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Chapter Text

A binding vow is a core tenet of Jujutsu sorcery. Typically, it's made with oneself; it can range from something as severe as Todo's vibraslap, to something as simple as showing one's hand.

After fighting Mahito, Nobara's suspicions were confirmed: her technique was tied not only to the body, but to the soul. She wasn't like Yuji or Gojo or Maki; she coudln't actually percieve souls. What she could do is run resonance through doubles, or hair, and she'd bet it could work through a shikigami. She'd hoped to get to see for herself someday, but it wasn't looking very likely.

Only thirty minutes had passed since she'd woken up. Shoko had warned her that they weren't sure her condition would remain stable, and that it was risky for her to even be walking— but this was the battle against Sukuna. If there was any time to gamble, wasn't it now?

She didn't doubt that Yuji could defeat Sukuna, especially with everyone's help. Hell, she knew what part she was supposed to play: attack him from afar, but stay away from the battle while she's weak. What gave her pause wasn't the chance of losing the battle, but what else they could lose along the way.

Yuji would never forgive himself if Megumi died. Even if Sukuna was gone, he would blame himself for not being strong enough. Nobara understood: if she let Yuji lose Megumi— let herself lose Megumi— she would never be able to forgive herself. Not if there was anything more that she could've done.

The first resonance should have bought Yuji some time. She flexed her arms, her cursed energy reserves going strong. It felt good to help, to fight again. At least this time, it had to help turn the tide. She wouldn't be just a casualty. Not again.

"Separate Megumi and Sukuna." Her voice was raspy. Her vocal cords weren't used to being used, not yet. "Whatever happens to my soul, I don't care, just— just give Megumi and Yuji a chance to win, and to live on after this." She could feel her cursed energy humming under her skin as it shifted and spiked. The vow was spoken; the choice was made.

The hammer was an extension of Nobara's body. It fit perfectly into the grooves of her hand, and normally seemed weightless. Now, her muscles weren't what they were, and she could feel a certain weight to the tool. Maybe it was from her coma. Maybe it was just from the finality of this all.

Her thoughts flicked back to the last time she'd died. Deep breath in. She didn't particularly want to die again, not when she'd just gotten her life back. Still, Nobara was on borrowed time. Yuji was in the field, probably barely scraping by, and Megumi was trapped in there, she couldn't—

She couldn't risk that loss.

Life had been good. Nobara didn't have many regrets. She wished she'd found Saori, wished she could've said goodbye to Mai, wished she knew if Fumi ever made it out of their town. Nobody can die without wishing for a little more time, but ever since Shibuya, Nobara had just been on borrowed time. If that extension was cut short, she could make peace with it.

If only Megumi and Yuji wouldn't have to mourn her twice.

"Resonance!"

The nail hit the finger head-on. She felt her own cursed energy pouring in, like a floodgate had opened— but what she didn't expect, what she didn't even know ws possible, was the way energy flew from the nail through the hammer into Nobara's veins. This had never happened before. Resonance didn't connect her to the bodies, just them to each other—

The energy lit her on fire, she nearly choked, her muscles twitched in spasms—

"Kugisaki, what—" she could hear Utahime yelling, and then the thud of footsteps, before her voice just vanished. It was lost in the rush of energy and the fire consuming her. Her good eye couldn't see anything, and all she was aware of was herself, the hammer, and the nail.

Was this death?

Last time, it had been slow, and then a burst, and then months of blankness. It felt like being underwater, only occasional sounds reaching her. She'd dreamed of her life, reliving scenes over and over. Nobara hadn't quite been able to think; she'd been too tired.

Last time had been a simmer, and this was a rush. But last time didn't stick, and Nobara knew, deep down, that this one would. The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. At least this wasn't too painful. She closed her eye and let herself fall.

She kept falling.

She should've hit the floor by now.

She was still falling.

And falling.

And—

There was no thud of Nobara hitting the ground. She couldn't be a cursed spirit, but she was pretty sure the afterlife wasn't… this. She was in a body, she could see and feel everything, but she couldn't move. She didn't recognize the room she was in, or the hands that holding a cigarette to her lips.

This wasn't in a coma. That much was obvious: she'd always been in her own body in her dreams, and she could only see out of one eye in them. Mahito made sure that her soul knew what it was allowed to look like. Depth perception was nice, especially with a ranged technique. Or at least, it could've been, if she wasn't just a passenger.

This entire situation was fucking insane. She hated this.

"Hey!" she yelled, loud as she could. She didn't feel vocal cords vibrating in her neck, nor could she actually hear what she was saying. The closest she could get to describing it would be to call it a loud thought, whatever that meant. "What the fuck did you do? Where am I?"

The body turned its head around sharply, its eyes moving in all directions. That really didn't help Nobara feel any more oriented. "Ugh," a feminine voice commented. She could sense a thought flicker through the brain: "Am I hearing things?"

So, the body's 'true' soul could hear Nobara, and she could hear this person's thoughts. Great. At least she had someone to talk to, while she's stuck.

This body's voice wasn't Nobara. It smelled of cigarettes, faint and ever-present. There were freckles where she knew she shouldn't have them; her nose was the different shape in the corners of her eyes. This wasn't Nobara's body. Resonance should have linked her to herself, but it clearly didn't, because she was extremely aware of a wrongness about it.

She wasn't in her old body, nor was someone else in hers. She'd possessed someone else.

Shit.

"What year is it?" she 'yelled.' "Who are you? Why am I stuck?"

"Ow, oh my god," the body whispered. Its hands reached up to rub its temples. "Don't do… that. I— it's 2006, I'm Shoko Ieiri, why are you in my head."

For some reason, Nobara had assumed she would've gone to the future, or at least stayed in the present. She didn't know Resonance could do that. She didn't know it could do any of this, not even after a binding vow, not even with that surge of energy. It didn't make sense, this shouldn't be possible.

"You're from the future?" Shoko whispered. Because, oh right, she was in the past, in—

In Shoko's body. Shoko, who'd been pouring reverse cursed energy into Nobara not even an hour before. Shoko, who probably left some residual energy in Nobara, to keep her from falling back into that coma. Shoko, who would've been around Nobara's age in 2006.

Fuck. If she had a stomach right now, she'd feel sick to it.

"Wait, what do you mean I—"

"Don't read my thoughts!" Nobara hissed.

"You're broadcasting them, I'm not doing it on purpose!" Shoko took a drag of the cigarette. The smoke in the body's lungs was a new sensation to Nobara, and not one that she was sure she liked. "Why does your mental image of me look like shit? Are we stuck together?"

"That's your question?"

"In your mind, I haven't slept in years," Shoko huffed. "It's a valid question."

"I— I don't know! You just look like that!"

"Not right now I don't! What the hell happens?"

Suddenly, Nobara really, really wished she'd paid more attention the the personal lives of her teachers. "I have no idea."

"What year are you even from?"

"2018."

"I'm— I look like that at twenty-eight?"

"Maybe?" Nobara guessed. "I don't know, okay? I don't know how to separate us, either, or if I can go back— I mean, I made a binding vow, so going back might kill Yuji and Megumi, so even if I could, I don't know—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Shoko sighed. "Whatever. At least you don't seem evil or anything, and I'm pretty sure you're not a curse. We'll figure this out." She frowned. "Can you try to make a domain, or something, though? I don't want you seeing everything, and I really don't need to see your mental image of me again—"

"I'll try," Nobara muttered. Her panic was subsiding, leaving just the dim realization that she was trapped and alone.

Maybe it would've been better if she'd just gotten to die. Nobara was ready to move onto her next life, and here she was, stuck in someone else's past.

Chapter Text

Ever since this morning, when another soul had shoved its way into her body, Shoko's head hadn't stopped pounding. It was as if all of the hangovers she'd used her reverse curse technique on came back at once, and with a vengeance. Shoko was completely sure that she wasn't processing what was happening to her, because she wasn't processing anything. Her vision was blurry. Every sound echoed, over and over, including all of Nobara's comments.

(They both gave up on last names and honorifics pretty fast. The whole sharing-a-body situation made it obvious that it was kind of ridiculous to call the voice in her head "Kugisaki-san.")

Beyond her headache, this was too surreal. Everything else about jujutsu, Shoko had gotten years to adjust to. She'd stopped getting injured in grade school, realized she could heal people before she'd even gotten to the school, saw her first curse before she took her first steps. But this? A teenager from the future accidentally shoving her soul into Shoko's body? How the fuck was she supposed to accept this as part of her reality?

Relief came after a few hours, when Nobara had finally fully sectioned herself off. The experience of someone else in your head, their thoughts popping into yours and yours into theirs… It reminded Shoko of when Yaga would be explaining something, and Gojo wouldn't stop whispering jokes, and nothing actually got done. Except instead of a boring lecture, it was her own thought process, and instead of her friend, it was someone she barely knew. And it lasted for hours. The headache didn't go away, but it definitely faded to the background. Shoko had a feeling that after a few days, she'd be able to adjust.

If she was honest, the 'future' part made Shoko more nervous than the rest of it. She was pretty sure Nobara was trying to hide as much as possible, but thoughts kept slipping through, which only made sense: all of her memories were stuff she couldn't tell Shoko. None of the glimpses were promising: she saw a hand smacking the left side of her face, a city being destroyed in flames, and worst of all, waking up from a coma to see her future self, looking so exhausted and tired and sad, staring down at her.

Shoko was only twelve years older than Nobara. In 2018, she'd be twenty-eight. The weariness in her eyes, the glazed over look she had despite working with a patient, the exhaustion in her voice, the fact that she was smoking on the job… None of that made sense. Especially because Shoko didn't get injured, not long-term. Her reverse curse technique was too strong for that. What the hell could've happened to her?

Nobara had brought her cursed energy with her, which was it's own kind of weird. While she knew she wasn't the norm, Shoko's energy had always been naturally positive. Nobaras was normal— which meant it was negative. The two energies kept fighting until Nobara figured out how to form the barriers of her domain, keeping herself somewhere near Shoko's stomach.

Her words still made it to Shoko, but luckily, their minds were separate. Nobara wasn't all that interested in most of the stuff Shoko did. Shoko was really glad that she knew when Nobara was watching and when she wasn't. Nobara's presence left the base of her neck tingling, which was Shoko that Nobara was present and watching. The situation wasn't exactly comfortable, but Shoko could live with it.

This state— a mild headache and another soul sharing her body— was how Gojo found her. While neither was a morning person, Shoko could at least wake up at a respectable time. Since Gojo's clan was absent, if he didn't have a mission, Shoko didn't expect to see him before 3pm. This was actually a little early.

"Ieiri!" He panted, leaning against her doorway. He was missing his glasses. And his shirt. Did he seriously run here immediately after waking up?

"What?" she groaned. Of all days to have to deal with Gojo's bullshit—

"There's something wrong with me."

"Yeah, no shit."

Nobara's cursed energy wormed its way to her head. The sensation was hard to describe: it seemed that Nobara was pushing her cursed energy through Shoko's veins, until it reached the body part she hoped to control, and then kept feeding cursed energy along until she could 'borrow' the body part. Shoko had let Nobara practice using her limbs, but outside of that, this was the first time Nobara had done it. Probably because she was mostly fine with observing. That was good, except it implied Nobara had a reason to be doing this right now. Probably just to fan over Gojo or something, right? Shoko decided to hand the eye over.

That was another incredibly odd sensation. She could command the muscles in both eyes, but the right was moving separately. There was a delay: Shoko could suggest movements, but Nobara didn't have to follow through with them.

How was she supposed to ever get used to something like this?

"Gojo?" Nobara asked her.

"No, it's not guy problems this time," Gojo continued, gesturing wildly. "I think something's trying to possess me. I've tried using infinity to push it away, but this thing just won't go. Can you use your witch doctor powers and—" He paused his melodramatic rambling and squinted at Shoko's face. "One of your eyes turned orange."

"It did?" Shoko was surprised. She hadn't realized someone could see when Nobara was present. She should definitely run some tests, take some notes.

"Oh my god," he muttered. "You're also possessed. I'm talking to Shoko and not some curse right now, right?"

"Yes, dumbass," Shoko replied. "Seriously, you didn't know?"

"I had to be sure!" He yelped. "Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing with yours. But mine is annoying, though— it's just this sad, shadowy presence in my head. Like, I've pretty much shoved this guy to the bottom of my mind, I'm not letting him talk or anything, but—"

"What's his name," Nobara yelled. "Shoko! Ask—"

"Ugh," Shoko winced. Her headache had just started to fade, and now her ears were wringing again. "Chill out, both of you. What's— uh, what's his name?"

"I don't know?" He cocked his head. "Why would it matter?"

"Mine is asking— I think Nobara thinks she might know him."

"Nobara?"

"That's her name," Shoko answered. "The soul that's kind of, like, borrowing my body."

Gojo stared at her. She could tell that he was starting to suspect she'd gone completely off the rails. "You know," he suggested cautiously, "I'm sure you could suppress her too." He squinted at her, his eyes turning intense. Right. Six-eyes. "You totally could, she's already separated herself from you. Seriously, why are you putting up with this? And how do you know this isn't some curse?"

"Because I'm not an idiot?" Shoko suggested. "If you're worried, go to Geto. But we can see curses. We'd know if its a curse."

Gojo mumbled something.

"What?"

"Geto said I'm not cursed."

"Yeah," Shoko agreed. "Doesn't that settle it?" She rolled her eyes.

"No," Gojo insisted. "Maybe, it's a special grade and it can camouflage, or—"

"You think it's even a possibility this curse is too strong for any of us to know it's a curse, and simultaneously, weak enough for you to suppress it? On the same day that this happens to me?" She sighed. "Dude, you're pretty clearly being used as a vessel right now. Just be glad you're the one in control."

"Be glad?" His jaw had dropped. Drama queen. "Shoko, I want this guy gone, he creeps me out— why aren't you more concerned?"

"It's not like she's causing problems," Shoko shrugged. Nobara had gone eerily quiet. If Shoko was honest, she wasn't enjoying the situation, but if she tried to get rid of Nobara and failed? Shoko could only see things taking a turn for the worse.

Also. If Nobara was from the future, Shoko could maybe… fix whatever went so horrible wrong. Neither of them knew exactly what made the world go to shit, but if they combined their knowledge, maybe they could uncover a piece or two of the puzzle. Shoko could host Nobara long enough for them to decide on a course of action.

"Anyway," Gojo continued, "I didn't ask his name. He's really a bummer, though, with all the moping. Can you get rid of him?"

"Don't," Nobara pleaded, a desperate edge to her voice.

"I don't know," Shoko admitted. "Most vessels are completely overwritten, but that's because most cursed objects want full control and are stronger than the vessel. I've never heard of one being successfully removed."

"You can," Nobara added softly. "I don't know how, but I know of a soul that transferred from one body to another. Ieiri-sensei said something about fingers?"

Shoko blinked."Future me?"

"I…" Nobara responded slowly. It was a little comforting, that this situation had caught them both off-guard. "Oh my god. I guess, yeah."

"Shoko!" Gojo snapped his fingers. "Are you there? Stop talking to her!"

"Yep. I'm here."

"Are you saying you don't know how to fix me?"

"I'm not even in med school yet," she huffed. "We can do some research, okay? Just chill out. Maybe try to be nice to the guy while you're stuck."

"I can't," was the best defense Gojo could muster. He absolutely could, and they both knew it. "I can feel him in there. I'm the strongest, I can't be compromised like this—" He frowned. "Shoko, he stopped silently moping." He looked almost… scared. It wasn't an expression Shoko was used to seeing on Gojo. "He wants to talk, I— He's talking to me, what do I do."

"Let him?" Shoko suggested. "What's he saying?"

"He's asking about Sukuna." Gojo shrugged. "Random, huh?"

Nobara's energy spiked uncomfortably. She could feel Nobara pushing for control of her mouth, but Shoko shook her head. Not yet, she tried to broadcast. Nobara managed to send Shoko a sense of annoyance, despite not having any way to convey it. She stopped pushing, but Shoko could still feel Nobara in her eye, paying attention to everything.

"Is it Fushiguro or Itadori?" Nobara asked. Her voice was clearer, more direct towards Shoko, but not any louder than before. "Tell Gojo-sensei to tell whichever it is, that I'm sorry and that none of this was supposed to happen, I'm so— I was supposed to die, and they were supposed to be able to win, I—"

She choked on her words and Nobara could feel her right eye tearing up. She rubbed at it. For the first time, Shoko really wished she could give Nobara a hug.

Gojo, of course, took Shoko's momentary 'silence' to start staring at her. "The hell?" He asked.

"She wanted to talk," Shoko explained. "She really wants you to give her a name. Was asking if it was someone named Fushiguro or Itadori."

"Shoko, your right eye got crazy bloodshot." He ran a hand through his hair. "I never see you cry. Why did you let her do… whatever that was?"

"She's just as stuck as I am."

Gojo went quiet for a moment. His eyes unfocused, and refocused a few seconds later. "He said his name is Fushiguro Megumi. And that he doesn't really know what's going on."Nobara's energy spiked in either excitement or nervousness— Shoko would figure out which later, when they could talk without Gojo freaking out.

"Yeah, well, that makes all of us." Shoko's fingers twitched for a cigarette. "When do we tell Geto? These two know stuff, do you think we should try to change things, or—"

"What are you talking about?" Gojo asked. "Is Nobara telling you things?"

"Yes? Isn't Fushiguro?"

"No? He's just… present, I guess." Gojo huffed. "He's there. Moping, like I said. What useful information could we possibly get?"

"I…" Shoko's voice trailed off.

"Don't tell him," Nobara muttered. "I don't think Fushiguro can talk about it. Not yet. Not after—" She went silent.

"They're pretty advanced sorcerers," Shoko said instead. "Something about unlocking techniques?"

"Oh, that would make sense," Gojo decided. "But they're not as advanced as me, and couldn't understand the six-eyes. I don't think I can get whatever you're getting out of this." He stretched backwards, his back cracking with little pops. "Whether you help me or not, I'm getting rid of him."

Shoko sighed. Whether it was Gojo or Geto, when one of them got like this, there was no changing their mind. "Fine. I'll help you research, so you don't try something stupid and hurt yourself."

"Thanks," Gojo told her, with an actual, genuine smile on his face. With that over, he finally left her room. Hopefully to put a shirt on; probably to bother Geto. Shoko let herself fall face-down onto her bed.

"What the hell did you get me into?" she whispered into her hands. Her head mercilessly continued to ache.

Chapter Text

Being stuck sharing someone else's body is horrible.

Nobara was still wrapping her head around losing everyone she'd ever cared about— except Fushiguro, who was either hiding or being suppressed. Not to mention Gojo, who… She remembered hearing Okkotsu's plan, she remembered when Shoko had kept her in the infirmary, she'd seen the body but been rushed out as surgery was supposed to start. How was she supposed to look at this kid, who was the same age as her, and not see the mutilated corpse she knew he'd become? Everyone who'd died that she had back didn't know her, most didn't even know she was here. In a way, in her attempt to save what mattered, she'd lost everything else.

That was bad enough. What made it infinitely worse was that she couldn't distract herself from it. She didn't have work to throw herself into, couldn't scroll or shop or train. All she could do was sit with herself and try to process the unthinkable. When she wasn't wracked with guilt or misery, she was just bored out of her mind. Shoko did barely anything interesting.

At any given moment, Nobara had three options. The first was to invest energy into Shoko's life. She could see the world the way Shoko did— in a very literal sense, Shoko controlled her own eye muscles— to keep up with what was happening, and she could even offer suggestions. Shoko had given Nobara a little wiggle room earlier that day, which was nice. Nobara really missed having a body.

Her second option was to sit around within the boundaries she'd created, and do… nothing, honestly. Time passed at the same rate as it did outside. Inside the barriers, she wasn't aware of anything Shoko was up to, and without a domain, it was just sort of a blank expanse of energy. She could train, with the weapons she'd had when she died. She could focus cursed energy. She could zone out. That was it.

The third option left her in a dreamlike state. She was vaguely aware of what Shoko was doing, but it was muted, like seeing and hearing through foggy glass. Time moved faster, which was nice, because Nobara couldn't actually sleep.

Nobara had never spent as much time 'asleep' until now. Weirdly, she also had never felt more like she was floating, restless… Like she needed to stretch but didn't have room. At the same time, Nobara could guess what was causing this: none of her cursed energy went towards maintaining the body, and she was consciously compressing it. She wasn't loosing as much passively, so it was starting to accumulate. If she waited long enough, and was a lot more evil, she could easily save up enough energy to take control entirely.

After Gojo left, Shoko had just… lay down. She'd stayed that way for at least two hours, maybe more. On some level, Nobara had known that her presence was giving Shoko headaches while she adjusted. That didn't change how awful it felt to see Shoko affected like this.

Her hands massaged her head, and her eyes were closed. An iPod was softly playing some old music— technically, just popular music, since it was 2006. Weird. Nobara would have to wait years to hear any of the stuff she actually liked.

She would have to wait ten years to watch the end of Bloom Into You. Reading the manga was a possibility, but she didn't know when that would come out.

When Shoko pulled herself up, vision blurry her attention shifted towards Nobara. It was hard to describe the feeling— kind of like eye contact, but like Shoko was looking directly into her soul. For the first time, Shoko managed to direct her words towards Nobara, breaking through the haze.

"You there?"

She weakened her barriers. Her cursed energy trickled up Shoko's spine, sitting at the base of her neck. Shoko was driving, but Nobara had climbed out of the back and into the passenger's seat. Their senses were shared, but besides making weak suggestions, Nobara couldn't control what Shoko actually did.

"So," Shoko whispered. Nobara didn't know why; it wasn't like there was anyone near them. "The future sucks, huh?"

"Yup." Nobara didn't even need to think about her answer, really. "It's kind of as bad as it can really get."

Shoko opened up her dorm window and reached for another cigarette. Nobara wasn't a smoker— she'd vaped back home, every now and then, but not after she moved to Tokyo. Neither Itadori nor Fushiguro did it. Rebellion mattered wy more back when she was in her small town.

The cigarette smoke in Shoko's lungs was an odd sensation. It burned going down, not enough to hurt but enough to feel a tingle as Shoko's reverse cursed technique automatically activated. The smell was horrible, absolutely nothing like Nobara's blue raspberry vape. She could feel a fuzz along… not her brain, but her consciousness, maybe? Her head felt floaty, but she wasn't totally sure how that was possible, considering that she didn't actually have a head. Just the concept of one, in the same way that she only had a body within her barriers.

"Damn."

That was all there was to say, wasn't there? Everything goes to hell. They're all fucked. Shoko prodded for more of an explanation. She needed Nobara to keep going, to give her something, but what was she supposed to add? After her coma, she'd overhead people dying and bodies being processed, and got about thirty minutes of information on what happened.

She didn't know enough to fix anything. That should be obvious.

"Well." Shoko cracked her knuckles, having finally given up on giving Nobara the first word. "Why are you here?"

Why was she here? What was she even thinking? "Binding vow," Nobara answered miserably. "I was trying to save Itadori and Fushiguro. The vow was all-in, so when I—" She forced herself to pause. Telling the story meant putting her mind back then, in the place she had kind-of escaped from. "I used resonance on the finger. Its cursed energy combined with mine and it..." Her voice trailed off. "It sent Fushiguro and me back here, I know that," she finished lamely.

"The finger?"

Nobara sent Shoko a replay of her last memory. It replayed for Nobara too: the squish-thunk of the nail hitting flesh, energy surging and surging and surging, lightning dancing under her skin—

"Is that Utahime-senpai?"

What?

"I guess? I'm not sure how that really…" Since when did Shoko and Utahime know each other? Sure, Utahime and Gakuganji were in the room, but she hadn't even told Shoko about what would happen to Gojo and Nanami. She shouldn't be trying to figure out who's still alive at the young age of thirty.

She could feel Shoko trying to hold in a smile. "Are you two friends or something?"

"Not really. She goes to the Kyoto school, but we've met, and she's really sweet. Someday, definitely, I can tell."

Shoko was blushing.

"Oh my god, you're into her, aren't you?" Nobara giggled. "I mean, you found her instantly. You're blushing. Holy shit."

"I'm not," Shoko muttered, her face only getting redder. "We're both girls. She's just one of my peers."

"Right, right," Nobara agreed. "For now~"

"Shut up," Shoko groaned. "I'm not into girls, I don't know why you think this, but—" Whatever she kept saying, Nobara started tuning out. So, Shoko didn't know she was gay or that she was into Utahime? That was fine. If Nobara had to be stuck back here, she could have a little fun helping out Shoko's love life. Really, Nobara owed her: not only had her timeline's Shoko kept Nobara alive, this one was letting her share her body. Maybe this could help Nobara repay that debt.

"So like, there's no way," Shoko finished.

"Alright, sure."

"Wait, so— All that energy, what did it do to Utahime-senpai?"

"I…" Her voice caught in her throat. "I'm not sure. I hope nothing, but I don't think there's any way to know."

"What's resonance?" Shoko took another drag of the cigarette. "You mentioned it earlier. That's your technique, right? Why would it send you to me? I wasn't even there."

"Resonance is an extension of my technique, which is straw doll technique. It uses a nail and a straw doll. I can manipulate cursed energy through those nails, including delayed blasts and using the doll to link myself to someone else, through a piece of them, which allows me to transfer energy." She rattled that part off automatically. "I… didn't think it could do this, but I guess if the object itself has energy, some can transfer back."

"My residuals," Shoko realized. "It's because I was healing you, isn't it? You showed me that I was using my technique on you. Was that close to when you got sent back?"

"Maybe, but resonance works through souls," Nobara sighed. "I guess— I guess, since it's designed to expand and connect more people, it wouldn't care if it was just energy."

"Can you do it again? If you want?"

"I don't think so." She shook her head. "That was the full power of a special-grade cursed object, plus a binding vow. I think doing anything like time travel again would take more energy than I'll have in a year." She sent Shoko another memory: The vow itself.

"If you can use it in my body, do you think you can go to someone else?" Shit. Shit, was Shoko trying to get rid of her? "Like," Shoko continued, "Do you think you could possess other people?"

"Probably not?"

"So it's just us, fixing this shit." Another drag of the cigarette. "A chance to win, and to live on after this." Nobara's words sounded odd leaving Shoko's mouth. Is this what she'd sound like? When Shoko finally let her talk? "Maybe it thought Fushiguro and Itadori could only win by fixing something that happens soon. And maybe, your soul needed to make the journey for it to work."

"You think Itadori's here, too?"

"I don't know," Shoko said with a shrug. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Shit." It did. Nobara hated that it did, but it did.

"I don't know how these fingers work, but I'm surprised it's just you three."

"What do you mean?"

"The amount of energy you released? The fact that you made a binding vow without knowing what you were giving yourself up for?" She snickered. "I'd be shocked if it didn't completely disrupt the timeline. It's gotta be up there with Gojo's birth in terms of world-altering events: first known time-travel, and with two or three sorcerers, no less."

"What do you think it did?" It didn't occur to Nobara to even worry about that.

"Fuck if I know. But it's probably gonna suck."

"Yep." That was the cost of sorcery, after all. You can save the world! And if you do, it'll certainly ruin your life.

"Yeah." Her voice was quiet. "At least we can fix what went wrong in your timeline, right? Where do we start?"

"I…" Nobara hated this part, despite knowing that it was coming. "I don't know. I was four in 2006; Gojo-sensei never talked about what happened. I know that you three are friends with two more people, because Nanami and some other guy are in all your pictures. I know we need to make sure Tengen assimilates, and keep Geto from turning evil and insane—"

The cigarette nearly fell out of Shoko's hands. "Wait, I'm sorry, what?" Shoko whisper-yelled. "Geto? You can't be serious, his whole thing is 'protecting the weak.' He's constantly talking about how he wants to save people."

"I don't know what happens to make him become that way!" Nobara protested. "But I know that it does. Maybe we can find the problem."

"If you say so." She shook her head. "Who's this Tengen, exactly?"

"I don't… I don't really know? I just know that the failed assimilation was mentioned while you were processing a body. It's involved in someone's evil plans, in some way."

"Okay, sure." She bit back her frustration. "Do you know anything else? Besides vague warnings about Geto and 'Tengen?'"

Nobara didn't realize you could flinch as a being of energy, but she felt her 'core' dash away from the spine, before settling back to where it'd been. "I also know a lot of deaths," she added quietly. "What happened ten years ago wasn't a priority in the future, and I was in a coma for a lot. I don't think most of what I know is in motion yet." She tried to hold back her memory of Mahito's hand on her eye, of Sukuna destroying Shibuya. Not again. Never again. Neither would get the chance to hurt her. "I want to prevent it from reaching the point where it's a possibility. I just don't know how."

"So all I can do, for now, is keep an eye on Geto?"

"We can always look into Sukuna," Nobara suggested. "If we start dealing with him now, maybe he won't be so strong in ten years. Maybe we can find an easier way to kill him."

"Okay," Shoko agreed.

"I won't let the future be that bad for you," Nobara promised. "I don't know how, but I—"

"We'll do it together," Shoko interrupted. "And with Gojo's help. Relax. We have twelve years, right?"

"Yeah," Nobara agreed.

"So, those three things are our main priorities." Shoko tilted her head a little. "Doesn't sound that bad to me." She tapped the cigarette against her window frame, watching the smoke dance with the wind. "I need to sleep." Nobara let herself fall back to Shoko's stomach, entering that dreamlike haze.

Shoko made it sound so easy. Still, even though they had time. Even though Nobara was pretty sure there was at least a year before Geto switched sides, even though there was probably months until they had to think about Tengen… She couldn't figure out how to actually believe they could fix anything. All she knew was that they had to try.

Chapter Text

Nobara had seemed to think that Itadori was going to be using Geto as his vessel. She'd been confident, actually.

This was a problem. Not only because Geto had avoided anyone shoving themselves into his brain, but also because he didn't believe Gojo was possessed at all. Geto had gone as far as to say Gojo was "probably sick," and that Gojo's ego was "too big for him to accept that he could have a cold."

(Normally, Shoko could've laughed and agreed with him.)

"I know you're too smart to believe him," he'd said, the two whispering while Yaga argued with Gojo mid-class. "So why are you humoring this?"

The headache had mostly faded. It was noticeable, but only when Shoko was thinking about it or if Nobara pushed at her too much. Nobara moving to her neck, or taking over a body part, wasn't painful after the duration of the switch.

This was finally bearable.

There was no way for Shoko to Nobara inside her head, but at least Nobara could pick up on even the most quiet whispers. If she had to guess, Nobara was probably capable of listening to Shoko's thoughts, but not without her own seeping through, and not without Shoko revealing more than she wanted to. So instead, Nobara's presence sat along her neck, something Shoko was starting to see as her default state.

Because Nobara was cohabiting part of her nervous system, her emotions kept bleeding into Shoko's. All of her reactions, as well as whatever she happened to feel— Shoko could feel the emotions coming from her neck, which was a new sensation. She liked that Nobara and her were separate enough that she could tell the difference, but processing two sets of emotions would probably never not feel odd. At lest their thoughts stayed separate, and Nobara's voice sounded like it came through earbuds. Emotion was probably too subconscious to be controlled.

"I'm telling you," Geto insisted. He'd somehow gotten Gojo to walk ahead, leaving him and Shoko just out of Gojo's earshot. "He's just being lazy."

"Hm?"

"There's no curse," Geto rolled his eyes. "He keeps asking me to absorb the guy possessing him. It doesn't even work like that."

"Did you try?"

"There's nobody possessing him, so what am I supposed to do?" He gestured around him. "I mean, even it were true, if it's not a curse I can't control it." He sighed in frustration. "Satoru won't even call it a ghost, he's calling it 'Mega-bitch.'"

"Right," Shoko nodded. It was kind of hard to hear Geto over Nobara's cackling.

"Fushiguro doesn't even let me call him Megumi!" Nobara panted. How exactly did Nobara run out of air anyway, without actual lungs? "I bet he's so pissed right now."

"I swear, he's such a baby sometimes," Geto continued, oblivious. "And we were supposed to train together! Like, what the hell?"

"I could train with you," she offered. It wouldn't go serve the same purpose, obviously, because she and Geto were nowhere near the same level. It was just better than nothing. Probably.

His stride fumbled. "What?" A frown. "Ieiri, you don't even do missions. Don't you have your bio cl—"

"Sensei isn't here on Mondays, remember?" She poked his arm. "Come on, the second years are off on a mission, and two of the third years are busy. I'm better than nothing, right? Unless you wanna ask Tsukumo-senpai again?"

His head twitched to the side in that subtle way where his bang moved, but his face didn't. He was annoyed. "Alright," he agreed. "No curse techniques, deal?"

"Including my—"

"Not including your cursed energy, you can't turn that off." He paused. "Obviously, I'm allowed to use cursed energy too."

"Deal."

Geto would beat her. Like always. He didn't like sparring with her because he knew he was going easy on her, and she knew he was going easy on her, so the fights were never satisfying. Shoko wasn't totally sure why she'd offered. Maybe to prove to Gojo that she was still fine?

No, it wasn't that. If she was honest with herself, she needed to let off steam. The images of her future self haunted her, and she couldn't stop thinking: how did she end up like that? Why? According to Nobara, there was a lot that they had to fix, and Shoko wouldn't be able to afford staying on the sidelines. She couldn't fix things by just healing people and sending them back out. If Shoko wanted to be active, she needed to improve.

In a fight, at least, it was progress without the anxiety. She could stop thinking for a moment. After the past few days, Shoko really needed that.

"Why are you dreading this?" Nobara asked. "And why is he so sure—"

"You'll see." He stood across from her, his stance wide and defensive. Every time they sparred, Geto let Shoko have the first move. His clothes were baggy, barely on his frame, which Shoko might've been concerned about— were she good enough to read his movements. On the side sat Gojo, wearing Sunglasses, laying down dramatically with a wet towel on his forehead. He wasn't even watching them.

Shoko lifted her arms above her head and stretched to the side, feeling her muscles tighten around her ribs. A jolt of pain stabbed her in the temple as Nobara drifted away from her neck. What was she—

All of a sudden, Shoko was pretty sure she knew what it felt like to take steroids. Her muscles loosened, suddenly elastic. Was that Nobara? Her own cursed energy had never been an asset in a fight, and against curses, she was better off directing it at them than strengthening herself. This must be how Geto felt every single fight.

After Shoko hesitantly tried to grapple him, Geto landed the first hit. He'd taken her momentum and swung a punch right into her path. She felt Nobara's cursed energy moving to meet the hit, at the same time as her own. The bruise healed as quickly as it'd formed.

"The fuck?" Nobara whispered. Did she not know what Shoko's energy did?

In the moment that Shoko was blindsided, he managed to loop an arm around her shoulders, pushing her down to the ground. It was unfair for him to be this good at hand-to-hand combat. As she fell, she aimed a leg towards his stomach, and Geto leaned into the hit.

This was the other reason why Shoko usually lost. She would recover quickly from any wound, but Geto's cursed energy kept him from getting hurt in the first place. If her cursed energy were negative, maybe she could match him, but when he was enhancing his body she didn't compare. Nobara's cursed energy flooded her foot.

Normally, the kick might've made Geto wince. With Nobara's help? He fell backwards, landing a foot away from Shoko. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"What the fuck?" he mumbled. He winced as he tried to sit up.

"Shit, I— Sorry!"

Shoko pulled herself to her feet while Nobara moved back into her neck. Satisfaction radiated off of her. It was slowly becoming clear that Nobara was a bit of an asshole, although Shoko wasn't sure she disliked it. At least it was fun.

"Since when can you do that?"

"Rude," she grumbled without any bite to it. He lifted up his shirt. A bruise was starting to form on his stomach.

"Accurate," he corrected. "Your cursed energy can't hurt sorcerers. It's never been able to. And then today, you just—"

"I mean," she laughed nervously, "I've been hitting the gym, so—"

"That was cursed energy." He frowned. "We both know that. Seriously, next time you wanna try out something new, warn me. Can you—"

Shoko hovered her hands above his stomach, letting tendrils of cursed energy work their way down.

"I don't get it," he groaned. "How can you just…" He let his head fall backwards.

"I just took the square root."

"What?"

"When you take the square root, you get a positive and negative value." Shoko suspected this was something she could do, but she'd never actually succeeded. She hoped she didn't sound insane. There was no way for her to know if this explanation even sounded plausible. "My energy is naturally positive, right? So if you just find the square root, you can separate out a negative component."

"And you just." His jaw was still dropped. "You just… learned how to do this? Without telling anyone?"

She glanced at Gojo. He had started snickering quietly at some point. Bitch. "I've been working on it," she muttered. "Didn't want to say something if it didn't work."

"That's great!" He held his hand up for a high-five. "That's our witch doctor. Always doing the unexpected."

Her mouth felt dry. "Yeah." Her hand met his with a slap. Hopefully, her eyes didn't show how guilty she felt.

She hated lying. Especially to people she cared about.

This was another thing she'd have to get used to, wasn't it? Lying to Geto so he didn't think she was insane. Lying to Gojo so he didn't drive himself insane. Lying to herself, so she could act like the future was something she had any hope of changing.

Lying wasn't in Shoko's nature. It just over-complicated things and made a bigger mess.

The images Nobara showed her flickered through her mind. How literally did Nobara mean it, when she said that Geto would go evil and insane? Maybe lying to him was the right thing to do, to keep him off of her trail—

Geto was snapping his fingers in Shoko's face.

"What?"

"You're hiding something."

"No," she said. This was exactly what she'd expected. Now, she just had to keep digging the hole that she was stuck in. Had to keep digging and digging until it caved in. What the hell was she supposed to tell him? That the spirit from the future in her head said he would turn evil? He'd be hurt, that Shoko would trust someone she'd met so recently about someone she knew as well as him. Shoko couldn't bring herself to be honest. Not about that.

"You definitely, objectively, are." He frowned. "Spit it out."

She could feel Nobara's soul rising from her neck. Nobara poked Shoko's face, asking for control. Geto's stare on her was unwavering, and as Shoko squirmed under it, she decided to just let Nobara handle this. It was an odd sensation, turning to something incorporeal in her own body. She could feel her facial muscles being moved, the way her resting posture moved to something Shoko didn't recognize.

Geto's eyes had widened the moment Nobara was in charge. He'd leapt back, going into a fighting stance and summoning a cursed spirit. How dramatic.

"Hey," Nobara said. The voice didn't sound like Nobara, nor did it sound like Shoko. The mix of the two was eerie.

"Give her back." Geto's legs widened into a fighting stance. Shoko had only seen him this serious about fighting against cursed spirits, and even then, only first grade or higher. If Shoko regained control, would he even believe it was her?

"Nobara," she warned. "You better know what you're doing. I don't know what's going on, but he'll beat you without breaking a sweat, and I'm not sure if I can heal you when I'm like this."

In her lifetime, Geto had died before Nobara could have the misfortune of fighting him. She'd never properly appreciated that fact. Right now, she couldn't say she was excited to do what she'd never done before: go up against a special-grade sorcerer, one-on-one.

Geto was good. That much was obvious from his spar with Shoko. It was clear in the way he could read her movements, the agility he moved with, the power behind his attacks. That was him holding back. Right now, his eyes burned with newfound intensity.

It hit her, like a brick to the face, that Geto might think Shoko's life was on the line. He had no way to know how long Nobara had been there, or why they switched, or if they could switch back. Was he… Was Geto's plan to beat Nobara out of Shoko? She didn't even know if she could leave, much less if she could die without Shoko going with her.

She couldn't abandon Fushiguro. Couldn't let so many people die, not again, not like they had the first time.

Geto was a special grade. Nobara was a semi-grade-one in her own body; she was probably a grade two at most in this one. Her curse technique was off the table: Shoko's pockets had no nails, no hammers, and no straw dolls. Maybe she could use Shoko's curse technique, like how Sukuna could use Fushiguro's, but it wasn't clear what Shoko's technique was.

After dying twice, Nobara wasn't scared of it anymore. She still wouldn't be letting it happen again.

The one advantage that Nobara had was her cursed energy. There was way more than usual. More than enough to strengthen Shoko's body. It hummed under her skin, waiting for something to do. In a way it reminded her of the rot technique of the cursed wombs— only instead of decay, it brought her to life. Let her duck as Geto attacked, charging towards her. She was met with a cursed spirit slamming her to the side, flat onto her back.

Geto fought like Fushiguro: His curses were tools, and he was willing to play dirty.

"Give her back? What are you talking about?" Nobara grunted.

"Ieiri," Geto hissed. He'd redirected his momentum, his fist just barely missing Shoko's face. "I don't know how you're doing this, and I don't know why Ieiri thinks she has to lie to me. I wish I knew why you just destroyed her face. But I can tell you're up to something. Give her back."

"I'm up to something," Nobara repeated, her laugh turning into a choked wheeze when Geto's knee connected with her stomach.

She should have kept her mouth shut. Anyone could've told her that, and they'd all be right— but that doing the smart thing wasn't her style. Being rash was how she'd ended up here in the first place. It hadn't been smart to chase Saori to Tokyo. It hadn't been smart to fight Mahito, even if it'd help Itadori. It hadn't been smart to finally reawaken, and bargain her life before an hour could pass. Even as a kid, she'd picked fights with Fumi's bullies. All of that should have taught her to think a little more, but the option wouldn't even cross her mind until hours after.

That was why she'd laughed in Geto's face. That was why, when he paused out of confusion, she'd just laughed even harder. "You're one to talk. Have you created your cult yet, or did you only do that after you left?"

"My— my cult?" he sputtered. That gave Nobara the perfect moment to gain some momentum, finally having a chance to swing back. The sound of skin against skin had never been so sweet before— her cursed energy had somewhere to go, and Geto's face was the perfect target.

"Your little family or whatever. Maki-senpai told me all about it, you know." She grinned. It made the cuts on her face sting, but the pain felt good after going so long with so little sensation. "She also told me it just took a suicidal teenager and a six-year-old girl to bring you down." Nobara was exaggerating, but who cared? She was right-ish, and it let her shove at Geto's chest.

He wanted to play dirty, she'd meet him at his level. Hell, she'd sink below it if she had to.

"What?" Shoko's voice surrounded her. It felt like an external voice coming from every direction at once in a way that gave her vertigo. No wonder it took Shoko so long to adjust. "You need to shut up. I don't know what you're talking about, but Geto doesn't even know you're from the future, and he hasn't done any of that. Not yet, at least."

Nobara hated that Shoko had a point. "He's trying to kill me," she grunted. Geto had taken her pause as a chance to grab at her shirt and knock her down to the floor. Her head hit the floor with a dull thump, and he went for the left side of her face, punching over and over and over.

He'd said Nobara had destroyed Shoko's face. His hand hit the same spot Mahito had, but this time, at least she couldn't see from that eye to begin with. What did she look like, when she was in control? Was it like Sukuna's tattoos, overlaid on top of the skin? Maybe it was a copy of her own damage: the skull visible, skin blue-green-purple, the socket sunken in far-too-deep.

Pooling cursed energy into her neck, Nobara shoved her head into Geto's chest as hard as she could. It was enough to get him off of her, for a moment, and she scrambled to her feet. She staggered backwards, world spinning around her. She couldn't fall, not again, but she wasn't sure how long she could stand. Geto had summoned two more curses, who circled around her. A clear threat: he was done fighting her head-on, and his curses could easily outnumber her.

"So, your reverse cursed technique isn't automatic, huh?" His voice wasn't angry. Wasn't even tired. It was just cold— no, it was logical. "Interesting. Ieiri's is. That means that if I hurt you enough, you'll have to give her back, right?"

"She literally gave me control," Nobara spat. Blood had trickled from her nosebleed to her mouth— or maybe it was from her face? There was enough of it, warm and sticky on her skin, that she wasn't sure of the source. She just knew that red droplets, and she could see it fall on the floor in front of her. "She was panicking, you know. Probably didn't know how to explain without seeming crazy." For some reason, even though she stood still, her breaths only got faster and faster. She spared a glance towards Gojo, who was staring at her like he'd seen a ghost.

Knowing Gojo, he was probably creeped out by all of it. Unless somehow, Fushiguro was holding him back? It was odd that he hadn't interfered. Her first guess would be that he wanted them to sort it out on their own— but this wasn't her teacher, and he saw his friend, not a student. It was more likely that he was avoiding any situation that could lead to a power struggle.

Gojo— the strongest, the six-eyes, the head of the Gojo clan— was scared. Nobara scared him, because Fushiguro scared him, because he didn't know he would win. It almost made her feel bad for him. It has to be weird, for the Strongest to suddenly have weakness. For Gojo Satoru to be close to human.

"Fushiguro!" she called. Maybe Gojo was having an internal crisis, but this might be Nobara's only chance for days to talk to Fushiguro. It pissed her off, that she missed him. That she was lonely, and stuck with someone else, and he was right there but she couldn't talk to him. "You better show your face soon!"

The two curses started closing in. Nobara's fist was starting to bruise— Shoko didn't fight with her hands as often as Nobara did, and Nobara herself was a ranged fighter— and she wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. She flooded energy into her elbow to hit one, and used the momentum to swing it into the other. "I didn't want a fight, you know," she grunted in Geto's direction.

"I didn't want some ugly, evil ghost to possess my friend," Geto rolled his eyes. His hands curled up, back into fists. "I'll give you one chance, understand? What are you doing here." The curses disappeared. That could've been a comfort, if Nobara didn't know that they could reappear any moment.

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry?" His eyebrows coming together, nose wrinkling. "How do you—"

"It was an accident, okay?" She went to cross her arms. The sudden movement made everything spin faster. Shit.

"An accident." He didn't believe her.

"Yes!" Nobara groaned. "I'm not really sure how it happened. I made a binding vow. At the time, Ieiri-sensei was healing me, and her residuals were in my cursed energy. When I used my curse technique, I accidentally released the full power of one of Sukuna's fingers. I woke up here. That's all I know."

"Can you go back?"

"Don't you think I would've?" She started to count on her fingers for emphasis. "One, I don't know how. Two, I have no idea if I can do it again. Three, if I do, it might kill Itadori and Fushiguro." She didn't have to look to know that Gojo's six-eyes were locked on her.

"So your plan is to just…" He looked around. After all that, it only took a bit of conversation to leave him speechless. "Stay here? In Ieiri's body?"

"As opposed to your plan?"

"If you break the binding vow, wouldn't—"

"Not that kind of vow," she frowned. "I've already fulfilled my part. I don't think it's possible for me to go back, or find a new body, so can you just give up on trying to force me out?"

"If you're stuck, at least give me answers." He crossed the room, gaze steely. "What the hell were you talking about earlier? Why did you have access to one of Sukuna's fingers to begin with? How did you have Ieiri's residuals, if this is the first that any of us have met you? What the hell is your curse technique?"

"I'm from the future, but in an alternate timeline." The adrenaline was starting to fade, and the full-body aches left her unable to think clearly. The entire left side of her face was probably one massive bruise. "My curse technique uses nails to connect me to other people's souls through pieces of them. It—" She panted, trying not to fall. "It usually transfers energy to them. Between the vow, and the extra energy, I don't— I don't know why it glitched like this."

"You're from an alternate timeline," he echoed.

"Yup," she agreed. "One where I, obviously, wasn't sent back. And I guess where you're more evil."

"Do you know if there were ripple effects? If it's not just you, but apparently Satoru as well, who else could be here?"

"I'm sure there were! I have no idea," Nobara sighed. "Shoko, can you come back already? You know as much as I do." It wasn't true, there was a lot she wasn't telling Shoko, but the longer Geto questioned her, the less patience she had. She tried to move her consciousness out of the brain, but without Shoko trying to gain control, it wouldn't happen. Her best guess was that maybe, the body always had to have someone 'driving.'

Seconds passed, each more painful than the last, until finally she felt Shoko taking control. The body's sensations faded from reality to a distant awareness. As much as she'd missed having a body, she didn't miss getting the shit kicked out of her. The dreamlike haze was something of a familiar comfort. One that should not be familiar, nor comforting, but was nevertheless. As Geto and Shoko talked, their words muffled, the pain became a distant afterthought.

Chapter Text

You know," Shoko called over her shoulder, "some of us are actually here to study."

Ever since meeting Nobara, Geto barely gave Shoko a moment alone. It was like he thought if he took his eyes off of her, Shoko might disappear forever— even though she kept telling him Nobara couldn't do that, and wouldn't if she could. Every time Shoko gave Nobara control of an eye or a limb, his eyes wouldn't leave her. It was ridiculous. When Shoko went to buy straws and nails for Nobara's technique, he was ready to jump out of his skin. He'd acted like the hand Nobara controlled could strike at any moment.

She had to admit: it was a little funny. Here he was, some special-grade who could kill Shoko if he really intended to— scared of a ghost the same age as him.

As she'd learned long before, if Geto went somewhere, Gojo followed. If Nobara talked through Shoko, he would pretend not to be there. He was particularly good at going silent when Nobara would ask to talk to Fushiguro. Shoko would answer all of Geto's questions about the situation, but there were more he was clearly avoiding thinking about. He didn't even seem to understand the timelines diverging. How could Gojo not konw? Wasn't he on speaking terms with Fushiguro?

Shoko had gone to the library to study with Arai. Geto followed her, Gojo followed him, and along with Gojo came a headache for her. Geto was capable of sitting quietly and studying with her. It wouldn't have been much of a disruption. The two of them together, though? They'd always argue, or throw a ball around, or find some other way to be distracting (and a little obnoxious).

Normally, Shoko thought it was entertaining. The two of them were often funny, and with how subdued her personality could be, the energy was nice. They never acted like she was weird. Even when they were doing bits, they managed to at least pretend whatever she was adding was interesting. They were fun to watch, and she felt included. That didn't change the fact that them being lost in their own little world was inconvenient. Especially now of all times, with her test was inching closer and closer.

(She was supposed to become a doctor after she finished training to become a sorcerer. Maybe if her cursed energy wasn't so weird, she would've been able to fight curses like everyone else.

Instead, her fate was to heal people. To constantly pour her energy into other sorcerers, again and again, but not be able to help protect them in the moment. At the end, after healing them however many times, she'd get the joy of processing their bodies. Fun, right?)

"Boo," Gojo replied. Always so helpful, wasn't he? He stuck his tongue out. "We're not even in your way."

"It's distracting." It really was. Seriously, they did not need to be doing… some sort of paper airplane competition with their curse techniques? They hadn't hit her and her flashcards, not yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. "Come on, hit me," she asked Arai.

The second-year swallowed, and flipped to the next one. She focused on the academic part of school more than any of them had to— Shoko had a feeling that it was some kind of coping mechanism, but she wasn't totally sure what it was for. The shadowy tendrils danced just under her skin, and Shoko couldn't stop her eyes from tracing them. If Arai would just let her try to stick in a needle and take one out, even once—

"Um," Arai started, her voice half a whisper. "Lysosomes?"

"Janitor and kill switch."

A quick nod. Her eyes jumped up to Gojo and Geto, right behind Shoko. Arai curled into herself a little more while moving the card to the back. "What are— uh, what are ribosomes made of?"

"RNA."

"What, um, do the ribosomes do?"

"Create proteins from mRNA." Arai moved that card to the back. When another airplane veered sideways, right into a bookcase, Shoko let her head fall. This was hopeless, wasn't it?

"Is he ever gonna grow up?" she muttered. Arai let out a tiny snort. Nobara, on the other hand, just confirmed that he wouldn't.

(…She really hope Nobara wasn't making some dark comment.)

"Ieiri-san, you wound me!" Gojo called towards her. He let a hand fall over his heart and leaned back in Geto's direction, who stuck out a single arm halfheartedly.

"So? I'll just heal it."

"Regardless!" He began walking towards Shoko's table, Geto on his heels. So much for studying. "Betrayed, by my own fellow first-year…"

Geto flicked the back of his head. "Not like she's wrong." His gaze drifted to Arai. "Speaking of first years, did you guys have to meet with the Gojo clan? Like we do with the Zenin?"

"What?" Her head tilted to the side a little. "Uh— no? It's… maybe him?" She made a tiny gesture in Gojo's direction. He just frowned, either not knowing or not caring about Arai's discomfort. For a moment, it seemed like worry flickered over Gojo's face. Shoko must've imagined it. Gojo didn't worry about stuff like this.

"They're testing me," Gojo repeated. A slight frown on his lips. "Aren't they? So that when he picks which school for that little shit, of all people—"

"They're testing all of us," Geto corrected.

"No, this is about that kid reaching admissions age next year— Zenin Naoya, I think?" Gojo hopped onto the table next to Shoko's. "Ten shadows is probably showing up soon, with everything going on, and they're all looking for it."

"Fushiguro?" Nobara asked, suddenly interested. "You have to let me out at that meeting. Please, I have so many questions, I need to figure out where Maki and Mai are. I need to find out how much they know about Fushiguro, Shoko—"

"Alright, alright," Shoko whispered. Arai's eyes flicked to her mouth, eyes furrowing in a silent question. When Shoko met her eyes, she glanced down, hunching her shoulders again.

"It's been decades since it appeared," Geto frowned. "Why are you so sure?"

"Tengen is about to assimilate," Gojo listed. "I'm around, with both the six eyes and limitless. When the balance shifts one way the other hereditary techniques start popping up."

"Like ten shadows," Shoko echoed. "And the Kamo clan's new member, right?"

"Yeah."

"What?" Nobara asked. "Do you mean 'new' as in born? The next user of blood manipulation is Kamo Noritoshi, who should be around six or seven. Or— not the cursed wombs, right?" Shoko hadn't seen her nervous before. Maybe, whoever it was, they'd die soon? (Shoko really didn't want to believe that.)

"Blood manipulation isn't like six-eyes or ten shadows, right?" Shoko asked, her gaze on Gojo. He was frowning, and it almost looked like there was black creeping into the whites of one of his eyes. Was…

No. It wasn't possible. She knew how much it creeped Gojo out to have someone there. She was seeing things.

"I think so. It's just rare," Geto commented. 

"I don't buy it," Nobara huffed. "My grandma would've mentioned it. She told me that Noritoshi was the only one, I don't…" she seemed more frustrated than anything. "Unless they…" Dread pooled out of Shoko's neck. Could Nobara just calm down?

Knowing someone might die just gave Shoko another chance to fix them, right? At the same time, Nobara shouldn't know some of what she knew, and she also didn't know things that she thought she did. There were more inconsistencies than Shoko had expected. How much had she messed with the timeline? Was someone else involved?

Not Sukuna, right? Shoko doubted she could fight him, not yet.

"Anyway, Naobito is hoping it's not the twins," Gojo finished. Much too casually. "He wants the next clan head to surpass the others, so now he's finally invested in schools, I guess." He shrugged. "None of it matters, right? Just clan politics."

"If it's just politics, why can't I stay in my dorm? Do I really need to—"

"Yes," Nobara and Geto insisted simultaneously. Nobara's voice had a edge of desperation. Geto was just agreeing with her: clan politics were dumb, and he would rather stay home."

"Ugh," she groaned. "This sucks. Gojo, you owe me."

"Me? When it's Yaga-sensei—"

"She has a point," Geto relented. "Come on, we can at least let them study. Digimon is coming on soon."

The moment they had left, Arai leaned in. A tiny grown lay on her face— the one that meant she was thinking. "Did you see Gojo's eyes?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

Arai took a shaky breath. "I'm not… You understand this stuff best, do you…" By now, her voice had crept into a whisper. "I'm not infecting him, am I?"

"No?" Shoko frowned. "Your technique requires you to touch someone, and the shadows move." She wanted to experiment with it so bad. "You never go near him."

"What do you think it was?"

Shoko shrugged. "A curse, maybe."

Arai didn't buy it. She didn't protest, though. Arai wasn't one for arguing.

"Yeah, sure." Not a lie. Technically. She had a suspicion, but even if she could tell Arai, even if she wanted to? It's sound too insane. "But like, I'm sure it's just normal Gojo shit."

"Yeah," Arai nodded. The worry didn't leave her eyes, but at least her mouth had moved back to biology. She started shuffling the flashcards again.

Chapter Text

"I don't get it." Nobara had been 'pacing'in Shoko's head for nearly an hour. She wasn't sure how she knew— her best guess? Nobara's barriers around her soul acted like a domain expansion, and within it, Nobara had a body, because that's how she saw herself. What didn't add up was that Nobara didn't have a domain. As much as she wanted to ask, Nobara didn't really care about details like that, so she wouldn't have any answers.

It was so loud. Not just the pacing— Nobara was thinking, and nervous, and all of that bled into Shoko. She kept mumbling to herself, completely lost in thought. Instead of sitting at Shoko's neck, she'd gone back to the stomach, so she wasn't even aware that she kept interrupting something important.

She made it through half an hour of studying before ditching with the excuse of a headache. Which technically was true: Nobara was making her head start to throb. She'd thrown herself onto her bed, face-down, to try to let Nobara wear herself down.

In retrospect, she had no idea why she thought that would work.

"Don't get what," Shoko sighed.

"I barely even know anything about Tengen. Just that she maintains our barriers, and that she fails to assimilate, and also dies later on."

"Right."

"How does Gojo know so much? It doesn't add up."

"He's Gojo. He knows all his clan's secrets.

"Hmph." There was only a brief pause, before: "Do you think Fushiguro told him?"

"They don't get along, and they don't even talk. I really fucking doubt it."

"As if you didn't see those shadows," Nobara pointed out. "Come on, something's up."

"We don't know that it was him—"

"Bullshit!" Nobara cried. "We know it's him, it's obviously him, but that asshole won't— he's keeping Fushiguro trapped in there. The least Gojo can do is tell us what's going on, and what Fushiguro is telling him, but he won't even do that." It left Shoko's head ringing. This was the first time Nobara had an outburst like this. Sure, her mood was all over the place, but she'd been coping pretty well so far. But now? It seemed the more time passed, and the clearer it was how hard it'd be to accomplish their goals, the more Nobara just wanted to rush to the finish line— consequences be damned.

Underneath Nobara's anger could be anything. She was probably tired, lonely, desperate, frustrated, grieving… How do you even start to cope with sacrificing your whole world, and getting stuck in a new one?

Apparently, you don't. You bury it and try to keep your focus forward. If you run fast enough, maybe it won't be a problem.

That wasn't a great sign for Shoko. If Nobara found another way to sacrifice herself, would she end up going with her? "If you're sure," she offered carefully, "I can ask him about it."

"No, you can't. He'll panic and lie. Again. Like with Yuji's death, or— or with that last finger. He hides things, hides them from everyone. Until you wake up to him on the—" She cut herself off. "He's not someone you can just ask."

"Hey, easy there," Shoko mumbled. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't think he's that person yet. Maybe he won't even become that person." They both didn't mention how Geto changed a lot. Both left unspoken how the light left Shoko's eyes. What reason was there to say what they both knew?

There were people Shoko hadn't met yet, who would die before Nobara had her first day at Jujutsu High. That was apart from the list of names— list of bodies, really— that Shoko didn't recognize.

(How young were they? How many weren't even her age?)

"Maybe," Nobara conceded. "But we don't know, do we?"

Shoko wished she could give Nobara a hug. But she couldn't. Wasn't that funny? Nobara felt more and more like a genuine friend every day, and despite all her healing abilities, she couldn't do anything to help. This was the one person she couldn't ease the pain of.

"If he lies, he lies. Don't you think it's still better to try?" Shoko argued. "Besides, wouldn't Fushiguro know more than you? Maybe there's stuff Gojo just didn't think to say."

No answer. Just the steady pulse of frustration. Fine, then. Shoko would deal with ths. She slipped on her shoes and meandered through the school, eventually making her way to Gojo's dorm. Normally she wouldn't have knocked, but he was touchy lately, so she waited outside the door.

"Come in," he groaned. He was on some device, with faint Digimon music drifting from the speakers. The game was probably paused. Pushing his sunglasses lower on his face, he made eye contact with Shoko. "What do you want?"

"You mentioned Tengen's assimilation." She slid inside and closed the door. Geto was right next to them, and he didn't need to know this. Not yet.

"Yeah?"

"What does that mean?"

"Dunno."

"You don't know." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Okay, what do you know about Tengen?"

"As the strongest, I'm supposed to help with her assimilation into the star plasma vessel, and protect her." His voice was robotic. Like it was a script he'd memorized. "It's the duty of the wielder of the six-eyes."

"Right," Shoko nodded. "And they never told you…?"

"Nope! D'you really think they would?"

"I… I guess not? But then, earlier, if you don't know about Tengen, what happened with Fushiguro?"

His casual smile dropped. The air shifted. It turned cooler, and at the same time, eerily stagnant. The telltale signs of Infinity activating indoors. But why—?

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened earlier."

"You didn't know? We were talking, and then there were these shadows in your eyes. They just kind of appeared." She frowned. "It was basically right when we started talking about the Zenin clan, which makes sense because Nobara thinks that was a sign of Fushiguro—"

"You told me," he started, his voice barely unrecognizable. She'd think it was fear, but that didn't make sense, because Gojo didn't get scared. Those words shouldn't even be in the same sentence. "Ieiri, you said that you were in control, and you can suppress her. I didn't feel anything earlier, I don't even know what you're talking about—"

Something in his eyes blamed her. Ouch. "You can't feel him?"

"I can see him, through the six-eyes." He pointed to his heart. "His domain is somewhere around here. When he's poking around, I can see him moving around the flow of my cursed energy. Same with Kugisaki, if I really look."

"What?"

"Cool, right? Anyway, if he can…" Gojo was doing the thing where he just moved, without bothering to explain what he was doing or why. "Shit. Dude, this is— I don't like this."

"Pause," Shoko said. "Explain."

"I can see cursed energy through the six-eyes, right? So if he has his own cursed energy in them, I can't see his as separate from mine. Sort of— you know how you can put a filter on a camera? I can't tell what he's seeing or doing, because I can't see any of it."

"So? Can't you just tell from your energy paths?"

His head tilted. "What?"

"You know, the feeling of energy moving around?"

"No?"

"You can't feel his energy? Seriously?"

"No, how would that even work?" One of his fingers tapped nervously on his thigh, in a quick rhythm. "You can probably only feel it because of your positive charge or something."

"…Right." This was a little too conceptual for her. It seemed helpful for Gojo himself, but she'd have to figure out how to turn his ideas into something her brain could use. "What about talking to him?"

"I can do it, sometimes, kind of?" Gojo shrugged. "He's really good at avoiding me. It's so creepy. He told me it's something about having been Sukuna's vessel? If he doesn't want me to reach him, I can't, and there's nothing I can do. Even though it's my own body that he's in."

"He might just be quiet," Nobara added. "Or he could be worried about revealing too much. Also, after Itadori, the barriers of his soul are probably strong as fuck."

"Sukuna, huh?" Shoko echoed. "Can you believe it?"

Gojo shrugged. "You're not scared for something in ten years, are you? I can beat him."

"I think if you won, we probably wouldn't be in this mess."

He shrugged. "Maybe a fluke loss. It happens to everyone. More importantly, if he can… if Fushiguro can hide from me, what's stopping him from kicking me out someday?"

"If you're both sorcerers, it's almost impossible to kick out the vessel's soul." The rest of his words caught up to her. "Wait— do you think he'd be able to control your movements, without you knowing? Wouldn't it be obvious?"

"Maybe. Maybe he's just making me think I'm the one moving, but it's him."

Not knowing what to say to that, Shoko reached for a cigarette. The moment her lighter clicked, Gojo's glare landed on her. She slowly put it back. Trying to win this battle was a lost cause. Not one she'd give up on, but a lost one regardless.

"Dude, come on, I was gonna open your window."

"Infinity doesn't work on secondhand smoke." He was so dramatic.

"You literally let Geto smoke right next to you in—"

He blushed, turning bright red from his neck to his ears. "That's different."

"How come?" she smirked.

"You know why, don't make me say it," he whined.

At some point as they talked, Nobara had started to calm herself down. Shoko could almost call her relaxed. Nobara had definitely become invested: if she could, Nobara would probably be leaning in and holding a drink. "Wait, oh my god, are they—"

Unfortunately, Shoko couldn't explain it to Nobara right now. Nor did she want to.

Gojo was convinced he was the only gay one of the trio. It wasn't bad enough that he moped about Geto not wanting him back. No, he had to keep saying someday, Geto would be dating Shoko, and they could fight over him as the best man. As if Shoko's maid of honor wouldn't be Utahime. Hell, as if Shoko hadn't been crushing on Kouki since the exchange event.

Geto, on the other hand, was convinced all three of them were gay. He gave Shoko suspicious glances when she talked about Utahime (or Kouki), which was uncalled for, seeing as she wasn't even a part of them dancing around each other's crush. According to Geto, he hadn't said anything yet because he didn't think he was Gojo's type, and that he wouldn't want to be in a relationship with Gojo until Gojo matured a little. She couldn't even judge him for the latter.

That left herself. Shoko knew that she was obviously straight, and those two were obviously both into dudes. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd end up together before the end of the next year. Hopefully, she'd finally have made a move on her own crush by then. Maybe.

"Come on, can I just light one? It's literally the same brand he smokes."

"Not inside. It's annoying." He shook his head. "Just because it's hot when Suguru does it doesn't mean I like my stuff stinking."

"You're no fun." She shoved it in the back of the box.

"I'm boring, but I don't smell like a fucking gas station."

"You used to think infinity worked for sweat."

"I trusted you!" He dramatically drew a hand to his chest. "I'll have you know that I've learned and grown since then."

"Not as much as you think."

He shoved her, gently. She pushed him back a little harder. When he returned it, she just leaned back and tugged gojo forwards before slamming her elbow into his back. He just let his face fall into his mattress.

"You don't get it." Maybe Shoko would feel worse for him if this were the first, second, or even fourth time they'd talked about this. "He's just so hot."

"You're right, I really don't get it."

"Isn't Kouki some kind of cowboy sorcerer?"

"Yeah." She was probably supposed to sigh at this part of the convo. Kouki was the cute boy who, a few months back, she decided could be her crush. He wasn't ugly, not by any means, but the way it kept getting brought up was getting old. "It's cool, right?" He had horses and had said something about wrestling bulls. That was stuff people found attractive, right? After all, if Shoko were a guy, and saw a hot girl wrestling a bull, she knew she'd find it hot.

"I guess, dude."

"I can't wait to see him again. Utahime-senpai has to know some kind of update, right? We called the other day but like, it's not the same, I need to find out some of the details in person."

"You could even talk to him, your actual crush."

"Nah, who does that? I'd just embarrass myself."

"You're so weird," he laughed. "It's just a high school crush. You have almost a month to figure out what to say."

"Oh, so you'll finally ask Geto out, then?"

"Absolutely not." Shoko affectionately punched him in the shoulder. It was weird, that she could worry about her love life while trying to fix ten years of the world going to shit— but it was also nice. Somehow, she felt normal again.

Chapter Text

This meeting was stupid. Clan heads were also stupid, so Nobara wasn't surprised.

Like they always did when they agreed that something was important for both of them to know, Nobara kept herself high up in the neck, close to Shoko's brain stem. Frankly, she wished it had seemed less important— she'd never liked hearing about old people and clan politics and the school's optics. None of this shit mattered.

It was all for the clan to evaluate the progression of some kid. They planned to compare it with results from the clan's own training, all to make sure the next Ten Shadows user would stand up to the other clans. Obviously, this meant the meeting was even less important than usual. She already knew that would be Megumi— who wasn't even a part of the Zenin clan. The kid was some brat named Naoya, who apparently had 'a lot of potential,' yet she'd never heard of him. Why should she care what school he went to? If he was important, she would've met him in her own timeline.

"And Kamo's enrollment?"

"She'll be going here," Yaga confirmed.

She?

Obviously, Noritoshi wouldn't be going to school the next year, he wasn't old enough— but Nobara had thought maybe, Jujutsu society had somehow already heard about his innate technique. If it was a girl, unless Noritoshi was trans, that meant either this was someone who'd die in the next few years, or…

What if it's Itadori?

"Well," the old man said, looking thoughtful. Nobara hadn't heard his name, and hadn't cared to ask. Not that Shoko could really answer. "You know, we were a bit worried that the six-eyes would lead you to neglect your other students. I'm glad to see that isn't the case. Competing against someone with a hereditary technique would push Naoya-kun, and while nobody can beat the six eyes, it shouldn't be difficult for him to outrank Kamo."

Ew.

"Traditionally, when they involve the tech schools, the Zenin clan sends their kids to Kyoto." Yaga's expression was as unreadable as always.

"So does Kamo."

"The circumstances around her are all unusual. She was raised in the city, and outside of the clan. It's obvious she wouldn't do well somewhere as traditional as Kyoto."

"What are they doing?" Nobara asked. She had a feeling that Shoko was thinking the same thing as her: why were they even there for this?

"We just want Naoya to have the best education possible." The man's gaze flicked to Gojo, then Geto. It skipped over Shoko, like she was a plant or a table. Background decoration. "Unless the hereditary technique appears, he will likely be our next clan head, after all. So how are your teachings? Are they reaching the extent of their potential?"

"Yes," Yaga said. "In fact, I intended for them to demonstrate. If you wish, you may spar one."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Even the girl?"

"Ieiri-san," Shoko corrected under her breath. Normally, Shoko would've swallowed those words. Nobara was probably influencing her. Whoops.

"If you want," Yaga frowned.

"Regardless, sparring doesn't seem necessary. Students against a semi-grade one—"

"Two special grades," Gojo interjected with a cocky grin. Shoko groaned, and Geto winced away. This meeting wouldn't end anytime soon, would it?

"…Right."

"Before that," Yaga continued, "is this an exception, like Kamo-san? Or a plan for all future sorcerers of your clan?"

"It depends." He stroked his chin. "No use even sending the twins to school. They'll just be going to the Kukuru, after all." He sighed. "It's a shame that they're both completely talentless. I mean, Maki was obviously going to be worthless—"

"Take that back," Nobara hissed, forgetting only Shoko could hear her. If she had hands, they'd be curling into fists. The way her cursed energy spiked and flared against Shoko's was probably painful. Nobara didn't give a shit.

How dare he? About Maki, of all people? Nobara couldn't think of anyone more determined to be a sorcerer, or more worthy to become one.

"—and Naobito-san thought Mai might have a useful technique, but there's no sign she has one at all. That makes the next potential ten shadows user Toji's brat."

"Toji?" Nobara asked. "Who is that?"

Tiny shrug. Nobara wished she could just ask someone directly.

Everything would be so much easier if Nobara could just talk, at all. Or fight. Just— anything.

She missed being a person.

"How old is he?" Yaga asked. Because he didn't know who Fushiguro was, and had no reason to think the Zenin clan's interest was strange.

This was fucking with her mind. She had to ask about this, later.

"Four."

"Ask about his sister," Nobara urged. "If they're paying this much attention to him, why wouldn't they have mentioned her?"

"What about his sister?" Shoko echoed. Nobara muttered a quiet thank you.

"What sister?"

How the fuck did they not know Fushiguro had a sister?

Higher-ups and clans were so obsessed with bloodlines and family. Surely the clan was aware, somehow, of Tsumiki's existence. Maybe the Zenin clan had chosen an uninformed representative?

"It doesn't matter, anyway," he continued. "Ten shadows is too powerful to appear in women. Everyone knows that their cursed energy fluctuates too much for them to be of any use in a fight. Why would we choose to take in someone like that?"

What.

No use in a fight? Sure, Tsumiki probably wasn't— but because she was a civilian. Nobara had never, not even once, heard of a curse technique being limited to one gender. If anyone would decide that was a possibility, it did made sense that it was be the Zenin clan behind it.

"Maybe she'll be a good servant, but we'd never send her here."

"You'd separate them?"

Nobara's heart skipped a beat.

That was Fushiguro.

She couldn't see his eyes behind those glasses. It didn't matter; she knew. It was Fushiguro. It had to be him.

Gojo's voice was animated and lively; his movements were exaggerated. Even in Gojo's body, that more muted tone? The quiet anger, the utter melancholy? That was Fushiguro, through and through.

But since when would Gojo even consider letting—

Why did it matter?All she'd wanted since she'd woken up from that stupid coma was to have her friends back— and here he was. Finally.

"—standard, for hereditary techniques." She'd missed some of what he'd said, lost in her excitement. The representative seemed to have no idea what kind of danger he was putting itself in. "You, of all people, would know that. Besides, this is only if he somehow has ten shadows— but if you're so worried, for some reason, we could find room if the kid insists. She'd do alright with all the other women, cleaning and—"

Nobara wanted to punch him, but Fushiguro beat her to it.

On the rare occasion Gojo decided he had to try and cover academics, he'd usually put on a documentary— and the only way Nobara could describe Fushiguro, at that moment, was a cheetah tackling a gazelle.

In the blink of an eye, he was doing his signature move: using his momentum to get his legs around the man's neck, then squeezing. It was effective. It usually was.

It took a fraction of a second for Yaga to burst out of his seat. "Gojo!" he yelled. She could feel Shoko's heart start to race.

"What is he—"

"Please let me out," Nobara pleaded. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I know Fushiguro. I might be able to help." She felt the tiniest of nods. As soon as she could feel Shoko loosening her grip on the 'controls,' Nobara pushed her way through the opening into the driver's seat. It was easier than last time. She wondered if it was easier on Shoko's end, or if it just felt like a loss of control.

"Satoru!" Geto screamed. No recognition flickered in Fushiguro's face— although, at this stage, there wasn't much point to subtlety anyway. Nobara doubted they could manage to explain Gojo, of all people, attacking a clan head unprovoked. "What the fuck, get off of him!"

Nobara just barely caught Gojo's long fingers forming a frog shape. He pressed his thumbs towards Yaga. When it appeared, the two collided with a thud, before it wrapped Yaga entirely in it's tongue. He was immobilized.

Gojo's fist met the old man's face, hard, and he just kept punching. The sound of skin on skin made something of a rhythm.

Geto was immobilized, frozen in a stance to summon something. It wasn't like when he'd fought Nobara, where his worry had transformed into anger. Now, he didn't know if he could win against whatever was taking over Gojo's body. He couldn't just jump in. Nobara doubted he wanted to fight Gojo, either because he didn't want to lose or because of the depth of his feelings. Maybe a mix of both.

"Geto!" she yelled. "Go get— this school has a doctor, right?" He nodded, and bolted.

She'd be way more useful with her nails. Of course, Shoko hadn't brought them, probably because she didn't have a good reason to walk around with nails or a hammer. It wasn't like they were standard things to carry around.

She needed to intervene, somehow, but getting in between a first-grade sorcerer and Fushiguro? While Fushiguro was enraged and had the full power of the six-eyes?

Nobara didn't want to die again, especially not over this.

For a brief moment, it looked like Fushiguro might not make it out. The old man twisted his hand, and a hand made of dirt wrapped around Fushiguro's head. It covered his mouth, his nose, his eyes. Another grabbed at his leg, pulling Fushiguro away.

Her gut lurched— but it really was only for a moment. She had no idea how he figured it out, but Fushiguro activated Gojo's limitless, and the rock crumbled around him. The dust filled the room, and Nobara blinked furiously, eyes stinging.

When she could see again, Fushiguro's hands were in the shape of the sign for divine dogs. His hands pointed towards the old man this time. Kuro materialized from the shadows, jumping towards his chest.

Nobara had expected the dog to bite.

What she had not expected was for Fushiguro to use the dog as a distraction, put the guy in a headlock, and bite hard enough to draw blood.

The bloodstains were dark, a stark contrast to Gojo's face and teeth and hair— which were all splattered with aforementioned blood. She could guess that this wasn't a new move for Fushiguro. She wasn't sure how disturbed she should be, that he was used to this.

Kuro growled, using the man's leg like a chew toy as Fushiguro hit the guy again for good measure. As the man finally fell unconscious, Fushiguro's attack stopped. His chest rose and fell in quick breaths, his forehead glistening with a mix of sweat and blood.

"What the fuck," Nobara whispered. She'd seen him fight. She knew he fought dirty. Never, not once, had she seen him like that.

"Is this— Was he like this? Before? You told me—"

She shook her head insistently. There had to be something going on here. Fushiguro spit blood onto the ground, breathing heavily, rolling his shoulders back and rubbing his right fist. All it took was one stupid, simple movement— the way he frowned at the damage, she'd recognize that frown anywhere— for Nobara to run up and hug him. He was disgusting, it'd get Shoko's clothes dirty, and frankly, everything he'd just done was insane behavior. None of that mattered. This was Fushiguro.

"Holy shit," she whispered into his ear. "It's you." Her voice shook.

Nobara was sick of losing people. Too many times, she'd let someone take a seat in her life, and then they'd left— or been taken away, or just vanished the moment she looked away. After Sukuna, a wave had swept away all the chairs, and she was just starting to bring them back. But here was Fushiguro. He looked like Gojo but that didn't matter; it was Fushiguro, and he was alive, and he remembered Shibuya and fighting Sukuna. Even if he wouldn't get some of the worst parts, like waking up next to Gojo's brain surgery, or listening as people assumed she'd never wake up. It was someone who could start to understand.

"Kugisaki."

"I hate you," she whispered. "Where have you been?"

"I can't stay long," he started.

"What?" No. That can't be right.

"Gojo isn't like Ieiri," he explained. His voice was soft, like he were comforting an injured animal, not a peer. "He's not capable of being keeping his soul intact, and I'm not killing him again." Gojo? Did he mean Gojo? How— "I can't be here much longer before he'll—"

"Are you stupid? You won't—"

"He can't sense the shape of his soul if I have the six eyes. Gojo's soul is already getting tangled in the edges of mine. If I'm here too long, I won't be able to de-tangle him. Until he figures out how to hold himself together, the longer I'm here, the harder it is to get him back. I can't take that risk."

She took a deep breath. In. Out. She moved a hand from Fushiguro's back to his chest, and pushed him away from her. "What?" she asked. Her voice cracked. She wanted to at least seem mad, but her devastation bled through. "So you're leaving me again?"

He just shrugged, a sad almost-smile on his face. "I missed you to." It felt like a betrayal.

"Fushiguro, I swear—"

"Megumi," he corrected.

Nobara just stared, dumbfounded.

She'd always been able to avoid letting the wrong people get seats in her life. Now, here he was, coming back only to leave again— and now was when she got to use his first name? Now, after waiting weeks to hear him say a single word, only for him to mess up any subtlety she and Shoko had been trying for? Now, after telling her that actually, no, she really was alone, but he could appear for a few moments if things were desperate— but couldn't watch a movie with her, couldn't go shopping, couldn't eat a meal. Couldn't be her friend.

To top it off, in a way, it was her fault. If she hadn't made that vow, if she'd trusted Itadori to handle it alone—

Then he could've died.

Like everyone did anyway. Like he might have done.

Like Nobara was supposed to.

"I can't fucking believe you," she scoffed. She couldn't meet his eyes right now— it was easier to be mad. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I'll be back." They both knew it was barely true. "Besides, you know what to do."

"No, I don't! I was in a coma, dumbass!"

"Make sure the assimilation is successful," (Tengen's assimilation? What did that even actually mean?) ,"keep an eye on Geto, keep Nanami-sensei's friend from dying," (He couldn't give her a name?) "and go after the disaster curses," he listed. "In two years, make sure someone is looking after me an Tsumiki." (What?) "Maybe get Maki-san out of the clan. If you can, try to find a way for me to get my own body."

"Oh, like it's that easy," she replied with a shake of her head. She didn't even know what half the things he'd listed were. Whatever was going on with Megumi and Tsumiki, he'd never actually opened up about. She knew of the volcano curse, and Hanami— but she had no clue where they were. The assimilation was a total mystery to her, no matter how much she'd tried to research it. All she'd gathered was that it was important.

The world blurred around the edges. Her grief wasn't a new feeling, but the way it seemed to sit in her chest, the way her breath caught on it, the dampness on her bottom eyelashes… she forgot how physical emotions were supposed to be. For so long, they'd just been like her: energy kept in the confines of her barriers.

This ache in her chest felt almost as bad as Mahito's hand had felt on her face. Frankly, she didn't understand what Megumi meant about Gojo's soul getting 'tangled,' but she did understand that she needed people to stop abandoning her. The yearning was primal: she needed to keep some remnant of everything she'd ever known.

She couldn't do this. How the fuck could she ever do what everyone expected?

How dare he abandon her? Leave her to shoulder the weight of the world?

"Bye," he whispered. As much as she wanted to stay mad at him, she couldn't stop herself from pulling him back towards her, as if she could hold him tight enough to anchor him to the real world. She watched as the shadows drained out of those eyes, and the fractured blue light returned. When Nobara let go of him, he swayed, panic growing on his face as he took in the world around him.

"What the fuck," Shoko yelled. "Alright, Nobara, he's gone, let me— Whatever the fuck that was—"

"Not yet," she muttered.

"What?"

"Not yet."

"It's my body—"

"Once I've talked to Yaga-sensei." She could feel Shoko pushing at her, but it was a lot easier to keep control than to take it. She gripped the wheel despite Shoko trying to pry her hands off. "Please?"

"I need to heal Gojo."

"I'm probably the only one who might know what's going on with Megumi."

"Gojo's bleeding."

"Do you really want to explain this?" That shut Shoko up, at least. Later, they would definitely argue more. Right now, though? Too much going on.

The moment Megumi had retreated, the frog and wolf had disappeared. Yaga had just sat against the wall, looking utterly stunned. Geto still was gone. Gojo had pieced together what he'd done, and when he spat someone else's blood out of his own mouth, he'd started gagging.

So that was probably the first priority.

"Gojo-sensei?" she said. Maybe this wasn't her Gojo, that was obvious, it just… slipped out. He was on his knees, head between his hands, coughing into the dirt. Nobara doubted any of the blood was actually his. She couldn't be confident, but the fight had been mostly one-sided. Gojo spat onto the floor again and again. She rubbed his back gently, and she felt infinity activate.

"Hey," she protested. "Come on. Let me help."

"What the hell did he do to me?" Gojo's voice was creaky. The blood still sat on his face, sticky and dark. His eyes were bloodshot, and there were tear marks on his cheeks. For once, he didn't look untouchable. He just looked like a scared kid.

Being the strongest didn't mean much against something internal, did it?

"Why? He— He bit him, I—" Gojo dry-heaved. It took his concentration off of infinity, and Nobara rubbed between his shoulders.

She hated that this wasn't the worst she'd seen Gojo. She especially hated the thought that she couldn't keep out of her head: at least everyone's brain was in their own body.

"Megumi took over," Nobara explained. "Apparently, he's been laying low for your safety. He fights dirty," she added, although that was probably self-evident. She didn't add that by the time she knew him, Gojo fought just as dirty as Megumi did.

"Why can't I even talk to him?"

"I don't—"

"One of you, explain." Yaga had, at some point, managed to get himself up. He glared between Nobara and Gojo— not his usual expression, a genuine glare— as if he couldn't decide which to be angrier with. Finally, he settled on Nobara. "Ieiri-kun, what happened to your face?"

"It's complicated." She took a deep breath in, wishing she were anywhere else. But she'd already pissed Shoko off, and she was the only one who could defend Megumi in the slightest.

Still, necessary as it was, this was gonna suck.