Chapter 25

He got a break a few days later from school and hunting curses. Yuuji laid in his room, but got distracted by the other set of arms he possesses. He was getting use to them by now, but still wondered why he had them, as well as wondered if they will ever be gone. "I really need to make up my mind here as to what's going on…" he muttered.

"Itadori!"

He jumped from his bed as the Principal barged in. "Did you forget your test with the elders?" he demanded.

His face blanked, "Oh shit the test!" he was already dressed and ready to go. He was led outside to a circle once more, but the drawing was different than the purifying one he has been constantly forced into.

The elders were muttering between each other until they saw him stand there. The one testing him rose and gave an incantation.

The world began to feel suddenly heavier on his shoulders. "Listen good, boy. This here is a crushing curse, it will increase the pressure around your body until you die… but, the pressure is only increased for every lie you tell."

He nodded in understanding.

The elders looked to each other. "What is your name?"

"Yuuji Itadori!" he said proudly.

Nothing changed.

"Are you the demon vessel to Sukuna?"

He sighed. "Yes,"

He suddenly gasped.

The pavement below his feet started to crack at the change of pressure, it made the elders stunned as the boy remained standing but felt the burden of the curse.

"Wait, this isn't right, something's wrong. He is the vessel to Sukuna, why did the gravity increase!" Principal Yaga demanded.

"Is Sukuna currently inside you?" one elder called.

"No," he said honestly.

There was no weight added to the curse spell.

"He's not lying either, eye of truth has revealed no lies in his words, except for when he said he was the vessel to Sukuna… if that means it's a lie, then Sukuna is gone!"

"Or hidden, you recall the binding vows that can be spoken and erase one's memory of the vow?" said another elder.

"But both side will have to have a conversation about it, you have not spoke or seen Sukuna have you, Itadori?" Principal Yaga asked.

"No sir," he said.

Once more, no change in gravity.

This was becoming more and more confusing. The elders sighed aloud as the curse was lifted. "Yuuji Itadori, we are releasing you in the care of Satoru Gojo until farther notice…"

"Huh?" he asked with great confusion.

"You're off the hook for now," Yaga whispered.

"OH!" he said with great excitement. "Thank you elders!" he said and bowed respectfully.

"HOWEVER!" one shouted. "We will reserve judgment for another time… in case this is merely a rouse to say the least…"

Yuuji gulped his pride and nodded. He has to make sure whatever is happening to him doesn't get any worst. With that, he left and said nothing more, but took a deep breath the moment he returned to his dorm.

He just flopped in bed, when he opened his eyes and saw Gojo sensei peering down at him! "SENSEI!" he proclaimed and fell out of the bed.

"HAHA! That never gets old." His teacher snickered. "I heard about what happened, how about we celebrate! You heard about a festival at a temple near by, the one where we were going to get rid of all those curses? Well, they are having one and I think we should all go" he insisted.

"A festival?" asked Yuuji. "Sensei… I don't know if I should really be going out looking like this…" he muttered.

"Oh you'll be fine, we will let Nobara touch you up with some make up and you will be good to go!"

"Makeup?" he muttered.

"So get ready, change into comfy clothing, Ooo, wait I got it!" he somehow pulled out another hoodie, not a school uniform kind, but a regular one with stitched in sleeves for the lower arms. "Tada!" he said proudly. "Made these this mornings, so come on, try it on. Let's go, the best food is served at six o'clock!"

He smiled to it all and nodded, changing out of his uniform sweater and to the more commoner one, Yuuji tucked in his extra arms and fluffed up the sweater to make it appear less suspicious. "Okay!" he said and smiled. "Are the others ready?"

"They don't know we're going yet"

#

It was like pulling teeth with the other two.

Nobara and Fushiguro refused to go at first, until they saw how excited Yuuji was to attend a festival. "I haven't done so since I was young. Grandfather took me to one when I was ten!" he explained.

They were shamed into going. "He's been through enough as it is, come on, let's go with him and have fun!" teased Gojo sensei.

They reluctantly agreed.

Yuuji was like a child the moment they arrived. He took in everything! He was going from booth to booth for snacks and confections. Gojo was smiling to it all until he heard something odd.

"What do you mean we don't have one today? We need a dragon dancer!"

The monks of the temple were having an argument. Gojo leaned in a little closer to listen in. Apparently for the festival to start off with a grand flash for people as well as tradition, they needed someone to dress up and do a dragon dance alone on a stage.

His smile grew to the news.

He found himself worming into the conversation. "Oh, you need a dragon dancer? Have you asked around?" he teased.

"Are you volunteering?" one monk asked.

"Oh goodness me no. I was thinking more…" he vanished for a moment, only to return with Yuuji. "Him!"

"Wait, how did you…"

"Uh, Sensei…" Yuuji said with his mouth full of moon cake.

"Wait, look at him, he's the right size!" one monk said.

"He could perhaps work… what do you say boy, want to help us with our festival?"

"Uh… okay, what do I need to do?"

#

He was ushered into a room, there the monks explained he had to put on a ceremony robe and then dance before the crowd. "Wait, dance?" he asked.

"Yes, you are representing the dragon who protects the temple, the dragon dance is used to ward off evil spirits!" the monk explained. "Now quickly, change!"

They left him to it.

"I wonder why sensei volunteered me?" he muttered. He was careful to take off his hoodie, the extra arms flopped out of their sleeves and hung there disgracefully, he sighed aloud as he took the kimono they left for him. He opened it up and oddly enough found sleeves in there, big enough to hide his extra arms. He took it as a blessing and was quick to tuck the useless limbs in and cover himself up.

The robe itself sparkled; it was shining white. He moved about in it but heard it actually jingled! The kimono sparkled from the metal scales that made it, but they were really bells. "God what do I do? How do I do a dance for a temple?" he muttered.

The door opened.

He turned and froze to see the woman from his dreams. She waved a suzu before him; his body began to go numb again…