Chapter Summaries

Lin Qing’s spirit photography kept Obito from sleeping as he and Zetsu sought an alliance with Kabuto Yakushi and his companions. The group agreed to join forces under the name Jashin Great White Snake, leaving Obito and Zetsu stuck with a name they had not chosen.

• Lin Qing told Hayato Kamihara that the Masked Man was wrapped in bandages and had shown no opening during nearly half a month of spirit photography.
• Lin Qing explained that he repeatedly woke Obito with spirit photography because he found it fun, leaving Obito badly sleep-deprived.
• Obito and Zetsu used a brief window when Lin Qing was less active to reach an underground base.
• Kabuto Yakushi, White Snake Sage No. 1, and Hidan confronted Obito and Zetsu, who proposed an alliance based on Obito’s strength and their knowledge.
• Kabuto Yakushi insisted the alliance keep the name Jashin Great White Snake, and Obito accepted.

Kabuto Yakushi, Obito, the White Snake Sage, and Hidan formed an alliance against Lin Qing and planned to revive the dead and control the living. Their research base was destroyed in an attack, and Sasori appeared at the crater and confronted Obito.

• Kabuto Yakushi outlined plans to use Impure World Reincarnation and Hidan's curse ritual to gather power against Lin Qing.
• Obito agreed to help search for corpses and showed the group how White Zetsu's spores might help restore Hidan's body.
• The group began combining the spores with the White Snake Sage's meat paste to accelerate Hidan's recovery.
• Explosions destroyed the underground base and its research materials, but Obito saved the others by sending them into the Kamui Dimension.
• Sasori arrived on a puppet horse and called Obito a coward.

Lin Qing discovered that the Land of Artisans had deceived Kazahana Dōtō into wasting the Land of Snow's treasury on impractical weapons. He tracked down two fleeing artisans and confronted them as they headed back toward the royal city.

• Lin Qing and the others found the royal treasury nearly empty, with weapon blueprints and prototypes scattered inside.
• Sasuke judged the weapons poorly made and impractical, while Hayato Kamihara identified markings linking the blueprints to the Land of Artisans.
• Lin Qing used Hermit Purple to take a photograph that revealed two Land of Artisans ninjas fleeing by dog sled, and he guessed they had stayed to drain the treasury.
• Lin Qing caught up with the two ninjas, who turned their sled around and offered him tea.

After conquering the Land of Snow, Lin Qing returned to Kirigakure with Sasuke and reviewed the expedition’s gains, including Soul Shards and the Sky Battleship’s combat performance. He reached Kirigakure after midnight and noticed the Mizukage’s office was still lit as he went looking for somewhere to train.

• Lin Qing brought two captured Land of Artisans craftsmen back to the Research Institute after examining their memories and deciding their skills were more valuable than their Memory Discs.
• Sasuke entered the lounge with red eyes after trying to awaken his Sharingan through emotional upheaval, and Hayato Kamihara teased him as the others laughed.
• Lin Qing counted the Soul Shards gained from defeating Kazahana Dōtō, noted the expedition’s other benefits, and heard Oda Ieyasu estimate that the major nations would wait one or two months before acting against the Sky Battleship.
• Lin Qing, Hayato Kamihara, and Sasuke returned to Kirigakure after two in the morning, while the rest of the crew took the Sky Battleship to the Research Institute for repairs and upgrades.
• Hayato Kamihara left to seek a brief romantic encounter, Sasuke returned to watching recordings, and Lin Qing noticed the Mizukage’s office light was still on as he passed the building.

Lin Qing visited the exhausted Mei Terumi, gave her a gift, and left her happily admiring it. While walking through Kirigakure, he thought of returning to bounty hunting, while Hayato Kamihara's plans for the night were ruined when Lin Qing answered him.

• Lin Qing found Mei Terumi asleep at her desk, covered her with a blanket, and reviewed reports about the forces gathering against him.
• Mei Terumi woke to find Lin Qing and received golden bracelets from the Land of Wind, then happily treasured them after he left.
• Lin Qing wandered through Kirigakure, watched security ninjas arrest drunken Kusagakure ninja, and remembered bounty hunting as a way to gain strength.
• Hayato Kamihara prepared to meet a woman from the Land of Earth, but Lin Qing answered when he called out, leaving Hayato Kamihara disappointed.

Lin Qing began hunting the Daimyo armies’ targets using Whitesnake’s disguise ability, while Hayato Kamihara saw an opportunity to exploit the power for intelligence. The chapter ended with the Land of Fire’s Daimyo ordering Tsunade to prepare a punitive expedition against Lin Qing.

• Hayato Kamihara gave Lin Qing a list of criminals and rogue ninjas gathered near the borders of the Lands of Fire, Earth, and Lightning.
• Lin Qing demonstrated how Whitesnake could disguise him so convincingly that others would mistake him for someone else, then set out with the list.
• Hayato Kamihara began writing down ways to use Lin Qing’s disguise ability for intelligence before rushing back to the intelligence department.
• Watanabe delivered the Land of Fire’s Daimyo’s notice to Tsunade, ordering her to assemble shinobi within a week and launch a punitive expedition against Lin Qing.

Watanabe tried to persuade Tsunade to send Konoha ninjas to help the Land of Fire defeat Lin Qing, but she refused and secretly planned to aid Lin Qing instead. After Watanabe left, Tsunade gambled on Lin Qing winning, though her dice came up small.

• Watanabe presented Tsunade with an argument and agreement for Konoha to join the Land of Fire against Lin Qing, promising a share of the spoils.
• Tsunade refused to join the war on the Daimyo's side and told Watanabe to leave.
• After Watanabe departed, Tsunade told Yamato that Konoha would secretly help Lin Qing at a crucial moment.
• Tsunade rolled the dice, lost her bet, and wondered whether Lin Qing could let her win for once.

Lin Qing hunted mercenaries in a border town and learned that the Land of Fire planned to seize the Land of Hot Water as a forward base. To draw out the enemy’s trump cards without exposing himself, he joined the Fierce Tiger suicide squad and boarded a warship, where he noticed an Iwagakure jonin watching him.

• Fujimoto Kawa ignored Takahashi’s warning about an Evil Spirit that called people by name, then was killed when he read the character written on a woman’s palm after Lin Qing visited her home.
• Lin Qing reflected on the meager Soul Shards he had earned from killing mercenaries and learned that the Land of Fire intended to occupy the Land of Hot Water.
• Hayato Kamihara worried that defending the Land of Hot Water would weaken their border defenses, and Lin Qing said he would use the opportunity to draw out the enemy’s trump cards.
• Lin Qing signed up for the vanguard under the name A-Qing and was assigned to the Fierce Tiger suicide squad.
• Lin Qing boarded a warship with the other mercenaries and noticed a masked Iwagakure jonin watching him.

Kitsuchi led the Land of Fire’s advance force toward the Land of Hot Water, uneasy about the sea fog but determined to press on. On Lin Qing’s ship, the Sound Four seized control of the mercenaries before Kitsuchi ordered the death squads to scout into the fog.

• Kitsuchi explained that the Land of Fire had hired him to command the opening battle because Konoha had refused to send troops, and he suspected Lin Qing had abandoned the Land of Hot Water.
• Kitsuchi dismissed his subordinate’s concerns about Lin Qing appearing, reasoning that Lin Qing leaving the Land of Water would give other forces an opportunity to strike.
• Jirobo beat a mercenary and declared that the death squads aboard his ship would follow the Sound Four’s orders.
• Lin Qing recognized Jirobo and the others as former subordinates of Orochimaru, while the mercenaries gathered around the Sound Four to avoid being sent to die first.
• The two ships docked, the samurai moved to Kitsuchi’s vessel, and Kitsuchi ordered the remaining death squad members to investigate the fog.

Lin Qing stopped the Sound Four and the mercenaries from escaping, then dealt with the invasion force aboard their ship. When the warships reached the Land of Hot Water, they drifted into harbor completely empty.

• Kitsuchi forced the mercenaries to scout through the fog, while Kidomaru ordered weaker mercenaries to take lifeboats ahead.
• Lin Qing smashed the lifeboat and killed Jirobo with a single finger snap when Jirobo attacked him.
• The Sound Four recognized Lin Qing and tried to flee, but his mist barriers and currents trapped everyone aboard.
• A mercenary fired a flare gun at Lin Qing but somehow turned it against himself and died; Lin Qing declared that the invaders had prepared to die.
• Half an hour later, samurai and shinobi in the Land of Hot Water boarded the arriving warships and found them empty.

Mercenaries and samurai sailed into a blood-choked sea filled with corpses and man-eating fish, while Kitsuchi urged them onward with the promise of doubled bounties. As their ship became trapped in a circling current and one fish spoke, Kitsuchi wondered whether Lin Qing or the Land of Hot Water was behind the strange waters and considered using the White Zetsu Spore.

• Mercenaries hauled a twitching corpse onto the deck, where fish eating its entrails leapt up and bit off a medical mercenary's nose.
• The warships saw a green signal flare from the bait force, but Kitsuchi ordered them forward and doubled their bounties to overcome their fear.
• The ship continued striking corpses, and the mercenaries saw blood-red-eyed fish staring up at them through the fog.
• A fish washed onto the deck and spoke the words "Go die," shocking the mercenaries, samurai, and Kitsuchi.
• Kitsuchi realized the ship had been circling a central point in the current and wondered if Lin Qing or the Land of Hot Water was responsible.
• Kitsuchi considered whether to activate the White Zetsu Spore to summon a messenger.

Kitsuchi led his forces toward the center of the fog and discovered that Lin Qing had trapped them at sea and turned the fish into guardians of the Land of Hot Water. Kitsuchi rallied the stranded troops to attack, but Lin Qing stopped time and struck them all down with flying seawater.

• Kitsuchi abandoned the idea of sending a report and ordered the warship toward the center of the fog.
• The crew found Lin Qing feeding face-bearing discs to fish, and a White Zetsu clone was blocked from escaping and torn apart.
• Kitsuchi realized the area had been sealed into a death cage, while Lin Qing prepared the fish to attack ships bound for the Land of Hot Water.
• Lin Qing announced that the crew would provide enough Soul Shards, and Kitsuchi raised land from the seabed and led nearly fifteen hundred fighters in an assault.
• Lin Qing stopped time with Star Platinum—The World, sent seawater droplets toward the attackers, and resumed time, causing them to fall into the sea.

Lin Qing defeated Kitsuchi and the invading mercenaries and samurai, taking their discs as they begged for their lives. A familiar voice called out to him from among the survivors, asking him to stop.

• Lin Qing used Ripple-empowered water droplets to immobilize most of the mercenaries and samurai, while Kitsuchi survived behind his rock armor.
• Kitsuchi ordered the few who could still move to flee and stayed behind to face Lin Qing.
• Lin Qing used Steel Ball and Killer Queen to shatter Kitsuchi’s armor and fatally injure him, then took his discs as Kitsuchi sank beneath the sea.
• Lin Qing’s golden mist dragged the fleeing survivors back, and the remaining mercenaries and samurai surrendered.
• Lin Qing threw away the Fierce Tiger plaque and began taking the survivors’ discs as they pleaded and cursed.
• A voice called out to Lin Qing, saying it was him and asking Lin Qing not to attack.

Lin Qing helped Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki sabotage a Land of Fire warship, then flew back toward the Land of Water. A letter from Hayato Kamihara warned him about a prolonged fight between Sasori of the Red Sands and the Masked Man, and revealed that Akatsuki had attacked Kumogakure and Konoha.

• Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki revealed that Tsunade had sent them to gather intelligence and obstruct the Land of Fire's invasion of the Land of Hot Water.
• Lin Qing gave the two Konoha shinobi Ninjutsu Discs to scatter as fish feed, then counted his Soul Shards from the battle with Kitsuchi and the mercenaries.
• Lin Qing refused to attack the Land of Fire's forces because he feared harming civilians and exposing his location to White Zetsu, and he flew toward the Land of Water.
• Hayato Kamihara's letter reported that Sasori of the Red Sands and the Masked Man had been fighting across the Land of Lightning for several days, and advised Lin Qing not to approach.
• Lin Qing read that Akatsuki had attacked Kumogakure and Konoha the previous night.

Itachi Uchiha and Kisame infiltrated Konoha and captured Naruto, but Itachi stayed behind to kill Tsunade and keep Konoha out of the war. Sarutobi Hiruzen intercepted Itachi’s attack and confronted him, telling him his vision had grown narrow.

• Itachi Uchiha and Kisame entered Konoha and evaded its sentries to reach Naruto’s room.
• Naruto thought he had escaped with Shadow Clones, but Itachi’s genjutsu kept him in bed until Itachi knocked him unconscious.
• Kisame carried Naruto away while Itachi explained that he planned to kill Tsunade so Konoha would avoid the war and he could return to the village.
• Itachi tried to use Amaterasu on Tsunade from a rooftop, but Sarutobi Hiruzen’s flying kunai blocked his monocular and cut his cheek.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged from the darkness and told Itachi, “your vision has grown narrow.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen confronted Itachi and Kisame as they tried to take Naruto, fighting them despite his age and their powerful techniques. Kisame mortally wounded Hiruzen, and Might Guy arrived and opened the Sixth Gate.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen apologized to Itachi for failing to stop Danzo, but the conversation ended when Itachi and Kisame attacked him.
• Itachi used Susanoo while Kisame attacked with Naruto as a hostage, and Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Enma to help fight them.
• As Hiruzen began to slow with age, he refused to retreat because he feared other Akatsuki members could seize Naruto.
• Hiruzen trapped Kisame in an Adamantine Prison Wall, severed his right hand, and rescued Naruto, but Kisame bit through Hiruzen's shoulder and chest.
• Enma struck Kisame and sent him flying, while Might Guy arrived and opened the Sixth Gate.

Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki escaped after setting Konoha ablaze, but Sarutobi Hiruzen died from his wounds after apologizing to Naruto. Far away, Obito and Sasori’s battle ended with Sasori’s death after Zetsu and the Jashin Great White Snake trio intervened.

• Might Guy kicked Susanoo’s arm away, and Sarutobi Hiruzen sealed the Amaterasu burning him while helping Might Guy protect Naruto.
• Kisame Hoshigaki urged Itachi Uchiha to spread Amaterasu through Konoha, and Itachi set the village ablaze so they could escape.
• Tsunade could not heal Sarutobi Hiruzen, who apologized to the unconscious Naruto and died as the others went to fight the flames.
• Kakashi used Kamui to absorb the Amaterasu from a street in Konoha, sending the flames into the Kamui Dimension.
• Obito tried to send Sasori into the Kamui Dimension, but Hanzo the Salamander’s poisoned sickle interrupted him; Zetsu then pulled Sasori into the ground as Obito covered him with Amaterasu.
• The Jashin Great White Snake trio arrived, and Sasori died in the flames after lamenting that Deidara was no longer alive.

Obito joined Pain as Akatsuki assembled and declared war, while a massive coalition fleet sailed toward the Land of Water. The chapter ended as Lin Qing’s aerial attack struck Kurotsuchi’s ship.

• Zetsu reported that Lin Qing had killed Kitsuchi, Pain’s team had obtained Gyuki’s chakra, and Itachi and Kisame’s team had failed to capture their target.
• Obito decided to join Pain’s war effort, arguing that Pain would accept him, and left Kabuto Yakushi and the others behind.
• Obito and Zetsu arrived at the coast, where Pain, Kisame, Itachi Uchiha, and Konan prepared to begin the war.
• A million-strong coalition force from the Lands of Lightning, Earth, and Fire sailed toward the Land of Water, with Kurotsuchi grieving Kitsuchi’s death and vowing revenge on Lin Qing.
• Aerial attackers descended on the fleet, and a missile exploded above Kurotsuchi.

The Allied Forces invaded the Land of Water, but Lin Qing’s side weakened them with Natural Energy and struck back with hidden artillery. As the battle turned into close combat, the Extermination Army’s Orbital Force arrived from the sky, leaving Amber facing Kurotsuchi.

• Missiles dispersed Natural Energy across the Allied Forces’ ships, petrifying civilians and disrupting the chakra circulation of nearby fighters.
• Kurotsuchi realized the attack would deprive the invaders of civilian shields and weaken their ninjutsu, while Akatsuchi urged her to keep moving toward the coast.
• The Land of Earth’s forces landed on an apparently empty shore, where Mayuri revealed the concealed Extermination Army and Haku ordered hundreds of chakra-powered cannons to fire.
• The Allied Forces charged through the bombardment, and Mayuri met Kurotsuchi in combat while saying Lin Qing was needed elsewhere.
• Ten black boxes streaked overhead and descended onto the battlefield, crushing enemy soldiers and releasing armored Extermination Army troops.
• Amber emerged from his second-generation armor and confronted Kurotsuchi with a greatsword.

Lin Qing waited for Akatsuki to enter the Land of Water while his forces fought the Allied invasion, then attacked Akatsuki with a Golden Spin steel ball. The strike killed Pain, Itachi Uchiha, and Konan, leaving the battle’s outcome unresolved.

• Amber ordered the Allied forces to surrender, but Kurotsuchi stood her ground until Akatsuchi blocked his attack and she leaped at him.
• The Extermination Army, Mist Ninja, and samurai fought desperately along the borders of the Land of Water as they wondered where Lin Qing was.
• Lin Qing learned that Akatsuki and three thousand ninja were approaching Kirigakure and waited in the sky for their arrival.
• After receiving Akatsuki’s coordinates from Ninja Mouse, Lin Qing hurled a steel ball toward them from twenty kilometers away.
• Pain’s Shinra Tensei failed to stop the steel ball, which struck him and blasted him into Itachi Uchiha and Konan, killing all three.