Chapter Text
Sukuna watched mortified… Well
More like he was internally mortified, because it would be incriminating if this… Akihiko spotted him with a grim look on his face when he mentioned the name kamo
From his stories about wandering around the unpopulated mountain it would be odd to see him flinch, jump or look horrified when he was supposed to be some clueless kid from the mountains..
Wasuke seemed to know beforehand to hide the animals they had hunted before the man spotted them, remembering their mother's lessons about how people regarded them.
Sukuna looked at the man closer, he had a pretty straight nose Straight black hair
And black eyes are pretty standard for a kamo. He had reprimanded himself earlier, but it wasn't like he'd remembered-sword? Wait, no it was a katana right?-When he was being chased, nearly killing someone and having to heal them so they didn't die and he didn't end up as a murderer.
He knows that people in the working class can't afford something as refined as the blade, it's too well made and as for the man's clothes… While he did wear a simple outfit, the quality was too good at a second glance. Was this man sneaking out? Or was he just traveling in secret? Either way the man shouldn't have used such good fabric-
”ah!”
he let out an embarrassing yelp feeling a hand behind his back, He flushed red and nearly yelled before remembering this man was most likely a very precious gem to the kamo clan.. But if he didn't yell at him wouldn't that make him more suspicious?
Akihiko simply laughed pushing his hair back, his head tilted so much his neck was exposed. Wasn't this man acting too relaxed? … Eating food and showing his neck so brazenly like he wasn't cut open only moments before by the same child in front of him
It reminded him of..
He shook his head, picking up a bucket of water. Wasuke was still glaring at him which was good because at least he knows his brother won't be stupid enough to fall for any tricks if they were both wary of him…
___
Sukuna was going to lose his mind, the old man refused to leave them alone and was as curious as he was when investigating that damned bridge.
Poking around their little home, he was sure the man who was definitely surrounded in luxury during this time period was mocking them… that or he was ignorant.
The man stayed for a whole week.. His reasoning? A bit valid… He did cut him open like a fish, and he supposed that his reverse cursed technique hadn't done its job all that well,
So he stayed a bit longer with the threat of his clan behind him.
During one morning the man had grabbed their little knives and scoffed “you use these to hunt? Don't you have a technique?”
He flicked Sukuna's nose..
This bastard took his shiv! He kicked akihiko on the shins receiving no reaction from the kamo but a small smirk on his stupid noble bitchy face…
“Give it back!” he hissed, he watched as wasuke snuck behind the man agitated and jumped him putting him in a head lock, akihiko simply smiled, grabbed wasuke by the scruff and held him.
Which was a very horrible mistake as the man got to witness his brother's technique, which was manipulating the temperature of something of both his body and inanimate objects.
“Cute, besides you both have the wonderful honor to have a member of the kamo help you feral little mountain kids-AH!”
He dropped wasuke and their knives blowing at his hands wondering how that technique worked, these children were so bizarre
“Y.. You brats!”
Wasuke stuck out his tongue… while sukuna did the same, copying his brother.
They laughed running away from a very angry geezer
They still went on their hunt with the kamo man launching his swords at great speeds towards an unsuspecting deer, he guessed wild game was fine in this era.. Odd.
“I got a bigger one..” Akihiko teased Wasuke as if he wasn't a grown ass man who was showing off to a pair of little kids. It was pathetic and pitiful..sukuna grimaced, shaking his head.
The man was laughing until his ribs ached, reminding Sukuna about his daily reminder to heal. He walked over slapping his hand onto the wheezing man's chest and forcing rct to work
____
One night
Wasuke was sitting right next to the man. Wasuke had felt a bit safer around the man but sukuna was still tense.
“You're a sorcerer right? Mother taught me about them..” the man was sipping on some of their soup.
“I am..” he wiped the corners of his mouth, “what about it?”
“we don't live in any communities.. It's why the nearby town tried to get you to exorcise us because they thought we were curses..”
Sukuna kept an eye on the man's face, the kamo had been apparently wandering around their mountain for two days before finding them.
“and..?” wasuke pouted, it was hard to remember they were still kids at certain times.. “my brother is healing you, we want more info on the outside world.. The things i know aren't enough” his brother looked down at the ground like it insulted him, sukuna understood the look of feeling like you lacked something.
A soft laugh surrounded their small home, it made Sukuna's heart ache a bit as it rang up old memories of..
“I'll throw you a bone, but using the fact your brother heals me is a good look on you-” he wiped a few tears out of his eyes from his laughter “-Means you won't be taken advantage of in the future. now listen closely you brats…”
He was pulled harshly out of his thoughts, stupid old man.
___
During an afternoon
He let out a long suffering sigh as the man poked at him,
“You're the only ones living here?”
“yes…” this man had better be thankful he was scared of his family or he would have kicked him out by now..
“The Haori suggests otherwise, it doesn't match anyone here who could wear it”
The man had a stupid smug smile on his face, Sukuna shivered as he was patted on the head again, he was not a pet! Was what he thought before remembering the body he was inhabiting was only Eight years old.
And that kimono was the only thing their poor excuse of a mother left them with! He never cared for the reason, all he knew was that she was willing to leave her two very vulnerable children behind and that was unforgivable…
“it was our mother's…” he doesn't want to explain everything when wasuke isnt here
His twin had a say in what info they would relay.
“Was?” Akihiko seemed to understand the past tense and nodded…
Sukuna watched as the man picked up his sword and started taking steps out of their little home. Was he leaving finally?
“Farewell then…” the man left quite faster than he had expected. It confused him, but he was still grateful no longer having to deal with that nuisance. He smelled like beer,
yuck.
He was sure the man wouldn't come back… WeWell hopefully at least he'd rather not deal with something like that in the near future.
___
Sukuna clicked his tongue
He was experimenting if the animal fat of hares worked too but they remained too hard to get..
He nearly cried after his second attempt
It was fine.. Experimenting was bound to have trial and error. He could do this!
He slapped his face trying to hype himself up.
He butchered another hare, he was only using one per day. Cutting them up into small pieces until he got all the wonderful and very precious fats he needed..
He laughed maniacally, then he'd have a good source of hygiene! He was sick and tired of being stuck washing himself with those stupid petals! Trying to smell good only for it to not work.
He was watching it cook and cheered seeing the fat finally ooze out.. He did it!
Now.. Onto the next horrible steps.
He sobbed..
___
After multiple attempts he finally managed to make a whole batch! And it only took a few days!
He made wasuke use it after every hunt, cooking and butchering session, and most importantly baths…
They smelled so much better, everything was going swell.
Until he heard an agigitating voice out of the corner of his ear…
“Hey brats!” He huffed this man again?
Why was he here?
He was tense looking at the man
“Why are you back here you stinky old geezer!”
Wasuke just walked up to the man and kicked him right into the family jewels, the man cried out in pain, Kneeling on the forest floor like an idiot.
Sukuna rolled his eyes “you could've dodged that!” Was the stupid kamo man underestimating them?
The kamo man stood up shaking. It was a funny look..
“ungrateful brats” Akihiko whined
“should have dodged, old man…” Wasuke said through a wide grin
The kamo man sighed and simply ruffled his hair,”you two are just trouble aren't you?”
Sukuna rolled his eyes,”why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be back to your fancy clan?”
They walked to the fallen tree they used as a chair. ”im just making a stop, back on another hunt to exorcize more curses…”
“you do that?”
The man nodded
“arent you from the kamo clan? You don't need to do that…” wasuke mumbled
“the higher ups can still send me places.. “ he rolled his eyes, “now i brought you stupid brats some treats…”
Sukuna knew these were bribes, was he doing this because he had rct? Probably, giving children treats was a good way to make them trust you.
He looked at wasuke looking to see if he realized too and as they both made eye contact they shrugged. Sukuna had a more dangerous technique and could cut the man down if he tried anything, and so wasuke took a small bite.
After a few seconds wasuke nodded and handed a piece to sukuna.. “thank you..”
“at least you brats have manners..” Akihiko sighed, these brats were stupid cute… he would convince his brother Satoshi these kids were going to be useful better than living like this without reaching their full potential…