Chapter Summaries

Aizen met Fugaku at Las Noches and agreed to let him join, but only as the subject of an experiment with a zero success rate. He left Fugaku stunned by asking whether Itachi was his eldest son.

• Gin emerged from prison and teased the group about their unfamiliar faces as they gathered before Aizen.
• Aizen recognized Fugaku from the Battle of Rock Summit and asked why he had come with Tokino.
• Fugaku said he wanted to join Las Noches, and Tokino explained that he had brought him to give him a chance.
• Aizen accepted Fugaku but said he would have to enter Las Noches as the subject of an experiment whose success rate was zero.
• Aizen asked Fugaku whether Itachi was his eldest son, leaving Fugaku frozen.

Aizen revealed that Itachi’s membership in Akatsuki had been part of a plan set in motion years earlier, then accepted Fugaku into Las Noches while making him responsible for restraining Itachi. Just as Fugaku faced a zero-success-rate experiment, a cold woman emerged from a cloud of dust, leaving everyone wondering how Aizen would respond.

• Aizen told Fugaku that Akatsuki’s founders had left Las Noches with his consent and that Itachi’s involvement had been one of his long-standing plans.
• Aizen recognized that Itachi had joined Akatsuki while carrying a burden, and Fugaku pleaded for his son’s innocence despite Itachi’s role in his clan’s slaughter.
• Aizen promised not to interfere with Akatsuki but warned Fugaku to take responsibility if Itachi acted against his rule, and Fugaku vowed to restrain him.
• Aizen accepted Fugaku as a member of Las Noches, though Fugaku still faced an experiment with no chance of success.
• A cold woman emerged from the dust outside the palace, surprising Fugaku and drawing the attention of Sakuya, Tokino, Gin, Ulquiorra, Minato, and Barragan as Aizen watched calmly.

Tamako confronted Aizen over his years of silence and asked whether he had discarded her, but he reassured her and restored her body to how it had been fifteen years earlier. She reaffirmed her resolve to follow his ideals, and the chapter ended with Aizen surveying the changed Las Noches after his return.

• Tamako challenged Aizen, asking why he had left without a word and whether he considered her a disposable tool.
• Aizen told Tamako she was not discarded, gently stroked her hair, and recalled that she had already changed her fate.
• Tamako told Aizen she had always intended to pursue his ideals alongside him, no matter the obstacles.
• Aizen restored Tamako's body to its state from fifteen years earlier, and she accepted his expectation that she prove her value.
• Aizen returned to the main hall of Las Noches and appeared satisfied with the changes that had taken place there.

Aizen gathered Las Noches’s principal members in the grand hall and established the current Espada’s lineup and pecking order. Gin remained outside the official ranks, while Fugaku had arrived but had not yet joined the Espada.

• Aizen surveyed the assembled members as Ulquiorra, Barragan, Hyuga Minato, Tokino, Shijimi Tamako, and Sakuya stood in order as the first six Espada.
• The chapter recounted how Ulquiorra and Barragan had regained strength over the years, while Minato’s abilities remained mysterious and Tokino had returned to Las Noches after fighting Minato.
• Shijimi Tamako had joined the Espada after arriving at Las Noches, earning fifth rank with her swordsmanship, while Sakuya ranked sixth after reuniting with Tokino.
• Fugaku stood at the end of the group as a recent arrival who had not formally joined the Espada, leaving six official members.
• Gin stood apart from the ranks, and Aizen kept him under restraint despite valuing his strength and summoning him into this world.

Aizen addressed the conflict between Ulquiorra and Gin by declaring that strength was Las Noches’s only rule and arranging a duel between them. He promised the winner rulership over Las Noches and said he would soon restore their powers, leaving Gin wary of his plans.

• Gin spoke flippantly to Aizen, who reflected on how unlikely it was that Gin was now imprisoned in the Forbidden Hall.
• Ulquiorra knelt and admitted he had overstepped by acting in Aizen’s name, and Aizen explained that strength reigned supreme in Las Noches.
• Ulquiorra proposed a fair duel with Gin to settle their disagreement, and Aizen agreed to restore their powers before it began.
• Aizen announced that the duel’s winner would rule Las Noches and make decisions in his stead, even ordering an attack against him.
• Gin accepted the duel, and Aizen told him and Ulquiorra to wait while he prepared to return their powers.

Kakashi tested Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura by tying Naruto to a post and forbidding them to share food, then passed them when they chose to stand by their teammate. He made the three official genin and told them to meet the next morning for their first mission, while Sasuke left alone after Naruto invited him to celebrate.

• Kakashi told Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura that sharing food with Naruto meant they had failed his test.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura argued that Team Seven was one whole and chose to share their food rather than abandon a teammate.
• Kakashi revealed the test and explained that abandoning comrades was worse than breaking mission rules.
• Kakashi declared the three children genin and told them to gather the next morning for their first mission.
• Naruto invited Sasuke to eat with him and Sakura, but Sasuke declined and walked away alone.

Sasuke told Mikoto that he had joined Team 7 but remained determined to kill the person he blamed for the clan’s decline and Fugaku’s death. In the Land of Rain, Aizen, Kazumi, and Orochimaru prepared to begin an experiment with Fugaku as the subject.

• Sasuke told Mikoto that he had passed the genin test and joined Kakashi’s Team 7.
• Sasuke rejected Mikoto’s plea to let go of his hatred and left, while Mikoto hoped Fugaku would resolve the hatred between Itachi and Sasuke.
• Orochimaru arrived at Aizen’s underground laboratory with Kimimaro and learned that Fugaku was the experimental subject.
• Aizen told Kazumi and Orochimaru to begin the experiment, and Orochimaru said the chances of success were high.

Orochimaru and Kazumi began an experiment to strengthen Uchiha Fugaku using White Zetsu cells and other prepared fluids. Fugaku suffered a violent transformation, and strange white fluid crawled back toward his body as Aizen and Orochimaru watched with interest.

• Orochimaru warned Fugaku that a failed experiment could leave him wishing for death, but Fugaku said he had prepared himself.
• Orochimaru and Kazumi brought Fugaku to an isolated laboratory and connected him to IV tubes containing experimental fluids, including White Zetsu cells.
• Fugaku told Orochimaru that he risked his life because he trusted Aizen's promise and wanted to grow stronger.
• Aizen ordered the experiment to begin, and Kazumi activated the console to inject the fluids into Fugaku.
• Fugaku screamed, tore away the tubes, and convulsed as his body swelled and blue chakra emerged.
• Fugaku vomited strange white fluid that crawled back toward him, while Orochimaru, Kazumi, and Aizen watched.

Fugaku underwent a violent transformation in Orochimaru's laboratory as the bone-white liquid consumed his chakra and reshaped his body. The experiment appeared successful, leaving Fugaku changed and an eerie hollow in the center of his palm.

• Fugaku convulsed as bone-white liquid entered his body and began consuming his chakra.
• A blast of air shook the laboratory, and Aizen declared the experiment successful while Orochimaru remained uncertain.
• Fugaku emerged from the dust covered in white bone and twice his former size before the substance compressed his body.
• The bone-like material gathered in Fugaku's right hand and disappeared into his skin, leaving a hollow in his palm.

Uchiha Fugaku completed Aizen’s experiment and became the first successful Hollow, gaining a Hollow Hole and a body that could withstand a devastating blow. Aizen urged him to test his new power and see whether he could protect Itachi and Sasuke, and Fugaku launched himself at Aizen.

• Fugaku’s aged appearance faded, and he discovered a Hollow Hole in his palm as his chakra had nearly disappeared.
• Aizen explained that Fugaku was no longer truly human and that the Hollow Hole connected him to the spirit within his body.
• Aizen struck Fugaku through stone walls, but Fugaku emerged unharmed, revealing his body’s new durability.
• Aizen asked Fugaku to attack him and said the experiment’s success had changed the world and might give Fugaku the strength to protect his eldest son.
• Fugaku thought of protecting Itachi and Sasuke, activated his three tomoe, and shot toward Aizen at tremendous speed.

Fugaku tested the Hollow-like strength and durability he gained by sacrificing most of his chakra, while Aizen judged his abilities. Aizen pierced Fugaku through the chest without killing him, then said the test had revealed something interesting.

• Fugaku used his newfound speed to rush Aizen and struck the arena with a punch that shattered the ground.
• Aizen caught Fugaku's punch and said his strength and speed nearly matched Dai with the Eight Inner Gates open.
• Aizen struck Fugaku and sent him flying, but Fugaku felt little pain and realized his body could withstand the blow.
• Aizen pierced Fugaku through the chest with a blade, leaving him wounded but alive.
• Aizen told Fugaku the wound had missed his heart and said Fugaku had shown him something interesting.

Aizen's experiment transformed Uchiha Fugaku into a new species with Hollow powers, allowing him to regenerate from severe wounds. Aizen said all people would eventually become Hollows and told Fugaku to study his abilities, including in preparation for Itachi's future transformation.

• Aizen observed Fugaku's Hollow Hole as bone-like material spread across his body and healed his chest wound.
• Fugaku realized his injuries had vanished, and Aizen explained that he had become a new species with an unknown power.
• Aizen told Fugaku that all people would transform into Hollows and that Fugaku's choices could influence those who followed.
• Aizen instructed Fugaku to undergo further examinations and study his powers because Itachi would become a Hollow too.
• Aizen said he was interested in Itachi and that preparing a path for him could make up for what Fugaku owed his son.
• Orochimaru asked Aizen about the experiment's results, and Aizen said a new era was about to arrive.

In Konoha, Team 7 cleaned trash from a river as Sasuke showed Naruto and Sakura how to use chakra to find objects underwater. On Tanzaku Street, Tsunade won a huge gambling match as the legendary Big Fat Sheep, then heard someone call her to return.

• Naruto complained that Kakashi had set an impossible deadline for Team 7’s river-cleaning mission.
• Sasuke demonstrated a chakra-based scouting method, prompting Naruto and Sakura to use it to find trash underwater.
• Tsunade won a large bet by calling big after the dice showed triple sixes, and the losing gambler fainted.
• Tsunade studied the dice without celebrating, then heard someone outside tell her it was time to go back.

Tsunade left a gambling den with Nawaki, who brought her back toward Konoha to discuss Orochimaru, Las Noches, and Uchiha Fugaku’s disappearance. He revealed that the Third Hokage’s people suspected Uchiha Tokino and Brother Aizen might still be alive.

• Tsunade threatened the gamblers who owed her money, collected her winnings, and left after declaring that a true gambler honored every bet.
• Nawaki met Tsunade outside the gambling den and persuaded her to leave Tanzaku Street with him because she had taken clan assets to gamble.
• On the road to Konoha, Nawaki told Tsunade that Orochimaru’s whereabouts had been exposed and that he seemed connected to Las Noches.
• Nawaki told Tsunade that Uchiha Fugaku had disappeared from Konoha and that his disappearance might be connected to Uchiha Tokino.
• Nawaki said people suspected Uchiha Tokino had survived and that Brother Aizen might not be dead either, shocking Tsunade.

Tsunade agreed to return with Nawaki and confront Konoha’s elders after he suggested Aizen might still be alive. Meanwhile, Sakumo trained Sasuke in swordsmanship and ended the session by meeting an unidentified person on a secluded street.

• Tsunade concealed her reaction to Nawaki’s suspicion that Big Brother Aizen was still alive, then agreed to see what the elders were planning.
• Sasuke continued exhausting sword practice under the moonlight, but Sakumo told him to stop for the night.
• Sakumo explained that physical strength and swordsmanship could keep a ninja alive when chakra ran out, then disarmed Sasuke to correct his basic grip.
• Sakumo promised to teach Sasuke new techniques the next day, and Sasuke left after reflecting on his training.
• Sakumo walked through a shabby street in Konoha, stopped beneath a dim light, and addressed someone waiting there.

Kakashi spoke with Sakumo about his reasons for training Sasuke and reassured him that Naruto was under Jiraiya’s protection. The scene shifted to Root Base, where the Third Hokage confronted Danzo about cultivating the First’s cells.

• Kakashi told Sakumo that Sasuke had returned home and asked why Sakumo had chosen to train him.
• Sakumo explained that Sasuke’s perseverance and Uchiha heritage made his training important, and that helping him was a way to make amends.
• Kakashi said Jiraiya was secretly protecting Naruto and that he felt little pressure, then thanked Sakumo for helping Sasuke and left.
• Sakumo stood alone beneath the streetlight and murmured that the village’s old roots remained stubbornly in place.
• The Third Hokage confronted Danzo at Root Base over reports that Root was cultivating the First’s cells and demanded an explanation.

Sarutobi confronted Danzo over Root Base’s experiments, but Danzo showed the advisers his damaged, corpse-like arm and claimed it was the result of an unsuccessful attempt to cultivate replacement cells. After Sarutobi apologized and left, Danzo secretly replaced the arm with a living one, revealing the Senju Clan’s cells had given him renewed vitality.

• Sarutobi demanded that Danzo explain the allegations about experiments at Root Base, but Danzo denied them and insisted there was no conclusive evidence.
• Sarutobi ordered Danzo to unwrap his right arm, and Danzo revealed its dark, bluish-gray appearance.
• Danzo said Root Base had tried to cultivate replacement cells, but the technology was immature and the arm could barely move.
• Sarutobi apologized to Danzo, refused to identify the person who had reported him, and promised compensation for Root Base before leaving with the Anbu.
• Danzo went to Root Base’s laboratory, tore off his damaged arm, and attached a young, living arm from an ice block.
• Danzo tested his renewed strength and remarked on the covetous gift of the Senju Clan.

Naruto completed the first stage of Rasengan training under Jiraiya and began the next stage, while Tsunade and Nawaki returned to the Senju Clan. The chapter left Tsunade preparing to face the clan elders.

• Naruto burst a water balloon after a week of training, completing the first stage of Rasengan practice.
• Jiraiya urged Naruto to begin the second stage, and Naruto hurried to train with the rubber balls.
• Jiraiya considered speaking with Minato and Kushina about giving Naruto more attention.
• Tsunade and Nawaki approached the Senju Clan residence as the chapter described Konoha's political factions and the decline of its great clans.
• Tsunade said she would return to the Senju Clan before its elders could slander her.

In a hidden laboratory in the Land of Rain, Ukon and the others watched children undergo Hollow conversion and learned that Kimimaro was being tested by Aizen. Kimimaro admitted he could barely bring himself to attack Aizen, leaving the reason for his hesitation unresolved.

• Ukon and Sakon observed the thirty-first child survive the Hollow conversion and went to report the success to Lady Kazumi.
• Ukon found Kidomaru, Jirobo, and Tayuya secretly trying to see what had become of Kimimaro.
• The group watched from a high platform as Kimimaro, now a Hollow, faced Aizen in a test of his Kaguya Clan powers.
• Aizen urged Kimimaro to attack and assured him there would be no consequences for Orochimaru.
• Kimimaro told Aizen that a strange feeling made it difficult for him to perform any attack against him.

Aizen asked Kimimaro to demonstrate his bone-manipulating power after Hollowfication, and Kimimaro's immense strength surprised the Sound Four. After confirming that the transformation had cured Kimimaro's illness, Aizen told him to help bring about a new era and ordered the Sound Four to spar with him.

• Aizen asked Kimimaro to show the power of the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku, and Kimimaro removed his shirt and manifested bones from his body.
• Kimimaro struck the ground with a massive bone, creating a crater nearly a hundred meters wide and leaving the Sound Four stunned by his strength.
• Aizen considered why Kimimaro's power exceeded expectations and praised his potential after Hollowfication.
• Aizen confirmed that Kimimaro's illness had disappeared, and Kimimaro said he would have more time to assist Aizen and Orochimaru.
• Aizen told Kimimaro to help transform the world before they focused on eternal life, then ordered the Sound Four to spar with him.