The following contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 197 "Sakurajima Colony, Part 7," by Gege Akutami, John Werry and Snir Aharon, available now in English from Viz Media.
Ever since Mai Zenin sacrificed herself to complete her sister's heavenly restriction in Jujutsu Kaisen, Maki was supposed to be on par with Toji Zenin on all metrics. The ease with which Maki decimated her former clan proved she'd inherited her uncle's raw power, but she could never imitate the sheer finesse Toji fought with. In Chapter 197, Maki finally learns the secret behind Toji's lightning-fast reaction time -- and it's remarkably similar to a skill derived from the Sage Mode in Naruto.
Facing Naoya Zenin's cursed spirit reincarnation proved to be more difficult than Maki and Noritoshi anticipated. Until the arrival of Hagane Daido and Rokujushi Miyo, two new Culling Game players, their match was at a stalemate. Hagane surprised Maki by accurately locating Naoya's location and dealing significant damage to the cursed spirit without cursed energy, but couldn't give a precise answer as to how he managed the feat: "If I see everything else, then it's the same as if I'm seeing it" referring to Naoya. His response confused Maki, and it wasn't until she sparred with Rokujushi in his time-stopping, simple domain that it began to make sense.
Maki Receives Valuable Advice While Sparring With Rokujushi
Although Rokujushi seemed to be a one-dimensional, sumo-obsessed muscle head, he ended up giving Maki some insightful advice as they sparred in Chapter 197. He was able to sense the inner turmoil within Maki and acknowledged that as the reason he kept defeating her in Sumo despite her overwhelming physical strength. In his words, Maki had gotten entangled with too many situations. She was carrying this baggage and attitude into battle, where she was focusing completely on her opponents, preventing her from seeing the many other factors at play around them.
Rokujushi described Hagane's awareness of the cursed spirit despite not possessing cursed energy himself as akin to smelling light or seeing sound -- sensing without relying on one's traditional senses. It was the secret to how Toji fought jujutsu sorcerers and special-grade cursed spirits with ease, and the one difference between Maki and him that she had been pondering over. After countless bouts with the sumo champion, Maki too succeeded in mastering this ability and was returned to the site of her battle with Naoya at almost the precise moment she entered Rokujushi's domain.
Maki's New Sensory Boost Is Much Like Naruto's Sage Mode
When she returned to her battle with Naoya, the tide was completely shifted. Now, the cursed spirit was the one having trouble keeping up with Maki's movements. Even as she free-fell, Maki was confident that the very atmosphere around her would inform her of any attacks headed her way. By detaching herself from the fight or its outcome, Maki was able to take note of the minutest changes in temperature and air density that the cursed spirits movements caused. This prescient awareness isn't limited to only cursed spirits either; Maki will be able to use it in a variety of situations.
Maki's latest sensory boost in Jujusu Kaisen is not unlike the chakra awareness that Naruto's Sage Mode afforded him. Similar to Maki, Naruto could sense his opponents' movements without having to visually confirm them, and could respond before they had time to restrategize. However, while Maki's "sage mode" seems limited to her immediate surroundings for now, Naruto's had a far wider range. He was able to locate Nagato -- who was hidden from even the most renowned sensory ninja from the Yamanaka clan -- and sensed the Fourth Great Ninja War bring fought from literal miles away thanks to this ability.