Chapter 5

Kakine stared at the strange man with wary eyes. The man was odd, to say the least, especially his striking blue eyes that seemed to penetrate Kakine's very being. It was an eerie feeling, being observed by the older man, as if he were analyzing details about him in a way that even Kakine didn't think of. His presence was both unsettling and intriguing, making Kakine feel a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"As flattering as that sounds," Kakine replied with a smooth voice, smirking back at the arrogant man, "I'm gonna have to pass." The white-haired male tilted his head with an amused smile. "Sorry, but you're not my type," Kakine continued, not sounding sorry in the least, "so I'm gonna have to bid you, adieu."

"Aw! Really?" the man pouted, his demeanor shifting from dangerous to playful in an instant. "And I was hoping I could at least get your name before I have to beat you to a pulp."

Kakine let out a short, curt yet genuine laugh. It was absurd to hear yet another moron proclaim themselves powerful enough to hurt him, much less defeat him or even kill him. The sheer audacity of this man's confidence was almost entertaining.

"Something funny?" Satoru asked, tilting his head with a curious smile, his eyes never losing their intense gleam.

"Very," Kakine agreed, his smirk widening. "I can't keep count of how many idiots I've come across in the last—" he held up a free hand, mock counting with his fingers and wearing a fake contemplative look on his face, "—five days that keep bitching about killing me." He met Satoru's gaze with an arrogance that mirrored the older man's own confidence. "It's hilarious!"

Satoru's smile broadened, his expression a mix of amusement and intrigue. "Well, I must admit, you've got spunk. But you're a bit in over your head if you think you can pick a fight with me and win, kid." His tone was light, almost casual, but the underlying threat was clear.

Kakine's wings twitched in annoyance, his eyes narrowing. "I doubt your much older than myself," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Oh! And don't worry about me", he gave the man a fake close eyed smile, "cause you're too weak".

'Oh,' Satoru thought with glee, 'this is gonna be fun!' He chuckled softly, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that. But toughness alone won't save you from what's coming." He took a step forward, his presence growing more imposing. "Why don't you just hand over the kid and save us both some trouble?"

Kakine's grip on Index tightened protectively. "And why don't you back off before I make you?" he retorted, his voice filled with menace. "I'm not in the mood for games."

"Games?" Satoru slowly reached an arm up to the bandage he'd pulled down, lifting it back on his face. "Too bad, I've always had a knack for games." His voice was playful, but the tension in the air was palpable.

Kakine sneered, his wings twitching in agitation. "You think this is a game? You have no idea what you're dealing with."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," Satoru replied, his tone light and teasing.

A shuffle nearly broke the tension before Kakine acted quickly, expanding one of his wings and piercing the ground, missing Ivona by an inch.

The frightened woman, who had tried to sneak away, froze in fear just as Kakine gave her a short glance. "Don't you move, we're not done yet, bitch."

Satoru whistled, "Woah! Watch the temper, kid," he commented lightly, hands in his pockets, watching with no concern. "You're gonna get wrinkles at an early age, ya know!"

Kakine, who had his eyes trained on him, smirked. "Worry about yourself, geezer."

A visible tick made an appearance on the carefree man's brow as he forced a chuckle. "I'm not old, it's just genetics," he said, clearly referring to his outlandishly white hair.

Kakine chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "Genetics or not, you're still past your prime."

Satoru raised an eyebrow, his smile never faltering. "Past my prime? That's rich, coming from a kid who thinks he's invincible."

"Oh, I know I am," Kakine shot back, his wings flexing menacingly. "And you're about to find out just how wrong you are."

Satoru looked amused, "Then put the kid down and let's have at it, then."

Kakine's face hardened. "I think I'll keep her close, thanks."

This time Satoru's playful attitude completely disappeared. "My patience is running thin, kid," he said, a warning in his tone. "Hand over the kid and step away from the woman." Kakine could feel a shift in the atmosphere, a palpable tension in the air.

"I don't know what's going on," Satoru continued, ignoring Kakine's clear unease, "but I have a feeling that kid has something to do with it." Satoru, despite having his bandana covering his eyes once again, could see very well... the ominous energy leaking out of the child who was held tightly in the arms of the abnormal boy.

'My six eyes can see all forms and matter of Cursed Energy, but... this kid...' he eyed the skeptical boy with narrowed eyes, 'Rather than from him, Cursed Energy seems to surround him in a natural effect. Is it related to his technique?' His eyes went back to the child being hidden by the boy's wings.

'Another interesting thing about him,' Satoru smiled, 'I can question him after I bring him in.' Satoru didn't want to stay here anymore than he had to... there was something upsetting about this village, something that by just setting foot in here was leaving him sick to his stomach. It was concerning how little information his six eyes could tell him about that foreign energy that seemed to have somehow disappeared.

He glanced at the woman lying on the ground, dirt and mud caking her face alongside a fearful expression. 'I'm bringing in so many guests today... Hehe! Yaga's gonna give me an earful, but, oh well! Guess it can't be helped.'

Kakine watched Satoru closely, every muscle in his body tensed for a potential fight. He could feel Index's small hands clutching his shirt, her fear palpable against his chest. He knew that the man standing before him was no ordinary opponent. His instincts screamed danger, and he had learned long ago to trust his instincts.

"What's your deal, huh?" Kakine spat, his voice laced with irritation. "Why are you so interested in this kid?"

Satoru's smile didn't waver. "Call it professional curiosity. I can see that she's special, and I'd like to make sure she's safe."

"Safe?" Kakine scoffed. "From what? You?"

"From a lot of things," Satoru replied calmly. "Including you, if necessary."

A cold chill ran down Kakine's spine, a sensation he hadn't felt in years. It was as if the very air around him had thickened, pressing in on him from all sides. The one thing he had always prided himself on was his unparalleled strength, his ability to overcome any challenge that stood in his way. Yet, here he was, face-to-face with a man who seemed to effortlessly remind him of his greatest failure. The man's presence was almost hauntingly familiar, a stark reminder of the person he had always been compared to—someone who had overshadowed him his entire life.

Satoru's demeanor, his confidence, even the way he moved, all bore an unsettling resemblance to that other albino bastard Kakine couldn't stand. It made his blood boil, a seething rage bubbling just beneath the surface. The white hair, the cocky smirk, the piercing blue eyes—it was all too much. It was like looking into a twisted mirror, one that reflected all of his insecurities and shortcomings.

Kakine's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glow in them and with gritted teeth he growled, "you think you can protect her better than I can?"

Satoru's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "I know I can."

Those four words were the final straw.

Without warning, Kakine shot one of his wings forward at a speed that left Satoru momentarily speechless and on edge. "Woah!" Satoru exclaimed, though he didn't move an inch. Kakine's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell!?"

His wing had stopped a few inches away from Satoru's face, as if halted by some sort of invisible barrier. "Nice try, kid," Satoru praised in a mocking tone, a condescending look on his face. "But there's no getting past my barrier."

Despite his arrogant behavior, Satoru was genuinely impressed. If it hadn't been for his Infinity, Kakine's wing surely would have taken his head off. He had never encountered anyone with such astounding attack speed. 'He uses his wings to attack,' Satoru observed the young teen with keen eyes. 'And with how he's got that girl covered in another… I'm guessing he can use it to defend as well. Interesting.'

Kakine's wings quivered with barely contained rage, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief. "What the fuck is this?" he snarled, eyes blazing.

"Language! The kid's watching," Satoru chastises coolly, his gaze unwavering behind his bandana. "It's simply my technique, Infinity. Basically, nothing can touch me unless I allow it."

Kakine's frustration was palpable, his breath coming in sharp bursts. He launched another wing at Satoru, but once again, it stopped short, inches from Satoru's face. "This is getting old," Satoru commented, his smirk widening.

Kakine's mind raced. 'What the hell kind of ability creates an invisible barrier like that?' Despite his usual arrogance, he couldn't deny the frustration gnawing at him. His Dark Matter wings, capable of withstanding Railgun's powerful attacks and ripping through buildings with ease, had been stopped with little to no damage. 'My wings can take on Railgun's attacks head-on and demolish entire buildings in one blow. What kind of barrier can stop a straight shot attack without a scratch?'

He glanced down at Index, her small body trembling in his grasp. He couldn't afford to lose focus; the stakes were too high. The thought of failure gnawed at him, and the presence of this new opponent only intensified the pressure. He needed to think, to strategize, and most importantly, to protect Index. This wasn't just about him anymore.

Satoru's eyes gleamed with mischief. 'He's good at attacking, but can he defend as well as he thinks? I don't want to accidentally hurt the girl, but I need to push him a bit.' With a casual flick of his wrist, Satoru unleashed a small, controlled burst of red.

The space and air around seemed to push as a huge blast occurred.

Kakine barely had time to react. He shifted his wings, creating a protective barrier around Index. The cursed energy collided with his dark matter, dispersing harmlessly. Kakine's eyes narrowed. 'So, he wants to test me, huh?'

He could immediately tell that the man before him was holding back, with no real killing intent behind his attack… and that just pissed him off. "Cocky son of a bitch," he snarled, irritation evident in his voice. But then he smirked, eyes gleaming with determination. "That'll leave you dead."

Satoru's arrogant smile remained. "Yeah, been there, done that. Not a fan."

Lifting his hand, a ball of red energy began to materialize. The red aura surrounded the fallen debris and trees. With a mere twitch of his hand, the debris charged directly at Kakine at an incredible speed.

Without hesitation, Kakine took to the sky, dodging each flying projectile with remarkable agility. His wings moved with precision, guiding him through the air as he wove through the barrage of attacks. His eyes flickered every minute or so to the smirking man on the ground. 'If I'm gonna get a hit on this bastard… I've gotta figure out how his ability—no, his technique works.'

Kakine's mind raced as he analyzed the situation. Satoru's attacks seemed to manipulate the environment effortlessly, but what was the source of this power? He observed the way the red energy surrounded the debris, the precision with which it was directed. 'He's not just using brute force; there's a method to this. Something subtle yet powerful.'

Satoru's smirk widened as he watched the young teen swerve and soar in the sky, dodging every piece of debris and object Satoru threw at him, all the while protecting the child in his arms. He was more than a little intrigued. He'd never come across anyone who provided him with such vexing information. His six eyes gave him the ability to analyze the flow of cursed energy, and the information being delivered to him just by staring at the boy directly nearly had him putting his Reverse Cursed Technique on overdrive.

It was fascinating, to say the least. Even with his bandana on, he could still feel a severe headache coming just by focusing on the kid. "He's got unmatched potential in regard to his control over cursed energy… no matter how unrefined it may seem," he muttered to himself as he watched the vulgar boy attack him once again with another wing strike. "But his attacks are too predictable…" Only to be blocked by his Infinity once again, "too unoriginal."

Kakine's frustration grew with each failed attempt. He could see the smirk on Satoru's face, and it only fueled his determination to break through. 'There has to be a way to bypass that damned barrier,' he thought, his mind racing as he observed every detail, every nuance of Satoru's movements and reactions, 'Infinity, he called it… Why Infinity?'

The word echoed in Kakine's mind, teasing him with its simplicity and complexity. 'What does the word Infinity come to mind with this guy's barrier?'

Kakine needed to test the limits of Satoru's Infinity, to find any weaknesses or exceptions that could bypass the seemingly impenetrable barrier. 'As little as I know of his power, he knows even less of what I can do,' he thought, a plan beginning to form in his mind. With a sudden, explosive movement, his wings pierced the ground beneath him, sending a shockwave rippling through the terrain. The ground crumbled and quaked, the sheer force of the impact causing Gojo to stumble slightly in surprise. 'I'll use that to my advantage,' Kakine resolved.

Satoru's blue eyes glinted with interest as he watched through the dust and debris. The winged boy charged forward, his determination and raw power evident in every move. "Now that's some power," Satoru muttered aloud, his voice filled with genuine admiration. Despite the chaotic environment, he could see the potential in Kakine. The boy's attacks were unrefined, but there was a raw, untapped talent that could be honed into something extraordinary.

As the dust began to settle, Satoru continued to analyze Kakine's movements. He knew the boy was strong and, despite his inexperience, showed remarkable skill and adaptability. "To think I'd run into a gem like this, right after Okkotsu," he chuckled softly, the thought of another prodigy filling him with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Okkotsu had been a remarkable find, and now here was another potential powerhouse.

Kakine, sensing an opportunity, didn't waste any time. He pushed off the ground with incredible speed, his wings propelling him forward in a blur. His eyes locked onto Satoru, trying to discern any hint of vulnerability. As he closed the distance, he spread his wings wide, creating a barrier of dark matter around Index to protect her from the ensuing chaos.

"How long do you think you can keep this up, kid?" Satoru asked, his tone deceptively light. "It's not a problem for me with RCT, but you…" Kakine extended his wings once more, their dark, menacing shapes rippling with energy. "You're gonna keel over at this rate."

Kakine backed away from the man, his long bangs falling over his face, obscuring his expression. Satoru watched him carefully, a moment of silence stretching between them. 'Is he finally giving up?' Satoru wondered, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. He hadn't had a fight this interesting in a long time, but he didn't want to push the kid to his breaking point.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Satoru chirped, his voice taking on an arrogant yet cheerful lilt. His smile was wide, a blend of confidence and condescension, as he assumed the boy had finally seen reason.

Kakine's eyes glinted with a dangerous light as he began to speak, completely ignoring Satoru's taunt. "I knew a guy," he started, causing Satoru to frown childishly at being dismissed so easily.

"He was strong… nobody thought he could ever be defeated, and for some reason… he and I were always being compared."

Satoru's frown deepened, turning contemplative. 'Is he talking about me? No… this seems more personal.'

"Until someone did," Kakine continued, his voice taking on a bitter edge. "I don't know who it was exactly, but he was considered the weakest guy around." Kakine looked up at Satoru, and the expression on his face was… unnerving. It was neither cruel nor kind, but rather, it was completely apathetic. "And it pissed me off… how could someone weaker than me… beat the one guy I'd always been told was better than me?"

Index was silently staring up at Kakine with strange eyes. She showed neither pity nor understanding; she was just silently listening with no judgment. "But… now," Kakine began slowly, a small smile appearing on his face, "I think I get it… why I always got beat, why I always failed where he didn't."

He looked Satoru in the eyes, his gaze piercing. "Because I was too similar to you."

Satoru was silent for a moment, his lips pursed as he processed Kakine's words. Then he smirked, his confidence undiminished. "Sounds like quite a story," he grinned, arrogance pouring out of his very being. "You can tell me all about it on the way back, kay?"

Kakine's smirk turned darker, more sinister. The air around them seemed to thicken with tension, the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on them. "If you can make it back alive, that is!"

The hairs on the back of Satoru's neck stood up just as a burning, rotten smell filled the air.

BANG!!

A stinging sensation erupted on Satoru's forehead. He reached up, touched the spot, and pulled his hand back to see what he'd been suspecting but still couldn't quite believe.

Blood! And not just anyone's blood… it was his blood!

Gojo Satoru, the invincible, untouchable sorcerer, was bleeding. He couldn't help the short, curt laugh that escaped his lips.

'Holy fuck, did I underestimate this punk,' Satoru thought, a grin spreading across his face. The warm trickle of blood from his forehead was a stark reminder of the impossible—someone had managed to bypass his Infinity. 'How the hell did he get past my Infinity?'

Kakine smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of satisfaction and malevolence. "I'll admit…" he began, drawing Satoru's attention with a casual arrogance that belied the tension in the air. Satoru glanced up at him, curiosity mingling with his usual confidence. "Your barrier's pretty strong… but it's not invulnerable."

Satoru's smile faltered for a brief moment, replaced by a flicker of genuine surprise. 'He figured out a weakness in Infinity?'

Kakine's smirk widened, revealing sharp canines that gleamed ominously. "The whole time you were throwing rocks and twigs at me… I was testing how to break through. Wanna guess what I discovered?" His voice was dripping with smug satisfaction, his eyes fixed on Satoru with an intensity that sent a shiver down the sorcerer's spine. Satoru returned the gaze with a weary yet excited grin, sensing a formidable challenge ahead.

"Your barrier can only stop physical attacks," Kakine declared, his words hanging in the air like a death sentence. Satoru's eyes widened in realization, the gears in his mind spinning rapidly. 'His power… is more than just his wings!'

Kakine's smirk grew even more pronounced, his confidence unshakeable. "If that barrier stopped everything, then… you'd have a hard time breathing without oxygen, right?" The rhetorical question hung in the air, laden with a deadly implication.

The landscape around them was a chaotic blend of shattered ground and swirling dust, the aftermath of their intense skirmish. The acrid scent of burnt earth mingled with the metallic tang of blood, creating an atmosphere thick with tension. Satoru's mind raced, analyzing the boy's every word and action. 'He's right,' Satoru thought, his excitement growing despite the danger. 'My Infinity selectively filters out harmful matter and energy. If he's figured out a way to bypass that...'

The wind began to blow harder and harder, whipping around the battlefield with a ferocity that mirrored the escalating tension between the two combatants. The dust and debris kicked up by their clash swirled chaotically, creating an almost impenetrable haze. Satoru's eyes, hidden beneath his bandana, were keenly focused on the boy before him. 'This kid… is more dangerous than I thought!' he realized, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Satoru's thoughts raced as he assessed the situation. 'He's not just powerful; he's smart. He figured out a flaw in my Infinity that no one else had ever noticed before, not even me!' The realization was both thrilling and concerning. Satoru's usual cocky demeanor was tempered by a newfound respect for the teenager who stood against him.

The landscape around them was a testament to their power. Trees were uprooted, rocks shattered, and the earth itself seemed to bear the scars of their titanic struggle. The acrid scent of burnt earth mingled with the metallic tang of blood, creating an atmosphere thick with tension and anticipation.

Kakine's eyes never wavered from Satoru, the glint of calculated strategy gleaming within them. "You think you can keep me at bay with that barrier of yours?" he taunted, his voice cutting through the howling wind like a knife. "Let's see how long you can last."

Satoru's grin returned, but it was edged with a seriousness that hadn't been there before. "You're welcome to try, kid," he replied, his tone a blend of challenge and excitement. The thrill of the fight coursed through him, sharpening his senses and heightening his awareness. This wasn't just another skirmish; it was a true test of his abilities.