Bits and Pieces (Jujutsu Kaisen AU)

Chapter 1-14

Life 2005: Suguru

"A little girl. How unfortunate." Akuma said.

After such a cruel display of power, Vanji and Toya got the person to talk. But what he told us only made our jobs harder. The curse user we were targeting had kidnapped a little girl with a powerful technique and was planning on selling her. Vanji had not only interrogated the man, she killed him afterward. Then, she casually called Akuma as if her actions were typical. Was everyone at their school so cold-blooded?

"The plan doesn't change. Stick to the plan to find the curse user and kill them." Akuma said calmly.

Vanji hung up the phone before looking at us. I couldn't agree with just going after the curse user and killing them. There were still lives at stake, and I couldn't bring myself to forget about those lives.

"Let's regroup with the others. We'll figure out what to do from there." Vanji said.

We met up at the airport where we arrived. The last thing we wanted was to get innocence involved, but with the way Vanji handled things earlier, I was starting to think that there was no such thing as caring for others with her. Our original plan was to have a few of us get captured by the group so we could at least have some eyes on the inside. But with the risk of not knowing how the curse user's technique worked, we could set ourselves up for failure.

"Let's think about it. A technique that can activate other techniques." Vanji said as she checked her gun. "What possible ways could a technique work like that?"

"We already ruled out that if they know a person's technique, they can activate it. Which seems like the most logical." Toya said.

"They could activate it through touch. Like a technique that works around the soul. They can activate an innate technique from there if they touch a person's soul." Shoko said.

"Or maybe it's something to do with sounds and voices. Like snake eyes and fangs." Lieko said.

"Now you're just making things up," Gojo complained.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas. Your eyes can't tell what we're dealing with. Can they." Leiko snared.

"I can't judge what I can't see." He retorted.

"It may revolve around the mind," Vanji said.

We all looked at her, seeing that she was still making sure her gun was alright. She then finally looked at us.

"What makes you say that?" Viva asked.

"Based on previous reports. The curse user we're after imbued their cursed energy into normal things. Knives, stoves. You know, Items people need more than they want. But how would they activate something imbued with their cursed energy if they were nowhere near it?" Vanji asked. "The only thing I can think of is that it deals with the mind. That would let them active any technique from afar."

Vanji's reasoning was sound, but that didn't help us entirely. We still had no way of finding them or taking them down. If their technique revolved around the mind, there's no telling how much they could do.

"That or their technique works on a timer," Toya said.

"That is possible," Utahime said. "So, what do we do?"

"Send someone in. That was the plan from the start. However, with so many possibilities, it's best not to send our strongest players. We can't risk the enemy having control of their technique." Vanji suggested.

"Then I'll go," Gojo stated.

"Were you not listening? She said not to send in our strongest player." I spoke.

"Does it matter? No matter how their technique works, they don't stand a chance once I figure out who they are."

"Do me a favor, stop thinking with your technique, and think with that brain of yours if you have one," Vanji said.

Utahime snickered slightly but tried to keep quiet.

"We aren't sending you Satoru. However, our enemy made it clear they're only after special grades. And I doubt they'll take anyone, but. So, you're going, Suguru." Vanji said.

"Me?"

The group that worked with the curse user was known for working better at night. That's when they found people wanting to buy the things they sold and, as recently, where they found people to sell. We stayed near the airport, relatively close to all the locations they had spotted. Mei Mei was watching with her technique while the others were getting some rest. I couldn't sleep, though. Not with the thought of having to get caught. No, getting caught wasn't the issue. The issue was having to kill someone simply for their actions. I didn't want that blood on my hands.

"Resting is usually essential before missions like this," Toya said as he walked over to me.

I was out in the hallway, sitting against the wall. Toya sat to my left, keeping his smile and unbothered demeanor.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" I asked.

"I'm not the one going undercover, or getting kidnapped, or whatever term we're using here." He chuckled.

"You're so off. There are lives at stake here."

"And?" Toya said as he rested his head on the palm of his hand and glared at me.

"What do you mean? There's nothing to explain."

"Jujutsu society doesn't revolve around protecting lives, Suguru. You're a fool for thinking that."

I couldn't help but lightly glare at him for saying that. How could he even think that?

"Then what does it revolve around?" I asked.

"Nothing." Toya chuckled. "You special grades are so odd when it comes to that. Yuki wants to teach non-sorcerers how to control their curse energy to limit the number of curses created. Satoru thinks that as one of the strongest, he can do whatever he pleases and that anyone weaker is just that. Weak. And then there's you. Caring and loving Suguru." Toya said. I felt a shiver go down my spine as his voice changed when speaking about me.

"You paint the world in a mild shade of black and white. It's almost like a dark gray and a light gray. Sorcerers exist to protect the weak. Come on, that's so...foolish."

I wanted to say something, but his tone was giving me chills. Even if I was listening to him a bit, his tone scares me, not his words. Toya reached out gently, placing his index finger under my chin to make me look at him.

"I'm curious. What makes you think the world is so complex? Sorcerers exist. That's it. Just like humans exist and do whatever they want with life. We're no different. We don't have to be weak or strong or help others become even a fraction of what we're like. There is no putting their lives before our own entirely. That's what a fool does."

I didn't want to hear him talk anymore. Who would say such a thing. The strong protected the weak. Otherwise, what's the point of jujutsu. I clenched my fist tightly as if holding onto the belief. Toya was just trying to talk me out of for whatever reason.

He laughed faintly, which sent a shiver down my spine as I turned to look at him.

"I, for one, would love to see what you do when you paint the world in black and white."