"Yuuji! Kugisaki!" I called out as I approached them, Megumi's unconscious body still in my arms.

"Fushiguro!!" they both yelled while running up to us. "Is he ok!?"

I laid him down gently on the ground, "Yea, he'll be fine. What about you two? What happened?"

I watched as Yuuji fought back the tears in his eyes, Kugisaki looking at me quite unfazed.

"We took care of it," she said blankly.

"I see."

"Y/n-sensei," Yuji whispered. "Those two, they were flesh and blood, weren't they?"

"Yes. They were two of the Death Womb Paintings, half-cursed and half-human."

Soft tears began to roll down his cheeks, "H-he cried for his brother. He understood loss. He mourned death."

"Was that your first time killing instead of exorcising?" I asked him.

"I don't see the difference," Kugisaki quickly interjected. "As sorcerers, these things happen. We have to do it. We get to have our own moral compasses."

I sighed at her words. The same ones so many people had told me before... The ones Satoru lived by.

We get to choose who lives and dies. We get to decide the greater good.

I still think it's all bullshit.

Yuji spoke up again, "I had to before Y/n-sensei, I killed three transfigured humans." He looked up at me with sad eyes, "What does that make me? Am I any better than them?"

"Of course you are! We didn't have a choice!" Kugisaki yelled. "You did what you had to. It's them or us."

"I know, and I'm relieved we're both alive, but still... because of the life I took, tears were shed. That's all."

Kugisaki smirked, "Well, I guess that makes us accomplices."

I sighed with a heavy heart, "Alright you two, we need to get moving." I walked back over to Megumi's body.

"Wait. Y/n-sensei. What do you think?" Yuuji asked again.

"I doesn't matter what I think," I shook my head.

"She's a special grade, so of course she's fine with it," Kugisaki huffed out. "You only get that strong one way and for one reason."

"And what reason is that?" Yuuji asked curiously.

"So you can easily kill or exorcise anything that comes your way. Special Grades are rare not only because of their powers but because they're the ones who don't truly fit into jujutsu society and standards."

"I'm sure you think you know what you're talking about, Kugisaki, but you're wrong."

I wasn't going to interfere, but I couldn't let them think that's the only reason for strength, even though I'm sure Satoru was the one who told them that.

"I became powerful so I would never have to kill or hurt anyone again. Now let's go."

"Y/n—" Yuuji looked at me with wide eyes, but I cut him off.

"I'm done with this conversation, let's go."

"Where's the finger?" I looked down to see Megumi had woken up.

"You got it!?" Kugisaki yelled.

"Yea," I pulled it out of my pocket. "It's safe. We need to go get it sealed."

"Should I just eat it?" Yuuji teased.

"No! We don't know what would happen!!" Kugisaki cautioned him.

"Can I at least see it?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes as I handed it to him.

"Yuuji!!!!" the other two first years screamed, and I snapped my head over at him. Sukuna's mouth appeared on Yuuji's hand and consumed the finger.

"No fucking way..." I muttered out. "Gakuganji is going to be so pissed at me."

"Argh!!! Is everything Gojo-sensei says just complete bullshit!?" Yuuji yelled. "He said Sukuna would help lead me to the fingers!!!"

"You just realized this?" Megumi huffed as he started to stand.

"Whoa, take it easy," I called out as I helped him up. "Are you sure you're ok to walk?"

"Yea, let's just get home already."

•••••

**few days later back at Jujutsu High**

I overheard Satoru on the phone, sounding even more suspicious than normal.

"Who was that?" I asked as I entered the room he was sitting in.

"Mm, so you are back," he smiled at me.

"You know I hate it when you deflect my questions."

He laughed as he stood to his feet, "It was no one important."

"Yea? So I'm guessing paying Mei Mei was about nothing important either?"

"Hmm? How do you know about that?" he titled his head. "Hmm, spying on my mind are you?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. "I saw you on your phone as I walked in. You should really turn your brightness down if you don't want anyone seeing what's on the screen."

He laughed his loud, obnoxious laugh. The one he only used when his guard was on full alert... so clearly he was hiding something.

"I don't understand why you're so suspicious of me. Do you not trust me, Y/n?"

"Don't take it personally," I huffed as I pushed past him and sat on the couch.

I definitely trusted Satoru more than anyone else, but even then, it wasn't completely. He'd given me plenty of reasons not to, and I wasn't one to forget very easily.

"It hurts when you say those things," he smirked at me, but I wasn't interested in his games. Not right now.

"Consuming Sukuna's fingers is triggering an awakening of other cursed spirits," I spoke up, changing the subject. "It probably would've happened eventually anyway, but he's definitely a catalyst."

"Do you think they know that?" he asked as he sat across from me.

"They're smart kids, I'm sure they've figured it out."

"Speaking of which," he smiled brightly. "They're all being recommended as Grade 1 sorcerers."

"Really!? Who!!?"

"Itadori, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki. Along with Panda, and your favorite... Maki."

I squealed in excitement, "That's so amazing!!! It's about damn time!!"

"And it's all because you listened like the good little girl you are," he teased me. "If you would've interfered, we wouldn't have known they could all defeat special grade curses."

"Yea, don't remind me," I huffed. "I hate when that old guy is right. So, who recommended them?"

"Todo and Mei."

I nodded, "So is that what the money to Mei was for?"

He smiled at me as he stretched his arms across the back of the couch, "Still stuck on that are you?"

"Ok, I'm leaving," I groaned as I got up, and he quickly stopped in front of me.

"Don't go. I've missed you," he smiled as he leaned in closer to me. "And we have some unfinished business from before you left on your mission. Don't you remember?"

"Yea, not happening," I crossed my arms. "You say I don't trust you, but you clearly don't trust me either."

"You're the one who left me. How could I trust you right away?" his face dropping the smug grin that had been there.

"Well, if there's no trust, then there's no point in doing this again," I pushed past him.

"Y/n," he groaned out. "Y/n, where are you going?"

I kept walking towards the exit of the room when he caught my arm.

"Please, I don't want to fight with you," he admitted softly. I hated when he did this, when he showed his soft side to me...

Because no matter what was going on, I was like putty in his hands. I could try as much as I wanted to act like I don't care, but the truth was, he meant the world to me.

He slowly walked up behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling his body as close to mine as it would come.

He leaned over and whispered softly in my ear, "I'll tell you everything as soon as I can, but I just need to wait a little longer. Will you please trust me on this?"

I closed my eyes as he kissed my head softly, letting his warm embrace soothe me. "Fine," I mumbled out, and he let out of soft chuckle.

"Good, now can we please resume where we were before you left?"

"Mm, sorry," I turned my head to kiss him softly over my mask. "I'm hungry."

I pulled away from him and walked out of the room, hearing him laugh behind me. Quickly, he ran to catch up to me.

He threw his arm around my shoulder, "How long are you going to make me wait?"

"Just until you beg for it," I teased him.

"You'll be waiting a long time then... Sure you can keep away from me for that long? You know I've never been one to beg."

I bit my lip softly, "Yea, we'll see about that."