Chapter Summaries

Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and their companion sailed toward the Land of Whirlpools while Danzo arranged to use Jiraiya and Tsunade to eliminate Ye Zi. Jiraiya and Tsunade received Root’s intelligence, but Jiraiya’s suspicion forced Wind Dog and his companions to abandon their pursuit.

• Ye Zi and the others crossed the Land of Fire, boarded a boat made with Ye Zi’s Wood Release, and sailed toward the Land of Whirlpools.
• Danzo learned that Ye Zi and Orochimaru might be heading for the Land of Whirlpools or the Land of Water, and ordered Root to deliver another message to the Fourth Hokage the next day.
• Danzo revealed the Sharingan in his right eye and arm and vowed to eliminate Ye Zi.
• Wind Dog and two Root members found Jiraiya and Tsunade and told them that Ye Zi and Orochimaru had boarded a ship for the Land of Whirlpools.
• Jiraiya attacked Wind Dog to verify his identity, then warned Root not to follow them.
• Wind Dog ordered his companions to abandon the pursuit.

Jiraiya and Tsunade accepted Danzo’s intelligence and set out for the Land of Whirlpools to confront Ye Zi and Orochimaru. As Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha explored the abandoned land, Kotoha imagined a peaceful life there, but Ye Zi told her to stay after their mission while she insisted on remaining by his side.

• Jiraiya questioned whether Danzo’s intelligence was trustworthy, but Tsunade said they had to act on it.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade headed together for the Land of Whirlpools, intending to face Ye Zi and see Orochimaru again.
• Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha reached the Land of Whirlpools and entered its coastal forest.
• Kotoha imagined living peacefully with Ye Zi in the abandoned land, but Ye Zi said such a life was impossible for ninjas.
• Ye Zi told Kotoha she could stay in the Land of Whirlpools after the matter ended, and Kotoha replied that she wanted to stay by his side.

Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha searched the ruins of Uzushio Village for surviving Sealing Jutsu records. They found several scrolls, including the knowledge Orochimaru wanted, and continued checking the basement for hidden compartments.

• Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha searched the ruins and Kotoha found a basement entrance beneath a stone slab.
• The three found a hidden Storage Scroll in a burned stone chamber; it contained three Sealing Jutsu, which Ye Zi stored.
• Orochimaru continued searching for knowledge about the principles of Sealing Jutsu while the group found several stripped basements.
• Kotoha discovered another basement concealed beneath collapsed stone pillars, and the group found an intact bookcase piled with scrolls.
• Orochimaru identified the scrolls as the knowledge he sought, and Ye Zi began checking the basement for hidden compartments.

After finding the scrolls they sought in the ruins of Uzushio Village, Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha encountered Jiraiya and Tsunade on their way back. Tsunade confronted Ye Zi over Dan Katō’s death, and both sides prepared to fight.

• Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha finished searching the ruins of Uzushio Village and set out to return to their base.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade appeared on the grassland and recognized Ye Zi and Orochimaru.
• Tsunade accused Ye Zi of killing Dan Katō, and Ye Zi admitted it, saying he had simply killed an enemy.
• Tsunade’s killing intent rose, while Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoha readied themselves for combat.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade to attack, and both sides took action as Ye Zi drew Blood and lightning appeared across his body.

Tsunade released the Yin Seal and fought Ye Zi, landing a devastating punch that injured him but could not overcome his defenses and healing. Ye Zi counterattacked with lightning wolves, his spirit body, and his blade, while Tsunade smashed the ground to break his assault and hurled a huge chunk of earth at him.

• Tsunade released the Chakra stored in her Yin Seal and charged at Ye Zi as Jiraiya moved to hold off Orochimaru and Kotoha.
• Ye Zi severed Tsunade's arm with Blood, but Tsunade let the strike continue and landed a powerful punch that sent him flying.
• Ye Zi recovered with the help of his Hashirama Cells, while Tsunade regenerated her severed arm with the Hundred Healings Technique.
• Ye Zi attacked Tsunade with two lightning wolves, his spirit body, and his blade.
• Tsunade smashed the ground to blast apart the lightning wolves, then threw a ten-meter chunk of earth at Ye Zi in midair.

Ye Zi tried to restrain Tsunade and drain her chakra, but she escaped his wooden spikes despite suffering horrific wounds. The fight continued with Tsunade healed and airborne, while Ye Zi watched her in astonishment.

• Ye Zi sheathed Blood and attempted to bind Tsunade with Wood Release, but she struck him with a rising knee and sent him flying, disrupting his spiritual entity.
• Ye Zi used Antler Assault to impale Tsunade as she charged toward him, then followed with Tree Binding Jutsu and sent his spiritual entity at her.
• Tsunade endured the attacks, tore herself free of the wooden spikes, and rapidly healed her wounds as she leapt into the air.
• Ye Zi watched Tsunade escape Antler Assault and remarked that she was brutal.

Ye Zi used Wood Release to overcome Tsunade’s monstrous strength and regeneration, trapping her in roots that pierced her body and drained her Chakra. As his spirit body approached to absorb her Chakra, Tsunade remained bound and swore to kill him and avenge Dan.

• Tsunade charged through Ye Zi’s Tree Binding Technique, shattering the wooden pillars with her fists.
• Ye Zi blocked Tsunade’s blows with giant wooden palms, then pierced her chest with a root that burst from the ground.
• Tsunade healed and broke free, but Ye Zi repeatedly impaled her with roots and bound her in layers of restraints.
• The roots drained Tsunade’s Chakra as Ye Zi sent his spirit body toward her to absorb it.
• Tsunade struggled against the roots despite the pain and Chakra loss, vowing to kill Ye Zi and avenge Dan.

Jiraiya fought Orochimaru while Kotoha interfered with poisonous vines and attacks, leaving both sides unable to secure a decisive advantage. With Tsunade suppressing Ye Zi, Jiraiya summoned Gama Ken to hold Orochimaru back and create an opening for Sage Mode.

• Jiraiya trapped Orochimaru in Yomi Marsh and attacked with Rasengan, but Kotoha bound him with poisonous vines, and Rasengan's clash with Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword dislocated Jiraiya's arm.
• Jiraiya reset his arm and drank Tsunade's antidote, then hit Kotoha with Toad Oil when she tried to leave and support Ye Zi.
• Orochimaru summoned snakes to restrain Jiraiya, but Jiraiya cut free with his hair and exchanged blows with Orochimaru using Kunai and the Kusanagi Sword.
• Jiraiya decided he needed Sage Mode to defeat Orochimaru, but summoned Gama Ken first to restrain him while he prepared.

Jiraiya summoned Gama Ken to stall Orochimaru while he entered Sage Mode with Fukasaku and Shima. He struck Orochimaru with a Great Ball Rasengan and then headed for Kotoha, leaving Tsunade still fighting.

• Jiraiya summoned Gama Ken to hold Orochimaru off while he prepared to enter Sage Mode.
• Orochimaru trapped Gama Ken in a Yomi Marsh and charged at Jiraiya, who completed the summoning of Fukasaku and Shima.
• Jiraiya revealed his Sage Mode, and Fukasaku explained that Sage Mode was not unique to Mount Myōboku.
• Jiraiya dodged Orochimaru's Stone Spikes, moved in at great speed, and launched him with a Great Ball Rasengan.
• Jiraiya left Orochimaru behind and charged toward Kotoha, intending to knock her unconscious before supporting Tsunade.

Jiraiya used Sage Mode to defeat Kotoha and rescue Tsunade, while Ye Zi pulled back to protect the badly injured Kotoha and regroup with Orochimaru. Ye Zi learned that Jiraiya had mastered Sage Mode and prepared to face him as the two sides squared off again.

• Jiraiya broke through Kotoha's Wood Release thorn net with Fukasaku and Shima's oil-and-fire attack, then incapacitated her with a Rasengan.
• Jiraiya rushed to Tsunade's aid, forcing Ye Zi to abandon his attack and retreat from the Great Ball Rasengan.
• Ye Zi found Kotoha alive, carried her to Orochimaru, and told him to protect her.
• Orochimaru told Ye Zi that Jiraiya had mastered Sage Mode, and Ye Zi turned to face Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya rescued Tsunade, who covered herself with his vest, and they both watched Ye Zi from across the battlefield.

Ye Zi fought Jiraiya and Tsunade after Orochimaru carried the injured Kotoha away. He escaped their coordinated attacks and targeted Jiraiya as the greater threat, while Jiraiya prepared to restrain him with his hardened hair.

• Ye Zi told Orochimaru to take Kotoha away, and Orochimaru left the fight with her while Tsunade and Jiraiya faced Ye Zi together.
• Jiraiya trapped Ye Zi in a vast Yomi Marsh, and Tsunade pursued him through the air as Jiraiya and the toad sages planned to use Toad Duet.
• Ye Zi cut off Tsunade’s arm and blocked her next punch, then defended himself from Jiraiya’s Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon with a wooden wall.
• Jiraiya bound Ye Zi with the Toad Tongue Bind Technique, but Ye Zi electrocuted the tongues and used a Lightning Clone to paralyze Tsunade.
• Ye Zi retreated from Tsunade and focused on Jiraiya and the two toads, suspecting they enabled Jiraiya’s Sage Mode, as Jiraiya moved to restrain him with his hardened hair.

Ye Zi was trapped by Jiraiya’s Sage Mode and endured Toad Song by injuring his own ears, then used an uncontrolled Black Lightning Style to break free and cut through a combined fire attack. He left Jiraiya’s deadly strike narrowly evaded, badly injured and temporarily without hearing, while still seeking a way to break Sage Mode.

• Jiraiya restrained Ye Zi with his Senjutsu-infused hair, and Ye Zi failed to cut through it or send lightning through it.
• Fukasaku and Shima used Toad Song, so Ye Zi injured his own ears with Black Lightning Style to escape the auditory genjutsu.
• Jiraiya ordered Fukasaku and Shima to attack with Toad Oil Flame Bullet and Fire Release, Great Fireball.
• Ye Zi unleashed his unstable black lightning, tore through Jiraiya’s hair, and cleaved the flames apart with Blood.
• Jiraiya dodged Ye Zi’s attack, and Ye Zi collapsed to one knee with severe burns and no hearing as he considered how to break Sage Mode.

Ye Zi pressed his attack against Jiraiya and Tsunade while his Chakra dwindled, targeting the sages who sustained Jiraiya's Sage Mode. After Tsunade's Hundred Healings Mark ran out, Jiraiya took a blade meant for her, and the fight left both of them in a perilous situation.

• Ye Zi trapped Jiraiya and Tsunade in a Wood Release Sealing Prison, but Jiraiya broke them out with a Senjutsu Rasengan.
• Ye Zi attacked Jiraiya and targeted Fukasaku and Shima, while Tsunade repeatedly tried and failed to land a punch on him.
• As Jiraiya's frog-like features worsened, Ye Zi stabbed his shoulder while aiming for Fukasaku, but Tsunade knocked Ye Zi away before he could finish the attack.
• Ye Zi resumed his assault, and Tsunade's Hundred Healings Mark vanished as Jiraiya countered with a Great Ball Rasengan.
• Ye Zi dodged Jiraiya's attack and charged Tsunade, but Jiraiya used an explosion to reach her first and took Ye Zi's blade below his heart.
• Ye Zi threw a Kunai at Fukasaku, and Jiraiya released the Blood Contract Seal and shook Fukasaku from his shoulder, dispelling Sage Mode and leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade in danger.

Ye Zi overpowered Jiraiya and fatally wounded Tsunade, but Minato arrived with the Flying Thunder God Technique and rescued them. Ye Zi spotted Minato, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and two other figures nearby and decided to retreat.

• Kotoha woke, treated her abdominal wound, and watched while Orochimaru recovered beside her.
• Ye Zi withdrew his blade from Jiraiya and prepared to kill him, but he knocked Shima and Fukasaku aside when they intervened.
• Ye Zi evaded Tsunade's punch and stabbed her through the back, leaving Jiraiya unable to move as Tsunade urged him to run.
• Jiraiya rushed to help Tsunade, but Minato appeared between them and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport himself, Tsunade, and Jiraiya away.
• Ye Zi recognized the Flying Thunder God Technique, spotted Tsunade and Jiraiya beside two other figures, and decided his side should retreat.

Minato and Kushina arrived in time to save Jiraiya and Tsunade, then confronted Ye Zi. Kushina vowed to stop Ye Zi without killing him, while Minato refused to hold back, and Ye Zi summoned Manda to cover her retreat.

• Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to rescue Jiraiya and Tsunade, while Kushina treated their wounds with slugs.
• Tsunade apologized to Kushina, who comforted her before joining Minato to face Ye Zi.
• Kushina said she would stop Ye Zi but would not kill him, and Minato apologized before warning that he would not hold back.
• Ye Zi decided to retreat and summoned Manda to hold off Minato and Kushina.
• Minato and Kushina summoned Gamabunta and a giant slug, forming a three-way standoff with Ye Zi atop Manda.

Ye Zi confronted Minato and Kushina while trying to give Orochimaru and Kotoha time to escape. Minato entered Sage Mode and attacked the fleeing pair, but Ye Zi intercepted his strike on Kotoha, leaving the two men poised for another clash.

• Ye Zi ordered Orochimaru and Kotoha to flee, but Kotoha initially refused until Orochimaru convinced her that staying would endanger Ye Zi.
• Minato entered Sage Mode as Orochimaru and Kotoha began escaping, and Ye Zi jumped from Manda to draw Minato’s attention.
• Manda fought Gamabunta while Katsuyu joined the battle, and Minato scattered formula-marked Kunai across the battlefield to pursue Ye Zi and the fleeing pair.
• Minato used Flying Thunder God to attack Ye Zi, then appeared before Kotoha and thrust his Kunai toward her heart.
• Ye Zi intercepted Minato with a lightning-fast slash, forcing Minato to retreat before the blade could hit him.

Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to attack Ye Zi, Kotoha, and Orochimaru as they tried to escape, but Ye Zi repeatedly intervened to protect them. After Minato struck Ye Zi with a Senjutsu Rasengan, he used a mark he had placed on Ye Zi to appear in front of him with a Great Ball Rasengan, leaving Ye Zi in immediate danger.

• Minato threw marked Kunai toward Ye Zi and the fleeing Orochimaru and Kotoha, but Ye Zi intercepted one and blocked Minato's follow-up attacks.
• Minato redirected his attacks toward Kotoha and Orochimaru, while Ye Zi and Orochimaru each intervened to protect them.
• Minato avoided Ye Zi's slash and struck him in the back with a Senjutsu Rasengan as Ye Zi tried to save Kotoha.
• Kotoha and Orochimaru stopped fleeing and ran toward the injured Ye Zi, while Kushina remained unable to act.
• Minato used the Flying Thunder God mark he had placed on Ye Zi to appear before him with a Great Ball Rasengan.

Kotoha saved Ye Zi from Minato’s Great Ball Rasengan but appeared to die in his arms, triggering Ye Zi’s Sharingan before he lost consciousness. Orochimaru carried Ye Zi toward the coast while Minato resumed the pursuit, leaving Kushina to treat Kotoha.

• Ye Zi could not escape Minato’s Great Ball Rasengan, so Kotoha rushed in front of him and took the attack while poisoning Minato with thorned vines.
• Kotoha confessed that she liked Ye Zi before her heartbeat faded, and Ye Zi’s grief awakened three tomoe in his right eye.
• Orochimaru found Ye Zi and Kotoha, severed Ye Zi’s right arm, and carried him toward the coastline after concluding that Kotoha could not be saved.
• Minato took an explosive-tag blast while pursuing Orochimaru, then continued after him as Kushina stayed behind to treat Kotoha.

Kushina tried to save Kotoha, but Kotoha died after confirming that Ye Zi had escaped. Minato failed to catch Orochimaru and returned with the others, who took Kotoha’s body and headed back to Konoha.

• Kushina treated Kotoha while Tsunade recognized that her injuries were fatal, and Jiraiya stopped Tsunade from urging Kushina to give up.
• Kotoha regained consciousness, learned that Ye Zi had escaped, and explained that she had risked everything for him before dying.
• Kushina mourned Kotoha as Minato returned alone after losing Orochimaru and Ye Zi.
• Minato sealed Kotoha’s body in a scroll so the group could take her back to Konoha for examination.
• Kushina treated Jiraiya and Tsunade, and the four set out for Konoha after Gamabunta and Katsuyu departed.

After waking from ten days unconscious, Ye Zi learned that Kotoha was dead and awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye. He decided to master Senjutsu with the White Snake Sage before going to Konoha.

• Ye Zi woke in a hospital room with his injuries healed and asked Orochimaru about Kotoha.
• Orochimaru told Ye Zi that Kotoha had died, and Ye Zi awakened a Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his right eye.
• Ye Zi's Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, which he identified for Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru told Ye Zi that he had carried him away after he lost consciousness and that Kotoha's corpse had been left behind for Konoha to study.
• Ye Zi learned he had been unconscious for ten days and asked Orochimaru to take him to see the White Snake Sage before he went to Konoha.