally. He had Geto and Gojo was insulated in the comfort and security he found in Geto's company. He could take on Tengen, he could risk another night in Okinawa burning through his stamina. It did not matter if he had Geto to rely on. They were the strongest.
Turns out it did matter and they were both foiled, thoroughly. The fall out of these events results in the following:
Gojo's evolution wherein he learns how to control reversed curse energy which shoots him past his previous limits.
Gojo avenges his loss to Toji and Riko, by extension (that order feels important to mention). He achieves a level of enlightenment and transcendence which saw the successful use of the Red Technique that he'd been unable to use in a fight against a lackey during the same mission which also made it possible to execute the finisher attack Hollow Purple, resulting in the fight's end.
Upon reclaiming Riko's body from the Time Vessel Association, Gojo, in the haze of his victory, asks Geto if they should slaughter the people celebrating Riko's death. Showing that, regardless of his power up, he still needs Geto's guidance and values the opinion of his equal. I say this even though we know Gojo lies about Shoko treating his injuries. Even he's aware that this latest evolution creates a greater disparity between their relative strength but he defers to him anyway.
Geto begins questioning whether the lives of non-sorcerers who are capable of such evil are really worth fighting and/or dying for.
The acknowledgement that, even though there is nothing beyond special grade classification, Gojo became the strongest.
Foundationally, Gojo came to terms with the vulnerability that Toji was able to exploit and subsequently trained to remediate that. Simultaneously, Geto fell deeper and deeper into a despair over a persisting moral crisis that Gojo, with Six Eyes at his disposal, was incapable of seeing or understanding. The occurrence of which is maddening to me, personally but such is the way of a fatal flaw.
Geto's subsequent and "sudden" defection pulled the rug from beneath Gojo's feet.
We have seen him dust off countless attempts on his life as a child, shoulder the burden of the Gojo clan as a child, execute his obligations as a sorcerer regardless of his beliefs as a child, and bear the brunt of jujutsu society because of the magnitude of his strength as a child and he never batted an eye. Not to say he didn't have something flippant to say about it but he endured it.
But with Geto's abandonment, whatever security he'd finally found was abruptly destabilized and it's important to note that only when it comes to Geto do we see Gojo's nonchalant facade falter. When he learns of the attack on the village with Yaga, when he confronts Geto in the streets of Shinjuku, when he encounters Kenjaku wearing Geto's corpse, he's not so silly goofy anymore is he?
Finding Geto was like finally feeling the warmth of the summer sun on your face after living in the shadows of a cave all your life. For Gojo, his departure was like never knowing that warmth again.
Not to mention, his immense power and status of being the only other special grade sorcerer meant he also had to carry the weight of being his best friend's executioner. Please.
He spends his adult life cultivating strength in others, rescuing kids from a society that seeks to destroy what they refuse to understand, uniting other so they aren't burdened by the same loneliness that plagues him and, whenever possible, trying to bring light and fun to the lives of kids who may never make it out of high school because that's the reality of sorcerers. That's the burden of responsibility they carry so, in between missions, he tries to be silly, he tricks them, he leads them on wild goose chases so they actually get out and experience their youth properly.
You're not meant to fear Gojo. Fear the society that allowed for these things to happen because he's trying to fix it. If anything, pity the man who is not allowed to be weak or vulnerable because he has always known the weight of the world. He could have been a god but he chose instead to love and it was his undoing.
If you'd like to pity Gojo further, dive into an expansive list of all the SatoSugu brainrot I could think of.
Lowkey, this feels like a call out, because why am I also terrible like this?? Am I being cyber bullied? I feel like this took me several days to write.
The train rattled beneath him, the hum of the tracks adding to the dull throb of exhaustion behind Satoru's eyes. He glanced at his phone: 11:30 p.m.
Fuck .
He’d done it again.
He promised Suguru he’d be back by 8, but it was now 11.30, and he was still on the train 15 minutes away from Tokyo.
All because of that stupid curse hunt, and more pointless clan politics. He'd hoped for a quick in-and-out, but instead, he had been stuck playing the role of the dutiful heir.
His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment, lingering on the string of several messages that had lit up his phone earlier when he turned it on to look at the time. Shoko’s usual barrage of “bring this” and “get that,” nothing urgent. He paused on one of Suguru's messages: “Where are you?”
He could almost hear Suguru’s voice in his head. It wasn’t that he’d be mad—he never was—but still, the guilt gnawed at him.
The train jolted slightly, snapping him out of his thoughts. He straightened up, blinking as he looked out the window. The city was sprawling out ahead, lights dotting the landscape like stars, alive and buzzing. A stark contrast with the silent empty home at the Gojo clan estate.
An awkward smile slowly shaped on Satoru’s lips.
How strange. Even though he’d spent most of his life in that mansion, it didn’t feel like he was leaving home at all. If anything, it felt like he was heading towards it.
The sudden thought of it made him slightly uncomfortable for some reason. He’d never really stopped to think about it– what it was that drew him to this school so much. He didn’t even remember his first impression of it upon his arrival– it must have not made a big impression on him at all. All he really remembered was his room being very small and his bed very uncomfortable and everything being very annoying. He wished someone would've told him how much of his free time he would spend washing dishes and making beds and scrubbing bathtubs. Not really a memorable first week.
But one thing he did remember well. It was the day that Yaga found him.
He’d been roaming around downtown Tokyo that day. He had been doing so for several days, in fact. Around that time, Satoru was never home. What for? To endure the frightened looks and judgemental eyes of his clan? To standby and wait to be tamed like the monster they thought he was? No way. The world out there was way too big, and he would see it with his own eyes. He’d been born with six of them to do so.
That day, Satoru had just finished his first trip to the mall, purchasing his much awaited Nintendo DS, when he felt a pair of looming threatening eyes staring at him from a distance.
Not again, he thought, his jaw tightening with anger. Another of those mercenaries. It was so easy. The multiple attempts of assasination had taught him how to identify the residuals of cursed energy from sorcerers. He’d learned to sense everything and everyone around him, even when he didn’t want to.
He was used to them now, after several years of being on the run, in and out of the Gojo clan. They all were the same. Scum. Pathetic. Weak .
The traces of cursed energy slowly vanished, and Satoru slowed down the pace, alert. It must’ve been a skilled sorcerer, to conceal himself like that. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was just a common thief, lurking, waiting to take his newly acquired treasure from him. Either way, it made no difference to him. He would beat the shit out of them. All of them. Everyone always wanted to take something away from him. His belongings, his freedom. Other people .
But not anymore.
“What the fuck do you want?” Satoru halted all of a sudden in the middle of the street, holding onto his new Nintendo DS like his life depended on it. His six eyes showed the man that had been following him close behind.
No answer came. Only the man coming out of the shadows and into the busy streets. The way the man moved so smoothly, the strange sunglasses, and the faint traces of cursed energy– there was no doubt he was a sorcerer.
“Ugh.” Satoru sighed, turning to face him now, dragging his feet. This was getting really bothersome. “Don't you guys ever get tired? Look, you can't kill me. The guy before you couldn't kill me, and the guy after you won’t be able to kill me either. Now fuck off before I kill you .”
The man cracked a lazy smile. “You have a big mouth for someone so small” his voice was deep. “I’m not here to kill you.”
Satoru rolled his eyes and hung his head back. “Oh, let me guess! The Gojo clan sent you. That’s new…”
“Yes.” The man’s face remained immutable, as if made of stone. His tough features and build reminded him of those ugly Eastern Island statues. What a stupid face. Oh how he wished to punch it. But he wished to avoid fighting and go play on his new DS more than anything.
“Well, they’re wasting their money on you,” Satoru said instead, turning to start walking again. “You can tell them I said ‘fuck off’. I’m not going back there.”
“Your family is worried about you.” The man followed his steps.
“Ha!” Satoru forced out a thunderous laugh. “Well, they sure have a strange way to show it.”
“Especially your grandparents. They are the ones who contacted me.”
“I said I have no intention of going back there.”
“And I’m not asking you to.”
Satoru froze for a moment, considering his words. If the man wasn't there to kill him or drag him home, then what?
Something about the way he spoke, the calmness in his voice—it unsettled Satoru more than he was willing to admit. Who was this man?
“It is true that your family contacted me,” the man said, “but I came here on my own account. I wanted to meet you personally.”
"You came here... on your own account ?" he echoed, a slight edge of disbelief in his tone.
The man nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Satoru’s. “Yes. I wanted to meet you.”
Satoru’s eyes narrowed. “For what?”
“Hm, well…” the man hummed thoughtfully, stopping to take a good look at him, arms crossed as he scanned him from head to toe. After a while, he simply sighed, and said in a dismissive tone. “Nevermind. You wouldn't be interested.”
“Huh? Wait– what do you mean? You can’t just say that and then leave,” Satoru complained. “Interested in what? Spit it out already.”
The man brought one hand over his mouth in a pensive stance. “They spoke highly of you, but…”
“But what?!”
“Forget it, this was a waste of time.” The man had already turned to leave, leaving Satoru standing there in utmost shock and confusion.
Satoru blinked, his heart pounding in his chest.
No one walked away from him. No one.
“Excuse me?” He laughed in disbelief. But the man had begun to walk in the opposite direction.
Who did he think he was?
“Oi!” It was Satoru now that followed the man with the sunglasses. “Oi! I’m talking to you! Wait, what do you mean a waste of time? What did you want to meet me for?”
The man slowed down the pace, and they were now walking side by side along the busy streets of Tokyo.
“I came here looking for a sorcerer,” the man said, “but instead found a feisty little kid. Maybe I’ll come back in a few years.”
“No, no, no. I’m not a kid.” Satoru cut in front of him, to keep him from walking. He fought his face from scrunching and his fists from clenching, determined to prove him wrong. Because he wasn’t ‘feisty’, and he was most definitely not a kid. He was 14. And he was the strongest sorcerer. And as such, he spoke proudly. “I am a sorcerer. The strongest one, actually.”
Only then the man looked at him again, an eyebrow rising. “Are you, really?”
“Of course I am.”
“I don’t know, you don’t really look like it. Maybe I got the wrong person. Are you really Gojo Satoru?”
“I’m telling you, I am!” He slapped his own chest with a hand. “I am Gojo Satoru! Are you blind or deaf, old man? Is that why you wear those ugly sunglasses?”
“No,” he removed them, and gave him a scrutinizing glare. “These are to protect my eyes. They get tired, from watching all those curses. Besides, they make me look cool.”
Satoru snorted out a laugh. Old people are so embarrassing. Claiming to be cool is the uncoolest thing you can do. But he had to admit the idea of wearing sunglasses wasn’t bad. Maybe just ones that didn’t look so stupid.
“Why are you looking for sorcerers anyway?” He asked.
“I teach in a sorcery school. I’m looking for strong sorcerers to make strong allies. So I wanted to see if you were fit for it, but… I don’t think you could handle it.”
“Me!?” Satoru laughed hysterically. “ I can’t handle it, you say? The real question is, if your school can handle me. ”
The man didn’t flinch. He just looked at Satoru with that steady, calm gaze unsettling him. “Right now, I don’t think you’re ready for it.”
The words hit harder than a knife. Not just his ego, but something else, a part of him that hadn’t been touched in a long while, a part that he had sheltered and buried deep under all that anger. He opened his mouth to protest, but that lingering, uncomfortable feeling stopped him. The man’s eyes weren’t scolding him. They weren’t filled with anger or fear. Just understanding.
“I can handle it,” Satoru muttered, and yet it lacked the conviction he usually carried. His voice trailed off as the man’s gaze lingered on him.
The man only nodded, the faintest glimmer of respect in his eyes. “You can,” he said softly. “But you’ve got a lot of work to do.”
That had been over a year ago, and yet it felt like yesterday.
Satoru sank into his seat on the train, restless, thoughtful. Maybe he should stop by Yaga’s office tomorrow morning. It had been weeks since the last time he bothered him. But now he had Suguru and Shoko to bother, and they were way more fun to annoy, because they didn’t have the patience the old man had.
He looked at the time on his phone again– 11:40. Almost there.
Five more minutes , he told himself. Just five minutes.
With a sigh, Satoru set the phone face down in his lap, turned it off again, and closed his eyes for another moment before the train went into the station.
Gojou was probably hugged as a child — a little bit, at least. Or, maybe not as a kid, but as an infant. Definitely. Probably.
Something that not everyone might know: some time ago, during or shortly after a war or something, people were extremely frustrated and distraught over the fact that the babies in the orphanage just kept dying, and nobody could figure out why...
Until suddenly someone did! As it turns out, babies literally need physical affection — they need to be held and rocked or they will literally die from touch starvation and neglect.
Gojou may be the strongest, but he's still human — especially when he was an infant newborn — and so he would've been no exception.
If the Gojou clan doesn't give little baby Satoru enough affection as a child — or baby, rather — then he runs the risk of literally dying — and they run the risk of accidentally killing their so-called "pride and joy" through neglect.
And before anyone says, well, "They might not necessary know that lack of affection can kill a baby—"
Wrong. Incorrect. There is absolutely no way they wouldn't know. Why?
Because they're the Gojou clan — neglecting their children by depriving them of affection is literally what they do — what all old, powerful Sorcerer families seem to do.
With the way they treat their children, there's no way this wasn't at some point a huge issue for the clans.
Even if they hadn't heard of the official studies and the like, they've basically done their own study unintentionally by virtue of repeatedly killing their own children on accident.
They and the other old, shitty, neglectful clans would've made the connection at some point that babies who are held and pet tend to survive, while babies that are deprived of this tend to die in the cradle.
Basically, there's no way they didn't know.
And since they absolutely would've known, it's doubtful that they would've taken the risk with Gojou Satoru — their strongest, the world's strongest, in the past six hundred years or so — and deprived his little infant self of being held.
Of course, this only applies to little baby Satoru — once he was no longer at risk of dying from lack of cuddles, they would've stopped immediately. Which is arguably worse than having never gotten any physical affection at all!
It's like they say: you can't miss something you've never had, and so while it would've been one thing to grow up having never been granted affection, Gojou instead was allowed to get used to the affection and cuddles — only to suddenly have it all ripped away from him.
