Ryan stood in the center, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His golden eyes gleamed with something between amusement and boredom.
"If it's too weak..." he said, his voice steady, almost dismissive.
"Then this battle is too boring."
Laughter echoed through the room.
Hashirama Senju grinned, leaning forward with an easygoing energy that belied his monstrous strength. "Hahaha! You sure know how to talk big, Ryan! But this Sukuna guy… he's supposed to be the strongest of his era. No pushover."
Tobirama Senju, ever the tactician, narrowed his sharp crimson eyes. "If he ruled the Heian Era through sheer might, then he should be compared to the warlords of our time. But how strong is he, truly?"
Ryan tilted his head, considering the question.
"Sukuna isn't just some mindless beast of destruction," he said finally. "A Tailed Beast is an overwhelming chakra and pure devastation. Sukuna? He's calculated. Precise. His strength isn't just raw power, it's technique, cruelty, and refinement combined."
Madara Uchiha, arms folded, scoffed from his seat. "Tch. Get to the point. How does he compare to the Tailed Beasts?"
Ryan smirked. "At full power? Sukuna would be able to pose a serious threat to any single Tailed Beast, Kurama included."
Silence fell over the room.
Minato Namikaze's brow furrowed. "Strong enough to face the Nine-Tails?"
Sasuke exhaled slowly, rubbing his chin. "That's… concerning. The Tailed Beasts are living calamities. If Sukuna surpasses them, then..."
From within Naruto, a voice filled with ancient pride and raw power broke through.
"Tch! Don't get ahead of yourself, brat!" Kurama's voice boomed from within Naruto's subconscious, but even those in the room could feel his presence. "There's no way some unknown sorcerer from another world surpasses me!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, sighing. "Oi, Kurama, chill. Ryan knows what he's talking about."
"Like hell he does!" Kurama barked. "I've crushed countless enemies! Humans, shinobi, even gods! I'm the strongest of the Tailed Beasts! Some outsider can't just waltz in and claim otherwise!"
Ryan smirked, unfazed. "I expected you to say that."
He turned his sharp gaze toward Naruto. "Kurama, you're right to be proud. No ordinary being would stand a chance against you. But Sukuna? He's far from ordinary. He has the power, skill, and sheer malice to destroy mountains with a flick of his wrist. If I had to compare, Sukuna should be able to defeat Kokuō the Five-Tails. It will be a tough fight, but he should be sliced through him."
The room tensed again.
Minato's expression darkened. "That strong?"
Hashirama's easygoing grin faltered for the first time. "That's… not something any single kage can do without using forbidden ninjutsu."
Kurama scoffed, though there was an edge of unease in his voice. "Hah! Kokuō isn't a pushover! That idiot has raw power on par with any of us!"
Ryan's smirk deepened. "Exactly. But Sukuna wouldn't fight Kokuō head-on. He'd slice through him before the fight even begins."
Tobirama's crimson eyes gleamed with interest. "Speed and technique over raw power, then?"
Ryan nodded. "Not just that. Sukuna understands destruction. He doesn't waste movements, he doesn't hesitate. He's precise and he takes a battle apart like a surgeon cutting flesh."
Naruto's face turned serious. "Then he's really that bad, huh?"
Kurama huffed inside his mindscape, crossing his massive arms. "Tch… This pisses me off."
At that moment, Ryan claimed his reward.
A portal of swirling, multicolored light opened in the chat group's meeting space. The air hummed with energy as it bathed everything in its glow. Without hesitation, Ryan stepped forward.
In a flash, he was gone. The other Hokages stared in amazement.
This was the first time they had seen someone enter the portal themselves. They had only ever observed it from the outside. Now, watching Ryan disappear, they murmured excitedly among themselves.
For now, all they could do was wait. Ryan had three days.
Three days to defeat Ryomen Sukuna, the strongest sorcerer of the Heian Era. The one who reigned above all curses.
Meanwhile…
The world of jujutsu sorcery awaited. A tear in space rippled open, connecting the chat group's meeting room to another reality. Ryan stepped through, instantly arriving in the heart of the battlefield.
His feet hit solid ground. He took in his surroundings. The city looked eerily still as if frozen in time. Buildings, cars, and even falling debris hung motionless in the air. There was no movement. No sound. Just an unnatural, suffocating silence.
Ryan exhaled slowly. It seemed others were more eager to battle than him.
At that moment, as Ryan observed his surroundings, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations on your return!]
[Jujutsu Kaisen World Detected!]
[Mission Countdown: 3 Days Remaining]
[You have received 2 missions. Complete them within the time limit!]
[Best of luck, Host! Failure is not an option.]
As the announcement faded, Ryan exhaled, his gaze sweeping over the restored city.
"The system power of the chat group… it really is something else." His lips curled into a smirk. "Three days, huh?" His gaze sharpened. "That's more than enough."
Still, he didn't have time to stand around. In a single breath, he adjusted his mindset. He had missions.
Stepping forward, Ryan made his way toward the heart of the city. His goal was clear: gather all of Sukuna's scattered fingers before unsealing that bastard out for a fight.
The battle itself wasn't the problem. The real hassle? The damn fingers.
If his memory was right, there were at least a dozen still out there. Scattered across the world. Tracking them down would be tedious.
But, of course, Ryan wasn't about to waste his own time on something so trivial.
"Why handle small tasks myself when I have subordinates for that?"
His will surged, and across the city, his forces stirred. Unlike last time, they hadn't been frozen in place; no, they had moved, rebuilt, and adapted in his absence.
Even Gojo Satoru, who once stood as the strongest, had remained active, gathering disciples and keeping an eye on the new vessel of Sukuna.
And the Cursed Spirits? Mahito, Jogo, and Hanami had retreated, licking their wounds, biding their time. Strangely enough, they had declared an unspoken truce with the sorcerers, each side choosing to rebuild their strength rather than continue meaningless slaughter. A temporary peace born not of respect, but necessity.
But that peace wouldn't last. Ryan smirked. The hunt was on.
His gaze sharpened. The Rinnegan activated.
Immediately, he could sense his subordinates, their locations, and their movements. They weren't frozen in time like before. No, they were waiting. Watching. Preparing for what came next.
He wasted no time. His voice rang through the air, carrying an undeniable weight of authority.
"All of you, come to me."
Across the world, the strongest began to move.
The moment Ryan's voice echoed, Gojo Satoru, Mahito, Jogo, and Hanami all reacted as if an unseen force had gripped them.
Gojo's signature grin faltered for a fraction of a second before he sighed, stretching his arms lazily. "Man, just when I thought I was finally free of babysitting duty." Still, despite his words, his movements were instant as he vanished from his spot, making his way toward Ryan at top speed.
Mahito cackled, his twisted glee surfacing as he dragged a hand through his messy hair. "Heh, I was starting to get bored. Maybe I'll get to toy with some new souls after all." His body distorted, shifting fluidly as he sprinted toward the summoning point.
Jogo clenched his fists, his molten rage simmering beneath the surface. "Tch. Just when I was about to make my move…" He scowled, but there was no defying the call. Flames erupted beneath his feet, launching him forward.
Hanami, the silent one, simply melded into the surrounding flora, vanishing like a whisper in the wind.
Within seconds, they all arrived.
Yet, the moment they laid eyes on Ryan, there was no hesitation, no arrogance, but acknowledgment.
Gojo shoved his hands into his pockets, his smirk returning. "Guess that means playtime is over, huh?"
Mahito tilted his head, grinning. "So? What's the game this time?"
Jogo scoffed but kept his flames in check. "Hmph. You better not waste our time."
Hanami remained silent, simply nodding.
Ryan exhaled, his sharp gaze sweeping over them. Last time, he had told them they were free to do whatever they wanted, that his business in their world was done. And yet, here they stood again, assembled at his command.
There was work to do.
His voice cut through the air, calm but commanding.
"Enough with the small talk. Listen up."
Immediately, the four sorcerers and Curses straightened, their attention locked onto him.
"Find all of Sukuna's scattered fingers."
His words alone would've been shocking enough, but then he smirked, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Then summon him."
Silence.
It wasn't just shock. It was pure, unfiltered disbelief.
Gojo's lips parted slightly as if he wasn't sure he had heard correctly. "…Excuse me?"
Mahito's usual grin twitched, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "Wait, wait, wait. Summon Sukuna? Are you serious?"
Jogo scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. You're insane."
Even Hanami, the quietest among them, finally spoke. "There is no logic in this. What reason do you have to bring back the King of Curses?"
Ryan met their gaze, unfazed. "I want to fight him."
Another silence.
Then,
"…Hah?" Gojo let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Man, you really don't do things halfway, huh?" His lips curled into a smirk, but his eyes remained sharp. "You disappear for ages, come back out of nowhere, and the first thing you say is 'Let's revive a thousand-year-old menace for fun?'
Ryan's expression remained unreadable. "Pretty much."
Mahito let out an amused whistle. "Ooooh, I like this guy. This is even crazier than what I'd come up with."
Jogo, however, wasn't nearly as entertained. His flames flickered dangerously. "You do realize how much effort has been put into keeping Sukuna sealed? Hell, even your golden boy sorcerers have spent generations trying to keep his fingers locked away."
Gojo hummed in agreement, tilting his head. "Yeah, yeah, gotta admit. Even I'm curious. You said we could do whatever we wanted while you were gone. What made you change your mind? Why come back?"
Ryan's gaze swept over them before he simply shrugged. "I got bored."
Another pause.
Mahito laughed. "HAHAHAHA! That's it?! You want to unleash the Sukuna because you were bored?"
Jogo groaned. "You're going to get us all killed."
Hanami frowned. "This is reckless."
Gojo, however, just chuckled, pushing his blindfold up slightly to reveal a glimpse of his piercing blue eyes. "Alright, fine. I'll bite. This could be fun."
Jogo scoffed. "Fun? This is insanity. You do realize every era has tried to keep Sukuna locked away? Even sorcerers from the Heian Era, the strongest era in history, couldn't completely kill him."
Ryan's smirk deepened. "Exactly. Even back then, when sorcerers were at their peak, they failed." His gaze sharpened. "But times have changed. Sorcerers today are weaker compared to the Heian Era. Who knows what'll happen in the future? Maybe they'll get even weaker."
His next words came slowly and deliberately. "But right now? Right now, you all have a chance to get rid of Sukuna permanently."
That caught their attention.
Mahito tilted his head. "And let me guess. You're that chance?"
Ryan spread his arms with an amused grin. "Why not bet on me?"
Silence.
Gojo rubbed his chin, the idea clearly intriguing him. "Huh. So instead of waiting for Sukuna to come back on his own, we force it. And when he does…" His grin widened. "You crush him."
Jogo exhaled sharply, his flames flickering. "Tch. That's a big gamble."
Mahito whistled, eyes gleaming. "A gamble? Maybe. But the alternative is waiting for Sukuna to gather strength on his own terms. This way, we control the board."
Hanami, who had been silent, finally spoke. "It is… logical." Their voice was heavy with contemplation. "If we leave him be, the cycle will repeat. But if we end it now…"
Ryan nodded. "Then he's gone. Forever."
Another silence.
Gojo was the first to laugh. "Hah. Alright, I'm in." He stretched lazily before cracking his knuckles. "This might actually be interesting."
Jogo sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. But if this goes to hell, don't expect me to clean up the mess."
Mahito chuckled. "Oh, I really want to see how this plays out."
Hanami gave a slow nod. "Then we begin immediately."
Ryan turned, his smirk unwavering. "Good." His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "The hunt starts now."
The moment the words left his mouth, the group sprang into action.
"We move immediately!" Gojo's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
Without hesitation, they vanished, dispersing in all directions like shadows scattering in the wind. The search had begun.
The Hunt for Sukuna's Fingers
Despite their differences, both sorcerers and cursed spirits shared one undeniable truth. They each possessed knowledge of Sukuna's scattered fingers. With that advantage, tracking them down wouldn't take long.
Minutes passed. Then, in a blur of motion, Gojo Satoru was the first to return.
In his grasp was a small, rune-etched object, wrapped tightly in layers of sacred seals. Without a word, he extended it toward Ryan.
Ryan's gaze flickered as he took it, his fingers brushing over the seals. He didn't need to remove them to know what was inside.
A fragment of unrestrained malice. The cursed energy thrummed beneath his fingertips, dark, ancient, and utterly vile. There was no mistake.
This was one of Sukuna's fingers. The others were still searching.
Minutes bled into hours. Ryan's patience began to wear thin. His fingers tapped against his arm in irritation. Then, finally, they returned.
But they weren't alone. Trailing behind them was a lone figure.
A boy.
Yuji Itadori.
The so-called Main Character of this world. Ryan's gaze sharpened, watching as Yuji stepped forward, confusion and determination etched across his face.
The pieces were falling into place. And soon…
The real game would begin.
---
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