Some years ago...
Kuro, walking home, suddenly stopped.
Megumi asked curiously, "What's wrong, Big Brother?"
Kuro turned around and looked at Gojo Satoru, the man who could currently be called the strongest in the Jujutsu world.
"So, what do you want by stalking two elementary school students? Are you not even going to spare grade-schoolers?"
Gojo looked at Kuro, who was clearly hostile toward him, and recalled the scene from three years ago, in front of Toji's corpse.
Kuro, who was only three years old at the time, had actually managed to pull out the Inverted Spear of Heaven that was stuck in the ground.
His face had carried the same expression: anger mixed with sorrow.
Kuro had said only four words.
"I will kill you."
Even though three years had passed, Gojo could still confirm that this was Toji's eldest son, Kuro, and that the one behind him, wearing a bewildered expression, must be Megumi.
Megumi frowned and asked, "Who are you? And stop wearing that disgusting smile."
Gojo touched the corner of his mouth and finally dropped his smile. He adjusted his sunglasses and said,
"Although your personalities are very different, you look quite similar. You really are his children."
Megumi looked suspiciously at the strange man in front of him.
Gojo waved his hand and spoke.
"My apologies. I was just talking to myself. Don't worry about it."
Gojo crouched down, looking at Megumi, who was being protected, and said,
"You're Megumi, right? Your father came from the Zenin Family, a prestigious jujutsu clan, but he was a scumbag even I couldn't stand. He only had you two after leaving the family.
Since you can see Cursed Spirits, you must be very talented. You must have already realized your own power, haven't you?"
As he spoke, Gojo glanced at Kuro beside him.
After all, compared to Megumi's talent in Cursed Techniques, the power Kuro inherited from Toji could also be called talent.
Megumi and Kuro merely watched Gojo gesticulating wildly, their expressions cold.
"The Zenin Family absolutely loves talented children. Jujutsu sorcerers usually awaken their Cursed Techniques between the ages of six and eight, so they're often bought and sold during that period.
And you, Megumi, are the strongest trump card your father left behind to deal with the Zenin Family.
That's quite infuriating, isn't it? And then your father was k—"
At that moment, Kuro stepped forward and roared sternly at Gojo.
"Enough! Don't say anything more! Don't drag Megumi into this. This is between the two of us!"
Megumi, however, spoke indifferently.
"It doesn't matter. I haven't seen him in years anyway, and I only know about him through my brother.
I don't care how he is or what he's doing, wherever he is."
"From what you said, I can probably guess. Tsumiki's mother hasn't been home for a while either. We must be useless now, so maybe they both went off to live a good life by themselves."
Seeing Megumi's indifferent expression as he stood behind Kuro, Gojo was certain of one thing: Kuro had not told his brother about that matter.
Did he choose to hide their father's death to protect his brother? He's truly precocious.
Compared to Megumi, who is mature for his age, Kuro seems completely like an adult, doesn't he?
Gojo thought to himself.
Tsumiki also noticed the two returning and shouted from the second-floor window,
"Kuro and Megumi are back."
Gojo stood up, his gaze sweeping over the two brothers as he spoke.
"Well, your father's story is quite interesting. If you ever want to know, you can ask me anytime."
But judging by Kuro's stance, he definitely wouldn't let Megumi find out the truth, and he himself would certainly never seek information from Gojo.
Understanding this, Gojo naturally had no interest in wasting more time on the matter and asked straightforwardly,
"So, Megumi, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to the Zenin Family?"
Megumi glanced at Kuro's back and asked seriously,
"If I go to the Zenin Family, what will happen to Big Brother and Tsumiki? Will they be happy? That's the main point."
Gojo replied instantly and coldly, without hesitation, "Absolutely not. I can say that with certainty."
Toji, who lacked Cursed Energy, was already a tragedy, and Kuro would only be repeating that same tragic path.
As for Tsumiki, there was no need to elaborate. A girl who also lacked Cursed Energy would only meet a tragic end.
After hearing the answer, Megumi's face instinctively showed disgust and confusion over what to do next.
Seeing Megumi's response, Gojo's expression softened.
"Okay, I understand. I'll handle things from now on. But let me warn you, you might have a hard time ahead. Work hard and get stronger, strong enough that I won't abandon you. And now, it's your turn, Kuro."
Gojo turned to Kuro, thinking that this precocious kid should be able to communicate normally. He pulled Kuro aside and said,
"What I gave Megumi was a choice, but for you, it's an order. Come to my side, obediently."
Kuro answered decisively, "I refuse."
Having awakened his System, Kuro had originally planned to walk in the shadows, accumulate power, and prepare for a long-term revenge and reckoning.
Gojo sensed a radically different aura emanating from Kuro compared to Megumi, as if he were another Toji in the making.
He had personally experienced what this kind of power meant for jujutsu.
Gojo looked down at Kuro, revealing the sapphire-like Six Eyes behind his sunglasses.
"I can't just let you go. Your father's dying wish was to leave you two to me, to deal with as I saw fit."
Kuro stared at those strongest eyes without the slightest retreat and asked,
"...Even if I swear to kill you, you still intend to take me?"
Gojo returned to his confident tone.
"Keh~ It's fine, go ahead and try. I am the strongest. But until you achieve that, you must listen to me."
Thus began the twisted teacher-student relationship between Kuro and Gojo.
...
Boom!
After Kuro's Black Flash was blocked by Gojo, Itadori's consciousness sank due to his severe injuries, and Sukuna regained control of the body.
The wound caused by the previous Black Flash was healing at a visible speed.
This signaled that Kuro had lost his best chance to kill Sukuna.
Kuro clicked his tongue inwardly.
Sukuna twisted his neck, a cruel smile appearing on his face, and launched an attack on Gojo and Kuro.
"Seriously, no matter what era it is, jujutsu sorcerers are still so annoying!"
"Behave yourself."
"Let me show off a little in front of my students."
But Kuro and Gojo reacted almost simultaneously, both punching Sukuna and sending him flying.