Chapter 8 — Eight Punch
"Kid?"
Ryomen Sukuna's crimson eyes stared at Saitama without blinking. The night wind stretched out the voice of the King of Curses from a thousand years ago. Perhaps the wind back then had felt the same in that very instant.
"Don't get it twisted. I'm a thousand years older than you, kid."
"..."
Saitama fell silent for a moment, then turned back with a head full of black lines, pointing at Ryomen Sukuna as he asked Fushiguro Megumi, "What's with this guy? Is he having a mid-life crisis or something?"
Seeing Saitama casually ask the question with no sense of danger—and completely unaware that the person before him was no longer an ordinary boy, but the resurrected King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna—Fushiguro snapped back to reality in shock.
"Saitama, watch out!" he shouted. "The one in front of you… is no longer human! It's Yuji! He consumed Sukuna's finger to defeat a Grade-2 Curse, and now Sukuna has taken over his body!"
"Huh… really?"
Saitama gave a troubled look, trying to discern the difference while staring at Ryomen Sukuna. But at that moment, Sukuna suddenly arched his body and, in an instant, dashed toward Saitama in an S-shaped trajectory.
"No! Saitama, he's coming!"
Fushiguro shouted in panic. But before he could finish his sentence, Sukuna had already reappeared right in front of Saitama.
The King of Curses from a millennium ago, with grotesque cursed markings twisted across his face and four blood-red eyes radiating a murderous glow, came barreling forward with terrifying force. His fingers clenched into a fist, aiming a punch at Saitama's bald head.
"Watch out!" Fushiguro's heart nearly stopped as he screamed.
Sukuna's punch was like a thunderclap. If it landed, the consequences would be unimaginable. Fushiguro could already picture Saitama's egg-shaped head flying apart under the strike, blood splattering everywhere. Yet Saitama stood there blankly, clueless about dodging, his speed from saving others seemingly nowhere in sight.
As Sukuna's fist neared Saitama, Fushiguro's pupils trembled violently. But suddenly, Saitama, who had been standing completely still, raised his hand and slapped.
"What's this, picking a fight or something?" he grumbled in dissatisfaction.
Smack!
Saitama's slap hit Sukuna squarely across the face.
The previously aggressive Sukuna seemed to spin on the spot like a force-applied top, his pink hair leaving afterimages in the air. He then collapsed headfirst onto the ground, motionless, as if he were an actual corpse.
The impact stirred the dust on the rooftop. The cloud of dust spread with the wind, forming a faint streak that eventually brushed against Fushiguro's shoes.
"Ah…"
The scene, reminiscent of a gag manga, left Fushiguro dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. He couldn't speak for a long moment.
Ryomen Sukuna had actually been knocked out by a single slap?
The King of Curses who had terrorized the world for a thousand years?
And the one responsible—this bald man?
Sukuna lay on the ground, motionless. Saitama stood beside him, turning to point at the fallen figure.
"Who is this guy? I don't know him. He just suddenly attacked me. Some random thug?"
"...So I told you, he's already Sukuna now. By the rules, he must be executed." Fushiguro steadied himself before answering.
"Huh…" Saitama hesitated, scratching his head as he glanced at the floor that had been smashed when Sukuna went berserk. "But he only broke the floor, right? Can't we just pay for it? Nudity isn't exactly a capital crime. If we executed everyone who ran around naked, that'd be crazy."
"No, it's not just about breaking the floor or running around naked. The problem is…"
Fushiguro tried to explain. But before he could finish, the collapsed Sukuna suddenly sat up.
—Damn, he's fine after all! Thinking it through, of course, there was no way Saitama could truly handle a monster like Sukuna…
Fushiguro's instinct made him clasp his hands together and summon a shikigami.
"Divine Dogs!"
Two wild dogs, one black and one white, materialized in the shadows behind him, tensing to guard. But before Fushiguro could act further—
"Ow… that hurts!" Sukuna clutched his legs, sitting in place, rubbing his swollen face, hissing.
"Huh?" Fushiguro blinked in surprise.
At some point, Sukuna's eyes on his cheekbones had closed, leaving only faint slits. The cursed markings on his body were fading. The pink-haired boy sat there holding his face, and when he looked up at Fushiguro, guilt filled his expression.
"…Sorry, Fushiguro. That guy suddenly appeared inside me. I couldn't stop him from attacking you in time," he said sincerely, bowing in apology.
Fushiguro stared at the pink-haired boy. An unbelievable thought slowly formed in his mind.
Could it be that this was no longer Sukuna, but… Yuji Itadori?
He remembered that only a minute ago, this boy had still been Yuji Itadori. But after Sukuna possessed his body, it was assumed Yuji had been consumed.
If Yuji really survived, then that meant he was…
A vessel capable of handling a special-grade cursed object?
Before Fushiguro could fully process this, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"Yo, Megumi."
That familiar voice relaxed his tense body. He turned to see Gojo Satoru silently standing behind him.
"Good work. The rest, as a teacher, I'll handle it."
Fushiguro froze, then suddenly realized the subtext behind Gojo's words: "You've been watching all this, haven't you?"
"Since Sukuna got slapped, I guess." The silver-haired teacher spoke with no hint of guilt. "Well, it's also a good chance to see your student in action."
"..."
Yuji's gaze was drawn to Gojo as well. Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "You… who are you?"
"Well…"
Gojo smiled and stepped in front of Yuji.
"It depends on what personality you have the next time you wake up."
No sooner had he spoken than Gojo's finger touched Yuji's forehead. The pink-haired boy's eyes stayed open briefly before he fell asleep, and Gojo casually lifted him onto his shoulder.
"Let's go!" Gojo said leisurely. Yuji wobbled on his shoulder. "At least that way, we've recovered Sukuna's finger."
"What about Yuji?" Fushiguro hurriedly asked. "What's going to happen to him?"
"If he's a vessel, it's easy. I'll make sure he survives." Gojo patted the fluffy head of the pink-haired boy. "No problem, no problem."
Fushiguro glanced at Gojo's lower face, sighing.
—Anyway, the decision doesn't lie with the school. Even the strongest sorcerer, Gojo, can't completely ignore the higher-ups' orders.
Fushiguro was still contemplating the next steps when a shadow appeared on the ground before him.
He looked up and met Gojo's gaze as the sorcerer bent slightly.
"Oh, right, Megumi. You should understand now, right?" Gojo whispered, pointing. "His strength."
Fushiguro's eyes followed Gojo's finger and saw Saitama walking toward the two Divine Dogs he had summoned.
The bald man squatted near the dogs and reached out. But the jade dogs tilted their heads, glanced at him, and ran off.
Saitama looked a little disappointed, standing up and scratching the back of his head.
"I see…" Fushiguro recalled how Saitama had saved him from Sukuna just before the attack. His heart tightened. "He… has no cursed energy, but he's really strong, isn't he?"
"Yeah." Gojo nodded solemnly.
"I've discussed it with Principal Yaga. Saitama will become Tokyo Jujutsu High's secret weapon." He spoke quietly. "So don't casually talk about him."
Fushiguro looked at Saitama in the distance again.
He was strong. That was certain. Though it was unclear if Saitama's slap worked because Yuji was switching consciousnesses, he had saved someone from Sukuna, proving he was far from ordinary.
And Gojo's plan to make him Tokyo High's secret weapon undoubtedly shaped Saitama's future.
Fushiguro understood. Gojo had long been dissatisfied with the corrupt Jujutsu system and believed that to change it, one could not rely solely on brute force. One must cultivate like-minded individuals to enact change.
Saitama was clearly one of the companions Gojo favored. But no matter how many curses he defeated, no matter how many lives he saved, being a secret weapon meant his achievements would remain hidden from the world.
Saitama's path ahead would not be an easy one.
Fushiguro fell silent for a moment. "Why should I care? Why should I keep it a secret?"
Gojo, satisfied with the answer, patted Fushiguro's head, lifted Yuji with one hand, and grabbed the bag of sweets from earlier with the other. But Fushiguro suddenly reached out, expressionless, and snatched the bag.
"Huh?"
Gojo froze. Fushiguro, stern-faced, said, "Reward for keeping the secret. I'll eat all of your sweets with Saitama later."
"…What? Still not cute like when you were little."
Gojo exhaled and waved generously. "Fine, I'll just buy more on the way."
A hint of dawn appeared on the horizon.
"We still need to test if this kid is really a vessel," Gojo said finally. "Megumi, first go get your wounds treated at the hospital. If the tests here aren't finished, go back to Tokyo with Saitama. Get Shoko to treat you thoroughly."
Watching Gojo leave, Fushiguro slowly walked to Saitama's side and called his name.
"Saitama."
"Oh. Are we going back?" Saitama asked, pulling his gaze from the distant stadium.
"Yeah." Fushiguro replied softly.
Saitama seemed like a shining person. Could he endure the loneliness hidden in the shadows?
"Saitama." Fushiguro suddenly asked. "Why did you even enter the world of Jujutsu?"
"Enter Jujutsu?" Saitama thought for a moment. "You mean, why do I exterminate curses?"
"Exactly!"
Fushiguro held his breath, staring at Saitama without blinking.
"If I had to say," Saitama scratched his cheek, speaking matter-of-factly, "it's… for fun."
"..." Saitama's answer was so simple yet so astonishing that Fushiguro had no words.
Even after his wounds were treated and leaving the hospital, Fushiguro kept pondering Saitama's words.
The treatment for Yuji had not yet concluded. As instructed by Gojo, Fushiguro returned to Tokyo with Saitama.
At the Shinkansen station, passing a store selling bento boxes, Saitama sniffed appreciatively.
"Smells really good," he murmured.
Fushiguro instinctively walked over.
While browsing the menu, he noticed Saitama counting the coins left in his wallet. His eyes kept glancing at a beef-and-kelp bento, looking both troubled and intrigued.
Fushiguro picked up two beef-and-kelp bentos and paid for them.
"This one's for you." He handed one to Saitama. "My treat."
"Oh!" Saitama took it automatically. "This is expensive, over two thousand yen, right?"
"Consider it thanks," Fushiguro said, "for saving me from Sukuna."
Saitama looked at the bento in his hand, then at Fushiguro, raising his eyebrows with a smile of sudden realization.
"When the apprentices' allowance comes, I'll treat you too."
"…Okay. You want any of the sweets?" Fushiguro raised the bag snatched from Gojo.
Saitama paused. "Oh, weren't these just bought by Gojo?"
"Edamame cream flavor."
"…That sounds weird. I'll pass."
"Then I'll pass too." Fushiguro immediately tossed the edamame-flavored sweets into the station trash.