Why am I in this guy's arms?!

"Megumi Fushiguro, I'm sorry..."

Itadori struggled to his feet, clutching the doll.

"I didn't mean to, but... but look!"

Something suddenly occurred to him, and he pointed excitedly at his face.

"See? All the wounds on my face healed! Sukuna really can use reverse cursed technique!"

Wh... what?

Megumi Fushiguro stared at Itadori's face, his eyes widening.

Sure enough, aside from the injury he had just received, all the wounds Fushiguro had seen earlier had vanished.

So they had come here to switch to Sukuna and have him heal Itadori's face with reverse cursed technique?

Itadori kept talking. "And Sukuna said he can heal other people too!"

"Don't you think that's awesome?"

"Now we'll never have to worry about getting hurt again!"

He pictured the first time he had met Megumi Fushiguro, when the black-haired boy had been battered all over by that curse.

He never wanted to see another companion get hurt.

Megumi Fushiguro froze.

If he had been surprised before, now he was stunned.

But unlike Itadori, who was thrilled, his first thought was how the higher-ups would react.

If the higher-ups learned that Yuji Itadori, the vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, could use reverse cursed technique to heal others-

He shuddered.

No... I have to tell Teacher Gojo right away!

"Itadori, listen carefully. You must not tell anyone about this!"

Megumi Fushiguro took two steps forward, gripped Itadori's shoulders tightly with both hands, and leaned in close, his expression more serious than ever.

"Do not tell anyone until Teacher Gojo comes back!"

Huh?

Megumi Fushiguro's expression startled Itadori.

All he could do was nod instinctively.

He didn't understand why Megumi Fushiguro had suddenly become so serious, but he was sure Megumi Fushiguro was right.

"Got it. I won't tell anyone!"

Megumi Fushiguro relaxed a little, then noticed that he might have overstepped and immediately backed away.

He quickly summoned the Divine Dogs to scout the area. Only after confirming that no one else was nearby did he finally relax completely.

"Sorry. I got a little worked up."

"Um... it's okay, but why? Isn't it a good thing that Sukuna can heal others with reverse cursed technique?"

Megumi Fushiguro glanced at Itadori.

After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"If it were anyone else-even you-being able to use reverse cursed technique would be a good thing."

"But the problem is that it's Sukuna."

"Those higher-ups would never..."

Megumi Fushiguro's voice caught. Thinking of everything that could go wrong made it hard to continue, but he couldn't fully fathom the higher-ups' intentions either. He didn't know whether his guesses were right.

"Let's wait until Teacher Gojo gets back."

He took out his phone and texted Gojo, "Urgent. Please come back ASAP." After a moment's hesitation, he put his phone away. He didn't dare reveal any details, afraid someone might intercept the message.

Hopefully Teacher Gojo will get back soon.

That evening.

Megumi Fushiguro's room.

"You did the right thing."

Having just hurried back, Gojo listened to Megumi Fushiguro's explanation. He looked at Megumi Fushiguro and Itadori sitting side by side on the bed opposite him, his expression serious.

"The higher-ups absolutely cannot find out that Sukuna can use reverse cursed technique to heal others."

Megumi Fushiguro's heart tightened, and his hands unconsciously clasped together.

Gojo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his brow.

He looked at Itadori and explained, meeting his bewildered gaze.

"Right now, very few jujutsu sorcerers can heal with reverse cursed technique. Shoko Ieiri is the only one publicly known to heal other people."

"When someone from another family is seriously injured, they ask Jujutsu High to have Shoko help."

"Because of that, both the jujutsu sorcerer families and the higher-ups show Jujutsu High a certain amount of deference."

"After all, no one knows when they might need Jujutsu High's help."

"But if..."

Gojo paused.

"If they found out another jujutsu sorcerer could heal others-and that person was Itadori, who belongs to neither the sorcerers nor the curses-what do you think they'd do?"

A mocking smile curved his lips.

"They'd find a way to capture Itadori without a moment's hesitation, lock him up, and use every means available to turn him into a permanent healing tool at their disposal."

The expression on Itadori's face froze.

A chill rose from deep inside him and spread through his entire body.

Sukuna listened to all of this in silence.

Uncontrollable anger churned inside him.

He didn't mind healing others, but he would never accept being controlled by humans and reduced to a tool without freedom.

Especially when it would drag Itadori into it too.

His gaze gradually turned icy.

Killing intent seethed unchecked within him.

"There's only one way to prevent that."

Gojo tapped the table, signaling for Itadori and Sukuna to keep listening.

"The two of you-Yuji and Sukuna-have to get stronger, fast."

"Only when you're strong enough that the losses from capturing you far outweigh the benefits of having you heal them will those old fossils give up on taking you prisoner."

"So from now on, you need to grow as much as possible in the shortest time possible."

"I'll take you out for five hours every night. During those five hours, I'll build up your strength as quickly as I can."

"Since Sukuna can't show himself at school during the day and practice his cursed technique, he can come out when you're with me at night. You need to regain your strength as soon as possible too."

Sukuna said nothing, but the coldness radiating from him was unmistakable.

Itadori slowly exhaled, his gaze firmer than ever.

"Got it, sensei. We'll definitely get stronger!"

"We won't let those people get their way!"

Gojo nodded.

"Good."

"Then special training starts tonight."

"Yuji, you and Sukuna go back and get ready. I'll take you out in ten minutes."

Itadori immediately replied, "Okay!"

Watching Itadori hurry away, Megumi Fushiguro couldn't help worrying.

He held back for a while, but finally asked:

"Teacher Gojo, would the higher-ups really capture Itadori?"

"Nope~"

"Then we... huh?"

What?

Megumi Fushiguro stared blankly.

They wouldn't?

"But didn't you just say..."

Gojo said casually, "Because I'm here."

He crossed his legs, looking completely at ease.

"If they capture Itadori and lock him up, I'll rescue him."

"The higher-ups would never risk both losing Itadori and offending me by doing something like that. They're not that stupid."

"Even if they kill Itadori, they'd never choose to lock him up. Don't worry~"

As he spoke, he lifted one side of his blindfold and winked at Megumi Fushiguro, his beautiful Azure Blue eyes full of teasing amusement.

Megumi Fushiguro's eyes widened.

Looking at his teacher's relaxed face, so different from his earlier seriousness, he only managed to speak after a long silence.

"Then what you told Itadori just now..."

"Of course I was lying~"

Gojo answered instantly, his voice brimming with the excitement of someone who had found a new toy.

"If I didn't say that, would those two be so motivated to do their special training?"

Megumi Fushiguro: ...

...So??

You...

...So this is... what you're really like, Teacher Gojo???

He couldn't help lifting both hands to wipe his face, conveniently hiding his expression of utter despair.

I'm sorry... Itadori, Sukuna.

The longest road you two have ever traveled...

Is the winding path... Teacher Gojo laid out to trick you...

Unaware that he had been tricked, Itadori excitedly returned to his room and opened the door. His gaze was immediately drawn to the doll bouncing on the bed and throwing the occasional punch.

He froze, his spirits visibly sinking as he slowly walked over to the bed.

[What's wrong?]

Sukuna glanced at the doll on the bed.

[...Don't tell me you're taking that with you when we go out?]

Itadori sighed. "...It's special training, after all. I'm sure I have to bring it."

Despite his worries, he resolutely picked up the doll and held it against his chest.

After a moment's thought, he put it on his back instead.

Sukuna's brows knitted together at the sight, and he couldn't help baring his teeth. [...Do you not care what happens to the back of your head?]

As Itadori carefully fed cursed energy into the doll, he answered Sukuna, "I'll need both hands free during training, right? And Teacher Gojo said to carry it on my back."

Sukuna: "..."

He tells you to carry it on your back, and you just do it? Aren't you a little too obedient?

He agonized over it for a while, but didn't stop him.

Since it's to get stronger... I'll just have to heal Yuji a few extra times.

I just hope the kid doesn't get his brains knocked out...

He didn't know whether reverse cursed technique could cure brain damage.

Soon, Itadori was ready.

He opened the door to find Teacher Gojo smiling as he leaned against the wall outside his room.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!"

"All right~!"

Gojo cheerfully held out a hand and beckoned Itadori over.

"Come here~ I'll take you to our training spot."

His eyes shining, Itadori immediately ran up to Teacher Gojo.

Gojo swept out a long arm and swiftly pulled Itadori into his embrace.

Sukuna: [...]

*???*

Wait, what are you doing?

What are you going to do to my kid?

Gojo couldn't hear Sukuna's internal grumbling. His gentle, rich voice sounded beside the boy's ear.

"Hold on tight."

Their figures flickered, and they vanished from the hallway in an instant.

"Whoa!-"

Itadori looked back over Gojo's shoulder and cried out in amazement.

They were flying through the air. Everything around them seemed stretched by time as it hurtled backward, the scenery changing at an astonishing speed.

Yet despite the incredible speed, he couldn't feel even the slightest breeze. Everything was so still, as though something had cut him off from the outside world.

He gazed at it all in amazement.

But once the amazement passed, a faint weariness rose in its place.

It was almost one in the morning. He would normally have been asleep long before this, and he'd spent the entire afternoon carrying that Cursed Corpse Doll around and continuously feeding it Cursed Energy. He was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

The boy felt sleepy. His eyes closed, then struggled open again.

Teacher Gojo flies so smoothly, he thought.

And being held in his arms was so warm and comfortable.

His eyes slowly closed. Finally unable to hold out any longer, his head drooped onto Gojo's shoulder.

His breathing gradually evened out.

Inside Itadori, Sukuna was pondering how to recover his Cursed Technique.

He sat in the pitch-black world within the boy's mind, his eyes closed in concentration.

Suddenly, light flooded his vision.

He opened his eyes to scenery rushing backward, stretching into streaks of light.

"...???"

Before he could react-

A powerful arm tightened around his waist-

Warmth seeped into him from the living being he was draped over-

Sukuna glanced sideways and found himself staring straight at Satoru Gojo's perfectly sculpted profile-and Gojo seemed to have noticed his appearance too, turning toward him in surprise.

Well... this was unexpected?

Sukuna stared at Satoru Gojo's face, mere inches away...

Three seconds later, his pupils shook.

...Wh... what the hell?

...How did I get out??

Tiger, where are you??-

Why am I lying in this guy's arms!-

Horror spread across Sukuna's face, his very soul twitching.

He braced a hand against Gojo, immediately trying to pull away.

But Gojo spoke first, stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't move yet. We're almost there."

Satoru Gojo's low, resonant voice was thoroughly serious.

The arm around his waist tightened a little.

Sukuna went rigid.

His brain stalled for three seconds before it started working again.

After a moment's thought, he tilted his head to look down. The drop beneath his feet seemed bottomless.

Right... we're still flying.

Jumping out of a car on the highway is dangerous.

More importantly, I don't even know whether I can fly...

Sukuna could only stop struggling and remain nestled against Satoru Gojo.

His heart filled with gloom and sorrow.

I, the mighty King of Curses, am actually being held in someone's arms...!

...And it's a man!

Who would believe this?

Fortunately, they landed less than two seconds later. Sukuna swiftly pulled out of Gojo's arms and kept retreating until he was over five meters away.

He stood at a distance, looking conflicted and dazed.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

...Wait, where's my Tiger?

He rapidly called Itadori's name in his mind. After a short wait, all he heard was a brief string of snores drifting up from deep within...

Sukuna: ...

So... he's asleep?

Of all the times you could have fallen asleep, why did it have to be now?

-Couldn't you have held out for two more seconds?

"Where's Yuji?"

Gojo asked from across from him, his gaze somehow a little dangerous.

"...Asleep."

Sukuna answered after a moment of silence, only to be met with silence in return.

-What could you do when it was the kid's bedtime and he wanted to sleep?

You just had to accept it... surely you couldn't beat the kid awake?

Once Gojo understood the situation, his gaze returned to normal.

He rubbed his chin, sounding puzzled.

"But why did you come out? Even if he's asleep, you shouldn't be able to get out, should you?"

"How should I know?"

Sukuna's eyes were lifeless. He was still mired in the sorrow of having been held by another man.

Seeing that Sukuna really didn't seem to have come out voluntarily, Gojo offered another possibility.

"Or did the two of you make some sort of Binding Vow?"

"A Binding Vow?"

Sukuna frowned. Megumi Fushiguro's lessons hadn't covered that yet.

"It means you've reached some sort of agreement. For example... he might agree to switch with you under certain circumstances."

Switch... switch?

Sukuna's heart gave a jolt.

He remembered his agreement with Itadori to have three hours of freedom every night... and immediately felt a little guilty.

But however guilty he felt... he didn't dare tell Satoru Gojo about it...

Was he supposed to say he could slip out for a stroll every night from now on?

Wouldn't that get him locked in solitary confinement in an instant, never to come out again?

"Ahem, I... I don't know..."

Sukuna stood there, trying hard to maintain an expression that said nothing had happened, his gaze darting everywhere.

He kept brainwashing himself... Binding Vows or whatever... no idea. I don't know anything.

Gojo caught every little movement and couldn't help curling his lips into a smile.

Considerately, he gave Sukuna an out.

"Maybe Yuji did something before falling asleep? We can just ask him when he wakes up~"

Sukuna could only quietly agree. "...Yeah."

His heart sank. It felt as though someone had caught him out and now had something on him.

He was annoyed, but he didn't dare speak carelessly.

He was afraid that one wrong move would get him dragged off by Gojo and locked in solitary confinement.