Chapter Summaries

Mingren’s reforms transformed the Land of Rain as he secretly tested a jutsu barrier that extracted negative emotions from the Sound Four. Pleased with the results, he planned to expand the experiment across the world, while Shennong questioned whether his ideal society would become a zoo.

• Mingren imposed sweeping reforms in the Land of Rain and continued his Improved Dark Chakra experiment.
• Mingren had Amegakure’s ANBU secretly use jutsu formulas in the Sound Four’s residence to extract their negative emotions.
• The Sound Four gradually became kinder, and most people attributed their changes to their environment rather than an experiment.
• Mingren reviewed the ANBU reports, concluded the barrier-based experiment had succeeded, and planned to expand its reach.
• Shennong asked whether Mingren was trying to create a zoo, and Mingren argued that education and society distinguished humans from beasts.

Mingren’s forces expanded across the Ninja World while Ying led missions to secure powerful resources, and Amegakure’s ANBU became Mingren’s private force. Three years later, Ying failed to surprise Mingren with her new S-rank jutsu, and he explained that he was forging an enormously heavy weapon to face the battles ahead.

• Mingren sought to improve Dark Chakra and build a society where ordinary people could live stable, comfortable lives.
• Ying led missions that defeated Heide’s forces and secured Gelel Stone, which was used to advance medical technology and Chakra Armor.
• Ying led a mission to the Land of Bears, defeated its villains, and obtained Star Hidden Village’s Extraterrestrial Meteorite and the Power of Stars.
• Over three years, Amegakure’s ANBU transformed into a private force under Mingren’s control.
• At sixteen, Ying infiltrated the black skyscraper and attacked Mingren with her newly developed S-rank jutsu, but he blocked it with a small metal block.
• Mingren told Ying that the block weighed around fifty tons and explained that he intended to forge a Katana weighing at least twelve hundred tons.

After three years of expanding the Land of Rain’s influence, Mingren prepared to activate his negative-energy barriers across four allied nations and begin their transformation. He chose the Land of Bears as the first test while Ying remained devoted to him.

• Ying asked whether Mingren planned to marry, and he said he would not consider it until his great undertaking was complete.
• Mingren announced that the three-year period had ended and that Naruto Ninja: Shippuden was beginning.
• Mingren reviewed how the Land of Snow, Land of Demons, Land of Bears, and Land of Birds had pledged loyalty and received nation-scale negative-emotion absorption barriers.
• Ying confirmed that the Land of Bears had finished setting up its barrier, and Mingren praised her work and asked about her mother, Tsuchigumo Cocoon.
• Mingren decided to activate the barrier in the Land of Bears first to test the effects and Chakra cost of a nation-scale barrier.

Mingren took Ying toward the Land of Rivers to investigate the Akatsuki Organization while Naruto returned to Konoha and Sasori and Deidara approached Sunagakure. At an inn, Mingren revealed his experiments on Nohara Rin and the new form of the Zero-Tails.

• Mingren told Ying they would travel slowly to the Land of Rivers to check on the Akatsuki Organization, and the two secretly left Amegakure.
• Naruto Uzumaki returned to Konoha after three years, greeted Sakura and the others, and began sparring with Kakashi.
• Sasori of the Red Sands and Deidara quietly approached Sunagakure's entrance.
• Mingren and Ying stopped at an inn, where Ying prepared to visit her master's room after bathing.
• Mingren summoned Nohara Rin from a coffin and reflected on using her as an experimental subject and hidden asset.
• Mingren revealed that he had perfected the Dark Chakra Jutsu and changed the Zero-Tails' appearance, size, and abilities.

Mingren kept Nohara Rin imprisoned and experimented on her for three years, promising to release her in another year as Konoha faced destruction. Meanwhile, Akatsuki abducted Gaara from Sunagakure, exposing the village’s dependence on a single Kage.

• Mingren summoned a dragon-shaped Zero-Tails and reassured Nohara Rin that he would use her as leverage against Kakashi and Obito Uchiha.
• Ying tried to visit Mingren late at night to confess her feelings, but he turned her away, leaving her disappointed.
• Mingren secretly experimented on Nohara Rin for three years, and she begged to be freed; he promised she could leave in one year.
• Spies reported that Sasori of the Red Sands and Deidara had attacked Sunagakure and abducted Gaara while he was protecting civilians.
• Mingren contrasted his well-supported forces with Gaara’s reliance on himself and criticized Bloodline Theory for leaving villages vulnerable when their strongest leader fell.

Mingren agreed to help Rougakure rescue Kaede after Kakuzu and Hidan captured the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, while Konoha’s reinforcements reached the cave where Gaara and Kaede were being drained. Gaara died as the extraction neared completion, and Team Guy arrived outside the barrier.

• Mingren destroyed a letter, met Ying and Nohara Rin, and set out toward the Land of Rivers.
• An Amegakure ANBU reported that Kakuzu and Hidan had captured Rougakure’s Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Kaede, and that Shibuki asked for her rescue.
• Mingren agreed to help Shibuki rescue Kaede and departed with Ying.
• Three days later, Konoha’s squad reached the cave after defeating Itachi and Kisame’s Wood Clones, and Pain questioned Itachi about the approaching enemies.
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path drained Gaara and Kaede; Gaara fell and died while Kaede remained suspended.
• Team Guy arrived at the cave, but a barrier blocked Might Guy from entering.

Mingren sent Nohara Rin through the Five Seal Barrier using a space-time talisman to infiltrate the Akatsuki base while the Akatsuki sealed the Seven-Tails. Dark Shadow, hidden inside Nohara Rin, revealed itself by smashing Scorpion’s Human Puppet and announced Mingren’s identity.

• Pain noticed intruders outside and said Kakashi, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura, and Chiyo had not yet arrived.
• Mingren sent Nohara Rin through the barrier with a space-time talisman while Dark Shadow remained hidden inside her body.
• Pain identified the infiltrator as an Amegakure subordinate of Amakawa Mingren, and Scorpion dismissed her as an easy target.
• Scorpion attacked Nohara Rin with a Human Puppet, but Dark Shadow burst from her body and destroyed it with one punch.
• Scorpion sent another puppet into the passage, and Dark Shadow declared itself Amakawa Mingren, Emperor of the Land of Rain Allied Forces and lord of Amegakure.

Mingren used Dark Shadow to smash through Scorpion’s human puppets and the Akatsuki hideout, then tore apart the barrier guarding the Seven-Tails. He entered the chamber as the barrier collapsed, leaving Scorpion and the others facing him.

• Mingren’s Dark Shadow crushed the puppets in the passage with a powerful punch and confronted Scorpion, demanding to know whether the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was there.
• Scorpion refused to answer, so Mingren destroyed his human puppet and said he would find the Jinchuriki himself.
• Mingren blasted through the hideout’s rock walls and overwhelmed Scorpion’s traps, puppets, and bloodline creations.
• Scorpion activated a Five Seal Barrier, but Dark Shadow tore it apart by force.
• The barrier’s talismans began burning, and Mingren stepped into the chamber before Scorpion and the others.

Amakawa Mingren interrupted the Akatsuki Organization’s extraction of Kaede’s Seven-Tails and demanded that they hand her over. Scorpion challenged him, but Mingren effortlessly destroyed Scorpion’s puppet and the Third Kazekage puppet, leaving Scorpion to reveal his puppet body and prepare to fight seriously.

• Amakawa Mingren entered the cave and demanded that Pain hand over Kaede, while the Akatsuki Organization continued extracting her Tailed Beast Chakra.
• Pain turned toward Scorpion and Deidara, and Scorpion stopped forming hand seals to confront Mingren.
• Mingren shattered Scorpion’s puppet with one punch, forcing Scorpion to reveal his original appearance.
• Scorpion attacked with the Third Kazekage puppet, but Mingren blew away its arms and poison gas, then destroyed it and its Iron Sand with an Air Palm.
• Orosuke Hime coveted Mingren’s DNA, while Scorpion revealed his puppet body and prepared to fight with everything he had.

Mingren overwhelmed Sasori’s puppet army and turned his attention to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as Kaede neared death from the extraction of her Tailed Beast Chakra. He slammed into the statue at supersonic speed while demanding that Pain release the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.

• Sasori unleashed flames and then his puppet army against Mingren, but the attacks failed to harm him.
• Mingren crushed the regenerating puppets and pulverized Sasori’s giant puppet with a devastating blow.
• Mingren saw that Kaede’s Chakra extraction was almost complete and that she would soon die.
• Pain called out Mingren’s name as Mingren gathered strength and charged toward the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Mingren struck the statue at supersonic speed after demanding that Pain release the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.

Mingren rescued Kaede, captured Scorpion, and declared war on Akatsuki Organization after destroying the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. As Deidara escaped with Gaara's corpse, Naruto blamed Mingren, and Pain's backup barrier jutsu created a second Dark Shadow.

• Mingren destroyed the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, stopping the Tailed Beast Chakra extraction and collapsing the cavern.
• Mingren saved Kaede by drawing the darkness from her heart to form Zero-Tails.
• Mingren destroyed Scorpion's puppet body, seized his Puppet Core, and announced that Akatsuki Organization would be destroyed.
• Deidara escaped with Gaara's corpse while Naruto Uzumaki mistook Mingren for an ally of Akatsuki Organization and chased after Deidara.
• Pain's backup jutsu created an illusion of Dark Shadow after the Five Seal Barrier was destroyed, and Deidara realized the others were pursuing Gaara's corpse.

Dark Shadow retrieved the Puppet Core and Kaede while Chiyo revived Gaara, and Mingren left with Ying and Nohara Rin. As Naruto and Sasuke’s growth loomed, Mingren planned his next moves and began manipulating Ying to push her strength higher.

• Deidara dropped Gaara’s body near Naruto, while Dark Shadow flew away with the Puppet Core and Kaede.
• Naruto attacked a motionless fake Dark Shadow, and Chiyo used Self-Reincarnation Jutsu to revive Gaara.
• Mingren left with Ying and Nohara Rin, then considered how to steer events toward the Tenchi Bridge incident and Naruto’s meeting with Sasuke.
• Mingren decided Ying needed to grow stronger and provoked her by discussing possible marriage partners, including Asuka.
• The narration noted Ying’s popularity and that Sasuke, like Naruto, was entering a period of rapid growth.

Mingren returned to Amegakure and studied Scorpion’s Puppet Core technique, which showed how a soul could inhabit a body without relying on a brain. He saw a way to incorporate its principles into his Dark Medical Ninjutsu and remove even his conceptual weak points, leaving him poised to pursue a new form of immortality.

• Mingren strengthened Ying’s new Zero-Tails Jutsu, adjusting it to grow with her inner darkness and believing she could eventually form a Zero-Tails Dragon.
• Gaara returned as Kazekage, Chiyo was buried, and Naruto Uzumaki’s Team 7 gained Tenzo and Sai before setting out to investigate Tenchi Bridge.
• Mingren visited Shennong in the Black Tower, where Shennong examined Scorpion’s Puppet Core and explained how it retained Scorpion’s consciousness and substantial Chakra without a brain.
• Shennong gave Mingren the scroll describing the Puppet Core technique, and Mingren focused on its method of abandoning ordinary bodily structure while preserving function.
• Mingren realized he could adapt the technique to make his brain and heart cease to be fatal weak points, potentially allowing his soul to survive even if his head were destroyed.

Mingren explained Ying’s troubled mood to Tsuchigumo Cocoon by claiming Ying wanted to find a partner for her mother, then urged Cocoon to pursue her own happiness. He later confronted Nohara Rin over her kindness toward Obito, accusing her of giving him false hope, and warned her to stop acting like a goddess.

• Ying returned home distracted, prompting Tsuchigumo Cocoon to visit Mingren and ask whether something had happened to her daughter.
• Mingren told Cocoon that Ying had asked about marriage and implied she was worried about her mother’s happiness.
• Mingren encouraged Cocoon to consider pursuing a relationship, and she hurried away flustered.
• Nohara Rin criticized Mingren for manipulating Cocoon, but he compared his behavior to Rin’s treatment of Obito Uchiha.
• Mingren accused Rin of giving Obito false hope and warned her to stop putting on a goddess act.

Ying continued training while her dark chakra grew, unaware that Tsuchigumo Cocoon was reconsidering her lonely life and planning to apologize to Mingren for Ying’s matchmaking efforts. As Naruto’s Team 7 neared its mission to Tenchi Bridge, Shibuki arrived in Amegakure, and Cocoon went to deliver pastries to Mingren.

• Ying’s dark chakra increased as she watched Tayuya emerge from Mingren’s residence, and Tayuya explained that she had changed after three years in Amegakure.
• Tsuchigumo Cocoon reflected on her years alone and wondered whether her clothes looked old-fashioned, while Ying mistook her mother’s concerns for worry about Ying’s happiness.
• Mingren learned from scouts that Naruto’s Team 7 would depart for Tenchi Bridge in about six days, then ordered Tayuya to admit Shibuki, the chief of Rougakure Village.
• Tsuchigumo Cocoon told Ying she planned to take homemade pastries to Mingren and apologize for the trouble Ying had caused him.

Mingren comforted Tsuchigumo Cocoon, gave her crystal earrings, and urged her to encourage Ying’s training while cultivating Cocoon’s sympathy for his supposed loneliness. As Naruto and the others prepared to arrive at Tenchi Bridge, Ying resolved to help Mingren, then learned that he had given her mother the earrings.

• Mingren reassured Tsuchigumo Cocoon that he was still an ordinary person and said he lacked experience with family relationships.
• Mingren gave Cocoon crystal earrings in thanks for raising Ying, and asked her to encourage Ying’s training.
• Nohara Rin watched the exchange and contrasted Mingren’s rule with the Five Great Nations.
• Cocoon visited Mingren several more times, probed his marriage prospects, and saw Asuka, Pakura, Guren, and Tayuya entering his residence, making Ying’s Dark Chakra surge.
• The night before Naruto and the others arrived at Tenchi Bridge, Cocoon urged Ying to help Mingren achieve his great undertaking, and Ying vowed to defeat his enemies.
• Ying asked where Cocoon’s earrings came from, and Cocoon told her that Mingren had given them to her.

Ying’s confusion over her mother’s feelings for Mingren drove her to unleash a surge of Dark Sage Mode that shattered her training ground’s barrier. After fighting Pakura while trapped in the Four Violet Flames Formation, Ying declared herself Amegakure’s third strongest fighter and strongest female ninja.

• Ying left her mother and trained alone, venting her confusion by firing a powerful beam through a steel target.
• Mingren watched Ying’s Dark Chakra grow and considered using her to test the new Zero-Tails Jutsu.
• Ying’s Dark Sage Mode formed a black phantom and unleashed a beam that shattered the training ground’s barrier and pierced Amegakure’s clouds.
• Pakura approached Ying, and the two began fighting as Asuka and the Sound Four trapped them inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
• After their battle, Pakura fell defeated, and Ying claimed the title of Amegakure’s third strongest fighter and strongest female ninja.

Ying completed her training and Mingren brought her to Tenchi Bridge, where Team 7 and Orosuke Hime were waiting. As Naruto Uzumaki attacked Mingren in his four-tailed cloak, Sasuke watched without reacting.

• Ying defeated Pakura, and Shibuki and the Daimyo of the Land of Rou signed an agreement making the Land of Rou a vassal state.
• Mingren and Ying traveled to the Land of Grass and found Team 7 watching Sasuke, Orosuke Hime, Kabuto, and Kimimaro cross Tenchi Bridge.
• Orosuke Hime noticed Mingren and Ying, and the two sides exchanged wary words.
• Naruto Uzumaki burst from hiding and charged Mingren in his four-tailed Tailed Beast Cloak.
• Naruto Uzumaki called out to Sasuke, who remained unmoved as he watched.

Sasuke subdued Team 7 after suppressing the Nine-Tails in Naruto’s Mental World, while Kakashi proved strong enough to fight him evenly. Kabuto’s taunts about Naruto’s broken promise drove Naruto into a rage, and the Nine-Tails’ power began surging through the cracks in his seal.

• Sasuke entered Naruto’s Mental World with his Sharingan, and the Nine-Tails warned him not to kill Naruto because their powers might be needed to awaken the Rinnegan and oppose future threats.
• The Nine-Tails’ Chakra cloak vanished, leaving Naruto weakened, and Sasuke quickly subdued Sakura, Yamato, and Sai.
• Kakashi fought Sasuke evenly, while Orosuke Hime recognized that Kakashi had reached the Kage level.
• Sasuke prepared to use a lightning technique against Kakashi, but Orosuke Hime stopped him and persuaded him to keep Team 7 alive as potential help against the Akatsuki.
• Kabuto accused Naruto of failing as Sasuke’s friend, and Ying corrected his account by noting that Sasuke had lacked Gamabunta as a summon.
• Naruto remembered his broken promise to Sakura and the danger he had brought to Choji, Kiba, and the others, then roared as the Nine-Tails’ power surged through cracks in the Eight Trigrams Seal.

Five-tailed Naruto overwhelmed Kabuto and split Team 7 from the others with a devastating shockwave. As Mingren claimed Naruto as his target, Ying drew on Dark Sage Chakra and charged into battle against him.

• Naruto unleashed five tails, and his roar blasted Kabuto a kilometer into the woods.
• Mingren asked Orosuke Hime which Tailed Beast she was assigned to capture, and she said the Six-Tails.
• Mingren declared that Naruto was his target, while Ying prepared to fight him.
• Naruto’s shockwave shattered Tenchi Bridge and scattered Kakashi, Yamato, Sasuke, and the others across the chasm.
• Ying absorbed vast Natural Energy into her Dark Chakra and collided with five-tailed Naruto in a Sage-powered attack.