Chapter 4

He slept rather soundly that night, much to his own surprise. Junpei thought he would struggle to get a good night's sleep. He wasn't in his own home, his bed wasn't his, nor the room and he was surrounded by others who call him their little brother.

The sleep was far better than he expected it would be.

He woke that morning, the last to wake out of all of them, yet the moment he peered into the dining area, they were all seated and waited. "Oh good he's up! We can start now" called Sho.

"… You were waiting for me?" Junpei asked curiously.

"Of course! We need to make sure there is plenty to go around, everyone gets their plate full equally and then whoever is still hungry helps themselves." Eso explained.

True to his word, they were all given equal portions. Junpei paused to the amount he got, a massive pile of eggs, bacon and four pieces of toast! The brothers ate rather contently, yet Junpei wasn't too sure about what to make of it all. Yet hunger did get the better of him. He ate his share and was satisfied after.

"KNOCK, KNOCK!"

The table jumped as Suiryu strolled into the room. "Good, everyone is awake, today we are going to see what you are capable of doing and knowing your curse technique." He announced.

"I'm curious to what I can do, I never really thought about it before," said Shouoso.

"Me too, I wonder if we will be strong like Choso?" said Noranso.

"I see you have already set the bar for yourselves, Choso is a good level to be at, so far, by my perception anyways, he is the strongest brother here." Suiryu announced.

"I would consider him to be the oldest…" said Sho. "I may be the oldest one by age… yet in experience… Choso is the oldest out of all of us."

"I would consider that to be true, he was the first of you to be given a body the first time too. Yet this time around he was the third last of you to be born…" Suiryu stated.

"I waited for I already had a chance at life. If whatever brought us back didn't have enough energy to do so, at least the brothers who didn't get a chance to live, would have such an opportunity" Choso explained.

Eso nodded in agreement to Choso's words.

"Brothers…" whispered Sanso.

"Whatever, you're all here now, so we are going to find out what the hell you can do. So finish up, I got you some 'toys' to practice on," he said with an evil grin.

Junpei gulped his pride a little, what little he could recall from his past, didn't offer him any sort of idea as to what he can do now. The energy he possesses is different, far different than the last time.

He helped clear the table before going outside with the others. Yet he froze.

Contained in an odd barrier were these freaky looking curses. The brothers were even stunned to them. "Suiryu…" Choso said with great uncertainty.

"Not to worry, these things are some of the curses we will be fighting. They are known as finger bearers. They are being massed produced by a former follower of Sukuna, his army consists mainly of these bastards. Honestly, these things came from Sukuna as well. When a curse eats one of his fingers, they turned into something like that and gain whatever technique was contained in said finger," He explained. "So all the more to better prepare you!"

Junpei gulped his pride a little as he stepped back. "However I noticed with these bastards, there is no technique, they are merely smash and grab sort of curses. Some may contain a technique if they evolve themselves, but so far they are merely blank slates." Suiryu explained that they would come one at a time, and face off against the curse. "Kill it," he simply stated. "Use your abilities to destroy it as fast as possible, but at the same time, understand what you ability is"

Strange, he sounded rather sincere as he spoke those words, he was determined to let the brothers learn for themselves as to what they can do.

Sho was the first to step up. Suiryu unleashed one of the curses. It was rather startled that it was released, but then, its eyes came upon Junpei! With a sickening grin, the curse charged right for him! Sho however was quick to put an end to it. Junpei watched with horror and amazement as Sho's stomach opened up. It was almost like a horrific blooming flower as it separated into four sections, yet bared razor sharp teeth! A massive tongue lashed out and was quick to slurp in his prey!

'He could devour a massive amount of people if he wanted to!' Junpei thought. He was able to digest the curse rather quickly before revealing what he could do. He absorbs the strength of those he consumes. However if he eats something or someone stronger than the last thing that gave him power, it will be replaced.

"Not a bad technique," Suiryu said offhandedly. "Probably got that a little more from the Sukuna side huh? Either way, it's good to know that. NEXT!" he shouted.

One by one he went down the list of brothers until he came to Choso and Eso. "Okay now we know what most of you can do, we will work on your abilities from here!" he announced, but then, his sights set on Junpei. "You and me are going to be very good friends…" Suiryu said with a twisted grin.

"Hold it!" Sho called. "I heard what you want to do, and I am against it!"

Junpei never thought the brothers would rally behind him and try to get Suiryu to change his mind on the training method. Despite their objections, he didn't sway and refused to back down from the notion.

But it what Suiryu said next that convinced him. "Junpei, how good would it make you feel to return the favor to the bastard that took your mother away and then your life?" he asked.

"What?"

"To my knowledge, the bastard is still alive. How good would you feel to take your revenge against him?" he asked as his look became more sinister. "I promise you, when I am through with you, that asshole won't know what hit him." He vowed.

The more he thought about it, the more tempting it sounded. At the same time… it felt like the last time with Mahito when he awoken the curse energy within him. Despite his sinister look, Junpei merely nodded. "Okay… Brothers, please don't interfere!" he pleaded.

Sho looked to him oddly, perhaps seeing if there was a moment of hesitation. But he sighed aloud. "I never could say no to the youngest…" he said in a defeated tone, but his glare shifted to Suiryu. "Not too rough understood!"

Suiryu placed his hands up in surrender, that or to show he wasn't crossing his fingers when he promised to not be too hard on Junpei.

#

As the brothers separated, Junpei was left by himself until Suiryu returned. There was an odd look in his eyes as he stared him down oddly. "Hmmm, you… I am most curious about,"

"What do you mean?"

"Your curse energy has completely shifted compared to the last time, I got Sukuna's and Yuuji's memories so I know what your level was at before. As well, I know what Kechizu could do. Needless to say the potential is even greater now."

"It… is?"

Suiryu nodded as he took a seat on the ground. Junpei followed suit as Suiryu continued to stare at him oddly. "Let me see one thing…" he took his necklace off, revealing not just his curse marks, but the other set of eyes he possesses. Junpei was startled by it but settled. He continued to stare at him with all four eyes before he nodded his head. "I think we got some good potential here. But it's all going to depend on you and how bad you want this. I made a promise here, not a binding vow but promise, after all. I was part of the bastard who didn't lift a finger to help you… I want to make amends."

He was stunned by his words but nodded. "Suiryu… why are you working so hard to help us?" Junpei asked.

"Why not?" he asked in a rather uncaring tone. "Look, if you are going to help Yuuji, you need to be at your best and know the extent of your abilities right?"

He nodded his head. "Good, let's get started then, which hand?"

His body froze as Suiryu announced they were to get started, with a sigh he offered his right hand. Suiryu grabbed it by the wrist and said. "Now, I'll let this go for four hours, you got that time to turn it back before I do. Understand?"

Once more, he nodded. "Let's start" Junpei said meekly.

He felt it.

The power coursed through his hand, he felt the bones break and the skin alter. He screamed aloud to the pain of it all until he was finally released from it. His hand was massive and heavy, it looked clawed and yet at the same time monstrous. It dropped to the ground as he was barely able to lift it. "Four hours, get started!" Suiryu announced and left him then and there.

Junpei freaked out.

It was almost as if his hand were mocking him, then he heard Mahito's voice. "You have a good head on your shoulders…" those were the last words he remembered the curse uttering to him before he turned his body into the horrific monstrosity! Yet the more he thought of Mahito, the more he was angered by it.

"That asshole… took everything from me… he took my mother… my chance at having a good life, being at a school with others like me… and someone I could have called a friend… that son of a bitch! I want him to pay! I want him to pay! I don't want to be scared anymore!" Junpei said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, his glare came down to his hand. "Turn back… I am not going to fall like this again, turn back!" he said over and over again. He felt his own energy build, the more angry he became the more determined he was to turn himself back…

Then he saw it.

The flesh altered for just a moment, he saw his normal skin pigment return. "I… can do this… I can do this!" he said with a more determined tone.

He never stopped focusing.

In two hours, he got his pigment back, in another half hour his hand started to look normal, then, within twenty minutes, his hand was back to the way it was. "I… did it?" he whispered to himself.

The joy he felt couldn't be contained, tears fell from his eyes as he stared at his non transfigured hand and did a side by side comparison. They were normal! The tears continued to fall, as he was so proud of his accomplishment. He took a moment to savor the small victory. Leaning against the side of the dorms he continued to weep happy tears.

"TIME'S UP JUNPEI!" he jumped when he heard Suiryu's voice fill the silence. Slowly he got to his feet but kept his hand hidden. As he approached Suiryu, there came a look of disappointment on his face as his hand reached out to him. "Give it here, I'll turn it back like I promised…" he said.

Then, Junpei smiled as he presented his hand.

Suiryu peered down, but froze in amazement. "Wait… did you…"

He didn't know what made him more proud at that moment. The fact he undid his transfigured hand, or the look of shock on Suiryu's face.

Looking back now, it was the shock on Suiryu's face. It was rather memorable.

His training would only increase from there as Suiryu stated tomorrow, he will turn his arm completely.