Chapter Summaries

Soji reassured Ryūzetsu that Karin was safe, then she left with him to pursue their plan to reopen the Box of Paradise. Mui visited Naruto and admitted he would open the Box at any cost, but Naruto sensed his grief and offered to help after learning his true reason.

• Soji told Ryūzetsu that his controlled guards were protecting Karin and that Naruto could release her later.
• Ryūzetsu left with Soji, while Matsuru Noyaku and the Kusagakure higher-ups patrolled outside Karin's cell.
• Mui visited Naruto, who challenged him about kidnapping Naruto and his sister and warned that the Box of Paradise might contain a monster.
• Mui insisted that opening the Box was his only chance, despite the danger, and Naruto recognized his grief and resolve to die.
• Naruto asked Mui to reveal his true reason for opening the Box and offered to help him.

Mui took Naruto toward the underground chamber to extract his Chakra for the Box of Paradise, while Naruto complied to protect Karin. When Mui learned that Rat-kun and Dog-kun had been killed, he suspected Ryūzetsu and quietly decided to protect her, though Soji was actually responsible.

• Mui refused to seek Naruto’s help and threatened Karin, so Naruto agreed to give up his Chakra rather than risk her safety.
• Mui released Naruto and led him toward the underground chamber where the Box of Paradise and Chakra-extraction apparatus were kept.
• Lord Sheep and Ox-Lord told Mui that Rat-kun and Dog-kun had been killed in their rooms.
• Naruto guessed that Ryūzetsu had caused the deaths to distract Mui and create a chance to rescue Karin.
• Mui suspected Ryūzetsu but chose to overlook the incident and protect her, unaware that Soji was responsible.

Mui took Naruto to the basement to extract his Chakra and open the Box of Paradise, while Soji and Ryūzetsu secretly followed to observe. The Kusagakure leaders left Karin behind and gathered to witness the opening, while Karin worried about Naruto.

• Mui dismissed Lord Sheep and Ox-Lord's concerns and led Naruto into the basement to extract his Chakra.
• Soji and Ryūzetsu watched from disguises, and Ryūzetsu felt guilty for not warning Naruto that Karin was safe.
• Soji told Ryūzetsu to watch Mui so she could see his true face, then they followed Mui and Naruto underground.
• Naruto saw the enormous Box of Paradise and worried that Sir expected him to carry it back to Konoha.
• Matsuru Noyaku and the Kusagakure higher-ups left Karin's cell to join Mui, while Karin prayed that Naruto would stay safe.

Naruto submitted to Mui’s Chakra extraction because Karin was being held hostage, while Ryūzetsu and Soji secretly watched. After the extracted Chakra overwhelmed the laboratory equipment and was absorbed by the Box of Paradise, the box began to open.

• Naruto agreed to lie on the laboratory bed after Mui threatened him and Karin, still hoping Ryūzetsu would rescue her.
• Hidden outside the laboratory, Ryūzetsu and Soji watched as Mui prepared the Chakra extraction equipment.
• Mui spent nearly an hour and a half extracting Naruto and Kurama’s Chakra, while Naruto stopped Kurama from resisting to protect Karin.
• Naruto asked Mui to release Karin, and Mui promised that he and Karin could return safely to Konoha after he revived Muku.
• The container holding Naruto and Kurama’s extracted Chakra cracked and exploded, and the Chakra was absorbed by the Box of Paradise, whose stone faces roared as it began to open.

After the Box of Paradise absorbed Naruto and the Nine-Tails’ Chakra, it broke free of its seal and erupted from beneath Hozuki Castle. Mui approached it to make a wish, while Soji prepared Ryūzetsu to learn the truth about him.

• The Box of Paradise absorbed Naruto and the Nine-Tails’ Chakra, shook the underground chamber, and began drilling toward the surface.
• Mui told Naruto where Karin was being held and that he had arranged a ship, then fled as Naruto followed him instead of leaving.
• Soji and Ryūzetsu escaped ahead of the collapse and watched as Hozuki Castle’s prisoners, guards, and Kusagakure leaders reacted to the tremors.
• The Box of Paradise burst above ground and released a blinding beam, then returned to its chest-like form with its seal broken.
• Matsuru Noyaku urged Mui to wish for Kusagakure’s rule over the Ninja World and invoked Muku, angering Mui.
• Mui approached the Box of Paradise while Soji told Ryūzetsu that Mui had deceived everyone and that she would soon see his true self.

Mui opened the Box of Paradise and wished for his son, Muku, to return, surprising Naruto, Ryūzetsu, and the Kusagakure higher-ups. When the higher-ups condemned his wish, Mui turned against them and attacked, leaving their fate unresolved.

• Mui opened the Box of Paradise and wished for Muku to be revived.
• Naruto and Ryūzetsu learned Mui's true motive and abandoned their plans to oppose him.
• Matsuru Noyaku and the other Kusagakure higher-ups demanded that Mui change his wish and accused him of betraying Kusagakure.
• Mui attacked the higher-ups with his Heavenly Prison Fire Sword, and Matsuru Noyaku narrowly dodged it.

Mui killed Lord Rabbit and Lord Tiger, but Matsuru Noyaku rallied the Kusagakure higher-ups to fight him for the Box of Paradise. The Box opened before the battle began, and a white figure started emerging as Naruto, Soji, and the others prepared for what came next.

• Mui's Heavenly Prison Fire Swords killed Lord Rabbit and Lord Tiger, alarming the remaining Kusagakure higher-ups.
• Matsuru Noyaku declared Mui an S-rank rogue ninja and persuaded the Kusagakure higher-ups to unite against him and reclaim the Box of Paradise.
• The Box of Paradise opened, revealing a dark, twisted interior filled with negative emotions, and the Nine-Tails warned Naruto that Satori was about to emerge.
• Ryūzetsu accepted Soji's explanation of the Box's nature, while Soji assured her he would handle the monster and retrieve Muku's corpse.
• A white figure began walking out of the Box, and Mui and Ryūzetsu recognized something about it that made them tense.

Mui believed the Box of Paradise had revived his son Muku, but the emotionless figure who emerged stabbed him and revealed that Mui's wish had not been granted. As Matsuru Noyaku realized the Box's promise was a lie, Soji and Ryūzetsu watched from hiding.

• Ryūzetsu recognized the figure as Muku and tried to rush to him, but Soji restrained her and warned that Muku looked abnormal.
• Mui approached Muku and apologized for sacrificing him to the Box of Paradise, saying he no longer cared about ruling the Ninja World.
• Matsuru Noyaku and the other Kusagakure higher-ups blamed Mui for ruining their plans and discussed taking the Box back.
• Muku told Mui he should not have revived him, then stabbed him in the abdomen and licked the blood from his hand.
• Matsuru Noyaku realized the figure was not Muku and concluded that the Box of Paradise could not grant wishes.

Matsuru Noyaku and the Kusagakure higher-ups learned that the Box of Paradise could not grant wishes and chose to submit to Konoha rather than abandon their village. After Muku attacked Mui and Naruto, Kurama revealed that the monster was Satori, using the dead Muku’s body and memories.

• Matsuru Noyaku told the Kusagakure higher-ups that the Box of Paradise could not grant wishes and laid out becoming rogue ninja or submitting to Konoha as their choices.
• Matsuru Noyaku and the other Kusagakure higher-ups agreed to submit to Konoha while trying to retain their positions and preserve the village.
• Mui apologized to Muku before collapsing from his wounds, and Naruto rushed to help him.
• Muku struck Naruto with a hand blade and sent him flying before Naruto could reach Mui.
• Kurama told Naruto that the monster was Satori, which had emerged using Muku’s body and inherited his memories.
• Kurama explained that Muku was dead and that the Box of Paradise had trapped his soul and body together in eternal pain.

Naruto joined forces with the Nine-Tails and entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to defeat Satori and free Muku from the Box of Paradise. After Satori revealed its true form and dodged Naruto’s attack, the Nine-Tails warned him that the monster’s ability was mind reading.

• Naruto resolved to defeat Satori and save Muku, and the Nine-Tails agreed to help him.
• The Nine-Tails gave Naruto its Chakra, allowing him to enter Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and strike Satori in Muku’s form.
• Satori brushed off Naruto’s punch and transformed into its enormous true form, frightening the prison guards and inmates into fleeing.
• Naruto charged Satori, but Satori sensed the attack and evaded it.
• Naruto demanded to know Satori’s special ability, and the Nine-Tails revealed that Satori could read minds.

Naruto fought Satori, whose instinctive mind reading let it evade his attacks, while Ryūzetsu confronted Kusagakure’s leaders over their abandonment of the village. Soji approached the gravely wounded Mui and reignited his will to live by offering to revive Muku in exchange for Mui following him.

• The Nine-Tails told Naruto that Satori could read minds, and Naruto regained his resolve after Kurama urged him not to give up.
• Naruto and Satori fought at close range, but neither could gain an advantage as Satori anticipated Naruto’s attacks and Naruto’s chakra claws protected him.
• Soji and Ryūzetsu arrived in the plaza dressed as Rat-kun and Dog-kun, and Ryūzetsu revealed herself as a Kusagakure ninja and rebuked the leaders for abandoning the village.
• The Kusagakure leaders blamed Mui for opening the Box of Paradise and releasing Satori while Matsuru Noyaku privately hoped Mui would die before he could contradict them.
• Soji approached the dying Mui and said Muku could be revived, restoring Mui’s will to live.
• Soji offered to revive Muku if Mui followed him from then on.

Soji convinced the gravely injured Mui to serve him by promising to revive Muku, then explained that Muku had died inside the Box of Paradise and that Satori had emerged using his body. Mui broke down in grief, and Soji prepared to heal him with the One's Own Life Reincarnation.

• Mui agreed to serve Soji if he could revive Muku and started toward the Box of Paradise to retrieve his son's body.
• Soji stopped Mui and explained that Muku's body was still inside Satori, who had emerged from the Box of Paradise using it.
• Soji told Mui that Muku had died in the Box but that his soul remained trapped there, and claimed Muku's influence had spared Mui during Satori's attack.
• Mui broke down sobbing over Muku's suffering, and his abdominal wound reopened as he continued to bleed.
• Soji decided to treat Mui's injuries with the One's Own Life Reincarnation, using only a small amount of his life force.

Soji healed Mui and promised to recover Muku’s body while Naruto continued fighting Satori. Naruto and Satori’s powerful attacks devastated the area, but neither defeated the other, leaving Naruto and Kurama searching for a way past Satori’s mind-reading.

• Soji used One's Own Life Reincarnation to heal Mui’s pierced abdomen, then promised to retrieve Muku’s body intact.
• Mui agreed to follow Soji’s orders, while Soji told him to stand aside and study the Box of Paradise.
• Mui turned his attention toward Matsuru Noyaku and Kusagakure’s other leaders, who feared he would hold them responsible for their betrayal.
• Naruto and Satori launched Tailed Beast Balls at each other, and their collision wrecked buildings around Hozuki Castle’s plaza.
• Naruto asked Kurama for a way to defeat Satori, and Kurama proposed disabling its mind-reading or overpowering it, leaving Naruto frustrated.

Naruto’s exhausted battle against Satori left him unable to fight, but Soji confronted the monster beside the Box of Paradise. Soji struck Satori with a pebble and demanded that it stop laughing and move away from the box, leaving Naruto and the others stunned.

• Naruto’s Nine-Tails Chakra Mode ran out after Satori knocked him into the plaza, and his exhaustion left him unable to summon Shadow Clones.
• Satori mocked Naruto and Kurama, then declared that it would show the world its terror again.
• Soji stood beside the Box of Paradise and insulted Satori’s appearance and laugh, asking it to move so he could study the box.
• Satori opened the Box of Paradise’s stone faces and used their suction to pull in rubble, threatening to make Soji suffer inside.
• Soji threw a pebble that hit Satori’s chin, stunning Naruto and prompting the Nine-Tails to relax.
• Soji warned Satori to stop laughing and move off the Box of Paradise, holding another stone ready to throw.

Soji, disguised as Rat-kun, overwhelmed Satori at Hozuki Castle’s plaza, injuring it with pebbles and precisely countering its feather attack. Satori was left shaken as Soji prepared to put it back in the Box of Paradise.

• Satori discovered that the Box of Paradise’s suction had no effect on Soji and challenged him to a fight.
• Soji struck Satori with a pebble, then shattered one of the white rings beside its mouth with another, drawing purple blood.
• Soji emerged from the dust and said he would return Satori to the Box of Paradise so he could study it.
• Satori fired a barrage of sharp black feathers at Soji, who used precisely controlled pebbles to knock every feather aside.
• Naruto, Ryūzetsu, Mui, and the Kusagakure leaders watched Soji’s display in shock, while Satori felt panic for the first time.

Soji overwhelmed Satori at Hozuki Castle, using Mind Reading to mislead and outmaneuver it until Satori could no longer predict his attacks. Satori remained trapped in the fight, battered and unable to escape.

• Satori charged Soji after feeling fear for the first time, but Soji tricked its Mind Reading and punched it into the sea.
• Ryūzetsu and the others watched in shock as Satori resurfaced with a deep fist mark and hesitated to return to the plaza.
• Satori demanded to know why Soji had dodged left, but Soji mocked it and challenged it to predict his next move.
• Soji repeatedly evaded Satori's predictions and struck it, even as it tried reverse predictions and flew higher.
• After more than ten minutes of being beaten, Satori tried to flee, but Soji appeared above it and punched it into the ground.

Soji overwhelms Satori in battle and hurls it into the distant sea, then waits by the Box of Paradise, which he believes Satori cannot leave. As he considers the box and other Six Paths Tools, Soji speculates about the Sage of Six Paths’ motives and decides not to interfere with him.

• Soji predicts Satori’s movements, beats it down, and taunts it while standing on its back.
• Soji catches Satori’s tail and repeatedly smashes it against the plaza before spinning it around and throwing it into the distant sea.
• Soji waits on the Box of Paradise, reasoning that Satori cannot escape while the box remains intact and that destroying it might have uncertain consequences.
• Soji considers why the Sage of Six Paths created the Box of Paradise and other Six Paths Tools, and wonders whether he meant to influence the Ninja World.
• Soji concludes that he should not provoke the Sage of Six Paths, whose power and continued presence make him wary of acting recklessly.

Soji waited for Satori to return with a massive orange Chakra sphere, which he jokingly called a Spirit Bomb. As Satori hurled it at Hozuki Castle, Soji charged forward and kicked it, leaving the attack's outcome unresolved.

• Soji watched a glowing sphere rise from the sea and waited for Satori to bring its final attack toward Hozuki Castle.
• Satori emerged holding an orange Chakra sphere forty to fifty meters across, frightening the people in Hozuki Castle.
• Soji recognized the sphere's resemblance to a Spirit Bomb, and Satori adopted the name before preparing to attack him.
• Satori hurled the sphere at Soji, and its pressure caused buildings in Hozuki Castle to collapse.
• Soji leaped toward the sphere and kicked it as if it were a soccer ball.

Soji defeated Satori by kicking its Spirit Bomb back at it, then freed Muku from the Box of Paradise’s influence, allowing his soul to pass on. He promised Mui and Ryūzetsu that he would revive Muku within five years if they worked for him.

• Soji used his Byakugan to immobilize Satori, and its returned Spirit Bomb destroyed its body above Hozuki Castle.
• Muku briefly regained control and thanked Soji for saving Mui and Ryūzetsu, then warned them to stay back as the Box of Paradise’s influence took hold again.
• Muku tried to return to the Box of Paradise, but Soji stopped him and used his Tenseigan to pull the Box’s evil Chakra from his body.
• Soji crushed the evil Chakra, and the Box of Paradise closed as Muku’s soul emerged and drifted away.
• Soji promised Mui and Ryūzetsu that he would revive Muku within five years, asking them to work for him in the meantime.

After arranging for Mui to help Soji investigate the ninja world, Naruto and Karin carried the Box of Paradise back toward Konoha. On the journey, Karin realized Soji’s mission seemed deliberately orchestrated and decided she and Naruto should uncover their teacher’s true identity.

• Soji stayed at Hozuki Castle to research Ryūzetsu’s Dragon Life Reincarnation while Mui gathered intelligence from prisoners.
• Naruto and Karin left Hozuki Castle with the resealed Box of Paradise, hiring a merchant caravan to transport it toward Konoha.
• During a rest stop, Naruto tried to reassure Karin that she had helped complete the mission, but Karin recalled how suspiciously events had unfolded.
• Karin suggested the mission might have been training arranged by Soji, and Naruto eagerly accepted that explanation.
• Karin asked Naruto to help discover Soji’s true identity after they returned to Konoha.