THE WORLD WAS TOO CROWDED, TOO STUFFY. At least, the world Itadori Yūji was born in. There were too many rules, too many expectations, too many things to think about. Yūji didn't really understand who he truly was in this world and why it was all so important that he was perfect, but he did understand that he did not like it.
He was nine. It was all too much to think about. It was too hard. So, it wasn't all that surprising when the scoldings turned to painful times.
It was another thing he didn't understand, but understood that it was wrong and that he didn't like it. Yūji tried to appear perfect after the first couple of painful times. It didn't work.
That's why Yūji was running right now, sprinting for his life really. Or at least, that's what it felt like. He calls them monsters now, his parents. They don't treat him like they used to, but the more Yūji observes other families... the more he realizes that he wasn't treated all that well to begin with.
It was really dark. Not only was it nighttime, but a huge storm was starting to brew above the Itadori Estate. Yūji was panting heavily, his legs exhausted from the non-stop running and the added weight of the stuffy kimono he was forced to wear.
"Yūji, you awful boy! Get back here before you ruin that kimono!" The angry shout was a lot closer than Yūji hoped it was. He flinches heavily and stumbles in his sprint.
His breath stalls for a moment when he suddenly slips off the ground, over a steep hill he didn't realize he was running next to. A loud cry leaves his mouth, right as thunder booms loudly above.
He lands harshly against the muddy ground before he starts to roll down the steep hill. Yūji quickly wraps his arms around his head as he quickly starts to pick up speed.
Another sharp cry escapes his mouth when he roughly stops rolling on ground made of stone. He tries to catch his breath, his chest screaming in pain.
BARK. BARK.
Yūji snaps his head up at the faint sounds of the Hounds. Thunder booms again and the rain finally starts to fall.
"Please, please, please, please..." Yūji pleads under his breath, scrambling to stand back up. He just wants to be able to sleep tonight. He hated storms.
He hated being forced to stay out in the shed during storms, and he knows that's what's going to happen tonight. After the painful times.
Lightning flashes through the sky, giving Yūji a grateful moment of sight. A foreboding shadow of some sort of hut blocks the sight of the lightning.
"Yes! Thank you!" Yūji cheers with a bright smile.
BARK. BARK. BARK.
Yūji stumbles in his rush to sprint towards the hut when he hears the Hounds much closer than before. Yūji runs straight into a door, making him fall on his butt with a squeak.
He stands back up and pushes against the old rotten door. It was sealed shut.
"C'mon..." Yūji scowls slightly and puts more of his weight into the push. He falls through the door with a yelp when part of the rotten wood gives in to the pressure.
Yūji rubs his face as he sits on his hands and knees. It was pitch black inside the hut. He squints his eyes, trying to see if he can see anything.
BARK. BARK.
"ITADORI YŪJI!" The loud shout makes Yūji flinch in fear. He crawls off the rotten wood he fell on and pushes it back in its original place. Yūji doesn't waste any time and runs deeper into the dark hut.
Hopefully, it'll be dark for them too. He wants at least one night where he can sleep without being in pain, thank you very much!
Yūji slams right into a hard stone slab of some sort. "Ack–Ow..."
Yūji rubs his stomach before placing a hand on the slab. It was smooth and freezing to the touch. He slowly walks along the slab, finding where it ends with a triumphant grin.
He quickly dives behind it when the loud sound of wood creaking echoes through the hut. Yūji stares into the suffocating darkness with bated breath.
"It looks completely boarded up. He couldn't have gotten in... let's go... he'll come back... as long..." The sharp voice of Itadori Kaori slowly fades away. The wood creaks loudly again before he hears faint footsteps walking away.
"Finally..." Yūji mutters to himself, relaxing his shoulders with a huff.
BOOM.
Yūji squeals in fright at the loud clash of thunder, falling on his side from the sudden loss of balance. He stares up at where he thinks the ceiling is before slapping a hand over his mouth in realization.
"Stupid! Gotta be quiet!" Yūji scolds himself as he strains his ears for any footsteps. He scrambles back up and leans against the slab just in case.
"Child, what are you doing here?" A lilting deep voice startles Yūji. His face scrunches in a frown as he turns around. Does everything want to scare him today?!
He doesn't see anyone behind him, but he can sense their presence. It was colder than ice and darker than the night.
"Running from Chichi and Haha," Yūji answers truthfully.
"Oh? Did they take away your favorite toy? Is that why you're running away?" The voice asks in a weird tone Yūji vaguely recognizes.
Yūji frowns in confusion. "Is he mocking me?"
"No. They do painful times instead of scoldings now. I just wanted to sleep without being in pain tonight. I'll head back in the morning, or until the storm passes," He answers again, squinting his eyes to try and see the person he was talking with.
"Hm. Well, it's been a while since anyone's stumbled across my home. You're welcome to stay until the storm passes," The voice speaks in a tone that makes Yūji think he was shrugging. Yūji blinks at the information before a large blush forms on his cheeks and neck.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize someone lived here. I didn't mean to intrude!" Yūji apologizes sincerely, giving a small bow.
The voice says nothing for a moment before barking out a laugh. Yūji flinches slightly when he feels a freezing hand on his head, ruffling his hair.
"No worries, kid. Things were getting boring in my domain anyways," The voice dismisses the apology easily. "My name is Gojo Satoru, God of Infinity."
Yūji brightens up and grins at where he thinks the voice is coming from. "I'm Itadori Yūji! Nice to meet you, sir!"
"You're an odd one." Satoru chuckles and lifts his hand from the pink haired boy's head. Yūji tilts his head at the statement and frowns.
"What's that supposed to mean? Am I odd?"
"Nothing, Yūji-kun." Yūji blinks when he doesn't feel the presence anymore. He looks around as if he was looking for the man before pouting.
"I wasn't done talking with you yet..." Yūji sighs before he leans back against the slab. He rubs his eyes as he yawns, curling into a ball.
Yūji's not going to waste anymore time. He's going to sleep as much as possible before he goes back home.
The world is as beautiful as it is boring. Satoru didn't really care about how much effort he needed to put in when creating it. It was just an experiment, really. A successful experiment, which is why Earth still exists.
To create a world full of sinful creatures who think they are pure, create a species that would think on their own free will, but still worship his entire being with their entire heart and soul. Satoru didn't have many reasons to scrap everything and restart. He'll probably do it eventually, but right now, he was enjoying his vacation as a forgotten god.
Something slamming against the boarded up, rotten doors of his shrine woke him up. He opened only one of his eyes and stared at the rotten door. A small boy falls through and breaks part of the door. The rest of his six eyes open and he sits up on his decrepit throne.
The boy, no older than nine, sits up as he rubs his face. Mud slightly covered his kimono and skin, but it did nothing to dim the beauty Satoru sees.
Glittering gold eyes, more beautiful than the best gold Satoru could create. Beautiful hair as soft as fallen cherry blossoms and as beautiful as the black of the void underneath. Tan skin, covered in freckles like stars on a night sky. Ethereal. Pure.
Satoru could count on one hand the amount of things he created that were truly pure. This boy... was not one of them. His purity was created by the inherently sinful creatures he brought into existence.
"ITADORI YŪJI!" The incredible boom of a shout from outside the shrine makes the boy jump.
"Yūji..." Satoru licks his lips with a widening grin. "A beautiful name for a beautiful thing..."
The boy runs deeper inside. Satoru almost failed to stifle his snort when Yūji slams into the stone slab cut in the middle of his shrine. Something his original cultists created for sacrifices or something... Satoru didn't really pay attention to it.
The white haired god tilts his head when the boy feels around the slab before diving behind it. Two of his eyes glance up when the wood outside creaks loudly.
He doesn't pay attention to whatever was being said as he silently teleports on top of the sacrificial stone slab. All of his eyes focus on Yūji.
Terror was coming off of the boy in waves as he stared straight ahead. Odd.
The kimono he wore was clearly a well-made one. He was from an established family. Newly established or traditionally established, Satoru didn't know–and didn't care–but it made him salivate over the possibilities.
Even during the times he made the world a dark and cruel and inhumane place... the rich and the "powerful" always kept their children sheltered. Kept them pure. For a pure thing like Yūji to possibly be from one of these families. The need to take him increases tenfold.
A loud squeal of fright startles Satoru back to the real world. Yūji was laying on his side, slapping a hand to his mouth. Thunder continued to boom loudly outside for a second longer.
Yūji scrambles back up and leans against the stone slab, shaking slightly. Satoru chuckles silently and leans his head against his fist.
"Child, what are you doing here?" Satoru finally speaks up. He feels a flash of disappointment when Yūji doesn't make any noise as he jumps in fright.
Satoru barely refrains from leaning closer to stare into the beautiful eyes of the boy. They were like endless seas of gold compared to his own limitless seas of the sky.
"Running from Chichi and Haha." Satoru raises an eyebrow at the formality Yūji uses.
"Oh? Did they take away your favorite toy? Is that why you're running away?" Satoru can't help, but mock the boy.
Satoru grins widely at the confused frown on Yūji's face. "No. They do painful times instead of scoldings now. I just wanted to sleep without being in pain tonight. I'll head back in the morning, or until the storm passes."
Ruddy cheeks. Tears falling down his face like waterfalls. Lips swollen and open as punched out whimpers escape his mouth.
Satoru takes a deep, silent breath. He pushes his thoughts back and focuses on the current moment.
"Hm. Well, it's been a while since anyone's stumbled across my home. You're welcome to stay until the storm passes," Satoru speaks with a shrug.
Satoru feels a sudden pull in his chest when he sees a beautiful red flush appear on Yūji. It started from his neck and crawled up to his cheeks. He wonders if his whole body could flush that easily...
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize someone lived here. I didn't mean to intrude!" Yūji apologizes sincerely, giving a small bow. The god's mouth twitches into an intrigued smile, his head tilting to the side. He barks out a laugh and gently places a hand on Yūji's head.
Cherry blossom pink hair dark with sweat. Disarrayed by his hand pulling it back. Surrounding Yūji's head like a corrupted halo.
"No worries, kid. Things were getting boring in my domain anyways. My name is Gojo Satoru, God of Infinity," Satoru introduces himself, barely refraining from running his hand through the silky soft hair.
All six of his eyes immediately hone in on the bright and pure smile Yūji gives him. "I'm Itadori Yūji! Nice to meet you, sir!"
"You're an odd one." Satoru forces himself to lift his hand away from Yūji's soft hair.
"What's that supposed to mean? Am I odd?" Yūji questions in genuine curiosity. Satoru stands up from the stone slab.
"Nothing, Yūji-kun," Satoru states before he teleports back to his domain. He sits down on his decrepit throne and places his chin on his hand.
He watches in amusement as Yūji curls into a ball against the stone slab. Cute...
"Itadori Yūji... so beautiful... you will be mine," Satoru thinks wistfully. All beautiful things are given to Satoru eventually. It depends on if they break or not that makes Satoru keep them.
"Young Master Yūji! Where were you?" Yūji yelps in fear when he's suddenly grabbed by one of his maids and dragged towards the kitchen. "Master Jin and Lady Kaori have been awake all night with worry!"
"I was sleeping." Yūji shrugs, staring down at the arm tightly gripping his wrist. It was starting to hurt.
"Don't lie! You were gone all night! Oh, and look at your kimono. Gods, this is completely ruined!" The woman exclaims, basically throwing Yūji into the kitchen. Yūji makes a small noise from the back of his throat, landing on his butt.
"Sorry, Mizusawa-san." Yūji stares down at his lap for a moment before he slowly stands up.
"Kotomi-san, what's going on?" Another person enters the kitchen through the estate entrance. Yūji bites the inside of his cheek and keeps his gaze towards his feet.
"Young Master Yūji has returned from his little adventure. Go tell Master Jin and Lady Kaori while I make him presentable," Mizusawa Kotomi sneers down at the pink haired boy. Yūji clenches his hands around his dirty kimono and lets his body be pushed past the other person.
"Good morning, Arimachi-san," Yūji greets quietly before he is forced back out of the kitchen.
"Mizusawa-san, can I just wear something comfortable? Chichi and Haha will just hurt me and I don't want to get blood on any of my clothes," He asks, nervously glancing up at the older maid. Kotomi scowls and glares down at the boy, making him flinch.
"You will wear what Master Jin and Lady Kaori expects you to wear. No exceptions." Yūji bites back a scowl and slowly faces forward.
"You're just using it as an excuse to yell at me when blood gets on my clothes," Yūji thinks with a silent huff. He didn't like Kotomi. He's pretty sure she takes out her hatred of his father on him.
Yūji stays silent, even as he is pushed into his bedroom. He doesn't even inspect the cold room he despises so much, already knowing what's there. Or what is not there.
There's a bed, a dresser, unnecessary furniture, and that's it. A pair of shōji doors lead to the balcony of his room and curtains gently hung over the doors as a false sense of privacy. Yūji hated this room with a burning passion. Hated it more than the shed outside.
It was cold, empty, void of any emotion or love. It was a room expected of an heir. A room of lavish decorations and overly expensive furniture, all basically useless in real life. It was the gilded cage of a doll tied to strings. Yūji didn't understand it, but he hated being a doll.
"Why do I have to dress up? Is something happening today?" Yūji asks curiously. He winces when Kotomi pinches his arm in retaliation of the question.
"Stop being so stupid, Young Master Yūji! There is a meeting between Master Jin and Lady Kaori and the Kugisaki Family." Kotomi turns around and walks towards Yūji's closet. "If you hadn't have run off last night, you would have been given more time to prepare."
"...I don't like storms," Yūji points out. Kotomi tenses, hands frozen right above another kimono.
It wasn't a secret that Yūji would be left outside as a punishment if he didn't reach the expectations placed upon his shoulders. Yūji wishes people would at least bully him for it like everything else than to pretend it doesn't happen.
"Take off that kimono you ruined and take a bath. You must look your best." Kotomi grabs one of Yūji's more extravagant kimonos. It was a navy blue color with a lotus flower and koi fish pattern. Another stuffy kimono... great.
"Yes, Mizusawa-san," Yūji says in slight defeat. He slowly takes off his ruined kimono, trying to waste as much time as possible. Meetings between families usually happen in the evenings. He has time to relax... if his parents won't do any painful punishments for running away last night.
"...I should have idled around Gojo-san's home. I just wanted to play yesterday."
"Kugisaki-dono, I am glad you were able to make it," Itadori Jin greets cooly, sitting in a perfect seiza. Yūji sat next to him, sitting in a painfully perfect and tense seiza with Itadori Kaori's nails clawing into his shoulder. Kaori sat next to him, her hand forcing the nine year old to sit properly.
"Itadori-sama, it is an honor to be invited into your home." A man with dark hair deeply kneels to Yūji's father. The pink haired boy keeps his gaze to the ground, but he focuses his attention on the girl a few feet behind the man.
She looked to be around his age and clearly didn't want to be here. She was dressed in a fancy kimono, less extravagant compared to his, and obviously hated the clothing with a burning passion.
"Kaori-sama, you look as beautiful as always," A woman on the man's other side speaks in a gentle voice. Yūji can clearly imagine the fake expression on his mother's face.
"Thank you, Sayuri-dono," Kaori speaks with a clearly fake lilt to her tone.
"You've grown, Yūji-sama," Kugisaki Sayuri adds in a softer tone. Yūji flinches at his name being called and instinctively glances up. Kaori's nails piercing his shoulder quickly makes him stare back down at his lap.
"...thank you Sayuri-dono..." Yūji forces out of his sore throat. He can feel the blood slowly seeping through his juban at how hard Kaori was piercing through his skin.
"Mizusawa, bring in the tea," Jin calls out loudly. "Kugisaki-dono, I can tell your daughter will grow into a refined young woman."
"Ah, that's right. Nobara, this is the head of the Itadori Clan, Itadori Jin-sama. This is his main wife, Itadori Kaori-sama of the Kamo Clan, and their heir, Itadori Yūji-sama," The man introduces the three to his daughter. Yūji feels his mouth twitch at the irritated sigh that leaves the girl's mouth before she gives a curt bow.
"Honor to meet you. I am Kugisaki Nobara, the heiress of the Kugisaki Family," The nine year old girl states in a bland tone. Sayuri politely coughs with a small glare aimed towards her daughter.
Kaori giggles, her grip on Yūji's shoulder getting even worse. "She has Eimi-dono's ferocious personality, Kugisaki-dono."
"Yes. With Sayuri's health as unstable as it is, Haha has been watching over Nobara these past few months," The man states with a slight apologetic tone. Kaori hums, clearly disinterested in the unnecessary information.
"Yūji takes after Gifu-sama completely. Too kind and too curious for his own good," The black haired woman comments. Yūji bites the inside of his cheek from the searing pain in his shoulder.
"How is Wasuke-sama? He needed to be admitted to the hospital again, yes? My condolences," Sayuri asks softly. Yūji internally winces at the question.
Bad question. Bad question! Maybe he shouldn't have run off last night. He'd be able to get away from this if he didn't...
"He's fine. Just old age," Jin answers curtly. The atmosphere gets even more tense. Yūji resists the urge to look up when he hears a knock on the fusuma doors.
"Master Jin, I have the tea. May I come in?"
"Enter." Yūji barely hides a flinch at how cold Jin's voice sounded. He takes a deep breath and forces his shoulders to relax a bit.
His legs were starting to go numb and his shoulder felt like it was on fire with how painful Kaori was gripping it. Hopefully, that will be the only amount of pain he has to go through today.
Yūji glances up, catching the narrowed eyes of Nobara. He blinks in surprise, stuck in place. Yūji smiles brightly and gives her a small head tilt in greeting.
He flinches and refrains from hissing in pain when it feels like his mother was tearing through his shoulder. His eyes quickly go back down to his lap.
Nobara huffs, but her shoulders relax in relief. Yūji bites back the smile. This meeting won't be too much a trainwreck. He's at least made a friend out of it.
He's made a friend in the forest and he's made a new friend during the day. It seems things are looking up for him!
Hey! Hope you like the new story! We started it off immediately. With what I have in mind with this story, it won't do any good to slowly ease into it.
For the future... I am sorry, but I do not regret.
Things are going to get so dark and I'm just–oof.
I was struggling with this first chapter lmao, and it seems like a dumpster fire to me, but you know what? That's fine! This is probably a little more self-indulgent than I will admit.
Things go from like 50 to 100 to 200, so be prepared. Or at least, that's what I plan.
Also, God!Gojo with literal six eyes? Yes please!
I hope you all like the first chapter! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini