The yellow flash of jujutsu high

Keitaro could tell that the earth was healing, without the curse energy there to suppress it, life could once again bloom in this land, to think that he did all of this in one day.

Like 4 hours maximum, from Shoko's curse energy, he could tell she was still sleepy, like she was still sleeping, well it was 10 am give or take, and she would still be asleep for like another 2 to 4 hours.

She usually got up at 12 or 2 pm, so he still had time, plus her body was probably still resting.

She seemed a bit too proud the last time he saw her like she had completed her New Year resolution, he wondered what that could possibly be.

The Shaman's voice broke him out of his train of thought, the man's voice was rich with solemn resonance

"These plants," he began, "are a sign of the curse's departure. The energy that once trapped the spirits of the innocent suppressed the land's natural will to grow, leaving it barren and unable to sustain life. The curse created a deep, unyielding shadow, preventing anything from bearing fruit, much like a blight." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the budding life around them. "But now, with the curse broken, the earth is free to breathe and heal once more."

Well, that just confirmed Keitaro's hunch, not really a hunch, he was quite literally the embodiment of how curse energy reacts to natural energy.

They tend to try and suppress each other, if one was more dominant then the other would be heavily suppressed.

This however did not dim Keitaro's interest in what the man was saying, though he wanted to know how far the man's knowledge went so he decided to just quiz the man.

"Does that mean the curse's energy seeped into the land itself? Like an infection?"

The shaman nodded, his face creased in thought. "Curses are like poison to the spirit of a place. They infect, linger, and withhold the flow of life. Once freed, the land remembers its vitality, like a person released from illness. The earth, too, has a spirit that endures, waiting for the moment when it can reclaim itself."

That was good info to know, maybe his trip to America wouldn't be that bad after all.

Maybe he could get help getting that pill that would help for his trade for Satoru.

The shaman leaned forward, looking him over with a discerning eye. "You are wise to seek the other side of things, young one." He looked at him with a half-smile, worn but approving. "Tell me, then, what else do you wish to learn?"

Keitaro chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been raised on a lot of ideas, mostly from books and teachers who see curses as just problems to solve. But I want to know more about how your people see the world." He glanced over at Akane, who watched the conversation with her usual intense focus.

"From what I've seen, it's different from what most people believe, and I'd like to know how you people do it"

.....

Keitaro's face dropped....did he just say you people....that sounded kind of racist, this wasn't his intention however before he could correct himself he looked at the shaman, the man did not look like he was offended at all.

The man seemed to have understood what Keitaro was truly getting at.

Keitaro sighed, thankfully the man was able to read his intention and he did not sound that racist.

The shaman's eyes sparkled with the faintest hint of a smile. "Our ways are not always easy for others to understand," he said in quite a gentle voice, "but the essence of our belief is that all things are connected—humans, spirits, animals, the land. We are all threads in the same fabric. To harm one is to harm all; to heal one is to strengthen the whole."

Hmm, that was a decent ideology, in his opinion any ideology that wasn't blatantly evil was somewhat decent, sure he might be against destroy-everything idealogy but that was because it was his complete opposite.

He refuses to become something that destroys everything, he however wouldn't refuse to become a monster in order to kill another monster.

He wasn't naive enough to believe that everyone could be saved, he refused to be that much of a fool.

If someone was a natural calamity, he would do everything in his power to crush it down, senseless killing was not good.

Sure he might not be the best man to say that as he almost killed 2 people due to jealousy, however, he wouldn't have killed him, at worst they would lose their dick and at best he probably would have crushed their will to proceed with their plan with an overwhelming amount of curse energy.

"So, to curse the land wasn't just to harm the souls, but to harm every part of this place." Keitaro's gaze then went toward the sprouting buds again. "It makes sense that it would take so long to heal."

Neat, he was learning stuff, this was always good stuff, but he was still somehow feeling a bit high....for reasons.

Shouldn't his high fully fade away by now, why was he still feeling its effect, it's been a couple of hours.

The shaman nodded. "Yes. But it also means that, by freeing those spirits, you have begun a ripple. The earth remembers kindness and strength, and those memories are woven into the fabric of this place now, just as the curse once was."

Keitaro's eyes brightened with a newfound understanding. "A ripple... like a balance returning?"

"Precisely," the shaman replied with a smile. "To fight curses is one thing, but to seek balance is far greater. With time, patience, and respect, even the deepest scars may heal."

Their talk went back and forward for a bit.

A/N....