Chapter Summaries

Ren tried to kill Tobirama Senju after the resurrected Second Hokage appeared in his office, while Shisui arrived to help contain him. Tobirama lost his connection to his Flying Thunder God markers and warned Ren that only sealing could stop his repeated revival as the Hellfire burned him.

• Ren mistook Tobirama Senju for an assassin and ordered his guards to attack him.
• Ren accused Tobirama Senju of being Hiruzen Sarutobi's accomplice and decided to kill him rather than let him reveal himself.
• Shisui arrived after sensing a disturbance in Ren's office.
• Tobirama Senju tried to leave but discovered that he had lost his connection to the Flying Thunder God markers.
• Ren covered the office in flames, and Tobirama Senju warned that sealing was the only way to stop his Impure World Reincarnation.

Ren killed Tobirama Senju, who used his final moments to warn him about Akatsuki, flaws in Heavenly Eye’s surveillance, and Tsunade’s return to Konoha. After Shisui left with concerns about Ren’s changes, Ren ordered the office cleaned and the incident concealed.

• Tobirama Senju told Ren that Akatsuki’s Rinnegan-wielding leader was a corpse, warned him about Heavenly Eye’s detectable surveillance, and asked him to let Tsunade return to Konoha.
• Hellfire consumed Tobirama Senju, and Ren realized Heavenly Eye’s surveillance had exposed itself to him.
• Ren told Shisui that he had eliminated one of Hiruzen Sarutobi’s followers, while Shisui silently worried about Ren’s changes.
• Shisui vanished, and Ren insisted to himself that he had not changed and was acting for Konoha.
• Ren ordered his staff to replace the office flooring and keep the incident secret before leaving to work in the conference room.

Ren learned that Kabuto had overcome the remaining obstacles to launching the Heavenly Eye, a surveillance satellite that could cover the entire ninja continent. After Kabuto reported that sensory ninja could not detect it, Ren ordered a new test with himself participating.

• Ren recalled the years of research Sasori and Kabuto had devoted to developing a concealed satellite and its propulsion system.
• Ren assigned Kabuto to take over the research, and Kabuto resolved obstacles that had been expected to take five years in a single afternoon.
• Kabuto's team tested the completed Heavenly Eye, which silently rose into orbit and could monitor the entire ninja continent.
• Ren worried that the satellite's surveillance might have been noticed and asked Kabuto whether sensory ninja could detect it.
• Kabuto reported that none of the sensory ninja detected the Heavenly Eye, so Ren ordered a test in which he would participate personally.
• Ren went with Kabuto to the laboratory building for the new test.

Ren kept Izumi in Konoha to support the research program, refusing her request to take missions outside the village. After warning that her disappearance could lead to Itachi Uchiha’s death, he left with Kabuto to begin the tests.

• Ren entered Kabuto’s laboratory and found Izumi studying there.
• Izumi demanded that Ren let her take missions outside the village, but he refused and called her ocular technique too weak for battle.
• Ren recognized that Izumi was looking for a way to leave and told her she would be free to go once she mastered Izanami.
• Ren explained that Itachi Uchiha was carrying out espionage missions as a rogue ninja and warned Izumi that he could die if she disappeared.
• Izumi activated her Mangekyō Sharingan in anger, then suppressed herself and addressed Ren as Lord Hokage.
• Kabuto reported that the tests were ready, and Ren left with him.

Ren and Kabuto tested the Heavenly Eye surveillance satellite and discovered that its focused mode could be sensed by sensory ninjas. Kabuto traced the flaw to cameras enhanced with Byakugan-inspired chakra technology, and the test ended with the satellite deemed a failure.

• Izumi trembled and cried after Ren and Kabuto left, fearing Ren's pressure and realizing she could only wait for Itachi Uchiha to return.
• Kabuto asked Ren whether he should have treated Izumi differently, and Ren told him not to defer to her Uchiha Clan status and to keep her in check.
• Ren and Kabuto arrived at the testing site and began testing the Heavenly Eye surveillance satellite.
• Ren noticed that sensory ninjas could detect the satellite when it switched from panoramic observation to focused surveillance.
• Kabuto found that the Byakugan-inspired cameras improved precision but made focused surveillance detectable, so he concluded the satellite was a failure.

Ren prioritized White Zetsu research to preserve Izumi’s Mangekyo Sharingan, then organized a Joint Chūnin Exam in Konoha to redirect attention from Hiruzen Sarutobi’s defection. The smaller villages and major powers agreed to send teams, though Ōnoki demanded conditions.

• Ren urged Kabuto to accelerate White Zetsu research, and Kabuto said he was also teaching Izumi biology.
• Ren sent invitations requiring ninja villages to send genin to Konoha’s Joint Chūnin Exams, with smaller villages receiving forceful demands.
• Orochimaru agreed to send Otogakure genin but remained unsure whether he would visit Konoha himself.
• Nagato restrained his urge to confront Konoha and agreed to send an Amegakure team to gather intelligence.
• Rasa, Ōnoki, Darui, and Mei Terumi agreed to participate, and Ōnoki replied that he had conditions.

Ren organized the Joint Chūnin Exams and overcame Iwagakure’s attempt to demand a hosting round. With the exams set for three months later, Konoha began preparations while Ren kept his deeper plans to himself.

• Sunagakure and Kumogakure lacked the funds to host, Kirigakure chose to support Konoha, and Iwagakure demanded that one round be held in its village.
• Ren announced that every village except Iwagakure had agreed to participate, leaving Ōnoki room to save face while pressuring him.
• Ōnoki declared the next day that Iwagakure would take part in the event.
• Ren set the exams for three months later and planned for Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten to gain experience rather than achieve top results.
• Ren outlined the traditional written test, team battles, and individual battles, then left detailed preparations to others while pursuing his deeper plans.

After the Eight-Tails revived earlier than expected, its appearance off the coast of the Land of Iron drew the attention of Kumogakure, Ren, Orochimaru, and Akatsuki. Ren and the others headed to sea, each with their own reasons to pursue it.

• The Land of Iron discovered the Eight-Tails near its coast, and Mifune informed Kumogakure.
• Darui led a team out to sea to retrieve the Eight-Tails while Ren quietly left Konoha to investigate its revival and take something from it.
• Orochimaru departed his base in the Land of Rice Paddies to pursue the Eight-Tails.
• Nagato sent Sasori and Kakuzu after the Eight-Tails because its early revival was an anomaly that could affect his plans.

Sasori and Kakuzu formed a temporary team to investigate the Eight-Tails' early resurrection, though both were more interested in their own pursuits. They headed for the Land of Iron, where Sasori hoped to gather materials and Kakuzu planned to earn money.

• Sasori struggled to develop mecha after leaving Konoha, since Akatsuki could not supply the machinery and materials he needed.
• Konan recommended Sasori for a mission that required core members to travel in pairs.
• Kakuzu eagerly volunteered for the mission so he could leave the base and resume earning money.
• Kakuzu agreed not to kill Sasori before Hidan recovered, even if Sasori interfered with his bounty hunting.
• Sasori and Kakuzu set out for the Land of Iron to investigate the Eight-Tails' premature resurrection while pursuing their own goals.

Ren traveled to the Land of Iron and used his Mangekyō Sharingan to uncover the forces gathered in a coastal town. He learned that Hidden Cloud Village had mobilized extensively to capture the Eight-Tails, while Darui was at sea.

• Ren arrived alone and disguised himself in a coastal town in the Land of Iron.
• Ren entered a tavern, rented a private room, and used Shinato to listen in on the town’s ninja.
• Ren discovered that spies from all Five Great Ninja Villages were monitoring the operation, with Hidden Cloud Village fielding the most teams.
• Ren concluded that Hidden Cloud Village had prepared for attacks during the return journey after capturing the Eight-Tails.
• Ren learned that Hidden Cloud Village had deployed ninja across several neighboring countries and committed roughly half its strength to capturing and sealing the tailed beast.

Ren used his special perspective to watch Jiraiya gathering material at a brothel and exposing his identity as the author of Make-Out Paradise. Furious that Jiraiya had revealed himself and risked tarnishing Konoha’s reputation, Ren confronted him.

• Ren recalled how Hashirama had captured tailed beasts and how the Mangekyō Sharingan’s reputation could make people abandon thoughts of fighting.
• Ren spotted Jiraiya at a brothel, where Jiraiya told a courtesan that he was gathering material for his writing.
• Jiraiya revealed that he was the author of Make-Out Paradise, and the courtesan eagerly offered to help him and asked for an autograph.
• Ren watched the encounter through Shinato’s special perspective and grew angry that Jiraiya had exposed his identity.
• Ren spoke into Jiraiya’s ear and challenged him for casually revealing himself as though he were the Hokage.

Ren contacted Jiraiya during his S-rank mission to track Orochimaru and reminded him of Konoha’s rules after his identity was exposed. Jiraiya asked to spare the ordinary woman who had seen him, but Ren ordered him to meet at the town’s largest tavern.

• Ren recognized Jiraiya’s mission situation and told him to follow Konoha’s rules for handling witnesses whose identities had been exposed.
• Jiraiya admitted he wanted to let the ordinary woman go because she would have little impact on his intelligence-gathering mission.
• The woman noticed Jiraiya speaking silently to the air, while Ren prevented her from hearing their exchange.
• Ren told Jiraiya to meet him immediately at the town’s largest tavern and said there was no need to thank him.

Ren killed the woman Jiraiya had brought to him, then defended his actions by blaming Jiraiya for involving an innocent person. He warned Jiraiya that Konoha's rules protected ordinary people and asked what he knew about Orochimaru.

• Jiraiya witnessed the woman’s death and hurried from the pleasure house to confront Ren.
• Ren considered how to deal with Orochimaru and briefly sensed faint natural energy gathering around Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya demanded to know why Ren had killed the innocent woman.
• Ren claimed he had acted as Hokage and argued that Jiraiya had caused the woman’s death by involving her.
• Ren reminded Jiraiya that rules protected ordinary people and asked for the latest information about Orochimaru.

Ren followed Jiraiya through the Land of Iron until they found Orochimaru. When Orochimaru escaped by splitting into tiny snakes, Ren and Jiraiya divided their pursuit.

• Jiraiya angrily told Ren what he had discovered and left without saying goodbye, but Ren followed him.
• Jiraiya tried to lose Ren with help from the toads of Mount Myōboku, but Ren kept tracking him.
• Jiraiya confronted Ren and asked why the Fifth Hokage had been following him, and Ren said he trusted Jiraiya’s abilities.
• Ren threw a kunai at a hidden Orochimaru, who emerged from a tree trunk and faced Jiraiya and Ren.
• Orochimaru split into countless tiny snakes to escape, so Ren ordered Jiraiya to pursue one direction while he went the other way.

Jiraiya pursued Orochimaru through the forest and grassland, entering Sage Mode with Fukasaku and Shima’s help before finally confronting him. Orochimaru challenged Jiraiya’s reasons for stopping him, leaving Jiraiya unable to name anywhere he would take him back to.

• Jiraiya followed a small snake into a grassy field, gathered natural energy, and summoned Fukasaku and Shima.
• Jiraiya entered Sage Mode and chased the snake after it split into countless smaller snakes.
• Jiraiya followed his intuition, caught up to one snake, and watched Orochimaru emerge from it.
• Jiraiya threatened to cripple Orochimaru and take him back, but froze when Orochimaru asked where he meant to take him.
• Orochimaru questioned Jiraiya’s moral judgment by pointing out that Jiraiya and other shinobi had also killed many people.

Jiraiya confronted Orochimaru over his experiments and their past, but their argument ended when Orochimaru summoned three reanimated figures to fight. Jiraiya’s opening Sage Art was blocked, and two of the summons closed in on him.

• Orochimaru accused Jiraiya of hypocrisy for condemning his experiments while ignoring the crimes of Sarutobi and Danzo.
• Jiraiya renewed his resolve to stop Orochimaru because he still considered him a friend.
• Orochimaru summoned three figures with Impure World Reincarnation, shocking Jiraiya when he recognized them.
• Jiraiya attacked with Sage Art: Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet, but Yagura and the other figures blocked it with three Water Formation Walls.
• Two of Orochimaru’s summons reached Jiraiya from either side and swung their fists at him.

Ren met Orochimaru in the forest after arranging for him to distract Jiraiya, then captured and sealed him despite Orochimaru's attempt to escape genjutsu. Ren summoned Shisui and asked him to use his ocular technique on Orochimaru.

• Ren followed a little snake to Orochimaru's hiding place and confirmed Orochimaru had spent extra money to keep Jiraiya occupied.
• Ren used his Sharingan genjutsu to immobilize Orochimaru, but Orochimaru abandoned part of his soul to break free.
• Ren carried Orochimaru through a barrier of Hellfire and restrained him with multiple seals that also silenced and blinded him.
• Ren used a ninja tool to summon Shisui and told him to use his ocular technique on Orochimaru.

Jiraiya overwhelmed Orochimaru’s reanimated fighters in Sage Mode, but the battle abruptly ended when A, Kushina, Yagura, and a young-looking Orochimaru disappeared into summoning seals. Jiraiya was left alone, unsettled by the mysterious retreat and the body that vanished as he tried to bury it.

• Jiraiya used Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan against A and Kushina, while Yagura’s Water Mirror Technique briefly delayed the attack.
• Jiraiya’s Rasengan overwhelmed the mirror duplicate, and Yagura was crushed while A and Kushina escaped.
• Orochimaru abandoned Yagura and ordered A and Kushina to stall Jiraiya as Yagura reformed.
• A and Kushina’s auras stopped rising, Yagura’s dust stopped gathering, and three coffins swallowed them before sinking underground.
• Orochimaru vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a young-looking body that Jiraiya approached to bury.
• Summoning seals lit up across the young Orochimaru’s body, and it vanished before Jiraiya could bury it.

Ren instructed Shisui to use Kotoamatsukami to make Orochimaru loyal to him above Konoha, and Shisui altered Orochimaru’s will. Ren welcomed Orochimaru back and left Shisui to take him to Kabuto for the arrangements in Konoha.

• Shisui asked Ren how to change Orochimaru’s will, and Ren told him to put loyalty to Ren ahead of loyalty to Konoha.
• Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on Orochimaru and warned Ren that he could not use the technique again for at least five years.
• Ren removed Orochimaru’s seals and told him to stop impersonating Jiraiya; Orochimaru remained obedient and prepared a young version of himself in a sealing scroll.
• Ren welcomed Orochimaru back to Konoha, and Orochimaru accepted his outstretched hand.
• Ren sent Shisui to take Orochimaru to Kabuto, and Shisui vanished with Orochimaru.

Ren parted ways with Jiraiya after their encounter with Orochimaru, then left the burned forest. In the Land of Tea, Orochimaru’s hidden body awakened through Haku and took the name Uchiha Yun Chi, beginning a secret path separate even from his main self.

• Ren told Jiraiya that Orochimaru had escaped and that they should continue separately, and Jiraiya left at once.
• Ren warned Jiraiya to follow the rules while outside the village, prompting Jiraiya to speed away.
• Ren departed after Jiraiya, while a youth in the Land of Tea suffered as a figure emerged from his chest.
• Haku addressed the newly emerged Orochimaru, who declared that he would now be called Uchiha Yun Chi.
• Orochimaru’s hidden self had been created from a modified body and a fragment of his soul, sealed within Haku’s Cursed Seal of Heaven to awaken if the main body was lost.