Chapter Summaries

Jiraiya tasked Shikamaru with finding a solution to Sunagakure’s request for Sasuke while warning him not to let his feelings for Temari cloud his judgment. At the Fire Temple, Sasuke learned that Sora was Kazuma’s intended weapon against Konoha, but after Sora rejected his warning, Sasuke stopped trying to reach him.

• Jiraiya explained to Shikamaru that Sunagakure wanted Sasuke to join its village, and asked him to devise a solution that benefited Konoha.
• Jiraiya warned Shikamaru not to blame Temari or let his feelings affect his judgment, and Shikamaru left the Hokage Office in silence.
• At the Fire Temple’s Ullambana Festival, Sasuke approached Sora again, but Sora angrily insisted that his father was dead.
• Sasuke used the Forum System to confirm Sora’s identity, unlocked the Ask Strategy permission, and learned that Kazuma planned to use Sora as a pseudo-Jinchuriki to attack Konoha.
• Forum users proposed killing Sora, telling him the truth and placing him under supervision, or using him to draw out Kazuma, while Sasuke considered the Daimyo’s possible role.
• After Sora rejected his warning, Sasuke’s gaze turned cold and he decided to stop speaking to him.

Second Pillar and the Fire Temple prepared to evacuate worshippers when Akatsuki members Kakuzu and Hidan attacked. As Chiriku and Second Pillar faced the intruders, Hanabi Hyuga restored order among the panicked civilians by force, and Hidan charged at Chiriku.

• Sora rejected Second Pillar and pushed past him, while Second Pillar reflected on their strained relationship.
• Hanabi Hyuga spotted two powerful Chakra signatures approaching the Fire Temple and warned Second Pillar that they would arrive in fifteen minutes.
• Second Pillar ordered Hanabi Hyuga to organize an evacuation, and Chiriku directed the Ninja Monks to lead worshippers toward the back mountain.
• Kakuzu and Hidan smashed through the Fire Temple gates, prompting Chiriku and Second Pillar to confront them as civilians panicked.
• Hanabi Hyuga struck a merchant and cut off part of his ear to force the crowd into an orderly line.
• Kakuzu identified Chiriku as a former Guardian Ninja Twelve member, and Hidan charged at him after detecting blood.

Chiriku fought Hidan and Kakuzu at the Fire Temple while Sasuke watched the battle and waited for the worshippers to evacuate. Sasuke struck Kakuzu with lightning, but Hidan remained alive, and Sasuke warned Chiriku that five enemies were still left.

• Chiriku summoned a towering, many-armed Buddha manifestation and battered Hidan and Kakuzu with its red Chakra fists.
• Hidan survived the beating and recovered from his injuries, while Kakuzu rose unharmed after using an Earth Release hardening technique.
• Sasuke assessed the enemies, activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, and pierced Kakuzu's chest with a lightning-wreathed sword.
• Hidan rushed toward Sasuke, but Sasuke withdrew beside Chiriku as the Ninja Monks cheered his attack on Kakuzu.
• Chiriku thanked Sasuke for protecting the worshippers, and Sasuke warned him that five enemies remained.

Sasuke and Chiriku fought Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, discovering that both could survive apparently fatal wounds. Sasuke focused on Kakuzu while Chiriku restrained Hidan, and Kakuzu paused the fight to propose a discussion.

• Kakuzu rose after Sasuke had left him for dead, and Sasuke identified him as the next target while warning Chiriku to keep Hidan from obtaining his blood.
• Sasuke charged Kakuzu as Hidan attacked, and Chiriku used Lotus Birth Step to trap Hidan in a golden lotus.
• Hidan escaped the first lotus attack but was pierced by a second, then healed and resumed fighting Chiriku.
• Sasuke and Kakuzu clashed with swordsmanship and Earth Release, and Kakuzu asked Sasuke to stop and discuss their reasons for fighting.

Kakuzu tried to negotiate with Second Pillar, but Second Pillar attacked and forced him to reveal Earth Grudge Fear. Kakuzu and Hidan launched a coordinated assault on Chiriku, and Second Pillar protected him with Susanoo as the chapter ended.

• Kakuzu weighed the danger of fighting Second Pillar and proposed that they talk, but Second Pillar immediately attacked him with his lightning-wreathed Kusanagi Sword.
• Kakuzu exposed Earth Grudge Fear, revealing four masks and releasing three surviving monsters after the mask damaged by Second Pillar collapsed into black pus.
• Kakuzu summoned his monsters while Hidan resumed attacking Chiriku, and Kakuzu's wind monster blasted them with Wind Release: Pressure Damage.
• Second Pillar warned Chiriku about the attack, then appeared before him inside Susanoo as Hidan approached to strike.

Second Pillar’s Susanoo evolved into a skeletal form during the battle at the Fire Temple, but Hidan used his attack to draw blood and begin his ritual. Second Pillar broke through Kakuzu’s water-and-lightning assault and advanced on Hidan, who stood ready to complete the ritual and take the Susanoo’s next blow.

• Second Pillar manifested a skeletal Susanoo, astonishing Kakuzu, the Fire Temple monks, and his students.
• Hidan charged the Susanoo and redirected his scythe toward Chiriku, cutting Chiriku’s arm before the Susanoo crushed half of Hidan’s head.
• Kakuzu’s black threads rescued Hidan, who used blood to draw his ritual circle and began recovering as Second Pillar tried to stop him.
• Kakuzu blocked Second Pillar with Water Release: Heavenly Curtain and Lightning Release: False Darkness, but Second Pillar escaped by combining Rotation with Susanoo.
• Hidan completed his black-and-white Jashin transformation, stood inside his ritual circle, and prepared to endure the Susanoo’s strike.

Second Pillar used Susanoo to counter Hidan’s blood-sharing curse and carefully pulled him away from the ritual array, then restrained him without injuring him. Hidan broke down in tears from the humiliation, while Second Pillar turned to Kakuzu and asked what he wanted to discuss.

• Hidan activated his curse ritual before fully recovering, stabbed himself, and caused Abbot Chiriku to suffer the same wound.
• Second Pillar recalled that Hidan’s damage-sharing ability depended on the ritual array and lifted him out of it with Susanoo.
• Hidan threatened to cut his own throat, and Second Pillar hesitated because Chiriku’s life might still be at risk.
• Second Pillar changed his grip and held Hidan spread-eagled in Susanoo’s hands, ignoring his threats and pleas.
• Hidan began sobbing from embarrassment, and Second Pillar asked Kakuzu what he had wanted to discuss.

Sasuke negotiated with Kakuzu over Chiriku’s life, then revealed he was willing to pay thirty million ryo to save the monk. He left Kakuzu stunned and tore Hidan’s limbs from his body to test whether the immortal Akatsuki member could be stopped.

• Kakuzu offered Sasuke five million ryo and the other monks’ safety in exchange for Chiriku, but Sasuke laughed and bargained the offer up to twenty-five million.
• Konohamaru criticized Sasuke for negotiating, while Jin Dafeng argued that saving the temple’s monks and worshippers justified sacrificing Chiriku; Hanabi said she only hoped Sasuke was safe.
• Sasuke demanded thirty million ryo, then stunned Kakuzu by offering to pay that amount to buy Chiriku’s life.
• Sasuke wounded Hidan near the ear with a shuriken and checked that Chiriku had not been harmed, then tore Hidan’s hands and feet from his body with Susanoo.

Second Pillar used a bankbook containing thirty million ryo to buy Kakuzu’s noninterference, then made him cut out Hidan’s tongue and answer questions. Kakuzu accepted the deal, but Second Pillar accused him of withholding information about how to kill Hidan and drew his sword.

• Second Pillar tossed Kakuzu a bankbook with thirty million ryo, and Kakuzu verified that it was genuine.
• Kakuzu accepted the money and declared that he would not help Hidan, who had been left without his limbs.
• At Second Pillar’s order, Kakuzu cut out Hidan’s tongue, silencing him.
• Second Pillar warned Kakuzu to answer his questions or die, and Kakuzu agreed to comply.
• Second Pillar asked how to kill Hidan, and Kakuzu said Hidan’s Jashin power made him immortal and difficult to kill.
• Second Pillar accused Kakuzu of being dishonest and drew the Kusanagi Sword · Moon Shadow, prompting Kakuzu to begin explaining further.

Second Pillar questioned Kakuzu about Akatsuki’s plans and discovered Kakuzu did not know Tobi was Madara Uchiha. After Kakuzu tried to end their deal and return the money, Second Pillar offered to let him keep it, leaving Kakuzu wary of the greater price he might be asked to pay.

• Kakuzu advised Second Pillar to bury the incapacitated Hidan, then said he knew nothing about Obito.
• Second Pillar clarified that he meant Akatsuki’s Orange Mask figure, and Kakuzu was shocked to learn that Tobi might be Madara Uchiha.
• Chiriku thanked Second Pillar for paying thirty million ryo to spare him, and Second Pillar told him the Fire Temple would have to repay the money.
• Second Pillar sent Jin Dafeng to take Chiriku back to rest and pressed Kakuzu for Akatsuki’s short-term plans, but Kakuzu said the information would cost extra.
• Kakuzu insisted Tobi could not be Madara Uchiha, terminated the transaction, and offered to return the money while taking everyone else.
• Second Pillar refused to take the bankbook and told Kakuzu he could keep the money, leaving Kakuzu suspicious that the favor came with a larger price.

Sasuke tried to recruit Kakuzu to manage Konoha’s finances, but Kakuzu mistook the offer for a request to spy on Akatsuki and ultimately refused. As they paused to bury Hidan and reconsider, Sasuke sought advice online and reflected on Konoha’s financial dependence on the Land of Fire.

• Sasuke offered Kakuzu money in exchange for working for him, and Kakuzu wrongly concluded that Sasuke wanted him to spy on Akatsuki.
• Sasuke clarified that he wanted Kakuzu to join Konoha and oversee its finances, but Kakuzu questioned the risks of accepting a rogue ninja and refused.
• Sasuke promised Kakuzu control over Konoha’s finances, then the Land of Fire’s and possibly the whole ninja world’s, and warned him to choose between working for him and becoming his enemy.
• Sasuke told Kakuzu to bury Hidan while they both considered the offer, warning him to dig the crater wider if he could not decide.
• Sasuke asked his online contacts for advice and reconsidered Konoha’s relationship with the Land of Fire, concluding that financial dependence could prevent broader reform.

Sasuke sought the netizens’ advice on recruiting Kakuzu, whose financial skills he valued, but money alone had failed to persuade him. The chapter ended with Sasuke considering whether to appeal to Kakuzu’s dreams, despite doubting his own ability to sell the vision.

• Sasuke decided to recruit Kakuzu for his financial talent and rejected a suggestion to recruit Gaara.
• The netizens debated Kakuzu’s character and whether force could make him submit, while Sasuke recalled that Naruto would eventually defeat him.
• Sasuke told the netizens that Hidan was already more or less under control and briefly described the fight.
• The netizens suggested offering Kakuzu a high salary and benefits, but Sasuke said he had already offered him money and control over Konoha’s finances.
• HR Miss Pu advised Sasuke to ask Kakuzu about his dreams and promise to help fulfill them, leaving Sasuke unsure how to make the pitch.

Uchiha Sasuke tried to persuade Kakuzu to defect from the Akatsuki by telling him Konan would turn the organization’s funds into six hundred billion Exploding Tags. Kakuzu dismissed the claim as financially impossible, but then began to wonder whether Konan could create the tags herself, leaving his certainty shaken.

• Uchiha Sasuke received Mr. Smile’s suggestion to tell Kakuzu that Konan would use Akatsuki funds to make six hundred billion Exploding Tags, and he recalled intelligence about Konan and Obito.
• Uchiha Sasuke stopped Hidan from crawling toward his leg by severing his head, then confronted Kakuzu about whether he would surrender.
• Kakuzu refused to give Sasuke a reason to let him go and prepared to escape with his three masked monsters if necessary.
• Uchiha Sasuke told Kakuzu that Konan would use six hundred billion Exploding Tags for a plan against Obito, and Kakuzu laughed at the claim’s enormous cost.
• Kakuzu calculated that buying the tags would cost 180 trillion ryo, but began doubting himself when he considered whether Konan’s paper-based abilities could produce them cheaply.

Second Pillar exposed the truth behind Konan’s three-billion-ryo goal and recruited Kakuzu with a generous offer. At Fire Temple, Chiriku explained the origins of Sage Clan Talent and the legendary Ancestor Jianzhen, leaving Second Pillar eager to learn more about Jianzhen’s script.

• Kakuzu accepted that Konan’s money had been intended to destroy Tobi, then agreed to work for Second Pillar in exchange for protection and thirty million ryo a year.
• Kakuzu replenished his fifth heart by absorbing Hidan’s body, then joined Second Pillar’s group at Fire Temple the next morning.
• Chiriku warned Second Pillar that keeping Kakuzu close could bring disaster, but Second Pillar said Kakuzu could be guided toward a better path.
• Chiriku described how Ancestor Jianzhen combined Ninshu’s Chakra with Buddhist power to create Sage Clan Talent and was believed to have come from Heaven.
• Second Pillar asked whether records remained of the script Ancestor Jianzhen had used.

Sasuke learned more about the Buddhist Sect’s Sage Clan Talent, reprimanded Konohamaru for insulting Kakuzu, and led the group away from the Fire Temple. On the journey home, he opened two system rewards, gaining a summoning contract he planned to give Neji and an unexpected economics book.

• Chiriku explained that the Buddhist Sect’s Sage Clan Talent connected Ninja Monks’ chakra through bonds and let them pool their strength.
• Hanabi reported that Konohamaru and Kakuzu were arguing, so Sasuke threatened Konohamaru and warned his students to respect Kakuzu.
• Sasuke confirmed the mission’s success, collected Chiriku’s promise to pay thirty million ryo and the mission reward, then departed with his group and Kakuzu.
• The system awarded Sasuke a D-Rank Scroll for protecting Chiriku and containing the immortal duo, and a C-Rank Scroll for persuading Kakuzu to surrender.
• Sasuke opened the C-Rank Scroll and received a contract for the Howling Moon Frost Tiger, which he decided to give to Neji Hyuga.
• Sasuke opened the D-Rank Scroll and received a copy of Mankiw’s Principles of Economics, Volume Two: Macroeconomics.

Second Pillar struggled to understand an economics book received as a D-Rank reward while traveling back to Konoha with Kakuzu and the others. After Thousand Arts, Return to One triggered from Kakuzu’s heart, Second Pillar gained Fire Release: Hard Flame Skull and later finished reading the book, just as Kakuzu asked to borrow it.

• Second Pillar examined the economics book, found its material incomprehensible, and put it away as the group resumed traveling toward Konoha Hidden Ninja Village.
• Second Pillar asked Kakuzu whether taking Hidan’s heart had given him immortality, and Kakuzu explained that his hearts provided energy and Chakra nature but not their owners’ memories or abilities.
• The system counted Kakuzu’s heart as a kill, triggered Thousand Arts, Return to One, and granted Second Pillar the B-Rank Fire Release: Hard Flame Skull.
• Second Pillar considered the delayed activation and side effects of Thousand Arts, Return to One, then camped with the group and studied the economics book by the fire.
• Second Pillar finished memorizing the book’s contents, and Kakuzu appeared beside him to ask to borrow it.

Sasuke let Kakuzu study a book on macroeconomics and confronted Konohamaru about the Will of Fire and his opposition to Kakuzu’s surrender. A month later, Konoha gathered to mourn Jiraiya at his funeral, where Sasuke placed a white daisy before the Fifth Hokage’s portrait.

• Kakuzu became engrossed in the book and told Sasuke that it discussed civilian finances, though he needed more time to understand it.
• Sasuke took Konohamaru aside and questioned why he opposed accepting Kakuzu, prompting Konohamaru to defend his grandfather’s teachings and the Will of Fire.
• Sasuke challenged Konohamaru to risk his life to stop him, then questioned whether the Will of Fire urged people to sacrifice themselves or others.
• On October 13th, Year 65 of Konoha, ninjas and civilians gathered in Konoha Plaza for Jiraiya’s funeral.
• Sasuke placed a white daisy before the portrait of Jiraiya, the Fifth Hokage and Toad Sage.

At Jiraiya’s funeral, Tsunade struggled with his sudden death while Second Pillar recalled arranging for Kakuzu to join Kirigakure and study economics. Kakuzu stayed behind with the Mist remnants, while Second Pillar sent Team 7 back to Konoha under Jin Dafeng’s leadership.

• Tsunade attended Jiraiya’s funeral and remembered finding him dead at his desk without any clear cause.
• Second Pillar told Kakuzu that he should join Kirigakure in Tanzaku Town before eventually taking over Konoha’s economic work.
• Kakuzu eagerly accepted the task of studying the economics book and rewriting it in language ninjas could understand.
• Second Pillar left Kakuzu with Kirigakure’s remnants and ordered Jin Dafeng to lead Hanabi Hyuga and Konohamaru safely back to Konoha.

Second Pillar arranged for Kakuzu to stay with Mei Terumi’s displaced Mist Hidden Village group and urged her to stop drinking if she still hoped to restore her nation. A month later, at Jiraiya’s funeral, Mei appeared renewed, and Shikamaru attended with Sunagakure’s emblem on his headband.

• Second Pillar sent Konohamaru and the other children toward Konoha, then persuaded Kakuzu to reveal what he knew about Akatsuki.
• Second Pillar introduced Kakuzu to Mei Terumi’s group as One-Horn Master, and Mei agreed to house him after learning he could pay his own expenses.
• Second Pillar told Mei to quit drinking and become self-reliant if she wanted to restore her nation, then left without answering her questions about Konoha’s support.
• A month later, Mei attended Jiraiya’s funeral with a changed appearance, and Second Pillar and Naruto made their return bow.
• The Mist and Sand delegations approached the funeral hall, and Shikamaru arrived wearing Sunagakure’s hourglass emblem on his arm.

Second Pillar returned from the Fire Temple after helping Chiriku repel an Akatsuki attack, then discovered that Konohamaru and the other two Genin had not reached Konoha as expected. The three eventually arrived safely, but their behavior left Second Pillar furious, and he complained to Jiraiya that he could no longer be their team leader.

• Second Pillar told Asuma and Team Ten that the Akatsuki attack on the Fire Temple had been repelled and Chiriku's injuries were minor.
• Second Pillar learned that Konohamaru and the other two Genin had not returned with Asuma's team, so they hurried back to Konoha to look for them.
• Second Pillar and Team Ten found the village guards had not seen the Genin, but Jin Dafeng and the other two soon arrived safely at the gate.
• Second Pillar glared at the three Genin and left while Asuma checked on Konohamaru.
• Second Pillar went to the Hokage's office, took a drink from Jiraiya's refrigerator, and complained that he could not remain team leader for another day.