Chapter 40
It was strange.
Junpei was woken up in the middle of the night, shaken awake by Choso who appeared panicked. "What's wrong?" Junpei asked as he cleared the sleep from his eyes.
"Yuuji… he's gone!" Choso said with worry. "I don't sense him at all, it's as if he doesn't exist in this world!"
Junpei was wide awake now!
He got up just as the other brothers had come to see what was happening, they all appeared to have felt Itadori's absence. It was strange as Junpei didn't think he did, and yet, there was an odd sensation in his gut. "How could he have vanished like that? It's impossible, isn't it?" Junpei questioned.
Choso began to pace himself around the room, trying to think of what has happened and how. He didn't dare to wake up anyone else, not even Suiryu on the matter. "He is not dead, that is certain, I would have felt that…" Choso muttered, but for Yuuji to disappear…
They waited until morning. By breakfast, Junpei knew something was amiss as he saw Suiryu and Satoru Gojo outside speaking. Suiryu looked worried, so did sensei oddly enough. He approached the two of them and asked if it had something to do with Itadori. "Choso woke me at one in the morning, I had no idea Itadori vanished like that…"
"So they know... the thing is we can't speak of it aloud, or the council and the elders will jump on this. And if Yuuji returns in a weakened state, do you really think they are going to waste a chance to take him out?" Suiryu questioned.
Junpei froze.
He never thought about that before.
"If anyone asks, he is out on a mission today with Todo or something… better still…" Gojo got on the phone, he called Aoi Todo and explained the situation. The funny part about it was when Gojo sensei explained Itadori was missing, he could hear Todo's voice from where he stood.
"WHAT! BROTHER IS MISSING!? WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME SOONER!"
Suiryu rolled his eyes as he wrenched the phone from Gojo. "Calm down you crying ape!" he snapped back. "Look, we got to keep this on the QT got it? Granted, you may have just blown it for us on this end with your shouting!"
Junpei couldn't hear anything more from that, Todo's voice went quiet and couldn't be heard as loudly as before, but Suiryu explained the situation and Todo happily agreed to do what was needed to keep up appearances.
With a slight plan in place, Suiryu sighed aloud as he and Gojo sensei spent the rest of the day trying to figure out where Itadori had gone…
#
There wouldn't be a trace of him to be found.
His room remained unkempt with a massive nest in the middle of the floor. Junpei happened to have wondered in, wonder why Yuuji made such a large thing. It was large enough to fit two people at least, and yet…
He shook his head of it all. "Where have you gone Yuuji?" he whispered.
"Hey, Junpei, come here!"
He jumped. Did… did someone know he was in the room? Oh, he forgot about the curse energy he is constantly expelling. With a sigh, he stood up and went to the kitchen area. There, Suiryu was there with Fushiguro and Nobara. "Something wrong?" he asked aloud.
Suiryu… looked worried. "You could say that. Just had a talk with a certain fox who appeared to have spilt the beans on Yuuji to someone really, really powerful."
He shuttered at the thought. Junpei's skin crawled as he took a seat. Suiryu explained that Yuuji's odd behavior mimicked that of a baby dragon. "We know he was acting weird… even for him. But now we know why. Everything he was doing, his actions… were instinctual of a baby dragon. They gather things and ensure their own comfort. Which was why he was coddling up to Choso a few days ago. Baby dragons want security, comfort and food. Big three and if either one of those isn't provided, they bail."
The room froze. "Did… did we mess up?" Junpei asked.
"How could we have known?!" demanded Nobara. "Suiryu…"
"That isn't the reason why he isn't here. He had all three, he didn't leave because a need wasn't being met. He was taken from this world to be judged."
No one moved.
"How could you know that?" Fushiguro asked.
"Because, that damn fox woman!" he protested. "She told me, the offerings of blankets she brought to a more powerful being… they smelt Yuuji's scent on them. They got to asking questions. Kitsune was forced to speak about Yuuji's transformation, and it did NOT go over very well…"
The one moved, no one spoke either. "How could you…"
"Because the damn fox said that this happened before! In fact, this thing enforces a rule. It was the one who cursed all those who have come before Yuuji to be trapped in their cultivation. Never to progress beyond the point they are trapped in… Ugh…" Suiryu paused as his head began to hurt. "I'm getting memories from the bastard of this, it's all blurry right now, but I'll have a better understanding soon enough…"
The room paused. "Sukuna's memories hurt?" asked Nobara.
"I made it that way," he explained. "They hurt so I know they are not my memories, as well, it's protection for me as well. I had to work with Ryujin on this method since… if I recall too many of Sukuna's memories, they can take over me… then the bastard returns."
Once more, no one moved. Fushiguro even looked a little pale.
"How do you do it?" he whispered, almost sounding amazed by this alone.
"Not important right now, we got to make arrangements. I know Yuuji is still out there somewhere… I just know it, and if he is being judged right now for this… I just got to hope that they see his heart and soul… he's not greedy, hell none of us know HOW he was cultivating to be a dragon. I don't even know that!" he protested.
Solemn nods came from the table. "So… hope for the best huh?" asked Nobara.
"More or less."
"At least you have calmed down from this morning, that was scary enough as it was…" muttered Fushiguro.
"Huh?" demanded Nobara and Junpei.
"AHEM, that's not the issue…" Suiryu said as he tried to change the subject.
"No, I want to hear more of this, he went nuts this morning?" Nobara asked as she bore a devious grin. "It's not every day to see or hear news of Suiryu getting really upset…"
"It's not important…" Suiryu said as he turned away embarrassed.
"He was upset that he couldn't find Yuuji, let alone know how to find him. We used the divine wolves, not even the alpha could pick up the scent of Itadori. He was frustrated since he didn't have all the answers that he usually does…"
Junpei peered over at Suiryu who kept silent, his head lowered as his face flushed an odd red. "He's all that I really have…" he muttered.
The table paused as all eyes came upon him. "Suiryu…" Junpei whispered.
"No offence to you or the bros Junpei, it's just that… Yuuji and I… there's just something else between us, a bond that has always been there… I can't put my finger on it right now, but, full heartedly… I see him as a sibling… and he's really the only family I got. I am not seen as a brother to you or the others am I?"
He nodded. "Choso said something about that too… that you act like a brother but not quite one. He still accepts you as a sibling, but I don't think it's as strongly as he does Yuuji… No offence."
"None taken, trust me. I doubt anyone would see me as anything more than Sukuna's clone… the fact that someone is TRYING to see me as something else… it's oddly enough for me. But Yuuji, there was never any doubt in him. He never thought or saw me as Sukuna…"
It was true too. Fushiguro nodded to it all in agreement. "It took us some time to accept and see it as well, but I do. Still creepy, but I understand who Suiryu is." He said.
Suiryu was now rendered silent.
"Fushiguro…" he whispered in amazement. He appeared to have wanted to turn to Nobara, but fought the urge to do so. He already knows the kind of strain he puts on her, despite his feelings, he knows not to push her on how she feels.
"He's not wrong… at the same time… it's still hard for me to get over the fact he came from Sukuna… to think there was something good about him…" she said offhandedly. But then she peered over to Suiryu. "But… perhaps it also shows that no matter how big of an asshole a person is… there is still something worth saving about them if needed…"
He didn't quite know what to make of that comment, but Suiryu on the other hand appeared thrilled!
Despite how she says it… it appears Suiryu understand the message she is trying to convey.
"Ahem… moving along," Suiryu said gently. "I don't know what will happen to Yuuji, I just want to be ready to welcome him back home…"
It fell oddly silent, it appeared not even Suiryu believed his own words for the moment. Nonetheless, Junpei nodded and agreed to help him however he could.
First thing he did… replace every towel, blanket and fitted sheets from Itadori's rummaging rampage!
