Cursed Eyes (Itachi in JJk)

The car came to a slow stop, and without giving the driver any attention, Jiki opened the door and stepped out. He tilted his head as he looked around. As far as his eyes could see, the landscape was natural: rolling fields of green with the occasional rocky outcrop.

He took a deep breath, and this far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the air felt pure in a way that could hardly be put into words. Shrine maidens, stayed in their secluded shrines not necessarily hidden from the world, but often in places like these. Their isolation was supposedly a mark of dedication, living so close to nature and away from the world's distractions, guarding against curses in solemn service.

A refreshing breeze blew, and the instruments hung on the massive red torii gates in front of him jingled and whistled. Jiki straightened out his clothes, then took his first step past the gates. The moment his feet crossed the gate, he felt a sense of peace and calm, as though he had been wrapped in a soft cotton cloth, a gentle embrace pressing into him.

A heartbeat later, Jiki discarded the sensation and tensed up. His whole body and senses shifting to alert. He searched internally first, looking for any foreign malicious cursed energy signature, but he could find nothing. His cursed energy continued to flow smoothly, with no hiccups or foreign presence. So what was that?

"Welcome."

A small voice rang out, breaking Jiki's introspection as he turned to face its origin. It was a girl, younger than him, and if he had to place her age, maybe ten. Black hair, and pale skin. They were common features that could be found in just about any regular person residing on their island nation. Her eyes were closed as she bowed, her scarlet red hakama touching the ground for a moment, and when she raised her head once more, and she gave him a bright smile.

"Senior Maiden Utahime-san informed us of your arrival. I am honored to be the first person to greet the scion of she that illuminates the Heavens."

Jiki gave a curt and appropriate bow reflexively in response, his mind churning over her words. The girl was no sorcerer, so she could not be the reason for the eerie feeling of comfort he had nearly succumbed to the moment he entered. A barrier then. One of Master Tengen's creations no doubt.

"I was told the head Miko requested my presence."

The girl nodded, then gestured at the road ahead of them and began to walk, confident that Jiki would follow, so he did. Only then did she resume speaking. "The Head Miko is aged and slow to rouse, but I'm sure she has been awoken. Although it would be some time yet before she is able to finish her preparations to see you, so I have been given leave to direct you to Utahime-san first."

Jiki nodded in response as they walked up the mountain road. The path was worn and weathered. Whatever bricks were used to pave the road had withstood the test of time, coupled with the no-doubt generous amount of care and maintenance that the shrine maidens had observed on the road.

The walk was cut short when they came upon another gate, this one more common, made of wood and barring the Shrine from outsiders. The girl walked up to it and knocked, then a voice rang out, "Who comes forth?"

"A maiden of she that illuminates the Heavens, as well as her Will Manifested."

There was a brief pause, during which even Jiki processed the words again. So the girl had not misspoken earlier when she called him a scion. A loud creak was the reply to her words as the doors were slowly pulled open on both sides, wide enough for them to pass through.

The girl walked forward and Jiki followed a few steps behind. When they passed the gates, he glanced briefly to the sides at the two people who had opened the gates. The pair of women were older than the girl in front of him, clad in a white kosode and matching red hakama as all shrine maidens did, but that was where the similarities ended, for unlike the child that acted as his guide, the two women were sorcerers, Grade Two sorcerers, he judged from a glance at their output.

Unlike what he expected, the courtyard he walked into held only a single building. A small one that could barely house two people. The girl must have felt his gaze on her back because she turned slightly, acknowledging his unasked question.

"Apologies, but everyone must undergo a purification before they can step into the shrine completely, It is an act that not even your mandate as Her Will absolves you of." Her tone held a note of sadness, the weight of duty pressing, overriding her desire to simply let him through.

"It's alright," he replied. The simplicity of his words brought a small smile to her face, which made the scene happening behind him all the more interesting. He sensed the two older women watching him, their gazes sharp and assessing. Whatever reverence the girl had for him was not shared by them, at least not in full.

He refocused back on the shrine. This might be the first time he was doing this as Gojo Jiki, but not as Uchiha Itachi, and while he had never been particularly religious, it was difficult to feign complete apathy or atheism when your eyes were so heavily linked with the gods in his past life.

Call It an Uchiha's pride, but it was no mystery that the name of each technique complimented their abilities too much for simple coincidence.

Without further hesitation, he walked past her and stepped into the purification area. The space was simple yet serene, with a stone basin filled with clear, cool water glistening in the sunlight. Jiki approached the basin, feeling the stares digging further into his back. He paused for a moment, centering himself in the present while he allowed the memories to watch over him, and finally with a breath he began the rites.

He dipped his hands into the water, ignoring its chill as he rinsed them thoroughly. Then he took another deep breath, focusing on the act of cleansing, both physically and spiritually. With each splash, he imagined washing away any impurities or negative energy clinging to him.

Next, he cupped his hands to draw water, bringing it to his lips. As he swirled it around, he recited a silent prayer before he spit the water back into the basin. The next act was the true act of purification.

Jiki reached for the small container of salt that rested nearby, then sprinkled it into the water. "May the spirits find solace here," he murmured. His quiet words were carried on the wind, spreading farther than they should have.

Finally, he turned toward the shrine, bowing deeply in an act of respect for the shrine's patron Kami. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then whispered, "Guide me, and give me what I seek."

There was a subtle change in the air; he sensed the hair on his forearms, neck, and head prickle and rise in alertness. Then he felt that sensation again: a heat without fire, comforting and warm, a hug without arms, loving and tender. Unlike the first time, he quelled his instinct to brush it away, allowing himself to relax just a tiny bit.

He allowed himself to forget his worries, fears, and troubles just for that moment, and he felt peace.

Jiki opened his eyes and met the gaze of the girl who had watched him silently. She had the brightest smile he had seen in a long time, sheer joy written across her face. He turned to the two women, who stared at him in shock; then their expressions softened as they offered shallow bows, more respectful than the first time.

"Thank you," he said, his voice steady. With the purification behind him, he turned back to the girl, who made a visible effort to regain some level of solemnity before gesturing past the purification area.

"Now, you can head into the gardens, where you can rest and recuperate."

Jiki nodded in response and followed her, this time walking past the small shrine and through another gate. This one was more lavishly decorated, but unlike the first, they didn't have to wait for someone to open it. The girl slipped out a key from her kosode and unlocked a small side entrance leading him further into the shrine.

They took a branching path to the left, arriving at a fine, well-maintained garden with colorful flowers and wooden tables and chairs with teapots and cups placed upon them. Without an invitation, Jiki walked to the closest table and sat down. "I will go and inform Utahime-san of your presence; please be at peace."

He nodded in response as the girl scurried off, visibly excited. Now that he was alone, he closed his eyes and began to think. The past few minutes had been strange, but after accepting the warmth, he found it hard to be truly worried. Instead, he folded his hands and waited until the sound of footsteps rang out minutes later.

Jiki opened his eyes to find Utahime Iori rushing down the cobblestone pathway he had taken, red-faced.

"You came in a hurry," he acknowledged, watching her try her hardest to recover from what looked like a full sprint. He stood up, pulled out the chair on the opposite side, and gestured for her to sit.

She blinked in surprise, so he spoke. "You should sit and rest; I am in no rush." A polite lie, but it would be inconsiderate to drag Utahime straight to the head miko when it looked like she ran the whole way here. He had waited for weeks, a few minutes would change nothing.

She smiled in response before sitting down with a muttered word of thanks. Jiki sat back and poured her a cup of the still-warm tea that had been set on the table.

She took the offered cup, gulped it down with a smile, then said, "I still wonder how you're related to that bastard, you're way to polite."

Jiki gave a thin smile in response. "Why were you in such a hurry?"

Utahime poured herself another cup, and only after she had downed the contents and sat back did she reply to him. "You really don't know what you did?" she asked with a raised brow.

Jiki's silence and pointed stare were his reply.

"A perfect purification ritual, done in the old ways, with all the steps done right, as well as the proper flow and rhythm in your cursed energy to make the ritual manifest and her presence to vaguely felt, even by the uninitiated."

"Oh," Jiki replied in response, still unimpressed. He had simply done the ritual, the same as he did whenever he entered a holy temple back in the elemental nations.

Utahime sighed in response to his continued nonchalance and muttered under her breath, "Heavenly blessed Gojo bastards."

Then she smoothed out her features again and continued. "The news has already spread. Those who doubted your presence and actions before now are confused, while those on the fence have begun to lean to the other side. It's truly only a matter of time."

Jiki stared at her, unperturbed, then spoke slowly this time. "Unfortunately, I'm not aware of Miko Shrine politics, so I barely have an idea of what you're talking about."

Utahime blinked again before replying. "Oh, this is about divinity, or more accurately, your blood."

Seeing his continued mask of apathy that hid his confusion, she continued, "Don't you know that your mother was of the emperor's lineage? A bloodline that is storied and said to originate from Amaterasu herself?"

Jiki's reply was a surprised blink. Granny Kugisake forgot to mention that little detail.

....

Maki was tense, and having Nobara behind her didn't help in the slightest. She would've preferred Jiki, Yuta, hell, even Toge over the fresh student. But she'd make do. She couldn't abandon the younger girl. Not when she was her upperclassman, and this fight was a chance to push her limits.

She watched as Sukuna's cursed energy flared up, wild and oppressive. Without her glasses, she could barely sense it, but now she saw it clearly. His energy wasn't just powerful—it was hostile, swirling like a blazing bonfire. And then, all that chaotic force condensed, refined, like a predator biding its time.

Sukuna's four eyes snapped open, catching the Soul Splitter blade inches from cleaving him from shoulder to hip. At the last second, he twisted, a mocking laugh slipping out as he evaded her strike. He retaliated immediately, and before she could even process it, something struck her with bone-rattling force. Her instincts had kicked in just in time, her blade raised defensively, but she was still hurled backward. She rolled to her feet, sword raised, only to see Sukuna hadn't even moved from his spot.

His eyes were fixed on the ground in front of him, and Maki followed his gaze, spotting four nails embedded in the earth inches from his toes.

"I've got your back, Maki," came Nobara's voice, steady and unflinching.

Sukuna chuckled. "An extra insect changes nothing." His gaze flicked dismissively to Nobara before returning to Maki. "If that's all the curse in your heart, then I'm disappointed."

Maki ignored the jab. The first exchange had told her enough—she needed more than her base strength. She needed her spark. A grin cut across her face, hungry for the challenge. But beneath that, something bothered her. Sukuna had responded with brute force against her surprise attack. She'd fought enough sorcerers to know that, when surprised, they almost always resorted to their innate techniques.

"What happened before I got here?" she barked to Nobara without turning her back on Sukuna.

The reply came quickly. "We were overwhelmed. Yuji told me to run, and then a black bubble surrounded him and the curse. When it broke… he wasn't himself anymore."

Realization dawned. A Domain. Which meant right now, his technique was burnt out.

"You figured it out." Sukuna laughed, clearly delighted to see the understanding flash in her eyes.

She nodded, gripping her sword tighter. "All the more reason to make this quick."

The air between them hung still, thick with the charged anticipation of violence. Maki shifted her stance, her grip firm around the hilt of the Soul Splitter. Opposite her, Sukuna stood shirtless, exuding an aura of unrelenting confidence that seemed almost tangible, even with only three fingers' worth of his power.

Third Gate: Gate of Life. Open.

Clarity swept over her—sharp, vivid, absolute. The sensation was alien and yet familiar, a feeling she'd never truly grown used to, even after months of training. Every detail hit her senses with brutal precision: the putrid stench of sewer water swirling around her shins, the anxious thumping of Nobara's heart behind her, as well as the boy beside her, Sukuna's calm and even breaths. Even the slightest movements of air registered through a gap in the walls.

Then came the pain, a searing heat that ignited her muscles and tightened them under her clothes. Her eyes dilated, blood vessels expanding as her nerves flared, lighting her skin in a vivid, crimson flush. She exhaled a steaming breath, and when she looked back at Sukuna, his mocking grin was gone.

Sukuna's eyes widened slightly. "That is not reinforcement?"

Maki ignored his words as her body blurred into motion.

The ground splintered beneath her as she shot forward with force. She reappeared in front of Sukuna, so fast that his eyes were still widened in his previous surprise, but somehow he still managed to dodge the blow that should have cleaved him from shoulder to hips, but not with his usual grace, this time, it was an instinctive flinch.

Her blade's edge caught him, slicing a shallow line across his chest. Refusing to slow down for even a split second, she pivoted on her heel, maintaining momentum, and swung downward in a brutal arc. This time she was too close, too fast, too fierce for him to dodge unscathed, like the previous time. So Sukuna made a sacrifice to avoid being split in two. Warm blood splattered across Maki's face, but she scowled in response at the realization that he had escaped again.

With a dull thud, a single tattooed hand dropped to the floor, severed at the shoulder. He had shifted, tilting his body in a perfectly timed movement His arm severed cleanly, but he didn't flinch. Blood sprayed in an arc, yet his expression remained locked in a predatory grin, his body already in motion.

This time, she saw it all with razor clarity—the way he rotated his hips, winding up the strike with brutal precision. He twisted fully, putting his entire weight behind it, his body a coiled spring of raw power. His leg shot forward, his shin arcing toward her stomach intent on burying itself in her core.

Maki tightened her stance, her gaze locked on him. At the last second, she shifted her weight, snapping her forearm up as a shield. His shin met her arm with a crack that reverberated through her bones, a shockwave rippling outward from the impact. Unfortunately for all her strength, she was unbalanced, her body still reeling from the massive exertion.

The kick sent her flying, slamming her back into the wall with enough force to hurl her out of the structure, and for a split second she was airborne. Her glasses had been destroyed sometime during her flight, she looked down at the ground meters away with blurry eyes. She blinked, trying to regain focus, and her eyes narrowed, taking in Sukuna's shadow silhouetted against the moon. "Don't die so quickly!" he barked out, his towering frame descending upon her as he raised both fists overhead, ready to bring them down in a hammer blow.

Instinct took over and Maki twisted her body mid-air, aligning the side of her Soul Splitter blade just in time. His fists collided with the sword, and the force shot her downward like a meteor, plummeting her toward the ground, but she was ready for it. She landed feet first and widely spread like a beast, with a hand to the ground in a three-point stance while her right hand held onto the Soul splitter blade resting on her shoulder. A crater spread beneath her as the dust surged up in a thick, gritty cloud.

She felt a thrill coursing through her. Two strikes from Sukuna, and she was still standing. More than the Night parade, this was her greatest proof of growth, and she was just starting. Her grip tightened on her blade as she grinned, invigorated by the realization. Sukuna's laughter echoed as he dropped down from above, aiming to stomp her into the ground. Maki evaded, juking to the side as she countered with an upward slash that cleared the dust and sent Sukuna sprawling to dodge back.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, excitement flaring in his eyes.

The distance should have slowed the pace, but it didn't. Maki was relentless, tearing the ground behind her as she moved in to finish him as he tumbled back, but Sukuna slapped away every blow that got too close with inhuman precision and skill, and allowed only shallow blows to land, gathering up cuts that slowly but surely healed.

"You know, at first I was worried about that blade, there is something peculiar about it."

Maki ignored him as she struck him with a kick instead to disorient him, but there was no trick that did more than amuse him as he sharply jerked away from it. He was more scared of her blows than he was of the soul-splitter blade.

"But now I've realized what was wrong after getting hit by the blade. The effect was there but barely. What does that tell you, girl?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued with a shout. "You're not using it right!"

Maki overreached in anger and realized her mistake a split second later when Sukuna ducked the wide horizontal slash. In an instant, he slipped past her guard and drove a fist into her midsection, "and you listen too much." Sukuna finished with a chuckle, his knuckles digging deep and her ribcage creaked and flexed under the impact. But with the power of the gates, it held. Maki ground her heels into the earth, forcing herself to absorb the full weight of the blow unguarded, refusing to yield an inch.

"You talk too much." She replied in a whisper.

Their eyes met and Sukuna's widened in surprise, Maki stared back at him with a bloody grin that spread across her face, her lips and teeth flecked in blood from the impact of the blow. Without hesitation, she grabbed onto his hand and rooted herself, coiling power from her core, and drove her forehead into his with vicious force. The crack of bone echoed as her head met his, amplified by the raw strength of the Third Gate. His features caved in, and Sukuna's body hurtled back, flipping like a ragdoll until he slammed into a building with an explosion of dust and debris.

Maki staggered forward, blood spilling from her mouth, staining the ground below. She wiped it away, the thrill unwavering.

"Exhilarating." A low laugh rumbled from the ruins as Sukuna emerged, staggering yet undeterred. The blood-soaked dust cloud settled and he felt a chill when he smiled, speaking through a mouth restored to perfection. His skull reformed, bones popping into place with a grotesque crunch, his four eyes gleaming at her with curiosity.

"Of course, he can use Reverse Cursed Technique well enough to heal that," she muttered, her gaze darting to his arm. Considering the more noticeable energy drop this time, It meant he'd reattached the arm rather instead of regrowing it. Perhaps she should've hit harder, but that would've meant destroying Itador's brain.

"A sorcerer should be willing to sacrifice that much in a fight, " Sukuna acknowledged with a grin as he emerged fully from the dust cloud, his tone dripping with amusement. "Tell me, girl, what is your name?"

"Maki," she replied, each second buying her time to weigh her next move. The Third Gate was pushing her past her limits, enough to contend with him. No, not just contend, but overwhelm him. But with his cursed energy reserves, his ability to heal meant he could survive deadly blows again and again. Using the reverse cursed technique so callously was an act reserved for the truly monstrous, and Sukuna had been at the top of that food chain for a long time.

"Maki..." Sukuna tasted the name with some amusement. "I hope that isn't all you have, Maki," He continued, eyes alight with excitement as he rolled his shoulders. "Show me that fire once more, and maybe after this is over, i will deign to remember you."

Maki straightened, exhaling slowly. Her voice dropped to a sad murmur as her gaze settled on Sukuna and the body he was overtaking. Unless she found a way to decipher what he meant when he said she was not using the blade correctly, she could not pull her punches anymore.

"Forgive me, Itadori Yuji. But from now on, I'll be fighting to kill."

A thousand-year-old sorcerer faced a girl with a spark of Other as the sky darkened further and raindrops began to slowly splatter against their forms.