Work Text:
Nanami’s first ever memory had been of the orphanage; of green fields and gentle nuns that smiled lovingly at the shy boy.
He remembered how they adored him, their eyes always soft and their arms open for a hug. Then he remembered how they stared at him as he told them about the creatures fleeting in the shadows.
They were quiet. They asked him more about those ‘creatures’.
Then came the men in suits.
They were not as nice as the nuns, no matter how hard they pretended to be.
They asked Nanami about these creatures he kept seeing.
He heard them say words that he didn’t understand then.
…curses…sorcerers…shaman…energy…gifted…
But Nanami hadn’t liked that.
He didn’t want to be cursed.
He wanted to stay with the nuns and the orphanage where jasmines bloomed and the sweet scent of honeysuckle permeated the air after a warm day.
But they didn’t give him a choice.
They packed his bags and sent him off to live with a clan. The family members were harsh. They told him he would live with them and perfect his Cursed Technique.
Nanami had cried almost every night, but no one came to console the lonely boy who was afraid of the dark and of the cruel people with their uncaring eyes.
The years passed in a hazy trance of training and learning.
It was discovered that Nanami had a very interesting and unique technique.
The boy could suppress other people’s cursed techniques and take them away for as long as he wished. No matter how powerful that sorcerer was, Nanami could deprive them of their god given powers.
The elders absolutely lost their minds.
This was incredible!
Did you know what this meant?!
It meant that any sorcerer that opposed them could be brought to heel with Nanami’s CT.
But the matter must remain secret!!!
Only a few of the inner circles were aware of Nanami’s powers, and they made sure to keep it that way. They instructed the boy to develop his other skills, but keep the true nature of his Cursed Energy to himself.
He would be their ace in the hole.
But he would also serve other purposes.
Nanami would be trained as the elders’ spy against other sorcerers and other clans.
The boy was smart and observant.
He only required the training in intelligence work to do it.
Before he had even reached the ripe age of 14, he had had some 19 missions under his belt.
But suddenly a new problem arose.
The Fates That Be had finally decided that the long awaited Infinity Technique and Six Eyes would be gifted to one specially chosen child.
Mainly of one Gojo Satoru.
But alas, there was a problem.
The gifts made the boy a prodigy. It made him untouchable, all powerful and almost all seeing.
What was more, the boy was a psychopath.
Terrible tales of his atrocious acts appeared wherever the teen went.
Nanami had heard about them all.
Once a blind relative of the family had criticized Gojo for his rude behavior and, in retaliation, Gojo had burst the man’s eardrums and cut out his tongue, leaving him deaf, blind and mute.
Another time Gojo had come across a depressed girl who had been about to jump from the roof of her apartment building to her death. He had gotten bored of waiting for her to act and had pushed her off himself.
Another story that circulated was that at a party Gojo had been attending a clan member had been celebrating the end of constructing his home palace. He’d been telling everyone about how the palace had taken him 30 years and billions of yen to build. It was a lavish and luxurious place unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. The male had been exuberant and happily telling everyone about his pride and joy. Gojo had promptly destroyed said palace the next morning just as the final brick was being laid down. The man had killed himself the same day.
There were many stories of the madness of Gojo Satoru.
Everyone feared him.
His schoolmates feared him.
His family feared him.
The elders and other clans feared him.
Infinity made him untouchable and he was semi-omniscient thanks to Six Eyes.
There was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
That was until Nanami came into play.
“Nanami-san, you are now of age to attend Tokyo Tech. You have read the dossier we have compiled for you on Gojo-san. You know what this monster is capable of; the atrocities he has committed. All are afraid of him. He has killed and threatened to kill again. We, the elders, have come under threat from him. But we have seen what your CT is capable of. And we have full confidence in you. Whatever you need, whatever resources you require, will be made available to you. Your mission is to spy on this monster and find a way to seal his powers.”
And so, he was sent to Tokyo Tech.
The place was different from the clan compound where he had grown up.
There was more light. More smiles. More happiness.
The students flitted around from their classes to the fields with no worries.
Nanami envied them.
Not only did he have a suicidal task to contend with, but more responsibilities and duties to uphold. But he couldn’t do anything about it. This was all that he had known.
Maybe…someday in the future…
But right now…
“Another thing, Nanami-san, you are to keep an ear out for the students and teachers. We suspect many anti-loyalist sentiments among the staff and trainees. Should you find any evidence of such behavior you are to report it immediately.”
******************************
Ten days into the beginning of the school year and there was already an ambulance parked outside.
This did not bode well.
Nanami rubbed between his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on.
“You ok, Nanami-san?”
“Yeah, I’m good, Haibara. Just the heat.” He motioned to the ambulance in a silent question.
Haibara blinked; there was an uncomfortable look on his face.
“I heard that Gojo-san attacked an instructor.” He said, shuffling his feet. “He gave him an assignment he thought was too lowly for him and he snapped his arm in five places. The other juniors heard the noise from the training grounds below.”
Nanami stared.
One thing about the Gojo portion of his mission was how easy it was to keep track of his target. The man was such a menace that the students and staff would immediately report on his every move. But it wasn’t because they liked to gossip. No, it was more of an emergency communication network to alert everyone when to avoid the white haired teen or risk severe injury if caught unawares.
Nanami suspected that the reason Gojo had been enrolled in Tokyo Tech wasn’t because his parents wanted him to master his powers, but more likely so the whole family can have several hours of blessed relief from the monster’s presence.
“There he is now.”
Nanami looked down from the terrace where he and Yu were standing.
He saw a tall figure with white hair walking down the hall. Students and teachers quickly moved out of his way as they saw him approach. But the teen didnt pay them any attention, he was merrily talking to Getou-san, a peon of his who shared Gojo’s sadism.
Suddenly, as if he had read Nanami’s thoughts, Gojo lifted his shattered blue eyes and caught Nanami’s own.
The young sorcerer felt a shiver of fear run down his spine.
Nanami read somewhere that the easiest way to trigger a predator’s hunting instincts was for the prey to take flight. So Nanami held the other teen’s eyes. He kept holding them until the other disappeared around the corner.
He calmed his pounding heart and took a deep breath.
How was he going to suppress such a monster’s powers?
That had been the question Nanami had been considering since starting his mission.
To approach in any way to activate his powers would be suicide thanks to the man’s Six Eyes.
He wouldn’t be able to get within 50 feet before being killed.
But he would take his time. There were no time constraints.
For now he observed the students and staff. He managed to get a good idea of who was anti-loyalist and who was trying to curry favor.
He also noticed how Gojo would at times hang around where the first years were. Specifically, where he and Haibara would be.
He thought nothing of it.
They were both students attending the same school, it was normal that they should see each other often.
And they were in different grades to boot.
But that still didn’t stop the white haired teen from sometimes calling Nanami ‘pretty’ whenever he was within earshot.
He took pains to avoid doing anything to draw Gojo’’s attention to him.
As time passed Nanami’s surveillance became more refined. His intelligence network even managed to make it to clans in Kyoto. The elders were pleased with his work and showered him with praise and money. Not that Nanami cared. He held no love for the elders or jujutsu society as a whole. He cared about no one and nothing. He just did his job because he didn’t know how to do anything else.
Or at least he thought he didn’t care about anything.
He was proven wrong when Haibara died.
And then Nanami realized that he wasn’t as jaded as he’d initially thought he was.
***********************************
“Damn! Haibara’s really messed up bad, huh?” Nanami looked up from the corpse of his friend on the autopsy table to find none other than Gojo Satoru standing in the doorway. The white haired teen was staring at Haibara’s mutilated body with the same interest he might look at a bug he’d accidentally stepped on.
Nanami turned away.
The sweet boy had been killed by some cursed monstrosity. He had died afraid and in pain. And now he has to deal with Insane Gojo’s barbs.
What was Gojo even doing here?!!!
He wasn’t a friend of Haibara’s!
Nanami moved to leave. He could not abide Gojo's morbid need to stare at a student’s corpse like a gruesome spectator.
As the blond approached the door, Gojo’s hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Nanami’s arm.
“You used to hang around with Yu, right?” Gojo asked, not really waiting for an answer. “He was always weak. This was bound to happen sooner or later, so you might as well not cry too hard over it.” He said in an almost bored voice.
Nanami didn’t say anything. Just stared at Gojo dead in the eyes.
“You’re weak too.” He said before his eyes trailed up and down his body, slowly but heatedly. “Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be fighting. Waste of a pretty face if you ask me. But I can protect you, you know.”
The other released him and shoved his hands into his pockets. He was the perfect picture of an undisturbed wastrel.
“You ever wanna hang out, me, Shoko and Getou are always around.”
Nanami blinked in confusion.
What kind of talk was that? The hell did Gojo want?!!?
He made no reply, but continued on his way.
He could feel depthless, mad, blue eyes burning into his back.
He didn’t want to think about Gojo now.
Only Haibara.
The sweet boy’s absence was a gunshot wound in the blond’s heart.
He locked Yu’s memory deep into the recesses of his soul and moved forward.
Time stopped for no man and this was no different.
********************************
The school year progressed and Gojo continued to terrorize those around him and bring death and suffering to all those who displeased him.
Nanami was glad he did not fall under such a category, but he did notice the other boy’s interest had started taking a more vehement turn in Nanami. Whenever the blond would be sitting in the cafeteria or in the fields, he would sense that he was being watched, and if he looked around his gaze would meet Gojo’s more often than not. The other might be hanging out with his clique or traunting classes, but those manic intense eyes would be watching Nanami’s figure with terrifying intensity.
This disturbed Nanami.
He decided to ease off on his work for a while so as to avoid rousing any suspicions towards his true objective.
Only when the blond was in a specially warded off area would he continue practicing his secret CT and communicating his findings to the elders.
After much practice and experimentation, he finally made some headway.
Instead of using his technique of suppression CT directly on an opponent, he had learned to weave it into items and objects. He could take any object and place his CT on it. A person would only need to touch it for it to activate. And the best part was the fact that it was time controlled and impossible to detect. So that meant he could give it to an enemy or hide upon their person and the cursed item would activate hours later when Nanami was not around.
This was perfect for avoiding detection and rousing suspicion.
He had to try it out on someone first, and he chose Getou-san to be his test subject.
It was important to see if it would work on a Special Grade Sorcerer.
Nanami enchanted a small safety pin and latched it to the seam of Getou’s jacket when the boy left it lying about unattended. The pin would not activate until 5 hours later as the other was leaving school.
And lo and behold, it worked!
Getou-san’s power suddenly disappeared along with all of his CE for an entire hour! To say that the other was shocked would have been an understatement. It did eventually come back, but the whole experience left Getou-san shaken for days.
And while this success was a huge step for Kento, it was not yet perfected enough to deal with the wielder of Infinity. The blond communicated his findings with the elders and they seemed content with his progress so far.
The years passed and Nanami graduated from Tokyo Tech.
But with graduation came some new developments in which he had to be assigned missions outside Tokyo.
The Gojo Mission was suspended.
*******************************************
8 YEARS LATER
“Nanamin!!! How are you?!!!” Gojo suddenly teleported right in front of Nanami. “Did you miss your dear senpai?”
Nanami froze.
The old fear returned.
The psychopath of the Gojo clan was standing right in front of him covered in blood.
Human blood.
The blond sorcerer had to suppress the shudder of disgust as the madman’s eyes traveled up and down Nanami’s body. His instincts told him to run but his reason knew he wouldn’t be able to make it far.
“Looking good, Nanami.” He purred. “Good enough to eat.” A maniacally smile decorated the madman’s face.
“Gojo-san, it’s been a while.”
“It has, my sweet Kohai.” He leaned forward, invading Nanami’s personal space.
“Nanamin, I need to ask you for a favor.” Gojo wrapped an arm around the blond sorcerer’s waist as he walked beside him. The thumb gently caressed his hip. “I have this kid called Yuji. Good kid. Great kid! Might be Sukuna Ryomen’s vessel.” Nanami’s eyes widened. “He needs training and you’re just the person to do it.”
*********************************
“You will kill Itadori Yuji.”
Nanami's heart skipped but he maintained composure.
“The boy is Sukuna’s vessel. He has already eaten four of the King of Curses’ fingers and awakened his consciousness. He is too dangerous to be left alive.”
The blond sorcerer saw Yuji’s innocent smile. The brave way he had saved his friends from the Special Grade Curse.
The way he had jumped into Mahito’s domain, a determined look in his eyes, as he thoughtlessly rushed in to save Nanami from death.
The older shaman had not been in danger from the crosspatch curse. His CT would have allowed him to suppress the curses Idle Transfiguration and to dissipate his Domain Expansion, but Yuji had not known that.
The pink haired boy had seen that Nanami was in danger and had risked his own life to save him.
And now they wanted him dead.
“May I offer an alternative?” He asked.
The elders were quiet.
“Speak.”
“From what I have seen the boy is less of a vessel and more of a prison for the king of curses. He can keep him locked away and sealed. If we execute him now, we get rid of Sukuna as well as 4 of his fingers.
“But 16 fingers would remain out there. 16 fingers that could just fall into the hands of a vessel with no control, unlike Itadori. And as we all know Sukuna’s body wax is indestructible.”
He held from a second for the elders to grasp his meaning.
“But if we find the rest of the fingers?” He asked. ”Let us postpone Itadori’s execution. We search for the rest of the fingers. Give them one by one to Itadori, then execute him. That way we can effectively destroy Sukuna. We would never have to worry about him ever again.” He concluded.
The elders were quiet at first. But then they began debating among themselves.
They were buying Nanami’s suggestion.
Nanami had no intention of letting Itadori be killed.
He would whisk the boy away before they could get their hands on him.
“Very well. You make a good point, Nanami-san.” The elder replied. “We will postpone the execution of Itadori Yujia and begin a more thorough search for the rest of the fingers.”
Nanami was relieved.
**************************
The Goodwill Event was a disaster to say the least.
Nanami recalled sitting in the observation area as they watched the students fight.
He did not understand why the white haired male had wanted Nanami there, but he wasn't given much of a choice. Kento’s presence was not necessary, but Gojo had invited him and made it clear that he would not be taking a no for an answer. The other teachers had been surprised, but looked pleased to see him again.
Also, no one was stupid enough to tell Gojo no.
The air had been tense. Nanami could see how Utahime and the others fidgeted in their seats.
Being in an enclosed area with Gojo Satoru did that.
The fight had started off well. The combat was fair and there were no issues. But then the kids from Kyoto Tech suddenly disappeared only to reappear surrounding Yuji. The kids had apparently abandoned their quarries to band up against Sukuna’s vessel in some weak bid to overpower him. Yuji was strong and was managing to fight them off, but then the hits from the students of Kyoto Tech started to take on a lethal look.
Gojo rose.
“Gojo-san it’s-” Before anyone could move, he blew Utahime’s head off.
Like prey confronting a predator, the whole room sat frozen in shock and horror. The traitorous teacher’s blood congealed onto the ceiling and brain matter rained down on top of them.
Kento knew - he just knew - that the Kyoto kids would be next on the chopping block.
He was honestly shocked with how steady and determined his voice was when he spoke up.
“Scare them, but don’t kill them.” Gojo turned to stare at Nanami in surprise. Nanami surmised that probably no one had ever spoken to him that way after witnessing his bloodlust. “Once they hear that their teacher’s dead they’ll back off.”
He wasn’t sure how or what it was that made his desperate bid pay off but it did.
With a nod, Gojo teleported between Yuji and the group who immediately ran away unharmed.
Kento breathed a sigh of relief.
Yaga and the others gave him a look of gratitude.
They were still trying to steady their nerves after Utahime’s sudden death and betrayal when the veil rose and the curses attacked.
****************************
“...Tokyo Tech was attacked…they were after Itadori…Special Grade Curses…who might have …”
The blond stood in wait as the elders debated the latest occurrence.
Things were escalating quickly.
They would need to make a move.
There was a matter that needed immediate addressing.
“The attack was orchestrated by Getou Suguru…” Nanami begins.
“Suguru? Have you proof? Have you found his location?”
“I have. He is in Shibuya. He is surrounded by his cult and was seen working with 4 Special Grade Curses, one of which attacked us during the Goodwill Event.”
Chaos breaks out.
They could not believe it! The man had gone insane!!!
It was bad enough about the intel of Getou having gone rogue, but this was too much!!!
“I ask permission to proceed with the order of executing Getou Suguru.” Nanami spoke when there was finally a lapse in the mayhem.
They really didn’t need to debate the matter at all.
“Permission Granted.”
************************************************
A month later Getou Suguru is secretly assassinated by Nanami Kento.
It had been easy really.
Nanami had been preparing for this since their junior year after all.
The look of shock on his former Senpai’s face as he suppressed his CT before he cut him down with his 7:3 ratio was surreal.
Finding the 16 fingers of Sukuna had just rounded up the successful mission.
But he kept the discovery of the fingers to himself. The elders didn’t not need to find out what Nanami was planning.
********************************************
Gojo’s scream of agony echoed throughout the city when he found the dead body of his former best friend. The man just went stark raving mad as he destroyed several neighborhoods and killed dozens of innocent bystanders in his grief.
All their friends ran and hid. Only Nanami and Yuji remained to try to console him
Nanami did not know why the boy, so sweet and innocent, was so devoted to such a psychopath. He must harbor some sense of loyalty and friendship for saving his life, even if Gojo was a lunatic.
“When I find them, I'll kill them!!!”
The ‘them’ in question was standing right in front of Gojo, but Nanami maintained his composure. It would not do for his lifespan to let the other sense any guilt.
The white haired male paced. Cursed Energy suffocated them.
He quietly gestured to Yuji that they should leave the grieving sorcerer alone. Gojo was too unstable at the moment.
“Not you!” Gojo pointed at Nanami. The blond sorcerer’s blood ran cold. “You stay, Nanami!”
Yuji stood hesitant in the doorway.
“It’s alright, Itadori-kun.” He tried to reassure the disturbed boy. “Go. I will be alright.”
Had Gojo found out? Did he know that it was Nanami who had killed his best friend?
Was today the day Nanami died?
The door had barely managed to close behind Itadori when Gojo was on him.
Nanami’s body tensed in fear, he braced himself for pain, but was surprised when desperate lips crushed down on his own.
Ah, so he was looking to fuck the grief away.
Nanami could do this.
He did not relish the idea of sleeping with Gojo, but given the option between being killed and being fucked, he would take the latter.
It was rough and unpleasant to say the least.
Gojo barely gave Nanami adequate time to prepare before he pushed inside his unwilling body. The pain was excruciating but he bore it. He had no choice. The sorcerer wrapped his arms around Gojo’s shoulders and hung on for dear life.
There would be bruises. Gojo had not been gentle in the least.
Afterwards, when the other was done and Nanami rose to put on his clothes, Gojo grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him down onto his lap. The man buried his face into Nanami’s neck, his face wet with tears.
“You’re the only one I can trust, Nanami.”
The blond’s mind stuttered.
“Getou was precious to me, but there’s something about you…You’re different. You always were. I knew you were special even back in school.”
Nanami could feel acid pooling in his guts.
“I know everyone fears me, even Shoko and Getou were afraid of me, and that’s just how I want it. At times I get tired of always having to be strong. But I want you to always be mine, Nanami. You’re dependable, I know that I can trust you.”
Not knowing what to do with the situation he was in, Nanami could think of nothing but to kiss him.
**************************************
“Nanami-san, we heard about Getou. Good job.” The elders praised. “What is it you need?”
“I need the Prison Realm.”
***************************************
It should have ended right then that day.
He should have walked away.
Nanami sequestered himself and Yuji in one of his safe houses, and for the span of two and a half weeks fed the boy Sukuna’s fingers. The slow process allowed Itadori enough time for his body to adapt and prevent the curse from taking control.
And it worked.
As the final finger was consumed, Yuji looked up at his mentor with gentle resigned eyes.
“Does this now mean I have to die?”
Nanami's heart felt like it was shattering in a thousand pieces.
“No.”
Two hours later and with a new look, a new identity, and plenty of money, Yuji was on a flight to America.
****************************************
All that remained was Gojo.
It was finally time.
*************************************
Nanami slowly buttoned up his shirt. His hands were steady even as his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.
Behind him on the bed he felt Gojo sit up. The blanket pooled around his waist revealing a broad chest and steel hard abs. The man was flushed and covered in sweat from their recent activities.
Nanami shuddered in disgust, but luckily Gojo mistook it for admiration.
“Really rocked your world, huh babe?” He breathed.
In typical arrogant psychopath Satoru style, the self-centered ass thought that he had enjoyed what was basically one-sided coitus.
The conceit was galling.
It’s been three months since Yuji disappeared and the bastard hadn’t even bothered to ask about his student even once.
The elders thought that maybe Gojo had hidden the lad away for some reason or another and Nanami had not corrected them on their assumptions. It took attention away from him.
Today the white haired male had a mission.
One that Nanami had specifically made sure the sorcerer was assigned to him and him alone.
[Hunt down the Curses that had been working with Getou]
There were four of them, and all were powerful Special Grades.
Usually a mission of that caliber would be assigned to a team of sorcerers, but with Gojo there would be no need for anyone except the wielder of Infinity.
That was part of the plan.
“Ready for the day?” He asked.
Gojo smirked.
“I’m always ready.”
*************************************************
The four curses were powerful. Nanami would give them that. They had managed to wind and exhaust Gojo before he had managed to defeat 3 of them - the crosspatch, the flower one and the squid.
The fire curse had managed to escape and Gojo was kneeling on the ground panting.
Suddenly he heard footsteps coming from behind him but he relaxed as his Six Eyes picked up Nanami.
He smiled indulgently.
His pretty Kouhai was checking up on him!
That was so sweet!!!
When the blond was only a short distance away, Gojo slowly rose to his feet.
And promptly staggered as his CE completely disappeared.
His CE!!!
His Infinity! Six Eyes!!!
He couldn’t access them!!!
What the hell happened?!!
Gojo only managed to turn before the Prison Realm engulfed him.
**************************
Nanami stared at the now enclosed Prison Realm imprisoning none other than Gojo Satoru.
Imbuing the other man’s clothes with his CE on a countdown timer had worked.
Just when Satoru was at his most drained, oppression kicked in and locked the rest of it away.
And now the psychopath was gone.
Nanami didn’t have time to celebrate the final success of his mission before an explosion threw him into a wall.
***********************
His world was pain and darkness.
Nanami couldn’t move.
He slipped into consciousness and out of it sporadically.
There were people around him, but he couldn’t tell who they were.
Everything hurt.
For several days the sorcerer lay unconscious in Shoko’s infirmary. When some of his mental faculties returned, he could make out bits and hints.
“...the fire curse…ambushed him…explosion…Nanami…”
Ah, the fire curse that had escaped must have attacked him when he wasn’t looking.
But there was more.
“...Gojo locked inside…why?...the elders came by…seemed pleased…Nanami?!!...a spy?!!!! NO!!!!...I won’t allow it…spear of heaven…release…”
Dread lurked in Nanami’s chest as came fully awake.
**********************************
Shoko couldn't believe it!
Nanami? A spy?
Nanami, someone whom she had to hear Gojo faun over so many times over the years, had locked Gojo away in the Prison Realm!!!!!
How did the blond even manage to bypass Infinity?
She didn’t know.
All she knew was that right now Nanami was in the healing ward recovering and Gojo was locked up.
But not for long.
The elders had come seeking the box, but she wouldn't let them take her oldest friend away.
She called in some favors and soon the Spear of Heaven - the only item that could break Gojo free - was on its way.
When the white haired male was loose he would want revenge on Kento.
Shoko almost felt sorry for him.
***********************************
There was a burst of CE unlike any of them had seen. It suffocated them before it coalesced and destroyed the surrounding rooms.
A deranged laugh erupted from the destroyed box and Gojo Satoru leapt to his freedom.
“NANAMI!!!!!”
His laugh made all shudder in fear. It was the laugh of retribution.
The white haired male wasted no time and activated his Six Eyes.
But wait…what’s this?
He couldn’t see Nanami’s CE?
He turned to Shoko and asked her where the blond had went.
She seemed confused and made her way to the sorcerer's room only to find it empty.
**********************************************
Nanami sat down on the floor of the bathroom of the safe house.
He had still not recovered; his quick escape from the infirmary had drained him of most of his energy, he was exhausted.
And yet he knew he couldn’t stay here.
Gojo would now be loose and on the hunt.
But luckily he was ready.
Nanami always knew that one day he would find himself on the run; be it from the elders, or from enemies seeking revenge, or the clans, or Gojo.
He knew that he would need to be prepared.
Precautions had been taken.
He had secured many safe houses for him to lay low. There was plenty of money deposited in cash and in faux bank accounts all across Japan, as well as some offshore ones. He had prepared escape bags containing many essentials that he would need in case he had to leave immediately; clothes, money, fake ID, credit cards, etc.
But most important of his supplies was a sacred pendant worn around the neck that would disguise his CE from all attempts at being located. It would even protect him from being seen by the Six Eyes.
He was wearing it right now.
Nanami rose achingly to his feet and stared at his reflection.
Instead of a blond, the man in the mirror was a brunette wearing gold rimmed glasses. And instead of a carefully tailored suit, he was wearing black jeans, a white shirt and a brown jacket. In other words he looked almost nothing like Nanami Kento. All that was left was for him to don a surgical mask and he would be unrecognizable.
Good.
Now it was time to move. He needed to make it to the airport and catch a flight out.
Grabbing his bag from the bed and donning his mask, Nanami made his way outside and down the road to where a taxi waited for him.
He got in with his bag and gave the driver instructions to head to the airport.
The drive was not long, but Kento was tired and aching from his still healing wounds. Couple that with the stress he was feeling of being a man on the run and the ride appeared far longer than it really was.
Overall it’s been 4 hours since he has escaped the infirmary. Hopefully that would be enough time to give him a head start on Gojo.
Soon the gateway of the airport appeared and Nanami got out before they reached the car lane area. As he shouldered his pack and prepared to get his fake papers out, he caught sight of a group of men lurking in the entree area.
Nanami paused.
The men seemed ordinary, but he was not fooled. He caught the sense of CE from them, and he caught sight of the Gojo clan pin tucked away inside the lapel of one of them. Combine that with the way they were surreptitiously looking around and Nanami’s training kicked it.
They were Gojo’s men.
No doubt the male must have known that Nanami would try to run and had immediately set his family goons to look for him. It was only too logical that they would be guarding any airport they thought the blond might try to use to flee.
Glad that he had exited the cab outside the parking area, Kento was not spotted, and he calmly turned around and started to walk in the opposite direction.
No doubt Gojo’s men would be stationed around airports on the lookout for him.
It would seem that leaving the country would not be an easy thing.
The blond hailed down a cab and gave them instructions to take him to the train station in Oka.
He would try the bullet train.
He took some even steady breaths as the car moved down the highway. His heart was pounding like a drum, he needed to calm himself down.
He got out before they reached the gateway.
It did appear as though anyone was waiting for him but he didn't trust it.
Instead of going down the main escalator he quietly moved towards the service stairs and down to the station proper. He cracked open the door a bit but saw no one in the small service hall. He moved further in and saw the crowds moving about in the station. Carefully, he peeked around the corner and felt his body go cold.
Standing in the middle of the station was Gojo Saoru’s powerful figure.
The man was so easy to spot with his shock of white hair and intimidating height. He looked handsome, but he had an air about him that made the people give him a wide berth. It was the stillness, and a look in his eyes that made one’s fight or flight instincts rear up.
It was an air of menace.
Of barely contained violence.
He was standing right infront of the escalator where he would have easily spotted Nanami had he gone down the main entrance. The Six Eyes no doubt were active and looking over every passenger coming and going in search of Nanami.
Nanami went back the way he came and made his way out of the station.
**********************************
Leaving the bathroom, Kento dried his hair from a brief shower. He sat down on the motel bed and began to plan his next move.
Right now he was invisible to Gojo’s Six Eyes thanks to the pendant he wore around his neck. But that didn’t mean he was safe.
Even if tracking Nanami with CE was now not possible it didn’t mean that Gojo did not have other means of finding him.
The white haired sorcerer came from old money and old connections. His family had their own men that - as he had already seen- could be deployed to hunt him down.
So Nanami would have to be on guard for clan henchmen who might be looking for him (The idea of having to rely on regular methods and depend on others must have been galling to the all powerful Gojo!).
The airports and trains were out for now.
Come morning the blond would need to find a different way to leave the city.
*************************************
Nanami drove the car he had rented down the road. The windows were open to allow the sweet ocean breeze to enter and sweep over his skin.
He took a deep cleansing breath. It’s been a couple of weeks since his escape and so far he has managed to avoid capture. But it had been a very close call. He remembered how he had barely avoided capture this morning at the hotel he had been staying in in a coastal town.
Before he had gone to sleep, Nanami had laid down some wards outside the perimeters of the hotel as a precaution. At about 5 in the morning he was woken up by said wards breaking as someone suspicious snooped around.
The person may or may not have been Gojo or one of his henchmen, but the former blond had not been willing to risk it and shouldered his bag before escaping down the service elevator.
He had then rented a car and left.
He also changed his fake ID for a new one just in case it had been compromised.
It was a shame he had to leave the town. It had a nice beach and he had enjoyed walking on the white sands. But if Gojo was close to finding him it was best to leave and search for a new place to lay low.
Luckily he had a safehouse in a mountain village that was basically all but forgotten by the rest of the world.
Nanami did not like having to use it, but until he could secure a way out of Japan he could not stinge on his resources.
*****************************
ONE MONTH LATER
Sitting in the rocking chair on his porch the shaman looked up to find one of his neighbors, an elderly sweet grandma, waving at him in passing. Nanami smiled and waved back before resuming his reading.
It was a quiet cloudy day and most of the people in the village were walking under the lush trees enjoying the good weather.
The sorcerer liked it here.
Everyone was nice. Everyone also kept to themselves aside from some town gossip, but nothing much happened here.
At any other time Kento would have liked to retire here, but considering how things were he knew it would only be a matter of time before Gojo and his men would sniff out his trail and find him.
The former spy shuddered as he recalled the intel he had received from one of his sources a week ago.
Apparently Gojo had slaughtered the elders wholesale. The man had been so enraged that he had even killed their families and their neighbors just for associating with them. But that was not all. The white haired sorcerer had tortured the elders too before killing them. His contact had told him bloodcurdling tales of the atrocities Gojo had committed in his madness right after escaping the Prison Realm. None had suffered more than his longtime rivals and enemies.
He had had their feet cut off and cauterized in order to prolong their suffering.
Others he had caged and thrown into the ocean.
Some he had had them buried alive.
Another group he starved and forced them to eat their own children.
Nanami felt queasy.
He knew that such a fate awaited him if he was caught.
His escape had been nothing but sheer luck.
If he had regained consciousness an hour later, he might have fallen into Gojo’s hands.
He needed to leave the country, head to either Europe or America, where it would be more difficult for the madman to find him.
That was why he was laying low or constantly on the move.
He was waiting for his contacts to reply to him regarding any methods of escaping the country, but so far the Gojo henchmen were stationed at every dock and airport in wait to catch Nanami.
Nanami felt a bottomless void open in his stomach at the very idea of being caught.
He shook his head.
Fear would not get him anywhere. It would only cloud his judgment. He needed to stay calm but alert.
The sorcerer continued reading until nightfall before he moved inside his cabin and began preparing dinner. He decided to try to make something elaborate so as to distract himself from the constant worry. He opened his phone and began looking up a new recipe to try. He knew how to cook and did so very well, but he also liked to try new things when he had the time.
Finding something that looked good, he prepared the ingredients and preheated the oven. After hours of slicing, dicing, mixing , marinating and tweaking the recipe a bit he ended up with a pot that was good and filling. Done, he cleaned up the kitchen, put all his utensils and wares away and sat down to watch the news.
When it got late he rose to take a shower before going to sleep. But not before double checking the wards around his property.
***********************************
A WEEK LATER
The front door opened and Nanami emerged into the twilight dawn dressed in sports clothes and running shoes.
It was quiet. Peaceful.
He did a few stretches before looking at his watch.
Still early.
Perfect for his morning run.
The blond stepped off his porch onto the leaf strewn ground and took off.
No one was yet awake so the man had the whole world to himself. The forest surrounding his cabin was filled with trails perfect for running. It was empty and the beautiful scenery made the experience lovely. The forest was still sleeping, and even the birds hadn't woken up yet.
He ran for a couple of hours and built up a healthy sweat before returning home to take a shower. There were a few chores to be done today. He needed to buy groceries, clean the house and mend the leak in his roof.
Exiting the shower the male noticed that his blond locks were returning. The dye was starting to wear off. He would need to add brown hair dye to his list of groceries.
Freshly showered and dressed in jeans, shirt and green jacket, he locked the door behind him. Checking the wards a final time he began walking down the path to the village.
He didn’t need to take the car, most of everything was within walking distance if a person didn’t mind some uphill and downhill climbs. Nanami was in good shape and wasn’t winded by the inclines.
Reaching the village, he decided to head to the hardware store first and leave grocery shopping till last so that nothing was spoiled in the mild heat. The leak in the roof was small and wouldn’t require much to fix.
“Oh, good morning, Shinji.” The girl at the hardware store, Kagome, greeted.
Nanami was careful to return the greeting. Shinji was a false name he was living under while here.
“What can I help you with?”
“I was looking to fix a leak in my roof,” He replied.
“Oh, I guess you’ll be needing some roof patch and caulk. They are in the back over there.” She indicated a stand tucked aside.
He thanked her and moved to procure what he needed.
Nanami had been browsing the brands when a wave of cursed energy burst nearby. The man felt his stomach drop and his heart rate skyrocket.
He knew this CE.
He knew it very well.
Gojo.
He was here.
In this village.
For a moment Nanami stood rooted in place, unable to move.
Gojo was somewhere nearby, he knew it.
But where, he didn’t know.
All he could sense was the man’s thick miasma suffocating him.
Nanami reached up to feel for the pendant with a trembling hand. He had not taken it off since he first ran away. It was still there. It was still disguising his cursed energy.
“Shinji, are you ok?”
Nanami almost jumped in startlement.
“Kagome, could you do me a favor?” He politely asked. “Could you look outside and see if you can spot someone tall with white hair?” Sweat had broken out on his brow. “But please don’t make it look obvious.”
Kagome blinked and seemed to reach some conclusion as her eyes turned sad and soft. She nodded before nonchalantly making her way to the front. She took a sign standing next to the counter and opened the door. Pretending to be hanging it up, the girl managed to peer at the road for several minutes before making her way back inside.
“There’s a tall guy with white hair and sunglasses down near the ice cream store. He was talking to some girls.” She tilted her head. “Is it someone you know, Shinji-san?”
Nanami nodded.
“Someone I’d rather not meet if I can manage it.”
The girl nodded sympathetically.
“My ex was a complete asshole too.” Nanami almost laughed. If the poor girl only knew, “There’s a back alley entrance if you want to leave without him seeing you. If he comes in here I’ll pretend I don't know anything.”
Nanami gave the girl a grateful smile and did as she suggested.
In 15 minutes the sorcerer had hitchhiked a ride out of the village and was on his way north.
He hadn’t even bothered to go back home to retrieve his belongings.
************************************
THREE MONTHS LATER
It had been a nerve wracking season. There had been close calls, an ambush and a search party that had almost cornered him.
Nanami got off the phone with his contact and surveyed the stretch of orchards around the house. The place was serene and peaceful but none of the place’s beauty could touch him.
He breathed a sigh of exhaustion and let his head fall on the back of the swing on the patio.
He had just received news that a bounty had been placed for his head.
A hefty reward was being offered to anyone who could bring the sorcerer alive to Gojo.
But the reward was only for ALIVE.
That did not bode well.
It meant that Gojo meant to prolong the blond’s suffering if he ever managed to catch him.
A series of gruesome acts of torture wheeled before the sorcerer’s closed eyes and he felt the old familiar fear return. He had been trying to conquer it, and would often succeed, only for it to rear its ugly head once more.
All that he could see was Gojo standing in front of him, insane psychopathic eyes focused on Nanami, in his hand some terrifying implement of torture, before he pounced on him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head.
Suddenly his phone rang.
Looking at the number, Nanami recognized it as one of his contacts.
He took the call.
“Yes?”
“I may have found you a ticket out.”
************************************************
The charter plane was privately owned, small but semi-modern. It was a propeller type engine, 4 seater. And it was chartered for China. It was actually a smuggling operation that pretended to be a tourist attraction.
Nanami got onto the plane and sat in one of the chairs as the pilot strapped his luggage in the rear. The blond tried to steady his hands and prevent them from shaking as he fixed his seat belt. They would be leaving in 10 minutes.
But every minute felt like an eternity.
Only just this morning he had spotted a group of suspicious looking men stalking around town.
Nanami felt as though the trap was closing in on him.
He stared at his watch; 9 minutes to go before they could take off.
Every second crawled by like an hour.
The blond’s nerves were strained.
What if something went wrong? What if the men found him before they could take off? What if the plane had a malfunction and they couldn’t fly? What if someone reported his bounty to the pilot and crew and they handed him over to Gojo?
The shaman’s anxiety skyrocketed and every minute he expected the pilot to come into the passenger area and tell him that he would not be allowed to go; that he would be handing him over to Gojo; that he would be pulled from the plane and forcibly dragged to Gojo’s men.
Nanami checked his watch again; 5 minutes to go.
He closed his eyes and took even breaths, his heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest.
He slowly began to name 5 things he could see, 4 things he could touch, 3 things he could hear, 2 things he could smell and 1 thing he could taste.
Suddenly there was a loud clash.
“We’re ready to take off, sir.” It was just the pilot getting into his seat and buckling up.
Kento breathed.
It was fine.
They were just getting ready to leave.
He watched the pilot press switches and turn dials.
The propellers started turning, and finally, FINALLY, the plane roared to life and took off.
But Nanami did not feel himself relaxing from the grip of death until they were over the ocean.
He was free.
He was finally free.
************************************
FRANCE. SEVEN MONTHS LATER
The delicious aroma of baked pastries wafted down the early morning french neighborhood. The sun had yet to properly rise, but the local bakery was already up and baking their daily supply of bread.
The antique lanterns that served to light up the narrow quarter had yet to be turned off. They cast a soft glow on the cobbled street and the tall male as he paid for his bread and turned to find a table to sit.
Most of the tables were still empty. Only a few early morning people had managed to drag themselves out of bed to enjoy the pre-dawn peace and quiet.
Nanami sat down, set his purchase on the table and opened his book.
“Good morning, Dorian.”
The shaman looked up and smiled.
“Good morning, Emilie.” He greeted the other politely. “How are you?”
“I’m alright, tired though.” She hefted her bag higher on her shoulder while still holding a parcel of warm bread in her hand. Obviously on her way to work. “Since it's a holiday there’s no school and the kids are home and driving me nuts.”
He nodded sympathetically and for some reason he remembered Itadori-kun.
“By the way, have you heard about Jean?”
“Yes, I have heard.” Jean was in their rowing club and had just had his sailboat capsize on him during a storm. He was alright, but he had lost the boat.
“Well, he always wanted a new boat and this is his excuse to get one.” She said, “Although his wife was adamant that he should drop the whole thing before he gets himself killed.” She shrugged and turned to leave. “I’m off. See you later.” She waved goodbye, the sound of her heels clicking on the cobblestones.
‘Dorian’ waved goodbye before returning to his book and took a small bite from his bread.
Not even a minute later he heard heels clicking on the still empty street.
Was she coming back for something?
The chair next to Nanami was pulled out and a body sat right down next to him.
Nanami looked up and felt his blood drain.
Depthless blue eyes stared at the male.
“Hi, Nanamin.” Gojo Satoru said in a light voice. “How are you, my dear?”
To anyone listening in they would think that the white haired man sounded amused, but Kento knew different.
All the strength fled his body.
He couldn’t breathe.
“I gotta say, you really sent me on a merry ride. Looking for you was no easy picnic.” He chuckled. “I gotta hand it to you, no one played me like you did. You really knew what you were doing.”
The large powerful hand reached over and pressed against Nanami’s sternum. He could feel the wildly beating heart beneath. The hand slowly trailed over the pecs in a lascivious caress that was almost indecent. He opened the jacket to undo the first two buttons on the blond’s shirt and slipped his hand onto warm skin.
“Was this it?” He grabbed the pendant hanging around Nanami’s neck and shattered it. Nanami’s CE immediately became visible.
The blond did not move during the entire time.
Fear gripped him in a sickly cocoon.
Escape was now impossible. And they both knew it.
The tall male leaned forward, his lips trailed over his prey’s sharp cheekbones. The petrified look staring back at him sent a spear of lust right down to his dick.
“You had a good run, dear.” He whispered. “But now it’s time to come home.”
He teleported them away.
****************************************************
ONE YEAR LATER
Kaeda shuffled nervously as she waited in the kitchen. The cook was just turning the gas off and was getting the dishes ready to serve. All Kaeda would have to do was take both trays to the main quarters.
It was simple, but she couldn't quell the sense of fear rising inside her.
And it didn’t help that everyone around her also reeked of fear.
But that’s what happens when you work for a psychopath like Gojo Satoru. One minute you might be puttering around, doing your duty, and the next you could be blown to pieces just because it amused him.
The young woman trembled and prayed that today would not be her day.
Careful not to spill anything or disturb the dishes, she slowly began to walk towards Gojo-sama’s quarters.
She met no one on her way. No other clan members had quarters near Gojo’s. Most preferred to keep as much distance between them and the wielder of Infinity.
All except one though, but then again the man did not really have much of a choice.
Standing in front of the sliding shoji doors she kneeled and set the trays carefully down before she knocked.
The sound of flesh pounding on flesh could be heard coming from inside.
She blushed.
“Enter.” A panting voice called out.
Kaeda opened the doors and bowed.
“Dinner, sir.”
“Set them right there.”
The sound of vigorous fucking did not abate.
Kaeda rose before moving inside.
She set the trays down on the table and tried to keep her head down as she exited, but still got a short glimpse of two naked bodies rutting on the futon on the floor.
It was blond hair, sharp cheekbones, scars all over and bandages wrapped around sunken eyes.
‘The man was beautiful!’ She thought as she made her way back.
She had never seen the blond man before, but she had heard the stories; Of how he had betrayed Gojo; how the other had sealed Gojo away; and how he had managed to avoid capture from the Six Eyes (All these things sounded so unbelievable!!).
Everyone knew of how Gojo-sama had hunted for him obsessively; tearing everything in his way and killing anyone who opposed him.
They’d all had heard of how when he had finally found him he had tortured him; broken his bones, whipped his body raw, branded him and didn't stop until he broke his spirit.
She had heard that Gojo-sama had blinded the man. He took away his sight to prevent him from trying to escape ever again.
The god was adamant on keeping his ‘wife’ with him for all of eternity.
His to break. His to play with. His to fuck.
His pretty Nanami.
Kaeda shuddered in fear and walked faster.
*************************
THE END