Chapter 12
Two weeks passed.
Yua was outside of her residence just watching the world go by… and apparently another raid occurring. She peered about and found the Fushiguro kids were on the move again. They had just raided the laundry dorm, and vanished into the shadows. She sighed aloud to all of this and wondered what was going on. However, Suiryu and Yuuji already warned, Lady Tiamat said to leave them be and not follow them.
"Strange kids, I hardly see them anymore… come to think of it Toji and Megumi have been gone for some time…" Yua said offhandedly.
"So?"
She turned and glared at Sukuna who sat contently in a chair on the front of the house, he was reading the newspaper of all things. "So? Don't you find it odd?" she asked of him.
His shoulders shrugged. "I think you are missing the main reason why you are not to interfere." He said offhandedly.
"Do you know something?" she demanded.
He snickered from behind the paper. "This has already happened before, hasn't it?"
Yua paused once more as she turned and glared at her… guest. She approached him and gently made him lower the damn newspaper. The thing was, he wasn't even reading it, he was merely using it to hide that smirk on his face. "Spill it," she ordered. "What are you getting at?"
He took his time, teasing her as he folded the paper rather slowly. When he set it off to the side he was about to speak… only to grab a drink and savored it. Yua stood there, her arms crossed until he finished. When he appeared content, Sukuna said. "Itadori," and smirked.
"Itadori…" she paused and considered the notion. "Oh, with what happened with Kiyoshi!" she said, yet felt confused. "Wait, if that's the case then who…" she paused once more, as that smirk didn't vanish from his face. She confronted him, staring into his eyes and was mere inches from Sukuna's mug. "What are you not telling me?" she demanded.
"Well… I can't speak of it." He snickered of course.
Yua began to put it all together. "Binding vow…" she muttered. But who…
She froze.
Yua glared at him as he continued to sit there with a smug look. "Who would have thought someone like her would make one with you… you're helping HER with something, but can't speak of it. You can't tell me if it's true either, it's that powerful."
"What I have said about a Tooru is true, I cannot get anything pass them. But at the same time, I am not going to speak of this any farther." He got up to leave, Sukuna snickered along the way, he found this oddly amusing for a strange reason.
Yua was just getting a headache from it all…
#
Nearly a month would pass.
The children of Toji were anticipating this. Their father was getting rather settled, he has grown out in the stomach, which meant one thing, their older brother took and was now in the process of turning! "This is great news," the eldest said. "We will have older brother to really look up to and help train us!"
"Indeed, mother will be happy with the news as well. But, when the month is over, father should regain his mindset. When he does, he needs to be careful." Said T2.
"That's a task in itself," Tama 1 stated. "How on earth do we keep an eye on father? He moves remarkably fast, not to mention, he doesn't like being tied down for too long. He's a fidget ass."
They all nodded in agreement. "Then, we ask older brothers for help… and perhaps our nieces and nephews?" T1 suggested.
"Ooo good idea, that would be at least thirty against one, he cannot contend with that!" the sister stated. "But let's wait and see how father's mindset is, perhaps we don't have to go to such extreme measures?" T3 suggested.
Yet he was glared at from all directions by his siblings. "Father doesn't listen to anyone… except mother. We will have to keep a very close eye on him, for the sake of older brother." T1 stated.
#
"UGH!"
Toji woke.
He felt his head was a blur as he slowly regained his focus. The problem was he was staring up at a very rocky roof. "Huh?" he muttered in confusion.
Slowly, he peered about, he was in a cave of all places. "What the hell am I doing here?" yet as he looked about, he found it was oddly furnished. He was in a soft bed, there were pots and containers lying about from meals, so he must have eaten well. Yet still, why the hell was he in a cave of all places?!
Come to think of it, it's not the WORST place he has woken up in.
He went to scratch his stomach, but froze, his hand had reached the destination far faster than it should. Slowly, he peered down but was startled. "What the fuck!" he snapped and noticed his oddly firm beer belly. "When the hell did I get fat?!" Not only that, whatever was in his gut felt like a weight. "Shit, seriously…" he muttered as he rocked himself before getting to a vertical base. He had to dig his hands into the cave wall to stand, yet he was rather stunned that his fingers could penetrate solid stone like it was nothing with ease. Slowly, he stood and yet the weigh in his greatly shifted. "When the hell did this happen?" he asked himself.
He made his way to the front of the cave, he didn't leave the village, that's good, and yet, still, why was he so far from it? "This has to be Gojo's doing, the asshole…" he muttered.
For a moment, Toji could have sworn he heard Satoru sneeze from where he stood.
"Gah, I can't go back looking like this… what kind of slob would Tiamat think I am?" he muttered.
He tried to think of what to do, he could stay in the mountains for a while to work off this beer belly. Yet at the same time, he felt oddly lazy. "I could do that, but if no one knows I'm here…"
"Father?"
He jumped a little.
The children he had with Tiamat appeared, but they stared at him with great surprise. "What?" he demanded. "And don't look at me like that, I got fat, big deal…"
"But father, you aren't." T1 explained. "We need to get you back to the others, we have to properly look after you from this moment on."
"What are you blabbing about?" he demanded. "Look, nothing is wrong with me, I just got to lose some weight, that's all…"
"But, father, you are not fat!" Tama 1 and 2 protested. "In fact, you are doing something greatly admirable right now. Mother won't stop singing your praises about it."
He paused. "I am?" he whispered. He turned to the children, there was a look of pride and admiration on their faces, for what? He didn't know at this point. At the same time, he… felt something as he stared at them. An aura perhaps? Can he sense such a thing? For it was the same as unleashing a killing intent aura, he could sense how strong they are from where he stands. And at the moment, they are going to only get stronger as they grow older.
"Why do we need to go back? You do know the hazing I am going to be getting from everyone, especially Satoru."
They appeared confused. "Satoru Gojo cannot mock you, if he does. We will beat him up!" the sons vowed.
He snickered to that. "Also, Yua Tooru will warn him not to say a word about that has happened to you father. Please, come back with us? We need to properly tend to you."
He stared at them oddly. "You know how I got like this, don't you?"
They nodded.
"And yet, you won't tell me?"
"Not yet, we have to get you situated first and comfortable. The cave will not due anymore as well, we have to ensure that you have everything needed."
He sighed aloud.
"Mom is also waiting for you." Said T3.
That… changes everything.
He was defeated by that alone, like hell he would keep Tiamat waiting. He gave in and was escorted back to the village. His sons flanked him from all sides as his daughters took the front to watch for danger. By the time he arrived, everyone was gathered and Tiamat was speaking. Yet, she stopped the moment her eyes came upon him. Soon, everyone turned and stared at him oddly.
"What?" he snapped at them.
Making his way through the masses was the Itadori kid. He confronted him but stared at his gut oddly. "No… way…" he whispered in amazement. He turned back to Lady Tiamat. "MOM!?" he asked with great excitement.
She smiled and nodded to him. Itadori was laughing now with glee. "I can't believe it. This… this is amazing!"
"What the hell is going on?" Toji demanded aloud. "You're excited over me being fat?! You got to get out more kid."
"You're not fat," Tiamat said with a grin of her own. "In fact, I didn't think you would have done this so soon, even after your own transformation…"
"Huh?"
Lady Tiamat smiled as she turned to everyone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to introduce my mate, and now a fellow dragon. Toji Fushiguro!" she said proudly.
Toji froze. "So that shit wasn't a dream?" he asked.
"No, you were the first I was able to turn using the new jujutsu. You can thank Ryomen later for his assistance."
Suddenly, people stopped and stared at Sukuna, who bore a proud smirk of his own. "What? I got to have some fun with this too… granted, it doesn't quite work out well for me in the end, but the payment was worth it"
"Payment?" asked Yuuji.
"Another time," Tiamat explained. "But Toji, your condition. The instinct you had and the obsession for making your son stronger was your dragon instinct coming through, it knew Megumi was still mortal, and you didn't like that fact. So, you did what Yuuji did with Kiyoshi…" she began to approach him as the reality of it all began to sink into his head. "Right now, Megumi is on the same journey Kiyoshi took, it will take time but soon, your son will reemerge. In the form of an egg until he hatches into a dragon himself… my son was so worried that he would lose a good friend, and I happen to agree with him. He needs others he can trust, so this works out perfectly"
Toji was suddenly bracing his gut. "Megumi… my son… he's trapped…" he muttered. Yet as he turned to Itadori, that damn smile on his face has yet to fade, then again, it grew bigger. "Quite looking at me like that!" Toji scolded.
Itadori turned as Suiryu approached. He didn't appear surprised and yet he was observing Toji from afar, he felt it…
Wait…
He stared at the Itadori twins, it was then he felt that surge come off their bodies… in fact, he began to feel it come off of Lady Tiamat herself.
Their auras… Just how powerful are they!?
He could tell they were suppressing their power too, still, how on earth are they this strong?
"Toji, it's best we get you comfortable for the next while." Lady Tiamat said gently.
He was too stunned to disagree, but merely nodded his head as he was led to her residence. The children got him all comfortable and situated; no one else came in but Tiamat and the Itadori twins.
Yet Suiryu appeared to be concerned. "Mom… you said he was the first one you tried this jujutsu on, are you planning on turning others into a dragon?" he asked offhandedly. "That's why you asked for the dragon souls…"
Lady Tiamat merely smiled. "I am, but you won't remember this conversation when I leave," she confessed. "The way dragons have become, how far they have fallen, and it is time to start over once more. Yet those of the heavenly realm will not be part of it. Those you have saved with Yuuji and they themselves have started families of their own, have transcended and left this world for others."
"Huh?!" The two asked aloud, even Toji did!
"Oh yes, there are other world besides this one, and quite frankly I think it was an excellent move on their part. However for the time being, let's focus on Toji. He's testing this out for me and I wish to be certain this is a viable thing."
"I'm the goddamn lab rat?!" he demanded aloud.
"Toji, settle yourself, you should be honored," said Suiryu.
"HONORED?! How the hell would we have known if this would have worked or not!?" he snapped back.
"Mom wouldn't let anything harm you, as well, she tested this before hand to ensure it would be possible to work." Yuuji explained.
"I never would have risked your life like that, but now that I know it's feasible. And the fact remains, you didn't target Megumi after becoming a dragon or our children. Only proves that this is the right thing to do. You are nurturing your child, you want them to be stronger and don't fear the growth and change in power between the two of you. I will know for certain how to more forward the moment Megumi hatches, until then, Toji. I suggest you don't move around too often…"
"Fuck…" he growled lowly. But then he glared at Yuuji and Suiryu. "Let me guess, you two are going to be hanging over my shoulder until he 'hatches' or something?" he demanded.
"But of course!" Suiryu said with a wicked grin. "Half the fun is going to be making certain that you are comfy and not moving about… knowing your fidget ass, you're going to try to escape time and time again!"
"Megumi helped look after me when I was turning Kiyoshi. Of course I am going to return the favor." Yuuji said proudly.
"Don't forget the little sibs too…" Suiryu said.
"Those guys are so eager to please…" Yuuji snickered. "And the cousins!"
"See Toji, you are going to be well looked after," Lady Tiamat said with a proud smile.
"Great…" he muttered.
"It's a good thing you won't remember this conversation, but you will recall protecting Toji and Megumi." Lady Tiamat said with sternness in her voice. "As I said, Toji is merely the first one to be turned and I wish to make certain that it is safe. He will be fine due to my favor, yet at the same time, I can sense when it's my favor at work, or his own strength. So far, it's been all his own power." She explained. "So, until I know for certain. Not one word!" she ordered.
They were silent, but nodded in agreement. Yuuji appeared to be the most thrilled out of all of them. "To think, if everyone became a dragon… Suiryu… we won't outlive our friends!"
Suiryu smirked a little too. "Yeah, that would be rather nice. But for now, let's focus on old man Fushiguro and ensure we get Megumi back, right?"
Yuuji bore a look in his eyes, one that was haunting to Toji as he smiled wickedly. "Oh yeah, big time!"
"I think I found my first circle of hell…" Toji muttered.