Chapter Text
To define her relationship with that jackass was a difficult task and Utahime had no interest in doing so, even as she dropped a chrysanthemum over his casket. All she knew was that he pissed her off in high school and continued to do so years later as adults. He took care of curses quicker and easier than anyone. Enemies even cast curtains specifically warding only him out. No matter how much he got on her nerves, he was the most powerful ally they had. Then he’d call and tell her to be careful followed by a jab on her skill or lack thereof. He’d invade her strict boundaries and show up uninvited to her place for some work-related stuff or to invite her to hot springs. That, she usually responded to by shutting the door hard as possible or throwing the first thing she could, despite it never landing. Utahime herself didn’t understand why she tolerated it, perhaps because everyone else from their youth had died somehow, one after the other. Now all that was left was the son of a bitch Gojo Satoru until the impossible happened and she found herself peering into the glass to get one last look at the body. His face seemed relaxed and there was really not much left in her to think of anything else. Whatever happened to that fanclub that adored him for his stupid face? Where are all the people that praised him for his gifts? Had they all joined him in the afterlife, whatever that was? She shook her head and moved on.
‘I’d win,’ my ass.
She tried to remember the last words they shared but couldn’t. It was probably something about using her Solo Forbidden Area to aid him. Little good that did.
She looked at the reactions of the other people at the funeral. His precious students tried to look strong although the sadness in their eyes was evidence enough. Shoko was still somewhere outside, smoking away her last box within the half hour. She did something similar when Geto died, though Gojo never knew. He never was the same with her when they lost one of their trio. At least, to Utahime they seemed like a trio. Others wore mourning clothes but looked more concerned about the state of Earth than the corpse they were sending off.
She felt a migraine starting at the back of her head and closed her eyes. It began to spread to the sides, not ceasing even as she rubbed her temples. In a way, this sort of reminded her of Gojo.
All of a sudden, pure white enveloped her. She lifted her eyelids but what she saw did not change. Is this because I thought of that guy? It seemed too dramatic of a recalling of the color of his hair.
Everyone around her had disappeared and took all the background noises with them. She could no longer hear the young girl beside her fiddling with his zipper next to her. Nor the heavy breathing of the fat man who sat in front. Everything was dead silent and with it came the unwanted stinging in her ears.
“What is this?” She asked aloud. Just a moment ago, she felt a bit of guilt thinking towards his dead body, ‘Rest in peace, I guess.’ Had doing so cursed her? No way, right?
She looked around cautiously and tested all senses. She was awake and conscious of them all. There was no oxygen here yet that didn’t seem to bother her human body one bit. She turned, only to be blinded with more nothing.
She recalled her name and her purpose, checking her own pulse. Iori Utahime, here to pay my respects and I have a mission to go to after this. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for the fact that she couldn’t remember why or how she got here in this strange place.
Had she fallen asleep to this dream? Was she hallucinating? Did a new enemy bring her here? The neverending questions came as she stepped forward only to realize that her body was no longer there. It had dematerialized somehow but she was still an entity with a vision and mind. At very least, the change took her migraines away.
Perhaps I can leave the same way I came. She said, calming herself down. She tried to close her eyes but that was impossible considering her eyes and eyelids were no longer solid.
As panic began to rise, so did her surroundings start to change. The blankness began to produce visions. Of the decisions and people that had shaped the future of the sorcerers’ lives. Riko’s death, Geto’s descent, Yuta’s introduction, Itadori swallowing Sukuna’s finger, Gojo’s sealing, Maki erasing the Zenin clan, she watched pieces of a story she wasn’t truly involved in until it ended and her soul- well, how would she describe it? It had discarded the body it inhibited and was violently pulled back in.
She groaned, feeling her body being held down by debris.
Where the hell did I land?
“I’m here to save you, Utahime.”
Her eyes widened at the agitating, grating voice. No way. Only one person could have her this tense just by mentioning her name.
“Are you crying?”
She looked up, disoriented, into young Gojo Satoru’s eyes. He was grinning down at her and she had goosebumps all over her arm. I’ve gone completely insane.
He tilted his head, caught off guard that there was no predictable immediate outburst. “Wow, you must really be in pain.” Without moving from where he stood, the stone holding Utahime down was lifted and tossed aside. “Tada!”
She didn’t stand. Her legs, despite being the same size, didn’t feel like they were hers. I shouldn’t be here.
“Oh, do you need help standing up? Were you that scared?”
“It’s not good to bully the weak.” Geto said, climbing up the steps to join his friend.
His presence and appearance almost made her throw up.
“What kind of idiot picks on someone strong?”
She didn’t care for whatever they were talking about. She looked at her hands and traced the scar that should be on her face.
Nothing.
She closed her fist, digging nails into her palm.
It hurts.
She had to assume this was a clever trick. Easier to believe that than time turning back. Something like that was too good to be true. If she remembered correctly, Shoko and Mei were also here somewhere and there would be a giant curse behind her. What was the issue then?
“Hello?? Utahimeeee?” Gojo waved a hand at her face.
You should be dead.
“Is something wrong with Miss Iori?” Geto approached.
You should be long dead.
“Yeah, she’s making a really unnerving face right now. Hey, the threat’s gone. Utahime,”
“Veil..” She muttered.
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
“Why isn’t there a veil?”
She stared at the hand mirror, almost in disgust. Her face was smooth and undamaged. She pinched her cheek and still didn’t wake up. I should not be here. I should not be here. I should-
She was usually a responsible person but to be sent back in time and watch the decisions that altered the world was too much.
Isn’t this an opportunity to fix things?
But she also knew sorcerers advised against tampering with the past.
Is it really the past if the future is erased? Won’t this be a new present?
She tried not to pull out her hair in frustration, it was unbecoming.
“Wow, and you think I’m vain.”
She forced a neutral expression as he approached. “What are you doing here?”
“Am I not allowed to be in this classroom?” He stretched out, sitting down beside her.
“What do you want?” She asked.
“I was just grabbing something for the Principal when I saw you lounging about. I’ve been standing at the door for 10 minutes and you haven’t moved a muscle.” He snorted. “Do you like how you look that much? Or are you really that helpless that you don’t even notice someone else’s presence?”
She stared. Was that supposed to piss her off? All these words seemed hollow now coming from a dead man. She only exhaled. “I suppose.”
“What happened?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“During those two days you were gone. You can’t have changed this much for a hallway trick.” He pretended to frown. “You used to be so fun to tease.”
Utahime considered acting the part but decided she was too tired, at least for today, to do so. “Nothing.”
“That just makes it more suspicious.” He snatches the mirror out of her hand and pushes his glasses up to get a better look at his face.
She glanced away, returning to her thoughts. I can’t seriously resent someone I’ve already mourned. More importantly, how do I get back to the future?
“Hm.” He angled his face to see the reflection of the other side. “Are you in any pain?”
The question sounded strange coming from him. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
She leaned her head on her arm, propped beside her. “I feel absolutely fine.” Is this brat actually concerned? She didn’t wait for the punchline. “Feeling guilty after getting a lecture from Principal Yaga?”
“Not really.” Losing interest because of her lack of response, Gojo put the mirror down and stood up.
“Respect your upperclassmen.” She mumbled out.
He smirked. “What was that?”
“Be more polite.” It was like reciting the words of a play she had long forgotten. There was no energy at all repeating that line nor in her feigned annoyance as she drove him away from the room. Gojo didn’t seem to notice. Maybe she could forget all this and become an actress instead. She sighed, alone in the room again.
Soon, those two would meet with that Amanai Riko girl. He’s probably on his way to that mission right now. Where was I during that time? What the hell was I doing?
She tapped a finger on the desk, irritated by her own insignificance levelling Gojo’s arrogance. The same question from earlier came back, “Should I interfere or will it result in a worse outcome..?”
“What are you mumbling about here, Senior?” Someone stood at the door with a carefree smile. “Have you seen those guys?”
“Shoko! Are you talking about Geto and that white-haired freak?”
She nodded.
“Probably off on a mission.”
“Ohh. Now, what were you saying back there? Something about changing the outcome?” Shoko leaned against the frame.
“You heard that?” She pretended to be naive. “I’m just practicing how to give my report on the last mission.”
“I see.” She glanced aside, unconvinced. “You’re bad at lying, you know. Gojo’s right. You’re acting a bit strange, Senior.” Shoko pushed off the doorframe and stepped inside, the smell of smoke clinging to her uniform. “Must be that last mission. You should get some rest.”
Utahime nodded.
“For what it’s worth, if you’re bothered about what those idiots said, don’t be. There are some things we can’t control and there’s no use in worrying about it.”
For a second, she saw the Ieiri Shoko from her time, the one with sunken eyes. “You’re right.” She stood up. “I’ll get some sleep for now.”
Get some sleep, yeah right. As if I could spare a blink at a time like this. The archives was a place meant to preserve the records, not to be visited by students. Utahime slid the seal she drew from her sleeve and pressed it to the lock, heart hammering. This was not something she was supposed to know about yet. If there’s even one paper, she thought, of someone who fell out of time and returned, she believed she could endure the punishment without having to explain herself.
Shelves packed tight with folders and bound volumes pressed in on all sides thick with cursed energy and dust. She moved quickly, reading each label by the low light of the lamp she carried. Most entries, as expected, were disappointing. Some she had already seen before. Her patience thinned as more minutes passed. She reached higher, fingertips stopping on a folder wedged between thicker reports. She pulled it put to find no handwritten date or name. For the 11th time that night, she decided to test her luck and opened it.
>Subject reported loss of bodily integrity within a sealed space
>No hostile energy identified
>Subject claims to have memory intact
>Origins inconsistent and unconfirmed
>Further observation terminated by order of the-
“Sneaking in a place like this is unlike you.”