Chapter 8

He felt sick.

Utterly, utterly sick.

Why? He didn't know, but Saitama felt like shit. "Ugh…" he moaned oddly, his body was weak as he tried to stand, but he was pinned down. Then, a gentle nuzzle came over him and a resonating purr. His eyes slowly opened as he stared into the eye of a great dragon. He smiled though. "Hey mom…" he whispered. "Am I dreaming again?"

She shook her head no, but a tear fell from her eye as she nuzzled him again. "So, I'm out?"

She nodded to him and helped him up. After all, she was pinning Saitama under her chin! He slowly regained himself, nearly losing his footing every so often, but regained it. His vision was still a mess and he felt so hungry. "I'm going to go mom, I need something to eat, is that okay?"

She gently nudged him to the door.

"Thanks mom." Saitama stumbled out and made his way to the communal hall to eat. Muta's curse corpse robots have replaced those who use to cook here. They could whip anything and everything up rather fast, and it tastes just as good… well… not nearly as good as Eso's, mom's or Itadori's cooking.

But it was still delicious nonetheless.

He loaded up a tray and found a place to sit and devour. He ate 10 rice bowls, four dons and three large meat sticks.

"URP!" he erupted.

It was then his eyes cleared, he was able to see properly for the first time. Only then, did he realize, he wasn't alone in the communal hall. In fact… everyone was here, but it was dead silent. "Uh… excuse me?" He said meekly.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU, BOY!"

The most shocked was Sukuna of all people! Saitama paused to this and glared at him. "It isn't that shocking to see a fat guy eat a lot is it?" he snapped back.

Then, there was a smirk on his face. "What fat guy are you talking about?" Sukuna asked. "You look better than the last time I saw you."

Saitama was confused as he looked at everyone who was now smiling at him. "I do?" he asked. "It can't be, I ate more than what I did before. I ought to be double my size…"

Yet he peered down at himself… he… wasn't as large as he was before. He still had a belly on him but…

"Stand up, boy. Kiyoshi, you know what to do," Sukuna called.

Kiyoshi got out of his seat, he came over and made a wall of ice he called 'ice reflection' when he stepped back he offered Saitama a chance to look into it. "This ice cannot distort what is before it, see." He stepped in front of the ice and it revealed his demon dragon state. "This is my true self, right? So, step up!"

He was leery, however Saitama gulped his pride and stood from his seat, he kept his eyes away from the ice until he stood before it. When he finally looked… he didn't believe the sight before him. His face was slender, it looked like his father's yet a little fuller but not cubby. He still had a bit of a beer belly on him, but, his body appeared stronger than before. He didn't look like a fat slob, but he wept as he peered down. "I… can see my feet a little," he whispered.

"Don't let your size determine your status." Sukuna preached. "Besides, this just confirms, you are a Tooru through and through. Most of them males were like this."

"HUH?! REALLY?!" demanded the masses.

Sukuna forced a grin. "If they ran out of curse energy, they depended on their body strength, if they are built like that, why else do you think the council feared them!" he snapped back. "When a sorcerer exhausts their energy, they deplete the body of its natural energy. They become weak and feeble. A Tooru on the other hand had perfect balance; they knew when they were out of curse energy so it doesn't drain their body. They are far more deadly that way." He said in a rather uninterested manner. As if it were common knowledge!

Saitama kept looking at his reflection, feeling his face over and over again and yet… he couldn't believe this was his true self. "How?" he whispered.

Sukuna was about to speak until he paused.

"BROTHER!"

Saitama was ploughed through the ice and trampled upon by his siblings! Yomato, Okimi, Rai and Hotaru clamored over him, they made strange and yet happy sounds as he embraced his siblings. "You're okay as well, aren't you?"

They began talking a mile a minute telling Saitama everything they were doing while waiting for him. He didn't understand a lick of it but just smiled and nodded to it all. "Hey, he just got back, let him up will ya?!"

He snickered as Rook managed to pry them off. He offered a hand to bring Saitama to his feet. When he did, Rook was even stunned. "Damn, you're taller than me too!?" he demanded. "I never get the good stuff in this family…"

"HEY!" father was heard protesting. But Saitama saw the stunned look on Pop's face. He rushed to him and pulled Saitama into his arms!

"I'm so sorry for what I put you through!" he wept. "I had no intention of that, I didn't even know…."

"Pops… it's okay. I understand, and it worked out for everyone, look at me!" he decreed. "Pops… I finally feel good being who I am!"

"Disturbing, wrap it up, we're trying to have a meal here" scolded Sukuna.

Saitama laughed as he looked to his siblings again, they grew so much without him. "Is… is Oniisan okay?" asked Rai.

He smiled proudly and nodded. "I've never felt better," he said.

He was embraced once more, and then his stomach rumbled again. "I think I need more food."

"Looks like Rook and I have more hunting to do… Better be prepared, boy!" Sukuna ordered, he even excused himself to prepare for a hunt!

#

Rook was smiling proudly. His family is recovering, but at the same time, no one knows how many Suguru had! Luckily for everyone, they were about to find out. Saitama and the others were released a month ago, he won't tell his little brother that now since it would spoil the mood. But, shortly after he got his fill, the doors opened again.

Mom appeared, back to her regular self and four little ones behind her. Two boys and two girls, yet the moment they peered about, their eyes came on Saitama.

"BIG BROTHER!" he was bulldozed over again!

Saitama hit the ground but laughed, his siblings were embracing him just as his brood mates did. "Thank you big brother, thank you!" they wept over and over again.

He gave them a hug and said it was worth it to know they were safe and sound.

Rook was getting a good look at the new sibs, but the two brothers were something rather different. In fact, they were the perfect blend of all three parents. True twins.

The two girls both had black hair. But when they looked to Rook, they sneered. "Monkey!" one shouted.

The place went silent.

Saitama growled lowly as the new siblings were instantly silenced. "Whom are you directing that to?" he simply asked.

The brothers scooted away from the girls, but they appeared to stand their ground. "He is! He's a monkey!" one protested.

"Saitama… I'll handle this" Pops called.

Pops was rather startled. He was surprised when he first saw them, in fact. He was in shock. He approached the two who froze at the sight of him. "Is that… is that really you?" they whispered.

Pops stared them down. "Mimiko, Nanako" he said in a stern tone.

Rook realized, these were two sorcerers he knew in the past. "Pops, you know them?" he asked.

He nodded, clearing a tear away. "I adopted two little girls from a village I was suppose to help back in the day… I suppose this event set me off after what happened during the star plasma vessel incident. They were kept in a cage and beaten often, blamed for the problems of the village when they had nothing to do with it… I slaughtered their village," he said bluntly.

"Harsh" Rook muttered. "So you adopted them and raised them as your own?"

He nodded. "Sadly, they retained what I taught them from the past. I sincerely apologize in the mean time until this is sorted out." He said and lowered his head.

"Ma… father… please don't lower yourself to a monkey!"

"ENOUGH!" roared Saitama.

The jumped, in fact, the whole room did!

"Bro…" Rook whispered.

"Pops maybe keeping an eye on this, but rest assured, dear sisters. I won't stand idly by and allow you to demean our brother. He may not be a dragon, but he is a sorcerer and one I wouldn't dare get on his bad side."

They glared at Saitama, they tried to seek pity from Pops, who refused to offer any. "I agree with him," Pops announced. "And nor will I sit idly by if you dare mock your older brother in such a manner."

They were stunned by this. "But… but!"

"NO BUTS!" Saitama said sternly again.

If anything, Rook is starting to understand why the other siblings took Saitama's word over all others. He sets the tone!