Becoming Sukuna

It's impossible to even catch a glimpse of the special-grade cursed object sealed with two faces of Sukuna, but the cooperation Sukuna mentioned had already been finalized between the two.

Gojo Satoru wasn't concerned about any petty schemes Sukuna might try. Communication between strong individuals is done through powerful exchanges of blows. After their previous clash, Gojo had gained a good sense of who Sukuna really was.

He didn't seem like the type to indulge in sneaky or underhanded tactics, but he definitely had a taste for mischief.

What truly bothered Gojo, however, was the lingering mystery surrounding Sukuna's true identity.

From his observations, Gojo could tell that the one in control of the girl's body wasn't Yukinoshita Yukino, but rather Sukuna. However, Sukuna didn't fully possess the body—there was an odd, harmonious coexistence between them.

It was strange. Was it just a childish whim, a desire to experience a life different from the one he had a thousand years ago? Maybe even playing house with the girl?

It was this very confusion that led Gojo to agree to Sukuna's request for cooperation. The goal was simple: to keep him under surveillance.

"Then let's make it official," Sukuna extended his hand, and Gojo, activating his limitless technique, shook it. "Working with the King of Curses, now that's a novel experience."

The moment their hands met, Sukuna swung his left hand toward Gojo's face, but the blow was blocked by the barrier created by Gojo's limitless technique.

"Already trying to break our partnership, huh?" Gojo smirked, pleased with himself for blocking the attack.

"Strange, I don't know why, but seeing your face made my hand move on its own," Sukuna said nonchalantly, not even using cursed energy.

"Well, the King of Curses has some petty tendencies, huh?" Gojo laughed.

"That smirk on your face makes me want to punch you," Sukuna muttered.

"Sorry, sorry," Gojo replied with a grin.

Back at the Jujutsu High station, Gojo put his black blindfold back on. Fushiguro Megumi and Ijichi Keigo, who had been waiting at their designated spots, visibly relaxed when they saw the familiar figure.

"Sensei!" they both greeted.

"Gojo-sensei!"

However, the moment their eyes landed on Sukuna, trailing behind Gojo, their smiles froze.

What was going on? Didn't Gojo-sensei handle Sukuna?

"Ta-da!" Gojo stepped aside with a dramatic flourish, stretching his arms to introduce Sukuna. "I brought in a powerful ally for us at Jujutsu High! The King of Curses from a thousand years ago—Two-Faced Sukuna!"

"...Seriously, are you kidding?" Fushiguro stared, wide-eyed. After just leaving to chase Sukuna for a few minutes, Gojo had somehow managed to get him to turn over a new leaf?

Ijichi silently adjusted his glasses. No matter what happened now, he wouldn't be surprised. As long as it didn't interfere with his work, he was fine.

"I told you to call me Sukuna," Sukuna reminded.

"Did you hear that? Call him Sukuna," Gojo added, ignoring the dramatics, but Fushiguro wasn't buying it. His furrowed brow showed clear concern.

"So, what's going on here? Could you please explain, Sensei?"

Gojo quickly summarized the agreement he had made with Sukuna, but Fushiguro was still unsure.

"Can we really trust Sukuna?" Fushiguro asked, his tone hesitant.

"No need for trust. It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement," Sukuna said, stepping up to Fushiguro and patting him on the shoulder. "Compared to this guy, you two seem pretty normal. If you need help with curse elimination, just let me know."

Fushiguro couldn't even entertain the thought of resistance; just the light touch on his shoulder from Sukuna made him sweat.

"And Yukinoshita's parents will be here soon, so take care of them. Make sure they don't find out anything about the sorcery world," Sukuna then addressed Ijichi.

Ijichi glanced at Gojo, who gave him an encouraging thumbs up. After receiving the signal, Ijichi nodded. "Got it, Sukuna."

"Look at you, a real professional. I feel a lot better about leaving things to you," Sukuna said, shaking his hand with satisfaction.

Ijichi couldn't help but feel touched by the compliment. How long had it been since someone had spoken to him like that?

His life had been one long struggle between the higher-ups at Jujutsu High and Gojo, constantly dealing with unreasonable demands from the latter. To hear something like that now was surprisingly heartwarming.

"Leave it to me. This is my job, after all," Ijichi replied earnestly.

But his performance had clearly annoyed someone nearby.

"Hey, Ijichi!" Gojo's voice, drawn out with irritation, caused Ijichi to involuntarily flinch.

"Don't mind him," Sukuna said kindly, patting Ijichi on his slumped back to offer some encouragement.

"Geez, you're switching sides too quickly," Gojo remarked, his eyes narrowing in mock exasperation.

"Alright, enough messing around. It's about time. Yukinoshita's parents should be arriving soon, so I'll take my leave," Sukuna said, surrendering control of the body back to Yukinoshita Yukino.

The black markings on her face gradually faded away.

Gojo observed quietly as Yukinoshita Yukino regained control of her body.

Sukuna's presence and cursed energy had completely dissipated. It was the same as when it first happened—no warning signs. If Sukuna didn't voluntarily reveal himself, even Gojo's Six Eyes wouldn't have noticed him.

If he had absorbed or merged with a cursed object, shouldn't their cursed energy be mixed together? Was there some hidden method at play here?

Had he never truly become a cursed object? How reliable was that theory?

"Alright, let's go, Megumi."

Not bothering to share his inner thoughts with the others, Gojo motioned for Fushiguro to leave. "This isn't our problem anymore. Leave it to Ijichi."

Fushiguro glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino, who was still in her usual state, but clearly still under Sukuna's influence. After a final look, he followed Gojo out of the station.

No one likes seeing others worry about their own condition. If there are those who do, it's probably just stubbornness.

"What should we do? Has she been too scared? Is there something wrong with her mental state?" Yukinoshita's mother gently caressed her daughter's face, tears welling in her eyes. The usually graceful and dignified woman had completely let go of her usual composure, leaving only deep concern for her daughter.

"We should take her to the hospital for an examination." Yukinoshita's father squatted down, waving his hand in front of Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes. She, however, showed no reaction.

He had originally planned to inquire about the case details after visiting his daughter, but he hadn't expected her condition to be so serious.

Upon hearing she would be taken to the hospital, Yukinoshita Yukino immediately felt panicked. She quickly asked Sukuna to help send her consciousness back.

"Actually, you could return on your own... don't forget to act it out," Sukuna reminded.

"I... I'll try my best," Yukinoshita Yukino murmured. She had no confidence in her acting skills, unlike her sister, Yukino.

After her consciousness returned, her dim dark blue pupils slowly refocused. Yukinoshita Yukino blinked.

In reality, no acting was needed. The moment she saw her mother's eyes, filled with tears and reflecting her somewhat confused face, Yukinoshita Yukino realized that no matter how she reacted, her mother would never realize anything was wrong.

It was as if her mother had turned into a completely different person. No matter how she tried, the girl could not link the tear-filled eyes of the beautiful woman in front of her to the strict, stern mother who had always scolded her.

Suddenly, an indescribable bitterness surged in her heart, but at the same time, there was a sense of fulfillment, as though all her efforts had finally paid off.

"Mom..."

Although she had always used the more formal and respectful term "mother," this time, the word "mom" escaped her lips. The voice was soft, like fine sand slipping through her fingers, so delicate that it could easily be missed.

Her heartfelt call was met with an answer. After a moment of surprise, Yukinoshita's mother tightly embraced her daughter, her voice slightly choked with emotion. "Mm, mom is here..."

This is what family love is like, and it should be so—whether stern and rigid or distant and cold, it all dissolves in front of genuine affection.

The scene of maternal love and filial devotion was truly touching. Sukuna, sitting cross-legged on the shrine eaves, propped her chin up and murmured, "The acting is great, but don't you think it's a bit much?"

After confirming her daughter was fine, Yukinoshita's parents, still uneasy, insisted on taking her to the hospital for a thorough check-up.

At that moment, actor number two, a member of the high-special task force stationed at the police station, appeared.

The day after Yukinoshita Yukino filed the report, Ijichi Kiyoshi arrived at their door, having seen the curtain Sukuna had set up.

The "curtain" referred to a special group of people working for the high-special task force, who could perceive curses. Though they were not combatants, they were eyes and ears scattered throughout Japan. Thanks to them, the task force could accurately assign tasks to sorcerers based on the level of curses that appeared.

Although it was common for sorcerers to face curses higher than their own level due to a lack of manpower, the task force's system was effective.

Actor number two first praised Yukinoshita Yukino for her calmness and bravery, then began explaining the scripted scenario to the Chiba Prefecture legislator.

On her way home from school, Yukinoshita Yukino noticed suspicious behavior from the murderer following the victim. After seeing the murderer holding a weapon, she thought something was wrong and quietly followed while calling the police, reporting her observations. She ended up encountering the scene of the murder with the police in the victim's apartment. However, due to the gruesome and bloody nature of the scene, she was mentally shaken and would need time to recover.

As for the identity of the murderer, it was selected from a list of death row inmates and framed for the crime. The case was followed up with hypnosis by special personnel and re-trialed, with all official documents, including the coroner's report, falsified. Even if Yukinoshita's father, a legislator, personally investigated, no issues could be found.

Ijichi Kiyoshi truly lived up to his reputation as a professional and reliable figure in society.

After Yukinoshita Yukino was taken to the hospital for an examination, her sister, Yukino, immediately dropped everything upon receiving a call from their father and rushed to the hospital.

"What happened to Yukino?" Haruno, out of breath after rushing, asked, her chest rising and falling.

Outside the examination room, Yukinoshita's parents explained everything to her. But soon after, she instinctively felt something was strange.

Did I accidentally witness a murder?

Wasn't Yukino perfectly fine yesterday?

Yukinoshita Haruno instinctively recalled how Yukino had been the day before. While it was true that Yukino had seemed more lethargic than usual, it wasn't to the extent that their mother had claimed. Yukino had still made dinner and breakfast for herself, after all.

From what Haruno knew about Yukino, any lies Yukino told were always so transparent that Haruno could easily see through them. If something had happened, Yukino would simply keep it to herself, but it wouldn't be something she'd lie about. Not to mention, everything about the incident was recorded.

Could it be that I'm just overthinking things?

Haruno wondered if she was the one who was neurotic.

Haruno felt like she was the one who needed a psychological evaluation.

The examination ended quickly, and the results were clear: nothing was wrong. Yukino had only been a bit startled, but there was no serious harm.

Seeing their well-behaved and calm younger daughter, the Yukinoshita parents finally relaxed.

"Just stay at the family home for today. It's fine to take a break from school for a while."

Their mother gently adjusted Yukino's collar, and Haruno stared, her eyes wide.

Is this really my mother? When has she ever shown this kind of gentle demeanor?

Why does it feel like, after one night, everyone in this house has become a stranger?

No, that's not it.

Given Yukino's personality, if she had encountered something unjust, she would've stepped in to stop it. It's only natural. It was just bad luck that she stumbled upon a murder. Though their mother was strict and serious, it was obvious that she would worry for Yukino in such a situation.

But there was still something off about the whole event.

The doubt that lingered in Haruno's heart was like dark clouds hanging over her, refusing to disperse. Yet, the feeling couldn't be put into words, like having something stuck between your teeth that you can't quite get out, leaving an uncomfortable sensation.

Haruno couldn't help but start doubting.

Could it be that... the one who's wrong is me?