Discontent

Within the depths of Sukuna's consciousness, far removed from the imperial palace and its intrigues, existed a realm unlike any other.

The inner domain - it reflected the unique nature of its master - a space where the ten shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique resided when not summoned to the physical world.

The domain resembled an ancient Japanese temple complex, its architecture reminiscent of the Heian era when Sukuna first walked the earth.

Stone pathways wound between traditional buildings, gardens of impossible beauty bloomed with flowers that could not exist in the physical realm, and at the center stood a magnificent structure that dwarfed all others - Mahoraga's shrine.

Today, the normally peaceful domain hummed with discontent.

Nine of the ten shikigami had gathered in what they called the Commons - a circular courtyard surrounded by cherry trees in perpetual bloom - to discuss a matter of growing importance to them all.

Divine Dog White paced restlessly, his pristine fur bristling with agitation. Unlike his black counterpart, who tended toward stoic silence, White was vocal, expressive, and currently, extremely annoyed.

"It's happened AGAIN," he growled, tail lashing behind him. "Master summoned Mahoraga for POKER.

Not battle, not training - POKER! Meanwhile, when was the last time any of us were called forth except for combat?"

Divine Dog Black, lying with his massive head on his paws, opened one eye. "The Master summons whom he wishes," he rumbled, his voice deep and resonant. "It is not our place to question."

"Oh, please," White snapped, rounding on his counterpart. "Don't pretend you're not just as irritated as the rest of us.

I've seen you watching when Mahoraga gets summoned. Your tail does that little twitch it always does when you're upset."

Black's ears flattened slightly. "My tail does no such thing."

From atop a nearby rock, Nue made a sound suspiciously like a snicker. The thunderbird shikigami stretched his wings, electricity crackling between his feathers. "Black's right about one thing - the Master does as he pleases. But White's not wrong either. The favoritism has gotten... noticeable."

"Noticeable?" Great Serpent hissed from where she was coiled around a tree branch, her massive body draped through the cherry blossoms.

Her voice was silky, cultured, with the subtle condescension of ancient nobility. "It's beyond noticeable. It's flagrant. Mahoraga this, Mahoraga that.

'Oh Mahoraga, let's play cards.' 'Oh Mahoraga, let's discuss philosophy.' 'Oh Mahoraga, please stand menacingly beside me while I negotiate with the Emperor.'"

"To be fair," interjected Max Elephant, his voice surprisingly gentle for his enormous size, "Mahoraga is the Divine General. He's always been the strongest among us."

"Strength isn't everything," Piercing Ox snorted, pawing the ground impatiently.

The massive bovine shikigami was all corded muscle and barely contained aggression, his horns gleaming dangerously in the ethereal light.

"I could pierce through a Viltrumite's chest if given the chance. But has the Master summoned me since arriving in this dimension? Not once!"

"At least you dogs have been summoned in battle before," Mourn Tiger grumbled from where she lounged in a patch of sunlight.

Her striped coat rippled as she stretched, claws extending and retracting rhythmically. "I haven't been called in so long, I'm starting to think the Master has forgotten I exist."

"Try being me," sighed Round Deer, his gentle eyes downcast. The elegant shikigami's antlers glowed softly as he spoke. "My abilities are perfect for scouting unfamiliar terrain, yet who does he send? Mahoraga. As if subtlety means nothing."

"RIBBIT!"

All heads turned toward Toad, who sat at the edge of a small pond, his massive form creating ripples in the water with each breath. Despite his intimidating size, Toad's personality was surprisingly sensitive.

"What Toad means," translated White with the ease of long familiarity, "is that he feels particularly overlooked because his poison capabilities would be extremely useful against these Viltrumites the Master is so concerned about."

"Ribbit," Toad confirmed sadly, his throat-sac inflating slightly.

A flurry of movement caught everyone's attention as hundreds of small white rabbits suddenly materialized, hopping around the courtyard before coalescing into a humanoid shape.

Rabbit Escape, the most mercurial of the shikigami, rarely maintained a single form for long.

"We're all missing the point," Rabbit Escape said, her voice a chorus of hundreds speaking in unison. "The real issue isn't just that Mahoraga gets summoned more - it's that he gets to interact with the Master on a personal level.

When was the last time any of us had a conversation with Sukuna-sama? Not just received orders, but actually spoke with him?"

A contemplative silence fell over the gathering. It was true - their interactions with their Master had always been primarily functional.

Summoned for battle, dismissed when no longer needed. Mahoraga alone seemed to enjoy a relationship that transcended mere utility.

"It wasn't always this way," Great Serpent observed, her tongue flicking thoughtfully. "In his previous life, before the supposed battle with the Six Eyes, the Master would sometimes sit beneath my tree and read for hours. I felt... appreciated."

"He used to race with me," White added, his earlier anger fading to melancholy. "Back when he arrived in this world and he was still learning to control his cursed energy. He said my speed helped him benchmark his progress."

"He composed poetry while riding on my back once when he was with lady Eve," Round Deer reminisced. "Something about the rhythm of my movement inspiring his words."

"RIBBIT," Toad croaked softly.

"Yes," White translated, "Toad remembers when the Master would swim with him in the lakes of Japan after he gained his smart atoms. Said the poison immunity training was essential, but we all knew he simply enjoyed the water."

Nue rustled his wings, electricity dancing between his feathers. "He would fly with me during storms. Said there was no purer joy than racing lightning."

"This new world has changed him," Mourn Tiger observed, rolling onto her back. "Or perhaps it's this regression situation. He seems... even softer. Even more inclined toward connection. Just not with us."

"Only with Mahoraga," Piercing Ox grunted bitterly. "The precious Divine General."

"Speaking of whom," Great Serpent hissed, her head rising higher, "here comes the favorite now."

All nine shikigami turned as Mahoraga entered the courtyard. The Divine General moved with impossible grace for his massive size, each step precise and deliberate. The wheel above his head rotated slowly, catching the ethereal light in hypnotic patterns.

"Brothers. Sisters," Mahoraga greeted them, his voice resonating with power.

Unlike the other shikigami who communicated through sounds interpreted within Sukuna's mind,

Mahoraga's words formed directly in the consciousness of those he addressed. "You seem... agitated."

"Agitated?" Piercing Ox snorted, pawing the ground more aggressively. "Why would we be agitated? Just because the Master summons you for card games while the rest of us gather dust in here?"

Mahoraga's wheel spun slightly faster - the equivalent of a raised eyebrow for the faceless shikigami. "Ah. This again."

"Yes, this again," White growled, hackles rising. "Do you have any idea how it feels to be overlooked? To be forgotten?"

"I was not summoned for entertainment," Mahoraga clarified, his tone neutral. "The Master was using the game to evaluate the Emperor's psychological state. My presence served a strategic purpose."

"Of course it did," Great Serpent's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Everything you do is essential, isn't it? The rest of us couldn't possibly contribute to such important matters as... what was it? Poker?"

Mahoraga's wheel rotated a full turn before stopping abruptly - a gesture the others had learned to interpret as a sigh. "Your frustration is understandable but misplaced. I do not choose when I am summoned. That is the Master's prerogative."

"But you don't exactly discourage it, do you?" Nue challenged, electricity crackling more intensely around him. "Always so eager to serve, to be by his side. The perfect shikigami. Makes the rest of us look bad by comparison."

"I fulfill my purpose," Mahoraga replied simply. "As do all of you when called upon."

"When called upon," Mourn Tiger repeated with a bitter laugh. "That's the entire point. We're rarely called upon anymore. Not since you became his favorite."

Mahoraga remained silent for a moment, his wheel spinning thoughtfully.

When he finally responded, his tone held a note of what might have been compassion - unexpected from the normally impassive Divine General.

"Perhaps," he suggested, "you should consider speaking directly to the Master about your concerns."

A chorus of disbelieving responses greeted this suggestion.

"Speak to the Master?" White barked incredulously.

"About our feelings?" Great Serpent added, her voice rising an octave.

"RIBBIT!" Toad exclaimed, so shocked that he nearly fell into the pond.

"The Master is not unapproachable," Mahoraga pointed out. "Particularly in this incarnation. He has... evolved in ways you may not fully appreciate from your limited interactions."

"Easy for you to say," Rabbit Escape countered, briefly dissolving into hundreds of rabbits before reforming. "You actually get to talk with him regularly. The rest of us just get orders and dismissals."

Mahoraga's wheel spun faster, a sign of growing impatience - another rare display of emotion from the normally stoic shikigami. "The Master values each of you for your unique abilities.

If you feel underutilized, perhaps the fault lies not in his choices but in your failure to demonstrate your potential utility in this new environment."

"Are you suggesting we're not trying hard enough?" Piercing Ox demanded, lowering his horns threateningly.

"I am suggesting," Mahoraga replied evenly, "that adaptation is necessary. This world is not like our previous one. The threats are different.

The Master's needs are different. Have any of you considered how your abilities might be applied to these new circumstances?"

The question hung in the air, met with uncomfortable silence.

"That's what I thought," Mahoraga continued. "You complain of being overlooked, yet make no effort to prove your relevance.

The Master doesn't summon you for idle companionship because you've never shown interest in anything beyond your combat functions."

"That's not fair," White protested, though with less conviction than before. "We've never been given the chance."

"Haven't you?" Mahoraga challenged. "Each time you're summoned, each moment in the physical world, is an opportunity.

Yet you focus solely on the task at hand, never engaging beyond what is strictly required.

Even when during his hero days in this new life you had the most opportunity - especially when he got with Lady Eve, during the first months of their relationship. 

You had then even more opportunity then me. Is it any wonder the Master sees you as tools rather than companions?"

The accusation stung, particularly because none of them could entirely refute it. They had always defined themselves by their combat roles, their specific functions within the Ten Shadows Technique.

The idea of engaging with their Master on a more personal level was foreign, almost transgressive.

"The Master has changed," Mahoraga continued, his tone softening slightly. "This new life, this new form - they've altered him in ways both subtle and profound.

He seeks connection now, something he would have scorned in his original incarnation. Yet his nature remains fundamentally the same.

He will not reach out. He will not ask. If you wish for a different relationship with him, you must take the initiative."

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Great Serpent demanded, though her usual condescension had given way to genuine curiosity. "We can't simply manifest and demand conversation."

"Can't you?" Mahoraga's wheel spun in what might have been amusement. "The barriers between this domain and the Master's consciousness are more permeable than you realize. He hears more than you think."

As if on cue, the entire domain trembled slightly, a pulse of awareness from its creator rippling through the ethereal space.

The shikigami froze, suddenly uncertain whether their conversation had been more public than intended.

"Well, this is awkward," Nue muttered, electricity dimming around his feathers.

"Has he been listening this whole time?" White whispered, ears flattening against his head.

"Not actively," Mahoraga assured them. "But on some level, he is always aware of this domain and what transpires within it. Your discontent has not gone entirely unnoticed."

Another tremor ran through the domain, stronger this time. The cherry blossoms above them began to fall more rapidly, swirling in patterns that suggested deliberate manipulation rather than natural movement.

"I believe," Mahoraga observed, his wheel spinning faster, "the Master may be considering joining us."

Panic erupted among the shikigami. Great Serpent nearly fell from her branch. White began running in circles.

Toad inflated his throat-sac to twice its normal size before letting out a distressed "RIBBIT!" that echoed through the courtyard.

"He can't come here!" Mourn Tiger exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "Not while we're discussing our grievances about him!"

"Actually," Mahoraga corrected, "this domain exists within him. He is, in a very real sense, always here. The question is merely one of attention and manifestation."

"That doesn't help!" Piercing Ox bellowed, now pacing nervously. "What do we do? What do we say?"

"Perhaps," Round Deer suggested quietly, speaking up for the first time in a while, "we should simply be honest. If the Master truly has changed as Mahoraga suggests, maybe he will understand our feelings."

Before anyone could respond to this radical proposal, the air at the center of the courtyard began to shimmer.

The cherry blossoms swirled more intensely, forming a vortex of pink and white that gradually coalesced into a humanoid shape.

Sukuna materialized before them, not in his physical form but as a manifestation of his consciousness within the domain.

He appeared as he currently existed in the physical world - the body of Megumi Fushiguro, but with the unmistakable presence of the King of Curses.

For a long moment, silence reigned in the courtyard. The shikigami, caught between respect, fear, and embarrassment, waited for their Master to speak first.

Sukuna's gaze swept over the assembled shikigami, his expression unreadable. Then, to their collective shock, his lips curved into what might have been a smile.

"Well," he said, his voice carrying the weight of centuries despite his youthful appearance, "this is unexpected. A shikigami council meeting, and I wasn't invited."

White, always the most impulsive, stepped forward before the others could stop him. "Master, we didn't mean any disrespect. We were just-"

"Complaining about my preferential treatment of Mahoraga," Sukuna finished for him, crossing his arms. "Yes, I gathered that much."

Another uncomfortable silence fell. The shikigami exchanged nervous glances, uncertain how to proceed.

Even Mahoraga's wheel had slowed to an almost imperceptible rotation, a sign of unusual caution from the Divine General.

To everyone's surprise, it was Toad who broke the silence. "RIBBIT," he croaked, his voice surprisingly firm.

White, too shocked to translate, simply stared at his amphibian companion.

"He says," Sukuna translated, raising an eyebrow, "that you all deserve better from me. That I've taken you for granted. That I've forgotten what each of you contributed to my growth and power."

Toad nodded emphatically, his throat-sac inflating with conviction.

"Is that how all of you feel?" Sukuna asked, his gaze moving from one shikigami to the next.

Slowly, reluctantly, they nodded. Even Black, usually the most reserved, gave a single, dignified dip of his massive head.

Sukuna was silent for a long moment, his expression thoughtful rather than angry. Finally, he sighed - a surprisingly human gesture from the ancient being.

"You're right," he admitted, shocking them all into stunned silence. "I have been... selective in my attention. Old habits, I suppose.

In my original incarnation, I viewed you all as weapons, tools to be used and set aside.

Even in this life, with my more balanced approach to the Ten Shadows, I have maintained something of that distance."

He moved to a stone bench beneath one of the cherry trees and sat, a gesture so casual and human that several of the shikigami exchanged confused glances.

"This new existence has been... educational," Sukuna continued, gesturing for them to gather closer. "I find myself experiencing connections, emotions, relationships in ways I would have scorned in my first life.

Yet I have extended this evolution only to the physical world, not to my relationship with you who have been with me longest."

Great Serpent, emboldened by his unexpected receptiveness, uncoiled slightly from her branch. "We do not seek to criticize, Master. We merely wish to serve you as fully as possible."

"To be seen," Mourn Tiger added quietly. "To be known."

"To be valued for more than our combat utility," Round Deer finished.

Sukuna nodded slowly. "Reasonable desires. Ones I should have recognized sooner." He turned to Mahoraga, who stood slightly apart from the others.

"You knew this conversation was overdue, didn't you?"

Mahoraga's wheel spun once in acknowledgment. "I observed their discontent growing. It seemed inefficient to allow it to continue unchecked."

"Efficient as always," Sukuna noted with what might have been dry humor. "Though perhaps next time, bring such matters to my attention directly rather than allowing them to fester."

"As you wish, Master," Mahoraga replied, his wheel spinning slightly faster in what the others had learned to recognize as mild embarrassment.

Sukuna returned his attention to the rest of the shikigami. "This situation requires correction. Each of you possesses unique abilities that may prove valuable in our current circumstances - beyond mere combat applications."

He rose, moving to stand before Nue. "Your control over electricity could be instrumental in understanding and potentially disrupting Viltrumite technology. I have been remiss in not exploring this possibility."

Nue's feathers rustled with surprised pleasure, electricity dancing more vibrantly around him.

Sukuna moved to Great Serpent next. "Your wisdom and patience, accumulated over centuries, make you an ideal advisor for diplomatic matters - something I find myself increasingly entangled in."

Great Serpent's tongue flicked out in what might have been a gesture of pleased embarrassment.

"Toad," Sukuna continued, "your poison capabilities could indeed prove effective against Viltrumites, whose healing abilities might be vulnerable to the right toxins. We should experiment with this."

"RIBBIT!" Toad exclaimed happily, bouncing slightly in place.

One by one, Sukuna addressed each shikigami, acknowledging their unique potential contributions to the challenges he currently faced.

With each recognition, the atmosphere in the domain lightened, the earlier tension dissolving into something approaching excitement.

"I propose a new arrangement," Sukuna announced when he had finished. "A rotation of sorts.

Each of you will have opportunities for manifestation beyond combat situations. Opportunities to observe, to learn, to contribute in ways we have not previously explored."

"Really?" White asked, his tail beginning to wag despite his efforts to maintain dignity. "You mean we'll get to come out just to... be with you?"

"Within reason," Sukuna qualified, though his tone remained unexpectedly indulgent. "There are practical limitations to consider. But yes, I see now that I have underutilized your potential. A mistake I intend to correct."

The shikigami exchanged glances of cautious optimism, hardly daring to believe this unexpected turn of events.

"Beginning tomorrow," Sukuna continued, "I will implement this new approach. White and Black will accompany me to my meeting with the imperial advisors. Your ability to detect deception will be valuable."

The Divine Dogs straightened, their posture radiating pride.

"Nue will join me in the imperial technology center. Great Serpent will observe the diplomatic corps. The rest of you will have your assignments in due course."

He turned to Mahoraga, who had remained silent throughout these pronouncements. "And you, Divine General, will continue your current duties. But perhaps with less exclusivity."

Mahoraga's wheel spun once in acknowledgment. "As you wish, Master."

Sukuna surveyed his assembled shikigami, noting the transformed atmosphere. Where earlier there had been resentment and discontent, now there was anticipation, purpose.

It was, he reflected, not unlike the change he himself had experienced in this new life - this evolution from isolation to connection.

"I have existed for centuries," he told them, his voice carrying an unusual note of reflection. "First as the King of Curses, then as a fragmented consciousness, having had my memories convoluted, now finally in this integrated form.

Throughout both incarnations, you have been constants - extensions of my will, manifestations of my power. Yet I have never truly acknowledged what you are beyond those functions."

He paused, seeming to search for words - another uncharacteristic display from the usually articulate being.

"In this new world, with these new challenges, perhaps it is time for all of us to evolve. To become more than what we were created to be."

The cherry blossoms swirled around them, responding to the shift in Sukuna's emotional state.

For a moment, the domain seemed to pulse with possibilities, with potential futures branching out in directions none of them had previously considered.

"Now," Sukuna said, his tone returning to something closer to his usual authority, though tempered with a new awareness, "I believe you all have preparations to make. Tomorrow begins a new chapter in our long association."

The shikigami bowed in unison - a gesture of respect, but also of genuine appreciation. As Sukuna's form began to dissolve back into cherry blossoms, returning his consciousness to the physical world, White couldn't resist one final question.

"Master," he called, "does this mean I can come out during poker games too?"

Sukuna paused, his form already half-transparent. For a moment, White feared he had overstepped.

Then, to everyone's amazement, the King of Curses laughed - a sound so unexpected that several of the shikigami physically startled.

"We'll see, White," he replied, amusement still coloring his voice. "We'll see."

As his presence faded completely, the domain seemed lighter somehow, more vibrant. The cherry blossoms fell more gently, the light shone more warmly, and the air itself seemed to hum with a new energy.

"Well," Great Serpent said into the stunned silence that followed, "that was... not what I expected."

"Did the Master just... laugh?" Mourn Tiger asked, sounding bewildered.

"And make a joke?" Nue added, equally confused.

"RIBBIT," Toad confirmed, sounding as shocked as the rest.

They all turned to Mahoraga, who had remained silent throughout the exchange. The Divine General's wheel was spinning at a steady, contented pace.

"You knew," White accused, though without real anger. "You knew he would respond this way."

"I suspected," Mahoraga corrected. "As I said, the Master has changed. More than any of you realize."

"For the better, it seems," Round Deer observed quietly.

"Indeed," Mahoraga agreed, his wheel spinning in what might have been satisfaction. "For all of us."

As the shikigami dispersed to prepare for their new responsibilities, a sense of anticipation replaced their earlier discontent.

The domain itself seemed to respond, the eternal cherry blossoms blooming more vibrantly, the paths between buildings growing clearer, the boundaries between their individual spaces becoming less distinct.

Change had come to the realm of the Ten Shadows - change that reflected the evolution of their Master.

And for beings created to serve, to fight, to die if necessary, this new purpose - this chance to be more than weapons - was perhaps the greatest gift they could have received.

Even if they still had to share him with Mahoraga.

------------------------

(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked this chapter! 

See, as I eluded to in previous chapters, Sukuna in his 2nd life when he was Sukuna wasn't exactly as canon.

He was a lot like canon, but his interest in Jujutsu was even more than canon's so, he did have some interactions with the Shadows beyond fighting before the whole battle with Gojo that was supposed to happen.

That and the time skip between the preperations for Nolan fight, the time after getting with Eve till the merger, etc.

Hope you liked this extra depth to the characters and the shadows.

So yeah, do tell me how you found it and I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)