Chapter 11

Rook didn't know what was going on, but all he knows it must be serious for Oji to carry him out like luggage… again.

He has gotten use to this sort of sight, after all, Oji doesn't have a gentle way of requesting someone for a conversation. If he doesn't want others to know about it, he bluntly grabs who he wanted to talk to and carries them off like this. Still, it's the second time he has done this to Rook.

When they came to a stop, Rook was placed on his feet once more. He stared at Oji who said. "We need to push you to a limit that you have yet to experience." He said bluntly.

"Huh…" Rook muttered. "What do you mean?"

"You still black out when you get in a fight, that in itself is dangerous for it happened to me." He explained. Oji told him when he was younger, he fell into a bloodlust that didn't stop until he passed out or someone knocked him out. As such, he felt this was happening to Rook now. "If you don't control it, you won't know friend from foe. At the same time, if you fall too deeply into madness, you won't ever escape from it. So, today, we're going to find a large amount of prey. I don't care about the meat of it. I want to see you go all out, and I want to see if you can stop yourself."

He paused oddly to this. "You're… worried about me?" Rook asked gently.

Oji said nothing. "We're wasting day light." He said bluntly. "Lady Tiamat has given me three locations to hunt from, these areas are rather… dangerous as she said and they could become disasters. So, you and I are going to take them out before that happens."

Rook could only nod his head in agreement.

#

'Why am I so drawn to this? There is nothing for me to gain from this experience and yet…' Sukuna was trying to figure himself out as of late. Ever since Rook took his words seriously, he has taken the boy seriously. Despite the many times he hasn't held back, bluntly beating Rook in a sparring match without hesitation or consideration for the boy's feelings. But he kept coming back, kept asking for more and more lessons to grow stronger.

In truth, he has been trying to put this boy off in seeking his guidance to become stronger. Like he thought before, he has no jujutsu, there is nothing benefitting Sukuna at this point. But that look Rook gives him, that smile when things get harder to do or even more challenging to his strength.

He didn't refuse.

He didn't cry or complain to his mother.

He endured it all.

Yet as he spent more time with Rook, the more he began to notice the changing happening to him. Suguru only mentioned it recently is due to all the liver he has ingested, as well, the livers being from more divine beings, something is happening to this boy.

He was going to step back and let Six Eyes take care of it, until Chusi mentioned offhandedly one day. "He's a lot like you isn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

She smiled and explained that when Sukuna was younger, he was like Rook. When he got rid of his arrogant ways, Sukuna sought others out to learn from, to grow stronger. But as Rook blacks out when he gets in a fight or flight situation, Sukuna had the same issue, but with bloodlust. "If he can't control himself in such a state, he needs to learn how. Or… accidents will happen… or worst…" she warned.

Or worst? He didn't consider it until… he began to understand. Rook is human sorcerer, but with no jujutsu, that bit of insanity they have to maintain their power, is not there for him to call on. All sorcerers are a little crazy, that's a given, but heavenly restrictions…

He then realized if something isn't done… Rook could make a fatal mistake, just like Sukuna did in desperate times. So, he has taken it upon himself to try and fix the situation.

Thus, where they are now.

Sukuna was keeping watch as Rook was thrown into the fire as it were. There was a group of boars Lady Tiamat became aware of, they had just cleared out all the other divine within the territory and were heading towards the human cities and villages. Thus, she told Sukuna of the situation and to 'make use' of them.

When the found the boars, they were pent up in a valley, but already getting agitated, there was nothing left to eat, and the just finished devouring the weaker aspects of their drove.

"Take them out huh?" Rook asked.

"Indeed, however, I want you to only use one sword." Sukuna ordered.

The boy paused. "You're not helping?"

"It's a test, you need to control your bloodlust, and when you get into the heat of battle, you don't control yourself. So, we are going to fix that or you will do something foolish and unforgivable."

The boy paused oddly to this before staring at him oddly. "You really think that would happen to me?" he asked.

"It happened to me,"

Rook, was silent as he stared into his face. "Oji… can you take your mask off please?"

He nodded and removed his mask, the fresh air on his face was rather refreshing, but it was ruined by the stench of the boars near by.

"Being powerful is one thing, being powerful but unable to control it is another. That is when you become a calamity to the world. I can't have you fall the same way I did. So, I am taking responsibility. I got you to this point, I helped you get to this point. As such, I need to ensure you can handle this or you will make the same mistake I did when I didn't think it through!"

He was taken aback, but then a nod came from him of understanding. "You don't want me to fall like you did"

"Yes," he said bluntly. "So, this is what we are going to do, you are going in there, and you are going to destroy these boars, we're not concerned about the meat since we got another two places to strike and the meat is tough." He said. "So, I will watch you from here and the moment I see you fall into your bloodlust, I will step in."

He appeared confused but nodded. So, Rook took one of the small bags given to him off his shoulder, and took out a sword forged from his mother's scales. "Okay, I'm going in."

"Not blind… pace yourself, don't just storm in, you don't have that power yet."

The boy nodded. Despite him being a Gojo, he listens and takes in the words of others like a Tooru.

As such, it brings us back to this moment.

Sukuna peered in and watched Rook go to town, he slaughtered the boars rather effortlessly. In fact, he cleared them out without falling into the bloodlust state of mind.

Curious.

Sukuna descended into the valley and saw the carnage. The boars have mainly been beheaded and dismembered, but the main bodies were still in tact, enough to make a meal out of them.

"How was that?" Rook asked as he caught his breath.

Sukuna nodded his approval. "You didn't fall into the bloodlust?"

The boy looked around and shook his head. "No, I can remember each kill here…" he said. "Oji, could I be the more I get stronger, the stronger my head gets? I mean, the more I am aware of my power, the more clear I can think?" he asked.

"It's possible, but at the same time we cannot rely on unknown factors. Besides, this is but one place, we got others to strike next… How is your sword?"

Rook smiled, the blood came right off as if it repelled it, the blade remains sharp and at the ready. "Mom's scales are something amazing…"

"Indeed, they are. Let's salvage what we can here…"

Taking the other bag Lady Tiamat gave them, they stuffed the remains of the boars into it, it never weighed any more than it did before nor did it get any bigger. "Your male role models have good scales too, for once, your father is useful…"

Rook forced a smile. "Yeah, okay, where to next?"