Chapter Summaries

Kitahara Kaede taught Second Pillar Thunder Breathing to help him grow stronger against the Ōtsutsuki threat. Second Pillar began learning the style rapidly, mastering a passable version of its First Form after one day of training.

• Kitahara Kaede offered to answer Second Pillar's questions about training and Sharingan use, and Second Pillar gratefully accepted.
• Kitahara Kaede demonstrated all seven forms of Thunder Breathing and explained its training methods and advanced abilities to Second Pillar.
• Kitahara Kaede bought Second Pillar an ordinary Kusanagi and began instructing him in Thunder Breathing.
• After one day, Second Pillar performed Thunderclap and Flash passably, though he still needed time to prepare and improve its power.

Kitahara Kaede wrote about Second Pillar’s progress in Thunder Breathing and mocked Muzan, prompting readers to discover the diary’s video about the ancient demon. The footage ended with Ubuyashiki confronting Muzan, revealing the Demon Slayer Corps’ thousand-year struggle against him.

• Kitahara Kaede praised Second Pillar as Thunder Breathing’s best successor after guiding his training, while Second Pillar read the diary and reflected on the new swordsmanship.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Uchiha Itachi read the diary and wondered about Thunder Breathing, Muzan, and the other unfamiliar names.
• Kitahara Kaede joked that Muzan’s followers had been transformed by love and that Kaigaku was the exception, then a video appeared beneath the diary.
• The footage showed Muzan entering a residence and meeting the ailing Ubuyashiki, who identified him as the enemy his clan and the Demon Slayer Corps had hunted for a thousand years.
• Ubuyashiki told Muzan that he had survived beyond his doctor’s prediction because his obsession with destroying him kept him alive.

The diary revealed that Kibutsuji Muzan shared a bloodline with Ubuyashiki, and the Demon Slayer Corps’ Master sacrificed himself and his family in an attempt to destroy Muzan. Muzan survived and was trapped by the Hashira, but he sent them and nearby Corps members into the Infinity Castle.

• Tsunade and Uchiha Itachi wondered why they had never heard of the Demon Slayer Corps or demons, while Ubuyashiki explained that Muzan came from his clan and had cursed its descendants.
• Muzan resolved to kill Ubuyashiki, and the Hashira rushed toward the Ubuyashiki Estate after receiving an emergency summons.
• The Ubuyashiki Estate exploded, but Muzan survived and regenerated despite the blast and Himejima Gyomei’s attack.
• Tamayo used a Blood Demon Art and gave Muzan a medicine intended to turn demons back into humans, while Himejima Gyomei urged the Hashira to keep Muzan in sunlight until dawn.
• Tsunade resolved to search for the Blue Spider Lily, and the Hashira attacked Muzan with their Breathing Styles.
• The ground disappeared beneath the Hashira and nearby Demon Slayer Corps members, sending them into the Infinity Castle, which Minato Namikaze identified as a Space-Time Blood Demon Art.

The observers watched Agatsuma Zenitsu confront his former senior brother Kaigaku in the Infinity Castle, while Uchiha Itachi recorded what he learned about demons and Breathing Styles. Zenitsu swiftly cut Kaigaku’s neck, but Kaigaku’s wound healed, revealing his extraordinary regeneration.

• Kibutsuji Muzan threatened the Demon Slayer Corps in the Infinity Castle, and Kamado Tanjiro vowed to defeat him.
• Agatsuma Zenitsu hunted down Kaigaku, whom he recognized as a demon and former Thunder Breathing successor.
• Uchiha Itachi recorded his deductions about demon ranks, powers, weaknesses, and the Demon Slayer Corps’ Breathing Styles.
• Zenitsu condemned Kaigaku for becoming a demon and causing their teacher to commit seppuku, while Kaigaku showed no remorse.
• Kaigaku began using Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder, but Zenitsu cut through his neck before he could finish drawing his sword.
• Kaigaku’s neck wound rapidly healed, and Uchiha Itachi watched the fight with his Sharingan activated.

Agatsuma Zenitsu defeated Kaigaku with a Seventh Form he had created himself, and Yushiro rescued him afterward. The next morning, Asama Sandayu met Kitahara Kaede and explained that Kazahana Koyuki was needed to reclaim the Land of Snow, but Kitahara agreed to handle her reluctance to return.

• Agatsuma Zenitsu used Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi, to sever Kaigaku’s head and revealed that he had created the form himself.
• Yushiro rescued the exhausted Agatsuma Zenitsu before he fell with Kaigaku.
• Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi assessed the Demons’ abilities and discussed how they could be killed.
• Asama Sandayu visited Kitahara Kaede and revealed his plan for Kazahana Koyuki to return as the Land of Snow’s Daimyo.
• Kitahara Kaede acknowledged that Kazahana Koyuki did not want to return and told Asama Sandayu to leave the matter to him.

Kitahara Kaede persuaded Kazahana Koyuki to return to the Land of Snow and reclaim her position as Daimyo, then escorted her film crew north with Team 7 and the Kitahara Squad. During the journey, Naruto, Second Pillar, and Sakura made major progress in their training, and the group reached the Land of Snow ready to begin the mission.

• Kitahara Kaede found Kazahana Koyuki by the riverside and convinced her that Konoha could help her overthrow Kazahana Dōtō and reclaim the Land of Snow.
• Kazahana Koyuki agreed to hire Kitahara Kaede, promising to make up the mission fee after becoming Daimyo.
• The following day, Kitahara Kaede set out with the Kitahara Squad, Team 7, and the film crew, reaching the Land of Snow after more than twenty days of travel.
• Uzumaki Naruto mastered the Rasengan and developed the Big Ball Rasengan under Kitahara Kaede's guidance.
• Second Pillar mastered Thunder Breathing and grew to Tokubetsu Jonin-level combat strength.
• Haruno Sakura advanced in medical ninjutsu, surpassing Hyuga Keiko's skill with the techniques Kitahara Kaede taught her.

Team 7 and Kitahara Kaede’s squad fought the Snow Ninja after returning to the Land of Snow with Princess Koyuki. Kitahara Kaede’s team overwhelmed the enemy forces, but Hyuga Keiko remained in a difficult fight against the airborne Fubuki Kakuyoku.

• Nadare Rōga, Fubuki Kakuyoku, and Doto Fuyukuma confronted Princess Koyuki and the film crew, and Kitahara Kaede assigned the Snow Ninja to his squad and Team 7.
• Second Pillar used Thunder Breathing to set up Uzumaki Naruto’s Rasengan, which shattered Nadare Rōga’s Chakra Armor and sent him flying.
• Kitahara Kaede killed the Snow Ninja Genin in under half a minute while Hyuga Keiko and Soten Genryu struggled against their opponents’ Chakra Armor.
• Soten Genryu exploited a gap in Doto Fuyukuma’s armor and killed him with a shuriken to the throat.
• Fubuki Kakuyoku’s armor unfolded wings, letting her fly out of Hyuga Keiko’s reach and keeping their fight unresolved.

Kitahara Kaede swiftly killed Fubuki Kakuyoku and Nadare Rōga, then accepted Kazahana Koyuki’s new S-rank commission to help reclaim the Land of Snow. After the battle, he returned to his cabin aboard the ship and wrote in his Diary about Jiraiya’s words and the meaning of a ninja’s life.

• Kitahara Kaede killed Fubuki Kakuyoku with a Chidori and kunai, then told Soten Genryu and Hyuga Keiko to collect her Chakra Armor.
• Nadare Rōga tried to escape, but Kitahara Kaede caught and killed him with Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash.
• Kazahana Koyuki formally changed the protection mission into an S-rank commission for Konoha to help her reclaim her country.
• Kitahara Kaede accepted Kazahana Koyuki’s commission, and the film crew rested aboard the ship instead of continuing to film.
• Kitahara Kaede returned to his cabin and wrote in his Diary about Jiraiya’s words and a ninja’s life and death.

Kitahara Kaede’s diary revealed that Jiraiya would die in the Rain Country, while his clone Kashin Koji would escape an unwinnable fight using Reverse Summoning. Jiraiya resolved to change his fate, and Hatake Kakashi broke through to Kage Level after mastering the Hatake Sword Style.

• Jiraiya laughed at Kitahara Kaede’s diary entry depicting him as carefree, while Tsunade followed the diary after a stretch of dull entries.
• Hatake Kakashi completed a powerful sword strike that broke through a barrier and brought his aura into the Kage Level.
• Uchiha Itachi reflected on Jiraiya’s reputation, while Second Pillar stood watch and reviewed his recent battle.
• Kitahara Kaede’s diary said Jiraiya had died beneath the sea after seeking intelligence in the Rain Country, while his clone Kashin Koji escaped a losing fight with Reverse Summoning.
• Tsunade lamented Jiraiya’s foretold death, and Jiraiya realized Kashin Koji was his clone and vowed not to die this time.

Uchiha Itachi, Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, and Second Pillar reacted to the diary’s account of Jiraiya’s death and the power of Sage Mode and Super Kage Level fighters. A video showed Jiraiya telling Tsunade he would investigate Akatsuki’s leader, and he departed after joking with her about whether he would return.

• Uchiha Itachi considered how Sage Mode raised Jiraiya from Kage Level to Strong Kage Level and how formidable a Super Kage Level opponent must be.
• Minato Namikaze grieved at the account of Jiraiya’s future death and reflected on his own Sage Mode training.
• Jiraiya wondered how Nagato and Yahiko had become so powerful, while Second Pillar questioned whether Akatsuki’s leader could surpass Sasuke’s future self.
• A video showed Jiraiya telling Tsunade that he had learned where Akatsuki’s leader was hiding, and Tsunade urged him to plan a surprise attack.
• Tsunade warned Jiraiya against going to the Rain Country, but accepted that he had to investigate Akatsuki’s leader and asked him to contact her if he was in danger.
• Jiraiya joked with Tsunade about betting that he would die, then left without confessing his feelings.

Jiraiya watched his future self infiltrate Amegakure and learned that Pain had defeated Ibuse Hanzo and seized control of Rain Country. After realizing Pain was likely Nagato controlling Yahiko’s corpse, he concluded Yahiko’s death had driven Nagato’s transformation.

• Tsunade regretted letting Jiraiya investigate the Akatsuki alone and vowed to quit drinking.
• Jiraiya arrived in Amegakure, where Pain stopped the rain and Konan tracked the intruder.
• An Amegakure shinobi revealed that Pain had defeated Ibuse Hanzo and slaughtered his family and associates.
• Konan identified Jiraiya to the Animal Path, and Pain ordered his body to kill their former teacher.
• Jiraiya reasoned that the Animal Path was a controlled corpse and concluded that Nagato was Pain and Yahiko was dead.

Jiraiya confronted Konan and Nagato, discovering that Nagato had become Pain and planned to force peace through a weapon made from the Tailed Beasts. The chapter left Jiraiya and others reacting to Nagato’s conviction that he was a god and to the danger of his plan.

• Jiraiya lured Konan out and fought her while asking about Nagato and Yahiko.
• Konan said she and her companions had chosen their path and that Jiraiya was too late to change anything.
• The Animal Path appeared, and Jiraiya recognized Nagato’s eyes and asked what had happened to Yahiko.
• Nagato dismissed Yahiko as someone who had died long ago and declared himself a god who would teach the world through pain.
• Nagato revealed that he planned to use the Tailed Beasts to create a weapon capable of destroying a great nation and deterring future wars.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Second Pillar reacted to Nagato’s ideology and his misguided plan for peace.

Tsunade rejected Pain’s plan to become a god, recalling how Hashirama’s distribution of Tailed Beasts failed to prevent wars. As Jiraiya fought the Animal Path, he began preparing to summon the Great Sages, while the others observed Pain’s abilities and Jiraiya’s struggle to enter Sage Mode.

• Tsunade argued that Hashirama’s Tailed Beast balance had not stopped the Shinobi World Wars and condemned Pain’s ambition to become a god.
• Jiraiya began preparing Sage Mode and asked Gamaken to hold off the Animal Path while he summoned the two Great Sages.
• The Animal Path used an invisible Chameleon and a Multi-Headed Dog that split into three Ninja Dogs, while Gamaken defended against their attacks.
• Uchiha Itachi analyzed the Animal Path’s summons and speculated that Pain’s six bodies each had different abilities, with the Mangekyō Sharingan possibly able to detect invisible targets.
• Minato Namikaze reflected on the power of the Rinnegan and observed that Jiraiya’s Sage Mode took too long to prepare and could be interrupted.

Jiraiya entered Sage Mode and faced the Naraka Path with help from Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima. His transformation revealed the power that had brought him to Strong Kage Level, while the invisible Animal Path and its summoned chameleon remained a threat.

• Jiraiya escaped the Naraka Path’s summoned beasts through Amegakure’s pipes while reflecting on Nagato’s exceptional talent.
• Jiraiya returned in Sage Mode, and Minato Namikaze recognized that he had mastered the transformation more easily than his teacher.
• Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima appeared on Jiraiya’s shoulders and joined him against the Rinnegan’s wielder.
• Jiraiya leaped down with enough force to shake the ground, and Tsunade considered whether she could learn Sage Mode at Shikkotsu Forest.
• The Naraka Path realized Jiraiya had transformed, while Jiraiya revealed that the Animal Path was hiding inside a transparent summoned animal.

Jiraiya faced Nagato’s Rinnegan-wielding Paths and realized that the prophecy about a disciple changing the Shinobi World might refer to Naruto, not Nagato. The battle left Jiraiya struggling against the Paths’ ability to absorb ninjutsu and coordinate without speaking, while he suspected they were not ordinary clones.

• Jiraiya explained the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy and wondered whether Naruto was the Child of Prophecy after Nagato and Minato failed to fit it.
• Minato considered finding Nagato and bringing him to Konoha or eliminating him if he could not be saved.
• Sage Shima marked the Chameleon, and Sage Fukasaku cut it in half with a Water Release attack, revealing the Animal Path.
• The Animal Path summoned the Human Path and Preta Path, and Jiraiya declared that he had to defeat Nagato to prevent destruction.
• The Preta Path absorbed Jiraiya and the sages’ Goemon attack and then absorbed Jiraiya’s Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan.
• Jiraiya noticed that the Paths coordinated and dodged his attacks without signals, leading him to suspect they were not ordinary clones.

Jiraiya and Fukasaku realized that the three Pains shared their vision and that one could absorb ninjutsu, forcing Jiraiya to retreat. As the others assessed the Rinnegan’s abilities and Jiraiya’s costly intelligence, Minato resolved to prepare to fight Nagato if necessary.

• Fukasaku explained that the three Pains watched one another’s blind spots, and Jiraiya recognized that their shared vision made the fight too dangerous to continue.
• Itachi identified the Animal Path’s summons and the Preta Path’s ninjutsu absorption, while Kakashi and others considered how the abilities could counter shinobi who relied on ninjutsu.
• Tsunade grieved that Jiraiya had risked his life to uncover vital intelligence, and Second Pillar weighed the Rinnegan against the Sharingan.
• Minato developed killing intent toward Nagato because Nagato’s plan to capture the Tailed Beasts threatened Kushina and Naruto, though he remained willing to save Nagato if possible.
• Minato concluded that all six Pains could pose a formidable threat, but trusted his ability to escape them with his space-time technique.

Jiraiya outmaneuvered three Pains with Sage Mode and Genjutsu, but a hidden Pain revived them and all six gathered to fight him. The Deva Path revealed himself as Yahiko and declared the Six Paths gods before the Pains overwhelmed Jiraiya, leaving Tsunade fearing she would witness his death.

• Jiraiya trapped the Animal Path, Preta Path, and Human Path in a Genjutsu and pierced their bodies, believing he had defeated them.
• The Naraka Path attacked Jiraiya from behind, broke his left arm, and revived the three sealed Pains.
• All six Pains assembled and identified themselves as the Six Paths, while Jiraiya recognized the Deva Path as Yahiko.
• The Deva Path claimed that Yahiko had died and that he was Pain, then declared the Six Paths gods.
• The Six Paths attacked Jiraiya, and the Deva Path used gravity to bring down a wall on him as Tsunade trembled and pleaded for him to survive.

Jiraiya watched his final battle with Pain and chose to risk death to uncover Pain’s identity and pass on the intelligence. As he sank beneath the sea, he named the sequel to his life’s story The Tale of Uzumaki Naruto, while Sasuke and Itachi reflected on his resolve.

• Jiraiya realized the Black Receivers disrupted chakra and recognized the Animal Path as a Fuma Clan ninja he had fought before.
• Despite Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima warning him, Jiraiya decided to return to Pain’s group to confirm their identities and gather information.
• Pain destroyed Jiraiya’s throat and left him unable to move, but memories of Minato Namikaze praising his novel reminded him of Naruto.
• Jiraiya forced himself to write the gathered intelligence on Sage Fukasaku’s back, declared Naruto the Child of Prophecy, and sank into the sea.
• Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi were shaken by Jiraiya’s sacrifice and considered what his example meant for Naruto and their own choices.

The witnesses reacted to Jiraiya’s death and considered how the intelligence he uncovered could help Konoha prepare for Akatsuki and Kara. Jiraiya reflected on his failures and the choices that had shaped Nagato’s path, while the diary’s author wished Naruto could save him in another timeline.

• Uchiha Itachi gathered the intelligence about Pain, Akatsuki, and the Rinnegan, recognizing its value to Konoha and Sasuke.
• Hatake Kakashi and Minato Namikaze mourned Jiraiya’s sacrifice, while Tsunade blamed herself for the danger he had faced and began assessing Konoha’s available fighters.
• Tsunade counted future Kage Level allies and considered how Konoha might stand against Akatsuki, while also remembering the threat posed by Kara.
• Jiraiya accepted his death as the end of a failed life, but took comfort in having returned vital intelligence and recognized Uzumaki Naruto as the Child of Prophecy.
• Jiraiya reflected that leaving Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko in Amegakure had helped lead them toward tragedy, and he realized Nagato had made Yahiko’s corpse the leader of the Six Paths of Pain.
• Kitahara Kaede’s diary entry ended by wishing for an alternate timeline in which Seventh Hokage Uzumaki Naruto could save Jiraiya.

An alternate timeline showed a postwar Naruto arriving just in time to save Jiraiya from Pain and reveal his overwhelming Six Paths-level power. Naruto began fighting Pain while Nagato and the diary’s viewers felt the force of his aura.

• A teenage Naruto appeared during Pain’s attack, healed Jiraiya with Six Paths Yang Power, and sent him with Fukasaku to Mount Myoboku.
• Naruto entered Sage Mode instantly, blocked Deva Path Pain’s attack, and threw the Six Paths of Pain aside.
• Naruto activated Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and then Six Paths Sage Mode, releasing pressure that alarmed Nagato and overwhelmed the diary’s viewers.