Chapter Summaries

Shinji assessed Chiyo’s growing strength after Blue Spider Lily No. 1 and offered to introduce her to another girl who had received the drug. He examined Ryūsetsuna and invited her to move in with Chiyo.

• Shinji sparred with Chiyo, whose strength had increased dramatically, then told her Blue Spider Lily No. 1 could help her reach even greater potential.
• Shinji examined Chiyo and recorded her physical data after returning with her to the hideout.
• Chiyo told Shinji she was lonely, so he offered to introduce her to another girl with a Kekkei Genkai who had also received the drug.
• Shinji visited Ryūsetsuna, who reported that her strength and speed had steadily increased over the past month.
• Shinji examined Ryūsetsuna, recorded her results, and invited her to move in with Chiyo.

Shinji revealed to Ryūsetsuna that he and Karin belonged to Breaking Dawn, a faction within the Akatsuki Organization, and recruited Ryūsetsuna to work alongside Chiyo. He left them at a secluded hideout as peripheral members, with full membership contingent on reaching elite Jonin strength.

• Shinji told Ryūsetsuna that Karin was a member of Breaking Dawn and explained the difference between Breaking Dawn and the rogue-ninja faction Dark Dawn.
• Ryūsetsuna doubted that Karin was the Akatsuki member codenamed B, so Shinji demonstrated Susanoo and explained that Karin had transplanted Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Ryūsetsuna agreed to cooperate with Shinji, who took her to Chiyo's secluded hideout.
• Shinji assigned Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo to live together, adapt to their medicine, and avoid wandering outside.
• Shinji told Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo that they were only peripheral members until they earned his approval by reaching at least elite Jonin level.

Shinji watched Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo test their enhanced strength, then focused on his plans to reach the Six Paths level and prepare for the coming conflict over the Ten-Tails. He left the chapter optimizing the Breathing Technique while his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan continued to grow stronger.

• Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo fought in the forest after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1, and Shinji observed before returning to his secret laboratory.
• Shinji decided he needed to reach the Six Paths level to face the Overlord of Fear and considered the Ten-Tails the only path forward.
• Shinji planned to let Nagato and Obito gather the Tailed Beasts, then seize the Ten-Tails after they revived it.
• Shinji recognized that becoming the Ninja Academy's top student could give him access to intelligence about the Five Great Shinobi Villages and their Jinchuriki.
• Shinji noted that the Power of All Things was still nourishing his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and decided not to rush the First Hokage cells transplantation surgery.
• Shinji opened his notebook and began optimizing the Breathing Technique using his collected techniques, cultivation data, and medical knowledge.

Shinji realized that Breathing Techniques relied on coordinating the body's organs, then fused the strongest organ-focused elements of many styles into a single technique suited to ninjas using Chakra. His first test injured him, so he used his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to examine possible outcomes and find safer ways to refine it.

• Shinji reconsidered his focus on breathing and concluded he could use Chakra to stimulate and coordinate his organs directly.
• Shinji combined the strongest organ-training elements of dozens of Breathing Techniques into one comprehensive style.
• Shinji tested the new technique on an ironwood dummy, shattered it with a punch, and injured his lung and liver.
• Shinji activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and examined possible outcomes of different ways to exert force.

Shinji used Izanagi to test and refine twelve Breathing Technique forms, gradually developing a safer, more powerful Taijutsu technique. After succeeding with each form individually, he combined them and began testing the complete technique, where the failures proved even more dangerous.

• Shinji examined the failures revealed by Izanagi and compared his work with the strengths and weaknesses of Superhuman Strength Punch and Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• After repeated trials, Shinji worked out two of the twelve forms and shaped the remaining ten, while learning that glimpsing fate caused greater backlash when it affected more people.
• Shinji summarized his findings, practiced a refined technique, and shattered an ironwood dummy with a punch that left him with only minor discomfort.
• Shinji used Izanagi repeatedly to test all twelve forms, combine them, and begin testing the complete technique.
• The combined technique produced many severe failures, including exploding bodies and hidden dangers that Shinji recognized through his Medical Ninja knowledge.

Shinji completed and tested his optimized Twelve Forms, then renamed the system the Twelve Palaces and recorded its training methods. He decided Ryuzetsu and Chiyo would be the first to train in it after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1.

• Shinji used the Twelve Forms to destroy twenty ironwood training dummies in seven breaths and confirmed his body's readings were normal.
• Shinji concluded that the Twelve Forms had greatly improved his strength, speed, and durability while offering a comprehensive and safe alternative to other taijutsu techniques.
• Shinji renamed the optimized technique the Twelve Palaces and copied its training methods and precautions onto a Sealing Scroll.
• Shinji decided not to train in the Eight Gates because he believed the Twelve Palaces could provide a complete taijutsu system.
• Shinji chose Ryuzetsu and Chiyo to test the Twelve Palaces after they were injected with Blue Spider Lily No. 1.

Shinji tested Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo’s progress, easily defeating them before introducing the Twelve Palaces taijutsu secret technique. He assigned Ryūsetsuna to study medical ninjutsu and urged Chiyo to awaken her Ketsuryūgan, then began teaching them the technique.

• Shinji watched Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo spar and noted their progress after taking Blue Spider Lily No. 1.
• Shinji fought both women at once and quickly defeated them, finding that the medicine had greatly increased their resistance to impacts.
• Shinji showed Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo the Twelve Palaces scroll, but they could not understand its complex contents.
• Shinji advised Ryūsetsuna to study medical ninjutsu and told Chiyo to focus on awakening her Ketsuryūgan.
• Shinji gathered the two women for a lesson and began explaining how to cultivate the Twelve Palaces.

Shinji left a Shadow Clone to train Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo in the Twelve Palaces while he headed out, and he learned that mastering the technique would take them months or longer. In Konoha, Yakumo and Sasuke both sought a chance to challenge Shinji, the Ninja Academy’s top student.

• Shinji explained the Twelve Palaces to Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo, who began training with the technique after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1.
• After two more days at the hideout, Shinji left a Shadow Clone to guide Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo while he departed.
• Kurama Murakumo told Yakumo that the top student position could be won by defeating Shinji in the next exam, and warned her that it would be her last chance before he graduated.
• Yakumo asked to challenge Shinji, and Kurama Murakumo advised her to ask politely and respect Shinji’s status as her wartime commander.
• After sparring with Kakashi, Sasuke asked to challenge Shinji, and Kakashi said a friendly spar was possible but would not affect Shinji’s top student position.

Jiraiya and Kakashi learned that simulations showed Shinji Uchiha’s squad could not have survived the Root attack without hiding considerable strength, and the village decided to probe the team through student challenges. Haku and Karin revealed nothing in their matches, so Tsunade chose another student from the Ninja Academy list to test them.

• Jiraiya told Kakashi that twenty simulations had ended with Shinji Uchiha’s squad wiped out and the Root attackers unharmed, indicating the squad’s strength had been underestimated.
• Kakashi and Jiraiya discussed Haku and Karin’s backgrounds and concluded that Shinji was the main person the village needed to investigate.
• Jiraiya explained that the village would respect Shinji’s position as top student while using student competitions to probe the squad.
• Haku defeated five students in a training-ground match, but the watching ANBU failed to discover his kekkei genkai and called for stronger opponents.
• Haku and Karin handled repeated challenges with ease without revealing the abilities the village sought, prompting Tsunade to select a name from the Ninja Academy student list.

Haku and Karin realized Konoha’s ANBU might be watching them, while Shinji considered how to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal. Rock Lee challenged Haku, and their fierce spar ended when Sasuke intervened and challenged Shinji with fighting spirit.

• Haku and Karin discussed the suspected ANBU surveillance and decided to wait rather than alert the adults.
• Shinji read village briefings, learned Orochimaru’s pursuit had failed, and resolved to keep Sasuke from being corrupted by the Cursed Seal.
• Rock Lee challenged Haku, and their battle drew villagers, students, and Jonin before Haku led the fight to a practice field.
• Tenten, Neji, Yakumo, Shizune, and the Jonin watched as Haku and Rock Lee fought at high speed.
• Sasuke dropped between the fighters, restrained them both, and declared their sparring meaningless before turning to Shinji with fighting spirit.

Sasuke challenged Shinji to prove he deserved to be the top student, but Shinji easily outmatched him in their opening exchange. Sasuke escalated to ninjutsu and a wire-and-kunai lightning trap, only for Shinji to appear behind him.

• Sasuke interrupted Rock Lee and Haku's spar and challenged Shinji, drawing the spectators' attention.
• Shinji accepted the challenge, and Sasuke used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind him.
• Shinji swiftly overpowered Sasuke in Taijutsu and taunted him to use his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke fired a Great Fireball Technique, then threw wire-tied Kunai through the smoke.
• Sasuke sent lightning racing along the steel wires and engulfed the training ground, but Shinji's voice came from behind him.

Shinji dominated Sasuke in their challenge, forcing the Mangekyō Uchiha to activate Susanoo. As the onlookers expected Sasuke to win, Shinji calmly approached and promised to teach Haku and Karin how to deal with Susanoo.

• Sasuke used a web of wired kunai to channel Lightning Release across the training ground, but Shinji appeared behind him and pressed him to reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke charged Shinji in taijutsu, but Shinji easily countered and sent him crashing to the ground, astonishing the spectators and onlookers.
• Shinji continued to overpower Sasuke, who struggled back to his feet and grew increasingly furious.
• Sasuke activated Susanoo, prompting the Jonin and ANBU to clear the spectators away as they judged the challenge decided.
• Shinji walked toward Sasuke without changing his pace and told Haku and Karin that he would teach them how to deal with Susanoo.

Shinji demonstrated how to fight Sasuke’s 'Susanoo' by knocking it back with Taijutsu and then revealing that he had learned Rasengan. As Sasuke grew hysterical, Shinji appeared before 'Susanoo' with a 'Rasenshuriken' in hand.

• Shinji rushed Sasuke’s skeletal 'Susanoo' and punched it back several meters, astonishing Sasuke and the spectators.
• Shinji reflected that his Taijutsu was less destructive than Tsunade’s or the Fourth Raikage’s, while the watching ninja debated what technique he had used.
• Sasuke retaliated with a 'Susanoo' punch, but Shinji struck back and knocked it away again.
• The spectators recognized the glowing sphere in Shinji’s hand as 'Rasengan', and Jiraiya reasoned that Shinji had learned it by watching Naruto.
• Shinji appeared before Sasuke’s 'Susanoo' once more, this time wielding a 'Rasenshuriken'.

Shinji used a Rasenshuriken to blast a hole through Sasuke's Susanoo, then explained how to exploit weaknesses in the technique. Sasuke insisted on continuing, but Shinji struck him inside the damaged Susanoo and forced it to disappear.

• Shinji used his improved Chakra control to create a Rasenshuriken and throw it at Sasuke's Susanoo.
• The Rasenshuriken tore a hole through the Susanoo's chest, shocking the watching villagers, students, and Jonin.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade watched from afar as Jiraiya recognized that Shinji had developed a powerful technique based on the Rasengan.
• Shinji taught Haku and Karin that a Susanoo's defense depended on its caster and could be overcome by targeting a weakness with powerful ninjutsu.
• Sasuke stood up and demanded to continue, so Shinji entered the damaged Susanoo and punched him in the abdomen.
• Sasuke fell to his knees, and his damaged Susanoo dissipated.

Shinji defeated Sasuke’s Susanoo, prompting Yakumo to decide that Shinji was finally an opponent worth challenging with her full strength. Sasuke then activated State Two of the Heavenly Curse Mark and began a fierce fight against Shinji.

• Shinji easily defeated Sasuke’s Susanoo, astonishing the spectators and earning praise from Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai.
• Shizune tried to stop Yakumo from challenging Shinji, but Yakumo said she wanted to face him at full strength.
• Sasuke roared and activated the Heavenly Curse Mark, transforming into its State Two form.
• Kakashi sensed the sinister Chakra radiating from Sasuke and became alarmed.
• Sasuke attacked Shinji with greatly enhanced abilities and taunted him as their fight intensified.

Shinji defeated Sasuke after the Heavenly Curse Mark transformed him into a powerful, unstable form. He ordered the ANBU to take Sasuke away for treatment and examination, leaving the watching students cowed by his strength.

• Kakashi suspected Sasuke’s transformation was connected to the earlier attack on his shoulder, while the other spectators watched Shinji and Sasuke continue fighting.
• Sasuke’s Stage Two Cursed Seal boosted his strength, but Shinji met his attacks directly with the Twelve Palaces and matched him in a fierce Taijutsu exchange.
• Shinji recognized the Natural Energy behind the Cursed Seal and decided to have Tsunade’s team examine Sasuke rather than study the energy himself.
• Shinji used Shrinking Step to appear before Sasuke, struck him in the abdomen, and threw him into the center of the field.
• Shinji ordered the ANBU to take Sasuke down, and the students lowered their eyes as he surveyed them.

The Third and the Elder advisers discussed Sasuke’s punishment and whether to continue investigating Shinji, while Tsunade examined Sasuke’s mysterious Cursed Seal. The chapter ended with Tsunade reassuring Yakumo that she still had better than a sixty percent chance of defeating Shinji.

• Utatane Koharu called for Sasuke to be punished, while Mitokado Homura urged a thorough investigation of his abnormal Chakra, and the Third assigned the matter to Tsunade.
• The Third agreed to end the investigation into Shinji for now, and Shinji’s order led Koharu’s ANBU to escort Sasuke away as Kakashi and the other Jonin followed.
• Shizune stopped Yakumo from challenging Shinji, and Shinji reassured Haku and Karin that he would handle the village’s suspicions about their defeat of Root.
• Tsunade examined Sasuke and found a foreign mass of Chakra linked to a Cursed Seal, which she temporarily suppressed with a Sealing Technique.
• Tsunade praised Shizune for preventing Yakumo’s challenge and told Yakumo that her chances of defeating Shinji remained above sixty percent.

Kabuto told Orochimaru that Shinji had defeated Sasuke, prompting Orochimaru to take an interest in Shinji as a potential vessel. In Konoha, Sasuke faced treatment and interrogation while his defeat spurred others to train, and Naruto left the village with Jiraiya without saying goodbye to Sakura and Sasuke.

• Kabuto reported Sasuke's defeat to Orochimaru and explained that Shinji's Rasenshuriken had pierced Sasuke's Susanoo.
• Orochimaru ordered Kabuto to keep an eye on Shinji, whom he considered a better candidate than Sasuke.
• Sasuke recovered in the hospital as ANBU interrogated him, and Tsunade led a temporary team to study his Heavenly Curse Mark.
• Yakumo, Neji, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru increased their training after Shinji's victory.
• Sakura asked Shion to get Shinji to forgive Sasuke, and Shion agreed.
• Naruto left the village with Jiraiya, upset that he could not say goodbye to Sakura and Sasuke.

Jiraiya took Naruto away from the village to train him, explaining that he could build on the Rasengan to learn Shinji Uchiha’s Rasenshuriken. Meanwhile, Nagato and Obito’s Akatsuki planned simultaneous attacks on Iwagakure’s Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

• Jiraiya persuaded Naruto to leave with him by promising training to help Naruto defeat Sasuke.
• Naruto told Jiraiya that his attempts to master the Rasenshuriken had failed and injured his arm.
• Jiraiya assessed the Rasenshuriken as an S-rank technique but said Naruto’s Rasengan foundation would make it easier for him to learn.
• Konan told Pain that Madara had found the hiding places of Iwagakure’s two Jinchuriki.
• Pain ordered Itachi and Juzo Biwa to capture the Four-Tails Jinchuriki at Iwamon Valley and Moryo and Shinnō to capture the Five-Tails Jinchuriki at Red Maple Forest.

Itachi and Juzo Biwa captured Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, while Moryo defeated Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, with Shinnō’s help. The Akatsuki teams left Earth Country with their captives, and Moryo asked Shinnō to find him a new host body.

• Itachi and Juzo Biwa confronted Rōshi and fought him in a rugged valley.
• Itachi stepped in when Rōshi overwhelmed Juzo, and they defeated him and prepared to leave with him alive.
• Moryo and Shinnō found Han in northern Earth Country and tried to take him for the Akatsuki Organization.
• Moryo fought Han, defeated him, and damaged the body he was possessing.
• Shinnō carried the unconscious Han away and promised to find Moryo a suitable new body after they left Earth Country.