My mind is racing. I need to stay focused. My daughter's life is at stake because of others' mistakes, but I won't let them drag her down. I need to hide her for a while and I know exactly where to go.
"Mama, look out!" my daughter shouts, warning me of an oncoming truck. I manage to steer the wheel just in time to avoid a collision.
"Thank you for the warning, Sweetie. Please stay in your seat and always wear your seatbelt," I say, keeping my eyes on the road. The heavy rain outside demands my full attention as I navigate the car.
"Where.... are we going, Mama?" my daughter asks, her voice timid.
"We're going to Grandpa's house," I reply.
"Why are we going to Grandfather's house?"
"No, not your grandfather's house. Your father's father's house, Sweetie,"
"I didn't know Father had a grandpa too, like you. But why are we going there? And why are you driving so fast, Mama?"
"We need to sleep there for a while, sweetheart. We have to get there before a bad man sees us,"
"Why do we need to sleep there? Who is the bad man?"
"I can't tell you who the bad man is, because I don't even know. But we can hide at Grandpa's house and stay there so the bad man can't find us."
I glance at my daughter and see the sadness on her face. She must be upset about not being able to say goodbye to her friends in Kyoto.
"Don't be sad, sweetie. I'm sure you'll love staying at Grandpa's house. It has very big rice fields, and you can play as much as you want without worrying about getting in trouble."
".....Is Grandpa not as strict as Grandfather, Mama? ....Will I get punished if I make a mistake, like at Grandfather's house?"
"No, he's a very kind person. I'm sure you'll have fun with him. So don't worry."
"....."
"....."
"....honey?"
"..Okay, Mama, I trust you," answer her daughter while yawning widely.
"You look sleepy, Sweetheart. Take a nap, and I'll wake you up when we get there," I say gently.
"Okay, love you, Mama," she murmurs as her eyes begin to close.
"Love you too, Hime,"
*******
"I... need some... time alone," she mumbled, her legs weighed down as she trudged away from their apartment. Shielding herself from the rain with an umbrella, she attempted to clear her mind after the intense discussion with her husband.
Try as she might, she couldn't shake off the grotesque things he referred to as curses, lurking all around the city. They came in various forms and sizes, emitting a repugnant stench that brought to mind a rotting mouse in sewage water. Some affixed themselves to buildings, while others drifted through the city without a care, and a few even clung to unsuspecting passersby.
'Is this what my husband sees every day?' she wondered, her gaze scanning the surroundings.
Her heart ached for him, knowing that his job involved battling these cursed entities, sometimes even resorting to confronting people with the ability to see them since birth, who had banded together under the name Jujutsu.
Initially intended to protect those unable to see curses, but Jujutsu had devolved into a group rife with power-hungry and callous individuals, more akin to a Yakuza or Mafia than a superhero order. Her husband had been born into this world, subjected to a harrowing ordeal at the age of eight when his own family had callously locked him in a room teeming with curses, deeming him a misfit for lacking the desired abilities.
Observing the pain etched on her husband's face, she sensed that there was more to his past than he had let on, yet she was grateful for the fragments of his story that he had shared. However, her unease grew as she contemplated their baby son potentially inheriting his father's ability to see curses.
What if the Jujutsu group sought to recruit him in the future?
She couldn't bear the thought of her son being embroiled in their dangerous world. All she wanted was for him to grow up carefree, pursue higher education, find his dream job, and eventually settle down, free from the burdens of the cursed realm.
As her mind started to spiral into panic, she felt a jolt as someone bumped into her. It was a kid with short black hair, dressed in traditional black and white Hakama.
"Sorry, Miss," the kid said in a stiff tone, bowing slightly.
"N-no, it's okay," she replied, forcing a smile.
CRUCKKKKKKKK
Her eyes followed the kid walking away, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Fortunately, the heavy rain and sparse park crowd spared her from too much embarrassment. She headed to the nearby food stalls to order dinner for her family. But as she reached for her wallet, it was nowhere to be found. She even triple-checked her pockets, but the wallet was gone.
The stall owner grew angry, demanding payment. His yelling attracted attention, making her feel more flustered.
" Oi, woman," came a voice from behind. It was the same kid who had collided with her, holding out her wallet. She quickly paid for her orders and left the stalls.
"Thank you so much for finding my wallet," she said to the kid, with a grateful smile. The kid blushed and turned away as he walked off.
"Wait a minute! Here, take this," she said, offering the kid some money.
"...what is this?"
"I just want to thank you for finding my wallet," she explained.
"You've already said it, woman. Why give me some money for it?" the kid asked, surprising her. It was unusual for a kid to ask such a question.
"W-well, I thought it would be nice to give you some money for it,"
"Do I look poor to you, woman? I don't need your pity money. You can just take it back," the kid insisted, pushing the money back into her hand.
"No! I d-don't mean it that way! It's just my gratitude for you for finding my wallet. Even if you don't need it, you can keep it as a reminder that you helped me," she explained, ending with a smile. She looked at the kid's face, surprised at her own response. It seemed like the kid had never received much praise in his life, and her words had taken him aback. He shook his head, blushed, and hurried off in another direction, leaving her behind before she can said another word to him.
'What a strange kid,'
*******
Jin finally took a day off after working non-stop for three years. His co-workers were shook, but not in a good way. They knew his boss would dump all his work on them if Jin took a day off. They were about to experience the hell that Jin had gone through for two years. Meanwhile, the man himself was chilling with his family on the other side of the city. He was spending time with his twin sons, who were just born.
One of them, Sukuna, was snoozing on his chest, while the other one, Yuuji, was obsessed with Kushina's long red hair. Jin tried to get Yuuji to stop pulling her hair, but it was useless. Every time he moved him away, Yuuji would start crying. Kushina didn't mind, though. She was super nice and let Yuuji drool on her hair.
"I'm so sorry, Kushina-san,"
"It's okay. I'd rather have a happy baby than a crying one, dattebane,"
She was amazing. Jin couldn't believe that she used to be a ninja who killed people with her superpowers. She came from another world, where she was a princess of a powerful clan. But her clan was wiped out by other ninjas who were jealous of their strength.
If Jin had heard this story a week ago, he would have thought the person was crazy and needed go to mental hospital.
But now, he had seen some weird stuff in the city, and some of Kushina's superpowers with his own eyes. His common sense was gone.
It's has been thrown outside window and into the garbage can.
He told his dad some of the truth about Kushina, but not everything. He only said that she was from another world, where her powers were normal, and that she was a clan heiress. He didn't mention her ninja career or her dark past. He knew his dad would freak out and kick her out.
He didn't want that.
He saw how his sons adored Kushina and how she cared for them. They looked so happy and peaceful. As their father, Jin wanted them to stay that way. He also trusted that Kushina was a good person. If she wanted to hurt them, she could have done it easily with her superpowers. But she didn't. She was kind, even though she had killed people before.
The sound of raindrops kept drumming in Jin's ears. It was already well into the afternoon, and it seemed like the rain had no plans of stopping anytime soon. It's like nature itself could feel Kushina-san's downcast mood, as it had been raining since morning. Jin noticed that even her usually vibrant violet eyes seemed dull, and Kushina appeared less energetic. After tucking his twin sons back into their crib, Jin mustered up the courage to ask Kushina something.
"...Hey, Kushina-San?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I was thinking of grabbing dinner outside tonight, so you don't have to cook too much. But, I wanted to see if you'd like to join me in finding dinner?"
"... Together, dattebane?"
"Yeah, don't worry about Yuuji and Sukuna. Dad will watch over them while we're out. So, do you want to come with me?"
"...alright, I've got nothing else to do anyway. So, yeah, I'm coming with you, dattebane."
Jin quickly changed into neater clothes. Before heading out with Kushina-san to find dinner, his father eyed him with a raised eyebrow and a wide grin. Jin knew his father thought he was taking Kushina on a date, but it wasn't a date at all. She was upset about not being able to go home, and he just wanted to cheer her up. It was definitely not a date.
Jin ignored his father's expression and focused on Kushina-San. The city was quieter than usual at night, with many shops and food stalls closing early due to the heavy rain. So, Jin and Kushina drove around, searching for any open food stalls or supermarkets. Luckily, they found a ramen stand that was still open. They both got out of the car, ordered some ramen, and enjoyed their meal.
"Hey Kushina-San, what toppings are you feeling for your ramen?"
"I'm craving a big bowl of beef ramen, please."
"Got it. I'll go for a medium bowl of miso ramen."
As they waited for their food, Jin snacked on some appetizers provided by the ramen place. He couldn't help but notice Kushina still looking down and gloomy. He wanted to say something to cheer her up, but he was unsure of what to talk about.
"Sorry for the wait. Here's your order: one big bowl of beef ramen and one medium bowl of miso ramen. Enjoy," said the waitress with a slight bow.
"Itadakimasu"
Jin's eyes lit up as he tasted the miso ramen. It was the tastiest ramen he had ever had. He glanced at Kushina, who seemed more upbeat as she enjoyed her meal. They finished eating without exchanging many words, and before they knew it, the bowls were empty.
"Wow, that was some amazing ramen," exclaimed Kushina.
"Totally! This is hands down the best ramen I've ever had. Have you tried any other top-notch ramen spots?" Jin asked, intrigued.
"Ichiraku Ramen," replied Kushina with a grin.
"Where's that?"
"....."
"....."
"....."
".....Kushina-San?"
".....It's in Konoha," she said, looking down.
"Oh, I didn't mean to bring that up-.."
"No, it's fine. I'm trying to accept that I might not be able to go back to my world. And even if I could, it might not be the same, because I'm probably officially dead in my world," Kushina said, smiling softly at Jin.
"Wow, Kushina-san, you're so brave," Jin said, admiring her.
" Really? How come, dattebane?" Kushina asked, curious.
"Well, you've been through so much. You survived a massacre, you grew up as a ninja fighting for your new family and friends, you joined a war and almost died, and then you got transported into another world where you know nothing. Most people would give up or lose hope, but not you. You're still strong and determined," Jin explained.
Kushina felt a warm feeling in her chest as she listened to Jin. She blushed and looked down, feeling shy. She didn't expect him to praise her for being realistic about her situation.
She was just following the ninja way, never giving up and always fighting with passion and honor for her village and clan, even if it meant facing death.
"Thank you, Jin-kun. That's very sweet of you to say. But I have a favor to ask you. Is that okay, dattebane?"
"Of course, Kushina-san! Anything you want! I'll do my best to help you,"
"W-well, I don't know how to get back home safely right now. B-but I'm working on a seal that can take me back. I don't know how long it will take, though. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years. So I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while? I'll find a part-time job to pay you back, and I'll look for another place to live as soon as I can!" Kushina said, sounding apologetic.
"Kushina-san, you don't have to ask me that! You're more than welcome to stay with us as long as you need. You don't have to pay me back either. You've already done so much for us! You take care of my sons, you cook delicious food, you clean the house. You make our lives easier and happier. I'm so grateful for that. And if you need my help to go back to your world, I'll do whatever I can to make it happen. You're like family to us, Kushina-san," Jin said, sincerely.
Kushina felt tears in her eyes as she heard Jin's words. She was touched by his kindness and generosity. She hugged him tightly, feeling his warmth and heartbeat.
" Thank you! Thank you! For everything you've done for me, dattebane," Kushina said, sobbing softly.
Jin hugged her back, feeling a surge of emotion. He looked at her face, seeing her violet eyes shining with gratitude and her smile glowing with happiness. She was beautiful. He gently wiped her tears with his fingers
" Ahem, excuse me, sir and madam," a voice interrupted them.
They snapped out of it and realized they were still in the ramen stand. They let go of each other quickly, feeling embarrassed. They hoped no one saw them.
They looked around and saw that there were only two people left in the shop: a young boy in a hakama who's just step outside the stand and a waitress who looked annoyed.
They tried to act casual, as if nothing happened. But their faces were red with blush.
"E-eh, yes, Miss?" Jin asked the ramen stand waitress, trying to regain his composure.
The waitress handed Jin the payment receipt, and he quickly settled the bill for the ramen they had eaten. Meanwhile, Kushina left the ramen stand and waited for Jin near the car.
"Hey, sorry for the wait-...Kushina-san, what are you doing?" Jin asked when he saw Kushina standing on the side of the road, sniffing the air.
"Do you smell that?" asked Kushina. Confused, Jin sniffed the air and immediately covered his nose as he detected a very unpleasant smell, like a decaying corpse.
"What is that smell?! It's like-.. .ugh. .."
"Like shit?" Kushina interjected.
"Yeah! It's nauseating," Jin agreed.
"It's coming from that way!" said Kushina, pointing towards an empty old building nearby.
"Wait, Kushina-San!" Jin called out, chasing after her as she ran towards the old building.
*******
Naoya sprinted for his life. He had barely finished his ramen when an assassin attacked him outside the stand. The killer must have been hired by someone in his clan. Naoya quickly led the assassin to an old building nearby, hoping to gain an edge and a way out if things went wrong.
The assassin was a low-level curse user who had a simple but deadly technique. He could use his shouts as a sonar to track any movement around him. His shouts could also blast the eardrums of anyone who faced them.
But his technique had a flaw: he had to wait for 1.5 minutes before he could use it again. And the loud noise he made every time he shouted revealed his position to Naoya.
Naoya had a plan to take down the assassin by using the old building as his weapon. He would make the assassin hit some of the pillars of the building with his shouts, weakening its foundation and causing it to collapse on him. The assassin would be crushed under the debris.
"Come out, brat. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. I just want to kill you," the assassin sneered, trying to locate Naoya.
But before Naoya could execute his plan, the building started to tremble violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Then, out of the blue, a huge mouth full of teeth emerged from the floor and devoured the assassin in seconds. It disappeared into the shadows as quickly as it appeared. It was a monstrous creature, a special grade curse.
'Shit! I should have known why there were so few fourth grade curses in this city. They must have been absorbed by this special grade curse!'
He realized he was in over his head. He used his projection technique to evade the attacks of the special grade curse that had now set its sights on him. He ran out of the building and hoped to get as far away from the curse as possible. He looked back and saw nothing following him. He took a break near a park bench, panting and sweating.
But he had forgotten one crucial thing about special grade curses.
It would never stop hunting you, especially if you had caught their attention. There was no safe place for jujutsu sorcerers unless they could exorcise it completely.
Naoya felt a surge of adrenaline as he instinctively dodged the sudden attack that obliterated the park bench he was sitting on. He could barely breathe as he saw his own blood staining his clothes. He had no time to evade the relentless onslaught of the Special Grade Curse. He had unleashed his strongest attacks, but they barely scratched the monstrous creature.
He was losing hope.
A sharp pain pierced his stomach as one of the curse's limbs slammed into him. He flew back and crashed onto the asphalt road.
'Fuck, this hurts!' Naoya thought, feeling his ribs crack. He tried to get up and run, but every movement sent agony through his veins and joints. He was drained of energy.
He looked up and saw the Special Grade Curse grinning wickedly at him. It moved slowly, taunting him with its confidence. Naoya clenched his teeth, but his body refused to obey him. He lay there, paralyzed with fear, as the curse approached him.
'Is this how I die?' Naoya wondered, resigned to his fate. He closed his eyes, waiting for the curse to finish him off. He braced himself for the pain of being torn apart by its fangs. But nothing happened.
He opened his eyes again, and his jaw dropped. The Special Grade Curse was wrapped in golden chains, struggling to break free. Before he could process what was going on, the curse exploded into a shower of gold dust that drifted away in the wind.
What the hell? It was exorcised and turned into gold dust? That's not normal.
"Oh my god! Are you okay, kid? Stay with me, kid!" a voice said nearby.
His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw was a figure with long red hair descending from the sky and kneeling beside him. Then everything went black.