Arata Renji swept aside his bangs, revealing his left eye. The Kaleidoscope pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan spun ominously, and his gaze locked directly onto Sukuna's head.
Kamui.
The space around Sukuna twisted, rippling with a dark vortex.
An overwhelming sense of death washed over Sukuna's body. His pupils contracted sharply as he instinctively leapt back at full speed.
Click!
But it was too late — Sukuna's arm was violently twisted off!
Clutching the bleeding stump of his shortened arm, Sukuna eyed Arata with rare shock, a cold chill crawling down his spine.
He distorted space to tear off my body part by force...?
If I hadn't dodged when I did... this vessel's head would've been crushed on the spot.
What a ruthless technique. It even seems more dangerous than my own "Jie" and "Ba" techniques…
Without hesitation, Sukuna activated the Reverse Cursed Technique. Flesh wriggled, muscle and bone regrew. In moments, the severed arm was fully restored.
Gojo Satoru and Fushiguro Megumi, who had witnessed everything from a distance, stood stunned.
Fushiguro swallowed hard, sweat on her brow. "T-That technique… he actually ripped Sukuna's arm off?!"
"Sensei… who is Arata Renji, really?" Fushiguro asked seriously, unable to believe this was the display of a mere first-year sorcerer.
Arata's powers were one thing — but his calm composure in the face of Ryomen Sukuna, the undisputed King of Curses, was downright chilling.
Gojo's gaze stayed fixed on Arata, but his unease wasn't about the boy's power — it was about Itadori Yuji's life.
This kid has no control over his strength. If Sukuna hadn't dodged, his vessel's head would've been crushed — and Yuji would've died instantly.
As for Arata's true identity...
Gojo squinted, the Six Eyes observing everything. But even so — no trace of malice, no hint of ill intent.
Strange... just who are you, Arata Renji...?
Arata covered his left eye and grimaced in feigned pain.
In truth, Kamui's phasing ability consumed almost no energy. But the "twisting space" variant — the one that severed Sukuna's arm — came with a cost. His left eye felt dry, its chakra strained after a single use.
But why the act?
Simple — to mislead Sukuna.
Sukuna was no fool. His battle with Gojo Satoru proved his genius in analyzing techniques mid-combat.
Sure enough, Sukuna sneered. "I see… such a bizarre technique comes at a heavy price, huh? If you use that eye again… will you go blind?"
He licked his lips in amusement. If this drags on… I'll be the last one standing. You can't use that freely.
For a moment, Sukuna's thousand-year-old instincts had truly felt fear. If Arata could spam that move without limits, he'd be a threat even to him.
Luckily… he can't.
But Arata's thoughts were elsewhere.
Ding! Life Selection System: Mission Complete. Reward Granted — The Eight Gates Technique (Hachimon Tonkō no Jin).
Arata's lips curled slightly.
The Eight Gates — Might Guy's ultimate taijutsu from Naruto — the art that warped space by mere movement when fully opened. Pure physical supremacy.
Information flooded his mind, warmth spreading in his limbs. His body felt light — powerful.
With this... I could probably crush a Grade 1 Curse with a single blow.
"Gate of Opening — Open!"
A surge of energy erupted from his body. The Second Gate — the Gate of Healing (Kyūmon) — opened instantly. Whipping winds stirred his uniform; the very air trembled.
With a single step, Arata vanished.
Boom!
Appearing behind Sukuna, he drove an uppercut into his jaw — the King of Curses was launched skyward like a ragdoll.
"S-So fast…!" Sukuna's mind spun.
Before he could recover, black shoeprints imprinted on his face.
Bang!
Sukuna's body crashed into the earth like a meteor, a crater forming beneath him.
For now, the second gate is the limit, Arata thought. Any more would damage my body. But against one-finger Sukuna — this is enough.
From the crater, Sukuna laughed, climbing free. "Interesting... truly interesting! Looks like the world of today has its surprises."
Pointing a finger at Arata, he grinned. "I'll remember you. Next time... I'll kill you for real."
With that, Sukuna's form slumped — and Itadori Yuji's fainted body lay still once more.
Fushiguro Megumi could only stare in shock.
Sukuna — the Curse King who could obliterate a Grade 1 spirit in seconds — had been manhandled by a so-called first-year sorcerer?
If that were me... I wouldn't have survived five moves...
Just where did Gojo find such a monster?
Gojo strolled over and clapped Arata's shoulder. "Renji, you sly dog. Hiding tricks like that..."
Space distortion and top-grade taijutsu? This kid's trained like hell. No way he needed my rescue earlier.
Gojo's grin faded briefly. No malice in him... but still a complete mystery.
Arata sighed. Forget it. No point explaining. Let them guess.
The incident resolved, Megumi hoisted the unconscious Yuji, and they prepared for the return bus to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Before leaving, Arata used Kamui again — silently marking this place's coordinates.
Kamui's true advantage... is instant travel across vast distances. As long as I have this location saved, I can return anytime.
This spot may become the base for the future Akatsuki Organization...
Ding! New Reward Unlocked — Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
On the bus, Arata gazed at the glowing moon. Even in this world of curses and sorcery — the moon remained beautiful. Brighter, even.
His thoughts drifted.
Time travel... it really happened.
Nothing worth missing in his old life. No family. Endless overtime factory shifts. Dreams crushed.
But here — a new life. Power, freedom. A chance to change the tragic future of Jujutsu Kaisen.
No more Gojo dying. No more pointless deaths. No more regret.
But for that... he must become invincible.
Untouchable.
So strong that no one could question him — so strong that he could joke:
"Sorry, I don't eat beef."
Because this world was merciless. Even Gojo Satoru fell to Sukuna's Hollow Wicker Basket Slash.
If Sukuna hadn't "borrowed" Mahoraga's power — who knows who would've won?
Arata's gaze sharpened.
Illusions of safety are deadly.
Even if the system didn't assign a mission to create Akatsuki — he would've built his own force anyway.
The old higher-ups of Jujutsu Headquarters couldn't be trusted.
Now, with dual Kamui and Eight Gates, his offensive and defensive power were unmatched.
Kamui's fatal flaw? Long-distance targeting.
Just like Kakashi's misfire on Deidara in Naruto — too far, and the technique misses the mark.
And Kamui wasn't instantaneous. The enemy could dodge.
As for Eight Gates — his body limited him to the Second Gate for now.
Kai only survived the Gate of Death thanks to Naruto's miraculous healing.
But what if...
What if I mastered a fully automatic Reverse Cursed Technique like Yuta or Kinji Hakari?
If so — the damage from opening all Eight Gates... neutralized?
Arata grinned.
A future worth chasing.
But first — back to Jujutsu High.
He needed recruits — at least three — to complete the system's mission.
Eternal Mangekyō's full power awaited.
And every interaction, every mission... raised the chance of triggering new Life Selection prompts.
The road ahead was just beginning.