cover art by h0pe.lez
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"This isn't funny...stop laughing,"
Gojo was holding onto his stomach, leaning over at the matt walls of the dojo. Haru was annoyed, teeth grinding as her eyes were shut tightly. She was trembling with furry.
Yuji stood there confused, blinking between the two adults. Poor boy did not understand what was going on.
Gojo quickly arrived at the moment she called in. He couldn't believe the words that Haru said to him on the other line. But when he came in and saw it for himself...he burst out laughing.
"Is it true Yuji??" Gojo mutters between laughs, "That Sukuna did not come out..."
Yuji nods, "Ah! Y-yeah!! Strangely he didn't take over me," He was genuinely confused.
"I wonder why..." Gojo looked over at Haru, soon bursting into laughter when he saw her annoyed expression.
"JUST SHUT UP!!!" She rages.
"To think that even the King of Curses is terrified...you're so scary Haruka~" Gojo covers his mouth as if what he was saying was scandalous.
"He's not stupid I'll tell ya that," Haru irks, somewhat irritated at his commentary. He had a way with words to piss her off.
Yuji blinks, raising his hand up, "Um... I'm confused...what's going on??"
She gazes at the younger student with a frown, "Satoru what exactly did you tell him?" She looks back at the sorcerer, knowing well the answer that she's gonna get.
"Not much~ I've been busy doing other things!" He says nonchalantly, smiling.
'THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU GIVE HIM A MISSION IF HE'S A NEWBIE...!!??'
Haru holds back her raging thoughts, doing the deep breathing exercise she found online to prevent stress. It somewhat worked. She lets out a sigh, "Where to even start..."
"Listen here, kid!!" Haru jabs a finger at herself, "I come from a family with abilities to control Curses at will, it doesn't matter what type of Curse it is, I can control it,"
Yuji is amazed by her ability. He couldn't believe such a person existed.
"Ahh! I get it now!! That's why you wanted Sukuna to be out!" He gasps in realization.
"Yes...that way I could put him under a Curse Contract," She clicks her tongue, muttering, "But the bastard was smart not to come out,"
"But it's good news, it proves that you can actually control him despite his status," Gojo smiles, brushing his arm over Haru's shoulder. Surprisingly she doesn't push him away.
'To think that he won't even dare to show himself to her...Haruka is amazing~' Gojo grins to himself, recalling the first time he meet the Curse he faced off. Sukuna even expressed himself openly about how he wanted to kill him. But now...the bastard did not show his face.
"Wow~! You're like a God!! Unstoppable!" Yuji gushes, a blush covering his cheeks as his eyes twinkle. Gojo follows pursuit, now beside Yuji with an equal reaction, "Right~ Isn't she just awesome~?"
Haru deapans at the two, not used to being complimented like this, "That's...a little too much..."
She tries to ignore their gushing faces, "Well, there's nothing for us left to do but wait..."
Haru glances carefully at the boy, eyes narrowed as she sought for the Curse dwelling inside him, 'Guess this won't be easy as I thought...'
If things continue to be like this, then there won't ever be an opportunity for Haru to take full control of Sukuna. And that sort of scenario would not favor Gojo or Yuji. In Haru's case, she could care any less about the King of Curses, but since she made a deal with Gojo, it was now her business.
"So what's the next plan exactly? The higher-ups think that Yuji is dead after their little stunt, and I doubt you can keep him hidden forever," Haru looks back at Yuji, eyeing the boy's physique. He looked fit, so at least they weren't going to focus on his stamina.
"He'll be focusing on his Curse Energy, with his current state he won't be able to fend much with stronger ones," Gojo jots down.
'It's a miracle he made it this far...normal humans cannot withhold against a Curse...much less be in a presence of one. Does he not fear them?' Haru muses, quite curious about Yuji.
"How exactly will that play out," She questions him.
Gojo proceeds to look at her, his expression serious as he threw her a thumbs up, "It's a secret~"
"Why the fuck did I even ask," She says to herself.
"I'll be in charge of teaching him how to control curse energy and learn a bit of jujutsu," He listed out, "Since Yuji is good at close combat, we'll apply Curse energy to his attacks,"
As he said those things, Yuji looked at them with a smile. They caught his happy aura, turning to look at the boy.
"The hell you're smiling about?" Haru deadpans.
"It's just that...if I'm going to learn I'm glad it's going to be from you two," He beams.
"The one teaching you here is Satoru, not me...I cannot afford to expose myself any more than I already am," Haru was quick to correct the boy, "Also I'm not a teacher so please feel free to call me by my name,"
Yuji was baffled by the new information, "E-Eh?? How come?? Aren't you a sorcerer??"
"I do not associate myself with the Jujutsu World," Haru clarified, "But under some circumstances...I'm currently working for Satoru,"
Yuji was a bit skeptical, and Gojo took note of the boy's confused state.
"You see Yuji. Haruka is a wanted woman~" Gojo grins, brushing his arm over her shoulder again.
"Long story short, my Clan was envied by this guy's ancestor and thus tried to eliminate my family. To this day, the Jujutsu World still thinks that we're all gone," Haru simplified as much as she could.
Yuji sweats at this, quite shocked, "Oh wow...that's pretty messed up,"
"Yup! That's why Haruka's existence should not be revealed, since it would create chaos~ So be careful not to say anything to anyone! Okay?" Gojo sings songs, with a smile on his face. Yuji flinches at this, soon covering his mouth with both of his hands.
"Alright!! I won't utter a word!! Cross my heart and hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie!!" He swore with a determined look, making Haru deadpan.
"No...don't go that far," She deadpans, quite concerned for the boy's determination. She hoped he wasn't being actually serious about the needle part.
She sighs, already feeling stressed by the boy's resolution, "As long as you don't say anything you'll be fine,"
She eyes him, wondering how he can stay so optimistic in his situation. Many would have faltered or broken for having the King Of Curses inside of them, especially being a wanted man for that very reason. And yet this boy did not act in such a way, he did not waver.
"Train hard, get stronger...that way you won't burden those around you. You carry a great burden Yuji Itadori...but know that this will be your strength," Haru advises, voice soft but stern. She knew the path that he will be taken is not easy, especially after growing up like an ordinary boy. And to suddenly be put into this world of Jujutsu Sorcerers without any knowledge. And the fact that he's destined to die because of the Curse inside of him. Haru just hoped that her words would give him some courage.
Yuji's eyes sparkled, a smile beaming on his face, "Yes!! I will work hard!!"
Gojo, who was surprisingly quiet, appears beside Haru.
"Ah dear Haruka, can you sign this?"
"Ah...yeah sure--"
Haru stopped when she did a double take at the clipboard that Gojo handed her. Where the paper read in bold words.
"MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE"
Haru did not hesitate to knee the clipboard, breaking it in half with utter power. Gojo gasps at this, picking up the broken pieces of the board with a pout.
"Enough fooling around..." She grits, holding back as much as she could. Ignoring the crying sorcerer and turning towards a dumbstruck Yuji, she clears her throat as if nothing happened.
"Now then...do you have any questions?"
"Yeah...what the hell just happened,"
~*~
Yuji will start training his Curse Energy. Haru will have to experience firsthand how capable the boy is in fighting, so she will be seeing more of him. Yes, he was unable to use Curse Energy now, but eventually, he will. And soon...it was possible for him to learn Sukuna's Curse Technique. He did inhabit his body after all.
For now, he will learn the basics of controlling his emotions since they play a huge part in Curse Energy.
'I'd say it would be a mental challenge,' Haru muses, tidying up the now quiet dojo. Yuji was placed in another secluded area in order for him to focus much better. This dojo will only be used for training physically, it was an open space and they could go all out without being found by the Higher Ups.
'I bet Kento will be involved in helping Yuji too...he's a good mentor after all,'
Sweeping the last bit of fallen leaves, she pours them into a black bag to throw out. At that moment, Gojo made his appearance out of nowhere. Haru took note of his lingering energy, sparring a glance over at him. The wind decided to pick up at that moment, withering their hair back and forth.
Haru frowns when she laid her eyes on him, recognizing that expression of his.
'Something is bothering him...'
After staying beside his side for quite some time, Haru was able to tell when something didn't sit right with him. Though he was quite good at hiding his feelings, especially under that blindfold of his. And she knew exactly what was bothering him.
Gojo lifts a bag, waving it at her with a small smile.
The two found themselves sitting on the wooden porch of the dojo, watching the orange tainted sky as they enjoyed the mochi that Gojo brought.
He was quiet for a while, his crystal eyes peering out. Lately, he would take off his blindfold around her presence. Why exactly would that be? It's simple really.
His Six Eyes did not interfere with her. She was the only thing he could see clearly without his Curse Energy soaring his vision like crazy. He could especially see her Sunset Eyes clearly. To Gojo...if he were to describe beauty, he will not hesitate to bring up her name. Some may say he was exaggerating, but those were his true feelings.
Haru was the only one...the only person that he could meet eye to eye.
"Satoru..." She called out to him, urging him to peer over at the woman beside him. Just like him, her true eyes are presented upon him.
"Don't...be too harsh on yourself..." She whispers suddenly, surprising him with her unexpected words. He lets out a hollow laugh, leaning back slightly. Gojo's smile is feint, looking up at the orange sky.
"I'm...just glad that Yuji is alive," He manages to say, lowering his head.
Haru stays quiet, watching the Six Eye sorcerer mellow in his own thoughts. Despite his childlike attitude, Gojo knows he bears the responsibility as a teacher at Jujutsu High. Deep down, the guilt must have been eating his consciousness...blaming himself for the death of his student. He's expressed his dreams to her, dreams about changing the corrupt system of the Jujutsu World. Creating allies to support him by his side.
Gojo then leaned forward, his head lightly tapping on her shoulder. He draws out a shaky breath.
"Can I stay over at your place...?"
It won't be denied that Gojo Satoru is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer. Nobody stood at par with him. His birth alone altered the balance of the world. He carried the burden of "The Strongest". Him alone...was the Strongest. Him alone...is The Honored One.
Was this considered a Blessing? Or is it a hidden Curse?
Haru could not tell. Nor did she feel fit to judge. Haru was not Gojo, she did not burden his title. Despite that, she understood the pressure, and no doubt it's been like this since his very birth. All jokes aside, Haru did not despise Gojo as she indicated through their interactions.
'He's...quite a troublesome guy...' Haru muses, letting Gojo lean on her without pushing him away.
"Just for tonight..."
~*~
"Aoww!!"
"Another one..." Haru sterns, bringing out more Curses from behind her. She directs her hand forward, pointing towards a struggling Yuji. The young student had to scurry up to his feet when the larger Curses came in charging toward him. Despite stating that she won't be helping Yuji in his training, Gojo suddenly dragged her to do so.
"Oh crap!!" He yelped, jumping from his spot when a cat-like curse swung its claws at him.
"You're agile I'll tell you that," Haru tells him, watching the boy. She could tell he was struggling by how many Curses were coming at him.
"There would be times when you might be alone as you fight like 10 Curses,"
Yuji avoids another swing from a Blue Curse, preparing his fists that began to surround themselves with Cursed Energy.
DIVERGENT FIST
'His cursed energy has a lag...but I suppose it's helpful since it creates a strike with two equal blows,' Haru watches, as Yuji lands a double blow at the Blue Curse.
"Ah!! I landed a hit--" He beams, smiling in triumph.
"Too early..." At Haru's words, watching with a deadpan expression as the Cat-like Curse grabbed Yuji from behind, he began to panic, wailing his legs back and forth. The Curse's eyes glinted, proceeding to throw Yuji up in the air...his screaming dying out as he went higher.
"There he goes again..." Haru sighs.
He landed safely, with the help of the Curse that threw him.
"Well...you've got guts I'll tell ya that," Haru compliments him, walking towards the collapsed boy. He was huffing, face and clothing all tattered up by his previous fights. He lets out a tired smile, thumbs up.
She reaches a hand towards him, helping the boy up from the ground.
"So how do you feel about your training?" She asked, handing the boy a bottle of water she provided for him. He accepted the drink with a genuine bow.
"Um...I feel pretty good actually! Though I'm sure I can do way better!" He states honestly, his shoulders slumping as he thought about this training.
"You'll do fine...you're the type to learn fast," Haru reassures Yuji, sipping on her own drink. Yuji blushes at her praise, scratching the back of his neck shyly.
"Hmm. The only thing I don't understand is Domain Expansion...I wonder if I'll ever be able to do one like how Gojo-Sensei did the other day," Yuji listed out, placing a hand under his chin.
"Domain Expansion? That's a big jump," Haru narrows, not expecting him to already know about that.
Yuji's eyes then twinkle, looking over at her with much excitement, "Haru!! You can do Domain Expansion too right?? How does yours look like!?"
Haru leans back from his sudden energetic aura, still not used to his upbeat persona. The kid sure had quite the energy despite training for a long time. Was he never tired?
She still answers him, sipping on her drink, "Yeah...but I never really use it,"
He huffs, getting excited, "Oh wow!! How does it look!? Can you show me??!"
'Too...bright!' Haru squints her eyes, unable to handle the boy's liveliness. She lifts up her hand to stop him, urging him to blink.
"Unfortunately, I can't afford to expose myself like that...besides it's not as cool as you think it is," Haru withholds, making Yuji sit back down with a thud. He looked disappointed, now mumbling to himself with a pout.
She sweats at this, disbelief that he was disappointed, 'Is he really that curious...?'
"Haruka!! Yuji...!!! Your favorite person is here~!! " Gojo's voice came from the distance, they look up, seeing the man child waving over at the excitedly. Yuji matched his teacher's energy, waving back while Haru just continued her drink.
"I got souvenirs for you, my dear Haruka~!!" He closes in, lifting up a black bag in the air. Twirling towards her until she was able to reach the bag. She smirks when she eyes the deserts inside.
"And of course, I won't be forgetting about you Yuji!!" Gojo pulls out another bag from nowhere, handing it to the excited student. He thanks him with a beam.
"Now then!! I came here to take Yuji for a mission!" Gojo says out of nowhere, surprising both Yuji and Haru from the unexpected outcome.
"A mission? Isn't that too early for him?" Haru frowns, placing her drink down with a thud, her eyes slightly narrow with doubt, "Don't tell me he's doing it alone..."
Gojo waved his hand, "Nope~ Nanamin will be taking care of him!"
"I'd suppose that's fine..." Haru says, 'After all...I have to lay low for now before I can take on some secret missions,'
"Alright! Come on Yuji!! Your mission will start right away!!"
"Ehh?? Already??!"
Haru sat in silence as Gojo took away the flustered boy to his sudden mission. She eyes the boy she was training earlier, still a bit unsure to be giving him a mission so soon. He was doing well, much better than she anticipated, and to think he already got the hang of divergent fist.
'It's fine...' She reassures herself, though unable to shake off the odd feeling that lingered deep inside her.
'Everything will be fine...'
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Thank you for reading!!