Chapter Text
Yuuji's fondest memories are when his Uncle carries him on his shoulders.
His shoulders are wide, and the muscles ripple underneath as they walk. From here he's able to see over everyone's head and he's in absolute awe. There's a confidence that his uncle has always wielded that makes the crowd separate around them subconsciously and he giggles.
Because his uncle is awesome.
Yuuji yanks at the spiked hair underneath his when he spots a claw machine. Because there's a Naruto plushy in there that's absolutely calling his name. "Zoro!! I want to try the claw machine pleaaassE??"
His uncle grunts. "Fine, just stop pulling my hair."
Thrilled Yuuji complies and they amble over to the toys. Leaning over so he makes eye contact with the other man Yuuji beams at him. "I want the Naruto plushie!!!!"
Zoro shuffles his hands in his pockets and brings out a few yen, nearly shaking with anticipation Yuuji watches as the machine starts up.
There's no way his uncle isn't going to get the toy. Zoro is good at everything.
It takes a few tries but eventually the toy is grabbed by the claw and deposited so they can get it. Zoro hands it up to him and he instantly wraps his arms around it. "Thanks Zoro!!"
Yuuji gets a little caught up in his toy for a moment so when he looks back up, he's taken off guard when he doesn't recognize their surroundings. Curiously he glances about as Zoro winds through the crowds and peers at the strange buildings.
Hmm where were they?
"Ne, I think we're lost again." He chirps and his uncle stops.
"Really?"
Yuuji nods and reads the street names. They get out enough that he's familiar with some of the roads near their house, but nothing seems familiar. At this point they're deep in the city and he isn't certain he'd be able to help navigate much. He tugs at his uncles hair to signal that he wants his head to turn up. "We're totally lost. You should use your GPS."
Zoro is suddenly avoiding his eyes and Yuuji's narrow suspiciously.
"You have you're phone right?"
"Ah, well it wouldn't stop making noise so I left it at home."
Of course. Zoro is great at everything but going the right direction and making his cell phone work. His grandfather always make sure to force Zoro to carry it around since he's gotten lost more times then is possible. But it seems he missed a day of nagging Zoro to bring it.
Yuuji isn't really bothered though. This is normal and has been for years. Zoro will take care of the both of them if something scary happens. "Well turn around I guess, let's try to find that claw machine again!"
"Okay."
They start heading back the way they came and this time Yuuji stays alert as he hugs Naruto close.
These days are the best when he gets to spend them with Zoro. But he really hates when they get lost, it takes hours to get back home.
Gojo Satoru isn't very fond of Itadori Zoro when they first meet.
It's his first day of Jujutsu High, he's been swamped by over eager Jujutsu Sorcerers using pretty words to try to get a in to the Gojo Clan. The pattern is just like anyone else who knows his family, and he finds it boring as always. But all the talking has made him hungry so he starts to head to the Kikufuku stand he noticed on his way to the school. Class is supposed to be starting soon, but he's Gojo Satoru so no one is going to object if he misses a few hours.
"Oi, where are you going brat?"
Slightly curious about who was brave enough to question him, Satoru turns to stare at the man.
He's huge is what he notices at first. Muscle is pressed against the crisp white shirt and dress pants he's wearing. It looks rather ridiculous for that man to be dressed like that he realizes idly, especially with an aura of his size. The stranger is undeniably a fighter, Gojo can feel the pure dedication into training that he's put into training just by looking at him.
Gojo peers at him over his glasses and flashes his blue eyes. "Don't mind me! I'll be back!"
The man doesn't bend like everyone else does though. He just stands there with his arms crossed waiting for a better explanation. For the first time in a while Satoru finds himself a little annoyed by the utter disinterest he feels coming off of the man before him. It's as if Satoru is just a normal kid who was caught skipping class. The stranger is very serious he notes and doesn't seem like someone to allow others to mess around.
He's Gojo Satoru though, so rules don't apply to him like they do to others.
So he smiles and waves, turns to go get his sweets.
"Oi."
And frowns in irritation. The wind blows harshly making the trees rustle around them and for a moment Gojo is tempted to just fuck off anyway. Even if the teachers are notified by this man that he's avoiding classes his father won't do anything. The clan head barely has anytime for such frivolous matters and the last thing he's going to do is berate Satoru for acting up.
Satoru turns back around and taps his foot. "Who are you anyway some sort of teacher? Just leave me be, I said I'll be back."
"That's right."
He pauses and looks at the man again. The odd green hair looks familiar now that he's actually paying attention, and he eyes the three swords that are attached to the other mans hips. He hadn't paid much mind to the opening ceremony when all the teachers were introduced, but if he thinks hard enough he vaguely remembers this man now. He thinks they mentioned he was a special grade sorcerer actually.
"The names Itadori Zoro, I'm the combat specialist who is going to be training you how to fight Curses."
Satoru cocks his head and smirks. "I already know how to fight Itadori-sensei! No need to worry, I am the strongest after all."
He waits for the man to continue to object. Though he's annoyed he also wants to see what Itadori will do. It's not everyday that someone looks at him with such a blank expression and stops him from doing whatever he wants. If anything he almost wants to test the man to see what he's capable of. There's a strength his eyes can see that fits perfectly with the vast amount of Cursed Energy which is carefully controlled. He also wouldn't object to seeing how exactly those three swords are used.
But the teacher just sighs and scratches the back of his head. "Man, you sure are troublesome. Whatever brat, do as you please."
Itadori just walks off and for the first time in his life Satoru is dismissed.
He gapes and watches the man disappear without a second glance.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to them eventually."
He sighs and shifts against the wall. Their students are spilling out of the main building now that classes are over, and he rubs the bridge of his nose to try and soothe the pounding headache. "I'm starting to regret accepting your offer Yaga-san, I don't think I'm made to be a teacher."
And he isn't, Zoro is made for the sea. He's made for the cold rush of the ocean air, thrilling battles and the rush of adventure at every turn. This world offered some excitement, but when he learned that pirates were comical figures in stories and movies he realized that he truly was lost.
Sanji would die of laughter if he heard about his situation.
Yaga shuffled his paperwork from his place at his desk. "Don't be silly you're the only teacher I'd accept to guide our students Zoro-san, you just need time and one day you'll find that you like it."
The students aren't that bad in reality, except that Gojo kid who just acts like he's allowed to do whatever he wants. Zoro teaches all their combat classes so he ends up training a lot of different students but Gojo has to be the hardest one. With his special eyes and training that his clan offered Zoro didn't really feel like he had much to offer. There was a ridiculously large power gap between Gojo Satoru and the rest of the students which was hard to guide. The kid could use some work though, like anyone else and Zoro would help him if he had been allowed.
But he's kept at a distance, and since Zoro isn't fond of forcing others to do what he wishes he just accepts it.
"I honestly think you did well, now that the school has you I have hopes that this generation of sorcerers may have a better chance of survival." Yaga comments and Zoro leans his head against the window to stare at the sky.
"Yeah maybe."
Zoro learns very quickly that he is reborn.
The realization is followed with annoyance because he had finally achieved his dream to be the strongest swordsman and died in battle. He should have been allowed to join his crew in the afterlife after working so hard.
Yet he opened his eyes once again.
This world he lived in was crawling with monsters, he noticed them first. They varied in sizes but all were rather horrifying to watch. It was like watching something out of a scary story come to life before his eyes. It took him a bit to gather the information but eventually he learned what those monsters were, Curses, and why other people couldn't see them.
Perhaps in a way it's better to reborn into a world where he can fight something, but Zoro wishes it hadn't happened at all. His Haki is different then before, and he has to teach himself how to wield it in a way that it fits the three swords he fights with. The swords he eventually claims as his own will never compare to his original, but they do the job.
(He misses Kuina's sword the most and sometimes feels like he lost a limb when he falls into pockets of depression. Because she had been with him since the beginning, and now he struggles to deal with the empty space her sword left behind.)
In this life he has a brother, Itadori Jin. He doesn't have any special powers but Zoro doesn't care too much. It's a bit odd to have a younger sibling in all honesty because he spends the beginning of his life being followed around by a kid. As the years pass they eventually forge their own paths and Jin gets a job as a doctor while Zoro pursues the path of a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Killing Curses eases the boredom that accumulates as he's forced to go attend school. The education system is annoying to him, and he is more than pleased when it ends. Afterwards he wanders around and fights the Curses he comes across, it allows him to test his skill and learn about his enemies. Sometimes he runs into a strong one which is always exciting but they seem a bit rare. It's completely by accident that he runs into a Sorcerer who catches his attention long enough for them to talk. Yaga is a honorable man and that catches his interest as he explains the Jujujtsu world and where Zoro fits in it.
Yaga looks at him baffled when he admits to fighting Curses on his own. As if he's some sort of strange creature. "You mean you've been fighting Curses without any training?!"
He shakes his head. "No I've been training." He trains everyday with his swords and his body. Fighting and discipline come as easy as breathing to him.
"But you've never been trained, like trained by another sorcerer?"
"Nope."
Of course he's run into a couple random Sorcerers, but the Curses are far more interesting to him. Zoro has very little interest in whatever school they expect him to go to, because Zoro is many things, but he is not someone to be contained. He knows how to fight and his body eventually adapts to his expectations. Mihawk had been one of his first official 'teachers' he asked to train him in his past life, but a man like that doesn't exist in this world. So he just does as he always has done and evolves with each fight that he experiences.
Yaga just stares at him wide eyed. "How strong are you?? I mean I can tell you have a ridiculous amount of Cursed Energy but aren't you only like 15?"
Zoro shrugs. "Sure."
(He isn't quite certain how old he is at this point, because this is his second life. Should he count that life with his new one? Or does he start over?)
Yaga is an interesting guy though, and Zoro is used to just going with the flow. So they both pair up. The other man learns very quickly that he doesn't need help, and from the wide eyed look he receives after he cuts a Curse in half the man isn't expecting him to be so strong. It's a bit strange that there's a school to train people like them, children really, to kill these monsters. But Zoro figures that much like world of Pirates they don't have any other choice but to be strong or be killed.
The years pass by a little easier with someone else by his side. Without his Nakama life had felt dull and repetitive. He no longer gets to hear them complaining, cook is nowhere around to spar with and Luffy isn't flinging him around. Yaga will never be able to replace them but he's a nice addition. He also ends up being his source of information about the world since the man is ten years his senior, and ends up being a steady friend despite their age difference.
At around 22 Yaga tells him he got accepted as a teacher in Jujutsu High, and asks Zoro to come with him.
Zoro isn't a teacher and he really just wants to become stronger but he accepts anyways.
"Are you sure that you're okay with helping Zoro? I know you're busy with your job."
Zoro grunts and tosses Yuuji high up in the air and his nephew shrieks in delight. "Yeah, you're my family after all. I don't know what Jin was thinking just leaving his son with you two."
He has a father in this life as well, and though he is significantly older Wasuke accepted a small child from his other son to raise him. Zoro never really bonded much with his brother but he finds it fairly irritating that the man just left his son with their father.
But Yuuji is cute, and when Zoro received a call from his father he knew that he needed to help out. "I don't mind."
His nephew looks just like Jin with his pink and brown hair. But Zoro will be the one who raises him alongside Wasuke. Now that he's a bit more settled as a teacher, it will be easier for Zoro to stay in contact and focus on his nephew. He feels a bit guilty that he didn't know his brother was married and had a kid but such is life.
"I'll take him in the evenings and on the weekends." He continues and sets his nephew down so he can run around. "So don't worry, you won't have to raise him by yourself."
Wasuke's eyes soften and he nods. "Thank you Zoro."
His father is strict but he knows the old man is a softie at heart. Ever since their mother died Zoro knew he'd been struggling so in a way Yuuji being brought into their lives was a good thing. Zoro would be around more, and both Yuuji and Wasuke could have family members around them.
Even though he longs to wander around freely, this time Zoro will stay put. For his family.