Chapter 12

The time soon came.

It was shortly after the dinner incident, everyone was eating when Suiryu and Yuuji sensed something off. Then, it was a massive pulse of curse energy.

Suiryu was quick to excuse himself, however, Yuuji was inconsolable. What occurred was a curtain had gone up, but it was powerful enough to block the energy and no one could sense it. When it went down…

Junpei didn't think much of it, however, Yuuji sensed and felt the loss of life instantly. "I should have felt that sooner! I should have stopped that!" he protested over and over again.

'This is the other burden isn't it?' Junpei thought.

Even as a young child, he always thought of what it would like to be a superhero. He could image him saving people all the time with his great power and strength. But, just now, he also witnessed the darker side of it. The fact remains, even if one has the power, does not mean they can prevent every disaster from happening, or save every life in danger.

One could only imagine the amount of guilt a hero could go through if they endured that every day. Being able to save some people in one location, and yet letting other dies elsewhere.

He shook his head on the notion, the brothers tried to console Yuuji with no avail. Junpei however stepped in, he got Yuuji to get out of his chair. "We need to take a walk, let's go."

Yuuji blindly followed him out of the residence, they went out into the woods as Itadori's shoulders appeared to have slumped even lower. Junpei came to a stop and turned sharply to face his friend. "What is wrong with you?" he demanded.

Yuuji peered up. "What do you mean…"

"What is wrong with you? Simple question."

Itadori froze, he didn't understand.

Junpei sighed aloud. "Yuuji, why the hell do you blame yourself for everything?" he asked. "What happened… what you felt… that wasn't your fault!"

"I should have sensed that!" he protested.

"Suiryu didn't."

Itadori paused to the fact, it was true, Suiryu didn't sense it until Yuuji did. "Oh…"

"Yuuji… why are you so fixated in believing that if something has happened, it's your doing? Or you blame yourself for not seeing it earlier? Are you taking on the world's problems because you think you need to be punished for what happen? Or is it easier to shift the blame to you since you don't have anything to live for?"

Silence.

Yuuji became eerily quiet. He stared at Junpei oddly, but shook his head to it all. "I am not blaming myself for everything…"

"You are, look at you. Itadori, I know you have gone through hell and back. What I don't know is why you punish yourself for things beyond your control. Sure, you're more powerful now than before. But the world isn't yours to command. The lives are not yours to save or take. You're not a god!"

"It's just that…"

"You're trying to make up for everything Sukuna did, aren't you?"

He froze.

Yuuji stared at Junpei with an amazed look on his face. "How did you…"

"Suiryu said we came from you, so, it's only natural that I can pick this up, right? Your thoughts and feelings, I want you to know that you're not alone in this, I mean, hell. Look at me!" he laughed. "I'm not the same anymore either. But here we are. Yuuji… just because you have Sukuna's curse energy, his power and technique engrained into you… doesn't mean you make up for what he took away. That's not your place."

Yuuji took a seat on a tree stump. He sighed aloud to it all but didn't appear any better than before. "It's been hard, Junpei. I mean, I explained before, I don't know what to make of myself. I scare everyone. The elders still want me dead and I sort of agree with it. This power… if I could take it from Sukuna, what if there is someone out there who can take it from me?"

Junpei smirked. "Then, you call your brothers." He said. "Huh… guess that's what pissed off Choso earlier, I didn't claim to be your sibling. I think he wanted me to. Weird huh?" he said and snickered. Yet Yuuji wasn't laughing, instead, he looked to him oddly. "Something wrong?"

"Did… did you want to be?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to think of you as a brother? It took Choso some time for me to accept him, but after I remembered my parents… it just made it all the more clearer that we were siblings in a sense. But… Junpei… I don't mind…"

Junpei smirked. "Okay then…" he said. "I'll be your brother too, but still treat me as you would have before. Either way I don't think there is that much of a difference is there?"

He saw his smile return, Yuuji nodded his head and agreed on the idea. But now, its clear that war is at their doorstep. "So… are you going to be okay to fight?"

Junpei cracked his knuckles. "Oddly enough yes, a part of me is terrified, and the other part… it's itching for battle… I don't know what we are going up against, but at the same time… I think it could be fun."

"God, Suiryu has tainted you, hasn't he?" Yuuji snickered.

"Traumatized is more like it."

#

By the next morning. Yuuji left to return to the school. Suiryu came back and announced that they will be going to war at any given day. Which means any and all methods that need to be polished, should be done so now. "Junpei, with me!" he ordered.

They ventured back out into the woods, towards a much larger cliff than before. Junpei knew what was coming, Suiryu on the other hand was grinning like an idiot. He just can't help himself and has taken great joy in kicking Junpei off cliffs as of late. 'What am I some damn cartoon character?' he thought to himself.

But today, he is determined to have the outcome work in his favor.

He's going to fly today!

Suiryu was silent as he trudged up the cliff with Junpei. They reached the highest point, Suiryu was already smiling wickedly. "Let me guess, another lesson from the birds." He muttered.

"Hmm, not really." Suiryu replied but that damn smirk said otherwise.

"Then what?"

"Simply really, we are going to trigger another human emotion within you… Fight or flight!"

Junpei dodged just in the nick of time as Suiryu went for a strike!

The ground now had a hole in it…

He could punch to kill at this point! Which means… he either fights Suiryu head on, or…

BASH!

Blindsided! Junpei stumbled back, and yet his foot slipped, he was teetering on the edge already as Suiryu grinned wickedly once more. "Not much of a fight, so what's it going to be?"

He knew what he had to do. He stood on the edge, his arms outstretched and without hesitation, Junpei fell back and over the edge!

Suiryu appeared stunned by the looks of it, in fact his eyes widened in shock as Junpei began his plunge to the earth, but this time, he wasn't going to hit the ground. "Remember it all, the fear you had, it controlled you, but now… you are no longer afraid…" he said to himself. Turning over, Junpei began to dive now. Faster and faster but he then felt it. The small mouths that came to his hands were on his back now. He felt them start to release the blood like an oil trail until…

FLAP!

The blood parachuted out from his back, he came to nearly a dead stop but was able to soften the sudden speed he descended. But now, he peered up. "Time to fly!" he shot straight up, making sure he flew past Suiryu before taking to the skies on his own.

"BAHAHAHAHA! YOU CRAZY MOTHERFUCKER!" Suiryu shouted aloud. Suddenly, Suiryu began to take flight himself! He was at his side, laughing his ass off. "Look at you now! You're flying!"

He couldn't help but be proud of his accomplishment, so much so he made sure he flew back home and the brothers saw him descend from the skies. They gathered as they saw him coming, when his feet touch the ground, the brothers froze.

"Little one…" Choso whispered.

Suiryu's feet hit the ground. He turned to them and laughed. "Look whose flying!" and slapped Junpei's back rather proudly.

The brothers however, were sharing a smirk of their own. Instantly, Suiryu picked up on it. "What's with that look?" he demanded.

Perhaps it was time to show him.

Nicking the tips of his thumbs, Junpei bled but then drew his thumbs down the opposite arms. "Domain expansion…"

The world enclosed around them, Suiryu froze as he stood on a sea of crimson blood. "Blood ties"

He froze, looking about. Suiryu appeared amazed. But then, he smiled deviously. "You son of a bitch! You have phenomenal curse energy!"

Junpei closed the domain as the brothers were now laughing about it. "Not only that, he has bested me in blood manipulation. He uses it in ways I never thought possible. He can slide on it like ice." Choso explained.

Suiryu appeared more impressed now than before. "Well, I suppose you did learn from the best…" he said as his chest puffed out proudly.

He laughed it off. "I think we're ready now." Junpei stated.

He nodded in agreement. "They are going to be sending Satoru off, but they don't realize it won't be Satoru. I do have one request of you, all of you. Follow my energy, and be close behind me." He said. "After today I won't be coming back, since I know the fifth hand is making their move."

They brothers all nodded in agreement. "We will be ready," vowed Choso.

"Good,"