Chapter Summaries

Minato Namikaze assigned the revived Danzo to manage a ranch and approved funds for Kakashi to buy ten Level 3 Forbidden Series chests. Kakashi opened them before the village leaders, revealing dangerous powers that demanded a price, and began learning what his new abilities could be.

• Tsunade revealed that Danzo had bought the King's Path Series to fulfill his wish to become Hokage, and Shen Mo explained its focus on developing a faction and a country.
• Minato Namikaze assigned Danzo to manage a ranch north of the village and asked Hyuga Hiashi to provide clan members to assist him.
• Minato Namikaze approved funds for Kakashi to purchase ten Level 3 chests, and Kakashi chose to open them in front of the village leaders.
• Kakashi bought ten Forbidden Series chests, and Shen Mo warned that their powerful abilities came with costs that could kill users who exceeded their limits.
• Kakashi opened the first nine chests, finding Life Orbs, a painful muscle-building potion, a scroll that traded part of the body for temporary power, and the Bragley Blood Fighting Technique's Eleventh Form.

Kakashi opened his final jar and found the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor, a dangerous God-Slaying Tool whose power could grow explosively at the cost of his body and lifespan. After hearing about its former host and accepting the risks, Kakashi prepared to proceed, while Minato worried about his safety and Tsunade warned him not to hurt Rin.

• Kakashi opened his last jar and found a red, scaled arm that Shen Mo identified as the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor, a fragment of a powerful God-Slaying Tool.
• Shen Mo explained that the Gauntlet's Boost ability doubled its user's strength every ten seconds, but reckless use could destroy the body and shorten the user's lifespan.
• Kakashi said he was prepared to pay the price for power, and Shen Mo described how the Gauntlet's former host had overcome its costs through his will and desire to protect his lovers.
• Jiraiya praised the former host as an idol, and Tsunade punched him before warning Kakashi not to hurt Rin.
• Minato encouraged Kakashi to continue, though he remained worried about Kakashi and Rin's safety.

Kakashi became the new generation’s incomplete Red Dragon Emperor and learned that the masked man was Obito Uchiha. Minato Namikaze sought answers from Shen Mo about what had driven Obito to become their enemy.

• Kakashi touched the divine artifact and gained the ability to summon the Red Dragon Emperor, then asked whether he could keep buying Forbidden Series Jars.
• Minato Namikaze ended the meeting and ordered monthly Jar funds and separate merit rewards for the elite squads.
• Minato Namikaze asked Shen Mo about the truth behind Obito’s actions, and Shen Mo pointed him toward the Uchiha clan documents about the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Minato Namikaze told Kakashi that the masked man was Obito Uchiha, leaving Kakashi stunned.
• Minato Namikaze asked Shen Mo what he meant about the reason behind Obito’s fate.

Shen Mo advised Minato Namikaze and Kakashi that resolving their conflict with Obito would take strength and time, prompting the two to renew their determination to protect others. He then monitored the villages and discovered that Kirigakure had sent both an open delegation led by Mei Terumi and a secret group to Konoha.

• Shen Mo told Minato Namikaze and Kakashi that extreme emotions and complicated causes shaped the Uchiha's actions, and suggested that fighting and time could resolve their conflict with Obito.
• Kakashi decided to grow stronger to stop Obito from hurting anyone again, and Minato Namikaze pledged to work with him as both Hokage and teacher.
• Shen Mo told Minato Namikaze to choose a jar series based on his own priorities and warned him not to exploit Konoha's strength against the other villages.
• Shen Mo returned to his room, comforted Hikari, and used Mirror Magic to observe the other villages.
• Shen Mo saw that Kirigakure had sent one delegation openly and another secretly, with Mei Terumi among the envoys approaching Konoha.

Mei Terumi led Kirigakure’s delegation to Konoha to investigate the village after the previous day’s extraordinary battle. Minato Namikaze appeared before them and openly connected his resurrection and new power to the mysterious man behind the events, leaving Mei Terumi puzzled.

• Mei Terumi urged her delegation to stay alert as they approached Konoha, while Chojuro worried about the village’s lack of reply and the recent disaster.
• Mei Terumi welcomed the courteous reception from Konoha and told Chojuro that the villagers’ close, relieved behavior showed they had survived a catastrophe.
• Minato Namikaze appeared unnoticed in the reception room and confirmed Mei Terumi’s observation about the villagers.
• Mei Terumi recognized Minato and remarked on his reputation, while he explained that his entrance had used a new power granted by a mysterious gentleman.
• Minato Namikaze hinted that Mei Terumi knew who had resurrected him and granted his power, leaving her confused about why he spoke so openly.

Mei Terumi sought to learn about the mysterious gentleman while visiting Konoha, but Minato and Tsunade refused to identify him. Tsunade received the Kirigakure envoys and left Mei more frustrated and curious than before.

• Minato Namikaze told Mei Terumi that meeting the mysterious gentleman depended on his will, then said she could remain in Konoha while he considered her request to restore trade.
• Minato Namikaze faded away in spirit form, and Mei Terumi realized Konoha's unusual powers were more unsettling in person than in reports.
• Tsunade arrived to receive the Kirigakure envoys, and she and Mei Terumi exchanged barbed remarks about their ages and appearances.
• Tsunade hinted that a powerful, unknown existence had helped her stop caring about age, making Mei Terumi ask who he was.
• Tsunade told Mei Terumi that she would not reveal the gentleman's identity unless he wanted to meet her.

Tsunade escorted Mei Terumi and the Kirigakure delegation to their accommodations, where Mei challenged her to a spar and Tsunade dismissed the idea because of their vast difference in strength. Tsunade demonstrated her power with a crushing fist, leaving the delegation stunned.

• Tsunade led Mei Terumi and the Kirigakure delegation to the Senju Clan Grounds, where Shizune was waiting to receive them.
• Tsunade asked about the Fourth Mizukage, and Mei said he had stepped back from the front lines while the Grand Elder managed Kirigakure.
• Mei asked Tsunade to spar, citing her two Kekkei Genkai and her strength as Kirigakure's leading fighter.
• Tsunade said Mei was not yet qualified to fight her, prompting Chojuro to defend Mei and call her Kirigakure's hero.
• Mei shielded Chojuro, and Tsunade clenched her fist, unleashing a violent blast of air.

Tsunade demonstrated her overwhelming physical strength to Mei Terumi and Chojuro, deepening Mei Terumi’s anxiety about Konoha and the mysterious being behind its power. Shen Mo decided to go out shopping with Ikaros and Hikari, while Mei Terumi and Chojuro explored Konoha.

• Tsunade shattered the ground and unleashed a punch that sent a shockwave past Mei Terumi and Chojuro, convincing them of her terrifying strength.
• Tsunade warned Mei Terumi to behave in Konoha and left without answering her question about the mysterious being.
• Mei Terumi resolved to investigate Konoha, and Shizune allowed her and Chojuro to look around the village.
• Mei Terumi and Chojuro walked through Konoha, but Mei Terumi realized she knew neither the mysterious being’s name nor what she could do to meet it.
• Shen Mo considered when to approach the Kirigakure delegation, then decided to take Ikaros and Hikari shopping.
• Mei Terumi became absorbed in Konoha’s bustling streets and abundant goods as she and Chojuro explored.

Mei Terumi spotted Shen Mo and imagined he might be her ideal partner, only to see him with Ikaros and become overwhelmed with resentment. She followed them into Ichiraku Ramen, where Teuchi greeted Shen Mo with exceptional respect.

• Mei Terumi wandered through Konoha at night and lamented that she had never been in love.
• Mei Terumi noticed Shen Mo in a white suit and told Chojuro that he seemed like her ideal man.
• Mei Terumi saw Shen Mo turn toward Ikaros, realized they were together, and radiated resentment.
• Shen Mo took Ikaros to Ichiraku Ramen and said Teuchi was one of his guests.
• Mei Terumi and Chojuro followed them inside, where Teuchi greeted Shen Mo and vowed to make his best ramen.

Shen Mo met Mei Terumi at a Konoha ramen shop and asked what she wanted Kirigakure to become. Mei Terumi admitted she loved her village but could not picture its future, leaving Shen Mo disappointed by her lack of direction.

• Mei Terumi followed the ramen’s enticing aroma and sat beside Shen Mo, mistaking him for a food critic.
• Shen Mo introduced Ikaros and Hikari, and Mei Terumi was charmed by the warmth between them.
• Shen Mo and Mei Terumi exchanged names, and Mei Terumi described her love for Kirigakure’s misty scenery.
• Shen Mo asked Mei Terumi what she hoped Kirigakure would become, but she struggled to imagine a future for the village.
• Shen Mo reflected that Mei Terumi seemed to have little ambition beyond saving Kirigakure from major threats.

Mei Terumi questioned Shen Mo about his plans and learned about his wish-granting jars while eating at Teuchi's ramen shop. She realized Shen Mo was the mysterious figure she had been searching for.

• Mei Terumi said she had no interest in becoming Mizukage, while Shen Mo concluded she lacked ambition for power.
• Mei Terumi asked whether Shen Mo planned to settle down, but he said he enjoyed life as a traveler.
• Teuchi served ramen and credited Shen Mo's products for improving his cooking, while Shen Mo used a God Tongue trial item to point out flaws in the dish.
• Mei Terumi tasted the ramen, found it astonishingly delicious, and asked Shen Mo what products he sold.
• Shen Mo explained that his jars could grant people's wishes, and Mei Terumi recognized him as the mysterious being she had been looking for.

Mei Terumi confronted Shen Mo, learned that Tsunade had received her power from him, and chased him through the rain to seek a way to protect Kirigakure. Shen Mo reappeared before her in the frozen rain and explained that her wish depended on her entire village qualifying.

• Mei Terumi asked Shen Mo whether he had arranged their meeting, and he said he had only been shopping with Ikaros.
• Mei Terumi realized the people around them could not perceive Shen Mo and asked who he was; he identified himself as a Traveling Merchant who sold Jars of Fate.
• Mei Terumi asked whether Shen Mo had given Tsunade her power and how she could obtain such power, but he walked away and told her that wishes changed destiny.
• Mei Terumi chased Shen Mo across the rooftops in the rain and declared that she wanted Kirigakure to become peaceful and free of cruel tragedies.
• Mei Terumi lost sight of Shen Mo and feared for her village's future, but he reappeared with Ikaros amid raindrops frozen in midair.
• Shen Mo told Mei Terumi that her fate was tied to Kirigakure's and that the entire village's qualification was at stake.

Shen Mo returned to Mei Terumi and explained that Kirigakure’s fate qualified her to buy jars, with the village’s hopes resting on her. Mei Terumi chose an Element Series jar and decided to open a Fate-type Item, then Shen Mo moved her and Chojuro to a forest as observers called for the Hokage.

• Shen Mo restored Mei Terumi and told her Kirigakure had earned the chance to purchase jars through her.
• Mei Terumi acknowledged that she wanted power to protect Kirigakure, and Shen Mo presented her with ten small jars.
• Mei Terumi opened a jar containing wind, fire, water, and earth powers, which Shen Mo identified as the Element Series.
• After learning how jars worked, Mei Terumi chose to open a Fate-type Item using Kirigakure’s resources.
• Shen Mo moved Mei Terumi and Chojuro to a forest, while those watching them called for the Hokage.

Shen Mo introduced Mei Terumi to the Elementalist path, and she bought thirty Element Series Chests to strengthen herself and protect Kirigakure. She won the rare skill Jack Descends and began considering how to combine it with her ninja abilities.

• Shen Mo gave Mei Terumi a crystal-topped staff, letting her sense elemental power and begin the path of an Elementalist.
• Mei Terumi asked whether advancing could keep her youthful and bring her closer to Shen Mo's level, then resolved to grow stronger for Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi used her available funds to buy thirty Level 3 Element Series Chests.
• Mei Terumi opened a Grand Prize skill, Jack Descends, which summoned a gigantic fire-attribute bomb.
• Shen Mo advised Mei Terumi to combine elemental power with her ninja abilities, and she imagined adding Lava Style to the skill.

Mei Terumi finished opening her jars, received a Member Badge, and left with Chojuro while reflecting on her feelings for Shen Mo. Shen Mo turned his attention to Obito, who was returning to Amegakure consumed by jealousy over Rin and Kakashi.

• Mei Terumi obtained the Moon Sea Azure Demon Cloth Armor and a matching long dress, which Shen Mo placed on her.
• Mei Terumi opened the remaining jars without finding another Grand Prize, and Shen Mo gave her a Member Badge before he and Ikaros disappeared.
• Mei Terumi told Chojuro she was willing to accept unrequited love because no other man made her feel the same way.
• Shen Mo concluded that Mei Terumi's new status would help settle Kirigakure and focused on the conflict involving Nagato, Obito, and Orochimaru.
• Obito returned to Amegakure with his injuries healed, but he seethed at the thought of Rin caring for Kakashi after the battle.

After Obito reported his encounter with the mysterious man and Kakashi Hatake, Nagato decided that the Akatsuki Organization would collect the Tailed Beasts ahead of schedule. He planned to enlist Orochimaru and target Konoha's Nine-Tails first.

• Obito returned to Amegakure and told Nagato that Kakashi Hatake had broken his Space-Time Ninjutsu and that Minato Namikaze had been revived with extraordinary strength.
• Nagato concluded that the mysterious man, Konoha, and Orochimaru were the main threats, and Obito confirmed that the mysterious man had not interfered in his actions.
• Nagato proposed allying with Orochimaru and beginning the Tailed Beast collection plan with Konoha's Nine-Tails.
• Nagato asked whether Obito had sought power from the mysterious man, and Obito said the man had left when he tried to speak to him.
• Konan summoned the Akatsuki members, and Nagato announced that they would target Konoha's Nine-Tails first.

Itachi Uchiha opposed being sent alone to negotiate with Orochimaru, warning that Orochimaru had become too dangerous and that he was no match for him. Nagato united the Akatsuki Organization for a collective assault and revealed that the leader they knew was a Puppet controlled by his true body, leaving the group ready for its first operation together.

• Pain's Heavenly Path proposed sending Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki to negotiate an alliance with Orochimaru, but Itachi Uchiha objected and warned that Orochimaru was dangerous.
• Nagato decided that the entire Akatsuki Organization would go together, and Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori, Itachi Uchiha, and Kisame Hoshigaki agreed to stand together.
• Nagato revealed his immobile true body and explained that the familiar Heavenly Path was one of six Puppets called the Six Paths of Pain.
• Nagato announced the Akatsuki Organization's first collective operation, and its members prepared to launch an assault together.

Nagato led the Akatsuki Organization to Otogakure to negotiate with Orochimaru, while Shen Mo watched their journey. Orochimaru detected Heavenly Path Pain entering the village and became eager to obtain both the Rinnegan and the Sharingan.

• Shen Mo watched the Akatsuki Organization travel toward Otogakure and noted that Orochimaru’s power made him a dangerous opponent.
• Nagato discussed negotiating with Orochimaru, while Sasori and Kakuzu suggested that the group might need to fight him if talks failed.
• The Akatsuki Organization reached Otogakure, and Heavenly Path Pain went ahead alone to meet Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru sensed Heavenly Path Pain through the Magic Power Network covering Otogakure and recognized the Rinnegan.
• Orochimaru became excited at the prospect of obtaining both the Rinnegan and the Sharingan.

Pain Heavenly Path arrived at Orochimaru’s tower to propose an alliance against Konoha, but Orochimaru recognized him as a controlled corpse and questioned his intentions. Orochimaru suspected Pain had never met the powerful figure who had granted them power and resolved to find his true body.

• Shen Mo chose to observe as Pain Heavenly Path entered Otogakure, where the ninjas directed him to Orochimaru’s tower without surprise.
• Pain Heavenly Path sensed suppressive energy in the tower but found no explanation for it before meeting Orochimaru at the summit.
• Orochimaru revealed that he knew Pain Heavenly Path was a corpse Puppet controlled through Black Rods and said he was searching for its true body.
• Pain Heavenly Path proposed an alliance against Konoha, arguing that the Akatsuki Organization needed to act before its members gained more power.
• Orochimaru asked what Pain would do to Konoha’s civilians after victory, and Pain answered that they would have to endure defeat’s suffering.
• Orochimaru suspected Pain had never met the esteemed lord, then declared that he had found the true body.

Orochimaru’s negotiations with Nagato collapsed when Nagato tried to attack and Orochimaru seized control of Yahiko’s body. The Akatsuki fought off Orochimaru’s undead monsters, and Nagato’s Shinra Tensei cleared the battlefield, leaving them facing the Mage Tower.

• Orochimaru taunted Nagato and declared that their negotiations had broken down over the rules against wanton slaughter.
• Nagato attempted to use Shinra Tensei, but Orochimaru cut off his control of Yahiko’s corpse and transformed it into a Death Knight.
• Orochimaru summoned undead monsters to surround the Akatsuki, while Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki warned the others about their resilience and toxic bodies.
• Deidara exploded the monsters, but Orochimaru detonated their damaged corpses and sent a toxic shockwave toward the Akatsuki.
• Nagato used Shinra Tensei to repel the shockwave and clear the forest, and the Akatsuki turned their attention toward the distant Mage Tower.