Itadori's Extermination — Perfect Preparation

After Shibuya, Yuji is declared a target for execution by jujutsu higher-ups viewing him as irredeemable threat given his status as Sukuna's vessel. The institutional response to Yuji's existence drives the arc's conflict, establishing that jujutsu society's conservative leadership prioritizes stability over individual lives. The Zenin clan is torn apart from within by Maki's rebellion, Yuta is sent to kill Yuji but becomes his ally instead, and the sorcerer world restructures under Tengen's guidance toward new institutional framework. The arc explores how institutional response to crisis reveals fundamental values and power structures.

Following Shibuya's catastrophe, the Jujutsu Higher-Ups declare Yuji Itadori must be executed. With Gojo sealed and the strongest sorcerers depleted, capturing and executing a Sukuna vessel falls to whoever can be spared. Yuta Okkotsu, previously established as a one-of-a-kind special-grade sorcerer, returns from overseas training specifically to be Yuji's designated executioner. The Higher-Ups assume Yuta's raw power will enable him to overcome Yuji despite the latter's growth. The designated executioner concept appears logical from the Higher-Ups' perspective: eliminate the Sukuna-vessel threat permanently, prevent future casualties like Shibuya. But the arc's revelation is Yuta's actual intention. Rather than execute Yuji, Yuta defects, choosing to protect him instead. This mutual understanding—two elite sorcerers refusing the system's demands—establishes that moral individuals exist within institutional power structures, capable of resistance when their conscience requires it. The arc functions as breathing space and political repositioning. With Gojo sealed and the immediate crisis temporarily contained, surviving sorcerers have time to regroup. Yuta becomes Yuji's guardian, committing his power to Yuji's defense rather than his execution. The Higher-Ups' authority has fractured—they can no longer enforce their will through sorcerer compliance. In the background, Kenjaku continues manipulating events, activating conditions for the Culling Game, setting up the series' next catastrophe phase.