Chapter 10.
After a long silence and more than half an hour of walking, Kuro and Megumi arrived home.
A traditional Japanese-style mansion, with dark wood and curved roofs, greeted them among manicured trees, polished stone, and a path flanked by flower pots.
The iron gate was slightly ajar.
Tsumiki had left it that way.
As always.
Trusting they would come back.
—It never stops looking huge —murmured Kuro.
—And quiet… —added Megumi.
They walked to the entrance, climbing the steps with slow footsteps.
There was no rush anymore.
No more shouting or curses.
Only the sound of cherry trees moving in the wind… and the sliding door that opened from within.
—You're back already? —asked Tsumiki from the threshold, a towel in hand.
Her hair was a little wet.
She had probably just bathed.
—Yeah —said Megumi, calm.
—Are you okay? —asked Kuro.
—Of course. But you two…
look like ghosts.
Neither answered.
They just smiled.
---
That night, the house felt different.
Bigger.
Emptier.
And yet…
For the first time in days… it felt safe.
The house was quiet.
Warm.
Spacious.
After dropping their backpacks and answering a few gentle questions from Tsumiki, Kuro went straight to the bath.
A large bath with dark tiles and pale wood.
Steam rose slowly.
The hot water wrapped his body, loosening every muscle.
He closed his eyes.
For the first time in days, there were no screams, no shadows, no cursed energy swirling around.
Only him. And his reflection in the water.
---
—Megumi and I were neck and neck before…
But on the run to school, I passed him like nothing…
He replayed the moment.
How he moved. How his breathing was lighter than Megumi's.
How his body reacted faster.
—Could it be that as I grow…
having Toji's body is finally paying off?
He looked at his arm.
Firm. Defined.
—Besides being ridiculously handsome, obviously —he said with a cocky smile to himself.
But beneath that smile… there was a small unease.
How far would those benefits go?
At what point did that body stop being his?
The steam kept rising.
And with it, his doubts.
Steam still billowed from the bathroom when Kuro slid the door open and stepped out, already more relaxed. Damp hair fell lightly across his forehead.
He dried the back of his neck with a towel as he walked to his room, leaving wet prints on the wooden floor.
He opened the wardrobe and took out his favorite lounge clothes: a plain white T-shirt and long red-and-black checkered pants.
—Nothing like feeling clean and comfy —he murmured to himself as he pulled on the shirt and adjusted the pants with one hand.
He glanced at the mirror for a second.
—Yeah, definitely…
Toji's body wasn't a bad deal.
Kuro left his room with the towel still hanging off one shoulder.
The mansion's corridors were silent, lit only by the dim glow of night lamps.
But as he turned into the main hall…
he saw him.
Standing, back slightly hunched, gaze lost toward a window.
Gojo.
Not with his confident smile.
Not with his glasses.
Not with his invincible aura.
Gojo was alone.
Depressed.
Broken, but quiet.
Kuro stopped.
—Hey, Gojo?
Gojo didn't answer immediately. He only looked at him, then murmured in a low voice… as if talking to himself.
—Am I the strongest because I am Satoru Gojo…
or am I Satoru Gojo because I am the strongest?
The hallway filled with a mute agitation.
That question wasn't just existential.
It was a confession.
Kuro walked toward him without a word.
And when he stood before him…
He hugged him.
Wrapped his legs, like a child seeking shelter…
but also like someone who understands what it means to carry too much.
Then, in a calm voice, he said:
—Is a driver… the best driver because he has the best car?
Or is that car the best…
because it has the best driver?
Gojo said nothing at first.
He only lowered his gaze.
For a moment, his eyes stopped staring into the void.
And they saw Kuro.
—…Thank you.
Barely a whisper.
But enough.
—Movie night, Kuro!
—Sure thing, Gojo —he replied—. I'll go get Megumi and Tsumiki.
—Perfect. I'll wait in the living room. Don't take too long, or I'm starting without you.
Kuro walked down the hall at an easy pace.
But halfway through…
something changed.
A familiar pressure bloomed in his cheek.
A tingling…
And then a mouth opened.
And with it, an eye.
—So this is the strongest one —spat Sukuna's voice, harsh and mocking—.
How pathetic.
Kuro didn't flinch.
—As far as I know, he doesn't need to steal a kid's body —he replied, without stopping.
Kuro raised his fist.
And without hesitation, punched his own cheek.
CRACK!
The mouth and eye burst into black smoke.
Silence.
Kuro kept walking.
He stopped in front of one of the hallway doors.
Megumi's door.
He knocked lightly with his knuckles.
—Hey, you ready? Gojo's gonna start the movie without us.
Quiet steps sounded on the other side.
The whisper of a sliding door.
And then Megumi appeared, in comfortable house clothes, hair mussed, with his usual expression: neutral, as if the world were a math problem.
—I'm coming.
Kuro looked him up and down and cracked a half-smile.
—Didn't know you were into plush pajamas.
Megumi glanced sideways.
—They're not plush. They're comfortable.
—Sure, sure —Kuro laughed as he turned—. Let's go before Gojo starts with his "when I was your age" jokes.
They walked down the corridor.
In silence.
But that quiet kind of silence…
the kind only brothers share when they already understand each other without speaking.
—Shall we? —asked Kuro.
—Yeah, I'm ready —Megumi replied calmly, stepping out.
---
They walked together down the hall to Tsumiki's room.
Kuro knocked twice.
—Hey, movie night. You coming?
The door slid open softly and Tsumiki peeked out with a smile.
—Of course, boys. I'm not missing it.
---
The three of them went down together to the main room.
Gojo was already there, rummaging in the fridge in an exaggerated way.
—Ah! Perfect! Right on time.
I was checking if we still have coconut ice cream… Kuro's favorite.
Kuro laughed as he flopped onto the sofa.
—Do we?
—Of course! How could I forget?
And honestly, it's really good —Gojo said, lifting the tub like a trophy.
Tsumiki settled between the two boys.
Megumi crossed his arms, leaning back against the sofa.
The screen was ready.
Soft lighting.
A warm atmosphere.
The movie started.
One of those old comedies Gojo loved.
Tsumiki laughed. Megumi watched, serious, but comfortable.
Kuro savored his coconut ice cream like nothing else existed.
And then…
—Sorry, Tsumiki —Gojo said suddenly—.
I had a problem with a friend.
And by the way… why is Sukuna inside Kuro?
Silence.
Tsumiki blinked.
Megumi slowly turned his head toward Kuro.
Kuro swallowed.
Not the ice cream.
The situation.
—Well…
We faced a special-grade curse —he began, scratching his head—.
One thing led to another…
and to save our asses… I had to eat Sukuna's finger.
Gojo chewed popcorn like it was nothing.
—Mmm, yeah. Checks out.
Classic "don't die right now" move.
Tsumiki opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Then opened it again.
—You ate a what!?
Kuro raised his hands.
—It wasn't for fun!
It was a life-or-death strategy!
Megumi let out a long sigh.
—I can't believe you put it that way.
Gojo shrugged.
—Eh, as long as you don't let him out, no problem.
Right, Kuro?
Kuro looked at the floor.
—…Sure.
All under control.
Two hours later…
The movie had ended.
The room sat in silence, lit only by the bluish glow of the paused screen.
Kuro was half-asleep, eyes half-closed.
Tsumiki had his head on her shoulder.
Megumi, arms crossed, had also closed his eyes… but refused to admit it.
And so, the three of them had curled together without noticing.
Gojo, still seated at the other end of the couch, watched them for a while.
He smiled softly.
He stood without a sound, walked to a nearby cabinet, and pulled out a large, warm blanket.
Carefully, he draped it over the three.
—A bundle of brats with more power than common sense —he whispered with a smile.
He turned off the TV.
Stretched, yawned, and headed to his room.
Before crossing the doorway, he stopped for a second.
Looked back.
And for a moment, there were no jokes in his eyes.
Only worry.
—Please… let them keep sleeping this peacefully tomorrow.
And he closed the door.
---
End of Chapter
End of the Gojūtei saga, but not of its consequences
Arc 2: Ashes of Shadows
After an unexpected attack inside the school, Kuro, Megumi, and Tsumiki faced a special-grade curse: Gojūtei, an entity with the power to duplicate itself and a simple yet impossible desire: to live in peace… without Gojo Satoru.
What began as a bad joke involving a Sukuna finger escalated into a brutal battle that forced the protagonists to push past their limits, face death, and even… summon Sukuna to survive.
Now that the enemy has been destroyed, the three return home.
But the aftermath of the fight—the unspoken traumas, and the physical and emotional wounds—are only beginning to leave their mark.