Chapter Summaries

Xing Ran tried using a curse mark and the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter a White Scale Monster Snake, but its instinctive consciousness trapped him inside and triggered Living Corpse Reincarnation. He remained trapped as the snake's soul and body violently rejected him.

• Xing Ran implanted a curse mark in one White Scale Monster Snake, but it died after its consciousness awakened.
• Xing Ran implanted a second snake and entered its body with the Spirit Transformation Technique.
• The snake thrashed through the laboratory as Xing Ran suffered intense pain and fought its instinctive consciousness.
• Xing Ran tried to cancel the technique and return to his original body, but the snake's soul blocked the curse mark's passage.
• Xing Ran realized that Living Corpse Reincarnation had activated, leaving him trapped inside the snake.

Xing Ran struggled against the Living Corpse Reincarnation process as it slowly gave him control of a monster's body. Meanwhile, Kakashi and the Root operative Kō investigated Orochimaru's laboratory, where Kakashi learned Kō possessed Wood Style.

• Xing Ran realized the curse mark had begun a reincarnation process that might turn him into a monster, and he slowly gained partial control of the body.
• Kō saved Kakashi from an explosion at the laboratory entrance, and the two decided to investigate together.
• Kakashi and Kō searched a workshop, where Kakashi found documents about Orochimaru's human experiments and Kō recalled painful memories.
• Kō used a lost Konoha ninjutsu to unlock a room, and Kakashi explained the importance of Kō's Wood Style to Konoha.

Kakashi and Jia explored a ruined room in Orochimaru’s underground facility, where the hidden Xing Ran watched from beneath the rubble. Jia attacked Kakashi under the claim that it was his mission, but Kakashi defeated and spared him, while Xing Ran’s control over the monster’s body continued to grow.

• Kakashi found heaps of dead pink snakes and a monstrous snake head in the damaged room as Xing Ran watched from the shadows.
• Jia attacked Kakashi with a kunai and tachi, then said he was following his mission when Kakashi demanded an explanation.
• Kakashi and Jia fought with blades and shuriken until Jia used Wood Style to trap Kakashi in a wooden cage.
• Kakashi broke free with Chidori, subdued Jia, and chose not to kill him.
• Xing Ran focused on Kakashi’s lightning and realized his soul had gained enough strength to control parts of the monster’s body.

Xing Ran forced the snake monster possessing him to attack Kakashi, hoping Chidori would destroy the body and free his soul. He escaped to a secret base in the Land of Marshes and, after sleeping in sunlight, awoke with an unprecedented feeling of spiritual ease and unexpected control over his strength.

• Xing Ran controlled the snake monster and charged Kakashi, believing lightning might free him from the body.
• Maki escaped using a Wood Clone, while Kakashi pierced the snake monster's chest with Chidori and then watched cautiously for signs it had survived.
• Xing Ran reappeared in a treetop outside Iron Tree Village, realized he had survived, and decided he and Kakashi were even for the moment.
• Xing Ran used his remaining strength to reach a secret base in the Land of Marshes and collapsed asleep on the floor.
• After sleeping in sunlight, Xing Ran woke feeling mentally and spiritually relaxed, then shot into the air and discovered he could float.

After escaping the snake monster’s body, Xing Ran returned to Orochimaru’s abandoned laboratory to retrieve its corpse and investigate his sudden loss of control. He tested his abilities in his secret laboratory and found that his Kryptonian powers had grown explosively, though the cause remained unknown.

• Xing Ran recalled that his research accident had trapped his soul in the monster’s body and resolved to recover the corpse and test his changed condition.
• Xing Ran used his Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Iron Tree Village and discovered that his X-ray vision now reached 2.5 kilometers.
• Xing Ran retrieved the snake monster’s corpse from the ruined underground laboratory and transported it to his secret laboratory in the Land of Marshes.
• Xing Ran tested his enhanced eyesight, X-ray vision, and super hearing, finding that he could see minute details from far away and hear an insect from five kilometers away.
• Xing Ran tested his heat vision and Super freeze breath, confirming that both could now directly injure or freeze flesh.

Xing Ran tested the major improvements to his Kryptonian abilities, including his strength, speed, memory, and newly powerful flight. After reflecting on a strange lapse in awareness, he realized his solar absorption had also increased severalfold and discovered that he had gained a Water chakra attribute.

• Xing Ran tested his strength, running speed, durability, regeneration, and improved ability to memorize scrolls.
• Xing Ran flew above the Land of Marshes for an hour, testing his flight and enjoying the view from ten thousand meters up.
• After seeing a shooting star, Xing Ran returned to his senses from an unusual period of blank distraction and suspected it was connected to his soul.
• Xing Ran concluded that his Kryptonian abilities and solar-energy absorption had undergone a second awakening.
• Xing Ran found that his chakra now included a Water attribute.

After analyzing his failed reincarnation into the snake monster, Xing Ran discovered that the soul-flesh rejection had nearly destroyed him but also caused his soul to evolve and gain the water attribute. He tested his improved soul with the Spirit Transformation Technique, which proved more condensed than before but still quickly exhausted his spiritual energy.

• Xing Ran dissected and analyzed the snake monster’s corpse, comparing its body with the clone made from his own genes.
• Xing Ran concluded that the snake monster’s awakened soul had resisted his Spirit Transformation Technique, while their incompatible bodies made soul-flesh harmonization painfully destructive.
• Xing Ran determined that harmonization with the snake monster had given him its water-nature Chakra attribute and triggered changes in his soul and Kryptonian abilities.
• Xing Ran examined his soul with the Spirit Transformation Technique and found that it had become more condensed than before.
• Xing Ran’s spirit body returned to his flesh after less than ten seconds when his spiritual energy ran out.

Xing Ran planned experiments to condense his soul by using the Curse Mark: Spirit Transformation Technique, but he needed Orochimaru to fund them. When his Shadow Clone at Orochimaru’s Land of Rivers base was destroyed, he went to investigate and discovered Orochimaru and Tsunade fighting amid the base’s ruins.

• Xing Ran devised a plan to test whether descending into mixed-blood or other clones could trigger a soul and flesh harmonization reaction, and named the method the Curse Mark: Spirit Transformation Technique.
• Xing Ran realized he had spent most of his experimental funds and decided to offer Orochimaru a research report in exchange for funding, while also seeking to help Tsunade and rescue Shizune.
• As Xing Ran wrote the report, he sensed that his Shadow Clone at Orochimaru’s Land of Rivers base had been crushed when the base’s ceiling collapsed.
• Xing Ran used Flying Thunder God to reach a marker fifteen kilometers from the base and saw that an explosion had reduced it and half the mountain to ruins.
• Xing Ran saw slugs and Manda emerge amid the destruction and concluded that Tsunade and Orochimaru were fighting.

Tsunade fought Orochimaru at the ruined base, overpowering Manda and destroying his summoned snakes after releasing the Yin Seal and activating the Byakugou Seal. As Tsunade charged at him again, Orochimaru prepared to use the Eight Branches Technique.

• Tsunade punched Manda hundreds of meters away and ordered the slug to attack Orochimaru with corrosive acid.
• Orochimaru summoned the First Rashomon to block the slug's acid, then used the Myriad Serpent Formation while the slug recovered.
• Tsunade released the Yin Seal, activated the Byakugou Seal, and blasted the snake swarm into a bloody mist with a Super Strength Fist.
• Tsunade overcame her brief reaction to the blood mist and charged Orochimaru, who decided to use the Eight Branches Technique.

Xing Ran interrupted Tsunade and Orochimaru’s deadly fight with a devastating strike powered by the Fifth Gate and Super Strength Fist. His display of strength left both legendary ninjas eager to win him over, while Xing Ran tried to clarify that he had only meant to separate them.

• Orochimaru prepared to use the forbidden Eight-Headed Serpent technique, but stopped when someone called out to wait.
• Xing Ran arrived between Tsunade and Orochimaru, and his strike pulverized the remaining mountain peak and created a huge crater.
• Tsunade and Orochimaru recognized Xing Ran’s overwhelming strength and each tried to draw him to their side.
• Xing Ran explained that opening the Fifth Gate while using Super Strength Fist had made his attack far stronger than expected.
• Xing Ran told Tsunade and Orochimaru he had only intended to separate them, then asked why they had started fighting and lamented the destruction.

Xing Ran stopped Tsunade and Orochimaru from fighting by presenting his successful research into improving the Body Replacement Technique and demanding that they honor their agreement. Orochimaru returned Shizune and began fulfilling his promise by summoning two coffins, leaving Tsunade shaken by what they contained.

• Tsunade and Orochimaru argued over their agreement and Shizune’s captivity, and they nearly resumed fighting.
• Xing Ran intervened and presented Orochimaru with his research report, claiming the flaws in the Body Replacement Technique’s vessels had been solved.
• Orochimaru questioned the research but agreed to honor his promise after Tsunade threatened him.
• Orochimaru summoned a snake that spat out the unconscious Shizune, whom Tsunade immediately examined.
• Orochimaru performed the Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation and raised two coffins, leaving Tsunade visibly unsettled as their lids began to open.

Tsunade reunited with Nawaki and Dan Katō, whom Orochimaru had summoned through Impure World Reincarnation, then left with them and Shizune. Before departing, she gave Xing Ran a scroll containing the Byakugou Seal, which he raced to memorize before its contents vanished.

• Nawaki and Dan Katō awakened in their reanimated bodies and recognized Tsunade, who called out to them.
• Orochimaru explained that he had used the best materials, allowing the two to remain for three months, and Tsunade took Shizune and left with them.
• Tsunade gave Xing Ran a scroll and five minutes, then headed north with Nawaki and Dan Katō.
• Xing Ran stayed behind and asked Orochimaru to fund his upcoming experiments, while Orochimaru questioned him about helping during the danger.
• Xing Ran opened Tsunade's scroll and discovered its contents were being erased by a timed formula, so he hurried to memorize the Byakugou Seal.

Xing Ran memorized Tsunade’s advanced Yin Seal ninjutsu scroll, then agreed to accompany Orochimaru to Kirigakure to gather valuable genes amid the Kaguya Clan’s planned rebellion. Meanwhile, Danzo tried to recruit Uchiha Itachi into Root, but Itachi declined in favor of joining the Police Force.

• Xing Ran quickly memorized the Yin Seal follow-up ninjutsu scroll and grasped most of its techniques.
• Orochimaru proposed that Xing Ran accompany him to Kirigakure to collect powerful bloodline genes during the coming unrest and make money.
• Danzo summoned Uchiha Itachi and offered him training in Root, hoping to use him to gain influence over the Uchiha Clan and acquire Sharingan.
• Itachi declined Danzo’s offer, explaining that his father expected him to take up responsibilities in the Police Force.
• Danzo urged Itachi to train in Root for two years, promising to cultivate him to Kage-level strength.

Danzo pressured Uchiha Itachi to join Root, but Itachi deferred the decision to his clan and left wary of Danzo's intentions. In the Land of Water, Xing Ran and Orochimaru waited for the Kaguya Clan rebellion, which began when Kaguya clansmen tried to enter Kirigakure after dark and were stopped by the guards.

• Danzo offered to train Itachi in Root and planned to use him to weaken the Uchiha Clan, but Itachi said he needed his clan's approval.
• Danzo concealed his anger and dismissed Itachi, warning him to report back soon while considering how to deal with the Uchiha Clan.
• Xing Ran and Orochimaru waited outside Kirigakure for the Kaguya Clan rebellion, which Xing Ran expected to begin that night.
• Kaguya clansmen gathered outside Kirigakure and tried to enter the village after dark.
• A Kaguya clansman threatened the gate guards and signaled others to slip inside, but the guards enforced the Mizukage's order and drove back clansmen with shuriken.

The Kaguya Clan launched an assault on Kirigakure, while Xing Ran and Orochimaru watched the battle. As Zabuza’s forces clashed with Yagura’s, Mei Terumi and the reformist families prepared to join their planned coup.

• The leading Kaguya clansman attacked a Kirigakure guard, starting a battle outside the village gates.
• Xing Ran and Orochimaru observed that most Kaguya fighters could barely use Shikotsumyaku, until a young child broke through the gates with powerful bone blades.
• Battle cries erupted inside Kirigakure as another force entered the internal conflict.
• Mei Terumi and the reformist elders discussed when to support Zabuza, planning to send a hundred-person unit if his forces began to falter.
• The elders acknowledged that their calculations had orchestrated the coup against Yagura’s rule.

Mei Terumi and the elders decided to sacrifice Zabuza’s forces to weaken the Mizukage’s faction. As Kirigakure descended into chaos, Xing Ran entered the Mizukage Building to steal its ninjutsu and treasury, while Orochimaru focused on Kimimaro.

• Mei Terumi rejected sending more reinforcements to Zabuza and proposed letting his forces fight to the end, exhausting the Mizukage’s remaining strength.
• The elders accepted Mei Terumi’s decision to abandon Zabuza, whom they considered a future obstacle.
• After Kirigakure’s gates were breached, Xing Ran offered to capture Kimimaro for Orochimaru, but Orochimaru told him to leave the child alone and make money amid the chaos.
• Xing Ran entered Kirigakure in disguise and headed for the Mizukage Building to steal its ninjutsu and valuables.
• Using X-ray Vision, Xing Ran located a book chamber and treasure room underground, and spotted three important figures on the building’s top floor.

Xing Ran infiltrated Kirigakure’s underground archive, bypassed its alarm formula with the Flying Thunder God Technique, and began collecting valuable ninjutsu scrolls. He left with a haul that included powerful Water Release techniques and clan secrets.

• Xing Ran evaded Zetsu’s attention and flew down to the third underground level.
• Xing Ran knocked out the Mist Ninja guards and disposed of two bodies in the ocean using Flying Thunder God.
• Xing Ran used a marked banknote to teleport past the archive’s alarm formula without triggering it.
• Xing Ran read the Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique scroll and searched the archive for valuable ninjutsu.
• Xing Ran sealed away useful Water Release techniques, including Yagura’s Water Mirror Technique, along with the Snow, Kaguya, and Hozuki clans’ secret techniques.

As Xing Ran stole Kirigakure’s ninjutsu scrolls, Obito tried to manage the collapsing defense against the Kaguya Clan and Zabuza’s rebellion. Zetsu eventually noticed that guards inside the Mizukage Building had vanished, while Xing Ran had secretly removed them using Flying Thunder God.

• Xing Ran sealed away a table of ninjutsu scrolls and found the vault’s defenses around the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist too extensive to bypass easily.
• Zetsu reported that the Kaguya Clan was overwhelming the city gate, and Obito ordered Yagura to send the advisors’ forces to reinforce it.
• An Anbu reported Zabuza Momochi’s rebellion, followed by news that the city gate had fallen and Kirigakure’s forces had suffered heavy casualties.
• Obito ordered the Anbu to withdraw, but Zetsu said the Kaguya Clan was pursuing them and had ignored the Mizukage Building.
• Zetsu sensed that guards inside the building had disappeared, while Xing Ran revealed that he had knocked them out, transported them away with Flying Thunder God, and killed them.

Obito ordered Kirigakure’s forces to turn on the Kaguya Clan and council of advisers, then went to the treasury, where he caught Xing Ran trying to steal four ninja swords. Obito attacked Xing Ran, and the chapter ended as metal clashed.

• Obito ordered his forces to lead the Kaguya Clan into a fight with Kirigakure’s council of advisers and Mizukage’s subordinates.
• Xing Ran found only a modest amount of cash in Kirigakure’s treasury and took it, while passing over the other valuables.
• Xing Ran considered taking the Long Sword: Nuibari, the Blunt Sword: Kabutowari, the Exploding Blade: Shibuki, and the Twin Swords: Flounder and Halibut.
• Obito appeared in the treasury and recognized Xing Ran as a thief using a Transformation Technique.
• Xing Ran pretended not to know Obito, but Obito attacked him, and their weapons clashed.

Xing Ran fought Obito in the Mizukage Building, using Nuibari and the ensuing alarm to complicate Obito’s choices. Although Xing Ran managed to fling Obito into a wall and attack him through the dust, Kamui kept Obito unharmed, and they faced each other again.

• Xing Ran drew Nuibari from the display case, triggering an alarm that brought Mist Ninja running and put Obito in a difficult position.
• Obito reached for Xing Ran’s throat, but Nuibari passed through his body as he used Kamui to become intangible.
• Obito seized Xing Ran by the neck, but Nuibari’s steel wire failed to cut his arm when he phased it through Kamui.
• Xing Ran passed through Obito and was caught by the chains around his wrists, then used them to fling Obito into a wall.
• Xing Ran tracked Obito through the dust with X-ray vision and struck at his mask with a Chakra Scalpel, but Kamui left Obito unharmed.