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Gojo Satoru doesn't like kids.
They were weak, cried easily and loud. They tend to be scared of him and screamed because of his tall stature. Its annoying.
Their parents were even more annoying.
Leading their kids away while giving him an accusing---scared---look as if he had harassing their child. He didn't even do anything, he just minding his own business, damnit!
Kids...
He would never get along with them. Not that he want to be liked by them or anything. Its troublesome, and wasting so much time and energy. ((Suguru were more suited for it))
He couldn't fucking understand why Suguru said they were adorable. They're a fucking menace. A pain in the ass.
Suguru looked at him flatly when he said that kids like him, so he thought that they were adorable.
Satoru flipped him off.
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"You are more troublesome than them," Suguru said, pinching the bridge of his nose while sighing tiredly.
Satoru gaped, eyebrows twitching in annoyance. "Hah?! The fuck you mean by that, Suguru? I'm not a fucking crybaby and loud like them! Take that back!" He shouted, stomping his feet like an adult he is.
"You are a big baby." Suguru retorted quickly.
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He was pulled out if his thought when Suguru walked in front of him and said. "They told us to keep them under surveillance to prevent them to ever lose control."
Ah... Right, they are on mission right now. A 'Babysitting' mission to be exact.
He was thinking about kids earlier because of this mission. This 'babysitting' mission. A mission to babysit Sukuna's vessel.
Fucking great.
He doesn't know---and doesn't care---how old the vessel is, he only knew the vessel was younger than him and Suguru.
"Bet it's some middle schooler crybaby brat who's gonna bawl it eyes out and beg me to release it," he muttered lowly to make sure Suguru didn't hear him, because he would scold him for saying mean stuff. Meh.
"Just kill it if it ever lose control. Easy." He said flippantly, eyes bored.
Suguru looked like he wanted to said something before the wooden gate in front of them open, revealing an old lady who greet them stiffly.
Hm?
The lady didn't said anything at first, merely watching them under dark hooded eyes. Suguru stepped out, introducing themselves.
His eyes darting around the compound before landing on his best friend. For some reason, Suguru seemed to be in a foul mood as he watched him having a brief chat with the servant lady regarding the vessel.
Usually Suguru greeted everyone with a smile on his face. He would exuded a certain aura that make him approachable. Friendly. His posture would lax, showing that he was comfortable.
Even he doesn't like them, he would always gave them a smile.
But this? Suguru wasn't smiling. At all.
He talked with the lady with such a cold look on his face, the line on his jaw were tense, so was his posture and overall demeanor. He even didn't bother to use pleasantries like usual.
And the lady left... Leaving both of them alone, waiting for approval from the master of the house to see the vessel.
Seemed the old lady took her sweet time.
Satoru was bored already, and he made in known by groaning loudly and tapping his palm impatiently on the wooden floor.
He then turned to Suguru and told him he wanna go to see the vessel himself and asked if the latter wanted to tag along. Suguru refused the offer, saying he just gonna wait there to sort out his thought.
Satoru frowned, knowing there were something wrong with his bestfriend but decided not to push it. He knew when to not bother Suguru. And this time, Suguru clearly didn't want him to bother him.
If Suguru wanted a space, Satoru would gladly gave him. They're best friend. Equal. They understood each other very well. And whatever it was, he was sure Suguru would tell him later.
With that in mind, he teleported away.
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Satoru whistled, eyes darting around the corridor that stretched out in front of him. Senses stretched thin, trying to pin point the exact location of the King of Curses vessel.
"Where are you? Oh where are you?" He singsong, lips pulled into a wide grin. He honestly doesn't give a fuck about the vessel's fate, really. Satoru just doing his job, if the vessel lose control of Ryomen Sukuna, that's enough reason to killed it.
Simple as that.
So he doesn't understand why would Suguru have that kind of expression on his face. Did he know the vessel? Does it have something to do with it?
"Meh, not my business."
Oh.
He found it.
He stopped in front of a medium sized room on the far side of the corridor with a lot of talisman plastered all over the door---even the wall.
Snorting loudly, he looked at the talisman with distaste "Isn't this a little too much? The vessel only manage to eat four fingers so far. Why all of this talisman? Guess all those old fart really scared huh? Not that I have any complain if the vessel manage to kill all of them. It saves me the trouble."
He realized that he didn't see any windows or any hole to peek inside the room from this side.
Oh well.
"Let's take a look from the outside now, shall we?" He cackled, teleporting himself outside the room where the vessel were.
He saw the small---too small---window, positioned a little bit higher than his height, and he peeked inside.
The first thing he noticed was that the room were mostly barren----safe for a single bed on the far side of the room----and littered with seals from the floor up to the ceiling. The room also dimly lit, with the light source mostly from the candles and sunlight that streamed from the windows, casting the room in a sickly orange glow.
And then he spotted it. Sitting on seiza position in the middle of the room. Surrounded by many seals.
Satoru squinted, even with his six eyes he couldn't make out anything about the vessel aside from the oversize kimono. He tsked.
So with a deep breath, he teleported inside the room.
His eyes automatically locked with the vessel figure. Still sitting prone in the middle of the room. Not moving an inch. Either it didn't know Satoru was inside the room or it didn't care.
From this distance, Satoru could see the vessel clearly. The thing which stand out the most were its hair, short peach colored hair with dark undercut. Secondly, it small stature. The kimono really dwarfed it. His eyes trailing down to it small feet, they're small and pink with blood pulsing inside.
What a small feet for a young adult.
Wait----
Satoru frowned, taking a really good look at it.
No, not it... but him, judging by the stature. And he looked so small, tiny, engulfed in a kimono that seemed too big for a young adult like him. It almost looked like he was a... kid.
Satoru paused
He blinked once. Twice.
There's no way that Sukuna's vessel was a kid, right?
Right?
And while he busied himself with his thought, he didn't realize the vessel decided to turned around until the rustling of fabric greeted his ears.
Once again, Satoru was surprised. He wasn't ready for the sight of a boy with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
Satoru was right... The vessel was a kid.
A kid with soft features, cherubic face that would look more plump if the residents of this house bothered to feed him. How did he know? Easy. He knew malnutrition when he sees one.
And this kid here certainly malnourished.
Second passed by with them staring at each other, the boy blinked his warm brown eyes curiously at him and... is that 'awe' he saw on the boy's glittering eyes?
The boy didn't say anything, simply staring at him as if waiting for him to say something. Anything.
And Satoru? He stand still in shock, overwhelmed by the boy pure innocent face and warm brown eyes that directed at him.
He quickly snap himself out of it, shaking his head in annoyance and anger.
Annoyance for letting his guard down for a moment.
Anger to the master of the house for letting a child starved and locked inside a room without something to played with. Or someone.
Even if said child were Ryomen Sukuna's vessel.
Now, Satoru maybe not a person that could associate with children. He was an asshole. His rotten personality only brought bad influence. He knew that.
But he wasn't fond of the idea of them being abused too. Be it physical or psychological. The boy may be a vessel of the king of curses, Ryomen Sukuna. But he still a kid. A child.
That doesn't mean they should treat him like animal too. They had no right to treat the boy like this.
Poor boy already locked up inside a room full of talisman with nothing to play, without someone tended to him tenderly. He stucked inside a room that is too dark----safe for a few candles that is placed around the room and around the boy.
Could he even see the outside?
Who was he kidding... The boy probably couldn't even see the corner of the room. That small window were too far from where he sat, the light from outside wouldn't be able to come inside and filled the entire room.
Couldn't stand his jumbled thought anymore, he quickly teleported back to where Suguru were waiting for him.
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Satoru dropped himself unceremoniously beside Suguru who raised his eyebrow in question. The snow haired shaman gritted his teeth and probably would explode if not for the woman from before appeared.
But for some reason, he was getting more angry when he saw the people who reside in this house. He could feel Suguru glanced briefly at him and silently ask 'What's wrong?'
Taking a last deep breath to cool down his anger, Satoru wave his hand signaling to Suguru he will tell him later.
"Both of you, follow me."
With a stiff nod, both Satoru and Suguru rose from their positions and followed the woman silently.
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They finally make their way to see the vessel. Suguru was looking troubled again and his eyes seemed colder too.
He had a hunch about what is it about, but didn't want to address it unless Suguru was the one who said it first.
They arrived in front of the said room. The very same room that Satoru knew locked the kid away.
"Master said, you will come inside and watch it, but do not engage in any form of interaction. If anything happens, subdue it by any means possible. If you didn't have any questions, I will take my leave." The woman said before bowing and leave them after unlocking the door.
Satoru went rigid, cold, unbridled fury ran inside his vein, waiting to be unleashed. While Suguru watched with cold gaze as the woman took a turn and vanished behind a corridor.
'Don't interact with the vessel, don't talk with it...'
Who the hell they think they're trying to order around?! Satoru would do whatever the fuck he want. If he wanted to talk with the boy, he would talk to him!
Satoru decided right there and then, he hated all of the people here.
"What a fucking sick higher ups we had, huh? Locking a kid away inside a room, and expecting us to treat him like a fucking wild animal." Satoru laughed, eyes alight with fury.
Suguru turned his head at him so fast he kinda worried the other would get a whiplash.
"How do you know the vessel was a kid?"
Bingo.
"Saw 'im. He's so fucking small Suguru, I can easily snap him in half if I want to." A pause. "Wait, you know he was a kid?!" Satoru asked with an exaggerated expression. His hunch was proofed correct but he wanted to know why Suguru didn't tell him anything about it.
Suguru nodded his head.
"Why didn't you tell me about iiiit?" He whined loudly.
"... Amanai,"
Ah.
So that's why his best friend didn't say a thing. Amanai's death still haunt him even now. If you ask Satoru himself, he actually quite fond of the girl. She's the one who wasn't afraid of saying anything she wanted to him, going as far as insulting his looks.
It's refreshing. To know there was someone like Amanai exist.
So he instantly knew why Suguru choose to not telling him.
His best friend was afraid. Afraid of what was happening with Amanai would happen to this child.
As if Satoru would let that happen.
"And would you listen to me if I had said it?" His best friend said at last, and sighed. "You're already complaining a lot when I just told you we have a new mission. And have the audacity to call this mission boring,"
Satoru stuck out his tongue.
"For now, keep a tight leash on your emotions, Satoru. We don't want to scare the vessel away," Suguru reminding him, opening the door.
"Tch,"
"Don't fucking click your tongue at me, idiot."
He followed Suguru inside the room, making his walk as soundless as possible while preparing himself for the second meeting with the boy.
Suguru looked like he was doing the same, since he also taking a small, cautious step, glancing around when there's nothing to see inside the room except the talisman, the bed and candles.
Satoru couldn' t forget the boy eyes, they looked so... warm, innocent, and pure with no malice or any evil intent. Just a curiosity and a confusion.
Satoru felt every step he take grew heavy. He doesn't understand... Why did he feel this strongly towards the boy?
Was it pity? No...Gojo Satoru never pitied anyone. He had no sympathy for them either. But there's something special about the boy. Maybe because the way he doesn't seem to be scared of him like any other kid. Or maybe because he look straight into his eyes without any hesitation. People always scared to look at him straight in the eyes like that after all.
Even when they didn't know about his six eye, people still didn't dare to look at him directly in the eye.
He was confused by the 'awe' look the boy gave him earlier tho.
'Awe' isn't the look he usually get from them.
The resounding thud when Suguru closed the door echoing around them. Satoru sees the boy perked up from his position, but made no move to acknowledge them.
Silence fell around them.
Satoru move forward, his steps slow and steady. "Hello there, you can talk to us you know, we don't bite." Satoru said, his tone soft as he approaching the boy slowly.
He could feel Suguru give him an impressed look.
He knew Suguru was shocked with the state of the room and the child, but he didn't say a thing, aside from shooting a quick glare at Suguru, silently telling him to talk with the boy too "Help me there...I don't know how to talk with a kid!"
Suguru finally moving, taking careful steps towards them. From the corner of his eyes, he see the boy finally moving, his face looking at them with hope so palpable.
"...I can... talk to you?" The kid asked, voice soft, small and hesitant. "You... won't mad?"
Satoru can sense a hint of fear from the boy, he also sound so hopeful when he asked them to not getting mad at him for talking, hopeful... almost desperate.
Both him and Suguru felt something squeezing at their hearts.
Then he felt his anger rose again, stronger than before. He also could sense Suguru sheething in anger beside him.
"Fucking old man." he heard Suguru muttered darkly.
Usually he would make fun of Suguru for swearing when he was the one who always scold him for the foul word. This time tho, he will let it go since he also wanted to say the same thing about the old fart, maybe even worse.
But he decided to keep his mouth shut since he was sure Suguru would kill him if he dare to say a single vulgar word in front of the kid.
"Yes, you can." Now Suguru answered him, taking a seat directly in front of the kid.
The child looked at them with curiosity shining in his expressive brown eyes, fleetingly looking between him and Suguru. Satoru gave him a grin, and the kid's eyes shining with unshed tears... giving them a shy smile.
Satoru had the strong urge to protect the child in front of him. He wanted to wrap him up with the most fluffy blanket and whisked him away. Protect him from the rest of the world.
To make sure the kid was always happy and smiling.
He doesn't know why he felt this strongly towards a boy who he only know for a short period of time. He just did.
He was pretty sure Suguru felt the same way.
Deciding that yea, he doesn't mind it at all, Satoru couldn't help but to ruffle the child fluffy peach colored hair. And boy he did get a superb reaction out of the boy.
He looked positively glowing and leaning into his touch. Satoru indulge him, running his fingers through short, fluffy strands.
Satoru already thought the boy look bright when he gave them that small smile earlier, but now? he's shining with happiness.
"Easy to please..." he mused in amazement.
"What's your name kid?" Satoru asked, still ruffling the boy hair, he didn't want to let go. The child was so cute and soft.
The boy blinked his big doe eyes at him, looking dazed then snapped out of his dazed state, "I'm... I'm Yuuji, Itadori Yuuji..." he answered hesitantly but not pulling away from Satoru's touch.
The boy... No, Yuuji seemed to be afraid. Afraid of himself, his action and of the reaction he would get by indulging himself in it.
Satoru tried his best not to marched out of the room and killed every single one of the house residents.
Pulling out his best smile, he asked the boy, "Yuuji, you like being patted in the head?"
Instead of answering, Yuuji nods his head shyly.
'He must feel lonely here,' Satoru pondered quietly.
He heard a cough from beside him and turned to look at his side.
There... Suguru was watching the whole interaction with mirth shining in his coal dark eyes, covering his mouth with his hand trying stifle his laugh.
Satoru gave Suguru an angry glare but felt Yuuji looking at him intently. Not wanting Yuuji to misunderstood his glare to Suguru mean he was angry at him, Satoru turned his attention back to Yuuji. Silently promising himself to kick Suguru for making fun of him later.
Clearing his throat, Satoru gave a few last pat to Yuuji head before shifting his body in a more comfortable sitting position.
"Pretty..."
Satoru blinked. He looked down at Yuuji who stared at him with unblinking eyes... And there were stars in his eyes.
"What?"
"... Eyes... Pretty..."
Yuuji said his eyes were pretty. He said that with wonder shining in his eyes. Yuuji didn't recoil in fear when looking at him, nor he had any evil intention when looking at his eyes. There's only pure fascination, and awe.
Usually people outright fear his eyes or tried to gain his favor by kissing the ground he walk just because he had six eyes. Children bawled their eyes out when looking at his iridescent blue eyes, fellow Sorceress either hate him or worship the power he had.
No one but his few friend looked at him for who he is. Not what he had. Not because of his six eyes.
Because at the end of the day, if Satoru ever lose his six eyes, people would leave him. They won't love him. They won't love Gojo Satoru.
And Yuuji proved him wrong. A child like him, staring right into his blue eyes without fear.
Satoru grin, feeling his anger slowly dissipate when he was talking with Yuuji. He was having fun with Yuuji around, a feat considering he only had fun when Suguru involved. "Say... Yuuji, you wanna play with us?"
Satoru felt his heart warming when he saw Yuuji face broke into big smile, eyes shining with so much happiness. "YES!" He answered loudly with a smile rivaling the sun.
Satoru wondered... If he and Suguru take Yuuji outside, how happy he would be?
Would his smile grow impossibly larger and brighter than now?
Hmm? Will the elders get angry?
Fuck that... Who give a shit about them.
He is the strongest shaman, A 'God' among mortals. ((Along with Suguru, they both God))
Who would dare to stand in his way?
Dare to question the 'God' decision?
Satoru will decide what he want to do himself.
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Gojo Satoru doesn't like kids.
But if it's Yuuji, he can make an exception.
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End