Nobara ends up having another conversation with Sukuna that day. This time she doesn't hesitate to tell him about the other fragment of his soul.

"He is an asshole," She says to her Sukuna, who looks amused about her statement.

"Well, all fragments of myself are like that, but you will like him in the end like you like me. Won't you, Nobara?" The King of Curses says, arching a brow at her.

Nobara scoffs at him and replies, "Who says I like this version of you now?"

"Come now, Nobara. Don't deny it. Just admit that I've grown on you after all these years," Sukuna tells her, grinning that disarming grin that never fails to make Nobara's insides flutter.

"Absolutely not," She denies, crossing her arms in front of her. "You still act like an asshole around me Sukuna despite the years that I have known you."

"But a loveable asshole," Sukuna corrects with increasing enjoyment.

"Sukuna," She warns, but there's no real heat behind it as she knows he means well by his words. They're just words, anyway. It wouldn't be so easy for him to say if he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

And yet, despite everything she can do to deny it, something about him makes him easy enough to get attached to.

There aren't many who understand her in that way anymore. Certainly no one else has ever shown her such affection before, nor been able to keep up with her mood swings. And though she knows, deep down inside, that she's being used for something, even when she tries to convince herself otherwise, it doesn't stop her from indulging in this little game they play between them, pretending for just a while to believe in things that are clearly untrue.

He knows, too. Of course he does. He's been by her side since before she could remember – or maybe it had always been him and only him – guiding her hand along the path of magic, encouraging her whenever he saw potential. If she thought hard enough, she could remember a time when the world seemed different. Where everything seemed to be more… complicated than she ever knew could exist. But then, everything had changed once she met him.

Everything would stay the same again, eventually. Maybe even better.

"You should see yourself, Nobara," Sukuna speaks softly into her silence. "I've spent so many years watching people grow and change before my very eyes, and here you are."

She shrugs halfheartedly at him but is secretly pleased. That he sees beyond the surface of things and is able to see right through her isn't something that she gets often. It leaves her feeling vulnerable sometimes, because he's seen more of her than anyone else does. And though he doesn't really need to see her, she finds herself wanting him to look past the shell of who she pretends to be for him, even if it takes some effort.

"That's your own fault, I guess," she mutters grumpily.

"Ah," Sukuna smirks at her. "The old you would never stand here and argue with me like this."

Nobara rolls her eyes, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips. Sukuna has always loved bringing back the best in her – and though she loves the new her even more, this old, worn out thing is still her. He hasn't changed much, even if he has, especially if he has. "Maybe that's why I'm sticking around."

They fall silent again. Sukuna looks like he wants to say more and his gaze flits over her face.

Nobara lets out a sigh while she changes the subject.

"Sukuna, I can't look for your other fingers often because of the missions I have to partake," She informs the King of Curses, who takes the change of subject without batting an eye

"It's alright. Perhaps you can look for my fingers in between your missions, Nobara," is Sukuna's unperturbed response.

"Yes, I will probably do that. Thanks for understanding, Sukuna," She says, smiling at him.

She watches as Sukuna's features soften as he looks at her.

"Of course, Nobara," is Sukuna's indulgent answer. "I am not really in a hurry to get my fingers. So take your time."

"I'm glad that you are not hurrying me up, Sukuna. I really do appreciate it," she tells him softly as she meets his eyes.

"It's because it's you, Nobara. If it was someone else looking for my fingers, then it would be a different story…" The King of Curses says jokingly, but Nobara knows that he is serious.

Nobara knows that Sukuna has treated her better than others when he was still alive. He told her as much multiple times and she believes him.

She knows that Sukuna has softened somewhat when it comes to her and Nobara has often taken advantage of this weakness of his.

Nobara just wishes that she's not secretly planning to exorcise him in the end.


She doesn't have any missions or plans for the next day. However, Gojo – it seems – has plans for her and takes this time to knock at her door early in the morning and says to her, "I'm going to personally train you Nobara. So that I can observe your progress with that special energy of yours."

Of course, Nobara has no other choice but to say 'Yes' to her sensei, where she soon finds herself in the school grounds.

"Go ahead and stretch first," Gojo suggests to her as she faces him in an empty track and field.

Nobara feels self-conscious. She is wearing her work-out clothes, but she feels somewhat underdressed compared to Gojo, who is wearing his trademark black long sleeve shirt and pants, plus sunglasses.

He does not seem to care one bit about how he looks in front of her. It makes it very hard for Nobara not to stare at him.

"Alright then," Gojo starts saying while stretching as well. "We will start with some exercises, such as triceps stretch and standing quad stretch. Then we'll move onto leg raises, and then jumping jacks…"

As she stretches, Nobara notices that he watches her quite closely during each exercise, almost too intently.

It's not a bad sight – Nobara could admit that. It makes her feel warm inside.

In fact, she doesn't think she could get used to watching anyone else doing something like what he's doing right now, when they're both alone.

When it comes to her own movements, it's still easy for her. Even if her body is slightly sore from the mission yesterday.

It takes about fifteen minutes before Gojo decides to finally interrupt her stretching.

"Alright. That's enough, Nobara." The white-haired man states. "Now, let's start testing your capability. What do you call that special energy again?"

"It's called chakra," She lies. "And what do you want me to do first Gojo-sensei?"

"I want you to first attack me with your curse energy without hesitation, Nobara," Gojo tells her. "And don't you worry. I will be using my infinity during this exercise."

"Alright. Gojo-sensei," She replies as she walks a good distance away from him while she takes her hammer and nail from her utility belt.

"I'm ready when you are, Nobara," Gojo calls to her.

Nobara just simply nods her head while she begins to imbue her nail with curse energy.

Afterward, she uses her hammer to hit the nail, which is aimed towards the white-haired sorcerer.

She watches as the nail shoots towards Gojo, who simply stands there while he allows his infinity to do the work.

Nobara sees it when the nail hits a barrier that seems to surround Gojo. Soon after, the nail falls to the ground with a clink. Nobara looks back at Gojo, whose expression remains cheerful.

"Well, it looks like your curse energy can't get past my Infinity. Let's see if your chakra fares better," Gojo remarks. "Now, try attacking me with your chakra Nobara."

"Yes, Gojo-sensei," is Nobara's only response.

Thereafter, she takes another nail from her utility belt and aims it at the white-haired sorcerer.

She hits the nail with her hammer and observes as the nail sails through the air at breakneck speed. As the nail nears Gojo, who just stands there confidently, she instantly thinks, "Evanesco!"

She notices a ripple in the air surrounding Gojo and her eyes widen in shock when the nail goes straight through Gojo's infinity and slams into his shoulder.

At once, the man's shirt vanishes as well and Nobara can only gape at her half-naked sensei, whose shoulder is now bleeding from getting punctured by her nail.

Gojo seems to be in shock that she manages to hit him while Nobara instantly starts worrying over him.

"I'm so sorry, Gojo-sensei!" She says as she runs towards him.

She touches his bare shoulder. She pulls out a handkerchief from her pocket and she tries to staunch the bleeding with it.

She wants to use her chakra to heal him, but she doesn't want to draw more of Gojo's attention than he already has.

"That was unexpected," is Gojo's surprise comment as he watches her press her handkerchief around the wound.

Nobara has trouble keeping her eyes from wandering from Gojo's bleeding wound. She is worried for her teacher but she also can't help but admire her sensei's physique, especially this close to her.

He's lean and toned and well built with a six pack.

He's also shirtless.

Nobara can tell that Gojo has probably exercised quite a lot to achieve such lean musculature.

A red tint graces her cheeks as she continues to press her handkerchief on Gojo's bare shoulder.

"I'm alright Nobara. You don't need to worry. I can heal myself with the Reverse Curse Technique," Gojo says to her.

"If you say so, sensei," is Nobara's uncertain reply. She has to tilt her head up in order to speak to her sensei properly.

She knows that Gojo is tall but she hasn't realized how much until she is standing close to him. He dwarfs her by a lot of inches that makes Nobara a bit faint, especially when she can smell Gojo's masculine scent.

His scent is intoxicating.

She feels a warmth in her face as she thinks that his scent reminds her of a fireplace and the fire crackling. It also smells like freshly mown grass and…

Nobara shakes her head. No, this isn't right. She tries to push this thought away but it just won't go away.

Gojo lets out a heavy sigh as he turns to face her. "Are you okay? Your cheeks are very flushed."

Nobara blushes even more at his words. Is he noticing her blushing? Does he find her beautiful?

She doesn't know where these thoughts came from. Maybe they're coming from inside her head because all Nobara wanted was to help Gojo, right?

"Yes, sensei!" Nobara replies, looking embarassed.

"Alright, Nobara. Stop applying pressure around the wound and please just remove the nail. I will handle the rest," Gojo assures her with a grin.

"Okay," comes her absent-minded response as her eyes become glued to her sensei's dazzling smile.

However, she shakes her head after a moment when she realizes what she is focusing on.

"I will remove the nail now." She says to him.

"Good girl," Gojo responds, his grin widening.

Nobara suddenly feels her knees weaken at his words and his smile but forces herself to remain standing up. She berates her hormones for acting up in an inopportune time. She needs to stop acting like a schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher, which is definitely the truth, but she doesn't need to be reminded of it.

Not wanting to make her crush for her teacher obvious, Nobara adapts a nonchalant look as she slowly removes the nail from his shoulder.

Gojo doesn't react at all when the nail is removed and Nobara observes as the puncture wound begins to heal by itself.

Nobara knows about the Reverse Curse Technique since she can do it. This is not the first time that she sees someone healing himself.

"All good," Gojo remarks as he looks back at her with that beautiful smile and with his brilliant blue eyes peeking from above his sunglasses. Both causes Nobara's breathing to hitch.

"Yes," She replies breathlessly. "It looks like you are all good, sensei."

"I am always good, Nobara." The man says almost teasingly.

She feels her heart flutter at that and she quickly turns her head around to keep Gojo from seeing her already scarlet face.

"Anyway, let's continue with your training," Gojo states.

Nobara whips her head around to stare at Gojo in surprise.

"But sensei…you are shirtless. Don't you want to put on a shirt first?" She asks.

"What's the point? When I know that I will end up shirtless again if you use your chakra. How does it even work? Why does your chakra suddenly make my shirt disappear?"

"I don't really know, sensei," Nobara lies. Although she does suspect the reason why Gojo's shirt vanished. It's because the vanishing spell destabilizes Gojo's infinity, which allows the nail to enter through and where it allows both spell and nail to hit him.

"If you don't know, then I will have to observe how your chakra works. So let's start again, Nobara. Why don't you hit me with your chakra?"

"Alright," She replies as she walks a good distance away from him right before she faces him again.

"Ready, sensei?" She asks him as she prepares herself to launch another nail at him.

"Always," Gojo replies, grinning.

"Here it goes," she says right before she hits the nail with her hammer and watches it soar through the air towards Gojo.

"Evanesco!" She thinks a moment later and observes as the air surrounding Gojo seems to ripple when her spell and nail goes through his infinity. However, this time, Gojo is ready for it and steps aside when the nail is about to hit him. The nail sails over his shoulder harmlessly and Nobara finds herself facing a rather serious Gojo, who appears to be frowning.

"Do it again, Nobara," Gojo demands.

Left with no choice, Nobara does what is being told and hammers another nail in Gojo's direction.

"Evanesco!" She thinks again as the nail approaches Gojo's infinity.

Her magic must be powerful compared to Gojo's infinity because it causes another distortion in the air where it allows the nail and the spell to go through the rent in the air.

Gojo avoids the nail once more while a troubled look is growing on his face.

"Again," Gojo repeats.

Nobara frowns at Gojo's command but does what he says.

She aims another nail at him and hammers it home a second later.

"Evanesco," she mentally orders and watches as the same thing happens.

The nail and spell passes through Gojo's infinity and Gojo evades them yet again.

"Again!" Gojo orders her once more.

So Nobara does it again and again with Gojo's growing persistence.

Nobara can sense it when Gojo becomes increasingly troubled by her repeated attacks. He must be puzzled at the way her power seems to eliminate his infinity for some reason, which completely stumps the man.

"That chakra seems to easily go through my infinity. I don't know how but I am going to get to the bottom of it. I will train with you until I figure this chakra out," He tells her after the twelfth attack.

At his words, Nobara can only feel dismayed for Gojo's growing interest in her. For certain, he will figure things out soon enough if he continues to train with her, which is not what she wanted.

She will have to be careful around him from now on.


AN: Thank you so much for reviewing Lunary and knygia!