Life After Death: The Strength Of Suffering

Four months had passed since the events surrounding the Umemura Clan. Aside from ironing out details with the new Clan Head, Kaede who had visited a few times during that period, I had spent my time juggling paperwork, dealing with Sorcerers who ventured too close to the mountain or sought a fight, and focusing on training myself and Sukuna. Sukuna's training in particular, revealed just how much of a monster he was becoming. The kid was a genius the kind I'd only seen a handful of times in my old world. It was becoming apparent that I had less and less to teach him.

'I'll have to congratulate him with a gift.' I thought scratching my chin. Letting out a sigh, my gaze landed on a familiar piece of paper that had been appearing in my pile of paperwork lately, another meeting request from the Sugawara Clan.

"Again, huh?" I muttered before tossing it into the junk pile.

Turning my thoughts back to Sukuna's gift, I considered my options. I didn't keep the Cursed Tools of the Sorcerers I killed, finding no real use for them. However, I did have a stash of rare ores and cursed materials from clans that had once tried to buy me into marriage. Surely, something there could work.

Satisfied with the plan, I stood and stretched a satisfying crack ringing out from my neck. 'It's been ages since I did any blacksmithing. The last time was back in the Demon Slayer world.' I thought, a faint pang of nostalgia hitting me before a slight bit of pain racked my mind before I pushed the memories away.

'You can't go back, Souta.' I reminded myself firmly. 'This is your life now.'

Despite that, my gaze involuntarily drifted to my bare wrist before I sighed. Shaking it off, I walked out of the house, nodding at the people who bowed in my presence. A small smirk tugged at my lips. 'Good. They know their place.'

I made my way toward the area with the thickest smoke rising into the sky, the telltale sign of the blacksmith's forge. There, I saw an aged thin man step out with a freshly forged sword in hand. He sat down at a pedal grinder and began sharpening the blade.

"Afternoon." I greeted curtly.

He glanced up, his expression reading no fear, no joy, just indifference. 'Must be close to death's door.' I mused.

"Sasaki-sama." he replied evenly. "What brings you here? I doubt it's a weapon."

I nodded, glancing at the hut where the forge was housed before turning back to him.

"I need to forge something. This was the closest place, so I'd like to ask—"

He interrupted me with a slight nod, returning his focus to the blade. "Don't break anything."

I raised an eyebrow at his bluntness but ultimately shrugged it off. Turning away, I headed toward my personal storage, already thinking about the task ahead.

'The brat better like it.'

~Scene Change~

Two months had passed and I had noticed a shift in people's behavior. Some grew curious, others fearful, all stemming from the fact that I had been spending my time forging Sukuna's gift. I understood their reactions to some degree. 'They must think I'm preparing for something big, considering the wars in Japan are escalating.'

Shaking off the thought, I delivered a sharp kick to Sukuna's thigh. He buckled, falling to one knee. Wasting no time, I raised my hand to his throat.

"Yield."

His two lower arms twitched, but I acted quicker, sweeping his legs out from under him. Sukuna hit the ground hard and before he could counter, I planted my foot on his chest.

"Yield." I repeated, this time with more force.

I watched his reaction as he clicked his tongue in irritation before nodding begrudgingly. Stepping off him, I allowed him to get back on his feet.

'He's distracted.'

This wasn't the first time I had noticed his focus slipping during training. At first, I thought it was a result of the curiosity he had shown when I mentioned I was working on something for him. Now though I wondered if it was something more.

'Maybe he's overworked?'

Sighing, I called out before he could walk away. "Sukuna, follow me."

Not waiting for a response, I turned and headed toward the river nearby. As I walked I heard his footsteps catching up. Soon, he was walking beside me.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

I glanced down at him, noting how much he had grown recently. Turning my gaze back to the path, I responded with a question of my own.

"What is the source of Cursed Energy?"

He snorted clearly unimpressed by the simplicity of the question, and answered with the standard response. "Negative emotions are the source."

I nodded. "And where does it flow from?"

I could practically feel him rolling his eyes. "Cursed Energy flows from the body's core."

Satisfied, I continued walking, guiding us toward the river. "Our techniques are more destructive in nature—" I raised my hand, extending only my index and middle fingers. As I channeled Cursed Energy, I focused on the technique.

'Cursed Slash'

A small red and purple energy slash erupted from my hand, cutting cleanly through several trees in the distance.

"—but destruction without control is useless."

I considered demonstrating further but decided against it. 'I'd rather not ruin my clothes or my home.' I thought, dismissing the idea with a shrug.

Sukuna's gaze lingered on the aftermath of the attack as we kept walking. "Sukuna." I called, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned his attention back to me.

"Do you remember the Sakurazawa Clan?"

"Yes." he replied.

"Good." I continued. "The Sakurazawa Clan doesn't use Cursed Energy the way Sorcerers do. Instead, they rely on something called—"

"Positive Energy, right?" Sukuna interrupted. "I know you used it on me when you healed my arms. A few second rate Sorcerers I killed before meeting you used it too. Fucking weaklings never explained how it works though."

He snarled the last part and I ignored it, nodding in confirmation. "Yes, I used something similar—"

'Something a little different.'

"—but I was never properly taught by the Sakurazawa Clan. They told me I would know when I reached 'it.'"

I could feel his confusion and simmering anger but I simply shrugged. "I could tell you what I did, but I won't. It would ruin the experience, and I believe every Sorcerer should discover it for themselves."

From the corner of my eye I saw Sukuna nodding slowly before he asked. "Is that what we're doing today?"

I shook my head. "No. You'll learn it at the end of this year during our fight."

A smirk tugged at my lips as I sensed the anticipation radiating from him. Finally, the river came into view. I walked over to where a canoe and two fishing rods were waiting.

"Instead, we're taking a small break." I said.

Sukuna started to walk away, but I grabbed the scruff of his kimono before he could escape.

Before he could ask, I explained. "I said destruction without control is useless. This is a form of control."

He sighed, rolling his eyes but ultimately nodded. Letting go, I handed him a fishing rod before pushing the canoe into the water. Once we were seated, we drifted to the center of the river, the soft lapping of water breaking the silence.

~Scene Change~

Other than money, I had developed a love for fishing. It was calming, a rare escape that allowed me to stop thinking about my problems-

'I'm going to drown him.'

Unfortunately, that love wasn't shared with Sukuna who rocked side to side in the canoe, agitation radiating off him. He clearly hated sitting still.

I let out a deep sigh and turned to him. "Sukuna if you don't stop, I will drown you."

He snorted in response but before he could retort, I karate chopped him on the head.

"Hey!" he yelped, muttering a string of curses under his breath but I ignored him, returning my gaze to the water.

"Sukuna."

The low tone of my voice was enough to draw his attention. I watched his reflection in the water as he turned to look at me.

"What makes a human... human?"

He didn't answer, only shrugging nonchalantly.

"I've asked that question to both Sorcerers and Non-Sorcerers." I said. "and I've received a mix of answers. But there was one common thread. Care to guess what it was?"

Another uninterested shrug was my answer from him.

I looked up at the sky, speaking firmly. "Connections and relationships. Those seemed to be what people thought set them apart from pigs. Whether it was a father and son or a General and Foot Soldier, they believed those connections also gave them strength."

My gaze returned to the water, to Sukuna's reflection who stared at my own.

"I found that to be utter bullshit."

Scoffing I continued, my voice taking on a sharper edge. "Connections with others to create meaning in someone's life? What a fucking joke. A relationship to feel self worth, belonging, or to stave off loneliness? Grow the fuck up."

I turned away from the reflection and stared directly at Sukuna, my tone cold and deliberate.

"It means absolutely nothing. These are things that can be severed, so remember this well Sukuna, if you truly want to reach the top."

I saw his posture straighten slightly, his attention sharpening at my words.

"The stronger you become, the more connections and relationships will seem to appear along your path. Cut them away. Whether it's love, pity, or anything else, sever it. These things will only weaken you and drag you down from your goal."

I turned back to the water, letting my words hang heavy in the air. For a moment, there was only silence save for the gentle lapping of the river against the canoe. Then Sukuna spoke, his voice quieter than usual.

"Were you weakened by it?"

Blurry images flashed through my mind of a woman with braided black hair and a child with white hair, red eyes and a small horn on her head.

I nodded as I casted the memories away. "When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming the strongest in the East. But I never achieved it..."

I let out a snort, followed by a loud laugh.

"It was only after I lost them that I truly grew stronger and started moving toward my dream. And now... I've achieved part of it."

Sukuna hummed in acknowledgment, a nod that signaled he understood or at least that he was done questioning me.

Without another word, we both returned our focus to fishing, the river's peaceful flow filling the silence between us.

~Scene Change~

Two more months had passed, leaving just four remaining until Sukuna and I would fight without me holding back. I was nearly finished crafting a Cursed Tool for him. It wasn't flashy, just forged from the parts of Cursed Spirits preserved by some technique I didn't fully understand, and highly expensive rare as fuck ores.

'He better not complain about it.'

Sighing, I carefully inspected part of the gift, ensuring I had quenched the metal properly and that there were no cracks or warps. Once satisfied I wrapped it securely before setting it aside.

As I left the blacksmith's forge, I glanced toward a pile of rocks marking the old blacksmith's grave and gave a small nod.

'Can't believe he died while forging a blade.'

I'd walked in on the old man slumped over his workbench, hammer in one hand and cold steel in the other. After burying him, I went back to my own work without missing a beat.

'Oh well.'

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Turning, I saw Kaede Umemura, dressed in an elegant purple kimono.

"Sasaki-san, I thought I'd find you here." she said, a soft smile gracing her lips.

I raised an eyebrow, noting the absence of her usual guards, but shrugged it off. "Well, you found me. What do you want, girly?"

She released a sigh, falling into step beside me. "Would it be so hard for you to call me Kaede?"

I snorted. "Is it hard for you to call me Souta?"

She blinked then smiled, her tone light. "Souta, then. Are you free tomorrow?"

I didn't react to her using my first name without a suffix, merely shrugging as I kept my gaze on the path ahead.

"Not sure. I've been busy training the kid and working on something."

She hummed, the sound pleasant. "Is that so? Then how about we have dinner at your place?"

I glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

She seemed to understand I wasn't asking out of curiosity. Straightening her posture, she answered simply, "I've fallen for you."

I snorted, my tone dismissive. "Really? What is it about me that attracts you?"

She hummed again, unfazed by my bluntness. "The way you carry yourself... and the way you lie to yourself is part of what I find attractive."

'Lying is attractive?'

She seemingly could read my mind as he rolled her eyes, gesturing lightly with her hand. "The Sakurazawa Clan is quite loyal to those they admire. It took some effort but I discovered what you drink. you drink a particular sake that dulls the pain of lingering Cursed Techniques and memories."

'She must've paid a lot for that info.'

While it was irritating that she'd uncovered such a detail it wasn't unexpected. People eventually pieced together even the things you'd rather keep hidden. I shrugged off her findings and snorted.

"And? Do you think I'm a good person when I'm sober? That I care about those around me?" I scoffed. "I've told you before, I couldn't give a fuck."

Her smile only widened, her gaze drifting to the swaying trees. Then in a graceful twirl, she stepped in front of me forcing me to stop.

"She must've been quite the woman—"

Her words didn't finish. I grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against a tree the bark cracking under the force. She gripped my arm gasping, but I wasn't about to let her go.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

'I haven't told anyone about that part of my past. How does she—'

My thoughts were interrupted as she choked out her answer, her voice strained. "I-I can tell by your e-eyes."

I released her, letting her drop to the ground. She coughed and rubbed her neck, leaning against the tree for support before continuing. Despite myself, I stayed to listen.

"I-it's something only a woman would probably notice."

She looked up at me, her smile weak but persistent.

"You drink to forget someone you love. I choose to believe she was quite the woman if you want to forget her so badly."

I had heard enough. Turning on my heel, I started walking away, but her voice rang out behind me.

"I won't lose to her!"

I didn't stop.

"I won't stop loving you, even if it kills me!" she yelled. "Until that day comes, I'll keep chasing after you, until you feel the same!"

I didn't turn back, nor did I have any response. I kept walking, my feet carrying me toward the training grounds where Sukuna was waiting.