Chapter Summaries

Nagato, Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki cornered Danzō, while Kitagawa Gen captured Deidara and used his Dust Release to develop a Kekkei Tōta. Kitagawa received a mysterious reward tied to Danzō and wondered whether the Root leader had already died.

• Nagato confronted Danzō and questioned Orochimaru, who offered to cooperate against Konoha and warned that Kitagawa Gen was a formidable obstacle.
• Danzō tried to escape, but Kakuzu, Sasori, and Obito joined Nagato in surrounding him, and Nagato vowed to avenge what Danzō had done with Hanzō.
• Kitagawa Gen defeated Deidara after studying his Dust Release, and Anbu detained Deidara while he complained that others had escaped.
• Kitagawa returned home and began fusing three kinds of Chakra into a Kekkei Tōta, sensing that his spatial powers and connection to the Dragon Vein were strengthening.
• The system awarded Kitagawa Danzō's special Yin Release Power for completing a quest, leaving him to wonder whether Danzō was already dead.

After the Akatsuki killed Shimura Danzō, Orochimaru revived and immobilized him so they could exploit Root and use him against Hiruzen Sarutobi. As Konoha’s Chunin Exams began, Yakushi Kabuto revealed Kitagawa Gen’s remarkable record, and Gen arrived at the exam hall to observe Naruto and the other rookies.

• The Akatsuki discovered that Shimura Danzō had destroyed Shisui Uchiha’s eye before dying, while Kakuzu, Obito Uchiha, and Sasori claimed his heart, arm, and body parts.
• Orochimaru used a Root ninja as a sacrifice to revive Danzō with the Second Hokage’s technique, then explained that Danzō could provide access to Root’s supplies and Konoha’s deployments.
• Obito Uchiha and Nagato approved a plan to make Danzō fight Hiruzen Sarutobi and turn him against Konoha, while Nagato reminded him that he had forced Yahiko to die by Nagato’s hand.
• At the first Chunin Exam, Yakushi Kabuto told Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and the other rookies that Kitagawa Gen had completed eleven Rank S missions, defeated Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage, and cut off the Raikage’s hand.
• Kitagawa Gen arrived at the exam hall to observe the rookies, encouraged Naruto, and watched Yakushi Kabuto while considering whether Orochimaru would appear.

Kitagawa Gen improved his powers and learned that the Akatsuki were preparing to strike Konoha during the Chunin Exams. As leaders from the Five Great Shinobi Countries arrived, Nagato ordered the Akatsuki to move out.

• Kitagawa Gen’s Development Level rose to 46%, strengthening his spatial abilities and control over the Divine Tree Source.
• Black Zetsu freed Kisame from Konoha’s prison using a White Zetsu double, while Kisame learned that Orochimaru and a member of Konoha’s upper ranks had been forced to cooperate with the Akatsuki.
• Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke entered the Forest of Death after passing the first exam, while Hiruzen Sarutobi discussed training and the visiting leaders with Kitagawa Gen, Kakashi, and Jiraiya.
• Kitagawa Gen learned that Gaara was the Kazekage’s son and that the Akatsuki were gathered in Root, then received a mission to defend Konoha and resolve its troubles.
• Ōnoki, Genji, and the Fourth Raikage arrived near Konoha as Nagato ordered the Akatsuki to prepare to move out.

At the Joint Chunin Exams final tournament, Naruto faced Neji as tensions mounted among the gathered leaders. Obito and Black Zetsu moved to capture the One-Tail, while a disguised Danzō revealed himself to Hiruzen as his former student and unleashed Shukaku's power.

• Kitagawa Gen watched the tournament with Deidara and Kurotsuchi while Karin reported that she had found nothing unusual at the venue.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi, the other Kage, and Danzō gathered on the high platform as Jiraiya and Kakashi discussed Naruto's and Sasuke's training.
• Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga were selected for the first match, and Naruto began fighting on even terms with Neji.
• Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu planned to capture the One-Tail first, then use the opportunity to deal with the Nine-Tails.
• Rasa sensed Shukaku's Chakra, and Hiruzen realized the man posing as Shimura Danzō was an impostor.
• The impostor addressed Hiruzen as his teacher as Shukaku's Chakra erupted and the One-Tail roared.

As the One-Tail erupted in Konoha, Orochimaru exposed his plot to Hiruzen Sarutobi and brought Shimura Danzō out of a coffin. Kitagawa Gen confronted the Akatsuki, demanded Nagato’s Rinnegan, and overwhelmed him with a repulsive force.

• Naruto sensed the One-Tail’s Chakra, and Jiraiya ordered the Konoha team to move out as the village began evacuating.
• Orochimaru revealed himself to Hiruzen Sarutobi, signaled allies across Konoha, and summoned Shimura Danzō from a coffin.
• The One-Tail burst from the competitors’ rest building while Orochimaru urged the other Kage to take advantage of Konoha’s turmoil.
• Nagato led the Akatsuki out from Root Base as Kitagawa Gen appeared before them and asked Nagato to give him the Rinnegan.
• Nagato attacked with Shinra Tensei, but Kitagawa Gen met it with an even stronger repulsive force that blasted Nagato and the Akatsuki backward.

Kitagawa Gen overwhelmed Nagato and the Akatsuki, then moved them outside Konoha and entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode. At Mount Myōboku, Gamamaru located the source of the chakra and identified the figure as Otsutsuki Genshiki.

• Kitagawa Gen revealed that he wanted Nagato's Rinnegan, but Nagato and the Akatsuki prepared to fight rather than surrender it.
• Kitagawa Gen shattered Kakuzu's and Sasori's defenses, destroyed Nagato's summoned beasts, and halted Itachi's Amaterasu and the others' attacks.
• Kitagawa Gen transported Nagato and the Akatsuki from Konoha to a nearby forest without them noticing.
• Kitagawa Gen entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode and declared that the Akatsuki's defeat was inevitable.
• Gamamaru sensed the chakra at Konoha, used the Telescope Technique to find the figure, and recognized him as Otsutsuki Genshiki.

Orochimaru used reanimated Danzō to expose his feud with Hiruzen and provoked the Hidden Cloud and Sunagakure to attack Konoha, until Kitagawa Gen appeared with Dust Release and destroyed the One-Tail and Orochimaru’s coffins. The chapter ended as Obito, Hiruko, and Hidan reached the battlefield outside Konoha and faced Otsutsuki Genshiki.

• Hiruzen attacked reanimated Danzō, but Orochimaru controlled Danzō into revealing his resentment and accusing Hiruzen of plotting to keep him from becoming Hokage.
• Orochimaru summoned two coffins and urged the gathered Kage to take advantage of Konoha’s chaos; the Fourth Raikage persuaded Rasa to join the attack, while Ōnoki and Genji stayed out of it.
• Kitagawa Gen used Dust Release to pierce the One-Tail and blast apart the high platform, destroying Orochimaru’s unopened coffins and shocking Ōnoki and the other Kage.
• Kakashi, Guy, Jiraiya, and Tsunade felt a powerful chakra eruption beyond Konoha, and the Great Toad Sage warned Jiraiya that Otsutsuki Genshiki was there.
• Obito brought Hiruko and Hidan to the outside battlefield, where they saw a vast canyon and Otsutsuki Genshiki hovering opposite a scarlet Susanoo, puppets, and monsters.

Kitagawa Gen overwhelmed the Akatsuki with the Totsuka Blade, while Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Across Konoha, the distant clash between Kitagawa Gen and the giant beast drew everyone’s attention, giving Kitagawa Gen’s clone an opening to strike Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage.

• Obito Uchiha joined the Akatsuki, and Nagato told the group to buy him time while he prepared a jutsu.
• Kitagawa Gen’s slash tore Hidan apart, and he killed Sasori when Sasori tried to resist with his puppets.
• Obito Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha, Hiruko, Kakuzu, and the others attacked together, but Kitagawa Gen’s repulsive force and Totsuka Blade overwhelmed them.
• Kitagawa Gen struck down the Akatsuki members in turn as Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• At Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi fought Shimura Danzō while Kitagawa Gen’s Divine Tree Clone battled Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage.
• A huge beast roared in the distance as an unseen attacker fought it, and Kitagawa Gen’s clone used the distraction to swing his purple short blade at Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage.

Kitagawa Gen fought Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage on the high platform, using lightning, water, ice, and Dust Release to keep them on the defensive. He killed Rasa and wounded the Fourth Raikage, while Ōnoki and Genji regretted choosing not to support him sooner.

• Kitagawa Gen wounded Rasa with his lightning-coated sword, then evaded the Fourth Raikage’s counterattack and forced Orochimaru to escape with an Earth substitute.
• Kitagawa Gen drove a compressed waterspout into the platform, flooding it and sweeping Orochimaru, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage into the water.
• Ōnoki and Genji watched the battle from the sidelines as Deidara praised Kitagawa Gen for learning his Dust Release.
• Kitagawa Gen froze the floodwater around the three opponents and killed Rasa with Dust Release when Rasa could not escape.
• Kitagawa Gen sent an ice dragon after Orochimaru and struck the Fourth Raikage from behind, cutting off his right arm and stabbing him through the chest.
• Ōnoki and Genji realized they had chosen the wrong side.

Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Shimura Danzō as Kitagawa Gen’s clone helped end the battle in Konoha, then joined the other villages to respond to the still-active One-Tail. Meanwhile, Kitagawa Gen fought Nagato and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, preparing a devastating attack and asking Nagato whether he had ever experienced despair.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Shimura Danzō, who insisted he had only been unlucky before dissipating.
• Kitagawa Gen explained how Deidara’s Dust Release had awakened his own ability and said he had developed Ice Release after encountering another user.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ōnoki, and Genji agreed to deal with the remaining threat while the Sealing Team handled the One-Tail.
• Kitagawa Gen sensed that his clone’s battle had ended and continued attacking Nagato’s Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Kitagawa Gen gathered immense Chakra and asked Nagato whether he had ever experienced despair.

Kitagawa Gen summoned a meteorite against Nagato, whose Rinnegan and Demonic Statue of the Outer Path could only slow its fall. Gen followed with Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, crushing the statue as Konoha watched, and completed a village side quest.

• Nagato and the Konoha shinobi saw Gen’s meteorite descend, while Tsunade identified the airborne figure as Otsutsuki Genshiki.
• Nagato used Shinra Tensei to slow the meteorite, but it struck the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and sent shock waves toward Konoha.
• Kitagawa Gen’s Divine Tree Clone protected the Konoha shinobi with Flying Thunder God Barrier as the impacts shattered the village barrier and shook nearby mountains.
• Nagato’s Demonic Statue held up the meteorite, but Gen swung the Totsuka Blade and unleashed Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
• Gen’s attack crushed the meteorite and battered the Demonic Statue until its head split open and it began sinking into the ground.
• Kitagawa Gen received notice that he had completed the Konoha-exclusive side quest, “I Am the Hope of the Whole Village.”

At a meeting in Konoha, Kitagawa Gen discussed Otsutsuki Genshiki’s threat and the villages considered cooperating against future crises. At the Akatsuki Base, Obito Uchiha emerged from the Kamui Dimension shaken by the battle’s losses and demanded Black Zetsu explain who their enemy was.

• Jiraiya told the Konoha meeting that Otsutsuki Genshiki had left and might be targeting the Akatsuki and the Tailed Beasts.
• Kitagawa Gen revealed that he had defeated Nagato, the Rinnegan’s user, using Flying Thunder God and Sage Mode.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed investing in Kitagawa Gen’s growth, then met with Ōnoki and Genji to discuss village interests and cooperation against future threats.
• Obito Uchiha staggered out of the Kamui Dimension and learned that the Akatsuki had suffered devastating losses, while Nagato and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path were missing.
• Obito Uchiha angrily demanded that Black Zetsu identify Otsutsuki Genshiki and explain why the battle had gone so badly.

Black Zetsu and Obito learned that Otsutsuki Genshiki was tied to the Rabbit Goddess, while Nagato resolved to defeat him and bring peace. In Konoha, Kitagawa Gen celebrated the rewards from his battle and prepared for the Chunin Exams to continue.

• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path emerged from the ground and released the badly injured Nagato, who refused to let Obito summon Konan.
• Black Zetsu told Obito and Nagato that the Rabbit Goddess had the surname Otsutsuki, and Nagato decided he could follow the Sage of Six Paths’s path by defeating Otsutsuki Genshiki.
• Black Zetsu planned to strengthen Nagato, use Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation to revive Madara Uchiha, and investigate Otsutsuki Genshiki; Obito said the other rescued people were inside his Kamui Dimension.
• Kitagawa Gen escorted Deidara and Mei Terumi around Konoha, where Deidara teased him about his stinginess and Kitagawa Gen revealed he had gained One-Tail chakra and collected fragments of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Kitagawa Gen said the Joint Chunin Exams would continue because only the Raikage and Kazekage had been eliminated, and he hoped another blond contestant would be eliminated next.

After Konoha’s attack, Sunagakure and the Hidden Cloud learned that Kitagawa Gen had killed their Kage and considered how to respond. Kitagawa trained alone by absorbing the One-Tail’s chakra and fragments of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, triggering a startling change as horns began to grow on his head.

• Chiyo and Ebizo learned that Gaara was captured and the Kazekage was killed, and they discussed preparing Sunagakure for possible conflict with Konoha.
• Killer B tried to leave the Hidden Cloud to avenge the Fourth Raikage, but Dodai stopped him and warned that attacking Kitagawa Gen would be suicidal.
• Kitagawa Gen trained Naruto and the other rookies, confirmed that the Chunin Exams would resume in a month, and received Wood Release records from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Kitagawa Gen left Konoha and used the system to absorb the One-Tail’s chakra and fragments of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• The Divine Tree Source expanded and Kitagawa Gen’s chakra and bloodline surged as horns began growing on his head.

Kitagawa Gen reached fifty percent Otsutsuki bloodline development, gained horns and new abilities, and hid the horns with chakra control. His transformation sent a powerful chakra surge across the world, alarming Black Zetsu, an unknown man, and the Great Toad Sage, who was speaking with Jiraiya.

• Kitagawa Gen examined the horns that appeared when his chakra settled and discovered he could make them vanish with chakra control.
• Kitagawa Gen checked his panel and saw his Otsutsuki bloodline reach fifty percent and his Divine Tree Source advance to Stage Four, granting him Karma and greater access to God: Wood Release.
• Kitagawa Gen considered the power he still needed to gather, including tailed-beast chakra, Indra's and Asura's chakra, Storm Release, and the eye on the moon.
• Kitagawa Gen's transformation released a chakra surge that caused an unknown man to stiffen in pain and made Black Zetsu sense danger while investigating Otogakure.
• Jiraiya asked the Great Toad Sage for information about Kitagawa Gen and their enemy, but the Sage reacted to the spreading chakra and accidentally blasted Jiraiya into a wall.

Kitagawa Gen joined Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konoha’s senior ninja to discuss Sunagakure’s surrender, then proposed increasingly extreme ways to strengthen Konoha. The meeting ended with Hiruzen and the others reconsidering Impure World Reincarnation after Gen warned that Orochimaru might use it first.

• Kitagawa Gen visited Jiraiya in the hospital with Kakashi and Guy, where Jiraiya reported that Mount Myōboku would share its Senjutsu knowledge but had offered no information about Otsutsuki Genshiki or Naruto.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to discuss Sunagakure’s surrender, its demand for the One-Tail and its ninja, and Konoha’s competing interests.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Kitagawa Gen for his view, and Gen suggested secretly backing a Sunagakure ninja to become Kazekage and replacing the Land of Wind’s Daimyo if necessary.
• Kitagawa Gen proposed obtaining the remains of powerful Sunagakure ninja for Impure World Reincarnation, but Hiruzen Sarutobi warned that using the jutsu could inflame the other villages.
• Kitagawa Gen suggested using executed criminals from Konoha as Impure World Reincarnation sacrifices, then warned that Orochimaru might use the jutsu against Konoha if they did nothing.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others grew more receptive to Gen’s proposal, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura silently agreed with each other.

Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to summon Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju with Impure World Reincarnation to prepare for Orochimaru’s possible use of the jutsu. The two Hokage were revived in Konoha’s Anbu Prison, where Hashirama looked at Hiruzen and asked who the old man was.

• Kitagawa Gen warned that Orochimaru might use Impure World Reincarnation to summon the dead, so Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered patrols at Heroes' Cemetery and planned to summon the First and Second Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and his advisers discussed Kitagawa Gen’s extreme ideas and decided Tobirama Senju should help guide him.
• Kitagawa Gen remembered that Otsutsuki Hamura’s remains were buried on the moon.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi used two death-row prisoners as sacrifices and performed Impure World Reincarnation in Konoha’s Anbu Prison.
• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju regained consciousness, and Hashirama asked Hiruzen Sarutobi who the old man was.

Black Zetsu sought Orochimaru's help against the villages allied with Konoha and offered to treat Kimimaro in exchange for cooperation, but Orochimaru's attempt to summon the First and Second Hokage failed because they had already been revived in Konoha. Tobirama Senju joined Konoha's planning, recognized that Kitagawa Gen had already proposed many of his ideas, and heard Gen suggest using death-row prisoners for Impure World Reincarnation.

• Black Zetsu found Orochimaru in the Land of Hot Water and proposed working together, using Amegakure as a base and approaching the Hidden Cloud after it lost to the allied villages.
• Orochimaru objected that Black Zetsu had left him alone against Kitagawa Gen, and Black Zetsu offered to help with Kimimaro's condition in return for cooperation.
• Orochimaru tried to summon the First Hokage and the Second Hokage as a show of sincerity, but the summoning produced no one because they were already in Konoha.
• Tobirama Senju criticized the misuse of Impure World Reincarnation, then proposed controlling Sunagakure's Kazekage and using the village to pressure its Daimyo.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders told Tobirama Senju that Kitagawa Gen had already proposed similar plans and had killed the Fourth Kazekage and Fourth Raikage.
• Kitagawa Gen proposed using Konoha's death-row prisoners for Impure World Reincarnation as a form of labor, leaving Tobirama Senju to consider the idea and Hashirama Senju to question Konoha's education.

Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi argued over Kitagawa Gen’s suitability to become Hokage before turning to plans involving Impure World Reincarnation and the villages. While hosting Deidara and Mei Terumi, Kitagawa Gen was persuaded to consider a covert strike against Cloud Village during the exam preparations, and Mei Terumi agreed to think it over.

• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju argued over whether Kitagawa Gen’s harsh mindset suited him to become Hokage, while Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to keep them focused.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi said Koharu and Homura supported Kitagawa Gen, and Tobirama Senju endorsed Gen’s ideas, including potentially using Impure World Reincarnation.
• Kitagawa Gen spoke with Deidara and Mei Terumi about Sunagakure’s surrender and Cloud Village’s war preparations.
• Deidara suggested that he, Kitagawa Gen, and Mei Terumi launch a surprise attack during the exam preparations, and Kitagawa Gen outlined how their abilities could support the mission.
• Deidara offered to take responsibility if the unauthorized attack failed, while Mei Terumi agreed to consider the plan but said the timing was not right yet.

Kitagawa Gen visited the imprisoned Sunagakure siblings and spoke privately with Gaara, who had lost the will to live. By revealing the sand’s protective Chakra and urging Gaara to choose a goal, Gen left him contemplating a reason to keep living.

• Kakashi told Kitagawa Gen that Sunagakure’s representatives, led by Chiyo, would negotiate their prisoners’ release, and the Hokage were considering his proposal for choosing Sunagakure’s next leader.
• Kitagawa Gen suggested Gaara as a possible Kazekage and then accompanied Kakashi to the prison, where Temari and Kankuro reacted fearfully to seeing him.
• Gaara said he saw no reason to live, so Kitagawa Gen asked to speak with him alone and compared his situation with Naruto’s.
• Kitagawa Gen explained that Naruto kept moving toward his dream of becoming Hokage despite his pain, and urged Gaara to find a goal of his own.
• Kitagawa Gen revealed that the Chakra in Gaara’s sand was protecting him and formed it into a figure, prompting Gaara to question what it meant and consider finding his own belief.