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They had just stopped running when Yuuji spoke.
“…Thank you for helping me.” He said, looking towards the person at his side.
“It’s my job as an older brother to help you.” Choso said, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of sorcerers or curses. “I don’t see anyone. We should be safe here, at least for now.”
Yuuji sat down, too tired to say anything about the ‘brother’ thing Choso kept saying, putting his back against a nearby ruined wall, trying to clear his mind. He had gone into the mission expecting one or two major injuries, maybe one sorcerer death. Shibuya had proved to be anything but what everyone had expected. Now he was on the run from Jujutsu High. All because Sukuna had decided to mess around, killing several hundred non-sorcerers, throwing the city into ruin.
Choso sat down next to him, but gave him plenty of space. His consideration surprised Yuuji. “You’re pretty beat up.” Choso noted, reaching for something. “I grabbed a first-aid kit a couple blocks back. Do you want to bandage yourself up or would you let me?”
“You can do it.” Yuuji said after thinking for a bit.
“Okay. I’ll be as gentle as I can, but it still might hurt a little.”
Yuuji nodded. Oddly enough, he trusted Choso. Despite the whole ‘brother’ thing, Choso had already been more than helpful. He had been the one who urged Yuuji to run amidst the chaos with the cursed spirits. Choso had guarded him during his brief fight with Geto. He closed his eyes, figuring that if Choso really was evil, he had had plenty of chances to kill him already and hadn’t.
Choso worked fast, bandaging Yuuji’s cut-up body with precision. “I’m done, brother. Can you turn your head this way so I can get your face?”
Yuuji complied, letting Choso dress the wounds on his face. The deep gash across the bridge of his nose and forehead stung badly, but Choso was more gentle, apparently having figured that out. “The ones on your face are going to leave some nasty scars, but other than that nothing should be a problem.” Choso said, finishing up and moving away, giving Yuuji his space once more.
“Thanks.” He said, lying down on the ground. “I’m going to try and get some sleep.”
Choso nodded. “I’ll check the surrounding buildings to see if I can find anything of use, but besides that I’ll be keeping an eye out while you sleep.”
Yuuji closed his eyes, exhaustion quickly dragging him under. His sleep wasn’t restful, but it wasn’t horrible either. He didn’t know how long he slept for before Choso woke him up.
“Sorry to wake you, little brother. I found this nearby.” He handed Yuuji a black hoodie. “Your uniform’s all ruined and it’s going to be colder tonight. I thought you might prefer this.”
Yuuji slipped on the hoodie, which fit surprisingly well. It was comfortable and warmer than his uniform. He nodded, turning to face Choso. “Thanks again.”
“You don’t need to keep thanking me.” Choso said, sitting across from Yuuji, also leaning on a ruined wall. “It’s what brothers do.”
“…Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” Choso responded, now slightly intrigued. “What is it?”
“Well… you keep calling me ‘little brother’ or ‘brother’.” Yuuji explained. “But I never had any siblings. So why?”
“A side effect of my technique allows me to feel any changes in my blood-related siblings. Death is the strongest feeling, and I already know what that is due to Kechizu and Eizo. When I nearly killed you today, still sorry for that by the way, I felt you die. Therefore, you must be my brother.” Choso said, pausing before he spoke again, letting Yuuji process what he had said. “Do you remember that man today? The one you call Geto, but who I called Noritoshi Kamo?”
“Him? Yeah.”
“Noritoshi Kamo is technically one of my parents. I remember him in a different body, a different time, but he still had the sutures across his forehead. He can swap bodies apparently, deliberately extending his lifespan. If he can do that, then my earlier remark about sensing your death is now backed up.” Choso explained. “Now, despite the time gap between our lives, it’s very likely.”
Yuuji thought that through. He supposed it could work, but at the same time it seemed far-fetched. “I don’t remember my parents though. I don’t know if one of them had stitches across their forehead or not.”
“That’s fine.” Choso said, shrugging. “Not much we can do about that. Now, did you want to ask me about anything else? If not, I would advise that you try to get some rest.”
“No, that was all.” Yuuji said, lying down on the ground again. He closed his eyes, though rest didn’t come to him so easily this time.
The next few days, or maybe it was weeks, passed by slowly. Or rather, it was that weird kind of feeling where each day seemed to drag on but when looking back, it felt like it had sped past.
Yuuji didn’t have any kind of direction. He only knew that Sukuna had ruthlessly slaughtered many innocent people in Shibuya that night. He knew that he had to save at least that many. Guilt and loss burdened his heart, but he kept moving, doing what he did best. Exorcise cursed spirits. It helped that Choso was there with him every step of the way, making sure he didn’t feel alone.
During the day, he and Choso worked together to exorcise the large amount of curses now inhabiting Shibuya and the surrounding area. They took down countless ones, chipping away at the overall damage that Noritoshi had done to Japan. Choso kept an eye out for Yuuji, making sure he was safe and at least somewhat okay. Some days, Yuuji was on his own, as Choso needed to rest.
At night, Yuuji would sleep while Choso watched over him. Sometimes Choso would leave to see what he could scavenge from the nearby areas, but he was never gone for long.
It was always a gamble when he tried to sleep. Sometimes he fell under almost instantly, while other times it took a while.
This night was the latter.
Inside the abandoned building, he tossed and turned for several minutes before finally falling asleep. But even while asleep, he couldn’t escape the things he’d experienced that day in Shibuya. He saw Mahito killing Nanami, he saw that cruel smile as Mahito landed a direct hit on Nobara’s face, he saw the devastation Sukuna had brought upon the city, he saw Ino’s crumpled body falling from the tall building. Yuuji sat up fast, breathing heavily, eyes darting around. It had been a nightmare.
“Woah, easy there.” Choso said, looking at Yuuji with concern. “It’s just me. Are you okay?”
“Yeah….. yeah I’m okay.” Yuuji said, shoulders sagging as he realized what had happened. “Just a stupid nightmare.”
A strong gust blew through the dilapidated structure, the brisk air cutting through Yuuji’s hoodie. It had kept him warm for a while, but that winter had gotten cold faster than usual. Choso didn’t seem bothered by it, but Yuuji shivered.
“Little brother, are you cold?” Choso said, already approaching Yuuji. “Here, I can help.”
“How?” Yuuji asked, still shaking slightly from the nightmare. Choso sat down next to Yuuji and pulled him into a side hug. “Oh, uh, thanks.” He said, leaning into the gesture, letting Choso comfort him. “But how is this supposed to help with me being cold?”
“Give it a second.”
Yuuji did. Soon enough, Choso began to feel warmer. “Woah. You can heat yourself up at will?”
“Yes.” Choso said, nodding. “I used it when that ice sorcerer tried to kill you and your friends, remember? That’s how I was able to break out sooner and fight, because I thawed the ice.”
Now that he mentioned it, Yuuji did remember. “Oh, yeah.” He rested his head on Choso’s shoulder, closing his eyes again. The warmth from Choso’s body combined with the reassuring contact lulled him into restful sleep, for the first time since Shibuya.
When Choso was sure that Yuuji was asleep, he spoke, keeping his voice low. “Thank you for trusting me, little brother.” Choso held Yuuji a bit closer. “I don’t want to lose you too.”
The next day, the two split up. Yuuji would bait some curses into following him, excorcising any he could, then run to the spot that Choso had specified before. Choso would handle any stragglers. Their plan worked flawlessly, like it usually did. Yuuji ran towards the underpass, a few big cursed spirits chasing him. Choso fired off Piercing Blood, excorcising them effortlessly.
Choso was impressed. Yuuji still hadn’t fully recovered from the Shibuya incident, yet he was fighting like a madman. Choso had already seen how strong Yuuji was when they had fought, but now Yuuji had grown. Better control over his cursed energy paired with his already unreal physical strength made Yuuji a force to be reckoned with.
“Good work, little brother.”
“You’re still calling me that?” Yuuji said, wiping some of the cursed spirit blood off his hands. “I already told you that I don’t think we’re brothers.”
“And I explained why we are, so we are at an impasse here. It doesn’t matter though.” Choso said, giving Yuuji’s hair a siblingly tousle. “Somewhere in that head of yours, you remember your parents. One of them had stitches across their forehead. Sooner or later, you’ll-“
“Where’s Megumi?” A voice interrupted, making both Yuuji and Choso turn towards the sound. “Am I really here before him?” A blonde haired sorcerer stood on the roof of the underpass, looking down at the two.
“Who are you?” Yuuji asked, already putting his fists up. “What do you want with Fushiguro?”
“Nobody of importance to you, vessel of Sukuna.” He said dismissively. “Why aren’t you two running already? You stick out terribly.”
“Run?”
“Wow, you don’t know?” The sorcerer said. “Your death sentence has been re-instated, due to Satoru’s sealing.” Choso stepped protectively in front of Yuuji, now starting to dread whatever happened next. “But my business is with that Megumi kid. Now, I can’t have you scampering about, so I’ll probably just kill you now, or at the very least incapacitate you two.”
Yuuji started to respond, but the blonde sorcerer suddenly appeared in front of him, landing several fast blows. Choso quickly intervened, pushing Yuuji back, taking the brunt of the attack. The two tried to counter, but just as soon as the sorcerer had appeared, he moved, landing some distance away from them.
“Cursed technique.” Choso warned, glancing towards Yuuji. “Be careful.”
“You’re tougher than I expected.” He remarked, looking at the two with disdain. “Though I wasn’t expecting much. How about i up my speed-“
All three of them froze, turning towards the immense cursed energy they had sensed. Someone stood on top of a nearby building, pulling a katana out of its sheath. The new person said something, though the three were too far away to hear any of it. The new person leapt forward, landing on one of the walls of the underpass, crumbling it beneath him. “Who’s with Itadori here?” He said, his voice surprisingly soft.
“Wait, Okkotsu. I’m on your side here.” The blonde sorcerer from before said.
“And you are?”
“Naoya Zen-in. I’m Maki’s cousin.” Naoya explained, saying more but Choso wasn’t listening any longer.
“Yuuji, run.” Choso whispered to his little brother. “Run and don’t stop, okay? The blonde sorcerer’s a speed type, while that Okkotsu kid seems similar to Gojo.”
“Huh?” Yuuji whispered back, looking at Choso. “Will you be alright?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Just focus on getting away from the kid with dark hair. I’ll meet you where we stayed last night, the ruined building.”
Yuuji started to run, but in that instant everything went down. Naoya attacked Choso again, moving too fast for him to fire Piercing Blood. Okkotsu darted after Yuuji, keeping pace even while holding a drawn sword. Choso was only able to watch Yuuji for a second or two more, turning his attention back to the fight at hand.
The blonde haired sorcerer, Naoya, was clearly a proud man. He flaunted his knowledge of Blood Manipulation while they fought. Choso struggled against his speed technique, but adapted fast, using Flowing Red Scale: Stack to move faster. Naoya’s technique was less disorienting when you knew about it, though it still posed a slight problem.
Choso was knocked backwards into a wall, but quickly recovered. It was only when he saw the blade in Naoya’s hands and the blood spilling on the ground that he realized he’d been sliced. A deep gash across his side, enough to keep most people from fighting.
“Since you’re being so difficult right now, I had to use this. Honestly, using weapons in jujutsu only creates weakness, so I rarely use mine. The way my older brothers show theirs off is pathetic. That’s why I hate them.” He sheathed the blade and concealed it once more, smiling cruelly at Choso. “Now, how long can you fight while trying to stop that bleeding?”
“…you’re well prepared.” Choso responded, glaring at Naoya. “But did you just say that you hate your brothers?”
“Yeah.” Naoya responded. “There’s no point to big brothers who are inferior to their little brothers. They should just die.”
“Have you ever considered that it’s because of them that you are who you are?” Choso said, deliberately buying time by agitating the sorcerer.
“Oh, don’t start on crap like that. I’m not interested.”
“What if you’re strong because they’re weak? Us older brothers had nobody to make the mistakes before us, nobody to guide us. If I mess up, then my younger brothers can avoid that. If I become weak, then my younger brothers can grow strong.” Blood poured freely from the gash on his side. He was converting cursed energy into blood, getting ready for a large-scale attack. “You asked how I became strong? That’s how.”
Naoya moved backwards as blood flooded the tunnel. He dodged the main attack, but nearly got hit by Choso’s follow-up Piercing Blood. Choso controlled the blood staining Naoya’s clothes, deliberately slowing him down. “This is checkmate.” He said, readying another attack. Naoya tried to rush forward once more using his technique, but Choso fired off his own signature move. One that Naoya couldn’t have known about. Supernova, he called it.
Naoya crumpled, but before Choso could hit the finishing blow, he felt that same cursed energy from before, only now right behind him. He whirled around only to get smacked into one of the stone pillars. He hit the concrete hard, body collapsing immediately after. His eyes fluttered closed, but not before he saw Okkotsu dragging Yuuji’s limp body across the floor.
Yuta was waiting for Yuuji to wake up. He had started a fire to keep himself warm, but with nothing to do he found himself zoning out, thinking about his friends. He absentmindedly fidgeted with the ring on his finger, the same thing he always did. He glanced up towards where he had put Yuuji’s body and froze. Not because Yuuji was missing, but because someone else was sitting next to Yuuji.
It was the same person who had been with Yuuji before, the one who had defeated Naoya. “…You.” He said, instinctively reaching for his katana before remembering it wasn’t there anymore.
“Yeah. Me.” He said, gently holding Yuuji’s unconscious body, glaring at Yuta. “And you’re one lucky bastard.”
“Why’s that?” Yuta asked, not sure whether this person was an enemy or not.
“Because my little brother here isn’t hurt.” He responded, protectively holding Yuuji closer. “Had there been a single scratch on his body, we would have issues, you and me. But there isn’t. He’s not hurt, yet he’s unconscious with a bloodstain on his hoodie that matches his blood.” Choso’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“I’ll explain when he wakes up.” Yuta said, making his hands visible, trying to not get into a fight with this person. “I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Hi, I’m Yuta Okkotsu. I’m a second-year at Jujutsu High.”
“I’m Choso.” Choso said. “I’m Itadori Yuuji’s older brother.”
“Alright then, Choso. I’ll explain what happened and why I did all of that when Yuuji wakes up.”
Choso nodded and turned his attention to Yuuji. Each second that Yuuji didn’t move felt like an hour to him. After a long time, Yuuji finally stirred. Choso gently helped his younger brother sit up. “…Choso? What? Why aren’t I…?” His eyes landed on Yuta and he tensed, ready to fight or run.
Choso felt Yuuji’s fear and glared at Yuta. He could already guess that Yuta had beaten Yuuji in their fight. Choso nudged Yuuji, reminding his brother that he wasn’t alone.
Yuta smiled. “Thank goodness. For a second I thought I might have messed it up!”
“Messed up?” Yuuji asked, confused.
“Yeah. Back in September, Gojo asked me to watch over you if something happened to him. I had to put on that little act earlier so that I would be appointed your executioner and not someone who would actually try to kill you.” Yuta explained. “But I had to take a binding vow to kill you. So that was what I did back there.”
“Then how am I alive…?”
“Reverse Cursed Technique! I healed you as soon as I killed you. Though, given that you’ve ‘died’ twice now, the ruse might not last long.” Yuta explained. “Also, you have one pretty amazing older brother.”
Yuuji smiled. “Yeah, I know.”