Chapter Text
July 2018
“-And you’re telling me… he ate it?” you asked with your voice groggy.
The question came out more like a statement.
There was a small laugh that came from the other end of the line. “Yes,” he dragged out. “He ate it. I told you this like three times.”
“I know, it’s just...nevermind-“
It wasn’t that you didn’t know the reason the boy ate it. But you were amazed. Amazed that someone would have the courage to eat that treacherous thing. You found it revolting to even look at it. Even if it was just a cursed object, it still resembled a human finger.
“Anyways...”
You were snapped out of your disgusting thoughts. “I want to know if he’ll be okay- specifically if he’ll die later on just from that one finger. So…?”
Ah, so that’s why he called. “Well, it’s been a whole day since the kid ate it, right? So, if anything were to happen to him from just that one finger, it would’ve happened by now.”
A slight hum of acknowledgment was all you heard.
“That being said,” you sighed out.
“Even if he is able to suppress Sukuna at will, it might become more difficult for him to control him as he eats more fingers.”
There was no hint of acknowledgement this time. Must be in really deep thought then.
“To be safe; give him another finger. If he’s going to die, he’ll die from that one. Even if he doesn’t die, you’ll need to make sure it’s not just a physical tolerance. See if he’s able to fight off Sukuna’s possession after he eats it.”
A sigh filled your ear. “Alright! Will do!”
You cocked your eyebrow. “Are you sure the kid is okay with eating 19 more of those disgusting things.”
“He’s eaten one, I’m sure he can do it again.” he said slyly.
“You should be glad that he didn’t get some parasite from that unsanitary thing.” you mentioned under your breath.
He chuckled at your comment. “So how’s Rome for you?” he playfully added. God, what the hell was he trying to do?
“Gojo, it’s two in the morning here, I’m sure you’re aware.” you scoffed out. “Why you felt the need to call me at this time? That I do not know. But, I’d like to return to being unconscious.
Another laugh. This time it was from the gut.
“Ahh c’mon, can’t answer one question before ‘returning to being unconscious’, hmm?” he mocked.
That fucker.
You sighed and closed your eyes for a few seconds in annoyance. You could feel the gritty sand-like sensation in your eyelids.
“It’s fine- it’s nice,” you said quickly. “Just do me a favor, okay? I come back from this San Lorenzo assignment in two weeks. Just let me see the kid when I get back.”
“Alright, I can do that I guess.”
You scrunched a handful of your hair and sighed. “How’s Fushiguro?”
“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he sang into the phone.
He must of felt your glare and tension through the phone, because he immediately solidified his tone and spoke again.
“He’s fine. Shoko will be available later today to fix him up.”
“good...” you said in a low voice as you breathed out in relief.
“I’ll let you go back to your precious beauty sleep then.” he over exaggerated the last few words. “Oh! Bring me back a souvenir will ya?”
“You have enough souvenirs already.”
“Ahh, c’mon, but I haven’t been to Rome.”
“Stop lying.”
“Not that specific district- oh I know, bring me back some Torta Caprese!” he said with an accent.
“That was an English accent, not Italian.”
He tried again. “Torta Caprese!”
“French.”
He tried again.
“I’m not even sure what accent you were trying to imitate there,” you said flatly.
“Goodbye Gojo.”
“Wait. Let me try again-“
You sighed into the phone before he could make another failed attempt. “Think of the Super Mario Brothers.” Before he could even comprehend your sentence, you hung up.
The man slowly removed his phone away from his ear and held it in front of him as he leaned his back against the wall. He looked down at the phone, the call log read ‘7:43’.
He lifted his head to look straight ahead. “Aha, Mario Bros.- okay!” he said under his breath as he shook the phone a little with a smile.
The door slid open. The blindfolded man walked in and stationed himself against the door. The pink-haired boy’s head was lowered as he collected the ashes from the long table. He carefully picked up fragments of bones that remained and put them aside.
“If all the parts of Sukuna were gone, would it really help?”
The boy paused. He carefully picked up fragments of bones that remained with chopsticks and put them aside.
“Would fewer people get harmed by those curses?” His voice was somber and genuine.
A tiny smirk came across the man’s face. “Yes, of course.” he said softly.
The boy delicately put the lid on top of the urn with a heavy sigh. “You still got that finger?” he asked as he walked over to the door.
The boy caught eye of the finger in the teacher's hand and carefully grabbed it. He closely examined it before he spoke. “Looking at it again in broad daylight, it looks pretty disgusting.”
The tall man carefully stepped back as he smiled. “I’m sure one of my friends would agree.”
The boy took one more close look and gulped down the cursed object.
There was silence for only mere seconds.
The sound of mist filled the room. Markings fading in from an opaque grey to an intense black revealed themself on the boy’s face.
Flashes of red, black and green erupted from the teens body. A mixture of uncomfort and disgust showed on his face; along with quick twitches of his now two identities.
As quickly as the combustion of energy appeared, it vanished. The boy hunched over- clawing at his chest. Grunts and wheezes followed, and so did the low growl of the curse inside him.
Stumbling to the wall, he started laughing. The merge of the two voices filling the room.
There was silence again.
“Yuck! So gross!” the boy grabbed his throat as he stuck his tongue out.
A grin plastered itself onto the teacher's face. There was only one thought that came into his mind.
Perfect.
+++
You were still awake. After the unannounced phone call you drank gulps of water by the bottle. Your phone still laid in your hand as you sat up staring at the dim room.
Yuji Itadori.
Whoever he was, he must have had a few loose screws. Not just for eating the first finger.
It was for even considering to remain a tool to the Jujutsu world.
Was Itadori truly a vessel? Or just a plain old kid that had been cursed?