Chapter 22

The tremors were felt.

Yuuji paused oddly as this was not normal. "The heavenly restricted students are done for today, aren't they?" he asked offhandedly.

Yuko nodded. "I think so…"

Another tremor.

"I better go see what's going on then. Not many can make this kind of thing happen…"

He has a bad feeling about it. Ever since he told Kiyoshi that he won't take him curse hunting until he has had more training, Yuuji has been seriously thinking about removing Raynn. 'There is no point in training him if we are going to remove the dragon sooner than later…' he thought to himself.

That, and he is hoping that Kiyoshi may lose interest in the idea of hunting curses… then again, like father like son.

As Yuuji left the house, he froze as he picked up a familiar smell.

"Blood…" but his eyes widened… "That's Kiyoshi's blood!"

He was a man possessed as he rushed through the domain until he found them. They stood before each other, squaring off but Yuuji quickly put a stop to it. "SUKUNA SIT!" he roared.

The king of curses was forced to sit on the ground. He pouted from there as Kiyoshi stared at his father, bewildered. "DAD! WE WERE SPARRING!" he snapped.

Yuuji came closer as he shook his head to the notion. "Not with him!"

"You let us during the winter!"

"You were using your elemental power then, you aren't using that! He's a lot stronger than you in this state. He could KILL YOU!" Yuuji protested.

"You're being overprotective dad! I'm not hurt!"

"You're bleeding!"

"Can I go or what?" Sukuna demanded as he continued to sit there. "This no longer involves me…"

"SHUT UP!" Yuuji roared.

Sukuna was rather stunned but also rendered silent, he kept his mouth closes and sat quietly.

"Dad…"

"I don't want you to get your hopes up." Yuuji said gently. "As much as you want to hunt curses, it's not a glorious job… have you ever considered the notion as to how you would react when you don't get to someone in time?!" he demanded. "Have you considered how you are going to be if someone dies in your arms? If a friend you knew is killed? You will live with that regret and at a young age!"

Kiyoshi froze.

"Dad… are you scared?"

Yuuji looked his son dead in the eyes, he even used all four of his eyes to show how sincere he was. "I'm utterly terrified of bring you into this world to hunt curses like I did… I was an optimistic child to think I was going to save people… a lot more people died because I became a jujutsu sorcerer…"

"Tsk, like you get all the credit for that." came out of Sukuna. "Child, what your brat of a father is trying to say is this. He is trying to prevent you from the same heartbreak he endured when he possessed me. I did a lot more harm when I was woken up, and your father shouldered that burden since he felt he was the one who woke me. You keep forgetting how methodical as well how Kenjaku works. Did you really think for a moment, had you not woken me at the school, there wouldn't have been another incident where you did?"

Kiyoshi was silent as Sukuna nodded his head. Yuuji was taken aback, why is HE helping him?

"Dad… we really were just sparring. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I'm not hurt! We also have an agreement, he will train me to fight and I give him more elemental lessons."

Once more, Yuuji was devastated that his son has turned to Sukuna again for help and training. But once more, he remembers his strength is too great for Kiyoshi to handle let alone spar with.

"What needs to be done to set your mind at ease?"

He froze. Kiyoshi paused.

Neither one would have suspected Sukuna of asking such a question!

Yuuji peered at him oddly, with all four eyes he stared into his face. Ever since he has become a dragon, he can see things differently. In fact, he can see lies in words if he wants to. Now was the time to test Sukuna.

"Did you have an idea in mind?"

He merely nodded. "I can train him the same way I have been training with Rook Tooru. Despite the fact he has heavenly restrictions, the same principle to train them is equal. Your child is much like you, brat. He can handle that much, and I don't use my full strength against him."

His aura remained white.

Not a single lie was detected. He was serious about this, at the same time. Kiyoshi has something he wants, so it would be foolish for him to go back on his word or try and trick him.

Yuuji peered at Kiyoshi.

"Dad… please… I… I learn a lot through him…"

He sighed in defeat.

"Nothing too rough, nothing serious and promise me, if there is something wrong, you tell me right away!" he ordered.

Sukuna nodded to this. "I will use the same method as I train Rook Tooru with."

Kiyoshi's eyes widened. "Rook's method? He's excelled passed all the other students! Is it because he's training with you?"

He shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "The student decides what effort they put into their training. I merely test to see their resolve."

He didn't want to agree to this, he still hates Sukuna, he doesn't trust him and yet… he can't argue the fact that his son is learning well off of him…

Yuuji gave in reluctantly.

"You are permitted to spar for two hours a day, no more or less… if you are hurt, you stop immediately! If something goes wrong, I am told immediately!" he ordered from both. "Kiyoshi… Sukuna… these are my terms. And if I feel that it's too dangerous and order the training to stop, it does. Understood?"

Kiyoshi's eyes widened. "You'll let me train?" he asked with great excitement.

"Under these conditions… Other than that…" Yuuji was silenced as Kiyoshi clung on to him in a hug of gratitude.

He turned to Sukuna and said. "Don't make me regret this…"

He merely nodded to him. "At the moment brat, it's a perfect trade off in my mind. I get lessons, he gets lessons… everyone is happy…"

That last part… didn't sound right to him.