Chapter 24

Suiryu had found Muta who was going over everything on a computer tablet they just so happen to have gotten their hands on. "So… did it work?" he asked.

Muta smirked to him. "I got two billion dollars, so… how do you think the other guy is going to react?"

"Probably not well," he paused, his hearing has gotten remarkably sharp as he heard the pounding of footsteps coming right for him. "Speaking of which…" he turned as Toji put a sword to Suiryu's throat, the tip of it was attempting to dig into his flesh and yet, he never flinched. "So, I take it you're broke?" he asked with a grin on his face.

"MY money… NOW!" he demanded.

Suiryu suddenly moved, too fast for Toji to keep up yet it kept him on his toes. He stood behind him very suddenly. "Oh? YOUR money?" Suiryu asked in a condescending tone. "After you used MY BROTHER to obtain it? RISKING his life for a little scratch?" he asked.

Toji smirked. "I brought him back…"

"Megumi and Nanami brought him back, your sorry ass had to be bailed out." He said in a warning tone. "NOW, that we have opened up this conversation. Here's what you can do now. Stay, be a teacher here. Have your needs taken care of and perhaps get some balls to tell your son who you really are… OR, you can take a hike, and try to make a living like a regular person. Since after all… I cut you off from your line of work, didn't I?" he teased.

Toji sneered at him. "What makes you think I'll accept that? Why don't I just go back to my family home…"

"They're dead, pretty much the whole clan got taken out… you can go home, but to no one and nothing." Suiryu said in a challenging tone. "Besides, what's the point? Knowing you, taking you away from your best line of work, at the same time means of living your lifestyle… by the way, I know how you use to live. You leave here, you'll be a sorry ass bum to say the least!"

"Watch it!" Toji said in a warning tone. "Besides, what I do is none of your damn business!"

"It is now,"

His voice altered quickly, it startled him and Muta at the same time. "I think… I'll take my leave," Muta said offhandedly and excused himself.

It left the two of them alone. Suiryu's eyes bore into Toji who couldn't move. "Listen, you came back on a whim. I rather have brought back Yaga, but apparently he was at peace with what he did. You… you took the opportunity. You came back because of me, why? Hell if I knew. But I know things don't just appear before me without reason. So, with that in mind, what do you say? It's not like you have anywhere to go, nothing else to do. You have seen some of the kids we have and they have potential. I know that look in your eyes too."

Toji paused but once more sneered as he looked away. "So what?" he snapped back. "So what if I could help that generation? There's nothing in it for me!"

Suiryu appeared rather curious. "You mean, you don't want to show your son you have redeeming factors? What happens if the day comes where you want to tell him, explain things, and yet, your little track record is going to make you very difficult to speak with him? After all, that star plasma vessel incident… that was your doing, which set off a chain of events. How would you explain that to him?"

He was taken aback by it all, Toji appeared nearly shock that Suiryu spoke in such a way. At the same time, he has tried to figure out what he was truly doing. Suiryu could read it all over his face, he was processing it, trying to make sense of the notion and what he was getting at. Toji shook his head to it all. "Look, he doesn't even know who the hell I am. I even heard Satoru say he has tried to speak with Megumi about me, but he refuses to listen or doesn't even care!" he protested back. "Besides, my son became a man without me. It's not like he needs me now…"

Suiryu took a moment to process it all, he paused to consider his words and then said. "Everyone… wants to know where they came from… even me." He confessed. "Look, I came from a bastard that wouldn't hesitate to take the heads off of children as they ran in terror from him. In fact, he made a game of it to see how far a headless child would go until they dropped to the ground. But the fact remains is this… I have no memory, Sukuna had no memory of his own parents. There's no origin story, no answer to how he became the sick son of a bitch we all know and despise for. Yet, there is a part of me, that wants to know. It shapes us as to who we become and what we can make of ourselves. Should the day come where Megumi wants to know the truth about you, there has to be something about you that he can connect with. If not, you are both going to be strangers to each other. Just consider it, will ya?" Suiryu asked. "Besides, it's not that bad here. I think you would like it the more you get to know the place. Not to mention, I think we could have some fun."

He bore a rather devious look to Toji. It startled him more than anything, and yet, there was a look of curiosity on his face. "I'm listening…" he said.