Recaps

Sōji and his companions traveled to Hozuki Castle to take control of the prison and learn about Mui’s plans for the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Ryūsha delivered intelligence showing that Mui had stopped leaving the castle after hearing Kusagakure’s Grass Fruit faction had been destroyed.

• Sōji explained that Mui had sacrificed prisoners to power the Box of Ultimate Bliss and had sealed his son Muku inside it six years earlier.
• Sōji revealed that opening the box would release Gō, a monster shaped by Mui’s obsession, along with Muku.
• Sōji said the Tsuchigumo Clan needed Mui to remain lord of Hozuki Castle under their control because he could manage its dangerous prisoners.
• Ryūsha arrived with a map of Hozuki Castle, patrol schedules, a route to its underground restricted area, and records of Mui’s movements.
• Ryūsha reported that Mui had stopped leaving the castle after receiving word of Grass Fruit’s destruction.

Sōji confronted Mui beneath Hozuki Castle and revealed that Mui could not defeat him. He planned to make Ryūsha deputy warden and reform the prison, while demanding Mui hand over the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

• Sōji learned Ryūsha had withheld evidence of Mui’s sacrifices because she wanted to save Muku, her childhood friend.
• Sōji appointed Ryūsha deputy warden and ordered her to end the sacrifices and turn Hozuki Castle into a neutral prison overseen by the Hidden Mist and the Tsuchigumo.
• Sōji led the group through a secret passage to the underground chamber where the Box of Ultimate Bliss stood, and they found Mui waiting beside it.
• Mui recognized Sōji as the Hidden Mist ANBU who had killed Grass Fruit’s leader and attacked him with Heavenly Prison and Happa Palm.
• Sōji restrained Mui with a sealing technique, showed him something that shocked him, and demanded that he cooperate.

Sōji freed Muku from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, but the monster Gō possessed him and transformed him into a giant creature. Gō fled from Sōji, who remained confident that it could not escape.

• Mui agreed to remain warden under Sōji's prison reforms, with Ryūzetsu serving as deputy warden, after Sōji promised to free Mui's son.
• Ryūzetsu told Mui she had cared for him for six years at Muku's request, but now wanted him to live long enough to see his son.
• The Box of Ultimate Bliss cracked, and Sōji ordered Ye Tong to secure the underground prison before cutting the box open with the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
• Muku emerged from the box, but gray-black smoke entered his body and transformed him into the giant monster Gō.
• Gō fled as Sōji watched, confident that it could not escape.

Sōji defeated Gō with Jogo’s help, absorbed the cursed spirit, and rescued Muku from the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Muku reunited with Ryūsha and was placed under the Shadow Guard’s care, while Sōji took custody of the box.

• Sōji used Cursed Spirit Manipulation to summon Jogo, who trapped Gō in his Domain Expansion, Coffin of the Iron Yama.
• Jogo and Sōji battered Gō with lava, ice, and lightning until Sōji compressed him into a cursed spirit orb and swallowed it.
• The domain vanished, revealing Muku, who had survived six years in symbiosis with Gō.
• Ryūsha embraced Muku, and he recognized her by how much her hair had grown.
• Karin examined Muku and found his meridians intact, though he was severely malnourished; she told him he would recover and learn skills with the Shadow Guard.
• Sōji took custody of the Box of Ultimate Bliss by swallowing it into a black cavity.

After Muku woke from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Sōji reorganized Hozuki Castle and named him the seventh member of Hidden Mist’s Shadow Guard. A month later, Mei Terumi prepared to send Sōji and the full Shadow Guard to Konoha while the team trained and Muku recovered.

• Mui reunited with Muku, and Sōji appointed Ryūsha deputy warden while limiting Mui’s authority at Hozuki Castle.
• Sōji arranged for Hidden Mist to take custody of the Box of Ultimate Bliss and named Muku a citizen and Shadow Guard member because he could take Gō’s form and read emotions.
• Mei Terumi reviewed Konoha’s diplomatic letter and decided Sōji should lead a trip there while Ao remained in the Land of Wind.
• Karin helped Hotaru practice controlling Rage Hair Heaven, and Hotaru successfully completed a chakra circuit.
• Mangetsu trained Utakata in sword combat while Suigetsu watched with Ye Tong.
• Muku told Ryūsha he felt better and expected to borrow Gō’s power once Gō finished adjusting inside him.

Sōji led Hidden Mist’s Shadow Guard and a large delegation toward Konoha to negotiate the next joint Chunin Ninja Exams and raise Hidden Mist’s influence. As the delegation approached the Land of Fire, Konoha’s leaders assessed the formidable group and prepared to bargain, while Danzo remained wary.

• Sōji announced that he would take the Shadow Guard to Konoha to negotiate the joint Chunin Ninja Exams, then planned for Karin, Utakata, and Hotaru to train in Hidden Cloud while Suigetsu stayed in Hidden Mist.
• Mei Terumi approved a large delegation, and three ships departed Hidden Mist with the seven Shadow Guard members and their escorts.
• During the voyage, Sōji considered Konoha’s preparations, Danzo’s covert moves, and his plan for the Chunin Ninja Exams to begin his Shinobi World Peace Plan.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi received a report that Yamada Soji was leading the Shadow Guard to Konoha, and Danzo detailed the group’s abilities.
• Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura concluded that Hidden Mist wanted greater influence in the exams and that Konoha could offer concessions to secure diplomatic goodwill, while Danzo remained silent and watched the eastern coast.

Sōji led Hidden Mist’s delegation to Konoha, where Shikaku welcomed them and probed their strength and alliances. As they traveled toward the village, Sōji negotiated for greater representation in the joint Chunin Ninja Exams and revealed his ties to Tsunade, leaving Shikaku aware that refusing his demands would be difficult.

• Shikaku welcomed Sōji and the Shadow Guard at East Harbor, noting the delegation’s unusual combat strength and asking why so many members had come.
• Sōji explained that the Shadow Guard would handle exam decisions and that Karin and Utakata would later visit Hidden Cloud for Jinchūriki training.
• Shikaku proposed holding all three exam rounds in Konoha, while Sōji argued that another village should host one round and requested five Hidden Mist teams instead of two.
• Sōji defended the request for more teams by pointing to the exams’ entertainment value, ticket revenue, and broadcasting income.
• Kakashi asked Sōji about his Senjutsu training, and Sōji confirmed that he had trained in Shikkotsu Forest and that Tsunade knew about it.
• Asuma asked after Tsunade, and Sōji said she was gambling in Tanzaku Town and borrowing Jiraiya’s writing royalties.

Sōji negotiated with Konoha over the joint Chunin Ninja Exams and proposed rebuilding the former Land of Whirlpool as a jointly protected zone. Konoha agreed to consider Hidden Mist’s exam proposal and put the reconstruction plan on the agenda pending a joint survey.

• Sōji hinted to Shikaku that Konoha should help rebuild the Land of Whirlpool by discussing Hidden Mist’s sealing techniques and Uzumaki inheritance.
• At the welcoming banquet, Hiruzen discussed the joint Chunin Ninja Exams with Sōji, who learned that Konoha and Sunagakure had differing views on the venue for the third round.
• Sōji proposed that Hidden Mist host the written first round, and Hiruzen agreed that Konoha would give the proposal serious consideration.
• Sōji proposed developing the former Land of Whirlpool as a jointly protected zone for the Lands of Fire, Water, and Lightning, preserving sealing ruins and creating a transit hub.
• Shikaku said Konoha would add the proposal to the agenda but needed a joint survey before detailed negotiations, and Sōji offered Hidden Mist’s assistance.

Sōji presented Konoha with a plan for the three nations to jointly rebuild the Former Site of the Land of Whirlpool as a protected transit town and sealing research center. The Third Hokage agreed to negotiate the proposal’s remaining details, leaving Shikaku to lead a working group and produce a final plan within a month.

• The Third Hokage finalized the Chunin Ninja Exams schedule, and Sōji confirmed Hidden Mist would prepare its written-test questions and venues.
• Sōji proposed rebuilding the Former Site of the Land of Whirlpool through tri-party development, using a transit town to shorten shipping routes between the Lands of Fire, Water, and Lightning.
• Shikaku questioned who would live in the rebuilt settlement, and Karin offered to contact and settle surviving members of the Uzumaki Clan.
• Sōji proposed sharing costs according to nearby patrol forces, governing through three resident representatives, and establishing a jointly supervised sealing research institute.
• The Third Hokage agreed that Konoha would not refuse the proposal and ordered Shikaku to lead negotiations with Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud and produce a final plan within a month.

Sōji advanced negotiations with Konoha and the Hidden Mist to rebuild the Land of Whirlpool, then set out with Karin, Utakata, and Muku for the Land of Lightning. The group crossed into the Land of Frost on its way to Kumogakure, while an advance team traveled ahead by sea.

• Sōji reassured Karin that he would not let the Land of Whirlpool become merely a military outpost, then left her, Utakata, and Muku to continue negotiations and coordinate surveys.
• Sōji sent Ye Tong, Mangetsu, and Hotaru ahead to Kumogakure by sea and told them to contact Mabui on arrival.
• Sōji and Shikaku confirmed the survey team's departure plans, and Shikaku wondered whether Sōji and Kaguya would bring the Shinobi World rebirth or destruction.
• Sōji departed Konoha with Karin, Utakata, and Muku and traveled through the Land of Hot Water toward the Land of Frost.
• Karin reported that Mei had approved the Land of Whirlpool Joint Protected Area framework and that Konoha had sent its first survey schedule.
• Three days later, Sōji's group crossed into the Land of Frost and continued north toward Kumogakure.

Sōji brought Karin and Utakata to Kumogakure for Jinchūriki training and worked with the Fourth Raikage to advance the Land of Whirlpool joint development project. The chapter ended after Sōji and the Raikage fought through the night, leaving the Raikage injured and Mabui in charge of coordinating with Sōji.

• The Fourth Raikage welcomed Sōji's group and learned that Konoha had agreed in principle to the Land of Whirlpool project, with Hidden Mist, Konoha, and Hidden Cloud sharing costs and oversight.
• Sōji asked Hidden Cloud to train Karin and Utakata in chakra resonance, and the Fourth Raikage assigned Yugito to guide them for ten to fifteen days.
• The Fourth Raikage recognized Karin's progress with the Three-Tails and sent her and Utakata with Yugito to the secret training facility.
• Sōji and the Fourth Raikage reviewed Mabui's draft proposal late into the evening, while Hidden Cloud's staff officers suggested changes to the research institute's distribution of proceeds.
• Sōji and the Fourth Raikage fought at the training ground using Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, leaving more than a dozen trenches behind.
• The next morning, the injured Fourth Raikage gave Mabui full authority to coordinate with Sōji on the Land of Whirlpool project.

Sōji and the Hidden Mist group traveled with Hidden Cloud shinobi to Turtle Island, where Yugito explained the Waterfall of Truth training for Jinchūriki. Sōji sensed the island’s unusual chakra and encouraged Karin and Utakata to train there.

• Mabui told Sōji that Jinchūriki training would take place on a roaming giant turtle, with Yugito, Killer B, and Darui’s squad providing instruction and support.
• Killer B greeted the Hidden Mist group with a rap, while Samui introduced herself as the person overseeing supplies and training records.
• The supply ship crossed a dense fog bank and reached Turtle Island, where Yugito described the Waterfall of Truth and its trial of confronting painful emotions.
• Samui assigned support duties, and Atsui teased Darui about being made to practice recording training progress.
• Sōji sensed the chakra field beneath the lake and told Karin and Utakata that the island would help them cooperate with their tailed beasts.

Karin faced her dark side at the Waterfall of Truth, where it exposed her buried fear, hatred, jealousy, and feelings for Sōji. After the dark Karin restrained her, Karin realized those emotions were real parts of herself rather than something she could erase by denying them.

• Karin went alone to the Waterfall of Truth while Hotaru and Sōji watched from the outpost.
• The Waterfall of Truth brought forth a dark Karin who accused her of fearing death and hating Kusagakure.
• Dark Karin confronted Karin about her feelings for Yamada Soji and her jealousy of Tsunade and Samui.
• Karin attacked, but dark Karin used a sealing formula to trap her and warned that agitation would tighten the seal.
• Karin calmed herself and understood that her buried emotions were part of her, not an enemy to deny.

Karin defeated her dark side in the Waterfall of Truth and entered the second stage of the trial, while Utakata decided to face his own trial the next day. Later, Sōji checked his system panel after it came back online and wondered what had changed in its upgrade.

• Karin broke Dark Karin’s sealing formation and defeated her with a Chakra Enhanced Strength punch.
• Karin thanked her dark side, then entered the Cave to begin the second stage of the trial.
• Utakata told Muku he would face his dark side tomorrow and talk through his past with his master.
• Sōji watched Karin’s trial and expected her to handle the conversation between her heart and the Three-Tails.
• Sōji went to a forest clearing, checked his system panel, and found that his cursed energy had exceeded one million and the system had come back online.

After the system upgrade gave Sōji a main mission to become the God of Shinobi, he revised his plans to preserve the events leading to the Fourth Shinobi World War. He and Jogo discussed how the mission’s objectives depended on Kaguya’s release and Sōji’s eventual awakening of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.

• Sōji read the four mission requirements and decided not to disrupt the original story’s central events before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
• Sōji summoned Jogo and explained that he had to follow the war’s course to complete the system’s missions.
• Sōji told Jogo that Kaguya could only be sealed and that he was not yet strong enough to defeat her.
• Sōji explained that he needed to awaken the complete Ōtsutsuki bloodline and planned to wait for the Ten-Tails to reveal an opportunity.
• Jogo warned Sōji not to let his strength or Limitless make him arrogant.

Sōji prepared the Island Turtle for Utakata’s second Waterfall of Truth trial while training his cursed spirits and considering the limits of Limitless. Utakata confronted and accepted his dark side, clearing the way for the group to enter the waterfall.

• Sōji explained how Limitless could be countered and released Hanami and Dagon to grow stronger on the Island Turtle.
• Sōji returned to the outpost and sensed Utakata communicating with Saiken before the next day’s trial.
• Karin and Yugito discussed Karin’s success in the first stage and her upcoming conversation with the Three-Tails.
• Utakata entered the Waterfall of Truth and faced a dark version of himself, who challenged his readiness to face his master.
• Utakata told his dark side that he had accepted it as part of his past, and the dark figure dissolved into golden motes.
• The waterfall parted, and Utakata smiled toward Karin and Sōji as he waited for everyone to enter together.

Karin and Utakata fought Yugito and Killer B in a two-on-two training match on the Island Turtle. Karin and Utakata coordinated attacks against their opponents, while Yugito used the Two-Tails’ chakra to evade Karin’s powerful knee strike.

• Killer B proposed a two-on-two match between himself and Yugito against Karin and Utakata, and Sōji approved the training.
• Darui began the match, and Yugito charged Karin, whose Mind’s Eye of the Kagura helped her block Yugito’s blade with Chakra Enhanced Strength.
• Karin raised a coral wall to stop Yugito’s chakra slashes, then attacked while Utakata used a bubble to disrupt Yugito’s landing.
• Karin warned Utakata that Killer B was hiding nearby, and Utakata’s bubbles flushed him out of the shadows.
• Killer B attacked Utakata with his Eight-Sword Style while Yugito blocked Karin, and the teams clashed across the training ground.
• Karin and Utakata slowed Yugito with a water dragon and alkaline liquid, but Yugito used Matatabi’s chakra to evade Karin’s knee strike.

Karin and Utakata fought Killer B and Yugito, showing growing control and coordination with their tailed beasts. The battle escalated into a clash between all four beasts, and Isobu struck Eight-Tails after dodging his charge.

• Killer B entered a six-tailed Chakra Cloak and attacked Utakata, who responded with Saiken’s four-tailed cloak, while Karin took on a defensive cloak resembling Isobu.
• Karin clashed with Killer B’s Lariat, healed her damaged arm, and escaped his tentacles with Utakata’s corrosive attack before sealing Killer B’s feet; he broke the seal with Eight-Tails chakra.
• Yugito transformed into the Two-Tails Giant Cat, and Killer B transformed into Gyūki’s complete form.
• Karin and Utakata released Isobu and Saiken in their complete forms, bringing four tailed beasts face-to-face at the lakeshore.
• Killer B charged Isobu, who withdrew into his shell, rolled out of the way, and slammed into Eight-Tails’ flank.

Karin and Utakata tested their teamwork against Killer B and Yugito, then received guidance for their next training goals. As training intensified on the Island Turtle, Mangetsu mastered sustaining his pure water body while Ye Tong stabilized her Scorch Release Giant’s leg joints.

• Karin and Utakata fought Killer B and Yugito in a two-on-two spar that ended without a clear winner after Matatabi stopped the Tailed Beast Ball attacks.
• Samui and Yugito assessed Karin and Utakata’s strengths and weaknesses, emphasizing deeper coordination, combat experience, and alternating offense and defense.
• Karin and Utakata began intensive Resonance training with Isobu and Saiken, while Yugito accompanied them and Killer B visited with new raps.
• Mangetsu sustained his pure water body and then combined the Hydrification Technique with a Ninja Blade strike.
• Ye Tong stabilized the Scorch Release Giant’s right knee and successfully made it walk and perform a sideways slash.

Hotaru mastered precise control of Rage Hair Heaven, while Muku began learning to communicate with Gō and use its power. Sōji continued managing projects across several nations, and on the return trip he offered to treat Samui’s chronic shoulder pain.

• Hotaru etched a clear spiderweb pattern into a pebble without breaking it and excitedly told Karin before Mangetsu splashed her to quiet her.
• Muku bonded with Gō, manifested its dark markings and wings, and planned to try flying next time.
• Sōji reviewed the Land of Whirlpool survey and reconstruction plans with Mei Terumi, then outlined visits to the Land of Wind, the Land of Crafts, and Kusagakure.
• Samui reviewed Sōji’s packed itinerary aboard the speedboat, and Sōji encouraged her to use an unscheduled evening to rest.
• After the boat rocked and Sōji steadied her, he noticed Samui’s chronic shoulder pain and offered to use Yang Release chakra to ease the blockages.

Sōji offered to treat Samui’s chronic shoulder pain, and his chakra massage stirred feelings between them as their interaction grew increasingly intimate. The chapter ended with Samui turning onto her back and meeting Sōji’s gaze.

• At dinner, Sōji noticed Samui barely eating and repeatedly rubbing her right shoulder.
• Sōji offered to massage Samui, and she accepted before returning to her cabin after a hot bath.
• Sōji used Yang Release chakra to ease blockages in Samui’s shoulder and arm while she relaxed under his touch.
• Sōji noticed Samui’s heart rate and body temperature rising, and he acknowledged that the massage had become emotionally charged.
• Sōji asked Samui to turn over, and she slowly rolled onto her back with flushed cheeks and looked up at him.

Sōji and Samui began a secret romantic relationship after Samui chose to remove his blindfold. The next morning, they agreed to keep their private connection quiet while continuing their official duties, and Sōji noticed his chakra and Cursed Energy flowing with unusual ease.

• Samui asked to see Sōji's eyes, and he gave her the choice to stop before she removed his blindfold and kissed him.
• Sōji and Samui spent the night together aboard the Island Turtle.
• Samui woke before Sōji and watched him sleep, then they shared a quiet moment after he woke.
• Samui and Sōji agreed that their relationship would remain secret for now and would not affect their official liaison work.
• Sōji left the cabin and sensed that his chakra, Cursed Energy, and Six Eyes perception had improved.

Sōji practiced maintaining Limitless before time passed and the villages gathered to celebrate the New Year at the Former Site of the Land of Whirlpool. The festival continued beneath heavy snow, with the three villages sharing food and conversation as Sōji exchanged quiet glances with Samui.

• Sōji met Muku after his training and encouraged him to keep working hard with Gō.
• Sōji tested Limitless by concentrating on its cursed energy algorithm and achieved continuous operation of the technique.
• A year passed, and the three villages held a New Year Festival beside the newly built Uzumaki Clan building at the Former Site of the Land of Whirlpool.
• Shikaku and Ao discussed the second-phase drainage plans while Kakashi and Guy teased them about working during the festival.
• Killer B, Darui, and Atsui prepared grilled meat as Suigetsu eagerly waited for food and Hotaru joined him.
• Samui watched Sōji from across the venue, while Mangetsu gave Suigetsu a peeled mandarin after criticizing his grilled meat.

Tsunade arrived at the New Year gathering in the Land of Whirlpool ruins and confronted Sōji for failing to contact her while he carried out his many duties. The gathering welcomed the new year beneath the restored Uzumaki Clan Emblem, and Tsunade stood with Sōji as fireworks filled the sky.

• Karin, Ye Tong, Muku, Utakata, and the gathered ninja celebrated while Guy and Killer B staged a playful taijutsu and rap contest.
• Tsunade arrived with Shizune and Tonton, and Sōji left his planning meeting to greet her.
• Tsunade questioned Sōji about his active Cursed Technique and scolded him for going two months without contacting her; Sōji admitted he was wrong and promised to send a message next time.
• At midnight, the snow stopped and the ninja gathered beneath the Uzumaki Clan Emblem as Tsunade wished her grandmother could see it.
• The ninja launched fireworks shaped in the clan emblem's colors, and Karin smiled as the celebration continued.

After the New Year festival, Tsunade visited Sōji at his temporary residence and admitted she regretted waiting too long to pursue him. They spent the night together, and Tsunade left him with a teasing warning not to neglect her again.

• The ninja from the various villages returned to their lodgings after the festival, and Samui supported the drunken Darui back to the Hidden Cloud district.
• Tsunade arrived at Sōji’s townhouse with Shizune and Tonton, then asked him about Samui’s feelings for him.
• Tsunade confessed that she had wanted Sōji since they met again in Tanzaku Town but had waited until someone else came along.
• Sōji took Tsunade’s hand and told her that she and Samui were different to him, and Tsunade kissed him.
• After spending the night together, Tsunade told Sōji to contact her more often and joked that Mei Terumi had also had her eye on him.