Chapter Summaries

Soseki confronted Yagura over suspicions that he was being controlled by Genjutsu and demanded that the Hidden Mist shinobi verify his identity. When Yagura attacked, Soseki used Armament Haki to swiftly defeat Raiga and Kakuzu, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Yagura tried to leave with the Six-Tails, but Soseki told him to stay and accused him of being controlled by Genjutsu.
• Soseki argued that Yagura's control of the Three-Tails and Hozuki Crescent Moon proved his suspicion, while Yagura refused to let anyone check him.
• Soseki demanded that Yagura submit to having the Genjutsu removed or be beaten until it was removed, and Yagura charged toward Kakuzu and Raiga.
• Soseki used Armament Haki to repel Raiga's lightning and knock him down.
• Soseki ignored Kakuzu's five-element attack and kicked him, shattering three of his hearts.

Aizen found the starving Haku in Kirigakure and brought him together with Kimimaro, who learned that Haku possessed a Kekkei Genkai. On the sea, Soseki overwhelmed Yagura, who summoned a replica of Kakashi as a countermeasure.

• Aizen gave Haku steamed buns and asked Kimimaro to look after him before leaving.
• Kimimaro introduced himself as a member of the Kaguya Clan and explained that Kekkei Genkai were not demonic abilities.
• Haku demonstrated his ice ability, covering the garbage pile in ice crystals, and told Kimimaro he was from the Yuki Clan.
• Kimimaro put an arm around Haku and promised that they would work to become Aizen's most powerful weapons.
• Soseki attacked Yagura, shattered his shoulder blade, and forced him to use water clones while preparing a Water Mirror.
• Yagura summoned a replica of Kakashi, who watched from a distance with a gloomy expression.

Soseki defeated Yagura and froze the sea, while Aizen appeared through the Genjutsu-controlled Ao to negotiate for Kakuzu and Raiga. Aizen agreed to pay one thousand Gelel Stones for each captive, leaving Raiga grateful and Mei Terumi eyeing the pair as a source of money for Hidden Mist Village.

• Soseki smashed Kakashi’s clone, then froze Yagura and the enormous wave with Water Release.
• Soseki left Yagura to the Hidden Mist shinobi and told them to find a Genjutsu user to free him.
• Soseki caught Kakuzu and Raiga trying to escape with a wooden dragon, and Ao asked to ransom them.
• Soseki identified Ao as the masked man who had rescued Sasori three years earlier, and Ao offered one thousand Gelel Stones per captive.
• Aizen accepted the price, Raiga gratefully pledged himself to Aizen, and Mei Terumi considered capturing and ransoming them repeatedly for village funds.

After the battle, Soseki arranged for Raiga’s Thunder Blades to be returned to the Hidden Mist Village, while Obito and Black Zetsu worried about Soseki’s growing strength. Aizen reunited with Kakuzu and Raiga, and news of a planned Five Kage Summit left both groups stunned.

• Mei Terumi asked Soseki to return Raiga’s Thunder Blades to the Hidden Mist Village, and Raiga agreed under pressure from the wooden dragon.
• Obito lamented losing his plans for the Hidden Mist Village, while Black Zetsu feared Soseki might become too powerful for Madara to defeat.
• Aizen dispelled his genjutsu on Ao and brought Kakuzu and Raiga to meet his original body; the two thanked him for saving them and the Gelel Stones.
• Aizen told Kakuzu and Raiga that the Raikage planned to convene a Five Kage Summit, shocking them.
• Soseki told Asuma, Shizune, and the others about the planned summit, and Asuma lost his excitement after considering who might represent the Leaf Village.

After the Mizukage resigned, Mei Terumi became acting Fifth Mizukage and prepared the Hidden Mist Village for the Five Kage Summit. Back in the Leaf Village, Danzo plotted to use the summit to restore his authority by making Soseki fight on the village’s behalf.

• Soseki told Kurenai that he had investigated another dangerous organization during his three-year absence.
• Mei Terumi and the Hidden Mist jonin confirmed that the Mizukage’s genjutsu had been dispelled, and the Mizukage resigned out of remorse.
• Mei Terumi announced that she would serve as acting Fifth Mizukage, and Soseki delivered the Raikage’s invitation to the Five Kage Summit.
• Mei Terumi ordered the Hidden Mist ninja to gather intelligence on the organization and present the village in a new light.
• Danzo refused to act against Soseki directly, then proposed that Soseki fight to secure Danzo’s leadership at the summit.

Naruto and the other children played a game about Lord Soseki, while Itachi unexpectedly gave Sasuke cat ears. On the way home, Naruto spoke with Kurama about the ears and his supposedly ordinary family, then discovered that Lord Soseki was visiting his mother.

• Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Neji played Lord Soseki Battles the Bad Guys in the park.
• Itachi placed cat ears on Sasuke, then fled with the Body Flicker Technique when the children reacted excitedly.
• Naruto asked Kurama whether fox ears would be as popular as cat ears, and Kurama teased him about his looks.
• Naruto sensed that Kushina had a guest at home and learned from Kurama that it was Lord Soseki.
• Naruto entered the house and recognized Lord Soseki, who greeted him as a boy who had grown a lot in three years.

Soseki reunited with Kushina, Minato, and Naruto, then learned that Minato had uncovered a dangerous organization called Kara. Minato explained Kara’s method of creating orphans and said its powerful members had hunted him, leaving Soseki to seek more information about the group.

• Naruto peppered Soseki with questions and admitted he wanted to attract girls so they would stop taking Sasuke’s attention.
• Minato arrived using the Flying Thunder God Technique and told Soseki he had found information about an organization.
• Minato clarified that the organization was Kara, not the Akatsuki, and described how its members murdered selected families before pretending to adopt their children.
• Minato said he had killed Kara’s criminals but was later hunted by powerful members, though the Flying Thunder God Technique helped him avoid injury.

Minato explained to Soseki and Kushina how Kara’s Scientific Ninja Tools had caught him off guard, prompting Soseki to suspect that Kara was monitoring the Rinnegan and might be connected to hidden Otsutsuki. Soseki decided he needed more intelligence and began planning to infiltrate Kara through gifted orphans, though he judged Kimimaro and Haku were not ready yet.

• Minato showed Kushina and Soseki Kara’s laser cannon and Chakra sword, explaining how their hand-seal-free weapons had surprised him.
• Soseki inferred that Kara’s tools came from a separate space and that the organization might be watching the Rinnegan’s connection to Six Paths.
• Soseki considered whether Otsutsuki beyond those in his memories were hidden in the Shinobi World and concluded he lacked enough intelligence to judge.
• Soseki decided to infiltrate Kara by helping it gather gifted orphans, but postponed using Kimimaro and Haku until he had built their trust and dependence.

Akatsuki welcomed Kisame and discussed the Five Kage Summit, which the Raikage planned to convene against them. Sasori proposed storming the summit and using a scheme involving immortality and resurrection to divert attention from the organization’s Tailed Beast activities.

• Yahiko introduced Kisame as a new official member and assigned him to Raiga and Kakuzu’s group, while Raiga assumed Kisame was weaker than he was.
• Kakuzu asked Kisame about the Hidden Mist’s hidden controller, and Obito admitted that he had controlled the Fourth Mizukage.
• Yahiko revealed that the Raikage planned to convene a Five Kage Summit to discuss containing Akatsuki, and Obito complained that their activities had drawn attention.
• Kisame challenged Obito’s claim that spreading Chakra and ninjutsu methods was the main cause of that attention, and Yahiko redirected the discussion toward solutions.
• Sasori proposed storming the Five Kage Summit to divert attention with a misleading target, then named immortality and resurrection as the subjects that could make the ploy convincing.
• Obito wondered where Sasori had learned about the Rinne Rebirth Technique, but believed it could not bring Rin back.

Sasori explained that the organization would seize Danzo at the Five Kage Summit to obtain the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, and revealed that living puppets could overcome the technique’s short duration. Obito joined the plan to revive Rin, while Aizen offered a mysterious friend to delay Shimizu Soseki.

• Sasori said the group would capture Danzo publicly at the summit and trade him to Leaf Village for the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
• Sasori claimed Gelel Stones had helped him create living puppets that could serve as sacrifices and keep resurrected souls in the world.
• Obito agreed to join so he could try to revive Rin, and he signed Black Zetsu up as well.
• Sasori revealed he had made four powerful puppets and planned to deploy them for the operation.
• Kakuzu warned that Shimizu Soseki could reach the summit and stop them, so Sasori said Aizen had arranged for a friend to hold him off.

Nagato agreed to send the Six Paths of Pain to help gather Kekkei Genkai cells and challenge Shimizu Soseki, while Obito resolved to let Rin decide whether she wanted to be resurrected as a puppet. The chapter ended with Black Zetsu alarmed that Rin might turn Obito against him.

• Aizen told Yahiko that his friend would help in exchange for body cells from Kekkei Genkai users, and Yahiko accepted the deal.
• Nagato decided to send his avatar to join the operation and told the others to call him Pain outside.
• Nagato told Konan that he could now control the Six Paths of Pain over an extremely long distance, and she warned him not to overuse the Rinnegan.
• Black Zetsu questioned whether Rin would want to return as a puppet and reminded Obito of the harm he had caused in her name.
• Obito said he would ask Rin herself and respect her choice if she refused resurrection, leaving Black Zetsu worried that Rin could turn him against him.

Danzo arrived at the Land of Iron as Leaf Village’s Fifth Hokage, while Pain’s group waited nearby for the Five Kage Summit to begin. After the Kage exchanged insults, Mifune called for cooperation, and A opened the summit to discuss the Akatsuki threat.

• Danzo, Ryoma, and Kinoe reached the Land of Iron, where Danzo declared that Leaf Village’s future depended on Kinoe.
• Pain’s group watched Danzo from a nearby hill and decided to wait for the summit to begin, while their contacted ally agreed only to stop Shimizu Soseki.
• The Five Kage entered the conference hall, where Danzo’s unusually dark-looking forehead drew surprised looks and the Kage traded barbs.
• Ōnoki joined the meeting and teased Danzo about being younger, before Mifune urged the Kage to focus on peace and problem-solving.
• A officially opened the Five Kage Summit and named the Akatsuki threat as its main topic.

The Five Kage discussed the Akatsuki’s threat and considered spreading Chakra themselves, but the meeting was interrupted by an assault aimed at Danzo. Danzo’s attempt to fight back went disastrously wrong, leaving him unconscious as the attackers and Kage watched in shock.

• Mei Terumi said Raiga Kurosuki and Kakuzu were suspected Akatsuki members, and she confirmed that the Fourth Mizukage had been controlled by an unknown mastermind.
• Ōnoki and the others discussed whether the mastermind was connected to the Akatsuki, while Danzo recalled a masked man who had warned him about the Nine-Tails Rebellion.
• Pain instructed Sasori and "Tobi" to target Shimura Danzō during the attack, and the Five Kage discussed the Akatsuki’s strength and the spread of Chakra.
• Ōnoki proposed that the villages spread Chakra too, and Danzo supported forming a temporary alliance before Pain’s Shinra Tensei blasted apart the meeting hall.
• Danzo was pulled toward the attackers, summoned the Dream Tapir to stop himself, then lost control of his Wind Release after Magatsuhi made him itch and knocked himself unconscious.

Shinichi caught Danzo after he knocked himself unconscious with Wind Release, and the Akatsuki demanded Impure World Reincarnation in exchange for him. When the Five Kage refused to let the Akatsuki leave, A overwhelmed Pain with his new Lightning Release Mode and struck him down.

• Shinichi caught the unconscious Danzo, whose bloody pants stunned both the Akatsuki and the gathered shinobi.
• Ryoma blamed Mifune for Danzo's condition, while Sasori demanded Impure World Reincarnation as ransom and Pain explained the Akatsuki's aims.
• The Kage recognized Pain's Rinnegan, but A and the others refused to let the Akatsuki leave despite Danzo being their hostage.
• Pain sent Kakuzu away with Danzo, and A charged to stop him but was repelled by Pain's technique.
• A activated Super Lightning Release Mode, resisted Shinra Tensei, and punched Pain so hard that his head twisted out of shape.
• The gathered shinobi celebrated A's apparent victory, while the Akatsuki calmly remarked on his strength.

Pain revealed that he could revive his Paths repeatedly during a battle and attacked the allied shinobi forces as he tried to capture Danzo and escape. The forces rallied at the mention of Shimizu Soseki, and the battle escalated as A charged and Obito unleashed Wood Release.

• Pain reappeared after A killed one of his bodies, then claimed he could revive his Paths without limit during a battle.
• Ōnoki urged the allied shinobi forces not to panic, and Rasa and Mei Terumi rallied them by pointing out that Pain feared Shimizu Soseki.
• The allied forces attacked, but the Preta Path absorbed their chakra before Pain killed him and his allies restored him through the King of Hell.
• The Asura Path and the Vortex Four fired rockets at the allied forces, while Rasa raised gold dust and Ōnoki blocked the debris with a stone wall.
• Ryoma urged the forces to stop holding back, and A charged the enemy as the jonin launched their attacks.
• Obito notified Black Zetsu and unleashed Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

The Akatsuki unleashed Wood Release, Summoning Beasts, mechanized weapons, and controlled fighters against the Five Shinobi Alliance, overwhelming its forces despite their counterattacks. As A witnessed the Akatsuki’s immense strength, he wondered whether Shimizu Soseki’s deterrence alone had maintained the Shinobi World’s fragile peace.

• Kinoe used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, and giant Summoning Beasts led by the revived Preta Path charged through the alliance formations.
• Kitsuchi crushed two Summoning Beasts with Earth Release, while Ōnoki attacked Deva Path Pain with Dust Release and A tried to strike from Pain’s blind spot.
• Mei Terumi used Lava Release against the Vortex Four’s mechanized armor, while gold dust slowed the puppets and allowed her attack to damage them.
• White Zetsu covered Kinoe in spores and controlled him, causing him to unleash the gigantic Wood Human Technique against the alliance forces.
• A saw the Akatsuki’s overwhelming strength and wondered whether Shimizu Soseki’s deterrence had kept the Shinobi World at peace.

Pain confronted the Allied Shinobi Forces with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, but Soseki arrived and stopped the attack before defeating Kinoe’s giant wooden figure with a colossal Buddha. Ryoma then realized Danzo might be in danger and called for someone to save the Hokage.

• Pain ordered Tobi and Sasori to retreat as Soseki approached, then summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and unleashed its lethal Chakra Dragons on the Allied Shinobi Forces.
• Pain used Banshō Ten'in to pull shinobi toward the Chakra Dragons, but Soseki arrived and destroyed the dragons with a powerful soul-like pressure.
• Kinoe's wooden figure launched a surprise attack on Soseki, burying him beneath hundreds of arms.
• Soseki emerged in a gigantic Buddha form, overwhelmed the wooden figure with its thousand arms, and rescued Kinoe from the spore body.
• Ryoma saw Kinoe thanking Soseki, remembered Danzo, and shouted for someone to save the Hokage.

Soseki battled Pain’s forces while a masked man called “Toneri” appeared to hold him off with seemingly invincible defenses and a Complete Body Susanoo. The Allied Forces and Black Zetsu were left wondering how someone with Byakugan could wield such powers.

• Soseki’s giant Buddha statue fought the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as Mifune reflected on the samurai’s weakness against such powerful foes.
• A masked man called “Toneri” arrived to help Pain, and Soseki’s first punch sent him crashing underground without visible injury.
• Soseki battered “Toneri” at high speed, but the masked man endured every attack and broke free of Soseki’s Wood Release: Root Bind.
• “Toneri” formed a Complete Body Susanoo, shocking the Allied Forces, who recognized the Byakugan beneath his mask.
• Black Zetsu wondered whether “Toneri” came from a branch of Hamura’s descendants on the moon.

After Akatsuki withdrew from the Five Kage Summit, Soseki faced pressure to sacrifice Danzo rather than hand over the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu. The Kage then discussed sharing shinobi training, and Soseki proposed a Dream World network to help ninja learn techniques.

• Toneri ran out of Chakra and left, while Pain recalled his paths and the demonic statue before warning Soseki they would meet again.
• A and the other Kage urged Soseki not to trade for Danzo's return or surrender the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, and Soseki said a jonin council would decide.
• A proposed opening access to Chakra and low- and mid-level ninjutsu training, but Ōnoki and Rasa raised concerns about changing the villages' systems.
• Soseki proposed linking the Five Great Shinobi Countries through an updated Dream World network where ninja could spend mission contributions on projected ninjutsu training experiences.

Soseki proposed expanding Dream World with guided Ninjutsu training and a section where shinobi could exchange newly developed or unique techniques for points. The villages considered pooling points to obtain Kekkei Genkai training, while Soseki prepared to use their collective ideas for his own ends.

• Soseki explained that he could provide guided training experiences for mainstream low- and mid-level techniques, including simulated Lightning and Fire Release.
• Soseki proposed a Dream World forum for exchanging Ninjutsu ideas and offering his developed techniques in return for points earned by creating or donating Ninjutsu.
• Soseki set preliminary exchange requirements for Wood Release and warned that Kekkei Genkai training might fail, could not be shared, and could be transferred up to three times with the recipient's training memories stripped away.
• A suggested pooling village points to find someone suited to Wood Release, and Rasa recognized the strategy from Sunagakure's past efforts to raise funds.
• Ōnoki considered whether to exchange Dust Release, while Soseki was pleased that his plan to gather ideas from shinobi had begun.