Chapter Summaries

Tsunade led her group into a vast underground complex and wondered if the dead man she remembered was connected to it. Inside the laboratory, Orochimaru gave Shimura Kazumi the DX-G3 Hollowfication reagent, the most powerful and difficult-to-use version yet.

• Tsunade and Nawaki led the ninjas through a dark passage and discovered a huge underground complex beneath the plains.
• Tsunade wondered if the complex belonged to the man she believed had died, then ordered the group to continue into the laboratory.
• Orochimaru and Shimura Kazumi discussed the children gathered outside the laboratory, who were destined to become part of Las Noches.
• Orochimaru said Hollows would overwhelm any force opposing Aizen and handed Kazumi the DX-G3 reagent.
• Orochimaru explained that DX-G3 had a very low success rate but was expected to surpass the earlier Hollowfication reagents.

Orochimaru explained that DX-G3 was developed to help children gain Hollow-like talents from the start, and Kazumi was touched to learn Aizen had requested one for her. Meanwhile, Gin Ichimaru confronted Hidan in the Land of Rivers and pierced his chest with Shinso, only to seem disappointed when the fight ended too quickly.

• Orochimaru told Kazumi that DX-G3 was created to develop rare abilities in children and that Aizen had arranged one for her.
• Kazumi pressed the vial to her chest, moved by the thought that Aizen had been thinking of her.
• Kazumi and Orochimaru sensed an intruder, and Orochimaru said Kimimaro and the others had gone to meet the enemy while the children should experience battle.
• Gin Ichimaru faced Hidan in a rainy forest clearing and said he had come to take Hidan's head back to a certain lord.
• Hidan threatened Gin in the name of Lord Jashin, but Gin used Shinso to pierce Hidan's chest and remarked that he had only just become interested.

Gin fought Hidan in the rain, but discovered that Hidan survived even devastating wounds and seemed to possess an immortal body. Hidan taunted Gin to keep attacking, promising that he would eventually return the pain.

• Gin pierced Hidan's chest with Shinso, but Hidan laughed and revealed that the wound had not stopped him.
• Hidan attacked Gin with his chained Bloody Triple-Bladed Scythe, while Gin steadily parried and advanced.
• Gin used Shinso: Dancing Step to leave Hidan riddled with holes, but Hidan stood back up despite his injuries.
• Gin struck Hidan with a punch, and Hidan reveled in the pain and urged Gin to continue attacking.
• Gin asked what kept Hidan going, and Hidan challenged him to keep fighting until he could repay the pain twice over.

Gin brutally beat the immortal Hidan while Aizen and Kakuzu watched, and Hidan finally used Gin’s blood to activate his curse technique. The chapter ended with Hidan standing inside a blood-red ritual pattern and preparing to make Gin suffer.

• Gin put away Shinso and relentlessly punched Hidan, calling him a punching bag and saying he would recommend him to Aizen.
• Aizen watched with Kakuzu and praised Hidan’s endurance, though he wanted to see Hidan’s curse technique.
• Hidan kept trying to rise despite Gin’s beating, then grabbed Gin’s ankle and slashed it to draw blood before Gin kicked him away.
• Hidan licked Gin’s blood from the iron rod and shifted into position while Gin watched without stopping him.
• Hidan taunted Gin, declared he would repay his pain, and activated a blood-red pattern beneath his feet.

Hidan activated his Curse Technique, linking his injuries to Gin and piercing his own wrist to wound Gin. Gin realized the blood symbol likely powered the technique and approached Hidan, who pulled out the spike when Gin failed to react with pain.

• Gin sensed a threat from Hidan and urged him to reveal his technique.
• Hidan invoked Lord Jashin and activated Curse Technique... Death Possession by Blood while standing in the blood symbol.
• Hidan pierced his own right wrist with a black iron spike, causing a matching wound to appear on Gin's wrist.
• Gin noticed that Hidan's injuries were mirrored in him and that the wound resisted his High-Speed Regeneration.
• Gin suspected the blood symbol was essential to Hidan's technique and moved toward him as Hidan pulled out the spike.

Gin recovered from Hidan’s ritual wounds, released Shinso’s Bankai, and overwhelmed him with spiritual pressure. Hidan was forced to kneel as Gin spoke with Captain Aizen, leaving him terrified by the power of the two men.

• Hidan repeatedly stabbed himself to inflict matching wounds on Gin, but Gin’s injuries rapidly healed.
• Hidan tried to stab his own heart, but Gin released Shinso’s Bankai and knocked the iron spike from his hand.
• Gin’s overwhelming energy frightened Hidan as he approached and demanded to know what Gin had done.
• Gin told Hidan to kneel, then pressed him flat against the ground with spiritual pressure.
• Gin warned Hidan not to anger Captain Aizen, and Aizen remarked that Gin had recovered enough to use spiritual pressure proficiently.

Aizen revealed himself to Hidan and asked him to join his squad, then transformed into a godlike form that overwhelmed him. Hidan knelt and asked whether Aizen was a god, and Aizen replied that he would like to kill one himself.

• Gin released Hidan from the pressure holding him down after Aizen asked him to.
• Aizen introduced himself to Hidan as Sosuke Aizen, but Hidan doubted his identity because he believed the former master of Las Noches had died.
• Kakuzu emerged from the forest and dismissed Hidan as an idiot, confirming he was allied with Aizen and Gin.
• Hidan refused to join Aizen, declaring his loyalty to Akatsuki and Lord Jashin.
• Aizen transformed before Hidan, revealing a glowing azure crystal and a towering, godlike presence, then explained that he wanted Hidan's ability to help remake the shinobi world.
• Hidan knelt and asked if Aizen was a god, and Aizen said he would like to kill a god himself and asked whether Hidan knew one.

Aizen used Hidan’s faith in Jashin to infer that a divine being might exist, then subdued Hidan with Kyoka Suigetsu and changed his plans. The chapter ended by shifting to a battle in an underground space beneath the Land of Rain.

• Aizen devastated a vast stretch of forest to warn Hidan against ignoring him, then asked Hidan about the god he worshipped.
• Hidan identified Jashin as a god of fear and pain and explained that sacrifices let worshippers sense Jashin’s power.
• Aizen returned to his normal appearance, and Hidan mistook him for the god he had just seen; Gin and Kakuzu prepared to intervene.
• Aizen concluded that Hidan’s fanaticism could help him find evidence of other beings, then hypnotized Hidan with Kyoka Suigetsu and knocked him unconscious.
• Aizen changed the plan so Kakuzu would undergo Hollow transformation first, while he postponed deciding what to do with Hidan.
• Beneath the Land of Rain, a figure covered in white bone slammed into a stone pillar during an ongoing battle.

Tsunade confronted Kimimaro in an underground laboratory, where his bone-manipulating Kekkei Genkai let him withstand her immense strength. As Nawaki led the other ninjas into the laboratory to gather intelligence, Tsunade demanded that Kimimaro reveal where Orochimaru was hiding.

• Kimimaro identified Tsunade as one of the Sannin and claimed his strength surpassed hers only in comparison to Orochimaru.
• Tsunade attacked Kimimaro, and the two collided in midair with their fists, astonishing the watching ninjas.
• Nawaki ordered the ninjas to enter the laboratory and gather intelligence while Tsunade handled Kimimaro.
• Tsunade and Kimimaro were both knocked back; Kimimaro's Ash Bones crumbled, while Tsunade healed her injured fist.
• Tsunade asked Kimimaro where Orochimaru was hiding and vowed not to let him escape again.

Tsunade faced Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo in the underground laboratory after the two arrived to help Kimimaro. As the trio prepared to use a new power given to them, Tsunade sensed a strange oppressive force and realized Orochimaru’s research might be more dangerous than she had expected.

• Tayuya and Jugo arrived, saying Sakon, Ukon, and Kidomaru had stopped the other attackers, and Kimimaro agreed to fight Tsunade with them.
• Tsunade struck at Tayuya, but Tayuya summoned Rage Oni to block the attack, while Jugo charged in and was sent flying by Tsunade’s kick.
• Kimimaro calmed Jugo and told him and Tayuya to reveal the new power bestowed on them by someone else.
• Tayuya, Jugo, and Kimimaro surrounded Tsunade, who sensed a strange oppressive force from them and wondered what Orochimaru was researching.

Jiraiya ambushed Naruto during training to test his readiness, then warned him to remain inside Konoha because a threat far more dangerous than Akatsuki might appear. He revealed that the forbidden name Aizen belonged to the Fourth Hokage, Sosuke.

• Naruto fought a masked ninja using clones and Rasengan, but the attacker was Jiraiya testing him in disguise.
• Jiraiya praised Naruto's progress, then warned that a real enemy seeking the Nine-Tails could have killed him.
• Jiraiya ordered Naruto to stay within Konoha's protected area and train in the village because a dangerous threat might be coming.
• Jiraiya told Naruto to flee if he encountered the name Aizen and revealed that Aizen and the Fourth Hokage, Sosuke, were the same person.

Jiraiya told Naruto about Aizen’s past and his ambition to end war, leaving Naruto conflicted as they hurried toward Konoha. An ominous sign appeared in the sky, while a group gathered around a man in a black building in the Land of Rivers.

• Naruto asked Jiraiya why Aizen’s name was forbidden, and Jiraiya identified him as the master of Las Noches and urged Naruto to return to Konoha.
• Jiraiya agreed to explain Aizen’s history on the way back, and Naruto followed him toward the village.
• Naruto condemned Aizen for deception and war, while Jiraiya admitted his own anger had softened as he reflected on Aizen’s plan to reform the world.
• Jiraiya questioned whether they had been right to oppose Aizen and regretted not trying to persuade him more patiently.
• An eagle cried overhead, giving Jiraiya an ominous feeling, and he hurried Naruto toward Konoha.
• In the Land of Rivers, people gathered around a man in a dark hall while several bound ninja trembled nearby.

Aizen had Hidan perform his Jashin ritual in the hall so he could investigate whether the god Hidan worshipped truly existed. As the ritual took hold, Nagato and Gin sensed an approaching presence, and Aizen prepared to face the first invader from beyond the world.

• Aizen read a report about the Jashin Cult and revealed that he intended to use Hidan to investigate Jashin.
• Nagato declared that Hidan no longer belonged to the Akatsuki, while Aizen told him to reconnect with Jashin's power.
• Kakuzu brought captured ninjas forward, and Hidan began his blood ritual by cursing one of them and stabbing himself.
• Nagato and Gin sensed a presence arriving, and Aizen stood and addressed the truth on the other side of the world.
• A brilliant blue radiance burst from Aizen's chest as he prepared to meet the first invader.

Aizen transformed and confronted the entity Hidan worshipped as Jashin, easily blocking its attacks with Danku. As a more powerful presence began to emerge, Aizen ordered the others to leave so he could fight alone.

• Aizen released a vast power, transformed, and challenged the presence in the darkness to appear.
• A giant claw of blood and negative emotions emerged, driving the captured ninjas and some of Las Noches into a frenzy until Nagato calmed them.
• Aizen blocked two attacks from the bloody claw with Danku, leaving Hidan convinced that Aizen was a true god.
• The darkness shook as a more terrifying entity prepared to emerge, and Aizen ordered everyone to retreat.
• Gin urged Nagato and the others to obey Aizen and leave so they could watch his battle from safety.

Aizen faced a mysterious being emerging from a mass of dark matter after Nagato and the others escaped the collapsing hall. The figure introduced himself as Jia Jin, while Hidan recognized him as Jashin.

• Nagato and the others took Hidan out of the dark hall as space warped and the building collapsed.
• Aizen confronted the black mass in the sky and destroyed the storm of black lightning it sent at him.
• The being inside the dark mass emerged as a pale, slender figure, leaving Nagato and the others stunned.
• Hidan hailed the figure as Lord Jashin, and the figure identified him as his last remaining believer.
• The figure greeted Aizen and introduced himself as Jia Jin.

Aizen confronted Jia Jin, who revealed himself as the self-proclaimed evil god and blamed humanity and the gods for his failed efforts to end the world's strife. Jia Jin transformed and attacked Aizen, who calmly blocked his blows as the others watched.

• Jia Jin introduced himself to Aizen and explained that he had called himself an evil god in an attempt to resolve the world's chaos.
• Aizen called Jia Jin's efforts a failure, and Jia Jin insisted that he had not failed even though the people could not be saved.
• Jia Jin transformed, formed a huge scythe from his blood, and blamed the world's people and the gods for his actions.
• Jia Jin launched a fierce scythe assault, but Aizen calmly blocked each strike with Kyoka Suigetsu.
• Hidan watched the battle in awe, while the others recognized the power behind Jia Jin's attacks.

Gin told Nagato and the others that the Aizen they trusted had changed from the ruthless captain he once knew, and admitted he hoped to see Rangiku again by believing in him. Above them, Aizen continued fighting Jia Jin, who transformed his body after absorbing blood mist.

• Gin asked Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and Kakuzu what Aizen meant to them, and they described him as family, a caring older brother, a strict father, and a leader who inspired them to reform the shinobi world.
• Nagato challenged Gin when he implied that their view of Aizen was incomplete, and Gin recalled that many loyal followers in his former world had died at Aizen’s hands.
• Gin explained that the former Aizen treated subordinates as disposable tools, but said the Aizen they knew had changed enough that even Gin could believe in him and hope to see Rangiku again.
• Aizen sent Jia Jin flying during their battle, then mocked him for failing to make him respond seriously.
• Jia Jin turned his crimson scythe into blood mist, inhaled it, and transformed his body as Aizen raised Kyoka Suigetsu and prepared for his next move.

Aizen tested Jia Jin’s curse and discovered that the Blood Mist Curse Kill only worked within the blood mist, so he escaped its range. Jia Jin taunted him from inside the mist, but Aizen began gathering power in the sky, leaving Jia Jin shaken by the threat he sensed.

• Jia Jin pulled a crimson spike from his body and used it to inflict matching wounds on Aizen through the Blood Mist Curse Kill.
• Aizen used Kyoka Suigetsu to confuse Jia Jin, then attacked him from behind and realized injuries to Jia Jin’s body were reflected on his own.
• Aizen deduced that the blood mist was the medium for Jia Jin’s curse and moved several hundred meters away, beyond its range.
• Jia Jin claimed Aizen could no longer harm him outside the blood mist, but Aizen called his body fragile and began raising one arm in the sky.
• Jia Jin sensed an overwhelming threat from Aizen’s movements and stepped back in fear.

Aizen trapped Jashin in a colossal Kurohitsugi, overpowering his black lightning and leaving him broken inside the prison. Jashin escaped only by hurling his cone through the closing barrier, and Aizen decided to accept him as an ally as the Kurohitsugi collapsed.

• Jashin summoned black Punishment Lightning: Hell, but Aizen cast Hado #90: Kurohitsugi and engulfed him in a vast field of darkness.
• Gin identified Kurohitsugi as one of Aizen's strongest high-level Kido techniques, while Nagato and the others watched in fear.
• Jashin's black lightning vanished against the rising black cubes, and he hurled his cone through a narrowing gap in the prison.
• Aizen watched the cone escape and said Jashin was qualified, deciding to accept him because he needed greater strength to return.
• Inside the Kurohitsugi, Jashin crouched and repeatedly insisted that what happened was not his fault.
• Aizen said Jashin was a false god and walked on as the Kurohitsugi collapsed into violet light.

After defeating Jashin, Aizen discovered through Hidan that Jashin had survived and offered to recruit him rather than kill him. As the group followed Hidan into the forest, Aizen urged them to pursue their shared wish together, while Gin realized his century-long hatred was giving way to trust.

• Aizen returned unharmed after destroying Jashin with a fully incanted Kurohitsugi and told the group that few could surpass Jashin's strength.
• Aizen asked Hidan to sense Jashin's whereabouts, and Hidan found a faint trace of Jashin's presence in the darkness.
• Hidan hesitated to reveal Jashin's location, but Aizen promised not to attack him and said he wanted to invite him into their organization.
• Hidan led Aizen, Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and Gin toward the forest where Jashin was hiding.
• Gin explained that Aizen valued Jashin's rare strength and reminded the others that Aizen had forgiven even Gin, who had once nearly killed him.
• Aizen called on the group to follow him toward their shared wish, and Gin recognized that his hatred was fading into trust.