Chapter Summaries

Soseki overpowered the Raikage and Killer B, then agreed to examine Yugito’s seal. After everyone left, he blocked perception and considered secretly taking some of her chakra.

• Soseki froze the Raikage and Killer B, alarming the Cloud shinobi, and blamed Dodai for asking him to intervene.
• The Raikage and Killer B broke free, while the Raikage resolved to improve his strength after recognizing Soseki’s threat.
• The Eight Tails warned Killer B that Cloud Village should behave while Soseki remained, recalling its capture by Hashirama Senju.
• The Raikage brought Soseki to Yugito’s home, then reluctantly left the room so Soseki could examine her seal in private.
• Soseki set up a barrier that blocked perception and considered taking some of Yugito’s chakra.

Soseki secretly drained Matatabi's chakra while removing Yugito's seal, then A ordered Yoshihiro to restart the Chakra Cannon project as a deterrent against the Leaf Village. Soseki's visit ended with the Cloud Village and the Leaf agreeing to reestablish diplomatic relations.

• Soseki secretly drained the Two-Tails' chakra before removing Yugito's seal, and Yugito woke confused and mistook him for her captor.
• A entered Yugito's room, and Soseki clarified the misunderstanding before she realized she was still in the Cloud Village.
• A ordered Yoshihiro to restart the Chakra Cannon project to give the Cloud Village leverage against the Leaf Village.
• Yoshihiro agreed to develop the Diffusion Chakra Cannon first, while A urged him to complete the research.
• Soseki's visit concluded with the Cloud Village welcoming him and both villages reaching an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations.

Soseki agreed to travel to Sunagakure as an envoy and discovered that Kabuto, Ren, and Kiri had been going hungry while supporting the orphanage. He gave Nonō money for its needs, then learned that the Underground Exchange had placed a one-billion-ryo bounty on him.

• Minato told Soseki that an old agreement required him to guide students at Sunagakure's Ninja Academy, and Soseki agreed to go with Kabuto and the other two.
• Kabuto, Ren, and Kiri brought food to the orphanage, where Nonō discovered they had been skipping meals to help the others.
• Soseki arrived with Pakura, apologized to Nonō for not knowing about the orphanage's hardship, and offered her thirty-five million ryo.
• Pakura warned Soseki that the Underground Exchange had set a record bounty of one billion ryo on him and cautioned him about assassins.
• Soseki reassured Nonō and the others that he could handle assassination attempts, then persuaded Nonō to accept the money.

Soseki invited Kabuto and two others to accompany him to Sunagakure for an exchange program. Meanwhile, Rasa postponed choosing a new One-Tail Jinchuriki and urged Sunagakure’s jonin to send their children to the Ninja Academy so they could benefit from Soseki’s guidance.

• Soseki invited Kabuto and the other two to Sunagakure, and Pakura offered to introduce them to her disciple.
• Rasa opened a meeting by asking the jonin to choose a new One-Tail Jinchuriki, but they argued over which children or adults should be candidates.
• Rasa postponed the Jinchuriki decision and explained that he had invited Soseki to help Sunagakure develop its young talent.
• Rasa pointed to Mizuki’s transformation under Soseki’s guidance as proof of Soseki’s ability to strengthen ordinary talent.
• The jonin began proposing that their children attend the Ninja Academy early, while Rasa considered sending Temari there before the usual enrollment age.

Soseki arrived in Sunagakure and learned that Elder Bunpuku had died after the village extracted the One-Tail, leaving the beast furious and grieving. At a welcome banquet, Soseki praised Rasa into agreeing to continue the Ninja Academy exchange between Sunagakure and Leaf Village.

• Ren and Kiri admired Sunagakure, while Pakura explained that the One-Tail's cry mourned Elder Bunpuku and expressed its anger at the village.
• Pakura told Soseki, Kabuto, Ren, and Kiri that Rasa had extracted the One-Tail before Bunpuku's natural death, killing the elderly Jinchuriki to prevent the beast from disappearing and later rebirthing unpredictably.
• Soseki noted that the One-Tail had already gone berserk twice, and Pakura said Rasa had suppressed it both times.
• At the welcome banquet, Sunagakure's Jonin enthusiastically praised Soseki, while Rasa watched their admiration with embarrassment.
• Soseki praised Rasa's leadership during the war and his sacrifices for Sunagakure, making Rasa feel understood and leaving him tipsy.
• Soseki proposed that Leaf Village and Sunagakure continue their Ninja Academy exchanges, and Rasa enthusiastically agreed.

Shukaku rampaged through Sunagakure while the drunken Rasa failed to wake, leaving Soseki to intervene and carry the beast outside the village. There, Soseki prepared to subdue Shukaku quickly as the tailed beast launched a Wind Release attack.

• Shukaku awakened Sunagakure with another rampage, but Rasa remained unconscious after drinking too much.
• Karura told the worried jonin that Rasa would not sober up soon, and she comforted Temari as the One-Tail caused destruction.
• Soseki knocked Shukaku down and apologized for intervening, explaining that Rasa could not come because of him.
• The Sunagakure jonin recognized Soseki as the Sage of the Ninja World and urged each other to follow when he transported Shukaku outside the village.
• Soseki considered knocking Shukaku unconscious before collecting its Chakra, and Shukaku attacked him with Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet.

Soseki defeated Shukaku with Genjutsu and a Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan, then helped Sunagakure seal the battered tailed beast. The next morning, Rasa apologized for troubling him and offered to show him Sunagakure's Ninja Academy.

• Shukaku realized Soseki had trapped it in Genjutsu, broke free, and found itself covered in wounds.
• Soseki struck Shukaku with a Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan and escaped using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• The Sunagakure group found Shukaku near death, and Soseki reassured them before offering to return it to the temple for sealing.
• Shukaku's body was brought back to Sunagakure, where Karura watched in shock and Temari said she wanted to become strong to help her father.
• Rasa apologized to Soseki the next morning and invited him to visit Sunagakure's Ninja Academy.

At Sunagakure’s Ninja Academy, older students dismissed Shimizu Soseki’s strength and confronted the Leaf exchange students. Kabuto manipulated them into agreeing to fight him, and they led him to the training ground, convinced he knew only basic Medical Ninjutsu.

• Students argued over whether Lord Kazekage or Lord Soseki was stronger after rumors spread that a Leaf ninja had beaten the Giant Tanuki.
• Older students disparaged Soseki and asked where the Leaf exchange students were, while Ren and Kiri grew angry on his behalf.
• Kabuto pretended to be grateful to Sunagakure and suggested the older students prove Soseki wrong by fighting him.
• The older students learned Kabuto knew Medical Ninjutsu but accepted his claim that he knew only a few simple techniques.
• The older students agreed to take Kabuto to the training ground and teach him a lesson.

Kabuto defeated Sand Academy students by using medical ninjutsu to disrupt Morishita’s control of his arm and then breaking Arayeshi’s stone barrier with a punch. The chapter left the Sand students bewildered by Kabuto’s claim that preventing injuries counted as medical ninjutsu.

• Sand Academy students gathered to watch Kabuto’s practice match, and Arayeshi chose Morishita as his opponent.
• Morishita attacked Kabuto with Clone Technique, but Kabuto struck him and made his right hand twitch uncontrollably with a medical ninjutsu technique developed by Teacher Soseki.
• Arayeshi challenged Kabuto to another match, and Kabuto accepted while acting as though he wanted to clear up a misunderstanding.
• Arayeshi encased himself in a hemispherical stone barrier, but Kabuto shattered it with one punch and sent him flying.
• Arayeshi accused Kabuto of deceiving him, and Kabuto insisted that protecting himself from injury was the highest level of medical ninjutsu.

Kabuto defeated Arayeshi in a sparring match, impressing Rasa and the gathered Sunagakure crowd with how far he had progressed under Soseki’s guidance. Soseki then began his lesson in a packed auditorium, introducing a Solidified Illusion Technique called Dream World that could turn training results into data.

• Kabuto overwhelmed Arayeshi, who fled in terror after Kabuto mistook his frightened sounds for a demand to keep fighting.
• Rasa was astonished that Kabuto had reached such a level after only a year of Soseki’s guidance, and the crowd began eyeing Soseki eagerly.
• Rasa moved Soseki’s lesson to the auditorium after the crowd packed the classroom.
• Soseki explained that training was tedious because shinobi struggled to see their progress and measure their skill.
• Soseki introduced Dream World, a Solidified Illusion Technique that converted training results into data.

Soseki introduced the Dream World, a persistent shared illusion that let people inspect their attributes and could later gain new features. He left the Leaf and Sand villagers excited to train and eager for future updates, while keeping those plans deliberately slow.

• Soseki drew the auditorium into a shared illusion and showed everyone how to open their status panels.
• The villagers compared their Chakra and other attributes, then learned they could enter the Dream World with hand seals because natural energy sustained it.
• Soseki described future plans for rankings, safe battles, and communication between the Leaf Village and the Sand Village, but said updates might come only once every three years.
• Soseki told everyone that the Dream World could show their growth but that training still depended on them, and the crowd applauded.
• Soseki reflected that his ambitions had expanded beyond any one village and declared that he would make the whole world his wings.

Soseki planned to leave Sunagakure, but stayed after Rasa told him Karura was close to giving birth. When Karura went into premature labor and faced a difficult delivery, Soseki was called in to help save her.

• Rasa told Soseki that he planned to make his unborn child the One-Tail's Jinchuriki, though he had not told Karura.
• A Medical Ninja reported that Karura had gone into premature labor, and Rasa rushed to the hospital.
• A doctor told Rasa that Karura was having a difficult delivery and asked whether he would save the mother or the child; Rasa chose the mother.
• Chiyo arrived to help, then asked Rasa to find Soseki because his Medical Ninjutsu could stabilize Karura.
• Soseki appeared at the hospital, and Chiyo dragged him into the delivery room after explaining that Karura refused to give up the child.

Soseki helped Chiyo save Karura and deliver Gaara, then considered the power of Karura’s will-infused Chakra. At an Underground Exchange, Kakuzu learned that Soseki planned to leave Sunagakure and began plotting to target his companions.

• Soseki used Yang Release Chakra to stabilize Karura while Chiyo and the nurses performed the operation.
• Karura gave birth to Gaara, and Chiyo said the premature infant had survived through his strong desire to live.
• Soseki suggested Karura’s determination had reached Gaara and reflected on how Chakra could preserve will beyond death.
• Kakuzu sold Yuichi’s corpse at an Underground Exchange, collected his bounty, and bought information about Soseki.
• Kakuzu learned Soseki intended to leave Sunagakure and planned to exploit his bonds, while claiming Hashirama Senju was the only other person who had warranted a surprise attack.

After spending two months caring for Gaara in Sunagakure, Soseki began his journey home with Kabuto, Ren, and Kiri, while Kakuzu and a band of wandering shinobi prepared to attack him. Soseki rescued the children from an ambush, but another threat appeared behind him and took two people hostage.

• Rasa and the people of Sunagakure thanked Soseki as he departed with Kabuto, Ren, and Kiri.
• Kakuzu and more than a hundred wandering shinobi waited for Soseki to approach the Land of Fire before attacking.
• Soseki stopped for the night at a border village in the Land of Rivers, where the wandering shinobi planned to seize the children and the innkeeper.
• Kabuto detected intruders, but a barrier trapped him, Ren, and Kiri until Soseki broke through it and confronted their attackers.
• Soseki declared that he could read the attackers' souls, but someone behind him threatened to kill two hostages unless he surrendered.

Soseki subdued the rogue ninjas and confronted Kakuzu, who had been hiding among them. After Soseki overwhelmed Kakuzu with a Sage Art attack that destroyed four of his hearts, Kakuzu pretended to be dead to escape.

• Kabuto, Ren, and Soseki refused to yield to the rogue ninjas holding an elderly couple hostage.
• Soseki released a burst of spiritual pressure that knocked out the rogue ninjas and exposed Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu fled into the courtyard, where Soseki intercepted him using Flying Thunder God marks he had placed nearby.
• Kakuzu attacked with multiple chakra natures, but Soseki countered with Rasenshuriken and entered Sage Mode.
• Soseki and three Shadow Clones launched four Sage Art Rasenshuriken, devastating Kakuzu and destroying four of his hearts.
• Kakuzu lay in the crater and pretended to be dead so he could escape.

Soseki captured Kakuzu, the Takigakure rogue ninja who had survived an encounter with Hashirama Senju, and brought him back to Leaf Village. Minato agreed that Soseki should escort Kakuzu to Takigakure because he was too dangerous to entrust to anyone else.

• Soseki revealed that Kakuzu had been pretending to be dead, sealed his abilities, and identified him as the rogue ninja who had fled after attempting to assassinate Hashirama Senju.
• Soseki told Kakuzu that he would take him to Takigakure after returning his students to Leaf Village, while privately seeing Kakuzu as a chance to make contact with the village.
• Soseki's group compensated an elderly couple for damage caused during the fight, then returned to Leaf Village without further trouble.
• Villagers and Soseki's friends welcomed him back and reacted with surprise when he identified Kakuzu as the ninja who had survived an encounter with Hashirama Senju.
• Soseki explained Kakuzu's identity and proposed returning him to Takigakure, and Minato agreed that Soseki should escort him because Kakuzu remained dangerous despite having his Chakra sealed.

Soseki accompanied the captured Kakuzu to Takigakure, where its leaders welcomed him and revealed the village’s hidden location and powerful resources. The visit left Suien thinking that it should be his turn to learn Earth Grudge Fear.

• Soseki waited with Kakuzu at the waterfall until Takigakure leader Shibuya arrived with Suien and Canger.
• Kakuzu mocked the Takigakure delegation, while Soseki reassured Shibuya that Leaf Village valued their alliance.
• Shibuya led Soseki and the others through a deep pool behind the waterfall into Takigakure.
• Kakuzu identified the village’s Sacred Tree and revealed that it produced Hero Water, which increased Chakra but shortened lifespan.
• Soseki praised Takigakure’s Hero Water, Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, and Earth Grudge Fear, prompting Suien to wonder when he would master the secret technique.

Suien considered an alliance with Kakuzu after learning that Hero Water was required to master Earth Grudge Fear, while Soseki quietly encouraged Shibuya to restrict the technique. Soseki left Takigakure intending to let unrest grow before pursuing his plan to obtain the Seven-Tails' Chakra.

• Soseki noticed Suien watching Kakuzu and asked why he was eager to imprison him.
• Suien took Kakuzu to the Sacred Tree prison, where Kakuzu revealed that drinking Hero Water was necessary to master Earth Grudge Fear.
• Kakuzu proposed working together, and Suien considered the offer after deciding Shibuya would not give him Hero Water or permit him to study the technique.
• At the banquet, Soseki warned Shibuya that abusing Earth Grudge Fear could bring condemnation from other ninja villages, and Shibuya agreed that the technique should protect the village.
• Soseki decided to let Suien and Kakuzu's ambitions create unrest before returning to pursue the Seven-Tails' Chakra.

After Yahiko sacrificed himself to save Nagato and Konan, Nagato unleashed the Rinnegan’s power, only to be captured with Konan by Soseki. Soseki possessed Nagato to test the Rinnegan and then moved to save Yahiko, hoping to keep Obito and Black Zetsu from controlling the Akatsuki.

• Hanzo forced Nagato to choose between killing Yahiko and letting Konan die, but Yahiko threw himself onto Nagato’s kunai and died.
• Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and slaughtered Hanzo’s forces as Obito and Black Zetsu watched from a distant cliff.
• Soseki, disguised as the returning Hanzo, knocked out Nagato and Konan, then took all three away.
• Soseki possessed Nagato and tested the Rinnegan’s abilities before deciding to save Yahiko so he could guide the Akatsuki.

Soseki used Yin-Yang Release to heal Yahiko’s heart, then convinced Konan and Nagato that he had rescued them from Hanzo. After Yahiko was revealed to be alive, Nagato proposed spreading peace by making others understand pain.

• Soseki restored Yahiko’s heart and prepared a scene beside him after releasing control of Nagato.
• Konan woke and questioned Soseki, who showed her a Genjutsu recreation of how he had saved them from Hanzo.
• Nagato woke exhausted, and Konan told him that Soseki had rescued them.
• Soseki led Konan and Nagato to discover that Yahiko’s heart was beating and that he was alive.
• Nagato proposed that people could achieve peace by experiencing pain and understanding one another.