Bonds

"Christ, damn rude geezers. I don't ever want to become like them. I'll have to be careful," Gojo muttered as he pulled his blindfold back over his eyes, descending the steps from Jujutsu Headquarters. "Besides, no one's allowed to take youth away from young people," he added, a genuine smile tugging at his lips as he headed back to Jujutsu High.

At the lunch table, Yuji sat with Yuta, Maki, and Yuko, slurping down a mouthful of ramen. The girls chatted animatedly beside him while Yuji's thoughts wandered.

'It's been three months since Yuko and I joined. Yuta's fitting in pretty well too. I've made some decent progress in fixing things, though Sukuna's been weirdly quiet. I still need to find more of his fingers... sooner rather than later.' Yuji's gaze drifted to Maki, who had finally loosened up around the group, even smiling more frequently. 'Glad Maki's lightened up. It's nice seeing everyone get along now. Shouldn't Inumaki and Yuta be sent on that mission soon?'

With a sigh, Yuji decided to push those thoughts aside. Yuji stood up from the lunch table, balancing his tray as he flashed a playful grin. "Be right back. Gotta throw this away and hit the bathroom. Don't start talking about me while I'm gone, okay?"

"Yeah, right. As if you're worth that much conversation," Maki scoffed, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Cold as ever," Yuji teased, walking away.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Yuko glanced nervously between Maki and Yuta. "So... can we just talk about how Yuji is kind of... amazing?"

Maki raised an eyebrow. "Amazing? He's a dork who thinks instant noodles are a food group."

Yuta chuckled softly. "Maybe, but he's got this way of making things better. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

Maki sighed. "Fine. Maybe there's... something about him. He's stupidly optimistic, which is annoying but—" she paused, "I guess it's also... kind of inspiring."

Yuko's face turned pink. "Exactly! I mean, he's funny and thoughtful, and sometimes I feel like—" She cut herself off, her embarrassment evident.

Yuta smiled knowingly. "It's okay. I get it."

Maki leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "Wait. Are we actually having this conversation? Are we seriously admitting we all kind of... like Yuji?"

Silence fell over the table before Yuko spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah. I guess we are."

Yuta nodded. "It's hard not to when he's done so much for us."

Maki crossed her arms, leaning back. "Alright, I'll bite. What's your moment?"

It had been a late afternoon 2 years ago after a grueling training session. Yuko was still struggling to keep up with Yuji, her confidence wavering despite her best efforts. She sat on a bench, staring at the ground with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey."

She looked up to see Yuji standing there, sweat dripping from his brow, his usual goofy grin replaced by a gentle expression.

"You okay?" he asked, crouching down beside her.

Yuko sniffled, embarrassed. "I just... I'm not good at this. You're just so strong, and I'm just... weak."

Yuji's brow furrowed. "Who told you that?"

"No one. It's just obvious."

He shook his head. "Nah. That's a load of crap."

Yuko blinked, surprised by his bluntness.

"You're here, aren't you? You keep showing up even when it's tough. That's not weakness—that's strength." He grinned. "Besides, you're gonna get so strong that I'll have to beg you not to kick my butt one day."

Despite herself, Yuko laughed. "I doubt that."

"Bet on it." He stood up and offered her his hand. "Come on. Let's prove everyone wrong."

It was a quiet afternoon in the common room. Most of the students were off training or studying, but Yuta had claimed a rare moment of peace, curled up on the couch with a novel in hand. The sun streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow across the room.

She wasn't reading, though. Her eyes flicked over the same sentence again and again, unable to concentrate. The weight of insecurities pressed heavily on her chest—doubts that had been gnawing at her since she'd joined Jujutsu High. Everyone seemed so confident, so sure of their place. Even Yuji, who had joined only a bit before her, carried this infectious sense of purpose.

What was she doing wrong?

"You okay?"

Yuta looked up to see Yuji standing there with a bottle of soda in one hand and a curious expression on his face.

"Oh, yeah," she lied, forcing a smile. "Just reading."

Yuji tilted his head, clearly not buying it. "You look like someone just spoiled the ending of your favorite show."

Yuta sighed, closing the book. "It's nothing. Just... stuff."

"Stuff, huh?" He plopped down beside her, his energy filling the room. "Want to talk about it?"

Yuta hesitated. She wasn't used to opening up, but there was something disarming about Yuji—like talking to him was the easiest thing in the world.

"It's dumb," she admitted. "I just feel like... I don't belong here. Everyone else is so strong and confident, and I'm just... me."

Yuji blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? That's crazy."

Yuta frowned. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"No, I mean it," Yuji insisted, his tone serious. "You're awesome, Yuta. You're smart, you care about people, and you're way tougher than you give yourself credit for."

She looked down at her hands. "I don't know... I guess I just feel like I'm always a step behind."

Yuji nudged her shoulder. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you're comparing yourself to everyone else too much." He grinned. "You don't have to be like Maki or me or anyone else. You just gotta be you. And that's already pretty great."

Yuta's chest tightened at his words. She'd heard plenty of encouragement before, but Yuji's genuine belief in her felt different—like he wasn't just saying it to be nice.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "I needed that."

"Anytime." Yuji leaned back on the couch, taking a sip of his soda. "Plus, if you ever need a reminder of how awesome you are, just ask me. I'm always happy to brag about my friends."

Yuta laughed, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. "You're ridiculous."

"Ridiculously charming, right?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile.

Maki prided herself on being tough and independent. She didn't need anyone to have her back. But there was one evening that had shaken her resolve.

It was after a brutal training session. Determined to push herself further, Maki stayed behind, practicing long after everyone else had left. Her body ached, but she refused to stop.

That was until her legs finally gave out.

"Damn it," she muttered, frustration boiling over as she struggled to stand.

"Whoa, Maki!" Yuji's voice rang out.

He jogged over, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she gritted out. "Go away."

"Nope." He crouched down and offered his back. "Come on. I'll give you a piggyback ride."

"Absolutely not."

"Suit yourself." He crossed his arms. "But if you pass out here, I'm just gonna carry you anyway."

Maki glared at him, but she knew he was serious. Reluctantly, she climbed onto his back.

As he carried her back to the dorms, Yuji chatted casually, making jokes to lighten the mood.

"You're so annoying," Maki muttered, though there was no heat in her words.

"Annoyingly handsome, you mean."

She rolled her eyes but found herself smiling despite the pain. That night, Maki realized that maybe—just maybe—letting someone have her back wasn't so bad.

"So basically," Maki said, breaking the silence, "we've all had our moments, huh?"

Yuko nodded sheepishly. "He's just... he makes things better, you know?"

Yuta smiled. "Yeah. He makes you feel like you're enough, even when you think you're not."

Maki sighed. "Great. Now I sound soft."

Yuko laughed. "We won't tell anyone."

As they shared a genuine laugh, Yuji returned, looking confused.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, sitting down.

"Nothing important," Maki said casually.

"Yeah," Yuko added with a small smile. "Just... girl talk."

Yuji blinked. "Do I want to know?"

"Nope," the three girls said in unison, causing him to laugh.

Yuji huffed, his chest rising and falling as sweat dripped down his brow. Training was brutal, but the cursed energy drain from attempting a Domain Expansion? That was next-level exhausting. He'd asked Gojo how to properly manage it, only to receive a frustratingly vague response.

"It's like a bubble of your cursed technique expanded into the real world," Gojo had said, grinning like it was the simplest thing ever.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, 'Honored One,'" Yuji muttered under his breath.

He'd been using a normal veil as the foundation for trying to open a domain, but the real problem was figuring out how to incorporate Blood Manipulation into it. No matter how hard he thought about it, the solution felt just out of reach.

Desperate for insight, Yuji even entered the dream world to consult Choso. The moment he brought up his dilemma, he was met with a verbal beating.

"You should visit your older brother more often!" Choso scolded, arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Yuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But do you have any idea how I could make Blood Manipulation work for a domain?"

Choso's brow furrowed in thought, but eventually, he shook his head. "Even I don't have the answer to that. It's rare for Blood Manipulation to be used in domains."

Still, their conversation shifted to something more pressing.

"Kenjaku is making his moves again, isn't he?" Yuji asked, leaning forward on the dream table.

"Yes. But more importantly, our brothers should be awakened within the year," Choso said, sipping what appeared to be dream tea. Could he even taste it? Yuji decided not to question it.

After bidding farewell to Choso, Yuji returned to the waking world that night, more frustrated than ever.

"Damn it! I can't figure this shit out!" he yelled, collapsing in the middle of the training ground under the moonlit sky.

"Having some trouble?"

Yuji nearly jumped at the voice behind him. Turning, he saw Gojo approaching, his white hair gleaming under the faint light.

"Nothing too much, Sensei. Just can't get this domain stuff figured out," Yuji admitted, exhaling heavily as his cursed energy naturally began to refill.

Gojo sat down across from him, removing his blindfold. His expression was unusually serious.

"Why do you push yourself so hard?" Gojo asked, his piercing eyes fixed on Yuji. "Ever since I met you, all you do is push yourself and everyone else here. So tell me—why?"

Yuji opened his mouth to respond but froze. Why did he push himself so hard? The answer wasn't as simple as he thought. He could say it was to defeat Sukuna or protect his friends, but deep down, it was more than that.

He slicked his hair back, chuckling softly. "I guess... I just want everyone to be their best so I can have fun fighting with and alongside them."

Gojo smiled faintly. "You need to talk to Megumi. That girl needs to learn how being selfish can help you grow as a sorcerer. But—" Gojo's words were cut off when Yuji spoke up, his voice raw.

"I want to kill the higher-ups."

Gojo's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.

"All they ever do is look out for themselves," Yuji continued, his voice growing louder. "I know about Yuta's execution order—and mine too. It's unfair. It's unjust. They treat everyone in jujutsu society like pawns. Geto may have been twisted, but he had a point. If we just united as sorcerers and got rid of all this higher-up nonsense, we could actually get shit done!"

The outburst surprised Yuji even more than it did Gojo. After a moment of silence, Gojo placed a firm hand on Yuji's shoulder.

"Wanna know why I became a teacher?" Gojo asked, his voice steady. "So I could raise a strong generation to reconstitute the corrupted jujutsu society. Sure, I could kill the higher-ups—but that wouldn't solve the problem. We need a jujutsu revolution, Yuji. So hold off on killing them for now, okay? We'll fix this mess the right way—together."

Yuji's shoulders relaxed as Gojo stood up, a confident grin returning to his face.

"So, you want help with domains, huh? Let me give you some pointers," Gojo offered.

Yuji couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Sensei."

Gojo winked. "Hey, don't thank me yet. This is gonna be draining."

Yuji laughed, his frustration lifting slightly. Maybe, just maybe, with Gojo's help, he could figure this domain thing out—and maybe even change the jujutsu world for the better.

The next morning, Yuji woke up sore from training with Gojo. His muscles ached, but at least he had a better understanding of domains—though only by a little. After getting dressed, he made his way to Sendai Cemetery.

The cold morning air nipped at his skin as he knelt before his grandfather's grave, the stone glistening with a thin layer of dew. It had been three months since his encounter with Geto, the event that led to his grandfather's death. After that, Yuji had requested for his grandfather's body to be buried here. He clasped his hands together in prayer, eyes closed.

"Sorry, Gramps," he whispered. "Things are still messy, but I'm doing my best to fix them."

When he finished his prayer, Yuji's gaze drifted across the rows of tombstones until it landed on Rika's grave in the distance. A conflicted look crossed his face.

'Do I let Yuta break the curse like in canon, or do I just kill Geto and end this whole war before it even starts? Can I even take on Geto?'

Yuji had been granted special grade status two months ago. His mastery of Blood Manipulation and the ability to use Reverse Cursed Technique had earned him the title, but he knew he was at the bottom of the barrel compared to other special grades.

"Well, soon I'll take things into my own hands. I'll fix everything. I promise... Gramps," he said softly, his voice resolute.

Reaching into his pocket, Yuji pulled out a Sukuna finger. Kenjaku had been snatching these things up left and right, making it hard for Yuji to get his hands on them.

"This makes five," he muttered as he swallowed it, a bitter energy coursing through his body.

As he stood up and walked away from the cemetery, a determined fire burned in his chest. He would succeed no one would stop him.