Chapter Summaries

Soji spotted another Kirigakure Anbu team sent by Karatachi Yagura to pursue the Anbu who had stolen the Three-Tails. He joined forces with Ao while secretly using the pursuit to advance his plan against Madara Uchiha, and the group set off after the traitors.

• Soji recognized that the newly arrived Kirigakure Anbu were not controlled by Madara Uchiha and deduced that Karatachi Yagura had sent them to investigate the missing Three-Tails.
• Ao and his team found five dead Kirigakure Anbu and concluded that the traitors were trying to provoke a war with Konoha.
• Soji appeared before Ao's team, and Ao recognized him as Mizuki Ember and explained that they were tracking two Anbu squads who had betrayed Kirigakure.
• Soji pretended to be surprised by the betrayal and agreed to help Ao capture the traitors.
• Soji followed Ao's team as they pursued Madara Uchiha's controlled Anbu, intending to use the confusion to further his own plan.

Soji and Ao’s Mist Village Anbu helped Kakashi eliminate most of the Kirigakure traitors, but Ao’s group then pursued Kakashi and Rin Nohara to reclaim the Three-Tails. Meanwhile, Obito learned that Madara had entered a deep sleep on the day he was meant to return to Konoha, and a White Zetsu arrived with news to share.

• Soji, Ao, and the Mist Village Anbu followed Kakashi and picked off the Kirigakure traitors, leaving three for Kakashi to kill after he rescued Rin.
• Rin told Kakashi that the Three-Tails had been implanted in her and that she could not return to Konoha, while Kakashi vowed to save her.
• Ao’s Anbu confronted Kakashi and Rin to reclaim the Three-Tails, and Kakashi fled with Rin as Ao pursued them at Soji’s signal.
• Obito went to Madara to ask to return to Konoha, but White Zetsu said Madara was in a deep sleep that could last up to half a month.
• A second White Zetsu emerged and offered to tell Obito about something interesting he had seen.

After learning that Kakashi and Rin Nohara were being pursued by Kirigakure Anbu, Obito escaped the cavern to reach them as quickly as possible. Madara Uchiha revealed that he had staged the events to make Obito despair, and Obito raced toward the trap unaware that someone might disrupt Madara’s plan.

• White Zetsu told Obito that a boy with a Sharingan was among the Konoha ninja being chased, and Obito realized they were Kakashi and Rin Nohara.
• Obito tried to dig his way out, but the special White Zetsu offered to carry him through the cavern wall, and Obito accepted.
• After Obito left, Madara Uchiha revealed that he had pretended to be asleep so Obito would not suspect his role in the scheme.
• White Zetsu confirmed that the plan was arranged to make Obito witness a scene that would drive him to despair.
• Obito hurried toward Kakashi and Rin Nohara while Madara waited in the cavern, confident that his staged play would sever Obito’s bonds.

Kakashi and Rin fought off Ao’s Mist Village Anbu as Obito rushed toward them, while Soji concealed himself in a localized snowfall and prepared for battle. Rin deliberately moved into Kakashi’s Lightning Cutter, dying in his arms as Obito arrived at the battlefield.

• Ao ordered the Mist Village Anbu to attack Kakashi while keeping Rin unharmed so Kirigakure could reclaim the Three-Tails.
• Rin told Kakashi she had recovered and wanted to fight beside him, and Kakashi set her down and battled the Anbu.
• Kakashi copied a Water Style technique, killed a jonin with Lightning Cutter, and escaped a barrage by burrowing underground, but he was left nearly out of stamina and Chakra.
• Soji detected Obito nearby, made snow fall across the battlefield, and used Ice Release: Snow Concealment Technique to hide himself.
• As Kakashi charged an Anbu member approaching Rin, Rin moved into his Lightning Cutter and died after telling him to live well.
• Obito arrived at the edge of the battlefield as Rin’s blood fell onto the snow.

After Rin Nohara died, Obito awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and slaughtered the Mist Village Anbu in a furious rampage. Ao escaped and met Soji, who planned to use him as a witness linking Kirigakure to the incident while keeping the next stage of his plan moving.

• Rin Nohara died, and Kakashi collapsed after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan alongside Obito.
• Obito attacked the Mist Village Anbu, using his intangibility and Wood Style to kill all of them except Ao, who fled.
• Soji intercepted Ao and asked where the other Mist Village Anbu were.
• Ao told Soji that a terrifying man had killed the others and urged him to stop the attacker.
• Soji pretended he might be unable to retrieve Rin Nohara's body and planned to have Ao report the incident to Karatachi Yagura.

Soji arrived at the battlefield and fought Obito, who had just awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and slaughtered the Mist Anbu. Soji severely injured Obito but deliberately let him live, leaving White Zetsu to escape with him.

• Soji ordered Ao to return to Kirigakure, but Ao decided to stay in the Land of Fire and cause trouble rather than face punishment for the failed mission.
• Soji reached the battlefield as Obito approached Rin Nohara's corpse and challenged him over the massacre.
• Obito attacked Soji with Kamui and Wood Release, but Soji blocked the strike with Ice Armor and countered with an Ice Palm.
• Obito used Kamui to transfer away Soji's ice attack, then fired a Great Fireball Technique that Soji extinguished with a sudden blizzard.
• Soji baited Obito into striking a Shadow Clone, then slammed him into the ground with a knee and inflicted serious injuries.
• White Zetsu regained control of his body and escaped into the ground while Soji chose not to pursue or kill Obito.

Soji fought Obito as Obito repeatedly used Kamui and White Zetsu urged him to retreat. Soji left Obito badly injured and revealed that he could move through ice fast enough to catch him off guard, while Obito still refused to give up his revenge for Rin.

• White Zetsu warned Obito that Soji was too strong to fight, but Obito covered himself with White Zetsu and charged again.
• Soji countered Obito's attacks with Ice Release, freezing Obito's Wood Release and using ice sculptures to pierce both his arms and knock him down.
• Obito tried to absorb Soji with Kamui, but Soji struck his chest with Mountain Breaker Strike and left him too injured to control the White Zetsu coat.
• White Zetsu took control of Obito and urged him to retreat, but Obito insisted that he had to avenge Rin and prepared to fight again.
• Soji used the ice beneath Obito to appear under him and kick him into the air before he could activate Kamui.

Soji defeated Obito and let White Zetsu carry him away, then tracked them toward Madara Uchiha's lair using an Ice Clone hidden in Obito's Kamui Dimension. He reached the lair's vicinity with Sage Mode active and prepared to confront Madara Uchiha.

• Soji struck Obito until he lost consciousness, allowing White Zetsu to take control and escape underground with him.
• Soji failed to stop White Zetsu with Ice Release, then found Kakashi unconscious and sealed Rin Nohara's corpse in a scroll as leverage against Obito.
• Soji revealed that an Ice Clone disguised as an Ice Spear had been absorbed into Obito's Kamui Dimension, letting him track White Zetsu and Obito without following them closely.
• Soji followed the Ice Clone's signal for two or three hours until it stopped, indicating that White Zetsu and Obito had reached Madara Uchiha's lair.
• Soji maintained snowfall and Sage Mode as he closed in, then declared that he was coming for Madara Uchiha.

Soji tracked Madara Uchiha to his hidden underground lair after fighting Obito, while his Ice Clone explored Obito’s Kamui Dimension. He confronted Madara and White Zetsu, leaving himself face-to-face with the weakened Shura of the Ninja World.

• Soji’s Ice Clone examined Obito’s empty Kamui Dimension and regretted not bringing a marked kunai before it disappeared.
• White Zetsu brought the unconscious, badly injured Obito back to Madara Uchiha and explained that Mizuki Ember had fought him after Rin Nohara’s death.
• Madara ordered White Zetsu to take Obito away to recover and investigate Mizuki Ember.
• Soji blasted through the cavern ceiling and entered Madara Uchiha’s underground lair.
• Madara recognized Soji as Mizuki Ember, while White Zetsu panicked at seeing the man who had wounded Obito.
• Soji challenged Madara and White Zetsu for plotting against Kirigakure and resolved to fight Madara despite his fearsome reputation.

Soji confronted Madara Uchiha, who used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to restore his youth and fought Soji at seventy percent of his peak strength. After their clash ended in a brief standoff, Madara praised Soji and declared that he would remember him even after his death, while Soji resolved to outlast Madara's temporary restoration.

• Madara Uchiha revealed his identity to Soji and began walking toward him as the tubes attached to his back broke.
• Madara Uchiha rapidly regained his youthful appearance, then tested Soji with a punch that Soji blocked in Sage Mode.
• Madara Uchiha said he had recovered seventy percent of his peak strength, and he and Soji exchanged powerful taijutsu attacks that damaged the surrounding ground and walls.
• Madara Uchiha praised Soji as the strongest fighter he had faced besides Hashirama Senju, while Soji insisted that the praise did not excuse his attack on Kirigakure.
• Madara Uchiha vowed to remember Soji as a worthy opponent even after his death, and Soji challenged him to prove he could maintain his restored state.

Soji and Madara Uchiha fought an extended taijutsu battle across the snowy wasteland, testing their strength without resorting to ninjutsu. After hours of fighting, they launched a decisive final clash that sent both crashing into rocks, leaving the winner uncertain.

• Soji and Madara Uchiha left the collapsing cavern and began fighting outside, trading blows that neither could easily withstand.
• Madara Uchiha noticed traces of the Gentle Fist in Soji’s taijutsu, and Soji claimed he studied other combat styles to improve his strength.
• Soji and Madara Uchiha resumed their fight and battled for two or three hours, their shockwaves devastating the land as they moved far from the lair.
• Both fighters paused, exhausted and battered, and Soji noticed Hashirama Senju’s face tattooed across Madara Uchiha’s chest.
• Soji and Madara Uchiha charged into a final taijutsu clash, then the recoil hurled them both into a snow-covered pile of rocks.

Soji and Madara Uchiha fought to a draw in taijutsu before escalating their battle with ninjutsu. Soji unleashed his Ice Release—Ice Snow Great World, freezing Madara and the surrounding forest, and left him trapped in a growing sphere of ice.

• Soji and Madara Uchiha ended their taijutsu clash in a draw and acknowledged each other's strength.
• Madara Uchiha challenged Soji to pit his Ice Release and senjutsu against Madara's Wood Release and senjutsu.
• Soji's Ice Breath and Madara's Great Fire Annihilation collided, filling the battlefield with steam.
• Madara Uchiha used Wood Release—World of Trees, forcing Soji to retreat and prepare a powerful technique.
• Soji unleashed Ice Release—Ice Snow Great World, freezing Madara Uchiha, his forest, and everything within the blizzard's ten-kilometer range.

Soji used Ice Release and Yin Release to attack Madara Uchiha’s soul, but Madara recovered by using Yin-Yang Release and broke through Soji’s defenses. After Soji shattered Madara’s first-stage Susanoo, Madara unveiled his towering Complete Body Susanoo.

• Madara Uchiha broke out of Soji’s ice sphere with Susanoo and explained that he could use it with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan because he had mastered its power.
• Soji revealed that the snowflakes in his Ice Snow Great World were freezing Madara’s soul, but Madara dispelled the effect with Yin-Yang Release.
• Madara charged Soji, and his Susanoo struck Soji into the ice forest despite Soji’s Frost Armor.
• Soji used Melt into Ice to move behind Madara and shattered his first-stage Susanoo with Mountain Breaker Strike.
• Madara formed his Complete Body Susanoo, which rose to more than one hundred and fifty meters tall and sprouted wings.

Soji used Sage Art: Ice Release—Snow Country Manifestation to summon a vast palace and a Frost Giant to challenge Madara Uchiha’s Complete Body Susanoo. Madara repeatedly destroyed the giant, but Soji revealed that it was one creature regenerating through repeated appearances, leaving their battle unresolved.

• Madara Uchiha confronted Soji with his Complete Body Susanoo, and Soji revealed he had developed a way to oppose it.
• Soji created the Snow Country Royal Palace and summoned a Frost Giant that froze Susanoo’s hand and struck its chest.
• Madara Uchiha cut off the Frost Giant’s arm, then knocked it down and slashed its head, seemingly defeating it.
• A second Frost Giant appeared as the first vanished, and Madara Uchiha fought it with Susanoo’s four arms before cutting it in half.
• A third Frost Giant appeared while the second vanished, and Madara Uchiha deduced that one creature was repeatedly reappearing; Soji confirmed his guess.

Soji used Snow Country’s endless resurrection to keep the Frost Giant fighting Madara Uchiha, who realized the Royal Palace was the source and tried to destroy it. Soji summoned three additional Frost Giants to defend the palace, leaving Madara feeling that his life was in danger.

• Madara Uchiha used Great Fire Extinguishing against the Frost Giant, but it leaped through the flames, knocked Susanoo down, and battered its face before Madara cut off its head.
• The Frost Giant resurrected from the Snow Country Royal Palace, and Soji explained that the palace powered its endless returns without consuming his Chakra.
• Madara Uchiha deduced that destroying the Royal Palace would stop the Frost Giant’s resurrection and sent Susanoo toward it.
• Soji summoned a blizzard and used Sage Chakra to create three more Frost Giants, reducing his Chakra to less than half its peak.
• Madara Uchiha recognized Soji as a mortal enemy and realized that the four Frost Giants could leave him unable to survive the battle.

Soji and Madara Uchiha fought a prolonged battle with four Frost Giants against Madara’s Complete Body Susanoo, each pushing the other’s defenses and Chakra reserves. Their clash devastated the region, and they ended the chapter preparing to fight on until one of them claimed victory.

• Soji’s four Frost Giants overwhelmed Susanoo in close combat, and Soji used their combined frost breath to freeze it before they shattered all four of its arms.
• Madara restored Susanoo’s arms, cut through one Frost Giant, and used a Susanoo-powered Great Fire Annihilation to melt the other three, which later revived at the Snow Country Royal Palace.
• Soji and Madara realized their Chakra was running low after fighting for four or five hours, while their battle had reshaped mountains and rivers and drawn the attention of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
• Madara and Soji challenged each other to one final battle, then resumed fighting as the Frost Giants and Susanoo repeatedly broke apart and recovered, freezing the coastal sea and leveling nearby mountains.

Soji’s Ice Clone took advantage of Madara Uchiha being occupied with Soji’s original body to raid Madara’s lair. The clone fought the White Zetsus with Sage-enhanced taijutsu, and the cavern was left close to collapse.

• Soji’s Ice Clone revealed itself near Madara Uchiha’s lair and entered while Madara was still fighting Soji’s original body.
• White Zetsu realized Soji’s clone had come to rob the lair and called more than a thousand White Zetsus to attack it.
• Soji’s Ice Clone avoided using Byakugan Pressure and fought the White Zetsus with Sage-enhanced taijutsu, knocking down hundreds in half an hour.
• Several White Zetsus fused with the Pitcher Plant Technique, but Soji’s Ice Clone used the Body Flicker Technique and drove the giant into the ground.
• The impact deepened the cavern’s damage, leaving Madara Uchiha’s lair close to collapse.

Soji and Madara Uchiha, both badly drained, agreed to settle their battle with one final attack as scouts approached. When White Zetsu warned Madara that Soji’s clone was attacking his hideout, Madara chose to keep fighting, believing killing Soji was the only way to stop the raid.

• Soji’s Ice Clone defeated the fused White Zetsu, and the White Zetsu army abandoned fusion as its numbers rapidly dwindled.
• A special White Zetsu used the Mayfly Technique to flee toward Madara Uchiha and warn him that the hideout was under attack.
• Soji and Madara Uchiha exchanged heavy blows, each struggling to maintain his remaining Frost Giants or Susanoo.
• Soji sensed nearby ninja scouts and proposed a final attack before they could approach and exploit the weakened fighters.
• White Zetsu told Madara that Soji’s clone was attacking the hideout, but Madara refused to leave and resolved to kill Soji instead.
• Soji and Madara prepared to stake everything on a final blow, with both determined to survive and win.

Soji lured Madara Uchiha into Snow Country's Royal Palace and unleashed its devastating final attack after Madara had exhausted himself fighting the Frost Giants. As the palace collapsed and buried Madara's trapped Susanoo beneath immense ice, Soji used up all his Chakra, leaving Madara's fate uncertain.

• Madara Uchiha bound the two Frost Giants with Wood Release and left them restrained as he advanced on Soji at Snow Country's Royal Palace.
• Madara attacked Soji with Susanoo and Fire Style, badly burning him and forcing him to dodge while nearly exhausted.
• Soji revealed that he had deliberately drawn Madara into the Royal Palace, where its strongest attack could be unleashed.
• The palace collapsed, froze the Susanoo's lower body, and dragged Madara down as waves of ice engulfed him.
• Soji called the collapse a funeral prepared for Madara at Snow Country's expense and exhausted all his Chakra.

Soji’s Snow Country Funeral failed to kill Madara Uchiha, and both exhausted fighters continued their battle. Soji stood to fight on despite having no Chakra, while Madara Uchiha realized his own strength had also dwindled.

• Madara Uchiha escaped the collapsing ice pit by having his Complete Body Susanoo throw him clear of the sealing attack.
• Soji failed to enter Sage Mode and could barely stand as Madara Uchiha approached to kill him.
• Madara Uchiha acknowledged Soji as the strongest man after Hashirama Senju and himself, but Soji refused to surrender.
• Madara Uchiha kicked Soji into a rock, and Soji drew two Kunai while waiting for an opening to use his last move.
• Soji taunted Madara Uchiha about his weakening attacks, and Madara realized that he was only half-crippled while Soji was fully crippled.