Chapter Summaries

After a cheerful day out with Naruto, Itachi, and Sasuke, Aoba checked his mission rewards and experimented with newly acquired Scarlet Eyes. He activated the eyes by working himself into an agitated state and began testing their chakra-enhancing trait.

• Aoba finished the photo session, bought more clothes, and parted ways with the others after a happy day out.
• Aoba delivered Naruto home, developed the group photos, and hid the negatives in his ninja tool pouch.
• Aoba used two Beginner Skill Cards on Immortal Fortress and recalled that Hardening could only advance beyond LV9 with a Super Skill Card.
• Aoba opened a Special Treasure Chest and received Scarlet Eyes, which enhanced chakra nature transformation but could trigger a madness state.
• Aoba put on the contact lenses and wounded himself while recalling frustrating memories until his eyes turned crimson.
• Aoba admired the transformed eyes, then focused on testing whether they could enhance his chakra nature transformation.

Aoba discovered that [Scarlet Eyes] could help him begin developing a Kekkei Genkai by transforming his Lightning and Earth chakra, though he could only access the process while excited. Meanwhile, Danzo prepared a guarded meeting site for negotiations with the Akatsuki Organization.

• Aoba tested his chakra with several strips but found that his nature affinities remained Lightning and Earth.
• After reading Nature Transformation and Combination of Chakra, Aoba realized that nature transformation could mean creating a Kekkei Genkai rather than gaining new chakra natures.
• Aoba activated [Scarlet Eyes] and detected a slight transformation in his Lightning and Earth chakra, but the progress vanished when his excitement and the eye effect faded.
• Aoba concluded that [Scarlet Eyes] could serve as a key to developing a Kekkei Genkai, though its drawbacks made sustained use difficult.
• Danzo chose the former site of the Land of Whirlpools for his meeting with the Akatsuki Organization and arranged forces to protect himself and enable a retreat.

Aoba learned that the Akatsuki planned to target Danzo and manipulated Hiruzen into revealing that Danzo had left the village. After Aoba passed the information to the Akatsuki, Danzo prepared his ambush at the former site of the Land of Whirlpools while Kakuzu and Zetsu headed there with reinforcements.

• Aoba trained with Shadow Clones, mastered the technique, and raised White Strike to LV6.
• Little White informed Aoba that the Akatsuki was preparing to move against Danzo, and Aoba destroyed the intelligence after reading it.
• Aoba argued with Hiruzen and learned that Danzo had left the village two days earlier, then sent that information to the Akatsuki.
• Danzo deployed his forces at the former site of the Land of Whirlpools and planned to use the Akatsuki's attack on the Cloud Village delegation to kill Hiruzen.
• Zetsu told Kakuzu that the leader would personally deal with the person behind Danzo's forces, and Kakuzu agreed to leave that target to him.

Danzo met Kakuzu and his companions to discuss cooperation, but Kakuzu attacked him and demanded that Danzo prove his strength. Their fight escalated as Danzo’s powerful Wind Style pierced Kakuzu’s defenses, only for Kakuzu to evade the strike with a Water Clone.

• Kakuzu punched through a disguised subordinate posing as Danzo, then identified the real Danzo by watching the subordinates’ reactions.
• Danzo and Kakuzu exchanged attacks; Danzo severed Kakuzu’s right hand with Wind Style, but Kakuzu reattached it with black threads.
• Kakuzu revealed his stitched body and used Earth Grudge Fear’s Fire Style mask to attack Danzo.
• Danzo’s Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Wave sliced through Kakuzu’s flames and shattered his Earth Style walls.
• Kakuzu avoided Danzo’s cutting attack by replacing himself with a Water Clone.

Danzo fought Kakuzu, but Zetsu revealed that the Akatsuki had targeted him from the start, and Danzo was surrounded by Root forces. As the battle escalated, Kakuzu unleashed a massive compound attack, while Hidan survived the flames with his Steel Release.

• Danzo gained the upper hand against Kakuzu with powerful Wind Release techniques, knocking Kakuzu into the air and making him spit blood.
• Danzo demanded that Kakuzu return his subordinate and the deposit, but Kakuzu's partner Hidan mocked him, and Zetsu emerged to reveal that Danzo was surrounded.
• Danzo realized the Akatsuki had targeted him from the beginning, and Zetsu warned that the leader might come for him before vanishing underground.
• Danzo summoned elite Root members to attack Kakuzu, Hidan, and the others, while Animal Path escaped inside a summoned chameleon to conceal the Six Paths of Pain.
• Kakuzu unleashed Compound Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Barrage Face Explosive Flame, burning several Root members, but Hidan emerged unharmed after hardening his body with Steel Release.

Danzo used Baku’s suction to strengthen his Wind Style and attacked Kakuzu, who used Hidan as a shield. Kakuzu then fired his chakra beam into Baku’s mouth with Hidan caught in it, leaving their fate unclear after the explosion.

• Danzo cut off Kakuzu’s Fire and Wind masks with a concealed Wind Style: Shuriken, and Kakuzu replaced the lost hearts by ripping hearts from Root members.
• Danzo summoned Baku and ordered his subordinates to retreat while the beast’s suction pulled in the battlefield and disrupted Kakuzu’s ninjutsu.
• Danzo disappeared behind Kakuzu and launched Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Wave, while Kakuzu dragged Hidan into the wind blades’ path.
• Hidan used Steel Shield: Super Harden to survive the wind blades, but the attack sent him toward Baku’s mouth.
• Kakuzu ignored Hidan’s plea for help and fired Earth Grudge Fear: Final Shot, blasting Hidan into Baku’s mouth and causing a massive explosion.

Danzo and his Root forces battled Kakuzu until Pain intervened and summoned the Six Paths. Pain revealed his connection to Yahiko and confronted Danzo over the destruction of the original Akatsuki, leaving Danzo realizing that his opponent had come prepared to take revenge.

• Kakuzu destroyed Dream Tapir, and Hidan died after Danzo and Kakuzu sent him into the beast’s maw.
• Danzo struck Kakuzu’s back mask with Wind Style: Vacuum Blade, then ordered Root members to attack and evade Kakuzu’s black threads.
• Danzo’s Root members killed comrades captured by Kakuzu’s threads with Explosive Tags, destroying their hearts before Kakuzu could take them.
• Animal Path emerged from a giant chameleon and summoned the complete Six Paths of Pain, prompting Kakuzu to leave the fight to their leader.
• Pain identified himself as the leader of the Akatsuki Organization and reminded Danzo of Yahiko and Hanzo of the Salamander.
• Pain said he had killed Hanzo and declared that Danzo was next, while Danzo realized the Akatsuki leader knew about his involvement in Yahiko’s death.

Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain overwhelmed Danzo’s forces, prompting Danzo to abandon his subordinates and flee toward the Land of Fire. Pain pursued him into a mountain cave, where Danzo waited without any of the expected traps.

• Danzo and his forces attacked the Six Paths of Pain, but Preta Path absorbed their ninjutsu while Human Path killed a Yamanaka Root member who tried to possess Preta Path.
• Animal Path summoned creatures and Asura Path unleashed a barrage of weapons, decimating Danzo’s forces as Kakuzu watched.
• Danzo abandoned his subordinates and fled using a Transformation Technique, leaving a Shadow Clone covered in Explosive Tags to delay Pain.
• Pain’s Heavenly Path survived the Shadow Clone’s explosion, and the Six Paths of Pain pursued Danzo along his escape route.
• Danzo changed course and ran into a mountain cave, where the Six Paths of Pain followed him to the deepest part without encountering any traps.

Danzo used a forbidden Wood Style technique and Izanagi to destroy four of Pain’s bodies, but the Naraka Path began restoring them with Yama. Danzo was left facing the revived Preta Path and the still-unharmed Heavenly Path.

• Danzo sealed the cave entrance, attached an arm implanted with Hashirama’s cells, and unleashed Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence.
• Danzo used Izanagi to escape the collapsing cave, sacrificing the Sharingan in his right eye and restoring his severed arm.
• Pain’s Heavenly Path destroyed the giant tree with Shinra Tensei, revealing that four Paths had been crushed while the Heavenly and Naraka Paths survived.
• The Naraka Path summoned Yama and used it to restore the Preta Path and begin reviving the other damaged bodies.
• Danzo attacked Yama with Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Wave, but the Preta Path absorbed the ninjutsu.

Danzo fought the Six Paths of Pain and managed to destroy the Animal Path, but Pain revealed that he knew about Danzo’s backup force near the Land of Fire’s border. The chapter ended with Danzo realizing his plans might already have been compromised.

• Danzo attacked the Preta Path with a Vacuum Blade, but Pain’s Heavenly Path repelled him with Shinra Tensei.
• Danzo used Shadow Clones to distract the summoned beasts, then transformed from a shuriken to catch the Animal Path in a Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal.
• The Animal Path dismissed Yatagarasu while Danzo was threatening him, causing both of them to fall from the sky.
• Danzo used a Great Vacuum Sphere to drive the Animal Path into the ground and detonated the Explosive Tags covering him.
• The Naraka Path revived the Asura Path and Human Path as Nagato’s forces returned to five against Danzo.
• Pain’s Heavenly Path asked whether Danzo still resisted because of the force he had stationed along the Land of Fire’s borders, startling Danzo.

Danzo fought the Six Paths of Pain after Nagato cornered him, then used the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing to kill himself and trap Asura Path and Human Path. Nagato dismissed the loss of the two bodies and prepared to leave with Danzo’s corpse.

• Pain's Heavenly Path and the other Paths attacked Danzo, while Nagato and Konan blocked his escape routes.
• Danzo endured the assault until Asura Path pierced him and Human Path began extracting his soul.
• Danzo revealed that his suffering had been partly deliberate and activated the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing.
• The seal trapped Danzo, Asura Path, and Human Path inside a massive black sphere, leaving a deep crater behind.
• Nagato dismissed the loss of the two Paths and had Naraka Path carry Danzo's corpse away.

Hiruzen investigated possible trouble after sensing Danzo’s death, while Aoba and Gekko Hayate visited the Nara pharmacy to check a folk remedy for Hayate’s chronic illness. A Nara elder dismissed the prescription as ineffective and admitted he could not treat Hayate.

• Hiruzen sensed a foreboding after Danzo died and ordered the village investigated and its preparations inspected before the Kumogakure delegation arrived.
• Aoba, Itachi, and Gekko Hayate met in a park, where Aoba described his intense training and Itachi resolved to train harder.
• Itachi returned to training while Aoba accompanied Gekko Hayate to buy medicine for his chronic illness.
• At the Nara pharmacy, Aoba asked an elder about Gekko Hayate’s folk prescription after noticing the man’s reaction to it.
• The Nara elder said the remedy was ineffective and unnecessary, and told Aoba he could not treat Gekko Hayate’s illness.

Aoba asked an old medicine-shop owner for help sustaining the agitated state required to train his Kekkei Genkai, and the owner prepared a medicine for him. Aoba bought ten prescriptions and hurried home, only to realize he had forgotten to ask how long the effects lasted.

• Aoba learned that Gekko Hayate had already sought the Nara Clan's help for his illness and stopped intervening in Hayate's search for remedies.
• Aoba told the old man that he needed help staying excited and agitated during his Kekkei Genkai training.
• The old man suggested aphrodisiacs, then offered a substitute medicine that caused severe overheating but had relatively minor side effects.
• Aoba paid one hundred thousand taels for ten prescriptions and left without waiting for Gekko Hayate.
• Aoba reached home with the medicine and realized he had forgotten to ask how long its effects lasted.

The Cloud Village Envoy Group arrived in Konoha ahead of the peace agreement, while Qing Yu stayed away from the welcoming ceremony and trained his Scarlet Eyes. On his way to visit Naruto, he found a young girl who seemed to be Hinata being bullied and used his Perception Eye to check for a trap.

• Hiruzen welcomed the Cloud Village Envoy Group on January 10 and arranged luxurious accommodations before the peace agreement was signed.
• Qing Yu avoided the ceremony, reflected on Danzo’s death and Root’s destruction, and continued developing his Kekkei Genkai.
• Qing Yu headed to visit Naruto and saw several delinquents bullying a little girl.
• Qing Yu suspected the girl was Hinata and activated his Perception Eye to look for anyone setting him up.

Shimiya Aoba intervened when three delinquents bullied Hinata, then learned she had been separated from Sister Natsu while watching the Cloud Village Envoy Group. Hinata asked him to help find Sister Natsu so she would not be punished.

• Aoba struck the Red Hat Delinquent and drove the three bullies away after they mocked and hurt Hinata.
• Hinata thanked Aoba, blamed herself for the bullying, and told him her name.
• Aoba learned Hinata had become separated from Sister Natsu in the crowd and had wandered into the area alone.
• Hinata asked Aoba to help find Sister Natsu, and he agreed.

After Aoba helped Hinata reunite with Hyuga Natsu, the Hyuga Family invited him to their estate to thank him. Hyuga Hiashi welcomed him as a father and asked Aoba to call him Uncle.

• Aoba treated Hinata's scraped knee and searched the main street with her for Hyuga Natsu.
• Hinata found Hyuga Natsu, who tearfully embraced her and thanked Aoba for protecting her.
• Aoba told Hyuga Natsu not to worry about reporting the incident, though she feared punishment from the Hyuga Family.
• The next morning, the Hyuga Family invited Aoba to their estate, and he accepted after wondering why they wanted to meet him.
• Hyuga Hiashi thanked Aoba for protecting Hinata and told him to call him Uncle.

Aoba attended a dinner with Hyuga Hiashi, who praised his talent before probing his ambition to become Hokage. Aoba recognized that the Hyuga Clan might be seeking an alliance and explained how he planned to gain strength, public prestige, and the support of Konoha’s leaders.

• Hyuga Hiashi invited Aoba to dinner and kept him afterward for tea, asking about his life in Konoha.
• Hyuga Hiashi praised Aoba’s talent and compared his achievements to those of the Hatake Clan Orphan.
• Aoba jokingly declared himself Konoha’s unparalleled future powerhouse, and Hyuga Hiashi accepted his confidence with a straight face.
• Hyuga Hiashi asked whether Aoba intended to become the Fifth Hokage, and Aoba said he was determined to claim the position.
• Aoba explained that a Hokage needed strength, public prestige, and recognition from Konoha’s leaders, then named Minato, Hiruzen, and Shikaku as supporters and Danzo as an opponent.

Aoba’s first meeting with Hizashi Hyuga ended on friendly terms, with the Hyuga Clan considering him a possible future ally. Their conversation was interrupted when a Cloud Village envoy kidnapped Hinata and demanded that Hizashi kill Aoba, revealing a familiar conspiracy against the Hyuga Clan.

• The Hyuga Clan considered backing Aoba as a future Hokage candidate who might advance its influence in Konoha.
• Hizashi told Aoba that the Hyuga Clan could help him withstand Danzo’s pressure, and Aoba left after their initial meeting.
• A masked man broke into the Hyuga compound and fled with the unconscious Hinata, prompting Hizashi and Aoba to pursue him.
• The kidnapper held a kunai to Hinata’s neck and demanded that Hizashi kill Aoba.
• Aoba recognized the attacker as the leader of the Cloud Village envoy group, who had targeted the Byakugan and would later force Hizashi to die in Hiashi’s place.

Aoba received a branching death-seeking mission centered on saving Hizashi Hyuga and weighed the risks of each option as a Kumogakure envoy threatened Hiashi and Hinata. He recorded the confrontation, and Hiashi killed the attacker before rescuing Hinata, leaving Aoba looking aggrieved at him.

• Aoba received an X-Rank mission requiring Hizashi Hyuga to survive, with rewards and risks that varied by whether he spared or killed the Cloud Village envoy leader and group.
• Aoba rejected the Gold and Super branches as too dangerous and considered choosing a safer branch to save Hizashi and earn the Hyuga Clan’s favor.
• While the attacker threatened Hiashi Hyuga and held Hinata hostage, Aoba took out a camera and photographed the scene to preserve evidence.
• The attacker touched the cloth covering his face while holding Hinata, and Hiashi Hyuga struck him with an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, killing him.
• Hiashi caught Hinata and found that she had only been knocked unconscious by Genjutsu, then noticed Aoba giving him an aggrieved look.

Aoba uncovered that the dead bandit was the leader of Kumogakure’s envoy group and warned Hyuga Hiashi that the kidnapping was likely a plot against the Hyuga Clan. Hiashi accepted Aoba’s help, and they began staging footage to support their account of the incident.

• Aoba showed Hyuga Hiashi that the dead kidnapper was from Kumogakure, prompting Hiashi to suspect a conspiracy against his clan.
• Aoba pointed out that Kumogakure might already be arranging to blame the Hyuga Clan, and Hiashi admitted the dead man was the envoy group’s leader.
• Hiashi promised the Hyuga Clan’s full support if Aoba helped them through the crisis.
• Aoba proposed using his photographs as evidence and told Hiashi to recreate their confrontation on camera.
• Hiashi agreed to cooperate, and Aoba began filming additional scenes with Hiashi showing his face.