Chapter Summaries

Shin watched Kawa-hito’s program reveal the Jashin Cult’s blood rituals and its failure to summon an evil god, while an informant warned that pursuing immortality could turn people into monsters. Shin reached the Cult’s abandoned headquarters, found a clue that someone inside had rejected its true nature, and asked Chiken to help find that person and investigate the Cult’s immortality.

• Kawa-hito described entering the Jashin Cult’s cave and seeing its symbol, then an elderly informant explained that the Cult used believers’ blood in an unsuccessful ritual to summon an evil god.
• A second informant revealed that the Cult would sacrifice even newborn babies, prompting Shin to smash his television and wonder how to find the organization.
• The Great Elder ordered the Jashin Cult’s disciples to flee before apostates could bring people to the headquarters, while Shuhei watched them pack.
• Shin arrived at the abandoned cave and found a blood-drawn symbol, an emptied blood pool, and a valuable necklace left behind.
• Shin used Amatsukami to conclude that someone in the Cult had seen through its nature, then asked Chiken to help find that person and investigate the Cult’s immortality.

Shin learned that the television station had made him the subject of a program about Kira, exposing his eccentric past and naming him the King of Electronic Music. Humiliated by the broadcast, he glared toward the Land of Hot Water capital and wanted to kill Kawa-hito.

• Shin persuaded Chiken that an immortal body might be real, and Kira vanished for more than ten years.
• Kawa-hito learned that a recent murder appeared to be the work of a crude copycat and changed the program to profile a powerful figure without directly accusing that person of being Kira.
• Kawa-hito introduced Uchiha Shin on television, recounting how Shin set fire to the Ninja Academy, became a Chunin at six, and founded the Electronic Music Festival.
• Shin heard about the broadcast from Nao, watched Kawa-hito call him the King of Electronic Music, and angrily threatened the host.

Shin met with the Third Raikage, who warned him that the Two-Tails was due to revive and might attract Black Zetsu. Shin accepted a lucrative mission to capture Matatabi, while Kakuzu continued searching for his target in the Land of Hot Water.

• Shin sparred with the Third Raikage outside Kumogakure, then used “Lights Out, Close Your Eyes” on Ji when he arrived seeking revenge.
• The Third Raikage told Shin that the Two-Tails was likely to revive soon in the high mountains of the Land of Lightning and that Black Zetsu might pursue it.
• Shin agreed to capture Matatabi for an S-rank mission worth one billion ryo after negotiating a seventy-thirty split and a thirty-percent deposit.
• Shin checked the technology in Kumogakure's largest hotel and wondered whether Black Zetsu had gained a new ability that could bring her to the Two-Tails.
• Kakuzu remained in the Land of Hot Water without finding his target and wondered where the target might have gone.

Shin captured the revived Two-Tails, Matatabi, while arguing and fighting with the Third Raikage over their strength and payment. At the Land of Hot Water–Land of Lightning border, Kakuzu headed toward Kumogakure, intent on claiming Shin’s eyes and body.

• Shin and the Third Raikage clashed with Heavenly Flash and One-Finger Nukite, then argued over which technique was stronger.
• Matatabi watched their fight, asked the other Tailed Beasts how to escape Kumogakure, and was subdued by Shin’s Mangekyō Genjutsu.
• The Third Raikage confronted Shin about Black Zetsu, and Shin collected the remaining payment for capturing Matatabi.
• Shin and the Third Raikage fought through the night over the payment, remaining evenly matched.
• Kakuzu approached Kumogakure after gathering intelligence on Shin and considered taking his eyes and body for profit.

Shin defeated young A in an arm-wrestling match and used a recording of the loss to persuade the Third Raikage to teach children to become people before ninja. He then traveled to Kirigakure to collect more S-rank missions and left the Third Hokage wondering how much Shin could earn from his mission multiplier.

• Shin beat young A at arm wrestling, while A convinced himself the loss had been caused by Genjutsu.
• Shin showed the Third Raikage the recording and argued that children should become people before ninja.
• The Third Raikage considered Shin's words about reforming the ninja world after Shin left.
• Shin went to Kirigakure and accepted more than a dozen S-rank missions from Yagura, bringing his total to two hundred.
• Yagura informed the Third Hokage about Shin's mission collecting, and the Third Hokage decided to issue Shin more missions.

Shin met Shuhei, a former Jashin Cult member, and learned that the cult had used a blood pool in human experiments connected to its immortality research. Shuhei could not identify the Great Elder’s whereabouts, but he knew where other cult members might flee.

• Kakuzu reasoned that the Land of Water was the most likely place for his seven-hundred-million-ryo target to go.
• Shin received a call, burned several rogue ninja with his underground Fire Release, and teleported to Kirigakure before heading to the Land of Hot Water.
• Shin met Shuhei and the new Root, and Shuhei mistook Shin’s involvement for a Konoha plot to eliminate obstacles.
• Shuhei described how the Jashin Cult drained new believers into a blood pool and how the Great Elder led older members away, after which they vanished.
• Shuhei admitted he did not know where the Great Elder had gone but offered likely escape locations for other cult members.
• Shin asked whether Shuhei was married or had children, then told him to find a girlfriend and mentioned his own fiancée.

Shin left the Land of Hot Water after failing to locate the Jashin Cult’s elders and returned to Kirigakure to take on more S-rank missions. In the Land of Frost, he began a mission to protect its daimyo and identify the force that had tried to assassinate him.

• Shin and Chiken concluded that the Jashin Cult’s hidden elders were unlikely to reveal themselves, then fought until Chiken collapsed from exhaustion.
• Shin left the Jashin Cult investigation to Chiken and returned to Kirigakure, where he accepted several S-rank missions.
• Shin took a mission to capture a Storm Release user from Kumogakure and redirected the matter by saying the Mizukage wanted the user’s power.
• Shin traveled to the Land of Frost to protect its daimyo and investigate the failed assassination attempt.
• Shin summoned five elemental clones because he judged the Land of Frost mission too difficult to complete alone.

Shin protected the Land of Frost’s daimyo from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and challenged them with his elemental clones and powerful weapons. After battling several of the swordsmen, he remained in the fight as the group pressed their attack.

• Shin arrived at the Land of Frost daimyo’s estate and confronted Biwa Jūzō and Suikazan Fuguki, who accused him of taking their S-rank missions.
• Shin used Susanoo to protect the daimyo and sent five elemental clones against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Shin caught Biwa Jūzō’s thrown Kubikiribōchō and returned it at high speed before drawing the Sword of Kusanagi: Heavenly Flow.
• Shin fought Jinin Akebino, Munashi Jinpachi, and Kuriarare Kushimaru, countering their weapons with his sword and scabbard.
• Shin froze part of Munashi Jinpachi and knocked Suikazan Fuguki and another swordsman aside, frightening Samehada with his combined ice and fire attacks.

Shin fought the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the snowy Land of Frost and defeated them one by one. The daimyo of the Land of Frost decided to make Shin responsible for his security at any cost.

• Samehada fled from Shin’s fire and ice, while Shin’s sword strikes wounded Kuriarare Kushimaru and broke Kubikiribōchō.
• Suikazan Fuguki used Hidden Mist Jutsu, but Shin entered Sage Mode and buried the frostbitten Munashi Jinpachi in the snow.
• Shin fended off the swordsmen’s attacks, overcame Raiga Kurosuki’s lightning, and knocked Raiga and Jinin Akebino unconscious.
• Shin disarmed and injured Biwa Jūzō, then knocked out Suikazan Fuguki and Kuriarare Kushimaru.
• Shin defeated the unnamed pompadoured swordsman, and the daimyo of the Land of Frost resolved to hire Shin as his bodyguard.

Shin investigated the assassination attempt on the Land of Frost daimyo and suspected his younger brother Eifu was plotting to take control of the ninja village. The daimyo began to see the danger, especially to his wife and children.

• Shin visited the injured Seven Ninja Swordsmen in the hospital and left them Tsunade's medicine, warning that overuse could rot their skin.
• Shin met the frightened daimyo and questioned him about enemies, rebels, and his family history.
• The daimyo explained that his capable younger brother Eifu managed the Land of Frost Ninja Village and had recently sent guards to protect him.
• Shin linked Eifu's past proposal to incorporate the ninja village with the assassination attempt and predicted Eifu would blame the village leader.
• The daimyo grew alarmed and worried that Eifu might target his wife and children.

Shin confronted Eifu, who planned to use the Land of Frost as a springboard to unify the ninja world, and challenged the flaws in his schemes. Badger used Snow Release to protect Eifu, leaving Shin to face him in a contest of endurance.

• Shin broke into Eifu’s estate and defeated most of the black-clad ninja guarding it with his Susanoo.
• Eifu watched the battle with Badger, who promised to protect him even at the cost of his own life.
• Shin deduced Eifu’s plans and explained that each relied on gaining power without solving the problem of keeping his rule secure.
• Eifu fled with Badger, who filled the room with Snow Release and began draining the moisture from the air and Shin’s body.
• Shin resisted the freezing technique with his scorching Chakra and challenged Badger to see whose cells could endure longer.

Shin revealed how Magatsukami let him move through Badger’s Snow Release and challenged Badger’s belief in Eifu’s plan. Their fight showed Snow Release’s power and its danger to its user, leaving Badger defeated when Shin turned the room into a field of lava and threatened to freeze the moisture in Badger’s body.

• Badger used Snow Release to remove moisture from the air, freeze space, and block Shin’s movement techniques, but Shin used Magatsukami to rewrite the frozen space and reach him.
• Badger explained that the space-sealing technique was designed specifically to counter Shin, then demonstrated Snow Release’s broader abilities as they fought.
• Shin countered Badger’s ice and snow with All-Elemental Chakra Mode and Lava Release, turning the room’s floor into lava.
• Badger used ice crystals to cool the lava into rock, but Shin heated the room until Badger’s snow covering melted.
• Shin created water with Senjutsu and warned that continued use of Snow Release would freeze the moisture in Badger’s body, and Badger lowered his hands in defeat.

Shin convinced Badger to contact Root, then tracked down Eifu and completed his two-hundredth S-rank mission in the Land of Frost. After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen watched footage of their defeat and analyzed their mistakes, Kakuzu resolved to take every available S-rank mission to find Shin.

• Shin asked Badger whether he wanted to change the ninja world and revealed that Badger had been abandoned by his parents; Badger later called Root and declared that Shin was his biological father.
• Shin rescued the Daimyo's wife and child, followed Eifu's trail, and found him aboard a Konoha-made Hagoromo airplane.
• Eifu accepted his fate and admitted that he had always known unification would not bring lasting peace; the Daimyo then forgave Eifu's crimes, and Shin completed his two-hundredth S-rank mission.
• The Seven Ninja Swordsmen watched a videotape of their defeat and agreed that better coordination could have reduced their injuries.
• Kakuzu learned that Shin had been in the Land of Frost and decided to take every publicly posted S-rank mission so he could eventually confront him.

After returning to the Land of Wind, Shin met Garrison and his young sister Pakura on the train and compared Sunagakure’s promising young ninja with Konoha’s. The conversation ended with Shin realizing that Pakura might currently be stronger than Kushina and Minato.

• After missing the last train to Sunagakure, Shin spent the night in a safe house and boarded the Asura train the next day.
• Shin met Garrison and Pakura on the train, where Garrison explained that Pakura would take the Chunin Ninja Exams within half a year.
• Shin told Pakura and Garrison about his own Chunin Exam, and Pakura declared that she would become both a Chunin and a Jonin that year.
• Garrison listed Sunagakure’s promising young ninja, including Sasori, Baki, and Pakura, while Shin struggled to name equally impressive Konoha Genin.
• Shin proposed betting on the young ninja’s future achievements, but when Pakura challenged him to compare their current abilities, he admitted that Kushina and Minato probably could not beat her.

Shin persuaded the Five Great Nations to jointly host a Chunin Ninja Exam in the second half of the year, while Yagura tried to help a traumatized boy named Ao recover. Back in Konoha, Shin saw the renovated village and Tsunade’s lavish Medical Ninja Academy.

• Shin proposed a joint Chunin Ninja Exam, and Garrison considered the challenge of choosing a venue.
• Shin asked the Third Hokage to help arrange the exam; the Third Kazekage agreed, and the Third Hokage persuaded the Mizukage, Raikage, and Ōnoki to join.
• The Third Hokage surveyed Konoha’s expanded, fortified, and modernized buildings.
• Yagura visited Kirigakure’s trauma-treatment facility, offered a frightened boy his protection, and learned that his name was Ao.
• Shin returned to Konoha, saw Tsunade’s extravagant Medical Ninja Academy, and hurried away after teasing her about its recruitment and spending.

Shin returned to Konoha, reunited with Nao, and learned that the Five Great Nations would jointly hold the Chunin Ninja Exams in Konoha within half a year. The Third Hokage assigned Shin’s team to train Kushina and Minato, while Jiraiya began preparing the young group for the exams.

• Shin visited the deserted Leisure Retirement Center and found White Zetsu, reanimated Hashirama, and Madara staying there.
• Shin reunited with Nao at the Scientific Combat Department, and she told him his bet with Pakura had become a joint Chunin Ninja Exam.
• Shin and Nao met the Third Hokage, who ordered the exam venue built in Konoha within half a year and assigned Kushina and Minato to Team One for training.
• Shin teased the Third Hokage about Asuma and left the office with Nao.
• The Third Hokage called Jiraiya, who agreed to prepare Kushina, Minato, and the three young Amegakure ninja for the exams.

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato prepared to enter the Chunin Ninja Exams, while Shin developed his plan for a Ninja Country where people would not be treated as tools for killing. After debating how the new nation would be governed, Shin’s family agreed it would abolish the daimyo system and remain neutral among the existing nations.

• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato asked Jiraiya to let them compete in the Chunin Ninja Exams as Rain Ninjas, and he encouraged them to remember the importance of peace.
• Jiraiya told Minato that Shin would teach him physical strength and defense, then urged Kushina to do her best.
• Nawaki admired his high-yield crops and decided to seek investors, prompting Shin to urge Nao to invest heavily in his venture.
• Shin told Nao that greater food production could help end war and revealed his goal of creating a nation for ninjas.
• Shin returned home and found Fugaku had brought Mikoto to dinner, making Shin feel his place in the family had fallen.
• Shin, Fugaku, and Chiken debated the future Ninja Country, agreeing it would abolish the daimyo system and use a council of existing nations to make proposals while remaining neutral.

Uchiha Shin explained his long-term plan to unite the ninja world, then reunited with Nao in a sparring match at Konoha’s training grounds. After the fight, Shin called out Jiraiya for neglecting his students’ advancement, leaving Minato and the three young ones to consider changing teachers.

• Uchiha Shin explained to Fugaku and Chiken his plan to become a Kage and reorganize the ninja villages into a united military force.
• Jiraiya drove Kushina, Minato, and the three little ones to the renovated Konoha Village, where they watched Shin and Nao spar.
• Nao’s strength and Chakra impressed Shin, and she pushed him to use All-Element Chakra Mode before they stopped the match.
• Shin and Nao apologized to the construction crew after their sparring disrupted the work, then joined the audience.
• Shin confronted Jiraiya for failing to produce a Chunin among his students and suggested that Minato and the three little ones find another teacher.

Shin trained Minato and the others, then received an unlimited Narutomaki coupon from Teuchi and mused about the future names of his nephews. Elsewhere, Kakuzu learned that his target had returned to Konoha to hold the Chunin Exams and reacted with panic and fury.

• Jiraiya sought advice from Orochimaru, Tsunade, and the Third Hokage before realizing Hiruzen was a lecher himself.
• Shin explained the Flying Thunder God’s demands to Minato and trained him while Nao put Kushina, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato through harsh combat practice.
• At Ichiraku Ramen, Teuchi gave Shin an unlimited Narutomaki coupon, which Shin promised to Minato if he mastered the Flying Thunder God.
• Shin imagined Naruto and Sasuke’s possible names as Naruko and Sasuko while Kushina enjoyed Narutomaki and Minato gave her his share.
• Kakuzu received news that his target had returned to Konoha to hold the Chunin Exams, smashed his wine and furniture, and checked that nobody was watching him.

Kakuzu continued preparing to pursue a bounty on Shin while Minato spent a month and a half refining the Flying Thunder God formula and training with him. Minato completed the technique and learned to teleport objects, but Shin defeated him in a combat exercise and revealed that Minato could never mark him with Flying Thunder God.

• Kakuzu used his connections and detailed reports to study Shin and plan countermeasures, insisting that he would pursue the bounty.
• Minato simplified the Flying Thunder God formula over a month and a half, and Shin let him complete the work himself.
• Minato completed the formula, and Shin demonstrated that Flying Thunder God could teleport objects before starting a combat exercise.
• Shin used Kunai trajectories, a disguised Shadow Clone, and a blinding flash to outmaneuver Minato and catch him.
• Minato touched Shin and placed a Flying Thunder God mark, but Shin erased the mark and explained that Flying Thunder God could never mark him.
• Shin began the final training exercise, in which he and Minato would switch offense and defense.