Chapter Summaries

Aoba and Scorpion were attacked by Mei Terumi after she destroyed their ship, and Mei recognized Aoba despite his disguise. Aoba received a mission to twist the accusation around by pretending Mei had confessed her love to him, leaving Mei confused and Scorpion convinced she was Aoba’s old flame.

• Mei Terumi destroyed the ship with a powerful Water Dragon Bullet, and Aoba used Instant Flash to get himself and Scorpion to shore.
• Scorpion angrily vowed to turn Mei into a puppet, while Aoba considered escaping through another dock.
• Mei surrounded Aoba and Scorpion with her people, recognized their Akatsuki clothes, and asked Aoba if they had met before.
• The system gave Aoba a mission to publicly reject Mei’s supposed confession of love and recite a dramatic speech.
• Aoba removed his hat, greeted Mei as an old flame, and left her bewildered by his words and by calling her “Mei.”
• Scorpion assumed Mei was Aoba’s old flame and put away his scroll, deciding to let her go.

Aoba deflected Mei Terumi’s accusation by spinning their exchange into a melodramatic story of her unrequited love, leaving the onlookers convinced she had pursued and trapped him. Mei realized he had distracted her from her real objective and began trembling with anger as the confrontation resumed.

• Mei Terumi objected when Aoba called her Mei, but Aoba pretended that she still resented him for wronging her.
• Mei Terumi said Aoba had made it impossible for her to marry, prompting the onlookers to assume they had once been lovers.
• Mei Terumi remembered that she had come to stop Akatsuki and demand that they surrender the Jinchuriki.
• Aoba claimed Mei Terumi had sworn to marry no one but him and portrayed himself as the victim of her unrequited love.
• The onlookers sympathized with Aoba, while Mei Terumi lowered her head and trembled with anger.

Mei Terumi attacked Aoba after he publicly framed her as the one who had pursued him, while Sasori and a Kirigakure shinobi pretended to fight instead of helping. Aoba handed Sasori the puppet containing the Jinchuriki, then charged back at Mei Terumi with [Black Jade].

• Mei Terumi realized the onlookers had misunderstood Aoba’s account and launched her Lava Style: Lava Monster Technique at him.
• Aoba dodged the corrosive attack as Mei Terumi ordered the Kirigakure shinobi to attack.
• A Kirigakure shinobi proposed that he and Sasori fake a fight, and Sasori agreed to play along.
• Aoba called out Sasori for throwing the match, then used smoke to pass him the puppet containing the Jinchuriki.
• Aoba drew [Black Jade], cut through Mei Terumi’s water dragon, and charged at her.

Aoba and Mei Terumi escalated their fight, with Aoba using his lightning techniques to overwhelm her defenses and Mei Terumi countering with a devastating compound Kekkei Genkai attack. Their attacks collided in a massive explosion, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Aoba dodged Mei Terumi’s Boil Release mist and unleashed Lightning Prison, surrounding her and the Kirigakure ninjas with more than a thousand lightning bolts.
• Mei Terumi formed a Melt Release giant monster to shield herself and the ninjas, spending a great deal of chakra to keep it intact.
• After the lightning barrage ended, Mei Terumi ordered the other Kirigakure ninjas to flee and resolved to capture Aoba and reclaim the Jinchuriki.
• Mei Terumi used Secret Technique: Dissolving Explosive Acid, detonating compressed Melt Release inside her Boil Release mist.
• Aoba charged into the acidic vapor with Flash Roar Six Revolutions: Kui Ox, and the collision triggered a huge explosion that destroyed the surrounding buildings.

Aoba and Scorpion escaped after Mei Terumi withdrew from their battle, and Aoba inspected his quest rewards while they sailed away. Mei Terumi, convinced that Aoba thought she could not marry, vowed to prove him wrong by going on blind dates or advertising nationwide for a spouse.

• Aoba arrived and pulled Mei Terumi away from the battle, while Scorpion let his opponent escape after recognizing Yasuo's strength.
• Aoba chose not to pursue Kirigakure, then left the harbor with Scorpion on a small boat.
• Aoba examined the quest reward wine and used an Advanced Skill Card to raise [Iron Body] to LV8.
• Mei Terumi stopped during the retreat and insisted on returning, but Aoba warned her about her responsibilities to Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi mistook Aoba's warning as agreement that she could not get married and vowed to find a spouse through blind dates or a nationwide advertisement.

Itachi arrived in the Land of Waves too late to find Shimiya Aoba, who had left him a teasing letter about Sasuke, Naruto, and their next meeting. Itachi returned to Konoha with Kakashi, while rumors about Mei Terumi’s rejected confession spread across the ninja world.

• Kakashi gave Itachi the unopened letter Shimiya Aoba had left behind, and Itachi read its taunts and updates about Sasuke and Naruto.
• Itachi took the attached image of Sasuke with a shaved head, then asked Kakashi to keep the letter safe.
• Itachi agreed to return to Konoha with Kakashi before continuing his search for Shimiya Aoba, and asked whether Naruto knew the details of what had happened.
• Rumors spread that Mei Terumi had confessed to a man, been rejected, and attacked him, while Kirigakure tried to contain the story.
• The Kage of the great ninja villages learned the truth behind the rumors: Mei Terumi had ties to an Akatsuki member and had pursued him without success.

Aoba and Sasori returned to Akatsuki with the unconscious Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata, and joined the others in sealing him into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. After three days and nights, the sealing was complete, and Aoba stored Utakata’s lifeless body in a scroll.

• Aoba and Sasori brought Utakata to Pain and Konan, then took their places as Akatsuki’s members gathered through Astral Projection.
• Pain ordered the group to begin the Nine Phantom Dragon Sealing and assigned Zetsu to watch the surrounding area.
• Pain led the nine members in channeling chakra into the Demonic Statue as it extracted the Six-Tails’ chakra from Utakata.
• After three days and nights, the statue absorbed the last of the tailed-beast chakra and opened one of its eyes.
• Aoba sealed Utakata’s lifeless body inside a scroll as the other members ended their Astral Projections.

After Deidara and Kisame failed to capture the Three-Tails, Pain sent Aoba and Sasori to support them, but Hidan and Kakuzu returned with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, forcing the Akatsuki to postpone the mission and seal the Four-Tails first. Meanwhile, Jiraiya sent a Konoha team to investigate the Three-Tails in the Land of Rivers and planned to involve Kirigakure before deciding whether Konoha should capture it.

• Deidara and Kisame fought the Three-Tails for several days but could neither defeat it nor stop it from retreating to the bottom of the lake.
• Pain asked Aoba and Sasori to support Kisame and Deidara, so the two set off for the Land of Rivers.
• Hidan and Kakuzu returned with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, delaying the Three-Tails mission while Pain led the Akatsuki in sealing the Four-Tails for three days and nights.
• Jiraiya sent Kurenai Yuhi, Team 8, and the Sealing Squad to investigate reports of the Three-Tails in the Land of Rivers.
• Jiraiya planned to contact Kirigakure if Konoha confirmed the Three-Tails was there, leaving Konoha ready to capture it if Kirigakure declined.

Orochimaru dismissed news of the Three-Tails and continued his experiments, while Aoba, Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara regrouped at the lake where it was hiding. Deidara attacked Kurenai’s reconnaissance team to keep them from interfering, and the fight was still underway.

• Orochimaru heard about the Three-Tails but ordered another clone subjected to his experiments instead.
• Aoba and Sasori met Kisame and Deidara, who were frustrated that their mission had failed.
• Kurenai led Team 8 and other Konoha reconnaissance shinobi to the lake and warned them to avoid the Three-Tails and notify the Sealing Squad if they found it.
• Aoba ordered Deidara to hold off the approaching Konoha shinobi, and Deidara flew toward them on his giant bird.
• Kurenai recognized the group as Akatsuki and ordered a retreat, but Deidara dropped clay bombs on the fleeing shinobi.
• Kurenai organized the team’s defense, and the Konoha shinobi began countering Deidara’s bombs as he prepared to attack them more fiercely.

Deidara escalated his attacks against Konoha’s group with a C2 clay dragon, leaving them under heavy pressure. Shino Aburame struck back with his Kikaichū and began hatching more insects to keep fighting, while Kiba remained sidelined.

• Deidara summoned a C2 clay dragon and bombarded Konoha’s group, overwhelming their defenses and injuring several Earth Style users.
• Shino Aburame offered to help, and Kurenai agreed while ordering him to stay within the group’s protection; Kurenai refused Kiba’s offer to join in.
• Shino sent his Kikaichū to swarm the clay dragon and drain its chakra, forcing Deidara to dive it toward the group and detonate it near their Earth Style walls.
• The Konoha ninjas survived the blast, but Shino lost many insects, and Deidara prepared another lump of Explosive Clay.
• Kurenai praised Shino and asked him to continue, so he released his remaining Kikaichū and used Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon to hatch more for the battle.

Aoba used the Bankai of his Zanpakuto to freeze a path through the lake and attack the Three-Tails in its hiding place. The Three-Tails began breaking through the ice, setting up a direct confrontation.

• Scorpion mocked Deidara, but Aoba defended his potential and suggested he was holding back to avoid disrupting the mission.
• Kisame reported that the Three-Tails was hiding in a crack at the bottom of the lake and refused to come out.
• Aoba drew his Zanpakuto, released Bankai, and flew over the lake while Kisame and Scorpion watched in awe.
• Aoba froze a tunnel through the lake, reached the bottom, and attacked the crack with Vacuum Ice Blades and Twin Dragons Playing with a Pearl.
• Aoba sealed the crack with ice, but the Three-Tails grew furious and began shattering the ice around its hiding place.

Yamato and the Sealing Squad arrived in time to save Kurenai, Shino, and the other Konoha shinobi from Deidara’s C3 explosion, then fought back against him. Meanwhile, Yasuo faced the Three-Tails as Kisame and Sasori watched, with the battle still underway.

• The Three-Tails surfaced from the lake in a fury after Yasuo provoked it, while Kisame, Sasori, and Deidara expected Yasuo to defeat it.
• Shino exhausted his chakra holding back Deidara’s attacks, and Kurenai and the Konoha shinobi gathered to protect him and the others.
• Deidara dropped C3 No. 18, but Yamato arrived with the Sealing Squad and used Wood Style and a barrier to shield the group from the explosion.
• Kurenai briefed Yamato on Deidara and the other Akatsuki members, and Yamato attacked Deidara with Wood Style: Wood Locking Prison.
• Deidara dodged Yamato’s attack and resumed fighting the Konoha forces, while Kisame and Sasori stayed focused on Yasuo and the Three-Tails.

Aoba used [Great Crimson Ice Wheel Ring] to freeze and bury the Three-Tails beneath one hundred ice flowers, successfully capturing it. As Kisame went to tell Deidara to finish the fight and help transport the beast, Deidara was distracted by Aoba’s power and Yamato took the opportunity to attack him.

• Aoba froze the Three-Tails in the Thousand Years Ice Prison, but it broke free by striking the ice with its tail.
• Aoba changed the weather with Weather Dominance and buried the Three-Tails beneath one hundred ice flowers with Ice Flower Hundred Blossoms Burial.
• Kisame and Scorpion watched in shock as Aoba captured the Three-Tails, and Kisame went to tell Deidara to finish the fight and transport it.
• Deidara saw Aoba defeat the Three-Tails and began to admire his strength, leaving himself distracted.
• Yamato struck Deidara with Wood Release: Thorn Kill Technique and destroyed his Clay Giant Bird, forcing Deidara to use C1 Clay Bombs and clay spiders to escape the fall.

Yamato and Konoha’s forces tried to stop Kisame and Yasuo from taking the Three-Tails, but their attacks failed to halt the capture. Yamato confronted Yasuo and defended against his ice attack, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Yamato trapped Deidara inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, and the Reconnaissance Squad offered to guard him while Yamato led the others toward the Three-Tails.
• Kisame used water jutsu to sweep most of Konoha’s forces back to shore, preventing them from reaching Yasuo.
• Yasuo blocked Yamato’s path with an ice wall and warned him not to approach the Three-Tails.
• Yamato recognized Yasuo, attacked with Wood Style, and tried to get closer to the Three-Tails.
• Yasuo shattered Yamato’s wooden branches and launched ice projectiles, forcing Yamato to defend himself with Wood Locking Wall.

Aoba kept Yamato from reaching the Three-Tails, but Yamato used Wood Style to break the ice imprisoning it. The freed Three-Tails fled into the lake, frightened by Aoba’s attack.

• Aoba discovered Yamato hiding as a piece of the shattered Wooden Wall and attacked him with an ice dragon.
• Yamato escaped Aoba’s Sixfold Ice Purification Array by creating a Wood Clone, then tried to reach the Three-Tails again.
• Aoba blocked Yamato’s giant trees and battered him with Vacuum Ice Blades, but Yamato used Tree Sea Birth to make trees grow through the ice around the Three-Tails.
• Yamato fell into the water, bleeding, as the Three-Tails broke free of the ice and trees.
• The Three-Tails showed fear of Aoba and sank rapidly into the lake to escape.

Aoba stopped the Three-Tails from escaping and unleashed Four Realms Ice Seal just as it fired a Tailed Beast Ball. The technique froze the beast, the lake, and even the chakra attack, leaving everyone stunned by Yasuo’s power.

• Aoba bound the Three-Tails with nine ice dragons as it began forming a Tailed Beast Ball aimed toward the Land of Rivers.
• Yamato, Kisame, Kurenai, and the other shinobi realized the blast threatened them and fled, while Deidara escaped by flying away on a Clay Bird.
• Aoba appeared before the Three-Tails in his complete Ice Wheel Ring Bankai and took four steps toward it as it prepared to fire.
• Aoba used Four Realms Ice Seal, freezing the Three-Tails, the entire lake, and the Tailed Beast Ball.
• The witnesses stared in disbelief at the frozen chakra attack and the scale of Yasuo’s ice technique.

Aoba used Ice Wheel Ring’s Four Realms Ice Seal to freeze Three-Tails’ Tailed Beast Ball and overwhelm Yamato. He spared Yamato as worthless, then regrouped with Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori to report that Three-Tails had been captured.

• Aoba shattered the frozen Tailed Beast Ball and walked toward the shore as Yamato realized he could not resist.
• Yasuo ignored Yamato and passed him by, and Yamato fled with his confidence broken.
• Deidara asked whether they would let Yamato go, and Aoba said fear had left him with no value worth killing.
• Kisame and Sasori met Yasuo at the lakeshore, where Deidara and Kisame traded insults about their earlier escapes.
• Yasuo dismissed the escaped Hidden Leaf shinobi and ordered the others to contact their leader about Three-Tails’ capture.

Jiraiya reviewed the report on Yasuo and the Akatsuki, then dealt with the aftermath of Team 7’s failed mission. With Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura each beginning separate training paths, Team 7 was left on track to improve ahead of schedule.

• Jiraiya learned Yasuo had withheld his true strength and raised his danger rating to at least S-rank while questioning the Akatsuki’s interest in tailed beasts.
• Kakashi reported the mission details to Jiraiya, then took Team 7 back to the Land of Waves, where they encountered Itachi and found a letter from Aoba.
• Jiraiya told Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura that the mysterious figure was Aoba, while Itachi passed Aoba’s message to Sasuke.
• Jiraiya began training Naruto, and Kakashi agreed to give Sasuke special training with Itachi’s help.
• Sakura, feeling weak and left behind, met Tsunade and became her disciple.

Aoba and the others delivered the Three-Tails to Pain, who began sealing it while worrying about Yasuo’s influence within Akatsuki. In Kirigakure, Mei Terumi’s empty matchmaking campaign was interrupted by news that Akatsuki had captured the Three-Tails.

• Aoba and the others transported the frozen Three-Tails to a cave on the border of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, where Pain met them through Astral Projection.
• Pain summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and began sealing the Three-Tails while considering Yasuo’s power and growing standing in Akatsuki.
• Mei Terumi grew angry that no one had come to her nationwide matchmaking campaign, while Ao privately blamed her demanding requirements and rumors about her motives.
• Ao received a message from Konoha reporting that the Three-Tails had appeared in the Land of Rivers and been captured by Akatsuki.

Mei Terumi accepted Genji’s advice not to risk Kirigakure’s forces trying to reclaim the Three-Tails, but she decided to seek a husband before turning thirty. At a base in the Land of Hot Water, Prince’s teleportation ability suddenly brought Aoba back to Karin, who closed her eyes and awaited a kiss.

• Mei Terumi became furious after reading Konoha’s report that Akatsuki had taken the Three-Tails and blamed Akatsuki and Yasuo.
• Genji urged Mei Terumi to keep Kirigakure steady, arguing that the village lacked the strength, a suitable Jinchuriki, and the means to protect the Three-Tails.
• Mei Terumi set aside the Three-Tails and told Aoba to announce that she was seeking a husband, even if he had to marry into her family.
• Karin worried that Aoba had not returned, while Prince teased her that he might be enjoying himself with another woman.
• Karin hugged Prince and grew flustered remembering her past misunderstanding with Aoba, causing Prince to activate the Tanuki Swaps the Prince technique.
• Aoba suddenly appeared beside Karin, who clung to him, blushed, closed her eyes, and waited for what she believed would be a romantic moment.