Itadori lay unconscious on a strange, cursed bed that pulsed faintly with residual energy. His skin was pale, his breathing shallow. Nearby stood Satoru Gojo, his blindfold pushed up slightly as he watched over the boy with arms crossed.
Beside him, Doctor Shoko Ieiri adjusted her gloves. She was now a master of the Reverse Cursed Technique, tasked with healing even the most mangled bodies. But before she could begin the dissection to confirm death, her hands hovered—something wasn't right.
Because inside Itadori's mind, a different war was being fought.
In a dark void of his subconscious, Itadori stood face-to-face with Ryomen Sukuna. Black smoke spiraled around them as curses slithered through the space. Sukuna sat on his eerie throne of bone and eyes, grinning wide.
"Why the hell are you doing this?" Itadori demanded.
Sukuna chuckled, stretching lazily. "Because I enjoy watching you squirm."
"You know if I don't come back, you're stuck here too," Itadori said coldly.
"Maybe," Sukuna mused. "But I've got an offer."
The cursed spirit stood up and walked toward him.
"I'll make a binding vow with you. One word—just one. If I say that word, I get control of your body for one minute. I can do whatever I want, and when it's over… you forget it ever happened."
Itadori's eyes narrowed. "And if I say no?"
"You won't wake up," Sukuna said with a smirk.
Itadori clenched his fists, jaw tight. He hated this. But he had no choice. "...Fine."
The two stared at each other, and with that unholy pact sealed in silence, Sukuna vanished into the shadows.
Back in the physical world, Shoko stepped closer—scalpel raised.
But then…
Itadori gasped sharply, his eyes snapping open.
The deep wound in his chest rapidly closed, cursed energy knitting his torn flesh together. He sat up abruptly, breathing hard, as if waking from a nightmare.
Gojo grinned, lowering his blindfold slightly. "Yo," he said. "Welcome back."
He raised his hand for a high five. Itadori, confused but alive, returned it weakly.
Gojo knew exactly what had happened—but he wasn't going to tell the higher-ups. They had already ordered Itadori's execution. So he smuggled the boy away from Jujutsu High for now.
Taking him to a private location, Gojo began to personally train Itadori.
No one would know.
No one could know.