Chapter Summaries

Shiro and Minato refined a plan to use Kushina's delivery to lure in the Akatsuki, while preparing for threats to Konoha. After finding Soji gravely injured and Shisui and Ayue unconscious, Shiro healed their bodies and prepared to enter the Underworld to resolve lingering problems with the dead.

• Minato rejected Tiezhu's suggestion to abandon the delivery ambush, and the three drafted a plan with a fallback of hiding Kushina if they found too many risks.
• Shiro received Gray Snake's urgent message and found Soji with a hole in his chest, while Shisui and Ayue lay unconscious nearby.
• Shiro used the Argon Coin to restore Soji's body, then examined Shisui and Ayue and treated their injuries.
• Shiro asked Kakashi for the Automatic Scribe so he could enter the Underworld and settle lingering issues involving Sakumo and Rin.
• Shiro ordered Gray Snake to guard the laboratory and told him to kill anyone who entered without permission, even the Third Hokage, if Kakashi's negotiation failed.

Shiro took Sakumo and Rin into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, secretly removed their hidden dangers, and then retrieved Soji from a special passage. He returned with them to the living world, reflecting that the Sage of Six Paths had greatly improved the Pure Land but remained in grave danger.

• Shiro explained to Sakumo and Rin that the gray realm was the boundary between the Pure Land and the passage, then led them toward the true Underworld to address their hidden dangers.
• The trio entered the springlike Pure Land, where Shiro concealed their auras before they explored it and noticed that no shinobi were present.
• Shiro secretly removed Sakumo and Rin's hidden dangers, though he admitted he did not know what the change would ultimately do.
• Shiro explained that the Automatic Scribe would monitor Sakumo and Rin, then quickly retrieved Soji from the special passage.
• Shiro took Soji, Sakumo, and Rin into the Automatic Scribe and opened a gate back to the living world, glancing back at the Pure Land and thinking of the Sage of Six Paths.

After Soji recognized how far he lagged behind Shisui and Ayue, he sought Shiro’s help to become stronger. Shiro decided to find a Sword Saint who could teach Soji the fundamentals of swordsmanship.

• Shiro reviewed the Sharingan research and noted that he and Orochimaru had found a controllable way to awaken a one-tomoe Sharingan.
• Soji compared himself with Shisui and Ayue, realized how much weaker he was, and decided to ask Shiro for help after Root tried to recruit him.
• Shiro considered ways to strengthen Soji but rejected advanced sword techniques, ninjutsu, and a late switch to taijutsu as unsuitable.
• Shiro recalled Orochimaru’s information about Sword Saints and judged that their skill could give Soji the foundation he needed.
• Shiro considered working with Orochimaru to find a Sword Saint and thanked Kakashi for inspiring the idea.

Shiro began training Soji to cut without Chakra while Konoha prepared the first stage of the New Nine-Tails Plan by targeting two Akatsuki members. The chapter left Hizashi Hyuga leading a powerful team to hunt Sasori and Han Yu Mingshan.

• Shiro asked Orochimaru to research Impure World Reincarnation and look for Sword Saints, then returned to his experiments.
• Shiro told Soji to cut a rock without Chakra and demonstrated a sword technique that sliced the rock and trees at a distance.
• Soji tried to repeat Shiro’s technique as Shiro left him to practice.
• Minato’s side began the New Nine-Tails Plan by selecting Akatsuki’s Jade Maiden, Sasori, and South Star, Han Yu Mingshan, as targets.
• Hizashi Hyuga led a team of Konoha shinobi and an Anbu squad, with the Hyuga clan also hoping to obtain Sasori’s method for bypassing the Caged Bird.

Akatsuki members Han Yu Mingshan and Sasori were ambushed by Kakashi and Nakamura, and Sasori attacked the Konoha ninja despite Mingshan's objections. The fight split into two duels, with Nakamura's Wind Release armor repelling Mingshan's attack as Mingshan revealed his own Crystal Release armor.

• Mingshan and Sasori waited cautiously in a canyon before a group of ragged attackers charged them.
• Mingshan used Crystal Release spikes to kill the attackers in seconds.
• Kakashi and Nakamura emerged from hiding and attacked Mingshan and Sasori with shuriken.
• Sasori sent five puppets after Kakashi, while Mingshan chose to fight Nakamura to avoid being hunted by Konoha.
• Kakashi charged Sasori with electricity as Nakamura blocked Mingshan's extended Crystal Release kunai with Wind Release armor.
• Mingshan revealed the Crystal Release armor beneath his robe and challenged Nakamura to a fight.

Nakamura used Wind Armor to overwhelm Han Yu Mingshan with speed, turning their fight into a prolonged contest of attacks and Crystal Release defenses. Both were nearing their limits, while Hizashi Hyuga realized Nakamura had a second Chakra source.

• Nakamura charged through Mingshan's Crystal Darts with Wind Armor, and the two fought evenly in a rapid exchange of attacks.
• Nakamura recognized that his speed surpassed Mingshan's and launched a storm of short-range attacks against Mingshan's Crystal Armor.
• Mingshan kept rebuilding his Crystal Release defenses, expecting his Chakra reserves to outlast Nakamura's Wind Armor.
• Nakamura's attack rate continued to rise for ten minutes, eventually reaching nearly a hundred attacks per second, while Mingshan's Chakra ran low.
• Hizashi Hyuga watched with his Byakugan and realized Nakamura had a second Chakra source.

Kakashi struggled against Sasori’s puppets until he destroyed Sasori’s Human Puppets with the White Fang Sword Technique, prompting Sasori to unleash his entire collection. Kakashi then revealed Mirror Mode, leaving the onlookers shocked by the power and malice within him.

• Kakashi dodged Sasori’s ordinary puppets, but Sasori deployed five or six Human Puppets to trap him and keep him at a distance.
• Kakashi condensed his Lightning Release Chakra and used the White Fang Sword Technique to destroy all of Sasori’s Human Puppets on the field.
• Sasori, enraged by the White Fang’s appearance, unsealed more than thirty Human Puppets, including the Third Kazekage.
• Kakashi activated Mirror Mode as the puppets approached, and Hizashi sensed that the power within Kakashi was as evil as a Tailed Beast’s.
• Taichi told the shocked onlookers that Kakashi had more surprises to reveal.

Hizashi learned that Nakamura’s sealing technique could store Chakra and carry a ninjutsu for future generations, giving civilian ninjas new possibilities. In the battle, Nakamura used the stored Chakra to withstand Mingshan’s Crystal Release attacks and restore his Wind Armor as Mingshan fled.

• Hizashi realized Nakamura had a second Chakra source and feared that the technique could undermine the Hyuga clan’s Gentle Fist advantage.
• Taichi explained that Shiro and Elder Tiezhu had developed a sealing technique that stored extra Chakra and could carry a single ninjutsu for training and inheritance.
• Nakamura sensed Mingshan’s underground attack and used Chakra from the seal to strengthen his Wind Armor against rising crystal pillars.
• Mingshan launched Nakamura into the air and fled, but Nakamura dispersed his armor and concentrated it into a fist to unleash a devastating Wind Release attack.
• Mingshan survived by burrowing underground and shielding himself with Crystal Release, then prepared another attack as Nakamura fell.
• Nakamura used the sealing formula to restore his Wind Armor, prompting Mingshan to stop his ambush and accelerate his retreat.

Kakashi used the Mirror Mask to switch between swordsmanship and a speed-focused Lightning Release Armor while fighting Sasori. Sasori exploited Kakashi’s inexperience and the metal sword’s vulnerability to Magnet Release, leaving Kakashi surrounded by iron sand.

• Sasori attacked Kakashi with the Third Kazekage Human Puppet’s iron sand, but Kakashi used his enhanced speed to counter and press the attack.
• Kakashi extended his short blade into a longsword and invoked Mr. Sword, slicing apart Sasori’s iron sand defenses with a single slash.
• Sasori recalled his Human Puppets and deduced that Kakashi’s sword mode improved his technique but not his physical strength or speed.
• Kakashi invoked Taichi Beast and formed a speed-focused Lightning Release Armor, striking Sasori’s Sand Clone before Sasori’s iron sand swept in.
• Kakashi pursued Sasori through his Sand Clones, but Magnet Release corroded his metal sword until it twisted free, leaving Kakashi surrounded by iron sand.

Kakashi used the mask’s copying ability to match the Third Hokage Human Puppet’s iron sand and learned it could copy entire modes, including Bloodline Limit abilities. As Sasori and the puppet tried to escape with Zetsu, Kakashi, Taichi, and Duy attacked, but Zetsu evaded them.

• Shiro told Kakashi that the mask could copy entire modes and help him challenge the Mangekyo Sharingan.
• Kakashi recalled his promise to chase after Obito, then used the Flying Thunder God and Rasengan to strike Sasori.
• Sasori instinctively dodged Kakashi’s attempt to mark him and attacked with the Third Hokage Human Puppet’s iron sand.
• The mask detected Magnet Release and switched Kakashi into a mode that let him summon iron sand and block the puppet’s attack.
• Hizashi felt a moment of killing intent over Kakashi’s ability to copy Bloodline Limit techniques, then restrained himself as Taichi and Duy reacted to his threat.
• Zetsu emerged beneath Sasori and the puppet to carry them underground, but Kakashi’s golden chains, Taichi, and Duy attacked and failed to hit him.

Kakashi and the Konoha ninjas hunted down Akatsuki members, killing Mingshan while Minato’s relentless pursuit left Kakuzu wary. Shiro then appeared before Kakuzu and Meichuan, claiming he had no intention of killing them.

• Zetsu rescued Sasori, but Kakashi and the Konoha ninjas surrounded the fleeing Mingshan.
• Mingshan declared that he was a rogue ninja from Kirigakure, but Kakashi attacked him anyway.
• Kakashi used Mr. Sword mode to break Mingshan’s crystal pillars and kill him.
• Kakuzu recalled how Minato had sent Anbu equipped with Flying Thunder God kunai to hunt him and Meichuan.
• Shiro appeared before Kakuzu and Meichuan, but Kakuzu remained tense and distrustful.

Shiro used Enkidu to capture Jashin during Meichuan’s ritual, then discussed with Orochimaru whether to test their strength against the defeated god. The chapter ended as Shiro released Jashin and he and Orochimaru jumped clear.

• Shiro revealed that Enkidu had seized Jashin, while Kakuzu recognized Shiro’s target and retreated.
• Meichuan attacked Shiro with the Blood-Culling Triple Scythe, but Shiro knocked him aside with Enkidu’s chains.
• Orochimaru stopped Meichuan from disrupting the capture, then agreed to let Kakuzu take him away for Kakashi to face.
• Enkidu dragged Jashin out of the void, and Shiro confirmed that the bound figure was a once-real god defeated by the group’s enemies.
• Orochimaru proposed testing their power against Jashin, and Shiro released the chains before he and Orochimaru leaped away.

Shiro and Orochimaru fought Jashin while Orochimaru tested his defenses and prepared a Sage Art attack. Orochimaru unleashed countless Sage Art white snakes, leaving Kakuzu frightened and retreating with Meichuan.

• Jashin struck Shiro and Orochimaru, but Shiro powered up with magecraft and began matching Jashin in close combat.
• Shiro recognized that Jashin's instinctive fighting skill could contend with his Baji Quan, while Jashin grew alarmed by the opponents' abilities.
• Orochimaru summoned Reanimated Ninja, a five-nature Kekkei Mōra specimen, and Sage Art white snakes to test Jashin's defenses as Shiro kept him occupied.
• Jashin's black haze stopped ordinary ninjutsu, and the Kekkei Mōra specimen collapsed under his pressure, but Sage Art chakra broke through the haze.
• Orochimaru used Sage Art: Manyaku Formation to unleash countless white snakes, and Kakuzu hurriedly retreated with Meichuan.

Shiro used projection magecraft, Shadow Clones, and a fleeting Reality Marble to arm a swarm of clones with Noble Phantasms that could pierce Jashin’s haze. The battle continued with Jashin largely unharmed while Shiro’s clones and weapons were destroyed.

• Shiro summoned Kanshou and Bakuya, and their repeated clashes with Jashin’s black haze showed him that Authority could challenge Authority.
• Jashin shattered the twin blades and kicked Shiro away, but Shiro used Shadow Clones to catch himself, hinder Jashin, and attack with projected weapons.
• Shiro applied Nightingale’s Noble Phantasm to his Multi Shadow Clone Technique, then spent two Command Spells to unleash his Reality Marble for an instant.
• Shiro armed more than a hundred Shadow Clones with Noble Phantasms, launching his fighting style, the Alliance of the Two Kings, against Jashin.
• The clones’ weapons pierced Jashin’s haze as both sides fought across the cramped battlefield, with clones being destroyed and Noble Phantasms left embedded in the ground.

Shiro and Orochimaru wore down Jashin’s divine aura with Broken Phantasms and Sage Art white snakes, then Shiro attacked with Fake Spiral Sword (Caladbolg II) and summoned Shukaku to help seal him. Shukaku agreed to help after Shiro promised to take him to Big Sis’s place for five days of meals.

• Jashin blasted away Shiro’s shadow clones, but their Broken Phantasms weakened his divine aura while Orochimaru’s preparations neared completion.
• Jashin unleashed a shockwave and charged toward Orochimaru, but Shiro lifted the scattered Noble Phantasms and bombarded him for five minutes.
• Orochimaru sent tens of thousands of Sage Art white snakes to overwhelm Jashin after his divine aura faded.
• Shiro drew Fake Spiral Sword (Caladbolg II) and fired it when Jashin’s aura forced him to clear away the snakes.
• Shiro used his remaining Command Spell to summon Shukaku, who agreed to help after Shiro offered him five days of meals at Big Sis’s place.

Shukaku and Orochimaru used senjutsu and sealing techniques to defeat Jashin, who was sealed inside a statue. Kakuzu and Meichuan then attacked Shiro, Orochimaru, and Shukaku, but they were quickly defeated.

• Shukaku used senjutsu to launch a barrage of sand and stones at Jashin.
• Jashin broke through Orochimaru's snakes and tried to escape, but Shukaku and Orochimaru sealed him inside a statue.
• Shiro and Orochimaru discussed studying Jashin at the Dragon Vein, and Shukaku asked to join the research.
• Kakuzu and Meichuan arrived to attack Shiro, Orochimaru, and Shukaku, but the two attackers were quickly defeated.

Orochimaru summoned Hashirama and Tobirama with Impure World Reincarnation, and they swiftly subdued Kakuzu and Meichuan. Shiro asked them to keep the pair alive so his younger brother could face them later, while a mysterious arm emerged from a frog in a hidden room in Amegakure.

• Exhausted Shiro and Orochimaru faced Kakuzu and Meichuan, but each had a backup plan.
• Orochimaru used Impure World Reincarnation to summon Hashirama and Tobirama, startling Kakuzu.
• Hashirama and Tobirama pursued Kakuzu and Meichuan and pinned them down with Wood Release after the pair tried to escape.
• Shiro asked Hashirama to spare the captives so his younger brother could deal with them later, and explained that ordinary immortality posed little threat to him.
• In a hidden room in Amegakure, an arm emerged from the mouth of a small frog and braced against the floor.

Jiraiya secretly infiltrated Amegakure after discovering Konoha’s Akatsuki plan and prepared to confront Nagato in Sage Mode. Nagato sensed the gathering Natural Energy and sent the Animal Path to investigate, while Jiraiya detected it and hid in a shadow rather than engage.

• Jiraiya uncovered Konoha’s intelligence file on Akatsuki and, finding no yellow-haired figure listed, suspected Yahiko was involved.
• Jiraiya secretly left Konoha, infiltrated Amegakure, and summoned Fukasaku and Shima to help him enter Sage Mode.
• Nagato sensed unusual fluctuations, recalled Jiraiya’s lessons about reconnaissance, and sent the Animal Path to investigate.
• Jiraiya completed Sage Mode and used Frog Perception to detect the Animal Path searching nearby.
• Jiraiya chose not to attack because five other enemies could share its vision, and hid in an unconscious person’s shadow with the Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique.

Jiraiya infiltrated Amegakure and confronted Nagato, Konan, and the Six Paths of Pain, learning that Yahiko was dead and hearing Nagato’s plan to force peace through overwhelming power. Nagato rejected Jiraiya’s arguments, and Jiraiya began fighting the Paths of Pain while reflecting on why conquering the Shinobi World would not be enough to preserve peace.

• Jiraiya used Sage Art: Toad Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique to slip past the Animal Path and infiltrate Amegakure.
• Jiraiya encountered the Six Paths of Pain and Konan, and Nagato told him that Yahiko had died.
• Nagato explained that Akatsuki intended to intimidate the nations with overwhelming power and blamed Konoha for the Shinobi World’s conflicts.
• Jiraiya destroyed the Naraka Path Pain and urged Konan to turn back, but she retreated in a shower of paper and refused.
• Sage Fukasaku warned Jiraiya not to lose focus, and Jiraiya prepared to fight the remaining Paths of Pain.

Jiraiya fought Nagato and Konan, using his knowledge of the Six Paths’ abilities and Sage Mode to destroy three Pain bodies and injure Nagato. The battle paused with both sides still standing, and Nagato chose to continue the attack despite his wounds.

• Jiraiya destroyed Animal Path, Preta Path, and Deva Path with attacks coordinated with Sage Shima and Fukasaku.
• Nagato took control of the battle himself, summoned beasts, and blasted Jiraiya away with Shinra Tensei.
• Jiraiya realized Natural Energy—not Sage Art Chakra—could counter the Rinnegan’s absorption, but struggled to reach Nagato in the air.
• Jiraiya launched himself at Nagato with Sage Art: Bullet and struck him with Frog Kata, then evaded Nagato’s counterattack.
• Konan helped the injured Nagato onto a building, but Nagato refused to retreat and resolved to kill Jiraiya.