Chapter 8

Gojo spent his day researching.

He has looked through all the books he could find but found nothing about ascension for a demonic sorcerer. He knows it is possible, Suiryu would have been so upset on the matter if it wasn't true, but to bring Sukuna into the picture as one who was about to become a dragon… well… that changes it a little.

Suiryu was adamant though on all that he knew. After all, Yuuji was at the receiving end of this, and despite how cold he is. He truly does care for him, so much so he was determined to find a way of protecting him if he cannot call upon either energy for his own defense. As they were preparing for that, Gojo researched. He managed to find some hidden and forbidden books in his wondering. These had a little more information, but he did need a lot more!

"Now Yua did have an uncle researching this… where did she go again after her family died…" he muttered.

"Tibet,"

He paused to the voice as he saw Suiryu standing there. "She was in Tibet."

"How…"

"Sukuna's finger," he said offhandedly. "I was still part of the bastard, so I know where some of his stuff was, that finger was in Tibet along side the dragon he imprisoned." He wondered into the library a little more, peering about at the books. "You guys really ought to get some more updated material…"

"Oh? Anything else you want to say?" Gojo asked in a teasing tone.

"Just go to Tibet and see for yourself. Yua had a collection of shit there, may have something you are looking for…"

Gojo sighed. "There is a limit to my power too you know, I can't just warp there! I haven't even been there before!"

Suiryu nodded. "Then call a favor, she owes us!" he said.

"She… Oh you mean Kitsune"

"If she's not lingering around to make sure Yuuji gets fed, she may as well help us with this," he said offhandedly. "I'm going to give the kids a tune up,"

"Oh?"

"I have no idea where this shit is going to go right now, quite frankly, I don't want to know where this shit is going to go… but I got a bad feeling that this is just the start of it all. Someone has taken out our strongest on purpose. Yuuji is at a great disadvantage and it's only going to get worst the moment he starts to cultivate. Again I don't know which path he is going to be forced upon to break out of this stage, but it's not sitting right with me."

Gojo listened. He hung off of Suiryu's every word for he was just as concerned as he was. "It's not sitting well with me either…" he said. "I keep trying to find ways of helping him, but nothing is coming to me. Perhaps I will ask a favor of Kitsune…"

Just as he mentioned it, papers and books dropped before him on the table. Kitsune's sisters appeared and they filled the table with books. "Huh…" Suiryu wondered over and began taking a look. "These are the books you will need… mind if I take some as well?"

"We'll swap afterward," Gojo stated.

He nodded in agreement. Taking four leather books and six stacks of bounded papers Suiryu made his way out. Gojo on the other hand began to look over the first sheet of paper. Written by Yua's uncle. "Understanding the divine…" he muttered. "Looks like I am in for a long night…"

#

"MORE!" Suiryu shouted.

It was a few hours later, Mika was in search of Suiryu to get a private lesson in. But today, he was oddly strict. It was shortly after he left Gojo sensei's dorm with a stack of papers and books, she called out to him for a lesson, he agreed to it but wanted to get the papers back to his dorm before they would train.

When he returned though, there was this look in his eyes. She could already sense he will be going all out today.

And she was right.

He just forced Mika to the ground rather hard, a crater was left in its wake, but she brushed off the attack. "You need to come at me with more killing intent, your life is on the line!" he stated.

She has never seen him so focused before, let alone being so rough in the lessons. But she could understand why. The word quickly spread around the school about Yuuji's condition. He's been worried for him and has channeled his frustration into lessons for everyone else. "What are you going to do Mika!" he demanded of her.

She got up again, brushing off the attack she stood at the ready. "Kill you!" she said with great determination.

His smile grew. "Prove it!"

Summoning her strength she prepared herself for battle. Then made her move!

Her blade clashed against his flesh, he was nicked a little, but never enough to cause serious harm to him. But she had to make killing strikes against him. Aim for his heart here, his throat there, take out the back leg tendons… anything that would immobilize him and make the kill easier.

She keeps thinking of the mountain he made them run. So far they were at level five and climbing up to level six. Fushiguro was already at level nine.

She refuses to be left behind!

Harder, faster, stronger, she has to bring everything she has to him, she has to show she is learning and growing stronger.

BASH!

He came up from behind her, this time she went face first into the ground, her nose bled and lip split open. "That's enough for now, your skills have improved as you are able to take a hit from me, but we need to do better."

This was the closet one gets to praise out of him. It was a compliment that he acknowledge their growth, it's another when he states there is room for improvement.

It only means. 'I can make you stronger still' in her mind.

She picked herself up off the ground, spitting the blood from her mouth she merely bowed to him. "Thank you Suiryu Sensei!" she said with great sincerity.

It made him pause. "That's a first…" he said and smirked towards her. "Keep at it, you're getting better."

#

He was on a mission that day.

Suiryu spent his time with each student to see his or her progress. Fushiguro on the other hand was nowhere to be found. "Huh, I thought he would be here somewhere… unless…" Suiryu trailed off as he began to venture off of school grounds. He went deep into the woods where he heard a struggle. Keeping back though, he watched on as Fushiguro was training with the alpha wolf from his summons. The two were going at each other rather hard, the wolf refused to show mercy to his master as Fushiguro managed to hold his own.

"Odd, it's just him and the wolf training…" the two came to a stop. Fushiguro nodded to the alpha.

"Good, I am keeping up with you."

Instantly, he figured out what he was doing. The alpha was trying to attack him, Fushiguro was using this as a method to increase his reflexes, timing and evasion skills. "Not bad!" he called aloud.

The two stopped and stared as Suiryu made his way down. "Good use of the alpha, his speeds and agility are the best among the wolves." Suiryu paused. "Have you managed to make more contracts?" he asked.

He shook his head. "I want to improve the ones I have now. I have always been told to get new summons I had to use the divine wolves to gain and make them submit to me… ever since you showed me that other method…"

Suiryu nodded his head. "It makes it all the more efficient doesn't it? Very much like using a domain in battle, it's a risk, a lot of energy and yet the payoff is better."

The wolf was called back. Fushiguro paused as he turned to Suiryu oddly. "Is Itadori going to be okay?" he asked offhandedly. "This is messed up, even for what we do, this is seriously messed up…"

Suiryu sighed aloud. "At the moment, I have no answer." He said honestly. "I have only what Sukuna has remembered, and there isn't much there. But I am going to do what I can to help him. He's my brother after all."

It brought a smirk to his student. "Brother…" he muttered. "You know what a brother is?"

Suiryu smirked as well. "Something tells me it's how you feel about him too. Someone you never realized you could trust until now, who has had your back whenever he could, and would drop everything to help you on a whim." But he paused. "He saved my life… what there is to be made of it… I got to admit I never thought it was this difficult to live by such rules and boundaries. But if I wasn't given such a thing, I suppose I would be no better than the bastard I came from."

"No argument here…"

Suiryu snickered. "Needless to say though, I think we both owe Yuuji a debt that can't quite be paid in full."

Silence came from Fushiguro, but then a nod followed. "Yeah," he muttered.

Suiryu turned to leave. "I'll be counting on you to keep an eye on him, I maybe strong and powerful, but this is also Yuuji we're talking about here!" he said in a warning tone.