Chapter Summaries

Hokage: Starting with Dual Kamui
1223 summaries

Ch. 1This Is Called Severing Cause and Effect!

Chapter Summary: “This Is Called Severing Cause and Effect!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu, a Naruto fan, transmigrates into Obito at the moment Rin dies, discovering that the scene is real rather than a dream.
  • Unlike the original Obito, Riu recognizes Madara’s manipulation and refuses to be emotionally broken into serving the Moon’s Eye Plan.
  • He stores Rin’s corpse inside the Kamui Dimension, intending to preserve her for the future.
  • Riu finds Kakashi unconscious and removes Kakashi’s left eye, reclaiming the Mangekyō Sharingan that originally belonged to Obito. He implants it into himself, gaining dual Mangekyō Sharingan and access to the full power of Kamui.
  • He returns to Madara’s underground base and pretends to accept the role of Madara’s successor. Riu claims that he wants to create a dream world containing Rin and Kakashi.
  • Madara explains the Ten-Tails, Infinite Tsukuyomi, Six Paths Techniques, Yin–Yang Release, and his plan to be resurrected through Nagato.
  • Before dying, Madara names Obito as “Uchiha Madara” and entrusts him with carrying out the plan.
  • Once Madara dies, Riu reveals his true intentions: he plans to alter the established plot, become the Ten-Tails’ jinchūriki, and prevent Madara’s resurrection.
  • Riu immediately turns on Black Zetsu and uses Kamui against him, declaring that this is how he will “sever cause and effect.”

Character Developments

  • Riu/Obito: Quickly adapts to his transmigration and uses his knowledge of the original story to avoid Obito’s fate. He becomes calculating, ambitious, and willing to take ruthless actions to secure power, while still showing some restraint toward Kakashi.
  • Rin: Although dead, Rin remains central to Riu’s motivations. Her corpse becomes something he intends to preserve rather than simply mourn.
  • Kakashi: Survives Rin’s death but loses his left eye, which Riu takes for himself. This marks Riu’s first major alteration of the original timeline.
  • Madara: Successfully believes that Obito has fallen into despair and accepts him as his successor. He dies without realizing that Riu intends to betray and surpass him.
  • Black Zetsu: Revealed as a direct extension of Madara’s will, making him one of Riu’s first major obstacles.

Significant Themes

  • Free will versus manipulation: Riu understands that Rin’s death was orchestrated to control Obito and attempts to break free from Madara’s predetermined plan.
  • Changing fate and causality: The chapter focuses on Riu’s desire to rewrite the Naruto timeline rather than repeat it, symbolized by his declaration to “sever cause and effect.”
  • Power and moral compromise: Riu protects Kakashi’s life but brutally takes his eye, showing that his goals outweigh conventional morality.
  • Knowledge as power: His familiarity with Naruto’s events gives him an enormous advantage over Madara and the other characters.
  • Identity and deception: Riu must convincingly perform the role of Obito while secretly planning to betray Madara’s entire scheme.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Tobi: Tobi treats him as the broken Obito and escorts him back to Madara, unaware that Riu has replaced him.
  • Riu and Kakashi: Riu examines Kakashi, spares his life, but removes his inherited Sharingan and implants it in himself.
  • Riu and Madara: Riu deceives Madara by pretending to embrace despair and the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Madara trains and empowers him, unknowingly preparing his own replacement.
  • Riu and Black Zetsu: After Madara’s death, Riu openly betrays Black Zetsu and attacks him with Kamui, beginning his effort to destroy the original plan.
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Ch. 2Target: Complete Hashirama Sage Body!

Chapter Summary: “Target: Complete Hashirama Sage Body!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu traps Black Zetsu in the Kamui dimension after separating it from White Zetsu. He reveals that Black Zetsu is actually Kaguya’s will and was responsible for manipulating Madara and altering the Uchiha stone tablet to initiate the Moon’s Eye Plan.
  • With Black Zetsu unable to use its earth- and Wood Release-based abilities inside Kamui’s isolated space, Riu attacks it with enhanced Fire and Wood Release techniques.
  • Tobi initially hesitates but ultimately sides with Riu after being bribed with an explanation of bodily functions—specifically, what it feels like to need to defecate and how excrement is produced.
  • Riu uses Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs and Kamui-enhanced flames to destroy Black Zetsu, ending its centuries-long scheme to revive Kaguya.
  • Upon returning to the cave, Riu is surrounded by White Zetsu forces but learns they share Tobi’s resentment toward Madara and do not intend to betray him.
  • Over the next six months, Riu trains in chakra control and basic ninjutsu, including water-walking, wall-climbing, and elemental techniques.
  • He preserves Rin’s corpse and searches through Madara’s stored weapons, scrolls, and equipment.
  • Although Riu becomes confident that he could defeat most Kage-level opponents, he realizes he is not yet prepared to face Six Paths-level enemies such as Kaguya, Momoshiki, Kinshiki, Urashiki, or Isshiki.
  • Riu decides that obtaining the Ten-Tails and eventually evolving his own Rinnegan are necessary for future survival. However, he refuses to transplant Madara’s Rinnegan because doing so would sacrifice one of his Kamui eyes.
  • To evolve the Rinnegan, he needs a complete fusion of Uchiha and Senju power. He therefore sets his sights on obtaining the nearly perfect Hashirama Clone attached to the Demonic Statue.
  • Since he lacks the knowledge to safely merge with Hashirama’s power, Riu decides to seek Orochimaru’s assistance and leaves the cave to find him in the southern forest of the Land of Fire.

Character Development

  • Riu grows substantially in power and confidence. He successfully destroys Black Zetsu, improves his chakra control, and develops a long-term strategy for reaching Six Paths-level strength.
  • Despite his victory, Riu recognizes his limitations and becomes more cautious and strategic. Rather than relying on Madara’s Rinnegan, he plans to awaken his own.
  • Tobi/White Zetsu shifts allegiance from Black Zetsu and Madara to Riu. His decision is presented comically, but it also reflects the artificial humans’ resentment toward Madara’s abuse and contempt.
  • Black Zetsu is exposed as Kaguya’s agent rather than Madara’s will and is destroyed before it can revive its creator.
  • Orochimaru does not appear directly, but he is established as Riu’s next potential ally and the expert capable of helping him control Hashirama’s power.

Significant Themes

  • Manipulation and hidden identities: Black Zetsu’s true nature reveals that major historical events were secretly orchestrated by Kaguya.
  • Power versus control: Riu understands that possessing immense power is not enough; he must learn how to safely control Hashirama’s cells, the Rinnegan, and the Ten-Tails.
  • Strategic independence: Riu rejects the easier but limiting option of transplanting Madara’s Rinnegan and chooses the more difficult path of developing his own abilities.
  • Loyalty and free will: Tobi and the White Zetsu reject Madara after years of being treated as disposable tools, choosing to support Riu instead.
  • Ambition and preparation: Riu’s goal expands from immediate survival to preparing for future cosmic-level threats.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Black Zetsu: Riu confronts Black Zetsu with knowledge of its true identity, then kills it after a brief battle.
  • Riu and Tobi: Riu pressures Tobi to choose a side and wins his loyalty through absurd humor and promises of answers about human bodily functions.
  • Riu and the White Zetsu: The White Zetsu reassure him that they share Tobi’s resentment toward Madara and will not attack him.
  • Riu and Rin: Although Rin does not appear alive, Riu preserves her body, indicating her continued emotional importance.
  • Riu and Orochimaru: Their meeting is set up as the next major development, with Riu seeking Orochimaru’s expertise to merge with the complete Hashirama Clone.
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Ch. 3Conquering Orochimaru!

Summary: “Conquering Orochimaru!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • In the southern forest, Orochimaru and Kabuto prepare to abandon one of Orochimaru’s hidden laboratories after Danzo warns that Konoha’s ANBU have noticed the disappearance of ninjas used in human experiments.
  • Riu ambushes them, introducing himself as “Uchiha Yu” and revealing a three-tomoe Sharingan. Orochimaru immediately attempts to steal his eye.
  • Riu’s body phases through Orochimaru’s attack, revealing the defensive power of his Mangekyō Sharingan’s Kamui. He then grabs Orochimaru and begins pulling him into the Kamui dimension.
  • Orochimaru escapes using his unique substitution technique, shedding his outer body and emerging from his own mouth. He recognizes Riu’s ocular power as an exceptionally dangerous space-time technique.
  • Orochimaru reveals that Riu knows about his human experiments and Cursed Seal research. He orders Kabuto to attack, but Riu effortlessly defeats Kabuto with taijutsu.
  • Orochimaru tests Riu with Shuriken Shadow Clone. By observing that the weapons pass through Riu, he deduces that Riu must become tangible when attacking.
  • To exploit this weakness, Orochimaru summons Manda. Riu avoids Manda’s attacks through Kamui, burns away its shed skin with a powerful Fire Release technique, and injures it with Earth Release: Earth Rising Spears.
  • Orochimaru coordinates an attack using snakes armed with Kusanagi swords, targeting the moment Riu becomes tangible. Riu counters with Wood Release, creating spiked trees that destroy the snakes.
  • Riu reveals that he possesses two Mangekyō Sharingan, both connected to Kamui. He uses the offensive Kamui to tear off Orochimaru’s arm and threatens to remove his head if Orochimaru continues resisting.
  • Realizing that resistance is futile, Orochimaru asks Riu’s purpose. Riu demands the true power of Hashirama Senju rather than an imperfect imitation.
  • Orochimaru recognizes that Riu shares his ambition of reaching a higher realm of power and agrees to assist him.

2. Character Developments

  • Riu/Uchiha Yu: Demonstrates overwhelming abilities, including dual Kamui powers, intangibility, Fire and Earth Release, Wood Release, and exceptional physical combat skills. He shifts from a mysterious attacker to a dominant force capable of defeating both Kabuto and Manda and overpowering Orochimaru.
  • Orochimaru: Initially arrogant and eager to claim Riu’s Sharingan, he quickly becomes cautious after witnessing Kamui. His analytical skill allows him to identify Riu’s combat limitation, but his strategies ultimately fail. He abandons hostility when he learns that Riu seeks Hashirama’s authentic power and chooses cooperation.
  • Kabuto: Acts as Orochimaru’s assistant and attempts a surprise attack, but is decisively beaten by Riu, emphasizing the enormous gap between Riu and ordinary jōnin-level fighters.
  • Manda: Displays his usual arrogance and hostility toward Orochimaru, but is forced into battle and badly injured before retreating.

3. Significant Themes

  • Power and ambition: Both Riu and Orochimaru seek access to extraordinary abilities and the limits of human potential, particularly Hashirama’s power.
  • Scientific curiosity and experimentation: Orochimaru’s human experimentation and Cursed Seal research reflect his willingness to violate moral boundaries in pursuit of knowledge and immortality.
  • Adaptation and tactical analysis: Orochimaru rapidly studies Kamui’s mechanics and attempts to exploit its limitations, while Riu counters with varied techniques and superior abilities.
  • Fear versus cooperation: Orochimaru’s confidence turns into respect and submission once he recognizes Riu’s overwhelming power. Their alliance is formed not through trust, but through shared goals.
  • Inherited and combined power: Riu’s possession of both Uchiha and Senju-related abilities suggests the fusion of rival bloodlines and the pursuit of powers associated with legendary shinobi.

4. Character Interactions

  • Riu and Orochimaru: Their encounter begins as an attempted theft and assassination but evolves into a tense negotiation. Orochimaru probes Riu’s abilities, while Riu steadily demonstrates his superiority and forces Orochimaru to reconsider his position.
  • Riu and Kabuto: Kabuto’s ambush fails immediately; Riu dismisses him as insignificant and defeats him without using ninjutsu.
  • Orochimaru and Manda: Orochimaru commands Manda despite the summon’s threats to eat him. Their relationship is openly antagonistic but functional, with Manda obeying only after demanding compensation.
  • Riu and Manda: Manda initially mocks Riu as a mere human, but becomes frightened and confused when its attacks pass through him and Riu wounds it severely.
  • Riu and Orochimaru’s emerging alliance: Riu’s demand for Hashirama’s true power reveals a goal aligned with Orochimaru’s own research. Orochimaru therefore offers assistance, transforming the confrontation into a potentially dangerous partnership.
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Ch. 4The Secret of the Complete Hashirama Body!

Chapter Summary: The Secret of the Complete Hashirama Body!

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu returns to the underground base with Orochimaru and Kabuto, using Kamui to transport them.
  • Orochimaru is deeply shaken by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and becomes fascinated by the immense power and secrets surrounding Myriad Phenomena.
  • Riu asks Orochimaru how he can perfectly merge with the artificial Hashirama body attached to the statue.
  • Orochimaru rejects simple grafting because of rejection risks and possible backlash. Instead, he proposes implanting Hashirama’s Original Cells into Riu’s body so they can gradually replace his existing cells.
  • The process would be extremely painful and almost certainly fatal. Orochimaru explains that, in an earlier experiment involving sixty infants, only one survived—an infant who became Yamato.
  • Orochimaru reveals that Yamato’s surviving cells could serve as a catalyst to perfect the artificial Hashirama body and produce truly complete Original Cells.
  • Riu realizes Yamato is still alive in Konoha, serving in Root under the codename Kinoe, and decides to retrieve him.
  • White Zetsu appear and move Orochimaru’s experimental equipment into the base. Riu introduces them as his assistants, while they warn Orochimaru not to betray him.
  • Orochimaru accepts the arrangement because the base offers an ideal laboratory and access to Hashirama-related research.
  • Later, Riu reflects beneath the moon on his lonely life before transmigrating. He recalls his parents’ neglect, depression, isolation, and how anime—especially Naruto—gave him the will to continue living.
  • Riu declares that the Naruto world is where he belongs and vows to pursue absolute strength and freedom.
  • Tobi recognizes that Riu is fundamentally different from Obito: unlike Obito, Riu has no emotional ties to friends, mentors, or Konoha. His sole motivations are power, independence, and self-determination.
  • Riu and Tobi set out for Konoha to find Yamato.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Becomes increasingly determined to obtain the complete power of Hashirama. His past is revealed in detail, explaining his emotional detachment and intense desire for freedom. He embraces his new identity and purpose in the ninja world.
  • Orochimaru: Grows fanatically excited by the statue, the artificial Hashirama body, and the research opportunities Riu provides. Although dangerous and opportunistic, he agrees to cooperate because of his pursuit of forbidden knowledge.
  • Kabuto: Remains cautious and protective of Orochimaru, initially treating the White Zetsu as threats before accepting Riu’s explanation.
  • Tobi: Understands that Riu is not simply another version of Obito. He becomes intrigued by Riu’s loneliness, worldview, and unknown future.
  • White Zetsu: Function as Riu’s assistants and security forces, helping establish Orochimaru’s laboratory while openly warning him against betrayal.
  • Yamato: Though absent, he becomes central to the plot as the only known survivor of Orochimaru’s Hashirama-cell experiments and the key to perfecting Riu’s transformation.

Significant Themes

  • Power and transformation: Riu seeks not merely to borrow Hashirama’s abilities but to replace his own body with perfected Hashirama Cells, symbolizing his desire for total evolution.
  • The pursuit of forbidden knowledge: Orochimaru’s fascination highlights the danger and allure of discovering truths beyond ordinary human limits.
  • Identity and self-determination: Riu rejects his former powerless life and seeks to define himself entirely through his own choices rather than society’s judgment.
  • Loneliness and escape: His emotional isolation in his original world explains why he feels more at home in the violent but liberating ninja world.
  • Nature versus artificial creation: The artificial Hashirama body, degraded cells, and experiments with human subjects raise questions about whether a manufactured being can truly recreate the original.
  • Free will versus destiny: Riu views his transmigration as an opportunity to escape the limitations of his former life and seize control of his fate.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Orochimaru: Their relationship is built on mutual usefulness. Riu offers resources, protection, and access to Hashirama research, while Orochimaru provides scientific expertise. Both remain aware that the other is dangerous.
  • Orochimaru and Kabuto: Kabuto instinctively guards Orochimaru, but Orochimaru reassures him that the White Zetsu are allies.
  • Riu and the White Zetsu: Riu commands them as trusted assistants, while they act as both laboratory workers and enforcers.
  • Orochimaru and the White Zetsu: Orochimaru studies them closely and realizes they contain degraded Hashirama Cells, increasing his curiosity about Riu’s knowledge and resources.
  • Riu and Tobi: Tobi serves as Riu’s constant companion and confidant. By sensing Riu’s emotions, Tobi recognizes the profound differences between Riu and the original Obito.
  • Riu and Yamato: They have not yet met, but Riu’s plan to obtain Yamato establishes the next major conflict and objective.
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Ch. 5Root's Nightmare!

Chapter Summary: “Root’s Nightmare!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After the Third Shinobi World War ends, Konoha enters a truce with the Hidden Rock Village. Minato Namikaze becomes the Fourth Hokage, replacing Hiruzen.
  • Riu, inhabiting Obito’s body, infiltrates Root’s underground headquarters while Danzo is away secretly meeting Orochimaru.
  • Using Sharingan genjutsu, Riu interrogates and incapacitates the guards, learning that Kinoe—later known as Yamato—is in the training room.
  • Root forces confront Riu, but his Kamui allows physical attacks and ninjutsu to pass harmlessly through him.
  • Fu Yamanaka attempts to trap Riu with the Mind Body Switch Technique, briefly affecting him, but Riu breaks free because of his powerful spiritual energy.
  • When Fu attempts the technique again, Riu kills him instantly with Kamui. He also absorbs Torune Aburame into the Kamui dimension, though Torune’s poisonous insects cause Riu and Tobi some pain.
  • Riu locates Kinoe and withstands a combined attack from Root. Kinoe uses Wood Release, but Riu counters with Susanoo and overwhelms him with a stronger version of Wood Release.
  • Riu binds Kinoe, renders him unconscious, and escapes Konoha through Kamui, leaving Root terrified and devastated.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates increasing mastery of Kamui, the Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo, genjutsu, and Wood Release. He remains calm and calculating, killing only when necessary but using overwhelming force to intimidate Root. He also begins considering whether Torune’s eyes could help him obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
  • Kinoe/Yamato: Revealed as Riu’s true target. His Wood Release is powerful but inferior to Riu’s, and he is captured unconscious, becoming an unwilling tool in Riu’s larger plans.
  • Fu Yamanaka: Shows intelligence and courage by analyzing Kamui’s apparent weakness, but his Mind Body Switch Technique ultimately fails against Riu and costs him his life.
  • Torune Aburame: Acts as Fu’s partner and attempts to exploit Riu’s vulnerability while he is affected by the Mind Body Switch Technique. He is defeated and absorbed by Kamui.
  • Danzo: Never appears directly, but his absence enables Riu’s attack. His connection to Orochimaru is briefly revealed.

Significant Themes

  • Power and vulnerability: Although Kamui makes Riu nearly untouchable, the chapter establishes that specialized techniques such as genjutsu and mental attacks may still affect him.
  • The hidden brutality of Root: Root’s headquarters reflects its secretive, oppressive nature, and its members respond to trespassers with lethal force. Riu answers with equally ruthless violence.
  • Control and exploitation: Kinoe’s future as Yamato is foreshadowed, while Riu’s capture of him suggests that he intends to use the young ninja’s abilities for his own purposes.
  • Fear as a weapon: Riu does not slaughter every Root member, but the deaths of Fu and Torune and the destruction of their defenses create a lasting psychological defeat.
  • Identity and belonging: Riu feels a faint connection to Konoha because he occupies Obito’s body, yet his goals place him in direct opposition to the village.

Character Interactions

  • Riu uses genjutsu to interrogate Root guards before entering the headquarters.
  • Fu identifies a possible weakness in Kamui and coordinates with Torune to attack Riu.
  • Riu kills Fu and absorbs Torune, demonstrating the consequences of underestimating him.
  • Kinoe resists Riu with Wood Release, but Riu defeats and captures him after protecting himself with Susanoo.
  • The Root members collectively attack Riu but are unable to harm him, ending the confrontation in fear and helplessness.
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Ch. 6Eyes Watching the Night!

Chapter Summary: “Eyes Watching the Night!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After Riu’s departure, Danzo returns to Konoha and finds Root’s headquarters devastated, with Fu Yamanaka’s headless corpse among the ruins.
  • From the surviving Root member’s report, Danzo concludes that the attacker possessed:
    • Immunity to physical attacks and ninjutsu
    • Advanced Space-Time ninjutsu
    • Wood Release
    • A powerful chakra armor resembling Susanoo
  • Danzo suspects the attacker is an Uchiha carrying on Madara’s will and seeking the combined powers of the Uchiha and Senju clans, possibly including the Nine-Tails.
  • He also connects Orochimaru’s disappearance to the attack.
  • Rather than conceal Root’s defeat, Danzo plans to report it to the Fire Daimyo and use the incident to undermine the newly appointed Fourth Hokage, Minato. His goal is to place the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina, under Root’s control.
  • Danzo intends to seize the Nine-Tails during Kushina’s pregnancy, blame the Uchiha for her death, weaken Minato’s administration, and eventually eliminate the Uchiha Clan.
  • Meanwhile, Riu travels through the forest, marking additional Space-Time coordinates to improve his mobility. Tobi suggests immediately capturing the Nine-Tails, but Riu refuses because Konoha remains heavily defended by Minato, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and numerous elite shinobi.
  • Riu plans to wait until Kushina’s seal weakens further, though he personally refuses to attack her during childbirth, considering such an act contrary to his principles.
  • While returning, Riu observes the young Uchiha Itachi training with Shisui. Shisui demonstrates an advanced shuriken technique by redirecting weapons off one another to strike a target hidden behind a rock.
  • Shisui senses Riu’s presence, but Riu and Tobi remain concealed. Riu becomes interested in Shisui’s future potential and his Kotoamatsukami.

Character Developments

  • Danzo: His ambition and ruthlessness become clearer. He treats Root’s destruction as a political weapon and schemes to control the Nine-Tails, discredit Minato, and destroy the Uchiha.
  • Riu: Demonstrates caution, strategic planning, and personal moral boundaries. Although he intends to obtain the Nine-Tails, he rejects attacking Kushina while she is giving birth and wants to capture it openly.
  • Tobi: Remains eager to advance their larger plan and become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, but accepts Riu’s more cautious approach.
  • Shisui: Is shown as an extraordinarily talented shinobi, possessing exceptional perception, early Sharingan mastery, and advanced shuriken skills.
  • Itachi: Appears as a gifted five-year-old student who already demonstrates impressive accuracy and deep admiration for Shisui.

Significant Themes

  • Political manipulation: Danzo exploits a military disaster to undermine Minato and advance his own claim to power.
  • Power and control: The Nine-Tails, the Sharingan, Wood Release, and Space-Time ninjutsu are all treated as tools in competing plans for dominance.
  • Morality and ambition: Riu’s willingness to pursue the Nine-Tails is contrasted with his refusal to exploit Kushina during childbirth, separating him from Obito’s original actions.
  • Legacy and inherited will: Danzo suspects someone is continuing Madara’s ambitions, while Riu seeks to combine powerful ocular abilities into an unprecedented form.
  • Hidden observation: The chapter emphasizes secrecy, surveillance, and unseen threats, with Riu watching Konoha from the shadows and Shisui beginning to sense the danger.

Character Interactions

  • Danzo and his subordinate discuss the Root attack, with Danzo revealing his plan to use the incident against Minato and gain authority over Kushina.
  • Riu and Tobi debate whether to attack Konoha and capture the Nine-Tails immediately. Riu argues for patience and preparation.
  • Shisui trains Itachi, teaching him sophisticated shuriken techniques and encouraging his natural talent.
  • Shisui briefly senses Riu’s presence, hinting at a future conflict between his perceptive abilities and Riu’s hidden ambitions.
  • Riu privately identifies Shisui’s Kotoamatsukami as a key component in his plan to create an immensely powerful Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan combined with Kamui.
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Ch. 7Hidden Rain, Infiltration!

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Rain, Infiltration!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu and Orochimaru continue their experiments beneath the underground base. Yamato is released from the Kamui Dimension and used as a catalyst to perfect the Hashirama Clone.
  • The clone reacts successfully, demonstrating extraordinary vitality and producing massive trees throughout the cavern. Orochimaru begins extracting the most perfect version of Hashirama Senju’s Original Cells.
  • Riu seals and protects the base while Orochimaru works, promising that Danzo and Konoha’s ANBU will not discover the laboratory. Orochimaru estimates the extraction will take one month.
  • Riu realizes that Nagato has awakened the power of the Rinnegan and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He reflects on the altered history of the Akatsuki: Yahiko’s death, Nagato’s rampage, and the defeat of Hanzō and Danzo’s forces.
  • Nagato, severely weakened and crippled from using the Demonic Statue, is being hunted by Hanzō. Riu decides that Nagato must survive because he needs the Akatsuki to gather the Tailed Beasts and may require Nagato’s Rinnegan and the Outer Path’s resurrection technique.
  • Rather than traveling directly to the Hidden Rain Village, Riu plans to use the connection between Kamui and the Demonic Statue to appear when Nagato is in extreme danger.
  • At the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzō’s forces corner Nagato, Konan, Kyūsuke, and Daibutsu near an inland lake. Hanzō traps them inside barriers and orders the Salamander to release poisonous gas.
  • Kyūsuke and Daibutsu defend the group, but Hanzō’s forces kill them with explosive-tagged kunai. Enraged, Nagato prepares to summon the Demonic Statue again despite Konan’s warning that the technique will kill him.
  • Before Nagato can act, Hanzō attacks. Riu arrives through a Kamui vortex and blocks Hanzō’s scythe with his Uchiha Gunbai, confronting the Hidden Rain’s “demigod.”

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates increasing strategic confidence. He views Nagato not merely as someone to rescue, but as an essential future asset for his plans involving the Tailed Beasts, the Rinnegan, and the Outer Path.
  • Orochimaru is shown as completely absorbed in his scientific ambitions. The successful Hashirama Clone excites him, and he commits himself to extracting its cells with extreme precision.
  • Yamato is reduced to the role of experimental material, his Wood Release abilities serving as the catalyst for completing the Hashirama Clone.
  • Nagato is physically broken and emotionally devastated after Yahiko’s death and the loss of his comrades. His determination to protect the Akatsuki remains strong, but his desperation and rage threaten to consume him.
  • Konan remains devoted to Nagato and Yahiko’s ideals, attempting to restrain Nagato from sacrificing his life.
  • Kyūsuke and Daibutsu reaffirm their loyalty by choosing to defend Nagato, dying so that he and Konan might escape.
  • Hanzō is portrayed as ruthless and calculating, using poison, barriers, and overwhelming force to eliminate the Akatsuki remnants. His fear of Nagato’s power causes him to attack before the Demonic Statue can be summoned.
  • Riu’s intervention positions him as a new and unpredictable force in the conflict between Nagato and Hanzō.

Significant Themes

  • Power gained through sacrifice: Nagato’s Rinnegan and use of the Demonic Statue grant tremendous power but steadily destroy his body.
  • Manipulation and exploitation: Yamato is exploited for Orochimaru’s experiments, while Riu intends to use Nagato and the Akatsuki for his own long-term objectives.
  • Loyalty and comradeship: Kyūsuke, Daibutsu, and Konan remain committed to Nagato and Yahiko’s vision even in the face of certain death.
  • Fate versus intervention: Major events from the original history still occur, but Riu’s actions alter their consequences. His arrival may prevent Nagato’s death and reshape the future of the Akatsuki.
  • Scientific ambition and forbidden power: Orochimaru’s pursuit of perfect Hashirama Cells parallels Riu’s attempt to obtain the Rinnegan’s potential, emphasizing the dangers of seeking limitless power.
  • Timing and strategy: Riu chooses to intervene only when Nagato is most vulnerable, believing that arriving at the decisive moment is more valuable than acting early.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Orochimaru: Their partnership is built on mutual usefulness and guarded trust. Riu provides Yamato and protection, while Orochimaru is expected to produce perfected Hashirama Cells.
  • Riu and Nagato: They have not yet spoken directly in the chapter, but Riu has already decided that Nagato must be preserved and incorporated into his plans.
  • Nagato and Konan: Konan acts as Nagato’s emotional and physical support, warning him not to sacrifice himself. Nagato, however, prioritizes protecting their fallen comrades and preserving Yahiko’s legacy.
  • Nagato and his comrades: Kyūsuke and Daibutsu view Nagato as the Akatsuki’s hope and willingly die to protect him.
  • Hanzō and the Akatsuki: Hanzō treats them as dangerous remnants to be exterminated, while the Akatsuki resists him through loyalty and desperation.
  • Riu and Hanzō: The chapter ends with their first direct confrontation, as Riu blocks Hanzō’s killing blow and challenges the Hidden Rain leader.
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Ch. 8Uchiha Riu VS Hanzō at His Peak!

Chapter Summary: Uchiha Riu vs. Hanzō

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hanzō recognizes Riu’s Sharingan and avoids direct eye contact, drawing on his past victory over Uchiha Fugaku during the Third Shinobi World War.
  • He uses Jizō Curse to flood the battlefield with deadly purple poison, killing the fallen Jiu Zhu and Daibutsu and threatening Nagato and Konan.
  • Riu protects Nagato and Konan with his Susanoo, revealing that he knows Nagato’s identity and understands the untapped potential of his Rinnegan.
  • Hanzō combines Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation with thousands of explosive tags, severely damaging Riu’s skeletal Susanoo.
  • Riu’s Susanoo evolves into its Second Form, regenerating and gaining armor. It then creates and throws a Kamui Shuriken, which spatially distorts and destroys Hanzō’s giant Salamander.
  • Hanzō cleverly counters the first Kamui Shuriken with an Earth Release boulder, but Riu hides a second weapon within its shadow. Hanzō survives by using an Earth Release Shadow Clone and concealing his real body underground.
  • Hanzō attacks Riu from beneath with a poisoned chain scythe, but Riu uses Kamui to phase through the strike.
  • Riu retaliates with Wood Release: Hell’s Chaos, causing countless wooden branches to erupt across the battlefield and kill the surrounding Hidden Rain shinobi. Hanzō is severely wounded while escaping the technique.
  • Recognizing that he cannot defeat Riu without using an extremely costly ultimate technique, Hanzō withdraws. He acknowledges Riu as an equal and promises that they will settle the battle in the future.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates overwhelming versatility, combining the Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo, Kamui, and Wood Release. His ability to analyze Hanzō’s tactics and adapt quickly establishes him as an exceptionally dangerous combatant.
  • Hanzō is shown as an experienced and highly intelligent fighter. He avoids Sharingan genjutsu, uses traps and clones effectively, identifies Susanoo’s weakness, and nearly catches Riu off guard. However, even his carefully planned strategies fail to produce a decisive result.
  • Nagato realizes that Riu knows both his name and the significance of his Rinnegan. Riu’s intervention reinforces Nagato’s importance and suggests that his future power has not yet been fully realized.
  • Konan remains focused on protecting and supporting Nagato while relying on Riu’s Susanoo for shelter.
  • Hanzō’s final acknowledgment elevates Riu’s reputation, promising that his name will spread throughout the Five Great Nations.

Significant Themes

  • Power versus experience: Hanzō’s battlefield experience and tactical intelligence are formidable, but Riu’s extraordinary abilities ultimately overwhelm them.
  • Hidden identities and future destinies: Riu conceals his motives while revealing knowledge of Nagato’s future potential, hinting at larger plans surrounding the Rinnegan and Akatsuki.
  • Adaptation and counterstrategy: Both fighters continuously analyze and respond to each other’s techniques, turning the battle into a contest of tactical innovation rather than brute strength alone.
  • Recognition between rivals: Despite their conflict, Hanzō respects Riu as an equal, transforming the battle into the beginning of a future rivalry.
  • The cost of power: Hanzō refrains from using his ultimate technique because of its severe cost and uncertain outcome, while Riu’s formidable abilities make him appear nearly invulnerable.

Character Interactions

  • Riu protects Nagato and Konan while cryptically assuring Nagato that he must survive to unlock the Rinnegan’s true power.
  • Hanzō and Riu exchange tactical attacks, each testing the other’s defenses and intelligence.
  • After being defeated strategically and wounded, Hanzō openly praises Riu’s strength and declares him an equal.
  • Riu responds by formally stating his name, Uchiha Riu, establishing his identity and securing Hanzō’s promise of a future rematch.
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Ch. 9Pain Is Born This Day!

Chapter Summary: “Pain Is Born This Day!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After battling Hanzō, Riu is physically exhausted but satisfied that his Mangekyō Sharingan and second-form Susanoo were powerful enough to injure one of the Shinobi World’s strongest fighters.
  • Riu explains the Rinnegan’s deeper abilities to Nagato, including the Six Paths Techniques, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and powers capable of transcending life and death.
  • He reveals that Nagato can potentially resurrect Yahiko through the Outer Path’s forbidden power, though doing so would cost Nagato his own life.
  • Riu manipulates Nagato into postponing Yahiko’s resurrection by arguing that Nagato must first fulfill Yahiko’s dream of bringing peace to Amegakure and the wider world.
  • Riu introduces Nagato to the origins and significance of the nine Tailed Beasts, claiming that Nagato, as the Sage of Six Paths’ reincarnation, is destined to control their power.
  • Several days later, Nagato is connected to a Chakra transmission system and begins operating through the Six Paths of Pain.
  • Yahiko’s body becomes the Deva Path, allowing Nagato to fight alongside an image of his fallen friend.
  • Riu departs after arranging Nagato’s new fighting system and covertly takes control of Akatsuki’s direction.
  • Nagato and Konan decide to rebuild Akatsuki as an international mercenary organization, recruiting powerful rogue ninja, accumulating resources, and eventually collecting the Tailed Beasts.
  • The chapter ends with Riu declaring that “Pain” has been born, symbolizing Nagato’s transformation and the beginning of a darker era for Amegakure.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates the limits and immense potential of his Mangekyō Sharingan while carefully concealing his exhaustion. He becomes increasingly manipulative, guiding Nagato toward the future he wants while presenting himself as a mentor. His true objective appears to involve controlling Akatsuki and exploiting Nagato’s grief and desire for peace.
  • Nagato: Evolves from a grieving and uncertain leader into a determined believer in the Rinnegan’s power. His desperation to resurrect Yahiko makes him highly vulnerable to Riu’s influence. He accepts the mission of mastering the Six Paths, rebuilding Akatsuki, and gathering the Tailed Beasts.
  • Konan: Continues to mourn Yahiko but supports Nagato’s decisions. Her sorrow and concern contrast with Nagato’s renewed excitement and determination.
  • Yahiko/Pain: Though dead, Yahiko is symbolically restored through his corpse becoming the Deva Path. His appearance allows Nagato to fight beside him and establishes Yahiko as Akatsuki’s public leader.

Significant Themes

  • Pain as the source of transformation: Yahiko’s death becomes the emotional catalyst for Nagato’s new identity and ideology.
  • Manipulation through hope: Riu controls Nagato not through force, but by offering hope—particularly the possibility of resurrecting Yahiko and achieving world peace.
  • Power and sacrifice: The chapter emphasizes that extraordinary power, including resurrection, requires a terrible personal cost.
  • Destiny versus free will: Riu views Nagato as destined for tragedy, while simultaneously pushing him along the path that will create Pain.
  • Peace through overwhelming power: Nagato’s original idealistic desire for peace is redirected toward military strength, control of the Tailed Beasts, and domination of the ninja world.
  • Birth of darkness: Amegakure’s perpetual rain and suffering become symbols of the environment in which Pain’s ideology takes root.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Nagato establish a mentor-student relationship, with Riu presenting himself as the one who understands and can unlock the Rinnegan’s true power.
  • Riu exploits Nagato’s grief over Yahiko by revealing that resurrection is possible, then persuades him to delay using it.
  • Konan silently shares Nagato’s grief and reacts uneasily to the cost of resurrection and Riu’s influence.
  • Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko’s Pain body form the foundation of the reorganized Akatsuki, while Riu assumes the role of hidden strategist and leader.
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Ch. 10Yu Makes a Name for Himself!

Chapter Summary: “Yu Makes a Name for Himself!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After resolving his conflict with Nagato and Akatsuki, Riu considers his practical needs, especially money for food and other worldly comforts.
  • Although he can survive without eating because of the First Hokage’s cells, Riu wants to experience ordinary pleasures such as eating at Ichiraku Ramen.
  • He rejects several ways of earning money:
    • Robbing civilians or becoming a bandit.
    • Working as someone else’s hired subordinate.
    • Taking missions through Konoha, since he wants to avoid developing ties that could interfere with his future plans.
  • Inspired by Kakuzu, Riu decides to hunt wanted ninjas and collect their bounties independently.
  • At the Valley of the End, White Zetsu brings Riu a bounty list. Riu reviews the listings for Konoha ninjas, including Kakashi, Asuma, the Konoha strategists, the Sannin, Hiruzen, and Minato.
  • Riu discovers that he himself has been added to the bounty list under the name Uchiha Yu. His identity is unknown, his abilities are unrecorded, and he carries an enormous eighty-million-ryō bounty after helping a rogue Amegakure ninja escape Hanzo.
  • White Zetsu reveals that the Five Great Nations’ ANBU forces are already investigating Riu.
  • Rather than worrying, Riu confidently declares that anyone who opposes him will die.
  • He selects Hokai, a Konoha rogue ninja with a sixteen-million-ryō bounty, as his first target. Hokai recently failed to assassinate the Fire Daimyo and is hiding in a nearby forest.
  • Riu immediately uses Kamui to travel after him and collect the bounty.

Character Developments

  • Riu becomes more self-sufficient and proactive. Instead of relying on organizations or exploiting civilians, he chooses bounty hunting as a way to preserve his independence.
  • His determination hardens: he is committed to pursuing his goals without emotional hesitation or unnecessary allegiances to Konoha.
  • Riu’s reputation grows rapidly. His actions against Hanzo have already made him a major figure known across the Five Great Nations.
  • White Zetsu continues serving as Riu’s informant and companion, providing intelligence while teasing him about his unusual priorities.
  • Hokai is introduced as Riu’s first bounty target, characterized as a dangerous but currently hunted rogue ninja.

Significant Themes

  • Independence and freedom: Riu refuses to become a subordinate of Konoha, an employer, or another organization.
  • Reputation and notoriety: Riu’s name spreads quickly, transforming him from a hidden actor into a recognized threat with an exceptionally high bounty.
  • Practicality versus power: Despite possessing overwhelming abilities, Riu still concerns himself with ordinary needs such as money and food.
  • Moral boundaries: Riu could steal from civilians but deliberately chooses not to, suggesting that he maintains personal principles despite his ruthless ambitions.
  • Foreshadowing and escalation: His eighty-million-ryō bounty and the attention of the Five Great Nations signal that larger conflicts are approaching.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and White Zetsu exchange sarcastic, familiar remarks, showing their growing comfort and companionship.
  • Riu discusses the bounty list with White Zetsu, using him as both an intelligence source and a sounding board.
  • The bounty list connects Riu to major figures such as Kakashi, Asuma, the Sannin, Hiruzen, and Minato, while also revealing how the ninja world evaluates power and danger.
  • Riu’s indirect connection to Hanzo is emphasized: Hanzo honored his promise by spreading Riu’s name and reputation throughout the major nations.
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Ch. 11An Unexpected Delight!

Chapter Summary: “An Unexpected Delight!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu arrives in the forest through a vortex and immediately analyzes the tracks left by the fleeing rogue ninja Hokai. He recognizes that Hokai created a false trail and follows the genuine escape route.
  • Riu encounters Hokai’s explosive-tag traps and deliberately triggers them with a kunai, using the resulting blasts to reveal his presence.
  • Hokai, a rogue former Konoha ANBU member wanted for sixteen million ryō, prepares to fight after realizing his pursuer survived the traps.
  • Hokai uses the Camouflage Concealment Technique and swordsmanship, but Riu’s Sharingan allows him to see through the invisibility and evade his attacks.
  • Hokai attempts to trap Riu with Manipulated Windmill Triple-Blade, surrounding him with wire-connected shuriken before launching a Great Fireball Technique.
  • Riu effortlessly breaks free and counters with the massive Majestic Destroyer Flame. His attack overwhelms Hokai’s fireball, destroys the surrounding forest, and kills Hokai, leaving his body badly charred.
  • Three Konoha ANBU arrive at the scene, initially assuming Root eliminated Hokai. Riu reveals that he is an independent bounty hunter seeking the sixteen-million-ryō reward.
  • The ANBU recognize Hokai’s corpse and confront Riu. He uses his Sharingan to incapacitate two of them with genjutsu.
  • The female ANBU leader attempts to attack Riu but is caught in his Anvil Genjutsu. Riu removes her mask and recognizes her as Yugao Uzuki.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates increasingly refined intelligence, keen battlefield analysis, confidence, and mastery of basic combat techniques. He deliberately avoids using Kamui against Hokai to improve his ordinary fighting skills, yet still overwhelms the Jōnin with superior perception, substitution speed, genjutsu, and Fire Release.
  • Tobi/Riu’s inner presence: Tobi observes that Riu’s analytical abilities have developed significantly and acknowledges that Riu could have become an outstanding ninja even without the Sharingan or Hashirama Clone.
  • Hokai: Is shown to be experienced and resourceful, using traps, concealment, swordsmanship, wire manipulation, and Fire Release. However, his abilities are completely outmatched by Riu’s power. His fear and despair reveal the gap between them.
  • Yugao Uzuki: Is introduced as the female ANBU leader pursuing Hokai. She reacts quickly to the Sharingan threat and displays courage by confronting Riu, but is ultimately trapped by his genjutsu.

Significant Themes

  • Overwhelming power versus established skill: Hokai is a capable Jōnin with sophisticated techniques, but Riu’s Sharingan and superior ninjutsu render his abilities ineffective.
  • Tactical intelligence: The chapter emphasizes reading enemy movements, identifying false trails, recognizing techniques, and turning traps against their creator.
  • Identity and suspicion: Hokai’s connection to Root has caused political suspicion within Konoha, while Riu’s masked appearance and Sharingan make the ANBU uncertain whether he is an ally or enemy.
  • The consequences of power: Riu’s enormous Fire Release destroys a large section of the forest, attracting attention and making stealth impossible.
  • Unexpected discovery: What begins as a bounty mission ends with Riu encountering Yugao, whose identity visibly interests him.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Hokai engage in a tense battle of deception, with Hokai relying on concealment and traps while Riu counters through Sharingan perception and superior technique.
  • Riu taunts Hokai by questioning whether assassination of the daimyo was truly the extent of his ability, provoking Hokai into a more desperate attack.
  • The ANBU initially mistake Riu for Root, but the female leader correctly realizes that he is an independent bounty hunter.
  • Riu confronts the ANBU directly, defeating the two male members through Sharingan genjutsu and trapping the female leader before identifying her as Yugao Uzuki.
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Ch. 12Beneath the Setting Sun, This Cruel Shinobi World!

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu realizes that the ANBU woman before him is Yūhi Uzuki, the older sister of the nine-year-old Yugao Uzuki.
  • He predicts that Yūhi is destined to die young, imagining that her death would motivate Yugao to join the ANBU and inherit her will.
  • Riu attempts to recruit Yūhi, warning that the shinobi world will eventually consume her. When she refuses to betray Konoha, he manipulates her by threatening her companions and, ultimately, her younger sister.
  • Fearing for Yugao’s safety, Yūhi agrees to leave Konoha with Riu, provided she is not forced to harm the village and her surviving subordinates are spared.
  • She removes her forehead protector and scratches it, symbolically abandoning Konoha and becoming a rogue ninja.
  • Riu takes Yūhi and Hokai’s corpse to the Bounty Exchange. Yūhi suspects he may be an Uchiha rogue ninja and tries to understand his motives.
  • Riu notices that she intends to send a message scroll to Konoha and prevents her from doing so. Although she secretly plans to learn his secrets and kill him later, Riu believes he has already anticipated her intentions.
  • After Riu and Yūhi depart, Root agents arrive. Rather than rescue the two unconscious ANBU members, they kill them and plan to blame their deaths on Yūhi.
  • The chapter ends by emphasizing Riu’s belief that only overwhelming power can guarantee freedom and allow someone to pursue their desires.

2. Character Developments

  • Riu is shown as calculating, manipulative, and confident. He claims to want to save Yūhi from her destined death, but he recruits her through psychological pressure and threats against Yugao. His actions reveal both strategic intelligence and a willingness to exploit emotional weaknesses.
  • Yūhi Uzuki is introduced as fiercely loyal to Konoha and committed to the ANBU code. However, her devotion to Yugao outweighs her loyalty to the village, forcing her to compromise. Though she agrees to follow Riu, she remains suspicious and secretly intends to investigate and possibly kill him.
  • Yugao Uzuki does not appear directly, but her dependence on Yūhi and her importance as Yūhi’s emotional weakness drive the chapter’s central conflict.
  • The Root captain and his agents demonstrate the ruthless extremism of Danzō’s organization. They treat loyal Konoha shinobi as expendable tools and prioritize secrecy and political convenience over comradeship.

3. Significant Themes

  • Personal bonds versus ideological loyalty: Yūhi’s love for Yugao proves stronger than her commitment to Konoha, suggesting that even devoted shinobi cannot completely suppress human attachment.
  • The cruelty of the shinobi system: Riu’s prediction of Yūhi’s early death and Root’s murder of their own comrades both reveal a world where young ninja are treated as disposable sacrifices.
  • Power and freedom: Riu concludes that strength is necessary to preserve one’s freedom and pursue personal goals. Without power, individuals remain vulnerable to villages, organizations, and stronger opponents.
  • Manipulation and moral ambiguity: Riu claims to be protecting Yūhi, but he coerces her through threats. His methods blur the distinction between rescuing someone and controlling them.
  • Fate and inherited will: Riu reflects on how names and deaths may shape a character’s destiny, particularly the possibility that Yūhi’s death would inspire Yugao’s future path.

4. Character Interactions

  • Riu and Yūhi: Their interaction is a psychological confrontation. Yūhi challenges Riu’s motives and defends Konoha, while Riu calmly undermines her resolve by invoking Yugao’s safety. Their relationship begins with coercion, suspicion, and mutual strategic observation.
  • Yūhi and her fallen companions: Yūhi initially refuses to abandon Konoha or betray her comrades, but Riu’s threats force her to choose between the village and her sister. Ironically, the companions she tries to protect are later murdered by Root.
  • Riu and the unconscious ANBU: Riu leaves them alive, indicating that killing them was never his intention. Their deaths at Root’s hands reinforce the contrast between his calculated conduct and Root’s ruthless methods.
  • Yūhi and Root: Root frames Yūhi for the deaths of her own comrades, turning her defection into a political justification for eliminating or condemning her.
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Ch. 13True to His Feelings, Enraptured

Chapter Summary: “True to His Feelings, Enraptured”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu brings Hokai’s corpse to a hidden Bounty Exchange located inside a restroom. Tobi separates from Riu and becomes distracted by his bizarre fascination with bodily functions.
  • Riu receives Hokai’s bounty without counting the money. When the exchange manager warns him that he might be cheated, Riu calmly threatens to kill everyone and take all their money, intimidating the manager into assuring him of the organization’s honesty.
  • Outside, Riu finds Tobi experimenting with feces and jokingly attempting to create a “Feces Release” technique. Riu mocks him and refuses to let Tobi cover him because of the smell.
  • Riu transports Yūhi Uzuki instantly over a hundred li using his Mangekyō Sharingan’s Kamui, astonishing her with his space-time ninjutsu.
  • They arrive at Riu’s underground base, which contains White Zetsu, the Demonic Statue, and private rooms. Riu gives Yūhi clothing and food, tells her to remain in her room, and promises to prepare a hot spring for her.
  • Despite Riu’s warning, Yūhi explores the base at night. She investigates a heavily sealed iron door and spies through a skylight using a mirror.
  • Inside, she discovers a laboratory containing experimental equipment, people suspended in green liquid-filled vessels, and tubes collecting golden blood.
  • Yūhi recognizes the mysterious researcher as Orochimaru, one of Konoha’s legendary Sannin. His terrifying presence causes her to lose her balance and fall.
  • Riu catches her outside the laboratory and orders her to return to bed. Orochimaru and Kabuto decide not to stop her investigation.
  • Orochimaru reveals that he is observing an experiment involving “Yu-kun” and his “most perfect creation,” hoping it will produce a miracle.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates overwhelming confidence, ruthlessness, and emotional detachment. He intimidates the bounty dealer without effort and treats Kamui as a convenient means of transportation. At the same time, he shows a degree of practical care toward Yūhi by preparing a room, food, clothing, and plans for her comfort.
  • Yūhi Uzuki/Xiyang: Becomes increasingly aware of Riu’s true age and power. Though she remains suspicious and considers attacking or investigating him, she recognizes that direct confrontation would be futile. Her curiosity and determination lead her to uncover the base’s connection to Orochimaru.
  • Tobi: Remains absurd, childish, and preoccupied with excrement, providing comic relief. Nevertheless, he continues serving Riu by handling preparations and transporting supplies.
  • Orochimaru: Appears as a sinister, fascinated scientist conducting secret experiments. His interest in Riu and his “perfect creation” suggests that he is manipulating events for an unknown biological or genetic purpose.
  • Kabuto: Functions as Orochimaru’s assistant and follows his orders without questioning them.

Significant Themes

  • Power and intimidation: Riu’s casual threats and effortless use of Kamui establish him as someone far beyond ordinary ninja standards.
  • Secrecy and forbidden experimentation: The underground laboratory, suspended bodies, and collected golden blood point to dangerous research and hidden ambitions.
  • Curiosity versus obedience: Yūhi disobeys Riu’s instructions because she wants to understand her surroundings, while Riu allows her investigation to continue rather than forcibly stopping her.
  • Darkness mixed with absurdity: Tobi’s ridiculous behavior contrasts sharply with the grim bounty trade, Orochimaru’s experiments, and the threat surrounding Riu’s base.
  • Manipulation and anticipation: Orochimaru appears to be waiting for a specific result involving Riu and his creation, suggesting that the chapter is setting up a future transformation or major revelation.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and the bounty manager engage in a tense exchange in which Riu’s confidence forces the manager to retreat from his probing questions.
  • Riu repeatedly mocks and dismisses Tobi’s grotesque experiments, while Tobi remains indifferent to the criticism.
  • Riu attempts to establish boundaries with Yūhi, but his provisions and promise of a hot spring reveal some concern for her well-being.
  • Yūhi’s secret investigation brings her into indirect contact with Orochimaru, whose terrifying gaze exposes the danger of the base.
  • Riu confronts Yūhi after discovering her outside the laboratory but chooses only to send her back to her room.
  • Orochimaru and Kabuto discuss Yūhi’s discovery and the ongoing experiment, with Orochimaru expressing eager anticipation about its possible effect on Riu.
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Ch. 14Return to the Hidden Leaf Village!

Chapter Summary: “Return to the Hidden Leaf Village!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu returns to the Hidden Leaf Village alone through a mysterious vortex, wearing a new orange-and-black mask.
  • He visits Ichiraku Ramen and enjoys a bowl of pork-bone ramen while observing the village and its people.
  • Might Guy and Kakashi arrive at the shop. Kakashi is visibly depressed after Rin’s death and the loss of his Sharingan, which has left him with an empty eye socket.
  • Guy encourages Kakashi to honor Obito’s will instead of allowing grief and guilt to consume him.
  • Kakashi reveals that he intends to join Root, Danzo’s covert organization, in order to protect Kushina and support the Fourth Hokage during a growing political crisis.
  • The crisis involves several suspicious incidents:
    • Root headquarters was attacked.
    • Hokai, a member of the Fourth’s ANBU unit, allegedly attempted to assassinate the daimyo.
    • ANBU investigators were killed by their own leader, Yūhi Uzuki.
    • Danzo used these events to undermine the Fourth Hokage’s reputation and gain authority over Kushina, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
  • After leaving the ramen shop, Riu decides that Danzo’s control of Kushina must be prevented. He resolves to visit Danzo directly.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Returns with a new identity and mask, suggesting a more deliberate and secretive phase of his plans. He becomes determined to protect Kushina and ensure Naruto has a peaceful childhood, even though Naruto is no longer intended to be the central figure of his altered future.
  • Kakashi: Remains burdened by guilt over failing to save Rin and by the loss of Obito’s Sharingan. His despair leads him to believe he deserves punishment and even death. He chooses to join Root as a form of atonement and to protect his teacher’s position.
  • Might Guy: Acts as Kakashi’s loyal friend and emotional support. Drawing on his own experience with grief after his father’s death, he tries to restore Kakashi’s sense of purpose.
  • Danzo: Is portrayed as exploiting political unrest to weaken the Fourth Hokage and seize control of Kushina and the Nine-Tails.
  • Teuchi and Ayame: Provide a brief reminder of ordinary life and the peaceful atmosphere Riu has returned to, contrasting with the political danger surrounding the village.

Significant Themes

  • Grief and survivor’s guilt: Kakashi believes Rin and Obito’s deaths are his fault and interprets the loss of the Sharingan as punishment.
  • Inherited will: Guy reminds Kakashi that Obito entrusted him not only with his eye but also with his ideals and determination.
  • Political manipulation: Danzo uses assassinations, attacks, and public suspicion to undermine the Fourth Hokage and expand Root’s power.
  • Changing destiny: Riu intends to reshape the future, prevent Kushina from being exploited, and give Naruto a happier childhood than in the original history.
  • Duty versus self-worth: Kakashi’s decision to join Root reflects his belief that serving others is the only way to compensate for his perceived failures.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Teuchi: Riu quietly enjoys a meal at Ichiraku, highlighting his emotional connection to the village and its familiar landmarks.
  • Guy and Kakashi: Guy challenges Kakashi’s self-destructive grief and urges him to live according to Obito’s will. Kakashi responds by explaining his decision to join Root.
  • Kakashi and Guy on Danzo’s scheme: Their conversation reveals the extent of the political crisis and Danzo’s likely plan to control Kushina.
  • Riu and Danzo: They do not meet in the chapter, but Riu ends the chapter by deciding to confront Danzo, setting up the next conflict.
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Ch. 15Danzo Intimidated!

Chapter Summary: “Danzo Intimidated!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Danzo receives a secret message from Hanzō revealing that Nagato has escaped and is rebuilding the Akatsuki under the protection of a powerful Uchiha named Riu.
  • The letter reinforces Danzo’s belief that the Uchiha must eventually be eliminated to preserve peace.
  • Riu attacks Danzo’s headquarters, killing or incapacitating the Root guards and striking Danzo with Kamui. Danzo survives through the Substitution Technique and later reveals that he has prepared extensively for such a confrontation.
  • Danzo unveils his modified right arm, containing Hashirama’s cells and ten Sharingan, and explains the power of Izanagi. Each eye can sustain the technique for roughly one minute, allowing him to rewrite death and treat fatal injuries as illusions.
  • Riu counters Danzo’s confidence with his own Mangekyō abilities. His Phasing Mode allows attacks to pass through his body, while Kamui can instantly distort and kill Danzo if he becomes vulnerable.
  • The fight becomes a contest of endurance. Danzo launches a continuous barrage of Wind Release techniques, hoping to outlast Riu’s Phasing Mode. Riu remains intangible for longer than expected, forcing Danzo to sacrifice his implanted Sharingan one by one.
  • After five Sharingan close, Riu appears to reach the apparent limit of his Phasing Mode. Danzo believes he has won, but Riu reveals that he has been holding back.
  • Riu activates his Crow Tengu Susanoo, a powerful armored form far beyond the level Danzo expected. He also reveals that he possesses Wood Release, further convincing Danzo that he cannot defeat him before his remaining Izanagi uses are exhausted.
  • Rather than killing Danzo, Riu issues a threat and a political demand: Danzo must stop opposing the Fourth Hokage and must not harm Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki.
  • Riu escapes through Kamui, leaving Danzo humiliated, enraged, and aware that his remaining Sharingan supply cannot be replaced.

Character Developments

  • Riu is established as overwhelmingly powerful, strategic, and well-informed. He knows the details of Danzo’s forbidden techniques and deliberately exploits their weaknesses rather than relying solely on brute force.
  • Riu also demonstrates restraint and a larger political agenda. He could kill Danzo but chooses intimidation and coercion instead, preserving Danzo as a weakened but useful figure.
  • Danzo is portrayed as ruthless and calculating but is forced into a defensive position. His preparations—Hashirama cells, implanted Sharingan, and Izanagi—initially give him confidence, yet Riu’s abilities expose their limitations.
  • Danzo’s arrogance gradually turns into panic and humiliation. Though he remains composed enough to negotiate, he recognizes that Riu can defeat him and permanently damage Root.
  • Orochimaru is indirectly revealed to be cooperating with Riu, having likely helped create Danzo’s modified body and betrayed Konoha’s secrets.

Significant Themes

  • Strategic deterrence and power politics: Riu wins not merely by attacking but by convincing Danzo that any resistance will lead to immediate death.
  • The cost of immortality and forbidden power: Izanagi allows Danzo to escape death, but each use permanently consumes a Sharingan, making his apparent invulnerability temporary.
  • Information as power: Riu’s knowledge of Danzo’s body modifications and techniques enables him to neutralize Danzo’s advantages.
  • Fear and humiliation: The chapter reverses the usual power dynamic, with Danzo—normally an unseen manipulator—being forced to submit to another strategist.
  • Political intervention: Riu’s goal extends beyond personal victory; he seeks to influence Konoha’s leadership and protect Kushina, suggesting a broader plan involving the Fourth Hokage and the future of the village.

Character Interactions

  • Danzo and Riu engage in a battle of threats and psychological pressure as much as a physical fight.
  • Danzo attempts to use his Izanagi and relentless ninjutsu to outlast Riu, while Riu mocks and traps him by remaining intangible.
  • Riu’s knowledge of Danzo’s modifications deeply unsettles Danzo and makes him suspect that Orochimaru has betrayed him.
  • Danzo tries to rely on Konoha’s approaching reinforcements, but Riu dismisses the threat and instead warns that Danzo’s remaining resources are nearly gone.
  • The confrontation ends with Riu dictating terms: Danzo must cease his campaign against the Fourth Hokage and leave Kushina alone, or Root and Danzo himself will be destroyed.
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Ch. 16Yu's Ambition!

Chapter Summary: “Yu’s Ambition!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu tests the limits of his Phasing Mode and discovers that it lasts five minutes, followed by a five-minute reset period.
  • After warning Danzo rather than killing him, Riu reflects on the difficulty of opposing Konoha through individual strength alone.
  • He abandons the immediate goal of gathering all the Tailed Beasts, since the Three-Tails cannot revive for another decade and is necessary to form the Ten-Tails.
  • Riu announces plans to establish a powerful ninja village that will operate openly, while Nagato’s Akatsuki works from the shadows. He intends for this village to surpass the Five Great Ninja Villages rather than resemble Orochimaru’s weak Sound Village.
  • He plans to begin building the village after obtaining the true power of Hashirama Senju, which he expects to do within roughly half a month.
  • Riu prepares for a mission by wearing Madara’s old armor and carrying the Uchiha War Fan. He refuses Tobi’s offer to envelop him, wanting to experience battle personally.
  • Yūhi Uzuki asks to accompany Riu, partly because she fears Orochimaru and partly because she still hopes to discover Riu’s weaknesses and eventually kill him.
  • Riu reveals that his destination is the Hidden Cloud Village, where he intends to capture the Eight-Tails and use it as a controlled “pet” or weapon.
  • He rejects the idea of capturing the Two-Tails as well, fearing that removing both Tailed Beasts from the Land of Lightning would destroy the military balance and trigger a premature world war.
  • Riu states that he wants the current peace to survive until his Rinnegan awakens.
  • The group travels toward the Land of Lightning through the Land of Water. At the border, Riu eagerly faces the deadly territory controlled by the Bloody Mist Village.

Character Developments

  • Riu/Uchiha Yu: Becomes more ambitious and strategic. He moves beyond short-term revenge against Danzo and begins planning the creation of a world-dominating ninja village. His increasing ocular power also intensifies his desire for direct combat. Although he does not value peace itself, he carefully protects the existing balance to prevent delays to his plans.
  • Tobi: Continues to act casually and makes crude jokes, but he also questions Riu’s plans and offers practical suggestions. He recognizes Riu’s growing ambition while remaining puzzled by his human motives.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Shows fear and distrust toward Orochimaru after witnessing his killing intent. She chooses to remain near Riu for protection and information, while secretly retaining her goal of killing him and escaping his control.
  • Orochimaru: Although absent from the main action, his oppressive presence influences Yūhi’s decisions and drives her to leave the underground base with Riu.

Significant Themes

  • Ambition and power: Riu seeks to rise beyond the existing political order and create a force greater than the Five Great Villages.
  • Strategic patience: He postpones capturing all the Tailed Beasts and avoids destabilizing the world until the timing better serves his ultimate goal.
  • Balance of power: The Tailed Beasts function as military deterrents, and Riu understands that disturbing their distribution could ignite a major war.
  • Identity and legacy: Riu’s Madara-like appearance reflects his connection to the Uchiha’s history and the legacy of past powers, even though he claims he is not merely imitating Madara.
  • Trust and hidden motives: Riu openly shares information with Yūhi despite knowing she wants him dead, confident that superior strength matters more than secrecy. Yūhi, meanwhile, conceals her true intentions.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Tobi discuss Riu’s failed attempt to eliminate Danzo, the limitations of individual power, and the plan to establish a new ninja village.
  • Tobi questions Riu’s decision not to capture the Two-Tails, while Riu explains that maintaining the world’s military balance is necessary for his long-term plans.
  • Yūhi asks to accompany Riu, revealing her fear of Orochimaru without admitting that she still intends to betray Riu.
  • Tobi warns Riu that revealing the limits of his eye technique to Yūhi may be dangerous, but Riu argues that a truly powerful person should not fear others knowing his secrets.
  • At the end of the chapter, Riu, Tobi, and Yūhi begin their dangerous journey toward the Land of Lightning, with Riu welcoming the prospect of conflict in the Bloody Mist.
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Ch. 17Bloody Mist Village!

Chapter Summary: “Bloody Mist Village!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu, Tobi, and Yūhi Uzuki travel through the Land of Water toward the Hidden Mist Village, intending to continue toward the Land of Lightning.
  • While crossing a marsh, they are ambushed by Hidden Mist ninja using explosive-tagged kunai. Yūhi nearly falls victim to the trap, but Riu rescues her.
  • The attackers are led by Pipazō Jūzō, an early wielder of the Executioner’s Blade and a member of the first generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
  • Jūzō identifies Yūhi as a Konoha defector and threatens to torture them for information, reflecting the brutality of the “Bloody Mist” era.
  • Jūzō uses the Hidden Mist Technique and a Water Clone combined with a Water Prison to attack Riu. However, Riu sees through the trap, avoids the Executioner’s Blade, and uses Kamui to send Jūzō into another dimension.
  • With Jūzō defeated, Riu takes the Executioner’s Blade and rapidly kills the surrounding Hidden Mist ninja using Uchiha swordsmanship.
  • Riu then challenges the remaining hidden observers. Three more legendary swordsmen emerge: Ringo Ameyuri, Fuguki Suikazan, and the young Hōzuki Mangetsu, who is accompanied by a young Kisame.
  • The chapter ends with Riu confronting the remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates overwhelming confidence and combat ability. He easily counters Jūzō’s ambush tactics, uses Kamui decisively, and defeats an entire group of Mist ninja with the Executioner’s Blade.
  • Riu also reveals a ruthless side, killing the Hidden Mist forces without hesitation after Jūzō’s defeat.
  • Yūhi Uzuki shows determination and pride by refusing to admit exhaustion, but her recklessness nearly causes her injury. She is forced to recognize the enormous gap between her abilities and Riu’s.
  • Tobi remains unserious and disruptive, making crude jokes even during a deadly confrontation. His behavior contrasts sharply with Riu’s calm efficiency and Yūhi’s seriousness.
  • Pipazō Jūzō, still loyal to the Hidden Mist Village, is portrayed as dangerous and experienced but is completely outmatched by Riu’s Sharingan and Kamui.
  • Mangetsu is introduced as a prodigy capable of wielding multiple ninja swords, while the young Kisame is shown as an observer within the Mist’s elite forces.
  • Ringo and Fuguki appear as additional major threats, suggesting that Riu is about to face the full strength of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Significant Themes

  • Overwhelming power and helplessness: Jūzō’s skill and reputation mean little against Kamui, emphasizing the difference between conventional ninja techniques and Riu’s space-time ability.
  • The brutality of the Bloody Mist Village: The Mist ninja threaten to dissect or exploit their enemies for information, and the battlefield is treated as a place of merciless survival.
  • Isolation and suspicion: The Hidden Mist’s geography and secrecy mirror its hostile attitude toward outsiders, especially Konoha defectors.
  • Reputation versus reality: Jūzō is a famed swordsman, yet his reputation cannot protect him from Riu. The chapter questions whether legendary status matters against superior ability.
  • Predator and prey: The Mist ninja initially believe they are hunting trespassers, but Riu quickly reverses the situation and becomes the dominant force.

Character Interactions

  • Riu repeatedly admonishes Yūhi for pushing herself too hard, creating a tense dynamic in which he acts protectively but also underestimates her independence.
  • Yūhi resents Riu’s assessment of her weakness, yet she recognizes that she cannot interfere when he confronts Jūzō alone.
  • Tobi’s sarcastic and vulgar remarks irritate Yūhi and undermine the seriousness of the situation, while Riu largely ignores him.
  • Jūzō attempts to intimidate and interrogate the trio, but Riu dismisses his threats and defeats him almost instantly.
  • After watching Jūzō die, Ringo, Fuguki, and Mangetsu criticize him while studying Riu’s abilities, revealing that the remaining swordsmen view the encounter both as a loss and as an opportunity to gather intelligence.
  • The chapter closes with Riu openly calling out the hidden Mist forces, forcing the remaining swordsmen to reveal themselves.
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Ch. 18Showdown with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!

Chapter Summary: “Showdown with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Tobi advises Yūhi Uzuki to retreat rather than help Riu, confidently claiming that Riu cannot be defeated unless he chooses to die. They observe the battle from a safer distance.
  • Fuguki Suikazan orders Kisame to stay away while Fuguki, Ringo Ameyuri, and Hōzuki Mangetsu confront Riu.
  • Fuguki and Ringo argue over their status and strength, but Mangetsu silences them by threatening to reclaim their ninja swords through his sealing scroll.
  • Mangetsu attempts to summon the Executioner’s Blade back to the scroll, but Riu uses Kamui to absorb it into another dimension, severing its connection to Mangetsu.
  • Mangetsu tests Riu’s intangibility with his Water Gun Technique. The high-pressure bullets pass through Riu without harming him, confirming that even ninjutsu cannot affect him while intangible.
  • Riu counters with powerful Fire and Wind Release techniques. The swordsmen combine their Water Release to stop his flames, while Fuguki destroys his Wind Release with Samehada.
  • Ringo attacks Riu with a lightning-enhanced Body Flicker strike, timing her assault for the moment he becomes tangible. Riu blocks the attack with the Uchiha Gunbai and reflects the lightning back with Uchiha Rebound, severely injuring her.
  • Mangetsu and Ringo coordinate a second attack. Ringo summons natural lightning while Mangetsu engages Riu with Hiramekarei and attempts to exploit the limitation that Riu must become tangible when attacking.
  • Riu anticipates the trap and deliberately feigns an attack, causing Mangetsu to believe he has become vulnerable. Ringo then unleashes Thunder Gate, but the lightning strikes Mangetsu instead of Riu.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, combining Kamui, elemental ninjutsu, the Uchiha Gunbai, and tactical deception. He quickly identifies the weaknesses in the swordsmen’s strategies and turns their plans against them.
  • Hōzuki Mangetsu is established as the most analytical member of the group. He correctly deduces the apparent weakness of Riu’s intangibility but is outmaneuvered when Riu anticipates his counterstrategy.
  • Ringo Ameyuri displays exceptional Lightning Release mastery and tactical skill. She successfully recognizes the timing of Riu’s vulnerability, but her attack is reflected back by the Gunbai, leaving her wounded.
  • Fuguki Suikazan is portrayed as arrogant and physically powerful, using Samehada to destroy Riu’s Wind Release. His confidence creates friction with Ringo.
  • Kisame remains respectful toward Fuguki and observes the battle from a distance, impressed by the scale of Riu’s Fire Release.
  • Tobi shows unusual seriousness and confidence in Riu’s survival, suggesting that he understands Riu’s abilities better than the others.
  • Yūhi Uzuki is confused by Tobi’s refusal to assist Riu and becomes an observer of the escalating battle.

Significant Themes

  • Overwhelming strength versus coordinated teamwork: The swordsmen rely on combined attacks and elemental cooperation, but Riu’s superior abilities and adaptability keep him in control.
  • Knowledge and counterknowledge: Both sides attempt to analyze the mechanics of Riu’s intangibility. However, Riu gains the advantage by understanding and manipulating the opponents’ assumptions.
  • Power of legendary weapons: Samehada, Kiba, Hiramekarei, and the Uchiha Gunbai each significantly influence the battle, emphasizing the importance of the ninja swords and their specialized abilities.
  • Deception and psychological warfare: Riu’s feigned attack causes Mangetsu and Ringo to miscalculate, turning their carefully planned assault against themselves.
  • Arrogance and hierarchy: Fuguki’s veteran pride clashes with Ringo’s confidence, while Mangetsu’s authority keeps the group focused and prevents their rivalry from disrupting the fight.

Character Interactions

  • Tobi dismisses Yūhi’s concern for Riu and persuades her to retreat.
  • Fuguki belittles Ringo and orders Kisame to withdraw, while Ringo insults Fuguki’s past defeat.
  • Mangetsu asserts authority over both swordsmen by threatening to reclaim their weapons.
  • Ringo and Mangetsu cooperate tactically, with Ringo providing long-range lightning support while Mangetsu engages Riu directly.
  • Riu verbally acknowledges Ringo’s talent before defeating her attack, demonstrating both confidence and respect for her skill.
  • Mangetsu and Riu engage in a battle of strategy, with Riu ultimately exploiting Mangetsu’s own plan and causing the swordsmen’s coordinated attack to fail.
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Ch. 19Overwhelming Strength!

Chapter Summary: “Overwhelming Strength!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hōzuki Mangetsu survives Riu’s lightning attack by using the Water Transformation Technique, but is badly injured.
  • Riu attempts to finish Mangetsu with Chidori, but Ringo Ameyuri intervenes. Using Kamui’s phasing ability, Riu tricks her into striking Mangetsu instead.
  • Riu then attacks Ringo from behind with Chidori, killing her instantly.
  • Riu targets Fuguki Suikazan, but Hoshigaki Kisame intervenes. Riu phases through Kisame’s sword and traps him in Sharingan genjutsu.
  • Under the genjutsu, Kisame kills Fuguki by slashing his throat, believing he is attacking Riu.
  • Riu orders Kisame to finish Mangetsu. Kisame resists the genjutsu by stabbing himself in the thigh, using the pain to regain control.
  • Mangetsu removes the lightning blade pinning him down, and he and Kisame confront Riu together.
  • Riu activates his second-form Susanoo and offers to spare them if they can destroy it.
  • Mangetsu summons three of the Seven Ninja Swords: Nuibari, Kabutowari, and Shibuki. Kisame chooses the explosive Shibuki because it best suits his direct, destructive fighting style.
  • Mangetsu creates a Shadow Clone and coordinates a three-way assault with Kisame:
    • The clone attacks Susanoo from the front with Kabutowari.
    • Mangetsu strikes from behind with the enlarged Hiramekarei.
    • Kisame uses Shibuki to deliver an explosive blow to Susanoo’s weakened point.
  • Their combined attack cracks Susanoo and triggers a massive explosion, but Riu emerges unharmed.
  • Although Kisame and Mangetsu are gravely exhausted, Riu acknowledges their strength, names them the “Hidden Mist Demons,” and spares them. He invites them to join his ninja village if they lose their place in the Hidden Mist Village.

Character Developments

  • Uchiha Riu: Demonstrates overwhelming mastery of Kamui, Sharingan genjutsu, Chidori, Gunbai, and Susanoo. He fights strategically, manipulating enemies into attacking one another rather than relying solely on brute force. His confidence grows as he easily defeats three elite swordsmen and later offers them recruitment.
  • Hoshigaki Kisame: Reveals exceptional willpower and mental resistance. By injuring himself, he breaks free of Riu’s genjutsu and refuses to remain controlled. Despite killing his superior while manipulated, he continues fighting alongside Mangetsu and proves his destructive combat ability.
  • Hōzuki Mangetsu: Shows tactical intelligence and loyalty to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Despite severe injuries and depleted chakra, he creates a Shadow Clone and coordinates the attack on Susanoo. His willingness to risk himself reflects his dedication to the Mist’s swordsmen.
  • Ringo Ameyuri: Her aggression and instinct to protect Mangetsu are exploited by Riu’s Kamui deception, leading to her death.
  • Fuguki Suikazan: Dies after being betrayed by Kisame under genjutsu, mirroring his eventual fate in the original storyline.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Reacts with shock and concern as the supposedly unstoppable Susanoo is attacked, emphasizing the terrifying scale of the battle.

Significant Themes

  • Overwhelming power versus coordinated strength: Riu’s abilities appear nearly unbeatable, but Mangetsu and Kisame’s teamwork is strong enough to damage Susanoo.
  • Strategy over direct combat: Riu’s use of phasing, Kamui, and genjutsu allows him to turn his opponents’ strength against one another.
  • Willpower and self-sacrifice: Kisame breaks genjutsu through self-inflicted pain, demonstrating that determination can resist even powerful mental techniques.
  • Fate and altered destiny: Fuguki’s death parallels his original fate, but in this version Riu manipulates events so that Kisame becomes the instrument of his death.
  • Respect among powerful warriors: Though Riu defeats them, he recognizes Mangetsu and Kisame’s abilities and offers them survival and a new allegiance rather than killing them.
  • The collapse of old loyalties: Fuguki’s death and Kisame’s guilt suggest that the Mist’s internal hierarchy is breaking down, opening the way for new alliances.

Character Interactions

  • Riu exploits Ringo’s intervention, causing her attack to injure Mangetsu before killing her.
  • Kisame attempts to protect Fuguki from Riu, but Riu’s genjutsu turns Kisame against his own superior.
  • Fuguki dies cursing Konoha and realizing too late that Sharingan genjutsu manipulated Kisame.
  • Kisame and Mangetsu cooperate despite their exhaustion, combining their swords and techniques against Susanoo.
  • Riu treats them as worthy opponents, giving them the title “Hidden Mist Demons” and offering them a potential place in his organization.
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Ch. 20Bearing the Name "Shadow"!

Chapter Summary: “Bearing the Name ‘Shadow’!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After defeating the Mist’s swordsmen, Riu claims the Lightning Blade: Kiba from Ringo Ameyuri and returns the Executioner’s Blade to Hōzuki Mangetsu.
  • Riu tells Mangetsu to bring his younger brother, Suigetsu, when reporting to him, implying that Mangetsu’s position and future in the Hidden Mist Village are uncertain.
  • Riu gives Hoshigaki Kisame the Greatsword: Samehada and keeps the Explosion Blade: Shibuki for himself. Kisame is surprised because Samehada is considered the most powerful of the Seven Ninja Swords.
  • Riu explains that he values Kisame’s character more than the sword itself. He offers Kisame two possible futures: join Akatsuki if he embraces darkness, or join Riu’s future village, Shadow Village, if he chooses light.
  • Riu formally names his future village “Shadow Village” and declares that he will bear the name “Shadow,” emphasizing the contrast between darkness and light.
  • Riu realizes that this Naruto world does not necessarily follow anime-original events, since Kiba belonged to Ringo Ameyuri rather than Kurosuki Raiga.
  • Riu gives Kiba to Yūhi Uzuki, recognizing that her Lightning affinity and swordsmanship make her a suitable wielder.
  • The group resumes traveling, and Yūhi asks Riu about his connection to Kakashi Hatake after recognizing similarities between their Lightning Release techniques.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates strategic foresight, ruthlessness, and a growing ability to inspire loyalty. He rewards worthy individuals with powerful swords while trying to shape their future choices.
  • He reveals that his ultimate goal is not to fuse with Samehada but with the Ten-Tails, showing his ambition and disdain for Samehada’s grotesque fusion form.
  • Hōzuki Mangetsu is visibly relieved to survive but worries that his status in the Mist may soon collapse. His concern for his young brother Suigetsu gives him a more protective and vulnerable dimension.
  • Hoshigaki Kisame gains Riu’s respect and receives Samehada. Although grateful, he remains loyal to the Hidden Mist and refuses to commit himself to Riu.
  • Yūhi Uzuki receives Kiba despite still claiming to want revenge against Riu. Her acceptance of the sword suggests growing trust or at least recognition of his generosity.
  • Riu’s feelings toward Yūhi are subtly different from his treatment of Ringo: her identity and emotional significance have influenced him to spare her, revealing that his humanity has not completely disappeared.

Significant Themes

  • Light and darkness: Riu presents Akatsuki and Shadow Village as opposing paths, though their names and meanings deliberately contradict their apparent symbolism.
  • Appearance versus essence: The discussion of “Shadow” and “dawn” reflects the chapter’s idea that surface labels do not necessarily reveal inner nature.
  • Loyalty and personal choice: Kisame is not forced to follow Riu; instead, he is given freedom to choose according to his beliefs. His loyalty to the Mist remains intact for now.
  • Worth beyond power: Riu values Kisame as a person more than Samehada as a weapon, suggesting that character and conviction are more important than strength alone.
  • Ambition and moral decline: Riu’s willingness to kill Ringo without hesitation contrasts with his sympathy toward Yūhi, showing the tension between his ruthless goals and lingering emotional attachments.
  • Canon and uncertainty: Riu recognizes that this world differs from the familiar Naruto storyline, reinforcing the unpredictability of his situation.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Mangetsu: Riu takes Mangetsu’s sword but offers him a future by asking him to bring Suigetsu, hinting at recruitment or protection.
  • Riu and Kisame: Their exchange establishes mutual respect. Riu entrusts Kisame with Samehada and offers him a place in either Akatsuki or Shadow Village.
  • Riu and Yūhi: Riu gives her Kiba, teasing her about using it to kill him. Their hostile but increasingly familiar relationship contains clear emotional tension.
  • Yūhi and Riu: Her final question about Kakashi shifts the chapter toward a new mystery involving Riu’s Lightning Release and his possible connection to the Hatake clan.
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