Chapter Summaries

Anko struggled to accept Orochimaru’s death and returned to their abandoned former residence, where she unexpectedly encountered the Rain Ninja she had seen earlier. The chapter left her frozen in shock at the sight of him.

• Nagato and Konan welcomed Byakuryu back and planned to leave Konoha the next morning.
• Anko questioned Shin about Orochimaru’s death but remained convinced he was hiding the truth from her.
• Anko confronted Shin about moving back into her former home, and he told her it had been cleared out and would soon be demolished.
• Anko mourned the routines she had shared with Orochimaru and entered their abandoned residence.
• Anko saw the Rain Ninja standing in a doorway and froze in shock.

Byakuryu revealed himself to Anko as Orochimaru and tried to pull her soul from her body, but her power surged and forced him to flee. Anko concealed what happened, while Kamado and Kakashi suspected the visitor was someone believed dead; Shin received Kamado’s report, and Byakuryu returned to Nagato and Konan with a cover story.

• Byakuryu appeared before Anko in Orochimaru’s home, revealed a familiar smile and voice, then seized her throat and attempted to extract her soul.
• Anko’s Chakra erupted, driving Byakuryu away and revealing black markings around her eyes as her power surged.
• Kakashi and Kamado arrived, but Anko refused to explain what had happened; Kamado ordered the Anbu to search the village quietly.
• Kamado and Kakashi suspected the intruder was someone whose body had been cremated, then Kamado reported the incident to Shin.
• Byakuryu told Nagato he had gone out for late-night snacks, then watched the brightly lit Hokage’s Office from the guesthouse courtyard.

Tobirama’s soul-transfer research remained stalled, so he studied the Byakugan and concluded that its evolution depended on special Chakra. Shin proposed extracting the Chakra encoded in genes, then explained how Orochimaru’s Living Corpse Reincarnation deceived the Shinigami through soul division, leaving Tobirama questioning whether the technique could achieve complete resurrection.

• Tobirama abandoned his failing soul experiments temporarily and concluded that Byakugan evolution came from a change in Chakra rather than biological inheritance.
• Tobirama shared his theory with Shin, who wondered whether the special Chakra could be extracted from genes to create evolved ocular techniques.
• Tobirama told Shin that his Soul Reincarnation experiment had reached a bottleneck, and Shin pointed him toward Uzumaki records about souls and the Shinigami.
• Shin explained that Orochimaru’s Living Corpse Reincarnation worked by dividing the soul and sacrificing part of it to the Shinigami, leaving successful test subjects with damaged souls and altered personalities.
• Tobirama asked whether soul division was Shin’s method for complete resurrection, but Shin denied it.

Tobirama uncovered how soul splitting and the Shinigami might enable immortality, while Makoto searched for a way to create the Tenseigan and found no clues in the Hyuga records. Makoto ordered Kamado to capture Hiruko for his Kekkei Genkai fusion research and wondered how to reach the Otsutsuki Clan on the moon.

• Tobirama searched the village scrolls, found the Uzumaki Clan records about the Shinigami, and realized Soul Reincarnation might be developed into an immortality technique.
• Makoto found no information about the Tenseigan in the Hyuga books and talked with Ayari about supporting whatever future their son Neji chose.
• Makoto reviewed a report on Hyuga Kiyomi's team and considered using Orochimaru's cloning research to study Sharingan evolution.
• Makoto remembered Hiruko's Chimera Technique and ordered Kamado to capture the Rogue Ninja and investigate Mount Myōboku.
• Makoto watched the moon and wondered when he could meet the Otsutsuki Clan and where the teleportation array to the moon was hidden.

Shin’s village continued to develop while the daimyo neglected state affairs for Kushinadahime. A powerful Chakra burst revealed that Senju Tobirama had created a living body for himself and split off part of his soul, leaving Shin alarmed by the possibility of another independent Tobirama.

• Qinglian Valley told the ministers that Lord Gen was unavailable, and Guy questioned why the daimyo ignored his duties for Kushinadahime.
• Shin reflected on the village’s progress, including Maruboshi Kosuke’s new role, Might Duy’s promotion, and the Science Craftsmen Department’s plans.
• A powerful Chakra eruption jolted Shin awake, and he flew to the laboratory to investigate.
• Shin found a dead White Zetsu, a red-haired young man, and Tobirama’s bandaged body, then recognized the young man as a living Senju Tobirama.
• Tobirama explained that he had used White Zetsu, Senju and Uzumaki blood, and a split portion of his soul to create a new body, warning Shin that the separated soul had become a complete individual.

Tobirama left Konoha to travel and seek a way to repair his soul, while Shinichi dealt with the laboratory’s test subjects. Shinichi visited Mikoto at home, and she gave in to the encounter she had been anticipating with him.

• Tobirama decided to travel the Shinobi World and return if Konoha needed him, while hoping to find a way to repair his soul.
• Shinichi had the laboratory’s test subjects marked with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and sent to a small town.
• Shinichi visited Mikoto while Fugaku and Itachi were away, and he reminded her of her earlier invitation.
• Mikoto reflected on how her relationship with Fugaku had deteriorated and went to her bedroom after Shinichi said he was looking forward to what she had promised.
• Shinichi entered Mikoto’s bedroom, and the two of them were together there.

Zhen interrogated Hiruko and studied the Chimera Technique, discovering that it could fuse living creatures and organs. After testing a fused eye in a patient, he prepared to create a Tenseigan Weapon modeled on the one used by the Otsutsuki Clan Branch Family.

• Zhen returned from Fugaku's house, and Fugaku found Mikoto distant and unwilling to speak with him.
• Kamado returned with Hiruko, whom Zhen interrogated and compelled to write down the Chimera Technique.
• Zhen determined that Hiruko's technique crudely absorbed other beings' powers, but tested its ability to fuse living creatures and organs.
• Zhen fused two eyes into a new eye and arranged for it to be transplanted into a test subject.
• After the transplanted eye showed no problems, Zhen ordered large Chakra-storage containers to prepare for a Tenseigan fusion experiment.

Shin completed a Chakra-storing container and used the Chimera Technique to fuse Konoha’s Byakugan stock, producing two powerful pupil-covered spheres. When the final fusion stalled, the spheres absorbed his Sage Chakra and transformed into a white mass of energy with a faint Purple Light, leaving Shin and the Anbu stunned.

• Shin and the Sealing Squad finished inscribing the Chakra-storage container, enabling him to begin creating the Tenseigan Weapon.
• Shin gathered the Byakugan Stock in a guarded tent and repeatedly fused the eyes with the Chimera Technique while in Sage Mode.
• The fused Byakugan became two pupil-covered spheres that emitted Purple Light and were too powerful for Shin to suppress outside the container.
• When Shin attempted the final fusion, the spheres rejected each other, then began draining his Chakra after he entered Sage Mode.
• Shin stopped the technique and added an inscription to the container, causing the spheres to spin and burst into a complete white mass of energy.
• The blast tore apart the tent, and the Anbu found Shin unharmed beside the glowing energy while the fused spheres had disappeared.

Shin tested the newly fused Tenseigan, then began building the Sunlight Tower to use it as a weapon and village-wide barrier. As Konoha prepared to host the Joint Chunin Exams, Shin received news that Mikoto was pregnant.

• Shin tested the Tenseigan on an uninhabited mountain, destroying a peak with a single beam.
• Shin ordered a tower built above Hokage Rock to house the Tenseigan and named it the Sunlight Tower.
• Shin showed the Tenseigan to Hyuga Shimizu and the Barrier Team, teaching them how to operate Konoha's protective and sensory barriers.
• As the Joint Chunin Exams approached, Shin approved Amegakure's plan for candidates to take the written test in the Land of Rain before traveling to Konoha.
• Konoha Hospital informed Shin that Mikoto was pregnant.

Zhen confronted Mikoto about her pregnancy and demanded that she carry the child, while Mikoto feared the pregnancy would destroy her family. At home, Fugaku accepted the pregnancy but refused to leave Konoha and revealed that he would be sent away for a long time, leaving Mikoto utterly disappointed.

• Zhen confronted Mikoto with her examination report and told her to give birth to the child, which he claimed he wanted.
• Mikoto admitted that she feared the child was a mistake and asked Zhen to forget their past, but he insisted she must have the baby.
• Mikoto returned home and found Fugaku waiting to tell her that he knew she was pregnant.
• Mikoto begged Fugaku to end the pregnancy and leave Konoha with her, but he refused to go.
• Fugaku told Mikoto that he would leave the village for a long time on a new work assignment, and she retreated to her bedroom in despair.

Zhen struggled with how to tell Ayari about Mikoto’s pregnancy and what her child should be named. Meanwhile, Ayano asked Zhen for a child with Ayari’s support, leaving him conflicted about his growing obligations.

• Zhen worried about explaining Mikoto’s pregnancy to Ayari and wondered whether her son should still be named Sasuke.
• Ayari found Ayano’s negative pregnancy test, and Ayano admitted she wanted a child and feared she might be unable to conceive.
• Ayari encouraged Ayano to discuss having a child with Zhen and grew angry as she imagined his secretary becoming pregnant by him.
• At dinner, Ayari left Zhen alone with Ayano so they could talk, while telling Zhen she also wanted to discuss something with him.
• Ayano told Zhen she wanted a child and said Ayari had agreed to help create opportunities for them; Zhen became conflicted.

Mana’s talk of giving Neji a sibling enraged Ayari when she realized another woman was pregnant, though she did not learn who it was. The next day, Ayari visited Mikoto, unaware that the pregnant woman was Mikoto, while Fugaku left the village after being punished for his orders.

• Mana told Ayano to let nature take its course regarding having a child, then suggested to Ayari that Neji should have a younger sibling.
• Ayari confronted Mana about the pregnant woman, beat him, and locked him out of their bedroom; Mana went to Ayano’s room instead.
• Fugaku left after informing the Uchiha clan that Yashiro would handle clan affairs in his absence, following his punishment for orders that led to five shinobi deaths.
• Ayari visited Mikoto and complained that Mana had gotten another woman pregnant, but Mana had not told her who it was.
• Mikoto concealed that she was carrying Mana’s child while Ayari offered to keep her company during Fugaku’s absence.

Itachi, Kabuto, and Shinko learned that Kiyomi had signed them up for the upcoming Chunin Exams. While helping Mikoto with housework, Ayari found a pregnancy test with two red lines and began to suspect Mikoto was pregnant.

• Itachi arrived distracted because his father had left the village, and Shinko and Kabuto noticed his mood.
• Kiyomi arrived and offered Itachi, Kabuto, and Shinko the opportunity to participate in the Chunin Exams.
• Ayari helped Mikoto clean the house and found a pregnancy test with two red lines in the guest room trash.
• Mikoto concealed her nausea and said she had an upset stomach when Ayari questioned her.
• Mikoto told Ayari that she and Fugaku had not slept together in the past two months, and Ayari's smile faded.

After Ayari realized Shin had fathered a child with another woman, she fell ill and Shin stayed by her side. Ayari ultimately agreed to let the woman give birth and Shin raise the child, but she also confronted him about his involvement with Kushina.

• Ayari left Mikoto's home after realizing what Mikoto had been hiding, then went to Kushina's house but turned away without explaining why she had come.
• Ayari returned home with a high fever, and Ayano called for a doctor and notified Shin.
• When Ayari woke, Shin stayed with her and brought Neji to her bedside; later, he held her while she rested.
• Ayari asked what Shin would do about the pregnant woman and her child, and Shin said he would let her give birth and raise the child; Ayari accepted the arrangement while warning him to handle it carefully.
• Ayari questioned Shin about transferring Fugaku and his involvement with Minato, then angrily bit his hand and threatened to castrate him.
• Natsu eavesdropped outside Ayari's bedroom until Ayano caught and scolded her.

Uchiha Yashiro accepted Zhen’s proposed changes to the Uchiha Clan’s housing and considered which households should move. At home, Ayari confronted Kushina about her relationship with Zhen but said she was willing to accept it and invited Kushina to move in.

• Zhen showed Uchiha Yashiro the village’s revised layout and suggested Uchiha Suzu and Uchiha Akira take the Jonin exams.
• Uchiha Yashiro agreed to discuss the plans with the clan and noticed that Fugaku’s family was marked for priority relocation.
• Mikoto and Kushina visited Ayari, while Itachi went to play with Neji.
• Ayari asked Kushina to move into her home, and Kushina refused because Ayari was married and lived with Zhen’s family.
• Mikoto left with Itachi, and Ayari told Kushina she knew everything and was willing to accept it.
• Ayari again invited Kushina to move in, leaving Kushina stunned.

Mikoto learned that the Uchiha Clan was being offered prime relocation sites, including a home beside the Hokage residence, while she struggled with Fugaku's absence and Ayari's hostility. Kushina refused Ayari's invitation to move in, but Shin confronted her and left her trapped by her fear and dependence on him.

• Mikoto read Yashiro's document and learned that the Uchiha Clan, including her family, was expected to relocate near the Hokage residence.
• Mikoto told Itachi that the move was not certain, and he was excited at the prospect of living near Neji.
• Kushina told Ayari that she did not want to move into the Hokage residence, and Ayari left the choice to her.
• Shin visited Kushina and questioned why she had refused Ayari's invitation.
• Kushina said she wanted nothing from Shin and feared him, while he invoked Ayari's kindness to pressure her.

Konoha’s genin arrived in Rain Village for the Chunin Exams and learned that Jiraiya was visiting as Yahiko’s former teacher. Meanwhile, Kushina moved into Naruto’s home, where Ayari welcomed her as family, leaving Kushina uneasy about their new living arrangement and what Rin might think.

• Hayama Shirakumo led Konoha’s genin into Rain Village, where the Rain Ninja gave them a warm welcome and prepared comfortable lodging.
• Byakuryu escorted the Konoha group to the exam site, and they encountered Jiraiya fleeing people who accused him of peeping.
• Byakuryu explained that Yahiko, Rain Village’s leader, was Jiraiya’s disciple, surprising Itachi, Kabuto, and the other Konoha genin.
• After the Uchiha Clan’s relocation, Mikoto and Itachi moved next door to Naruto’s residence, and Kushina moved into Naruto’s home.
• Ayari welcomed Kushina as family, while Kushina worried about living with Naruto’s household and how Rin would react.

Yahiko and the Rain Village delegation arrived in Konoha to watch the Chunin Exams and admired the village’s prosperity and Sunlight Tower. As the exams began, Byakuryu infiltrated the tower, where Kakashi confronted him and he accused Kakashi of betraying his teacher.

• Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and their companions arrived in Konoha and learned that the Sunlight Tower contained immense energy that Nagato sensed was connected to his Rinnegan.
• Yahiko watched Konoha’s bustling streets and discussed with Konan and Nagato his hopes for Rain Village and his concerns that others would covet Konoha’s prosperity.
• Ayari, Natsu, Ayano, Mikoto, and Kushina took seats in the crowded arena as Hyuga Shin and Pakura appeared on the Kage platform.
• Shin welcomed the guests and introduced the Chunin selection matches after the candidates were transported into the arena by a purple pillar of light.
• Byakuryu incapacitated the guards at the Sunlight Tower and climbed toward its orb of light, where Kakashi confronted him.
• Byakuryu changed his face and accused Kakashi of enjoying a position he had gained by selling out his teacher.

Byakuryu escaped Kakashi’s attempt to capture him and returned to watch the Chunin Exams, where Yakushi Kabuto defeated Uchiha Itachi. After the exams, Yahiko realized that his ambitious rules had angered Konoha and Sunagakure’s genin.

• Kakashi restrained Byakuryu, but Byakuryu transformed and sank into the floor before Kakashi could capture him.
• Byakuryu returned to Nagato and Yahiko, claiming he had been delayed by an upset stomach.
• Yakushi Kabuto defeated Uchiha Itachi in the final match, and the Hokage announced the successful candidates before ending the exams.
• Yahiko met Pakura, who raised complaints from Sunagakure genin about the exam rules, and Makoto acknowledged that Konoha genin had voiced similar concerns.
• Yahiko realized his rules had provoked hostility from the villages’ genin and blamed himself for pushing too aggressively.

Tobirama uncovered a hidden underground chamber beneath the Uzumaki Clan’s Offering Shrine and found a red-haired boy guarded by White Zetsu. After opening the boy’s container, Tobirama was overwhelmed by a mental attack, and the boy woke to ask whether Tobirama was his father.

• Tobirama uncovered the ruined Offering Shrine and discovered an underground passage beneath it.
• Tobirama found a red-haired boy in a container, several White Zetsu, the Shinigami Mask, and an expended Reaper Death Seal scroll.
• Tobirama suspected someone had prepared the boy as a body for Orochimaru’s revival and decided to open the container.
• A powerful roar shattered Tobirama’s Mental Defense Barrier Technique and knocked him unconscious.
• The red-haired boy woke Tobirama and asked if he was his dad.