training

Tokyo, Japan, 2002

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Kurotsuki household. In a spacious, well-lit room, a young boy with shiny black hair, porcelain-white skin, and sparkling black eyes was drenched in sweat. He gritted his teeth as he pushed his body to its limit.

"Ninety-seven... Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine... One hundred!"

With a final push-up, Yumehiko collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. His muscles ached, but he forced a smile. "Physical workouts are a pain in the ass," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But I'm not going to end up like a tailed beast—overflowing with power but unable to control it. Jujutsu Kaisen isn't just about brute force; it's about battle IQ, strategy, and control."

He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he caught his breath. It had been seven years since he was reincarnated into this world, and he was determined not to waste the opportunity he'd been given. Status, he commanded mentally, and a familiar panel appeared before his eyes.

Name: Kurotsuki Yumehiko

Age: 7 years

Race: Human

Constitution: 46 (20 for an adult male)

Constitution includes strength, agility, endurance, spirit, dexterity, etc.

Curse Energy: 600 (20 for normal mortals; every mortal has curse energy, though non-sorcerers lack control)

Curse Technique:

Ethereal Essence Drain: Allows the user to devour dreams and emotions from the surroundings within 200 km.

Skills:

Infinite Growth (Max lvl)

Probability (-)

Curse Energy Manipulation (C)

Sense (C)

Curse Energy Regeneration (B)

Cursed Bomb (D)

Gathers and compresses cursed energy into a ball that can be projected or used for attacks.

Curse Energy Enhancement (C)

Allows the user to cover a body part in cursed energy, increasing attack damage and defense.

Curse Energy Concealment (B)

Allows the user to mask his cursed energy from prying eyes.

Points: 800

Points can be used for constitution or skill level increases.

Yumehiko scanned his stats with a critical eye. "Not bad, considering where I started. I added ten points to my constitution, but it only went from 45 to 46. It's ridiculous how much more it costs to increase at higher levels. Ten points for just one increase? What a scam, you damn gods. You should've explained this more clearly."

He shook his head, grumbling as he sat up. "But it's not all bad. My constitution at 46 isn't just about raw strength. It's more like 1+1=3, where everything synergizes. I could probably smash through a concrete wall without breaking a sweat. And I've invested most of my points in cursed energy reserves, so my endurance in a fight has skyrocketed."

Satisfied with his progress, Yumehiko considered his next steps. "Let's see... I'll add 500 points to curse energy manipulation. That should bring it to level B." With a mental command, the points were allocated, and his panel updated instantly.

Curse Energy Manipulation (B)

He felt the change immediately—his control over his cursed energy sharpened, becoming more refined and responsive. "That was 500 points of hard work over the past few months," he muttered, eyeing the remaining 200 points. "I'll save these for now. It's getting more expensive to level up. Nowadays, I need 40 points just to increase one point in my cursed energy reserves."

He sighed, leaning back on his hands. "I'm probably around 0.2 percent of Yuta's level now. Yuta's cursed energy reserves are likely around 3000, and Sukuna's... well, who knows? 5000 or more, probably. But I'm getting there. Slowly but surely."

His eyes fell on the list of skills, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. "It's pretty pathetic, really. I should've asked for a skill library or something when I had the chance. Now I have to create skills on my own. 'Cursed Bomb' was inspired by Rasengan from Naruto, and 'Curse Energy Enhancement' is just a basic skill that most jujutsu sorcerers have."

He clenched his fists. "I need to create more skills—unique ones. I want to play with space and time, but I don't think I'm there yet. To achieve that, I need a medium that converts cursed energy into various elements. But for now, the only way forward is to level up my constitution. The probability skill said that was 100% effective, so I'll trust it."

"Hiko! Come down for dinner!"

His mother's voice broke through his thoughts. Yumehiko wiped off the sweat with a towel and made his way to the dining room, where his father was already seated, his stern expression unchanging. Yumehiko took his place at the table as his mother brought out the last of the dishes.

As they ate, his mother asked, "How's school going?"

"Boring," Yumehiko replied, poking at his food. "I can solve high school problems, and the kids are too much. They like to play in the mud and cry over every little thing. Can't I just be homeschooled?"

His mother interrupted him, her tone firm but gentle. "No can do. School is an important phase of life. It doesn't just teach you to study; it teaches you about friendship, competition, and so much more. You should make some friends, Hiko. You've started junior school, but you still don't have any friends. I don't want you to be a loner."

Yumehiko felt a pang of guilt at the sadness in his mother's eyes. "I... I have a friend," he said quickly.

"An imaginary friend?" his father asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yumehiko blushed slightly. "So what? A friend is a friend."

His mother sighed. "Hiko, can you promise me you'll make a real friend? If you do, I'll let you join the kendo training center you've been asking about."

Yumehiko's eyes lit up. "Really, Mother? Just one friend? I'll make ten if I have to! Don't back out when the time comes!"

His mother smiled warmly. "I won't back out. You have my word."

As Yumehiko continued eating, his mind raced with plans. How do I make a friend? It wasn't that he couldn't, but being around other children was exhausting. Still, for the sake of his dream of learning swordsmanship, he'd do it.

Late Night, Yumehiko's Room

As he lay in bed that night, Yumehiko reflected on his progress. His Curse Technique, Ethereal Essence Drain, had become second nature to him. It allowed him to separate from his body in an astral form, observing people's dreams and emotions. He had even noticed that cursed spirits produced emotions too, albeit less than humans. They were like natural sources of negative energy, and he had taken to hunting low-level cursed spirits around his school, growing accustomed to the grim task.

"It's 2002," Yumehiko mused, staring at the ceiling. "Various things should be happening now. Kenjaku possessing Itadori's mother, the birth of Maki and Mai, and Megumi's birth. None of it affects me right now, though. I need to focus on becoming stronger, so one day, I can beat the crap out of Sukuna."

He grinned at the thought, imagining himself pummeling Sukuna into submission. The thought was so satisfying that he couldn't help but laugh aloud, his expression turning slightly manic. If anyone saw him now, they'd probably be traumatized.

4 years later

Time passes quickly, he thought, his mind drifting to the future. It's 2006 already—the start of everything. If I want to change something, it has to be now. If things play out like in the manga, I won't be able to change much later. Saving Riko might not alter the timeline too drastically, but who knows what could happen? If I survive, I'll definitely end up on Kenjaku's radar. It's better to stay out of it for now.

His thoughts returned to his progress over the past four years. "As promised, I made a friend—a girl, actually. Not a girlfriend, just a friend who happens to be a girl. And I joined a dojo, just a normal one. I only needed a teacher for the basics. After that, I can use my points to improve."

Over the years, Yumehiko had focused intensely on increasing his constitution. It had paid off. Not only did it make his body stronger, but it also increased his curse energy reserves automatically. "A stronger container can hold more," he thought. "It's like my life level is increasing, and that helps a lot."

As he lay in bed, Yumehiko's thoughts turned to the future. "How should I go about joining Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College? It's still early, but I need real battles now. That's the only way to get stronger and prepare for what's coming."