Chapter Summaries

Muzan developed a machine that identified blood types, allowing Konoha to sort blood for transfusions and reduce battlefield deaths. Sakumo sent Muzan and the disassembled machine secretly to Konoha, where Shan Jian Helai presented it to the Third Hokage.

• Muzan treated critically ill patients and told Shan Jian Helai to arrange blood and bandages while he developed a blood-type identification machine.
• Muzan built a working machine that identified blood and sorted it into storage units, and Shan Jian Helai reported its usefulness to Sakumo.
• Sakumo ordered the machine and Muzan sent secretly to Konoha, keeping the mission from the escort squad and the camp.
• Anko and Mari assumed Muzan was absorbed in experiments, while Muzan and the escort reached Konoha and drew the attention of its Anbu.
• Shan Jian Helai showed the machine's components to the Third Hokage and explained that it could reduce deaths from blood loss.

Muzan demonstrated his blood-type testing machine to the Third Hokage and earned permission to learn the Strength of a Hundred Technique and Yin Seal. The Third Hokage also backed Muzan’s plan to manufacture the machines, while Danzo began plotting to recruit him into Root.

• Muzan assembled the blood-type testing machine and used Shanjian He’s blood to demonstrate that it identified Type A blood.
• The Third Hokage praised Muzan’s contribution, raised his ninja rank, and offered him a forbidden technique; Danzo separately ordered Root to find a chance to recruit Muzan.
• Muzan asked for the Strength of a Hundred Technique and Yin Seal, and the Third Hokage gave him their cultivation methods while agreeing to take responsibility if Tsunade objected.
• Muzan and the Third Hokage agreed that Muzan would receive one-third of the profits from producing the machines, with Muzan controlling the assembly process.
• The Third Hokage promised to support Muzan’s production plan and assigned Anbu to protect the equipment.

Muzan returned home and reunited with Kakashi before joining him to support Obito after his grandmother’s death. At the funeral, Muzan discovered that Obito’s grandmother was likely a White Zetsu planted by Madara, but he kept the secret and planned to deal with it quietly.

• Muzan returned to Konoha and beat Kakashi after Kakashi complained that he had been gone too long.
• Kakashi told Muzan that Obito’s grandmother had died and that he had been helping the family arrange the funeral.
• Muzan detected White Zetsu’s scent at Obito’s home and realized the body in the coffin was probably a disguise for the White Zetsu who had lived with Obito.
• Muzan decided not to tell Obito or alert Madara, while Kakashi and Muzan comforted Obito as he vowed to become Hokage and marry Rin.
• Muzan considered how to dispose of the still-living White Zetsu in the coffin without anyone hearing it.

After burying Obito’s grandmother, Muzan secretly killed White Zetsu beneath the grave and gained a slight increase in Chakra and physical strength. Danzo’s Root ninjas then tried to bring him in for a meeting, and Muzan confronted them about Danzo’s reputation.

• Muzan comforted Obito, urged him to train, and left Kakashi and Rin to take Obito away from the grave.
• Muzan trapped and devoured White Zetsu inside the coffin, then covered the disturbed earth with ninjutsu.
• A masked Root ninja delivered Danzo’s invitation, but Muzan objected to the threatening manner and disarmed him.
• A second Root ninja with a Sharingan arrived, rebuked Mu Lang, and praised Danzo’s position and Hokage ambitions.
• Muzan recognized the man’s Sharingan and warned the Root ninjas that he knew the rumors about Danzo, locking them in his killing intent.

Muzan fought off Danzo's subordinates Sky Fox and Mu Lang after resisting Sky Fox's genjutsu, then returned home and began training Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. Shanjian He later reported that factories had been arranged to produce the medical equipment parts.

• Sky Fox tried to suppress Muzan with genjutsu and ordered Mu Lang to capture him, but Muzan struck Mu Lang and fought off Sky Fox.
• Sky Fox escaped with the injured Mu Lang, and Muzan left as Konoha ninja arrived to investigate the battle.
• Muzan returned home, told Kakashi not to meddle in the matter, and instructed him to stay with Senior Minato and begin training the next day.
• Muzan trained Kakashi, Obito, and Rin in chakra control and ninjutsu coordination while attempting to master the Yin Seal.
• Shanjian He told Muzan that factories had been arranged to produce the medical equipment parts, using the Hokage's order to secure priority.

Muzan arranged for a Blood Identification Machine to be manufactured and devised incentives to expand Konoha’s blood bank as war approached. Konoha’s blood donation campaign gathered momentum, and the Third Hokage realized Muzan’s efforts could change the Third Ninja War into one involving ordinary people.

• Muzan and Shanjian He arranged a trial production run at the factory, while Muzan kept the machine’s assembly process secret.
• Danzo received the factory components and plotted to make himself indispensable to Muzan.
• Muzan told Shanjian He to recruit his father’s former subordinates and proposed free future blood transfusions and rewards to encourage donations.
• Konoha Hospital advertised the incentives, and villagers—including families with ninja relatives—lined up to donate blood.
• The Third Hokage watched the blood drive and concluded that Muzan’s work could make the Third Ninja War a war beyond the ninja forces.

Koharu Utatane, Danzo, and the Third Hokage discussed Muzan’s role in Konoha and whether he belonged in Root. After Muzan’s successful blood donation plan, Danzo summoned him to the Forest of Death and offered him a place in Root.

• Koharu Utatane suspected Danzo had been involved in Muzan’s recent battle, while Danzo said Muzan was suited to Root.
• The Third Hokage reminded Danzo that everyone had the right to enjoy the sunlight, and Danzo reluctantly acknowledged him.
• Muzan watched villagers donate blood and left the hospital work to Shanjian He, who said the donations would help save wounded shinobi on the front lines.
• Danzo appeared at the hospital and led Muzan to the Forest of Death.
• Danzo offered Muzan a place in Root and promised to make him its leader if he became Hokage.

Muzan refused Danzo’s offer to join Root, prompting Danzo to threaten him and secretly arrange an assassination. When Root attacked him at night in the Forest of Death, Muzan burned through the Aburame Clan’s insect swarm, but three enemies emerged to confront him.

• Danzo offered Muzan a place in Root and power in Konoha, but Muzan refused and Danzo warned him to expect the consequences.
• Muzan sensed a Root operative following him in the Forest of Death and chose not to return home, keeping Kakashi out of the conflict.
• At night, Root sealed off the area with a barrier and genjutsu before sending an insect swarm against Muzan.
• Muzan used Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation to break through the Aburame Clan’s insects and reveal three attackers.
• The attackers declared that they would kill Muzan for Konoha, and Muzan recognized their coordinated team as a serious threat.

Muzan fought three Root ninjas sent by Danzo and survived their coordinated attacks with the Strength of a Hundred Technique. He used a Fire and Earth fusion ninjutsu to burn Aburame Heqing’s insects, then charged Yamanaka Yuntian through the smoke.

• Aburame Heqing filled the barrier with insects while Yamanaka Yuntian disrupted Muzan’s movements and Shanye Song attacked with clones and kunai.
• Muzan healed from the kunai wounds, including a strike through his heart, and knocked Shanye Song back with a Monster Strength Fist.
• Muzan targeted Yamanaka Yuntian with venomous snakes, but Yamanaka deflected them as Shanye Song recovered using Earth Release armor.
• Aburame Heqing softened the ground with Insect Swamp to stop Muzan’s pursuit, but Muzan used Fire Dragon Bullet and Earth Dragon Bullet together to devastate the insects.
• Muzan broke through the smoke and charged Yamanaka Yuntian with Monster Strength Fist.

Muzan overcame Yamanaka Yuntian’s illusion and began transforming him with his blood, causing Yamanaka Yuntian to explode in a rain of blood. Shanye Song and Aburame Heqing struggled to contain Muzan, but Muzan turned his power against Shanye Song and left him under attack.

• Yamanaka Yuntian struck Muzan with the Hell Viewing Technique, but Muzan hit him and broke his spine.
• Shanye Song used Earth Release: Earth Flow River to try to bury Muzan while Aburame Heqing’s insects drained Muzan’s chakra.
• Muzan awakened, stopped the mudflow, and sent a vine into Yamanaka Yuntian that flooded his body with Muzan’s blood.
• Yamanaka Yuntian’s body exploded, and Muzan said his body had been too weak to bear the power he bestowed.
• Shanye Song pushed his Earth Release harder as Aburame Heqing retreated, but something struck Shanye Song from behind and stabbed his ankle.

Muzan transformed Shanye Song into Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki and sent him away before sunrise. After returning home, Muzan discovered that the manufactured components for their instrument had flaws that could make it unusable.

• Muzan flooded Shanye Song with blood, transforming him into a demon who lost control and devoured Aburame Heqing.
• Muzan commanded Shanye Song to kneel and named him Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki, valuing his position as a hidden agent near Danzo.
• Muzan cut off Shanye Song's head to demonstrate his regeneration, then warned him that sunlight would kill him and ordered him to leave before dawn.
• Shanye Song reported that the mission had failed and Muzan had survived, while Danzo monitored him after his return.
• Muzan returned home and found Shanjian He excitedly showing him the manufactured parts for their instrument.
• Muzan noticed deviations in the parts and said they needed to contact the factory because faulty military equipment could endanger frontline ninjas.

Muzan and Shanjian He confronted a factory owner over defective machine parts and discovered the sabotage was deliberate. After Asō Kojirō was murdered before he could reveal who ordered it, Shanjian He resolved to report an apparent Anbu impersonation to the Hokage.

• Shanjian He suggested finding the factory manager so the defective parts could be repaired, but factory guards blocked him and Muzan from entering.
• Shanjian He struck down the Genin guards, and Muzan blasted Asō Kojirō out of his office with a Fireball Jutsu.
• Muzan pinned Asō Kojirō down and took the money from his safe in exchange for sparing his life.
• Muzan injured Asō Kojirō until he admitted he had received orders, but a silver needle pierced the window and killed him before he could finish.
• Shanjian He saw an escaping figure and decided to report that someone had impersonated the Anbu and murdered a Konoha merchant.

Muzan arranged for the faulty parts to be reworked and recruited ninja families to assemble them, while Danzo ordered Root to stop targeting Muzan for now and support Orochimaru at the front. The chapter ended with Shanjian He tasked with collecting blood and sending it to the battlefield.

• Shanjian He concluded that Asō Kojirō's death might involve infiltrators or a traitor in the Anbu, but Muzan told him to let the matter end and promised to make the culprit pay.
• The merchants, frightened by Asō Kojirō's death, corrected the parts and hurried to finish the order for the front lines.
• A Root ninja reported Asō Kojirō's death to Danzo, who ordered his people not to cause trouble for Muzan and to support Orochimaru if needed.
• Danzo planned to use the war's outcome to push the Third Hokage to step down and secure the Hokage position for Orochimaru.
• Muzan and Nobi Wei arranged for ninja families to assemble part of the machinery, giving the families of fallen ninja stable work.
• Muzan told Shanjian He that the remaining task was to collect blood and send it to the battlefield.

Muzan escorted blood supplies to Konoha’s frontline camp, where he and Shanjian He helped manage a surge of wounded after an attack by the Hidden Cloud Village’s A-B Combo. After treating patients through a grueling day, Muzan encountered Anko and Mari holding butcher knives.

• Muzan delivered blood supplies to the frontline camp alongside Shanjian He, guarded by Jōnin and the Ino-Shika-Cho team.
• Shanjian He reorganized the overwhelmed camp and directed the new blood supplies to critically wounded ninja while Sakumo held down the fort.
• Muzan treated the wounded, and one patient told him that the A-B Combo from the Hidden Cloud Village had attacked the previous night.
• Muzan and the medical team worked through the day using blood transfusions and healing techniques, but some wounded died from their injuries and infections.
• After finishing his work, Muzan saw Anko and Mari holding butcher knives and demanded to know why.

Muzan returned to the Konoha camp after transporting medical supplies, where Anko and Mari learned why he had been gone. Sakumo warned that another Cloud Ninja attack was coming, and Muzan began considering how Konoha could reduce its losses.

• Anko and Mari confronted Muzan for leaving without telling them, then gave him steamed buns after he explained that he had returned to Konoha with Shanjian He to transport medical supplies.
• Mari told Muzan about the previous battle, when the Eight-Tails rampaged until Sakumo fought it, and Muzan promised to protect his companions in the next attack.
• Sakumo arrived, confirmed Muzan had returned safely, and ordered him, Anko, and Mari to prepare for another battle.
• Muzan noticed Sakumo's injuries and asked what had happened; Sakumo revealed that the Cloud Ninja were gathering forces for another attack.
• Sakumo explained that Konoha could not afford heavy losses across its three fronts and warned Muzan to avoid the center of the battlefield during daytime.

Muzan proposed a secret plan to lure the Hidden Cloud Village into attacking a camp rigged with Explosive Tags, accepting casualties to secure a decisive victory. Sakumo and the Elite Jōnin approved the plan, and by nightfall they were left to arrange the traps and choose which group would be sacrificed.

• Muzan told Sakumo that they should feign defeat, withdraw, and leave powerful ninja behind to convince the Hidden Cloud Village that Konoha had truly lost.
• Sakumo overcame his reluctance to sacrifice comrades and agreed to hold the line while the others retreated.
• Muzan proposed abandoning the camp and secretly planting Explosive Tags, then presented the plan to the Elite Jōnin.
• Several Elite Jōnin supported the plan, while others struggled with its cost; Sakumo began assigning tasks after warning that Konoha risked being attacked by other villages if it suffered too many losses.
• The Elite Jōnin spent the day debating which group to abandon, and Sakumo emerged at night to arrange patrols while they prepared to plant the Explosive Tags.

Muzan and Sakumo prepared Konoha’s apparent buildup toward war to deceive Kumogakure, while Dodai, Killer B, and A debated how to respond. As both sides massed forces and clashes began, Muzan patrolled with Anko and Mari, warning them to stay near him and prepare to withdraw when the major battle came.

• Muzan suggested that Konoha let Kumogakure initiate an attack, and Sakumo praised him as a possible future Hokage.
• Killer B and Dodai suspected Konoha had brought in a powerful fighter, while A urged an immediate assault.
• Konoha sent more troops to the front, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio arrived to command as clashes caused casualties.
• Muzan patrolled with Anko and Mari, telling them to stay close and avoid the main fighting when war began.
• Sakumo ordered Konoha’s troops to place marked traps, most of which were made with kunai.

Kumogakure launched a prepared assault on Konoha, and Muzan warned Anko and Mari to stay off the front lines before hunting Cloud Ninja in the Stone Forest. After surviving a coordinated Water and Lightning Release attack, he raised four dog-headed Earth-Style Walls and faced the enemy's next move.

• Dodai approved A's attack after Kumogakure assessed Konoha's reinforcements, and A and Killer B led the Cloud Ninja toward the front lines.
• Muzan recognized the enemy's withdrawal as a sign of an imminent decisive battle and warned Anko and Mari to hunt only on the outskirts.
• When the war began, Muzan followed behind Konoha's Elite Jōnin and killed several Cloud Ninja in the Stone Forest.
• Cloud Ninja identified Muzan as a dangerous Konoha expert and attacked him with combined Water and Lightning Release techniques.
• Muzan blocked the electrified water with four dog-headed Earth-Style Walls, prompting the Cloud Ninja to prepare a Fire Release bombardment.

Muzan fought through the Hidden Cloud Ninjas, using coordinated ninjutsu and the Hatake Sword Technique to defeat his attackers. He faced Motoi alone and endured Motoi’s Lightning Release: Spider Web by submerging himself in water, leaving the battle’s outcome undecided.

• Muzan stopped the flood with an earthen wall, then used Fire Release to burn the Hidden Cloud Ninjas who attacked him and leaped onto the wall as it collapsed.
• Muzan evaded a close-range assault with Substitution Jutsu, dragged one Cloud Ninja underground with Headhunter Jutsu, and killed several others with his blade and Chakra Scalpel.
• Motoi blocked Muzan’s attack and kicked him, but Muzan withstood the blow and countered with the Hatake Sword Technique, cutting through Motoi’s hair before Motoi escaped with Substitution Jutsu.
• Motoi ordered the other Cloud Ninjas to withdraw and unleashed Lightning Release: Spider Web, while Muzan summoned water that flooded the battlefield.
• Both men were struck by the lightning, but Muzan submerged himself and emerged unharmed, while Motoi resisted the current with his taijutsu-trained body.

Muzan survived Motoi’s lightning attack and countered with a powerful Water Dragon Bullet as Konoha’s planned retreat began. With Kumogakure pursuing the withdrawing troops, Motoi ordered everyone in the Stone Forest to focus on killing Muzan, leaving him surrounded and looking for a way out.

• Motoi weakened his lightning attack, believing Muzan had been knocked unconscious or killed, but Muzan struck back with a Water Dragon Bullet.
• Muzan’s counterattack rallied Konoha’s nearby ninjas, while their Elite Jōnin suppressed the counteroffensive to maintain the planned retreat.
• Motoi took the Water Dragon Bullet head-on, but resolved to hold Muzan back until Kumogakure’s main force arrived.
• Konoha’s troops withdrew along designated routes, and Dodai ordered A and Killer B to pursue them as he led another group after the retreating ninjas.
• Muzan realized the retreat had begun and tried to leave the Stone Forest, but Motoi called on everyone there to focus their attacks on him.