Chapter Summaries

Genma planned to study how Nature Energy could produce vital force and traveled to Ryūchi Cave to learn senjutsu. After reaching its hidden mountain barrier, he encountered a snake woman who set a strength trial for him, and he teleported beside her as a mass of snakes closed in.

• Genma explained to Tsunade that he wanted to study Nature Energy as a way to gather vital force and prepare for the possibility that a soul might not adapt to a cloned body.
• Genma decided to visit Ryūchi Cave to learn senjutsu, while Tsunade agreed he should go.
• Genma obtained a map to Ryūchi Cave through the underground bounty exchange and traveled for three days using Flying Thunder God.
• Genma entered the mist-shrouded mountain range in Sage Mode and recognized its fog as a barrier hiding Ryūchi Cave.
• A woman in a luxurious kimono appeared and told Genma he would have to prove his strength to earn a contract with Ryūchi Cave.
• As snakes crawled toward him, Genma teleported beside the woman in splendid robes.

Genma endured Ryūchi Cave’s snake, poison-mist, and genjutsu tests, impressing the woman in splendid robes with Divine Concealment. She led him inside to seek a summoning contract and a strong snake partner, and he arrived at a shrine atop a stone-stepped mountain.

• Genma hovered above the attacking snakes and let their strikes bounce off his defenses.
• The woman in splendid robes released poisonous mist and a snake-based genjutsu, but Genma protected himself with Divine Concealment and remained unaffected.
• The woman in splendid robes called off the snakes and acknowledged that her tests could not trouble Genma.
• Genma asked to sign the summoning contract, then agreed to enter Ryūchi Cave and choose a strong snake partner.
• The woman in splendid robes led Genma through a lavish house to a small mountain with a shrine at its summit.

Genma confronted the luxurious-robed woman about Ryūchi Cave’s rules and learned that he had to meet the White Snake Sage to sign a contract. He climbed to the Sage’s platform, sensing powerful hidden presences, and came face-to-face with the elderly White Snake Sage.

• Genma exposed the luxurious-robed woman’s snake form, flung her into a pillar, and demanded to know what waited above.
• The woman told Genma that powerful visitors had to meet the White Snake Sage before signing a contract.
• Genma chose not to provoke Ryūchi Cave further and warned the woman not to deceive him.
• Genma climbed the stairs with Sage Mode active and sensed immense Chakra and hidden presences around him.
• The White Snake Sage appeared before Genma and asked why he was so wary of her.

Genma questioned the White Snake Sage about his unusual sage markings, the nature of true sages, and the limits of Ryūchi Cave’s sage arts. The White Snake Sage explained that Genma might live for around five hundred years, then pressed him about a ninjutsu that could fuse different creatures’ bloodlines.

• The White Snake Sage recognized Genma’s markings as those of a rare true sage and said he might live for around five hundred years.
• The White Snake Sage explained that true sages use Nature Energy directly and grow stronger over time, while false sages rely on other powers and remain limited by their original species.
• Genma asked why true sages had disappeared, and the White Snake Sage suggested that conflicts with Chakra users had likely harmed them.
• The White Snake Sage recalled that Orochimaru had once contracted with Ryūchi Cave and had been obsessed with her immortality.
• The White Snake Sage explained that each sacred land’s sage arts depended on its creatures’ racial talents and could not be combined with those of other lands.
• Genma asked whether bloodline-fusing ninjutsu could allow someone to master all three sacred lands’ sage arts, and the White Snake Sage asked if he possessed it; Genma said he did not.

Genma left Ryūchi Cave with a scroll containing a rare illusion technique and took Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon on a C-rank mission to clear bandits from Shouzaki Ridge. After traveling most of the day, the group made camp near the ridge, where the children prepared to forage despite Genma's warnings.

• The White Snake Sage gave Genma a scroll with an illusion technique that combined sight and hearing in exchange for his promise to seek out a certain ninjutsu.
• Genma left Ryūchi Cave without signing a contract and placed Flying Thunder God Kunai at secluded spots along his route.
• Genma took Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon on their fifth C-rank mission, which was to eliminate bandits at Shouzaki Ridge.
• The group traveled toward Shouzaki Ridge, where bandits had been extorting merchants along the road between the Land of Secrecy and the Land of Fill.
• Genma told the children not to eat wild plants or catch animals, but Moegi wanted to gather mushrooms and Udon said he had brought poison-testing tools.

Genma sent Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon to gather supplies while he relaxed, then joined them for dinner after they prepared mushroom soup and flatbread. When Xiao Yin ate jerky from the soup, its shifting colors settled into an increasingly vivid green, which Udon explained was likely a comfortable camouflage color for a forest lizard.

• Genma sent Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon to gather firewood, clean water, and mushrooms while he rested.
• The three children returned with supplies and set up camp as Genma continued to relax.
• Moegi scolded Genma for trying to take their food, then offered him flatbread while the mushroom soup finished cooking.
• Konohamaru added jerky to the soup, and Moegi served some to Xiao Yin.
• Xiao Yin ate the jerky and turned increasingly green, prompting Udon to suggest the color made it feel safe and camouflaged in the forest.

Genma monitored Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi as they approached the bandit stronghold on Shouzaki Ridge, while the three worried about their missing companion, Xiao Yin. They launched a coordinated assault and quickly subdued the bandits, leaving Genma watching from above the gate.

• Genma used Sage Mode to survey the area and found the bandits’ Chakra signatures were mostly weak.
• Genma let Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi rest overnight, then watched from a distance as they set out for the stronghold.
• Near the stronghold, Konohamaru comforted Moegi about Xiao Yin, and Udon vowed to help rescue it if the bandits had captured it.
• Konohamaru assigned positions in a triangular formation and ordered Udon to use smoke bombs if anything unexpected happened.
• Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi charged the stronghold and efficiently beat the bandits without causing bloodshed.
• Genma leaped onto the gate and watched the three knock the bandits down.

Konohamaru's group was ambushed by an unseen attacker while fighting the bandits, leaving Udon and Moegi injured and forcing Konohamaru to focus on dodging. The bandit leader called on Hidden Lizard to finish them, revealing that the invisible lizard had helped him build and defend his stronghold.

• Konohamaru and his teammates drove the bandits toward surrender, but an unseen attacker shattered Udon's glasses, lashed Moegi, and struck Konohamaru with a vine whip.
• Konohamaru dodged the hidden enemy's repeated whip attacks while the bandits regained their nerve and their leader aimed a crossbow at the injured teammates.
• A purple smoke cloud obscured the crossbowman's view, and his subordinates weakly threw stones at Konohamaru's group.
• The bandit leader berated his cowardly followers and demanded that Hidden Lizard deal with the three ninjas, promising to make it something tasty.
• The bandit leader recalled how Hidden Lizard had appeared at Shouzaki Ridge, driven off bounty hunters, and helped him establish the stronghold in exchange for food.

Genma rescued the poisoned Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru and brought them to Konoha Hospital, where doctors identified an unfamiliar toxin that intensified pain. The chapter ended with Genma capturing the camouflaging lizard responsible and handing it over for study.

• Genma treated Moegi and Udon, realized they had been poisoned, and used Shadow Clones to carry them back to Konoha Hospital with Konohamaru.
• Konohamaru discovered that Genma had brought them to Konoha almost instantly and went to receive treatment for his own back wound.
• Hospital staff told Genma that the unknown toxin could amplify pain until it killed its victims and asked him to collect a sample of the creature's poison.
• Genma quickly returned to Shouzaki Ridge, captured a powerful white lizard with excellent camouflage, and brought it back to the hospital.
• Genma's Shadow Clone accompanied the nurse to the laboratory, where a talisman restrained the color-shifting lizard.

After helping a nurse create an antidote for Konohamaru and his teammates, Genma began teaching them the Spiral Drill and demonstrated its different elemental forms. He had just shown them the Earth Release version, leaving the children puzzled by the stone’s unchanged appearance.

• Genma helped the nurse collect toxin samples and research an antidote for Konohamaru and the other two, who fainted after receiving their injections.
• After the trio recovered and completed their fifth mission, Genma started teaching them the Spiral Drill.
• Genma demonstrated the basic Spiral Drill, which bored a neat, fist-sized hole through stone.
• Genma showed how Fire, Water, Lightning, and Wind Release transformed the drill and changed its effects on stone.
• Genma demonstrated the Earth Release Spiral Drill, which seemed to enter the stone without leaving an obvious effect, confusing Konohamaru and the others.

Genma taught Konohamaru and the others Earth Style: Spiral Drill, then found the isolated Hotaru collapsed from exhaustion and brought her to Tsunade’s care. After learning her master Utakata was missing, Hotaru agreed to hand over the Tsuchigumo Clan’s Forbidden Jutsu in the hope that he could be revived.

• Genma demonstrated Earth Style: Spiral Drill and taught Konohamaru and the others how to train with it.
• Genma learned that Hotaru had been living alone and collapsed after overtraining, then brought her to the Capital of the Land of Fire for Tsunade’s care.
• Hotaru woke in Shizune’s care and learned that Utakata had vanished and might be in grave danger.
• Shizune told Hotaru that her clan’s Forbidden Jutsu might help revive Utakata, though it could fail, and Hotaru asked for time to think.
• After a week of recovery, Hotaru agreed to hand over the Forbidden Jutsu, realizing that she loved Utakata.

Genma tracked Hiruko to Mount Sumeru and subdued two of his followers and their stitched-together giant bird. He demanded to know where Hiruko was, but the chapter ended before they answered.

• Hotaru helped the experts research the Forbidden Jutsu while practicing how to undo its anti-scrying technique.
• Genma traced disappearances and strange cries near the Golden Wheel Mountain Range to Hiruko’s likely base at Mount Sumeru.
• Genma traveled to Mount Sumeru and found a desolate landscape devoid of life.
• A hidden man and woman attacked Genma with a whip, earth techniques, and a stitched-together giant bird, but he restrained them all with an invisible force.
• Genma asked the two followers where Hiruko was, and after they failed to answer, he increased the pressure and asked again.

Genma forced one of Hiruko’s subordinates to lead him to Hiruko’s secret chamber and captured Hiruko when he emerged. Genma challenged Hiruko’s confidence in Steel Release by asking how long he could withstand being submerged in water.

• Genma tortured a captured man and threatened a woman until she agreed to guide him to Hiruko.
• Genma made the woman lead him through Hiruko’s stone castle, keeping her close to help him avoid its security measures.
• The woman led Genma to Hiruko’s secret chamber but said only Hiruko could open it.
• Genma smashed open the chamber door and restrained Hiruko as he came outside to investigate.
• Genma warned Hiruko that water could defeat his Steel Release, leaving Hiruko dazed.

Genma captured Hiruko and demanded the Chimera Technique, using invisible attacks to break his resistance. After Hiruko agreed to hand it over, Genma exposed his decaying skin and questioned whether the technique’s fusion process had caused his condition.

• Genma identified Hiruko as a former Konoha ninja and demanded the Chimera Technique.
• Hiruko refused, so Genma tormented him with an invisible attack until he broke down in tears.
• Hiruko agreed to surrender the technique and promised not to cause trouble for Konoha, but Genma refused to let him go.
• Genma tore away Hiruko’s bandages and saw his gray, ulcerated skin.
• Genma asked whether differences between people had caused Hiruko’s condition, and Hiruko confirmed they had.

Genma subdued Hiruko and decided to keep him alive as a researcher, demanding the Chimera Technique scroll. Hiruko agreed outwardly while still planning to complete his Kekkei Genkai fusion, and Genma intended to pass the technique to the White Snake Sage.

• Genma threatened Hiruko and clarified that he wanted both the Chimera Technique and Hiruko himself.
• Hiruko considered his plan to fuse five Kekkei Genkai and believed it would make him powerful enough to surpass Senju Hashirama.
• Genma chose not to kill Hiruko, explaining that he wanted him to conduct research and explore the Chimera Technique's limits.
• Hiruko obediently agreed to work for Genma while secretly resolving to finish his fusion and avenge his humiliation.
• Genma asked Hiruko for the ninjutsu scroll, intending to leave the technique's evaluation to the White Snake Sage.

Hiruko submitted to Genma and learned that Genma sought research into immortality, while Genma’s views made Hiruko reconsider his ambitions. Hiruko asked to see Genma’s true power, and Genma began a destructive demonstration outside the castle.

• Genma marked Hiruko for tracking and took the scroll Hiruko offered.
• Genma told Hiruko he wanted research into immortality and freedom from the cycle of life and death.
• Hiruko secretly kept his Chimera Technique’s promise of immortality to himself and reflected on his desire to surpass Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
• Hiruko asked to witness Genma’s true power, and Genma used Divine Concealment to take Hiruko and the woman outside the castle.
• Genma rose into the air, gathered a hurricane, and struck forward, twisting space and shattering earth and stone.

Genma demonstrated his overwhelming power to Hiruko, then exchanged the Chimera Technique for Ryūchi Cave’s sage arts. The chapter ended with Genma leaving the White Snake Sage to study the scroll while the Akatsuki’s capture of the Eight-Tails pushed the villages toward a Five Kage Summit.

• Genma split Mount Sumeru in two with a strike, shocking Hiruko and the woman in tight-fitting clothes.
• Hiruko professed loyalty to Genma, who kept him working on research while pretending their relationship was cordial.
• After the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was captured, the Raikage called a Five Kage Summit to discuss fighting the Akatsuki Organization.
• Genma brought the Chimera Technique to Ryūchi Cave and explained its possible side effects to the White Snake Sage.
• The White Snake Sage gave Genma Ryūchi Cave’s sage arts, and Genma departed with them stored in a Summoning Scroll.

At the Five Kage Summit, the Raikage pushed the other Kage to unite against Akatsuki and rescue Killer B. The nations agreed to form a Ninja Allied Force and began debating its leadership, but the chapter ended with Mifune urging them to set aside their mistrust and stop Akatsuki.

• Raikage A demanded that the Five Great Nations unite against Akatsuki after learning it had collected eight Tailed Beasts.
• A explained that Kumogakure's unit had been wiped out near Amegakure and questioned whether the other nations could be trusted to help rescue Killer B.
• Minato, Gaara, Ōnoki, and Mei Terumi all supported forming a Ninja Allied Force, with Konohagakure and Sunagakure volunteering as vanguards and Kirigakure and Iwagakure as support.
• Mifune proposed appointing a supreme commander, and A claimed the role because he distrusted the other nations' Rogue Ninja.
• The Kage argued over A's suitability and Minato's suggestion that the other Kage advise him, while Gaara warned that old grudges would make unity difficult.
• Mifune backed A's warning about the Tailed Beasts and urged the Kage to cooperate and stop Akatsuki's plot.

The Five Great Nations formed the Shinobi Allied Forces under Minato's command, while the Akatsuki prepared for war in the Land of Rain. The chapter ended with Deidara reprimanding the spiral-masked newcomer for questioning his idea of art.

• A proposed dividing the nations' shinobi into vanguard and reinforcement units and warned that any nation that failed to commit would be treated as an enemy.
• Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, and Gaara nominated Minato as commander-in-chief, while Minato nominated A; A accepted Minato's leadership after demanding that he save his brother.
• Minato pledged to A that he would not betray his trust, and the Shinobi Allied Forces were formed.
• Pain said the Akatsuki would proceed with sealing the Eight-Tails and that the Five Great Nations might not defeat them even if united.
• Orochimaru reported that his Impure World Reincarnation army lacked enough powerful fighters, while Konan described the Akatsuki's extensive weapons and supplies.
• Deidara defended his view that explosions were art and angrily told the spiral-masked newcomer to listen to his seniors.

Genma’s research into resurrection stalled as he considered the risks and limitations of Muki Tensei no Jutsu. After Minato announced the Fourth Great Ninja War and assigned him to command Konoha’s support forces, Genma returned home to prepare for deployment and found Kagura dejected.

• Genma discovered that Muki Tensei no Jutsu required White Snake bloodline talents and could not provide a reliable way to resurrect people.
• Genma heard Konoha’s jonin assembly signal and hurried to the conference building.
• Minato announced the five-nation alliance and the Akatsuki Organization’s capture of eight tailed beasts, then assigned the shinobi their duties.
• Minato named Genma captain of the support forces and White Fang leader of the vanguard, and gave them Flying Thunder God Kunai.
• Genma went home to say goodbye before deployment and found Kagura looking dejected after learning about the war from Kurenai.