Chapter 31
The next day.
The elders were up bright and early, yet, the moment they woke, a young boy was waiting for them outside of their door. "Morning elders of the jujutsu council, I am here to take care of you today!" he said with a big smile on his face.
They sneered at him. "Be gone child,"
"But I was asked by the Lord to tend to you today, you don't wish to insult him now do you? You also don't know the land, it's changed quite a bit,"
What he said is true, and perhaps this boy is an extension of the hospitality they sought the day before? Either way, a better understanding of the land would be good to know. The boy however was oddly energetic. He explained that before this was all sand until the land was cleansed, since then, it's become lush and full of life once more. "However we still have a lot of work, for some of the curses here began to seek out other lands to take over. We are monitoring various regions that have fallen on hardships. Most recently there was a famine North West of us, we have kept them full and fed, and resolved the issue, we are now focused on the East of us,"
'Even the children are aware of what is going on around them' one elder thought.
But that wasn't the strangest sight either. There were those gathered in a large court, women and young girls stood at the ready in a disciplined formation. There, a Tooru woman stood at the forefront. "READY? BEGIN!"
They were all handling weapons and learning how to use them, it made the elders snicker aloud. "The women are learning combat?!" one laughed aloud.
Only to get glared at by those in training.
Even their guide shook his head in a disapproving manner. "Elders, please understand this. When we send provisions to other lands, we are aware there are robbers and thieves who would attack and kill to take what was being transported… The ladies have been doing this job, not one has been lost during the transportation of goods… all who have dared to raise a sword to them, have died."
They were silent on the matter before moving on.
They found children who were using curse energy. At such a young age, it was unheard of to the elders. They don't start training them until they are at least ten or if the children come from high nobility, the clan trains them. Here they are five and learning the basic concept of it! For that matter, they are commoners. How could they have such high education on the use of curse energy? In the jujutsu society, only those with the ability to become powerful are taught. Those with little talent are looked over and pushed away, unless they come from a noble clan.
This was ridiculous in their minds.
"Some of them have talent…" muttered the youngest of the elders.
In fact, they have already grasped the basic concept of curse energy, and were now refining it to discover their technique. What stunned them the most was the teacher.
The deformed boy named Sukuna was walking about, monitoring their progress and giving suggestions as they trained. He was oddly careful and gentle around them and they listened to him. Soon, he called for them to stop for the day. "Excellent progress, you are all learning very well. It won't be long now. Keep training!" he said in an encouraging tone.
They were thrilled and left.
He paused as he took notice of the elders lingering about. "Something catch your attention?" he asked curiously.
They shook their heads to him. "No, nothing particular…"
He nodded to them. Sukuna said nothing more and went off on his own as well. "He's very hands on," their guide explained. "Most of the children here didn't even have curse abilities, but he was able to awaken it."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?"
The boy snickered. "Well, you see, they had a fragment of curse energy, nothing really to become a sorcerer, those who wanted to be one were given the opportunity, as well, approval from the parents was necessary too. Sukuna was able to awaken their potential, and has since started to train them on curse energy. He calls the method transfiguration. We have tested it throughout various age groups, the older they are the more difficult it is for them to control and formulate a technique, so we have opted to start them young so they have time to adjust and control their abilities."
"He… he can allow those who no curse energy, to have it?!"
"Within reason, there are some he can't do what so ever."
This was getting to become interesting. The more the listened to Sukuna's abilities, the more they wanted to have this boy on their side. If he can unleash one's potential, then that means…
He can bring jujutsu to the next level!
A golden era…
Their thoughts of greed became etched on their faces. "AHEM" their guide said aloud, snapping them back in reality. "Now, we want to go to the fields here, that's our pride and joy."
They were reluctant to see the farmland, yet the moment their eyes came upon it, they were stunned. The land was always rocky at best, hardly anything grew here but weeds when there was some form of life before the attack. But now, they were lush fields and very plentiful. "The Lord had helped plow the fields himself with the assistance of the Tooru family. Some are versed with jujutsu that can manipulate the ground. They used their curse energy to do such a thing and brought all the rocks to the surface. Other members removed them yet, due to the ground being uneven, the lord and others plowed the fields so the cattle wouldn't be harmed doing so."
"Plow… how could they without the strength of the cattle!"
The boy's chest puffed out proudly. "Our lord is very powerful, he's physically stronger than a lot of people. My father stated if he were to guess, he would equal the strength of about twenty men in his current state. But he can only get stronger from here!"
So, Sukuna isn't only gifted in curse energy, but he is also gifted in strength? They have begun to regret sending this boy so far from their grasp.
#
By the third day, they began to realize, extracting this child from here would be difficult. The people here adore their young lord. He was well taken care of as well, he has been resolving matters in other villages and near by lands. His power also grew in the three days they have been here, but no one has seen him train.
It became all too suspicious.
"There has to be a secret to this, we have to persuade this boy to come with us!"
"But how do we do it?"
They decided to attempt anyways. They have to get him on their side, or else, the emperor may discover him and try to take this boy for his own court sorcerer.
They found Sukuna in his modest accommodation. He was speaking with a young woman before stopping all conversations. "I don't believe I invited you," he scolded the elders.
"Please, forgive us for intruding… we were wondering if you wish to accompany us back to the council?"
He looked annoyed. "Oh? For what purpose?" he asked. The hands to his dominate arms locked into each other supporting his chin as he leaned in, his lower arms casually folded into each other as if he sat at attention.
"We… had no idea how talented you are with curse energy. Such talents are wasted here. Perhaps it's best if you returned to us to the main lands. I am certain there are plenty of people you could help there, as well as young sorcerers you could train as well."
He appeared to think it over, but he then turned to the young woman who he was speaking with earlier. "What do you think?" he asked of her.
"My Lord, the question asked was for you and you alone to consider. My thoughts do not matter for they are not yours, nor is it your answer to them."
"What is she saying?"
He smirked. "I merely asked for her opinion on the matter, the Toorus are wonderful advisors. But they have never pressured me into choosing one thing over another, or pushing their own agenda on me as well. If they wanted to keep me for themselves and their own use, they would have talked my ear off as to how much of a threat you are to me. They never uttered a word of such lies. If they wanted to be rid of me, they would sing your praises and stated how I am wasting my life here and should leave. They didn't speak such words."
He stood up from his throne once more. "I remember you all too well, you never asked once what I desired for myself. I was never given the choice of leaving your council before at a young age that was always decided for me. It was also decided what you would have done to me as well. Therefore, the choice is clear. I won't be leaving with you."
They paused, he retained such memories from a young age?
"What would it take for you to come with us?" the eldest asked.
He smirked to them. "Expel all the curses in the Hida Province." He stated, his smile almost looked wicked. "Prove to me you are using your abilities to prove your power to me. Only then would I go along with you."
That was an impossible task!
How could he demand such a thing from them?
"You are but a mere boy! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR ELDERS LIKE THIS!"
His calm expression vanished. He turned to the woman once more who merely nodded her approval.
Sukuna glared upon them. "Then fight me," he demanded.
"What?"
"If you believe my words and actions are out of line, then you must be powerful to command me to obey you. So, prove it. Fight me." He demanded once more.
The elders froze.
They know for certain they could battle him in curse energy, he was but a mere boy, what could he have learned in such a short time? The youngest of the five stepped forward. Merely fifty years old and yet he had the power and agility as if he were in his prime. "So be it, I will be the one to fight you. You are aware sorcerer duels are to the death!"
"I was about to ask you if you merely wish to spar, however you have invoked a duel, I am obliged to participate by the rules of said duel." He said in an oddly calm tone.
The four other elders appeared concerned. "How many… have you been in?" the eldest asked.
Sukuna paused as he tried to think it over, he counted on hand… then two… then three… "Huh… more than I thought. This would be my 78th one."
No one moved, the youngest of the five appeared worried now, but he had to keep calm. He has to win this. If he can remove this threat from the world then it will be worth all the glory that comes with it! He began to dispel his curse energy, showing off his strength.
Sukuna was unmoving.
"I've killed stronger," he said in a blunt tone.
He began to dispel his own.
The room grew thick and heavy with his power, the elders could barely stand in his presence, and yet… that woman… she was unaffected by it!?
"What… what is this!" they demanded of him.
He flicked his finger.
A massive gash came over the elder, blood erupted from his body, his arm barely hanging on. As he fell to the ground in a crippling manner, Sukuna, calmed himself, his energy was contained as he approached the fallen man. He turned him over and then another surge came to his hands.
The wound healed over!
"Rever… reverse jujutsu!?"
"I just learned it recently." He explained. "He will be fine, but you are not welcomed here any longer. You are to be gone by sunset."
They couldn't bring themselves to speak, let alone argue with him. All they could do was pick up their blooded friend and leave his home as soon as they could.
Sukuna is too powerful.
They must find a way of dealing with him sooner than later.