Chapter Summaries

Shisui revealed to Kagetsu that his Hogyoku ability could absorb people and Chakra as energy, and Kagetsu urged him to learn to control it. Root then arrived with an order for Shisui to return to Konoha for questioning, leaving Kagetsu to investigate what had happened in the village.

• Shisui told Kagetsu that his Hogyoku power could break down people and Chakra into energy and absorb it, and Kagetsu advised him to master the ability rather than fear it.
• Kagetsu reassured Shisui that Orochimaru had likely not noticed the hidden power and promised to help explain it if needed.
• Root ninja arrived at camp with an order, approved by Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Advisory Group, for Shisui to return to the village for questioning.
• Shisui agreed to go with Root, while Kagetsu said he would notify Orochimaru and Jiraiya but was barred from accompanying him.
• Kagetsu summoned Cat Matatabi and asked whether she knew of recent events in the village, especially anything involving the Uchiha Clan.

Cat Matatabi uncovered Danzo’s surveillance of the Uchiha and his suspicion that Shisui was connected to Madara, while Kagetsu received a mission to support a supply point. Yahiko and Nagato changed course to escort Shisui, who was later ambushed by White Zetsu and betrayed by Root before a familiar voice confronted the attackers.

• Cat Matatabi reported that Root and Anbu were monitoring the Uchiha, and that Danzo suspected Shisui and the Technology Development Department were tied to Madara’s organization.
• Kagetsu and Anko accepted an assignment to lead a ten-person squad to support a nearby supply point as the mist ninja made unusual moves.
• Yahiko and Nagato changed their route to escort Shisui, leaving Konan and Kakuzu to handle Amegakure.
• White Zetsu attacked Shisui’s group with Wood Release, while the Root squad restrained Shisui with Cursed Seals and sealing techniques.
• White Zetsu Tobi questioned the captive Shisui about Madara, until a familiar voice spoke from behind them.

Shisui battled Tobi and Danzo’s Root Squad, revealing powerful Hogyoku Mode abilities but becoming trapped in Tobi’s expanding Wood Release Tree Sea. As Shisui weighed using Susanoo to break free, Nagato arrived on the battlefield.

• Shisui exposed his Genjutsu, restrained the Root Squad, and learned from Tobi that Danzo wanted his Mangekyō Sharingan and that Tobi served Lord Madara.
• The Root Squad attacked Shisui after a Nara member caught him with the Shadow Imitation Technique, but Shisui countered with a devastating barrage of energy arrows.
• Tobi protected himself with the Wooden Dome Technique, then used Wood Release to regrow the forest and bury the Root Squad as Shisui struggled against the Tree Sea.
• Shisui considered activating his Mangekyō and using Susanoo, while Tobi taunted him and hid among Wood Clones.
• An immense force cleared the trees, and Tobi recognized the newcomer as Nagato.

Shisui, Nagato, and Yahiko fought Tobi and his Giant Buddha Statue, with Shisui pushing his Susanoo to its limit. Shisui used a reverse summoning technique to make the statue, Susanoo, and Nagato disappear, leaving Yahiko behind as Zetsu rushed to investigate.

• Yahiko and Nagato arrived to help Shisui and recognized Tobi as White Zetsu.
• Tobi summoned a Giant Buddha Statue that attacked with combined Five Release ninjutsu, and Nagato countered with Super Almighty Push.
• Shisui formed a nearly two-hundred-meter Susanoo and fought the statue while Nagato and Yahiko moved to attack Tobi.
• The Giant Buddha Statue seized Shisui's Susanoo and drained its Chakra, but Shisui performed Summoning Technique: Reverse.
• Shisui's Susanoo, Tobi's statue, and Nagato vanished, leaving Yahiko on the battlefield.
• Zetsu discovered the disappearances and headed toward Yahiko, whose aura remained.

Nagato and Shisui fled a chakra-eating Scavenger in Hollow Circle, a dangerous realm connected to the Pure Land, while Yahiko remained behind in the Shinobi World. Jiraiya found Yahiko at the devastated battlefield and learned that Nagato and Shisui had disappeared, leaving their return to Kagetsu.

• Shisui explained that Nagato's Rinnegan had become a key to Hollow Circle and warned that being Devoured by the Scavenger could trap them there as dead souls.
• Shisui led Nagato toward one of Kagetsu's temporary residences while the Scavenger pursued them and White Zetsu's presence faded.
• Zetsu's voices discussed the ruined battlefield, the missing Tobi, Shisui, and Nagato, and Yahiko's presence as Jiraiya's team approached.
• Jiraiya and the Konoha ninjas found Yahiko among the ruins, and Yahiko explained how White Zetsu's Wood Giant had fought Shisui and Nagato before all three disappeared.
• Yahiko told Jiraiya that Shisui had asked him to find Kagetsu, who could bring them back, and that he had already sent Kagetsu a message.

Jiraiya offered to take Yahiko to Konoha, but Yahiko stayed focused on finding Nagato and Shisui. Cat Matatabi rescued Nagato and Shisui from the realm between life and death and brought them back to Kagetsu and Anko, where Kagetsu treated them and revealed that Shisui had lost his sight and Mangekyo abilities.

• Jiraiya asked Yahiko to return to Konoha with him, but Yahiko refused until he knew Nagato and Shisui were safe.
• Nagato and Shisui waited in a hidden shelter, fearing that Scavengers would take them to Hollow Circle before Kagetsu could find them.
• Cat Matatabi found Nagato and Shisui, opened a black door, and carried them back to the Shinobi World.
• Kagetsu treated Shisui and told Nagato that Shisui's eyes had gone blind and could no longer use the Sharingan or Mangekyo techniques.
• Kagetsu strengthened Shisui with a nutrient injection, then began examining the weakened Nagato.

Nagato recovered with Kagetsu and learned that only seven hours had passed since the battle, then asked about the masked White Zetsu and the origins of his Rinnegan. Kagetsu explained the Rinnegan’s link to the Pure Land and its power to revive the dead, leaving Nagato to consider what his eyes could do.

• Kagetsu told Nagato that seven hours had passed since Yahiko sent his message, and sent word that Nagato and Shisui were safe.
• Kagetsu led Nagato and Anko, who carried the unconscious Shisui, to a hidden campsite where the group could recover.
• Nagato worried about Shisui’s blindness, and Kagetsu said a Medical Ninja could replace his eyes, though his Mangekyo would be harder to restore.
• Nagato told Kagetsu that their enemy had been a White Zetsu wearing a Whirlpool Mask and asked about the enemy’s plans for the Rinnegan.
• Kagetsu explained that the Rinnegan helped him locate the Pure Land and gave him authority over it, and Nagato recognized the King of Hell as one of his own ocular techniques.
• Kagetsu said the King of Hell could bring the dead back to life and cited the Second Hokage’s reanimation ninjutsu as an example.

Kagetsu warned Nagato that someone might be planning to use the Rinnegan to resurrect the dead, explained why Nagato’s Uzumaki vitality made him a suitable vessel, and reassured him about protecting Yahiko and Konan. Shisui woke after surviving his encounter with Tobi and warned Kagetsu about Danzo and Madara, while Madara learned Tobi had vanished and Jiraiya confronted Danzo before Hiruzen.

• Kagetsu explained to Nagato that resurrecting someone with the Rinnegan might require the caster’s life and that Nagato’s powerful Uzumaki physique could make him a suitable vessel.
• Nagato worried that Yahiko and Konan would be endangered by staying near him, and Kagetsu advised him to remain with them and offered his help.
• Shisui woke blind and without his Sharingan, warned Kagetsu about Danzo and Madara, and was told to leave the matter to Orochimaru.
• Madara learned that Shisui had summoned Tobi away and that Tobi could not be sensed, then lamented losing the White Zetsu and Shisui’s Mangekyō.
• Jiraiya accused Danzo of being connected to Madara, Danzo challenged Jiraiya’s evidence and loyalty, and Hiruzen rebuked them both.

Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Danzo over his secret dealings with Madara and the attack on Shisui, then suspended Danzo and placed Root under Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. As the war strained Konoha, Hiruzen weighed Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato as possible successors while facing the fallout from Danzo’s actions.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi pressed Danzo about his deal with Madara and condemned him for joining outsiders to attack Konoha ninja.
• Hiruzen explained that Shisui’s Mangekyo and strength were urgently needed during the war, while Danzo defended his plan to seize the power.
• Danzo admitted that he still resented losing the Hokage position to Hiruzen, who told him his character would have made him unfit regardless.
• Hiruzen suspended Danzo and assigned Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to manage Root’s missions and operations.
• After Danzo left, Hiruzen considered Orochimaru and Namikaze Minato as future Hokage candidates and turned to resolving the crisis Danzo had caused.

Yahiko reunited with Nagato and learned that Shisui had lost his sight but remained capable as a shinobi. Kagetsu considered ways to restore Shisui’s Mangekyō and proposed forging its power into ninja tools, leaving Shisui to wonder whether Kagetsu’s experiment could work.

• Yahiko reached Nagato and Kagetsu, then told them that Jiraiya had gone to investigate the battlefield where Shisui fought White Zetsu.
• Nagato said he did not know whether White Zetsu had survived, while Kagetsu assured Yahiko that he would try to restore Shisui’s sight.
• Kagetsu explained that ordinary replacement eyes could not restore Shisui’s vision and that another Mangekyō might be needed to replenish its ocular power.
• Kagetsu asked Shisui whether Kagami Uchiha had awakened the Mangekyō, and Shisui said he did not know and described how the Uchiha clan stored powerful Sharingan from the dead.
• Kagetsu suggested forging Shisui’s Mangekyō into ninja tools and said they first needed a test subject to determine whether its ocular power could be restored.

Kagetsu and Orochimaru planned to seek the Uchiha clan’s stored Sharingan for research into turning Mangekyō Sharingan into ninja tools, offering the Hokage position as a bargaining chip. Kagetsu brought Shisui back to Fugaku, who learned that Shisui had gone blind after using his Mangekyō.

• Orochimaru agreed to help Kagetsu obtain Sharingan from the Uchiha clan for their research.
• Kagetsu and Orochimaru decided to use the Uchiha’s desire for the Hokage position as leverage and summoned Fugaku.
• Kagetsu used his space-time ability to bring Shisui to Fugaku’s residence in the Uchiha clan grounds.
• Shisui told Fugaku that he had gone blind, and Fugaku realized that Shisui’s Mangekyō had been pushed to its limits.

Orochimaru and Kagetsu proposed a way to restore Shisui’s blind Mangekyo using stored Sharingan, and Fugaku agreed to support their research after Orochimaru promised the Uchiha Clan could one day produce a Hokage. The chapter ended with Kagetsu and Orochimaru deciding to develop the idea as a Spiritual Weapon.

• Kagetsu brought Fugaku through the Black Coffin to speak privately with Orochimaru about collaborating with the Uchiha Clan.
• Orochimaru explained that Shisui’s Mangekyo might regain its light through a method other than replacing it with another pair of Mangekyo.
• Fugaku reluctantly agreed to provide the Uchiha Clan’s stored Sharingan for the research, provided he could offer the elders and clansmen a persuasive reason.
• Orochimaru promised that an Uchiha could become Hokage in the future if Itachi proved outstanding enough, and Fugaku enthusiastically accepted the arrangement.
• After Fugaku left, Kagetsu proposed forging the project as a Spiritual Weapon, and Orochimaru approved the idea.

Orochimaru and Kagetsu traveled to Ryūchi Cave to seek knowledge about Spiritual Weapons, but Manda attacked them after craving their power. Orochimaru subdued and poisoned Manda, then forced him to lead them to the White Snake Sage, where the three sage elders confronted them and asked whether Kagetsu would take the Sage Trial.

• Orochimaru suggested that Ryūchi Cave might hold information about Spiritual Weapons, and Kagetsu agreed to go there with him.
• Orochimaru and Kagetsu used Reverse Summoning to reach Ryūchi Cave, where Manda attacked them, hoping to eat their power and evolve.
• Orochimaru fought Manda with his Kusanagi Sword and poisoned him with a toxin that overcame his resistance, then gave him antivenom after Manda begged for help.
• Orochimaru ordered the recovered Manda to take him and Kagetsu to the White Snake Sage and warned Kagetsu about the cave’s dangers and its three sage elders.
• Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagorihime appeared before them, and Ichikishimahime asked whether Kagetsu had come to undergo the Sage Trial.

Orochimaru and Kagetsu reached the White Snake Sage, who agreed to help them uncover the past in exchange for access to the Hogyoku once it was perfected. She revealed where the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror were hidden, then sent them away as the enraged God Princesses confronted Orochimaru.

• Orochimaru used the Dragon Orb Technique to distract Manda and the three God Princesses, then led Kagetsu to the White Snake Sage's hidden village.
• The White Snake Sage said she could observe the past and offered to answer three questions and help Ryūchi Cave in exchange for using the Hogyoku after it evolved.
• Orochimaru and Kagetsu agreed to discuss the arrangement further and asked where the Spiritual Weapons were hidden.
• The White Snake Sage showed them an image of the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror's location, though the weapons' influence limited what she could reveal.
• The White Snake Sage ordered Orochimaru to stop deceiving the God Princesses, and Tagorihime and the others stormed in to confront him.

Orochimaru reflected on his changing view of the White Snake Sage, then tasked Kagetsu with finding Spiritual Weapons and bringing Tsunade back to help with research and Shisui’s blindness. After Kagetsu, Shisui, and Anko returned to Konoha, the Third Hokage approved the mission and assigned Jiraiya to accompany Kagetsu.

• The White Snake Sage sent Orochimaru and Kagetsu back to Orochimaru's Underground Base after warning the Three God Princesses to behave.
• Orochimaru explained how his view of the White Snake Sage had changed and agreed to search for Spiritual Weapons, which might recognize those who bore contradictions and pain.
• Kagetsu offered to try restoring Shisui's sight, and Orochimaru tasked him with bringing Tsunade back, offering to revive Nawaki and Dan Katō as a possible incentive.
• Kagetsu, Shisui, and Anko returned to Konoha, where the Third Hokage apologized for the attack on Shisui and explained that Shimura Danzō had been imprisoned and Root was being purged.
• The Third Hokage approved Kagetsu's S-Rank mission to bring back Tsunade, promised him a Jonin promotion if he succeeded, and assigned Jiraiya to accompany him.

Kagetsu joined Jiraiya, Shisui, and Anko on a mission to find Tsunade in Iron Country and Hot Springs Country and persuade her to return to Konoha. They found Tsunade and Shizune, but Tsunade refused to return after examining Shisui’s eyes, and Kagetsu asked to speak with her alone on Orochimaru’s behalf.

• Jiraiya accepted Orochimaru’s mission to find Tsunade and agreed to bring Shisui along so she could examine his eyes.
• Kagetsu, Shisui, Anko, and Jiraiya searched Iron Country, then traveled to Hot Springs Country after finding no sign of Tsunade.
• Jiraiya gathered information in Hot Springs Country and learned that Tsunade had recently been gambling there.
• Jiraiya led the group to Tsunade and Shizune, and Tsunade immediately refused Jiraiya’s request to return to Konoha.
• Tsunade examined Shisui’s eyes and said she could not treat the damage; Kagetsu then asked to speak with her alone to deliver Orochimaru’s message.

Kagetsu told Tsunade that Orochimaru planned to resurrect Nawaki and Dan Katō by cloning their bodies and returning their souls from the Pure Land. Tsunade agreed to join the research and return to the village with Jiraiya and the others, while insisting that the village would not control her.

• Tsunade refused to return to the village until Kagetsu told her Orochimaru had a plan to bring Nawaki and Dan Katō back to life.
• Kagetsu explained that Nagato's Rinnegan could resurrect the dead at the cost of its user's life, then described Orochimaru's plan to clone Nawaki and Dan and reunite their souls with the clones.
• Tsunade agreed to join Orochimaru's resurrection research after Kagetsu explained that the greatest challenge was bringing the souls back from the Pure Land.
• Tsunade announced that she and Shizune would return to the village with Jiraiya and the others, but said the village could not dictate her actions.
• Tsunade asked Jiraiya whether Nagato wielded the Rinnegan, and Jiraiya confirmed that Kagetsu had told her the truth.

Tsunade returned to Konoha and joined Kagetsu’s reinforcements heading to the front, where she began confronting her hemophobia and taking charge of the wounded. Orochimaru then told her to prepare for their first experiment that night, bringing her closer to her goal of reviving Nawaki and Dan Katō.

• Tsunade returned to Konoha, agreed to overcome her hemophobia, and heard the Third Hokage promise promotions for Kagetsu and Kakashi Hatake.
• Tsunade traveled with Kagetsu and the reinforcements toward the front, while Anko led them in defeating a Kirigakure Assassination Squad along the way.
• Tsunade arrived at the gloomy front-line camp, confronted Orochimaru despite his bloodied appearance, and began treating wounded shinobi to face her fear.
• Tsunade examined Konoha’s Healing Tags and Mystical Palm Technique Talismans and asked to help improve the Healing Tags.
• Orochimaru told Tsunade to prepare for their first experiment at a base that night.

Orochimaru urged Tsunade to pursue Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode, explaining that its power could strengthen her body and Medical Ninjutsu and support their plans. He admitted he wanted to study and eventually obtain her sage power so he could merge the Three Great Sage Lands' Sage Modes, then offered Shinnō's research and Kagetsu's Hogyoku as aids; he led Tsunade deeper into the base to show her the Hogyoku.

• Orochimaru explained Black Coffin to Tsunade and warned that entering it without Kagetsu's guidance could leave her lost in its dangerous space.
• Tsunade said the Slug Sage had not approved her for Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode and described its lethal training and potential bodily benefits.
• Orochimaru argued that Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Art could help their research and pleaded with Tsunade to train so they could create powerful bodies for Rope and Dan.
• Tsunade explained that Creation Rebirth and the Strength of a Hundred Sealings Technique had prepared her for Sage Mode, and Orochimaru promised he could help her succeed.
• Orochimaru confessed that he planned to master and combine the Three Great Sage Lands' Sage Modes, revive Rope and Dan, and eventually take Tsunade's sage power.
• Orochimaru offered Shinnō's research and Kagetsu's Hogyoku Mode as support, then led Tsunade farther into the base to show her the Hogyoku.

Tsunade faced the Hogyoku’s trial and gained Hogyoku Mode, then tested her new power against Orochimaru. She overwhelmed him with a single strike and discovered that her hemophobia had disappeared.

• Tsunade sensed the Hogyoku’s restorative power and nearly succumbed to the desires it reflected, while Orochimaru explained the risks of mastering Hogyoku Mode.
• Tsunade chose to undergo the trial directly, and after twenty hours she emerged from the Laboratory with her new power.
• Tsunade activated Hogyoku Mode outside the base and challenged Orochimaru to test her strength.
• Tsunade split the ground with a punch, then struck Orochimaru so hard that his body was left shattered.
• Orochimaru emerged unharmed from his ruined corpse and noted that Tsunade’s hemophobia had been cured.