Facing Gojo Satoru—the man destined to become the strongest—Naoya let out a quiet sigh through his nose. He understood the truth: in the grand scheme of things, he might never reach the same unimaginable heights as Gojo. The Six Eyes user's potential was limitless, his growth curve absurd.
But right now?
Right now, things were different.
Naoya's eyes burned with absolute conviction as he stared down his rival. In this moment, he could win. He would win. And when he did, he'd carve his name into the very fabric of jujutsu history—as one of the few to defeat Gojo Satoru.
Gojo's ever-present grin sharpened into something more feral. "That look in your eyes... You really think you can do it, huh?"
"Forget about it, Naoya… I'm the strongest," Gojo said, his voice calm, but laced with complete and unwavering confidence.
Naoya smirked, his tone razor-sharp. "Well, unfortunately for you… I'm stronger than you at this point."
Gojo tilted his head, his grin never faltering. "Having a Domain doesn't mean you're stronger."
Naoya smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching with restrained excitement. "It actually does," he said coolly. "Although… I won't be using it in this fight."
Gojo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Holding back already?"
Naoya's eyes narrowed. He couldn't risk it.
If Gojo saw his Domain now—it might accelerate his growth. He could figure it out faster, learn something that was never meant to be learned this early. It could fracture the fragile threads of fate, creating butterfly effects Naoya couldn't predict or control. That wasn't a risk he was willing to take. Not yet.
So Naoya let his smirk widen, draping caution in familiar arrogance. "Where's the fun if I end this too quickly?"
Gojo's grin turned razor-sharp. "Someone's feeling nostalgic for hospital food."
In one fluid motion, Naoya raised his hand, fingers curling like a spider's legs. "Shall we begin?"
The air chilled as Gojo slowly removed his sunglasses, folding them into his pocket.
"I'm ready when you are."
A heartbeat of silence.
Then—the world exploded into motion.
BOOM—
The moment their fists connected, the world shattered.
A shockwave of gold and blue erupted outward, flattening trees like dominos and sending a storm of splintered wood into the sky. Before the debris could even begin to fall, Naoya was already moving—twisting mid-air, his heel lashing toward Gojo's ribs with killing intent.
Skreeech—
The sound of cursed energy grinding against Infinity's barrier split the air.
Tch. Still a damn cheat.
But Naoya didn't let the frustration slow him. The second his feet touched the ground, Domain Amplification surged over his skin like liquid shadow, he launched a sharp jab toward Gojo's chest.
Infinity flickered—it was weakening, neutralizing—
But not fast enough.
Gojo's hand flicked
"Blue."
Space itself collapsed, and Naoya's body became a projectile pulled very fast toward the forest.
CRASH—CRACK—BOOM—
Tree trunks exploded as he tore through them, his body carving a brutal trench through the forest. Dirt, bark, and shattered wood erupted in his wake, the force of his impact sending tremors through the earth. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of crushing momentum, he wrenched himself to a stop—knees digging furrows into the dirt, one arm braced against the remains of a shattered oak.
Gojo appeared near him, hands casually in his pockets, the usual cocky smirk dancing on his lips.
"Was that a little rough for you?"
"Heh… that tickled."
Naoya raised his eyes slowly, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth.
"Two minutes," he said, voice calm, almost indifferent.
Gojo arched a brow.
"What?"
Naoya stood up straight, cracking his neck as cursed energy began to ripple around him.
"That's how long this fight is going to last."
Gojo's smirk faltered ever so slightly.
"You're setting a timer on me now? That's pretty bold."
Gojo Six Eyes suddenly caught a sudden shift in Naoya body.
out of nowhere Naoya's cursed energy reserves were rising rapidly—doubling, tripling in an instant.
This Binding Vow didn't just amplify his cursed energy. It boosted his physical stats, output, and even his instincts. And after his previous battle with that cursed spirit, Naoya had realized something even more interesting—the vow also enhanced the power of his Domain Expansion clashing power. That was what allowed him to stand his ground with the Domain clash back then although it was his first time opening it.
"So that's it," Gojo realized, his grin never fading.
"A Binding Vow that buffs him temporarily... Interesting."
But before he could process it further—
Naoya vanished.
The air cracked where he once stood, the sound of displacement sharper than thunder. He reappeared behind Gojo in an instant, speed now utterly ridiculous, a blur even the Six Eyes could barely track.
Naoya reappeared behind Gojo, cursed energy flaring violently around his limbs. With precision honed to a deadly edge, his fist shot forward—aimed straight for Gojo's blind spot.
But Gojo tilted his head just slightly, a grin still dancing on his lips.
CLASH.
Their limbs collided again—Naoya's punch met Gojo's forearm, and for the first time, Gojo slid back from the force.
"Fast," Gojo muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Way faster than before."
Naoya didn't let up. He pressed forward with a barrage of high-speed attacks—punches, kicks, elbow strikes, each one sharper, faster, and more precise than the last. Domain Amplification coated his blows, allowing some to graze the edge of Gojo's Infinity, inching ever closer.
Gojo blocked and evaded, his Six Eyes processing the overwhelming data in real time—but even he was starting to feel the pressure.
"If this keeps up... he'll land a hit."
A flicker of excitement sparked in Gojo's gaze.
"I only have two minutes," Naoya thought, fists blurring.
"And I'll use every damn second of it to put you down."