The area was silent, the only sound the light tap of shoes on concrete, despite the bustling city around. It turns out that it is only silent for a single individual. The owner of those shoes, the man walking down the street, was covered by a large jacket that obscured his face.
Under the hood of the jacket, one would see a youthful face—one that contained no blemishes, the edges of his white hair peeking out. However, even though his suspicious appearance would draw the eyes of the crowd around him, it was as if he didn't exist. People simply walked by, not noticing his presence at all.
After a few minutes of walking, the people around him suddenly vanished, causing the man to turn to the right. "So, this is where it's at." He spoke out loud, but walked straight through the building like a specter. "It's in here." The wall turned out to be a barrier concealing the area behind it.
It didn't take long for the man to find the source of the anomaly he sensed. He walked a few more steps before standing in front of a large garage door. Grabbing the bottom and opening it, he saw an unconscious teenager with a battered and bruised man next to him, also unconscious.
Pulling down his hood revealed a familiar face. 'What an interesting twist of fate.' Yuji Itadori looked at the young Zenin on the ground and smiled. He had long since been aware of the Zenin. He was the grandchild of Naohiro Zenin. It would be strange not to take notice of such individuals.
Yuji walked over to Naoto, shrugged, and used his right arm to pick him up like a sack of potatoes. 'Is this what Naohiro felt like when he kidnapped Megumi? Oh, that's right.' Glancing at the beaten curse user, Yuji grabbed Naoto's wrist and tapped on it a few times, alerting the authorities to their current position, before leaving the garage.
It is even stranger that someone would be carrying an unconscious teenager. Still, the passersby didn't seem to notice Yuji or Naoto, even though he was carrying Naoto on his shoulder. Yuji pondered for a moment. 'How should I make it up to Choso? He just finished dinner. Feel kinda bad that I bailed on him.'
While he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly stopped and turned around as he felt an unfamiliar aura appear. Yuji knows the signatures of every human in Japan, which is why he immediately took notice. It would usually not be a big deal since children being born would naturally have an unfamiliar signature, but the one Yuji sensed wasn't human.
Every race's aura has different 'vibes' or 'feelings', which can allow him to distinguish animals and curses from humans. The aura signature didn't match any of the current denizens of Japan.
However, he had a small smile when the unfamiliar presence started walking down the street. The visitor had blonde hair and a patch on his forehead, and his face was obviously distressed.
To the surprise of Yuji, the visitor's eyes widened when he saw the man in front of him carrying an unconscious teenager. 'So, he can see me. I guess it makes sense if he's a Simurian since my barrier is tailored toward humans. Looks like his third eye can see through my concealment.' Instead of talking or moving, the two stared at one another.
After a few seconds, Yuji turned back around and kept walking back toward the Tombs of the Star, not without Naoto and a smile on his face. 'I have a feeling things are gonna get fun real soon.' As he kept walking, the visitor noticed that after Yuji entered the crowd, he and Naoto vanished.
The visitor Cross's expression darkened. 'So they have warriors on that level. I would be helpless if I fought against him. It looks like scouting the Earthlings was the correct play. I'll report to Dabura when I get back.' Instead of staying any longer with the threat of Yuji Itadori, Cross started heading back toward the woods to teleport back to the Simurian ship.
-
When Yuji returned to the Tombs after teleporting, the first thing he saw was a white background. Yuji can customize the Tomb's area to however he sees fit, but when he leaves, the Tombs return to their original state—a white canvas.
In the case of his departure, Yuji had installed various rooms and tools, so Choso and his other brothers wouldn't be dependent on his constant presence. The only other surviving death paintings are Eso and Kechizu.
In 2007, Kenjaku threatened Choso with the lives of all his brothers to compel him to seal Naohiro Zenin in the prison realm. Unfortunately for Kenjaku, this was before he understood Naohiro's full capabilities, giving Naohiro a personalized training room instead.
Kenjaku had only incarnated Choso and the other two death paintings during the Goodwill incident, Eso and Kechizu, because they were the strongest of all the siblings. In order for the disaster curses to be awakened faster than the original timeline, Kenjaku used Choso's other brothers as sustenance since special-grade cursed objects could drastically fast-forward the time taken for Jogo, Mahito, and Hanami to be born. This prevented his other brothers from incarnating.
Due to this fact, Yuji had consumed their remnants so he could obtain [Blood Manipulation], letting their bodies live on inside of Yuji, carrying on their will. Choso naturally had no need for the technique, so he ultimately decided that Yuji would be the best fit, as Choso made the decision as the eldest brother to give Yuji their 'bodies' to become stronger.
Eso and Kechizu were the most 'unique' of the individuals that lived in the Tombs. Eso is very eccentric, while Kechizu is the youngest of the nine death paintings, making him the least intelligent brother. He isn't smart, but they are all still brothers.
Eso rubbed his forehead. "You left the Tombs and ruined dinner because you wanted to kidnap a kid?" Kechizu echoed his thoughts. "Spaghetti was cold!" Yuji raised his hands in mock surrender. "I can explai…" Boof. Naoto fell off of Yuji's shoulder headfirst.
Yuji scratched his hair. "Oops." Choso walked over and patted Yuji on the shoulder. "You can explain later. Now sit down and eat." Yuji gave a defeated expression before picking up Naoto by the back of his shirt and creating a bed out of thin air, using his ability to customize the Tombs.
When they all sat down together, Yuji explained the situation to his other brothers. In truth, the main reason why Yuji sealed himself off from the outside world and Jujutsu Headquarters is that there isn't a point in going out.
He has his family, a stable supply of resources, and he doesn't need to deal with politics. Not only that, but all he has to do is exist while keeping Japan's barriers intact, a near effortless task for him. He couldn't be happier. The best part is that his immortality isn't an issue either. His brothers are also immortal as half-curses. Choso, Eso, and Kechizu were already over two hundred years old.
Choso was sad when Yuki passed away, but he knew that she would eventually die. They had a nice life together, but that chapter ended a decade ago.
There wasn't a single issue that Yuji had to deal with. Even in the rare case of a dangerous event, he was currently the strongest active sorcerer in this modern era. Potential on the level of Ryomen Sukuna, blessed by the sparks, [Shrine], [Blood Manipulation], [Domain Expansion], [Immortality], near-perfect barrier manipulation, and more.
Suddenly, Yuji spoke out loud. "Stop faking being asleep and get over here." Naoto slowly sat up on the bed with a suspicious look on his face. "Who the heck are you, and where did you take me?" Yuji casually took a bite of his spaghetti. "You're in lhe Tombs of the Shtar. I'hm Uji Idatori." Choso's eye twitched when he saw an 80-year-old man talking while eating, despite still looking like a 15-16-year-old boy.
After absorbing Tengen and the defeat of Ryomen Sukuna, Yuji underwent physical changes: his hair color changed from pink to white, and his eye color turned red. He also gained Tengen's cursed technique [Immortality], making him immortal. While he would've been immortal anyway due to his genetics, Tengen's immortality technique amplified his existing body.
The downside of Tengen's technique was that she had to assimilate with a vessel every so often. If she didn't, she would transform into a cursed-spirit-like being. Yuji's body, as a perfect vessel, removed this downside completely.
Even though the words were jumbled, Naoto could make out the name. It's because he recognized it. After all, there isn't a single Jujutsu sorcerer who doesn't know who Master Itadori is. The face of modern Jujutsu and one of the strongest sorcerers in history, Yuji Itadori.
Naoto's eyes widened. "You're Master Itadori!? But you're just a kid!" Yuji took no offense and just turned around and smiled at him. "I'm actually over 80." Naoto blinked in confusion. "Oh." No more questions were asked as Naoto was lost in his thoughts. He just watched Yuji eat, which he found awkward.
Eso was the one to break the silence. "So, who are you? What made Yuji pick up a kiddo like you?" Before Yuji could respond, Naoto spoke with a blank expression. "I'm Naoto, and how am I supposed to know why I was kidnapped? This is the second time today I've been kidnapped!" Kechizu turned toward him. "You're weird!"
Naoto had a baffled expression at the sheer irony of Kechizu calling someone else weird. After another awkward exchange, Yuji put his fork down as he finished eating. "Now then, we can discuss the elephant in the room. The reason why I brought you back here." Naoto leaned forward, waiting for an explanation for what happened in the garage.
Contrary to his expectations, Yuji got up, walked over to Naoto, and put his hand on the top of his head. "Let's see exactly what happened." Yuji closed his eyes and started looking into Naoto's soul information.
Yuji was naturally gifted at sensing the soul after housing Sukuna's, and could perceive it after years of training. He had long since surpassed Mahito in the art of soul manipulation.
A moment later, Yuji opened his eyes back up and stepped back, sitting on a chair that appeared out of nowhere. "Now everything makes sense." Naoto's expression turned serious. "What the hell am I? That fight—nothing about it made any sense to me!"
Yuji crossed his legs. "Surely you must've figured out a little bit of what you are. I saw your conversation with Naohiro." Naoto suddenly recalled what Naohiro had said to him. "You're just like me," Naoto said softly.
"But what does that even mean!? I don't even have a cursed technique, let alone the talent that guy had!" Yuji gave Naoto a knowing smile. "You're right, you don't have a cursed technique." Naoto furrowed his brows in confusion. "Then how did I do all of that in the garage?"
Yuji looked up. "[Cursed Evolution], the cursed technique of the Zenin clan and Naohiro Zenin's cursed technique that helped elevate him to the peak of sorcery. The technique has passed down to his children, and yet they can't use the technique nearly as well as he can." He looked back into Naoto's eyes. "Tell me, do you know what the Six Eyes of the Gojo clan are?"
Naoto pondered for a moment. "Isn't it a trait that is rarely passed down through the Gojo clan every few hundred years?" Yuji nodded. "Exactly. Naohiro has something similar, but very, very different."
Yuji's smile widened. "The difference is that Naohiro Zenin is actually part Shikigami." This bombshell caused Naoto's eyes to widen to unimaginable heights. "Is that even possible!? That's unheard of!"
"No, it's impossible, which is why Naohiro Zenin's case is so strange." He immediately shut down the thought. "The world has a balancing system of curses and sorcerers. The stronger the era of sorcerers, the stronger the curses are. It is a fundamental, unchanging rule. Heavenly Restrictions, while they do follow different rules, are ultimately still bound by the world's rules."
Naoto looked at the ground. "Then how…" Yuji continued. "Naohiro is the only person who knows, but it is a fact that he is part Shikigami. His body retains its adaptations because it stores them. It's similar to the special grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu when he was alive. His cursed technique [Copy] can only store a single technique, but his vengeful curse, Rika, could take the burden and store more than a single technique."
Yuji kept dropping bombshell after bombshell. "It means that Naohiro is an anomaly. He was never meant to exist in this world, and yet he does. Remember when I said the world follows specific rules? Well, Naohiro is unbound by them. His strength doesn't increase the strength of curses, throwing off the balance." Naoto saw where this was going. "While [Cursed Evolution] wasn't passed down to you, you have something similar to him. You are part Shikigami."
Naoto.exe has stopped working. "You, like Naohiro, are another anomaly unbound by the rules of the world." Yuji couldn't help but chuckle at Naoto's reaction.
Seeing that he was frozen in shock, Choso whispered in Yuji's ear. "You didn't kill him from shock, right?" Yuji sweatdropped. "I hope not."
Naoto kept silent, so Yuji just sighed. "Sigh, harsh as it may sound, your grandmother Shoko diluted his bloodline, although I doubt anyone could spread his bloodline besides another Shikigami." Naoto finally spoke with hopeful eyes. "So does that mean I can surpass Naohiro Zenin?"
Yuji's mouth twitched. "Pft, Ahem, No. You may be unbound by the rules, but you are still lacking that guy's traits and potential. I doubt there will be anyone in history who can surpass him." Naoto's arms dropped in a defeated position. "Is that so…" Yuji spoke up. "Hey, hey, don't give up! If you compare yourself to him, you'll only ever be disappointed."
Naoto tilted his head back up. "So what was that thing that happened to me where my skin turned hard, and my neck turned into metal?" Yuji leaned back in his chair. "That was your Shikigami ability—an offshoot of [Cursed Evolution]." Naoto brought his hand toward his chin and thought out loud. "So I evolved after taking damage. If it's a Shikigami ability, it makes sense that I could use cursed energy with the collar on and have hardened skin. It's not my innate technique, similar to the [Ten Shadows] Nue lightning and Rabbit Escape's multiplication."
Yuji nodded. "You're closer to the Divine General Mahoraga, except whenever you take damage, your body gets strengthened, so you become resistant to whatever attacked you. Not only that, but that part of your body becomes strengthened for offense, so the longer you fight, the stronger you become." Naoto stopped pondering and looked into Yuji's eyes with an annoyed expression. "So why exactly did I just now find out about this!?"
"Sorcerers are affected by their mentality," Yuji spoke with rare wisdom. "You needed to overcome a wall—an obstacle that was holding you back. You could call it an awakening. Every powerful sorcerer has one, and when they do, they start to do unimaginable things."
Naoto rubbed his forehead. "But it's a Shikigami trait. Shouldn't it work differently!?" Yuji just raised his eyebrow and shrugged. "How should I know? This is the only other case I've heard of a Shikigami human. But seriously, you're going to have to figure out how your body works or meet with him."
However, Naoto rolled his eyes. "Will that bum ever stop hiding? He just peaced out and left the clan struggling while having the power to blow up the country and turn those stupid Jujutsu higher-ups into paste." Yuji scratched his cheek. "Well, that might be a little tough, because he's kinda busy right now."
Naoto tilted his head to the side as Yuji explained the alien situation, but he eventually spoke. "Even if Japan and you can handle the aliens, why can't he just come back?" Yuji took a deep breath. "It's simple. There are currently aliens here, so what about the ones that are on other planets? What about the aliens that the Rumel fled from?"
"If there are more of them, the Earth is in real danger if an entire planet of Jujutsu sorcerers attacks," Naoto concluded with horror. "If we're busy here and figuring out how to stop a war with a tribe of them, we'll be screwed if tons of hostile tribes show up."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Naoto looked in Yuji's eyes. "So what do you need me for? You shouldn't need me, right?" Yuji rested his head on his palm. "Who knows? Tengen, the old hag, was stupid. She tried to seal Naohiro away and get rid of him, but that obviously failed in the end. I'm going to take advantage of you rather than seal you away in a box. After all, you're a Shikigami that doesn't require a medium, has its own cursed energy supply, and…"
Yuji spoke with a deep voice and raised his right hand, turning it sideways. "[Dismantle]." As Yuji spoke those words, Naoto felt a gust of wind. However, he felt like something was off. It was at that moment that he realized that his left arm was missing.
"AH-." His pain turned to shock as his stub began to bubble and visibly heal. The noticeable difference in this healing was that he didn't use reverse cursed technique. He healed like a curse. He healed using cursed energy.
Shikigami are made of cursed energy, much like curses. The primary difference between the two is that Shikigami are summoned using a user's cursed energy and a medium like shadows or talismans. In circumstances where the cursed energy cost is removed, like in the case of the Ten Shadows' rituals, a binding vow is imposed, requiring the user to tame the beast in exchange for a cursed energy reduction. This allows sorcerers like Megumi Fushiguro to summon Mahoraga against Haruta Shigemo despite running out of cursed energy.
"Shikigami and curse abilities come naturally to you," Yuji concluded with a smirk. "You might be useless now, but having a second unpredictable variable is only going to shoot our chances of fighting off these aliens through the roof."
Choso suddenly walked over to Yuji and set a glass of water down beside him. "Thanks," Yuji stated with a helpless smile. It was the most amount of exposition he's had to do in a while.
"Sooo, where do we start?" Naoto asked, scratching his hair. He immediately started to shudder when he saw Yuji's red eyes gleam. "Don't worry. I've already got a plan for you."
Naoto would soon come to understand that this 'plan' would be a living hell.