Chapter Summaries

Hokage: Starting with Dual Kamui
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Ch. 21Shadow of the Bloody Mist, Yagura Arrives!

Chapter Summary: “Shadow of the Bloody Mist, Yagura Arrives!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yūhi Uzuki realizes that Riu’s alias, Uchiha Yu, may conceal his true identity as Uchiha Obito. Her suspicion is strengthened by his connection to Kakashi and his use of the Sharingan.
  • Riu refuses to confirm or deny that he is Obito, deliberately maintaining the mystery because he enjoys Yūhi’s growing curiosity and interest.
  • When Yūhi tries to remove his mask, Riu uses Kamui to make her hand pass through his face and briefly pulls her into the dimensional space, infuriating her.
  • Riu, Yūhi, and Tobi continue traveling through the Land of Water toward the Hidden Mist Village.
  • Yūhi bathes in a mountain spring after the exhausting journey. She reflects that, despite being captured, Riu has not treated her cruelly or humiliated her.
  • At camp, Riu questions why the Seven Ninja Swordsmen appeared at the same location as him. Tobi suggests that someone leaked Riu’s whereabouts.
  • Riu suspects Kabuto Yakushi, who may be secretly opposed to Riu’s exploitation of Orochimaru and Hashirama’s cells. Riu orders Tobi to monitor Kabuto rather than kill him immediately, since Orochimaru’s research remains essential to Riu’s plans.
  • Riu privately decides that Kabuto will eventually be killed, whether or not he is truly responsible for the leak.
  • The campfire suddenly goes out as a massive, unnatural mist spreads across the mountain. The technique is identified as the Hidden Mist Technique, used on a scale far beyond the Seven Ninja Swordsmen’s abilities.
  • Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage and ruler of the Bloody Mist Village, appears personally to confront Riu after hearing that he defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Character Developments

  • Riu/Obito: Becomes increasingly confident and manipulative. He uses his hidden identity to tease Yūhi and intentionally cultivates her interest. His suspicion of Kabuto reveals his growing paranoia and willingness to eliminate potential threats.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Moves from suspicion to near certainty that Riu is Obito. Although angry at his teasing, she also appears increasingly intrigued by him. Her reflections show that she is confused by the lack of cruelty in her captivity.
  • Tobi: Acts as an observer of Riu and Yūhi’s flirtatious arguments, joking that he is a “third wheel.” He also proves useful and informed regarding the White Zetsu network.
  • Kabuto Yakushi: Though absent, he becomes an important potential antagonist. Riu views him as ambitious, intelligent, and possibly disloyal to Orochimaru’s new alliance.
  • Yagura: Makes a dramatic entrance as a powerful and authoritative threat, personally intervening against Riu.

Significant Themes

  • Hidden identities and suspicion: Yūhi attempts to uncover Riu’s true identity, while Riu deliberately protects the mystery.
  • Manipulation and psychological control: Riu treats secrecy and flirtation as tools for influencing Yūhi.
  • Loyalty and betrayal: Kabuto’s possible conflict between loyalty to Orochimaru and opposition to Riu raises questions about allegiance.
  • Power and escalating threats: After defeating the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Riu attracts the attention of the Mizukage himself, signaling a major escalation.
  • Trust versus paranoia: Riu depends on Orochimaru’s research and Tobi’s network while assuming that even allies may eventually betray him.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Yūhi: Their exchanges are antagonistic but increasingly playful and flirtatious. Yūhi demands confirmation of his identity, while Riu responds with evasive teasing.
  • Riu and Tobi: They discuss the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the White Zetsu surveillance network, Kabuto, and the importance of Orochimaru’s research.
  • Riu and Kabuto: They do not meet directly, but Riu views Kabuto as a future enemy and potential traitor.
  • Riu and Yagura: The chapter ends with their confrontation about to begin, setting up a battle between Riu and the Fourth Mizukage.
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Ch. 22A Super Fierce Battle! Uchiha Riu vs. Yagura!

Chapter Summary: “A Super Fierce Battle! Uchiha Riu vs. Yagura!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yagura begins the battle by using the Hidden Mist Technique, nearly eliminating visibility and limiting the effectiveness of Riu’s Sharingan.
  • Riu counters with Wind Release: Tornado Hurricane, dispersing the mist and revealing Yagura.
  • The two exchange powerful Wind Release techniques, creating a violent storm that blows away Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki/Xiyang.
  • Riu attacks with Chidori, but Yagura uses the Water Mirror Technique to create an identical copy of Riu. The two Chidori attacks cancel each other out.
  • Riu uses his Mangekyō Sharingan’s Kamui to destroy the water mirror, demonstrating that his eye technique surpasses Yagura’s copying defense.
  • Yagura attempts to evade Kamui with Light Refraction Technique, but Riu still manages to injure him, destroying his left ear.
  • Yagura retaliates with Water Severing Wave, splitting the attack so one stream targets Riu and the other attacks Yūhi. Riu phases through the first stream, while Yūhi blocks the second with the Lightning Blade Kiba.
  • Enraged that Kiba, a Hidden Mist weapon, is in an outsider’s possession, Yagura unleashes Great Exploding Water Shockwave, flooding and trapping the entire battlefield.
  • Tobi rescues Yūhi by phasing through the water and transporting her to safety, while Riu remains behind to fight Yagura.
  • Riu uses Susanoo to withstand the water pressure and attempts to escape with Kamui, but Yagura counters with Whirlpool Turbulence, nearly destroying Susanoo and interrupting the spatial transfer.
  • Yagura reveals that he has studied Riu’s abilities and knows the apparent five-minute limit of Riu’s Phasing Mode. He then activates the enormous Water Release Secret Art: Mitsuhanokami, drawing on underground water veins to create a massive water pillar.
  • Yagura claims the technique will last six minutes—long enough to kill Riu when his phasing ends—and declares that Riu has witnessed the terror of the Bloody Mist Village.
  • Riu confidently says he will accept Yagura’s “gift” and return an even greater one, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

2. Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates extensive mastery of all five elemental natures, advanced Sharingan copying, Mangekyō abilities, Susanoo, and tactical planning. Rather than simply overpowering Yagura, he deliberately uses the battle to copy and study the Mizukage’s techniques.
  • Riu remains calm and confident even after being trapped by Yagura’s ultimate technique, suggesting he has another strategy prepared.
  • Yagura is portrayed as an extremely dangerous Kage-level opponent with exceptional Water Release skill, quick tactical analysis, and detailed intelligence about Riu’s abilities.
  • Yagura’s anger intensifies after his mist is dispelled, his ear is taken, and Kiba is revealed in outsider hands. His childlike appearance contrasts with his cruelty and overwhelming destructive power.
  • Tobi proves capable of rescuing allies under extreme conditions, using his phasing ability to save Yūhi from drowning.
  • Yūhi Uzuki/Xiyang shows courage and combat ability by blocking Yagura’s water blade with Kiba, though she is ultimately forced to rely on Tobi’s rescue.

3. Significant Themes

  • Strategy versus raw power: Both fighters possess overwhelming techniques, but the battle is shaped by counters, timing, copied abilities, and knowledge of weaknesses.
  • The limits of seemingly invincible powers: Riu’s Kamui and Phasing Mode are powerful but have range, duration, and activation restrictions that Yagura exploits.
  • Preparation and intelligence: Yagura’s prior investigation into Riu allows him to devise a specialized counterattack, showing that knowledge can challenge even superior abilities.
  • Pride and reputation: Yagura’s fury stems not only from physical injury but also from the humiliation of having his techniques defeated and Kiba taken from the Hidden Mist.
  • The brutality of the Bloody Mist Village: Yagura’s massive water techniques and ruthless willingness to bury everyone emphasize the village’s violent reputation.
  • Protection amid conflict: Tobi’s rescue of Yūhi highlights cooperation and loyalty in contrast to Yagura’s indiscriminate destruction.

4. Character Interactions

  • Riu and Yagura: Their exchange is a battle of escalating techniques and psychological pressure. Riu studies Yagura’s abilities while Yagura analyzes and mocks Riu’s weaknesses.
  • Tobi and Yūhi: Tobi saves Yūhi from Yagura’s flood, initially telling her to remain still if she wants to survive. His mention of “Yu…” hints at a personal reason or connection behind his decision to protect her.
  • Yagura and Yūhi/Xiyang: Yagura treats her possession of Kiba as a personal insult against the Hidden Mist Village and makes her, along with the others, a target of his murderous retaliation.
  • Riu and Tobi: Riu trusts Tobi to evacuate Yūhi while he remains behind to contain Yagura, demonstrating coordination and confidence between the two allies.
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Ch. 23Divine Artifact Susanoo, Yagura's Brutal Defeat!

Chapter Summary: Divine Artifact Susanoo, Yagura’s Brutal Defeat

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu counters Yagura’s enormous Water Release technique by manifesting the Crow Tengu Susanoo and using its new divine artifact, the Ninth-Spear Divine Void Mirror. The mirror absorbs the underground water vein and transfers it into the Kamui Space-Time Dimension.
  • Shocked that his powerful technique has been neutralized, Yagura summons the gigantic Endless Leech and attacks with the Lava Release: Melting Monster Technique. Riu absorbs the acid with the Divine Void Mirror.
  • Riu then uses the Ninth-Spear Kamui Magatama, a tracking projectile that automatically pursues targets marked by his Mangekyō Sharingan and passes through anything that is not its intended target. It bypasses Yagura’s Water Dragon and decapitates the Endless Leech, causing its body to dissolve into blood.
  • Riu prepares to finish Yagura with another Kamui Magatama, but the tremendous chakra and ocular strain caused by the Susanoo divine artifacts force the Susanoo to collapse. Riu’s eyes revert to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and begin bleeding.
  • Seeing Riu weakened, Yagura uses Wave-Riding Strike to close the distance and attacks with his staff. However, Riu’s Kamui phasing automatically activates, allowing the weapon to pass through him.
  • Riu retaliates with Kamui: Lightning Cutter, combining lightning with Kamui. He severs Yagura’s arm and begins preparing to kill him.
  • Hidden Mist ANBU intervene by throwing explosive-tagged kunai. Riu phases through the explosions, while the ANBU rescue the unconscious Yagura and retreat.
  • The Six-Tails Jinchūriki appears nearby in a warning display, prompting Riu to abandon the pursuit. Riu prioritizes his larger mission: reaching the Land of Lightning and obtaining the Eight-Tails.
  • Riu reunites with Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki, admitting that the battle was more exhausting than expected. He becomes visibly dizzy from overexertion but insists on resting briefly before continuing their journey.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates a major increase in power through his permanent Dual Kamui and the ability to create Susanoo divine artifacts. However, the battle reveals that these abilities consume enormous amounts of chakra and ocular power, even with the support of Hashirama Cells.
  • Riu remains calm and confident throughout the fight, repeatedly overpowering Yagura, but he also shows practical judgment by choosing not to pursue the Mizukage into a larger conflict with the Hidden Mist Village.
  • Yagura, initially arrogant and confident in the strength of his terrain-enhanced Water Release, becomes panicked and desperate after Riu neutralizes his strongest attacks. He is severely injured, loses an arm, and ultimately collapses unconscious.
  • Tobi recognizes that Riu’s strength has grown through repeated battles and supports him after the fight.
  • Yūhi Uzuki gains a more humanized view of Riu. Seeing his dizziness and physical exhaustion, she realizes that despite his overwhelming abilities, he is still vulnerable and mortal.
  • The Six-Tails Jinchūriki is introduced as a powerful observer whose presence helps prevent Riu from escalating the confrontation further.

Significant Themes

  • Power and its cost: Riu’s divine artifacts grant near-absolute offensive and defensive abilities, but their use rapidly drains his chakra and damages his eyes.
  • The limits of arrogance: Yagura underestimates Riu and the Uchiha’s ocular powers, only recognizing the danger once his strongest techniques have failed.
  • Strategy over brute force: Riu does not simply overpower Yagura; he uses absorption, phasing, target-locking, and battlefield judgment to control the fight.
  • Mission priorities and restraint: Although Riu could potentially continue pursuing Yagura, he avoids provoking the entire Hidden Mist Village and stays focused on reaching the Eight-Tails.
  • Human vulnerability beneath overwhelming strength: Riu’s exhaustion and need for rest remind both the characters and the reader that even a near-invincible warrior has physical limits.

Character Interactions

  • Riu repeatedly taunts and warns Yagura not to underestimate the Uchiha, while Yagura responds with increasingly desperate attacks.
  • Their battle shifts from long-range elemental techniques to close combat, culminating in Riu severing Yagura’s arm.
  • Tobi expresses concern for Riu’s condition and recognizes his growing strength.
  • The Hidden Mist ANBU prioritize rescuing their fallen Mizukage over fighting Riu.
  • The Six-Tails Jinchūriki silently confronts Riu from a distance, creating a tense standoff that ends when both sides withdraw.
  • Yūhi Uzuki observes Riu’s weakness and develops a more nuanced, sympathetic impression of him.
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Ch. 24Cloud Thunder Gorge of the Hidden Cloud Village, Killer B!

Chapter Summary: Cloud Thunder Gorge of the Hidden Cloud Village, Killer B!

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After recovering from their previous battles, Riu, Tobi, and Yūhi Uzuki travel toward the Land of Water’s border.
  • Riu reflects on the dangers of using the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo’s sacred weapons. Their immense ocular strain could eventually cause blindness, even with Hashirama’s cells.
  • Riu concludes that he must limit his use of Susanoo’s sacred weapons until he can acquire Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan and awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
  • The group leaves the Land of Water without further pursuit, as the Hidden Mist Village has been intimidated by Riu’s defeats of its major forces.
  • After two days of travel, they enter the Land of Lightning and target the Hidden Cloud Village’s Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B.
  • Riu captures a Cloud shinobi near the border and uses Sharingan genjutsu to extract Killer B’s location: Cloud Thunder Gorge.
  • At the gorge, Riu and his companions encounter Killer B, who is training while performing his eccentric rap routines.
  • Killer B immediately insults and challenges them through improvised lyrics. Tobi is irritated and asks to fight, but Riu refuses, declaring Killer B his prey because he wants to battle a Jinchūriki and test himself against a Tailed Beast.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Becomes increasingly cautious and strategic about the limits of his Mangekyō Sharingan. Although confident in his future ability to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he recognizes that he cannot risk blindness before obtaining Shisui’s eyes. His victory over a Cloud Jōnin also demonstrates that his ocular power and genjutsu have advanced dramatically.
  • Tobi: Continues to observe Riu’s growth and privately realizes that Riu has already surpassed Obito’s current ocular abilities, excluding the potential of Dual Kamui. He also displays frustration with Killer B’s bizarre behavior and eagerness to participate in the coming fight.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Remains part of Riu’s traveling group but has little direct involvement in the chapter’s major events.
  • Killer B: Is introduced as energetic, eccentric, and completely devoted to rap and exaggerated performance. Beneath his absurd behavior, he is confident enough to confront three unknown shinobi without hesitation.

Significant Themes

  • Power and physical cost: Riu’s thoughts emphasize that extraordinary abilities such as the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo come with severe consequences. Power must be balanced against the risk of permanent injury.
  • Preparation versus recklessness: Unlike Sasuke’s later failed attempt to capture Killer B, Riu intends to approach the fight deliberately and personally, believing his preparation and superior abilities will prevent a humiliating defeat.
  • Predation and retribution: Riu views the Hidden Cloud Village as a nation that has historically exploited others, so he sees his attack on Killer B as a reversal of that pattern—turning the Cloud’s own militarism and Jinchūriki against it.
  • Reputation and escalation: Riu’s earlier victories have frightened the Hidden Mist Village and helped establish him as a major threat, while his pursuit of Killer B signals an even greater escalation.
  • Contrasting personalities: Riu’s cold, calculating demeanor sharply contrasts with Killer B’s loud, comedic, and improvisational personality, creating immediate tension and humor.

Character Interactions

  • Riu reassures Tobi when the strain from using sacred weapons affects his eye, though he privately remains concerned about blindness.
  • Riu interrogates a Cloud shinobi, defeating his resistance through psychological pressure and Sharingan genjutsu rather than brute force alone.
  • Tobi watches this interrogation and recognizes how far Riu’s ocular abilities have advanced.
  • Upon meeting Killer B, Riu mocks him by calling him “Cai Xukun,” prompting Killer B to respond with a stream of improvised insults and rhymes.
  • Tobi openly questions Killer B’s sanity and asks to fight him, but Riu asserts authority and claims Killer B for himself, setting up the chapter’s impending battle.
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Ch. 25The Pinnacle Clash of Strength and Skill!

Chapter Summary: “The Pinnacle Clash of Strength and Skill!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu orders Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki to retreat to a distant mountaintop so he can fight Killer B without endangering them.
  • Riu begins the battle by attacking with the explosive Blunt Sword: Shibuki. Killer B catches the blade barehanded by avoiding its explosive edge, then disarms Riu and attempts to counterattack.
  • Riu switches to the Uchiha War Fan and uses Uchiha Rebound to reflect the sword’s explosion, blasting Killer B away.
  • Killer B abandons Shibuki and unveils his unique Eight-Sword Style, wielding eight swords in unconventional positions across his body.
  • Riu deliberately refuses to use Kamui’s Phasing Mode, choosing instead to test and improve his Sharingan’s ability to track Killer B’s movements.
  • Killer B overwhelms Riu with a rapid, unpredictable barrage of sword attacks. Riu is injured several times but continues analyzing the technique.
  • By pushing his Sharingan to its limit, Riu eventually perceives the trajectories of all eight swords. He counters with a Lightning Release-enhanced kunai, breaking one of Killer B’s swords and wounding Killer B.
  • Killer B escalates the fight by coating seven swords in Lightning Release and launching them at Riu. Even after his kunai breaks, Riu uses both fragments and exceptional timing to deflect every sword.
  • Impressed by Riu’s skill, Killer B activates his Eight-Tails Chakra Cloak and attacks with Lariat, striking Riu with tremendous force and sending him through a mountainside.
  • Riu survives the attack and emerges covered in Susanoo, revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan. He declares that the warm-up is over and challenges Killer B—and the Eight-Tails—to the real battle.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates confidence, adaptability, and a willingness to endure injury for the sake of growth. Rather than relying on Kamui’s phasing ability, he intentionally uses the fight to train his Sharingan’s dynamic vision.
  • Riu’s perception and combat instincts improve dramatically. He learns to read Killer B’s otherwise uncopyable swordsmanship and performs increasingly precise counters under extreme pressure.
  • Riu’s survival of Lariat establishes that his defensive abilities, especially Susanoo, are powerful enough to withstand one of Killer B’s most devastating attacks.
  • Killer B is established as an extraordinary swordsman even without relying fully on the Eight-Tails. His Eight-Sword Style is portrayed as unique, nearly impossible to imitate, and powerful enough to overwhelm the Sharingan initially.
  • Killer B moves from playful confidence to genuine surprise and seriousness after Riu wounds him, survives Lariat, and emerges protected by Susanoo.
  • Tobi and Yūhi serve as observers, reacting with shock to Killer B’s unusual swordsmanship and recognizing the danger of the confrontation.

Significant Themes

  • Strength versus skill: The battle contrasts Killer B’s overwhelming physical power and mastery of swordsmanship with Riu’s analytical vision, precision, and adaptability.
  • Growth through risk: Riu deliberately accepts injury instead of choosing an easier defensive option, showing that meaningful improvement requires confronting difficult challenges directly.
  • Limits of the Sharingan: Although the Sharingan can eventually perceive Killer B’s movements, it cannot simply copy his Eight-Sword Style, emphasizing that experience and individuality can surpass inherited abilities.
  • Escalation and hidden power: Both fighters progressively reveal stronger techniques, transforming the encounter from a test of skill into a confrontation involving the Eight-Tails and Susanoo.
  • Respect between rivals: Despite their taunts and Killer B’s comedic rapping, both fighters recognize the other’s abilities, with Killer B openly admiring Riu’s impossible-looking counterattack.

Character Interactions

  • Riu protects Tobi and Yūhi by sending them away before the fight begins.
  • Tobi comments on the difficulty of seeing through Killer B’s swordsmanship, while Riu explains through his actions that he wants to use the battle to sharpen his Sharingan.
  • Killer B repeatedly taunts Riu through improvised rap, mocking his attacks and boasting about his own swordsmanship.
  • Riu responds calmly, adapting from Shibuki to the Uchiha War Fan and then to Lightning Release-enhanced close combat.
  • Their exchange becomes increasingly respectful as Killer B acknowledges Riu’s skill and Riu recognizes Killer B as one of the greatest swordsmen in the shinobi world.
  • The chapter ends with both combatants preparing to abandon their initial techniques and enter the true, higher-level phase of the battle.
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Ch. 26White-Hot!

Chapter Summary: “White-Hot!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Killer B escalates the battle by entering State Two/Half-Tailed-Beast Transformation, compressing the Eight-Tails’ chakra into a powerful human-sized form.
  • He destroys Riu’s skeletal Susanoo with a devastating headbutt, but Riu’s ability to phase through physical attacks allows him to avoid the blow.
  • Riu uses Kamui to pierce Killer B through the back and chest. He deliberately avoids a fatal head wound because he wants to weaken B and free the Eight-Tails from its Jinchūriki rather than kill him.
  • The Eight-Tails channels its chakra into B, healing the massive injury and restoring him to fighting condition.
  • B launches a Small Tailed Beast Bomb, but it passes harmlessly through Riu and destroys a distant mountain instead.
  • Realizing that Riu can phase through attacks, B changes tactics and fires another Tailed Beast Bomb toward Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki. Riu is forced to become tangible and use Kamui to divert the attack into the space-time dimension.
  • At that moment, B attacks Riu with Lariat, shattering his Susanoo. Riu counters with Wood Release, binding B before the strike can land.
  • B breaks free by entering Complete Tailed-Beast Transformation, revealing the full Eight-Tails. Riu eagerly prepares to confront and capture it.

Character Developments

  • Killer B demonstrates tremendous speed, destructive power, and resilience, but his initial confidence leads him to underestimate Riu’s unusual abilities. He gradually begins analyzing Riu’s powers and identifies that Riu must become tangible when attacking.
  • The Eight-Tails acts as B’s cautious and perceptive partner, recognizing Riu’s true goal and repeatedly advising B to retreat or change tactics. It also saves B from death by healing him.
  • Riu remains calm and strategic throughout the fight. He reveals both Kamui and Wood Release, carefully avoids killing B, and manipulates the battle to force the Eight-Tails out of its host.
  • Yūhi Uzuki is shocked by Riu’s ability to neutralize a Tailed Beast Bomb and becomes deeply affected when she realizes he risked himself to protect her.
  • Tobi remains composed, reassuring Yūhi when Riu appears to be in danger.

Significant Themes

  • Strategy versus overwhelming power: B relies on immense physical strength and Tailed Beast chakra, while Riu counters with timing, phasing, spatial manipulation, and battlefield control.
  • The danger of incomplete information: The Eight-Tails emphasizes that fighting an opponent whose abilities are unknown leaves B at a severe disadvantage.
  • Trust and partnership: B and the Eight-Tails cooperate closely, with the Eight-Tails healing B and offering tactical guidance.
  • Protection and emotional impact: Riu’s decision to save Yūhi reveals a protective side beneath his otherwise emotionless demeanor, altering her perception of him.
  • Power escalation: The fight progresses from Susanoo and Half-Tailed-Beast Transformation to Wood Release and finally the full manifestation of the Eight-Tails.

Character Interactions

  • B and the Eight-Tails argue and strategize internally, with B’s humor and bravado contrasting with the Eight-Tails’ seriousness.
  • Riu taunts B’s repeated attacks while deliberately controlling the pace of the battle.
  • B tests Riu’s phasing ability by redirecting a Tailed Beast Bomb toward Yūhi, forcing Riu to reveal a limitation.
  • Yūhi worries when Riu is attacked and is relieved when his Wood Release saves him; this moment strengthens her emotional connection to him.
  • The chapter ends with Riu facing the fully transformed Eight-Tails, excited rather than intimidated by the challenge.
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Ch. 27Kamui Unrivaled, Eight-Tails Defeated!

Chapter Summary: “Kamui Unrivaled, Eight-Tails Defeated!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Killer B fully transforms into the Eight-Tails, a gigantic ox-like beast with eight octopus tails. His transformation recalls the history of the previous jinchūriki, Blue B, whose rampage and death led to Killer B inheriting the Eight-Tails.
  • To isolate the battle, Riu creates the Uchiha Flame Formation, a powerful barrier that traps himself and the Eight-Tails while protecting Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki.
  • The Eight-Tails launches a full-strength Tailed Beast Bomb, powerful enough to destroy a mountain. Riu counters with his fully formed Crow Tengu Susanoo, which withstands the blast.
  • Riu and the Eight-Tails exchange increasingly powerful attacks. Riu’s Kamui Shuriken neutralizes the Eight-Tails’ triple Tailed Beast Bombs by absorbing their explosive force into space-time vortices.
  • Killer B and the Eight-Tails change tactics, using an Ink Flood to immobilize and seal the Susanoo. Riu responds with the Susanoo’s Ninth-Spear Divine Void Mirror, using Kamui to absorb and remove the ink.
  • Riu then marks all eight of the Eight-Tails’ tails and fires a Kamui Magatama. The projectile splits into eight pieces, severing and transporting all eight tails into separate space-time vortices.
  • Severely wounded and enraged, the Eight-Tails prepares a continuous barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs. Riu avoids the attack by hiding his real body in Kamui and leaving behind a Shadow Clone inside the Susanoo.
  • The Eight-Tails destroys the Susanoo and eventually breaks the Flame Formation. Its uncontrolled bombardment obliterates Cloud Thunder Gorge, creating devastation that reaches the Hidden Cloud Village.
  • Riu survives by returning from the Kamui dimension. He finds Killer B gravely injured and enters his mental world, where the Eight-Tails is still attempting to save its jinchūriki.
  • The chapter ends with Riu preparing to use Kamui: Armor-Breaking Seal Release to dismantle the seal binding the Eight-Tails.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates overwhelming mastery of Kamui, the Mangekyō Sharingan, and Susanoo. He progresses from defensive combat to surgically disabling the Eight-Tails, though the effort severely drains his ocular power and causes his eyes to bleed. He also shows strategic intelligence by using a Shadow Clone and Kamui to escape the Eight-Tails’ final bombardment.
  • Killer B: His perfect control over the Eight-Tails is emphasized, but even his strongest transformation and techniques prove insufficient against Riu. His close cooperation with the Eight-Tails shows their shared battle experience and trust, but he is ultimately left critically wounded.
  • The Eight-Tails: Initially confident and aggressive, it adapts from brute-force attacks to sealing techniques. Its rage after losing all eight tails causes it to abandon caution and unleash destructive attacks without realizing that Riu has already escaped.
  • Yūhi Uzuki and Tobi: They are largely spectators during the main confrontation, recognizing the extraordinary scale of Riu’s techniques and remaining outside the barrier for their own safety.
  • Fourth Raikage A: His brief reaction establishes the battle’s enormous impact and alerts him that a catastrophic event is occurring near Cloud Thunder Gorge.

Significant Themes

  • The destructive power of tailed beasts: The battle illustrates that even partially dispersed Tailed Beast Chakra can annihilate mountains and entire landscapes.
  • Superior technique over raw power: The Eight-Tails possesses immense strength, but Riu defeats or counters it through spatial manipulation, sealing, deception, and precise targeting rather than direct force.
  • Control versus rage: Killer B’s disciplined partnership with the Eight-Tails initially makes them formidable, but the beast’s final fury leads to reckless destruction.
  • The pursuit of greater power: Riu’s reflection on the Ten-Tails reveals his ambition to acquire the ultimate source of tailed-beast power.
  • Seals and liberation: The conclusion shifts the conflict from defeating the Eight-Tails to potentially breaking the Iron Armor Seal that restrains it, raising the possibility of Riu taking control of—or extracting—the beast’s power.

Character Interactions

  • Riu taunts the transformed Killer B, provoking the Eight-Tails into revealing its full power.
  • Killer B and the Eight-Tails communicate internally, coordinating attacks and discussing how to overcome the Susanoo’s defenses.
  • Riu and the Eight-Tails engage in a tactical contest: the beast relies on overwhelming chakra and ink-based sealing, while Riu counters with Kamui’s absorption and dimensional abilities.
  • Yūhi Uzuki and Tobi react with shock to the scale of the battle and Riu’s ability to create the Flame Formation alone.
  • After the devastation, Riu confronts the Eight-Tails directly within Killer B’s mental world, setting up the attempted release of its seal.
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Ch. 28A Perfect Conclusion!

Chapter Summary: “A Perfect Conclusion!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu uses Kamui to distort and break the Iron Armor Sealing Formula inside Killer B, allowing the Eight-Tails’ chakra to escape.
  • He immediately places the Eight-Tails under Mangekyō Sharingan control and extracts it from Killer B. A natural storm-like vortex forms in the sky as the immense tailed-beast chakra is released.
  • Although the Eight-Tails is separated from B, one tentacle remains attached to him in an attempt to preserve his life. Recognizing the bond between the jinchūriki and tailed beast, Riu cuts off the tentacle rather than killing B, allowing him to survive.
  • Riu uses Wood Release as an extension of his body and combines both eyes’ Kamui abilities to transfer the entire Eight-Tails into his space-time dimension.
  • The Fourth Raikage, A, arrives and confronts Riu, furious over what happened to his younger brother.
  • Riu and A engage in a high-speed battle. A’s enhanced Lightning Armor allows him to evade Kamui and launch a relentless taijutsu assault.
  • Riu phases through A’s attacks while waiting for the Raikage’s stamina and speed to decline. When he identifies an opening, he attempts to counter with Kamui: Lightning Cutter.
  • Riu suffers severe eye backlash from overusing his dōjutsu, causing his attack to fail and allowing A to sever his right arm.
  • In a desperate counterattack, Riu throws his own severed hand—still carrying Lightning Cutter—which twists away A’s arm through Kamui.
  • Riu escapes into his space-time dimension, while A remains with the wounded Killer B. B briefly regains consciousness, leading to an emotional reunion between the brothers.
  • Inside the dimension, Riu uses Hashirama Cells to regenerate his severed arm. Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki meet him, and the group prepares to return, noting that Orochimaru’s operation is also nearing completion.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates increasingly advanced mastery of Kamui, using it not only to break seals and extract the Eight-Tails but also to manipulate space-time through unconventional methods. He shows strategic patience against A and reveals a willingness to spare Killer B. However, his heavy reliance on the Mangekyō Sharingan causes dangerous physical backlash.
  • Killer B: Loses the Eight-Tails but survives because of the tailed beast’s lingering chakra and attachment to him. His brief exchange with A emphasizes his vulnerability and the strength of their brotherly bond.
  • The Eight-Tails: Despite being controlled by Riu, it instinctively tries to save Killer B’s life. After its extraction, it returns to its natural form and becomes a wild tailed beast once again.
  • Fourth Raikage A: His intense loyalty to Killer B drives him into a furious confrontation with Riu. His speed and physical power prove capable of temporarily surpassing Kamui’s activation speed, but his determination also leads him to fight recklessly. Even after losing an arm, his main concern remains B’s survival.
  • Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki: They receive Riu after his escape, confirming that the Eight-Tails extraction is part of a larger coordinated operation involving Orochimaru.

Significant Themes

  • Power versus mastery: Riu recognizes that his abilities still fall short of the legendary Hashirama and Madara, motivating his ambition to surpass them.
  • The bond between jinchūriki and tailed beast: The Eight-Tails’ attempt to preserve B’s life and A’s emotional response show that these relationships are more than mere tools or vessels.
  • Strategy overcoming brute force: Riu cannot overpower A directly, so he relies on observation, timing, phasing, and an improvised attack using his severed arm.
  • The cost of power: Riu’s Mangekyō Sharingan grants extraordinary abilities but causes severe backlash, nearly costing him the battle.
  • Survival and calculated mercy: Riu spares Killer B despite defeating him, suggesting that his goals are strategic rather than driven by personal hatred.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and the Eight-Tails: Riu dominates the beast with his dōjutsu but acknowledges its loyalty to B and chooses to preserve the jinchūriki’s life.
  • Riu and A: Their confrontation is both ideological and physical. A seeks revenge and defends his brother, while Riu remains confident and treats the battle as a test of ability.
  • A and Killer B: Their reunion reinforces their close sibling relationship. A believes B is dead, but B’s faint response gives him hope.
  • Riu, Tobi, and Yūhi Uzuki: After the battle, they regroup in the space-time dimension and confirm that their larger plan is progressing.
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Ch. 29After the Fierce Battle, She Actually...

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu and his companions return from the Land of Lightning to their base using Kamui, reducing a seven-day journey to mere seconds. With spatial markers established in the Lands of Water and Lightning, they can now travel freely between them.
  • Tobi suggests visiting the Land of Wind and Land of Earth, but Riu decides to wait until they have a legitimate reason to go there.
  • Xiyang retreats to her room, visibly troubled by the recent battles and experiences.
  • Riu and Tobi inspect Orochimaru’s progress in extracting Hashirama’s original cells from a clone. Orochimaru has obsessively worked for nearly a month without rest, and the extraction is almost complete.
  • Kabuto privately reveals his resentment toward Riu, believing Riu was killed in the Bloody Mist Village. When Riu unexpectedly appears, Kabuto is shocked but quickly hides his hostility and pretends loyalty.
  • Kabuto announces that the Hashirama-cell extraction will finish in three days, giving Riu a body with power comparable to Hashirama Senju. Although Riu responds favorably, he notices—or at least suspects—Kabuto’s hidden intentions.
  • Yūhi Uzuki, overwhelmed by her growing attachment to Riu, decides she must sever their relationship before she abandons her original mission and falls completely in love with him.
  • While Riu sleeps, Yūhi stabs him through the body, apologizes, and returns to her room to await punishment rather than escape.
  • The following morning, Riu appears unharmed and casually teases her, revealing that the stabbing either failed to affect him or that he had anticipated it.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates strategic patience by postponing travel to the remaining nations until it is politically advantageous. His calm reaction to Kabuto’s deception suggests he is aware of the danger. His apparent survival after being stabbed reinforces his overwhelming power and mysterious abilities.
  • Tobi: Continues to act as Riu’s practical companion, discussing travel plans and observing the situation at the base.
  • Orochimaru: Becomes increasingly consumed by his scientific pursuit, working nearly nonstop to complete the Hashirama-cell extraction. His obsession with creating a “perfect” body emphasizes his disregard for his own health.
  • Kabuto: Reveals deep resentment toward Riu and a desire for revenge. He disguises his hostility behind exaggerated loyalty while preparing a “backup plan,” establishing him as a hidden threat.
  • Yūhi Uzuki/Xiyang: Experiences the strongest emotional shift in the chapter. Her gratitude, dependence, and affection toward Riu conflict with her loyalty to her village. She attempts to kill him to restore her resolve but remains emotionally devastated afterward.

Significant Themes

  • Conflicted loyalty: Yūhi’s attempt to kill Riu reflects the struggle between personal attachment and duty to Konoha.
  • Manipulation and hidden motives: Kabuto pretends to serve Riu while secretly plotting against him, showing how trust within the group remains fragile.
  • Power and vulnerability: Even while asleep, Riu may be impossible to kill, contrasting Yūhi’s desperation with his near-invulnerability.
  • Obsession with perfection: Orochimaru’s self-destructive commitment to Hashirama’s cells highlights the dangers of pursuing scientific or physical perfection without limits.
  • Emotional dependence: Yūhi’s memories show how Riu’s protection and acts of consideration gradually transformed her from a captive into someone emotionally attached to him.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Tobi discuss future travel and the expansion of their network through Kamui.
  • Riu observes Orochimaru’s work and speaks with Kabuto, who reports the imminent success of the Hashirama-cell extraction while concealing his hostility.
  • Kabuto internally mocks Riu and plans revenge, creating dramatic irony because Riu appears to recognize that something is wrong.
  • Yūhi recalls Riu’s past words and actions, including his protection, concern for her safety, and gift of the Kiba blades.
  • Yūhi attacks Riu in his sleep but apologizes before withdrawing. The next morning, Riu greets her cheerfully and teases her, leaving her shocked and intensifying the mystery surrounding his survival.
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Ch. 30Summoning Contract, Eight-Tails Returns to Its Place!

Chapter Summary: “Summoning Contract, Eight-Tails Returns to Its Place!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After recovering from his previous battle, Riu returns to the Kamui Dimension to deal with the imprisoned Eight-Tails.
  • The Eight-Tails attacks immediately with a Tailed Beast Bomb, but Riu deflects it using Triple Rashomon.
  • Riu reveals that all nine Tailed Beasts are fragments of the Ten-Tails and explains that he intends to obtain the Ten-Tails’ power to oppose the future arrival of the “Heavenly People.”
  • Using his Mangekyō Sharingan, Riu activates Kamui Seal: Eight-Pillar Beast Prison, binding the Eight-Tails’ tails and neck with chakra chains and completely suppressing its power.
  • He creates a Summoning Contract with the Eight-Tails by cutting it with a Chidori Sharp Spear and using both their blood to seal the agreement. This allows him to summon the Eight-Tails in battle while ensuring that it returns to its prison in Kamui afterward.
  • The Eight-Tails condemns Riu for threatening the Shinobi World and predicts that someone inheriting the Sage of Six Paths’ will eventually stop him. Riu responds that he will surpass the Sage himself.
  • Back at the base, Riu and Tobi wait for Orochimaru’s research results while Yūhi Uzuki trains against White Zetsu.
  • White Zetsu reports that Konoha forces have located the base and are approaching to capture Orochimaru. The force is led by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
  • Riu orders Tobi to monitor Kabuto and decides to confront Hiruzen personally, viewing the battle as a test before he obtains Hashirama’s true power and advances to a new level.

Character Developments

  • Riu becomes increasingly ruthless and ambitious. He sees the Tailed Beasts as tools rather than beings deserving respect and openly embraces war and power as the foundation of his new path.
  • His confidence grows dramatically: he believes the Ten-Tails is necessary to oppose the Heavenly People and declares that he will surpass the Sage of Six Paths.
  • The Eight-Tails remains defiant, loyal to its former partner B, and horrified by Riu’s plans to gather Tailed Beast power. Despite its resistance, it is completely subdued and forced into a summoning contract.
  • Yūhi Uzuki has adapted to life and training with Riu’s group. She appears more comfortable interacting with him, jokes about her Bloodline Limit, and reminds him of his promise to build her a hot spring.
  • Tobi continues to observe the group and question Yūhi’s psychological changes, while also serving as Riu’s subordinate during the coming conflict.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi is introduced as the approaching opponent, setting up a confrontation between Konoha’s legendary Hokage and Riu.

Significant Themes

  • Power and domination: Riu’s treatment of the Eight-Tails demonstrates his belief that overwhelming strength justifies control.
  • Freedom versus imposed order: Although Riu claims to pursue freedom, he achieves it through imprisonment, coercion, and the forced use of others’ power.
  • War replacing peace: Riu explicitly rejects the original ideal of peace associated with the Hokage story, choosing war and freedom as the principles of his own “script.”
  • Escalation beyond the known world: The threat of the Heavenly People expands the conflict beyond ordinary ninja politics and justifies Riu’s pursuit of the Ten-Tails.
  • Legacy and surpassing predecessors: The Eight-Tails invokes the Sage of Six Paths’ will, while Riu vows to surpass that legacy rather than submit to it.
  • Transformation through participation: Riu recognizes that he is no longer merely observing the world’s story; he is actively rewriting it through his choices.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and the Eight-Tails engage in a hostile ideological confrontation. The beast defends its independence and warns against reviving the Ten-Tails, while Riu dismisses its value and forces it into submission.
  • Riu and Tobi discuss Yūhi’s abilities and usefulness. Their teasing conversation is interrupted when Yūhi asserts that she possesses a Bloodline Limit.
  • Yūhi’s reminder about the promised hot spring adds a more personal and lightly comedic interaction amid the chapter’s darker events.
  • Riu gives Tobi a direct mission to watch Kabuto while taking responsibility for confronting Hiruzen himself, emphasizing their division of roles.
  • The chapter ends with Riu preparing to face Hiruzen, framing the battle as both a strategic confrontation and a symbolic farewell to his past before his next power evolution.
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Ch. 31A Fate Destined to Fall!

Chapter Summary: “A Fate Destined to Fall!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu confronts Xiyang after discovering that she attempted to assassinate him while he slept. He reveals that his phasing ability remains active even during sleep, explaining why the attack failed.
  • Overcome by shame and a sense of duty, Xiyang attempts suicide. Riu stops her by catching the blade with his bare hand, injuring himself in the process.
  • Xiyang admits that she stayed with Riu to find an opportunity to kill him. Although she initially feared he might harm her younger sister, living alongside him convinced her that he would not hurt innocents. Her remaining motivation was loyalty to Konoha and the village’s “Will of Fire.”
  • Riu uses his Mangekyō Sharingan to show Xiyang visions of the future. She sees her sister, Yugao, serving in ANBU and mourning both her lover, Gekko Hayate, and Xiyang herself.
  • The vision reveals that Xiyang is destined to die on an ANBU mission the following year, after which Yugao will follow the same dangerous path.
  • Riu challenges Xiyang’s devotion to Konoha, arguing that her family has been sacrificed by the village’s ideology and that the “Will of Fire” is a form of emotional conditioning hiding Konoha’s darker realities.
  • He asks whether she was happier with him or during her life as an ANBU operative. Though she cannot openly answer, her hesitation suggests that her time with Riu brought her greater happiness.
  • Riu emotionally and physically overwhelms Xiyang. During their kiss, she briefly considers attacking him again but ultimately drops the blade and embraces him instead.
  • Xiyang asks Riu to promise that he will not attack Konoha. He refuses to make such a promise, stating that he will eventually go to the village to obtain something he wants.
  • Riu reveals that he had been ready to kill Xiyang if she had attempted murder a second time, but her decision to lower the blade spared her.
  • Riu leaves, while Xiyang collapses against the wall and accepts that her resistance to him has ended.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates both possessiveness and genuine concern for Xiyang. He protects her from suicide, attempts to change the future in which she dies, and exposes his willingness to kill her if she remains a threat. His refusal to promise Konoha’s safety also reinforces his ruthless independence.
  • Xiyang: Shifts from a loyal Konoha operative and would-be assassin to someone emotionally conflicted about her former beliefs. She recognizes Riu’s influence over her and abandons her second chance to kill him, symbolizing the collapse of her resistance and loyalty to her former path.
  • Yugao: Though appearing only in the vision, she represents the tragic future awaiting Xiyang’s family: grief, military service, and continued sacrifice for Konoha.

Significant Themes

  • Fate versus free will: Riu’s visions reveal Xiyang’s predetermined death, while his intervention suggests that the future can be changed.
  • Ideological loyalty versus personal happiness: Xiyang must choose between Konoha’s “Will of Fire” and the happiness and emotional freedom she experiences with Riu.
  • The cost of nationalism: Riu condemns Konoha for turning entire families into sacrifices while concealing its darker side behind noble rhetoric.
  • Possession, power, and surrender: Riu’s control over Xiyang is both emotional and physical, culminating in her decision to lower her weapon and submit to her feelings.
  • Love complicated by danger: Xiyang’s affection for Riu grows despite his threat to Konoha, creating a conflict between personal attachment and loyalty to her village.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Xiyang’s confrontation moves from suspicion and violence to emotional intimacy.
  • Riu challenges Xiyang’s beliefs through the future vision and forces her to reconsider whether Konoha’s ideals truly benefited her family.
  • Their kiss marks Xiyang’s decisive emotional surrender, as she chooses not to kill Riu even when given a clear opportunity.
  • Xiyang’s plea for Konoha’s safety briefly interrupts their intimacy, but Riu’s refusal to compromise establishes a lasting conflict between his ambitions and her former loyalties.
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Ch. 32Uchiha Riu vs. the Third at His Peak!

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Prime Hiruzen Sarutobi travels to a hidden location with four ANBU captains after receiving Kabuto Yakushi’s letter claiming that Orochimaru has been defeated and captured by Uchiha Riu.
  • Suspicious of the message but unwilling to abandon his former disciple, Hiruzen investigates the marked location. He sees through a sophisticated terrain-disguising barrier using the Evil-Dispelling Seal and his mastery of multiple chakra natures.
  • Inside the hidden area, Riu waits atop a gigantic beast skeleton. He confirms that Orochimaru is in his custody and challenges Hiruzen to prove he can take him back.
  • Hiruzen orders the ANBU to stand down and begins the battle himself. He uses Wind Release to create a sandstorm, limiting the effectiveness of Riu’s Sharingan, then follows with mass-produced shadow shuriken and three Fire Release dragons.
  • All of Hiruzen’s attacks pass through Riu harmlessly because of Riu’s temporary intangibility. Hiruzen correctly identifies the ability’s five-minute limit and its potential to drain chakra and counterattack.
  • Drawing on his access to all seven chakra natures and Konoha’s secret techniques, Hiruzen uses the Yamanaka Clan’s Mind Body Switch Technique to seize control of Riu’s body.
  • While possessing Riu, Hiruzen orders the ANBU captain Xin Chou to attack. However, within the spiritual realm, Riu manifests Susanoo as overwhelming mental energy and crushes Hiruzen’s spiritual form, breaking the technique.
  • Hiruzen is injured and loses control just before Xin Chou’s attack lands. Riu evades the lightning-enhanced blade and kills Xin Chou with Chidori.
  • The chapter ends with Hiruzen and Riu facing each other amid the raging sandstorm, signaling that the true battle has only begun.

Character Developments

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi: Revealed as a powerful, analytical fighter in his prime rather than the aged Hokage seen in the original story. His mastery of all seven chakra natures, barrier analysis, tactical thinking, and use of secret techniques demonstrate why he is called the “Professor of Ninjutsu.” He is also shown to be protective of Orochimaru and willing to risk a trap to retrieve his former student.
  • Uchiha Riu: Displays confidence and curiosity, deliberately provoking Hiruzen because he wants to test himself against a legendary shinobi. His intangibility initially neutralizes Hiruzen’s attacks, while his Sharingan and Susanoo allow him to overcome even a mental invasion.
  • Orochimaru: Does not appear directly, but his capture drives the confrontation and highlights his importance to both Hiruzen and Kabuto.
  • Kabuto Yakushi: Acts indirectly by sending the message that lures Hiruzen to Riu, suggesting a larger scheme.
  • Xin Chou: Obeys Hiruzen’s command despite the risks, but is killed after the Mind Body Switch Technique fails.

Significant Themes

  • Teacher-student loyalty: Hiruzen’s determination to retrieve Orochimaru reflects his lingering responsibility and affection toward his former disciple.
  • Strategy versus raw power: Both combatants rely on analysis and specialized abilities rather than simple ninjutsu exchanges. Hiruzen studies Riu’s intangibility, while Riu counters the Mind Body Switch Technique through spiritual strength.
  • The danger of hidden abilities: Riu’s intangibility and internal Susanoo are far more complex than ordinary physical defenses, forcing Hiruzen to devise unconventional counters.
  • Prime versus aged strength: The chapter emphasizes that Hiruzen’s reputation in his prime was justified and that his reduced abilities in old age concealed his true potential.
  • Manipulation and mistrust: Kabuto’s message may be a trap, and neither side fully trusts the circumstances that brought them together.

Character Interactions

  • Hiruzen and the ANBU captains discuss the reliability of Kabuto’s information, establishing Hiruzen’s cautious but decisive leadership.
  • Riu openly taunts Hiruzen, while Hiruzen responds with restraint and orders his subordinates not to interfere.
  • Hiruzen and Riu engage in a battle of tactical counters: Hiruzen obscures the Sharingan and uses multiple techniques, while Riu relies on intangibility.
  • Hiruzen temporarily controls Riu through the Mind Body Switch Technique and commands Xin Chou to attack, but Riu defeats him in the spiritual realm.
  • Riu’s counterattack kills Xin Chou, transforming the confrontation from a test of strength into a deadly personal battle between Riu and Hiruzen.
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Ch. 33The Pinnacle of Ninjutsu Application!

Chapter Summary: “The Pinnacle of Ninjutsu Application!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi attempts to counter Riu’s intangibility by creating four Shadow Clones and using coordinated attacks to force Riu to materialize.
  • Riu counters by creating his own Shadow Clones, neutralizing Hiruzen’s numerical advantage.
  • Hiruzen and his clones launch the Five Release: Great Bullet Barrage, combining fire, lightning, water, earth, and wind ninjutsu. Riu copies the technique immediately, resulting in a massive clash of ten elemental attacks.
  • Hiruzen secretly uses a marked kunai to prepare Flying Raijin. After his clones disappear, he teleports behind Riu and attacks with a Wind Release-enhanced kunai, but Riu phases through the strike.
  • Riu recognizes the teleportation technique and prepares to use Kamui. Hiruzen’s hidden underground Shadow Clone then activates Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu, trapping Riu beneath the ground.
  • Riu attempts to kill Hiruzen with long-range Kamui, but Hiruzen raises an Earth-Style Wall in time. Kamui destroys the wall and tears through Hiruzen’s shoulder instead of his head.
  • Acknowledging that the battle has escalated, Hiruzen summons Monkey King Enma, who transforms into the Diamond Body Ruyi Staff.
  • Riu activates his most powerful form of Susanoo, the Crow Tengu, but avoids summoning the Eight-Tails because its destructive power could damage Orochimaru’s underground base.
  • Hiruzen uses the Akimichi Clan’s Super Expansion Jutsu, despite the severe physical exhaustion it will cause him, and enlarges both himself and Enma’s staff.
  • Hiruzen and the Crow Tengu Susanoo clash in a devastating physical confrontation, shaking the underground chamber and raining debris around Orochimaru’s laboratory.
  • While Orochimaru watches the battle rather than flee, Kabuto attempts to knock him unconscious to protect him. Tobi intervenes, catches Kabuto’s wrist, and threatens him with lethal intent.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates enormous adaptability, instantly copying complex elemental ninjutsu and matching Hiruzen’s tactical creativity with his own Shadow Clones. Although highly confident in his superior power, he develops genuine respect for Hiruzen’s mastery of conventional ninjutsu.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi reveals increasingly sophisticated techniques and battle planning, including Flying Raijin, hidden Shadow Clone tactics, Earth Release combinations, Enma’s summoning, and Super Expansion. He is pushed to his physical limits but remains resourceful and determined.
  • Enma proves his loyalty to Hiruzen and willingly transforms into the Ruyi Staff, preparing to fight at full strength.
  • Orochimaru remains confident in Riu’s abilities and is fascinated by the battle, refusing to evacuate despite the danger.
  • Kabuto shows concern and loyalty toward Orochimaru. He is willing to incapacitate his master to prevent him from being exploited or killed, but Tobi’s intervention stops him.
  • Tobi reveals a cold, protective—or controlling—interest in Orochimaru and the situation, making it clear that he will not tolerate Kabuto acting against him.

Significant Themes

  • The height of conventional skill: Hiruzen represents the pinnacle of ordinary ninjutsu mastery. Without a powerful bloodline, tailed beast, or special physical ability, he has reached extraordinary heights through knowledge, versatility, and experience.
  • Power versus technique: Riu possesses overwhelming ocular abilities, Senju-enhanced Chakra, and Susanoo, while Hiruzen relies on careful planning and mastery of basic techniques. Their battle contrasts raw power with refined application.
  • Adaptation and counterstrategy: Both fighters continually anticipate and respond to each other’s methods, turning every technique into a possible trap.
  • Respect between rivals: Though Riu intends to defeat Hiruzen, he sincerely acknowledges the Hokage’s achievements. Their exchange of the Clash of the Opposite Seals symbolizes mutual recognition.
  • Limits of human ability: Hiruzen approaches superhuman levels through effort and mastery, but his body still suffers from using techniques outside his natural abilities.
  • Loyalty and control: Kabuto’s attempt to protect Orochimaru and Tobi’s violent interruption introduce competing forms of loyalty, possession, and authority.

Character Interactions

  • Riu and Hiruzen engage in a battle of escalating counters, with each recognizing the other’s intelligence and abilities.
  • Riu openly praises Hiruzen as the “Professor of Ninjutsu,” while Hiruzen internally identifies Riu as an unprecedented Uchiha prodigy.
  • Hiruzen and Enma communicate with long-standing familiarity and trust, fighting together without needing elaborate coordination.
  • Orochimaru and Kabuto disagree over whether to flee. Orochimaru trusts Riu’s strength, while Kabuto prioritizes Orochimaru’s safety.
  • Tobi abruptly confronts Kabuto, catching his attack and threatening him, creating a new source of tension within the underground base.
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Ch. 34Dust Settles, the Third Falls!

Chapter Summary: “Dust Settles, the Third Hokage Falls!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi and Riu engage in a devastating battle between the Ruyi Staff and Crow Tengu Susanoo. Both suffer severe damage, with Hiruzen exhausting his body and Enma being critically wounded.
  • Despite pleas from the ANBU and Enma to retreat, Hiruzen continues fighting to eliminate Riu, believing this may be Konoha’s best opportunity to stop him.
  • Hiruzen uses the Nara Clan’s Shadow Imitation Technique to restrain Susanoo, allowing three ANBU captains to perform a coordinated combination attack:
    • Lightning Release: Four Pillar Bind
    • Earth Release: Clay Drop
    • Lightning Release: Sixteen Pillar Bind
    • Fire Release: Raw Burn Technique
  • The assault destroys Susanoo’s armor, but Riu unleashes his full Mangekyo Sharingan power. Susanoo regenerates and manifests the Ninth-Spear Divine Void Mirror, which absorbs the fire, clay, lightning, and even Hiruzen’s shadow technique.
  • Riu defeats Hiruzen decisively. Susanoo disappears, but Riu remains strong enough to overpower the ANBU guards and approach the exhausted Third Hokage.
  • Hiruzen asks Riu to spare Orochimaru. Orochimaru then arrives with Tobi and reveals that the conflict was largely part of Riu and Orochimaru’s broader plan.
  • Orochimaru admits responsibility for disappearances in villages near the Land of Fire and within Konoha. He refuses to return to the village, explaining that he seeks the truth of the world and believes Konoha cannot provide it.
  • Riu agrees to spare Hiruzen because of Orochimaru’s contributions. Kabuto, however, has already been dealt with by Orochimaru.
  • Hiruzen collapses from exhaustion. Orochimaru assures the ANBU that he is still alive and advises them to take him to Tsunade.
  • With Hiruzen defeated and the operation complete, Riu and Orochimaru prepare to pursue the true power of Hashirama Senju.

Character Developments

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi: Demonstrates immense courage, tactical intelligence, and loyalty to Konoha. He refuses to retreat even when severely weakened, sacrificing himself for the chance to eliminate Riu. His final concern is protecting Orochimaru, showing that he still views him as his disciple despite his crimes.
  • Riu: Establishes himself as powerful enough to defeat Hiruzen in his prime. He recognizes the battle as a test of his current limits and views defeating Hiruzen as symbolic closure with his past. His ambitions now turn toward obtaining Hashirama’s power.
  • Orochimaru: Reveals that he never intended to destroy Konoha outright and voluntarily pleads for Hiruzen’s life. Although he admits to conducting human disappearances and experiments, he remains focused on uncovering the world’s deepest truths rather than serving the village.
  • Enma: Fights alongside Hiruzen until his body can no longer endure Susanoo’s power, emphasizing his loyalty and the close bond between the two.
  • The ANBU captains: Show discipline and teamwork by executing a complex combination technique, but ultimately cannot overcome Riu’s superior ocular power.
  • Tobi: Quietly confirms that the larger plan has succeeded, functioning as Riu’s ally and operative.

Significant Themes

  • Sacrifice for the village: Hiruzen knowingly gives his life and strength for Konoha’s future, even when retreat would be safer.
  • The limits of power: The battle reveals both Hiruzen’s extraordinary strength and the gap between him and Riu’s evolving abilities.
  • Master-and-student bonds: Hiruzen’s concern for Orochimaru persists despite Orochimaru’s betrayal, while Orochimaru’s request to spare his teacher suggests lingering attachment.
  • Letting go of the past: Riu interprets the battle as a farewell to his former life and a transition into a new stage of power and ambition.
  • Truth versus loyalty: Orochimaru rejects the village system because it cannot answer the questions he pursues, placing knowledge above allegiance to Konoha.
  • Dust settling and transformation: The destruction of Susanoo’s opponents and Hiruzen’s fall mark the end of one conflict and the beginning of Riu and Orochimaru’s pursuit of Hashirama’s power.

Important Character Interactions

  • Hiruzen and Enma fight as trusted lifelong partners, with Enma apologizing when he can no longer continue.
  • Hiruzen coordinates with the ANBU captains, using his shadow restraint to create an opening for their combined attack.
  • Riu and Hiruzen exchange mutual recognition: Riu praises Hiruzen’s ability, while Hiruzen continues challenging him despite overwhelming odds.
  • Hiruzen and Orochimaru have a final emotional confrontation in which Hiruzen attempts to bring his former student back to Konoha, but Orochimaru rejects reconciliation.
  • Orochimaru places himself behind Riu and asks him to spare Hiruzen, symbolically acknowledging Riu as his superior.
  • Riu and Orochimaru end the chapter united in their next objective: obtaining the power of Hashirama Senju.
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Ch. 35The Transformation Begins!

Chapter Summary: “The Transformation Begins!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • In a secret underground chamber, Riu prepares to undergo Orochimaru’s experimental procedure: the injection of highly concentrated Hashirama Original Cells.
  • Orochimaru explains the procedure’s extreme dangers:
    • Most recipients die instantly because Hashirama Cells act like poison when introduced into the bloodstream.
    • Survivors experience roughly sixty seconds of boiling blood, ruptured vessels, organ failure, and suspended death.
    • Riu must awaken within fifteen minutes and use his Chakra to direct the Hashirama power toward repairing his dying organs.
    • If he survives that stage, he faces twenty-four hours of uncontrolled Hashirama Cell proliferation, during which the cells may destroy his body before his own cells develop antibodies.
  • Orochimaru describes two possible long-term outcomes:
    • Assimilation, producing an incomplete Hashirama Body.
    • Fusion, producing a Complete Hashirama Body in which Hashirama Cells fully merge with Riu’s own cells.
  • Riu insists that he will accept only complete fusion and would rather die than settle for an incomplete result.
  • Orochimaru advises Riu to settle his affairs before beginning. Riu speaks privately with Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki.
  • Tobi expresses affection in his own blunt, humorous way, secretly resolving to have Riu revived with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique if he dies.
  • Yūhi breaks down emotionally, fearing Riu’s death. She reminds him of his promise to build a hot spring and admits she wants to be with him for personal reasons rather than duty.
  • Riu reassures her and promises not to die. Yūhi kisses him before leaving.
  • Riu then offers his arm, and Orochimaru injects the golden blood containing Hashirama’s perfected Original Cells. The transformation officially begins.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates exceptional composure and determination despite knowing the procedure could kill him painfully. His insistence on achieving a Complete Hashirama Body reveals his ambition, pride, and willingness to risk everything for greater power. His interactions with Tobi and Yūhi also reveal a softer, more emotionally connected side.
  • Orochimaru: Acts as both scientist and sinister physician, explaining the procedure with fascination and morbid enthusiasm. He admires Riu’s resolve but remains focused primarily on the experiment and its results.
  • Tobi: Shows that his playful, foolish persona conceals genuine attachment to Riu. His secret intention to revive Riu suggests that their friendship is deeply important to him.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Moves from fear and confusion to openly expressing her emotional and romantic attachment to Riu. Her tears, confession, and kiss reveal how strongly she depends on him and hopes for a future together.

Significant Themes

  • Power versus survival: Riu knowingly accepts an almost certain death sentence in pursuit of overwhelming strength.
  • Transformation and identity: The procedure raises the question of whether Riu will remain himself, become biologically altered, or achieve a new identity through complete cellular fusion.
  • Friendship and emotional bonds: Tobi’s hidden concern and Yūhi’s emotional farewell show that Riu’s life is valuable to others, not merely as a source of power.
  • Resolve and fate: Riu accepts that the outcome is uncertain, framing the procedure as a contest between his determination, his body, and fate.
  • Science without ethical limits: Orochimaru treats catastrophic pain, organ failure, and death as stages of an experiment, emphasizing his disturbing scientific obsession.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu and Orochimaru: Their exchange establishes the procedure’s rules and stakes. Riu asks precise questions, while Orochimaru provides gruesome details and admires his subject’s determination.
  • Riu and Tobi: Their farewell combines awkward humor with genuine friendship. Tobi avoids openly expressing sadness but internally acknowledges that life without Riu would be dull.
  • Riu and Yūhi: Their conversation is the chapter’s most emotional scene. Yūhi fears losing him, recalls their promise of a hot spring, hints at a romantic future, and receives Riu’s solemn promise to survive.
  • Riu and himself: By choosing fusion over a safer incomplete result, Riu confirms that he is willing to gamble his life for the greatest possible transformation.
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Ch. 36Boiling, Sublimation, Transcending the Self!

Chapter Summary: “Boiling, Sublimation, Transcending the Self!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Orochimaru injects Riu with Hashirama’s Original Cells to test whether his body and soul can withstand the transformation. He correctly suspects that Riu’s consciousness exists within Uchiha Obito’s body.
  • Initially, Riu feels euphoric, but the cells soon spread through his bloodstream, causing his blood to boil, his vessels to rupture, and his body to release intense heat and steam.
  • Riu screams violently, crushes the steel armrests of his chair, and eventually loses all vital signs, entering a state of suspended death.
  • Outside the room, Yūhi Uzuki becomes alarmed and tries to intervene, but Tobi stops her. Xiyang also waits anxiously while Orochimaru measures the time and observes the experiment.
  • Within the “Sea of Mind,” the deepest part of Riu’s subconscious, memories from his former life emerge. He relives:
    • His parents’ violent conflicts and emotional neglect.
    • Their divorce and abandonment.
    • Years of bullying, humiliation, and institutional indifference at school.
    • His depression and failed suicide attempt.
    • His parents’ cold reaction even after he was hospitalized.
    • His eventual escape into manga and anime, especially Naruto, as reality became meaningless to him.
  • As Riu’s consciousness begins to fade, another version of himself appears and explains the truth behind his transmigration. Riu and Obito exchanged souls because both considered their respective worlds to be hell, creating a resonance between the two dimensions.
  • Riu learns that if he dies, he may return to his original body and the unbearable reality he escaped. Refusing this fate, he joins forces with the other version of himself—the embodiment of his will to survive.
  • Their fist bump causes the inner figure to transform into golden light, revitalizing the Sea of Mind and symbolizing Riu’s renewed determination.
  • After fifteen minutes, Orochimaru assumes Riu may have failed and prepares to take his eyes. Riu suddenly awakens with enormously enhanced Mangekyō Sharingan, frightening Orochimaru into immediate submission.
  • Riu calmly orders Orochimaru to remain still and continues controlling Hashirama’s power to repair his damaged organs. The transformation is still underway.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Confronts the trauma and despair of his former life instead of surrendering to death. His decision to reject his old reality strengthens his identity and willpower, allowing him to survive the cellular transformation and awaken greater ocular power.
  • Orochimaru: Demonstrates his intelligence by uncovering the likely truth of Riu’s soul and body. However, his confidence turns into fear when Riu awakens with overwhelming power, making Orochimaru cautious and submissive.
  • Yūhi Uzuki and Xiyang: Their anxious reactions reveal their concern for Riu, contrasting with Orochimaru’s detached scientific interest.
  • Tobi/Obito: Prevents Yūhi from interfering, maintaining control of the situation while indirectly emphasizing the danger of the experiment.
  • The inner Riu: Functions as the personification of Riu’s resistance and survival instinct, helping him reclaim the will to continue living.

Significant Themes

  • Trauma and survival: Riu’s physical transformation parallels his psychological confrontation with years of abuse, neglect, and despair.
  • Identity and selfhood: The chapter explores the relationship between Riu, Obito, and the “other self,” suggesting that identity is shaped by consciousness, suffering, and personal choice rather than the body alone.
  • Escape versus acceptance: Riu initially viewed death and fantasy as escapes from reality, but he ultimately chooses to fight for his new life rather than return to his old one.
  • Power born from suffering: His awakened ocular strength is connected to his willingness to face and overcome his past.
  • Scientific ambition versus human value: Orochimaru treats Riu as an experiment, while the reactions of Yūhi and Xiyang highlight the emotional cost of his pursuit of power and truth.

Character Interactions

  • Orochimaru and Riu: Their relationship shifts from researcher and subject to one marked by fear and submission. Orochimaru nearly attempts to take Riu’s eyes, but Riu’s awakening prevents him.
  • Yūhi and Tobi: Yūhi tries to protect or reach Riu, but Tobi restrains her, showing the tension between emotional concern and pragmatic control.
  • Riu and his inner self: Their brief conversation and symbolic fist bump represent Riu accepting his own determination and choosing to survive.
  • Riu and his past: Through the memories of his childhood and adolescence, the chapter shows how abandonment and bullying shaped his hatred of reality and his dependence on the Naruto world.
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Ch. 37Assimilation or Fusion?

Chapter Summary: “Assimilation or Fusion?”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Twelve hours after awakening from his feigned death, Riu undergoes extreme physical torment as Hashirama’s power spreads through his body. His limbs convulse so violently that Orochimaru restrains him with iron chains.
  • Riu refuses painkillers, choosing to endure the suffering so he can personally experience and understand the power entering his body.
  • Orochimaru discovers that the White Zetsu matter replacing the right side of Riu’s body is transforming back into plant tissue under the influence of Hashirama Cells. Riu’s right side begins turning into wood, with branches and leaves growing from his body.
  • Orochimaru warns that, if the transformation continues, Riu may become a tree and have his body torn apart. He proposes surgery, but Riu instead uses Kamui to remove the White Zetsu-derived portion of his right side.
  • Riu regenerates the destroyed flesh using his healing ability. The replacement tissue becomes normal human flesh, and the regeneration also removes the wrinkles on his right cheek.
  • The pain continues for more than a day, but Riu refuses to lose consciousness because he fears losing control of the process and giving Orochimaru opportunities to interfere.
  • After twenty-four hours, Orochimaru determines that Riu’s body has developed antibodies and tolerance toward Hashirama Cells. Riu has survived the most dangerous phase, but it remains uncertain whether the cells will merely assimilate with him or truly fuse into his body.
  • Riu insists that only complete fusion is acceptable. If the process results in mere assimilation, he vows to create another Perfect Hashirama Clone and repeat the experiment until he succeeds.
  • Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki wait anxiously outside for a full day and night. Riu eventually orders them to rest, while Orochimaru chooses to remain and observe the experiment to its conclusion.
  • After an uncertain period of waiting, the underground facility suddenly shakes violently. Riu senses immense power surging from every cell in his body, signaling that the final transformation may be beginning.

Character Developments

  • Riu demonstrates immense endurance, ambition, and obsession with perfection. Rather than seeking relief from pain, he treats it as a way to understand and master Hashirama’s power.
  • His confidence and determination deepen: he refuses to accept failure and is willing to repeat the dangerous experiment indefinitely.
  • Riu also shows strategic awareness by using Kamui to solve the White Zetsu transformation faster than surgery could.
  • Orochimaru remains fascinated by Riu’s potential, but he also displays rare fallibility by admitting that he overlooked the White Zetsu’s plant-like nature. His admiration for Riu grows, though he privately doubts whether fusion is truly possible.
  • Orochimaru’s continued presence reflects his desire to witness the experiment’s ultimate result firsthand.
  • Tobi and Yūhi Uzuki are portrayed as deeply concerned for Riu, waiting outside without food or water until the danger passes.

Significant Themes

  • Assimilation versus fusion: The chapter centers on whether Hashirama’s power will merely coexist with Riu or become completely integrated into his body.
  • Perfectionism and obsession: Riu’s refusal to accept anything less than perfect fusion reveals both his extraordinary determination and his potentially dangerous fixation.
  • Pain as a path to power: Riu embraces suffering as proof of progress and as a means of understanding his newfound strength.
  • Humanity versus transformation: The White Zetsu’s return to plant form highlights the instability of combining human flesh with unnatural biological material.
  • Scientific ambition and uncertainty: Orochimaru’s experiments show the limits of knowledge, emphasizing that even careful calculations cannot fully predict the outcome of unprecedented procedures.
  • Willpower versus natural limitations: Riu believes persistence can overcome any failure, while Orochimaru privately suspects that the result may ultimately depend on innate compatibility.

Character Interactions

  • Riu rejects Orochimaru’s offer of painkillers, asserting control over his own transformation.
  • Orochimaru diagnoses the danger affecting Riu’s body and proposes surgery, but Riu independently resolves the crisis with Kamui.
  • Their relationship combines scientific cooperation, mutual fascination, and underlying distrust. Riu wants to prove his overwhelming potential, while Orochimaru remains curious about what he might eventually gain or learn.
  • Riu reassures Tobi and Yūhi through Orochimaru, telling them that his life is no longer in immediate danger.
  • Orochimaru refuses to leave, insisting on witnessing the final result despite Riu’s suggestion that he rest.
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Ch. 38Astonishing!

Chapter Summary: “Astonishing!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Half a month after Yu’s cellular transplantation, the ground suddenly shakes, signaling activity near the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. White Zetsu reports that something is happening to Yu.
  • Orochimaru examines Yu in an advanced scanning laboratory to determine whether the transplanted White Zetsu and Hashirama-derived cells caused any harmful abnormalities.
  • The scan shows that Yu’s body has no lesions or negative aftereffects, confirming that the transplant was physically successful.
  • Orochimaru then tests Yu’s “Body Energy,” a quantified measurement of cellular energy that contributes to chakra alongside Mental Energy.
  • He explains his scale:
    • Newborn: 1 unit
    • Ordinary adult: 10
    • Genin: around 100
    • Chūnin: around 200
    • Jōnin: around 500
    • Elite Jōnin: around 1,000
    • Kage-level ninja: above 3,000
    • Ordinary White Zetsu: about 15,000
  • Yu’s former White Zetsu-based body had approximately 50,000 units, while Danzo’s body had 42,000.
  • Orochimaru reveals that Tobi is an extraordinary White Zetsu whose Body Energy likely exceeds 500,000, shocking both Yūhi and Yu.
  • The First Hokage clone possesses 1.36 million units, though Orochimaru estimates that the living Hashirama would have exceeded two million due to his battles and Sage Art.
  • Yu’s energy rapidly surpasses the expected fusion range of 1.5–1.8 million and reaches two million, exceeding the machine’s calculation capacity.
  • The detector explodes, confirming that Yu’s transformation was not merely assimilation but an unprecedented fusion of the transplanted cells.
  • Later, Yu returns to the devastated battlefield wearing a new black cloak. He receives black combat gloves and prepares to test a new ability.
  • The chapter ends with Yu forming the Snake seal and beginning to use Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

Character Developments

  • Yu/Riu: His body has successfully fused with the transplanted cells, granting him an immense and seemingly immeasurable level of Body Energy. His confidence grows as he prepares to test Wood Release.
  • Orochimaru: He demonstrates his scientific expertise through his scanning and energy-measuring technology. His curiosity and excitement intensify as Yu’s power surpasses all predictions, eventually leaving him genuinely stunned.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: She remains primarily concerned with Yu’s health rather than his strength. Her surprise at the energy readings also reveals that she is capable of understanding and questioning Orochimaru’s scientific explanations.
  • Tobi: His enormous Body Energy is exposed, revealing that he is far more powerful and unusual than the others realized. He also acknowledges that he had underestimated Orochimaru’s abilities.
  • White Zetsu: They continue functioning as messengers, assistants, and members of the surrounding army, supporting Yu’s return to the surface.

Significant Themes

  • Scientific measurement of supernatural power: Orochimaru attempts to quantify chakra-related strength through cellular energy, blending scientific experimentation with ninja abilities.
  • The limits of human potential: Hashirama’s cells are presented as a fundamental dividing line, producing a qualitative leap beyond ordinary biological limits.
  • Fusion versus assimilation: Yu’s transformation is shown to be a complete biological fusion rather than a simple absorption of foreign cells, making his power unprecedented.
  • Power beyond calculation: Yu’s energy exceeds the machine’s maximum reading, emphasizing that he has entered a category beyond established standards.
  • Experimentation and control: Orochimaru’s clinical testing contrasts with Yūhi’s personal concern for Yu, highlighting the tension between scientific curiosity and emotional attachment.
  • The legacy of Hashirama: His cells, clone, and Wood Release remain central symbols of exceptional power and genetic transformation.

Important Character Interactions

  • Yūhi repeatedly expresses concern for Yu’s wellbeing, while Orochimaru focuses on evaluating the scientific success of the transplant.
  • Orochimaru teasingly invites Yūhi to become his assistant, but she rejects the idea with discomfort.
  • Orochimaru compares Yu’s energy with Danzo’s and the First Hokage clone’s, using these comparisons to explain Yu’s extraordinary condition.
  • He openly identifies Tobi as an abnormal White Zetsu, prompting Tobi’s wary acknowledgment of Orochimaru’s insight.
  • Yu, Tobi, Yūhi, Orochimaru, and the White Zetsu army gather to witness Yu’s next experiment, creating anticipation for the full manifestation of his Wood Release.
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Ch. 39Carrying the Legacy Forward!

Chapter Summary: “Carrying the Legacy Forward!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu uses Wood Release to recreate Hashirama Senju’s legendary technique, causing an immense forest to erupt across the plain. The spectacle astonishes everyone present, including the White Zetsu, Yūhi Uzuki, Tobi, and Orochimaru.
  • Riu recognizes this achievement as only the first stage of his larger plan. His immediate goals include awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and eventually obtaining the Rinnegan.
  • He also intends to acquire Sage power and the Ten-Tails’ power, recreate Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki’s abilities, obtain Hamura’s Byakugan and Tenseigan-related power, and ultimately become a true Ōtsutsuki.
  • Riu’s ambitions extend beyond the Shinobi World. He plans to defeat Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, obtain her Karma by killing her, travel to the Ōtsutsuki home world, and challenge the Ōtsutsuki Main Family and its leader.
  • After revealing his next plans, Riu tells Orochimaru to prepare for the next phase. Orochimaru, exhausted from working for nearly two months without sleep, asks to rest first. Riu agrees and orders the White Zetsu to take care of him.
  • As the day ends, Riu and Yūhi Uzuki share a quiet, affectionate moment. Both discover they are hungry, and they decide to go to Konoha together, treating the outing as their first date.

Character Developments

  • Riu: His successful Wood Release marks a major step in his transformation into a being approaching Hashirama, Hagoromo, and eventually Kaguya’s level. His ambitions become clear: he seeks not merely power within the ninja world, but ultimate transcendence and the ability to confront the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
  • Orochimaru: He is shown as deeply moved by seeing Hashirama’s power recreated through Riu, whom he regards as the continuation of Hashirama’s legend. Despite his loyalty and enthusiasm, his severe exhaustion emphasizes how heavily Riu has relied on him.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: She reacts with awe to Riu’s power but also shares a growing romantic closeness with him. Her embarrassment over their “first date” highlights her affection and developing relationship with Riu.
  • Tobi: Though he celebrates excitedly, his private thoughts reveal concern that Riu has grown powerful enough to no longer need his protection.
  • White Zetsu: They serve as enthusiastic witnesses and loyal assistants, especially when transporting the sleeping Orochimaru.

Significant Themes

  • Legacy and inheritance: Riu’s Wood Release symbolizes the continuation and recreation of Hashirama’s legacy, while Riu seeks to surpass previous legends rather than merely imitate them.
  • Relentless ambition: The chapter presents Riu’s vast, escalating goals, moving from Hashirama’s power to the Rinnegan, Six Paths abilities, Karma, and Ōtsutsuki supremacy.
  • Transcending humanity: Riu’s desire to become a true Ōtsutsuki reflects the theme of abandoning ordinary human limits in pursuit of godlike power.
  • Power versus personal bonds: Despite his enormous ambitions, Riu shows concern for Orochimaru’s well-being and enjoys an intimate moment with Yūhi, suggesting that relationships still matter to him.
  • The beginning of a larger upheaval: Riu predicts that the ninja world will soon be “turned upside down,” foreshadowing major political and military changes.

Character Interactions

  • The White Zetsu praise and celebrate Riu’s forest creation, while Yūhi expresses admiration for his Sage-level strength.
  • Orochimaru emotionally acknowledges Riu as the one who has revived Hashirama’s legend, reinforcing their mentor-and-protégé-like partnership.
  • Riu compassionately grants Orochimaru time to sleep and instructs the White Zetsu to treat him respectfully, recognizing the scientist’s importance to his plans.
  • Riu and Yūhi share a tender exchange after the forest technique, with Riu reassuring her and agreeing to accompany her to Konoha for their first apparent date.
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Ch. 40A Visit to Konoha!

Chapter Summary: “A Visit to Konoha!”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Riu and Yūhi Uzuki secretly enter Konoha using Kamui, wearing masks to conceal their identities.
  • Riu brings Yūhi back so she can see her younger sister, Uzuki Yugao, and buys dango for them.
  • They witness nine-year-old Yugao being bullied at the Ninja Academy because Konoha has labeled Yūhi a rogue ninja and murderer.
  • The bullies accuse Yugao of being a traitor’s sister and throw stones at her. Gekko Hayate intervenes to defend her but is beaten down until the teachers stop the fight.
  • The teachers fail to punish the bullies and appear biased against Yugao, emphasizing the village’s cruelty and willingness to condemn families connected to “traitors.”
  • Yugao tearfully insists that her sister could not have betrayed the village. Hayate comforts her and promises to protect her.
  • Riu explains that Root agents killed Yūhi’s former ANBU subordinates and framed her for their deaths, confirming that Danzo manufactured the accusations.
  • Riu promises Yūhi that he will eventually provide Yugao with a place where she belongs.
  • They then visit the Uchiha district, which has recently been relocated to a remote area because of increased suspicion and hostility toward the clan.
  • Riu uses the Sharingan to incapacitate an ANBU surveillance operator through the camera system. Kakashi notices the unusual genjutsu and concludes that a powerful intruder may be present.
  • Riu uses the Telescope Technique to spy on a gathering at Naka Shrine, where Uchiha members discuss launching an uprising while the Third Hokage is incapacitated and the Fourth Hokage is away.
  • As the Uchiha prepare to act, Kakashi and an ANBU squad rush toward the district.

Character Developments

  • Riu: Demonstrates both strategic caution and emotional concern. He protects Yūhi’s identity, exposes the truth behind her framing, and shows sympathy for Yugao. However, his refusal to immediately intervene on behalf of the Uchiha suggests that he has a larger plan or remains morally detached from their situation.
  • Yūhi Uzuki: Reveals her lingering attachment to Konoha and deep love for Yugao. Seeing her sister mistreated intensifies her hatred of Danzo and the village, while Riu’s promise gives her some hope.
  • Uzuki Yugao: Despite being young and traumatized, she remains loyal to her sister and refuses to accept Konoha’s accusations. Her emotional bond with Hayate begins to develop.
  • Gekko Hayate: Appears as a compassionate and courageous child who defends Yugao despite being outnumbered. His early devotion foreshadows Yugao’s later attachment to him.
  • Kakashi: Displays sharp observational skills by identifying the surveillance-room genjutsu and quickly organizing a response to the possible intruder.
  • Uchiha Fugaku and the clan: Their frustration has reached a breaking point. With Konoha weakened, the clan is seriously considering rebellion.

Significant Themes

  • Scapegoating and political manipulation: Danzo and Root frame Yūhi for murders, while the village accepts the accusation without question.
  • Inherited prejudice: Yugao is punished socially for her sister’s alleged crimes, showing how political condemnation spreads to innocent family members.
  • The village’s hypocrisy: Konoha claims to protect its people but tolerates bullying and discrimination when the victims are politically inconvenient.
  • Belonging and exile: Yūhi’s separation from Konoha and Yugao’s isolation demonstrate the personal cost of being branded a traitor.
  • Power and privilege: Riu reflects that Naruto’s eventual acceptance was aided by his powerful lineage and the support surrounding him, whereas Yugao lacks comparable protection.
  • Surveillance and control: Konoha’s monitoring of the Uchiha district, along with Riu’s counter-surveillance, highlights the atmosphere of mistrust and authoritarian control.
  • Rebellion against oppression: The Uchiha gathering shows how prolonged discrimination is turning resentment into open revolt.

Important Character Interactions

  • Riu reassures Yūhi that she should not have to abandon her sister and promises to give Yugao a new home.
  • Yūhi reacts with grief and anger when she learns that Danzo’s Root agents framed her.
  • Hayate protects Yugao from the other students and comforts her after the attack, strengthening their bond.
  • Riu and Yūhi discuss Konoha’s treatment of the Uchiha and Danzo’s role in worsening tensions.
  • Riu silently observes the Uchiha meeting while Kakashi and the ANBU move in, setting up an imminent confrontation.
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