Chapter Summaries

Nara Kaikei learned that Sasori of the Red Sands had attacked the Country of Roran and decided to go after him. He left Nara Shikaku to figure out how the Hokage could leave the village alone, while keeping his plan to seize the Dragon Vein to himself.

• Nara Shikaku delivered intelligence dossiers about the Country of Roran and Sasori of the Red Sands to Nara Kaikei.
• Nara Kaikei learned that Sasori had breached Roran’s defenses and that the Queen of Loulan had died during the conflict.
• Nara Kaikei recognized that Konoha’s report about the Queen’s death was inaccurate, since Mukade had actually plotted against and killed her.
• Nara Kaikei asked Nara Shikaku whether a Hokage had ever left the village alone on a mission, then ordered him to find a way.
• Nara Kaikei said he intended to confront Sasori and vanished from the Hokage’s Office, leaving Nara Shikaku reaching for his afterimage.

Nara Kaikei visited Tsunade to discuss his plans for Rōran, revealing that the Dragon Vein was his main target and that he intended to ask Sage Katsuyu about it. He invited Tsunade to Shikkotsu Forest, and she agreed to go with him.

• Nara Kaikei visited Tsunade at the Senju compound, where she questioned his plan to travel alone to Rōran and confront Sasori of the Red Sands.
• Tsunade suggested that the Third Hokage or Minato Namikaze could handle the mission instead of Nara Kaikei.
• Nara Kaikei told Tsunade that he wanted to investigate the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran and seek Sage Katsuyu’s guidance.
• Nara Kaikei invited Tsunade to travel with him to Shikkotsu Forest using his summoning contract with Katsuyu.
• Tsunade agreed to accompany Nara Kaikei to Shikkotsu Forest.

Nara Kaikei summoned Katsuyu and traveled with Tsunade to Shikkotsu Forest, where he sought answers from Sage Katsuyu. He left a Shadow Stream Blade mark in the forest and asked whether Katsuyu knew about the Dragon Vein.

• Nara Kaikei summoned Katsuyu and asked permission for himself and Tsunade to visit Shikkotsu Forest.
• Katsuyu agreed to receive them, and Nara Kaikei and Tsunade used the Reverse Summoning Technique to travel there.
• Nara Shikaku arrived at the Senju Clan compound but failed to find Nara Kaikei.
• Nara Kaikei and Tsunade reached Shikkotsu Forest, where he marveled at its abundant Natural Energy and left a Shadow Stream Blade mark.
• Sage Katsuyu appeared before them, and Nara Kaikei asked whether it knew about the Dragon Vein.

Nara Kaikei learned from Sage Katsuyu that the Dragon Vein beneath the Country of Roran might be residual Chakra from the Divine Tree. Sage Katsuyu recounted the ancient history of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Sage of Six Paths, leaving Tsunade stunned to learn that the Sage had truly existed.

• Nara Kaikei showed Sage Katsuyu a map of the ninja world and located the Country of Roran.
• Sage Katsuyu suggested that the Dragon Vein was residual Chakra from the Divine Tree.
• Sage Katsuyu explained that the Divine Tree came from the Rabbit Goddess and was unrelated to Hashirama Senju's Wood Release.
• Sage Katsuyu recounted Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's descent, the Divine Tree's destruction, and the conflict between Kaguya and her sons.
• Tsunade asked whether the Sage of Six Paths had been a real person, and Sage Katsuyu confirmed that he had.

Tsunade doubted Katsuyu’s account of the Sage of Six Paths until Nara Kaikei described Yin-Yang Release and demonstrated it by creating a short-lived creature. Katsuyu said the creature had died because it could not communicate with nature.

• Katsuyu told Tsunade that the Sage of Six Paths had existed and that the Senju and Uchiha Clans inherited his powers.
• Nara Kaikei explained that the tailed beasts were created by the Sage of Six Paths using Yin-Yang Release.
• Nara Kaikei formed a black hedgehog with Yin-Yang Release, but it soon exploded into Chakra.
• Katsuyu told Nara Kaikei that the hedgehog’s life was brief because it lacked the ability to communicate with nature.

Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu how to make his Yin-Yang Release-created black hedgehog sustain itself by absorbing Natural Energy. After Sage Katsuyu identified the need for stable resonance and noted Kaikei lacked enough Chakra to maintain it, he wondered whether Rōran’s Dragon Vein could serve as an energy source.

• Nara Kaikei confirmed that his black hedgehog could not absorb Natural Energy and depended on the Chakra used to create it.
• Sage Katsuyu explained that the creature’s Chakra needed to resonate stably with Natural Energy, as tailed beasts did.
• Nara Kaikei demonstrated [Raikō: Senju Satsu] in Shikkotsu Forest, where abundant Natural Energy enlarged its Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva.
• Sage Katsuyu praised the technique but said Kaikei’s Chakra was too low to sustain its effects for long.
• Nara Kaikei asked whether Rōran’s Dragon Vein could solve his Chakra shortage and let him become a Dragon Vein Jinchuriki.

Nara Kaikei learned that sealing the Dragon Vein could increase his Chakra, but Sage Katsuyu warned that its Divine Tree Chakra might be dangerously corrosive. After discovering that he had learned Mount Myōboku's senjutsu, Sage Katsuyu offered to teach him Shikkotsu Forest senjutsu.

• Sage Katsuyu explained that the Dragon Vein might be Divine Tree residue and advised Nara Kaikei to summon it before he approached the Dragon Vein in Rōran.
• Nara Kaikei agreed to summon Sage Katsuyu and considered whether he might eventually seal the Dragon Vein inside himself.
• Sage Katsuyu recognized that Nara Kaikei had practiced both Temple of Fire senjutsu and Mount Myōboku's senjutsu.
• Tsunade realized Nara Kaikei had learned Jiraiya's Sage Mode, and he said he had gained insights while fighting Jiraiya.
• Sage Katsuyu offered to teach Nara Kaikei the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest.

Nara Kaikei accepted Sage Katsuyu’s offer to teach him the Sage Arts of Shikkotsu Forest and learned that the sacred land lay in the sea near the Land of Whirlpools. He asked Katsuyu to show him the difference in strength between an ordinary ninja and an ancient sage.

• Nara Kaikei eagerly accepted Sage Katsuyu’s offer to teach him Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Arts.
• Tsunade praised Nara Kaikei’s talent for learning ninjutsu, then returned to Konoha.
• Sage Katsuyu offered to summon Nara Kaikei from Konoha so he could spend longer training in Shikkotsu Forest.
• Nara Kaikei explained that his Flying Thunder God: Shadow Stream Blade marker let him travel to Shikkotsu Forest without relying on Katsuyu’s Summoning Technique.
• Sage Katsuyu pointed out Shikkotsu Forest’s location in the sea near the Land of Whirlpools.
• Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu to demonstrate the strength gap between an ordinary ninja and an ancient sage.

Nara Kaikei challenged Sage Katsuyu to test the sage’s strength and seek a powerful Ninja Scroll. Sage Katsuyu gathered its fragments into its enormous true form and began the sparring match by raining acid down on him.

• Nara Kaikei explained that ordinary ninja no longer challenged him and asked Sage Katsuyu to spar.
• Sage Katsuyu agreed and gathered every slug in Shikkotsu Forest into its body.
• Sage Katsuyu revealed a true form hundreds of meters long and asked whether it could attack.
• Nara Kaikei gave permission, and Sage Katsuyu unleashed Tongue Tooth Acid like a waterfall toward him.

Nara Kaikei fought Sage Katsuyu in Shikkotsu Forest, but her Tongue Tooth Acid nearly destroyed his [Black Warrior] and revealed the immense gap between them. After triggering an SS-Rank mission to defeat Sage Katsuyu, he unveiled a new giant Sage Art.

• Nara Kaikei retreated from Sage Katsuyu's Tongue Tooth Acid and formed the complete [Black Warrior] for protection.
• Sage Katsuyu's corrosive attack badly damaged the [Black Warrior] and rapidly drained Nara Kaikei's [Yin Seal] Chakra.
• Nara Kaikei escaped the acid's range and saw that defeating Sage Katsuyu had triggered an SS-Rank mission.
• Sage Katsuyu praised the [Black Warrior]'s transformation but noted that it was small compared with her enormous body.
• Nara Kaikei released his newly refined [Kai Release] Chakra and summoned a nearly hundred-meter-tall [Sage Art: Kai Release Black Warrior].

Nara Kaikei unveiled his Sage Art: Kai Release Black Warrior in Shikkotsu Forest and fought Sage Katsuyu, but the enormous construct drained his Chakra too quickly. He escaped Katsuyu’s final acid attack, and the system announced that he had completed the SS-Rank mission.

• Nara Kaikei combined Raikō: Senju Satsu with Black Warrior and summoned a Sage Gundam powered by the Natural Energy in Shikkotsu Forest.
• Sage Katsuyu sensed the construct’s immense size and strength as Nara Kaikei realized Shikkotsu Forest’s Natural Energy had made it far larger than before.
• Nara Kaikei sent Black Warrior charging at Sage Katsuyu and struck it, but Katsuyu’s body dispersed the force of the punch.
• Sage Katsuyu sprayed Tongue Tooth Acid at Black Warrior, corroding some of its Kai Release armor without causing major damage.
• Nara Kaikei’s Chakra ran out, causing Black Warrior to collapse, and he escaped the acid with Shadow Stream Blade.
• Sage Katsuyu declared itself the winner, and the system awarded Nara Kaikei an S-Rank Ninja Scroll for completing the SS-Rank mission.

Nara Kaikei opened an S-Rank Ninja Scroll and obtained Sage Katsuyu’s Great Slug Split, a technique that could create unlimited flesh-and-blood clones by dividing cells. After praising his strength, Sage Katsuyu offered to teach him Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Mode.

• Nara Kaikei opened the S-Rank Ninja Scroll and discovered it contained Great Slug Split.
• Nara Kaikei compared the technique with Mū’s Splitting Technique and considered using its unlimited cell division for cultivating cells needed by special ninja tools and locations.
• Sage Katsuyu approached Nara Kaikei and said that few ninjas could match his power after seeing his giant jutsu.
• Nara Kaikei said that he was only a ninja and lacked a sage’s power.
• Sage Katsuyu praised Nara Kaikei and offered to teach him Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Mode.

Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu about Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Arts and whether its methods could help him avoid the bodily transformations caused by Mount Myōboku’s Sage Mode. Sage Katsuyu said he would need to create a Sage Mode of his own, one belonging solely to humans.

• Sage Katsuyu explained that its Special Mucus could help beginners sense Natural Energy, though it would not help Nara Kaikei, who already sensed it.
• Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu how to prevent Mount Myōboku’s Sage Chakra from burdening and mutating his body.
• Nara Kaikei reflected on the bodily transformations linked to Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, and explained why he avoided seeking advice from the Great Toad Sage.
• Sage Katsuyu said Nara Kaikei would have to create a Sage Mode exclusive to humans to solve the problem.

Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu about a human-exclusive Sage Mode and learned that Hashirama Senju had developed his own, drawing partly on the Sage Clan Talent at the Temple of Fire. Kaikei considered visiting the Temple of Fire to investigate, while the chapter noted that Hashirama’s strength progression remained mysterious.

• Nara Kaikei asked Sage Katsuyu whether humans could cultivate a Sage Mode suited to them, and she said she did not know how but believed it was possible.
• Nara Kaikei asked whether Hashirama Senju’s Sage Arts came from Shikkotsu Forest, and Sage Katsuyu said he had cultivated his Sage Mode himself.
• Sage Katsuyu revised her answer and said Hashirama’s Sage Mode had also drawn on the Sage Clan Talent cultivation methods at the Temple of Fire.
• Nara Kaikei considered visiting the Temple of Fire to learn more about Hashirama’s Sage Mode.
• The chapter reflected on Hashirama Senju’s unexplained strength, which had repeatedly matched or surpassed Uchiha Madara’s.

Nara Kaikei learned Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Mode under Sage Katsuyu and successfully used it, adding a second Great Sage Region’s Sage Mode to his abilities. He resolved to leave Ryūchi Cave’s Sage Mode for later and planned to visit the Temple of Fire for guidance.

• Nara Kaikei added a visit to the Temple of Fire to his schedule while listening to Sage Katsuyu’s lessons in Shikkotsu Forest.
• Nara Kaikei learned Sage Mode - Sage Forest and noted that it drew Natural Energy primarily from seawater.
• Nara Kaikei considered pursuing earth-based Sage Jutsu but decided that developing a permanent Sage Mode mattered more.
• Nara Kaikei absorbed Natural Energy from Shikkotsu Forest and successfully entered its Sage Mode, developing pale skin, black eyes, and several rows of small teeth.
• Nara Kaikei created a Sage Shadow Clone and thanked Sage Katsuyu for her guidance.

After returning from Shikkotsu Forest, Nara Kaikei planned to travel to Rōran and the Temple of Fire, but Hiruzen Sarutobi warned against the Hokage going alone. Kaikei insisted that Rōran itself was the priority and revealed that its Dragon Vein might be connected to the legendary Divine Tree.

• Nara Kaikei searched for his Shikkotsu Forest mark from Konoha but could not sense it, concluding that a special barrier blocked access.
• Nara Kaikei explained that leaving Sage Mode depleted his Chakra and reaffirmed his goal of developing a sustained Sage Mode.
• Nara Kaikei told Nara Shikaku he planned to visit Rōran and then the Temple of Fire.
• Nara Shikaku and Hiruzen Sarutobi objected to the Fourth Generation leaving the village alone, and Hiruzen offered to go to Rōran himself.
• Nara Kaikei rejected Hiruzen Sarutobi's suspicions about Sand Village and explained that Sage Katsuyu had linked Rōran's Dragon Vein to the legendary Divine Tree.

After learning that the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran might be linked to the Divine Tree, Nara Kaikei decided to investigate it, and Hiruzen Sarutobi urged him to travel with a squad. Kaikei assembled Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Shisui, and Tsunade, then set out for Rōran.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted Sage Katsuyu's account of the Sage of Six Paths and the Divine Tree as credible, and agreed that the Dragon Vein might conceal a major secret.
• Nara Kaikei explained that he wanted to investigate Rōran's Dragon Vein because it could aid his research into the Divine Tree.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi warned Kaikei against traveling alone and insisted that Minato Namikaze accompany him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi left the rest of the squad's selection to Nara Shikaku, who chose Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Shisui, and Tsunade.
• Nara Kaikei gathered the squad in the Hokage's Office, summoned a Shadow Creature, and led them out toward Rōran.

Nara Kaikei led Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, and Uchiha Shisui into the Land of Wind to find Sasori of the Red Sands and investigate Rōran’s Dragon Vein. Near Rōran, they discovered a battle between two puppet forces, and Kaikei spotted Sasori among them.

• Nara Kaikei told his team he hoped to promote Yakushi Nonō’s [Super Beast Imitation Painting] within Konoha if she approved.
• Nara Kaikei chose to search the Country of Roran for Sasori before investigating Rōran and its Dragon Vein.
• Nara Kaikei and his team flew to the oasis city of Rōran on the [Shadow Creature].
• Nara Kaikei’s team heard a rumble near the city and prepared for battle.
• Nara Kaikei saw two groups of puppet soldiers fighting and identified Sasori of the Red Sands behind one of them.

Nara Kaikei and his team watched Sasori of the Red Sands battle Rōran’s powerful metal Puppet Force, then observed both sides stop fighting after exchanging a scroll. Suspecting an improper transaction, Nara split his team to pursue Sasori and the metal puppet leader.

• Nara Kaikei and the Konoha group observed Sasori of the Red Sands controlling nearly a hundred crimson-cloaked puppets against Rōran’s metal Puppet Force.
• Nara Kaikei rejected Uchiha Shisui’s suggestion to capture Sasori immediately and decided to watch the battle, suspecting Rōran’s defenses were stronger than expected.
• The two Puppet Forces abruptly stopped fighting, and Nara Kaikei stealthily brought the [Shadow Creature] closer to investigate.
• A larger metal puppet delivered a special scroll to one of Sasori’s puppets, after which Sasori put away his puppets and left Rōran in a hunched puppet.
• Nara Kaikei sent Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Shisui to track the metal puppet leader while he and Tsunade pursued Sasori of the Red Sands.

Sasori of the Red Sands traveled through the desert toward his base while studying Rōran’s advanced puppet technology, then encountered Nara Kaikei and Tsunade. After Sasori attacked them with Hiruko, Nara blocked his assaults, forcing Sasori to summon his strongest puppet, the Third Kazekage.

• Sasori of the Red Sands examined the puppet research scroll from Rōran and decided to study it before seeking out Anrokuzan.
• Nara Kaikei and Tsunade confronted Sasori on the desert route, and Tsunade criticized him for failing to notice their pursuit.
• Hiruko attacked Nara Kaikei and Tsunade with Needle Wave, but Nara blocked the barrage with his Shadow Shield Technique.
• Sasori followed with Heavy Blade Arsenal, including explosive-tag kunai, but Nara expanded his shadow defense and stopped the attack.
• Sasori recognized that Hiruko could not break through Nara’s defenses and summoned the Third Kazekage.