Chapter Summaries

Fukasaku and Shima realized Taiichi Matsushita possessed an unknown form of Sage Art and suspected he was the variable disrupting prophecy, but the Great Toad Sage could not be awakened. Taiichi was summoned to Konoha Hospital, where he learned that five-year-old Shisei Aburame had suffered a backlash while practicing his clan’s secret technique.

• Fukasaku and Shima discussed Taiichi’s new Sage Art and decided he might be the person changing the Ninja World’s future.
• Fukasaku and Shima tried to wake the Great Toad Sage, but he remained asleep until they left; afterward, he revealed he had experienced a frightening prophetic dream and felt a warning from an unknown gaze.
• The Great Toad Sage returned to sleep as Taiichi resumed his teaching and duties in Konoha.
• An Anbu summoned Taiichi to Konoha Hospital, where Shibi Aburame pleaded with him to save his son Shisei.
• Taiichi entered the treatment room and learned from Tsunade that Shisei’s vital signs had been stabilized after a backlash from practicing the Aburame clan’s secret technique.

Taiichi and Tsunade struggled to save Shisei Aburame, whose body began failing after his Kikaichū successfully nested despite showing no ordinary signs of rejection. Using Sage Mode, Taiichi discovered that the insects’ chakra was catastrophically conflicting with Shisei’s liver cells, leaving the cause identified but the treatment unresolved.

• Taiichi examined Shisei and found that his tissues had begun accepting the Kikaichū, contradicting the symptoms of a normal rejection reaction.
• Tsunade explained that removing the Kikaichū could save Shisei’s life but would likely destroy his chakra pathways and end his chance of becoming a Bug User.
• Taiichi entered Sage Mode and used senjutsu perception to investigate the hidden cause of Shisei’s collapse.
• Taiichi discovered that the Kikaichū’s chakra was triggering a destructive hypersensitivity conflict in Shisei’s liver cells.
• Tsunade and the other Medical Ninjas were stunned as Taiichi explained that Shisei’s condition resulted from an exceptionally rare incompatibility between his liver and the insects’ chakra.

Taichi and Tsunade saved Shisei Aburame by using targeted cell induction to alter his liver, drawing interest and funding from Konoha’s clans. Taichi then warned Orochimaru not to neglect his training and prepared to test a theory about the nature of his own Sage Mode with his three disciples.

• Taichi and Tsunade identified Shisei’s reaction to Kikaichū chakra and used targeted cell induction to make his liver tolerate it.
• Taichi told Shibi Aburame that the treatment could save Shisei without disrupting his future as an insect user, and Shibi pledged the Aburame clan’s support to Hokage-sama.
• After an eighteen-hour operation, Taichi and Tsunade confirmed the mutation was stable and Shisei’s rejection response had disappeared.
• Shibi publicly thanked Taichi and Tsunade, and news of Shisei’s recovery prompted other clans to seek information and offer funding to the Scientific Research Department.
• Taichi met Orochimaru and warned him that his vigilance and strength had suffered from neglecting training; Orochimaru acknowledged the warning.
• Taichi returned home to train his three disciples and test his theory about how his Sage Mode differed from Jiraiya’s.

Taiichi taught Jiangtai, Yami, and Itachi how Sage Mode relied on sensing Natural Energy, then used a sealing method to help them perceive it. After two hours of meditation, none of the three had sensed Natural Energy, and Jiangtai had fallen asleep.

• Taiichi demonstrated how Sage Mode strengthened his Great Fireball and explained that sensing Natural Energy was the first hurdle to learning it.
• Taiichi sealed compressed Natural Energy spheres into Jiangtai, Itachi, and Yami to make the energy easier to perceive.
• Taiichi told the three children to calm their bodies and minds, then placed them in Soundproof Barriers to meditate.
• Jiangtai changed positions repeatedly and fell asleep, while Yami struggled to control her thoughts and Itachi remained outwardly still.
• After two hours, Taiichi ended the barriers, and Itachi and Yami opened their eyes disappointed as Jiangtai kept snoring.

Taiichi guided Itachi, Yami, and Jiangtai in their first attempts to sense Natural Energy, then warned them against experimenting without supervision. Three days later, he found that they had made little obvious progress, encouraged them anyway, and sealed improved seven-day Natural Energy spheres inside them for further training.

• Itachi and Yami finished meditating to find Jiangtai asleep, and Yami accidentally kicked him hard when he startled her; Taiichi healed his bruised side.
• Taiichi warned the three disciples that mishandling Natural Energy could cause severe injury or death, and told them to practice safely for three days.
• When the three returned with gloomy faces, Taiichi scolded them for expecting quick results, then asked what they had sensed.
• Jiangtai reported a warm feeling in his stomach and constant hunger, so Taiichi claimed Natural Energy was strengthening his body despite finding no clear signs of it.
• Taiichi examined Yami and Itachi, reassured them that they were also growing stronger, and sealed improved Natural Energy spheres inside all three that would last seven days.

Rōshi settled in the Land of Iron and improved his control over Lava Release while living as a wandering monk, but Obito, Kakuzu, and Zetsu ambushed him and captured him for the Four-Tails. In Iwagakure, Ōnoki ordered his forces to find Rōshi, unaware that Akatsuki had already taken him.

• Rōshi reflected on his departure from Iwagakure and helped villagers in the Land of Iron while training.
• Rōshi sensed a pursuer, lured the enemy into a secluded valley, and confronted Obito and Kakuzu.
• Rōshi activated Lava Release Chakra Mode, but Obito severed his arm while Kakuzu attacked with Water and Lightning Style.
• Zetsu restrained Rōshi with Wood Style, and Obito and Kakuzu defeated him before capturing him alive.
• Ōnoki ordered an Iwagakure search team to bring Rōshi back from the Land of Iron, then privately worried that something had happened to him.

Akatsuki sealed the Four-Tails and set its sights on Shukaku while Nagato admitted that he intended to return once Konan found a replacement. In January, Taichi’s students successfully sensed natural energy, and he began studying how they had managed it.

• Pain ordered Zetsu to locate Shukaku and assigned Akatsuki members to teams after the Four-Tails’ chakra opened one of the Demonic Statue’s eyes.
• Nagato reassured Konan that his assembled Six Paths could defeat Taichi, then agreed to return once she found a trustworthy replacement.
• Jiangtai rushed to Taichi’s courtyard with Yami and Itachi, announcing that all three had sensed natural energy.
• Taichi confirmed their achievement with his perception and learned that Jiangtai succeeded first, followed shortly by Yami and Itachi while they trained together.
• Taichi told the students to keep practicing until they could sense natural energy whenever they wished before starting the next stage.

Taichi broke through Advanced Meditation to Lv9 and gained a clearer perception of the pure Natural Energy beneath its chakra contamination, revealing a path toward permanent Sage Mode. Energized by the breakthrough, he headed to train his Advanced Taijutsu while Tsunade continued sneaking drinks.

• After seeing off his three disciples, Taichi left the courtyard lounge chair and began meditating in his room.
• Taichi's meditation reached Lv9, and his soul briefly left his body, allowing him to perceive pure Natural Energy and understand why Sage Mode training was dangerous.
• Taichi returned to his body with a deeper connection to Natural Energy and realized that further spiritual development could make Sage Mode permanent.
• Taichi checked the panel, saw that his Spirit had increased, and hurried to train his Advanced Taijutsu.
• At Konoha Hospital, Tsunade shivered again, wondered if her condition had declined, and decided to take another sip.

After three days of civil war, Katsuya Otsutsuki’s clan was reduced to eighty-five survivors, and he learned that his wife had died protecting Toneri. The survivors discovered that every woman in their clan was dead, but one elder reminded them that another branch of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline still lived on the ground.

• Katsuya Otsutsuki and the Branch Family fought the Main Family in a civil war that devastated the lunar clan within three days.
• Katsuya learned that only eighty-five clanspeople remained, his son Toneri had survived, and his wife had died protecting Toneri.
• The surviving elders ordered the collection of fallen clanspeople’s Byakugan to accelerate construction of the Giant Tenseigan.
• Katsuya found no women listed among the survivors, and the elders despaired that their bloodline would end.
• A young elder reminded the survivors that another branch of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline still lived on the ground.

Taiichi broke through to Lv9 Advanced Taijutsu and tested his greatly increased physical abilities. Meanwhile, Yuto Otsutsuki sought the Hyuga Clan's cooperation, but his arrogance and demands provoked their distrust, and his covert use of the Byakugan drew attention from both Taiichi and Hyuga Hiashi.

• Taiichi reached Lv9 Advanced Taijutsu, gaining Constitution, Strength, and Agility, then demonstrated his new power with a punch that shattered a training dummy and a burst of speed.
• Yuto Otsutsuki told Hyuga Hiashi and the clan elders that his moon-dwelling clan descended from Hamura Otsutsuki and sought people and cooperation against an enemy from beyond the heavens.
• Yuto Otsutsuki insulted the Hyuga as a surface branch and described their people as vessels, prompting Hyuga Hiashi to end the meeting.
• Hyuga Zongyan proposed that Yuto Otsutsuki prove his claims, demonstrate his clan's Byakugan knowledge, and allow the Hyuga to visit the moon before they considered cooperation.
• Yuto Otsutsuki considered approaching the Branch Family by exploiting their resentment over the Caged Bird Curse Mark, while Taiichi sensed his Byakugan sweeping across the village.
• Hyuga Hiashi noticed Yuto Otsutsuki using the Byakugan inside the Hyuga residence and suspected that their guest would not behave himself.

Hizashi told Hiashi that Yuto Otsutsuki had tried to recruit him to overthrow the Main Family, and Hiashi and Great Elder Hyuga Zongyan agreed the threat required the village’s intervention. Hiashi reported Yuto to Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, who recognized the gravity of the Otsutsuki name.

• Hizashi told Hiashi that Yuto had approached him secretly and tried to turn the Branch Family against the Main Family with promises of freedom from the Caged Bird Seal.
• Hiashi ordered Hizashi not to contact Yuto again and decided to involve the village because Yuto had also warned of an enemy from beyond the heavens.
• Hiashi informed Great Elder Hyuga Zongyan of Yuto’s actions, and Zongyan agreed that the Hyuga Clan should report the matter to the Hokage.
• Hiashi went to the Hokage Building and told Minato Namikaze that Yuto Otsutsuki threatened the Hyuga Clan and might endanger Konoha.
• Minato tightened his grip on his pen when he heard Yuto’s name and that he had come from the moon.

Hyuga Hiashi told Minato, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Taiichi Matsushita that Yuto Otsutsuki had come from the moon to interfere with the Hyuga Clan. After revealing Konoha’s secret knowledge of the Celestial Otsutsuki, they agreed to capture Yuto and interrogate him, leaving Taiichi ready to act.

• Hiashi warned Minato that Yuto Otsutsuki, an envoy from the moon, intended to split the Hyuga Clan and seize its Byakugan bloodline.
• Minato summoned Hiruzen Sarutobi and Taiichi Matsushita, then let Hiashi explain Yuto’s actions and the threat from the moon branch.
• Minato disclosed that Celestial Otsutsuki were aliens from the stars and that Taiichi had killed Urashiki Otsutsuki in Rōran.
• The group struggled to plan against the unknown forces on the moon until Taiichi urged them to capture Yuto and obtain intelligence from him.
• Minato ordered Hiashi to lead the way and Taiichi to capture Yuto alive if possible, and Taiichi said he had already noticed Yuto spying on the village.

Taiichi swiftly defeated Yuto Otsutsuki in the Hyuga compound and left Hiashi to arrange his capture and interrogation. Back in his quiet room, Taiichi advanced his swordsmanship, created a chakra blade with changeable attributes, and headed to the Hokage Building to confront Kakashi.

• Yuto Otsutsuki insulted Taiichi and the Hyuga, so Taiichi knocked him unconscious and broke his arm with a single attack.
• Taiichi sealed Yuto's chakra pathways and told Hyuga Hiashi to send him to the Anbu Interrogation Division, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.
• Taiichi reached Level 9 Advanced Swordsmanship, increasing his Strength and Agility, and worried that his growing power would make ordinary swords unusable.
• Taiichi created a Chakra Light Blade that could change its elemental attributes, but discovered that maintaining it consumed large amounts of chakra.
• Taiichi left for the Hokage Building, intending to teach Kakashi a lesson for his sour attitude during the Anbu assignment.

Taichi Matsushita cornered Kakashi after tracking him near the Hokage Building, and Kakashi challenged him to spar at the training ground. The two emerged hours later battered in very different ways, with Kakashi delighted that he had landed a punch and Taichi glowering over his faint bruise.

• Taichi waited near the Hokage Building and caught Kakashi leaving through a side entrance.
• Taichi stopped Kakashi from escaping and teased him about his recent swordsmanship breakthrough.
• Kakashi grabbed Taichi and insisted they go to the training ground for an immediate spar.
• The Nine-Tails appeared on Taichi’s shoulder, exposed Kakashi’s desire to punch Taichi, and then left.
• Taichi and Kakashi fought for hours at the secluded training ground.
• Villagers saw Taichi supporting a badly bruised Kakashi, who happily bragged that he had landed a punch, while Taichi wore a dark expression over a faint bruise.

After learning that the Moon Otsutsuki Clan guarded a mysterious lunar seal, Taiichi accepted a mission to investigate the moon. He found the secret passage in a forest cave and began examining its spatial formation.

• Minato told Taiichi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Hyuga Hiashi that the Moon Otsutsuki Clan descended from Hamura Otsutsuki, had been weakened by civil war, and guarded a seal on the moon.
• Taiichi recommended scouting the moon before deciding how to respond, and Minato gave him Yuto Otsutsuki’s route to the passage.
• Taiichi prepared to leave for the moon, and the Nine-Tails insisted on joining him after admitting he had been drinking Tsunade’s wine.
• Taiichi traveled to a hidden cave in the Land of Fire and used his chakra perception to examine the passage’s outer field.
• Taiichi gained Sealing Jutsu experience from studying the spatial formation, then entered the cave with the Nine-Tails.

Taiichi Matsushita and the Nine-Tails crossed the space-time passage to the moon, where Taiichi swiftly defeated the Otsutsuki guards and discovered a magnificent hidden world inside the lunar core. As Taiichi studied its spatial construction, a large force of Otsutsuki approached to confront the intruders.

• Taiichi and the Nine-Tails entered the emerald space-time passage and emerged on the moon, where two Otsutsuki guards raised the alarm.
• The Otsutsuki guards ordered their Puppets to attack Taiichi, who destroyed the attackers and knocked both guards unconscious.
• Taiichi and the Nine-Tails left the cavern and found a lush inner world with oceans, forests, and an artificial sun.
• Taiichi used his Chakra Perception to examine the hidden world's spatial construction and improved his Sealing Jutsu.
• The Nine-Tails spotted at least two hundred Otsutsuki approaching across the horizon.

Taiichi repelled repeated Otsutsuki attacks on the moon, destroying their puppets and leaving their forces badly wounded before the assaults ended. Back in Konoha, Tsunade discovered her wine cellar emptied and realized she had drunkenly fed her wine to the Nine-Tails.

• Taiichi destroyed the first Otsutsuki force with Wind Style and let its two survivors escape so they could report back.
• Taiichi defeated five successive waves of Otsutsuki and puppets over three days, while the Nine-Tails watched from his shoulder.
• Tsunade returned to Konoha after perfecting Targeted Cell Induction Repair Technology with Orochimaru and receiving praise from Sarutobi and Minato.
• Tsunade found her private wine cellar empty and asked Mizuki who had been inside.
• Mizuki said the Nine-Tails had spent time in the cellar, and Tsunade remembered getting drunk and making him drink her wine.

Tsunade learned that Taiichi and Nine-Tails had left on a secret mission, while the surviving Otsutsuki debated how to respond to the threat below. Taiichi flew toward the artificial sun at the heart of the Moon Core World, but its defenses stopped him just short of reaching it.

• Tsunade panicked when Mizuki told her that Taiichi had taken Nine-Tails on a top-secret mission, and she retreated to her room in despair.
• Otsutsuki Katsuya told the clan’s thirty-one surviving members to wait for their enemy, make one final counterattack with the Giant Tenseigan, and surrender if it failed.
• Katsuya reflected that the Otsutsuki had been defeated through arrogance and their failure to understand the Ninja World.
• Taiichi decided to investigate the artificial sun, while the bored Nine-Tails complained about their prolonged stay in the Moon Core World.
• Taiichi flew toward the sun with Nine-Tails on his shoulder, but an invisible defensive barrier stopped him about a hundred meters from its surface.

Taiichi broke through the barrier around the lunar core and fought Otsutsuki Katsuya’s forces alongside the Nine-Tails. After their defenses collapsed, Katsuya offered the clan’s texts and the Giant Tenseigan as stakes in a final duel, threatening to destroy them if Taiichi refused.

• Taiichi found the barrier’s core node, pierced it with a sealing formula, and shielded himself and the Nine-Tails from the energy released through the breach.
• Taiichi entered the lunar core world and faced Otsutsuki Katsuya and the remaining clan members, who refused his demand to surrender and ordered their puppets to attack.
• Taiichi used water techniques to deflect the puppet fire and counterattack, but Katsuya fired a silver storm from the Giant Tenseigan that destroyed the water sphere.
• Taiichi and the Nine-Tails fought back against the puppets and gun emplacements, and Taiichi stopped the Nine-Tails from attacking the clansmen by threatening to tell Tsunade about its insults and stolen alcohol.
• After the lunar defenses fell, Katsuya offered the clan’s texts and the Giant Tenseigan as stakes in a one-on-one fight, warning that he could make the Tenseigan self-destruct.

Taiichi fought Otsutsuki Katsuya after accepting his challenge, with the loser’s clan and treasures at stake. Taiichi defeated Katsuya, secured the Otsutsuki clan’s submission to Konoha, and discovered that the Giant Tenseigan’s core was intact but depleted.

• Otsutsuki Katsuya challenged Taiichi to a final duel, wagering his clan’s submission and its secrets, records, and Giant Tenseigan if he lost.
• Katsuya sacrificed his blood to the Giant Tenseigan, which empowered him with a pale green Chakra cloak and restored his severed arm as an energy limb.
• Taiichi activated Yin Seal: Release and Sage Mode, then fought Katsuya in the air as their clashes damaged Taiichi’s Short Sword.
• Taiichi formed a platinum-white Chakra blade, cut through Katsuya’s attacks, and gained the upper hand until Katsuya’s Tenseigan Mode ran out and he fell.
• Taiichi caught Katsuya, who conceded, then examined the Giant Tenseigan and found its core undamaged but drained of energy.