Chapter Summaries

After abandoning the damaged ritual site, Hyuga Kagami returned to the Aerial Fortress and assessed the ritual’s flaws, realizing his preparations had been far too weak for its fourth stage. He became a Free Impure World Body, tested its abilities, and discovered that it was weaker than his Yang Clone Technique and would eventually collapse.

• Hyuga Kagami reviewed the ritual and realized the altar had nearly collapsed when he opened the Gate of Death, while his prepared chakra was nowhere near enough for the fourth stage.
• Hyuga Kagami left the damaged altar behind and returned to the Aerial Fortress with Karin, Gaara, and the Third Kazekage Human Puppet.
• Hyuga Kagami treated his original body and six clones in nutrient tanks, then found that his Tenseigan’s chakra fluctuations had grown sevenfold and its appearance had changed.
• Hyuga Kagami released the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu and became a Free Impure World Body.
• Hyuga Kagami found that his new body was weaker than his Yang Clone Technique, could not enter Tenseigan Chakra Mode, and would gradually collapse as his spirit eroded the sacrifice.

Mitsuki defeated Kiba and Rock Lee during a training-ground sparring session, while Shino’s insects revealed that Mitsuki’s chakra was unusually intimidating. After watching Mitsuki’s fighting style, Neji believed his Gentle Fist could counter it and stepped into the field to challenge him.

• Mitsuki bound Kiba and Akamaru with snakes and threw them from the training ground, adding them to the classmates he had already defeated.
• Shino noticed his Kikaichū feared Mitsuki, and Shikamaru suspected the newcomer had an unusual background and exceptional strength.
• Choji and Sai brought Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten to watch, and Rock Lee challenged Mitsuki to a fight.
• Sasuke declared that only Naruto and he could defeat Mitsuki, while Neji activated his Byakugan to study the match.
• Mitsuki used his Soft Physique Technique to evade and counter Rock Lee’s taijutsu, then defeated him.
• After the match, Neji judged that his Gentle Fist could counter Mitsuki and entered the field to challenge him.

Neji fought Mitsuki in the competition, but Mitsuki revealed Sage Mode and defeated him. The instructors recognized Mitsuki’s power as the battle ended, while an unnoticed crow continued watching from a distant tree.

• Kurenai, Asuma, Guy, and Shizune discussed Neji’s chances against Mitsuki, and Kakashi predicted Neji would lose.
• Neji used the Byakugan and Gentle Fist to corner Mitsuki, prompting Mitsuki to unleash Lightning Release: Snake Lightning.
• Neji dodged the lightning and blocked Mitsuki’s white-scaled snakes with Kaiten, then challenged Mitsuki to stop holding back.
• Mitsuki used the Body Flicker Technique and Sage Mode to strike Neji before he could react, sending him flying and securing the victory.
• Shizune recognized Mitsuki’s power as Sage Mode, Kakashi confirmed it, and a crow watched the field unnoticed.

After losing to Mitsuki, Neji struggled with his failure and the Hyuga Clan’s decline. Hizashi told him the times had changed and the clan might be left behind.

• Neji accepted Mitsuki’s Seal of Reconciliation after recognizing his defeat, and Mitsuki left Sage Mode as Sasuke called his team away.
• Shikamaru pulled Ino away from comforting Neji, explaining that Neji’s clan status and reputation made defeat especially difficult for him.
• Neji returned home and trained for hours, troubled that he could not catch up to Naruto and Sasuke or restore the Hyuga Clan’s reputation.
• Hizashi visited Neji and said the stolen Byakugan was not his fault, but admitted that the Hyuga Clan’s abilities seemed inadequate against the changing Ninja World.
• Neji asked how he could help the clan when he could not match Mitsuki, and Hizashi left, saying the times had changed and the Hyuga Clan might be left behind.

Neji struggled with doubts about the Hyuga Clan and his inability to match Sasuke and Naruto, but resolved to keep training for Hyuga Kagami's sake. Hyuga Kagami secretly summoned him to a remote cave and revealed that he needed Neji's eyes.

• Neji recalled how Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan and the Byakugan's limits had widened the gap between them, then regained his resolve by remembering Hyuga Kagami's teachings.
• A ninja crow carrying Hyuga Kagami's chakra told Neji to pack quietly and follow it without alerting anyone.
• Neji traveled for two days with the crow and entered a remote cave, where he found Hyuga Kagami in an Edo Tensei body.
• Hyuga Kagami asked whether Neji accepted his losses to Sasuke, Naruto, and Mitsuki, then revealed his damaged body and said he needed Neji's help.
• Hyuga Kagami told Neji, "I want your eyes!"

Hyuga Kagami tested Neji by asking him to sacrifice his Byakugan, then revealed he was already dead and needed Neji’s living body and Byakugan chakra to nourish his Tenseigan. He acknowledged Neji’s envy of Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan and offered him a chance to experience his own eyes, leaving Neji poised for what comes next.

• Hyuga Kagami told Neji that taking his Byakugan would kill him, and Neji agreed to offer his eyes because Kagami was his teacher.
• Kagami revealed that he was already dead and explained that the request had been a test of Neji’s resolve.
• Kagami led Neji into an operating room and explained that he needed Neji’s living body and Byakugan chakra to preserve the vitality of his Tenseigan.
• Neji admitted that he envied Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan, and Kagami told him he could experience Kagami’s eyes.

Hyuga Kagami temporarily suppressed Neji’s Caged Bird Seal and transplanted his Tenseigan into him. Neji initially felt fine, but the eyes soon caused severe pain, leaving Hyuga Kagami unsure whether Neji could withstand them.

• Hyuga Kagami infused Neji with Tenseigan chakra and temporarily suppressed the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead.
• Hyuga Kagami removed Neji’s Byakugan and stored them in a nutrient tank before preparing his own Tenseigan for transplant.
• Hyuga Kagami implanted his Tenseigan into Neji, who initially reported no discomfort.
• Neji suddenly convulsed in pain as the Tenseigan threatened to overwhelm him, and Hyuga Kagami told him to activate the Yin Seal.
• Neji released the chakra stored in his Yin Seal, easing the pain somewhat, while Hyuga Kagami admitted, “it wasn't like this before.”

Hyuga Kagami’s Tenseigan overwhelmed Neji after being transplanted into him, and Hyuga Kagami prepared to remove them. After hearing Neji’s determination to escape the fate of a caged bird, Hyuga Kagami gave him a chance to become the Ryumyaku Jinchuriki and endure the eyes.

• Neji’s released Yin Seal briefly eased the pain, but his body continued to reject Hyuga Kagami’s Tenseigan.
• Hyuga Kagami realized Neji could not bear the eyes and prepared to sedate him and remove them.
• Neji insisted he wanted to pursue his dreams freely instead of remaining a mediocre bird trapped in a cage.
• Hyuga Kagami released Ryumyaku chakra and explained how Neji could form a contract with it.
• Hyuga Kagami gave Neji one chance to become the Ryumyaku Jinchuriki and prove he could bear the Tenseigan.

Neji formed a contract with the Ryumyaku, becoming its second Jinchuriki after Hyuga Kagami, and the Ryumyaku chakra quieted the Tenseigan. Three days later, Hyuga Kagami warned Neji that transplanting the Tenseigan could activate dormant genes in his body, a dangerous process with a very low chance of survival.

• Neji forced himself to form the contract seals while Hyuga Kagami watched, having decided that the Ryumyaku’s influence threatened Hyuga Kagami’s pursuit of the Kekkei Mōra.
• The Ryumyaku’s dragon-shaped chakra phantom emerged from the gourd, hesitated, then entered Neji and accepted the contract.
• The Ryumyaku chakra poured into Neji and was absorbed by the Tenseigan, which quieted before Neji collapsed from exhaustion.
• Three days later, Neji woke and thanked Hyuga Kagami, who told him that he had only been entrusted with temporarily nurturing the Tenseigan.
• Hyuga Kagami warned Neji that transplanting the Tenseigan could activate his dormant special genetic sequences and that the resulting genetic recombination was almost always fatal.

After Neji awakened the Tenseigan, Hyuga Kagami taught him its techniques, and Neji learned that his teacher was Yama, leader of the God Organization. Neji was left reeling from the revelation and asked whether Hyuga Kagami was truly a Sage.

• Hyuga Kagami examined Neji after he had been unconscious for three days, and Neji reported improved vision and chakra.
• Neji unleashed Rotation at full strength, devastating the forest, and Hyuga Kagami warned him to control his power.
• Hyuga Kagami explained Rotation and taught Neji how to activate Tenseigan Chakra Mode, which Neji successfully used on his first try.
• Neji recognized that Tenseigan Chakra Mode resembled the powers of Yama, the God Organization's leader, and asked Hyuga Kagami if he was Yama.
• Hyuga Kagami admitted that he had created the organization, leaving Neji stunned as he asked whether his teacher was a Sage.

Hyuga Kagami revealed to Neji that he was dead and warned him to keep the news secret until his revival, then trained him to use the Tenseigan’s power. Neji demonstrated a devastating technique but exhausted himself, and Hyuga Kagami arranged ways to monitor and rescue him.

• Neji learned that Hyuga Kagami was dead and realized that no one would be able to restrain Nagato if Yama’s death became known.
• Hyuga Kagami instructed Neji to keep his death secret until he revived and taught him to condense and use Truth-Seeking Orbs.
• Neji used Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion to carve a ravine into the wasteland.
• Hyuga Kagami warned Neji that his body could not handle more techniques, and Neji’s Tenseigan Chakra Mode dissipated from exhaustion.
• Hyuga Kagami placed a chakra mark and a Summoning Technique formula on Neji so he could observe him and summon him to safety through the Giant Tenseigan.

Hyuga Kagami secured the Tenseigan inside Neji and returned to the Aerial Fortress to prepare for his resurrection. He planned to transplant First Hokage Cells into Karin the next day, then immediately attempt a second ritual after she revived him, but he still needed to solve the problem of gathering enough chakra.

• Hyuga Kagami confirmed that the Tenseigan remained stable inside Neji and sent him back to the village.
• Hyuga Kagami returned to the Aerial Fortress because Akatsuki and Otsutsuki Toneri could threaten him while he remained dead.
• Hyuga Kagami told Karin to prepare for a First Hokage Cell transplant the next day so she could gain the power needed to perform the Rinne Tensei Technique.
• Hyuga Kagami reasoned that Karin might survive reviving him because his corpse was intact and his life level had fallen below the Six Paths level.
• Hyuga Kagami began planning to perform his second ritual immediately after resurrection and realized he needed far more chakra than he had gathered before.

Hyuga Kagami realized his ritual to reach Kekkei Mōra required far more chakra than he had prepared, so he began considering natural energy and Senjutsu as an alternative to gathering the Tailed Beasts. He found the previous Miko’s pills in his vault and weighed whether they could help him master Senjutsu alongside Haku’s knowledge.

• Hyuga Kagami concluded that the ritual’s chakra requirement was his greatest obstacle.
• Hyuga Kagami dismissed gathering the Tailed Beasts because the plan would require reviving the Ten-Tails and killing Naruto, Gaara, and Karatachi Yagura.
• Hyuga Kagami decided to pursue natural energy and considered Senjutsu methods involving the sacred lands, Jugo, and the Miko lineage.
• Hyuga Kagami went to his private vault and retrieved the two remaining pills entrusted to him by the previous Miko.
• Hyuga Kagami considered combining the pills’ aid with Haku’s Senjutsu experience and techniques.

Hyuga Kagami considered whether Shion could reunite with Moryo and correct the Miko’s ancient mistake, but knew the dangerous fusion required Shion’s consent. After sending her a message, he received news from Kirigakure about a mysterious ironclad ship and ordered them to keep watch.

• Hyuga Kagami realized Shion could be an enormous chakra source and considered the risks of her fusing with Moryo.
• Hyuga Kagami decided to ask Shion to willingly accept Moryo and sent her a message by ninja crow.
• Hyuga Kagami left the secret vault and went to prepare for Karin’s transplant surgery the next day.
• Hyuga Kagami received Kirigakure’s report that an unidentified ironclad ship had crossed the Land of Water and Land of Tea before disappearing into a southeastern bay.
• Hyuga Kagami ruled out Sky Ninja Village as the likely source and ordered Kirigakure to monitor the ship and report new information.

Hyuga Kagami’s attempt to transplant First Hokage Cells into Karin ended in a dangerous rampage, but he used the Giant Tenseigan to stabilize her. Meanwhile, Shion slipped out of Konoha as Guy led Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten on an urgent mission that ended with them finding the Sunagakure investigation team dead.

• Hyuga Kagami stopped Karin’s transplant after the First Hokage Cells ran rampant, using the Giant Tenseigan to extract the Wood Release chakra and stabilize her.
• Hyuga Kagami reflected that Sharingan chakra helped suppress First Hokage Cells and suspected Nagato had used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to control them.
• Karin declared she had rested and was ready to continue the transplant.
• Shion secretly left Konoha with guidance from a ninja crow while her guard Ashiho remained unaware.
• Guy took Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten on an urgent joint investigation mission after unidentified enemies attacked coastal villages in the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers.
• Guy’s team entered the Land of Rivers and found the Sunagakure investigation team’s members dead in a mountain hollow.

Guy's team investigated the massacre of the Sunagakure team and tracked the attackers to a meeting between Kakuzu and Hidan and a group of foreign travelers. The foreigners paid the Akatsuki with a powerful Gelel Stone and hired them to capture an escaped merchant caravan leader as they searched for a Gelel Stone vein.

• Neji examined the dead Sunagakure shinobi and concluded that a large, sharp weapon had been used by one or two attackers among a larger group.
• Guy led Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten along the attackers' footprints to a distant valley, where they spotted Kakuzu and Hidan meeting armored foreigners.
• Tenten sent word to the village while Kakuzu accepted a Gelel Stone from Hyde as payment for killing the Sunagakure team.
• Hyde hired Kakuzu and Hidan to capture an escaped merchant caravan leader, and Kakuzu promised to deliver him within two days.
• Hyde told Timsy that the foreigners sought a Gelel Stone vein between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers to help them build their ideal nation.

Guy’s team learned from the wounded Baki that Akatsuki had taken Heyan to locate an ancient empire’s Gelel Stone vein. They tracked the foreigners’ ironclad ship to a canyon and watched Kakuzu and Hidan escort Heyan into a hidden cave.

• Guy’s team pursued the Akatsuki members after seeing them meet with the foreigners and leave with a box.
• Neji found the badly injured Baki at a battlefield, and Tenten treated him.
• Baki explained that Akatsuki had taken Heyan, who knew the location of the ancient ruins and their Gelel Stone vein.
• Neji suggested tracking the foreigners’ ironclad ship to find Akatsuki and Heyan, and Guy led the team after them.
• Guy’s team saw Kakuzu and Hidan escort Heyan into a concealed cave in a canyon.

Guy's team followed Kakuzu, Hidan, Hyde, and the foreigners into the ruins hiding the Gelel Stone vein, where Hyde revealed his plan to kill everyone else. As the battle began, Neji unexpectedly killed two armored foreigners with his Gentle Fist.

• Guy decided his team could not wait for reinforcements and led Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten into the canyon.
• Hyde and the foreigners followed Kakuzu and Hidan through the ruins while secretly planning to eliminate the Akatsuki after finding the vein.
• Heyan's glance revealed the carving that activated a descending stone platform, and Guy's team exposed themselves by jumping onto it.
• The groups reached an underground palace, where Hyde declared that the foreigners would kill the Akatsuki and Guy's team to claim the Gelel Stone.
• Guy's team began fighting the foreigners, and Neji struck two armored giants who immediately fell dead.

Hyuga Kagami completed the First Hokage Cell implantation in Karin and headed to the underground palace after learning Neji had encountered the Gelel Stone. There, Hyde exposed the Gelel Stone vein while fighting Guy’s team and the Akatsuki.

• Hyuga Kagami successfully implanted First Hokage Cells into Karin after seventeen procedures, then considered how his decaying Impure World body made preparations for his second ritual urgent.
• Hyuga Kagami learned about Neji’s mission and vanished toward the underground palace.
• Guy’s team and the Akatsuki defeated Hyde’s alien subordinates, including Kamira, Ranke, Wind, and Timsy.
• Hyde revealed his mutated form and grabbed old Heyan, demanding that he reveal the location of the Gelel Stone vein.
• Hyde blasted open the palace ceiling and exposed the Gelel Stone vein, drawing everyone’s attention.

The exposed Gelel Stone vein flooded Hyde and Timsy with chakra, but Sasuke quickly knocked Hyde down after he proclaimed himself a god. Kakashi arrived with Team Kakashi to help Guy’s team confront Akatsuki, and Nagato entered the underground palace.

• The Gelel Stone vein was revealed, and its chakra surged into Hyde and Timsy, dramatically increasing their power.
• Neji warned the gathered shinobi that Hyde and Timsy’s chakra was rapidly rising as Hyde floated above them and claimed to be a god.
• Sasuke arrived with Kakashi, Naruto, Mitsuki, and Sakura, then struck Hyde down with Purple Electricity.
• Kakashi told Guy that Konoha had sent Team Kakashi to capture Kakuzu and Hidan and gather intelligence on Akatsuki.
• Nagato entered the underground palace through a newly blasted hole in the wall.