Chapter 4

His nap didn't last long, but it was what he needed.

Suiryu managed to recover from the sudden wake up call thanks to Satoru, yet as he went to the dorm kitchen for food, Satoru had yet to leave. "What the hell is with you following me?" Suiryu demanded.

"Heard you got stronger,"

"What of it?"

"Don't you think it's a little odd that you have, considering you aren't doing anything to MAKE yourself do so?"

Suiryu was in the midst of chewing some leftovers when he paused to think about it. "Yua thinks it's because I am connected to Yuuji. Soul connection or something, since we're linked that way, when he grows in strength so do I." he said offhandedly. "I think it's a bunch of bullshit,"

"Then how is it happening?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows at this point, look, does it really matter?" he demanded. "I don't care if ever get any more powerful than what I am, it's not my intent!"

"Whoa, hold on there. I am not scolding you, I am merely curious. I mean, I see a lot of crazy shit, this one has me stumped!"

"What do you mean?"

"I see a lot of energy swirling around you as we speak, like you are cultivating here and now a shit ton of curse energy…"

It made Suiryu pause oddly, he didn't feel it at all in the least bit. When he does train to grow his strength he would feel it, but as of this moment, it's nothing to him. "I am? I don't even notice…"

Satoru merely smirked to him oddly. "Interesting…"

"What?" he demanded. "You think I am doing this on purpose?!"

He shook his head but laughed as he took a seat. "Considering all Sukuna cared about was power, he strived for it and you on the other hand… could care less!" he snickered. "I just find it… amusing in a sense."

Suiryu sneered at the notion. "I don't want to be anything like the bastard…" he muttered bitterly. "Why bring this up to begin with huh?"

Gojo's smile didn't vanish, he continued to merely watch on with great interest. "I'll be honest with you on something… I never thought I would find a rival for myself… not in a million years… until Itadori came along… then you."

He paused to the confession. "What?" Suiryu questioned. "You consider me to be a rival to you? I'm not even at Sukuna's full strength!" he protested.

"Well aware, but at the same time. There are other things you are a good rival for… teaching for one… and I'll admit this only once. I was jealous."

Suiryu smirked. "Knew it," he said.

"The fact that the students began to trust you… and they went to you over me spoke a lot. What did I lack as a teacher?" he asked.

"Is that a question or a personal thought that escaped out of you?"

"A bit of both at this point…" Satoru said with a rather stunned look on his face. "Huh, never thought that would slip out…"

Suiryu took a few more mouthfuls of food, he was about to speak until his phone went off. "Hello?"

"Suiryu, Junpei, you texted me earlier, but I just got back. Did you want something?"

He smirked. "Do you guys have enough supplies to make a really big meal tonight? Ryujin is in possession of Yuuji right now, and I think it's only fair that the family makes a meals for him as a token of thanks for what he has done… don't you agree?"

"Wait, the dragon…"

"Yes, so what do you say? Is Eso up to it?"

"Let me ask."

There was a pause over the phone until Junpei came back. "He will need supplies, but he said he can do it. I'll help of course."

"Good, call Yuuji's phone and offer the invitation. I am certain he won't refuse. I'll be there too. Like hell I am missing out on a feast!"

Junpei snickered. "Okay, see you tonight"

He hung up shortly after.

"What you lack is a sense of responsibility." Suiryu said right off the bat. Satoru froze to the comment, he was about to speak but he continued. "You have the mentality that you can either save everyone or think that highly of one's abilities to survive without you. Both are not bad to have, yet to the extent that I have seen with you it's rather extreme at times. Yes, some missions you have given them are difficult and a little tough love. Yet the aspect in believing they can handle it… is something I am not certain about. I know for a fact that the correctional facility where Yuuji died before, haunts you."

Gojo didn't move, his mouth hung open oddly but was closed. He didn't argue. "At the same time, you were informed incorrectly of the job. In the end it was a bit of a hit job on Yuuji from the elders. But since then, matters haven't improved. Perspectives have not changed, nor has the situation for my brother."

"So…" Satoru began to say.

"I am not spoon feeding you answer here," Suiryu said and smirked. "It would defeat the purpose would it not?"

The two fell oddly silent. Satoru sighed aloud. "You're just a pain…" he muttered and pouted. But then a pause came over him. "Is Yua well?"

His, caught him off guard oddly enough. "She looked well… she's dead, but her spirit was good, why?"

Satoru was oddly silent once more, almost toying with a question in his head. "There is a method to bring her back, but at the same time I don't know if it would work on her either."

He was stunned. "How did you…"

"It's written all over your face." Suiryu grew curious now. "You want her back, don't you?"

He was biting his tongue, until he reached into his jacket. He took out a slip of paper before revealing it to Suiryu. Curious, he took it off the counter and began to read it. He was surprised to it all. "You shitting me?" he demanded.

He shook his head to him. "Nope," he said rather bluntly. "When we first met as kids… the original reason for me going wasn't to help my guardian request the assistance of the family. It was that," he said and pointed to the paper. "I never thought much of it until recently… I don't know why but now… I don't know…"

Suiryu nodded as he gave the paper back. "I doubt someone like you would have gone through with it."

He smirked to the notion. "And how!" he laughed, but then Satoru got serious. "It's just that… even after her death, she is still looking after Itadori. She wrote everything down ahead of time before putting Ryujin into him, and even pegged a lot of things that I may not have seen coming. I'm just amazed to how well she knew the situation… and how to help him through it. I wouldn't have been lost has she not left me these notes"

Reaching into his jacket once more he took out a black notebook. It was rather worn but kept its shape. He took the paper back and tucked it into the book before concealing it once more on his person. "Is there anything else we need to be concerned about with my brother? Is everything okay with him and the dragon?"

"From what I read, but I've also finished all the notes she wrote. Everything that has happened to Itadori has been bang on, but now. We have nothing left to go on. I mean, that elemental phase came out of left field!"

Suiryu nodded, but that event also struck him as odd too. For one, how could Yuuji have done such a thing after consuming special grade curses? Not to mention have such an effect on him? There were more questions than answers in his mind on the notion, but there is a time and place for it all as well.

"So, what's next for you?" Gojo asked. "I've been curious to what your goals are in this life. What does the great Suiryu Itadori want to do with it?"

He smirked. "It's the first time I really heard you call me Itadori… it's rather nice… as for life…" he shrugged his shoulders. "At the moment, I am rather content with it. I'm doing things I never thought I would do, let alone see Sukuna be caught dead doing. I've been able to enjoy good food, the people aren't so bad…" he paused as his right hand went over his heart. "And emotions are getting a little better to understand…"

Satoru smirked. "Nobara huh?"

"Shut up…" he muttered. "I'm not going to push her into seeing me as something more than a friend… hell, half the time I don't even think she sees me as that! More along the lines she's getting to know me… for Yuuji's sake."

They fell silent once more. Suiryu has become at peace with the notion. Despite the 'dates' they have gone on, nothing has transpired of them. Nor has she asked to go on any more of them. But as Yuuji said, it's best not to force someone to go out with them when you may end up pushing them away.

"I still don't get women either. But I think the method you got is working the best. Give them time and space and see if it works, if not they will hate you forever. Nobara is no exemption!" he snickered. "You sir, are playing with fire on that one."

He only shrugged his shoulders to it all. "I know what I want." He said rather callously. "She's a strong woman, a personality to match. She wouldn't put up with any bullshit, let alone if I do something stupid, she will call me out on it. I don't want a woman who is going to swoon over me, just because I am who I am. They are so fake to me…" he said. "Nobara… she's comfortable in her own skin. She knows who she is and I find that… beautiful"

Satoru appeared to be all ears. "Go on… what else?" he asked as he somehow made a cup of tea in the time it took Suiryu to explain himself.

He shrugged and took a seat. "She was the first woman I had seen since… this," he said and gestured to himself. "But the fact remains, she hasn't swayed in who she is. And is proud of it. All the other women I have seen… they would throw themselves at me, not caring where I came from, who I was let alone what I am really like. I find them hallow too… just like Sukuna. Trying to fill a void in themselves that they believe will make them happy or at least, content until the next conquest."

Gojo was awestricken. "Shit, you really are thinking this through… and in a teenager body no less… good on you."

"Damn hormones are not helping the situation…" he muttered. "What about you? You spoke of Yua, and sounded interested in her. From what I recall from Yuuji, you never told or expressed to her how you felt." A coy grin came over him. "Don't tell me the great Satoru Gojo was shy now, was he?"

Gojo forced a grin, but then it faded. "It took a lot for me not to say anything." He said. "I wanted to, but at the same time. Once she told me her plan… I couldn't." his face became a little grim. "When I learned it would kill her, I wanted to stop her. Yet at the same time, she told me how limited her time was. She was dying. She wanted to save Yuuji. I suppose Itadori wasn't the only one thinking about a fair death…"

Suiryu was silent on the notion. That thought goes through his mind all the time. 'Would I be entitled to a fair death? Considering where I came from?' he thought to himself.

"Hey!"

"Huh?"

"You spaced out. You tend to do that when deep in thought." Satoru said.

"Force of habit." He muttered. "Still, it looks like Yuuji and I have a debt to Yua that will never be paid."

Satoru had this look on his face. "The curse wombs, how were they brought back?"

"I knew this was going to be asked sooner than later. It was an old jujutsu that Sukuna developed but never used. Needless to explain why and how that was the case, he was a vein fool to begin with…"

"Still… how?" Satoru asked again.

"This… does not leave this room." Suiryu stated as he explained the method they used.

When he finished, Gojo appeared curious. "So, you take the soul, eat the materials needed to make a new body for said soul through transfiguration?" he asked.

"Not that easy," Suiryu warned. "Take into consideration those we brought back were half curse, half human. It worked since Yuuji is a bit of both still. Ryujin was the one who took the souls in the first place into himself. Yuuji was just needed to make them their bodies." He paused and turned to Satoru. "I know where you are going with this, but I will nick it now. If we were to do this for Yua, it's a lot more complicated. She was human, a curse user… it's not easy to translate over through this method. It would make her much like the brothers, but at the same time it could change her as well, she may not be the same Yua you knew."

"Oh…"

"You want her back huh?"

Gojo was silent on the matter. He finished his tea before announcing he was going back to the school. "Thanks for the tea…"

"Next time, don't wake me. If you just want to shoot the shit I am fine with that. As annoying as you are, I don't mind your company from time to time."

Gojo froze. "Really?" he asked, nearly stunned to what was said.

"We're a lot alike, but the fact remains is this… you protected my brother, you do so when I can't. For that, you have a small bit my respect… the rest, you still got to earn it."

Peering at the time, Suiryu sighed aloud. "I better see if anyone else wants to train before I go and visit the brothers… it's going to be weird speaking to Ryujin out in the open like this…"