Chapter Summaries

Suien tried to free Kakuzu, but Kakuzu escaped after Shibuya and Canger intervened, leaving Suien to flee and fall into Soseki’s hands. Soseki’s fabricated rumors about Takigakure’s Hero Water reached Iwagakure, prompting Han to persuade Ōnoki to send a team to demand it.

• Suien began unlocking Kakuzu’s chains, but Shibuya and Canger caught him; Kakuzu escaped during the ensuing fight, and Suien’s corpse proved to be a clone.
• Shibuya ordered sensory ninja to search for Suien, while the injured Suien fled into the wilderness and vowed revenge on Shibuya, Canger, and Kakuzu.
• Soseki captured Suien with a genjutsu and reflected that he had carefully arranged the false information to spread through the Shinobi World.
• In Iwagakure, Han heard rumors that Takigakure’s Hero Water could suppress Tailed Beast rampages and decided it might help him master the Five-Tails’ power.
• Han persuaded Ōnoki to send ninja to Takigakure to demand Hero Water as compensation for Kakuzu’s alleged crimes, while Ōnoki instructed him to seek a peaceful resolution.

Iwagakure invaded Takigakure and demanded the Hero Water as collateral, using Kakuzu’s alleged capture and escape as justification. Shibuya and Canger resisted, sparking a fight between the villages’ Jinchuriki as Soseki watched and planned to inflame the conflict further.

• Shibuya and Canger learned that Iwagakure’s forces had entered Takigakure and organized the village’s ninja and civilians.
• Han confronted Shibuya, accused Takigakure of supporting Kakuzu, and demanded its treasure as collateral for Iwagakure’s losses.
• Han revealed that he wanted the Hero Water, then threatened sanctions when Shibuya refused.
• Shibuya ordered Takigakure’s ninja to drive out the invaders, and Han and Canger transformed into partial Tailed Beast forms and began fighting.
• Soseki watched the battle from a tree and decided to stir up the conflict further.

Suien’s attempt to steal Hero Water caused Han and Canger to lose control and unleash the Five-Tails and Seven-Tails in Takigakure. Soseki stopped both beasts with Wood Release, leaving Han disillusioned with his ambitions.

• Suien was discovered carrying the Hero Water, and Canger and Han pursued him while disrupting each other’s attacks.
• Canger and Han’s colliding Chakra hands created a massive wave, and Suien disappeared along with the shattered bottle of Hero Water.
• Canger blamed Han and attacked him, prompting both Jinchuriki to transform fully and rampage as the Five-Tails and Seven-Tails.
• The two Tailed Beasts prepared Tailed Beast Bombs, but Soseki appeared and swallowed them with his Space-Time Barrier.
• Soseki used Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands to seize both Tailed Beasts and absorb their Chakra.
• Han returned to his senses and gave up on revitalizing Iwagakure after witnessing Soseki’s overwhelming strength.

Soseki mediated a dispute between Han and Canger over Takigakure’s destroyed Hero Water, securing an agreement on compensation. He later revealed that he had secretly saved the Hero Water and returned it to Takigakure, whose leaders gave him a portion in gratitude.

• Soseki used the Buddha statue to restrain Han and Canger, then urged them to settle their dispute peacefully.
• Soseki told Han to compensate Takigakure for the Hero Water and reminded Canger that Takigakure was responsible for Kakuzu’s escape.
• Shibuya agreed to reduce Takigakure’s compensation demands, and Han agreed to pay before leaving with the Iwagakure group.
• Soseki revealed that he had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take the Hero Water during the fight and returned the bottle to Shibuya and Canger.
• Shibuya gave Soseki a smaller bottle of Hero Water, and Soseki accepted it after they insisted.

Soseki fused the collected Tailed Beast Chakra with Dragon Vein Chakra to create a powerful golden body, then decided to use it to spur the Shinobi World toward greater development. He shaped the body into the likeness of Aizen Sōsuke and entrusted it with stirring up the world.

• Soseki gathered the nine Tailed Beast Chakra masses, but their fusion proved unstable without a suitable shell.
• At Rōran's Dragon Vein, Soseki used Dragon Vein Chakra to suppress and fuse the Tailed Beast Chakra into a golden body.
• Soseki absorbed the body and gained immense power, including the ability to fuse all five elemental attributes, then separated from it again.
• Soseki resolved to guide the Shinobi World into an arms race so its people and geniuses would develop their potential willingly.
• Soseki sent part of his spiritual body into the golden body and reshaped it into Aizen Sōsuke's likeness, assigning him the task of stirring up the world.

After creating a clone named Aizen and planning how to conceal its true strengths, Soseki learned that Han believed his ideals and youth could make lasting peace possible. In Grass Country, Kana was betrayed by Yoshiki and cornered by shinobi who wanted to take her and baby Karin.

• Soseki left Flying Thunder God formulas on his bodies and planned to focus his main body on Yin and Yang Release while having Aizen display Yin Release and secretly develop Five Elements Release.
• In Iwagakure, Han told Ōnoki that Soseki had overwhelmed him and the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, but argued that Soseki's youth gave him time to establish lasting peace.
• Ōnoki recalled that the peace established by Hashirama Senju had ended after his death, while Han argued that decades of peace could make it enduring.
• In Grass Country, Kana hid with baby Karin as wandering shinobi searched the village and eventually found them.
• Kana offered to go with the shinobi if they spared Karin, but their leader refused and revealed that Yoshiki had been working for him from the start.
• Yoshiki told Kana that he had brought the boss to take Karin because she had inherited Kana's constitution.

Aizen Sōsuke gave Kana power to free herself and Karin from the wandering ninjas, then offered her a place at his side. Kana accepted and vowed to carry his name forward.

• The lead ninja threatened to keep Karin captive unless Kana gave birth to more children, while Yoshiki and the others mocked her.
• Aizen Sōsuke appeared and offered Kana power; she accepted, and he awakened her Chakra Chains.
• Kana killed the lead ninja and the other wandering ninjas with her Chakra Chains, then killed Yoshiki despite his claim that he was Karin’s father.
• Aizen told Kana that the power had been hers and that he wanted to cultivate her into a force he could rely upon.
• Kana agreed to become Aizen’s arm, and Aizen told her to carry his name forward.

Aizen freed the souls within four Uzumaki Clan Death God Masks and told them that the clan had been wiped out. The awakened souls reacted with disbelief and fury, but Aizen suppressed them with his spiritual pressure.

• Aizen brought Kana to the Uzumaki Clan shrine and asked her to wait outside while he entered.
• Aizen released the twenty-six Death God Masks; twenty-two shattered, while four merged with their Death Gods and regained traces of their souls.
• The four awakened figures identified themselves as Uzumaki Masateru, Uzumaki Chiyuki, Uzumaki Shinichi, and Uzumaki Blacknight.
• Blacknight questioned why Aizen had revived them, and Aizen told the four that the Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out.
• The four unleashed their soul power in anger, but Aizen subdued them with his spiritual pressure.

Aizen told four former Uzumaki leaders that their clan had been destroyed and showed them Kana and her red-haired daughter, survivors of the clan. Outraged by Kana’s abuse, the four agreed to help Aizen protect and train the mother and child, while he promised to pursue the Uzumaki Clan’s revenge and revival.

• Aizen suppressed the four with his spiritual pressure, then confirmed that the Uzumaki Clan had been destroyed by more than a dozen countries.
• Masaki asked why the Leaf Village had not saved the clan, and Aizen explained that it had been at war and that Hashirama Senju had died after fighting Uchiha Madara.
• Aizen revealed that Uzumaki descendants still lived and directed the four to sense Kana and her red-haired baby outside the shrine.
• The four discovered bite marks on Kana and grew enraged when Aizen described how surviving Uzumaki had been exploited and abused.
• Aizen asked the four to look after and train Kana and her daughter, and they agreed after he promised to help achieve the clan’s revenge and revival.

Aizen placed the four Uzumaki spirits in masks and entrusted them to Kana as her teachers, then traveled with her to the Land of Iron. He headed for the capital’s duel arena to study the samurai and provoke a commotion that might attract Akatsuki’s attention.

• Aizen promised to find suitable bodies for the four spirits, returned them to masks, and hung imitation masks in the shrine.
• Aizen introduced the spirits to Kana as her ancestors and teachers, and Kana accepted the masks into her care.
• Aizen set out for the Land of Iron, hoping to learn the samurai’s methods and draw Akatsuki’s attention.
• Aizen and Kana arrived in the capital, where he explained that samurai settled disputes in a duel arena.
• Aizen led Kana into the duel arena with a longsword at his waist.

Aizen dominated the Land of Iron’s arena, defeating a hundred opponents and drawing the attention of General Mifune. After hearing of Aizen’s strength, Mifune decided he wanted to meet him in battle.

• Aizen defeated Lone Wolf with a single sword strike, sending him flying with the pressure of his blade.
• Aizen remained in the arena and defeated a hundred challengers in succession, including the capital’s swordmasters.
• Three days later, Mifune returned from suppressing bandits and heard Musashi describe Aizen’s arena victories.
• Musashi said Aizen had defeated him in three strikes and suggested that Mifune might be able to beat him.
• Mifune gripped his sword and said he wanted to face Aizen himself.

At the dueling arena, Aizen overwhelmed Mifune in a sword fight despite claiming he did not know swordsmanship. Mifune’s defeat stunned the Land of Iron’s samurai and the four ghosts, who wondered what other abilities Aizen possessed.

• Mifune entered the arena to challenge Aizen, who asked to witness the pinnacle of samurai swordsmanship.
• Mifune opened with Iai: Crescent Moon, but Aizen knocked aside the Slashing Wave and countered his subsequent attacks with a much larger slash.
• Aizen overpowered Mifune in close combat, repeatedly hurling him away despite Mifune’s strength and skill.
• Mifune used Iai: Soul Severance for his final strike, but Aizen defeated him and sent his sword spinning away.
• The samurai and the four ghosts reacted with disbelief at Mifune’s loss and speculated about Aizen’s other abilities.

In Rain Country, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan identified Aizen in photographs and set out to find him. In the Land of Iron, Aizen persuaded Mifune to gather samurai body-forging methods and gave him a new technique from Leaf Village to study.

• Konan brought photographs of a samurai duel and a red-haired woman carrying a baby, leading Nagato to recognize the clothing of their benefactor and suspect the woman belonged to the Uzumaki Clan.
• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato decided to seek out their benefactor and thank him.
• At the General's Residence, Mifune asked Aizen to stay in the Land of Iron, but Aizen declined and said he wanted to study its body-forging methods.
• Aizen told Mifune that improving samurai body refinement might help reverse their decline and prompted Mifune to collect the Land of Iron's training methods.
• Aizen gave Mifune a scroll containing Leaf Village Body Forging Version 1.0, Rising Sun Forging, and advised him to request an official copy from Leaf Village.

Aizen received a visit from Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, who invited him and Kana to join their peace-seeking organization. Aizen said he would consider the offer, and after the trio left, Kana learned that the ghosts in his mask had been excited to discover surviving Uzumaki clansmen.

• Mifune gathered many basic training methods for Aizen, and Kana brought him lunch at the inn.
• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan entered Aizen's room, and Aizen admitted that he had saved them from Hanzo.
• Kana revealed that people had abused her as a medical-ninja beast until Aizen rescued her, prompting the visitors to condemn her abusers.
• Yahiko invited Kana to join his organization, and she said she would only follow Aizen; he then invited Aizen, who asked for time to consider.
• After Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan left, Aizen lifted the restriction on his mask, and several ghosts emerged, delighted that Uzumaki clansmen had survived.

Aizen agreed to join Yahiko’s organization after confirming that Nagato possessed the Rinnegan and suspecting someone had arranged its appearance. Obito suspected Aizen was investigating the Rinnegan’s origins and planned to sow distrust among Yahiko and his companions.

• Aizen confirmed Nagato had the Rinnegan and told the four deceased Uzumaki that he would join the organization while they watched from the shadows.
• Yahiko and his companions returned, and Aizen agreed to join after learning the group had over two hundred members and he could work flexibly.
• Yahiko told Aizen that Nagato would use the Projecting Image Technique to introduce two other core members.
• Obito and Black Zetsu discussed Aizen’s mysterious background, and Obito speculated that Aizen had guessed the origin of Nagato’s Rinnegan and might be targeting them.
• Obito decided to hint at inconsistencies to Yahiko and the others so suspicion could divide the organization.

Aizen joined Yahiko’s Akatsuki meeting and explained his supposed origins as an Undead of an Era Gone By. Yahiko and the others believed his story and offered to help him uncover the truth, while Black Zetsu suspected Aizen was searching for the being behind Nagato’s Rinnegan.

• Yahiko introduced Aizen Sōsuke to Obito and Black Zetsu as a new Akatsuki companion.
• Tobi questioned Aizen’s strength, and Yahiko praised Aizen for saving them from Hanzō of the Salamander and defeating a Land of Iron samurai commander.
• Aizen claimed he had awakened from an ancient era before Chakra, when a god brought Chakra to the world and later became a Fierce Demon who caused a World-Ending Catastrophe.
• Black Zetsu recognized details in Aizen’s tale and suspected Aizen had joined the Akatsuki to trace his enemy through Nagato’s Rinnegan.
• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato accepted Aizen’s story and pledged to help him find the truth, while Aizen said he had taken up swordsmanship again to oppose the Fierce Demon.

Aizen warned the Akatsuki that Hanzo might target Nagato’s Rinnegan and proposed using Hanzo’s apparent victory to hide the group’s activities. The chapter ended with Aizen offering to try controlling Hanzo.

• Obito said he would ask Zetsu about Aizen’s claims, while Black Zetsu suspected Aizen was trying to draw out his mother and resolved to stay vigilant.
• Yahiko asked about Tobi’s Demonic Beasts army, and Zetsu explained that a force of one hundred thousand would require money, territory, and time.
• Nagato proposed taking the Rain Country from Hanzo, but Yahiko argued that killing him openly would expose the Akatsuki.
• Aizen warned that Hanzo might reveal Nagato’s Rinnegan or target Nagato, prompting Yahiko to reconsider their plan.
• Aizen suggested letting Hanzo appear to kill the Akatsuki so they could retreat into secrecy, then offered to try controlling Hanzo.

Akatsuki discussed how to defeat Hanzo and discovered that the organization was nearly out of money, so Aizen proposed recruiting talented specialists. After the meeting, Obito and Black Zetsu discussed Aizen’s mysterious claims and decided not to provoke him until they learned more.

• Aizen said Akatsuki would need everyone’s help to defeat Hanzo, and Yahiko agreed that all six should attack together.
• Konan revealed that Akatsuki had only thirty million ryo left, and the group discussed ways to raise funds.
• Aizen argued that Akatsuki needed talented professionals, and Yahiko tentatively chose Kakuzu, Sasori, and Raiga Kurosuki to recruit after Hanzo was under control.
• Yahiko adjourned the meeting and set the next gathering for three days later at the Rain Country base.
• Obito asked Black Zetsu about Aizen, and Black Zetsu admitted he could not see through him and advised against provoking him.

Hanzo was ambushed by Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, Aizen, Obito, and Zetsu, but he chose to focus his attack on Obito. Aizen secretly guided Hanzo’s decision and watched Obito closely as the battle left Obito in grave danger.

• Hanzo prepared to lure the Akatsuki into a trap, but Konan and Yahiko launched a surprise attack on him.
• Zetsu’s spores bound Hanzo, and a Wood Release attack followed before Aizen struck him and the six attackers surrounded him.
• Yahiko and Konan explained that Aizen had controlled Hanzo’s subordinates with Genjutsu, and Hanzo recognized Aizen from their previous encounter.
• Hanzo judged the group’s strengths and charged at Obito, who held back from using his intangibility to avoid revealing his abilities to Aizen.
• Hanzo relentlessly attacked Obito while the others fought him, and Aizen watched, having secretly steered Hanzo toward Obito.

Aizen, Nagato, and Yahiko defeated Hanzo and used genjutsu to control him, then staged the apparent deaths of Akatsuki’s leaders. With Hanzo under their control, they planned to move Akatsuki underground and recruit three new members.

• Nagato’s repulsive force interrupted Obito’s fight with Hanzo, and Aizen later used Nagato’s gravity and his own sword to wound Hanzo before controlling him with genjutsu.
• Aizen and Yahiko arranged a scene in which Hanzo appeared to kill Akatsuki’s leaders, using modified bodies as their fake corpses.
• Garo woke the Rain shinobi from genjutsu, and they found Hanzo badly wounded beside what they believed were Akatsuki’s corpses.
• Hanzo ordered the bodies incinerated, while Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, and Aizen watched from hiding and discussed going underground.
• Aizen proposed having Hanzo establish an Anbu for masked Akatsuki members, and Yahiko said they would invite three people to join, educating them in love if they refused.