Chapter 24

"Again? Poor woman…" Eso said as Satoru explained Yua wasn't feeling well once more. "I have more soup at the ready, just let me know and I will heat it up for her."

"Thanks again Eso, you have been a real life savor on this. I tried making it before… I can never get the spices right."

Eso smirked. "It's more than just the spices, it's balance." He insisted. "Just let me know when she is ready to eat okay?"

Gojo nodded as he headed back.

He couldn't explain it, counting down in his mind, he couldn't wait for this child to be born. He, himself never thought he would be a father, there wasn't a woman out there who ever saw him past his looks. Yua… Yua always did. She could care less that his eyes sparkled a baby blue, she didn't care he was the strongest sorcerer in the world…

Which raises the question.

What DOES she see in him?

"When she's better, I'll ask her." He said to himself.

Yet as he walked back, he froze to the energy that came from his house… in fact, the trail was fresh… what was HE doing there?!

Gojo rushed back home, but froze at the sight.

Yua was at the kitchen table… cleaning out the fridge of leftovers. "Yua?" he asked in amazement.

She paused from eating before smiling a little nervously. "I… got a little hungry."

"A little is an understatement here…" he knows that fridge was full, the fact that she cleaned out half of in in the time he was gone was not something… normal in his mind. He has been having trouble in getting her to eat anything at all as of late. How…

But then, he remembered.

"Did you have someone visit you while I was gone?" he asked offhandedly.

She shook her head. "I tried to rest, but woke up as my spine shuttered. But when I looked to the table there was a cup of tea waiting for me. It wasn't like my usual drink but it tasted fine and it settled my stomach instantly… then I got really hungry." She explained. "Choso must be trying a new blend."

Gojo felt his smile leave his face. "Choso didn't bring you that," he said in a stern tone.

"Eso then?"

He shook his head. "Yua… I sense his energy in this house… Sukuna was in THIS house when I was gone…"

Yua, suddenly stopped eating. She turned to him as Gojo began in inspect the place, the followed the residual trail of energy, and it came to a stop at her bedside. But most of it came off of a teacup that rested on the nightstand. "Is this the cup that the tea was in?" he asked.

Nervously, she nodded her head.

"That's his energy… Yua…"

"Bring me to Suiryu and Yuuji…." She said desperately.

#

"He what?" demanded Suiryu. But then paused oddly as Gojo presented the teacup that was used.

Choso happened to be near by and saw the commotion, he came to inspect the situation himself. "I kid you not, he broke into my house and left this tea!" Gojo stated.

Suiryu inspected the cup. "I don't sense anything malicious in the energy… and it was tea you say?" he asked.

Yua nodded.

"Little brother, may I?"

Suiryu paused but nodded as he gave Choso the cup. There was a little bit of tea down at the bottom, he dipped his finger into it and tasted himself. Such an odd flavor and choice of leaves…

"Choso…" Yua asked nervously.

"Medical herbs." He said flat out. "If there was anything poisonous I would have tasted it the moment it hit my tongue. This is a medical tea, but such flavors I can't quite describe them…"

Suiryu took a sniff of the cup. "I am getting liquorish root… hmmm… something familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it…"

"Is the drink safe?!" Gojo demanded.

"Perfectly fine," Choso insisted. "In fact, the remedy appears to be an old one, I think these are wild herbs used to settle upset stomachs and stimulate appetites…"

"But… HE made this for her?" Gojo asked.

Suiryu smirked. "The cuffs work rather well don't they?" he said to Yua.

"Cuffs? You mean those metal shackles on his wrists? What about them?" Gojo asked.

"They are what bind him to Yua, I added a little flair to them so he can anticipate her needs and take care of them. Perhaps he finally registered her morning sickness and had knowledge on remedying it… hmmm, he has medical knowledge like this… not even I possessed that…"

"Sukuna, king of herbs!" joked Gojo.

"In all seriousness, I want to learn this remedy." Choso said aloud. "If I can assist Yua with this tea, I think it will benefit all of us."

"I rather drink tea from Choso than Sukuna…" Yua said offhandedly. No one could blame her either, Choso doesn't even like it if someone else serves Yua tea!

"Okay, Bro, with me. Let's see what he used to make this. Yua… you're okay, there wasn't anything in there that would harm you or your child. I assure you." Suiryu said with great sincerity.

She appeared relieved, so was Satoru. But the matter remains, Sukuna was up to something. Why help all of a sudden? Even with the cuff on his wrists, there has to be more to this situation.

Choso kept silent as the two left, he turned to Suiryu who kept peering over the cup oddly. "What troubles you?"

"The fact is this, knowledge like this… would have been something I wished I inherited from the bastard. Why did I not see this kind of wisdom? Why wasn't I able to obtain it?" he asked offhandedly. "I know everything he has done, the terrible things since he became the King of Curses in a sense. So… why did I not know this?"

It was a valid question.

Being part of Sukuna, Suiryu should have all his knowledge, but this… this was something he couldn't obtain himself. "I wish I had answers for you little brother."

"Thanks, but let's go get it straight from the horses mouth… even if I have to pry the teeth out of said horse!"