Chapter 27

"He's on the ground again…" said Panda.

The other students would stop and stare as Yuuji would crawl about on the ground in the morning, he would smile and wave off his odd situation and continue on his way, but the spectacle of it all didn't sit well with the others.

"Salmon" said Toge

Panda nodded in agreement. "But what can we do about it? See how this is happening or something?" he muttered. "Not even the principal knows what's going on with Itadori."

Rumors began to spread throughout the school, but Yuuji paid no mind to it. It wouldn't be the first time that happened anyways.

He would drag himself to class, but today was different as he half expected to go out and do laps. Yet Gojo sensei was a little stricter today. "Yuuji!" he said.

"Yes Sensei!" he called back.

"You are not doing any more laps, in fact, you do not move from where you are until you stand on your own two feet, understood?"

The order startled him. He can't drag himself around the school? But there has to be a method to this, so he agreed. "Yes Sensei!" he said proudly.

So to build his strength, he did push up and sit up. It got his body moving again as he slowly began to try and get to his feet once more. It took a lot longer than doing laps, but by 2 in the afternoon, he was up and walking awkwardly.

Lunch would have to be late due to his training, but the moment he could eat, he devoured anything put before him. People stopped and stared as he continued to consume far more than what he should. No one understood the logic behind it all, but Yuuji didn't care as long as he was full.

When lunch was done, he paused as Nobara and Megumi came and confronted him. "Where the hell did you go last night!" Nobara demanded of him.

"We went to the festival, remember?" he said innocently enough.

"We mean after you danced, you said you were going to go change, didn't you? You never came back, let alone changed your outfit."

"Eh? What are you talking about Fushiguro?" he demanded.

"You are wondering off on your own all the time, we don't know where you go. Hell. I don't even know how you are doing it, but we can't even sense you when you disappear like that!" he protested. "You are making us worry that something else is happening to you" he said the last part a little more discreetly.

Itadori paused to his friend's concerns for him. "I… didn't know I was going that…" he said meekly. "Look, I'm sorry for worrying you. It's not intentional!" he explained. But not even he can explain what's been going on with himself. He feels like he doesn't sleep anymore, and wonders the night, doing strange things and following an odd woman in a red kimono. But he doesn't mention it aloud. People would think he was crazy!

"Has everyone had their fill?" asked Gojo sensei. "We are going to move on with some training now."

"Yes sensei!" Yuuji said with great enthusiasm as always.

"Ah, you made it to a vertical base again, good for you" Gojo said with a grin. "Now, let's get started on training shall we?"

#

They were outside.

Today they would be strengthening their curse abilities. Yuuji however appeared hesitate since he never had one to call his own. All of his power came indirectly from Sukuna. "Okay everyone, we are going to practice our abilities this afternoon, we need to make sure everyone is in tip top shape in case we get the call to go out once more. You may not be able to hold your own against a special grade curse, but we will at least have you strong enough to ensure you can bide time until help arrives."

"Uh… sensei…" Yuuji said meekly. "I… don't really have a curse ability, do I?" he asked.

"Ah, that's right, so for today, I will be training with you. Nobara, Megumi, you will be with your seniors today for training."

"Wait, how come Itadori gets private lessons from sensei!" Nobara demanded.

"He needs the most help, now, off you go," he insisted.

The two glared at him, but made their way off to see their second year seniors. Yuuji felt bad for his friends, but was quickly snapped out of it by Gojo sensei. His hands went on to his shoulders oddly, his teacher smiled a wicked grin as he said. "Now, we start training for real. Yuuji Itadori," he said and smirked.

He sat on the ground, Yuuji followed suit as he focused on his teacher. "Your curse energy has grown greatly in the past week. Have you noticed it?" he asked offhandedly.

"Uh… no…" he said meekly. "I barely feel it,"

"How strange," Gojo sensei said as he leaned in. "Why is that?"

"I mean, all of my energy came from Sukuna, you said so yourself right?"

"Indeed, since you held him for so long, some of his energy became engraved into your body…"

"Does… this mean he is still around? Is he still in me?" Yuuji asked with worry. "I can't…"

"Easy now, easy. I am not saying he is, but! We should train you as if he is, or he is coming back… how determined would you be to stop him?" he asked.

There came a fire in Yuuji, he felt it in his stomach and it was starting to swell! His heart resonated in his chest, making his whole body trembled but at the same time… empowered. "I refuse to let him take another life…" he said with great determination.

Gojo sensei smiled proudly. "That's what I want to hear, now… do you feel your curse energy?"

Itadori paused as he felt the power coursing through him, it was startling as his arms and leg surged, his stomach lurched a little but settled as soon as he did. "Wait… this… this is mine?" he asked with amazement.

"Generally speaking, I sense that you have the power of at least three of Sukuna's fingers…"

That was a significant growth compared to no power at all, yet Yuuji wasn't satisfied with the answer. "I need to be stronger." He said with great determination.

"Ah yes, you do." Gojo sensei said without hesitation. "So here is what we are going to do… You are going to train with me, we are going to expel this energy in your body and see how fast it take to build up again. Understood?"

"YES!" he said with vigor. "Train me Sensei!"

"Okay, I won't be going easy on you. Up you get and be ready!"

#

They went at it for hours.

Yuuji was dead on his feet by the end of it all, his energy drained out of him, he could barely move, and yet Gojo sensei was smiling to he progress. "You did amazing!" he said in a pleased tone. "You nearly kept up with me, not bad!"

Itadori collapsed on to his knees, catching his breath to it all. "Thank… you… sensei…" he said between gasps for air. But he was holding his chest oddly. "I… I don't feel so good" he muttered.

"Perhaps I hit you too hard, you are dismissed for the rest of the day," Gojo announced.

He was grateful for it, Yuuji barely had the strength to make it back to his room. He fell on to the bed and was about to fall asleep to it all, yet the damn hunger he got reared its ugly head once more. "Damn it…" he muttered.

He didn't want to leave his room, he didn't want to go out. But he was hungry. Yet his eyes grew heavy. He passed out that moment, only to have another strange dream once more.

#

He woke inside the temple. The table before him once more covered with food offerings and he was in the white kimono he wore the last time. His mind wasn't hazy, his body felt fine… was this real?

"Huh? Weird…" he muttered, but the offerings he smelt were delightful! He was about to dig in until he saw the fox at his side once more. "Oh, you're here too… Okay…" he made up a plate for it and set it off to the side where it could reach. "Take your time…" he said and smiled.

But then his focus shifted to the dream. He devoured every scrap of food, but felt strange as he ate. His body felt as if it were pulsing. "Ugh…." He moaned and braced himself. "What… what's happening to me?" He ached and throbbed throughout his whole core. It was then he realized it was no dream... one doesn't feel pain when they dream right?

When it subsided, his heart felt as if it were skipping a beat or two every so often.

"This isn't right… something is wrong with my body… I can't… I can't figure out what it is!" he protested.

"The container needs to grow,"

He froze to the voice, he looked to his left and saw the fox had vanished, but the woman appeared. "Wait… you… Kitsune?" he asked oddly.

She smiled warmly and nodded. She took her time consuming the plate he made for her. "Such kindness isn't always given to servants like me, it's a nice change to know one is appreciated…" she said and marveled at the sweets she was given. "But that being said, I am here to serve you, young master."

"Young master?" he whispered. "What do you mean? I am no one special. Do… do you serve Sukuna?" he asked in a worried tone.

She laughed it off. "That bastard? I wouldn't even follow him down a set of stairs! Unless I was the one who pushed him and there was at least a few thousands steps…" she stated proudly. "No, I serve the one who wishes for him to be purged." She insisted. "My master… my true master, that resides now in his place…"

Yuuji froze to her declaration. "There… there's something else inside of me?" he asked in a worried tone. "I… I haven't felt it… I haven't spoken with it either…" he said with great concern. "Is… is it like Sukuna?"

"Opposite," she decreed. "Sukuna wants nothing more than death and pleasure, he would bathe in blood of children on a whim. No, my master is nothing like that, and you should be grateful. However, we are not done with Sukuna as of yet." She explained.

"I knew it, he's still in me!" he protested.

"Yes… and no,"

"Huh?"

Kit took a sip of green tea before she continued. "Consider this, young master. Your power use to stem from Sukuna, it's where your cursed energy came from. But the flux of it has changed now, for you have changed and will continue to do so."

He sat there, confused as ever. "So… my power came from him, but… it's changing over?" he asked.

"Yes, for it is becoming your own energy." She explained. "Humans are strange I do admit that, but right now, your body is converting energy at a rapid rate. With what you have within you, and what you are consuming, it won't be long until we make you nearly his equal."

His face went blank. "Equal… to HIM!?" he demanded. "Why… why would I…"

"As I said before, we are not through with him yet, but I cannot speak any more of this until you grow stronger." She said. "Gojo is doing a good job in training you. Expelling your energy throughout the day today was a good start, now, we work on rebuilding it sturdier than before."

He was about to speak, until his body quaked. "AGH!" he moaned and braced himself once more.

"This is your body adjusting," she said gently. "You have held that energy in so long and it was taken out, now, you are starting to expand your core to take in more than last time… it is painful but necessary."

The throbbing echoed throughout his body, his heart raced as the pain spread, he fell over on his side, trying to endure and brace the pain. Kitsune placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sssshhh, rest now, young master. It will happen faster when you sleep…" she cooed.

Itadori's eyes began to grow heavy, they were soon to roll back as he passed out then and there…