Ch 33 Training part 2

As the day arrived, Ichiro found himself standing opposite of Gojo in the training room, the air thick with anticipation.

"Are you ready, Ichiro?" Gojo's voice carried a hint of playfulness, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yeah, I'm ready, Gojo Sensei," Ichiro replied, his tone more serious, his stance determined.

Gojo flashed a grin, his demeanor shifting from playful to focused. "Then you can start anytime you want, Ichiro," he encouraged, gesturing for Ichiro to make the first move

As Gojo said those words, Ichiro focused his concentration, channeling cursed energy throughout his body, both inside and out, a testament to his mastery over his abilities.

'Hoh, to think Ichiro has complete mastery over his cursed energy. He must have put so much time into his training,' Gojo mused silently, a glimmer of acknowledgment in his eyes.

After a few moments, Ichiro launched into his assault, catching Gojo off guard with the intensity of his attack.

"Wow, to think you're this strong, Ichiro. I'm really surprised, I mean it," Gojo remarked, his smile widening as he deftly dodged Ichiro's strikes.

"Thank you for the compliment, Gojo Sensei," Ichiro replied respectfully, his focus unwavering as he continued his barrage.

"But how come you didn't use this when you fought Panda?" Gojo inquired between dodges, genuinely curious as he observed Ichiro's relentless onslaught. Ichiro paused momentarily, seizing the opportunity to respond.

"Well, that's because I want to further improve myself. After all, the opponents I'll be facing in the near future aren't mere simple enemies; some of them possess intelligence. So, I can't just rely on my fighting style and my own understanding. I have to create my own strategy to beat them. Besides, I don't want to be a person who just goes straight headfirst into a fight without thinking," Ichiro explained earnestly, his eyes reflecting his determination.

"Hmm, I see. But with your strength now, I doubt anyone in this world can stop you, except for me, though," Gojo remarked, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Well, you might be right, but what's the point of being the strongest if you're an idiot who doesn't know how to fully utilize what you have? In order to be strong, you need to have the strength and the wits to outsmart your enemy. You can't just rely on luck or plot armor," Ichiro countered

"Well, you have a point, but what is a plot armor?" Gojo asked, oblivious to the meaning of the term. As the conversation unfolded, Gojo's demeanor shifted, becoming a little more serious. In a swift motion, as Ichiro attempted to land a hit, Gojo ducked and swept Ichiro's leg, causing him to stumble. But before Ichiro could completely fall to the ground, Gojo reached out and grabbed his shirt, preventing him from crashing down.

As Gojo observed Ichiro's technique, he offered constructive criticism, "Your technique is quite good, Ichiro, but your lower body is too open. Enemies could exploit that weakness. You have a solid foundation, but you lack experience."

Ichiro nodded in acknowledgment, replying, "Yes."

With determination, Ichiro imbued his body with cursed energy once more, vanishing in an instant to deliver a blow. Gojo effortlessly deflected the attack, but Ichiro persisted, aiming a kick at Gojo's left side. However, Gojo countered swiftly, kicking Ichiro's other leg to disrupt his balance.

Undeterred, Ichiro capitalized on the momentum, jumping and twisting his body to deliver a spinning kick towards Gojo's face. To his dismay, Gojo effortlessly caught his leg mid-air, prompting Ichiro's frustrated exclamation, 'Are you kidding me?'

As Gojo attempted to slam Ichiro to the ground, Ichiro swiftly countered with a strike from his other leg aimed at Gojo's head. However, Gojo effortlessly deflected the attack with his arm. Seizing the opportunity, Ichiro exploited the distraction to break free from Gojo's grip, stepping back to create distance between them.

To Ichiro's surprise, Gojo didn't hesitate to press the attack, launching a series of strikes that forced Ichiro onto the defensive. Despite his efforts to deflect Gojo's onslaught, Ichiro couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry creeping into his expression.

As Ichiro managed to deflect some of Gojo's blows, he attempted to retaliate, only to have his hand caught by Gojo mid-swing. "What?!" Ichiro exclaimed in disbelief as Gojo pulled him closer and delivered a powerful punch to his abdomen.

The impact knocked the wind out of Ichiro, causing him to double over in pain.

" *Cough* *cough*, urghhh!"

As Ichiro lay on the ground, coughing and groaning in pain while clutching his stomach, Gojo approached with a playful smirk, asking, "Hey, you okay?"

Ichiro managed to reply between coughs, his voice strained, "I can't believe you could still ask me that after looking at my situation right now."

Gojo chuckled, acknowledging Ichiro's condition, "Hahaha, sorry about that. But since you're stronger than the others, I doubted that attack could actually hurt you."

Internally, Ichiro seethed with pain, thinking, 'Well, it is!! It hurts like hell, you know. But good thing my body has completely restored itself to its original state. But it still hurts like helllll!!! It's like having your organs get squashed, only to be restored in a few seconds. But because of the pain you felt after you got hit, even if you heal those damages, your brain will still think that it's still hurting, even though it's not anymore.'

"Urghhh!"

As Ichiro continued to lay on the floor, groaning in discomfort, Gojo approached and lifted him up with a gentle yet firm grip. "Well, I doubt it would heal if you just lay down. Why don't we grab something to eat?" Gojo suggested, his tone nonchalant.

Ichiro winced slightly as he was lifted, but managed to respond, "You're talking as if nothing happened. And also, I'll recover in no time, so you can go ahead. I'll catch up."

With a nod, Gojo headed towards the exit, pausing to glance back at Ichiro. "I see. Then I'll ask Ijichi to pick you up when you're fine. Just give me a call," he said before finally departing.

"Yeah, Gojo Sensei," Ichiro replied, waving his hand in a goodbye manner as Gojo left.

Once alone, Ichiro sighed in relief, murmuring to himself, "Alright, looks like Gojo has finally left." With determination, he slowly pushed himself up from the floor and made his way outside the training room,

Walking through the long corridor of the school, Ichiro couldn't help but marvel at the sight around him. "Wow, this place is beautiful," he whispered to himself, his eyes wide with awe. "Man, seeing this in real life is so surreal."

As Ichiro continued walking, he spotted a car where a man with black hair and glasses, along with a man with white hair, were engaged in conversation. Sensing Ichiro's presence, Gojo immediately looked in his direction and gestured for him to come over, prompting Ichiro to approach.

"Ichiro, perfect timing. I need you to come with me," Gojo stated as Ichiro joined them.

Confused, Ichiro asked, "Huh? Where are we going?"

Gojo simply grinned and entered the car, saying, "To the Zenin clan."

Ichiro's surprise was evident as he exclaimed, "What?! Why, though?"

Gojo stretched his arm, gesturing for Ichiro to calm down, "Now, now, you should calm down for a minute. I'll explain on the way there."

As Ichiro entered the car, Ijichi started driving. Internally, Ichiro wondered about the reason for their visit, thinking, 'I wonder what's the reason though. Well, I won't know unless Gojo tells me, so I just have to wait.' With a mix of curiosity and apprehension, Ichiro settled into his seat, ready for the journey ahead.