Recaps

After a wounded Yugakure Chunin named Linben became obsessed with hiding from the Jashin Lord and died by suicide, fear of the Jashin Cult spread through the village and the capital. Shangyuan tried to suppress the worship, but the chapter ended with a cleaner secretly restoring a broken Jashin Statue, whose cracked face seemed to smile.

• Shangyuan visited Linben in the hospital, where the Chunin begged people to hide from the Jashin Lord and refused to explain what he had seen.
• After Shangyuan left, Linben declared that offering everything to the Jashin Lord was the only way to escape hell, then jumped from the hospital window and died.
• Shangyuan ordered Linben's body concealed and news of the incident suppressed, but rumors and fear continued to spread.
• Shangyuan smashed a Jashin Statue and ordered that anyone found worshipping it be driven from the village.
• A cleaner secretly glued the broken Jashin Statue back together and bowed to it as a crack across its face made it appear to smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi decided that Konoha would aid Hidden Hot Water Village against the Chosen People, both to prevent the Land of Wind from gaining influence in the Land of Rivers and to investigate the threat. He assigned Kakashi to lead the mission and left him to uncover how the monsters were created and investigate the Jashin Cult.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi shared Hidden Hot Water Village’s plea for help with Utatane Koharu, Shimura Danzō, and the other advisor, who discussed the village’s weakness and the region’s strategic importance.
• Shimura Danzō proposed using the mission to gain influence in Hidden Hot Water Village and benefit from the Land of Rivers’ silver mine, but Hiruzen refused to let Root handle it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi chose Kakashi of the ANBU to lead Konoha’s assistance, and Danzo recognized the choice as a warning tied to Kakashi’s past in Root.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Kakashi to eliminate the monsters, find out how they came to be, and investigate the Jashin Cult.
• Kakashi accepted the mission scroll and vanished to begin his journey to Hidden Hot Water Village.

As Yugakure braced for an attack, Shiraishi Mori prepared to complete his revenge and told Mr. Crow that he wanted to make the powerful suffer and change the world. The village’s people and nobles turned to Jashin with terrified prayers and mass sacrifices as war began.

• Shiraishi Mori stood above Yugakure with Mr. Crow and reflected on his parents’ deaths and his coming revenge.
• Mr. Crow asked what future Shiraishi Mori wanted if his revenge succeeded, and Shiraishi Mori declared that he wanted to make the powerful feel the anger of the oppressed and teach the world true pain.
• Yugakure’s residents prayed to Jashin for protection as fear spread through the village.
• Nobles ordered slaves sacrificed in Jashin’s name and prayed for the god’s favor.
• War ignited amid the village’s prayers, wails, and fear.

Shiraishi Mori and the Ghouls launched a nighttime assault on Yugakure, overwhelming its defenders as he slaughtered the village’s ninjas. After Yugakure’s fighters trapped and immobilized him with coordinated techniques, a heavyset ninja severed his flesh wings, leaving Shiraishi Mori grounded and in danger.

• Shiraishi Mori rode the Evil-Faced Ghost Snake into Yugakure and began the attack as the Ghouls stormed the village’s outer strongholds.
• Shangyuan organized Yugakure’s defenders, but their Kibaku Fuda failed to seriously injure the Evil-Faced Ghost Snake, which smashed buildings and caused civilian casualties.
• Shiraishi Mori killed the ninjas who confronted him, blocking their Water Release with his Koukaku and piercing them with his Rinkaku.
• A Yunin used an Earth Release swamp and a mud clone to restrain Shiraishi Mori, then lightning-charged senbon paralyzed him.
• A heavyset ninja cut off Shiraishi Mori’s flesh wings while a tall, thin ninja appeared beside him.

Shiraishi Mori fought two Yugakure Jonin, using his Kagune and Koukaku to defeat one and overwhelm Uemura. He impaled Uemura as the Jonin tried to escape underground, while the Demon Snake was still holding off the opposing forces.

• Shiraishi Mori decided to eliminate the two Jonin before the other fighters could join the battle, and Mr. Crow reported that the Demon Snake might only hold out for about ten minutes.
• Shiraishi Mori revealed his transformed Kagune and shattered the Jonin’s Earth Wall before pursuing the tall, thin Jonin.
• Shiraishi Mori avoided the Jonin’s lightning attack by severing his paralyzed Rinkaku, then smashed the Jonin through a house and killed him.
• Uemura crushed the ruins with his Earth Style technique, but Shiraishi Mori emerged in a larger form with six Rinkaku tails after replenishing his energy.
• Uemura tried to flee underground, but Shiraishi Mori caught and impaled him with a Rinkaku.

Shiraishi Mori led the Ghoul assault on Yugakure, defeating its leader Shangyuan and breaking the village’s final defenses. With Shangyuan dead, the Ghouls began massacring and devouring the village as Mr. Crow praised Lord Jashin.

• Mr. Crow warned Shiraishi Mori that Shangyuan was close to defeating the Demon Snake, and Shiraishi flew toward the battlefield after growing new wings.
• Shiraishi attacked Shangyuan and killed the Water Elephant by piercing its brain, but Shangyuan struck Shiraishi through several houses.
• Shangyuan trapped Shiraishi in a Water Prison Technique, but Shiraishi shattered the sphere and fought him amid the Ghoul army’s advance.
• Shiraishi caught Shangyuan off guard, bit through his neck, and later displayed his head to the people of Yugakure.
• Shiraishi declared that the Ghouls would bring suffering to the world, and they slaughtered and devoured people throughout the village.
• Mr. Crow watched the destruction and ecstatically praised Lord Jashin.

Kakashi and Konoha reinforcements arrived in Yugakure after the Ghouls had devastated the village, and Kakashi’s team rescued a young noble who had been turned into a Ghoul. When Kakashi asked Shiraishi Mori to come with them, Shiraishi rejected him and confronted Konoha over its past failures.

• Yasho tortured a blond young noble and forced a Kakuhou into his arm, turning him into a Ghoul.
• Kakashi and Gekko Hayate arrived with Konoha reinforcements, killed the Ghouls, and freed the young noble.
• Kakashi ordered the boy to wait for help, then led his team toward the village center.
• Mr. Crow warned Shiraishi Mori that Konoha’s reinforcements had arrived and might be using him as a blade.
• Kakashi told Shiraishi Mori that Konoha had come at the Land of Rivers Daimyo’s request and asked him to go with them.
• Shiraishi Mori refused and angrily challenged Konoha over its failure to help when his parents were killed and Yugakure was destroyed.

Shiraishi Mori lost control of his Kagune and transformed into a giant monster, rampaging through the village as Kakashi and the Konoha ninja fought to stop him. Kakashi’s Lightning Cutter severed Shiraishi Mori’s head, though the chapter ended before his fate was confirmed.

• Shiraishi Mori vowed to destroy the world’s order and unleashed the rampaging Kagune on his body.
• Kakashi activated his Sharingan and attacked Shiraishi Mori, but the monster tore through his Lightning Beast Tracking Fang and grew into a giant.
• Shiraishi Mori rained Rinkaku attacks across the village, killing civilians, Ghouls, and others as Kakashi directed his team to fight back.
• Konoha ninja trapped Shiraishi Mori in a pit and flooded it, while Kakashi’s lightning briefly paralyzed him.
• Gekko Hayate’s shuriken attack distracted Shiraishi Mori, allowing Kakashi to strike from beneath the water with Lightning Cutter and sever his head.

Kakashi killed Shiraishi Mori, but a raven and a blood-red ritual plunged the battlefield and the nearby people into a terrifying vision of Jashin. Kakashi and Gekko Hayate tried to break the Konoha ninja free as the crowd began sacrificing themselves, while the chant of “Blood for the Blood God, skulls for the Skull Throne!” filled the air.

• Kakashi used Lightning Cutter to kill Shiraishi Mori, but his unease grew after the attack.
• A raven emerged from Shiraishi Mori, and Kakashi destroyed it, causing a scarlet eye to fall onto the eye on the corpse’s head.
• The eye triggered visions of people pleading to Jashin, including Kakashi reliving his father’s death and Rin’s death.
• Shiraishi Mori’s eye opened, blood formed the Jashin Cult’s symbol, and Mr. Crow appeared before a blood-red moon to lead a chant.
• Kakashi and Gekko Hayate punched and shook the Konoha ninja to break them from the Genjutsu as they raised weapons to their necks.
• The people of the ruined settlement chanted for the Blood God and severed their own heads, praising their Lord.

Kakashi and his team witnessed Shiraishi Mori's eye consume the blood and souls of Konoha villagers, forcing them to abandon their mission and flee. When the monstrous eye trapped them in Fear, Kakashi stayed behind to face it while his companions escaped.

• Kakashi recovered from the eye's Genjutsu, warned the team not to look at it, and canceled the mission.
• Kakashi sent Pakkun to deliver their intelligence to Konoha before ordering the team to retreat.
• The eye absorbed enough blood to become a gigantic winged mass of flesh and enveloped the fleeing ninjas in Fear.
• Kakashi used shuriken to wound his companions and break their fear, then ordered them to scatter while he stayed behind.
• Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan and stabbed his arm with a kunai to keep himself lucid as he prepared to confront the eye.

Kakashi fought the enormous eye monster in Yugakure but was overwhelmed by its tentacles and mental assault. As he lay helpless before another attack, Jiraiya arrived with Bunta and rescued him.

• Kakashi dodged the monster’s tentacles and charged toward its eye with Lightning Cutter, but its mental assault disrupted his attack and it battered him into the ruins.
• Black and White Zetsu watched the battle, and the masked Tobi suggested recruiting Simu to their camp.
• As a tentacle descended on the helpless Kakashi, Bunta appeared and severed it with a slash.
• Jiraiya rescued Kakashi and ordered Bunta to retreat, narrowly escaping a barrage of tentacles that destroyed the ground behind them.

Jiraiya and Gamabunta fought the regenerating Eye of Jashin while Kakashi suspected the masked figure named Tobi was behind the crisis. After Tobi refused to surrender the monster, Jiraiya sent Kakashi away and stayed to face him.

• Jiraiya and Gamabunta ignited the monster’s tentacles with Toad Oil Flame Bullet, but the Eye of Jashin regenerated them.
• A masked man appeared atop the monster, introduced himself as Tobi, and claimed the creature was an important result of his experiments.
• Jiraiya asked Tobi to hand the monster over to Konoha, but Tobi refused.
• Jiraiya summoned Gamachu and sent Kakashi to Mount Myoboku, choosing to remain and test Tobi’s abilities.

Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro to fight Simu and his Apostles in Yugakure. After Simu unleashed a huge Apostle whose sound-based Genjutsu overwhelmed two of the toads, Jiraiya and the brothers recovered and prepared to continue the battle.

• Simu mocked Jiraiya for spending Chakra to send Kakashi away, and Jiraiya summoned Gamaken and Gamahiro alongside Gamabunta.
• Gamaken blocked Simu's tentacles while Gamahiro severed them, and Jiraiya and Gamabunta attacked Simu with a toad-oil flame technique.
• Simu summoned a gigantic Apostle of Desire, whose landing devastated much of Yugakure.
• Gamabunta sent Gamaken and Gamahiro to fight the Apostle while he and Jiraiya focused on Simu.
• The Apostle's sound-based Genjutsu blasted Gamaken and Gamahiro away, but Jiraiya used his hair to disrupt the Genjutsu and Gamahiro stuffed a piece of his hair into his ears to guard against the sound.

Jiraiya and Simu exchanged attacks to test each other’s abilities, but Simu caught Jiraiya off guard with explosive insects. Jiraiya conceded the round and escaped to Mount Myoboku, leaving Simu to accept his retreat.

• Gamabunta helped Jiraiya launch a fire attack, but Simu scattered it with a rain of crystals and knocked Gamabunta’s blade away with a Centipede Weihe.
• Jiraiya bound Simu with his hair, defended against Simu’s insect swarm, and avoided a Rinkaku strike by using a Shadow Clone.
• Simu entered Kakuja mode and fought Jiraiya in close combat, with neither gaining a clear advantage.
• Simu detonated insects hidden in Jiraiya’s hair, leaving Jiraiya scorched and grimy.
• Jiraiya conceded the round, dismissed the giant toads, and escaped with the Reverse Summoning Technique; Simu noted that he had gone to Mount Myoboku.

Jiraiya visited Mount Myoboku to report a powerful enemy to the Great Toad Sage, who foresaw a coming calamity and named Jashin as its source. Jiraiya left determined to expose Jashin and the Jashin Cult, while Simu learned that the insects he had planted were dead but had already sent their information.

• Jiraiya told Fukasaku that he had faced an enemy too dangerous to challenge with Sage Mode and had recorded the enemy’s abilities.
• Jiraiya asked Fukasaku to take him to the Great Toad Sage so he could report what was happening.
• The Great Toad Sage foresaw a sea of blood and war in the Shinobi World and identified Jashin as the source of evil.
• The Great Toad Sage used Natural Energy to flush black insects out of Jiraiya, and Fukasaku caught them before they escaped.
• Jiraiya realized he had overlooked the insects because they had no Chakra and vowed to expose Jashin, the Jashin Cult, and Tobi.
• In Yugakure, Simu sensed that his insects had been killed and noted that they had already delivered their information.

Simu sealed the Apostle of Fear inside Shiraishi Mori and discovered a living Kagune attached to an unconscious blond boy, preserving both as test subjects. Kakashi returned to Konoha with Jiraiya and reported the mission to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Jiraiya gave a dubious explanation for why he had gone to Yugakure.

• Simu sealed the Apostle of Fear inside Shiraishi Mori and sent ravens to carry Mori away.
• Simu found an unconscious blond boy with a living Kagune attached to his severed arm, took samples, and gave both life force to keep them alive.
• Kakashi woke from a nightmare about his father, Rin, and Obito, and Jiraiya encouraged him not to give up.
• Jiraiya and Kakashi returned to Konoha, where Kakashi submitted the mission report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi rebuked Jiraiya, who claimed he had investigated Yugakure to bring back intelligence for Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi weighed the threat posed by Tobi and the Jashin Cult against Konoha’s limited resources, while Jiraiya urged him to investigate before a prophesied war began. Hiruzen refused to commit a special team but agreed to restrict the cult, list Tobi as wanted, and have Anbu monitor for information.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi feared that Tobi’s ability to create Ghouls could destabilize the Shinobi World’s ruling order.
• Jiraiya told Hiruzen that Mount Myoboku’s prophecy identified Tobi as the one who brings destruction and said everything originated from Jashin.
• Jiraiya proposed forming a Jonin team to investigate the Jashin Cult and find and destroy Tobi.
• Hiruzen refused to divert Konoha’s scarce Jonin from its own missions and responsibilities.
• Hiruzen agreed to prohibit the Jashin Cult in the Land of Fire, put Tobi on the wanted list, and have Anbu watch for intelligence about him.

Simu reached level four as the Jashin Cult’s reputation spread across several nations, and he tested his new Blood-Spirit Worm on a badly injured subject. The worm rapidly healed the subject and boosted his strength, but caused berserk behavior and physical and mental harm, leaving Simu to gather more data before improving it.

• Simu reached level four after the Jashin Cult’s reputation surged past seventy thousand.
• The Jashin Cult spread through nearby nations as rumors about Jashin-sama’s power drew common people to worship him.
• Simu created the Blood-Spirit Worm using Yang Release Ninjutsu, Sage Gene, and the original Blood-Pouch Worm as foundations.
• Simu tested a Blood-Spirit Worm on a gravely injured subject, whose abdominal wound rapidly healed and whose strength increased.
• The subject became berserk, then grew listless after ten minutes; Simu recorded damage to his meridians and possible damage to his soul.

Pain announced Akatsuki’s plan to attack Amegakure, defeat Hanzo, and establish the village as its base. He assigned the members to block outside forces, while Simu secured permission to claim Hanzo’s summoned salamander, Ibuse.

• Tobi complained that Simu had impersonated him, but Hidan pointed out that Tobi could simply change his mask.
• Pain announced that Akatsuki would attack Amegakure, and Simu warned that Hanzo of the Salamander remained dangerous despite his defeat and age.
• Pain said he would face Hanzo himself and ordered the others to clear out Amegakure’s surrounding enemies and stop foreign ninja from interfering.
• Simu asked for Ibuse’s corpse and Hanzo’s remains; Pain granted him Ibuse but refused to give him Hanzo’s remains.
• Pain assigned Tobi to guard against the Land of Fire, Simu and Hidan to guard against the Land of Wind, and Black Zetsu and White Zetsu to guard against the Land of Earth.
• Pain and Konan departed, and Akatsuki began its operation against Amegakure.

Simu and Hidan attacked an Amegakure outpost near the Land of Wind border so Simu could reach Hanzo’s summoned beast, Salamander Ibuse. Hidan battled the outpost’s ninja while Simu confronted Ibuse in the swamp, where the giant salamander struck first.

• Simu and Hidan arrived at the swamp after Simu adapted his body to its poison gas and prepared to fight Ibuse.
• Hidan charged the outpost using his custom Ukaku wings and Three-Moon Blood Scythe, shrugging off a Kunai to the forehead and a blade through his heart.
• Hidan killed one Amegakure ninja and faced five reinforcements while praising Lord Jashin.
• Simu flew past the outpost, crossed the poisonous swamp, and found Ibuse using reports from his insects.
• Ibuse attacked Simu by slamming the swamp and sending a massive wave of mud at him.

Simu tested his Ninja Clone by defeating and capturing Ibuse, while Hidan finished off the Amegakure outpost guards. Simu took Ibuse to Akatsuki headquarters, intending to make use of his poison gas.

• Simu blocked Ibuse’s sludge attack with Water Release and overwhelmed him with a Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
• Simu summoned two upgraded Evil-Faced Ghost Snakes to fight Ibuse and used Blood-Spirit Worms to heal them.
• Ibuse released his poison gas, but Simu’s preparations protected the snakes and rendered the attack ineffective.
• Simu stopped Ibuse from contacting Hanzo, then used Black Beetles to capture him and declared his body test complete.
• Simu arrived as Hidan finished defeating the six Amegakure guards, and he refused Hidan’s request to offer Ibuse to Lord Jashin.
• Simu sent Ibuse toward Akatsuki headquarters with crows and considered poison gas as a weapon of mass destruction.

Simu and Hidan hunted Sunagakure shinobi in the Land of Rain while Simu expanded his network of creatures across the country. When Sunagakure sent a force to demand an explanation for its losses, Simu and Hidan prepared to face the two Jonin leading it.

• Hidan killed a Sand Shinobi during a Jashin ritual as he and Simu continued hunting Sunagakure squads.
• Simu established a stronghold near the Land of Wind and spread creatures across the Land of Rain to build a surveillance network.
• Simu learned that Sunagakure had sent two Jonin, a Special Jonin, and six Chunin to punish the Land of Rain.
• The Sunagakure force crossed into the Land of Rain, where a sensory ninja warned of an enemy and white mist enveloped the forest.

Simu and Hidan ambushed a Sunagakure team, trapping them in Hidden Mist and exploiting their confusion to inflict heavy losses. Captain Taya decapitated Hidan with Wind Release, but Simu’s smile made him realize the danger was not over.

• The Sand Shinobi recognized the Hidden Mist Technique, but Kawanishi could not sense their attackers through the chakra-filled mist.
• Hidan struck a Sand Shinobi with his scythe while Simu’s Black Beetles devoured a puppet and its chakra threads.
• Taya ordered the team to clear the mist with Wind Release, revealing that insects had trapped and explosively killed an injured teammate and medical ninja.
• Simu taunted the Sand Shinobi and revealed that he and Hidan intended to take over Amegakure.
• Hidan overwhelmed the Sand Shinobi with his scythe and Immortal Body until Taya joined the fight and severed Hidan’s head with Wind Release: Blade of Wind.
• Taya noticed Simu smiling and warned everyone to run.

Simu cornered the retreating Sand Shinobi after Hidan defeated Taya, then offered them a way to survive by joining the Jashin Cult. The Sand Shinobi agreed to blame Konoha for their losses, and Simu marked Kawanishi’s palm with Jashin’s symbol.

• Hidan regenerated after being beheaded and wounded Taya, while the other Sand Shinobi fled toward the border.
• Yuri rejected Kawanishi’s suggestion to return for Taya, insisting that staying meant certain death.
• Simu intercepted the fleeing Sand Shinobi and explained that he could not let them return and reveal information about his organization.
• Kawanishi invented a story blaming Konoha for the deaths and Amegakure’s recent changes, and the others agreed to support it.
• Simu said he still doubted their loyalty and demanded that they join the Jashin Cult in exchange for their release.
• Simu drew Jashin’s symbol on Kawanishi’s palm to mark his entry into the cult.

Simu marked Yuri’s squad as followers of the Jashin Cult and let them return to Sunagakure, while hinting that he intended to help the Land of Wind. Rasa faced reports of a possible threat from Konoha and a looming military budget cut, and an explosion in the village interrupted Kawanishi’s attempt to reveal the squad’s secret.

• Yuri and the other five Sand Shinobi accepted Simu’s offer, received Jashin Cult marks, swore an oath, and were allowed to leave.
• Hidan suspected Simu was scheming against the Land of Wind, while Simu said he wanted to help the nation grow stronger.
• Rasa heard Yuri’s squad report that Konoha ninja had attacked them in the Land of Rain, sent ANBU to verify the claim, and worried about the Daimyo’s proposed military budget cut.
• Yuri warned his squad not to betray their story, while Kawanishi struggled with whether to tell Rasa about their Jashin marks.
• As Kawanishi prepared to go to the Kazekage Building, his mark heated and an explosion struck a building in Sunagakure; Yuri watched as ANBU responded and appeared to confirm something.