"I want to become older."
Naoya stared at her.
Silence stretched between them.
"…Huh?"
Makima's voice was steady. Too steady for a four-year-old.
"I want to become stronger. Fast. Using that cursed spirit you mentioned—the one that alters time."
Naoya blinked. "Don't you wanna play with dolls or eat chalk or whatever kids do?"
"That sounds inefficient. And dolls are boring—they don't even bleed when you rip their heads off."
"…"
"I wanna be strong like Papa," she added sweetly.
"Being strong is boring too. Look at me." He gestured dramatically to himself. "I'm at the top. No rivals. No challenges. Just taxes and people who cry when I hit them."
Makima nodded sagely. "I doubt you pay taxes. But I will. And I'll hit people."
Naoya blinked. "…What?"
"I said what I said," she replied.
"You'll suffer."
"I'm already suffering. I live with you."
Naoya opened his mouth. Closed it.
"…Okay, that's fair."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're gonna be a war criminal by age ten."
Makima's eyes lit up. "Can I?"
"No!" he snapped, then paused. "…Maybe. Just don't get caught."
She reached up and tugged his sleeve. "So? Time curse?"
"Fine. But you're only staying in for 15 days. That means six years of aging—no more."
…
Flashback:
One day after Gojo's awakening and Toji's death.
Naoya returned to Jujutsu High, ready to meet Tengen. He wasn't alone.
With him was a curse user—a teenage girl, younger than him by a year. She was also a Star Plasma Vessel. His clan had previously found her during their search, acting on his orders.
Image:
Naoya glanced at the black wings twitching faintly on her back.
"I've never seen a cursed technique this useless," he said. "Can't you shut it off? It's pissing me off."
She flinched. Quietly. Then shook her head.
"…Non-sorcerers can't see it," she whispered.
"Yeah? But I can." He crouched in front of her. "And I'm the one dragging you to Tengen, so maybe try not to look disgusting."
She didn't respond. Her fingers were clenched around her own sleeve.
Naoya watched her for a moment. "You scared?"
No answer.
"I asked you a question."
"…I don't want to die."
Naoya clicked his tongue, irritated. "Tch. Who the hell does?"
She shrank under his voice, but he didn't raise it. Just kept walking.
"You think being a star plasma vessel means anything? People like you…" He gestured vaguely at her thin frame. "You were born to be used up. That's how this world works."
Still no response.
He looked down, then sighed—half-annoyed, half-exhausted.
"…You'll probably die. Yeah."
Her shoulders trembled.
"But I'll make sure it's not some pathetic, back-alley ritual." His tone shifted, just slightly. "I'm not gonna hand you over to some monk with a rusty knife. If you're gonna disappear, it'll be clean. On my watch."
She looked at him.
He didn't meet her gaze.
"Don't get the wrong idea," he said sharply. "I just hate sloppy endings."
And then he kept walking.
She followed. Quietly. Without needing to be told again.
…
The Tombs of the Star Corridor.
The air twisted unnaturally as Naoya appeared inside, the girl trailing silently behind him.
Tengen, frail but with eyes sharp as ever, fixed him with a steady, daring stare.
"You're not welcome here, Naoya Zenin," she said, voice low but resolute.
Naoya smirked, stepping forward without hesitation.
"Funny. Because I don't remember asking for your permission to enter."
Tengen's eyes flickered with warning.
"What do you want?"
Naoya's lips curled into a slow smile.
"Ahh, you're smarter than I thought. Want me to skip the theatrics and go straight to the point?"
"Go ahead," Tengen replied.
"I want your promise," he said calmly, "to grant me one wish—any wish I make, whenever I ask. You already know my existence is completely off the script, right? Fate's been twisting around me so much you probably don't even recognize the world anymore."
He glanced at the girl behind him.
"In exchange, I'll hand over this Star Plasma Vessel. And I'll keep ensuring the long-term stability of the jujutsu world—with your barriers intact."
He met Tengen's gaze, unwavering.
"So, what do you say?"
Tengen's eyes sharpened, a flicker of calculation behind her ancient face. She was silent for a long moment, weighing the offer like a delicate poison on her tongue.
"What if I refuse?" she said finally.
"Then I promise to kill you right here, right now," Naoya replied flatly. "And you know there isn't a sorcerer on your side who could stop me."
"You're inside my barrier—" Tengen started, but he cut her off.
"You're too close to me now. I can trap you in my domain. Your barriers will crumble before you can even react. Who do you think is faster—me or you?"
He leaned in slightly, voice low but deadly.
"Imagine the disaster your death would cause. Everything falls apart in Japan. Chaos blooms everywhere."
Tengen's eyes flickered, unblinking.
"Naoya Zenin, you think you hold all the cards. But the jujutsu world isn't yours to play with."
Naoya smiled coldly."Maybe not. But I'm the one holding the deck."
He turned toward the girl."Go ahead," Naoya said, as he and Tengen performed the binding vow to confirm their transaction.
The girl swallowed hard but nodded.
Tengen's voice followed, quieter now—almost a warning."Be careful what you wish for, Naoya. Fate always demands a price."
End of flashback.
…
In the present:
"So, what do you think, Kaori?" Naoya asked, arms crossed, voice casual.
Kaori sat back, legs crossed, fingers toying with a loose strand of her hair.
"Did you seriously offer her the Star Plasma Vessel because of me and ruin all of my plans? That's very rude of you."
Naoya just sticked his tongue smirking.
"What exactly were you planning to wish for from her?" Kaori asked, narrowing one eye.
"At the time? Nothing," he shrugged. "Didn't have a reason yet. But now—after everything shifted, after I decided I want immortality…"
He grinned slowly.
"I'm gonna use that wish to merge with Her."
Kaori eyes widened.
"…You're not serious."
"Oh, I'm deadly serious."
Kaori blinked. Then she laughed—soft and short, like she didn't want to admit it was funny.
"You know that's impossible, right? Even if you made a binding vow with her, I'm pretty sure she'd break it and accept the backlash rather than fuse with you. And anyway, she's human merging with her is way trickier than you think."
"I know." Naoya's voice dropped, serious now. "That's why I'm going to force the circumstances to make it possible. One way or another, she'll have no choice."
"Immortality. Divine-level understanding of barriers. Insane level of Cursed energy reserves. That's what I'd gain"
"That's too much for me to just stand still for. And I'll need your help Kenjaku."
........................
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