A/N at the end
CHAPTER 6
{POV: Suzue Kujou}
«Can I see him?» she asked in a calm, flat voice.
She sat composed, kneeling with her back perfectly straight on a small cushion, her gaze fixed ahead and her hands clasped.
Her heart felt heavy, though she showed no sign of it.
«Noble Kaede, you know that's not possible. Don't worry. The child is fine.»
The attendants, sitting at a distance, watched her with a mix of compassion, but none of them met her gaze directly.
«Tora?» she asked again, this time with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. The attendants exchanged worried looks. Her composure wavered, and for a brief moment, the sadness in her eyes was visible.
«He said he will visit you in due time.»
She didn't move, her face impassive. She clenched her fists slightly, gripping the fabric of her dress. The smooth silk felt cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions brewing inside her. It was a mixture of longing and fear, hope and despair. A sense of helplessness washed over her, and she fought to keep her composure.
Then she began to feel it: an emotion she still couldn't name.
«I understand.»
Suzue opened her eyes, disoriented and confused; her vision was blurry, and her ears were ringing, but she tried to grasp the situation. A moment ago, she had been talking to Yuji, and then… what had happened? She vaguely remembered Sukuna saying something unpleasant to her.
She focused and met Satoru's gaze, at a safe distance in front of her: his blue eyes were clouded with concern. Behind him, she could see Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji; it almost looked like they were taking cover behind Satoru.
She began to smell the burning that permeated the air, and looking around, her brain connected the dots. Around her, in at least a four or five-meter radius, there was nothing but scorched, smoking earth, with traces of flames—her flames—still flickering out.
Suzue pressed her hands against her temples, willing herself to calm down
It was as if she had suddenly and involuntarily unleashed some of her cursed technique. It seemed almost as if… she had lost control. If that were the case, she had just come dangerously close to seriously harming the students.
Her gaze quickly scanned the smoking ground, then the confused students, then Satoru, and finally back to her feet, where she could see the hem of her pants slightly singed. As her eyes darted around, she felt the panic rising within her: her breathing grew labored, and she felt her clarity slipping away.
Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't bear to meet Satoru's gaze any longer, not after the danger she had put the students in. She couldn't stay there.
The events of the past few minutes replayed in her mind, each detail more horrifying than the last. How could she have lost control like that? She prided herself on her mastery of her cursed technique, yet in front of the students, she had nearly caused a disaster.
«I… I need a moment.» She said, her voice breaking. She turned quickly and walked briskly away from the group and the training ground, searching for a safe place to calm down and clear her mind.
{POV: Satoru Gojo}
Satoru had sensed that the day would be complicated the moment Suzue appeared at his door at six in the morning, evidently troubled by thoughts that had kept her up all night. The way she had pleaded with that determined and innocent air, striking just the right chords to make him give in… it did not bode well.
The exercise for the three students, however, proceeded so smoothly that it almost made him reconsider, and he had almost relaxed, leaning against a wall and observing things from a distance.
Suzue seemed to have taken a particular liking to Yuji, the student who among the three first-years caused the most headaches, and he could count on her to support him in the exercise.
The incident had started quite normally. Sukuna had appeared on Yuji's face as a small, malevolent, taunting mouth; nothing that hadn't happened before. Satoru himself had taken enough insults this way but always let them slide off.
What had been unusual was Suzue's reaction.
Everything had happened very quickly; first, she had turned pale, then her cursed energy had exploded, and then… in a matter of moments, she had set the ground around her ablaze. And what flames. Those flames reached absurdly high temperatures and promised to consume the cursed energy not just of Suzue but of everything they touched.
Fortunately for everyone, he was Satoru Gojo and had managed to react in no time, literally pushing Yuji behind him and stepping in to block the blast before it all ended in tragedy. The blast had evidently not been intentional or at full power, and Satoru had managed to handle it with relative ease.
Even Nobara and Megumi had gathered behind him, partly to check if Yuji was okay, partly curious about what was happening; overall, except for the scorched ground beneath Suzue's feet, everyone was fine.
Now, there was only one problem left to address.
Satoru carefully scrutinized the center of the flames, clearly distinguishing Suzue with his Six Eyes, still immobile at the heart of the chaos she had created.
For just a moment, doubt crossed his mind: had he misjudged her? Had he just witnessed a deliberate attempt to eliminate Yuji?
"No, impossible. I'm sure I haven't misjudged her."
The flames had died down, and the smoke was clearing. Finally seeing Suzue's face, he confirmed that all the chaos had definitely not been intentional. She was pale and had an expression… of terror.
«Suzue?» he called out to her in a calm voice, trying not to scare her further.
She didn't respond. She looked around like a frightened animal, until suddenly she seemed to realize what she had done and looked devastated. She began to tremble.
Satoru couldn't help but feel a certain tenderness seeing her so disoriented and upset.
«I… I need a moment.»
And as quickly as she had caused the chaos, she turned and left. Satoru thought back to their first meeting at the Zenin clan estate and how she had disappeared at the end of the meeting.
"Well, she certainly is a master at fleeing awkward situations."
But this time, he couldn't just let it slide. He had ignored many contradictions about her and wasn't at all regretful, as she had proven herself trustworthy; but this time, the situation was more serious and needed to be addressed.
Losing control of one's cursed technique like that wasn't unusual if you were a child who had just discovered it. But for a seasoned sorcerer like her, it was a different story.
«Alright, everyone, self-study!» he called out to the first-years, smiling reassuringly and not giving them time to object, then set off in pursuit.
He paused, thinking: a column of smoke was rising from the training ground. It wouldn't be long before someone problematic noticed. Someone like Principal Yaga.
«If anyone asks, just say it was me!»
He quickly resumed walking, leaving Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji visibly confused. In a normal school, a teacher abandoning students like that would probably be fired instantly, but fortunately for him, Yaga couldn't do without him.
He had crossed the entire field and turned the corner to enter the main building. As he had predicted, she was really good at running and hiding; but he had the Six Eyes and, unfortunately for her, had clearly sensed where she was.
Satoru entered the cafeteria. The place was deserted and not in use, as always. At the moment, only the three first-year students were present at the school, but even if the others had been there, a cafeteria in a school like that would have been of little use.
He immediately spotted Suzue sitting, or rather huddled, on a bench. She had drawn her knees to her chest and rested her face on them.
"That bad, huh?"
Satoru sighed. He had come to understand one thing about her: she needed silence, peace, and time to process.
If he wanted to have a healthy and functional conversation with her, he first had to wait and respect her timing.
He sat down next to her, gently; obviously, she had heard him and knew he was there, so he trusted that when she was ready, she would let him know.
The silence between them was thick.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye, seeing how she was struggling to regain her composure. Her breathing was ragged, and she seemed to be fighting back tears. He wanted to reach out, to offer some form of comfort, but he knew that any sudden movement might only make things worse.
Instead, he settled for a soft, reassuring presence, letting her know that he was there for her, without pressuring her to speak. Minutes passed in silence, the only sound the faint hum of the cafeteria's old refrigerator and the distant chatter of birds outside.
The cafeteria door suddenly creaked open, and Shoko peeked in, with the expression of someone who suddenly realized they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Great, another problem to deal with."
Satoru immediately gestured for her to leave, sending a clear message:
"Disappear."
The door quickly closed again, but the damage was done. Judging by the look on the doctor's face, this would surely become an annoying topic of conversation with his dear friend.
He returned his focus to Suzue.
Now, seeing her like this—collapsed and vulnerable—was a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor. He felt a hint of frustration: he, Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer, unable to do anything concrete for her at that moment.
He was used to seeing her as a facade of calm and composure, behind which she hid great inner strength, yet there, in that moment, she seemed like a confused girl on the verge of breaking down. It was unsettling, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial.
"Who knows what the King of Curses said to her to make her fall apart like this?"
«Is anyone hurt?»
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Satoru, Suzue was ready to speak, though her face remained buried in her knees, and her voice was anything but steady.
«If we don't consider the fact that nothing will grow in that field for the next 100 years, then you can relax.»
He gave a half-sarcastic smile, but Suzue raised her face and looked at him with a frown. Her face was still pale, and her eyes were swollen with tears… Seeing her crumble like that had affected him more than he wanted to admit, but there was something in her and the way she looked at him that disarmed him.
Resigned, he dropped his cocky attitude for a moment, feeling that despite his efforts, every emotional barrier he had put up had crumbled. He made room for the seriousness the conversation required.
«Okay, sorry. I think the kids will have some questions for you.» he said finally, meeting Suzue's gaze.
«Don't you have any questions for me?» she asked in a barely audible voice, maintaining eye contact.
Those red eyes, in which the resilience Satoru knew well was rekindling… for the first time, he almost, almost, felt uncomfortable holding her gaze.
He took a deep breath and replied, «Of course I do, but let's start with what's bothering you.»
Then, Suzue began to speak again.
Suzue seemed to reflect for a moment. «I'm not an assistant… and I'm not even really a fourth-grade sorcerer,» she admitted, her voice firm
«I know. And you know that I know. Is that what this is about?» he asked, trying to keep the conversation steady.
Suzue seemed to reflect carefully; they both knew that there was no longer anything particularly secret about that matter, but it was the first time they were discussing it so openly. She sighed, clearly frustrated.
«No, you're right. It's Sukuna's fault. Every time I come into contact with his cursed energy, he… I think he deliberately torments me with visions. Visions of the Kujou clan's past, at least I think. I know it sounds crazy, but just now he deliberately provoked me and triggered a vision and… I lost control. I didn't even realize it, one moment I was talking to Yuji, and the next… I had caused that mess and put the students in danger. And now I'm afraid I've ruined everything.»
Satoru looked at her, almost incredulous, as she sighed, visibly frustrated. Since he had known her, he had never heard her say so many words in such a short time.
He tried to process what she had said. Visions?
Certainly not new in the world of sorcerers, although he had never had direct testimony of them. But from the way she was talking about it, these seemed really intense and persistent; that didn't sound like a good sign.
The fact that, according to Suzue, it was Sukuna himself causing them didn't bode well. The King of Curses was peculiar, to say the least, but Satoru couldn't see a reason for him to torment her specifically.
«Sukuna seems to know something about my clan. Just now, he provoked me by calling me Kaede and that's the name of the same woman I always see in these visions and… I don't know, from what little I've seen, her story doesn't seem like a happy one.» she concluded, taking her head in her hands.
Satoru carefully considered his next words, trying not to show too much concern. He needed to help her stay calm.
«Suzue, you're taking too much blame. The King of Curses likes to provoke, that's all. I wouldn't be surprised if centuries ago he had clashes with the Kujou clan, among others, and doesn't have fond memories of it. Maybe he holds a particular grudge against this Kaede. Is that why you wanted to see the historical archive this morning? To look for information about Kaede?»
It was a half-truth, but he didn't want to alarm her further.
Sukuna had certainly been an unpleasant acquaintance for all the clans of the time, major and minor, but the choice to specifically target her with visions… didn't add up.
It wasn't Sukuna's style, at least not as he had imagined it. There was something more to it, but he would have to investigate before drawing conclusions.
Seeing that she didn't respond but instead continued to stare into the void, tormented, he pressed on, trying to reassure her.
«Suzue, you haven't ruined anything. Look at me,» he insisted, waiting until she met his gaze. «You haven't ruined anything. Yuji is fine, the kids are fine. We've had worse training sessions.»
She didn't seem too convinced by his words but nodded weakly; Satoru noticed that she was already much better compared to when he had found her, but she still had a lot of tension on her shoulders and a troubled expression.
«If Sukuna's messing with you, we'll figure it out together. But you can't keep everything bottled up. I mean, look at me. I annoy people for a living, and it works out pretty well.»
That drew a tiny, reluctant smile from her. Progress.
Satoru mentally scolded himself. "I hate to admit it, but Shoko is right. I'm getting too involved."
He sighed and instinctively placed a hand on her head, patting her.
«You know what I think? If you had told me earlier, I could have helped you avoid this kind of explosion. I'll see if I can find some information on this Kaede. Okay?»
To Satoru's relief and amusement, her shoulders visibly relaxed, in contrast to her face, which turned an absurd shade of red. The atmosphere had definitely lightened.
«I'm not a dog» she replied weakly, but didn't pull away.
«No, indeed. I was thinking more of a kitten!»
{POV: Suzue Kujou}
Suzue returned to the training ground with Satoru, her steps feeling lighter despite the recent chaos. The students, left to their own devices, were predictably slacking off.
The scorched patch of ground where her outburst had occurred was still clearly visible but had thankfully stopped smoking.
How long had they been gone? An hour, maybe two?
Satoru had resumed his confident and cocky demeanor, walking in front of her.
Talking with Satoru had done her... good.
Suzue had feared she had ruined everything with that incident, but he had been understanding and, at times, caring.
She had felt vulnerable and exposed, and though it had been frightening, there was something strangely comforting in knowing that Satoru hadn't judged her.
She blushed slightly, feeling the warmth rise to her cheeks.
Suzue felt like she had lifted an incredible weight off her shoulders: he had shown her that she could rely on his help.
For someone who had always been used to relying only on herself, it was a huge change. In such a dangerous and deceitful world, finding someone you could truly trust was rare. Satoru had proven to be that person, despite his sometimes irritating demeanor and his way of enjoying putting her on the spot.
As they neared the students, she stopped, feeling the need to say one last thing. «Thank you… for listening to me and for not doubting me these past weeks. I'm sorry for putting the students in danger,» the words came naturally, her voice tinged with sincerity.
He stopped, turning slightly with a sardonic smile.
«Yeah, I know» he paused, meeting her eyes with a veiled seriousness, then put his characteristic blindfold back on. «Next time something's bothering you, talk about it right away.»
She nodded, noticing Yuji approaching with some urgency behind Satoru.
She would have to postpone the matter related to the Zenin clan mission and the binding vow, as she certainly couldn't discuss it openly in front of the fifteen-year-old boy she was technically supposed to eliminate.
«Kujou-san, I'm sorry! That guy is extremely annoying, and I can't always stop him from talking out of turn!» Yuji was extremely agitated and had a remorseful expression on his face. Suzue smiled gently, feeling a bit guilty.
«Yuji, it's not your fault. I'm the one who should apologize, I must have scared you all.»
Megumi and Nobara had approached, and Satoru took the opportunity to put a definitive end to the matter.
«Make sure not to piss off Suzue, or next time she might burn down the entire school!»
Finally feeling lighter, Suzue also allowed herself a weak laugh, watching the group of students walk away to resume the exercise. Satoru had noticed that they had been slacking off in their absence, and he had pointed it out in not-so-gentle terms.
As the students got back to their training, Suzue was about to follow them when she felt the phone in her pocket vibrate.
She quickly pulled it out. Receiving a call or a message on that phone was never a good sign. And she got confirmation when she read the message just received from Naoya
Suzue froze.
Her heart pounded in her chest, the cold reality of her situation crashing down on her. The binding vow, the mission, the pressure from the Zenin clan—it all resurfaced with a vengeance.
"Starting tomorrow, Satoru Gojo will be assigned to a mission that will keep him away for a few days. Don't waste this opportunity we've created for you."
A/N
Facts:
It's not that Satoru doesn't believe or trust Suzue, but should he really be that surprised? Certainly, Suzue is in the midst of a panic attack, and his goal is to calm her down and stabilize her, but… He fights curses, cursed spirits, and has literally seen the worst things in his life. "Visions? Okay, well, if you want, I can look into it, but just relax," essentially.
I love the dynamic that's developed between Satoru and Suzue, where he's like, "You're clearly here on someone's orders, but you care about the students, and that's all that matters to me." I don't know, I find it a beautiful display of trust.
On the other hand, Suzue knows that he knows, and she's silently grateful to him for not exposing her and letting her stay in peace.
My disdain for the Zenin clan is pretty visceral if that wasn't clear, so even though it's not specified in the series, it feels natural to me to think that they orchestrated things with the higher-ups to get Satoru out of the way. Sorry, but I'm not sorry!
And with this bit of information… I'll leave you! ❤️