Chapter Text
--PRESENT--
Something was wrong, Fushiguro could feel it. He could feel it as he stared down the hallway at Noritoshi Kamo, his fists raised and chest heaving.
The Kyoto Goodwill event had run smoothly so far and, for all Fushiguro could tell, the Tokyo team seemed to be winning, even if he was currently fighting a losing battle against Kamo.
Fushiguro sidestepped as another of Kamo’s arrows tore through the floorboards where he had just been standing.
He knew something was wrong, there was something wrong with the whole event, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
He jumped backwards, dodging out of the way of two more arrows, but he hadn’t paid close enough attention to where he was landing. There was a hole in the floor, a splintering gap in the floorboards where a previous attack had blasted through, and he stepped right back into it. His ankle twisted awkwardly as the heel of his foot dipped back into the hole, and he had no choice but to let himself tumble to the floor to the side to stop himself from falling right through it.
“You’re distracted.” Kamo called from the other end of the hall, lowering his bow.
Fushiguro grumbled, dusting himself off as he heaved himself upright again. He appreciated Kamo pausing to let Fushiguro get himself together for a second. This was a friendly fight. Sure, the exchange event was a competition, and God were Jujutsu sorcerers known for being competitive, but they weren’t out for blood. He would have been a goner had Kamo actually been serious about this fight.
Kamo raised an eyebrow as he watched Fushiguro stumble again before he had even threatened another attack.
Fushiguro cursed under his breath. Kamo was right, he was distracted.
“There’s something wrong.” He said.
Kamo cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
Fushiguro scrubbed his hands over his face in frustration. What did he mean? He wasn’t sure yet. “Can’t you feel it?” He asked instead.
Kamo let his bow hang by his side, eyeing Fushiguro warily. “Feel what, Fushiguro?”
Fushiguro raised his arms out, gesturing vaguely. “The event. There’s something wrong. Somethings off. I can’t be the only who has noticed this.”
Kamo continued to stare at Fushiguro incredulously. “I’m sorry, Fushiguro. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
A growl of frustration bubbled in Fushiguro’s chest. “You- The curses. Where are they? The whole objective of this event is to see which side can exorcise the most, right?”
Kamo nodded cautiously, suddenly listening to what Fushiguro was spouting.
“Well, have you even seen one yet?” Fushiguro continued. “From what I can tell, all we’ve done is split off and fight each other. That’s it. I don’t think a single curse has been exorcised yet.”
Kamo paused, sucking in air through his teeth. Fushiguro had a point. “No, I don’t believe I have seen a curse so far.”
“Not a single one?” Fushiguro pressed.
“No.” Kamo confirmed.
Fushiguro scrubbed his hands over his face again. “That’s what I mean. Doesn’t that feel wrong? Where are they?”
“I- I don’t know.” Kamo faltered. He had been too preoccupied with his fight with Fushiguro to consider this. It had been his own ego that had made him seek Fushiguro out at this event. He couldn’t lie to himself and say he hadn’t just wanted to see if he could win against a member of one of the other major families, but now he was forced to take pause.
“I don’t know what it means, I haven’t gotten that far yet, but I just know that it’s wrong.” Fushiguro said with a sigh.
Silence settled over the pair as they stared at each other. Neither had anything more to add. They just agreed that, yes, something was wrong with this event.
“It’s like something is taking them out before we can get to them.” Kamo finally whispered under his breath.
Fushiguro looked up at Kamo through his eyelashes and nodded slowly. He didn’t like thinking about the insinuation that that sentence held.
The rumbling came before either could speak again.
It started out low and slow, vibrating across the floorboards beneath them. Something was coming.
Fushiguro whipped his head to the side just as the blast tore through the wall. Fire and smoke and smouldering splinters of wood shot towards him. He wouldn’t have had the reflexes to move out the way had Kamo not grabbed him by the face and shunted him out of the window behind them.
They were in freefall, shards of glass raining down on them as they rocketed towards the ground. Fushiguro watched distantly through Kamo’s fingers as the entire third floor of the school was engulfed in flames, the window they had just crashed through disappearing into the gaping maw of the explosion.
His survival instincts kicked in before he hit the ground and he managed to wrench Kamo’s hand from his face and right himself before they crash landed. They hit the ground in the sandy courtyard, a tangled mess of limbs and scraped knees but they were alive, and they’d evaded any broken bones.
“What the fuck.” Fushiguro breathed, watching slack jawed as the explosions continued. One after the other, blasting through the atmosphere like atomic bombs. He watched as the school building crumbled, the ancient structures disintegrating, eaten up by the endless flames.
Motion from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and locked eyes with a figure running towards them, it was Inumaki. There was a trickle of blood running down from beneath his fringe.
He felt the command before he heard it.
“R U N”
It was like a pulse that ran through his body, a shockwave travelling through his muscles, forcing him to run without even thinking. His legs moved before his brain could catch up. Suddenly he was sprinting, where to he wasn’t sure. To safety, wherever ‘safety’ was.
Kamo was running by his side, his eyes were wide, staring straight ahead. Fushiguro could see the confusion, the fear, clear on the other’s expression. He wondered if he had that same look on his own.
He returned his gaze forward again. He could feel Inumaki’s order wear off as he felt control return to his body, his brain back in control of his feet and in seconds he was stumbling again. He couldn’t allow himself to fall this time, though. There was a clearing up ahead that they would head to, they would be at a decent distance, enough to catch their breaths and reconvene with the others.
Fushiguro was at the precipice of the clearing when he saw the blur of a figure rush past him. The figure bought with them a gust of air as they passed, the force of it halting Fushiguro in his tracks.
Fushiguro bought his arms up to fight against the onslaught. The air was hot, rippling with the heat and making sweat bead on Fushiguro’s brow.
He felt more than saw Kamo arrive next to him, suffering through the heat just the same. The figure was followed by a cloud of ash and smoke. It clawed at the back of Fushiguro’s throat and scratched at his eyes, invading his senses until he was at its mercy.
He coughed, trying desperately to get some fresh air into his screaming lungs. Whoever, whatever, was in front of him, Fushiguro could just tell that they were dangerous.
In the following still, the smoke began to clear. Blinking through the tears that threatened to spill, Fushiguro began to make out the figure that he had felt pass him earlier.
They were crouched in the middle of the clearing, dressed in all black from head to toe. Fushiguro could just about make out the heavy black combat boots the figure wore on their feet, their baggy black trousers and the loose-fitting black t-shirt that barely seemed to stay on. It slipped off one shoulder, exposing the thick, black, tattooed lines that crawled up their arms, slipping around their shoulders before creeping up their neck. Their face was covered as they had their head bowed, a thick mop of pink hair fell across their expression, hiding their identity.
Fushiguro still felt like had seen that specific shade of pink before.
The figure chuckled, their shoulders shaking as their laughter grew in volume. Soon they tilted their head back and cackled, loud and menacing. It almost sounded inhuman.
Fushiguro tightened his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Slowly, the laughter died down and the figure bought their gaze down to settle on Fushiguro.
Fushiguro locked eyes with the figure and felt his mouth run dry.
“Oi, long time no see.” They said.
Fushiguro’s jaw dropped slack, he tried desperately to speak but couldn’t find the words.
It had been so long that he had almost forgotten.
“Itadori.” He whispered.
Itadori laughed again. The sound sent shivers down Fushiguro’s spine. He didn’t understand.
“I’m glad you remember my name.” Itadori replied, a wicked grin stretching across his lips, his smile pulling at the heavy tattoos that crawled across his cheeks.
He hadn’t had those tattoos when Fushiguro had seen him last.
“I thought you died.” Fushiguro said, wincing at the crack in his voice.
“Sorry man, didn't mean to deceive you. S’all just part of the plan.” Itadori shrugged. “A bit like how, now, I have to kill you.”