09. 

pieces of puzzles

Gojo Satoru might be the strongest jujutsu sorcerer in the world, might be the Honoured One, might be someone whose loud and exuberant nature unnerves everybody around him, might be arrogant and self-obsessed like he was accused of multiple times. Yet, despite every thought of him that runs in the minds of his enemies, friends, students or the old farts (the Higher Ups) – Gojo knows there's one common thought that strings them together.

Gojo Satoru is a mystery, like a puzzle with identical counterparts, whose pieces don't seem to fall into place no matter how much you try.

He knows that throughout his life so far, there was just one person who Gojo let solve the puzzle, piece-by-piece. And Gojo never worried, never cared if he knew too much. Why would anyone worry about their best friend knowing who they really are?

But he left, and Gojo- the most powerful jujutsu sorcerer- was powerless to stop him.

There was another person who was so close to completing the puzzle, Gojo recalls. Although he won't pretend like forgetting her was easy. It was his fault she defected from the jujutsu sorcerer, Gojo is sure. Would she have stayed, if he answered differently?

If he was honest with her and not overcome by childish embarrassment, would she have changed her mind?

Gojo can't help but wonder about that as he stands on the grounds of her family's estate, staring into Amano Akito's fiery gaze. A gaze that he wouldn't be the recipient of if he asked Amano Miyu to stay.

"Gojo Satoru." Upon hearing the honey glazed voice the white haired man stops a shiver. The abundance of power her voice alone carries is astonishing, even to Gojo. The Amano's never falter- they have this stifling aura about them that no one could defy.

Yet, Gojo Satoru has done just that. He wears a smirk on his lips, true to his nature. "Amano Akito." He responds in a rivalling tone. "How do you do?"

The man sitting next to Akito scoffs. Zenba Hayato scrunches his nose in disgust and Gojo immediately remembers his student. Akane wears the same expression whenever he tries to feed her anything sweet, because she hates them.

But her hate for sweets is nothing like Hayato's hate for his own daughter. The first time Gojo met the clan, before Akane was his student, Hayato used a spiteful tone whenever the Cursed girl's name came up. Back then, Gojo thought it was amusing how every big clan in jujutsu sorcery seemed to hate their own children.

He still finds it amusing, but even if one slur for Akane comes out of his filthy mouth, Gojo will go for his neck.

"Akane failed to kill Ryomen Sukuna," Akito says with an apathetic expression. She doesn't look like a mother mourning her daughter's death. "That is why she is dead."

The stretch of Gojo's blindfold gives away the furrow of brows. "Her heart attack is a part of the curse?"

"Of course." Akito replies. "Her thread snaps the moment the Cursed Spirit dies. If she doesn't kill it, she dies. It's only fair."

Gojo clenches his jaw. "Did you forget to mention that to Akane? Or that she was tied to a Vengeful Spirit?"

Akito scoffs, her eyes darken with disgust. "Why? You think that would have made that weak girl any stronger?"

"You underestimate Akane's strength."

"You speak of her in the present tense." A new voice says, Gojo doesn't turn his face but his eyes peer at Amano Eiji. He feels his heart clench. "Are you having difficulty in accepting her death? Like you did with my daughter's fate?"

Gojo stays silent. He tries to keep his face nonchalant, not wanting to display the pacing of his pulse.

"The Honoured One mourns my daughter?" Akito laughs teasingly.

"Shouldn't you be mourning her too?"

"No." Akito answers immediately. "She failed to complete her task, failed to revive the Amano glory. I cannot grieve for her when I don't feel the grief."

Gojo snickers, it causes Akito to raise her brows. "That's funny. No wonder she hated you."

Akito narrows her eyes. "I have no care for what that girl thought of me. I've summoned you here for a reason."

Gojo outwardly laughs at that, running a hand through his silver hair. "Oh, the irrelevant Amano clan think they can summon me? That's cute."

Akito's dark eyes flare with cursed energy, a shade of violence akin to Akane's, but weaker. Before she could spew curses at him or attempt using her Cursed Technique, her husband laughs louder than Gojo.

"Hayato!"

"Hahaha! He got you good. Seriously, did you think you're more important than Gojo Sato-"

"Shut up."

By the sudden wave of cursed energy that falls towards Zenba Hayato, Gojo realises that Akito just used her Cursed Technique to shut her husband's mouth. He merely laughs again at that.

"You have very little Cursed Energy left, Akito-san. Maybe you should use it more cautiously."

"Cut the crap," Amano Akito snaps. Even through her vexed tone, her voice was soothing yet dangerously hypnotic. Unlike Akane who bowed down her head to orders, her mother wore authority proudly on her shoulders. Amano Akito- Amano clan's current head and Akane's mother- is a relentless woman who can swim through the deepest chasm of the darkest waters just to grasp boundless power. Akito sees no line between good and evil, in her eyes there is only one thing that matters- power.

Gojo has seen first-hand what Akane has turned into because of the woman's quest for power, and he loathes her for it.

"Gojo-san, I have no idea what your intentions are but I'm warning you right now, be careful where you tread." Her dark eyes are narrowed at the white haired sorcerer.

Gojo's smirk is unwavering. "How considerate of you, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"You sorcerers at Tokyo did nothing good for our prestigious clan." She seethes. To Gojo, it seemed more like she was just venting. "Because of you, one of ours has gone rogue. I hate her for staining our family's name in such a disgusting stench, but I hate you more for doing this to the Amano's. Unlike that brat, Akane was truly special, she was a miracle, a goddess incarnate!"

"Yet, you treated her like shit."

Akito heaves with deep, angry breaths, glaring hateful daggers to Gojo. "You know nothing of what we did for her. Of the sacrifices we all made!"

"She never asked for that, Akito-san."

"She didn't need to." Akito simply says. "It was her fate. She was born to kill Sukuna."

"So you always knew the thread led to Sukuna."

It wasn't a question. The gears in his head begin to turn. "You somehow managed to extract his blood and fabricated it into a thread. It was always your plan to lead her to Sukuna. How did you manage that? Was it the Kamo's?"

"Her thread would have led to all twenty of his fingers. She was to destroy them all." Akito answers half of his questions. "His vessel, however, was unexpected. In fact, it was just more evidence that Akane was meant to kill him. It was all about divine timing."

"Was that why you requested her to be Yuuji's executor?"

Akito scrunches her forehead confusedly. "Yuuji?"

"Itadori Yuuji." Gojo corrects her in a threatening tone. "Sukuna's vessel."

Akito shivers at the change in Gojo's tone. Her eyes grow wide now, as though she has gone mad, a maniacal grin as though she was possessed. "I don't care what you think of me, or my clan." She says. "Say what you want. I expected you to make her stronger, even more than you. She had a legacy to complete and a power that was strong enough to take down an army of Cursed Spirits! Unlike you..." Akito scoffs with disgust. "Out of everyone who could have been gifted with the Six Eyes and Limitless, it had to be you."

A pause, and then- "Are you trying to test my power?"

"Your only job was to make my daughter even more powerful than you. Which you failed to do, clearly." The clan head sighs. "I suggest you keep your nose out of our business, Gojo-san, you've already meddled with our family enough."

Gojo bites back an argument because she was right. Akito and the rest of the Amano's don't realise that he could have stopped them from going rogue, but she is still right. He was never strong enough to protect the Amano girls.

He doesn't entirely understand how Akane sprung back to life and judging by Akito's purposeless eyes, she doesn't either. So Gojo keeps that bit of information to himself like he promised Akane.

"Gojo-san," Amano Eiji speaks after a long silence. "You failed to protect both our girls. The only reason you're still standing here is because none of us are strong enough to kill you, even if my sister is too adamant to admit that."

"Is that so?" Gojo smirks, tilting his head. "Then why did you request my presence?"

He stresses on the word, knowing all too well that it would hurt their pride. Gojo relishes the reward of Akito's mouth twitching in annoyance.

"We summoned you here because we wanted you to return the Mikazuki Katana back to us." It's Eiji who responds, his voice devoid of malice but stern nevertheless. "It's a precious relic of our clan and now that Akane can no longer wield it, we would like it back."

"Ah, that." Gojo kisses his teeth in realisation. Another wide grin appears on his face as he predicts their reactions on the news. "It's gone. Sukuna broke it the first time he met Akane."

═════ ◈ ═════

In Gojo Satoru's grand scheme of things, he made a very elaborate plan to introduce Akane and Yuuji's much-alive forms hours before the Exchange Event. Akane doesn't have a very good feeling about it. Yuuji is hyper-excited to see his friends' reactions. The mismatched girl just smiles at his enthusiasm.

According to Gojo, Yuuji is ready and strong enough to take part in the event. He was able to control his Cursed Energy even while experiencing different emotions, all heightened (right before Akane joined him and fell asleep, she was still embarrassed about that.) Then, a few hours later Gojo apparated all of a sudden only to find Yuuji still watching a movie, albeit in a low volume (because Akane was fast asleep on his shoulder, which made her more embarrassed when her teacher told it to her), he still had his Cursed Energy in control.

So, Gojo decided it would be a good choice to show Yuuji a primary example of Domain Expansion, while an unregistered Special Grade Cursed Spirit waited for him somewhere in the hills. While narrating this tale to Akane, Gojo made sure to stress on how Yuuji carefully placed her head on the cushion, tucked her black hair behind her ear and murmured a soft bye-bye before teleporting with his teacher.

Akane was sure that Gojo was exaggerating, judging by his teasing grin and suggestive nudges. Still, she couldn't stop the blush that crept on her face.

Gojo has been making fun of her ever since, but thankfully never in front of Yuuji.

Although once they reunite with their classmates and upperclassmen, and the Kyoto students, Akane doubts Gojo will keep quiet about it.

She just sighs exasperatedly. Looking over at the boy crouching close to her, who seems excited even after Gojo stuffed them both inside a steel box. She and Yuuji are to jump out of the box and say 'something cool.'

"Huh? What's wrong, Akane?"

The pink haired boy and the monochrome haired girl have gotten a lot closer in the span of the last month, being each other's only companions under the pretence of their death for the rest of the world. It was the hint of the private life Akane didn't know she yearned for unless she had it. Those few weeks were the only days in her entire life where she wasn't burdened by the curse.

Not just because there was no one to remind her about it, but because her curse was... gone.

The red string that was Sukuna's blood died when Sukuna died. But it didn't revive when he did.

Akane at first thought that she was done with her curse for good, and she was delighted about it. That was until Yuuji went on a separate mission with Nanami Kento and had a run-in with another Special Grade Cursed Spirit, also unregistered.

The sudden rise of Special Grade spirits straightened the back of all Grade 1 and above sorcerers, and apparently the students at Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High Schools. Akane started training vigorously since then, using a new weapon to aid her since her katana was gone.

When Yuuji stumbled upon the Special Grade, he almost died and Sukuna took the wheel once more. The moment that happened, the scarlet string on Akane's left pinky reappeared.

After her death, the curse has only been showing when Sukuna came out, so she's thankful for the majority of time without the curse tying her hand. Akane is thankful she is with Yuuji instead.

Yuuji also lost a friend who could have been a jujutsu sorcerer. Junpei Yoshino died prematurely because he wasn't strong enough to protect himself from a Special Grade and his death took a huge toll on Yuuji. Her kind-hearted, hope-filled friend really believed he could help Junpei.

Most times, Yuuji acted like he was fine. Yet there were other times when he remained uncharacteristcially silent which worried Akane. A few times he broke down and wept, this was the first time he lost someone, after all. Akane told him about the mantra she learned from her grandmother when she was just a child- in the jujutsu world, it's kill or be killed.

Yuuji thought it was bullshit, but couldn't disagree after encountering death so many times, including his own.

Akane shakes her head in response to Yuuji's question. "Nothing, I'm just not used to this kind of attention." She says.

"Don't worry Akane," Yuuji passes her a reassuring grin and Akane finds herself relaxing. "I'm here with you, so even if it gets too overwhelming, I'll take their attention."

"And now!" Gojo's voice interrupts Akane's revert. "The big reveal!"

The box lid pops open and Yuuji holds Akane's hand as they both stand up. She narrows her mismatched eyes at the sudden intrusion of light but her heart thuds against her ribcage when her sight falls on all the familiar faces. On her friends.

"Hey! OPP!" Yuuji cheers, striking a pose.

Akane stands still like a deer in headlights.

"It's your departed friends- Yuuji and Akane!" Gojo announces excitedly, pointing to them.

"HUH?" Megumi and Nobara's jaw drops open, eyes moving back-and-forth from their once dead classmates.

"Akane!" Yuuji tries to whisper but his voice is too excited to stay low. "Say something cool!"

She turns back to her surprised friends, even the second years seem shocked to see her alive (Panda's eyes are wide as saucers). "Yo." She passes a short wave.

Yuuji deadpans. "That's something cool?"

"Is it not cool?"

"Akane!" The next thing the girl knows is being wrapped in a bear tight hold, snuggled in the arms of Kugisaki Nobara. The brunette doesn't even attempt to hide the tears forming. "I thought you were gone and I was stuck with this dead stick! He's so bad at conversations and doesn't laugh at my jokes."

Megumi's onyx eyes glare at her vacantly. "Amano is just like me. And your jokes aren't funny."

"See! He's so mean!"

"Hey!" Yuuji screams. "I'm alive too!"

"I missed you, Akane-e-e!"

"HEY!"

Akane's heart is warm, it's full. She's delighted, calm and mostly happy. For the first time in her dark and mundane life, Akane finds herself grateful as tears glaze over her mismatched eyes- happy tears.

So the crowd can't help but hold their breaths in silence when Akane gifts their ears with an uncharacteristic laugh- sweet and mellow, the sound echoing the joy in her heart that even Fuhsiguro Megumi can't help but smile as he places his hand on Akane's head. When Yuuji pounces on his teammates to join the 'group hug', Gojo realises one thing:

The Honoured One might be an impossible puzzle to solve, but Akane's pieces fall right into place. Right where she belongs.

He will protect them all. 

a/n: here we go!!! the exchange event arc is almost here and that's gonna be so much fun for me (my favourite arc in this fic, with the planning and all) can't wait to finally write ✍🏻 it down!

hope u caught all the foreshadowing here hehe. also i am very much thinking of also putting up my gojo fic here (unrelated to this one) that's already on ao3. it has a murder mystery, vigilante vibe to it

anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter hehe