Chapter Summaries

White Zetsu explained the Akatsuki Organization’s plan to force peace through fear before infiltrating Shennong’s flying fortress, Ancor Vantian. After discovering that Shennong was using imprisoned villagers’ negative emotions to empower Zero-Tails, White Zetsu confronted him, and Shennong asked what the Akatsuki wanted.

• White Zetsu claimed the Akatsuki sought peace by gathering the Tailed Beasts and using their power to deter war.
• A White Zetsu infiltrated Ancor Vantian and found villagers imprisoned and tormented inside.
• White Zetsu discovered Zero-Tails, a creature formed from Dark Chakra and fed by the villagers’ negative emotions.
• White Zetsu reached Shennong, who planned to use Zero-Tails to destroy Konoha and revive the Land of Sky.
• White Zetsu identified himself as a member of the Akatsuki Organization, and Shennong asked what business he had with him.

White Zetsu recruited Shennong into the Akatsuki by promising the organization would help him destroy Konoha, then redirected the Aerial Fortress toward Amegakure. White Zetsu also sought out Uchiha Shin, whose experiments with Naruto Cells had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.

• White Zetsu invited Shennong to join the Akatsuki, citing the Zero-Tails, his Dark Chakra, and his flying fortress.
• Shennong agreed to join on the condition that the Akatsuki help him crush Konoha, and White Zetsu accepted.
• Shennong turned the Aerial Fortress toward Amegakure so White Zetsu could take him to meet the Akatsuki leader.
• White Zetsu reached one of Orochimaru's former bases and searched for Uchiha Shin, a former test subject with a special transplant-compatible body.
• Orochimaru had used Naruto Cells to eliminate the drawbacks of Shin's transplanted Sharingan, and Shin had awakened a Mangekyō Sharingan that could remotely control objects.

White Zetsu recruited Uchiha Shin into the Akatsuki Organization, and brought him, Hiruko, and Shennong to Amegakure to seek Pain’s approval. The three candidates waited outside the village, preparing for the leader’s challenge.

• White Zetsu emerged near Uchiha Shin, whose clones attacked until White Zetsu revealed he had come with news about the Akatsuki Organization.
• Uchiha Shin eagerly agreed to join because Orochimaru belonged to the organization, and he followed White Zetsu with his clones toward Amegakure.
• White Zetsu warned Uchiha Shin that Pain would decide whether he could join, and Uchiha Shin confidently accepted the challenge.
• White Zetsus brought Hiruko, Shennong, and Uchiha Shin to Amegakure, where Uchiha Shin met the other candidates and saw Shennong’s Aerial Fortress.
• The White Zetsus told Shennong, Uchiha Shin, and Hiruko to wait while they informed the leader, and the three prepared to prove their strength.

Pain tested Shennong, Uchiha Shin, and Hiruko as they sought to join the Akatsuki Organization. Shennong revealed his Dark Chakra-enhanced strength, but the Animal Path’s multiplying Hellhounds and airborne Yatagarasu left him under pressure.

• White Zetsu brought Shennong, Uchiha Shin, and Hiruko before Pain for an evaluation to join the Akatsuki Organization.
• Pain assigned the Animal Path to fight Shennong, the Preta Path to fight Hiruko, and the Asura Path to fight Uchiha Shin.
• Shennong used Dark Chakra to catch the Animal Path’s giant horse, lift it, and smash it until it dispersed.
• The Animal Path summoned a Hellhound that split into more dogs when Shennong hit it with enough force, so he adjusted his attacks and tried to approach her.
• The Animal Path mounted a Yatagarasu and attacked Shennong from the air with explosive eggs while the Hellhounds harassed him below.

Shennong activated Zero-Tails and fused with its Dark Chakra, turning the fight against Animal Path’s Summoning Beasts in his favor. He annihilated Yatagarasu and the King Snake, demonstrating his power to Animal Path.

• Shennong called the Aerial Fortress to bring Zero-Tails directly above him.
• Zero-Tails connected with Shennong and replenished his Dark Chakra, allowing him to dissolve and annihilate the Hellhounds.
• Shennong used Dark Wave Cannon to destroy Yatagarasu, while Animal Path escaped its blast.
• Animal Path summoned the King Snake, which swallowed Shennong as Zero-Tails wrapped around him.
• Dark Chakra erupted from inside the King Snake, destroying it and consuming its remains.

Shennong used Zero-Tails' Dark Chakra to defeat the Animal Path during his Akatsuki Organization test. Deva Path Pain accepted him as a member, and the Naraka Path restored the Animal Path with King Yama's Cycle of Rebirth.

• Shennong transformed with Zero-Tails and unleashed Dark Torrent, annihilating the Animal Path's summoned beasts and breaking through her Triple Rashōmon.
• Shennong bypassed the final Rashōmon and struck the Animal Path with Dark Chakra, turning her body into a black statue.
• Shennong asked Deva Path Pain if his strength qualified him to join the Akatsuki Organization, and Deva Path Pain accepted him.
• Shennong worried that he had badly injured an Akatsuki member, but the Naraka Path summoned King Yama and restored the Animal Path.
• Shennong watched the Animal Path emerge fully restored and realized that the Akatsuki could revive her body.

Hiruko fought the Preta Path, testing his Kekkei Genkai and Dark Release against the Path’s ability to absorb Chakra. After absorbing the Preta Path’s Earth Style attack and forcing the fight into close quarters, Hiruko caught the Preta Path with his bandages and prepared a point-blank Storm Release attack.

• The Preta Path attacked Hiruko, but Hiruko used Swift Release and Steel Release to strike back before the Preta Path absorbed Chakra from his arm.
• The Preta Path used Hiruko’s absorbed Chakra to create a Steel-enhanced Water Flow Wall, which Hiruko smashed through with Steel Release.
• Hiruko’s Storm Release attack was absorbed by the Preta Path, who then countered with Earth Style: Mud River.
• Hiruko absorbed the mudslide with Dark Release, surprising the Preta Path and severing his Chakra connection to the ninjutsu.
• The Preta Path and Hiruko switched to close combat, and Hiruko wrapped his bandages around the Preta Path’s right arm while gathering Storm Release for a point-blank attack.

Hiruko defeated the Preta Path by combining his four Kekkei Genkai and earned Deva Path Pain’s approval to join the Akatsuki Organization. After the Naraka Path restored the Preta Path, Hiruko looked ahead to meeting Orochimaru and acquiring the Sharingan to complete his Chimera Technique.

• Hiruko used Dark Release to counter the Preta Path’s chakra absorption, but the Preta Path returned his Earth Style: Mud River and injured him.
• Hiruko combined Steel Release, Swift Release, Storm Release, and Dark Release to overwhelm the Preta Path with lightning and a powerful strike.
• Deva Path Pain declared that Hiruko qualified to join the Akatsuki Organization.
• The Naraka Path summoned King Yama, which restored the defeated Preta Path.
• Hiruko planned to meet Orochimaru and ask him to help obtain the Sharingan so he could add a fifth Kekkei Genkai.

Uchiha Shin fought Asura Path Pain, using his Mangekyō Sharingan to redirect marked weapons against the heavily modified puppet. After surviving its hidden laser cannon, he faced Asura Path’s expanded three-headed, six-armed form and its spinning blade.

• Asura Path launched its mechanical arm at Uchiha Shin, who redirected it with a marked kunai and sent it crashing back.
• Uchiha Shin used marked short blades to turn Asura Path’s missiles back on each other, then attacked its joints through the smoke.
• Asura Path trapped Uchiha Shin with a mechanical arm, but he reversed control of his blades and jammed its gears to escape.
• Uchiha Shin struck Asura Path’s targeting lens, dodged its hidden head laser, and identified armor on its chest as a possible energy source.
• Asura Path unfolded into a three-headed, six-armed form and swept its spinning serrated blade toward Uchiha Shin.

Uchiha Shin defeated Asura Path by destroying its core with his Mangekyō: Heavenly Chain Slash, proving his strength to Pain. Pain accepted him into the Akatsuki Organization, and Shin became wary when Naraka Path restored Asura Path to working order.

• Uchiha Shin used his marked blades, sword array, and prosthetic weapons to damage Asura Path and expose a crack in its chest armor.
• Shin unleashed Mangekyō: Heavenly Chain Slash, drove his marked blades into the crack, and destroyed Asura Path's Chakra-receiving core.
• Deva Path Pain declared Shin qualified and accepted him as a member of the Akatsuki Organization.
• Naraka Path revived Asura Path with King Yama, and Shin realized the puppet could be repaired after defeat.
• White Zetsu praised the recruits' strength, while Pain looked forward to their help against the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Shennong, Hiruko, and Uchiha Shin settled into Amegakure after joining the Akatsuki Organization, then Hiruko and Uchiha Shin visited Orochimaru's laboratory. Orochimaru welcomed them and agreed to let Uchiha Shin assist with his research.

• Deva Path Pain instructed the three newcomers to stay in Amegakure and told them a meeting would be held after they settled in.
• White Zetsu arranged accommodations for Shennong, Hiruko, and Uchiha Shin, and Shennong moved his Aerial Fortress to a designated area.
• Hiruko and Uchiha Shin asked White Zetsu to take them to Orochimaru, and Uchiha Shin revealed his devotion to Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru recognized Hiruko and welcomed both men into his laboratory.
• Uchiha Shin asked to serve as Orochimaru's assistant, and Orochimaru agreed to let him help with experiments.

Orochimaru reunited with Hiruko and learned that Hiruko needed help completing the Chimera Technique with a fifth Kekkei Genkai: the Sharingan. After demonstrating that he could freely activate his own Sharingan, Orochimaru left Hiruko begging him for assistance.

• Orochimaru asked Hiruko why he had joined the Akatsuki Organization, and Hiruko explained that he hoped Orochimaru could help with the Chimera Technique.
• Orochimaru recalled that Hiruko had stolen the forbidden technique and defected from Konoha, and explained that its absorbed Kekkei Genkai had to remain balanced and could number no more than five.
• Hiruko told Orochimaru that he had absorbed Steel Release, Dark Release, Storm Release, and Swift Release, and wanted the Sharingan as his fifth Kekkei Genkai.
• Orochimaru revealed that he could freely activate a Three Tomoe Sharingan, crediting research data from Uchiha Shin for helping him solve the problem.
• Hiruko stood and begged Orochimaru to help him obtain the Sharingan.

Orochimaru examined Hiruko’s body and used one-tenth Naruto Cells to stabilize his four Kekkei Genkai, preparing him to acquire a fifth through the Sharingan. The chapter ended with Orochimaru revealing a White Zetsu corpse for experiments, prompting Hiruko to worry about Akatsuki’s leader.

• Orochimaru analyzed Hiruko’s blood and warned that adding the Sharingan could destabilize the four Kekkei Genkai in his body.
• Orochimaru injected Hiruko with one-tenth Naruto Cells, which increased his Chakra and strengthened his body while balancing its Yin and Yang attributes.
• Hiruko felt his condition improve and said he was ready to complete his Chimera Technique by obtaining the Sharingan.
• Orochimaru brought out a White Zetsu corpse, shocking Hiruko and Uchiha Shin.
• Hiruko asked whether Akatsuki’s leader would hold Orochimaru accountable for experimenting on White Zetsu.

Orochimaru helped Hiruko prepare to absorb a White Zetsu corpse implanted with Sharingan, then recalled how he had cultivated and transplanted his own eyes. His Mangekyō Sharingan awakened two dojutsu centered on immortality and power, leaving him with a clearer understanding of his desires.

• Orochimaru asked Uchiha Shin and Hiruko to keep his secret use of White Zetsu corpses, and both agreed.
• Orochimaru implanted Single Tomoe Sharingan into a White Zetsu corpse carrying Uchiha Shin's cells and told Hiruko to absorb it with the Chimera Technique.
• Hiruko's tentacles devoured the corpse, and he began absorbing it within his body.
• Orochimaru recalled cultivating compatible Sharingan from Naruto Cells, Uchiha Shin's physique, and Uchiha Clan bloodline, then transplanting them into himself.
• Orochimaru's transplanted eyes evolved from Single Tomoe to Mangekyō Sharingan, awakening Susanoo and the dojutsu Snake Eye and Snake's Sorrow.
• Orochimaru recognized that he sought both a powerful life and strength so he could control his own fate.

Orochimaru had awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan but remained unable to make progress on the Rinnegan, while Hiruko completed his Chimera Technique fusion and tested his transformed body. Hiruko believed his power had reached its peak, and Orochimaru saw the experiment as a useful reference for his Rinnegan research.

• Orochimaru recalled awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan and then evolved it into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, but he could not determine how to use Indra and Asura's Chakra to awaken the Rinnegan.
• Hiruko fully absorbed the White Zetsu corpse, and his seven Chakra types achieved symbiosis as the Sharingan fused into his body.
• Hiruko's Steel Release, Storm Release, Dark Release, and Swift Release became more powerful and coordinated, while his Single Tomoe Sharingan began evolving toward a Double Tomoe.
• Hiruko asked Orochimaru for a place to test his strength, and Orochimaru brought him to a private training ground.
• Hiruko demonstrated his enhanced speed and abilities, declared that the Ninja World would be his to roam, and Orochimaru considered his form useful to Rinnegan research.

After Hiruko tested his new power, Orochimaru brought him back to Amegakure, where the Akatsuki Organization gathered to discuss the Five Great Shinobi Villages' plans to destroy them. Pain declared that the Akatsuki would fight the coming war, and the chapter ended with members reacting to the prospect of facing the Five Great Nations.

• Hiruko tested his increased power and judged himself weaker than Orochimaru, who told him that troubled times were approaching.
• White Zetsu summoned the Akatsuki Organization members to a meeting, where Kakuzu identified Hiruko, Uchiha Shin, and Shennong for the others.
• Pain announced that the Five Great Shinobi Villages planned to hold a Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron and discuss eliminating the Akatsuki Organization.
• Pain argued that the villages would struggle to cooperate and that their gathering might reveal the remaining Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, then declared that the Akatsuki would fight.
• Pain welcomed Uchiha Shin, Hiruko, and Shennong as new members and told everyone to stay in Amegakure as the great battle approached.
• After the meeting, Tobi asked Deidara whether they would truly fight the Five Great Nations, while Kisame welcomed the prospect.

As the Akatsuki Organization prepared for war, Nagato reaffirmed his plan to capture the Tailed Beasts and revive Yahiko. In the Land of Iron, Gaara arrived first for the talks and pledged to stand with Naruto against the Akatsuki Organization.

• Orochimaru warned Hiruko and Uchiha Shin to strengthen themselves before the coming battle, prompting Hiruko to train while Shennong prepared the Aerial Fortress.
• Nagato told Konan he intended to fight the Five Great Shinobi Villages and privately resolved to use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to revive Yahiko.
• Nagato learned that White Zetsu agents were still gathering intelligence in the Land of Iron and ordered them to report any news immediately.
• Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro reached the Land of Iron checkpoint, where Chusuke questioned Gaara's youth before escorting the Sunagakure delegation to Mifune.
• Gaara told Temari that the villages had to unite against the Akatsuki Organization and vowed to stand behind Naruto.

Mei Terumi and the Kirigakure delegation arrived at the Land of Iron, followed by A and Kumogakure's delegation, as the Kage began gathering for the Five Kage Summit. Both groups surrendered their weapons under protest and were escorted to the fortress, where tensions with the samurai remained high.

• Mei Terumi arrived with Chojuro and Ao, and warned the samurai not to damage Chojuro's swords when they confiscated them.
• Mei told Ao that the Five Kage Summit mattered more than provoking the Land of Iron, and noted that Sunagakure had arrived first.
• A arrived with Killer B and the Kumogakure delegation, seized Chusuke by the collar, and demanded to see Mifune.
• Mabui persuaded A not to pick a fight with the summit's organizer, and A agreed to surrender the delegation's weapons while threatening the fortress if anyone harmed Killer B.
• Killer B handed over his seven swords, and Kumogakure's delegation followed A into the fortress as Mabui and Darui wondered whether he could avoid arguing with the other Kage.

Ōnoki’s Iwagakure delegation and Naruto’s Konoha delegation arrived at the Land of Iron for the Five Kage Summit. Naruto reunited with Gaara inside the fortress, where the Raikage immediately challenged him about becoming Hokage.

• Ōnoki arrived at the checkpoint, insisted Iwagakure’s Dust Release could not be confiscated, and threatened the Land of Iron before throwing out his back.
• Kurotsuchi suspected the other delegations had already arrived and worried that Ōnoki’s domineering attitude might provoke a fight.
• Naruto arrived with Sasuke, Itachi, Shisui, and other Konoha ninja, and the group handed over their weapons at the checkpoint.
• Naruto met Gaara at the fortress and apologized for arriving late, while Chusuke was surprised by their friendly relationship.
• The Raikage shouted at Naruto and asked whether he was Konoha’s new Hokage.

At the Five Kage Summit courtyard, Raikage A challenged Naruto after learning he was Minato Namikaze’s son, bringing Naruto’s allies and the other Kage into a tense standoff. Mifune stopped the confrontation, and the delegations headed inside with the rivalry unresolved.

• Naruto introduced himself as Minato Namikaze’s son, prompting Raikage A to activate his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and challenge him to prove his speed.
• Sasuke and Gaara defended Naruto, while Ōnoki and Mei Terumi intervened as the confrontation escalated.
• Naruto warned Raikage A that attacking him could mean war between Kumogakure and Konoha, and Mabui reminded A that the summit was meant to address the Akatsuki.
• Sasuke provoked A after he backed down, and Itachi and Shisui joined Sasuke as their Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan appeared.
• Mifune ordered the Kage to stop fighting, and Naruto’s group stood down before the delegations went inside.