Death Paintings, Black Flash

The first-year trio was assigned to the Yasohachi Bridge case.

Hiroshi's phone rang while he was enjoying his peaceful morning coffee. He glanced at the number and saw it was Gojo Satoru calling.

"This is Hiroshi," he answered.

"Hiroshi, can you watch my class while I'm away? Suguru and I will be investigating the surge of Curse Users outside of Japan. Suguru thinks it has something to do with Kenjaku," Satoru said.

"That's fine. Where are they at?" Hiroshi asked.

"They should be investigating the deaths of three teenagers on a bridge somewhere... hold on, the name of the bridge should be Yasohachi Bridge," Satoru replied.

"Sure," Hiroshi agreed.

"Thanks, Hiroshi. Bye-bye," Satoru said, ending the call.

Hiroshi pondered for a moment. Yasohachi Bridge... Ah! How could I forget? It's the Death Painting Arc... His thoughts raced as he considered what to do with the Death Paintings. "Perhaps I can persuade Choso" Hiroshi thought.

Yasohachi Bridge, 6:00 PM

"Megumi, I'll be arriving shortly," Hiroshi said over the phone.

"We're just standing beside the bridge, Sensei. You can't miss it; it's only us three," Megumi responded.

"Who are you talking to, Fushiguro?" Itadori asked.

"My mentor. You know him already, Senju Hiroshi. He is taking over Gojo-sensei's and Geto-sensei's work for now, which includes supervising us," Megumi explained.

"And where exactly are Gojo-sensei and Geto-sensei going?" Nobara asked.

"They are going overseas for investigation work," Hiroshi said, appearing right behind the trio and startling them.

"Sensei!" Yuji exclaimed, trying to regain his composure. "You scared us!"

Hiroshi chuckled. "My apologies. It's good to see you all in high spirits. Now, let's get to work."

Hiroshi led the group under the bridge, his senses already tuned to their adversaries' locations, gleaned from the trees and vegetation around the area. As they crossed under the bridge, they entered a barrier leading to an underground world where a Mole Cursed Spirit was popping in and out of the mole holes it created.

Hiroshi turned to the trio and asked, "Do you guys want to play Whack-a-mole?"

"Can we pass on that, Sensei?" Nobara said, even though she knew she could deal with the moles easily. She would rather not waste time if someone stronger could handle it quickly.

"Right... Megumi, take your team in that direction and kill the Finger Bearer," Hiroshi instructed, pointing to a direction where a cocoon hung upside-down.

"What about you, Sensei?" Megumi asked.

"I have to speak to someone nearby. Just relax," Hiroshi replied, looking at Nobara and Yuji. "I want both of you to pay attention and deal damage to the Finger Bearer. Do this right, and I will promote you both to Grade 1."

Hearing the word 'promotion,' Nobara and Yuji had stars in their eyes. "Promotion?!"

Hiroshi continued, "The premise is that the two of you can exorcise the Finger Bearer on your own, with little to no help from Megumi. He will act as a safeguard to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries. You got it?"

"YES, SENSEI!" Nobara and Yuji said in unison.

"Megumi, you heard me?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yes, Sensei," Megumi replied cooly.

Hiroshi smiled. "Great. Now, by the time I come back, present Sukuna's Finger that the Finger Bearer had ingested. Then we can talk about the further details on promotion."

As he saw Nobara and Yuji sprinting off, Megumi was taken aback by the speed of his teammates. "It's just Grade 1..." Megumi thought. He knew that being Grade 1 was nothing much—his true ambition lay in the title of Special Grade. However, for Yuji and Nobara, who were sorcerers from common family backgrounds, it made sense that they would want that promotion.

Right as the trio left, Kechizu appeared and saw Hiroshi. "Huh? There's someone here already," Kechizu said.

Hiroshi turned to Kechizu with a calm demeanor. "You're Kechizu, right? Brother of Choso and Eso," he said, recognizing the Death Painting Womb.

Kechizu looked taken aback. "How do you know my name and my older brothers' names? Who are you?" he asked warily.

"My name's Senju Hiroshi," Hiroshi replied. "Can you take me to your older brothers? I would like to talk to them," he said, trying to keep his tone non-threatening.

Kechizu's expression shifted to one of suspicion and aggression. "You wanna play?" he asked, lunging at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi inwardly facepalmed. "You know what, I'll just grab this guy and go towards Eso's location," he thought. With a wave of his hand, a massive wooden hand emerged, nabbing Kechizu and holding him tightly.

"You're too strong, it's not fun!" Kechizu exclaimed, struggling against the grip of the wooden hand. Hiroshi knew that his cursed technique absorbed cursed energy passively, so he set the absorption to the lowest possible rate, just in case. Hiroshi remembered that while Kechizu was a cursed spirit, he was also of flesh and blood. Either way, Hiroshi's memory was a bit fuzzy, so he took precautions lest Kechizu got exorcised and ultimately ruining his chances of negotiating with Choso.

A few minutes later, Hiroshi found Eso standing near the river. Eso was startled upon seeing his brother captured by Hiroshi. "Release my brother! Or else," he warned, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Hiroshi said as he released Kechizu, who ran back to hide behind Eso. "I want to talk to Choso, your elder brother. Tell him that Senju Hiroshi would like to discuss your place in the world—his and your brothers' place in the world."

Hiroshi emphasized the importance of this conversation, knowing that Choso had aligned with the Disaster Spirits out of a belief in an ideal world where he and his brothers could live peacefully. Hiroshi, with his significant influence in both the mundane and sorcerer worlds, believed he could offer a better future for the brothers. He did not wish to eliminate those who simply desired to live; instead, he sought to give them a chance to live in peace. However, he was prepared to deal with them if they chose otherwise, as the fate of the weaker was often dictated by the stronger.

Hiroshi tossed Sukuna's finger toward them. "Tell Choso to approach any Senju sorcerer if he wishes to talk to me. You guys can come over as well. And with that finger, I reckon Mahito wants you to gather all of Sukuna's fingers, so it's a mission accomplished on your side."

Eso, considering Hiroshi's words, decided to consult with his eldest brother Choso once they returned. He eyed Hiroshi warily. "Come, Kechizu. Let's go home. The mission is done." The brothers disappeared into the shadows, leaving Hiroshi smiling thoughtfully.

Hiroshi hoped that Choso would take the invitation seriously. He anticipated an unavoidable conflict with the Disaster Spirits and the Jujutsu Society, compounded by a looming civil war due to the Jujutsu higher-ups' militarization efforts. In his eyes, the old ways clashing with the new would inevitably lead to conflict.

Hiroshi dialed his phone and called for his finest assassin.

---

Las Vegas, Nevada

A man was betting at one of the tables when he realized he had lost. "Tsk! Fold!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Mr. Senju, I have Mr. Fushiguro here," Shui Kong said, placing his hand on Toji Fushiguro's shoulder, who was busy gambling.

"Huh? What?" Toji asked, looking up.

"The boss needs you back in Japan ASAP," Shui Kong said.

"The Senju kid? Who does he want gone this time?" Toji smirked. He knew his worth and was at his best when eliminating targets. Working for the wealthiest man in the world, who also happened to be the guardian of his son Megumi, was a bonus.

Since Toji Fushiguro's resurrection, after the Curse User Ogami's ritual, his soul had taken over the sacrifice's body. His Heavenly Restricted body overrode the former soul, making Toji permanently resurrected and free from Ogami's control. This was why, in the original timeline, Ogami summoned only the body's information, not the soul.

After helping his son tame Mahoraga, Hiroshi permanently hired him as his go-to hitman and officially adopted him into the Senju Clan, creating a separate branch for Toji. Although Toji declined at first, he was directly persuaded by the paycheck. Hiroshi also nabbed Shui Kong to be Toji's assistant. Now, Toji Fushiguro, the strongest Heavenly Restricted man, worked as the head of the Senju Clan's ANBU.

Toji Fushiguro - ANBU Commander

Instead of being ninjas, the ANBU under Hiroshi were sorcerers without cursed techniques who primarily operated in the mundane world. Their sole purpose was to deal with the dark side of the world—shady dealings and political opponents—taking orders directly from Hiroshi. Occasionally, they dipped their feet in the sorcerer world. One thing was certain: Toji Fushiguro's kill count had more than doubled since working for Hiroshi.

When sorcerers faced non-sorcerers, it always ended in a mission success. Toji himself rarely needed to move, as the team around him made his job easier. He only had to step in when eliminating rather strong opponents, such as curse users or heavily guarded targets like mafia-level organizations.

No amount of training could help a non-sorcerer reach the heights that even a regular Grade 4 sorcerer could achieve.

Toji stood up from the table, remarking, "It's rather weird calling the Senju kid 'boss'."

As he walked toward the exit through the crowd of people, men in suits with white blank masks, revealing only their eyes, followed closely behind him. Shui Kong, walking alongside Toji, responded, "You always say that."

"And yet you willingly call him 'boss,'" Shui Kong continued.

"Eh, money talks. Besides, he's given me quite a gift," Toji said, gesturing to the men in suits walking behind him—his ANBU members.

"So, is the jet ready?" Toji asked.

"It always has been," Shui Kong replied as a car pulled up in front of them.

Toji stretched, a confident smirk never leaving his face. "Time to work," he said as he stepped into the car, ready to head towards the airport.

"Now that we are heading to Japan, how's Megumi been doing?" Toji asked.

"They just recently lost to Kyoto in the exchange event, and now they are on a mission regarding the deaths at Yasohachi Bridge, with Mr. Senju as the supervisor," Shui Kong replied.

"You win some, you lose some," Toji said, taking the news in stride. "Hey, what souvenirs should I give him?"

"He does like to read non-fiction," Shui Kong said.

"Oi, tell the driver to stop near a bookstore. I'd like to buy a few books," Toji said, knocking on the window between the front and back seats.

"Yes, Commander," the driver replied promptly.

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

Meanwhile, with the Trio against the Finger Bearer...

Megumi, Yuji, and Nobara moved stealthily through the eerie underground world, their senses heightened. The oppressive atmosphere and the thick, acrid air made it clear that a powerful cursed spirit was nearby. They followed Hiroshi's directions towards the cocoon hanging upside-down, knowing it housed the Finger Bearer.

As they approached, the cocoon began to twitch and writhe. Megumi signaled to his teammates to be ready. With a sharp rip, the cocoon split open, revealing the grotesque form of the Finger Bearer. Its monstrous appearance was accentuated by elongated limbs, razor-sharp claws, and a malevolent grin.

"Stay sharp," Megumi instructed. "Remember, Nobara and Yuji, this is your chance to prove yourselves. I'll be here as backup if things go south."

Yuji looked at the Finger Bearer, realizing that his experiences over the past few months had shaped him into a stronger individual. Initially, he had believed the Finger Bearer to be the pinnacle of strength and despair-inducing. However, after feeling the aura emitted by Hiroshi, Yuji understood that compared to the ceiling of power represented by the God of Sorcerers, this Finger Bearer paled in comparison. "I have become so much stronger," Yuji thought. He then recalled Aoi Todo's words, his newfound brother and best friend.

"Letting your cursed energy flow is something many Jujutsu Sorcerers do consciously. Thoughts like 'I'm mad' or 'I'm boiling with anger.' In theory, cursed energy from negative emotions starts to flow from the belly button to the whole body."

"From the belly button into the chest, cursed energy flows through the shoulders, arms, and fist. The consciousness of distinguishing body parts delays the cursed energy. The idea of letting cursed energy flow is not wrong. But it's just the first step. You can't get stuck within this thought. The better a Jujutsu Sorcerer, the harder it is to predict their cursed energy flow. For a different reason than you. Do we think with our stomachs? Do we get angry with our heads? Listen here, Itadori. We exist in this world with our entire body and soul. Most people have taken that maxim for granted."

Todo's words echoed in Yuji's mind, and he unknowingly entered into the zone. Suddenly, Nobara shouted, "Itadori!" as she saw the Finger Bearer lunging at Yuji. Reacting swiftly, Yuji ducked, and an uppercut met the Finger Bearer. Yuji's fist sparked black! "BLACK FLASH!"

"Black Flash!" Megumi exclaimed in surprise. He had yet to hit a Black Flash himself, but he had witnessed his mentors execute it before. To think that Yuji had achieved it first ignited a fire within Megumi, as he knew there was a significant gap between sorcerers who hit a Black Flash and those who didn't.

The Finger Bearer reeled from the impact as it was struck by Yuji's Black Flash. However, Yuji wasn't finished. He continued his assault with a flurry of left and right uppercuts, each punch sparking black with the power of Black Flash. Shockingly, he managed to hit not just two or three, but four Black Flashes in a row, astonishing even Megumi. Completely focused on the battle, Yuji didn't even realize he was drooling in his intense concentration.

With the Finger Bearer unconscious, Yuji grabbed its hand and swiftly sliced off its arm with a chop. He then hurled the severed limb towards Nobara, calling out her name. Nobara smirked confidently as she caught the arm, immediately springing into action. Using her Straw Doll Technique, she drove nails into her straw dolls, using the arm as a medium for her attack.

"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance!" Nobara exclaimed as the Finger Bearer endured a barrage of damage within the first ten seconds of combat. As the Finger Bearer regained consciousness, it managed to dodge a finishing blow from Yuji just in time. Yuji's arm struck the ground with such force that it pierced through the earth as the Finger Bearer retreated to a safe distance.

The Finger Bearer spat out cursed energy onto its hands and slung it towards Yuji, who dodged it with ease. However, while Yuji was occupied dodging, the Finger Bearer swiftly moved behind Nobara. She noticed it too late, managing only to shift slightly to the side as the Finger Bearer's arm tore a chunk off her side. "Kuk!" She exclaimed in pain, spotting the Finger Bearer but unable to move in time.

Simultaneously, Yuji was already on the Finger Bearer's tail. He unleashed a combo of a right hook, backhand, and roundhouse kick, sending the Finger Bearer flying into the distance where it collided with the wall. Yuji pursued, relentlessly pummeling the Finger Bearer against the wall.

Meanwhile, Megumi approached Nobara and used Reverse Cursed Technique on her. But something inside Nobara snapped. This was the second time she had come close to death, and in that moment, the very thing that kept her sane flickered out. "Oi Oi, you really think you could kill me easily?" She said with a crazed look in her eyes.

As the Finger Bearer grabbed Yuji by the face, he bent its arm, prompting the creature to throw him away before healing itself. However, as it did, it felt intense pain coursing through its body. Glancing at Nobara, who now wore a crazed expression, the Finger Bearer heard her menacing threat. "Don't look at me! I'll send you to the King of Hell myself!" She declared as she hammered the ninth nail into the doll. This indicated that Nobara had attacked nine times within a few seconds, and this time, it sparked black.

"Black Flash!" Nobara Kugisaki unleashed a Black Flash.

Seeing the Finger Bearer barely able to walk due to the pain Nobara was giving it, Yuji finished it off with a stomp. With a splat, the Finger Bearer was exorcised. Yuji then grabbed the revealed finger and threw it at Megumi.

A collective sigh emanated from the trio as Yuji and Nobara breathed a sigh of relief that the fight was over, and Megumi sighed with relief that none of his friends had died. As Megumi looked at Sukuna's finger, the sound of clapping was heard from behind them.

"Excellent, both of you managed to use Black Flash, an extremely difficult technique to master. Congratulations, both of you have glimpsed the peak of sorcery," Hiroshi congratulated.

"Sensei, what about the promotion?" Nobara asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement, as were Yuji's.

"Hehe, of course. Principal Yaga will want to speak with you about this. You have my endorsement," Hiroshi said.

"All right!" Yuji exclaimed.

Hiroshi escorted the trio back to Jujutsu High for debriefing, and the day came to an end.

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

Meanwhile, outside Tokyo, a meeting of the Jujutsu Higher-Ups was underway. Takayama Jiro, Katsuragi Hisao, Fujibayashi Takeshi, Morikawa Kenji, and Shimizu Taichi were all present.

"Yuta Okkotsu, glad you could join us," Morikawa Kenji greeted Yuta Okkotsu, who entered with stitches on his forehead.

"Elders, it's been a while. I've gathered sufficient resources and personnel to finally enact our plan to seal Hiroshi Senju," Yuta announced confidently.

"When will this take place?" Takayama Jiro inquired impatiently.

Yuta smirked inwardly. "October 31st. Four barriers will be set up to trap civilians and bait Senju Hiroshi into a trap so we can seal him. I trust that you elders will assist with this? We had a binding vow, of course."

"Very well. We will declare war on the Gojo-Senju Alliance on that day," Shimizu Taichi declared.

"But Okkotsu Yuta, I am baffled as to why you would betray your mentors in such a manner," Katsuragi Hisao questioned.

"An excellent question, Elder Katsuragi. It's simple. Because of the Big 3, particularly Senju Hiroshi, the world has stagnated under his strength. I cannot progress much in this environment, and the only way to do so is to get rid of the strongest to create ripples through this stagnant world," Yuta explained dramatically.

"I see. Indeed, it is true that Senju Hiroshi, Gojo Satoru, and Suguru Geto have made this world stagnant in a way that we do not like. We can help you, on the condition that once the Big 3 are gone, you will not hinder our acquisition of the Senju Clan's assets," Takayama Jiro stated.

"By all means, Elder Takayama. I just want to become stronger, and we already established a binding vow over this, so ease your worries," Yuta assured them. Internally, Kenjaku was already disdainful of these delusional old men.

"What about those stitches on your forehead? Are those injuries recent?" Fujibayashi Takeshi inquired, noticing the stitches on Yuta's forehead since the beginning, similar to those on a strange woman they encountered months earlier.

"These were just from a recent encounter with a rather strong cursed spirit. It managed to slash my head like this, but don't worry. It will heal by the time we seal Senju Hiroshi," Yuta explained.

"This has been a fruitful meeting, Okkotsu Yuta. May I invite you over for some tea?" Morikawa Kenji offered.

"I'm afraid I have to decline, Elder Morikawa. I still have much to do to increase our chances of victory," Yuta declined politely.

"Well, the young ones always work hard. See you then, Okkotsu Yuta," Morikawa bid farewell as Yuta bowed and left with an evil smirk.

"To victory!" Morikawa toasted his fellow higher-ups.

"To a world without the Big 3," Takayama Jiro toasted next.

The celebratory clinking of glasses and chuckling from the Jujutsu Higher-Ups echoed through the night, confident in their victory with Special Grade Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu on their side, unaware of the twist of fate awaiting them.

A/N: Gege Is sick more...2 more weeks of Lobotomy Kaisen