chapter 34: the WHAT mission?

Zack POV

July 20th, Tokyo Jujutsu Tech 11:00 AM

scene:The past week had been a whirlwind of missions and training.

Nobara, Megumi, and I had tackled a series of cursed spirit incidents, each encounter pushing us to refine our techniques and deepen our understanding of cursed energy and the use thereof.

Nobara had mastered her Resonance technique to an acceptable degree, her straw doll constructs now imbued with a variety of devastating effects, from electrifying shocks to explosive blasts.

She even added material specific effects which were excessively effective depending on how hard the material was able to be mimicked.

Copper straw was good with large amounts of electric discharges, silver even had cursed energy draining effects that Nobara could then use for herself.

Megumi had expanded his arsenal of shadows, he added a few bird-like shadows of a large size.

I even helped him with the speed of his controlled divine dogs.

Miu's Domain had grown in complexity and potency, the interplay between her Asura and Buddha constructs creating a battlefield where sin was punished and virtue rewarded.

She had a few tricks added to buff allies that are also in the domain.

As for myself, I had delved deeper into the integration of Ki with cursed energy, unlocking new ways to enhance my physical abilities and augment my martial arts techniques.

The training with Gojo, while often frustrating due to his playful taunts and unorthodox methods, had proven invaluable in pushing me beyond my limitations.

Today, however, marked a shift in the dynamics of our group.

According to Gojo, Yuji Itadori, the vessel of Sukuna and our missing teammate, was finally returning to Jujutsu Tech after a period of intensive training with him.

We gathered in the common area, each of us occupied with our own tasks.

Nobara was sprawled on a couch, flipping through a fashion magazine, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Megumi sat at a table, meticulously cleaning his cursed tools, a pair of tonfa I encouraged him to get to help him with close combat.

his gaze fixed on the task at hand.

Miu paced restlessly, her eyes occasionally darting towards the entrance, a flicker of anticipation crossing her features.

I leaned against a wall, arms crossed, observing the scene with a contemplative frown.

Yuji's return would undoubtedly impact our dynamic, adding another layer of complexity to our already intricate relationships.

While I was curious to see his progress, a part of me couldn't shake the feeling of unease surrounding what I was going to do about Sukuna within him.

The door slid open, and Yuji stepped into the room, his face beaming with a wide grin.

"Hey, guys!" he exclaimed, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "I'm back!"

Miu glanced at him briefly before returning her attention to her pacing.

I offered a small nod of acknowledgment, my gaze lingering on him for a moment before turning back to my observations of the room.

Megumi continued cleaning his tools, seemingly oblivious to Yuji's arrival.

"Oh look! It's pink potato eyes!" Nobara exclaimed, as she flipped a page in her magazine, not even bothering to look up.

Yuji's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, his enthusiasm undeterred.

He began to recount his experiences training with Gojo, his words tumbling out in an excited rush.

I could tell he was just irritating everyone in here, so I tried to get him to slow down.

"Yuji, you're talking too fast, why don't you sit down and just tell us how the training went."

Yuji came over to the other couch, and sat. "Alright. So, first Gojo forced me to watch a ton of movies, some good, some really dankly bad and most so bad that they were actually good and even if they were they really-"

"Oh my god, get to the point!" Nobara exclaimed.

Yuji gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. "Gojo made me watch movies while channeling cursed energy.

The moment I stopped, I got punched by a shikigami in the shape of an anthropomorphic spotted dog."

He shrugged, "I had to keep attention on both the movie and my cursed energy at the same time for 6 hours straight in order to pass. It took me a while. The last 2 days were just martial arts."

"Sounds interesting." I said.

"Sounds easy." Nobara said, going back to her magazine.

Miu and Megumi weren't paying attention.

Miu was twirling cursed energy into complex shapes, and Megumi was cleaning his tonfa still.

I shrugged and stood up.

"Alright, this is just stupid. We need to do some team bonding! Let's all go to the arcade and then get something for lunch. Then we'll do something else. Maybe practice hitting some baseballs with the enhanced speed one when we get back." I exclaimed.

"Sounds good,"/"alrighty then,"/ "Fine."/ "Hey that sounds like fun! I just got back so definitely!"

We filed out of the common area, a motley crew of Jujutsu sorcerers on a mission of leisure. The summer sun beat down on us as we walked, the air thick with humidity.

Miu and I fell into step beside each other, our conversation a comfortable murmur as we discussed our recent training progress.

"That new Ki-infused grappling technique you showed me yesterday was impressive," Miu commented, a hint of admiration in her voice. "It's like you become a living vortex, pulling the dummies with a vortex of hands and just launching them everywhere! It was cool."

I grinned, pleased with her praise. "It's still a work in progress, but I think it has potential. Especially when combined with my cursed energy."

"Speaking of Domains," Miu continued, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "I've been working on a new set of mechanics for my domain that should give us a significant advantage in battle. Just wait until you see it."

Our conversation was interrupted by Yuji's shouting voice from behind us.

"Hey, did I tell you guys about the time Gojo-sensei made me watch a movie marathon while maintaining my cursed energy flow? It was insane! He had this shikigami shaped like a giant dog that would knock me on my ass every time I lost focus."

Miu and I exchanged a glance, a silent acknowledgment of Yuji's persistent attempts to insert himself into our conversations.

"Yes, you just said that in the break room." I deadpanned.

We offered polite smiles and noncommittal murmurs, but our focus remained on each other.

Nobara, trailing behind us, chimed in with a sarcastic quip. "Sounds like a real challenge, Itadori. I'm surprised you managed to survive without blowing up the entire training ground and dying. So dangerous, watching movies on the couch. Much danger. Very bad."

Yuji chuckled good-naturedly, undeterred by her teasing. "Hey, I'm getting better at this Jujutsu stuff! Gojo-sensei even said I have the potential to become a powerful sorcerer."

Megumi, who had been walking silently beside Nobara, spoke up for the first time, his voice a low monotone. "Potential is meaningless without discipline and control. Don't let your arrogance get the better of you, Itadori."

Yuji's smile faltered momentarily, but he quickly recovered, his optimism seemingly unshakeable. "Don't worry, Fushiguro, I'm not getting cocky. I just know that with hard work and training, I can become strong enough to help you guys out."

Megumi merely grunted in response, his gaze returning to the path ahead.

The awkward silence that followed was broken by the rumble of an approaching train. We boarded in silence, each settling into our own thoughts as the train rattled towards the Tokyo city streets where a large multi-story arcade was.

We quickly entered the arcade and bought a sack full of tokens.

We moved towards the game area.The cacophony of the arcade hit us like a wave as we stepped off the train and into the bustling entertainment center.

The air vibrated with the rhythmic thump of music, the excited shouts of players, and the electronic symphony of countless games vying for attention.

"Alright, team," I announced, a playful smirk tugging at my lips. "Time to unleash our gamer powers and show these machines who's boss."

Miu's eyes sparkled with competitive fire. "Challenge accepted, Zack. I'll be the one who racks up the highest scores."

We surveyed the array of games, our gazes drawn to the flashing lights and pulsating rhythms of the Dance Dance Revolution machine.

A mischievous grin spread across Miu's face.

"DDR? Feeling nostalgic, are we?" I teased.

Miu raised an eyebrow, her challenge clear. "Think you can keep up?" she countered, a playful glint in her eyes.

I chuckled. "Hardly. Prepare to be schooled, Furinji."

We stepped onto the platforms, the familiar arrows scrolling down the screen.

The music kicked in as I selected a high-energy track I recognized from Touhou that demanded precise footwork and lightning-fast reflexes on maximum difficulty.

We moved in sync, hitting every combo perfectly.

Nobara, who had been watching with amusement, "Come on, Miu! Show him who's queen of the dance floor!" she yelled, her eyes sparkling.

"Don't worry Nobara!" I called out, "I'll be the king and you can be my consort."

The cheers and shouts of onlookers was amusing. At our levels playing DDR on any difficulty was an automatic win for us.

It's not like people who can dodge sniper bullets would ever be challenged by a dancing machine made for humans with human limits.

our bodies moving in a blur of coordinated steps. We were obviously using super-human speed at this point but the onlookers didn't seem to notice.

Meanwhile, Megumi and Yuji had found themselves drawn to a two-player shoot-em-up game.

Megumi, with his calm focus and strategic mind, expertly navigated his spaceship through waves of enemy fire, while Yuji's enthusiastic button-mashing resulted in a more chaotic, yet surprisingly effective, approach.

"Whoa, Fushiguro, you're a natural at this!" Yuji exclaimed, his eyes glued to the screen as he unleashed a barrage of laser blasts.

Megumi offered a small, satisfied smirk. "It's just a matter of observation and anticipation," he replied, his fingers moving effortlessly across the controls. "Predicting your opponent's moves is key to victory."

As the game progressed, their initial awkwardness gave way to a sense of camaraderie. They coordinated their attacks, in-game and were clearly having fun.

When the excitement of the arcade began to wane, and as our stomachs rumble in unison, reminding us of the need to refuel, I spoke.

"Alright, team, time to trade pixels for protein. Sushi, anyone?"

A chorus of enthusiastic agreement followed, and we exited the arcade, the bright lights and cacophony of sounds fading into the background as we stepped back into the relative calm of the Tokyo streets.

We soon found ourselves at a cozy sushi restaurant with a conveyor belt system winding its way through the dining area.

Colorful plates laden with various sushi creations paraded past us, each adorned with a tag indicating its price and level of extravagance.

We settled into our seats, grabbing plates that caught our eye and stacking the empty ones in front of us, a testament to our growing appetites.

Yuji, ever eager to break the ice and join the conversation, turned to Nobara with a curious glint in his eyes. "So, Kugisaki, what kind of missions have you guys been on while I was away training with Gojo-sensei?"

Nobara popped a piece of salmon nigiri into her mouth, savoring the flavor before answering. "Oh, you know, the usual curse-hunting stuff. Haunted houses, creepy forests, abandoned buildings... the typical haunts of those freaky curses."

Miu chuckled. "There was that one incident with the cursed vending machine that kept dispensing rotten food and creepy crawlies. That was... interesting."

I shuddered, recalling the grotesque sight and the putrid stench of the cursed snacks. "Definitely not a mission I'm eager to repeat."

Yuji's eyes widened with a mix of disgust and fascination. "Whoa, a cursed vending machine? That's messed up! How did you guys solve it?"

Megumi, who had been silently devouring a plate of tuna sashimi, finally spoke up, his voice a low monotone. "Of course we solved it. It was a simple matter of destroying the cursed object that was powering it."

Nobara grinned. "Yeah, and let's just say those cursed snacks made for some pretty effective uses. Especially when combined with my Resonance technique."

She smiled sadistically in Yuji's direction, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's just say those curses got a taste of their own medicine."

Yuji now had sweat rolling down his face but let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Sounds like you guys have been busy. I can't wait to get out there and start contributing to the team."

"Just don't get in our way, Itadori," Megumi muttered, his gaze returning to his sushi.

Miu nudged him playfully. "Lighten up, Fushiguro. We're a team now, remember? We need to learn to work together."

Megumi grunted noncommittally.

Nobara noticed Megumi's inability to accept Yuji as he is and butted in, "Do I need to remind you that I had to save your ass on our first mission? Give him a chance!"

"What about the forest you mentioned?" Yuji asked.

We all froze.

"We don't talk about the spider-fucker mission." it was Megumi who spoke.

He turned his gaze to Nobara. "Uhh-"

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT!"

Suddenly my appetite was gone.

We paid and Yuji was confused but happily ignorant of the horrors we experienced on july 18th.