Black and White

--- May 2018 ---

(One month before the start of Canon)

The tension in the air was thick.

Sweat ran down the brows of the onlookers as they tensed and got ready to defend themselves. Joining in would be hopeless, they were nothing when facing the giants before them.

All they could do was pray that they were not obliterated by a stray attack.

Standing across from his best friend Saturo couldn't help but feel like he missed something, that something wasn't right. His blindfold was pulled down around his neck showing his eyes that glowed like the universe itself shone from them they pierced the coiling darkness that billowed from Suguru.

"Explain yourself Suguru!" Gojo yelled, his eyes narrowing.

From within the darkness Geto looked up. His black hair that had grown down to his waist drifted on the waves of cursed energy that clashed between the two.

A bright light of unmatched brilliance and a deep darkness that had no ends to its depths.

As the roiling darkness spread from Geto's feet in waves of inky abyss the ground shifted and moved with his thoughts. Putting his hands together Geto spoke, his voice echoing through the darkness, in the shadows he was god. The world was his to control.

"I have nothing to explain to you, your guidance was lax. You would raise nothing but fools who don't care about their comrades." His annoyance was clear in the venom that dripped from his tongue. 

As he spoke his eyes blacked out into voids before spinning from that his iris shone a crimson red. Eyes like his transformed ones opened behind him piecing the depths of the void surrounding him and framing him in the gaze of a serpent.

"Domain Expansion: Cursed Abyss," Geto said as the darkness around him suddenly exploded. Pouring over the ground.

Narrowing his eyes Geto got ready to retaliate but stopped in shock as he saw that the barrier for the domain didn't close, no, there wasn't one. The darkness was the inky portals that his spirits normally came out from… his domain was his spirit storage?

But there still should be a barrier… shouldn't there.

"Surprised Saturo? That someone surpassed you? Your arrogance has made you slow, just like it slowed Atlas." Geto spat as he stared forth at the only source of light within the void that he controlled. The glowing eyes of Satoru who had his fingers crossed and ready to activate his own domain if it was needed.

"I never expected you to become this strong, but would you have learned any of this without Darkness to teach you? Surely you don't expect me to believe that you could achieve this on your own. Something like this requires hundreds of years of understanding." Gojo argued as he surrounded himself in his simple domain to protect from whatever Darkness was planning, he was a strong spirit but still not nearly as strong as Gojo.

But here in a cursed void where his attacks would hit no matter what and every inch of it was laced with the spirit of cursed energy? Even with six eyes, he couldn't tell where the spirit was.

Only Geto who was blazing like a beacon of energy within the infinite abyss stood out.

But the attacks that came were almost impossible to see coming. Thousands of attacks from endless cursed spirits barreled towards him. A blinding light of mixed energies, claws, teeth, fire, waters. Everything that was ranged or melee was suddenly trying to tear him to shreds.

Raising his hand Gojo knew that he had to end his friend's foolishness, he didn't want to. But if he didn't one of them would get hurt. He would show him the gap in their power as the giant maw of the Serpent Darkness descended towards him.

"Domain Expansion: Infinite Void-" Gojo started to say as his cursed energy suddenly exploded out from him ready to turn this into a domain battle.

"Enough of this comedy act, you're scaring the youngsters." A voice suddenly said as a horizontal slash appeared from one point of the horizon to the other seeming to spread around them in an endless and complete circle that stretched out into unseen infinity.

The blinding violet and blue light that exploded from the split was blotted out in parts by falling fragments of darkness as both domains shattered like light bulbs that blew out. A flash of light from both Gojo and Geto turned everything black and white as another figure appeared.

Floating between them, appearing in a moment as if he were always there. The black shards blocked the now-white light that came from the horizontal slash that had appeared not even a moment ago.

The snap of the figure's fingers suddenly made everything explode into countless reflections as reality folded like glass. Their domains shattering letting the onlookers who had just seen Geto and Gojo disappear into the darkness that Geto summoned once more reappear in a shower of black shards.

Atlas standing in between them said, "I am sure you two grown men can talk this out instead of trying to see whose dick is biggest in front of the students." His pose was casual despite dispelling the domains of this Era's strongest two sorcerers.

Excluding him of course.

"Atlas don't get in my way. He isn't doing what is best for the students so I simply am going to get rid of him. He is a worse teacher than Yaga. He sucks!" Geto yelled as he glared at Gojo over Atlas' shoulder. The recipient of such a potent glare only poked his tongue out childishly.

"Gojo you're not helping," Atlas said with a sigh, honestly it was taking more and more effort to break up the fights between these two. He had never expected Geto to master a barrier-less domain like he actually didn't think that was possible. Not only was his domain different than it was in canon, whether that was because he wasn't controlled by Kenjaku or not he didn't know but he also didn't really care, Darkness had a lot more knowledge than he had let on and had been teaching Geto.

Turns out the spirit was a lot older than he let on.

"You know just as well as me Geto that it brings out the best in them when they are pushed to their limits. Atlas used to beat the shit out of us while smoking a cigarette like the homeless bum he is!" Gojo retorted.

About to counter what Gojo was saying he didn't get time to respond before Geto was yelling past him as well. "That isn't what you were doing! He trained us! TOGETHER! He didn't separate us and make us fight alone! Normal people are not as strong as you or as bullshit as Atlas." Geto said as all the steam seemed to leave him as he combed his hand back through his hair.

"The fact that you wanted to pit Yuta against Darkness is enough to show that you should be locked up in a psych ward." Geto finished. His face fell as he looked towards the second years who had all backed away to the other side of the yard.

"BE MORE CAREFUL FREAKS!" Maki yelled at them as she pointed her training pole arm towards them in anger.

Smiling Atlas couldn't help but relax as he watched the scene of Gojo and Geto arguing about how bad of a teacher Gojo was. Geto wasn't normally around, preferring to spend his time overseas gathering strong spirits and completing various tasks.

He was also hunting for three strong spirits that Darkness had felt appear a few years ago. Which was interesting, the fact that Darkness had felt them appear.

It was quickly becoming clear that Darkness was a much more ancient spirit that had lived away from humanity for a long long time. After all, even the first humans were scared of what lurked outside the ring of their campfires.

Watching as Geto sighed and rubbed his head again as if he was getting a headache his eyes went to Gojo who was now standing beside him and trying to apologize for what he had done wrong.

It was good that things had changed. That there wasn't so much regret. Geto cared about the next generation in a much more healthy way. Sure he still wanted to leave a better world. But he was willing to see that they should give that task to those who came after them.

Through Darkness he had seen that it was their task to get over whatever wave of spirits was coming.

To make sure Kenjaku couldn't come back in another hundred years to try again.

He wanted to build a foundation alongside Gojo. Seeing them work together made Atlas happy.

Seeing the white hair of Gojo and the black hair of Geto still together was how it should be. Neither seriously fighting the other.

He doubted that he would be able to stop them so easily if they had actually been properly fighting. Still, for something that was more like a scuffle for a barrier-less domain to enter the fight, it was clear that Geto had just wanted to show off a bit.

Deep down they would always be rivals.

That was why Geto was trying to find these three spirits so that he could take control of them and grow his power. Darkness could only do so much himself, but Geto now had effectively two techniques since Darkness could use his own freely through Geto.

The two had become very close over the years, it was amusing in a way.

Speaking of people who had become close.

"Suguru! There you are!" An excited voice said as Riko started running up towards them. Her run slowed to a steady walk as she got closer. Seeing everyone standing around she took a moment to figure out what happened before it clicked.

"Suguru Geto… you didn't pick a fight again." She said, her voice unexpectedly annoyed.

Seeing Geto actually start to look nervous Atlas couldn't help but grin as he backed away to let the somewhat new couple bicker. Actually, it was more Geto letting Riko lecture him about using his powers so irresponsibly and scaring the students.

"Also why didn't you let me know that you had gotten back straight away." She said, her hands going to her hips as she puffed her cheeks out, as someone who was 25 it didn't have the same effect that it had when she was younger though.

Although seeing Geto's gaze grow fond he just shook his head and turned away. Seeing the first year approaching because of the commotion he just sighed. He should get out of here before he got swamped again or Yaga decided he needed another lecture about dropping missions on others.

Catching Megumi's gaze he didn't do anything, at Toji's request which made sense, he hadn't interacted with Megumi at school. They had kept his parentage a secret, it would come out one day. But unlike the original, no one knew. Not even Maki.

She didn't remember who took Megumi away exactly just that they had been his dad. What she knew was that Megumi went to live with his dad after he was rejected from the clan. Of course, some of the members of the Zenin clan knew what happened. But Toji had made it clear that it would stay a secret.

It would come out one day, but for now, he would just watch what happened with… a mixture of feelings.

Seeing Riko spot Megumi and pull him over to talk to him he couldn't help but feel like he should do something.

Since Megumi and Geto both summoned things from an 'inky darkness' they had gotten introduced. And Riko had taken a liking to Megumi for some twisted reason, fate sure played cruel games still. Even without a hand behind it.

Shaking his head he turned away. For now, Megumi was the only first year. After all, Yuji was going to eat the finger next month. His grandpa was still alive, Atlas had been keeping an eye on what was happening and it all seemed to be going as it should be according to canon.

The finger was there still as well…

He would let Sukuna emerge in the hopes that Kenjaku would reveal himself once his trump appeared, maybe he already had made contact with the spirits that Geto was hunting. So he should still feel the pressure.

Looking up at the sky he couldn't help but smile as he felt the warm rays, it was a lovely day. He had a few things that he wanted to deal with, such as seeing if he could split Maki and Mai's souls so that they were not considered twins and they could get the strength they were meant to have.

And it wouldn't be long before he would have to try and get Gojo and Geto to accept Toji as a teacher since he would be the best teacher for martial skills out of everyone they could possibly get. Panda would benefit from it, and so would Hakari. But mostly if he could get her to accept, was Maki.

She hated him though, she would never accept help as she had to become a sorcerer with her own strength. And because of that she had become isolated, something that Geto deeply regretted but she wouldn't accept any help at all. No matter what it was.

It was worse than it was in Canon as well.

But there wasn't much that he could do about it for now. Maybe once she met Toji something would change. But he doubted it, barely anyone even knew Toji existed anymore. After he had started taking care of Megumi he vanished people just knew rumours that someone without cursed energy had been strong enough to take out the pinnacle of sorcery when he was younger. But that was dismissed as little more than a rumour.

It didn't bother the man though, he thought it was funny.

Smiling at the thought Atlas felt his danger sense flare as he looked behind him and saw Yaga calmly strolling in his direction but behind his shades, Atlas could feel a chilling glare.

"Shit, well that is my cue, Cya Gojo and Geto, be good while I'm gon-" Not even finishing his sentence before he teleported away leaving an incredibly annoyed Yaga staring at the spot he had been in.

Just as Gojo was about to open his mouth he was interrupted as the principal said, "Not a word unless you can drag him back here."

Closing his mouth Geto and Gojo looked at each other… debating the moment as they looked back at Yaga and his raised finger. But Gojo couldn't help himself and said through a smirk. "He's the reason you are going bald."

Watching from a distance Panda said to Yuta. "The adults are surprisingly childish, at least they have fun! Apart from Geto, he is reliable."

"Salmon," Toge affirmed as he nodded his head and turned to follow Yuta who was trying to calm down a yelling Maki who was storming off.