Author's note at the end.

It wasn't unusual for Yuji to be the first to wake up; it was quite the opposite in fact. Yuji was the energetic ray of sunshine who practically kept everyone on their feet. Playing well into his big brother role, making sure his friends were up and ready for the day ahead. He'd run around the rooms, tossing pillows, and play fighting with Asta (who wasn't the most silent about it) until everyone was wide awake, whether they liked it or not.

But this morning was different. Yuji just sat in his bed quietly. Arms leaning on his knees and head bowed, his mind in another space as the gears in his head turned and turned. He was so lost in his own world; he didn't see Boruto had also gotten up. The blonde's fingers wove into his pink spikes and caressed his scalp.

"Morning, baby." Boruto greeted the pinkette, his voice husky from sleep. Yuji only grunted lightly in response. When the bathroom door shut closed, he released a heavy sigh as he rubbed his face. Looking back at his phone on the bed, the screen still on showing the latest text from Choso.

Little brother, we need to talk. Ryomen's back…

There were complicated, complex Family trees, and then there was Yuji's family.

A whole sensitive subject on its own.

He loved his family dearly, to be precise, the only part he knew of however, the glaring truth was that they weren't safe being related to him.

Ryomen was out of prison. The one person that made it his life's purpose to destroy everything he holds dear, everyone he loves. His worst nightmare was free to continue tormenting him again. He shuddered in fear just thinking about it. Ryomen would not falter even if it was his own brothers he was hurting, as long as they were people Yuji happened to care about, they were done for. Choso himself couldn't keep him away, Ryomen was just something else. He was a raging forest fire; he couldn't be put down so easy. Yuji should have known that it was only a matter of time before Ryomen was released, not even a life sentence could keep him from doing his malevolent work.

After alighting the Uber he had ordered for his journey to meet his brothers, Yuji looked up at Choso's house, it reflected their newfound roots in the rich and powerful Kamo clan. Despite Choso's moderate demeanor, the family's wealth was evident in the grandeur of the house and the finer things it contained. Even though Choso was already successful as a surgeon, the wealth and influence of the Kamo clan seemed to add an extra layer of opulence to his surroundings.

Choso was the first child their estranged mother had. His father, an important member of the Kamo clan was unexpectedly joyful to find out that he had a son of his own blood. Rumors spread that he didn't have an heir and was threatened with the loss of his distinguished position in the Kamo clan if he didn't produce one.

Choso was a miracle for him. He joyfully welcomed him into the clan even though Choso was illegitimate. However, instead of sitting back and enjoying his father's wealth, Choso sought out to search for his other brothers.

All of them.

He found Eso washing dishes in a restaurant, Kechizu in the most squalid parts of Tokyo in a bad mental state and then he met Yuji in his middle school. Choso took it upon himself to take care of his brothers since their mother, Kaori had abandoned them all. Ryomen was the only one Choso didn't seek out, because he had already met him and he knew there and then that he wanted nothing to do with him. He was the Wakagashira of one of the most fearsome Yakuza organizations in the underworld. He didn't show any care or acknowledge Choso as his brother, he didn't even want anything to do with them. In fact, he admitted that if he saw any of them walking around he would kill them as he can't have such embarrassments carrying the title of being called his brother.

What a prideful, conceiting bastard, Choso thought.

Choso didn't care who Ryomen wanted to hurt but it definitely should not be his brothers, he had warned him like so, but he knew Ryomen could hardly give a flying fuck. The man had raised his chin in a defying manner, looking down at him condescendingly.

"First off, you piece of shit. I go by Sukuna now, Second I do whatever the fuck I want." He shrugged defiantly before stepping into Choso's space so he could look him in the eye, all in a fit to intimidate him but the elder brother stood his ground and stared back, Ryomen smirked. "The only thing keeping me a foot away is your damn affiliation with the fucking Kamo clan but I gotta warn ya." His face almost split with the feral smile that spread. They ain't saving Yuji."

And they didn't. They couldn't keep Ryomen away. Yuji exhaled, hand reaching up to touch the doorbell, whatever they were going to talk about, he had one thing he wanted to suggest and he hoped they took it into consideration and listened to him.

As he rang the doorbell, Eso, wearing a smile, opened the door and slung his arm around Yuji's shoulders, greeting him with a casual "Hey there, Tiger."

Yuji mustered a smile, attempting to conceal the anxiety beneath the surface. "Hey, Eso." He returned the greeting to Eso and exchanged smiles with his other siblings as he followed him into the house. The atmosphere in the dining room was dead serious, setting a tone that made Yuji's unease grow

"Little brother," Choso greeted Yuji with a stoic demeanor, and Yuji nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of what could have caused the solemn atmosphere. His gaze landed on a man seated at the dining table, dressed in corporate attire. "Higuruma-san?" Yuji questioned, although he wasn't surprised Higuruma was there. As the lawyer that had Ryomen put in jail it was only expected that the news would also get to him. The lawyer in question nodded and rose from his seat, bowing politely.

"It's been a while, Yuji-kun," Higuruma said, prompting Yuji to reciprocate the bow, returning the greeting. "I bet, you can guess why I'm here." He asked Yuji who swallowed hard before exhaling and nodding.

"Yeah, Ryomen's out of prison."

"So he keeps asking me if I'm Japanese and I keep telling him that I'm only part Japanese." Asta chats at the dining as the guys eat breakfast. "I literally have to tell this cop to listen to my name, both of them are fucking Greek!"

"But he keeps insisting you're Japanese?"

"He keeps insisting!"

Tanjiro laughs along with Shinra, Izuku and Boruto. Asta's initial experience in his mother's land would never not be funny. Ranging from insulting the police officer's in his Greek togue, getting chased by police cars before eventually getting caught and arrested. "It was fun as hell, though." Asta admitted with a smirk. "The female cops were hot!"

If Yuji was outgoing, Asta was the boisterous echo to his exuberance. Everyone had to know Asta was around wherever he went, he hated being ignored. You could say social anxiety was scared of him.

It did give him a good rep, he was respected on campus. Normally people like him would be mocked for their stature but it was like it didn't exist when it came to him, he could as well be average in height.

Izuku wipes a stray tear falling from his eye as he pants for breath from so much laughing. "Phew, come to think of it, it's too quiet." He admitted causing Shinra to raise a brow.

"What do you mean it's quiet? Asta's right here."

"No like, I don't know how to put it. We woke up pretty normally today."

It took a few moments for the guys to have their mouths in 'O' shapes.

"Where's Yuji?" Tanjiro then asked, looking at Boruto directly. The blonde blinked before shrugging and focusing back on his breakfast.

"He went to see his brothers, said he'll be back soon." Boruto mumbled and continued to eat, leaving no room for further questions. The guys just exchanged confused glances, Boruto was definitely keeping something from them, probably because Yuji asked him to. It wasn't like him to just leave without telling them. They wondered what was going on.

"Bull Shit!!" Yuji barked, panic more evident than the anger in his tone. The discussion had progressed further and Higurama revealed the details on Ryomen's release explaining that he was released for "Good behavior". Yuji didn't see that as an excuse as for one, he knew very well that that man was not on his best behavior in jail.

Higuruma rubbed his temples. "The truth is that someone was able to bail him out quite easily." He paused, then mentioned a name that sent shivers down Yuji's spine. "Kenjaku. I think you're familiar with that name."

"Isn't he the head of the Yakuza organization Ryomen belongs to?" Eso interjected, to which Higurama nodded gravely.

"He is," Higuruma affirmed. "Rumors have it that he blackmailed the government into accepting to release Sukuna."

As the room filled with silent curses and whispers, Yuji's mind raced with one thought. He felt it was time to speak his mind on this. His fists clenched, his heart pounding. "We have to kill him," he declared with a resolute tone of voice.

The room fell silent, and Choso rose slowly from his seat, his expression incredulous. "What?!"

Yuji stood his ground, facing Choso squarely. "What the hell should we do then? Just sit there and let him do whatever the fuck he wants?!" Yuji barked at his brother. "We basically had him locked up for life, and now he's back to cause more problems and hurt everyone we care about!"

"Killing him would only put you in more trouble!" Choso countered, trying to reason with Yuji.

"I don't care, he needs to go!" Yuji insisted, his determination unwavering.

"Yuji, you need to calm down," Choso urged, his tone pleading.

"No!" Yuji barked, pointing accusingly at Choso. "You of all people should understand where I'm coming from. Wasn't he the one who killed Yuki?!"

The mention of Yuki's name hit Choso hard, freezing him in place. Silence screamed loudly in that room as Yuji blinked, his reasoning coming back to him.

Choso, tore his gaze away from Yuji, in order to calm himself. The surgeon could only shut his eyes tight and inhaled deeply before releasing a long sigh.

Yuji handn't realize how fierce his anger was until he saw Kechizu flinch after their eyes met. With a silent curse at himself, he paced away, pressing his eyes shut with the heel of his palms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice trembling. "I guess... I'm freaking out, okay."

"Hey, it's fine," Choso said quietly, breaking the tension in the room. Eso glanced between them, worry etched on his face, while Kechizu remained huddled up in fear. The mere mention of Ryomen's name was enough to cause fear and dysfunction in the family. Yuji didn't want that. He longed for a return to normalcy, to a happy family, but Ryomen didn't deserve happiness. Not after everything he'd put them through.

As the weight of the situation settled over them, Higuruma cleared his throat to regain their attention. "I think... Yuji is right," he declared, his words drawing the attention of all the brothers.

Higuruma's gaze shifted from Yuji to the rest of the brothers, his expression grave. "Yuji is onto something," he added, his voice carrying an unusual weight. The brothers exchanged glances, uncertainty evident in their eyes.

Yuji felt a surge of validation at Higuruma's unexpected support. "We can't let him roam free, he's proven times without number, that he's a danger to everyone we care about." He stated, coming close to an acceptable conclusion. "He's also proved himself a threat to the government, so if he gets killed or even better, the whole organization gets eliminated, no one is getting in trouble."

"Oh I get it," Eso chimed in sounding hopeful. "It's like he's got a bounty but doesn't."

As Higuruma nodded, Yuji cocked his head in confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"It means the government wants him dead." Choso answered calmly leaning on the counter. "They're not saying anything about it, but if someone were to kill him, they won't apprehend them for it."

"Exactly." Higuruma affirmed.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Choso asked.

Higuruma paused, considering his words carefully. "In order to take Sukuna down, we need a great number of people" he said finally, his voice steady. "But it won't be easy. Sukuna has resources and connections that extend far beyond our reach."

Yuji nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "So, what's the plan?" he asked, a flicker of hope igniting within him.

Higuruma glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on each of the brothers in turn. "We assemble a team," he declared, his tone unwavering. "A team dedicated to taking down Sukuna once and for all."

Eso's eyes widened in disbelief, but he nodded in silent agreement. Kechizu remained silent, but the tension in his body seemed to ease slightly.

"We'll need to move quickly," Higuruma continued, his voice gaining urgency. "Sukuna won't stay still for long, and we can't afford to wait until it's too late."

Yuji felt a surge of determination coursing through him. This was their chance to put an end to the nightmare that had plagued their family for far too long. "Count me in," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging within him.

After the meeting, Higuruma suggested driving Yuji back to school. Before they left, Yuji made sure to profusely apologize to Kechizu for scaring him. The young man still a bit shaken, mustered a small smile and shook his head.

Then, in a moment that held the room in rapt attention, Kechizu, overcoming his usual struggle with speech, bravely attempted to voice out his thoughts. Everyone watched with collective awe as Kechizu struggle to shape his lips right, to position his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"Kechi...?" Yuji called out his brother's name and reached for his hands. The young man smiled brightly.

"It..." Eso let out a light gasp as Kechizu successfully articulated something, Choso looked stunned. Kechizu after fifteen good years, finally found his voice, uttering those simple yet profound words, "It's okay," the room swelled with emotion.

Yuji felt tears pour out of his eyes at the sight and he wrapped Kechizu in a hug. "Kechi, I'm so proud of you!" He sobbed with happy tears.

Kechizu, first off surprised at the hug, later melted into it and hugged back, repeating "It's okay." As he comforted Yuji to stop crying. Choso looked on feeling his heart swell with joy, this is the family he wanted to bring back. A happy family with no worries, struggles, no hate, just them loving and supporting each other.

Higuruma and Yuji drove in comfortable silence. Yuji's eyes out the window of the car, absentmindedly watching the trees and other cars pass by. Peacefully recalling every good thing that had happened in the past week for him. He guessed it was good he counted his blessings, Ryomen's return was something they could deal with.

Higuruma decided they stopped by a bakery to get Yuji something to take back to his friends who'd be worried sick about him.

Since he left impromptu.

The sweet aroma of pastries greeted them as they entered.

And memories too.

Good ones...

This was the bakery he and Nanami first met. The stoic but caring man, his mentor had taken it upon himself to look after Yuji.

Before...he eventually met his end...

The bakery girl, recognizing Yuji, greeted them warmly. "Hey, Yuji! Long time no see. You're as cute as ever!" Yuji smiled back at her, glad to see she'd recovered. Nanami's death had done her in for some days, since she and Nanami had something special going on.

He folded his arms and leaned forward on the counter, maintaining eye contact and a warm smile. "Right back at ya, miss Tamaki."

Tamaki blushed a little and then laughed, brushing off his compliment. "Oh, please. I've got flour all over me."

Yuji grinned. "Nah, you look great."

As Yuji purchased the bread he suddenly remembered something. "Higuruma-san, have you seen any of Ryomen's men around lately?"

Higuruma's expression grew serious. "Not yet, but yeah I'll need to stay vigilant."

Yuji's voice wavered slightly. "I've always been scared of Ryomen, you know? Even when we were kids. He was just... different."

"Hm...I always doubted that." Higuruma muttered, catching Yuji's attention.

"What?"

"That people are fated to be what they are from birth. I always thought it was left for you to forge your own path...but I see now." Higuruma hummed. "It's what's been handed to you that you take."

Yuji swallowed. He'd had that destiny and fate talk with Boruto in one of their late night debates. Boruto was all about forging his own path and carving his own fate. The same thing could apply to anyone, you only become what you are if you allow it and with that, he found himself disagreeing with Higurama but he didn't speak on it.

On the ride back to school from the bakery, Higurama told him about the connections to people he had to help with the fight against Sukuna. One was a boy he was very sure he knew.

"Okkotsu?!"

"Yes, any problem?" Higuruma asked, giving Yuji's shocked expression a quick once over.

"I --I know him really well, I just wasn't aware he was in this kinda thing. Damn." Yuta was such a nice sweet senior. He could never harm a fly...

Or maybe he could...

"Yuta Okkotsu, does have a dual personality. He leads a normal life, but he has affiliations with many Yazuka organizations and a personal grudge with Kenjaku and Sukuna."

"What grudge?"

"Killed his cousin."

Oh...

"So he'll be more than happy to join in." Higuruma added.

"That's... nice." He responded not sure of what to say. That revelation was already a bit overwhelming for him. As they approached the school entrance, Yuji's phone buzzed with a text message. The ID of the sender had Yuji eager to open the text and read the content. Nobara hadn't texted him in a while.

Hey, Yuji! Meet me at the school cafe asap! the message read.

Yuji's curiosity piqued. "Higurama-san, it's a friend of mine. She wants to meet me at the cafe. Wonder what's going on..."

Higuruma glanced at Yuji, his expression unreadable. "Be careful, Yuji. We don't know who else might be watching."

"Gotcha gotcha." Yuji nodded absentmindedly scrolling through the pile of unread messages in his phone.

If Sarada could magically absorb all the information she needed without slogging through these handouts, she'd be all over it. But alas, it wasn't happening. The sheer volume of material was overwhelming, and she yearned for a brain that could simplify it all.

Sitting in her quiet room, she let out a frustrated sigh. Cho-cho had bailed to hit the shops with the other girls for yet another party invitation, leaving Sarada to wrestle with her studies. But now, she couldn't help but think maybe retail therapy wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Another glance at the daunting handouts and Sarada felt her head ready to explode. Just then, a knock broke the silence, likely Cho-cho, she guessed, as she approached the door and swung it open.

Eyes hit the color hot pink before slowly rising to see it was a hoodie worn by a very tall male.

Her surprise was evident as she found herself face to face with an unexpected visitor. A single blue eye met her obsidian gaze, followed by a charming smirk from the blue-eyed boy.

"Hey," Boruto greeted her, casually leaning against the doorframe.

Sarada couldn't help but scoff at Boruto's mere presence, and he dramatically feigned offense in response. With a roll of her eyes, she finally asked, "What do you want?"

In answer, he raised the book in his hand for her to see, and she was shocked. It was the other handout! He was already done?!

"Yep, finished it," Boruto said nonchalantly, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Thought you might need some help, so I figured I'd swing by and drop this off. Plus, I wanted to see that look of utter disbelief on your face."

Sarada glared at him, feeling the sting of defeat yet again. He was besting her, just like he always did. The fact that he could predict she wouldn't finish before him, despite her bold proclamation of efficiency, was the most humiliating thing to her.

With a frustrated growl, she swiped the book from Boruto's hand and stormed back into her room. He followed her, chuckling softly at her irritation.

"Come on, Sarada, don't be like that," Boruto teased, trailing after her. "I'm just trying to help out a friend in need."

Sarada shot him a withering glare over her shoulder. "I don't need your help," she retorted, her tone sharp with annoyance. "I can handle this on my own."

Boruto raised an eyebrow, his smirk never faltering. "Sure you can," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "It'll be summer by the time you're done." Boruto teased, earning an eye roll from Sarada in response.

"I need to take my time to absorb everything in the handout," she defended herself, frustration evident in her voice. "I'm supposed to switch with you when I'm done, remember."

Boruto leaned against the desk, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Just admit you need help with studying," he prodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "I mean, I did struggle with some chapters in the handouts too, but after a few moments, I was okay."

Sarada's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you an Android or something?" she exclaimed.

Boruto chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope, just better than you," he teased, earning an annoyed scoff from Sarada. When she looked back at him, he had a pensive expression on his face, like he was deep in thought. It caused a chill up her spine.

He then stepped closer, cornering her against the study desk. "Come on, sit down," he urged, his tone surprisingly gentle. "I'll help you study."

"W-what?!" She stuttered, the proximity made her feel some type of way. She managed to place a hand on his chest stopping his movements. "Why are you even bothering to help me?" Sarada asked incredulously, suspicion creeping into her voice. "We're practically enemies."

Boruto shrugged, a brow raising. "How the fuck am I going to get the other handout if you're too slow to finish it?" he replied.

Sarada felt dumb, and Boruto had a knack for making her feel that way, though his sincerity caught her off guard. As he leaned away from her and straightened up, hands slipping into his pockets, he offered some unexpected advice.

"You don't have to be stuck up about everything, especially studying," he said casually. "Let people help you. Plus, I need to get on that other handout soon."

"Okay, I get it. Fine," Sarada muttered, pouting slightly. She couldn't believe it, but for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a genuine smile from Boruto directed at her.

But any notion of warmth disappeared when she caught sight of his scowl. Before she could dwell on it further, the room door swung open, and the loud voices and laughter of girls flooded in, before going completely silent.

Cho-cho's gasp was loud and scandalized, and Boruto wasn't making things any better. Despite leaning back from Sarada, he still stood uncomfortably close to her, sporting that infuriating smirk.

"Oh Lord," Sarada groaned to herself, feeling a surge of frustration. I swear, i'm going to kill him...

"Hey, ladies." Boruto greeted them casually. "Just dropping by to check on Sarada. I'll get out of your hair, okay."

"Hi, Boruto," the other girls chimed in, except for Cho-cho, who stared at Sarada with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Sarada, on the other hand, wished for a random train to spawn in the room and just ram her down, putting an end to the embarrassment.

Yuji arrived at the cafe where Nobara had urged him to come as quickly as possible. The smell of coffee lingered in the air, a scent that weirded him out since he hated the stuff. But he pushed past his distaste as he spotted the familiar brown hair of his female friend seated at a table.

Without hesitation, he barged over to the table, only to find that Nobara wasn't alone. Megumi sat beside her, and there was another girl seated with them—a tall, beautiful girl who seemed both shocked and worried to see him. But he couldn't care less about her expression because he was thrilled to see her again.

Damn, it's been a minute...he thought to himself as a wide grin strecthed out his face.

"Ozawa!" he called out her name enthusiastically. Nobara and Megumi looked genuinely surprised, perhaps even more so than the girl, Ozawa.

"Hi, Itadori," she greeted him warmly. Her voice hadn't changed one bit, except it had matured a little, but it was still as soft and sweet as he remembered. Yuji wasted no time and quickly took a seat beside her, already engaging her in conversation.

Nobara watched them with a mixture of emotions. "What the hell, he's the greenest flag out there, isn't he?" she remarked, feeling a pang of sentimentality.

Megumi nodded in agreement. "If I were Yuji, I would have asked who the hell she was," he admitted, his expression thoughtful.

Nobara chuckled. "I can totally see that happening. Thank God you're not interested in dating," she added with a grateful sigh, then froze as if realizing something.

"What's up?" Megumi asked, noticing her sudden change in demeanor.

Nobara hesitated before confessing, "I just realized that it's possible that Yuji could get into a serious relationship before me."

Megumi grimaced, incredulous. "That's what's bothering you?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

So, Ozawa had moved back to Tokyo and was attending a different university, not their own. She had noticed Nobara frequenting another cafe she liked and thought she had seen Yuji with her, so she mustered up the courage to ask Nobara about it after spotting her there again.

Nobara had been a great help, and Ozawa would be forever grateful because now she was reunited with her middle school crush. Well, she could say college crush now, since she still liked him a lot, and from what it looked like, he seemed to be particularly interested in her.

Yuji had always been nice back in middle school, especially to her. But the problem was that he treated everyone the same, so she couldn't tell if what she felt was one-sided or not.

It was when she heard him admit that the girl he liked the most was her that she dared to hope that maybe it wasn't one-sided after all.

As they spoke in the cafe, Yuji maintained eye contact with her and would reach out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering there for a few moments. These were things she picked on him doing for her, something he didn't do when they were kids.

Walking to the bus stop together, which he offered to do, she felt... right, like she was meant to walk with him like this. She didn't feel so odd anymore or uncomfortable; it felt nice.

"Thanks for walking me, Itadori." She thanked him for walking her, and he shrugged with a smile.

"No problem," he said before sighing. "Sucks we don't go to the same uni, I really wanna see you again." He admitted so casually, she nearly missed it. She couldn't suppress the blush forming on her cheeks any longer and peeked up to see Yuji smiling at her knowingly.

He knew exactly what he was doing!

"We can exchange contacts." She suggested, and he immediately took out his phone. They exchanged numbers, and then he waited with her with her until her bus came. She thought it was too good to be true, that she was just being delusional, that someone like Yuji wouldn't even be interested in her like that... until.

Once she got home and flopped onto her bed, her phone vibrated, and she blushed uncontrollably when she saw the text he sent.

"You get home safe?" it read.

Okay, maybe it wasn't too good to be true.

Yuji couldn't help but smile as he received Ozawa's response, wishing her a goodnight. Standing at the door of his dorm, he grinned like an idiot as he knocked, and after a few moments, Shinra answered, looking puzzled and annoyed all at once.

"Dude, where the fuck have you been all day?" He demanded, but his irritation was quickly replaced by surprise as Yuji dropped a box full of pastries into his arms.

"Oh, uh, just went to see my brothers. It was pretty urgent," Yuji replied casually, offering an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, didn't have time to tell you guys."

The guys nodded in understanding, their attention quickly diverted by the tempting array of pastries. Asta wasted no time in declaring that he was taking the milky donut, much to the chagrin and disappointment of the other guys who were too slow to claim it. Asta laughed boisterously at his victory while they all settled in to enjoy the treats.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro's phone buzzed with a text message. His expression shifted from relaxed to cold and serious as he read it, quickly composing a brief response before slipping his phone back into his pocket without anyone noticing. He returned to the group, smiling again as he accepted a croissant from Yuji and began munching on it.

And now we are done with Yuji's complicated family tree! For those who read the JJK Manga, a lot of you may have been a bit disappointed with the ending and yeah, I get it. But you can't deny it had it's moments.

I'll be uploading quicker since I already have them drafted.

Thanks for Reading!