Chapter Summaries

Kakashi infiltrated the palace and was ambushed by Ranmaru, who used a hidden tank and puppets to attack him. Kakashi defeated Ranmaru’s machines, but golden chains rescued the young puppeteer just before he was cut down.

• Ranmaru sensed Kakashi’s presence through a puppet disguised as a door and drove his Tiger-style tank to confront him.
• Ranmaru fired a chakra cannon at Kakashi, who used Kamui to absorb the blast and counterattacked with Chidori.
• Kakashi damaged the tank with Dual Lightning Shock, prompting Ranmaru to deploy the Centipede and Scorpion puppets.
• Kakashi used a Shadow Clone and Lightning Transmission to cut apart the puppets and nearly slice Ranmaru in half.
• Golden chains pulled Ranmaru from the tank moments before Kakashi’s attack destroyed it.

Kakashi confronted Aoba, the masked power behind the Wako Company, and found that his attacks could barely hurt him. Kakashi’s Kamui nearly caught Aoba, but Aoba dodged and knocked Kakashi away.

• Kakashi tried to escape after realizing he and his team had been discovered, but Aoba struck him through a wall.
• Kakashi attacked Aoba with Fire Style and Chidori, but Aoba crushed the fireball and blocked Chidori with one hand.
• Kakashi used a Lightning Release Shadow Clone to paralyze Aoba, then followed with Lightning Wolf Annihilation and Dual Lightning Shock.
• Kakashi’s hidden Shadow Clone restrained Aoba long enough for Kakashi to seize his wrists and activate Kamui.
• Aoba dodged the Kamui, which tore through the wall behind him, and kicked Kakashi away.

Aoba’s identity was exposed when Kakashi destroyed his mask, and the two fought in the ruined palace. Aoba defeated Kakashi but ordered him treated and imprisoned, then arranged to move to the seaside villa while learning that Tazuna’s family had been expelled and the children had escaped surveillance.

• Kakashi shattered most of Aoba’s mask with Kamui, recognized him, and asked whether he had also been the mysterious man Sasuke and the others encountered.
• Aoba confirmed his identity and said he had acted because he had no choice, then attacked Kakashi with Thunder Rage Three Revolutions: Thunder Dragon.
• Aoba defeated Kakashi and told Karin to treat him and have him locked up rather than kill him.
• Aoba praised Ranmaran’s progress and urged him to keep training toward becoming his right-hand man.
• Hushang Shu reported that Tazuna’s family had been driven from the Land of Waves, while the children from Tazuna’s house had escaped his men.
• Aoba ordered Kakashi sent to Prison No. 0, approved staying at the seaside villa during reconstruction, and told Hushang Shu not to act without his permission.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura discovered that Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna’s family had vanished after the palace battle, and they began gathering information without help. When Naruto found Kakashi-sensei’s bloodstained forehead protector, Sasuke proposed capturing the Wako Company president and exchanging him for the missing people.

• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura found the palace in ruins and saw no sign of Kakashi-sensei.
• The three returned to Tazuna’s house, found Wako Company guards there, and learned that Tazuna’s family and Kakashi-sensei were missing.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura split up to gather information, then met again at night.
• Sakura and Sasuke learned that Wako Company had taken Tazuna’s family and that a fierce battle had occurred inside the palace.
• Naruto showed them half of Kakashi-sensei’s bloodstained forehead protector, prompting them to prepare for the possibility that he had been captured or killed.
• Sasuke proposed capturing the Wako Company president and exchanging him for Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna’s family.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura attempted to take Hushang Shu hostage, but Zabuza and Haku turned the ambush against them. Naruto and Sasuke were trapped inside Haku’s ice mirrors while Sakura was left outside, and her scream ended the chapter.

• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura used smoke bombs and a Shadow Clone to seize the apparent Hushang Shu and threaten him with a kunai.
• Zabuza revealed that Hushang Shu was Haku in disguise, and Haku struck Naruto with a senbon before trapping Naruto and Sasuke in Demonic Mirror Ice Crystals.
• Haku attacked Naruto and Sasuke with senbon from the mirrors, wounding Sasuke and forcing Naruto to retreat after he destroyed a mirror.
• Sakura screamed from outside the ice mirrors.

Naruto’s rage at Sakura’s capture and the apparent death of Kakashi triggered a small leak of Nine-Tails chakra, letting him overwhelm Haku and Zabuza. Aoba watched with Karin and Ranmaru, then sent Karin into the fight to test herself against the berserk Naruto.

• Zabuza trapped Sakura in a Water Prison and told Haku to finish Naruto and Sasuke, making them believe Kakashi had been killed.
• Naruto erupted in rage, released red chakra, and shattered Haku’s Demonic Ice Mirrors with a roar.
• Zabuza and Haku attacked, but Naruto dodged their techniques, healed from his wounds, and sent Zabuza flying.
• Aoba explained to Karin and Ranmaru that Naruto had only let a little Nine-Tails chakra escape because his seal had weakened.
• Aoba told Karin to enter the battle and warned that he would not interfere unless she faced a life-or-death crisis.

Karin and Ranmaru joined the fight and quickly contained the rampaging Naruto, while Sasuke attacked Karin to free him. The battle continued as Ranmaru aimed his chakra cannon at Sakura.

• Karin and Ranmaru arrived, and Ranmaru’s chakra cannon barely injured Naruto before his wounds healed.
• Karin bound Naruto with Adamantine Sealing Chains and approached to reinforce his seal.
• Sasuke attacked Karin with Great Dragon Fire Style, but she sealed the flames inside a scroll with the Fire Sealing Method.
• Sasuke charged Karin in close combat, and she ordered Ranmaru not to interfere.
• Ranmaru aimed his charging chakra cannon at Sakura, lowering the barrel to avoid killing her.

Sasuke attacked Karin, but she overwhelmed him after Ranmaran’s cannon blast knocked Sakura down. Naruto then awakened in his sealing space and nearly removed the seal at the Nine-Tails’ urging, but stopped just before touching it.

• Sasuke traded martial arts attacks with Karin, who matched his speed and strength.
• Ranmaran fired a cannon shell near Sakura, knocking her down without seriously injuring her.
• Distracted by Sakura, Sasuke was counterattacked and beaten unconscious by Karin.
• Naruto awoke in the sealing space and learned that the Nine-Tails lived inside him.
• The Nine-Tails offered Naruto its power if he removed the seal, but Naruto stopped his hand before touching it.

Naruto borrowed the Nine-Tails' chakra to save Sasuke and Sakura, triggering a Half-Tailed Beast Transformation that threatened to overwhelm Karin's seal. Aoba subdued Naruto long enough for Karin to repair the seal, forcing the Nine-Tails' chakra back inside him.

• Naruto refused to remove the seal but borrowed the Nine-Tails' chakra, then vanished from the sealing space.
• After Sasuke collapsed, Naruto awoke cloaked in Tailed Beast chakra as Karin struggled to suppress him with her Adamantine Sealing.
• The Nine-Tails gave Naruto more chakra, and Naruto entered Half-Tailed Beast Transformation as a second tail began to form.
• Aoba intervened, struck Naruto with repeated Lightning Strikes, and gave Karin an opening to approach.
• Karin applied a Four Symbols Seal to Naruto's abdomen, driving the Tailed Beast chakra back inside him.

Kakashi escaped Prison Zero and rescued Naruto and the other prisoners while Aoba prepared to leave the Land of Waves for Akatsuki’s gathering. After learning that the prisoners had escaped, Aoba demanded to know how long ago it happened.

• Pakkun removed the senbon sealing Kakashi’s chakra points, and Kakashi used Kamui to break his chains.
• Aoba trained Karin and Ranmaru before the Vermilion Ring summoned him to an Akatsuki meeting.
• Pain ordered every Akatsuki member to gather in the Land of Grass and announced that the organization was preparing to unleash a war across the shinobi world.
• Aoba realized Akatsuki was preparing to capture the tailed beasts and planned to reveal his [Crimson Blademaster] identity, then visit Orochimaru.
• Hushang Shu told Aoba that Kakashi had escaped Prison Zero and rescued the other prisoners, and that Zabuza had gone after them.
• Aoba asked Hushang Shu how long the prisoners had been gone.

Aoba let Hushang Shu go and left the Land of Waves with Zabuza and Haku, while Hushang Shu vowed to prove that money ruled the world. Aboard a cargo ship, Kakashi and Team 7 struggled to recover from their escape and the mission’s devastating setbacks.

• Hushang Shu offered to seal off the sea to catch the escapees, but Aoba told him he would not pursue the matter and that they should part on good terms.
• Aoba warned Hushang Shu that he had misunderstood the shinobi world, then left with Karin, Ranmaru, Zabuza, and Haku.
• Hushang Shu insisted that money was king and vowed to prove Aoba wrong, unaware that Aoba had deliberately taught him those beliefs.
• Kakashi kept quiet about seeing Aoba and worried that Naruto might return to the Land of Waves if he learned the truth.
• Sasuke asked whether Team 7 was truly so weak, and Kakashi explained that the mission had been misclassified and was far beyond their level.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained shaken by the mission, each dwelling on their own fears and failures.

Aoba visited Orochimaru to learn the progress of his research ahead of an Akatsuki operation. Orochimaru revealed that Shin had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan through transplantation and experimental stimulation.

• Aoba established a hidden base in the Land of Hot Water and left his companions there before traveling to the Land of Rice Fields.
• Aoba met Kimimaro and noticed that his illness had worsened, then confronted Orochimaru about his research.
• Orochimaru led Aoba to a concealed laboratory and introduced Shin, a boy whose body accepted transplanted tissue without rejection.
• Orochimaru ordered Shin to show his Mangekyō Sharingan and explained how he had transplanted a Sharingan and used electrical stimulation to help Shin awaken it.

Aoba inspected Shin, whose unusual constitution had allowed Orochimaru to create a successful Sharingan transplant and awaken a unique Mangekyō ability. Orochimaru had not yet learned to awaken the Mangekyō in Shin’s clones, but he continued researching the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan as Aoba left their cooperation intact and promised to reveal the Rinnegan’s secrets later.

• Aoba realized Shin’s lack of tissue rejection could make him an exceptional vessel for transplanted abilities, but decided he had no reason to take Shin from Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru had Shin demonstrate his Mangekyō Sharingan, which let him mark objects with his left hand and control them from a distance through his right eye.
• Orochimaru told Aoba that Shin’s clones could awaken only the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and that he had not found a way to make them evolve further.
• Aoba grew wary of Orochimaru’s undisclosed research and the unknown ability of Shin’s other eye.
• Aoba praised their cooperation and promised to reveal the Rinnegan’s secrets after Orochimaru achieved the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Aoba arrived at the Akatsuki gathering in the Land of Grass, where Pain revealed that their next mission was to capture the Tailed Beasts and resurrect the Ten-Tails. The chapter ended with Pain teaching the members the Nine Phantom Dragon Sealing Jutsu needed to seal the beasts’ chakra.

• Aoba followed Zetsu through the forest to join the Akatsuki members, who had gathered without the defected Orochimaru.
• Aoba joined Sasori and exchanged a subtle glance with Kisame while the other members greeted him in their own ways.
• Pain opened the entrance to Madara’s former base and led the Akatsuki into the cave containing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Pain announced that the Akatsuki would capture the Tailed Beasts and explained that the statue was the Ten-Tails’ husk.
• Pain taught the Akatsuki the Nine Phantom Dragon Sealing Jutsu so they could extract Tailed Beast chakra and seal it inside the statue.

The Akatsuki assigned Yasuo and Scorpion to capture the Six-Tails Jinchuriki hiding in the Land of Water. Before they set out, Scorpion took Yasuo to the Land of Iron and gave him a powerful black sword.

• Nagato assigned Hidan and Kakuzu to capture the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Kisame and Deidara to capture the Three-Tails, and Yasuo and Scorpion to capture the Six-Tails.
• Hidan challenged Yasuo to a race to complete their missions, but backed down when Yasuo threatened to use him as shark bait.
• Scorpion asked Yasuo to stop in the Land of Iron so he could collect something before they continued to the Land of Water.
• Scorpion gave Yasuo a heavy black sword forged from rare extraterrestrial meteorite, astonishing the craftsman who had made it.
• Yasuo drew the blade and examined it, noting that it could replace his worn and overly light [Gray Snow].

Aoba received a powerful blade from Scorpion, named it Ink Jade, and set off with him for the Land of Water. With the region under strict martial law, they paid a boat owner to land them secretly away from the harbor.

• Scorpion gave Aoba a heavy blade forged from an outer-space meteorite, and Aoba tested its sharpness by slicing through a solid iron rod.
• Aoba named the blade Ink Jade, and Scorpion and the muscular Han accepted the name.
• Aoba strapped Ink Jade to his waist and left the Land of Iron with Scorpion for the Land of Water.
• They learned that strict inspections under martial law had disrupted travel and trade in the Land of Water.
• Aoba paid a boat owner ten times the usual fare to take them to an uninhabited landing spot, beginning their secret entry into the Land of Water.

Utakata was found in the Land of Water by Sasori and Aoba, who intended to capture the Six-Tails Jinchuriki alive. Sasori fought Utakata with the Rasa and Third Kazekage puppets, driving him into the air as Aoba watched.

• Utakata woke from a nightmare about his past and noticed two figures approaching his hiding place.
• Sasori identified Utakata as the Six-Tails Jinchuriki and asked Aoba who would fight him; Aoba let Sasori take the match.
• Utakata attacked with bubbles that could explode or turn into corrosive acid, but Sasori countered with the Rasa and Third Kazekage puppets.
• Sasori unleashed a Gold Sand Wave, forcing Utakata to escape inside a giant flying bubble.
• Sasori pursued Utakata with the Third Kazekage puppet's iron sand wings and tracking feathers, while Aoba observed the battle.

Sasori and Aoba confronted Utakata, who drew on Saiken’s power and transformed into the Six-Tails. Sasori countered his acid attacks with his Kage-level puppets, but Utakata’s corrosive sludge surged toward the airborne group.

• Utakata’s flying bubble was shattered by the Third Kazekage puppet’s Iron Sand, but a bluish-white tail shielded him while he formed another bubble.
• Sasori attacked with the Third and Fourth Kazekage puppets’ Gold Dust Cube and Iron Sand Cylinder, prompting Utakata to enter complete Tailed Beast Transformation.
• Utakata unleashed Acid Gas, but Sasori brought out the Fourth Mizukage puppet, whose Wind Style: Typhoon Gale dispersed the mist.
• Utakata recognized Yagura and attacked with Corrosive Sludge, which Typhoon Gale could not repel.
• Sasori used Rasa’s Magnet Release: Sand Cushion to lift the group above the dissolving ground as the sludge surged toward them.

Sasori and Aoba captured Utakata after Sasori used the Third and Fourth Kazekage puppets to bury and blast Six-Tails with a powerful combined Magnet Release technique. They left for their secret base in the Land of Grass, while Sasori mistakenly believed Aoba had refrained from intervening because he could have killed Utakata instantly.

• Sasori used the Third and Fourth Kazekage puppets to attack Six-Tails with coordinated iron sand and sand gold barriers.
• Six-Tails resisted the attacks with his corrosive secretions, so Sasori combined iron sand and sand gold to bury him three hundred meters underground and trigger a massive explosion.
• Aoba and Sasori descended into the crater and found Utakata unconscious and seriously injured after Six-Tails had taken the damage for him.
• Aoba carried Utakata and told Sasori to leave for the secret base in the Land of Grass instead of wasting time near Kirigakure.
• Sasori interpreted Aoba's words as a sign that Aoba could have killed Utakata instantly and felt ashamed of the commotion he had caused.

Aoba and Sasori reported capturing the Six-Tails Jinchuriki to Pain and began escaping the Land of Water with Utakata aboard a controlled ship. Just as they set sail from the port, Aoba sensed a dangerous presence.

• Kirigakure Anbu investigated the devastated battlefield and found evidence of Utakata and Magnet Release, but could not identify his opponent or determine who had won.
• Aoba and Sasori contacted Pain and reported that they had captured the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Pain praised them and told them to return so the Akatsuki could prepare to seal the tailed beast.
• Sasori kept Utakata unconscious inside a human puppet, subdued searching Kirigakure ninja, and sealed their memories to conceal the pair's escape.
• Sasori took control of a ship's sailors and began steering it away from shore, but Aoba sensed a dangerous presence.