04.
little sister
Akane knows she is special. She knows that there is no one like her, and there will be no one like her even a hundred years in the future. Throughout her life, she has been called so many things, the most prominent ones being 'Amano's Salvation' or 'the Amano Curse'. Akane doesn't know which title she hates more. Every day she'd wonder 'why me?'. She certainly does not want to live a life where she just can't catch a break, but with the legacy that waits to fulfil itself in Akane's bare hands, the girl knows she has no other choice.
Akane has had a rough couple of days- there is no doubt about that. Being the way she is, even her family refused to treat her like the normal child that she was. Normal- obviously, that's a lie. Akane was never normal, to begin with, not even during the first moments of her birth since that was when her fate was decided.
So yes, Akane is used to having rough and stressful days. But she can't remember the last time she was so bothered by the road her life was taking- until Sukuna. The questions are growing inside her head, her doubts about herself overweigh everything that her family has taught her to be. Akane knows she had every right to be angry with her family- how can she not? They lied to her about her curse. They should have told her it was Ryomen Sukuna she was meant to kill, the very demon who brought destruction to the Amano clan centuries ago.
The fury built inside her chest magnified with every step she's taking towards the training room where she was sure Gojo would be. Truthfully, she has no reason to be this mad at her teacher but Akane is desperate to let go of the rage, and Gojo seems like the perfect victim for that. In her mind, her common sense knows that she should just kill Yuuji, or rather, Sukuna and call it a day, but every time she looks at the pink-heard boy and his sunny smile and innocent eyes, she can't bring herself to do anything to harm the boy.
Rather, she feels the dire need to protect him.
She basically kicks open the door to the training room and as she foresaw, Gojo is present along with Megumi in an awkward position as the white-haired man pins Megumi to the floor, locking all his limbs so that his student is practically motionless.
Megumi flushes red in embarrassment when he notices Akane look at him in that position, which causes Gojo to smirk. He doesn't loosen his grip on Megumi on purpose. "A-ka-Nee!" Gojo squeals like a little kid which makes Akane roll her eyes. "Had a nice nap?"
Akane huffs, folding her arms as she looks directly into Gojo's celestial blue eyes. He was wearing his sunglasses today but cheekily took them off, eager to beat Akane in this staring contest.
"Uh..." Megumi interrupts said staring contest, narrowing his dark eyes at Gojo. "Spar's over right? You can stop clinging to me now."
"Aw, but this is quite cosy," Gojo boops Megumi's nose which makes the teen scrunch his face. "Don't you think?"
"No." Megumi deadpans. "Get out."
"Yes, Gojo." Akane joins in. "Get out. I need to talk to you. Now."
Gojo mutters 'you're so annoying' under his breath but finally lets go of Megumi who dusts his uniform, glaring at Gojo. He eyes Akane carefully near the door, giving her a small smile. Akane tries not to frown at this- Megumi isn't much of a smiler, just like her, so she can't bring it in her to smile back.
"Are you better now?" He asks.
Akane nods slowly. "Yeah. I just have a little headache, but it's nothing I can't deal with."
He gives a single nod, "That's good... See you around, Amano."
Her eyes follow the black-haired boy as he leaves, confusion filled in her eyes. "Hmmm," Gojo's loud thoughts snap her attention back to him. "Looks like someone has a crush."
Akane narrows her mismatched eyes at him. What is he talking about? She would ask him that, but right now she doesn't care about that. Her anger surges through her voice as she walks toward him. "I'm Yuuji's executor? Are you serious?"
That makes Gojo perk his eyebrows upwards in shock, he hasn't seen her this worked up before. "Technically, you're Sukuna's executor. But before you come to hit me, I couldn't have changed their minds."
She knows he's referring to the elders, who Akane hates with a burning passion. Every time she sees any of them she has to resist the urge to spit on their faces. "How could you not change their minds? You're the strongest man to exist!."
"I'm aware of that, thank you very much." He says, giving her a look that says obviously. "But your family personally requested that it'd be you. Your mother promised to get off everyone's backs once you end Sukuna's life. You."
Akane is speechless at that. There's no doubt that the Council hates the Amano Clan as much as Akane loathes them, and it's no secret that they are always finding ways to discreetly kill the clan. It has not been addressed publicly, but everyone in the jujutsu world knows it's true.
But what was more shocking is that her mother requested the elders. Not threatened, not demanded, not even using her cursed technique- she requested them. Akane knows Amano Akito as the woman who has more ego than all the elders combined, so it just didn't add up.
Unless her clan was just that desperate to kill Sukuna, which makes sense, since according to the prophecy, Akane killing Sukuna was to end with the restoration of the Amano's former glory.
She just wished her mother had told her earlier that it was Sukuna to whom the red string was tied. But she knows her mother enough to know that Akito considers Akane more of a tool than a daughter.
"Yuuji told me you were able to delay it?"
"Yep. I convinced them that it would be better to kill Sukuna when he's consumed all his fingers. That way, he definitely won't reincarnate for the second time."
Akane bobs her head. That makes sense. "Who was the executor supposed to be?"
"Okkutsu."
Akane's eyes widen at that. Okkutsu Yuuta is her friend, and although she won't say it outwardly, he is also her favourite senior from jujutsu high. They would also spar together, using all their cursed energies since they both had more energy than even Gojo. He was competitive and powerful- there was no doubt about that- but he was also gentle and kind, and one of the few people Akane considered to be a friend.
She knows he would never agree to kill Yuuji like that. But at the same time, he only knew Yuuji as the vessel rather than the person he really is. The pink-haired boy and Yuuta are similar in so many ways, Akane knows for a fact that they would be great friends if they knew each other. Hell, even their names are similar- Yuuji and Yuuta.
"Is Yuuji really okay with his execution?" She asks somberly. Any hint of sarcasm leaves Gojo's face as he nods. Akane bites her lip in frustration, "He shouldn't be. I won't let him die, Gojo, and I definitely won't kill him."
Gojo sighs at that. "Akane... we still have time to figure it all out. For the next couple of months, I'm gonna train him to become stronger- way more stronger." He pats Akane's head lovingly, a small smile on his face. "Meanwhile, Akane, I want you to keep him safe."
Akane looks at her teacher with a surprised expression. "Keep him safe?"
"Why? You don't think you can do it?"
"Of course I can," Akane scoffs. "But I think he needs more protection from himself, Sukuna is inside him."
He just hums thoughtfully in response, patting the space next to him. Akane moves to sit next to him. "Speaking of Sukuna," Gojo starts. "How have you been since you found out?"
Akane frowns. "Well I've been asleep for three days... but I still had nightmares about him."
A sad look crosses Gojo's face as he furrows his eyebrows. "Honestly, Gojo, I don't know what- I'm so confused. He said all these things that didn't make sense at all. He recognised me as an Amano instantly, he said I looked like Mito-sama-, I thought she had black hair like the rest of the Amano's, but it looks like she too had black and white hair? Then... he said that the string, the curse- it's his blood? He said that somehow my ancestors managed to store his blood and turn it into the curse. It makes me think that my family knew from the start it was going to be Sukuna, but still didn't tell me! Moreover, he destroyed the Mikazuki Katana! That was my only shot at killing him and he just snapped it like some twig-"
She's interrupted by Gojo's hushes, his hand squeezing her arm comfortingly. "Akane." his voice is stern. "You know that I won't let that happen to you, right?"
Akane furrows her brows, "What do you mean, Gojo?"
"You're like my little sister, remember? Imouto."
Akane vividly remembers her first day in jujutsu high at that moment:
"Principal Yaga will be taking your interview now. Better not fail it!"
Akane looked at the blindfolded man confusedly. "What will happen if I fail?"
Gojo hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm, let's see... you'll lose our school's protection and the higher-ups will surely kill you, Akane-chan!"
She frowned at the enthusiasm Gojo showed, ignoring the chill that entered her mind when she realized that her life will depend on this interview... literally.
Akane narrowed her eyes at Gojo. "Do you have to add that ridiculous honorific? No one's ever used that on me before."
Gojo grinned widely, revealing his teeth and Akane thinks it matches his hair. "Why, of course! We have the same hair colour, don't we? That makes you my little sister."
He pointed at his snow-white hair and Akane's eyes the left side of her hair resting on her shoulder. Sure enough, it's the same shade as Gojo's hair. "I'm no one's little sister," Akane mumbles, averting her eyes from his godforsaken cocky grin.
Akane was sure that he was only just kidding back then, he never used the honorific after that. She looks at him bewildered, she's never been considered as family by anyone before, not even her own family.
She looks away abruptly, feeling her eyes water. "I'm no one's little sister." She says although both of them know that this time, she is the one who's joking.
Akane silently wonders why he sees her as his sister- she doesn't think there are any similarities between them other than her hair and their unmatched cursed energies.
She doesn't know that Gojo is protective of her because he doesn't want to fail her. He doesn't want to fail her like he failed his best friend who turned his back to the humans he vowed to protect and later turned his back to Gojo. He doesn't want to fail Akane like he failed someone who he knew his heart would end up with- but she, like Geto, just upped and left without warning.
If he could have been honest with Miyu, he knows he could have stopped her from leaving. But he didn't, all because he was embarrassed about his feelings. Now she's missing, with a death warrant slapped on her back. He was too late.
He would never allow himself to fail Amano Miyu's cousin who is now seated next to him. Never. That won't happen even over his dead body.
A/N: IM BACK omg I honestly don't know what took me so long to update, but whatever, this year has been so hectic. Anddd I know this chapter's a little short, and that's because I mainly wanted to focus on gojo's and akane's relationship this chapter, mainly because he's obviously a big part of her life! I think I delivered that well this chapter.
And if you're confused, Amano Miyu is another OC of mine! She's Akane's favourite uncle's daughter who was Geto and Gojo's classmate back when they were students in Jujutsu High!
I hope yoy enjoyed this! Please let me know your thoughts 💓