Chapter 24

Two hours later.

Kiyoshi was out of breath.

He was a little battered, had a few scrapes and bruises but nothing serious.

Sukuna… was unscathed.

"You done? I think you're done." Sukuna said.

"No… One more!" Kiyoshi demanded. "One more round!"

"You're done brat,"

"I got to agree with asshat there, you have had enough." Suiryu said.

Kiyoshi sighed. He fell back in defeat but he appeared frustrated. "How come I couldn't hit you?" he asked Sukuna.

He forced a laugh. "You weren't going to, lesson one about curses brat. Unless you got curse energy or have a weapon that possesses curse energy, you won't hit them, you phase through them, and like our spar session. You will strike them but they feel nothing." He said in a blunt tone. "That's your first lesson from me, learn to control your strength and power. You also need to know when to back off from a fight, your brat of a father didn't know any better, still doesn't."

"Sad, but true," came out of Suiryu.

Sukuna smirked, for once, the knockoff and him agreed on something.

"You didn't do bad, but had this been a real fight, you would have been dead two minutes in." Sukuna stated, as he broke free from his restrains.

Kiyoshi was about to protest, until Suiryu nodded very seriously towards him.

The boy sighed aloud.

"We will call it a day, and you heard Rook, I got to train with him tomorrow, I expect my lesson on elemental energy the day after." He didn't give the boy a chance to reply, Sukuna went on his way.

However he was considering something.

He was rather surprised that the knockoff didn't pick up on it, but, the dragon within the brat, was coming out every so often. Unlike his father, one takes control of him either through a binding vow or he is knocked unconscious, but for his child… if he in the heat of battle, he lets more of the dragon out.

"Something's wrong," Sukuna muttered to himself. "If his brat of a father could keep me under wraps, a dragon maybe a different story. But the beast is starting to take over…" he won't say anything for now, until he knows for certain that is what has happened.

For the time being, he is going to attempt to train himself on elemental energy. He doesn't want to be taking lessons from a boy for much longer!

#

Suiryu watched him leave, yet. He turned his attention to Kiyoshi who was sulking on the ground. "You best mind yourself, Raynn," he said aloud. "You snuck out and don't think I didn't notice!"

Kiyoshi paused. "Uncle, what are you talking about?"

"I noticed as you sparred with Sukuna, when you got yourself really worked up, Raynn slipped out. As if you were blinded by rage or something. You best be careful."

Kiyoshi wasn't worried, but he appeared rather confused by the statement. "Why… did he only fight me with one finger?"

Suiryu smirked a little. "As ironic as it is, when he first was woken up, after your dad became possessed by him… he fought Satoru Gojo… what is ironic is this, that was ONE finger worth of his strength."

Kiyoshi… didn't quite understand.

"Let me explain, when Sukuna was sealed, his twenty fingers became curse objects, as such limiting his power until he obtained all twenty fingers. We use to measure his power this way. One finger's worth was still rather strong for a sorcerer. Automatic special grade if I am not mistaken. But it goes to show too, just how powerful he is. That's no curse energy he used against you, that was pure strength he possessed. You ought to appreciate how well he controlled it too, don't you?"

He was quite.

Kiyoshi sighed aloud. "So he is taking me seriously?"

He forced a smirk. "You so called 'spar session' from yesterday, wasn't even that. That was you being thrown all over the place and him not breaking a sweat. Today, he was serious. Since he was anticipating your movements, throwing you off balance and blocking every strike you tried to make. Did you not see how he was watching you?"

"He has four eyes!"

"Did you take that into factor?"

Kiyoshi… paused oddly.

"What do you mean? Uncle, he was going to win either way against me wasn't he?"

"It's called a spar session, not a death match… don't challenge him to those either."

"This isn't funny!"

"I'm not being funny about it," Suiryu snapped back. Kiyoshi froze once more. "Kid, I'm trying to help you too. Your dad is trying to help you, despite the fact that neither one of you has trained with each other until recently. He's trying to figure out a way to do so. Remember, he's a dragon. His strength and mine are BEYOND what Sukuna is capable of!"

"I have a dragon too!"

"Yes, and how well do you two get along?" Suiryu asked of him. "If anything, it's just like when Sukuna was trapped in your father. The two had very little interaction unless there was something in it for Sukuna. I can sense Raynn now, he had no concept of his power until recently, because YOU are drawing it out and using it in ways he never thought possible. At the same time, he could call back that power. You can't count on him for shit!"

"That's rather crude of you to say, little brother…"

The mouth appeared once more on the right side of Kiyoshi's face. He sighed. "He asked this time, and I allowed him to speak."

Suiryu peered at the mouth. "Then tell me, Raynn. What would have happened if Kiyoshi was in danger? Would you save him? Would you led him your power?" he asked.

"What do you think? I wouldn't dare lose my vessel in such a way! I'm living… granted, despite the fact I am trapped within this child. I still see everything, sense the world and know what is happening around this boy. At the same time… what he is doing now… is really interesting to me."

Suiryu sighed. "Watch your back, Kiyoshi. Keep a close eye on him, I don't trust his words… quite frankly, I got half a mind to bring you to Chusi and let her punch him out of you."

"NO! NOT THAT WITCH!"

Interesting reaction. "Witch huh?"

"What power does that woman have? How could she harm a great being like me with a mere punch?" Raynn demanded.

'You know, he has a good point…' Suiryu thought to himself. 'Sukuna isn't willing to go up against a dragon, and yet… Yua has. In fact she stood her ground against Yuuji and I went we went crazy, she never hesitated to face us. At the same time, the power Chusi has to punch Raynn in the soul so he feels it and not Kiyoshi…'

"You okay Uncle?" Kiyoshi asked aloud.

"Oh yeah, sorry, fine," he said gently. "Just thinking. So, Raynn, behave yourself and I won't have Chusi punch you out of Kiyoshi, got it?"

"Tch, whatever"

The mouth vanished, yet Suiryu was more worried.

Something isn't right here; it's the same vibe Yuuji had once before with Sukuna. Knowing he wanted something to do with Megumi, yet didn't know what it was…

Until it was too late.

Suiryu peered at Kiyoshi once more. "If anything, ANYTHING at all… feels wrong to you, tell your father or me immediately…" he ordered.

Kiyoshi was a little stunned, however he promised he would so as such. "Uncle… how do I get stronger in the mean time?" he asked.

"Do what you have done… just don't go to Sukuna for all your answers. You have a pool of very talented people and sorcerers here who can help you grow and develop. Ask them for help too. But I promise you, I'll get Yuuji to step up and take over training for you soon. We have to adjust his strength so he doesn't harm you."

"And yet Sukuna…"

"He's bounded, has a wife who has him by the balls, as well, we can use reverse jujutsu on you. If you are harmed by a dragon, it's a lot harder to heal you. Just ask Yua, and remember how long it took for her limbs to grow back."

He froze, but nodded fearfully.