Dancing With Lightning

9 -

Yuuji's predicament reminded Kakashi of his student and his status as a jinchuriki.

Housing a millenuim old evil curse with the desire to rule the world was just like housing a millenuim old tailed beast that wants to ravage earth as a revenge for slavery.

Their contract was fascinating, to say the least. Unlike the traditional jinchuriki, there was no seal holding the Curse inside Yuuji, nothing but his will and mind strength.

Kakashi wonders how strong his mentality is, to hold something powerful in him and surpress it with no trouble. No help from seals whatsoever.

The downside of it was that he can't use the Curses technique because suppressed or not, the curse still had its own mind and will.

Unlike Naruto who could draw the Kyuubi's chakra despite not having the tailed beast's consent. He had also lost control more than once at the attempt, the Kyuubi to angry and hateful to the world.

Naruto made it work though, befriending the ball of maliciousness and seeked out help for the war.

Unlike Yuuji who looked like he was having troubles with his own tenant. Though it was probably because the Curse was making it hard for him and he didn't really know how to interact with the very creature that ripped his heart out and held his body hostage.

Satoru had already filled him in on what had lead Yuuji being hidden, what led the man to decide that it was better for Kakashi's existence to remain a secret.

He wholeheartedly agreed. The Jujutsu Higher Ups reminded him to much of the council and he thinks that he needs time to get himself to calm down or else he might go on a genocide.

Kakashi is still angry. He hasn't forgiven Danzo or the council. They had lost so many and too much to the man's schemes and Kakashi would legit go on a massacre if he has to deal with people like him again.

He didn't have a choice. Because his time of being a secret was coming to an end much like Yuuji.

Satoru had told him that there was going to be an event in Jujutsu High with a different branch from Kyoto. Kakashi already knew that, having heard from sorcerers that he had stalked. When Satoru had explained him what sorcerers do and Jujutsu High, he pretty much went off a hunt.

Following and stalking those whose has high cursed energies and could use it as well as those who can see curses. Like Shinobi, they were one big ass gossips no matter that the information they were exchanging was supposed to be private.

Kakashi thinks that the Kyoto vs Tokyo jujutsu high was kind of like chunnin exams, with the fact that they had to fight each other and complete tasks to gain points and win the game.

The attendees wasn't going to be big because it was private event but it was something that would be talked about, making it the perfect event to have Yuuji's revival and Kakashi's existence be revealed. Or Satoru said.

The man had laughed maniacally, the thoughts of his coworkers reactions and the headache he would cause filling him with sadistic glee. Kakashi had chuckled alongside of him, liking the fact that the man was a troll and headache inducing like him.

The joys of messing with people and getting into their nerves.

Though Yuuji still had a job to finish with Satoru's colleague, Nanami Kento.

Kakashi hadn't even seen the teen but he already knew that it was Yuuji whom followed and entered the apartment complex thanks to his senses and the seals he'd placed around it, keeping out curses and those who had ill intentions.

Their dinner had been awkward, for Yuuji at least, since Kakashi knew that the teen wasn't expecting to see Kakashi.

The conversation they'd had in the hallway slammed Kakashi back into nostalgia. Yuuji had reminded him too much of Naruto, both of their desire to beat some sense into their friends.

After that, he'd basically just let Yuuji in and out the complex with no trouble.

The teen had been visiting Junpei frequently, monitoring him until the case was either closed and solved.

Junpei hadn't displayed any suspicious behaviour, he was too good at hiding things but Kakashi knows that teen was involved.

He knew the culprit but had covered for them.

It only took Kakashi a day to track the teen down in a sewer with a special-grade curse. This one was obviously recently born, strong but still a new one.

It made Kakashi uncomfortable that something that was only recently created had already gotten so strong, strong enough that it could put up a fight against the special-grade curse he'd fought with Satoru.

How could the Jujutsu corps miss something like this? But then again, Konoha had missed Danzo's machinations and had let it foster in their very village.

The curse was obviously playing with Junpei, with his mind and emotions. Twisting his morals and opinions into something darker, feeding his hate and indifference against people.

Kakashi didn't like Mahito one bit, reminding to much of Orochimaru and he's twisted desires. The experiments on humans and turning them into curses with just a touch weren't helping either.

He had immediately put an end at the meeting of the two, confronting Junpei and telling him his opinions.

The whole incident had involved lots of screaming, heartfelt words because Yuuji had found and joined them, lots of tears, punches and regrets. It was the most uncomfortable situation he had found himself in and Kakashi did not want to talk about it.

Junpei stopped seeing the curse, (-"Please stop saying that! You make it sounded like I dated that asshole!"-), he's introduced to Satoru whom happily taught him the basics of Jujutsu with Yuuji and Nagi, who was baffled of everything that happened behind her back and still as supportive as ever, had merely waved her son off with the promise to be safe and happy.

Kakashi had thought that he had dodged a bullet but he was extremely wrong.

Mahito had been reported of course, with Junpei's connection out of the said report, and his hideout was raided only to find it empty except for the remnants of his experiments. There was no sign of where'd he went or no clue it.

The curse didn't hide away for a long time however.

"Itadori-Kun, bringing a civilian into our-" Nanami Kento looked like a busines man, with his sleek suit and prim appearance.

His blonde hair was swept to the side with glasses on and he looked serious, clean and stern, so utterly different from Satoru who was Kakashi's partner in crime and teasing both Junpei and Yuuji.

"Ah! Nanamin! They're no civilians! Kakashi-San and Junpei can see curses and could use cursed energy! They're also really strong, though Gojo-Sensei had only recently started training with Junpei, he's already strong!," the mentioned teen looked away with a blush on his face, red and noticeable on his pale skin.

"Maa, stop with the compliments Yuuji-Kun, Junpei-Kun looks like he's a tomato with how red his face is," Kakashi chuckles, hands in the pocket of his Shinobi issued pants. Satoru was happy, too happy in fact, to provide him with clothes that would suit him, even went as far as have them tailored with fabric layered with cursed energy for him which were expensive as fuck.

Nanami eyed him then. His silver hair, the mask on his face and his slouched posture with the air of aloofness around him. None of it fooled the man of course, too keen and observant for that and it wasn't like Kakashi was hiding. His outifit didn't really suggest casual, looking more for battle nor is his scar that wsd hidden away with a genjutsu.

His garb was simple chest-guards covering his torso and lower groin that come with clipped-on shoulder pads with high-collars and a strap across the waist. His Shinobi shirt and pants dark blue and the same color as Jujutsu's uniform. A tanto strapped on his back, a cursed tool Satoru happily provided for him that was imbued with his white chakra and cursed energy. All of it was layered with seals, a simple flare of cursed energy or chakra would activate those seal's, making the armor more durable and lighter or cover it with layered genjutsu, away from curious eyes.

Kakashi smiled at the man, eyes curved and tilting his head to the left, hair flopping over and hiding his left eye.

Nanami sighed, tired and exasperated and, "You've brought me another imbecile that looks like Gojo's younger brother".

"I-imbecile?! You don't even know and you're already calling me an embacile?! That's rude you know!," Kakashi dramatically gasped, making the man sigh again.

"Annoying imbecile, just like Gojo," He hissed, glaring at him with poorly hidden distaste.

He turned around and entered the school that was currently held hostage by the curse they'd been looking for, leaving an amused Kakashi and two bemused teenagers.

A thoughts enters his head and he immediately adapts a cutesy voice and, "Ah~ Nanamin! Let's be friends!".

He chased after him and dodged an incoming swipe from the clearly irritated man.

"I will slap you, Kakashi-san," The man deadpanned, staring at him straight in the eyes.

Kakashi pouted, eyes twinkling with evil glee. His new goal today is to annoy the man as much as he can, his reactions were fun and he'd really liked to see what the man would look like real pissed.

A veil envelopes the whole school, dark and sizzling with cursed energy to hide their presence and business from civilian eyes.

"We should head for the gym," Junpei says when they enter the courtyard, a frown on his face.

"Huh? Why?," Yuuji blinks.

"Because there's supposed to be a program or so today, teachers and students gathers at the gym and I have no doubt that that would also where Mahito would be," Junpei didn't say anything else, his eyes downward and hardened but everyone heard the implications loud and clear.

Mahito was there and there was high possibility that everyone in the gym had already fallen to his techniques.

The teen wasn't exactly wrong. Kakashi could feel the curse, could smell the rot and mold. His ears can hear the faint heartbeats of those who are still alive, weak and slow but there. If they could move fast, they'd be able to save them.

"Junpei-Kun is right," He nods seriously, "I sense him and hear the heartbeats in the gym, if we move fast, we could save the remaining survivors".

No questions are asked and they rush immediately, Nanami merely giving him a side glance.

The door is thrown open to the gym and Kakashi sense of smell is overloaded for a moment despite his mask. The smell of rot and decay was strong, with the body's on the floor. The sheer cursed energy and maliciousness in the air was suffocating and if Kakashi was a lesser man, he'd be overwhelmed now.

Both Yuuji and Junpei had their noses covered, looking sick while both Kakashi and Nanami looked disturb, cursed energies bubbling hot with anger.

The one responsible for the mutated humans in the gym sat in the middle of the stage, looking pleased with a cheery smile in his face.

"Ah Junpei! You came!," He grins before it quickly turned somber, looking pained and so utterly fake, "I'm hurt you know, you just suddenly left and cut your contacts with me, and here I thought we had something special, all those laugh and moments we shared, was it all a lie? Nothing? Did you just do it so you could me to lower my defenses and rat me out to the sorcerers? I'm hurt you know, really hurt".

Despite the sadness and wounded look on his face, the curse was obviously teasing, cruelly at that with the twinkle in his eyes.

"You manipulated me you prick! You played with my head and twisted my thoughts! And Stop saying like we had something because we didn't! We had nothing special Mahito! Nothing! And stop pretending your hurt because your not!" Junpei hisses, face red from either anger or embarrassment, Kakashi doesn't know.

Kakashi leaned away from the teen, an eyebrow raised and feeling like he was intruding something. Even Yuuji looked awkward while Nanami just looked plain annoyed though they did move to the side to give the spotlight to Junpei. It felt like they were in a drama and Kakashi frankly didn't know what to do.

So he stood by and watched, hoping that he had some popcorn.

"Oh those words! It cut me deep in my soul," Mahito sobbed, eyes narrowed In mock pain, "I- I really thought we were friends, could be more than friends but-".

"Stop playing the victim damn it!," Junpei yelled, eyes flashing angrily and his cursed energy building up, "I- I trusted you Mahito! I believed you words and I fucking trusted you but you lied! You lied about the world, about your thoughts and everything! I thought you were a friend because you understood me but you aren't!"

"But we are friends!," Mahito protested, "We told each other secrets and listened to each others problem, we shared our ideals and dreams and talked about life! We had something special because no normal friends would do what we did! Don't deny it, Junpei, we had fun, together we-".

"YOU HAD FUN! I was merely a plaything you used to pass your time! To entertain you! The things I told you, my emotions and my thoughts, it was all nothing but a joke to you, something you took amusement out off! You lied and led me on for your entertainment! You lied and You played me! You played me like-".

"The cheap kazoo you are," Mahito finished, a mean grin on his face.

Yuuji and Kakashi gasped dramatically, hands coming up to cover their mouths as Junpei gaped at the curse. A resounding smack echoed in the otherwise silent gym as Nanami's hand met his face and he groaned in exasperation.

"You bastard!," Junpei growled.

"Don't put the blame on me Junpei," Mahito purred, "You were the one who came to me, the one who approached me, I didn't lie nor did I lead you on, though you are right, you are one of the most interesting human I've ever met, you provided me with entertainment and opened my eyes to new possibilities".

"I'm not gonna lie Junpei, I did enjoy us together," He smiles, "Your interesting with your opinions and thoughts and if you hadn't let yourself get manipulated by these sorcerers maybe you could've been by my side, but you left me and joined your sorcerer friends".

"Your side? And don't make it sound like I fucking cheated on you," Junpei scoffs and Kakashi's attention sharpens, noticing the fact that the teen was subtly extracting information from the curse. Smart pup.

"Oh yes, by my side," Mahito grins, "Me and my friends have a plan you see, A world ruled by curses alone, where pesky humans won't infere anymore, of course we'd keep a few humans alive and I don't mind having you as a pet".

Kakashi and Yuuji choked on their saliva's, eyes bulging out and both cried in their heads, desperate for a box of popcorn for the tragic comedy drama that was currently played in front of them.

"Fuck you! I'm not your pet and I will never be! And stop with you delusions you crazy dick-".

"Alright that's enough drama!," Nanami gritted out, a vein bulging in his forehead and looking like he was ready to explode in annoyance and pure exasperation.

Mahito had merely laughed cheerily, clapping his hands together as Junpei's face morphed into an anger.

"Mhmm, Mr. Prissy bitch is mad," Mahito cooes, eyeing Nanami with narrowed eyes, a manic grin on his face before his mismatched eyes found Junpei once again, "The opening act is done and its time to get to the main plot, sweetheart".

"Not your sweetheart!," Junpei yells before its lost to the pain screams that erupted around them.

Cursed energy bursted from the corpses around them, curses of sizes and level coming to life and attacking them with vigor. Mahito slips away, his merry laugh tinged with insanity following him.

"Shit-" Junpei curses before he's snagged away by Yuuji.

"Go!," Kakashi growls, the Cursed tool in his hand imbued by his white chakra cutting down curses easily, leaving white bright streaks as it slashes, "Nanamin, take them! I could handle this!".

A nod and the three are off, leaving Kakashi alone to deal with the hoard of curses. He was a Shinobi and he knew when to get serious, Mahito was high priority and while he didn't support leaving a team mate behind, it was okay since it was him and the enemies weren't really high ranked.

He would catch up to them, of course he would, he just have to finish these annoying curses.

He easily went through them, low level curses not being able to stand up against his years of experience. The tanto in his hand spun and he made a slashing motion, a white crescent of cursed energy launched into the last incoming batch of curses and cutting them in half.

Lightning crackled as they disintegrated away, leaving Kakashi to slouch in the middle of the destruction.

Broken chairs, shattered windows, splintered wood from the flooring and a big ass hole in the wall from where he'd kicked one of the curses into with chakra enhanced legs.

He sighed and ruffled his hair, his tanto still in hand as he heads out of the gym and following his team mates scents.

The fight had merely started when he got there, Yuuji being the main attacker while Nanami and Junpei supported him.

Junpei and Yuuji fought great but they were nothing on Nanami. He was a monster, a skilled and experienced monster.

The way he fought proved of experience, he wasn't only interesting as a person, but also interesting as a fighter. The sheer power of his cursed energy reminded Kakashi of Gai slowly opening his gate, strengthening as each minute pass by.

And his skills with his blunt sword spoke of years of hard work and training.

A quick relay of information from Nanami told Kakashi of everything he had to know.

Mahito was a trash talker, he was open mouth and babbled with cockiness, weedling out answers from him wasn't hard. Though he was difficult to understand, his explanation botched and tinged with childishness, reminding them that he was still a newborn curse despite his status as a special grade.

Through their fight, Kakashi notices that Yuuji was only the one who somehow truly injures the curse, dealing with severe one's that can't be healed.

A quick activation of his Sharingan reveals Mahito's core, cracked and damaged thanks to Yuuji. He realises that it was because of Sukuna's cursed energy, the one damaging the core and he sets in focusing on stunning the curse long enough for Yuuji to attack severely.

Kakashi was nothing but a support like others, he could 'injure' the curse but only to the exterior, the core remaining untouched unless it was Yuuji's attack.

"I'm going to kill you," Yuuji says at one point, pissed from the curses taunting, of him targeting Junpei, both mentally and physically.

They lock on a stalemate, Yuuji restrained by Mahito. They said something to low even for his enhanced hearing, causing Yuuji to get angrier and his cursed energy-

No. That wasn't his own. That was Sukuna's. Malicious and malevolent.

Mahito freezes in shock and Kakashi immediately shunshins to them, snagging Yuuji away.

They take a moment to breathe before Mahito is on them. None of them noticed it yet thanks to the genjutsu but Kakashi's intangible ability was on, the curses attacks going through him harmlessly.

He sends a tornado crackling with lightning to the curse, slamming him towards the school building that exploded, chunks of rubble falling down on him.

The fight blurs and at some point, the curse might have evolved. The Cursed energy built up around them, reminding Kakashi of when Jogo had used his domain expansion. Quickly, he shunshined to the teens sides, throwing them away just as the technique swallowed them whole.

Kakashi flashed back to Nanami's side, eyes narrowed. Reality distorted around them, sizes of stitched hand surrounds them and reminding him of broken dolls.

'Creepy,' He thinks as Mahito laughs maniacally. They were all literally standing on a palm, deft fingers under them straining and flexing like it was alive. The Cursed energy around them was 10× more potent, stronger and suffocating, so is the scent of rotting bodies.

Mahito could crush them easily, this was his domain and being inside of a curses domain guarantee's death, Satoru had told him. The only way to counter a domain is to use a stronger one.

Satoru have explained him what domains are, what his domain could possibly be and how strong it was.

"You feel like lightning, sharp and fast," Satoru smiles at him, "Thunderstorm raged inside you waiting to be unleashed. No one would feel it, your too good at hiding you prowess if you want to though you can't hide from me of course. Your cursed energy is white, a contrast of your abilities with that eyes of yours. Nightmares of illusions, a roaring thunderstorm and red red spinning eyes".

Satoru laughed, bright and excited yet laced with dark interest, "Your domain would be amazing, a house of horror, one that ruins both mind and body, I wonder what nightmares you carry inside that head of yours hmm? I'm excited to know".

Kakashi's cursed energy built up to an extreme level, ready to cancel the one that surrounded them and release his own. Nanami looked at him surprised, clearly knowing what he was about to do.

Then the whole domain shook, stopping them from making any more movements. They heard a distinct cracking, glass pieces falling from the dark ceiling making them look up.

'Escaping a domain surrounded by a barrier is almost impossible. However, the more the barrier is reinforced from the inside, the more vulnerable it is to penetration from the outside,' Kakashi thinks as a hole is punched open, stupid Yuuji with an equally stupid Junpei rushing in to save their asses.

'Suicidal pups,' He thinks with a groan, 'Rushing in headfirst without really thinking'.

Mahito's domain is obviously cancelled out, with Yuuji breaking in and Sukuna's domain taking over.

The change of scenery was too fast for normal eyes to see but Kakashi saw it, saw how the hands disintegrated away and replaced by bones and skulls. The Cursed energy was change from rot to malice almost immediately, choking and potent.

Kakashi stood tensed and ready to attack, foot steady on the red water while the rest watched in astonishment as The King of The Curses sat on his throne.

'That cannot be comfortable,' Was his thoughts as the curse leaned to rest his face on his palm on his knees, shifting on his throne of bones.

"I warned you already," The Curse drawled, looking bored and annoyed, "There won't be a second time".

The flick of his wrist and there was blood spilling from Mahito's shoulder, his core taking a big damage.

Sukuna looks down at them shrewdly and Kakashi reminded at that time where Madara had looked down on them before ending the careers of more than a hundred Shinobi.

Powerful and confident, clearly knowing what he could do. Kakashi's spinning red eyes meets Sukuna and for a moment, the sharingan allows him passage to the curses mind. A face of black haired teen was in Sukuna's mind, thoughts surrounding in and Kakashi's flinches away from all of it.

The domain falls away and they find themselves outside, panting and stiff.

Kakashi blinks away his shock from the curses thoughts, bewildered and worried for Sukuna's plans.

"Ah~ this is amazing," Mahito laughs like the deranged fuck he was, standing there injured and looking worse for wear.

His group had remained relatively unharmed, thanks to them covering for each other. Mahito was an annoying fighter, slippery and too flexible, he danced through their attacks with a laugh until it had pissed Yuuji enough that he went all out, beating the crap out of the curse.

"This was fun indeed but I believe that I can't die today," He grins before his body inflated like a balloon.

Kakashi wasted no time in attacking the curse with lightning charged tanto, ripping into the inflated body with ease.

It was a distraction, he knows. He also knows that it could be a dangerous distraction.

And he was right, the moment the inflated body popped at the tip of his tanto, it burst into spikes, spearing everything near it. Nanami had managed to grab the teens away and they had watched in horror as Kakashi's body was pierced.

"Kakashi-San!," Both Yuuji and Junpei screamed, making Kakashi chuckle in his head.

Ah, The fun of trolling.

Even Nanami looked stricken. It was adorable, how the man had cared for him immediately with the short time they'd had together.

The spikes harmlessly went through his intangible body, leaving him uninjured with no hair out of its place.

He lands on his feet, staggering and swaying and not even a beat later, he's crowded by his team. Mahito escapes injured, no one thinking of going after him as everyone gathers around Kakashi, worried.

"Kakashi-San.." There were tears, genuine sad and grieving tears in Yuuji's eyes and while Junpei was more reserved, Kakashi could practically smell the sorrow that poured off him.

Kakashi almost felt bad. Almost.

"Oh? Why are you two crying?," He chuckles, brushing the dirt of his clothes, "I'm fine can't you see? No injuries or tear in my clothes! You two are so dramatic its adorable!".

He pinches both cheeks of the blank faced teens, a shit eating grin on his face wide enough to be noticed despite the mask.

"Bastard," Junpei hisses like a hateful cat, "Asshole! You are a damned asshole-".

"Waa! That was mean Kakashi-San! And please don't make us worry like that again! Your going to give me a heart attack at 15!," Yuuji screeches, face comical.

"Idiot," Nanami distastefully said.

Kakashi laughed at them happy and amused, "But you guys did worry ne? Even you Nanamin! You looked pretty stricken when you saw me getting pierced!".

"I don't know what your talking about," The man deadpans before turning away, "Since you seem to be uninjured, you may deal with all the incoming paperwork for this".

"E-eh?," Kakashi blinks, something like fear bubbling inside him before he remembers his current predicament.

With a smirk, he follows the man and says in a sing song voice that, "I can't do that Nanamin~ I'm an unregistered curse user and no one knows about me except for Satoru and Yuuji-Kun! Actually, no one knows about me and Junpei".

The man snaps his head towards Kakashi so fast that he feared he might've broken a neck and gritted out, "And how is that possible?".

"Thanks to Satoru of course," Kakashi grins, seeing a vein throbbed on the man's forehead.

"Gojo," Nanami hisses the name like it was a curse, full of venom and anger and Kakashi snickers silently.

The day was a good one. Their target might've escaped but they were all uninjured and that was enough for him.

Kakashi also had his fun with teasing and annoying the fuck out of Nanami. Had his fair share of drama with the movie skit that Junpei and Mahito acted out like lovers falling out of love, trolled his team mates and manged to beat up a curse.

All in all, it was a good day.