Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 160: Is Yuji Itadori the son of Kenjaku?

I had reread Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 160 to believe what I just read. Did Gege Akutami confirm Kenjaku is Yuji’s mother? If that sounds weird it should. In chapter 143, we get a dream scene of Jin Itadori talking to his father, Wasuke Itadori. Yuji’s grandfather tells Jin to “live however he like’s, but give up on that woman.” Jin tells his father not to be so negative in front of Yuji, as “babies remember more that we think,” suggesting this is more than a random dream but a memory from Yuji. Wasuke loses his temper. He tells Jin he knows he wanted a child with a woman named Kaori. This seems to be Jin’s former wife. However, a woman walks in and asks “what are you talking about?”

The woman isn’t remarkable looking except for the stitching on her forehead. Kenjaku possess an innate ability which allows him to swap bodies with another. The transfer leaves a noticeable stitched scar across the forehead. Kenjaku can use the host’s curse energy, techniques, and has access to the hosts memory. Why would Kenjaku seek to parent Yuji? I suspect it likely has more to do with Yuji’s father than Yuji himself. Anyway, Kenjaku says something interesting in chapter 136, he tells Yuki that he “had” Yuji “ingest cursed objects (Sukuna’s finger).” At this point in the story it’s unclear why Kenjaku would inhabit the body of Yuji’s mother but Gege is slowly unraveling this mystery.

Thank you for getting along with my son

Setsuko Sasaki returns in this chapter. If you’ve forgotten her, she’s the friend of Yuji from the Occult Research Club. Kenjaku enters her dreams to bring her out of the barrier. He claims that “those who begin inside the barrier have the right to leave once.” When Sasaki opens her eyes she’s outside with Iguchi. It appears Kenjaku lead many civilians outside of the barriers but why does he care?

Elsewhere, Yuji, Panda, Megumi, Kinji and Kirara plan a course of action. They can’t locate Angel via the Kogane. Panda speculates that it might not be her real name. Megumi notes that Master Tengen said to go to colony number 2 in East Tokyo. Kinji decides he and Panda will head there, Yuji and Megumi will head to Tokyo number 1, with Kirara remaining outside. Kinji reasons that he should take on Kashimo best they’re the strongest. Panda, Kinji, Yuji, and Megumi enter the Culling Game.