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Fushiguro was the first to found Yuuji in that state. Sleeping in the center of some sort of ritual circle with old incantation scribbles all around the circle companying with candles lighted by purple flame.
Gojo was the second to find out about Yuuji by Fushiguro informed him when he went to check on Yuuji who still had not woken up yet. With his six eyes, Gojo found out that Yuuji was sleeping in a dream conjured by some cursed ritual.
Kugisaki is the last to find out that Yuuji got cursed by someone while he was sleeping as she was trying to find anyone for this late in the morning no one appeared in the class at all. Kugisaki cannot believe what she hears about Gojo's idea about how to wake up Yuuji.
“So, we get inside his mind to wake up, Itadori?” bewildered Kugisaki as she watched Gojo drawing some sort of ritual circle with a sharpie that looks slightly different than the one Yuuji was sleeping on.
“Couldn’t you just wake him up with some cursed technique or something?” suggest Fushiguro while still feeling something is off for why he found Yuuji sleeping on the ritual circle with a pillow and blanket.
Finishing up his drawing, Gojo then stands up to face his beloved students. “Well, every time I tried to wake Yuuji up with my cursed energy, Sukuna seemed to stop me. So, if we cannot wake Yuuji from the outside then we need to wake him up from the inside”
Crossing her arms, Kugisaki let out a scoff at what the implication of that explanation means. “So, this is Sukuna’s work. Should not have been let the idiot eat that finger from our last mission in that haunted bridge”
Clapping his hands, Gojo tried to not let the mood down by still being his cheerful confident self “Now, now. Let’s grab a pillow, so we can sleep to wake Yuuji up. I’m sure it could be a great lesson for our morning class”
Fushiguro and Kugisaki were still a bit skeptical, but they trust their teacher to help their classmates. Laying on the ritual circle Gojo drew with a pillow, Gojo began to give some explanation before they went inside Yuuji’s mind.
“I recognize the cursed ritual incantation on Yuuji’s circle, but I can’t make out what it was read. Even so with my six eyes I could see what kind of cursed struck Yuuji and with some of my own knowledge about using cursed energy to knock someone out, I managed to make a circle ritual that will link our mind to Yuuji”
“I never heard about this kind of curse technique?” muttered Fushiguro in confusion.
“Oh, I just invented it right now, but don’t worry. I had asked Ijichi to look into the school library about this particular thing” Gojo’s response shocked Kugisaki and Fushiguro.
“What?! Do you want to put us in danger?!” Kugisaki knows her teacher won’t do anything that could put them in danger, but it didn’t make this any less reckless.
“We didn’t know what effect the ritual did to Yuuji, so we better wake him up fast before anything happen” Gojo’s explanation makes Fushiguro and Kugisaki feel uneasy and worried for their classmate.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure nothing bad will happen. Now before we get inside Yuuji’s mind, it’s likely Yuuji will be under illusion in his mind so he may or may not recognize us” informed Gojo.
“What kind of illusion it could be?” asked Fushiguro.
“I don’t know, but from what I can make out on the weird incantation it was some sort of dreaming. What kind of dream, I don’t know. We will find out later once we are inside Yuuji’s mind” Gojo’s explanation wasn’t enough to reassure Fushiguro his classmate is okay, but it was enough for Fushiguro to brace himself in anticipation of what will happen next when they are inside Yuuji’s mind.
“Everyone ready?” looking at both of his students, Gojo finds them nodding with so much determination. “Okay, I will activate the technique now”
Channeling his cursed energy into the cursed circle he draws before, Gojo quickly performs the technique that knocks all three of them unconscious and transfers their mind into Yuuji’s.
At first, everything is white. Nothing can be seen as far as six eyes can see. After a moment, the white color slowly dissipated like a fog to show them the darkness of… someone's front yard?
“Where are we?” confused Kugisaki as all three of them looked around.
They’re in fact standing in some sort of someone's front yard with the scenery showing them it was nighttime. Fushiguro tried to walk towards the gate to find a peaceful neighborhood complex with your average house lined up.
“What kind of illusion it is?” frowned Megumi as he inspects the street for anything that can give him a clue.
“Let’s not things too much and try to find Yuuji, so we can wake him up” advised Gojo to his students who were still looking confused about the place they’re in right now.
Gojo himself was actually curious about what he was seeing with his six eyes. The scale of this illusion is huge. Almost the size of the town which is mind boggling. Even so, the place they arrived right now should be the closest to where Yuuji is right now. If Gojo’s theory is right, then maybe…
With confidence, Gojo moved to ring the bell on the door.
“What are you doing, Sensei?” he could hear his student asking him, but Gojo paid it no mind for not long before someone familiar opened the door.
Yuuji in all his glory wearing casual clothes and an apron appears from the open door.
“Itadori!” shouted Kugisaki in surprised at Yuuji sudden appearance.
“Yeah, that was me” Yuuji’s voice sounded confused.
Fushiguro immediately notices something he didn’t think of before. “Itadori is here, so how are we going to wake him up?” whispered Fushiguro towards Gojo.
“Usually, we need to put out the cursed energy that was the sources of the curse. Because I don’t see any in the ritual circle, it must be on Yuuji” answered Gojo in the same whispering manner as Fushiguro.
“Excuse me, but who are you?” the question is asked by Yuuji.
“You don’t know me?” the disbelief tone from Kugisaki earned her a shaking head from Yuuji which just makes her feel annoyed. “I’m Kugisaki, this is Fushiguro, and that Gojo-sensei. Do you remember?!”
Yuuji appears to furrow his brow for a moment as he looks intently at their uniform before turning to look at Gojo while muttering “Sensei”. Immediately Yuuji’s face lit up as if he was finally figuring something out.
“You must be Uraume’s friends and teacher from school” exclaimed Yuuji.
Who is Uraume?
“Uraume isn’t home right now, but he will be soon. You can come in and wait for him inside”
Yuuji quickly ushered them inside and told them to sit on the chairs before disappearing into the kitchen, promising to bring drinks and biscuits.
“You didn’t need to do that Itadori” declined Fushiguro as he tried to see the glimpse of Yuuji in the kitchen.
“Oh but I insist. What kind of host am I if I let Uraume’s classmate and teacher without something to enjoy while waiting for him to come home” Yuuji’s voice comes from the kitchen in between the shuffling sounds.
In just a minute, Yuuji came back with warm tea and snacks. Yuuji handed them the tea and put the snacks on the table before taking a seat.
“I never saw you guys before. Are you from Kyoto branch?” questioned Yuuji after he took a sip of his drink.
Kyoto branch? As their sister school Kyoto Jujutsu Tech?
“We are from Tokyo” answered Gojo swiftly.
Surprise painting Yuuji’s face after hearing that. “Really? I never heard about you guys before”
Now it was the three of them who were surprised to hear that. Before any of them can try to make sense of that statement, Yuuji already continues speaking.
“Well, it was such a long time since I visit Jujutsu tech and I’m not into clan politic. So I didn’t know there was another Gojo clan member teaching there and my friends’ family became students there. I should ask Megumi and Nobara about why they didn’t tell me about you two”
“WHAT?!” flabbergasted Kugisaki hearing the weirdest thing ever came out from Yuuji’s mouth.
“Oh, you don’t know about them? It must be just a coincidence you guys share the same last name with my friends. I heard cursed technique is hereditary, so the majority of sorcerers usually came from the same family if I’m not wrong” what Yuuji said just makes them more confused than before.
Gojo didn’t know what kind of illusion it’s that made his precious student’s mind seem to be in jumble like that. He needs to quickly save Yuuji before the curse effect takes further than it had been.
“So, Yuuji, there is something I need to tell you. Actually–” Gojo cut himself mid-sentence when his six eyes suddenly got a glimpse of malicious cursed energy. He knows what cursed energy it is. Standing up, Gojo quickly goes to the sources of the cursed energy. His students follow behind him while letting out questioning voices. He could hear Yuuji’s voice in the mix too, but he pays it no mind as Gojo has more important things to do.
His six eyes guide him to where that particular cursed energy comes from. Which is the Genka.
“I’m home”
4 piercing blue eyes. 4 arms with sharp claws. Wooden texture skin on the right side of face. Black tattoos all around the body. More than 2 meters tall. Anyone in Jujutsu society will know. This creature who enters the house through the door is the king of curses, Ryomen Sukuna. Wearing black button up shirt, white slack, and dress shoes?
“Welcome home, Kuna!” the cheerful greeting from Yuuji gives all three of them a whiplash.
They turned to stare at Yuuji who somehow now was standing beside Sukuna.
“Yuuji, who is those people?” there is a suspicious tone in Sukuna’s voice as those 2 pairs of piercing blue eyes narrow at them.
Taking the suitcase from one of Sukuna’s hands, Yuuji answers calmly. “They are from Jujutsu Tech. Must be here for Uraume”
Frown taking upon the king of curses feature. “They look a lot like those friends of yours and the annoying blindfolded idiot”
“Don’t say that about my teacher, Sukuna. Go help me in the kitchen, I made your favorite tonight” scold Yuuji before turning around to address them. “Do you guys want to join us for dinner? I’m sure by that time Uraume will be home”
A scoff can be heard from Sukuna as the king of curses appears to take off the dressing shoes. “Why Uraume isn’t home yet?”
“Sudden late minute mission I heard, but he promises to eat dinner home. That's why I cook tonight so don’t worry” answered Yuuji.
“Are you sure it was a mission and not another pathetic sorcerer trying to steal him from us?” there is anger simmering in Sukuna’s tone as the question is voiced in a sarcastic manner. It gave a more weird aspect into the illusion. Not to mention, WHO THE FUCK IS URAUME?!
Gojo definitely didn’t understand a bit of Sukuna and Yuuji’s conversation, but he knows for sure the Sukuna here is the real one that resides in Yuuji’s body. Could he also have been under the curse? But it doesn’t make sense for Sukuna to be under the same curse as Yuuji because Sukuna was able to stop Gojo every time he tried waking up Yuuji from the outside.
Using his six eyes, Gojo could see the flow of Sukuna’s curse energy. It really gives a way that this is the real Ryomen Sukuna they’re talking about, but the way Yuuji’s curse energy curled around Sukuna makes Gojo feel something isn’t right with this Sukuna. That’s why Gojo can’t stop his six eyes in keeping watch on Sukuna the entire time. Gojo might not show it by appearing busy inhaling the snacks Yuuji gave them, but he was trying his hard to find out what the real cause of this curse terrorizing Yuuji and the possibility of the curse affecting Sukuna too. The only thing that manages to break Gojo’s concentration is Kugisaki shaking his body back and forth.
“Gojo-sensei!”
Putting his focus on the distressed call (or more like an agitated voice) of Kugisaki, Gojo turns his head at where she is to give a signal that he is paying attention to her now. There is a scoff on Kugisaki’s face and Gojo also manages to see a displeased look from Fushiguro who sits beside Kugisaki.
“We have been trying to get your attention!” complained Kugisaki to her Sensei.
Seriously, Kugisaki and Fushiguro have been trying to ask questions to their teacher about the sudden appearance of Sukuna. They need to know if this Sukuna is the real one or just part of the illusion. Both Kugisaki and Fushiguro also need some guidance about what they should do next with the sudden appearance of Sukuna. They can’t just stride over Yuuji and inspect what is wrong with that idiot if Sukuna could be an obstacle for them.
There is a sigh coming out from Fushiguro. Let’s focus back on what they’re supposed to do inside Yuuji's mind which is waking him up by destroying the curse that trapped Yuuji in this kind of weird illusion. To do that, they need to find the cursed energy of the person responsible for Yuuji's condition. But before that, the appearance of Sukuna needs to be explained, and it was Gojo’s job. So Fushiguro did the most rational thing by informing Gojo that exact thing.
“Gojo-sensei, why is there a Sukuna here? Is he the one who cursed Itadori?”
Hearing that question makes Gojo reflex looking back at where Sukuna is right now. Cooking in the kitchen with Yuuji. His students, who sit beside him, follow his motion to stare at the glimpse of Sukuna’s figure that can be seen from the kitchen’s entrance. The fond looks on Sukuna’s face as he helps Yuuji get something from a high up cabinet before handing it to Yuuji while whispering something that receives a laugh from Yuuji.
What the fuck are they seeing right now?
“It’s the real Sukuna right now, but something isn’t normal about him. Like he also got affected by the thing that curse Yuuji somehow” explained Gojo as he scrunching up his nose in distaste at the scene he just sees in the kitchen.
“But that doesn’t make senses at all” pointed Fushiguro as he glared at Sukuna who now is getting fed by Yuuji with something in the wooden spoon.
“You’re right, Megumi. That’s why we need to be careful as we didn’t know why Sukuna was here” as soon as Gojo finished speaking, Sukuna came out from the kitchen carrying plates and cutlery.
Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro went silent as they watched Sukuna getting close. They tried to look normal as Sukuna began to set the plates and cutlery. Only for Kugisaki and Fushiguro to get startled when Sukuna suddenly speak.
“So what business you lot have with Uraume?” Sukuna’s eyes suddenly sharpening to stare at Fushiguro for some reason. “Especially you”
The intensity of those piercing blue eyes of Sukuna makes Fushiguro start to let out cold sweat. Seeing how his student seems to get cornered, Gojo is prepared to say something smart to get Sukuna to back off and also ready his fist if it comes to that. Gladly, he didn’t need to do that as Yuuji’s voice came from the kitchen.
“Come on, Kuna. Don’t interrogate the poor boy” scolded Yuuji while walking out from the kitchen carrying a few bowls of dishes with him.
They could see how Sukuna rolled his eyes in annoyance before continuing to set the table.
“I have every right to do so as it was so unusually rude for people like them to come to our house around this time asking for Uraume. If that not suspicious, I don’t know what else it is”
“Don’t listen to him, he must be grumpy because something didn’t work for him today” assured Yuuji while putting the dishes on the table.
“You’re imagining thing” the way Sukuna saw it was so defensive as he walked back into the kitchen just to give the statement a reason to be doubted.
Putting the last dishes Yuuji brought, he turned around to where Sukuna was before giving his response. “Is my mother managing to trick you again in your search?”
Mother?
“That brain bitch of your parent was really a pain in the ass. As soon as I caught that parasite, we will have a brain soup party to celebrate it” Sukuna complaint is something Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro can’t comprehend the meaning of it.
All three of them are sure Sukuna is cursing at Yuuji’s mother, but the way Yuuji chuckles at that makes it sound like what Sukuna said meant to be some sort of joke. Which Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro don't have understanding on it. The weird conversation between Yuuji and Sukuna continued whilst they set up the dining table with food and cutlery. Completely ignoring the presence of Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro.
“I’m not agreeing with cannibalism as we already talked about, but the idea sure is funny” approved Yuuji about the complaint/joke Sukuna said before.
“Your brothers will love the brain soup party. They will thank me so much for finally getting rid of their father”
That sound disturbing as fuck. Not to mention, Yuuji have brothers? And what does Sukuna mean by father? Didn't Yuuji say it was his mother?
Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro saw Yuuji rolling his eyes playfully before setting the last dishes on the dining table. “Yes, but they will give my mother to be shredded by Megumi’s Shikigami as petite revenge”
“Let’s face it, Yuuji. No one will mourn your parent, and the world will celebrate the death of your parent” taking a seat across from Gojo, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro at the dining table, Sukuna quickly changes his mind about that statement. “On Second thought, there is a possibility Tengen will be the only one to mourn that bastard”
Tengen? As Tengen-Sama?!
Gojo and Fushiguro try hard to keep their shock at the sudden reveal at bay while Kugisaki is questioning about the new name. Now who is Tengen? Sukuna’s mother? Kugisaki's question gets answered when Yuuji joins them to sit at the dining table.
“Till now I’m still confused about your mother's relationship with my mother. Are they a friend-enemy kind of thing or what?”
So Kugisaki was right, this Tengen person is Sukuna’s mother. Meanwhile Gojo and Fushiguro have an internal panic attack at the bomb drop that could flip the Jujutsu world upside-down.
Illusion or not be damned. If what Yuuji said is true that Tengen is Sukuna’s mother, then whoever cast this curse to Yuuji is really a big threat. Gojo doubts if Sukuna was the one who put the curse, will be willing to reveal that crucial information so casually like that. No hints of curse energy or how to exactly break the curse on Yuuji even after using his six eyes. Maybe if Gojo tries to pry more information on Tengen is Sukuna’s mother will help open some way to figure out how the curse works or the person behind this cursed technique so they could finally wake up Yuuji from the curse casted on him.
Clearing his throat to gain the table's attention to focus on him, Gojo is about to ask about Tengen when a new voice rings around the house.
“I’m home!”
The voice isn’t familiar at all. It was the first time Gojo, Fushiguro and Kugisaki heard that voice.
“Uraume! Come here!” Yuuji's cheerful call makes them focus back on Yuuji and Sukuna.
Yuuji looked so happy while Sukuna was glaring at Fushiguro for some reason. A moment later, someone Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki never see entering the dining room. A person with white bowl cut hair wearing the standard Jujutsu Uniform and carrying a duffle bag. At first Gojo thought, maybe this was the one who put the curse on Yuuji until his six eyes can only confirm the person only has Yuuji’s cursed energy.
“Uraume, welcome home. There are some guests for you” Yuuji's cheerful tone just informed them about the person’s name, but not who the person really is.
Lilac eyes widening in confusion before a question was uttered. “Ma, Pa, who are they?”
Ma? Pa?
What the fuck?!
None among the three of them could process what the person with the name Uraume just said in time when Sukuna suddenly sprung up from his seat and quickly pulled Fushiguro’s collar from across the dining table. Catering of plates and cutleries can be heard hitting the floor as Fushiguro’s body makes a mess on the food from Sukuna pulling him.
“I knew this one was here to steal our son away from us!” yelled Sukuna while shaking Fushiguro back and forth.
Son?!
Gojo stands up to take Fushiguro away from Sukuna grip. While doing so, he felt something nipping at his infinity. An ice trail was trying so hard to reach his feet, only to not be able to get closer thanks to his infinity. Busy trying to get Sukuna insane grip to release Fushiguro away, Gojo found out the person named Uraume was clicking his tongue in annoyance. Likely because he was unable to freeze Gojo.
It could be an interesting thing to explore more on this Uraume newcomer to get more information about the identity of the one who put the curse on Yuuji, but Gojo’s focus now goes to Yuuji who comes to join him to help in separating Sukuna from Fushiguro.
“No Jujutsu in the house, please! And Kuna, put the kid down would you!” exasperated Yuuji as he was trying to stop Sukuna from strangling Fushiguro with his other set of arms.
After a few more scolding words from Yuuji and Kugisaki with the Uraume newcomer join in the matter, they finally manage to get Sukuna releasing Fushiguro. Now all of them were sitting around the very messy dining table. Fushiguro looked so disoriented. Kugisaki and Uraume were having this scowl on their faces. Sukuna was glaring dagger at Fushiguro. Yuuji looks like he was having a headache as he massages his temple. And Gojo, he maintains his cheerful smile while trying his best to find where the curse he needs to exorcise is. This illusion clearly becomes more and more weird as the time passes for sure.
“So” Sukuna’s voice gets all of their focus in no time. Those piercing blue eyes narrowing in great suspicious “you better tell us who you are and the reason why you are here”
Gojo quickly answered it without hesitation. “We are from Tokyo Jujutsu tech–”
“I never see you guys before in school before” Uraume suddenly cut in.
Rolling her eyes in irritation, Kugisaki decides to make a smart come back because who even the hell is this guy. Telling them they aren’t from Jujutsu tech will just make the illusion more confusing for sure.
“Well, you–” Fushiguro’s hand came and covered Kugisaki’s mouth. making her speech not just get cut, but also unable her from continuing to speak.
“We are the fourth year. We don’t have class or study anymore in final year, but we are required to have a study work as Jujutsu Sorcerer for a year to be able to graduate. That’s why you usually won’t see us around the campus as we only go to the HQ to give our reports after mission” smoothly Fushiguro lies to cover for them.
“Isn’t he too old for being a fourth-year student?” the question being questioned with concern as Yuuji glanced at Gojo.
Hearing himself being called old by his own student broke his heart, but Gojo didn’t show it at all.
“I’m their supervisor” lied Gojo while pestering a smile to convince Yuuji.
Yuuji and Uraume seemed to buy the lies. Only Sukuna looked at them with suspicion. “That didn’t explain your appearance in my home. What business you have with my son. I swear if it another attempt to steal him then I will inform you he was a thousand year too old for you. Especially you” the last sentence clearly directed at Fushiguro from the way Sukuna seemed to spat the words at Fushiguro.
Yuuji appears to be shaking his head in disapproval at what Sukuna said. “Please don’t take my husband words too much-”
Husband?!
“-We just already lost count of the marriage proposal send for our son, so it made him always like this towards any Jujutsu sorcerer, especially the male one as it was the most often to appear trying to date Uraume”
The one named Uraume was blushing profusely at what Yuuji and Sukuna said before. Even so, none of them care about that as they’re trying to wrap their head in this twisted illusion of curse. Why on many kinds of illusion that could possibly be projected need to be the one where Yuuji marry Sukuna and they even have a kid on top of that?!
Before Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki can dwell too much at the absurdity of the illusion, Uraume’s voice snapping them back to the conversation at hand. “Can we not talk about that, please? Aren’t we supposed to discuss what actually the intention of this people coming to our house to meet me?”
At that Sukuna and Yuuji quickly focus back at Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki. Seeing an opportunity, Gojo quickly seize it. “Actually, we are here for Yuuji and not Uraume”
There is a confused and bewildered face from Sukuna, Yuuji, and Uraume. Without hesitation, Gojo continued speaking with confidence. “We try to tell you this a few times. Sorry for the late correction”
Honey eyes blinked twice before Yuuji pointed at himself in surprise. “Me?”
“Yep” confirmed Gojo with the ‘P’ popping.
“What do you want with my Ma?” Skeptic Uraume.
“It’s nothing you need to worry your little head for” Gojo playful assurance earned him a scowl from Urame and a “I’m a thousand year older than you”
Whatever that means isn’t important, what is important is Yuuji to believe and listen to them now. Kugisaki had enough of this back and forth that almost trying to get out of the main topic. So, she decides to take the reign now because it was clear how useless Gojo and Fushiguro are.
“Yuuji you are cursed and we are inside an illusion right now!” exclaimed Kugisaki.
Kugisaki noted how Sukuna's eyes widening in alarm when Yuuji and Uraume looks shocked. That means she did the right thing.
“Cursed? Illusion? But how? There is nothing wrong happen today at home?” Yuuji’s series of questions is invalid for it was clear Yuuji still hasn't snapped out of it yet. So Kugisaki will just enforced more truth at the idiot.
“It casted from outside, so of course you didn’t feel anything wrong at all and thought it was all fine” pointed Kugisaki in a matter of fact tone.
It was a surprise to find Uraume siding with her so quickly after what she said. “If what you said was true then we need to find the source of it fast and eradicate it”
“What do you think, Pa?” The question Uraume asked at Sukuna in regard to the king of curses’ opinion on the matter makes Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki looking at Sukuna with anticipation.
Sukuna appears to be folding his arms and sporting a very serious expression. A second pass with silence from Sukuna, and then…
“So that’s why”
At the unexpected answer from Sukuna made everyone in there, including Yuuji and Uraume, confused.
“What?” Yuuji voiced everyone's question, but Sukuna didn’t give any answer. Just shaking his head while standing up.
“Uraume, stay here with your Ma. Me and the Jujutsu Sorcerer will go outside for a moment to look more into this curse on your Ma” it was all Sukuna said before ushering Gojo, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki to go with him.
Of course, Gojo at first rejects the idea which makes Sukuna questioning his choice. Like if he really didn’t think the one who cast the curse would notice if Yuuji went outside or if they thought bringing Yuuji out would magically break the curse on him. Fushiguro wanted to counter all those things, but Gojo stopped him. Gojo knows trying to debunk those things will make Sukuna more suspicious as there is still a chance that Sukuna also gets affected by the curses or something similar.
Gojo didn’t want a fight to break. Not because he thought he would lose. It's just he didn’t know what would happen to Yuuji if they’re fighting inside his mind. So for now, they will follow Sukuna while secretly trying to figure out what Sukuna's actual motives are.
Sukuna led them outside the house and towards the street. Fushiguro and Kugisaki feel uneasy getting far from their classmate, but Gojo isn’t worried at all. Gojo could just teleport them back to where Yuuji is. Or so he thought.
The farther they get from Yuuji, the scenery starts to change. The concrete pavement slowly turns into a murky red water. The neighbor's house slowly changed into a mountain of bovine skulls. The dark starry sky lost its stars and gained a giant structure like ribcage.
Immediately Gojo stops moving as soon as he notices the sudden change, but when he was about to teleport to where Yuuji is, Gojo found out with his six eyes that Yuuji’s location was already gone and the six eyes can’t detect it. Pulling down his blindfold, Gojo quickly turns around to get back from the route they took before. Only to find the road already gone and in the vast area his six eyes can see is just blood lake and mountain of skull.
“Do you know how impudent it is to enter one soul without the person's permission?” that’s Sukuna’s voice.
Looking back at where Sukuna was before, Gojo, Fushiguro and Kugisaki found Sukuna in a form of Yuuji with a tattoo, four red eyes and slicked back hair. The casual clothes from before are now replaced with a woman's Kimono. Sukuna appears to be sitting on the top of the highest mountain skull as if it was some sort of throne.
“Sukuna” muttering Gojo as he positioned himself in front of Fushiguro and Kugisaki subtly. “So it was your work to plan a curse on Yuuji”
There is a disapproving huff from Sukuna before denying Gojo’s statement. “No”
“Don’t lie!” yelling at Kugisaki as she points accusation finger at Sukuna. “Who else could do that besides you?!”
Four red eyes rolling in annoyance before answering Kugisaki’s rhetorical question with something unbelievable. “The brat, of course”
“What?!”
“Did all of you lose your hearing? The brat is the one who cast it to train how to materialize things in his innate domain” what Sukuna said next after that seems to be uttered towards himself more “I never expected him to be able to manage such a scale of manifestation inside his innate domain. Even make a replica of Uraume and change my appearance there”
“If Yuuji is the one who cast the curse on himself then why didn't he recognize us?” doubted Fushiguro.
“Simply because the brat already made a replica of you sorcerer that looks a little bit older there, so it is to be expected the brat will be confused to see another person there” explained Sukuna as he rests his face on his cheek. A bored expression starts to mar his face.
“That doesn’t explain why you keep stopping me from waking up Yuuji?” Gojo looked at Sukuna after throwing that question. The king of curses expression is still the same, except this time no answers coming from Sukuna at all. It gives Gojo a reason to guess the worst and the silliest outcome from that.
“Sukuna, don’t tell me. You like the–”
“SILENCE, SIX EYES!” a loud shouting cutting Gojo’s speech and for a moment Sukuna’s cheeks seemed to tinge with a color of pink.
“You vermin are so annoying. I had enough of you. Get out of my innate domain now before I force you” continued Sukuna with a more controlled tone.
“Forget Sukuna, Gojo-sensei. Let’s go back to where Itadori is, so we could wake him up” suggested Kugisaki as she looked around for a way out.
Gojo wants to comply if only his six eyes can find the way back towards Yuuji. “Sukuna, show a way towards Yuuji” Gojo’s voice laced with clear threat as he ordered Sukuna, but it was within reason why king of curses title is owned by Sukuna.
“Why should I? The brat clearly needs much needed rest after back-to-back missions you keep giving him” the teasing tone from Sukuna really annoyed Gojo.
He turned to glare through his blindfold at Sukuna who was just smirking in mockery at him.
“Sensei, what should we do now?” asked Fushiguro as he began to catch how dire their situation was right now.
Fushiguro saw Gojo lowering his blindfold, readying for a battle to force Sukuna to send them back to where Yuuji is. Sukuna appears unbothered and the only change of reaction the king of curses has is just a raise of his eyebrow.
“Do you think you could win against me? Especially in my innate domain? Inside my own soul?” Those questions clearly intended to mock Gojo.
With irritation, Gojo held up his hand as he stuck close with his students before crossing his pointer finger and middle finger once his body touched his students.
“Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void”
His cursed energy thrummed as soon as the words finished coming out from his mouth. Even so nothing happened. Not a ripple in the vast amount of blood. Not a rattle of bones. Not even wind passed. Nothing at all.
Then. There is a laugh. So demeaning and cruel. It comes from Sukuna.
“The essence of domain expansion isn’t in the construction of the barrier or imbuing one cursed technique, but more on the expansion of manifestation in construction one innate domain that reflects on the user soul into the physical world. That’s why the brat does this technique to help train himself in constructing his innate domain before manifesting it in the physical world” Sukuna starts his speech with sharing information everyone who learns about domain expansion knows about. It was Sukuna’s next speech that brought all three of them into realization.
“So with that simple knowledge even someone as stupid as the brat knows can explain the foolery you’re doing. To begin with, how could you manifest your own innate domain inside someone else's soul. Not to mention the ‘you’ here is a fraction of your own mind connected from your body and soul in the physical world”
In other words, you can’t build a house inside someone else's house especially if you can’t bring in the necessary tools inside the house to begin with.
“Your explanation doesn’t make sense if we could still use our own technique” argues Kugisaki as she pulls out her nails and hammer, ready to strike with her cursed energy being channeled into her weapons.
“And I thought you’re smarter than the brat” that one sounded like a sarcastic sneer.
“The we here wasn’t exactly us” Fushiguro’s voice full of realization got Gojo and Kugisaki’s attention quickly. “We are the manifestation of our mind that connected to Itadori’s body. Mean even if we can use our technique here, it won’t do any damage as we don’t have a capability to give influence on a soul”
A clap resonated around the place as Sukuna looked down at them with glee. “Finally, someone with a brain. Also, that means I can do this” Sukuna flicks his hand lazily.
Gojo can sense a cursed technique come from Sukuna, so Gojo activate infinity. Surprisingly it was no use and all three of them still get sliced by an invincible blade.
“Did I forget to tell that someone can manipulate their innate domain to their heart content if they trained enough. So I can easily disable your infinity, especially as it was constructed by your mind and not your soul”
When Sukuna’s explanation came to an end everything suddenly became a blinding white before all three of them woke up in their respective real physical bodies inside Yuuji’s bedroom. All of them look around to find Ijichi looking at them nervously while Yuuji is still sleeping peacefully.
“What happened, Gojo-san?” asked Ijichi anxiously.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Gojo answer it with “Sukuna kick us out from Yuuji’s mind after sabotaging us from trying to wake up Yuuji”
Ijichi quickly turned pale in panic, but Gojo brushed it off as one of his students began to voice her annoyance. “Sukuna, that jerk! I thought I was actually getting cut there!”
While Kugisaki worriedly checks her body from any possible damage, a scarred shitless Fushiguro decides to say something different than his classmate. “What… we should do now…?”
Fushiguro sounded as if he was kind of depressed with the situation. Well, Gojo won’t blame him because that was the boy's first fake death experience and Gojo planned for that to not happen again. So he opted to do other things.
“Search anything related to soul that can help us waking Yuuji without Sukuna interference. Ijichi, did you get what I asked you?”
Ijichi was about to hand Gojo some old looking books and scrolls when a ringing sound can be heard in the room. Kugisaki, who was the closest to the source of the sound, got up to take Yuuji’s phone from the desk. She read the caller’s name on the phone screen and her caramel eyes quickly widening in shock.
“Uraume?! Isn’t it that guy in the illusion?!”
The shock about the caller's revelation only stays for a moment as another voice suddenly appears. “Unbelievable! Don’t you dare answer it!”
All eyes now looked at Yuuji’s sleeping form. More specifically on his right cheeks where a red eye and a mouth of Sukuna appearing.
“Brat! Wake up!” yelled the king of curses.
Everyone can’t believe their eyes as Yuuji starts to stir awake as the purple flames are gone immediately.
“Wha–”
“Uraume is calling!”
Hearing that part information suddenly makes Yuuji 100% awake. Those honey eyes quickly zeroed on his phone and snatched it from Kugisaki’s hand. Everyone in his room watched Yuuji accept the call and said “I will call you back later” then processed to end the call at that instant.
“Yuuji~~~” Gojo’s singing voice makes Yuuji uneasy even if there is no malice in it.
“Do you want to be Sukuna’s husband and have a son together?”