Kyandi: We're back, everyone.

Inari: She has been really excited about this story.

Kyandi: I really like the series and Inari is quickly becoming a favorite.

Inari: I do not see why.

Kyandi: You're cuddly?

Inari: …

Kyandi: Okay, guess not. Anyway, everyone, please enjoy and review.

Inari: Kyandi-sama does not own Jujutsu Kaisen.

Chapter 3 Peek at Home

Getting Inari into a car was a time-consuming affair.

The girl took one look at the vehicle and bowed up, refusing to get in until she had sniffed it up and down and poked at it from every angle. Even then, the moment it started and begun to move, it took Yuuji to keep her from diving out the window. The whole ride she clung to her seat with claws dug deep into the leather.

"You're going to have to get use to it." Yuuji told her when they came to a stop.

"I would rather run under my own power," Inari replied, practically glued to the window as she awaited to be released from the car. Ichiji was never more grateful for child locks than he was then.

"We can't allow that. Normal humans can't see how fast you move." Ichiji reminded her.

"Idiotic social norms." Inari muttered lowly.

Ichiji chose to ignore that. "Ah! There he is!"

Both Inari and Yuuji moved to peer over the front seats and out the windshield. They spotted their target across the street as he walked in the opposite direction of them. Yuuji leaned around Ichiji to keep him in sight. "Hm? Plain clothes?"

"It seems like he hasn't been to school in a bit." Ichiji explained.

"How do we approach this?" Inari asked, her aversion to the car forgotten for the moment. "Because I am ready to get out of this thing." And the moment had passed.

"We're going to use those." Ichiji gestured to a cage sitting in the seat next to him. Inside was a pair of cursed spirits.

"Are they cursed spirits?" Yuuji asked.

"They look like a cross between insects and toads." Inari added.

"Flyheads," Ichiji explained. "They're low-grade curses, ranked below fourth grade." Inari sniffed at the spirits as Ichiji continued. "We're gonna have them attack him in a deserted place."

Inari and Yuuji both turned incredulous looks on him. "Huh?"

"One: If he's an ordinary person who can't see the curse, please go to his rescue. Two: If he can see the curse but can't deal with it, rescue him likewise and we'll interrogate him about the events of that day. Three: If he exorcises the flyheads with cursed energy…we'll restrain him immediately."

"By force?" Yuuji asked.

"By force." Ichiji adjusted his glasses. "If it turns out we misjudged the situation, it's fine. We'll apologize later."

"That is assuming he is not above our level to beginning with," Inari pointed out, flashing fangs as she yawned widely. "I dislike that word….assume. Guesswork should have no part in our job."

"Agreed," Ichiji nodded. "Four: If Yoshino Junpei is potentially a sorcerer over second grade, we'll retreat at once and join forces with Nanami-san."

"If he's second grade, I think we'd barely be able to handle him," Yuuji insisted.

"You'd be right if he was a cursed spirit. Fushiguro-kun said it last time. Usually, if a sorcerer gets a mission involving a cursed spirit of the same grade, a second grade sorcerer is expected to beat a second grade cursed spirit. Which means that a second grade sorcerer's true power is close to that of a first grade cursed spirit. We still do not know where they will classify Migawari-chan, as they are still accessing her strength and powers."

"Well, I cannot began to ponder an answer, though I do know that Kyui is a special grade cursed spirit," Inari offered.

Yuuji felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. "Why didn't I know that before now?"

Inari flat out spoke what Ichiji thought. "Because Gojou-sensei does not do things seriously. Or so Nanami-sensei says."

As long as Inari told Gojou that Nanami had taught her that and not him, Ichiji could breathe easy.

Conversation stopped there as they took the cage and followed Junpei. When the boy reached his house, Ichiji opened the cage, only for Yuuji to warn him too late that there was someone else with Junpei. While Yuuji chased one flyhead, Inari pounced on the other, claws ripping easily through it before it could get too far. She then turned to follow Yuuji, reaching him just after he snatched the other flyhead. It was quite clear that Junpei could see the cursed spirit.

Ignoring the adult with Junpei, Yuuji approached the other boy. "Hey. I have something I want to ask you so give me a moment."

"Hold on," The man tired to interject himself between Junpei and Yuuji. "I'm the on talking to him right now! You're so rude."

"Ah, no, it's pretty important stuff," Yuuji insisted.

"Important stuff?!" The man huffed. "Who are you to say that, kid? And which school's uniform is – "

Inari's head tilted to the side as Yuuji suddenly crouched, yanking the man's pants down his legs and then snatching them up and throwing them as far ahead of him as he could. "Fetch, Inari!"

Inari didn't even pause to consider the command as she darted past the three males, caught the pants as they fell with one clawed hand, and proceeded to run away with them down the street, Yuuji following right behind her. Flustered, the now pantsless man followed them, all three vanishing to leave Junpei puzzled as to what just happened.

"What was that…?"

"Diversion tactic." Junpei jumped and whipped around to find Inari, now empty-handed, standing behind him.

Yuuji came up behind her, flyhead stuffed in one pocket. "Well then, let's go."

"Huh!" Junpei looked between the two in shock. "So fast! You two already did a lap?"

Inari shrugged. "We run quite a bit."

"Good job, Inari." Yuuji praised her, dropping a hand on her head to give it a pat.

"I will allow the head pats…for now." Inari let her eyes drift close as Yuuji stroked her hair.

Junpei, curious about the two, looked from one to the other. "You didn't have to go out of your way to do that. You could have just pulled me aside."

"Hm, well…" Yuuji gave Inari's head another pat. "Inari needs the exercise to continue to strengthen her legs. Besides," Yuuji shrugged. "You hate that guy, right?"

"You certainly wanted him to vanish." Inari agreed.

Junpei was surprised once more. "How…?"

"I had a feeling. Ah, were we wrong?" Yuuji asked.

"You not wrong, though."

"Then is there a problem?" Inari opened her eyes to stare up at Junpei. "If you dislike a person then you do not want them hovering outside your home, right? I know I would not find it favorable."

Junpei could only agree and followed them away from his house. He watched as Inari took the flyhead from Yuuji's pocket and dealt with it with a mere slash of her claw-like nails.

"Ichiji-san isn't going to be happy with you." Yuuji told her.

"It is but a flyhead. Spirits of that level are everywhere. It is easily replaced." Inari was obviously unconcerned.

Soon, they found themselves at the river where Yuuji tried to call Ichiji for a meet up. "Damn. Ichiji-san won't pick up. I wonder if it's okay to go ahead and ask myself."

Inari watched from where she was crouched, claws idly running through the dirt in a swirling pattern. Feeling eyes on her, Inari looked up to find Junpei watching her. He quickly redirected his eyes from where he had been starting at her hands.

"Quite unusual sight, are they not?" Junpei looked back as Inari examined her naturally red-stained claws. "They are venomous as well. It is a part of my abilities."

"Abilities?"

"Ahh!" Yuuji's sudden yell had the two looking at him. "Whatever, let's just ask!" Yuuji turned to Junpei. "Hey, the other day, people died in the movie theater you went to. Did you see anything? Something gross, like the thing Inari here killed earlier?"

"No, I didn't see anything," Junpei answered. "I've only come to see them clearly recently."

"I see…" Yuuji dropped to sit next to Junpei on the steps leading down to the river side. "Then there's nothing more to ask! But could you wait until our boss or something comes?"

"Sure…" Junpei blinked in confusion.

"Hey, what were you watching at the theater?" Yuuji asked.

"It's an old remake so you wouldn't know even if I told you." Junpei insisted.

"You would be surprised. Since our school had taken me in, I have passed many a day watching so called "old movies" with Yuuji here." Inari's tone gave nothing away as to how she felt about that.

"Worm Humans 3," Junpei answered.

"It's really boring, isn't it? I guess that's why I've been punched so many times," Yuuji instantly remarked.

"It was far from being a favored one," Inari agreed.

"It really is…but it's a splatter movie, so maybe we're expecting too much substance from a movie like that." Junpei sighed. "But number two…"

"But number two was kinda interesting, wasn't it!" Yuuji exclaimed.

Inari nodded. "I liked that one much better."

Junpei looked at the two in surprise. He lit up, having found someone to take interest in the same thing. Inari, thought, turned, something lingering on the edge of her senses. She looked around, but could find no signs of what she was sensing. She knew it wasn't nothing. Something had been there and it had sent a chill down her spine because she was sure she had felt this presence before. She stood there, eyes roving the horizon. She was still doing that when a woman's voice drifted towards them.

"Hm? Junpei?" All three teenagers turned to find the woman looking down at them from the top of the stairs, grocery bag in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "That's rare."

"Mom!" Junpei rose to his feet as she started down the stairs.

"Friends?" Yoshino Nagi looked from Inari to Yuuji.

"We just met him." Inari corrected.

"We just met but it looks like we'll be friends." Yuuji added.

"What's your names?" Nagi asked.

"It's Itadori Yuuji. This here," Yuuji dropped a hand on Inari's head. "Is Migawari Inari. Onions really don't suit you, Mom!"

Nagi laughed when Yuuji pointed out the green onions in her grocery bags. "Oh. You noticed? I aim to be a woman who doesn't suit onions."

"I am lost. Is there some special meaning behind that statement?" Inari asked, looking up at Junpei.

"No." Junpei reached out to snatch his mother's cigarette from her hand. "I told you to stop smoking, didn't I?"

"Okay, okay." Nagi was quick to pacify her son. "Yuuji-kun, Inari-chan, why don't you two have dinner with us?"

"Hey!" Junpei shot his mom a glare. "It's a bother."

Nagi turned an annoyed look on him. "My food is a bother?"

A loud, audible growl left Yuuji's stomach then, the two turning to find Inari practically drooling at the thought of food. With that, the two found themselves invited over for dinner. Inari had to admit that it was a fun time. Nagi was nice and was happy to indulge Inari in her bottomless appetite. She claimed that Inari just needed a little extra fuel to grow.

They ate, they laughed and, for the first time in a long time, Inari remembered what it had been like to have a mom. It made her ache for faded memories of her own mother. What few were left were just flashes, gone as soon as she tried to recall them. A smile here, a laugh there, and th faint sensation of her mother's warm hugs and gentle hands.

By the time Nagi passed out from drinking, inari did so from a full stomach and warm feelings. Something that made Yuuji laugh as he looked down at her on the couch while Junpei draped a blanket over his mom.

Yuuji turned to look at Junpei. "Your mom's a good person, huh."

"Yeah…" Junpei agreed. "What kind of person is your mom, Itadori-kun?"

"Oh, I never met her." Yuuji's reply was easy, unburdened. "I have a faint memory of my dad though. It's because my grandpa was always there. As for Inari," Yuuji glanced at the sleeping girl as she curled into a tight ball on the couch. "She never speaks of her family. I know she's the only one left, but she doesn't talk about how that came to be. She's not use to being around people, so I figure she'll get to it someday."

Junpei watched as Yuuji's phone suddenly rang and he had to answer it. His eyes fell on Inari's sleeping face. It made him wonder, being as unuse to humans as Yuuji claimed, if Inari would be capable of killing someone.

A question that would soon be answered.

END

Kyandi: I actually understand how you feel, not having a mother.

Inari: At least you still have vivid memories of her.

Kyandi: That is true. Though, sometimes, I feel like that, in itself, if a curse.

Inari: I suppose.

Kyandi: Anyway, that's enough of that depressing talk.

Inari: Agreed.

Kyandi: Everyone, please, please, please, review. I'm dying to know your opinions.

Inari: Unless they are flames.

Kyandi: Right! Everyone enjoy.

Inari: We will be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!