Chapter 32

Meanwhile…

"Welcome to parenting class. It's good to see everyone taking this seriously…" Choso has been spending his time on Ether training up the young dragons he has raised. He does lessons once a week with them to teach young males how to act, and young females what to expect as well as give them courage to speak their minds. However, Choso was surprised to a student he has been seeing rather often.

Satoru Gojo.

He sits front row, he doesn't cause trouble and is asking the right questions. In Choso's mind, he is taking this seriously. However, there was a slight drawback to this, when his lesson was over, Choso approached Satoru. "This is the seventh lesson you sat in on, did you have any questions?" he asked.

Gojo smiled. "No, you explained everything really well, at the same time, make it bluntly obvious as to how much I have to learn and live up to. I mean, do you have any suggestions for me as to how to patch and fix my relationship with my kids?" he asked.

Choso sighed and nodded. "You first fix things with your wife"

"Yua? Look I know she can get angry with me but…"

He was given 'the look'. Choso has mastered such a thing with all the kids he has, and this instantly gets to the heart of the issue, it's his way of silently stated 'What are you really upset about?' or 'Is that really the reason why you are here?'

This one was either or in Choso's mind, Satoru has been rather… odd. He's been avoiding his own family, knowing no one is really on his side at this point. "How do I even start making it up to Yua? I get it now why Chusi forced Suguru on her, the fact is that he has changed… I haven't… have I?"

"I think Sukuna has verified that. The question is, why don't you? Are you too scared of change? Are you worried about something? What's the real reason why Satoru Gojo refuses to be around his own family? Why not try and get closer to them? Why are you hesitating?" he asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know…"

Silence befell them. Choso took a seat and peered at Gojo. "I don't know a lot about you, however, I have come to understand certain things. You didn't, haven't and won't change since it's not who you are. As well, most of us understand why you are like this, Yua included. She knows the life you were forced to live, you never really broke out of your shell until you met Suguru in school. Once out, you weren't going back in now, were you?" he asked bluntly.

Satoru froze and stared at Choso bewildered. "How did…"

"I am merely getting started." Choso insisted. He ran through everything Satoru has done, including being a guardian to a child as a teenager. At the same time, he as been raising the next generation of sorcerers to think for themselves and not let the council use them as pawns for their own power. And yet, when everything altered and shifted, Satoru kept his fun personality to save face and keep moral up. After all, a worried, panicked or startled Gojo would have made everyone worried. At the same time, he was the pillar to make certain everyone was safe. "It's a burden, a lot for one person to bare, and yet… you have never considered asking for help, believing it is under you. That, or no one would see you as the strongest sorcerer, either way." Choso said rather bluntly.

Satoru still sat there, his mouth hung open in shock. "I'm not even related to you!" he protested.

Choso sat there rather smug that he was right on the money for Satoru's mindset, at the same time, knowing this, does he not assume that Yua isn't aware of these factors either?

"I think the reason why Chusi was pushing Suguru on Yua was the fact that Suguru has matured. At the same time, are you not taking into factor that Chusi TRAINED Suguru herself? A Tooru does things for various reasons and not always for the greater good of themselves, do they not?" he asked.

He hung his head. "Yeah, at the same time I sort of though… Suguru and I would go back to how we use to be… but… that only happens from time to time now."

"Suguru has had time to reflect on himself too, taking into consideration that he should be dead… then again I do believe that situation is relevant to everyone at the domain…" Choso said aloud. "At the same time, he has been given a second chance when he may not have thought he earned it. Still, the fact remains is this. We're here for a reason, you are with who you are for a reason… and yet, sometimes I wonder if you question your reasoning…"

He sighed aloud. "I'll be completely honest with you, I do love Yua… I love Suguru more. The reason why I am bounded to Yua is partly because I DO love her, I really do… but I also promised her brother that I would take care of her if anything happened to her family… I barely kept that promise… our children that we lost…"

"It still plagues you."

"Strongest sorcerer my ass, had I been… Yua would have been protected."

"Would she?" Choso asked. "A lot happened that day, Kenjaku was out for blood and I have little doubt that the losses could have been greater… but still, for that to happen to Yua…" he was upset by it, after all, it's not the same but a similar situation that happened to his mother. The difference was, this was no experiment, despite that, Kenjaku was out to mentally and physically harm her.

Just as he did with his mother.

"Satoru, speak with Yua, tell her everything, bring her here if you have to, then, start repairing your relationships with your children. I know Rook punching you was rather upsetting…"

"I didn't think he could. At the same time… how did he make me bleed?"

"Sukuna has interrogated him on that, he wants to learn the secret too. But let's not get ahead of ourselves." Choso said offhandedly. "You have very remarkable children, all unique in their own ways and yet, they value each other. Your family would have pitted them against one another wouldn't they? To determine who is the strongest and deserves their attention."

"Bang on," he said. "The fact they still want Rook dead for not having jujutsu…"

"Then may it be their downfall." Choso said bluntly. "The fact is this, your son is acknowledged by Ryomen Sukuna himself. He has invested his time and efforts into training your son, why? Because it was something to do? Perhaps, but, I do believe Rook has helped Sukuna fine meaning in his life. The two although from different worlds and ideals, they bonded over simple things, hunting for example."

Satoru nodded. "I should have trained him… I should have trained my children…"

"I tend to believe that those in our lives are meant to be in them for a reason. As Lady Tiamat wanted Sukuna to remain alive… perhaps, it was for this very reason. Knowing he would be the only one capable of training those in the domain with such grand power."

Satoru paused and stared at Choso oddly. "How the hell do you do this? Not to mention, Yuuji was right. You tend to get to the root of the matter before anything else! Yet… HOW?!"

Choso laughed to this, sometimes he doesn't know himself. But, perhaps it's just a talent he has being an older brother. You see things from the younger side's perspective, but you have to see it through the older brother's eyes too. "When being an older brother, you walk a path so your little brothers can follow it. If you make a mistake, the mistake is on you and you can teach your brothers not to follow or make the same error you have… it's the same as being a father. But as a father, you are not just guiding a younger life, you are there to see that they grow strong enough to take on the world."

Once more Gojo went silent. "That's deep… I haven't done any of that for my kids…"

"If anything, take some solace in this. You know when it is out of your hands. Rook for example, wouldn't have had the education or knowledge that he does now if it wasn't for Sukuna. Again, the fact that Sukuna sees something interesting in Rook is no less remarkable."

He nodded to this. "Shin…"

"Shin has determined where his power need to go in order for it to mature. If anything, merely support him."

He was about to speak of the others when Choso beat him to it. "Mochi is already a young lady, and she has mastered her talents well. I doubt there was much you could have taught her, if anything, Megumi should have shown her a thing or two, but once more…"

"Sukuna…" he muttered. "Why don't I just let him adopt Rook at this point?!"

Choso snickered, the two of them have gone out hunting often. The threats that Lady Tiamat speaks of are serious, but, to them, it's a fun afternoon out of the domain.

"I think Rook has great respect for Sukuna, at the same time, Sukuna has respect for Rook."

"What?! Prove that!" Gojo demanded.

Choso smirked to this. "The first person he consults on a hunt, is Rook. If he is to go hunting, his first chose to take on said hunt… is Rook. As I said before, Rook has allowed Sukuna to let loose a little bit. Rook knows who he is, knows what he has done and yet… he acts the same way he always does around him. No judgment, no special treatment…"

He appeared to pause and consider the notion. "True…" he said offhandedly. "Sukuna does act more… relaxed around Rook."

"Various people who he has connected with, allows Sukuna to do things he wouldn't consider doing before. Toshi helped him come out of his shell a little bit by brewing Sake and other alcoholic drinks. It gave him permission that… kinship is okay. When Rook came along, it brought out his ability to teach. Yua is able to spar with him mentally, Chusi… makes sure he doesn't go off the deep end."

Choso paused as he admired his own intellect for a moment, since only now, he is seeing the connection too. There are various people in place for various reasons, mainly to keep Sukuna engaged as well… broadened him a little more beyond the mindset of power and jujutsu. His son is one of those people, and he should consider that to be a great achievement. After all, Sukuna chooses who he wishes to interact or even bother paying attention to.

"You have a remarkable family, I think you know that all too well, but you are starting to see that you need to step up better than before. You got competition now, don't you?"

He paused. "What? You mean Suguru?! He's not competition!" he protested, but then paused and appeared confused. "Is he?"

Choso smirked. "Yua and Suguru had their differences, you of all people know that. Suguru took a while to change as well, but, when he did, it was noticed by Yua, wasn't it?"

Once more he paused to this and sighed aloud in protest. "OH COME ON!" he shouted. "Gah, even I over looked that too!"

"Over looked, or just didn't pay attention? Everyone noticed the change in him, even my brothers and I, considering he was Kenjaku's shell, and yet it appears Kenjaku still acted as if Suguru was in charge still didn't he? But, we have to give credit where it is due here. Not just to Suguru either, you have to look at everything that has happened and how everyone is adapting and evolving to help one another."

Choso snickered as Gojo fell back and just laid there. "I take it that it's a little over whelming?"

"No… just reality sinking in… everyone has changed for the better… but me." He said in a defeated tone. "Makes me really see that now… like a kick in the groin without it being blocked with limitless…"

Choso snickered. "But now, you DO see it, so, the question you need to ask is, what now? Are you going to continue this path? Or, are you going to try and make yourself better and stand as an equal to those around you?"

"Dude… I'm already on the ground, just start kicking me why don't you!" Gojo protested.