Yūji stares up at the black billowing smoke. She sighs softly and takes a bite of the daifuku* she had bought from the bakery on her way back to the crematorium. She leans back on her hands and basks in the sunlight.
"You're very close to your grandfather," Satoru states more than asks.
Yūji giggles softly and nods her head. "Ojīchan is–was like a father to me. My parents had no love for me. Ojīchan and Obāchan couldn't bare to simply stand by and watch what my parents did. I was their only granddaughter, so they took me in."
"They didn't love you? Your parents..." Satoru trails off curiously. Yūji's soft smile stays plastered on her face, her eyes glazing over with a certain darkness to it. She doesn't notice Satoru's frown.
"If I wasn't born crazy, my parents would have made me crazy. Though they made me crazier, no matter how much Ojīchan and Obāchan denied it." Yūji closes her eyes and tilts her head up. "They wanted a son. After they realized Haha* couldn't have anymore children after me... well, I don't think I have to spell it out for anyone."
Yūji takes a deep breath and turns towards Satoru. She smiles, eyes dark with memories and old hopes, long since shattered.
"Honestly, I have to thank my parents. With what they did to me, it's made me who I am today. They taught me a lot too! Even if they didn't know they did," Yūji continues brightly. She eats the rest of the daifuku in her hands with a hum.
"You were born crazy, hm?" Satoru asks with a smile. Yūji laughs slightly, a small flush painting her cheeks.
"My family's incredibly old. There's many legends about us. Many believe that the Gods, in their fear and jealousy, flip a coin each time a person of Itadori blood is born. They bet on the person's sanity," The pink haired teenager explains brightly. Satoru hums in interest.
"How can the Gods be scared of mortals?" Yūji doesn't mention the slightly mocking tone from the white haired man.
"No God fears mortals. Are you too stupid to not believe in legends?" Sukuna agrees with Satoru inside her head.
"It's too long of a story to get into right now," Yūji answers both with a cheeky grin. She stands up from the bench outside of the crematorium right before the door opens.
"Itadori-sama," Naoshi greets with a deep bow. Yūji smiles softly and gives a small nod in greeting.
"Hello again Uozumi-san," Yūji greets kindly.
Naoshi keeps the door open and waves a hand towards it. Yūji glances back at Satoru and tilts her head towards it before facing the door and starts walking.
"Asai-dono sent ahead the urn. Is this man going to be joining you?" Naoshi asks, glancing at Satoru with a narrowed gaze. Yūji smiles softly and turns to look at Satoru as he walks over.
"We have much to discuss. Thank you Uozumi-san, for your worry, but I trust Gojo-san. He won't harm me," Yūji says kindly. Naoshi purses his lips before silently stepping aside.
The pink haired teenager walks into the crematorium. "Are you close to any family, Gojo-san?"
"Nope! My family's dead. They were all traditional and archaic, so there isn't much to miss." Yūji blinks at the way the information was stated. She hums in acknowledgement before they reach the room where the remains of Wasuke lay.
"It must get lonely sometimes. Not having anymore family, even if you hated them," She says offhandedly. Yūji sighs softly and stares at the ashes and bone fragments in the middle of the room. She takes in a deep breath and walks over.
"Are all of the seals around Sukuna's fingers weakening?" Yūji changes the subject as she picks up the chopsticks. She starts picking up the bone fragments from the feet first.
"Yes. The seals were created in the Heian Period. Unfortunately, we aren't able to create new seals strong enough to reseal the fingers, and we can't destroy them. Soon, the seals will die off and curses will be fighting each other just to hold that power. We call those curses Finger Bearers," Satoru explains easily. Yūji keeps her focus on slowly placing the remaining bone fragments in the urn Chisato had delivered for her.
It was a black Raku* urn with a simple golden design of two dragons. The only thing odd about the urn was the written kana* covering the urn in crimson red. It was written in man'yōgana*.
"What would happen if I ate all 20 fingers?"
"Sukuna would probably destroy your soul and take over your body or have himself incarnated into a body near you," Satoru answers with a nonchalant shrug and smile. "Or you might go on your way afterwards. If you can escape the execution."
"Mm." Yūji stays quiet, an indifferent expression on her face.
"Like I'd let your soul go to waste. I haven't fucked, or eaten anyone in centuries," Sukuna says with a slightly darker tone. Yūji pauses for only a second before going back to picking the bone fragments.
"There aren't many choices for me, are there?" Yūji asks herself.
She lifts one of the bone fragments and inspects it. "If I do nothing, many people will die and the Jujutsu higher-ups will stop at nothing to kill me. If I do something, the higher-ups will likely still try to kill me as I try to find and eat all the fingers. If I succeed, there will be attempted executions left and right, excluding the possibility that Sukuna will take over my body before then. This is a lose-lose situation for me."
"They won't be able to kill me, but dealing with someone trying to kill me for the rest of my life is so irritating..." Yūji thinks to herself with a small frown. She starts to pick the bone fragments again.
"There's a lot of variables that haven't come into play. A lot of players I haven't seen yet, a lot of plans that I need to think of," Yūji places the last bone fragment into the urn before setting down the chopsticks, "and while I do prefer to go with the flow in most things, this isn't one of those things."
Yūji closes the urn and gently traces the man'yōgana. She tilts her head, eyebrows furrowing. She stands up and fixes her jacket before facing Satoru.
"Is there anything I need to do before the meeting with the principal?" The pink haired teenager asks without a moment of thought. Satoru hums before holding out an ancient discolored finger. Yūji blinks before her nose scrunches up.
"Let's start with this! Just to see," He states cheerfully as he tosses the finger towards Yūji. She catches it easily and inspects it.
"It looks so disgusting... Gods, do I really need to eat all 20?" Yūji asks with a small frown. She sighs before opening her mouth and tosses the finger in.
The rough texture almost makes her spit it back out, but Yūji forces herself to swallow it. She shivers and shakes out her hands to try and get rid of the disgust. This is just not her day.
A sudden unfamiliar feeling washes over her as her heart skips a beat. Yūji grips her shirt of her heart and stumbles backwards. Black tattoos appear on her skin and a dark chuckle fills her head–and the room.
"No. No!" Yūji clenches her eyes shut and takes in a deep breath. "I am Itadori Yūji and if you even think you will ever be able to control me, you are sorely mistaken!"
Yūji takes in another deep breath and releases it when she opens her eyes. She growls heavily and gently presses two fingers to her temple. The migraine is coming back. Fantastic.
"I really wish you would stop with the constant migraines, Sukuna. It's getting a bit annoying," Yūji grumbles with a small frown. She sighs heavily at the dark chuckle in her mind before rolling her eyes. She looks up and gives Satoru a smile, not mentioning how he had stood to his full height during her small battle for control with the curse inside of her.
"I think we've stalled the meeting enough. Let's get going, hm?" Yūji says brightly.
Satoru chuckles and opens the door for Yūji. "After you, Yūji-chan!"
"Why thank you, Gojo-san!" Yūji giggles before giving a dramatic bow and walking out of the room. She sees Naoshi waiting a few feet away and gives him a small wave.
"Please send the urn back to Asai-san! Have a nice day!" Yūji exclaims before turning to walk out of the crematorium.
"I wish a thousand years of good health to you, Itadori-sama," Naoshi says reverently as he gives a deep bow. Yūji doesn't give any indication that she heard him and doesn't say anything to Satoru about it.
Yūji gasps in slight awe, looking around at all of the beautiful scenery. "To think that Tokyo can look like this... It reminds me of my estate!"
"You've gotta see Tokyo to believe it! Even Tokyo looks like this on the outskirts," Satoru says with a smile. Yūji laughs slightly in disbelief, breathing in the surprisingly clean air.
"Where's Fushiguro-san?" She asks curiously, facing Satoru as she walks backwards.
"Resting. He wasn't injured last night, but he isn't used to staying awake that late," The white haired man answers patiently. Yūji hums with a small nod. Makes sense.
"Tokyo Jujutsu High School..." Satoru trails off as they reach the entrance to the school campus. "It's one of only two jujutsu educational facilities in Japan. It's known as a private religious school to the public, but many jujutsu sorcerers use it as a base of operations after graduating. It's become a pillar in the jujutsu world because of that."
"Hm... a private school, you say?" Yūji mutters to herself, looking around at the traditional styled buildings. Her shoulders slump slightly and a pout forms.
"I owe Ojīchan ¥10,000 now," Yūji adds glumly. She should have known not to take a bet from her grandfather.
Satoru chuckles before placing a hand on the pink haired teenager's head. "Anyway, I suggest you go all out in your interview with the principal. He can reject your admission if you screw it up."
Yūji blinks at the information before giving Satoru a slightly dry look. He just smiles innocently, making her eyes roll at him.
"That means immediate execution, right?" Yūji asks before rubbing the back of her neck with a sigh. She glances down at her cheek when she feels the familiar tingling sensation of Sukuna forming a mouth there.
"So, you aren't the boss? Naming yourself the strongest sorcerer and not even being the leader is honestly so laughable. Are you even the strongest sorcerer? Any hierarchy other than strength is worthless," Sukuna says with a sinister grin. Yūji rolls her eyes and stops walking, slapping a hand over the mouth.
"Strength is good and all, but any hierarchy without influence and loyalty is bound to crash and burn. How do you think you got sealed in the first place?" Yūji retorts back with a small frown. She rubs her cheek before stretching her neck.
"And what about honor? You humans like spouting shit about that kind of stuff, no?" Sukuna makes a mouth appear on Yūji's hand. She turns it over to give it a deadpan expression before scoffing.
"Honor? What does honor have to do with anything that I just said?" Yūji slaps her other hand over the mouth. "Now go away. I don't think the principal will appreciate you being able to do this and I doubt you want to take the risk of being back as 18 fingers."
Yūji makes a small noise from the back of her throat before fixing her ponytail. She stares up at an amused Satoru and gives him a smile.
"So, I need to go all out? He sounds like a serious guy," Yūji says as she starts walking again.
Satoru laughs slightly and nods his head. "He is. I wish you luck!"
A comfortable silence passes between them as they walk up into the small building in front of them. Yūji glances around–incredibly suspicious–dark room with a raised eyebrow.
"You're late, Satoru. 20 minutes late." She glances back when the doors close by themselves before focusing back on the person in front of her. Yūji blinks rapidly, staring at the scene in front of her. An intimidating looking man was surrounded by cute plushies and stuffed animals.
"Okay...? Is every jujutsu sorcerer this weird?" Yūji asks herself with a slight sweatdrop.
"I've told you to fix your habit of being late!" The man states harshly. Satoru smiles innocently and shrugs his shoulders.
"Sorry, sorry! Won't happen again!" The white haired man exclaims, making Yūji look up at him with a raised eyebrow. That was a bold-faced lie and everyone in the room knows it.
"This is Principal Yaga Masamichi," Satoru turns to look down at Yūji when he says this.
"That's the boy?" Masamichi asks for clarification.
"Itadori Yūji. I'm into girls like Jennifer Lawrence and guys like Johnny Depp. Nice to meet you!" Yūji introduces herself with a bow and a smile.
"What did you come here for?" Masamichi asks immediately after Yūji's introduction. Yūji frowns slightly at the slight rudeness before stuffing her hands into her pockets.
"Well, I didn't really have a choice really. If I didn't agree to a delayed execution, you would have executed me immediately," Yūji points out while she inspects the dark room. "And while death comes for everyone and everything–or the closest thing to death–an execution is not how I want to die so I'm not gonna die from it."
Yūji hums softly and glances at Masamichi through her peripherals. "I promised Ojīchan I would protect what's mine and those that I care for."
Duck. Yūji bends backwards, staring up at a green colored arm. She does a back handspring, dodging another punch to her stomach.
"A promise? A promise isn't going to keep you alive!" The principal states harshly. Yūji easily leaps into the air before the animated stuffed animal could hit her again. She falls on top of it, forcing it into the ground. A small crater forms below them.
"No it won't, but it's something I won't break. Not when Ojīchan made me promise and dying will break that promise," Yūji retorts, continuously dodging the stuffed animal. She grunts slightly when it punches her stomach, but she uses the opportunity to quickly restrain it.
"Staying alive will be easy for me regardless of anything else spontaneous happening in my life. My death is my death. I choose when I'll die, how I'll die, where I'll die and no one else will." Yūji hisses slightly when the stuffed animal slams her head back into the concrete floor before escaping her grip. She twists into the air, avoiding a kick to her stomach.
"You are nothing but a vessel now! Your death is out of your hands. If you continue to lie to yourself by denying it, you will not be accepted," Masamichi states with a scowl.
Yūji clenches her jaw and growls heavily. "I am not in denial."
She dodges the stuffed animal again, growling louder. Yūji kicks it to the side, making it blast through a support beam. It gets back up again and charges forward.
"I am Itadori Yūji, sole heir to the Itadori Clan. I have lost count of how many times I've been kidnapped, relentlessly tortured, and almost assassinated in my short life. Yesterday, the one who was like a father to me died, I saved two of my senpai from being eaten and injured any worse by a curse from something I am at fault for, I ate an absolutely disgusting finger, I am getting one migraine after another from Sukuna and the consequences of blood loss, and I dealt with so many idiotic and foolish people today as they try to manipulate me. Hardly anything can surprise me anymore, including names. I have been called a cold-blooded bitch, a slut, a curse to society, a murderer, hell even a manipulator. I don't give a shit, but if you call me a fucking liar one more time Masamichi, I will lop your head off and put it on a pike!" Yūji shouts with a snarl.
A slightly less human growl escapes her throat when the stuffed animal aims a punch at her head. The pink haired teenager throws her own punch, her fist going through the stuffed animal like paper.
"And make your stuffed animal stop with its attacks! It's annoying the hell out of me and I am too exhausted to be fighting anything!" She adds as an after thought. Yūji closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath.
"Mika, Yukari, Ryūya, Yo, Zenzō, Keigo Shino, Shuko." Yūji repeats the eight names in her mind to calm herself down. She locks the anger in the back of her mind and takes in another deep breath.
"I apologize for shouting." The pink haired teenager opens her eyes and stares straight at a bemused Masamichi. "Lying is something I despise with a passion. I don't lie unless there's absolutely no other choice. I don't like being called a liar when I'm not one."
She gently takes her hand out of the stuffed animal, not breaking her stare off with the principal. Yūji straightens her shoulders slightly and puts on an indifferent expression.
"...you will attend this school until you graduate or until you find and eat all 20 fingers of Sukuna. After you graduate, you will still be in the service of this school until you eat all 20 fingers," Masamichi says after a moment of silence.
"I can have you immediately executed at any time. Keep that in mind before you do anything," He adds, making Yūji scoff quietly.
"Of course," Yūji says sarcastically before giving a dramatic bow. "Is that all?"
"You're dismissed." Yūji gives the principal a cold smile before turning on her heel and walking out of the room. Satoru gives Masamichi a wave as he follows after the teenager.
"Bye bye, Yaga! Sorry about the stuffed animal," Satoru calls out before catching up with Yūji.
"You're really scary when your angry, Yūji-chan!" Satoru comments with a bright smile. Yūji gives him a tired smile, scratching the back of her neck.
"Eh... I wasn't really angry, more annoyed than anything. I don't get angry often," She corrects the white haired man before rubbing her forehead.
"After I'm finished here, can I go back home to get some things? I'll be back tomorrow," Yūji asks tiredly, pulling out her sunglasses. Her migraine was seriously going to kill her.
"'course! I did kidnap you after all. I'll show you where you're staying and you can be on your way!" Satoru states with a shrug. Yūji smiles gratefully and follows after her teacher.
"When I get home, we need to talk," Yūji thinks with a small frown. Sukuna doesn't answer her, but she can feel him fade away from her mind. He heard her.
Hey! Hope you like the new chapter! A bit of a shorter chapter, but I still hope you all liked it.
*Background information*
*(1): Daifuku is a wagashi dessert in Japan.
*(2): Haha is a formal way of saying mother in Japanese.
*(3): Raku ware is a type of Japanese pottery.
*(4): Kana are phonetic writing systems for Japanese phonological units. Examples are Katakana and Hiragana
*(5): Man'yōgana is an ancient writing system and the first known kana system developed to represent the Japanese language phonetically.
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini