Jujutsu High had always been quiet—never lively—but as one of only two such institutions in the entire jujutsu world, its status was untouchable, and its grounds were vast.
Sōjun Minamoto and the others walked silently between the attic-like buildings.
Since Masamichi Yaga had taken charge, student deaths had become rare. Despite his frequent talk about how death walks hand in hand with sorcerers and how one must be mentally prepared, the truth was—he was the one who struggled with it the most.
Naturally, the school's educational policy had shifted over the years.
They all knew Itadori's death had ties to the conservatives.
But Sōjun Minamoto saw a broader picture. It wasn't just them—it had Kenjaku's and the higher-ups' fingerprints all over it.
For centuries, these sorcerers had been active outside, even engaging in constant battles. How many hidden traps Kenjaku had laid, Sōjun couldn't even guess.
"We should keep Itadori's resurrection under wraps for now," Satoru Gojo suddenly said. "Before they fix their eyes on him again, at least let him have some means to defend himself."
It was a blunt statement.
Gojo naturally trusted Shoko Ieiri, Riko Amanai, and Sōjun Minamoto. Their connection to Yaga made them reliable.
Besides, there were only a handful of healers in the medical wing, and they had all witnessed the resurrection firsthand. Keeping it a secret without their cooperation would be impossible.
Sōjun Minamoto nodded.
He hadn't participated directly, but the higher-ups weren't about to come knocking, and he had no plans to spread the news himself. That was as good as keeping it secret.
Riko Amanai was of the same mind.
Shoko Ieiri also leaned toward Yaga's camp.
Since they were all on the same side, the matter was quickly decided.
Though it seemed like Sōjun Minamoto had come back for nothing, in truth, Itadori wasn't the main reason for his return to Jujutsu High. And he'd gained something unexpected—
He had pushed the limits of his emotional perception ability by testing it against Sukuna.
Sōjun Minamoto was in a good mood.
To be honest, the way most sorcerers used jujutsu these days didn't align with his understanding of what curse techniques were meant to be.
Only a handful, like second-year Toge Inumaki and first-year Nobara Kugisaki, had techniques that fit his idea of true jujutsu.
Inumaki used Cursed Speech—words imbued with cursed energy that could command others. Nobara wielded Straw Doll Techniques—by combining nails, hammers, and effigies, and possessing a piece of the target's body, she could attack the doll and directly affect the target.
These kinds of techniques had clear traits: eerie, unpredictable, and rooted in the sinister essence of curses—hard to defend against.
Sōjun Minamoto's fused techniques functioned similarly, though his were even more insidious.
If the target didn't think of him—didn't actively recall him—it was extremely difficult to locate them. Not impossible, just incredibly effort-intensive.
Just like when he searched for Sukuna's mental domain this time—it had taken layer upon layer of traversal, and even required soul data from both Sukuna and Itadori.
Still, he found him.
And he'd left a mark in that domain. As long as Sukuna ever thought of that eye again, Sōjun Minamoto would know.
And once he could sense him—he could strike.
The technique was guided by emotion, landing directly on the target. It didn't matter how far away they were, or how strong. It bypassed all defenses and struck at the core.
...
They walked together for a while longer. Shoko Ieiri and Riko Amanai eventually split off toward the medical HQ, while Sōjun Minamoto prepared to head for the White Bone Tree.
Satoru Gojo stayed beside him, clearly wanting to talk.
"What's wrong?" Sōjun Minamoto asked, taking the initiative to break the silence.
"I want to know what happened with Itadori." Gojo looked at him.
"Sukuna must've spoken to him, right? As part of the resurrection?"
With the Six Eyes, Gojo had seen it clearly—Itadori's heart had already started to regenerate before Sōjun even activated his technique. A force had been protecting him. Gojo also knew exactly where that force came from—Sukuna's cursed energy.
Sōjun Minamoto glanced at Gojo, then shrugged and said casually,
"When I arrived, Itadori seemed to have carelessly agreed to some conditions. What exactly they were, though, I don't know."
"I see..." Gojo fell into thought.
"Did you ask him? Maybe he remembers." Sōjun added.
"He can't recall it clearly. Just that he agreed to something," Gojo replied with a hint of helplessness.
"But it's not really a problem. I'll make sure he learns properly." He quickly brushed the matter aside. When speaking of Itadori himself, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Sōjun Minamoto nodded.
...
The two walked together a little longer. As they were about to part ways, Sōjun paused, called out to Gojo, and tossed him two fingers.
"These are for later."
Gojo caught them without a word, stowed them away, and left.
...
Now alone, Sōjun Minamoto headed straight for the White Bone Tree. Looking up, he saw that the tree had nearly reached the height of the Sacred Tree.
Centered around it, the barrier surrounding Jujutsu High had grown strong enough to rival the Ten Great Barriers.
He hadn't expected that, after all these years, he'd return to face off with Tengen over barrier techniques.
The partial technique he had once assimilated was now ready to be completed. He had enough power now to fully accommodate the Immortality technique.
Sōjun stepped forward and placed his palm against the trunk of the tree.
He had come to Jujutsu High for the Ten Great Barriers, and for that, he needed to be ready to confront Tengen.
Before arriving, he had thought long and hard about how to assimilate Tengen without alarming others.
He'd considered multiple approaches—direct confrontation using technique assimilation, or linking with the eleven spiritual stakes he had embedded long ago to draw him in...
But when he returned and saw the Tombs of the Star...
When he saw the clearly defined, heavily reinforced barrier... he knew. Tengen was already aware of his plans with Kenjaku—and had taken precautions.
So now, it would have to be barrier versus barrier.
After all, barriers were Tengen's true body. And his plan for barrier-based immortality had once involved Sōjun Minamoto himself.
He knew it inside and out.
Though Tengen had modified the structure since then, his approach hadn't changed—still overly cautious, still too conservative.
Sōjun probed the strength of the barrier. It wouldn't take long to break.
Still, to avoid a full collapse from a desperate counterattack, he would first erode the Ten Great Barriers and gain full control—then deal with Tengen.
Sōjun merged with the White Bone Tree.
Layer upon layer, his power surged. The canopy stretched skyward at a pace visible to the naked eye, piercing the clouds, while the roots spread across all of Jujutsu High.
A massive barrier shimmered into view above the school. Stars appeared in broad daylight, flipping day and night in an instant.
It didn't go unnoticed. First came those aligned with the Yaga faction, then others from the main administrative branch.
The numerical difference was stark—Yaga's side held overwhelming sway.
But this time, both sides were surprisingly united—together, they turned their attention on Sōjun Minamoto.
The White Bone Tree kept growing.
Above the top curtain of the barrier, brilliant stars bloomed and aligned into several concentric rings. The rings interlocked, forming one colossal stellar halo that rotated slowly overhead.
As the tree expanded, it reached into the skies.
People began to realize something was wrong. A few representatives from the Jujutsu Headquarters stepped forward to intervene—but Riko Amanai blocked their path.
Sōjun didn't stop.
Had they been able to look farther—no, much farther—they would have seen it:
The stars were nearly blanketing all of Japan.
Naturally, the Ten Great Barriers were already being enveloped.
Throughout the entire process...
Tengen resisted only briefly at the start, then quickly withdrew, locking himself within a small part of the Tombs of the Star.
The Ten Great Barriers fell completely under Sōjun Minamoto's control—downgraded to subordinate barriers under his dominion.