CHAPTER 29: SHADOWS IN THE HALL

[Jujutsu High – Restricted Faculty Wing]

The trio—Megumi, Itadori, and Nobara—walked briskly down a dim corridor, the air tense with something they couldn't quite name. At the end of the hallway stood Utahime Iori, arms crossed, expression unshaken, eyes sharper than usual.

Itadori leaned closer to Megumi. "She looks super pissed. Think we're in trouble again?"

Before Megumi could respond, Nobara smirked and whispered, "Maybe Gojo-sensei ditched another date with her. That would explain the volcanic aura."

Utahime's eyes narrowed. Slowly, she turned her head—razor-sharp gaze locked on Nobara.

"…I heard that."

Nobara immediately ducked behind Megumi. "I-Itadori said it!"

"I did not!"

Utahime let out a long breath, clearly resisting the urge to exorcise one of them.

"I didn't call you here to joke around," she finally said, serious as stone. "There's been… troubling developments."

The trio straightened up. No more jokes now.

Utahime continued, "There is a traitor. Someone inside Jujutsu High has been leaking information to Special Grade curses."

Megumi's eyes darkened. "What kind of information?"

"Movements of students. Sorcerer ranks. Even training grounds and classified barrier placements."

Utahime paused, then added carefully, "We believe the traitor is not from Tokyo, but from Kyoto."

Itadori clenched his fists. "But why would someone from Kyoto—"

"They might not even be a student. Could be staff. Could be an ex-sorcerer. All we know is this: They're giving info to Geto's group... and possibly even Mahito."

Nobara looked stunned. "So we're being watched?"

"We're being played," Utahime corrected. "And we need to stop it before things spiral further."

She turned, walking toward the exit.

"You three are coming with me. From now on, we operate quietly. We dig, we ask, we watch—but we tell no one."

Itadori blinked. "Even Gojo-sensei?"

Utahime glanced back, eyes unreadable. "Especially Gojo. If the traitor knows we're investigating, we'll lose our only shot."

Megumi nodded. "Understood."

And with that, the hunt began.

The walls of Kyoto would soon echo with secrets.