Chapter Summaries

After three days, Yota began his challenge to defeat Kumogakure's entire ninja school, while Soji trusted his disciple to control his powers. Yota entered the school and unleashed a torrential rain on the lower-grade students who attacked him, with the older students watching from the rooftop.

• After Soji returned to his disciples, he coaxed Haku, Kimimaro, and Yota out of their resentment at being left behind.
• At Kumogakure's ninja school, the Fourth Raikage warned Soji that Kumogakure would not take responsibility if Yota was hurt, but Soji remained confident in his disciple.
• Soji reminded Yota to show his strength without seriously hurting the students, and Haku and Kimimaro encouraged him before he entered the school.
• Dodai had arranged for lower-grade students to delay Yota while soon-to-graduate students waited on the rooftop to observe his abilities.
• Yota recognized the rooftop group as the older students and faced the lower-grade students who surrounded him.
• When the lower-grade students charged, Yota summoned torrential rain that swept them down.

Yota defeated the students of the Kumogakure Ninja Academy in three groups, using rain against the youngest students and taijutsu and other abilities against the rest. After sweeping the rooftop students aside, he left the academy, having completed his teacher’s task.

• Yota summoned a torrential downpour that overwhelmed the lower-grade Kumogakure students, then stopped the rain once they could no longer fight.
• Yota entered the school building and charged the middle-grade students, who could not use his indoor surroundings to their advantage.
• Yota used taijutsu, movement across walls and ceilings, and basic ninjutsu to defeat the middle-grade students and reach the rooftop.
• The upper-grade students attacked Yota together, but he defeated them with wind, lightning, and snow while avoiding serious injuries.
• Yota left the academy after all its students had lost the ability to stand.

Yota returned after defeating the Kumogakure Ninja Academy students and creating the storm that surrounded the school, leaving the Fourth Raikage eager for Soji’s group to leave. As Soji and his disciples departed for Iwagakure, Ōnoki questioned whether Deidara could become his successor and decided the explosive troublemaker was better suited to serve as a strategic weapon.

• Yota emerged from the Kumogakure Ninja Academy and told Soji that he had completed the mission.
• The Fourth Raikage and Dodai investigated the academy, learned Yota had defeated its students and caused the weather, and saw him as a dangerous prodigy.
• The Fourth Raikage angrily told Soji’s group to leave, but Dodai apologized and arranged for them to stay in Kumogakure for three more days.
• Soji and his three disciples departed Kumogakure for Iwagakure, where Ōnoki was scolding Deidara for causing another explosion and damaging a house.
• When Ōnoki asked how he would lead Iwagakure as Tsuchikage, Deidara proposed forming demolition squads to blow things up whenever he was in a bad mood.
• Ōnoki decided Deidara was unfit to become Tsuchikage and would be better used as Iwagakure’s strategic weapon.

Ōnoki punished Deidara by ordering him to spend half a month cultivating at a temple, but Deidara blew up a stone bridge before reaching it. Soji’s group arrived at the destroyed bridge, and Soji recognized Deidara and vowed to have Sasori discipline him.

• Ōnoki ordered Deidara to stay at a temple until the next month after a series of explosive incidents, and Deidara reluctantly agreed.
• Deidara flew toward the temple, decided to enjoy one last explosion, and destroyed a stone bridge with C1 Clay Spiders.
• Soji and his three disciples entered the Land of Earth and approached the bridge with a Rock Hidden Ninja squad.
• The bridge exploded as Soji’s group neared it, and Soji protected everyone with Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
• Soji recognized Deidara’s phrase, watched him fly away, and vowed to have Sasori discipline him.

Soji’s group reached Iwagakure after Haku replaced Deidara’s destroyed bridge with an ice bridge, while Deidara was confined to temple training. Pain then assigned Sasori, Kisame, and Shisui to recruit Deidara, forming an undercover squad under Soji’s influence.

• Deidara destroyed the stone bridge, so Haku used Ice Release—All Things Frozen to build a replacement and let Soji’s group cross safely.
• Soji and his companions arrived at Iwagakure, while Deidara reached Ōnoki’s temple and was trapped there for fifteen days of training.
• Pain assigned Sasori, Kisame, and Shisui to travel to Iwagakure and recruit Deidara as Sasori’s partner.
• Kisame joined Akatsuki Organization as Shisui’s partner, defeated Biwa Juzo in a challenge, and secretly won him over as an ally.
• Nagato’s suspicions of Shisui eased after Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki Organization, while Sasori pursued Orochimaru and planned to return to the Land of Wind after recruiting Deidara.

Soji met with Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki in Iwagakure to promote Konoha Academy and request a challenge for Haku, but Ōnoki proposed a wager to recruit Haku into Iwagakure. Haku accepted and countered that if he won, Ōnoki would attend Konoha Academy’s opening ceremony.

• Sasori, Shisui, and Kisame set out for the Land of Earth to find Deidara, while Soji remained unaware of their mission.
• Soji met Ōnoki in Iwagakure and invited him to support Konoha Academy, but Ōnoki gave no definite answer.
• Soji asked to let Haku challenge Iwagakure’s ninja academy, and Ōnoki agreed on the condition that Haku would join Iwagakure if he lost.
• Haku accepted the wager before Soji could respond, insisting that he would win despite Soji’s objection to treating him like a prize.
• Haku countered that if he won, Ōnoki had to attend Konoha Academy’s opening ceremony, surprising both Soji and Ōnoki.

Ōnoki accepted Soji’s wager and brought Haku to Iwagakure’s ninja academy, secretly arranging for Deidara to return as his hidden trump card. Haku’s challenge began with a one-on-one match against Kurotsuchi, leaving the outcome of their battle undecided.

• Ōnoki agreed to let Haku challenge Iwagakure’s ninja academy, betting that Haku would join Iwagakure if he lost.
• Ōnoki sent a subordinate to recall Deidara, planning to use him if the academy students could not defeat Haku.
• Ōnoki gathered the academy students and announced Haku’s challenge, prompting Kurotsuchi to volunteer to fight him alone.
• Soji and Ōnoki allowed Kurotsuchi’s one-on-one challenge, and the battle between Kurotsuchi and Haku began.

Haku dominated Kurotsuchi in their match but held back to let her show her strength, while she hid her frustration to set up one final attack. Her combined Earth Style strike broke through his ice defense, but she ran out of Chakra and slumped against his unharmed chest.

• Haku countered Kurotsuchi’s opening attacks and threw her away, while Ōnoki praised his battle instincts to Soji.
• Kurotsuchi trapped Haku with Earth Stone Spears, but his Frost Armor shattered them without harm.
• Haku offered Kurotsuchi one last chance to attack, and she charged at him in anger.
• Kurotsuchi struck Haku’s Ice Rock Dome, then revealed she had feigned anger to lower his guard.
• Kurotsuchi combined Fist Rock Technique with Added-Weight Rock Technique to break the ice wall, but her punch did not hurt Haku and she collapsed against his shoulder after exhausting her Chakra.

After defeating Kurotsuchi, Haku agreed to face the remaining Rock Hidden Ninja Academy students under rules that made a single hit on him count as their victory. Haku trapped them all inside a vast field of ice mirrors, leaving them panicked when they saw him reflected in every one.

• Haku carried the exhausted Kurotsuchi aside to rest, and she vowed to defeat him next time while privately developing a crush on the girl she believed he was.
• Haku challenged the remaining Rock Hidden Ninja Academy students to fight him one-on-one, but none dared step forward.
• Haku proposed that any student struck by his attacks would be eliminated, while any student who touched him would win; Ōnoki accepted the rules, and Soji backed Haku's decision.
• Haku formed Demonic Mirror Ice Crystal and surrounded the Rock Hidden Ninja Academy students with more than a hundred ice mirrors.
• The students decided to attack Haku directly, but found him gone and saw his image in every mirror, throwing them into panic.

Sasori, Kisame, and Shisui reached a temple in the Land of Earth to recruit Deidara into Akatsuki. Shisui defeated Deidara with genjutsu, and Deidara agreed to join while continuing to pursue his art.

• Sasori, Kisame, and Shisui entered the temple after defeating its Rock Hidden Ninja guards and breaking the barrier.
• Deidara mistook the trio's arrival for an interruption to his confinement and threatened them with C3: Number Eighteen Explosive Clay.
• Shisui offered Deidara a place in Akatsuki, but Deidara initially refused and demanded a reason to join.
• Sasori and Shisui silently agreed to let Shisui handle the fight, while Kisame shared their wish to finish the mission quickly.
• Shisui caught Deidara in genjutsu, making him bind himself with Explosive Clay: Centipede before dispelling the illusion.
• Deidara accepted defeat and agreed to join Akatsuki, insisting that he would keep pursuing his art, and the four left the temple together.

Haku defeated the Iwagakure Ninja Academy students, but Ōnoki postponed the final showdown when he learned that Deidara had been taken by three Akatsuki members. Soji agreed to help Ōnoki pursue them while secretly intending to ensure Deidara joined Akatsuki, and the two caught up with Deidara’s group as they traveled through the Land of Earth.

• Haku used his Demonic Mirror Ice Crystal to eliminate the Iwagakure students, including Kurotsuchi, and Soji asked Ōnoki to acknowledge his victory.
• Ōnoki said his other student, Deidara, would return for a final showdown, but a messenger reported that Deidara had been taken from a temple where everyone else was killed.
• Ōnoki learned that the abductors wore red-cloud robes and straw hats, then asked Soji to help investigate Deidara’s disappearance.
• Soji recognized the abductors as Akatsuki and agreed to help Ōnoki, intending to let Deidara defect and gain access to Ōnoki’s earth-nature Chakra.
• Ōnoki and Soji flew out of Iwagakure and caught up with Deidara and the three Akatsuki members as they leisurely crossed the Land of Earth.
• Deidara stopped to meet Ōnoki, whom he had been waiting to see before leaving his homeland.

Ōnoki confronted Deidara, expecting to rescue him from Shisui, Kisame, and Sasori, while Soji secretly recognized the three as his own undercover agents. Deidara revealed he had chosen to leave Iwagakure and fought Ōnoki in the sky, leaving Soji and the agents facing one another below.

• Ōnoki arrived with Soji and mistook the Akatsuki trio for kidnappers, while Soji realized Shisui, Kisame, and Sasori were his undercover agents.
• Ōnoki asked Soji to restrain Shisui and offered payment; Soji negotiated for twenty percent of Ōnoki's earth-nature Chakra and agreed to restrain Kisame as well.
• Deidara told Ōnoki he had joined the trio willingly and had deliberately let him catch up, then explained that he wanted freedom to pursue his art.
• Ōnoki gave up trying to persuade Deidara and attacked him, and the two began fighting in the air.
• Soji and the three undercover agents remained on the ground, dodging debris from the battle above and confronting one another.

Soji watched Ōnoki defeat Deidara while keeping the Akatsuki agents from fighting, then returned to Iwagakure after Ōnoki let them leave. He secretly extracted Ōnoki’s Earth Release Chakra, completing that part of his collection, while Deidara defected and Haku secured his challenge victory.

• Soji persuaded Kisame and Sasori not to fight, and the group watched Ōnoki and Deidara battle in the sky.
• Ōnoki gained the upper hand after Deidara ran out of Explosive Clay, punched him from the sky, and defeated him.
• Deidara chose to leave with the Akatsuki agents, and Kisame used a flood to cover their escape while Soji protected himself and Ōnoki.
• Ōnoki abandoned the pursuit, and Soji returned to Iwagakure with him; Deidara’s departure gave Haku the victory over the Rock Hidden Ninja Academy.
• Soji secretly extracted Ōnoki’s Earth Release Chakra before leaving Iwagakure, completing his Earth Release Chakra collection.

Soji and his three disciples traveled across the Land of Wind toward Sunagakure, while Orochimaru learned of their arrival and arranged for Yakushi Kabuto to return to Konoha through Soji. The chapter ended with Orochimaru ordering Kabuto to gather information on the Uchiha Clan and Kabuto asking about Sasori’s control technique.

• Soji led his three disciples across the desert toward Sunagakure, and they narrowly escaped being swallowed by quicksand.
• A venomous snake reported Soji’s arrival to Orochimaru in his hidden underground laboratory.
• Orochimaru warned Yakushi Kabuto not to target Soji and arranged for Kabuto to accompany him back to Konoha.
• Kabuto agreed to Orochimaru’s plan, though he worried that Sasori might use Puppet Manipulation Technique to control him again.
• Orochimaru ordered Kabuto to gather information about the Uchiha Clan and explained that Sasori’s technique had nearly stopped affecting him.

Soji visited Sunagakure to invite Rasa to Konoha’s Academy System opening and explain Kimimaro’s challenge mission, leaving Rasa to consider how both villages could save face. Rasa then invited Soji and the children to his home, where Soji met Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara and saw how coldly Rasa treated his youngest son.

• Orochimaru offered to remove Kabuto’s restraints so Sasori could no longer control him, and Kabuto followed him eagerly.
• Baki welcomed Soji and his three young companions to Sunagakure and escorted them to meet Rasa.
• Soji invited Rasa to Konoha’s Academy System opening ceremony, and Rasa agreed to attend in person.
• Soji told Rasa that Kimimaro’s graduation mission required him to challenge a ninja academy alone, and Rasa proposed discussing a solution after Soji’s group stayed in Sunagakure for a few days.
• Rasa invited Soji and the children to his home, where they met Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara.
• Rasa warmly acknowledged Temari and Kankuro but ignored Gaara, whom he blamed for Karura’s death during childbirth.

Soji secured a meeting with Chiyo by claiming he had information about Sasori, then revealed that Sasori was in his hands. Chiyo and Ebizo were left stunned as Soji’s real purpose remained unclear.

• At dinner, Soji introduced the three little ones to Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, while Gaara finished eating and returned to his room alone.
• Soji asked Rasa to arrange a meeting with Chiyo, offering information about her grandson Sasori as a reason for her to see him.
• Rasa passed the message to Chiyo, who agreed to meet Soji the next day.
• Soji arrived at Chiyo and Ebizo’s indoor fishing room, and the three exchanged pleasantries after Chiyo and Ebizo failed to make him lose patience.
• Chiyo asked Soji to tell her what he knew about Sasori, and Soji said Sasori was currently in his hands.

Soji convinced Chiyo and Ebizo that he was Sasori’s close friend by presenting Sasori’s Hiruko puppet, then used Chiyo’s hope of bringing her grandson home to pursue his own goal. He left Chiyo eager to help Sasori return to Sunagakure and poised to ask her for the One's Own Life Reincarnation technique.

• Chiyo and Ebizo challenged Soji to explain his connection to Sasori, and Soji recounted a selectively edited story of meeting and fighting him.
• When Chiyo doubted that Sasori had made a friend, Soji produced a complete Hiruko puppet as proof that Sasori had given him a precious gift.
• Chiyo and Ebizo accepted that Soji and Sasori were close, and Chiyo eagerly questioned Soji about her grandson.
• Soji hinted that he could help Sasori return to Sunagakure without carrying the stigma of a rogue ninja, and Chiyo offered to seek Rasa’s pardon.
• Soji argued that Sasori would need to resolve his own emotional objections to returning, leaving Chiyo ready to help with his plan.

Soji persuaded Chiyo to give him the forbidden technique One's Own Life Reincarnation by claiming it could help Sasori resolve his emotional baggage and return to Sunagakure. Chiyo saw through his deception but chose to bet on his promise, leaving Soji with the scroll and her hope that Sasori would come home.

• Soji told Chiyo that Sasori had found his parents' bodies and that her life-giving puppet technique could help him return to Sunagakure.
• Chiyo worried that Sasori might pay with his life to use One's Own Life Reincarnation, and Soji promised he would help Sasori improve the technique and stop him from using it recklessly.
• Chiyo brought Soji the red scroll containing One's Own Life Reincarnation and entrusted Sasori's future to him.
• Soji claimed Sasori was doing important work for the Ninja World and could return to Sunagakure with honor, then left the fishing lounge.
• After Soji departed, Chiyo admitted to Ebizo that she knew Soji was sly and had lied, but she had given him the technique because she still hoped he could help Sasori return.

Soji studied Chiyo’s Self-Resurrection technique while agreeing to help Gaara after his disciples expressed concern for him. He and Rasa then arranged Kimimaro’s graduation trial as an all-day rooftop defense challenge, which began with Kimimaro facing the Sand Village Academy students.

• Soji realized Chiyo had knowingly played along with his deception and began studying the Self-Resurrection technique, struggling with its unfamiliar focus on vitality.
• Soji’s disciples described Gaara avoiding them, and Soji explained that Gaara feared hurting others and being rejected because of Shukaku.
• After Yota, Haku, and Kimimaro wanted to help Gaara, Soji promised to try once Kimimaro’s challenge was over.
• Soji and Fourth Kazekage Rasa agreed that Kimimaro would defend the Sand Village Ninja Academy rooftop and a Sunagakure forehead protector until sunset to pass his graduation trial.
• Rasa announced the challenge, and Kimimaro took his place on the rooftop as the Sand Village students prepared to challenge him.

Kimimaro defeated a series of Sunagakure students in rooftop challenge matches, then revealed his Shikotsumyaku to defeat Kankuro and destroy his puppet. Temari challenged him next to measure the gap between them, and their match began.

• Kimimaro kicked the first Sunagakure challenger down the academy stairs and went on to defeat each student who followed using taijutsu.
• Kankuro challenged Kimimaro with his puppet Crow, but Kimimaro drew a Bone Blade, dismantled the puppet, and won.
• Rasa recognized Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku as the Kaguya Clan bloodline and praised his talent.
• Kankuro admitted defeat and joined Rasa as Temari arrived and challenged Kimimaro.
• Kimimaro drew a second Bone Blade, and the match between him and Temari began.