Chapter Summaries

Obito escaped after using Izanagi, while Taiichi subdued the Nine-Tails and tried to persuade it to cooperate with Konoha. As the village began rescue efforts, Obito concluded that Taiichi had become a major threat and ordered his allies to accelerate their plans to eliminate him.

• Obito used Izanagi to survive Kakashi's attack, then escaped despite Minato's warning not to pursue him.
• Minato and Jiraiya returned to Konoha and found Taiichi restraining the Nine-Tails with Adamantine Sealing Chains and White Flame.
• Taiichi argued that the Nine-Tails could gain safety and respect by cooperating with Konoha, leaving it dazed and no longer struggling.
• Minato told Taiichi that the Masked Man had escaped, while withholding the details of his forbidden technique to avoid inflaming tensions with the Uchiha.
• The Third Hokage ordered the ninja to return to Konoha and organize rescue operations, while Taiichi remained with the Nine-Tails.
• Obito and Black Zetsu watched from afar, and Obito ordered them to notify Nagato and Konan that their plans must be revised to eliminate Taichi Matsushita.

Taiichi and Minato pressured the captured Nine-Tails into considering a cooperative arrangement rather than resealing it or imprisoning it in an urn. The Nine-Tails asked whether Taiichi’s promise of freedom was genuine, and Taiichi proposed separating most of its power from a small, mobile portion of its consciousness.

• Utatane Koharu suggested sealing the Nine-Tails back inside Kushina, but Taiichi warned that doing so would endanger her life.
• Minato offered to become the new Jinchuriki, but Jiraiya, Utatane Koharu, and Taiichi rejected the idea because his body could not withstand the Nine-Tails.
• Minato and Taiichi described the misery of confining the Nine-Tails in a Sealing Urn, frightening it into asking whether Taiichi’s offer of freedom was real.
• Taiichi proposed sealing most of the Nine-Tails’ power into a vessel while allowing its consciousness and a small amount of chakra to move freely in a reduced form.
• Utatane Koharu questioned the proposal’s safety and trustworthiness, while Taiichi reassured her and asked the Nine-Tails to consider living in a small body.

Taiichi helped Minato seal most of the Nine-Tails inside himself while separating its consciousness into a tiny fox that chose to follow Taiichi. Back in Konoha, Taiichi used Katsuyu to support rescue efforts, and Little Nine bristled when children reached to pet it.

• Minato approved Taiichi’s plan, and the Nine-Tails agreed to cooperate with the sealing.
• Taiichi used the Dyad Seal to separate the Nine-Tails’ consciousness as most of its chakra entered Minato.
• The separated Nine-Tails shrank into a tiny fox, and it chose to ride on Taiichi’s shoulder and follow him.
• Minato, Taiichi, Jiraiya, and Utatane Koharu returned to Konoha and joined the rescue efforts.
• Taiichi summoned Katsuyu to heal the injured, preventing further deaths among those rescued alive.
• Children approached Little Nine to pet its fur, and the fox bristled and extended its claws until Taiichi addressed it.

Taiichi kept the Nine-Tails under control as Konoha’s leaders silently accepted the new arrangement, then went with Minato to see Kushina after she recovered. Kushina eagerly chased the shrunken Nine-Tails around the living room, and Minato led Taiichi to meet his newborn child.

• Taiichi made the Nine-Tails accept responsibility for the destruction and remain still while Konoha’s children petted it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mitokado Homura witnessed the Nine-Tails’ docile state, and Hiruzen silently compromised after Minato vouched for Taiichi.
• Taiichi and Minato finished helping the wounded and returned home to find Kushina recovering well from the successful seal.
• Kushina recognized the Nine-Tails and enthusiastically chased it, trying to hug it and collect rent for the years it had lived inside her.
• Minato pulled Taiichi into the adjoining room to see his newborn child while Kushina and the Nine-Tails continued their commotion.

Obito reported the Nine-Tails attack to Pain and urged Akatsuki to target Taichi Matsushita and accelerate its Tailed Beast captures, but Pain dismissed his fears and decided to confront Taichi himself. News of Konoha’s devastation spread across the ninja world, leaving Ōnoki pleased and prompting A to prepare Cloud Village forces to exploit Konoha’s weakness.

• Obito told Pain and Konan that his mission had released the Nine-Tails and devastated Konoha, then warned that Taichi Matsushita had proved far stronger than Akatsuki’s intelligence suggested.
• Obito urged Akatsuki to eliminate Taichi and speed up captures of the Seven-Tails, the scattered One-Tail chakra, and Rōshi, but Konan objected that the plan risked provoking the Five Great Ninja Villages.
• Pain dismissed Obito’s warning, insisted that his Rinnegan surpassed Taichi’s strength, and decided to seek Taichi out while proceeding with the Tailed Beast plan as scheduled.
• Ōnoki learned of the Nine-Tails’ rampage and welcomed Konoha’s losses, seeing the crisis as a chance to ease pressure on Iwagakure and address its internal conflicts.
• A confirmed that the Nine-Tails had broken free of its Jinchuriki and ordered Samui to lead one thousand Cloud Village troops toward the Land of Frost, ready to advance into the Land of Hot Water if Konoha’s weakness was confirmed.

Minato assigned Taichi Matsushita authority to confront Cloud Village’s thousand troops on Konoha’s Northern Front and prevent them from entering the Land of Hot Water. After arriving at the garrison, Taichi learned of their provocations and prepared to visit their camp alone.

• Minato rejected diplomacy as insufficient and ordered Taichi Matsushita to handle Cloud Village’s threat with full authority.
• Taichi accepted the assignment while the elders silently agreed to leave the decision to Minato.
• Taichi arrived at the Northern Front garrison, where Yusuke Sarutobi reported that Darui’s troops were probing near Konoha’s controlled line.
• The Nine-Tails frightened Yusuke with his pressure after sensing his thoughts, and Taichi calmed him.
• Taichi decided to visit Cloud Village’s camp alone and asked Yusuke to find him a guide.

Taichi Matsushita challenged Kumogakure’s camp alone and defeated eight Elite Jonin without killing them, forcing Darui to withdraw his troops. News of Taichi’s strength spread through the Ninja World, and Nagato ordered Zetsu to find him at the northern border.

• Taichi arrived alone at Kumogakure’s camp carrying Little Nine and challenged its experts to fight without taking lives.
• Taichi defeated eight Kumogakure Jonin in quick succession, leaving them badly injured but alive.
• Darui conceded that Kumogakure had received Taichi’s instruction and claimed the troops had only been conducting a routine rotation.
• Taichi stayed at Konoha’s northern outpost as news of his defeat of the eight Jonin spread among the major villages.
• Nagato found Taichi’s location in a report and ordered Zetsu to find him at the northern border of the Land of Fire.

Pain sent the Deva, Asura, and Animal Paths to confront Taiichi at Konoha’s northern outpost, where Taiichi recognized the Six Paths puppets and suspected their connection to the Masked Man and the Nine-Tails Incident. The Paths launched a coordinated attack, but Taiichi evaded it with the Flying Thunder God and appeared above Pain; Shinra Tensei hurled him away, leaving Nagato unsettled by Taiichi’s apparent ability to mark him.

• Zetsu located Taiichi at the border outpost, and Pain brought the Asura Path and Animal Path to attack him.
• Taiichi sensed the three Paths approaching, sent the four Konoha shinobi away, and met the enemy outside the outpost.
• Taiichi recognized the Rinnegan puppets, looked toward Nagato’s hidden location, and accused the group of being connected to the Masked Man and Konoha’s Nine-Tails Incident.
• Nine-Tails arrived, and Pain demanded that Taiichi hand him over; Taiichi mocked Pain and the Paths as they prepared to fight.
• The Asura Path fired its chakra cannon while the Animal Path summoned four beasts, but Taiichi vanished with the Flying Thunder God and evaded their combined assault.
• Taiichi appeared above Pain with a Chakra Light Blade, but Pain repelled him with Shinra Tensei, and Nagato wondered whether Taiichi had placed a marker on him.

Taiichi Matsushita used his Flying Thunder God and combat skills to destroy the Animal Path and overpower Pain and the Asura Path, but Nagato escaped after the Asura Path self-destructed. Taiichi recovered the Animal Path’s body, while Nagato reunited with Konan and concluded they would need all Six Paths to face him again.

• Taiichi teleported behind the Animal Path and cut it in half, causing its four summoned beasts to disappear.
• Pain and the Asura Path attacked Taiichi with missiles, lasers, and black rods, but he pressed them back until his Short Sword broke and he fought them hand-to-hand.
• Nagato sent the Asura Path into a suicidal attack to hold Taiichi back while the Deva Path Pain fled.
• The Asura Path detonated itself, injuring Taiichi and destroying Konoha’s outpost, while Pain escaped beyond Taiichi’s sensing range.
• Taiichi searched for Nagato, found the mountain hollow empty, and returned to collect the Animal Path’s body for Minato and the elders to examine.
• Nagato reunited with Konan and said they would discuss their next move once Madara Uchiha arrived.

Tsunade was summoned from an izakaya to an emergency meeting, where Taichi revealed that an Akatsuki member had ambushed him while seeking the Nine-Tails. The corpse’s Rinnegan shocked the Konoha leaders and left Jiraiya visibly shaken.

• Tsunade left the hospital’s paperwork behind to drink at an izakaya, then hurried to the Hokage Building after Shizune and an Anbu summoned her.
• Minato opened an emergency meeting and asked Taichi to present the intelligence he had brought back from the northern border.
• Taichi unsealed the corpse of an Akatsuki member and explained that three non-original bodies had ambushed him and demanded the Nine-Tails.
• Taichi said the organization’s goal was to gather the Tailed Beasts, prompting Shikaku to connect the threat to Konoha’s recent strategic changes.
• The leaders examined the corpse’s concentric-ringed eyes, and Jiraiya recoiled in shock as Taichi identified them as the Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths.

After Taiichi revealed that the enemy wielded the Rinnegan and sought the Tailed Beasts, Jiraiya recognized the eyes as Nagato’s and volunteered to investigate Amegakure. Pain learned that Konoha could trace the Rinnegan to Akatsuki, ordered an evacuation, and redirected the organization toward exploiting Rōshi’s conflict with Iwagakure.

• Taiichi told Konoha’s leaders that the Rinnegan belonged to the enemy behind the Nine-Tails attack, and Jiraiya revealed that his former student Nagato had those eyes.
• Jiraiya volunteered to gather intelligence in Amegakure, and Minato put Konoha on high alert while the village rebuilt its defenses.
• Pain told Obito and Zetsu that Taichi Matsushita had exposed the Rinnegan, so he ordered Konan to evacuate Amegakure and install a controlled figurehead.
• Obito and Zetsu reported that Rōshi had fought Ōnoki and been confined, and proposed using the conflict to drive the Four-Tails Jinchuriki out of Iwagakure.
• Pain ordered Konan to establish a temporary base and directed Obito and Zetsu to bring about Rōshi’s defection and prepare to capture him.

Jiraiya investigated Akatsuki in the Land of Rain and learned that Hanzo and Shimura Danzō had arranged Yahiko’s death. After Jiraiya left, Pain revealed that he had instructed Daigo Masakazu to share the information to provoke trouble within Konoha.

• Jiraiya traveled through the Land of Rain and found that people knew little about Akatsuki or Nagato.
• In Amegakure, Jiraiya met leader Daigo Masakazu, who told him that Hanzo and Shimura Danzō had trapped Yahiko during peace talks and destroyed Akatsuki.
• Jiraiya left Amegakure, shocked that Konoha and Danzō had helped cause Yahiko’s death.
• Daigo Masakazu reported to Pain that he had given Jiraiya the information as instructed.
• Pain explained that the revelation would conceal Akatsuki’s secrets while stirring discord within Konoha.

Taiichi studied the black receiver taken from Pain's Animal Path and teased the Nine-Tails before attempting to create black matter with Yin-Yang Release. His first attempt collapsed, but he concluded that advancing Yin Release would bring him closer to making black rods.

• Taiichi tested the black receiver and found that it resisted and disrupted chakra.
• The Nine-Tails complained about Taiichi ignoring it, and Taiichi teased it by grabbing and petting it.
• Taiichi asked the Nine-Tails about the black receiver, but it refused to explain how it worked.
• Taiichi pretended to form something in his palm, then revealed the trick and provoked the Nine-Tails into scratching him and tearing his uniform.
• After healing his injuries, Taiichi condensed a small amount of black matter, but it fractured and collapsed.
• Taiichi checked his Yin and Yang Release levels and decided that raising Yin Release to level 13 would help him create black rods.

Minato deduced that Akatsuki had abandoned Amegakure after Taiichi’s ambush and warned the other villages to protect their Jinchuriki. In Iwagakure, Rōshi escaped after pretending to submit to Ōnoki, and Ōnoki ordered an intensified search after receiving Konoha’s warning about Akatsuki.

• Jiraiya reported that Hanzo and Danzō had lured Yahiko’s Akatsuki into a trap and killed its core members.
• Minato connected Amegakure’s sudden sunny weather to Akatsuki lifting its rain ninjutsu and fleeing after Taiichi’s ambush, then ordered long-term surveillance and warnings to the other villages.
• Toki Kengo tried to persuade Rōshi to accept Ōnoki’s policies, but Rōshi concealed his anger.
• Rōshi pretended to admit his mistake, was released by Ōnoki, and disappeared from his residence the next day.
• Ōnoki received Rōshi’s mocking letter and then Konoha’s warning about Akatsuki targeting the Tailed Beasts, prompting him to send more teams to find Rōshi.

After returning from the Northern Front, Taiichi helped Tsunade escape the Third Hokage’s surveillance and visited Orochimaru’s laboratory, where he praised advances in medical research and basic ninjutsu. He ended the day reflecting on how chakra could rebuild and improve lives, not merely serve as a weapon.

• Taiichi returned to Konoha and found Tsunade furious about the Third Hokage monitoring her, so he sent Shadow Clones to handle her work and took her drinking.
• Taiichi listened as Tsunade vented, then explained to the Nine-Tails that he cared for her out of gratitude for her protection and teaching.
• Taiichi put the drunken Tsunade to bed and went to the Konoha Research Department to meet Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru showed Taiichi cultivated organ prototypes and described a breakthrough in targeted cell repair, while Taiichi praised his five simplified D-rank elemental ninjutsu.
• Taiichi walked through Konoha’s rebuilt central district and told the Nine-Tails that chakra could be used to construct homes and improve lives as well as fight.

Taichi returned to Konoha and checked the progress of Itachi, Jiangtai, and Yami, while learning that Minato had blocked a proposal to relocate the Uchiha Compound. Elsewhere, the Masked Man forced Suikazan Fuguki to join his organization, leaving with him for its base.

• Taichi reunited with Itachi, Jiangtai, and Yami and praised their training, while teasing them about their roles as the Ninja Academy’s “Big Sister” and “Big Brother.”
• Itachi told Taichi that Minato had rejected Mitokado Homura’s proposal to move the Uchiha Compound to the village outskirts.
• Jiangtai and Yami teased Itachi for rushing home to care for his baby brother Sasuke.
• The Masked Man confronted Suikazan Fuguki on an island after Fuguki killed a group of Kirigakure pursuers.
• The Masked Man offered Fuguki protection and a place in his organization, then threatened to kill him when Fuguki hesitated.
• Fuguki agreed to join, and the Masked Man led him away to meet the organization.

Obito gathered Akatsuki’s newly recruited members and assigned Madara, Fuguki, and Kakuzu to capture the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi. In Konoha, Taiichi broke through to Yin Release Nature Transformation Lv13 and created a Black Receiver before Kakashi arrived with an urgent summons from the Hokage.

• Obito brought Fuguki to Akatsuki’s underground headquarters, where Pain introduced the gathered members and assigned them rings and permanent code names.
• Pain sent Madara, Fuguki, and Kakuzu to capture Rōshi before Iwagakure could react, with Zetsu providing intelligence.
• Taiichi advanced his Yin Release Nature Transformation to Lv13 and created a Black Receiver using Yin-Yang Release.
• Kakashi visited Taiichi’s meditation chamber, endured his teasing about his conspicuous hair, and told him that the Hokage had summoned him on important business.

Taichi and Tsunade examined Kushina after Minato summoned them, confirmed she had recovered well after childbirth and losing the Nine-Tails, and reassured her about Minato’s cooperative bond with the beast. The discussion then turned to Akatsuki, as Jiraiya prepared to investigate the organization and Minato asked Taichi to brief him on Pain and Madara Uchiha.

• Kakashi led Taichi to Minato’s home, where Taichi found Minato, Kushina, Naruto, Tsunade, and Jiraiya together.
• Tsunade caught Jiraiya staring at her and punched him before Taichi redirected the gathering toward Kushina’s medical checkup.
• Tsunade and Taichi examined Kushina and concluded that she was healthy, in part because no longer being the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki freed her from the strain of suppressing it.
• Taichi explained that Minato would not suffer the same chakra drain because the Nine-Tails was cooperating with him, easing Kushina’s worry.
• Minato and Jiraiya raised the danger posed by Akatsuki and Jiraiya’s plan to investigate it, then Minato asked Taichi to brief Jiraiya on Pain and Madara Uchiha.

Taiichi tested Jiraiya’s strength in a battle outside Konoha, quickly overwhelming him and forcing him to summon Gamabunta, Fukasaku, and Sage Shima. After the toads’ Sage Art: Frog Call struck a Shadow Clone, Jiraiya entered Sage Mode and prepared to continue the fight.

• Tsunade protested Jiraiya’s departure until Taiichi offered to take on more of her paperwork, and Taiichi questioned whether Jiraiya had improved enough to face the Akatsuki.
• Minato transported Jiraiya, Taiichi, and the others to a forest southeast of Konoha, where Taiichi and Jiraiya began their spar.
• Taiichi overwhelmed Jiraiya with taijutsu and ninjutsu, so Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta, Fukasaku, and Sage Shima.
• Taiichi used Flying Thunder God, Rasengan, Water Gun Technique, and Adamantine Sealing Chains against the toads, while a Shadow Clone was disabled by Sage Art: Frog Call.
• Jiraiya entered Sage Mode after Fukasaku and Sage Shima protected Gamabunta from Taiichi’s attacks.

Taiichi tested Jiraiya’s Sage Mode, then stopped their battle and extinguished the forest fire it had caused. Back at Minato’s home, Taiichi warned Jiraiya about the Masked Man and Pain before Jiraiya prepared to leave the next day to investigate Akatsuki.

• Gamabunta joined Minato and the others to watch Taiichi and Jiraiya spar, and Jiraiya used Sage Mode to gain the upper hand in close combat.
• Taiichi countered with powerful Fire Style techniques, and Jiraiya combined fire, wind, and oil in Sage Art: Goemon, setting the forest ablaze.
• Minato stopped the spar, and Taiichi used Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave to extinguish the fire before the group returned to Minato’s home.
• Taiichi told Jiraiya that the Masked Man was likely an impostor, explained how to counter his Intangibility, and warned him to flee if he encountered the real Madara Uchiha.
• Taiichi described Pain’s linked vision and dangerous abilities, urged Jiraiya to rely on Sage Mode and retreat if necessary, and Jiraiya agreed to follow the advice before leaving the next day.