#typical gojo menace behavior

[seoafin]

I need to know more about the cat rip!mc adopts

spoilers for ddao

it's the runt of the litter and the only kitten left in the box :((( hideo is actually the one that encourages rip!mc to take it. the cat brings her so much happiness!!! it's so small at first but then it gets hugeeee. it's a white maine coon that ripmc DOES name go after gojo because the cat reminds her so much of him. needy loud and attention hounding lmfao <3333 naturally gojo is extremely offended. the cat loves shoko though. loves women actually. extremely hostile to men even hideo LOL

here's an excerpt from the gojo-geto POV side thing i work on when i have ddao writers block lol

Your bare bones apartment has turned into a cat paradise. A large felt cactus scratching post and a matching branded cherry one across the room, next to your couch. A state of the art litter box in the corner. The most expensive elaborate colorful multi tiered cat tree Satoru has ever seen in his life stands against the wall. When he opens your fridge there are stacks of expensive tinned cat food. It takes up all the room in your fridge. The last time he opened your fridge a month ago there had been decaying carrots, packaged miso soup, and old take out. It had been fine. He took you out to dinner that night and ordered more food than humanly possible to consume and made sure you took it all home. Then he ordered groceries to your apartment. Suguru had stopped by and cooked you meals to last through the week and had frozen even more. He’ll take care of you, he always will. Him and Suguru. Even if you don’t feel up to the task yourself (and you usually don’t). And when you move into their apartment it’ll be even easier to take care of you. To be able to look at you all the time, to take you in their bed and have you be there in the morning without having to force himself to stay passive as you flee back to the self imposed isolation of your own apartment.  Satoru closes the fridge and stares at you. You’re still oblivious, rambling off about how you had nearly bought out the cat section at the pet store, all while the cat nuzzles into your neck with a contented purr. You squeeze it around you tighter, face bright with happiness. Satoru doesn't like feeling like an interloper, especially when it comes to your already fleeting attentions. He thinks this is going to be a problem.

then he basically threatens to fuck you in front of the cat lmfao 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[kominigiru]

im gonna start dumping my one-shots here from now on just bc. also posted on ao3!

satoru's guide to wedding day blunders

contains: female reader, fluff, crack, gojo being a menace, reader and toge are siblings, shoko and nanami being so done with satoru's shenanigans part 1 - part 2 (both in ao3)

Gojo Satoru is late to his own wedding.

You stand at the altar, fingers clenched around your bouquet, doing everything you can to keep from grinding your teeth. Shoko, standing to your right as your maid of honor, is shooting you sympathetic looks, while Nanami on the left looks like he's one deep sigh away from physically dragging Satoru here himself.

Your family sits in the front row, their faces showing various degrees of irritation, disappointment, and—worst of all—pity. They're whispering among themselves, making no effort to hide the glances they cast toward you, or the fact that they're annoyed on your behalf.

You close your eyes for a moment, trying to block out the noise. When you open them again, your mother is already halfway up the aisle, moving toward you with a determined look in her eyes.

"Sweetheart," she says, barely acknowledging Shoko and Nanami. "It's been over an hour. I think it's time to accept that maybe this wedding… isn't happening."

You stiffen, fingers going numb around your bouquet. Cancel?

Nanami sighs heavily, crossing his arms. "She has a point. Gojo's behavior today is completely unacceptable. It reflects poorly on him, and worse, on you. We can reschedule."

Shoko snorts in agreement. "Yeah, even I'm tired of waiting, and I'm not the one at the altar. Typical Satoru."

Your mouth opens, but no words come out. You don't speak often—as your Cursed Speech makes casual conversation risky—but the urge to say something now presses hard against your chest. Before you can figure out how to respond, you feel a tug on your gown.

You glance down to see your younger brother, Toge, standing at your side, his tiny arms wrapping around your waist in a comforting hug.

"Aniki's late," Toge mutters, his voice barely audible.

The way he says it tugs at your heartstrings. Even your usually patient brother is starting to lose hope.

Suddenly, with perfect, almost theatrical timing, the heavy church doors burst open, slamming against the walls with a deafening thud. You don't even need to turn around to know who it is.

"Sorry I'm late!" Satoru's voice rings out, loud and unapologetic, echoing through the silent church.

You finally turn, and there he is, Gojo Satoru, standing in the doorway like he's just walked in from some casual errand and not his own wedding. His hair is tousled, his sunglasses perched on top of his head, and he's grinning like this is all some kind of joke.

Satoru saunters down the aisle, waving casually at the guests. "Miss me?"

Your family collectively groans, and you can feel Nanami's simmering rage without even looking at him. Shoko rolls her eyes dramatically, muttering something about "classic Gojo" under her breath. You, however, stay rooted in place, fingers tightening their grip on your bouquet.

Satoru reaches the altar, looking perfectly at ease, as though he hasn't just kept an entire wedding party waiting for over an hour. He slides up next to you, his grin widening when he sees the expression on your face.

"Hey, sweetheart," he says softly, leaning in just enough for only you to hear. "Sorry about that. Had to deal with a curse situation. You know how it is. Life of a sorcerer and all that."

You stare at him, your mouth a tight line.

You've gotten used to Satoru's antics over the years, but even for him, this is too much. Still, speaking directly, even to scold him, could have unintended consequences thanks to your cursed technique, so instead, you breathe deeply through your nose and give him a pointed glare.

"Ah… right," Satoru says, catching on. "You’re upset. Understandable."

Nanami, who's been silent up until now, finally speaks up, his voice thick with irritation. "You're lucky we haven't already canceled the ceremony."

Shoko nods. "An hour late, Satoru? Even for you, that's ridiculous."

Satoru throws up his hands in mock defense. "Okay, okay, I know! But hey, at least I showed up, right? That's what matters."

You can feel the tension radiating from the entire room, but before you can think of how to express your feelings in a way that doesn’t result in your cursed speech accidentally knocking everyone unconscious, you feel a tug at your dress again.

You glance down, and Toge is looking up at you with wide, concerned eyes. "Tuna mayo," he says softly, which is his way of saying, Are you okay?

You crouch down slightly, giving Toge a reassuring smile and patting his head. It's a small moment, but it helps ground you. You straighten up, turning back to Satoru, who's watching the interaction with a sheepish grin.

"Look," he starts, "I know I messed up. Big time. But hey," he adds, flashing a grin, "You know you love me anyway, right?"

You stare at him for a long moment, taking in his disheveled appearance, his unshakable confidence, and his infuriating grin. Despite everything, despite the frustration, the embarrassment, and the whispers from your family, you can’t help but feel the corners of your mouth twitch upward.

Maybe it’s because this is so typically Satoru—unpredictable, chaotic, and yet, somehow, charming in his own way.

You take a deep breath and raise your hand to his chest, pressing two fingers lightly against him. It's a gesture you often use when you can't speak, one that means I forgive you, but don't do it again.

Satoru's grin softens, and he takes your hand, squeezing it gently. "I promise," he says, and for once, there's no teasing in his tone. "I won't mess up again. Well, not today, at least."

Nanami clears his throat. "We'll see about that."

Shoko shrugs. "Honestly, I'm just impressed you got here at all."

Toge, ever the voice of simplicity, tugs on Satoru's sleeve and mutters, "Okaka."

Satoru gasps dramatically. "Betrayed by a child! I thought we were family, Toge!"

Toge just crosses his arms, unimpressed, as you all share a quiet laugh at Satoru's expense.

Satoru turns back to you, his grin back in full force. "So, what do you say we make this official, huh?"

You glance at the altar, the officiant who's been waiting patiently, and then back at Satoru. Slowly, you nod.

Satoru's face lights up, and with a flourish, he turns to the officiant. "Alright! Let's get married before anything else decides to go wrong!"

As the ceremony finally begins, you can't help but feel a mix of exasperation and fondness swelling in your chest. Life with Satoru will never be predictable, but as you look at him now, standing beside you, you know one thing for certain: it will always be interesting.

And in his own chaotic way, you know that Satoru loves you—enough to show up late to your wedding but still make you smile in the end.

You squeeze his hand once more and and he chuckles, leaning down to kiss your forehead and whisper, "I love you, too."

—

Later that night, after the wedding reception winds down and everyone heads home, you and Satoru return to your shared house. You're still wearing your wedding dress, and he's got his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, looking as carefree as ever. He's been trying to sweet-talk you the whole way back, as if he hadn’t shown up an hour late to your own wedding.

"Come on, sweetheart, it wasn't that bad." He grins, nudging you with his elbow. "Everyone had a good laugh, right?"

You give him a sidelong glance, your silence speaking volumes.

"Okay, okay, maybe I pushed it a little. But hey, I made it in the end, didn't I? That's what counts!" He flashes his signature smile, the one that usually gets him out of trouble.

You pause at the front door, turning to look at him. For a moment, he thinks he's won you over. You're smiling, after all. But then, without a word, you toss him a single pillow.

Satoru catches it with a confused look. "Uh…what's this?"

You gesture to the pillow and point to the roof.

His smile falters. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on. You're not serious, right?" His laugh is nervous now. "You forgave me at the altar! We're good! We're married now!"

You shrug and head inside, but before he can follow, you turn around, blocking the doorway with your body. His eyes widen in panic.

"Come on! I can't sleep on the roof on our wedding night! People will talk! Nanami will find out and he will never let me live it down!"

Your only response is a raised eyebrow, and you slowly, deliberately, start to close the door.

Satoru jams his foot in the door with a dramatic gasp. "But I thought you loved me!"

You don't need cursed speech for this one. You give him a sweet, innocent smile—the kind of smile that would normally melt him on the spot. But tonight, it just spells doom for him. He knows that smile. It's the smile that means, "I do love you, but you're not getting away with this."

He groans. "Seriously? After all the curses I've fought, this is how I go down?" He leans his head dramatically against the doorframe, clutching his pillow like a lifeline. "Sleeping on the roof like a stray cat? Come on, babe, be reasonable!"

You sigh, your patience wearing thin. He's still whining.

With a subtle tap into your cursed technique, you say the words that you've been holding back all night. "Sleep on the roof tonight."

The power of your cursed speech echoes through the air, and Satoru visibly flinches. His body moves on its own, turning toward the roof like a puppet on strings.

"W-wait! No! I take it back! I take it back! You don't have to use that—"

But it's too late. His legs betray him, carrying him toward the roof with a dramatic flair, like he's being pulled by some invisible force. You watch as he scrambles helplessly, pillow tucked under one arm as he clambers up to his new "bed" for the night.

From the roof, you hear him groan, his voice tinged with betrayal. "But I'm your husband now! Doesn't that mean anything?!"

You close the door, letting out a small chuckle. Behind it, you hear him muttering to himself in frustration.

"Of all the things to use your cursed speech for..." he grumbles. "Could've just told me you were mad! But noooo, had to make me sleep outside on the night of my own wedding!"

You hear some shuffling from the roof, and then: "At least give me a blanket! It's cold up here!"

You open a window just wide enough to toss him a thin, scratchy blanket, watching it float up to where he's perched.

"Thanks," he mutters sarcastically. "This’ll totally keep me warm."

There's silence for a few moments before his voice drifts down again.

"I'm sorryyyyy!" he yells, his voice carrying through the night air. "I'll never be late again, I swear! I'll be early to everything! Our anniversaries, your birthday, breakfast—you name it! I'll never mess up again!"

You shake your head, smirking to yourself, knowing full well that's a promise he'll break within the month. But for tonight, the roof will teach him a lesson.

From the roof, you hear a long, pitiful sigh. "I thought married life would be more… cozy. Not like… this."

Finally, after what seems like an eternity of grumbling, he goes quiet, probably giving in to the reality of his situation. The stars twinkle overhead, and for a moment, all is peaceful.

Until—

"I bet Nanami's gonna find out and give me that look tomorrow." His voice suddenly perks up again, this time with a hint of dread. "You know the one. The 'I told you so' look. Ugh, I hate that look…"

You roll your eyes, closing the window fully this time, knowing that his whining will eventually tire him out. But still, you can't help but smile.

You know he'll be back to his usual antics by tomorrow, but for now, he can enjoy the roof.

As you settle into bed, you can faintly hear Satoru one last time from outside.

"You'll miss me eventually! No one can resist my charm!"

You smile into your pillow. Not tonight, Satoru. Not tonight.

[sweet-evie]

Head empty... Just having thoughts of an AU centered around Apartment Ghost!Gojo... 👻👻👻 So take my imagines...

✨ masterlist ✨

»» Ghost!Gojo = Casper the Friendly Ghost... It doesn't stop him from being a fucking menace day in and day out though.

»» Ghost!Gojo has been dead and buried for 6 months.

»» Ghost!Gojo haunts an apartment occupied by a single mom with two kids: one elementary kid and a toddler.

»» Imagine how fucking creepy and unsettling it is to find your toddler talking to empty air, and when you ask them, they look back at you with big innocent eyes and that big cheeky grin, and they start babbling about their "imaginary friend".

»» Creepy, but the mom dismisses it at first, chalking it up to childish imagination running wild, but when the older sibling casually asks about a tall white-haired man hanging around the apartment living room at dinner, Mom is starting to get concerned. Couple this with the fact that her toddler is giggling at odd hours during the night, while the room is empty. 

»» Eventually, Ghost!Gojo makes his presence known to the mom... And he's all smiles and being his usual goofy self while he's waving -- as if it isn't unsettling to have a dead fucking person hanging out in your home.

»» It took a while, but I like to think, the mom warms up to Ghost!Gojo being around after a couple of months. He doesn't show himself frequently to Mom because he freaks her out, but it doesn't stop Ghost!Gojo from being her toddler's playmate and her older kid's study buddy.

»» As time passed, they got so comfortable living with the ghost that mom and her kids forget that Ghost!Gojo is not actually alive and he doesn't show himself to other people, except for them.

»» After they get so used to him and comfortable with him being around, think of Ghost!Gojo as a very very friendly and chaotic poltergeist. He doesn't destroy things (at least when he does, he doesn't mean to). He's very nice... He just does annoying shit. For instance...

»» Ghost!Gojo likes to dig around the kitchen cupboards for candy and leaves the doors open just to annoy the older sibling and leave the mom exasperated. They leave out a bowl of candy for him in the living room after that, hoping it would discourage his behavior, but nope... It's still Gojo, and he does what he wants.

»» Ghost!Gojo also pranks the mom and moves things around in the kitchen to confuse her. The first time he did it, she got scared. A few more times, she got so annoyed. But after like the umpteenth time, the mom just rolls her eyes, like, "Haha, very funny, Satoru! I'm getting stuff from the laundry room, and this kitchen better be sorted when I get back."

»» Mom has definitely threatened to call 'ghostbusters' on Satoru's ass multiple times, and Gojo thinks it's hilarious. She never actually does anything to drive him away. To be honest, she quite likes the fact that her kids have a babysitter when she has to work late... Even if said babysitter is a wandering spirit.

»» On that note, Ghost!Gojo takes his babysitting duties seriously, and proclaims himself the best babysitter ever!

»» Ghost!Gojo does all the typical things people do to entertain toddlers. He talks to her toddler, entertains them, makes them laugh, tickles them, slips candies in their lap, picks up toys and disappears from view to give the toddler a fun puppet show -- with all the floating toys and shit.

»» The older sibling actually saw him doing this one time when they slipped into their younger sibling's room, and they just had to laugh, because who would have thought their family of three would be lucky enough to move into an apartment haunted by a very friendly ghost.

»» Ghost!Gojo helps mom cook sometimes, fetching her ingredients from the pantry and stuff. If a normal person were in that kitchen, all they would see are floating ingredients. It's enough to give anyone a heart attack, but for mom and her 2 kids, it's just Satoru.

»» One time, the older sibling invited their friends over and one of their friends got the idea to play with a Ouija board after the older sibling joked about the apartment being haunted.

»» They play with the ouija board, and Satoru plays into it for fun. Pre-teen kid's friends are terrified, but the pre-teen kid is amused as hell, because they know it's just Gojo.

»» When the friends go home, they tell the pre-teen kid about how much fun they had, and pre-teen kid thanks Ghost!Gojo for being kind enough to play along.

»» Ghost!Gojo has a habit of collecting coins.

»» Ghost!Gojo has never actually tried leaving the confines of the apartment before, but the pre-teen kid asks and they actually figure it out together.

»» They had so much fun doing it too... Ghost!Gojo figures out a way to possess random objects so the pre-teen kid can take him anywhere.

»» That being said, Ghost!Gojo has possessed the most ridiculous things. Think Ghost!Gojo possessing laundry detergent, the coffee table, the toilet paper, etc. He possessed the oven once and it broke, and the mom got so mad, so Ghost!Gojo steers clear of possessing electronic devices from then on.

»» Ghost!Gojo helps the kids surprise their mom during holidays... e.g., Mother's Day, Christmas, etc. For obvious reason, the family starts loving Halloween, because Ghost!Gojo loves it so much.

»» The toddler starts calling Ghost!Gojo 'Papa'.

»» It warms moms heart and hurts her at the same time. 

»» Because Satoru Gojo would have made a wonderful father.

»» Ghost!Gojo sometimes wishes he was still alive so he could court mom properly...

»» And since he can't do anything about the fact that he's dead (a ghost for practically one year now), all he can do now is watch over them and make them as happy as possible...

»» Ghost!Gojo promises to stay for as long as he can, for as long as he is permitted.

»» Ghost!Gojo gets to see the kids grow up, move out, and he gets to see mom grow old too...

»» It breaks his heart to watch the people he's grown to care about grow old, while he stays frozen in time, haunting this little apartment forever.

»» Eventually, mom had to say 'goodbye', deciding she wanted to move to the countryside. It wasn't an easy decision...

»» The kids, now adults, return to their childhood apartment to help mom move away, and although Ghost!Gojo rarely shows himself these days, he appears one last time.

»» Unsurprisingly, leaving the place behind is hard. Every time they look back on their childhood, it's undeniably brighter and more colorful, and it's all because of the beloved ghost who made their lives so much brighter because of his presence.

»» Ghost!Gojo was their 'Dad,' 'Older Brother', 'Fun Uncle', and 'Annoying Roommate'. He's worn so many hats as the kids grew up.

»» Satoru doesn't stop them from moving away, only thanking them for showing him what it would have been like for him if he had been lucky enough to grow old with kids of his own. He never had that in his life, but he's glad that he got to have that even after he'd died.

»» He doesn't know how long he's sentenced to wander the earthly plains, but he promises to see them around.

»» The younger sibling actually cries and wishes that he was their dad for real.

»» The mom, now old but still sweet and kind, thanks Ghost!Gojo for being part of their family.

It was goodbye...

Gojo: I'm sad and forever bound to an apartment building.

Also Gojo: I will terrorize the next dweller if they're a dick.

The next occupant is an asshole who cheats on his significant other... Ghost!Gojo is making their life hell.

I kind of want to write a fic about this now 🥴

[frost-felon]

No worries about the tag essay. I've done it before, often because I thought I didn't have much to say, right before menacing clown music would play in my head. But in all seriousness, I often find myself forgetting to express the full depth of my thoughts in any single post, unless my brain and time align jussssst right. And assuming Tumblr or my phone don't destroy what I was writing. Do let me know if I made any errors in transcribing your tags or name, though; I'll go back and edit the alt text.

While Takaba's CT definitely allowed for interesting scenes and settings in the fight, that's not a big part of my own enjoyment. It's moreso that Kenjaku was faced with a proper challenge and had to assess the opponent on a genuine psychological and human level. This doesn't tend to really happen for most fights for Kenjaku and Sukuna, our main antagonists. Particularly, Kenjaku's behavior versus Yuki in her portion of the "[Noun] and Oil" chapters really put me off, even though I desperately want to like Kenjaku at most times. They easily have the potential to be one of the most interesting characters in JJK, but Gege's attempts at raising the stakes often comes at the cost of the main antagonists' characters, especially for Kenjaku. I can very easily like a super-powered Mad Scientist character, but not if they feel more like the author's "Fuck You For Being Invested In The Heroes" character¹. Way too often, Kenjaku got Get Out Of A Losing Situation FREE cards, simply to force the plot in certain directions. In doing so, the stakes and Kenjaku's character were drastically affected, often robbing Kenjaku of unique interactions and forcing Kenjaku to look as if they were in control the whole time (typically, with a smug expression, which happens damn-near every fight with Sukuna).

I actually do like fights with interesting choreography and/or application of skills, but I don't think that's ever really been one of Gege's strengths. A lot of times, the skills feel poorly-defined, and while the art is pretty and occasionally captivating, the composition of the manga and its fight scenes has been rather poor, in my opinion. It's just gotten worse in these recent chapters. I haven't really been invested in the battle system since Megumi VS. Reggie Star, as there was so much contradictory and stupid bullshit going on in that fight.

So as it stands, character exploration is typically my number one focus.

Kenjaku's fights are rarely interesting, in that regard. Takaba VS. Kenjaku is easily the best, since it shows us more of who Kenjaku actually is without diminishing other aspects of Kenjaku; they're still clever in that fight, with how they recognize what's happening and adapting to it. Kenjaku is still a major threat, and Takaba nearly dies when Kenjaku tries to undermine his confidence. None of their curiosity is cheapened or altered, and so on.

But honestly? I'd prefer them to be dead, but I didn't want them to go out with so many unresolved plot threads. I wanted Yuta² to have a more involved emotional scene, though I am currently ignoring 249's attempt. For my sanity, you see. And it's also like...Yuki died the way she did for this? Tengen's autonomy was stripped to be Kenjaku's rules-changing tool, and then their personality-contradicting backup plan? It's almost similar to how I feel about the narrative waste involved in the Sukuna VS. Gojo fight, and the trashing of multiple resolutions, arcs, and character development moments afterwards, but unlike with Satoru, I don't want Kenjaku to come back. It's my observation that the narrative would likely become more cluttered were Kenjaku to return, and with less satisfying justifications. And by all that is holy, I just wanna see more of Sukuna losing his mind over Yuji's everything.

As a sort of side note, Sukuna getting so flustered at Satoru's taunts in their fight (but not when taunted about "running away from Yuji" or "taking orders from [Kenjaku]") still strikes me as so odd. I really would have preferred getting more exploration into why Sukuna got so hot and bothered during that fight (and literally when it started, lmao), but then 236 made it into the whole...'I was actually in control the whole time!' malarkey, which was blatantly untrue.

Kenjaku's never quite had such a major restriction upon their capabilities as Sukuna did in being tied to Yuji, so Takaba forcing Kenjaku to rethink their approach was just. So vital. It all being a sneak-attack assassination doesn't take away from Kenjaku's character, either. I want to see their weaknesses, and that was a fun one. I just really despise everything after Kenjaku notes that they're going to die.

¹Which is easily one of the biggest reasons Sukuna has become less interesting to me during and after 212; my, "Hahah, he's a no-ambition loser!" kind of comments are more due to my frustration that the audience seems to be simultaneously expected to see Sukuna being a loser, but also an unstoppable force of evil. It just doesn't gel well...like Blood and Oil, perhaps. Also, I want Yuji to eviscerate that bored old man.

²I haven't mentioned Yuta much before in my posts, but I am ambivalent to him. However, during my first read-through, he seemed like he was getting altered in powers and history with nearly every appearance, which made him hard to have much of an opinion on. I really don't like how he's been handled recently, but I don't hate him; his character-writing just seems weak, though not as personally infuriating as Maki's.

On Takaba VS. Kenjaku:

Very fun fight, creative reality-warping based on thoughts and feelings of the participants. A complete breath of fresh air compared to earlier fights, like Gojo VS. Sukuna, Yuki & Choso VS. Kenjaku, and Megumi VS. Reggie Star. Although I didn't like the actual fight of Hakari VS. Kashimo, this chapter definitely harkened back to what Hakari VS. Kashimo did right with characterization and tone, except this proved to be way funnier and more entertaining, whilst exploring both characters' philosophies (more akin to Hakari VS. Charles, in that sense). I really enjoyed seeing Kenjaku be more open with themselves (such as revealing how much they knew about comedy over the past few decades), as well as their variety in expressions. One of my biggest problems with a lot of Kenjaku's fights had been the flat 'range'¹ of 'bored', 'analytical', and 'smug', and this fight gave Kenjaku way more room to show their other traits, such as the humor/comedic sensibilities they'd not often expressed.

Takaba's introspection was also quite nice. I tend to be more a fan of subtler character arcs, but the to-the-point nature of Takaba's grappling with his desires and self-affirmation/place in the world was very welcome and effective. Honestly, I consider the way Takaba was handled here to be some of Gege's best character work. Short bursts like this seem to be favored by Gege, whereas resolutions tend to be a weaker point in the overall narrative and in character arcs, specifically. So, speaking of...

Where things fall apart is that ending. Note, I am speaking from only having read properly to the end of Chapter 243--if my thoughts change, I'll amend the post with a reblog.

So, I think that the entire fight being a diversion tactic is a good idea! It makes sense that the cast would put together an idea like this, and allows for diversification of their tactics, which makes the characters more believable and gives the audience more to chew on. It also makes sense that they'd specifically send Yuta, and that Kenjaku had such a fun time with Takaba that they'd subconsciously ignored Yuta's arrival.

However. This was really poorly-foreshadowed. The plan wasn't indicated to the readers, outside of the discussion to send Takaba as the assassin, but without Angel's explanation for why. Yuta was there for the discussion, but his involvement in the final plan was not on-screen or otherwise indicated, as far as I could tell. The following panel is about the only evidence of foreshadowing that I can think of:

In a way, it cheapens Yuta's involvement. This should be a really cool moment for Yuta, and satisfying for the readers, but it's just...out of nowhere. Yuta is easily replaceable, despite his desire to kill Kenjaku for his beloved and respected teacher. This should be a bigger moment for Yuta, and certainly for Kenjaku, if this is how he dies and exits the story. Due to the lack of sufficient foreshadowing, it instead comes off as jarring.

Additionally, Kenjaku's ending dialogue doesn't fit with the motives established in 239, which fit with how Kenjaku had been characterized up to that point.

Kenjaku acknowledges Yuta's confirmation that Takaba was sent as a distraction (and may be implying that Takaba was not aware that Kenjaku would be killed, though this is dubious due to the nature of the conflict with Kenjaku). They then say,

"I see...I hate to leave so much undone..." Which is fine, as Kenjaku is established as wanting to create chaos to experience interesting fluxes in life's equilibrium. Specifically in 239, they phrase it as, "...want[ing] to see what you haven't seen..." and "want[ing] confirmation that what you think is interesting is actually interesting." But then they continue with,

"...But...my will shall be carried on."

Huh? Kenjaku wants to experience wonders they can't even dream of. What use does their will being carried on have to them, if they can no longer experience it?

The only way I can think of this being in-line with how they've been characterized is if they manage to cheat death again, even if only partially, but I'm getting the impression that Kenjaku is not coming back from this, in any way. Perhaps they messed with Tengen's sense of self and included a piece of themselves in Tengen, or there is some weirdness going on with Yuji, or the Kamo Clan. But regardless, it doesn't really work with Kenjaku's characterization immediately and long before this point. It's just odd. Any thoughts? I should hopefully be reading 244 not long after this, so hopefully that will clear things up. I wanted to get this off my chest, though.

¹One of my problems with post-Shibuya Sukuna, and especially after Satoru's unsealing, is that Sukuna also tends to fall in a similar 'range'. Even in his fight with Yorozu, he tends to just bounce between 'analytical', 'unenthused', and 'smug'.