In a hidden cave, a small red-haired body, wearing a subtle expression, began to stir uncomfortably. His brow furrowed solemnly, showing a hint of unease.
Slowly, his eyes started to open not uncomfortably, as there was no light to strike them only his face was illuminated by an imperceptible candle, casting reddish tones over his features. Feeling the pillow and the blanket covering him, he awakened gently.
" Where...? " He couldn't even form a word. That red-haired boy seemed a bit lost. After all, aside from being a grumpy yet innocent child, all the memories of his past life flooded his mind.
He remembered his Gojo-sensei, his best friend Megumi, that funny girl who was also his accomplice in all their mischiefs Nobara. He remembered all those who had fallen, whom he couldn't protect.
But beyond that, he also knew that his teacher had assured him that they were okay, that those who had survived were now living in enviable harmony, without danger, having improved everything.
He gifted a smile to the emptiness his eyes no longer looked like those of a four-year-old. The maturity of having experienced inexplicable things in his previous life had made him grow up early. Behind that innocence, everything he had accomplished in his past life was hidden.
' It's a relief that they are finally living well. ' the little red-haired boy thought, still wearing that satisfied smile.
But this time, still slightly dazed, he curiously looked around. He found himself in darkness, illuminated only by candles.
" Why are we somewhere else...? Sister!? " He finally seemed to remember his sister. He jumped up, looking around frantically, until he saw Karin on the ground. She appeared to be sleeping deeply, also covered with blankets and a pillow. Yūji relaxed upon seeing her he had feared they had been kidnapped, but knowing his older sister was there reassured him.
' Good, I was worried something had happened to Karin. ' the boy thought. Unconsciously, the image of his sister made him remember Choso. He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes tightly, trying to calm his emotions.
' There's no point... That life was left behind. I... I have a new life now. My sister is the only one I have. That's all in the past... If I have my memories, it's not to stay stuck in them. I have to think about the present, and right now, my priority is protecting my sister at all costs. ' he told himself mentally, clenching his fists, his gaze now filled with maturity.
Yūji looked around, truly confused.
" Who could have brought us here...? " he murmured to himself, walking around. The only thing in that cave was the candles that provided light. He felt the ground, searching for an exit, but he didn't want to stray too far from his older sister.
" How strange... " His movements were persistent, but finding nothing unusual, the boy sighed deeply. ' I guess this will give me time to check the energies within my body ' Yūji thought. He remembered that his sensei had given him a final farewell by leaving him with a fragment of his soul's essence.
During that "dream," he had believed his teacher had only given him more cursed energy. But now, he realized that wasn't all. He was surprised to find that within that essence, his master had also left him knowledge.
" Cursed Technique: Blue. Cursed Technique: Red... " he whispered to himself in shock, blinking skeptically.
His sensei had passed down his memories of using hereditary cursed techniques. But all the knowledge had also come with information on how the Six Eyes manipulated cursed energy.
He knew that without this knowledge, he wouldn't be able to execute the techniques perfectly. But now that he had it all, he could.
" Sensei... You really have faith in me. " Yūji said with dramatism, small tears forming, though he felt an indescribable joy. With this, he had more techniques and knowledge to add to his arsenal.
" Also... I don't think I need to worry about cursed energy. I have so much I can't even measure it Gojo-sensei's cursed energy, combined with what I stole from Sukuna. I guess everything is fine. " he murmured to himself, looking thoughtful. He paused to analyze his own words before suddenly widening his eyes.
" Wait a minute... Sukuna! That bastard... " He remembered.
He recalled dreaming about him. It seemed, in the end, Sukuna had also been with him. At the time, his young soul hadn't recognized him, but his subconscious had.
He remembered what he did before dying he forced Sukuna to leave his best friend's body using Black Flash alongside Nobara's Cursed Technique. Before separating from Megumi's body, Sukuna used Dismantle, severing his legs and part of his stomach.
But Yūji knew he was going to die he had no more cursed energy to use RCT. So he didn't care about Sukuna and simply devoured him. He didn't even let him speak or question his rights. He felt no empathy for that curse after all the deaths he had caused among his friends. If he was going to die, he preferred that Sukuna die with him. If his body, even dead, still carried Sukuna's essence, then let them seal him away. Yūji hadn't thought about it beyond that.
But now... It seemed that his soul and Sukuna's had fused into one, inheriting all his power, his innate techniques absolutely everything.
The problem now was...
" Sukuna has become a parasite within me... He will always be with me " he murmured to himself, in a bad mood. His eyes darkened, the crimson in them becoming more intense.
" Though it seems the only thing he can do now is remain imprisoned in my soul. Maybe in every reincarnation I have, my soul will always be tied to Sukuna's. " Yūji thought aloud, collapsing onto the ground. He really didn't like that, but... he would have to think about it carefully.
Especially if he had to face that bastard again who was probably laughing at him right now.
Even though Yūji was lost in thought, overwhelmed by all this information, he suddenly heard footsteps. The small red-haired boy tensed, turning toward the sound of the approaching echoes.
Immediately, he got up and positioned himself in front of his still sleeping sister, his expression hardening with seriousness.
' I can't fight properly yet. I can't use chakra, but I can use cursed energy. Still, I don't know if this weak, untrained body can handle much... I hope I don't have to go to extremes ' the boy worried. His body had no training now, and he no longer had his teenage strength to unleash his full potential.
Tensing, he clenched his fists as the shadow stretched with each step. But when the unknown figure finally arrived, Yūji's expression shifted to curiosity.
' A... woman? ' he thought.
Before him stood a strikingly beautiful woman, clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds and white trims. Her porcelain like skin, vibrant lilac hair, a small mole beneath her lip, a subtle piercing, shaded eyelids, and an origami rose tucked by her ear made her presence striking. Her gaze was truly cold, though it softened slightly when she looked at him.
Perhaps because he had the body of a child?
" Who are you? Were you the one who brought us here? " Yūji spoke seriously, though his fists trembled slightly. If his assumption was correct, perhaps he could feign weakness in front of her.
He really didn't want to fight people. In his previous life, he had always fought curses monstrous incarnations of human malice. He had never fought a person.
For now, he wouldn't do something like that not until he truly got used to and appreciated that world for himself, understanding the reality of ninjas. He didn't want to make the same mistake he had made before when the ninjas of Kusagakure took his sister. And he killed them.
The woman narrowed her eyes, but they still held a soft, solemn coldness. " You mustn't be afraid, little one. " Yūji noticed that the woman wasn't moving and had no hostile intentions toward him, but he saw her gaze shift toward his sister. " Your sister seemed injured when I found her. I only treated her wounds and brought you both somewhere else since the place you were in was flooding from the rain. That's all. "
The woman spoke softly, her voice truly smooth. Yūji blinked a little with innocence, now realizing that the woman really didn't have any ill intentions toward them.
But to be sure, Yūji turned to look at his sister. He lifted the blanket slightly, noticing that, indeed, her thigh was bandaged, along with the wounds she had gotten along the way.
" You're right... " the little redhead whispered, looking at the woman. He noticed that although her face was stoic, she gave him a barely perceptible smile.
Yūji truly appreciated honest people, so he returned the gesture with a soft yet very joyful smile.
" Thank you very much, big sister. " The child's innocent voice, combined with that radiant smile of gratitude, made the violet-haired woman tighten her throat. The tenderness and purity a child could still have at the end of the war...
It was simply heartbreaking for the person who desired peace the most.
" By the way, what's your name, sister? " the boy spoke again, curiosity in his voice.
" My name is Konan. "
" Konan... that's a beautiful name. " Yūji said, now calmer. He sat beside his sister, glancing at Karin for a moment.
Konan silently appreciated the moment. This time, she moved closer to the boy and the sleeping girl. She saw Yūji tense up slightly out of reflex but soon relaxed, taking in the woman's presence.
" You still haven't told me your name or your sister's. " she said with a smile that, while subtle, revealed her kindness to the boy.
Yūji realized it as his eyes widened slightly. " Oh! Sorry! My name is Yūji, and she is my older sister, Karin. She's... my only family left. "
He told Konan as he placed his hand over his sister's, seeking comfort in knowing that she was still with him.
Konan observed this, thinking about the deep bond he had with his older sister. " I see... Are you two lost by any chance? Do you have a home? "
She watched as the boy fell into thought for a moment, his expression turning sad, seeming uncomfortable about something.
" No... not really. We don't have a home to belong to anymore, Miss Konan. " Yūji murmured sadly, thinking about how they had lost their home because of his actions. Though not immature, he had only wanted to protect Karin from those ninjas, and in the end, he had killed them.
Konan took in his words, staying silent for a moment alongside the boy.
" Then... you can stay where my home is. As long as you do nothing wrong, I will protect you " she whispered gently, noting the child's surprised look.
" Really? You would do that for us? "
Yūji was overjoyed that the woman had such an honest and kind heart. His happiness was reflected in his wide smile at the thought of encountering someone so kind.
Konan smiled, this time more visibly, and nodded.
" Of course... "
" Thank you so much, Miss Konan! We won't do anything bad! " Yūji said cheerfully.
Now that she looked at him more closely, Konan realized that for a child she estimated to be around four or five years old, he spoke with remarkable maturity and composure. It was unusual, but she assumed that experiencing the remnants of the Third Great Ninja War had forced him to grow up too soon.
" I think it's best if we go now... Don't worry, I'll help you settle into my village. I'll assist you with whatever you need. " Konan said solemnly.
Now standing, she formed a hand seal, activating her signature jutsu Paper Ninjutsu.
Yūji's eyes widened in awe as countless papers detached from Konan's cloak, gracefully wrapping around his sister and lifting her gently. He was truly amazed to witness how a person's body could transform into origami.
It seemed like an innate technique.
" T-That...! Paper origami! "
Now, Yūji was finally acting like a child. The sheer wonder of seeing chakra being used the very thing his sister had been trying to teach him. So this was what she called, ninjutsu?
Konan smiled gently at his excitement. " It's a jutsu I created myself in my youth. Come, little one, I'll show you my village myself. "
The violet-haired woman extended her hand toward the boy with softness.
Yūji accepted it without hesitation, holding onto it confidently while flashing her a bright smile.
" Miss Konan, could you show me more of that? It's incredible! " As they stepped out of the cave, Konan responded with her usual gentle tone.
" Of course I can show you, but you're still too young to learn it. Your body is weak; you need to train a lot... " She spoke from her own experience, remembering when their master, Jiraiya, had found them war orphans and trained them. Looking ahead, Yūji didn't notice the melancholy that flickered in her eyes.
As for Yūji, he was genuinely eager to learn.
" Then I'll train really hard! " he declared confidently, his eyes filled with determination something that took Konan by surprise. But this time, she allowed her expression to relax.
" I look forward to seeing your progress... "
With those final words, Konan took the two orphans to a house within the village of Amegakure. She helped them because they reminded her too much of Nagato, especially that little boy his mix of innocence and maturity made her heart ache. The Paper Goddess's only weakness was children.
That was why she was helping them now.
From this moment on, Yūji and Karin would live in Amegakure..