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24 September 2001
Sendai Station, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
When Kenjaku sees it, the look, he knows he’s found what he needs: a man so utterly in love it can completely destroy him, and build him back up in the blink of an eye, a perfect little puppet to manipulate to his heart’s content. He watches attentively as the man brushes the hair out of the woman’s face and smiles to himself. It’s so perfect. And he wasn’t even looking for it.
(That is not true. He has been following the family’s bloodline for centuries.)
Maybe this is a sign.
He turns his eyes back to the book in his lap and flips to the next page.
Time to play.
15 December 2001
Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
The stage is set.
16 December 2001
Central Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
There should be a video surveillance feed of the accident – but, conveniently, there is not.
Kenjaku watches it all. He’s sitting on the bench, a to-go cup of coffee in his hands, while around him, mayhem breaks loose. This is the beginning.
But he’s not here for the beginning. The fun will start in a few days, when Kenjaku has thoroughly broken who he needs to break.
09 January 2002
Sugisawa Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Wasuke Itadori is a kind man, though his temper is a bit short for Kenjaku’s liking. He’s much more rash and much less gullible than his idiot of a son. Still, Kenjaku is impressed how much of Sukuna’s rancid temper has been preserved so far down his bloodline. He truly is a pest. A pest he has a binding vow with, and thus, a pest Kenjaku owes a vessel.
It’s not like he thought it was a particularly good idea even back then – even in the Heian era, Kenjaku knew that Ryomen Sukuna would be the most difficult sorcerer to reincarnate. But he was also the most bloodthirsty, hedonistic worm he ever managed to find – perfect for Kenjaku’s chaotic plans. He needs Sukuna in his culling games, needs that touch of uncertainty, that thrill…
Which is exactly why he’s doing all of this.
The park in front of the hospital is empty except for the two of them – Hanzo Matsumaru and Wasuke Itadori. It’s been snowing since the early afternoon and everything is covered in a thick white blanket by now. Normally, this would be a beautiful view, something Kenjaku would savour, no matter how much the freezing temperatures bite into his skin – but even he has limits. They’ve been here for four hours. Two of which they have spent sitting on a bench.
His fingers have gone numb from the cold a long while ago and he can’t feel his nose or his ears – but it has to be done. He missed the opportunity to snatch the body from the scene of the accident, and time is ticking – he does not want to live in a rotting corpse again.
He’s done that. It was decidely not pleasant, and the worst thing about it was Sukuna’s howling laughter. Fucking asshole.
He rubs his hands together and hums in agreement to whatever Wasuke’s saying at the moment.
Only a few more days. Then Kaori Itadori can miraculously awaken from her brain-dead coma.
“He’s convinced it’s the biggest romantic gesture he could possibly make,” Wasuke says, drawing Kenjaku from his thoughts. “I don’t know what else I could possibly say to convince him that killing himself is a bad idea.” The old man sighs. “He’s the only family I have left.”
“Hm.” Kenjaku leans back and looks up at the darkening sky. The time is ripe. For a few seconds, he watches his breath rise into the air before he turns his attention back onto the desperate man next to him. “What if I told you I knew a way to bring back your daughter-in-law and save your son?”
Wasuke laughs, though it’s void of any joy. “I would tell you to stop joking around, Matsumaru-san.”
“Ah, not so fast.” Kenjaku leans closer, his old body groaning with each move. He gleefully watches as the emotions dance across the old man’s face as he realizes that their dynamics have started to shift rapidly. “Tell me, Itadori-san. Have you ever seen a cursed spirit?”
18 July 2002
Itadori Home, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
It’s not Kenjaku’s first time inhabiting a female body, but when he looks down at the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter, the two glaring red lines searing holes into his retina, he does feel a little faint.
“Remember what you are doing this for,” he whispers to his reflection in the mirror and forces his hands to lay flat against the sink. He can’t leave the bathroom with bloody sickles pressed into his palms. He’s supposed to be overjoyed. After all, he’s spent the last few month loudly proclaiming how much he would love to have kids.
I want this. I want this. I chose this, for fuck’s sake.
It has to be this family. This bloodline.
He forces another deep breath into his lungs, bends his lips into the closest semblance of a smile he can manage and opens the door.
20 March 2003
Sugisawa Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Kenjaku has miscalculated. Badly. The fact that they were twins was already a bad omen, but now – he looks down at the child on his chest, his cheeks squished against his twin brother’s arm.
His eyes are closed now, but Kenjaku remembers the red pupils all too well. Has seen them glaring at him before agreeing to a binding vow. Has seen them half-lidded, lulled by a delicious meal consisting entirely of young scholars.
He has his vessel, his Yuji, everything he wanted. And –
His entire body aches, his head swims with the blood loss and he’s so, so exhausted, but it doesn’t matter.
He’s been playing with fire for so long, and he’s finally burned himself.
“Sukuna,” he whispers.
He doesn’t care that the nurse raises an eyebrow as she writes it down. He doesn’t care that anyone else is in the room with him at all.
The infant does not react, and Kenjaku wants to scream.
He just gave birth to a monster.
What have I done?
23 March 2003
Itadori Home, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
But isn’t it enticing, to find out what might happen?