Chapter 27

He felt as if he were floating.

He didn't know where he was, or how he got there, but the moment his eyes opened. Yuuji felt as if he were in the middle of the ocean. His eyes peered about, there wasn't anything else for miles but what appeared to be water. 'Where am I?' he thought, but heard his own voice echoing around him. The question then turned into a star in the sky above him, along with many other stars. 'Who am I?'

'What am I?'

'Where is this place?'

Question after question came into his mind and they all floated up into the sky and became the stars above. "Strange, I don't remember anything… not even my own name…" he whispered.

He tried to turn himself over to see what was below him, but as he did, he found himself face up facing the sky once more. There was no up or down, rhyme or reason to this place. Still, he was here for a purpose.

He was able to lift his arms up, he stared oddly as he saw four hands before him, he toyed with the fingers before realizing all four belonged to him. "Is this normal?" he wondered.

He closed his eyes and tried to focus. "My name…" he paused for a moment, his mind refused to cooperate, there was nothing to recall. There was no memory, not a single thought to bring about or to help him understand his situation. "WHAT IS MY NAME!" he shouted in anger.

But there was no answer for him. Instead, he heard voices whisper back. "Who are you? What are you? What brings you here? How did you get here? Why come this far? What do you hope to gain?"

Questions bombarded his mind until he shouted back. "I DON'T KNOW!"

The whispers fell silent. He began to feel frustrated as tears began to flow. "I don't know… I want to know, but, I don't know how to go about doing it." He said. "If someone else is here, please, guide me!"

There came silence.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to sit up!

He did just that and found the world around him changed. He woke wearing a white robe with a black trim. He sat in a shallow pool of liquid, but all around him appeared red and disturbing. There laid cow skulls all about. The walls themselves appeared to made of bone as if he were trapped inside of someone else. Slowly, he picked himself up off the ground and took it all in.

"Well, well, look at what the cat dragged in…" He turned to see a rather imposing figure sitting on a throne of skulls.

Yuuji stared at him oddly. "Do I know you?" he asked.

His look instantly shifted. "Do you take me for a fool, brat?" he demanded and slowly stood up off his throne. "Or are you merely here to toy with me?"

Yuuji was confused as he looked about before pointing to himself. "You're talking to me right?"

The man sneered with annoyance. "What the hell is wrong with you, Itadori?"

He froze. "My name? Is that… is that my name?" he asked innocently.

Once more the odd man appeared to have been taken aback. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

He shook his head. "I… I couldn't recall a single thing. I… I don't know my name… where I am… why I'm here… honestly… I have this pit in my stomach that is making my legs tremble…"

He jumped as the man suddenly came before him, they stood equally in height as he peered at him with four eyes. It startled him a little. "Do you know who I am?" he asked curiously.

He looked him dead in the eyes. But shook his head. "I've never seen you before in my life…" his eyes drifted until he saw his own reflection. He stumbled when he noticed he too had four eyes like the man before him. They were both wearing the same robe too. "Wait… you're like me!" he said with excitement. "Which means, you can help me!"

There was just something about his smile that didn't sit well with him. His laughter didn't help either. "HAHAHAAHAHAAA!" his cackle echoed around this strange place as he peered at him like he was a meal. "Of course I am like you, for we are one in the same!" he decreed. "I go by Ryomen." He said as his smile grew once more. "You… are Sukuna." He explained.

"Sukuna… Sukuna Itadori is my name?" he asked.

Despite being told it was so, it didn't sit right with him. His heart began to beat a little faster at the mention of the name. "Are you sure?"

"Why doubt me?" Ryomen asked. "Look, we bare the same marks, we are the same height and even our hair is similar to each other. Do you not believe that I am here to help you?" he asked curiously.

He peered about, there was no one else here. "But, where are we?"

"OUR domain!" Ryomen said rather proudly. "We live here, we rule here, and we… are the strongest in the world when it comes to jujutsu!" he decreed.

"Jujutsu?" He asked.

Instantly Ryomen froze. "You… are unaware of your own jujutsu?"

"I don't know what it is"

He rolled all four of his eyes. "Figures it wouldn't be THAT easy…" he muttered. "Okay brat, pay attention and watch." He flicked his fingers towards a pile of skulls. Yuuji jumped as they turned to dust from a mere twitch of his fingers!

His eyes widened in amazement. "HOW!?" he asked with great excitement.

"Jujutsu," he said with an unimpressed tone. "You have it too,"

He stared at his hands, before turning his sights on a pile of skulls. He mimicked the same motion as Ryomen did, but nothing happened. "Wait, I did it the same as you…"

Ryomen glared at him. "You don't just twitch your fingers you idiot, you have to put power behind it, you put actual curse energy into the strike!" he snapped back angrily.

Yuuji froze as he began to tremble again. "Curse energy?... Sorry… I… I didn't know…" he fell meek and silent shortly after.

Ryomen sneered at him. "This is really pushing my patients…" he muttered. Then he suddenly smiled. "Did you know there is a special ability only you and I can do?" he asked.

It got his attention. "A special ability?"

"Yes, it's called fusion, you and I can merge and become one. When we do. You will be able to use your jujutsu properly since I will be part of you. What do you say?" he asked as his hand reached out for him.

He stared at it oddly, but his body was trembling, as if warning him that this was wrong. "I… I don't want to take the easy way out of this. I should learn it for myself…"

"It takes years… countless, daunting years… but I have everything you could ever know about jujutsu… trust me…" he said as his smile grew.

Yuuji sighed, his hand reached out as Ryomen was quick to grab hold… but their hands were repelled!

"Huh?" Yuuji whispered. "I felt… something, but…"

Ryomen's smile vanished completely. He sneered at the notion but then appeared to think it over. "Perhaps…" he muttered to himself and then began to think. Suddenly, a nod came over him. "Very well then, looks like there is no other choice in the matter. It's not like you and I are going anywhere, anyways…" He turned to him once more. "Sukuna, I am going to train you!"

His eyes widened with excitement, he took a seat on a small pile of bones before staring at Ryomen with great interest. "Can we start? Also… can you call me Itadori instead? It sounds better than Sukuna."

He sneered once more, but then sighed. "There's no other choice is there, very well then. Listen good. I will not be repeating myself!" he warned.

#

Meanwhile

The other half of Itadori just woke.

At first he was confused as to where he was, how he got there, let alone WHO he was, and yet. Slowly, he sat himself up and found he was within the middle of a lush forest. Peering over himself he found he possessed four arms and clawed hands. There was only a loincloth that kept him covered as he slowly eased himself on to his feet. 'What is this place?' he thought.

Yet as he looked about, he felt his throat get rather parched, fortunately, near by was a river. He took a moment as he came to the water's edge before he peered into it. His own reflection startled him as there were four eyes staring back at him! But then, a moment of pause came over him. 'This… is normal for me isn't it?' but shook his head of the thought as he decided he needed a drink first. Quickly taking his fill, Yuuji peered about the forest once more. Wondering how he got there, and why he was there.

He opened his mouth to speak, yet found not a word came out of him. 'I wonder if I could speak before?' he thought.

Yet as he looked about, he began to notice things. Bushes that moved oddly despite there being no breeze, the sounds of laughter that followed. Then, lights began to appear before his eyes. They were floating around at first until some stopped and began to approach him fearlessly. He stood before such a thing, until he began to notice the figure within the ball of light. It appeared like a young girl with crystal like wings. She smiled very warmly to him and waved, but then she took a closer look.

Her eyes widened with great excitement. "IT'S HIM!" she shouted in her tiny voice.

Countless others like her began to swarm, gathering around and taking a closer look at Yuuji. He smiled to it all, but wondered how to communicate with them. He kept holding his throat oddly, and those around him took notice.

"Can't speak?" asked another creature.

He shook his head.

"We'll take care of you!"

He was confused, he just met these creatures and yet, they are offered their help instantly? He bowed his head in gratitude for their help. "No! Don't bow! We bow to you!" said the first creature he encountered. "You are a dragon!"

'A dragon?' he wondered. Looking back at his arms oddly, he was confused at the notion. 'I wonder what a dragon is…'

He felt little hands push on his back, moving him along through the forest. "Come, we'll take care of you! We must always help a dragon in need!"

He didn't refuse, it's not like he has anywhere else to go either!