A/N: EDIT: Not a lot of feedback this time. Ah, well. I tried. T_T
Paperwork is the bane of my liiiiiiife! Sooo muuuuuuch work to do!
Everything is slowing me down this weak and I'm at my bloody wits end.
Suffering from long term Covid at the moment. Some days are better than others.
Its not quite as bad as it was that one awful week, but I still feel like absolute craaaap.
Somehow, this surged past 900 hundred reviews very quickly so here we are, ANOTHER early update!
Feedback really does kick me into high gear; if this chapter gets a good reception as well, then I'll do my best to update early once more, as I've been consistently doing for weeks now. Do let me know!
Also preparing to update other stories; Apples and Atoms, Running to the Edge, Everbody Wants to be My Enemy, Doctor of Demons, etc.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Still, I'm going me best to keep on...well, keeping on.
And remember, as stated prior, the names for Naoya's brothers are:
Naome (Eldest Son)
Natsuo (The Middle Child)
Natoshi (Second Youngest Before Our Boy, Now Very Much Dead)
Here we go!
"You can't go about taming Cursed Spirits! This isn't Pokemon!"
"You're right, it isn't. I've asked Geto for a few ideas."
...dare I ask what ideas those were?"
"I dunno. Do you dare?"
"Naoya!"
~?
Devour Your Days
"Speak."
The cursed spirit before him hissed sullenly as she grasped the bars of her cage. "...!"
Well, he supposed that much was to be expected; she wasn't very happy with him at the moment.
And after he went out of his way to spare her life! Honestly! He'd held back quite a bit to avoid breaking the petrifying serpentine curse. One would think even an apparition would show some appreciation. But nooo, this one had been trying to bite him the moment he'd transferred her from her scroll to a holding cell. He'd even been kind enough to line this pit with warm pillows so she wouldn't get cold. Snakes liked warm things, right? Hadn't he read that somewhere...?
Really, a little gratitude would be nice.
"I know you can understand me." he gave her reinforced prison a tap, drawing an aggravated noise from the seemingly mindless beast. "The sooner you talk, the sooner I let you stretch your legs...erm, tail," he quickly amended when she flashed her fangs at him. "C'mon, I know those chains must be chafing...
She glared hatefully at him, eyes hidden behind her serpentine hair. "...liar."
"Aha!" his face split in a shit-eating grin. "So you can talk after all."
It was slow perhaps, halting even, but it was communication.
Something as they say, was better than nothing.
"Why...let me...live?"
"Why indeed?" Naruto beamed back and tucked both hands in his sleeves. "I'm so very glad you asked." more fool she, trying to engage him in a war of words; he'd win every time. "But first, a question. Did someone tell you to kill me? Or did you come to the shrine for Sukuna's Finger?"
She stared at him for a long moment. "...the latter."
Now they were getting somewhere!
Sweet progress!
It was only to be expected. Sukuna's finger was a magnet for Cursed Spirits; like catnip for them; a promise of power if they could only consume it. He'd both brought and bound the finger back up in the best of bindings since returning to the clan compound, but even now he could sense a little energy leaking through. At the time he'd hoped it would be enough to silence the voice in his head but:
"Too late for that, brat."
And didn't he just dread that?
The King of Curses was in his head.
And by the sound of things, it seemed like he was here to stay.
He'd need to research this later. But for now? "Alright, Cursed Spirit. I'm a boy of my word."
He waved a hand and her shackles, bindings forged from his own cursed energy, dissolved like so much morning mist. She slumped to the ground and immediately coiled in on herself like the lamia she was. Pity flickered in his heart for a moment before he managed to quash it. She may have answered honestly, but he wasn't willing to trust her just yet. That would come later.
Shifting his weight forward on one foot, he leaned forward to regard his new guest.
"See," he crooned at her. "Isn't that better?"
She glared at him.
He was admittedly very curious about the composition of a cursed spirit, but he was hardly going to start cutting the critters open to find out what they were like. He'd leave that sort of thing to Shoko. No, he'd rather kill them with kindness; after all, he'd seen what happened to those who ruled with fear. That would not be him. No, never him.
...release me."
"Now why would I want to do that?"
Her eyes narrowed. It was his one and only warning.
This time Naruto was ready for it; her cursed technique struck the barrier between the bars and fizzled out in a shower of sparks. She tried again, only to fail for a second time. A third attempt fared no better. An annoyed noise fled from her chapped lips and she lashed at the bars with her long tail, only to recoil with a pained yelp.
"What...is this?!"
"Stings, doesn't it?" he wiggled his fingers at her. "I may not be able to use Curse Manipulation like Geto, but I've gotten pretty adept at barriers. And this?" a flick of said fingers caused her to wince. "This thing can hold even a weak special grade curse. You won't be breaking out of your plush prison without my say so. May as well make yourself comfortable. Easier for both of us that way.
She glared bloody red daggers at him, pale eyes flashing, snakes hissing in her hair. "What...do you want?"
"I'd like for us to be friends." he held out a hand just shy of the bars. "How does that sound?"
Moreover, it was a starting point to tame her and that was all he needed!
She shrank back against the bars. "...you wish to break me and make me yours?"
"Why does everyone always jump to that conclusion?!" He slapped a hand to his forehead and blanched despite himself. "I'm not here to "break" anybody! That's such an ugly way of saying it. Look, there's no need to be hostile. I'm not your enemy. Besides," a hand slipped into his pocket, "if I wanted you dead, you would BE dead." He held up Sukuna's finger. "Do you know what this is?"
She perked up, excitement hastening her words. "Mine! That's mine! Give me it! I found it first!"
A low growl pervaded the back of his mind, rife with indignation. "Don't you DARE feed a piece of me to that thing.
Naruto chuckled inwardly. 'Oh, so now you start making requests?'
"On second thought? Go right ahead, brat. I'll enjoy watching her rip you limb from limb."
'Yeah, not happening.'
"I have something that tastes even better." He held out his pointer finger and boldly placed it between the bars of the cage. "Here. Have a nibble."
The Curse bit it clean off down to the very knuckle.
A finger full of chakra and cursed energy.
Just as expected.
Sukuna made an intrigued noise. "Now this is something...
"Good girl." Naruto watched the curse swallow his offered finger intently. "Now lets see what happens...
The curse fell flat on her face with a gasp. and began to convulse.
"...?!"
Naruto observed the change that followed with quiet curiosity and began taking notes; although the serpents hung long and concealed most of the Cursed Spirit's pallid visage, the same could not be said of the rest of her. Her humanoid torso became paler, her grey skin taking on an almost ethereal hue as her long serpentine tail lashed at the ground behind her. He felt the precise moment her cursed energy skyrocketed. It battered at the walls of her cage, producing an ominous wail as her power grated against the metal.
"Good, good." he placed his hands together, palm to palm, and rode out the storm. "That's the way...
As he looked on her once dull scales shimmered into gold and black, crisscrossed with lines of red; likewise her arms blackened, dirty fingers clenching into claws. Even her body grew larger, doubling in size and mass, all the while the serpents amidst her hair became visibly more pronounced. Were they hair, now? Snakes? Some mad blend of the two? He could no longer tell. But when she raised her face...
.
..
...well, well, well." he thumbed his chin and crouch down, gazing into her vibrant violet eyes as she shivered upon the pillows. "Isn't this something? You almost look human now."
And she did. Her pale and slightly scaled face was framed by long violet hair that tapered off into hissing serpents, her fangs flashing as she gasped for air.
He opened the cage and threw a cloak over her back for decency's sake.
The moment the cloth touched her sin, she pounced at him.
'Faster than she looks!'
Somewhat startled, he willed her cage to both contract and close; well that he did too, because the Cursed Spirit practically smashed her face against it, all but bending the bars to get at him. She'd been a high Grade Two before, but after taking in one of his fingers, she'd leaped the later all the way to a powerful Grade One. Maybe even...!
"MORE!" She demanded, eyes wide, voice low and husky, no longer even slightly slurred. "I need more! Give me more of that delicious power at once!"
"Not yet." He flicked her forehead and she withdrew with a surprisingly girlish whine. "You'll get more if you behave. Who knows? You might even become stronger than Hanami...
Stepping back, he expanded her cage once more. She'd really gotten quite large. If it weren't for the cage and the barriers he'd woven, she could've pulled herself out the training pit and gone on a rampage. They couldn't have that of course, which was why he'd sequestered her down here in the first place. Still, he hadn't expected her to grow quite this large...
...clever little human." Her tail lashed at the cage and she leaned back, looming large over him. "Do you mean to tame me with fine food? I will not be so easily swayed."
'Finger food, more like.' he chortled softly to himself at the blatantly bad joke. Kurama would've been proud.
"And what is a Kurama? I don't know that word."
"I don't expect you to." he grinned at the King of Curse as much as the beast before him. "I wouldn't trust you if you rolled over that easily anyway."
Her fangs flashed in a scowl, her fine features contracting. "I shall not falter."
He wagged a finger at her and hummed. "Even if I give you another one of these?"
The Cursed Spirit whimpered in a moment of weakness. "You are a cruel, cruel human."
"Been there, done that, wasn't fun." He gave her complaints all the attention they were due, which is to say none whatsoever. "Now, I'll need to give you a name."
He'd once read of a magnificent monster capable of turning others to stone. What myth was that again? It wasn't Japanese. American? No, no, no, they had some interesting legends but nothing like that. Chinese? Maybe that was it? Not quite. He thumbed his chin and bit his lip, wracking his mind for ideas.
Aha! Greek! That was the one.
"Gorgon." he thrust a finger at her, just shy of biting range. "That'll be your name."
The Grade One Spirit blinked at him. "Strange human. Why name a curse?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "Intelligence deserves a name."
"I do not llike the name Gorgon." she crossed both arms before her bosom and looked away with a hungry huff. "If you insist upon this foolishness then at least choose something befitting my stature."
Right, right, didn't that Gorgon from the legends have sisters? He struggled for a name...and found one!
"Medusa!"
She smiled ever so softly. "...acceptable."
Naruto smiled and sat before cage. "Alright, then, Medusa. How do you feel about cursing my enemies...
(.0.0.0.)
In hindsight, he should've know his day wouldn't be that simple.
Saying so was absolutely asking for trouble.
He brought it upon himself, really.
After spending the better part of the day offering an olive branch to his would-be-ally, he put both the twins and the Fushiguro siblings to bed and retired to his study with Sukuna's Finger. While it was admittedly useful as a bargaining chip, he had no idea what to do with the darn thing. He'd tried destroying it. Nothing worked. Not even the all-consuming blaze of the Amaterasu.
Setting it down on his desk, he picked at the bandages wrapping the long digit and scowled at the item within.
"Should I just eat you and be done with it?" he wondered aloud. "Nobody could take you from me then...
The King of Curses scoffed. "You're welcome to try...if you wanna bet your life."
Right, this thing was a deadly poison to people, wasn't it?
He himself was probably no exception.
Best save that as a last resort.
...oi, Sukuna."
Was it his imagination, or did the Finger twitch just now? Was he seeing things?
He could practically hear the smirk in the bastard's voice. "What?"
"Why can I hear your voice, anyway?"
"You ask me that now? You're the one who tried oh-so-foolishly to touch my soul. Be grateful I didn't kill you outright."
He flung up his arms and glared at the ceiling with an exasperated huff. "But I didn't mean to, damnit! It was an accident"
"I don't care. You're the one that awakened me, and I don't feel like sleeping now. Deal with it."
Plucking the finger up, he glared at it. "You're not already inside me or something, are you?"
...I am not."
Phew~!
"Yet."
Damnit, he couldn't tell if this guy was joking or not!
"I shall ask a question of my own." For an instant, he could've sworn the shadows smiled in the corner of the room. "You seek power. Why? To what end?"
Naruto whirled, staff already conjured in his hand, but found no opponent to face. Only silence.
"I need power to prove myself." he swallowed once, grappling with his fear. "To protect what I hold dear; to never lose to anyone again."
...hrmm. Two out of three isn't bad, I suppose."
He'd just begun sketch out some notion of what that meant when he sensed it; a faint, lingering presence headed his way. It paused at his door, dithered, then left. He followed it with his mind for a moment then paid it no more heed as it returned from whence it came.
"Was that Megumi...?
So focused was he on this presence that he failed to notice another.
The window crashed open behind him.
Someone tumbled through.
Sukuna shouted in his ear at the same moment, the absolute rat bastard. "BOO!"
King of Curses?! King of Trolls more likely!
The result went about as such:
"Aaaargh?!"
Naruto fell out his chair!
His skull struck the unforgiving wooden floor, and as he lay there in a daze, he heard someone speak:
"Are you alright...?"
"You too, Tsumiki?" he knew that voice, sure enough, he saw her and groaned into the ground before turning his head. "For crying out loud...why come in through the window now? Its the middle of the night..."
"Because!" Her teary eyes were earnest as she slapped a hand against her chest. "I want you to train me!"
...ha?"
"I'm asking you to train me!" She thrust her head low, bowing before him as she never had to another. "I have to protect Megumi! I'm his big sister!"
He sat up with a sigh. Her emotions were a boiling cauldron of discontent to him. "That's not the only reason, is it?"
She studied her shoes for a long moment. A lone tear rolled down her face and struck the ground.
Followed by another.
And another.
Another.
...when you fought that woman," she hiccuped; it was a small, pained sound that made him think of a kicked kitten. "Megumi and I couldn't do anything." her hands wrung together painfully, he could see a bead of blood where her fingers bit into her palm. "I never want to feel that weak ever again! I want her to pay!"
Oh.
Ohh.
Ohhh that might be bad.
He'd seen people go down this path before; it rarely ended well. Getting strong for the sake of someone else was all well and good-better than craving strength for vengeance-but it could also prove a flimsy goal. You needed to have something else, something more to stand on. He wasn't sure if she had that something.
Megumi would become strong in time. Of that, he had no doubt. Did his sister have that potential? He didn't know.
And it worried him.
He tried to dissuade her. "Your way behind Maki and Mai. You'll have to work twice as hard to catch up. You won't even be able to safely spar with us for at least a year.
Her head bowed lower still. "I'll do whatever it takes!"
"See, that's what worries me...
(...Six Months Later...)
It took Toji the better part of six months to finally find his prey.
Half a year. Funny how times flies.
Almost made him feel old.
By the time he tracked down his quarry in their little mountain hideaway, he was in no mood for games.
They put up one helluva fight, but the outcome was never in questions.
He won of course.
Real sick bastard too, liked cutting kids open for kicks. Nasty cursed technique, too, controlling people with their own blood. If Megumi and Tsumiki had been exposed to that...
.
..
...no. Don't think about it. They were safe, and that twisted curse user wouldn't hurt anyone else. He'd made a tidy sum with that bastards head, then won twice that with a bit of gambling on the side. Thins were looking up and it was very much a good day...until it wasn't.
It was a whim, you see.
He dropped in on his old place by chance, content to sneak a peek at his kids through the window.
Instead he found himself staring at an empty lot, devoid of life.
Someone had jammed a sign into it. He read it now:
"Took the kids, sorry. Long story!"
Warm Regards,
~Naoya.
His right eye twitched.
"That damn braaaaaaaat!"
Toji never ran so fast in his life.
(.0.0.0.)
They were getting better.
Naruto couldn't help but feel proud of that; proud that Maki and Mai had come so far, proud that they'd gotten so fast, proud that they'd become so-
"Clever!"
A laugh tore out of him as Shukaku's sand sucked at his feet, briefly limiting his mobility as Maki struck at him with Playful Cloud. He knew better than to touch that weapon; even a single block would send him flying. He swayed to the side instead, ducked under her retaliatory swipe and hammered a punch into her gut. The feisty girl spat blood, but took the chance to latch onto his arm. In the same instant Mai vaulted her sister and flew headlong at him, her body wreathed in Matabai's blue flames.
Such admirable teamwork!
He bent backwards to avoid her lunge, leaving his back nearly parallel with the ground as he planted a foot to steady himself. From there he swept the other, shattering Shukakua's sand and sending both girls and their little demosn sprawling to the dirt. Still smiling, he ripped a small scroll from his back and flung it at them, creating portal in midair.
The twins tensed.
Oh right, he'd never shown this to them before.
She still wasn't special grade yet, but she was getting close. Very close.
"Medusa!"
She didn't fully appear; that would've flattened the girls and outright; instead she thrust her towering visage through the pseudo-portal he'd created and glared at the girls. The effect was immediate. Mai took the brunt of it and crashed to the ground, one of her legs gone stiff as stone. Maki threw herself aside and flung up Playful Cloud as shield. One arm still turned to stone, but she kept coming.
His grin grew. Neither had ever seen him use her before, yet they knew to dodge! So damn proud of them right now!
Maki's fist thundered in at his face when he wasn't looking. Clenched knuckles seared toward his nose...!
His eyes shimmered into painful purple and her fist stopped half an inch from his face.
The fact that she'd made him use this just to avoid getting hit spoke well of her.
Maki balked, alarmed to find herself suspended in the air. "Wha?!"
"I've taught you everything you know, but not everything I know." he winked her way. "Now then! Shinra Tensei!"
A single blast sent her flying toward the still downed Maki; he bid Medusa to return and allowed their petrification to expire. Much to his delight, they climbed to their feet quickly.
Recreating the Rinnegan always took a toll on him, it didn't last long, and he could still only pull or push things at a vastly degraded pace. Frankly he wasn't sure he'd ever graduate beyond that for awhile. Maybe that was for the best. No one deserved that kind of unlimited power.
"Alright." he beckoned their way. "No more tricks. Come at me.
They blitzed him.
He swept his hands out on either side of him, caught each of their fists, reeled them like fish on a hook until -
CLONK!
Their skulls collided with a thunderous crash.
Maki and Mai ate dirt spectacularly.
"And we'll call it a day there~!"
Maki flopped onto her back, eyes spinning in her head as he dusted off his hands. "How are you so strong?!"
Honesty was the best policy. "Situps, pushups, and plenty of juice~!"
Mai groaned into the ground. "That's bullshit!"
"Language!"
"Oh, boo!" Mai stabbed a finger at him. "And you used a cursed spirit, too!"
He was ready for that. "The two of you used Matatabi and Shukaku. All's fair in love and war."
The little biju in question made annoyed noises, but didn't protest overmuch. They were still small, after all. They'd likely need a nap after expending this much energy.
He'd meant to encourage them. Instead, the twins slumped in unison. "We're still not stronger than you...
"But you're stronger than you were." he knelt to tousle their dirty hair, drawing pleased looks from them. "That's a cause for celebration, eh?
"Indeed it is!"
All three of them jumped.
Naruto swore under his breath. He knew that voice!
Sure enough, he found Gojo standing there, leaning against a nearby wall. really, he'd never get used to that. The man didn't move, he bloody teleported in and out whenever he liked! He couldn't anticipate his arrival until he was practically on top of him. Which he was now, the sonuva-
"Hello my dear kouhai~!" he sing-songed as he skipped their way, "Mak, Mai, why don't you girlies get us some tea?"
Naruto knew that smile. "Gojo, don't you DARE!"
Mai scoffed, clutching a sleepy Matatabi to her chest. "As if."
Maki snorted, holding an already dozing Shukaku close. "Not a chance in-
Gojo Satoru took all their protests and bulldozed right over them. "First one back gets a kiss from Naoya!"
Everyone absolutely froze.
A spark passed between Maki and Mai. He didn't miss the way they perked up, either.
"C'mon," Satoru ribbed him, "Its just a bit of fun. See how eager they are now? Just look at them!
He wasn't wrong. All that fatigue from earlier? It was nowhere to be seen now. Well, if a friendly peck on the cheek was enough to motivate them...
"Sure." he mumbled into a hand. "That's fine. I'd like some tea."
Gojo ran with it. "There you have it girls! Readysetgo~!
Maki and Mai took off like a shot.
.
..
...you're a rat bastard, you know that?"
"Maybe~!" Gojo giggled merrily at his glare. "My work here is done.
Naurot sighed. "You're going to be the death of me at this rate. So? Why did you come here?
"Weeeeell," his senpai brought his hands together in a resounding clap, "I heard you just-so-happened to adopt a rather interesting boy and his sister...
He absolutely twitched. "And who was it that told you this?"
Gojo grinned impishly at him. "A little bird told me!
"Mei Mei and her damn crows! Where is she?!"
"She'll be by in an hour~!" Some of his anger must've shown through, because Satoru's smirk faded, just a little. "C'mon, you didn't think you could hide the kiddos from the higher ups forever, did you?"
No, but he'd wanted the kids to enjoy the peace and quiet a little longer than this!
Blasted nosy sorcerers...
"You're not here to torment them, are you?" he planted one hand on his hip. "They've only just gotten comfortable here and the holidays are coming up. I had to jump through all sorts of hoops just to calm them down, so you better not have come to make trouble-
"Perish the thought!"
A blond brow arched high.
"Well, I am a little curious about them...
The other eyebrow joined it a heartbeat later.
"Alright, alright!" Gojo flailed his hands. "You got me! Its not like you to swoop in and take two random kids under you wing. I wanna see what they're all about.
He really thought about telling him to shove off, but he knew Satoru wasn't the sort to take no for an answer; besides, he didn't have a concrete means of holding him in place; not for very long.
.
..
...what was the worst that could happen?
"Fine! But be nice!"
"Sure thing~!"
(.0.0.0.)
"Hello there! You must be Megumi! I've heard great things about you!"
And so it was that Fushiguro Megumi met Gojo Satoru.
He would soon wish he hadn't.
A/N: Aaaaaand cut!
We'll call it there for today, I think.
That said, would you like weekly updates? Do you want this to remain a story?
Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard! Really need to hear from you, here. Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself isn't popular? Well...I'll not continue it. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? Hope you enjoy the previews.
We've got some new ones and some are...intense.
They've been expanded and then some!
I cut down on them to not spoil things.
Read at your own risk:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING~!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
EDIT: Most everyone ought to recognize ought to recognize this first one.
"Not bad." he adjusted his sunglasses with a tan hand. "You're quite strong; you should be proud. Its unfortunate that you have to die now, but I will honor your with 50% of my power as a parting gift."
"Oh shi-
A fist scythed down.
All the world went red.
Blood spattered the alley wall.
The very next day, he received an invitation from the Kamo clan.
Toji came barreling in like a hurricane.
He hissed out a breath. "I told you to watch them."
"I did." Naoya continued eating, utterly at his ease, the little shit.
"How is dragging them into the Zeni'n clan without telling me your idea of watching them?!"
"You were away for six months and made me swear a binding vow to look after them while you were gone." Naoya didn't look away from his ramen. "This way, they're looked after."
He flipped the table in his face, only for the brat to snatch the bowl out of the air and bring it into his lap. "Tsumiki doesn't even have a cursed technique!"
"She does." here at last, his nephew looked at him. "She doesn't realize it herself, but its very impressive. Downright scary, even.
"I don't care about that!"
"If you don't care, then why do you look like you wanna tear my head off?
"Oi." someone drawled behind them. "Shitty old man."
Toji tensed furiously.
Aw, shit...
"Oi, Hyuuga!" a voice tugged them from their thoughts. "Got another job for you!"
A slim, shadowy silhouette detached itself from the wall.
"Bounty on the kid's gone up. You want in?"
Pale eyes looked down. Widened, now.
"Naruto?"
"Ha? The kid's name is Naoya."
EDIT: That Hyuuga isn't who you think it is~! As if I would be so predictable~!
"I have just one question for you. What kind of woman is your type?"
Naruto blinked. He blinked hard.
"Ha?"
"You will come with us."
Mai ripped her revolver from her belt and began loading the chamber with bullets.
"Did you not hear me, child?!"
"Hush." she held up a finger. "Almost done."
Her task complete, she closed the chamber and pointed her pistol their way.
"One of these six bullets is special." she smiled, mimicking a shit-eating grin she'd once seen Naoya use. "You feeling lucky punk?"
She mentally pumped a fist.
Yes! She finally got to use that line!
No way was she wasting his gift on a scrub of a kidnapper.
"Listen. That technique of yours is powerful, sure, but its also risky. And I told you to call me Gojo-senpai~!"
"I categorically refuse! Does it matter anyway? You have your Limitless, I have my Creation of All Things. We were born with these abilities."
"Maybe, but think of it like this. Dying to win and risking death to win are two completely different things. With a strong foundation, and a little bit of sense, imagination, even a pinch of regret, it just takes the slightest trigger to change a person...after all, this isn't your first life, is it, Naoya?
Wait, you know? How did you figure it out? I thought I did a good job hiding it from Maki and Mai.
You did for the most part, but its the eyes. People say eyes are the window to the soul.
Now, that we've determined that. Are you going to tell me you really are?"
Alright, fine. You win. My name, my real name is...
"Oi, now." his eyes began to glow. "That's my friend. GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF HER."
"Listen to yourselves! Have you all bothered to think about what kind of person you're trying to curse?!
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! Looking forward to your feedback~!
Hope you have a great day,
~Nz.