Chapter Summaries

Aoba gave Orochimaru more than a hundred Sharingan and directed him to research their evolution, while Itachi returned the Uchiha clan head position to Fugaku and left Konoha to find Aoba. Itachi reached the village gates determined to bring Aoba back.

• Aoba gave Orochimaru a scroll containing more than a hundred Sharingan and told him to study their evolution rather than expect to create the Rinnegan.
• Orochimaru analyzed Aoba's explanation of the Mangekyō Sharingan and began theorizing that emotions triggered an unknown substance that drove eye evolution.
• Aoba warned Orochimaru that the Mangekyō Sharingan was not the limit, then left him to continue his research.
• Itachi returned the Uchiha clan head position to Fugaku and said he had promised to bring Aoba back.
• Itachi left Konoha, recalling his bond with Aoba and declaring that he had come to catch him.

Sasuke tried to comfort Naruto after Aoba left Konoha, and Naruto learned that Aoba might have been forced to leave. Jiraiya then revealed that Naruto was the son of Minato and Kushina, and that Aoba had been the last person they saved.

• Sasuke invited Naruto to dinner and urged him to become stronger so he could confront Aoba and demand answers.
• Sasuke told Naruto that Itachi believed Aoba had no choice but to leave and intended to bring him back.
• Jiraiya revealed that Itachi planned to travel abroad to search for Aoba, and Sasuke hurried home after learning Itachi had not told him.
• Jiraiya told Naruto that his father was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and his mother was Kushina Uzumaki.
• Jiraiya explained that Minato and Kushina sacrificed themselves to protect the village and saved Aoba, helping Naruto understand why Aoba had cared for him.

Naruto resolved to find Shimiya Aoba and bring him back, while Jiraiya agreed to train him and planned to retrieve Tsunade. Aoba prepared to strengthen Sasori and secure the Shinigami Mask, as a mysterious creature beneath a lake gave rise to a local monster legend.

• Naruto decided to find Shimiya Aoba and bring him back, and Jiraiya persuaded him to train under his guidance.
• Jiraiya considered Naruto's future and turned his attention to bringing Tsunade back to Konoha.
• Aoba contacted Pain as Yasuo, learned there were no difficult missions yet, and arranged to meet Sasori.
• Aoba planned to help Sasori turn the Fourth Kazekage's corpse into a puppet and to retrieve the Shinigami Mask from the Land of Whirlpools.
• A huge shadow beneath a lake frightened locals, whose stories of a sea monster and lake god eventually faded.
• A pitch-black fissure at the lake's bottom opened to reveal a huge eye.

Aoba met Sasori in a cave, traded gifts with him, and set off for the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. In the Land of Hot Water, he joined a festival and transformed into Fahai to confront some girls who splashed him.

• Aoba gave Sasori the corpse of Rasa, and Sasori handed over scrolls containing his Puppetry Technique and practice puppets.
• Sasori decided to visit the Land of Iron to find a more suitable gift for Yasuo.
• Aoba traveled toward the Land of Whirlpools and encountered a festival honoring the God of Hot Springs in the Land of Hot Water.
• Aoba borrowed a yukata, transformed into Wu Shuai Zu, and joined the festival crowd.
• After some girls splashed him, Aoba transformed into Fahai and shouted at them to stop.

Aoba used overwhelming water attacks to defeat demons at the water festival, then rescued several women from groping scouts by dousing them with scalding hot spring water. Itachi watched and decided to follow Aoba to find out whether he was the person he had been searching for.

• Aoba defeated waves of young women who attacked him by hurling water at them, leaving the festivalgoers afraid to approach.
• Aoba continued knocking down demons with powerful water slaps, while the festivalgoers decided he was an idiot.
• Aoba saw several scouting demons groping the women he had previously defeated and took a large jar of undiluted hot spring water.
• Aoba struck the scouting demons with scalding water, rescued the women, and fled when the demons scattered.
• Itachi watched Aoba and followed him, hoping to confirm whether he was the person Itachi sought.

Aoba, disguised as an Akatsuki member, encountered Itachi, who mistook him for an enemy and attacked after Aoba insulted Shimiya Aoba to complete a system mission. Aoba survived Itachi’s genjutsu and throat-cutting, then dodged Amaterasu and struck at Itachi, who escaped as crows.

• Aoba changed into his alternate account’s clothes, sensed someone following him, and confronted Itachi in the forest.
• Itachi mistook Aoba for an Akatsuki member and demanded to know his mission.
• The system ordered Aoba to provoke Itachi by viciously insulting Shimiya Aoba, so Aoba mocked himself until Itachi became furious.
• Itachi trapped Aoba in genjutsu, cut his throat, and prepared to stab him again, but Aoba survived using Absolute Defense and blasted Itachi away with Flash Roar.
• Itachi used Amaterasu, but Aoba dodged the flames and attacked from behind; Itachi disappeared into a flock of crows.

Aoba, fighting Itachi as Yasuo, tested his strength and revealed the Bankai of his Zanpakuto, Black Rope Heavenly Punishment Myōō. Their giant warriors clashed, and Aoba forced Itachi’s complete Susanoo to retreat.

• Aoba survived Itachi’s exploding Crow Clone and tracked him down with a powerful punch that broke a rib of his skeletal Susanoo.
• Aoba drew his Zanpakuto and used Bankai, summoning a giant hand and sword that cleaved Itachi’s Susanoo.
• Itachi activated his complete, armored Susanoo with the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade.
• Aoba summoned Black Rope Heavenly Punishment Myōō and introduced himself as Yasuo, ritual executor of the Blood Moon Cult.
• Aoba charged and slashed repeatedly, driving Itachi backward in their clash.

Aoba and Itachi fought with their giant techniques until Aoba shed the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment Myōō’s armor and overwhelmed Susanoo. Itachi exploited Aoba’s exposure to trap him in Tsukuyomi, but Aoba unleashed sacred light and began changing the illusion.

• Itachi used Amaterasu to ignite the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment Myōō, and Aoba shed its armor with Iron Rope Clothes Severance.
• Aoba unleashed Vajra Yaksha, driving Itachi’s Susanoo back with greater speed and strength.
• Itachi abandoned Susanoo and attacked Aoba with shuriken, then used a crow clone to get close and cast Tsukuyomi.
• Itachi trapped Aoba in an illusion where he was tortured repeatedly, but Aoba resisted and released sacred light that altered the Tsukuyomi space.

Aoba used the power of the Holy Spirit and further enhancements to overwhelm Itachi, who fought on despite his injuries and exhausted chakra. Itachi’s final attack failed to harm Aoba, leaving him standing before his nearly defeated opponent.

• Aoba broke free of Itachi’s Tsukuyomi with the Holy Spirit’s purification and revealed his six radiant wings.
• Aoba blessed himself, used Instant Shunko, and struck Itachi, who barely blocked the blow with Susanoo.
• Itachi summoned Complete-Body Susanoo and unleashed Yasakani no Magatama in a desperate attempt to defeat Aoba.
• The attack obliterated the forest, but Itachi ran out of chakra and suffered severe pain and worsening vision.
• Aoba emerged from the smoke nearly unharmed, and Itachi acknowledged the enormous gap between them.

Aoba survived Itachi’s ultimate attack through his abilities and bluffing, then knocked him out and arranged for his treatment. After Itachi woke and resolved to investigate the Blood Moon Cult, Aoba sailed to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools to search for the Shinigami Mask.

• Aoba used his invulnerability and healing abilities to survive Itachi’s Yasakani no Magatama, then tricked Itachi into believing he had been overwhelmingly outmatched.
• Aoba knocked Itachi unconscious, carried him to a town, and left him with doctors for treatment.
• Three days later, Itachi woke in a clinic and decided to send battle intelligence to Konoha while searching for Aoba and investigating Akatsuki and the Blood Moon Cult.
• Aoba changed out of his Akatsuki clothes and traveled by ship to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools to find the Shinigami Mask.

Aoba concluded that the Shinigami Mask was likely hidden near Konoha and set out to search for it. Near the village, Tsunade and Shizune discovered the Uzumaki Clan's abandoned Face Offering Hall, which Tsunade remembered from her youth.

• Aoba reasoned that the Shinigami Mask had probably been moved from the Land of Whirlpools to somewhere near Konoha and headed there to look for it.
• Shizune woke Tsunade near Konoha, and Tsunade teased her before letting Shizune carry her onward.
• Shizune spotted a dilapidated building bearing the Uzumaki Clan's symbol, and Tsunade identified it as the Face Offering Hall.
• Tsunade recalled exploring the hall with Orochimaru and Jiraiya as children and learning from Hiruzen that it had been left behind by the Uzumaki Clan.
• Tsunade lamented that the hall and the Uzumaki Clan's legacy had been left to decay.

Aoba fled from Tsunade after stealing masks from the Uzumaki shrine, but the system issued him a mission to kidnap Shizune. He feinted an attack on Tsunade and slipped past her toward Shizune.

• Aoba encountered Tsunade and Shizune at the shrine and ran with the masks he had gathered.
• Tsunade chased Aoba and smashed the ground with her monstrous strength, while Shizune followed after them.
• The system assigned Aoba a mission to kidnap Shizune and warned him of a strange penalty if he failed.
• Aoba decided to kidnap Shizune, then turned back toward Tsunade with the killing intent produced by his Crimson Blademaster skin.
• Tsunade's punch passed through Aoba's residual image, and she realized he had feinted and charged toward Shizune.

Aoba abducted Shizune after resisting her poisonous mist, and Tsunade summoned Lord Slug to stop him. Trapped by the slugs and worried Konoha would arrive, Aoba prepared to reveal more of his abilities to escape.

• Tsunade chased Aoba while Shizune released poisonous mist to stop him.
• Aoba put on his Kakashi-style N95 Mask, charged through the poison, knocked Shizune unconscious, and carried her away.
• Tsunade summoned Lord Slug, who split into countless tiny slugs to surround Aoba.
• Aoba summoned the Seven Ninja Sea Pirates to clear a path, but Lord Slug dissolved them with Tongue Acidic Stickiness.
• Aoba used Phantom Deception to evade the slugs, but they found him and Tsunade caught up.
• Aoba activated Flash Frenzy and began circulating Nine Revolutions Thunder Rage while maximizing the Crimson Blademaster's skin effect.

Aoba unleashed his Thunder God Battle Form and overwhelmed Tsunade and Lord Slug with a massive lightning attack before escaping with Shizune. Tsunade was unharmed, but she asked the Konoha shinobi who found her to report the abduction and help track him down.

• Aoba stopped pushing for the sixth revolution and activated Three Revolutions of Shunko—Thunder God Battle Form, which greatly increased his power but strained his body.
• Aoba used Thunder Prison to rain lightning down on Tsunade and Lord Slug, who absorbed the attack while protecting Tsunade.
• After the lightning subsided, Aoba was gone with Shizune and his belongings, while Lord Slug had spent much of her energy protecting Tsunade.
• Tsunade spoke with Lord Slug, who returned to Shikkotsu Forest as Konoha shinobi approached the battlefield.
• Tanaka Ikkō recognized Tsunade, and she asked him to report that Aoba had abducted Shizune and to arrange a search.

Aoba abducted Shizune and hid with her in a secluded cave, intending to keep her captive for four days to satisfy his mission. Shizune woke briefly, realized she was bound and gagged, and fell asleep again before she could act.

• Tanaka escorted Tsunade back toward Konoha so she could tell Jiraiya about Shizune's abduction and organize a search.
• Aoba took Shizune to a secluded cave and planned to hold her for ninety-six hours while evading pursuers.
• Aoba searched Shizune for hidden items, tied her up, and gagged her with socks while she remained unconscious.
• Shizune woke at night, recognized that she was a captive, and resolved to escape or endure until Tsunade rescued her.
• Shizune fell asleep again without anyone responding to her, leaving her unable to carry out her plans.

Shizune woke in a dark cave, bound and gagged, and feared she had been abandoned or gone blind. Aoba fed her steamed buns but mistook her attempts to explain the misunderstanding for demands for more food, leaving her unable to speak.

• Shizune woke in total darkness, discovered she was tightly bound, and struggled with hunger and fear.
• Aoba appeared with a lighter, threatened Shizune into silence, and let her see that she was in a cave rather than a lightless basement.
• Aoba removed Shizune's gag, replaced it with a steamed bun, and told her not to be picky.
• Shizune realized Aoba might have kidnapped her after mistaking him for a threat to Tsunade and tried to explain the misunderstanding.
• Aoba mistook Shizune's gestures for a request for more food and stuffed another steamed bun into her mouth, bringing her to tears.

Aoba kept Shizune captive, feeding her until she choked and tormenting her with food while she mistook his actions for deliberate cruelty. Meanwhile, Konoha’s search teams found no trace of her, and Jiraiya summoned Tsunade after receiving Itachi’s warning about Yasuo and the Blood Moon Cult.

• Aoba forced steamed buns and water on Shizune, who nearly choked and drowned before managing to swallow them.
• Aoba stuffed his saliva-stained socks back into Shizune’s mouth, and she realized what she had been chewing earlier.
• Aoba ate roast chickens and braised pig’s feet in front of Shizune while she lay bound, hungry, and convinced he was tormenting her.
• Konoha’s search teams, including trackers from the Inuzuka and Hyuga Clans, continued looking for Shizune but had no good news after more than a day.
• Itachi warned Konoha about Yasuo and the Blood Moon Cult and suggested Yasuo might target the village.
• Jiraiya took Itachi’s intelligence seriously and summoned Tsunade.

After learning that the Akatsuki had stolen the Shinigami Mask from the Uzumaki Clan’s Face Offering Hall, Tsunade and Jiraiya connected the theft to Yasuo and Shizune’s kidnapping. The tracking unit eventually located the general area where the enemy was hiding, but Shizune and the mask remained unrecovered.

• Tsunade recognized the description of Yasuo as matching the person who had kidnapped Shizune, and told Jiraiya that she and Shizune had encountered the group at the Face Offering Hall.
• Jiraiya sent an Anbu member to inspect the hall, and the agent reported that every mask on its walls had vanished.
• Jiraiya found records identifying the Shinigami Mask as a key to undoing the Reaper Death Seal, and he and Tsunade suspected the Akatsuki had taken it for a purpose of its own.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade resolved to pursue Yasuo, rescue Shizune, and recover the Shinigami Mask.
• After an agonizing wait, the tracking unit reported that it had identified the enemy’s general location and begun a carpet search.

With less than two days left before the mission ended, Aoba kept Shizune captive and forced baozi into her mouth whenever she tried to negotiate. Shizune failed to persuade him to release her, and Aoba demanded ten million before she could talk about resolving their grudge.

• Shizune worried about Tonton, who had been forgotten near Konoha and was now lost after escaping hungry beasts.
• When Aoba came to feed her another baozi, Shizune rapidly pleaded for him to listen, and he agreed while keeping the baozi by her mouth.
• Shizune called their conflict a misunderstanding and asked to be released, so Aoba angrily stuffed the baozi into her mouth and accused her of chasing and attacking him.
• Shizune apologized and tried to discuss a resolution, but Aoba asked whether she had ten million.
• When Shizune shook her head, Aoba dismissed her plea and forced another baozi into her mouth.

Aoba continued holding Shizune captive, tormenting her with steamed buns and making her sing while she struggled with the humiliating consequences. As Konoha’s search party closed in, Shizune finally snapped and attacked Aoba.

• Aoba threatened to keep Shizune as a maid and forced her to eat more steamed buns while she begged to be released.
• Shizune told Aoba she needed to relieve herself, but he accused her of plotting to escape; after she accidentally farted, he took her outside and loosened her bonds.
• Aoba tied Shizune to a rope and ordered her to sing while he watched from around a corner, and Shizune chose not to escape.
• Blackmaru picked up Aoba and Shizune’s scent, leading several Konoha shinobi toward their hiding place.
• When Aoba asked whether Shizune had brought any paper, she grew furious, raised her Chakra Scalpel, and attacked him.