Kishibe's wounds were healing—slowly, stubbornly. The bandages around his torso were tighter than he liked, and every movement tugged at stitches, but he was back on his feet. Missions were off-limits for now, but Yaga had other plans.
"You're going to supervise Haibara and Nanami's drills today," Yaga said, arms crossed in front of the training yard. "Nothing strenuous. Just observe and correct their form."
Kishibe squinted against the late morning sun. "You sure this ain't just babysitting?"
Yaga grunted. "Think of it as practice. For when you're in my position someday."
Kishibe didn't reply. He just clicked his tongue and limped over to the younger pair, who were already running through stance drills.
---
Nanami greeted him with a respectful nod. "Good to see you back, Kishibe-senpai."
"Yeah," Haibara beamed. "We heard what happened. That was seriously badass!"
"It was reckless," Kishibe replied. "And dumb. Try not to follow my example unless you want to wake up tasting blood for a week."
Nanami gave a slight bow. "Understood."
Despite the gruff tone, Kishibe stayed for every rep, correcting Nanami's footwork with a stick and occasionally yanking Haibara's stance into shape. For every complaint they made, he responded with dry quips that disguised real insight.
They trained under his watchful gaze for over an hour.
When they paused to rest, Kishibe leaned back against a post. "You two think curses are your enemies. They are. But it's hesitation that'll kill you faster."
Nanami looked down. "Like what happened… on the mission?"
Kishibe's jaw clenched, but he nodded. "The first time you fail someone, it stays with you. So don't fail."
They both nodded.
---
Later that afternoon, Gojo strolled onto the grounds, whistling. Geto followed, more subdued.
"Well, well, look who's back from the dead," Gojo called. "How's the corpse cosplay going?"
Kishibe snorted. "Better than your jokes."
"Come on," Gojo said, dropping beside him. "You saved my life. Least I can do is drop by and ruin your day."
Kishibe didn't smile, but the tension in his shoulders eased.
Geto sat beside them both, arms resting on his knees. "Yaga told us what you did. You pushed yourself too far."
"I didn't do it for you two," Kishibe muttered. "I did it because I was the only one who could move."
"But you still did it," Gojo said, more serious now. "That means something."
For a while, they just sat there in silence.
Then Gojo asked, "You ever think we'll be strong enough to stop things like that from happening again?"
Kishibe looked up at the sky. "We better be."
Geto's voice was quiet. "We have to be."
---
That evening, as the sun dipped low, Kishibe sat under the trees alone, only to hear soft footsteps.
Shoko appeared, arms folded. "You're healing like a cockroach."
"Charming as ever," he said.
She sighed, sitting beside him. "You did good out there. Even if you scared the hell out of us."
"I didn't mean to."
"I know. That's what makes it worse."
They shared a silence that said more than any apology could.
Shoko finally spoke. "You don't have to carry everything. Even you have limits."
"I know," he said.
She smiled faintly. "Good. Just don't forget it again."
As the last of the light faded, Kishibe closed his eyes.
For now, he could rest.
But not for long.