Recaps

Aizen tested Deidara, confronted Itachi and Kisame, and recruited them to help reshape the shinobi world. As Tsunade’s forces uncovered Orochimaru’s underground complex, Gin fought Hidan and saw the danger of his curse technique.

• Aizen defeated Deidara with Itto Kaso, then offered him Hollowfication reagent so he could pursue greater art.
• Ulquiorra tested Itachi, and Aizen revealed that Fugaku had joined Las Noches before offering Itachi and Kisame a place there.
• Itachi and Kisame fought Aizen, but he overcame them and revived Itachi with the Hogyoku.
• Aizen invited Itachi and Kisame to help establish a Royal Hall and end the era of ninja, and both agreed to follow him.
• Tsunade’s forces found a hidden passage beneath the Land of Rain, while Orochimaru gave Kazumi the DX-G3 reagent for developing children’s abilities.
• Gin fought Hidan, who endured his attacks, drew Gin’s blood, and activated Curse Technique... Death Possession by Blood.
• Hidan stabbed his own wrist and inflicted a matching wound on Gin, who suspected the blood symbol was central to the technique.

Aizen defeated Jia Jin and persuaded him to join Las Noches, while Nawaki confronted Orochimaru over the underground experiments. The arc left Nawaki reeling from Orochimaru’s claim that Aizen had ordered the work, just as Aizen arrived after the civil war.

• Gin stopped Hidan from stabbing his own heart and subdued him until Aizen released him.
• Aizen revealed his godlike form to Hidan, then hypnotized him and decided Kakuzu would undergo Hollow transformation first.
• Tsunade battled Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo while Nawaki led Konoha ninja into Orochimaru’s underground laboratory.
• Jiraiya warned Naruto to flee if he encountered Aizen and revealed that Aizen and the Fourth Hokage, Sosuke, were the same person.
• Aizen confronted Jia Jin, defeated him, and persuaded him to join Las Noches after Jia Jin recounted the suffering that had made him Jashin.
• Nawaki fought Orochimaru’s transformed followers underground, but Orochimaru claimed that Aizen had directed the experiments.
• Nawaki attacked Orochimaru as the laboratory collapsed, and a voice announced that Captain Aizen had arrived after the civil war.

Aizen reunited with Nawaki, resumed his plans to gather power and return to the Soul Society, and brought former subordinates into the human world. As Nawaki entered Konoha’s politics and Team 7 prepared for the Chunin Exams, Aizen’s researchers uncovered how hardship could strengthen human-made Hollows.

• Aizen reunited with Nawaki, ended the underground battle, and sent Nawaki away while Orochimaru investigated the mutations affecting Kidomaru and the others.
• Nawaki joined Konoha’s Military Police Force as Shizune and other allies supported him, while he privately intended to lead the village so it would not obstruct Aizen.
• Aizen gathered chakra from three Tailed Beasts and brought Starrk, Yammy Llargo, and Kaname Tosen into the human world.
• Aizen confronted Tosen about his past, offered him another chance, and gave Starrk and Yammy reagents to recover their Hollow powers.
• Kakashi announced that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would enter the Chunin Exams, explaining that the Five Kage would guide those who passed and that Las Noches might be involved in Orochimaru’s experiments.
• Aizen invited Shigeki-ji Go to join a new project after the researcher investigated the transformed subjects’ blood.
• Shigeki-ji Go’s poison test caused Kimimaro’s blood to form bone-like fragments, and Aizen concluded that hardship could make human-made Hollows evolve and grow stronger.

Aizen sent Kimimaro and his companions to the Chunin Exams to face pressure that might evolve their Hollows, while Konoha uncovered killings and prepared for an invasion. The exams began amid competing investigations, and Sasuke encountered a fleeing ninja as Las Noches watched from the shadows.

• Aizen changed Las Noches’ strategy after Shigeki-ji Go’s research and sent Kimimaro and his companions to Konoha’s Chunin Exams to help Nawaki’s side.
• Kimimaro’s group entered Konoha disguised as Otogakure ninja, while Gaara met Sasuke and Naruto learned that Minato would teach him Flying Thunder God.
• The Chunin Exam candidates gathered, and Minato ordered Konoha’s forces to investigate faceless Oborogakure corpses and guard against infiltrators.
• Aizen and the Las Noches group returned to Konoha as Orochimaru renewed his research, while Anbu and Root raced to find him.
• The candidates entered the Forest of Death, where Kimimaro ordered his group to defeat other teams without exposing their identities and Nawaki secretly misdirected Konoha’s investigation.
• Starrk and Lilynette entered the forest to study the ninja, while Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji defeated a Mist team and Gaara killed several people while seeking the Second Pillar.
• Tsunade grieved over a burned sheet of paper, and Aizen told Kyoka Suigetsu that he would begin a full-scale invasion after Kimimaro’s group completed its test.
• Sasuke practiced swordsmanship as Gin, Yammy, and Ulquiorra watched, then a bone spear pierced a fleeing ninja’s right lung and pinned him down.