Amidst the now intense rain, Konan squinted her amber eyes to see how the unconscious boy pressed slightly on his abdomen, how Yūji clenched his lips and his brow furrowed.
She still hadn't checked if Yūji had a seal on this part of his stomach, since the pain he showed made her think it might be a tailed beast, the persistent pain in his stomach.
She didn't want to think about it.
Konan now sighed calmly, closing her eyes for a moment, "Alright, I won't ask anymore... this training will be the only one I give today, the rain is increasing, you should go rest," she spoke calmly, once again hiding her emotions. She saw how Karin helped her little brother, her gaze full of concern.
Yūji stopped clutching his stomach and now gave a big smile. " Thank you, Konan-sensei, we... we will go now. " the boy spoke happily, not letting his sister say goodbye or hear another word from the lilac-haired woman, only running back towards their home.
It was a somewhat suspicious attitude, and now Konan, in the midst of the rain and the abundant movement of her Akatsuki cloak, grew more brusque.
She stood still until the children disappeared from her sight, but without turning or moving, she began to speak. " What did you think of those two children? Do you think they truly have a future in the organization? "
Behind Konan, orange hair appeared, much like the cut Yūji had, many black rods piercing small parts of his body —six in his nose, in his lips, in his ears— but the most striking and captivating was that purple color with rings around it, his entire eye was like that, a cold gesture.
Also striking was the forehead protector of the Rain Village with a line running through it a rogue; this person was Pain, who, standing behind Konan, moved to her side, standing alongside the lilac-haired woman in all that furious rain.
" If something happens to the members we already have, they'll be good replacements. " he spoke with a voice matured, grave, and mysterious.
Konan stayed in place, now turning to look at Pain.
" That boy... still has an aura that makes me feel disgusted, an aura full of malice. I felt it when he fell to the ground, that chakra, it's dark, staining black. " the orange-haired man spoke again, his gaze lost in the direction the boy had run, Konan raising her eyebrows at his words.
" Did he use it when he fell? I didn't notice anything unusual in him... "
" It seems only I can truly perceive that energy; it's the exact opposite of what I know as chakra. " with his firm voice, Pain turned to calmly regard Konan, not wanting to pay more attention to the boy's ability, it might be a unique activation by Yūji. " Keep training him; it's better that talented children can protect the Rain Village. " despite having an objective that didn't much care for the lives of people.
It's very different from the village where he grew up and where it was always plagued with innocents and the weak who suffered.
" Very soon, in a few years, we will finally begin the bijuu captures and put an end to this era of pain... that man still hasn't appeared again to reveal part of the plan. " was the last thing the man warned. For now, the entire Akatsuki organization was quite liberal; when the time came to proceed with the bijuu capture, they would all gather and start their part of the work.
Konan merely squinted her eyes, during all the time she had been talking with Pain, she hadn't moved from her initial position. " As you command... "
With that, Pain disappeared as if he had never been there, his speed quite noticeable, unlike Konan, who with calmness activated her ninjutsu, flying away in multiple forms of paper, disappearing from where she had trained with the children.
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It was nighttime, and two red-haired figures were present during dinner. Karin still had a puzzled expression due to her stubborn brother.
" Are you sure you don't feel anything strange anymore, Yūji? You know you can trust me. " Karin ate a piece of bread after speaking.
Yūji, with food in his mouth, shook his head while maintaining a calm expression. Once he swallowed what was in his small mouth, he spoke. " I already told you, nothing's wrong. Maybe I was just really hungry. Lately, I've had a huge appetite, but since we also have a limit with what Sister Konan gave us, I don't want to overdo it. "
Karin felt a bit sad hearing that explanation because it could be true. She just sighed and gave him a bitter smile. " Alright, Yūji, I'll stop insisting… I'm going to rest now. I want you to rest too, okay? " Karin stood up calmly and approached her brother, giving him a kiss on the forehead. She saw how his eyes squinted slightly, but he didn't reject her affection.
" Rest well, sister. Sweet dreams. " Karin gave him one last look before heading to the room she shared with Yūji. Meanwhile, the boy remained in the dining area. His calm and smiling expression gradually turned into one of worry.
Seriousness settled on his youthful face as Yūji pondered why he had felt such terrible pain. His hand moved to his stomach again, sensing where his chakra was located, but also…
Above his chakra lay his cursed energy. He hadn't wanted to pay much attention to it before, but now that he was analyzing it more carefully, he realized that sometimes the cursed energy touched his chakra, and his chakra touched the cursed energy.
It was barely perceptible, painless, but it was there a subtle friction that, when he used too much chakra, caused his cursed energy to spiral out of control.
" Why did that happen? " he murmured to himself. He couldn't sleep now. Without thinking much about it, and despite already having taken a bath, he left the house and headed to a secluded place, hidden among the massive pipes that concealed his presence and the rocky areas further away from his home.
Once he was far from the people and the village, Yūji panted slightly before speaking freely. " Sukuna, I need your help now. "
He felt the markings under his eyes expand in disdain.
' I'm tired of helping you with the easiest things. I told you I wouldn't do it unless it interests me or I get to see people die. '
Yūji clenched his lips. ' This is about our chakra and cursed energy. I'm only using chakra, so why does my cursed energy become overwhelmed and start devouring my chakra?! '
' Heh… Haha, HAHA, HAHAHAHA! '
' What the hell are you laughing at?! ' Yūji made an exasperated expression, gripping his hair. He took a deep breath before sitting on the rocky ground, where small patches of grass grew. And so, once again, amidst the rain, he submerged himself into the depths of his soul.
He appeared within the space between his pure soul and Sukuna's repulsive, worn-out domain. Watching Sukuna, who wasn't even paying him attention because he was too busy laughing deeply, his grave and raspy voice echoed as he held his forehead with one of his four arms.
Yūji noticed that, once again in this space, his body appeared older. He stood still in the eerie area.
Sukuna eventually calmed his laughter and now looked at Yūji's worried expression with great amusement. ' Do you think I would help you with something that benefits me? You're very mistaken, brat. ' Without even standing up, he gazed at Yūji with an enormous, wicked grin.
' You're so predictable. Do you think I'm your friend? That just because we both died, we're stuck with each other? Don't forget you're nothing but a toy that I could easily make disappear. The moment I take control of your body, you will never be able to reincarnate again because I will have full control over your soul, your power, and everything that makes you… you. You are a prisoner in my hands, but you either haven't realized it or simply don't care. ' He raised one leg and placed it on his improvised throne, his smirk full of mockery.
Yūji clenched his lips. It had been too good to be true that Sukuna was helping him in the beginning. Now, his true nature was showing.
That damn demon would never change, no matter how Yūji had managed to defeat him before.
" Then there's no point in me coming here to ask for your help. I'll have to figure it out on my own. " he said with a scowl, closing his eyes in frustration. But he stopped when he heard that arrogant voice again.
" But… I might make an exception. We can establish a self-imposed contract. " Sukuna said calmly, placing one hand on his deformed face, resting his weight on it. A crooked grin formed, as he enjoyed Yūji's surprised reaction.
" A self-imposed contract? " Yūji was intrigued, recalling when he had died the first time. Sukuna had mentioned something similar, but back then, it was a binding vow.
However, this time, Yūji was no longer the same Itadori as before. He sat down, watching Sukuna maturely, curious about what he would offer.
" It's possible that you'll never figure out what's causing your issue between these two energies, keeping you weak and preventing you from reaching your full potential. So, I offer you a contract. Since we are essentially the same soul with different consciousnesses… " Sukuna stood up, leaping smoothly in front of Itadori, his arrogant smile sharp as ever.
" There will be three conditions. " Sukuna raised two fingers, gazing at Itadori calmly. " The first condition is that I will help you eliminate this problem. Whenever you need help, I'll do it without saying a word. The second condition is simple, you must lift my restriction for one minute. And lastly, the third condition, you will sleep and wake up after that minute is over. Does that remind you of the good old days, brat? " His eyes narrowed, delighted to see Yūji's horrified expression.
" I will never let you out of this body! That's why I sacrificed myself, I won't let a genocide like the one you caused in Japan happen in this world again. I will never make that mistake again. " Yūji clenched his teeth, watching as Sukuna made a bored and arrogant gesture.
" You're still on that pacifist bullshit, haven't you realized something, brat? I don't think I'm as powerful as I should be, even with all my power... Chakra is an unknown energy to me. " Sukuna began to walk, observing his innate consciousness, moving around as if stalking easy prey. " It was pure luck that, due to my carelessness and playing with you all, you managed to get me out of Megumi and then consume me before I could recover. Such an intelligent move, yet it doomed you. And now, I have the opportunity to glimpse a world where sorcery isn't everything… A place where I can fight new opponents and be king once again! Maybe not the King of Curses… but a king superior to a mere curse! I will be more powerful than anyone has ever seen! " Yūji pressed his lips together, watching resentfully as Sukuna grew excited, his madness becoming evident.
" I will become so strong that I will once again bring terror to those who place themselves at the top of the hierarchy, a master in the control of this power... " Sukuna channeled chakra, and a vibrant energy appeared in his hand, emitting a bluish glow. Inside the chakra, his hand began to burn, the injuries gradually worsening. His eyes shone with excitement. " A power that can be both devastating and eloquent… That's why I'm offering you this deal. You only need to say the words, and the self-imposed contract will take effect. "
Sukuna's rough voice sounded truly excited, eagerly waiting for Yūji to fulfill his whim, while the scent of bloodlust and war filled the entire space. The chakra in Sukuna's hand disappeared, and as it did, he immediately healed himself using CRT.
Yūji had heard him, but with a firm and determined look, he stood his ground against Sukuna, staring directly into his four eyes, having to raise his gaze, feeling small before Sukuna, but not a coward. " I will never give in to your whims, no matter how much you ask. You can stay here and rot; you will never come out again. "
Sukuna just snorted, but he didn't seem truly exasperated. " What a shame. Didn't you see how you changed me before killing me? I've changed. I'm not a genocidal maniac anymore. " His mocking sarcasm seeped through his words.
Yūji didn't care. Seeing that the brat wouldn't accept, Sukuna easily looked at him with arrogance. " Then get out of here, you're so boring… You haven't changed at all. "
Yūji watched as Sukuna used Dismantle, and in an instant, his entire body was torn apart. Slowly, Yūji opened his eyes, paying no real attention to what Sukuna had done.
He had remained in place for a few minutes before standing up and looking at his surroundings. Darkness was almost fully settling in, but he remained firm. " I will have to train alone from now on. I will find a way to make my Cursed Energy and chakra coexist in harmony. I don't need that damned demon... "
He had distanced himself as a precaution in case he caused any disturbances near his sister. But seeing that his two energies weren't acting out, the boy sighed before focusing on something to work on with his Cursed Energy.
" I need to see what happens if I use a lot of my Cursed Energy… " Yūji firmly examined his hand. Instead of perceiving his body's chakra networks, outside of them, his entire body was now infected with Cursed Energy, feeling the burning and destruction as he channeled it.
He filled his fists with Cursed Energy, and his once gentle eyes became sharp. He moved his fists forward, launching several kicks, noticing that with his body reinforced by Cursed Energy, he had to maintain much greater concentration. Air blasts rushed out, making a sound like a high speed missile.
His strength increased with every step, bringing destruction, but the rain muffled those striking noises. Yūji sighed slightly, trembling a little, but he wasn't too exhausted.
" I'm using Cursed Energy without a problem, so then—? " He fell silent immediately as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach once again. It was agonizing, a pain he couldn't suppress, and he had an extremely high tolerance.
He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut while his hands desperately sought relief over his stomach. " Damn it… this hurts like hell, I need to figure out what's happening. " he whispered to himself, hanging by a thread. His eyes closed as he tried to look within himself and understand the source of the pain.
By observing the inside of his energies, he finally saw it his chakra and Cursed Energy. The moment he used his Cursed Energy, it became erratic and aggressive, spreading throughout his body, organs, and blood completely consuming him.
His chakra, feeling threatened by this energy, unconsciously expanded, attempting to neutralize it. And as it tried to neutralize it, the Cursed Energy responded in kind. And there it was an endless cycle, like poison. Chakra and Cursed Energy repelled each other, throwing both energies into disarray.
It was possible that when he used his chakra, his Cursed Energy had reacted similarly. Only this time, the effect was more painful due to its aggressiveness, forming an endless loop of Yin and Yang colliding between the two.
" Damn it… how am I supposed to make these two energies coexist? " Yūji muttered angrily, because at that moment...
He didn't believe he could do anything to reconcile his chakra and Cursed Energy. They were enemies natural poison to each other.
A small thread of saliva dripped from Yūji's chin due to the pain, but by ceasing the use of his Cursed Energy, his chakra gradually calmed down, and so did the Cursed Energy, restoring peace between them.
" Shit… I'll have to think about this later. " he sighed deeply before heading back home. He had been outside for too long and feared that Karin might wake up just to look for him.
Yūji returned home.
Ignoring a dark mass protruding from one of the trees, a yellow eye staring intently at the direction where he had run...
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[Illustration of today's chapter! ♡]
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