Chapter Summaries

Aoba used the King of Hell to transform Minato’s Impure World Body into a convincing living-looking form, then brought Minato to Forgotten Island and back to Konohagakure. The chapter ended with Tsunade angrily scolding Aoba for neglecting his work as an advisor.

• Orochimaru told Minato that Dan Katō had already been resurrected, while Aoba said he would resurrect Minato later alongside others.
• Aoba summoned the King of Hell and used it to repair Minato’s Impure World Body, making him look like a living person unless he was injured.
• Aoba and Orochimaru discussed the King of Hell’s connection to the Pure Land and the Death God, while Minato tested his repaired body.
• Aoba took Minato to Forgotten Island, showed him the Uzumaki Clan members there, and left a Flying Thunder God mark for him.
• Aoba and Minato returned to Konohagakure, where Tsunade confronted Aoba about disappearing and leaving village work undone.

Minato returned to Konohagakure and reunited with Tsunade before Aoba warned her that Toneri was hunting the Tailed Beasts. After Aoba went to Kirigakure to protect its Jinchuriki, he uncovered a White Zetsu infiltrator in the Mizukage’s office.

• Minato removed his Anbu mask in Tsunade’s office, then used the Flying Thunder God to go see Kushina after Tsunade told him to hurry home.
• Aoba told Tsunade that Toneri, manipulated by Black Zetsu, had attacked Sunagakure and that Black Zetsu had abducted Yugito from Kumogakure.
• Aoba warned Dan Katō about the Rinnegan’s Naraka Path, gave Dan and Tsunade Gelel Stones, and left for Kirigakure to protect the Three-Tails and Six-Tails.
• Genji secretly moved Kirigakure’s Jinchuriki to a guarded island, and Aoba arrived at the village to help defend them.
• Aoba sensed an infiltrator in the Mizukage’s office, seized the disguised Kirigakure ninja with Susanoo, and revealed it was White Zetsu.

Aoba exposed White Zetsu’s infiltration of Kirigakure, but Genji declined his help and ordered Mei Terumi to relocate the Jinchuriki. Meanwhile, the imprisoned Deidara was approached by Kimimaro, who offered to release him if he won a fight.

• Genji ordered Kirigakure’s forces to stand down after Aoba revealed that a White Zetsu had infiltrated the village.
• Genji sent Mei Terumi to relocate the Jinchuriki and refused Aoba’s offer of help, while Aoba promised Konohagakure’s support and left.
• Genji ordered Kirigakure to enter its highest state of alert and blood-test its ninjas, especially Anbu and the Assassination Squad.
• Deidara, imprisoned on Forgotten Island with his chakra sealed and clay confiscated, endured isolation and repeated attempts to get the guards’ attention.
• Kimimaro brought Deidara a meal, called him “Bomb Boy,” and challenged him to a fight, offering to let him go if he won.
• Deidara eagerly asked Kimimaro whether he meant the offer.

Kimimaro released Deidara’s chakra seal and let him retrieve his Explosive Clay, but Deidara attacked him and was quickly defeated. Nagato then revealed that he was Akatsuki’s leader Pain and that the Rinnegan-wielding figure Deidara had previously met was his Puppet.

• Kimimaro removed Deidara’s chakra seal and led him out to fight.
• Deidara retrieved his Explosive Clay and attacked Kimimaro inside the corridor, damaging a wall.
• Kimimaro used Lightning Release to break Deidara’s clay centipede, then shocked and defeated him with his bone sword.
• Nagato arrived, and Kimimaro left Deidara with him.
• Deidara recognized the Zero Ring and questioned Nagato’s identity, so Nagato revealed that he was Pain and that the Rinnegan-wielding figure was his Puppet.

Aoba, disguised as Nagato, persuaded Deidara to return to Iwagakure, learn Dust Release, and become Tsuchikage by showing him a vision of his future sacrifice and warning him of powerful alien enemies. After Deidara agreed, Aoba placed a Cursed Seal on him, while Shisui and the real Nagato confirmed that they had gradually influenced Deidara’s loyalty to Akatsuki.

• Nagato told Deidara that Akatsuki had been disrupted by Obito and Zetsu, and that Sasori had returned to Sunagakure to help Pakura become Kazekage.
• Nagato assigned Deidara to return to Iwagakure, learn Dust Release, and become the Fourth Tsuchikage as part of Akatsuki’s plan to unite the Five Great Shinobi Countries.
• Nagato showed Deidara an illusion of his future self using C4 and sacrificing himself in a massive explosion, but surviving enemies were left alive.
• Nagato convinced Deidara that Dust Release and the strength of the Five Great Shinobi Countries were needed to face alien enemies, and Deidara agreed to the mission.
• Nagato placed three black, tomoe-shaped Cursed Seals on Deidara, causing him to collapse.
• Aoba revealed that he had impersonated Nagato and, with Shisui, had gradually used Kotoamatsukami: Radiance to increase Deidara’s loyalty to Akatsuki without directly changing his memories.

Aoba planted a Cursed Seal containing an Earth Nature soul fragment in Deidara and arranged for Nagato and Ōnoki to stage a battle that would push Deidara toward returning to Iwagakure and pursuing Dust Release. Afterward, Aoba discussed his soul-splitting plans with Orochimaru and revealed that he had mastered Yin-Yang Release but could not yet fuse all seven chakra attributes into Kekkei Mōra.

• Aoba explained why he had used subconscious suggestions on Deidara instead of altering his memories, then sent Nagato to stage a confrontation with Ōnoki.
• Deidara woke tied up and watched Ōnoki's Dust Release clash with Nagato's Susanoo, inspiring him to imagine combining Dust Release with his explosive art.
• Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi freed Deidara, while Nagato mocked Iwagakure's lack of a Dust Release successor before escaping with space-time ninjutsu.
• Ōnoki and Kurotsuchi urged Deidara to return to the village, and Deidara followed them after resolving to become Tsuchikage.
• Aoba visited Orochimaru's laboratory, took medicine for his weakened mental state, and said he planned to give the final wind-nature soul fragment to Haku.
• Aoba demonstrated Yin-Yang Release and told Orochimaru that he had mastered Yin, Yang, and the five basic chakra natures but could not yet fuse them into Kekkei Mōra.

Toneri attacked Iwagakure and Kirigakure, stealing the Four-Tails and pursuing Kirigakure’s hidden Jinchuriki. Ōnoki called for a Five Kage Summit, while Toneri found the information he needed and flew toward his next target.

• Nagato returned after helping Ōnoki reclaim Deidara, and Aoba discussed Nagato’s Kamui uses and plans to give him the Shinra Tensei ocular technique.
• White Zetsu Danzo sensed another chakra presence in the Kamui Dimension and decided to accelerate his plan.
• Ōnoki returned to a devastated Iwagakure, learned that Han’s Tailed Beast had been extracted, and later received Rōshi’s corpse with the Four-Tails gone.
• Ōnoki ordered the other Great Shinobi Villages informed and called for a Five Kage Summit, while Aoba and Tsunade discussed the growing crisis.
• Toneri attacked Kirigakure’s leadership, used Human Path: Mind Layer Submergence and Banshō Ten'in to find the Jinchuriki’s location, then blasted through the defenders with Shinra Tensei.
• Toneri flew toward the Jinchuriki as a wounded Kirigakure shinobi ordered the village to send a warning signal.

Toneri attacked Kirigakure’s canyon stronghold, overwhelmed its defenses, and stole Ao’s Byakugan after Mei Terumi and the village’s forces fought back. Replacing his failing eye briefly stirred suppressed memories and disrupted Black Zetsu’s control, but Black Zetsu suppressed them and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path again.

• Mei Terumi ordered Kirigakure to prepare for Toneri’s arrival, while Genji urged her not to surrender the village’s dignity.
• Toneri found the hidden Jinchuriki, dropped the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path into the canyon, and broke through Kirigakure’s defenses.
• Kirigakure trapped Toneri with sealing chains, but he shattered them and widened the canyon with Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
• Toneri seized Ao, tore away the talismans protecting his Byakugan, and gouged out the eye before Mei Terumi rescued Ao with Sea Demon Mode.
• Kirigakure’s attacks and the Tailed Beast Balls failed to stop Toneri, who used Super Shinra Tensei to devastate the canyon.
• Toneri replaced his failing Byakugan with Ao’s, triggering suppressed memories until Black Zetsu regained control and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Aoba’s research into restoring injured retired shinobi led him to discover that a Byakugan implanted in a crow could trigger a transformation in his simulated eyes, giving him new powers he called the Eyes of the Heavens. The chapter ends as Aoba is summoned to Kirigakure, where the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path attacks the retreating Karatachi Yagura and captures Six-Tails Saiken.

• Aoba proposed partial cloning to restore retired shinobi and suggested employing shinobi in production work and advanced Jōnin classes, while Tsunade challenged his plans to leave future problems for her successor.
• Aoba examined a crow fitted with a Byakugan, whose unusual activation resumed his Chip’s analysis of the Giant Tenseigan data model.
• Aoba’s simulated Byakugan transformed into bright blue eyes that gave him expanded vision and the ability to attract objects with gravity.
• Aoba identified his new eyes as an imitation rather than a true Tenseigan, and prepared to test them before a summoning contract pulled him away.
• At the canyon battlefield, Karatachi Yagura fled to protect Isobu as Mei Terumi and the Kirigakure shinobi attacked the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Black Zetsu used the statue’s chakra chains to bind Six-Tails Saiken and pursue Karatachi Yagura, who turned to defend himself with his Coral Staff.

Aoba arrived in Kirigakure and fought Black Zetsu, but the Six-Tails was absorbed by the Demonic Statue and Yagura killed himself to keep the Three-Tails from falling into enemy hands. Aoba drove Black Zetsu away, then left Kirigakure to deal with Yagura’s death and its succession.

• Mei Terumi summoned Aoba after Black Zetsu’s Chakra chains trapped Yagura and the Six-Tails.
• Aoba restrained the Demonic Statue with Earth Release and sealing runes, entered Sage Mode, and clashed with Black Zetsu’s Tenseigan-powered attack.
• The Demonic Statue absorbed the Six-Tails, while Yagura stabbed himself to prevent Black Zetsu from obtaining the Three-Tails and named Mei Terumi as the next Mizukage.
• Aoba used Kamui on the Demonic Statue, prompting Black Zetsu to dismiss it and flee with Toneri.
• Aoba acknowledged Yagura’s sacrifice, left Kirigakure’s affairs to Mei Terumi, and canceled his Summoning Technique.

After Toneri seized the Six-Tails and Karatachi Yagura sacrificed himself and the Three-Tails, Aoba reported the crisis to Konoha’s leaders. Pressed by Jiraiya about his knowledge of the future, Aoba revealed that he came from another world where the Shinobi World was an anime, but the listeners’ perception twisted his explanation.

• Mei Terumi mourned Karatachi Yagura as Genji appointed her the Fifth Mizukage and tasked her with representing Kirigakure at the Five Kage Summit.
• Aoba returned to the Hokage Office and told Tsunade, Dan Katō, Jiraiya, and Minato that Toneri had taken the Six-Tails and Yagura had died to keep the Three-Tails from the enemy.
• Dan Katō and Tsunade recognized Toneri as a grave threat after he captured five Tailed Beasts and Kage began falling.
• Jiraiya asked Aoba how he knew so much about the Otsutsuki, the Rinnegan, and other secrets, while Tsunade defended Aoba’s loyalty.
• Aoba told the gathered leaders that he came from another world where they were characters in an anime, but their perception twisted his explanation.

Aoba brought Orochimaru to help explain the truth of their world to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others after a supernatural force distorted Aoba’s own words. Meanwhile, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu Danzo feared Aoba’s growing power and planned to locate the Seven-Tails so they could revive Kaguya.

• Aoba found that a restraining force twisted his attempts to reveal the truth, so he went to fetch Orochimaru as a translator.
• Jiraiya realized Aoba was hiding an enormous secret, and Orochimaru prepared to tell the gathered group the cruel truth of their world.
• Black Zetsu angrily discovered that Aoba had used Kamui to tear off one of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path’s arms.
• White Zetsu Danzo inferred that Aoba had replaced Kakashi’s eye and warned that the Kamui Dimension was no longer safe.
• Black Zetsu ordered the White Zetsu clones to search for the Seven-Tails, which he believed Aoba had hidden, so they could gather chakra from all nine Tailed Beasts and revive Kaguya.

Black Zetsu suppressed Toneri’s memories again and decided to accelerate his plan, while Toneri resolved to find strong allies against Yamashiro Aoba. In Iwagakure, Ōnoki demonstrated Dust Release to Deidara and offered to teach it to him, and Deidara eagerly accepted.

• Black Zetsu temporarily suppressed Toneri’s memories and decided to make Dissonas speed up the plan to revive Uchiha Madara.
• Toneri woke up, recognized he might not defeat Yamashiro Aoba alone, and decided he needed a careful plan and powerful allies.
• Ōnoki read Kirigakure’s intelligence and summoned Deidara, deciding Iwagakure needed a capable successor.
• Ōnoki challenged Deidara’s belief in his explosive art, and Deidara’s C3 bomb only flattened the peak of a mountain.
• Ōnoki used Dust Release to cut the mountain in half and erase the remainder, showing Deidara its power.
• Ōnoki offered to teach Deidara Dust Release, and Deidara chased after him, saying he would learn.