Chapter Summaries

Lie Yang questioned the Sage of Six Paths about fate, his own place outside its patterns, and the ancient catastrophe that shaped the Shinobi World. The Sage revealed that Kaguya’s altered nature should have made it impossible for her to bear children, but she had still given birth to Lie Yang and Hamura.

• Lie Yang described Indra and Asura’s conflict as a struggle between rule by strength and cooperation, and said their reincarnations were nearing a final resolution.
• Lie Yang explained that he stood outside the world’s thread of fate and devoured possible futures involving himself, preventing the Sage from foreseeing his ending.
• The Sage denied controlling the Shinobi World’s destiny, saying countless beings’ choices had converged into fate and that he had relinquished his authority to atone.
• The Sage showed Lie Yang the ancient disaster that followed Kaguya’s consumption of the God Tree Fruit, when the Dragon Vein ran wild and the world’s cycle of life collapsed.
• The Sage agreed that Kaguya should have been unable to reproduce after her transformation, but revealed that she had nevertheless given birth to Lie Yang and Hamura.

Lie Yang learned that Hagoromo and Hamura inherited Kaguya’s power and the will of the world’s living beings, then used his Spiritual Technique to overwhelm Nagato while investigating the origins of supernatural abilities and the Sage of Six Paths’ role. Nagato’s consciousness fell silent, the rain over Amegakure stopped, and Konan suspected that something had happened to Pain.

• The Sage of Six Paths explained that Kaguya’s power split after she devoured the God Tree Fruit, making Hagoromo and Hamura destined to oppose her; he also said the Great Toad Sage could not foresee Lie Yang because Lie Yang was outside the original fate.
• Lie Yang engulfed Nagato’s consciousness in white light and dismantled his attempts to resist, breaking down and absorbing his emotions and will.
• Lie Yang explained that supernatural abilities and Mangekyō Sharingan eye techniques were ancient authorities awakened through living beings, and the Sage of Six Paths confirmed that the powers of the Old Gods had been scattered after Kaguya’s arrival.
• The Sage of Six Paths described his atonement, his relinquishing of authority, and his inability to interfere with reality or return to life; Lie Yang said that was enough and sent a final surge of spiritual power into Nagato.
• Nagato’s consciousness fell silent, and the storm over Amegakure cleared as the Rain Tiger at Will Technique and Will Barrier stopped.
• Konan ordered the shinobi to return to their posts and looked toward the tower, realizing that the stopped rain technique meant something had happened to Nagato.

Obito recognized that Lie Yang had defeated Nagato and was taking control of Akatsuki through its spiritual network. He left Konan to deal with Amegakure and met Black Zetsu and White Zetsu outside the village, where they asked about Nagato.

• Obito and Black Zetsu concluded that Lie Yang had planted his power throughout Akatsuki and was taking it over.
• Konan confronted Obito, who explained that Lie Yang had invaded Nagato's spirit and that Nagato had already lost.
• Obito told Konan that Nagato was no longer useful and that the original plan had to change.
• Obito escaped through Kamui and left Konan to handle Amegakure and try to save Nagato.
• Obito met Black Zetsu and White Zetsu in the forest, and White Zetsu asked how Nagato was.

Obito concluded that Nagato could no longer serve as a reliable pawn after Lie Yang seized control of the Akatsuki’s mental network, and he began planning to create a new vessel for the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. In the mental dimension, the Sage of Six Paths explained Lie Yang’s path beyond laws and urged him to leave the Shinobi World; Lie Yang then destroyed part of Nagato’s spirit, leaving Konan desperately trying to save him.

• Obito told White Zetsu and Black Zetsu that Lie Yang had compromised Nagato’s control over the Akatsuki, and proposed creating eternal eyes through an exchange of eye power using a new vessel.
• The Sage of Six Paths explained the difference between techniques, laws, and a self-created web of power, and warned Lie Yang that he might become a calamity if he remained in the Shinobi World.
• The Sage of Six Paths estimated that Lie Yang could complete the path of laws in about ten years, nurture his own web in thirty, and potentially leave the world within a hundred years.
• Lie Yang ended the mental encounter with the Sage of Six Paths and used a slash of white light to annihilate twenty percent of Nagato’s spirit.
• Nagato’s organs began failing in the physical world, and Konan administered medicine, blood, and nutrient solution while performing CPR to keep him alive.

Konan kept Nagato alive after Lie Yang’s distant strike nearly killed him, and she guarded him against anyone who might approach. Elsewhere, Lie Yang unlocked the third-stage gene lock and received a surge of fortune that carried his power across an unseen boundary.

• Konan repeatedly treated Nagato until his heartbeat and breathing returned, though he remained unconscious and gravely weakened.
• Konan sensed that Lie Yang’s strike had stripped away much of Nagato’s anger and obsession, then sealed the chamber and prepared to defend him.
• Lie Yang opened his eyes as an ancient, savage aura spread from him, forcing Orochimaru to retreat.
• Lie Yang explained that he had unlocked the third-stage gene lock and was still controlling the resulting increase in power.
• Golden light gathered above Lie Yang and formed a vast lotus as his power crossed into a realm Orochimaru could not understand.

Lie Yang told Orochimaru that he had spared Nagato after meeting the Sage of Six Paths’ lingering will, but had severed two of the Rinnegan’s six powers. He then contacted Sasori through the Akatsuki ring, claimed the Azure ring, and demanded payment before accepting future missions.

• Orochimaru confronted Lie Yang about his latest breakthrough and learned that Nagato had survived because Lie Yang exchanged his life for answers from the Sage of Six Paths.
• Lie Yang explained that the Rinnegan held six powers and that he had severed two, leaving Nagato with four.
• In the Land of Wind, Sasori noticed that the Akatsuki ring’s chakra connection had returned and sent a shadow clone into its mental space.
• Lie Yang appeared before Sasori’s clone, declared the battle a draw, took the Azure ring, and required advance payment for future work.
• Sasori’s clone vanished, and Sasori was left unable to understand how Lie Yang had reached it through the ring’s barriers.