Chapter Summaries

Aoba resurrected Mu with Impure World Reincarnation and asked him to explain the principles behind developing a Kekkei Tōta, showing him his own Lava Release as proof he sought to create a technique rather than steal Dust Release. Mu remained wary of Konoha but learned the Third Shinobi World War was underway and that Namikaze Minato was leading the front against Iwagakure.

• Ryoichi delivered Mu’s remains, and Aoba used Impure World Reincarnation on a Sunagakure ninja to resurrect the Second Tsuchikage.
• Mu challenged Aoba’s motives, suspecting he wanted to steal Iwagakure’s secret Dust Release, but Aoba said he wanted guidance for developing his own Kekkei Tōta.
• Aoba demonstrated his self-developed Lava Release, which he had reverse-engineered from chakra samples taken during his fights with Rōshi.
• Mu recognized Aoba as a formidable young Konoha ninja and grew wary that his research could threaten Iwagakure.
• Aoba explained that he commanded Konoha’s front against Sunagakure, while Namikaze Minato was the Konoha ninja fighting Iwagakure.

Aoba persuaded Mu that a future threat would force the Five Great Shinobi Villages to unite, and offered the possibility of truly reviving him. Mu agreed to teach Aoba Kekkei Tōta under two conditions, and they sealed the arrangement with a handshake.

• Aoba told Mu that Konohagakure's Flying Thunder God user made victory impossible for Iwagakure and warned of a future enemy that would unite the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
• Aoba revealed a control talisman but burned it, explaining that he wanted to learn from Mu openly rather than erase his personality.
• Mu accepted Aoba's account of the future after sensing no signs of deception, and Aoba said he might revive Mu someday with a forbidden technique.
• Mu agreed to teach Aoba Kekkei Tōta if Aoba never attacked Iwagakure and later trained an apprentice from the village.
• Aoba accepted Mu's conditions and shook his hand, beginning their arrangement as teacher and student.

Aoba persuaded Mu to teach him Dustless Bewildering Cover and the Fission Jutsu as well as Dust Release, then continued training in Kekkei Tōta while managing the Land of Rivers front. After Pakura reported that Haide had taken the bait Aoba set with rumors about the Gelel Stone, the chapter ended with Uchiha Fugaku bringing his four-year-old son Itachi to a brutal battlefield.

• Aoba convinced Mu that teaching him Dustless Bewildering Cover and the Fission Jutsu would preserve Mu’s legacy for a future Iwagakure student, and Mu agreed to consider it.
• Aoba trained with Mu each day, studying the chakra balance needed to fuse water, fire, and earth into Kekkei Tōta.
• Nara Ensu confronted Aoba about the village transferring two companies from the Land of Rivers front, and Aoba advised contracting the defensive line and defending key strongholds.
• Pakura sent Aoba a report that Haide had taken the bait after rumors about the Gelel Stone spread through the Land of Wind.
• Uchiha Fugaku took his four-year-old son Uchiha Itachi to a battlefield strewn with corpses to show him the cruelty of war.

Uchiha Itachi witnessed the brutality of war and killed a wounded Iwagakure ninja who tried to attack him, while the Third Shinobi World War continued to reshape the lives of young Konohagakure ninja. Meanwhile, Haide found a map to the Gelel Ore Vein ruins and drove his steel warship into the Land of Wind.

• Uchiha Itachi tried to give water to a wounded Iwagakure ninja, who attacked him, and Itachi killed him; Uchiha Fugaku told Itachi that the battlefield held only allies and enemies.
• Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, and Uchiha Shisui distinguished themselves on different fronts as the war escalated.
• Obito, Asuma, Namiashi Raidō, Kurenai, and their classmates celebrated passing the Chunin Exams, while their classmate Yamashiro Aoba's extraordinary strength dampened the mood.
• Haide's group slaughtered a band of smugglers on the Land of Wind's southern coast, and Elarno found a map to the Gelel Ore Vein ruins.
• Haide ordered his steel warship to depart, and it drove from the sea onto land toward the border without attracting the villages' attention.

Haide found the ruins’ Sealing Chamber, only to be ambushed by Aoba, Pakura, and Ryoichi, who had infiltrated his group. Aoba defeated Haide and sealed his power, leaving Haide captured alongside the surviving cyborg.

• Haide’s scouts found the concealed entrance, and Ryoichi, disguised as Lorne, led Haide and his group into the ruins.
• Pakura killed the two armored guards and Elarno, while Aoba revealed Ryoichi’s disguise and the trap.
• Sevian attacked Ryoichi with lightning, and Haide transformed using the crystal embedded in his hand before striking at Aoba.
• Aoba appeared behind Haide, defeated him, and took his blue energy core.
• Aoba identified himself as an ordinary Konohagakure jonin and used the Five Elements Seal on Haide.

Aoba seized Haide’s ship, the Book of Gelel, and the supplies at his hidden base before training the children he had rescued. Years later, during the Kannabi Bridge mission, Obito awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and appeared to die saving Kakashi, who killed Kakko before Minato arrived to rescue Kakashi and Rin.

• Aoba used the Mind Reading Technique on Haide, learned how to control the Steel Guardians and operate the ship, then sent Pakura and Ryoichi to loot Haide’s secret base.
• Aoba took the children to Pale Swamp for training, and the story moved ahead to Konoha Year 49 as the Third Shinobi World War intensified.
• After Iwagakure overwhelmed Mimura Hamaki’s forces, Minato split his team, sending Kakashi, Obito, and Rin to destroy Kannabi Bridge.
• Taiseki abducted Rin, and Obito defied Kakashi to rescue her; Kakashi was wounded, and Obito awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and killed Taiseki.
• Kakashi and Obito rescued Rin and fought Kakko, but Kakko caused the cavern to collapse; Obito was pinned beneath a boulder and gave his Sharingan to Kakashi.
• Kakashi killed Kakko with Chidori, then Minato arrived and rescued Kakashi and Rin from Iwagakure’s surrounding forces.

After the Battle of Kannabi Bridge ended with a Konohagakure victory, Aoba faced Rasa and the One-Tail Shukaku at Sunagakure’s deserted stronghold. Using Half-Beast Transformation and his sand-control abilities, Aoba overwhelmed Shukaku, leaving Rasa and Sunagakure’s elders stunned.

• Nara Ensu brought Aoba the report that Kannabi Bridge had been destroyed and Iwagakure had sought peace.
• Aoba found Rasa and Bunpuku at the deserted Sunagakure stronghold, where Rasa attacked him with Gold Sand.
• Bunpuku released Shukaku, who struck Rasa aside before attacking Aoba.
• Aoba used the old lizard’s Senjutsu Chakra to enter Half-Beast Transformation and dodged Shukaku’s attacks.
• Rasa and Shukaku trapped Aoba in sand and Gold Dust, but Aoba formed a giant from the surrounding sand.
• Aoba’s sand giant beat Shukaku down while Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizo watched in disbelief.

Aoba defeated Shukaku and drove Rasa from the battlefield, but the strain of his Pseudo-Sage Mode left him exhausted. As Bunpuku neared death, he asked Aoba to free Shukaku, accepting that the beast might eventually be captured again.

• Rasa rekindled his fighting spirit and used Gold Dust to bind Aoba's sand giant, but Aoba's Lava Release melted the restraints and caused the giant to collapse.
• Aoba summoned three Dragon-Headed Serpent Monsters, restrained Shukaku, and detonated magma through them, badly damaging Shukaku and awakening Bunpuku.
• Shukaku's will was suppressed as Bunpuku regained consciousness, while Rasa escaped with Chiyo and Ebizo's help, leaving behind two battered Puppet wrecks.
• Aoba's Half-Beast Transformation ended, and he approached the frail Bunpuku, who asked him to let Shukaku go.
• Aoba warned that Sunagakure would likely capture Shukaku again, but Bunpuku accepted this and said Shukaku was free now.

Aoba defeated the Fourth Kazekage and drove the One-Tail from its Jinchuriki, then returned to the Land of Rivers front line as Shukaku escaped into the desert and Bunpuku died. Later, Konoha signed a ceasefire with Iwagakure and an alliance with the Land of Wind, leaving Aoba appalled by Konoha's decision to waive reparations.

• Bunpuku asked Shukaku not to seek revenge on humans, and Aoba sealed some of Shukaku's chakra in a scroll before leaving.
• After Aoba departed, Shukaku emerged from Bunpuku's body, escaped into the desert, and left Bunpuku dead in the sand.
• Nara Ensu kept the Konoha outpost in position during the distant battle, then questioned Aoba when he returned and learned that the Fourth Kazekage and the One-Tail had been involved.
• Aoba told Ensu that the Sunagakure Jinchuriki was dead and the One-Tail had run away, while Ensu decided to report the incident to Konoha.
• Konoha signed a ceasefire agreement with Iwagakure, waiving war reparations, and the Land of Wind signed an alliance treaty with the Land of Fire through Chiyo and Ebizo.

Yamashiro Aoba mastered Mu’s Fission Jutsu and sent an independent split body into the Land of Rain as Seimei. After Seimei saved a plague-stricken village, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato arrived hoping to recruit him.

• Aoba split himself with Fission Jutsu, creating two independent bodies with divided chakra and chakra natures.
• The two Aobas discovered that the Auxiliary Chip could transfer between them through physical contact.
• Aoba’s split body entered the Land of Rain and treated a village suffering from a plague, teaching residents how to prepare medicine.
• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato reached the village, learned Seimei had saved it, and decided to seek his help for Akatsuki.
• Yahiko approached Seimei and asked what he wanted, and Seimei calmly replied that he was listening.

Yahiko invited Aoba to join Akatsuki, but Aoba rejected the invitation and challenged the group's belief that peace could be achieved through nonviolent dialogue. He explained how resource scarcity and the Land of Rain's geography made war likely, leaving Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato shaken by his argument.

• Yahiko introduced himself, Konan, and Nagato, thanked Aoba for saving the village, and invited him to join Akatsuki.
• Aoba declined, saying he was a traveling doctor who did not intend to join an organization.
• Yahiko described Akatsuki's goal of achieving peace through dialogue and gradual reform, and Aoba laughed at what he called an idealistic dream.
• Aoba argued that competition for scarce resources drove wars, using the Land of Rain's poor farming conditions as an example.
• Aoba explained that the Land of Rain became a battlefield because it lay between the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Earth.
• Aoba told the three that without enough power to challenge the great nations, Akatsuki had no standing to negotiate, leaving them stunned as rain began to fall.

Aoba visited the Akatsuki base and discussed the causes of war and the need for strength to preserve peace, while admitting he was still searching for a solution himself. Yahiko and the others were left considering his ideas as Aoba stayed with the organization for several days.

• Yahiko asked Aoba to teach him how to save the country and the world, but Aoba said he had no answers and was still searching for a path to peace.
• Aoba asked to visit the Akatsuki, and Yahiko welcomed him despite Konan's questions about what it meant to protect the world.
• Aoba told Yahiko and Konan about the eighteen years of peace during Senju Hashirama's lifetime, and Nagato suggested that military deterrence had maintained it.
• Yahiko brought Aoba to the Akatsuki base, where Idaten Kyusuke, Daibutsu, Kie, and the other members listened to his views.
• Aoba said light and darkness could not be separated and that peace required enough military strength to deter threats, leaving Yahiko and Nagato deep in thought.
• Aoba stayed at the Akatsuki base for the next few days.

Aoba left Amegakure after treating Akatsuki and traveled toward the Kirigakure battlefield to gather rare bloodline materials. As the war escalated and Madara’s plan involving Rin and Obito advanced, Aoba searched for the Red Eye but found no useful information.

• Aoba treated Akatsuki’s injuries, then gave Yahiko Sealing Scrolls filled with medicine before leaving Amegakure.
• Konan suspected that Seimei was not Aoba’s real name, while Yahiko welcomed him as a companion in the pursuit of peace.
• Aoba learned that Might Duy had died opening the Gate of Death to save Guy and his teammates, killing four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Madara dismissed Seimei as unimportant and learned that Rin had gone to the Land of Water front line as Obito continued his rehabilitation training.
• Aoba reached the Land of Water, read a Kirigakure Chunin’s memories, and failed to find information about the rare Red Eye.

Aoba encountered Raiga Kurosuki in the foggy forest and defeated him despite using a split body with only half his chakra. He captured Raiga alive so he could use the Mind Reading Technique to search for information.

• Aoba considered abandoning his search for the Red Eye after finding no useful information about it in Kirigakure ninja memories.
• Raiga Kurosuki emerged from the fog and attacked Aoba with Lightning Blades: Kiba.
• Aoba recognized Raiga and dismissed him as a stray dog from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Raiga fired a Lightning Release: Lightning Ball, but Aoba cut it apart with his Chakra Scalpel.
• Aoba defeated Raiga in a brief fight, dislocated his arms, and knocked him unconscious to preserve his memories for mind reading.

Aoba tracked down a Red Eye wielder, removed his Kekkei Genkai, and discovered that the man was grateful to be free of it. Meanwhile, Pakura and Ishida Ryoichi found the Chinoike Clan in Hell Valley, where Ryoichi began testing his Gelel Stone transformation in battle.

• Aoba read Raiga Kurosuki's memories, learned that the Red Eye clan had moved toward Mistfall City, and sealed away the Lightning Blades: Kiba.
• Aoba used the Byakugan crow to track a Red Eye wielder, removed his eyes, and replaced them with ordinary ones; the man woke grateful to live without his Kekkei Genkai.
• Pakura and Ishida Ryoichi entered Hell Valley and were attacked by the Chinoike Clan, who used the iron-rich pools as blood for their Ketsuryūgan techniques.
• Pakura and Ryoichi defended themselves and realized the Chinoike were drawing on the valley's pools to sustain their attacks.
• Ryoichi swallowed Aoba's pill, activated the Gelel Stone, and transformed into a half-beast before charging into the Chinoike Clan with a chakra-coated sand sword.

After Pakura faced more Chinoike clansmen in the canyon, Aoba searched Kirigakure’s capital for food, was followed by Hozuki Mangetsu, and lured him into a forest to fight. The chapter left Mangetsu summoning Shibuki from his sword scroll as steam covered the battlefield.

• Ryoichi suffered severe strain after defeating several Chinoike clansmen, while Pakura prepared to face more enemies drawn by the battle.
• Aoba found the capital bleak and its seafood noodles inedible, then used genjutsu to terrify an owner who tried to overcharge him.
• Aoba sensed a hostile follower and met Hozuki Mangetsu, who demanded his Ninja Blade and summoned Nuibari with a scroll.
• Aoba led Mangetsu away from the capital, dodged Nuibari and its wire, and attacked with the Great Fireball Technique.
• Mangetsu blocked Aoba’s fireball with a Water Formation Wall, then used the steam for cover and summoned Shibuki.

Aoba defeated Hozuki Mangetsu by exploiting Lightning Blades: Kiba against the Hydrification Technique, then sealed and abducted him. Days later, Kakashi fought Kirigakure Anbu alongside Nohara Rin, but a girl suddenly threw herself onto his Chidori.

• Aoba dodged Mangetsu’s attacks with several Ninja Blades and revealed that he had deliberately let Mangetsu find Lightning Blades: Kiba.
• Aoba stabbed Mangetsu with the electrically charged blades, used the Five Elements Seal to disable his Hydrification Technique, and knocked him unconscious.
• Aoba sent Mangetsu, Lightning Blades: Kiba, and the Ninja Blade Scroll away in a Summoning Lizard, while Kirigakure Anbu later found the wrecked battlefield and discovered Mangetsu was missing.
• Several days later, Kakashi and Nohara Rin fled through a battlefield while Kirigakure Anbu pursued them.
• Kakashi charged an enemy with Chidori, but a girl leaped from the smoke and impaled herself on his lightning attack.

Obito vanished with Rin’s corpse after declaring he would create another world, and Aoba replaced Kakashi’s Mangekyō Sharingan with Uchiha Kei’s Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Aoba then accepted the surviving Chinoike clansmen into his growing group, and the chapter ended with his lizard delivering Hozuki Mangetsu and stolen weapons to the Pale Swamp.

• Obito used his Mangekyō Sharingan to disappear with Rin’s corpse while Kakashi lay unconscious on the battlefield.
• Aoba removed Kakashi’s Mangekyō Sharingan, implanted Uchiha Kei’s Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and escaped before Konohagakure’s reinforcements arrived.
• Aoba met Pakura and Ryoichi at Hell Valley, where Ryoichi had killed the Chinoike Clan’s militant members.
• Aoba agreed to take in the surviving Chinoike clansmen and send them to the Gelel Ore Vein ruins until he found a permanent base.
• Aoba returned to the Pale Swamp, where his lizard spat out Hozuki Mangetsu, the Lightning Blades: Kiba, and a Ninja Blade Summoning Scroll.

After the war ended, Aoba returned to Konohagakure and attended the memorial ceremony, where young Itachi questioned Orochimaru about the meaning of life. Itachi nearly died after jumping from a cliff, but a crow helped him survive, and Aoba appeared to ask whether he wanted to know life’s meaning.

• Aoba received orders to return to Konohagakure and left Nara Ensu to handle the remaining frontline work.
• At the memorial ceremony, Aoba saw Ueno's name on the Memorial Stone, while Uchiha Fugaku insisted the clan respect Obito's wish and let Kakashi keep the Sharingan.
• Itachi asked Orochimaru about life's meaning, and Orochimaru said life had no meaning unless it could be eternal.
• After noticing a mysterious figure at the cemetery, Itachi wandered to a cliff and fell into the gorge.
• A crow's cry jolted Itachi into action, and he used kunai to slow his fall and survive.
• Aoba appeared with the crows, revealed his scarlet eyes, and asked Itachi if he wanted to know the meaning of life.

Sarutobi Hiruzen resigned as Third Hokage, and the Daimyo chose Namikaze Minato to succeed him over Danzo’s candidate, Orochimaru. As Minato celebrated with Kushina and Aoba, Jiraiya left to search for the Child of Prophecy, while Orochimaru reacted to Hiruzen’s judgment of him.

• At the Daimyo’s council, Danzo recommended Orochimaru for Hokage, but Hiruzen warned against entrusting him with the role and nominated Namikaze Minato.
• The Daimyo and the other ministers approved Minato as the Fourth Hokage despite Danzo’s objection.
• Hiruzen asked Yamashiro Aoba who should become Hokage, and Aoba supported Minato while joking that he would aim for the Fifth Hokage position.
• Hiruzen offered Minato the role, and Minato accepted before sharing the news with Kushina at home.
• Aoba visited Minato and Kushina, teased them about the demands of Hokage work, and learned that Jiraiya had left after receiving a troubling letter from Amegakure.
• Danzo told Orochimaru that Hiruzen had called him malicious and ambitious, and Orochimaru calmly acknowledged that his teacher’s assessment was accurate.