Ch. 244A surge in dojutsu power

After returning to Konoha, Akaseki reported his mission and told Clan Leader Jiancheng that the Sage of Six Paths had strengthened his bloodline and granted him the Ame-no-Hoko's mark. Jiancheng learned that Akaseki's dojutsu power had risen to a level comparable to or greater than that of fully awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan users, though Akaseki still had not awakened three tomoe in both eyes.

  • Akaseki and Ranwu returned to Konoha and reported their mission to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Danzo watched unhappily.
  • Akaseki presented Hiruzen Sarutobi with a large piece of jade and a wooden carving depicting him victorious in battle, then offered to donate the finished sculpture to the Konoha Museum.
  • Akaseki visited Clan Leader Jiancheng, who praised his work arranging the Land of Hot Water's long-term mission agreement with the Konoha Military Police Force.
  • Akaseki told Jiancheng that he had met a chakra remnant of the Sage of Six Paths and received a bloodline enhancement and the Ame-no-Hoko's mark.
  • Jiancheng examined Akaseki's marked Uchiha Gunbai and learned that Akaseki's dojutsu power could support at least twenty large-scale A-rank techniques, despite his not having awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in both eyes.

Ch. 245Setsuna's Entrustment

Akaseki discussed his likely Jonin promotion with Jiancheng, who also entrusted him with handling reports of damaged Demon God seals. At Naka Shrine, Setsuna revealed he was dying and asked Akaseki to have his remaining eye transplanted so it could save Akaseki’s life once with Izanagi.

  • Jiancheng reassured Akaseki that his combat record and abilities made his Jonin promotion likely despite the Uchiha Clan’s history of rejected candidates.
  • Akaseki told Jiancheng he had only shared the Demon God seal discovery with him, and Jiancheng ordered the clan to keep it secret while reporting related legends and damaged seals.
  • Jiancheng told Akaseki to visit Setsuna, and Akaseki entered the dungeon beneath Naka Shrine to meet him.
  • Setsuna teased Akaseki about his promotion and asked how the war was going before admitting that he was not going to live much longer.
  • Setsuna asked Akaseki to find a skilled Medical Ninja to transplant his remaining eye, so its Izanagi could save Akaseki’s life once and protect the clan’s young talent.

Ch. 246Transplant?

Akaseki attempted to transplant one of Setsuna’s eyes with help from Hell Yama King, but accidentally chose Setsuna’s ruined eye. Back in Konoha, he tested eye-care products on it and found that neither could restore it.

  • Setsuna explained that an eye transplant between different bodies caused severe rejection and required Yang Style Chakra to maintain the eye.
  • Akaseki summoned Hell Yama King and performed the transplant, placing Setsuna’s ruined right eye in his own hand instead of replacing Setsuna’s good eye.
  • Setsuna realized what Akaseki had done, angrily threw him out, and told him to leave.
  • Akaseki returned to Konoha with the blind eye and tested an eye-protection device, but it could not treat damage caused by a forbidden technique.
  • Akaseki tried refreshing eye drops that restored Dojutsu Power, but they also failed to repair the ruined eye.

Ch. 247Hope for treatment

Akaseki failed to find a way to treat his blinded eye, but the Immersion Platform offered surgery that cost more points than he had. After returning to village life and learning sealing techniques, he discovered he had been nominated for jonin, while Minato and Ranwu were not.

  • Akaseki saw an Immersion Platform advertisement for eye surgery, learned it cost 19,800 points, and resolved to earn enough through dramas.
  • Akaseki studied sealing techniques with Kushina, then visited Ruyi, little Obito, and Might Duy's family before sharing grilled meat with his teammates and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
  • Akaseki began immersing himself in ultra-short dramas to save points for surgery and planned to buy more sculptures and visit the recommended sculptor.
  • Uchiha Jie told Akaseki that he had been nominated for jonin promotion, with the vote results due in five days.
  • Akaseki found that he was the only young-generation chunin on the nomination list, while Minato and Ranwu were absent because they lacked command experience.

Ch. 248Exceptionally Popular

Akaseki celebrated becoming a Jonin as Konoha prepared for a major shift in the war after Iwagakure entered the conflict. He warned that Hanzō remained a formidable obstacle, then learned that he would be assigned to a rear command branch while Ranwu and Minato headed for the Rain River front.

  • On August 10, every candidate passed the Jonin promotion deliberations, and Akaseki received more approval votes than anyone else.
  • Akaseki, Ranwu, and Minato discussed Iwagakure’s late entry into the war and the danger Hanzō posed despite Amegakure’s losses.
  • Akaseki became a Jonin on August 11, and two days later he, Ranwu, and Minato received deployment missions.
  • Ranwu and Minato were sent to the Rain River front, while Akaseki was assigned to a southwest command branch securing logistics and retreat routes.
  • Ranwu teased Akaseki about his second-line assignment by reminding him that both the front and the rear contributed to Konoha.

Ch. 249Rear Command Division

Akaseki, Ranwu, and Minato traveled to Konoha’s rear command division, where Akaseki reported to Hatake Sakumo and learned how lightly the stronghold was staffed. Meanwhile, Chiyo secretly led her clan’s ninja toward Konoha’s rear despite Sunagakure’s agreement to fight alongside Konoha at Lingering Rain Mountain.

  • Akaseki, Ranwu, and Minato learned that Hatake Sakumo commanded the rear division and set out together with Akaseki’s chunin squad.
  • Akaseki’s squad, including Yakushi Nonō, Kizashi Haruno, and Yoshino Matsumoto, traveled with Ranwu and Minato toward the Land of Rain.
  • After six days, Ranwu and Minato parted ways with Akaseki near the command division and urged him to set a good example for his chunin.
  • Akaseki reported to Hatake Sakumo at Cloud-Breaking Pass and discovered that the stronghold had only four jonin and twenty chunin.
  • Chiyo told Zong Xuan that she had brought her clan’s ninja to attack Konoha’s rear, arguing that the Kazekage’s agreement with Konoha did not forbid it.

Ch. 250Both Sides Startled

At Cloud-Breaking Pass, Akaseki and Hatake Sakumo uncovered Chiyo’s surprise attack and prepared to face her superior Sunagakure force. At the front, the Third Kazekage confronted Hanzō, while both sides at the outpost realized they had been caught off guard by the strength of their opponents.

  • The Third Kazekage Shimi blocked Hanzō’s assault with Magnet Release, and the two leaders withdrew their forces before clashing over the Rain River.
  • Akaseki detected concealed Sunagakure ninja approaching Cloud-Breaking Pass and warned Hatake Sakumo that they had puppets with them.
  • Hatake ordered the Konoha ninja to hide and replace the sentries with Shadow Clones, then sent a message by ninja hound.
  • Chiyo led Ebizo and Zong Xuan in an attack on the outpost, but Zong Xuan’s caution exposed a trap that detonated their underground explosive puppets.
  • Hatake and Akaseki faced Chiyo’s elite force with fewer and weaker ninja, leaving both sides startled by the opposing threat.

Ch. 251Direct Confrontation

Chiyo led the Sunagakure forces in an attack on Konoha at Cloud-Breaking Pass, where Akaseki’s Mirror Clones and Hatake Sakumo disrupted the Sand ninja’s puppet formation. The battle descended into chaos, and Konoha began suffering casualties despite their counterattack.

  • Chiyo ordered the Sand ninja to attack, and their puppets surged toward Konoha’s forces.
  • Akaseki sent nearly twenty Mirror Clones against the puppets, but Chiyo’s Three Treasures Suction Crushing trapped and destroyed many of them.
  • Pakura warned the Sand puppet masters that Akaseki could see Chakra threads, while his clones split through the puppet line and charged their handlers.
  • Hatake Sakumo revealed himself among the clones, forced Chiyo to escape into a prepared puppet, and killed a puppet master with Hatake Style: Sky Rend.
  • Akaseki’s clones destroyed Chiyo’s three suction puppets, but Chiyo reconnected her remaining puppets and struck back as the battlefield became chaotic.
  • Konoha’s weaker fighters struggled in the disordered battle, and Konoha began taking casualties.

Ch. 252White Fang

Akaseki protected Konoha’s fighters with his Mirror Clones while Hatake Sakumo killed Sunagakure’s elite during the battle at Cloud-Breaking Pass. As Akaseki’s clones dwindled and the fight shifted, Hatake exposed and killed Zong Xuan, who had been hiding inside a tree.

  • Akaseki deflected Pakura’s Scorch Release back toward the Sunagakure forces and worked out how her Kekkei Genkai caused its damage.
  • Akaseki reattached Yoshino Matsumoto’s severed arm and destroyed four attacking puppets with his Great Dragon Fire Technique while protecting Yakushi Nonō.
  • Akaseki’s Mirror Clones began exhausting their Chakra, while Hatake Sakumo killed six White Clan puppet masters and two Wind Release ninja.
  • Chiyo continued the attack despite the White Clan’s heavy losses, and Hatake’s White Fang formations began to break through her remaining puppets.
  • Hatake Sakumo found Zong Xuan hidden inside a tree and tore apart the trunk, killing him.

Ch. 253Captured?

Hatake Sakumo killed Zong Xuan and Zhen Sha during the battle at Cloud-Breaking Pass, but Ebizo captured Akaseki and led the surviving Sand Ninjas to retreat. As Chiyo’s forces regrouped, Akaseki learned he had been bound by the Five Aggregates Seal and planned to use Immersion to break it.

  • Hatake Sakumo killed Zong Xuan, then struck down Zhen Sha when she shielded Chiyo.
  • Ebizo trapped Akaseki in a sealing puppet, and Chiyo ordered the surviving Sand Ninjas to retreat after losing many of her clan’s elites.
  • Hatake Sakumo stopped his team from pursuing the retreating Sand Ninjas and chose to defend Cloud-Breaking Pass.
  • At Falling Rain Bridge, the Third Kazekage learned Chiyo’s message had triggered a confrontation with Konoha and realized the expedition against Lingering Rain Mountain would likely fail.
  • Chiyo and Ebizo kept Akaseki alive, sealed his chakra and dojutsu power with the Five Aggregates Seal, and planned to leave his fate to the Third.
  • Akaseki recognized the seal’s weakness and resolved to use Immersion to raise his dojutsu power enough to break it.

Ch. 254A different kind of immersion_1

During his captivity, Akaseki endured three years of Hong Yan’s memories through repeated immersions, then deconstructed their emotions to protect his own personality and strengthen his dojutsu. After the latest immersion, Akaseki’s dojutsu power had risen substantially, and the Sand Ninja brought him back to Sunagakure.

  • Akaseki reflected on Hong Yan’s self-pitying choices and discovered that deconstructing the memories required recalling them with different emotions.
  • Akaseki experienced another year of Hong Yan’s life, in which Su Yan discovered he had killed her father but forgave him and survived alongside him.
  • Pakura grew alarmed by Akaseki’s shifting moods, but Ebizo dismissed her concerns and said his behavior would not activate the Sharingan.
  • In a third immersion, Hong Yan and Su Yan returned to Yang City, where Lin Xianxian rose from the lowest rank of courtesan while Hong Yan felt morally superior for treating her as an equal.
  • Akaseki deconstructed the latest memories and greatly increased his dojutsu power as the Sand Ninja escorted him back to Sunagakure.

Ch. 255Bunpuku_1

Akaseki was imprisoned in Sunagakure, where he met the monk Bunpuku and discovered that Bunpuku hosted the One-Tail, Shukaku. Akaseki resumed immersing himself in his memories, then recoiled from Hong Yan’s increasingly contradictory feelings and rejected Bunpuku’s advice to accept himself.

  • Akaseki provoked Pakura about the Kazekage’s absence and Sunagakure’s internal divisions, but she warned him not to turn her against her family.
  • Akaseki met his cell neighbor, Bunpuku, who spoke in riddles and calmly predicted they would not be imprisoned together for long.
  • Pakura showed Bunpuku respect when he advised her to control her anger, prompting Akaseki to suspect that Bunpuku held unusual status.
  • Akaseki realized Bunpuku was the One-Tail’s host, and Bunpuku explained that the tailed beast was named Shukaku and was his companion.
  • Akaseki resumed his memory immersion and saw that Hong Yan’s feelings of sorrow and joy had become nearly equal as he lived with Su Yan and avoided Lin Xianxian.
  • Bunpuku urged Akaseki to accept himself, but Akaseki rejected the advice and suspected the monk was teasing him.

Ch. 256Hanzō's Surprise

Konoha and Sunagakure clashed after both sides misread the reports from Cloud-Breaking Pass, where the Sand Ninja captured the young Uchiha Akaseki despite Hatake Sakumo defending the pass. Hiruzen Sarutobi declared war on Sunagakure within the Land of Rain and sought to ease tensions with Hanzō, while Akaseki remained imprisoned and the Stone Ninja withdrew.

  • Orochimaru's forces and the Sand Ninja attacked each other near Falling Rain Bridge after suspecting the other side had joined forces with Hanzō.
  • Reports revealed that Hatake Sakumo had repelled the Sand Ninja at Cloud-Breaking Pass, but Akaseki had been captured; Jiraiya urged Konoha to hold its position to protect him.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi and the advisers discussed Akaseki's capture, and Sarutobi ordered Konoha to declare war on Sunagakure within the Land of Rain while Danzo moved to discuss a ceasefire with Hanzō.
  • The Third Kazekage refused Konoha's demand to release Akaseki but ordered that the prisoner not be harmed while he waited for events to develop.
  • Ōnoki withdrew the Stone Ninja, leaving the Rain Ninja free of immediate pressure as Konoha and Sunagakure focused on each other.

Ch. 257The fortunate Sand Ninja_1

Akaseki’s Immersion left a Sand Ninja who tried to read his memories with six years of indistinguishable memories and severe mental damage. After recovering from his latest Immersion, Akaseki continued provoking Pakura in his cell while the war between Konoha and Sunagakure settled into attrition.

  • Chiyo and Ebizo found a Sand Ninja drooling and unresponsive after he tried to read Akaseki’s memories, and Akaseki blamed the damage on a Cursed Seal supposedly placed by Shimura Danzō.
  • Akaseki reviewed the Immersion and realized the unprotected Sand Ninja had received six years of memories, while Hong Yan and Su Yan spent three years in a fraught relationship and Lin Xianxian remained devoted to Hong Yan.
  • Akaseki spent two days processing the Immersion, and Pakura mistook his despondency for another episode of mental illness.
  • On the Amegakure battlefield, Konoha and Sunagakure resumed a war of attrition as Hanzō balanced both sides and made them wary of attacking Lingering Rain Mountain.
  • Akaseki saw Bunpuku escorted away again and suspected that the monk’s calm, disciplined state helped maintain his seal.
  • Akaseki taunted Pakura about the front, the Second Kazekage, and the injured Sand Ninja, then took her fearful reaction as evidence that she knew the Jonin had not recovered.

Ch. 258Planning_1

Akaseki finished deconstructing the seventh segment of Immersion and used Pakura’s visit to confirm that Bunpuku’s absence left him guarded, prompting him to plan an escape amid the confusion of a major disturbance. He also learned that the Third Kazekage had entered Konoha, while Pakura’s confrontation with Koyomaru exposed tensions in Sunagakure.

  • Akaseki completed the seventh Immersion segment, became confident that his dojutsu power would eventually break the Five Aggregates Seal, and considered starving himself to force the process.
  • Akaseki questioned Pakura about the Third Kazekage and Bunpuku’s absences, then inferred from her reactions that Sunagakure expected Bunpuku to guard him while she was away.
  • Akaseki decided that a quiet escape was unlikely and planned to flee during a major commotion, depending on whether the Kazekage and Sunagakure’s main forces had returned by the time he advanced to three-tomoe.
  • Koyomaru delivered Akaseki’s meal rudely, and Pakura objected to his behavior before holding back when Akaseki watched their exchange with amusement.

Ch. 259Awakening the eyes!

Akaseki completed his Immersion and awakened the third tomoe in his right Sharingan, breaking the Five Aggregates Seal while Pakura failed to notice. He concealed his chakra and tested his dojutsu on Itaro, leaving Itaro unaware that Akaseki had activated his Sharingan.

  • Akaseki described how Lin Xianxian died trying to help Hong Yan escape, while Hong Yan survived and spent the rest of his life in regret and emptiness.
  • Akaseki tried to persuade Bunpuku to leave Sunagakure with him, but Bunpuku refused and explained his beliefs about understanding others.
  • Bunpuku left under guard, and Pakura told Akaseki that the Kazekage would soon return to deal with him personally.
  • Akaseki finished the final hour of his Immersion, awakened the third tomoe in his right eye, and felt the Five Aggregates Seal give way.
  • Akaseki suppressed his chakra with a less sophisticated sealing technique while Pakura looked away.
  • Akaseki caught Itaro looking into his activated Sharingan, then deactivated it without Itaro realizing what had happened.

Ch. 260Shukaku's Rampage

Akaseki poisoned Bunpuku and used the ensuing chaos to escape Sunagakure by disguising himself as Koyomaru and then Itaro. He left Shukaku rampaging as the Sand Ninja attacked, while Pakura realized Akaseki had deceived them.

  • Akaseki hypnotized Itaro into poisoning Bunpuku's dinner and arranging for Koyomaru to deliver it.
  • When Bunpuku was poisoned, Akaseki summoned his weapons and attacked, provoking Shukaku to transform and drive out the poison.
  • Akaseki killed Koyomaru, took his appearance, burned the body, and fled while shouting that the One-Tail had gone berserk.
  • Akaseki hypnotized Itaro again, took his appearance, and urged the Sand Ninja to attack Bunpuku during Shukaku's transformation.
  • Shukaku broke free of the Sand Ninja's attacks and began rampaging as Pakura recognized the fleeing Itaro as Akashi Uchiha.

Ch. 261As long as Akashi Uchiha still drew breath...

Akaseki unleashed his newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan power against Sunagakure, where Shukaku rampaged and Chiyo’s puppets tried to stop him. As Akaseki faced a crushing attack, his Sharingan instinct led him to pour out his dojutsu power in a way he did not yet understand.

  • Shukaku attacked Pakura and fired a Wind Release projectile at Itaro, devastating buildings as Akaseki fled into Sunagakure.
  • Akaseki split into clones and used Sharingan Genjutsu on the crowds, realizing his dojutsu reserves had grown to roughly ten times those of an ordinary Three-Tomoe Uchiha.
  • Mohu summoned a colossal defensive puppet that seized Shukaku, while Chiyo’s Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu attacked Akaseki.
  • Akaseki revealed his identity to Chiyo, then his clones unleashed six Great Fire Annihilations that sent rivers of flame across Sunagakure.
  • Chiyo sent her puppets against Akaseki, and the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha puppets used Three Treasures Suction Crushing to leave him exposed to a combined attack.
  • Akaseki followed his Sharingan instinct and poured out his dojutsu power as the puppets’ attacks closed in.

Ch. 262Susanoo?

Akaseki awakened an initial form of Susanoo while fighting Chiyo’s puppets, then fled as Shukaku rampaged through Sunagakure. Ebizo concluded that Bunpuku could not be awakened and considered killing him to stop Shukaku, leaving the village’s response unresolved.

  • Akaseki manifested Susanoo’s ribs and a skeletal arm, destroyed Ring, and deflected Chiyo’s weapons while realizing the power was draining his Sharingan and Chakra.
  • When Shukaku targeted him, Akaseki used a Mirror Clone and Triple Rashōmon to escape, then disguised himself among a crowd to evade Chiyo’s search.
  • Akaseki’s Mirror Clones spread chaos across Sunagakure as Shukaku continued attacking the village and Mohu’s gigantic puppet.
  • Ebizo sent a tiny puppet into Shukaku and told Mohu that Bunpuku could not be awakened because he was unconscious from poison.
  • Ebizo considered killing Bunpuku to stop Shukaku, while Mohu warned that Sunagakure had no replacement Jinchuriki and lacked its strongest ninja.

Ch. 263Hostage

Akaseki exploited Sunagakure’s chaos to take Sasori hostage and confront Chiyo, while Mohu died stopping Shukaku’s rampage. The chapter left Chiyo facing a choice between letting Akaseki escape and risking Sasori’s life.

  • Mohu and Chiyo subdued Shukaku after Bunpuku awakened, but Mohu died as his puppet collapsed.
  • Chiyo sealed Bunpuku, while Ebizo worried that the White Clan had provoked the Ao Clan and would face consequences.
  • Pakura reported that Akaseki had taken a hostage, and Chiyo learned the hostage was Sasori.
  • Akaseki restrained Sasori with the Hell Yama King and threatened him with a kunai to force Chiyo to stop the pursuing ninja.
  • Akaseki escaped into the sky on Tanuki Treasure in Vermilion Bird form while his Mirror Clone attached explosive tags to Sasori’s limbs and ordered Chiyo to hold off the pursuers.
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