Chapter Summaries

Adam revealed that a Divine Path allowed mortals to become gods and said the Blasphemy Stone Tablet recorded twenty-two paths. The others set aside their rivalry after Ōnoki reasoned that the tablet could serve multiple people, and Adam began listing the paths.

• Orochimaru asked Adam what a Divine Path was, and Adam explained that it could raise a person's level of life until they became a god.
• Orochimaru, Konan, and the others reacted with excitement, then grew wary of one another as they feared the tablet allowed only one person to ascend.
• Ōnoki urged everyone to calm down and guessed that the tablet could allow more than one person to become a god.
• Konan and Orochimaru apologized to Adam after realizing their hostility had disappointed him.
• Adam announced that the Blasphemy Stone Tablet recorded twenty-two Divine Paths and named them.

Uchiha Sōgetsu revealed the Twenty-Two Divine Paths to the gathered leaders and tasked them with finding the Blasphemy Stone Tablet in exchange for choosing a Path. After ending the gathering, he impersonated the Dusk Saint and ordered Mr. A to retrieve the tablet for the Aurora Society.

• Adam revealed the Twenty-Two Symbols, and Uchiha Sōgetsu used Mind Power to revive those whose minds were overwhelmed by them.
• Orochimaru asked whether finding the Blasphemy Stone Tablet would let them choose a Divine Path, and Adam warned that the Aurora Society was also searching for it.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu assigned everyone the mission of finding the Blasphemy Stone Tablet, promising each person the chance to choose a Path as a reward.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu ended the gathering and transformed the dream into eerie ruins, then appeared before Mr. A as the Dusk Saint.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu told Mr. A that the Aurora Society had to obtain the Blasphemy Stone Tablet, and Mr. A agreed to carry out the order.

Uchiha Hikari woke in a strange space after losing to Jigen, who tried to overwrite her mind and make her his vessel. As he began to take control, a mysterious presence tore into the Otsutsuki Reincarnation Space and confronted him.

• Uchiha Hikari remembered that Jigen had defeated her, then discovered a black diamond-shaped mark branded on her palm.
• A giant tree’s flower bloomed, and Jigen appeared, revealing that his name belonged to a vessel and demanding to know who had sent Hikari to investigate him.
• Jigen immobilized Hikari with his dojutsu and began invading her mind to turn her into his vessel.
• A voice asked Jigen if he was looking for it, and a huge pale-gold eye appeared through a rift in the sky.
• The presence’s gaze and aura shook the Reincarnation Space, leaving Jigen alarmed as cracks spread through it.

Uchiha Sōgetsu entered Uchiha Hikari’s mind in his unstable Mythical Creature Form and shattered Jigen’s Reincarnation Space. Jigen fled, but Sōgetsu pursued him through the Subconscious Ocean.

• Uchiha Sōgetsu sensed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki in Uchiha Hikari’s mind and transformed into an incomplete Mythical Creature Form, using his preparations to keep his mind stable.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu found Hikari’s Mind Island and recognized the blood-red barrier as a construct of Mind Power tied to the Otsutsuki Clan’s Karma.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu tore into Jigen’s Reincarnation Space and battered it with a powerful Mind Storm.
• Jigen recognized the grayish-white dragon as Uchiha Sōgetsu and abandoned his plan to make Hikari a vessel before teleporting away.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu pursued Jigen through the Subconscious Ocean.

After escaping the Reincarnation Space, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was mistaken for a beggar in Daimyo City and slaughtered the people who tried to stop him. The dead rose and pursued him, and after he destroyed the city, the terrifying presence from the Reincarnation Space appeared in the storm overhead.

• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki escaped the Reincarnation Space, landed in Daimyo City, and was mistaken for a beggar by a young nobleman.
• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki killed the nobleman, a child, and hundreds of enraged townspeople with his Black Rods.
• The murdered townspeople rose as zombie-like figures and grabbed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who tried to stop them with Black Rods.
• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki summoned a massive Black Box that destroyed Daimyo City and the pursuing crowd.
• A storm gathered overhead, forming a strange golden eye that spoke to Ōtsutsuki Isshiki: “Were you looking for me?”

Uchiha Sōgetsu invaded Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s consciousness, where a hidden defense thwarted his attempt to uncover the Otsutsuki Clan’s secrets. After returning, Sōgetsu discovered a suspicious presence within himself and received a quest to explore the moon before advancing to Sequence 3.

• Uchiha Sōgetsu overwhelmed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki with Mind Breath and sent a virtual persona into his Consciousness Island.
• A hidden storm of lightning destroyed Sōgetsu’s virtual personas when they tried to explore the island’s subconscious.
• Sōgetsu’s attacks failed to break the Blood-colored Light Curtain, so he planted a seed of Mental Plague within the island.
• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki awoke in an intact Daimyo City, unsure whether his encounter with the dragon had been real or a dream.
• Sōgetsu found a dark red presence lurking in his consciousness and received a quest to explore the moon before advancing to Sequence 3.

Uchiha Sōgetsu traced the pollution in his spirituality to the Blood-red Moon and carefully tore out and sealed its source. He then gave the source to the imprisoned Obito, whose body awakened as a Sequence 9 Prisoner.

• Uchiha Sōgetsu realized the Dark Red Shadow in his spirituality was pollution and suspected he had acquired it while fighting the Blood-red Moon in Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s Consciousness Island.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu used simulated personas and hypnotic safeguards to suppress the pollution, then tore its source from his spirituality and sealed it.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu completed the side quest and received ten Path of the Bound Sequence 9–6 potions.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu decided to use the sealed Pollution Source to help himself by giving it to the sightless, imprisoned Uchiha Obito.
• Uchiha Obito’s heart began pounding as power awakened, and he broke free of his restraints while Uchiha Sōgetsu watched and identified him as Sequence 9: Prisoner.

Uchiha Sōgetsu comforted Hikari after she awoke from a nightmare and arranged for White Zetsu and First Generation Cells to help restore her Mangekyō Sharingan. He asked her to find ancient ruins linked to the Hyūga Clan, the Byakugan, and Hagoromo Otsutsuki, hoping to use them to reach the moon, where he feared a connection to Outer Gods.

• Hikari woke from a nightmare and feared Uchiha Sōgetsu would abandon her, but he reassured her and promised to take her with him when they met again.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu introduced White Zetsu and explained that its First Generation Cells could restore Hikari's Mangekyō Sharingan ocular power.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu asked Hikari to locate lost ruins using legends about the Hyūga Clan, the Byakugan, and Hagoromo Otsutsuki, with White Zetsu's help.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu planned to use the ruins' teleportation gate to reach the moon and worried that the journey into space could expose him to Outer Gods.

After the war, Hiruzen Sarutobi faced humiliation and public rumors while struggling to name Konoha’s next Hokage. Orochimaru revealed his plan to leave Konoha and pursue the Konoha Collapse Plan after finding what he believed was a fragment of the Blasphemy Stone Tablet.

• The Second Hokage stripped Hiruzen Sarutobi of the Hokage title, but Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru both refused to succeed him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi heard villagers gossip about rumors involving him and Danzo, while Hatake Sakumo watched from the crowd.
• Hatake Sakumo met Orochimaru, who said Hiruzen had threatened him with records of human experiments unless he became Hokage.
• Orochimaru told Hatake Sakumo that he intended to carry out the Konoha Collapse Plan because Konoha had decayed.
• Orochimaru claimed he had found a fragment of the Blasphemy Stone Tablet at Root's headquarters, and Hatake Sakumo questioned whether it might instead be connected to the Aurora Society and Danzo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pressured Orochimaru to accept the Hokage position, and Orochimaru agreed while secretly planning to use the inauguration ceremony to distract Konoha. White Fang was set to exploit the distraction to find the Blasphemy Stone Tablet, while Orochimaru trusted Mr. Adam’s approval to protect his own escape.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi urged Orochimaru to become Hokage, invoking his human experimentation and promising freedom for his research if he accepted.
• Orochimaru agreed to become the Fifth Hokage, and Hiruzen Sarutobi announced that the inauguration would take place in three days.
• After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, White Fang appeared and reported that the target location was under tight surveillance.
• Orochimaru planned to create a disturbance at the inauguration so White Fang could search for the Blasphemy Stone Tablet.
• White Fang agreed to leave immediately after finding the tablet and meet Orochimaru at the designated location.

Kakashi chased a mysterious figure who turned out to be his father, White Fang, and was knocked unconscious to keep him away from danger. At the Fifth Hokage inauguration, Orochimaru took office only to announce that he was defecting from Konoha, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi stunned.

• Kakashi followed a gray-robed figure to the training grounds and attacked with the White Fang Sword Style, but the figure dodged his strikes and knocked him unconscious.
• White Fang revealed himself, apologized to Kakashi, and told him to stay behind because the ceremony was too dangerous.
• Orochimaru arrived late at the inauguration, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura declared the ceremony underway.
• After the handover procedures, Orochimaru climbed the platform and prepared to address the crowd.
• Orochimaru tossed away his Hokage hat and declared that he was defecting from Konoha, shocking the crowd and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At his inauguration, Orochimaru announced that he was defecting from Konoha and wanted to see the village destroyed. As the Nine-Tails rampaged, Orochimaru trapped the First, Second, and Third Hokages in a barrier and approached Hiruzen Sarutobi.

• Orochimaru rejected Hiruzen Sarutobi’s demand to retract his defection announcement and broke Hiruzen’s wrist before throwing him aside.
• Orochimaru declared that he looked forward to Konoha’s destruction, alarming Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tobirama Senju, and Hashirama Senju.
• The Nine-Tails burst into view, and Tobirama Senju attacked Orochimaru, only for Orochimaru’s body to turn out to be a clone made of snakes.
• Orochimaru’s allies raised the Four Violet Flames Formation around Orochimaru and the three Hokages, and an Anbu who touched the barrier was burned to death.
• Orochimaru revealed that he had implanted Hashirama Senju’s cells in Tobirama Senju when he resurrected him, restraining the Hokages before approaching Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pleaded with Orochimaru to repent, but Orochimaru exposed his apology as insincere and attacked him. After Hiruzen and Enma gained the upper hand, Orochimaru summoned another fighter with Impure World Reincarnation, leaving a coffin marked “Four” emerging from the ground.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi knelt and begged Orochimaru to stop and spare Konoha, but Orochimaru mocked him and stomped his head into the ground.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi threw Orochimaru off, declared he would defend Konoha, and fought him with Earth and Fire Release combination jutsu.
• Enma struck Orochimaru from above, breaking his arms and sending him crashing across the ground.
• Orochimaru formed hand seals and used Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation despite the Second Hokage’s warning.
• A heavy coffin marked with the character “Four” burst from the ground.

Uchiha Sōgetsu used Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation ritual to send a memory-altered Virtual Persona into the Pure Land and take over a summoned soul. Reincarnated as Uchiha Sōgetsu, he fought Hiruzen Sarutobi and Enma, while Hiruzen revealed that his five-element attack had another target.

• Uchiha Sōgetsu sent a Virtual Persona with fabricated memories to infiltrate the Pure Land through Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation ritual.
• The Virtual Persona seized the summoned soul’s Consciousness Island and replaced its consciousness before emerging from the coffin as Uchiha Sōgetsu.
• Orochimaru placed a control talisman in Uchiha Sōgetsu, who attacked Hiruzen Sarutobi with Great Fire Annihilation.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu used his Mangekyo to incapacitate Enma and kicked him away.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi struck Uchiha Sōgetsu and Orochimaru with the Five Elements: Great Combined Bullet Technique, but Uchiha Sōgetsu emerged unharmed in Susanoo.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Orochimaru that he had not intended to defeat them with the attack, and Orochimaru realized Hiruzen had targeted someone else.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two reanimated Hokage cornered Orochimaru and subdued Uchiha Sōgetsu, but Orochimaru revealed an uncanny ability to become intangible and vanished. He declared that he would shed his mortal body and pursue godhood.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tobirama Senju tried to destroy the Hokage's reanimated bodies, while Tobirama's surprise attack on Orochimaru was blocked by Uchiha Sōgetsu.
• Hashirama Senju used Wood Release to trap Uchiha Sōgetsu, then suppressed him beneath the Gate of the Great God.
• Tobirama Senju chased Orochimaru through the forest and cornered him, while Hashirama Senju prevented Uchiha Sōgetsu from intervening.
• Tobirama Senju's sword passed through Orochimaru without harming him, revealing that Orochimaru had become intangible.
• Orochimaru told Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tobirama Senju that he would abandon his mortal body and pursue godhood, then vanished.

After Orochimaru escaped, Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi realized his attack had been a deliberate diversion to conceal a target elsewhere in Konoha. As Uchiha Sōgetsu’s resurrected body faded, he warned Tobirama about the Aurora Society, asked him to protect the Uchiha Clan, and died remembered by Konoha as its Fourth Hokage.

• Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi concluded that Orochimaru had staged his attack to draw their attention away from another target in Konoha, and Tobirama sent Hiruzen to alert the Anbu.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu regained control beneath the Gate of the Great God, comforted the grieving Lin Jiao, and declined to meet the crowd gathered outside.
• As Uchiha Sōgetsu began to fade, he told Tobirama Senju that the Aurora Society and the Dusk Saint had been involved in Danzo’s murder of him, and warned that the group’s plans were dangerous.
• Uchiha Sōgetsu asked Tobirama Senju to look after the Uchiha Clan and erase his name as Fourth Hokage, but Tobirama refused and affirmed that Sōgetsu had been a worthy Hokage.
• The First Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and Lin Jiao praised Uchiha Sōgetsu as the crowd called for him, and his Impure World Reincarnation body turned to ash.

After Root was found breached, Tobirama Senju suspected Orochimaru had used his defection as a diversion and wondered whether another hidden organization was involved. Orochimaru escaped Konoha through Mr. Adam’s dream-related power, but Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy exposed his disguise at the gate.

• An Anbu reported that someone had broken into Root and that an item might have been stolen, leading Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi to consider Orochimaru’s motives and a possible unknown organization.
• Tobirama Senju recalled the Sage of Six Paths’ warning about an anomaly and wondered whether it referred to the True Creator worshipped by the Aurora Society.
• Orochimaru used Mr. Adam’s power to travel through a young man’s dream, knocked him unconscious, and disguised himself as Ikeda.
• At Konoha’s gate, Orochimaru encountered Might Duy, who mistook him for Ikeda, but Maruboshi Kosuke recognized his disguise by his speech, reactions, and scent.
• Might Duy struck Orochimaru with a whip kick, and Orochimaru tore off his disguise and revealed himself to Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy.

Might Duy and Maruboshi Kosuke confronted Orochimaru, who overwhelmed them as they tried to stop him from escaping. Duy opened the Eighth Gate to save Kosuke and struck Orochimaru with a devastating kick, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• Maruboshi Kosuke attacked Orochimaru while Might Duy tried to escape and alert the Anbu, but Orochimaru trapped Duy with snakes.
• Orochimaru brutally beat Kosuke and struck him with powerful Fire and Wind Style attacks, leaving him gravely injured.
• Kosuke clung to Orochimaru’s ankle to stop him, and Duy returned to rescue Kosuke from a fatal Wind Blade.
• Duy opened the Eighth Gate, revealing Chakra at Hokage Level and astounding Orochimaru.
• Duy moved too quickly for Orochimaru to dodge and landed a flying kick that tore through Orochimaru’s body and devastated the street.

Might Duy died after crippling Orochimaru, who fought off Konoha's Anbu while trying to escape. Mikoto arrived and attacked Orochimaru in a rage over his tampering with someone's soul.

• Anbu found Orochimaru embedded in Konoha Gate, and the wounded Maruboshi Kosuke identified him before passing out.
• Might Duy died from his injuries, while Orochimaru survived and killed an Anbu who tried to attack him.
• Orochimaru fought the arriving Anbu, and Kakashi cut off half his ear before Orochimaru summoned a flood of snakes to escape.
• Orochimaru crossed Konoha Gate, but a woman used Amaterasu to burn away his snakes and kicked him into a wall.
• Orochimaru recognized the attacker as Uchiha Mikoto, who vowed to kill him for tampering with someone's soul.

Uchiha Mikoto relentlessly pursued Orochimaru with Amaterasu after he admitted he did not know whom she meant, burning the forest outside Konoha as he fled. She finally opened her other Mangekyo eye and used Takehaya to slice Orochimaru in half, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Orochimaru failed to recognize whom Mikoto was accusing, and she attacked him with Amaterasu.
• Orochimaru escaped the black flames with Great Serpent Substitute Jutsu and fled while Mikoto chased him, setting the forest ablaze.
• Tobirama Senju saw the fire from within Konoha and ordered the Sealing Team to contain it.
• Mikoto continued pursuing Orochimaru despite the Mangekyo's painful backlash, while he struggled to escape her tracking Amaterasu.
• Mikoto opened her right Mangekyo and used Takehaya to divide the space in her gaze, slicing Orochimaru diagonally in half.