Gojo's • Clan

by Kuma_Kuroko

Summary:

"You will be the strongest woman the world has ever seen. I know you can be, you are perfect, Yuji."

One day he met the one who would become the wife of Ryomen Sukuna, king of curses, to whom he would give life in this new world. However, Gojo Satoru does not consider Itadori Yuji to have a cursed destiny, but quite the opposite: her destiny is a bright one, full of life and people who love her.
Reviving the Gojo clan together with him, who couldn't love her more.

Pairing: GoYuu [Gojo Satoru x Fem!Itadori Yuji] - SuguIta [Mild].
Warnings: Smut, Rape/Non-Con, Pregnancy, Underage, Obscene Language, Voyerism, Toxic Relationships.

Notes:

• A translation of Gojo's Clan by Kuma_Kuroko

Chapter 1: I

I just can't take my eyes off you
Tell me anything you wanna do
I just can't take my eyes off you
Nothing I can do about it
Don't ask why
But every little thing you do just drives me wild
Don't be shy

Come a little closer, light my world on fire, fire
There's no touch or feeling
Pleasure or pain
Anything like the way you runnin' through my veins
No breath or beauty
No sound or sight
That ever made me feel the way you do tonight

Gojo's Clan

The Gojo clan has always been recognized for multiple reasons. From how surly its members and family members are in union, as well as how little they are given to mingle. It is a mechanism doomed to stop working, to wreak havoc. The Jujutsu world is very cruel and one full of ambition. Watching one's back is the only alternative the clan had to maintain itself and among it was to avoid alliances with recognized clans. The major examples being the Zen'in clan and the Kamo clan.

The knowledge of what they really intended was one of the reasons that stopped the mere possibility of a union: they want to be above them, if possible: to vanish the Gojō name from the face of the earth as if they were not the ones who possess the best cursed technique of all: Limitless.

While skipping a few generations, it has never happened that another family is able to develop this technique, much less possess what it allows to perform: Six eyes. It is an event eagerly awaited by everyone in the Jujutsu world. Some want to destroy it, others to appropriate it. To reproduce it en masse as if it were some kind of factory-made product. Maintaining its purity is the mission of the Gojō as a clan. They will do so to the last of them.

However, this inability to allow the technique to spread or be eliminated, thus preventing the supremacy of the sorcerers over the curses, is what causes the current problem: The clan is on the verge of disappearing.

While there were several children in the previous generation, no matter how hard they try, no more children are born. For generations, they have barely possessed cursed energy. They have been respected sorcerers in society, but nothing to make them stand out.

Until the last heir of the Gojō clan appears: Satoru, possessor of Six Eyes and who was known to be the most powerful sorcerer of this era.

They kept him jealously guarded for years. Until it became uncontrollable unfortunately. Satoru is a very rebellious child. He wants to live his life in his own way, not guided by panic or the pride of elders who want to fill themselves with pride at his expense. They have already lived their life and it is time to live his.

The problem came too soon. Everyone in the clan is old and one by one they began to die. Satoru saw it. As his clan fell apart and before he knew it, only he was left. Not even his parents were present. Sorcerers do not live long and those who do, it is because they never exercised it properly. Within a few years, he found himself with a huge empty house to maintain, a name to uphold, and a legacy that suddenly made him realize the worst.

He is alone.

He's on top of the world with the greatest power known to man and...

He is pitifully alone.

At first it didn't figure to be a problem.

At first, it was a relief not to have to listen to anyone. It's his family name, it's his money, it's his everything. He doesn't have to answer to anyone. However, after enjoying that privilege, he realized that being alone is horrible: there's no one to talk to, no one to think about. There's not even anyone to hate now. Only external people who don't really mean anything to him. It's all come down to him and it's...

So lonely.

So miserable.

Knowing that sorcerers die all the time makes it worse. Unlike the others who were noticed, when he dies no one is going to remember or miss him. At best, they will think that the strongest one died or that his cursed technique disappeared. Beyond that... there will be nothing.

Because he is nobody.

It became horrible to be the strongest, the most independent. Out of nowhere, he wanted someone to appear to right this wrong. After all, if he was created this perfect, why couldn't he make more like him? Why must he suffer such a disgusting, horrible curse that only destroys his soul by making him feel cold?

Satoru doesn't know

He doesn't understand.

And the answer came.

He doesn't have to be alone.

He will have someone.

And that person is right in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I-I didn't mean to do this. I'm sorry."

The childish sobs are soft and broken, just as sad as the little creature in front of him looks. Satoru stares at her through his dark, round glasses. She must be no more than six years old, seven at the most. Her pink hair with an inner black section in the cut uneven and messy; her body small and full of hideous bruises in places that generate suspicion. On her face, a couple of marks below her eyes.

And the worst thing about the situation, is the blood everywhere. Especially her, who has it on her hands, clothes and hair. Satoru approaches, ignoring the panorama full of corpses of people in traditional clothes; most of them with their intestines out and injuries so terrible that they look like they were caused by a sadist who longed to see suffering.

That's what happened.

And it happened hand in hand with this little girl.

He kneels down in front of her, looking at her over his glasses. She directs her bright yellow eyes at Satoru, transfixed by the abysmally blue color of those huge irises. Her body still trembles and she looks vulnerable, dressed in a white kimono stained with red.

"Wow, you made a huge mess." he says tactlessly and thoughtlessly. She gives a broken whimper.

"I-I didn't mean to-"

"No? Why not?" He drops his head to the side and the girl suffers a shudder. "These useless... these idiots" She gives a brief glance around. "They were hurting you weren't they?" The girl doesn't deny it or admit it, just sniffles. "They earned to have died. Especially by your hand, who suffered."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." she sobs in despair and Satoru smiles wide, almost cruel.

"The good part is, it wasn't you, was it? Sukuna."

The girl gives an exclamation, her eyes widening beneath his. Painted red and her mouth about to twitch. She covers herself with her hand, but that only causes a long, gaping mouth with fangs and tongue marks to emerge.

"The wielder of Six Eyes... How untimely. Just when I thought these useless beings could do something right."

"Your bearer is a bit... tender for what you are, you fucking scumbag vermin." comments Satoru and she looks at him in panic Does he know about Sukuna?

"She's stronger than she looks and more useful too. Too bad. I would have preferred this one to last, being able to contain me What can't she carry in her body?"

She pulls her hands away and looks at the one with the mouth, where an eye emerges without a problem.

"Tough luck, kiddo."

The eyes close, the mouth disappears and she exclaims in fright, taking a couple of steps back. She shakes her head, still shaking and finishing by bumping her back against the huge wall made of stone: an engraving of the king of curses made of stone. His markings, his monstrous anatomy. Everything is there. In contrast to the small body that has him inside. Satoru clicks his tongue, disgusted that the girl has peed herself in fear.

She babbles on and on. It's a bit irritating. So are her huge, panicked eyes. Satoru hates it. He hasn't done anything. She is alone...

Used by these miserable, stupid people.

Taking a step, she breaks into a run in another direction. Satoru whistles, surprised that someone with such short legs can move so fast. The girl flees down long corridors, filled with human corpses, corpses of curses. Blood and foul debris strewn everywhere. She stumbles because of the same. Her bare feet skid in the purple blood. She shakes his head and shrieks when she notices Satoru standing in front of her.

"Your name?

She is slow to answer, too terrified and thinking he is going to kill her. However, she makes him enough thinking ability to say:" Y-Yūji.

"Yūji, the vessel and future wife of the curse king" Satoru hums, mocking and nonchalant. He shoves his hands in his pockets. "You're a very interesting little creature" he smiles broadly. "And very strong, considering it doesn't get out of control unless you're unprotected or very scared... Ummm..."

Yūji swallows thickly, intimidated. Satoru snaps his fingers.

"You don't have family do you?"

"N-no... they..."

"I figured as much" Satoru crouches down and rests his arms on his knees. "You have two choices: you stay here and wait for someone else to come, find out about you, find out about Sukuna and kill you" Yūji pales at that. "Or you come with me: no retorts, no claims, and no attempts to escape."

She opens and closes her mouth. She's been locked up here for months, but... At least with him it won't be like here, right? Yūji nods and Satoru smiles slyly. A part of him insanely happy because... He found someone just as lonely as him and they'll be able to keep each other company.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru brought her to a huge house. One where she can play and go wherever she wants. She learned to cook all this time by herself, so it's not a problem to prepare food for herself. Satoru buys everything from clothes to food and toys so she doesn't get too bored. He doesn't usually come over. It makes for a very lonely, but peaceful time.

There are no threats, no rituals, no murders, none of that: it's herself is a palace at her own expense with everything she could possibly want.

When Satoru returns it is a very simple routine: watch him eat sweets, complain that he wants to eat something sweet and propose to buy cakes to eat. He has explained a lot about the Jujutsu world to Yūji. Enough to let he krnow why he's leaving, why they're both important in different ways, and a long string of things that barely fit inside her seven-year-old head.

"Because you're the strongest sorcerer of all Did they give you a palace?" asks Yūji leaving the plate with food on the table Satoru helped her carry almost everything for dinner. Satoru rests his chin on his palm.

"Nah, it's just what my family left me."

"The Gojō clan."

"Right. " He points at her with his index finger and a stupid grin. Yūji pouts slightly.

"But there's no one here." Yūji assumes that maybe he's in a place just for Satoru. That's why there are no servants, no parents, uncles, uncles, cousins, siblings. No one. Satoru shakes his head, without wiping that smile on his face.

"Because there's no one else in this clan: just me."

"Oh... that sounds very sad" Yūji opines in a whisper, lowering her gaze. "It means Satoru-niisan is alone."

Satoru laughs and shakes his finger from right to left.

"E-rror" Yūji looks up. "I have Yūji and the truth... that's all I need."

Yūji pouts, she doesn't think she's enough to keep anyone company, but if Satoru says so it must be okay. Satoru thanks for the food and starts eating.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru hears sobbing almost every night he is home.

It is obvious who it is, for there is no one else.

At first he ignores it. Yūji plays and smiles during the day with no problems. So some nightmares that make her cry are no big deal. However, after much ignoring, he decides to go see her. A little annoyed at the interruption of his sleep. The corridors dimly lit by moonlight and lonely as any are flooded more with that anguished sound. He reluctantly opens the door.

Inside and on the futon, a small mountain covered by the thick comforter. Satoru leans against the door, his silhouette shadowed by being against the light.

"Why are you crying? You make such a fuss-"

"I had an ugly dream" Yūji uncovers her face little by little. Swollen, red, full of tears; hiccuping and clinging to the quilted sheet. "It was an ugly dream." repeats, sniffling.

"Yūji, nightmares aren't real. It's just your neurons torturing each other" Satoru informs and Yūji rubs her face with the cloth. "Whatever it is, just ignore it and-"

"Su-Sukuna does ugly things" Satoru raises his eyebrows What does Sukuna have to do with this? "He does very-very ugly things to me" Yūji rubs under her nose and cheeks with the already wet cloth. "He does things that hurt me and-and he kills Satoru-niisan" If the crying was shocking and loud, it's much worse now. "He killed you! And he laughed! I don't want Sukuna to do anything to Satoru-niisan!" Satoru walks further towards her. "I'm d-afraid-I don't want to be without Satoru-niisan again- Sukuna is mean to me. It hurts me what he does and Satoru-niisan-"

She doesn't know how to explain everything in her nightmares. Sukuna's touch, things she still doesn't understand and it hurts. Below him, seeing his sadistic red eyes boring into hers; the rough, painful touch on purpose, that breaks her body and makes her cry on purpose; that makes her bleed on purpose.

Everything he does hurts and scares the hell out of her.

Because Satoru is dead and she knows that without him, no one is going to save her.

Because she has only Satoru.

Yūji hides again, crying non-stop and Satoru purses his lips. He hates rowdy children, but at the same time, he doesn't like that Yūji is crying like this. Just like the day they met and she thought it would kill her.

He approaches the futon carefully and slowly hugs her without pulling her out of her blanket cover. Yūji squeezes her eyes shut, sniffling and letting herself be done, surprised that Satoru is carrying her and carrying her around the house. When she comes out of hiding, she is in Satoru's room. He uses the sheet to wipe her face. Yūji hiccups and looks at him with her puffy, huge eyes.

"Sukuna can't do anything to you" Satoru assures taking her firmly by the arms, but the tenderness imprinted on it. The same one he always uses when touching her. Yūji trembles her lips, looking into his eyes. Calm, bright, sure. "As long as I exist, he can never hurt you. Trust me. I am the strongest in the world."

"Stronger than Sukuna?"

"And than anyone who would want to hurt you."

Yūji breaks free from his grip to hug him, hiding in Satoru's chest. The teenager strokes her hair and back for a few minutes, letting her calm down before lying down with her still hugging him.

She had no nightmares that night and every time she has one, she goes to Satoru to tell her that Sukuna is a pathetic loser for scaring her.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru bought her many toys, so many that they fill her room and she must use another one. Yūji spends hours playing with them at the same time she listens to TV. She likes her dolls, likes putting puzzles together, likes cars and their absurdly elaborate tracks.

However, what Yūji likes most about the toys is when Satoru is home and they play together. He makes up crazy stories. Like how the teddy bear is a curse and Barbie the sorceress - who curiously covers her eyes with a black band - can kill him without even breaking a sweat.

They race remote control cars and then, eating whatever candy Satoru brought, watch TV until they fall asleep, usually Yūji falls asleep first, using Satoru as a pillow. The first few times, he hated it and brushed her off, sometimes drooling; eventually, he just let her lay better on his leg and not on his chest, the hot breathing unpleasant; finally, now, that he keeps her on his lap however she fell asleep, he strokes her slowly growing hair and gives her occasional glances, finding her smiling in between dreams.

"Sleep well, Yūji." Satoru purrs smilingly, pressing a kiss to her head. Yūji snuggles more into him, pleased at his warmth and to hear his heart beating.

Different from the nightmares where it's cold and silent.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Having Yūji with her is... equal to a blessing.

Whenever Satoru returns home, she greets him with a smile and a hug. As the months go by, bigger and happier; genuine in her admiration and happiness to have him back. She always prepares food for him, spoils him with some of his favorite sweets and chats to him about the manga she has read, the stories she has made up or what she has seen on TV.

Yūji is the most adorable little girl of all. One who is perfectly safe here. Without anyone knowing of her existence.

The Sukuna vessel is something highly sought after in the underground and hardly noticed by Jujutsu society, but no one knows how it looks like, what it looks like, how many fingers it has consumed. It is a total mystery that only Satoru knows. Yūji has already consumed seven fingers. Six of them given by Sukuna's fanatical cult and one of them by himself.

"I'll get them all" he announces showing the cursed object. Yūji's eyes unfounded in fear. "And I'll give them to you to eat... When you've eaten them all, Sukuna will try to take over; he's going to try to be reborn through you and if what he says is true, he'll make you continue his legacy."

"bu-but-"

"What will happen will be this," Satoru catches up Yūji. "You'll be so strong, he won't be able to use your body; you're going to seal him inside you, just like a dormant virus" he smiles cocking his head to the side. "The curses will diminish, his cults will disappear and finally there won't be so many tragedies? What do you think?" Yūji shakes his head.

"I'm not strong enough to get something like that, Satoru-niisan."

"Of course you are!" exclaims Satoru with conviction. "You're the strongest girl in the world, you'll be the strongest woman of all. I'll teach you to control it, within a year" he informs and Yūji looks surprised. "I'll train you myself to do everything you can against it... I promise you'll be fine."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Even if she believes him, she's not entirely confused. She's innocent, more not entirely stupid. Satoru watches as the mummified phalanx passes down her throat. The vomit reflex was inevitable. Yūji covers her mouth, scrunches up her face and tightens her features. Satoru catches her before she falls to the ground, staggering. He pulls her up onto his lap and strokes her hair, escorting her through the momentary state of weakness and fever, where he assumes Sukuna is trying to get out. He tries to take control.

He kisses her on the head. "You are strong. Don't be afraid... he's not going out to hurt anyone or you. You can do it."

His promises and whispers of encouragement get what it needs: to keep Yūji mentally strong. Sukuna depends on her being afraid, on her feeling unprotected. Otherwise, it will be impossible to shift at will to insert his. Yūji manages to normalize an hour later.

A whole hour in which Satoru kept her sitting and hugging her. He kisses her on the head again and leads her to one of the gardens. He stands her on the edge of the pond and Yūji's eyes widen. "It's the fish from the TV, look look look!

Satoru lets himself be carried back and forth by her, smiling softly at her excitement. 

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"You said you hated being at home, but you keep running straight there What's wrong so much?"

Suguru can't shake the uneasiness off anymore. Satoru desperate to finish missions fast and take off to his family's house. There's no one there. Why such a hurry? Why so much interest? If it's an empty house and the bedroom here is not so bad. He's wanted to ignore it, but it's a year into this behavior it's gotten worse and worse.

Now it's a necessity, before it seemed like he was just going to keep an eye out to make sure everything was okay.

These days, anyone would think the house is going to burn down if they don't visit often enough.
 
"Nothing special," Satoru shoves his hands in his pockets. "It's my house. I don't have to settle for the shitty room we have here if I have a mansion all to myself." he grumbles. As if that's justification enough. Suguru narrows his eyes.

"You know you can tell me anything. We're friends." he adds and Satoru looks at him over his glasses, smiling as animated and wild as ever.

"Of course I know, but I have nothing to tell."

. . .

He doesn't want anyone to know about Yūji.

Not even Suguru.

Not even Yaga-sensei.

What would happen? Maybe they want to take her away, they want to hide her, they want to kill her...

Or give her a normal life...

A life away from Satoru.

"Welcome Satoru-niisan!" greets Yūji, having waited for him at the door of the house. Satoru smiles at him cocking his head to the side.

"I'm home, Yūji-chan~" he croons and Yūji smiles, swaying on his feet and with a blush on his face.

Satoru picks her up and carries her, with Yūji hugging him instantly. He leans back in her small chest and is still in the same thought: what would they do if they found out about her? They wouldn't think he's capable of taking care of her, they'd take her away from him; if they find out about Sukuna, which they will the moment they have her around, they'll sentence her to death.

They all want her dead.

None will give her a chance to prove she can hold Sukuna.

She tightens her grip and stops. He can't let them take her away from him... He would no longer know how to live without these welcomes and this attention just for being him. Without anything involving the Jujutsu world, his family name, his abilities.

He doesn't want to lose such a beautiful and unconditional love. He doesn't want to lose such a pure creature and at the same time, allow her to be broken. Only in her arms will she be safe and that is why she must remain secret. "Is something wrong Satoru-niisan?" Yūji takes off his glasses and Satoru shakes his head.

"Nothing. Just thinking nonsense... Did you make dinner... Wow~! How efficient you are. Let's go cooomerrrr." He walks with fake awkwardness to make her laugh. Yūji puts on Satoru's glasses, playing with it and the teenager is in charge of serving the food this time. When he's done, he devotes himself to watching her nothing else. A short thought crosses his mind:

Yūji is mine.

Chapter 2: II

When Yūji turned eight, Satoru took her to a park. Outside the house, with the chance to play with other children, pet the dogs that were walked around. Dressed in an orange dress with white plaid. Despite the difficulty, he was able to do her hair a little and put little tangerine ornaments on her.

He told her she looks like a princess.

That's why he called her that all day and Yūji called him her knight.

Satoru threw a tantrum about it in the middle of the park A knight? NO, THAT'S TERRIBLE! A prince? That's too little. If he's not an emperor, he's a king at the very least. One who can fight on his own to rescue the princess. Yūji told him he's a prince because he's not yet an adult and not yet married.

"Then will you marry me? Dear Princess Yūji of Sendai." Kneeling with one hand on his chest, his proposal comes out flirtatious and princely. Yūji laughs bouncing in place, taking Satoru's outstretched hand.

"Of course I will! And I'll never turn away from Satoru-niisan!" Satoru smiles at her and takes her, rubbing his cheek with her opposite one before taking a bite. Yūji squeals in excitement and amusement.

Satoru takes her to choose her birthday gift: bought almost everything Yūji pointed out and yet, her final order was drawing books. She likes to paint and wants to do more than just watch TV or cook.

Satoru took her to watch fireworks, up on a roof to see them better.

Satoru took her to choose which cake she wanted.

Satoru recorded her as he sang birthday to her.

"What was your wish?" he asks in a nasal tone.

"That Satoru-niisan always be with me!"

"Oh, what a dumb you are." Satoru criticizes and Yūji pouts.

"I'm not dumb. You can't call me dumb on my birthday." Yūji points at him and Satoru shrugs.

"You're dumb for wasting your wish. I'm always going to be here. So you don't need to waste your wish on that" Satoru looks at her over the glasses, a long, flirtatious smile. "I'm Yūji-chan's husband after all" Yūji reddens, clasping her hands on the table. Satoru takes a match and lights the candle again. "Come on, make a good wish. It'll be a secret this trap." he promises, winking."

Yūji takes a couple of seconds to blow out. Satoru asks again and Yūji lies. "I asked Satoru-niisan not to be so dumb."

"HUH?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING DUMB!? SPOILED POTATO!"

Yūji laughs, running away from Satoru and thinking about his wish:

"That Satoru-niisan will always be safe and I can have more birthdays with him."

When Yūji turned nine Satoru did the same thing with a different destination: they went to the beach. He bought her clothes, he bought her presents, he bought her cake, they sang birthdays and throughout that day, Satoru called her "princess."

After all... Yūji is Gojō Satoru's princess.

One who, with each passing day, becomes more and more beloved. She becomes more and more beloved....

To such an extent that he is aware that he crosses a line.

As long as he doesn't do anything harmful towards his beautiful smiling princess, why should it be bad? It's just... An evil inside him that he can control and that, that's all that matters. To never let it out and thus, keep making his princess smile in his arms.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru hums nasally as he takes off his shoes, happy with a bag of sweets from a new store he visited today. He calls out to his companion. He hears and senses her nearby, but for some reason she doesn't come quickly as usual. He leaves the small bag on a decorative table and walks with his hands in his pockets.

He finds Yūji soon enough. "Satoru-niisan... W-why does it hurt... And why...?

Satoru's glasses slide off more than usual and he grabs the door What mess is this? There's a long trail of blood and Yūji sitting in the corner like someone who doesn't know what to do only makes the picture worse. He rushes over to her and tries to find where she bleeds. He can heal her. It will be complicated, but not impossible. Yūji suddenly gives a whimper.

"It hurts! WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?" she shrieks tearfully in exasperation."

"What hurts...?"

"M-my tummy- UH! STOPS HURTING ALREADY!"

She rolls in on herself, clenches her abdomen, and Satoru is slow to understand what's going on. A vague thought flashes through his mind: Yūji is nine Isn't it a little early to be having her period? He's sure it is. He won't deny that he knows little to nothing about female anatomy other than the basics. Also how reproduction works and that's it.

This part he doesn't know, doesn't understand and just causes him to panic.

"Okay... Okay okay, let's go to- OKAY!" Satoru stands up carrying Yūji. "Bathroom first!"

Yūji keeps squirming like an earthworm inside the tub. The hot water soothes her a bit, as well as makes the wet and slimy in her crotch less unbearable. Satoru carefully removes her lower garment and although he reaches his hand closer, he remains stranded there for three minutes.

"You're going to clean there with your hand," Yūji scrunches up his face. "Just like when we took a bath."

"But Mom said I couldn't-"

"She was not right. That's normal. Wash it and I'll go get something so it won't hurt." Yūji pouts and Satoru leaves in a hurry. He doesn't know anything about this, so he has two choices.

Ask Shoko, who is his friend and maybe they have that kind of trust Maybe? He doesn't know.

The second option is to ask any other woman and spare herself raised eyebrows Why would Satoru want to know about the female period and how to alleviate it? If in theory, she doesn't have anyone. They would just think he's hiding someone. A girlfriend probably. Satoru doesn't need that problem on top of it.

Satoru opts for the second option. He goes to the village near his home. They are people unaware that the Gojō family is in decline due to lack of people, as well as living in a traditional way. It seems like the Edo era and he has always scoffed at that. He deludes himself thinking it will be the easiest thing.

He was wrong.

Terribly.

"Hey, Grandma" Satoru calls out to the gray-haired woman and who has just picked up a pile of branches. "My sister is doing a crime scene at my house and she's dying. What do you give them to take so it won't hurt anymore?"

Satoru's way of expressing didn't help either.

"Oh, it looks like she became a little woman. Congratulations" Satoru feels his eyebrow throbbing So what? "It'll be enough if anyone clean up what she smeared and drink some tea."

"That's it? I leave her in the bathtub until it comes off or what?"

"Has she no mother to instruct her?"

"If I did I wouldn't be here asking, Grandma" Satoru grumbles and she mutters under her breath, what a rude boy. "What's the tea from? Give me the full information!" demands stomping his feet a couple of times.

"Tea from those herbs should soothe her a bit" she points reluctantly to the side. "Once a day."

"Won't that make it hurt throughout the day?"

"Well, if she's already a woman she'll have to get used to it" she shrugs disinterestedly. "If she can't stand that, she won't be a good mother."

"You had children?"

"Of course-"

"I hope it really hurt you to have given birth to them, you old twit." Satoru squeaks and kicks part of the fence. He gets it to fall over and the woman complains. He walks away with his hands in his pockets, ignoring the older lady's claims.

He's not going to let Yūji suffer. His little girl needs real relief.

. . .

"My little sister is having her first period. I raise her by myself What do I do with her?"

Satoru's lack of shame helps a lot in this situation. The question falls to a pharmacy worker. Satoru is a little nervous, it should take him less time to get back. He doesn't know how Yūji will be there. The girl feels tenderness for him and his interest. At the same time the confusion of why didn't he do an internet research? The answer is a simple: Satoru forgot he could do that. Apart from knowing that he needs instructions from someone else.

Text alone is not going to fix her problem.

"All of us women have different ways, but the usual is to put a hot water compress on the abdomen" Satoru nods. This is what she needs. "You can also take pain relievers for the pain; if it is precocious or very young, it is best to drink tea, many of them have soothing solutions" she meditates a moment more options. "They say meditation and yoga help a little."

"She'll bleed to death if she try." chirps Satoru and the girl giggles.

"Do you have sanitary pads?"

"Oads?" he repeats in confusion. He doubts she's talking about a cushion? A cat paws? What the fuck it's a pad? 

He has to talk more about this with Shoko.

It turns into a ten-minute ramble explaining the differences between each type. Satoru forces himself to pay attention. Yūji can't leave. All of this he must provide for him and if he doesn't do well, he leaves for more than a month, he will have a scene similar to today. He bought a lot of goodies, everything the girl recommended and rushed back home.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"It feels a little weird."

"It's like wearing a diaper."

Yūji laughs nodding at the similarity. Satoru stretches out on the floor, relieved that everything went well. He arrived on time, Yūji in the midst of horrible contractions, cramps and tremors; he gave her the medicine and massaged the area a bit. According to the pharmacist, if the pain is very severe and she very young, it could be a medical problem. Satoru did not detect anything and doubts that Sukuna would allow her vessel to have such defects. After helping her dry off, having a long session of trying to put the pad on correctly and succeeding, he gave her a chocolate to congratulate her.

She did not give in to Sukuna at any point, even though Sukuna clearly took advantage of the moment to tease.

"This is going to be a pain in the ass what do you have it for? Just ovulate and that's it. No need to bleed every month." grumbles Satoru grumpily. Yūji is left with full cheeks.

"What do you mean, every month?"

"This is monthly. It lasts five or six days. Four if you're lucky."

"But I-I-"

"You're doomed to this until your fiftieth." notifies Satoru and Yūji gives a squeal.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO! THAT'S HORRIBLE JUST ONCE! SATORU-NISSAN TAKE IT OFF ME!"

"I just can't, Yūji!" he whines and Yūji shakes him off.

"TAKE THIS UGLY THING OFF ME!"

The only good thing, is that Satoru knows a little more about female anatomy, their needs and ways to treat them. It makes him happy to know ways to keep Yūji well.

At the same time, through his mind buzzes the old-fashioned comment: Yūji is already a woman. Her body is ready to beget...

His princess can already give gifts this special.

An idea he hates.

An idea he adores.

An idea he tries to ignore.

An idea that creates a thousand fantasies.

Enlivening and empowering his most twisted, selfish and dastardly side: the one insanely in love with the tender Itadori Yūji.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"What a boooooooore." Satoru complains as he walks.
 
"How grumpy you are today, Satoru," Suguru jokes. "Anyone would think you hadn't eaten your usual six kilos of sugar every five hours." He keeps his hands in his pocket and Satoru gives a snort.

"Why do we have to do missions this ridiculous? That's what second and third graders are for." Satoru walks with his hands in his pockets. He looks like a gang member and not the son of a well-known, billionaire family.

"Did you read the mission statement?"

"No. What's the point. It's just smash whatever fuckers are and go home." Suguru shakes his head. Satoru as always so glib. It's almost unbearable.

"It's about dismantling one of the headquarters of Sukuna's followers" Satoru straightens up and twists his lips. "There's probably one of his fingers in there" Suguru finds it odd that Satoru won't blurt out any stupid comments about it. He notices him fidgeting and even worrying though he disguises it very well. "You know they've been trying to find his vessel."

"Yes. Idiots who think you're going to be of any use to them? Look how stupid people are."

To Satoru, this makes no sense at all. Even though it's an easy situation to control, the rage grows inside him the more altars, engravings and illustrations of Sukuna there are everywhere. The fact that they worship an entity that wants them dead. It is the same as a deer idolizing a lion that shows its fangs and is two seconds away from biting your neck.

Satoru doesn't understand what are in their minds to wish Sukuna alive.

To give his prays to that parasite who makes his princess suffer.

Who every day insists on telling her that he's going to devour her... Who is going to make her unhappy for the rest of her life.

Who has the audacity to call her his wife.

████ ██ ██ ████.

While Suguru takes care of checking the place, Satoru secretly moves to where his eyes detect the cursed object. Hidden in a good way so that he wouldn't find himself out of a job. Clearly they didn't count on Six Eyes showing up here. He stealthily takes the relic and stores it in a box coated with his own cursed energy. It is the only thing capable of hiding the presence and power contained in that foul finger.

He must give it to Yūji.

"Will it be too hard to buy a pony...? Nah, but she's still too small" Satoru puts the box away in his pocket. He rambles on about what he can give her. On what will make it fair to put her through this cumbersome and disgusting situation, "Better a cat- No, it would also be a bit complicated still.... A console? Yes. She said she wanted those games. Kirby, Smash Bros, Legend of Zelda..."

"Satoru!"

"Final Fantasy will please Yūji. I'll buy every one available." He keeps in his thoughts. Almost ignoring Suguru who calls out to him. His companion is a little surprised when Satoru appears out of nowhere.

"Did you find it?" he asks and Satoru gives a snort, feigning insanity.

"This place was just a shrink with useless people who didn't even have the real finger. Unless they stuck it up their ass since they want Sukuna so bad." He feigns vomit and Suguru laughs shaking his head.

"If you're not able to detect it, then it's not here. What a waste of time." complains Suguru with his usual fake, pretentious smile.

"I told you, this is bullshit!" he claims pouting his lips and crossing his arms behind his head, walking stupidly towards the exit, indifferent to the corpses scattered on the floor.

. . .

"Ummmm... How strange Did they search the whole place well?"

"Yeah, yeah, they were just stupid nuisances." Satoru shakes his hand, legs outstretched, arm on the back of the chair. Shoko can't resist laughing at Satoru's annoyance. Yaga has been doubting for a good fifteen minutes that they've looked properly.

Usually Sukuna cults have at least one of their fingers. That has been the report that gives rise to what all are in search of their vessel. When they find it, they will hand over all the relics and then "The King of Curses" could return. It is not known exactly how, but the increased activity points to the fact that the vessel has been found at some point.

And that it is missing even from them.

"Maybe they had the location, but couldn't get it" Suguru muses, thoughtfully. "There weren't many sorcerers among them. Maybe that's the problem."

"That may be the case" Yaga concedes. "However, while you guys were over there, a group brought a report" Satoru stops the rocking in the chair Was there another group at the same time? He hopes they have nothing. It'll be a pain in the ass to steal from the school. Plus he doesn't want to give Yūji more than one finger at a time. It could be dangerous for her. "They didn't get a cursed object, but they did get information about the vessel."

Suguru gives a fleeting glance at Satoru. He notices him tense, almost worried.

"It's about a woman. It's not certain her age, but she is most likely young. A girl even" Satoru spreads his legs wider and gives a snort, as one who is startled and annoyed by a new piece of information. "The higher-ups are afraid it's like that."

"Why? That would make it easier to retain. I don't think Sukuna wants to be a woman now." scoffs Satoru and Suguru laughs equally, shaking his hand.

"Something tells me it's a joke."

"It must be." Agrees Shoko looking out the window. Yaga resists the annoyance at how unserious his students are.

"Quiet!" Yaga orders and Satoru laughs, "It's not about Sukuna changing sex or not. It's about that person to be his wife" Suguru slowly opens his eyes and erases his smile. "The order is to find her and kill her, don't let she be around or reproduce. Proliferate the possibility of creating Sukuna vessels and thus make it possible for her to return."

"Is there no other solution...?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But what if that person doesn't know anything?"

"The higher-ups gave no other alternative: as soon as she is found, she will have to be killed."

Satoru stands up abruptly. Hands in his pockets, nonchalant posture and chattering between his teeth. "You can tell those fuckers aren't the ones doing the job."

Yaga doesn't stop him from leaving. Satoru is carefree and doesn't mind killing other sorcerers. However, there is a very specific breach against children. He is well aware that it is something that is not right. The mere possibility that they must murder a child for something that isn't even their fault is burdensome.

To make it worse, they'll put him up to it.

Because he's Gojō Satoru.

The strongest in the world.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Welcome...! Nissan?"

Yūji doesn't understand why Satoru carries her and hugs her so fast, so tightly. She clings to him out of inertia, gladly receiving the older one's affection. Half-drooped glasses expose his restless, worried eyes, mind on a thousand things at once. Catastrophic possibilities where they get that Yūji is here. Where they realize she is alive and contains a good part of Sukuna intermingled with her. Satoru inhales and exhales sharply.

He can't let that happen.

He cannot allow them to even touch her.

They would hurt her.

And Satoru wouldn't stand to see his princess hurt.

They won't listen to him. They won't let Yūji stay with him, prove she can hold back the King of Curses. They'll just want to destroy her, but how can they stop it? What other barrier can they add to Yūji's perfect bubble to keep them out? Don't have the right for it.

"If Satoru-niisan saw something that scared him, it's okay. There are a lot of ugly monsters outside." assures Yūji. Satoru sits down, with her still clinging to him.

"Yes... There are a lot of monsters outside. I wish they weren't so bad. It makes me want to cry." Satoru dramatizes with fake sobs and Yūji strokes his hair.

"They don't matter. Satoru-niisan is the strongest! So he can finish them all off and have a good laugh."

Satoru laughs and allows himself to release her a little, look her in the face. Yūji smiles, her cheeks rosy with pink locks framing her. Satoru slides his fingers across the delicate, childlike skin. With a sickening image superimposing itself. A thick rope around her neck, a white kimono, a sad smile on her face.

Yūji about to be executed by her hand...

He could never kill his little girl.

He could never lay a hand on someone so sweet and bright.

And at that it dawns on him that they can't touch him, no they never could. He is a Gojō. The last one left...

What if she were a Gojō?

More importantly: bound to him in such a way that, if she were to be assaulted in any way, it would involve war against all the sourceres families in Japan. It is from that realization that her being splits into two parts. The different thoughts fighting each other to be the predominant one. On the one hand, the idea is great. He just has to make a binding vow with Yūji and they'll be married. The perfect excuse and no one could look in his direction without Satoru thinking it an offense.

On the other why limit it to being an agreement for safety's sake? Why not make it a reality?

Why not have Yūji forever as his wife?

Be the ones to make the Gojō clan once again coarse and the strongest.

To make a family so that they will never be alone anymore, as well as their offspring.

He wants to protect Yūji.

He wants to possess Yūji.

These are two ideas that can go hand in hand, with the difference being that one is more cruel than the other. One involves his lack of boundaries shining brighter than ever. Yūji is a girl, but she's already on her period, her breasts are starting to grow, she's aware of what's going on; with no one to stop it, it's possible to have a wife of ten years and have her give birth to his children.

His own. Not Sukuna's as he would like.

It would be winning from so many points of view.

She kisses him on the forehead and Yūji realizes that something disturbs Satoru. Just like her having Sukuna in her mind. She doesn't know how to help Satoru and it frustrates her a little. She gets up and takes him by the hand to lead him to the movie theater inside the hourse. She puts on the movie they planned to watch today and arrives with a huge tray full of different sweets she prepared.

Satoru smiles at her and looks sad for no reason.

He almost looks like he's about to cry

"I want her to be mine, but... I don't want to hurt her... I don't want to be like Sukuna... Why is this world so cruel to you that you didn't have the chance to do anything?"

"Satoru-niisan?"

"I love you" Yūji smiles and shrugs, happy and sorry at the same time. "I love you too much" Satoru takes off his glasses and smiles pained at her. "I would have wished we were in another situation... One more... Same."

"But then I wouldn't be your princess and I like being your princess." replies Yūji puffing out her cheeks and Satoru laughs throwing his head back a little.

"You would be. There's no way you wouldn't be my princess" Satoru states and his lips quiver. "My girl... My Yūji... I love you too much..."

"I wish we were on equals positions so hugging each other wouldn't mean breaking you."

"Don't think sad thoughts," Yūji orders. You take a mochi and Satoru opens his mouth, letting her put the sweet on his tongue. "I'm fine. Sukuna didn't bother me today and we're going to watch a magic movie You have no right to be sad!" she points her finger at him and Satoru gives a military salute.

"As you command my captain."

Yūji jumps up to sit between Satoru's legs, who hugs her back and loses himself in watching her for moments. Saying yes to anything she asks if she saw, if it's possible for a castle to walk, if it's possible to eat a star, if it's possible that even in a war, you can run away to love yourself far away.

"Are you my Howl? You are pretty and also very dramatic."

"How mean you are, I'm not a dramatic crybaby!" Satoru pulls her cheeks and Yūji whines, "But yes, I'm very handsome. I'm beautiful" Yūji laughs, "And you're my perfect Sophie."

"This is our palace!"

"And we can fly."

He takes her outside and floats for pleasing her, for making her laugh at looking like the movie. At each more and more childish and tender thought, Satoru ends up crying without Yūji understanding why.

Only Satoru feels guilty about something and doesn't want to tell her.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

His doubts are indifferent to a single fact: Yūji must be part of the Gojō clan, must be bound to it by more than sentimental ties. That realization has him unable to sleep well. Suguru notices, unfortunately.

"Now what's got you so tired?" his friend asks and Satoru sighs.

"Jujutsu society sucks don't you think?" Suguru laughs, what a way to start. It's nothing new for Satoru to express his contempt for this world, "having to look for a girl to eventually have to kill her Can you imagine her being less than four years old?"

"I don't think she's that young."

"Neither do I, but it doesn't take away from the fact that she's a child. I hate children, but not enough to throw them off a cliff." Suguru shakes his head. His usual fake and oh-so-calm smile giving a comical glint for the image.

He sees Satoru quite capable of it, actually. At least in his mind. In reality, he is aware that it wouldn't happen.

"We don't have to" Satoru narrows his gaze at him, seeing him over the top of his glasses. "We're the strongest. If we ever find her, whoever she is... just keep it a secret." he whispers with a wink and Satoru smiles, as wild and amused as only he is.

"You're too well-behaved to do that."

"That'll be our perfect facade." he justifies holding up his hands and shrugging. Satoru laughs and pats him a couple of times.

"I'll count on you if we find that girl." Satoru stands up from his seat and stretches, ending up putting his hands on his waist. "That's what good people do Isn't it? Bad things for a real good and not supposed salvation... fuck most of them."

"If we have to kill a girl to save the world, maybe it's not worth it to be saved." opines Suguru looking skyward."

Satoru presses his lips together, a rueful smile on his lips. Maybe that's true... and it only justifies more and more his act of hiding Yūji. Of keeping her tucked away in his house. Of her not being in contact with this horrible world that doesn't deserve her. That is going to kill her.

No one deserves Yūji.

Only Satoru.

And just as he's been doing everything to protect her, he'll add the next layer to that protection.

One that makes him happy, █████ and sad at the same time.

Notes:

The black blocks are a lil game. It's part of the worst side of Gojo and he doesn't aceppted that part of him yet. That's why it is a █ and not letters. If any of u want it, u can't try to guess uwu

Im doing a lil' contest. The winners can have a free commission :D it can be of Jujutsu or any fandom (as long as I belong to that fandom). Here the Link uwu
Thanks for the support :D this is gonna get wild soon. See u in three days uwuwuwu

Chapter 3: III

Yūji's concern is obvious. She does not hide from him that they are looking for her, that they want to kill her. In part, it is something Yūji already knows. It just came back to her memory as a bad memory. Satoru takes her hands and presses them between his, causing golden eyes to lock onto his. Uncovered and shining.

"There is a way to protect you. Of keeping them from hurting you," Yūji leans forward a little, curious, "and that's by marrying you with me."

"Marrying us?" She repeats in confusion.

"I am the last heir of the Gojō clan, of the Six Eyes, my cursed technique is unrepeatable. With that, my family is very important remember?" Yūji nods. "If I make you my family, if I turn you into a Gojō, they won't have the right to try to assassinate you. Not even because you're the recipient of Sukuna." promises Satoru with a smile.

Truth be told, I was hoping Yūji would agree quicker instead of getting all worked up about how much he can be thinking! If it's an easy solution and doesn't involve anything critical.

"But... people who get married because they love each other" Yūji pouts and his eyes expose insecurity, almost sadness. "Satoru-niisan wants to marry me? I'm dirty... And Satoru-niisan is very important."

"You're important to me! Which is what matters... Yūji" Satoru pulls her closer to himself. "I love you. I love you more than you can imagine or understand at this age" Satoru clarifies somewhat nervous of her concerns. "You're not dirty: you're special, strong and you'll be capable of many, many things. I want to be there to see you, to help you, to teach you... just as I am there to take care of you now" he smiles broad and loving. Yūji's lower lip trembles and his eyes water, "You're going to be the most beautiful woman in the world, you're going to help a lot of people too. That's why you have to live."

"I have Sukuna inside. He is evil. He kills people. How can I help anyone? Maybe I deserve to die."

"No. You don't deserve to die. And if they made you think that, they're the ones who deserve to die."

Yūji sniffles. She doesn't want to be a danger. Much less have Satoru be bad because of her. Let him worry more than he already does. He loves him dearly and wouldn't want another responsibility to be added on. For a moment she thinks about how she wants to get out of the house, to be found and not be a nuisance to Satoru.

And the thought of not seeing him again prevents Yūji from doing so. Sleeping with him and spending long afternoons or nights lying on top of each other. The idea of getting married is very nice! It makes her very happy. She'd like to say yes, but is it enough for Satoru with how important it is? With how bright and heavenly he is.

Like some kind of deity among humans and her with the devil intermingled in her soul, waiting for the moment to destroy that divine creature.

"I was born to bring Sukuna." stammers Yūji broken and trembling.

"You were born to accompany me and I was born to accompany you. We were born for each other," promises Satoru carrying her. "Don't overthink it, princess; let's enjoy our life and our world without others interrupting it thinking they know more about us. It is our reality. No one can break it."

She hugs him by the neck and Satoru strokes her back. Yūji sniffles and rubs her cheek with Satoru's shoulder.

"I do want to marry Satoru-niisan."

This way she is in his arms, makes Yūji  to miss the triumphant smile on his face, the glow of victory and joy at the fulfillment of his wish, his most enormous and longed-for whim: Yūji is going to be his by divine law and that, they cannot change. They will not be able to alter it.

Not even Sukuna could interfere.

. . .

Satoru bought her a nice dress. He asked if she wanted a kimono or a dress and she wanted a dress. It has a huge tulle skirt with lots of glitter. It's not really necessary. It's pure ceremony and Satoru's whim to make her happy in something he had to push for because he wanted to. To compensate for the strength so be it in a debatable way.

He took her to a hairdresser quite far away, she chose a hairstyle with flowers in her hair; the excuse is that she will be the flower girl at a wedding. Satoru bought rings, bought food, bought himself a suit, took care of a gift for his future wife and in the end all that was left was to get dressed up for the moment when they would do it.

Yūji was able to dress herself, even with that she ended up long after Satoru, who waits leaning against a pillar of the house, looking up at the sky turning purple. Floating lights in the surroundings illuminate the small garden space where he will make the binding vote. She turns when she hears footsteps and finds Yūji playing with her skirt.

Twirling in herself and moving it with her hands. A gesture so childish that it makes her pulse race.

She's barely going to be ten years old.

She is still a little girl.

She's barely two months into her period.

She's too little.

It's a wedding vow...

If it's not consummated in ten days, it's going to be annulled.

If you don't claim her in ten days, you're never gonna be able to have her.

Can you really...?

"Satoru-niisan! Taran!"

...do that to her?

Yūji bows taking the skirt of the dress and straightening up with her hands together, red face and noticeable emotion. Satoru bows likewise, one hand on his chest and eyes closed. His hair combed back and a lock coming to his face. His eyes restless and somewhat teary from seeing her being so cute.

Wondering again: Why did they have to find out she exists? Why didn't they give her more time to enjoy being a girl?

She walks around swinging her hand, attached to her skipping every boulder on the ground. In the center of the candles and where the decorative stones are conjured, Satoru joins hands with Yūji. She notices that there is a slight ripple of energy flowing between the two. Consequence of what Satoru does.

"Remember what I told you about them being binding vows?"

"Uh... Yes! Like a deal with the other person. It must be fulfilled yes or yes what was talked about or the person dies." Yūji sums up and Satoru smiles weakly, happy that she does have that in mind.

"With this binding vow, I promise that from today until the day of my downfall, I will be in body, mind and soul for Itadori Yūji, soon to be Gojō Yūji; she my life partner in both good times and bad; in sickness, troubles and misfortune as well as in health, joys and victories" Satoru enunciates and Yūji presses her lips together, feels a small burn where the ring he put on her ring finger is. "Everything I have, from riches, property and power also in your name; the only condition to be considered in this vow, is the honest and kind company of Gojō Yūji until the fall of both of us."

Satoru stares at her. He expects her to accept. He expects no more than that.

"I want to be forever with Satoru-niisan. Then we won't be alone and his pretty eyes won't have tears because he's alone again. He's going to be my knight, king and prince at the same time. I will accompany him always." promises Yūji with a smile.

Satoru feels the same burn, but it's not something he cares about. Too many mixed emotions and thoughts inside his body and soul. Joy fills him, for Yūji accepted him and now the vow is done.

Fear fills him, for she will think him a monster before long.

He carries her carefully so as not to tear her dress and although he thought to kiss her on the forehead as usual, Yūji grabs him by the cheeks to join lips with him. It's so simple and so innocent. Yūji wipes her face with his hands.

"Don't cry, Satoru-niisan. You don't cry at weddings."

"True." he laughs awkwardly and hugs Yūji against himself.

He could hide that agony in one way: now Yūji is safe. No one could threaten her anymore. The only problem is and will remain Sukuna, but even he is no threat in Satoru's eyes.

The rest of the evening was not much different from what they always do. Eating talking about anything that comes to his mind, playing together; the biggest difference is that instead of watching TV until the wee hours of the morning, Satoru spent long hours teaching Yūji how to dance. Until he saw her yawning and couldn't do it anymore from exhaustion.

Contrary to what could be, he left Yūji in the room full of plush toys and went to his own.

To not sleep at all, trying to think of how not to feel like the worst piece of shit on the planet for what he has to do.

For Yūji it's very strange. He thought Satoru would be more animated now that they're married, that they'd make jokes about it, but he's worried. Yūji doesn't understand what it's about, she just doesn't like that he's like this. He's less Satoru-niisan and more his dad when mom was acting weird out of nowhere.

Yūji didn't see him all day even though Satoru was home and when he did, his presence felt anomalous to him, almost alien and unfamiliar. He looks at her strangely. His whole being has some difference and makes her think of the cult people. Who came and went asking Sukuna to have them among his favorites when he took the world for himself.

Asking his wife to be gentle with them as well.

Sukuna said the same thing over and over again: perverted pigs who think I will share my wife.

Today, having Satoru with this feeling so... Violent? Wild? But sad in him, Yūji just manages to be afraid of him and Sukuna's comment this time is different:

He doesn't change much from the others... poor jerk, in the end he's the same kind of pig as the others. Hahaa... Let's see how saintly your savior is.

Yūji puts her hands together.

And let's see how far you dare to go.

"C-come here..."

Yūji takes him by the hand, hesitant and uneasy. Satoru leads her inside the room and makes her sit on the futon. Restless, thoughtful, as if he wants to do something else and doesn't dare to. Shaky as a leaf, restless as never before and a trait that looks terrible on him: insecurity.

Yūji inertia shies away when he tries to touch her on the cheek, frightened by his behavior and presence in general. Satoru opens his eyes wide, terrified that he has caused her the slightest disquiet. She exclaims in fright and a bit of pain, caught in the grip on behalf of the white-haired man and sole heir of the Gojō clan.

"There is... No one... No one... Who I love in this world.... Only you" Yūji is barely able to contain the panic in her body. Satoru in front of her, grabbing her face and saying this with such a strong level of feeling, but with something that sounds wrong. "And I have no one but you... " Yūji feels suffocated in the sudden embrace, so strong and distressing. "I don't want to hurt you. Please believe me I don't want to hurt you."

It was a very strange night.

Satoru insisted on telling her that, but Yūji felt all the time that he was able to do it. Though with his basic reasoning because of her age, he supposes it's the difference.

He can do it.

He just doesn't want to.

And he apologizes because he feels he has to hurt her.

It's complicated.

Yūji doesn't like it.

Just like she doesn't like to see Satoru crying. She hadn't seen him like that before and having done so only brought more pain to her chest, assuring him that she will love him no matter what.

The next night was strange. Because he was in his room and called her to sleep there. It hadn't happened for a long time. He is also wearing a yukata instead of his usual clothes. The door closed, small candles lighting around. She sat between his legs and for fifteen minutes, Satoru just hugged her. He caressed her arms and kissed her head. Then the strange thing happened: Satoru undressed her and left her totally naked. He embarrasses her, she doesn't know how to cover herself or what to do. He insists that she doesn't. His huge hands cover her developing chest, her breasts barely present and shyly exist. Satoru senses Yūji's riotous heart and so he presses kiss after kiss to her head. Huge, cold hands massage the peach skin; Yūji with pursed lips and heat slowly emerging to her private parts.

"N-niisan-"

"Tell me by name Okay?"

Yūji swallows hard.

"Sa-Satoru What are you doing? Y-you said that no one must touch me."

"And I also told you that only I could do it Right?"

Yūji nods softly and squeezes one eye. Satoru gently pulls on one of the brown nipples and continues in massaging her small breast. Satoru breathes heavily, feeling his whole body burning with anticipation, animal desire and a note of nervousness. His member hardens little by little. A more he caresses the girl's body between his arms.

Yūji lets out a moan as Satoru's right hand moves down to her crotch. He massages the vulva on top first. The mound of flesh small and hairless; then he slides down, index and middle finger stretched out, brushing the clitoris and labia. Yūji holds it by the wrist, nervous. His strength is nil in contrast to Satoru's, so it is useless. The teenager starts rubbing the cavity.

He stimulates it.

He makes sure Yūji feels it well even if it is mixed with the inevitable confusion.

Yūji gasps and tries to cover his mouth. Not to expose the very embarrassing sounds coming out of it. Satoru, though he rushes through this, feels it deep down and enjoys it in that area of his being. The dark, twisted and more selfish one. The one that enjoys listening as Yūji's moans rise in volume, his crotch growing slimy and throbbing; the flesh opening up, stretched by the invasive digits. First one, then two, and by the time there are three, Yūji whimpers, drooling and shivering with a hot body.

Reactions that Satoru enjoys all too much. So much so that he lets out a stifled, awkward moan, withdrawn into himself. Yūji inhales and exhales, with her husband slack behind her back. He notices something wet below her and well, Satoru reached orgasm without even touching himself. Despite this, the erection of his penis persists and his mast hardness has not changed at all.

Satoru places Yūji on the bed, with the girl covering her chest with her arms. Grief-stricken. Satoru, hands resting on either side of her, looks at her at length. He enjoys the image, the smell, the sounds she utters. Yūji being erotic for the first time in her life and Satoru has no way to adore it anymore. He opens his yukata, keeping it on, but outside. His chest, abdomen and all of him exposed.

Yūji stands for a couple of seconds looking at the long, raised phallus, from the tip drips viscous translucent liquid that falls on the small childdish thigh. Yūji breathes through her mouth, nervous. This is a bit like her dreams.

When Sukuna spreads her legs open.

When Sukuna rapes her without hearing her or noticing her whimpers.

"Why are you crying?" asks Satoru in a soft voice.

Yūji brings her hands to her face. She doesn't want to feel that, nor does she want Satoru to be the one to do it. He's not a monster, Yūji doesn't want to hate him or remember him doing the same thing as Sukuna. Yūji squeezes her legs together and whimpers.

"I don't want to go on. It hurts. It always hurts so much. Let's go to sleep." Yūji speaks between sobs. Her golden, watery eyes on Satoru's.

"No... We have to keep going. It won't hurt," Satoru assures him. "I'll do everything so it won't hurt. Y-you'll be fine."

The idea comes like an arrow to his brain. He moves down the female body, spreading her legs with light force and thrusting his face in between. Yūji gives a shriek of surprise What does he think he's doing!? Her desperate moans and groans come back through Satoru's tongue. The older teen thoroughly enjoys running his tongue over the erogenous area. Savoring every fluid, memorizing with his tongue the texture of every little part. He grips Yūji's buttocks and part of Yūji's thighs, thrusting his tongue in as he sucks.

Yūji pulls him by the hair, cries and says about the strange sensation threatening his body. He cries out at the unfamiliar sensation which, despite his fear, is a good thing. It feels good. It feels insanely good. It leaves her seeing stars and shaking from head to toe. Satoru keeps his eyes on her reactions, making sure she enjoys it and it's radically different from her nightmares with Sukuna.

And it is.

Yūji forgets how to formulate words from having orgasm after orgasm. Her body filled with heat, sweat and her own intimate fluids. Satoru licks his lips and breathes shakily, again erect in front of Yūji who rests on the bed with an unconscious smile. He spreads her legs gently, rubbing the tip of his penis against the moist, pink folds. He grabs her by the hips which he can almost encircle from how wide his hands are and how small Yūji is still.

Yūji reacts half-heartedly. She realizes that something large is pressed into her vagina, but unlike her nightmares, it's not something monstrous that breaks her whether she wants it to or not. It goes in slowly. Satoru makes sure to do it slowly so as to be welcomed into the tight, soft flesh without breaking her completely. It bleeds. It's inevitable, but Yūji doesn't moan much.

On the contrary, he moans, his skin bristles and his body contracts. He brings his hands up to her chest and massages it, playing with the almost flat chest and the raised nipples. Once all inside Yūji squirms.

"S-sa... Satoru is... Inside..."

"Does it hurt?" he asks quietly, fearful. Yūji nods his head.

"It hurts a little, but it doesn't feel ugly" Yūji mutters looking down there. Where they join. There is a presence of white hair, almost transparent; his own body with a curvature resulting from the invasion. Yūji lets out air, bringing her hands down. "Satoru feels better than Sukuna. I like Satoru better."

Satoru purses his lips, wanting to cry. Even with that comparison he can't feel good about doing this. At least the healthier side of his conscience. The other side, the one that just stares at her in absolute fascination is brimming with joy. He embraces her and Yūji snuggles against him, closing the eyes at ease without the tingles in her body stopping.

The pain subsides so quickly.

And when Satoru moves, it feels so good.

She hears him moaning, feels his big, warm body against her small, spongy one. He holds her so tightly that Yūji knows she won't break. After all, Satoru holds everything of her.

It's cute.

She concludes that it's evidence that he really loves her.

Like real husbands and wives.

 She scratches him on his back, clings to him knowing it's going to happen and when Satoru reaches orgasm, leaving his seed inside the pink-haired girl, it's a mix between him and her. Gasping with her mouth open and unable to string together any thoughts. Satoru grabs her face, kissing her desperately. Yūji squeezes her eyes shut, confused by the tongue invading her mouth, but enjoying the sensation the contact brings. Satoru makes small circles on Yūji's back and as he pulls away he takes a sharp intake of breath.

"I love you."

Yūji pushes his hair away from Satoru's face, awkwardly and somewhat roughly.

"I love Satoru." she presses her cheeks together and gives him a simple touch with her lips. Satoru lies back with her embrace, not pulling away or undoing the bond. A shiver runs down his entire back. Smiling at the mere thought:

Yūji is completely mine.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru hasn't touched her like that again.

He seems to avoid it. Yūji doesn't look for it either. She was in a lot of pain when she woke up the next day. The best part of it, is that Satoru stayed with her caressing her abdomen. It made that discomfort subside very quickly and easily.

On the other hand, it is inevitable that some discomfort and fear will remain because of this. While husbands do it, she wasn't exactly ready for this. It reminds her a lot of Sukuna and that's why she was afraid of it. The thought of Satoru doing it too is terrifying. It has her quite sad.

Thanks to the distance and that there has been no hint of it again, Yūji has started to collect confidence that Satoru wouldn't do that without her wanting him to. He is good. He cares a lot about making her happy.

Satoru has a very long mission, one that keeps him from being at home. Yūji doesn't like solitude. Silence in the manor house so huge he gets up from his seat and walks to the garden. Yūji goes to the pond and looks at her reflection. The only problem, she sees Sukuna there. His red eyes and markings give him away. They make it known that it's not her despite looking that way.

Feeling lonely? You little whore.

"That's a bad word and an insult. Don't call me that." argues Yūji.

It's the title you deserve.... Or do you think you don't? Spreading your legs to the one who was supposed to be taking care of you.

"Satoru-niisan just-"

He's using you as a cock-warmer. Like a doll slut or just a whore.

Yūji purses her lips, hating Sukuna's laughter. Whether he's part of the lake or not, she'll hear it in her head. Having somewhere to look makes the unpleasant communication between the two of them easier.

"You're such a jerk why do you always bother me, why do you make me have nightmares! What do you want from me if I never bother you!" she claims almost hysterically, spoiled and sulking that unlike Satoru, Sukuna doesn't care for her in the slightest. He just annoys her. He teases her as he knows he annoys her. It's-

"It's a punishment, of course. Did you think you could do whatever you wanted?" Yūji is silent, confused and stunned. "You are my belonging, Itadori Yūji; one who let herself be touched, deflowered and still spreads her legs for another man" She steps back a couple of paces, but the glare increases, she pulls away, begins to transform. "You don't seem to understand the basis of your existence..."

Yūji trembles, letting go small, soft whimpers of confusion, of fear.

"You are mine. You are my belonging" Out of the water, arms come out. Thick, full of black marks, just like in his dreams. They grip the edge of the pond. "You are my wife" Another pair of arms emerge. Huge hands with black fingernails and scarred veins. Yūji falls to the ground, pale to death and her eyes restless. "And I'm never going to let you go. I'm never going to let you be happy" Sukuna's face emerges. The short pale hair, the four eyes, tattoos and the huge smile disfiguring his huge face. "Until you understand how wrong you are to think you can belong to anyone else."

"Sa-Sato... Sato-"

The words don't come out of her. Terrified. This is the real world Why is Sukuna here? Is he going to come out of the lake? What if he gets to her? Her body aches at the thought of it. Squeezing her legs together and wanting to vomit making her gag.

"No matter what way they try to use to get you away, I'm going to go get you and make sure..." Sukuna crawls out of the lake little by little. Long, thick tears escaping from Yūji because of how terrified she is. "We're gonna be together. Because you are" The huge smile and bright eyes are the only thing visible with the huge shadow above Yūji. "Mine... Just, mine, Yūji."

Sukuna laughs in her face, laughs at how much he can scare her and how easy it is for him to manipulate her tiny little mind. So fragile that it's only a matter of time before she gives in. Yūji ends up throwing up, turning to do so on the floor and not noticing any of it happened. Sukuna isn't there, what is are the black marks that glide, disappear and emerge again, the open eyes and a few more along her arms to watch her suffer.

. . .

Satoru bows his head Where is Yūji? She always comes to greet him. Before calling, throwing a tantrum to get her here and maybe playing with it, trying to cheer her up for her constant sadness since that happened, he stays in his place.

Why does feel Sukuna?

He is very strong.

He takes off his shoes in a hurry and appears in the room where he senses it. He finds Yūji in the corner of the room, sweating to the point of being drenched, hair in disarray, eyes wide open and hands over her mouth. Her golden eyes now fixed on him, as well as the eyes occupying her cheekbones.

If you continue to be very stubborn, I will kill him.

Yūji gives a sob, high-pitched and choked, opening her eyes wider and flattening herself against that small corner.

I'll be sure to make you swallow his eyes. Since you like them so much, you spoiled, stupid, given-away whore.

She shakes her head and Satoru reaches for her.

I just need the body... one... minute-

"Nothing he tells you is true," Satoru says without thinking. He takes off his glasses and looks into her eyes. "That he's going to kill me, that he's going to torture you... he can't do any of that do you know why?" Yūji sobs and sniffles. "Because you're strong... You're a very strong girl. One makes him scare and ask permission" He takes Yūji's wrists carefully and lovingly. "You see when he spoke to you? When I was away, because with me here, he cowers. He's a coward. He's useless" He kisses Yūji's wrist. "And you so precious and strong that he is unable to exist without you."

The way Yūji curves her lips gives her tenderness. He gently pulls her in, pulling her up onto his lap and kisses the top of her head. Yūji sobs and ends in tears so heartfelt and sincere that Satoru's heart shrinks.

"It's okay, I know it scared you a lot. I'll try to come back sooner so he won't do it again" He doesn't promise, he can't. Yūji clutches him tightly, similar to when he had her for one night. "I know what you think I'm like him, but I-"

"S-Satoru is not like Sukuna. He's not mean. He doesn't want to hurt me. He never wants to, even when he does." Yūji babbles awkwardly and barely comprehensible. Satoru's eyes water. "Don't leave me. Please. I'm afraid to be without Satoru."

"I would never leave you Yūji. Even by dying I couldn't leave you."

Sukuna, deep down in Yūji's consciousness gives annoyed snorts. Try as he might to reach out to her, he can't. Not with Satoru distracting her. It's such a nuisance...

He must end Satoru, otherwise, not only will he take advantage of the goodness of his soon-to-be wife, he might also go so far as to prevent his resurrection.

"Son of a bitch."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Ho... Hokkaido."

"Yes~ I decided that I'll use my days off, taken by force, for us to take a trip" announces Satoru smiling. "I bought you clothes for this. Also a bag Isn't it cute?"

Yūji looks through all of Satoru's purchases. Clothes, swimsuits, beach hats, the pink backpack in the shape of a bunny. Yūji hugs it against her chest and Satoru tugs on her cheek, snapping a picture of it. His goofy smile, the one that becomes more common, present on his face. "Yūji-chan is so adorable! I want to eat her up with kisses!

Yūji laughs, hugging him back and rubbing his cheek with Satoru's cheek who throws little kisses in the air.

The Hokkaido trip was spectacular. So much so that she didn't think about Sukuna once. Just as Satoru intended. He must keep his little girl happy so she won't be tormented.

And that he is very good at.

Just as he is the strongest sorcerer in the world.

He is the person most capable of making Yūji happy.

A title he cherishes as much as that of his supremacy in the Jujutsu world.

"Training?"

"Yep. When we get back, we'll initiate Excited?" Yūji shakes her head in the affirmative, eyes bright and excited.

"Will I be able to fly like you?"

"Maybe~ it depends on how much of a case you make for me."

"Okay!" Yūji gives a military salute and Satoru takes another picture of her.

Ah, she really is so cute .

. . .

"Before we start training I have a surprise!" Satoru announces with a thumbs up. Yūji balances on her feet. She wears a red sweatshirt -Satoru finds that color looks great on her-, and black shorts. "I had it tucked away, but you were so nervous that it wasn't going to have the same effect. Now that you're calmer and we've sent Sukuna to hell: I can give you my wedding present." He clasps his hands together and smiles excitedly

"Gift from...? But I don't have anything." Yūji puffs out her cheeks. She can't get out of here to at least try to buy Satoru something.

Or do something and not let him know about it. Satoru is the one who buys everything.

"In my family, it's the groom who gives gift" Satoru explains. "Usually it's the family, but since there's no one! I do it myself. It's a nice tradition. The only one that works" he scoffs shaking his hand with disinterest. Yūji considers it an excuse: Satoru enjoys giving gifts and that's the end of that discussion. "So... Thank you for being my wife! Itadori Yūji!"

Yūji takes the box and shakes it. It doesn't sound like there's anything inside. When she opens it she is surprised by what jumps out and her eyes instantly light up with illusion It's a tiger cub! She perceives it differently than holding a dog or cat in her hands. She takes it out of the box, it is very light. It barely has any weight to it.

"My teacher can do cursed plush doll creatures. He's as alive as he looks" Satoru announces squatting down next to Yūji. "He's going to grow, he needs to eat, but he's not going to do you any harm. It's your new companion.

"Is it really for me!?" she asks euphorically, clasps it to her chest and the tiger wags its paws, tongue out and ears floppy with pleasure. Yūji feels warm.

"Yep~ All yours! It's ugly to be so lonely. I'd like to get a way for you to go out and have friends, but with the death threat on top I had to make another barrier" They both look up. There is a translucent layer not seen before. Evidence of how thick the protection is. "So this should take care of it."

"Thanks!" Yūji hugs Satoru, squashing the tiger between them. "You're the best husband in the world!" The kiss on his temple twists his glasses. Satoru smiles, happy to hear her say that.

There's nothing he wants more.

Yūji sets the tiger down and Satoru gets up equally.

"With that finished... To training! You won't be the strongest sorceress in the world just because you're pretty!"

"Okay!"

Chapter 4: IV

Yūji has inhuman strength, probably why she's able to hold Sukuna back. That part had Satoru at ease. He knew he could be a little tougher on her. However, when it comes to cursed energy is another story. Yūji doesn't seem to have much of it herself, so it will be a job of growing it and handling it at the same time.

As a teacher, Satoru is quite imaginative. From doing acrobatics while holding MinMin (who measures if she doesn't get the cursed energy flowing), to watching bad movies with the tiger attached and having to shoot random targets as Satoru places them all over the place. Yūji has no technique so Satoru opted for the simple thing: make her build it up in the fists or kicks in case she attacks.

In three weeks, Yūji could already do it perfectly. While he needs to do a little more research on what to teach Yūji, having her stick to a routine like this will help tremendously. Not to mention, she looks happier than before and enjoys her pet this way. MinMin is her training partner. Or at least he'll be a more effective one as he gets older.

It will take a couple of months at most.

In the course of that time Satoru also got something else: kissing and having Yūji reciprocate or seek it out herself. It's the only intimate contact she's comfortable with. A problem begins to emerge: Satoru wants to do other things. While his conscience reminds him a thousand times that he's Evil and this is so fucking bad, he just thinks: she's my wife, I'll make her feel good and we'll enjoy it a lot Why not?

"Can we do it?"

"That hurts." replies Yūji, sitting between Satoru's legs who hugs her. Watching TV together like every night before bed.

"I made it not hurt right? And it felt good" Yūji pouts a little. That's true, however, the thought of repeating it is a little scary for her. "The truth: I like your body so much that I want to touch it, smell it, I like how you were when it felt good" sighs, inhaling the scent of Yūji's head. She smells peachy from the conditioner. "I want to feel you again... Didn't you like having me inside you one bit?"

She presses her lips together, hesitant. Satoru doesn't dare to over touch. He considers that he already applied enough pressure and that, if Yūji says no again, he must give this occasion up for lost. Fortunately for him, Yūji plays along.

"Y... yeah... yeah it felt good to have you inside me, but... it hurt a little bit."

"Owww, I know. It just can't be helped. You're small and I'm big" Yūji pouts and Satoru hugs her. "I promise it won't hurt too much. Really... I want to show you my affection with that."

"Is that what married couples do?"

"Yep. They do it all the time. Because it's a way to bond more."

Yūji rests her right hand on Satoru's, where they have the rings on.

Are you going to spread your fucking legs again?

Did you like feeling a cock inside you that much? Slut.

"Okay... fine... but don't let it hurt!"

You're such a fucking slut.

Yūji wants to ignore Sukuna. To focus nothing more on Satoru. He carried her into the room so they could be more comfortable on the futon. He undresses her carefully and undresses himself completely. It helps her feel less vulnerable. She sees him thanks to the light on. His muscles barely defined and lean; the pale skin in contrast to her; the hair falling over his face and the bright eyes in the absence of glasses.

Satoru takes her face gently and kisses her, hunched and slow in his touch. Excited to get to this point and willing it to last longer than in a normal, less careful situation, it would.

There is so much he would like to do and this is his biggest opportunity.

Yūji really likes kisses, also having Satoru caress her face and arms. He notices it in her blushes and that she doesn't tremble from it. When she touches his chest, it's a different story. She is shy, the concept of shame more installed in her system.

"When you grow up, you're going to have very nice breasts," Satoru assures her, massaging his fingers into the warm area. Yūji looks at him doubtfully. "Even now I love them. They're so soft." He blows a kiss between them and Yūji comes to laugh."

"They're not there. They don't grow yet. Satoru has."

"Maybe a little bit. I'll exercise more to make them bigger." he informs and Yūji laughs again.

By accident Yūji sees below, Satoru's crotch just slightly hardened, the whitish hair barely noticeable because of how condensed it is in front. Satoru noticed this and opted for the next best thing: start masturbating Yūji to make penetrating her easy. He used fingers, lips, tongue and leave Yūji almost broken down on the futon, vibrating from so much orgasm produced and a silly grin on her face.

Although tight, at least three fingers already fit in her vagina, he inserts his little finger and with his thumb plays with her sensitive clitoris, bringing out louder and louder exclamations of pleasure until she contracts, arched on the bed.

Satoru carefully spreads her short legs and reaches between them, holding his member as he directs it and begins to thrust in. Yūji holds onto Satoru's arms, nervous. Halfway in, tight and feeling like he's going to explode inside Yūji, he lies on top of her, kissing her face and stroking her sides.

Being finally inside Yūji gives an uncomfortable moan. Satoru tilts his head and looks into her eyes, resting his forearms on either side of Yūji's head.

"What do you want me to do?"

Yūji takes a deep breath and for several minutes, sees only Satoru's calm, patient countenance.

Giving decent treatment to a whore like you is a crime.

"I want... Kisses?" he says softly and Satoru giggles with tenderness. "And-and... And for you to say... nice things... to me."

Things to hush what Sukuna won't stop saying.

Satoru grabs her face and kisses her on the forehead just to initiate. Their lips firmly pressed together.

"You are the most" A second kiss, "beautiful girl" A third, "of the world" Goes down to her nose, kisses the tip. "You are beautiful" Kiss on the right eyelid. "You are strong" Kiss on the left eyelid. "You are funny" Kiss on left temple, "You have the most charming laugh in the world" Kiss on right temple. "You have a brilliant mind, though slow" Yūji laughs at that. Satoru kisses her on the lips. "You are my world..." Another kiss on the lips. "My reason to be happy" Another one, reduced in comparison, "and I don't know what I'd do without you."

There is something inside Yūji too happy. She wouldn't know how to explain it even if asked, but the more kisses she gets from Satoru, the more it grows. As if it is her soul reacting in joy to receive these words that she takes for granted are sincere. Satoru kisses her on the chest, holding the small mounds of barely curved flesh.

"You are the brightest star in existence" Yūji feels the face hot with embarrassment, but the body vibrating with pleasure; the manhood slowly sliding in and out, "you are the most beautiful creation" He presses his fingers where the little heart beats, "and it makes me happy the idea that in here, there is a place for me."

"My heart is Satoru's. Until I die." Yūji promises and Satoru feels himself melting on top of her.

In the insanely huge love he has for her. In the satisfaction of being able to please her without hurting for more than a moment. To caress her, to hold her with less trembling, with less insecurity and telling himself that this has already happened.

This will continue to happen

And if he really wants to hate himself, he will do so the day he makes her bleed. Until then what's wrong with enjoying his wife as she enjoys him?

Enjoying together as the married couple they are. Moaning each other's name while there's not enough to hold on to.

Satoru doesn't keep count of the number of times he came inside her. They are infinite at this point. No stamina at all, cumming every five minutes from just listening to her asking for more, to hold her, to kiss her, to touch her; small hands roaming his back, his chest, his neck; cloudy golden eyes fixed on his blue ones in the same state.

He lays her face down, flattening her on the messy futon filled with sweat, intimate liquids from both of them, and saliva dripping off them like animals. He holds her face, sticking a pair of fingers in her mouth for Yūji to suck on and his other hand rubbing her vaginal lips around his cock.

Stimulating the clit that becomes her main focus. Yūji can't hear Sukuna.

He's so far away. He's so buried.

It's as if he doesn't exist.

It's as if nothing exists.

Just her receiving with pleasure and pleasure the cock thrusting in and out of her pussy, hearing Satoru's wet gasps telling her he loves her, how he moans her name over and over; hearing her own buttocks redden against Satoru's groin; feeling the semen spurt out of her entrance with every thrust, where the thick, veiny phallus thrusts in and out of her slim body.

Satoru grits his teeth and the watery moan accompanies his collapse on Yūji, who moans even from feeling her body inflating a little more.

"Th... there... there's... there's a lot of... Satoru of-inside me... Sa... satoruuu... I love Satoru."

He kisses Yūji on the shoulder and on the back of her neck.

"I also love you very much Yūji." whines Satoru without thinking.

Satoru rolls off Yūji, who rolls over on her back and out of inertia, legs spread wide. Satoru tilts his head to the side, panting without stopping: Yūji looks so open and with so much cum spurting out of her pussy. An unconsciously morbid smile emerges on his lips, happy about the mess. Of not feeling his testicles from letting it all inside her.

Somehow, that makes her so much more his.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji has started to feel weird.

A lot of hunger, but also nausea.

Lots of energy and wanting to do everything, but lots of dizziness.

Lots of planning to watch TV late, but falling asleep at six o'clock.

Satoru is also frightened by this variation in her behavior, the problem is that he barely has time to do anything about it. There are suddenly a lot of curses and there is a lot of cleaning up to do. The wizards can't get enough. They barely have time to celebrate Yūji's birthday by taking her to an aquarium to enjoy touching dolphins, seeing a whale shark and other cute things.

The third video he has of her blowing out the candles on the birthday cake, only to get a resolution to the dilemma the next day:

"What if the person is pregnant?"

"How am I supposed to know?" whines Shoko at Suguru's question. The reverse technique is a pain and they can hardly master it unlike Shoko, who is chillingly good at it. It had already been said that she would devote herself to the exclusive use of the reverse technique instead of the offensive one.

Nevertheless, it is something all spellcasters should know. Satoru fares worse than Suguru. It's already offensive on its own.

"Well, you're the one who knows everything. You're like the master of death." Satoru exaggerates an expression and sticks out his tongue veering his eyes upwards.

"The kid just dies and that's it." grumbles Shoko, under the impression that Satoru and Suguru are just teasing her, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Though come to think of it," Suguru rests his chin on his hand. "You could cure a pregnant woman's ailments right?"

"No. Only wounds."

"But if you practiced more, you could."

"Maybe just ease the discomfort."

Satoru diverts attention to something else, not realizing it's not even the same topic of conversation two minutes later. He rambles that... care at home hasn't existed, it's been pretty much established that Yūji can get pregnant having developed; that keeping a count of her period has been impossible, just buy more and more towels, as well as chocolates, medicine and so on.

What if that's what's going on?

She's pregnant.

Did you really get a ten year old pregnant?

"I know I won't be able to fix Satoru's brain. That's beyond saving," Shoko assures him, blowing smoke at him. Satoru coughs and shakes his hand.

"What about your lungs!!! That really needs fixing!" he claims irritably and Suguru laughs no more. Shoko shrugs uninterestedly, grinning at having stung him.

. . .

"How does it work?"

The pharmacy girl can't hold in her laughter. There are customers who are impossible to forget. Satoru is one of them without a doubt. He supposes he has a girlfriend. She reckons he's at least less dumb than other boys his age. Not so more responsible. What is in front of him are disposable pregnancy tests.

He gives her a long explanation so that later there is no confusion in use. Satoru scratches behind his head. He thought about taking Yūji to a hospital, but that would only be a problem. He's a teenager of almost nineteen carrying a girl of ten who is, almost certainly, pregnant. He has no legal guardianship and all the hassle only creates laziness for him.

"If there's... Any reason why they can't or won't have the baby? I know how to help." she informs and Satoru purses his lips.

For one thing... A baby at ten years old? How the hell is he going to take care of it? Either one of them. He only likes Yūji and it's because he fell in love with her. He's not sure if he can handle that. Besides what would a pregnancy be like? Yūji is too small and even if her body says she can, Satoru doesn't consider it feasible.

And then he goes into a different tack: Yūji has superhuman strength, stamina too. It doesn't take away from the fact that it hurts, but within reason she is ten times stronger than a girl her age. Between pregnancy and a miscarriage, the miscarriage could be worse because of her age. That hormonal disaster could leave her genuinely unwell.

If we have a family...

If my children have my abilities...

There would be more ways to care for her.

They wouldn't touch the mother of the heirs of Six Eyes and Limitless.

Those children in question wouldn't allow it.

"No, but thanks anyway." He takes what he's going to pay for and walks toward the cashier, hands in his pockets and gait hunched over, giving the impression that he's a gangbanger.

Before you get any ideas, you have to verify that's really what's going on.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Satoru..."

He exhales loudly, out of four, three were positive and judging by Yūji's nervousness, Sukuna is saying something stupid. He scratches his forehead and rests his arms on his knees.

"In a week's time I'll erect a new barrier: Limitless involves time. If I can make a day away a year here, I won't have to leave at any time other than to bring food and that would be changing a thousand things that must be my headache. Don't be distressed." he asks with false calmness and waving a hand. Yūji purses her lips.

"But... I don't know how to take care of a baby. I didn't want to have a baby either. I don't like playing that game."

Satoru turns her head sharply. Yūji is feminine, but it's true that she's had no interest in that kind of play. Not even with plush stuffed animals in the absence of a doll. Satoru opens and closes his mouth, waving hands. As if that wasn't enough, Yūji interprets it as play.

She's so far from having that in her head, it looks like she's playing.

"It's already there. We can't... Get it out without it doing something bad to you-"

Of course you can. If I kill him, he'll come out very easily.

Satoru clicks his tongue and pokes Sukuna in the eye. He doesn't need her horrible comments. Besides, it only shows him that Yūji is uneasy and that's why the curse managed to surface. "No one asked for your stupid opinion, you piece of shit. Disappear. Go back to your corner. Go on, go on.

You want me to prove it to you? I can do whatever I want to do with my wife. Even make her kill you when you sleep.

Yūji slaps her cheek and to both of their surprise, that's enough to make the mouth disappear and the eye close. They both raise their fists in a gesture of triumph.

"Back... To the problem" Satoru scratches his eyebrow. "I like the idea for several points: it would be a help to protect you. No one would touch the mother of Six Eyes heirs. Also because then they growing up could take care of you" He takes Yūji's hands. "And most honest of all: I want to have children with you. The idea of having many children appeals to me."

"But I don't want to play that game right now." she retorts querulously, almost a tantrum.

"It takes almost a year for the baby to form. Maybe at that time you want to." proposes Satoru and Yūji gives a snort, disappointed.

"Okay... Only if you're with me all the time" He conditions and Satoru nods with a huge smile. "You're going to do my hair pretty, you're going to eat more than candy, and we'll watch movies on Fridays."

"Whatever condition you set, consider it met." assures Satoru and Yūji sways on her feet, still holding on to his hands.

Satoru at some point mentions to him that it would also be very complicated to terminate the one-month pregnancy if he has his math right. Yūji trusts that he is telling the truth and just picks out cute baby things when Satoru takes her to buy those things. They excuse that their mom is having a baby soon. That way no one sees them weird or thinks things that they are. In the end, a room was left bursting at the seams with baby care.

Between that and studying how to make the barrier, Satoru hasn't had time to live. His source of energy is Yūji taking care of him when he comes home at night to continue reading. The best part about having such an ancient technique is that he has an instruction manual. He is not the only one who has had this plan. The difference is that others used it to train to be better.

He will use it to spend time with his wife.

"Infinite Void: Timeless."

Yūji gets a chill as the domain expands. Satoru hopes it's not too obvious from the outside. It takes fifteen minutes to seal it. That no one can accidentally enter. He lets out a breath and takes off his glasses. It works as long as he's inside. So he can go food shopping without delaying a whole month for Yūji in here.

"Well!" He turns to Yūji. He puts his hands on his hips and smiles cockily. "We're already a year in! Let's bring the house down!"

Yūji guffaws and MinMin covers his face with a paw. Remodeling means danger. Just hope no one blows up .

. . .

"It's round."

"Smells good."

Satoru presses his cheek. Yūji is three months old and it's more noticeable than it should be according to maternity manuals. It's probably the consequence of her age. Satoru likes to lie down from there. It smells indescribable, but delicious. It reminds him of a bakery full of freshly baked sweets.

Yūji has a habit of stroking his hair every time she has him that way, ends up with Satoru asleep all the time.

. . .

"Satoru, my chest is hurting."

He puts the book aside and walks over to the girl who keeps sitting on a piece of furniture. He feels the other's chest a little, getting it a little harder. These days, it has developed much more. So it is possible to notice a significant curvature. Carefully he pulls up the shirt he is carrying and tries to perceive it better.

"I think it's just that you develop more" says Satoru and Yūji grumbles. "Maybe if we put something on it will pass... Let's try a hot compress first and then an ice pack. When we see which one works better for you, you use it next time."

Yūji nods in conviction. He jumps up from the couch and with MinMin at her side goes to the kitchen. Satoru was planning to do it himself, but arguing with Yūji now is useless. She's so independent that she'll try to do everything on her own rather than get help.

Except with her cravings.

That's if Satoru has to handle it on his own.

. . .

"Ay Yūji, it's okay. It's a movie."

The girl cries as if her parents have just been murdered again and not that they are watching a movie with a somewhat sad ending. He holds her in his arms and she soaks his sweatshirt in tears. He strokes her back and her hair.

Due to temporary paralysis there is no way to watch television in real time. It's been Satoru's job to bring every movie ever made for these movie watching evenings. They have some things recorded and Yūji repeats them over and over again, but when they're together for this, it must be something new.

"The baby's going to come out as a crybaby if you cry too much."

"I'm a crybaby! And so are you!"

"That's true but let's not make it worse!"

Yūji continues to cry for a while and Satoru can't stop giggling.

. . .

"Didn't you have friends to play with?"

"No. I only had useless adult people around me" Satoru relates, both of them lying on the grass in the garden to watch the stars. Yūji uses MinMin for support. Her nearly five months of pregnancy have made it complicated to maneuver and impossible to train in any way. "Everyone wanted something from me..."

"What did they want?" she turns her head towards him and MinMin raises his head. Satoru purses his lips.

"Everything... they wanted my power, my soul, my whole life" Satoru clasps his hands in his own lap. "For as long as I can remember, I only had their malicious eyes on me and nothing could close them. Just... they were there... in any corner, in any space. All watching me and whatever came out of it.

"Sounds ugly."

"It was pretty ugly."

"but it's not like that anymore... because there's... no one."

"It's better this way!" Satoru exclaims getting up with a start. "I don't need those shitty old people. A father who doesn't care about me just my eyes... and... who only looks at me like an investment at the same time as a monster!" tugs his eyelid and looks away with a frown. "No one was real. Especially him who just wanted to be above everyone, who was capable of throwing curses at me to prove that I'm the strongest. He and they were for something else. Not for me and even though it's lonely like that, I prefer it to having them bothering me... They would have wanted to kill you" He twists his head towards her and Yūji startles a little. MinMin helps her sit up. "Because they would think you a dirty creation... He would have killed you so fast. So cold."

Yūji lowers her head in saddness, inertia bringing her hands to her bulging, large belly.

"They were naturally stupid... even in that situation, even with them there, I would have saved you" Satoru drops his head to even winged and grins as wildly as only he does. "And this would happen... No matter what differences there are, the one thing that will always be repeated, is that I would do anything to help you. To keep you safe," Satoru promises. "And we'll be together."

Yūji smiles, getting up altogether and going to hug him, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Satoru hugs her and exhales loudly, enjoying that soft pregnant stench, mixed with grass.

. . .

Yūji sometimes gets hormone surges.

She gets horny.

Super horny.

It's something she tries to hide because it embarrasses her and Satoru doesn't invade -at all-, her privacy. She in her room -now connected to Satoru's-, has repeated what Satoru has done to her: touching herself, rubbing herself, getting to stick her fingers in and it feels good! She gets a lot. The problem that as the months go by and her belly is too big for her in her short stature, she starts to find it hard to do it.

She feels that she is not comfortable, that she hurts herself by accident and just as her hormones have increased, so has her instinct to take care of herself. The urge to avoid the slightest harm to her kicking and twitching baby from time to time.

So, with unbearable steam plaguing her, she decides to ask her husband for help. Satoru practically threw away all the papers he had on him and took her into a room, happy to be asked for assistance and have the opportunity to touch her.

The first time was in the fourth month. In the living room, Satoru calmly removed her underwear, her legs uncovered by the raised robe. Over some pillows he bent down, making her crotch more accessible. Hair began to emerge. Pink, thin, barely noticeable.

Satoru gasps, eager and smiling, first tucked between the throbbing legs and sniffing deeply at the wet sex. Yūji squeezes the hand on the cushion left free. MinMin outside, not intervening and running away from being a spectator.

He runs his tongue all over the external area and engages in it. Enjoying the taste of the increasingly abundant fluids, accompanied by moans in obvious pleasure. Yūji clenches her right hand and arches slightly, eyes closed and body warm.

It could have been hours that Satoru was there. The only thing they know for sure, is that the result was overwhelmingly satisfying. The girl shivering and smiling with pleasure at the attention and purring with happiness at the gentler pampering of her hair or cheeks.

As with every aspect of their life, it was increasing. It was not limited to oral sex, but also fingers, playing with her vagina that cries out for his cock again; sucking and biting her breasts that start producing milk; kissing for long minutes while touching each other. Satoru doesn't know why he feels this urgency for the smell and sight of Yūji.

As Yūji's belly grows and grows because of the baby inside. Yūji awoke from a nap and what he found was Satoru masturbating next to her, the floor and his hand with copious semen; evidence that it wasn't the first orgasm he'd had. Just the first one to hit Yūji's face.

It finally climbs to the last stage. Satoru thinks his penis and testicles are going to explode if he doesn't have sex with Yūji. In her seventh month, it is already unmanageable for him. Erect, aroused and ready he spreads her legs, but an instant and a comment are enough to stop everything. "No no no! You can't do that! You're going to hit the baby!"

Satoru goes blank for a couple of minutes. He could either die from laughter, from tenderness for the childish image (he should teach Yūji more anatomy) or from dread that Yūji has such a weird image in his mind.

"Yūji, no, the baby is not that close. In fact, it's far away."

"B-but" she stammers apologetically. "Wh-when you put it in it became the baby. I-it's the same thing."

"No. Believe me. It's not... It wouldn't endanger our baby. Nothing's going to happen to it." Satoru assures and Yūji squints. A pleasurable shiver runs up and down her spine at more than the thick, hot length intrudes into her pussy. She moans sharply at the end, when it's all the way in. Satoru smiles satisfied and writhing, it feels so, so good.

He rests his hands on either side of Yūji's head, her childish legs on either side of her hips, bouncing as she bounces as well as almost all of her. The quickening rhythm of Satoru's hips is strong. Making sure to rub Yūji's insides, invading her as far as possible while being hard enough.

Her voice cracks. It gets high-pitched.

Her nipples erect with strands of milk running down.

Her round, hard belly shamelessly lurching.

And he still admires every little detail of his little wife. He clenches his buttocks, teeth and grunts humping, letting out all his seed into the cunt that squeezes and sucks him hungrily for him to continue.

Yūji hugs him as much as she can, seeking kisses and cuddles, excited and shameless to the compliments she receives from her husband. Who calls her the perfect wife. The most beautiful girl of all. The most precious mother. Who feels better than being in heaven. Yūji has orgasm after orgasm, she just enjoys so much affection imprinted on her without qualms.

Though in his conscience he says maybe it should have been the other way around, the closer Yūji gets to giving birth, the more he feels like invading her and possessing her to the point where they don't seem like two bodies.

Turning eight months, in the middle of the room with the doors wide open, Satoru has her jumping on his dick. Her little legs that can no longer stand to set the pace. He's the one pulling her up and down. Watching her hump and stick out her tongue. Her belly full of saliva, sweat and tears.

"Sa-Satoru- i-it's coming out, it's coming out- Ah! Satoru! SATORU!"

He moves his hips at the same time; makes it coincide with each downstroke and thus, the stronger the penetration. The watery cum from how much they do it lately just leaks out of her demanding pussy. Yūji screams mute, eyes wide open and an overwhelming amount of liquid. She stands still, surprised by it. It's not piss, or is it?

"Ow, you learned how to squirm. That's cute." praises Satoru in a purr.

Thanks to Infinity he's able to make her fall without impact to the ground. He spreads her legs as wide as they can and begins to penetrate without any control, making her squeal in crisis of how strange and good her body feels. Her eyesight blurs except for Satoru's eyes. The teenager leans over and sucks on one of the reddened breasts, consuming the milk while making sure to leave just as white liquid in it.

In the ninth month, which is when anything can already be childbirth, Satoru is not able to leave Yūji alone either. Too obsessed with cuddling and fucking her into unconsciousness. His penis begins to live more inside her than inside a pair of pants.

Their prolonged nirvana comes to an end when Yūji suddenly starts squealing one morning and a watery sound came out of nowhere.

"Oh... OH! OOOOOH! DON'T PANIC! THIS IS EAS...!"

"IT HURTS."

"Nope, it's not easy."

Satoru read that it's much better to give birth soaking in a pool so got a tub big enough and cool enough for that. Satoru was scared at first. Yūji went for hours and hours screaming and suffering for a baby that wouldn't come out. To such an extent that she panicked.

"S-Sukuna killed him- H-he killed him and he won't come out," she says through desperate tears. It doesn't work. No matter how hard she pushes, that baby won't come out! "H-he wants to take it away from me." Despite not having a very clear idea of motherhood, it becomes such a horrible notion that it makes her want to vomit, the pallor and weakness in her body flaring up because of that fear.

"No. I see him. It's alive. Calm down. I understand that-"

"HE KILL HIM, HE KILL HIM TOO" Her desperate and outrageous sobs are accompanied by more attempts to push. At this point, Satoru doesn't know what to do. Much less with Sukuna's marks starting to emerge on Yūji's face. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING!? LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME...!" her claim is interrupted by another scream and secondary eyes widen. As well as a mouth on Yūji's cheek.

I warned you that if you kept being a cheating bitch you were going to regret it. Go on, keep screaming, you sound lovely, Itadori Yūji.

Sukuna's taunt sounds even louder in his head. Satoru clicks the tongue.

"Now it's a Gojō, you pathetic parasite- Yūji, you're small, that's all, that's why it's hard for it to come out, you have to try a little harder."

"I CAN'T DO IT HARDER!" claims Yūji, hysterical.

"Do it as far as it hurts and it'll come out! It'll be alive! Come on!"

Yūji grabbed his arm and Satoru had the honest concern that his arm will be broken. His little wife who couldn't even walk the last few weeks squeezes him and screams louder and louder until she hurts her throat; the feeling that her whole body is tearing like it's simple cloth scares hER so much that She just cries and stops.

"No, nonono It's coming out! You have to keep going."

"I-It hurts so much. I don't want to. I-I'm scared-"

"As soon as I'm done I'm going to fix you up and it won't hurt at all."

Yūji shakes her head. Doesn't want to believe Satoru this time. He doesn't know how she feels. She  doesn't want a minute of it. Indifferent to how uncomfortable it is to have part of the head about to pop out. An insufferable contraction makes her squeal and push out of inertia, ending in another scream that leaves her speechless, but the baby has just come out. Satoru pulls it out of the water fast and holds Yūji with his other hand. The baby whimpers and then lets out a scream, crying almost as hysterically as its mother. MinMin arrives with a basket where Satoru puts the baby.

He picks up Yūji and puts her on the floor next to the tub. For a brief moment Satoru sees her: crotch open, the umbilical cord, blood watery and coming out, part of her canal also came out; Satoru puts his hands together in a ritual of inverted technique that achieves what was promised: all of Yūji's intimate part retracts and heals. Exhausted as she is, she is barely able to distinguish Satoru and the tingling all over her body. The teenager carries her and kisses her on the head.

"You did phenomenal, princess. You were very strong. You can sleep for a while if that's what you want. It's okay." Satoru fills her head with kisses and Yūji swoons.

Chapter 5: V

When Yūji wakes up she just wonders: Where is my baby?

Yūji sits up in bed and runs her hand over her abdomen. It's a little bit weird to be almost flat again. The extra flesh feels uncomfortable. She can't get up. Her legs can't stand anything. Satoru enters the room with the world's stiffest posture and the baby in his arms. Clean, dressed and moaning in a not-so-quiet voice.

"I think he's hungry."

Yūji holds him and the same thing happens; she doesn't know how to hold him. Satoru opens her kimono and very awkwardly, they get the baby to eat from the mother's breast. Yūji raises his lower lip and furrows his eyebrows.

This little person... He's very small.

It's very weak.

It's very fragile.

I'm going to kill it... Before you can get him away or anyone can save him... And I'll make you eat his fucking remains so you'll never dare open your legs to a man other than me again, you dirty, promiscuous bitch.

"Satoru Is he going to be okay?"

"Of course he is... He's been crying for you" Satoru rests his cheek on his hand. "He's going to be a mama's boy."

"I don't know how to be a mommy" she whines in fright. "I don't want it to be bad."

"As with everything, we'll figure it out. Don't worry." Satoru winks and strokes Yūji's cheek.

Satoru let Yūji decide the name, considering she made the most effort (not to say almost all of it), so she deserves that distinction. Yūji named him Akihiko and with that, the first heir of the Gojō family is in this world.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Did something happen? You disappeared for a whole day."

"That I'm not a pack mule for the higher-ups. If I want a day off, I got it." Suguru laughs at Satoru's nonchalant and silly way of taking the subject.

The next few days he notices him strange. Not because it's wrong. Being tired is part of being a sorcerer after all, but something seems to be on his mind and he can't possibly dissolve for a second of the day. At the same time, his ability to use cursed energy is much more sophisticated now. More precise. It's like in one day he trains what he has never trained before.

"Oiiiii, Gojō-senpaaaai Can we go to your house?"

"No. I don't want poor people there." replies Satoru with a lollipop on his cheek.

"Who are you calling poor?" complains Nanami, who goes to the other end of the line they make walking outside Jujutsu Tech.

"You people who don't have billion-dollar businesses and a house with more than six differents spaces." His evil laughter spreads and he is only saved that with Infinity around him, no one can hurt him despite trying.

They run off down the hill, laughing and fooling around with each other.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Why are you crying? I don't understand."

Yūji doesn't understand the baby's signals, so it's already more than twenty minutes with the crying creature. It is red and sweaty from so much. Yūji gets exasperated from hearing it so much, shaking the crib "Stop crying!" orders and if she had insisted, she would have broken the cradle. Yūji covers her ears with her hands and looks at MinMin, the now huge tiger who also covers his ears with his paws.

Yūji picks up a pillow and puts it over his face. The sound is muffled, but the baby stirs and whines too much. Let it go on for another ten minutes, she feels funny (like there's something coming out) in her crotch, her shirt wet from milk coming out Frustration is going to drive her crazy! Fluffing her hair and starting to cry.

"Why don't you shut up! I don't know what you want! I don't understand! Shhhhhhh! Be a cute baby and don't cry!" she demands stomping her feet.

If he cries a while longer, maybe he'll die. That wouldn't be so bad.

"I DON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO YOU!"

MinMin rubs the head against Yūji, trying to distract her, but it's too much noise; the awareness that she should do something to soothe her and not knowing what it is; the fear that he really will die because she doesn't know how to take care of him; it's too many things at the same time that end up in both of them crying their eyes out and MinMin wanting to rip her ears off for a while.

"Huh? What's going on here?" The first thing Satoru hears when he arrives is not a welcome but an apparent murder of how loudly they yell.

"HE WON'T SHUT UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HIM." Yūji can't not scream, feeling all her nerves unable to process this any better. Satoru goes to the crib and is shocked to see what Yūji put a wall of cushions and plushies around him. Not just around it, but on top of it too.

"Yūji!" Satoru pushes everything away and only makes the noise worse. "You can't do that, he's suffocating!" he scolds. Yūji squeezes her face with her hands. "You have to feed him. He's only crying because he's hungry."

"How am I supposed to know!? I don't understand! I don't know how to play this!"

Satoru gives an exhausted sigh. He was two more weeks and Yūji didn't seem so lost. Though of course, he was the one carrying the baby for her to feed him and learn more or less how to change him. Even if she read the same as him to take care of the baby, it's clear her lack of understanding to what she doesn't have as much time to play, sleep, watch TV and train.

In terms of responsibility, Yūji is not ready. Mentally she still fails to adjust the idea. Yūji knows she must do something, not what, in what time.

The big conclusion is that he can't leave Yūji alone and after the furor of the moment passes, with Akihiko in Yūji's arms and taking his food, Satoru feels a hint of guilt for scolding her. In itself, Yūji is not to blame. She admitted from the start that she doesn't like "this game" and didn't like the idea of a baby.

She's still too young for this.

"I'm sorry for scolding to you" Satoru strokes her hair and Yūji is still sniffling, face just as puffy as the boy's. "Let's try again so you can take care of him alone okay? MinMin can help you too."

The tiger lays his head next to Yūji's leg, his green eyes on it and ears folded down.

"Can't Satoru stay with me any longer?"

"No. I'll try another time. Gotta keep looking for Sukuna's fingers and pretend nothing's going on here. That I don't have you hiding." Yūji pouts and lowers his gaze. The baby has very, very fine white hair and from the few times he has opened his eyes, they are noticeably blue.

It's still too early to tell whether or not he has Six Eyes. Satoru was premature and it was noticeable from his first year. Although he would like to, he doubts that his son will be the same. Yūji can't resist saying a new concern:

"Do you think I can be a good mom?"

Satoru nods without thinking, squatting down in front of Yūji.

"There are very few things Yūji can't be. One of them, is bad mommy. You just need practice."

Despite being a bit contradictory, her worrying about it helps immensely. That way she doesn't get anxious about Sukuna. The less she thinks about him, the less control Sukuna has over Yūji's body. Satoru took all night to make a rudimentary schedule so Yūji knows what to do while he's gone. Possible times to feed Akihiko, check his diaper and very basic instructions.

If he cries a lot, stick a finger in his mouth. If he sucks it, he is hungry.

If not hungry, check the diaper.

If it's not the diaper, hold him.

If he doesn't calm down quickly, walk him.

Another option: play music and he calms down.

DON'T DO:

Don't put pillows on him.

Don't lay him on his stomach.

Do not give him your food.

Do not stop holding his head.

Don't put things in his hair.

After a week of experimenting, Yūji managed to handle it with those instructions posted in the kitchen. Satoru felt that he could relax and go on with his work without a misfortune happening in his own house.

Because of Akihiko's presence it has become much more exhausting to have a double life. Just taking care of Yūji is manageable. She is very calm and obedient. A baby waking up crying at three in the morning is anything but manageable for him to bear. It helps that his moodiness is through the roof and that, is rare for everyone else. To them, there's no sense in his grumpiness. As far as they are concerned, he sleeps very well in his huge castle in his own territory.

Suguru still has a terrible suspicion that something else is going on and Satoru won't tell him. Whatever the reason, it bothers him.

"Everything okay at home?"

"It's an empty house, obviously everything's fine." he replies with his legs up on his desk table. "Nothing new. It's rather boring." exhales Satoru with annoyance.

I wish it was boring and not a crying baby.

"You know, Satoru, you can trust me if you have any problems."

"Like I have any problems I'm fine!" he replies irritably and Suguru gives a sigh, crossing his arms and legs. As stubborn as ever.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

There's another reason he's in a bad mood: he wants to make love with Yūji, but she's tired. Rightfully so. Training, taking care of Akihiko and also cooking leaves her exhausted. She falls how long she is on the futon without fail. Satoru today decided to cheat a bit on that. After much rehearsing with himself, he managed to remove that dullness with reverse technique.

"I want to do it." Satoru mutters lying on his side. Yūji raises her eyebrows.

"Make love?"

"Yes. I want to" He slides his hand down Yūji's hip to her buttock. "I want to be inside you" He starts kissing her on the head. "I miss feeling you so much."

"But that could make another baby..."

"We could have another year together if that's the case."

The sparkle of excitement in Yūji's eyes lets him know he struck a chord. One that's excited at the possibility; still, the fear for what the whole pregnancy is like in general is obvious. Satoru pouts and stops waving his hand.

"When you were pregnant a lot of things happened too. You felt much better when I touched you, we could do a lot of different things... feeling the baby was also nice" he mentions the good. The only thing that counts as a misfortune is the delivery itself. That maybe this time it can be done better. "Don't you want to have another baby with me?"

"I don't know how to take care of one." complains Yūji. "Babies have to be well cared and loved. I love them, but I don't know how to take care of them." Anxious and scared she gets Satoru to laugh.

"You're a good mom with just that cute concern, Yūji." he praises before pressing his lips together with her.

Undressing her and having her little body in contact with his after four months of doing nothing is divine. It's the best feeling in the world. Even Yūji's delicate and oh-so-special cursed energy in contact with his feels mind-blowing. Satoru wastes no time kissing her, hugging her, biting her, loving her in every way that comes to his mind. From allowing the nakedness of his own body, letting her touch, caress and kiss him at her pleasure to telling her how much he loves her.

Because it's the most sincere thing that will ever come out of his mouth in his entire life.

"I love you" He kisses Yūji on the neck. "I love you so, so much" Satoru presses his fingers into Yūji's back and she continues to arch, receiving inside her the manhood that how many times hasn't made her bleed, but also feel indescribable pleasure for the age she possesses. "You are the most perfect girl in the world, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." Satoru runs out of breath, repeating it endlessly.

Yūji's skin bristles and he can't help but clench her insides, feeling every last inch of Satoru inside her. The swollen, thick, long penis kissing the entrance of her womb seamlessly inflating her abdomen with a graceful mountain. She grabs his face to kiss him, drowning out the moans elicited in the back and forth of the male hip.

Joining their tongue, breath and saliva; stealing the air as if there were no more in the world. Even if Yūji is far beneath what Satoru feels but it is of no less appreciation.

For it is a love that grows along with her and along with the contact Satoru propitiates.

Satoru intertwines his hands with Yūji, wiggling his hips as she strains up and down, the penis as a mere blur in and out of the wet, cum-filled pussy that inflames her more. Her breasts bouncy and curvier thanks to the milk production. Yūji screams silently with her tongue out, not antagonizing Satoru's deep, hoarse moan as she contracts her whole body and has a mind-blowing, long, loud orgasm. Yūji whimpers as she feels the hot liquid take up more of her.

"Sa... Satoru- I-I- n-no more fit..." She rests her hands on Satoru's chest, exhausted and her hair sticking to her back. Satoru puts her back with him back on the bed, rubbing his face against hers.

"One...just one more time."

He gives a couple of kisses behind her ear and lifts himself up a little; he holds her hip and moves again. The familiar sound of their flesh colliding again and again, Yūji's thighs on his and her hands pressed to his arms, scratching at the strongs arms.

By comparison and by how much they've done it, he's not able to do it for that long and when orgasm comes, exhausted and spent as he is, Satoru can only see Yūji pink and spongy beneath him. He embraces her and curls up, falling asleep immediately and without removing his flaccid penis from her.

Yūji strokes Satoru's hair for a few minutes and falls asleep as well. Fortunately for both of them, Akihiko did not cry all night.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Satoru."

The white-haired man smiles excitedly, carrying Yūji who showed him the pregnancy test. Since they made it he started taking them and it already marks positive. He gives her several kisses on the cheek.

"Where do you want to go?" he asks holding her better. Yūji starts to grow too big. "Akihiko needs a walk! And you~ you deserve a prize too for being a good mommy. The prettiest one of all." says nasal and Yūji laughs.

"I want to go to the beach!"

"To the beach!" he exclaims raising an arm and Yūji hugs him by the neck.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

The barrier and the whole process to be a year with Yūji became much easier this time. The best thing about it, is that he can help with Akihiko's care, not to say almost do it entirely on his own. It doesn't bother him. Yūji has more time to play and enjoy her age.

One moment that makes him feel especially bad is watching her playing with Akihiko. The way they both get so self-absorbed with the toy so earnestly makes him drop like a block of concrete that Yūji is too young. He's going to have a year stuck here, taking her away from her eleven years. In just four months he already got her pregnant again.

And maybe it wouldn't have taken him long to do it again either, considering that, now with her pregnancy scent wafting out - even he can't explain how he distinguishes that stench so well - he's just running his hands all over her. He likes touching her and she likes him touching her. Hormones bother her early on and Satoru takes advantage of it at the first lying opportunity.

"Can I be something when I grow up?"

"What do you mean?"

Yūji pouts, her hair covering part of her chest and abdomen barely curved. Three months perfectly elapsed. She turns her head to Satoru.

"Is that... I'm going to be cooped up here my whole life? Satoru said I might get out at some point, but I don't know if that's going to be able to happen. I don't control Sukuna, his fingers don't show up..." Satoru moves a little closer towards her. "I love Satoru very much, but I don't want to just... be... being Satoru's wife."

Why not, Satoru wonders.

"I understand," Satoru replies with false understanding. "Maybe yes or maybe no. it's hard to say" Satoru admits and gives a snort. "It will all be a matter of what I can do with the higher ups. If I get rid of them, maybe you can be free. Maybe-"

"Maybe I can be a firefighter!" she stands up abruptly and though she gets dizzy, she doesn't voice it. Satoru stares at her chest and abdomen and then up at her excited face. "O doctor! So I'd help people!" she crawls over to Satoru and kneels down next to him, "You beat the bad guys and I'll heal the ones I've been hurt by. We'd be together like this! Helping people!"

Satoru has no way to explain to Yūji that people don't matter to him. That, if for him to run, it wouldn't be such a big deal. There are a lot of bad people. For the people who are outside, for those who are not sorcerers, there are curses to begin with; for the existence of them, Yūji was in a cult and so many misfortunes have happened.

However, it's his interest to do that and Satoru doesn't want to destroy her illusions despite being against it.

"You'd make a very sexy nurse." croons Satoru and Yūji nudges him with her hand.

"I'll be a very strong one."

"And muscular. Just perfect."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Crawl to daddy, come on..."

The baby awkwardly advances towards Satoru who receives him in his hands. Despite tickling him, the child doesn't react much, barely a small giggle. When Yūji appears in her field of vision he stretches his arms towards her, whimpering barely slowing to be carried.

"What a spoiled baby. He loves you more than me." whines Satoru pouting his lips and Yūji settles Akihiko down. He's in a tiger suit today and his hat is falling off.

"It's because I'm here all the time."

"Bullshit, we're here the same amount of time now!" Satoru accuses pointing at her and Yūji sticks out her tongue and turns back to Akihiko. She takes the pacifier from him and the baby shows his gums.

"But you have more time with me don't you?" Yūji blows kisses his face and Akihiko giggles shaking his hands.

It's a huge luck Yūji's superhuman strength. Otherwise, the girl would fall down. MinMin stands to the side of Yūji, takes care that the girl has good balance.

Contrary to what seems like a good idea, Satoru does not let Yūji age in this suspended period of time. The only thing she is allowed to grow up, is the baby inside her womb. So is Akihiko. During the suspended time, the child gets to turn one year old, learn to walk -try to-, babble half-words and see his mom as the most beautiful thing in the world.

As that person to whom he wants to be united forever and without fail.

His unintelligible doodles are of Yūji and the sun, saying they're the same, also that he looks like MinMin. Yūji never understands anything about the drawings, so she just says they're cute and then tells Satoru they're horrible drawings. One way or another, Akihiko finds her warm, also what he must go to whenever he is alone. He must look for Yūji and stay with her.

No matter there is a movie.

It doesn't matter that he is playing.

If Yūji spends more than five minutes away, he will make his slow way around the house to look for her.

It's caused more than one fall into the yard, but nothing a couple of kisses on the bump won't fix.

His dad... it's weird. Akihiko considers him just as important. When he goes to sleep in the evening he goes with him, they also play a lot and with him he learns to talk, also to walk. Akihiko likes his eyes. He loves his eyes. They make him feel something very nice, just like his mom's presence (peace) and also feels like his mom's arms (protection) Akihiko sometimes lasts hours looking into Satoru's eyes because of it. They look like the sky and they look like those lights he sees more and more present.

And when he wakes up one day managing to see all that, he starts to shriek in panic: there is a very ugly thing inside his mom. It's dark, it's evil and it's a danger.

Therefore, it can't be in her mom.

"Evil! Ugly! Mommy ugly thing!" Satoru carries the child and Yūji with her almost eight months of pregnancy stands there. Wearing a yellow flowered gown printed with small flowers.

"Ugly thing? What's ugly?" asks Satoru raising an eyebrow. Akihiko keeps pointing at Yūji.

"UGLY! UGLY-UGLY! AND BAD...!"

Shut the fucking kid up before I do it on my own.

Akihiko bursts into panicked tears. Yūji slaps her cheek. She assumes he freaked out by Sukuna appearing. It's normal. Satoru on the other hand connects the dots faster.

"Do you see mom with something wrong? It's like a bubble" Draw with hand. "Bad bubble inside Mommy." Akihiko nods, hands to face and crying profusely.

"It's bad. Bad bubble mommy."

"Jummm... Looks like someone does have Six Eyes" Satoru celebrates with a cocky grin. "Who knew" He returns his attention to Yūji. "I'll have to get him some glasses so he can't see Sukuna."

"What does he look like?"

"Like a disgusting stain around your soul" he replies without thinking and Yūji purses her lips. "Don't worry, it's totally separate to the baby. He or she is fine" Satoru lowers his glasses a little, leaning towards Yūji. "Don't... get... distressed... there's... nothing... wrong."

Yūji has trouble believing it. From that day on, Akihiko keeps saying that she has something bad attached to her. He is very small, so he has no way to avoid being afraid of it. However, it hurts Yūji to receive that kind of look from his first son. Yūjidoesn't want anyone to be afraid of her. Least of all him, who now shuns his blue eyes covered by small dark glasses.

"When he grows up he's going to understand. Don't worry."

"But... he sees me... like that..."

Yūji suddenly bursts into tears and Satoru panics. He knows she's sensitive, but from there to crying so suddenly surprises him. He pulls her up onto his lap so she can hug him.

"I don't want him to be afraid of me. I don't want to hurt him... I wouldn't hurt you... I'm not bad... I don't want-"

You're a fucking puppet. If I wanted to, I'd kill him. That child has one more neuron than your husband in being afraid.

Yūji buries her face in Satoru's chest. "I don't want to do that."

You're going to be the cause of thousands and thousands of deaths. I'll make sure of that, Yūji.

Sukuna laughs, gradually louder. Marks begin to emerge along Yūji's body. Satoru strokes her back and rocks back and forth, quietly humming a lullaby to calm her and minimally, not allow Sukuna to take control of any part of her.

Sukuna may take control of her hand and stab herself in the belly.

"Calm down, princess... You won't hurt anyone. You're very good... also very strong. Don't worry."

Akihiko enters the room supported by MinMin, not understanding why his mom is crying, but bursting into tears as well. Satoru sighs heavily, scrunching up his face. And to hell the patience I was able to collect all day, he thinks regretfully. MinMin teases him and wanted to throw the damn doll as far away as possible.

Chapter 6: VI

"Don't you get bored of me?"

"Never~."

Silly doubts pop up in her mind all the time. One of the new ones is: will Satoru think I'm annoying? Maybe he doesn't like that I'm a girl anymore and don't behave like the moms on TV. The perfect girlfriends who get everything to please their husbands. These are concerns that are only fueled by Sukuna.

Calling her useless.

Calling her stupid.

Calling her pathetic.

Calling her replaceable.

Despite her poor mobility because of her huge belly, she bends down and is at Satoru's crotch level. He says nothing, lets her unzip his pants and pull down his underwear. Yūji stares at the flaccid penis in front of her. She rarely sees it like this. With trembling hands she starts stroking it and Satoru doesn't react in any particular way. It is amusing and surprising her enthusiasm in doing this all of a sudden.

The matter changes when he feels the warm fluffy tongue giving shy licks to his glans. Yūji accidentally fell into a bad channel and saw a woman giving oral. The thought hasn't left her mind in months and well, maybe it's something Satoru likes.

Watching you fill your gross mouth with his cock? He's sure going to think you're a filthy pig. Which you naturally are, little girl. The more she licks Satoru's cock, the more she's able to make it harden in her hand. Satoru grabs her head and pushes gently, making part of the penis enter Yūji's mouth. Satoru pulls his head back, his phallus invades from his mouth to Yūji's throat.

Which doesn't have any kind of Gag reflex.

He secures Yūji a little better from the hair, maneuvers so that he is able to fuck her mouth just as he does her pussy in regular norm. Yūji gives choked moans, squeezing her legs together and her hands clutching at Satoru's hips. She can barely breathe, but it's impossible to tell him to stop. She trembles from head to toe and looks up at him in extreme ecstasy.

She is completely pushed away, his penis resting on her face. Satoru smirks, twisted and morbid at the twisted image. Yūji goes back to licking it, but Satoru stops her from doing more. He makes her stand up. "Lift the robe, come on."

With trembling hands and shot pulse she lifts the garment: her soaked underwear. Satoru removes the garment and tosses it aside. He spreads her legs and invites her to climb into his lap. Yūji does so slowly. With two fingers she opens her pussy and clenches her teeth, rubbing the glans in her vagina.

Satoru rests his hand on Yūji's hip, with her slowly lowering herself until she is fully seated. Yūji squeezes the veiny cock inside her, which tasted and smelled for long minutes. Satoru stretches the garment so the barely noticeable breasts are exposed.

Milk drips onto the fabric, onto the huge, almost nine-month belly. That huge bulge that he loves to caress, to listen to, to kiss, to smell?

Filling it with the falling milk.

Watching it with the semen that falls when he masturbates.

How it seems to bounce with every lunge he gives his wife.

"S-atoruuu Satoru- Aaaahm! AH! AH!"

Even though she should be in control, Satoru ramming her so hard that it's just a constant bouncing. She keeps her hands on her belly, as if that's going to be of any use. Satoru grits his teeth. "Your pussy sucks me like it wants me to make another baby without waiting for anything Do you want that? Another baby?"

"I-I'mcu- cumming-SATORU- AAH AH-"

"You want all my babies don't you? Take them right, take them all."

Satoru grits the teeth and presses into Yūji, reaching orgasm inside her. Yūji trembles from head to toe, with the copious semen now inside her flesh again. She opens her mouth, receiving Satoru's tongue which holds her by the nape of her neck. As they part there is drool between the two, thin strands drawing them a little closer together.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru keeps taking milk from Yūji's breast, caressing the girl's belly as he masturbates. His eyes narrowed and absolute ecstasy. The hair strokes are never lacking, as well as an occasional kick from her unborn child.

"Satoru looks like my baby." jokes Yūji on every occasion this happens.

She doesn't object to any complaints about having him kneeling in front of her, masturbating with both hands, watching her; it always takes forever, but the amount of cum that comes out comes from the huge belly and her chest. Yūji takes some on her fingers and licks it off; Satoru masturbates indifferent to his exhaustion and own tremors. As if by Yūji, he is unable to stay still.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji clutches the pillow until her knuckles whiten, moaning to the rhythm of the rough lunges to her tiny body in comparison. Her wide, pink belly in a light, steady bounce. Satoru bites and kisses her on the neck, playing with Yūji's nipple and the milk flowing from it.

Due to a bad move it remains outside of Yūji and therefore, the climax remains on Yūji's thigh and part of the sheet.

"Too bad... I couldn't fit another baby in here." babbles Satoru, delirious. He gets up and goes to find something not far away. Yūji rolls onto her back, spreading her legs and using her hands to spread her pussy. Satoru notices that as he rolls over.

Yūji almost out of air, cum and fluid pouring out of her opening.

"I love them. Satoru, put babies in, please." she whines. Satoru wipes his chin and kneels in front of her, masturbating a bit before dropping down humping her. "AJHJUM- S-Sa-SATORUUU-"

Blue eyes wide open with sick adoration for the person he espoused and the one who pleases him so well.

"Everything this time, you're going to took like all the children this time. There won't be a single one that gets out."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Remember, don't panic and bid. Squeeze my arm if it helps you."

He's sitting behind Yūji this time, she clings to Satoru's arms and tries to do the same thing she did last time. With the difference of saving herself several hours, curses and screams. It's not exactly fast, but less stressful. Yūji convinces herself that the baby is fine. He moves. It's trying to get out. Everything points to that. Sukuna hasn't killed it.

It is there.

It's there.

It's there.

It's-

Yūji screams scratching Satoru too hard and despite the discomfort, he manages to grab the baby and pull him out of the water. It takes mere seconds for the child to start crying. Yūji shivers, exhausted and in pain. Satoru kisses her on the head. "See, you're such a good mommy."

. . .

"Awwww Yūjiiiiiiiii How do you make such cute babies? This one is just as cute. Look at him. He's all chubby." Satoru keeps admiring the baby sleeping in the crib. He's worse than a log. At the same time, Akihiko also looks at his brother. His thought is very basic:

Why doesn't he have hair.

He's like a huge mass of flesh.

He's cute. It's like a pretty light and similar to his dad's.

"Buder."

"Brother." Satory syllables and Akihiko repeats badly, slapping Satoru's hands. Yūji is more asleep than awake. Still exhausted. MinMin licks her cheek and rubs the head with Yūji.

He senses her a bit cloudy. As if Sukuna tries something again.

"It's just that they're cute like Satoru." excuses Yūji quietly. Satoru leaves Akihiko on the floor to go running around wherever he wants. If his poor balance allows it.

"I know I'm beautiful and that's why they have gorgeous hair and eyes, but everything else is yours" Satoru grabs Yūji's face and plays with the fluffy cheeks. "I wish one of them had your hair. It would make me so happy."

"Any? Are we going to have any more?"

"When you're older and a fireman."

Yūji smiles and Satoru hopes he has resistence enough for that. Maybe eighteen years? Yes. By that time Yūji would be entering that training (after getting his whole tuition thing sorted out in general). It's much more achievable than medicine. The second option is to ask Shoko to teach her and be a spellcaster in nursing.

Although that would involve introducing her....

How would her friends take all this?

"Toukki's cute don't you think?"

"Sounds like a bunny in Korean."

"It's just, if he's going to be all whitey, he's like a bunny."

And with that, the second descendant of the flourishing clan appeared: Gojō Toukki.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He is... exhausted.

Having left home and facing the world at large again is more burdensome than he remembered. Also having to mold himself to everyone around him. Them talking about the same thing as the day before, while he had a year in between.

"Satoru?"

"Um?"

"Are you... Are you okay?"

"Of course he's fine. As dumb as ever." To Shoko, Satoru is as usual. At most, a little quieter and sleepier. Nothing unusual. It's eight o'clock in the morning and Satoru starts to function from ten o'clock on."

Suguru snaps his fingers in front of him and Satoru paws at him, grumpily. He makes a tally of things that are needed at home... Or don't they? Maybe he bought it before and doesn't remember. Nanami manages to move the bench a little and with that, Satoru swings by accident. The glasses slide off him and it's possible to see his eyes: as striking as ever, not so they are surrounded by big dark circles under his eyes.

"I think I should skip class today." opines Nanami and Haibara leans a little closer to Satoru.

"Wow, he stayed awake playing games again."

"Or watching porn." jokes Shoko.

"You mean you?" Satoru rubs his brow and adjusts his glasses. Suguru is still fidgeting. It's not just the dark circles under his eyes.

He looks strange.

Doesn't anyone notice...?

Or maybe being with him so long allows him to notice that.

"We're just going to fucking class to.... Fini... sh..."

Suguru moves fast, catching him to his own surprise Why doesn't he have the infinity active? He touches his forehead and feels it feverish. With a little effort he hoists him onto his back to carry him to the infirmary. Nanami, Haibara and Shoko behind him, equally surprised by what happened.

. . .

"Have you been fooling around with your ritual technique?"

"I just got overwhelmed. I start to see even behind the glasses." replies Satoru sitting on the stretcher. Yaga folds his arms to the side. It's clear how much he judges the oversight.

"Not even when you were a child had anything like that ever happened Do you expect me to believe you? You can't even lift a poor infinity field" Satoru grits his teeth. "What have you been spending your curse energy on?"

"On nothing. I've just been training at home."

"Home? In Gojō State?"

"I can teleport, or are you forgetting how perfect I am? Sensei." Satoru smirks mockingly and smugly. No one else can do it.

"Of course I remember, I just didn't think you were stupid enough to use it to the point of burn yourself out" Satoru rolls his eyes. "You're can't leave Jujutsu Tech until-

"You can order whatever you feel like, but you know you can't really stop me" Satoru points out before gritting his teeth in a smile. "I am Gojō Satoru. The strongest sorcerer in the world."

"One who collapses because of his own irresponsibility" Yaga criticizes and thus hides how hurt Satoru's attitude makes him feel. The impersonal manner and the air of superiority with which he speaks to him. His student has always been a arrogant, the difference is that they had never gone to this extreme. "You're staying in school and it's the last decision."

"Nope. It's not."

Yaga clicks his tongue, he's going to hit him really hard on the head as soon as he sees him again.

Suguru who heard everything behind the door leaves in a hurry. He knows where his best friend could have gone .

. . .

His head throbbing. Truth be told, he needs to make another plan. One that doesn't drain him and lead to arguments with his teacher. Not this acidic at least. He keeps his eyes closed so he doesn't get overwhelmed. Despite being an excuse, the reality is that he needs to change the formula. If just watching exhausts him, he's going to live a tired life.

How do you take care of three children if you have no energy?

"My eyes are closed, but I know you're there Suguru. Come out of your hiding place." he says aloud.

Suguru walks down the steps and stands next to Satoru. Shoes to one side, pants rolled up and feet tucked into one of the school's many ponds. The most striking thing about this one is that it hasn't had any fish in it for over a year. For some reason, they all die. They gave up on explaining or exorcising. Satoru takes advantage of it to splash around sometimes and Suguru sees it in much peace whenever he is here.

"That was a pretty ugly fight." Suguru opines with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the sky.

"I hate that they want to tell me what to do."

"We're still students. It's natural for him to want to guide you." justifies Suguru. He also doesn't love it when they want to tell him what to do all the time. Just like Satoru, he's the most powerful sorcerer in the world. It's a joint thing.

Indifferent to the fact that Satoru seems to be forgetting him.

"I'm not a kid. I'm not five years old. I know what I'm doing," Satoru complains without opening his eyes and with his back hunched. "It's just... Burdensome. He doesn't understand because he doesn't have the damn last name on him."

Suguru gives him a sidelong glance. Satoru has a very peculiar relationship with his last name. He hates it and loves it, wants to take care of it and wants to throw it away. It's an impossible dichotomy to manage when everyone demands that he must preserve it and he must honor it. Still, Suguru knows there's more to it. There must be another reason for Satoru to burn out and for him to walk around with his head elsewhere.

Besides the back and forth to his house.

"You know you're my best friend, Satoru" Satoru looks up, peers at Suguru over his glasses. "You can trust me if you need to."

He averts his gaze.

"Yes. I know."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Yes I did get it right Look MinMin!"

The tiger licks Toukki's leg, who squirms a bit in himself and Yūji carries him better. She's really bad at putting on diapers. It always stays twisted or loose because she's afraid to squeeze it. With the baby strapped in she walks to Akihiko's little play area. Yūji opens the wooden grill they put up to delimit the space so he doesn't fall out of the house as he walks around. The boy takes her hand and covers his eyes.

Yūji takes them to the garden and there, in addition to feeding the three-month-old baby, he listens to Akihiko, the babbling of his first child. He goes back and forth all over the place, falling on the grass, but not bothered by it. MinMin throws Yūji back so that he has a backrest and is more comfortable. Akihiko ends up taking a plucked flower to Yūji, covering his eyes.

"Why don't you want to see me?"

"Ugly thing. Scared. Mommy ugly thing." Akihiko excuses with his reduced and basic vocabulary. Yūji takes the flower and her lips tremble, wanting to cry.

Even your child knows you are an abomination. Perhaps all those who think so should be killed.

Akihiko cringes. That voice he hates so much. It's ugly. It says ugly things. It talks ugly to her mom. Why does it do that? It makes her have an ugly thing and makes her feel sad. Akihiko hates that thing, but it scares him so much. Yūji slaps her cheek to make his mouth and open eye disappear. Look at the flower, she crushed it by accident. MinMin licks Yūji's hand and purrs rubbing it.

"Aki-chan can you fetch me some more flowers." Yūji asks and the boy runs off to do so.

Yūji strokes Toukki's white hair, who fell asleep in the middle of his meal. He licks his lips and lays his head on MinMin.

"I want Akihiko to see me" Yūji murmurs and the tiger exhales, "I don't want to scare him for being a monster.... But I don't know how to change it" Yūji stares at his tiger "Are you afraid too?"

Fear, disgust, apathy, disdain, mockery What contempt don't you deserve? You worthless whore.

MinMin growls, Sukuna's mouth on Yūji's cheek and she lost in her mind without noticing Sukuna. Only hearing the foul words of the biggest curse known to man. MinMin shakes the head in refusal and carefully reaches up to grab Yūji by the shoulder, lick her face and rub his head against hers. Yūji laughs, Sukuna's physical exposure disappears and Akihiko giggles still blindfolded.

He likes his mom's laughter.

It's very cute.

It makes him happy.

. . .

"Sa-Satoru!"

As soon as he arrives, Yūji knows there's something wrong with him. Feeling feverish, indifferent to the usual fooling around, she forces him to go to his room for treatment. In less than ten minutes he is in a yukuta, lying on the futon, a damp cloth on his forehead, the TV on low volume, his wife's pet tiger watching him, and her entering the room with a tray of food: soup, white rice, and a green tea.

"Yūji, I'm going to be fine."

"Not if you don't take care of yourself." Yūji chides handing him the food.

Whether it's love or that Yūji is effortlessly tender, Satoru feels differently about this than he did at Jujutsu Tech. He knows Yaga cares, but he sensed more disappointment in him. Not exactly interest in whether he was sick or not. Yūji on the other hand watches that he stays calm and is in a good condition. Yūji restrains herself from requests or claims that he should take more care of his health.

Yūji does not consider it the time to attack him and that is true.

"If you eat it all, I'll bring Mochis."

"Good! Double prize!" Satoru celebrates by drinking the soup without haste. He consumes everything and truth be told, his body is less tense. Yūji brought him a small row of five Mochis filled with strawberry jelly. With Toukki's crib in the corner and Akihiko asleep on a futon next to the bed, Yūji strokes Satoru's hair so he can rest. Her husband enjoys this display of affection very much.

"Sleep well." MinMin lies on the back, releasing all the air. Yūji carefully outlines Satoru's face.

By the next day although he is still a bit groggy, he has no fever and no trace of bodily discomfort. He spends an hour playing with Akihiko before leaving for Jujutsu Tech.

For a couple of months everything returns to normal. It seems that no one even remembers that it happened. Everyone except Suguru. He keeps getting the impression that Satoru is extra limited, he just isn't able to get to the source of that overreach.

Many dangerous and time-consuming missions have come up; Satoru is very attentive to his cell phone. More than usual. He's also seen him messaging a lot, but with whom?

For her part, Yūji has been able to handle being left alone quite well. She considers herself a big girl for being almost twelve; she can take care of her two children and train. Every time Satoru returns from a mission she shows him what she accomplished in his absence. He tells her if it's right, it's wrong; he instructs her in some new technique she can learn. Yūji's cursed energy has grown quite a bit, the problem remains that she seems to have no technique of her own. Satoru decides that the best thing to do is to teach her combat with weapons so that she is better prepared.

Knives, spears, bow and arrow, sword; it's not Satoru's area at all. Satoru doesn't know anyone who uses cursed weapons, so he'll have to learn as he goes along with his wife. Nothing that really bothers him.

Another detail is that Yūji can better handle that Satoru won't be back for several days. So engrossed in his own things that Sukuna is not a problem. One of the main supports is that she has MinMin. Even though he has no voice to respond, he understands her perfectly and responds in his own way; playing and taking care of Akihiko is also fun. Teaching him animals, colors, things, getting him to dress himself, splashing while bathing and playing with MinMin in the garden. Toukki is considerably calmer than his brother, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he loves to be in his mom's arms.

To the point of crying if she takes too long to hold him and they are in the same room. They celebrate his six months with a cake that they let him destroy with his hands. Satoru as always taking pictures and despite it being a birthmouthday (that's what he wanted to call it) he gave Yūji a cell phone.

For the same reason, Satoru keeps sending messages and answering calls. Yūji sends him pictures of the two babies and herself. Wearing new clothes, whatever she's done to her hair, whatever she's seeing. Satoru can say with complete confidence that they entered a very comfortable and perfect space.

So much so that it scares him.

What if something happens...?

There's a good chance he'll be sent on missions out of the country. That will take much longer. He can't teleport such long distances either.

"What's wrong with you?" asks Yūji; Satoru kisses the neck with small red marks.

"I was thinking about things... Annoying." Satoru summarizes listlessly. "I'd rather think about your chest," he admits leaning back from there. "It's so fluffy. I love it." He blows a kiss between the slowly developing breasts. They are the size of an apple by now. Befitting Yūji's athletic build.

Satoru couldn't be more madly in love with Yūji's appearance as she grows.

Yūji gets more beautiful every day in his opinion.

He sucks on one of her breasts and caresses her sweaty skin with little marks here and there; occupying the warm interior that so willingly receives him. They haven't stopped having sex. What has changed is that Satoru uses a condom. Even if it's fourteen a night, he's got a lot coming.

He wants to keep his promise not to get her pregnant until she can have a better situation. He does what he can with it...

The problem is those condoms that come defective and don't help him, as well as not giving Yūji more morning after pills, considering the hormonal chaos in Yūji is too great and doing her more harm than good. Satoru gave them to Yūji twice and both times, Yūji had early period, vomiting, fever and even uterus pains that even after pregnancies he didn't have.

Satoru doesn't notice the defective condom.

Of the several that go.

Alone Satoru keeps making love to his wife, telling Yūji how much he loves her and how beautiful she looks.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

They start sending him on missions alone.

He doesn't know why, but the fact is, despite his strength, he delays more alone. Not all curses are kept in one, specific place. The time away goes from five days to full weeks that cause him uneasiness. Conversing with Yūji is not the only thing that worries him. Food, taking care of the two babies, helping with her training-her period is coming up-does she have everything at home? What if she gets sick?

He can't teleport that far away. Nor leave her without any of the basics. Let alone leave the mission unaccomplished They'd suspect he's hiding something! Satoru can't allow even suspicion. Not by targeting one of Sukuna's fingers. He'll be able to collect it on this mission.

It is untenable.

As much as he hates to accept this defeat.

"Suguru" The other turns to look at Satoru, puffing smoke from the cigarette. "We're friends right?" Suguru raises an eyebrow, quizzical at the question. "And I can count on you if I need help."

"Sure, I didn't think the question was even necessary." Suguru ironizes, amused. Satoru lets out a breath and continues to slouch on the railing where he's leaning.

"Well, this is a good time for you to show me that confidence, because I'm going to show you my reason for existing for... Four years? Six years? How much that too?" his glasses slide down the bridge of his nose and he looks up at the sky. He doesn't know if he should count the years of stopped time. "You finish that. You're not going to stink up my house with that crap." Satoru sticks out his tongue in disgust and Suguru shrugs. He doesn't hurry to finish his cigarette.

Chapter 7: VII

Suguru didn't think it was a trip to literally show up at the entrance to the territory. He is surprised to see how huge the barrier around it is. Satoru passes through first and immediately it is as if there is nothing there, it completely eliminates the internal view. He passes with difficulty and gets a shiver once inside.

"You put up a good barrier." opines Suguru loudly and Satoru walks hunched over with his hands in his pockets.

"Obviously. Otherwise, everyone would notice and try to invade."

"Why?"

"Because of who's here."

Suguru doesn't understand what he's talking about. Just ollows him without asking questions. While he imagined that the Gojō Clan's house would be large, this exceeds his expectations. He imagines his parents' house to be the size of one of the bathrooms or garbage dumps. He takes off his shoes once in the house and greets quietly out of respect.

Not expecting anything. Much less an excited, feminine voice.

"Welcome Satoru!"

Suguru straightens up and is surprised to see a teenage girl of at least twelve there. Yūji with her hair pinned up in a high updo, wearing a red and white plaid dress. She hugs Satoru immediately, who greets her with the same affection and kisses her on the head. Suguru is convinced that he has never seen him have such gentleness with anyone. Nor that smile so Silly? Happy? Sweet? What can he calls that gesture?"

"Oh?" Yūji tilts her head. "He who is...?"

"Don't worry, he's my friend. He won't do anything bad... Come. Let's better talk about this inside."

Suguru mumbles a greeting. Yūji bows the head as she says, "My name is Gojō Itadori, nice to meet you."

"Gojō? Is she your sister?" Suguru asks pointing a finger at her. Yūji shakes her head and Satoru laughs shaking his hand.

"No~ not at all. I don't think, if she was my sister, she'd be that cute; it sure would have been a fight to the death to see who's stronger" Satoru ironizes. "Just come in."

"I'm Getō Suguru. Nice to meet you, Yūji-chan." The pink-haired girl nods and walks off down another hallway. Suguru analyzes the entire surroundings. Somehow, the tiger stretched out in the garden is the most normal thing so far. Taking it for granted that it's one of Yaga's cursed dolls.

They settle into one of the many living rooms. Yūji arrives there with a tray. Hot tea, different sweets and a porcelain cat to decorate. Suguru wanted to ask her to stay, but she looked rushed for some reason, so she leaves again.

"So... Is that why you come here all the time?" asks Suguru. "It must be complicated to have another person from the clan alive, being that everyone dismissed them for dead" he muses and Satoru eats Mochis. He lets suguru take his time. He knows his friends won't react well to the truth. "Although hiding it like that is a bit excessive in my opinion."

"It's not excessive."

"Satoru... it's like this space doesn't exist. No one can pass through. No one notices anything."

"That's the idea."

"Why?"

"You didn't notice?" he asks with his glasses half-fell off. Suguru shakes his head. "Then she's gotten quite a bit better..." he mutters to himself. "Yūji is Sukuna's vessel."

Suguru feels the mochi being pushed back down his throat to choke him. He immediately gets a look of disgust from his best friend and Satoru shrugs.

"You've had her here the whole time-"

"I wasn't going to let them kill her. She was six years old just turned seven when I met her" Suguru rubs his forehead. Satoru wouldn't have been able to do it. This is more in keeping with his behavior. Not for being unruly, but for following what his heart tells him. A selfish reason. "It sucks that everyone knows it's a girl. The normal thing would be for it to be a boy."

"Yeah... unless the theory is true. You know, the one about Sukuna wanting his own curse clan." Suguru sees him scrunch up his face with such disdain and contempt. "I suppose... it's okay, it's fine for you to hide her... What will you do with her?"

"I train her so Sukuna can't break free and it's over." He shrugs with disinterest.

"And the last name?"

"Extra caution."

"I can't imagine you going to her city hall to change her name." Suguru admits holding back a laugh. If Satoru is unbearable with authorities, those poor people must have wanted to kill him. Satoru purses his lips.

"About that... It's not a name change just because. I didn't adopt it. Yuck. They wouldn't have even let me." he grumbles childishly and Suguru cocks his head. 

If she's not his sister and Satrou didn't change the last name for the sake of it then what's wrong? Other than the shiver Suguru just felt. He feels someone watching him.

"I married her."

"You did what?"

The way Suguru twists his face gets a chuckle out of Satoru, how quickly the usual, almost permanent smirk he has, fades. It's funnier than he thought it would be. Suguru brings his hand to his face. He rubs his brow and asks again in a low voice, like someone looking for patience where there is none. Besides finding whatever logic this might have. That maybe Satoru is joking, however, since they came in here he sees the ring on her finger.

"Let me get this straight, you got this girl from..."

"Eleven. She'll be twelve in a month."

"Eleven-years-old" Suguru emphasizes. "Here stuck in here since she turned seven-you're going on a decade with her cooped up here and not enough of that did you marry her?!"

"I wouldn't have had to marry her so soon if it wasn't for them looking for her. Now, being my wife, no one will be able to try to kill her." explaining his plan makes it, for Suguru, too childish. There is no way he can take it seriously. Least of all with the feeling that he's still being watched from somewhere.

"Satoru, you kidnapped her and you're still holding her hostage here, plus making an illegal process because she's a little girl" Satoru sways his head at an imaginary pace. "Even you can't get married!" points out Suguru.

"We marry like sorcerers. It's a binding vow." Suguru slaps his face with his hand.

Satoru is stupid.

Clinically stupid.

He's already got it confirmed.

"I have to assume you married her at least a week ago because that binding vote didn't-"

"Dad why someone bad is here?"

Akihiko keeps peering out the door and Suguru's face color drains from his face, his jaw dropping slightly. That boy looks just like Satoru. Thewhite haired man slaps his thigh a couple of times and the boy jumps up to sit on Satoru's leg. Satoru ruffles his hair and gives him a kiss on the head, keeping him in his embrace.

"The vow was made a year and a few months ago," he announces, arranging his son's white hair. "Not only can't it be broken, it already has more ramifications that make it stronger."

"Satoru, please tell me you didn't do that."

Satoru doesn't answer, not taking his eyes off Akihiko and keeping the soft smile on his lips, stroking his hair. Suguru feels a huge distaste for the implications and Yūji arriving with Toukki in his arms only makes it worse. She sits down, leaving the boy sitting on the floor with a few toys in his hand. He forces a smile towards her.

"Yūji-chan... Do you feel good living here?" he asks indiscreetly. Satoru doesn't even bother to intervene, whine, anything. Concentrating on the boy he had several days without seeing because of back-to-back missions.

"Yes. I feel very good here" Yūji replies without hesitation. MinMin jumps into the house and lies down next to Yūji. "I have MinMin, Akihiko, Toukki and Satoru when he's off missions- Uh! Also when it's my birthday!" she reports excited and hopelessly childish at that, Suguru doesn't stop shivering, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Last time he took me to the beach, bought me more fish AND this dress!" relates Yūji excitedly and Suguru's stomach churns. She speaks too highly of him. All that's left for Suguru to think is the obvious: Satoru has had her cooped up here for so long, even she doesn't understand what's wrong. "We cut a cake-we cut a very nice cake for Akihiko, too. Look."

Yūji shows him the picture on the cell phone and Suguru feels a kind of contradiction. It's cute. He's not going to deny that she's cute. However, he's shocked at how young Yūji is. Even how young Satoru is and that they have two kids In whose head does it fit? Only in Satoru's, willing to twist the world if that's how he's right and not the others.

"Don't you wish you were somewhere else?" Suguru interjects tensely, almost pleadingly. Yūji shakes her head, petting MinMin.

"It's ugly outside... There are a lot of cults. They want Sukuna back and he's bad. Very bad. He talks nasty things every day, all the time" She rolls her eyes in annoyance and settles the almost seven-month-old baby. "They want him to destroy things...but he would use my body. I don't want to hurt anyone" Yūji rests her chin on Toukki "It already killed my parents and my grandfather."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Never mind. I met Satoru! And now he's my husband!" Yūji announces with a smile. "We're not alone anymore. He takes good care of me. That's why he cried when we got married. Because he didn't want to hurt me. Different from Sukuna."

Suguru gives him a sidelong glance Satoru crying? That's new, too.

"So- Toukki no."

The baby tugs at her dress and due to another couple of tugs, Yūji gives in and pulls him together to his chest to eat.

"Princess, I told you you should stop doing that. He's a big boy now." scolds Satoru gently.

"It's just that the milk still comes out a lot and he cries if I don't give it to him." replies Yūji tensely, holding him better. Suguru as a mute spectator.

Disgusted to hear a girl talk about how she should take care of her child. This is so... disgusting. He hates it.

"Akihiko too, but they have to be taught that this is not forever" Yūji grumbles and lets it be. It will be the last one. "Then I'll look for passes you get the milk out" He scratches his eyebrow. "And no screw it... we'll have to put up with the crybaby for a while" Satoru scrunches up his face. "This is going to be a long one."

"Person... bad."

Suguru notices the look is Akihiko. It's hard not to notice that he has Six eyes, just like Satoru. It's creepy. He still has his head pounding from this revelation. At this point, he doesn't even care that Yūji is present: he needs to get what he's thinking off his chest.

"Why are you showing me this? I don't... I don't care about your excuses" He warns with exhaustion and between his teeth, furious. "You know I don't agree with this. Indifferent to you thinking that it's a good idea."

"I have to go out on mission more often now" Accommodates Akihiko, who examines Suguru. He tries to find what's wrong with him, but doesn't know how to identify it. It's different from his mom's stain. "Yūji can't go out unnoticed because of Sukuna; she can't leave the babies alone either; if someone comes to take care of them word would spread that there's a new heir to the clan and I don't want anyone to know. It must remain a secret."

Suguru lowers his gaze, brows furrowed and knowing what he's getting at, he shakes his head and clenches his eyes as well as his fists on his legs.

"I need you to help me by taking care of them... It would just be bringing food, Yūji training and not being left alone-alone with the babies. She needs a rest from that too. She's a lil' girl."

"One that you impregnated twice." he points out through his teeth and without seeing it.

"I know."

"It doesn't look like it." says Suguru, cynical and displeased. Satoru takes off his glasses and gives a sigh.

"I can pause time. You stay here for a week. If you still don't like the idea by then... I guess I'll have to figure out what to do."

Yūji watches them alternately. Satoru leaves with his first son and being alone, Yūji tugs Suguru's sleeve, shy. He hide his annoyance, she's not to blame for Satoru being a psycho.

"Satoru is not bad... believe me: he didn't want to do many things to me either, but if it wasn't like that, it would be like before: many bad people touched me bad" Suguru buries his nails in his palm Is she serious? "And they said disgusting things... I want to see many things. Lots of places. I want to live and Satoru promised me that I would live. Also that he would take care of me and he has. Even when he's tired and sick, he takes care of me."

"Yūji-chan, not to offend you, but you're a little girl and he was supposed to stay the adult figure in all of this." Yūji shakes her head. Her tender golden eyes on Suguru's.

"The adult figures wanted to kill me or rape me. At least with Satoru it doesn't hurt."

Yūji gets up and leaves, Suguru rubs his face with both hands. His head hurts.

. . .

Satoru scratches the back of his neck and yawns, stretching; infinity stops what was about to dig into his shoulder.

"Wow, friends attack from behind" he mumbles turning around. He picks up the knife and checks it. It's from his kitchen. "Couldn't you go get one somewhere else? Yūji cuts sushi with this-"

"Don't be so shameless to talk to me about this like it's normal," Suguru mumbles, approaching with a rabid expression. His jacket is off and his hair is down. "First you bring me here without telling me why, all to show me the shit you've been doing for years" he argues and Satoru doesn't turn off infinity. Cautious of Suguru trying to do something else. "And you expect me to accept it, just like that!? I thought you knew me better."

"I know you well enough to know that whatever mess I make, you'll be there to cover for me. Just like I would do for you," Satoru justified with a hand on his chest that confident expression. "I'm not a pedophile like-"

"You are. You are, damn it THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT!" Suguru exclaims in exasperation. "She, that person you have locked up in here was seven years old and you noticed her, you dared to have sex with her."

"I just came from giving her oral sex" Satoru admits cheekily and Suguru wrinkles his face in deep disgust. "That's why I put you away. So you weren't going to hear anything."

"I can't-"

"Listen," Satoru insists with a grin. "You're going to stop with the bullshit moralistic attitude you're pretending to have now. It's bullshit. You're not like that. You never have been" he sneers nonchalantly. "You're going to stay the week I offered you... and you're going to behave...because I don't want a scandal with my kids and my wife, who already planned your breakfast tomorrow" Suguru grits his teeth to the point where it hurts. "Why are you afraid? You were planning to take her and the kids for what?"

To hide them from you, is his first thought, and there's also a good reason why Suguru doesn't want to be here for a week: he knows he'll end up giving in to whatever Satoru asks of him. It's a fact of life: If Satoru Gojō does something, Suguru Getō is going to support him and vice versa. Suguru is convinced that he could do an atrocity against the code they have and Satoru could not hurt him.

That's how important their friendship is.

That's how little they care about others.

That's how limited their code is.

Suguru doesn't want to give in.

He wants to do one thing right and that would be to get Yūji away from this dangerous environment.

Suguru can't let himself be convinced, but he knows it will be impossible once Satoru grabs him by the shoulder, smiling and seeing him with his eyes. Which reach a chilling point Suguru had never known before. After all, Satoru had never had the need to intimidate him. Not even the little bit he applied now.

"Welcome to my Clan. You'll be very well accommodated." promises Satoru, teasing and amused.

Being in Gojō territory is quite an experience. He's never been with children for so long before, and although he stresses about the occasional tantrum, both Satoru and Yūji have them pretty well under control. More than anyone would expect from a child and a spoiled teenager as the couple are. On the other hand, the coexistence with Yūji is good. Very, very good; Suguru is surprised to have consumed evenings talking at length with anyone other than Satoru. Her kind and helpful attitude is quite the opposite of Satoru.

Which confirms how they are so kindred.

Satoru loves to be spoiled and attended to.

Yūji loves to spoil and attend.

However, they are perfectly interchangeable roles between the two.

Going back to Yūji, Suguru is at a loss to emphasize how delightful it is to live with her. The fact that she seems to be a sunshine in itself with her enthusiasm and naive way of thinking. Helping others, those in need; her aspiration to be a firefighter or a nurse; her favorite movies, her explanations that she tries to be prettier when Satoru arrives so she feels pretty to more he says so.

The way she laughs

The way she moves.

The sole way she exists in this world disconnected from reality, made to spoil her and make her happy.

Yūji is...

Incongruent to the world they, Satoru and Suguru, exists in. One that drains your energy, absorbs your soul and everything that can make you happy. That is the Jujutsu world. One in which Yūji live without having asked for it and one in which her husband also dwells. No matter how much power you have, there will always be something that goes wrong and it is no longer possible to be as before.

"I can command them to do whatever I want," Suguru explains as he invokes some curses. "Actually, it's not that complicated. Not once you know how to do it with one."

"Wooow~" Yūji claps both hands together. MinMin strolls around the garden with the two small children perched on his back. Satoru supervises that they don't fall off. "That's super cool!"

"Yūji~ don't praise another man in front of your husband!" whines Satoru with fake annoyance.

 It's not so fake, though.

Suguru gives him a momentary glance, turning back to Yūji who caresses the purple stingray.

"Satoru is more amazing He flies! He has a barrier around him all the time!"

"I can fly too Do you want to?"

Yūji nods excitedly. Satoru watches her reach Suguru's curse. A giant dragon shoots out seconds later. Suguru keeps her restrained for safety. Yūji shouts to the four winds, her arms raised and huge smile on her face "THIS IS AMAZING SUGU-NII!" Suguru laughs softly and nods his head,

. . .

"It tastes like a rag with rotten vomit in it."

"Owh.... Eat my mochis. These don't taste so ugly." Yūji pushes her plate with desserts and Suguru laughs. What a cute reaction.

He gives her half of it. Yūji's mochis are phenomenal. Her food in general is. The order is: Yūji cooks, Satoru whines about washing the dishes and Suguru dries them, giving sidelong glances at Yūji who as usual is full of enthusiasm and Satoru, who chats to her about anything.

. . .

Yūji is cute.

Too cute.

Is it because of the babies?

Suguru starts to feel guilty about seeing her.

It doesn't help that sitting on top of Satoru, there's an undeniable sex appeal involved. He's seen them kissing and also that they go to sleep together. Both very coupled in bed positions. Likewise, again, why does he see her so much? The more he repeats that she is a little girl, the more his mind fights him: Satoru ignored that and got her pregnant twice, knowing him, more things happened.

Does it excuse him being a pervert on a girl almost eight years younger than him? No. Not at all.

"You're lousy with guns."

"Better than before, that's what matters." Satoru plays with a Bo and Suguru bobs his head, it's a good point. On the other hand, Yūji...

Yūji is an abysmally fast learner? He's a little envious of her. She's naturally good at handling her body and attaching weapons as just another part. Suguru had to heal cuts with the knife fight they had. Suguru won just because of his extra size and experience.

"I think we're done for the day" opines Satoru. Yūji swings her legs, sitting on the back of her tiger. "Well!" he exclaims with a smile. "I'll go get the bath ready~ someone else finish up around here."

The three look at the pair of children who made a mess of themselves playing with paint. It is MinMin's full responsibility to warn if that is about to happen. He carries Toukki and Akihiko hops after him. Suguru hands Yūji a towel and watches her dry her face, chest and gets lost for a few minutes there.

Maybe that's why he's more surprised when Sukuna manifests. The mouth on Yūji's left cheek and the eye popping open.

Another cock to warm up? Because clearly it wasn't enough for you to be Gojō's whore, but now you must be that of a half-assed, curse-manipulating sorcerer.

"What the fuck?" Suguru stammers. He steps up to Yūji's level.

"Well little slut, are you going to open this one's leg too?" the smile seems to grow as it deforms the childish skin. Suguru furrows his eyebrows more. "I'm going to make sure to break you in half if you do... I'll kill him too, is that what you want?"

Yūji slaps her cheek, but the hand emerges in the hand she hits with.

You're such a fucking slut, weak and useless.... Just like you'll love it when I eat those two rats you gave birth to.

"Shut up already!"

Suguru grabs her hand, she hit so hard. Her wrist thundered. Yūji snorts.

"It's more annoying when I don't do anything. The more fingers, the more unbearable."

"How many did Satoru bring?"

"Seven, at the cult I got seven, so only six to go... and he's bringing one when he gets back from his trip. We don't know about the rest." she says disappointed.

"Who must be deep in hiding" Suguru sighs exhausted. "At least he doesn't show up all the time-"

"That doesn't matter. He bothers me in my dreams and talks in my head."

"Oh yeah?" Yūji nods and shrugs.

"Satoru always talks to me. It's easier to ignore him like that."

The feeling of confusion only takes hold. That explains why Satoru goes out of his way to talk. Also the tiger's presence. Why he doesn't leave her alone to sleep. Somehow he self-imposed a duty to distract her from Sukuna. To distance Yūji from the strongest curse that ever exists and that is inside her.

He took on that duty himself...

Only because he loves her too much.

Suguru usually doesn't see Satoru without his glasses. But here, he usually spends the time without them with Yūji nearby. Making sure she can look into his eyes, tell her how pretty and perfect she is while he say so, full with love for her. Satoru is selfish. He's a capricious man, unbearable and capable of letting the world burn if it makes his point that he's right about something.

With Yūji, however, it's not entirely like that. He brings out that candid and tender way of being that he jealously hides from the world at the same time he'll let the world burn just for her. Of course, because the world would only take advantage of him. Suguru still feels rejection, after all, Satpru directs this passion towards a little girl.

And Suguru says to himself, does he have the right to such rejection? He have that right? With how much he enjoys in looks at Yūji. So self-absorbed was Suguru, he barely noticed he was in the children's room and watches Satoru finish putting one of them to sleep.

"Out there there is only desire for control and malice towards me" Satoru comments leaving the sleeping baby in its crib. Suguru at the door of the room. "I am a weapon. I am a threat; the only reason the curses dare not go rampage...I never knew love here. Only what it means to be alone" Suguru licks his lips and lowers his gaze, tightening his grip on the door; Satoru has never been so sensitive. So much so that Suguru didn't even know he could be, "But with Yūji I learned to love and be loved."

"You know it's wrong."

"In their rules... In those who cause there to be curses. In those who destroy everything in their path as curses... If I love her, if I care for her, if I adore her more than anything in this world, why would it be wrong?" Satorus reasons directing his blue eyes to his companion and Suguru was tempted to answer:

"Because she doesn't understand it the same way you do."

"Because you forced it to happen"

"Because she was a little girl"

"Because healing your pain at her expense is just as destructive."

He fell silent.

There is nothing to do here anymore.

Even judging has no place.

Just...

"You said it's bringing food when you can't."

"If you don't mind: I'd like you to help her train a little, talk to her... When it's finally all over, she'll have more people in the world" Picking up and leaves in place several plush dolls, some go to the crib and Toukki hugs one of them by inertia. "Besides, you're my friend. I know I can trust you."

Suguru nods. He won't let this miraculous girl get hurt. Not just for accomplishing this on Satoru. But for being a victim of the Jujutsu world that doesn't deserve to have her. What Suguru can agree with Satoru is that Yūji doesn't deserve to be intermingled in such a cruel, malicious and dark world.

She is a soft, kind and warm candlelight that they will keep away from any breeze.

Yūji appreciates that now has Suguru. He comes by from time to time, flying in on some curse he's swallowed. He's fun to talk to. He has the same acidic sense of humor as Satoru, but he's noticeably calmer. He reminds her of her dad in that respect. Suguru helps her train when comes early from Jujutsu Tech, brings something to eat; he also stays over to watch movies and they've fallen asleep together a couple of times.

Yūji likes Suguru a lot.

Suguru feels like Satoru: lonely, somewhat cynical, but with a good heart when he needs to show off.

It is worth noting that he and his babies are also very good friends. Akihiko overcame his misgivings towards Suguru, after all, his mom loves him very much and so, he must love him too. Toukki pulls his hair all the time and babbles to him uncontrollably. Suguru effectively became the uncle of the two Gojō heirs.

 Sometimes the two of them coincide in the house. These are the best days in Yūji's opinion.
 
"We were both assigned a mission" Satoru reports after finishing his meal. The triple ration he devoured. Yūji guides Akihiko to clean up after himself and Toukki mimics the movement. "We'll be at least five days away Do you need anything?"

"Not that I remember" admits Yūji who peeks back, making a memory. "Uh! Flour! Cake stuff!"

"Why?"

"Sugu-nii is going to have a birthday soon! I want to make him a cake!"

Suguru blushes and Satoru laughs, patting him on the back. It makes him happy that his two important people are getting along.

That's all he needs to be happy.

Then he had this mission.

The first and truly big stumble in his life.

Chapter 8: VIII

"Y-you can't take him away. N-our lord is coming back He's going to wipe you all out!"

"USH! How much talk!"

Satoru peace over the corpse and picks up the small box with Sukuna's finger inside. It displeases him so much to see it. Knowing he'll have to hand it over to Yūji makes him want to vomit. He keeps it in his infinity and leaves the burrow full of corpses. Humans, curses, there is no distinction. The reality is that he doesn't care at all.

They are bad people. They are people who want the coming of a false God who, in reality, will do you no favors. Sukuna's only function, will be to torture his tender little wife.

"They ask for a god, but I already exist, so why are they looking for more?" Satoru says in a low voice, advancing with a believing smile and his hands in his pockets. Consider how stupid they are....

Sukuna is not a god.

Gojō Satoru is.

For such a mistake, Satoru is more than justified in having murdered them all.

. . .

"I didn't remember it being so big." admits Suguru with distaste.

"Unfortunately, they are.  Sometimes I think about cutting off his damn nail, because it's disgusting!" Satoru complains shaking the cursed object with disinterest. Yūji ties his hair better and snatches it out of his hand. "And there's still several missing."

"Enough to make it a problem with curses wanting to absorb them." completes Suguru. "Wouldn't you want to do it another day?" offers with a rueful smile. Yūji shakes his head.

"Nope. If I wait, Sukuna's going to eat it by himself."

Satoru nods grimly and Suguru can't imagine how that could be. Yūji tosses it in the air and the finger lands inside her mouth. Suguru must admit that it amazes him how easy it is for her to swallow it. The very implication that she is practiced generates disgust and morbid curiosity in him.

Assuming correctly that Satoru makes use of that "privileged throat". Yūji brings her hands to her neck and black marks emerge all over her face and body, the eyes in her cheekbones widen.

Satoru holds her before she falls to the ground and stays charged, stroking her back. Suguru watches the interaction. The fact that Satoru is so used to this. Suguru can't help but question: are they really doing the right thing by condensing Sukuna into Yūji? Or should they have tried something else.

He doesn't know, but at least he's here. "Yūji-chan is very strong." the pink-haired girl smiles shyly and Suguru keeps his kind, almost affectionate gesture. It was the last time together before the mission to protect the Star Plasma.

Suguru didn't think everything could change so fast. So easily...

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru puts the cell phone away, having answered a message to Yūji. Suguru stands next to him. He knows what's going through his mind.

"Don't do it." mutters Suguru under his breath.

"Why not?" argues Satoru without turning to him. "She's clearly not going to want to die. No girl that age would want to die. It's common sense. The higher-ups are such morons that they think she'll be comfortable with that."

"She hasn't said anything yet," Suguru points out and Satoru rolls his eyes. "If that's what she wants, we'll comply, but until then, you should think about what to do. You can't put her in there too. It's not a shelter."

"I already hid Yūji from the world. I can just leave her at home. No one will notice."

"Or maybe you'll direct them to Yūji" Suguru keeps an eye on Riko, who's playing on the shore of the beach with her maid. "You can't take the risk... In difference, Riko has nothing to give her away. It will be a matter of putting her somewhere else."

"How would we be on the lookout for her?"

"I don't know. But the idea of exposing Yūji should be more important to you."

"It is. At the same time I wouldn't let anyone in a similar situation die."

Suguru purses his lips. It's paranoid of him to think that they would notice Yūji through Riko. After all, Satoru has set up the barrier in his house in such a way that no one would enter the real dwelling. No one would notice Yūji even in front of it. What Satoru studied and experimented with the most in his years of accompanying pregnant Yūji was how to improve barriers, alter the space to his liking and have it obey his guidelines. It's a considerably small space, so it's easy.

Riko in there could be the same. They check, they don't find her, they leave. Easy.

"Maybe she's good for Yūji don't you think? She's a teenager like her." mutters Satoru with his hands in his jacket pockets. Suguru bites his lips.

"Yeah. Maybe it's good for her."

Or one more risk.

A source for Sukuna to torment Yūji.

Satoru is confident that won't be the case. He can handle it. Everything can handle it... Except Fushiguro Toji. 

He doesn't understand this guy. He hates the hell out of his abilities without being a sorcerer. He's a damn nuisance and suddenly he's got the knife stuck in his throat, going down his chest. All he really thinks about when his body instinctively starts using inverted technique, is...

Don't die.

Don't die.

Don't die.

Don't die.

Yūji is waiting.

Her birthday is a month away.

Don't die.

You can't die

You can't leave her alone.

Get up

Get up.

You have to get up.

You have to live.

You can't leave her.

You have to be with her.

Get up

Get up

"N-no... do-dongt... die-"

Satoru is not aware that he speaks.

Satoru is not aware that he initiates something greater than has ever been accomplished.

"Stt...tay..." He coughs blood, amidst insects circling around him, "with.... Yūj..."

Satoru dies.

He really dies.

If only for a few seconds.

So he is unaware of all the havoc his cursed energy, as rampant and large as it is, begins to wreak. From the ring he wears as a necklace -because it would be suspicious to have it on his hand-, it blackens and melts, on his hand, where the garment should be there remains a black stain and the resurrections technique begins to take effect.

. . .

Riko is dead.

And this guy is here.

"Gojō? Ah... yeah... I killed him." he announces with a wide grin.

Suguru feels his heart stop as it beats so hard it hurts him. Satoru can't be dead. Suguru refuses to think that's a possibility and as if it wasn't enough that his body trembles at the thought, an idea suddenly pops up.

What about Yūji...?

How is he going to get to tell her that Satoru is dead?

What is he supposed to do now?

Other than rip this person's head off, who smiles as if it's a cause for celebration. He summons his curses, with rage, sadness, and unease clouding his thinking altogether.

"I'm going to kill you." says Suguru between clenched teeth, a thousand things going through his head at the same time, causing that fog.

You're my best friend, I can trust you for this.

Sugu-nii is someone very kind.

The Gojō clan is almost non-existent at this point, but it doesn't bother me too much. I have you with me.

It's nice that Satoru isn't all alone. I thought only I cared about him. I'm glad he has Sugu-nii to take care of him too.

He has to kill him...

He has to avenge Satoru.

He can't let this just come to nothing.

He doesn't intend to let the killer be satisfied and Satoru go unavenged.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Oh no..."

She's been having too many symptoms this month. Yūji wanted to think she was sick, because she did get sick, but the thought of her being pregnant again makes her a little sick. She was hoping it could wait for another time. She guesses that Satoru is very strong and his little soldiers went inside her fort to make another baby.

Satoru for some reason was embarrassed to talk about it in the correct and simple terms.

Satoru and Suguru just went on that very delicate mission they have. It's supposed to be ready in a few days. Yūji thinks she can give them a surprise that she is expecting another baby. This time it will be better. Suguru will be with them! She sure he can stay and spend that year of detained time.

Although it wouldn't bother Yūji at all if Suguru vanishes when she has to give birth. Be that as it may, she has several plans in mind. Each one more fun than the other. She also tells Akihiko that he's having another baby brother and he doesn't take much notice. Akihiko stares at her abdomen.

Because he can see that little energy there forming. A tiny spark that his mom will have until he's older and can be away from her. It's long days of asking why mommy does that inside her, but can't throw that yucky spot away. The answer is never the same and each one is more confusing than the last.

Yūji doesn't know what to say about it. The fun is cut short a few days later, noticing that suddenly, the barriers around the house and the territory itself begin to fall. Yūji stands at the edge of the house, watching the symptom strangely Someone is attacking them? Not the case. MinMin would have detected it. He looks just as confused as she does.

The reason comes in the form of burning in his chest and hand. He looks at where he has the engagement ring, sees it turn black and melt, darkening that part of his skin. The pain in her chest becomes more pronounced, making her lean against the wall and bend over.

"Mommy? What's wrong mommy?" asks Akihiko, concerned at Yūji's sudden distress.

"It's... it's not-"

UH! It was no big deal if he was killed!

Yūji slaps her cheek out of inertia, not having realized that Sukuna said it only in her mind.

"Dead- No, he didn't- Satoru didn't-"

Her chest aches as if something has been ripped out of her from in there. As if a part of her is gone and for long minutes of overwhelm that feel like years of forced growth and maturation, she realizes what she feels: she is alone.

She is alone again.

Because Satoru is no longer with her.

She manages to stagger to the garden and instantly vomits, leaning with her hands on the ground; Akihiko stays in the house, frightened by it and thinking that that bad thing inside Yūji is causing it. Yūji gasps and suffers unpleasant chills all over her body and repeats the same thing to herself:

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

Satoru is dead.

I'm alone again...

I'm alone again... ... ...

I'm alone again... ... ... ...

MinMin tries to push her away, to help her up, but Yūji clings to him, whimpering to the point of screaming, squeezing the tiger desperately during her hysterical crying. Refusing the reality she tells herself.

Don't leave me.

Don't leave me.

Don't leave me.

Don't leave me.

Come for me.

Don't leave me.

Let me be with you.

Don't leave me.

Please come back.

Come back.

Come back...

Come back to me... ...

Please come back to me ... ... ...

"Mom?"

Yūji turns and sees Akihiko, who trembles frightened in his seat, not understanding what's going on. Between hiccups and with a headache another realization comes: without Satoru, they won't be hidden; they don't know how to fight, they can't do anything, they'll be killed.

She hurries towards Akihiko, carrying him towards her and running to the room with Toukki. She carries him awkwardly and hurries to a room Satoru showed her. It's under the house to secure the inhabitants in case of an attack. There aren't any, but there might be, without the barrier they might notice them.

Yūji presses it against herself, trembling and eyes wide in a deadlock, filled with panic and crisis. Not enough of that, she must think with the one about to be born. There is an enormous amount of thoughts that arise in her mind and frighten her because they would never have come but for this.

Because Yūji never thought that Satoru could disappear.

He is no longer here.

"Shut up."

Oh? Brave  now? It's bad timing.

"I said shut up."

He can't even take care of himself... how pathetic. He left you all alone.

"I don't care to hear you!"

Akihiko clenches his hands on Yūji's clothes What's he talking to, what are those marks coming out on her?

Alone, alone, because that good-for-nothing can't fight Who's next, the big one? I'm sure it'll be fun to hear him squeal.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I WON'T HEAR YOU! I WON'T LET YOU EXIST! SHUT UP!"

Toukki and Akihiko cry, not understanding what their mom's screams are. Much less the reason why she is full of tattoos and eyes widen under the usual ones. For the first time, Sukuna was manifesting out of Yūji's anger and not her fear. Angry as the curse taunts her, she calls Satoru weak.

And wanting to scream and curse rather than let herself be sad.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Sato-"

"I'm not going yet- I can't go like this. I might kill her- I might rape her in front of them and I don't want to."

Suguru still doesn't quite explain how Satoru is alive. The fact that he resurrected himself escapes his understanding. He knows that reverse techniques are very powerful, but this? It goes too far. Not to mention that his catatonic state is very marked. The way Satoru carried Riko's body, his willingness to kill all those cultists... the mess he made against Fushiguro Toji and the obviousness of his lack of consciousness.

Satoru feels nothing.

Satoru doesn't think about anything.

Satoru is just repairing his own conscience.

"Satoru... you died," Suguru points out quietly. "Having a binding vote-she knows what happened. She has to know you're okay" Satoru is still leaning back in his seat, looking up at the now dark sky. "Come on, I'll pay for the cab."

"No."

A meaningless, strange laugh erupts from him. His eyes wide open and his face sporting that painful grimace.

"It doesn't matter. That doesn't matter... It's just existing... everything exists. It vibrates. It breathes. It explodes. It glows. Palpitates. It trembles" The smile fades in his delirium to become stronger. "I don't feel joy...I don't feel anger...I don't feel sadness...I don't even hate him; me; them; nothing...just..."

Satoru feels a level of peace he has never felt before. The unification with the environment is so great. At the same time, he is aware of some things. Despite feeling nothing, Satoru went to kill him, he could do it for the mere implication of recovering his wounded pride.

If Satoru sees Yūji, he would hug her, kiss her, tell her too many things, lots and lots of nonsense; he would want to be with her and will not be a careful thing, not affectionate either.

Satoru refuses to hurt her.

He would hate himself very much afterwards.

Nor would he be able to bear her contempt.

"Satoru" Suguru calls and he narrows his eyes. Suguru is convinced that those eyes have never shone so brightly before. "Let's walk. When you can be there, you move us over there Do you think so?"

"Yes. That might work."

Yaga doesn't know they're coming out. It's better that way. He doesn't think it's a good idea to have Satoru wandering around either. The Gojō clan's territory is in another province of Japan, so it's natural for them to take forever to get there on foot. Night passes and there are traces of dawn, which is almost unbelievable for Suguru who is not sleepy. Just tiredness and the unpleasant feeling in the body.

Satoru reacts just short of the territory and would have liked it not to happen. There is no barrier around the whole place, there are even people watching, surprised that the house is bigger than they remember.

"Do you feel Sukuna?"

"Yes."

Satoru plants himself at the entrance of his house and even with shaking hands and rush, he starts to raise the barrier that hides the house. Making it stronger than before in conjunction of everything he discovered in his death and consequent resurrection. Suguru enters the house and hears nothing, finds no one either.

"Yūji, where are you, YŪJI! YŪJI!" The more doors he opens and doesn't find them the worse it turns his stomach Did they find her when they were gone? "YŪJI WHERE ARE YOU!?" Satoru starts rummaging around equally."

"YŪJI WHERE ARE YOU...!"

The muffled roar gives them an address. Satoru breaks through the trapdoor that hides the entrance to the room, leaping down and finding Yūji in the far corner of the room. Pressing her hand against Akihiko who repels it.

"Fucking brat how does he know how to do that? He starts forcing me to-"

"Yūji?"

She turns her head, the red eyes and that there are four of them make him twitch all over, ready to attack. The crooked smile on her face looks so wrong. It's almost sickening to look at. He stands up, letting his arms dangle.

"You were able to do a reverse technique, that's impressive. Especially considering you did die. At least for an instant" Sukuna mentions showing his hand. Suguru notices that the roar is MinMin, with Toukki in his mouth. "I thought I'd worry about the tiger later, but I guess I'll have to deal with all of you at the same time."

"And you think you'll be able to? How delusional." Satoru scoffs.

"Someone already killed you." Sukuna raises his hand and veins sprout, claws emerge. "I know I'll be able to do the same" grins crookedly, "but I'll leave you alive... without arms and legs... so you can watch me kill all three of them."

"Three? Which three? Can't you count? Are you that stupid?" criticizes Satoru and Suguru understands faster than he does.

"Yūji is pregnant again."

"What!?"

"Wow, one can think... well..." He leans in a little. "That's who's going pri- huh?"

Sukuna brings a hand to his face and is surprised to find tears. He grits his teeth. His body trembles and he forces himself to make other non-attacking gestures. Satoru relaxes his posture. Remember this. It's Yūji fighting for control. He hurries to appear in front of her, taking the body of twelve and shaking it gently.

"I'm here. Come back. You don't have to be scared-or angry. Please come back. I'm here." Satoru insists, appealingly. Sukuna curses through the teeth, over and over until Yūji gives a whimper. Her voice thins and the marks begin to fade. Endless gasps until, in the blink of an eye, the eyes are golden again and fill with more tears.

"Yes you're here, I don't... hallucinate you?"

Satoru denies and hugs her, Yūji hugs him tightly and hides in him. Suguru picks up the baby and Akihiko runs to his leg, still scared. Yūji's crying is too loud, so much that she manages to make Satoru cry too, carrying her and stroking her back.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for scaring you. I won't leave you. I promise I won't never leave you."

"Satoru don't say things like that." scolds Suguru between his teeth. Satoru ignores him.

Indifferent to cursing Yūji and himself.

Unaware that he already did.

And it only gives more form to that curse.

Chapter 9: IX

Combing Yūji's hair is something that gives him strange peace. Satoru doesn't know how to define it. Maybe it's because of how much he can become self-absorbed. Satoru doesn't need cursed energy, nor does he need to be him, but a normal person following invisible patterns.

"Satoru" Yūji calls and Satoru gives a little snort. "Don't leave me again. Please."

"I won't." Satoru promises dividing several sections of hair.

"I thought I would never see you again" muses the pink haired girl with a blank stare. "I felt... So weak, so useless; I asked you to come for me" Satoru pauses. "Because I will never be able to reach you on my own. I am not that strong. I'm just a vessel for more powerful entities" Yūji turns her head to look at Satoru, "but with you I'm a person... And I didn't want to lose that..." Her eyes water and her lips twist. "Not to think I couldn't see your eyes again, I wasn't going to hear your laughter again... I don't want to lose you."

"Neither you nor they are going to lose me," Satoru assures Yūji, taking her face. "Even if you feel lonely, I'll be there for you. Don't ever doubt me. Please." kisses her forehead and Yūji exhales, chest aching.

"I don't doubt you. It's just that the world is so ugly and so mean to us."

To Yūji it makes no sense. They've done nothing wrong and yet horrible things happen to them. It doesn't seem fair to him. His family didn't deserve to die and was exterminated; Satoru must shoulder an entire society, even though he's too young for that and died in the process, even if it was a few seconds; she never did anything bad to anyone and must keep the biggest Curse in the world inside her; her two babies haven't even left this house more than once and would be targeted by assassins.

It's not fair.

The world is so cruel.

And Yūji doesn't consider that they deserve this.

"We have our own world. It's nicer" opines Satoru arranging the pink braids. "We fix that nothing exists. Just that world so ours."

Yūji snuggles into him, listening to his heart.

"Will you marry me?" asks Satoru softly.

"Yes. Of course I will."

Satoru notices her differently. He wouldn't know how to define her other than more stressed about more things. From how she looks to what she does and the general perception of everything. Suguru described it as having hit terrifying puberty in one fell swoop. Aided by hormones and an irrepressible fear of loneliness. Also interpretable as a feminine instinct or something.

Yūji understood in a snap that, without Satoru, she has two children dependent on her. For Satoru, it's sad. If he never stopped that childish attitude of Yūji, it's because he wanted her to live as organically as possible in reference to her age. Pitiful that that plan is no longer possible to fulfill.

It doesn't make Satoru love Yūji any less or anything.

It just makes him sad.

"Isn't that a lot of money?"

"Nah" Satoru gives the black card. Yūji continues trying on hair ornaments. "It cost about the same the first time."

"I'm having a hard time accepting that you got married," Suguru admits crossly. "And now you want to take me to see that."

"It doesn't hurt to have other guests" laughs Satoru, unconcerned. "It'll make it easier for photos. I have a whole repertoire saved up. Yūji was so cute" Suguru has a twitch in his eyebrow. It still makes him uncomfortable to know that Yūji was nine when it happened. "She'll be even cuter now. Hehe~ that's all it's good for to repeat this. Maybe I'll do the ceremony again when I'm twenty and it'll be a phenomenal album."

"You really don't plan on ever parting with her huh?"

"Never." Satoru retrieves the card and takes the bags with his, Suguru's, Akihiko's and Toukki's suit. It's a small, stretchy garment so as not to make him uncomfortable.

"Mommy princess." The boy keeps hugging Yūji's leg, who laughs at the comment.

"Of course it is. But it's secret from everyone." Satoru gestures for silence and Akihiko mimics him. "Well! The dress! Which one do you want? Pick the one you want."

Like last time, they just went to a party dress store to choose a white one. The biggest difference this time is that it could be long and a little more matching. Yūji didn't let them see the fitting, the store girl assured that it looked great on her and recommended accessories to match the style.

Yūji asked for makeup, obviously Satoru bought half the store; Yūji wanted lingerie, obviously Satoru bought almost the whole store; Yūji wanted new pregnancy and baby clothes, obviously Satoru bought everything in his path. Suguru wonders how he's not going broke. Finally with everything ready, the ceremony is the only thing left. Just like the first one. Everyone for their part and gather in the garden. The difference was MinMin, Akihiko and Toukki in fancy clothes. The tiger with a bow tie, the two boys in their fake tuxedo clothes.

Satoru goes without glasses and smiles when Suguru brings Yūji by the arm. He with his hair down and she prances around in small, unconscious hops. The dress is long, sleeveless; her chest area with corrugated, translucent fabric covering a little higher up; hair in a high updo with a silver flower-shaped hairpin and all other accessories in that shape.

"Let's go again."

"Without a third time, please."

Satoru laughs, silly and smitten, taking Yūji's hands which at least now reaches halfway up his chest. Suguru carries Toukki who sucks a finger, not understanding what's going on other than it's a good thing. Suguru doesn't know that Satoru remembers his vows word by word and so he repeats them. He doesn't want him to change anything. He doesn't think it's necessary. At most, the only change is that he loves Yūji much more than in the illusory four years they have together.

"And no matter who breaks it, to always be for you until my soul ceases to have strength and place in any world." Satoru concludes with a gentle gesture.

"I want to be strong to take care of what we do, what we have... And protect you too from such a bad world that doesn't deserve you."

Satoru grabs Yūji's face to bring their lips together and the vow being made. Suguru claps and Akihiko mimics him as well as Toukki. MinMin roars and slaps the ground with his paw.

. . .

For his mental health, Suguru went to another end of the house to sleep. He doesn't want to hear anything. He doesn't want to see anything either. He took the pair of kids with him so there's no trouble. Satoru and Yūji must solidify the vow. It didn't take them too long. Not with Satoru hornier than a centaur. Knowing that Yūji has lingerie on. Satoru doesn't even take full advantage of it, there are a thousand aspects that have him horny.

Being between her legs half covered by the dress is an experience. Yūji clutches at his arms, moaning loudly and with the feeling that Satoru has never been this hard before. She presses her lips together with him, smearing him with red paint and stifling desperate moans; her husband squeezes her hips, pulling her together as much as possible to cum and in the process, leave his hot, white seed inside her. Yūji can barely stand, Satoru rips open her dress, leaving her half naked.

He tosses the garment around, taking Yūji's chest in his hands, kissing her to run out of air and moving his pelvis to rub his penis into her wet vagina. As he pulls away, saliva drips down between Yūji's breasts, which begin to spurt milk again. He undoes her hairdo and pulls her in, half lying on the floor with her on top of him, caressing and undressing him in the process.

Yūji sits on the erect manhood, stroking her pussy that burns with such eagerness. Yūji jumps on Satoru's lap, trying to get it out as much as possible to get it back in. It's very long, so it's hard to do that. Satoru caresses the smooth back, sucks on the still growing round breasts that get cuter by the day, eyes squinting with pleasure at the milk on her palate.

He arches back, gritting his teeth and lying somewhat slack on the floor. Yūji twitches, more seed inside her and his abdomen swelling accordingly.

Yūji licks Satoru's lips, still lying on top of him. It would be a very long night .

. . .

Suguru stands rigid where he is, wondering Does this normally happen? Yūji in the hallway - heading for the bathroom - with a mismatched shirt, breasts on plain sight and crotch with matching pink hair. Lots of marks, mainly on her neck, chest and shoulders. Suguru thought she was just awake, but the wetness of everything betrays that she didn't even sleep. Satoru comes out of nowhere, pulling her into another room. Surely empty like most in the house.

Suguru goes to peek in just to check that they haven't hurt each other, but only ends up with a glimpse of their marital normalcy: Satoru drinking his wife's breast milk and tucked between her legs, still pumping his cock in and out of the pink pussy that receives him so willingly. Yūji strokes his hair and moans, locking her legs around his hips to keep her from pulling away too far.

Suguru closes the door tightly and goes to sleep for another while. He wants to pretend he didn't see that. He also wants to pretend he didn't over-see his best friend's wife.

Pregnancy brought with it the usual: stopping time in the house. Only Yūji, Suguru and Satoru don't have the weight of that year. The two children do. Again Akihiko experienced his birthday that way, Toukki joined in. Suguru is unusually comfortable with this normality. He doesn't even know how he'll get back to doing missions after all this bumming around. Luck was on his side in one respect: he didn't see or know that Yūji and Satoru have sex the further the pregnancy progresses.

Yūji holds herself to the wall, moaning with her eyes closed and her thighs clamped together; sitting on Satoru's face sucking on the pussy urging for attention and pampering. Smelling the concentrated aroma as he tastes the fluid that is nectar needed to continue to exist.

Yūji's barely rounded belly above him.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Saliva falls to the floor, Yūji's fault that she can't keep her mouth shut, receiving frantic lunges from Satoru. The man lies on his back, squeezing one of her breasts and caressing her six-month-old belly.

"You're going to keep having my babies aren't you? You like having my babies" Satoru moans, Yūji barely aware of what she hears. "Your pussy begs me for more like there isn't one inside" he laughs dazedly. "You're perfect, perfect, perfect, sucking my cock for more babies-take.... More babies-"

Yūji grits her teeth and lets out air, moaning languidly and almost desperately, Satoru covering her as she stretches where she is. She receives tickling kisses and caresses .

. . .

"Natural childbirth? Doesn't that hurt?"

"Less than C-section. I'll tell you that much." Satoru steps into the tub and Yūji immediately holds him down, having contractions and breathing hard.

"Do you guys need help with anything?" offers Suguru, nervously.

He feels like he's in a place where he shouldn't be. Yūji's water broke out of nowhere, Satoru filled a tub in record time, and the teenager has had more contractions than breaths by this point.

"Just come when he's already born. You'll find out easy." assures Satoru accommodating Yūji to make it less complicated to give birth. Yūji gives him a tearful look.

"D-don't see me scream-"

Suguru gives a shuffle, not wanting to over-invade Yūji's privacy. MinMin rubs Suguru's leg and gives what sounds like a laugh. Mocking his panic. Yūji clenches Satoru's arms and grits her teeth, giving whimper as she pushes. Even though it hurts, as the infinity is obviously disabled, Satoru encourages her and says everything is fine, giving sporadic touches to make sure if anything is coming out or not.

When the baby is finally born Yūji gives a particularly loud, broken cry, Satoru quickly pulls the baby out of the water and Yūji lies back down on Satoru, breathing through her mouth in desperation. Suguru enters again, stiff and surprised that the baby is crying so loudly and Yūji wants to match it.

"I told you it would show." ironizes Satoru and Suguru hurries to take the baby to allow Satoru to take his wife and can get out of the tub. "Wait a minute, let what's left come out... Tell me when." Yūji nods the head. In a couple of minutes Yūji suffers a shudder, the placenta running down her leg like a slimy mass.

Satoru carries her and wraps her in a towel. Yūji takes the baby and gives a little smile at that.

"Hi Umi Scared to be out here?"

. . .

"Sorry if I don't cook as well as you." says Suguru apologetically. Yūji shakes her head.

"Satoru is really bad at making soup. This one tastes like something" The white-haired man grumbles with his lips hanging out and Yūji chuckles, slurps from the spoon and nods. "I'm very... sleepy-"

Another fucking kid who's going to be annoying at all times. The only good thing about that, I'll enjoy it more when I fucking swallow them.

Yūji gives a groan, fatigued and a little too overwhelmed to even bother with Sukuna. Satoru sits down next to Yūji and starts poking the secondary eye.

"No one called you, you filthy pest. Disappear." Satoru orders moodily and Sukuna emerges on Yūji's right hand.

I must admit, you're starting to give me an idea... I could take the body of any of these kids and rape her like that Is that what you want?

Yūji stiffens and looks at the newborn baby Are they also vessels? It's a doubt she hasn't had until now. Suguru arrives with a duct tape and closes his mouth over it, he also places one on Yūji's left hand.

"Don't listen to him. it's so unlikely that they're also containers that he's just saying that to scare you" Suguru promises nonchalantly. "Finish eating. I made strawberry flan while you were snoozing. I'm sure that's better than soup."

"Thanks Sugu-nii..."

She finishes the soup and Satoru hands her the baby. Umi squirms at first, but Yūji and his touch make him feel calm, moving his hands before pressing his head to her chest. Suguru is surprised to find his eyes open, and to make matters worse, they're enormously blue eyes.

Just like Satoru.

"He's a potato just like you. That's why he turned out so cute." praises Satoru giving Yūji a kiss on the temple.

"I think it's cute like you... Sugu-Nii? What do you think?"

"It's ugly, it's a huge potato." Yūji guffaws and coughs shortly after. He's cute how ugly he is, that much is clear to Yūji and she likes his sincerity about it.

Yūji ate the strawberry flan and after feeding Umi, who barely complained about it, she was able to put it down in his crib. Lying on the futon next to Satoru. The man watches Yūji doze off, stroking some strands of her hair and also her cheeks.

Yūji opens her eyes, finding him on top of her. Satoru kisses her on the lips. A soft and sweet touch. It feels a little weird to feel him between her legs.

"Yūji... Yūji... Let's have another baby..."

Yūji holds back the moan, the long, hot cock sliding through her labor-stretched channel. Satoru moves slowly over her, between the flesh that has no strength and offers no more than a free passage to continue stimulating himself. No less pleasurable for either of them.

"I want you to have more babies. Have more babies." Satoru moans straight into the ear of the girl who lazily embraces him; her breasts pressed into Satoru's chest, who can't resist the morbid thought that just a few hours ago, his third child came out that way.

Yūji is so capable that she's already given his three children. He turns her on the bed and Yūji lifts her hips slightly, dozing off and coming to sleep with Satoru still doing it. It makes her feel good and that helps her rest. Satoru licks her back and looks at her with misty, longing eyes.

He wants to see Yūji pregnant again.

To have difficulty because of her huge abdomen.

To be able to masturbate over her.

To drink the milk like just another baby, one that Yūji masturbates at the same time she feeds.

To have her seek him out, lost in the heightened hormones of her pregnancy.

Satoru wants that again.

A third time is not enough.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"There's a tiny problem."

"And that is?"

"Your kids are precocious. They scare me."

Toukki stares at Yūji, it's clear he sees something in her and threatens to make him cry. Satoru thought he could save himself from that this time. That maybe Toukki would take a little longer. No. It didn't. Now he has two Six Eyes holders. It's good, not so they develop it now that they can't remotely handle it.

Nor understand it.

"Well... As long as he doesn't freak out too much, we'll have to live with that." replies Satoru. Yūji yawns and continues to move Umi around a bit in her arms.

Suguru gives a sympathetic laugh, he's an ugly baby. Fat and round, but pale and hairy unlike the previous two. Yūji notices that Suguru looks at it a lot, so she holds out the little creature. Suguru holds it, uneasily. Akihiko and Toukki were already of a certain age. Umi is so small and fragile that he is initially scared to hold it wrong.

Yūji laughs at Suguru's crisis, since he eventually does it quite well and without that much trouble.

"Aww, how cute, now give me. Give me, give me."

"Don't be mean. Sugu-nii is his uncle."

"And I'm his dad."

After grabbing the baby and hopping away, Suguru can't stand to laugh out loud. It's just that sometimes Satoru is unbearable. Yūji laughs too, rubs his neck and adjusts the blouse he wears to make breastfeeding easier.

"Do you need anything?" asks Suguru and Yūji shakes the head.

"I get very sleepy when I first give birth. For two weeks, I just eat and sleep." excuses Yūji sleepily and sorrowfully.

"That birthing thing must get really tiring, so no wonder. Don't overexert yourself. Less now that you have an extra pair of hands to help you." Suguru takes Yūji's hands giving them an affectionate squeeze and Yūji pulls it close to her face, thus rubbing her cheek.

"Thank you Sugu-nii."

Suguru feels his heart pounding hard and doesn't know what to think of that.

The fantasy unfortunately, ends. Suguru finds it very strange to return to the world after a whole year of isolation in the Gojō territory. He especially understands Satoru's dilemma: having to remember everything that happened in what was the previous day for the others. Quite complicated it must be said. Especially in his situation.

Having to be back in line with Riko's death and all the fiasco it meant. Also that with so much time on his hands, Satoru practiced everything that came as a sort of revelation thanks to his death. Suguru thought that nothing would change. That, on the contrary, they would enter back into the lovely routine of coming and going from time to time to the house and having time as a sort of big family.

This is not the case.

Satoru is more absent than ever.

And Suguru more lonely than ever.

Because they don't have to do missions together anymore. He is no longer one of the strongest. Only Satoru is the strongest.

Having to really face Riko's death weighs on Suguru. He keeps thinking that if it weren't for the fact that there are curses to begin with, they could have normal lives. The presence of the Non-Sorcerers as the main catalyst for their misfortunes.

After all, it's not just Riko's death, it's also about Yūji and her life as a prisoner, the way Satoru has to deal with everything. For Suguru, it's so unfair to wear himself out caring for people who cause their misfortunes, who cause them to not even be able to aspire for a life because they can die at any moment.

He hates it.

He hates it so much.

And he doesn't know what he does with it.

"You're a little weird," Yūji comments. Umi on the floor sitting and playing with a toy she just gave him. "Is something wrong?" The braid over her shoulder and dainty clothes give her a little more age. Her worried gesture even looks like that of a distressed wife.

Even though she doesn't have the years to have that status.

Thirteen years old, Yūji is a worried wife with three children and a husband who can't be there for her because others create the worst evil in the world.

"I'm fine." says Suguru. As if those huge dark circles under his eyes aren't there.

Yūji purses her lips and taking advantage of the strength she has, pulls Suguru to her to hug him. Suguru wasn't expecting it, so he has no way to resist or run away initially. A few seconds later, feeling her warmth, inhaling the faint peach scent from the creams she usually uses and listening to her heartbeat, Suguru just stands there, letting himself be pampered by the younger woman stroking his hair and neck.

"You don't have to go through everything by yourself. I'm here if you need help." Yūji promises with kindness and tenderness.

Something that doesn't exist in the Jujutsu world.

Something Amanai Riko died for.

And the more he comes to hide in Yūji's arms, lying on his chest or on his thighs, the more he realizes that she could die just the same.

Something that couldn't scare him any more.

And so he can't help but squeeze her in his arms like a fragile being that will disappear at any moment.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Yūji told me that you go very often."

"It's better than being here doing nothing."

"How envious." Satoru swings his legs, both sitting on the railing of a bridge over a river.

Suguru stays hunched over looking straight ahead.

"Satoru, if all curses could disappear would you take the option?" Satoru looks at him over his glasses, somewhat quizzical.

"Yes. Of course I would. Though without eliminating Sukuna that can't be done. That's bullshit." Satoru laughs half-heartedly, adjusts his glasses and Suguru looks towards the river.

No.

They can do it.

It's just a matter of killing all the Non-Sorcerers.

Or most of them.

And they'll be free of this.

They would finally be free...

"And if the solution was to kill all those who create the Curses" Satoru turns sharply, meeting Suguru's dark black eyes. "Would you do it? For Yūji... And for your children not to live the same as you."

Satoru furrows his eyebrows.

"Precisely because of them, I can't do it."

Satoru doesn't want blood on his hands from innocent people who can't control something like this.

Suguru considers that it doesn't matter. They must protect what is theirs and nothing else.

If Satoru doesn't plan to do it, Suguru will do it himself; if Satoru doesn't plan to take proper care of his wife, Suguru will do it for him.

And when Suguru burns the whole village to save those twins who, just like Yūji were tortured by adults who don't understand anything, he decided that he must do it whatever it takes.

Chapter 10: X

Umi sleeps like lead in her crib, inside the next room where Akihiko and Toukki are also sleeping. Yūji stirs on the futon, a little uncomfortable that she can't get MinMin. The tiger is tied up at another end of the house, preventing him from defending her.

A person enters the house, enters the room and goes under the futon to join her. Accustomed as she is to Satoru showing up late from time to time, she has no aversion at first. Yūji feels when the touch is different. She recognizes Satoru's hands in any shape and on any part of her body.

The size.

The texture.

The way they move.

This isn't-

"Su-Suguru-"

Yūji gives a small squeak and covers her mouth with her hand, Suguru's right hand inside Yūji's pants and stroking her crotch insistently. Yūji can't use his usual strength, as if her body is weakened by something. She remains facing him, Suguru on top of her and Yūji manages to push him off by looking him in the face, but it's not useful, with Suguru anchoring his hands on either side of her. A hideous, tremendously sad and broken smile is what Yūji sees on Suguru's pretty, haggard face.

"I just want this to be over..." muses Suguru in a broken voice. "And take care of you... To help you... To get it over with. I just want... I just want this to end."

Suguru is desperate.

Suguru doesn't want it all to end like Riko.

For it all to end like Haibara.

To waste away like Satoru and Yaga.

To pretend indifference like Shoko or run away like Nanami.

He wants it to end.

And to be able to save Yūji. Wants to hold Yūji in his hands and protect her from any evil. Willing to destroy whatever it takes to have this sweet girl safe.

Yūji slips her hands, trembling and takes Suguru by the face, pressing a little on the thin cheeks.

"It's okay to feel bad. Satoru and I are with you. We can help you." proposes Yūji in a broken voice.

Yūji wants Suguru to stop.

For Suguru to stop being like the people she remembers in the Sukuna cult.

Yūji wants him to go back to being Suguru. This is not Suguru. This is someone pretending to be him.

Or maybe it's Suguru... the part of him that Yūji doesn't know. 

But, even if Suguru is sad why would he hurt her? Yūji doesn't understand and it hurts her terribly.

"He doesn't want to."

Suguru knows he's not going to be able to convince Satoru. No matter how much he talks to him, Satoru won't want to listen. He has wanted to be a saint for his family, instead of being a protective demon. He refuses to get his hands dirty, but what does it matter at this point? They already have so much blood on their hands that it's the same thing and Yūji needs to be saved by stained hands.

Why does it matter?

Why does it matter more to him than it matters to Satoru?

Isn't Satoru supposed to love her?

Maybe I love her more, thinks Suguru to himself.

"He wants to help you. You just haven't told him everything" Yūji presses her lips together. "You're not alone and you don't have to do bad things. It's okay. It's okay."

Suguru hugs her so tightly and didn't let go all night. Yūji kept looking at the ceiling, barely understanding that this man is clinging to her like a lifeline. The last one Suguru has left. As well as the contact that both confirms to him that he is alive and here.

Yūji wonders why for that, he must do this to her. Yūji feels sick and absent in her own mind, barely aware of Suguru calling her name and sounding similar to Satoru. He sounds desirous.

He sounds longing.

He sounds in love.

Affectionate.

And yet she has Suguru moving between her legs, sucking on her breasts and hurting her no matter how slight.

Yūji doesn't understand.

And it hurts Yūji more just to think that it's Suguru doing it.

Because this makes him more like Sukuna.

. . .

"Stay here. Stay with us."

Suguru is still lying on the bed, on his side and looking at Yūji in profile. She turns her head toward him. Puffy and noticeably uncomfortable or rather: deeply hurt by what he did. Suguru didn't think he'd get a look like that and maybe it hurts in equal measure to what he did.

"I won't say anything." mutters Yūji with her hand resting on the futon. Suguru looks down, sees the rounded breasts full of little red and purple marks, of his teeth that wanted to sink in to enjoy the spongy texture.

"Nothing's going to change." Suguru muses looking up into the watery, dull, eyes like dirty coppery metal.

"And if you're just looking for it to get worse, we're all going to suffer... I don't want you to die. I don't want you to change either..." Yūji turns the eyes to the ceiling. "This world is also very bad to you, but don't let it consume you. Sukuna would win... and with that you'd hurt me more than you already have."

Suguru clenches his fist and lips, feeling like crying. He supposes that even Yūji can claim. Naturally, she's human too, and yet, it's such a weak claim, so simple, it makes Suguru feel overwhelmed Why doesn't Yūji hate him? Why doesn't Yūji curse him? Why does Yūji ask him to stay?

"We can't let him beat us.... Stay with us" Yūji closes his eyes and sighs. "Stay with me."

Suguru rises slightly from the bed, startled, trembling.

"Do you really want me here?"

"Yes."

"Why defend so much monkeys who have only caused trouble?"

"We all cause trouble. If you and Satoru spare my life, I must spare everyone else's too."

Suguru gives a half-hearted laugh and approach to her, hugging and giving her a kiss on the cheek, totally into her so that for tonight, she's his for nothing else. Even if Yūji doesn't want it. Even if Yūji starts crying when thinks Suguru is asleep. Suguru enjoyed it and he knows she did too. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

. . .

"To the whole village...?! Suguru-"

"They wanted to kill two girls, saying that they were to blame for their misfortunes . I won't put up with that stupidity; I can't stand the idea of protecting those who cause the trouble to begin with!" claims Suguru impatiently and annoyed "Yūji, Riko, Haibara, Nanami, Shoko, you, and me All getting into this damn trouble because they can't take care of themselves! Because they don't know how to control the curse energy they expel- I'm sick of it. I'm just..."

Satoru hugs him and Suguru only feels worse, like his heart is shrinking and reminds him of that weak grip of Yūji's just this morning: stroking his hair, humming and acting like nothing happened. Satoru pats him on the back affectionately.

"I can fix it. At least a little bit. The rest...  Well" They part and Satoru puts his glasses on his head. "It's frustrating, also a bummer, but... I don't know if I could live with that."

Suguru sniffles, hating that it's like this. However, with a little bit of light in mind, he respects that Satoru's stance: he doesn't want to have the murder of millions of people on his conscience. A fluke he can take, even Riko's death, but to have done it deliberately? To people who don't know anything? He's not like that. Despite all the horrible traits he has, he is incapable of being so cold.

And that's what Suguru hates.

Satoru must be that cold.

How is he going to protect Yūji if he's not willing to do whatever it takes?

It makes Suguru want to cry more to feel like a monster, wishing that his best friend was one too and that maybe in the process, Yūji will hate them both equally. At that point, maybe she'll actually forgive him instead of just pretending nothing happened.

"Go to my home. I'll settle it... No one can against Gojō Satoru." Satoru states with a confident smile. He puts his glasses back on and smiles believingly.

"We have to look for something first..."

. . .

"Getō-san!"

Suguru pats the pair of girls' heads. Satoru tilts his head, they are cute. They become wary as soon as they see him, but Suguru gently pulls them towards him: "he's Gojō Satoru, he's my best friend... He's going to help us."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji doesn't know how long she has been in the tub, but she hasn't wanted to get out. As soon as she left the children asleep, she had the urge to get into the tub and hasn't come out. In the blink of an eye Yūji finds herself in Sukuna's domain. Sukuna sits on the buffalo skulls as usual. He lowers his gaze, crossing his arms.

"Looks like my lovely and very open-legs wife decided to come see me" Sukuna jokes, sitting on his lathe. It has always struck Yūji that he looks just like her, but a more grown-up, masculine version. After all, Sukuna is a man. "Maybe her last affair didn't leave her as satisfied."

"It wasn't an affair."

"Then he raped you."

"It wasn't that either. It was" Sukuna appears inches away from her. Taller, bigger, stronger. Yūji manages to stand tall in front of him in difference to his more tender childhood. Undeterred, "A help and nothing more."

"A help by spreading your legs and asking him to shove his cock all the way down your stomach," Sukuna says leaning into her face. Yūji clenches her fists. "How was that? You unconscious fucking whore" He insists asking and Yūji says nothing. "I could kill him. You know it would be easy for me. Very easy."

"I don't want you to kill him. Stay away from him." orders Yūji between her teeth. "Stay away from all the people I love."

"Is he also one of the people you want? The man who enters your bed..." Sukuna starts walking around her. "The man who touches you without permission..." Yūji doesn't let him run away from her gaze. "And who treated you like a fucking whore to make himself feel better Is that the man you care? I knew you were stupid, but you've reached a new level." he hisses standing to his right."

"What I do or don't do with my body is my problem, not yours...get me out of here."

"Do you really want to get out?"

The teasing question comes under the easy reason that Yūji is not feeling well. Between hurt, uncomfortable and worried. What happened with Suguru is not something she wanted, nor did it make her feel physically hurt; diminished and disrespected is the best way to describe it. However, she doesn't hate Suguru. Not remembering the way he looked, the restlessness inside him and how desperate he was for something to hold on to.

Suguru needed someone and Yūji didn't want to let it sink in, even at the cost of doing something unwanted and that made her angry with him. It's momentary. It will pass in time. Not so the dislike of his touch, the fear of the idea of it happening again without her wanting it to; the memory of someone else touching her in real life, beyond her dreams... it's something that scares her and urges her to be here. Yūji runs away from the feeling, from the memory. Yūji takes a deep breath and reacts, notices hands on her head.

"Suguru is with Umi and Toukki, don't worry" Yūji relaxes in place, lowering a little. "Are you feeling alright? Princess" Satoru asks gently. "Is there anything you want?" He starts rinsing the long pink hair with black.

"Have we ever done it here?"

"I don't think so."

"I want to do it here."

Satoru laughs. He empties the tub full of soap and shampoo, fills it to a very shallow level, and Yūji lies on top of him as soon as he sits there naked. It doesn't make much sense to him that she's in the mood for it, nor that she's so desperate for contact. Nevertheless, Satoru won't say no to Yūji. Maybe she's tired, he'll hug her and love as much as Yūji needs.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"This is Mimiko and Nanako," Suguru introduces. Yūji tilts the head slightly. "Their village wanted them dead, thinking they were the ones causing misfortunes and curses... They'll be here for a while, I hope you don't mind."

"Oh... No! Not at all!" Yūji smiles wide and clasps her hands together behind the back. "Sorry if the babies are a bit of a bother, it's just that they're still small and not very discreet" The pair of girls look up at Suguru, who nods at them. "We can go to a room to get them settled. There are plenty of empty rooms. I also have plenty of clothes they can wear until we buy new ones..."

"I told you it was going to be fine." Suguru sighs in relief and Satoru laughs indiscreetly, wearing his round, but thicker glasses.

"I'll get them an apartment...when they stop looking for me for murdering monkeys" Satoru pats him on the back and Suguru gives an annoyed snort. "I also have to enroll them in some school. Although leaving them here on weekends would do Yūji some good."

"Yep. The more girls around, the better."

Nanako and Himiko adapted very well to Yūji, to the point that in just two days she could already be seen talking nonstop in the garden, helping Yūji as much as possible with the babies and learning to cook with his instructions. At the same time, Satoru took care of the Suguru issue. Excusing that it was an external curse that caused the disaster. There are many dragons. Suguru having one is a coincidence.

It will only be enough to find another one and Suguru consumes it, thus excusing that at least he kept it. All the dead civilians were a fluke. A small and regrettable mistake.

Suguru doesn't cover up his contempt for the non-sorcerers. It's even funny that he calls them monkeys all the time. Yūji has decided to ignore what happened. She hasn't told Satoru and doesn't plan to tell him either. Yūji doesn't want the friendship between Suguru and Satoru to be destroyed. In a way, it's as if she's only counting on Suguru to keep Satoru company.

Satoru would be very lonely without his best friend.

And that's already saying too much, considering the loneliness that burdened him.

Yūji doesn't want to cause a problem, even if she remains uncomfortable and feeling abused.

With her rapist going in and out of her house.

Yūji knows that Satoru needs Suguru and viceversa. She can't make them fight.

She must put Satoru's comfort and happiness first this time.

I can take it, it wasn't important, it doesn't hurt anyway Why make a drama of it? Why ruin their friendship? This doesn't matter. I don't matter that much. Those are some of the intrusive thoughts running on all speed in Yūji's head. It give her peace in some way. Makes easy to see Suguru, smile to him, corresponds his hugs and caress his hair when he's lying on her thighs. 

He's human and a man.

Just like Satoru.

Both lonely reach for her, that way they feel less lonely and happy. She has to help him or them. Maybe men are like that.

Doing stupid things when they are sad and she, being the only woman who their trust, it's the best thing they can seek for company and well, she give them some peace in mind. She help them doing this. Yūji thinks she doesn't do enough and this compensates for everything they do for her.. 

You're so fucking stupid, is what Sukuna says, laughing at loud in Yūji's head.

When she tested positive, she just thought vaguely: here we go again. Umi is only four months old and she is thirteen years old. Akihiko is going to be three, Toukki a year and a half. Suguru helps out at every possible opportunity. How overburdened Satoru is prevents him from even moving from Jujutsu Tech. Graduated or not, they have him tied up as a teacher.

The good part is that it helps to know about any crises or problems with the higher-ups easier, as well as finding out about Sukuna's fingers that are hiding and running away as if they have a life of their own.

There are currently four missing. Just because of this, it is normal to hear crying out of nowhere.

"Stop bothering so much!" Yūji paws her own hand, making the mouth disappear. Umi cries loudly, having teeth marks on his cheek. A few more seconds and Sukuna could be able to rip it off. "I'm sorry baby. Mom got out of focus. It's okay. It's okay." She kisses him on the forehead and Nanako comes closer, worried.

"Shall I bring something? Yūji-chan."

"His blanket and pacifier. Satoru will cure him when he arrives."

The girl runs off and Himiko stays with Akihiko and Toukki, the three of them painting on the floor. MinMin yawns and rolls over, lazy. Yūji smiles at his eldest son, who shows him a drawing that looks like her? It's a long pink blob and a smiling face.

"Nanako-neechan helped me draw mom." Akihiko shakes the drawing held in his two hands.

"It turned out very nice, then we all paint together Okay? After Umi goes to sleep." Akihiko shakes his head and hops over to where his brother and the girl are painting.

Yūji manages to calm Umi down and lull him to sleep. With Nanako's help he puts a bandage on his cheek and is left alone to sleep. Upon returning to the others Yūji has the bad feeling of Sukuna literally hovering behind her back.

In a single minute, this is all going to be nothing.

"Yūji-chan?"

"Nothing, nothing nothing nothing."

. . .

"You said you were going to get there sooner." mutters Yūji at the entrance, with Umi in her arms in a sash she tied to make carrying him less tiring. Satoru gives a snort and starts to remove the bandage from his eyes. Lately his eyes takes a lot more scope and he still hasn't finished his glasses with thicker glass.

He needs new ones, he didn't last long with the last old ones.

"I did four missions today, it was an absolute bummer" Satoru takes off his jacket and leaves it lying on the side. "Everything okay?" He gives Yūji a kiss on the forehead and Yūji denies, showing off the baby and Satoru hisses in annoyance. "It seems to be more annoying every day."

"Sorry."

"It's just a bite" The wound heals thanks to Satoru's reverse technique. "It could be worse. Much, much worse. However, you manage to control it because you're so strong... Did you manage to train today?" Yūji nods. "Tomorrow I'll stay here. we'll train with a new weapon. Suguru found a whole arsenal that might come in handy."

They both walk down the long hallway of the house. Yūji gives occasional glances at Satoru. He yawns and notices him exhausted. Being able to get rid of problems in record time doesn't take away from the fact that everything has its difficulty, that everything still involves expenditure of energy and to top it off, he must get here again.

And by Suguru's words, almost all the missions are fulfilled by Satoru. They have him consumed as if Satoru is not a human being. "What's wrong? You look worried, Yūji."

Hormones, genuine worry, crises coming and going, thinking too much about the threats of the world at large against her family. It could be one of those as well as just one option. The truth is that it makes Yūji want to cry out of sheer frustration and rage at the same time, squeezing the baby in her arms a little. Satoru bows his head, stopping his gait.

"Satoru takes care of everyone... and no one does the same for him... I hate the world you're in: they put you at risk, demand more and more from you, hurt you and maybe... take you away from me- Why do you only have me? Why are you alone? You should have more people to love you... you deserve it, Satoru." Yūji sobs in an anguished and upset mood.

Yūji wants to help others. It makes her happy that Satoru helps others, but why do they take so much from him? Why must they consume him? Why can't they let him live? She would be incapable of generating harm to anyone and yet, Yūji knows that they would generate it to her. It is very unfair and very painful to think that she lives in a world like this.

That she has to put up with it. To live in total worry and that she can't do anything to change it or help make it less tragic.

It hurts too much to think that Suguru is right to despise humanity. Those who live free from the Jujutsu world.

Yūji doesn't want to think like him.

Yūji doesn't want to share his destructive philosophy.

It would make her closer to Sukuna and it scares her.

"Yūji" Satoru grabs his face, long pink hair falling down her shoulder opposite Umi's face. "I understand you're frustrated with this, I am too. I'll try to make it less time I have to spend outside and-"

"It's not about you spending time outside" Yūji pulls away somewhat abruptly. "It's about them not caring about you other than to use you. If it came to seem like a bigger curse-"

"It won't. Even Sukuna can't beat me." Satoru has enormous confidence about it Why would he be afraid for Sukuna? Yūji shakes her head.

"What if you can't? What if there's someone out there who wants you gone? And because no one else does anything, they push you away, they hurt you... I" Yūji's voice fails her and so does the strength to look Satoru in the face. "I don't want to feel that again... you... you didn't live it. You didn't feel what it was like to have part of your soul ripped out of you, the awareness that you had to care alone for three people who have no one else. I don't want to feel that again."

Satoru opens and closes his hand before giving a sigh. It had taken him a while to have even the slightest complaint about dying. Rather, it had taken Satoru a while to hear this very specific fear from his wife. Yūji doesn't care that Satoru is the strongest according to everyone, much less that he proves to be. The reality is that someone may have already killed him once.

If anomalies are the talk of the town, the possibility is there, haunting and distressing Yūji. Satoru crouches down and remains crouched in front of her.

"I'll be careful, okay? I'll also try to balance it better... Don't cry, I'm not leaving."

Yūji sniffles and in one quick motion wipes her cheek. They leave Umi in his room and Satoru takes Yūji's hand to go to their own, lying down on the futon and holding Yūji in his arms, stroking her hair and back.

Chapter 11: XI

"My kind recommendation: stop having sex with her without a condom. Have some compassion she's already given birth three-times." points out Suguru with bags of food in hand.

"It's not my fault that the condom breaks and her hormones are in absolute chaos with the morning pills" claims Satoru and it's a good defense. Even though it turns him on and makes him happy, he doesn't seek it out. It's happened by pure accident too many times already. "She'll be fine. We just have to-"

"FUCK!"

They look at each other and then at Yūji. She doesn't have much evidence of pregnancy yet, a discreet curvature. She can train until the fourth month. Much lighter and done in a way that doesn't fill her with aches and pains or bore her. They didn't expect that in between that simple routine, Yūji would throw MinMin towards them and was about to knock them down like simple bowling pins.

"You're doing great honey!" praises Satoru giving a thumbs up. "How about you champ, are you okay?" MinMin gives a roar and runs towards Yūji who gets into a fighting stance. At the edge of the dwelling Toukki, Akihiko and Umi watching. The latter tucked into a pen with his favorite dolls. "There's something weird this time" mutters Satoru. "I think some routines will have to be changed."

"If you want to deal with your stubborn pregnant wife, I'm not going to stop you." says Suguru with a fake through laugh.

Suguru stares at Yūji even as Satoru goes to comment on the subject. He doesn't see the same thing as Satoru, but he certainly considers that there is something strange. Not in Yūji, but in the dates. They can't be certain on the months, Yūji is still too young to go to a doctor with a pregnancy and not have them judged and even want to convict with because of it.

But within the space of time, isn't it possible that Suguru got her pregnant?

No, don't think about it, Suguru thinks to himself. So much for not getting his hopes up for something like that, as well as not wanting to put nails in his possible coffin if Satoru finds out about this. Yūji has been acting very normal. As if nothing like this happened. So he just goes with the flow. The biggest difference, is that Yūji doesn't let him touch her so easily. It must be something unavoidable or accidental. Carrying her out of nowhere is forbidden, also blowing in her ear or similar jokes.

What Suguru was able to maintain, is sleeping cuddling watching TV. Beyond that, it is impossible.

Suguru is totally oblivious to the pitched battle going on inside Yūji's mind.

Satoru suspects nothing. Why would he? And so let it stay that way.

This pregnancy feels more rushed and weird than the previous ones. Yūji notices too much movement inside her and is sure Sukuna can't make mouths inside her intestines-she hates the mental image-plus her belly grows at a faster rate this time around. They could easily think she is six months old and not four.

Lacking any idea and since Yūji doesn't feel bad or expose problems, they don't worry much about it.  Just about making her feel comfortable and content as usual.

"I was thinking that, when the baby is born and a couple of months have passed, we can have a date outside the house" proposes Satoru swinging on a chair. Yūji keeps an eye on the food. "Name a country. Whichever one you want. I'll take you." Satoru smiles and Yūji shakes her head.

"Not even a baby out yet and you already want to put another one in."

"Yūūūji~ it's part of the plan, but first indulge you in what you want to do- France? No, better Spain" Satoru makes pistols with his fingers and smiles pedantically. "We eat paella in a village in the middle of nowhere. It'll be a honeymoon we didn't have and deserve."

"Aww Satoru, I don't know. It'll barely be three months. What about the kids."

"Suguru takes care of them. There are formulas that are just like breast milk." Satoru justifies nonchalantly and Yūji pouts.

"What a maniac you are."

"It's just that I love you so much and I want us to spend quality time together." justifies Satoru rocking back and forth in the chair.

Finished with what she does, Satoru stands up and hugs her back, gives kisses on her head and tenderly caresses on her bulging abdomen; Yūji smiles and sways a little in his husband's grip.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," Satoru says to each kiss he gives Yūji and ends up lying on her. "I love my wife so much. Yūji is so cute. So strong. You're perfect."

"You're starting to embarrass me." says Yūji with a red face and a wide smile.

 At the kitchen entrance, Akihiko and Toukki watching the scene. It's good. That black thing on mom hides when she's happy. To such an extent that they can hardly see it. They like it that way. That's why they go inside to go hug her equally.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Yūūūūūūūūūji! I brought a gift!"

Yūji doesn't resist the exclamation of excitement The gift are deers! About five or six now walking around the garden. A rather small one, barely a hatchling, comes up to her to sniff and allows her to pet it. Satoru with his hands on his hips and the enormous satisfaction of having gotten a good and well-deserved gift for his wife.

They made a small house for the deer to have a place to shelter in case of rain, a place to feed them and a place to visit them regularly. MinMin sighs constantly, watching the animals run around. If only they were no longer pets for his owner...

How he'd like to play chase at least once.

"No biting MinMin." The tiger lets out all the air and Yūji laughs at his drama.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Satoru, you have blood in your hair. If you can't wash it properly, let me know."

Satoru is more asleep than awake, enjoying Yūji rubbing his head. He has no way of knowing that there are still traces of blood. He takes great pains to bathe, after all, he doesn't want to stink when his wife is pampering him. However, sometimes they are real bloodbaths impossible to avoid even with infinity, manipulating the reality itself within the combat; consequently it is complicated to get it all out. Yūji rinses the white hair and Satoru opens his eyes, lying almost completely on the edge of the tub, wetting the floor.

"I can't live without you Did you know?" Yūji continues in what she's doing and Satoru keeps the slight, calm smile on his lips. "Yūji is the best thing that ever happened to me and I'm so happy to have found you" The pink and black haired girl pulls her lips out a little. "Sukuna vessel or not... I don't know what my life would be like without you. It would be horrible, gray, boring..." Satoru turns and hair thrown back all the way, hugs leaning against the tub. "You're the only reason I enjoy living." he concludes in a laugh and shrug.

"I wish I could do more to deserve that affection you give me. As far as I see it, I feel like a taker of your kindness...also a waste of time" Yūji wipes her hands, Satoru keeps the gesture gentle, patient to his wife's concerns, "but it makes me happy that Satoru thinks that of me. I couldn't live without you either."

Satoru takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. Yūji reaches over and strokes his hair, making him doze off. Let him rest a while longer. If she weren't pregnant, she'd carry Satoru out of the tub loaded. She's been able to do it a couple of times and he loves it.

Especially to expose to Suguru how strong his wife is.

"Yūji."

"Tell me?"

"When we have all of Sukuna's fingers, I'll find a way to free you from him. He'd never scare you ever again. Make you have nightmares... I'll get you out of this world" Satoru looks up and Yūji maintains false credulity. "And when it's like that, we'll live happily. With lots of children."

"They'll be teenagers." Yūji jokes.

"Maybe they won't. Though if they were, they love you almost as much as Suguru does." Satoru ironizes amused. Without comparing it to his love. Because clearly, that one no one will be able to match it or even come close. "They'll be with you. You will be accompanied. Very much accompanied. Even when we must die because we're wrinkled, clumsy old people, you'll have lots of people to love you around...our children, our friends, our pets, me. We will be very much in each other's company. Very much loved...you more than anyone else."

They both fear loneliness.

Both fear disappearing without anyone who loved them.

And little by little, Satoru trains those who can make that different. Not for him, who with Yūji is enough and will be more than happy in a lifetime, but for her who despite her truncated and hidden life, was able to win the hearts of many people.

In the future, there will be more. In time and when Satoru can let her out without the risk of being hurt.

"I love you."

"You never get tired of saying it." comments Yūji with a chuckle.

"It's just that I love you so much, Yūji." Satoru whines, laying thecheek against Yūji's abdomen, bulging and warm from what gestated there. "Let's sleep in the other wing of the house."

"Okay."

There they have a bed that hangs, very close to the entrance so they can see the sky or the fountain full of koi fish that Satoru made for Yūji. It's a relatively private space, when they just want to snuggle into each other nothing else. Today they were lucky there weren't many clouds; Satoru leaning back from Yūji and giving him occasional glimpses, his face sleepy and relaxed. Satoru stretches in place to give Yūjia kiss on the cheek.

"I love you." Yūji smiles in between sleep.

Sukuna won't bother her today.

With that, Satoru can sleep in peace.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"You don't know Spanish, Satoru What are you going to do in Spain?" complains Suguru as soon as he finishes listening to Satoru's honeymoon plan.

"Those are details that can wait," says Satoru nonchalantly and smiling, his glasses almost ineffective for this moment, but he likes them better than the blindfold. "What matters is that I need you to take care of the kids for us. Including the baby coming."

"About that" Satoru pokes his lips out Now what? He hopes it's not a scolding for getting Yūji pregnant. It would be rather late for that... and boring, repetitive "Don't you think Yūji's having a lot of trouble for just one baby?"

"It can be a big baby- YŪJI YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

MinMin catches Yūji before she falls and hurts herself. Satoru pulls stands her up and checks Yūji for anything. Akihiko threw something that fell on the ceiling and Yūji, as independent as she is, just thought to look for it herself. She laughs nervously and holds the ball in her right hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb... Aki-chan! Don't throw it so hard!" Yūji scolds going with MinMin to the side. Satoru drops down on Suguru, that was close.

"As I was saying: I'm pretty sure they're twins. That could complicate existence a bit." Suguru opines with a hand on his chin. Satoru clicks his tongue.

"Don't worry, I know we'll be fine. I know we can. We've been able to handle everything so far, if it's more than one it'll just be more little kids running around here, being happy" Satoru replies unconcerned about the issue. He straightens and fixes his hair. "Besides, you're here, you can help us in case of an emergency. I'll take care of the missions faster and that's it."

"I think you promised someone not to be irresponsible about it." Suguru looks at him indiscreetly and with a raised eyebrow. Satoru waves his arms, goofing around and drawing a laugh from Umi, who is sitting in a pen.

"I'll keep my promise~ Don't stress~ Everything is fine~ Trust Gojō Satoru~." Yūji laughs, noticing her husband's foolishness in convincing the other sorcerer.

The delivery day came earlier than usual which wasn't too bad either. After all, Yūji could hardly walk anymore because of how bulky and heavy her belly was. It was even problematic to get her into the tub. Suguru did the same as the previous time: running away before the main act started. Satoru notices that something is going differently than the previous times.

Yūji is having a harder time and despite changing her posture to make it easier for him, it's impossible for her to be comfortable, to feel that it works and not be bothered by it, to the point of thinking that, how big of an abdomen is Sukuna's fault.

"I-It's sixteen fingers" Yūji sobs in fright, initiating the anguish loop. "W-what if he mutated it? He did something to it Satoru, he did something bad to the baby." she sobs in fright. Satoru shakes his head.

"No. It's okay, it's just too big- You think you feel better lying down? I'm going to- Suguru! I need help here!"

Reluctantly and nervously, Suguru goes in with them. He's the one who ends up with his arm destroyed from how hard Yūji squeezes it, Satoru keeps checking and trying to dilate it, help a little and let them know when there's something noticeable. "Huge head! It's coming! Keep it up!"

Yūji stares at Suguru for a moment before gritting her teeth and pushing as hard as she can. Satoru grabs the baby soon and find weird that something is slightly protruding a few seconds later.

"THERE ARE TWO!"

"Yūji, keep pushing."

"I-Im tired-"

"The baby can die. You have to push" Suguru prompts. "Come on, you can do it" Suguru insists. Satoru leaves the crying baby in a basket-now small for the need he has-, and returns to Yūji. Suguru makes her sit up more, and Yūji inhales and exhales every five seconds. "You're strong, come on, you can do it... What do you need, what do you want me to do?"

"Yūji." Satoru presses a little nervously.

"I-I don't know- I don't-"

It would be fun to kill one of the two.

Yūji hugs Suguru out of inertia, being that Sukuna's voice echoed loudly in her head. Satoru is initially weirded out by it, but he has to focus on the baby first, whose head came out, but is at risk of suffocating. Suguru hugs her back, allowing himself to be scratched and have his eardrum ruptured on the occasional squeals until he fully receives the scream with which the second baby comes out, crying uproariously and full of the slimy fluids.

Satoru would be happier to have twins were it not for the fact that he senses something strange about one of them. Not only at the level of presence, but in that the child has some hair and those poor, thin, almost transparent locks are black. Initially it's about keeping calm, after all: Yūji has black hair too. Maybe finally came out one that is similar to Yūji. There is a slim chance that, like his family before him, he is black-haired.

Satoru's strangeness is accompanied by Suguru's care. Sure, he treats Yūji well, but at this point he'd think Suguru was Yūji's lover if he didn't know them well enough Why so much attachment? So much gentleness, murmuring soft things in Yūji's ear that Satoru doesn't get to hear.

"NEW BROTHERS!" exclaims Akihiko, barging in without permission and in a hurry. Having to deal with him and his two other sons, Satoru doesn't have time to see Suguru.

The kisses Suguru gives Yūji on her face, the caresses on her back and taking her to the bathroom to groom and heal as needed. "You did very well, Yūji. You did very well."

. . .

"Is something wrong? You're being a little weird." mutters Yūji and Satoru continues to examine the two babies.

Fortunately, they sleep like logs. Yūji yawns and leans against Satoru, both seeing the crib that is too small for such big babies. According to Satoru, the most enormous potatoes in the orchard.

"There's... something weird about him" Satoru mutters pointing to the one that came out second: Kiku. "I just don't know what it is" he admits leaning on the edge of the cradle. Yūji doesn't see anything weird. "What did your dad look like?"

"He had pink hair like me."

"And your mom?"

"Black hair" Yūji yawns. "And eyes... green? I don't remember," Yūji admits, sleepily. "I just remember her huge mark on her forehead" she rubs her eye and grabs Satoru by the hand. "Let's go to sleep. I want to sleep... I'm tired."

Satoru nods and continues with hesitation. Kiku is also less pale compared to his twin: Yuzu. Not to mention the hair. One white, the other black. Satoru tries to rationalize it with that: Yūji's mom had black hair, that's where it comes from and that's it! During the two months of helping Yūji with the babies, Satoru was able to keep cool with that.

With the difference that Kiku's hair grows long, black in color just like his eyes so tiny and slitted. A foxy look that simply, doesn't make sense. Satoru tries to make memory in his family, pictures and registered traits: there has never been anything like that and Yūji's family didn't have it according to her.

The only thing that comes to Satoru's  mind is that Kiku looks a lot like Suguru.

And Suguru is very happy to carrying, coddling and carrying Kiku around.

More than he has been with Yuzu or even Umi What it's difference between them? Other than the obvious resemblance. Suguru himself can't help it, not with the boy looking like he's his son with Yūji. It's a thought that sends shivers of delight and excitement down his spine. In his own twisted and tilted way of getting along with her.

Yūji hasn't said anything about it. She wants to deny the idea that Kiku is Suguru's son, even though it is deadly obvious. Yūji notices Satoru's doubts, as well as Suguru's happiness. She doesn't want to create a problem. The last thing she wants is for Satoru to have any resentment toward Suguru or worse, the baby.

Kiku is barely three months old.

What if Satoru hates him?

What if he wants it thrown away because it's not his?

These are stupid concerns, as Satoru would never force her into something that would hurt her. Nevertheless, Sukuna does his thing in getting on her nerves, is making her feel bad. Assuring Yūji not only that Satoru would throw the baby away, but that Suguru would try to have another one with her. Showing up at night to rape her again like the first and only time.

She keeps herself happy enjoying the twins. Without wanting to go into details about their conception, where they come from why should Yūji be bitter about it? MinMin is the only one who senses her uneasiness, but with no voice to have a say, all he can do is go along with her.

As he judges Suguru every time he is at home, playing with the baby so much like him that he begins to fantasize about Kiku calling him dad or daddy.

"Looks like someone used up all the energy." jokes Suguru leaving Kiku in the crib. Yūji has complications with putting Yuzu to sleep. It's not that he cries, but he does have a hard time falling asleep. Satoru went out to buy food.

Yūji had a craving for sushi.

"Kiku is very quiet" Yūji pouts her lips, looking worried as she sways. Down the hallway passes MinMin, Akihiko and Toukki on his back, fast asleep. "Sometimes I get scared that maybe he'll die in the crib and I won't be able to tell." admits quietly, watching the baby smiling at him, batting his white eyelashes and sucking his thumb from time to time.

Suguru walks over to Yūji, snatches the baby from her to put it in the cradle and then, grabbing her face. Yūji purses his lips, uneasiness obvious in her honey-colored eyes, hair loose and somewhat messy.

"He's going to be all right. Death isn't going to take him away from you," Suguru promises softly, watching her tenderly. He strokes Yūji's cheeks with his thumbs. "Because if it had been, it wouldn't have allowed him to breathe."

"Death likes to play with me. That's not a good excuse." grumbles Yūji and Suguru laughs. He leans over and kisses her on the forehead. Yūji squeezes her eyes and hands. Body tense.

"I wouldn't be so cruel. Trust me... Do you want to lie down as soon as Satoru arrives? You look really tired."

Yūji nods. From so much thinking about the subject of Kiku and who his father is, plus Suguru being here so long, happy for the baby, have her nervous, very anxious. Sukuna draining her energy mercilessly, creating catastrophic and almost hopeless scenarios.

When Satoru arrives with the food, the three of them eat together in the room, watching TV and Satoru occasionally glancing at the crib, where the twins sleep. He concentrates on his food, not like every night, turning over why his son doesn't feel like the others, his hair, his eyes, his soul itself.

Satoru doesn't say anything because Yūji is anxious. He doesn't want to make her feel bad. On the contrary, he feigns dementia so that Yūji will be calm and recover soon, return to being the smiling, excited girl.

Kiku, his hair and essence can wait.

The one who unveils the mystery is Sukuna.

For the fun of it and with the desire to create conflict.

Chapter 12: XII

"You were a little weird this week" Yūji opines uneasily. "Is there something wrong with Kiku?" The only reason Satoru could be this worried is because something is wrong with the two-almost-three-month-old baby. In five days the barrier that stops the flow of time within the territory is lifted.

Yūji begins to suspect that Satoru already knows, but if he did, he would say so, it is still a mystery. Her panic is less evident than she thinks it is. Disguised with weariness.

"He's different from his siblings and I don't to understand why" Satoru puffs out his cheeks, watching the pair of children sleep in the crib. White hair and black hair. With Kiku clinging to his brother's hand most of the time. "It's not bad at all. Just different. Maybe he came out a lot to you and that's why he's like that."

Yūji twists her lips. Hopefully she understands what he's talking about.

"I'm starting to think maybe he won't get the Six Eyes because it was a second baby" Yūji tilts the head and Satoru keeps pressing his finger on the sleeping baby's cheek. "You always get tired from giving birth, you must give a lot of energy, a lot of your strength" Satoru pouts slightly. "And with two babies... you gave more to one than the other and yet, maybe you took energy from Sukuna without realizing it. Unknowingly. I have a theory that eventually, you'll be able to use his power and techniques. When you practice enough." Satoru relates, it's more of a rant than anything frankly useful.

It's a way to get the concern of the black hair out of his system. Give himself justifications that it's normal. It's the most natural thing in the world. if something bad happened, Yūji would tell him. Especially seeing him worried like this. At least that's what Satoru thinks. Yūji massages Satoru's shoulders, somewhat nervously. It could also be true, couldn't it? Maybe Kiku is just... different because he was born different.

Maybe he's a normal human just like her! And he's tearing his soul apart in guilt over nothing. That interpretation gives Yūji hope. Which ends when on her cheek, Sukuna's mouth forms, just as Sukuna's eye opens.

"He doesn't look like you because he's not your son, you stupid fool" Satoru turns his head sharply towards Yūji and stops her from giving herself the usual slap. Yūji's eyes widen. "He's not going to have Six Eyes. He's probably a mediocre sorcerer or nothing at all."

Satoru gives a slight spasm; like a shiver. He stares at that secondary eye.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Satoru asks between his teeth, in a low, tense, anxious voice. "There's no way I'm not-"

"As far as I remember, this girl is a filthy whore who'll spread her legs for anyone. Is it any wonder she'd spread them for someone else? She loves having a penis going in and out of her pussy, fucking her all night" Sukuna teases with a huge grin. Yūji averts her gaze, giving an anguished gasp at the thought of it, having the nasty body memory. Satoru opens his eyes wide and clenches his jaw. "Having one more man in this house when you're gone. She's a lustful whore. She doesn't live without warming up a dick-"

Yūji slaps with her other hand and Sukuna fades away. Satoru looks up a little, fixing his gaze. At Yūji who still won't look him in the face, but she's calmer than one might expect.

"What's he talking about?"

"The usual: just wanting to call me a whore."

"So it's a lie?"

"What happened? No What did I look for? Yes. That's a lie."

Satoru doesn't want to lie. She knows that's bad. She didn't say anything before because there was never the question, but she refuses to tell Satoru lies.

Satoru lets out a weird, deformed laugh, his eyes wide open and tilting his head in a way that, just seeing it out of the corner of her eye, makes Yūji afraid. Yūji sniffles and clenches her hands in his clothes.

"What?"

Satoru feels a tug in his stomach. Yūji doesn't say it in the specific words, but his confession is clear. Satoru has trouble thinking that happened How could it be? Suguru is his best friend and there's a long list of things he wouldn't do. For starters, he shouldn't have even noticed or saw Yūji, so the possibility of having harassed or touched Yūji is even further from that possibility.

Would Suguru have been under some manipulation? Some curse that supplanted him? No. If that was the case, Yūji would have said something and not kept this quiet until now. Her silent makes Satoru's nightmare about it more real: Suguru in his five senses and having all his faculties, came to do that with his wife.

With his little girl.

Sukuna, however, is always going to seek conflict. Maybe weaken him What better way than to make him doubt Suguru? Yūji dares to grab him by the wrists. For Satoru's expression turns panicky despite still smiling Did Suguru do something wrong to Yūji? Couldn't he take care of her? Why didn't she say anything to him, is she alright?

"It doesn't matter. He didn't hurt me."

Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar.

"Of course he did. That's hurting-"

Satoru's retort comes in that chilling, horrible gesture on his face.

"He was feeling very bad. He had murdered the whole village- Satoru listen to me." Yūji asks anxiously, almost desperate to be able to restrain him. However, Satoru begins to make efforts to get rid of her.

Satoru knows Suguru was in this house before they talked Did Suguru go to tell him everything after raping his wife? Satoru doesn't even understand what hurts inside him. The way Suguru broke his trust, the way he gave way to something as sacred as his home where his family is. His wife, his children, the only thing he truly loves in this life.

His betrayal is...

It's horrible.

And on the other hand, the feeling and incompetence, of being stupid intermingled with anguish. Imagining that Yūji held this in all these months. That she's held Suguru close despite her very obvious rejection. One that, foolishly, Satoru thought came from being pregnant again, from worrying about Sukuna and puberty doing its job in worrying her.

No. That wasn't what had her uneasy: it was having Suguru around and that even now, as brazen as only he was, he stayed close. Satoru remembers vividly the way Suguru treated Yūji in childbirth. He knew what he did. Yet he still dared. So many thoughts run at once through Satoru's mind and out of his mouth only the broken question escapes:

"Was it at that time? Yūji..."

Satoru feels like at any moment he's going to destroy half the house just on impulse. The two babies stir, unsettled by the cursed energy flitting around the room, making chaos, exerting pressure.

"He needed help!" justifies Yūji in a tearful voice. "I didn't want him to... Feel lonely. Nor for him to leave- he's your best friend, I didn't want you to be alone" The more Yūji explains it, the worse the situation becomes. Exposes that she knows it was a bad thing, but she decided not to say anything for the sake of helping Suguru and that, pisses Satoru off. It makes him too angry. As if Yūji swallowed her own ailment for saving something that, according to Satoru, doesn't deserve to exist if Suguru dared to do this. "I thought it was you, I was sleeping, MinMin wasn't- Suguru was really bad, I-I really thinks he was going to kill himself of how lonely he was, how... devastated he was. He didn't do anything wrong, he's not to blame. Please don't blame him." Yūji asks almost crying.

Yūji doesn't want Suguru to disappear.

Nor does she want Satoru to, because she's sure he'll hate himself for the rest of his life.

Yūji didn't want this conflict.

It's just what she wanted to avoid.

"Then who has it, you, for sleeping in a house where only trusted people should be allowed in?" Satoru  begins to lose what little patience he has left, if he really has any left. Yūji presses her grip harder, trying to hold him back and unable to speak up in defense, maybe blame herself and say she did want him. That's how desperate she is to fix the situation. To keep that friendship from being damaged. "He, Sukuna, nor anyone else has the right to do something like that to you... Least of all him! I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE BROUGHT HIM HERE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!" Satoru loudly demands.

"And he has!"

"NO! THE ONLY REASON HE'S COMING IS BECAUSE HE WANTS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOU! THAT'S IT! HE WANTS YOU!" claims Satoru hysterically and Yūji still won't let go. Satoru wouldn't dare exert enough force against her, even in his greatest annoyance.

"BUT HE DON'T HAVE ME! I'M STILL HERE!"

Satoru gives a broken laugh, Suguru wanted that too? Wasn't it enough that he had hurt his wife by raping her, he also wanted to take her away?

"Let go of me." ask almost calm.

"You're not going to kill him." clarifies Yūji, out of breath.

"Why not?"

"It's Suguru! He's your best friend!" Satoru lets out a gross laugh. He couldn't call him that now. Maybe never again. "You're going to regret it. You're... You're someone weird" Yūji twists his gesture. "You love monsters. You love people who don't deserve that love so kind and great that you give. You love people you should hate and kill... And... And... And you couldn't be calm afterwards."

"You're different," Satoru claims between his teeth. "Don't compare yourself to that fucking asshole-"

"Sukuna is worse than him and if you'd kill me, you'd kill him too. You still let me live" She's not going to tire of using this argument. As far as Yūji is concerned, it's the best logic for when talking about unforgivable things. "You'll regret it for life if you try. Don't do it."

"I assure you it will be anything but regret!" Satoru states with his huge, lunatic grin. His eyes sparkling and damned energy blossoming from him.

"If you're going to do it for me, don't do it. Please...don't do it."

Yūji releases it bit by bit. Satoru gives a glance at the pair of babies crying from so much fuss and the atmosphere created by Satoru. With a simple touch on the forehead Yuzu falls asleep. The man takes the black-haired baby from the crib. Satoru doesn't do it badly. He doesn't seem to want to hurt Kiku either, but alarm bells are ringing. Kiku cries hysterically for Satoru. His face, his gesture, his cursed energy.

"I said you were going to be safe with me. That nothing was going to happen to you. That we were going to be together forever" Yūji begins to gasp, with Satoru taking a few steps away and not allowing her to take the baby back to put it in the crib. "And it turns out this little thing is proof that I couldn't... Don't you remember?" Satoru questions and Kiku shakes, fidgeting, red, hot from crying. "All the times I promised you'd be safe and beside me..."

Her rants end in him standing in the garden, releasing cursed energy unchecked, that so negative and evil joins that curse they created together. Which grows stronger with every promise they make to each other. MinMin appears, tense and twitching, Yūji comes down from the house and tries harder to take Kiku, but Satoru's infinity prevents him. Like an invisible barrier that doesn't let her get even thirty centimeters closer. She slams her fists against that barrier.

"I'm going to... go make sure of something." Satoru informs, closing his eyes.

"W-where are you going? N- NONONONO!" Yūji shrieks, punching harder. "SATORU! WAIT...!"

Satoru touches Yūji on the forehead. A weak spark that makes her faint. MinMin catches her and pulls her up better on his back. He's not going to put up resistance on Satoru unless he senses hostility from him towards the babies or Yūji and that hasn't been the case. Satoru walks off at a leisurely pace, not saying a word.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Nanako, you left the- oh, Satoru" Suguru smiles sly and confident as always, watching his friend's back. Nanako and Himiko concentrating on the baby stirring in Satoru's arms. "I didn't know you were coming" He sets the bags of food down on the table. "I thought-"

Satoru looks at Suguru.

Suguru freezes, his blood freezing and explosive heat throughout his body.

Six Eyes fixed on him.

Just...

Watching.

"Na~ko~chan~ Mi~ko~chan~" Satoru croons turning back to them. "I have to talk to Suguru. Take care of Kiku-chan Yes? We won't gonna take too much time." Satoru hands the baby over and they nod, excited to get the chance. Yūji doesn't let them. After all, the baby is too small.

Satoru gets up and leaves the apartment, walking in his very particular way. Suguru follows him, restless. He takes one last look inside; Himiko and Nanako wave goodbye and go to the room they occupy. Suguru locks the door and with trembling legs, cold sweat and a pounding heart follows his companion.

The building is in a rural area. It's no big deal and it helps with privacy. They reach the meadow behind the garden. Satoru without his glasses or blindfold, fixed on Suguru and with the building to his right.

"Is something wrong?" asks Suguru, uneasy. Maybe it's an emergency. Satoru drops his head, his glowing eyes only making the other sorcerer more nervous.

Not to mention the smile.

That smile that resembles the one he had when he was resurrected.

Lunatic.

Feral.

Crazy.

"No. At least not now."

"Ah, good."

Suguru rubs his hands together and before asking again, Satoru smiles wider. Such an unpleasant gesture that only makes Suguru feel more uneasy.

"Kiku is cute right? He and Yuzu are sooooooo cute."

"Yeah... Eh... Yūji gives birth to really cute babies."

"Now I know it's totally her thing," Satoru squawks through gritted teeth. "Because one is yours."

Suguru's eyes widen in shock and his jaw drops seconds later, slowly turning to the building Is Kiku really his son? Can that be? Having twins from different dads? His mind does a quick calculation that most surprisingly, Yūji have survived something like that. If Yuzu is heir Six eyes, he can't imagine the amount of cursed energy Yūji had to put in to keep him alive. Kiku is both an anomaly and a miracle. It stops all that brain activity. It dawns on him what really has Satoru so upset. It's not about the baby being someone else's, in essence, that brings Satoru no care; it's the implication that comes with it.

"L-listen to me-"

"Are you going to deny it? Yūji lied to me. Clearly." Satoru ironically shrugs and shakes his head.

"Nno me-"

His entire body bounces off the ground and hits against a tree, breaking it and nearly knocking it over. Suguru vomits bile and part of his head is crushed from the force of the blow. Satoru is less than a meter away. Suguru tries to move, but another blow only causes him to collapse the tree and fracture another one. Had he not used reverse technique, Suguru would be dead by now.

"My, wife" Satoru mumbles through his teeth, without his long smile, just the creepy, bright blue eyes in such a dark space. "You went and raped my wife- WHO I ASKED YOU TO HELP ME KEEP SAFE."

Suguru spits out lots and lots of blood from the blow to his stomach. He inhales and exhales sharply before being grabbed by the neck.

"You were my best friend and you did this to me" Satoru says straight to Suguru's face, whose black eyes move restlessly, as if there is too much to see in Satoru. His eyes, his gesture, his smile, the way that pure, crystalline blue, is contaminated with the deepest disappointment. "You were supposed to help me. You were supposed to be someone I could trust and what I have to find out a year later is that my Yūji, my cute, tender, perfect Yūji has been spending time with a rapist in front of her...with...with someone who was supposed to take care of her" Suguru starts to blur. He heals by the second, the pressure Satoru is exerting is such that it could make him explode. "You were my friend, the only person I trusted in the world and... And! HOW DID YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! HOW DID YOU DO THIS TO ME! TO YŪJI! MY YŪJI!"

Suguru notices: how hurt he feels. The one who clearly abused his trust in every way possible. Satoru throws him with such force to the ground that the crater that opens up in comparable to a rock from space. Trees pulverized and Suguru coughing in desperation not to die.

"AND YOU WANT TO TAKE HER AWAY! KEEPING HER AWAY FROM ME!" Satoru accuses hysterically, fists clenched. He grabs Suguru again to slam him to the ground. Suguru spits blood and reaches to speak:

"Y-you're not-you're not" Suguru tries to break free, but Satoru's grip is too strong. "W-willing to... do... Everything to-save her-and-I'd burn the world for her." he admits with a smile Why he should hide that by now?

It's the truth.

Suguru will make anything for Yūji and her wellbeing.

Satoru don't.

He's way to kind for that.

Kind with a world that doesn't deserve it and let suffer a person who doesn't deserve it.

"Ah Are you in love with Yūji?" Satoru laughs incredulously. "Is that it?"

The smile slowly fades from his face, curving his eyebrows in doubt and impression at the same time. It is that. Suguru manages to heal most of his organs and bones. Just in time for the infinity to hit him and break, twist and press them. Satoru gives an incredulous laugh, almost on the verge of tears.

"You can't do this to me. It's just... You can't. You weren't supposed to be like the others" Satoru feels his head throb, everything inside him hurts and he doesn't know how to name what hurts. "You were part of my clan... of my home... You can't do this to me."

"It wasn't... On purpose."

Satoru gives an incredulous laugh Is that all he'll say? With a grunt Satoru pulls Suguru back to where they were, Suguru makes a long furrow in the ground. Satoru appears a few feet away, two fingers pointed at the building. Suguru is instantly upset.

"No- Satoru you can't do that! NO! PLEASE DON'T! SATO...!"

"Why not?" At his fingertips the red flash is made, wind blowing hard and energy pulsing around. "There's everything you want there Or am I wrong?" Suguru can't get up, he's not even able to use his cursed energy to summon some curse and protect the place, get Hanako, Himiko and Kiku out of there. keep them from turning into... nothing. "Everything you wish this life wouldn't take from you."

"I know I screwed up, but please don't. They don't- You know it's not their fault" Suguru's voice is desperate, just like his look and expression, dragging in the dirt. "Don't do anything to them W-who ruined it was me! I...!"

"But you didn't hurt me. You did it to Yūji!" says Satoru, Red growing in his fingertips and starting to create havoc. "The one person I'd give my life and soul for: you wanted to.... Fly away, kipnaping here, keeping her away from me. Thinking that you might love and desire her more than me. That you need her more than me. As if she were yours and not mine."

"I was wrong! I WAS WRONG! SORRY! NO...!"

"We'll make a vow" Satoru announces and Suguru gasps, still on the floor. His legs unable to keep him up. "You're not going to be alone with Yūji ever again, a room, a hallway, the garden. You'll never be able to be alone again without feeling all your organs and veins explode and if you were to even try anything, they would; you're not going to hold her unless I'm there" He lists in a mere whisper, looking down from above at his partner who can't hold his breath, "if it even crosses your mind to touch her again, you'll die...suffering...a thousand times or more...what she and I suffered because of you."

"I-it's... It's okay." Suguru stammers, clenching his hands in the grass.

Satoru drops his arm, with the attack fading away. Everything returns to dark normalcy. Where it seems only the moon and Satoru's eyes are what's shining here.

"Kiku won't know you're his dad. You will eternally be his uncle... And you are not allowed to tell him the truth. You'll have to lie to him forever when he finds out" Satoru stops in front of Suguru, stepping on his head. "And if he asks me, I'll tell him what you did: that he hates you like you deserve and you can't change it."

"That decision is not yours." Suguru's voice fails. Having had the quick thought about it. Satoru laughs, pulling his foot away. Suguru raises his head again.

"It's mine... Because Yūji has too much heart. So much that she just forgave what you did and wants to excuse you even with me. Her huge heart capable of keeping a piece of shit like you and holding it with love" Suguru sniffles, crying impetuously and lowers his gaze. "And if I didn't kill you, it's because she doesn't want me to do it. And I don't like not respecting her requests. I'm not like you..." he smiles again. "That you did everything Yūji didn't want."

"b-but you were going to kill-"

"No one. I brought Kiku so I wouldn't destroy anything."

Satoru past him and Suguru pales. I mean, did Satoru just trick him? Was he scaring him? It's a fact. It would never cross Satoru's mind to kill a son of Yūji. Even if he's not his by blood, he's his by marriage. It's Gojō Kiku after all, not Geto. If Suguru hadn't accepted the vow, Satoru would have just forced him to do it, maybe curse him.

And Satoru doesn't care how dirty that move is: Suguru doesn't deserve care or decency of any kind and he knows that very well.

. . .

Yūji wakes up shaken. He rises from the futon and finds Satoru sitting at the right side. Yūji gasps analyzes the blood on his clothes, on his skin and believes the worst immediately. Satoru, for his part, with his arms crossed on his knees mutters.

"I didn't kill him... It was what you asked me to do."

Yūji closes her eyes and sighs in relief. She reaches out her arms and welcomes Satoru who hides in her. Smelling the soft scent and sensing her coveted warmth. He kisses her on the neck and wraps her all the way around.

"If something happens to you again, tell me... Promise you're going to say it. No matter what it is, no matter who- I'll do whatever you ask me to do, but please don't stop me from taking care of you or making this world respect you Okay?" he asks overwhelmed and Yūji nods slowly.

"Promise you'll tell me when things happen outside. That you feel bad."

Satoru laughs weakly. Yūji is so allergic these days to letting herself be the only one they're taking care of. He can tell she's grown up quite a bit. Yūji kisses him on the temple and pulls away, taking his face to caress it. Yūji can tell how hurt Satoru is by all this. Suguru is very important to him. In the most selfish part of her being, Yūji is glad that she is her husband's first priority, that he even has enough murderous desire against someone so beloved because he has hurt her.

Yūji noticed the change in the dynamic with Suguru. He never comes unless it's with Hanako and Himiko accompanying. Yūji doesn't know what happened. Neither Suguru nor Satoru have said anything. They also maintain a healthy cordiality and almost closeness, with Satoru being too spiteful to allow himself more. In time perhaps it will mend, but he doubts it. Suguru for his part keeps the vow he made. It's especially depressing considering how much he loves sleeping on Yūji's thighs and receiving his cuddles.

Something that clearly wasn't meant to last with how his mind and feelings upset him. It should never have come to that. He should have loved Yūji as a friend. Like Hanako and Himiko. Not long for her the way Satoru did. The only things that remain the same are the conversations and the meals, the perfect minimum bar to not drive him into depression again.

Chapter 13: XIII

Three of Sukuna's four fingers have appeared. They purposely take a long time to get them. Giving one every three months to Yūji. That's a lot of power inside her. It's almost the whole curse. They can tell that despite her training for this, it's hard to handle at all. Accompanying her now is more vital than ever, heavily aided by Hanako, Himiko, Akihiko, Toukki and Umi.

Satoru has had certain concerns for Sukuna, who never ceases to manifest to bite or annoy, even creating uncomfortable situations such as giving Yūji fellatio while she sleeps or throwing poison in food; so in order not to have so many children so exposed, he left them each in different barriers to grow up. Just as Satoru has to stop time, he can speed it up. Satoru tried it with a small litter of dogs and it worked very well.

With his children it was even better. The brain created memories for time not actually lived and they are all beautiful from what they explained.

Now Akihiko is ten, followed by Toukki, Umi is eight, Yuzu and Kiku seven. A small gaggle of kids running around and loving Yūji calling her in chorus to every single thing they want to do. Akihiko helps clean, Toukki helps cook, Umi helps wash clothes and Yuzu with the animals. Nothing too extreme or time consuming. It was also what they chose to do.

Kiku on his side...

"What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing, you know how it is."

Yūji fixes the long black hair, the boy continues to paint his drawing and smiles at his mom's cuddles. Instead of being with his siblings in the next room, he wanted to come to where Yūji studies. Satoru wouldn't leave her as a stupid child and is now rather exaggeratedly picky about what he teaches her. Having arrived and finding math books among drawings of animals is an amusing contrast.

"How did it go?" Yūji stands up from his spot and puts her long hair over her shoulder.

"Fine," Satoru cocks his head to one side with a smile and half-untied blindfold. "I was around Hokkaido AND I brought you this!" He swings the bag and Yūji pokes her lips out.

"Why do I get the impression it's a treat?"

"Because it is!" Satoru exclaims with Jazz hands and Yūji laughs, taking the treat.

. . .

Yūji keeps Satoru held by the cheeks, pulling every so often on the annoying white bandage he wears on his face. Six eyes getting stronger and urging ways to cover his eyes. It's a shame, because Yūji loves to see them.

And Satoru loves to see the opposites.

Indifferent to that stain that exists on Yūji because of Sukuna.

"Get pregnant again" Satoru asks kissing Yūji on the neck, right hand under the female underwear and the other, caressing the smooth back. "I want you to have another baby."

"There are five here." mentions Yūji with slight amusement.

"Never mind, I want another baby." Satoru gasps before sucking on the warm skin.

Yūji doesn't understand what Satoru likes so much about seeing her pregnant. That part completely escapes her comprehension. It also happens to understand his eagerness to have his head between her legs, sucking on her sex like it's the best candy he's ever eaten, going so far as to stick his tongue in that place that, in Yūji's opinion, is still very dirty.

Still, she doesn't complain about Satoru doing whatever he wants. It feels so good. Her body vibrates and frolics from so much attention. Enjoying each and every one of them and begging for it to continue. The more she grows, the greater Satoru is able to make her feel. She keeps her legs spread, panting and murmuring her husband's name. With her hands she exposes more of her vagina and Satoru masturbates with one hand, taking Yūji by one leg and placing her on his shoulder.

Yūji purses her lips and eyes, moaning sharply, pleasurably at the penis slowly working its way into her pussy. She sticks out her tongue and half-opens her eyes, with Satoru very close to her face. His firm hips thrust to calmly penetrate her, falling on top of her as soon as he is fully inside her.

"I love you Yūji" Satoru grabs her face, kissing her on the mouth, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. "I love you" he says barely. "I love you so much, get pregnant again" Yūji hugs him by the shoulders, scratches his back and holds him by the nape of his neck; legs locked around the male hip. "Fill yourself with my babies Yūji, fill yourself with my babies again." moans Satoru, almost desperate to feel her pregnant again.

The scent, the feel, the warmth. Everything about her pregnant is so beautiful and exciting at the same time. Satoru wants to have that again. He has let time pass so as not to be so insistent and yet he already wants it to happen!

Yūji, his tender and oh-so-pleasing wife accepts without much insistence. The wife he takes such good care of and for that, he gets such far-fetched and complicated rewards. His chest pressed with hers.

"I can. I'll have another baby from Satoru, come on, fill me up." she asks breathlessly and Satoru smiles excitedly.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"How many more children do you plan to have?" asks Suguru. Satoru looks at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Does it bother you not to have more children with her?" Suguru doesn't react in any way about it. "If that's your problem, you can forget about it happening again," he says.

"I have it on my mind" Suguru states and opens a fan, sitting in one of the many living rooms of the house. They listen to the racket made by the gaggle of children inside the dwelling. Except for Yūji, who comes in with a tray of tea and some sweets. "I just can't explain the need to keep going on about it... I'm sure we can make him some flirt."

"The only thing that matters now is that she has a smooth pregnancy and that it's not twins. If it happens again, I'll jump in the pond." Satoru warns, melodramatic as only he can be. Yūji laughs, setting the tray down on the table.

"Don't be silly, you'll scare the fishes!" claims Yūji.

"Yūji! What's is more important to you: the fishes or your husband!" whines Satoru and Yūji pouts, head bowed.

"The fish aren't to blame for your crisis." Yūji estimates and Satoru slams his forehead against the table.

"A fish are more important than me."

Suguru almost spits out his tea. He doesn't even know how it sounded so funny "Ouch... Where did Kiku go? KIKU!" Yūji rushes off to find the boy. Satoru straightens up and starts eating the sweets.

"Kiku is so spoiled... it's terrible. He can't stay away from her" Suguru feigns disinterest about it, as if he doesn't care what his son does or doesn't do. "Sometimes I don't know if he's the worst of all. I feel like my own children are giving me competition for Yūji's attention." complains Satoru with a tone that hints that it seriously creates bother and distress on him.

"Dramatic," Suguru exhales. "Satoru, tell me the truth" he demands, managing to get his attention. "Do you like that? Get Yūji pregnant."

A couple of minutes pass. No refusal. No affirmative. Just silence between the two. Suguru thought about getting himself from insisting, he's still in thin ice with Satoru and doesn't want to tempt that he can't even exist around Yūji or Kiku. Satoru lets out a chuckle that sends shivers down his spine.

"Yūji gives me more credit and kindness than I really deserve." confesses Satoru and Suguru narrows his eyes.

"Maybe she sees something you don't... or anyone."

"Oh, what's true is that she doesn't see reality..." Satoru rests his cheek on his palm. His calm, nihilistic smile that looks like a copy to Suguru's amiable gesture. "If she notices as it is, I don't think she'd be so calm around me" Black glasses slide down the bridge of his nose. "Since she's nine years old I haven't stopped thinking the same thing, even what I do when she's pregnant" Suguru crinkles his face a little, he thought nothing happened with Yūji pregnant. "I'm not someone good, I guess that's why my conscience doesn't bother me anymore: accepting it is easier than trying to pretend how good I am."

"Good enough so her doesn't bleed, I guess."

"Yes. It's my bare minimum. As you noticed, it's on the floor."

Suguru continues with his cup and sees Yūji arrive with Kiku, the boy showing him different drawings he's done. His face is red from crying. Kiku notices Suguru for a moment. So brief and insignificant, as if he just notices Suguru there and doesn't care. Suguru turns his eyes back to the cup. Kiku looks too much like him.

And if it weren't because dead would leave so many people without care and support, Suguru wouldn't mind dying to simply make it clear to Kiku that he's his son, how much he loves him and that even if it doesn't seem that way, if it's cynicism on his part: it was also done with love, with the desire for something good.

Words that would remain eternally inside him.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji walks to the edge of the barrier, sensing a strange presence. That's saying a lot, as it implies that someone is nearby and dangerous. No one usually gets close enough. She gets a little closer, trying to figure out what it is. Satoru is gone, Suguru is gone. Next to her MinMin growls with exposed fangs.

"If anyone is there, noticing the barrier, expose yourself." commands Yūji loudly, ready to fight if necessary. Someone may have noticed her and is looking for her. If so, she can't let them notice the children.

The veil doesn't fall, but something comes in. That implies that Satoru will arrive at any moment. After all, it's a disturbance and he'll notice. Yūji half-opens his lips, surprised the character that enters and in his indifferent gesture, there doesn't seem to be the slightest intention to assault.

"Itadori Yūji... Right?" the man rebukes in a low voice. Black hair, purple and white clothes; a long black stripe on his face. Cursed energy becomes obvious in Yūji's fists.

"Yes Why?"

"My name is Chōsō... I have something to talk about."

Yūji looks at MinMin, who looks just as confused as her.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru lands in a hurry at the house, Suguru not far away, just as fast. Both pass through the house and find nothing strange, no corpses or evidence of any fight. Suguru summons a curse and it runs through all the corridors, rummaging around, Satoru senses different presences, but he doesn't have enough energy or concentration to tell who is who.

"YŪJI...!"

Satoru  opens the door, panting and although he was ready to attack it didn't take! Peacefully and even pleasantly stands his wife next to someone he doesn't know. Suguru also on the defensive, but confused in an over-the-top way. They look at each other for a moment and then towards Yūji.

"Oh, they came faster than I thought!" Yūji stands up somewhat awkwardly, MinMin helps her to stand up straight. "I knew they were coming, but wow, I didn't know it was going to be this fast."

"Yūji Who is it?" rebukes Satoru, wary and bristling with nerves.

"This is Chōsō... He's my older brother."

Chōsō does nothing but look at them. That cat-like look where there only seems to be contempt and inculpation despite being the ones who broke the plate. Suguru doesn't avoid highlighting what is quite clear: "this guy is a curse."

"No! Well, yes, it's more complicated than that. He was explaining it to me just now. The kids are a little intimidated by him, but nothing bad has happened," assures Yūji, sandwiched between her husband and who claims to be his older brother. "Sit down, please-"

"Yūji, it's a risk." Satoru mumbles and if he doesn't attack, it's because he doesn't want Yūji to see that. She despises blood. Blame for what Sukuna has done using her body.

"I am not," informs Chōsō, without varying gesture, "on the contrary, I came with the sole reason of taking care of my sister."

"Satoru" Suguru calls at his height. "There's no one around and he hasn't proven to be a threat. Let's hear what he has to say."

Satoru is tense because Chōsō was able to get past the veil. Sure, the conditioning is to prevent anyone who knows about Yūji as a Sukuna recipient, has dangerous intentions and more importantly, doesn't belong to his clan. He thought that was enough. Yūji has no one. Therefore how would anyone come looking for her? This person knows about Yūji and that is a risk to... To everything!

"Five minutes." Satoru warns. He wants a summary of whatever it is he has to say. He's in no mood for anything else being between his wife's legs. He wanted to do it today. Yūji starts to smell different and his belly has bulged tremendously.

Chōsō's explanation is one they have a hard time processing. Yūji admits that her mother had that mark on her forehead, a horizontal seam. However, she rejects the idea that she was a sorceress How would that be possible? Yūji remembers seeing her killed and left for dead. She was not healed, nothing came out of her head. In short: it makes no sense to her. Suguru and Satoru for their part must only grudgingly accept that possibility.

Because Yūji is strange. Her strength, her endurance; it is no coincidence that this person, Kenjaku, is the father of Chōsō (a hybrid between human and curse) and was in a woman's body and gave birth to Yūji. It's a hypothesis they will hold as truth and they didn't know they wanted, really.

"What are you doing here, are you going to take her to that person?" Satoru doesn't let down his guard or his hostility. Chōsō remains so stupidly serious that it irritates him. Yūji runs her hand over her abdomen, a little worried.

"No. On the contrary. I would like to stay by her and thus prevent her from coming to any harm" Chōsō informs and directs his gaze at Yūji. "My brothers were killed because of that person, I thought I had no one, but... I sensed you. You were in great pain" Satoru and Suguru look at each other Would it be childbirth? When Satoru died? "And I've been looking for you ever since that happened."

"Oh..."

"We're family. We must have each other. If not what is existence in this world worth?"

Chōsō holds out his hand and with blood forms a small glowing heart. Yūji smiles and feels great tenderness. She reaches out her hand and takes Chōsō's hand affectionately, giving it a gentle squeeze. Chōsō varies his gesture slightly, incredulous. As if he had never had the slightest affection. He lays his forehead on Yūji's hand and Satoru gives a snort.

"If you're not a threat, I suppose you can stay, but you'll make a vow first. I won't leave you alone with my family if you don't accept" he warns foolishly. In his defense: they know nothing of Chōsō and it is his duty to be wary of anything or anyone near Yūji. He doesn't want what happened with Suguru to happen again. "Let's go."

"I'm willing to do anything to be with my sister." assures Chōsō giving him a kiss on the knuckles.

"With my wife." Suguru averts his gaze: Satoru is so hostile and reaffirmative to his relationship with Yūji. How if he wants to prove to everyone else that he's better and more important than them.

Fortunately, Chōsō is sincere. They made the vow without a problem and now he lives in the house. He is the help Yūji has always needed to have. While he is clumsy, having never lived at this level of cohabitation before, he learns from everything Yūji instructs him. He is responsible for training the children during the day, keeping an eye on the surroundings, and being the one to go shopping for whatever Yūji needs. His cravings are huge this time around.

Even though Satoru should have already raised the barrier to alter time, he is so busy that he doesn't get a chance. From new students to entire odysseys in search of the remaining fingers. They keep a close eye on him. Coming and going to his home with his wife is suspicious. There are no reports of anyone in the Gojō's dwelling. For him to go with such desperation is anomalous.

So he must depend on others to do his duty. At least until the last finger is found and he initiates the search for the vessel or whoever has all those cursed relics. One thing Satoru didn't expect, is that they put Nanami to watch him. Much less that he could keep up with him. He came back from a few years working as a office worker and gave up on conscience.

"You used to be more secretive than usual a long time ago" Satoru laughs foolishly. Nanami just fixes his glasses and rests his arms behind his back. "That way anyone suspects you have some dirty laundry hidden away."

"I don't care what they think~" he hums nonchalantly with the bandage on his face. "After all I don't care what they think! Hahaaaaaa."

Nanami rolls the eyes and they continue with the mission. Once finished, with Satoru bent on passing messages, Nanami notices that something disturbs him. His smile fades, his carefree posture tenses and he starts walking in another direction. Nanami follows close behind. Yaga asks him to find out what he's hiding. What has Satoru's mind elsewhere and seems to have intruded Suguru. They stop abruptly. Himiko launched at Satoru.

"You need to hurry home!" Satoru vibrates in place, nervous Why would Suguru send one of his girls after him? The messages are enough "There's a thing near home and-and Yūji-neechan is bleeding! Let's go fast!"

"What's there?"

"I-it's... It's a... Cursed plant. Suguru-sama says it sensed something and is trying to break the veil." explains the same thing Suguru told him. Satoru assumes it's even worse. If Suguru hasn't been able to handle it, there's a problem happening here.

"Okay, don't throw up girl." He grabs Himiko by her clothes, with a terrible déjà vu. Nanami fixes her glasses.

"Who's Yūji?"

Satoru for a moment forgot that Nanami is here How to get out of the situation? He doesn't have time for that. He grabs Nanami roughly He takes him too! Whatever happens, Nanami stays with Yūji and the children. They are too many even for Chōsō who has a good level.

Nanami claims barely gives post on the ground, with a dizziness and confusion growing inside. Satoru whistles, surprised. The veil holds up quite well in contrast to all the damage it takes.

"Gojō-san...!" grumbles Nanami between his teeth, standing up and pouting. Satoru gives a laugh with his hands on his hips.

"Well, I'm on a roll with the votes this year!" he jokes uneasily. Suguru makes an appearance. He looks beaten up and with a rather horrible burn on his arm. "What's wrong, is Yūji okay...?"

"No" he interrupts roughly and Satoru had the urge to go inside. "Those outside are the ones who murdered Chōsō's brothers" Suguru notifies. "Three special curses. A volcano, nature itself and some kind of shape shifter- Hello Nanami" he greets cluelessly for a second. "I don't know what they did, but Yūji is on the verge of a miscarriage. We have to get them out of here as soon as possible-NANAMI?!"

The momentum helps Satoru get past Suguru and runs inside the house. He hears screams and shouts from his wife and when he opens the door, he finds her writhing on the bed. she has blood running down her crotch.

"Sister-"

"HE'S GOING TO DIE. HE'S GOING TO DIE." Yūji cries hysterically and screams even louder. "I CAN'T, IT HURTS. IT HURTS." It is impossible for her eyes to shed more tears and she reddens more. To make matters worse, there is a constant back and forth of black marks on her body and face.

"Mommy is bad!" The string of children crying only makes it worse. Akihiko pulls Satoru by the arm. "Help Mommy! She's is suffering too much! Sukuna is doing nasty things to her!"

"It's not Sukuna Give me space!"

Satoru stands to the side of her and puts both hands on her body. The spark of rejection makes him grit his teeth How did they curse her? This is a terribly strong curse. The tremor throughout the Gojō territory doesn't make him turn his attention away. Suguru and Nanami arrive in the room, with Nanami incredulous at the five children, not to mention that four are just like Gojō; Chōsō in his menacing and suspicious stance.

"What's going on here, what are all these people?" Nanami asks towards Suguru.

"We don't have time for that now" Suguru steps to the opposite side. "We have to take her to Shoko, she'll be able to break- Satoru listen to me! She could die if this keeps up!"

"I CAN ALONE!" he claims with the bandages starting to fall down his face. "I can-" Satoru presses harder, with the curse fighting him. "Do it-I can always... We can always do it alone... Come on Yūji, help me. Fight with me." he asks sinking his hands deeper into her.

Suguru lifts her up a little and keeps her from choking on the blood she vomits. Nanami is the only one who notices something shooting out of her. Some kind of vermin running back. Nanami takes the blade and kills it with a single blow, in contradiction, the explosion of blood it leaves behind is immense.

"I was... Eating her from the inside" Suguru stammers. Satoru doesn't lose focus: he heals Yūji who fell unconscious. The place shakes again, this time with more force. Kiku catches the furry curse Suguru got for him. It was the first one his son consumed, as he inherited his cursed technique. Yūji occupies Satoru's arms, just as dirty as she is. "I'm going to take her-"

"Chōsō, Nanami" Satoru stands up, leaving Suguru with his hand outstretched. Satoru hands Yūji into Chōsō's arms. "Keep her in another wing of the house! Everyone! Follow Uncle Chōsō and Uncle Nanami! Pay much attention to them! And say nice things to Mom. Let her wake up happy so Sukuna won't bother her Got it?"

"Yes!"

"Dad" Kiku pulls Satoru by the arm. "T-the veil broke. They're coming."

"I know. I'm going to get them out of the house, okay? Go on." Satoru gives Kiku a kiss on the forehead before giving him a little push.

Nanami decides to wait for a good explanation. After all, he can wait with how critical everything is. Suguru joins in and once Satoru verified that they are where they should be, he makes his way to the exit of the house, accompanied by Suguru.

"I could take care of her."

"Not gonna happen." says Satoru with a cynical smile.

A volcano.

A Jojo with no eyes.

A guy with a stitched face.

"Curses get sillier every day." ironizes Satoru, taking off the rest of his blindfold. The white dragon and the plague curse appear on either side of Suguru.

"Nothing new, really."

Notes:

Im doing some very long commissions, sorry for taking too long to update :c
Im gonna try to do it thursday next week uwu see you~

Chapter 14: XIV

"Don't do that Chōsō. It gets the food dirty."

Chōsō sometimes resents using utensils, so he does everything by hand. Chopping involves using his cursed technique in the kitchen. Considering Yūji doesn't want him setting that example for his children, she makes a living scolding him. Chōsō approaches her immediately, he saw the sudden contraction and that she might have fallen.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, but contraction time is here," Yūji says jokingly and exhausted. "Well, let's get on with the sushi. We use knives. No blood."

Suguru arrives when the food is ready. The pile of sushi they prepared equals the army Yūji feeds day by day. It's already clear that she can't cook alone. The children start doing it, so Yūji devotes herself to her and Satoru's food only. It happens rarely, but it will be the norm once her children reach adolescence.

Yūji puts away Satoru's share perfectly and notices that Minmin starts to growl. She pats his head. "What's wrong with you? Is there something wrong outside the veil?"

A slight tremor startles them. Suguru stands up. "All of you stay here. Chōsō."

The hybrid accompanies Suguru and Yūji sets course for the inner part of the dwelling. That if they search for them, they'll be hard to find. Everyone in a line. Akihiko holding his mother's hand and the other children in a tender line holding hands.

They reach a room where there are weapons. In case it's needed. Akihiko takes off his glasses. He notices something strange moving.

"Mom, there's an ugly thing coming."

"An ugly thing...?"

"I see it!" exclaims Toukki without the glasses.

"We have to take care of Mom!"

"Hey, wait-"

They know how to use infinity, also expand it. It doesn't last too long. They're too small and inexperienced yet. However, it doesn't stop them from doing it and even though they see something, Yūji doesn't understand what they're talking about. MinMin is also unable to see or perceive it. It would seem that the group of children are crazy. Himiko takes out her cell phone and through the camera notices what it is.

"IT'S THERE IT'S THERE IT'S THERE IT'S THERE!"

Yūji takes a knife and throws it at that small space where there seems to be something and indeed, the knife sticks into that.

"MinMin!"

The tiger lunges at that spot and catches something with its teeth. Shaking until it stops moving and vanishes.

"All right!" exclaims Akihiko proudly. Kiku hugs his mom, Yūji strokes his hair and the shaking happens again. This time, much stronger.

Her intention is to go somewhere else. A sudden pain in her belly stops her "Mom? MOM!" Yūji becomes elated and starts moaning to the point where she starts screaming, hands on her abdomen and the feeling of something twisting inside her body, damaging it, hurting her. Himiko runs outside, with the urge to call for help for herself. What there is, is a pitched battle between curses, with Suguru trying not to fall victim to them.

"Geto-sama! Yūji-neechan's had something done to her!" she shrieks in desperation, and Suguru turns sharply.

"Yūji-"

He miraculously dodges being hurt by Jogo's flames, not so completely. He grits his teeth, his arm with superficial burns and his hair coming loose. He summons more curses to get back inside the veil. He grabs Himiko and lifts her onto the white scaled dragon.

"I'm going to send you to Satoru. Tell him to come. We're in trouble and-"

Chōsō ran inside as soon as he hears there's trouble and now you hear Yūji screaming how if she's on the verge of death. "The baby is going to die Geto-sama, her baby is going to die.

"Go to Satoru. We need to get rid of these curses and have him place another veil. A stronger one."

Himiko climbs onto the dragon and leaves. Suguru prevents them from being able to notice her or be distracted by her.

"This would be a lot easier if you gave us the vessel."

"Or maybe not! Maybe we just need to steal Itadori Yūji!" exclaims Mahito. Suguru grins cynically, stretching his arms out with more and more curses emerging.

"It's not going to happen. I don't know I'm not going to let any of you." Suguru is not confident, but he doesn't demure himself either.

He can protect Yūji as far as it takes. He can against these curses. He may not be the most powerful in Jujutsu society, but he is someone who follows that place very closely. Much less with the certainty that they are looking for Yūji.

He will not allow them to do anything to her or to those she has spawned.

Chōsō arrives where Yūji is writhing, takes her to another room, followed by his nephews who shriek and whine. All concerned for the welfare of their little mother who screams louder and starts bleeding suddenly.

"You have to calm down, sister. Calm down. Calm down." Chōsō asks cuddling her.

"I-It hurts Chōsō it hurts." whines Yūji before screaming through her teeth, squeezing Choso's clothes and closing towards her.

. . .

Nanami does not lose sight of Yūji or those around her. The children who take turns telling her what they want to do next, movies, candy, some mischief. One by one they talk to her closely; Chōsō is standing in front of a wall, where a huge and terrible fight is still perceived to be going on. The tiger is a detail Nanami did not expect. Quite peculiar.

"Sir" Nanami looks down, Akihiko tugs on his khaki pants. "You're Dad's friend?" Nanami nods, "Can you help Mom? Her marks still come out and she's only relieved when Dad talks to her."

"She's your mommy? Do you know how old she is?" Akihiko nods, clasping his hands.

"Mommy is fourteen. She's little. That's why she's scared of that ugly thing attached to her. Sukuna scares her too much."

Nanami gives a snort and looks at Yūji again. He approaches her and stands in an awkward, stiff posture. "Yūji-san, please pull yourself together. Your children are concerned for your well-being."

Umi nudges him, invites him to talk, and somehow, it turns into a long interview about Nanami's favorite sandwiches, his old job, what he knows about Satoru, and more style details. They ignore the latest big tremor shaking the dwelling.

. . .

"If I crush you completely" Satoru grabs Mahito by the hair. "You will disappear" Mahito looks into his eyes. Those bright, chilling blue irises, giving indiscreet glare to his enormous satisfaction, "Right?"

For the first time in his existence, Mahito understood what it was to feel fear. His life just seconds away from being extinguished. Satoru lets go and chuckles; infinity presses Mahito to the ground; his flesh explodes as well as his bones; the curse screams worse and worse and Satoru only laughs harder. Enlarge the infinity enough for Mahito to burst like a balloon.

He doesn't succeed because the ground suddenly opens up. The curse is rescued by others. The one that is huge and is a representation of nature itself. It carries Mahito, what little it still has left and takes off.

"What a party pooper... And I wanted to try to keep one."

"Keep that gossipy octopus."

Suguru smiles and walks over to the small, hiding, crying figure. Satoru laughs throwing his head back. Wow, the two of them being together is threatening. Satoru wishes he didn't hate Suguru. It would be a good thing to celebrate. After taking care of his wife's secretive nature and her being well. He takes long steps into the house and finally gets to where he wanted.

"Is she okay?"

"Sukuna hasn't manifested" Chōsō reports approaching Yūji. "Fortunately I don't sense any real danger in the baby either".

"Yes. It looks fine" comments Satoru sitting next to Nanami. "Princess, it's all right now" He caresses her face, arranges her hair and a little bit of her clothes. "We are safe, you are safe" Satoru kisses her forehead. "You can sleep peacefully. I'll be here when you wake up." he promises tenderly and takes the hand that instinctively closes.

Yūji has a peaceful sleep and Satoru is glad for that. Fortunately it doesn't take long for her to wake up, smiling softly and moving to be on Satoru's lap. Akihiko is the first to approach, giving his mom a kiss and then a hug. Umi follows, Toukki, Yuzu and finally Kiku, who stays crying hugging her.

"I was so scared. I thought mom was going to die." Kiku sobs in anguish.

"None of us are going to die. Calm down." Satoru strokes Kiku's hair and Suguru averts his eyes, clenching his fists in frustration. Every day more irritated at how much of a good father Satoru is to Kiku and worse, that Kiku considers him good dad. The albino, meanwhile, notices Nanami's insistent and suspicious attention. He turns his eyes back to Yūji. "I'm going out for a moment to talk to Nanami-"

"Nanamin?"

Nanami whines.

"Yep. With him. I'll be right back. Might be a little while."

. . .

"Sukuna's vessel is not only tucked in here, you're defending it too." That's the first thing Nanami says when they're alone. Satoru adjusts his glasses. He doesn't feel like wearing bandages. Not being that he's going to stay home.

"You want us to let her die?" replies Satoru with an amused smile.

"You should have reported her" Nanami chides crossing his arms. "Everyone keeps losing their minds looking for her, but it turns out she was found a long time ago."

"A long time ago and just in time. You know what would happen, don't you? They'd kill her Would you be happy to kill a seven year old girl?" Nanami falls silent. "I thought so" Satoru laughs and shakes his head. "I'm not helping Sukuna by any means. I'm just avoiding a misfortune." he justifies calmly.

"What does that have to do with four children just like you? Do they have part of Sukuna in them too?" Nanami has so many things to judge here that he can't even focus on any of them. Satoru shrugs.

"My family literally doesn't exist. I had to bring it up again and to my great fortune, my wife is so perfect that she gave birth to four Six Eyes heirs" Suguru laughs through his nose. Satoru never tires of saying that Yūji is perfect. "So-"

"Your wife."

"Yes. Gojō Yūji~"

"That girl?" Nanami points back and Satoru nods without wiping off his smile. "You said she was seven- What the hell did you do?" Suguru raises his eyebrows. Nanami is very impersonal and respectful. Especially with people older or superior to him. This tone and manner of approach is anomalous of him. Satoru, indifferent to threats from anyone around him, just says what is going through his mind:

"I married her and we have been living four years of marriage" he clasps his hands together and leans his cheek. Nanami grits her teeth, connecting the dots easily. "Great plan right? No one in the Jujutsu world will try to do anything against her and we have children to help us! You know. Showing that it's a legitimate marriage even when that vow is already super sealed- wow, that's new."

Nanami's blade stops six centimeters from Satoru's head. Nanami's glasses slide off and he looks at the pressure Nanami exerts.

"You raped that girl-"

"The first time you can say that I did," admits Satoru moving a little to the right. Nanami staggers and analyzes the slightest chance to land a blow on Satoru. Suguru doesn't say anything or try to stop him. "Not the second one. She wanted to. So we did everything right didn't we Suguru!?" Silence from him, not even looking Satoru in the face with that creepy demented grin of his. "Don't worry Nanami, I haven't done anything-"

"Marrying a little girl is bad enough! And not only that, tricking and manipulating her into thinking she wants to have sex. Something that's clearly not for her age. Let alone with a man almost nine years older than her. So childish and irresponsible like you- so selfish" Nanami doesn't contain his annoyance and if he doesn't curse him, it's because there are children in this house. Children who are Satoru's children and Nanami doesn't want to meddle them in this. He doesn't feel it's fair to them. Neither with Yūji. "You have no right to do something like this."

"There's no one else. So I took that liberty" Satoru replies calmly. Indifferent to what might be claimed against him. "I'll do anything so she can live a happy life."

"Like you sex slave?" Satoru tilts his head to the side and shoves his hands in his pockets. "You are a disgusting person. It's not protection, it's bondage because you became obsessed. There are a thousand other ways. You could have adopted her and with that, no one would do anything. Because touching a sister of yours would also be punishable." he points out and Suguru grimaces. It's true. A family vow would have worked too.

"It has no use~ how the first pregnancy would have been explained" Satoru purses his lips and Nanami only gets more annoyed. "That child would be a bastard. She's fine as my wife."

"You're a disgusting person. Just a Bastard."

"I know, but because of her I'm happy.... More than Suguru, he raped her and that's why a child looks like him."

Suguru feels exposed and even incredulous that Satoru dared to tell on him. Nanami clicks his tongue and while he doesn't think ratting out Yūji's existence is the solution, he doesn't know what it could be either. At best, to walk away from them out of contempt for them and then try to engineer a solution.

There are how many? Six children locked up here? Seven counting the unborn? Nine counting the other two girls? Nanami can't leave this bunch of infants in the hands of two people with no scruples or minimal sense of morality. If he got involved with the Jujutsu society again it was to help. A whole team is needed here to help untangle this mess.

"You plan to go and rat me out? To get her killed" Satoru specifies, "because you know? That's what they'll do" He smiles chagrined. "And it'll be entirely your fault if she dies."

"Some better solution will come along the way."

His mind works at full capacity, his luck does not. Barely a step away from Satoru, Nanami stops. Not of his own volition, but because of the infinity blocking his exit. No matter how hard he pushes he can't go any further and holds back the exclamation as he is lifted off the ground.

"I'm not going to let you do that, Nanami" notifies Satoru with a carefree smile. "You see: now we're all three of us in this" stands facing him. "You'll have to help or I'll have to kill you."

"You wouldn't." growls Nanami between his teeth. Satoru shrugs.

"Of course I would! One random curse and that's it, no one suspects a thing... I think you're missing the point" Satoru laughs as he scratches his eyebrow. "This isn't about caring.... just a girl, a life, Nono, this is about me wanting to take care of my wife. My little princess" Satoru rests his hands on his own chest. "And I won't allow you to make the slightest move that would endanger her or expose her to a world that doesn't deserve her."

"You're an obsessed, disgusting, selfish fucker. I'm not going to cooperate in this-"

"Satoru? What's wrong?"

The three of them look at Yūji. She analyzes the scene and judges Satoru. Nanami returns to the ground and holds a hand to his chest, breathing heavier and heart in turmoil.

"Don't hurt him. He came to help nothing more... I'm sorry. Gojō Yūji." Yuji extends her hand to Nanami after bowing. Nanami presents himself politely.

She is not to blame for his bad mood and doesn't feel she deserves another bad treatment. She must have enough on her plate with Satoru. Nanami just doesn't visualize him as someone capable of love or good. If he couldn't before, he can't now any less.

"Thank you for taking care of me and my children."

"You're welcome... Yūji-san" Yuji smiles and sways on her feet. "And I'm sorry for the intrusion into your home. I'm already-"

"Don't go!" Yuji grabs his arm. "Not many people come to visit, let alone come friends of Satoru's... I'll make something tasty to eat I just need a couple of hours!"

"Yep~ don't worry, Nanami's staying."

Yūji smiles at Satoru and leaves to comply. Through the door they notice the children following her, having seen Nanami curiously. Chōsō after Yūji with a smile. Suguru and Satoru stand on either side of Nanami.

"You're going to refuse her food? How, rude" Suguru pouts and pretends to be hurt. "With how nice Yūji is."

"You're going to destroy her illusions of having a new friend. How cruel you are." chirps Satoru. Nanami slaps Suguru who tried to restrain him:

"I hope it's clear to you that I don't agree with you, I don't intend to keep any secrets either and you two should be ashamed and disgusted of yourselves" lists the blond with contempt in his gaze, now obvious from taking off his glasses. "If I stay, it's because that little girl is not to blame for being surrounded by psychopaths."

"Of, her, family" Corrects Satoru that only makes Nanami more right. Still incredulous at the nerve. "You'll be part of my clan too!" announces with an excited smile. "Suguru is by obligation, it's the price for discovering my heart."

Nanami doubts Heart?

At lunchtime and in the evening, being impossible to go out, Nanami discovered what he meant. It's unusual how much Satoru changes with Yūji near him. It's not an act, he doesn't force himself either. He is just loving with her, also with the children. He has a quirky personality, but responsible and caring. He noticed it especially with Umi, who was crying because the attack broke his toys.

"Tomorrow we will buy many more Okay? They'll be pretty colors, they'll also have stickers of whatever you want" Umi whines and wipes his cheek. "And if you're good all week, I'll think about getting you that puppy you wanted."

"Really?"

"Yep. Just remember: behave yourself. What does behaving yourself it's like?"

"Paying attention to Mom, Uncle Chōsō" Umi sniffles and keeps wiping. "Not keeping secrets from monsters or things that feel ugly and... and..."

"And love your siblings and parents very much. Easy."

Satoru puts him down and with MinMin's help picks up the plastic, wood and circuit hazards. So many toys in the trash. At least it gives Satoru an excuse to buy more. Nanami can't think Satoru can be a functional father. Nor a functional husband. He's like the opposite of what he'd think of him. Nanami takes the one obvious opportunity to approach Yūji.

"What do you think of Gojō?"

"I love him."

"Are you sure?" asks Nanami, uneasy. He takes it for granted that there's Stockholm syndrome kicking in here. Yūji nods with a soft smile.

"Yes. He saved me. He helped me. He teaches me, takes care of me... We're married!" Yūji announces with a couple of bounces. Her pink, flowing hair as well as her steamy clothes shaking. "Satoru promised to be forever with me," she says.

"Do you understand that he's a rapist and a criminal for having you here?"

Yūji's countenance becomes wary, shy and withdrawn in difference. Nanami leans on a knee in front of her, speaking at her level.

"No one who protects you hurts you. You understand that don't you?" Yūji purses her lips. "Maybe you're used to it and that's why it's hard for you to understand, but aren't you afraid?" Nanami's voice becomes softer.

"I was scared at first. I thought Satoru was going to kill me" Yūji confesses and Nanami takes her hands. He noticed that she looks for something to take. How if it's an impulse to be held when she's being sensitive, "also when we made love for the first time. It made me think of Sukuna. He always does ugly things to me in my dreams."

"It means, you understand that it's bad."

"When Sukuna does it, it's bad" Yūji states with no room for doubt, "but with Satoru it feels good. He does cares for me and he loves me very much. He doesn't let anything hurt me" she smiles encouragingly with a shrug, "I know I should be dead and if I get out, they'll want to kill me or use me to bring Sukuna to life. Satoru does everything to take care of me since they murdered my family and took me to that cult. I trust him and love him. Maybe he's ugly and weird when he talks, but I know he's good, Nanamin."

Nanami purses his lips, frustrated.

. . .

"Nanami~ Is something wrong?"

"You're the most disgusting man I'll ever get to meet in my life" Satoru laughs. He guessed he'd be on the receiving end of insults again. "You've got that girl totally manipulated."

"Of course I don't. We've only had a stable married life-"

"Don't try to talk me out of your bullshit," Nanami warns without letting him finish. Satoru strokes Akihiko's hair, who said he can't sleep and has been carrying him for ten minutes. Yūji is busy with all their other children occupying the futon. "Maybe I won't say she's here, because letting her die is too much and Sukuna or not, she deserves to live if she can really contain it" For Satoru that's enough and it makes him happy to have someone else on his side. "However" He crosses his arms. "If you destroy Sukuna without killing her, I'll be the first to help her get rid of you."

Satoru gives a laugh.

"You raped her, impregnated her, and still kept doing it... Too bad she thinks you're someone good." he opines looking outside. The garden half destroyed from the fight that happened.

"I know I'm not good. I've never pretended to be. She's the one who sees something in me that I didn't know existed" Satoru says with half-open eyes and a slight smile on his lips. "And despite everything, she's the only human being who loves me... If she leaves, I don't think I'll have any reason to live."

"And to someone that important, you did all that hurt" Nanami mentions. "It seems you only know how to destroy."

"No. That's where you're wrong."

Satoru is capable of caring. He's also capable of creating. The greatest evidence is everything in this house, indifferent to Nanami seeing it as the opposite.

In the end Nanami had no choice. He made the vow with which it is impossible to talk about Yūji. The only thing that relieves Nanami, is that it gives him permission to enter and leave that house. Prevent more danger than they have. He knows he underestimates himself and yet, he's willing to remain haughty about it. Let those kids know what a healthy interaction looks like. No matter how small it is.

Chapter 15: XV

Satoru raises the barrier for a year to pass. Unlike the last few times, Yūji has a much more advanced pregnancy, so Satoru would have plenty of time to raise his next baby, also to spend time with his five children, eager to have the opportunity to live together constantly.

Nothing that is not known: Satoru is able to play and raise them perfectly. He is especially attached to Akihiko, who tries to imitate him and be the leading figure in front of his siblings. Being the one who sets the example when Satoru teaches them anything about control over their cursed energy. The least close, unsurprisingly, is Kiku. Always hugging Yūji's skirt indifferent to his brothers' invitation.

He feels different. Excluded even. He can't learn to do the same as them and doesn't understand why. If he is a Gojō. What eases those worries the most, is his mother's loving touch, listening to her words of encouragement and showing him everything he manages to learn. Despite everything, Satoru takes the extra time and effort He's his son! No matter what and he wants him to be just as much of a prodigy as all his siblings.

That togetherness is what keeps Kiku calm. Not so far from his mom.

Yūji for his part notices something strange again. A lot of movement inside her. The idea of having twins excites her. They would be Satoru's two and she wouldn't have bad news. Still, she is worried. Something inside her tells her she should be worried.

"Satoru."

"Tell me?"

"Will we have our way out? Now that Nanamin can come."

Satoru gives a laugh, putting the book aside and advancing to his wife sitting on a couch. Her firm, warm belly bigger than ever.

"We'll have her when it's our anniversary. I've got it all planned" he announces running his hand over the smooth surface. "Where will we go, what can we see, what can we eat? What can you wear" Yūji pulls up the nightgown she wears a little higher, that Satoru can caress her skin how much he wants. "Don't worry about it" he hums with a confident, nihilistic smile. A very usual gesture from him these days. "It's all set."

Nanami said this is wrong.

Let Satoru caress her.

Let him get excited by feeling her belly.

Let him open his pants and pull out his penis.

Let him masturbate and moan in front of her.

Let him, bent over, stain her belly with semen.

Nanami said that's all wrong.

But Yūji likes it.

Her heart flutters to hear Satoru moan her name, the way he contorts and fills with longing for her; Yūji gets pleasurable shivers from his closeness, how much he rushes to orgasm; to feel the hot seed on her skin, right where the consequence of having had that substance inside resides.

Yūji loves Satoru's attention, how he manifests it: the smell, the sound, the touch, the sight, even his taste. Yūji breathes through her nose. Discreet in anticipation of what her husband wants to do next. Satoru almost collapses to his knees, with trembling hands he spreads his muscular, smooth-skinned legs. He exposes the pussy that throbs and soaks the underwear. Satoru removes the garment by snapping the two ends.

He gloats, eager and with a throbbing erection; Yūji grits her teeth and smiles involuntarily, Satoru's breathing tickles her and he is so insistent on sniffing her that it only elicits giggles, throwing her head back. Satoru meanwhile inhales and gasps, excited, hungry. The pink, short hairs just as wet until he runs his tongue all over the slit. Yūji moans, a little more arched. She braces herself on the couch and moans as Satoru consumes the pussy that opens and closes on his invasive tongue.

He could perfectly last for hours there. Consuming Yūji's orgasms as if they were divine and necessary water for survival. Licking like a desperate, thirsty dog, sucking milk like a hungry pup. Unconscious to how many orgasms he has caused her in his interest to get more of this temperature and disposition.

And when he stands up, Yūji does nothing but spread the legs, hands tugging at the saliva-wet flesh. Satoru masturbates without pause, getting closer to the genitalia that beckons and teases her. Yūji gives a moan of slight disappointment at Satoru climaxing, the white seed at her entrance and her fingers. However and to her own surprise, the man rams her anyway, drawing a moan from her.

"Yūji? Everything okay?"

Satoru clamps down on the furniture, ramming wildly and unceremoniously. Yūji bounces in place, pinned to the albino's strong arms and with her legs on either side of his hips half uncovered. Chōsō's call is insistent, not so Yūji's ability to notice.

Satoru leans in, his tongue invading Yūji's mouth and even mingling with hers without being in there; her breasts jump, her belly too, and neither notices Chōsō when he opens the door. The contrariness that furrows his face is as swift as him closing the door.

Yūji and Gojō didn't notice anything, too focused on enjoying each other.

. . .

"Why are you so hoarse?"

"Nothing special."

Yūji finishes setting the table and takes a seat to eat. Satoru snuggles up to her, hugging her and placing kisses on her temple, as well as making circles on her bulging abdomen. Suguru watches them all night, indifferent to the children asking him questions and such.

Whether it's a traditional thought or not, he dislikes the idea of Satoru having sex with Yūji. She's pregnant. If she's hormonal, well what a remedy, but actively seeking it out? Suguru finds it disgusting on her husband's part.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He throws his head back, panting and moaning; the choked, throaty noise coming from this his legs, where Yūji sucks his penis and massages his testicles. The teenager keeps her eyes half closed, her mind blank unless it's about hearing those sounds from her husband. The salty taste so craved on her palate. She pulls his penis out of the stroke, which she lightly strokes with her face. She licks it from base to tip, outlining the sprouting veins of the hardened phallus with her tongue.

Satoru takes his penis in his hand and masturbates, the glans on Yūji's lips in anticipation of the evidence of another's pleasure. It comes a few seconds later, the copious liquid sliding down Yūji's chin, pooling on the tip of her tongue and soiling her lips, part of her nose and cheeks. Satoru's breathing quickens as he wears himself out.

Yūji licks and swallows before returning to engulf the cock that lost some of its hardness. She cleans it and presses it in her mouth and a little more erect, she places her breasts, surrounding the erect member with them. She stains it with breast milk that eventually turns the other liquid white as well.

"Do you like it?"

"I like anything Yūji does ."

He strokes her hair and continues the fantastic scene in front of him. Yūji's breasts have grown a lot. Slightly bigger than his hand and able to wrap around his penis wanting to disappear.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Mommy When is he coming out?"

Kiku presses his cheek on Yūji's belly to listen. Occasionally he manages to sense something, but what startles him is when there's a kick. He pulls away quickly, then sees Yūji with glowing eyes. "He moved!"

"Your little brother will be there a little bit longer. He's shy. He doesn't want to come out." excuses Yūji. Kiku rests both hands on Yūji's belly.

"Don't be shy, we'll be good friends!" Kiku promises in a whispered shout. Satoru leans against the door, admires the adorable scene. "We're going to take good care of you because you'll be tiny. We're also going to share our toys and mommy. You can go out. She's not going to leave you alone."

Yūji strokes Kiku's black hair and laughs. He's adorable and Satoru considers him the same

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

She leans on MinMin to be able to climb down from the dwelling and hisses grumpily. It hurts a little to walk. Her belly is too heavy. She goes to lean out into the pond, sitting on the edge and in the end, sticks her feet in there. She senses Satoru not far away, but says nothing to him. The sorcerer waits fifteen minutes before sitting next to Yūji.

"Are you feeling bad?" Satoru asks. It's unusual for Yūji to want to leave the room in the early hours of the morning. Yūji purses her lips, the Koi fish completely shying away from her. Satoru knows there's something wrong with her.

"My head's got a lot on it lately" Satoru hisses. Puberty doing its thing. "And... I wanted a little space for myself. That's all."

"Space for you...?"

"I'm happy to have kids. I'm also happy about the one waiting to come out," Yūji  admits with her hands on her abdomen. MinMin gives a yawn and leans back from her, "But now... It's like I don't have time for me. I don't have time to exist if not for that."

It didn't bother her before, but lately she's realized that they don't have any activities that are entirely hers. When she does chores, she has her children around; when cooking she has Chōsō and the other children; when training she can't be alone because the children join in; there is no futon or bed in the house that she can occupy alone and...

Yūji wants space

She wants at least one hour of the day alone to be with her thoughts, her hobbies, her quirks and she can't!

"I don't like the idea of being left alone, but at the same time how can I exist? I don't know if I'm a person anymore." muses Yūji overwhelmed. Satoru tries not to touch her. It's a delicate situation and Yūji clearly doesn't even want to be seen right now.

"Princess, there's nothing wrong with feeling like you need space to yourself" Satoru assures. "Do you want to be alone now?" Yūji nods. "Before I go: since Nanami is already involved, we have Chōsō and Suguru, I thought that this time we can indeed take the trip I promised you a while ago" Satoru proposes with a smile and leaning towards Yūji. "We'd spend time together outside, true, but you'd also have room to explore on your own... you train so hard, you'll be able to handle whatever you come across." he assures confidently.

"Really?" interjects Yūji, excited.

"Of course. I'll buy plane tickets- or a plane, as soon as the baby is born... You look beautiful tonight" Satoru kisses her on the temple by way of farewell. "See you tomorrow morning, my love."

Yūji smiles at him and waves goodbye.

Yūji  stands for a whole hour at the edge of the pond, thinking of many, many things at the same time as none. Imminently happy that Satoru didn't call her a fool for wanting her own space. Satoru is not fascinated by it, but at the same time how to say no to her? Yūji may be very social and very affectionate, however, even she deserves a break and to focus on herself.

Sukuna is not going to bother her. Not with how comfortable and calm she is. So how can Yūji  be denied her space? It's what she deserves. He'll survive by giving her that time.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru drank a little today. All the kids laughed at how especially silly he got as a result. The stupidest thing about it is how little resistance he has to liquor. Silly and surprising at the same time. However, his addiction to sweets only foretold this reality.

Yūji was quickly left alone with him. One thing led to another, occupying one of the many unoccupied rooms everywhere. Furnished in case this happened.

 "Sa-Satoru- m-more deep Satoru... Ah, Aaaah!"

Yūji  clenches her fists on the sofa, sticking out her tongue with her cloudy eyes and body bathed in hot sweat. Her hair in her husband's hand, who pulls it with some violence as he rams mercilessly. Complying with his wife's orders and his uncontrolled hormones. Seeing from time to time in the mirror the shameless woman on four who looks like a bitch. A pregnant woman whose fat, swaying breasts drip milk just like a cow.

"What should I do with you?" Satoru questions with a wicked smile. Yūji is barely able to understand that he's talking to her. "Dress you up like a cow? Or like a dog? Huh?" He pulls her a little harder and Yūji does nothing but thank him for it, clenching her pussy around the hard, veiny cock that rubs them together letting the thick cum from Satoru's many orgasms come and go. "It should be the doggy one. Get more and more babies in you. That's what you want, right? That's why your pussy won't stop sucking my cock dry."

Yūji arches his back, managing to hear Satoru grunting and moaning in his ear. "Come on, get more pregnant. Fill yourself more" he orders kissing her on the neck, on the nape of her neck and moving his hand up to Yūji's chest, squeezing it and causing a small but steady trickle of cum to spurt out. "My pretty pregnant princess Do you want more babies, do you want more?"

"Yesssatoru yes I do if I want- Ah! Ah! Satoru...!"

Satoru bites her on the neck and presses her against his chest with both arms. His testicles pressed with her vaginal lips and the hot cock letting it all out in the fulled cavity. Yūji breathes hard, tongue lolling out and her whole belly on fire.

Yūji was about to fall face onto the futon, Satoru holds her up and moves again, sticking fingers into her mouth and sucking on her skin, not releasing her for a moment.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Suguru! Chōsō! The potatoes want to come out of that oven!"

"Why do you always say it's potatoes...?" asks Suguru, rummaging through where they keep towels, hears Yūji complaining not far away and visualizes Chōsō taking charge. Satoru also gathers necessary things: clothes, the basket with blankets and a couple of scented candles.

"Because they are potatoes: wrinkled, ugly, dirty."

Suguru tries not to laugh. At least Satoru and Yūji are aware of how ugly their babies are as soon as they are born. Cute in how ugly they are. When they reach the spot Yūji clings to the edge of the tub, pushing lightly and whining to Chōsō beside her.

"Don't you want me to help you...?"

"No! I-I can. I-I can- SATORU!" shrieks Yūji through her teeth and the albino rushes to sit next to her, letting her squeeze and nearly break his arm. Suguru pulls Chōsō with him, asking him to go take care that none of the children come.

Yūji doesn't want them around even when the baby is born. More sensitive than usual in wanting her space and not to be invaded. Satoru realizes something is wrong when there is blood in the water. Yūji hadn't bled before. Not in such a copious way and that it would be so complicated for him. He animates softly. Straight into her ear and Yūji finally manages to deliver the baby.

Being a girl. A silly grin adorns Satoru's face: she is huge. She also cries so hard that she chokes and blushes. She has quite a lot of hair unlike the babies who came before. She shakes hard and even desperately. Satoru places her in the basket and fails to get Yūji to get up, with her still pushing.

"Ah, twins again." stammers Satoru and Yūji yelps through her teeth, pressed against Satoru and unaware of the blood in the now totally dirty water.

It's strangely fast.

And silent.

All that can be heard is Yūji's gasps and the sobs of the unnamed baby.

Satoru shivers, eyes widening with the second baby in his hand; Yūji's eyes widen and she reaches out to take it, stopping halfway.

"Sa-Sator-what is that... what...?"

"Relax, it's nothing serious," he stammers, uneasy and unsure on his own. Suguru opens the door, assuming that with so much silence from Yūji, this is over.

What he finds sends chills down his spine. In Satoru's hand is a very small baby, but its skin is gray, its face deformed, almost disfigured. Its eye black as that of a fetus and its hands twisted as if they were rubber. Yūji gives slight squeals.

"What's wrong with him, why is he like this, why...?"

"The curse ate it. What did you think, that you were unharmed? Look how stupid you are," Sukuna says, mouth formed in Yūji's hand. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead with that thing rotting inside you. You owe me a favor. I'll come for it later. " promises the curse before disappearing.

Leaving Yūji in a hysterical, erratic cry that manifests the marks by accident. Suguru hurries to take the small corpse and leaves in a hurry, covering it with one of the many towels. "I LOST HIM! I-IT'S MY FAULT HE DIED!"

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't even know he was there" Satoru pulls her out of the water and tries to get her to stand or let him maneuver, Yūji just kneeling on the floor, crying loudly as she clutches her belly. "Yūji no- shit."

Satoru grabs her head and makes her fall unconscious, laying her on the ground. Suguru returns, finding Satoru checking his wife superficially. "It's starting to be time to warn Shoko. She could cure any problems." he opines and Satoru shakes his head.

"I don't want to meddle with any more people. It's troublesome enough with Nanami here... Where's the baby?" he questions quizzically and tensely. Suguru clasps his hands together in the sleeves of his attire.

"I left him in the room I usually occupy. Your sons and Yūji don't usually go in there. They won't notice."

Satoru nods softly and carries Yūji off the floor, takes the basket in one hand, the baby squirming into herself, anxious and just whining. Satoru would have wanted to be happier about having his first daughter, but it was a bitter day.

Not to mention a whole week where Yūji didn't want to get out of bed.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Why am I here...?"

"Because you must repay the favor I did you. You wouldn't have a daughter if it weren't for me."

Yūji keeps her eyes on the table in front of him. There is a small cup filled with sake. She refuses to touch it, unlike his huge companion who has already drunk most of a bottle. Not that it matters, this is her subconscious and Sukuna has the stamina of all the liquor on the planet. Ten or so cups of sake won't make any difference.

Less so with his size.

"You did it because you wanted to and because you want to play with me anyway. If you really cared, you would have healed my baby too. Not let him die." chides the teenager in a low voice. Sukuna laughs, resting her elbow on her bent knee.

"And fix your life? Who do you think I am?"

"Someone who's desperate to marry me. If that's truly what you aspire to, you'd try to make me happy." The bold claim only gets Sukuna to give a hysterical, mocking laugh. Yūji clenches he rhands in her lap, as well as bites her lips.

"What a wrong perception you have... You're my wife because you're my fucking property" Sukuna taps his chest, not getting a single glance from the honey eyes. "And if I left the brood alive it's for a reason. I told you that."

"Which is?"

"Women taste better... I've been planning it for a while" He leans towards Yūji who finally looks up. "And truth be told, even if she's just like your worthless husband, I'm going to rape her until she loses consciousness. Again and again" Yūji clenches her fists tighter. "Who knows how old she'll be... Under six, I'd kill her. It would be fun Don't you think?" With one of his lower hands he picks up a pipe and lets out a big smoke. Yūji coughs and shakes her hand to blow the smoke away. "Your poor dead calf because I broke it in half... Blood is good lubricant. That's my favor for you: making sure you don't get your cunt broken by using your daughter as a cock warmer before I impregnate you."

"You don't scare me with that stuff anymore." asserts Yūji.

"Yes I do."

"No."

"It does happen" insists Sukuna fuming. "You want to know how I'm so sure?" he tempts without getting her to answer him. "It's as simple as you are: before you notice, I'll be all gathered here... and you have an insane fear that I'll come out" Sukuna whispers, slowly widening a smile. "That suddenly, I'll appear and not be your mind, not be your dreams or hallucinations... that I'll be real... in your house" Yūji shivers where he stands, barely able to hold his gaze. "And one by one, may I gouge out your children's eyes to swallow them-"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Yūji orders getting up abruptly, knocking over the table and making Sukuna get up equally.

He grabs Yūji by the neck and lifts her up. Yūji grits her teeth, hands on Sukuna. Huge and he could crush her. As he always does. Yūji chokes and in that, she has some calm, she has a long time without being here, but one thing is for sure: when Sukuna kills her, Yūji can wake up and pretend nothing happened.

"No. This time, you're not getting away!"

Yūji screams with her back hitting a tree and knocking it over. She tries to get up, but is grabbed by one leg, lifted off the ground. Sukuna tugs at the clothes Yūji wears. The flowered kimono now in tatters on the ground. Yūji tries to let go, tries to cover herself, tries to wake up, all at the same time.

Sukuna squeezes her so hard that he breaks her leg. Yūji screams, and her other leg is also crushed, back a bundle of flesh in Sukuna's huge hands. Compunge the face, tongue in Sukuna's stomach licks it and fills it with thick slime. Sukuna laughs at her reactions, at the fear that begins to flood her.

Lying on the floor Yūji tries to crawl away. Keeping her spirit reluctant and defiant. Sukuna grabs her breasts, crushing part of her chest; grabs her thighs, scratching and tearing her muscles. The huge tongue in Sukuna's abdomen licking her crotch. It is unclear what sound Yūji makes. Moaning. Squeals. Howls. Complaints. Whimpers.

"This bitch body should be used to it by now" opines Sukuna, "but I know better. You settle for small things" he scoffs. "It's time for you to mold yourself to your husband. The real one."

"Nono- NONO- I DON'T WANT NOWANTDONTWANT-"

Yūji's screams hurt her throat, drowning out Sukuna's laughter as he watches her vagina tear, split open and bleed from forcing his penis inside. His penis too big for Yūji. It will always be too much for her. He watches her go into convulsions. Sukuna takes her face and hits, shaking her and forcing her to stay conscious and here.

"Don't go to sleep DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WEREN'T AN SEX DOLL!? KEEP WAKE ITADORI YŪJI!"

Yūji vomits, convulsing and her whole body tingling in the worst way. Sukuna doesn't let her feel the numbness. Just let it hurt. Let it keep hurting until Yūji begs for release.

Or rather, let her ask for it again.

He grabs Yūji's hair, pulling it as he shakes her. "React, come back here, you fucking whore," he demands, sticking his tongue in Yūji's mouth. She blanches her eyes, tears thick and unstoppable streaming down her cheeks. Feeling her body full and broken.

That swells with every onslaught and worse, when Sukuna reaches orgasm. Explosive and violent, bulging her belly grotesquely. Yūji spurts bile and drools, unable to keep her mouth shut. Semen drips from her gaping, stretched pussy like a hole of churning flesh.

Sukuna holds Yūji by the thighs and spreads her wider, his third hand holding his two penises to align them with the battered opening. Yūji doesn't even utter a sound as these are slammed inside her, regurgitating fluids she doesn't even know about herself. Sukuna holds her by the hips, moving her back and forth.

Sukuna sees her breasts bouncing; her soul growing more and more clouded and broken; feeling his penises through the thin layer of skin that is Yūji's abdomen. She can't close her mouth, her tongue out and her eyes shutting out completely. Sukuna grits his teeth and reaches a second orgasm and leaves her on the floor, spasming constantly.

"I still didn't fill you up up ahead here." he comments in a low, mocking voice, Yūji moves her arms, weak and clumsy.

She must push him away.

She can't.

Her jaw will break.

Despite trying to push it away, the glans fills his mouth and Yūji suffers the urge to vomit instantly. The other member sticks to her cheek.

"It'll be a little-"

"Shit, she woke up."

Yūji looks around, confused by so many faces. She fails to sit up, pain all over her body. Satoru grabs her face, seeing something Yūji doesn't understand. Chōsō rushes out, saying he'll get hot water; Suguru talking about new sheets; Nanami pulling back the children who were peeking out.

"You're all right, okay? Nothing's going to happen to you. Just a dream."

"I... don't understand..." she stammers and Satoru opens and closes his mouth.

If Yūji doesn't notice it, why torment her? With how she had been screaming from the pain, cursed energy around her preventing her from waking up and manifesting what Sukuna was doing to her. The bruises and blood escaping from her could have killed her. Sukuna kept her unconscious. Disconnected from her whole being as he managed to heal her.

Make her think that there was nothing more than a dream and so, let her not fear it happening again.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Princess, we're here."

Yūji stretches in her seat and looks at Satoru, who smiles encouragingly and affectionately at her. She analyzes her surroundings a bit: tucked into a private plane for the honeymoon trip. She stretches out her arms, being indulged in her whim to be carried by Satoru. It is worth noting that being fifteen years old and having a heavy exercise routine makes for a very athletic and muscular body.

Satoru would be lying if he said he didn't love that. He envisions Yūji in the future with big muscles and maybe being able to carry him on his shoulder like a sack. These are fantasies for a long time from now.

They get off the plane and with that, their walk begins. Satoru doesn't want to over burden her, gauging how wanted her presence is and how much time she needs alone. In the end they decide to have at least half of the day to be on their own and the other half, the night, together. This is the time when Satoru is going to behave like an octopus and not let her get up.

Yūji is happy with this distribution. She wants to explore on her own, to breathe air, to have to tell Satoru about his free time. On her way, she gets hopelessly lost and when she goes to call for help, she notices a group of teenagers bothering someone.

Because of their proximity, the group moves away and leaves the victim of harassment alone. Yūji plants herself in front of the boy with dark hair covering half of his face. Yūji smiles and puts the hands in her jacket pockets, the boy in question looks surprised by Yūji's presence. He has a couple of bruises on his face and right arm.

"Hi. I'm Yūji Everything okay?"

"Y-yeah, yeah, everything's fine."

Yūji smiles and the boy blushes. In his life he thought such a cute girl would address him. Let alone that she was going to save him from bullies. She's a huge miracle in many ways... and pink.

"Was something wrong?"

"Just mean people...thanks for that" he mumbles apologetically "I'm Yoshino Junpei, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you~ Do you live here? I came here on vacation with my boyfriend and I don't know much where to go. I don't usually go out much. Less on a trip. I'm kind of lost and want to do things" Yūji explains with a hand on her waist. "Could you help me?"

Junpei nods without thinking. Maybe because Yūji doesn't know him and thanks to that, he doesn't have to be afraid that she'll do something naughty to him later.

Yūji tells him a lot about Satoru, about her life explained in a way that doesn't sound strange. Of her tastes, her hobbies, her aspirations; Junpei listens to her attentively and talks about the same. They agree on many things. So many that they end up in an arcade for almost three hours playing and at the end, Yūji invites him for ice cream.

"Ohp, I have to go to the hotel" Yūji comments with the cell phone in hand. Satoru in his drama sending her a picture of the sky with a description of its own:

The sky is clear like my heart now that you've abandoned me. It has no color. It has nothing. Only sad and lonely loneliness that sucks me in and won't let go. Worse than an infinite emptiness.

"I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind." murmurs Junpei, saddened.

And so ends the best day of his life.

"No. Not at all. We trust each other a lot... Hey! Give me your cell phone. I'll be here for a few days. When I have time alone, we'll go out again, shall we?"

Junpei nods encouragingly, handing her his cell phone without thinking. Yūji waves goodbye shaking her whole arm and prancing around. Not noticing who's spying on her from afar, monitoring her every move and interaction.

Chapter 16: XVI

"Yūūūūūji Couldn't it have been with a girl? This make me jealous."

"Don't be melodramatic. Go on, eat eat eat."

Satoru gives a childish giggle before attaching himself to Yūji's chest, sucking on it. Yūji still has so much milk coming out, her breasts ache. So Satoru takes great pains to consume what is produced. Yūji reaches out and Satoru moans muffled, hugging Yūji more. The woman masturbates him underneath his clothes, a soft touch and one that is intimately related to how much Satoru sucks.

Speeding up as he nears orgasm, scratching Yūji in the process. The girl pulls her hand out, full of slimy, whitish seed. She licks it at length and Satoru leaves the reddened nipple. Between gasps he straightens up, tucked between the wide, strong thighs. He tears at her underwear and Yūji compunctions a moan, but not so the smile, hugging Satoru by the shoulders to kiss him, receive him in every way her body allows.

She's happier today than she's been in a long time and that, is one of the reasons Satoru can't contain his excitement. He babbles nonsense and can't hold back every orgasm. Engrossed in enjoying and pleasuring his vibrant, bright and smiling wife.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"A bet! But what's the point?"

"Doesn't make sense right? It was a scandal everywhere."

Yūji listens to Junpei's stories. Experiences and rumors that have happened in his school. For Yūji who barely got to experience the school, it's impressive. It surprises her how mean people can be and she also notices that Junpei is self-conscious to more conversation on the topic.

"Junpei Are you feeling okay?"

"I just... I got self-absorbed, that's all." he excuses averting his gaze. Yūji gently grabs his face, encouraging him to look at her.

"We're friends now aren't we? If you need help, tell me and I'll help you." Yūji promises with a friendly smile and Junpei purses his lips. This is the second time they see each other. It doesn't make sense, but still....

"Yes. Yes I will. Thank you."

Yūji smiles encouragingly and Junpei considers that he hasn't seen such a nice smile before.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Don't go falling in love with him. The poor guy must be in a lot of trouble already." Satoru sips his huge cocktail of vibrant colors. Yūji pouts.

"I don't even know how to do that."

"You blink like this," Satoru bats his eyelashes, "and Pufff! In love."

"My eyelashes aren't as pretty as yours."

"It's just that mine are unmatched."

Yūji throws her milkshake at Satoru and unfortunately for her, infinity prevents Satoru from getting the slightest bit dirty. Her husband laughs himself silly before continuing to sip his drink.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji  enters the school without much trouble, jumping over the wall and landing on her feet to the surprise of everyone nearby. Yūji  walks around looking for Junpei. They were supposed to meet fifteen minutes ago and he's never late. Not without excusing himself at least. Yūji  walks with her hand clutched to her arm. Hair in a high ponytail, black pants and white button down blouse. She puts her hair over her shoulder as she stops and gives a snort.

"Where is he, did he get sick... Ah! JUNPEI!"

Yūji  runs to him, who is panting and looking bruised, reaches him and hugs him out of inertia. Junpei pats her back and doesn't have a chance to ask her to leave. Several students approach and Yūji stands in front of Junpei. An act of reflex. She will always put herself before the weakest and even if it's not the case.

Yūji won't let anyone come to do any harm.

"And who are you? Bitch."

"Why are you insulting me? You're rude!" claims Yūji with a pout. "I came for Junpei. We're leaving~" She turns around to encourage him to walk.

"You're not going to any-"

"Yūji watch out!"

The warning wasn't necessary. She sensed him coming and grabbed his wrist before he could even brush against her. She twists the student's arm and kicks him forward, causing him to fall. Junpei opens and closes his mouth, Yūji gives a snort.

"How pathetic Why was Satoru afraid of me being approached by boys? If none of them are strong" Yūji shrugs. "Anyway Shall we go?"

Junpei nods with a slight smile and they take advantage of the surprise to leave.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"And I have a pond with Koi fish, a tiger, a horse, some deer-"

"Your boyfriend is a millionaire!? No- Billionaire!"

"He says billionaire. He gave me this in case I get a craving for something." Yūji pulls the black card out of her bra. Junpei breaks out in a cold sweat, what a way to find out that she has more money than he and his entire neighborhood will ever see.

"Impressive... you must love him very much and he you. Especially him to you." mentions Junpei. Yūji shrugs with a smile.

"There won't be anyone for me to love... I just want to be enough to reciprocate his love." confesses Yūji, shyly. Junpei stops her, taking her by the shoulders.

"You are enough. More than enough... anyone would be lucky to have you in their life" he assures, looking into her face and Yūji smiles, touched. "You're more than a person. You're... someone who gives hope and that's more than anyone could ask for."

"Ummm then I will continue to fill your life with hope." proposes Yūji and Junpei nods, hugging her.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Still with the pathetic bitch!? Junpei."

The student freezes and Yūji puts him behind her. Junpei doesn't know how to describe it, but Yūji makes him feel safe. Yūji reminds him of his mom. Only much stronger physically speaking. The group of bullies approaches, cocky and grumpy at Yūji's presence. They bring pipes, bats, and even very thick pieces of wood.

"Now I'll really make you cry!" spits the gang leader, bandages on his face.

Yūji moves into position and Junpei steps aside. Admiring the very strong and direct fight Yūji gives. She disarms, dodges and attacks. Of the nine that came, four remain and Yūji could have taken them down earlier if they hadn't thrown a rock at her head. Yūji  puts the hands to her face and grumbles. Junpei steps in front of her, shielding her from the blow she almost got that could have killed her.

Yūji opens his eyes wide and grits her teeth. She goes straight for the one who did it, sending him into a wall with a kick. One punch to the face, the other three unconscious and she, winner in the fight. She rushes towards Junpei and is horrified not only by the blow, also by more burn scars under his hair.

"Are you okay?" asks Junpei worriedly and Yūji nods.

. . .

"Very bold... ah, it's just that my wife can't be cute because she gets picked on" complains Satoru. "I'll handle it-"

"It's okay. They'll all go to the hospital" Satoru smiles at her silly and pleased. He knew his little girl could do it, "but... Junpei. He's over there too. He has ugly marks on his forehead."

"Scars?"

Yūji nods and Satoru grabs his chin, thinking. Yūji ended up with a boy abused and mistreated by everyone. It seems like some sort of sign of how much she can help. It makes him slightly jealous, but at the same time he likes how happy she's been these days.

"Let's go visit him in the hospital."

. . .

"Why hadn't you told me anything?" Junpei keeps his head down. "I could have... I should have- Junpei, honey-"

"You weren't going to do anything mom. Nothing you could do was going to help. It never does." Junpei's coarse reply makes the woman's eyes water. Junpei has half of the face bandaged and on the diagnostic clipboard, the proposal for an operation to remove the scars on his forehead.

"Excuse the intrusion!"

Satoru is not discreet. Not even because Junpei's mother is here. The boy is dumbfounded to see Yūji. She waves cheerfully with a bag in her hand. She hops in and sits down on the other chair. Satoru stands in the doorway, clinging to the frame and swaying with a carefree smile.

"Yū-Yūji-"

"This is my boyfriend Satoru" Yūji introduces animatedly "We came to see how you were doing."

Junpei's eyes water and his mother gives a giggle. So this is the girl her son talks about so much. She's adorable. She understands now why Junpei is so obsessed with talking about her. She appreciates Yūji's help, her time, ignores Satoru for her own good. In the end it's a profitable and peaceful visit. Satoru pays for the hospital bill and Junpei's mother was easily going to die of embarrassment.

Satoru kept an eye on Junpei. Curious and interested to find out how the interaction of his wife and this stranger really is. It's totally normal. So normal, in fact, that it gives him chills. He supposes that's what it was supposed to be like for him and Suguru instead of being absolute perverts. This is what Nanami had been railing against. Right or wrong, it's done and he shuffles through the possibility of asking them to relocate near the Gojo's grounds so Yūji can keep her friend.

It was a good plan.

One founded on seeing Yūji happy.

Something she herself feels she can't have.

It rains this day. Only two days left before they return home. To her normalcy. Truth be told, thanks to Junpei and that she lived here, she no longer remembers losing a baby with such pain. Yūji even thinks she can tell Junpei some more intimate things. He's a good friend. They can support each other. If he trusted her to talk about why they bother him, she should open up too.

Yūji walks in the rain without bothering to cover herself. It doesn't matter anyway. She can't catch a cold. On her way to the meeting point, she sees Junpei running in her direction, desperate and sobbing in despair. Yūji stands stunned What's wrong? Junpei reaches out to Yūji, trembling and grabbing her arm.

"M-My... My mom- she-"

His voice doesn't come out, stuck and desperate. Yūji grabs his hand as he almost falls. "What's wrong, did something bad happen, why...?"

Yūji holds his breath and pulls Junpei, sensing the cursed energy approaching. The boy shivers and is compelled to see what arrives: white hair, black clothes, stitching all over his body.

"You run so fast, how pathetic, you only know how to run away" He mocks with a wide and unpleasant smile. "Not like you mom... NOTHING LEFT OF HER!" he bursts out laughing.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh! Itadori Yūji!" he exclaims clasping the hands together. "How easy to find you! What a fool you are, walking around without Gojō!" he chuckles, as if he could have an even longer, toothy grin. "This will be so easy. I told Jogo it would be easy."

"Junpei, hide."

"H-e k-killed my mom, we have to-"

Yūji pushes him away, avoiding the Oz the curse made of his arm. His chuckle irritates Yūji, who has enough of a reflex to punch him in the face with such force that her knuckles fill with blood. Yūji moves into fight position. "Go hide! I got this!" insists toward Junpei.

Junpei, not to get in the way and thinking that maybe Yūji is right! She can handle it, he decides to do as she asked, hiding in such a way that it's not possible to hurt him, without looking for him first. Yūji's fists become engulfed in blue flames, impressing the high school teenager.

"Oh~ Looks like you know how to do something besides being a bitch, Itadori Yūji."

"My last name is Gojō." Yūji informs between her teeth, irritated.

This is the first serious fight she's had in her life, she's not exactly perfect or good, taking more than one hit unfortunately; however, she blocks many, she's also able to land thousands of blows on the nameless curse that won't stop laughing. Yūji hisses from the cut on her face, which crosses from her forehead to her left cheekbone. For a brief moment when he thinks she knocked it unconscious, Yūji is able to pick him up, slam him against a wall and deliver so many blows to his face that it disfigures him.

Yūji gasps, her body tingles and her hair comes to her face, just as her clothes bother her. "Fuck you motherfucker-"

"My name is Mahito. Nice to meet you."

Yūji looks at him strangely Why did he touch her, what did he do? Seconds pass before her arm starts to swell, it becomes deformed, full of veins and bumps; it burns, hurts like hell, makes her scream and cuts herself just from losing her entire right arm. Yūji staggers, backing away and falling sitting on the ground, squeezing her arm, shrieking hysterically from how much it hurts. Mahito kicks Yūji, making her fall further back and this time, putting his hand on her face. Smiling broadly.

Yūji sees through the fingers of Mahito's hand, his two-colored eyes and the smile of infinite satisfaction at the damage he's doing to her. It's the same smile she's seen on hundreds of people.

All wanting to make her miserable.

"I just have to take you alive," Mahito says in a high-pitched, satisfied voice. "And with that, enough-"

Mahito freezes. Where is he? Behind him, a mountain of cattle heads and a throne on top. The huge figure on top watching him with contempt and disdain.

"Don't you dare touch my soul again, you scum." says Sukuna in a low voice, vibrating in his throat.

Mahito spits blood, which falls on top of Yūji, red and dark. Yūji twitches and before she realizes it or before Mahito does anything, Junpei hits him with a pipe, pushing him away. "COME ON!"

Junpei helps Yūji up and if it weren't for Yūji outweighing him, he would carry her, rushing her, almost dragging her. Yūji sobs and whimpers. Her arm hurts too much, or rather, the lack of it. Junpei plots a route: they must get to the hospital any way they can, otherwise Yūji will bleed to death; if he saves her from this maniac, maybe he can do something good with his own existence! Maybe he finally deserves her as a friend.

Because Yūji always saves him from what he's wanted to be saved from for years.

A clap sounds and Yūji sees to the right, Junpei who opens his eyes, hair out of the way and allowing the scars on his forehead to show. His skin turns blue, his neck, flesh and bones stretching. Yūji screams nonstop, aghast at the way Junpei mutates. Mahito chuckles, barely two meters away with an open hand.

"Not Itadori, but him. Easy." he croons.

Yūji drops the floor again, this time with Junpei on top of her. Violet in color? Deformed and unrecognizable. Yūji loses her voice, feeling like she wants to vomit, that her heart might explode "Yūji... Yuujhhgji... It... hurts... Yuujjiii... I... want... to... saveyou..." Junpei cries. His huge eyes gushing giant tears. Staring at her.

"Sukuna fix him" Yūji stammers. "F-fi... fix him Sukuna FIX HIM! I-I GIVE YOU MY BODY AS LONG AS YOU WANT FIX HIM...!"

Why would I save a piece of shit like that? How pathetic. Just look at him... dying like the piece of crap he is.

Sukuna's mouth, located on Yūji's right cheek deforms her face compunctionately in tears, not knowing what to ask, what to do, what hurts her. Mahito grabs Yūji by the hair, pulling and tearing part of it, causing at least half of the pink strands to fall out.

"It's time to-"

"Why are you touching my wife?"

Mahito gives a soft "Huh?" Before being fired far away, his whole body destroyed as if he didn't exist. A tiny part of Mahito, the size of a mouse, flees before Satoru sees it and kills it for good. Satoru gasps, dirty with red and purple blood. He lowers his gaze to Yūji, exchanging defiance and indifference for one of sorrow and anguish. Yūji clinging to the mutated human. Just like the ones Satoru had to kill in the center of this town.

"Junpei... Don't die... I'm going to fix you" sobs Yūji leaning against him. Ignorant to her pallor, to the blood loss, to what her body is straining to keep functioning. "Y-you... I'm going to fix you... Sa-Satoru's going to fix you."

"He's gone now, princess. I'm so sorry."

Satoru puts Yūji to sleep, and with that, her body goes into slight nervous spasms. Satoru looks down at Junpei's corpse, feeling imminent sorrow for him.

"Thank you for giving her a happy few weeks." That's all he mentions. Before taking Yūji to carry her away. He has to regenerate her arm and heal the rest.

Including the very long and deep wound on Yūji's face.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Do you think if I had stayed in home Junpei would still be alive?"

Yūji hasn't wanted to let go all day. Ever since she woke up, she's been lying on top of him. Yūji does nothing but listen to Satoru's heart and look out the window of the suite's huge balcony. Her face with a long scar that, for no apparent reason, he couldn't heal. Satoru was able to regenerate her entire arm, fix the broken bones. Everything was removed except the scar on Yūji's face. He also trimmed the rotten ends of Yūji's hair and she has remained undressed. Not his fault, there's an urgency to be exposed when there are restituted limbs.

Satoru strokes her hair, her back. Yūji continues to stare out, indifferent to the light hurting her eyes.

"You were a help to him in his darkest hour... He was happy. You too" Satoru tries to sense some change in her, but there is none. "It's not your fault, Yūji. Nothing that happened is your fault."

She tenses, holds him, scratches him by accident. Her eyes watery and face compunctioning. "Don't be a liar."

It's her fault.

She should have won.

She should have protected Junpei.

And now he's dead because she's not strong enough.

It's her fault for being who she is.

And it's her fault for not finishing with herself, thus preventing people like Junpei from dying.

"It wasn't your fault, Yūji. You fought as hard as you could against a Special Category. I'm proud of how strong you were.... It was your first fight. Don't be hard on yourself."

No matter what Satoru tell her, Yūji didn't stop feeling miserable.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"If you even know his name why haven't you killed him yet?" questions Yaga and Satoru shakes his head.

"Because it splits. He can perfectly handle two bodies" Satoru holds up two fingers in his explanation. "His soul hides elsewhere while the other part makes chaos. We'll have to hunt him down until he's exhausted and stops splitting."

Yaga notices Satoru preoccupied, his head elsewhere. He takes it for granted that it's about this special curse. Satoru brought Junpei's body for Shoko to examine and fix. The justification was simple: the boy asked for help, they didn't know that Mahito's ability worked through contact, and boom! Mutation, he passed away. No one questioned it. They just went along with it.

"It's a huge threat" enunciates Yaga approaching Satoru. "You must take care of it as soon as possible. It's your top priority." Satoru gives a snort. His top priority is to cheer up his depressed wife.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

She smiles for her baby's smile. Very active and lively. Her little and only daughter so far. Kikyo looks like a bright spot in any room. Her thick white hair, blue eyes that want to compete with her siblings. Barely a month and a half old, Kikyo wants to prove that she will be the most adorable of them all.

"Mommy" Kiku tugs on her sleeve and she, complies. "You're not going to stop loving me for her are you?"

Yūji doesn't help the slight chuckle.

"No. Of course not" Kiku pouts. "Always remember that I love you very-much" She kisses him on the forehead. "It doesn't matter if I have a hundred more babies."

"Don't have a hundred more babies." Yūji laughs, encouraged by the comment. Kiku looks at his little sister and questions:

If Satoru is my daddy why am I the only one without white hair and blue eyes? His siblings never say anything about it, but Kiku frets. He is very shy, very insecure just because he looks different. Even though he's not treated differently. Yūji strokes his hair and encourages him to stay with her for a while.

. . .

"You've been so sad these days Did you fight on the trip?"

Chōsō prefers not to intervene in any way in Yūji and Satoru's relationship. For the sake of his stay in this dwelling, as well as keeping the party in peace. He has very little human conscience, but the basic one he has is that children should not have relationships like Yūji has. Still, he swallows his annoyance about it. He holds back his anger that they would do improper acts with his younger sister.

However, seeing her this distracted and depressed makes him sad. It doesn't sit well with Yūji, this feeling that stifles her. She shakes her head, rubbing her shoulder and adjusting her hair.

"How do you deal with having lost someone because you couldn't protect them?"

Suguru was about to go inside to say hello, but the conversation makes him stop at the entrance. Satoru didn't comment on how the trip went. He said Yūji had fun, but the scar on her face and her withdrawn mood says otherwise.

"Did something bad happen?"

Yūji limits herself to a vague, "I had a friend and.... I couldn't protect him."

Chōsō cocks his head. His usual absent, even bitter expression.

"When my brothers died, I wasn't even there for them. I felt them die and I still wonder if I should have seen that coming. If I should have suspected it" he relates and Yūji bites her lips after licking them. "I couldn't do anything for them. Not even be there" He takes Yūji by the shoulders, "you fought, you did everything you could and that, makes it worth it. Sometimes the will is stronger than us. Your expectations were huge and even though you lost, you did everything. You lost an arm, your face was scarred" Yūji wets and wipes her cheek. "With that you must give yourself peace: knowing you did everything you could."

"I could have done more." Yūji says in a broken voice.

Chōsō shakes his head and Yūji hugs him, hiding into him.

. . .

"I see you're still sad."

Yūji nods, nursing the snoozing baby. She gives it a couple of hard taps each time she feels it stop sucking. Suguru sits nearby. Because of Chōsō in the next room and Kiku drawing in a corner of this room, he can stay next to Yūji without being exploited by the vow.

"You remember what I told you that time. When I came at night" Yūji looks at him strangely and stopping her movements. "About everything... What I would be capable of" Yūji nods slightly and very slowly. Kiku pays no attention to the conversation. "You asked me to stay."

"Yes."

"This world... This place full of people, of dangers, of selfish aspirations: it slowly consumes you" Suguru explains looking at the baby. "It forces you to not aspire to a long life, to know that you can die at any moment for protecting those who cause the trouble to begin with" Yūji turns her eyes towards Kikyo. "This thing you have with Satoru is an anomaly because nothing in the Jujutsu world is sustained long enough to flourish."

"They bloom," Yūji opines, stroking one of Kikyo's cheeks. "That's why they have flower names... I'm only rotting, because the greatest evil in this world, is within me." Her opinion and point of view brings a smile to Suguru's face, who pulls out a gift from his sleeve.

"You see it very different from reality. You see," Yūji is surprised by the weight on her head: Suguru has just put a long, purple, Chinese bell hairpin with long strings of jingling beads on it. "The only reason there's even life in this place is because of you. You are so strong. You are a winter flower: you survive every blizzard and grow to become a tree... You blame yourself for not being the same, for changing and not resisting one blow when you've taken thousands. Day after day" Suguru feels his chest burning and there is something rising in his throat. Maybe blood, "But you are so strong Yūji. The strongest I know... No one in this world knows how to cry, suffer and wish for good. That's what exposes how strong you are."

She snuggles into Suguru's hand, who gently caresses her cheek. He reaches over and kisses her on the forehead before hugging her. Yūji can't see which Suguru starts to bleed, his face paling and there are parts of his body wasting away. He can't touch her. He can't be this close.

However, as Suguru promised, if Satoru won't do anything for her, he will. Even if his life is in danger or he feels the pain of dying, he is willing to endure it.

Because if he really wanted to drive Suguru away, Satoru should have killed him.

. . .

"Yūji~ I have a surprise for you!"

Yūji stops what she's doing and takes Satoru's hand, who swings his arm back and forth, walking with long, exaggerated steps. His wife laughs and starts to imitate him. Suguru and Chōsō watch the pair and Suguru gives a laugh. Satoru will be able to cheer her up. At least he hopes so. With how well they connect, he'd say Satoru left Yūji some space so she could think, digest what happened, not overwhelm her. It's a strangely sensitive gesture on his part.

Knowing him, he was planning to take away her depression by knocking her unconscious from so much sex.

They reach a corridor that Yūji is sure did not exist before. Yūji slowly opens her eyes, discovering that at the end, there is a huge pool and some other things, like the transparent floor that allows to see a huge amount of exotic fish. The pool itself is with a glass floor. They can swim in with the impression that the fish are there or go to the bottom and see them.

"It's as close to the sea as I could make it without the architects and engineers wanting to kill themselves Do you like it?"

Yūji crouches down and at that instant, a huge stingray passes by. Yūji gives a squeal of excitement, lifted up to hug Satoru, who laughs foolishly saying how cute Yūji is when she's happy.

"Let's try it."

"But I'm-"

Satoru pulls off her sweatshirt and shorts in a move Yūji didn't see coming, carries her and jumps into the pool, with her giggling and squealing about it. They pull her head out of the water, Satoru shakes it and still, her hair is down. Yūji runs her hands over his head and then plunges him in.

"There's a pool!"

"Mom drowned Dad!"

"Poor little thing."

"I want too!"

And suddenly Satoru hears more splashing. He opens his eyes underwater, noticing that his children dove in. He sticks his head out and smiles at them. They are all still dressed. Yūji hurries to lift Kiku who almost drowns. The boy hugs her, pressing himself against her bare chest.

They are still children. Satoru has no particular concern about them seeing Yūji's chest. She doesn't care yet either. After all, everyone here has seen each other naked! What they have done, though, is to teach them not to stare and that in the case of outsiders (including Chōsō, Nanami, Suguru, Hanako and Mimiko) they can't be unclothed.

And it has worked very well.

Yūji's breasts are something they don't feel embarrassed about or look at. At most, they like to hug and sink their faces in a little. It's soft and smells like milk. Right now, tucked in the pool, it doesn't matter. Her being the only one with so little clothing (barely a boxer).

They play quite a bit and Yūji is surprised when Satoru holds her back, covering her breasts with his hands. "Ah, Sugu-nii, do you want to come in and play?" Yūji asks.

"I don't think Satoru would like it," he replies frankly, with his usual smile and Satoru's eyes fixed on him. "Maybe another day... When you have a swimsuit."

Yūji laughs through her nose. Chōsō was going to not go in until Akihiko and Toukki push him into the water. Suguru stays in the distance. Satoru tries to keep covering Yūji, but his sons push him away. Suguru is not going to regret his eyes burning.

Yūji's breasts are very cute these days.

Chapter 17: XVII

Satoru dries his hair with a towel and gives a sigh of exhaustion. Mahito is unreachable, the missions become more unbearable as if it were possible and right now, he has to start teaching. Satoru wonders why they don't leave that to Suguru. He has a lot more patience. Plus he doesn't have five children to raise on his own.

Nanami would also make a good teacher. Everyone would be a much better teacher than him. No doubt it's a way for the higher-ups to control him. To endear him to them and make sure he doesn't turn against them.

If they knew he had more important things than students, they'd surely have a heart attack.

Satoru throws in the towel and plops down on the futon, pulling out thousands of tempos. When Kikyo turns three, he will grow her up to be in line with her older siblings. Mahito makes Satoru uneasy. The Jujutsu society worries him. It is urgent for him that his family can defend itself. With that, he is not going to repeat Junpei's situation or worse, have Yūji hurt the way he did. He thinks that maybe stopping time, but Yūji being able to live the three years of Kikyo's life is a good idea. The world outside is too fast. If he stops it here, they can live very peacefully and be happy even if it's an illusion fabricated by him.

Satoru realizes too late that Yūji is gone and his panic doesn't have a chance to show. With her coming into the room through another door. Satoru crosses his legs, wearing the bandage dampened by his hair. Yūji approaches with her hands behind her back, shy.

Satoru wonders at what point he bought that lingerie. He's almost certain he didn't. Unless it was that he did it drunk. "I ordered it online and Chōsō went out to get the package."

"Oh~ that can make a lot of things easy." Satoru taps his palm with a clenched fist. It hadn't occurred to him. Lucky that over the years, he advances more on the subject of courier and internet shopping.

He must give Yūji a new cell phone now that he thinks about it. The lingerie is black, lace that perfectly supports his wife's large, round breasts; little bows decorating between her breasts, the bottom and a seam that looks a little suspicious to him from this angle. Yūji steps closer, standing in front of Satoru, between her still-crossed legs.

"I want to ask you something."

"Anything you want" Satoru caresses her thighs, rubs his cheek and lips on that smooth skin he misses every time he has to leave. "You know I'd be able to destroy this world if you asked me to." He adds starting to kiss and lick. Yūji strokes his damp hair and finds where the blindfold fits.

Releasing it so it loosens and starts to fall off.

"I want another baby."

Satoru rests his chin on Yūji's right thigh, blue eyes between the white blindfold looking straight into golden eyes, round and expressive. Satoru gives a hot breath, his hands sliding under the cloth, cupping the teen's buttocks.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she muses. "I want to feel a lot of things inside me... I feel empty... And you can resolve that."

Satoru gives a chuckle.

"Of course I can."

Yūji bends down, kissing him on the lips and caressing his chest, abdomen until leading to his crotch, masturbating him needlessly about how hard he is from just looking at her. Satoru discovers that the lingerie has an opening. A flirtatious gap so as not to remove it, but to easily access the opening of the vagina. Sticking his fingers into the wet cavity that opens for him.

To say Satoru devours Yūji is an understatement. There is no part of her that he doesn't caress, that he doesn't bite, that he doesn't kiss, that he doesn't admire. It's desperate how much Satoru wants to feel and want from her; it's a reciprocated feeling. Yūji doesn't know how else to kiss him, how else to leave marks on his neck and chest; squeeze him, also his buttocks, thighs, sides, Satoru barely gives freedom of movement.

When Satoru finally penetrates her, gripping her hips with both hands and ramming his full length until he lifts Yūji's abdomen, she moans languidly, mixed with a pleasurable sigh and bristling skin. She brings her hands all the way down, touching what little of Satoru's penis is out and the bulge it generates. She likes to feel full.

What Yūji has reflected from all this, is that she wants to feel good. Yūji wants to feel full. Both bodily and emotionally. Satoru shows her in every way possible how much he loves her, but had held back on touching her. Letting her grief flow out of respect and affection. Now, Yūji finds that she can now have sex without distraction. Seeking attention and pampering from her husband unable to keep calm at the sight of her. Feeling him so excited and desperate to have her next to him, tucked in his arms.

Half her back is lifted off the floor, her breasts bouncing and her mouth open from the moans that come out. Satoru doesn't let go of her wide hips, thrusting his cock in and out to shamelessly and without delay caress Yūji's insides. He loves watching the way his whole body bounces every hard onslaught, is stopped only by Yūji arching her back and getting all wet all of a sudden.

He gasps out a laugh, pushing his hair back with one hand. "Does it feel that good, huh?"

Yūji squirms, twisting half her torso and giving a groan as she feels empty, yelping with the tongue out as she feels manhood rushing in again. She keeps her torso lying back, with only her hips raised and legs spread, squeezing the pussy that sucks impatiently at the thick cock. Satoru's testicles pounding continuously, almost threatening to enter her vagina as well.

Satoru grunts and grits his teeth, having a long and strong orgasm. He pulls out his penis and masturbates, Yūji lies there for a few seconds before rising up in her arms, not changing position, but bringing a hand to her own crotch, pulling on one of the labia.

The slit with viscous semen gushing out and dropping to the futon. Satoru penetrates her, climbing on her back and not measuring in the force he uses; grabbing the breasts and squeezing them, squeezing milk out of them, licking Yūji's ear and engrossed in the absolute ecstasy he feels. Aided by his wife's shameless moans.

"You're a cheater you know, sucking my cock to have more babies, to keep warming it up for me when you're round and can't even move" moans Satoru, Yūji bristling and feeling continuous orgasms. Satoru's husky, desperate voice delights her and only makes her insides contract more and more. "You feel great Do you like the way I feel inside you Yūji? Tell me what you like, come on, tell me." asks Satoru, almost desperate.

"Y-it feels good, it feels really good- Satoru! I like it so much! Sah-Satoru!"

Satoru loses count of how many times they do it, before he knows it, he's on the floor with Yūji riding him. Her abdomen hard and round from so much cum inside her and still, she's looking for more of the same. Making sure she's going to have the baby she wants. Her red bra and breasts bouncing in full exposure, unabashedly releasing milk and dropping to Satoru's chest or face.

Her legs open and red from so much impact. Satoru sees the pussy swallowing his cock with no problem and when he finishes, the cum spurting out of Yūji is copious, thick and whitish. He grabs her hips and penetrates her again, drawing a muffled scream and a shudder from her. He embraces her, sideways on the chaotic futon and begins to drink from her breast.

Absent.

Ecstatic.

In the clouds.

Just like the day he died.

But much, much better.

Yūji lets him drink as much as he wants, until he falls asleep. Just like all his babies.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I wonder if you understand the idea of keeping your dick in your pants."

Yūji is two weeks pregnant and looks more than glowing from the news. Suguru and Nanami find it over the top and plan a way to make Shoko come. Have her put a damn tubal ligation on Yūji, since cutting off Satoru's testicles is out of the question. Six kids is a lot. Already having had more than two becomes too much for them that they won't be able to keep under control.

Even when the evidence shows otherwise. They take care of five children and a baby. They won't really notice the change to seven instead of six. That's what they have uncles for: for when it's 'too much' for the parent pair.

"She said she wanted to get pregnant-can you believe it! She asked for it! And I wasn't going to let her down." Nanami seems tempted to punch him and stopped by the realization that he couldn't land a single blow.

"Because clearly a twenty-three year old man is incapable of being firm with a fifteen year old teenager." argues Suguru with a twitch of his eyebrow. Satoru is so hypocritical and pervert sometimes. It would seem untrue to go to such extremes.

"A man in love." justifies Satoru in a dreamy sigh.

"A psychopath." corrects Nanami. Yūji enters with a tray of sweets and sets it down on the table. "Thank you, Yūji-san." he takes one of the tea cups. The girl smiles at him before leaving.

Yūji doubts very much that she will be lucky enough to have twins again, so she thinks of possible names for her son or daughter. She would like it to be another boy. A girl is fine. Deep down, without her admitting it, so Yūji won't fear being threatened in the same way she was.

Because unfortunately, this world is very cruel to women. Understanding this was complicated, but it is a conclusion she was able to come to because of her time with Junpei. How even in mistreatment, teenagers were worse to her. They viewed her with more anger. With more contempt. Like she was something disgusting. That's what she has experienced so much with Sukuna.

Yūji doesn't want to bring a girl to suffer something like that. She'll do it with one after all.

Satoru tries to locate Sukuna's missing fingers and, in fact, finds one of them, but a brilliant idea comes to his mind: hide it.

Until he is certain that the curse, Mahito, is dead, he cannot allow Sukuna to be complete. Satoru knows what reaction it is capable of causing in Yūji, also that he and those other curses were looking for her for some reason and it must be Sukuna.

If it is incomplete, there is a chance to win, whatever the plan is.

It took almost three months to be able to return home for more than sleep. His children as rowdy and lively as usual, Yūji greeted him with food, smelling pregnant and with that flirtatious curvature in the usually flat and fluffy abdomen. It's just afternoon, there are several deer near this area of the house, fish are jumping to catch insects, MinMin frolics in relief of resting from that training. Anyway, what a wonder there was not at home.

After eating, playing with his children for a while and talking to Yūji about what he did these days, he stood in the garden. Satoru stretches his arms and gets into position, taking off his blindfold.

"Infinite Void: Time-"

"Don't."

Satoru overrides his cursed energy and turns to Yūji, who holds her hands together and gestures anxiously.

"Why not?" Satoru anxiously rebukes. The only resolution he has is that Yūji doesn't want him here. "You know that-"

"I know that this way we can be together, that I could... Do a lot of things," Yūji admits walking a couple of steps, "but the kids deserve to have their time. Watch TV, enjoy the animals coming in and out, some time without it being manipulated. Without having confusion for every birthday." Satoru purses his lips.

"I want to be here during your pregnancy. If the time doesn't separate from outside, I won't be able to do it." replies Satoru. Exposing his truest will. Yūji clenches the hands.

"You'll make them grow more won't you? You'll make them grow into bigger ones" Satoru lowers his gaze, embarrassed to be exposed. "I want to have time with them before they change. Before you make them older than me. They're my babies."

"It's necessary. You know... That this world is complicated." Satoru takes Yūji's hands gently and she nods.

"I know, but maybe this is the last baby? I wish it was different."

Satoru considers that as sexy and horny as the pregnancy thing puts it, this one is more than enough. Seven kids is a good limit. Not to mention the kid he keeps on the outside, Toji Fushiguro's blessing. Yūji is older, some permanent birth control method must work. Maybe Sukuna will have the decency not to undo it for a change.

"I'll be far away."

"You'll be able to find Sukuna's last fingers. Before that curse."

Satoru sighs and nods. If Yūji wants this, he must fulfill it. He just needs Nanami and Suguru to stop by more often. He kisses Yūji on the forehead and she smiles, squeezing the hands of her husband who never belittles her opinion. Maybe that's why Sukuna has never been able to keep her intimidated about his wishes.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Constantly distorting reality could bring sequelae. Your wife understood that better than you." mentions Nanami walking next to Satoru. The albino snorts, grumpily.

"Stop sounding like my dad. You hurt my fragile heart" he whines in a nasally, silly voice. The glasses don't hide how he rolls his eyes. Not for Satoru at least. "I have to go check his grave now that I mention it. Make sure there are no curses made by his bitterness in life."

"If he knew what his son was today, he'd be disappointed." Nanami adjusts his glasses and Satoru shakes his head.

"Maybe he'd be proud" He taps the blue folder with listings of students, their cursed techniques and what to teach them. "That's the most disgusting thing about it."

"Gojō Hifumi was a bad man?"

"He was a stubborn man, also dissatisfied" He pauses at the classroom door. "Perhaps that killed them all: his inability to contain the envy he felt at not being able to be born with Six Eyes, Infinite Void and his son, the seemingly fragile albino, have it" he smiles cynically towards Nanami. "It's a cruel irony. To have the most respected family name, but not have even a vestige of what makes it so great."

Nanami admits, sounding not only heavy, but also depressing. Satoru pulls his black card out of his pocket and hands it to Nanami.

"Yūji already has cravings and remembered you talked about the sandwiches you like. Go buy two for each of them. Thanks Nanamin." he teases before walking in. Nanami sighs and puts the card in her pocket.

If he said two each, he's include in this plan. He doesn't see why not take advantage of life's opportunities.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Why don't you really want to stop time? Something tells me it's another reason."

Nanami helps cut the breads that are for the children. That way they avoid making too much mess on the table. Yūji finishes placing glasses on the table, the juice and the sweets Nanami bought as extras. The girl shrugs.

"I don't want to have to count every day, that the children can't live their birthday, that they can't watch TV or try to... Have a normal life. I had it. Satoru did it for me" Yūji explains briefly and takes a seat. Chōsō is the one who gathers the children to come. MinMin enters and lays down next to the crib where Kikyo sleeps. "When they grow up and it is revealed that they exist, they will be outside. They need to be in the same time." she shrugs and Nanami fails to fully understand.

While he's all for them to stop altering time and space, the healthiest thing to do would be to freeze it for longer. Let everyone here grow up in isolation. Maybe then, he wouldn't judge Satoru so much for his actions.

"You want them to be sorcerers?"

Yūji bites her lips and lowers her gaze.

"I have no say in that."

Nanami takes a seat and the others arrive. They thanks for the food and devour everything in their path.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji pushes back her hair and sits at the edge of the pool. All the children are asleep, Chōsō and MinMin are asleep too and only she is sleepless. She stares up at the starry sky. It's a beautiful night today. It helps her to wonder if she is really doing things right or if she has been wrong to ask that there is no time standing still. The awareness of time scares Yūji. To think that everything is a poor second or eternal years. It's an overwhelming and overwhelming duality. Yūjiknows that when this second is over, her children will no longer be here. They will be out there putting themselves at risk. So will her husband. Yūjiwill still be here. Even if she were to go out, they won't let her be unguarded.

Because Sukuna is not going to disappear.

"You're so deluded to think she could disappear" Yūjisquints. The huge, evil figure in front of her, worse, on top of her. Sukuna's lower hands of sliding down her hip, caressing her pregnancy-bulging abdomen, threatening to peel off the bottom of her bathing suit. "Or that you can..." Sukuna leans in, hands resting on either side of Yūji, breaking the glass so thick it makes the floor. "Escape..." His face inches from Yūji's. "From me."

He presses his lips together with Yūji, who is filled with tattoos, the eyes of his cheekbones wide and claws sprouting. The pressure is strong, but it fades. What's there when he opens his eyes again, is the face of Satoru. Who worriedly makes sure nothing bad happens to her or the baby.

"Welcome" greets Yūji with a sleepy smile. "I didn't think you were coming." She stretches her arms out and wraps them around Satoru affectionately, soaking him more. Satoru hugs her back. Yūji is a little cold...the water? Or what was Sukuna trying to manifest?

Whatever the reason, it worries him. Yūji kisses him steadily on the neck and jaw, giving little giggles. Pulling away a bit, Satoru asks, "Are you sure you don't want me to set the time barrier?"

"Yes... I like being like this. You won't get tired of me now that I'm a nuisance." she mumbles sleepily.

"You'd never be a nuisance, Yūji." assures Satoru. He kisses the top of her head and Yūji denies.

"Of course I would. They're all going to leave me when they don't need me anymore... When I'm under control."

Satoru gives a sigh. Maybe he should put up the barrier without her noticing. Something every so often or pretend it's a minute instead of a day. Anything to help Yūji not to have these kinds of worries. He knows they don't exactly make sense. Yūji is at the stage of getting anxious about everything. Nanami, Junpei's death and so many more things happening have her touchy. He just accepts her requests, coddles her and doesn't judge even the silliest or most ridiculous things.

Yūji has him. For despite the other people around her, she only trusts Satoru blindly. Even if she has nerves about something new, she seeks peace in Satoru.

He is her greatest support. In whom she has the most faith.

"Satoru Do you want to do it here?"

"If we didn't have more people living here, I'd knock you down in any hallway or in the garden." Satoru states with a smile, moving down to kiss between Yūji's breasts.

Yūji doesn't remember at what point she ends up face down, her hips held by Satoru and moaning his name.

Chapter 18: XVIII

"I don't understand how you be okay with having children. They're so laud and annoying" Nanako claims as she combs Yūji's hair. "With how great it would be to have this house all to ourselves. Not even Geto-sama could complain about us having sleepovers right Himiko?"

Her sister nods, though she's more focused on drawing next to Kiku. Yūji cranes her neck and looks at herself in the mirror before smiling, encouraged at how pretty she looks like this. She thanks Nanako and stands up, stroking the small curve of her abdomen. Nanako continues to complain about the small children, escorts Yūji to her room in the same chant.

Finally in the room, Yūji rummages through her closet. She chooses a high-cut, cherry-print dress in black fabric. Nanako helps her put it on.

"Is there something special today? An anniversary or something."

"No. I've just discovered that it makes me happy to look pretty" Nanako nods, agreeing. "And then it gets better when Satoru tells me I look pretty" Yūji plays with her skirt a little. "I already trained, Chōsō will make the food. I just have to wait for Satoru." Turns to Nanako who gives a thumbs up."

"He's in for a nice cherry surprise."

Yūji smiles and turns back to the mirror. She wants to force herself into this. Get used to getting dressed up. To feel better about herself so she doesn't have intrusive thoughts giving way to Sukuna. Yūji gives a slight sigh and knocks on the door make them turn. Suguru waves, wearing a monk's outfit today.

It's been his alternative activity. A bit of an odd way to help: he consumes the curses of the people who come to see him. Obviously, non-sorcerers consider him a true envoy from the heavens. Yūji knows Suguru does this for two reasons. The first is to get those curses. The more he has, even if they are of low rank, the more he can make an army that can't be easily wiped out. Not to mention that it could be a perfect distraction. The second is that despite not being the strongest nor the most renowned in Jujutsu society for lack of a surname, Six Eyes and the ability to revive from the dead, being a "monk" if he is the messiah himself.

He is important.

He is irreplaceable.

He is the god of those wretched people.

The ones he calls "Monkeys."

Suguru approaches. He instructed Nanako and Himiko that if they are at Satoru and Yūji's house, they must stay with at least one foot in the same room, not look towards him and not say anything. He has found many, many holes in the vow. Not enough to be corporeally close to Yūji, but enough to remain very present in her life.

One that he would like to invade. The more he sees Yūji grow, the stronger the yearning becomes. Yūji does not understand the vow. Suguru is not allowed to say it. Nor would he want to create conflict between Yūji and Satoru. So when she comes over and hugs him, causing Suguru to bleed inside, he doesn't complain. He pats her gently nothing more.

"You look beautiful today" Suguru compliments and Yūji breaks away. Two braids in her hair joining in the back, as well as locks tucked in between for a more sophisticated look to the hairstyle. "Do you have a special reason?"

"To be pretty."

"What a perfect reason." laughs Suguru. Soft, princely, flirty.

That doesn't matter, though.

Yūji will never have eyes for him.

Maybe that's the worst part of it.

To desire her so much and never be reciprocated by the owner of his affection.

. . .

"Chōsō take Kiku outside" Yūji mentions, wiggling her feet in the fish pond, accustomed to Yūji by this time. "He got four curses. They're small, not very strong, but he was proud to pull it off Could you go see him? You know about it better than I do." Yūji pouts. Her son came in so dazzled. Yūji congratulated him, celebrate, but she has the feeling she should try to help him manage his technique.

Unfortunately, Yūji doesn't know anything. It's one of the things that saddens her about her children: she can't help any of them with their training. Only the physical and even then, she considers herself ineffective.

"I'll come over later," Suguru says, standing behind Yūji. "Wouldn't you like to go out? We can go anywhere."

"No. I'm fine."

"Do you still consider that I should stay?"

Yūji turns her head. Suguru watches her. The gestures, the slight variations in her countenance. The square cut of the dress almost pressed to her chest. He won't deny what he looks at and how much he looks at her.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Outside it has become more intense to search for you," Suguru notifies with his hands under his sleeves. "There aren't many Sukuna fingers left, the cults of him have become more massive, just like society's efforts to eliminate them... It has become quite delicate" He cocks his head. "Because curses are on the rise. Too much. Today alone, I consumed forty-two."

Yūji purses her lips and out of inertia brings her hand to his bulging abdomen, caresses gently and lowers her gaze.

"It's my fault."

"It's their fault for not controlling what they do," Suguru corrects. "And I could fix it... We could do it together if that's what you want."

Yūji shakes her head.

"No... I don't want that. No one deserves to die for a crime they don't know they commit" opines the teenager and Suguru laughs at the innocence in that. "And I don't want you to leave either. You're part of this clan. Without you, I'd be very lonely."

"You have Satoru."

"I know. Also Chōsō, Nanami, Nanako, Himiko, MinMin.... My babies" Yūji smiles unconsciously and Suguru sits on the floor, crossing his legs, "but none of them are you" Her bright golden eyes, with that depressing tinge that so characterizes her, riveted on Suguru's dark, thin orbs. "And I don't want you to leave. My life would be very sad if I were missing you."

"I'm indispensable, but not unique." qualifies Suguru with a fake yet amused smile.

"Yes you are."

Suguru laughs, it's clear that Yūji doesn't understand that he's in love with her. That because of that, he wants to take her away. Nevertheless, he's a stupid man in love, one who wants to indulge even the slightest whim of his beloved. In that, he is just like Satoru: he wants to pamper Yūji to the unimaginable. MinMin comes and sits between them, giving a slight grunt; Yūji pets him and hums, swinging her legs and watching the fish in the pond. Suguru just stands there. Watching her and nothing else.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"You and Suguru What are you hiding?"

Satoru laughs. Shoko's spontaneous question can only be a joke to him. He guesses it was naive to believe that she wouldn't notice. She is his friend after all. Though with how absent she's been from getting her medical degree, the distance is also understandable. She lets out smoke from the cigarette and turns his attention to Satoru.

"You two go back and forth between missions, pretend everything is fine? What are they up to? Pair of idiots."

"Nothing for you to worry about," Satoru assures nonchalantly. "If it were, Nanami wouldn't be included" he jokes and shoves his hands in his pockets. Shoko gives a sigh.

"Liar."

Satoru walks around the school. He has to make time before he goes home. That he doesn't come across as excited to leave. Or that he never uses his room in here. He finds weird seeing Yaga halfway through. Remarkably, he expected him. Satoru disguises his displeasure. This may take hour and therefore, it would take too long to go to Yūji.

What a nuisance.

. . .

"Hah? China?"

"We were notified that there is a big wave of curses over there and they need support. Most of them, they're first grade" Satoru keeps his hands tucked into his pants. "Is there a problem?"

"I have classes" he whines in a high-pitched tone, pouting his lips. "I'm busy with other things too. I can't just disappear who knows... How many months." Satoru leans to the side and doesn't know how else to expose his annoyance.

There are more sorcerers why is he the only one working his ass off? Even Suguru in his "hobby" isn't that overworked.

"It was decided that you are the best choice to end the problem as quickly as possible" Yaga justifies. Ignoring the grimaces and grumbles of his former student. "We don't lose allowing more people to be murdered."

"Maybe if we leave it in other hands, it might work out You know, Suguru is pretty free these days. Nanami too and neither of them are teaching or supporting two kids out of the goodness of their hearts." Satoru rests his hand on his chest, feigning pity and even interest. His nihilistic smile says otherwise.

He makes it seem like simply, he's a lazy bum with no desire to support in the problem there is in other countries.

"The higher ups want you there and no one else. That will reduce the number of victims" Satoru does not change his gesture, let alone say anything. Yaga knows Satoru disagrees. "About the children: I can give them a few visits if necessary. It's-"

"I'll talk to the higher-ups myself" Satoru pivots on his feet and Yaga clenches his jaw. "A little pressure and there won't be a problem anymore."

"Satoru-"

"Easy, easy, it's not like I'm going to kill them or anything." Satoru waves the hand, unconcerned.

Truth be told, he doesn't want to meddle Yaga in this matter. He's not to blame. They're just using him as a messenger because they know he'll listen to him, plus he can convince him. When it comes to Gojō Satoru, it's one thing to listen and another to accept. There are not many he listen to, and there are even fewer he will listen to.

Satoru walks the halls thinking about his responsibilities. The primary one being Yūji with her pregnancy and third, as Yūji and the children come second, is that he must take care of Megumi.

Toji Fushiguro's small and very moody son.

Life had it clear in making him eat his words. He babysits a myriad of children at this point in his life.

He doesn't spend much time with him, it's more a situation of throwing money around and supervising from time to time. It's still a year before Megumi starts training, which is why he allows him to live at his own pace and taste. Then it would be total bullshit to bring him into this world.

Thinking about it, Satoru concludes that Megumi most likely studies with his children. He can visualize him being close friends with Kiku. The only quiet one in his pack of children.

Who knows the last one.

Or his little baby.

What is certain is that Megumi is part clan. After the birth, Satoru is going to show it to Yūji finally. He's sure it will make her happy.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Orders are orders. Being Gojō Satoru isn't going to change it" opines Nanami fixing his glasses. Satoru nonchalantly walks down the hallway in the direction of the meeting room. Anyone would think he's just going to ask them the time. He hasn't turned down a mission. "Yūji will be in good hands after all. You should just attend and be done soon."

"I want to make it clear from now on that the world must change... My last son is a perfect sign that I should initiate." justifies Satoru and Nanami folds his arms.

He wish he knew how the meeting went. Satoru is serious on so few occasions, he keeps wondering what it will be like to live it up in that state.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I'm going to be out of the country for a while. Maybe five or four months. Initially it was going to be seven because I would go by myself, but I convinced them to send me along with Suguru and Nanami" Satoru explains the situation by taking Yūji's hands. Looking into her eyes and noticing her disappointment. Being permanently away is bad. He wants this time for some monotony of Satoru coming and going as usual. The usual: her plans totally ruined. "I also negotiated that I'll have five months off from missions. It was complicated, but I pulled it off."

"It mean, we'll have five months." says Yūji with a huge smile of excitement. Satoru nods with a similar gesture.

"I was thinking: I can make a reverse barrier. Make time pass faster for you" he announces and Yūji doesn't hide the interest. "I can make you live for a week and the barrier breaks when I arrive. That way, we'll be as we wanted without leaving you alone at this important time."

"I like the idea!" she exclaims squeezing Satoru's hands. "Nanako and Himiko accompany me, I teach the kids how to do some things and then you'll have time to play with them! Let them show you what they learned, also help Himiko with her homework." Yūji cocks his head and shrugs. Satoru kisses her on the forehead.

How happy it makes him that Yūji is happy about this. He'll take it as a sign that nothing bad will happen in China. As long as he fixes all the problems that have nothing to do with his person, Yūji would quietly wait for him to come back.

"You are the most understanding wife in the world. Next time, be more demanding."

"Bring me lots of fortune cookies."

"That's not a demand. It's a truism." Yūji gives him a teasing shove, laughing.

Before he knows it, Satoru instagrammed the time barrier and has a week of waiting for him. She thinks it's phenomenal that it's like this for once: him waiting longer than her. It's constantly the other way around. At least Satoru is aware of that and so, he is happy about the direction this mission took.

Chōsō decided to go out with Kiku. Help him to keep collecting curses and know how to use his cursed technique. Chōsō is also very easy-going with him. After all, he perceives no difference between brothers and nephews. At that, Yūji counts about an hour or two with them out.

Her calculation homework, is to know how many hours are between inside the house and outside the house. She still feels like she's going to cry at how badly she's doing with that.

The other kids are studying what Satoru left them as homework, so that mixed with her math irresponsibility, Yūji has free time to just wander around on her own... That is, with MinMin on the side. The grounds of the house being huge make for a good walk, not to mention the fawn population and the various ponds that were set up.

As seems to be customary, every time Yūji gets close to the edge of the barrier, she notices someone there. She can't tell if she knows him. He looks familiar for no apparent reason. Black hair in a ponytail, slight eye wrinkles, brown eyes and naturally attractive features despite his plainness.

Most noticeable, is the long scar on his forehead. A shiver runs through her, uncomfortable for no reason. What makes that impression worse, is Sukuna:

"Don't overdo being stupid today and stay away from him. It suits both you and me."

"MinMin." The tiger approaches to inspect himself.

Yūji doesn't usually get warnings from Sukuna. This person must either intimidate him or be a threat to him at this time. Whatever the reason, she will take it. MinMin doesn't get to do as much analysis as he would like, grabbed by the neck in one swift movement and shrieking from the pain it causes him.

Yūji rushes in that direction, having to save the animal. Fortunately, the man releases it with one blow and Yūji stops. The man passes the barrier without breaking or even disturbing it.

"You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you" Yūji frowns, in combat stance and being cautious as she was taught. "It's good to see you in person, Yūji."

"Good for you, but I want you to leave my house" Yūji warns and the other gives a small laugh at that. "Satoru will be here any minute."

"Oh, right, Gojō... I don't think so, he's in China" Yūji clenches her jaw, tense. "I didn't came here to do harm" he promises and raises his hands in a peaceful gesture. The blowing breeze ruffles the traditional clothing he wears. "I didn't spend so much time making you, to kill you so soon... I only came for one reason."

"I'm not interested-"

Yūji shivers, pressure on her neck suddenly. The male hand holding her firmly.

"You should be calmer. You'll hurt the baby."

Yūji holds her breath at what point did he get here? The surprise this time is from the unknown man, who didn't expect to be grabbed by the arm and pulled with a key. Yūji keeps him imprisoned by twisting his arm and stepping on the other's back. MinMin stands up and goes straight to bite his head off.

The tiger sinks the ground, roaring and sinks as well as the earth. Yūji feels pressure that shoots it away, with no severe blow.

"I didn't think you were that effective. Again: I wouldn't want something to happen to a pregnant woman." Yūji tries to get up, not that he can manage it. "As I said before, I came for one reason only."

He places his hand on Yūji's belly and presses lightly. Yūji holds his breath and grits her teeth, giving a groan. "Fascinating... It's a cursed womb, but by inserting cursed energy, the child is not a curse. It's totally normal. They cancel each other out-"

It's forced away the hand by the mouth that appeared. Yūji's secondary eyes open in immediately. "Don't bother, Kenjaku, I'm still in here," Sukuna says from Yūji's mouth, who crumples her face. This is the first time he does this with her in charge. Kenjaku lets out a few long laughs.

"Who knew! You've got some control. I'd come to think this vessel had been too unwieldy."

"It is manageable, just not being here. Be that as it may, get lost, I'm not interested in your hands on my future wife either." claims the curse with distaste. Kenjaku can't help but feel grace in the matter. Yūji is finally able to stand and control herself a bit.

"I'm glad you liked it" Sukuna's eyes narrow. "You certainly are... better than I had estimated. It's-"

Kenjaku runs his hand across his cheek, where there is a cut; he moved just in time. Turning, he finds Chōsō with his hands clasped together and black marks spread across her face.

"MOM!" Kiku holds himself at bay, holding a suspiciously adorable curse. It looks like a furball with only six legs and a mouth with a long tongue. Yūji doesn't waste the opportunity to punch Kenjaku.

And hit him.

And hit him.

Until Chōsō catches it for darting off to the other side. Chōsō clicks his tongue, as Kenjaku vanishes like it's nothing.

"Are you okay, did he do something bad to you, did he say something?" asks Chōsō worriedly. Yūji groans softly, pained.

"I think... That I need a doctor-"

Chōsō looks around in panic A doctor?

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I have a strange feeling ."

"Good or bad?" questions Suguru seconds before consuming the black sphere. He scrunches up his face as soon as it passes through his windpipe.

Satoru gives a single snort, extended and dumb. His eyes covered with blindfolds that impede the sheer exhaustion involved in seeing. Suguru laughs at the amount of bandage he has to wear and to make matters worse, how hard it is to put on. Nanami puts away the blade and waits for whatever Satoru thinks, playing with the bandage.

"It's a bad thing. Very bad. I just can't figure out what it is." he concludes. Sitting on the corpse of the biggest curse from the whole fight they had.

"Does it have to do with Yūji?"

"I hope not." replies Nanami and looks up at the sky.

Satoru wishes he could get his displeasure off his chest somehow, but he doesn't even have a way to call Yūji. Not with time standing still as a barrier. He lets out a deep sigh.

"I want to go with Yūji.... I want to be with my beautiful wife! With Yūji!" Satoru kicks and Suguru new with his head, amused.

Sometimes too silly for his own good

Chapter 19: XIX

Notes:

I'm wanna clarify somethings:
The One shot that appears in the series "The Most Beautiful Curse", named "Our special night" has a connection with this fic. Anyone who read it knows it :D
it had a little clue hidden, heet heet~
So, in that order... There are gonna be more One shots. Im gonna post just the ones that doesnt interrumpt or makes spoilers in this fic (Gojo's Clan).
Not all of the One shots gonna be GoYuu, there are gonna be some SuguYuu, SukuIta, maybe other pairings; . Im not sure yet, but it'll make me really happy if y'all read them uwu the mayority it'll be Goyuu, so don't panic

just for the multishippers to know(?????

“Where's the kid's dad?”

“At work.”

“Ummm...”

Yūji doesn't know how to lie, but she begs the doctor to believe her so as not to create a problem. Fortunately for Yūji, with teenage pregnancies it's normal for the mother in question to be the most nervous. Especially at medical appointments. Therefore, she does not raise suspicions. It is perfectly feasible that she has a boyfriend her age who ruined it by not taking care of himself.

And that a family member she decided to support is here with her.

“I must inform you that you have a high-risk pregnancy. You suffer from pre-eclampsia, which is high blood pressure” Chōsō looks at Yūji out of the corner of his eye. He thought it was normal for pregnant women having high blood pressure. Not that it was the problem. Although he can say with absolute certainty that it comes from the cursed energy the baby already developed. “It's very, very severe and could be dangerous for you when giving birth.”

Yūji bites her lips lowering the gaze and stroking her bulging belly with concern. Chōsō takes her hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze. This is the first time she has had such a serious situation. He doesn't know the first pregnancies, but so far in the ones he's witnessed, Yūji has had a reasonable elevation.

Of course, in none of them did Kenjaku come to bother her. Nor did she have to fight. There are little details that justify it being more serious this time.

“Please accompany me this way. We need to echo to check other possible problems with the baby.”

Yūji goes to lie down and snorts from the gel on her abdomen. After a few minutes, she is able to see the baby on the screen. Small, distorted. “Another one that will die screaming.”

Yūji ignores Sukuna and gives a slight smile. “I think there are two babies there. So it might explain the difficulty. Let's see... There it is You see? Here the head, his leg, this is the baby's head... This is male.”

Yūji laughs and Chōsō smiles, seeing it. Kiku and Yuzu who wanted to come all the way inside the office, peek in to watch. The excuse is that they are cousins. The lack of hair and eye resemblance helped in the excuse. Yuzu wears a hood to cover his hair and contact lenses.

“Are they like us? Are there two of them?” asks Yuzu, curious.

“Yes. There are two of them. Mom must be very careful so she can see them herself.”

“She's not going to die. Dad won't let them die, will he...?" Kiku barely manages not to say to her, 'Mom'. Yūji smiles at Kiku.

“Yes. I'll be fine... We'll be fine.”

The doctor prescribes a large prescription, makes an appointment for a month from now, and hands her three ultrasound photos. Yūji keeps holding it and looks at it from time to time. Happy and excited. Yūji is glad she came despite the bad news. Also that she won't be coming back here. She hopes Satoru won't be upset.

“Mom!” Akihiko takes her by the hand. Wearing a cap and contact lenses. Chōsō looks at him sternly Why is he here? He and the other children. They should be at home. “Let's go for a little walk. Let's take pictures together.”

“You only get pictures with Dad. It's not fair.” claims Umi.

“Kikyo is at home with Nanako and Himiko. We can't stay out this much. They know there's the time issue.” informs Chōsō. Yūji is very given to fulfilling her children's whims. Especially being hormonal and seeing them so eager.

“But Uncle Chōsō.” whines Toukki.

“No buts. Yūji is in danger out here. So are you guys. Your presences are a huge imbalance in Jujutsu society.” he notifies, crossing his arms and maintaining his indifferent countenance. He has no doubt that by this time, there is chaos in the sorcerers clans and higher ups. “If we expose ourselves any further, we could cause not only a big problem, but trigger a conflict and give way to Yūji's execution Do you want that?” he asks.

“Don't die mommy.” Kiku immediately hugs her. In absolute panic. The others worry as well.

“Let's go home mommy.” says Akihiko in a hurry and Yūji laughs.

“Yes... First though, I want some sweets.”

Chōsō sighs, he should have guessed. Fortunately there's a bakery nearby and using Satoru's black card gifted to Yūji in case of dire emergencies, they were able to buy something for everyone. Yūji notices a grim-faced boy, waiting his turn to pay. The crowd of kids can outweigh him, though.

“Do you want something?”

He looks at Yūji and reddens immediately, averting his gaze. Yūji continues to stare at him, in patient anticipation of an answer until, noticing himself cornered, the teenager stammers, “I-I just want to ask about the cake... and... Buy it... For my sister.”

“Oh~ That's cute!” he reddens a lot more. “Chōsō! Pay for his cake too!” The hybrid looks askance at the kid. “And so is this.”

“No, no, no, no No need! No...!”

Yūji empties part of a container full of cookies and smiles broadly, pleased. “What's your name?”

“Fushiguro... Megumi.”

“Nice to meet you! Itadori Yūji!” she introduces herself with her hand at forehead level and still smiling. Chōsō grumbles in annoyance, setting the cake down right next to Megumi and taking Yūji by the arm.

Yūji notices that he stares at Akihiko and Toukki as if witnessing a paranormal event. His mouth half open and horror on his face. She doesn't give him much thought, leaving the bakery with the rest of her family. Yūji rubs her belly, bottom and a bit of the front.

“Well, let's go home.” smiling at Chōsō who absently accept.

“Why did you buy him those things mom?” questions Akihiko. “We don't know who it is. It could be someone bad.”

“O-or maybe he wants to take advantage of your money. Dad says people want to use us.” stammers Kiku and Yūji pouts, looking down on them.

“We should try to help others. Be empathetic to people... If we don't help each other, we're like curses and bad people” Yūji explains simply and Kiku looks at her with bright eyes of admiration. “And we are good people He didn't need help! But he's going to remember that one person was kind to him and so he'll be kind too.” concludes Yūji. Kiku nods in agreement.

Akihiko, having had more talks with Satoru, knows that it can't be like that. That his mom is naive and kind, but that doesn't mean it's okay. After all, it's people like those children who cause curses. That's how his uncle Suguru explained it to him.

Being kind to others is not helpful.

And until they kill Sukuna, they shouldn't think about helping others.

Because those people, they wouldn't help Yūji, quite the opposite.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Why is Uncle Chōsō so grumpy?” asks Umi, curious.

“Because they told us two babies are coming, but I'm in bad health. So I might feel bad.” Justifies Yūji who breastfeeds Kikyo. The girl more asleep than awake, but actively eating from her mother's breast.

“Mommy's sick? NO!” Yuzu hugs her all at once, clearly he doesn't hear anything at the hospital. Kikyo whimpers, uncomfortably.

“I'm fine. Nothing bad is going to happen to me,” Yūji promises gently and the children around her become distressed. “When daddy gets here, you must keep it a secret until I tell him about it Okay?” They all agree. “All right, now... Let's eat what we brought! Chōsō!”

Since they arrived and Kikyo was crying out of hunger, the first thing Yūji did was to start feeding her baby. One that's a little big for this, but with how much Yūji nurses and how much she wants to eat, it perpetuated.

Yūji can already see Satoru coming though, ordering her to stop. He can take care of the overloaded breasts.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Aren't you going home first?”

“I have to check something first, but I'll get there before you.” assures Satoru with a believing smile. Suguru shakes his head, keeping his hands inside the sleeves of his clothes.

“I'll go give the mission report.” informs Nanami and gets into the car waiting for them. Satoru waves goodbye and drives off on his own.

He feels like it took him forever to get back to Japan.

Still, by calculation, the barrier falls tomorrow. So it's not going to make much difference whether or not he hurries home. not to mention that he's going to be distracted if he doesn't do the inspection in this little place.

“Oh! Gojō-san!” Satoru cocks his head with his hands in his pockets, at the apartment door. “Welcome. It's nice to see you again.”

“Hello Tsumiki. Nice to see you too... I brought gifts!” he swings the bag with silly gesture and she laughs lightly.

Satoru enters the apartment and finds it as tidy as ever. Not much difference there. At the living room table, Megumi sitting with a bored look on the face just to see Satoru, who crouches down with his legs spread wide and the stupidest gesture his face can exhibit.

“Me~gumi~” The black-haired boy rolls his eyes and tries to continue with his homework. “Welcome me!” He demands pointing at himself. Megumi doesn't even. “Hoh! I'm leaving for six months and you can't even give me a ‘welcome’. You get more impertinent every day.” He ruffles Megumi's hair as he laughs and Megumi scrunches up the face at that.

“Welcome.” Megumi finishes by saying and Tsumiki laughs covering her smile.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

As soon as he arrives home, there is a crowd of children greeting him and just because he has infinity activated, he can greet them all, who laugh at his dad's silly gesture. “Why the ambush? I come full of family love and the first thing they do, is jump on me like a pack of wolf.”

“It's because we love you so much.” says Akihiko. Satoru laughs, hugs everyone as best he can and puts them down again.

Yūji approaches with Kikyo in her arms. The girl laughs excitedly, stretching her arms out to Satoru who receives her and hugs Yūji with his available arm, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Welcome home.”

“What a nice welcome.” purrs Satoru, gently rubbing his face on Yūji's face.

He can tell it's only been a week as Chōsō is taking care of cleaning the apartment. Thing is done on Saturdays and for Satoru, today is Monday and he left on Tuesday. He had never made a barrier with these guidelines before, so he guesses he made it a bit denser than it should be.

It is better this way. His absence was felt less. His children chatter to him and show what they have been able to practice. Satoru is overwhelmed by how good they all are. Especially Akihiko and Yuzu. Both can hold infinity for at least three hours or more. With the age they are, it's impressive and he can tell they have someone who knows about it.

In his case, he had to learn everything on his own. So it took him a year longer than them to achieve this perfected form. No holes and no chance of it breaking due to lack of concentration. They have a small problem that they still haven't solved...

And that is that they float suddenly.

They get dizzy.

And they fall face first to the floor, with no remedy whatsoever.

It makes him proud that Akihiko and Umi are starting to be able to jump over that problem. Kiku on the other hand, waits until the end to tentatively pull him by the arm and take him outside with him. A place where he is allowed to pull out big curses. Satoru whistles with his hands on his waist, that curse sure is big. He can visualize that Chōsō knocked him out and Kiku absorbed it.

“It's really huge... Can you control it, does your head hurt?” interjects Satoru bending down to be at his height. Kiku nods, looking down at the floor.

“I know it's not as cool as what my brothers do, but...”

“Shhh, you don't have to be just like them. Just be you” Satoru takes him by the hands gently. “Because you're great. Drawing beautiful and being a prodigy You have a giant of a servant now! How can you say that's not cool!” Satoru omits that it's a giant lizard. Just to get to the important stuff. Not to get distracted that he can ride this thing off into the sunset. “And that's because you're so strong. Just like you mom. Making the most improbable, possible.”

“Why am I not like you?”

Satoru cocks his head, not erasing his gesture or perhaps changing his contact towards his son.

“The others... They have white hair and their eyes are like yours Why am I different?” the boy questions, constipated and beginning to shiver. “I'm not... I can't do the same as you.” Satoru notices that he is on the verge of tears. Kiku is so fragile. He doesn't want to hurt his feelings. He considers that it is not yet time for him to know that, biologically, he is Suguru's son.

“Maybe you are different, but you know what's good about that? You look like Yūji” Kiku mumbles a vague ‘Do I really look like mom?’ "Your soft dark hair, your skin, the shape of your mouth and being able to manage to be awesome even though everyone around you is different” Yūji walks over and stands at the edge of the hallway watching them talk. “Being strong in your own way is an admirable thing. Never think you are less than your siblings... At the end of the day, you are a Gojō. You are my son and with that, you will be one of the strongest.”

Kiku finally bursts into tears, Satoru laughs goofily, the usual for him. He hugs Kiku and carries him, patting his back and turning to Yūji.

“You love making my children cry.” Claims his wife and Gojō pokes his lips out.

“Of course I don't. Only accidental tragedies happen sometimes.”

Yūji greets Kiku and hears him babbling things she doesn't understand, but she's not going to let him know. Satoru laughs, finding this all very adorable.

. . .

“Chōsō and I left the house.”

Satoru knew that this hunch had a reason to be. Sure enough, Sukuna's unsealed energy with his presence and spells manifested in the world. He hoped that when he left the house tomorrow, there wouldn't be a whole commotion talking about it. On the other hand, it bothers him a little to know this Why did Yūji go out? She knows perfectly well that she can't do it and doubts that Chōsō incited her. After all, he is the one most excited to have her hidden here.

That way she's not at risk of dying like his other siblings.

“Why?” is all Satoru manages to say without being hysterical as he would like. Claim. He wants to believe there's a good reason.

Yūji licks her lips, having her thoughts in order to justify not obeying an order from her husband for the first time. Without perceiving that the concept is itself sounds more like a jailer and kidnapper than a husband.

“A person entered the barrier. I don't know how” Satoru looks surprised and even offended. “Sukuna called him Kenjaku, Chōsō said he's the one who killed his brothers, he has a scar here.” Yūji taps her own forehead.

“The name doesn't ring a bell... And I shouldn't be able to get past the barrier.” complains Satoru, in full grumpiness and without his usual silliness to lighten the mood.

“I know. I thought it was just like Chōsō, but he just walked in. There was no disturbance or anything like other times” Yūji shrugs and Satoru starts numbering the options. If he went in, it's because he has permission, but Yūji doesn't know him. So who is he, what did he do? He also thinks it must be someone from his Clan. Because it's one of the barrier guidelines.

“Could he see you?”

“No.”

“Did Chōsō know who it was? T-the face, I mean.” he clarifies for safety and Yūji denies.

“He told me that it didn't look like this before. That it's something new. He doesn't know who that person is. Only that everyone can recognize him by the scar on his face” Yūji says. Chōsō gave her the information so it was a conversation between the two of them nothing more. “He didn't come to attack me. He said he wanted to see something.”

“What?” Satoru expects a murky answer and while it's not exactly what he got, it was the same impression Yūji and Chōsō had at the time:

“He wanted to check on my baby- we fought” Satoru judges her instantly. “And he only cared about checking me. It hurt a lot. It was like... If he was crushing me.”

“But did he do something bad to you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, that's why- Satoru listen to me.”

Satoru holds her by the abdomen, checking without anything hindering his gaze. She's fine. The baby is fine. He notices something he doesn't understand, it's like the mass of cursed energy is bigger and that weakens Yūji's accordingly. Yūji stops him from going with psychosis ahead, making a thousand hypotheses about it:

“Since I felt sick, we went to the doctor. It's not uncommon for girls of fifteen to go, so I was able to say that my boyfriend wasn't there because he works” It still surprises Yūji that it was so easy to fool the doctor. She can't imagine how common her case would be. Only her is good. The others aren't. “And he told me I have something with an ugly name. I don't remember anymore. Prem... Parecemm... Clisia?”

“Preeclampsia?”

“That!” exclaims Yūji and Satoru looks even more terrified than before, “I shouldn't strain... But look! It's a photo!” Yūji pulls the echo photo out of her clothes and Satoru diverts his attention to that, astonished. “It's other twins!” The excitement of gets bigger as soon as Satoru's eyes light up, holding the photo with trembling hand.

Even after the previous trouble, after losing a baby They can make up for it! It's going to be two more children!

By this time, Satoru has a little overload and crisis. After all, he has reason to worry, to be upset, he has to see all the documents there is and how that person got in, and finally, he's Happy! He's so happy! It makes him tender to see the photo.

Thinking that if they had waited, they could have had this kind of details from all their children and not just the last ones. One more confirmation that he did everything backwards.

“Yūūūjūjiiiii, don't do this to me. Now I want to stay cooped up here with you around the clock!” whines Satoru melodramatically and Yūji shrugs, still smiling.

“I'm just a good wife telling her husband everything that happened while he was gone. I'm not torturing you.” justifies Yūji and Satoru pouts.

“Yes it is torture. I wish I had been there” he claims and Yūji can't imagine how he would have gotten. He usually tries to be a bit mysterious around others. At least that's what Nanami and Suguru told him. However, with this maybe that facade would have fallen off. Poor doctor. “Even though! I'll stick around to make sure you don't make any effort. I don't want the same thing to happen as last delivery. You were at the point of fainting just by standing up.”

“The babies you put in here,” Yūji pats her abdomen. “They want to eat me alive. It's your fault for making them like this.”

“Stuff of the strongest, my princess, what can you ask of me.” Satoru purrs dumbly and Yūji snorts, shaking her head.

Notes:

tHERE'S MEGUMI
HE'S ALIVE
YOU CAN CALM DOWN ;;;;; DAMN, EVERYONE WANT MY INTROVERT BOY SO FUCKING BAD IT ALMOST COST TO LEAVE HIM THIS HIDE
But anyways, he's important... in the future. Im not gonna say anything about it xd wait for it I guess???
I think i don't have anything to add to the planification, so i can write in peace... (Gege, stop the weird shit, thanks)
And for the record: i don't like Yuta-Gojo, but im gonna write something about it

Chapter 20: XX

Satoru places the photo on the room's bureau, where there are several other pictures with the children. Once the subject is finished, since it is not worth mentioning it any more, Satoru goes to Yūji who was arranging the futon on the floor. Holding her back, he slips his hands under her clothes. One towards her breast, kneading the right breast and the other, towards the crotch, rubbing the clitoris, labia and threatening to stick his fingers in.

Satoru kisses her neck, shoulders, behind her ear. Yūji sighs and rests his hands on Satoru's arms. "I missed you so much, Yūji." moans Satoru, making him pull his whole body together. Let him feel his hardening erection and be aware that this will go on for a long time.

The longer he's gone, the more times they do it. It's a pattern Yūji has noticed. It's as if he's storing up the urges he might have had in all the time away. Right now, she feels her own body tingling, almost voiceless and watery-eyed, vibrating with pleasure at the hard onslaught to her.

How the fat, hard penis keeps rubbing inside her vagina, pushing the seed spilling out in an almost grotesque sound; the skin of her buttocks and thighs red from so much pounding with Satoru's groin and legs; feeling his testicles slapping and over and over again; his huge hands that keep playing with her breasts at will, treating them like an anti-stress ball and tugging at her nipples from time to time.

She moans with her tongue out, her skin sweaty, hair damp and eyes cloudy. She opens her mouth submissively, allowing the penis to slide all the way down her throat. Satoru moans from hearing Yūji's muffled moans, feeling her sucking on his member as if urging him to consume what's to come. He leans against the wall, moving his pelvis with barely more gentleness than before.

And when he climaxes, the first thing he sees is Yūji swallowing the semen, licking the penis dirty with so many fluids, but which hasn't lost a bit of its hardness. Kissing the tip and his tongue towards the swollen veins. Satoru rubs the member on Yūji's face, somewhat amused at the look on her face. At the libidinous way his wife looks.

Pulling away for a breath, Yūji sits up, hands under her knees and exposing her vagina as she spreads it open with her fingers. Whimpering. "I want it again. Satoru, please, I want another." Satoru twists his head to the side. At times he has come to wonder if Yūji was pretending to feel good. However, if not why would she make requests like that? They are all too common.

With Yūji's knees on his shoulders, he rams her, inserting himself into a lunge that draws a yelp and then a satisfied smile. The small body fully cradled by the position. Satoru can feel the swollen belly against his own abdomen, Yūji's breasts pressed into his chest and muscular arms encircling his neck.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"As I warned, I will be taking a vacation. Bother Suguru or Yuki, for a change." Satoru shakes his hand disinterestedly.

"The higher-ups-

"They know I'll take a break-" He interrupts Yaga and smiles to himself with the bandage on. "They'll be fine... And if not, get stronger for a change." concludes Satoru, haughtily. After all, he reckons he's right.

An entire society depending on one person is absurd. Yaga understands that there must be a power gap. Satoru is close to being a god. What he does not justify, is that there is no one capable of dealing with threats that are not so extreme. Also the problem that it's all a power play.

They want to show him that although at the level of power, he is the first; politically speaking he is below them. Satoru does not intend to keep putting up with it that way. He wants to begin to be respected in that aspect so important for them.

He considers that the best time for Yūji to be revealed to the world, is when he has gotten all of Sukuna's fingers and demonstrating that she can control him, get the way for Yūji to get rid of him. That's a lot of clans. Some ancient ritual must come to mind.

Or force them to think about it.

"Ummm, by that time, maybe Megumi will be part of the school. That would be fun." Satoru walks with his hands in his pockets as he moves through the school.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Thank you Nanamin."

Yūji takes the sandwich Nanami brought her. Satoru trains with his sons in the garden, Suguru is the one who takes over Kiku's cursed training. After all, he's the one who knows about manipulating curses. It has him pleasantly surprised how skilled his son is and he would like to praise him much more, but he doesn't want to tempt Satoru to take these moments away from him as well.

He sees Satoru very capable.

Or to ruin Kiku's childhood by telling him that he is the result of "rape".

For Suguru it wasn't like that, but Satoru will paint it a thousand times worse than it was Has Suguru become more cynical? Yes. Very much so. Suguru is not going to admit it.

"How have you been feeling?"

"Pretty good," says Yūji after taking a bite. Chōsō and MinMin watch the children's training. "Just really tired... And overwhelmed, but I'm fine" Nanami takes off his glasses and puts them on the table. "Do you want some?" She offers and Nanami softly denies.

"I'm fine. Thank you. It's a gift" Yūji laughs. "I understand the pace of life you have even pregnant, but I consider that you should rest more. It includes not cooking. There might be an accident."

"I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I worried because I seem to be the only one who worries. Rest more, Yūji-san." asks Nanami with a slight head bow. Yūji tilts the head, her long hair falling down her shoulder.

Satoru glances inside. He knows Nanami wouldn't try anything with Yūji, he's in a very different mindset than he and Suguru. However, he gets the impression that Yūji is starting to have a crush on him. She's in his teens, hormones all over the place, pregnancy makes it worse. Anyway, his wife takes a heavy trip and Nanami being so attentive starts to move her.

The reality is that Yūji forgot how paternal love was and to make matters worse, also how to reciprocate it. At the end of the day, all the men who approach her and are nice, want to have sex with her; they are men who after getting to know them, treat her well because they fall in love. Nanami has a suspicion that this happens, but he is not going to stop being the way he is with her.

Yūji needs support and some guidance on this. Which Satoru and Suguru have never bothered to do. She's a good girl, she's responsible and she's better prepared in terms of physicality, Jujutsu and understanding of the world. The emotional part and how she interact with the world is another thing. Nanami wants to help her, even with this small social circle, to understand various things:

"Yūji-san, not everyone who is nice to you, intends to be with you" he informs and Yūji reddens, lowering his gaze. "Just as those who may pretend to be nice, are not necessarily nice. You understand that right?"

"People in the cult used to be nice. I know that... But... Men are like that with me. I only like it when they don't feel violent towards me" she excuses and stuffs her cheek with bread. "When they don't... feel like they're going to hurt me."

She has only had two types of interactions with adult men: those who are mean, who perceive themselves that way and she fears they will hit her and force her (being similar to Sukuna) and those who view her with tenderness, patience and embrace her, wanting her to enjoy herself as well. Both cases, severely linked to sex.

In her head, without sex, it is as if she does not have enough value for others. The ones she does care about.

"With Satoru it's a lost cause, Suguru too, but you can trust that I don't want that from you" Nanami rests both hands on his legs and Yūji whimpers, his eyes watery. "And the way I love you isn't remotely like the way they do. That's why I'm asking you not to misunderstand me."

"Do adults have other ways of loving?"

"Many... Don't you remember your dad?"

Yūji denies. It's a kind of fuzzy thought.

"He loved you differently than Satoru. He didn't touch you Did he?" Yūji denies again. "He also didn't say things to you like he did or expect things from you beyond you being happy Right?" Yūji nods. "Look at Satoru with the kids. He doesn't tell them the same things he tells you" Yūji squints outwardly. "There are many kinds of love; a grown man giving you a gift is not synonymous of romantic love and sexual aspirations."

"I thought everyone wanted the same thing." admits Yūji, self-consciously, and Nanami denies.

"Only those who are twisted and heartless."

She finishes eating her sandwich and stays in place, starting to cry out of nowhere. Satoru stops the five children and hurries over to Yūji, giving Nanami a bad look for making her cry. Yūji holds her hands to her face, a bit confused and suddenly hurt. Considering that maybe Nanami doesn't love her and that's why he went out of the way to explain this to her.

"Mommy, don't cry!" Akihiko runs to her as well.

"Don't cry! Don't cry!" asks Toukki almost in unison with Umi.

"Why are you crying mommy, are the babies kicking?" asks Yuzu, scared and tense.

"Please don't cry." whines Kiku on the verge of tears himself too.

"Nanamin doesn't love me." sobs Yūji and the blond gives a sigh. Of course she was going to understand it like that.

This is Satoru's fault.

For taking such bad care of her, that she now thinks that, if you're male and older than her, not wanting sex and children, is synonymous with not loving.

"Of course he does love you. Nanami adores you, Yūji" Satoru chuckles trying to wipe her face once she pushes his hands away. "All of us here love you very much. Don't cry." Nanami remains in his seat. She's not going to intrude or play along.

Satoru has her too spoiled and urges her to learn a few things, even if they hurt at first. He's sure that eventually, Yūji will understand.

"Yūūūūji Nanami loves you so much that he said he wants to kiss you!"

"Really!?"

"THAT'S A LIE...!"

Suguru laughs. Of course it's a lie, but they have to keep the pregnant teenager happy. And in their defense it worked pretty well! Yūji pushes away the barrier of white-haired people and sits down next to Nanami grabbing him by the face and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Nanami gives a sigh. At least it was like this.

"YŪŪŪŪŪŪŪJI DON'T KISS OTHER MEN!" Satoru whimpers and his children, as well as his wife, laugh.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Maybe there's some technical glitch we're not thinking about."

"Unless there are some specific rituals techniques for veils and barriers, I'm only left with limiting entry to names and who I give explicit permission."

Suguru nods in agreement with Satoru. After reading a lot in the Gojō's files, they found nothing to explain the sudden home invasion. It has Satoru with a huge worry on top of it. After all, it could happen again when he's away and he can't let it happen! Yūji is in danger. Especially if this person decides to ally himself with some special grade curse.

Mahito to be more precise.

Therefore, the best idea at the moment, is to change the guidelines of everything. Initially only people belonging to the Gojō Clan could enter and since only Satoru is alive, plus Nanami, Suguru, Chōsō, Nanako and Himiko are the only ones who have been included, it should have been pretty easy. Therefore, Satoru makes a new barrier: only those who are enlisted can pass.

That is, only those who were included, his person, Yūji, his children and MinMin can enter or leave freely. Anyone else who tries, wouldn't even notice. It's like a wasteland that belongs to the Gojō and nothing else.

"There are about three months left for Yūji to reach the possible time of delivery" Suguru mentions with his hands under the sleeves of his suit. "You should save your vacation so you can be around for the delivery and for the first three months of your baby- your babies." He corrects himself with his disinterested smile.

"Everything is under control," Satoru assures him nonchalantly. "And in case there are any problems, the babies will have Nanami. They're sure to see a good person at birth."

He walks past Suguru who just stands there, closing his eyes. As if it wasn't obvious enough that he doesn't want him there at that moment.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Why am I here?"

"Maybe deep down, you know it's where you belong."

Yūji tries to loosen her arms from Sukuna's grip, who looks straight at her. The teenager's defiant, regal gaze on hers, full of haughtiness and amusement in her distress.

"Sometimes I forget that you're bored out of your mind and that's why you enjoy teasing me."

"On the contrary, I just take my time in knowing that my wife is getting closer and closer to being mine. I must get you used to that" Sukuna whispers and Yūji grits her teeth. "I'll do you the favor of keeping you infertile like you want... That way the next thing that comes out of your slutty cunt will be my first child."

"That one you're going to eat too?"

"Only if, as I hope, he tries to fuck you too. You're such a terrible nasty whore." Yūji tries to let go and suddenly feels no grip on her right arm.

Yūji gives a whimper and then a hysterical scream, being that her arm is gone. Sukuna scoffs at her shrieks of anguish, letting her arm fall to the floor and blood spurting uncontrollably. He grabs Yūji by the face and pulls her close to his, invading her mouth with his tongue; that of his abdomen, removing the clothing so he can lick the bulging belly.

Yūji's eyes widen and in between the nasty kiss, he releases a huge amount of blood and chokes, coughing, shrieking and agonizing. Sukuna laughs too hard in his face; the mouth on his abdomen, chewing on the belly he bit and of which there is not much left.

Sukuna lets Yūji fall to the ground, with her starting to convulse and unable to see properly. Sukuna tilts the head, running a hand over his abdomen filled with thick, dark blood; down the corner of his lip, part of the umbilical cord.

He keeps her conscious.

At all times he keeps her conscious.

Let her feel how he rapes her.

Let her feel how he devours her.

And if she wakes up, it's because he wanted her to.

Vomiting and suffering what feels like a panic attack at the same time. It's a luck that Chōsō was in the room at the time.

Chapter 21: XXI

"She hasn't had any more nightmares," Nanami reports and Satoru breathes a sigh of relief. "I highly doubt it's a coincidence that happens when you're not around." the blonde adds and Satoru shrugs.

"Sukuna knows perfectly well that if I noticed Yūji in a nightmare or rather, in the space where both consciousnesses connect, I am going to wake her up." He leaves the jacket aside and undoes the binding of the bandages on her face. "Sukuna is very weak against me. Poor fool." Satoru mocks, smiling and amused. Nanami keeps his arms crossed.

"You shouldn't underestimate him."

"Of course! A fifteen-year-old girl can contain it just by being happy," Satoru justifies with a hand on his chest. "My babygirl. My wife," he emphasizes, patting himself lightly. "A girl who was abused as a child by a fanatical cult. Who lost her family. Yūji could have been the weakest and easiest to control, but Sukuna, even with all his power, has not managed to conquer her. This shows that he is not that strong. "

"He's incomplete," Nanami reminds him. "Stop thinking it's a small thing. The last time it happened, you died."

"I'm back," Satoru shrugs. "And I'm going to keep doing it... Don't be so mean Nanami! In this house, it is forbidden to be this bitter." He pats him on the shoulder and continues into the house.

Although they have kept an eye on each other, Yūji has had no further problems with Sukuna. No nightmares. No listening to him. Everything has gone deadly well. Satoru leaves from time to time to teach, but the missions are for Nanami, Suguru, and other sorcerers who are available.

The time of delivery comes with bad luck, that Satoru is not at home. He said he'd arrive early, suspecting he might stop by, but still: he's not here. Therefore, Yūji depends on Chōsō, Nanami, and Suguru. The first two without any experience on the subject and the last, unable to sustain it for a long time, a consequence of the vow that exists.

"One of you two has to get her into the water- Chōsō, you do it, Nanami's arm isn't going to withstand Yūji's force." Suguru very quickly visualized Nanami's broken arm.

That would be extremely problematic.

"Sa-Satoru will come-"

Yūji grits her teeth, giving a muffled moan of pure pain. She takes off her own pants, making them panic instantly. Chōsō manages to carry her, put her in the enormous tub that is prepared at all times and finally, Yūji begins to push, holding Chōsō by the arm, the hybrid cannot bear the moan of pain and Nanami searches for towels, dry clothes, a basket to put the babies.

Suguru, for his part, goes with the children. That way he makes sure that they are not going to interfere in the birth. Kiku pulls Suguru by the arm, receiving a light and loving smile from her.

"Why does Uncle Suguru always smile at Kiku?" Umi asks, uneasy and a little jealous of that. "He says he loves us all, but only he smiles like that."

"Because they both have the same technique. Kiku is like his apprentice and people love their apprentices much more," Akihiko justifies. It's the only way he can compare it. At least, that's what Nanami has explained to him. "So if we learned to do the same as him, Suguru would smile at us like this."

"But I don't want to eat disgusting things." Toukki complains, wrinkling his face. Akihiko shrugs. He doesn't worry too much.

"Is mommy okay?" Kiku asks quietly, uneasily. "Can I go to her now?"

"You have to leave your mom alone for a few minutes, Kiku. You can't be stuck with her all the time." The boy frowns and tightens his grip on Suguru's sleeve. "I know you're her baby and you love being with her, but for now, you should focus on your siblings birth, okay?" Kiku nods reluctantly. "Or... You don't want more brothers?" Suguru tempts, tilting his head and with a fox-like gesture almost typical of him. "That Yūji was your mother and no one else's."

Kiku looks at his brothers who are talking among themselves, waiting for him to return with the information on how Yūji is doing. Akihiko checks on Kikyo, who knocks the toys off of him and babbles at MinMin. He turns back to Suguru and shakes his head.

"I just want to be with mom. I don't care if I'm not the only one for her."

"Aww, you're just like her." Praises Suguru.

And he also notices that he has not been able to talk alone with the child...

Because if he had, probably Kiku would have been like him.

It's better that way. He is more tender. He is more Yūji and it brings Suguru indescribable joy that his son is so similar to her in that aspect. It's like a peculiar victory. A very loud scream scares them away, but Suguru does not show it and does not allow them to move from the room.

"I think y'all already have new siblings, but let's wait a little longer." he recommends sitting on the floor. "Let's do something productive at halftime." he proposes opening his palm and making a small curse emerge. The children see each other.

. . .

"A-are you okay?"

"Give me a minute…"

Nanami starts to get stressed. Why is it taking so long if she is already in labor? He rolls up his shirt sleeves and goes towards her, entering the tub and spreading her legs, groping in a very clumsy, basic way. Yūji breathes heavily and pushes again. "You're not dilated yet, I think. Is there something special...?"

"I-I don't feel it coming down" Yūji whimpers with an anguished tone, her high bun falling apart and her hair getting soaked. "Ne…need-"

Nanami helps her get the way she prefers, holding Chōsō, but kneeling and pushing hard, screaming every time she can't get them to come out of her. Yūji was breathing heavily and sweating the entire weight of her. The blonde keeps her slightly raised, so that she doesn't sit down and when he senses that there is something coming out of her, he is internally grateful.

"One is coming out. You have to keep going, Yūji-san."

Yūji nods again and again, pushing harder, squeezing her eyes and trying not to make a fuss.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Oh shit."

Satoru leaves the bag of sweets on the entrance table and appears directly in the room where Yūji usually gives birth. If there is not a stampede of children arriving to receive him, as well as his severely pregnant wife with a balloon for her abdomen, it is because childbirth is happening.

He is happy that Suguru is away, as well as the way Nanami handles the situation. Satoru can say with complete certainty that he has no interest in Yūji as a woman. One less rival, so to speak. His arrival coincides with the birth of one of the babies. Nanami pulls him out of the water, the baby crying with all his might, red, full of placenta, the umbilical cord. Satoru cuts it off quickly, taking the baby into his arms.

"Another baby boy!" Satoru exclaims proudly. Yūji looks up, smiling weakly and awkwardly.

"H-hello... You... you arrived." Yūji gasps and grimaces her expression, pushing again. She is much less strong. Satoru places the baby in the basket and goes to take Nanami's place, sitting Yūji on her lap and keeping her legs spread. The robe helps cover everything necessary that they cannot see.

"Yes, and at a good time, you are so tired. How many pounds have you just lost?" he murmurs worried about that issue.

The fact that the child is embedded in evil energy and that is what weakens Yūji. Satoru uses the inverted technique, so that she composes herself and has enough strength to deliver the second baby.

This one cries.

He breathes.

He squirms.

He is alive.

"Yūji? YŪJI!"

She faints hopelessly, pale, her heart beating slowly and her breathing almost nonexistent. Satoru heals her entire body and keeps her in his arm. Chōsō and Nanami take care of the two big, crying babies. Satoru shakes her a little, worried and with part of the bandage falling off.

"I don't feel cursed energy in her besides Sukuna" Nanami comments. "Not that…?"

"It would be dangerous if it weren't for the fact that I don't need her dead." Nanami opens his lips. Strangely, he hadn't seen Sukuna until now. Just the momentary appearance of the marks. "I'm sick of so much screaming about children that I'm going to end up eating myself, it's not worth having a feast at the expense of this idiot's testicles."

"Wanting to swallow my cock then." Satoru complains with a forced smile.

He can't believe that Sukuna decides to show up right at this moment. Although he detects something strange, it's as if he didn't want to go out to begin with. Sukuna open the secondary eyes at Satoru, keeping his primary ones on the babies.

"Do you think you're going to keep me locked up inside this whore forever? How foolish you are, Six eyes."

Sukuna gets up and leaves the tub; Chōsō and Nanami inertialy push the babies away and Sukuna laughs, tilting his head and having more cursed energy around him. It causes babies to cry harder, and they may even hurt themselves because they are so scared.

"Why care so much for something that's going to die anyway?" He asks mocking. "The girl doesn't believe when I tell her that I plan to eat all of her children," Sukuna comments now towards Satoru, who doesn't take the threat very well either, "it would be good if you keep that in mind, you won't be able to see it." he states with a challenging gesture, his smile tight and huge. Looking horrible on Yūji's face.

Nanami ends up leaving. He can't do anything against Sukuna, at most, prevent him from murdering this little person who he helped to bring to this world. Chōsō does the same, knowing that his sister will thank him later. Satoru approaches Sukuna. The body mutates very little by little, threatening to become the same as Sukuna's original body.

"I'm going to kill you," Sukuna says with a cocky, deformed smile full of sadism. "I'm going to... destroy everything you are... your entire lineage... I'm going to make sure I destroy them all and she, she will only be able to cry over those pieces of flesh and blood on the ground." he promises and Satoru, with his eyes open and his cursed energy just as exposed and aggressive, directed at him, grabbing him by the neck.

"I'm not going to allow you to make her suffer and even if it's on my dead body... I will finish you. There is no way in this world, the next; heaven or hell, that will allow you to lay your hands on her" Satoru warns in a guttural voice, almost animalistic and Sukuna begins to laugh, mocking Satoru and his tremendous hope of triumphing against him. "Even if I have to restart creation itself... you're not going to win. I'm not going to let you keep me."

"How stupid you are! YOU'RE HUMAN! YOU CAN DIE! SHE'S A CURSE!" Sukuna exclaims, erratic, as if he took what Satoru said as a joke and not a threat. "SHE WILL LIVE ETERNALLY! JUST LIKE ME! And I will remind her every day of her life how useless you were and so was she... for not being able to take care of the family she created FOR EATING EACH ONE OF HER CHILDREN! I will make her a necklace with her eyes... let them look at her... and look at her... reminding her of how they screamed in pain when I took them out."

"You won't," Satoru assures in a whisper. "I'm not going to allow it."

Sukuna continues laughing, unable to understand the force with which that is said. The level of will that entails and the way that there is more and more cursed energy built into that curse between Yūji and Satoru. Getting worse and worse. Getting stronger.

Satoru manages to knock him out and make him fade away, with Yūji taking a deep, desperate breath. She looks around, surprised that Satoru's hand is on her neck. "S…Sator-"

He releases her and hugs her immediately, Yūji lies back, not understanding what is happening, but willingly receiving the gesture that is always well appreciated and loved by him. Yūji closes his eyes, dozing freely and listening to Satoru's soft promise. "I will never let anything happen to you... in life or in death, I will always take care of you, Yūji."

"I know, Satoru, I know." Yūji replies, causing calm in Satoru's heart.

That he wants nothing more than Yūji being certain that he will guard her no matter what the cost.

┈

"Don't overexert yourself."

"I'm fine." Yūji argues, holding one of the babies and letting it eat from her breast. Satoru sometimes hates how stubborn she can be.

Satoru offered to take some milk for her to sleep and he feeds the babies. They has have plenty of people to help. However, Yūji wants to take care of her babies herself. If they are hungry, she will feed them and that's where the matter ends. She's not going to let anyone convince her otherwise.

It becomes extremely funny. After all, she is a fifteen-year-old fighting and winning against a twenty-four-year-old, a twenty-three-year-old, and the last, a twenty-five-year-old. Not to mention Chōsō with the hundreds of years on top of him. Yūji yawns, having great trouble staying awake. She is very tired. She was also very overwhelmed.

They made the mistake of telling her that Sukuna took control of her for a few minutes. Now, she doesn't let go of the anguish and brutal fear of it.

Knowing that Sukuna had control of her body because she fainted, worried her. What if he controls her sleeping again? She doesn't want to sleep. Not now at least, when she recognizes herself as so weak. She jumps a little, a consequence of the touch on her shoulder. Seeing Satoru in the eyes makes her purse her lips.

"He's going to come out if I sleep. I can. Give me… give me some time." Yūji claims, looking away.

"Exhausting you like this isn't going to help, princess," Satoru informs tenderly, taking her shoulders. "After you feed Kazuhiko, I'll pump milk and feed Takahiro, okay?" Yūji's lips tremble, on the verge of crying. "You feed them both tomorrow. Don't overexert yourself." Satoru insists fondly, placing a kiss on her temple.

Yūji has no choice but to accept, feeling that she could faint at any moment.

"It became heavier suddenly." Nanami comments, arms crossed. Suguru keeps his hands inside the sleeves of the clothes.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. Get ready to be a godfather in good standing. This is the easiest part." Suguru assures and Nanami gives a sigh of genuine exhaustion.

He hope that at least with his participation, everything goes well.

Chapter 22

Despite having experienced one of Yūji's births before, Nanami had not approached the activities of godfather or uncle like he does now. Perhaps because, since the two babies are definitely the last, Yūji is a little more aware of them. She almost scared that they would die spontaneously. They are both very restless, also huge. They weigh more than any of the babies as far as Suguru remembers.

Satoru for his part knows that it is a mistake. Akihiko weighed much more. His older and heaviest potato. Ironic with the fact that Yūji was ten when she gave birth to him.

Sukuna for his part has not made another appearance. It has been a very quiet period of time without him. He helps Yūji let go of his panic and enjoy his two newborn babies. The other children are a little envious of the attention given to Kikyo, Takahiro and Kazuhiro. However, Satoru has made it very clear that they must help. They are their siblings and their mother is not the only one responsible for giving them love.

This is where Nanami comes in: Satoru and Suguru educate them quite well academically. They know how to read, write, and do mathematics according to their ages and in general, there are no problems on that side. The human is a totally different topic. Just as Nanami imagined, Satoru puts dangerous ideas in their heads.

Saying things like they are the most important persons in the world. That nothing can or will be bigger than them.

To say that the children are very arrogant is an understatement. While it has created a huge sense of brotherhood, unable to hurt or betray each other, they have the small problem of seeing everyone as inferior. Not at the level of insulting as Suguru does, but at the level of considering other sorcerers and humans to be truly useless.

Nanami doesn't break infinity, but it doesn't take a lesson and physical harm to intimidate and put the gang of kids in her place. Make them stop thinking like Satoru and Suguru, align themselves better with the thinking they should take: that of Yūji.

She just appreciates life. She does not diminish anyone depending on her abilities and she also has great affection for those who fight against adversity. Insulting, diminishing or putting everyone down for lack of perfection is the worst thing you can do in Yūji's eyes. Nanami opted for the best technique to ensure that Yūji was heard.

Something they stop doing when it comes to the subject of sorcerers.

"You have no right to say I'm doing it wrong!" Akihiko claims, embarrassed that he couldn't get Nanami's assignment. One that was hand-to-hand combat. He lacked reflex and also well handled the cursed energy of him beyond infinity, "You are not from a family! You don't have any impressive techniques! You're just stupid and weak" the boy claims, approaching with his fists clenched and causing constant blows to the ground with his Infinity. "YOU ARE JUST A…!"

"You really think that?" Nanami questions without even changing posture or expression. Umi and Toukki roll their eyes. Yuzu snorts, murmuring lowly, and Kiku feels nervous.

"I DON'T JUST THINK IT! IT'S THE…!"

"Then you are a total embarrassment to your mother." Akihiko's expression distorts and desperation is evident in his eyes, "Yūji-san will be totally disappointed to know that her children think this way."

"Of course not!" Umi screams, standing up abruptly in her place.

"Mom is proud of us." Kiku says with a nervous tone.

"And she loves us."

"Very much."

"You tell lies because you can't beat me! You're jealous that you could die at any…!"

"Akihiko? Why are you talking to Nanami-san like that?"

Nanami would like not to feel satisfaction in seeing a child in a deep anxiety crisis, but he does. Akihiko turns pale and seems close to crying because of Yūji's bad face. The woman who is carrying her daughter and has one of the twins on her back. Kiku gets up in a hurry to go help her, but the tiger next to her growls at the boy.

"Why are you yelling at Nanami so much? I heard you from the room" comments Yūji. Nanami is the one who takes the baby, who snuggles into him immediately, "Satoru told you very clearly that you can't underestimate Nanami-san. Why don't you listen to your dad?" She irritably demands "and why do they disrespect those who train you?"

"W-we…don't-"

"I didn't say anything! I was just sitting there!" Kiku whines.

Yūji snorts, looking at them with deep disappointment. After all, that level of contempt and arrogance is usual for Sukuna. The difference between Satoru and the king of curses, is that Satoru does not have the urge to put anyone down unless the other person tries to put him down or worse: wants to challenge him. That her children exhibit such irritating behavior only makes her feel sad.

As if somehow she doesn't do it right. What Yūji doesn't understand is that it's part of childhood to have this default lack of judgment. They have not experienced anything traumatic that makes them suddenly grow up like in her case.

Therefore, they are still children. Nanami does know this and is pleased to see this turn of events.

"I'll tell Satoru- Huh? Now why are y'all crying?" She rests her hands on her waist, with four children crying their eyes out.

Although they are still disrespectful, at least they control it more and with that, Nanami is satisfied. He has to admit, Satoru's best idea in all his live, was making Yūji the center of worship. The idea of ​​having that look and disappointment from their mother affects them more than anything in the world.

So they will do anything to make her proud.

So it's better to understand why the hell it's something bad to know how strong and invincible they are.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Ummmm, they've improved a lot, that's for sure, but still-"

"Suguru!"

"They still have a long way to go." Suguru hums before slipping his hands under the wide sleeves. Umi vomits, clutching his abdomen with his arms. The blow was so strong that he feels his guts rise to his throat.

Yūji reaches his son and checks him, in addition to hugging him. Suguru only takes a couple of steps forward. "Yūji, don't worry. It will be fine. It's just a simple reality-check: they are very bad in terms of hand-to-hand fighting without cursed energy."

"I know," Yūji is able to carry the ten-year-old, having the three-month-old on her back, "but he will be bruised and won't be able to eat. Don't be so rough with my babies. They're still babies. When they grow up and are closer in conditions, you may be rough if you want."

"Will that be the agreement?" Yūji nods, "anyway... remember that-"

"They're my kids. I already said no. As long as they're under fifteen, don't do that to them." she interrupts roughly, irritated that Suguru dares to refute her on this. She doesn't care if it's at Satoru's request or if there's a reason.

Suguru smiles, tilting his head, nodding. It's normal: Yūji is a loving and concerned mother, if she perceives any training as abusive she will complain. Umi hugs Yūji, sobbing. Yuzu stands up and approaches timidly, shaking his hands.

"It's my turn."

"Good. I'm glad I didn't have to call you." Suguru admits.

They both get into a posture, Yūji rubs Umi's belly to relieve the pain.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"My veil is capable of resisting for half an hour," Chōsō announces, standing among the children who look around with curiosity, "check the area, there are no curses that exceed the second grade. You must restrict them all and give them to Kiku." The named swallows hard, this is going to be horrible. "Whoever kills the curses has a penalty."

"That is…?"

"Wash the dishes at night."

He sees them all break into a cold sweat. Scrubbing at night is horrible. By eating everyone, having dessert and making extra food for Suguru, Nanami and even Satoru does the task almost impossible and hellish. Nobody wants to do that. The one who has it easiest is Kiku, who uses curses to attack and unless he orders it, it is less likely to happen.

In the end, only Toukki was left with the sanction of washing dishes for four days.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Ummmm... pretty good, but not enough~!"

Megumi wants to hit his face on the ground. He doesn't know what else he must do to make it enough. Satoru giggles, crouching down to his level. Around Megumi, two wolves (black and white), an eagle, an elephant and three rabbits. The latter are the main culprits of the current situation:

"I remember telling you to increase your cursed energy, Megumi. I'm starting to think you don't listen to me." he rests his cheek on his palm and pouts. The white cream slightly loose.

"It isn't supposed that I have all of them out at the same time!" Megumi claims, exhausted and overwhelmed. He wants to sleep and never wake up from being so tired. Satoru speaks nasally:

"Precisely Megumi, how are we going to expand your limits if we don't find them first? Hehe~" Satoru sways on his feet, "Megumi Megumi~ don't be so pessimistic. With your cursed technique and coming from the Zen'in, it will be perfectly possible for you to achieve it."

"Megumi! Time for lunch!" The boy turns towards where his sister's voice is coming from and Satoru clasps his hands next to his face.

"How kind and good Tsumiki-chan is! Let's eat!"

Megumi feels his eyebrow twitch. How he hates how clueless Satoru is. As if he hadn't tortured him for almost four hours.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru barely listens to what the higher-ups are saying. There is nothing really new. Talk about eliminating sectarian groups to Sukuna, the curse, Mahito, which disappears out of nowhere; get Sukuna's missing remains; get the Sukuna vessel. Anyway, the usual. He doesn't even know why he should waste time listening to the same garbage every day.

Not to mention the reminders that he should be the one to take care of the vessel if it's found. Once outside the meeting room he sighs. They still don't suspect him in the slightest. Apparently there is no way to track Yūji either. It's a relief. It's the only reason he's present at these meetings.

Make sure that no reaction or damage has been noticed. The most relevant being the trip to the doctor and the birth where Sukuna manifested himself. Unless they have decided to take up that topic without his knowledge, no one who has noticed.

"How was the meeting?" Satoru gives a long moan and Suguru can't resist laughing, "I guess we can continue as usual then. Yūji told me how worried she was about this."

"Whenever there is a meeting, she worries as if the end of the world is coming," Satoru mocks. "Ahhh, how innocent. Thinking that these people have some kind of real power... well, they do: the power to leave their asses crushed in their houses and not die."

"Oh, Satoru." Suguru sighs, shaking his head. Satoru is just indiferent to everything that isn't Yūji.

They both arrive at the empty room. There are still a few minutes until Satoru's students arrive here. Suguru notices him thoughtful and knows that part of it is him scratching under the bandage. He usually doesn't even try to touch it. Avoid having to tie it again. However, when he gets lost in his own thoughts, it is impossible for Satoru to hold on.

The bandage is soft, but it still bothers him when it comes into contact with his skin.

"What's wrong?" Suguru questions, surprised at how absorbed he is.

"Just thinking that Yūji could be discovered, I keep wondering how that person could get into the house." He puts his hands in his pockets and keeps his head slightly lowered. "It should not be possible under any circumstances."

"Do you think Chōsō let that person in?"

"No. He would have exploded. That guy is a threat to Yūji. Despite how indirect it is, the slightest intention of harming Yūji would kill Chōsō," Satoru states and Suguru puts his hands up his sleeves, "there is something that it's escaping me and it's frustrating not being able to see it."

"Coincidences exist. Or maybe it was the fault of how far you were from the area."

Satoru is still very frustrated with the topic and the hypotheses are not going to calm him down. Not with the possibility of another misfortune like that happening.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Once at home Satoru sees his children playing in the garden, harmlessly fooling around with his powers. Mainly float. He notices that they are training unconsciously. Eventually, he'll have them floating through the sky all the time. Just a few seconds later, Yūji arrives with a smile.

"Welcome!" Yuji exclaims. If Satoru smiles, it's because anything bad happen in the meeting with the higher ups. Satoru tilts his head gently, pulling the end of the bandage so it falls.

"I'm here... How nice! Are you happy that I'm here? Are you happy?"

He holds the laughing baby who shakes his arms and legs. Yūji hands the baby to him and Satoru immediately hugs him. He wishes he could explain how happy it makes him to have his children in his arms. It doesn't matter how old they are. It is always a joy that makes his heart race and fills him with satisfaction.

Satoru loves his children.

All of them.

He loves them so much.

He kisses Takahiro on the neck constantly, tickling him until he has him pulling on the bandage. Yūji maintains a light, affectionate smile. Nanami talks very badly about Satoru all the time. She half understands why, but at the end of the day how could Satoru be bad? If he is that affectionate.

If he is that loving...

If he's that worried...

"Princess, is everything okay today?"

Yūji shakes the head a little and nods awkwardly, Satoru puts his arm around her and kisses her on the head. Kazuhiko babbling, clinging to Yūji's back from being in the fanny pack. They fully enter the house, Satoru is welcomed by the other children. Chōsō takes Kazuhiko and stays next to Yūji.

"Are you going to talk about it today?" Chōsō questions. Yūji pouts and nods, hands clasped.

"Maybe he's going on a mission soon. We have to talk about it so he doesn't think about doing it at any moment." Chōsō rolls the eyes.

It's strange that Yūji is so nervous. It is obvious that Satoru is going to comply with her request. It is a simple and even basic one from Chōsō's perspective. His sister's concerns are always a mystery to him. Although of course, it happens naturally. Yūji works differently than everyone else here. Satoru tried to explain it to Chōsō relatively recently: Yūji is a girl who grew up too fast, she is going through the most psychologically complicated stage of her life with a lot of anguish on top of her. Beyond validating what she feels about her and what she thinks, listening to her and helping her however she sees fit, they can't do much. Understanding absolutely everything Yūji thinks is practically impossible.

After all: there are thousands of thoughts, each one more convoluted than the other.

"Yūji" Chōsō calls and she turns to him. Having him remove his hairstyle was a miracle and now Chōsō looks much more natural. Also for wearing loose and simple clothes, "if there is any problem, you can tell me."

Yūji leans back against him with a smile. "Thank you Chōsō."

┈

"Talk? Ow, what a shame. I wanted us to play today." laments Satoru in a sigh, protruding his lips. Yūji sways where she is sitting.

"It's important... and it's not about us doing nothing. We just need to talk first." Satoru laughs and crosses his legs.

"Okay, so what do we have to talk about?"

"I want to wait three years for you to grow the children."

Satoru sighs, closing his eyes. He saw this moment coming. Yūji bites her lip, waiting for Satoru to say no. She was thinking a lot about this conversation. Possible dialogues and responses. Thanks to the amount of time with Satoru, knowing him so well, he says just what Yūji expected:

"It's not about what we want or not, it's about being ready for any eventuality. Let them be strong to protect themselves and you." says Satoru. Yuji nods.

"I know. I know, but I want to have them for a while. I want... for them to be babies and for them to be children. You have helped me maintain my childhood, right?" Yūji mutters and Satoru agrees with her.

"In your case it is different. Eventually, problems are going to knock on the door and we must be ready."

"Those problems can be left out and I can have my babies for three years," Yūji insists stubbornly. "I want to have them with me. I want to enjoy their childhood- at least a small one-"

"Very well, let's imagine we wait three years. What will happen when they have to grow up and don't want to? They will be older, Yūji. They will have more self-awareness" Satoru reminds her. Yūji presses her lips together, "we must be aware that it's not… it's not that easy."

"I know. I understand, but it's not fair to them."

"They have the memories as if they had lived it and that is what really matters," says Satoru. The disappointment in Yūji is obvious. Also very big, "Kikyo is going to be one year old soon. We can wait a year and a half. With that, it will be-"

"What if you slow down time in here?" Yūji proposes, in a hurry "I really want to live it, Satoru. I want them to live it too without danger."

"Didn't you want them to live in real time?" Satoru points out, surprised.

"It matters more that they have a childhood than that they live in time."

Satoru quickly does the math. What Yūji intends would also make a huge age gap between everyone. Akihiko to Kiku would be fifteen by the time Kikyo is six and the twins are four. There is no fair way to deal with this.

Unless…

"I can give you and the babies three years. Make it three years in one hour," Satoru proposes and Yūji tightens her hands on the legs. "Then, another five in one hour." Yūji was about to argue, "finally, we would be all in a similar range and with this, it would make them grow." he concludes.

"They wouldn't know each other if they were apart for so long," Yūji stammers. "That's not a solution. It's a problem. It's-"

"They should be level. That way they wouldn't have to take care of each other in case of a battle."

They remain silent for a few minutes and Yūji shakes her head. She just can't accept that arrangement. It's one thing to want to live without growth, but Satoru's proposal prevents them from being a family. If they don't see their siblings, how are they going to have good memories with them? An idea comes, something almost tricky.

"You used to prevent me from growing up... Why don't you do that with them?" Satoru tilts his head, holding back his laughter and Yūji still not realizing the enormous detail in this conversation. "You were able to stop me from being... Eighteen? By now. Only they were growing up. If you stopped it on them, but not on Kikyo, Kazuhiko and Takahiro until they reached the age, they would all be equal; they would have their time and I would have mine with them." she concludes a little dizzy with herself. Satoru gives a couple of applause.

"Very well, Yūji, I knew you could plan it better" Yūji looks embarrassed, but happy, "yes, I can do that. It would be complicated, I won't deny it, but it is not only possible: also the way to make everything happen, making it a fact."

Yūji gives small claps and jumps where she is, excited.

"I have only one condition for this," Satoru warns, Yūji listens attentively, "I want you to do the mathematical exercise with a difference in the time periods between each of them. How long will it be until Kikyo is ten years old, how long will it be for Kazuhiko and Takahiro... well, do all that part, darling."

"b-but-"

Yūji breaks out in a cold sweat. That sounds very complicated and although she is a decent student (hence there is no problem with her teaching her children), what Satoru asks is too much for her. She can do normal mathematics thanks to so much insistence, but that? It is ten times her level.

Satoru for his part is very happy. As Yūji gets older, he has done his best to make her think of solutions on her own.  Forcing Yūji to have a quick and intelligent reaction to situations that arise. As well as she has just exposed herself, she does not settle for half solutions or solutions that are not really what she needs and wants. At the same time, understanding that this will come with it own complications is part of the teaching.

During the fight with Mahito she was careless. It was her first fight, so Satoru doesn't take it into account, but next time it shouldn't happen. The doubt in her eyes makes him feel tenderness for his wife and although he wants to give Yūji everything done, finished and perfect, he must be consistent. Satoru needs her wife to be strong and functional on her own.

She is the matriarch of the Gojō Clan.

And when she is exposed to the other clans, no one will be able to single her out.

To deny her in any way: mental and physical.

"I-it's okay..."

"Don't be so nervous!" exclaims Satoru smiling, "you don't have to rush, you won't have a deadline or something. Take your time."

Yūji pouts. That's not exactly reassuring. She won't be able to do it well anyway. Satoru leans towards Yūji, putting his lips in hers. They end the time for serious talk. Now they can take their time as spouses who love each other very much and can't get enough of each other's bodies. Yūji reciprocates the kiss. Satoru's hand slides down and caresses her woman's thick thigh, making loving circles with the tips of his fingers. When they separate their lips, they look into each other's eyes. A loving and sentimental spark that shines in both blue and golden eyes.

Yūji takes off her huge pajama shirt, exposing her big, fluffy breasts. The nipple, as usual, large and somewhat swollen. Consequence of breastfeeding so many children.

And her husband.

Satoru takes them in his hands, massaging them slowly until he makes Yūji lie down, moving his pelvis against Yūji's thigh. A constant pressure that causes Satoru's erection.

Notes:

Yesterday I posted a Two shot (Destructive Instintc) that also has Yuji Fem uwu I have many others that will be in the same “Series” because they are related to each other. Let's say it's like a multiverse because of things that happen in this specific fic (Gojo's Clan).

In case you don't remember [because I've taken forever and it's in the first few chapters], Satoru and Yuji promise to be together pretty constantly, even in the last chapter, they do. The One shots I post within this Series [The Most Beautiful Curse] are linked to this uwu so if you are interested and like disaster and chaos in general, bon appeit.

I also have some that are male Yuji [there's already one posted where it's male], they'll come when I have time. I write six fics at the same time. Sorry for the delays :c it takes me more time to correct and edit than anything else.
I hope y¡all liked today's chapter uwu I hope to update in two days [Sunday]. So... until then! uwu

Chapter 23: XXIII

Suguru walks with some annoyance through the halls. He has researched and searched endlessly for the special grade curses that came to bother here some time ago, plus Mahito. He doesn't remember if he was there. He has very vague memories of the day it happened. Suguru is determined to consume at least the nature curse. It would be very useful. At the same time, Suguru has the aspiration to give one of them to Kiku. He knows that Satoru will make him grow and that hurried movement increases his capabilities.

It will be a good gift in his opinion: to have a special grade curse in his repertoire. He looks for a first class one to start there. Kiku has Sixty? Curses by now. Some he has given him, others he has obtained alone or training with his brothers, but they are lower levels. Those could barely be functional for him.

Suguru will not allow Kiku to be weaker than the others. His son can be as good as them and Yūji feels just as protected. Does Suguru manifest his insecurities and frustrations on his son? A little. Just enough to not be a bad father (however covert it may be) and not manipulate his personality. Suguru loves him just the way he is. Helping Kiku where he benefits is not a crime. Suguru was so engrossed that he notices the sound once he is in front of the door. His knuckles don't reach the wood when the scandalous and shameless moans reach him.

Suguru stands still for a moment. Just thinking a thousand thoughts at the same time. Wondering how it is possible that Satoru is so careless and so shameless in what he says, in what he does; he can hear his body colliding with Yūji's from how hard he embist her.

Suguru opens the door.

Just a little.

Being able to admire what is happening.

He ignores Satoru, he ignores him completely. He is like a faceless figure. A kind of shadow like in those porn manga he watched in his teens. Just like now: secretly. The male figure doesn't matter.

The female figure matters.

Outlining Yūji's figure, so voluptuous and large, different from when he saw her for himself and they made Kiku.

Suguru sees her breasts bouncing, just like her thighs; her entire body small compared to Satoru moving at an erratic pace that could hurt her. Still, Yūji moans with pleasure. Yūji moans for more strength, more speed, to feel him deeper inside her. Suguru tries to imagine the texture of her breasts in reference to what he sees. That they are already so much flesh that Satoru's hands are unable to hold them.

Suguru clenches his hands and teeth: Yūji reached orgasm and so did Satoru. He pulls away for a moment and Suguru is able to see Yūji with just her legs open. With her vagina stretched and full of semen. Everything pink in her. From the hair, the pubic hair and her vagina that throbs. Yūji turns around clumsily, gurgling. Lost in her world of ecstasy from the overwhelming climax, Suguru holds his breath.

Satoru grabs her by the hair and lifts her hips, penetrating her without restraint and rocking his hips back and forth. Suguru lets out a gasp, unable to hold her breath any longer. The heat in his clothes, in his head, in his body in general. It's too much.

"I-it feels good… s-saahtoru Satoru." Suguru hears Yūji whimper.

She could complain.

She could take the hand away.

She could make Satoru stop…

But she doesn't.

She wants this to happen.

She even smiles and sticks her tongue out from time to time, accidentally drooling and sounding more lascivious when she wants to. Satoru kisses her neck, bites her; Suguru barely sees a blur and Satoru's cock entering and leaving the small body.

Suguru closes the door carefully and turns around, walking to the bedroom whenever he comes here. The obscene sound is far away. Barely noticeable until it disappears. The children are in this same space. Suguru peeks in to look at them. A brief second. They are all fine. Asleep on their messy futons. Except Kiku, who sleeps on his back with his hands in his lap.

Suguru arrives in his room. He takes off his monk's robe. He puts on a green yukata and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds. Going around in circles. He doesn't know the exact moment when he brings his hand to his crotch, starting to masturbate.

His imagination is so wide that it allows him to think that Yūji is here. That the same gesture he saw a few minutes ago is happening in front of him, that it is his consequence. Yūji's breasts bouncing and spilling milk; her mouth half open; her hot body full of sweat; her long hair making lovely patterns on her shiny skin.

All this while Suguru squeezes his penis, up and down the movement, small moans, almost sighs escaping from him. Everything retained in his imagination. So much so that despite the frustration, he is not able to achieve orgasm, but the annoyance of doing everything possible and not achieving that simple relief.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Is there a problem with Satoru's homework?" Suguru asks with an amused tone. Yūji seems close to crying. Blame it on the calculations in her math notebook. He's seen her come back there four or five times after leaving her responsibilities as the lady of the house. She hasn't tried to play with her children, fool around in the pool, talk to Chōsō.

All there has been for the day is that math notebook.

Suguru sits at a safe distance, just enough. The reason for the legal loophole of the vote is that Kikyo and the little twins are here. He doesn't say anything to Yūji, just looking at her. The long pink and black braid over her shoulder. She wears a square-cut summer dress, yellow and white checks, a yellow rose brooch at the waist.

Suguru admires the shiny neck full of sweat. The way she breathes through her mouth, giving him light breaths. Despite the looseness of her dress, he can trace her breasts. For falsely long minutes, he just admires that area of ​​her chest.

┈

"Don't be greedy." Yūji laughs, adjusting Takahiro so he can feed from her breast.

Yūji is focused on her baby, only on him, so much so that she doesn't notice the small torn paper square. The black eye that watches her closely, thus managing to see for a short time what are the large breasts that are full of milk. Round, firm, and perfect in the measure of her large and muscular body.

The heavy and long breath that she releases is hot and the dark gaze remained there until Yūji finished feeding her babies.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

The door is barely opened. A tiny slit between the wood. It is the secondary entrance to the room. Inside, the head of the house in his usual activities alone. Everything possible to admire through that tiny hole.

Satoru keeps his hands on Yūji's head, moving it back and forth, Satoru's sighs mixed with Yūji's constant gagging, who sucks the member that enters and leaves her mouth. Her cheeks and throat that swell every time the fat penis enters.

Yūji does not take her gaze from Satoru's eyes, with continuous shivers that are the pleasure of how absorbed her husband is. That his eyes are fixed on her and nothing else. Those orbs capable of seeing everything: the good and the bad.

Those eyes that admire her as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world.

Satoru pushes her away, Yūji with her tongue out, receiving the thick seed in her mouth and part of her face. She licks her lips and Satoru bends down, cleaning Yūji with his own shirt. After that, kissing her affectionately all over the face.

"I love you, I love you, I love you" Satoru says with every kiss he gives Yūji, causing laughter in the teenager who takes his hands. "I love you so much." He ends up hugging her, falling on the futon.

Yūji looks to kiss him, raising her thigh to Satoru's hip. The closeness that becomes union, with barely any air between the two who continue to stare at each other.

At the same time they are observed attentively.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Even with that?" Suguru drawls. Yūji hits the table. The notebook full of calculations, calculator, extra papers filled with formulas, math and physics books open everywhere to the chapters on temporal calculations.

It's all a mess and Suguru doesn't see why the hell she's so desperate to solve whatever Satoru must have given her as homework.

"Do you need help?"

"I can do it myself… I can… I think, I want to believe in it." Yūji whines.

Suguru stares at her. Even when she rushes up from the table, taking Kazuhiko from Chōsō's arms. Suguru reaches out, taking the haori that Yūji had on and secretly keeps it for himself.

Just like so many others before.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Yūji answers, laughing. Satoru moves down to stand between her legs. He accidentally knocked her over.

One of the small frames on the door has no paper. Perfectly torn. One moment it's empty, exposing the gloom of the night. The next, a long, black-irised eye is exposed. Watching them. The way Satoru's head gets lost between Yūji's large thighs.

The expression of pleasure comes immediately. Her chest and abdomen compressing and the inhuman strength of the pink-haired woman closing her thighs; Satoru holding her firmly. He lifts the head, licking his lips and smiling. Satoru stands with his tongue out, panting with çeyes half-open.

Unlike Yūji, who presses her hands to her own chest.

"Satoru, do it again, okay?" Yūji slides her hands up to Satoru's head, tangling her fingers in the white, damp strands. "I want you to do it again." Yūji says breathlessly, but forcefully, pushing Satoru down.

Who submissively obeys, sucking the wet, throbbing vagina, sticking his tongue in the cavity, licking again and again.

Having the same orgasm, wetting his closed pants; stretched out in the crotch, all his underwear soaked in semen.

It's not something he can hold back by continuing to do oral sex. Moaning dumbly and submissively to the hair pulling, to Yūji pushing him with her pelvis, trying to squeeze him with her muscular thighs and her moans of pleasure being the only thing entering his ears.

Yūji sticks out the tongue, drool coming out and keeps her eyes on Satoru's, unable to avoid the dilated blue irises. Lost and unconscious in the dark gaze that spies on them.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Where did this haori come from?" Satoru questions, curious to see Yūji wearing an item of clothing he didn't buy for her.

The fabric, too. Where did it come from? He doesn't think it's Nanami's either. He usually gives Yūji hair stuff or books and less casual manga, supporting Yūji's education in every way possible.

"Oh, Suguru gave it to me. It's really pretty, isn't it?"

It's pastel pink with a floral print on the bottom that goes down to purple. Satoru glares at the item of clothing.

"Take it off."

"I can't find the other ones and it's cute!"

"I'll buy one - hundreds, prettier ones," Satoru says, irritated. "Just take it off."

Yūji sticks her tongue out at him and continues with her studying, leaving Satoru frustrated and angry.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Getō-sama! We're leaving!"

"Be very careful."

Suguru shakes his hands and removes the excess water.

He walks through his apartment, reaches the bedroom and collapses on the futon, reluctantly letting his hair down, taking a heavy breath. Being a single father is terrible. At least he can say that Hanako and Mimiko are better behaved children than Satoru's children.

With the help of a curse tentacle he reaches for one of the haoris in the closet. He hugs it as soon as he has it within reach and smells it. Yūji's scent is so…

Distinctive.

It remains indifferent to the time that passes.

Suguru can have her essence as much as he wants and it helps him sleep. To enter that world of dreams where he wakes up in the huge house, being his and Yūji slowly opening the door, peeking in with a slight smile.

"Everything okay?"

"I was having a bad dream." Suguru purrs, hugging the pillow and acting like a scared child. Yūji laughs, walks over and sits on the futon. She strokes the black hair and moves it away from Suguru's face, who admires her and continues with a pout.

"Why that face?"

"Come here."

Yūji laughs lightly. She opens her kimono and after letting it fall over her torso, she lies down with Suguru. The man hugs her, starting to suck the breasts that he massages. He caresses the hot, throbbing vagina.

Yūji hums, sighs, and moans softly, saying the name of the black-haired man.

Lick her vagina.

Suck her breasts.

Hold them in his hands.

Drink her milk.

Enter her vagina.

Enter her ass.

Kiss her lips.

Kiss her chest.

Kiss her back.

"Suguruuuu" Yūji laughs, taking his face, leaning over him. "Don't be so hasty, kiss me more, okay?" She gives him a soft kiss on the lips. "Tell me you love me… Do you love me…? Or maybe not."

"I love you" Suguru says, hugging her immediately. "I love you, I love you more than anything." Suguru turns, leaving Yūji against the futon, tucked between her bent legs. "I love you." He insists, biting her lips.

"I love you too." Yūji purrs, wrapping her arms around him.

“Geto-sama seems to be having a good dream.” Himiko comments, watching Suguru smile widely in his sleep, his hair on the pillow and looking more perfect than usual. As if there is no greater joy in the world than what happens in his dream.

She takes a picture of him, sending it to Yūji, thinking it is cute.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru looks at the phone over Yūji’s shoulder, scrunching up his face in displeasure. Why does she have Suguru there? Yūji texts back and turns to Satoru, who doesn’t hide the disgust.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you getting pictures from Suguru?”

“Because Himiko sends them to me,” Yūji answers, not caring or making sense of what Satoru seems to be upsetting about. “Now!”

Satoru exclaims, covering his mouth. Yūji pulls out a whiteboard filled with calculations, numbers, papers, cross-outs, etc. It's impressive how much scientific work is condensed here. Satoru walks over, reading the entire procedure.

"I did the calculation!" Yūji cheers.

Three weeks.

It took her three weeks to come up with this.

Not to mention the sleepless nights, not just from babysitting and sex with Satoru. Her sleep schedule is destroyed.

Her brain cells hurt and she's sure they all died.

"Ummm…"

"What?"

"Your calculation is fine, everything is fine in the formulas" Satoru states, waving his hands around the procedure part. "But… this sign."

Yūji covers her face with her hands. Satoru erases it, starts correcting numbers and with that, he's done. The albino smiles in satisfaction and turns to her, surprised to find Yūji actually crying. Hiccuping and looking like there's a real tragedy going on.

"Don't cry. What's wrong, princess?" Satoru says tenderly and sadly.

"I was supposed to do it… that… that I was supposed to and now I'm not…"

Yūji could choke on her own tears she's crying so much, totally disappointed in herself and not having achieved it. She uncovers her face and whimpers. Satoru is inches away from her face.

"I-I wanted… I wanted to made it." she whimpers trembling, looking down, "but I'm not smart, I'm too dumb, I can never… I can never do this." Yūji breaks down even more. Umi, Kiku and Toukki peek in, having heard and sensed an anomaly.

"You're not stupid, princess, it was just a small mistake. There's nothing wrong with it." Satoru sweetly says, cupping her face and lovingly pressing her wet cheeks.

Until now, Satoru hadn't realized how insecure Yūji is about her own intellect. He knows she's not a prodigy and has some difficulties with the numerical part, it's just not her strong suit, but she's not stupid! Not at all! From learning to cook at seven, taking care of babies from ten, planning schedules, strength, knowing how to teach all the children in the most basic part of education...

Yūji expects too much of herself.

Satoru knows it's a teenage thing, because he's never said or done anything like that to her. On the contrary, he tries to give her as much patience as possible, with faith that she'll understand. However, as with everything: Yūji is unable to accept her own mistakes and lowers herself to the lowest possible extreme.

Saying that Satoru is offended by the fact that she thinks she is stupid or incapable is an understatement. Satoru presses her cheeks a little and Yūji continues hiccupping.

"You are very smart Yūji, very, very smart as well as strong… You don't have to feel bad about this. It is a mistake that anyone makes. Even I do it sometimes" Satoru says and Yūji continues to be a mass of tears, "come here, don't cry, my love." He hugs her and strokes her head, Yūji took forever to calm down.

You're so fucking stupid.

Are you really going to listen to him?

"Shut~up~Su~Ku~Na…" Satoru croons with a crooked smile. He can sense the surge of cursed energy and… he hates it.

His little wife is suffering from the nonsense Sukuna puts in her head.

When he finally managed to calm Yūji down, the request for different times for the children was accepted. After all, Yūji did what she had to do: look up the entire physical and mathematical procedure; whether or not it gave the appropriate result is a separate issue. The technicality helped her get some credit.

The children were warned and although Nanami doesn't agree, the children are just fascinated by the idea of ​​being big and strong.

Being mom's guardian, just like their father has raised them to be.

Chapter 24: XXIV

"Alright! Start!"

Yūji is the first to go in for the attack, Nanami blocks the sword with his white bandage blade. The fight drags on longer than it's ever been before. Akihiko and Toukki cheering loudly for Yūji, Satoru carrying Kikyo who laughs excitedly, not understanding what's going on here; Kiku worried, constantly pulling at Suguru's sleeve; Umi and Yuzu covering their faces and uncovering themselves every now and then.

Nanami is startled and jumps back, his glasses falling off his face and Yūji lets out a heavy breath, her stance firm despite the tiredness. Both Satoru and Suguru consider it a good point. Nanami is the best when it comes to fighting with short-range weapons. If Yūji is able to master it enough, it means that she has improved a lot

Nanami attacks again, even harder and although her sword breaks, Yūji continues attacking with her fists. Nanami knocks her down and points his knife at her neck. He stays like that for a couple of seconds, ending the fight, but Yūji grabs him with the thighs, twisting him until he throws him on the floor and gets on top of him, pressing his head and threatening with a fist.

"Sorry." Yūji stammers, noticing that Nanami is bleeding and changing his expression.

"No problem, Yūji-san." says Nanami with a slight smile, barely noticeable.

They both get up, Yūji checks where she hit him. Satoru makes Kikyo clap as they approach. The children celebrate among themselves, Kiku letting out a deep breath and making Suguru laugh.

"Good! We can say that you also manages to think quickly in seemingly definitive situations!" Satoru hums, proud. “So… Nanami-sensei~”

“I’m not a teacher.”

“You approve: We can start with the hard part!”

“Hard part?” Yūji stammers, and her children are equally confused.

Satoru and Suguru could kill her for how seriously they take their training. Nanami joins in constantly, but what is not unusual is that Yūji is left without a trace of energy after each session. She does this without fail on Mondays through Fridays, stopping time to allow the three of them a chance to rest.

At the same time, training the children, which is another matter. It is still hard. Each child begins to have their own differences and qualities.

Something that is exploited much more when the process of making them grow begins.

Akihiko grows his hair, wearing huge glasses because he refuses to wear a bandage or ribbons. His specialty, besides hand-to-hand combat, is purple. His ability to use it is enormous, as is his speed to move. Satoru had slight problems fighting Akihiko's purple, so: approved his firstborn.

Umi with a distinctive hairstyle, samurai style with two long locks framing his face; purple is practically impossible, but he is able to use the Blue technique without even breaking a sweat or complicating or thinking about it, attracting everything he needs. That supports a lot in his fighting style, which is up close and can even break the head of whatever he faces. Satoru found the change ingenious: pass.

At the same time, Toukki is almost the opposite. Not only because of the difference in hair, which reaches to the waist and falls over part of his face, but he is unable to use blue and purple, but red is his specialty. It is fortunate that he is so skilled in knife throwing. Toukki can use them normally, plus his aim is enviable. Satoru finds it fun and ingenious to use: pass.

Just as Kiku was expected to do, his skill reached its peak with age. He can master curses without even defeating the curses as long as he figures out their exact power. He can also control them without letting them out at all, making him much more useful and convenient. His physical appearance has finally changed from Suguru. He has a tiny patch of pink hair. Kiku usually braids it and leaves it separate from the rest, making it more obvious. He loves having something of his mom. Suguru gave him a thumbs up for his ability.

In contrast, Yuzu turned out to be good at something his brothers aren't: making barriers. His veils are almost as good as Satoru's. He can make anything disappear in a matter of seconds and breaking them takes more than a high-security vault. His style is also unique among his brothers: short hair, a marked undercut and full of different shapes. From lines to stars and so on. He's good at fighting at close range: knives, small guns, axes and nunchucks.

Kikyo in general was a surprise with her power: she manipulates time at will in her body. She goes from one year to forty without a problem. Her appearance is the same from Satoru's, but she always combs and dresses like Yūji. In love with her mother's beauty and wanting to look like her at all costs. Satoru does not know what to think of his daughter, he approved her for being the most curious form of Six eyes that has ever been on record.

Takahiro and Kazuhiro manage to differentiate themselves by having a long lock full of beads. Takahiro on the right and Kazuhiro on the left. One manipulates space, manipulating objects to transform them in the way he wants. It just does not work on anything organic or living. On the other hand, Takahiro manipulates time on non-organic objects, therefore, between the two, they complement each other a lot.

Separately: Approved! Separately they still have a bit of trouble fighting, but Satoru can only turn a blind eye to them. They are younger, they didn't have that much real training like their brothers. It would be unfair of him to demand that his younger sons have to be just as perfect.

They will achieve it on their own in a few years. He is certain of that.

Just as Yūji asked, they stayed a long time to really play with them. To enjoy the most tender childhood ever. Satoru also enjoyed the procedure a lot. Especially with Kikyo, who is his second princess. Nanami feared that Satoru would develop an attraction to her, because of her mannerisms similar to Yūji's.

The way she combs her hair, dresses, having Yūji as an example.

"I would like to say that I am joking, but the truth is: it bothers me that you think I am capable of-"

"You already rape a girl, the difference is that she is not as small as she was at the beginning" says Nanami, serious and monotonous as always to Satoru's annoyance. He maintains a weak and irritated smile, with his blue eyes covered by black glasses. "A common behavior of pedophiles is to leave the victim who does not fit the desired age range."

"I'm not a pedophile."

"You are."

"Nanami." Satoru says with a weak and annoyed laugh.

"You had sex with a nine-year-old girl." Yūji leans against the door listening to the conversation. "And not only did you impregnate her, you admit that it is a fetish to have sex with her: you love to have sex with her being pregnant" the blond points out, without changing his attitude at all. "Yūji not only grew up, she can't and doesn't want to have any more children. Therefore, she has lost several of the points that attracted you."

"I wasn't with Yūji because of that, you know it and I would never think of something like that with Kikyo" Satoru says, about to scream. It's the most offensive thing anyone has ever said or assumed in his life. He can't even understand how Nanami is capable of thinking that to begin with. "She's my daughter."

"Yūji also occupied that role and look where she is now."

Satoru does nothing, he just calms his temper and leaves the room. Nanami has no kind of remorse for this. After all, it's a natural concern in theory. Emotionally, it's another matter. Nanami knows that Satoru is madly in love with Yūji. It's a strange dichotomy that happens! It's usual for abusers to lose interest, that infatuation that was actually the obsession and adrenaline of the moment.

No love.

And if that happens, Yūji will be exposed and Kikyo in danger.

Satoru leaves him there, controlling his own emotions. Nanami snorts and continues to read the reports he has of his graduated pupils. Yūji takes a deep breath, lowering her gaze and clenching the clothes in her hands.

┈

"Am I old?"

Satoru spits out the drink and beats his chest, incredulous at the spontaneous question. Yūji looks defeated, somewhat sad. Satoru clears his throat. "No, you're not old and even then: you would be my adorable little princess." He ruffles Yūji's hair lovingly and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

"But if I grow old, if I get older, I won't be the same. How will you still love me?" Yūji says, uneasy.

"Are you going to stop loving me if I stop being the strongest?"

"No." Yūji answers, wrinkling her face.

"It's the same," he compares and Yūji purses his lips. "It's not about how old you are. What matters is that you are you." he affirms, caressing her cheek.

For Yūji, it remains as one more concern.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Is something wrong? Yūji-san." The girl asked to speak alone, just with MinMin as usual.

"I don't want you to say such horrible things to Satoru again" Yūji caresses MinMin's back. "He's not an abuser, nor is he someone who would do things like that... I know you don't like my relationship with Satoru, but I don't want you to insult him. Much less do you even think of saying things like that to any of my children. Especially Kikyo."

Nanami doesn't interrupt her, changes the expression or even makes a complaint. Nanami continues to feel sorry for the situation in general, because Yūji is deeply convinced of their good dynamic, that she must defend it tooth and nail. She is in love, she can't do anything about it.

At least she has the strength to claim what she doesn't like. It's a good point. In general, Nanami can't do anything against this either, he can only respect what Yūji asks of him.

"It's okay, Yūji-san." He bows his head slightly. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"It's not very nice to do something like that to a friend." Yūji says.

"Friends should also point out the mistakes between them to motivate them to improve," Nanami explains. "I want Satoru to be aware of his mistakes and problems, that way, nothing bad will happen."

"Anyway, let it not be such bad things and if it is, let it be outside my house." She warns as a last detail.

"As you ask, Yūji-san."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Something strange is happening.

They know very well that Satoru has been lowering the infinite lately. Not everyone has it and Yūji needs her blows to hit, to measure how much damage she can do. Satoru heals immediately, so it's not that hard for him to endure. His wife knocks the wind out of him and breaks his bones as if it were an easy and indifferent thing.

The thing is that something strange happens today.

Yūji strikes him in the chest from one second to the next and it's not new...

What is new is Satoru with the sensation that his whole being vibrates and his soul itself is detached from his body. Even if it's just a little. Yūji, lost in thought, strikes again and the sensation is accentuated. Satoru falls to the floor, taking his hands to his chest and vomiting to the fright of everyone watching. Yūji runs towards him, leaning on his side "Are you okay!? What happened? I-I'll go get you something." Yūji runs inside the house. Making tea for what it is supposed to be is a drain on the immune system. It's the only reason Satoru could have a reaction like that. Suguru can't help but feel curiosity on all levels.

How is it possible that Yūji made him so bad? Nothing new happened. There was nothing that could make Satoru this bad. If it had been that serious, he would have raised the infinity to protect himself, but he wasn't even able to do that. Nanami tries to give it a logical answer: no matter how much resistance he has, Gojo is human when he doesn't raise the infinity and a blow from Yūji kills anyone.

┈

"This tastes horrible." Satoru claims with the giant cup in his hand. Even so, he drinks it so as not to cause a bigger problem for his wife. She couldn't be more distressed.

Neither are his children, all equally worried. Especially Akihiko, knowing that his responsibility is to carry the clan if his father dies. It's melodramatic to worry about it, considering it was just training, but whatever happens to Satoru, can happen to them and they need to be prepared.

"Do you know what happened?" Suguru asks and Satoru wrinkles his face from his tea. He's at least halfway through. He speaks with little air in his chest.

"I have a theory."

"So…?"

"We've been saying all this time that Yūji doesn't have a ritual of her own or a technique beyond her fists… it's okay, honey, my ribs prove that that's enough in case of a problem" he informs by Yūji's disappointed gesture, "but I think she does have cursed technique…"

"Get sick her opponent from a punch?" Suguru jokes, tilting his head. Satoru denies.

"Separate the soul from the body."

The confusion in Nanami, Suguru and Yūji is enormous. Toukki scratches his head, pointing at Yūji and then at Satoru. "Did her separate your soul from your body with a punch?"

"Yep! That's exactly what happened" he answers smiling and the others look at him even more confused. "Not only the surprise, I also didn't feel like I could do anything at the time. Part of my soul was cracking and all my cursed energy is there… if you want, try it. I'm very sure of what I say."

"Yūji won't know how to activate it again. It was an accident."

"She's been canalizing cursed energy into her fists for a long time, naturally it's just a matter of accumulating it to the right extent and deciding to attack." Nanami comments with a more optimistic tone.

Yūji isn't very happy with the idea of experiencing this with Suguru and Nanami, especially Suguru, but they must confirm it, so: back in the training garden, in position and launching herself straight at the second Special Category Sorcerer. Suguru doesn't let himself be hit, training is training even if they are trying to prove something. Yūji for her part has managed to learn what Suguru has taught until exhaustion: becoming a gymnast capable of jumping and holding on with her hands or being flexible from one side to the other.

Working perfectly to dodge him and then hit him in the back. Her blue fist feels similar to a baton hitting a bell. Suguru falls to the ground on his side, eyes wide open and gasping for air, trying to inhale with all his might, but feeling his soul is vibrating unpleasantly, as if something pushed it out.

Yūji steps back, opening her hands and breathing heavily: finding what she is capable of doing to them so unpleasant. Suguru stands up with his arms, not far away Satoru laughs, arms crossed.

"I think she turned my soul inside out." Suguru stammers trying to get up. Kiku rushes to help him.

"Nanamin~"

"Nono! W-we already tried it!" Yūji interrupts "No need. W-we already saw that it works and-"

"Nanami can hold on. Don't worry about anything."

Nanami lasted even longer than Suguru, thanks to the fact that he has his weapon and that he is the only one who has taken the time to stay aware of the evolution of Yūji's fighting style. It didn't stop Yūji from landing a blow on him, this time in the side and Nanami not only vomits, his glasses fall off and if he didn't faint, it's because he forced himself to stay awake.

┈

"If Yūji is able to separate the soul from a body through a blow, maybe she can do it at will without that part" Satoru proposes thoughtfully. Yūji has just served tea to Nanami and Suguru, regretting having agreed to what they wanted. "You could extract Sukuna from your body and I would definitely destroy his fingers and his energy."

Do you think I'm going to die that easily? Damn son of a-

Yūji hits herself on the cheek, looking absolutely annoyed. Satoru laughs, throwing his head back.

"I'll take that as we could do it. He wouldn't have shown up if I wasn't afraid of the possibility" Satoru brushes his hair back with one hand. "I'll try to find something in the records. Maybe someone had a similar technique. It would help us... What do you think?" he asks Yūji and she moves her neck, tired.

"I want to go with my babies and this makes me feel bad." Yūji gets up from her spot and leaves to go with the group of teenagers who are playing.

"Ah, she feels so bad. Poor thing." Satoru laments with a hand on his chest.

"What we talked about is something more serious and problematic than you make it sound" Nanami mentions. "Besides, she didn't like the idea of trying that with us."

"Too bad that before, with Suguru, she didn't know how to do it. Extremely sad. It would have been quite funny, wouldn't it?"

Suguru finishes drinking the tea without adding anything about it.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Do you think I look pretty?"

"You look gorgeous!"

"You look very pretty, Yūji."

"I'm sure he'll love it."

Yūji smiles, shrugging. Today is her anniversary and Satoru suggested they go on a date. So, Yūji decided to get dressed up. He asked Mimiko and Nanako to help her with this. They helped her with the hair, making it full of small braids and golden rings; as well as her makeup. The scar prevents Yūji from being able to groom up that part of her face.

And Yūji needs a lot of help to not get frustrated with it. In the end, since Satoru recommended that she wear something light, she took a red sleeveless dress, sweetheart neckline, chains on the shoulders; cork shoes borrowed from Himiko, paint her nails - she never does - and wear several bracelets.

Yūji touches her scar, pursing her red painted lips.

"What's wrong, Yūji?" Himiko asks with a hand on her waist. "You look beautiful, really. We used my super expensive makeup, your dress is gorgeous, your hair is great. There's no bad angle here."

"Don't you get the feeling that you're not good at anything? That… even if you try, you're a failure at… whatever you set your mind to. How you look, how you do things, the expectations others have of you." Himiko and Nanako exchange a nervous glance. "It's just that I want to be a good wife. I also want to be useful, but in the long run… I feel like I can't do anything and I get in the way of everyone here."

"You cook well."

"All your children adore you."

"The house looks great thanks to you cleaning it all the time."

"Chōsō isn't stupid anymore."

"What does that have to do with it?" Yūji stammers, confused.

"Because you teach him to be human. Duh." Himiko affirms with a shrug.

"You're so good... It's normal to feel like you're not enough," Nanako says, approaching Yūji. She takes his hand lovingly, "but the important thing is that if everything around us is good, if the people we love are by our side... it means that we're doing well and that those doubts are just our insecurities."

"Sometimes it scares me when you talk a lot. You're a real philosopher, Nanako," Himiko says with a hand on her chest.

Yūji nods, smiling and exhaling.

┈

"You look beautiful."

Yūji smiles, almost running up to Satoru and jumping to hug him. Yūji gives a fake military salute.

"So where are we going?" she asks excitedly. Satoru adjusts his glasses and puts his hands in his pants pockets. He's wearing a half-unbuttoned black shirt and white pants.

They went to the beach. Yūji walked along the shore barefoot, kicking water towards Satoru. They were able to lie down on the sand for hours, talking about other things they don't usually talk about. Satoru invited her to swim, to see the night sea a little. Having a flashlight for this.

They got pretty deep and although it was terrifying on many levels, Yūji enjoyed the fish a lot. Her hairdo was ruined by that, but it's the end of the night now, so she doesn't care.

Also, stuck in a cave with Satoru between her legs, what matters the least is that her hairdo is still fine, having Satoru's face in her hands and kissing him every time she manages to catch her breath, hugging him with her legs and feeling him inside her as she likes.

Chapter 25: XXV

Everything was going pretty well. Satoru thought that he had achieved the stability he was looking for. Especially now that his children are grown and preparing to begin their tasks outside the protection of their home. When everyone is able to hide their presence, they plan to go out.

Megumi was also approaching the time to enter the school of sorcery.

Yūji seemed to had found a space of calm.

Everything was going well.

So much so that there are even suspicions about where one of the two missing fingers may be. Or what they believe are two fingers. Instead of one, the other, he hid it himself.

Everything so calm…

So functional.

It seemed like a lie and it almost was. It was not ruined by something the higher-ups did, Sukuna's fault, nothing like that…

It's just that a special-grade curse appeared!

When they reported that there is a problem with a special-grade curse attached to a fourteen-year-old boy, Satoru had a feeling of déjà vu. Getting there and meeting Yūta Okkotsu was just an oh, here we go with another kid. The funniest thing is that he has Megumi. So it's more kids than he can objectively carry.

Ah… this is going to be hard and fun at the same time.

"I'll take care of it" Satoru announces. "It will be more timely and efficient. I'll keep Rika from getting out of control if that's the case."

"He's a special category sorcerer." One of the higher-ups says.

"He must comply with-"

"He's an untrained kid" Satoru hummed, interrupting, "he's going to cause more chaos than help. So I'll take care of him." he announced without allowing anyone to argue.

They should just let him be. He already promised he would take care of it! There's no point in all that complaining. On the other hand, he wonders how Yūji will get along with someone his age and who knows about the world of curses? He'll be different from Junpei. He also doesn't know how his children will get along with a relatively close stranger. One who has a special grade curse attached to him. It will be a fun experience. He's sure of that.

Although he must think it through very carefully to avoid a problem that he can't control later.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Y-your house?"

"Suguru and Nanami are there constantly, so it's the best way to make sure you don't kill anyone" Satoru says with his hands in his pockets. "Or send anyone to a hospital."

Yūta groans, letting himself fall slightly. Entering Gojō territory feels strange to him. Almost cleaner and calmer. He is able to see the veil only when he is still close to it. The sky is visible, the barrier is not. Rika's appearance scares him initially, since she must sense some threat nearby. Satoru just laughs.

“This is Yūji,” Satoru informs, as his wife approaches with MinMin not far behind, “she will be your training partner.” Yūji greets with a smile and Yūta blushes. Rika moans constantly. “She-”

The curse roars and shoots straight at Yūji, who makes a circle around her mouth, as if he didn’t even notice it initially. However, she hits it with such force that it makes the curse sink into the ground. Yūta shrieks, putting his hands to his head. “RIKA!?

“Ha-ha~!” Satoru claps with a silly grin on his face. “A special curse and you were able to control it so quickly. You've trained so well," Yūji blows at a strand of hair that came loose from his ponytail. "As I was saying," Satoru turns to Yūta again, "she's Sukuna's vessel." Yūta pales. Isn't that what everyone's looking for and there's a huge problem? From what little he understood from all this, Sukuna is the biggest threat and the vessel must be eliminated, but IS IT HERE!? "I hope you can keep it a secret." Satoru teases.

Yūta stutters, Yūji raises her arm and smiles. "I'm Itadori Yūji! Nice to meet you. Let's work hard!"

Rika fades away and Yūta gives a nervous smile, his pulse racing and sweating from nerves.

┈

"Is he going to stay with us? Where? In the house?"

"In the annex," Satoru clarifies. "Tell the kids they can't go there. I don't want him to see them. He's going to stay in that area, within a forty meter radius. It's best that they train in the usual garden, not the one in front." Yūji paused for a moment. "Does that bother you?"

"I just find it a little weird that you bring someone new into the house," Yūji admits and clasps his hands together. "What about Chōsō? Is there a problem?"

"No. Chōsō isn't a problem... princess, it's about taking care of what goes out. Among them, our children can't be discovered yet." Yūji looked frustrated at that. Letting her children be the ones to hide in their own territory. "I also want to ask you a favor."

"Aside from pretending that I'm just your student." Yūji points out amused. Satoru laughs through his nose and puts his hands in his pants pockets.

"I want you to help him handle weapons. I trust you can do it. When he accomplish your level, it'll be Suguru's turn to step in, but until then… Do you think you can do it?"

"Of course!" Yūji gives a playful military salute. Satoru walks up and gives her a little kiss on the lips.

"So cute my princess." Satoru purrs.

"Mommy and Daddy are being so lovey dovey."

"So cute."

"So sweet."

"It's still too early to be lovey dovey."

"Daddy won't say hello to us."

"Daddy brings a stranger over first and now he wants him to take over Mommy's time."

"Daddy is so mean to us."

Satoru turns to the right and spreads his arms with a silly smile on his lips. Yūji steps aside for safety, only for Satoru to be trampled by his eight children who pounce on him. Yūji pulls out her cell phone and takes several pictures of them. She finds it adorable. Satoru never misses an opportunity for that to happen.

He must be really tired or everyone is asleep, but he likes these welcomes.

For him, it's very special that his house is so full and full of people who love him so much.

┈

"What are you looking for?" asks Yūji, noticing Satoru reading family scrolls. The albino gives an exhausted sigh, receiving the plates of food with gratitude. Yūji didn't want to interrupt him, preferring to bring the food.

"I still can't find a reason why the barrier fell that time. I'm increasingly worried about the possibility that someone could just walk in, see you, the kids and-"

He gives a weary snort. It's been over a year, but he can't let go of that thought. It stresses him out so much. Yūji massages his shoulders, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"He hasn't shown up again. MinMin would notice... and we can all fight. He'd need luck to beat us all together," the girl states and Satoru rolls his eyes. It's not that he doesn't trust their abilities or just her abilities, it's that he knows he'll come at an inopportune time. Maybe with Yūji alone. "Satoru, why isn't there anyone else from your family? Does it say so there?"

"No. They just started dying. Why?"

"It's because maybe it's someone from your family who's still alive."

"The last one alive and the last one to die was my dad." Yūji frowns and wrinkles her eyebrows. "And the truth is, I wouldn't want him to still be alive." He rests his cheek on his palm. "Fuckin' old asshole."

"Don't talk so bad about your dad-"

"He was such an asshole! Always wanting to be better than me, wanting to be me… he was angry with me because I was what he wanted to be: the great hope of the clan." Satoru looks back at the scrolls and plays with the tip of one. "The heir to everything that made us great in the first place. I'm sure that despite everything that's happened, he'd say that you're a whore who spread your legs so that you could be part of this clan."

"I don't think your dad was that cruel," Yūji says and Satoru lets her be. They've never met. She wants to idealize father figures because she had a good dad, Nanami is a good dad and Satoru is a good dad. "Deep down he loved you and deep down… he just was ashamed for not being strong enough or being there anymore. Didn't you say goodbye to him?"

"Yes. Yes I did."

Yūji supposes that he doesn't want to talk about it. She kisses him on the temple and walks away, leaving him with the clan's scrolls. Gojō stares at the writings and slowly chews his food. The last time he spoke to Gojō Hifumi, it was anything but nice…

"Enjoying that there's no one else to stop you from being a disgrace to the entire clan?"

"Enjoying that there won't be anyone thinking they're superior to me because they have the same surname, but without the strength to be truly superior."

Hifumi laughed and Satoru looked at him without expression, sitting carelessly in front of him. Indifferent to the extreme and anxiously waiting for the moment when he stopped breathing. Just like everyone else in the clan. Who died little by little with their health declining and in the end, being in the same pathetic state that Hifumi was in: lying in bed without being able to even go to the bathroom on his own.

"You're nothing but an impertinent child" said Hifumi, breathless. "The clan is definitely ruined... I don't think it will take too long to see you in hell, Satoru... and the only thing I'll hear is your shame for having lost everything."

"I'm not going to lose everything. Who do you think I am? That I am like you? That you didn't even maintain respect within the clan" Satoru grumbled unwillingly. "When I get to hell you're going to die again, but from envy."

"Of you? Of how lonely and miserable you'll be?"

"I see someone else being miserable."

Hifumi laughed and coughed, gasping for air and about to choke. Satoru did nothing to help him, just watched him intently. When he calmed down, the sick man placed both hands on his lap.

"You think it's as simple as being strong, that it's enough to be... you, but it's not true," he said in a soft voice. "You're not a god, Satoru, just that: nothing will be easy, nothing will be given to you... you're not even human, you're a tool that everyone needs on their side."

Satoru pursed his lips, irritated by that way of looking at him.

"You'll be alone... totally alone... unreachable, but usable; powerful, but useless; untouchable, but used by everyone," Hifumi enlisted in a low voice and looked up at the ceiling. "You are the biggest waste of Six Eyes there has ever been. What I would have achieved with that power, would have created a new order in this world in the we live in. You-"

"I could burn it down if I wanted to."

Hifumi turned his head towards him, looking at him with boredom and even mockery.

"Burn it down… you don't have the strength to do it. You don't have enough strength for anything. You didn't even have enough strength to kill us. You've let us die one by one, instead of finishing us off." Satoru let his black glasses fall a little. "You're… a… waste… and weak… like any other human."

He got up from his place and walked away. Hifumi died a couple of hours later, totally alone and thus leaving Satoru at home: totally alone.

He opens his eyes and lets out a breath, thinking that his father was right about several things. The only thing he doesn't agree with is that he is weak. Although he could be considered that way for not killing Yūji, for not ridding the world of the curses; not killing Yūta immediately, not killing Suguru when he should have, not being stricter with his children…

He has a heart.

Something that no one in this society seems to have…

He has a strong soul even to know where to be weak…

And even though all of them are still alive, even though he has sacrificed their lives… Was Hifumi that stupid? He is convinced that he was too consumed by the disease, because Satoru is very clear about one thing about himself.

He has always had the strength to burn this society, this world from the foundations.

And he will not stop doing it.

He just waits for the moment when his family, his clan, is not trapped inside the bonfire.

┈

"Good night."

"Ah! Itadori-san." Yūta gets up in a hurry and Yūji passes by carrying a huge tray.

"I brought you dinner. I'm the one who cooks with my brother's help, so you'll see him sometimes bringing the food" announces and Yūta nods. "His name is Chōsō, it's half curse so don't be scared. He won't hurt you. He's just… clumsy." Yūji concludes smiling.

"Chōsō, half-curse, okay, okay" Yūji leaves the food on the table. "Eh… I'm sorry, but what is Gojō-sensei like teaching…?"

"About that!" Yūji exclaims, hitting her hand. "Satoru-sensei is going to teach you a lot of things, but I'll be the one to teach you how to fight!" she announces excitedly and Yūta sweats coldly. That scares him even more. "After Satoru-sensei gives you some instructions, we'll start. Fight with a knife, with a sword, with a spear, with arrows, with-"

"Does Itadori-san use weapons?"

"No. I prefer my fists," she clarifies, punching the air a couple of times. "I'm very careless. I break every damn weapon they give me!" Yūji puts her hands on her hips, frustrated. Yūta stares at her for a moment while complaining, the boy totally distracted.

Her bust is large. It's more noticeable with the thin, red cloth shirt she wears; in addition, her hips look huge. Yūta shakes his head a little, looking at her again and at what she says.

"And you have to use weapons because you can't rely on a curse." She points at his face. "If I trusted Sukuna, I'd be dead and who knows what else." Yūta whimpers from the blow to his forehead. "You can't control her, right? Rika?"

"Eh... No? I don't think so."

"That's why you need to learn to fight on your own and unless you're like me, it won't be bare-knuckle."

"What do you mean like you?"

Yūji looks around and then a side, decides to leave the house, grabs a rock, throws it a couple of times in her hand and aims at a tree ten meters away, maybe more? Yūta screams in horror, Yūji throws the rock through the tree. Yūji rolls up her sleeves, exposing the widest, muscular arms Yūta has ever seen in his life.

Yūji manages to break the trunk and with a punch, break it in half.

"Like that." Yūji points out.

"I-I understand." Yūta stammers, tense. "Itadori-san… pretty cool."

"Yūji! Yūji! Call me Yūji!" She whines. "That sounds really serious and weird. We'll be partners! So call me by my name." Yūji points at himself. "Besides, we practically live together." Yūji says in a playful tone, almost flirty, giving him a small punch on the arm. Friendly and with a confident smile.

Yūta staggers from the push, Yūji comes back in. She arranges the dishes on the table. She nods to herself, satisfied with what she accomplished and then looks at Yūta.

"Satoru has always taken care of me. It involves never going out, but I'm okay with that. I'm a little scared outside." Yūta thanks quietly. The food Yūji brought seems to be endless. Not even his mother has cooked for him like this, "so don't be scared: you're safe here," she promises with a smile.

"Thank you very much for that, Yūji... San?"

"If you want, don't use it. I don't mind," she says nonchalantly. Yūta nods, "and about the training and Satoru... he's very demanding, but he knows how much you can give. He's eccentric, I know, but he's still very kind so don't be nervous around him! He really likes to help."

"I can tell considering we're here." Yūta laughs weakly and Yūji laughs, swaying in place.

"Satoru loves all the monsters he should kill. It's a bad habit of his," she states before licking her lips. "I'll go continue with my homework. See you tomorrow," Yūji says, and Yūta does the same.

Rika appears, much to the surprise of the newly-acquainted sorcerer.

"You replaced me."

"N-no. Of course not."

"You like her. You like her more than me! YOU WANT TO REPLACE ME!"

Yuta manages to pull the table away before Rika hits it and knocks over all the food.

"It's not true, Rika!" Yuta complains, "she's just... nice. It's been a long time since I talked to anyone like this all because of you" he accuses indiscreetly and the curse gives a long, deformed moan of sadness. "You could be nice to her too, I'll love you very much if you do."

Even though he's not fascinated by the idea, he has no other way to control Rika from causing chaos or trying to kill whoever may live here. He must keep her calm and this should work, right?

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I'm going to assume that Yūji talked about it, but for safety: She'll be your training partner!" Satoru announces with a smile and hands on his waist. "As you know, I have to go out to do many other things, so I can't be with you all day. Anyway: Yūji has been my student for years. I trust her a lot" Yūta nods, shy and nervous. "Not to mention that! Suguru and Nanami will come here from time to time. They'll help a lot with that. For now…"

Satoru takes the katana that Yūji hands him, removes the sheath, giving it to Yūta and he catches it, using it to cover himself, frightened. Satoru laughs at his panic, tilting his head. "I'll come in the afternoon. We'll start with the cursed energy. For now, it'll be sword training. Yūji: No mercy!"

"On command!" She salutes and Yūta sweats cold, that sounds super bad.

The first month was a real hell. Yūji never had compassion. At least that's how Yūta perceives it, as he doesn't have a single muscle in his body that doesn't cry in agony. The issue with the cursed energy and using Rika is going very average, but being a month, Satoru considers him to be his second best student.

The first is Yūji, not only because of favoritism, but because of how quickly she was able to learn a lot of what he taught and the fact that she was really young at the moment of learned; in third place is Megumi, who without the threat of death on him, is much more relaxed despite the pressure he puts on him.

Suguru and Nanami come when the month is marked, seeing Yūta for the first time. Suguru can't resist making fun of him: "Is that all he can take? If this is a special grade sorcerer, you should be promoted, Nanami." The indiscreet taunt makes Yūta furrow his eyebrows, drenched in sweat and with the katana in his hand.

"What is he talking about?" Yūta gasps, lowering the katana a little. Suguru laughs, turning to Yūji, who is sweating without looking tired.

"I guess you haven't been too hard on him."

"He just doesn't know how to fight. It wouldn't be fair."

Yūta looks at her in shock. Is she being gentle with him? All this time!? Suguru pulls a staff out of the cursed worm's mouth. He takes a position in front of Yūji, who drops the sword and is left bare-handed.

Yūta is not only terrified, he is completely stunned. So much so that Rika comes out, grabbing him by the shoulders and complaining loudly. "Why do you care so much about her? Stop looking at her! STOP LOOKING…!"

"Rika, be quiet." Yūta orders exasperatedly. He shrieks as Rika charges towards Yūji.

Who knocks her out again with ease. Suguru whistles and Nanami adjusts her glasses.

"There's a lot of training to do here, no doubt," Suguru hums, leaning on his cane. "Should I start or should you start?" he suggests to Nanami. "Yūji, you have things to do, right?"

"Chōsō must be taking charge."

"I think the charge is taking Chōsō."

Yūji looks frightened and runs off. Yūta bows awkwardly to Nanami who takes the blade from his back. Suguru sits on the ground, leaning on Rika who is still there unconscious.

┈

"What do you think y'all are doing!?"

The bunch of teenagers line up, frightened that Yūji came in. She walks through them, reaching Chōsō who is stiff and nervous in his place, just trying not to look up, embarrassed. Yūji gets what always happens: there is not one of Satoru's desserts and to make matters worse, there is again that list of bakeries and stores where they can buy them or order them to be delivered.

"How many times do we have to tell them that they can't go out yet?" Yūji complains back to them. Kikyo shrinks down to a two-year-old girl, sitting on the floor and hidden thanks to the rest of her siblings. "Only Kiku has earned it."

"It's not fair that he can go out anyway," Umi complains. "We want to go out, we want to help so they can't bother you anymore, mom." Yūji crosses her arms. "And we're ready. Really-"

"You're not because none of us hide their cursed energy well. Anyone who discovers any of you will make a scene and who knows how much trouble there will be," Yūji argues with her son and he backs away, scared. "It's not about you being frustrated, it's about what's best," she explains, impatient and hurt. "I know you don't like it here. I know it's annoying, but you have to understand. It's for everyone's sake."

"We'll be fine, Mom," Akihiko assures, and Yūji shakes her head.

"Satoru says it's not time yet. Trust him. The time will be soon."

There are grumblings and complaints. Yūji closes and puts away the book of directions. Chōsō stands up and mumbles an apology. The bunch of teenagers intimidate him and Chōsō can't bring himself to try and attack them in self-defense.

"By the way: clean the house. You're not allowed to do that to Uncle Chōsō."

"BUT MOM!" all eight of them squeal at once, frightened, with Kikyo barely covered by her giant clothes.

"You do. I have… a lot of homework, a lot of training to do, and you're grounded! So you clean the house."

The general groans elicit a laugh from her. She pulls Akihiko by the cheek, who hugs her immediately. Yūji enjoys it when everyone comes to hug her. All of her children are much taller than her. Except Kikyo, who is usually the same height as her to imitate her.

In the end, Kiku is the only one who stays with her. "I didn't scare Chōsō, I tried to stop Yuzu from doing it… Can I stay with you?"

"Always so well behaved."

Kiku smiles shyly. Yūji takes him by the hand and they walk together. Indifferent to Kiku's six-foot-six, his serious and calm face, his well-developed technique and enormous body, he is Yūji's spoiled little boy. The one who will not care about age, will continue to stick to her lap like a baby and will do everything he can to continue being spoiled like that.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He snorts. There doesn't seem to be anything in the clan cemetery. Everything looks as it should. Untouched graves, non-existent curses. Nothing. Therefore, he has no clue as to how someone crossed his barrier years ago. Kenjaku is his biggest headache along with Mahito. Those two are going to make him grow gray hairs... Or maybe green or red. 

It would be a shame, it would make his hair look beautiful anyway.

Chapter 26: XXVI

“Too exhausted of Suguru and Nanami's training?”

Yūta hasn’t stopped panting since he finished training about two hours ago. Yūji comes by with the food, amused by how exhausted his partner is. She put the food on the table and leans over, leaving her hair hanging down. Yūji smiles at Yūta who does the same, looking Yūji in the eyes.

Even in the dim light, those golden eyes look so pretty, just like her hair and face. The marks on her are so indifferent, so insignificant in contrast.

“Can you move? Or do you want help?”

“I’m fine… I’m fine.”

Yūta sits up and gives a pained hiss. Yūji gets behind him, pressing hands on his shoulders and then his back. Kneading affectionately. Yūji manages to ease the tension in the thin body. Yūji sits in front of him, legs together and then a little bigger thanks to the posture that presses her thighs together.

"Is it okay? I feel you a little… quiet." Yūji comments.

"Were you holding back?" Yūta asks quietly.

"Enough so that you wouldn't end up with something broken" she answers sincerely. "When you became capable of giving much more, I would be a little more hard with you. I don't feel like it's a good idea to make you feel humiliated by constantly surpassing yourself. You have no experience... Like at all. You barely used the katana in a good way."

"No, but… I want you to let it all out next time. It doesn't matter if you hit me or something like that" Yūji doesn't look convinced at all. "Ever since I got Rika, I can't stop feeling like I'm constantly humiliated, that I can't do anything for myself" The curse arises, hugging him from behind. "I understand that she wants to take care of me… that she can take care of me, but I should be able to take care of myself, don't you think?"

"Yep. I understand the feeling" Yūji assures and looks at Rika. "Although I understand why she takes care of you" smiles shrugging her shoulders. "You're so cute… and this world is so wild. So harsh and cruel. She doesn't want anything bad to happen to you."

"She understands. She does understand that I have to take care of Yūta." Rika hugs the teen tighter. Yūji stands up and puts her hands on her hips.

"Let's all three of us work hard! Make Satoru proud!" Yūta nods dumbly. Yūji pushes a plate full of food and places it so it's easy to grab. "This one's for you, Rika. Until now, I'd forgotten to cook dinner for you. Sorry. Lots on my mind… See you tomorrow!"

Yūta exhales and smiles goofily, Rika leans in all the way and shakes Yūta a little.

"I like Yūji. Yūji is so good to Rika and Yūta."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“The kids want to come out,” Yūji comments, combing his hair with a golden brush, it looks like a tiger. Satoru throws the bandage aside. “They’re tired of being here and want to help you… Is it really a year before they can come out? Just come out? I understand introducing them, but…”

She pouts and Satoru hugs her from behind, kissing her neck, on the shoulder left uncovered by the traditional sleepwear.

“Don’t worry about it,” Satoru asks, sliding his hand down the pink fabric and cupping Yūji’s right breast. The girl closes her eyes slowly, sighing. “I still need to see that they can really hide.” Satoru's right hand reaches Yūji’s crotch, slowly and steadily rubbing her vaginal lips and clitoris as they get wet. "Besides, they're teenagers and very spoiled. We spoil them too much."

"You think so?"

"Too much. Just like you. You're too spoiled."

Yūji laughs and turns, facing him to kiss him and put her arms around his shoulders. She climbs onto his lap, moving her hips on top of Satoru and kissing him. The man who grabs her breasts and massages them to his liking. MinMin who is outside closes the door and goes to sleep in one of the children's rooms.

Yūji steps aside to open the yukata, lift Satoru's shirt and open his pants. Satoru laughs, giving small thrusts and sighing in pleasure seconds later. His penis rubbing between Yūji's buttocks as she slides in, masturbating herself and him in the process. She rests a hand on Satoru's chest, caressing him.

"Are you going on a mission soon?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

"I don't want to... I feel so lonely without you when I go to sleep."

She stands up completely, taking the tip of Satoru's penis and lowering herself so that it enters her pussy. Little by little, the fat cock fills her insides. Throbbing and pressing itself to the deepest part. She leans towards Satoru, with her breasts brushing the naked chest of the albino who attacks her, taking her buttocks.

Having her face close to his, moaning and panting for each other. Yūji doesn't stop pressing Satoru inside her, feeling him as much as possible. Moving harder and harder. Satoru turns, resting his forearms on either side of Yūji and she pulling his hair to kiss him. Half of her back raised and her legs completely open on either side of Satoru.

She exclaims when he stops, making a wave with her body until she stops, her whole body contorting and clenching her teeth. She exhales sharply, almost falling on top of him. Yūji inhales deeply and sits up as Satoru sits up, masturbating.

She joins her lips with him almost desperately, putting his hands over his and Satoru's, he goes to grab one of the soft breasts; Yūji comes on top of him, sitting on his penis and bouncing with pleasure, Satoru sucks one of the breasts, caressing and pressing it between his fingers.

"It feels great, princess" he moans with his face between the bouncing breasts. "You're so great." He kisses and bites the skin at his disposal and Yūji moans high and high, hugging Satoru to his chest.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"One… two…" Yūta gets into position. "Three."

Satoru keeps a soft smile throughout the fight between Yūta and Yūji. Truth be told, he considers that Yūta has made good progress for the short time he has here. It's clear that Yūji has done a very well job with him. In the end, Yūta is the one left lying on the ground, but he's not surprised that happened either.

"I see a problem," Satoru mentions. "Your cursed energy: Where is it?"

"I-it's just that-"

"Don't be scared for Yūji. She can hold out more than you think, can't you, Yūji-chan?" Satoru hums and Yūji nods with a hand in her pocket.

Yūta stands up and takes up position again, this time with some flow of cursed energy… it still doesn't change the result, because Yūji is already better than she thinks. So this time it's a pretty big hole where Yūta is lying, not just the ground.

Another month passes and Yūta has become considerably better. To the point that he can fight consistently with Nanami for a little longer. The thing with Rika has improved as Yūji deals with her. Sometimes they play, which is quite creepy given the size and appearance of the curse.

Yūji makes dinner for her, lends her bows and ribbons so she can dress up and have closer experiences. Which is very related to her: they are like two exaggeratedly dangerous entities, who want nothing more than to be two girls playing and little else.

"Do you remember when she first appeared?"

"Rika died in a car accident" says Yūta and Yūji blinks repeatedly, tense and a little uncomfortable for having brought up such a heavy subject. "She just... appeared like that a few seconds later. She said we were never going to separate" Rika leans on Yūta. It's curious that now she changes size and can go out freely. As if she is some kind of ghost or companion. Different from the curses that Suguru and Kiku have. "She's been taking care of me ever since. It's creepy… she had never been this calm as now, much less this affectionate."

"She just needed some space!" Yūji exclaims, wanting to lighten the mood. "And now we're friends, right Rika?"

"Yūji, I love Yūji so much. You're my Yūji."

Yūji laughs, caught in this hug with Yūta, who leans back a little on her and Yūji does the same, pressing the cheek against Yūta's. Satoru arrives and sees the scene, taking out his cell phone and taking a photo. It's cute if he sees it from the point of view that they are his students…

On the other hand…!"

"Yūūūūūūjiiiiiiiii" Satoru whines with his hands in his pockets. "Why aren't you home? I got worried because you weren't. Come on."

"I'm going! See you tomorrow!" She kisses Yūta on the cheek and gives a peck to Rika as well, who squeals and flails, not wanting to let go. She manages to slip away and go to Satoru, taking him by the arm.

Yūta is too distracted by having enjoyed the contact, to notice Yūji leaning too close to Satoru, pressing her bust in the arm of her husband. Satoru laughs, amused by Yūji's whispers telling him things and saying that she wants to be with today.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Mom… It's not like that."

"No?"

"No." say five teenagers at once.

Yūji scratches her head, having bows to hold her hair back. Today she wears a white long-sleeved shirt and over it, a brown dress. Yūji settles in her spot, trying to figure out what she has to do. Akihiko and Kazuhiko exchange a nervous glance. Yūji is very bad at math and they are embarrassed to correct her, but Satoru asked them to do it.

Because otherwise, Yūji will hide the mistake and Satoru won't be able to explain to her what's wrong. Yūji tries for another half hour and the homework is left incomplete, unlike his sons who got the whole assignment done. She can't stop thinking about it when she goes to train with Yūta, being somewhat distracted and breaking his nose in the process.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"I'm fine." says Yūta removing his hands from his face and as he does so, the burst of blood that falls is so profuse that Yūji breaks into a cold sweat.

"THAT'S NOT OK!"

┈

"Why are you so distracted, princess?"

Yūji grumbles, sitting on the edge of the pool. Satoru leans against Yūji's thighs, rubbing his cheek with her right one and enjoying how fluffy they are. The girl huffs, noticeably frustrated.

"The kids think I'm stupid and I broke Yūta's nose," Satoru laughs through his nose. "I don't understand how you guys just... Know what to do with all those numbers! It's a nightmare. I don't understand anything and I look even more stupid and useless than I already am in front of them."

"You're not useless,Yūji. You aren't stupid either. What I teach you is too complicated. You shouldn't be studying it at this age, but you've already run out of content for your age or supposed scholar program." Satoru rests his chin and Yūji continues with a pout. "None of them think you're stupid, sweetheart. Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some space and merit."

"How do I do that if I can't do anything right?"

"As far as I can see: this house is held together by you commanding it. Do you think all those kids are easily controlled? What Chōsō could? Or any of us?" Yūji grumbles, shaking his head. "You keep everyone eating, everything clean, everything tidy, no one complaining, no one arguing… This place doesn't work without you! Lately all I do is just keep the veil up. The rest is up to you, princess."

"I feel useless, Satoru," Yūji emphasizes. "I feel like I don't… exist." She pats her chest. "Even with free time, with doing whatever I want. I feel like… I'm not really important. That I'm a zero. That I fade into existence." Yūji brushes Satoru's damp hair away from his face. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this. You came from a mission and I'm annoying you."

"Not at all, princess. We're here to support each other in bad times and this is one of them," Satoru says. "Do you want me to do something to help you?"

"No. I think I can figure it out myself… I think."

Resolve that you're just a piece of meat to tease cocks or give birth to children? That's reality. Good luck changing it.

She clenches her jaw, irritated to hear Sukuna in her head.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Suguru, Nanami and Satoru are on missions today and for a week.

Yūji decided to order all his children to stay on the opposite side of the house and invite Yūta to play in the pool! Needless to say, he was very surprised by the structure, finding it fascinating because of the amount of fish there are. He still doesn't surpass MinMin and to think that Yūji has this level of entertainment overwhelms him.

No more than seeing her half naked, wearing a swimsuit.

Yūji puts on a two-piece swimsuit: on top being white and tied to her neck; on the bottom with a discreet skirt. Yūta blushes in all possible shades. Yūji is too corpulent. He's never seen her this defined. She usually wears huge sweatshirts or loose dresses that cover her perfectly.

Now he sees the huge thighs, the strong and muscular arms with nothing to envy, the broad back with some scars. MinMin lies down at the edge of the pool, watching Yūta indiscreetly. Yūji dives into the pool and Yūta sinks in the process.

"What's wrong!? I told you we came to play."

"I-I'm sorry, I got distracted."

"Did you get sick?" Yūji asks and Yūta shakes his head.

Trying not to look at her bouncing breasts. To say that he is surprised that Yūji can pick him up to throw him into the deep end of the pool is an understatement. It was more fun than he imagined. He tried to dunk her, but he couldn't; They were splashing and competing for a long time.

Yūta has the feeling that someone is watching him and it's unpleasant, but he assumes he's hallucinating. He doesn't think that whoever lives here would bother to keep an eye on him. He turns his attention back to Yūji when she dunks his head and makes him stay under the water for almost three minutes straight.

He can barely feel his lungs.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Do you think it's a good idea to leave a girl like Yūji alone with a teenager her age?" Suguru asks with his hands under his sleeves. Satoru laughs, shaking his head. "One who is clearly fascinated with her."

"Who wouldn't?"

"You should be more careful with your wife. Before she runs off with someone who makes a better match… she and Yūta are a lot alike, don't you think?" Suguru looks up at the sky for a moment. "Thrown into a world they don't know, don't understand, and clearly shouldn't have entered in the first place."

"Not everyone is a pervert asshole like you, Suguru," Satoru says. "Not everyone goes around raping the girl they like."

Suguru doesn't say anything else about it. Satoru looks at his phone, and while Suguru can't scare him off with the subject, his children can:

Akihiko.
Mom brought this guy to the pool

Umi
I don't like the way he sees mom.
Hes a fcking pervert

Toukki:
Can we kick him out????
I want him out of the house

Kiku
He's not doing anything wrong. I don't like him, but mom needs to have friends too

Yuzu
We're her friends and all she needs. Not some guy who sees her that way
Like he'll rape her anytime soon

Kikyo:
Are you coming back already? (；′⌒`)
Please come quickly and get him out of here.

Satoru turns off the screen of his phone and sighs. Just what he needed.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Was it wrong? I told the kids not to come to that part while we were playing."

Satoru would like to tell Yūji that it was wrong, that it was horrible, that she should never do something like that again, but at the same time, what can he scold here? What can he complain about? Yūji wasn't doing anything wrong. On the contrary, she was playing with a new friend. Basically like it was with Junpei. Satoru doesn't like that there is another man around her and that is his problem. Not Yūji's.

Who clearly expressed needing time for herself. Needing to exist on her own without being just a mother or wife.

She wants to be social. She is very outgoing and energetic. A friend like Yūta is exactly what she needs. Himiko and Nanako live in a different world, one where they have contact with the reality outside, nothing torments them or threatens them with death. Yuta on the other hand has Rika, he has society pressuring him.

It is, in fact, the perfect pair for Yūji: both in the same dark hole where they try to be strong, not die and not cry for those anguish.

"Just... tell them. They got scared because they didn't know you were going to be with him there. They could have made a fuss" Satoru excuses and Yūji nods. "You like Yūta, right?"

"Yeah! I really like talking to him. It's like talking to Junpei… they know things about the outside world. It's fun to hear about them. More than experiencing it myself." she jokes, letting her head fall to the side and Satoru rubs his forehead, hugging her seconds later.

"I'm sorry for keeping you locked up here."

"It's okay." She gives him a peck on the lips. "I'm fine. I like being here."

Satoru smiles, pleased to hear that.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He keeps an eye on Yūji and Yūta. The way they talk to each other. He notices that the free time Yūji has, usually occupied by one of the kids, is now almost entirely consumed by talking and joking with Yūta. Even watching movies together in the small space Yūta has at home.

Yūji also plays with Rika, which is a little creepy because of the look of the curse now so well controlled.

Sometimes they play with the deers.

Sometimes they just watch and play in the pond.

On other occasions, Yūji has put him back in the pool.

There is nothing malicious. Not on Yūji's part at least. With Yūta, it's another matter. Satoru senses it. Even with his dead fly appearance, Yūta is too dazzled by Yūji. Fascinated by how she talks, how she laughs; the worst was the pool, detecting that which his children claimed: Yūta does look at Yūji.

Very attentively.

With interest, with hunger, with excitement.

The strange thing was when Rika got into that whole equation.

The curse just…

"Yūji is very pretty. I like Yūji."

Yūji lets out a squeal in the air, amused at being burdened like this by the huge curse. Rika even rubs part of her head on Yūji's chest.

Satoru is sick to his stomach at the possibility of Yūta trying something with Yūji. After Suguru, Satoru can't trust any male figure who isn't overly explicit in his intentions: Nanami was clear, he sees Yūji as a daughter; Chōsō was clear, he sees Yūji as his little sister; Suguru is forced to be distant with her, which he half-fulfills from what he's been able to discover.

Yūta is… a fucking nuisance.

Satoru would like to kill him, say he was a failure and finish him off, but he knows the repercussions that would bring: Yūji would see herself reflected and think that he doesn't trust her anymore. That he thinks she's a menace even though he's always promised her that it's the opposite. There's also the possibility that Sukuna will show up to be a fucking problem.

Satoru doesn't have the luxury of being able to get rid of Yūta, no matter how much he wants to. Let him just be a little pop where there's nothing the next second. Rika would disappear with him possibly. Two problems solved and his wife back to himself and his children.

Yūji is the matriarch of the Gojō clan.

Just as she is only for the Gojō clan.

"Jealousy of a fifteen year old boy. It should be obvious why you have that jealousy." Nanami adjusts his glasses and crosses the arms. Satoru looks at him with a pout of false pain. "He is more suitable to be with Yūji. Unlike you with so many years of difference."

"Oh Nanami, stop rubbing that in my face. It's case closed. It's already like that."

"You say so easily that it is like that, how do you continue to abuse a sixteen year old girl."

"Because it's already over! There are already eight kids! What do you want me to do!? You only torment me or-"

"Leave her alone."

Satoru waves his hand off in disinterest. Why did he come to talk about it with Nanami to begin with? Of course that would be his great idea. His great solution. To screw him and be left alone while some jerk who doesn't deserve her gets to enjoy everything that Yūji means. Everything that her beautiful, perfect presence has to offer.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūji bends back, moaning breathlessly and tightening her thighs around Satoru's head, who sucks enthusiastically and almost desperately the wet pussy. His tongue enters and exits the slimy vagina and his teeth massage the clit. He moves away just a little from Yūji, who grabs him by the hair to stick him again.

"A-a little more- Ummm… A little…"

Satoru laughs, sucking and tongue-sucking again, squeezing Yūji's thighs and swinging his head back and forth until, to his own surprise, a thick liquid shoots out. Yūji gives a little shout. She's a little scared and surprised, when Satoru got away, he just laughs.

"You learned to squirt! You evolved like a Pokémon."

"I-I can control that? I-I d-dont-"

"No, no, calm down." He wipes his chin and stands up.

Satoru pulls down his pants and masturbates in front of Yūji, just watching her. Yūji lowers her hands to her crotch, opening her pussy, exposing the pink and throbbing entrance that invites him to penetrate her and fill her all night. Satoru gets lost in his mind, just admiring her and letting his body act as silly and simple as it can be.

Reaching orgasm on her, dirtying her breasts and when he decides to penetrate her, it is with such a strong and accurate push, that Yūji has an orgasm that leaves her seeing stars, moaning loud and loud with her tongue out. He holds her behind her knees, thrusting into her again and again. Watching his penis get lost inside her wet vagina; Yūji's breasts bounce until he takes them in his hands, playing with them shamelessly and Yūji grabs onto Satoru's arms, babbling nonsense and obscenities.

He pulls out his penis, rubbing it on Yūji's vagina who twists and demands, hitting it and on the seat, distressed by feeling empty and that everything inside her burns, Satoru's fault that he doesn't please her as she wants.

"You're so pretty even begging." Satoru says before joining his lips with Yūji. He takes her by the buttocks, Yūji hugs Satoru and is left with his back against the paper wall.

His legs around Satoru's hips and thus holding onto him inside her. He caresses her back and pulls her hair.

"I-it feels so good, Satoru, it feels so good- Harder-"

Satoru kisses and bites her neck, digging his nails into her large, reddened buttocks.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Sometimes, Satoru wishes he could set a trap for Yūta.

Let him see them and stop seeing Yūji the way he does.

Maybe with that he knows that Yūji has no room to be claimed by anyone else.

However, then Satoru thinks that he doesn't want him to see that…

Satoru doesn't want anyone else to see Yūji this way.

Suguru's doing it was enough to add one more person.

The problem is that Satoru's regret comes at a bad place, not a bad time.

Near the annex where Yūta is staying and studying at this very moment, Satoru pretended to lose track of space and is now holding Yūji's hips, riding her roughly and eagerly. Yūji is not very discreet either. She didn't put the slightest effort into refusing, on the contrary, she remains attached to Satoru so that he doesn't move away, to hear the voice directly in her ear and squeezes him deeper and deeper into her pussy, so that he enjoys it and fills her as he always does.

Satoru puts fingers in Yūji's mouth, thus drowning out the indecent sounds and with the left hand constantly rubs on her crotch, making sure to make her come as much as possible so that she does not realize that Satoru transported them to the room to continue.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"OWF CHŌSŌ!"

The half-curse closes the door really fast and Yūji immediately covers herself with the sheet, getting up in a hurry to go to whatever he needs. Satoru intercepts her, pulling her back onto the futon, kissing her neck, rubbing their lips and massaging one of her breasts.

"I might need something. Satoru lets go- no, not there- Satoru…"

She exhales deeply and smiles, bristling and satisfied by the penis that slides so slowly inside her. Different than usual. Satoru pants in her ear. "Let him wait a while… it's still early… it can wait… I love being inside you. You feel great, darling." Satoru moans low, airy and Yūji purrs in response.

"Just once… very slow."

It was four times, very slow.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru grabs Yuji's buttocks, spreading them and starting to lick her vagina, as well as between her buttocks. At the same time, he stops himself from cumming, a consequence of Yuji licking his penis. The girl slides her spongy, wet tongue all over his cock. Swollen and raised as high as it can be; outlining the veins, squeezing the testicles with some whitish hair.

Yuji just pants against the penis, still playing with the swollen balls and when the semen starts to come out, she licks it as it does, even the little that falls on her face. Satoru moves his hips, rubbing herself against Satoru's face. The man giving clumsy and foolish thrusts, because he does nothing.

Yūji laughs at that, clearly playing. Their breasts pressed into Satoru's toned abdomen, forming two large, padded masses. Yūji jerks Satoru off with her hand, panting and causing another orgasm, while Satoru sucks and licks like a dog desperate to get a drink.

Yūji finally takes the cock into her mouth, gagging shamelessly, her head leaning back all the way to her throat. He stands up and Satoru stands up, using his forearms for support. Yūji sits on top of him, her back to him and moving her hips in an almost hypnotic rhythm. Satoru grabs  Yūji's  ass, opening it a little to see how it moves, pushing equally. A silly smile on his lips as his cock is seen dripping white liquid from how much it comes out.

Satoru takes Yūji by the arms, lying on the floor and making her jump until she is completely empty again and again, her breasts bouncing and her moaning with her tongue out, eyes clouded with pleasure and a pleasant smile.

Unaware that she is completely exposed to whoever is looking at her through a hole in the paper wall...

Chapter 27: XXVII

The kiss is anxious, deep. He slides his hands through Yūji's clothes, undoing them until he has the naked girl against him, who barely has underwear on. Yūji grabs his face, pushing him into that desperate kiss they have. They fall on the bed and as he penetrates her, Yūji sighs: "Suguru… Suguru."

She pulls his black hair, hiding her face in his shoulder while he grabs her thighs, thrusting into her until he turns her around and so, leaning on her, kissing his neck, his collarbone and then seeing his face as he moves inside her. Smiling with pleasure, happy; moaning his name over and over again, with the impatience of staying together…

"Suguru?" "Suguruuu?"

Suguru lifts the head from the futon and sits down with a sour face. Yūji, who is accompanied by MinMin, the girl enters the room with sheets in her hands. Suguru mumbles something like a question, but it is not very clear because of the hoarseness of his voice.

"Your sheets are dirty. So I came to bring you new ones" Yūji informs and Suguru reluctantly lies down again. Yūji laughs. "You are almost thirty years old. Don't be like a little boy."

"I am like a little boy." Suguru stretches his arms towards her.

The only thing he receives is the sheet. Suguru watches her as she arranges some things in the room. It is ironic to see her like this after seeing her having sex so wildly. Definitely Satoru takes advantage in the best possible way of how hormonal Yūji is due to her adolescence. In addition to that improvised flirtation, where she only has more and more hormones on top of her.

However, no matter how risky, insistent, and long the action, Yūji and Satoru always say the same thing to each other when they finish: I love you, I love you so much, you are the most important thing in my life…

I love you more than my life.

I promise to never leave you.

I love you so much it hurts…

"Yūji" Suguru calls and she turns around, standing at the door. "If we manage to take Sukuna away from you and you are free… Wouldn't you like to go with me? Even if it's for a while." Suguru whispers with a hopeful tone. Soft. Yūji purses her lips and looks away.

"I know that if I go with you, no matter under what circumstances or under what premise, I wouldn't see Satoru again." Yūji points out and Suguru laughs.

"I promise you will see him again. I just… want to have you for a while."

"I'm not for you. I'm not a thing." Yūji claims and Suguru rubs his face, sitting up.

"I know that perfectly well."

"Then stop seeing me as such."

Suguru tilts his head.

"You're not a thing… you're the most precious person in my life… you're my reason to live for, no one and nothing else matter" Suguru says and Yūji looks away. "You don't understand how important you are to me… and how much I want to have you. Not because you're a thing, but because your soul and your entire being make me happy and I wish I could do the same to you."

Suguru wipes his chin, blood on it. Too much time in a same room with her. Yūji shook her head.

"I'm starting to think I accidentally made a vow to you" Suguru comments laughing, chin in his palm. "And that's why I can't see the possibility of living life without you around."

"I think you could. If you really tried."

"I don't want to." Suguru drops back down and curls up. Yūji grumbles. Yes, he acts like a child.

A very strange one.

Also shameless.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru hates shooting himself in the foot. It's unbearable and so ridiculous when it happens. The day he decided to have Megumi as an apprentice on the sly seems far away and even funny. Well, it's not anymore: he has no time for him, for Yuta, for his students at the Jujutsu school and much less for his children or his wife.

It's the most serious part of the whole thing. He can't stop giving time to his family. He rejects the idea of being the same as Hifumi: distant, bad father, bad husband, bad head of the clan. Anyway. It's a matter of pride. This is where he shoots himself in the foot:

Satoru decides to take Megumi home. So he can train him alongside Yūta and Yūji. He avoid the time loss of going to his house, to check that Megumi did what he told him to do, he can be more consistent... Pure technical advantages! Then there's the matter of bringing another teenager into the house. One who is just as contemporary with his wife. Satoru feels like he's going to go bald from stress, but what other option does he have? Even if Satoru wanted to, he can't divide himself into more than five parts. Much less does he want to waste time with his family.

His source of energy and joy these years.

Yūji didn't complain at the announcement that they would have someone else, although Satoru detected that she is not comfortable. There are already many people in this territory and her children are impatient to get out. Offended that they must hide while Yūta practically goes about his business. Adding someone to that equation can bring a rather powerful complaint.

And it will come.

At least at night.

Satoru only asks to have his big group hug.

"Two students?" Megumi asks with his hands in the pockets of his black jacket "Why do you have two more students?" He asks boredly and Satoru laughs with a shrug.

"Little things," Satoru replies curtly, smiling carefree. They enter the veil without Megumi noticing until he collided with it. "Though I must warn you of one thing…"

"Ummm?" Megumi stops without changing his expression. 

"They are a little…"

Satoru couldn't find the word and the huge explosion behind him does enough. Megumi has a twitch in his eyebrow, looking in shock at the giant curse that seems to roar like a dinosaur and is going to dive towards something. Satoru turns around, whistling and resting his hands on his hips.

"They are a little wild today. That's new" he points out rubbing his chin. "Well! Let's get you introduced."

Saying that Megumi is restless is an understatement. Arriving at where Yūta and Yūji are training is like arriving at a testing ground for atomic bombs. The amount of holes in the floor and small burns give the impression that a war of at least fifty men has broken out. Not two people. Yūji is in better shape than Yūta, it is already possible to say with complete certainty that Yūta knows what to do and where he is standing. Also where to hit and how to command Rika.

"Hello!"

"Yūji-chaaan"

Yūji jumps on him and Yūta fears for a moment that Satoru will fall. Yūji is heavy. Very heavy. It is not surprising being a mass of muscle and strength. Megumi begins to reconsider the idea of returning home and waiting to start in the Jujutsu school. He does not see why ve would be stuck here with two clear savage beast.

"And Megumi!" Yūji exclaims, getting down and walking towards him. "I'm Itadori Yūji. Nice to meet you." They bow together and Megumi blushes at her smile. "He's taller in person. He looks small in the photo."

"It's just that we all look small next to Gojō-sensei," Yuta laughs. "Okkotsu Yūta, nice to meet you." bows to greetings.

"Fushiguro Megumi… nice to meet you… Aren't there a lot of them here?"

"Not at all. There's plenty of room and this area of the territory is constantly being destroyed. We just have to shovel dirt when we're done," Yūji says calmly. Megumi gives a nervous sigh.

This is not what he expected at all.

He is given some basic rules. First, he cannot go to the main part of the house. He is restricted to this section of the territory. It is huge, too much so, and his room in the annex is not small either. He just finds it Strange? That he and Yūta cannot go to the main part of the house. Yūji lives there. The explanation of her being stuck here since she was seven makes him wonder: how can someone put up with Satoru for so many years? It seems unbelievable. The food is brought by her or, failing that, by her brother who is half curse.

And suddenly the tiny detail that she is Sukuna's vessel.

"SHE IS WHAT!?"

"That is a very ugly reaction, Megumi," Satoru scolds, crossing his arms. "Yūji is not an ugly bug for you to make that face and scream at" Megumi grits his teeth and looks at Yūji again. There's something evil about her, he thought maybe she's just like Yūta: she has a curse attached to her. Not that she has the king himself. Besides, even he knows the huge problem there is trying to find her. "You wouldn't give her away, would you? They'd kill her- I'd have to kill her. That's ugly." Satoru hugs Yūji from behind and rests his chin on the pink haired head. "Look at her, she's too pretty to die."

"She's who everyone's looking for. Why are you hiding her?" Megumi argues. Yūta puts the sword away and leans on it. Megumi fights a losing battle, but eventually he'll figure it out.

"Because I want to."

Yūji gives an exhausted sigh. Satoru said that sticking out the tip of his tongue. "I've told him several times to kill me, but he doesn't want to... he thinks he can extract Sukuna from my body and kill him. I can control him. I just don't know if I can when he's complete."

Megumi rubs his temple and then the space between his eyebrows. Why does Yūji have to remind her of Tsumiki? Why must it be so hard to follow his common sense entirely. Satoru laughs and rocks on his feet, still hugging Yūji from behind.

"If you say anything, the vow kills you. You promised to do what I tell you and that is to hide Yūji. Ta-da."

"WHEN DID YOU...!?"

┈

"Don't be impatient. Satoru will talk to you soon" Yūji warns, serving the food on several plates. It's Megumi and Yūta's part. "I know you don't like it-"

"Mom, it's not fair" Akihiko claims and she gives an exhausted sigh. "He'll end up bringing an army in here and we won't even be able to leave the room!" her eldest son complains. "And you don't have to make them food all the time. We can leave things there for them and let them take care of themselves."

"That's very rude. They're guests."

"And you're not a maid." He chases after her as she arranges the plates on the tray where she will carry it. "Neither is Uncle Chōsō. You're the matriarch of this clan. In the worst case, we should cook for them." Yūji looks even more disgusted with that idea. "It's not enough that you can't go out, now You have to take care of two strangers?"

"They're Satoru's students," Yūji informs, taking the tray and despite it being a lot of food, she can easily carry it. "Maybe they could belong to the clan in the future. If it doesn't become a mess, but," Akihiko opens the door for her, "stop worrying about such silly things. I know you're upset about not getting out and now there's a second non-member in the clan, just be patient."

"Yūta's been here for four months now."

"That's not much."

"No. It's the ten years you've been locked up here and dad doesn't try to fix it. It's just… he keeps looking for more kids to train." the teenager criticizes.

The funniest thing is that his eldest son claims Yūji as a husband at this point. As well as taller and stronger. Yūji misses the time when he used to hide behind her too. Even when he was a little boy who was scared when he saw her.

Now she feels like a child even with him.

"He knows what to do. Please trust him and reassure your brothers, okay? I'm counting on you for that?" Akihiko nods. Not because he wants to. It's because he doesn't want to give his mother any other responsibility. She already fills herself with enough duties. "Thank you." She gives him a kiss on the cheek as she bends down and leaves to carry the food.

Akihiko snorts. He doesn't like this.

┈

When he saw the tiger, Megumi knew that everything about this place is weird. That Yūji can lift almost ten times her weight is another surprise he didn't see coming. Megumi scans his surroundings constantly. Because of that, Yūta is his main focus of attention. With the boy smiling and being slightly silly with Yūji. She prattles on about movies, food preferences, clothes Suguru brought her, the sandwiches Nanami brought for a snack. Lots of chatter that has Yūta totally dumbed down by Yūji.

"Several of the deer gave birth. We can see the babies tomorrow," Yūji suggests. "Do you want to come?" Megumi hides his surprise at finally being spoken to. He wants to eat, not talk. Megumi was waiting for her to go. "It'll be after training. They're a bit more active at that time… and I don't have to do my homework that way." Yūji sticks out the tip of her tongue, scratching his head.

"Gojō-sensei is going to scold you for that."

"Shhhhh, I'll make him a giant pudding and he won't notice."

Yūta laughs. Megumi feels out of place here. Yūji goes to sit with him, unaware of what she's doing, hugging him tightly. Opening his eyes wide and looking ahead nervously.

"It'll be fun. Besides, it's really sad to be stuck here all day by yourself." Yūji laughs and Megumi blushes even more.

Is she aware of how much he presses her breasts? That when she moves, she rubs against his arm. He ends up accepting, embarrassed. Yūji celebrates, giving him a slap (which feels like a blow) and runs off wishing them bon appetit and good night. Megumi takes the chopsticks and eats slowly.

"Is she always like this?"

"She's very affectionate." Is all Yūta answers, his cheek stuffed with food.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Bringing a second teenager into the house is too big a risk, and Satoru sees the consequences the next day. He had to go out on an emergency mission, so he was away for the night and much of the morning. Right now, what he finds is Yūji with his army of deer, their babies, and accompanied by Yūta and Megumi.

He knows that Megumi is very stubborn and quiet, so it's strange that he would give in to being there. In the surveillance of the next few days, ignoring his children's bad mood for good reasons, he realizes that the closeness is almost immediate.

Yūji gets along spectacularly with Megumi. So much so that she also takes him to play in the pool, to help her clean the koi pond, to check on the deer, to polish the weapons they use for training. Yūta is also involved, which is unpleasant for Satoru.

He even has nightmares where Yūji tells him that she is in love with one of them. Terrible. Unpleasant. Unheard of. He refuses.

Now, several days, weeks later, Satoru continues to feel uneasy. It gets worse by the minute and more and more he sees the three of them together.

"It would be very funny if he fell in love" says Suguru, walking down the hall with Satoru. The albino is on the verge of having a hysterical attack. "However, what could you do if that happens?"

Satoru looks to the right, where Yūji runs around with Megumi, Yūta, MinMin and the shadow wolves. It is, without a doubt, the time where Yūji seems like a girl her age. It's not that he doesn't like it. It's the ideal. It's what he always wanted for her. The problem is that he's so annoying about her with these two people who are clearly in love with her.

As silly as a teenage crush can be.

Still, what would stop them from trying to move forward? Flirting with her or, in their inexperience, jumping straight into doing things with her. Suguru recognizes the concern and wastes no time in making fun of him. It's ridiculous how jealous and possessive Satoru is. To make matters worse, he's the one who makes the worst decisions for this kind of thing. Satoru causes the problems himself.

He was the one who decided to bring the threats home.

Satoru applies what Yūji said about him: he's incapable of putting aside those who need help. Satoru has a soft spot for helpless children. No one can deny that.

"Satoru!" Yūji shakes his arm, greeting. Megumi still finds such familiarity strange. Yūji treats Satoru like his closest acquaintance.

Not even he does that and he's known Satoru for quite some time too. Satoru returns the greeting with the stupidest smile known to man kind and Megumi can't help but look at him in annoyance.

"It's strange" Yūta mutters and Megumi turns the head. "He's never… that kind or caring to anyone. Just her" he says quietly. Yūji ran off towards there. MinMin as well. "And sometimes it's like he can't even stop looking at her. He's gentle, but not to that degree."

"He's a strange guy" says Megumi stroking the head of the black wolf he summoned. He did it once and Yūji won't let go. Yūji adored them. "So I'm not surprised."

"It's strange, but… why only to her?"

The signage is what makes Megumi re-evaluate what he has seen so far and it is very true: Satoru has a great preference for Yūji. If he took too long to get home, Satoru looked for her; if they trained all day, she is the one he asked about progress, what was done and practically ignored them as if they were not there; any interruption that Satoru made in his explanations, almost always has to do with Yūji nearby or asking him for something specific.

The other anomalous thing is that Yūji seems to be the only person at home. She cooks, they have seen her cleaning, she asks them for dirty clothes to wash, they see her hanging it out. Although her brother is present, Satoru treats Chōsō as if he does not exist and does not care.

There is something about Yūji that makes Satoru behave differently.

It makes Megumi realize that maybe he does not know him that well.

Only Yūji knows Satoru.

Adding more to the strangeness of the matter.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I see there's a small angry mob around here" Satoru comments leaning against the door, when all his children are gathered talking and didn't even go to greet him. Akihiko is the first to see him with annoyance. Kikyo waves. "Hey~ I brought y'all their favorite sweets." he announces with a silly smile.

"We thought you were going to bring another child." Toukki grumbles. Umi nudges him and Satoru laughs.

"Ah, Yūji told me that y'all are upset about that… Don't be so bitter" he asks shaking his hand. "It's not like they're bothering. They're just there… occupying the annex" Satoru dismisses nonchalantly. "Did you train for today?" They all nod and Satoru smiles tilting his head. "Good… We are going to have a little test tomorrow. It'll be early, so don't stay up too late."

"Sure…"

Akihiko stands up once Satoru leaves and turns to his brothers, putting his hands on his waist: "He's probably going to check whether or not we can hide our presence. If we don't do it right, I see us sitting here for at least another five months and who knows how many more people."

"I've practiced as much as possible" Yuzu complains, stretching back. "The real problem is that we haven't been able to make the veils."

"Not that big at least." Toukki exhales, overwhelmed.

Kiku remains silent, listening to his brothers talk. The plan they have is very simple. Get out, get enough control of the situation outside and get Yūji out eventually. They can't ask Satoru to do it, he's busy, but they don't exist in theory! If they cover up the most distinctive features, they can be outside with Yūji.

Being locked up has been part of their lives from the first minute. It's unpleasant and overwhelming at this time knowing that there's so much outside, whether good or bad...

And they perfectly remember Yūji talking about the little she remembers from outside, the little she has in mind from her own childhood. That she also feels confined and in some way, it's a self-imposed punishment for being Sukuna's vessel. For not being able to change something that is impossible for her.

They want to give their mother a little freedom, even if it means creating veils in every place they go and keeping an eye open at all times. That's the kind of affection they have for Yūji and sometimes, because of that same adoration, they have the feeling that Satoru doesn't do enough for her. That they can do what it takes to make her happier.

They believe that Satoru doesn't know what to do, but they know. They are so smart and capable...

Part of adolescence!

Chapter 28: XVIII

"Is Satoru very close...? Well, he's been looking after me since I was six," Yūji says, waving her hand. "He took me out of a cult that was trying to bring Sukuna back and they were lining up to decide who would have sex with me first, then after I got pregnant with Sukuna." Yūta chokes on his food and pounds his chest. "They said I'd be Sukuna's wife when he returns to this world through me... And they thought if they helped out with that favor, they'd have his permission to have sex with me." Yūta pounds the table, trying not to choke and Megumi feels his appetite is just gone. "Sukuna told me he'd kill them all and now rape me in my dreams." She shrugs.

By now, it's already a part of her life and she just wishes it would stop. Mentioning it is so indifferent in contrast to living it. She sees Yūta finally clear his throat and Megumi puts his chopsticks aside. 

"What's Sukuna like?"

"He's huge. He has four eyes, four arms and two dicks."

Megumi wrinkles his face and Yūta's eyebrow twitches. They didn't need that detail. Yūji sighs, parting her lips.

"He's so annoying. He loves to call me whore, bitch, he torments me all the time... Satoru discovered that if I'm happy, he can't do anything to me! If I get too stressed, he stalks me and haunts me in my dreams," she recounts cheerfully. "So that's why he gave me MinMin, the deer, the pool," Yūji elaborates.

Wanting to boast about how good (and a perfect husband) Satoru has been to her, Megumi clears his throat. "I guess you're close to him... very close."

"Of course we are. He's Sato-nii. I love him so much." Yūji holds her face in both of his hands. "I also love Sugu-nii and Nanamin so much. Without them, I wouldn't be alive, well... I think Sukuna would have killed me a long time ago and he would be alive." Her expression becomes anxious, worried, almost desperate and tearful, but still holds a smile.

"It sounds... like a lot," Yūta says softly.

"At least I haven't been alone."

Megumi doubts that's true. Satoru has so many missions. Yūji must have spent an insane amount of time here alone. The Gojō clan only has Satoru. No one else. That's why she doesn't understand why they say there are more people in the main house. It seems like a hoax or that Satoru is trying to hide something.

Suspicious.

Too suspicious.

Still, Yūji says everything is fine. She's healthy, she can fight incredibly well, she doesn't turn to Sukuna in any way. It's impressive and it's starting to sound like they don't care about anything. Satoru has done his part by taking care of Yūji.

"Aren't you brothers?"

"Oh? What are you talking about?" asks Yūji.

"It's just... I keep thinking they look so similar."

Yūji makes a circle around her own head. Yūta puts his hand to his hair and scrunches it nervously. Oh, he hadn't thought of that until now. Yūji laughs, widening her lips and humming as she continues talking about a terrible movie she saw last night.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He's started combing his hair to prevent Yūji from thinking he looks like Megumi. It's had a great effect; even Satoru and Suguru have pointed it out. Nanami hasn't said anything. However, the important one is Yūji. Sometimes she gives him hair gel, different shampoos, conditioners, and talks about it, exposing her own hair and how much he combs it on a daily basis.

Yūji even says that, while fighting a curse, she lost most of her hair because he wanted to annoy her. The same curse that made the scars in her face.

Yūta listens to everything with such attention that at some point he loses himself. Today, sitting by the koi pond, Yūta just watches her chatter away, animated and radiant. She's wearing a summer dress; it's very hot today. It's a square cut, white fabric with a print of plants and oranges. A long hat and her hair draped over her shoulders, covered in small flower clips.

It's an adorable style.

Even if it's a bit bold and more than he thinks he can manage, he leans closer and tries to kiss her. Yūji immediately steps back and puts her hand in his.

"Don't do that.”

It's the first time he's seen her so serious, almost irritated. Yūta laughs awkwardly. "Sorry."

Yūji narrows her eyes and looks straight ahead.

"Did I upset you?"

"A little... Nanami told me that not all men want to have sex with me, but I think he is fooling me," she says and Yūta furrows his eyebrows. "Everyone used to want to touch me and I've had so many nightmares about Sukuna telling me I'm a slut, that I don't know what to think about it."

"Not everyone wants that. Not in a horrible way, at least," Yūta says, his hands in his lap. "I just think you're really pretty." Yūji turns to look at him, her face flushed and surprised. "And I really like you," he says before covering his face with his hands, embarrassed. His voice cracked at the end.

Yūji doesn't get to say anything, hugged from behind by Rika, who rubs against her. 「I really like Yūji. I really like Yūji」  repeats the curse in a thick, distorted voice. Yūji smiles, taking Rika's long fingers.

"I like you too, Rika."

Yūta is grateful that she showed up, he doesn’t need to face the level of shame he feels for having opened himself up just like that.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

It's not usual for Yūji to fall asleep in the annex. Much less in the middle of it. Sometimes she's like a cat: she sleeps anywhere. Megumi considers taking her into the house. She could be more comfortable. She notices that she's very exhausted. Megumi wonders why. Isn't she sleeping well, perhaps? Nightmares? He prefers to resort to the easiest thing: call Chōsō to come get her.

Megumi sits down next to his and Yūji curls up in his direction, occasionally scrunching up her face, and Megumi freezes in place: one of Yūji's marks opens into a red eye. A mouth forms on her scarred cheek.

"You're part Zen'in, right? You have the shadow technique."

Megumi blinks repeatedly. He wonders whether to answer, presses his finger to that eye. Is Yūji aware of this? Maybe not. The thick, chilling chuckle sends shivers through him; the cursed energy beginning to surge from Yūji's body isn't hers. It's much denser, much more dangerous.

"It's been so many centuries since someone like you appeared, how wonderful," he says, suddenly high-pitched, looking even happier. "What's your name?"

Megumi looks away. Not speaking to the talking face on Yūji's cheek is a good rule. Sukuna laughs, amused.

"You like my wife, right?" Megumi turns sharply, frowning. "I don't blame you. She has more hormones than any woman on this planet. Besides, her breasts are gigantic these days. Have you tried touching her pussy? I'm sure she'd give you a good time." His offense only grows and so does the desire to smack that mouth and eye. "This girl loves sucking cock too. It won't be-"

The chain is funny:

Megumi hits Sukuna.

Yūji wakes up and punches Megumi in the face.

Chōsō falls from Megumi's backward push.

Yūji dies of embarrassment on the side.

┈

"I-I'm really sorry. Sometimes he appears when I'm sleeping, does strange things to me and I hit him back. It was a reflex," Yūji stammers, putting the bandage on Megumi's face. She broke his nose, part of his lip and aside from having to manually fix his nose, it's completely black in the area. Yūta wishes he couldn't laugh at this. "Did I not hit you anywhere else?"

"No. It was just the nose… it's a pain." Yūji laughs halfheartedly.

"Yeah... sorry if he bothered you. I'll tell Satoru he showed up. Remember what he said?"

"The blow is enough to make anyone forget their name," Chōsō coughs and Yūji gives him a push, shoving him.

Megumi gives her a rundown and doesn't find it spectacular at all. The sorcerer keeps the whole sexual harassment thing to himself. He doesn't know what sense it makes. It's very strange that Sukuna would offer him something like that.

Besides, it's disgusting. The way he talked about Yūji is the most disgusting he's ever heard...

Talking about her as if she were an object.

A kind of property he can decide on.

He hates it.

He watches her leave, jumping up and down and talking animatedly to Chōsō. He gives a pained hiss and notices Yūta standing off to the side, following Yūji with his eyes. He blushes a few seconds later and goes to his room. Megumi snorts and goes to lie down in his room.

"She's pretty... her personality... is very pretty.”

Yes, she's physically beautiful. It's impossible not to notice, but that's not what Megumi thinks. He pictures her smiling and excited about everything he talks about, marveling at the cursed technique, how well he can fight and how much fun the day can be.

Yūji is very pretty.

And while he sleeps, Megumi can't stop thinking about that.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"This isn't going anywhere."

Satoru can't stop racking his brains. He can't find Sukuna's last finger. It's been years and unless it was smuggled out of the country, he doesn't understand how no one has found it. He took down a cult, a pretty big one and thought they'd have it.

The only thing they have is something that could cause trouble: a portrait of Yūji. Clearly, a sorcerer with some tracking technique was here and that's why they were able to get their hands on such a thing. While Jujutsu society is desperate to find Sukuna's two fingers, the cults are even more desperate to find Yūji.

Sukuna's wife.

The little he understands is that they want Sukuna's favor. The logic is that Yūji could convince him to let those she deems worthy of it live. As if Yūji is on Sukuna's side or something.

Just absurd and Satoru doesn't want to dwell on it. He destroys the painting without even thinking about it and tries to find traces of the sorcerer who made it. Nothing turns up at all.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"He didn't do anything wrong this time. That'll settle for me," Yūji says to Chōsō. Her brother gives her a suspicious look.

"We should try to investigate further what he said and if he's interested. I have a feeling there's more to it," the curse points out and Yūji continues to pay attention to the cooking food. "He's never been this... calm. That's not normal—he didn't try to bite him, he didn't threaten him, he didn't make a fuss—Sukuna just isn't like that and you know it very well.” 

"I want to not worry about him. That's what I want," she says irritably. "I can't... get upset now. Not with eighteen fingers in my stomach and a migraine that could explode my head," she complains, putting the metal chopsticks aside. Chōsō just steps back, allowing her to walk alongside him down the hallway. "I still can't use my cursed technique. We still don't know where the remaining finger is... with a lot of luck, it's in the cult you told Satoru about a little while ago, but the point is: I don't have enough strength for more anguish."

"I understand," Chōsō assures gently. "I just ask you not to be so confident. Ignoring things like this leads to carelessness and who knows who might end up hurt?" Yūji nods sadly. "I'll go pick up the plates they left in their rooms.”

"Whoever has the most plates in their room, clean up everything in the kitchen." Yūji warns and Chōsō nods. She sits in the hallway and rests her hands on the wood, staring at the grass. Sukuna is calm, quiet, but she feels his presence in an unpleasant way. As if the days make him more corporeal.

She can feel the enormous arms surrounding her.

A hand gripping her neck.

His breath on her ear.

His enormous chest on her back, about to crush her.

She breathes deeply, closing her eyes and seeking peace. Meditation and paying attention to nonsense help her push away that disgusting memory. Yūji opens her eyes when she hears someone sitting next to her, being Toukki.

"You can't be here, dear," Yūji laments. "Let's go inside. It won't be a problem." She takes his arm as she gets up and leads him with her.

They have a second garden. It's surrounded by the house and has a pond in the middle. Beautifully decorated, like everything else. There are koi fish inside. Another source of Yūji's entertainment. She takes off her shoes, picks up her pants and sits with her feet in the water. Toukki imitates her, keeping his glasses on his head and not covering his blue eyes.

"Okay," Yūji slaps her thighs twice. "What do you need to talk about?" She asks with a lively smile.

"Don't go out alone to train with Dad's students."

Yūji blinks continuously. What? Besides... What's with that tone?"

"I don't understand," Yūji admits uncomfortably, still smiling.

"I don't want you to go with those two again," Toukki complains, focused on the koi fish swimming around Yūji's feet. "They're nobodies in this house. They're two useless people that Dad has to teach how to do everything, and you too. I don't want you to go back there.”

"They're kids. They have to train to be good. It's not about—"

"I don't care," he argues, interrupting her. "Let alone you go into that house with them. With two... men, you alone. What are you doing in there alone with them anyway?" Toukki waves his hand, ranting.

The way Yūji twists her expression is one of clear offense. After all, Toukki implies that she's going in there for a reason. One that can be widely misinterpreted as her being a married woman spending time alone with two men.

「Even your son knows you're a whore」

「He, everyone else…」

「How funny」

"You think I'm cheating on Satoru with them? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm saying they might try to do something to you because you're good and sexy and they are teenagers," Toukki corrects. "You can't go see them. You can't make a big deal out of it because they'll think you're a pushover who spreads her legs with enough convincing and time." Yūji grits her teeth and clenches her fists. "Besides, they're two teenagers with a dick in their pants. They're stupid. They might try-”

"I'm a teenager too. Are you going to keep insinuating it?" "Don't go with them and I don't have to hint at it again!"

Toukki only means that Megumi and Yūta would take advantage of her, too caught up in his own demands to deny his mother's assumptions. Yūji, for her part, gets up from her seat, takes her shoes and leaves without saying anything to her son. On the way, she meets Chōsō, the curse, carrying about twenty dirty plates of food.

"Chōsō, do you think I'm an easy woman?" "No... Why...? Don't cry. What's wrong?"

Yūji doesn't know if she's crying from sadness, shame, or frustration at everything that's accumulated in ten minutes of conversation. That her son speaks to her that way, treats her that way and even insults her, implying that she's unfaithful. Something that has never crossed her mind in her life. There's nothing more unpleasant than thinking about having sex with someone other than Satoru. She only likes having sex because Satoru treats her well, because he treats her as his greatest adoration and she knows that no one will be like him.

No one will love her as much as he does.

And then here's her son, calling her a whore, wanting to order her around like she's a child and not his mother. She takes a deep breath, looking away. Chōsō caresses her shoulder lovingly before taking her hand away and opening it, revealing a heart made of blood.

She laughs involuntarily, making Chōsō smile back.

"Don't worry... tell me what's going on.”

Chōsō is equally offended. In this time, he's been able to better understand family dynamics, but not the patterns of behavior. He doesn’t adolescence. He hates the whole thing. That's why he doesn't understand how Toukki would dare to do something like that.

In the end, the two ate alone, not wanting to be with the rest of the kids.

"Did you talk to Mom?"

"I don't think she liked it."

"That doesn't matter," Umi belittles. "She needs to know she can't go there. It's basic."

"She's very stupid when it comes to other people," Takahiro says, filling his mouth. "I hope she listens."

"Don't talk like that," Akihiko scolds and they roll their eyes, arguing. Talk about it in what way? With reality? Even after the meal is over, it's a small argument between everyone.

According to what they agreed to, not so each one would do it differently and Toukki was the only one who dared to speak.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"So Sukuna upset Megumi... how strange."

Yūji shrugs. She finds it strange too. Satoru exhales in annoyance, removing the bandage from his face and leaning back against Yūji, rubbing his cheek against Yūji's shoulder.

"I destroyed a cult today. It was full of idiots worshipping a mural of Sukuna and doing searches for you." Yūji points a finger at herself. Her? She hadn't done anything. "They think you're Lilith or something. That you're on good terms with Sukuna," Satoru mocks, turning until his head is resting on Yūji's back. "How ridiculous. I wonder where they come up with such things."

"I don't know. I never gave any impression of anything like that when I was there," Yūji mentions. "Hey, Satoru... the kids-”

"I'll test them tomorrow. It's not my fault I have more work than a guard dog," Satoru whines. "I should have made them grow older. Keeping them in their teens is going to give me gray hair-"

"I don't want them to grow any more. All my kids are a year and nine months older than me!" Yūji complains exasperatedly, and Satoru laughs. "They see me as a child... I'm starting to get desperate with this," she complains, rubbing her face. "They're my kids. Kids ," she emphasizes. "And they think of me as if... they can order me around, as if I'm the one who doesn't understand anything. The one who should step aside and let the adults take charge.”

"Yūji, they're teenagers. Don't worry, princess, they're not trying to order you around or-"

"Toukki demanded me today," Satoru stands up abruptly, his face sour, "that I'm not alone with Yūta and Megumi in any close space. That I'm hot and they have dicks. Like... I'm going to do something or who knows what he thinks of me; telling me things could happen there and that I'd get lost for hours with two men. He told me in a way that made me... feel bad, because I thought that- Satoru!"

Yūji chases him around the house and Satoru enters abruptly to his third son's room. He leans against the door. The teenager listens to music on a player while playing with a knife. The ones he usually uses as a weapon. Satoru then makes him take off his headphones and leave the book half open. At first, Toukki doesn't understand what's happening and why his father seems angry with him.

Yūji pulls Satoru by the waist, without moving him even slightly, drawing the attention of all their children, who immediately peek out from their rooms.

"What did you say to your mother today? Umm?" Toukki stutters. "Do you think you can demand things from her? That you can talk to her like she's a stupid girl from outside and insult her?" Satoru rebukes and Yūji pulls him harder. "I hope that you and all of you understand one thing: Yūji is younger than you, but she is the one who gave birth to y’all. She is your mother and being fifteen isn't going to change that." Toukki lowers his head, embarrassed. "If any of you dare to disrespect your mother again, the problem is not going to be simply doing the dishes for a week or cleaning the entire house.”

"Satoru it's enough already- It's not that big of-" 

"It is that big of a deal," he irritably corrects her, biting her lip. Akihiko stands up a little straighter. "This applies to you above all others. Do you think I don't know everything you're saying about me behind my back?" Akihiko grits his teeth and looks down. "I know what I'm doing, and I'm doing my best to make this work. So that none of you die!" Satoru points out. Kikyo's getting younger and younger, her face tearful, and Yūji takes Satoru's arm. "Do you think being stuck here is horrible? That it's a punishment? Do you hate your house and us so much that you want to get out?"

"I-it's not that," Kiku stammers, being the one who has the best luck interceding. "We just... want to help you. We know everything you do—You, Uncle Suguru, Uncle Nanami. We know it's dangerous, but you've trained us all our lives to fight! And now that we're ready, you won't let us out. We're not children anymore."

"You came out at our age and you were much less prepared than we were," Yuzu points out in the same tone as his twin. Satoru gives such a strange laugh that it scares them and Yūji gasps.

"And I died at that age. That's why you can't go out yet."

The horror in all of them is so clear. They even look at Yūji for confirmation. She doesn't know what to do, what to say about this.

"Let's go to the room, okay? Let's go," Yūji prompts softly.

"This is all to protect you and Yūji." Satoru continues laughing in that creepy way, sending them into a panic. "Because, as you know, there's no one else in this clan but us! We are the only help there is and that's because Yūji was strong enough to put up with me and you." They know what he's talking about. They're perfectly aware that Yūji shouldn't have been able to give birth. Much less so many times in a row and that if she's still alive, it's only because she's half curse. Not so much that it hurt any less. They understand how much she suffered in the process of giving birth to them. "So I hope with that, you don't dare insinuate any shit about your mother again, understood?"

"I-I didn't mean it with bad intentions. I just don't trust them. They're not our family. They- th-they might try to do something to her," Toukki stammers, and Satoru gives him the same look.

Warning him not to do it anyway. His opinion is accepted, not so he lets horrible things slip. Maybe it's a misunderstanding, but Satoru isn't going to let his children make Yūji feel bad like that.

Make her feel like Sukuna: a prostitute looking for sex with anyone. She'd even break the vow they have for sex with two people she'd only recently met.

Back in the room, Satoru hugs Yūji, placing kisses on her face and then her neck, swaying with her. The pink-haired girl keeps her eyes half-open.

"They're my children too. Even if you don't think I should worry, I have to keep them in their place," Satoru says, having some distance. "You're not alone being a mother."

"I know. I just didn't think it was important or necessary for you to scold them like that or tell them you died."

"You spoil them too much, princess."

"You spoil me," Yūji whines and Satoru laughs, joining her at the front.

"Because you've always been very well-behaved... any other problems: tell me, okay? We'll solve them together."

Yūji nods. She won't. Her children confide in her about a lot and she doesn't want to abuse that trust. Oddly enough, it shows precisely that they're on the same level. Yūji thinks they can be friends; she fails to understand that, as a mother, they can't be on the same level. She must be above them. She must put guiding them before comfort.

Satoru, for his part, is aware of this problem and must handle it. He's confident that eventually, with Nanami's help above all else, he'll be able to get Yūji to handle the issue better. 

Chapter 29: XXIX

"I'm sorry for insulting you, Mom."

Yūji pouts. Nothing warms her heart more than her children apologizing for anything, even if it's just a silly thing. She strokes his cheek and places a small kiss on his forehead. "It's okay. I understand you want to take care of me. I'm sorry about everything that happened yesterday with your dad. He's a little... explosive-"

"What he said was true? Did he die?"

Yūji bites her lip, lowering her gaze and nodding with obvious sadness. Toukki looks even more scared.

"A man named Touji killed him... you were just a few days old. Akihiko was little, two years old.” Yūji tries to recall the unpleasant moment. "The veil fell, I felt like him was suddenly ripped off... I think it was one of the worst moments of my life." Yūji laughs without energy or happiness. Toukki bites his lip, his glasses falling down his nose bridge.

"Why didn't you ever tell us about that? It's important," the boy stammers, and Yūji shrugs.

"We didn't think it was necessary. We don't want you to get nervous or doubt yourselves. You know you're mortal, you know you can be hurt. That's enough," Yūji says, tapping his chest. "You're my babies. I don't want you to be scared or afraid that some guy will suddenly come and kill you or something. To terrify you to that level." "Mom…”

"You've never needed a boost and it won't be the main thing you think about from now on, okay?" the pink-haired girl prompts. "You should focus on being good with your cursed technique, hiding and… not being late to the inner courtyard. Satoru is waiting for you there. Today is your test."

"Really!?" Toukki exclaims excitedly. Yūji nods and pats him a couple of times.

"He's in a bad mood, I recommend you go there beforehand. MinMin is warning the others."

Toukki hugs Yūji and kisses her on the cheek. So hard it makes her laugh and hug him back before running off in a hurry. Yūji gives an exhausted sigh, clasping her hands and rubbing them together. She hopes everything will go well this time. The only one who won't do anything is Kiku, because he's already allowed to go out.

Besides, since he doesn't have Six Eyes, it isn't important if someone sees him. They'll think he's just a random person or an unknown son of Suguru's and luckily, the Jujutsu society doesn't have their eyes on him.

┈

Satoru descends to the ground and keeps his hands in his pockets. On the floor, his seven children are panting. He watches them all, who look tired as if they've cleaned the entire house one by one, not at the same time. It's hilarious to watch. He whistles, approaching Akihiko, who is the first to almost recovers, at least kneeling.

"That was pretty good," Yuzu raises his arms. He's never said that before. From what they can tell, this time they did what was expected. "They've improved a lot. More than I had estimated, if I'm honest," Satoru admits, tilting his head. "Their presence has been well hidden all this time. So…"

They shake their heads, waiting for the exit permit. Kiku sits on the edge of the wood, waiting with Yūji for this brief moment of examination to end. Yūji painted her face with an awkward smile and Kiku is curious. "Aren't you going to let them out?"

"It's just..." She hisses softly, and MinMin snorts. Chōsō comes to sit down as well. He wants to see the moment when all of their dreams and hopes are crushed.

It's fun to watch when he's angry with them.

"None of you passed!" Satoru announces, placing a finger on his cheek and sticking out the tip of his tongue, blinking almost flirtatiously. Akihiko stutters before squealing alongside his siblings:

"WHAT?!"

Satoru laughs and sways on his feet.

"Thank Yūji! I really have a lot on my mind and I hadn't thought of anything else you need to be out," Satoru points out and Yuzu, Toukki, and Umi look at their mother, almost judging her, wondering, What could have possibly caused them to be denied the chance to go out again? "You're ready! And it's just... You don't know how to teleport!”

"Do what?" Kikyo stammers, sitting on the floor with a small groan. She's back to being seventeen like her brothers; fighting usually takes twenty-eight or twenty-seven. She made herself close to her father and  matched his level.

"Teleport," Satoru repeats with a laugh. "As far as I could tell, Chōsō and Yūji said: only Akihiko, Yuzu and Takahiro can teleport." He rests his cheek on his palm, looking at them alternately. "Kiku naturally can't, but she has a dragon, so he can fly."

"What does that have to do with whether we can get out or not?" Umi argues.

"They must know how to run away. Obviously. Should I repeat that I died?"

"No! I don't want to hear about that!" Kikyo squeals.

"Akihiko can take us all. We'll check it out. We can-"

Satoru makes a noise, interrupting Kazuhiko. He flicks his index finger and reappears at another location, scaring them in the process.

"What if Akihiko is killed? What if Yuzu is injured? What if Takahiro freezes in the moment of an attack?" A shiver runs down Yūji's spine at the mere possibility of any of those three options. "Even worse: what if they kill the curse Kiku's on and no one notices? He falls to his death?" he continues, taking long strides. "It's not about depending on each other: it's about supporting each other." He stops again in front of Akihiko. "So, y'all have to know how to do it. Otherwise, you can't get out."

"Why those who already know how to get out can't be approved?" Kikyo asks dejectedly and Satoru tilts his head. "I mean... we're the slow ones, you don't have to-"

"You all pay for being disrespectful to your mom," Satoru clarifies quickly. Kikyo closes her eyes and curses under her breath. "Besides being rude. No bad words for you until you're twenty."

"Mom's sixteen!"

"But she's their mom and she can say whatever shit she wants," Satoru mocks, and there are complaints. "Don't worry. I know you'll do it in five months: when you can go out anyway. That's why I set that date," Satoru dismisses, confident and mocking.

There are several curses and complaints. Yūji sighs with an exhausted tone. She said it by accident; it was a comment that slipped out, and in part, she's happy Satoru's stopping them from going out! That he's so consistent and aware of how important it is to prepare them as much as possible.

Yūji didn't expect the scolding they'd get on the side.

"Now, I hope that during that time, you don't start thinking nonsense or being a bunch of spoiled brats around Yūji again," Satoru warns. "If that's the case, they'll definitely stay in here. Anyone who doesn't respect their mother, a mother who's been good, definitely can't save anyone. It's basic logic... because they'll leave here to save people," the albino points out and Akihiko purses his lips. "So: keep practicing," he concludes with a wave of his hand.

He walks straight to Yūji, smiling at her with his head tilted to the side. The teenager shakes her head, giving an exhausted sigh. She can already see a wave of drama coming from this. She stands up when Satoru offers his hand and she takes it, walking into the house.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Don't you miss life outside?"

"Not really."

Yūji pouts, taking long strides with her hands behind her back. Now that she's wearing a T-shirt and shorts, Megumi is amazed at how huge she is. Her arms and back above all else. Even if it's Sukuna's power or indirectly a curse, it makes so much sense for her to break logs with her fists, Megumi tells himself: Yūji will be strong even when Sukuna is no longer inside her.

Which he convinces himself will happen. Much better to accept the possibility than that Satoru will have to kill her.

"What about where you studied? Aren't you going to miss it? Jujutsu Academy sounds really boring," the pink-haired girl opines. Megumi shrugs.

"There's nothing in particular I miss. I didn't have any friends. Just my sister," Megumi explains. "So one change and the next makes no difference."

"You're so dry," she says with a peck. "You should cheer up a little more... maybe eat more sweets. The sugar in your veins will soothe your acid-filled heart," Yūji suggests mockingly and Megumi snorts.

"How stupid." Yūji laughs and gives him a shove. They sit near the forest, quite far from the house. Yūji senses she's being watched. She is. Eight pairs of eyes watch the interaction closely. They make sure nothing gets out of hand. Megumi keeps a prudent distance. Almost precisely calculated. Akihiko is the one who manages to keep his siblings from exposing themselves.

Even though he's just as annoyed to see his mother with him.

"Is something wrong?" Megumi notes distractedly, keeping an eye on the house. Yūji shakes her head.

"Nothing important or special... Do you want to go swimming? I'm really hot." Megumi nods, getting up from her spot.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

「At least your children know what you are. Unlike you. You deny it as if that's going to change it 」

"My children are teenagers who don't know anything but this fucking house. All because of you," says Yūji, who's folding laundry. Lots of expensive, colorful fabric. "So I don't want to hear your comments.”

「You have no choice but to hear them. We're stuck in this situation. We could have a better one if you weren't so stubborn 」

"You're stuck inside me. I can ignore you and do wherever I want," Yūji mocks with a smug smile. "So... talk all the nonsense you want, but don't interfere with my children's business," she warns.

Yūji stands up and carries the basket of dried, folded clothes. Before distributing them to each of her children's rooms, while Kiku, Yuzu, Akihiko and Umi are standing in the hallway, the eyelids on her cheekbones open. Yūji stands in the middle of the hallway and Akihiko is the first to get up. "Mom...?"

She groans, blood running down her nose. 

“MOM!”

Her legs are shaking and she feels cold. Added to this, she's short of breath, unable to pass through her neck. As if something is choking her. Yūji doesn't hear the calls of the teenagers hurrying in her direction.

「Don't be so cocky, you fucking whore. I don't need you to be asleep so I can do whatever I want to you. Did you forget? 」

Her eyes roll back and Yūji falls to her knees on the floor. Umi holds her so she doesn't fall face first or sideways, hurting herself more. Enough with the convulsions and the foam that starts to come out of her mouth.

┈

"We have to find the last finger. We can't keep delaying this," Suguru says, resting his lips on their intertwined fingers. Satoru is against the front wall, leaning back with a serious expression and his eyes covered. "It's only a matter of time before he takes full control of her body."

"He's not going to get his original body. Nor is Yūji's body of any use to him as a receptacle," Satoru points out, putting his hands in his pockets. "There's been some change. He's been more defiant these days for a reason."

"There are no known receptacles. I doubt he's found another one, even if it's by accident. No one could bear to be what Yūji is," Nanami comments. "What Suguru says is true: that last remaining finger must appear.”

"I'm doing my best to find it. It's very well sealed," Satoru informs. Suguru clicks his tongue and stands up. He gives Yūji a worried look.

They had to put her to sleep so she wouldn't suffer any more damage. It's all Sukuna's fault, deciding to torment her from one second to the next. He opens her eyelids occasionally, but never a mouth. There's a long string of protections in this room. They put it up as a precaution, in case Sukuna decided to disturb her and only the children were home.

It worked perfectly. Yūji isn't bleeding anymore or looking like she's suffering, but they don't want to take any chances. Nor do they want to worry her with this repeated conversation. Given how she's been these past few days, it's a given that Yūji would choose a sacrifice herself rather than hurt anyone or allow Sukuna to carry out his threats.

Satoru doesn't want to listen to it, nor does he want to give her the opportunity to offer herself like that.

"Yuki is investigating and may have a location soon. It's a fact that it won't last this year," Suguru snorts. It's not the best promise he could have heard. "Considering you're doing nothing, it's kind of you to intervene now," Satoru mocks with an amused gesture.

"Yuki Tsukumo could have that relic in front of her and forget about it because she finds it boring," Suguru complains. "She may be a professional, but she leaves a lot to be desired. You should take charge, Satoru."

"I try, but I don't see you doing my job anymore if you can complain about 'I have time.'"

"You have five students. Three at the academy and two here, not to mention eight children and a wife. I don't see that rotten finger as your priority," Suguru points out, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his clothes. Satoru pushes away from the wall and walks to the center of the room, standing in front of Yūji and Suguru at the same time.

His answer is simple:

"Do you think you'd do better?" he asks, tilting his head. "Because all the time I see you here, desperately trying to win Yūji's trust and heart, but she will never trust you again; instead of being out there looking for that last finger, or at the very least, using your followers to get it." Nanami watches them alternately. Suguru maintains a cynical, almost calm expression. "You're so good at telling me how to take care of my wife and whether or not I'm good at my role."

"It's a gift, you know? Telling the strongest in the world that he's a useless piece of shit at the most important thing in his life." Nanami stands up and places a hand on Suguru's chest, forcing him back.

The last thing they need right now is for the two of them to fight. Satoru chuckles and looks down at Yūji, who's breathing slowly and calmly, as if she's having a sweet dream.

"Stop complaining, both of you. What matters is putting all our effort into finding the finger," Nanami says sternly to both parties. "We have to make a plan for-”

The three of them feel a tremor throughout the space. Looking around, searching for what's wrong, they only get another tremor. Satoru is about to attack from the side, whatever it is, perhaps scaring off whoever's trying to attack. Then he thinks it might be Chōsō trying to get through here.

And he was wrong.

Nanami moves away, feeling something on his back and pulls his sword from behind his back; Suguru moves away as well and Satoru remains where he is: next to Yūji, slightly crouched to take her away if necessary. Where could a curse have come from within his territory? The answer makes him laugh.

"Yūta doesn't seem to control you very well."

Rika shifts restlessly on the ground and gives a low grunt. The barrier is half broken by her presence. Fortunately, it's meant to keep Sukuna inside Yūji, not repel curses in general. Satoru mentally files it away as a new reason to tease Suguru. Rika shouldn't have the ability to pass through. At the same time, though, it's a special curse.

He'll tease Suguru anyway.

Before he lets his guard down, he should reread in a corner. Rika jumped out of nowhere and almost landed on him. What is she doing? The curse whines:

『Yūjiiii Yūūūūji... I want Yūūjjiiiii』

The distorted, feminine voice deepens and Satoru stands up slightly. He knew Rika also had a "friendship" with Yūji, but he didn't believe it would reach the point of coming to find her and crying for her.

"She can't get out now, Sukuna-”

『GET AWAY FROM MY YŪJI』

Satoru disappears and reappears in another corner of the room, holding Yūji in his arms. He hisses in surprise and Rika lets out another roar, almost hysterical. Satoru laughs, hugging Yūji to himself. Just what he needed! The curse is determined to take his wife away from him too! Yūji makes even the stones fall in love with her.

"If you do something like that again, you'll hurt her. Is that what you want, Rika?" Satoru asks and the curse roars, hitting the floor. It leaves the same way it came: making a scene. Suguru hides his hands under his sleeves and looks at Yūji, who is still unconscious.

His long hair falls to the floor, straight and shiny, hanging delicately. Yūji splutters and takes a deep breath, snuggling into Satoru.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Are you sure you're okay? We can practice later—tomorrow," Yūta says, distressed. Yūji shakes her head. "Could it be—"

"I can do it. I'm not going to break," Yūji argues angrily and crosses her arms. "Between you, Chōsō and the others, I'm going to die of stress. I don't need to lie down every time Sukuna bothers me." She pulls her hair back into a high ponytail. Megumi gets up from his spot and walks with his hands in his pockets. "We can start," she assures, clapping a few times.

Yūta gives a frustrated sigh. He doesn't want to force her to overexert herself. Something she's particularly good at. He unsheathes his sword and Megumi prepares to summon his Shikigami. Yūji, for her part, surrounds her fists with curse energy. Her expression is focused and stern.

"Mom should be resting," Akihiko complains, watching her from a distance like all his siblings, "but Dad made her even more stubborn than she already is."

"Dad always makes her stubborn," Takahiro exhales, exasperated. "How could he ask her to stay still for a week? Not to force herself into fighting or doing anything. It's obvious she was going to do it anyways. Sometimes she forgets she's a teenager too." He scratches his eyebrow and Kazuhiro looks him up and down.

"Mom's a teenager, but she's not stupid. She should prioritize her health." He glares at Kikyo. "What are you laughing at?”

"Who in this family prioritizes their health? Everyone here jumps at the first sign of danger," the only girl mocks, playing with the black tape she uses to cover her eyes. "Anyway." She jumps up from where she is, pretending to be twenty-five years old. "We have to do something to stop her. Overdoing it will only send her back to bed and that will really exasperate her."

"How do we do that with such a stubborn woman?" Toukki argues. "And more importantly, without being disrespectful. I don't want us to end up offending her again."

"We're not going to offend her. We're going to help with what Dad asked for."

"I know she'll go outside and be reckless as soon as she can, so keep her from fighting for more than five hours. Be imaginative. If there's any complaint, everyone will be grounded again~"

Everyone groans in utter boredom. It's just that Satoru could be more clear about what they can do. Kiku immediately comes up with an idea, telling Yuzu and then himself, passing the word on. It doesn't reach Akihiko, who suddenly has all his siblings staring at him.

Chapter 30: XXX

Yūta gasps, resting his katana on the ground and using it as a support. He finds it hard to believe that Yūji, even in a weak state, is capable of controlling them both. Yūji wipes his sweat and ignores the tremors throughout his body. His vision blurs, but it only lasts for a short time. He doesn't want to stop now.

"Yū~ji~chan!"

Yūji almost falls flat on her face in fright. The three teens notice the person behind her: Gojō. He smiles, waves his hand in greeting and giggles. Maybe too much. He lifts Yūji up, holding her under her arms and sets her on her feet. Yūji stutters out a clumsy excuse.

"The good part is, you can walk. The bad part is: you two are useless!" Gojō croons and Yūji frowns What's wrong? He's not Satoru. He wears the same clothes, but she recognizes him better than anyone.

He's not tall enough, he doesn't bandage his face like that, or say her name like that. Not to mention that she perfectly recognizes that he's her son, now that she's more attentive and over the shock. Akihiko breaks out in a cold sweat, hoping this won't cause too much trouble.

At least Yūta and Megumi fall for the little show.

"Yūji-chan, you should be resting. Did you forget?"

"Yeah, I forgot," Megumi raises an eyebrow. Why such an aggressive response from her? "We were almost done training," she informs, brushing back her hair. "I'll be home. Is something wrong?" Akihiko breaks out in a cold sweat. With the feeling that his mother is testing him to continue this charade.

She's already here. So he doesn't have much choice but to continue!

"Nothing in particular, I'm just scared for my favorite student," he excuses, digging into his pockets, "but I must say I'm surprised that despite Yūji's poor health, they aren't able to take her down for more than a few seconds," he comments, tilting his head. "It's disappointing."

"Th-it's just that-”

"Were both of you letting her win?" He leans toward Yūta. "Is that the case?" He leans closer to his face, with a long, strained smile. Yūta swallows hard. "Because that would be extremely worrying. Not even in a situation like this can you stop giving one hundred percent. You know?"

"We know. We were training as usual," Megumi chimes in and Yūji adjusts her ponytail. "We can leave it for today," he suggests to Yūji, who snorts.

"Okay.”

" Nice !" Akihiko claps and Yūji exhales loudly. "Yūji-chan, go to the-”

"I'll stay studying with Megumi and Yūta," she announces, passing him by. Akihiko feels his tongue curl in his mouth. What would his father respond in a situation like this? Would he respond? He doesn't know what to do.

Fortunately, his silence wasn't taken as something strange. Yūji wipes the sweat from her chin and walks alongside the pair of sorcerers. Determined to delay returning home, to calm down a bit so she can figure out how to punish to her son about doing this.

They do spend a couple of hours studying. Yūji's mind is on the same thing: resisting the annoyance of her children trying to control her. By the time the study session properly ends, Yūta leans back.

"Gojō-sensei was a little strange, don't you think?" asks Yūta. "I thought he wasn't coming back so early."

"He comes over sometimes to eat. He likes the way I cook, more than the food he can find on the street," Yūji replies, braiding her hair. "He's also very insistent that I should be home all the time. Because of Sukuna.”

"We have to prevent him from hurting you again. Naturally, you should avoid situations that cause him to get so out of control," Megumi replies with his usual seriousness, stroking Kuro. Yūji rubs her forehead.

"Whether he does anything or not, he's going to be annoying, I'm telling you-”

「 They think I need an incentive to do what I want is the most funny conclusion」

Yūji points to her cheek, where his mouth has opened and laughs. Before hitting herself, it disappears on its own. Yūta shifts a little uncomfortably and approaches Yūji discreetly. He clears his throat and offers:

"We can do other things, not be so stopped by time. That way... you can control it better." Yūji stares at him. "Chōsō told me you have video games and other things. We can play and do more funny things together," he suggests with a shy smile, his heart in his throat. "And that you don't stay home alone so much."

Yūji exhales with a sly, tender smile. It sounds good. Although she has the feeling Yūta isn't talking about himself and Megumi, but just him. Yūji shrugs. "I can bring all of it over here—I also have karaoke equipment! It'll be really fun. Maybe Satoru can come too. When he's not late," she adds, standing up.

"I-I thought I could go to—

"There's more space here, there's better space for that, too." Yūji straightens her pants. "Maybe suspicious. It's Saturday. It'll be fun."

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

Yūji leaves the apartment and Yūta brushes back his hair, messing it up a bit in the process. Megumi leaves to his room in silence.

┈

"Now you think you can pretend Satoru's here? What can you do with the only thing I do besides... waiting for a miracle or a death sentence?" Yūji reprimands, with her eight children kneeling before him. "I don't want any of you to be bold enough to do anything like that again. Understand?"

"You're still sick, Mom. You're not supposed to do-”

"I know how far to go, Toukki. Better than any of you because I'm the only one with a curse threatening to destroy everything," she interrupts, almost hysterical, unsure of the reason for her own lack of calm. Her son lowers his head again, embarrassed. "And I don't care if Satoru thinks it was a good idea, if he congratulates them or if he thinks it's a small thing. I don't want any of you intruding on the little living space I have. Understood?" Yūji doesn't stop emphasizing this and unfortunately, her children don't respond the way she wanted.

"We were just looking out for you, Mom," Akihiko says quietly, wearing his own clothes and uncovering his eyes to face her. "We're not interrupting, disrespecting, or... trying to make fun of you. We're just making sure you're okay."

Yūji says nothing more, leaving. She walks a few meters and feels her body burning, with Sukuna's marks appearing and disappearing in constant throbs. Yūji inhales sharply, the second pair of eyes open. She grunts and brings her hands to her face, her nails growing.

「 Oh, you're mad」

「 Do you want to play a little? I promise not to make a mess. Just because it's so fun to see you like this again」

「 Just like when that useless guy died」

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The teens come out and although Yūji has the marks, it's not how they've seen her. It's as if she shows them herself because she wants to. The most surprising thing is that she screams and knocks down one of the wooden pillars of the house. Chōsō appears due to the commotion, as does MinMin, who tries to get closer, but she doesn't let him.

They saw her spend the rest of the afternoon in the koi pond.

Satoru didn't arrive that night.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Kiku told me there was a peculiar event yesterday," Suguru mentions, sipping a cup of tea. Yūji eats a huge plate full of snacks made by Chōsō. "I'm surprised because you should be lying down, recovering from the worst curse known to man, trying to explode you from the inside out." He gives a slight A chuckle. Yūji stops eating and looks him in the eye.

Suguru feels a chill run down his spine.

"You want to tell me what to do too? Is there anyone who can leave me alone?" Yūji argues and Suguru chuckles. "Nothing bad happened. Just... part of the house needs repairs, but worse things have happened. Much worse. You've seen almost all of them."

"That's for sure," Suguru agrees, "but I insist: What happened yesterday? Why are you in such a bad mood today?" He tilts his head and tries to read the atmosphere. If he's doing good, if he's doing bad. "This isn't you. Not entirely, at least," the sorcerer qualifies.

Yūji rubs her face with her hand and abruptly drops it:

"I'm... Upset. That's all."

"Oh? Do you know how to get upset?" Suguru jokes.

"Everyone thinks they know more about me than I do. Everyone wants to... control me. As if that weren't enough of that," Yūji complains. She doesn't want to talk about this with Satoru; he'll give her excuses and convince her of hundreds of things she doesn't want to hear. Nanami might teach her a lesson and she doesn't want to hear it either. Suguru is her only option out of her three ‘trusted adults’. “Akihiko pretended to be Satoru so I wouldn't continue training with Megumi and Yūta, then insisted it was for my own good. I know how far I'd go. I know my capabilities.”

"More than once you've caused trouble by overstepping your own limits. That's why the concern-”

"Then it's my problem!" Yūji exclaims, slamming her fist on the table, surprising Suguru. "The pain is mine! My decisions are mine! I DECIDE WHETHER I FUCKED UP MY BODY OR NOT!" She stands up. Suguru, serious, watching Sukuna's marks emerge on the woman's skin. "SO STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT! LIKE I'M A SPOILED GIRL FOR WANTING, FOR ONCE, TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF!" she yells, patting her chest.

"I don't think it's very mature of you to get so worked up over a simple conversation."

Yūji clenches her jaw, her eyes red and his cursed energy growing dense, palpable, dangerous. MinMin frets at the door of the room, just like Kiku, who's the only one who dared to be here listening.

"Should I remind you of what you did to me? That wasn't very mature either."

Suguru parts his lips before smiling, wide and mocking.

"Yes, you're acting strange, but nothing that will change how everything exists.”

Yūji hisses and taps her forehead, biting her lip before groaning. Suguru is mocking her. Is that what's going on? As if she could believe his nonsense about still being in love. Right now, it feels like mockery, an insult, a game on his part and it bothers her.

She's very upset.

What Sukuna did a couple of days ago caused unease and a new reaction in her: anger. She's not scared by the ease with which he was able to knock her down and possess her, she's enraged by the fact that she has no control over herself. And he could prove it. Likewise, having decided what to do, where to move, who to spend time with and being rejected by her children caused what she's now exposed to.

A furious Yūji, enraged by everyone around her, placing more chains and limitations on her neck. Isn't it enough to be locked in this house? Isn't it enough to know she'll have to die because there's no solution in sight? Isn't it enough to be the most dangerous curse of all?

Isn't it enough to have no say in herself outside these doors? For it to be the same inside.

She's so fed up.

「 Another tantrum? Damn spoiled brat」

「 I 'm going to」

Suguru jumps, surprised by Yūji's hysterical scream, throwing various things around due to the uncontrolled cursed energy. Suguru invokes a curse, which pushes Kiku away from the door and stands up. Yūji breathes heavily and looks around, anxious. Before Suguru can try to approach and hug her, perhaps reassure her, she is grabbed from behind.

『Yūūūūūji... don't bother yourself, Yūji. Don't get angry』

Rika rubs her head against hers and lifts her off the floor. Yūta appears, pushing Suguru to reach Yūji, who breathes deeply. Suguru hides his hands under his sleeves and squints his eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Rika came alone, sorry," Yūta mumbles and Yūji shakes her head, it doesn't matter. The special-grade curse purrs.

Suguru steps aside and Rika almost darts out, grabbing Yūta in the process. It was hard to find them, tucked away in a rather deep part of the territory, just talking among the trees. Rika clings to Yūji, unwilling to let go and the teenager expresses her frustration. Suguru overhears something:

"They don't take me seriously. They also think they know everything better than me, and I know it's bad, I know it's a risk, but... I'm... I'm so mad and upset and… and just…" Yūji says between tears, unable to control the emotional upheaval within her.

"There's nothing wrong with it. We all get frustrated. We all need... space." Yūta takes her hand and gives it a small squeeze. "Fuck them."

Yūji laughs and wipes her right cheek. Suguru leaves silently.

┈

The fact that it's Kikyo who greets him and not Yūji is clear evidence that there was trouble. It's ironic that he can't leave his house for a single day without something tragic happening. Whether outside or inside his territory, there's trouble because of his absence.

"Let's see it," Satoru lifts Kikyo into his arms. His daughter, who appears to be eight years old, has teary eyes and is pouting. "What happened? Tell Daddy," Satoru asks, pressing his cheek against his daughter's.

"Mom's upset. Very upset. We just wanted to help."

Satoru drops his head. Of course, that would be grounds for Yūji to be angry. As he walks, Kikyo gives him a detailed account of the situation. One that makes him understand why it angered his wife.

They're coming from a social-climbing and disrespectful stance. Akihiko's desire to boss her around at the expense of pretending to be him is almost forcing Yuji to get angry. When he asked them to manage her, that wasn't what he meant.

Satoru thought they could entertain her in a healthier way. Ask her to watch movies, ask her to take care of deer. Distract her with their hobbies, so she could put aside the idea of ​​training.

Ah, their children are very reckless. They're clearly his!

"I'm going to calm her down, and then you'll apologize again. Understand?" Satoru asks, putting Kikyo down.

"Really? But we already apologized."

"It'll be as many times as necessary until she's happy with your apologies." Satoru pats her on both cheeks and heads to his room. Kikyo runs to meet her siblings and tell them about this.

Chapter 31: XXXI

"Is something wrong, princess? You know you can tell me anything," Satoru assures, dropping his head to one side with a soft smile. Yūji combs her hair and exhales heavily.

Concentrating on fixing her hair and not thinking about anything. Not even Sukuna talking in her head, the urge to explode at Satoru, the urge to complain about everything and even the urge to cry after burning herself up in utter frustration. In the end, she can't contain it all. Starting off very short and simple:

"I'm upset."

"Is it because the kids made a whole show of being me?" Satoru points a finger at himself and gives a goofy, almost cartoonish laugh. "They're looking after you, princess." He gently takes her chin. "Besides, nothing bad happened, it's just-"

"I don't care that they were looking after me." Yūji says abruptly and Satoru's smile narrows. "I don't care what they thought either. I wanted to be out training, that's all!”

"You shouldn't be training after-”

"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD!" Satoru stops smiling completely and straightens in his seat. "I'M NOT TEN YEARS OLD! WHEN HAVE YOU EVER CARED!?”

"Yūji-”

"NO! WHY IS IT ONLY WRONG THAT I TAKE RISKS WHEN I WANT TO AND NOT WHEN YOU RAPED ME!?" Satoru removes the bandages from his face and glares at her, clenching his jaw. "WHEN I HAD… ONE CHILD AFTER ANOTHER, LIKE… LIKE…" Yūji grinds her teeth and exhales hot air, her eyes trembling, the marks starting to paint over her skin. "LIKE IT WAS THE WHOLE GOAL FROM THE BEGINNING? WHY CAN'T I DECIDE HOW TO RISK MY BODY!?”

"I don't want you to take risks and you know that happened because we had to consummate. Because-”

"And all the other times? Were those necessary too? All the times you impregnated me because you were fascinated by me being huge and about to explode? THOSE TOO!?" Yūji demands hysterically. She had never complained, because she had never been as upset as she was now.

She had never classified those events as a transgression. Never before had she been able to get angry at the lack of respect and agency she has over herself. That everyone controls her and no man in her life respects her enough to at least let her decide if she's going to lose an eye on her own.

She can never decide.

They never let her decide...

Mahito disfigured her.

Suguru raped her. 

Satoru impregnated her more than five times. 

Nanami restrains her and forces her to stay still. 

Her children manipulate her environment to force her to do what they want. 

Sukuna abuses her from within and controls whether she's right or wrong. 

Why can everyone do whatever they want to her? And why is it that when she decides what she wants to do, they get angry and force her to do what they decide! Breaking down in tears amidst her complaints feels so normal. So natural and necessary. Satoru stares at her with a blank expression, his throat and chest a knot in his throat. He wanted to believe this complaint would never come. Why did it have to happen? Why does his princess suddenly hate him? What did he do wrong? He's just protecting her.

"Can I talk...?"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU! I DON'T WANT ANYONE AROUND! GET OUT MY ROOM! DISAPPEAR, NOW!" Satoru bites his lip and lowers his gaze before shaking his head.

"I'm going to leave you alone, but I must tell you something first," he warns, standing up. "You can decide, but if you're putting yourself at risk, it's normal and natural that-"

Satoru feels his soul, his body and everything in him vibrate from the shove Yūji gave him. So much so that it attacks his soul mercilessly. His ears are ringing and he can barely hold his breath.

"I DON'T CARE! JUST GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"W-wait a minute-"

"I ALREADY SAID GET OUT OF HERE!"

Satoru tries not to be left out of the room.

"YŪJI...!”

"WHY CAN'T YOU EVEN HEAR ME!? LEAVE ME ALONE."

Satoru ends up out of the room and Yūji closes the door in his face. Satoru takes a deep breath and scratches his temple. That came out very, very badly. He's offended that MinMin can pass and Yūji doesn't try to push him away. On the right, his children are peeking out, surprised to see this spectacle. Their parents never fought. It's always been very peaceful and understanding between them.

And for Yūji to be the one pushing Satoru is so anomalous.

"I think we need to talk." Umi curses under her breath. "Now what?"

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"We were worried about her. That's all."

"I know, I understand," Satoru assures, shaking his head, "but if your mother asks you for something, please stick with it. She's your mother. You must obey. That's how it should always be."

"But she could be at risk," Yuzu insists, and Satoru shakes his head.

"Better leave those kinds of problems to me, Suguru, Nanami... Yūji is very overwhelmed by how entitled you've been these past few months," Satoru clarifies. "You're taking very serious and grave measures that touch her heartstrings. Your mother is... complicated in a certain way." He rests his chin on his knuckles and looks outside. "She has fears and worries that you don't know about because it was not necessary. It's part of the very dark history that revolves around us."

"Why do you say it like that?" Kikyo asks, worried.

"Because it's very sad. Nothing in your mother’s life it's been good or easy. The only thing that's made her happy is having all of you, loving you, taking care of you... and you're making it a little bitter with that attitude." Satoru shakes his head, grimacing. "It's not something she wants any of you to know either."

"We already know you were very mean to her when she was younger," Umi says, exasperated. "We also know that this could be abuse. Nanamin tells us that all the time. It's nothing we don't-"

"We also know that they wanted to use her to get to Sukuna," Kazuhiro adds and Satoru laughs, shaking his head.

"It's not as easy as that... But I guess I need to explain some things to you so you understand what's been so problematic."

The most unpleasant part, which involved harassment, sexual abuse and the constant denigration of her body or active sex life, makes all of his descendants feel bad. Kikyo burst into tears and Akihiko, along with Kiku and Toukki, wanted to go to their mother. They don't want to think about anyone hurting their mother so much. The one they adore so much and want to see well. It's become a new way of despising Sukuna, as if it were really necessary. Kiku is left with the feeling that Satoru has something to say, but doesn't dare.

Or expects something from him.

It's not the best time. He doesn't feel up to uncovering more family problems and details, not ones that involve his mother's suffering.

"With this in mind, I hope you'll help me cheer Mommy up early tomorrow," Satoru croons, hands clasped together and a goofy grin on his face.

┈

Yūji sniffles and hugs MinMin. The only living being she wants with her right now. The tiger lies back, letting himself be hugged, and Yūji hides his face in the orange fur. She feels dramatic and stupid now. Yūji wishes everything in her head would just shut up, that it would function normally. With the thought that she hurt Satoru by yelling those horrible things at him. Her husband isn't to blame for how everything turned out.

And he loves her.

It's a genuine love that doesn't mean any harm...

It's so painful that it's complicated.

It's so painful to feel alienated. That there are two completely opposing desires inside her. A kind of resentment that she didn't recognize and that came out, trying to free itself and thus feel better.

She doesn't feel better.

She only wants to cry more and is afraid of having hurt the only person who loves her, being all the useless, dangerous and disgusting person she is.

"Leave me alone," she sobs softly and MinMin licks her face, her head and climbs onto her.

Let her feel him pampering her and not Sukuna, who mocks and manifests himself only to torture her. Make her feel he's there, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his chest to her back.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Can we come in?"

Yūji nods, a little surprised that Kiku asks her permission and everyone else comes in with plates, food and drinks. A huge breakfast is served in the room. Satoru keeps a safe distance, but with a loving smile on his lips, his blue eyes shining with the same love in her direction.

"Is it my birthday?" Yūji scratches her head. Her messy, frizzy hair, coupled with the fact that he slept in a stretched-out shirt and baggy pants, gives him a funny look.

Like a normal teenager.

That her worst worry is being late to class or not having studied for a test.

"We just wanted to bring you breakfast and have some family time, princess. Nothing special," Satoru says. Chōsō passes by as well and it's safe to say that everyone from the main house is here.

Yūji chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. Breakfast is quiet, very comfortable. They set the plates and tables aside when they're finished. She's surprised when Akihiko steps in front of her and bows fully, forehead pressed to the floor, back arched.

"I'm so sorry for disrespecting you, Mom. It won't happen again."

"You don't have to act like that. Get up," she says, stroking her back. Akihiko straightens and hugs her.

"I won't do something like that again, Mom. I promise."

Yūji pats him, still puzzled and surprised. She laughs at the kiss Akihiko places on her cheek. Pressing their lips together and making a loud noise. Just like he's done since he could move and crawl into his mom's arms on his own.

Akihiko adores his mom.

Everyone here does.

Yūji enjoys the round of hugs and kisses from all her children. That even her brother gets involved. This innocent and simple appreciation makes her very happy. She's left alone with Satoru in the room. Doors closed and the floating promise that no one will interrupt. Satoru takes her face and kisses her forehead.

"My princess is a big girl. Time flies by so fast for me," he says smiling and Yūji smiles back. "I want to apologize... I didn't think you felt that way, I didn't think it could be a problem... It's very easy for me to forget that part of protecting you from the outside is also letting you be yourself." Satoru caresses her cheek with his thumb. "So, if you don't put yourself at risk with the Jujutsu society or Sukuna, you're free to do whatever you want. So I didn't consider it the better option. I forget you don't need me like you did when you were seven.”

"I'm sorry for yelling at you last night," Yūji says, her voice cracking and Satoru shakes her head.

"You were right. I was very unfair to you. I just... I got carried away at the moment, didn't think about what was best for you, and I kept insisting on feeling good. Even at your expense." Satoru slowly untangles her hair. "I was very selfish with you, and... That's a very ugly way of loving. I'm going to do everything to improve, okay?"

Yūji nods and tilts her head, her eyes watering.

"You can trust me a little more, okay?"

"If I don't, you can kick me out of the room. It'll take some getting used to, but it must be done." Satoru agrees with some regret, but recognizes it as the right thing to do.

He's so used to treating her like a child that Yūji ends up forcing herself to have these outbursts. She's confused, she hesitates, she feels bad. Satoru needs to let her fly a little more, as much as she can within this space. It's ironic that by wanting her to live in her stage of life, he's taken on an ambiguous father role that doesn't sit well with Yūji.

They're a married couple.

Yūji doesn't look for a father in him. She doesn't anymore.

She's looking for a husband who supports her, understands her and doesn't treat her like all the other men in her life.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Hu~! I'm glad you're trying so hard. It would be a shame to have to say you can't do anything even with so much time here."

Megumi feels his eyebrow twitch. The one who's trained him the least is Gojō. Although he can't entirely blame him. After all, if the higher-ups have him on mission after mission, it's only natural that he barely has time. Not to mention his class at the Jujutsu Academy. In his favor, Megumi can also add that he's left some good delegates.

Yūji alone is phenomenal as an instructor, even with everything she still has to learn.

Suguru is also perfect and there's nothing but wonders to say about Nanami.

"I have good news: We'll be doing four months of intensive training!" Yūta and Megumi look at him with the same panicked impression. "There's nothing important outside for me to remember, so time will pass slower in here. That way, it'll be four months in just a few hours in the outside world," he explains cheerfully, hands on his hips.

"B-but-"

"Only four months?" asks Yūji, hands on his hips.

"That'll be enough," says Satoru nonchalantly. Yūji furrows her eyebrows and pouts.

"I thought it would be six-”

"YŪJI NO!"

Yūta covers her mouth and she blinks repeatedly. Satoru laughs and opens his arms. "All right! You already have my full attention, so let's train!”

Dead and gone. At least that's how they both perceived it and they prefer to return to training with Yūji alone. Just as she seems to be the only one capable of fully enduring Satoru's training. It makes sense. After all, she has been with him for many years as a teacher.

While Yūta and Megumi had barely a sliver of his attention. One they would much rather don't have. They have no energy left by the time they're done and Gojō expects them to be in top condition for the next day. It's a funny sight, no doubt.

Yūji is better than ever. It's clear her spirits have been restored and the normal routine she established has effectively reestablished itself. Spending time with her two friends, in the afternoon with her children and at night with Gojō. Occasionally watching bad movies with the whole family gathered in the living room.

Near the end of this extended training period, Yūji and Yūta walks along the edges of one of the many ponds in the house.

"If you're a distant cousin, in theory you're a Gojō."

"I'm almost sure it doesn't work that way," laughs Yūta, shaking his head. Yūji shrugs.

"I think so. Besides, it makes you a millionaire." Yūji shrugs with a smile.

"If it's by that logic, I should also be a very good sorcerer."

"You are," affirms Yūji, putting her arm around his shoulders. "You and Rika make a good team and even without her, you're already very good... We just need to figure out why you have her attached to you, and that's it!"

Yūji continues chattering away. Yūta watches her in silence until he stops and takes her face in his hands, pressing his lips together. Yūji blinks repeatedly and when he pulls away, her entire expression turns to disdain. Yūta doesn't let her say anything, almost pulling her into another kiss. Yūji's back hits a tree and with trembling hands, he grabs her waist. "I really like you-" The blow to the stomach not only knocks the wind out of Yūta, it also knocks him far away, landing in the pond and hitting his head. Yūji wipes his mouth and looks at Yūta in annoyance. She takes a couple of steps forward. "Don't you remember I told you I didn't want you to do this?" Yuta sits up slightly, rubbing his head. "Don't do that again," Yūji warns, removing the hair clips. It slid down her hair, now it is left loose. 

"I-it's just that I like you, and I thought... I thought maybe-" "Maybe what?"

"I-it's just that you're very kind, and I- well, I thought maybe if I insisted a little... Just like Rika..." Yūji looks at him with more than annoyance. The deepest disdain. Yūji can't believe Yūta took her friendship like that. She walks past him, not even looking back, wondering how to explain. She can't get far, Rika grabs her and pulls her back.

「Don't go. Stay with us」

「I want you to stay」

「I want Yūji with me」

「My Yūjiiiiii」

"Rika, let me go. I'm not in the mood to-"

Yūji gasps, floating. Yūta climbs onto Rika's back and stands on the curse's shoulder. He pats her a couple of times on the head. "You have to let her go. She'll get mad at you. Come on... Then you can play with her."

「I WANT IT NOW」

Rika holds Yūta equally and curls into a ball. Yūji shakes her head and is surprised by the hug around the waist. In this neutral space, Rika in her human form is visible, hugging Yūji and rubbing part of her head against Yūji while smiling.

"Yūji is staying with me and Yūta," the girl states and Yūji immediately judges Yūta. He should do something to resolve this situation. "Right?" Rika looks up at the teenager. "We'll be together forever."

"No."

Yūji senses that a binding vow could be created and she's not about to take that risk. She picks up Rika, places her in Yūta's hands and prepares to strike the dome. It's not a domain expansion, but rather a neutral space Rika created to exist.

"Yūji, listen to me," Yūta demands, placing Rika on the ground. "W-we don't want to... make you uncomfortable, or force you into anything. We're just asking that you think about it? It's... It would be nice to be together, wouldn't you think?"

Yūji looks him up and down, her brow furrowed, confusion flaring. "Together? The three of us?"

"Yes. Rika is better than ever thanks to you, and... I really like being with you," he shrugs with a smile. "The three of us being together and for it to be like this forever. It's-”

"Don't put me in a binding vow," Yūji warns, pointing at him. "I don't want to. I thought we were friends and you just wanted to convince me of this!" Yūji chides, exasperated and disappointed. "Neither of you was honest with me.”

"Of course we were. We want to be with you, and-”

"The same way everyone in the cults does! JUST LIKE SUKUNA! THEY'RE THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE!"

Marks start to appear on her skin. She ends up landing a blow that knocks down the barrier. She wipes her dress and leaves. Yūta falls to the floor and hangs his head, affected. He didn't think Yūji would take it so badly.

He doesn't want to hurt her in any way. Nor does he intend to be like the other opportunists. He wants something sweet and loving. Why is that a crime? He doesn't understand Yūji, who turns out to be not so cluelessly sweet.

Yūji smooths her hair and sees Megumi a few meters from the house, training hid shadow creatures. Mainly wolves. Shiro trots up to her and rubs himself against her leg. Yūji strokes his head affectionately, smiling softly.

If she goes to where they keep the deer, she'll feel better. Megumi approaches, hands in his pants and the same bored expression as always.

"Did something wrong?"

"Yuta kissed me, Rika got in tune with his... General nonsense." Yūji rubs her temples and Megumi finds it curious to see her like this. It usually only happens when Sukuna annoys her. There are no other reasons for her to be this upset. "And he's essentially only around for me to be his girlfriend or something."

"Ever since I arrived, he's had a crush on you, but I don't think it's so extreme that he doesn't think about anything else," Megumi opines, and Yūji shrugs.

"Anyway, I don't like him, and he just insisted. Just like every guy I come across," Yūji complains, patting Shiro on the head.

"Don't you want a romantic relationship now?"

"No. I'm not looking for one.”

"I see."

Megumi looks disappointed. Yūji meets his gaze and Megumi sighs, shaking vid head.

"I like you too, but if you don't want to, there's nothing I can do."

Yūji gasps and leaves in a frustrated tone. At least she can't be so angry with Megumi, just disappointed that the same thing will happen. Why can't they be like Junpei was? Just friends. It's not that complicated, is it? She doesn't understand.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Aw, Princess..."

"It's just not fair!" Yūji complains, exasperated. "It's like they're just... being nice or talking to me because they want to do those things. Just like Suguru and... I don't like it." Yūji slumps down and rests her chin on her knuckles. Satoru sits behind her to hug her. He presses a few kisses to the top of her head and sighs with an amused smile.

"When this whole Sukuna problem is over, which it will eventually," he states confidently. "I'm going to introduce you as my wife. That way at least you won't have anyone trying to get close to you. If they do, you'll know what to expect."

"Are you really going to introduce me?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'll brag to everyone that I have the best wife in the universe."

Yūji laughs, taking the loud, hard kiss on the cheek. Satoru rocks her a little and plants more kisses. He's actually very happy. Yūji doesn't have any side effects and Yūta shot himself in the foot. He's beyond perfect. Megumi doesn't worry him.

His calm personality and common sense keep him from being a nuisance. The only thing left to do now is send them to the Jujutsu Academy and then he'll have his house free of intruders.

Although, as usual, he's too confident to believe everything will be so easy.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"That was phenomenal!"

There's a general groan from all his children, who are sprawled in different places around the inner courtyard. Satoru laughs, moving between them until he's in front of Akihiko. He raises his head slightly, half of his bandage lifted.

"Officially, they passed."

Their tiredness fades and they jump up, squeal with joy and go to knock down Satoru, who takes this gesture from his children with emotion and enthusiasm. Despite the fact that it puts his safety at risk by being so much of them and with so much force. Yūji exhales with a sad smile.

Praying that nothing happens to them now that they're allowed out.

"I'll take care of them." Yūji laughs, taking Kiku's hand and interlacing their fingers with his most spoiled son's. Kiku laughs back, shyly.

Chapter 32: XXXII

"Maybe it isn't the best way to do it, but in such a controlled environment and having to impress the girl they like, I guess it's enough. They're ready to do missions!" Satoru informs with a smile. Yūta looks like he's about to throw up and Megumi is on the verge of fainting, panting and sweating profusely. "Except for you, Yūji-chan, you're still staying here."

"Ow," she laments, wiping the sweat from under her chin. Megumi finally falls to the floor and Yūta vomits to the side. "I think until you bring them a mission, we can train their resistance."

"They'll really need it," Satoru mocks, walking over to Megumi and leaning toward him. "Though I'll give you time to go to your sister's house. I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you."

Yūji clasps her hands behind her back and thinks. Silent, distracted. If the kids are ready, if Megumi and Yūta are ready… it means a period of almost total solitude is approaching. Empty nest syndrome is going to kill her. She doesn't know if all the missions will take too long, but it's a fact that she won't see her kids for a long time.

She'll have Chōsō, MinMin Suguru and Nanami still coming and going, Nanako and Mimiko…

Yūji has all those options, and yet the anguish of everyone leaving and her having to stay here, cloistered as always. Yūji fidgets, averting her gaze. Yūta wipes his chin and notices her, looking to say, "Shall we have a sleepover?"

Yūji turns her head sharply, a smile beginning to form on her face.

"We could… watch movies, whatever you want; eat lots of junk food… if we can order it." he now stammers at Satoru. The teacher pouts, tilting his head and pointing at himself.

"Aren't they going to invite me? It's my house."

"Yeah, but you're a twenty-five old man. The point is to only have people our age," Megumi argues breathlessly, and Satoru stiffens. Yūji hides his laughter and looks away.

"I'M NOT OLD!"

"To be with us, yes."

"OF COURSE NOT! YŪJIIIII!" He runs up to the teenager and shakes her hard in front of them. "TELL THEM I'M NOT AN OLD MAN. TELL THEM. TELL THEM."

"Satoru... your forehead has grown over the years."

"YŪJIIIIIIIII!"

Megumi smiles; it's satisfying. Yūji hugs Satoru, who is whimpering with his back to her. A soft, low "I'm just kidding, calm down" so it won't be a drama all week. Yūji takes the wallet out of Satoru's pocket and shakes her head.

"Chōsō can go get the pizza. Let's make a list, I'll invite Nanako and Mimiko and we'll fix the place up," she suggests and Yūta nods with a faint smile. He hadn't expected them to come, but it's better than Yūji turning down the sleepover.

Besides, using Satoru's money sounds like a phenomenal idea. Especially if it's done directly.

┈

"Didn't they confess to you recently? Mom, it could be dangerous for you," Toukki says with a distressed expression. "Will MinMin at least be there?"

"So will Nanako and Mimiko. They'll be here in a couple of hours," Yūji announces and the teenager sighs in relief. "Don't worry. They can't do anything to me," she assures, finishing pouring the tea into a cup. "Not without me leaving them seeing stars in one fell swoop. I can count on it, and worst-case scenario, MinMin would help me, in the most fatalistic case, Satoru would, and the worst, worst, worst… Sukuna doesn't want a wife someone else has used.”

The teenager grimaces in disgust. What a disgusting and dark way his mother has of joking sometimes. Treating Sukuna's presence as a kind of joke.

"Can't I be there?" Kiku asks and Yūji shakes her head. "Since Dad's here, we don't have a sleepover. I wanted us to do it before leaving on a mission."

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to show yourself there. It could end up in trouble," Yūji laments. "I promise if you're still here tomorrow, we'll have a sleepover just you and me. Is that okay?"

"I WANT TO BE THERE!" Yūji can't explain where Kikyo appeared from.

"ME TOO!"

"SHE WAS MY MOM FIRST!"

"NO, IT WAS MY MOM" FIRST.”

"I'M THE ELDEST, I'M IN CHARGE HERE."

Yūji pouts. Suddenly, even her children are being just as stupid as Satoru. She finds it incredible that even in this, they're so similar to him. None of her children are like her! It's unbelievable.

"I can't split myself in eight parts, so it'll be a sleepover for everyone tomorrow or the next day," Yūji says, exhaling heavily, "but you guys have to organize the food, the room and the movies. Understand?" They all smile with excitement and enthusiasm.

If Yūji had said no, the mess of jealousy and tragedy because Yūji prefers "invaders" would never end. She's oblivious to that detail, which makes it all the funnier. Chōsō only asks so that it doesn't mean he'll be made a pack mule or the private cook.

He doesn't want to do either. He'd rather sit with his sister and watch movies with them while the teenagers They take care of everything.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru rubs his brow and then rests his chin on his palm, thoughtful. For the first time in his life, he finished reading the log in the house's library and hasn't found the explanation for what he needs. Which is extremely worrying. He hopes that maybe at that moment, he made a mistake when raising the veil and that's why that person was able to enter.

At least it was at that moment, because now he's more than certain that everything is fixed. It's impossible for someone to try to cross the veil without him knowing. The weight on his back surprises him, but it brings a smile to his face. Yūji kisses him several times on the head.

"Are you finished?"

"Yes, but I didn't find anything."

"Maybe it was a small mistake. Like in games," Yūji suggests. "There are little errors in the program and you don't notice them until you bump into them." Satoru would like to say that's it, but he's almost certain there should be some justification he's not seeing. At least it won't be for lack of research. Satoru has no choice but to find Mahito and this Kenjaku guy. "I'm going to the sleepover now. I left you food in the kitchen."

"Princess," Satoru whines, leaning back, while Yūji holds him down. "I don't want to sleep alone today. I'm going to have bad dreams because the last thing on this is my dad hating me."

"You'll be fine," Yūji assures, laughing. "In the morning, we'll be together anywhere in the house. Anywhere you like best," the teenager promises and Satoru pouts. He figures it's enough. Besides, he has to let her be. They've been sleeping together for four months without fail.

His complaint is nothing more than his inability to share his wife and let her have a life of her own, no matter how small. Yūji leaves and Satoru starts sorting through his papers. He doesn't feel like doing it, but without any servants and with how little attention they pay to this part of the house, he has no choice but to organize it.

In case any of his children get curious and decide to come looking for something.

Satoru keeps his father's diary at hand. Thinking about how little they spoke and in contrast, how much he envied him. Yūji told him at the time that perhaps it was just an impression and deep down, Hifumi Gojō loved him very much.

Yūji was naive.

His poor wife, always so tender and with a good impression of others. Who objectively don't deserve it.

"I hope you're burning with envy down there in hell," Satoru says mockingly.

He has dinner, goes to his room and goes to bed.

"Where were you?"

"Outside," Satoru replies with disinterest and the man judges him harshly. "And you? Dying inside the room? Ol’ man."

"Satoru, have more respect—"

"I'm not going to respect a useless sorcerer," he argues immediately to his mother, keeping his hands in his jacket pockets. "Everyone here is useless. All they know is keeping records and hiding underground. What the fuck do they matter? You can't order me around." Satoru criticizes Hifumi directly.

The man tries to hit him. He can't. Satoru laughs, tilting his head and looking at him with his bright blue eyes.

"Use-less."

His laughter is cut short by a cold feeling and as he looks down, he notices the blade sticking out of his chest. His eyes widen; panic grips him at the grip on his shoulders, one that pushes him down. Seeing his father in front of him, his face gray, his eyes blanched and  smell of putrefaction. Satoru hyperventilates and tries to shake him off, but fails.

"Who's the useless one? If not you... who died-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME...!"

"Who couldn't protect anyone…" Hifumi abruptly turns him around. In the distance, Suguru lies dead on the ground, a blade stuck in his chest, blood pouring from his mouth, his hair cut ragged. His eyes fixed on him, "None of those you love..." Satoru whimpers, hyperventilating. Nanami, a little further away, with more than half his body burned and his blank gaze skyward. "Could..." Satoru can't breathe, his jaw completely slumped.

They're all dead.

All of his children are dead.

None of them have eyes.

They're just blind heads.

"Survive…”

"SATORU! SATORU!”

"Because you didn't protect them."

Satoru tries to break free, tries to get up, tries to reach Yūji, who's crawling on the ground, breaking her fingers, losing nails and giving everything she has to escape. Pulled by her legs, she ends up underneath Sukuna, screaming hysterically and spewing blood from her mouth, eyes whitening.

"LET ME GO! LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME!" Satoru screams desperately, feeling the darkness swallowing him, the hell dragging him back and this time he can't escape its grasp.

Now he looks straight into Hifumi's eyes and his smile sends chills down his spine.

"You couldn't do anything," he laughs. "You're useless... USELESS! USELESS! USELESS...!"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Satoru ruffles his hair and nods, pretending he wasn't about to cry from a nightmare. Kikyo closes the door and jumps onto the futon, tucking herself in between the pillows and Satoru's arms. The man kisses her head a couple of times and settles down to sleep.

"Honey."

"Ummm?"

"Did one of your siblings happen to come with you?"

"Dad, you were asleep," the teenager claims and Satoru laughs, opening an eye.

"I'm still the strongest sorcerer of all, I won't get ambushed."

In the end, he ended up with Kazuhiro and Yuzu tucked into the futon together. That saved the night from being horrible for him. With his children driving away those nightmares with their mere presence.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"This doesn't make sense!"

"That's the point. It's part of the charm."

"Yūji is too weird. Why can't we watch some good movies for once? You're always watching trash because Satoru-sensei is too stupid, he loves watching this trash," Nanako complains, waving her arm in front of the screen. Yūji laughs, stretched out in front of the cabinet and close to the TV.

"It's to make up for the fact that they're going to leave me abandoned here like a bad memory, again," Yūji clarifies. "So if I want to watch movies, they'll be bad ones to make up for the tragedy."

"We can watch bad, but good movies," Megumi suggests, shoving a slice of pizza to his mouth. "I can get them fast."

"PLEASE!" Nanako begs, and Yūji pouts.

"You're so over-the-top dramatic."

"It was good because of how bad it was," Yūta opines.

"You don't count, emo," Yūta freezes. What did she call him? "You'll do whatever Yūji asks because you like her and you want to fuck her."

"Don't talk so meanly, Nanako," Mimiko urges in a low voice. Yūta slowly shakes his head, blushing.

"I-it's not that-"

"It's obvious," Mimiko informs.

"Though at least you did something right. Yūji just trains, trains, makes his tits grow, his muscles grow, his buttocks grow—stop growing," Nanako warns, poking her with her finger. Yūji laughs, shrugging.

"It just happens. It's not like I'm making my breasts grow on purpose."

"And by the way, all for nothing! Because you don't have a boyfriend!"

Mimiko and Nanako take some creative liberties with their complaints. They figured it'd be better to be "jealous" of Yūji's assets. That way they'll avoid letting it slip that she's married and so many other details. Megumi and Yūta don't detect anything strange, which is a relief in itself.

"While we get the movies and order more pizza, we should do something about this," Nanako opines, getting Yūji to stand up.

"I think we can do something more fun."

Chōsō arrives with the pizza about thirty minutes later and can't understand what he's seeing. Nanako and Yūji are laughing hysterically, Mimiko is trying not to be the same; Megumi and Yūta are beside them, hunched over and looking embarrassed. Dressed in clothes Yūji hasn't worn in a long time, but they fit both of them because of his thick frame.

Skirt.

Blouse.

Tights.

Yūta even managed to put on some high boots.

"Should I leave the pizza here?" Chōsō asks. Nanako and Yūji turn to look at him sharply.

Chōsō ended up wearing a summer dress, face paint, braided hair with little flowers and ripped stockings because he was noticeably bigger than the other pair. Yūji, Mimiko and Nanako hugged, taking a photo with the trio in the background.

They ate cold pizza and watched better movies, but still, the best part of the night was that moment. Also, the fact that they weren't allowed to change their clothes.

┈

Yūta stares at Yūji, who's fast asleep to one side. They're all lying on futons across the living room. He muses that this may be the last time they'll see each other like this. It will be more sporadic, more complicated; she hasn't wanted them to be alone together, and...

It bothers him.

It bothers him quite a bit.

Yūta doesn't want the distance.

He doesn't want...

I don't want to.     「I don't want to」

I don't want to.     「I don't want to」

I don't want to.     「I don't want to」

 I̴̢͝ ̷̮̓d̴̤͝ò̷͓ń̵̢'̸͍̆t̸͙̾ ̷̼͆w̶̰̾a̵̭͂n̸͚̅t̵̮͝ ̵̺̍t̴̖̃ȯ̸̺  ̴̺̑   「I̴̢͝ ̷̮̓d̴̤͝ò̷͓ń̵̢'̸͍̆t̸͙̾ ̷̼͆w̶̰̾a̵̭͂n̸͚̅t̵̮͝ ̵̺̍t̴̖̃ȯ̸̺ 」

Ḭ̷͠ ̷̨̢́̇d̴̮͙̓o̷͎̫̍͑n̵͖̟̔'̵̜̓͐ͅṯ̶͠ ̴̜͚̿ẁ̴̭͝a̷̢̓̚n̶̛̤̏ṯ̷̏ ̸̠̋̔t̸͙̂̑o̴͇̿͋   ̴̺̑   「Ḭ̷͠ ̷̨̢́̇d̴̮͙̓o̷͎̫̍͑n̵͖̟̔'̵̜̓͐ͅṯ̶͠ ̴̜͚̿ẁ̴̭͝a̷̢̓̚n̶̛̤̏ṯ̷̏ ̸̠̋̔t̸͙̂̑o̴͇̿͋ 」

I̴̲̫̜̫͂͐̐́ ̶̳̼̣̕d̶͍̗̱͇̅́̚ô̸͈̠͙̓͊n̶̳͔̹̙͑͆̄'̸͉́ț̶̂ ̷̹̟̦̭̓́w̷̙͒ạ̶̙̻̺̓n̴͔̥͒̾̒͠t̷̘̾̑ ̵̡̺͕̰̃t̵͕̗͋͛̓̐o̵̠̮̾  ̴̺̑    「I̴̲̫̜̫͂͐̐́ ̶̳̼̣̕d̶͍̗̱͇̅́̚ô̸͈̠͙̓͊n̶̳͔̹̙͑͆̄'̸͉́ț̶̂ ̷̹̟̦̭̓́w̷̙͒ạ̶̙̻̺̓n̴͔̥͒̾̒͠t̷̘̾̑ ̵̡̺͕̰̃t̵͕̗͋͛̓̐o̵̠̮̾ 」

I̷̺̿̈̃̚͝ ̴͉̣̇̇͋̾͘ḑ̸̰̲̘͐͋o̶̙̱͍̱͉̍n̷͖̐'̸̥͉̘̀̍̽͊̌ṯ̴̨̝̗͛ ̴̬̰͓̐͒w̶͓̩̟͆́a̷͎͚̣̐͂́n̵̗͍͑t̷̘̹̑̋͠ ̴̖̲͂̅͊̒͝t̶͕̍̃͌ǒ̸͖̟̤͕̆̏  ̴̺̑    「I̷̺̿̈̃̚͝ ̴͉̣̇̇͋̾͘ḑ̸̰̲̘͐͋o̶̙̱͍̱͉̍n̷͖̐'̸̥͉̘̀̍̽͊̌ṯ̴̨̝̗͛ ̴̬̰͓̐͒w̶͓̩̟͆́a̷͎͚̣̐͂́n̵̗͍͑t̷̘̹̑̋͠ ̴̖̲͂̅͊̒͝t̶͕̍̃͌ǒ̸͖̟̤͕̆̏ 」

Yūta stretches out slightly and lightly presses Yūji's fingers. His eyes are empty and the cursed energy he still can't control is pouring out of him. Yūji's secondary eyelids open, and a mouth forms on his cheek.

『Ummm? Why are you bothering me so much? Don't you know this bitch isn't yours, do you need more fucking signals?』

Yūta remains cold and absent-minded.

『I'm not in the mood to even bother you. Take your pathetic energy away from my wife. Before—』

“She's not your wife. She'll never be your wife. I'm going to take her away from you," Yūta warns in a low, soft voice, a tender, faint sound. Sukuna chuckles discreetly and Yūji breathes deeply, turning completely to her side and toward Yūta.

『You can try. I know you won't be able to... you and that child you're clinging to are nothing more than a broken toy』

Yūta continues stroking Yūji's fingers.

『Do you know what will happen if you keep bothering me and touching what isn't yours?』

Yūta parts his lips: a trickle of blood runs from Yūji's nose and Sukuna laughs. Yūta draws his hand back toward himself; the bleeding doesn't increase, only a trace remains. Sukuna laughs before disappearing. Yūji stirs, rubbing her face on the futon and lying face down.

"Rika… am I keeping you here? Is it my fault that you haven't ascended yet?" Yūta asks in a low voice.

「I want to be here. I want to be with Yūta」

「I don’t want to… disappear. I don’t want to go somewhere else. I don’t want to leave you unprotected or alone. We should go together」

“Rika… I really want to be with Yūji,” Yūta murmurs. “I really want to be like we are now. Like you and I are.”

「I also want us to stay with Yūji. The three of us are very happy. I want us to stay together」

Yūta falls asleep, peaceful and happy, feeling that something is right about Rika accepting his request. That she understands him. They always understand each other. She doesn’t want to leave, he doesn’t want her to go, even though deep down he wants her to rest in peace. Yūta sees himself as a very selfish person, but thanks to Yūji and all the time they've spent here, all the help she's given him, he has a lot more confidence in himself.

He believes he can help with Sukuna.

That he can become strong enough to help her fight him.

Help her with what she needs, more accurately.

Show how much he's worth, how much he cares and maybe that way, Yūji won't hate him anymore.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Was everything okay last night?”

Yūji tells Satoru about the sleepover, shows her photos and Satoru enjoys seeing her so happy, so able to put aside the problems they have on their shoulders or the anxieties she shouldn't have at her age. It's a beautiful moment.

“I can wear a skirt too if you want.”

“Really!?”

Yūji spent the morning laughing and taking an entire photo shoot with Satoru, who wears most of his wife's closet. Just fooling around. It ended with him hugging her, kissing her neck. "I love you, Yūūūūūūji," he croons affectionately and Yūji laughs, lovingly taking him by the arms and enjoying the cuddles.

Then they'd worry about tidying up all the clothes they'd thrown on the floor.

"Satoru."

"Tell me?"

"When Sukuna's dead, I want us to travel the world. Can we? I want to go to the beach, I want to see animals, I want to go scuba diving, I want..."

The list goes on and on, Satoru just listens with a smile. Yūji laughs at herself for getting lost in her own mind. "Can we?"

"Of course we can. Japan isn't moving anywhere. You should make a map of the countries you want to visit and I'll take care of the rest. Is that okay, Princess?" Yūji nods and Satoru kisses him on the forehead.

His wife is very happy about a successful sleepover and a plan for the future. It's everything he wanted.

Chapter 33: XXXIII

The start of the routine, with everyone on missions, caused what Yūji expected: silence at home. It's quite overwhelming. On the one hand, she has the ability to be around her house and garden without having to watch her children for mistakes and exposure; without having to think about so much food to prepare and other details.

However, the lack of life sends shivers down her spine. Also, the recognition that they may be at risk out there. The missions Satoru assigns their children aren't simple. Not at all. They're the ones that haven't been resolved and that he himself doesn't have time to deal with.

He takes credit for the fact that "the Gojō clan" resolved the problem, so his children get their recognition. Indirectly. He's already had to talk to them to let them know that eventually they'll be able to be recognized personally. However, that will take a while.

Megumi and Yūta are almost the same story.

Even with more time apart. They don't have a way to teleport wherever they want, nor enough money to move around without any problem. From what Yūji knows, Yūta has been given more complicated problems than Megumi. After all, Yūta is a special-grade sorcerer.

Megumi, for his part, was classified as a second-grade sorcerer. Thanks to the training Gojō gave him, he showed great improvement compared to the last time they tested his skills.

While Yūji misses the daily training dynamics, she likes having their company from time to time. Yūta seems better the more he's outside. More lively and self-confident, as if he's finally able to have more of his own personality. On the other hand, Megumi just remains just as sullen and taciturn.

They both bring gifts for Yūji. There's never a chance they won't. The first was Megumi:

"I thought you'd like it. At least it'll help you to be more careful with your phone."

Yūji shakes the phone, excited. It's a small tiger-shaped keychain with a barely audible bell. She jumps a few times, excited. She's seen plenty of teenage girls in anime and movies using this on their cell phones, but he's never had one of his own. It's not a big, exorbitant gift, so Satoru never even considered it as an option.

He's always up for expensive, numerous and extravagant gifts. Something like that never crossed his mind.

What did cross his mind was the latest cell phone Yūji put the keychain on.

The other thing was a stuffed animal, this time Yūta's.

"What is it?"

"A capybara."

"I love it."

Yūji keeps squeezing the plush toy and Yūta feels especially proud of his choice. Especially since Megumi came at the same time, so he doesn't have Yūji's full attention.

"Aren't you a little bored here all by yourself?" Yūta asks, curious. Yūji shakes her head.

"I'm almost always alone, so it's nothing out of the ordinary. Although I'm really glad they called me," Yūji comments, placing the stuffed animal on the table so it looks like he'll be eating with them. "Is everything okay outside? I know you don't want to worry me about Mr. Insufferable Curse, but you can tell me about those things. I'm not going to cry or anything."

"Nothing interesting," Yūta shrugs. "It's all like you'd imagine: annoying curses, avoiding getting killed and barely managing to do it."

"It's pretty boring. You don't miss anything," Megumi says and Yūji leans back. Hair down, T-shirt and shorts. It's an especially hot day today.

"At least you can go wherever you want. That makes it so much better," Yūji grumbles. "Satoru-sensei's coming today! I think he's going to ask them to show him how they've improved and all that. They should be attentive." Yūji says with a smile, and Yūta groans, backing away.

"I just got out of a car. I was in there for almost five hours."

"Oh! I made a cake earlier. I'll bring it over. That way you won't be so down." Yūji jumps up and leaves the room. Yūta smiles excitedly and Rika takes him by the shoulders. Megumi narrows his eyes, eyeing him suspiciously.

After the plushie, came a hair bow. Megumi brought it:

"I saw it was the same fabric as your dress, so I thought it would be... well..."

Megumi exhales, his hands in his uniform pockets. Yūji didn't let him finish speaking; she just ran to get the dress made of the same material. It takes her barely five minutes to return, jumping up and down with excitement at the coincidence. It's a huge bow she tied in her ponytail. The dress is pink and plaid and summery.

Yūji hugs Megumi in such a way that she almost suffocates and destroys him. She can't control her strength when she's excited.

Megumi isn't someone who usually takes photos, but for Yūji's sake, he spent almost half an hour taking pictures. Chōsō helped them make nice, full-body shots. Megumi allowed himself to hug her, considering that Yūji wanted to and was practically straddling him.

He picked her up and although it was complicated because she weighs more than him, he managed to hold her and Yūji joked that they looked like the Barbie movie poster.

The next person to give her something was Yūta: a game she'd been crying about for too long, but hadn't asked for from Satoru. She doesn't want to bother him with such trivial things. He spoils her too much. It feels unfair to demand things from him. On the other hand, having talked about it so much with Yūta, he got him to buy it and they spent the entire afternoon, evening and almost early morning playing.

Megumi arrived late at night and joined the play session, to Yūta's utter irritation.

"They found traces of Sukuna's missing finger," Megumi mentions, and Yūji stills. "It's possible we'll finally have it close and you can get out." He leans toward her. "What do you plan to do when...?"

"I haven't mastered my cursed technique yet, I can't... expel it and keep it away from my soul yet, so even if we find it, it's complicated," Yūji says. "I don't want to get my hopes up too soon." Yūji goes back to playing, a little less happy.

"Gojō-sensei must have a secret solution," Yūta suggests with an awkward smile.

"He doesn't. His solution is that I know how to separate souls, but I can't do it on myself. Not for now," she clarifies, "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"What will you do when you get out?" Yūta asks, a direct and indirect question. "Go to the movies, go to the beach, go to a mountain, go... somewhere."

Yūji remains still again, staring at her hands. While she's long fantasized about traveling the world with Satoru, being alone with the two of them brings up a different idea. One that's almost wilder, absurd, sillier...

Simple.

"I just want to walk down the street."

"Walk down the street? But—"

"I want to be alone out there. I want to walk down the street. I haven't done that in a long time."

She goes back to playing, flexing her leg toward her chest and paying attention to the characters on the screen. Yūta nods slightly and Megumi doesn't comment. He assumes it has to do with those intense bouts of anger she had.

Yūji wants to be alone.

Even if it's just for a few hours, she wants to be alone .

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Yūta smiles kindly at Suguru, who's inside one of the many rooms in the house, drinking tea that Yūji leaves on the table. MinMin is alert to any movement of the supposed monk.

"Good afternoon, Getō-sensei," Yūta greets and Suguru opens one eye, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

"His cursed energy has improved a lot," Suguru comments, turning his attention to Yūji. "Yūji-chan, do you have any dessert? I just swallowed seventy curses. My taste buds are worse than ever.”

“I made a cake, it was for Satoru, but I think your poor palate deserves a little more,” laughs Yūji, standing up. “Wait a moment, I'll get some of it… Yūta, sit down. Suguru's just another guest. Don't panic,” assures Yūji with a carefree smile.

Yūji leaves and Yūta takes seat. He leaves the katana to the side, but close enough to grab in case of an emergency. Suguru's chuckle catches his attention. “I see you've had enough practice. Keeping the weapon within reach… How did the fieldwork go?” Suguru asks. Yūta shrugs, maintaining a sheepish smile, sleepy eyes, and a shy demeanor.

“Good. Nothing special. Nothing too dangerous. Not for Rika.” Yūta clarifies, and Suguru tilts his head.

“Nothing is difficult for her. In the worst of times, she'll keep you safe. I know from experience what it's like to rely on curses” he comments, leaning back, flexing a leg, “although of course, I don't usually go on many field missions nowadays. I have another role. A less glamorous and heroic one.”

“You... deal with curses that are attached to people, right?” Suguru doesn't change his expression, nor does he give any particular answer. “What does it taste like? I suppose-”

“It tastes like swallowing an old dirty rag…” Suguru widens his smile, leaning towards Yūta. “Rotten in dark water…” Suguru opens his eyes wide. “That they used… to clean shit” Yūta leans back. “And vomit” he spits, tilting his head. “So... you'll understand that those seventy-five curses today were like swallowing the plague of a town. Not all of us are so lucky to have a dead girl stuck with us.”

Yūta couldn't feel more uncomfortable with this. Partly ashamed of having thought he was any different. Suguru sighs and straightens, returning to his usual, calmer posture. He tucks his hands under his sleeves.

"Although of course, if I had someone I love cursed, I wouldn't be so cruel as to keep her with me," Suguru comments. A huge lie Yūta doesn't know about. The boy frowns.

"Rika wants to stay."

"I can swallow it and free her and you from all this trouble," Suguru suggests. "It'll be much easier... it won't be the first special curse I've taken," he comments, extending his hand. "Wouldn't you prefer it?"

Rika appears and hugs Yūta from behind. Yūta pats her twice on the arm.

"She's staying with me. Thank you very much."

Suguru retracts his hand and laughs. “At least someone wants to stay with you. Not like Yūji, who rejected you immediately. How can you blame her? It disappoints her completely.” Suguru speaks with such condescension and mockery that Yūta can't help but feel annoyed.

Suguru closes his eyes. These teenagers' dramas are more entertaining than dealing with his own tragedy with Yūji. He exhales, humming and ends by saying:

"You're not the first to fall in love and be hopelessly rejected. I recommend you give up. It's never going to happen. Nor does she deserve someone as cruel as you," he says supportively.

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know you have the soul of a dead girl. I know it stayed because you held on too tightly and now it refuses to leave," the long-haired sorcerer points out. "You're not very complicated, even if you think you are. Satoru gave you a greater sense of relevance than he should have... and then let you go. When you clearly lack a lot."

"I'm doing well...!"

"Just 'well' isn't enough," Suguru mutters. "Just good can cause an entire village to die; That your mission ends in disaster, that your arm is ripped off. It's not enough to be ‘well enough’,” the monk emphasizes. “So,” he shrugs, “whatever you think you've accomplished is pathetic, and even more so, Yūji is too much for you.” He concludes and turns to the door of the hall. Yūta, stressed and confused, looks at him.

"YOU CAN'T...!"

"Thank you, Yūji-chan, as kind as ever."

Suguru takes the dessert and Yūji analyzes them for a moment. "Were you fighting?" Suguru shakes his head, his cheeks full and his eyes narrowing in pure pleasure.

"We were just talking, weren't we? Yūta-kun."

Yūta clenches his fists and manages to calm down enough to eat the cake Yūji brought him.

┈

"Do you think I can improve more?"

"Yes. Of course I do. It's just... complicated. All training is different. At least that's what they taught me," Yūji replies, swinging his legs over the edge of the wood. "Why? Did Suguru tell you anything about that?" Yūta doesn't answer. Yūji shrugs. "Don't pay too much attention to him. He's not as good as you think."

"He's not good at fighting?" Yūta replies, surprised. Yūji shakes her head.

"He's almost as good as Satoru, don't get me wrong. I mean, he's a terrible liar." Yūji raises one of his legs. "And he also loves making others feel bad. Don't pay too much attention to him. Just go at your own pace."

Yūta nods and Yūji smiles at him. They both look up at the starry sky.

"Very dangerous?"

"Yūji isn't stupid, but with the curse involved, it's a given that he could be a threat," Suguru opines. Satoru keeps his hands in his pants pockets. Looking at where both teens are admiring the stars, "Not to mention his dead-fly attitude only works in his favor."

"I found someone who can train him abroad," Satoru comments, leaning against the tree. "His name is Miguel. I'm thinking of sending him away. Megumi will be fine until the next school year starts and Nobara Kugisaki arrives... Is Yūta being too obvious?"

"Gifts, rushed visits, not hiding his annoyance at having people invading his time with Yūji," Suguru rolls his eyes with a cynical smile. "He's desperate to get Yūji to see him the same way and his curse only helps him. It's a risk."

"Do you think he'll do the same as you?" Satoru mocks.

Suguru shakes his head.

 "No, he's not that desperate. He's just hopeful and foolish. For now," he clarifies, tucking his hands into his sleeves. Satoru nods. Good to know.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru tucks the strand of hair behind her ear and Yūji half-opens her eyes. The golden color is as bright and beautiful as ever. Satoru smiles unconsciously. Happy to see her. "Sorry to wake you, Princess."

"It's okay... Are you leaving now? You barely got to sleep," Yūji murmurs sleepily. "Can't you stay a little longer today?" She moves to hug him and Satoru reciprocates. "I know that everything is going to hell outside, but... stay with me a little longer."

"Ummmm... you convinced me," Satoru flirts, kissing her on the head. "Okay. Just a little longer... Baby."

"Ummm?"

"We already have a trace of the last finger. The kids are looking for it right now. It seems to lead to small towns with a low influx of curses” Satoru comments before yawning, “with a bit of luck, in a few months or weeks, we'll have it” Yūji grumbles indiscreetly. “Aren't you glad?”

“I still don't have control of my technique, and without that, all that's left is for you to kill me. So—”

“We'll master it. We'll take some time, you and I. I promise.”

Satoru doesn't have that kind of time. He simply doesn't have it.

He has to keep a distance from his children, doing everything out there. It's dangerous to leave them unsupervised. On the other hand, he has his classes, missions, clan meetings; Yūta went abroad before he could even realize it.

And Yūji, for her part, just feels more alone and confined than ever.

Unpleasant.

Overwhelming.

Practicing on her own and almost praying for a miracle to change her situation.

Chapter 34: XXXIV

"Hello, Fushiguro Megumi, right?"

Megumi digs his hands into his pants pockets. In front of him is this person who looks like a relative of Suguru's, judging by his hairstyle, the shape of his face and his smile. Megumi glances at the building behind him: Sendai High School. This person isn't wearing a school uniform; instead, they're wearing clothes similar to those in Suguru's photos: baggy pants, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pink coat thrown to the side.

"I'm Kiku," he introduces himself with a hand on his chest. "You're here to collect a cursed relic, right?" Megumi still doesn't make a single gesture. "There are already people inside. It was a small logistical error."

"I don't think so," Kiku bites his lower lip, feigning calm. "I was told Sukuna's finger is here. The last one left. I have to take it to the academy." Megumi points back with his thumb. “What are you doing here? You don't have a uniform.”

"It broke," Kiku excuses. "And don't worry, we'll take it to the academy as soon as we have it. I just don't think it's a good idea to put more people in there, it could be-"

They both look back, the veil over the middle school cracking and regenerating again. Megumi parts his lips, amazed. How is that possible? He's never seen a veil as strong and transparent as that. He thought there wasn't even one. He hadn't been able to notice it until this moment.

"Get out of the way," Megumi warns, clasping his hands. Kiku raises his with a grimace.

"I mean it, it's best that-"

"Trouble! Trouble!" Kiku is startled by the small bird reaching his shoulder. "They swallowed it! They swallowed it!"

“Shit-”

The veil bursts like a bubble and the almost ruined building can be seen, with a crowd of curses fighting each other, a few people mingling. Megumi takes a step back before running. Kiku curses under his breath, absorbing the bird curse and summoning a curse that is a huge manta ray.

Flying above Megumi, who can barely contain his surprise. Curse manipulation? He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. "Maki-senpai! Come everyone! It's here!"

" On the way ," the student replies and Megumi puts his phone away. He summons his two wolves, just in time for them to attack the curses that detected it and launch themselves at him.

Meanwhile, Kiku reaches what used to be the roof of the building. "What are you doing?! Megumi's coming in..."

"Help us get the finger out of her mouth!" 

"THEY'RE KILLING EACH OTHER!" Kikyo complains, without time to listen to Kiku's complaint. The boy rolls his eyes.

He consumes some curses in the path. He wrinkles his face and shakes his head. Consuming more than one at a time is incredibly difficult. They were also not supposed to complicate things for him by keeping the curses here. He needs a lot for curses like these, ironically. Akihiko is the one closest to getting what they're looking for.

The only problem they have and why they've made things so complicated, is that the curses have very complex abilities and Sukuna's finger? It only increases the power of the curse who acquired it.

Although it also seems about to explode.

Akihiko whistles and Umi throws the knife in time for him to catch it and plunge it into the curse's head. It screams hysterically. Yuzu cuts into his stomach with a double-pointed axe and uses infinity to burst it open and take the mummified finger.

"I GOT IT!" he announces and they start running to get out of here as quickly as possible. Kiku climbs back onto the manta ray to get away, grabbing his twin and taking flight.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

Kiku screams, frightened and Yuzu teleports himself and him away to avoid the attack they almost receive head-on. "Where's the veil?" Akihiko hisses, as they all gather in a single space, surrounded by curses of varying degrees.

"I take the finger so don't come to me with stupid questions!" Yuzu immediately argues, adjusting his round glasses. "Kiku, help me," he asks in a low voice and his twin stands in front of him. Kiku manifests a huge, furry moth, pulling a katana from its mouth.

Yuzu closes his eyes, forming the veil, which starts to fall slowly. He closes the place and as soon as it does, Akihiko raises a hand. His glasses are on his head and his eyes are wide open. “ Ryoiki Tenkai: Infinite -”

“DO NOT ACTIVATE IT!” Kazuhiro yells.

Akihiko stares for a moment at the same thing his brother does: Megumi among the rubble, three other people with him: a girl with glasses, a white-haired teenager and a panda. He thinks about it for a brief moment.

“ Void .”

“NO!”

They cover themselves with their arms and stand rigid, within the expanse of the domain that confuses them exceptionally until someone covers their eyes. Akihiko exhales sharply, watching all the curses vanish within the expanse, leaving everything clean. When he finishes, Kikyo helps him to his feet. “We have to leave quickly-”

“Inumaki!”

“ Stop !”

Kiku is the only one whofalls to the floor with a thud, the others resisting the curse. Umi grits his teeth and knocks him down. “I saved your life, fucking asshole!” he claims, more like a tantrum than an insult. Toukki helps Kiku to his feet, while Kiku is seeing stars.

“Why is Gojō-sensei here?”

“That’s not Gojō-sensei,” Maki argues immediately, pointing at Akihiko. “Can’t you see he’s not that old?”

Akihiko covers Kikyo’s mouth. Before she can complain, saying her dad isn’t old. Only they can bother him with that. Megumi gasps. “There are more… people in the Gojō clan? Are you his brothers?”

“There’s no one else in the Gojō clan. Everyone died except him,” Panda says, scratching his head. “This doesn’t make much sense… What do we do?”

“What do we do?” Takahiro asks quietly and Akihiko grimaces. How would he know? If it were just Megumi, they could threaten him, make a vow, whatever! But that's three more people who don't know where they came from.

Even if they're from the sorcery school, it would be very complicated. Maki takes out her cell phone. “Sukuna's finger is held by people just like Satoru Gojō. What do we do?” she asks directly and the eight of them shriek.

“NOONONON...!”

“ Just like Gojō?”

“Yeah- HEY!”

Umi exhales, having thrown a knife to destroy Maki's cell phone.

“Let's go... Just go!”

“And what do we do? They've already seen us...!”

“YOU CAN'T TAKE SUKUNA'S FINGER!” Maki exclaims.

It turns into a messy and very awkward argument. They can't hurt them. They're sure that would only bring more trouble. Yuzu tears down the veil so they can escape and not leave them trapped, but they didn't expect a whole gang of helpers here.

Not to mention Nanami stares at them with deep annoyance. Obvious even with her green glasses. Akihiko exhales, putting his glasses back on. "Shit."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

He flings open the doors and to everyone's surprise, Satoru has beaten Yaga to the punches:

"How did they let so many people see them!? How did they use domain expansion with people nearby?!" He walks directly to Akihiko, who is the most cowering. He knew this would happen. "You could have killed them or left them brain-dead! How did you not notice them?!"

"Y-yes, I did, but—"

Satoru takes off his blindfold, wanting to face him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAVE?! YOUR MOTHER IS HYSTERICAL AT HOME, THINKING THEY'RE BEING KILLED IN HERE," Satoru reproaches. "THE OUTLOOK IS TERRIBLE, ALMOST APOCALYPTIC. I TOLD YOU TO FLEE IF YOU RISKED BEING DISCOVERED," he corrects them all. "And what do I get? Nanami is also hysterical because you all exposed yourselves in the most revealing ways possible."

"We got Sukuna's finger," Kikyo says with a smile. Satoru turns to look at her and she lowers her head.

Scared.

"Do you think I can't steal it or what?"

"Have you been stealing relics?"

"This isn't the time, Yaga."

"Of course it is!" he argues, approaching sternly. "First, there's a warning about... Seven teenagers just like you!" Kiku bites his lower lip and his brother takes his hand. "With your cursed technique, we finally have Sukuna's missing finger and now you confess to stealing!?" Satoru rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "You better explain what's going on here. Before I leave this academy and become a bigger problem."

"Just a moment," he asks, raising his finger.

He dials his cell phone and Yaga waits for whatever he wants to do. Satoru grins foolishly. "Princess! Good news: they're just in the office of that boring, exaggerated ex-teacher. The bad news is that everyone here has already seen them and I think it's time to tell the truth... I'll put you on speakerphone."

Satoru turns his cell phone toward them. They scream at the same time as the shout:

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? COME HERE! NOW!"

"I-I'll take Kiku. I'll take him!"

"COME ON, COME ON!"

Yaga stutters. How can they leave so easily? Satoru puts the phone back to his ear. "I'll be there in a couple of hours. I adore you- Ah, I have to scold them too, don't make them cry too much with your incredible way of hurting pride." He hangs up the call and adjusts his blindfold. "Fine. What were we talking about? Ah, yes," Satoru points at him with his fingers. "The tiny matter of me having eight children."

"They're your children!?"

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"We told all of you hundreds of times that if you were at risk of someone finding out, you should disappear from there. Indifferent to what was happening,” Yūji says, stern and firm towards the eight teenagers in front of her. “Why did they stay there? And to make matters worse, they used domain expansion. Are you insane!?”

“I-it was there, literally there,” Akihiko replies, bewildered and teary-eyed. “We wanted to bring it in so that… so that it would all end, so that we could begin the process of getting him out. We just wanted to help.”

“Under any circumstances? Don’t you understand?! It’s a risk that they find out about you!” Yūji insists and Akihiko squeezes his arm. “Satoru could take care of that.”

“We had it in our hands! What happened was a curse ate it, it broke the veil due to the explosion of cursed energy and it turned into a mess! Kiku was guarding the entrance. He was distracting Megumi, but... Everything went to hell!" Yuzu explains. Kiku burst into tears as soon as they got here. He's the one who usually doesn't get scolded, so he doesn't usually receive his mother's scolding.

He's still the most attached to her.

Yūji doesn't care about any excuses they give. After all, now everyone knows there are more Six Eyes users. Not so much because they're a danger. Because they are! It's just a detail that Satoru hasn't wanted to explain to her; he doesn't think it's the right time. Yūji suspects it, but she can't come to the true conclusion.

The problem is that Six Eyes doesn't come across in this broad expression. It means there's someone special, capable of applying the father's cursed technique to babies. Something highly coveted. There's also the detail of what Kenjaku called it: cursed womb. It's something the clans are going to want urgently and it's another danger. There are so many problems surrounding them that it makes it seem like a real necessity for them to be so strong.

Otherwise, they'd be torn apart instantly.

"And if we didn't fight, they'd be killed. They can handle a lot of things, but that bunch of curses..." Kazuhiro comments, sucking in a breath.

"It doesn't matter what they say."

Yūji continues with the same complaint and he doesn't improve when Satoru arrives.

"I had to tell the truth. What other choice did I have?" Satoru complains, removing the black ribbon from his face. It's thicker and helps him rest his eyes more. "Yaga will be in charge of calling a meeting between clans and higher-ups. We'll all have to show up together. The whole clan, rather," he clarifies and Yūji pales with a grimace. "Even Suguru and Nanami have to be there."

"But... Mom...?"

"She's my wife, it's obvious she has to be there," Satoru says brusquely to Akihiko. Everyone sits in a circle. Chōsō takes a seat next to Yūji. "Even Chōsō. It'll be good evidence in our favor. It'll be a pain," Satoru grumbles, rubbing his forehead. "For now, all we know is that there's a slight hiatus in classes, that I have children and that the Gojō clan actually has a lot more people, but details aside, they're not there."

"I mean, no one knows about Mom yet," Umi clarifies and Satoru nods.

"And what about the finger?"

"Well, since they've decided to make my life difficult, we'll have to reveal that too so they'll give it to us. The fight will be to make sure they don't kill Yūji as soon as I say it." Yūji rubs her hands together, tense and worried. “When they know more, they'll surely make a scene about Yūji and whether she really is my wife and their mother.”

"It would be useless," Chōsō comments.

"Believe me, these people love pointless arguments," Satoru mocks. "Anyway," Satoru stands up and places his hands on his hips. "In a week, we'll have that clan meeting. You should prepare for that moment... I'll go with Suguru so he's ready too."

"Can we talk?"

Satoru nods to Yūji and the teenagers look at each other. All of them have swollen faces from crying so much in this moment of crisis they caused by pure accident.

┈

"They're not going to kill you. I'm not going to let it happen and dying won't solve anything." Satoru gives Yūji a gentle, affectionate shake on the shoulders. Yūji whimpers in anguish. “You're part of this clan and because of that, you'll be introduced as such.”

"I shouldn't be part of the clan, I should be dead—as soon as I have that finger, they'll kill me. You have to kill me."

"I'm not going to do it," Satoru emphasizes through gritted teeth. "Is that going to help the children? It would only make them worse. No one here can live without you." Satoru raises his hands to Yūji's face. "We had prepared for this moment. It came first, but we were waiting for it... Wouldn't you like it? To stop hiding."

"You say that as if they'll let me out. They're going to lock me up like in the cult and I don't want—"

"I'm not going to let them do anything to you. I'll finish them all off if they dare try," Satoru promises and kisses her forehead. Yūji hugs him tightly. Too scared.

Almost unable to believe this is happening. Everything was going so well! From one second to the next, everything goes to shit and she hates it! She hates that this is happening. On one hand, she trusts Satoru immensely; she knows he wouldn't leave them unprotected. He hasn't done that in fifteen? Twenty? Years of marriage, counting the time they've spent in frozen time loops.

Satoru is her defense, her greatest pillar, everything in her life.

However, she's frightened by the outside world. One that has never been very kind to her and all it aspires to is her death. 

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

To say they're anxious is an understatement. All the students at Jujutsu Academy await the moment Satoru appears with his wife and children. Only Maki, Panda, Inumaki and Megumi were able to see them. She's starting to believe it's a sick joke on his part. A silly thing to say that their teacher has a life and that explains his constant disappearances from the academy when he's not on missions.

Not to mention that it explains the feeling of irregularity that began to be felt from that moment on.

"They were at his house for almost a full year and you don't know if he has children? Are they stupid or useless?" Maki asks, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. The students remain near the entrance of Jujutsu High.

"Or notice anything suspicious," Nobara grumbles.

"We were forbidden to go to the main house. We lived in the annex," Yūta explains, sitting on one of the steps leading to the second floor, "but there was never any suspicion of anyone else at home," he replies, turning to Megumi.

They must hide Yūji and Chōsō, but even so, there was no evidence of anything! Just Yūji, Chōsō, the animals and Satoru. Suguru and Nanami never stayed over. At least not that they noticed and with such a big house, what would they know about it? It's impossible. Nor would they risk upsetting Satoru or Yūji by disobeying such a simple order.

"They're so bad as investigators!" Nobara complains, crossing her arms.

"And his wife? They don't know anything about that either?" Maki insists.

"Who could have been the woman of steel who put up with Gojō Satoru for so long?" Noritoshi Kamo wonders. Megumi asks himself the exact same question.

He can't imagine anyone capable of enduring him.

"Maybe he killed her. If it really was 'seven children.'"

"According to sources, there are eight," Mai says. "Can't you count? Or couldn't you see them properly?" the twin mocks.

"One of them had black hair. Maybe it's not his child," Panda suggests.

"Tuna." Inumaki says and Yūta tilts his head.

"Maybe he'd like their mom? But why would only one have black hair? They all have Six Eyes," Yūta comments, confused by Inumaki's proposal. Inumaki shrugs. Megumi frowns.

"No. He didn't look like Gojō-sensei, he looked like-"

"They're here," Mechamaru announces and everyone stands up and quickly approaches.

Satoru walks down the hallway with his usual calm and confidence. A slight smile, a blindfold and the only difference is that he's wearing different clothes. More specifically, a very formal men's kimono. It doesn't match the blindfold.

"Hoho~! How nice, my students were waiting for me," Satoru croons, seeing them so close together.

Nobara and Megumi grimace in disgust.

Maki grimaces in annoyance.

Yūta waves with a soft smile.

Panda waves, as does Inumaki.

"Are you coming to support me? You know, they'll probably want to revoke my house as one of the big houses for “hiding information” and stealing a few things.”

“No. Screw you.”

“HOW CRUEL!” Satoru yells at Maki, who rolls her eyes in annoyance.

Maki sees to the entrance and notices what’s approaching. Her expression becomes even more confused.

“How many damn children do you have?” he complains to Satoru. “You should—”

“Yūji?”

Yūta approaches immediately and the teenager greets him with a smile. She wears a pink kimono with white flowers. Her hair is updone with long hairpins. Megumi approaches as well.

“I didn’t think we’d see each other today. I thought no one else would be here!” Yūji replies, touching her hair. “Now I’m going to feel so embarrassed if I dress up too much.” She sticks out her lips and Megumi asks.

“Why did you come?”

“Because she’s part of the Gojō clan,” Suguru replies, arriving a moment later. "All of us who belong to the Clan must be here. We're the clan to judge," he jokes, hands tucked into his sleeves. "And don't worry, you came out looking lovely and perfect, Yūji-chan."

"Yūji~ Let's go," Satoru encourages. Yūji smiles at Satoru and walks toward him. Nanami says nothing, just follows the path, grumbling sulkily.

The most surprising thing is when a girl with white hair passes by. Braided in two braids, she's wearing a kimono similar to Yūji's, but with green flowers. She takes Yūji's hand and turns toward the breathless students. Her eyes are immense and blue, comparable only to Satoru's. She squeezes Yūji's hand and murmurs softly. "I don't like it here."

"Too bad. It'll take a while to leave," Satoru mocks.

"Who is she?" Nobara asks softly and Megumi doesn't respond. 

Since they don't enter the room where the clan meeting will be held, they have more time to monitor how everyone interacts. Satoru constantly talks to Yūji, who is the most nervous of the group. Nanami remains silent, almost vigilant. Yūji fixes the girl's hair and keeps her sitting on his lap. Megumi and Yūta don't say a word about who she is.

Even if it's a matter of bringing the entire clan, why bring Yūji? The most logical thing is to keep her hidden. Not risk her. Pretend she's not part of the clan. When everything is resolved, introduce her! Not now. Yaga announces that they're going to start the meeting, since everyone else has already arrived. Satoru, Suguru and Nanami go first, telling Yūji to wait five minutes. They check that on the way to the room, even amidst murmurs and curiosity, Yūji opens her eyes wide, stopping.

The secondary eyelids open and marks form on her face. Kikyo takes a step back, frightened. Yūji's nails grow as she approaches the group of students.

All of whom twitch. They draw their weapons and aim, tense, their cursed energy just as exposed as Sukuna's, who laughs, twisting his head.

"Are you that stupid? Please," he mocks in a thick voice. One that looks terrible on Yūji. It doesn't suit her at all despite the big body. "The only reason this girl is here is because she's also the head of the clan." Megumi lowers his hands slightly, staring at him in disbelief. "She's the one who gave birth to all those children. She's the whore of the Gojō clan. Her pussy is wider than the entrances to this school," he mocks loudly and turns to Kikyo. "The same thing that will happen to-" The smile falls and the body staggers. Kikyo rushes to help her stand. Yūji coughs, putting a hand to her throat and leaning on Kikyo. Yūta's shoulders and expression are pale, his sword falling.

"How... Disgusting..." Yūji complains and clears her throat. "I'm so sorry. Did he say something..."

"Are you Gojō-sensei's wife?" Yūta asks directly. Yūji tilts her head and raises her right hand, showing her wedding ring.

"Yes. It's me. For several years... Can we talk about this later?" Yūta looks like he's about to faint. "Kikyo, come on."

The girl sticks her tongue out at them, takes Yūji's hand and leads her to the room they're supposed to be in. Megumi gasps and puts a hand to his head. Nobara nudges him a couple of times, trying to get him to react.

“What's she talking about? Do you know her? Hello? Earth to the anthropomorphic sea urchin.”

Megumi and Yūta connect thousands of loose ends at once. From Yūji and Satoru's close attitude to the reason they were so secretive about what might be going on inside. Satoru's constant, exorbitant gifts, the pride with which he expressed himself towards Yūji, the reluctance to even flirt.

Even Yūji's presence here.

Everything pointed to her being part of the Gojō clan.

But even more than that, she's one of the clan's leaders.

What overwhelms and frightens them the most, as well as leaving a bad taste in their mouths, is the information Yūji has shared over time. The fact that she was with Satoru since she was so young and says they've been married for years, raises questions like: How long have they been married? How long? All of Satoru's children are teenagers and they know that Satoru can freeze time within a certain range.

How long has he been abusing her?

"Look, they're over there."

Yūta peers toward where Maki points, where the teenagers in question are. All in formal kimonos, white hair, bandages and dark glasses covering their eyes. The oldest of them, taller and more serious than the rest, peers at them over his glasses and approaches. Cautious, almost suspicious. When he reaches them, he raises a hand.

"You're all a fucking pain."

The veil rises without a problem and no matter how hard they try to break it, it's impossible. They can't see over there, nor can they hear anything. It will remain a mystery until the session is over. Akihiko adjusts his glasses and snorts, turning back to his siblings.

"Did Sukuna do something?" Umi asks.

"No. They're unharmed."

"He probably wanted to insult Mom in front of everyone. You know how he is," Toukki complains and Akihiko nods. The seven of them sit down. Now they have to wait for permission to enter.

Chapter 35: XXXV

"Nervous?"

"Anxious to see what stupid things they'll say to me."

Suguru laughs. After making sure everything is as it should be, it's time for Yūji to come in. Satoru put an extra cushion out for her. Clearly, no one was expecting her. Yaga kept their agreement not to mention her arrival until they see her and have a talk. Yūji comes in, holding Kikyo's hand. Satoru is still surprised to see the room full. It never has been. It's shocking. They're occupying the seat that belongs to the Gojō family. A snort is heard as soon as they finish sitting down. "What's he doing here? When clearly, he doesn't belong to any of the families.”

Suguru chuckles, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"I regret to inform you, Naoya, that Suguru is part of my clan," Satoru offers his hand to help Yūji sit, "and since you all came, I thought it only fair to bring the third most important member of the Gojō clan."

Suguru doesn't hold back his laughter at Naoya Zen'in's sullen gesture. He's aware of the contempt the man holds. After all, he's a nobody who became a Special-Grade Sorcerer and not only does he have immense merit, but he's also the closest person to the sole heir of the Gojō clan.

At least he was the sole heir until a few days ago.

"And her? It's not only disgusting, it's also disrespectful for a woman to be here... two useless people," he adds, noticing Kikyo.

"Your complaints for another time, Naoya," Naobito Zen'in scolds and Satoru can't resist a small laugh.

Once everyone is safely in place, with the top brass present, the clan meeting begins.

"Now, we can begin the clan meeting, referring to the marriage of the Gojō clan, head of the Gojō clan and heir to the cursed Six Eyes technique, with Itadori Yūji…" Yaga waits a few seconds before adding, "Sukuna's vessel, king of curses."

Yūji purses her lips. It takes barely a second for everyone to view her as if she were a plague or something even worse. Though none worse than Naoya. He doesn't judge her directly for being Sukuna's vessel. It's something much more offensive, more repulsive.

"The Zen'in clan is present, the Kamo clan, the Inumaki clan…"

The list goes on and on and it's annoying, very annoying. Satoru has his eyes closed and Kikyo yawns, bored. When the presentation is finally over, the reunion starting with a simple question, "Specific instructions were given to apprehend Sukuna's container. Why is it here?"

"You ‘she’” Satoru corrects “It's a clan meeting; the leading members of said clans are required to attend, aren't they? The Zen'in clan is so stupid it doesn't respect those who keep it going," Satoru challenges, tilting his head. "Therefore, my wife must be here."

"Your wife is the source of conflict and a threat."

"She certainly is a threat. I wish you could have seen her defeating a special-grade curse," Satoru interrupts, amused by the mention, if not boasting about his ability.

"I didn't kill him. I wish I had," Yūji mutters with enormous disappointment in herself.

"The point is, he needs to get out of here. It should be in a cell and—"

"If she gets out, I get out too. My wife should be treated as such, not as a criminal, a thing or a plague." 

"It's a plague," Naoya states. Satoru tilts his head.

"Then I'll leave and we'll start the war between-"

"Satoru." Yūji pulls him back, preventing him from fully standing.

"There's no need to go to extremes," the Kamo clan head opines. "As long as you prevent Sukuna from manifesting, that's enough."

Satoru gives a small laugh.

"First things first: Why didn't you report that you had Sukuna's vessel under your protection all this time? Gojō Satoru is perfectly aware that for almost a decade, you should have reported it. You yourself had very explicit orders to search for, capture and start the execution process."

"Not to fuck her," Naoya says quietly.

There was talk of children. Satoru said she's his wife and they are bound by a marriage vow.

Therefore, there was a consummation of the marriage here.

"I wasn't planning on killing a six-year-old girl," Satoru explains simply. "Not to mention making a pointless fuss about it: she's not a threat to anyone. She's perfectly capable of containing Sukuna. She's been able to do so since that age."

"The goal of our society is to eliminate curses. Satoru Gojō is preventing us from fulfilling our mission," Naobito reproaches.

"It wouldn't have been worth it to have killed her back then. Sukuna isn't complete. Therefore, there would still be curses, but there's no way to contain him by eliminating Yūji," Suguru says. Kikyo takes Yūji's hand, uneasy and sad that they're talking about this so much. Right in front of her mother. It depresses her that it's coming from her uncle. "The harvesting of Sukuna's fingers has taken a while, but currently only two remain," he informs with a carefree smile.

"That shouldn't be decided among yourselves," Gakuganji reproaches.

"Only I can finish Sukuna," Satoru adds. "So I consider myself completely in the right to decide how to proceed." Kikyo turns to look at him, abrupt and hurried.

"Are you going to kill Mom?" Kikyo stammers, shocked and scared, "but-"

"Shut the fuck up, brat. You're lucky to be here, so don't fucking talk," Naoya chides. Satoru tells her to be quiet and she shrinks back. Next thing…

It's Naoya spitting blood. He puts a hand to his face and coughs. Satoru gives a mocking smile.

"Don't talk to my daughter like that. Don't ask for more trouble than you already have, Naoya," Satoru advises, to the other side astonished, deeply confused. He couldn't even realize when it happened. "Back to the topic: indifferent to you, I've come up with a more than ideal solution to this matter."

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"Extract Sukuna from Yūji to someone else, someone condemned to death and kill them both," Satoru explains with an almost tender tone. Suguru sighs. The expected reaction is what they get:

Absolute silence.

Disbelief and questions of, Is he serious?

If he could already be considered crazy, this proposal solidifies it.

"Are you stupid!?" Gakuganji shouts. Satoru restrains his silly, animated gesture.

"How the hell do you think you're going to do that?"

"Satoru..." Yaga complains.

"No, no, no, I have a good explanation," Satoru assures. "Yūji is capable of separating a soul from a body. We're still in the process of getting her to do it at will and not by hitting, but nothing my star student can't do," he states, confident in Yūji's ability.

"What a strange technique," Naobito comments. It's very simple and silly explained like that.

"It's quite simple. In a useless body. Sukuna would be trapped and at worst, it'd explode from that huge load," Satoru explains. Yūji grimaces in disgust. "When Sukuna is eliminated, Yūji will be nothing more than a normal, very capable sorceress," concludes the head of the Gojō clan.

"There's no need to complicate matters further. All we need to do is kill it," the head of the Kamo clan denies simply.

"They're not going to kill my wife."

"It's not enough justification," Gakuganji claims. "It's a monster who must die."

"Nor is there any way a clan made up of two can be taken into account. Just because you decided to include people doesn't change the fact that the only valid ones at this meeting, with their heads. That is, you," he points to Satoru. "And her. This exposition doesn't have enough force," Naoya jokes.

"There are five of us here, he doesn't know how to count." Kikyo sticks her tongue out at him and Naoya tenses. His face is plastered with a smile, intent on going over to her.

To everyone's shock, Kikyo grows, even taller than Yūji, her clothes stretched out accordingly. Satoru laughs indiscreetly and Yūji smooths over a few strands of hair sticking out of her daughter's hairstyle.

"Sorry, she didn't want to be threatening or frightening," Satoru comments, standing up. "I want to make one thing very clear... the only reason we came, besides pleasing Yūji, who worried about what you might think of me, is to let all clans meet the entire Gojō clan and to understand what it means to threaten us."

Satoru walks to the door and opens it. Behind him, returning to his seat, are the rest of his children. They are all notable for their white hair, black glasses and headbands. The atmosphere is heavy with this. Akihiko hands Kikyo the headband that fits perfectly around her face. He takes the spot just behind Satoru and next to Yūji. Satoru turns his torso slightly.

"I present: Gojō Akihiko, Gojō Toukki, Gojō Umi; the twins Gojō Yuzu and Gojō Kiku; Gojō Kikyo; and the younger brothers: Gojō Kazuhiro and Gojō Takahiro. All heirs of Six Eyes, Limitless and about to take their rank test," Satoru concludes, maintaining a confident smile.

He knows that no one believes what they're seeing. There was never a time where they had so many Six Eyes possessors gathered. It shouldn't be possible to begin with and then suddenly the Gojō clan outnumbers Satoru; it's overwhelming.

They're all like him.

They're all defending Sukuna's vessel.

"In case there was any doubt, they're all Yūji's children. She's great, isn't she?" Satoru celebrates, clasping his hands under the sleeves of his kimono.

"Let's take a break."

Long curtains divide each clan and Satoru lets out a laugh that everyone can hear. Satoru kisses Yūji on the forehead, rubbing his back affectionately.

"Did you see? Everything's fine. We'll be fine," Satoru assures and Yūji sighs, exhausted by the way everything unfolded.

"Should we be worried?" Toukki asks, leaning against Umi and dropping his oval glasses.

"No," Akihiko says, adjusting his round glasses. "Because they won't try to attack, at most, you have to know that they'll say, something stupid," he grumbles angrily.

"Are you okay? Mom?" Kikyo asks and Yūji smiles at her.

" It was pretty normal. Nothing Sukuna hasn't done before in my dreams. I think it's a lot less insulting here " everyone's staring at her " although now, Sukuna is all mad at them.”

" Oh really? " Suguru replies, surprised.

" Yes. He doesn't like me being here. In his words: they're so useless that they're going to allow what they're already planning” Yūji repeats what Sukuna says, his voice sounding hoarser for a moment. Satoru lets out a laugh. “Apart from wanting to kill me, I don't think they could possibly want anything else,” Yūji grumbles.

“How naive you are, princess,” Satoru quips.

Ten minutes later, the meeting resumes. The awkward and complicated atmosphere among everyone is still perceptible. How could it be otherwise? With everyone fixed and attentive not only on Sukuna's vessel, a teenager of barely sixteen years old, but also on the reason all these Six-Eyes wielders exist.

Like a kind of nightmare for those who wanted to dethrone the Gojō clan, thinking it would be easy because they had only one member.

“Well,” Yaga says and Satoru shakes his head, his neck aching slightly. “We'll continue the discussion regarding the Gojō clan, the crimes committed against Jujutsu society and whether they should maintain a place in it.”

"Obviously so. Or do you think they'll have a chance without us?" Yuzu grumbles, leaning back. Yūji glances at him, causing him to sit up straight and remain silent.

"Let's start from the beginning: How did this start?" Naobito asks.

Satoru explains the simplest, least sentimental version: he got Yūji, kept her in his house for a few years, got worried so he married her, got her pregnant and that's how they ended up here. He admits to having age-up his children by using his domain expansion and that, in reality, none of them make it past ten years old.

The youngest are barely two years old.

"Are you saying that not only was she a nine-year-old girl, she was able to give birth... Were they all Six-Eyes heirs? Is that even possible?" a member of the Kamo clan replies, incredulous.

"Normally, such a transfer of a cursed technique wouldn't be possible," Naobito replies thoughtfully. "It's very unusual. The probability is practically zero... Is there anything else you aren't mentioning?"

Satoru laughs foolishly, swaying in place. Yūji takes a deep breath and says in a pained voice. "It just happened like that. It wasn't something we intended to happen. We just-"

"Are we talking to you? Fucking whore. Don't. Talk. You have no business being in this damn room," Naoya argues and Yūji's lost for words.

"I thought it was an important meeting." Yūji says.

"It is, that's why-"

"Then you shouldn't talk like that," Yūji interrupts immediately. "That my existence it's a pain in your sight is not my problem. I'm also the clan head and I'm talking," Yūji scolds sternly and Satoru smiles even wider. "And no, we didn't do anything in particular. Just... We had sex. That's all."

There's some laughter in the Zen'in clan and the Kamo clan. Normally, no one stands up to Naoya. He has a chilling effect on women. They rarely react defiantly toward him. Perhaps because he's so powerful, they recognize that it would be dangerous to try to argue.

Yūji has no such fear. Not with someone who just insults her, but that's not Sukuna. Even if he tried to hit her or anything else, she could respond. She's very confident in her strength and ability. Even if she ends up a little bruised, she'll put up a fight.

"I have a theory about it," Satoru comments, raising his hand. "I think Yūji has the ability to replicate the techniques of anyone who gets her pregnant. Regardless of the probability or not. This is thanks to being a vessel," Satoru explains and there are some murmurs.

"The closest thing there is are the cursed fetuses."

"None of them are still alive."

"On the contrary, we have one alive... Kazu, go get Chōsō," Satoru asks. The teenager stands up and calls from the wooden door:

"Uncle Chōsō! You can come in now!"

Yūji turns and smiles at Chōsō. His brother bows his head and goes to sit next to Yūji. He glances at the Kamo clan, who look incredulous at his presence. Several pale and are on the verge of fainting.

"This is Chōsō, Yūji's brother and a Cursed human hybrid. He can explain it.”

And even when he does, the unease remains:

"Are you saying that a sorcerer, who was Noritoshi Kamo, created Sukuna's vessel and somehow it ended up here and in this way?" Naobito replies. It all sounds like a very intense and complicated twist.

"I don't know what he intended exactly, but it's a fact that Yūji is even more than I expected. He called her a cursed womb once," Chōsō comments.

"That was a legend," Naoya claims. "There is no such thing."

"Yes, it does. It's Yūji," Satoru emphasizes.

Yūji isn't sure what she feels with all these eyes on her. As if having that piece of information makes everything different now. Yūji clenches her hands in her lap and the first to speak again is Naoya:

"That being the case and until Sukuna's remaining fingers are found, you are obligated to share it."

"Excuse me?" Nanami asks. He hadn't said anything until now. There was no need for that and more importantly, nothing had ever struck him as deeply as that out-of-place comment.

Or rather, that order from Naoya.

"That brat it's the key to not losing the cursed techniques," Naoya points out. "She already saved the Gojō clan. Logically, it's time for it to help the other clans. It's her reason for existing. Or rather, to make up for being the bearer of the king of curses," Naoya says, looking her up and down. Nanami finds so annoying that now, he's intercalating between “she” and “it”.

"I'm not going to-"

"Shut up, bitch, you're only going to open your legs and mouth when someone tell you to." Naoya presses on. Yūji turns to Satoru, stunned and scared.

An hour ago, everyone saw her with a rope around her neck and now they want her with her legs spread on... any surface!

「That's all you're good for anyway」

"Will you shut up?" Yūji demands in a low voice. Satoru stands up, still with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"I knew sharing this information about my wife was a severe risk. One I decided to bet on based on a single fact…” Satoru removes his blindfold, seeing everyone in front of him the way they are “If everyone is here and I kill them, I won't have to worry about any other clan ever!”

The way he smiles and speaks is… strange. It's different. It's something they've never heard directly or directed at them. He sounds unhinged, genuinely lunatic and even crazed. Akihiko removes his glasses, scaring more than one person because of how similar he is to Satoru. Nothing about him shows that he's Yūji's son.

As if she managed to make an exact clone of the adult who is threatened with wiping out the great clans.

“You wouldn't dare,” Naobito says, sweating cold and cautious. Naoya snorts.

“You're baffling, you really couldn't.”

Akihiko puts his hand on Yūji's back; Umi on Nanami's back; Toukki on Chōsō's back; Yuzu on Kiku's back; and Kikyo takes Yaga's hand. Everyone else present violently hits the floor. Satoru takes a couple of steps to stand in the middle of the room, stretching his arms out, laughing animatedly and amused. 

"I'll admit I've never before expanded infinity without killing someone in the process. It's very funny to do!" he exclaims animatedly and walks over to Naobito. "And from what you say… of course I'd dare. Does that seem like the worst thing I could do?" Satoru asks, tilting his head, his expression as twisted as his tone, his presence, the cursed energy flowing like a wild current around him. "I've lived more years than I can comprehend thanks to all this. I'm not the little boy you think I am... you can't intimidate me, your rules can't scare you," he sneers, putting his foot on his head and making him squeal in pain. It's worse than being crushed by a truck or a collapsing building. "The only reason I haven't killed any of them is because I don't want any more blood on my hands, no more than necessary... I still want to touch my wife, you know?"

"Fuc... damn mon... ster..."

"A monster, an abomination... one you love when you can control it, when you have it by the neck, but it doesn't work like that," Satoru says with false condescension. "The reality is, that's over... the Gojō Clan follows the rules, but it's not dominated by anyone, much less will it give up its matriarch. Understand?"

"WE'RE GOING TO EXPEL YOU!"

"That's your problem, because it’ll remain the strongest and most important Clan of all," Satoru dismisses.

"That's enough, Satoru," Yaga says. Satoru turns to him, pouting.

"Why must you spoil the party for me? I can finally have them twisting their guts and you want me to stop! As if they don't bother you too!" Satoru snaps, sounding like an impertinent child. Yūji stands up and Akihiko follows her.

"I think that's enough, you get the point. No need to continue," she says and Satoru shrugs.

He lifts the infinity and groans come from all the clans. Yūji approaches Satoru, smiling affectionately at him. He accepts the blindfold when Yūji hands it to him. She says, "Even if they decide that, Sukuna makes me infertile because I have to bear his children... or something." Yūji rolls her eyes in annoyance. "So it won't work. I don't want to be with anyone else but Satoru.”

“Wh-who the hell told you that you have the right to...?”

Naoya's speechless. Yūji grabs him by the clothes, opens the door with her foot and throws him into the pond about four meters away. It wasn't difficult, even with the clothes so tight. Yūji shakes her hands and rests them on her hips. The others stare with square eyes. How could she throw him away?! She treated Naoya like a rag and he's a person! He's even a head taller than her.

There's no way Yūji could have done something like that. Satoru laughs out loud, as do his sons, Suguru and Chōsō; Nanami shakes his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Yūji turns to the others.

"I'll fight anyone who tries to get close. I don't want anything from anyone. I'm not going to be an incubator or a savior of cursed techniques. I'm Gojō Yūji and just as you respect Satoru, you have to respect me.” warns Yūji, resting her fist on her chest with a grim expression.

Kiku, Kikyo and Takahiro applaud. Smiling and excited to see their mother like this.

"I was thinking that until Yūji knows how to separate Sukuna's soul, she can study at the Jujutsu Academy," Satoru says, crossing his arms. "That way she can get out for a change. We've been here for, like, how many years, darling?"

"I think twenty."

"Twenty years hiding at home and maybe being here will help her develop her cursed technique... What do you think, old man?" he asks Yaga, who nods, crossing his arms.

"It's a fact that it's better for him to stay here. She'll have nineteen fingers, so the more vigilance and certainty of his strength there is, the better." Yūji smiles excitedly.

FINALLY!

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Yūji!”

She smiles, greeting Megumi, who comes toward her with a still stunned expression. She blinks repeatedly, pointing at herself. “Is something wrong? Did my makeup run?”

“Are you married to Gojō-sensei?”

She raises her eyebrows and gasps, looking back. She’s forgotten she told them the truth and in reality, she isn’t ready for this conversation. Satoru shrugs and puts an arm around the teenager’s shoulders, leaning forward slightly. He doesn’t believe Yūji would say that; it’s very likely Sukuna did. At the same time, he assumes she wants help answering this. Yūta and the others behind him look equally stunned, waiting for confirmation.

"Sadly for you, Yūta and Rika, yep, we're married." Satoru raises his hand, revealing the engagement ring and Megumi backs away, his grimace turning into one of disgust and annoyance at the same time. "Likewise, all my children are from her-"

"YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!" Maki demands, approaching quickly. "HOW DID YOU MARRY A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL...!? WHAT DID YOU DO...!?"

"I was eight when I got married," Yūji snorts and grabs Satoru's cheek. "We've been married for ages, but it's okay. I-"

Satoru whistles, the knife hovering inches from his face. Maki tried to attack him and thankfully missed. The clan members watched the discussion that began, with the students complaining directly at Satoru, trying to understand what was going through his head. Satoru lets out a whimper that only annoys them more.

"Yūji's fine! Thanks to me, she's alive! And not with men lining up with their cocks in the air, waiting to rape her. So drop the drama," he cuts in, indifferent to the disgust surrounding him. "On the other hand... Say hello to your new classmates!" he celebrates, grabbing Yūji by the shoulders and giving her a light shake.

His children appear, sporting the same expression of annoyance and disdain as the students at Jujutsu Academy. Yūji has the feeling there's trouble here because of her. She decides to break free and approach Megumi and Yūta, who are the ones leading this situation.

"We can-" Yūji suddenly flies out, breaking several walls and even a rock. Yūta controls Rika's escape and Satoru stops his offspring. Naoya Zen'in gasps, his fist raised and dripping wet.

"Fucking... whore..." he hisses, furious. Megumi reaches for Yūji, helping her up. Yūji shakes her head, her hair disheveled and her clothes torn. Yūji spits blood to the side, wipes the blood running down her nose and stands up. Naoya approaches, grabbing a cursed knife that had been a decoration on the wall.

"Dad...!"

"Leave her alone, she can do it herself," Satoru states in a low, calm voice.

Yūji lowers the top of her kimono, leaving only the bandage on her chest, rips the kimono skirt and takes off her sandals. Megumi grabs the hairpins. "Will you watch them for me for a moment?"

"But-"

Megumi falls back because of the shockwave. Yūji covered Naoya's blow and barely skidded to the ground. She gritted her teeth, staring at him with fierce eyes and a tense body. Naoya tried to stab her, trying to hurt her. Yūji pushed him away and managed to land a blow to his stomach.

She sensed him from behind before he was there, which is why she jumped as high as she could, rising more than three meters in the air. She knew Naoya's technique; Satoru taught it to her a long time ago; she knew he only had one second and twenty-four actions. This limited him if he was in the air and bothered enough to keep attacking her without thinking.

Or thinking she was stupid enough not to know his technique.

Yūji caught him in midair, wrapped her legs around him, grabbed his wrists and slammed her head into him, causing Naoya to splutter and grit his teeth from the force of the headbutt. Naoya spun around quickly, hitting her as they fell. Yūji gasps, a small cut on her head and hair falling out. Yūji twists Naoya's hand to make him drop the knife and a rabbit grabs it, escaping.

"Damn bitch."

"Damn asshole."

Naoya breaks free from her grasp and grabs her by the hair, slamming her against a wall. Yūji grabs his wrist, twisting his arm and knocking him to the ground. She presses her knee into his back and pulls on his arm. Yūji pulls so hard she dislocates it and Naoya is left on the ground, barely able to stand. Yūji knocks him down with a kick and sits on top of him, grabbing him by the clothes and hitting him with a closed fist.

The marks start to sprout on her skin. Naoya sees her the same way: defiant, as if she were less, as if she were nothing. Just as Sukuna looks at her, as the cultists looked at her…

At the same time…

Naoya looks at her just as Suguru looked at her.

As something he fervently desires and will cause her to become nothing more than an object.

She stops, gasping for air, her knuckles brimming with blood. She feels the flash of lightning, hitting Naoya's chest with such force that it sinks him to the ground and he vomits, his eyes whitening, his soul bouncing inside him. Severely injured. His body spasms, convulses a few times and Yūji snorts.

He stands up and pushes back her hair, looking around and reaching out with her hand. “Do you have a headband? It's going to get tangled and I don't want to take too long in the bathroom!”

"My wife is so cute!" Satoru croons, bounding over to her and then leaning over to Naoya. He gives her the hair tie and laughs at Zen'in. "Any insults still on your mind? Or did you get the memo?"

Yūji ties her hair and waves to her children, who are soon exclaiming and celebrating.

"I think I love her."

"Maki-senpai?!" Nobara squeals, amazed. Maki keeps a hand on her chest and Mai covers her mouth.

"Can she come with us to Kyoto?"

"No! She's ours!" Panda squeals quickly.

"She's staying here! She's from Tokyo!" Yūta argues.

Now it's a fight over where Yūji will stay.

Clans worried.

And Yūji is pleased to have been able to win for once.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

" Do we really have to stay here? "

" During the week, it's best " says Satoru, showing the rooms they'll be occupying. " On the weekends, it's best to return home. Besides… "

Everyone peers outside, where Yūji is chattering animatedly with the other students from both academies. They gave him a change of clothes while they brought in a suitcase with her things. The teenagers snorted in slight frustration.

" I think Yūji is happy with the idea of being here for a while. Even if it means being locked up here, too,” Satoru jokes.

Right now, he's more “concerned” that somehow, his married status and all the conditions of that marriage will cause a total and terrible rift between him and his students. It would make the situation very difficult. He hopes that Yūji standing up for him will help his cause.

His wife is so charming. Everyone adores her. He has no doubt they'll have a little faith in her.

"Satoru has told me a lot about all of you, but since I couldn't go out, it remained anecdotal, so in a way it makes me happy that you really are as he described," Yūji comments, smiling and animated. "Also that we'll be partners from now on. It'll be a lot of fun!" She jumps a little.

Megumi, Yūta, Noritoshi, Maki, Nobara and Mai in particular stare at the bouncing of her bust. She's wearing a white shirt and sweatpants. Not much else. It's impossible not to notice her build and curves because everything is tight. Those are Nobara's clothes because they're the same height and size, but there's a huge difference in measurements.

"And you... Where the hell did you come from?"

"Oh?" Yūji stammers, puzzled and with a tight smile.

" Where did you come from? Don't think you're going to be prettier than me " Nobara accuses, pointing a finger at her and Yūji tilts her head, her expression unchanged. " I'm the prettiest first-year and you're not allowed to take my place. I don't care about your huge, perfect breasts or your perfect hips. "

Maki stifles a laugh. Nobara ends up being too funny by accident. It's unclear whether she's praising her or actually trying to insult her. Noritoshi approaches her from the side.

" I didn't think anyone could knock Naoya down like that. You were impressive... although I notice you can... "

" Blood control? Chōsō taught me. We're from the Kamo clan. "

" Oh, so we're related.” He pats her  on the back a couple of times and Yūji nods with a smile.

"Or almost, considering someone here is a bastard," Mai mocks and Noritoshi wipes his expression.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's from the Kamo clan. He's still there, he could be an heir," Megumi opines. "Yūji-san—"

"Why Yūji-san all of a sudden?" Yūji whines. "I'm just Yūji. Being Satoru's wife doesn't change anything. I don't like being treated like an adult." Megumi doesn't hide his discomfort, to everyone's surprise. "What's wrong? Are you mad at me for not telling you? I think it's obvious why I couldn't."

"Anyway... Are you sure you're okay?"

Yūji looks around, feeling like everyone is expecting the worst. Her saying she's a prisoner, that she's a sex slave and that Satoru has forced her into countless things she wouldn't even know about. She flips her hair over her shoulder and plays with the ends of it a little.

"Yes, I'm fine. Maybe I could be better considering Sukuna is still here bothering me, but " Shrugs. " I'm very happy with my married life " Yūji states with a smile. " Satoru loves me so much, more than I could understand as a child and more than I can understand now; and I love him for the way he is with me, the way we understand each other… he and I are fine. Even if Sukuna didn't exist, I think it would have been great to meet.”

"There would still be an age difference."

"Not really. Satoru and I are the same. Without me, he wouldn't eat, without me, he wouldn't wear black clothes but would buy them every two minutes, he'd be bored stiff in that huge house," Yūji lists and snorts, brushing away the strand of hair that fell into her face. "You don't feel the difference most of the time," she concludes with a laugh.

"Oh no, he's a manchild." Nobara covers her mouth and Mai grimaces. Yūji doesn't see anything wrong with it.

Yūji likes it when Satoru doesn't believe he's her father, which it translates as manchild, but he's responsible. Yūji doesn't know how to explain it. Besides, everyone's already expecting the worst from Satoru. It doesn't matter what she says to defend him.

"Yūji... Since when...?"

Yūta points behind her, where the pack of Satoru clones are. Yūji grimaces, turning her face toward him and counting on her fingers.

"I had Akihiko at ten, Umi at eleven, Toukki at eleven, Kiku and Yuzu at thirteen..." The look of horror and general feeling is horrible. Yūji scrunches up her face, thinking. "Kikyo at thirteen—her and a baby that wasn't... wasn't born" she looks to the side"and Takahiro and Kazuhiro at fourteen."

"A baby died!?" Chōsō joins in, noticing Yūji's pulse quicken. "What happened? Was it Satoru's fault? What did he do? Why...?"

"There was a problem at home, a curse that tried to kill her and Kikyo's twin absorbed the consequences," the curse answers for her. "Come on, I think they've bothered you enough."

"We're not talking to you. She can be here if she wants," Nobara argues, hands on her hips. "Go get lost with your... dead face and horrible hair." Chōsō clicks his tongue grimly and Yūji laughs.

"I know you don't know how to comb your hair, but I told you that hairstyle is weird."

"It was fine this morning."

"No, it never was."

Megumi finds it unheard of that Yūji handles the situation so casually. Because of their delay, Kiku approaches. He looks as calm and pleasant as ever and similar to Suguru in his posture. There is also a certain wariness and suspicion toward him. Not to mention Nanami entering the equation in an incomprehensible way. How could he have agreed to something like this?

"Mom," Kiku takes her hand. "Dad wants us to go decide the order of the rooms and for you to choose the one you want." Yūji nods and I smooth over a lock of pink hair. It's braided and adorned with a pair of golden rings.

"And him? Is he your son too?" Nobara asks, looking him up and down. "He doesn't look anything like that idiot."

"He looks like me," Yūji excuses and Kiku squeezes her mother's hand.

Why are they all saying the same thing? First the clan members and now, them. They all see something different and he hates it. He's the son of Gojō Satoru and Yūji. The detail they gave at the meeting also bounces around in her head:

Yūji copies the abilities of those who have sex with her.

Yūji copies the parents' abilities onto her children.

Why doesn't he have infinity? Why does he have another cursed technique?

The restlessness makes him very nervous and Yūji just walks beside him, swinging his arm.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," he answers without looking at her face. Nervous, anxious, worried and even close to tears, wondering what all this means.

┈

"I'd forgotten what it's like to have a small room," Yūji comments, hands on her hips. "I still can't go out after school? Right?" Satoru shrugs.

"No. It's best if you stay here, because we don't know anything about those curses that attacked you before, nothing about Kenjaku... anyway," Satoru exhales and leans back against the doorframe, "but at least we can go back and forth between here and home on the weekends. It'll be less restrictive." "Yeah... I guess it's better, it's better," she laughs, sitting up in bed. "Everyone believes horrible things about you."

"It was inevitable. Don't wear yourself out with it. They won't listen. They're already determined to hate me and they don't like me that much anyway," Satoru says nonchalantly. "Is everything okay? After the... meeting ."

Yūji doesn't want to say anything about it. It happened as she expected, even more than she expected, but she's satisfied with the outcome and also with having been able to humiliate Naoya. Satoru walks over and kneels, placing a hand on Yūji's thigh.

"Is there anything bothering you in particular, Princess? Do you want me to do something for you?" he asks in a soft, loving and low voice. Yūji shakes her head, stroking him under his chin.

"No. I'm fine. Don't worry... I'm excited that I'll finally be an official student." Yūji can't hide her excitement “and that I'll be able to have all of this. I'm so excited," she insists, trembling and Satoru maintains a loving smile toward her.

It's been a long time since he has seen her this happy. Adorable. He stands up slightly, giving her a kiss on the lips and joining her at the front. "Maybe this was for the best. Maybe now everything can get better and we'll find what we were looking for."

Yūji nods in agreement, keeping her eyes closed and holding Satoru's hand to her cheek.

┈

"It seems you have a group of haters around here."

"Are you surprised?"

Suguru laughs quietly. The group of students who look at Satoru with disdain and contempt hasn't changed at all. The Kyoto students will be here for a couple more weeks. It's a matter of doing joint training. Especially now that they have all of Sukuna's fingers and it could cause a little chaos wherever Sukuna's vessel is.

If they kill her, if Sukuna returns. There's a long list of possible outcomes and it's best to stay close in case of disaster. Not to mention Halloween is coming up soon and on that day, we have to be more prepared.

"Won't that be a problem when it comes to training?" Suguru asks, walking with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

"Whether they like it or not, they have to listen to me if they want to pass and not die, so I don't see it as a problem," Satoru dismisses. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is Kenjaku showing up. I'm sure everyone knows we have the nineteenth finger."

"Yūji already eat it?" Satoru shakes his head. "And the other one? Did you really hide it?" Satoru nods. "We have to hurry up with Yūji's cursed technique. That for sure," Suguru exhales exhaustedly. "I just can't imagine how we could do it—"

"Maybe with Yaga figures. Now that he's here and knows about it, he can help me," Satoru says. "It's- Why are you laughing so much?"

"I just find it hilarious that they can't hold back their hatred of you," Suguru mocks, standing in the hallway. "And those two are burning with jealousy. They're probably wondering: how come Yūji is married to this jerk? Oh! That's why she didn't want to be with me and stuff like that," he jokes amusedly.

Satoru looks at the group of students and waves. Nobara gives him the middle finger, Megumi looks at him with disgust and Yūta is the least understanding of them all. Satoru exhales a little loudly. He acknowledges that it might make the atmosphere awkward, but it doesn't really worry him. It can be any atmosphere; the only thing that really matters is that they keep up with their training and pay attention in class.

Their opinions are indifferent.

"It's a relief that everyone knows what you are now," Suguru comments and Satoru raises an eyebrow, turning to him. "Humanity's great hope couldn't keep his pants on and ended up fucking a nine-year-old girl," the sorcerer hums.

"Are you making fun of me?" Satoru asks with a tight smile.

"What? All this time, I've had to keep to myself how horrible you are. Now everyone knows."

"Funny you say that. Considering you're just as bad as me, if not worse," Satoru says through gritted teeth, approaching Suguru. He opens his eyes and tilts his head.

"The one who's married... with eight kids and kept that little girl imprisoned in a house... playing with time around her, being jealous to everyone... is someone else. Not me," Suguru mutters and Satoru grits his teeth. "Face it: you're disgusting and horrible. I'm not that different, but you're a thousand times worse."

"With a village destroyed in your hands.”

"Oh, Satoru." Suguru continues walking and Satoru snorts in boredom. Sometimes things get very complicated and tense between him and Suguru. He wishes it wouldn't happen.

Satoru is surprised to find Kiku not far away, the teenager with his hands clasped together and a distressed expression. It's strange that he's not with Yūji or his brothers. That he's just wandering around with that shy armadillo pose. He pouts. "What's wrong? Don't you like your room? I know you're spoiled, but I think you can handle rooms like that for five days a week."

"No... it's not that," Kiku stammers, embarrassed. "Can we talk alone?"

Satoru tilts his head, curious.

┈

They enter an empty classroom. Satoru leans on the desk and waits for Kiku to work up enough courage to speak. It takes a couple of minutes and whenshe does, Satoru opens his eyes in mild surprise. before smiling.

Satisfied.

Happy.

Amused.

"Why am I not like my brothers? Today... today everyone told me that I'm not like any of them," Kiku says, his voice breaking. "They look at me as if I were a stranger among them, that I'm not like them, b-but I know I'm my mother's son; Yuzu is my twin, he and I are the same, but I... I'm not like them," he whimpers, distressed, almost desperate. "Why don't I look like them? Is it because of Mom? Do I just look more like her?"

"Do you want to know the truth? Or do you want to be left with that impression?" Satoru asks for certainty and Kiku pales, trembling and starting to cry.

Because that means there is a secret and that there is a difference between him and his brothers. Satoru feels sorry for him, making him come closer and take his hand.

"If you don't want to talk about this now, we can talk about it later. You've had this restlessness today, with everyone—”

"It's not just now, all the time... even... even they look at me because I'm not like them," Kiku stammers between sobs. "Why am I not like them? Why don't I look like family?" His voice becomes a strained thread and Satoru shakes his head.

"Biologically speaking, you are not my son." Kiku sheds thick tears, sniffling, his face red and swollen.

Satoru feels an insane satisfaction inside him. Suguru was very happy to embarrass him early on, to enjoy how he exposed himself as the most vile being of all in front of the clans, in front of the students and even mocked him.

He's going to punish him with something that will really hurt.

Chapter 36: XXXVI

"Biologically speaking, your father is Suguru," Satoru announces and Kiku sniffles, his expression somewhere between confused and horrified. Why Suguru? It makes sense because he was so close, because he tried to help all the time and so many other details, but at the same time, it emphasizes the question of why Yūji was with Suguru. How did his mom end up with his dad's best friend? "Do you want to know what happened?"

"Can't you tell me if I don't ask you directly?" Kiku gasps. Feeling like Satoru is going into too much detail. He can barely stand without fainting, Satoru nods.

"I promised and I don't want any trouble over it."

"T-tell me... Tell me what happened."

"Suguru raped Yūji when she was eleven, almost twelve." Kiku clasps his hands in his direction, holding his breath and looking even more unbalanced than before. He begins to moan breathlessly and looks away. “By that time, a lot of things started going wrong and Suguru had fallen in love with Yūji. He even offered to take her somewhere else together” Satoru says, checking that Kiku didn't fall, if he should take him to Shoko. “I found out too late that that happened. I sort of assumed it because you have black hair; Suguru can't be in the same room with Yūji unless someone else is there. Just to be safe.”

Kiku thinks a thousand things.

That Suguru always took advantage of his presence to be around his mother; the slight provocations to make him envious of his brothers; that indiscreet way Suguru flirted with Yūji. And he wanted to think of a coincidence. Why should he see it as reality? Noticing signs and details that screamed reality, but why think it? Suguru wasn't supposed to be a bad person.

Kiku doesn't know why he feels ashamed of himself.

Wanting to shrink away.

Satoru approaches him and hugs him, kissing him on the head and rubbing his back lovingly.

"It may have turned out this way, but you're my son. I've always thought of you as such, always treated you as such and nothing will change that," he assures in a low, affectionate voice; there's no trace of his usual teasing and amusement. Satoru knows this isn't the time. "You're a Gojō, not a Getō and the fact that it turned out this way doesn't make you less than anyone."

"But my mom—"

"She adores you. Don't worry. Maybe you feel overwhelmed and confused now, but in time, you'll come to terms with it and realize that it never mattered. You are loved just the way you are," Satoru promises.

He doesn't know how long he's been there, hugging Kiku and being with him. He's half happy and half sad that he knows the truth. Curious that it will have any consequences for Suguru.

Hoping it will.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"I'm sorry."

Yūji tilts her head, not understanding what hier son is apologizing for. Kiku feels a ridiculous sense of guilt he can't handle. That it's his fault he exists, that he shouldn't have been born this way, that he shouldn't be Suguru's son, that with his mother's history, it must hurt her deeply to see and hold the product of rape...

Kiku feels like he's tormented her all these years. He does a good job of tormenting himself. He's always seen himself as the problem among his siblings: he's the only one with a different technique, he's the one they have to cover for if things get out of hand, he's the one who clashes...

Even if it wasn't something he caused, he feels guilty for being here and among them.

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't—"

"I'm Suguru's son. Dad told me so."

Yūji clasps her hands together, her expression blank. Kiku whimpers. His face swollen and red from crying, threatening to cry again. Yūji closes the door and takes his arm to lead him to the bed, sitting him down and cuddling him.

"You're my precious baby. No matter whose you are, you're my baby," Yūji emphasizes, stroking his head and Kiku cries, lying on his mother's chest. "It never hurt to see you, I never hated you, I never thought of you as any different because you're my baby." Yūji kisses him repeatedly on the head and Kiku holds it tightly.

"Do you love me like the others?"

"I love you as much as they do. My baby who never grows up," Yūji jokes softly and Kiku rubs himself lightly against her.

With the clear and perfect knowledge that Yūji has always treated him the same, that he has been the one who has stuck by her the most, Yūji takes his hand without thinking.

His mother loves him despite everything.

And that, along with Satoru's undeniably caring presence, gives him security. The security he needs to make himself understand that it's not his fault...

It's Suguru's.

It's Suguru's fault.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Very well! Due to various details: Yūji and my adorable children will be going to the first-year class. The year is almost over, so it won't be for long; the training will be united from now on and Chōsō will be a support."

Satoru's explanation is met with a few indiscreet glances. Kiku has half his hair pink, with the natural strand still separated in a braid with gold rings. He looks much more like Yūji now, although it doesn't change he stands out among all the albinos who are his siblings. Yūji salutes when Satoru finishes the explanation.

"I want to practice with Yūji!" Nobara says, raising her arm.

"I like your enthusiasm!" Satoru points out. "It'll rotate between everyone. So... Let's begin!"

Yūji and Nobara advance to the front. The brunette takes the hammer from her belt and smiles smugly as Yūji takes position.

Nobara wants to prove she's prettier and more capable. It'll be easy...

...

...

..

.

"Are you okay?"

"Damn busty woman with dead fly face."

Megumi, Yūta, Maki, Inumaki and Yūji lean over Nobara, who's lying on the ground. She doesn't even know what happened, only that she can't feel her chest, her soul, or her head. Yūji sucks in a breath. "Y-you said to go all out. I thought you were going to hold on."

"No one can take a punch from you," Megumi informs.

"Well, the point was to dodge it," Yūta laughs and Yūji pouts.

"Yūji-chan wins!" Satoru exclaims from a distance. Nobara grumbles and takes Yūji's hand and she helps her up.

The training continues quite well. Satoru was the one who made the pairings afterward; that way, it won't be too unfair between the students, his children and his wife. Chōsō keeps an eye on the surroundings, curious about all the cursed techniques he's seeing for the first time.

The most interesting matchup ends up being between Yūji and Yūta, with both destroying a large part of the training ground. By the end, Yūta is lying on the floor and Yūji is on top of him. The student stares at her. Yūji smiles a couple of seconds later.

"You're much better now! At least you take me seriously.”

"It's harder not to. You almost killed Naoya," Yūta murmurs, looking at her in awe. Satoru claps a couple of times.

"That's enough for today. Let's go back to classroom," Satoru announces and everyone groans in annoyance. Yūji stands up and offers his hand to Yūta. At the same time, Rika appears and hugs Yūji from behind, rubbing against her small, fluffy cheek. Yūji laughs, slapping her a few times.

"Mom! Let's go!" Yuzu urges and Yūji gives Rika a kiss before separating to go to the group of albinos waiting for her. Yūta watches her walk away and Megumi arrives at his side.

"It doesn't seem like anything's wrong. As unbearable and disgusting as it may be," Megumi murmurs and Yūta returns to a serious, almost chilling expression. The one everyone at the academy knows. Yūta has become quite... peculiar.

Out of sight of Yūji, Satoru, or Megumi, he's taciturn, complicated and creepy. As if he adopts a predatory stance and his emotions are kept to a minimum. Something quite good for a special-class sorcerer. He takes his katana and slings it over his shoulder.

"It doesn't change the fact that she's experiencing something unpleasant that should end."

"How can it change if it's against Gojō Satoru?" Megumi asks, hands in his pockets. Yūta doesn't change his expression, tightening the strap that holds his katana.

He doesn't say anything and that makes Megumi more uncomfortable than having heard some defiant comment, perhaps some vain hope. Yūta seems somewhere between strange and very dangerous. Especially when his mind is focused on a clear target. Yet, how could it not be so? This is the same person who refuses to let go of the little girl who died in front of him.

Yūta is dangerous.

Yūta is more dangerous than everyone gives him credit for.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Princess…”

“This is what happens when you tell her something you shouldn't have known. It should have remained a secret.”

Yūji isn't happy that Kiku knows the truth. Her son has remained sad these days. Only close to her, since even his twin brother doesn't seem like a safe place. Too ashamed, too alien to them. As if he's a plague amid so much whiteness and purity.

Satoru would like to have his wife for himself, but Kiku invades the room. Everything is so uncomfortable since learning the truth, Satoru doesn't have the heart to tell him to leave. On the contrary, he's the one who looks for another room and leaves Kiku with Yūji.

It's funny how he seems to have problems on all fronts. The one that remains the most complicated and painful is the family one.

On the other hand, Kiku went out to get some snacks. Both for himself and for Yūji, who offered him a movie before bed. Tomorrow they'll go home. It's Saturday and it will be the beginning of the routine. In the kitchen, he finds Suguru. The man drinking tea and eating cake. He's wearing comfortable black clothes, his pajamas. His hair loose and damp over his shoulders.

"Oh," Suguru puts down his cup and smiles. "Hey, Kiku... I see you got a new hairstyle. You look a lot like Yūji now," he mentions affectionately.

He notices something odd...

Kiku...

He looks very similar to himself when he was lonely.

When Satoru distanced himself.

When everything fell apart.

"Is something wrong...?"

"You're a fucking piece of shit."

Suguru jerks his head for a moment, surprised and somewhat offended. Kiku stares at him. Shocked by the sheer hatred he feels toward him. Knowing now why he said so many strange things. Because he was always his favorite.

"Is something wrong?" Suguru gets up and goes to him. "If it's because they made you swallow badly—"

Suguru holds out his hand to put it on his shoulder.

“Why did you rape my mom?”

Suguru retracts his hand and after a few seconds, all he can manage is a soft, fake, condescending smile. The usual one with everyone, but not towards him and perhaps that's what unnerves the teenager the most.

“Because I'm in love with Yūji. Because I wanted her to be mine. That's why.”

Silence...

“Is that all?” Kiku asks in a whisper. “You ruined... everything, you screwed up everything. FOR THAT STUPIDITY!?”

“Clearly you've never been in love—”

“THAT'S NOT WHY I WOULD RAPE THE PERSON I LOVE!” he claims hysterically and Suguru maintains a passive stance, so calm and disinterested. “THAT'S NOT WHY I WOULD HURT THEM!”

“To love is to hurt. Satoru-”

"My dad has never hurt my mom like you have. Don't you dare compare to him," Kiku warns irritably, grabbing his sweater. "He's not an idiot like you."

"He's worse," Suguru whispers. "Did he just tell you that? Hasn't he told you…?"

"I know everything about my parents, even that they loved you and you did this shit to them because you're selfish, because you're miserable." Kiku abruptly lets go and Suguru staggers back. "You're not my dad. You're nothing. You're no one!" he declares, on the verge of tears. "YOU'RE JUST THE DAMN IDIOT THAT MADE ME NOT LIKE THE OTHERS!"

"You can be better than them. You can-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU SAY! SHUT UP! IF YOU COME NEAR OR MOM AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU!" he warns sternly, pointing his finger at him.

He barely manages to grab what he came for. Suguru lowers his gaze slightly and sighs, closing his eyes. Why it doesn't surprise him that this is happening so soon, considering the last thing he talked to Satoru about a few days ago.

Kiku exhales and clutches the snacks in his arms, feeling like crying. He drags his feet to the bedroom and Yūji welcomes him with a hug, wiping away his tears and doting on him all night.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"You couldn't keep quiet."

"Why should I? He asked a question and I answered. I don't like lying to my children," Satoru says, nonchalantly. He leans against the railing at the exit. He waits for his children and Yūji to be ready to go home. Suguru has a blank stare and a fake smile on his face.

"You did it on purpose," he accuses softly, taking a step closer to him. "All because of what I told you."『』 It's not that you care about being honest. It's just—”

"Error," Satoru announces, singing and grinning foolishly, striking a ridiculous pose, pointing at Suguru. "I wouldn't have wanted him to know. I'd rather he be in beautiful, confident ignorance, but unfortunately: everyone said he's a lot like you and he's not stupid."

"You should have lied."

"And be like you? Nope. No thanks."

Suguru takes Satoru's arm, or at least tries to, making contact with the infinity that delicately surrounds the sorcerer. "I haven't lied about anything... you forbade me from telling the truth."

"I'm not talking about that," Satoru leans toward him. "It's about you lying about loving me and Yūji. That's what I can't forgive you for," he says in a whisper. He steps away from Suguru and leaves. The group of albino teenagers walks past him. Yūji stops beside Suguru.

"Are you okay?" She asks with a worried tone. Suguru's smile widens and he shakes his head.

"Everything's fine, Yūji-chan, just-"

Kiku takes Yūji by the arm and pulls her with him, glaring irritably at the special-grade sorcerer. Suguru watches them leave, with Yūji silent and watching him until the last second. Worried about him. It's inertia. It's inevitable for her not to feel this way.

Suguru leaves silently, thinking nothing of it other than that this is so... unfair.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

The weekend was peaceful and, they might say, perfect. He had time with his family, he had intimate time with his wife, his students haven't sent killer pigeons after him. Everything's fine. Even when they return to the Jujutsu Academy. Unfortunately, that meant one thing: Yūji must consume the last finger they have.

Or at least the last in everyone's estimation, except for Satoru, who still has the twentieth finger hidden. He plans to keep it that way until they can make progress with Yūji's cursed technique. If he lets it be known that everything is already prepared, it's a fact that everyone will try to kill her and while she can handle it, the stress is unnecessary.

Yūji entered the room covered in various and numerous protective scrolls. The higher-ups are watching, the clan heads are watching, the students are watching. It's quite a spectacle that has become unavoidable. Yūji wears a white kimono and advances to the middle of the room.

Where the cursed relic is located.

She takes a deep breath before bringing it to her mouth and eating it. Most people grimace in disgust. Yūji makes a guttural sound as she swallows and her throat swells. A few seconds pass before she feels her whole body throb. Yūji brings a hand to her mouth.

"Is everything okay?" asks Satoru, hands in his pockets and behind one of the wards. Accessible and close to her in case he needs it. Yūji nods.

“It's just—”

Yūji opens her eyes wide and the secondary eyelids open. The palm of her hand forms a huge mouth. Unlike the usual smile, it looks... Annoyed?

「Where's the last finger?」

「WHERE IS IT!?」

Satoru narrows his eyes. He didn't think Sukuna would react in any way. Not knowing where he is. He's not stupid enough to risk it. Yūji hunches over, coughing, the same question coming out over and over:

「WHERE IS IT」

「WHERE IS IT」

「WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE LAST FINGER」

「GIVE IT TO ME」

「GIVE IT TO ME」

「WHERE IS IT」

「GOJŌ!」

「WHERE IS IT?」

“GOJŌ!” someone shouts. It's unclear who.

Yūji becomes covered in tattoos and her body grows, deforming: wider, almost masculine. Her abdomen opens and even among the torn flesh and blood, teeth and a tongue can be seen, as well as the white clothing that tears where a pair of arms begin to emerge. Satoru takes a second to react. Surprised not only by the speed, but also because Yūji seems to still be half-conscious.

It seems to be a close and painful battle between the two. Sukuna forces himself to take control and thus deforms the body; Yūji's willpower prevents it. That's why she remains still, her cursed energy repressed and her body forming inappropriately.

Satoru removes the bandage from her face and doesn't think twice before saying, "Infinite Void."

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Mom? Mom!"

Yūji coughs and looks around, stunned. All the familiar faces are a good sign. At least her children are okay. Not so her, who feels like she could explode at any moment. She tries to sit up, but can't move her body at all. Akihiko pats her hand a few times.

"Don't force yourself. Shoko-san said you should stay lying down for a while, or you won't heal completely," her eldest son explains and Yūji scrunches up her face.

"Completely...?"

"Yes. Sukuna broke you... Everything!" Yuzu exclaims worriedly. "I guess he doesn't want you to die. You should be dead, after everything he did to you." Yūji exhales.

"I'm used to it," she murmurs, overwhelmed. "Where's Satoru?" she asks timidly and her children move away. To the right, Satoru is lying on a stretcher. He doesn't seem to have anything, just asleep. "Did something happen to him...!?"

She brings her hand to her mouth, spurting blood. Her children become agitated, as do Yūta, Megumi and Nobara, who were just entering the infirmary. They rush to get her settled in bed. Yūji whimpers and lies back down, tense, worried and still staring at Satoru. He's unconscious, his bandage is gone, his jacket gone and the shirt he's wearing is stained with blood.

"Wh-what happened to him? What did I do to him? Is he okay?" Yūji asks, her voice cracking, hurried and scared. Nobara scratches the back of her head.

"Unfortunately, he's fine."

"If something had happened to him, it would have been Sukuna's fault, not yours," Yūta comments with a gentle smile. "He's just tired. He said he was avoiding hurting your soul while suppressing Sukuna's. To stop him from altering your body... sounds complicated," he adds, sitting down next to the stretcher.

“The blood is yours. He carried you here and fainted at the door.”

“After all, your soul is weak in comparison. Being inside his domain, he could have killed you,” Megumi comments, his voice monotonous, staring at Satoru. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him worried about something. Honestly.” Megumi snorts, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Yūji sniffles and looks away, sorry for having caused this. While they all focus on Yūji, Satoru continues to rest. Almost knocked down by the exhaustion caused by the situation. His head continuously and mercilessly replaying what happened inside the domain clash.

Sukuna’s domain was… dark.

Dense.

Suffocating.

Colliding and trying to fight against Satoru’s.

It’s the first time he’s been here. A clear space, like a dream: a small garden, a still-smoking tea table and sakura trees. It seems so strange to him that there's such a peaceful part of it here. At top speed, less than a second, Satoru assumes that part belongs to Yūji, which is...

Bad.

Very bad.

She and Sukuna are merging and if they merge, it's a given that his wife won't be able to escape this. She could disappear because Sukuna dominates and absorbs her. The most striking thing about all this is that he hasn't run into Sukuna or Yūji, to be more strict.

As Satoru moves further inside, he finds the reason. Satoru clenches his jaw, his vibrant blue eyes standing out in the darkness and traces of red light. Sukuna laughs, barely rising from his seat. His jaw is also tense, his eyes wide open and his second pair of arms, holding the body that looks tiny from being beneath him.

It's barely possible to make out what he's doing. Sukuna might devour Yūji, he might rape her, but the only thing that's certain is that Yūji isn't aware that Satoru is standing in front of him. She tries to escape, forcing her arms with broken and torn nails from trying so hard to escape the curse that imprisons her; her eyes are whitish, her presence weak and sickly, almost faint, choking on the blood escaping from her mouth. "I should kill you," Sukuna says through gritted teeth, pressing Yūji even tighter, making her squirm. She spurts out a huge, thick ball of blood.

"You can't. I'm too much for you," Satoru says, tilting his head, looking almost neurotic and unlike usual . Sukuna gives a strained, guttural laugh. "On the other hand..."

Sukuna lifts Yūji by the chin. Satoru moves his jaw, sneering openly and forcefully. Yūji opens and closes his mouth, drooling and bleeding.

"If you try, you'll kill her, not me."

Satoru thinks quickly and realizes the most important thing here. Smiling once he finds the loophole.

"This isn't her domain."

Satoru slowly opens his eyes and stares at the ceiling for a few moments. It's been a long time since he felt a truck run over him. He's exhausted. He slowly sits up on the stretcher and rubs his face vigorously. He turns to the right, finding Yūji. He smiles softly, happy to see her in a less horrible condition than she was.

Yūji opens her eyes at the sound and, meeting Satoru's gaze, pouts and feels like crying.

"Did you sleep well? Everything okay?" Satoru asks affectionately.

"Are you okay?" Satoru nods and Yūji sniffles. "I'm sorry... I-I'm really sorry," Yūji stammers, clenching her hands in her lap. "I-I couldn't- suddenly-"

"You don't have to feel bad. He's almost complete inside you," Satoru murmurs softly. "It's only natural that you'll have a hard time keeping him under control." Yūji looks away, embarrassed. She has only one duty and it's clear she's not doing it well. It makes her feel useless and incapable. "We have to focus on separating your soul from his... when you recover, of course, that's all that matters."

Satoru gets off the stretcher and although his legs are shaking, he lies down on the stretcher where Yūji is. He takes her hand and kisses her, pressing his forehead against hers.

"We're close to the end... we're very close," Satoru assures softly and Yūji nods slightly. "Soon, we'll be traveling around the world, without anyone bothering us, with our children living a little more of their own lives and us sleeping peacefully in a hotel in Cambodia."

"Why Cambodia?"

"Because I want to start in Cambodia. Then we'll go to Hawaii, then..."

Satoru gives a long, almost endless list of tourist destinations he wants to go to. Or rather, the ones he'll go to as planned. Yūji falls asleep, listening to her husband's calm and loving voice. Satoru kisses her forehead and his expression instantly becomes more serious, pressing her hand firmly in his.

He has to stop what he saw.

He can't allow Sukuna to absorb her. Let that persist. He's sure what he did will have him dizzy for a while. Sukuna must have resented the attack. Satoru was able to separate Yūji and leave her in her own expansion. He also needs to train her to do domain expansion. Maybe that's what they need to practice.

Yūji should learn to manage her own soul and thus, learn to manage others'. Not just shake them off. That's not enough. Thousands of plans run through his mind as he falls asleep.

Shoko arrives a few minutes later and to say she's annoyed is an understatement, considering her two critically ill patients are on the same stretcher, their health in danger. It's Satoru's fault.

Always such an idiot.

Chapter 37: XXXVII

“Yūji…”

“I KNOW! I KNOW!”

Yūji hits the ground to get back up and everyone around him nervously watches the intensive training. Satoru has chosen the only option they have for soul separation: Yūta and Rika as assistants. It's a fact that Rika won't leave this plane. She doesn't want to. Yūta won't let her go either. They're the perfect example of what will happen to Sukuna when they try to expel him from Yūji's body.

Therefore, Yūji must manage to separate Rika from Yūta. They will reunite. There's no doubt about it. So, without any worries, the only thing left to do is achieve it and all she's done is have Rika repel her and hit every available wall. Yūta must stay still.

If he intervenes, he could distract Rika. They need her to be as aggressive as possible. As well as attentive. Yūji takes her stance, surrounding her fists with cursed energy and takes a deep breath before running in the direction of the one they've dubbed the queen of curses. 

Satoru watches with a serious expression, arms crossed. He must force Yūji to achieve this. Perhaps it's a matter of exhaustion. He was able to achieve full control of his cursed technique through dying. If he pushes Yūji in that direction, they'll achieve mastery of the cursed technique...

And he wants it to be achieved before October 31st. What will happen on that day is very unpredictable. It's a problem every year and he can't imagine what will happen with Sukuna almost complete. Anything could happen and he might not be with Yūji to control the situation. He also doesn't know the reason why Sukuna became so upset. Why is he so desperate for the last finger? He wants to be free, of course, but he also wants Yūji.

He was killing her that time. Doesn't he have a plan to get out of her body? He must have a plan. He's had plenty of time to think, as well as accumulated knowledge over the years. Satoru refuses to accept that Sukuna is so careless. At most, he believes he can defeat him.

Satoru exhales, shaking his head slightly: Yūji is once again lying on the floor, this time trembling with exhaustion. Megumi approaches, assuming the training is over. "Stay away from her. We're not done yet."

"She's too exhausted to be able to do it," Megumi argues. Yūji manages to sit up, wiping the blood from her nose, her head throbbing.

"The fullest potential of our abilities only appears when we're at the greatest risk," Satoru says, taking a few steps closer. "All Special-Grade Sorcerers have been through it. If we continue to let her rest, she won't be at the end of her tether. She hasn't even exposed any tattoos," he points out. "I want you to let go of everything you can."

"That's what I'm doing," Yūji gasps, standing up with Megumi's help.

"You're not," Satoru argues. "Aren't you taking this seriously?"

"Yes!"

"Then let out all the cursed energy you have. You're not going to kill Rika. You're going to separate her from Yūta," Satoru emphasizes sternly. Yūji gasps, puffing out her chest completely. "Don't hold anything back."

"I'm not holding anything back," Yūji demands. "I just don't know what to do! I don't know how to…!"

"You're holding it back and that's why you don't know what to do. You're not letting out enough energy, you're not thinking about what you need to do, you're scared that Sukuna will come out and that's why," Satoru accused her. "We're wasting time."

Yūji bites his lower lip and Satoru rubs his temple before moving his hand.

"Do it. Again.”

"There's no point in her doing it if she doesn't know what to do," Yūta opines. Satoru rolls his eyes, hidden by the blindfold. "It's a danger that-"

"She can control him. As long as she thinks she can," Satoru interrupts, irritated. "Yūji, now," he orders.

Yūji puts a hand to her forehead, trying to think about what she's doing, what she seems to be supposed to do, how to achieve the desired result. They look at each other. Tense. It's very strange that Satoru is so rough and cold. It hasn't even been like that with them. Only with Yūji. Which shows that even so, he's different with her. A cruel comment escapes him:

"Do I have to try to kill someone here for you to take it seriously?"

Yūji turns to look at him with an incredulous and annoyed expression.

"You wouldn't dare."

Satoru smiles. A gesture he hasn't made in almost four full hours.

Everyone exclaims, standing up and immediately being repelled. Except for Megumi, who's lying on the floor, his arm twisted and Satoru crushing his head with his knee. Crushing him with Infinity as well, causing him to groan in pain. Dazed, confused, in pain. Yūji tries to push Satoru away, but Infinity won't let her get close. Repelled completely.

"You have five minutes before I break his arm, then the other and finally, I'll crush his head."

"YOU CAN'T…!"

"I can and I will. He's not my son and he isn't you. Do you think I'm bothered by the idea of ​​killing him?"

Yūji doesn't know that Satoru cares deeply for Megumi. That he couldn't do something like that. As far as she's concerned, Megumi is just another student. One with whom he's had some arguments and jealousies. Yūji thrashes, just as Satoru expected.

He doesn't make it...

He doesn't make it...

Megumi screams louder and there's a horrible sound. Yūji tenses and some marks start to appear.

"You have so much strength and so much rage inside, but now that you need it, you don't use it!" Satoru mocks. "Who understands you? I'm starting to think you were just bothering me that time and that I have to treat you like a child."

"YOU'RE JUST BULLYING ME...!"

"SHITSHIT!" Megumi shrieks, coughing and with tears in his eyes from the pain, in addition to the helplessness of not being able to move.

"You have two minutes and-"

Satoru whistles. At least she has all the marks and her red eyes glow with the force of a thousand suns. Yūji can't pierce infinity, but she's closer than others who have tried. He smiles, shaking his head. "The target's Rika, not me. If you do anything to her, I'll release Megumi-chan," he giggles.

Yūji tries to hit again and misses, letting out a hysterical scream and spinning, advancing on Rika and finally managing to land a blow so hard that the curse snorts and Satoru smiles wider. Yūta not only trembled, he also felt dizzy and ended up kneeling on the ground. He can see some threads between them completely snapped and regenerating because Yūji doesn't attack again.

He lets go of Megumi and helps him to his feet. The teenager is moaning in pain. Satoru rests his hands on his hips. "Very well! We can start by saying that it's a matter of how much energy you put into your attacks. That's why so far you haven't made us feel like we're going to be soulless."

Yūji leans on Rika, his legs weak and almost breathless.

“And unfortunately… it’s linked to the most intrinsic part of cursed energy: you must be controlling that which you constantly avoid. The biggest problem! That you never say it bothers you,” he reproaches directly and Yūji squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. “Do you remember what we talked about?”

“Cursed energy of the head and the heart.”

“Indeed. So: condense that, manipulate it like—”

“IT’S NOT THAT EASY! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO SEE IT!”

Satoru whistles, snaps his fingers and points at it. “I have an idea.”

“Oh no,” says Maki, leaning against Panda.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“This is Aoi Tōdō,” Yūji bows to the teenager in front of him. He’s enormous. “He’s a first-class sorcerer. Also an exceptional prodigy. Maybe he can help a little with the problem we're having," Satoru says, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "It's-" "Silence, Gojō Satoru," Tōdō orders. Yūji wrinkles her face slightly. "I'm not going to help with this," he warns sternly.

"Why not?" Yūji asks.

Tōdō looks her up and down and then shakes his head. "You're not cute enough, you don't seem strong enough and... I don't even know anything about you!"

Yūji curls her lower lip, visibly confused before standing up straight, saluting and saying loudly, "I'm Gojō Yūji! I like making desserts, watching action movies and styling my hair with pretty clips! My favorite actress is Jennifer Lawrence because she has big boobs and butt!"

Satoru stifles his laughter. Every day, he becomes more convinced that his wife is bisexual and hasn't even realized it. Tōdō stares at her for a moment and Yūji pouts, tugging at her uniform jacket and assuming a shy stance, hiding part of her face in the red hood Satoru attached to her uniform.

"Will you help me? I promise I'm strong... that I can be strong, at least."

Tōdō rips off his shirt and strikes a pose. "Prove it to me, Gojō Yūji!"

Did they fight? For a long, long time.

Did Yūji end up in just a T-shirt and shorts? Yes, Satoru still doesn't know how.

Were there any strange things? Yes, but not because Tōdō suddenly fell in love with Yūji or because there were any inappropriate touches.

Tōdō just entered a very, very strange mental space! Where has he imagined a complete scenario for Yūji in his entire life. She's more than just a new acquaintance. She's now his sister!

"So you're going to help me?" Yūji asks, leaning on her thighs, smiling weakly. Tōdō nods, serious and with tears running down his face.

"Anything for me, little sister."

Satoru is sure he heard Chōsō's neck crack. Wherever he is.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Yūji may be very good, but it doesn't change the fact that it's very difficult to learn a cursed technique that no one else has. Especially one as complex as hers. It's a miracle she developed it in the first place," Nanami says, rubbing his brow. "I understand what you want to do, but all the fuss you made was unnecessary."

"I thought you'd be on my side," Satoru jokes.

"Not when you're exploiting her. She's already got too much on her plate.” 

“I'm the first one to want to overprotect her, Nanami, I swear," Satoru states with a hand on his chest, "the problem is whether it's still a secret or not, we have to get her to do it quickly. We don't have time."

Nanami understands and yet he wishes Satoru would have more understanding towards his wife. Yūji has barely been able to get back into her school routine. Now, he wants her to get something above her level. Not even Yūta had such a complication. Which is saying something.

"Do you think Aoi-kun can solve the problem?"

"I think he can be a good influence... after all, Yūji hasn't been with anyone older than her, but within the same rank. She's not going to try to be a caretaker with him," Satoru explains, rocking in his chair. "Besides, Tōdō has Yuki's training up his sleeve. I'm convinced he'll be able to handle this."

Nanami shakes his head. If he thinks that, that's his problem. He also considers it a very necessary dynamic. He's been keeping an eye on Yūji these days and sadly, she's acting motherly toward everyone around her. It's part of her personality at this point. With her children around her and others who've lived less than her, it's only natural that she has that distinction.

Tōdō, on the other hand, is older than her and doesn't let himself be manipulated by the impression Yūji creates. At the same time, he's not like Satoru, Suguru, or him. He's not going to take on a caretaking or almost fatherly role, not to mention he won't even try for a romantic approach. He's on the perfect spectrum. He also has to recognize that they both have personalities that allow for a better fit. Equally sociable, equally loyal, equally affectionate, equally silly.

Yes, they're more than perfect.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Ever since she met Junpei, Yūji hasn't had a chance to go out on the street. Which is currently happening with Tōdō. It's a little strange because she doesn't know him at all and they stopped to watch an advertisement for Takada-chan. Beyond that, it's been fun. It's something she's wanted for a long time and it's satisfying to achieve it.

She shakes her empty glass. Tōdō leans on the railing and hands her another. Yūji eats and drinks as much as he does, which is to say: a lot. Therefore, he's already gone three times to order more at the establishment a few meters away.

"Gojō Satoru says cursed energy comes from the heart and mind, I think it comes from the stomach," Yūji almost chokes on her drink. "After all, that's where I feel negative emotions the most. I used to feel the urge to go to the bathroom every time I got nervous or angry."

"That sounds... weird," Yūji opines, swaying where he stands. "Why not all three?"

"If that helps you with what you need, do it," Tōdō says and Yūji frowns. "It's not about what's a fact or not, it's about handling it however works best for you and then you'll be able to use your cursed technique."

"Aren't there rules?"

"Of course there are, but you set those," the opponent emphasizes. "Your technique is innate, therefore, the limitations are imposed only by you, regardless of how much cursed energy you imbue it with." Yūji places a hand on her abdomen. "You probably knew you wanted to separate things since you were a child and that's why your technique is division."

"But I can't use it."

"Can't you? Or don't you want to?" Tōdō points at her "You know Sukuna will be sent to another body to die and... you don't want anyone to go through that, right?"

Yūji clenches the glass in her hands and looks away. Tōdō exhales sharply.

"You want to defeat him inside you."

"No. Not really. I want him to leave, but... I don't know how I could... it's... complicated," she concludes, taking a sip of her drink. Tōdō exhales, shaking his head.

"Nee-san," Tōdō calls and Yūji chuckles. It's funny how he takes the fact that they're siblings so seriously. "These self-imposed setbacks are very serious and the worst part is that they prevent us from reaching what's most important to us." Tōdō places a hand on his shoulder. "You need to clarify what's in your mind and only when that part agrees with the rest of your body will you be able to do it."

"Did you have this problem?"

"A lot. Because I thought I'd reached my full potential, that everything I could do, I'd already done and" He touches his face, where the large scar is. "This happened during my training. At that moment, I realized I wasn't allowing myself to be more. I wasn't allowing myself to reach my true goal."

"Which is...?"

"A LIFE WITHOUT BOREDOM AND WHERE I CAN MARRY TAKADA-CHAN!"

Yūji blinks repeatedly. Tōdō stood up and shouted loudly, posing. A few people stare. Tōdō doesn't care. Confident and determined. He goes back up next to Yūji, barely crossing his arms.

"We are sorcerers. We have a duty to do our best for others, but... if you don't mind me saying so," he exhales heavily before saying, "it's about valuing the sacrifices and efforts of our comrades who do the same for us. If you don't give all of you to master your cursed technique; all it does is waste what others have done for you. Those who have wanted to keep you safe and protect you from others."

Yūji sips her drink, unaware of the thick tears escaping her eyes. Yūji leans back against Tōdō, who pats her on the shoulder a couple of times.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"Did something bad happen with Aoi-senpai?"

Yūji shakes her head and enters Yūta's room. The teenager closes it after checking that no one has seen Yūji come by. He's surprised she came here. He thought he was going to her room. It's been a busy week for her, as well as for him, who's been the guinea pig and training dummy.

Not to mention that one has the impression that maybe Satoru isn't very happy about Yūji approaching him. He's been very direct with her, so now every action Satoru takes to push him away seems obvious and explicit.

"Everything was fine. I beat him in every game we played. He's good at Dance Revolution." Yūta blinks repeatedly; he doesn't expect that curious fact about his senpai. It's very funny to imagine the two of them in an arcade and Aoi losing miserably. "It's just... Can I talk to you? I think only you can understand and I know what answer Satoru is going to give me. I don't want what I'm going to hear from him. I want... something different and I think only you can answer."

Yūta nods, sitting in front of her. Yūji stretches her legs. She's wearing a black crop top, baggy pants and oversized sneakers; the red jacket makes her look a little bigger and her hair is held back with several strawberry clips.

Yūta wears a white shirt and sweatpants. His katana is at his side, almost untidy. Yūji expects Rika to appear at any moment and maybe she needs her to.

Yūta opens his eyes slightly, surprised by Yūji's confession.

Chapter 38: XXXVIII

There's improvement.

There's a lot of improvement.

In part, this is thanks to Tōdō's very particular way of training and it works very well for Yūji. Whether it's a desire to impress him or the tension that Satoru might threaten someone's life again, they can see considerable progress in Yūji's cursed technique. It hasn't become good enough to separate Yūta and Rika, but it has softened the bond and in other cases, when practicing with other students at the Kyoto academy, they've rendered them unconscious with a single touch, forcing Shoko to normalize them.

It's not ideal, but at the same time, there's no other way to experiment with the technique in question. Yaga's plush toys aren't enough for Yūji's level.

"Are you still mad at me?" Satoru asks, hanging his head. Yūji barely looks up, hunched over from combing her hair.

"Yes."

Satoru laughs and removes the black blindfold from his face, looking her straight in the eyes.

"We have to move forward and at least now you can better and more efficiently control your cursed energy. I see advantages," Satoru opines and Yūji rolls her eyes, letting her arms droop and her hairdo lose its shape. "I know it's a little cruel—"

"Megumi's barely recovered."

"I know."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because we need you to master your cursed technique, or—"

"The simplest option is to kill me."

They are silent for a moment. Satoru exhales, covers his face with his hand and lies back fully on the futon. When he uncovers his face, Yūji bites her lip, looking tense and worried.

"I'm... prepared to die. It's not something that—"

"No. No," Satoru stops. "No one is going to kill you. That's not the solution. We've already talked about it."

“We’ve talked about not wanting to die, but objectively, it’s the best solution. Everything would be better if I died,” Yūji argues and Satoru snorts, unwilling to continue the conversation. “I know you don’t want to let me go. I wouldn’t want to let you go either, but I can’t… keep hurting other people by trying something we don’t even know will work.”

“It’s a fact that it will work.”

“A simple assumption?”

“Why are you so determined that I kill you?”

Yūji rubs her brow and exhales sharply, looking elsewhere. Anywhere but Satoru. The sorcerer moves to force her to look at him. Not to let her escape. It’s been a constant since the children were discovered and he doesn’t understand how Yūji would rather die than try.

He’s sure they can do it. It’s perfect. Not to mention that even Sukuna must have some idea how not to kill Yūji when he’s complete inside her. It's Satoru’s last option. He hasn't mentioned it to anyone for safety's sake. Still, the biggest problem they have right now is that Yūji is hell-bent on dying!

"Yūji—"

"Since I've been with you, all I've done is fill you with trouble," she says softly. "Always thinking about how to save me, always thinking about how to make me happy; everyone sees you as a monster that you're not because you decided to help me, they think you're bad. I don't like seeing everything you are shattered because you try to save me," she explains without Satoru interrupting her. Just looking at each other. "I have no salvation... I never had one. I think you should let me go."

Satoru parts his lips and ends with a broken smile, shaking his head.

"No... I'm not interested in them thinking I'm a monster: they always have and always will. I'm a monster when I don't do what I'm asked to do and when I do, I'm a weapon... I'm a teacher, I'm the strongest sorcerer, I'm a danger, I'm a nuisance, I'm anything but myself," Satoru replies, his eyes watering, his voice cracking. His blue eyes are brimming with tears and his smile is as strange and pained as it's been a long time since she'd seen it. "I don't exist for anyone here... only with you and you want to abandon me as if that will do me any good."

"If there are no curses—"

"The curses will return. Non-sorcerers will create them all the time and I won't... Do you think anyone will stay with me if I kill you?"

Satoru knows he's alone.

His children love him, but killing Yūji? He's sure none of them would stay. He's sure he'll have nothing without her. He doesn't even know how he'd bear losing her. He wants to live and grow old with Yūji. Let them continue in the same dynamic they've had up until now, the one that works, the one that's made them happy for years.

He's already died once. It's terrifying, but living without Yūji? Going on without her? No.

It's not possible.

He couldn't.

Not knowing he killed her...

He couldn't go on in any way.

Satoru would haunt her wherever she went. Be it heaven or hell. He considers his role in life, the one that truly matters, the one that makes him happy and complete, the one that validates his existence: to love every part of Yūji. From her appearance and her good gestures, to the bad, likes, worries, fears, contradictions...

He's spent a lifetime caring for this beautiful and magnificent existence. How could he lay a hand on it? And worse, make it disappear?

Yūji tenderly takes his face, soaking her hand. Satoru rubs his cheek against the soft palm, sniffling. He rests his hand on Yūji's.

"Let me save you. Please... we promised to be together. We promised to continue," Satoru murmurs. His sniffles are so embarrassing. He feels ridiculous, but at the same time he can't suppress it. He wants to be honest.

It's what it takes to get Yūji to stop her suicidal thoughts. It's absurd at the same time.

"I think... we can try until the end of this year."

Satoru nods in agreement and Yūji hugs him. Satoru leans back on Yūji's shoulder and breathes deeply. "Even in death, we'll still be together, right?"

"I'll always be with you," Yūji promises.

Again, neither of them paying the slightest attention to what they're doing.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Are you sure it's okay?”

“Nothing that hasn't happened before with a curse,” Megumi says, walking beside Yūji to the practice area. “The only bad thing is that I'm fine and I'll have to go to Shibuya in two days. I thought I'd have a chance to avoid it.”

“What a liar you are, Fushiguro,” Yūji nudges him. “You want to go, even if it's a lot of work. You want to help too much to just stand idly by,” she says mockingly, annoying him a little. “I also think they'd put you and me together. It could be fun. I've never been on a mission before!” she crosses her arms behind her head and Megumi exhales.

For some reason, it was announced that Yūji is supposed to go on that patrol. Everyone sees her as a threat and Satoru probably notices it too. That's why he leaves her with Megumi: he'll know how to keep Yūji from running too fast, from losing focus. He'll also be the first to force her to retreat. More than her children, who might end up causing a fight over wanting to "protect" her.

Satoru can almost hear the argument that will ensue in that possible scenario.

They arrive at the training ground. Satoru announces the teams they'll be traveling with, the basic rules for a mission of this scale and other details. For now, it'll be like every Halloween: lots of curses running around, taking advantage of the festive mood and costumes. They'll be concentrated in Shibuya, as it's the busiest area for non-sorcerers.

"With this done, we can start today's training!" Satoru exclaims with a smile, clasping his hands.

"Can't we practice at home?"

“Nope, you guys are going to focus on hand-to-hand combat, no infinity, no cursed techniques.” His children groan, all irritated. “Except for you, Kiku, you’re fine with that; you’re going to train with Maki. I want you to learn how to handle yourself with more people.” The teenager nods and approaches the sorceress, who gives a small bow. “By the end… Yūji is going to show us how much she’s improved!”

“Of course my sister is going to make it,” Tōdō affirms confidently. Chōsō clicks his tongue, veins popping out in his neck.

“Let’s begin!” Satoru exclaims.

The training is going very well. Yūji and Tōdō are practicing, as are she and Megumi. It’s a fun workout and it’s worth noting how exhausting it is to train with Yūji. Tōdō is convinced she’s a new prodigy. Regardless of the fact that she has a certain advantage due to time being frozen, he understands that mentality doesn't change, just like the body. In other words, Yūji has been able to increase her body mass, cursed energy and attack capacity at a much younger age than everyone currently in the academy.

That's worthy of admiration. It demonstrates her effort, as well as explains her struggles. So much progress that, up until now, has a reason to exist other than simply strengthening it.

Finally, the time comes to practice her cursed technique and Satoru notices something different. Yūji not only releases more cursed energy, her eyes remain golden and the second pair opens with the same color. Red marks appear in her body and finally, when it's time to hit Yūta, who instinctively covers himself, even though Yūji easily dodged Rika, he takes the blow squarely.

He spits and rolls his eyes, completely vibrating.

"We'll always be together! And we're getting married."

"I don't think three people can get married..."

"Don't be pessimistic, Yūji-chan!" exclaims the smiling girl. "Yūta will marry both of us, right?"

The boy tilts his head, pouting. He nods shyly and the two girls in front of him smile, hugging him.

It's quite a journey. Living a normal life, going to school with both of them every day. A quiet, everyday life, with Rika dragging him everywhere she wants; Yūji talking about bad movies, playing sports and fooling around at every possible opportunity.

Rika is open and even emphatic in saying he's her boyfriend.

Yūji is indiscreet in hugging, inviting herself and answering if asked.

Yūta feels his face burn, watching them kiss on the mouth and then laugh. Rika gets up to go to the kitchen and get something to eat. Yūji crawls up to Yūta and although he's waiting to hear a suggestion about playing or lending her his homework because she hasn't done her, what Yūji says is completely out of place:

"Yūta, I need you to react."

"Huh?

"Yeah, it reacts. Did it work?"

"What worked?" Yūta asks, frowning.

"The cursed technique. Did it work?"

In the blink of an eye, the room is a mess, with broken walls, corpses on the floor and blood everywhere. Yūta hyperventilates, unable to focus on anything. Rika crawls through the door she came through, her arms growing and deforming until when she lifts her face, the flesh and bone rupture, exposing her cursed form.

「Yūta」

「Yūta」

「Yūta!」

「Yūta!」

「YŪTA!」

"It did work?"

Yūta takes a breath and is surprised to find himself somewhere else. Even for a moment: it's a tea table, under sakura trees and Yūji is on the other side of the table, wearing a kimono tied carelessly, almost flirtatiously. When he opens his eyes again, there are Yūji, Satoru, Megumi, Nobara, Panda, Inumaki and Maki leaning toward him.

"Is everything okay?" Yūji asks. "Did I break something? I didn't mean to."

Yūta sits up, holding a hand to his chest and breathing rapidly, almost desperately. He looks around. Nothing is out of place and he can feel Rika's presence, who emerges and makes her way to hug him, manipulating him as always. Satoru crosses his arms.

"This time it worked, I guess. Do you want to share the experience?"

┈

"An alternate reality?"

"It was... perfect. Rika didn't die, everything in my life was going well, it was as if the curse had never existed and... it was…”

Yūta doesn't want to mention that Yūji was also there. It would be exposing himself and he's incredibly embarrassed. However, he has vivid memories of something that doesn't exist! That never happened and the more he tells it, the stranger it becomes. He hears Satoru give a slight chuckle. Barely perceptible. The students notice him and he raises a finger.

"I think I know what happened. It's not a moment of... sudden madness," he laughs, even though Yūta sounds insane with what he's saying. "It's about the only way to completely separate a soul is to make it feel at peace... therefore..."

"Yūji creates false memories to ensure that both parties feel happy and can continue on their path," Chōsō completes and Satoru nods. "Why hasn't this happened before?"

"Tōdō mentioned it." Yūji comments, leaning back on his spread legs.

“Up until now, Yūji hasn't been able to use his technique properly. It was a simple soul thrust, a kind of threat,” Satoru explains. “Now that we're certain of how her technique fully manifests, we can work on it better.”

“Do I trick Sukuna into thinking he's had a good life so he'll leave?” Yūji asks, scratching her head. It sounds absurd. Satoru purses his lips and strikes a strange pose, spreading his hands.

“Let's practice the external part more first and then worry about Sukuna. We have time.”

Yūji grimaces and Yūta stares at her.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

A huge anomaly is happening in Shibuya. No one can really explain it. The only thing that's certain is that there's a giant veil covering that specific neighborhood. Everyone is divided, just as it was agreed upon from the beginning. That's why Yūji and Megumi are together. "Do you think it's too bad?"

"Nothing Gojō-sensei can't handle," Megumi opines softly. "That doesn't change the fact that we have to stay alert for any eventuality-"

"Yūji-san!"

They both turn around, surprised that Yūta comes running up. The sorcerer smiles, tilting his head and keeping his hand on the katana strap. Megumi frowns. "What are you doing here? You should-"

"Staying at the academy as a support, but Gojō-sensei told me to come with you two. They're organizing a lot of people into groups of three," he comments, holding up his cell phone. Yūji takes it and reads the short message. It ends with a smiley face. "Nanami-sensei is on his way to meet Nobara-san. Everyone else..."

"I hope they listen," Yūji exhales, exhausted and returns the phone. Yūta laughs.

"Are your children that unruly?"

"Only when they want to prove themselves. As might be the case," Yūji replies and Yūta laughs again. Megumi snorts. He doesn't know if it's a bad idea for Yūta to come here or not. Megumi doesn't consider him to be in the best condition.

Not since that incident with Yūji's cursed technique. Not because he's physically incapacitated; mentally, he perceives him as... unstable. Maybe a little unhinged. He's less discreet about his attraction to Yūji and above all, he acts foolish around her, almost matching the childish attitude Yūji has most of the time.

As if he wants to empathize with her more or something. Megumi isn't sure.

"Let's continue," he exhales, resigned. For his part, he's also disappointed. He thought it was a good time to try working in pairs with Yūji.

Yūta seems unable to leave him alone with her.

Just a few meters later, it feels as if hell itself has decided to open up in front of them and all the sorcerers in Shibuya.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

Satoru gasps heavily, seeing the ground covered in blood of various colors, mostly violet blood. He can barely catch her breath. He swallows hard and lets out a sharp gasp, his glowing eyes focused on a fixed point. He wants to remain calm. He was able to kill all the low-level curses; the people on this platform are alive…

But he couldn't prevent those inside the train.

…

At least he killed the natural curse. Now it's just a hole in the wall, as well as a huge splash of blood.

Satoru leans a little more comfortably, releasing the head of the curse he decapitated and thinking quickly. Mahito is here. The fire curse, Jogo, too; Kenjaku may be nearby, but he's not sure and he's not going to wait for him to appear. He must make Mahito disappear as soon as possible, lest Yūji come here and see him.

He's sure his wife will want to take part and although he trusts Yūji, it's not a situation where they can take such liberties. There are a lot of people here. It's Halloween! He looks up, locating the gray-haired, goofy-faced curse, stunned by the use of infinity for just a few seconds.

He must kill him.

He must kill him.

He must—

“Hi, Satoru.”

Satoru stops breathing, his body tense.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Are you okay?”

Yūji nods, standing up and dusting off her pants. Around her, dead curses pile up. Yūta wipes the blade of his katana and puts it back in its sheath, looking around. He no longer notices any others. Megumi's wolves are investigating where people are, injured or in trouble. Getting them to safety is the priority.

They don't even know how long they've been fighting. Only that there's a huge explosion not far from their position. Yūji wipes his chin and moves his right shoulder. "We should go there, don't you think? In case—”

Yūji touches herself and takes out her cell phone. The screen is cracked, but she can see. Her eyes widen, her chest aching. Yūji abruptly drops the phone and starts running in the direction of the explosion.

"Yūji?! HEY! DON'T GO ALONE!" Megumi scolds, as both he and Yūta run after her.

Yūji hits the curses that appear in her path, indifferent to them and not allowing herself a single breath. She knows she has to get there fast. She has to hurry. She has to get to the subway as soon as possible. Even if she has to run on the tracks. There shouldn't be any trains running right now.

"Yūji!" Megumi calls.

She doesn't hear him, stunned, with a ringing in her ears and an expression that's a mix of anguish, panic and annoyance. Yūji turns the corner and charges at the enormous curse that nearly cuts her off. She hits him so hard on the head that it explodes and with that, she continues on her way. Megumi and Yūta can barely keep up.

"YŪJI! WAIT!" Yūta insists. 

Yūji doesn't get the chance to go down the stairs, being knocked aside by a building explosion. She's thrown against a wall and hits her head in the process. She coughs and tries to sit up. Yūta is the first to respond and sees what's inside: several burned bodies and what look like the remains of a terrible fight.

"You can't just walk away like that," Megumi complains, pulling Yūji by the arm to pull her to her feet. "We have to—"

Yūji pushes him and tries to find some sign. She doesn't pay attention to anything he says, nor to Yūta's and none of the signs show the entrance to the subway. Yūji groans in annoyance. The simple message is in her head:

Aki: They sealed Dad and took him away.

Aki: That curse is here.

"FUCK!" Yūji shouts hysterically.

┈ ⋞ ⟨ ✷ ⟩ ⋟ ┈

"We're a good team, even if it bothers you," Suguru informs with a self-satisfied, mocking smile. Kiku groans and Yuzu senses the discomfort. His twin hasn't been willing to tell him anything yet, but he has the impression that Suguru did something wrong.

Not the best time for this kind of drama.

"Do you notice more people here?" Yuzu asks and Suguru shakes his head. Today he's wearing a black uniform instead of monk robes. There's no point in a disguise this time. His half-tied hair moves in the breeze. “Should we go somewhere else?”

"Yeah, let's move on to the next area to secure it," Suguru says. "I find it very strange that Satoru hasn't taken down the veil yet," he murmurs, looking up. "I thought he would finish this faster."

Kiku rolls his eyes and notices what looks like a huge explosion in the distance. Nothing that's his problem. Not without warning, at least. Many sorcerers must be there. Maybe his brothers. He assumes that's their area. There are a few more explosions and everything's going relatively well.

They find more people to put in safe zones. He's amazed that the curses are increasing with the passing minutes. While Yuzu sets up another barrier to protect a group of civilians, Kiku takes out his cell phone, tensing up.

"Something happen?" Suguru asks. Kiku babbles and turns to his brother, who's barely finished his task.

"Da... Dad's in... the box. Sealed."

Suguru's expression distorts into shock, frowning and taking the phone from her hand.

 Little 🐯 Pack

Aki-niichan: There's an emergency.. They sealed Dad in the Gokumonkyō.

Aki-niichan: I told Mom, but she hasn't answered any messages. I don't know where she is, nor do I know where the person who sealed Dad is.

Aki-niichan: The curses are increasing because Dad isn't here.

Aki-niichan: The curse is here. The one Mom hates. He ran away.

"We have to go after them. Now."

"But the civilians-”

"We need Satoru!" Suguru argues quickly. "We can't do it without him," he demands through gritted teeth, intimidating Kiku. "Before something terrible happens. All the special curses have been begging for this moment and we can't let-"

The enormous flare takes them by surprise and if it weren't for Suguru's quick thinking, they would have burned to a crisp.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Where's Yūji?!”

Yūta shakes his head, he has no idea. From one second to the next, they lost sight of her. Blame it on the enormous flame that hit them from the side. Rika managed to get them both out, but Yūji is nowhere to be seen. At least that's the first glimpse. Hysterical laughter makes them realize a very specific point.

“Is that all you have?! I don't even need to take out my other arms for this.”

“How can he do that?” Megumi asks quietly. He can spot Sukuna, but he looks... pretty normal.

It's as if Yūji only has Sukuna's black tattoos and secondary eyes. Everything else is normal. Except that he might be a little taller. Rika doesn't let them get off, indifferent to what they say and Yūta orders. It's best to be here. Not joining the huge fight that starts to unfold in front of them.

One that explains why everyone is so scared of Sukuna: his control is terrifying.

The curse he's fighting is one that's talked about regularly. A curse that arose from humans hating and fearing volcanoes. They know it might be easy for Satoru to kill him, but seeing Sukuna fight firsthand makes it different. Satoru is terrifying on his own and seeing someone like him is even worse.

The way Sukuna handles everything with such ease, with such mockery. Rika must take them even higher and away from the area. Volcanic eruptions, the destruction of buildings and so many other things make it dangerous to be around.

Not to mention the heat that's about to make them faint.

Sukuna, for his part, is having a bit of fun.

It's fun.

Very fun.

Even when he kills him, he celebrates that he had the chance to do something.

It makes him laugh more when Megumi and Yūta appear.

"They were here," he says, brushing his hair back and looking around. "It's a shame he died so quickly. It would have been fun- Wow, are you really going to risk that?" Sukuna points at Megumi, who has a very specific summoning stance. Megumi breathes heavily, anxious, tense. What is he supposed to do? How does he make Yūji react?

Mahoraga is his best option…

"This baby can withstand real disasters, it's a blessing. I don't think it'll be any good if it doesn't hold up," Sukuna comments, rubbing his neck. "Don't be scared, this place, this circumstance, is of no use to me." Sukuna rests his hands on his hips. "I have better plans than this," he states with a smug smile.

"I mean, you have a way of not transforming into Yūji's body," Yūta points out and Sukuna chuckles. 

"Of course I do. I want to fuck her, not be her," he clarifies nonchalantly. Yūta makes Megumi lower his arms.

"Then give her back. We're busy with other things," Yūta demands. Sukuna rolls his eyes and tilts his head.

"You're so desperate to get her to choose you... you're almost as stupid as Gojō," he snorts. "Brat... You better grit your teeth.”

The marks fade, his eyes close and Yūji stands there, staring in front of her. She raises her gaze slightly and her expression turns to one of horror, covering her mouth. Yūta and Megumi turn and find what makes her burst into tears.

Charred bodies.

The buildings horribly destroyed.

Crushed bodies.

Flames that still burn.

The worst part is that when you look back, when the smoke clears, all they see is a gigantic crater. She collapses to her knees and howls, filled with panic and disbelief. Sukuna did this…

Therefore, she did it.

She didn't stop him, didn't prevent him, just let him destroy everything and kill everyone there.

"Yūji." Yūta tries to grab her shoulder, but Yūji hunches over, hitting the ground and screaming.

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?! DIE! JUST DIE!"

Megumi sighs, shaking her head. There's so much going on and they still don't even understand why she was so upset.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

"At least the worst part's over," Umi huffs, climbing down from the rubble. "What do we do?"

"Go to where Akihiko is. We have to free Dad—or at least find whoever held him prisoner in the first place." Kikyo emphasizes, crossing her arms. “Still no response from Mom?” Toukki shakes his head and she hisses irritably.

┈ ⋞ 〈 ✷ 〉 ⋟ ┈

“Couldn't he have made a mistake?”

Yūji doesn't reply, hurrying down the stairs. He has to find Satoru. Make up for what happened maybe? Somehow. That wouldn't have happened. What would have happened if he'd been there? He would have been able to control everything. He's Gojō Satoru. Besides, he personally promised her he'd prevent her from doing such terrible things.

She hears a very familiar laugh that makes her speed up, trembling from head to toe, with Yūta and Megumi in hot pursuit. As she turns into the next hallway, deep in the subway, she sees Mahito, skipping along. Before she can do anything, Megumi stammers, "Nanami-sensei."

Yūji rushes, feeling like she might throw up, like her heart is going to jump out of her throat. Nanami turned around at the sound of his name. Half of his body is burned, very severely, but it can be cured! They could cure it.

But...

Only if...

Mahito doesn't...

"NANAMIN!"

Nanami just smiles. He doesn't know what he's seeing. Yūji reaches out his hand and Mahito laughs, determined to touch Nanami’s chest.

He doesn't succeed.

"Huh?" Mahito looks around and then up. Rika is carrying the man, who's barely conscious and lucid. The patterned sword falls to the floor. Rika carries him to Yūji, who holds his face.

"You have to... get out of here-"

"You have to go," Yūji stammers.

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!" Mahito demands, turning his arm into an sickle. "Jogo already beat him! So it's his turn-"

"Take him to safety. Now," Yūji says, straightening. She takes off his jacket and raises his fists, surrounding them with cursed energy. Yūta sees Rika, then Nanami. He pats Rika and gestures. The curse hurries away. Yūta draws his sword and Megumi manifests some shikigami.

"This is cheating... but if you cry like that time, it's fine," Mahito laughs.

"Don't let him touch you," Yūji warns and the pair nod.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of The Most Beautiful Curse