Chapter Summaries

Obito persuaded Nagato to help revive someone and warned him about Black and White Zetsu, while Nagato recruited Pakura into the Akatsuki and chose Amegakure as their first target. In Konoha, Shisui secretly trained his Mangekyō Sharingan and considered helping the Uchiha Clan before he left.

• Obito revealed his identity to Nagato, explained that using the Rinnegan would leave Nagato near death, and asked him to help revive someone.
• Nagato agreed to Obito’s request on the condition that Obito contribute to the plan, and asked him not to tell Konan.
• Obito warned Nagato that Black and White Zetsu were loyal to Madara and might activate a contingency, and Nagato took the warning seriously.
• After defeating Pakura, Pain introduced her to Nagato and Tobi, explained the Akatsuki’s plan to use the Tailed Beasts to create a superweapon, and named Amegakure as their first target.
• Shisui secretly left Konoha at night to train his Mangekyō Sharingan and advanced to the third stage of Susanoo within just over a month.
• Shisui reflected that Fugaku had asked him to teach Itachi and that he wanted to help the Uchiha Clan before leaving.

Uchiha Shisui secretly hypnotized Uzumaki Kushina and the Nine-Tails, placing a Kotoamatsukami trap to interfere with Uchiha Obito’s plans. Meanwhile, Nagato and Obito overthrew Hanzo of the Salamander and began taking control of his forces.

• Uchiha Shisui marked Uzumaki Kushina at Ichiraku Ramen, then teleported to her training ground and subdued her with his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Uchiha Shisui hypnotized Uzumaki Kushina and the Nine-Tails, planted a short-duration Kotoamatsukami trap against Uchiha Obito’s Mangekyo, and erased their memories of the encounter.
• After more than two months of exchanging knowledge with Orochimaru, Sarutobi Toru prepared to leave as the Main God Fragment’s Dragon Vein chakra dwindled.
• Nagato and Obito worked together to overthrow Hanzo of the Salamander, with Obito transporting the Six Paths of Pain into Hanzo’s room to kill him.
• The Akatsuki Organization took over Hanzo of the Salamander’s forces, while Pakura brainwashed nearly one-third of his most loyal followers in Amegakure.

Sarutobi Toru learned that Nagato had recovered and that Uchiha Obito had revealed his identity, then gave Pakura a powerful White Zetsu outfit before returning from the Parallel World. Back in his own world, he discovered that the Main God Space could now find new worlds faster, but resolved to focus on conquering the Hokage World first.

• Pakura reported to Sarutobi Toru that Nagato had recovered, Uchiha Obito had revealed his identity, and they had kept Black and White Zetsu uninformed.
• Sarutobi Toru gave Pakura the White Zetsu Tobi Clothes, which greatly increased her abilities and could help her learn Sage Mode, preserve her youth, and extend her lifespan.
• Sarutobi Toru returned to Rōran, comforted Queen Sara, and then traveled back to his own world, where he saw Queen Sēramu.
• Sarutobi Toru found that little time had passed in his own world and that the Main God Space now needed an average of thirty years to search for another world.
• Sarutobi Toru decided not to explore an unfamiliar world unless necessary before conquering the Hokage World.

Sarutobi Toru successfully brought his Uchiha Shisui clone into the Shinobi World and planned to use it to track Uchiha Madara and investigate Nawaki. Meanwhile, Black Zetsu learned that Root was pursuing a poisoned Mangekyō Uchiha and headed out with Uchiha Hitomi to save him.

• Sarutobi Toru confirmed that his Uchiha Shisui clone could enter the Shinobi World without being rejected and decided to keep the clone's presence from Konoha's higher-ups.
• Black Zetsu struggled to provoke conflict in the peaceful Land of Rain while Uchiha Hitomi complained about the cold and damp.
• White Zetsu reported that Konoha forces were pursuing an Uchiha with a Mangekyō Sharingan, and Black Zetsu decided to rescue him with Uchiha Hitomi.
• Black Zetsu had Tobi White Zetsu wrap around Uchiha Hitomi as they prepared to fight the pursuers.
• Uchiha Shisui fought for his life against the remaining Root ninjas after taking poison to suppress his Chakra.

Uchiha Hitomi rescued Uchiha Shisui from Root and brought him to an Underground Base, where Shisui explained why Konoha had pursued him. After hearing Hitomi's account of his own origins, Shisui doubted the story but hid his suspicions.

• Uchiha Shisui's Chakra faltered, and Root ninjas surrounded him as he fell from a tree.
• Uchiha Hitomi used Wood Release: Thorn Chaos Technique to kill the Root ninjas and had White Zetsu carry the unconscious Shisui away.
• Uchiha Shisui woke in an Underground Base in the Land of Rain, where Uchiha Hitomi questioned him about Root's pursuit.
• Uchiha Shisui claimed that the village and Uchiha Clan had orchestrated his Mangekyo awakening, and that he had stolen Hashirama Cells from Root before escaping.
• Uchiha Hitomi told Shisui that he had left Konoha with Uchiha Madara, and Black Zetsu explained away Shisui's doubts about the story.
• Uchiha Shisui pretended to accept Black Zetsu's explanation while privately recognizing that it was false.

Uchiha Shisui agreed to join Uchiha Hitomi’s team, while Sarutobi Toru planned to use his infiltration to target Uchiha Madara’s mature Ten-Tails. Sarutobi Toru and his fellow researchers began exploring new soul techniques and reviewed disturbing human-modification experiments from a parallel world.

• Uchiha Shisui reflected that Nawaki’s amnesia was caused by physical damage and planned to let Uchiha Madara gather the Tailed Beasts before taking the mature Ten-Tails.
• Orochimaru praised the recovered Body Reincarnation and Eight Branches Technique, and Sarutobi Toru proposed developing an energy-bodied Eight-Headed Serpent as a new stage of Soul Cultivation.
• Orochimaru agreed to prepare research into the technique, which would require them to reach the Ghost Immortal realm first.
• Hiruko read the parallel-world research files and asked whether Hashirama Cells could create Wood Release test subjects from young children.
• Sarutobi Toru warned Hiruko against experimenting on children, and Hiruko claimed he only wanted to clone himself for compatibility tests.

Sarutobi Toru discussed Hiruko’s Chimera Technique research with Orochimaru and revealed that he had discovered a way to manufacture White Zetsu. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shisui learned how White Zetsu were grown as Uchiha Madara considered Shisui a promising pawn and ordered an investigation into his Mangekyō Sharingan.

• Hiruko told Sarutobi Toru and Orochimaru that his DNA research suggested the Uzumaki, Senju, Uchiha, Kaguya, and Hyuga clans shared an ancestor, and he hoped to absorb their Kekkei Genkai.
• Orochimaru proposed using test-tube babies of Kekkei Genkai shinobi as subjects, but Sarutobi Toru warned Hiruko that they would be his children.
• Orochimaru gave Sarutobi Toru a White Snake Sage scale, and Sarutobi Toru revealed that he had found a method for manufacturing White Zetsu.
• Uchiha Hitomi showed Uchiha Shisui how White Zetsu grew from a tree-like plant when it received Chakra.
• Uchiha Madara heard Black Zetsu’s report about Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan and ordered White Zetsu to investigate how Shisui had awakened it.

Uchiha Shisui met Uchiha Madara and gained his trust by pretending to support the Moon Eye Plan, allowing Madara to begin teaching him. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Toru kept Shisui’s identity secret and postponed plans to obtain the artificial Minor God Tree while Madara still possessed the Rinnegan.

• Uchiha Shisui secretly placed a Flying Thunder God Mark on the small God Tree that produced White Zetsu.
• Uchiha Shisui met Uchiha Madara, recognized his Rinnegan, and discussed how he had obtained Hashirama Cells.
• Uchiha Shisui claimed that humanity could never achieve peace, and Uchiha Madara introduced him to the Moon Eye Plan.
• Uchiha Shisui pretended to support the plan, so Uchiha Madara began teaching him genjutsu, Fire Release, Yin-Yang Release, and Mangekyō techniques.
• Sarutobi Toru refused to reveal the Shisui Clone or share the White Zetsu production method with Orochimaru and Hiruko yet.
• Sarutobi Toru and his allies postponed trying to take the artificial Minor God Tree while Uchiha Madara still had the Rinnegan.

Sarutobi Toru used White Zetsu taken by Uchiha Shisui to make Chakra Fruits, greatly increasing his power and nearing the Ghost Immortal threshold. He then saw Jiraiya achieve near-perfect Sage Mode in Konoha’s specially built training ground.

• Uchiha Shisui secretly marked and sent White Zetsu to gather intelligence, allowing Sarutobi Toru to steal more than a hundred over the year.
• Sarutobi Toru consumed knockoff Chakra Fruits made from White Zetsu, boosting his Chakra, physical strength, vitality, and lifespan.
• Sarutobi Toru used the fruits to replenish vitality drained by the Dao Scripture’s soul-nourishing method and neared the Ghost Immortal threshold.
• Sarutobi Toru arrived at the Ninjutsu Research Department’s special training ground and saw Jiraiya announce that he had mastered Sage Mode.
• Jiraiya maintained near-perfect Sage Mode inside the training ground and had entered the path toward perfecting it.

Jiraiya challenged Sarutobi Toru to prove his newly mastered Sage Mode, and Toru agreed to a brief spar. Their fight began with Jiraiya's powerful fire attack meeting Toru's barrage of punches, leaving the clash unresolved.

• Jiraiya boasted about mastering Sage Mode and challenged Sarutobi Toru, while Orochimaru mocked his confidence.
• Jiraiya said he wanted to defeat Toru to become Konoha Village's most popular male ninja, and Toru agreed to spar for five minutes.
• At the Training Ground, Jiraiya attacked first with Sage Art—Fire Style - Great Fireball.
• Sarutobi Toru answered with hundreds of supersonic punches that compressed the air into a storm of Air Bullets rushing toward Jiraiya's flames.

Sarutobi Toru overwhelmed Jiraiya in their training match, first turning Jiraiya’s Fire Bullet into a Flame Storm and then defeating Gamabunta and Jiraiya with his speed and strength. Jiraiya ended the chapter sprawled unconscious in a crater at the Training Ground.

• Sarutobi Toru’s natural storm absorbed Jiraiya’s Fire Bullet and became a Flame Storm, which Jiraiya narrowly escaped with the Body Flicker Technique.
• Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta, but Sarutobi Toru struck him with Air Bullets and sent him back to Mount Myōboku.
• Sarutobi Toru told Jiraiya he had thirty seconds left before the five-minute limit and ignored Jiraiya’s plea to wait.
• Sarutobi Toru kicked Jiraiya into the air and battered him from side to side before driving him headfirst into the ground.
• Jiraiya landed spread-eagled in a crater in the middle of the Training Ground.

Sarutobi Toru reflected on his newfound strength and planned to seize the Minor God Tree from Uchiha Madara in two months. He visited Tsunade, whose Sage Art Yin Seal was nearly filled, and began preparing for the coming confrontation.

• Sarutobi Toru defeated Jiraiya without using Lightning Release Chakra Mode, while Orochimaru marveled at his progress.
• Sarutobi Toru judged that he had reached Super Kage-level strength and decided to confront Uchiha Madara in two months to claim the Minor God Tree.
• Sarutobi Toru found Tsunade training and waited until she finished cultivating.
• Tsunade explained that her Sage Art Yin Seal combined Sage Mode with Yin Seal release and would take about another month to fill.
• Tsunade asked whether Sarutobi Toru was preparing to search for the White Zetsu’s origin, and he confirmed that he planned to gather his companions to face the threat nearby.

Uchiha Shisui gained Uchiha Madara’s trust, accepted a Cursed Seal, and persuaded him to let Shisui take Uchiha Hitomi away from the Underground Base. Shisui planned to use the opportunity to manipulate Hitomi while advancing his own hidden plans.

• Uchiha Madara branded a Cursed Seal onto Uchiha Shisui’s heart, unaware that Shisui was only a Clone and the seal would not matter to him.
• Uchiha Shisui asked about Uchiha Hitomi, and Uchiha Madara claimed Hitomi was a rare Senju-Uchiha half-blood suited to bear his Rinnegan and revive him.
• Uchiha Shisui offered to make Uchiha Hitomi recognize the darkness of the human heart so he would accept the Moon Eye Plan.
• Uchiha Madara agreed to let Uchiha Shisui take Uchiha Hitomi out of the Underground Base, giving Shisui room to influence him away from Madara’s watch.

Sarutobi Toru led Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to confront Uchiha Madara at his underground base. Madara emerged to face them, and the chapter ended as the group recognized him and prepared for battle.

• Uchiha Shisui took Uchiha Hitomi out of Madara's base, with Black and White Zetsu assigned to follow them.
• Three days later, Sarutobi Toru gathered Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru for their planned mission, leaving Hiruko behind and keeping Hatake Sakumo in reserve.
• Sarutobi Toru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport the group from Konoha to Madara's location.
• Madara sensed the group's powerful Chakra, merged with Tobi, and left the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to meet them.
• Orochimaru and Tsunade identified Madara after he cut apart two giant snakes, while Jiraiya remained unaware of his reputation.

Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade battled Uchiha Madara in an underground cavern, using their Sage Mode and unique techniques against him. After Orochimaru’s lightning-water dragon was destroyed, Tsunade engaged Madara in close combat while Orochimaru reinforced the cavern walls.

• Jiraiya attacked Uchiha Madara with a Sage Mode Great Fireball, which Madara absorbed with the Uchiha Gunbai and reflected back at them.
• Tsunade and Orochimaru countered the reflected flames with a combined Great Waterfall Technique.
• Orochimaru summoned his Lightning Fire Dragon Technique, using natural flames to bypass the Gunbai and scorch Madara’s clothes.
• Madara burned Orochimaru’s chakra-controlled water dragon into steam with Great Fire Annihilation and blew the steam away.
• Tsunade punched at Madara and fought him with her sickle as Jiraiya worried she might collapse the cavern and Orochimaru reinforced its walls with Earth Release.

Sarutobi Toru shrank the Minor God Tree into a seed and absorbed a vast amount of Chakra before joining Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya against Uchiha Madara. He found Tsunade fighting in Perfect Jinchuriki mode, but Madara’s Susanoo-armored Demonic Statue of the Outer Path still had them on the defensive.

• Sarutobi Toru used his Hormone Fruit ability to shrink the Minor God Tree into a seed and stored it in his Reincarnation Warehouse.
• Sarutobi Toru absorbed the tree’s Chakra, greatly increasing his reserves, then escaped the collapsing cavern as Madara’s Susanoo shattered its ceiling.
• Sarutobi Toru sensed Kurama’s Chakra and recognized that Tsunade had entered Perfect Jinchuriki mode with the Sage Art Yin Seal.
• Tsunade launched Sage Art Tailed Beast Ball Rasengans at Uchiha Madara, but the Chakra dragons around his Susanoo-armored Demonic Statue absorbed them.
• Orochimaru warned Sarutobi Toru that the Chakra dragons drained Chakra and souls, while Uchiha Madara struggled to maintain his Susanoo and admitted his age limited his Rinnegan abilities.

Sarutobi Toru and Tsunade attacked Uchiha Madara but retreated when they could not overcome his defenses. Madara spent much of his remaining life force using Limbo: Border Jail, yet Sarutobi Toru escaped with the others, leaving Madara furious and his plan exposed.

• Sarutobi Toru urged Tsunade and their companions to retreat as they struggled against the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Armored Susanoo.
• At Tsunade's request, Sarutobi Toru used Flying Thunder God to bring them beside Madara, but their attacks struck his Wood Clone and Shadow Clones.
• Sarutobi Toru realized Tsunade's Golden Body Mode was nearly depleted and warned that they had to leave before Madara used his ultimate move.
• Madara used Limbo: Border Jail at the cost of more than half his remaining life force, but Sarutobi Toru sensed the danger and teleported himself and the others away.
• Madara failed to stop them from carrying away what they had learned and angrily lamented the loss of his remaining years.

Uchiha Madara escaped the ruined base and made plans to hide the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and weaken Konoha. At the battlefield, Kusagakure ninja found his weapons, were attacked by White Zetsu, and were rescued by Sarutobi Toru and Tsunade.

• Uchiha Madara left White Zetsu guarding the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, fled dozens of kilometers, and summoned it to a new underground base.
• Uchiha Madara planned to move his base to a remote island, arrange a future attack on Konoha, and regain a young body.
• Chunin Sakamoto and two Kusagakure Genin investigated the battlefield and found Uchiha Madara's gunbai and sickle.
• White Zetsu appeared, drained a Genin's Chakra, and attacked the group, but Sakamoto revealed his combat skill and prepared to fight.
• Sarutobi Toru arrived and knocked out the White Zetsu, then Tsunade returned and asked Sakamoto how he recognized the Uchiha Gunbai.

After Tsunade and Sarutobi Toru drove Uchiha Madara from his base, they recovered the Uchiha Gunbai and a seed capable of producing White Zetsu, while warning Kusagakure to keep the encounter secret. Back in Konoha, the research team examined their finds as Black and White Zetsu arrived at the raided hideout to check on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

• Sakamoto agreed to pass Tsunade’s request for secrecy to Kusagakure’s leaders, then left with the two Genin.
• Tsunade took the Uchiha Gunbai, and she and Sarutobi Toru discussed Madara’s escape, the Rinnegan, and the threat he might still pose.
• Tsunade and Sarutobi Toru searched Madara’s base, collected weapons, Sharingan, Hashirama Cells, and the White Zetsu-producing seed, then returned to Konoha.
• Black and White Zetsu reached the hideout and hurried to check whether the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had been damaged.
• At Konoha’s Ninjutsu Research Department, Orochimaru and Jiraiya explained the seed’s recovery and examined the refurbished Uchiha Gunbai.

Sarutobi Toru and the others discussed what they could disclose about Uchiha Madara and planned to grow the Minor God Tree seed, which Toru estimated would take seven or eight days. They went to the Hokage’s Office to report their discoveries and show Sarutobi Hiruzen the Uchiha Gunbai.

• Orochimaru, Tsunade, Hiruko, and Sarutobi Toru agreed to tell the Third Hokage about Uchiha Madara and most of what they had found.
• Hiruko worried about cultivating the Minor God Tree, and Sarutobi Toru estimated it would take seven or eight days while he supplied it with Chakra.
• Orochimaru and Jiraiya discussed the new Hokage advisors and how their authority differed from the Elder Council.
• Jiraiya led the group into the Hokage’s Office, where Sarutobi Hiruzen was processing documents with two Shadow Clones.
• Jiraiya handed Sarutobi Hiruzen the modified Uchiha Gunbai and invited him to inspect it.