Chapter Twenty One: Promises

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The man munched another potato chip. This was really good. There was a car race on the TV and he was betting on number 56. The driver was—

"Are you listening to me, you son of—" A high-pitched voice cut through his concentration.

"Now, brat," he addressed the 'teenager,' who was tied to the bed with iron shackles. "That's no way to talk to your papa."

"Fuck you! I ate my father!" the girl retorted, her eyes blazing with fury.

The man sighed, exasperation evident in his tone. He didn't have time for this shit.

"Release me, or I shall—"

"What? Call your bug buddies?" He rubbed his temple, trying to stay calm. "You know, it actually took me half an hour to clean the room of those pests."

"You insolent piece of shit! You killed my bugs—"

"Yeah, it was nasty. It's a shame pest control is off duty for this whole Culling Game stuff," the man said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Release me, fool! For I am Ryomen Sukuna's bride-to-be!" She yelled triumphantly, thinking that should intimidate him.

"Who?" He raised an eyebrow. "You are not getting married to anyone without my approval, brat. Especially not to some delinquent!"

"Are you a fool?! Do you even know who he is? He is the King of Cur—"

"Family is important above all," He muttered, almost hypnotically. "One should always look after them. Now, let me watch the game. Don't disturb me unless you need to pee, poop, or eat."

"You—" she started, but the man cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Listen, I don't have time for your theatrics. I've got a lot riding on this race. So unless you have something useful to say, zip it." He turned back to the TV, munching another chip.

She glared at him, her frustration palpable. "You'll regret this," she hissed. "When Sukuna comes for me, he—"

He held up a finger, silencing her. "Sukuna, Shmukuna. I don't care who he is. In this house, I make the rules. Got it?"

The girl seethed, pulling futilely against the iron shackles. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. But for now, you're not going anywhere." He glanced at her, his eyes briefly softening. "Look, kid, it's nothing personal. Just business. And right now, my business is watching this race. So sit tight."

She fumed silently, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge. But for now, all she could do was wait and bide her time.

As the race on TV intensified, Toji leaned forward, eyes glued to the screen. "Come on, number 56… don't let me down," he muttered under his breath, momentarily forgetting about the furious girl shackled behind him.

oOo

In the quiet meeting room, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. The room itself was modestly decorated, with simple wooden chairs and a long table at its center. Soft sunlight filtered in through large windows, casting a warm glow on the polished floor.

Yuji sat with his elbows resting on the table, his fingers drumming a quiet rhythm. His eyes, usually bright with energy, now held a pensive look. "Nobara's with her family in the village," he said, breaking the silence. "She's healing, but she's restless. She hates being away from the action."

Hakari leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His expression was one of mild irritation. "The Culling Games are messing up my gambling fight business," he complained. "No one wants to place bets when they're too busy trying to survive."

"I wonder who this Hana is," Kirara mused, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Probably someone important if she's here to help with freeing Gojo," Maki replied.

Yuta, sitting across from Maki, glanced at her and then looked down at his hands. "Uh… Maki-san, m-maybe once this is all over, you and uh… I can go out sometime," he suggested, his voice hopeful.

Maki raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, her attention elsewhere.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. He could see what was going on in her mind. The Jōgan could sense emotions after all. She was angry… with the Zennin and wanted to annihilate them.

At that moment, a man entered the room, bowing deeply to Naruto. "Tenodakume-sama, a girl has come to meet you. Her name is Hana."

Naruto, who had been sitting quietly in his seat, raised his head. His amethyst eyes glinted with curiosity as he nodded. "Bring her into the compound," he instructed, his voice calm but commanding.

The man bowed again and exited. The group exchanged curious glances as they waited.

As they gathered in the compound, the air was filled with anticipation. The compound itself was spacious, with well-tended gardens and traditional wooden buildings. The group stood together, their eyes fixed on the entrance.

Soon, they saw the girl being led towards them. She had an ethereal presence, her long, flowing hair shimmering in the sunlight. She wore a simple dress that seemed to glow softly, and a serene smile graced her lips. Her calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the tension in the air.

Hakari stepped forward to make the introductions. "Everyone, this is Hana," he said, his voice carrying a note of respect. "I met her in Kyoto. She's cooperating and has a unique cursed technique that might help us free Gojo-sensei."

Hana nodded politely, her gaze sweeping over the assembled group. "It's nice to meet you all," she said softly, her voice carrying an almost musical quality.

Yuji, ever curious, couldn't contain himself. He pointed at the halo and wings that seemed to shimmer around her. "What's with the halo and wings?"

Before Hana could respond, a mouth appeared on her cheek, startling everyone. They tensed, ready for a fight.

"Relax," Hana said quickly, holding up her hands in a calming gesture. "This is Angel. She's friendly."

The mouth spoke, its voice soothing and melodic. "I am Angel. Hana and I share a symbiotic relationship. We help each other."

Yuji blinked, his curiosity piqued even more. "So, you're like, two people in one body?"

Hana smiled, a gentle laugh escaping her lips. "In a way, yes. Angel gives me her power, and in return, I help her fulfill her mission."

Yuji flinched slightly at the mention of a shared body. It reminded him of his situation with Sukuna. "What kind of mission?" he asked, trying to mask his unease.

"To cleanse the world of evil sorcerers," Angel replied, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Especially those who have reincarnated from the Heian Era."

Hakari chuckled, breaking the tension. "She's got her work cut out for her then."

Yuta nodded, looking intrigued. "So, you have a technique that can free Gojo-sensei?"

Hana nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. My technique, Jacob's Ladder, can break through most barriers and purify them. It's powerful enough to deal with even the strongest cursed objects."

Nanami, always the sceptic, narrowed his eyes. "And it's safe?"

Hana met his gaze steadily. "It should be. I've used it before, but never on something as powerful as the Prison Realm. Leading to the activation of this technique, I conjure a four-winged trumpet made of light accompanied by a large multi-layered magic array in the sky. The magic circle features a heptagram and crosses lining its periphery. Upon sounding the trumpet, a pillar of light descends from the circle and engulfs the target in its radiance. Within the pillar of light, small, cherubic beings with wings and halos, but missing eyes and noses, appear and surround the target. Any curse bathed in the light of Jacob's Ladder will be extinguished without prejudice, including special grade cursed objects such as Ryomen Sukuna and the Prison Realm."

The group exchanged glances, the weight of the situation settling in.

"We need to be careful," Nanami said, voicing what everyone was thinking. "But if this works, it could change everything."

Hana smiled reassuringly. "I understand. I'll do my best."

Yuji, still curious about Angel, leaned forward. "How do you two work together? I mean, what's your relationship like?"

Hana glanced at the mouth on her cheek, and Angel spoke. "We are partners. I provide Hana with power and guidance, and she helps me complete my mission."

"Is it... comfortable?" Maki asked, her scepticism showing.

Hana laughed softly. "It takes some getting used to, but we make it work. We trust each other."

Yuji nodded, his initial wariness easing. "Okay, that sounds... kind of cool, actually."

Naruto, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke up. "If Hana and Angel can free Old Man-Sensei, then we need to give them every chance to succeed. Let's not waste any more time."

Nanami reached into his vest and pulled out the Prison Realm cube, handing it to Hana. She placed it carefully on the ground. "Everyone, step back," she instructed.

"Are you sure this will work?" Nanami questioned, his scepticism evident.

"It should," Hana reassured him, her eyes steady.

She floated a few feet into the air, her wings spreading wide. "Jacob's Ladder!" she cried.

As she spoke, the sky above darkened, and a brilliant, four-winged trumpet made of light appeared, accompanied by a large, multi-layered magic array. The array featured a heptagram at its center with crosses lining its periphery, glowing with an otherworldly light. Upon sounding the trumpet, a pillar of radiant light descended from the circle, engulfing the Prison Realm in its brilliance. Within the pillar, small, cherubic beings with wings and halos but missing eyes and noses materialized, circling the cube.

For a moment, nothing happened. Yuta glanced around, frowning. "Did it work?"

Naruto's Jōrikugan glowed brightly. "Yes, I can feel it. There's immense power building."

Suddenly, the ground shook violently. Cracks appeared in the earth, trees were uprooted, and stones were scattered as if by a powerful wind. A loud thunderclap echoed through the sky.

Then, silence.

Kirara, her eyes wide, asked, "Did it work?"

Naruto's eyes gleamed with the power of his Jōrikugan. "Yes… Old Man-Sensei is there."

"Can you take us 'there'?" Yuta asked, his voice filled with hope.

Naruto nodded, a determined look on his face. "Limitless: Warp."

In an instant, the entire group vanished from the compound.

oOo

Kenjaku gazed at the Prison Realm, which was shaking violently, its dark aura pulsating with raw energy. "He's here," he murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing in anticipation.

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from the cube, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Thick clouds of smoke billowed out, obscuring everything. From within the swirling haze, a pair of glowing blue eyes emerged, their intense light cutting through the darkness like a beacon.

"How amusing," Kenjaku smiled, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction. "Looks like you're freed early."

"Yeah, whatever," Satoru replied, floating above the ground, his presence commanding. He raised his hand, conjuring a swirling sphere of energy that crackled with power. "Any last wishes? Not that I care anyway. That place was a junkyard, two out of ten, to be honest."

Kenjaku's smirk remained unfazed. "If you kill me, then all hope of stopping this will be lost. I am the game master, after all."

"Don't care," Satoru said flatly, his eyes never leaving Kenjaku. "Imaginary Technique: Hollow Purple—"

Before the destructive energy could reach Kenjaku, a pink blur shot in front of him, moving with lightning speed.

"Shinko protects Uncle Geto!" A little girl with pink hair and Itadori's eyes declared shyly, effortlessly nullifying Satoru's second strongest technique with a gentle wave of her hand.

"Shocked, aren't we?" Kenjaku's smile widened, a glint of triumph in his eyes. "My second finest project: Shinko Itadori, the natural counter for Tenodakume Gojo. I used you as a template to… do this."

Satoru's jaw clenched in frustration. Should he use Infinite Void?

"Don't bother," a new voice interrupted, followed by the sound of deliberate footsteps approaching. "I don't think you're quite ready for it."

That's… Megumi… no…

"Sukuna," Gojo said, his eyes narrowing to slits as he recognized the malevolent presence inhabiting his student's body. "I see that you are inhabiting another of my students' bodies."

Sukuna grinned maliciously, his eyes gleaming with a twisted delight.

"But do tell, why is your cursed energy so… odd?" Gojo asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.

Before Sukuna could answer, a commotion broke out behind them. A group of familiar faces appeared, rushing towards the scene with a mix of urgency and relief.

"Old Man-Sensei!" "Gojo-sensei!" "Satoru!" They called out, their voices filled with a desperate hope.

Satoru gave them a cheerful "Yo," despite the tense situation, his casual demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around them.

Naruto, his eyes scanning Sukuna intently, stepped forward, his expression darkening. Sukuna smirked at him. "This power… what did you do?!"

"Oh, nothing too much," Sukuna replied nonchalantly, earning chuckles from Kenjaku and Uraume. "Just drank some water from Bangladesh and ate some… stuff."

"You…" Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes, his emotions a turbulent mix of rage and sorrow. "How could…"

"Dead people need no meat," Sukuna said coldly, his voice devoid of empathy. "Plus, sensei always said that he would be there for us."

"You…" Naruto's Jōrikugan flared with an intense, fiery glow. He instinctively formed a hand sign with his fingers. "Coms Forth—" He halted as Satoru placed a calming hand on his shoulder, his touch grounding him.

"Don't worry," Satoru reassured him with a confident smile. "Leave it to me."

"Oh," Kenjaku's grin turned sinister, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. "So you wish to fight us?"

"How foolish," Uraume remarked disdainfully, her voice dripping with condescension. "You don't stand a chance against us."

"Naruto-kun might though," Kenjaku said thoughtfully, his gaze appraising Naruto. "But… there will be casualties."

"No problem," Maki cracked her knuckles, her eyes alight with a fierce determination. Hakari sighed but began to stretch, warming up for the impending battle, his muscles tensing in preparation.

"Oso!" Yuji shouted, his voice a rallying cry, while Yuta unsheathed his katana, the blade gleaming in the light. Nanami drew his blade with a steely determination, his resolve unshakeable.

Sukuna first chuckled softly before bursting into maniacal laughter, his voice echoing through the clearing. Everyone tensed, preparing for his next move.

"This is good! Really good!" he exclaimed, his eyes wild with excitement. "All of the bugs to kill at once! But… it wouldn't be too fun."

"Hmm? For real?"

"What if I propose something?"

"And that would be?" Satoru asked, his smile unwavering but with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"I shall give you two months to train prepare. We shall fight each other in Shinjuku. But… Tenodakume Gojo will not join you!"

"What?!" Everybody yelled in unison, the shock palpable. There was no way Satoru would…

"I accept," Satoru replied, his smile broadening with a mix of confidence and defiance. "Tenodakume Gojo will not fight you."

"What…!" The group's shock was evident, their disbelief hanging heavy in the air.

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TBC

Next Chapter: The Cursed Kids

Till Next time!

Revised: 10/07/2024