Chapter Summaries

Aizen announced the Espada division and approved Nawaki’s challenge to Barragan. As the fight began, Nawaki steeled himself to prove his strength, while Barragan secretly planned to bring ruin to the new world.

• Aizen declared that Ulquiorra Cifer commanded the Espada and that Barragan was only one of its members for now.
• Nawaki challenged Barragan, and Aizen warned him that he could not yet win before granting permission for the fight.
• Aizen and the others gathered outside Las Noches as Nawaki and Barragan faced each other.
• Nawaki recalled Minato saying that Aizen had great expectations for him, and resolved not to disappoint his brother.
• Barragan dismissed the fight as a farce while secretly dreaming of destroying the abundant new world and becoming Hueco Mundo’s strongest god.

Barragan faced Nawaki and revealed Senescencia, a black mist that instantly destroyed Nawaki’s Shadow Clones. After seeing what the mist could do, Nawaki hid, and Barragan taunted him to come out and demonstrate ninjutsu.

• Nawaki charged Barragan and used the Shadow Clone Technique to create five clones.
• Barragan summoned a thin black mist and claimed that even his diminished power was enough to defeat Nawaki.
• Nagato sensed the mist’s deathly nature and warned Yahiko and Konan that Nawaki could not defeat Barragan.
• Barragan’s mist spread outward and destroyed several Shadow Clones on contact.
• Nawaki realized the mist could kill instantly, while Barragan spotted his hiding place and demanded that he come out.

Nawaki confronted Barragan and discovered that his Senescencia rotted away anything it touched. He unleashed a powerful Wood Release technique, and the chapter ended as a vast forest erupted around Barragan.

• Nawaki used Wood Release: Tree Bind Burial to attack Barragan with enormous roots, but Barragan's black mist pierced and reduced them to dust.
• Nawaki recognized that Barragan's Senescencia could rot away matter it touched, while Barragan challenged him to demonstrate ninjutsu.
• Nawaki gathered a massive amount of chakra and declared that he would prove his abilities in front of Big Brother Aizen.
• Nawaki used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, causing towering trees to burst from the ground as Aizen remarked on the scale of his technique.

Nawaki pushed himself to the brink fighting Barragan, whose power of senescence withered trees and extinguished Nawaki’s fire dragon. After Nawaki unleashed a blood-powered technique and struck Barragan with the Thousand-Armed Buddha, Aizen arrived to catch the exhausted Nawaki as Barragan prepared to attack.

• Barragan used his black senescence mist to wither Nawaki’s trees and erase his Great Fire Dragon Flame while advancing on him.
• Nawaki activated a blood-infused sealing technique, declaring his resolve to prove his strength and protect his sister.
• Nawaki summoned the Thousand-Armed Buddha, whose wooden fists broke through Barragan’s defense and drove him underground.
• Barragan emerged injured, used Respira to destroy the Buddha, and sent a mass of black mist toward the exhausted Nawaki.
• Aizen appeared, caught Nawaki, and confronted Barragan, who halted when he faced his former enemy.

Aizen ended the fight between Nawaki and Barragan, imposed order on Las Noches, and called on its members to take over the world. Meanwhile, Rock Ninja surrounded Tsunade, Jiraiya, and another wounded Konoha operative in the Land of Earth as the survivors argued over whether to continue their mission.

• Aizen stopped Barragan from attacking the unconscious Nawaki, and Minato carried Nawaki away while Nagato and the others checked his injuries.
• Aizen forbade Las Noches members from fighting one another without permission and assigned Nawaki to restore the damaged battlefield after he woke.
• Aizen told Las Noches to prepare to take over the world and usher in a new era.
• Nanto ordered the Rock Ninja to surround the mountains and kill the three Konoha operatives who had stolen intelligence from Iwagakure.
• In a hidden cave, a wounded Konoha operative urged Tsunade to get the intelligence back to the village, while Tsunade resisted because Jiraiya might be lost too.

As Rock Ninja attacked the mountain, Orochimaru tried to kill the wounded Jiraiya to save the mission, but Tsunade stopped him and insisted their bond as the Konoha Three-Way Deadlock meant they had to protect one another. Orochimaru relented and Tsunade began treating Jiraiya as the cave shook under the assault, while the name Sosuke stirred painful memories.

• Nanto ordered nearly a hundred Rock Ninja to destroy the mountain and prevent the group from escaping.
• Orochimaru argued that Jiraiya’s injuries endangered the mission and raised his kunai to kill him.
• Tsunade blocked Orochimaru and held a kunai to his neck, declaring she would not let him kill Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya raised a trembling hand to flash Orochimaru a V sign, and Orochimaru lowered his kunai and agreed to let Tsunade treat him.
• Orochimaru said that bringing intelligence about Sosuke back to Konoha would shock the village as the cave continued to shake.

Tsunade treated Jiraiya as Orochimaru warned that Rock Ninja had surrounded the mountain, forcing the trio to prepare to fight their way out. Elsewhere, Sosuke stood among the bodies of nearly a hundred ninjas and agreed to meet his former comrades.

• Tsunade urged the gravely injured Jiraiya to survive and fulfill his promise to bring Sosuke back.
• Orochimaru reported that Rock Ninja had surrounded the mountain and that the trio would have to fight their way out.
• Jiraiya insisted he could fight, and Tsunade agreed to stay close and help him recover.
• Sosuke stood among the corpses of nearly a hundred ninjas and lamented that blood had stained his outfit.
• A tall figure learned that Tsunade and the others were in danger, then set out with the pale-eyed young man to see his former comrades.

Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya used a clone-and-explosive-tag ruse to escape an attack by Nanto's Rock Ninja, but a mysterious trio confronted them on the mountain path. Their leader greeted them as the Sannin of Konoha, leaving their escape uncertain.

• A giant snake carried Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya into a Rock Ninja ambush led by Nanto, who ordered his forces to attack from high ground.
• The wounded Sannin fought the surrounding Rock Ninja, and Nanto realized they might be clones after noticing they used no ninjutsu.
• Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya detonated Explosive Tags and vanished in clouds of smoke, injuring Rock Ninja and escaping down another path.
• Jiraiya joked about their plan while Tsunade urged the group to keep moving before the Rock Ninja caught up.
• Three figures appeared ahead of the Sannin, and their leader greeted them, saying it had been a long time.

Aizen confronted Jiraiya and Tsunade, claiming his friendship with them had been a deliberate act and that he intended to rule the world. Jiraiya summoned Sage Fukasaku and prepared to use Sage power against him, while Aizen studied the toads with curiosity.

• Aizen told Jiraiya and Tsunade that Sosuke had been a false identity and that he planned to establish a new world order.
• Aizen described how he had exploited Jiraiya’s insecurity and Tsunade’s hopes for the Senju Clan to pose as their friend, leaving Tsunade devastated.
• Jiraiya vowed to stop Aizen even at the cost of his life and summoned Sage Fukasaku and another toad.
• Jiraiya asked the toads to help him use Sage power, and Fukasaku agreed to do everything he could.
• Orochimaru joined Jiraiya in facing Aizen, who watched the toads and wondered how the sages of Mount Myoboku had endured in the Ninja World.

Aizen ended the confrontation with Jiraiya and Orochimaru, letting them leave before the approaching Rock Ninja arrived. He invited Orochimaru to join him and promised Tsunade a surprise that could become a disaster for Konoha, then reflected on how former friends followed different paths.

• Fukasaku sensed a large group approaching, and Jiraiya suspected the pursuers were Rock Ninja.
• Orochimaru urged Jiraiya to leave with Tsunade, and Aizen said he would let them escape because he wanted to see Jiraiya grow stronger and master Senjutsu Chakra.
• Aizen invited Orochimaru to join his search for the source of power, but Orochimaru declined to engage and prepared to leave.
• Jiraiya helped the despondent Tsunade up, and Aizen warned that he would soon give her a surprise that might bring disaster to Konoha.
• After Jiraiya and the others left, Minato questioned why they continued siding with Konoha, and Aizen replied that everyone followed a different path of fate.

Aizen, Sasori, and Minato were attacked by Rock Ninja who mistook them for the fleeing Konoha shinobi. When Nanto recognized Aizen, he ordered his men to stop and knelt to apologize, leaving the Rock Ninja stunned.

• Sasori used Chakra Threads to stop the Rock Ninja's weapons and send them flying back.
• Minato repelled the Rock Ninja's Earth Release attack with Eight Trigrams: Disorder Palm.
• Nanto arrived, recognized Aizen, and panicked at his men for attacking him.
• Nanto told the Rock Ninja to stop acting hostile, then went to apologize to Aizen himself.
• The Rock Ninja watched in shock as Nanto knelt before Aizen and pressed his head to the ground.

Aizen confronted Nanto over Iwagakure’s pursuit of the wounded Konoha ninjas and decided to punish the Rock Ninja for interfering. He unleashed a crystal sphere made from the Five-Tails Kokuō’s power and named the technique Boiling Amber.

• Nanto knelt before Aizen, apologized for the misunderstanding, and admitted he had ordered the pursuit of the Konoha ninjas.
• Aizen learned that Nanto had pursued the wounded Konoha ninjas to stop them from taking intelligence back to Konoha.
• Aizen said he would not let anyone kill the promising Konoha ninjas and decided to punish the Rock Ninja for spoiling his plans.
• Aizen formed a murky-green crystal sphere from the Five-Tails Kokuō’s power and sent it toward the Rock Ninja on the rocky outcrop.
• The sphere exploded with a modest blast, and Aizen named the technique Boiling Amber as an unnerving grating sound continued.

Aizen slaughtered the Rock Ninja to test Boiling Amber and revealed that he had manipulated Ōnoki and Iwagakure as part of his plan. After ordering Minato and Sasori to kill the survivors, he explained that Konoha would be unable to stop the spreading war even after learning his identity.

• Aizen used Boiling Amber to dissolve a group of Rock Ninja, horrifying Nanto and the surviving soldiers.
• Aizen told Nanto that Ōnoki and the Rock Ninja were pieces in his plan, then Sasori killed Nanto as he tried to escape and warn Ōnoki.
• Aizen ordered Sasori and Minato to finish off the surviving Rock Ninja, and they returned after killing them all.
• Minato asked why Aizen had let Jiraiya and his companions go, exposing Aizen's whereabouts to Konoha.
• Aizen said the war among Konoha, the Rock Ninja, and the Sand Ninja would continue, especially with the Cloud Ninja joining, because those seeking profit would keep it going.

Aizen, Minato, and Sasori escaped after killing Nanto’s unit, leaving the Rock Ninja to discover the massacre. When the report reached Iwagakure, Ōnoki declared the village officially at war with Konoha.

• Aizen opened a black passage and led Minato and Sasori away from the bloody scene.
• Two days later, Ōnoki demanded news of Nanto and the nearly hundred Rock Ninja who had disappeared.
• A messenger reported that Nanto’s entire unit had been killed in the Red Mountain area, with no survivors.
• Ōnoki accused Konoha of infiltrating Iwagakure and destroying the pursuing force, then declared Iwagakure officially at war with Konoha.
• Ōnoki ruled out negotiations and vowed that either Konoha would be destroyed or Iwagakure would disappear.

Orochimaru briefed Konoha’s leaders on Sosuke, now calling himself Aizen, and his alliance with the Rock Ninja through Las Noches. After the meeting, Orochimaru followed Uchiha Sakuya, suspecting that Uchiha Tokino might still be alive.

• Orochimaru told Konoha’s leaders that Sosuke had joined the war with the Rock Ninja and was leading Las Noches.
• Uchiha Uonan questioned Orochimaru’s account, but Orochimaru refused to explain how the Sannin escaped and left the meeting.
• Sarutobi confirmed the intelligence and warned that Sosuke’s ambitions threatened the Ninja World.
• Orochimaru reflected that Konoha’s politics and peaceful village life did not suit him.
• Orochimaru saw Uchiha Sakuya heading for the village gates and followed her while wondering whether Uchiha Tokino had survived.

Uchiha Sakuya confronted Orochimaru after he discovered she could use Sosuke’s Kido and suspected her brother Uchiha Tokino was alive with Sosuke. Meanwhile, the Rock and Sand Ninja agreed to attack Konoha, and Aizen led Nawaki toward the coming war, encouraging him to believe they were bringing an end to the age of shinobi.

• Sakuya practiced Hado #33: Sokatsui near Konoha before Orochimaru emerged and questioned how she had learned Sosuke’s Kido.
• Orochimaru deduced from Sakuya’s reaction that Uchiha Tokino was alive and likely with Sosuke.
• Sakuya attacked Orochimaru with Hado #61: Thunder Roar Cannon, but his Triple Rashomon stopped the blast after it destroyed one gate.
• Orochimaru said he would keep Sakuya’s secret, then disappeared into the ground while wondering whether he was suited to the village.
• The Sand Ninja accepted Ōnoki’s proposal to form an alliance and attack Konoha, and Ōnoki coordinated Aizen’s involvement.
• Aizen reassured the worried Nawaki that their actions would end the war and begin a new era, and Nawaki affirmed his commitment.

Konoha Ninja learned that Sosuke had joined the Rock Ninja and planned to attack the village, while Sakumo sensed that Kikuno was hiding troubling news from him. Sakumo went to find Dai and followed him toward the back hills, where he heard Dai's voice echoing through the mountains.

• Konoha Ninja learned that Sosuke had allied with the Rock Ninja and was preparing to attack Konoha, leaving them shaken by the prospect of facing their former Fourth Hokage.
• Kikuno brought Kakashi to Sakumo and claimed she felt unwell, persuading Sakumo to cancel their outing.
• Sakumo noticed Kikuno seemed afraid he would hear news outside and left to tell Dai they no longer needed to borrow his baby carriage.
• Dai's wife told Sakumo that Dai had left for the training grounds in the back hills and would not return that night.
• Sakumo headed into the mountains near Konoha and heard Dai's terrifying roars and tremors, recognizing his voice.

Dai trained by smashing through a mountainside to master the Taijutsu Secret Technique: Raging Bear, while Sakumo watched in alarm. Dai emerged alive and stronger, determined to face his former friend without being helpless again.

• Sakumo heard a crash and rushed toward the mountainside, where he saw Dai charging at it in a blaze of chakra.
• Dai struck the cliff and relentlessly punched through its base, spreading cracks across the mountainside.
• Dai opened the Seventh Gate, causing the weakened cliff to collapse around him.
• Dai used the Taijutsu Secret Technique: Raging Bear to smash through the falling boulders and force his way to the top.
• Dai emerged exhausted but alive, having survived his training to prepare for the coming battle with his former friend.

Dai collapsed after using the Eight Inner Gates, and Sakumo learned that Sosuke had returned and vowed to face him in the coming war. Meanwhile, Aizen’s group prepared for the conflict, and Aizen said the Ninja World would see his power as divine.

• Dai collapsed after unleashing the Eight Inner Gates and told Sakumo that the coming war had nothing to do with him.
• Sakumo confronted Dai about Sosuke’s return, then declared he would face Sosuke and avenge his comrades in the coming war.
• Dai watched Sakumo leave and remembered his friendship with Sosuke as he wondered what Sosuke would do against the Ninja World.
• Aizen’s group stopped to rest, and Sasori asked whether Aizen feared facing the entire Ninja World.
• Aizen explained that people would call overwhelming power divine and said the coming battle might be remembered as the War of the Gods.

Rasa killed a Konoha scout as the Rock and Sand Allied Forces advanced toward Konoha, secretly eliminating other scouts to conceal their attack. In Konoha, Hyuga Sotsugu urged the Branch Family to trust Lord Aizen and seize an opportunity to change their fate.

• Ōnoki and the Kazekage sent a large Rock and Sand force toward Konoha in a surprise attack.
• A Konoha scout spotted the advancing army and tried to report it, but Rasa trapped and killed him with Gold Dust.
• The Allied Forces' elite ninja hunted down intelligence-gathering ninja throughout the forest to keep their movements secret.
• Hyuga Sotsugu told Lord Kotsugu and other Branch Family members that Lord Aizen's power gave them a chance to change their situation.