Chapter 20

A week would pass.

Kiyoshi confronted his father once more about hunting curses. As usual, his father appeared reluctant to allow him to do so. "Kiyoshi… are you certain you have control over Raynn's power?" he asked.

"Let me prove it!" he pleaded. "Please father…"

He stared into the face of his dad, but his dad remained stern. "Have you noticed yourself changing?" he asked.

Kiyoshi paused. "Changing?"

"Before, you looked like me when I became a jujutsu sorcerer, you looked like me when I was 14… yet, within the past 2 weeks, I noticed you are starting to look younger again… Raynn is taking over at night isn't he?"

He was confused by his father's words. "I don't think so dad, I mean, I would know… wouldn't I?"

"I don't think it's a good idea at the moment…"

"PLEASE!" he begged. "Dad… I've sparred with Sukuna!"

He was silent.

His father then sighed once more and said. "Let's go out, let's see what you can do again and I'll decide… by my decision will be final, is that understood?"

Kiyoshi nodded, after all the training he had, beating up a curse would be a piece of cake!

#

CRASH!

He just avoided the strike.

BASH!

Another came from the left.

"Keep on your toes!"

He turned and smiled, Kiyoshi saw his father lingering near by. Kiyoshi has felt stronger, more powerful. He was determined to get his father to take him out to hunt curses. He's been training himself and wanted to learn first hand.

He refused of course, until uncle Suiryu stepped in.

"Spar with me," he said. "Let's see what you can do."

Kiyoshi accepted and began to display what he had learned.

His control over water was nearly perfected, he could alter it into two states of matter, and one steam attack. Turning water to vapor takes a lot of energy, so he only uses that as a last ditch effort. However, as he spared with his uncle, Kiyoshi was amazed as to how fast he could move. He could feel the dragon's power grow and influence him more each day. Which was why he wanted to test it out on curses.

He has been able to see them thanks to the trick he learned from his father, suppressing one's presence is enough to ensure he can see a curse without his energy chasing them away. His control over water too has improved ten folds since the winter… if only his father would acknowledge that…

The curse he was up against however…

"GAH!"

He was blindsided!

Kiyoshi stumbled, as his father started to rush towards him. "I'm okay!" he shouted back. "I can take a hit dad!"

He was quick to get back to his feet, it's time to finish this!

Throughout his battle, Kiyoshi has used a single stream of water he keeps around his body. It orbits him at will and is able to alter to whatever form he needs. Now, he was about to land a finishing blow.

The curse was smiling at him and began to charge.

It won't be able to stop as Kiyoshi rushed up to it, he altered the water last minute then…

SPLAT!

The water formed into an ice spear and went right through its head.

But the finisher came from Kiyoshi as he summoned the dragon's power, sending a bolt of what looks like lightning up the ice shaft and electrifying, dispelling the curse!

It dropped dead and vanished into black smoke.

"See dad, I can fight too!" Kiyoshi said proudly.

His father on the other hand. "You need a little more work, you got blindsided. And I've fallen for those tricks in battle before, you need more training."

He sighed aloud. "Then take me out with you to fight curses!"

"Eventually I will, but I don't think you are ready yet."

He sneered. He's been working hard at this, he's been training on this power all winter with Sukuna of all people, at the same time, he has also been watching Toji train. He asks T1, 2 and 3 to spar with him and help him grow as a fighter, however they have been busy trying to bond with their older brother.

"You will come with me hunting eventually, but I want to make sure that you can look after yourself. What if I can't get to you in time? That happened once before, I won't allow it to occur again!" his father said adamantly.

"Why do you think I've been training on my own dad!" Kiyoshi snapped back. "I fell for Sukuna's lies, I know I did and you tried to warn me. I didn't listen, so what happened is on me. At the same time dad… ever since that happen, you avoided trying to teach me anything. I had to learn this on my own!"

His father froze.

"I have been neglecting you, haven't I?"

"In the words of uncle Suiryu, no shit"

"Kiyoshi!"

"Oh come on, Nao swears more than me!"

His father paused. "You got me there, but that's also because she is picking up on Suiryu's bad habits…"

It is rather funny to see that happen. Kiyoshi happened to have been lingering by when his uncle dropped the MF word. However, the moment that word left his mouth, he turned and saw Nao standing there. Her eyes widen to the discovery of such a word. His uncle appeared desperate to prevent her from uttering it. However, it erupted out of her.

"MOTHER TRUCKER!" she decreed.

There came such a look of relief in his uncle's eyes. "Thank God she doesn't know how to pronounce her f words…" he said with a sigh.

However, at dinnertime. Nao was eating, she dropped her chopsticks before shouting. "MOTHER TRUCKER!"

Everyone could feel the radiating rage come from aunt Nobara. His uncle ate rather fast before rushing out as fast as he could. However, she was in close pursuit as she left the kids with Kiyoshi and his mother. "I'll be back… VERY soon…"

Why did she need a hammer and nails as she went after Uncle Suiryu?

However, enjoying all of this was Sukuna as he snickered, he even followed aunt Nobara out to see what would happen next!

He didn't know what became of his uncle, but no one saw him for three days after.

"I'll train harder dad, but please, let me fight too…" he asked with great sincerity.

His father sighed with defeat. He would ask Sensei Fushiguro if he could give him some hand to hand combat lessons, even sensei Maki could teach him a thing or two.

However, he was being denied.

His father was stern and explained that he has to learn more than just elemental attacks to fight back. In case that power should ever fail in a time of need.

Kiyoshi knew then and there that his father is still going to treat him like a child…