Recaps

Sōji left Mount Katsuragi and changed his route to investigate Kusagakure, where he hoped to find Karin, an orphan of the Uzumaki Clan. After watching the village and locating her in a guarded warehouse, he waited for a chance to approach her.

• Sōji left a scroll of medical and chakra techniques at En no Gyōja’s room, then departed Mount Katsuragi without waking Hotaru.
• Over the next three days, Sōji reviewed his loot and changed his route toward the Land of Whirlpool, deciding to visit Kusagakure to find Karin.
• Sōji reached Kusagakure, detected Karin’s distinctive Uzumaki chakra from a nearby cliff, and chose not to storm the village.
• Sōji studied Kusagakure’s routines and learned that Karin was being held in a southeastern supply warehouse.
• Sōji disguised himself as a traveler and watched the warehouse from a tree, waiting for an opportunity while Karin remained inside.

Sōji infiltrated Kusagakure and rescued Karin from the warehouse where she was being held. They escaped through the village checkpoint and reached the forest outside Kusagakure.

• Sōji slipped Karin a note asking if she wanted to leave, and she answered yes.
• Sōji waited for the rain to stop, then entered Kusagakure under cover of night.
• Sōji silently incapacitated the warehouse guard and found Karin inside.
• Sōji carried Karin out through the village checkpoint while the sentries slept.
• Sōji and Karin reached the forest beyond Kusagakure.

Sōji rescued Karin from Kusagakure and promised to become someone she could rely on. When the village mobilized to recapture them, Sōji stayed behind to fight its pursuing ninja, leaving the battle ongoing.

• Sōji gave Karin water outside Kusagakure, and she thanked him and asked him not to abandon her.
• Sōji and Karin headed east, but Kusagakure lit up behind them as the village mobilized to pursue them.
• Sōji told Karin to stay put, removed his eye covering, and killed the first Kusagakure ninja to reach them.
• Sōji used the Inverted Spear of Heaven to break the pursuers’ Earth Release spears, then killed several more ninja in close combat.
• Four Kusagakure ninja launched a combined Wind Release attack, and Sōji raised a Water Formation Wall to meet it.

Sōji defeated the Kusagakure force that had pursued him and Karin, forcing the Kusakage to order a retreat. After confirming the enemy had withdrawn, Sōji recovered Karin, and they continued east together.

• Sōji used Hollow Bone Shockwave to knock down four Kusagakure ninja, then evaded explosives as he faced the encircling force and the Kusakage.
• Sōji covered the hillside in mist and killed Kusagakure ninja, targeting their sensory and Wind Release specialists.
• The Kusakage dispersed much of the mist with Great Breakthrough, saw the battlefield strewn with fallen ninja, and ordered his troops to retreat.
• Sōji waited until Six Eyes detected no Kusagakure chakra nearby, then went to Karin and told her they were safe from pursuit.
• Karin stood despite her trembling legs, took Sōji's hand, and walked east with him.

Sōji and Karin stopped at a riverside city on the border of the Land of Grass, where Sōji gave Karin a hot bath, clean clothes, food, and reassurance about why he had brought her along. After resting overnight, they set out toward the river crossing with Karin more at ease.

• Sōji paid for a room at an inn and arranged hot water so Karin could bathe and change into clean clothes.
• Karin told Sōji that Kusagakure had only ever given her cold bathwater, and he promised she would always have hot water from then on.
• Sōji admitted that he had come for Karin's constitution but said he would treat her gently and reminded her that she was a living person.
• The next morning, Karin brought Sōji hot buns for breakfast, and she shared a piece with Ugly Treasure.
• Sōji and Karin finished breakfast and headed toward the river.

Sōji and Karin traveled by boat and on foot toward the Land of Water, with Sōji teaching Karin how to move like a ninja. When Karin asked whether she had a family, Sōji told her about the destroyed Uzumaki Clan and promised to stay with her.

• Sōji bought a small boat, and he and Karin crossed the river while discussing their route and how long the journey would take.
• Sōji helped Karin ashore, then instructed her to walk ahead and corrected her ninja footing along the forest trail.
• Sōji gave Karin water and explained that he had once trained a girl named Hotaru, who had returned to her family.
• Karin asked whether she had family, and Sōji told her the Uzumaki Clan had been destroyed and its people scattered.
• Sōji reassured Karin that the clan's bloodline remained in her and promised to stay with her, then they continued on their journey.

Sōji cared for Karin during their riverside camp, then trained her chakra control as they traveled through the Land of Waterfalls. He identified that her chakra rushed too quickly from her lower abdomen to her feet, but Karin was too flustered by his touch to hear his explanation.

• Sōji and Karin made camp by the river, where Karin tried washing ingredients and Sōji cooked their meal.
• Sōji set up alarms and insect-repelling powder, then kept watch while Karin slept.
• As they traveled through the Land of Waterfalls, Sōji made Karin practice walking across slippery rocks while controlling chakra beneath her feet.
• After Karin repeatedly slipped, Sōji diagnosed her problem as chakra flowing too quickly from her lower abdomen to her feet and explained that she needed to store and compress it first.
• Karin blushed and became distracted by Sōji touching her lower abdomen, missing his instructions.

Sōji trained Karin to control her chakra while walking across rocks, walking on water, and climbing a waterfall. After mastering the waterfall climb through repeated attempts, Karin looked ahead to the places she could reach as she grew stronger.

• Sōji taught Karin to circulate chakra through her body and release it through her feet, helping her cross a slippery riverbank.
• Sōji demonstrated water walking, and Karin repeatedly fell before managing to stand and take several steps across the river.
• Three days later, Karin ran across a pool and began climbing a twenty-meter waterfall under Sōji's guidance.
• Sōji pulled Karin onto the top of the waterfall, then told her to keep practicing until she could climb without using her hands.
• Karin climbed the waterfall five times, admired the view, and listened as Sōji said strength would let her reach more beautiful places.

In the Land of Waterfalls wilderness, Sōji began teaching Karin Medical Ninjutsu and imposed a demanding physical training regimen. Karin learned to use chakra to sustain her push-ups, then fell asleep exhausted as Sōji treated her with the Mystical Palm Technique.

• Sōji taught Karin to channel chakra into leaves, then guided her in repairing a nearly dead fish until it came back to life.
• Sōji promised to teach Karin medical fundamentals and the Mystical Palm Technique if she completed daily strength exercises and a twenty-kilometer run.
• Karin struggled with her first push-ups until Sōji showed her how to spread chakra through her muscles, allowing her to complete five hundred before resting and continuing.
• That night, Karin asked Sōji about his childhood training, and he told her that his own had been much harder.
• After Karin fell asleep in the tent, Sōji covered her with a blanket and used the Mystical Palm Technique on her body.

Sōji trained Karin in endurance and chakra perception, helping her awaken the Uzumaki Clan’s Mind's Eye of the Kagura. A month later, they reached the border of the Land of Fire, where Karin hoped Sōji would keep teaching her as they continued onward.

• Karin completed a twenty-kilometer cross-country run faster than the day before, and Sōji praised her improvement.
• Sōji guided Karin through chakra perception practice, and she sensed him and chakra signatures as far as five kilometers away.
• Sōji explained that Karin had begun awakening the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, an Uzumaki bloodline ability once possessed by Lady Mito Uzumaki.
• A month later, Karin asked Sōji about the necklace he wore and whether a woman had given it to him, but he did not answer.
• At the Land of Waterfalls–Land of Fire border, Karin asked whether Sōji would keep teaching her, and he promised he would before slowing his pace to let her walk beside him.

Sōji and Karin camped in the Valley of the End, where they discussed Hashirama’s failed hopes for peace and the future of the Shinobi World. Sōji told Karin he would arrange training for her and revealed that he intended to become the Mizukage of Kirigakure.

• Karin and Sōji reached the Valley of the End and discussed Hashirama and Madara’s battle, the First’s ideals, and the wars that followed.
• Sōji and Karin set up camp, and Karin asked about the Land of Rice Fields and its shinobi village, Otogakure.
• That night, Karin asked Sōji what could bring lasting peace, but he said he did not know and focused on keeping the people he cared about alive.
• Sōji told Karin he would arrange a place and training plan for her, including a chance to study under Tsunade and Shizune.
• Karin worried that Sōji would leave her behind, and Sōji promised to find her after he took back some things and became the Mizukage of Kirigakure.

Yamada Soji and Karin traveled through the Land of Rice Fields to East Harbor in the Land of Fire, where they prepared to sail to the Land of Whirlpool. Karin learned that the Land of Whirlpool was her Uzumaki ancestors’ homeland, and the chapter ended with them heading to find lodging before boarding the ship.

• Karin asked whether she could keep following Yamada Soji after he became Mizukage, and he agreed; she resolved to become stronger and he increased her daily run to twenty-five kilometers.
• Yamada Soji and Karin traveled through the Land of Rice Fields, where he bought dango for Karin and Ugly Treasure.
• At a general store, Yamada Soji learned that Otogakure lay near a northern shortcut, but chose the safer main road to East Harbor in the Land of Fire.
• Yamada Soji and Karin reached East Harbor the following evening and planned to board a ship for the Land of Whirlpool the next morning.
• Yamada Soji told Karin that the Land of Whirlpool was the homeland of the Uzumaki Clan and that its ruins remained, prompting Karin to thank him for bringing her there.

Sōji and Karin boarded an old ship bound for the Land of Whirlpool, where Sōji explained the Uzumaki Clan’s destruction and revealed that he was taking Karin to see her homeland. As the ship sailed, Karin marveled at the ocean and quietly watched Sōji, then fled to the deck in embarrassment when he caught her.

• Sōji paid the captain a deposit for passage to the Land of Whirlpool, and Karin followed him aboard.
• Sōji told Karin that Uzushiogakure had been destroyed and that the Uzumaki Clan had been targeted because of its powerful sealing techniques.
• Sōji explained that they were passing through the Land of Whirlpool on their way to the Land of Water and that he wanted Karin to see her homeland.
• The ship left East Harbor, and Karin watched the ocean in wonder while Sōji sensed that the voyage was safe.
• Karin crouched beside Sōji as he rested, but he revealed he was awake, prompting her to make an excuse and hurry onto the deck.

Sōji and Karin sailed toward the Land of Whirlpool, where Karin hoped to visit the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan. As they neared the island, Sōji told her that her training would include learning how to kill.

• Karin asked Sōji about the pirates and the Uzumaki ruins, and said she wanted to see the place where her mother had lived.
• Sōji told Karin that the Uzumaki Clan might have valued things more than fear when they died.
• The captain warned Sōji about the pirates, describing their leader as a former Land of Water ninja called Sea Spider or Water Spider.
• Sōji sensed the Land of Whirlpool ahead as Karin emerged from the cabin and asked whether the pirates were dangerous.
• Sōji told Karin that the next stage of her lessons would teach her how to kill, and Karin resolved not to disappoint him.

Sōji reached the Land of Whirlpool and found a massive, uncontrolled chakra signature deep within the island as hundreds of pirates fled. He left Karin aboard the ship and began slaughtering the fleeing pirates, while the source of the violent chakra remained unknown.

• Sōji sensed hundreds of chakra signatures fleeing the coast and a huge, violent chakra presence at the island’s center.
• Sōji ordered the ship to shore and told Karin to stay aboard while he went to investigate.
• Sōji recognized the fleeing group as pirates heading toward their camp and decided to wipe them out before they could threaten merchant ships.
• Sōji killed the pirates with Chakra Enhanced Strength, then used Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow to cut through the crowd with bone spikes.

Sōji slaughtered the pirates occupying the Land of Whirlpool and caught their leader at the camp. He forced the man to reveal that something had emerged from the Uzumaki Clan ruins half a month earlier.

• Sōji used Empty Bone Shockwave to kill fleeing pirates, then charged after the survivors with Dance of the Larch.
• Sōji cut through pirates who tried to block his path and pursued the leader toward the camp.
• Sōji used Ice Formation to slow the leader, then froze his arm and leg with ice needles.
• Sōji pinned down the leader and asked what was at the island’s center.
• The leader said something had come out of the Uzumaki Clan ruins about half a month earlier.

Sōji killed the pirate leader and entered the island, where he found the Three-Tails trapped in a failing Uzumaki seal. As the beast neared release, Sōji encountered Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto Yakushi watching the seal.

• Sōji killed the pirate leader and chose not to pursue the surviving pirates who had fled inland.
• Sōji waved to the figure watching from the merchant ship, then headed toward the island’s growing chakra disturbance.
• Sōji found Isobu, the Three-Tails, struggling inside a barrier whose damaged seal was expected to collapse within four to six hours.
• Sōji detected three chakra signatures near the barrier and recognized Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto Yakushi when they emerged from the mountain’s shadow.

Sōji confronted Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto near the sealing barrier containing the Three-Tails in the Land of Whirlpool. After Orochimaru invited him to join, Sōji refused, and the two prepared to fight.

• Orochimaru recognized Sōji and questioned him about his Shikotsumyaku and the unusual power in his eyes.
• Sōji asked why Orochimaru had come to the Land of Whirlpool, and Orochimaru explained that he had sealed the Three-Tails to keep it contained and extract things from it.
• Orochimaru noticed Tsunade's influence on Sōji and invited him to follow him.
• Sōji told Orochimaru that he lived only for himself and considered Orochimaru an obstacle.
• Orochimaru readied himself to fight, Kimimaro prepared his bone armor, and Kabuto stayed out of the confrontation as Sōji challenged Orochimaru.

Sōji fought Kimimaro and Orochimaru, overwhelming Kimimaro with precisely controlled Chakra Enhanced Strength before using a Slug to ease the strain the Six Eyes placed on his brain. The chapter ended with Sōji freezing Orochimaru’s Hidden Shadow Snake Hands through an unfamiliar power that stripped away heat.

• Kimimaro charged Sōji with bone spikes, but Sōji shattered them with a Chakra Enhanced Strength punch and sent him flying.
• Orochimaru caught Kimimaro with a summoned snake, and Kimimaro regenerated his fractured fingers while recognizing Sōji’s strength.
• Sōji summoned a Slug to filter the Six Eyes’ excess information with Natural Energy, and he declined to notify Tsunade.
• Orochimaru attacked Sōji with Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, but Sōji froze the snakes with Ice Formation.
• Orochimaru realized Sōji’s freezing power was not Ice Release because it removed heat rather than creating ice through chakra transformations.

Sōji fought Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto as they attacked him from three directions. He severely wounded Kimimaro, escaped Kabuto’s strikes, and survived Orochimaru’s wind technique, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Sōji evaded Kimimaro’s bone bullet and used Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears, but Orochimaru escaped the spikes and questioned Sōji about his techniques.
• Kabuto attacked from Sōji’s left while Kimimaro charged from the right and Orochimaru unleashed a powerful Wind Release technique from the front.
• Sōji raised an Earth-Style Wall against Orochimaru’s wind and struck Kimimaro with an empowered punch, shattering his bones and hurling him into a tree.
• Kabuto’s Chakra Scalpel grazed Sōji’s shoulder, and Sōji countered with ice crystals and a bone spear that forced Kabuto to retreat.
• Sōji used Water Formation Wall to withstand the remaining wind and debris, then stood ready as the attack ended.

Sōji used a Black Flash-enhanced bone spear to devastate the mountaintop, but Orochimaru survived by using his substitution technique. With the Six Eyes pushing Sōji toward brain damage, Orochimaru offered to help him in exchange for his cooperation, and Sōji silently considered the deal.

• Orochimaru sent Kabuto to retrieve the badly injured Kimimaro and stayed to face Sōji.
• Sōji threw a chakra- and Cursed Energy-infused bone spear that leveled the mountaintop, but Orochimaru escaped the strike using the Orochimaru Style Substitution Technique.
• Sōji prepared to use the Inverted Spear of Heaven as the Six Eyes’ overload caused severe strain and threatened irreversible brain damage.
• Orochimaru offered to help Sōji strengthen his brain and manage the Six Eyes if Sōji agreed to go with him, and Sōji withdrew his hand without answering.

Yamada Sōji rejected Orochimaru’s offer and overwhelmed him with a powered-up Black Flash, but Orochimaru escaped before Sōji could finish him. Afterward, Sōji’s Six Eyes burden left him barely standing, and he recognized that he needed more combat experience and a way to manage the strain.

• Yamada Sōji refused Orochimaru’s offer of cooperation and released the power stored in his seal to strengthen himself.
• Yamada Sōji struck Orochimaru with a Black Flash, smashing him through a stone pillar and damaging the sealing barrier around the Three-Tails.
• Orochimaru escaped Sōji’s follow-up attack with a Shadow Clone and substitution, then admitted that he was impressed by Sōji’s abilities.
• Orochimaru used the Reverse Summoning Technique to leave the battlefield, while Sōji’s Six Eyes scan found no sign of him nearby.
• Slug warned Yamada Sōji to avoid using the Six Eyes at full output for half a month, and Sōji treated his brain with the Mystical Palm Technique while considering how to improve.

Sōji returned to the ship after fighting the Three-Tails and rested while Karin treated his shoulder wound with Medical Ninjutsu. He soothed the strain on his brain, but still felt exhausted.

• Sōji crossed the beach and returned to the ship, where Karin and the captain waited for him.
• Sōji told the captain they would stay aboard overnight, then asked Karin to help him in the cabin.
• Sōji guided Karin as she used the Chakra Scalpel and Mystical Palm Technique to heal his shoulder.
• Karin told Sōji she would grow strong enough to be someone he could rely on, then left the cabin.
• Sōji used the Mystical Palm Technique to ease the strain on his brain, though his exhaustion remained.

After realizing that his combat instincts and the Six Eyes’ strain left him vulnerable, Sōji decided he needed the Reverse Cursed Technique. Its 1.5 billion ryō price forced him to ask Achun for help, and he explained that he wanted enough strength to protect those he cared about when war came.

• Sōji reflected on his fight with Orochimaru and concluded that he needed better combat awareness and the Reverse Cursed Technique to prevent the Six Eyes from damaging his brain.
• Sōji found the Reverse Cursed Technique in the Gold Coin Shop, but its price was 1.5 billion ryō.
• Sōji summoned a Communication Spider and asked Achun how much cash the Yamada Trading Company could raise; she estimated 480 million ryō in available cash and up to 500 million with sales and receivables.
• Achun questioned why Sōji needed so much money and urged him to stop rushing to become stronger and return to a peaceful life.
• Sōji told Achun he feared that war would take the people he loved while he lacked the power to protect them.

Sōji considered making Karin the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki to strengthen his position in Kirigakure, then asked whether she was willing as the failing seal neared its breaking point. Karin recognized the Three-Tails as the source of the violent chakra on the island, but had not yet answered.

• Achun agreed to gather one and a half billion for Sōji within a month, using the Yamada Trading Company as collateral if necessary.
• Sōji weighed making Karin the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki to gain influence in Kirigakure, then rested while medical ninjutsu repaired strain to his brain.
• Karin fell asleep outside Sōji's cabin, and he woke her before dawn as the Three-Tails' seal deteriorated.
• Sōji asked Karin whether she was willing to become the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki.
• Karin recognized the Three-Tails as the source of the island's violent chakra and sensed Sōji's conflicted emotions.