Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Mai tested Gari’s Explosion Release and was caught in a dangerous barrage of tracking chakra projectiles. He used his new Innate Time Control technique to alter time around them, but the barrier collapsed almost immediately and the chapter left the projectiles’ fate unresolved.

• Uchiha Mai clashed with Gari’s Landmine Fist, tested its explosive force, and burned Gari with his Deathfire.
• Uchiha Mai assessed Gari’s technique and attacked with Deathfire Oscillating Sword, but Morishita’s Earth Release disrupted his footing.
• Gari fired a guided Cannon Fist projectile at Uchiha Mai, then surrounded him with more than a dozen tracking blasts using Machine Gun Fist.
• Uchiha Mai used his Sharingan to read the projectiles and activated Innate Time Control: No Ignorance to accelerate time around them.
• Uchiha Mai’s time barrier collapsed when its acceleration reached the teens, and the world’s Corrective Force acted on the altered physical entities.

Uchiha Mai used No Ignorance to disrupt Gari’s chakra attacks, then fought Gari and Morishita to a standstill. Gari recognized Mai as a growing threat to Iwagakure, while the battle continued without a decisive winner.

• Uchiha Mai used No Ignorance to make the world’s corrective force destabilize and explode Gari’s chakra shells.
• Uchiha Mai descended as a blue phoenix, dodged Gari’s Landmine Fist, and rushed Morishita.
• Uchiha Mai trapped Morishita with Twin Dragon Demon Shadow and prepared a sword strike, but Gari’s Machine Gun Fist interrupted him.
• Morishita escaped underground, and he and Gari worked together to keep Uchiha Mai from exploiting brief openings.
• Gari praised Uchiha Mai’s strength and said Iwagakure could not let him grow stronger.

Uchiha Mai used Fierce Dragon Sky-Breaking Slash to outmaneuver Gari and kill Morishita. The fight continued with Gari facing Mai and unable to stop his attack.

• Gari attacked Uchiha Mai with Explosion Release: Landmine Fist while Mai fought cautiously and the other Konoha ninja overwhelmed the two Iwagakure Jonin.
• Morishita made a mistake while using Earth Style, and Uchiha Mai launched Fierce Dragon Sky-Breaking Slash at him.
• Gari predicted Mai's first charge and fired chakra shells, but Mai feinted past Morishita and avoided the interception.
• Uchiha Mai launched at Morishita again, broke through his defenses, and wounded him with the second strike.
• Morishita dodged Mai's third slash, but Mai turned and struck him with a fourth, fatal attack.
• Uchiha Mai stopped after charging past Morishita, whose body hit the ground and lay dead.

After killing Morishita, Uchiha Mai faced Gari alone and drove him into a final duel. Mai used Innate Time Control to charge the true Ura 108 Shiki: True Ya Sakazuki and unleashed it at Gari.

• Uchiha Mai dispelled the barrier after killing Morishita, endured the world's Corrective Force, and declared that Gari was next.
• Gari considered fleeing, but Mai argued that every escape route would end in his death, so Gari chose to fight.
• Uchiha Mai and Gari exchanged attacks, with neither able to land a decisive blow.
• Uchiha Mai accelerated time with Innate Time Control, charged his chakra, and unleashed Ura 108 Shiki: True Ya Sakazuki at Gari.

Uchiha Mai killed Gari and the remaining Iwagakure Jonin, then ordered his allies to collect the bodies and pursue the retreating enemy. Yamato admired Mai’s strength but realized he could not match him.

• Gari used two Landmine Fists to weaken Uchiha Mai’s Eight Sake Cups, but the blue flames engulfed and fatally burned him.
• Uchiha Mai charged at Gari and cut his falling body in two after the flames vanished.
• The two Jonin fighting nearby lost hope when Gari fell and were killed by the Konoha Ninja surrounding them.
• Uchiha Mai ordered Yamato to collect Gari, Morishita, and the other Jonin’s bodies for Orochimaru, then told the others to pursue the Iwagakure stragglers cautiously.
• Yamato admired Uchiha Mai’s achievement and realized that he and Mai were not equals.

Yamato reluctantly delivered Iwagakure Jonin corpses to Orochimaru, who dismissed his fear and declared him a failed Wood Release experiment. Orochimaru revealed that his real interest lay in Uchiha Mai, whom he believed might awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and reach the level of the Ninja World's legends.

• Yamato remembered Uchiha Mai's order and, despite fearing Orochimaru, carried several Iwagakure Jonin corpses to his encampment.
• Konoha ninja escorted Yamato into Orochimaru's tent, where Orochimaru recognized him as Tenzō and sent the guards away.
• Yamato told Orochimaru that Lord Naruto had given him the name Yamato, while Orochimaru examined him as his former experimental subject.
• Orochimaru said he was no longer interested in Wood Release and considered Yamato a failed creation despite his inherited ability.
• Orochimaru decided that Uchiha Mai was Konoha's only ninja with the potential to match the Ninja World's legends and grew eager to study him.

Yamato delivered Orochimaru a Storage Scroll containing Gari and five Iwagakure Jonin, killed by Uchiha Mai, prompting Orochimaru to praise Mai and plan to push Iwagakure beyond the border. After learning of Gari’s death, Sarutobi Hiruzen promoted Mai to Jonin and ordered Orochimaru to drive Iwagakure from the Land of Fire, while Ōnoki ordered Roshi to kill Mai.

• Yamato reflected on how Uchiha Mai’s growth far exceeded the usual path of even a genius.
• Yamato gave Orochimaru a Storage Scroll containing Gari and five Iwagakure Jonin, explaining that Mai had killed Gari and three of the Jonin.
• Orochimaru verified the corpses, praised Mai’s fighting ability, and asked him to help drive Iwagakure’s forces beyond the border.
• Orochimaru sent a letter of commendation and the scroll to Konoha, while Ōnoki learned of Gari’s death.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen promoted Mai to Jonin and ordered Orochimaru and Mai to drive Iwagakure from the Land of Fire.
• Ōnoki ordered Roshi to kill Mai, even if he had to create an opportunity.

As Konoha and Iwagakure dragged out their war across the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, the fighting devastated the small countries and Hanzo chose not to intervene. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan’s Akatsuki gained support by calling for peace, leaving their growing influence as the story’s next conflict takes shape.

• Konoha, led by Orochimaru and Uchiha Mai, pushed Iwagakure’s forces into the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass while Roshi repeatedly failed to capture Uchiha Mai.
• Ōnoki kept Iwagakure’s forces from committing fully as he continued fighting Hidden Cloud and waited for other villages to join the war against Konoha.
• The prolonged fighting devastated the Land of Rain, whose leader, Hanzo, lamented the damage but chose to let the great villages fight without intervening.
• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan founded Akatsuki to urge the major countries to stop fighting and make peace.
• Villagers, wandering ninja, and some Amegakure ninja dissatisfied with Hanzo’s inaction rallied behind Akatsuki.

Hanzo weighed the threat the Akatsuki posed to his rule and accepted Danzo’s invitation to meet. At the inn, Danzo offered him tea, but Hanzo warned that his poisoned breath made the offer dangerous.

• Hanzo concluded that the Akatsuki trio threatened Amegakure’s rule and decided they had to be eliminated when the chance arose.
• Aburame Ryoma arrived and told Hanzo that Danzo wanted to meet him outside Amegakure.
• Hanzo rejected the invitation at first, then agreed after Ryoma said Danzo wished to resolve one of his concerns.
• Hanzo and Aburame Ryoma traveled to an inn, where Hanzo confronted Danzo about Konoha’s war in the Land of Rain.
• Danzo offered Hanzo tea, and Hanzo explained that his poisoned breath meant Danzo might not dare pour it for him.

Danzo persuaded Hanzo of the Salamander to lure Akatsuki into an ambush by offering to arrange peace talks with the major ninja villages. He then asked Hanzo to help kill Uchiha Mai, whose growing influence threatened Danzo’s position.

• Danzo told Hanzo of the Salamander that Akatsuki’s efforts to spread peace were undermining his power.
• Danzo explained that Hanzo could lure Yahiko and the other Akatsuki members into a meeting by offering to arrange talks with the major ninja villages.
• Hanzo of the Salamander decided to promise Akatsuki his help, then ambush and capture them when they came to meet him.
• Danzo demanded a reward for his advice, and Hanzo agreed to hear his request.
• Danzo asked Hanzo to kill Uchiha Mai, citing Mai’s growing influence in Konoha and Danzo’s opposition to the Uchiha Clan.

Danzo persuaded Hanzo to target Uchiha Mai by arranging a fake peace conference in Amegakure, where Hanzo would ambush Mai and Akatsuki’s representatives. Hanzo agreed, but demanded compensation if Mai did not attend.

• Danzo reasoned that Uchiha Mai’s growing power and ties to Konoha threatened him, so he needed to eliminate Mai through someone else.
• Hanzo resisted Danzo’s request, fearing Konoha’s response and questioning how Mai’s death would help him defeat Akatsuki.
• Danzo threatened to obstruct Hanzo’s plans unless Hanzo helped kill Mai, then proposed luring Akatsuki to a false peace conference.
• Danzo planned to nudge Hiruzen into sending Uchiha Mai as Konoha’s representative, while Hanzo ambushed Mai and Akatsuki’s trio in Amegakure.
• Hanzo agreed to the plan but demanded compensation if Uchiha Mai did not come.

Yahiko and his companions accepted Hanzo of the Salamander’s offer to help arrange peace talks and traveled to Konoha to invite Sarutobi Hiruzen. After verifying Hanzo’s letter, Sarutobi agreed to meet them.

• Hanzo of the Salamander invited Yahiko and his companions to join his peace efforts, and they agreed.
• Yahiko and his companions met Hanzo, agreed to a plan for inviting the leaders of the major ninja villages, and set out for Konoha.
• At Konoha’s gate, Yahiko presented Hanzo’s letter and identified the trio as Amegakure envoys.
• A gate guard delivered Hanzo’s letter to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who checked its authenticity and learned of the trio’s connection to Jiraiya.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted the envoys’ request and ordered a ninja to bring them in.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan arrived in Konoha and traveled toward the Hokage Office, marveling at the village and learning about the Uchiha clan. Nagato believed his Rinnegan surpassed Uchiha Mai’s Two Tomoe Sharingan, while their Konoha guide dismissed the Rinnegan as an inferior mutation.

• A Konoha ninja told Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan that Sarutobi Hiruzen would meet them and escorted them toward the Hokage Office.
• Yahiko admired Konoha’s prosperity, while Konan mourned that their families had died in the war and Nagato affirmed Yahiko’s ambition to make the Land of Rain peaceful.
• The trio saw the imposing Uchiha Clan compound, and their guide explained the clan’s power and introduced Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mai, and Uchiha Madara.
• Yahiko said he wanted to meet Uchiha Mai, and Nagato claimed his Rinnegan was stronger than Mai’s Two Tomoe Sharingan.
• The Konoha ninja noticed Nagato’s unusual eyes but assumed they were a mutated Kekkei Genkai and considered the Sharingan superior.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan met Sarutobi Hiruzen as Akatsuki’s envoys and explained their ideals and plans for a Ninja World Peace Conference. Hiruzen admired Yahiko’s conviction but judged his vision naïve and doubted it could succeed in the cruel shinobi world.

• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan entered the Hokage Office and introduced themselves as Hanzo’s envoys to the Peace Conference in Amegakure.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked about Akatsuki after learning from Orochimaru that the organization sought peace without bloodshed.
• Yahiko revealed that he and his companions had founded Akatsuki and helped devise the Peace Conference.
• Yahiko delivered a speech describing Akatsuki’s dream of bringing peace through ideals and love, and of uniting people across villages and nations.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen admired Yahiko’s eloquence but decided his ideals were too naïve to overcome human greed and the realities of war.

Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to attend Hanzo's Peace Conference through a Konoha representative, then weighed Namikaze Minato against Uchiha Mai. Shimura Danzō objected to Mai, expecting Hiruzen to choose him in response.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen deduced that Hanzo wanted to absorb the Akatsuki and decided to cooperate rather than recruit Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan into Konoha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Yahiko and the others he would attend the Peace Conference by proxy because Konoha was at war and he could not leave.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen considered sending Namikaze Minato or Uchiha Mai to represent Konoha.
• Shimura Danzō entered the Hokage Office and demanded to know what Sarutobi Hiruzen was discussing with the Amegakure envoys.
• Shimura Danzō argued that Namikaze Minato was plainly more qualified than Uchiha Mai, hoping Sarutobi Hiruzen would choose Mai after hearing his objection.

Sarutobi Hiruzen chose Uchiha Mai to represent Konoha at a conference in the Land of Rain after rejecting Danzo’s objections. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan set out with Hiruzen’s letter to find Mai, while Konan worried that their own bond could one day fracture like Hiruzen and Danzo’s.

• Danzo argued that Minato was better suited than Mai, but Hiruzen defended Mai’s rank, strength, supporters, and judgment.
• Hiruzen declared that Mai would serve as his envoy, and Danzo left the Hokage Office in anger while secretly pleased that events had gone as he expected.
• Hiruzen explained the need to balance conflicting interests to Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, then gave them a personal letter for Mai.
• Hiruzen sent five Jonin with the three travelers to the Land of Rain to temporarily cover Mai’s duties on the front.
• Konan asked Yahiko and Nagato why Hiruzen and Danzo had grown apart, and Yahiko reassured her that the three of them shared the same ideals.

Nagato doubted whether he truly shared Yahiko’s ideals, while Uchiha Madara learned that Hanzo and Danzo planned to target Nagato’s group and Uchiha Mai. Madara rejected Mai as a replacement puppet and ordered Black-and-White Zetsu to ensure Yahiko died so Nagato’s path could be corrected.

• Nagato realized that he and Konan supported Yahiko’s dream without truly sharing his belief in achieving peace without bloodshed.
• Black-and-White Zetsu reported to Uchiha Madara that Hanzo and Danzo intended to eliminate Nagato’s group and Uchiha Mai, and that Nagato’s group was heading to meet Mai.
• White Zetsu recommended Uchiha Mai as a candidate to replace Madara in monitoring Nagato, citing Mai’s strength and talent.
• Uchiha Madara rejected Mai as too clever and independent, and ordered Black-and-White Zetsu to keep searching among the Uchiha Clan.
• Uchiha Madara ordered Black-and-White Zetsu to kill Yahiko so Yahiko would no longer hinder Nagato’s growth.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan asked Uchiha Mai to represent Konoha at a peace conference with Hanzo, and Mai suspected Danzo had arranged the invitation as part of a trap. He weighed the danger of confronting Hanzo against the Style Points and power he might gain, but had not yet decided what to do.

• Yahiko gave Uchiha Mai the invitation and asked him to attend the peace conference in Naruto's place.
• Mai assessed the trio and considered how intervening in the Akatsuki's affairs might draw Madara's attention.
• Yahiko explained that Danzo had opposed Mai's appointment, prompting Naruto to designate him as the representative.
• Mai concluded that Danzo's opposition may have been intended to make his appointment seem convincing and suspected Hanzo would ambush them at Amegakure.
• Mai weighed facing Hanzo himself for Style Points against the risks of failure and Madara's involvement.

Uchiha Mai escorted Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan toward Amegakure for a Peace Conference while keeping watch for an ambush. In a canyon near the village, Amegakure ninja attacked them from the cliffs.

• Uchiha Mai agreed to accompany the trio to Amegakure and made arrangements before leaving the front.
• Uchiha Mai and the trio traveled through the Land of Rain, where Konan questioned him about Konoha's war with Iwagakure.
• Nagato defended Konoha's right to fight back, and Yahiko expressed hope that the Peace Conference would end the war.
• Uchiha Mai recognized the canyon as a likely ambush site and warned the others to stay alert.
• Dozens of Amegakure ninja attacked from the cliffs with ninjutsu, Explosive Tags, and shuriken.

Uchiha Mai and the others survived Hanzo’s ambush, but Yahiko learned that Hanzo himself had ordered the attack. Faced with proof that Amegakure’s leader had betrayed them, Yahiko fell into despair.

• Uchiha Mai used Innate Time Control to disrupt the attackers’ Fire Style jutsu and trigger a chain of explosions that wiped out the barrage.
• As the canyon began to collapse, Nagato pulled Mai to safety with Banshō Ten'in and tried to repel falling rocks with Shinra Tensei, while Yahiko led the group underground with Subterranean Voyage.
• The four emerged from the danger zone and spotted the ambushers’ leader on the cliff, whom Nagato recognized as Hanzo.
• Hanzo confirmed that he had arranged the ambush, and Mai presented himself as an outsider caught in Amegakure’s internal dispute.
• Yahiko recognized the Rain Ninja among the ambushers and realized that Hanzo’s betrayal was genuine, leaving him in despair.