Ch. 581Actually Traveling Through Time (4 and 1 Mega Chapter) (Leave Request)
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- Ren tracks the Sage of Six Paths using his future-era technique, discovering that the Sage is hiding in a narrow space between the Impure World and the Pure Land. Ren’s dimensional abilities cannot fully reach him, so he plans to combine them with Kakashi’s Kamui.
- Ren repeatedly travels between the Shinobi World and the Pure Land, harvesting souls to strengthen his Hellfire and improve his dimensional teleportation. He ultimately confirms the Sage’s location and summons Shisui and Kakashi for assistance.
- Meanwhile, Kaguya absorbs the remaining chakra from Nagato, leaving him near death and greatly increasing her own power. She senses a familiar presence on the moon and travels there through Yomotsu Hirasaka.
- Kaguya confronts Orochimaru, who is using a clone body cultivated from Toneri’s lineage. She initially attacks him for possessing a descendant’s body, but recognizes Orochimaru’s soul and realizes he is the “peeping tom” she encountered two thousand years earlier.
- Orochimaru delays Kaguya by engaging her in conversation. Kaguya becomes unexpectedly calm and emotionally open, while Black Zetsu repeatedly tries—and fails—to warn her about Orochimaru.
- Ren receives Orochimaru’s distress signal and flies directly to the moon. Upon arriving, he disguises himself as Uchiha Yushu and attempts to persuade Kaguya to oppose the Sage without mentioning Hagoromo by name.
- Kaguya immediately agrees to help Ren, largely because of her deep attachment to him. She approaches him affectionately and takes his hand.
- Shisui and Kakashi arrive at Ren’s abandoned meeting point. Shisui rescues the nearly dead Nagato, discovering that Black Zetsu has already taken the Rinnegan. They wait for Ren, unaware that he has gone to the moon.
- Ren and Kaguya use Divine Planetary Devastation to enter Kaguya’s memories. Ren learns the truth about their connection: his consciousness once existed inside Kaguya’s seal, where he spent an immense amount of time telling her stories and keeping her company.
- Ren’s original consciousness was dying, but Kaguya used the system left by her clan’s “Great Elder” to help him escape. To send him through the seal, the system extracted part of his consciousness from his original world, explaining both Ren’s altered identity and Natsuri’s unusual chakra.
- After witnessing these memories, Ren remains skeptical and asks Kaguya how she can prove the story. Kaguya explains that part of the system should still be inside her and offers to let Ren inspect it.
Character Developments
- Ren: Becomes increasingly powerful and resourceful, using harvested souls and dimensional techniques to pursue the Sage. However, he also reveals a more cautious and analytical side when confronted with Kaguya’s account of their shared past. Despite their apparent bond, he refuses to accept the story without verification.
- Kaguya: Gains enormous power after absorbing Nagato’s chakra, but her encounter with Orochimaru reveals her emotional and lonely side. Her memories show that she developed a profound attachment to Ren’s former consciousness, viewing him as the person who kept her from complete isolation.
- Orochimaru: Uses his intelligence and knowledge of Kaguya to survive rather than fight directly. His willingness to converse with her exposes his manipulative, opportunistic nature, though he also benefits from their old connection.
- Shisui: Demonstrates compassion by rescuing Nagato instead of abandoning him, while still prioritizing his mission. His kindness is tempered by practicality.
- Kakashi: Acts as Shisui’s partner and remains focused on the tactical problem of reaching the Sage and handling Nagato.
- Nagato: Is reduced to a nearly helpless state after Kaguya drains him, though his enhanced body allows him to survive.
- Black Zetsu: Loses control of the situation as Kaguya becomes distracted by Orochimaru and Ren. He also removes the Rinnegan from Nagato before departing.
Significant Themes
- Memory, identity, and continuity: The chapter questions whether Ren is truly the same person as the consciousness who once accompanied Kaguya, especially after part of his original consciousness was extracted.
- Isolation and emotional attachment: Kaguya’s immortality has left her profoundly lonely. Her bond with Ren demonstrates how companionship can influence even an immensely powerful and alien being.
- Manipulation versus genuine affection: Ren initially approaches Kaguya strategically, while Kaguya’s feelings toward him appear sincere. The chapter leaves open whether their relationship is based on love, gratitude, dependence, or all three.
- Power and preparation: Ren’s repeated soul harvesting and careful planning show that overwhelming power alone is insufficient; unusual dimensional defenses require cooperation and specialized abilities.
- The consequences of transmigration and systems: Ren’s origin is linked to the Ōtsutsuki search for powerful artifacts and to the system’s emergency measures, expanding the story’s mythology beyond the normal Naruto setting.
- The burden of immortality: Kaguya’s long existence is portrayed less as a blessing than as a source of loneliness, emotional stagnation, and dependence on rare connections.
Character Interactions
- Ren and Kaguya: Their reunion is the chapter’s central interaction. Kaguya immediately accepts Ren’s request for help and treats him with extraordinary warmth. The memory sequence reveals that they once spent years—or possibly centuries—together inside the seal.
- Kaguya and Orochimaru: Kaguya initially attacks Orochimaru, but recognition transforms hostility into curiosity. Orochimaru exploits her loneliness and willingness to reminisce to stall her.
- Kaguya and Black Zetsu: Black Zetsu attempts to expose Orochimaru’s danger, but Kaguya silences him and ignores his warnings.
- Shisui and Kakashi: They cooperate while waiting for Ren, discuss Nagato’s condition, and decide to leave him behind temporarily rather than let him interfere with their mission.
- Ren and his past self/Kaguya’s memories: Through Kaguya’s perspective, Ren discovers that their relationship began before his current life and that she sacrificed part of her own resources to preserve his consciousness.