It is now known that Kaito Kuroba is his nephew. Since Kaito Kuroba and Shinichi Kudo are cousins...
No-prize trivia question: What is the relationship between Satoru Gojo and Shinichi Kudo?
Gojo actually accepted the fact that he had suddenly gained seniority quite quickly. He even started teasing Kaito Kid—or rather, his newly minted cousin-in-law.
"So, do you want me to reunite with Chikage now?"
"If you're willing... No, actually, never mind."
"Why?"
"Because you are dangerous," Toichi Kuroba said earnestly.
"Hah?"
Gojo recalled the world-shattering Purple he had used right in front of his "cousin-in-law" and caught a glimpse of what the man was thinking.
"Hey, hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not some kind of psychopath!" he said helplessly. "I told you, that was just to save you."
Even though Gojo had been in the Black Organization for six years, he still maintained a relatively firm moral baseline. His targets were the villains who made the world a worse place, and those fools who stood in his way trying to take his life. Furthermore, he didn't want to see innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
"I know, but..." Toichi shook his head and didn't continue.
Gojo couldn't help but feel... that Toichi didn't seem particularly keen on being associated with him. Was he wary of the "Black" aura Gojo carried? Or was he afraid his family would be unnecessarily implicated?
Feeling a bit annoyed, Gojo decided to give him a little scare.
"You're right. I am super dangerous."
He suddenly flashed a wild, wicked smile and swiftly pressed a dagger against Toichi's throat, threatening: "The kind that might kill you at any moment, you know?"
"...If you wanted to kill me, why bother saving me?"
Toichi looked at the youth feigning malice, and his heart suddenly softened. To be powerful to such an extent... even with the Six Eyes, he must have paid a heavy price.
Seeing that the man wasn't scared at all, Gojo instantly lost interest and deflated, stowing the dagger away.
"Fine, fine~ Since Chikage is my cousin, I won't hurt you," he said. "But even if you distance yourself from me, that 'Zoo' organization will keep targeting you. With Spider gone, they might be wary for a while, but... they will definitely come for you again."
"I know," Toichi nodded, explaining: "Actually, I wasn't trying to cut ties with you."
"Interfering with their organization was a decision I made entirely on my own; I'm the only one they're hunting," he sighed. "If you are linked to Kaito Kid, that organization might not even spare you."
"You are very strong, Satoru. But I can't let such a risk fall on your head just because of your strength." Toichi's tone was incredibly sincere. "Chikage truly considers you family. If she knew you had grown up safe and sound, she would be very happy."
"I love Chikage more than anyone. Therefore, as her family, you are very important to me as well. That is exactly why I cannot selfishly involve you."
Gojo finally understood. This "cousin-in-law" of his had a very stubborn personality. No wonder he would choose to fake his death alone a few years later without telling his own son. It was likely due to this same logic of not wanting others to be involved.
But if that's the case, why watch Kaito become the second Kid and still not tell him you're alive? I really don't get the mindset of people like this. Don't ask—the answer is "carrying the burden alone."
The night was growing late, and it was time for Gojo to return to the safehouse. If he stayed out two nights in a row, who knew if that big-mouth Vodka would start spreading rumors about him again.
"I get what you mean." Gojo expressed his understanding. "Fine, I won't go looking for Chikage for now, and I'll act as if I don't know any of this."
"But... if the day ever comes where you run into a massive problem you can't solve, let this 'cousin' of yours help out a bit, okay?"
Toichi looked at him with some surprise. "...Alright."
"OK, let's exchange contact info?"
A moment later, Gojo looked with satisfaction at his private phone; he had one more contact. The last one was Shuichi Akai. Come to think of it, both of these men were "Red Side" characters he had saved during fights with illusionists... what a strange coincidence. Even the last character of their names was the same ("ichi").
With the conversation over, Toichi unfurled his hang glider, preparing to depart. He suddenly thought of something and looked back at the white-haired, blue-eyed youth.
"Satoru, that gem... was it the one you were looking for?"
After Chikage told him about the Six Eyes, he had suspected that only Satoru Gojo could see the "True Pandora." He wondered if the "Zoo" had heard of this. Was Satoru's desire for the gem a personal wish, or was there a mysterious organization standing behind him?
"The one I was looking for?"
Facing Toichi's slightly wary probe, Gojo simply held the "Crimson Ember" in his hand. Under the moonlight, it emitted a stunning red glow.
"I think it's pretty, so I wanted to collect it. That's all."
Regardless of whether Toichi believed him, Gojo gently placed the ruby back into the man's palm.
"This..."
"As far as I know, Kaito Kid always returns his stolen treasures intact after a while using mysterious methods," Gojo said. "Better not break that tradition."
"However, next time we meet, I won't let you have it so easily."
The phantom thief, who had long since given up on the gem, froze. A slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth as he contributed 500 Impression Points to Gojo.
"...Thank you, Satoru."
Gojo waved goodbye, casually throwing out a new nickname.
"Bye-bye~ Uncle Kuroba!"
The white figure flying in the sky visibly stumbled. This kid... I'm not that old!
After parting with Toichi, Gojo immediately teleported back to the safehouse, only to find the entire place dark. A quick look showed it was already 11:00 PM. Gin and Vodka were already asleep.
Although Gojo had some complaints about no one leaving a light on for him, he thought about it... okay, his drunk antics really did cause people a lot of trouble.
Gojo went to his room and lay down. Since he had slept for most of the day, he wasn't particularly sleepy. Suddenly, the Boss called—likely wanting to know the status of his mission.
Hmm~ let me think about how to fudge this.
"Did you get the gem?"
Gojo gave an embellished version of the story: He had gotten it, but the "Zoo" organization interfered. He had managed to kill the Ability User they sent, but in a moment of inattention, the gem was snatched by a thief who suddenly jumped out.
"..."
A second before the Boss could scowl, Gojo added that he had already gotten hold of the gem and checked it against the moon; he was certain it wasn't Pandora.
"What kind of thief could deceive even your eyes?" the Boss asked. "You're getting more and more careless lately, Caesar."
Gojo lied through his teeth: "Not at all~ Boss, you have no idea, the members of that organization are super troublesome. I almost got killed!"
The Boss seemed highly suspicious that he was intentionally holding back.
"Fine," the Boss said after a long silence. "I've been lenient enough with you, as you should know."
"Next time there is a similar mission, you are not allowed to fail."
"Hai, hai~" His response was purely perfunctory.
Just as Gojo thought the matter was over, the Boss gave a cold notice and hung up. Essentially, he was told that he didn't need to involve himself in Mexican affairs for the time being—Tequila and the others would suffice. Gojo was to remain in the US and work under Rum.
As for how long he would stay? That depended on the Boss's mood.
Seriously... that old geezer is so stingy. Calling people in the middle of the night at his age—he's just asking to go bald.
Tch. If it weren't for the Impression Points, he would have kicked the Boss aside and gone solo long ago.
While he understood the Boss's intent was to weaken his authority, Gojo mused that this punishment was rather painless. The Mexican branch was already well-developed; with the deterrent force "Caesar" left behind, things wouldn't go wrong for a while.
Having been in the Organization for so long, although they hadn't met in person, he had interacted with Rum several times. Rumor had it that Rum didn't stay in one place and acted on whim—which might explain why he ended up as a chef in a sushi restaurant in Japan later. Truly abstract.
Whatever~ I'll just treat it as a vacation. The scenery in America is nice—Hawaii beaches and all that. Gojo sprawled on his bed, hugging a snow-white cat plushie. Without Gin and the others tailing me 24/7, I can use this time to practice long-distance teleportation.
Once he mastered teleportation, he'd slip away to Sendai to buy souvenirs. Oh yeah~