Four Years Later
Four years.
It had been four long years. The first two were the worst—grueling years of nap times, mashed peas, and learning how to walk without looking like a drunk salaryman. Being a baby was, frankly, humiliating. But now, at four, he finally had decent motor control. Ryou—now firmly identifying as Choso—had endured the diaper phase and emerged victorious.
He sat on the floor of his room, surrounded by All Might action figures he didn't ask for, and pulled up his internal interface.
[Choso Template Synchronization: 4.5%]
"Four point five percent," he sighed, his high-pitched voice making the complaint sound more like a whine. "I've been flexing my spiritual muscles for forty-eight months and I haven't even cracked five percent? The grind is real."
It made sense, though. His body was still developing. He couldn't exactly practice Supernova when his veins were barely thick enough to draw blood from. Most of that percentage came from mental synchronization—meditating, recalling Choso's techniques from the manga, and trying to align his personality with the stoic big brother archetype (which was hard when he had to ask permission to watch TV).
"Choso! Time to go outside!"
"Coming, Mom!" he yelled back.
He ran down the hallway, grabbing a small bouncy ball. He kept his stride energetic and slightly chaotic, mimicking the boundless energy of a preschooler. He had to play the part of a normal, hyperactive four-year-old, even if his internal monologue was analyzing the structural integrity of the house.
He stepped out into the small backyard of the Itadori residence. It was a nice day in Musutafu. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Choso was bored out of his mind.
Time to grind, he thought. I need to trigger the quirk registration. I can't start real training until my parents know I have a quirk.
He ran across the grass, chasing the ball. He spotted a patch of gravel near the garden path. Perfect.
He sprinted, then dramatically tripped over his own feet.
"Oof!"
He hit the ground, skinning his knee against the rough stones. The pain was sharp, stinging tears into his eyes before he could stop them—stupid child tear ducts. He sat up, looking at the scrape.
A bead of crimson blood welled up from the cut.
Okay. Focus.
He didn't think about pain. He thought about connection. He closed his eyes for a split second, digging deep into the pit of his stomach. He wasn't looking for adrenaline; he was looking for something darker, heavier.
Found it.
A spark of blue-black energy flickered within him. Cursed Energy. It was faint, nothing compared to the reserves of a Special Grade, but it was there—a viscous, negative power that flowed not through his nerves, but through his very soul.
He grabbed onto that sensation, channeling the negative energy into the wound, commanding the fluid to obey.
Come here.
The drop of blood didn't trickle down his leg. Instead, it quivered, infused with the invisible pulse of Cursed Energy. Slowly, defying gravity, it detached from his skin and floated into the air, hovering just an inch above his knee like a tiny, red ruby.
"Whoa," Choso whispered. Even expecting it, seeing it in real life was mesmerising.
"Choso? Are you okay? I heard you fa—"
The back door slid open. A woman rushed out. She had long black hair and soft, familiar features.
Itadori Kaori.
Choso's heart still did a funny little flip every time he looked at her. When he first realized who his mother was, he nearly had a heart attack in his crib. She looked exactly like Kaori Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen.
The body Kenjaku stole, he thought, staring at her. But there are no stitches on her forehead. No brain-hopping ancient sorcerer. Just a nice lady who makes really good curry.
And then there was his dad, Jin. The spitting image of Yuji's father.
The multiverse is lazy, Choso mused. I'm literally living Yuji's origin story, but with Choso's powers. Does that make me my own brother? Philosophy is too hard for a four-year-old.
"Choso!" Kaori gasped, dropping to her knees beside him. She saw the blood. But then she froze.
She stared at the floating droplet, her eyes widening. "Jin! Jin, come here! Quickly!"
"What is it? Is he hurt?" Jin Itadori jogged out, a spatula in his hand. He was a large man, gentle and sturdy.
"Look," Kaori whispered, pointing.
Choso wiggled his finger, pulsing a tiny amount of Cursed Energy to maintain the suspension. The blood droplet mimicked the movement, swirling in a tiny circle.
Jin's jaw dropped. "Is that... is that his quirk?"
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The doctor's office smelled like lemon cleaner and latex.
It wasn't the creepy clinic of Dr. Garaki—Choso had checked the nameplate three times to be sure. This was just Dr. Sato, a kindly old man with a bushy mustache.
"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Itadori," Dr. Sato said, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the clipboard. "It seems your son has manifested an Emitter-type quirk. And a very fascinating one at that."
Choso sat on the examination table, swinging his legs. He had a bandage on his knee now, but he felt triumphant. Step one complete.
"How does it work?" Jin asked, his hand resting protectively on Kaori's shoulder.
"It seems to be a genetic convergence of your two quirks," the doctor explained, pointing to a chart. "Mrs. Itadori, your quirk is 'Fluid Lock', correct? The ability to increase the viscosity of liquids you touch?"
"Yes," Kaori nodded.
"And Mr. Itadori," the doctor continued. "Yours is 'Iron Constitution', which grants you dense muscle fibers and a higher-than-average iron count in your blood."
Dr. Sato clapped his hands together. "Combine the ability to manipulate fluid viscosity with a body rich in iron, and you get this little guy. He can externally manipulate his own blood. He instinctively locks onto the iron and controls the fluid state."
Choso suppressed a smirk. Science tries so hard, he thought. They think it's just fluid dynamics and iron magnetism. They don't realize I'm actually reinforcing the blood's cellular structure with Cursed Energy. It's biological sorcery, Doc, but sure... let's call it a Quirk.
"Blood..." Kaori looked a little pale. "Is it... dangerous?"
"Any quirk can be dangerous," Dr. Sato said gently. "But think of the rising Pro Hero Vlad King. He has a very similar ability and is quickly making a name for himself! It's a heroic power, capable of great rescue and combat feats. There's no need to worry about any... stigmas."
Choso mentally fist-pumped. Thank you, Vlad King, for normalizing blood powers. Toga's tragedy wasn't just her quirk, but her psychological fascination with ingesting blood that made society label her as "creepy." Since my power is external manipulation like a Pro Hero, I should be able to dodge that bullet entirely.
"So, young man," the doctor turned to Choso, smiling. "What do you want to call it?"
Choso looked at his parents, then at the doctor. He tried to look cute, but his eyes were serious.
"Blood Manipulation," he said clearly.
"Straight to the point," the doctor chuckled, writing it down. "Registered."
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The ride home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. When they arrived, Jin sat Choso down on the living room couch. Kaori sat beside him, brushing the hair out of his eyes.
"Choso," Jin started, his voice serious. "Your quirk... it's powerful. But blood can be scary to some people."
"I know," Choso said.
"But we don't think it's scary," Kaori added quickly, hugging him. "It's part of you. And we love every part of you."
Jin smiled, his eyes crinkling. "We just want you to be happy, son. Whatever you want to do with this power, whether you want to be a doctor, a firefighter, or just a regular salaryman like me... we will support you. We're proud of you."
Choso looked at them. In his past life, he didn't remember his parents much. But here, looking at Kaori—who wasn't an evil sorcerer—and Jin, who was just a good dad, he felt a swell of genuine emotion.
I have to protect them, he realized. This world is dangerous. In ten years, everything goes to hell. I need to be ready.
He stood up on the couch, striking a pose. He raised a small fist into the air.
"I know what I want to be!" Choso declared, his toddler voice ringing with conviction.
"Oh?" Jin raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Choso grinned, a fierce, toothy expression that looked a little too much like the character he was named after.
"I'm going to be a Hero! The Number One Hero! The Strongest!"
And, he added silently, clenching his fist, I won't let anyone take this life away from me.
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