Days like today were always bleak to Kyouka. The darkness surrounding the school illustrated the monstrosities that resided within. The search for the cursed object was proving to be difficult, but her student, Megumi, needed to learn how to track these things down. For Kyouka, watching her student struggle was tricky, since she was the more skilled at tracking and analyzing. But Ryoumen Sukuna was a challenge that not even she could win against at the moment.
The strong power exuding from the school was almost enough for Kyouka to jump in to help her student. However, the nail grating voice in her head of her co-worker, Gojo Satorou kept her feet planted. "He needs to learn. Tonight is about him; not the object." The last sentence the spiky haired sorcerer had told her before scurrying off to the nearest mochi stand. Honestly, it was a surprise Gojo hadn't been smacked in the face by now for his recklessness when it came to missions.
From her vantage point upwind, Kyouka saw her student fighting the cursed energies within the school valiantly, but the other student she did not know, concerned her. "Why is he there? Megumi explicitly told him to run." She said to herself. Noting the swift movements from the pink-haired boy, Kyouka couldn't help but feel impressed. "He's no sorcerer, but he's quick." She mumbled before noticing the cursed energy engulfing the kid in its grasps. The teen showed no fear as the curse squeezed around him while he yelled at Megumi. "What is he doing?" Kyouka asked herself, squinting her eyes to see the teen shuffle within the curse's grasp. A moment later, her answer was given. The cursed object in question was tossed into the air and quickly swallowed by the pink-haired kid. "Shit."
Leaping from building to building, Kyouka warped to the rooftop where Megumi and the pink-haired kid stood for a second before Gojo Satorou appeared. "Thought you weren't coming tonight?" She growled at him, seeing the white-haired man looking down at Megumi.
"Seems like Megumi here got a little roughed up." He commented, snapping pictures of the beaten Megumi. "I got an earful from the higher ups about this cursed object being lost still. So I decided to drop by and check it out. Pretty sure that's why you're here too." Kyouka groaned behind him, pushing down her urge to punch Gojo. "So, did you find it yet?" He asked Megumi.
"Um…sorry." The pink-haired teen piped up, causing the three other people to stare at him. "I kinda…ate it." The deafening silence around the group was almost comical, if the situation wasn't so dire.
"Really?" Gojo asked, turning his attention to Kyouka. "Really?"
"It's what I saw, that's the reason I'm here." She groaned, rubbing her eyes roughly. "Trust me, not what I planned either." Gojo stalked over to the pink-haired teen and looked at him through the bindings around his eyes.
"Hm. Damn, it really did combine with you. That's hilarious." Gojo smirked, observing the teen carefully. "Anything weird with your body?"
"This isn't funny, Gojo. Sakuna can do some real damage." Kyouka reminded him. "From what I heard, he really thinks he can take over this world if he fully manifests."
Ignoring Kyouka's comment, Gojo continued with the kid. "Can you switch between yourself and Sukana at will?"
"Sukana?" He asked curiously.
"The curse you ate, kid." Kyouka answered, seeing Gojo begin to stretch. "You are not thinking what I think you're thinking…are you?" The wide grin on his face was her answer.
The kid answered her question for him after a moment of thought. "Yes, I think I can control him." Kyouka groaned at the teen, eyeing Gojo as he stretched.
"Okay, give us ten seconds. Then switch back to yourself." Gojo told him, the air of confidence exuding from his words.
"Gojo…I really don't think…"
"Don't worry. I'm way too strong for him." Gojo smirked, giving Kyouka a cocky look.
Her eyes snapped back to the cocky sorcerer before retorting quickly. "I know that! But it's not just you…"
Ignoring Kyouka's concerns again, Gojo interrupted. "Megumi! Hold onto this for me, will you?" Gojo said, throwing a brown bag at the teen to hold.
"Please tell me those aren't souvenirs." Kyouka groaned, seeing the alarmed look on Megumi's face.
"No! Just the best, sweetest treat around these parts. Kikufuku!" Gojo smiled, before Kyouka attempted to smack him. "I'll be eating this on the bullet train ride home." Kyouka noticed a flash of movement from the pink-haired teen before a loud crash sounded. The dust cleared and Sukuna stood with Gojo sitting on him easily. "I think it's the whipped cream inside the treat that makes it so good." He smirked while Sukuna tried to take him down again. "Since my student is watching, I think I'll show off a little."
"How…?" Megumi stuttered, seeing Gojo dodge Sukuna easily, blowing the curse away like a leaf.
"You know Gojo is strong." Kyouka yawned, seemingly bored from the altercation in front of her.
"Then why were you concerned?" Megumi asked her, seeing the bored expression on her face. "You really didn't want him to fight Sukuna."
"Not because I was worried for Gojo. I never waste my concern on him." Kyouka growled, sensing Sukuna's frustration with Gojo's speed. "I was concerned for the kid. We don't know what repercussions Sukuna's power will have on him."
"Itadori." Megumi said. At Kyouka's quizzical look, he elaborated. "His name is Itadori. You keep calling him 'kid'." She rolled her eyes but continued to watch Gojo flawlessly warp around Sukuna while simultaneously smacking him down.
"Hm. Well, it seems that Itadori is strong in his own right. Still…Sukuna is a force of nature that scares me."
"Is he all that the stories make him out to be?" Megumi asked, wiping the blood from his forehead. Kyouka's bright eyes bore into the darkness that surrounded the cursed user's energy while Gojo's time frame ended. "Sensei?"
"He's worse.'' Megumi's eyes widened at her solemn look. He had rarely seen Kyouka look scared of something; but her hard eyes told him that she was being careful.
Meanwhile, Itadori stood lamely before his senses returned to him in front of Gojo. "So how did it go?" He asked, noting the destruction around him.
"Hm, well would you look at that. You can control him." Gojo chuckled.
"He's kind of annoying. And I keep hearing his voice." Itadori groaned, smacking his head slightly with his palm.
"It's a miracle that's all he's doing to you." Kyouka mumbled before Gojo knocked the kid out gently. "If he's still possessed by Sukuna when he wakes up…what's your plan?" She asked Gojo, an evident edge to her voice.
"He has the potential of being a vessel." Gojo answered her, pulling Itadori over his shoulders. "Now, I have a question for you, Megumi. What do you think we should do with him?" His student pondered the question for a moment and stole a glance at Kyouka before answering.
"Even if he is a vessel, by law he has to die. However, I don't want him to die." Megumi answered, his dark eyes as strong as his words.
"Personal?" Gojo asked with a knowing smile. Despite his bindings, Kyouka knew when he was looking at her. The intensity of his stare broke through the fabric over his eyes; he knew Megumi had her words in his head.
"I suppose. Can you save him?" Megumi asked, getting to his feet. Kyouka held onto him for support.
"A request from my student? Leave it to me." He smirked, handing Itadori over to Megumi and taking the Kikufuku from him. "Get you and the boy to the school. We'll meet you there. Mommy and Daddy need to talk." Gojo said, dismissing his student, leaving him and Kyouka on the roof alone. Kyouka remained silent until Megumi shuffled away out of hearing distance.
"He's going to have to die. You know that. Why lie?" She hissed, not looking at Gojo.
"I have an idea to suspend that for a while." Gojo answered her, popping the Kikufuku into his mouth. Kyouka narrowed her eyes and warped herself back to the ground, followed swiftly by Gojo. "Hey, don't be like that Mari. I'm serious."
"The kid will have no choice in this. He dies either way. Whether it's after he consumes all of Sukuna or while hunting him down." Kyouka explained, shoving her hands into her pockets.
"So you thought about it too huh?" Gojo asked her while chewing on his treat. Her bright eyes bore into the wet pavement as they walked while a blanket of concern covered her.
"It may come as a surprise to you, Gojo, but I am smarter than I look." She growled, trying to keep her temper in check. Gojo stiffened but continued his snacking, making Kyouka more annoyed.
"You know there won't be another person to handle Sukuna for a thousand years." His muffled voice sounded through the kikifuku. Kyouka squeezed her eyes shut in frustration before she nodded in agreement. "This may be our only chance."
"I hate it when you're right." She mumbled, feeling the beginnings of rain on her face.
"I love it. Kikufuku?" Gojo offered, handing her a chocolate treat. "It's your favorite." He smiled, dropping it in Kyouka's hand.
"You don't get brownie points for feeding me. You still aggravate me." She said, popping the treat in her mouth.
"Yeah, but food helps. Besides, I'm sure you haven't eaten today." He said knowingly. Kyouka growled as she enjoyed the dessert before speaking again.
"Just…be careful with the kid. If he can handle another finger, then Jujutsu High would be the best thing for him. For as long as he's alive, that is." Kyouka said, watching the rain avoid Gojo. "Show off."
"Jealous." He smirked, knowing his infinity protection kept him dry. "You're attached to the boy?" He asked, elongating his infinity to cover Kyouka from the rain. She smiled in thanks then shook her head. "You don't want him to die."
"He's a kid. An innocent kid. He didn't ask for this. But I saw him ignore Megumi's order to run for safety and he ran to help his friends. He's a good kid." Gojo felt the sadness exuding from his companion through her words and stifled a critique. "I know you don't understand feelings, Saturou. But for some of us normal people, it's what reminds us that we aren't gods." She snapped, sensing his chastisement on the tip of his tongue.
"I can't relate." He stated.
"I hate you." She groaned. "Isn't that part of the reason you asked me to come with you to Jujutsu High? To remind you to feel?" Gojo remained silent for a moment before sighing heavily.
"There's a lot of reasons I want you around." He said simply, seeing a small smile appear on Kyouka's face. "But yes, between the two of us, you're the one with the feelings."
"You make yourself sound so cold. You're not cold, Satorou." Kyouka said, keeping her annoyance to a minimum. "You're a good person." Gojo winced slightly behind his bindings, but said nothing. The rare silence between the two old friends created a tension neither wanted but neither could change.
