Destined to Collide - Inumaki Toge

52. Purple Little Things

The event ended as quick as it had begun. The invaders have no chance of killing off any of their own this time, and everyone is safe.

Well, in a way.

Plenty of them are injured. Maki got cracked ribs, Itadori had some scratches and bruises, Fushiguro had a plant growing out of his belly button. It had teeth. Teeth. Purple little things that laugh whenever someone gets close to them.

At first, Itadori was quite freaked out by it and worries much about his friend when a malevolent looking root like thing growing out of his stomach like a parasite moves, laughs and giggles. But when Fushiguro explained that he is fine if he doesn't use his Cursed Techniques, Itadori calmed down and appears fine with it.

Too fine.

And then, it becomes an all-out giggle with Itadori kept poking at the freakish buds, laughing when the Curse laughed.

"Oi, oi," Fushiguro weakly protested. "You're not supposed to be having this much fun with this."

Itadori laughed when he pulled back his finger just in time before the Curse chomp on his finger. "Now that we know it's not growing or activating if you're not using your Cursed Technique, it's actually quite cute! Maybe we can extract it nicely and put it in a pot or something-"

A very short "POOF" and a short burst of flame later, the Cursed Plant is gone.

Itadori and Fushiguro both had their eyes wide, staring at the now ashy residue on Fushiguro's stomach.

"What did you do?" Fushiguro asked accusingly at Itadori. Goodness knows what happened to the plant. He was told by the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Hanami that this one grows roots into his bloody organs. This looked just like some surface cleaning only. He touched his stomach, trying to feel if there's anything else left behind that could potentially grow out another bunch of shit again.

Itadori raised both his hands up, eyes innocently wide. "Did nothing man!"

"How about that Sukuna over there?" Fushiguro narrowed his eyes at Itadori. No seconds later, Sukuna's mouth and eyes appeared on the back of Itadori's hand.

"For that, my boy, I would need to take over Ita-boy's body before I could do anything about that," Sukuna drawled lazily. "You should check your surroundings before you point a finger at your comrade, isn't it? There are other beings here that could do the same trick."

"Enough with the bickering," a tailed wolf trotted towards them both, chiding them, especially more so towards Itadori for disturbing his friend from resting before help arrives.

Fushiguro had explained to Itadori and Maki that Maguro managed to summon a beast with four tails, and that the white one sides with them. Itadori merely looked at the wolf up and down, appearing terribly fascinated with its four tails and that fire-like aura around the wolf. He lifted his hand towards the wolf, curiosity overriding his logic as he reached out to touch the wolf.

And got his hand slapped off by one of its four tails. Itadori frowned and turned down his mouth sadly like a kicked puppy. Sukuna sighed internally. How did he, the infamous King of Curses, ended up with this boy?

"Then where did the plant go?" Fushiguro, who's eyes still narrowing down at Itadori, asked him accusingly. Itadori whimpered sadly. How could his friend accuse him like this? He did nothing!

"I sent that thing to Hell. Is that good enough?" the fire wolf barked, looking at Maki, Fushiguro, Itadori as well as Todo hanging around underneath a shaded tree a few feet away from their gathering point. "The Lady was so worried with the rest of you lot I had to come over here to clear up the mess before she arrives at a field full of nonsense for her to worry more. Squabbling like a pair of old married couples, the lot of you-"

Both Fushiguro and Itadori winced and curled up in disgust. Sukuna, on Itadori's hand, barked out a laugh. The fire wolf continued to nag at them, standing guard while waiting for her to arrive.

"I would ship you two, hahaha!" Sukuna laughed evilly, then suddenly ceased laughing altogether and continued in a warning tone, "But do it only after I left this body."

Itadori smacked the mouth and eyes off from his hand like an annoying mosquito.

DESTINED TO COLLIDE

In the end, they couldn't get Shoko Ieiri to come over quickly. She is the most important asset for the college. She couldn't leave the place without a reliable bodyguard, and right now, she's with Principal Yaga at Tengen-sama's abode to check out if there is anything that went wrong and to get an explanation as to how the invaders dropped by for a quick visit.

Quick visits that went sour very quickly after Gojo Satoru dispelled their veil.

They've managed to text Inumaki, whom Fushiguro informed Shoko that Maguro is last seen with him. She was to meet up with the rest of them at the gathering point and heal them. Inumaki agreed with a simple 'Ok' reply.

It was too much of a coincident. To launch a surprise attack on the school only during the competition. And facing only the students at that? They didn't outright kill the students too. They took their time to deal blows after blows at the students, one by one smacking them down. Sure, the teachers are there to try and dispel the veil, but this whole affair looks too fishy for it to only aim at the students and Gojo Satoru.

It was as if they're aiming for something else.

For some other valuables or something. He suspected they might be here for Sukuna, but with the current resurrected King of Curses's powers and Itadori being a hard nut to crack now that he knows how to use some of his insane strength and powers, he will be difficult to kidnap.

So, Sukuna's fingers then?

Gojo had continued to scan the surroundings of the school for invaders but finds that they are no longer in the school's compound.

And that, would be Gojo Satoru's part to handle.

So, since Ieiri is unable to drop by and heal them all, Maguro was to do it on behalf.

Footsteps were heard, and everyone turned towards the source of the sound.

It was Inumaki with Maguro in his arms. They've arrived.