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Yuuji knew he was different.
He was just that little bit faster, that little bit stronger, always able to do more than everyone else.
Yuuji didn't really care about his parents. They weren't around, he had his jii-chan, he was fine!
But then jii-chan died. It was so sudden. The doctors couldn't find anything that caused it. It was really weird, especially since he had only been complaining an hour earlier.
Yuuji sat there, outside the hospital, the nurses had taken him to this bench, murmuring at him to get some air. Yuuji realized, distantly, that he was in shock. And why wouldn't he be? He's only 15, what is he going to do? Jii-chan didn't have a will. Jii-chan didn't leave anything. What did he do from here? Where did he go?
He heard, almost through water, someone approaching him, wearing traditional sandals. The person, man? sat next to Yuuji, and gently tapped him on the shoulder. Yuuji turned his eyes first, then his whole head.
A man with dark hair and narrow eyes smiled down at him, stitches stark on his forehead. "Hello Itadori Yuuji-kun. May I talk with you for a minute? I've been waiting forever to meet you again, and we have so much to talk about."
~~~~~~~~~
Satoru cursed (heh) as he tried to save more people, normal people, from the curses that had launched a full scale attack on Shibuya.
Where's Megumi? Nobara? Nanamin? Junpei? Satoru thought wildly as he saved more people, teleporting as many as he could, wincing when he came back and saw blood where others once stood.
Then that fucking prison realm came out of nowhere and snagged him.
A latent trap. He realized belatedly, and tried to focus on freeing himself, struggling in the bonds with physical strength, since Infinity wouldn't work on this.
"Yoohoo~! Gojo Satoru-san!" Came a voice one way too young, what was it doing here!? In the middle of a warzone and Satoru snapped his head around.
A young boy, couldn't be more than 16, was walking towards him, a bright, sunny smile on his face, peach colored hair and a hand waving. Stitches across his forehead stood out.
But that didn't stand out the most.
No.
What stood out the most was the fact that there was a second consciousness in that body. It was smaller and younger than the one that was currently in charge.
But it was still there.
Could it be reached?
Was it the original conscious?
I have to try and reach them.
"So." Satoru sneered, glaring with all the force of Six-Eyes. "Is this like Body Snatchers? Or perhaps a simple possession?"
The boy's body not him, couldn't be him, the young consciousness isn't happy, it's sad and hurt- laughed, flapping his hand. "My! How'd you know?"
"He's still in there." Satoru said coldly, for once in his life straining his eyes to see the second consciousness, to try and keep him alive and full of hope.
"Ah, that would certainly explain it. Can't hide anything from the Six-Eyes, and Yuuji-kun was always such a stubborn boy." The person who was masquerading as a boy crooned, reaching up and pulled the top of the head off. "It's a good thing that only you are aware of this fact! But since you aren't getting out of that Prison Realm anytime soon, let me divulge a little secret. My name is Kenjaku, and Yuuji-kun's brain is still back at my laboratory! He may be lingering in this body for a little while, but I assure you, that once I have no more use for this body, it will be a vessel for Ryoumen Sukuna."
Satoru felt his blood run cold. Ryoumen Sukuna.
These bastards were planning on bringing him back!?
Satoru took a deep breath, then rerouted all his curse energy to Six-Eyes and focused on the second consciousness, on Yuuji.
"Yuuji-kun. I don't know if you can hear me. But, I can't wait to meet you once this is all over." Satoru smiled, being able to see the golden, watery version of the boy's face contort in surprise, before the Prison Realm started to take him inside it.
However, before it did fully, Satoru got the delight in hearing Kenjaku cry out in pain and surprise as floating bombs of blood exploded. He had already met the Death Painting named Chōsō, who cares for his brother more than anything.
I imagine learning that your brother is possessed would make anyone mad. Satoru thought in satisfaction, almost feeling like a cat that got the cream.
Inside the Prison Realm, Satoru closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. He had meant it, truly.
He couldn't wait to meet Yuuji-kun once he got out.
~~~~~~~~~~
Yuuji blinked open his eyes, yawning, trying to stretch.
Before he paused. And thought about it.
Wasn't I dead? My brain was out of my body, wasn't it? So how am I alive? How am I in control?
"You fought for it back, and fought enough for us to take care of Kenjaku." A voice came from his right, and Yuuji could barely get the strength to turn his head and look at the person.
Dark hair, tugged back in two buns, a dark stripe painted across the nose, eye bags for days.
"Chōsō. . . ." Yuuji slurred, blinking again.
"Little brother." Chōsō sighed, bringing a hand to Yuuji's head and carding gently through his hair.
Yuuji unintentionally leaned into it, sighing at the sheer gentleness Chōsō had for him. It was weird, to be taken care of. "What happened?" He croaked.
"I felt something was off, so I followed Gojo-san to where Kenjaku-'' Chōsō spat the name, full of hatred and vitriol for the man, "laid in wait. Just in time to hear everything. I managed to surprise him with a technique I created on my own. I grabbed the Prison Realm, and I had knocked your body out earlier. Apparently, after Gojo-san had spoken to you, you had fought for control, and gained it, if only for a few seconds. You have such strong will, little brother."
Yuuji hummed, trying to sit up. "And Gojo-san? And I'm back in my body? Is it just me?"
Chōsō pushed him back down into the bed. "A very talented person is currently trying to break Gojo-san out of the Prison Realm. And they have a good doctor here, and since Kenjaku kept your brain, she was able to put it back with little trouble. It was simply a waiting game for you to wake up."
Yuuji felt like Chōsō wasn't telling him everything, but he laid back down. "Can Gojo-san come see me after he gets out? He. . . He kept me from giving up."
Chōsō carded his hand through Yuuji's hair again. "Of course, little brother. Sleep well."
Yuuji nodded off, sleeping peacefully in his own body, that was fully his.
~~~~~~~~~~
Satoru stalked through the halls, upset that the idiotic old bats had kept him from his promise.
They should all keel over sometime soon. He thought darkly, before breathing deeply. He had to keep on track. He couldn't be upset right now, he had someone extremely important to meet.
Nobara-chan, Junpei-kun and Nanamin had already met Yuuji-kun. Even Megumi met him! Megumi!
Worst yet, Megumi actually LIKED hanging around Yuuji-kun!
Satoru needed to move fast if he wanted to cement his number one place in Yuuji-kun's heart! In a platonic way, mind you. The boy would buy him mochi if Satoru was his number one favorite, so obviously Satoru needed to be in that position!
He paused outside the door, taking another breath. Would Yuuji-kun even remember him?
Would he remember his words?
Had Satoru even helped Yuuji-kun?
Satoru shook his head and opened the door with a cheery grin, waving brightly. The boy in the hospital bed looked up.
He looked better. His skin was a healthier tone, his hair was washed, and his eyes were brighter. The only scars on his face were where the stitches had been, now a pinkish color, instead of the angry red that Kenjaku had left them.
"Hello Itadori Yuuji-kun! I've been wanting to meet you for a while now! And we have a few things to talk about too!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Yuuji sighed as he hiked the backpack full of school supplies up.
He was slowly getting back to 100%, but Kenjaku had neglected his workout regime while he was in control.
Kenjaku was still alive, in a sense. They kept the brain, which Gojo-sensei had fumed about, silently, where he thought Yuuji couldn't hear.
He also plotted with Chōsō about Kenjaku, which Yuuji eagerly turned a blind eye to.
But for now, Yuuji faced the front of Jujutsu Tech. His new beginning. Kugisaki, Fushiguro, Nanami-san, Junpai-san, and Chōsō were waiting for him.
He felt Gojo-sensei place a hand on his back, without Infinity separating them. Yuuji nearly cried at that, but figured he could at least wait until he got to his room for the water works.
"Ready?" Gojo-sensei asked softly, more than willing to give Yuuji more time.
Yuuji smiled up at Gojo-sensei, not a sunshine smile, but a softer one.
(A sunrise. Satoru thought to himself. The dawn after a long night.)
"Ready." Yuuji said, placing one foot in front of the other.
Carrying himself to his friends.
Carrying himself to his family.
Carrying himself to his future.