Chapter Summaries

Kisame and Itachi continued adjusting to their new Hollow powers while Ulquiorra sensed Aizen fighting in the north. Aizen’s group found the exhausted Jashin Jia Jin and offered him a chance to join their effort to reform the world, which he angrily rejected.

• Kisame struggled to control his increased power, and Ulquiorra told him and Itachi to focus on mastering their transformations.
• Itachi sensed a powerful battle to the north, and Ulquiorra recognized Lord Aizen’s energy and said Gin Ichimaru could support him.
• Aizen led Hidan, Nagato, and Konan to the forest where Hidan had sensed Jashin.
• Nagato and Konan tracked Jashin to a tree hollow, where they found him weakened and emerging as a mass of flesh.
• Aizen offered Jashin Jia Jin a place in his ranks to help reform the world, but Jia Jin rejected the proposal and demanded to be killed.

Aizen challenged Jia Jin’s belief that only gods could end war, prompting Jia Jin to remember the suffering that had turned him into Jashin. The memory revealed how he founded his cult, while the blood and misery of its followers continued to empower him.

• Jia Jin rejected Aizen’s offer to join him, and Nagato offered to kill Jia Jin before Aizen ordered him back into place.
• Jia Jin recognized Nagato’s Rinnegan as the Sage’s legendary eyes and wondered whether the gods had not abandoned the world after all.
• Aizen asked Jia Jin why he had not tried to unite the continent and rule it himself, unsettling Jia Jin’s conviction that only gods could end war.
• Jia Jin recalled his master sharing food with him during wartime and dying before the war ended.
• As an adult, Jia Jin repeatedly stabbed himself while praying for peace, but blood flowing from his body also pierced and killed starving refugees.
• After bandits assaulted the temple and its refugees, Jia Jin’s faith collapsed, and he became Jashin, founding a cult whose followers’ blood and negative emotions empowered him.

Jia Jin recalled the wars and suffering of his era and doubted that a united world could escape another cycle of collapse. Aizen persuaded him that his rule would prevent that fate, and Jia Jin joined Las Noches, entrusting Aizen with his wish to take the world under his command.

• Jia Jin said that war and suffering had persisted across eras and that even a united continent would eventually fall apart.
• Jia Jin declared that he could no longer bear to witness the cycle and would rather die.
• Aizen claimed that his nation would never repeat the failures of others and that the world would obey his commands.
• Jia Jin admitted that he believed Aizen might succeed and accepted his offer to join.
• Jia Jin bowed before Aizen and begged him to take the world under his command and show mercy to its people.
• Aizen welcomed Jia Jin to Las Noches.

Aizen restored Jia Jin to his original form and brought him into the group before departing with Nagato and the others. Meanwhile, Tsunade struggled to break past Kimimaro and his allies at Orochimaru’s research facility as screams came from inside.

• Jia Jin pledged himself to Aizen, who restored his body and welcomed him into the group.
• Aizen assigned Hidan to guide Jia Jin and led the others away from the forest.
• Tsunade fought Jugo, Kimimaro, and Tayuya, but Kimimaro’s rapid recovery prevented her from gaining the advantage.
• Kimimaro declared that his group only needed to hold Tsunade back from entering the research facility.
• Tsunade heard her squad members screaming inside the facility, while Kimimaro said the people within would deal with them.

Tsunade faced Kimimaro and the others outside while Nawaki confronted Orochimaru in the underground laboratory after the Konoha ninja accompanying him were slaughtered. When Orochimaru questioned Nawaki’s loyalty, Nawaki used Wood Release to bind Orochimaru’s attackers, leaving Orochimaru still watching with amusement.

• Tsunade struggled to get past Kimimaro and his companions and hoped Nawaki could handle what awaited underground.
• Nawaki stood among the dead Konoha ninja and confronted Orochimaru as Kidomaru, Sakon, and the others watched warily.
• Nawaki bound Orochimaru with a tree trunk, and Orochimaru questioned whether Nawaki intended to betray Aizen for Konoha.
• Kidomaru, Jirobo, and Sakon moved to attack Nawaki, but Nawaki unleashed Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.
• Nawaki’s vines knocked Jirobo aside and trapped Kidomaru and the other attackers, while Orochimaru watched without concern.

Nawaki confronted Orochimaru in the underground laboratory, furious that he had used Aizen’s name and determined to destroy the facility and kill him. As Nawaki crushed Orochimaru and his captives with tree roots, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Jirobo and Ukon awakened strange powers and broke free to attack him.

• Nawaki bound Orochimaru, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Jirobo and Ukon with trees summoned by Deep Forest Emergence.
• Orochimaru taunted Nawaki by bringing up Aizen, and Nawaki said he would destroy the laboratory and kill him for misusing Aizen’s name.
• Nawaki explained that he had brought Tsunade to seize influence in Konoha and ease Aizen’s worries before his return.
• Nawaki used the tree roots to crush Orochimaru and the others, but Kidomaru, Sakon, Jirobo, and Ukon unleashed power from their Hollow Holes and broke free.
• Nawaki attacked the three white figures with Wood Release: Adamantine Wood Ingot, and they charged through the trees toward him.

Nawaki fought Jirobo and Kidomaru after they underwent strange transformations, then summoned a massive Wood Golem. Jirobo shattered the golem’s foot with a single punch, forcing Nawaki to retreat as he realized his opponents’ strength had changed dramatically.

• Jirobo broke free of Nawaki’s wooden restraints, revealing pale bone armor, while transformed Kidomaru attacked Nawaki with a bone spear from the ceiling.
• Nawaki stopped focusing on Orochimaru’s fate and summoned the Wood Human Technique, rising atop a wooden giant.
• The Wood Golem attacked Kidomaru, but Kidomaru evaded the blow by scuttling across the rock face.
• Jirobo punched the Wood Golem’s right foot and shattered it, causing the giant to fall.
• Nawaki escaped from the falling Wood Golem, wary of approaching Jirobo’s unexpectedly powerful form.

Nawaki fought Jirobo and Kidomaru while trying to learn what had changed them and locate Orochimaru. He unleashed True: Deep Forest Emergence, catching Sakon and Ukon in its vines, and the chapter ended with an author notice that updates would resume tomorrow.

• Jirobo smashed Nawaki’s wooden giant and advanced with Kidomaru, forcing Nawaki to face them both.
• Nawaki asked what had happened to them and where Sakon was, but Kidomaru said they did not know and boasted of his new power.
• Kidomaru formed a bone spear and hurled it at Nawaki, who blocked it with Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall.
• Nawaki decided he could not afford to delay while Orochimaru remained missing and began preparing a stronger technique.
• Nawaki used True: Deep Forest Emergence, and vines suddenly bound Sakon and Ukon and slammed them to the ground.
• The author’s notice said updates would resume tomorrow.

Nawaki used Wood Release to bind Jirobo, Kidomaru, and the others, draining their strength as he prepared to destroy the underground facility. Orochimaru appeared and revealed that Aizen had directed the experiments, leaving Nawaki shocked and disbelieving.

• Nawaki used Wood Release branches to bind Jirobo and Kidomaru, which drained their strength as they struggled.
• Nawaki said he would destroy the facility and confronted Orochimaru, who emerged from the ground alive.
• Nawaki accused Orochimaru of exploiting Aizen's name to conduct inhumane experiments and vowed to kill everyone there.
• Orochimaru challenged Nawaki's understanding of his motives and said Aizen had directed the experiments not long ago.
• Nawaki reacted with shock and disbelief to Orochimaru's revelation.

Orochimaru told Nawaki that Aizen had returned after fifteen years and had ordered the events at the underground laboratory, but Nawaki refused to believe him and attacked in a fury. As Orochimaru summoned snakes to contain Nawaki’s Wood Release, a voice announced Captain Aizen’s arrival amid the destruction.

• Orochimaru told Nawaki that Aizen had recently returned and ordered everything, leaving Nawaki stunned and disbelieving.
• Nawaki accused Orochimaru of lying and unleashed his Wood Release, tearing through the underground laboratory and attacking him.
• Orochimaru dodged Nawaki’s attacks with a clone and summoned countless snakes to stop the advancing trees.
• Nawaki remained torn between believing Orochimaru and fearing another false hope as the laboratory crumbled around him.
• Orochimaru prepared a vial of white reagent, but a voice called out that Captain Aizen had arrived after the civil war.

Aizen returned to the ruined underground space and reunited with Nawaki, who broke down in tears after hearing Aizen promise he would not leave again. As the others recovered and watched, Orochimaru turned his attention back to studying Hollows, while Gin reflected on how much Aizen had changed.

• Gin emerged and stepped aside as Aizen approached the underground ruins.
• Nawaki recognized Aizen, and Aizen told him he had grown up and apologized for being gone so long.
• Nawaki collapsed and sobbed as Aizen promised he would not leave again.
• The trees binding Kidomaru and the others shattered, freeing them from their unconscious state.
• Orochimaru ignored their questions and resolved to continue investigating Hollows.
• Gin remarked that Aizen had changed, suggesting his earlier gentleness might have prevented them from ending up in this world.

Aizen arrived at the underground research facility and stopped the battle, then considered revealing Las Noches to the Ninja World after its experiment was completed. He asked Nawaki to choose between staying in Konoha and returning to Las Noches, warning that his decision would determine Tsunade’s fate.

• Aizen ended the battle and reassured Nawaki that he did not blame him for attacking the facility.
• Aizen proposed revealing Las Noches to the Ninja World and recruiting new members now that the experiment was complete.
• Orochimaru reported that Kidomaru, Sakon, and the others had mutated during the battle and could not remember what happened.
• Kazumi suggested reviewing the facility’s surveillance footage, and Aizen postponed revealing Las Noches until they investigated the mutations.
• Aizen asked Nawaki whether he would remain in Konoha or return to Las Noches, saying his choice would decide Tsunade’s fate.

Aizen tasked Nawaki with taking Tsunade away and preventing Konoha shinobi from becoming enemies of Las Noches. Outside the cave, Tsunade confronted Kimimaro and the others and asked Nawaki what he had discovered inside.

• Nawaki accepted Aizen’s order to take Tsunade away and help keep Konoha shinobi from resisting Las Noches.
• Aizen told Orochimaru to begin researching Kidomaru and the others, then declined to meet Tsunade after fifteen years apart.
• Orochimaru took Kidomaru and Jirobo into the underground laboratory, while Gin stayed behind and heard violent booms outside.
• Tsunade stood among enormous roots facing Kimimaro and the others as Nawaki emerged from the cave.
• Tsunade assured Nawaki she was unharmed, then asked whether he had found anything in the cave.

Nawaki and Tsunade tried to retreat after learning Orochimaru was behind the attack, but Kimimaro unleashed a massive bone technique to stop them. As Gin watched from hiding and linked Tsunade to Aizen’s change, Kimimaro vanished beneath the wooden net and threatened them again.

• Nawaki confirmed Orochimaru was behind the incident, and Tsunade angrily accepted his decision to retreat with the intelligence.
• Kimimaro sent Tayuya and Jugo into the cave to check on Orochimaru, then declared he would not let Nawaki and Tsunade leave.
• Nawaki raised himself and Tsunade on branches, but Kimimaro used Dance of the Seedling Fern to fill the area with enormous bone spikes.
• Gin watched from hiding, noted Kimimaro’s change, and identified Tsunade as the root cause of Captain Aizen’s change.
• Nawaki cast Wood Release: Rockwood Net Binding to block the rising bones, but Kimimaro vanished and shouted at them to stay.

Tsunade and Nawaki escaped the underground laboratory after Tsunade defeated Kimimaro, while Gin caught the fallen Kimimaro and explained that Aizen had deliberately let them go. On the surface, Nawaki told Tsunade about Orochimaru’s experiments but hid his meeting with Aizen and resolved to bring Konoha under his control.

• Kimimaro attacked Tsunade and Nawaki with Bracken Dance, but Tsunade shattered his bone spike with a punch and knocked him down.
• Tsunade urged Nawaki to leave, and he carried them out of the underground cavern through a passage made by smashing through the ceiling.
• Gin caught Kimimaro before he hit the ground and told him that Aizen had returned and had intentionally let Nawaki go.
• Tsunade questioned Nawaki about the laboratory, and he reported Orochimaru’s experiments on children and said he had been unable to defeat Orochimaru.
• Nawaki concealed his meeting with Aizen and privately resolved to take control of Konoha so it would not obstruct Las Noches.

Aizen and Orochimaru investigated the unexplained transformations in Kimimaro and the Sound Four, with Aizen comparing them to Arrancar and Visored phenomena. After Gin asked about the remaining Tailed Beasts, Aizen agreed to summon them into the world before their reason was discovered.

• Kidomaru told Kimimaro that he and the others had forgotten what happened during their battle with Senju Nawaki, prompting Kimimaro to recall his own fight with Tsunade and Nawaki.
• Orochimaru and Kazumi analyzed blood samples while Aizen told Gin that Kimimaro's changes resembled Arrancar maturation and the Sound Four's resembled uncontrolled Hollowfication.
• Aizen said the transformations might be like the Visored experiments, with Hollows briefly emerging from within a Death God's body.
• Gin told Aizen that Nagato's side had prepared three Tailed Beasts and urged him to summon the remaining ones.
• Gin said he wanted to help Aizen succeed and return to the Soul Society so they could reunite with trusted companions, and Aizen agreed to summon them.

The chapter provided a reference guide to the Espada, their ranks, powers, histories, and related Arrancar terminology. It ended with an incomplete entry on Grimmjow’s Fracción, Yylfordt Granz.

• The guide explained that Aizen’s Espada were the ten strongest Arrancar, ranked by killing ability and associated with ten aspects of death.
• It described the Espada’s rules and techniques, including Resurrección, Cero, Negacion, and Garganta.
• It profiled the current and former Espada, recounting their abilities, rivalries, and defeats.
• It covered the Exequias, other Arrancar, Privaron Espada, and the Espada’s Fracción.
• The final entry began describing Yylfordt Granz but ended before his profile was complete.

Konoha’s leaders debated whether Senju Nawaki could join the Konoha Military Police Force, with Ritsu Kugi warning of Nawaki’s past ties to Las Noches. Kato Shizune and Hyuga Hiashi defended Nawaki’s contributions and character, and the vote approved his appointment.

• Ritsu Kugi opposed Nawaki’s appointment, citing his former membership in Las Noches and questioning his sudden interest in village affairs.
• Kato Shizune supported Nawaki, explaining that he had taught Konoha’s Medical Team the Rain Dew Technique.
• Hyuga Hiashi praised Nawaki for helping his daughter Hinata improve, describing him as reliable and trustworthy.
• Minato called for an anonymous vote, and Nawaki’s appointment passed with 74 percent support.

Nawaki told Tsunade he intended to join the Konoha Military Police Force as a first step toward improving the village, and admitted he might someday seek the Hokage position. He left Tsunade intent on uncovering who had been targeting the Senju Clan, while Nawaki’s renewed hope after seeing Aizen again drove his ambitions.

• Tsunade questioned why Nawaki wanted to join the Konoha Military Police Force, and he said he wanted to revive the Senju Clan.
• Tsunade encouraged Nawaki and suggested he could become the Sixth Hokage, but he said he would start with the Military Police Force and see whether he was capable of doing more.
• Nawaki explained that he hoped to make Konoha better, while privately thinking that the village stood in the way of Aizen’s advance toward world peace.
• Tsunade told Nawaki that she had submitted his application and that the Fifth Hokage and others had convened to discuss it.
• Tsunade said she would use the discussion to find out who had been targeting the Senju Clan, while Nawaki reflected that seeing Aizen again had given him new hope and made him willing to become Hokage.

After backing Nawaki, Shizune faced threats from Ritsu Kugi and resolved to investigate the forces behind him. Tsunade praised Shizune’s strategic ability to Nawaki, while the next steps remained in her hands.

• Ritsu Kugi accused Shizune of supporting the Senju Clan and threatened the Kato Clan, but Shizune stood by her support for Nawaki and Tsunade.
• Small-clan representatives quietly comforted Shizune, who remembered Tsunade’s help in restoring the Kato Clan and reaffirmed her loyalty to her.
• Shizune decided to investigate the forces behind Ritsu Kugi and vowed not to let their hostility toward Tsunade’s clan go unanswered.
• Nawaki asked Tsunade about Shizune, and Tsunade explained that she was now the Kato Clan head and would arrange their next steps.
• Tsunade described Shizune as possessing the intellect of a general, and Nawaki relaxed after hearing her assessment.