Chapter 14

Within the domain…

Toshi was hard at work.

Mixing, sorting, preparing, bottling… he was running the sake brewery nearly solo. However, he has been grateful for the help given to him. He was rather surprised to how hard Suguru was working!

"This should be it for today, everything has been mixed and sorted, now we let it age." Toshi called.

"Thank God, my arms are going to fall off!" Suguru said. "You think training with a Tooru and Sukuna, I would have better endurance than this!"

Toshi smirked as he closed up the brewery for the day.

When they got outside, Suguru wondered over to the same area Sukuna took him to, they sat down and shared a drink. "I never though there was a life like this for sorcerers…" Suguru said offhandedly.

He snickered. "I agree, it's always been honor this, family technique that, DIE for the council… I'm glad I got out of it… the clan business that is."

Suguru nodded. However, Toshi was curious about something. "Let me know if I am out of line to ask, but… do you remember anything from when Kenjaku took over your body?"

Suguru was silent on the matter, Toshi figured he hit a nerve but then…

"Bits," he said. "Granted, I was dead and yet, my body… retained memories…" he said and peered at his hands. "The strongest one I can recall was when I heard Satoru's voice, calling to me… then… my hand…" he brought it up to his throat. "I tried to choke the bastard."

Toshi froze to this. He… fought back?

"But that is one of the only strong memories I have. Sometimes something gets knocked loose but I don't know for sure. Until I do, I'll stick with that memory for the time being…" he took a shot of sake. "We got to make something stronger."

He snickered to that. "Well, don't tell Suiryu, but I am working on a vodka."

"Ooo, count me in!" Suguru teased and toasted Toshi.

"Has Chusi continued to pester you about making a move on Yua?"

"Nonstop" he muttered. "Don't get me wrong, she is a one of a kind woman… but… I don't want to upset my best friend… I mean we just started being friends again! But, why is Chusi forcing the issue? Sometimes I see her perspective, but I knock myself down a few pegs, thinking I was just seeing things and looking for a way in. But then…" his voice trailed off.

"You do care for her, don't you?"

"I don't know why I do, I mean I don't really KNOW Yua and yet… I feel like I understand her in more ways than one. The fact that she bothered to train me, when I still had my head up my ass, she pried it out!"

Toshi snorted a laugh but nodded to that. "No kidding, she tend to do that to people, not to mention verbally knock them down a peg."

"She was one of the few who could verbally beat down Sukuna! That in itself is no easy task!" he said in an impressed tone. "But, she also made me realized, despite my intentions, my dream was stupid."

"I didn't quite understand the notion of it either. Killing all the humans?" Toshi asked.

Suguru forced a laugh. "I suppose I broke when a classmate died… Nanami's friend… I was his saipan. But, then it was Yuki who brought up the notion. How to get rid of curses completely, either kill all the humans so only sorcerers exist, therefor the curses won't be able to reproduce, or turn all humans into sorcerers so they can fend for themselves and still cause curses to cease… needless to say which notion I went with…"

Toshi nodded. "What did Yua say about that?"

He began to chuck. "No word of a lie, she was what six months or so pregnant… probably farther along with Shin, but that's besides the point. She said 'You mean to tell me, with a straight face, that those sorcerers could have run the world, lived and had families without the chance of interbreeding would happen? You're an idiot' I know there is more to it but I am just summarizing now…"

Toshi laughed.

He didn't know why but he could just imagine a very pregnant Yua not holding back and unleashing hell in words upon the dreams of Suguru Geto.

"She did have a point!" Toshi snickered.

"No shit she had a point! She also crushed Sukuna's dream!"

"Which would be?"

"Well, if you consider it, if Sukuna kept to his ways, remained evil. Destroyed everything… what will give him a warrior's death? He seeks something like that for himself, he rather die giving it his all than that of a coward. But, if he destroyed everything… what was left to give him such an ending? Nothing. He would have to kill himself and for a warrior to do that with no threat to their life or honor to defend… it's a coward's death."

Toshi didn't laugh that time, but he understood.

"Sukuna is proud of his power and as a warrior isn't he?" Toshi said.

"Yeah, still, the fact she just crushed it…" he shook his head in disbelief. "As much as I would like to have Yua for a wife, I doubt I would be any match to her…"

"So you admit it?"

"This conversation never happened…" Suguru warned.

Toshi smirked and nodded. "As much as I know Gojo sensei is the strongest, I do find that he tends to leave at inconvenient times for Yua. I think that's his mindset too, if she's strong, she can handle it herself right? But that may also be the Gojo clan way of thinking to when it comes to women. But I don't dare assume…"

"It's not like that," Suguru said instantly. "If anything, Satoru is just scared shitless."

This, was news to Toshi. "Scared?"

Suguru nodded. "I've known him longer than anyone here. There isn't much that rattles his cage but the fact is this, Yua doesn't put up with his shit. Everyone else does because… He's the strongest, right? How is it that Yua is able to stand her ground against him and he obeys her most of the time?"

He's wondered that himself.

The fact is this, Sukuna shouldn't be acting the way he does, despite the restrains on him. Even more so, he is trying to turn himself around to be who he once was to the Tooru family, why put in the effort? He speaks to her as an equal too, no one really has that blessing unless they are Chusi! But still, Gojo sensei would leave her to deal with things. Perhaps he is scared, also does he really know how to be a father?

"Yua is someone rather remarkable… it's sad that my clan had taught me, if you ever see a Tooru avoid them, if they are on the brink of death, push them towards death." He said.

Suguru nodded. "I only heard bits through the council and the elders of the Tooru clan, they feared them so much and yet… they are the most helpful sorcerers. Sukuna already explained this to me as to why, they can help others get stronger. Those they assist will be bounded to them in loyalty. The council and elders thought that the Toorus would amass an army, but the reality is, they merely wanted to teach."

"Just like Yua now. She should be pissed with the council, Sukuna for that matter. She would want Kenjaku's head on a pike sooner than later, and yet… she doesn't go after revenge."

Suguru shook his head. "Chusi told me this, the Tooru don't seek revenge for it doesn't bring you peace. You become consumed by the hatred that has been given to you, that in itself is a curse. And it can swallow you whole before you have a chance to fight if off." He sighed aloud. "Instead, they move forward, they believe everyone will get theirs in the end, and the Toorus will be rewarded for such efforts. But, she never said what the reward was."

"A peaceful death?"

"Do you think that will happen to a sorcerer?"

"Good point,"

Toshi and Suguru sighed as they had another cup.

Suguru began to stare into his as he swirled around what little remained of the sake within. "Maybe I am overthinking it…" he said offhandedly. "I mean, do you think Satoru would mind if I became a second husband? To fill in the gaps that he has left behind? But then, that ego of mine…" he sneered a little as he placed his cup off to the side.

"Have you felt as if you were always chasing after Gojo sensei?"

He nodded. "Truthfully, that helped push me over the edge. Chusi even pegged it too. I had been strong for a while, and Satoru and I were on par when he came into high school, I think I had the edge over him. Then, the star plasma vessel incident occurred, he was forced to get stronger since he had so many near death experiences… he grasped his technique then and there… and became the strongest… Since controlling his power was so easy for him to do now… I was still learning… I was left behind." He paused for a moment. Toshi was all ears as he heard him speak his peace. "Chusi brought up the notion, I had been training my whole life on my technique, and to be surpassed in a short time with minimal effort… it can be devastating."

Toshi nodded. "At the same time, you thought you had a good technique, and then someone comes along with a family treasure of techniques… it makes you feel inadequate"

"You understand and yet YOU of all people have the family treasure."

"It was a trap," Toshi snapped back. "Honestly, being part of the three great families is not great whatsoever. The fact they used my mother the way they did…"

"That what concerns Chusi,"

Toshi paused, he peered at Suguru once more.

"Tooru women are a high demand item among sorcerers. Despite that little rule your family had, I doubt it would have held if it were a woman Tooru in danger. She explained that a Tooru could give you a child that will make your current technique greater than what it was. I do believe Satoru has proof of that."

It was true.

Shin who has a different variation of the six eyes ability, despite the fact it is slow to develop, it remains to show that he is just as capable as his father. Rook for that matter has made something his own, however he claims his body can sense energies, his senses are hyped up to pick up the smallest trail and he can follow the path of the energy he is focused on.

Mochi however is the odd one out. To his knowledge, there is no one in the Gojo clan that can manipulate fire. However he overheard Sukuna say that she uses her abilities like her father.

"How are the kids doing?"

Suguru sighed. "I am concerned for Mochi. In fact, Sukuna advised me before he left to keep an eye on her since she is very self-conscious about her appearance. He warned saying. 'A sorcerer needs to be confident in their power, for if they hesitate, that power can turn on them'. I can understand his concern considering she can make fire shikigami!"

He nearly forgot about that, so Sukuna is worried that Mochi might hurt herself if she doesn't get confident. He has even heard tales of sorcerers being killed by their own summons for they weren't strong enough.

"I want to help her… but is it crossing the line if she is not my child?" Suguru asked.

Toshi sighed, and yet, he had an answer. After all, he's a father himself.

"If I may?" he said gently. Suguru nodded to him. "If I was in a position where I am away from my child, and yet they need help. I could only be grateful to the one who helps them. Since they saw the problem before I did, but knew that their needs came before anything else. Just as long as I am made aware of the situation, the sooner the better."

Suguru took a moment to let it sink in. He paused but smirked. "I tend to believe you since you after all, are a father!" he laughed.

"If anything, speak to the other ladies here to help Mochi. She might be more self conscious of being a young lady and doesn't know how to adjust to it yet. They would have better insight than the two of us put together."

"And how, I'll drink to that!" Suguru called and toasted Toshi.

He promised to speak with the ladies before Mochi got home from school. As such, he excused himself to go find Maki or whoever he could…