#child yuuji

[fluffywings13]

Fearsome King Of Curses and Tiger Cub Ward Headcanons (Part 2)

So going off my last post of this, here's some more for you, because I can't get over Giant OG!Sukuna and tiny Baby Yuuji (not really baby but you know!)

~ Yuuji has abandonment fears due to Life in General. Often times he steals something from Sukuna's chambers or Throne Room so he always has a reason to be come for when there's business the Curse has to attend to that he can't be present for. (He thinks Sukuna doesn't know of his sticky finger habits---Sukuna totally does)

~ Sukuna purposefully leaves important objects within the boy's line of sight and reach before he's dismissed to play or the like when he can't be present, at first he was confused as to why the little imp stole his scarf under it dawned on him.

~ The first time he got into real trouble with Sukuna, like crossed the line far too much to be dealt with by a sharp scolding, little Yuuji was so petrified due to *trauma* he wet himself while sobbing out apology after apology. Then he wailed because he wet himself like a baby and that usually means harsher punishment from his experience.

~ The first few times Yuuji faces actual punishment for misbehaving or disobeying he wets himself out of fear. Sukuna never gets angry at him. He just helps clean him up, still delivers punishment of course, but only after he explains why it's happening and that he'd never do to him what the Villagers did.

~ Sukuna kills all of those who minded his little Tiger Cub before they met because of the fear the instilled in his child. Yuuji doesn't know. He intends to keep it that way.

~ The first time Sukuna comes home covered in blood after ravaging a village for whispers of what they intended to do to the supposed discovery of the King Of Curses one true weakness (Yuuji) he gets scolded by this tiny little six year old for dragging blood inside. (Yuuji doesn't care enough to ask where the blood came from only that it got on the rugs)

~Uraume has witnessed them napping together in various places but always in the same position more times then They can count. Sukuna resting on his back with his little bundle of human cub secure in his four arm embrace. Sometimes Yuuji's thumb is hanging out of his mouth. Only happens when he's really content so they see no reason to put an end to the childlike behavior he should have grown out of.

~ Yuuji likes to say Sukuna's belly mouth smells like feet while putting his little tiny feet in front of it teasingly. He never manages to pull those little things back in time to save them from being nibbled to death by said belly mouth.

~ Yuuji's favorite time of year is Winter because Snow and he likes to play in it.

~ Sukuna's least favorite time of year is Winter because Snow and the brat plays in it even after he's called to return inside where it's warm and always ends up catching a cold because of it.

~ Sick Yuuji is surprisingly docile. He latches on. Snuggles in. And won't allow you to set him down until he decides he wants down. Sukuna never fights him on it. In fact, pulls him closer and bundles him up even more. Child can't be cold while with sickness obviously.

~ Sukuna holds Yuuji seated on the palm of a single one of his hands when taking care of business the child can be privy to.

~ Yuuji personally sees to it that Sukuna's cleaned of all blood when he returns from his 'Yuuji-Less Adventures' and his scolding is only cut off when the massive Curse tugs him into the steaming water with him. Squeals replace the adorable scamps scoldings.

~ The first time Yuuji calls Sukuna 'Chichi' is after a bad night terror that had him soiling his futon and screaming shrill in the deep night. Sukuna melted then and there. (Yuuji sleeps with Sukuna from then on because bad dreams are too scared to haunt the little one when he's there with him--That's what Sukuna says anyway--Yuuji never has another bad dream again.)

[aheckinmess]

Don't Lie Over Spilt Milk (Dad Nanami)

(Part 3 of Season of Serendipity.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Dad Nanami, Child Yuji, Child Yuuji, Original Female Character(s), Original Child Character(s), Ryomen Sukuna, Ryoumen Sukuna, Nanami Kento, Yuji Itadori, Yuuji Itadori, Besu Sukuna, Parental Nanami, Dad Sukuna, Soft Sukuna, Protective Sukuna, Canon Divergence - AU, Sukuna Has a Daughter, Yuji is Nanami's Son, I Merged Two of My Series, Yuji Itadori is a Good Friend, OC Gets Picked On, Yuji is Protective and Determined to Help Her Feel Better, Sukuna is a Good Dad, In His Own Way, OC is His Little Princess, Fluff with Angst Sprinkled In, Fluff and Angst

Word Count: 3, 267 words

Summary: Yuji and Besu become fast friends in Pre-K, but when a group of classmates tell Yuji they won't sit with Besu because they think her dad is cursed, Yuji is determined to prove them wrong.

Author's Note: This took so long to write and went on longer than expected, but it was so much fun! I don't really know where this series is going, but it's adorable and I'm not stopping any time soon.

Yuji and Besu were inseparable. For one of the most extroverted kids in class, Yuji could be found almost exclusively by Besu’s side. For one of the quietest kids in class, Besu talked Yuji’s ear off anytime they were together. 

When Ms. Chotto chose their partners instead of letting them pick this morning, Yuji gave Besu a smile and went to find his group, instantly relaxing into a conversation. He didn’t worry about Besu until Kia and Kai both stepped over to his table and sat down.

Which was odd because they were the only other two in Besu’s group.

“Can we sit with you?” Kia wrinkled her face into a frown.

“Yeah. We don’t want to be in her group.” Kai matched her expression.

Yuji looked over to see Besu staring at her table, her coloring page already finished. He tried to see her face, but her pink hair created a veil between them. When he turned back to the twins, Fuyuki and Yuto were already ushering them over with smiles.

“Why don’t you want to be in Bechan’s group?” Yuji interrupted them, feeling fire heating up his chest. “She’s really nice. And she doesn’t copy your work.”

“Don’t you know who her dad is?”

“My mommy told me that he’s really mean.”

“Yeah! I saw him in car line and he’s really scary!”

Yuji stared at his tablemates, dumbfounded. He’d met Mr. Sukuna plenty of times! Often, Otouchan would speak with him to give Yuji more time to play with Besu after school. And if Otouchan was friends with him, there was no way he could be mean!

“There’s nothing wrong with him. Otouchan talks to him all the time.”

The entire table gasped and shoved their chairs away from the table. The commotion led Ms. Chotto over to see what the issue was, and Kai immediately pointed at Yuji.

“Yuji’s dad is cursed!” 

“He speaks with Mr. Sukuna!”

Ms. Chotto sighed and shook her head, kneeling at the table full of children.

“Those are not very nice things to say. People are not cursed just for talking to others.”

“But Kai’s right! My momma said that Mr. Sukuna is a cursed man!” Fuyuki explains. “And he’s got tattoos!”

“Mr. Sukuna has given no one any reason to believe he’s mean or cursed. And that should be no reason for you to leave Besu to do all of her work alone.” Ms. Chotto said sternly. “Now, go over there and apologize. And finish your work!”

. . . . .

Yuji sat by Besu during recess as she filled a yellow bucket with sand. Yuji felt bad for her and decided to be her tunnel digger. He knew she liked mixing together the sand. Besu quietly and methodically filled her shovel and poured it into the bucket. Shovel, pour, mix. Shovel, pour, mix.

“Do you think I’m cursed, Yuji-kun?” Besu broke the silence as she flipped her bucket over, patting the bottom and revealing the beginning of a sandcastle.

“Don’t listen to Kia and Kai, Bechan. You’re not cursed, and your dad is great! He gives you the best snacks.” 

She nodded, but Yuji didn’t think she really believed him. The burning fire in his stomach returned, but this time he felt sick, too. Frowns didn’t look right on Besu’s face.

“We’ll show them. I’ll ask Otouchan if I can go over to your house! And then they’ll see that there’s nothing scary about your dad!” Yuji said, pausing to pick out a tiny pebble caked under his nail.

Besu lifted her head minutely, seeming unsure, but when she heard her father’s voice across the playground she waved to Yuji and rushed over to crawl up into his arms. She buried her face in his neck and squeezed him tight without sparing another glance to Yuji.

Yuji watched her go, and when his dad came into view he shot over to him like a rocket.

“Otouchan, can I go to Bechan’s house this weekend?” He asked, grabbing Nanami’s hand as he looked up at him.

“Mm?” Nanami quirked a brow. “I guess we’d have to ask her father first, Yuji-kun. We don’t have any plans. Are you sure you don’t want to invite her over to our house?”

“No! It has to be her house!”

That got Nanami to raise a brow.

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Fuyuki’s mom said Mr. Sukuna is a cursed man. And I’m gonna go over there so they know he’s not!” Yuji stated matter-of-factly as Nanami walked him down the street.

“I see.” Nanami squeezed Yuji’s hand and led him home. “I’ll see what I can do, Yuji-kun.”

. . . . .

When Nanami drove Yuji over to Besu’s house that weekend, Yuji readied himself with all the essentials. He stashed his detective hat in his overnight bag, along with a flashlight for late night searching. A magnifying glass and a toy laser shooter joined their company. 

Nanami even let him bring a disposable camera! He was ready to prove to those kids that there was nothing wrong with Besu or Mr. Sukuna!

“Now, you know what number to call if you need me, Yuji-kun?” 

“Yep!”

“And if you can’t remember it, do you know where to find it?”

“On the tag in my bookbag!” Yuji patted his bag and unclipped the belt to his car seat in seconds. “Come on, Otocuhan!”

“Wait, Yuji-kun,” Nanami chuckled and a moment later he helped him out of the car. 

Yuji saw Mr. Sukuna at the end of the long driveway with a hand in his pocket. Besu hid beside him hugging his other arm.

“Hi, Bechan!” Yuji’s pace doubled as he pulled Nanami along with him. “Guess what? I brought my magnifying glass and my hat so we can play Detective!”

“I have a hat I can use too!” Besu brightened and Yuji smiled.

“Come on! Let’s go–”

“Yuji-kun, aren’t you going to say goodbye?” Nanami called from the doorway.

“Oh!” Yuji giggled and rushed back over to him. He barreled into Nanami and squeezed him tight. “I love you, Otouchan! See you tomorrow!”

“Be good, Yuji. Try not to cause much trouble.”

“Okay!” Yuji grinned, bumping into Mr. Sukuna as he stepped back. “Sorry, ‘scuse me!”

He flew around the large man back to Besu as Nanami shook his head with amusement, making a few final comments to Sukuna about bedtime and dietary needs. 

“Just make sure he doesn’t have any sugar before bed. I’m sure you can see, he fires on all cylinders without sugar as it is.” Nanami chuckled.

“Otouchaaann!” Yuji whined, pouting as he turned around.

“Okay, okay.” Nanami turned with a wave. “Have fun, Yuji-kun.”

“Let’s play Detective, Bechan!” Yuji had his bookbag open in seconds, shuffling through clothes and toys before a large hand settled over his.

“I’m glad to see you’re excited to play, Yuji. But why don’t you let Besu show you where you’re staying so you can keep your stuff in one place?” Sukuna suggested, raising an eyebrow.

“Okay!” Yuji nodded, turning back to Besu, who giggled and tugged his arm.

“I told Daddy that we’ll stay in the upstairs! There’s a window where you can see all the stars, and I made us a blanket fort!” Besu rattled on, hiking up the stairs two at a time in her excitement. “And he’s making us sushi for dinner! Oops, wait…I wasn’t supposed to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise. Um…pretend we’re having meatballs!” 

Yuji liked this Besu much better. Ever since Kia and Kai said Mr. Sukuna was cursed, she’d lost her smile. Yuji could feel bright light flooding his chest as he watched the corners of her mouth reach her ears.

“Meatballs, got it!” He agreed easily, and then his mouth hung open as he set his bag at the door. “Woooww. Is this your room?!” 

“Mhmm!” She beamed. “And look! Daddy had Mr. Mokuzai build a shelf in my wall. Now I can keep all my books here!” She hopped onto her bed and started pointing out all of the pretty colors. “And there’s a big window! That’s where we’ll sleep so we can see the stars. See? I told you I made a fort!” She pulled him inside and Yuji laid on his back and stared at the sunset through her large picture window.

“Wow!” Yuji gaped again, eyes twinkling with the reflection of sunlight before he remembered his bag. “Oh, yeah! Come on, Bechan, let’s play Detective!”

While Yuji loved playing with Besu in general, he was determined during this sleepover to get plenty of evidence that Mr. Sukuna was not cursed! He took her exploring through the house with his magnifying glass, looking for proof of Mr. Sukuna’s not cursed-ness. 

“Why is Daddy’s dreamcatcher going to help show Kia and Kai that he’s not cursed?” Besu whispered as she stood guard at her father’s door. 

“It catches his dreams so he can’t have cursed dreams!” Yuji said.

“Oh! What about this, then?” She pointed up at some green pieces of glass hanging from strings against Mr. Sukuna’s door. 

“Won’t that hurt us? It looks like glass.”

“It’s seaglass. Daddy says it helps him see ghosts so he can make sure they don’t hurt me!” 

“Ooo, yeah! Grab that too!”

By the time they’d compiled a large group of items meant to serve as proof, a knock sounded at Besu’s door.

“Besu? Yuji?” Sukuna called, and chuckled when the two of them poked their heads out of the fort. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, boy!” Yuji exclaimed, before remembering he wasn’t supposed to know what dinner was. “Are we having meatballs?” He covered quickly.

Sukuna smirked and Yuji thought he’d been discovered, but he merely waved for them to follow down the stairs.

“No. But Besu wanted dinner to be a surprise, so why don’t you come see what we’re having?” He offered.

Yuji flushed at Besu, who giggled and raced him down the stairs to the dining table. Once both were set, they wiggled eagerly in their seats. Sukuna placed their plates down and Yuji beamed as sushi served with sides of ohitashi and edamame made him salivate.

“What would you two like to drink?” 

“Milk!” 

“Me too!”

“Okay, but you both have to drink your green tea afterwards.” Sukuna warned.

As both children hastily agreed, the room grew quiet as Yuji stuffed his mouth with food and the only sound between the three of them for a good ten minutes was the clink of silverware.

“So, Bechan, I see you and Yuji have been going through the things in my room.” Sukuna hummed as he reclined. “What’s all that about?”

“We’re gonna show Kia and Kai–” Yuji began, but Besu cut him off.

“We were playing detective and those were our clues.” Besu said, her eyes focused on her plate.

Yuji tilted his head at her curiously. Sukuna made a low rumbling noise in his throat.

“Is that so?” He said. The way he said it made Yuji frown into his sushi, stuffing a big piece in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to say anything. “So what was all of that about cursed dreams then?”

Besu didn’t say anything, but Yuji was practically combusting from the need to explain the situation. He wanted her to look at him so he could figure out why she wasn’t telling her dad about Kia and Kai, but her hair hid her face from view as she continued staring at her plate.

“We were talking about your dreamcatcher.” Her voice was soft and scared, like the first day Yuji met her. “It keeps you from having cursed dreams.”

“Besu, what aren’t you telling me?” 

Yuji couldn’t help himself.

“Mr. Sukuna, it was–” But as Yuji reached out his hand, it sent his milk glass tumbling over. “Oh! I’m sorry!”

Sukuna’s reflexes were quick as he ran over to a roll of napkins and he soaked up Yuji’s drink. By the time they cleaned it up, Besu’s lip quivered and tears ran down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sukuna. I didn’t mean to.” Yuji apologized.

“You’re not in trouble, Yuji.” A pause settled between the three of them. “And neither are you, Besu. But I want to know what you’re so scared to tell me.” 

“Do you want me to tell him, Bechan?” Yuji asked.

“I appreciate your attempt at honesty, Yuji, but this is something I need to hear from Besu.” 

Yuji watched Besu sniffle in silence for a minute or two before she wiped her eyes and looked up at her father.

“Some kids at school said that you were cursed, so Yuji-kun and I were trying to play detective so we could find stuff to prove you weren’t.” She whispered.

“It was Kia and Kai!” Yuji adds, feeling a pressure off his chest now that he could talk about it. “They wouldn’t sit with Bechan because they said you’re mean and cursed! Fuyuki and Yuto thought so too! But I told them that you can’t be cursed because Otouchan talks with you all the time, and Otouchan says you’re a good man. But Fuyuki said her mom thinks you’re cursed because you have tattoos and so we were getting stuff and taking pictures so we can show them you’re not!”

“Besu, is that true?”

She nodded, and Yuji shoved one more piece of sushi in his mouth while the two spoke. His hands clenched into fists at his sides when he heard her sniff. Yuji watched Mr. Sukuna set his chopsticks aside and glided over to kneel by her chair. He moved her pink hair out of her face, and Yuji thought he looked a lot like Otouchan did when he tried to help Yuji during a crying fit.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Princess?” He cooed.

“I-I didn’t…” She choked on her words for a few minutes, and he pulled her into a pair of strong arms. Yuji couldn’t help himself. He toddled over to them and threw his arms around Besu. “I didn’t want you…to be sad…be-because they said you were bad.”

A beat of quiet got interrupted as Sukuna suddenly burst into laughter and squeezed Yuji and Besu together.

“Oh, my little princess, you’re too sweet for your own good. Too sweet to be mine.” He sighed and smiled, before ruffling Yuji’s hair. “But you’re good at picking friends. You’re a good kid, Yuji.”

 Yuji beamed and then asked if there was any more sushi.

. . . . .

For the rest of the evening, Yuji and Besu continued their trek through their house with Sukuna’s blessing. Besu also swore he’d left extra items out for them when they circled back to the living room to find an old gold piece hiding under a magazine.

“We might have just missed it the first time.” Yuji reminded her.

“No. Daddy definitely put it there.” Besu giggled.

By the time they’d amassed enough evidence of Mr. Sukuna’s non-cursedness, it was time for bed.

“Besu! Yuji! Time to get ready for bed!” Sukuna called up the stairs. “Be ready in ten or I’ll pick off all your toes and eat them for breakfast!”

Yuji’s eyes widened at Besu, who only laughed as she grabbed her clothes.

“He just means he’ll tickle us if we don’t get ready fast.” She explained, and ducked into the bathroom to change. 

Both of them were ready well within the ten minute range, but that didn’t stop Sukuna from coming in and pulling Besu into his arms to tickle and torment her with raspberries against her cheek. Yuji rocked onto his back with a boyish giggle before the moment ended and Sukuna tucked them into their sleeping bags under the blanket fort.

“Now, you’re sure you don’t want to sleep on your bed, Princess?”

“I’m sure. I’m gonna show Yuji the stars!”

“Okay. Well, you sleep well. If you stay up late behind my back, make sure you’re asleep before dawn.” He pinched her cheek.

“Okay.” She smiled.

“And you sleep well, too, Yuji.” Sukuna said, ruffling his hair.

Yuji grinned, but chewed at his lips when a question came to mind. 

“Mr. Sukuna, why do you think Kia and Kai think you’re cursed?”

“Hmm,” Sukuna rumbled, looking between the two of them before sighing and resituating his long legs. “I have a theory, but it’s a bit of a long story.”

“Will you tell us? Please?” Besu sat up, eyes sparkling in the evening light. 

“Yeah! If you tell us then we can definitely prove Kia and Kai are wrong!” Yuji agreed.

“Very well.” Sukuna shook his head as they both turned their attention to him. “Besu, when you were just a girl, your mother grew very ill and died. I’ve told you the story, yes?” When Besu nodded, he continued. “Well, before your mother died, and you were still a baby, we moved into this house. At the time, and even still, it was rumored to be haunted.”

“Haunted? But we’ve never seen any ghosts!” Besu gasped. 

“That’s because it’s not actually haunted.” Sukuna chuckled and patted her head. “But because it hadn’t been lived in and was abandoned for a while, people thought it was. Some men who weren’t very nice stopped your mother while I was paying for groceries one afternoon and when I walked out, they were crowding around her, threatening her for staying in the old Juju house and calling her a…well, some not nice words.” When he paused, Yuji watched him put a hand over his mouth for a moment before his hand settled into a fist on his knee. “Well, I couldn’t let them hurt you or your mother. I beat the bastards…shit, that’s a curse word. Damn!” He facepalmed and Yuji giggled. “Anyway, I beat them up for messing with the two of you and was put in prison for it. The neighborhood we stay in is bad about gossip, so the whole neighborhood knew that I’d been in prison and they stayed away from us and told your mother to leave me or she’d be cursed.”

“Why didn’t you tell them about the bad men?” Yuji asked.

“Her mother tried, but sometimes adults can be very closed-minded.” He pulled Besu into his side to kiss the top of her head. “Like I was, before I met your mother.”

“Then what happened, Daddy?” 

“Well, your mother didn’t leave me. She was pure of heart, much like you, so she stayed by my side until the very end. Unfortunately, it was shortly after that that she became sick, and only a little while after that she died. That seemed to solidify to everyone that she was cursed, and by extension, me.”

“So, if we show them what we found, maybe they’ll see that you’re not cursed!” Besu said, hugging her father’s arm. “Right?”

“Well, Princess,” Mr. Sukuna sighed. “People don’t always work that way. Sometimes when they’ve made up their mind, they’re set on it.”

“But we can still try, right?” She pressed, face determined.

“Yeah! Since we played detective, we can show them you’re not cursed!” Yuji added.

“Heh,” Sukuna looked between the two of them and tickled both of their necks before he stood. “Maybe you’re right, kiddos. Sweet dreams, then.”

When he left the room, Besu suddenly tackled Yuji into a tight hug.

“Thank you for helping me, Yuji-kun.”

Yuji could only squeeze her back before they relaxed on their sleeping bags on the floor. And Besu told Yuji all about the stars and their stories, just as her father had told her growing up.

Their eyes closed just before the sun began to rise.

[azuramarigold]

TW: Violence (blood and gore) and Cussing

Dividers by: @cafekitsune and @saradika-graphics

Curse Energy gif made by: Seter MD via Ko-Fi

Please Note: Original work on A03 has proper font usage to distinguish dialogue.

Summary:

Yuji has a conflicting moment regarding himself due to his relationship with Sukuna and even his own mother. Nanami feels turmoil after being reminded that being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is more about death and suffering than it is helping people.

Notes:

** LIGHT TRIGGER WARNING ** mentions of consuming rare/raw-ish meat.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Yuji trotted along next to Nanami, his red boots stomping on small twigs along the side of the road they were walking next to.

            He enjoyed being next to Nanami, he thought he was a good person. Like his grandpa told him, nice people were hard to come by and to hold on to them tightly. Yuji also liked Gojo that he had met earlier, he was funny, and Yuji can tell he was a good person too.

            Kuna kept talking in Yuji's head, trying to tell Yuji the history of Jujutsu Sorcerers and Cursed Energy. Most of the time what Kuna was saying made Yuji tired and he just wanted to fall asleep, but some things sounded like being a superhero.

         Brat, I do suggest you stick around the Jujutsu Sorcerers.

            Why is that, Kuna?

         The Jujutsu Sorcerers can help you with your Cursed Energy regulation. And they have the means to teach you and to protect you.

            I can fight too!

            You can learn, yes. That Curse, as weak as it was, was not the first and will not be the last to try to get you – to get us.

            Why do they want us…?

            Power.

            “Yuji, you doing okay?” Nanami’s voice cut in. “You've been quiet for a while…” He was glancing down at the boy, his hazel eyes full of worry.

            Yuji gave a smile. “I'm okay, Nanamin!” he assured him. “Just thinking!”

            Nanami raised a brow. “Oh, thinking about what?” he asked with an amused tone, suppressing a smirk.

            “Like what it would it be like to be like you!” Yuji chirped happily.

            The young man looked confused at that statement. “Huh…? Be like me?” He sounded completely baffled.

            “Yeah! A Sorcerer!” the pink-haired boy shouted as he jumped over a large rock. “I wanna be a Sorcerer too! I wanna help people and be like a superhero!”

            Nanami stopped walking, him just staring at Yuji as the boy's steps faltered.

            “Nanamin, you gotta keep walking!” Yuji shouted.

            “You don’t want to be like me…” was all Nanami said, his voice low.

            Yuji walked back to Nanami, seeing how the older man’s face was shadowed by his blonde hair. Nanami’s fists were clenched to his sides, and there was a light aura of Cursed Energy around them.

            “Nana… Min…?” Yuji called out shyly.

            “You don’t want to be like me!” Nanami repeated harshly, his head snapping up. His eyes were wet, trying to hold back tears. “You don’t want to be like me, or Gojo-Senpai, or anyone in Jujutsu! You should want to be a kid! You’re only worry should be what color is your favorite tomorrow!”

            Yuji took a step back, his lips quivering.

            “This isn’t some ‘superhero’ job!” Nanami spat furiously. “People die! That woman that was tossed away on the bus!? DEAD! Your grandpa!? DEAD! Hitoe-Sensei!? DEAD!” Every name he listed he was emphasizing with a hit to his head in pure anger and agony. “My best friend…” His voice choked with a hitched sob. “Yu… He was killed last year during a mission… these bastards send kids to do these missions… He was only fifteen… a First Year…”

            Yuji didn’t know what to say, he could clearly see Nanami was breaking down. He gently took a couple of steps forward and grabbed for the man’s free hand, ignoring the sting of Cursed Energy. Yuji held Nanami’s hand gently, looking up at his face as he silently wept.

            “Then you teach me to be strong and brave, so I don’t die,” Yuji simply told him. He felt Nanami grip his hand ever so slightly tighter.

            Despite the era… things really haven’t changed in the Jujutsu world… Once you come of age, you’re a tool to them…

        Yuji didn’t know who that was directed at, to him or Nanami, but he couldn’t help thinking that was sad. He didn’t know much about Sukuna except that he had said that they were related to each other. Yuji honestly didn’t think that his uncle was bad, but it seemed like Nanami and Gojo were nervous about him. However, in this instance, it seemed that even Sukuna was offput at Nanami’s statement.

            Nanami began to walk again, tugging Yuji along. They stayed in silence until they came across a small village that had a stall for them to buy food and drinks. Yuji was ecstatic to be able to get a small meat kebab of some sort and lemonade.

            “Nanamin, can the meat be more bloody?” Yuji asked nervously.

            Nanami looked confused at the request. “… Huh…?” he dumbly said.

            “The meat is too dark…” Yuji complained. “I like my meat more red…”

            Nanami nervously darted his eyes from Yuji to the stall owner. There were some hushed tones, and the stall owner produced a new skewer and Nanami paid for the new one and took the “overcooked” one to eat himself. Yuji’s eyes widened happily.

            “Huh, never seen a kid like rare meat…” Nanami commented. “Blood makes kids nervous…”

            “I like bloody meat…!” Yuji defended himself. He took a bite of his skewer and gave a hum of approval when the juice exploded in his mouth. “It adds flavor!”

            Nanami looked a bit grossed out at that. “Uh… flavor…?” he repeated. He then ushered Yuji away from the stall so that the two could sit on a bench to rest their aching legs.

            “Yeah!” Yuji replied. “I’ve asked my grandpa to make all my meat bloody!” He took another bike. “Beef, chicken, pork-”

            “WHOA! WHOA!” Nanami then shouted as he sprung up from his seat, his expression aghast. “You can’t eat bloody chicken and pork! That’s how you get sick!”

            Yuji tilted his head to the side. “Um… no? I don’t get sick, silly!” He then laughed as though Nanami had just told him a funny joke. “I’ve never been sick until the marks started appearing on me!”

            Must be my cannibalistic tendencies that had influenced your taste for bloody meat… Makes sense.

        The blood makes things juicy!

            Um … I’m not going to deny that fact, Brat …

        Yuji finished his skewer, feeling the juices on his chin. Nanami handed him a napkin for him to wipe his face as he sat back down on the bench, so he complied.

            “Eating rare meat…” Nanami mumbled. “That has to be Sukuna’s influence…”

            “You’re very smart, Nanamin!” Yuji gasped with praise as he clapped, realizing that it was like what Sukuna had said. “What do you know about Kuna?”

            Nanami looked a little apprehensive about the topic. “Well… what were taught in school about Ryōmen Sukuna was this - he was a very evil sorcerer, and he was a very evil Curse.”

            Yuji felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach.

            “Evil…?” the small boy echoed.

            Nanami nodded grimly. “Yuji… I don’t know what he’s told you…” he began slowly. “But Sukuna has killed thousands, if not tens of thousands of people.”

            A choked sound escaped Yuji. “Wh-What do you mean…?” he asked, his voice wavering.

            I will not deny that information. What the Sorcerer speaks is the truth, Brat.

        Yuji immediately feels tears sting his eyes and he takes in a shuddered breath. Slowly, he slid off the bench, his legs wobbly.

            “Na… Nanamin…?” Yuji shakily asked.

            “Yuji… come sit back down,” Nanami ordered gently.

            “Does that mean I’m evil…?” the small boy broke.

            Nanami immediately got off the bench and pulled Yuji toward him as he put him back on the bench so they could be eye level when the older man crouched down. “Yuji, listen to me… you are the furthest thing from being evil,” he sternly said, looking into Yuji’s brown eyes.

            Yuji’s lips quivered. “My grandpa always said my mom was a bi-” he halted his words when Nanami narrowed his eyes at him in warning. “-Witch…” the boy corrected. “And that she was evil and that’s why my dad is dead…” Tears then overflowed from his eyes and began to stream down his cheeks. “If my mom is evil… and my uncle is evil… then that means I’m evil…”

            “No, you’re not,” Nanami insisted. “Actions speak louder than words. Have you ever hurt anyone?”

            “Um… I accidentally pushed a kid, and he broke a bone…” Yuji admitted shyly admitted.

            Nanami looked a little fazed at that information. “Um… okay…” he slowly said, trying to regain momentum. “What was the key word?”

            “Huh…?”

            “The key word was ‘accidentally’,” Nanami informed wisely. “You had no intention of harming the kid, right?” His hazel eyes were hard, begging for confirmation.

            “We were playing tag…” Yuji recalled the memory. Yuji was “It”, and as he was running, he pushed another boy a little too hard while declaring that they were “It”. The boy had stumbled and fallen, breaking his collarbone; however, that “stumble” was over ten feet, and many other kids kept saying that Yuji did it on purpose.

            “Okay, so it was an accident,” Nanami confirmed, looking relieved. “You didn’t mean to hurt them… kids can play rough sometimes. Bones are fragile when you’re little, but guess what?”

            “What…?”

            “They heal and become stronger.”

            “Really…?”

            “Yeah, the human body is amazing when it comes to healing itself.”

            Yuji glanced away for a moment, pondering on the information. “Does that mean Kuna could’ve accidentally killed those people…?” he asked softly.

            Nanami grimaced at the question. “Unfortunately… I don’t think what he did was an accident, Yuji,” he admitted.

            “But… things change, right?” the boy pressed. “People and Curses change…?”

            Nanami placed a hand on Yuji’s shoulder gently. “People do, yes…” he agreed. “Curses… no.”

            Yuji didn't understand that, he couldn't process that at all.

            “You’ll… understand when you're older…” Nanami assured.

            The two rested on the bench for another few minutes to rest and digest food before Nanami got back up from the bench and stretched with a groan.

            “Alright, Yuji, time for us to get moving again…” he grumbled.

            “… okay,” was all Yuji replied with, his voice small.

            Yuji jumped off the bench as well and offered his hand to Nanami, a look of pleading in his eyes. There were some days he didn't like his hand held because he didn't want to be treated like a baby, but a moment like that one, he felt the need to be comforted and assured that he was still wanted around.

            Nanami grasped his hand gently, his free hand holding the luggage and camping gear.

            Yuji was just happy that he had someone, and he gave a small smile, only for it to get bigger when Nanami gave a small one in return.

Inside his Innate Domain, Sukuna sat on his bloody skull throne, his head propped on his knuckles in thought.

            “It’s true… the Brat wouldn’t harm an insignificant insect unless heavily provoked…” he mused to himself.

            Sukuna could tell since he had first awakened that the Brat had immense strength. The Brat was unnaturally strong and fast; Sukuna couldn’t tell if it was a side-effect from being a Vessel or from being related to him. Sukuna could also tell that the Brat was born with high amounts of Cursed Energy, and when mixed with his own…

            Chaos would truly reign.

            The Heian Era would be nothing but a blot in history if the Brat had the guts to join forces with Sukuna and actually ruled this country with a bloody fist. The Brat was too soft… but in a way… it was a nice feeling.

            The way the Brat conversed with him in the Innate Domain was quite childish, the Brat asking him how his day was, if he wanted to be asked questions, or if he wanted to learn a game that he himself learned at his school. But Sukuna could tell that the two were similar in many ways. Sukuna often wondered if he had not consumed his twin in the womb, if this would what it would be like to be with someone close.

            Now it pissed him off even more that someone fiddled with his bloodline and forced his nephew into becoming a Vessel against his will.

            Who dared mess with the King of Curses’ Family line?

            Despite all the evil he had done in the past, the Brat actually made him feel bad. Like, how dare the King of Curses actually do something so Curse-like!?

            “But… things change, right? People and Curses change?”

            “Guess they do now, Brat.”

Notes:

- I figured that Yuji would have more of a taste of rarer/raw types of meat due to being Sukuna's Vessel since Sukuna ate humans/was a cannibal. I've never seen it touched in anime or read it in the manga (didn't get far in the manga, so I I can't tell yet, so). * PLEASE DO NOT CONSUME RAW/UNDERCOOKED CHICKEN/PORK! THERE IS BACTERIA THAT CAN CAUSE STOMACH VIRUSES SUCH AS SALMONELLA POISONING AND PORK CAN CONTAIN PARASITES SUCH AS TAPEWORM! * ALSO BE CAREFUL WITH RARE BEEF DUE TO E.COLI - Nanami is still traumatized by the fact that kids are being sent on dangerous missions and getting killed. He and Haibara were sent and Haibara was killed. Now he's on a mission where he's being constantly being attacked and a little boy is being threatened to be killed at any moment.

Special thanks to Ko-fi supporters!

Basic Tier

Aostrele

Draconic Hermit

JadEDU

Jaune Arc

Zippy

Middle Tier

@genderfluidsgetguns AKA IdoInFactLikeDogs

[hinamie]

I'll give them shelter like you've done for me

[radiantteacup]

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝐈'𝐌 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃!

✧.*No warnings, just tooth-rotting fluff! <3

༊*·˚ Your husband is obsessed with your shiny new wedding ring. <3

˗ˏˋFeaturing ´ˎ˗ IWAIZUMI, Hinata, ATSUMU, Daichi, Kuroo, BOKUTO, Akaashi, Semi, ARAN, GOJO, YUUJI, Nanami, Kaveh, Alhaitham, KAEYA, Diluc, Thoma, Zhongli, CHILDE, ASTA, Fuegoleon,

He's obsessed with it, he thinks. Positively enamored with the shimmering wedding band that wrapped itself around your dainty ring finger.

Every time he catches a glimpse of the expensive diamond on your hand his stomach erupts in a fit of butterflies. It reminds him that you're his, his to keep, to love, to hold, to kiss.

"What are you staring at over there pretty boy?"

Your giggly voice free's him from his trance and he looks up at you from his place on the couch, you standing in front of him. He can't help the smile that creeps onto his face, mirroring your own. He reaches for your left hand, cupping it in his larger one.

You stare in amusement as his plush lips press a gentle kiss to the gem that decorated your finger.

"Staring at you baby, you look so good with this ring on."

You smile at him fondly, heart warmed by the soft look on his face. You reach out to him with your free hand, cupping his face in your palm.

He looks up, meeting your eyes. You lean in, carefully pressing your lips against his own. His big arms wrap around your torso, pulling you flush against him as he returns the gentle kiss.

The two of you sit there, holding each other as you bask in the afterglow of your shared love. It seems as though time stops for the two of you when his hand wraps around your own, his thumb fiddling with the ring.

Yeah, he is obsessed, but that's okay, he thinks.

[subbmissivesuccubus]

Cute aggression

Your boyfriend has a weird habit of being aggressively loving. He'll hug you so tight, sometimes you'll have to tap his arm so you can breathe. He pinches your cheeks with his fingers, cooing at you as he pulls at them playfully and laughs as you whine from the pain. When you cuddle in bed, he'll pull you in super tightly, wrapping both his arms and legs around you before snuggling his face into your hair, letting out a loud 'Mmmmmmm~' sound as he did so. Sometimes, he'll bury his face against your chest, snuggling deep into your cleavage, shaking his head back and forth as he enjoys the sensation of your soft flesh surrounding him.

"Who's my baby? Who's my sweet, adorable little baby? You are! Yes you are!" he'll coo before he smushes you chubby cheeks between his hands as he leans down to kiss your now pouting lips. He also bites you. Like a lot. He'll gently chomp down on your chubby cheeks, your ears, your thighs, your ass cheeks- honestly anywhere he can get his mouth on, he starts biting.

He gets carried away at times and even coddles you in front of his friends, using the baby voice as he kisses you or asks you a question. "Does baby want a new pwetty dress? Hmm? Something cute for my cute baby. Why are you blushing so much? Oh, the others heard me. Don't worry about them, sweetiepie. Focus on me."

It feels like there's a massive amount of energy inside of him that comes out when he can be aggressive with you. He doesn't hurt you, far from it, but it can take you by surprise when he will randomly pick you up just so he can hug you, making your wrap your legs around him tightly as he embraces you.

And of course, this aggression even comes out in the bedroom. He'll shush you as you cry from his spankings. He'll spend ages between your legs just because he can't bare to be apart from your kitty. He'll suckle on your nipples and call you his good little baby while he does. His favorite position is missionary just because he can easily fuck you, look at you and coddle you all at once.

"Baby! Of fuck- your sweet pussy is squeeeezing my cock! Relax cutie- ah- ah- yes- fucking love this cunt!"

"Hold me tighter- come on- really pull me in. That's it- just like that- oh baaaaby!"

"You want me to- fuck- slow down? It's ok baby, you can take it."

His other favorite is prone bone, just because he can put all of his weight on you and fuck you silly as his forearm is pressed against your neck, choking you perfectly.

"Oh, poor baby~ Am I choking you too hard? Your face is all red!"

"Yes baby, you can cum again. Cum all over my fucking cock!"

It was only through a random conversation with friends that you found out what cute aggression was and suddenly, it all made sense! You explained it to him and all he did was laugh, pulling you in for a hug as you swatted at him, not really mad.

"You're treating me like I'm a puppy!" you said, huffing as he started peppering your face with kisses.

"Well, you are my pet~"

Bokuto, Kuroo, Gojo, Yuuji, Shanks, Ace, Sabo, Uzui, Douma, Kaeya, Childe, Wriothesley.

[cruel-hiraeth]

you and which fave(s)?

[spacebaby1]

fathers day at the Gojos

Slamming your alarm as soon as it rang you yawned carefully getting up. It's way too early to be up but since its father's day, you decided to do something special for Satoru. He on the other hand was fast asleep quietly snoring. Tiptoeing your way out of the room you headed towards the kitchen after freshening up. As you reached the last stairs you could clearly hear whispers and sound coming from your kitchen. Freezing in your place as your heart beating fast. Then you heard a little "ouch!" Yuji?

You hurried your way into the kitchen and found your two boys Yuji and Yuta standing next to the stove. They both froze when they saw you, "what are you two doing up this early?" You asked keeping your voice low, the kitchen was a bit of a mess. "Baking?" Yuta smiled nervously.

"For dad" Yuji said before coming around the counter to hug you, "morning ma." You smiled and Yuta joined you, "Good morning, Mama." You smiled hugging them both, "Morning loves. But it's way too early and you could've woken your dad with the noises, wait why are you-"

Yuji spoke before you could finish the question, "for father's day, duh. We tried to make a cake but we don't know if it's done and we've been trying to make pancakes but we don't know how, right yu?"

Yuta nodded rubbing his head, "we tried to look it up on the Internet but we couldn't figure out which one to pick and we don't know how to turn the stove on."

You sighed internally crying, "Don't worry I'll help you two, I was planning to make pancakes anyway. Come on help me grab few things from the pantry." Both your boys followed behind you.

After showing them how to make the batter and teaching them step by step on how to make the perfect pancakes as they both stood on either side of yours with shocked looks on their faces, it's fascinating to be a boy mom you thought as this was their first time learning anything cooking related you weren't aware that your boys were interested in making pancakes. "Come on now set the table and we will wake dad-"

Satoru walked into the kitchen, half asleep, "it smells like pancakes here." The three of you turned to look at him, and he noticed the cake on the table, his eyes widened, "I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ANY OF YOUR BIRTHDAYS HAVE I?" He panicked. Both your boys ran to hug him, "Happy fathers Day, dad!" They both said, and Satoru sighed, then laughed, "Aww, thank you. Did you'll baked a cake for me?" He asked, ruffling their hair. Both Yuji and Yuta nodded, "and mom helped us to make pancakes!" Yuta said happily as you placed the plate on the table, letting out a small chuckle as the three of your boys made it to the table. Satoru hugged you, "Happy fathers Day, babe. You're the best dad in the whole world. " You kissed his forehead, and he let out a lovely sigh. "Thank you, darling, I love you and my boys!" He let go of you and ruffled his boys hair one last time before taking his seat on the table.

[thepersonperson]

I just want to say that I really love your analysis on Gojo and Sukuna a lot.

Can I ask for analysis of Sukuna and Yuji dynamics? It's okay if you take awhile to answer this.

(Answered as of JJK 262 using TCB Scans.)

Oh boy this one is fun!

I see Sukuna and Yuji as opposite sides of the same coin. They both have the same kind of tools but wind up at completely different conclusions because of their own personal biases.

By the way, thank you for breaking my brain anon. I'm going to consider this yet another part of my attempt to grasp Sukuna's character.

Sukuna's Loneliness Part 3 (Sukuna's hatred of Yuji is jealousy.)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Click images for captions/citations.

Yuji and Sukuna's Shrine

Gege does this really clever thing where kanji used to describe a Cursed Technique (CT) have multiple readings, especially if you look past the initial proposed reading. In a way, this is teaching you how to read the text. The face-value reading, albeit true, hides another reading underneath.

Dismantle comes from the kanji 解 (Kai). This kanji can mean to unravel, to explain, to understand, to solve, to cut. It’s first introduced with chef knives which pushes the reader to interpret the meaning as “to cut”. However, this doesn't mean it's not carrying the other readings at the same time. The cutting is not simply cutting, it's a purposeful unraveling in search of an answer—in other words, dismantling.

Another good translation of 解 (Kai) would be Dissect. Though dismantle gets across a similar feeling, dissect invokes a more intimate and purposeful imagery to the cutting. Both of translations are good in their own ways. It's a matter of preference for which is better.

My point here is that the technique itself indicates the user is trying to understand something closely. The surface reading isn't sufficient for the user, the insides, the guts are what they're after. Both Yuji and Sukuna embody this desire to understand others in completely opposite directions.

Yuji, Human Golden Retriever

Yuji is wholly devoted to understanding others. He unravels the hearts of those around him by being himself. Similar to Sukuna, he also mimics people he admires. Not only in battle, but casually as well, pair bonding with just about anyone who will let him.

The mimicry aspect of Yuji here is very important because it demonstrates he is trying to understand other people on their own terms and not his own. Yuji engages everyone as themselves and accepts them as they are. Him having no braincells is a boon because it means he can absorb others' with ease.

I'm extremely fond of Yuji's pair bonding with Gojo in particular. In great length I've explained how Gojo's inability to deeply connect with others since his breakup with Geto was isolating and dehumanizing. Yuji is the first person since then to match his energy exactly and without question. Usually other characters get irritated with his shenanigans and can't follow him in conversation. Yuji consistently keeps up with him in that regard even if he's confused. In this way, Yuji has done the impossible, he has gotten past some of Gojo's emotional barriers and connected with him.

This type of seemingly impossible connection is not limited to Gojo, my other favorite being Junpei. Up until Yuji meets him, Junpei is effectively groomed by Mahito into hating other people. Mahito teaches him distrust and to see human ugliness first. Junpei starts to believe everyone is rotten and therefore ok to kill. But Yuji meets him by chance and does this:

All that time Mahito spent molding Junpei into someone worse flies right out the window because Yuji wins him over by being genuine. This is the crux of Yuji's character.

Yuji's Unyielding Spirit

Just about everyone is won over by Yuji's persistent unending good boy energy, even the people who try to kill him (Megumi, the Kyoto students, Choso, Hakari, Higurama, etc.). His most interesting converts are Higurama and Hakari in my opinion. This is because Yuji's steadfast devotion to others defies their world views.

After a lifetime's worth of heartbreak as a public defender, Higurama believes that deep down all people are hideous (similar to Junpei). He's ready to kill Yuji until he takes the blame for something he didn't do. It so thoroughly shakes him that he has a meltdown over the chapter and ultimately concludes he was in the wrong.

Yuji doesn't try to make Higurama understand him here. All he does is be himself and it forces Higurama to undergo character growth that ultimately results in him understanding Yuji.

Yuji does the exact same thing to Hakari but in a different way. Hakari believes in the selfish types who are passionate in their own pursuits. He's a lot like Sukuna in that way, he straight up calls Yuji boring for doing things on the behalf of others.

Yuji doesn't care though. He's got a clear goal and he's chasing it. Hakari knocking him down over and over does nothing. Unlike with Higurama, Yuji explains exactly how he sees himself and that if Hakari can't handle it, he'll keep getting back up until he accepts it. And it works. Eventually Hakari can see the "fever" of someone who is nothing like him.

These two converts best illustrate how Yuji is the embodiment of unwavering humanity. He does things for other people and he will keep doing things for other people even it brings him pain or death. If you don't understand that kind of mentality, he'll let you pummel him until you do.

Also notice how he never once tells his converts they are wrong to think the way they do. This acceptance of their differences is very important and will be coming up later.

Yuji's Love

Yuji connects with others through mimicry (and so does Sukuna). This, of course, is an expression of love. But what really sets his love apart from others' is his ability to perceive people and their emotions—he notices things about them no one else would.

I include the bout with Panda in this collage since their entire conversation occurs nonverbally. Yuji infers how Panda is feeling and what his goals are by sparing through a fake duel. All of this shows that despite Yuji's low general intelligence, his emotional intelligence is unparalleled. In a way, this ability of his to read others is him taking after both Kenjaku and Sukuna. But he doesn't use this insight to torment others, he uses it to befriend them.

This understanding of others is not limited to those Yuji is friendly with too. Hated people and things are something he is willing to engage without hostility.

I'm using the anime screencap because Yuji immediately accepting cursed objects, Sukuna's in particular, as something to be cherished instead of scorned really needs to be talked about more. And of course his acceptance of Todo (who is just like Sukuna for reasons we will get into later) is nearly just as important as him understanding Sukuna enough to utilize him against Mahito. These are both people, despised by most of the cast, that Yuji is willing to accept and work with on their own terms.

I often use the lens of analysis in which Umineko gave me: "Without love it cannot be seen." This is referring to how one needs to set aside their negative biases and assumptions to properly see the motives behind an action. It's sort of like giving someone the benefit of the doubt in your attempt to understand them. I think Yuji is the personification of this concept. And that's why Sukuna cannot stand him.

Sukuna, King of Miscommunication

The way in which Sukuna goes about understanding others is the polar opposite of Yuji and deeply perverse. It's like how a shark uses its mouth to explore the world. Instead of using his words, Sukuna uses his cutting to feel others out. And much like a shark, the exploratory bite and attacking bite are extremely different in action despite both resulting in the same level of harm or death when experienced.

Take notice of how happy Sukuna is when cutting his playmates. He doesn't kill them immediately and uses the information from his slashes to gain a better understanding of them. This is how Sukuna interacts with the world.

It's easy to dismiss sharks as evil since their bites do harm to humans no matter the context. But if you try to understand them on shark terms, they're actually pretty adorable. In other words, without love it (shark cuteness) cannot be seen. Please keep this in mind as I attempt to convince you Sukuna is peak gap moe.

Sukuna's Affection

Sukuna is very similar to Gojo in that he displays affection in very bizarre and unpleasant ways. But unlike Gojo who just verbally assaults people, Sukuna straight up assaults them. He's more than happy to give people compliments for their efforts, but it comes at the price of enduring his violence.

As you can see some of these compliments coincide with attempts to teach his opponent how to be a better fighter. And this is where Sukuna's affection shines the most—when he reaches out to his opponent and tries to connect with them and understand them through battle.

However...every single time Sukuna tries to bond with someone this way, they try to kill him. It's kind of hilarious.

He tries to connect with the Finger Bearer, a curse of all things. Rejected.

He tries to connect with Megumi after showing him his heart. Rejected.

He tries to connect with Higurama after cutting his limbs off. Rejected.

He tries to connect with Maki via an unhinged high-praise yapfest. Rejected.

No one here engages Sukuna's dialogue. They ignore his words entirely to focus on killing him. The only time anyone listens to him is if they're Uraume, actively dying, or Kashimo.

As you can see, Sukuna primarily expresses affection through violence. It's always accompanied by a smile and sometimes a backhanded compliment. No one can recognize this as affection because getting bit by a shark hurts regardless of intent. That being said, this affectionate violence differs greatly when compared to the violence inflicted out of aggravation.

Sukuna's Pickiness

Sukuna shows his displeasure through cutting as well. This usually occurs when people reach out to him without his explicit permission. Though Sukuna is eager to form bonds with others to some degree, he absolutely loathes when expectations are thrust onto him by another party.

That kind of relationship is transactional and not between equals. They don't want Sukuna for himself, they want Sukuna for themselves. Yorozu is the epitome of this and Sukuna treats her accordingly.

Notice how in both of these instances Sukuna's expression is the furthest thing from pleased. Yorozu does recognize his loneliness but disregards how he wants to deal with it. Sukuna cuts her to keep her away from him, not to understand her, and she doesn't get it. (Also note how he refuses to use his Shrine on her in their battle. Which we’ve established as Sukuna’s tool for understanding others. He wants so little to do with her it’s funny.)

Mahito also winds up on the receiving end of "get the fudge away from me" slashes despite initially bonding with Sukuna over Yuji's suffering. They inadvertently disrespect Sukuna's boundaries through unwanted contact, much like Yorozu, leading to this reaction. (To be fair, having your soul touched by a stranger sounds pretty upsetting.) Framing Sukuna's dislike of Mahito as an annoyed hostess vs a touchy patron in joke panels is a great way to illustrate how much he values this particular boundary.

Once again, Sukuna's expressions are very clear in their disgust. These cuts are to be read as hostile. When Sukuna cuts others in this manner, he is not trying to understand them.

Sukuna's Missed Connections

Now that we know how to read Sukuna's intent through how he cuts, we can also read his mood during fights and infer how he feels about other characters.

Jogo

In this post I kind of went over why Jogo wound up being favored by Sukuna. But let's break it down some more.

Jogo started in Sukuna's doghouse. His body language, facial expressions, and treatment of Jogo initially indicates Sukuna categorized Jogo amongst the likes of Mahito and Yorozu (he did touch his face without permission). Then Jogo said he wanted nothing of Sukuna, and everything changed.

Sukuna smiles at him and plays with him in the exact same manner he tried to with the Finger Bearer and Megumi earlier. He tries to coax Jogo into going all out while taking the time to figure out why he doesn't.

And perhaps learning from past mistakes, or Yuji (though he'd probably never admit it), Sukuna engages with Jogo on his terms—fire power. This mirroring is a show of respect and an attempt to learn more about Jogo.

This is the first time we see Sukuna do such a thing. And in return he gains a deeper understanding of Jogo for it while seeing him off into the afterlife.

Another first for Sukuna, he makes a meaningful connection through combat with Jogo who listens to him and accepts him as he is. Sukuna gasses him up while simultaneously putting him down, eventually ending on a genuine compliment, believing Jogo could've become an equal to Gojo Satoru. ...And then that blossoming relationship burns to ash by Sukuna's own hands.

This is where Yuji succeeds and Sukuna fails. Yuji's love builds and Sukuna's love kills.

The main takeaways from Sukuna vs Jogo are:

>Sukuna's facial expressions are a strong indicator of how he feels about someone. (Glaring at Jogo initially when he felt disrespected and then smiling at Jogo when he became interested in him.)

>Sukuna will offer aid to those who don't demand it of him. (Promising to kill all the humans in Shibuya on Jogo's behalf and giving permission for Jogo to boss him around if certain conditions are met.)

>Sukuna holds back during fights with those he wants to understand. (Playing with Jogo and trying to coax him into fighting harder.)

>Sukuna mimics others as a form of respect. (Fire vs fire showdown.)

>Sukuna is interested in the internal logic of his opponents. (Asking why Jogo doesn't use his domain and being intrigued by his attempt to become human.)

Keep all of this in mind as I use these points to revisit Sukuna's biggest missed connection.

Gojo Satoru

Jogo and Gojo as names are interesting in that they're inverses of each other if you go by the hiragana in Japanese. I think this was deliberate. It's not a coincidence that Jogo is someone Sukuna learned he was compatible with through fighting. Nor is it a coincidence Sukuna tried to understand him on his own terms in a way that killed him. This fight winds up being a blueprint for how Sukuna attempts to connect with Gojo Satoru.

The culmination of Sukuna's attempts to understand someone other than himself is Gojo Satoru. A whole 6 months in the making, the effort Sukuna puts towards others doesn't compare. He saw the potential in Megumi and found Mahoraga, blowing up half of Shibuya to tame it. He stole Megumi's body and subjugated his soul to obtain it, using his sister/Yorozu as calibration. And he explicitly states all this was for cutting through Gojo's Infinity.

All this prep work to kill one guy, and his loved ones are tormented for it. Gojo's prized student, Megumi (who Gojo treats like a son) is bathed in curses for days and has his sister murdered by his own CT. Sukuna picked through Megumi's memories as a part of this strategy, which means he has access to these two conversations.

A very selfish dream on Gojo's end, the desire for an equal he saw in Megumi more than any other student. In other words, a little piece of Gojo's internal logic that reveals a path for exploitation. And exploit it Sukuna does, deliberately wearing Megumi's face to mess with other sorcerers.

But that's probably not the whole truth here. Though Kenjaku and Yorozu understand Sukuna to an extent, they don't understand him fully. It's definitely true he used Megumi's face to better subjugate his new vessel and throw off Gojo. And it wouldn't be wrong to assume Sukuna did this out of malice. However...

Without love it cannot be seen gives me a framework to view these actions as something beyond hatred towards Gojo. It allows me to entertain a hypothetical where this a twisted display of affection. But it doesn't give me the evidence for this. So for this dissection, I'm using another important tool from Umineko: "Flipping over the chessboard." This refers to how one should try to see things from a different perspective.

For example, many people interpreted "The one who will teach you about love is..." during their fight being about Gojo trying to teach Sukuna love.

I decided to flip over the chessboard and came to the conclusion: The one who will teach you about love is...Sukuna.

I supported this claim with the conversation where Sukuna teaches love to Kashimo while alluding that Gojo needed teaching. And now I flip over the chessboard again. If Sukuna sees himself as a teacher of love, was Sukuna vs Gojo an attempt at education?

I reread the fight again and found this:

It's very clear that the one being satisfied in this instance is Gojo and by Sukuna. This battle is technically everything Gojo hoped for from Megumi. The potential of the 10 Shadows is maximized, Mahoraga is tamed, and the Infinity Gojo has longed for someone to pierce since Toji is obliterated.

The one satisfying him now is...Sukuna.

The one who will teach you about love is...Sukuna.

The parallel syntax and a definitive answer. I'm more confident that this is how the blank is to be filled. And that's why I don't know how to interpret this fight anymore.

This story repeatedly emphasizes how selfish Sukuna is. It beats you over the head with how self-centered and uncaring his conduct is. So why is it that he has seemingly gone out of his way to satisfy Gojo on his own terms?

There's not enough information. Did Sukuna hold back with Gojo because Megumi was still resisting him, or was it an attempt to mimic Yuji and connect with him? Did he use Megumi's body and face after reading his memories to better torment Gojo or was it give him satisfaction?

So I flip over the chessboard and go back to Jogo.

Gojo didn't ask anything of Sukuna just like Jogo. Neither of them asked to have their strength validated. Sukuna is the one who came after them.

Sukuna expressed his gratitude towards Jogo for wanting nothing of him by helping him with his objective. He killed all humans in the area as he promised and gave Jogo a chance to ask for more. Instead of slaughtering Jogo instantly, Sukuna played around with him while trying to understand him, all smiles, both backhandedly and genuinely complimenting him as he died.

...And it appears that Sukuna has done the same thing for Gojo too.

According to this post 龍鱗 (ryuurin) translates to dragon scales and "describes the basic application of Limitless, a strong defensive barrier like the scales of a dragon." This reference is also Buddhist in nature likening these scales/Gojo to a "dangerous divine power/authority", aka someone more than just a fish.

Now take this hidden meaning and Sukuna's 6 month long obsession with cutting through Infinity. Take how he describes the World Slash as something that reaches its target by making them the center of Sukuna's world. And remember that this solution is a modified Dismantle—the tool which Sukuna uses to connect with and understand others.

Sukuna made Gojo Satoru the center of his world in an attempt to understand him. He cut through Infinity in the exact way Gojo has always wanted to satisfy him. This could be read as flirtation since Sukuna has told Kashimo violence is how he loves. Just as he did with Jogo, Sukuna killed Gojo with his love.

The biggest difference between how Jogo and Gojo are treated is the complete lack of Sukuna in Gojo's afterlife. Jogo let Sukuna in and they bonded in death. Gojo seemingly kept Sukuna out, choosing to be surrounded by those he felt close with as a teenager, and waxed on about how it's hard to be understood. The irony is staggering.

It's possible that Sukuna expected Gojo to let him in during death so he could learn the unspoken secrets of his most favorite plaything. There’s also the possibility Sukuna was privy to Gojo’s afterlife scene and became acutely aware Geto still had Gojo’s heart entirely. (I don't think this the case since Sukuna is bright-eyed and smiling after that sequence.) Either way, Gojo failed to realize Sukuna was trying to reach him and inadvertently rejected him.

I flip over the chessboard again, revisiting Sukuna's lecture on love to Kashimo assuming that Sukuna attempted to teach Gojo love and failed. And now I don't know how to interpret his conversation with Kashimo either.

Is he simply saying love is worthless because all he values is strength? Or is he lamenting that each and every time he has tried to love his heart has been trampled? Could it be both?

Sukuna loves eating and humans are amongst his favorite meals. In that way, he does need someone else to be satisfied. Yet he insists on the contrary all while looking for companionship with anything that moves. Sukuna has gone his entire life not caring for others. But his fights with Jogo and Gojo demonstrate the opposite. Post-Gojo death, his expressions are ones of boredom and he is far more depressed. When his opponents most resemble Gojo, his smile returns.

Sukuna is too much like Gojo here, his 2 birds 1 stone approach to obfuscating his true feelings makes him very hard to read. It really doesn't help that instead of saying "I love you" Sukuna cuts people to pieces with a smile on his face. Forget about the gap moe. Sukuna is the most tsundere of sharks.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni (When the Seagulls Cry) is a visual novel about a person who is fundamentally misunderstood by those around them. They desperately want to be loved without being perceived, believing themself to be unworthy due to trauma and immutable characteristics given to them at birth. Instead of telling anyone these feelings directly, they play games akin to torture. They torment the ones they love over and over in hopes they'll see through their actions and understand them.

The Uncle vs Nephew Problem

What does Sukuna's inability to socialize have to do with Yuji? Well...everything. Remember that similar to Yuji, Sukuna rejected Mahito—the manifestation of the hatred between humans. Symbolically, this suggests Sukuna doesn't hate humans as much as he appears to. And from how he interacts with others, this may be the case.

Sukuna tries to be himself to connect with others and fails miserably. But Yuji? He breathes and makes 10 friends instantly. And even worse, he can fight others to understand them without killing them. Either with words or with fists, Yuji can make the connections using the very tools that isolate Sukuna.

So Sukuna falls back on isolation being strength. It's fine that he's all alone because it's what makes him strong. ...And in complete opposition to that philosophy (which is a huge cope), Yuji grows through his connections with other people.

Isolation vs Cooperation

Yuji is the undisputed king of running duos, in part because he can decenter himself at will to sync up with others. It doesn't matter how well he knows them or how long he's been around them, he will find a a way to be the best support they've ever received.

Sukuna doesn't believe in this kind of cooperation or other people. But he still respects Gojo and Megumi who do, so why does Yuji piss him off? I think it's because Yuji rubs his ability to love and grow from others in Sukuna's face, constantly.

Whether he's trapped in his body or on the receiving end of his friendship beatdowns, Sukuna has been present for each and every bonding moment Yuji has through fighting. Sukuna has an involuntary front row seat to Yuji's defiance of everything he stands for.

He's forced to watch Yuji learn how to Black Flash by cooperating with Todo. And since then, Yuji has learned to proc it with anyone he pairs up with.

Near death and with Nobara? No problem.

Things look hopeless and the shiestiest guy around is barely hanging on to his dead mentor's memento? 2 Black Flashes.

Yuji is even able to sync up with a guy he's never met, whose name he doesn't know to pull off this.

And of course we can't leave out Todo Aoi himself who maximizes Yuji's black flash efficiency.

This shakes Sukuna to the soul because holy fudge, Yuji is starting to become just as strong as him without mercilessly abandoning his humanity.

And that might mean Sukuna was wrong to suffer isolation in the pursuit of strength. That would mean Sukuna endured a lifetime of misunderstanding and loneliness for no greater purpose. In fact, he might be stronger if he had someone else to grow with. Which means he could've had love and strength.

That's a painful reality to confront. It's no wonder most of the black flashes Yuji lands on Sukuna are over his broken heart.

Selfishness vs Selflessness

Earlier I claimed that Sukuna and Todo are the same kind of person. This is because they're both extremely egocentric individuals who categorize people worth their time by boring or interesting. They both hate taking orders from the people they deem boring and go about understanding people through combat. And just about everyone hates them for being this way. The difference between them is Yuji and restraint with their opponents. (Todo doesn't outright kill the boring people, he just beats them half to death. And though he beats up the interesting people too, he allows them to grow for the next time.)

Note how Yuji matches Todo's communication style. He chooses to learn about Todo through combat and their relationship grows along with their strength, all without death. Yuji understands Todo and Todo understands Yuji. This is exactly what Sukuna has been trying to do.

Now Todo sees Yuji as his brother, aka someone with the potential to rise to his level and beyond. He doesn't mind at all that Yuji fights for others and Yuji doesn't mind that Todo fights to stave off boredom. Their relationship shows that someone as selfish and isolated as Todo (aka Sukuna) is capable of coexisting and growing with someone.

Sukuna rejects this on principle, going out of his way to destroy Yuji's bonds and ideals. He mocks his cog mentality and lectures him on this weakness. But like the fraud he is, Sukuna copies Yuji and obtains greater power by becoming obsessed with someone other than himself.

His fight with Gojo and the preparation up to it mirrors everything he hates about Yuji. Sukuna learns all about Gojo Satoru to find a way to kill him. He engages the fight on Gojo's terms and reaches out to satisfy him. And worst of all Sukuna grows through this—he upgrades his CT by making someone else the center of his world.

The fact this happened means Yuji was right about everything, so all Sukuna has left is denial. Yuji is boring, he's a brat, he's weak, he'll never reach his level. Because if he does, well, Sukuna's entire world view falls apart.

We saw this with Higurama and Hakari vs Yuji. Both of them eventually accepted that these differing ideas can exist together. Sukuna can't be like them since he keeps borrowing Yuji's tactics instead of sticking to his own ideas. He's defrauded himself and Yuji has to pay for this.

Rejection vs Acceptance

So that's the rub. Yuji is strong and properly loved through his unwavering good boy energy alone and this breaks Sukuna's brain. It's hard to read this as anything other than jealousy since Sukuna is watching Yuji obtain the things he's been denied using the exact same toolkit. And though Sukuna rejects Yuji for this, Yuji accepts Sukuna for what he is, just as he does everyone else.

All Sukuna has do is accept that Yuji's way of thinking is just as valid as his. But he can't since they're too similar. Yuji's existence forces Sukuna to confront a reality he's not emotionally equipped to handle. Instead of facing these emotional problems head on, he buries them and blames everyone else in a combination of envy and denial.

Deep down Sukuna knows he's in the wrong, otherwise Yuji's punches wouldn't shake his soul.

[glowingsand]

8 consecutive black flashes?!???? that’s their kid!!!

[yuujiheart]

Meet yuji and sukuna, apart from sharing the body and curse technique, they share other things too.

Both have scars on their faces given by each other.

( Sukuna is so childish he actually gave yuji similar scar immediately but hit him critically.)

Both tried to cut each other's leg

Both have scars at the corner of their mouth. (Courtesy to mahito and yuta)

Both hit each other on their eye area.

Mirroring each other's expressions.

It pains them to acknowledge each other.

Both learned new abilities from each other

(Sukuna learned to percieve soul outline, yuji learned special grade jujutsu)

Yeah , perfect depiction of two sides of the same coin.

[shrineontheroadside]

‼️ JJK MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD ‼️

⚠️ proceed with caution ⚠️

this is just me theorising, and I rly hope it doesn't pan out like this, but I think yuuta is gonna lose. while he will go out dealing some heavy damage to sukuna, all chapters previous to the gojo-corpse comeback were dedicted to yuuji (the MC) levelling up his power and skill.

all previous jujutsu kaisen MCs, (yuuta in JJK0, Gojo with the Hidden Inventory Arc, Maki with the zenin clan arc) were allowed victories against their primary oppoonents. (geto, toji and naoya respectively) in the process, they lost someone they loved (gojo lost geto, yuuta had to let go of rika, mai sacrificed herself for maki) and after this loss, their loved one came back as a shadow of who they were (kenjaku in geto's body, rika as a shikigami, mai's gift of the soul split sword.)

what we tend to forget, is that while sukuna is an enemy of the jujutsu world, he is itadori's opponent. Jujutsu Kaisen as a story began with sukuna, yuuji's character developed due to sukuna's malevolent nature and all the loss in yuuji's life is due to the king of curses.

JJK is also inherently cyclical in nature, we see this in the multiple parallels drawn across generations, with a primary theme being breaking patterns of passing down trauma.

now, the genesis point for all the catastrophes in JJK was the existence of toji zenin, and as pointed out by yuki, he is the ideal of how humans should AKA net zero cursed energy. to achieve geto's ideal, another key point of the storyline, all humans should ideally become like toji.

but toji isn't the only cause of imbalance in jujutsu society, it's gojo as well. his birth caused curses to grow infinitely stronger and have an overall negative impact on the death rate of sorcerers. his status as a special grade caused chaos in the jujutsu world and forced the impossible burden of loneliness onto him.

as the story currently stands, yuuta is the only special grade remaining. I don't think yuuta will die, but I do think he will lose rika, lose against sukuna and all his cursed energy in the process. to dissolve the ideal of a special grade sorcerer will be pivotal for the story.

maki in the cinchpin; her contemporary began this mess and its only fitting that she play a role in ending things, but at the end of the day this is yuuji's victory. as per the repeating narrative of JJK, he's already lost megumi, and megumi has returned to itadori as a distorted image of himself.

but I don't think megumi will die, because what JJK has always been about is breaking cycles of abuse. objectively, sukuna is exploiting megumi right now, and I think the story will end with yuuji somehow breaking this cycle of abuse and figuring out how to harness cursed energy in a way that achieves geto's ideal of a curseless world.

anyway, those are my two cents. for all this analysis I still want a gojo nobara geto nanami comeback so all my pookies can hold hands and live happily ever after. I miss you gojo my gorgeous blue eyed king. I miss you nobara my femme sapphic queen. i miss you nanamin my father figure 9-5 king. I MISS YOU GETO MY PRETTY PRETTY PRINCESS. I MISS YOU THE MOST. YOU DESERVE A LIFE WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND YOUR 4 ADOPTED KIDS. GETO MY LOVELY POOKIE WOOKIE KING I CRY FOR U EVERYDAY.

[hinamie]

parenthood was not on my 2024 bingo card but clearly life is full of surprises

[creatively-cosmic]

Perhaps in another lifetime, things could have been different.

[shovellyyy]

*at the mall*

"Attention shoppers," Megumi idly listened. "would a little boy- around aged 9- with black, uh, spiky hair and a blue school uniform please come to the security desk at the front of the store?"

He frowns, looking down at himself and his unmistakable blue uniform. He's not 9 though, so he's just going to continue shopping-

"Thank you sir! Goomiee!! Oh Goomiebear!!! My precious, please return to me at once!! I don't know what I'll do without you, my son!"

God damnit Gojo.

A muffled "sir you can't take the intercom, please give it back-" is heard before the line completely shuts off.

Megumi is glad it's very apparent he's not a child, but he's not pleased with how he still gets weird glances shot his way.

"What the hell was that, Gojo?" He asks once he reaches the desk.

"Um, sir, I believe he was looking for a small primary school child-" the poor security guard tries to but in, but Gojo interrupts him.

"Nope, this is him! Thank you for your hard work, man!" Gojo then hands him a small pile of cash before grabbing Megumi's arm and walking off.

"You suck. I was so embarrassed."

"Aw, how about I get you a leash next time to keep a better eye on ya?"

[kohhomaru]

Sweet summer child