Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s not normal for sorcerers to acquire additional cursed techniques after they have already manifested one from when they were younger. Usually, their abilities are innate, and most likely related to the lineage into which they were born; while some have otherwise different techniques from what their families are known for.

Take the three most prestigious clans in the whole jujutsu world, for instance: the Zen’in clan which were granted the ten shadows technique; the Kamo clan and their blood manipulation technique; and the Gojo clan with, probably the most complex ability to exist, the six eyes and limitless. There have been other esteemed families who are able to pass down their own respective techniques, but they are quite rare.

Utahime Iori, on the other hand, had zero connection with these so-called "great" families. But she was bestowed a gift—or a curse—that would either make her one of the greatest weapons that could rival the six eyes and the limitless of the Gojo clan, or pose as one of the greatest threats to society. 

She was just a shrine maiden who had no outstanding cursed power of her own. Then she became a normal semi-grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer whose original cursed technique allows her to control the mood and emotions of everything around her through her voice. She could also feel these emotions naturally without using as much cursed energy to tire her out.  

Her technique was not deadly or very useful in combats but it can make the greatest difference if the right timing was achieved. The only downside to her power is that it uses a lot of time in preparation. That was why she was, until now, only a semi-grade 1 sorcerer and not above. And as much as she wanted it, her chance for another promotion had gone down the drain.  

She was a normal jujutsu sorcerer not until one tragic mission made her one of the most dangerous persons to ever exist. One fateful encounter with a special grade had earned her another lethal technique that was considered as  forbidden  from times past. Her potential became immeasurable, and her power unknown. For some reason, instead of trying to understand and learn more about her potential, the ones above them decided that she should no longer be allowed to roam the earth-- and immediately ordered for her to be killed.

That being the case, with Utahime's hands being restrained at the back of a chair, she's suddenly on the verge of getting executed at the hands of the strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive.

Gojo Satoru -- The man who was ordered to end her life, but did absolutely quite the opposite.

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“What? ”Utahime’s brows creased in disbelief. He was incredulous, to say the least. What he proposed was so absurd to the point that she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. 

“Let’s get married.” Gojo repeated his words from earlier. 

Utahime tried to read his emotions to know if he was just kidding, but unfortunately, she felt nothing coming from him. Gojo was always an expert at concealing his emotions in her presence. They have known each other for over a decade, so she was not at all surprised to know that he had learned to block them from her throughout those years. After all, it had already been such a long time. 

What actually surprised her the most was the fact that he could utter those words without a hint of emotion flowing from him. It felt as if he was only obligated to say those words like he was following an order, and somehow it made her wonder what else he was hiding from her. Or if there really was a catch. 

Of course there is. He probably won’t make such a ridiculous suggestion without a hidden agenda in store. 

“We don’t know what you’re still capable of. Either you will be an asset or a burden in the future. The former will let you live, but the latter is immediate death.” He pressed his lips together at his last statement. 

See? 

He’s right, though. Even Utahime herself had no idea to what extent the power she was vested with would bring about: was it a blessing or a destruction? She was scared to think about the possibilities. 

The first time she realized she had this ability, she was not sure if it was real or if it was just her imagination. They were on a mission to exorcise a special grade, and she was together with a few fellow sorcerers when something unexpected, one that was not in the information they were given, happened. 

It became a bloody fight when some of her colleagues wound up lifeless or severely injured. Seeing her comrades in such a state woke up something within her at that moment. Utahime had gathered all of her remaining strength and faced off with the cursed spirit alone. Even though she knew that she did not have the ability to do it, she still tried. In the end, she was not able to finish it off. 

Utahime had been so worn out that she thought of giving up. With these thoughts in her fragile mind, she readied herself as the cursed spirit she was fighting with launched its final attack, but something unimaginable transpired that made Utahime somehow survive the fight. Little did she know that her survival would turn the peaceful life she once had into chaos. 

She shook her head, trying to get those memories out of her mind. Thinking about it made her blood boil with rage because she knew that it was not just a coincidence that she was given such a task. She thought about it for days, and when she had mustered the nerve to ask the people she was with on that mission, the pieces finally came together. And she was not at all impressed. 

Utahime had likewise made an effort to understand more about what took place and asked one person who she thought might be able to help her, but it turned out that he  was on the opposite side, hence this execution.

She had imagined some other sorcerer carrying out her death sentence, but to her utmost surprise, this man in front of her appeared. If she were being honest, she’d say that she was somehow relieved that it was Gojo Satoru who’d bring about her end. She guessed that familiarity with him played a big role in that. And as difficult as it is to say, she trusted him. She trusted him enough to feel comforted by the fact that she would die in his hands. As twisted as it sounds,. 

But then the same man who she thought would end her life stunned her with something entirely different.  She was as shocked as when she first found out about what she was capable of when Gojo Satoru asked for her hand in marriage. What could be more preposterous than that? 

Utahime was brought back to the present when Gojo continued to speak. 

"TThe old hags want you dead, but I personally think we can still use you, or rather, use your newfound powers, for whatever purpose they may serve in the future.” Gojo folded his arms over the back of the chair he was sitting on backwards and smirked at her. “And if you agree to marry me, not only will your execution be suspended for the mean time, but you’ll also be under the protection of the strongest sorcerer alive. Me.” 

She bit her lower lip, and anxiety rushed through her system, making her heart beat unsteadily. 

Gojo sighed and spoke in a soft voice, which was unusual coming from him. “The higher-ups are scared of you and of what you can do; that’s why they wanted your death.” 

Utahime tilted her head with narrowed eyes. She understood as much. But what she couldn’t comprehend was why he was willing to take such a risk. 

“Why?” 

Gojo raised his brows. “Why what? ” 

“Why are you doing this? ” 

He paused, like he was thinking about how to answer her question.

“This is not a negotiation.” He settled for this explanation. “If you want to live, accept my offer.” 

He leaned back, his face serious again, and stretched his long arms all the way while his fingers gripped the chair tightly, turning his knuckles white. 

Utahime stared at the ceiling, and it just dawned on her where they were. The execution room under the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College was still as creepy and confined as before. There were neither windows nor doors, but only hundreds, if not thousands, of talismans plastered all around to seal the room and trap them from the outside. Across from where she was restrained was Gojo Satoru, his hair as white as sheets and his blindfold covering his eyes. The same eyes she could feel were pinning her on the spot. 

She took a deep breath and pondered for a while. A million thoughts raced through her mind, but not a single one she could grasp. If she were to agree with him, she'd probably live for a few years, at most. If not, she’ll die immediately. What’s the difference, though? If she chooses to live, she’ll be at the mercy of those who want to kill her. She could not fathom how to live day by day while always watching her back. It would feel like a living hell—always on guard from the possibility of getting killed at any moment. Moreover, she didn't want to burden anyone anymore. Especially him.

She made her decision. 

“Fine. Just kill me now.” 

Gojo’s jaw clenched. The tension on his neck was visible—cords standing out from his smooth skin. For a moment right there, Utahime could feel a slip of the emotions that he had been hiding since earlier. She almost gasped at what she felt—it was pain and frustration and something else she could not decipher. The intensity of those made her instantly close to the connection that she had with him. It shook her to the core, her hair standing on the back of her neck, and her heart raced as if she had just run a thousand miles. 

She stared at him, and she could see that he was trying to control his emotions. Utahime understood his frustration; of course, she wouldn't just let him do what he wanted that easily. She'd rather die than marry him. It was a bit excessive, but she thought it was the better choice—to leave him out of this situation. But the pain and the others that she sensed in him didn't make sense. 

He took a deep breath. 

She wanted to ask what that was all about, but before she could even open her mouth, he spoke. 

“It’s not up to you to decide.” He closed himself off once again, and there was no more emotion in the way he said those words. 

She was not used to this side of him, the overly serious type. She prefers it more when he’s being playful—teasing her, making fun of her, even pissing her off. Right now, he is neither of those. And she didn’t know how to deal with it. 

“You just said...” 

“I told you this is not a negotiation. I already made the deal with the higher-ups.” 

Gojo stood and went to where she sat. He hovered over her and leaned down until they were eye level, while keeping both of his hands inside his pockets. 

Utahime leaned back a little and locked her whole body. Being this close to him, she could smell his musky scent, which was mixed with a little bit of sweat. 

She caught her breath when Gojo moved his head a little bit closer. She moved her head back at the same time, in an attempt to give them more space. 

“Congratulations, Utahime.” He grinned at her. “You’re going to be a Gojo.” 

Chapter Text

The moment they stepped out of the room, Gojo and Utahime were greeted by not one but five of the higher-ups who stood in a line in front of them, with ten or more of their assistants trailing behind. Each of them sported the same clothing: a light-colored nagajuban over a dark-colored shirt, a dark hakama, a light-colored tabi, and a zori, while their subordinates wore white long-sleeved shirts and dark trousers to match their dark shoes. 

Gojo halted in his steps, forcing Utahime to do the same as the two of them stood side by side and watched, unmoving, as the higher ups regarded them with scrutiny. 

Utahime had met one of the elders at one time, but never the five of them altogether. And especially not out in the open. Moreover, it’s not really that hard to decipher that they prefer to stay out in their secluded location in the farthest wing of the college, considering everyone’s bewildered expression when even just a single one of them is seen on the outside. Confusion was etched in her features as she tried, with extra effort, to find out how literally all of them decided to come together now. 

This smells like trouble.

They stood in front of them, blocking their way in the middle of the hall with their hands hanging on their sides and intense looks that could send any normal person running for their lives. The five of them were giving off murderous intent, and it reminded Utahime of a predator ready to attack its prey, immobilizing it first with a look that could kill and leaving no room for escape before eventually dealing the final blow.

Utahime's whole body froze as five sets of eyes darted back and forth between her and Gojo Satoru, who remained unmoving at her side. Her hands suddenly felt clammy, and sweat started to drip down the sides of her forehead. All she wanted to do at that moment was run away as far from them as possible. 

She gulped, trying to steady the erratic beat of her heart, which had stemmed from the intimidating stares directed at her. Considering that it was these people who had ordered for her to be killed and that it was also the same people who had commanded her to hunt down that special-grade cursed spirit, effectively resulting in her current state, she had every right to be terrified.

Relief rushed through her body when Gojo suddenly stepped in front of her, as if shielding her from the wrath they exuded. She could feel the tension coming from him as he stared unflinchingly back at their superiors. She saw how he fisted his hands at his side before he relaxed the same and put his right hand in his pocket.

Seeing his reaction made her extend her own hand, which Gojo had unbound earlier with just a flick of his finger, and attempt to reach out. She paused when she realized what she was about to do and retracted her arm instantly. 

That was close.

Cautiously wiping them dry on her hakama, Utahime clasped her hands at her back while she tried to assess the situation. It was clear to whoever was witnessing that the higher ups were enraged, seeing as how all of them were clenching their teeth so hard in the same way while glaring at them both. 

Utahime was a little bit confused about their uncharacteristic rage, as if the two of them had done something atrocious. If it’s about her execution, didn’t Gojo tell her earlier that they had already made a deal for her release and that the matter was already resolved?

Something's not adding up.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Gojo’s stupid white hair that was swaying even in the lightest breeze. 

Did he?

“Explain.” She whipped her head a little bit too fast—the veins on her neck clicked at the motion—and her eyes landed on Sakaguchi, the higher up who stood in the middle of the fray. The authority in his voice was loud and clear as his gaze stopped on Gojo, who regarded them with a domineering presence. 

He was the one she was used to seeing every time she got an order. She remembered the elderly man with a bald head and his huge, thick, dark eyebrows. 

“Yow! ”Gojo answered with a smile, playfully greeting them. 

The urge to roll her eyes was so tempting that she had a hard time stopping herself from doing so. If the situation was not as intense as it was, she probably would’ve done it the moment those words came out of his mouth, probably coupling it with a kick or two on his shin. He’s not even affected by the atmosphere that their superiors were emitting, not even in the slightest bit. He might not be able to feel such emotions as clearly as her, but the looks that they were giving off were too obvious to misunderstand even to the naked eye. There was no need for superpowers to guess how furious they were at the moment.

He’s Gojo Satoru, of course he wouldn’t feel intimidated by anything. 

She dared a glance at his face, and the look that she saw was so cold that it literally sent shivers down her spine. He had his blindfold on, but even then, she knew that it was what he was delivering.

As much as Utahime would like to control the emotions running high in the hallway, she is so worn out. The least she could do was forcefully close all of her senses so she wouldn’t feel anything. And she did just that with so much effort. She’d probably be doing it again any time soon.

Gojo continued to battle the five of them with his own glare as he waited for them to say anything.

Sakaguchi’s eyes then came to rest at Utahime’s. If looks could kill, she thought that she would probably be dead by now. Seeing it as a sign for her to say something, she opened her mouth. 

Before she could even utter a single word, Gojo interrupted her.

“I’m thrilled that you all came to escort us out, but as you can see, we can handle it on our own. You can all move along. Nothing’s going to happen, I swear it.” His voice sounded nothing like thrilled, and the promise he made felt so wrong. In fact, it actually seemed as if he was challenging them.

The confidence of this guy to threaten even those higher than them in rank sometimes scared her. But right now, she was more than glad of his actions since they helped calm down the agitation she’s feeling, even just a little bit. And if she’s being honest, she felt somewhat protected by his presence. She wouldn’t admit it, though. But like she had acknowledged earlier, she trusted him. So much so that it comforted her to know that he was supposed to be her executor. The thought of her future—their future—and the possible consequences of their actions made her anxious, but she'll deal with it later. For now, she had to focus on the more pressing matters in front of them. 

Utahime opened her mouth once more but was again interrupted, this time by the person on the left of Sakaguchi, who spoke with thick venom in his voice, “Why is that thing still alive? ”

Utahime couldn’t control her gasp, and she immediately clamped her mouth shut. 

Gojo quickly turned his gaze to her with pursed lips before moving a little bit more to her front and blocking her view all the way.

Did he just call me a thing?

“I don’t see any thing.” Gojo replied with the same tone as him. 

The older man took a step toward them. “Don’t get cocky. Just because you were deemed the strongest doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adhere to the rules.”

Gojo snorted. “What rules? The one where you ordered to kill an innocent?”

“Innocent? She’s not—”

Gojo moved closer and cut him off. “She’s not what? ”

The older man didn’t even flinch at his approach and instead regarded him with authority. “She’s an abomination. She must be killed in this instance. The longer that she’s alive, the fight for our survival will not come to an end.”

Utahime did not understand what he meant. 

What the hell is he talking about? 

"No, can’t do.” Gojo straightened up and walked backwards until he was standing by her side. Utahime moved, afraid of touching his skin and of things she didn’t know she could be doing to him. “I’m not gonna go kill anybody, especially not my future wife.”

The five of them narrowed their eyes at the same time upon his declaration.

“What do you mean?”

Gojo grinned. “Exactly what I said.”

“What are you planning to do, Gojo Satoru? ”

Gojo jutted his chin out and appraised them with a look that definitely said, Try me. “I’m marrying her. And you can’t do anything about it.” Gojo’s demeanor changed from serious to threatening in an instant. “Don’t get in my way if you don’t want to make an enemy out of my clan.”

There was a long pause before Sakaguchi spoke. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Gojo just raised his brows.

“We don’t want to fight you. You’re too valuable in this society.” 

“Or maybe you’re just afraid.”

Gojo’s words held no restraint.

The older man moved his gaze to Utahime for a moment before returning it back to Gojo. “Protect her while you can. The moment you let her out of your sight, I can’t promise what’s not gonna happen.”

Gojo replied with a steady voice. “I know how you work and I won’t let you.” 

Then he looked at her and grinned. “I know you know it already, but don’t worry. Because I’m the strongest.”

“Gojo! ”Utahime tugged at the hem of Gojo’s uniform to stop him from moving, careful not to touch his bare skin underneath. They started walking down the hallway after the elders had left them with a not-so-subtle warning about watching their backs or something along those lines.

Utahime groaned inwardly. 

Their confrontation had left her with a lot of questions that gave her headaches from overthinking. Why were they so adamant about killing her when they knew nothing about what she could do? Granted, that person whom she trusted and consulted the moment she found out about her newfound abilities had perhaps reported all the information she had told him to them—that two-faced scoundrel—but she didn’t even explain in full details what exactly happened when she encountered the special grade cursed spirit. So why did these higher-ups act like they knew everything? Things don’t add up. And she’s most certainly sure that a lot of them know something. 

And then there’s also the issue of this man-child making decisions for her. He treated her like a child that still needs to be guided, as if she doesn’t know how to act on her own. They needed to settle some things first. 

I’ll deal with the others later. 

“What?” Gojo raised his brows and looked down at the hand that gripped his shirt. Utahime removed it quickly and stepped back. “Don’t thank me. It was nothing.” He waved his hand in the air. 

Utahime wanted to strangle the life out of him. He looked unbothered by everything that had happened in the last hour. Did he even know what he was into? Sure, of course he probably did. But she wanted to understand why he chose to. He didn’t even give her a proper explanation of why he’s suddenly so invested in her situation. For all she knew, he’d probably demand things she couldn’t give. But he’s not that low of a person, right? He told her before that she might be an asset. Just how did he think he could utilize her powers for the benefit of society?

“What the hell was that about? You told me that it was a done deal already! ” She chided.

“I did. And you just witnessed it perfected,” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Utahime felt a migraine creeping in her head. “You—”

Gojo turned to her. “Did you see the look on their faces? Shitty old men. They think they could just order me around.”

“That’s not the point,” Utahime started.

“Then what? You'd choose to dispose of your life that easily without even understanding what’s happening to you? Come on, Utahime-senpai." She glared at him. "Don't you realize that maybe there’s still a way out of this? ”

Utahime hadn’t thought of that. She was so focused on not hurting anybody that she never contemplated the possibility of returning to her normal self.

“Now you get what I mean?” He raked his hand through his hair and sighed. 

“Utahime,” he started in a soft voice. “I already lost a lot. And maybe I just want to help a friend, or I don’t want to lose anybody else. Or probably both. I don’t know.”

Utahime stared at him unblinkingly. She didn’t know how to deal with this side of him. It was the second time this day that she saw him out of character. Gone were the playful and happy-go-lucky idiots who constantly made fun of her, and now appeared the sentimental one who opened up a part of his heart to her, and she didn’t know what to do. It was a rarity to see him break his walls down, even just a little, so she had to choose her words and actions carefully. 

Utahime might be thinking too much, but she owes him her life, even though he forced it on her, and she’s thankful for that. The least she could do was to make him feel a bit better.

A moment passed as she decided between comforting him or lightening up his mood. It might be awkward if she suddenly comforted him with words of wisdom, so she chose to do the latter. And she had the perfect skill to do just that.

She took a deep breath, gathered every strength she had left, and started humming a soothing tune. She closed her eyes and focused on the last bit of her energy as she continued to flow it towards her voice. The effect was instant. She could feel him lightening up, and all the negative feelings around him dissipated as she finished her song.

When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her with a look of adoration in his bright blue eyes. He had taken his blindfold off, which was now resting around his neck, and she could see her reflection behind his eyes. 

Utahime suddenly felt uncomfortable and cleared her throat. 

“Um.”

Gojo beamed at her. “Woah Utahime. That was wow.”

She felt her body relax as he returned to his normal annoying self. “Don’t think I’d do it again.”

“Ah, Utahime. We’re gonna be husband and wife soon, and I probably will have a lot of those times again.

She raised her middle finger. 

“That’s mean, Utahime.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Well, I guess I should thank you so,” He looked at her with soft eyes. “Thank you.”

Utahime did not react.

“But back to what I was saying before – I meant every word I've said.” 

She remembered him saying that there might be a possibility of reversing her situation. She agreed to everything he had said. But –

“What if I went out of control?”

Gojo moved his body closer to her, and she took a step back.

“Exactly why I’m here.”

Utahime was silent once again. She didn’t want to burden anybody with this, but she knew that whatever she’s going to say at this point wouldn’t come across his hard-headed self. She knew better than to argue with him, but she also wanted to see to what extent he’s willing to go with this.

She’s tired of getting into it with him and just sighed, admitting defeat.

What Gojo wants, Gojo gets, huh? 

“Fine.” She accepted. The world be damned. “But promise me one thing.”

He beamed at her. “It depends on what you’re asking, of course.”

She rolled her eyes at him. Finally. She had wanted to do that earlier. 

She heard him chuckle.

She took a deep breath and stared at his unmasked eyes. “Promise me that if it comes to a point where the choice is between killing me or getting everybody else killed, you’d do the former. Swear it.”

After their talk with the higher ups and with each other, Gojo led her to the medical facility where Shoko was dissecting a dead body. Utahime crunched her nose at the sight.

Gojo unceremoniously went to Shoko’s side and leaned down on the table where the corpse was lying. “How’s it going? ”

Shoko ignored him and looked between the two of them. “So I guess it went well?” She removed her gloves and washed her hands on the sink before taking a pack of cigarettes and lighting one.

“Shoko.” Utahime narrowed her eyes at her friend as Shoko placed the white stick in her mouth. She itched to get it out of her hand, like she usually does, but refrained herself from doing so. She’s afraid of touching her bare skin, and the thought of what’s going to happen next, especially to her friend, will be her death. Not physically, but if the image that was painted in her mind comes to reality, it will truly drain her life force all at once. 

She’s her best friend. The person she confided in to everything that’s happening to her. The person who gave her advice but didn’t take it well herself. Utahime decided that she’s going to protect her from danger, even if that danger is herself. 

Shoko took a long hit before facing her. “Sorry ‘Hime. Can’t help it.”

Utahime sighed. She walked towards a chair far away from them and sat down. She had always reprimanded her friend for doing it, but the result was always the same. The other girl still continued to do so, and she won’t stop until what’s stressing her has passed. She had learned about this habit of hers from years of being friends.

“Did you know about what that dumbass did?” Utahime knew she was under pressure, and she didn’t want to push it, so instead, she asked the brown-haired woman who’s now crossing her ankles on top of her table. 

“Not really.” She pointed at Gojo, who was busy examining the body she had left on the table. It was a male corpse, naked all throughout. His skin was so pale and slightly bluish from being dead for a long time. Utahime avoided his gaze and looked at Shoko after she spoke. “He told me he’d get you out of there, but nothing more.”

“So he didn’t tell you that he planned to get us married? ”

Shoko stopped midway from taking a hit and raised her brows at Gojo.

“What? ”He looked up at her from his position on the ground.

Shoko just smirked back at his annoyed face. “Nothing. And no,” she returned her gaze to Utahime. “He absolutely left that part out.”

She glared at Gojo, who was now crouching at the foot of the table and looking intently at the feet of his body.

Utahime felt somewhat guilty about not going to Shoko the moment that she realized what was happening. She could probably help calm her nerves and make her think positively. Because right now, all she wanted to do was erase her existence in this world. Now that she thought about it, the higher-ups were probably correct. She was an abomination. She should not have survived. Maybe then she wouldn’t be a bother to all these people who care for her. She was very conflicted. Her mind’s a mess, and she didn’t know what to do. Perhaps she’ll just back out of their agreement and ask Gojo to kill her? Maybe then her internal turmoil will end. 

Shoko noticed her conflict. She always knew when she was having a mental breakdown. “I know what’s going on in your mind, and no, you're not a burden. I’m saying this as your best friend and your colleague. We go through this together; we help each other, so don’t go around thinking you don’t matter. Right, Satoru?”

Gojo grunted in response, his focus was still directed at the corpse in front of him. It was probably her imagination, but she thought she saw his jaw clench at Shoko’s question. 

Moisture seeped from the unshed tears in her eyes, and she cleared her throat. Shoko always knew what to say for her peace of mind. She couldn’t be more thankful to her best friend for slapping some sense into her. She was still a bit skeptical, but Shoko’s reassurance threw a lot of her worries away. She needed to trust them both if she still wanted to live. And that’s what she’s going to do. 

“So what’s the plan? ”Shoko started rummaging through the paperwork on her table. 

Gojo suddenly stood up. He walked to where Utahime sat and reached for her hand. 

She immediately put it on her back and moved far away from him. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? ”She raised her voice at him. “Do you want to die?! ”

Gojo ignored her and approached her slowly. Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned down. “Trust me? ”

“No.”

“Come on, now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a low voice.

Gojo’s features softened. “Look, if that’s what you’re afraid of, don’t bother.”

He held out his palm and motioned for her to do the same. Utahime was not convinced, she still wouldn’t touch him.

“Come on, come on, come on, Utahime.”

Utahime was still apprehensive, but before she could even walk away, he took her hand on his own.

Both Utahime and Shoko, who was silently watching them, gasped.

“Do you really have a death wish?! ”Utahime tried to free her hand from his grasp but stopped when he grinned.

“See? Nothing happened.” Gojo threaded their fingers and waved them back and forth between their bodies.

Utahime stood motionless. “Huh? ”

Gojo raised his other hand. Why he didn’t just let go of the other was beyond her knowledge.

“Touch it.”

Curious and a bit disoriented from everything that’s happening, Utahime mindlessly complied. Her eyes widened. “Oh.” She felt him touching her bare skin, but in actual reality, they were not. His infinity put up a space so small that it looked like they were touching skin to skin.

“I told you so.”

Utahime remained silent. She never thought she’d be able to touch anybody after all. She relaxed and folded her fingers in the spaces between his. 

She felt Gojo freeze but didn’t think too much about it.

Utahime was still in awe as she turned their hands over, trying to look at it from a different angle. “Wow. I thought I would never touch anybody anymore.” She could feel her tears trying to break free from her eyes once again, and she sniffed. Looking at their clasped hands, she couldn’t help but think how perfectly they fit. And that’s when she realized that she was now holding both of his hands. She immediately retracted hers and stepped back.

“Anyway. I’m glad it worked.” She cleared her throat and looked away. Her cheeks burned, and suddenly she felt hot. 

What am I doing? That was so out of line. This guy would certainly never let me see the end of the day with this again. This is going to be the perfect blackmail. 

But, to her surprise, Gojo remained quiet.

“Ehem.” They looked towards Shoko, who had witnessed everything. Utahime’s cheeks turned to flames. She was so embarrassed; she never wanted to hide so badly in her whole life. But he started it right? 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She shouldn’t be feeling this flustered by just holding his hands. And she had done that a lot in the past with other guys, so why did this make her feel unsettled? Was it because this guy had just casually touched her when she had already accepted the fact that she could not do it anymore? Yeah, maybe.

Gojo put his hands in his pocket and leaned on the table once again. “The plan.”

Together, the three of them discussed possible options and formulated plans for their next steps. Utahime had suggested that they find and kill the special grade cursed spirit that she had fought, maybe doing so will remove whatever it was that she acquired. But Gojo told her that it’s not as simple as that. 

What she had was not a curse. It's something different and complex that his six-eyes couldn’t even comprehend. She was honestly terrified to hear him say that. But he rectified it immediately by stating that he probably needed some time to understand the unnatural flow of cursed power inside her body. She doubted it.

After a few more detailed discussions, they eventually decided not to tell anybody, unless it was deemed necessary, just to prevent the higher ups from getting wind of their plans and sabotage them before they could even start. In the end, they agreed to just observe Utahime in the meantime.

Utahime became silent at one point when Shoko suggested they look into her ancestry. She thought of the days when she was younger and remembered the faces of her family. She missed them. But it's inevitable, considering they were all dead. Pain latched to her heart, and she pushed them away, focusing on the matter at hand. 

Shoko interrupted her thoughts by asking Gojo why he had resorted to the marriage thing. He could have just used his head of the Gojo clan card or simply stated that he’d prevent them from killing her, and they’d probably get it. So why the marriage? Utahime also wanted to hear his answer.

“Well, it’s better that she’s under my protection in that way. I wouldn’t be able to do as much if they knew she didn’t have the Gojo name in hers. And the higher ups will likely lay low now that they know she’s part of my clan. They won’t engage in a war they cannot win.”

“What about them, then? Your clan? They probably wouldn’t accept it easily.”

Gojo shrugged. “I’m the head, what can they do about it? ”

Utahime kicked his shin. She wanted to rejoice when she finally did it. It lessened her frustration for the time being. Maybe she’d do this from time to time, you know, just to de-stress. She shook her head at her thoughts.

“Ow.” Gojo massaged the place she kicked and stood up. “So that’s basically it. We’ll contact you if we find anything.” 

Shoko merely nodded her head.

Then Gojo motioned for Utahime. “Let’s go home.”

Utahime looked at him in surprise.

“You’re my fiancée now. And I shouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

Shoko snorted.

Gojo grinned. “Now let’s prepare for the wedding.”

Chapter Text

Gojo drove them back to the Gojo Estate, located in a secluded area deep in the mountains. They were going down farther away from the city, and she could no longer see the road under the night sky. In the 11 years that they have known each other, never once did Utahime set foot in his home and meet the rest of his clan. This will be the first time, and she was tensed. She kept fidgeting and sighing every once in a while, which made Gojo ask what was wrong.

The news of her newfound abilities had surely spread throughout Jujutsu society like wildfire, and they were probably thinking that she shouldn’t be allowed to live. Uneasiness pooled in her stomach at the thought of meeting his family and being reminded all over again that her existence isn’t welcomed in this world.

Could this day end already?

She looked outside the tinted window of his car, but all she could see was the darkness. Her eyes adjusted to her reflection, and she saw how exhausted she looked. There’s a hollowness in her features that made her think of the corpse in Shoko’s clinic earlier.

She exhaled loudly. She saw Gojo’s own reflection turned to her through the window, brows raised in question, but did not say anything.

Utahime was suddenly reminded of his sister, who was 5 years his junior, when she visited the college during a goodwill event a few years ago. She was the only other member of the Gojo clan she had the chance to meet in her entire life. She thought of how pretty she looked: the same white hair, tall, and the same blue eyes, though not exactly like his bright ones. Hers was much darker in shade. But it was still one of the prettiest sets of eyes nonetheless.

There’s probably not a single member of his clan who isn’t good looking, is there?

Utahime paused and rolled her eyes at the thought. There’s no denying it anymore. She’s finally admitting to herself that she found him handsome. Obviously. But she will never say it to his face since it would only give him one more reason to take advantage of it. Besides, she didn’t want to stroke his ego more than necessary by letting him hear her say it out loud. He wouldn’t be able to shut up for days about how she had finally admitted that he’s good-looking, so it’s better to keep her thoughts to herself this time. His cockiness knows no bounds, and she would like to refrain from hearing it.

The ride to his house was uneventful, and Gojo let her collect her thoughts as they traveled down the road. He was being considerate to her, and she was surprised at the realization. He had been silent the whole ride, and he’d only speak when she asked. His action warmed her heart, and Utahime gratefully took that as an opportunity to let her mind wander to the events that led to this day.

The few days before her supposed execution were torturous and left her drained. She hadn’t spoken to a single soul during that time, afraid she might hurt anyone in the process. Then, once her curiosity got the best of her, she decided to talk to him.

She had trusted him enough to narrate the events that had taken place when she fought that special grade. She told him bits and pieces about the excursion, refraining from disclosing the full details because she was not yet sure of it herself.

She started telling him about the call she got, ordering her to accompany some jujutsu sorcerers on a mission. Confused about the strange call—she had never received a last-minute mission before—Utahime didn’t think too much about it and prepared herself for battle. As always, she will only be a support, amplifying the strengths of her comrades by infusing an atmosphere best suited for their victory. Usually, she would just calm the nerves of her fellow sorcerers, like some kind of healing, and that’s what she expected to do. She never thought they’d encounter a special grade cursed spirit with no special grade sorcerer in their fray.

When she got into the area, there were five other sorcerers whom she had never met. That was strange, she thought. But she was told that they were under the orders of Sakaguchi, so she didn’t question it any further.

Then she continued on how they were all nearly wiped out, with three of them fatally injured and two dead. She had already called for backup, but she needed to at least try and fight one last time. And then, when the last blow was to be dealt, something changed. All of a sudden, cursed power endlessly flowed through her body, and she could feel her strength increasing.

She was alarmed at first, thinking she couldn’t take any more, but that was not the case. Her body took it as if she had been waiting for that power all along. She felt strange, but she was surprised at how she had welcomed it with relief.

The special grader she was fighting then suddenly stopped and disappeared into the darkness. But before it went out of sight, it said something that made her cold all over. She never told anyone what it was about. She was terrified of somebody knowing what it said.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the car stopped.

“We’re here.” Gojo said, opening the door to his car. Utahime did the same, nervousness etched in her features as her eyes roamed over the expanse of the Gojo estate. They were standing in front of an enormous steel gate so high that people will never have a chance to see what’s beyond.

The gate opened, and they were greeted by three men wearing a white kimono under a navy blue hakama tied at the waist and falling to their ankles. They bowed down as the two of them entered. The gate was immediately locked behind them, closing it to the outside world.

Now that she thought about it, the Gojo clan was actually a very secretive family. Except, of course, for this dumbass she was with. They had done jobs in the past using only the manpower that they had. They had never been the ones to rely on other sorcerers, like the college, for instance, for help. Gojo Satoru was an exception to that because, once he had graduated from the college, he decided to defy the orders of his clan and became the head teacher of the Tokyo Metropolitan Technical College. But they could never exile him due to his influence and power, so they let him do what he wanted as long as he didn’t forget his duty to his clan. He still became the head of it eventually. Utahime had no idea if that’s what he wanted to do. Maybe she'll ask him in the future.

“Welcome home, Master.” The one in the middle spoke. He was tall, albeit bowing, and had shoulder length black hair that was parted in the middle.

Master?

Utahime looked over to Gojo, who seemed annoyed. “I told you to stop calling me that, Hiro.”

The man he called Hiro looked up and smirked at him. Utahime had a good look on his face then. He looked friendly enough, she thought. He had such a charming smile, and his eyes were like those of a tiger, which hide when he smiles. “I was ordered to call you Master, Master.”

Gojo approached him and lightly smacked his chest with his fist. “Since when did you follow an order? ” Gojo snorted.

It was clear to Utahime that the two of them were close. She wondered about their relationship, but she stayed silent. She didn’t want to impose. After all, she was just an intruder to his family.

Hiro’s eye landed on her, and he smiled wider, making his eyes disappear altogether. “And who is this beautiful lady over here? Don’t tell me you knocked someone up, Sato.”

Utahime blushed and looked down.

Why are all Gojo men so shameless?

Gojo walked back to her side and put his arms around her shoulder. She pushed it away on instinct, and she heard chuckles coming from Hiro. Her cheeks burned some more, but she stayed on her feet.

“Come on now, Hiro.” Utahime’s breath caught when Gojo suddenly threaded his fingers with hers and squeezed them tightly. “This is Utahime. My wife-to-be.”

Hiro looked confused. “Utahime? The Iori girl? ”

“The one and only.”

Hiro was silent for a while. “Ah, now I remember. Wasn’t she the girl you used to –”

“Satoru.” Four sets of eyes immediately traveled to a middle-aged woman wearing a red-colored kimono with intricately designed flowers all over her robe walking towards them. She had the same white hair as Gojo, but hers was tied in a bun behind her head, clipped with a silver ornament to keep it in place. The woman stopped a few meters away and looked straight at Gojo, who slowly turned to her.

Their features were eerily similar. Identical pointed noses, thin pinkish lips, and the way they handled themselves with an air of confidence. Her stare cut through him like a knife, and Utahime suddenly felt chills run down her spine. She had an idea who this woman might be, but she wanted to make sure before she made a move.

Utahime found her answer when Gojo suddenly left her side, engulfed the woman in a big hug, and kissed her forehead. The gesture was so tender it made her heart melt.

“Mama.”

Utahime pursed her lips to keep herself from smiling. He called his mother Mama. That was cute.

Utahime gasped inwardly. His mother. My soon-to-be mother-in-law?!

The woman’s eyes landed on her, and she froze on her spot.

Gojo released his mother and turned to where her stare was directed. He grinned and motioned for Utahime, but she remained where she stood.

“Ah. Mama, this is Utahime Iori, the one I’ve been telling you about. Utahime, meet my beautiful mother, Kaoru.”

“N-nice to meet you, Mrs. Gojo,” she stuttered.

The older lady didn’t speak for a while and continued to stare at her.

Utahime was suddenly very nervous. She gulped while containing her erratic heartbeat. Then Kaoru smiled. It was such a warm smile that made her exhale the last few minutes of her anxiety away.

“You do realize you will be called Mrs. Gojo soon, don’t you?” The woman stepped closer, but far enough not to touch her. “My son had told me about your situation. I would like to hug you, but I guess we can’t do that for now.” Utahime wondered if she’s a goddess. She looked absolutely beautiful. “Welcome to the family, Utahime. I have been waiting for you.”

Utahime and Gojo, with Hiro and the others trailing behind them, followed the older lady inside the vast estate, which made Utahime gasp in appreciation. They had walked over a small bridge going inside the main house, and she saw a small pond underneath, full of Koi swimming mindlessly. And under the moonlight, they looked magical. Her breath caught when she saw the place surrounded by cherry blossom trees in every corner. She had always loved cherry blossoms. It reminded her of spring, of how she used to sweep thousands of fallen flowers on the shrine with her fellow shrine maidens. It reminded her of home. But that was all it was now. A memory she’ll forever treasure in her heart.

She looked around some more and suddenly thought of a younger Gojo climbing those trees. She wondered how he spent his childhood days here. Was he always the troublemaker who liked to sneak food from the kitchen? Or was he the opposite of what he is now? She couldn’t imagine a serious Gojo who followed orders from anyone.

Well. How would I know?

There were a lot of questions she would like to ask of him, and she hoped she would still have the time to do so.

They continued their way until they stopped in front of a wooden door inside the house. Utahime was suddenly anxious, and she felt the tension thicken all around. Gojo was uncharacteristically silent, making her think he probably knew what was going on.

His mother turned around with a serious expression on her face. “They wanted to meet you first.”

Gojo pursed his lips before kissing his mother’s cheek. “Thank you.”

Kaoru looked at Utahime and smiled softly at her. “Don’t worry about it, dear.”

Her endearment made Utahime’s heart melt.

Kaoru turned back to Gojo with a look. “Take care of her.” He simply nodded in response. “I’ll meet you in the drawing room after.” And then she left.

She noticed Hiro and the others fall back a few steps from them, standing guard outside the room.

Gojo took her hand and held it in his before sliding the door open.

Utahime’s heart pounded in her chest as he saw more or less ten older men sitting on the ground as if they had been waiting for them. They were silently watching their approach as Gojo moved towards the vacant seat in the center. Gojo guided her to sit on his right while he took the seat in the middle.

Of course, Gojo would sit there. He was the head. And these men were probably the elders of the Gojo clan.

Another set of old men?

“Satoru.” An older man with bald hair and a super long beard narrowed his eyes at him. “Can you explain why you brought that to our home? ”

Gojo removed his blindfold, letting it dangle around his neck and roam his eyes to them before landing on the one who spoke. “I’m gonna marry her.”

A chorus of disapproval echoed inside the room at his declaration.

“That’s preposterous –”

“Have you lost your mind?!”

“You’re being irrational!”

Gojo held up his hand to silence them. “I don’t need your approval or your blessing. I am merely informing you so you'll know.”

“She’s a disgrace to this society! She must not live!”

Utahime felt so low, being disregarded by these men all over again. She thought she got the worst of it from the higher-ups earlier, but these men were much more brutal. They couldn’t keep their words to themselves.

It runs in the blood, huh?

She was degraded like some sort of vermin who needed to die in order for society to thrive. It still hurts to hear those words. But she had decided to live. She was reminded by the people that mattered to her that she has a place in this world. Maybe she was bestowed with this power for a purpose. She took a deep breath. That’s right. She’d repeat it to herself over and over until she could finally erase her doubts and negativities. I’ll just show them, then.

Before she could say her piece, another butted out. “What about Yuka?”

Yuka?

Gojo sighed. “That was your doing. I never agreed to that. And I never will.”

“You’re already going to be married! And to one who was much more deserving! You don’t need to marry this – this thing just to prove something! ”

Utahime’s heart dropped. So he was already arranged to be married, and he didn’t dare mention it to her? Well, whatever. It’s not like we’ll be doing this for long anyway. He could just divorce her soon and marry whoever this Yuka was.

“Yuka and I decided not to forego the marriage that you set up.” He emphasized the word 'you', like he was saying he never had to do anything with the set up. “Don’t push it anymore.”

Utahime released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Ah.

“And I’m gonna marry Utahime whether you like it or not.”

The crowd fell silent for a while before one of them decided to speak up.

“Give us enough reason to accept this.” Utahime had noted this particular older guy earlier, who kept his mouth shut throughout the whole exchange. He was silently watching the situation unfold, and he had this annoyed look on his eyes whenever the others started running their mouths. He was probably the only one who didn’t agree with them.

“Kotaro-san – “

He held up a hand. “Let him speak.”

“But –”

His eyes dared him. “Need I tell you who has more authority in this table?”

The other elder pursed his lips, but he kept them closed.

Gojo chuckled as he looked at Kotaro with amused eyes. “Don’t bully the weak, Gramps.”

Gramps?! Another one of her in-laws he keeps forgetting to mention?

She glared at him sideways, but his eyes were focused on the older man, who was looking at him pointedly.

“Answer my question, Brat. You may be the head, but I’m still your grandfather.”

Gojo laughed out loud. The tension was still high in the room, despite his effort at humor. But Utahime felt her nervousness decline.

“Well, we don’t yet fully understand how her abilities work. I believe we can use it in our favor once we learn more about it. It will be to our advantage if it comes down to it.” He put his chin on his clasped hands and looked at Utahime. “We already talked about this, and we agreed, right? ”

Utahime nodded once.

“But what if she went out of control? ”

Gojo put his hands down. “I’ll take care of that.”

Utahime interrupted. “I told him he could end my life once it happened.”

Gojo whipped his head at her so fast. “Utahime –”

She continued. “And if people were in danger because of it, I told him to kill me on the spot.”

Gojo glared at her, but she didn’t look at him. She stared straight at his grandfather, who was looking straight at her with no emotion on his face. Sweat formed in her forehead, and her hands started to shake, but she kept going. “And I’ll do what I can to control this power. I don’t want to die. I still value my life, and if I can find a way out of this alive, then I’ll gladly take it.”

There was silence once again. The only sounds she heard were the crickets outside and the heavy breath she was taking.

“Very well,” his grandfather said. “We’ll take your word for it.”

She exhaled and looked at the man who was glowering beside her. “What?"

Gojo was still frowning when he turned towards the men in the room.

“You told me to give you enough reason.” He looked directly at his grandfather. “She told you her piece, even though I don’t agree to everything.” Utahime frowned. They had already talked about this, so what the hell was he saying?

“What are you trying to say, Satoru? ”

“I’ll be marrying her,” he said with conviction.

His grandfather frowned. “Yes, and? ”

Gojo grinned before looking back at her. “I’m marrying her because I’m in love with her.”

Utahime was still speechless at his not-so-subtle confession in front of his elders, especially his grandfather. They went out of the room before a lot of them had a chance to figure out what was going on and continued to the drawing room, where his mother was waiting. She could not force herself to speak. She was overwhelmed by everything, moreso with his sudden declaration. How would she respond to that? She couldn’t think clearly. She was tired, and she just wanted to lay down in a comfortable bed and sleep like there was no tomorrow.

Tomorrow. She’ll have a talk with him tomorrow.

They walked silently together until they arrived just outside the room.

Gojo turned to her. “Utahime.”

Her breath hitches. “Wait. Stop. I can’t answer you right now.”

She saw Gojo pause, and a surprised look was replaced on his face before he laughed. But it did not reach his eyes. He still hadn’t put his blindfold back on yet, so she could see the emotions dancing on them.

Utahime had never wanted to smack anyone more than him at the moment.

“What? ”He was clutching at his stomach. What’s so funny, though? “I only said that to make it more believable. My gramps always liked a good love story, so I gave it to him.”

Utahime’s mood turned sour, and she frowned. “Why didn’t you inform me in advance? We should've done a better act than that.”

Utahime tried to control her emotions. She didn’t understand where her frustration was coming from. She tried really hard not to show it, so she forced herself to glare at him, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“Why would I?" He shrugged. "Besides, your shocked face was more interesting.”

“You—” She sighed. “Fine. Whatever. It’s not as if I believe you anyway.”

“What if I say it’s true?”

Utahime stopped. Her heart skipped a beat. Arrhythmia?

She laughed shakily. “As if.”

Gojo just hummed in response before opening the door.

“Satoru, what kind of confession was that? ”

Utahime looked around the room to find where the voice came from, and her eyes landed on a girl with the same white hair as the rest of the clan and a very beautiful face to match. She remembered her; she was his sister.

Gojo scowled at her. “It was not a confession, dumbass.”

"Yes, it definitely was, loser.” She smirked at him as he scowled some more.

“Stop it, you two,” Kaoru said to them, then handed him a note. “This came in earlier.”

Gojo took the paper out of her hand and read its contents. “A mission on Mt. Yoshino?”

Blood drained from Utahime’s face when she heard the place. She took the paper out of him and read.

“Hey.” Her knees turned weak, and she felt Gojo steadying her. “What’s wrong?”

She looked at him with fear in her eyes. “That’s near my hometown.”

Chapter Text

Utahime slept like a log. She dreamed of nothing but darkness, like the fear within her that she was trying so hard to ignore. She was terrified of what the future would bring, and the thought of what’s to come hunted her. Especially now that she was being targeted because of what she could do.

When she woke up, it was already late in the afternoon, and the sun was almost ready to set. For a moment, Utahime had no idea where she was or how she got here. The ceiling was unfamiliar, and she couldn’t remember painting it white. A blue cut-glass chandelier also hung in the middle of the room, but she could not afford such extravagance, so why was it hanging there?

She turned her head to the side, and her memories immediately started piercing back together. She remembered how she got into Gojo’s home. That's why the room was unfamiliar and felt different. 

Exhaustion flowed throughout her body as her eyes adjusted to the light seeping between the curtains that swayed at the lightest breeze coming from the opened window on one side of the room. 

Her limbs are too languid, and her brain is too tired from thinking of everything that she has been through in the last twenty-four hours. She considered closing her eyes and sleeping for another day or another week, but thought against it.

She took a deep breath and raised her hands, opening and closing them at the same time while she collected her thoughts. In her thirty-one years of existence, the last few days were perhaps the most catastrophic days she had ever experienced. Who would imagine that an ordinary jujutsu sorcerer such as her would be in a position branded as a danger in society, if not the world? Her mind was full of questions that she would like answered.

When she became aware of what was happening to her, she was ready to give up her life. It did not sit well with her knowing she was capable of hurting people, especially her students, whether accidentally or not. She wouldn’t compromise their safety just so she could live. She loved them like her own, and knowing that being around would cause grave danger to their lives was the pivotal point of her decision. 

But by the time she finally accepted her fate, Gojo was already one step quicker and had made his own damn decision without even asking for her consent. Leave it to him to force himself into a matter to which he had no relation. 

Utahime was too disoriented to refuse his offer immediately, giving him enough room to force her into thinking there was a way out. Though deep inside, she couldn’t think of any way to escape. Nonetheless, Gojo was already determined that he had almost made an enemy out of their higher-ups and destroyed his relationship with his clan. But at what cost?

For me?

Utahime lowered her arms. 

He couldn’t possibly be doing this for me, could he?

“I already lost a lot,” he had said. Those words went straight to her heart and shook her core. Feeling how painful it might be for him to lose some of the few people he had allowed in his life made her realize that there were also others who probably treated her the same. She thought of Shoko, her students, and even Gojo himself. That made her think twice as she let his words sink in.

But if I were the greatest danger, who would protect him from myself?

Utahime snapped out of her thoughts when her phone chimed. She picked it up from the nightstand near some piles of clothes and checked. It was already past five in the afternoon, she realized with a jolt.

Satoru: U up yet?

She replied immediately.

Utahime: Yes.

Last night, Gojo led her to his room, which, by the way, was far larger than her own apartment back in Kyoto. The whole place was modern and reeked of elegance. 

He had his own living area, dominated by a light brown, overly long, and large couch in the middle, with a 48-inch television mounted on the wall in front. The lighting was warm, and in front of the couch was an oversized coffee table, on the side were two cushy overstuffed leather recliners; and an abstract painting took up a wall. 

But what drew Utahime were the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sakura trees she saw outside and the moon hiding beneath the clouds in the clear night sky. She was mesmerized, but she was too tired to appreciate the view. 

She didn’t have the energy to fight with him, so she took his offer when he insisted that she sleep on his bed while he took the couch. Her body almost immediately succumbed to exhaustion when she laid down and slept a dreamless sleep for almost half a day.

Picking up the clothes on the nightstand, she saw a note on top of the pile: 

 ‘Good morning. I left you with some of Sayako’s clothes to change. I’ll be in the garden. – S.’

Sayako? Utahime had frowned. Ah. His sister. 

Utahime unfolded the clothes and wondered how she could fit her body into them. 

Sayako was tall—not as tall as her brother—but the difference between her and Utahime was pretty obvious. While Utahime took pride in her physique, which was built and strong and more than enough for her, it was not as supermodel-ish as Sayako. So the only problem right now was whether these clothes would actually fit her.  

I am not in the position to refuse, am I?

Utahime then remembered his mother and the look of acceptance she had given her. It made her heart constrict, knowing that there was a stranger ready to accept her despite everything. She was sweet, and she never made her feel left out. It almost felt like she had known Utahime already, though they had never met before yesterday. She welcomed her with open arms, and her eyes told her that she didn’t care about her status as long as her son was happy. 

Utahime didn’t get the last part. How could Gojo be happy with this? When his life was evidently on the line because of her? 

She took the pile and went to the bathroom.

Refreshed and grateful that she could finally get rid of the itchy clothes she had been wearing, Utahime went to meet Gojo. Amazingly, the clothes from Sayako actually fit her enough. It was a little bit long and tight, but it covered all the parts that needed to be hidden. 

As she walked down the hallway, she realized she had no idea where the garden was. She took so many turns that she had forgotten where she came from before finally arriving at the door to the garden.

Turning on the knob and opening the door wide open, Utahime sucked in her breath at the view in front of her. Hundreds of flowers of different varieties lined up the ground in perfect lines, and they were all in full bloom. On one row were red and white roses co-mixing together, another sprouted dandelion, and she saw a lot of her favorite violets more than the others. 

Utahime marveled at the sight. Now that she had finally rested, she opened up her senses and took everything around. Calmness immediately flowed throughout her body, and she was glad that there were no other people around to ruin it. 

“Did you know you snore when you sleep, Utahime? ”Utahime jumped when Gojo appeared beside her.

He wore his usual uniform, but his mask was off. Bright blue eyes locked with hers as they faced each other. Feeling her cheeks heat up, Utahime avoided her eyes and looked anywhere but at him.

Gojo continued to look at her from head to toe, as if scanning her for injuries of any sort. 

It made Utahime uncomfortable, and she cleared her throat. “I do not snore, dumbass.”

She sneaked a glance at him sideways and found that he had already put on his blindfold.

Utahime was relieved at not looking into his eyes anymore because they seemed to examine deep into her soul, and it made her feel awkward.

Gojo’s lips turned up on one corner, and he guided her to a table on an aisle in the middle of the garden.

She sat in a wooden chair with intricate designs and looked side to side. Utahime exhaled at the breathtaking view in front of her. 

It was hard to look away.

Birds were chirping above the sakura trees, and the light breeze of the wind swayed the flowers all around. She saw butterflies perched on the flowers, trying to get their daily consumption. It was peaceful this way. 

She realized she needed to thank him later. 

Utahime then tried to focus on Gojo, who sat opposite her with his lips pressed together. It was obvious that he'd been thinking about something important. She tried to reach his emotions, but they were closed off.

The man was always on guard about his feelings around her, and she wondered what he was trying to hide. 

She gave up on that and just drowned herself in the serenity that came with the garden. 

“You definitely do. I couldn’t sleep at all, so I just watched you all night, trying to make sense of the words you were saying. I had fun, by the way.”

She shook her head and decided to ignore him. 

She was momentarily surprised when she saw food on the table, and her stomach growled in response.

Gojo snickered, and she threw him a look. 

“You haven’t eaten since yesterday, and I figured you would be hungry.”

Utahime mumbled a thank you before picking up her chopsticks and starting to eat.

She was famished. She nearly went through all the food while Gojo sat back and watched her eat. She didn’t care about what he thought of her at that moment and continued to savor the food. When she finally got her fill, she turned to him and saw amusement on his face.

“What?”She asked.

“You sure you had enough? ”

She glared.

Gojo put his elbows on the table and leaned his chin on his clasped hands.

“About the mission – ” 

She knew what he was going to say.

“I’m coming with you.”

He sighed. “I know.”

She paused with her spoon in her mouth. 

“I don’t expect you to sit back down and wait for anything. You’re safe here even without me, but I know you wanted answers, so let’s take the opportunity to get them together.”

Surprise flickered on her face. She didn’t expect him to be this agreeable, either. She was sure he would definitely try to force her to stay. 

Like threatening to lock her up in a room or tie her up on a chair or something. 

Gojo had time and time again emphasized that he works well alone. It was no secret that he considers others a distraction; that’s why he prefers to take on missions without any company. Utahime had prepared her rebuttal in the bathroom earlier about what she would say to convince him to let her come. But she realized she did not need to do that anymore. 

She blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he was being real or not. 

But then her heart squeezed defiantly at the thought of going home. She hasn’t been able to return there since the incident that left her family dead. Now, she was given the chance to go back again. 

“Thank you.”

Pause.

“I got you.”

It was two days later when Utahime and Gojo finally arrived at Yoshino Station in the Shimo Senbon area, encompassing the lower region of Mt. Yoshino. On the way, they saw rows and rows of cherry blossom trees in full bloom, making the place more attractive every step of the way. A great number of tourists were scattered all around the area, trying to make their way through the town and up to the mountains. 

Utahime was used to seeing a lot of people around here, especially during spring. People usually gather to enjoy the scenery this time of the year because thousands of sakura trees are already in full bloom. It was a very famous place for the locals and especially for tourists. 

Utahime moved closer to Gojo to avoid the children running around. The sight of them reminded Utahime of her younger years, when she and her fellow maidens would walk through the same path towards the shrine while giggling and eating snacks on their way. She breathed deeply when she suddenly felt a pang of pain at the memory of her childhood. 

As they continued on their way, Utahime saw two young children running fast towards them, alerting her to their approach. She immediately jumped behind Gojo, who automatically moved his hand in front of her as if she were the one who needed the protection.

Utahime could feel his warmth seeping from his freshly laundered uniform, and she could smell pines and aftershaves from them as he moved his hand backwards, slightly touching her side.  

"Hey, hey, watch out.” 

A young boy, probably 6 or 7, clutching two candied apples on both of his hands, stopped in front of them and kept looking behind his back towards a girl who looked the same age as him. She was catching her breath as she finally caught up with him, and her face was red with frustration. 

“Ryo! Give me that! ”She shouted at him, her right hand outstretched towards the young boy. 

Ryo stuck out his tongue. “No way.” 

Utahime was mortified when the younger girl suddenly pulled his arm and forcefully took the candied apple from his hand, making the boy stumble and land on his bottom.  

Ryo then dramatically winced as if he were in pain before getting up. 

Gojo chuckled beside her, amused, as the girl looked down at Ryo with a glare.  

“You brat! ” 

The younger boy sniffed before smirking at her. “Why are you so mad, Kana-chan?” 

“Don’t call me that! I’m older than you! ”She scowled. “And call me Senpai! ” 

“Only by a year. And do you even know what senpai means? ”The boy straightened up and noticed Gojo, who was trying hard not to laugh, in front of Utahime, who looked as if she was ready to pull them away from each other. 

“Who are you? ”He asked. 

Gojo looked back at her and whispered. “Don’t they remind you of something? ” 

Utahime glared at him but didn’t say a word. 

Gojo lowered his hand to his side as he regarded the boy, amusement still etched on his stupidly handsome face. Ugh. “Gojo, and this is Utahime.” 

The girl, Kana-chan, looked at them with curiosity. “Are you married? ” 

Utahime blinked rapidly at her question, not knowing how to answer. Unfortunately, Gojo thought he knew the perfect response.  

He grinned, draped his arm around Utahime’s shoulder, and pulled her close. Her brain was telling her to push him away, but her body had a mind of its own. Or maybe she just didn’t want the children to see that they had a bad relationship. Although the latter was probably true, she didn’t move.  

Gojo took a moment to act, probably not expecting her to go along with him this time. When he recovered from his momentary surprise, he squeezed her shoulder lightly and turned to the young girl. “Not yet. But we’re going to be soon.” 

“So you love each other? My mother said that’s how she married my dad,” the boy said. 

Utahime flushed. “Uhm—” 

“You have great parents, then,” Gojo answered for her. 

The boy beamed. “Yes! Do you also share the same bed? My father also kisses my mom every morning and –” 

“Ryo! Stop it.” Kana-chan interrupted him, and Utahime exhaled. She was glad to not have to answer that question. She was flustered for no reason, and she didn’t like it.  

The younger girl turned to them. “I’m sorry. He is so annoying; please forgive him. We’ll be on our way now. Bye!” 

Ryo waved his hand back to them as he was being dragged away. 

“Well.” Gojo started. 

“Shut up.” 

“I haven’t even said anything.” 

“I know what you’re gonna say.” 

Gojo grinned. “Really, now.” 

Utahime rolled her eyes. “Come on.” 

“Do you want morning kisses too, Utahime?” 

She ignored him. 

They continued to trek the slope, going to the upper area of the mountain, where sightings of cursed spirits were spotted. It was a few minutes of walking before they finally arrived at the middle school, where a large concentration of spirits was seen. 

The moment they stepped inside the grounds, the eeriness of the surroundings hit Utahime immediately, and she was grateful that it was already spring break and there were no students around. 

Gojo started chanting, and the screen immediately went down as he spoke the words, hiding them from the outside world. 

Gojo then led her to the field, where the presence of a special grade cursed spirit could be strongly felt.

Utahime trailed behind him, careful of her every move. She still remembered the last time she encountered a special grade, as if it were just a second ago. Her heart started to beat erratically inside her chest, but she ignored it and kept moving on. 

But despite nearing the special grade, Utahime could feel the presence of the other cursed spirits all around, as if they were calling for her. As if they were expecting her arrival. And she felt a sudden pull from them.

Then a voice, as clear as water, spoke to her ear. 

“Come.”

As if in a trance, Utahime followed the voice. Her body turned around and went in the opposite direction, leaving Gojo alone.

Chapter Text

Gojo walked towards the soccer field and immediately saw a great number of lower grade cursed spirits scattered all around. But the special grade from earlier was nowhere to be found. 

He stopped and smirked when they turned to him. Ten or more of them looked so horrendous, with the same unhuman-like features. 

Gojo stepped forward, and he thought for a moment whether or not he should toy with them or immediately eradicate them from the face of the earth. 

Oh well. Let’s get this done. 

In a flash, Gojo disappeared and reappeared in front of the nearest cursed spirit to his left. It stood in the middle of the goalpost with its enormous head hanging low and only one large eye in the middle of its face. Its body was round, with its arms almost touching the ground and its feet short. The grayish color of its skin contrasts with the vibrant green grass and pink sakura trees surrounding the school. 

Gojo took a second to calculate its energy and sensed that it was a second grade. 

Then he moved. 

He acted so fast that the cursed spirit didn’t have the chance to move his unnaturally large head before Gojo exploded it to pieces. It’s blood—green, to be exact—splashed everywhere but him. His infinity had prevented a stain. It was a perk he definitely couldn’t get enough of. 

He moved on to another one and instantly exterminated it in a flash. He guessed he didn’t need to use a lot of his energy today. It was just another easy feat using only his physical prowess. 

Just when he was about to enjoy taking his time, Gojo felt something amiss. Then he realized he hadn’t heard from Utahime for a while now. But he guessed that maybe she decided it was better to just leave him to deal with the lot on his own. 

He gulped. 

He looked around but saw nothing of her. 

Odd. Very odd. 

Uneasiness was slowly creeping into his chest, and something was eating him up on the inside. He didn’t want to think about it, but what if? 

Stop. 

Before he could even drag his gaze around to find her, three first-grade cursed spirits approached him at the same time. 

Like the first ones he encountered, Gojo moved at an inhumanly fast pace and snapped their heads from their bodies. They were down in seconds, bodies evaporating in thin air. 

This time, he took  the chance to look around again, trying to find any sign of Utahime. When he couldn’t see or sense her energy, he felt his stomach drop and decided to finish this once and for all.  

Anxiety was consuming him when she wasn’t in his sight. He needed to make sure she’s okay. After all, he promised to take care of her. And he will do it wholeheartedly without asking for anything in return. 

Just seeing her alive and well was enough.

He lowered his blindfold, held up his hands, and clasped them together. “Reverse Rotation Technique, Red. Forward Rotation Technique, Blue.”

He flicked his right fingers towards the group of cursed spirits. 

“Imaginary Technique, Purple.” 

Utahime kept moving towards the voice calling for her. Her eyes looked far away as she walked towards the gymnasium on the opposite side of the field.  

“Princess...” 

The voice urged her to move faster, and she did. It was almost as if she was doing it voluntarily, like it was the most normal thing to do. In the back of her mind, Utahime felt like she was supposed to do something else entirely, but she couldn’t grasp what it was. She continued to move as the voice became closer and closer until she reached the door. 

The moment she entered the place, all the doors slammed shut with a bang.

Utahime moved until she stood alone in the middle. There was no one around, but she felt a very ominous presence nearby. It was the same feeling that came with the voice that kept calling for her.  

One minute she was alone; the next second, a man appeared behind the door to her right. He was wearing a black overall kimono with his head covered in a black veil, and his hands were folded inside the sleeves of his top. 

“You’re here.” His voice was deep and somewhat familiar. 

Utahime remained silent. Her mind was still empty, and she was waiting to hear from the voice from earlier. But it never came. 

“It won’t speak to you again.”  

In an instant, Utahime snapped out of her daze, and she gasped. 

“Who are you?” Her voice cracked.  

All of a sudden, her consciousness came rushing back to her, and she immediately searched for the presence of the first person she thought of. 

Where is he? Where is Gojo? 

She concentrated on his energy, and she could feel him, but he was far away. He was outside this place, and they were already trapped inside a barrier. 

She tried to ease her agitation and focused on his energy. Surprisingly, it helped calm her nerves. 

The man walked slowly towards her and stopped a few meters away. He was tall—not as tall as Gojo—but he towered over her. 

“I know what you can do.” 

She was standing still, but the moment she heard his words, she immediately stiffened.  

This man was probably one of the assassins ordered to kill her. She was sure she knew what was going to happen next. First, they lured her away from Gojo, and once they were separated, she guessed they would immediately end her. 

Those old geezers. 

“Why would I believe you? ”Her voice steadied, and she felt a surge of confidence flow through her. 

“Because I’ve been watching you. I know who you were born from and what you were born with.” 

Utahime did a double take.  What is he talking about? Isn’t he here to kill me? 

“That still doesn’t explain anything.” 

The man took a step towards her and held out his right hand. Just then, a black orb appeared on top of his palm. It grew larger and larger until a body formed. It was a cursed spirit. 

Utahime sucked in her breath. Her heart was anxiously beating inside her chest at the sight. 

“You --” 

“I can only collect them.” 

He closed his hand, but the cursed spirit remained neutral at his side. Standing as if it were waiting for his command. 

“But not you.” 

Her blood turned to ice. 

The first time she found out about what she could do, one person immediately came to mind. She knew what he  could do, but she couldn’t ask him anymore. 

They all thought he  was dead. 

Is he --? 

“I don’t know what you mean.” 

Then the man opened up his veil, revealing the face Utahime never thought she would see again. 

She sucked in her breath. 

“I thought you were dead,” she said in a whisper, staggered. 

“Hello, Utahime.” 

He tilted his head to the side. 

“How? Why? ” 

“Why what? ” 

“Why are you alive? ” 

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took the cover from his head and let it dangle on his fingertips. 

“It’s not the right time for that now, is it? ” 

He slumped to the ground, his legs crossed underneath him. 

“You know what I can do. And I know what you can do.” 

Utahime didn’t respond. 

“I only manipulate these shits and use them freely at my disposal whenever I want. But you,” he stared at her. “You can  create them at will.” 

She gasped. 

“What are you talking about? ”Her hands were trembling. “I don’t –“ 

“Don’t lie to me.” 

Utahime’s mind involuntarily flashed back to that day, when she was all set and ready for her life to end.  

The surge of energy she felt. The appearance of cursed spirits. The words that the special grader spoke to her. 

Deep inside, she knew. She knew to herself that the cursed spirits didn’t just poof out of nowhere when she fought that special grade. She had made them. 

“Did you ever realize what more you could do? What can your dreaded touch do? ” 

Her breath was knocked out of her chest at the reminder once again. 

“What do you mean? ” 

“Why do you think your cursed technique allows you to calm a whole room down with your voice? Why do you think you could feel emotions ? It’s because you were drawn to cursed energies.” 

He waited for her reaction. But he didn’t get any, so he continued. “And your touch. You can drain a person’s life force with just your touch.” 

“You probably heard it from somewhere. The news was all over society now.” 

He chuckled. He CHUCKLED. She might just strangle him. 

“And?” 

Then the realization made her eyes widen. 

“Do you get it now? Those old men didn’t just want you dead for that reason alone. They were afraid of your ability. They knew, and they kept it from you. They used that one mishap from before against you to order you down. If you didn’t manage to touch that man and drain him, they wouldn’t have known. The world wouldn’t condemn you.” 

It all made sense. But the longer Utahime talks to this man, the longer she is drawn to panic.  

But the question was: how? How was she able to do it? If he was telling the truth, then was it enough to say that she had really made a bad decision to live? 

No. You're not just doing this for yourself.  

The ground shook. 

The man clicked his tongue. “We don’t have enough time. Come with me before he gets here.” 

All Utahime could do was stare. Her mind  

“Let's make a deal.” He said.  

Utahime looked down on him.  

“I’ll tell you everything I know about your powers, and you’ll help me in return.” 

The ground shook once more, and she could feel Gojo nearing the building.  

“ Utahime! Are you in there?! Answer me! ” 

“Time’s up, Utahime.” 

Then the man stood up and opened his arms wide, and ten, twenty, or more cursed spirits appeared out of nowhere before he himself disappeared out of sight, leaving her alone with a multitude of cursed spirits inside. 

Utahime’s eyes widen, and she can feel her restraint breaking. She could feel a hundred voices in her ears seeking her, calling for her, asking her for something, for nothing, and for everything at the same time. 

Then all hell broke loose. 

Utahime screamed, and she floated high up in the air. The pressure inside her multiplied, and she couldn’t control herself anymore. The moment she opened her mouth, a great number of cursed spirits appeared. She could feel the negative energies from a lot of people flowing through her. She could not stop. It was as if she were being controlled once again.  

Then, all of a sudden, the barrier was gone, and she slowly regained control of herself. Her eyes widened at the number of cursed spirits around; there were probably hundreds of them. But they didn’t make a move toward her. Instead, their attention was focused on the man flying above the now destroyed roof of the gym. 

Gojo Satoru looked furious. He had his blindfold down and around his neck while his sharp blue eyes threw daggers at the scene below him. 

His eyes scanned the crowd, and when they landed on her, she felt his immediate relief. 

“Utahime.” 

She jumped when he stopped in front of her. The hair on his head was white, like snow, and his eyes were like a flame of fire—all knowing and nothing hidden from his sight. 

He looked at her from her dark, messy hair down to the pair of brown boots on her feet. He was obviously searching for any sort of injury to her. When he couldn’t find anything, he bore his eyes on hers. 

The look he directed at her screamed alarm and anxiety, and she was shocked at their intensity. 

“Utahime.” He breathed her name like a prayer. The relief in his voice was evident, but the uneasiness in his eyes remained visible. 

“Are you okay? ” 

They were surrounded by a large number of cursed spirits waiting to pounce on him, but his focus remained on her. 

Utahime blinked her eyes rapidly, not knowing what to do or what to say. In the end, she just nodded her head. 

Gojo exhaled loudly, and he looked around. 

“You’ve got some explaining to do, senpai.” 

Then he went to work. 

He was done in a few a few minutes. Utahime never had the opportunity to help him exterminate the hundreds of cursed spirits inside the gym. 

Now, they were outside the school, she sat at a bench somewhere down the road while he leaned on the post of the shed. He had already called someone to fetch them, and they decided to wait outside. The school was a mess, and it may need a lot of work done to repair the damage caused. 

“A barrier kept a high concentration of cursed energies inside,” he started to explain. “Another one kept me from entering. I guess that whoever lured you inside knew that we’re together.” 

Utahime didn’t know where to start. Or if she should tell him about the person she met inside. 

“Were you alone in there? ” 

Utahime whipped her head so fast she could feel her joints clacking. “O-of course. W-what made you say that? ” 

He looked at her closely.  

Utahime felt uncomfortable under his stare. But she had to come clean to him. He deserved to know everything. 

Aside from that man, Utahime didn’t have the strength to tell him about her conversation with him. 

Not now. 

“You hid your presence from me,” he said. 

Utahime looked down and fiddled with her hakama. She didn’t remember hiding it from him. 

“I was under a compulsion, I guess.” 

Utahime peeked at him, and his hands were fisted on his sides. 

She gulped before continuing. 

“I – I can create cursed spirits.” 

The moment those words left her mouth, she realized the truth of them. Saying it out loud made it real. It’s almost comical how she kept denying it before, and now that it’s out of the bag, she can’t keep it in anymore. 

Gojo stared at her. 

“I create them from the cursed energies I sense all around.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t know until today.” 

Gojo remained silent. 

“You already know I can change the mood around me with my technique. But I didn’t know that I was actually collecting the cursed energies and keeping them in storage somewhere within me. Maybe I was awakened during that fight; I don’t know, but that was the first time I created one at will. A cursed spirit, I mean.” 

Her focus remained on the ground. “I- I thought I was just calling them, compelling them to come to me. Manipulating them like Suguru—“ She stopped and looked at him. 

Gojo stiffened at the mention of his former best friend’s name, yet he remained still. 

“—manipulating them like him and nothing more. I definitely didn’t imagine creating them. I thought that the higher-ups wanted me dead for the sole reason that I could drain a person's energy. Like what happened with Hiroshi-san." 

She grimaced at the memory. She remembered the black-haired man she was with during their mission. 

“I thought that was it. Because the moment I touched his skin, his energy was depleted, and I almost killed him. Now I don’t know! ” 

How the fuck did the old men know about the cursed spirits she made when she didn’t even know it herself? 

She put her head in her hands. “I told you I’m dangerous! You should’ve just let them kill me when you had the chance! ” 

A shadow cast when Gojo stood directly in front. 

“I told you. I don’t want that to happen. And Hiroshi’s recovering. Shoko made sure of that.” 

“You know the extent of what I can do now, and you’re still saying that?! What if I went out of control?! What if I hurt more people like what I did to Hiroshi-san? And if I can really create cursed spirits on my own, then it's true what they said, right? I am an abomination! I am a danger to the society we were trying so hard to protect!" 

Her emotions were all over the place, and she went back to square one. She wanted an easy way out, like she did before. It was messing with her mind. All the information she got-- 

“Utahime.” 

"What is the purpose of being a jujutsu sorcerer? Isn't it to get rid of the world of cursed spirits? What does that make me then? If I can create them at will?" 

“Utahime, look at me.” 

She didn’t. 

“If you don’t, I’ll kiss you.” 

She suddenly looked up. 

“You can’t kiss me.” 

“Want to try? ” 

“You’ll die.” 

“I won’t. You won’t.” 

She blinks her eyes at him. 

Gojo smirked. “See, that wasn’t so bad, right? ” 

Utahime’s eyes suddenly burned with tears. “How can you still look at me? ” 

Gojo squatted and leveled his eyes on her. He had his blindfold on, but it felt like she was looking straight into his eyes. 

“Because.” 

“Because what? ” 

“It’s not the right time for that now, is it? ” 

Her eyes went wide because she had heard the exact same statement earlier. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? ” 

“N-nothing.” 

She had no idea why she couldn’t just tell him about her interaction with that man. But she didn’t. 

“Utahime. We’ve already talked about this. I’ll protect you. I’ll do everything in my power to help you get out of this situation. Alive. You can’t tell me otherwise.” 

She clenched her teeth so hard that it hurt. 

“Utahime, you won't get rid of me that easily.” 

Then a car stopped in front of them. 

“Sensei!” 

Chapter Text

The ride back was pretty uneventful. For the first few minutes, only silence could be heard inside the car, except for the constant roar of the engine and the honk of the cars out on the road.

It turns out the ride Gojo mentioned a while ago consists of his most energetic and pink-haired pupil and the weary Ijichi. 

“Sensei! I have a question.” Yuji broke the silence surrounding the car. He was seated on the passenger seat beside Ijichi, who was focused on driving, though the latter seemed nervous as he kept glancing at them through the rearview mirror. 

She didn’t blame him for that. But she felt somehow guilty for making him feel that way.

Gojo leaned his head back on the headrest and folded his arms and legs, “shoot.”

“Are you really gonna marry Iori-sensei?” 

Utahime, whose mind kept wandering back to her conversation with that man earlier, was suddenly pulled back to the present. She kinda forgot they still had that arrangement. After all that’s been happening, she hasn’t had time to think about her wedding with Gojo. 

Shit.  

She looked to her right and noticed that Gojo was already turned to her, a smile plastered on his devilishly handsome face. As much as she wanted to wipe that smirk off, she was glad of the distraction. It kept her mind from overanalyzing everything. That felt natural, since normalcy in her life was currently far-fetched, and having him act and treat her just the same felt like too much of a blessing to be taken for granted. 

She sounded desperate, but considering her current state of mind, every distraction was very much welcomed. 

A weak move, she knew. She was weak. Gojo would probably rejoice when he heard her admit it. She wanted to laugh about how true he was. To have been easily swayed after already voicing out  her conviction was a weakness. Her wavering resolve was an indication that it was true. 

But... The more that she tries to reassure herself that everything’s gonna be alright, the more pressure builds. And she knew that it would eventually break. She will break. And nobody deserved to witness her lose control.

Uneasiness was consuming her in her entirety, with the very knowledge of the doubt she was feeling within herself. The people around her do not deserve this kind of mentality after everything that they've sacrificed. But for how long? How much longer will they keep exerting effort just to keep her safe? 

Nobody had really paid her any attention before. Except if you count the number of times Gojo has pestered her in the last decade or so. But aside from that, She was only an ordinary jujutsu teacher, instilling values and knowledge in her students. She was only a semi-grade 1 sorcerer who was always at the back of the group on a mission. Well, the bottom line is that she was nobody important.

“Yes.” 

She blinked.

Gojo’s focus was still on hers, and she took a minute to recall what was going on. 

And she blushed furiously. 

Now was not the time to get flustered when all that was asked was pretty much common knowledge already. She already agreed to it, and it shouldn’t make her feel shy. 

Yes, Gojo had acted on his own and never asked for her approval when he decided to go with his plans, but she didn’t actually reject it. She went along despite her restlessness during the whole ordeal. 

And now it had certainly slipped out of her mind. 

She cursed silently. 

“What?”

“Yuuji was asking if we’re really gonna get married and I said yes.” He said it as a matter of fact, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“For real? I never imagined you to be the marrying type of guy, sensei. Iori-sensei must be pretty special.” Yuuji ranted on, completely oblivious to the discomfort that Utahime felt.

She moved her gaze away from Gojo and looked outside the window, but she could still feel the heat of his stare on the back of her head.

It made her feel self-conscious because, at that very moment, the tips of her ears were turning beet red, and they were on full display for him to see. 

She cleared her throat and adjusted herself to the seat. 

She waited for him to deny Yuuji’s allegation, only to receive complete silence. 

Gojo never corrected his student, and her heart started to beat like crazy. 

“Sensei, I’m gonna go ahead to Fushiguro and Kugisaki. They wanted to eat ramen, and I wanted to eat ramen so we’re gonna go eat ramen.” 

Utahime’s stomach growled unexpectedly. 

“Don’t.” She said to Gojo who looked ready to retort something unintelligible.

“What? I haven’t even said anything.” 

She huffed. “Fine. Let’s eat. I’m hungry as well.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that. But it saves me from all the trouble if you don't agree.” 

And then he went on. “You always go ‘eat by yourself!’ and sometimes it’s ‘surely you know how to eat alone?’”

She glared at him. 

But was she always giving off that vibe? To her defense, it was all because he was annoyingly persistent. Who wouldn’t, if he kept pestering her day in and day out?

Their age difference didn’t matter to him at all. He treated her as if they were of the same age, and her constant reminder was left unheard. Back in high school, Utahime would always voice her displeasure at him every time he called her by her first name. But as the years went by, she learned to accept the fact that he would never let it go.

Thinking about their younger days threw a jolt of nostalgia into her, and she remembered how Gojo would always come and save her. Now that she thought about it, he probably put a tracker on her somewhere because he had always known where she was. Especially when she’s out on a mission, he will always appear out of nowhere with his ego soaring high and showing off every single time. At least, that’s what it looked like to her.

But where was he the last time she fought that special grade?

She remembered the very first mission she had with Mei Mei, just right after she graduated. The two of them were stuck inside the barrier of the cursed spirit for days, although it felt like only half an hour had passed. Gojo was the first to arrive at the scene, completely annihilating the cursed spirit and resulting in the wreckage of the mansion she was at. Geto and Shoko simultaneously arrived after him. 

They thought it was strange that they hadn't returned from their mission, even though she was with Mei, and Mei was an exceptional first grade sorcerer. Utahime learned from Shoko later on that it was Gojo who persistently asked permission from Yaga-sensei so they could come and “rescue” her, as he liked to point out.

But the event that kept replaying in her mind about him was the time when she got the scar on her face from a mission that had almost gone wrong. Gojo also took the liberty to be present for that. She remembered how he went batshit crazy seeing her bloody and injured, and in a flash, he wiped out the influx of curses she was having a hard time exorcising.

In that instance, she realized how strong he really was. The title of strongest was not given to him merely because of his innate abilities. He had also earned it. 

The days that followed returned to normal. Except for the fact that she now has a wide scar across her face. But Utahime never minded it, she thought of her scar as a badge of honor. Regardless, it was a natural occurrence for jujutsu sorcerers to have scars here and there, considering their line of work.

But a lot of people seemed to mind. Especially if it was on the face of a girl. Whispers here and there were silently thrown in her direction when she walked down the road, most especially from prestigious people who treat physical appearances as if it’s the only thing in this world worth noting about.

That’s why, when she met Gojo, she was quite ready to give him a piece of her mind because she thought that, for sure, he would definitely say something about it. 

So when they stood in front of each other, with him smirking at her, and she glaring at him, she surprisingly never felt the need to cover up her scar.

“You aren’t going to say something?” She had said.

“What do you want me to say?” He asked in return.

“I know you have something to say about this.” She pointed to her scar.

His lips turned. “You really think I’m that low, Utahime?”

She felt the hurt coming from him.

“What about it? Scar or not, you’re still you. That never changed, did it?”

She was not able to say anything about that.

He truly hadn’t noticed the difference because he never really thought about the scars in the first place. They had never been a thing to him. 

“It amazes me,” he commented. “That the scars are what you notice first.”

“Because the scars are what everyone seems to see first when they look upon me,” Utahime stated. 

“I don’t think that’s the first thing, Utahime. Not before,” he said, brushing a clump of her hair over her shoulder. “And definitely not now.”

Definitely not now.

It left her breathless.

Her prejudice against him probably stemmed from the people around her. She forgot that he was different. And she felt bad for thinking about him that way.

She felt awkward and guilty the whole day. And she never apologized.

She sighed in the present. 

“You know,” she started.

Gojo stopped unbuckling his seatbelt and turned to her. Ijichi and Yuuji were already out of the car and were now walking towards the restaurant where Fushiguro and Kugisaki told them to meet.

“I never apologized to you that day.”

Gojo stared at her, urging her to continue. He probably didn’t know what she was talking about.

“About my scar.”

She fiddled with her hands. She didn’t know how to proceed with this. It feels rather awkward to bring this up out of nowhere. She must be out of her mind. Why she decided to do this was beyond her comprehension.

“I… I apologize for thinking that way. You know… that.”

Gojo kept unmoving, and she grew restless.

“Come on, say something.” She put her face in her hands.

“Utahime.”

She stopped breathing.

His voice sounded close. When she looked up, he had himself move forward, and their faces were only inches away from each other.

“Took you so long.” He smiled.

“G-get away from me.” She extended her hand, intending to push him away. But he didn’t budge an inch. In fact, the more pressure she put on, the more evident it was that his body was really composed of hard rock muscles. 

Her hand laid in the middle of his chest, and she had this tiny bit of urge to explore its wide expanse just to feel every inch of his hard muscles.

Utahime retracted her hand immediately, as if she were burned at the touch, but Gojo reached out and held it with his own.

Utahime was quite sure she was as red as a tomato, and she wanted to chastise herself at that very moment for thinking about feeling him.

Stop it!

He chuckled. 

“I’ve already forgiven you. I don’t know what made you do this and I sure as hell didn’t expect something like this.”

“O-okay. L-let go of me.” Utahime stuttered. And her thoughts went back to his chest --

Utahime was not prepared when he suddenly pulled her close and pressed his lips on top of her head.

She gasped at the contact. He really had no sense of impending danger. 

“Hmm.”

Then he let her go before opening the door.

“Let’s go feed your hungry self, senpai .”

“Why?” Nobara asked. They were waiting for their food when Nobara suddenly asked the same question Yuuji had in the car. It felt as if they had planned on this.

Megumi, on the other hand, looked uninterested, but his ears perked up at the mention of Gojo’s upcoming marriage to Utahime.

Gojo beamed. “It’s because Utahime loves me!”

Utahime choked on her water. “Gojo! I did not say that!”

“You definitely said it that night.” He had his blindfold on and was comfortably lounging beside her, but the amusement in his features was pretty obvious. He was enjoying this.

Utahime raised her brows. “Your words, not mine.”

“No need to hide it, Hime. You’re in love with me.”

“Or maybe it was you.”

Gojo burst out laughing. “See? You couldn’t even deny it. Just admit it already. Don’t worry, we’re not gonna tell anybody. Pinky promise.” He held out his pinky finger.

She ignored it. “Oh am I now? How about you admit it in front of the kids then? After all, you already admitted it in front of your clan.”

She heard a collective gasp.

“Nah, Utahime, you like me. Just say it already.”

“Ha! As if!”

Gojo looked taken aback. “Let’s make a deal. Whoever admits to the other first, loses.”

“I’m not playing your stupid game.”

“So you ready to admit it then?”

Utahime looked ready to murder him. “Fine!”

Gojo smirked. “Fine?”

“Prepare to lose, loser.”

A few days later, Utahime went missing.

Chapter Text

“This is not the time for jokes, Sayako.” Gojo’s deep voice resonated within the walls of their estate while his posture turned rigid at his sister’s words. 

“Do you really think I’d do that in times like this? ”Sayako hissed at her older brother and immediately snapped her mouth shut when he threw a glare in her direction that would most likely make her run away if they were a tad bit younger. But it’s different now. 

Somehow, Gojo still managed to control the millions of emotions rushing through his body, despite the panic that was consuming his entire being.  

He was a hundred percent sure his sister was just pulling a prank on him. Because there’s just no way Utahime will leave. No fucking way. 

He walked past her and strode to his room with large, thundering steps. He could hear her following him from behind, trying to catch up and stop him from what he would do. 

"Satoru-onii---” 

Gojo reached his room in no time and opened the door with such force that it shook the walls beside it. 

He scanned the room, his gaze moving hurriedly to the bed where Utahime had laid down the night before. His Utahime. 

He clenched his teeth when he saw that the bed was made: the pillows were perfectly put up, and the sheets covered the expanse of the bed. But she was still not in sight. 

Heart pounding, he walked towards the bathroom on the opposite side of the room and noticed that it was still the same: her toiletries on one end and his on the other. 

The sight sent a jolt of pangs into his chest. These past few weeks, Gojo has gotten used to Utahime taking up space in his life. She was consuming every piece of himself, even the ones he was afraid of showing to anyone. 

Solitude has been his company ever since he could remember. That solitude invited doubt and eventually distrust. But that changed over the years.

A few people were able to get him out of his misery, but not as much as Utahime, who took up a lot of space in him: mind, body, and soul.

“Onii-san –” Sayako, a little breathless, started again. 

“Where is she?” 

He turned around to his sister and saw her bite her lower lip. A million thoughts were rushing through his head about the possibilities. 

Gojo remembered the words he said to her the night before.

“I’m not gonna ask you to say the same. But always remember what I said.” He kissed the top of her head as he engulfed her in the cocoon of his arms. “I...”

He didn’t want to admit it.

But reality is set in front of him, giving him no room to think otherwise.

She was gone.

Then he looked over to the nightstand where she used to put some of her things, there was nothing left but two things: her ring—the one he gave her—and a piece of paper with his name written in her elegant handwriting.

With unbelievable control, he opened the note with steady hands.

“Gojo, despite everything, I can’t bear the thought of this ring being lost forever, anymore than I can bear the thought of leaving… you forever. And though I have no choice about the one, at least I can choose about the other.”

Gojo grounded his teeth so hard, the veins on his temples popped. 

“I lied to you last night. I said I don’t want anything to do with you. But I want everything with you. And that’s why I have to slip from you like a coward. Because if I had to tell you this to yourself, I couldn’t make myself go.

I don’t blame you if you hate me, I wish you would. But as long as I can still dream, I will dream of you.”

Gojo felt like a part of him had turned to ashes, with her words burning the life out of him slowly.

How could she think he could hate her? Was his speech last night not enough to remind her of how much he--

Gojo slumped to the ground. 

“Fuck!”

A few weeks before 

“So sensei, when’s the wedding? ” Nobara blurted out all of a sudden, almost making Utahime choke on her drink. 

Gojo looked at her questioningly, his mask stretching upwards as his brows rose in question. She knew what was running through his mind, and if he said something about how flustered she looked at this moment, she couldn’t promise what she wouldn’t do.

She looked back at him pointedly, daring him to speak, but Gojo only chuckled, so she decided to let it go for now, feeling more flustered at his reaction, like he couldn’t help but be amused at everything she does than anything else.

Utahime thought the interrogation about their wedding was finally over, but she should have known better. 

God, these kids.

She cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak, but Gojo spoke ahead of her.

“Hmm. I was thinking maybe in three weeks.” 

“What?!” Utahime nearly spat the water; she was taking a sip once again. 

“What? You don’t want to?” There was a slight edge to his voice. 

“N-no. Not that. I was just... You know what? Nevermind. Do what you want. We can do it tomorrow if you like,” she said with a defeated sigh. 

Gojo turned his full body towards her, his left hand draped on the back of the couch as they sat side by side while his right arm was settling on the table in front of her. Their position made him cage her with his body. 

“Don’t tell me,” He suddenly picked up a piece of her hair and twirled it between his finger tips. “That you can’t wait to marry me, Utahime?” 

Utahime’s mouth opened and closed. She couldn’t believe the train of thought of this guy. How can he deduce every single thing and make them all about him? 

“I can’t believe you.” Utahime scoffed at him. Taking the most exaggerated breath.

Gojo leaned forward, his face so close to hers that she automatically leaned back until her head bumped against the wall behind her.

“Ouch.” She winced.

Gojo paused for a while.

“Just admit it, Utahime.”

“What?” 

The pain had subsided to a dull ache now, and she lowered her hand.

“Admit that you’re in love with me.”

She burst out laughing.

Gojo was momentarily stunned. She wondered if he was still breathing by the look of surprise on his features. Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she knew they were wide open. How? She didn’t know.

It took him a moment to respond, grinning widely at her and leaning his head on his left palm, just his elbow resting at the back of his couch as he regarded her with amusement.

There he goes again.

She stopped laughing, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. She had no idea why she did that. But it covered the mess of emotions that were currently running amok in her system.

“One day, Utahime. You’re gonna admit it.”

“Why Gojo, you’ll be the one admitting it first.”

The moment they stepped out of the restaurant, Utahime’s knees went weak, and she lost her balance. Her face was almost planted on the ground, if not for two strong arms wrapping around her midsection. Strong, muscular arms covered in a dark purple uniform were pulling her back until she could smell the masculine scent that came with it. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Gojo asked, his voice oh so near her ears that it made her shiver. He kept steadying her as she tried to regain her balance, her arms never leaving her, making her heart beat unsteadily inside her chest.

“I - I’m fine. Just a little lightheaded.”

It took a moment for him to slowly loosen his grip around her waist. But he remained close, silently guarding her in case she fell again.

“We should postpone our visit to the shrine. You need some rest.”

Utahime couldn’t bring herself to look back because he was close. So close that she felt his heat at her back.

“N-no. I need to go.”

“We can always return. You need to rest.”

“I’m fine.”

“No.”

“Gojo -”

“No.”

“I can still--”

“I said no. You almost collapsed, Utahime. Your face looks like a corpse, and your eyes look drained. You need to rest. And I’m not accepting no for an answer.”

“... fine.” Always so bossy.  

“You look like a married couple already. Are you sure you didn’t get married behind our backs?”Nobara said. “Are you alright Iori-sensei?”

“I - I’m fine.” Utahime stuttered.

Like teacher, like student, huh.

“I have always thought they were married though. I mean, who wouldn’t?” Yuuji said.

“Nah. Gojo-sensei’s too dumb to ask her out.” Megumi added.

“Hey, hey. Slandering your precious sensei in front of him now, Megumi-chan? That’s not good.” Gojo said.

Megumi just shrugged as if he were saying how obvious it was.

Utahime didn’t let her thoughts wander around it. She didn’t need the confusion right now. 

She took a step and immediately felt the world spinning and jerk when she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” She shrieked at Gojo, who had his arms under her knees and her head as he carried her effortlessly. 

“You couldn’t even stand up. Don’t worry, Utahime. You’re not that heavy. Besides, I’m strong enough to carry you.” He smirked down at her, and, oh God, did she want to wipe it off of his handsome face.

“People are looking.” Her eyes drifted to the number of people looking in their direction as Gojo mindlessly sauntered over to the car with no care in the world. At least, that’s what it looked like to her.

“Let them look. I don’t mind.” He shrugged as he continued to walk.

“I do! Put me down!”

A few more steps before Gojo did as she asked. Begged, more like it. 

“You dumbass. Why won’t you ever listen to what I say?” She glared at him. Embarrassment still clouded in her features at being carried like a princess. 

“Well, Utahime. I never listen to anyone.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Unless you beg nicely, then I will.”

Heat flooded her cheeks, and she turned around to open the car. But not without hearing his hearty laughter as he opened the door to the passenger seat.

“Wait, where are the kids?”

“I asked them to do something. They won’t be back till later.”

“Oh. Are they gonna be fine?”

Gojo stared at her for a while. “Yeah, they will.”

“Good.”

Pause.

“You’re good with kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, since I am a teacher .” She emphasized the last word.

“Guess there won’t be a problem once we have ours.”

“What?”

“Our kids, Utahime. Don’t you want some too?”

“Huh?”

It’s been a while, but Utahime hasn’t been hearing the voice that spoke to her earlier.  She should be glad about it, but somewhere deep inside her, she wanted to listen—to know more about the connection that tied her to these creatures. And also to that man. He knew something, probably had some part in whatever happened to her as well. 

She still couldn't believe that, after all these years, he was still alive. If Gojo knew about it, she couldn't imagine what he’d do. 

Utahime was itching to tell him everything, but knowing him, he’d rush forward without second thoughts. She wouldn’t dare make him experience it all over again. Not now, not ever. She owed him that much. But she knew she couldn’t keep it for long. 

“We’re here.” He interrupted her thoughts.

They arrived at his house a little after six in the evening, and they were greeted by his mom and sister. Utahime knew they were waiting for an update, but she was glad they let her rest first, so she did. 

That night, she dreamed about her childhood days. The place was just the same as she remembered before everything went wrong. Rows of sakura trees surrounded the place, and Utahime and her friends were sweeping the leaves that fell to the ground. It was a sunny day, and the birds were chirping melodiously in the background as they were doing their chores.

Utahime was tasked with cleaning near the rows of trees in the farthest part of the place when she felt an ominous presence watching her. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up as she looked around, trying to find the source. 

Then a voice whispered in her ears. “Come.”

Before Utahime could move, the chief priest was already pulling her away.

Utahime woke up suddenly, her heart rapidly beating in her chest. But she couldn’t remember her dream.

The next day turned out to be quite a normal day. Gojo told her about the preparations that his mother and his sister were planning for their wedding, and she was a bit surprised by their enthusiasm about it, even though it was not real—just a farce to keep away those who mean harm to her.

“What?” She replied to him. She couldn’t believe they could be dismissive of the risk involved or the fact that they thought she’d be okay with this. “Were they serious?”

“Well, that’s what they said. And I don’t mind it actually.”

“No, no, no.”

“They already made reservations and such. I didn’t even know they had already done this much.” He chuckled.

“It’s not even real!”

Gojo paused. 

“I, uh, just a simple wedding is fine, is what I mean.” 

The silence was making her uncomfortable. She sighed. “Fine. But please … tell them not to overdo it.”

“Well Utahime. You can’t expect the wedding of the head of one of the most powerful clans in history to be just a simple one.”

“I know.”

“Then please, don’t think too much about it. I got this. I got you.”

Utahime knew she was close to losing their fucking bet.

Chapter Text

2 weeks before Utahime’s disappearance

“We have received your report on the Yoshino middle school attack.” 

Gojo stood with his hands hanging loosely on his sides in the middle of a dark room. The higher ups summoned him three days after they had returned from their mission, and he knew that they were up to something.

Well, two can play in this game.

Gojo’s distaste for the system isn’t unheard of, but it is not particularly known either. He would still do missions and follow the protocols that the higher-ups asked of him. Before, his blatant disregard for hierarchy knew no bounds. He would talk back to them as if they were inferior to him, although that was mainly the case. But right now, it’s different. 

He’s being more careful with his actions than he has ever been. 

While he knew he could handle them himself, Gojo is worried that they would do something to Utahime because of him. Even though she’s under his care at the moment, who knows what they'll do?

The events in Yoshino weren't an aberration either. He knew that they had something to do with it. They wouldn’t just give him a mission that directly involves Utahime if they didn’t have something planned.

And Gojo plans to uncover every single sh*t that they are hiding. He was biding his time, trying to gather people whom he could trust and ease them into learning about the shitty system the Jujutsu world has gone into. But now that he has something more important to protect, he won’t just sit any longer. 

He pressed his lips together when he remembered the events that took place. Ever since that day, Utahime has been so out of it that every once in a while, he finds her staring into space. 

It was almost as if she was listening. 

These past few days following their excursion, he found himself watching her more closely. 

As if he hasn’t been doing that before. 

He has always been an intuitive person. One time he ignored the fact that something was going to happen and it turned out to be one of the darkest and biggest mistakes of his life. And right now that the same feeling was consuming him all over again, he vowed to do the right thing.

He knew something had happened in the gymnasium before he arrived at the scene, but he figured she needed some space to process what took place. He was curious about it, but he decided to wait for her to open up.

But he wouldn’t let her take it all in by herself.

He promised to protect her. He promised that he would stand by her no matter what it took. And he was never the one to break a promise. Especially to her.

“Gojo Satoru,” the man in front of him continued to speak. “You brought her with you.”

Gojo’s sharp gaze landed on him. “You probably know all about it, why ask me?”

“Did something happen?”

Gojo was about to retort, but it was strange for them to ask this kind of question. 

“What do you think happened?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Oh right, I was just asking since it’s kinda obvious that something actually happened because you know, we were told to clear the area of 5 grade 1 cursed spirits but instead a special grade and more than triple lower grades appeared.”

There was a murmur from the other higher ups.

“The informant must have overlooked -” Gojo snorted, “- on the numbers but considering that you have finished it, I see no problem with it.”

Silence.

“Anything else you want to add, Gojo Satoru?”

“You tell me.”

“One of these days, you’ll regret keeping her.”

Gojo put his hands in his pockets. 

“No. It’ll be you,” he said. “For trying to touch what’s mine.”

As promised, Gojo and Utahime went back to Mt. Yoshino, directly moving towards the shrine where Utahime spent the most of her childhood.

She gulped as she stood in front of the gate.

The feelings that came with her in that moment are something she hasn't felt for quite a while. A mixture of nostalgia and the never-vanishing dread and tragedy that came with the thought of her family.

Utahime bowed slightly in front of the torii to show respect, and Gojo followed suit.

Once they got to chozubachi they took the wooden dipper and poured the water to clean their hands. Then they proceeded to rinse their mouths and clean their hands once again. 

Once they finished, they proceeded to the main sanctuary in hopes of finding someone. But there was not a single soul in sight, not even one shrine maiden cleaning the well-swept lawn. The bells chimed when the wind blew, tuning into a very familiar melody that sent a jolt of pain through her heart.

“The chief priest is at the back.” A girl stepped into Utahime’s view. She was probably just 13 or 14 years old, Utahime’s not exactly sure. “You’re looking for him, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Gojo replied.

“Come on. I’ll bring you to him.”

The girl turned around and started walking, and the two of them followed.

They proceeded to the back with careful steps, and Utahime couldn’t help but look around the place.

The rows of sakura trees surrounding the temple were always a sight to see. The beauty that it gives radiates serenity and calmness. But Utahime couldn’t enjoy it like she did before. Her heart was pounding with mixed emotions—longing, pain, and a little bit of happiness—as she walked down the familiar steps of her childhood home.

She took deep breaths after deep breaths as they walked down to the back, where the chief priest was. Gojo stood by her side in silence. He was just there, and she was glad of his presence. So much more than she could admit.

Utahime didn’t expect that he would be the one by her side. They weren’t particularly close before. Yes, the trust is there, and she recognizes every bit of his strength, but if you asked her before if she thought Gojo would be selfless enough to dedicate himself to something he is not involved in, then the answer would be no.

Gojo has been with her for days now, making true to his promise to protect her. She’s not going to lie, but every time he does something out of character, like brushing dirt from her shirt, tucking her hair to her ear, asking her what she needs, and so on and so forth, - warms her heart. But the longer that they are together, the stronger her reliance on him becomes. Sometimes, she finds herself thinking about him more than she has ever done. His snide remarks have toned down a lot, his gestures have become more gentle, and she, well, she found herself staring into those bright, beautiful eyes a little bit longer than necessary and dreaming about them afterwards.

She shook off her thoughts. She was not dumb enough not to know that these are signs of -

“There he is.” The girl stopped in front of the open door, interrupting whatever she was about to realize.

There sat the chief priest with his hands pressed together in prayer. He was wearing a white hakama with a white crest embedded in the material.

The sound of the girl’s voice alerted him, and he looked back and saw his visitors. There was no emotion on his face as he regarded both Utahime and Gojo with steady eyes.

The moment Utahime saw his face, she was taken aback. Not because she missed the man who stood as her parent when she was young, but because she was seeing a very unfamiliar face.

“I - “ She started. “Where’s Miyu-sensei?” Utahime has been told to address the former chief priest as “sensei” although he was the head. 

The new priest looked at her for a moment before he stood up. 

“He’s no longer here.”

Utahime blinked

“But--” she stuttered.

Her mind’s racing with alarm and dejection. She was hoping to find out everything today, but it turned out that the world was against her at the moment.

Her hands sweat, and her mind’s running. She didn’t think about this possibility. She was sure she’d find her former mentor in this place, but she was wrong. She was not at all prepared for this.

“Where is he?” She asked instead.

“He’s no longer here,” he repeated.

“What-” Utahime stopped when Gojo stood in front of her and faced the priest.

“Where can we find him?” His voice was full of authority—deep and demanding. But the priest didn’t even flinch.

“You need answers.” Surprise flickered in Utahime’s face. “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

The priest led them inside the temple. He sat in the middle, facing them. 

Then he started to speak.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Utahime’s voice shook. She had been looking forward to this day for a few weeks already. She thought that going back to the shrine would give her the answers she was seeking.

The priest remained calm, his eyes unreadable as he looked at her. 

“You are her. ”

Utahime blinked. 

“I know you. Miyu told me about you.”

“You’ve met him?”

“Once.”

Hope blossomed in Utahime’s chest. 

“What did he say? Did you know where he is?”

“Easy, girl.” He took a sip from the tea that he poured a little while ago and gestured for them to drink. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Why did he go?”

He took a moment to reply. “That’s a question that I don’t have an answer to. I’m sorry you had to go all the way here.”

“Is he alright? ”

He answered her with a smile. 

“If - if he returns,” she gulped. “Can you please tell him that I need to talk to him?”

The priest merely nods.

“Thank you.”

Utahime and Gojo stood up and moved towards the door. Before they could take a step outside, the priest called out.

“You take care of yourself, Utahime. Trust is a huge responsibility and a difficult thing to earn. You’re a smart woman. And you’re strong. You are surrounded by a lot of people who care for you. You are not alone.

Utahime was silent when they exited the place. The two of them walked for a while before they returned home. Gojo thought she needed to clear her mind and think about what’s coming next. But what really is coming? Even he wasn’t sure. All he’s been thinking about is keeping her safe and helping her find the answers she seeks.

The future is bleary; everything’s vague. But he’d protect her, whatever it takes. 

Silence surrounded them as they walked down the pathway. The light breeze of the wind and the constant shower of sakura petals from the trees around them kept Utahime calm. 

She was walking a little bit further ahead of Gojo, the latter giving her space to think. But what is she really thinking? 

Utahime felt like she was stuck in a maze with nowhere else to go. 

“You are surrounded by a lot of people who care for you. You are not alone.”

She is not alone. She knew that. But she also needed to move forward by herself. And she wouldn’t be able to do that if she kept relying on those around her. Especially Gojo. 

When they arrived at Gojo’s home, Utahime decided to tell him about the man he met at the middle school. But she didn’t tell him his name.

“Gojo, he knows about my abilities. He was making a contract with cursed spirits -” Gojo’s eyes squinted with realization, but it was gone the minute it appeared, “- and he told me he knows what’s happening to me.”

“Did you see his face?”

Utahime looked away. “I- I did not.”

Silence engulfed them for a minute before Gojo squatted in front of her. She was sitting at the bottom of his bed while she talked. 

“What do you plan to do?”

“I want to meet him.”

“No.”

“Gojo - he’s my only chance.”

“What if he’s only trying to lure you? What if he plans on using you?”

He is. But -

“I can’t stay like this forever, Gojo. I need to do something!”

“I told you I will help you! But this is too dangerous, Utahime!”

Utahime was taken aback by his sudden outburst. He was mad. 

“It’s not about you! I need to do this for myself! And whatever happens to me is my responsibility alone. I don’t need you to do everything for me, Gojo. You have your own life to think about. I’m just an outsider, I’m just -”

“No you’re not. You were never just an outsider. Not now, not ever.”

Utahime couldn't bring herself to speak.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow. You’re tired. You take a rest, hmm?”

Then he did something out of character. It was quick, and Utahime wondered if she was only imagining it.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead.

The sound of a door closing brought her back to the present, and she noticed that she was all alone.

Later that night, when she was preparing to sleep, Utahime found a note in the window of the room.

She read its contents, and her blood turned to ice when she read what’s inside.

“Meet me at midnight” 

It was sprawled on a piece of paper, coupled with a photo of an unconscious Miwa and Momo gagged and restrained.

Utahime couldn’t breathe.

Chapter Text

The story so far…

“Let’s get married.” Gojo repeated his words from earlier.

~~

“Why?” 

 Gojo raised his brows. “Why what?” 

“Why are you doing this?” 

 He paused, like he’s thinking on how to answer her question.

  “This is not a negotiation.” He settled for this explanation. “If you want to live, accept my offer.

~~

 “Fine. Just kill me now.” 

~~

“I told you this is not a negotiation. I already made a deal with the higher ups.” 

~~

“Congratulations, Utahime.” He grinned at her. “ You’re going to be a Gojo.” 

.

.

.

“Why is that thing still alive?”  “She’s an abomination. She must be killed in this instance. The longer that she’s alive, the fight for our survival will not near its end.”

“No, can’t do.” Gojo straightened up and walked backwards until he was standing by her side. Utahime moved, afraid of touching his skin and of things she didn’t know she could be doing to him. “I’m not gonna go killing anybody and especially not my future wife.”

~~

“What if I went out of control?”

Gojo moved his body closer to her and she took a step back.

“Exactly why I’m here.”

She’s tired of getting into it with him and just sighed, admitting defeat.

What Gojo wants, Gojo gets, huh? 

“Fine.” She accepted. The world be damned. “But promise me one thing.”

He beamed at her. “It depends on what you’re asking, of course.”

She took a deep breath and stared at his unmasked eyes. “Promise me that if it comes to a point where the choice is between killing me or getting everybody else killed, you’d do the former. Swear it.”

~~

“Ah. Mama, this is Utahime Iori, the one I’ve been telling you about. Utahime, meet my beautiful mother, Kaoru.”

“N-nice to meet you, Mrs. Gojo.” She stuttered.

The older lady didn’t speak for a while and continued to stare at her.

Utahime was suddenly very nervous. She gulped while containing her erratic heart beat. Then Kaoru smiled. It was such a warm smile that made her exhale the last few minutes of her anxiety away.

“You do realize you will be called Mrs. Gojo soon, don’t you?” The woman stepped closer but far enough not to touch her. “My son had told me about your situation. I would like to hug you, but I guess we can’t do that for now.” Utahime wondered if she’s a goddess. She looked absolutely beautiful. “Welcome to the family, Utahime. I have been waiting for you.”

.

.

.

“About the mission – ” 

She knew what he was going to say.

“I’m coming with you.”

.

.

.

Then all hell broke loose.  

Utahime screamed and she floated high up in the air. The pressure inside her multiplied and she couldn’t control herself anymore. The moment she opened her mouth, a great number of cursed spirits appeared. She could feel the negative energies from a lot of people flow through her. She could not stop. It was as if she was being controlled once again.  

Then all of a sudden, the barrier was gone and she slowly regained control of herself. Her eyes widened at the amount of cursed spirits around, there were probably hundreds of them. But they didn’t make a move towards her. Instead, their attention were focused on the man flying above the now destroyed roof of the gym. 

Gojo Satoru looked furious. He had his blindfold down and around his neck while his sharp blue eyes threw daggers at the scene below him.  

.

.

.

 “Let’s make a deal. Whoever admits to the other first, loses.” 

“I’m not playing your stupid game.”

“So you ready to admit it then?”

 Utahime looked ready to murder him. “Fine!”

Gojo smirked. “Fine?”

.

.

.

“You’re good with kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, since I am a teacher .” She emphasized on the last word.

“Guess there won’t be a problem once we have ours.”

“What?”

“Our kids, Utahime. Don’t you want some too?”

“Huh?”

.

.

.

Utahime found a note in the windowsill of the room.

She read its contents and her blood turned to ice when she read what’s inside.

     “Meet me at midnight”  

It was sprawled on a piece of paper coupled with a photo of an unconscious Miwa and Momo gagged and restrained.

1 week before Utahime’s disappearance and days before the wedding

It was the third night this week that Utahime met with that man. He made her create countless cursed spirits at night, which she ended up killing by day. The amount of energy that she has been consuming takes a toll on her body, making her more restless and distraught. 

The moment she received the note with the photo of Miwa and Momo, she did not think twice and sneakily went out to meet with the letter sender. It was not enough that she had to deal with the higher ups that wanted to kill her every time they laid their eyes on her—the overwhelming powers that she didn’t have control over—and now, another danger has stepped forward. But this time, the lives of those dear to her were suddenly in harm’s way. And it’s all because of her.

Utahime felt so hollow deep inside. It’s like she’s surrounded by this never-ending darkness with no chance of getting into the light. There were moments when she thought a spark had surfaced somewhere near, but the vastness of the dark immediately swallowed it whole.

When she saw her unconscious students lying on the floor, the only thing she could think of was to get them out of that situation, whatever the recourse may be. 

And it made her despise herself more than she already does. 

What if she went ahead with the execution? Maybe none of this will affect her students. Or Gojo. And the rest of her loved ones.

“Utahime," said His voice. Deep, soft, and alluring. It’s like he’s caressing her with every syllable of her name. Even in memory, the effect of it on her was instant.

Gojo.

He’ll always be the only exception--the only person whose words can make her forget that she’s a threat. The only person who could make her feel that she’s enough, that she deserves to live. 

She knew, though. Whatever this means. She’s not blind to her feelings, and she isn’t an idiot to not figure it out.

She’s in love with him. 

She doesn’t know when or how it happened, but she knows. There’s no point in denying it when it’s as clear as glass. 

The moment he decided to step into her life and look after it as if it were his own was the moment that Utahime saw real danger. Not because she’s afraid he might break her heart or that he might cause her misery, but because she’s scared of the consequences of being with him when she’s a danger herself.

She doesn’t want that, even though he’s capable of protecting himself. 

But who could ever go against the strongest Jujutsu sorcerer when he had already set his mind to protect her from those who wanted her dead? Granted, he’s stubborn, but what else could someone do when he’s willing to go over and beyond just to keep her safe?

“ Utahime.” She could clearly hear him inside her head as if he were beside her. Telling her that it’s going to be alright and that he’s always with her.

Shiver ran down her arms up to the tips of her fingers at the sound of his voice.

“Utahime.”

“That’s enough,” the asshole in front of her said, disrupting her thoughts. He had not been disguising himself anymore now that Utahime was aware of his existence. 

Utahime closed her eyes and turned to the man. The abundance of cursed spirits all around them has been sucked into his palms and dwindled down into nothing.

“You’ve been getting better. The first time you came here, you couldn’t even make a few handfuls.”

“Release the kids.” Utahime said with authority.

He laughed. “We’re not done yet, honey.”

She glared at his nickname and everything about him in general. “How long will you make me do this?”

He smiled. “As long as there are humans left in this world.”

“ Come home to me, Utahime.”

The day before the wedding

Everything’s set in place. The decorations, the food, the venue… Gojo’s mother and sister have it all set. In less than a day, Utahime will officially be a part of the Gojo clan… if only for a few hours.

She swallowed the pain that was about to consume her and defray her from her goal.

No, she thought. 

It’s the only solution. After this, everything’s gonna be alright. No more pain, no more sacrifices. I am enough. I will put an end to everyone’s sufferings because of me . I am the cause. And I will be the one to end it.

A knock on her door alerted her to the presence of someone. 

“Hey.” Gojo leaned into the doorframe with his hands on his pockets, and he was watching her with intense eyes, calculating her every move. 

He looked absolutely breathtaking standing there in his white dress shirt and dark slacks. His mask was nowhere to be seen, and in its place was a pair of clear eyeglasses, which Utahime doesn’t recall seeing him wear before. His hair has also been swept up, exposing his forehead. 

It made him look glorious.

And hot.

Damn it. He’s not making this easier for me.

“What are you doing?” He asked, slowly stepping inside her room.

She was glad he finally trusted her enough to have her own room because she couldn’t stand it any longer, being in the same space with him every night. And it also saves her from inquiries when she sneaks out at night.

“I’m preparing for dinner. Why? Is there something you need?” She replied. She avoids his gaze, afraid that he might see what she’s planning.

“You.” 

Her cheeks suddenly felt hot, and she knew she was blushing really hard at the moment. She turned, gave him her back, and walked over to her nightstand.

She silently cursed at the way he made her feel. Accepting her feelings for this man was hard enough for her, and trying to forget about it was like trying to defy gravity—the higher she goes up and away, the harder and deeper she falls.

He’s like lightning—a sudden burst of energy that strikes where it is least expected, and she’s on its way.

“Hmm? What do you want from me? ”She hoped her voice wouldn't betray her.

“I need to tell you something.”

She was suddenly aware of his presence, getting closer to where she’s mindlessly organizing her things.

“Go on,” was what she could only reply. It’s not as if they haven’t been able to talk lately, because they have, being together at more times than not. 

It’s just that Utahime has already decided to leave . And she’s scared that being alone with him right now, with their wedding only a few hours away, would make her think twice. 

“Look at me, please.” She almost flinched when his hand reached out to hers and turned her to face him. Forgetting for a moment that he has his infinity on.

Gojo was smiling at her—that genuine, carefree smile of his that is almost impossible to catch.

She had a feeling of what’s coming next.

“I lost,” he said, folding his fingers over hers.

No, no, please, not now.

“Utahime, I lost.” Looking deep into her eyes, he kneeled to the ground on one knee and fished out the ring that he'd been holding in his pocket. “You won.”

“Utahime, I am in love with you.”

Mind completely blank, all Utahime could do was stare back at him.

His eyes suddenly widened, and he stood up, cupping her face and wiping her cheeks.

“Shh. Don’t cry.” 

Cry?

“I told myself to wait for tomorrow. But seeing you tonight didn’t help.”

He chuckled.

“I’m not asking you anything. Just—just let me take care of you, hmm? ”He then put the ring in her palm. “Take this as a token of my feelings.”

"II’m notgoing toa ask you to say the same. But always remember what I said.” He kissed the top of her head as he engulfed her in the cocoon of his arms. “I love you.”

He released her and walked out the door, leaving Utahime in the greatest shock of her life.

Lightning. 

Chapter Text

"I love you."

Utahime opened her eyes to discover the words ringing in her ears. 

It was her wedding day, a day she had been looking forward to. And the day she wished would never come.

She stared at the high ceiling, gazing at nothing in particular, and felt emotions well up to her toes. 

Her mind raced as fast as her heart did. As if they are competing to see who can blow up first.

After Several Hours

The moment a Gojo, who was born and reared as one, marries another, a spell is cast upon the newlyweds. The enchantment binds the two people together, breaking only when one of them dies, and allows one to locate the other in times of dire need.

Utahime only became aware of such a tradition after the enchantment was placed on her and Gojo. She had no choice but to accept, for fear of them discovering her plans.

“ Two lives, eternally bound;

One string, to attach and surround;

Forever, be safe and sound.

And for the other to be found.”

"Satoru and Utahime, may the bond you form bring you prosperity, and may your future be as bright as the rising sun, in sickness and in health, until death do you part."

“You may now kiss the bride.”

Gojo was too willing. Utahime was scared sh*tless.

“Gojo.” Her voice was full of threat. 

But the man in front of her was grinning from ear to ear. “Yes, my beloved wife? ”

Utahime glared. “Don’t you—”

Then he kissed the life out of her, in front of everybody present.

There were some hoots and whistles, but Gojo refused to stop devouring her mouth in front of everyone.

“Gross! ”Nobara said it loud enough for them to hear.

“There are children here,” Maki added.

“Gojo is enjoying it a lot.” 

“He doesn’t know how to hold back.”

When Utahime was out of breath, she lightly pushed him away and put her head on his chest.

“You idiot. Going too far, as always,” she said breathlessly.

Gojo laughed, and what a wonderful sound it was. Utahime smiled, despite herself.

"What can I do? You are officially mine now, Utahime Gojo; you are not going anywhere."

Utahime winced internally as the colors rushed out of her face.

“I’m sorry, Satoru.” She whispered so low, he didn’t hear the words.

“What was that? ”

Utahime's smile did not reach her eyes as she embraced him completely with her arms. “Nothing.”

One last.

Utahime inhaled deeply, purged her thoughts, and willed her heart to slow down.

It was either now or never.

It was either her or her pupils.

It was her happiness, or everyone's peace. 

It was not a difficult choice. However, she was reminded of a man who defied conventions and crossed lines to protect her. She then felt tears well up.

She allowed herself to feel for a moment before standing up, looking around once more at the place that had provided her with safety, if only for a short time, and moving over to the window. 

It was their wedding night, supposedly. But Gojo was away. He was summoned to an emergency clan meeting an hour earlier, which Utahime appreciated because she did not have a plan for getting away from him.

Gojo was like a leech attached to her the entire day. He wanted to keep her in his sight at all times. 

Utahime felt the ring on her finger as soon as she placed her hand on the window sill. She took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly. She found a piece of paper and a pen on the bedside table and, for the last time, bared her heart.

"You arrived," said a voice that had been haunting Utahime for days.

Her gaze fell on a figure sitting on a worn-out sofa in the middle of the rundown warehouse where she was instructed to go.

It took days of hard work to leave the Gojo compound. Layers upon layers of security were installed to keep external threats at bay.

Fortunately for Utahime, her time on the estate helped her figure out how to get past them.

Yes, leaving the place that had become her sanctuary was difficult. But it is nothing compared to the pain she felt when she left Gojo Satoru behind.

She was grateful to him, his family, and everything they had done for her, but something bothered her conscience. She was left with these abilities, so she was solely responsible for the consequences of their use.

Gojo may be unable to forgive her for her actions, but her pain should not be shared by anyone else. Particularly his.

Yesterday's events tugged on a string in her chest, and she forced herself to forget it—the feel of Gojo's arms around hers, his kisses, his touch, his sweet voice, his promises—it nearly knocked her over, but she stood firm.

I am so sorry, Satoru. You have to forget about me once this is over. I have put you and your family in danger, and I do not want someone else to make a sacrifice for me. 

"Let them go," Utahime's icy, cold voice rings throughout the empty area.

The man in front of her bared his white teeth. "Ah, in due time, Senpai."

"May you rot in the underworld with the creatures you created an army of, Suguru."

Suguru grinned even wider. "Now, now, Senpai. I never expected to hear you curse. Satoru had rubbed off on you, I suppose."

Suguru Geto was Gojo's closest friend and was thought to have passed away. The latter himself had ended his life. Utahime’s utter shock when she saw the face beneath the mask a few days ago left her speechless because how can he be alive?

“You have questions. But we’ll answer them one by one. First, we have to get out of here; who knows what your precious lover will do?"

He resembled Suguru, but he seemed strange. No, not a little. He really felt off. 

“Who are you? ”

The man, Suguru, paused and returned her gaze. 

"I am Suguru Geto; what are you talking about?"

Utahime was sure he was not telling the truth.

"Who are you?" she repeated.

"I come with a lot of names, and I have been going by one name lately." He finally responded. 

Utahime gritted her teeth. She wanted to scream and let out the emotions that were overwhelming her, but she chose to ignore them.

"You are not Suguru.

The man continued to walk away from the dilapidated building. 

"I figured that was obvious."

"How can you use his cursed technique?"

There was a brief period of silence as they continued their journey towards the moonlit forest. 

"I cannot," he said. “This technique is purely my own. Although he had an outstanding one, that boy. Did you know that you both were to marry each other when you were born? You were supposed to rule together. But the Jujutsu society didn’t want the clan to be more powerful than them, so they did what they had to—kill the remaining members, and eventually, you and him. But Suguru Geto left and did the job himself so they were left with only you to focus on.”

The man in front of her suddenly shakes, his body morphing into something else—skin stretching and bubbling—until he turns into someone she did not expect.

“Principal Gakuganji? ”

The old man responded with a stare.

"Hello, Utahime."

It all made sense now: how he got Momo and Miwa, how Utahime was the mission's focal point at the time, and how he knew everything about her.

“This is not the time for jokes, Sayako.” Gojo’s deep voice resonated within the walls of their estate while his posture turned rigid at his sister’s words. 

“Do you really think I’d do that in times like this? ”Sayako hissed at her older brother and immediately snapped her mouth shut when he threw a glare in her direction that would most likely make her run away if they were a tad bit younger. But it’s different now. 

Somehow, Gojo still managed to control the millions of emotions rushing through his body, despite the panic that was consuming his entire being.  

He was a hundred percent sure his sister was just pulling a prank on him. Because there’s just no way Utahime will leave. No fucking way. 

He walked past her and strode to his room with large, thundering steps. He could hear her following him from behind, trying to catch up and stop him from what he would do. 

"Satoru-onii---” 

Gojo reached his room in no time and opened the door with such force that it shook the walls beside it. 

He scanned the room, his gaze moving hurriedly to the bed where Utahime had laid down the night before. His Utahime. 

He clenched his teeth when he saw that the bed was made: the pillows were perfectly put up, and the sheets covered the expanse of the bed. But she was still not in sight. 

Heart pounding, he walked towards the bathroom on the opposite side of the room and noticed that it was still the same: her toiletries on one end and his on the other. 

The sight sent a jolt of pangs into his chest. These past few weeks, Gojo has gotten used to Utahime taking up space in his life. She was consuming every piece of himself, even the ones he was afraid of showing to anyone. 

Solitude has been his company ever since he could remember. That solitude invited doubt and eventually distrust. But that changed over the years.

A few people were able to get him out of his misery, but not as much as Utahime, who took up a lot of space in him: mind, body, and soul.

“Onii-san –” Sayako, a little breathless, started again. 

“Where is she? ” 

He turned around to his sister and saw her bite her lower lip. A million thoughts were rushing through his head about the possibilities. 

Gojo remembered the words he said to her the night before.

“I’m not going to ask you to say the same. But always remember what I said.” He kissed the top of her head as he engulfed her in the cocoon of his arms. “I...”

He didn’t want to admit it.

But reality is set in front of him, giving him no room to think otherwise.

She was gone.

Then he looked over to the nightstand where she used to put some of her things, there was nothing left but two things: her ring—the one he gave her—and a piece of paper with his name written in her elegant handwriting.

With unbelievable control, he opened the note with steady hands.

“Gojo, despite everything, I can’t bear the thought of this ring being lost forever, anymore than I can bear the thought of leaving… you forever. And though I have no choice about the one, at least I can choose about the other.”

Gojo grounded his teeth so hard that the veins on his temples popped. 

“I lied to you last night. I said I didn’t want anything to do with you. But I want everything with you. And that’s why I have to slip away from you like a coward. Because if I had to tell you this about yourself, I couldn’t make myself go.

I don’t blame you if you hate me, I wish you would. But as long as I can still dream, I will dream of you.”

Gojo felt like a part of him had turned to ashes, with her words burning the life out of him slowly.

How could she think he could hate her? Was his speech last night not enough to remind her how much he--

Gojo slumped to the ground. 

“Fuck!” 

"What—why?" Utahime stuttered, her chest tightening in response to the man in front of her. She had put her life in the hands of this man.

"You have always been very curious since you were a child."

Utahime closed her fists. She couldn’t… she doesn’t understand. There were so many questions running through her mind that she could not think of one to ask.

“Why?” Utahime cried. “Why did you do this?”

Gakuhanji circled the small clearing, muttering the words for the barrier. Utahime realized that the purpose was not to keep her in, but to keep someone from entering.

"For you, dear girl; always for you. And for the family we once were."

Utahime rested her hands on her head. "I do not understand. I trusted you; I confided in you." 

Gakuganji completed the barrier around them and moved to the aisle in the center of the clearing. "I needed to have your trust."

"I thought you were behind my execution with the higher-ups and sent me on that mission, but...

Utahime's eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

"I was trying to awaken your powers, yes. The higher-ups were easy to manipulate; one small bribe, and they agree."

"You were not trying to kill me; you just wanted to use me."

"Silly girl, of course." Gakuganji closed his hands around the cane he was holding. “The only problem was that boy of yours. Gojo Satoru.”

Utahime winces. The mention of Gojo brought pain to her heart. 

"Perhaps you would be more accepting if I chose this appearance."

And gods be damned, because he just turned into Miyu-sensei. The person who raised her, who was once the only person she had.

But it was all a lie. Her life was a life 

Utahime screamed.

“We’re the same, you and I. But you are more valuable. My only task was to see to it that you gained your power as soon as it manifested. It took a long time since you were quite protected, and I needed to make sure that you had the abilities. I was right.

The only living direct descendant of the Abe no Seimei. Princess Utahime.”

And he bowed down to her.

What. The. Fuck.

“We once were thriving alongside the Gojo, Kamo, and Zen’in. But society feared the powers born within the clan. For a hundred years, cursed spirit manipulation was the epitome of what the clan was all about.

Utahime gasped. “Geto…”

“Yes. Suguru Geto was born with the powers of an Abe since his mother was one.”

“What?”

“Suguru Geto was a relative of yours, although far away. But he was harder to control, and didn’t inherit the ability that was feared. So society left him alone, and look where it got him in the end.”

“But you, my dear girl, have been granted the most powerful weapon to exist—the one that society tried so hard to eliminate— Genesis . The origin.”

“You alone have the power to create cursed spirits at will, to manipulate them at your disposal, and to order them at your command.”

Utahime’s blood ran cold. 

It was worse than she imagined.

"The rest of us can only control a few handfuls, but not you. The gods bestowed a gift upon you, Utahime, and what better way to repay them than to reclaim what is rightfully yours?" 

“What are you saying?”

"To take the reign of the Jujutsu society, of course. We are getting revenge for banishing our family, our bloodline, and we are taking the world of Jujutsu. You and I."

Chapter Text

Utahime stood utterly frozen, the world not merely spinning, but violently lurching around her. The man who had been the bedrock of her existence – her guardian, her mentor, the only unwavering constant in a life that had always felt like a ship adrift – now stood before her. He was a grotesque, chilling parody of Miyu-sensei, bowing with an insidious grace. The words he had uttered, each one a hammer blow against her skull, echoed deafeningly: "Princess Utahime," "Genesis," "create cursed spirits at will."

"What… what is this?" Utahime finally managed, her voice a raw, broken whisper, barely a breath escaping her constricted throat. Her hands trembled violently, her entire body rigid with a horror. "You… you raised me. You were Miyu-sensei…It was all a lie."

Gakuganji straightened, his eyes, still unsettlingly Miyu-sensei's, held a chilling, arid lack of warmth. "A lie? No, dear girl. A carefully orchestrated truth. Every single step of your life, every 'accident,' every 'mission' – it was all meticulously designed to guide you to this precise moment. To awaken the immense power that lies dormant within you."

He gestured around the moonlit forest, a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in the very air signaling the dark hum of his cursed energy. "Look around, Utahime. Do you feel it? The profound, subtle hum of the world itself, the latent energy waiting, yearning to be shaped? You are the key. You are the one who can command it, not merely exorcise it like a common sorcerer."

"Command it?" Utahime scoffed, a bitter, almost hysterical laugh escaping her lips, devoid of any humor. "To create an army of abominations like Suguru? Is that what you truly want? To twist me into him ?"

Gakuganji's expression hardened slightly, a fleeting shadow crossing the familiar features. "Suguru was an important piece, yet a distant, flawed echo of our true power. He inherited a mere fraction, yes, but he tragically lacked the foresight, the absolute control, the destiny that is inherently yours. He was a pawn in a much larger, grander game, a necessary sacrifice to ensure the Jujutsu society's myopic focus remained elsewhere while you matured, while your true abilities blossomed."

"You sacrificed him," Utahime breathed, the realization chilling her to the very bone, an icy dread spreading through her veins. "You let Gojo kill his best friend, your own relative, just to distract them from me ?"

"A small price for the glorious restoration of our lineage," Gakuganji replied, his voice utterly devoid of remorse, a flat, chilling statement of fact. "For a hundred years, they hunted us, banished us, tried to erase us from history, from memory. They feared the Abe, Utahime. They feared Genesis. And they were absolutely right to fear it, because now, it is here to reclaim what was so cruelly stolen."

He took a step closer, his gaze intense, almost burning into her. "Think of it, Utahime. No more bowing to the corrupt, senile Higher-Ups. No more living under the suffocating shadow of their petty rules and baseless executions. You, with me, at the absolute pinnacle. We will reshape this entire world, not just for the glory of our clan, but for true, unyielding order."

Utahime stumbled back, shaking her head violently. "No. This isn't order. This is… tyranny. This is precisely what you claim to fight against." Her mind raced, a chaotic whirlwind of betrayal and a desperate, clawing need to cling to the... life she knew, which has now become a lost bitter part. "My students… Momo, Miwa… Gojo. You used them, you used me ! You put them all in mortal danger!"

"They are but fleeting attachments," Gakuganji dismissed with a dismissive wave of his hand, his eyes gleaming. "Mere distractions from your true, magnificent purpose. Gojo Satoru was the greatest obstacle. His very existence, his overwhelming power, made you soft. Made you forget your sacred birthright."

"He didn't make me forget anything!" Utahime cried, her voice cracking with raw emotion, tears pricking at her eyes. "Because I didn't know anything! But he made me strong - he showed me what loyalty was, what trust was! What--" love is. Utahime stopped herself. This man in front of her doesn't deserve to understand her life, her choices. "Something you clearly know nothing about!"

A flicker of something akin to pity, crossed Gakuganji's face, quickly replaced by a wicked grin. "You are still far too sentimental, Princess. But that will change. The power within you, the Genesis, will guide you. It will show you the undeniable truth of your destiny." He extended a hand towards her, his palm open in an invitation that felt more like a snare. "Come, Utahime. Embrace your birthright. Let us take back what is rightfully ours."

Utahime stared at his outstretched hand, then at the face of Miyu-sensei, now a grotesque mask of deceit. Her heart screamed in protest. Every fiber of her being recoiled from the monstrous truth he presented. But beneath the horror, a cold, hard resolve, began to form. She was Utahime, she may be the last living direct descendant of the Abe no Seimei, but she is a Jujutsu Sorcerer- a friend, a teacher. And she would not be a pawn in anyone's twisted game. Not anymore.

Her gaze hardened, meeting Gakuganji's with a newfound, defiant fire. "You think you can control me? You think you can use me to fulfill your twisted revenge?" A faint, almost imperceptible shimmer of cursed energy, raw and untamed, flickered around her. It wasn't the refined, disciplined flow she was used to, but something deeper, more primal, thrumming with a dangerous, untamed power.

Gakuganji's smile widened, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Ah, there it is. The awakening. You feel it, don't you? The power that flows through your very veins, the essence of Genesis."

Utahime’s eyes widened further, her vision becoming unfocused, the world blurring at the edges.

“Whaa—”

And then there was none.

A few days later—

The atmosphere at Jujutsu High was heavy— wrong in a way that went deeper than cursed energy. It was the kind of quiet that came before a storm, the kind Gojo Satoru had long since learned to listen to.

But this time, it wasn’t just the system breaking down.

This time, it was personal .

Every instinct in him was on fire, warning him of one unshakable truth: Utahime was in danger.

He could feel it. Not just in the reports or the whispers snaking through the halls—but in the absence. The sudden silence from her. Utahime wasn’t reckless. She wasn’t stupid. If she’d gone dark, it wasn’t by choice.

And that scared him in a way very few things ever did.

A coup. Clean. Quiet. And deadly.

Gojo hadn’t waited. He never waited. The moment it became clear that Utahime had been marked—that her refusal to fall in line made her a target—he moved. Fast.

The pacing in his apartment was relentless, more for focus than nerves. But beneath the calm, behind the sharp edges of his Six Eyes, his thoughts were spiraling. Every call to Shoko went unanswered. Every moment wasted was a moment too long.

Then— chime .

A message. Fragmented. From Shoko.

“Satoru, get over here. Now.”

He didn’t hesitate.

When he walked in, the tension in the room hit like a wall. Shoko looked up from her screen, her usual calm pulled taut with something Gojo rarely saw in her—worry.

“She sent something,” Shoko said quietly. “Utahime. It’s… not good.”

Ijichi was pale. Nanami looked grim.

“Show me,” Gojo said, voice firm but low.

Shoko turned the screen toward him. A fragmented message—symbols, broken phrases, apologies hidden between lines of code and cursed runes.

“Why’s she apologizing?” he asked, almost to himself.

“She knew this was coming,” Shoko answered. “And she knew you’d come for her.”

Gojo stared at the screen. Something inside him twisted—sharp and sudden.

He should’ve seen this sooner.

He should’ve stopped it.

“She’s not just trying to survive,” he muttered. “She’s warning us. And she’s buying us time.”

Then, a final, chilling line lit up the screen. Shoko read it aloud, her voice tight:

“He’s found a way to amplify Cursed Speech.”

“Who?” Shoko sucked in her breath, “Gakuganji.” 

Gojo’s stomach dropped. “What?” He was surprised, but a cold sort of certainty was already settling in his gut. Gakuganji, the secretive old man, the one who always seemed to be pulling strings from the shadows—this was exactly the kind of move he’d make.

Cursed Speech, amplified. In Gakuganji’s hands. That wasn’t just dangerous—it was world-ending. A way to silence, control, enslave entire populations. And the first person in his path was Utahime.

“She’s not a threat to them because she’s reckless,” Gojo said, voice sharp. “She’s a threat because she’s strong enough to matter. Because she doesn’t back down.”

Gojo's mind raced, a bitter laugh almost escaping him. How the hell had he not seen it? He was supposed to be the strongest, the one who saw everything. But no, the signs, subtle as they might have been, now screamed at him. Gakuganji’s unwavering adherence to tradition, his deep-seated resentment of anything that disrupted the established order, his quiet influence within the higher-ups—it all coalesced into a horrifyingly clear picture. 

Being the strongest, it turned out, didn't make him omniscient. In fact, it might have blinded him, leading him to overlook the less overt threats, the ones that festered in the shadows, disguised as righteous indignation. 

The sheer audacity of it, a scheme of this magnitude, orchestrated by a man he’d dismissed as an irritable relic. Gojo felt a surge of cold fury, tinged with a humiliating prick of self-reproach.

Nanami stepped forward. “She left us coordinates. Temple in the mountains. Her training ground.” 

Gojo nodded slowly. Of course she did. She’d gone to the one place she knew better than anyone else. If she was going to make a stand, it’d be there. 

He turned to face them, jaw tight, shoulders squared. And for the first time since walking in, the bravado dropped just enough for something real to show through. 

“We’re not losing her,” he said. “Not to them. Not like this.” 

A pause. 

“She’s the one person in this whole system who never asked me to be anything but myself. And I’m damn well going to make sure she survives this.” 

The fire in his voice flared again—controlled, focused, unmistakably Gojo. But now it was laced with something else. 

He looked around the room—Nanami, Shoko, Ijichi. He didn’t need to give a rousing speech. His presence was enough. His will was law in moments like this. 

“We move now. Fast and clean. We find her, and we shut this coup down at the throat.” 

He paused at the doorway, turning back once more. 

“If Gakuganji thinks he can scare her into silence, he’s about to find out what happens when you threaten someone I care about. And when this is over, Gakuganji won’t just go to hell, he’ll be begging for it.” 

There was no smirk. No sarcasm. 

Just Gojo, razor-sharp and ready to destroy the world if it meant keeping her alive.

The old temple felt wrong. Like it was holding its breath. The air was thick—wet moss, blood, and something ancient that shouldn’t be disturbed. A second ago, it had been dead silent. Now? It exploded with noise and cursed energy.

Utahime stood frozen next to Gakuganji, barely breathing. She couldn’t move—not because she didn’t want to, but because she literally couldn’t. His cursed technique held her in place. It didn’t lock her body. It locked her will. Her soul thrashed against it, wild and furious, but her body wouldn’t respond. The chains weren’t visible, but she could feel them—tight and cold, crushing her chest.

In front of her, her friends stood ready—Nanami, calm and serious, sword in hand; Shoko, tense, already glowing with reversed cursed energy; Ijichi, clearly scared, but still standing strong. Others were there too—some angry, some shaking—but all of them facing the man who turned everything upside down.

She searched the crowd, desperate for one person. Just one.

Gojo wasn’t there.

Her stomach twisted. His absence was loud. Too loud. Like everything had gone quiet except the panic in her chest.

Where was he?

Gakuganji smirked beside her. “What a shame, Utahime. All your precious friends here to watch you be my puppet. Tell me—does it hurt, knowing they’ll die by your hand?” He raised his hand like a twisted conductor. “Attack.”

The word hit like a wave—deep and heavy. It wasn’t just a command. It forced action.

Everything exploded.

Cursed energy lit up the darkness—red, purple, black. Sorcerers ran into battle. Cursed spirits—twisted monsters—charged forward like demons. And mixed in with them were her shikigami. Her own summons. Corrupted. Changed. Now attacking the people she swore to protect.

Utahime’s heart broke.

She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t scream. Her power—her magic—was hurting her friends.

Nanami’s blade slammed into a spirit’s claw with a horrible crunch. “Damn it!” he snapped, pushing the thing back.

Ijichi shook as he put up a weak barrier. “Come on… stay up…”

Even Shoko, who normally healed others, was throwing punches with cursed energy. “Stay down, freaks!” she yelled, green light bursting from her hands.

They were bleeding.

They were fighting.

And it was because of her.

She struggled to move. Every muscle burned. Her lungs felt crushed. The cursed bind was still there, strangling her from the inside out. Gakuganji leaned in close, voice like rot. “Keep struggling. It only makes it worse. I feed off this. Don’t you feel it? That delicious hopelessness?”

The pressure on her chest grew heavier. Her vision swam. The battle blurred. She was slipping—into fear. Into giving up.

Then—something lit up inside her. A small spark. Warm. Bright. It grew, pushing back the darkness. The bind trembled.

Her breath caught.

He was here.

Gojo didn’t just show up. He crashed into the fight like a storm. Spirits vanished just from looking at him. Curses broke apart when he passed. He didn’t yell. Didn’t threaten. He didn’t need to.

He was the threat.

He moved like nothing could touch him—because nothing could.

Then, suddenly, he was there—right in front of her, one hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes burned with quiet, focused rage.

“Utahime.”

Just hearing her name—like that—snapped her back.

She whispered, voice cracked, “Momo… Miwa… are they—?”

“They’re safe,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. Not to hurt. Just to hold. “I made sure. You’re not alone. You’ve got this. For them. For me.”

He paused—then added something she never expected to hear from him.

“Please.”

Gojo never said please.

Her lips trembled. “You promised… if it came down to me or—”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I said I’d kill you if I had to. But I’m not losing anyone I love. Not again.”

Something inside her broke—and then bloomed.

His energy flowed into her—not hard or painful. Warm. Strong. It burned away the cursed bind like sunlight melting ice. The invisible chains snapped. The air around her shimmered. She gasped, finally able to breathe.

Free.

Gojo stepped back, still watching her. “Take it back.”

She nodded. No fear now. No doubt.

She reached inside herself, felt her bond with her shikigami, and called out—loud, clear: “Come back. Listen to me.”

Across the battlefield, the monsters stopped. Twitched. Their forms flickered. Then they turned—toward her. One by one, they returned.

Nanami blinked as an attack meant for him missed. Ijichi stared, wide-eyed, as curses rushed past him.

“Did she—?”

The curses turned on Gakuganji.

He screamed. “NO! They’re mine! You witch—what did you do?!”

But they weren’t his anymore.

He threw out waves of cursed energy, desperate and wild. The ground shook.

Gojo moved in front of Utahime again, calm as ever. “He’s losing it,” he said, a sharp glint in his eyes. “He always does.”

Utahime stepped forward. Her cursed energy glowed around her.

“He’s alone now,” she said, voice steady. “No more puppets to hide behind.”

Together, they advanced. She deflected his blasts, her cursed energy forming barriers stronger than she’d ever known, shimmering gold against his dark power. 

“You won’t touch them!” she declared, her voice ringing with newfound authority. She struck—sharp, fast pulses that disrupted his rhythm, his control. 

Gojo weaved through the chaos, his Limitless warping space between them, constantly hemming Gakuganji in, denying him escape.

“He’s exposed!” she called, her voice clear and strong.

Gojo’s eyes flicked once toward her, a brief, affirming nod, then forward. “My turn,” he muttered, almost to himself. He struck. A single, devastating blow. Not lethal. Just enough.

Gakuganji dropped—crumpled, powerless. His curses gone. His grip broken.

Silence fell, like snow, heavy and absolute. Sorcerers stood frozen, staring, their weapons lowered.

Utahime collapsed to her knees. Not from weakness—but release, the sheer, overwhelming wave of it.

Gojo crouched beside her, his hand gently touching her shoulder. “You did it.”

“I did?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion, a faint smile gracing her lips. 

He gave a tired smile in return, rare and unguarded. “You’re stronger than you think, Utahime. Always have been.”

And for once, Utahime believed him.

After Gakuganji went down, everything in the jujutsu world flipped almost overnight.

The higher-ups, already hanging by a thread after years of shady deals and bad decisions, took the hardest hit. When Gojo and his team finally exposed Gakuganji’s plan to grab total control, it was game over. The truth came out, and with it, the whole rotten system started to crumble. The old council, stuck in their outdated ways, lost their grip for good.

In their place, a new council was formed—one that actually cared about fairness and moving forward. No more power plays, no more secret agendas. This time, it was about fixing what had been broken for way too long. Leading the charge were three names that carried real weight: Satoru Gojo, the strongest of them all and never afraid to shake things up; Noritoshi Kamo, stepping up to lead his family with honesty; and Maki Zenin, who smashed her way through her clan’s toxic rules and made a name for herself.

Together, they took on the huge job of steering the jujutsu world into something better. It wasn’t going to be easy, but for once, people actually believed things could change. It was the start of a new era—one built on trust, strength, and a promise to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

And even though the road ahead was still rough, for the first time in a long time, the future didn’t feel like a dead end. It felt like a beginning.

“You know,” Maki muttered, arms crossed, “for someone who literally helped save the jujutsu world, you’d think they’d stop acting like Utahime’s a ticking time bomb.”

Utahime didn’t flinch. Not under their stares. Not anymore. She’d been through enough of these rooms to know what their looks really meant—fear, hiding behind polite caution.

“She was under Gakuganji’s control,” one of them said, voice cool, a little too measured. “We can’t say for sure how much was him and how much was her.”

“Are you kidding me?” Gojo’s chair scraped back as he stood, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. “She fought him. Turned against him. Took damage for us. And now you’re questioning her loyalty? Because her cursed energy scares you?”

Noritoshi Kamo leaned forward, calm but firm. “Her choices during the battle say more than any of this speculation. Don’t confuse being afraid of someone with having proof they’ve done something wrong.”

“Exactly,” Maki said, deadpan. “If we started taking out sorcerers just for being dangerous, half of you wouldn’t be here right now. Utahime’s twice the sorcerer most of you ever managed to be.”

Eventually, whether it was reason or just sheer exhaustion, the council gave in. They cleared her name. Made it official.

Special Grade. All the weight, all the respect. And just to twist the knife into tradition, they gave her an extra title: Honorary Gojo.

No one was sure what that actually meant, but judging by the look on Satoru’s face? It meant everything.

“It means they can’t touch you anymore,” he told her later, grinning as he tapped her forehead. “You’ve got the most irritating name in jujutsu backing you up now.”

“Flattering,” Utahime deadpanned.

But inside, she was relieved. Free.

Then came the hard part—figuring out how to handle the new version of her cursed technique, the one that didn’t just sting like it used to, but roared like a storm on command. Sometimes too much command.

“You’re overthinking it,” Gojo told her during one of their training sessions, ducking a blast of cursed energy that singed the temple walls.

“I’m trying not to blow up the mountain, thanks,” she shot back, panting, hair stuck to her face with sweat.

“You’re gripping it like a weapon. It’s not. It’s a current. Let it move—then steer it.” He stepped up behind her, calm and way too smug. “Here. Let me.”

He placed his hand over hers—steady, warm, annoyingly reassuring.

“Easy for you to say, Mr. Limitless.”

“Ah, but you’ve got something I don’t.”

She gave him a look.

“Humility,” he said innocently. “Also, terrifying firepower.”

She laughed, almost despite herself. Somehow, between the chaos and control, the closeness deepened. Less teasing, more... something else. The kind of quiet bond that didn’t need words. Just presence. Trust.

Later, after one particularly brutal session, she found herself alone at the temple, watching the sun melt into the horizon.

“You’re thinking,” Gojo said, walking up beside her. “Again.”

“I do that sometimes,” she replied, a half-smile tugging at her lips.

He bumped her shoulder lightly. “About the past?”

“And the future.” She glanced sideways. “Special Grade. Gojo by association. And… whatever this is between us.”

Gojo didn’t answer at first. Then, quietly, “You earned everything, Utahime. The rank. The respect. Me—I was just the idiot who shouted the loudest on your behalf.”

“You also trained me. Stayed with me. Believed in me.”

“I’m nothing if not loyal,” he said, grinning. Then he sobered, brushing his fingers against her cheek, light as a breeze. “Marry me.”

Utahime’s whole mind, body, heart, and soul jumped. She blinked at him. “Again?”

“Properly this time. No secrets. No danger hanging over our heads. Just you and me. And, okay, probably a dozen kids yelling in the background.”

She stared at him, stunned—and then laughed, warm and free.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet?” he prompted, leaning in with that familiar spark in his eyes.

She kissed him, simple and sure. “Yes. Obviously yes. Still yes. Always yes.”

Gojo grinned like the sun. “Just checking.”

“So…”

“This is it?”

“Again?”

“You were already married—why do it again?”

Gojo laced his fingers through Utahime’s and lifted their joined hands. “Because I can.”

Their students groaned as Utahime rolled her eyes.

“Utahime-sensei, you’re really letting him get away with this?” Maki asked.

Utahime offered a rueful smile, glancing at Gojo before answering. “I guess I owe him one. A wedding without hesitation—our first felt like a fluke. I wasn’t in my right mind back then. Think of this as the real deal.”

“Are you sure you’re in your right mind now, sensei?” Megumi muttered.

Utahime laughed.

“Careful, brat.” Gojo flicked Megumi’s forehead, earning a scowl.

“Someone has to question your sanity,” Shoko teased.

“Maybe I am a little insane.” Utahime gasped when Gojo drew her against him, his mint-cool breath brushing her lips.

“Ugh, I’m out.”

“Same.”

Maki, Megumi, and Shoko slipped away unnoticed.

“What are you mumbling about, Mrs. Gojo?” Gojo murmured.

The title sent warmth to Utahime’s knees.

“You keep forgetting you’re already a Gojo,” he said, grinning.

She slid her arms around his waist. “I haven’t had time to let it sink in. Life happened, and I… forgot we were already married.”

A blush crept up; Gojo kissed it away. She hid her face in his chest, and his arms circled her.

“This time, no reservations,” he whispered. “I want all of you, and I want you thinking of nothing else.”

He lifted her chin, eyes blazing with love and resolve.

“Life won’t always be easy, but I’ll love you forever. You’re mine, and I’m yours—never forget that.”

Utahime’s heart swelled. She seized his collar, pulling him down. Their lips hovered a breath apart as she whispered, “I love you, Gojo Satoru.”

His smile was the last thing she saw before he kissed her, pouring every ounce of love into the embrace.

"Lanterns again?” 

Utahime sipped her tea, squinting at the soft glow lining the veranda. “You trying to be romantic or just avoid turning on real lights?”

Gojo dropped down beside her with a grin. “Guilty of both.”

The garden below buzzed with the kids' laughter—chaotic, unfiltered, and way too loud for something that was technically a quiet evening.

“Almost too peaceful,” he muttered, fingers brushing hers. “For us, I mean.”

Utahime chuckled. “Don’t jinx it. I like this version of our life. No curses. No council meetings. Just tea and noisy kids.”

“And you,” he added, intertwining their fingers like it was second nature. “This is what we fought for, right?”

She nodded slowly, eyes scanning the garden. “Every sleepless night. Every near-death situation. Worth it.”

“Even the part where you told me to forget you?” His voice dropped, less teasing now, more… something else.

Utahime didn’t look at him right away. “I didn’t think you’d actually listen.”

“Then you don’t know me at all.”

“I do,” she whispered. “That’s the problem. I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind. That scared me more than dying.”

Gojo leaned in, kissed her temple like it was a habit he never wanted to break. “I wasn’t going to let you go. You’re it for me, Utahime. No hidden agendas. No sacrifices. Just us.”

She smiled at that. Not the sharp, sarcastic smile she often gave him out of annoyance—this one was softer. Real. “And somehow, you made them listen to me. Council, elders, all of them.”

He snorted. “Please. You tore them down with logic and fire. I just stood behind you looking pretty.”

Utahime rolled her eyes. “Flattery won’t get you out of dish duty.”

Their son called out, laughter spilling across the night as he showed his sister a technique she was clearly too young to master—but was trying anyway, because of course she was.

“They’re better than we were,” Utahime said, voice laced with pride.

“They have us. Together. That’s our legacy.”

She leaned into him, letting the warmth of his arm around her and the distant laughter fill the silence.

“What was it?” she asked softly. “The thing that kept us going? Through everything?”

Gojo turned to face her, expression suddenly serious. “You. Me. This... whatever we are. It wasn’t about cursed energy or duty. It was just... us. Always.”

He touched her chest lightly, right over her heart. “We didn’t need to say it. We just knew.”

She didn’t answer, didn’t need to. Her hand found his face, and she kissed him like it wasn’t the hundredth time or the thousandth—but like it was the first time it really meant something.

The moon climbed higher. The kids kept laughing. The world was finally quiet enough for them to breathe. And in that little slice of peace, they weren’t warriors or leaders.

They were just Gojo and Utahime. A family. A future. A promise kept.

A note found from Gakuganji’s possession—among others

For over a century, my ancestors, the Abe clan, were systematically purged, their unparalleled gift—"Genesis," the power to create and command cursed spirits at will—feared and suppressed by the myopic Jujutsu Higher-Ups. They called us abominations, yet they cowered before the very lineage that could usher in true order. I, Gakuganji, the last true inheritor of our bloodline, dedicated my life to reclaiming what was stolen, to restoring the Abe to their rightful place at the apex of this broken world.

My magnum opus was Utahime Iori. From the moment I uncovered her latent connection to Genesis, I began weaving the tapestry of her life. As "Miyu-sensei," I became her guardian, her mentor, subtly guiding her every step. Each "accident," every "mission," was a calculated thread, designed not for her immediate success, but to hone her sensitivities, to push her cursed energy, to awaken the immense power lying dormant within her. She believed it was discipline; I knew it was preparation for her destiny.

Even the tragic downfall of Suguru Geto served my grand design. His inherited ability, a mere fraction of the true Genesis, made him a crude, albeit necessary, instrument. I allowed his descent into madness, ensuring his "sacrifice" at Gojo Satoru's hands. It was a calculated distraction, a necessary smokescreen that kept the Jujutsu world’s focus firmly elsewhere, allowing Utahime to mature, to blossom, unhindered by their fear and scrutiny. A small price to pay for the glorious restoration of our lineage.

Now, the moment of truth is upon us. Utahime stands before me, ready to embrace her birthright. Though she resists, blinded by sentiment and fleeting attachments, the power within her calls. She will command Genesis, she will create the forces of our new world, and together, we will dismantle the corrupt old guard. They hunted us, they banished us, but they were right to fear. For I am Gakuganji, and with Princess Utahime, the Architect of Dawn, we will reclaim what is ours and forge true, unyielding order from the ashes of their tyranny.