The Cost of Happiness

Part 1

NOTE: THIS IS BEFORE SUKUNA AND GOJO FIGHT AND IS ALTERNATE FROM THE MAIN STORY TIMELINE.

Rage. When you stop all rational thinking. When something seems to take control of your body. When the world suddenly stops you can only focus upon one thing. That was the emotion running through Itadori Yuji's veins. He hadn't wanted much in life. The only thing he wished for was a "proper death" and for others to have the same. He wanted people to surround him at his burial, he wanted his good friends to carry on his will and build better lives for themselves. But now that dream was out the window and the thing responsible for it was right before him.

"You...you...YOU!" Yuji screamed out at the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. "What about me, brat?" Yuji slowly sat up from his seated position, his head still pointed towards the ground. "You really don't have any empathy, do you? You don't care about all the people you've killed, the lives ruined, or the destruction left in your wake." Sukuna didn't answer and instead began to smile at the pink-haired boy. "You're no King of Curses," Yuji spat out, venom laced in his voice. "You're the devil himself."

"What took you so long to notice." The curse threw back his head, and his laughs seemed to echo throughout Yuji's mind. It played endlessly as if to further torment him. All in an instant, Yuji's mind broke and then reformed itself. His old ideals and beliefs are now replaced with pure hatred for his previous tenant. His vision seemed to blur and all he could think of was a million ways to kill what was currently in front of him.

Rising to his feet, Yuji didn't say a word before he disappeared. "AHAHAHHAHAH-!" Sukuna's laughter was cut off as a fist lodged itself in his stomach. "BLACK FLASH!" Sukuna is sent flying backward, leaving a small crater in the unfortunate building which stops his momentum. It wasn't done yet though, as he felt a foot connect with his jaw sending him up alongside the building. Flipping himself and digging his feet into the building's side, Sukuna once again is given no time to breathe as Yuji already has another attack prepared. This time hitting his chest with another black flash before dissolving into a volley of punches and kicks.

One strong downward kick ends it off, causing Sukuna to fall through the building making it collapse. Yuji balances on one of the detached sides of the building, before using it to propel himself downward toward the freefalling curse. Slamming his fist into him, red sparks erupt sending Sukuna plummeting to the ground. As he slams into the floor, Yuji once again hits Sukuna with a drop kick however this time, the curse narrowly avoids it before delivering his own kick to the protagonist's back.

Both pink hairs stand up, once more glaring at each other. Putting both hands together, Sukuna witnesses Yuji's eyes slightly widen as he chants out his infamous words."Ryoiki Tenkai" In an instant, the atmosphere around Yuji changed drastically, the collapsing building now replaced with a void of black nothingness. The sounds of falling rubble were replaced with nothing but silence. The previous rage seemingly gave out to the new eerie atmosphere. The only thing present is a throne, occupied by his opponent. "Any last words... boy." "GO TO HELL!" With that final exchange, Sukuna flicked his wrist and that was the end of Itadori Yuji. At least, it should have been.

Yuji lay there. The previous void of black was replaced by a void of white. It felt like the sands of time had completely stopped for him as hours turned into days and days turned into weeks of nothing. 'Was this some sort of punishment?' During this period, the only thing Yuji had to comfort him was the thought of happy times with his friends. Yuji wanted so bad to give in to the thoughts nagging at the back of his mind and go and join those he'd lost. But he couldn't, who would be there to protect everyone else, Yuji knew this was his destiny.

"Such a troubled soul." The voice rang out all across the space seemingly echoing. "Who's there?" Yuji called out in an assertive tone. No answer. "Hello?" Again no answer. He must be hallucinating. As Yuji lay back down in his prison, the voice rang out once again. "You wish to restart don't you?" Yuji was back on his feet in an instant fists raised. "No need for violence child." The voice seemed to be coming from behind him. Turning around revealed a HUGE man with tan skin. He had long red hair styled into a ponytail which flowed down his back. His kimono had the kanji for "chaos" and "negative" all down his left and right sleeves respectively. "Who are you?" the confused teen asked.

"There is no need to answer that question, it will all make sense soon enough." The man replied in a monotone voice. "What the hell does that mean?" "Like I said before, it will all make sense soon enough." Yuji gritted his teeth in frustration. "So are you here just to give cryptic messages or are you going to relay something actually useful?" The man simply stared at Yuji, not providing a clear answer. Yuji was about to start yelling at the man before the space of white started to have little spacial streaks.

"Well, looks like we are about out of time." "WHAT DO YOU MEAN OUT OF TIME, WE DIDN'T EVEN-" The pink-haired teen's sentence was cut off as the spacial streaks started to rapidly accelerate. The room he previously stood in seemed to blur before completely vanishing. He felt his brain beginning to go numb. "Can't...pass...out must... stay...awake!" All of his efforts were for nothing, as he began falling to the ground unconscious. The last thing present in his mind was the emotionless man.