Chapter Summaries

Ryusuke escorted the Land of Birds noble through the Land of Fire and the rainy Land of Rain, then encountered Kakuzu and Hidan at a teahouse. After the pair targeted the Hyuga shinobi for their Byakugan, Ryusuke stopped the convoy and prepared to face them.

• Ryusuke led Team 3 and Team 8 on the noble’s slow journey, which took ten days to leave the Land of Fire and five more to cross the Land of Rain.
• The convoy stopped at a Land of Birds teahouse run by Kakuzu and Hidan, where Ryusuke and Neji sensed the owners’ powerful chakra.
• After the convoy departed, Kakuzu and Hidan changed into their Akatsuki clothes and pursued the Hyuga shinobi to capture their Byakugan.
• Ryusuke detected the pursuers, sent two Shadow Clones with the convoy, and stayed behind with Team 3 and Team 8.
• Neji deflected Hidan’s scythe with Air Palm, and Ryusuke recognized Kakuzu and Hidan as the Immortal Duo.

Ryusuke’s team ambushed Hidan and Kakuzu, with Rock Lee, Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Tenten overwhelming Hidan while Ryusuke confronted Kakuzu. Ryusuke revealed his Wood Release and trapped Kakuzu in a vast forest, leaving him enclosed by a barrier as the Wood Clones flooded the space with water.

• Hidan attacked Ryusuke’s team, but Rock Lee’s discarded weights struck Hidan and his scythe, while Ryusuke’s water attack forced Kakuzu to dodge.
• Hinata and Hyuga Neji combined Air Palm against Hidan, and Tenten followed with a barrage of ninja tools, but Hidan survived his many wounds.
• Rock Lee launched Hidan with a kick and buried him with the Hidden Lotus as Ryusuke faced Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu boasted that he had fought the First Hokage, and Ryusuke answered by using Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees.
• Kakuzu tried to escape and then attacked the regenerating forest with Fire Release, but Ryusuke’s Wood Release endured and surrounded him with Wood Clones.
• Four Wood Clones raised a Four Violet Flames Formation around Kakuzu, while the remaining clones used Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave to flood the enclosure.

Ryusuke killed Kakuzu with Wood Release after trapping him in a water-filled barrier, while Nagato sensed Kakuzu and Hidan’s deaths from Amegakure. Ryusuke then rescued Rock Lee from Hidan and drained Hidan’s body until he died, leaving the Akatsuki’s Immortal Duo dead.

• Ryusuke’s Wood Release filled the Four Violet Flames Formation with water and bound Kakuzu, draining his chakra before piercing his hearts and killing him.
• Nagato sensed Kakuzu’s chakra disappear, then learned Hidan’s chakra had faded as well; he told Konan to let Zetsu investigate instead of exposing herself.
• Rock Lee battered Hidan with the Eight Gates, but Hidan survived and lunged at the exhausted Lee to obtain his blood.
• Ryusuke returned and bound Hidan with Wood Release: Silent Killing Binding Technique, then pierced his head with a branch.
• Ryusuke’s branch drained Hidan’s chakra and nourishment until he became a dried corpse, confirming the deaths of the Akatsuki’s Immortal Duo.

After Ryusuke killed Kakuzu and Hidan, Black Zetsu identified his Wood Release as genuine and reported it to Obito Uchiha and Nagato, who feared Konoha might uncover Akatsuki’s secrets. Ryusuke fused the chakra-attribute drops from Kakuzu and realized duplicate attributes might strengthen his abilities, while Obito and Black Zetsu began searching for the Wood Release user.

• Ryusuke sealed Hidan’s corpse and led the teams away, explaining that the dead men belonged to an organization of Rank S Missing-nin.
• Black Zetsu found evidence of genuine Wood Release at the battlefield and concluded that the user might be this generation’s reincarnation of Asura.
• Ryusuke fused Kakuzu’s chakra-attribute drops, including Fire Release, and considered using future missions to collect more attributes from other ninjas.
• After escorting the Land of Birds nobles, Ryusuke and the teams began their return to Konoha.
• Black Zetsu told Obito Uchiha and Nagato that a Wood Release ninja had killed Kakuzu and Hidan, and Obito promised to prevent their secrets from being exposed.
• Obito ordered Black Zetsu to investigate Konoha and search across the nations for the Wood Release user, whom Black Zetsu suspected was Asura’s reincarnation.

Ryusuke returned to Konoha, was promoted to chunin, and led reinforcements to pursue Sasuke Uchiha and the Sound Four. After dividing his team to aid the injured Konoha genin, Ryusuke reached Naruto's battle and raced ahead to pursue Sasuke while Gaara went to help Naruto.

• Tsunade promoted Ryusuke to chunin and ordered him to lead Team 3 and Team 8 in support of Nara Shikamaru's pursuit of Sasuke Uchiha.
• Ryusuke's group tracked the search party toward the Land of Rice Fields and encountered Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, who had come to assist Konoha.
• Hinata spotted Choji in critical condition, so Ryusuke sent a Wood Clone with Rock Lee to protect him while the others continued.
• Ryusuke sent Shino, Neji, and Kankuro to aid Shikamaru, then sent Hinata, Tenten, and Temari to support Karin, Sakura, and Ino.
• Ryusuke and Gaara found Naruto attacking an enemy with a crowd of Rasengan-wielding clones, and Ryusuke sensed Sasuke ahead.
• Ryusuke told Gaara to help Naruto, then used the Body Flicker Technique to race after Sasuke.

Ryusuke fought Kimimaro while Naruto continued after Sasuke, then claimed Kimimaro’s Shikotsumyaku after defeating him. Ryusuke headed toward the Valley of the End, while Black Zetsu worried that the gap between this era’s Asura and Indra reincarnations was unusually large.

• Kimimaro stayed behind to let Sasuke escape, and Ryusuke confronted him, revealing that Kimimaro—not Sasuke—was his target.
• Kimimaro unleashed Dance of the Willow, creating a vast forest of bones, while Ryusuke answered with Wood Release and sent Naruto after Sasuke.
• Ryusuke used a Wood Clone and Wood Release: Cutting Technique to pierce Kimimaro, who died apologizing to Orochimaru.
• Ryusuke collected Kimimaro’s Shikotsumyaku, fused it, and gained control over his bones before sealing Kimimaro’s corpse and heading toward the Valley of the End.
• White Zetsu spotted Ryusuke and noted that he carried Kakuzu and Hidan’s corpses, while Black Zetsu feared the power gap between Ryusuke and Sasuke.

Ryusuke watched Sasuke defeat Naruto at the Valley of the End, then regrouped with the others after their battles against the Sound Four. Back in Konoha, Sasuke’s defection left Team 7 shaken, while Sakura resolved to become stronger and Ryusuke prepared to train the girls.

• Sasuke defeated Naruto at the Valley of the End and left him unconscious before departing; Ryusuke sent a concealed Wood Clone after Sasuke and returned to the others.
• Ryusuke found Temari, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Karin, and Tenten after they defeated Tayuya, then praised their efforts and promised to teach Ino and Sakura new ninjutsu.
• Ryusuke joined the others at Shikamaru’s battlefield and told him that Choji had taken the third pill and had been carried back to Konoha with Rock Lee.
• Kakashi returned with Naruto and confirmed through his silence that Sasuke had willingly defected, leaving Team 7 and Sakura distressed.
• The group returned to Konoha, where Shikamaru and Naruto went to the hospital; Sakura asked Ryusuke how she could help, and he encouraged her to train.
• Sakura resolved to pursue strength, and Ryusuke planned to cultivate the girls while turning his attention to more urgent matters.

Ryusuke and Tsunade used Kakuzu and Hidan’s corpses to lure an Akatsuki watcher into revealing himself, and Ryusuke captured a White Zetsu Clone despite its Mayfly Technique. After more than a day of exhausting the clone, Ryusuke obtained the Mayfly Technique and Disguise Technique.

• Ryusuke told Tsunade that he had learned Akatsuki’s membership and abilities from Kakuzu and Hidan, then explained his plan to bait the organization’s watcher.
• Tsunade helped Ryusuke stage the damaged corpses as evidence for Konoha’s Interrogation Department, and a White Zetsu Clone spotted them and fled using the Mayfly Technique.
• Ryusuke’s Wood Release caught and restrained the White Zetsu Clone as it traveled underground, though he initially told Tsunade that it had escaped.
• Black Zetsu recognized that Wood Release could counter the Mayfly Technique and advised White Zetsu to make the other clones more cautious.
• Ryusuke’s Wood Clones repeatedly drained and restored the captured clone until it yielded two blue light clusters containing the Mayfly Technique and Disguise Technique.

Ryusuke used his newly acquired Mayfly Technique and Disguise Technique to detect and capture the White Zetsu Clones monitoring Konoha, then accepted Tsunade’s plan to train Sakura, Hinata, and Ino. He traveled to the Land of Rice Fields, where he immobilized Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto with Wood Release and revealed himself as Senju Ryusuke.

• Ryusuke fused with the Blue Light Cluster to acquire the Mayfly Technique and Disguise Technique, then used his new sensing ability to find and drain the White Zetsu Clones hidden around Konoha.
• Black Zetsu ordered White Zetsu not to send more clones to Konoha, while Ryusuke kept the captured clones alive and stored them in his basement.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade and Ryusuke that he planned to take Naruto to the Land of Rice Fields to investigate Sasuke Uchiha and Orochimaru.
• Ryusuke asked Tsunade to take Sakura as her disciple, and Tsunade also offered to train Hinata and Ino on the condition that Ryusuke cook for her.
• Ryusuke traveled to the Land of Rice Fields and found Orochimaru newly transferred into a replacement body, speaking with Yakushi Kabuto.
• Ryusuke used Wood Release to immobilize Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, introduced himself as Senju Ryusuke, and began draining their chakra.

Ryusuke traded the Reaper Death Seal Mask to Orochimaru for the release and reanimation of the Previous Hokage’s souls so he could speak with them. Guren sacrificed her life to restore Orochimaru’s hands, and Ryusuke warned Orochimaru not to challenge him.

• Ryusuke revealed that the Reaper Death Seal Mask could restore Orochimaru’s hands and offered it in exchange for freeing the Previous Hokage’s souls and reviving them with Impure World Reincarnation.
• Orochimaru accepted the deal, and Yakushi Kabuto went to fetch Guren to serve as the sacrifice.
• Guren willingly put on the mask, and the Death God took her life and soul while returning Orochimaru’s hands and ability to use ninjutsu.
• Ryusuke retrieved the mask from Guren’s corpse and warned Orochimaru that the gap in their strength was vast and he should not court death.

Ryusuke confronted Orochimaru’s revived Hokage and exposed Sarutobi Hiruzen’s failures, then asked the remaining three Hokage for their insights about a dangerous group led by someone with the Rinnegan. The chapter ended as Orochimaru asked whether Ryusuke knew about Pain.

• Orochimaru decided against attacking Ryusuke, restored his original face, and led Ryusuke and Yakushi Kabuto to a chamber where he prepared the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
• Orochimaru reincarnated Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Minato Namikaze from the dead.
• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju speculated that Ryusuke was their descendant after seeing his appearance and Wood Release.
• Ryusuke accused Sarutobi Hiruzen of harming Konoha, suppressing Naruto’s truth, and failing to protect the village’s clans, then asked Orochimaru to release Hiruzen from the technique.
• Ryusuke told the remaining Hokage that Tsunade was the Fifth Hokage and asked for their insights about a group targeting Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki whose leader possessed the Rinnegan.
• Tobirama Senju and Minato Namikaze reacted in shock to the Rinnegan, and Orochimaru asked Ryusuke whether he knew about Pain.

Ryusuke incapacitated Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, then obtained ninjutsu insights from Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze. The three Hokage released themselves from Impure World Reincarnation and departed, while Ryusuke collected Orochimaru’s resurrection materials and escaped before Orochimaru and Kabuto woke.

• Ryusuke revealed that the masked mastermind and the organization with the Rinnegan were connected to the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack and the Uchiha Clan Massacre, and said he had killed Kakuzu and Hidan.
• Ryusuke sealed Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto, then asked Minato Namikaze for the Flying Thunder God Technique and Uzumaki sealing insights, Tobirama Senju for forbidden-technique insights, and Hashirama Senju for Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.
• Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze wrote down their insights, and Hashirama Senju warned Ryusuke not to use True Several Thousand Hands before he could balance Sage Art Chakra with Wood Release Chakra.
• Tobirama Senju released himself, Hashirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze from Impure World Reincarnation, and they departed after asking Ryusuke to look after Konoha and Naruto and not tell Tsunade about them.
• Ryusuke hypnotized Orochimaru into revealing that his resurrection mediums were inside his body, collected the scrolls he spat out, and fled using the Mayfly Technique before Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto regained consciousness.

Ryusuke sent his Wood Clone, Hundred Faces, to secretly pursue Sasuke Uchiha and obtain Indra’s Chakra while he returned to Konoha to study the Previous Hokage’s cultivation insights and prepare Tsunade’s new disciples. Jiraiya and Naruto found Orochimaru’s abandoned base, but Orochimaru escaped with Sasuke—only to be confronted by Hundred Faces, who recognized his Kūchin ring.

• Ryusuke created Hundred Faces, tasked him with disguising himself and obtaining Indra’s Chakra from Sasuke, then returned to Konoha and organized the Previous Hokage’s cultivation insights.
• Ryusuke told Ino, Hinata, and Sakura that Tsunade would take them as disciples, and the group celebrated by taking a photograph before preparing for the disciple-taking banquet.
• Jiraiya and Naruto reached Orochimaru’s base, defeated the abandoned subordinates, rescued the prisoners, and learned that Orochimaru had reincarnated into Giyūmaru’s body.
• Orochimaru, Yakushi Kabuto, and Sasuke left the base for another hideout, while Jiraiya encouraged Naruto to train before their planned confrontation three years later.
• Hundred Faces intercepted Orochimaru’s group and asked whether Orochimaru possessed the Kūchin ring, causing Orochimaru’s expression to change drastically.

Hundred Faces, posing as Uchiha Yusuke, took Orochimaru’s Empty Dust Ring and secretly communicated with Sasuke Uchiha. Jiraiya took Naruto away for training early, while Ryusuke continued building his strength and using Hundred Faces to influence Sasuke, who later left Orochimaru’s base under cover of a convincing clone.

• Hundred Faces restrained Orochimaru with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, took the Empty Dust Ring, and told Sasuke Uchiha he would kill Uchiha Itachi.
• Jiraiya received Tsunade’s approval to take Naruto away for up to three years of training, and the two left Konoha.
• Ryusuke learned that Naruto and Jiraiya had departed early, then used Shadow Clones to study ninjutsu and send the knowledge to Hundred Faces.
• At Orochimaru’s underground base, Sasuke Uchiha encountered a perfect double of himself and left without Orochimaru noticing.
• Sasuke Uchiha headed toward a destination arranged by Hundred Faces, while the apparent Sasuke remained behind to fool Orochimaru.

Sasuke Uchiha agreed to train with Hundred Faces after being persuaded to pursue the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, advancing Ryusuke’s plan to obtain Indra’s Chakra. Two months later, a prison riot prompted Tsunade to send Ryusuke to quell it with Wood Release.

• Sasuke Uchiha confronted Hundred Faces about Itachi, then vowed to kill his brother and bring his head to his family’s graves.
• Hundred Faces showed Sasuke powerful ninjutsu in a genjutsu and persuaded him to accept nightly training and the pursuit of Itachi’s eyes.
• Ryusuke learned that his Indra Plan had succeeded and reflected on how it could raise his power toward the Six Paths.
• In late October, Ryusuke and Nara Shikamaru celebrated becoming Chunin with Team 8 and Team 10 when an emergency assembly signal summoned Konoha’s ninja.
• An Anbu summoned Ryusuke to Tsunade, who told him prisoners had rioted at a quarry prison and ordered him to use Wood Release to stop them.

Ryusuke used Wood Release to subdue the prisoners at Konoha's quarry prison, revealing his power to the jonin and rescuing the hostages. News of his Wood Release spread across the Shinobi World, raising Konoha's standing and drawing the attention of Shimura Danzō and the Hyuga Clan.

• Ryusuke sensed the crisis at the quarry prison, where Mizuki and other prisoners had taken guards hostage while escaped prisoners were being pursued.
• Ryusuke used Advent of a World of Flowering Trees to surround the prison and capture the escapees, releasing pollen that knocked the prisoners, guards, and pursuing jonin unconscious.
• After Ryusuke left to report to the Hokage, the jonin recognized his Wood Release and celebrated its return as a sign of Konoha's revival under Tsunade.
• News of Ryusuke's identity and Wood Release spread throughout the Shinobi World, and an unknown force placed a 100-million-ryo bounty on him.
• Shimura Danzō regretted failing to recruit Ryusuke, while Hyuga Hiashi planned to match Hinata with him and Hanabi admired his photograph.

Ryusuke enjoyed a quiet mission with Team 8 while Aburame Shino searched for the rare Scent Tracking Bug, and Hinata demonstrated how much her strength had grown. Their leisurely return ended when Konoha ordered them to aid Sunagakure after the Land of Wind was attacked.

• Ryusuke and Team 8 agreed to help Aburame Shino find the nearly extinct Scent Tracking Bug after Tsunade explained its extraordinary scent-tracking ability.
• Team 8 found the bug and collected its eggs, and Hinata defeated bee-controlling attackers with her strengthened Gentle Fist techniques.
• Yuhi Kurenai led Team 8 on a relaxed sightseeing journey back toward Konoha, taking photographs with Ryusuke's Film Camera.
• Ryusuke vanished through the Reverse Summoning Technique and returned with an emergency mission scroll.
• Yuhi Kurenai told Team 8 that Sunagakure had requested help after unknown enemies attacked the Land of Wind, and the team immediately set out.

Team 8 entered the Land of Wind to investigate an invasion by armored attackers, while Ryusuke recognized the crisis as the plot of Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom and began pursuing its space-time summoning technique. During Gaara and his siblings’ battle with the knights, Ryusuke arrived in time to save Temari from Kaze, leaving the fight against Haido’s forces underway.

• Aburame Shino learned that armored forces with steel warships and a mobile fortress were attacking cities across the Land of Wind, and Ryusuke dispatched Wood Clones to investigate.
• Ryusuke recognized the attackers and the Gelel Stone plot from Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, then ordered his Wood Clones to pursue his plan to experience the Space-Time Hole.
• Team 8 reached the Land of Wind, where Ryusuke told Yuhi Kurenai that his Wood Clones had already aided the attacked cities and found the attackers’ trail.
• Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari fought Haido’s armored soldiers and three knights, while Timushi escaped and Ranke, Kamira, and Kaze transformed using the Gelel Stone.
• Kaze caught Temari off guard with a sonic attack and lunged at her, but Ryusuke appeared and stopped the werewolf with wooden spikes, saving her.

Ryusuke discovered that the Gelel Stone vein beneath ancient ruins contained natural energy that could accelerate the perfection of his Sage Body, and he secretly secured the site. With his help, Sunagakure dismantled Haido’s forces and destroyed the mobile fortress, while Ryusuke concealed Haido’s fate and kept the remaining Gelel Stone for himself.

• Ryusuke rescued Temari, captured Ranke, and killed Kamira during the battle in the desert.
• Timushi led an old merchant and his ferret to ancient ruins, where Ryusuke ambushed them and learned that the buried Gelel Stone vein contained natural energy.
• Ryusuke abandoned his plan to use the ruins’ space-time array, took custody of Timushi and the merchant, and sealed the ruins behind layers of Wood Clones and defenses.
• Ryusuke returned to the Land of Wind and helped Sunagakure locate and destroy Haido’s fleets and mobile fortress.
• Hinata could not find Haido after the fortress fell, while Ryusuke concealed that he had already killed Haido and recovered the remaining Gelel Stone.

Team 8 returned from Sunagakure, where Ryusuke said goodbye to Gaara and his siblings, and Ryusuke later visited Hanabi and Karin in Konoha. He then tested Gelel Stone energy in the ancient ruins and, after several Wood Clones failed or transformed, one succeeded in forming Sage Art Chakra.

• Ryusuke and Team 8 said goodbye to Gaara and his siblings at Sunagakure's entrance, and Temari invited Ryusuke to visit again.
• On the journey home, Ryusuke bought souvenirs with the money and bounties he had collected from Kakuzu and Hidan.
• Ryusuke gave Hanabi her souvenir, sparred with her, and taught her the foundations needed to cultivate the Yin Seal.
• Ryusuke visited Karin, saw how much she had grown as Tsunade's assistant, and encouraged her before returning to his room.
• Ryusuke traveled to the ancient ruins and absorbed Gelel Stone energy, discovering that its natural energy triggered Sage Transformation while its life force enhanced his body.
• Ryusuke used Wood Clones to divide the Gelel Stone energy, and one clone successfully fused natural energy with Chakra to form Sage Art Chakra.